They say there is a drop in voter registration among Republicans and I understand why. Republicans, even more than Democrats, have had the rug pulled out from under them.
Those called republicans now, with few exceptions, are not republicans - they are, we must presume, neocons because they are supporting a neocon president. Real republicans have nothing in common with neocons, nothing in common with this sick president we have. What we are calling democrats are really worms posing as democrats, with few exceptions. Too cowardly to take a genuine democratic position in the face of the president's disapproval, they do nothing but disappoint us. So, the republicans are not alone. This is the Age of Shattered Political Beliefs.

COMPLIMENTS: EARTH CLINIC. WE THANK YOU!

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
100 YEA 14 NAY 3 MAYBE

[YEA] Krystel from Covina, CA writes: "I heard about ACV from a friend and decided to give it a try and so far I have lost 4 lbs. I know that doesn't really sound like much but I wasn't that big to start out and I lost the weight from my belly where I wanted to lose it from! I take two table spoons in a 8 oz glass of water and drink 3x a day."



[YEA] Judy writes: "I am trying apple cider vinegar for the first time. I have found the best way to drink it is in a glass of V-8 three times a day. I use celery salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of vinegar in each glass. It tastes really good and I've lost 4 pounds in three days without trying to change my eating habits. Since the cider vinegar seems to be decreasing my appetite the weight seems to be coming off naturally. It's still a little early to tell but I'll keep on this regimen for awhile! Thanks so much for your site!"



[YEA] Suzaan from Kuwait writes: "I had been gaining weight after my marriage 2 years ago.Then I read on the internet of its benefits 5 months ago and started using it on daily basis with my meals.its amazing how it has helped my body in many ways and plus lose weight the good way. I feel great and healthy. its has helped in my menstrual problem,in losing weight and keeping me free from sinus attacks and dandruff problems. it tastes weird I agree but it works wonders, for me at least."





APPLE CIDER VINEGAR AND CAYENNE
1 YEA

[YEA] 04/22/2008: Dee from New York, USA writes: "I have been using ACV pills and Cayenne Pepper capsules to lose weight. I have been taking them now for three weeks. I have noticed a difference already. With a little exercise at least 5 times a day, nothing strenuous and cutting down on fatty foods and snacks have helped me loose weight so far. I have not weighed myself yet, but will do so after I see more results. Everyone is complimenting me telling me that I have been loosing weight. It feels good to hear that. My clothes are fitting looser and that makes me feel good. I don't particularly like the taste of ACV itself so I opted for the pills and the pepper not such a fan of the really hot stuff either but they work just as good. If you don't like the cayenne pepper use the capsules. You should take them with food so that you don't feel the heartburn or the uncomfortable feeling in your stomach in the beginning. After a few you will not have any symptoms. So far it has worked for me. I'll keep taking them until I finish the bottles and by then I should have shed more weight."

05/11/2008: dave (nickelandsons@yahoo.com) from friend, nebraska replies: "would you contact me and tell me how the acv tabs and the pepper tabs are working?"



APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES, PSYLLIUM
1 YEA

[YEA] 02/22/2008: MommyJoey (joeypph@yahoo.com) from Singapore, Singapore writes: "It has been around 3 weeks and I had finished two bottles of ACV with BSM in it, every 3 times a day hoping to see a drop in my weight but to no avail. One week ago, i have this terrible headache and dizzy spell and it even caused me to throw out very badly.I even realised that I've gained 2 kg since i started on the remedy. I did not give up and continue the remedy thinking that it must be a correction. This time round I even add in psyllium husk to my drink to help on my constipation problem. Guss what, it is indeed a correction (keep my finger cross), I feel more energized, all my skin problems eg. cuts and acne healed faster and i started having regular bowels everyday. No more aching back and I've got lesser food craving nowadays. I am doing more study on VCO and shall keep you guys posted on my statues."





[YEA] 06/24/2008: Michelle from Houston, TX writes: "I take a daily concoction of 1 tsp ACV, 4 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice, 12 ounces of water, and half of a squeezed lemon. It's part of an eating plan and it's said to help cleanse the liver. All I know about it after seven days is that I feel generally better. I am prone to UTI's so the cranberry is definitely helping, and I've lost 4 pounds in eight days. (Of course, I'm following a prescribed plan of eating all natural foods and eating every three hours). It's a bitter drink, but I'm still drinking it!"

06/28/2008: Kathy from Ellijay, GA replies: "I am drinking my first cup of ACV with some honey for a sore throat but the side effect of losing weight would be wonderful. So since the pain of the distaste will likely cure my sore throat and maybe even help me lose some weight I'm ready to go. These letters are wonderful. I came to this sight looking for a natural cure for my friends dog who has a calcium deposit on his back. Can't wait to see if I lose weight!"



AVOID BUTTER AND RESTAURANTS
1 YEA

[YEA] 03/20/2007: Jonna from Atlanta, GA writes: "I am 39 years old and recently realized that going to restaurants can set me back 10 days sometimes in my weight loss regime. I realized this after going to a home-style indian restaurant 2 weeks ago. Their food was delicious, but cooked in lots of butter and sugar. It literally took 10 days to cover. My body fat went up by 1% after the meal and only today, 10 days later, has my weight dropped .50 of a pound, even though I have been exercising every day and on a very healthy, low fat diet at home. So I think one has to be very vigilant about the butter when going to a restaurant and ask that the food be prepared in olive oil. 10 days to recover from 1 meal -- can you believe it??"



AVOID SPUN HONEY
1 YEA

[YEA] 03/31/2006: Sharon from Boston writes: "I got a huge pot of organic spun honey from the farmer's market last month. It was delicious, but after a couple of weeks, I noticed a huge buildup of dead cells on my tongue towards the back. It was pretty gross. I also felt my metabolism slowing down and I gained a couple of pounds even though I was eating very healthily. I bought regular honey at Whole Foods last weekend and after 3 days my tongue is back to normal and I am starting to lose those 2 pounds! Interesting, eh?!"



BENTONITE CLAY
1 YEA 1 MAYBE

[YEA] 02/11/2008: Sara from Westport, OR writes: "Dear Earthclinic, I have tried many remedies over the years to remove the belly fat on my stomach and hips. I have been drinking one tablespoon of liquid bentonite clay which I purchased at the local health food store about six weeks ago. I have lost about 3" on my belly and 2" on my hips. The other reason I'm drinking this is that it detoxes metal from the body. The taste is mild and I take it only at night with a glass of water. To date, I have more energy, eat less as I feel full, and my body feels lighter. There are more benefits to ingesting clay but too numerous to mention. A 16oz. fluid bottle cost about $8.00 and has about two months worth of bentonite liquid clay."

[MAYBE]02/18/2008: Julia from Bryson City, NC replies: "Are there any side effects to eating the bentonite clay? I started this last Friday and so far have not felt any different. Thanks."



CAYENNE PEPPER (TRY THE CAYENNE PEPPER CAPSULES!)
1 YEA

[YEA] 04/15/2007: Carol from OKC, U. S. A writes: "Cayenne pepper is awesome! My husband used it to reduce his weight. 1 tspn cayenne pepper in a 1/2 cup of hot water, 3 times a day. It speeds up the metabolism."



COCONUT OIL
7 YEA

[YEA] 06/29/2008: Grace from Brooklyn, New York writes: "Coconut oil helped me to lose weight. Taking one table spoon three times a day before meals, helped me feel full faster, stop me from eating between meals and stopped my cravings for sweets. Wonderful when used as body lotion. Coconut oils also helps fight yeast infections. Taking pure coconut oil regularly also helped me to reduce recurring yeast infections and cramps."



[YEA] 05/20/2008: Rose from Bournemouth, England writes: "Organic virgin coconut oil has reduced my weight by over 2 stones (28 lbs) and I am delighted."

05/21/2008: Tom from Sydney, Australia replies: "can you advise how / when / in what quantity did you take the coconut oil to achieve weight loss? Thanks."



[YEA] 04/16/2008: Vi from West Covina, CA writes: "Extra virgin coconut oil is the only thing that cured my acid reflux. I tried everything including tums and apple cider vinegar. The only side effect is that you will drop about 10 pounds in a month and I think the majority of people might like that. It's been about three weeks since I've taken the coconut oil and so far no sign of the acid reflux."



[YEA] 04/09/2008: Carla from Grand Rapids, MI writes: "I read on this site that several people felt they had lost weight using organic virgin coconut oil so I decided to try it. I bought a jar at a health food store and I use it instead of lotion now. I use 1 to 2 tablespoons of it per day instead of ingesting that amount (really didn't like the taste). I noticed that I started to lose weight in a gradual way. I did also cut out all wheat gluten (I think I am intolerant) and the weight has been coming of steadily from my middle area-hips and legs which is fantastic. This is an excellent site, thank you so much."



[YEA] 01/04/2008: Christine from Livermore, ca writes: "VCO is truly amazing, I have tried everything to loose that last ten pounds and although I have read about it and purchased it in the past after reading this web site I decided to be faithful about it, I take about a1/2 t spoon several times a day, no more bloated belly and ten pounds slimmer! This web site is awesome!"



[YEA] 10/19/2007: Tanya from Brisbane, Australia writes: "I have been taking virgin coconut oil now for about 4 months and I love it. I have trouble with candida and acne and both have been better since I started using it in cooking and fruit smoothies. I also add about a 1/4 of a cup VCO to a warm bath with about 1/2 a cup of micro-biotic sea salt and it is wonderful... Makes your skin feel great and smells really nice. I find when I use coconut oil in the mornings I eat less throughout the day because I don't get the bad sugar or carbohydrate cravings. I'm not trying to lose weight, just heal my acne and candida but I have dropped from about 57-58kilos to 54.5 in about 2 months without really changing anything else (although I do eat a relatively good diet already). I highly recommend it!!! Tan."



[YEA] 07/14/2007: Andrea (fina5@aol.com) from Las vegas, nevada writes: "I have been battling hypothyroidism for 8 yrs now, i gained 82 lbs over the yrs,diet after diet failed umtil i started on coconut oil and let me tell you that in 2 months of taking coconut oil combined with a low carb diet, i have lost 35 lbs feel great energetic again, on my way of losing all the weight i plan to lose an aditional 40 lbs by december since i"ve taking the coconut oil softgels i have not had any side effect coconut oil is the miracle oil but again combined with a low carb diet."



CORNSILK TEA
1 YEA

[YEA] 08/20/2006: Tara from Phoenix, AZ writes: "Dried cornsilk (One tablespoon). One tea bag of green tea. 2 cups of bottled water. Bring water to a boil then remove from burner. Add teas cover with lid and allow to brew off of burner for 5 minutes. Strain with strainer into cup add honey to taste. This combination of tea relaxes, acts as a natural diuretic, and lowers the blood pressure.

Dried cornsilk tea can be found in health food stores and in the groc. stores that cater more to the Hispanic community. It is also called "Barbas de helote" meaning; beard of corn in Spanish. For an extra experience sprinkle into tea a pinch of fresh lavender r(purchased at health food stores or produce stores ) for aromatherapy while you sip your tea. The fragrance of lavender relaxes and soothes. Drink a cup in the morning or whenever you feel nervous."



EXERCISE AND DIET
5 YEA

[YEA] 07/02/2008: Jen from Milkw, WI writes: "I wish I had learned years ago that once you gain a fat cell, you have it forever. Had I known this, I would have been far more careful in my twenties with what I ate. I probably also would have opted out of 2 years of anti-anxiety meds and forgone the 15 lb weight gain side effects. Now in my late thirties I have to be extremely careful to eat simply at every meal or the pounds start piling on. The good news is that with the right diet (lots of vegetables and chicken) and exercising 4-5times a week, I can maintain a steady weight. The bad news is that it only takes one rich meal or a chocolate-laden dessert to see the effect -- bloated face and stomach, jowls under my cheeks. Yes, only one meal! My advice all the young folk out there -- start your healthy eating and exercise habits now. Once you gain the weight, you may be able to lose it, but it takes a lot lot lot of work to keep it off!!"



[YEA] 05/09/2008: June from Beverly Hills, CA writes: "Responding to Jennifer on the Weight Loss Q&A page about entering peri-menopause and not being able to lose weight. I am turning 41 in a few months and have been having the same issue of not being able to a) lose weight; and b) firm up my tummy. I changed a few things in the last few weeks and have been experiencing slow but real success. Here's what I did:

1. I started working out with a personal trainer (half hour sessions) 2x a week doing core training (lots of stomach work). After this session, he makes me do 45 minutes of cardio. Before this I was working out 4-5 days a week at the gym by myself and obviously something wasn't working!

The interesting thing that I have learned from my trainer is that you don't want to keep doing the same kind of cardio day after day. Your body becomes very efficient and burns fewer and fewer calories. You want to jolt your system by changing the kind of cardio. So now one day I jog lightly, the next session I do 45 minutes of ellipitical, then another day I do the bike. The personal trainer has been a great investment, I must admit.

The next thing I have taken ahold of is my diet. I am eating only simple foods that are easy to digest. Wheat products now basically out, as are starchy carbs like rice and potatoes. Cheese is out too (slow to digest). I have also cut radically back on my sugar intake, since that appears to be the big impediment to weight loss. I have half a teaspoon of organic brown sugar in my tea a few times a day, but that's it. I have lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks, but the most noticeable change is in my face where the skin right under my chin is firming up (no more jowel forming!). My stomach is slowly slimming too.

Oh, one more thing... weight training adds more weight to the muscles, so you can't always go by that. Better to measure body fat than your weight.

Hope this helps!"



[YEA] 03/25/2008: SuhaAnand from Chennai, India writes: "I had to lose weight in three months. i started working out in the mornings after a cup of hot coffee (South Indian version) and hit the gymn for 30 mins burning nothing less than 400 Cal. Being in India means lot of rice and pulses and veggies in diet. I had to carefully wean away from them. I had only two chapathis ( Indian Bread) for Lunch with lots of steamed carrots and cabbages ( avaoid potatoes) with onions. Dinner again consisted of two chapathis with lots of pulses and veggies. I had Lemenade with mint or ginger juice in it after my lunch.. i noticed visible changes in my skin tone ..it became more clearer.. Weekends i used to indulge in rice and regular south indian food(high caloried)."



[YEA] 08/23/2007: Angie from Sparta, mo writes: "I have been doing an exercise program for going on my 6th week. Its called bodyflex and I found it on ebay for only $10.98 including shipping. since doing this program I have lost 4 pounds and over 17 1/2 inches measuring in 6 places. I also try to cut down on starchy food and eat fruits and vegetables, I also eat meat. I do eat potatoes, rice and other things in moderation. before I started this program I had also lost 4 other pounds just by cutting back on starchy foods&walking. I would recommend this program. its geared towards women, but men could do it too."



[YEA] 08/19/2007: Maria (bubbleoath31605@yahoo.com) from Vallejo, USA writes: "Taking apple cider Vinegar plus Honey is very good for pain. And Drinking 8- 10 glasses of water a day, do not skip meals downsizing all your meals but eat alot of fruits and vegetables and you will lose weight. I lose 5 lbs in one week and another 5 lbs in second week.You add exercise, 100 percent you will lose weight Stay on this Plan. I do bicycle exercise. From 192 lbs i am now 180 pounds. Do not forget drinking 8 to 10 glasses a day."



FENUGREEK
1 YEA 1 NAY

[NAY] 03/07/2008: Beryl from London, England writes: "One of your contributors said that she had lost weight by taking the herb Fenugreek. I tried it for five days and couldn't stop eating and found that I'd put four pounds on in five days. And when I looked up Fenugreek I discovered that it is an appetite stimulant. So other readers please be aware.

I'm not questioning what the contributor said, because I think that we all react differently to what we intake. That was her experience and it rests there.

I recently went on holiday to China and Japan, and when I arrived back was struck with an overwhelming tiredness, and every bone in my body ached. Was it jet lag, I wondered, but the symptoms still continued, so I starting taking Apple Cider Vinegar, Maple Syrup, lemon juice, bi carb, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Within a couple of days I'd started to feel well again, and so have continued with this mixture, and I am amazed at the way it has increased my energy and well being.

However, I'm sorry to report there's been no weight loss!! Thanks for your web site. I do enjoy it!"

THE AMAZING $500 WOOD-BURNING STOVE ... THAT YOU CAN BUILD FOR $35 (OR LESS!)

(Note: Since this article was published in 1978, building codes and homeowners insurance rules have changed, and federal rules governing wood stoves have been adopted. This stove plan may not comply with various federal and local regulations. Readers are advised to check with appropriate officials before installing this stove in their homes. —Mother)

Most home built wood-burning stoves are scabbed together from old 55-gallon drums. And they more or less do the job they're supposed to do ... despite the fact that they're notoriously inefficient users of fuel, are difficult to regulate, rapidly burn through, and are so ugly that most people will only tolerate them out in the garage or workshop.

Perhaps the single really good thing that can be said for the majority of the 55-gallon-drum burners is that (usually) that it doesn't cost very much to put one of them together or at least it didn't used to. Here lately, though, the steel barrels have become increasingly difficult to find ... and, when you do locate one of the containers, it frequently has a seven dollar price tag at fixed to it.

There must be a better way to go about assembling a homemade wood-burning stove. And there is' As MOTHER was recently shown by Wilton, Iowa's Robert Wars (who, incidentally, just happens to be the brother of MOTHER researcher Emerson Smyers).

"Forget about messing around with old 55-gallon drums," Bob told us. "What you want to build your stove out of is a discarded electric water heater tank ... for at least four good reasons:

"In the first place, the walls of such a tank are a minimum of three to four times as thick as the metal in a 55-gallon barrel ... which means that a water heater drum will make a much tougher stove that will last a lot longer.

"Second, when you build a firebox from a junked water heater tank, it's very easy to make the stove as airtight and efficient as any $500 woodburner on the market. And I can't say that about any 55-gallon-drum stove I've ever seen.

"Third, if you construct your heater the way I tell you to, it'll be easy to load, it will have excellent fire and temperature control, and it'll look classy enough to put on display right in the living room.

"And fourth, you can build one of my 'water heater' stoves for even less than most folks now spend putting together a 55 gallon-barrel wood-burner. As a matter of fact, I scrounged up everything that went into mine. Which means that the stove cost me only the labor one good long day that I used building it."

Well, now. Those were pretty big claims. Especially since we were listening to them while looking at some photographs of a flat-out good -looking stove. So, in our best and most devious "backwoods of North Carolina" fashion, we challenged ole Bob to prove everything he'd just told us.

And thenjust to put him at as large a cost disadvantage as we could we spit a couple of times, looked at Smyers out of the corner of our eye, and innocently said, "Of course you know, Bob, that a lot of our readers have trouble scavenging up project materials the way you do. So, other than letting you recycle an old water heater tank, we'll just have to make you buy and pay new prices for everything else that goes into any stove you build for us."

"Oh, of course!" Bob answered. And it wasn't so much what he said as the way he said it which told us right then and there that we were the ones who'd been had. Shucks. This Iowa slicker knew from the beginning that he could build a $500 stove and never use more'n $35 worth of materials doing it.

THE SECRET OF THE SMYERS STOVE'S LOW COST

As Bob Smyers drafted his brother, Emerson, and set about the construction of one of his now-famous stoves, it was easy to see that the recycled-into-a-firebox electric water heater tank was the real secret of his wood-burner's low cost. Also its ease of assembly. Heck. Once you've found your "junked but still in good condition" water heater tank, you've already got about three-quarters of your stove "custom made" just the way you want it.

And it really isn't difficult to find one of these tanks, either. Most of the landfills scattered around the country, in fact, are so filled with the containers that we've- developed a sneaking suspicion the old water heaters breed out there. Maybe not ... but there sure are a lot of 'em "out there" for the taking.

Any discarded electric (forget the gas ones for this project) water heater from 30- to 50-gallon capacity will convert nicely into a stove. We've come to think, however, that one of the 30-gallon tanks (with a diameter of 20 inches and a length of 32 inches) makes the best-looking wood-burner of all.

Pick and choose a little from your friendly local landfills, dumps, or the alleyways behind appliance stores until you find just the tank or tanks you want. Then (if you're doing your "shopping" in a landfill or dump) strip off the lightweight sheet metal "wrapper" and insulation right in the field and make sure that the main tank inside isn't rusted out or filled with corrosion. Or, if circumstances dictate, you can do this stripping back home in your shop and then haul the castoff sheet metal and insulation back to the dump when you're ready to discard them.

THE REST IS EASY

Anyone with a cutting torch and welder will find the rest easy. And if you don't own or operate such equipment, scout around until you find a competent welding shop that'll convert your tank at a reasonable price.

Lay the container on its side and add legs and the "loading hopper box with hinged lid" as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Then weld in the "exhaust stack" or "smoke boot" as shown. Make sure that all seams are airtight and that the hoqper box lid fits snugly (airtight) too. The draft control is, perhaps, the most critical part of all. If it's well made and doesn't leak, you'll have good and positive control of your finished stove's blaze and temperature at all times. Conversely, if it isn't well made and it does leak, you won't. Work carefully and do the job right.

Once the stove is completely assembled, paint all its outside surfaces with Rustoleum Bar-B-Q black paint or "high temperature engine paint.” You've just built yourself one mighty fine wood-burner! And even if you bought everything (approximately 65 pounds of steel) except the recycled water heater tank, you shouldn't have spent more than $35 on the project. (Bob and Emerson built MOTHER's demonstration model in one short six hour day for a total cost of $31.54.)
IT WORKS!

MOTHER researcher Dennis Burk-holder has been using our original "water heater wood stove" to warm his entire 1,100square-foot house since last fall and he's constantly amazed at the large amount of heat and small amount of ashes the unit produces. He's also been pleasantly surprised by the way the heater holds a fire overnight. "All I do in the morning," says Dennis, "is jar the stove a couple of times, open the draft a bit ... and the ole log-burner snaps right to life."

Leaving early for flight to Puerto Rico. Will be back next week. Stay well and happy. Love!

On the subject of gay men and lesbian women, I believe sexual orientation is a subject that is not for us to vote on - good, bad, indifferent. We are all entitled to be anything that makes us happy or complete or real. One of my dearest girlfriends lost her son, who was gay, to aids when it was just coming to be experienced in this country. I had, through her, come to know and love him and his many gay friends. They welcomed me with open arms - as they do all straight people. They are so happy and loving when they are genuinely accepted - and I did - and I do. I think gays and lesbians are special people. I know they are. Suffering makes people special and one cannot have been gay in this country or in most countries in the world without having suffered.

This is dedicated to any gay men and/or lesbian women on the stream. I love you all. Not that my opinion of your sexual preference matters a damn - but for the record, I do.