Zenconomics

Crafting a World-Class Education

submitted by jwithrow.

Journal of a Wayward Philosopher
Crafting a World-Class Education

January 9, 2015
Hot Springs, VA

The S&P opened at $2,063 today. Gold is up to $1,214 per ounce. Oil is still just under $49 per barrel. Bitcoin is flat at 287 per BTC, and the 10-year Treasury rate opened at 2.00% once again today.

Keep an eye on the oil patch – that’s where the interesting action will be as we move into 2015. Losses will start to crop up if the price of oil remains flat for any extended period of time. Most of the U.S. shale boom has been financed by debt, not equity. We can expect some of these losses to show up in the bond market as repayment becomes difficult at current prices.

But it won’t be quite that simple. Financing oil exploration also involves swap contracts and derivatives which are then packaged, moved, and sold. This means that some losses may not be borne by the oil companies but rather move over to the bank. But the banks are just middlemen so many of the swap contracts very well may have been sold to institutional investors such as exchange-traded funds. No one knows exactly where the risks are so discovering where the losses pop up if oil remains flat will be much like playing whack-a-mole.

Yesterday we discussed why the public school system fails and we decided the best thing for a concerned parent to do is opt out.

But then what? Most of us have gone through the public school system so we are accustomed to the rigid top-down model of education.

Do we look to private schools? Some of them probably offer a service that is superior to the public school system but they are still based on the authoritarian “gymnasium” model and they probably use the same politically-correct textbooks. And they are expensive! As mentioned yesterday, the Sudbury Valley Schools are an exception as they do not employ the “gymnasium” model. If you live close to one of these schools then that may be a great option.

For the rest of us, we are on the frontier – it’s up to us to craft a world-class homeschool program. To do so we must first understand what education is. The word educate stems from the Latin word ‘educo’ which means “to bring up; to draw out”. You see, education is not about teaching; it is about learning. There is only learning. We’ve had it backwards for quite some time now.

An individual’s education actually begins the moment they are born; and maybe even the moment they are conceived. At birth, infants are completely helpless. Within twelve months’ time they have learned to follow objects with their eyes, move their appendages, hold their head up, coo and chuckle, roll from side to side, grasp objects in their hands, laugh, sit up, play with multiple objects, crawl, stand, and maybe even say a few words.

Within twenty four months’ time that same infant has learned to walk and play, climb stairs, color with crayons, use gestures, and use several words together intelligibly.

Within sixty months’ time the infant has learned how to move freely throughout the house, use sentences with nouns, verbs, and modifiers, recognize colors, recognize his or her own name, age, and gender, play with other children, communicate with adults, write his or her name, and to feed him or herself.

That is an amazing amount of development within a short period time! And guess what? There is no system in place mandating or forcing the infant to absorb any of this. The infant learns all of these essential items on his or her own with the guidance of parents and trusted adults.

In crafting a homeschool program it is important to allow this natural education to continue uninhibited. The curriculum chosen should supplement this natural education; it should not take the place of it.

The development of technology has, for the first time in history, made access to quality supplemental curriculum free to everyone with a computer and an internet connection. One can go online and read essays or view lectures on any subject imaginable. There are millions of articles and countless books available to read online at no cost to you. The Ludwig von Mises Institute’s web site offers the entire manuscript of many great books in the fields of Austrian Economics and the philosophy of Liberty absolutely free. The Ron Paul Curriculum offers K-12 curriculum completely online including a platform for students to interact with each other.

This type of technology is unprecedented in human history! Technology is not only liberating education from the confines of centralized authority, but it is doing so at a greatly reduced cost. It is completely possible for enterprising parents to supplement their child’s natural education with a world-class curriculum for pennies compared to what the public school system costs.

If you venture down this path be sure to familiarize yourself with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association as well as your state’s laws regarding homeschooling. And always keep the big picture in mind.

Education is not about indoctrinating children to think the same things we think. It’s not about taking up all of a child’s free time to keep him out of trouble. It’s not about “beating” other countries on standardized tests. It’s not about setting a child up to get into the best college or to secure a high-powered desk job.

Education is individual in nature. Children, free to discover and pursue their own passions, will learn so much more on their own than they ever could in a classroom. And they will grow into self-governing and self-driven adults capable of thriving in an ever-changing world.

More to come,

Joe Withrow
Wayward Philosopher

For more of Joe’s thoughts on homeschooling and educational alternatives please read “The Individual is Rising” which is available at http://www.theindividualisrising.com/. The book is also available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle editions.

Determination for Tough Times

by Tess Marshall – ICPA:

It’s easy to become discouraged during hard times, especially if you aren’t financially stable. Increased problems, such as job insecurity, fear of the unknown and everyday stress, can lead to anxiety and depression.

When so much is out of your hands, it’s important to remember what is in your control. Positive thinking is a strong force everyone can tap into. Do your thoughts nurture you and bring you hope for your future? If not, create a healthy belief system. Think uplifting thoughts, choose uplifting feelings and focus on creative ideas.

Toxic thoughts create toxic emotions. If you think fear, you will feel fearful. If you think you’re desperate, you will feel desperate. You can set yourself up for a good life or a life of failure. Here are some tips to help you with thinking positively and dreaming about a happy future, even in tough times. What do you have to lose?

Choose determination over desperation. Think of how you feel when you feel desperate, versus when you’re determined. Living in fear, anxiety and negativity will cause you to feel desperate and lead you into a downward spiral. As long as you have food, shelter and clothing, you aren’t truly desperate. As long as you have family and friends, you aren’t desperate. Determination, on the other hand, offers hope. It’s necessary to trust and embrace possibility. Yes, even in tough times. Be determined to take persistent action every day toward making your life better. Be bold, and do whatever it takes.

Go on a media fast. Don’t worry about the lack of information—if something happens that you need to know, someone will tell you. Or you can read just the headlines as you walk by a newsstand. If you have money in the stock market for the long run, you don’t have to worry about it going up or down day to day; you weren’t going to do anything about it, anyway. If you want to know what is in the news today, I can tell you: It’s the same as yesterday. Same fear, different story.

Uplift yourself. Choose to listen to music, watch comedies, see old movies or play games. There are a million ways you can spend time lifting yourself up. Any time you engage in something positive, you produce neuropeptides that echo feelings of happiness, contentment, excitement, joy and hope. When you do this, your energy will change as well. Read inspirational stories, listen to positive podcasts or watch DVDs about people who have overcome great obstacles. There is no difference between them and you. Countless people have survived war, the Depression and recessions, and have literally lost everything. Yet they came back stronger than ever, in all areas of their lives.

Appreciate everything. Learn to live in a state of gratitude. Acknowledge the value within and the value without. When you are fretting and fearful, stop and think of your best memories. Dwell on them for a while, remembering the joy and gratitude you felt. Bring those feelings into the present moment. The more you acknowledge gratitude, the happier you will become. Gratitude heals. Your energy from this exercise will bring you even more things to be grateful for in the future. You can choose to focus on what’s missing in your life…but what you need instead is a solution. It’s not necessary to have a new relationship, a new home or a better job to be happy. You can choose happiness now by choosing gratitude and appreciation.

Learn to live with less. Most people blow their needs out of proportion. No matter how much stuff they have, there is an insatiable desire for more. They live in a constant state of dissatisfaction. When I was growing up I had one pair of shoes. Today, I have several. Shoes don’t bring happiness. In fact, they are often in my way. How would your life change if you became satisfied with what you have? Get rid of clutter. Become aware of how much you bring into your home versus how much you carry out or give away. Stop wasting anything. Choose to lead a simpler life.

Forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for anything you could have done but didn’t do. If you would have known better, you would have done better. Let go of the mistakes you have made in the past. You’ve carried that ball and chain for too long; take it off. You will feel lighter and free.

This too shall pass. Nothing is permanent. Tough times offer us an opportunity to grow. The sun will rise and the sun will set. It always does. Think of all the things you’ve been through, and have not only survived, but have made you stronger in the process. Take one day at a time.

Breathe. When you catch yourself feeling fearful, worried and desperate, stop and take a deep breath. Bring yourself to the present moment, and remind yourself that you can choose to feel peaceful instead. Unless someone has a gun to your head, you can choose peace in any moment. Learn to stop scaring yourself with your thoughts.

Relax your muscles. Quiet your mind. Think of the people you love and the joy they bring you. Let go of striving, and become aware of thriving. The quality of your days will increase, and you’ll experience more joy. Seek professional help. It’s normal to be stressed, down and frustrated when you live in uncertain times. It’s important to monitor your moods. If you find you can’t shake anxiety and depression, you may need to seek the help of a professional. Be brave.
Be bold. Take the necessary steps.

Article originally posted at ICPA.org.

Fluoride in the Water Supply Might Be Destroying Your Health

by Darrel Crain, DC – ICPA:

Fluoride recently began flowing through the tap water into millions of Southern California households. But the pipeline of information to warn the public about fluoride exposure is apparently clogged up with something.

Many people need to avoid fluoride altogether to preserve their health. We know this because scientists in government agencies have documented it thoroughly. Babies up to 1 year of age; pregnant women; elderly individuals; and anyone with kidney problems, thyroid problems, liver problems, diabetes mellitus, or cardiovascular problems all need to be as fluoride free as possible.

The level of fluoride added to the water, we are repeatedly told, is “optimal” and “safe.” Unfortunately, the level of fluoride in the water is meaningless until we know the actual daily dose an individual receives. People who drink lots of fluoridated water are getting far more fluoride into their bodies than those who drink little.

And water is just the first item on the list, because exposure to fluoride and fluoridated water comes from many sources. Watch for fluoride toothpaste, mouthwash, dental treatments, soft drinks, juice, commercially raised fruits and vegetables (grown with fluorine-containing pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer), processed and canned food, wine, beer, coffee, and tea, to name a few sources—not to mention increasing fluorine pollution in the environment.

The U.S. Public Health Service reported in 1991 that people living in cities with “optimal” water fluoridation can easily receive a total daily fluoride exposure exceeding 6.5 milligrams per person —more than 600 percent higher than the “optimal” amount.

Perhaps our regional health leaders are reluctant or even embarrassed to post warnings about known safety problems with the public water supply caused by the intentional addition of fluoride, or maybe they are just too busy. The government research quoted below is probably in their files. One of them might even be planning to write a press release sooner or later, but who knows? In the meantime, the following notes of caution may help fill the information gap.

In October of 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that fluoridated water marketed for use in infants cannot claim to reduce the risk of dental cavities. One month later, in November of 2006, the American Dental Association (ADA) announced that babies up to 1 year of age should avoid fluoridated water because they are at high risk of developing dental fluorosis. This defect of tooth development can result in staining, pitting, and corrosion of the enamel.

“In Canada, we are now spending more money treating dental fluorosis than we do treating cavities. That includes my own practice,” says Hardy Limeback, PhD, DDS, and former President of the Canadian Association of Dental Research. (Canada is among the tiny number of countries that add fluoride to some of the public water supplies.)

But dental fluorosis is more than a cosmetic problem: It’s the first visible sign of fluoride overdose. The same week the ADA warned about shielding babies from ingesting fluoride, the British medical journal, The Lancet (November, 2006), reported that fluoride may damage a child’s developing brain. The article described fluoride as an “emerging neurotoxic substance” because of evidence linking fluoride exposure to lower IQs in children and brain damage in animals.

Babies and pregnant women are not the only ones who need to avoid fluoride. In 1993, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) listed several groups of people at high risk for fluoride toxicity. Following are excerpts from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, April 1993.

“Existing data indicate that subsets of the population may be unusually susceptible to the toxic effects of fluoride and its compounds. These populations include the elderly, people with deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, and/or vitamin C, and people with cardiovascular and kidney problems. Because fluoride is excreted through the kidney, people with renal insufficiency would have impaired renal clearance of fluoride. [Renal clearance means how well the kidneys are able to do their job and filter the body’s blood.]

“Impaired renal clearance of fluoride has also been found in people with diabetes mellitus and cardiac insufficiency…. People over the age of 50 often have decreased renal fluoride clearance.…Postmenopausal women and elderly men in fluoridated communities may also be at increased risk of fractures.”

The biological effect of fluoride on living tissue is the disruption of enzyme activity, including the enzymes that maintain life in the cells of the human body. Fluoride is an endocrine disruptor that was used for decades in Europe as a drug to treat overactive thyroid by depressing thyroid function. Alarmingly, the dosage once prescribed to reduce thyroid activity is about the same amount ingested by people in many communities today.

Fluoride is more toxic than lead and nearly as toxic as arsenic. The toxicity rating of lead is between 3 and 4 (3 is moderately toxic, 4 is very toxic). Fluoride is rated at 4, while arsenic is slightly above 4 (Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, 5th Edition, 1984).

Healthy kidneys are able to clear less than 50 percent of the fluoride taken into the body, and kidneys are prone to damage in the fluoride-filtering process. Fluoride is bone-seeking, and fluoride that is not excreted by the kidneys accumulates primarily in the bones, never to leave. Does it make any sense to surround the bone marrow, the blood cell factories of the body, with a toxic element more deadly than lead?

As the saying goes, “When all is said and done, more has been said than done.” The measurable benefit of drinking fluoridated water to fight cavities appears to hover around zero. All over the world the rate of dental cavities has fallen dramatically in developed countries, even though most have never added fluoride compounds to their water. The common factor for improved outcomes seems to be better nutrition and higher health standards.

If you are one of the millions of people for whom any amount of fluoride exposure is a bad idea, you need fluoride-free water. Removing fluoride from tap water at home is not simple, requiring the purchase of equipment to either distill the water, or filter it using reverse osmosis. It may be more feasible to buy water at the supermarket or have it delivered to your home. Eating organic foods and juices is another way to reduce fluoride exposure.

The fluoride being added to our water is actually toxic sludge scraped from the smokestack filters of American industry. Fluoride is a byproduct of the aluminum, steel, and fertilizer industries, among others. Because of this, we not only get a dose of corrosive fluorosilicic acid in our daily coffee, we also get an extra shot of arsenic and lead in each cup…

Article originally posted at ICPA.org.

Why the Public School System Fails

submitted by jwithrow.

Journal of a Wayward Philosopher
Why the Public School System Fails

January 8, 2015
Hot Springs, VA

The S&P opened at $2,036 today. Gold is checking in at $1,212 per ounce. Oil opened just under $49 per barrel. Bitcoin is trading hands at 286 per BTC, and the 10-year Treasury rate opened at 2.00% today.

The markets have kicked off 2015 with some healthy volatility! The S&P has dipped as low as $1,985 only to bounce back up. Oil has drifted as low as $47, bringing energy stocks down with it. The 10-year rate has dipped below 2% and threatened to drift lower. Bitcoin has fallen below $300 for the first time since 2013 and gold has climbed as high as $1,221.

Last month we contemplated raising children in the modern world and we decided compulsory education was not, in our humble opinion, in the student’s best interest. We reckoned that for any real learning to occur the student would have to be free to engage a topic of their own choice and then have the space to inspect, poke, jab, nudge, kick, and maybe even dance with that topic on their own timeline. Of course this method is the exact opposite of what is employed by the compulsory public school system that says the student must learn this topic in this way on this timeline with this grading scale and he better not interact with his neighbor while doing so.

As always, it is a minority position we take on the important matters of child-rearing and education. Perhaps this is why we had such an affinity for “Don Quixote” as a youngster. While the public school system is accepted as “normal” today, it is important to understand its origin.

The current public school system model was founded in Germany in the 1800s. The Germans called their model the “gymnasium” system and it was organized in part by the German military. This system separated students by grade and limited their interaction with students of differing ages. The intent was to foster a robust bond between the boys for they would be expected to train and fight together in the military as adults. Sure enough, this system created fiercely loyal soldiers.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in America, students were either educated at home or in small groups that were not separated by age. Individualized education in America was less geared towards memorizing facts and figures and more geared towards fundamental reading/writing/arithmetic, common sense, and self-confidence.

Age diversity helped older students develop responsibility and leadership skills by guiding the younger students along. Younger students got the benefit of both adult tutelage and guidance from the older kids. While seemingly a small point, having two distinct perspectives on the same topic goes a long way towards fostering critical thinking. Peter Gray, in Free to Learn, discussed this very dynamic as he observed students in Sudbury Valley School.

America began moving towards the German “gymnasium” model after the Civil War with the political class using force to move the shift along. Massachusetts passed the first compulsory school attendance law in 1852 and all states had compulsory school attendance laws on the books by 1918. Reading the work of John Dewey, one of the leading educators in 20th century America, provides troubling insight into why the shift was facilitated.

“The mere absorbing of facts and truths is so exclusively individual an affair that it tends very naturally to pass into selfishness. There is no obvious social motive for the acquirement of mere learning, there is no clear social gain in success thereat.”

The political objective was the centralization and control of education in order to reduce the American spirit of individualism and make students more malleable and group-oriented. John Taylor Gatto expanded upon the political shift of American education in his books Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling and The Underground History of American Education: A School Teacher’s Intimate Investigation Into the Problem of Modern Schooling.

History and political motives aside, Gatto also outlined and then expanded upon several points that demonstrate how the public school system is “dumbing us down”. They are as follows:

1. It confuses the students. It presents an incoherent ensemble of information that the child needs to memorize to stay in school. Apart from the tests and trials that programming is similar to the television, it fills almost all the “free” time of children. One sees and hears something, only to forget it again.
2. It teaches them to accept their class affiliation.
3. It makes them indifferent.
4. It makes them emotionally dependent.
5. It makes them intellectually dependent.
6. It teaches them a kind of self-confidence that requires constant confirmation by experts (provisional self-esteem).
7. It makes it clear to them that they cannot hide, because they are always supervised.

Gatto’s points refer to the public school system itself; not to the individuals working within the system. Most school employees at the local level are well-intentioned and work hard to improve the quality of their school. But they are forced to operate within the confines of the gymnasium system and they are forced to use government-approved politically-correct textbooks. More money will not change this dynamic, it will only further empower the Department of Education and impoverish the public.

So what is a concerned parent to do? Opt out!

Until the morrow,

Joe Withrow
Wayward Philosopher

Ron Paul on How to Restore America – Don’t Avert the Government Shutdown!

by Ron Paul – Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity:

The political class breathed a sigh of relief Saturday when the US Senate averted a government shutdown by passing the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill. This year’s omnibus resembles omnibuses of Christmas past in that it was drafted in secret, was full of special interest deals and disguised spending increases, and was voted on before most members could read it.

The debate over the omnibus may have made for entertaining political theater, but the outcome was never in doubt. Most House and Senate members are so terrified of another government shutdown that they would rather vote for a 1,774-page bill they have not read than risk even a one or two-day government shutdown.

Those who voted for the omnibus to avoid a shutdown fail to grasp that the consequences of blindly expanding government are far worse than the consequences of a temporary government shutdown. A short or even long-term government shutdown is a small price to pay to avoid an economic calamity caused by Congress’ failure to reduce spending and debt.

The political class’ shutdown phobia is particularly puzzling because a shutdown only closes 20 percent of the federal government. As the American people learned during the government shutdown of 2013, the country can survive with 20 percent less government.

Instead of panicking over a limited shutdown, a true pro-liberty Congress would be eagerly drawing up plans to permanently close most of the federal government, starting with the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve’s inflationary policies not only degrade the average American’s standard of living, they also allow Congress to run up huge deficits. Congress should take the first step toward restoring a sound monetary policy by passing the Audit the Fed bill, so the American people can finally learn the truth about the Fed’s operations.

Second on the chopping block should be the Internal Revenue Service. The federal government is perfectly capable of performing its constitutional functions without imposing a tyrannical income tax system on the American people.

America’s militaristic foreign policy should certainly be high on the shutdown list. The troops should be brought home, all foreign aid should be ended, and America should pursue a policy of peace and free trade with all nations. Ending the foreign policy of hyper-interventionism that causes so many to resent and even hate America will increase our national security.

All programs that spy on or otherwise interfere with the private lives of American citizens should be shutdown. This means no more TSA, NSA, or CIA, as well as an end to all federal programs that promote police militarization. The unconstitutional war on drugs should also end, along with the war on raw milk.

All forms of welfare should be shut down, starting with those welfare programs that benefit the wealthy and the politically well connected. Corporate welfare, including welfare for the military-industrial complex that masquerades as “defense spending,” should be first on the chopping block. Welfare for those with lower incomes could be more slowly phased out to protect those who have become dependent on those programs.

The Department of Education should be permanently padlocked. This would free American schoolchildren from the dumbed-down education imposed by Common Core and No Child Left Behind. Of course, Obamacare, and similar programs, must be shut down so we can finally have free-market health care.

Congress could not have picked a worse Christmas gift for the American people than the 1,774-page omnibus spending bill. Unfortunately, we cannot return this gift. But hopefully someday Congress will give us the gift of peace, prosperity, and liberty by shutting down the welfare-warfare state.

Article originally posted at The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.

A Comprehensive List of GMO Products and Companies

by Why Don’t You Try This?.com:

Baby Food ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Nabisco (Phillip Morris)
-Arrowroot Teething Biscuits -Infant formula Carnation Infant Formulas(Nestle) -AlSoy -Good Start -Follow-Up -Follow-Up Soy

Enfamil Infant Formulas (Mead Johnson)
-Enfamil with Iron -Enfamil Low Iron -Enfamil A.R. -Enfamil Nutramigen -Enfamil Lacto Free -Enfamil 22 -Enfamil Next step (soy and milk-based varieties) -Enfamil Pro-Soybee

Isomil Infant Formulas (Abbot Labs)
-Isomil Soy -Isomil Soy for Diarrhea -Similac(Abbot Labs) -Similac Lactose Free -Similac with Iron -Similac Low Iron -Similac Alimentum

Baking ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Aunt Jemima (Quaker)
-Complete Pancake & Waffle Mix -Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix -Cornbread Mix -Easy Mix Coffee Cake

Betty Crocker (General Mills)
-Pie Crust Mix -Original Pancake Mix -Complete Pancake Mix -Buttermilk Complete Pancake Mix -Muffin Mixes -Banana Nut -Lemon Poppy Seed -Blueberry -Wild Blueberry -Chocolate Chip -Apple Streusel -Quick Bread Mixes Banana -Cinnamon Streusel -Lemon Poppy Seed -Cranberry Orange -Gingerbread -Cookie Mixes Chocolate Chip -Double Chocolate Chunk -Sugar -Peanut Butter

Bisquik (Betty Crocker/General Mills)
-Original -Reduced Fat -Shake ‘n Pour Pancake Mix -Shake ‘n Pour Buttermilk Pancake Mix -Shake ‘n Pour Blueberry Pancake Mix

Duncan Hines (Aurora Foods)
-Muffin Mixes -Kellogg’s All-Bran Apple Cinnamon -Kellogg’s All-Bran Blueberry -Blueberry -Blueberry Crumb -Chocolate Chip

Hungry Jack (Pillsbury)
-Buttermilk Pancake Mix -Extra Light & Fluffy Pancake Mix (all varieties) -Jiffy -Corn Muffin Mix
-Blueberry Muffin Mix -Raspberry Muffin Mix -Pie Crust Mix

Mrs. Butterworths (Aurora Foods)
-Complete Pancake Mix -Buttermilk Pancake Mix

Pepperidge Farms (Campbell’s)
-Buttermilk Pancake Mix -Pillsbury -Quick Bread & Muffin Mixes -Blueberry -Chocolate Chip -Banana
-Cranberry -Lemon Poppyseed -Nut -Hot Roll Mix -Gingerbread

Bakers (Kraft/Phillip Morris)
-Unsweetened Chocolate -Semi-Sweet Chocolate -German Sweet Chocolate -White Chocolate -Hershey’s -Semi-Sweet Baking Chips -Milk Chocolate Chips -Mini Kisses -Nestle -Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips -Milk Chocolate Chips -White Chocolate -Butterscotch Chips -Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bars

Bread ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Holsum (Interstate Bakeries)
-Holsum Thin Sliced -Roman Meal -12 Grain -Round Top -Home Pride -Buttertop White -Buttertop Wheat

Pepperidge Farms (Campbell’s)
-Cinnamon Swirl -Light Oatmeal -Light Wheat -100% Whole Wheat -Hearty Slices -7 Grain -9 Grain -Crunchy Oat -Whole Wheat -Light Side -Oatmeal -Wheat -7 Grain -Soft Dinner Rolls -Club Rolls -Sandwich Buns -Hoagie Rolls

Thomas’ (Bestfoods)
-English Muffins Original -Cinnamon Raisin -Honey Wheat -Oat Bran -Blueberry -Maple French Toast -Toast-r-Cakes Blueberry -Toast-r-Cakes Corn Muffins

Wonder (Interstate Bakeries)
-White Sandwich Bread -Country Grain -Buttermilk -Thin Sandwich -Light Wheat -100% Stoneground Wheat
-Fat Free Multigrain -Premium Potato -Beefsteak Rye -Wonder Hamburger Buns

Breakfast ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Kellogg’s
-Pop Tarts (all varieties) -Pop Tarts Snack Stix (all) -Nutri-Grain Bars (all) -Nutri-Grain Fruit Filled Squares (all) -Nutri-Grain Twists (all) -Fruit-Full Squares (all)

Nabisco (Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
-Fruit & Grain Bars (all varieties) -Nature Valley (General Mills) -Oats & Honey Granola Bars
-Peanut Butter Granola Bars -Cinnamon Granola Bars

Pillsbury (General Mills)
-Toaster Scrambles & Strudels (all varieties)

Quaker
-Chewy Granola Bars (all varieties) -Fruit & Oatmeal Bars (all varieties) -Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles -Buttermilk -Blueberry

Eggo Frozen Waffles (Kellogg’s)
-Homestyle -Buttermilk -Nutri-Grain Whole Wheat -Nutri-Grain Multi Grain -Cinnamon Toast -Blueberry -Strawberry -Apple Cinnamon -Banana Bread

Hungry Jack Frozen Waffles (Pillsbury/General Mills)
-Homestyle -Buttermilk

Cereal ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

General Mills
-Cheerios -Wheaties -Total -Corn Chex -Wheat Chex -Lucky Charms -Trix -Kix -Golden Grahams -Cinnamon Grahams -Count Chocula -Honey Nut Chex -Frosted Cheerios -Apple Cinnamon Cheerios -Multi-Grain Cheerios
-Frosted Wheaties -Brown Sugar & Oat Total -Basic 4 -Reeses Puffs -French Toast Crunch

Kellogg’s
-Frosted Flakes -Corn Flakes -Special K -Raisin Bran -Rice Krispies -Corn Pops -Product 19 -Smacks
-Froot Loops -Marshmallow Blasted Fruit Loops -Apple Jacks -Crispix -Smart Start -All-Bran -Complete Wheat Bran -Complete Oat Bran -Just Right Fruit & Nut -Honey Crunch Corn Flakes -Raisin Bran Crunch
-Cracklin’ Oat Bran

Country Inn Specialties (all varieties)
-Mothers Cereals (Quaker) -Toasted Oat Bran -Peanut Butter Bumpers -Groovy Grahams -Harvest Oat Flakes
-Harvest Oat Flakes w/Apples & Almonds -Honey Round Ups

Post (Kraft-Phillip Morris)
-Raisin Bran -Bran Flakes -Grape Nut Flakes -Grape Nut O’s -Fruit & Fibre date, raisin and walnut
-Fruit & Fibre peach, raisin and almond -Honey Bunch of Oats -Honey Nut Shredded Wheat -Honey Comb
-Golden Crisp -Waffle Crisp -Cocoa Pebbles -Cinna-Crunch Pebbles -Fruity Pebbles -Alpha-Bits -Post Selects Cranberry Almond -Post Selects Banana Nut Crunch -Post Selects Blueberry Morning -Post Selects Great Grains Quaker -Life -Cinnamon Life -100% Natural Granola -Toasted Oatmeal -Toasted Oatmeal Honey Nut -Oat Bran -Cap’n Crunch -Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch -Cap’n Crunch Crunchling Berries

Chocolate ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Cadbury (Cadbury/Hershey’s)
-Mounds -Almond Joy -York Peppermint Patty -Dairy Milk -Roast Almond -Fruit & Nut -Hershey’s -Kit-Kat -Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups -Mr. Goodbar -Special Dark -Milk Chocolate -Kisses -Symphony

Kraft (Kraft/Phillip Morris)
-Toblerone (all varieties) -Mars -M&M (all varieties) -Snickers -Three Musketeers -Milky Way -Twix

Nestle
-Crunch -Milk Chocolate -Chunky -Butterfinger -100 Grand

Carnation (Nestle)
Hot Cocoa Mixes:
-Rich Chocolate -Double Chocolate -Milk Chocolate -Marshmallow Madness -Mini Marshmallow -No Sugar

Hershey’s
-Chocolate Syrup -Special Dark Chocolate Syrup -Strawberry Syrup

Nestle
-Nesquik -Strawberry Nesquik

Swiss Miss (ConAgra)
-Chocolate Sensation -Milk Chocolate -Marshmallow Lovers -Marshmallow Lovers Fat Free -No Sugar Added

Condiments ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Del Monte (Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
-Ketchup -Heinz -Ketchup (regular & no salt) -Chili Sauce -Cocktail Sauce -Heinz 57 Steak Sauce

Hellman’s (Bestfoods)
-Real Mayonnaise -Light Mayonnaise -Low-Fat Mayonnaise

Hunt’s (ConAgra)
-Ketchup (regular & no salt) -KC Masterpiece -Original BBQ sauce -Garlic & Herb Marinade -Honey Teriyaki Marinade

Kraft (Kraft/Phillip Morris)
-Miracle Whip (all varieties) -Kraft Mayonnaise (all) -Thick & Spicy BBQ sauces (all varieties) -Char Grill BBQ sauce -Honey Hickory BBQ sauce

Nabisco (Nabiso/Phillip Morris)
-A-1 Steak Sauce -Open Pit (Vlasic/Campbells) -BBQ sauces (all) -Chi-Chi’s (Hormel) -Fiesta Salsa (all varieties) -Old El Paso (Pillsbury) -Thick & Chunky Salsa -Garden Pepper Salsa -Taco Sauce -Picante Sauce

Ortega (Nestle)
-Taco Sauce -Salsa Prima Homestyle -Salsa Prima Roasted Garlic -Salsa Prima 3 Bell Pepper -Thick & Chunky Salsa

Pace (Campbells)
-Chunky Salsa -Picante Sauce

Tostitos Salsa (Frito-Lay/Pepsi)
-All Natural -All Natural Thick & Chunky -Roasted Garlic -Restaurant Style

Cookies ~Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Delicious Brands (Parmalat)
-Animal Crackers -Ginger Snaps -Fig Bars -Oatmeal -Sugar-Free Duplex -Honey Grahams -Cinnamon Grahams
-Fat Free Vanilla Wafers -English Toffee Heath Cookies -Butterfinger Cookies -Skippy Peanut Butter Cookies

Famous Amos (Keebler/Flowers Industries)
-Chocolate Chip -Oatmeal Raisin -Chocolate Sandwich -Peanut Butter Sandwich -Vanilla Sandwich -Oatmeal Macaroon Sandwich

Frookies (Delicious Brands/Parmalat)
-Peanut Butter Chunk -Chocolate Chip -Double Chocolate -Frookwich Vanilla -Frookwich Chocolate -Frookwich Peanut Butter -Frookwich Lemon -Funky Monkeys Chocolate -Ginger Snaps -Lemon Wafers

Keebler (Keebler/Flowers Industries)
-Chips Deluxe -Sandies -E.L. Fudge -Soft Batch Chocolate Chip -Golden Vanilla Wafers -Droxies -Vienna Fingers -Fudge Shoppe Fudge Stripes -Fudge Shoppe Double Fudge & Caramel -Fudge Shoppe Fudge Stix
-Fudge Shoppe Peanut Butter Fudge Stix -Country Style Oatmeal -Graham Originals -Graham Cinnamon Crisp
-Graham Chocolate -Graham Honey Low Fat -Crème Filled Wafers -Chocolate Filled Wafers

Nabisco (Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
-Oreo,(all varieties) -Chips Ahoy!(all varieties) -Fig Newtons (and all Newtons varities) -Lorna Doone
-Nutter Butters -Barnum Animal Crackers -Nilla Wafers -Nilla Chocolate Wafers -Pecanz Shortbread -Family Favorites Oatmeal -Famous Wafers -Fudge Covered Mystic Sticks -Honey Maid Graham Crackers -Honey Maid Cinnamon Grahams -Honey Maid Chocolate Grahams -Honey Maid Oatmeal Crunch -Teddy Grahams -Teddy Grahams Cinnamon -Teddy Grahams Chocolate -Teddy Grahams Chocolate Chips -Café Cremes Vanilla -Café Crème Cappuccino

Pepperidge Farm (Campbell’s)
-Milano -Mint Milano -Chessmen -Bordeaux -Brussels -Geneva -Chocolate Chip -Lemon Nut -Shortbread -Sugar -Ginger Men -Raspberry Chantilly -Strawberry Verona -Chocolate Mocha Salzburg -Chocolate Chunk Chesapeake -Chocolate Chunk Nantucket -Chocolate Chunk Sausalito -Oatmeal Raisin Soft Baked

Sesame Street (Keebler)
-Cookie Monster -Chocolate Chip -Chocolate Sandwich -Vanilla Sandwich -Cookie Pals -Honey Grahams
-Cinnamon Grahams -Frosted Grahams

Snack Wells (Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
-Devil’s Food -Golden Devil’s Food -Mint Crème -Coconut Crème -Chocolate Sandwich -Chocolate Chip -Peanut Butter Chip -Double Chocolate Chip

Crackers ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Keebler (Keebler/Flowers Industries)
-Town House -Club -Munch ‘Ems (all varieties) -Wheatables -Zesta Saltines -Toasteds (Wheat, Onion, Sesame & Butter Crisps) -Snax Stix (Wheat, Cheddar & original) -Harvest Bakery (Multigrain, Butter, Corn Bread)

Nabisco (Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
-Ritz (all varieties) -Wheat Thins (all) -Wheatsworth -Triscuits -Waverly -Sociables -Better Cheddars -Premium Saltines (all) -Ritz Snack Mix (all) -Vegetable Flavor Crisps -Swiss Cheese Flavor Crisps -Cheese Nips (all) -Uneeda Biscuits

Pepperidge Farm (Campbell’s)
-Butter Thins -Hearty Wheat -Cracker Trio -Cracker Quartet -Three Cheese Snack Stix -Sesame Snack Stix
-Pumpernickel Snack Stix -Goldfish (original, cheddar, parmesan, pizza, pretzel) -Goldfish Snack Mix (all)

Red Oval Farms (Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
-Stoned Wheat Thin (all varieties) -Crisp ‘N Light Sourdough Rye -Crisp ‘N Light Wheat Sunshine (Flowers Industries) -Cheeze-It (original & reduced fat) -Cheeze-It White Cheddar -Cheeze-It Party Mix -Krispy Original Saltines

Frozen Dinners ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Banquet (ConAgra)
-Pot Pies (all varieties) -Fried Chicken -Salisbury Steak -Chicken Nugget Meal -Pepperoni Pizza Meal

Budget Gourmet (Heinz)
-Roast Beef Supreme -Beef Stroganoff -Three Cheese Lasagne -Chicken Oriental & Vegeatble -Fettuccini Primavera

Green Giant (Pillsbury)
-Rice Pilaf with Chicken Flavored Sauce -Rice Medley with Beef Flavored Sauce -Primavera Pasta
-Pasta Accents Creamy Cheddar -Create-a-Meals Parmesan Herb Chicken -Cheesy Pasta and Vegetable
-Beef Noodle -Sweet & Sour -Mushroom Wine Chicken

Healthy Choice (ConAgra)
-Stuffed Pasta Shells -Chicken Parmagiana -Country Breaded Chicken -Roast Chicken Breast -Beef Pot Roast -Chicken & Corn Bread -Cheese & Chicken Tortellini -Lemon Pepper Fish -Shrimp & Vegetable -Macaroni & Cheese

Kid Cuisine (ConAgra)
-Chicken Nugget Meal -Fried Chicken -Taco Roll Up -Corn Dog -Cheese Pizza -Fish Stix -Macaroni & Cheese

Lean Cuisine (Stouffer’s/Nestle)
-Skillet Sensations Chicken & Vegetable -Broccoli & Beef -Homestyle Beef -Teriyaki Chicken
-Chicken Alfredo -Garlic Chicken -Roast Turkey -Hearty Portions Chicken Florentine -Beef Stroganoff
-Cheese & Spinach Manicotti -Salisbury Steak -Café Classics Baked Fish -Baked Chicken -Chicken a L’Orange -Chicken Parmesan -Meatloaf with Whipped Potatoes -Everyday Favorites Chicken Fettuccini
-Chicken Pie -Angel Hair Pasta -Three Bean Chili with Rice -Macaroni & Cheese

Marie Callenders (ConAgra)
-Chicken Pot Pie -Lasagna & Meat Sauce -Turkey & Gravy -Meat Loaf & Gravy -Country Fried Chicken & Gravy -Fettuccini with Broccoli & Cheddar -Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes -Country Fried Pork Chop with Gravy -Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ore-Ida Frozen Potatoes (Heinz)
-Fast Fries -Steak fries -Zesties -Shoestrings -Hash Browns -Tater Tots -Potato Wedges -Crispy Crunchies

Rosetto Frozen Pasta (Heinz)
-Cheese Ravioli -Beef Ravioli -Italian Sausage Ravioli -Eight Cheese Stuffed Shells -Eight Cheese Broccoli Stuffed Shells

Stouffer’s (Nestle)
-Family Style Favorites Macaroni & Cheese -Stuffed Peppers -Broccoli au Gratin -Meat Loaf in Gravy
-Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole -Homestyle Meatloaf -Salisbury Steak -Chicken Breast in Gravy
-Hearty Portions Salisbury Steak -Chicken Fettucini -Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes -Chicken Pot Pie

Swanson (Vlasic/Campbells)
-Meat Loaf -Fish & Chips -Salisbury Steak -Chicken Nuggets -Hungry Man Fried Chicken -Roast Chicken
-Fisherman’s Platter -Pork Rib

Voila! (Bird’s Eye/Agri-Link Foods)
-Chicken Voila! Alfredo -Chicken Voila! Garlic -Chicken Voila! Pesto -Chicken Voila! Three Cheese -Steak Voila! Beef Sirloin -Shrimp Voila! Garlic

Weight Watchers (Heinz)
-Smart Ones Fiesta Chicken -Basil Chicken -Ravioli Florentine -Fajita Chicken -Roasted Vegetable Primavera

Energy Bars & Drinks ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Power Bars
Power Bar (Nestle)
-Oatmeal Raisin -Apple Cinnamon -Peanut Butter -Vanilla Crisp -Chocolate Peanut Butter -Mocha -Banana
-Wild Berry -Harvest Bars Apple Crisp -Blueberry -Chocolate Fudge Brownie -Strawberry -Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Drink Mixes
Carnation Instant Breakfast Mix (Nestle)
-Creamy Milk Chocolate -Classic Chocolate -French Vanilla -Strawberry -Café Mocha

Heat & Serve Meals ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients
Chef Boyardee (ConAgra)
-Beefaroni -Macaroni & Cheese -Mini Ravioli -ABC’s & 123′s

Dinty Moore (Hormel)
-Beef Stew -Turkey Stew -Chicken & Dumplings -Hormel -Chili with Beans -Chili No Beans -Vegetarian Chili with Beans

Kids’ Kitchen (Hormel)
-Spaghetti Rings with Meatballs -Macaroni & Cheese -Pizza Wedges with 3 Cheese

Franco-American (Campbell’s)
-Spaghetti O’s -Mini Ravioli -Power Rangers Pasta in Sauce

Meat & Dairy Alternatives ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients
Loma Linda(Worthington/Kellogg’s*)
-Meatless Chik Nuggest

Morningstar (Worthington/Kellogg’s*)
-Harvest Burger -Better ‘n Burgers -Garden Veggie Patties -Grillers Burgers -Black Bean Burger -Chicken Patties

Natural Touch (Worthington/Kellogg’s*)
-Garden Vegetable Pattie -Black Bean Burger -Okra Pattie -Lentil Rice Loaf -Nine Bean Loaf

Worthington (Worthington/Kellogg’s*)
-Vegetarian Burger -Savory Slices

Dairy Alternatives
Nutra Blend Soy Beverage(Bestfoods)
-Original -Vanilla -Apple -Orange
*A company letter states that they are in the process of converting to non-genetically modified “proteins” in all products.

Meal Mixes & Sauce Packets ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients
Betty Crocker (General Mills)
-Garden Vegetable Pilaf -Creamy Herb Risotto -Garlic Alfredo Fettuccini -Bowl Appetit Cheddar Broccoli
-Macaroni & Cheese -Pasta Alfredo

Knorr (Bestfoods)
-Mushroom Risotto Italian Rice -Broccoli au Gratin Risotto -Vegetable Primavera Risotto -Risotto Milanese -Original Pilf -Chicken Pilaf -Rotini with 4 Cheese -Bow Tie Pasta with Chicken & Vegetable -Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato -Fettuccini with Alfredo -Classic Sauce Packets Hollandaise

Béarnaise
-White -Brown -Lemon Herb -Mushroom Brown -Onion -Roasted Chicken -Roasted Pork -Roasted Turkey

Pasta Sauce Packets Alfredo
-Four Cheese -Carbonara -Pesto -Garlic Herb

Lipton (Unilever)
-Rice & Sauce Packets Chicken Broccoli -Cheddar Broccoli -Beef Flavor -Spanish -Chicken Flavor -Creamy Chicken -Mushroom -Sizzle & Stir Skillet Supers Lemon Garlic Chicken & Rice -Spanish Chicken & Rice -Herb Chicken & Bowties -Cheddar Chicken & Shells

Near East (Quaker)
-Spicy Tomato Pasta Mix -Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Pasta Mix -Falafel Mix -Lentil Pilaf -Couscous
-Tomato Lentil -Parmesan -Toasted Pinenut -Herb Chicken -Broccoli & Cheese -Curry

Pasta Roni (Quaker)
-Fettuccini Alfredo -Garlic Alfredo -Angel Hair Pasta with Herbs -Angel Hair Pasta with Parmesan Cheese
-Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato Parmesan -Angel Hair Pasta Primavera -Garlic & Olive Oil with Vermicelli

Rice-a-Roni (Quaker)
-Rice Pilaf -Beef -Chicken -Fried Rice -Chicken & Broccoli -Long Grain & Wild Rice -Broccoli au Gratin

Uncle Ben’s (Mars)
-Long Grain & Wild Rice (Original & with Garlic) -Brown & Wild Rice Mushroom -Country Inn Mexican Fiesta -Country Inn Oriental Fried Rice -Country Inn Chicken & Vegetable -Country Inn Chicken & Broccoli -Natural Select Chicken & Herb -Natural Select Tomato & Basil -Chef’s Recipe Chicken & Vegetable Pilaf -Chef’s Recipe Beans & Rice -Chef’s Recipe Broccoli Rice

Frozen Pizza ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Celeste (Aurora Foods)
-Supreme -Pepperoni -Vegetable -Four Cheese -Deluxe -Cheese

Tombstone (Kraft/Phillip Morris)
-Pepperoni -Supreme -Sausage & Pepperoni -Extra Cheese -Stuffed Crust -Three Cheese

Totino’s (Pillsbury)
-Crisp Crust -Pepperoni -Combination

Snack Foods ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Act II Microwave Popcorn (ConAgra)
-Butter -Extreme Butter -Corn on the Cob

Frito-Lay* (PepsiCo)
-Lays Potato Chips (all varieties) -Ruffles Potato Chips (all) -Doritos Corn Chips (all) -Tostitos Corn Chips (all) -Fritos Corn Chips (all) -Cheetos (all) -Rold Gold Pretzels (all) -Cracker Jack Popcorn

Healthy Choice Microwave Popcorn (ConAgra)
-Organic Corn (soy/canola oils)

Mothers Corn Cakes (Quaker)
-Butter Pop

Orville Redenbacher Microwave Popcorn (ConAgra)
-Original -Homestyle -Butter -Smart Pop -Pour Over -Orville Redenbacher Popcorn Cakes -Chocolate
-Caramel -Orville Redenbacher Mini Popcorn Cakes -Butter -Peanut Caramel -Chocolate Peanut

Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn (Betty Crocker/General Mills)
-Natural -Homestyle -Jumbo Pop -Extra Butter -Light -94% Fat Free Butter

Pringles (Procter & Gamble)
-Original -Low Fat -Pizza-licious -Sour Cream & Onion -Salt & Vinegar -Cheezeums -Quaker Rice Cakes -Peanut Butter -Chocolate Crunch -Cinnamon Streusel -Mini -Chocolate -Ranch -Sour Cream & Onion -Apple Cinnamon -Caramel Corn -Quaker Corn Cakes -White Cheddar -Caramel Corn -Strawberry Crunch
-Caramel Chocolate Chip
*Frito has informed its corn and potato suppliers that the company wishes to avoid GE crops, but acknowledges that canola or other oils and ingredients in its products may be from GE sources.

Soda & Juice Drinks ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Coca Cola (Coca Cola)
-Sprite -Cherry Coke -Barq’s Root Beer -Minute Maid Orange -Minute Maid Grape -Surge -Ultra

PepsiCo
-Pepsi -Slice -Wild Cherry Pepsi -Mug Root Beer -Mountain Dew -Cadbury/Schweppes -7-Up -Dr. Pepper -A & W Root Beer -Sunkist Orange -Schweppes Ginger Ale

Capri Sun juices (Kraft/Phillip Morris)
-Red Berry -Surfer Cooler -Splash Cooler -Wild Cherry -Strawberry Kiwi -Fruit Punch -Pacific Cooler -Strawberry -Orange -Grape

Fruitopia (Coca Cola)
-Grape Beyond -Berry Lemonade -Fruit Integration -Kiwiberry Ruckus -Strawberry Passion -Tremendously Tangerine

Fruit Works (PepsiCo)
-Strawberry Melon -Peach Papaya -Pink Lemonade -Apple Raspberry

Gatorade (Quaker)
-Lemon Lime -Orange -Fruitpunch -Fierce Grape -Frost Riptide Rush

Hawaiian Punch (Procter & Gamble)
-Tropical Fruit -Grape Geyser -Fruit Juicy Red -Strawberry Surfin

Hi-C (Coca Cola)
-Pink Lemonade -Watermelon Rapids -Boppin’ Berry -Tropical Punch -Smashin’ Wildberry -Blue Cooler -Blue Moon Berry -Orange -Cherry

Kool Aid (Kraft/Phillip Morris)
-Blastin’ Berry Cherry -Bluemoon Berry -Kickin’ Kiwi Lime -Tropical Punch -Wild Berry Tea -Ocean Spray -Cranberry Juice Cocktail -Cranapple -CranGrape -CranRaspberry -CranStrawberry -CranMango

Squeeze It (Betty Crocker/General Mills)
-Rockin’ Red Puncher -Chucklin’ Cherry -Mystery 2000

Sunny Delight (Procter & Gamble)
-Sunny Delight Original -Sunny Delight With Calcium Citrus Punch -Sunny Delight California Style Citrus Punch

Tang juices (Kraft/Phillip Morris)
-Orange Uproar -Fruit Frenzy -Berry Panic

Tropicana Twisters (PepsiCo)
-Grape Berry -Apple Raspberry Blackberry -Cherry Berry -Cranberry Raspberry Strawberry -Pink Grapefruit -Tropical Strawberry -Orange Cranberry -Orange Strawberry Banana

V-8 (Campbells)
-V8 Tomato Juices (all varieties) -Strawberry Kiwi -Strawberry Banana -Fruit Medley -Berry Blend -Citrus Blend -Apple Medley -Tropical Blend -Island Blend

Soup ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Campbell’s
-Tomato -Chicken Noodle -Cream of Chicken -Cream of Mushroom -Cream of Celery -Cream of Broccoli -Cheddar Cheese -Green Pea -Healthy Request Chicken Noodle -Cream of Chicken -Cream of Mushroom -Cream of Celery -Campbell’s Select Roasted Chicken with Rice -Grilled Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes -Chicken Rice -Vegetable Beef -Chunky Beef with Rice -Hearty Chicken & Vegetable -Pepper Steak -Baked Potato with Steak & Cheese -New England Clam Chowder -Soup to Go Chicken Noodle -Chicken Rice -Garden Vegetable -Vegetable Beef & Rice Simply Home Chicken Noodle Chicken Rice Garden Vegetable Vegetable Beef with Pasta

Healthy Choice (ConAgra)
-Country Vegetable -Fiesta Chicken -Bean & Pasta -Chicken Noodle -Chicken with Rice -Minestrone

Pepperidge Farms (Campbell’s)
-Corn Chowder -Lobster Bisque -Chicken & Wild Rice -New England Clam Chowder -Crab Soup

Progresso (Pillsbury)
-Tomato Basil -Chicken Noodle -Chicken & Wild Rice -Chicken Barley -Lentil -New England Clam Chowder -Zesty Herb Tomato -Roasted Chicken with Rotini -Fat Free Minestrone -Fat Free Chicken Noodle -Fat Free Lentil -Fat Free Roast Chicken

Tomatoes & Sauces ~ Genetically Engineered Ingredients

Del Monte (Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
-Tomato Sauce

Five Brothers Pasta Sauces (Lipton/Unilever)
-Summer Vegetable -Five Cheese -Roasted Garlic & Onion -Tomato & Basil

Healthy Choice Pasta Sauces (ConAgra)
-Traditional -Garlic & Herb -Sun-Dried Tomato & Herb

Hunts (ConAgra)
-Traditional Spaghetti Sauce -Four Cheese Spaghetti Sauce -Tomato Sauce -Tomato Paste

Prego Pasta Sauces (Campbells)
-Tomato, Basil & Garlic -Fresh Mushroom -Ricotta Parmesan -Meat Flavored -Roasted Garlic & Herb -Three Cheese -Mini-Meatball -Chicken with Parmesan

Ragu Sauces (Lipton/Unilever)
-Old World Traditional -Old World with Meat -Old World Marinara -Old World with Mushrooms -Ragu Robusto Parmesan & Romano -Ragu Robusto Roasted Garlic -Ragu Robusto Sweet Italian Sausage -Ragu Robusto Six Cheese -Ragu Robusto Tomato, Olive Oil & Garlic -Ragu Robusto Classic Italian Meat -Chunky Garden Style Super Garlic -Chunky Garden Style Garden Combo -Chunky Garden Style Tomato, Garlic & Onion -Chunky Garden Style Tomato, Basil & Italian Cheese -Pizza Quick Traditional

Article originally posted at whydontyoutrythis.com.

The Case for Gold

submitted by jwithrow.

“The process [of debauching the currency] engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose.” – John Maynard Keynes

This chart illustrates the construct of the global financial system denominated in U.S. dollars.

There is an estimated 171,000 tons of physical gold bullion currently in existence which is $7 trillion if priced at $1,300 per ounce. Physical gold served the global financial system as an anchor in some capacity from the Industrial Revolution all the way up until 1971.

The U.S. dollar became the sole anchor of the international monetary system in 1971 and there is now approximately $25 trillion sitting in cash globally. Additionally, global equity markets are valued at roughly $57.5 trillion and global investable real estate valuations are roughly $70 trillion.

Global debt has reached $175 trillion with governments being the biggest debtors. This number does not include all of the unfunded liabilities accrued by the social welfare states of the world.

Dwarfing all other U.S. dollar denominated asset classes is the over-the-counter derivatives market. According to the BIS, OTC derivatives total $639 trillion with interest rate derivatives being the largest category by far.

So there is approximately $1,028 trillion worth of U.S. dollar denominated global assets in existence and physical gold, the market’s choice for money over several centuries, makes up less than 1% of total global assets.

Gold is the only asset on this chart that has no counterparty risk meaning there are no other contractual parties involved when you hold physical gold.

The U.S. dollar is issued and managed by the Federal Reserve and the Fed can (and does) reduce the value of the dollar simply by creating more dollars. Equity values obviously depend on the particular company’s financial performance. Real estate investments depend on a tenant to make payments in a timely fashion. The counterparty to debt is the debtor who must make timely payments and the debtor typically has counterparties as well. Derivatives, the largest global asset class, come with a complex web of counterparties that are virtually impossible to predict.

Global dollar denominated assets have been able to balloon up to $1,028 almost exclusively because of 40+ years of constant credit and credit-based money expansion. One day credit will have to contract and that $1,028 trillion figure will dissipate rather quickly. Where do you think capital will fly to when that day comes?

My bet is physical gold.

Image Source: Global Precious Metals

A List of GMO-FREE Food Companies

by Why Don’t You Try This?:

These brands, at the time of writing, source their ingredients from GMO-free supplies. If you’re concerned about the very real threat that genetically modified organisms pose to our food supply and ultimate health, please purchase from these companies and contact them to let them know that you support and value their decision to use non-gmo soy, corn, canola and other ingredients.

Please enjoy this GMO-free food list and share it.

If you have a question about a certain product or brand that is not listed here, please call the company and ask or contact us.

Remember: one of the best ways to raise awareness among the food corporations is to voice your concerns directly to them and boycott companies who continue to source ingredients from genetically modified sources.

Arrowhead Mills: GMO-free providers of baking mixes and flours found in both natural health food stores and regular supermarkets.
Eden Foods: GMO-free providers of canned goods, noodles, tamari, miso, vinegar and Asian foodstuffs.
Natural Choice Foods: GMO free providers of frozen dessert products.
Purity Foods: GMO free makers of spelt-based noodles, snacks and other goodies.
Rapunzel: My all-time favorite chocolate company. They also sell speciality oils.
Spectrum Oils: GMO free manufacturer of speciality oils, cooking oils, salad oils and natural shortening.
Genisoy: Uses only certified GMO-free soybeans for their many soy products.
Earth’s Best: Baby food manufacturer uses non-GMO ingredients.
Healthy Times: Baby food manufacturer uses non-gmo ingredients.
Bob’s Red Mill: GMO free provider of baking mixes and specialty flours.
Pamela’s Products: Provider of luscious gluten-free baking mixes sources non-GMO ingredients.
Cascadian Farms: Provider of frozen entrees, juices, frozen vegetables and fruit, yogurt and other foods.
Imagine Foods: GMO free provider of soy and rice milk as well as broth and other foods.
Muir Glen: Source of canned goods and vegetable juice uses gmo-free foods.
Thai Kitchen: Source for coconut milks and Asian ingredients sources gmo-free ingredients.
Amy’s Kitchen: GMO-free source of canned soups, chilies, boxed and frozen meals.
Nature’s Path: Manufacturer of cereals and snack bars made with ingredients sourced gmo-free.
Annie’s Naturals: Manufacturer of BBQ sauce, salad dressings and other condiments sourced from gmo-free ingredients.
San J: GMO-free manufacturer of soy sauce, shoyu and tamari. Tradition
Miso: Manufacturer of miso pastes that are made from GMO-free ingredients.
Barbara’s Bakery: Manufacturer of cookies sources from gmo-free ingredients.
Lundberg Family Farms: GMO-free provider of rice and wild rice foods including raw rice, soups and convenience foods.
Walkers: Provider of the best shortbread cookies ever as well as other sweet treats.
Fantastic Foods: Provider of hummus, falafel, risotto couscous, soup and other mixes with gmo-free ingredients.
Vitasoy: Manufacturer of soy-based foods sourced from gmo-free ingredients.
Clif: Manufacturer of energy bars sourced from gmo-free foods.
Kettle Chips: GMO-free manufacturer of potato and tortilla chips.
Que Pasa: Manufacturer of tortilla chips and other Mexican foods sourced from non-gmo ingredients.
Garden of Eatin: Manufacturer of chips, salsas and other snack foods.
French Meadow Bakery: Manufacturer of bread and baked goods using non-gmo ingredients.
White Wave: Manufacturer of soy products including tofu and tempeh using gmo-free soy.
Bearitos: Manufacturer of snack foods and dips using gmo-free foods.
Chaffin Family Orchards: Is committed to GMO-free foods and sells an assortment of goods including olive oil.
Cultures for Health: All starters and products sold at Cultures for Health are GMO-free.
Grindstone Bakery: GMO-free provider of wheat- and gluten-free bread.
Pure Indian Foods: GMO-free provider of grass-fed ghee.
To Your Health: Provider of gmo-free sprouted breads and sprouted flours.
Trader Joe’s : GMO-free provider on their personal products. All labels with Trader Joe’s, Jose’s, Ming’s, etc. are GMO-free
US Wellness Meats: Provider of pasture- and grass-fed meats free of GMO supplemental feed.
Zukay: Provider of live cultured condiments and salsa free from GMO.
Wisconsin Healthy Grown Potatoes: GMO-free potatoes.

Article originally posted at whydontyoutrythis.com.

Homeschooling: The Future of Liberty

by Daniel McAdams – Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity:

A common feature of authoritarian regimes is the criminalization of alternatives to government-controlled education. Dictators recognize the danger that free thought poses to their rule, and few things promote the thinking of “unapproved” thoughts like an education controlled by parents instead of the state. That is why the National Socialist (Nazi) government of Germany outlawed homeschooling in 1938.

Sadly, these Nazi-era restrictions on parental rights remain the law in Germany, leaving parents who wish greater control over their children’s education without options. That is why in 2006 Uwe and Hannalore, Romeike a German couple who wanted to homeschool their three children for religious reasons, sought asylum in the United States. Immigration judge Lawrence Burman upheld their application for asylum, recognizing that the freedom of parents to homeschool was a “basic human right.”

Unfortunately, the current US administration does not see it that way, and has announced that it is appealing Judge Burman’s decision. If the administration is successful, the Romeikes could be sent back to Germany where they will be forced to send their children to schools whose teaching violates their religious beliefs. If they refuse, they face huge fines, jail time, or even the loss of custody of their children!

The Administration’s appeal claims that the federal government has the constitutional authority to ban homeschooling in all fifty states. The truth is, the Constitution gives the federal government no power to control any aspect of education. Furthermore, parents who, like the Romeikes, have a religious motivation for homeschooling should be protected by the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.

The federal government’s hostility to homeschooling is shared by officials at all levels of government. Despite the movement’s success in legalizing homeschooling in every state, many families are still subjected to harassment by local officials. The harassment ranges from “home visits” by child protective agencies to criminal prosecution for violating truancy laws.

Every American who values liberty should support the homeschoolers’ cause. If the government can usurp parental authority over something as fundamental as the education of their children, there is almost no area of parenthood off limits to government interference.

Homeschooling has proven to be an effective means of education. We are all familiar with the remarkable academic achievements, including in national spelling bees and other competitions, by homeshcooled children. In addition, homeschooled students generally fare better than their public school educated peers on all measures of academic performance.

It makes sense that children do better when their education is controlled by those who know their unique needs best, rather than by a federal bureaucrat. A strong homeschooling movement may also improve other forms of education. If competition improves goods and services in other areas of life, why wouldn’t competition improve education? A large and growing homeschooling movement could inspire public and private schools to innovate and improve.

When the government interferes with a parent’s ability to choose the type of education that is best for their child, it is acting immorally and in manner inconsistent with a free society. A government that infringes on the rights of homeschooling will eventually infringe on the rights of all parents. Homeschooled children are more likely to embrace the philosophy of freedom, and to join the efforts to restore liberty. In fact, I would not be surprised if the future leaders of the liberty movement where homeschooled.

I believe so strongly in the homeschooling movement that I have just announced my own curriculum for homeschooling families. Please visit this revolutionary new project at http://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com

Article originally posted at The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.

Mindful Eating

by Stephen Scott Cowan, MD – ICPA:

Eating right is certainly in the news these days. From fads like the South Beach Diet to the front-page image of the First Lady planting an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn, Americans are beginning to pay closer attention to their eating habits. Staggering reports of the epidemic of obesity are flooding the scientific community and serve as fodder for TV shows like The Biggest Loser. One in five children in the U.S. are obese today…

Why We Eat

While choosing what we eat is certainly critical to our cognitive health, a truly holistic understanding of eating goes much further, considering how we eat, where we eat, when we eat and why we eat. So: Why do we eat?

I pose this question to children all the time, and they giggle and stumble around for answers like “we eat so we can grow.” But we are not just machines requiring the right set of nutrients as basic fuel to keep going. We are living organisms, not automobiles! In a recent workshop, I asked participants to describe the taste of a blueberry. No one could get far past the fact that they’re sweet and blue. While scientists might accurately analyze all the phyto-nutrients in a blueberry, this tells us very little about the actual experience of eating one.

Eating is a deeply personal encounter. It conveys something about ourselves at a particular moment in time. It feeds our memory and points directly to who we are, to our mood and temperament. Eating reflects our basic sanity because it is how we make contact with the world—how we exchange with the world. Our hunger to grow and know the world is not just physical, but intellectual and spiritual. Eating is how we become the world.

In Chinese medicine, the “spleen/stomach network” is considered central to our being. It corresponds to the ground we live on, the good earth, which supplies all that we need to grow. But the spleen is home to our thoughts, as well. We gather information from the world in all different forms. As we take it in, it gets sorted. Some is integrated into our being, and some is eliminated. This gathering, sorting, integrating and eliminating is a cognitive process. It represents how we learn. Our immune system (with which we learn to identify the world), digestive system (which tastes the world), and neurologic system (which perceives the world) are interconnected aspects of information processing. The body does not know these are separate systems. They only seem separate to us because there are immunologists, gastroenterologists and neurologists. As a field of medicine, the study of this cognitive network might be more accurately described as neuro-immuno-gastroenterology.

Industrially Fed, Spiritually Starved

If we take a minute to look at how we eat in America, we begin to see how it directly relates to the modern epidemics of childhood: obesity, allergies and ADHD. We eat as if we are in a race. This is the real purpose of “fast food.” It’s cheap and convenient, just like a roadside gas station is for your car. But, again, we are living organisms, not automobiles. The same kind of assembly-line mentality informs the way our children are force-fed information in school. We’ve been led to believe that education is a race, and that the fastest child is the smartest. But in my 22 years as a developmental pediatrician watching children grow, I’ve found that this simply isn’t true. Sometimes the smartest kid turns out to be the one who took her time digesting the world. The current trends in standardized education have left us with a system that treats children as if they are USDA Grade A meat. The education of our children must be more than simply passing inspection! What’s more, when we are not given the time to digest the material, whether it is food or academics, it stagnates.

Chinese medicine considers stagnation to be of grave significance. A healthy life is defined by the free flow of qi, that which animates our life. Stagnation represents the accumulation of “stuff” that drags health down. It’s as if the body recognizes the need to slow down in order to work on unfinished business, even if it results in a pathological condition. This feeling of stagnation is not satisfying, because things are simply not moving properly. The lack of movement is boring, and boredom leads to the need for distractions—so we try to spice up our lives. We try not to look at all that unfinished business accumulating within…which makes us agitated. We try to get things moving and shake up all that stagnation. This hyperactive state drives us to look for happiness somewhere else. TV ads capitalize on this, promising happiness with a Whopper or a Happy Meal. This leads to infatuations, bizarre cravings, impulsive eating and binge-buying. We feel like we deserve to be happy—we deserve that tub of ice cream, for having had to work under these conditions. And when we can’t have what we think we deserve, we become hostile: Don’t take a piece of my pie!

This state of agitation, distractibility and impulsivity defines Attention Deficit Disorder. The Chinese medicine classics say that accumulation causes an inflamed state, and this phlegm can “mist the mind.” We become confused, unable to think straight, and find it difficult to concentrate on one thing for very long. And so we take stimulants to try to wake ourselves up.

Likewise, the same vicious cycle leads to the accumulation of phlegm in our bodies; our neuro-immunodigestive system becomes confused, hostile and inflamed. In my practice, I see a host of chronic health problems in children that can be traced back to the phlegm of stagnation: ear infections, asthma, obesity, colitis and autoimmune disorders. These manifestations of chronic inflammation did not exist to such a degree a century ago, or even 50 years ago. The inflamed state of autoimmunity is a spiritual crisis. When the mind-body remains in such a confused state, we no longer have time to recognize who we are. We are left with a Spiritual Deficit Disorder.

Taking Time

Correcting this vicious cycle begins at birth. I work with many mothers on that first day, counseling them about breastfeeding or bottle feeding. In that moment, there is a real opportunity to learn how to learn, how to digest the world calmly, attentively and with ease. Feeding a baby when she is crying is a common mistake. Moments of hunger are not a crime. Hunger is a way of waking up. We may naturally feel the urge to feed our child when she cries; feeding is a basic way we show our love. But it is vital to pause and consider the true reasons for eating. Babies feed much better when they are fully awake. They are less gassy and more likely to gain weight properly. They are actually learning to pay attention with their whole bodymind. This is a simple yet profound lesson for us all to live by.

When you select information, whether food or academic, as a conscious process, you are determining which aspects of the external environment you will allow inside your body to operate on an unconscious level. This is the meaning of “mindful eating.” We should take the lead from our babies. Whether we are stimulating our immune system, going to school, or sitting down at the dinner table as a family, taking time to digest is how we become truly sane in this world. Ultimately, time is the greatest alternative medicine. And taking time to digest the world is the ultimate spiritual practice.