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In 1999 the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a glowing report on the fluoridation of public water supplies, citing the procedure as one of the century's great public health successes.1
Ironically, the same report hints that the alleged benefit from fluorides may not be due to ingestion: "Fluoride's caries-preventive properties initially were attributed to changes in enamel during tooth development because of the association between fluoride and cosmetic changes in enamel and a belief that fluoride incorporated into enamel during tooth development would result in a more acid-resistant mineral."
The CDC report then acknowledges new studies which indicate that the effects are "topical" rather than "systemic." "However, laboratory and epidemiologic research suggests that fluoride prevents dental caries predominately after eruption of the tooth into the mouth, and its actions primarily are topical for both adults and children."
The obvious question is this: How can the CDC consider the addition of fluoride to public water supplies to be a public health success while admitting at the same time that fluoride's benefits are not "systemic," in other words, are not obtained from drinking it?
The truth, now becoming increasingly evident, is that fluoridation and the proclaimed benefit of fluoride as a way of preventing dental decay is perhaps the greatest "scientific" fraud ever perpetrated upon an unsuspecting public.
Even worse, the relentless promotion of fluoride as a "dental benefit" is responsible for the huge neglect in proper assessment of its toxicity, an issue that has become a major concern for many nations. As there is no substance as biochemically active in the human organism as fluoride, excessive total intake of fluoride compounds might well be contributing to many diseases currently afflicting mankind, particularly those involving thyroid dysfunction. In the United States, most citizens are kept entirely ignorant of any adverse effect that might occur from exposure to fluorides. Dental fluorosis, the first visible sign that fluoride poisoning has occurred, is declared a mere "cosmetic effect" by the dental profession, although the "biochemical events which result in dental fluorosis are still unknown."2,3,4 The quantity of fluoride needed to prevent caries but avoid dental fluorosis is also unknown.5
What is Fluoride?
Fluoride is any combination of elements containing the fluoride ion. In its elemental form, fluorine is a pale yellow, highly toxic and corrosive gas. In nature, fluorine is found combined with minerals as fluorides. It is the most chemically active nonmetallic element of all the elements and also has the most reactive electro-negative ion. Because of this extreme reactivity, fluorine is never found in nature as an uncombined element.
Fluorine is a member of group VIIa of the periodic table. It readily displaces other halogens–such as chlorine, bromine and iodine–from their mineral salts. With hydrogen it forms hydrogen fluoride gas which, in a water solution, becomes hydrofluoric acid.
There was no US commercial production of fluorine before World War II. A requirement for fluorine in the processing of uranium ores, needed for the atomic bomb, prompted its manufacture.6
Fluorine compounds or fluorides are listed by the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) as among the top 20 of 275 substances that pose the most significant threat to human health.7 In Australia, the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) recently considered 400 substances for inclusion on the NPI reporting list. A risk ranking was given based on health and environmental hazard identification and human and environmental exposure to the substance. Some substances were grouped together at the same rank to give a total of 208 ranks. Fluoride compounds were ranked 27th out of the 208 ranks.8
Fluorides, hydrogen fluoride and fluorine have been found in at least 130, 19, and 28 sites, respectively, of 1,334 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).9 Consequently, under the provisions of the Superfund Act (CRECLA, 1986), a compilation of information about fluorides, hydrogen fluoride and fluorine and their effects on health was required. This publication appeared in 1993.9
Fluorides are cumulative toxins. The fact that fluorides accumulate in the body is the reason that US law requires the Surgeon General to set a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for fluoride content in public water supplies as determined by the EPA. This requirement is specifically aimed at avoiding a condition known as Crippling Skeletal Fluorosis (CSF), a disease thought to progress through three stages. The MCL, designed to prevent only the third and crippling stage of this disease, is set at 4ppm or 4mg per liter. It is assumed that people will retain half of this amount (2mg), and therefore 4mg per liter is deemed "safe." Yet a daily dose of 2-8mg is known to cause the third crippling stage of CSF.10,11
In 1998 EPA scientists, whose job and legal duty it is to set the Maximum Contaminant Level, declared that this 4ppm level was set fraudulently by outside forces in a decision that omitted 90 percent of the data showing the mutagenic properties of fluoride.12
The Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, 5th Edition (1984) gives lead a toxicity rating of 3 to 4 (3 = moderately toxic, 4 = very toxic) and the EPA has set 0.015 ppm as the MCL for lead in drinking water–with a goal of 0.0ppm. The toxicity rating for fluoride is 4, yet the MCL for fluoride is currently set at 4.0ppm, over 250 times the permissable level for lead.
Water Fluoridation
In 1939 a dentist named H. Trendley Dean, working for the U.S. Public Health Service, examined water from 345 communities inTexas. Dean determined that high concentrations of fluoride in the water in these areas corresponded to a high incidence of mottled teeth. This explained why dentists in the area found mottled teeth in so many of their patients. Dean also claimed that there was a lower incidence of dental cavities in communities having about 1 ppm fluoride in the water supply. Among the native residents of these areas about 10 percent developed the very mildest forms of mottled enamel ("dental fluorosis"), which Dean and others described as "beautiful white teeth."
Dean's report led to the initiation of artificial fluoridation of drinking water at 1part-per-million (ppm) in order to supply the "optimal dose" of 1mg fluoride per day–assuming that drinking four glasses of water every day would duplicate Dean's "optimal" intake for most people. Now, according to the American Dental Association, all people, rich or poor, could have "beautiful white teeth" and be free of caries at the same time. After all, the benefits of water fluoridation had been documented "beyond any doubt."13
When other scientists investigated Dean's data, they did not reach the same conclusions. In fact, Dean had engaged in "selective use of data," using findings from 21 cities that supported his case while completely disregarding data from 272 other locations that did not show a correlation.14 In court cases Dean was forced to admit under oath that his data were invalid.15 In 1957 he had to admit at AMA hearings that even waters containing a mere 0.1ppm (0.1 mg/l) could cause dental fluorosis, the first visible sign of fluoride overdose.16 Moreover, there is not one single double-blind study to indicate that fluoridation is effective in reducing cavities.17
So What's the Truth About Tooth Decay?
The truth is that more and more evidence shows that fluorides and dental fluorosis are actually associated with increased tooth decay. The most comprehensive US review was carried out by the National Institute of Dental Research on 39,000 school children aged 5-17 years.18 It showed no significant differences in terms of DMF (decayed, missing and filled teeth). What it did show was that high decay cities (66.5-87.5 percent) have 9.34 percent more decay in the children who drink fluoridated water. Furthermore, a 5.4 percent increase in students with decay was observed when 1 ppm fluoride was added to the water supply. Nine fluoridated cities with high decay had 10 percent more decay than nine equivalent non-fluoridated cities.
The world's largest study on dental caries, which looked at 400,000 students, revealed that decay increased 27 percent with a 1ppm fluoride increase in drinking water.19 In Japan, fluoridation caused decay increases of 7 percent in 22,000 students,20 while in the US a decay increase of 43 percent occured in 29,000 students when 1ppm fluoride was added to drinking water.21
Dental Fluorosis: A "Cosmetic" Defect?
Dental fluorosis is a condition caused by an excessive intake of fluorides, characterized mainly by mottling of the enamel (which starts as "white spots"), although the bones and virtually every organ might also be affected due to fluoride's known anti-thyroid characteristics. Dental fluorosis can only occur during the stage of enamel formation and is therefore a sign that an overdose of fluoride has occurred in a child during that period.
Dental fluorosis has been described as a subsurface enamel hypomineralization, with porosity of the tooth positively correlated with the degree of fluorosis.22 It is characterized by diffuse opacities and under-mineralized enamel. Although identical enamel defects occur in cases of thyroid dysfunction, the dental profession describes the defect as merely "cosmetic" when it is caused by exposure to fluoride.
What is now becoming apparent is that this "cosmetic" defect actually predisposes to tooth decay. In 1988 Duncan23 stated that hypoplastic defects have a strong potential to become carious. In 1989, Silberman,24 evaluating the same data on Head Start children, wrote that "preliminary data indicate that the presence of primary canine hypoplasia [enamel defects] may result in an increased potential for the tooth becoming carious." In 1996 Li 25 wrote that children with enamel hypoplasia demonstrated a significantly higher caries experience than those who did not have such defects and, further, that the "presence of enamel hypoplasia may be a predisposing factor for initiation and progression of dental caries, and a predictor of high caries susceptibility in a community." In 1996 Ellwood & O'Mullane26 stated that "developmental enamel defects may be useful markers of caries susceptibility, which should be considered in the risk-benefit assessment for use of fluoride."
Currently up to 80 percent of US children suffer from some degree of dental fluorosis, while in Canada the figure is up to 71 percent. A prevalence of 80.9 percent was reported in children 12-14 years old in Augusta, Georgia, the highest prevalence yet reported in an "optimally" fluoridated community in the United States. Moderate-to-severe fluorosis was found in 14 percent of the children.27
Before the push for fluoridation began, the dental profession recognized that fluorides were not beneficial but detrimental to dental health. In 1944, the Journal of the American Dental Association reported: "With 1.6 to 4 ppm fluoride in the water, 50 percent or more past age 24 have false teeth because of fluoride damage to their own."28
The Wonder Nutrient?
On countless internet sites, fluoride is proclaimed as the "wonder nutrient," the "deficiency" symptom being increased dental caries.29 It boggles the mind that a cumulative toxin and toxic waste product can be described a "nutrient." Nevertheless, such claims are repeatedly made by pro-fluoridationists.30
On March 16, 1979, the FDA deleted paragraphs 105.3(c) and 105.85(d)(4) of Federal Register documents which had classified fluorine, among other substances, as "essential" or "probably essential." Since that time, nowhere in the Federal Regulations is fluoride classified as "essential" or "probably essential." These deletions were the immediate result of 1978 Court deliberations.31 No essential function for fluoride has ever been proven in humans.32,33,34,35,36
"Nature Thought of It First"
A popular slogan employed by the ADA and other pro-fluoridation organizations is, "Nature thought of it first!" The slogan creates the impression that the fluoridation compounds used in water fluoridation are the same as those discovered many years ago in the water in some areas of the US.37 The fluoride compound in "naturally" fluoridated waters is calcium fluoride. Sodium fluoride, a common fluoridation agent, dissolves easily in water, but calcium fluoride does not.9
Animal studies performed by Kick and others in 1935 revealed that sodium fluoride was much more toxic than calcium fluoride.38 Even worse, toxicity was recorded for hydrofluorosilicic acid, the compound now used in over 90 percent of fluoridation programs, Hydrofluorosilicic acid is a direct byproduct of pollution scrubbers used in the phosphate fertilizer and aluminum industries. Our government adds it to water supplies even though it is also involved in getting rid of its own stockpile of fluoride compounds left over from years and years of stockpiling fluorides for use in the process of refining uranium for nuclear power and weapons.39
In the Kick study, less than 2 percent of calcium fluoride was absorbed and this was excreted quantitatively in the urine. But even calcium fluoride is not benign. As the animals given calcium fluoride also developed mottled teeth, it was clear that such compounds could produce changes on the teeth merely by passing through the body, and not by being "stored in a tooth" or anywhere else. No calcium fluoride was retained.
In 1946 Samuel Chase, one of the authors of the Kick study, became president of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). This organization promoted the idea that only the fluoride ion in the various fluoridation compounds was of importance. Yet he well knew that sodium fluoride did not behave like calcium fluoride. Unlike calcium fluoride, sodium fluoride was retained in great amounts in the body and was very toxic. Rock phosphate and hydro-fluorosilicic acid experiments yielded the same information.
New areas with "natural" fluoride are appearing all over the world, as now all areas not "artificially" fluoridated are considered "natural." The problem is that this "natural" fluoride is the result of direct water and soil contamination from petrochemical land treatment, uncontrolled fertilizer use, pesticide applications, ground water contamination from industrial waste sites, rocket fuel "burial grounds," and so forth. Suddenly we have "natural" fluorides showing up in areas previously deemed "fluoride deficient"!
Total Intake
It is well established that it is TOTAL fluoride intake from ALL sources which must be considered for any adverse health effect evaluation.40,41,42 This includes intake by ingestion, inhalation and absorption through the skin. In 1971, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated: "In the assessment of the safety of a water supply with respect to the fluoride concentration, the total daily fluoride intake by the individual must be considered."41 Exposure to airborne fluorides from many diverse manufacturing processes–pesticide applications, phosphate fertilizer production, aluminum smelting, uranium enrichment facilities, coal-burning and nuclear power plants, incinerators, glass etching, petroleum refining and vehicle emissions–can be considerable.
In addition, many people consume fluorine-based medications such as Prozac, which greatly adds to fluoride's anti-thyroid effects. ALL fluoride compounds–organic and inorganic–have been shown to exert anti-thyroid effects, often potentiating fluoride effects many fold.43
Household exposures to fluorides can occur with the use of Teflon pans, fluorine-based products, insecticides sprays and even residual airborne fluorides from fluoridated drinking water. Decision-makers at 3M Corporation recently announced a phase-out of Scotchgard products after discovering that the product's primary ingredient–a fluorinated compound called perfluorooctanyl sulfonate (PFOS)–was found in all tested blood bank examinations.44 3M's research showed that the substance had strong tendencies to persist and bioaccumulate in animal and human tissue.
In 1991 the US Public Health Service issued a report stating that the range in total daily fluoride intake from water, dental products, beverages and food items exceeded 6.5 milligrams daily.42 Thus, the total intake from those sources alone already greatly exceeds the levels known to cause the third stage of skeletal fluorosis.
Besides fluoridated water and toothpaste, many foods contain high levels of flouride compounds due to pesticide applications. One of the worse offenders is grapes.45 Grape juice was found to contain more than 6.8 ppm fluoride. The EPA estimates total fluoride intake from pesticide residues on food and fluoridated drinking water alone to be 0.095 mg/kg/day, meaning a person weighing 70 kg takes in more than 6.65 mg per day.45b Soy infant formula is high in both fluoride and aluminum, far surpassing the "optimal" dose46,47 and has been shown to be a risk factor in dental fluorosis.48
In their drive to fluoridate the public water supplies, dental health officials continue to pretend that no other sources of fluoride exist. This notion becomes absurd when one looks at the fluoride content in tea. Tea is very high in fluoride because tea leaves accumulate more fluoride (from pollution of soil and air) than any other edible plant.49,50,51 It is well established that fluoride in tea gets absorbed by the body in a manner similar to the fluoride in drinking water.49,52
Fluoride content in tea has risen dramatically over the last 20 years due to industry contamination. Recent analyses have revealed a fluoride content of 17.25 mg per teabag or cup in black tea, and a whopping 22 mg of soluble fluoride ions per teabag or cup in green tea. Aluminum content was also high–over 8 mg. Normal steeping time is five minutes. The longer a tea bag steeped, the more fluoride and aluminum were released. After ten minutes, the measurable amounts of fluoride and aluminum almost doubled.53
A website by a pro-fluoridation infant medical group states that a cup of black tea contains 7.8 mgs of fluoride54 which is the equivalent amount of fluoride from 7.8 litres of water in an area fluoridated at 1ppm. Some British and African studies from the 1990s showed a daily fluoride intake of between 5.8 mgs and 9 mgs a day from tea alone.55, 56, 57 Tea has been found to be a primary cause of dental fluorosis in many international studies.58-70
In Britain, over three-quarters of the population over the age of ten years consumes three cups of tea per day.71Yet the UK government and the British Dental Association are currently contemplating fluoridation of public water supplies! In Ireland, average tea consumption is four cups per day and the drinking water is heavily fluoridated.
Next to water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Tea can be found in almost 80 percent of all US households and on any given day, nearly 127 million people–half of all Americans–drink tea.71
The high content of both aluminum and fluoride in tea is cause for great concern as aluminum greatly potentiates fluoride's effects on G protein activation,72 the on/off switches involved in cell communication and of absolute necessity in thyroid hormone function and regulation.
Fluoride and the Thyroid
The recent re-discovery of hundreds of papers dealing with the use of fluorides in effective anti-thyroid medication poses many questions demanding answers.73,74 The enamel defects observed in hypothyroidism are identical to "dental fluorosis." Endemic fluorosis areas have been shown to be the same as those affected with iodine deficiency, considered to be the world's single most important and preventable cause of mental retardation,75 affecting 740 million people a year. Iodine deficiency causes brain disorders, cretinism, miscarriages and goiter, among many other diseases. Synthroid, the drug most commonly prescribed for hypothyroidism, became the top selling drug in the US in 1999, according to Scott-Levin's Source Prescription Audit, clearly indicating that hypothyroidism is a major health problem. Many more millions are thought to have undiagnosed thyroid problems.
Every year hundreds and thousands of tons of fluorides are emitted by industry. Industrial emissions of fluoride compounds produce elevated concentrations in the atmosphere. Hydrogen fluoride can exist as a particle, dissolving in clouds, fog, rain, dew, or snow. In clouds and moist air it will travel along the air currents until it is deposited as wet acid deposition (acid rain, acid fog, etc.) In waterways it readily mixes with water.
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), emitted by the electric power industry, is now among six greenhouse gases specifically targeted by the international community, through the Kyoto protocol, for emission reductions to control global warming. The others are carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), methane and nitrous oxide (N2O).
SF6 is about 23,900 times more destructive, pound for pound, than carbon dioxide over the course of 100 years. EPA estimates that some seven-million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE) escaped from electric power systems in 1996 alone. The concentration of SF6 in the atmosphere has reportedly increased by two orders of magnitude since 1970. Atmospheric models have indicated that the lifetime of an SF6 molecule in the atmosphere may be over 3000 years.76
The ever-increasing fluoride levels in food, water and air pose a great threat to human health and to the environment as evidenced by the endemic of fluorosis worldwide. It is of utmost urgency that public health officials cease promoting fluoride as beneficial to our health and address instead the issue of its toxicity.
Symptoms of Fluoride Poisoning
- Black tarry stools
- Bloody vomit
- Faintness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Shallow breathing
- Stomach cramps or pain
- Tremors
- Unusual excitement
- Unusual increase in saliva
- Watery eyes
- Weakness
- Constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Pain and aching of bones
- Skin rash
- Sores in the mouth and on the lips
- Stiffness
- Weight loss
- White, brown or black discoloration of teeth
Long Term Effects of Fluoride
- Accelerated aging
- Immune system dysfunction
- Compromised collagen synthesis
- Cartilage problems
- Bony outgrowths in the spine
- Joint "lock-up"
G Proteins
Signals or communications from one cell to another, and from the outside of the cell to the inside, are made possible by the action of special proteins called "G" proteins, which are found in all animal life, including yeasts. G proteins are so called because they bind to guanine nucleotides, a major component of DNA and RNA. G proteins mediate the actions of neurotransmitters, peptide hormones, odorants and light. In other words, G proteins make it possible for our nervous systems to function properly and, in particular, allow for night vision and the sense of smell. All thyroid function is mediated by G-protein activity. Both aluminum and fluoride interfere with the activation of G proteins. Thyrotropin, the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), is considered the natural G-protein activator. Its action is mimicked by fluoride and vastly potentiated by the presence of aluminum. Pharmacologists estimate that up to 60 percent of all medicines used today exert their effects through G-protein signaling pathways. Vitamin A from cod liver oil has been used successfully to bypass blocked G-protein pathways due to vaccination damage. (See Autism and Vaccinations.) Myristic acid, a saturated fatty acid having 14 carbons, plays an important roll in G-protein function as these signaling proteins require myristic acid added to one end of the protein. (See Saturated Fats and the Kidneys.) Thus, diets deficient in vitamin A and saturated fats can be expected to contribute to nervous disorders and vision problems.
(All web addresses were visited before Fall, 2000)
1. CDC: "Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999 – Fluoridation of Drinking Water to Prevent Dental Caries" MMWR 48(41);933-940 (1999), http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4841a1.htm
2. Gerlach RF, de Souza AP, Cury JA, Line SR – "Fluoride effect on the activity of enamel matrix proteinases in vitro" Eur J Oral Sci 108(1):48-53 (2000)
3. Limeback H – "Enamel formation and the effects of fluoride" Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 22(3):144-7
4. Wright JT, Chen SC, Hall KI, Yamauchi M, Bawden JW – "Protein characterization of fluorosed human enamel." Dent Res 75(12):1936-41 (1996)
5. Shulman JD, Lalumandier JA, Grabenstein JD -"The average daily dose of fluoride: a model based on fluid consumption" Pediatr Dent 17(1):13-8 (1995)
6. The Columbia Encyclopedia: Sixth Edition (2000), http://www.bartleby.com/65/fl/fluorine.html
7. Phosphoric Acid Waste Dialogue,Report on Phosphoric Wastes Dialogue Committee, Activities and Recommendations, September 1995; Southeast Negotiation Network, Prepared by Gregory Borne for EPA stakeholders review
8. Government of Australia, National Pollutant Inventory, http://www.environment.gov.au/epg/npi/contextual_info/context/fluoride.html
9. ATSDR/USPHS – "Toxicological Profile for Fluorides, Hydrogen Fluoride and Fluorine (F)" CAS# 16984-48-8, 7664-39-3, 7782-41-4 (1993), http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts11.html
10. Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride, Subcommittee on Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride, Committee on Toxicology, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, August 1993, p.59
11. World Health Organization – Fluorides and Human Health, p. 239 (1970)
12. Carton RJ, Hirzy JW – "Applying the NAEP code of ethics to the Environmental Protection Agency and the fluoride in drinking water standard" Proceedings of the 23rd Ann. Conf. of the National Association of Environmental Professionals. 20-24 June, 1998. GEN 51-61, http://rvi.net/fluoride/naep.htm
13. American Dental Association, http://www.ada.org/consumer/fluoride/facts/benefits.html#2
14. J.Colquhoun, Chief Dental Officer, NZ, International Symposium on Fluoridation, Porte Alegre, Brazil, September 1988
15. Proceedings, City of Orville Vs. Public Utilities Commission of the State of Carlifornia, Orville, CA, October 20-21 (1955)
16. AMA Council Hearing, Chicago, August 7, 1957
17. NTEU – "Why EPA's Headquarters Union of Scientists Opposes Fluoridation, " Prepared on behalf of the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 280 by Chapter Senior Vice-President J. William Hirzy, Ph.D. , http://www.bruha.com/fluoride/html/nteu_paper.htm, http://www.cadvision.com/fluoride/epa2.htm
18. Yiamouyannis, J – "Water fluoridation and tooth decay: Results from the 1986-1987 national survey of U.S. school children" Fluoride 23:55-67 (1990). Data also analyzed by Gerard Judd, Ph.D., in:Judd G – "Good Teeth Birth To Death", Research Publications, Glendale Arizona (1997), EPA Research #2 (1994)
19. Teotia SPS, Teotia M -"Dental Caries: A Disorder of High Fluoride And Low Dietary Calcium Interactions (30 years of Personal Research), Fluoride, 1994 27:59-66 (1994)
20. Imai Y – "Study of the relationship between fluorine ions in drinking water and dental caries in Japan". Koku Eisei Gakkai Zasshi 22(2):144-96 (1972)
21. Steelink, Cornelius, PhD, U of AZ Chem Department, in: Chem and Eng News, Jan 27, 1992, p.2; Sci News March 5, 1994, p.159
22. Giambro NJ, Prostak K, Denbesten PK – "Characterization Of Fluorosed Human Enamel By Color Reflectance, Ultrastructure, And Elemental Composition" Fluoride 28:4, 216 (1995) also Caries Research 29 (4) 251-257 (1995)
23. Duncan WK, Silberman SL, Trubman A – "Labial hypoplasia of primary canines in black Head Start children" ASDC J Dent Child 55(6):423-6 (1988)
24. Silberman SL, Duncan WK, Trubman A, Meydrech EF – "Primary canine hypoplasia in Head Start children" J Public Health Dent 49(1):15-8 (1989)
25. Li Y, Navia JM, Bian JY -""Caries experience in deciduous dentition of rural Chinese children 3-5 years old in relation to the presence or absence of enamel hypoplasia" Caries Res 30(1):8-15 (1996)
26. Ellwood RP, O'Mullane D – "The association between developmental enamel defects and caries in populations with and without fluoride in their drinking water" J Public Health Dent 56(2):76-80(1996)
27. Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride, Subcommittee on Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride, Committee on Toxicology, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on LifeSciences, National Research Council, August 1993 p 47-48
28. "The Effect of Fluorine On Dental Caries" Journal American Dental Association 31:1360 (1944)
29. Examples: http://ificinfo.health.org/insight/septoct97/flouride.htm; http://www.wvda.org/nutrient/fluoride.html
30. Barrett S, Rovin S (Eds) -"The Tooth Robbers: a Pro-Fluoridation Handbook" George F Stickley Co, Philadelphia pp 44-65 (1980)
31. Federal Register, 3/16/79, page 16006
32. Federal Register: December 28, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 249)] Rules and Regulations , Page 67163-67175 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration, 21 CFR Part 101 Docket No. 90N-0134, RIN 0910-AA19
33. The Report of the Department of Health and Social Subjects, No. 41, Dietary Reference Values, Chapter 36 on fluoride (HMSO 1996). "No essential function for fluoride has been proven in humans."
34. "Is Fluoride an Essential Element?" Fluorides, Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 66-68 (1971)
35. Richard Maurer and Harry Day, "The Non-Essentiality of Fluorine in Nutrition," Journal of Nutrition, 62: 61-57(1957)
36. "Applied Chemistry", Second Edition, by Prof. William R. Stine, Chapter 19 (see pp. 413 & 416) Allyn and Bacon, Inc, publishers. "Fluoride has not been shown to be required for normal growth or reproduction in animals or humans consuming an otherwise adequate diet, nor for any specific biological function or mechanism."
37. National Center for Fluoridation Policy & Research (NCFPR) http://fluoride.oralhealth.org/
38. Kick CH, Bethke RM, Edgington BH, Wilder OHM, Record PR, Wilder W, Hill TJ, Chase SW – "Fluorine in Animal Nutrition" Bulletin 558, US Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio (1935)
39. US MINERALS/COMMODITIES DATABASE http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/fluorspar/280396.txt
40. "The problem of providing optimum fluoride intake for prevention of dental caries" – Food and Nutrition Board, Division of Biology and Agriculture, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Pub.#294, (1953) ".. a person drinking fluoridated water may be assumed to ingest only about 1 milligram per day from this source … the development of mottled enamel is, however, a potential hazard of adding fluorides to food. The total daily intake of fluoride is the critical quantity."
41. World Health Organization, International Drinking Water Standards, 1971."In the assessment of the safety of a water supply with respect to the fluoride concentration, the total daily fluoride intake by the individual must be considered. Apart from variations in climatic conditions, it is well known that in certain areas, fluoride containing foods form an important part of the diet. The facts should be borne in mind in deciding the concentration of fluoride to be permitted in drinking water."
42. Review of Fluoride Benefits and Risks, Department of Health and Human Services, p.45 (1991)
43. 200 papers to be posted at: http://www.bruha.com/fluoride
44. Washington Post – "3M to pare Scotchgard products," May 16, 2000 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15648-2000May16.html
45. (a) FLUORIDE IN FOOD http://www.bruha.com/fluoride/html/f-_in_food.htm; (b) Federal Register: August 7, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 152), Notices, Page 42546-42551
46. Silva M, Reynolds EC – "Fluoride content of infant formulae in Australia" Aust Dent J 41(1):37-42 (1996)
47. Dabeka RW, McKenzie AD -"Lead, cadmium, and fluoride levels in market milk and infant formulas in Canada." J Assoc Off Anal Chem 70(4):754-7 (1987)
48. Pendrys DG, Katz RV, Morse DE – "Risk factors for enamel fluorosis in a fluoridated population" Am J Epidemiol 140(5):461-71(1994)
49. Meiers, P. – "Zur Toxizität von Fluorverbindungen, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Onkogenese", Verlag für Medizin Dr. Ewald Fischer, Heidelberg (1984)
50. Waldbott, GL; Burgstahler, AW; McKinney, HL – "Fluoridation:The Great Dilemma" Coronado Press (1978)
51. Srebnik-Friszman, S; Van der Miynsbrugge, F.-"Teneur en Fluor de quelques thØs prØlevØs sur le MarchØ et de leurs Infusions" Arch Belg Med Soc Hyg Med Trav Med Leg 33:551-556 (1976)
52. Rüh K – "Resorbierbarkeit und Retention von in Mineralwässern und Erfrischungsgetränken enthaltenem Fluorid bei Mensch und Laboratoriumsratte" Diss. Würzburg (1968)
53. Analyses conducted by Parents of Fluoride Poisoned Children (PFPC) at Gov't -approved labs. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
54. BabyCenter Editorial Team w/ Medical Advisory Board (http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/674.html#3)
55. Jenkins GN – "Fluoride intake and its safety among heavy tea drinkers in a British fluoridated city" Proc Finn Dent Soc 87(4):571-9 (1991) Department of Oral Biology, Dental School, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
56. Opinya GN, Bwibo N, Valderhaug J, Birkeland JM, Lokken P – "Intake of fluoride and excretion in mothers' milk in a high fluoride (9ppm) area in Kenya" Eur J Clin Nutr 45(1):37-41 (1991) Department of Dental Surgery, University of Nairobi, Kenya
57. Diouf A, Sy FO, Niane B, Ba D, Ciss M – "Dietary intake of fluorine through of tea prepared by the traditional method in Senegal" Dakar Med 39(2):227-30 (1994)
58. Cao J, Zhao Y, Liu J – "Brick tea consumption as the cause of dental fluorosis among children from Mongol, Kazak and Yugu populations in China" Food Chem Toxicol 35(8):827-33 (1997)
59. Cao J, Bai X, Zhao Y, Liu J, Zhou D, Fang S, Jia M, Wu J – "The relationship of fluorosis and brick tea drinking in Chinese Tibetans" Environ Health Perspect 1996 Dec;104(12):1340-3 (1996)
60. Sergio Gomez S, Weber A, Torres C – "Fluoride content of tea and amount ingested by children" Odontol Chil 37(2):251-5 (1989)
61. Cao J, Zhao Y, Liu JW – "Safety evaluation and fluorine concentration of Pu'er brick tea and Bianxiao brick tea" Food Chem Toxicol 36(12):1061-3(1998)
62. Wang LF, Huang JZ- "Outline of control practice of endemic fluorosis in China."Soc Sci Med 41(8):1191-5 (1995)
63. Olsson B -"Dental caries and fluorosis in Arussi province, Ethiopia" Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 6(6):338-43 (1978)
64. Diouf A, Sy FO, Niane B, Ba D, Ciss M – "Dietary intake of fluorine through use of tea prepared by the traditional method in Senegal" DakarMed 39(2):227-30 (1994)
65. Fraysse C, Bilbeissi MW, Mitre D, Kerebel B – "The role of tea consumption in dental fluorosis in Jordan" Bull Group Int Rech Sci Stomatol Odontol 32(1):39-46 (1989)
66. Fraysse C, Bilbeissi W, Benamghar L, Kerebel B- "Comparison of the dental health status of 8 to 14-year-old children in France and in Jordan, a country of endemic fluorosis."Bull Group Int Rech Sci Stomatol Odontol 32(3):169-75 (1989)
67. Villa AE, Guerrero S – "Caries experience and fluorosis prevalence in Chilean children from different socio-economic status."Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 24(3):225-7 (1996)
68. Chan J.T.; Yip, T.T.; Jeske, A.H. – "The role of caffeinated beverages in dental fluorosis" Med Hypotheses 33(1):21-2 (1990)
69. Mann J, Sgan-Cohen HD, Dakuar A, Gedalia I – "Tea drinking, caries prevalence, and fluorosis among northern Israeli Arab youth."Clin Prev Dent
7(6):23-6 (1985)
70. Schmidt, C.W.; Leuschke, W. – "Fluoride content of deciduous teeth after regular intake of black tea" Dtsch Stomatol 40(10):441 (1990)
71. Press Releases/Market Figures – Tea Council http://www.stashtea.com/tt060595.htm
72. Struneckß, A; Patocka, J – "Aluminofluoride complexes: new phosphate analogues for laboratory investigations and potential danger for living organisms" Charles University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Physiology and Developmental Physiology, Prague/Department of Toxicology, Purkynì Military Medical Academy, Hradec KrßlovØ, Czech Republic http://www.cadvision.com/fluoride/brain3.htm
73. History: Fluoride – Iodine Antagonism http://bruha.com/pfpc/html/thyroid_history.html
74. Fluorides – Anti-thyroid Medication http://bruha.com/pfpc/html/thyroid_page.html
75. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION PRESS RELEASE, May 25,1999 Iodine Deficiency
76. Miller AE, Miller TM, Viggiano AA, Morris RA, Vazn Doren JM – "Negative Ion Chemistry of SF sub 4" Journal of Chemical Physics 102(22):8865-8873 (1995)
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2000.
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Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical left and Islamic terrorism.
Prime Minister Thatcher once famously observed that socialists "always run out of other people's money." But what actually happens when socialism runs out of money?
Venezuela, a once wealthy nation with black gold coming out of the ground, is a test case.
The socialist regime ran out of other people's money, and then out of money, years ago. The government met protests by its starving population with a 40% minimum wage hike. That's the usual socialist solution to what leftists call 'income inequality'. The problem is that 40% of nothing is still zero.
The "Strong Bolivar" introduced by former dictator Hugo Chavez, who died of an overdose of Cuba's socialist medicine, leads the world in one economic category: a 3,000% inflation rate. Currently a dollar will buy you 111,413.23 bolivars. Wait a while and there will be a better bargain in bolivars because economists are forecasting a 30,000% inflation rate. In Venezuela, even the poorest American can become a millionaire in bolivars. The only question is why would anyone actually want bolivars?
The socialist currency of the revolution isn't counted, it's weighed on scales. The only thing "strong" about the bolivar is the exercise you get from carrying bags of them everywhere. You could forge bolivars, but the fake money would cost you more than the real money. If you can actually print bolivars, go ahead and get in touch with the Venezuelan government which can't afford to print its own money.
Venezuela's central bank (under socialism, everything is centralized) can't pay for the paper to print all the worthless money. And none of the companies that might sell the socialists the paper will take its worthless paper money in exchange for their paper. There's no point in printing anything less than 50 bolivar notes because they're worth less than the cost of the paper. But putting Obamanomics in action, Venezuela ordered billions more bills: more than the United States and Europe have combined.
Paying for minimum wage hikes by printing money doesn't actually work. That 40% minimum wage hike comes as the buying power of Venezuelans can drop by 50% in one month. The socialist regime keeps printing money and inflation keeps skyrocketing. A 30,000% inflation rate by the end of 2018 is a conservative estimate. More liberal estimates peg it at 200,000%. And then the sky's the limit.
Is Venezuela's finance minister out of his mind? No, he's a leftist. So he believes inflation doesn't exist.
Luis Salas is the perfect man to head up the economies of Venezuela or California. He's a sociologist who claims that, "Inflation does not exist in real life."
Venezuela's economy also doesn't exist in real life.
Minister Salas claims that inflation isn't caused by printing infinite amounts of money, but by corporate conspiracies. So the worse the inflation gets, the more the corporations must be conspiring to cause it.
Bafflingly, the inflation keeps growing worse, even as Venezuela is running out of businesses and corporations to blame for its worthless money. The score currently stands at Sociology: 0 and Math: 1.
"When a person goes to a shop and finds that prices have gone up, they are not in the presence of 'inflation,'" Minister Salas insisted.
But when you go into a store in Venezuela, it's because you've been on line for most of the day (or you've been paying someone to stand on line for you) only to find that there's nothing in the store except a milk ration which you have to go through a fingerprint scanner to buy and bring back to your starving family. Either that or you can join the hungry mobs looting the delivery trucks as they come in.
Venezuela's socialist government made sure that 'greedy' farmers and businesses wouldn't be able to raise prices by pegging product prices below the cost of production. The products are paid for with socialist funny money while farmers and businesses have to import products for real money.
So there's no food. Much of the country is starving. Medicine is also hard to come by because pharmaceutical companies won't take theoretical sociologist money that it will cost them more to ship out of the country than its actual face value.
So Venezuela's government has been reduced to trying to pay for medicine with gold and diamonds.
Hugo Chavez had once touted the "marvelous community experience" of bartering. Now his collapsing narcostate is reduced to bartering its precious metals and jewels to survive.
Ordinary Venezuelans have long ago been battling imaginary inflation in the real life horror of socialism by trading in their worthless money for subsidized products and then reselling them on the black market. But increasingly they're just bartering them to avoid the increasingly worthless currency.
Venezuela's new supermarkets are the Facebook groups where the people trade sugar for beans. It's a marvelous community experience that Hugo Chavez's daughter, the richest woman in Venezuela, hasn't been able to share with the rest of the populace. When Maduro, the former bus driver driving the country off a cliff as its insane leftist dictator, began chowing down on an empanada during a televised speech, the mouths of his starving people watered and a million memes were born.
But Maduro is promising Venezuelans that a replacement for money is coming soon. Venezuela's dictator plans to create his own bitcoin, a cryptocurrency based on the only thing his failed state has, oil.
Forget the 'monero' and make way for the 'petro'.
"The 21st century has arrived!" Maduro told a populace that is stuck in medieval times.
Venezuela's past technological experiments haven't exactly gone well. The joint Iranian-Venezuelan car company produced a vehicle more radioactive than Iran's nuclear weapons program. The Chinese Vergatario socialist smartphone comes in handy when bartering for groceries on WhatsApp.
The 'Petro' will be backed by oil, gas, gold and diamonds. Except that Venezuela might be proposing to back its imaginary money with reserves that it already mortgaged to Russia. And that would make its imaginary money even more imaginary than it already is. But creating its own bitcoin would be a perfect solution by providing worthless money to everyone that wouldn't even need to actually be printed.
But it still wouldn't be worth anything.
And bitcoin is already in Venezuela. Tech savvy citizens who turned to imaginary money to escape worthless money aren't about to switch to government money that's both imaginary and worthless.
What happens when socialists run out of money? They start pawning the family jewels for more imaginary money while creating conspiracy theories about a capitalist war on socialism.
The left hates reality and math. Its theories turn money worthless. And you can't eat theories.
Venezuelan socialists took a booming economy, destroyed its currency and reduced it to a barter economy. That's what happens when socialists finally run out of other people's money.
If you want to imagine the future of socialism, picture trading sugar for beans on social media.
That's the leftist economy of tomorrow brought to you by their welfare policies of today.


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In the ninth year of the Hijrah, an Arab king made the first positive moves to Islaam after years of feeling hatred for it. He drew closer to faith (imaan) after opposing and combating it. And he finally pledged allegiance to the Prophet, peace be on him, after his adamant refusal to do so.
He was Adiyy, son of the famous Haatim at-Taai, who was known far and wide for his chivalry and fabulous generosity. Adiyy inherited the domain of his father and was confirmed in the position by the Tayy people. Part of his strength lay in the fact that a quarter of any amount they obtained as booty from raiding expeditions had to be given to him.
When the Prophet announced openly his call to guidance and truth and Arabs from one region after another accepted his teachings, Adiyy saw in his mission a threat to his position and leadership. Although he did not know the Prophet personally, and had never seen him, he developed strong feelings of enmity towards him. He remained antagonistic towards Islaam close to twenty years until at last God opened his heart to the religion of truth and guidance.
The way in which Adiyy became a Muslim is a remarkable story and he is perhaps the best person to relate it. He said:
"There was no man among the Arabs who detested God's Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, more than I. When I heard about him, I was then a man of status and nobility. I was a Christian. From my people I took a fourth of their booty as was the practice of other Arab kings.
When I heard of the Messenger of God, peace be on him, I hated him. When his mission grew in strength and when his power increased and his armies and expeditionary forces dominated east and west of the land of Arabs, I said to a servant of mine who looked after my camels:
'Get ready a fat camel for me which is easy to ride and tether it close to me. If you hear of an army or an expeditionary force of Muhammad coming towards this land, let me know.'
One evening, my servant came to me and said: "Yaa Mawlaaya! What you intended to do on the approach of Muhammad's cavalry to your land, do it now."
'Why? May your mother lose you!'
'I have seen scouts searching close to the habitations. I asked about them and was told that they belonged to the army of Muhammad,' he said.
'Bring the camel which I ordered you to get ready.' I said to him.
I got up there and then, summoned my household (including) my children and ordered them to evacuate the land we loved. We headed in the direction of Syria to join people of our own faith among the Christians and settle among them.
We left in too much haste for me to gather together our entire household. When I took stock of our situation, I discovered that part of my family were missing. I had left my own sister in our Najd homelands together with the rest of the Tayy people. I did not have any means to return to her. So I went on with those who were with me until I reached Syria and took up residence there among people of my own religion. As for my sister, what I feared for her happened.
News reached me while I was in Syria that the forces of Muhammad entered our habitations and took my sister together with a number of other captives to Yathrib. There she was placed with other captives in a compound near the door of the Masjid.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, passed by her. She stood up before him and said,
'Yaa Rasoolullah! My father is dead and my guardian is not here. Be gracious to me and God will be gracious to you!
'And who is your guardian?' asked the Prophet.
'Adiyy ibn Hatim.' she said.
'The one who fled from God and His Prophet?' he asked. He then left her and walked on.
On the following day, the same thing happened. She spoke to him just as she did the day before and he replied in the same manner. The next day, the same thing happened and she despaired of getting any concession from him for he did not say anything. Then a man from behind him indicated that she should stand up and talk to him. She therefore stood up and said,
'O Messenger of God! My father is dead and my guardian is absent. Be gracious to me and God will be gracious to you.'
I have agreed he said. Turning to those about him, he instructed likewise, `Let her go for her father loved noble ways, and God loves them.'
'I want to join my family in Syria,' she said.
"But don't leave in a hurry," said the Prophet, "until you find someone you can trust from your people who could accompany you to Syria. If you find a trustworthy person, let me know."
When the Prophet left, she asked about the man who had suggested that she speak to the Prophet and was told that he was 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him. She stayed in Yathrib until a group arrived among whom was someone she could trust. So she went the Prophet and said,
'O Messenger of God! A group of my people have come to me and among them is one I can trust who can take me to my family.'
The Prophet, peace be on him, gave her fine clothes and an adequate sum of money. He also gave her a camel and she left with the group.
Thereafter we followed her progress gradually and waited for her return. We could hardly believe what we heard about Muhammad's generosity towards her in spite of my attitude to him. When I beheld a woman in her hawdaj coming towards us, I said, 'The daughter of Haatim! It's she! It's she!'
When she stood before us, she snapped sharply at me and said,
'The one who severs the tie of kinship is a wrongdoer. You took your family and your children and left the rest of your relations and those whom you ought to have protected.'
'Yes, my sister,' I said, 'don't say anything but good.' I tried to pacify her until she was satisfied. She told me what had happened to her and it was as I had heard. Then I asked her, for she was an intelligent and judicious person,
"What do you think of the mission of this man (meaning Muhammad peace be on him)?"
"I think, by God, that you should join him quickly." she said. "If he is a Prophet, one who hastens towards him would enjoy his grace. And if he is a king, you would not be disgraced in his sight while you are as you are."
I immediately prepared myself for travel and set off to meet the Prophet in Madinah without any security and without any letter. I had heard that he had said, 'I certainly wish that God will place the hand of Adiyy in my hand.'
I went up to him. He was in the Masjid. I greeted him and he said, 'Who is the man?'
'Adiyy ibn Hatim,' I said.
He stood up for me, took me by the hand and set off towards his home.
By God, as he was walking with me towards his house, a weak old woman met him. With her was a young child. She stopped him and began talking to him about a problem. I was standing (all the while), I said to myself,
'By God, this is no king.'
He then took me by the hand and went with me until we reached his home. There he got a leather cushion filled with palm fibre, gave it to me said, 'Sit on this!'
I felt embarrassed before him and said,
'Rather, you sit on it.'
'No, you,' he said.
I deferred and sat on it. The Prophet, peace be on him, sat on the floor because there was no other cushion. I said to myself,
'By God, this is not the manner of a king!'
He then turned to me and said, 'Yes, 'Adiyy ibn Hatim! Haven't you been a "Rukusi" professing a religion between Christianity and Sabeanism?'
'Yes,' I replied.
'Did you not operate among your people on the principle of exacting from them a fourth, taking from them what your religion does not allow you?'
'Yes,' I said.
I then knew from that he was a Prophet sent (by God). Then he said to me, 'Perhaps, O Adiyy, the only thing that prevents you from entering this religion is what you see of the destitution of the Muslims and their poverty. By God, the time is near when wealth would flow among them until no one could be found to take it.
Perhaps, O Adiyy, the only thing that prevents you from entering this religion is what you see of the small number of Muslims and their numerous foe. By God, the time is near when you would hear of the woman setting out from Qadisiyyah on her camel until she reaches this house, not fearing anyone except Allah.
Perhaps what prevents you from entering this religion is that you only see that sovereignty and power rest in the hands of those who are not Muslims. By God, you will soon hear of the white palaces of the land of Babylon opening up for them and the treasures of Chosroes the son of Hormuz fall to their lot.'
'The treasures of Chosroes the son of Hormuz?' I asked (incredulously).
'Yes, the treasures of Chosroes the son of Hormuz,' he said. Thereupon, I professed the testimony of truth, and declared my acceptance of Islam."
One report says that when Adiyy saw the simplicity of the Prophet's life-style, he said to him,
"I testify that you do not seek high office in this world nor corruption,"
and he announced his acceptance of Islam. Some people observed the Prophet's treatment of Adiyy and said to him,
"O Prophet of God! We have seen you do something which you have not done to any other."
"Yes," replied the Prophet. "This is a man of stature among his people. If such a person come to you, treat him honorably."
Adiyy ibn Hatim, may God be pleased with him, lived for a long time. He later said,
"Two of the things (which the Prophet spoke of) came to pass and there remained a third. By God, it would certainly come to pass. I have seen the woman leaving Qadisiyyah on her camel fearing nothing until she arrived at this house (of the Prophet in Madinah). I myself was in the vanguard of the cavalry which descended on the treasures of Chosroes and took them. And I swear by God that the third event will be realized."
Through the will of God, the third statement of the Prophet, on him be choicest blessings and peace, came to pass during the time of the devout and ascetic Khalifah, 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Aziz. Wealth flowed among the Muslims so much so that when the town-criers called on people throughout the Muslim domain to come and collect Zakat, no one was found in need to respond.


text:
By Michael F. Haverluck
Lawmakers in Massachusetts are pushing hard to repeal the state's "Transgender Rights and Hate Crimes Law" – with a bill pending in the State Judiciary committee – before more damage can be done.
The law, which Gov. Deval Patrick signed with much fanfare in front of children, has been called the most radical of its kind in United States history.
Even though it officially went into effect last July, efforts to stretch the state law as far as it can go on public school campuses have just begun to ramp up.
"Town by town the school committees have been coerced into changing their official policies dealing with transgenderism," MassResistance President Brian Camenker told WND in an interview.
"The 'transgender agenda' onslaught is now hitting Massachusetts schoolchildren with full force," said Camenker, who's led the pro-family advocacy group for nearly two decades. "Massachusetts has begun forcing into the state's public schools the most thorough, invasive and radical transgender initiative ever on a statewide level."
A new age of tolerance
Exactly what changes are being made to policies and procedures within public schools?
"The administration interpreted the law to allow boys and girls who identify themselves of the opposite sex as they are anatomically born to use whichever bathroom they choose," said co-author of the anti-transgender law measure, Bill H 1479, State Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billenca, in an interview with WND. "They would also be able to use locker rooms and play on sports teams based on which sex they identify themselves with, not based in their anatomical sex."
But along with "gender," schools have redefined "tolerance," as well.
"The directive is clear that there is to be no tolerance for students who become uncomfortable or upset at these situations being pushed on them," Camenker explained. "The school's approach is to be unyielding to any such discomfort, and to re-educate those students to have more 'acceptable' reactions and values."
Under the new state standard to accommodate "transsexuals" at all costs, the rights of others suffer, critics argue.
"Some students may feel uncomfortable with a transgender student using the same sex-segregated restroom, locker room or changing facility," the state's new directive reads. "This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender student. School administrators and counseling staff should work with students to address the discomfort and to foster understanding of gender identity, to create a school culture that respects and values all students."
Agree, or else
At school, it's no longer okay to disagree, Camenker said.
"This is also where the 'anti-bullying' law will play out," he noted. "As the Massachusetts anti-bullying law was written (much of it in collaboration with homosexual-transgender groups), any outwardly negative reaction against transgenderism can now be considered bullying, and subject to discipline and punishment."
Camenker argues "it is completely natural for a child to feel very uncomfortable using a female name for an individual they know to be male, or seeing a boy in girl's clothing, or to believe it's unfair that a boy is competing athletically as a girl."
"These reactions are now considered by the school to be backwards and disruptive," he said. "In other words, the phrase 'respects and values all students' only goes in one direction, protecting only a tiny, sadly disturbed minority."
Identity theft?
Parents in Massachusetts are finding out that once their children set foot on campus, their parental rights are limited.
"The responsibility for determining a student's gender identity rests with the student or, in the case of young students not yet able to advocate for themselves, with the parent," reads a document issued to schools from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Camenker pointed out parents "may be completely excluded from the school's decision to officially designate their minor child as being the opposite sex – and even changing the school records."
"And except with very young children, the schools will accept a child's decision to 'become' the opposite sex, even without parents' knowledge or consent. Note that the DESE states that some homes may be the unsafe places," he said.
And that's not all, MassResistance reported.
"But shockingly, although the official 'confirmation' of a student's gender change might be from a parent, such official confirmation (for the school's legal purposes) is also acceptable from almost anyone, including another family member (perhaps an 18-year-old sibling or cousin), a family friend, a sports coach, or even a school staff member," the group said. "Confirmation of a student's asserted gender identity may include a letter from a health care provider. Photographs at public events or family gatherings are other potential forms of confirmation."
Camenker noted most public schools in Massachusetts "seem to have at least one pro-LGBT activist staff member who would be quite willing to confirm that a student is transgender, if requested." "Note that the guidelines allow the student to decide whether parents are part of the discussion at all … if it is felt that the parents might disagree."
Parents might be in for a surprise when they receive a report card for their son Henry with the name Henrietta on top, he said.
"The guidelines say that if a male student decides to use a girl's first name, or vice versa, then the school is required to use the student's 'chosen' name and pronoun ('he' or 'she') – no matter how young the student – and also update all of the school's records with the new name and pronoun," Camenker said. "The parent can be left out of the decision of what 'will benefit the student' if the student is not young. Note also that 'young' is not defined, leaving much leeway for the school."
School guidance?
If students aren't satisfied with dressing like the opposite sex, school guidelines help them reach the next step.
"The guidelines present a radical transgender prescription, blandly referencing (possibly even recommending) dangerous hormone injections and body mutilations that can disfigure a person for the rest of his life, cause infertility, and do other long-term harm (not yet adequately studied)," Camenker maintained.
"Some transgender youth who are close to reaching puberty, or after commencing puberty, may complement social transition with medical intervention that may include hormone suppressants, cross-gender hormone therapy, and, for a small number of young people, a range of gender-confirming surgeries."
He argued that new programs under the law work to harm, not help confused students.
"The business of gender identity is generally medical quackery ‒ diversity training and assigned sex at birth won't make any difference," Camenker asserted. "According to the health association, they have 'gender identity disorder' as something to be cured ‒ prolonged stress and misery instead of dealing with the problem is what the schools prescribe, which will result in more outrage from parents."
Camenker addressed the issue with state House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a transgender law advocate, approaching him at the conclusion of an event in which politicians and transgender activists celebrated their victory on the controversial law.
"I asked him why no one was considering the fact that the mental health profession officially considers transgender behavior to be 'gender identity disorder,' which is right out of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV," Camenker relayed. "Then I inquired, 'Shouldn't there be some discussion about that. … Shouldn't these people get medical help?"
DeLeo had little to say.
"He just looked at me, claiming he didn't know anything about that," Camenker continued. "As I was explaining, DeLeo's communication director stepped between us and told him, 'this guy is Brian Camenker from MassResistance' before pulling him away and out the door."
Not short on words
However, when it comes to championing transgenderism, DeLeo is not short of words.
"At my very first event as speaker of the House, I went to the MassEquality dinner, and I had made a statement that we were going to get this done," De Leo announced earlier at the event. "Henceforth, we as a Commonwealth will not have to tolerate hatred. … I'm so proud to be a part of such an important civil rights milestone."
Camenker insisted public schools' handling of the transgender issue is not based on any kind of professional or medical standard and is not taking any valid measures to protect the health and safety of students.
"There is no threshold medical or mental health diagnosis or treatment requirement that any student must meet in order to have his or her gender identity recognized and respected by a school," asserted Camenker.
"Furthermore, people with these body changes have been shown to have a much higher than average incidence of other health problems and psychological dysfunction, including suicide, [yet] the DESE makes no mention of any health hazards."
Safety first?
School officials and activists insist that the extreme measures are in the name of safety.
"[A] major theme, long ago adopted by the homosexual movement (and blindly accepted by many in the general public) is that all such efforts in schools must be done in the name of student 'safety,'" Camenker pointed out. "In the interest of 'safety,' schools are instructed to hold transgender diversity training sessions for all students and school staff. As we've warned people, the recent anti-bullying requirements are now being used for this purpose."
Lombardo, who wrote the bill opposing the transgender law with Rep. Jim Lyons, R-Andover, contends that policies under the law don't protect students but rather introduce them to new dangers.
"I think that 99.99 percent of our children will now have their safety and privacy put in jeopardy because of the radical social agenda being pushed by this administration," Lombardo asserted.
Yet schools are pushing forward with the LGBT plan promoted through its curriculum.
"It prescribes a thorough integration of transgenderism … and a frightening directive for cleansing 'gender' distinctions throughout school life ‒ this will affect all schoolchildren K-12," Camenker said. "Much of this is lifted from radical 'queer theory' constructs that have become popularized in the education field."
Same tactics, same results
Pushing same-sex "marriage" without voter approval in 2004, state officials implemented another tactic less than a decade later to push their transgender law through.
"In 2011 the governor, speaker of the House, and Senate president stepped in and used their political power, unethical tactics, and an underhanded late-night session to force it out of the committee and through the legislature without debate," Camenker recalled. "Since some pro-family groups had labeled it a 'bathroom bill,' the leadership took out the public accommodations section to make it appear more palatable, but left the bulk of it (including the most odious sections) intact. And so it got pushed through quite quickly."
Transgender law advocates likened themselves to iconic civil rights leaders in their victory over "discrimination."
"The speakers shared the view that forcing the inclusion of transgenderism, cross-dressing and related behaviors into society is actually part of a great Civil Rights crusade," recalled Camenker. "And they portrayed themselves as historical descendants of Gandhi and Martin Luther King."
And the scope of their change extends well beyond the schoolhouse gate.
"Under this law, the state takes away everyone's choice in the matter," Camenker asserted. "A male who wants to wear a dress and high heels never has to modify his behavior at work or anywhere else. It is now forced into all society. All businesses, schools, organizations (including churches and religious groups), government agencies and others must now accept, embrace and affirm 'transgenderism' or face harsh punishments by the state."
State Attorney General Martha Coakley is eager to make "bigoted and backward" opponents see things her way.
"As the governor gets to sign the bill, I'll get to enforce it!" Coakley exclaimed after the transgender law was signed. "We've been importantly deciding how we needed to clarify the law to explain to people who in their nearsightedness – I will say that gracefully – in their nearsightedness criticized it. I want to say today that this law will only increase our ability to prosecute criminal conduct and protect the civil rights of all."
Defusing the bomb
How tough does the writer of the bill think it will be to repeal the Bay State's new transgender law?
"Despite wide support from the public, I foresee a challenging path legislatively given that we know the governor will veto the bill," Lombardo said.
But Camenker believes Patrick will have his hands full.
"Yesterday, I was getting calls from all over the state and country … and even London called," Camenker said. "Hispanic pastors are very upset … we've gotten people's attention here. This is not over by any means. This bill is a vehicle to people's anger to repeal the law."
He urges Americans to boldly confront "the enormous number of lies, misinformation, intimidation and outright demonization" transgender activists have used to turn the state upside-down. He says people can donate to MassResistance to support the bill targeting the repeal of Massachusetts' transgender law.
With the transgender law pushing through without a vote from the public, do a majority Massachusetts citizens support it?
"The overwhelming response I've received from residents is they want the current law, which has been interpreted by the administration to include bathroom accommodation, to be repealed," Lombardo said. "Parents must get active and call their school committees and state representatives and senators and tell them to support changing this law."


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Lucky Strike Motorcycle Leather Suit
Lucky Strike Motorcycle Leather Suit Specifications and Construction Details:
••• Suit is manufactured with high quality selected leather, which is specially made for motorbike suit.
• Internally shoulder, elbow and knee CE approved protection is applied.
• Foam padding is applied to the elbow and knee to reduce the impact of the crash.
• The sleeves are pre-curved for best riding position.
• Critical places of suit are dual and triple stitched for suit durability.
• YKK zipper is applied to securely close the suit.
• Dual density armors (removable) are used to protect the shoulders, elbows, and knees.
• A dual density spine protector (removable) is used for protect the back.
• Suit have removable knee sliders.
• For extra safety, rubber padding is applied to critical parts. (Optional)
• For the Safety of neck and backbone added the Aerodynamic extended speed hump. (Optional)
Lucky Strike Motorcycle Leather Suit Outer Shell:
••• Suit is manufactured from high quality top grain cowhide leather with a thickness of 1.2mm to 1.3mm.
• Stretch Kevlar is applied to specific places of the sleeves, crotch and cuffs to make the suit comfortable and flexible.
• Stretch panel is also placed between the legs, knees to the ankles, to make the suit as maximum comfortable and flexibility.
• For external protection CE Approved Protectors are placed on shoulder, elbow and knee.
• The suit has front, cuffs and calf YKK zips for easy wearing and closing.
• Velcro straps are placed on the neck cuff and calf to keep the suit zips tightly closed.
• The knee sliders are attached with velcro.
• Soft neoprene is added in collar and cuffs construction according to the design of the suit.
• The suit is stitched with high quality nylon thread to strengthen it.
Lucky Strike Motorcycle Leather Suit Inner Shell:
••• Polyester mesh lining is applied inside the suit.
• Inside the suit, dual density removable armor CE approved is fitted on the shoulder, elbow and knee.
• Inside the suit, dual density spine protector (removable) is used for protect the back.
• Inside the suit, for the safety of neck and backbone added the Aerodynamic extended speed hump. (Optional)
• Inside the suit, a pocket of mesh is also attached to the left side.


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When you've been looking for a job for some time and not getting the results you'd like, it's tempting to simply give up. After all, how much rejection can one person take? It's frustrating and some days, it can feel as though the entire world is against you. Trust me, I know how bad it can get. In order to cope, we make excuses and place blame. We don't do it on purpose; it's simply a self-preservation exercise that doesn't help, and can even hurt, our chances of finding a great job. These excuses, the ones we tell ourselves and others about why it's impossible to find a job, can become self-fulfilling. The more we cling to them, the less likely we are to branch out and look for new ways to stand out.
Lately, I've talked to so many people who are out of work and the majority of them are holding on to an untrue belief that actually causes them to miss opportunities. The thing is, no matter how discouraged you get, giving up on finding a job isn't an option. Unless you don't really need one in the first place, finding a job is a crucial part of survival. That means that when you're feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, you have to get creative and try something new.
Here are 5 of the most common job myths and how they could be holding you back:
There just aren't any jobs right now. Although it's true that the job market has been tight over the past few years, there are still jobs to be had. In fact, there are jobs available right now, in your city. The problem is that you don't know about them, you don't want to do them or you don't have the skills for them. To find out about job openings in your area, you'll need to use a job board site, like Beyond, in addition to getting leads from people you know. If you aren't qualified for many jobs, create a plan to increase your qualification. Maybe you need a job training program, an apprenticeship or a certification. Find out what you need to do and plan a way to accomplish it.
Jobs are only online these days. There are many ways you can find out about a job opening. Some jobs are listed online, some you can find by contacting the company's human resources department, and others you'll only know about through your professional network. Never underestimate the value of knowing someone who knows someone. In fact, an article at Harvard Business Review claims that over 65% of jobs are found through recommendation or referrals.
Temporary jobs aren't worth the effort. While the majority of temp jobs may say that they are "temp to hire" there are plenty of people who believe that no matter how well they perform their temp job, they won't be offered a permanent job, so it isn't worth putting much energy into them. Personally, I don't think that's true, but even if it is, a temp job is a great way to try out a new job, earn some money in the short term and give you more relevant job experience while you're looking for the job you really want. If you're struggling to find work, a temp agency can help you find short term work. Remember that even a temporary job is an important job, so you have to be at the top of your game every day.
Most employers don't care about social networking. Many people seem to think that employers aren't actually using the internet and that they don't care about social media. This couldn't be further from the truth. Almost every business, even the really, really small ones, have accounts on social networking sites. You can find out loads of useful information from them, but remember that it works both ways. An employer will search for you and view your social media accounts. That means that they will look at your Facebook wall posts, the pictures you like and share and they will probably see your Twitter feed as well. Knowing that, be careful what you put online. After an interview, don't post anything negative about the company or you might just blow your chances at a job offer.
You should take any job you can get. In tough economic times, it's tempting to take any job you can get. After all, it's better than no job. While it makes sense, it's really not the best way to go. Taking a job that you aren't qualified for, or one that you know you won't enjoy, is simply a waste of time. If you accept a job that isn't right for you, you'll probably end up job hunting again in a year or so. The worst case scenario is that you'll end up being fired for poor performance, and the best case is that you'll feel stuck and unmotivated for years. In any case, it's not a great situation to be in. Instead of taking a job that isn't right for you, consider working temp jobs, taking freelance work or accepting a lower-level job title while working toward a job that's a better fit for you.
If you've been having trouble finding a job, ask yourself what things you are doing that could be preventing you from finding the job you really want. In order to compete in today's job market, you have to stop believing these myths and look for new ways to stand out.
Do you tell yourself any of these myths? What do you think holds most of us back? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Image by mconnors at morguefile.


text:
[Image: An Australian truth window, photographed by Peter Halasz, courtesy of Wikipedia].
"Truth windows" are false windows cut into the interior walls of buildings, used to reveal what lies within that wall and, thus—like something out of an architecturally themed remake of The Matrix—what the building you're standing in is really made from.
According to that well-known fast-research assistant Wikipedia, "truth windows" are "often used to show the walls are actually made from straw bales. A small section of a wall is left unplastered on the interior, and a frame is used to create a window which shows only straw, which makes up the inside of the wall."
The ideological implications of this—let alone philosophical ones—are quite extraordinary, as if we could simply scrape aside some paint and plaster and see, for once, the truth, the Real, the scaffolding, the code that makes and sustains the everyday worldly environment; though, I suppose, any attempt to over-literalize such a thing—even the portentous, Frodo Baggensian name of a "truth window"—would come out as, well… exactly like an architecturally themed remake of The Matrix (perhaps resembling the unwatchable film Dark City).
Though that's not to say that someone shouldn't try.
But "truth windows" aren't limited to architecture. Briefly, I remember as a kid being taken out to visit a farm somewhere in the University of Wisconsin system to see a so-called "cannulated cow," or a cow with a window in its side. As The Lantern describes this sectional phenomenon, "Basically, the animals have surgery performed upon them that creates a passageway in the side of the animal so researchers can perform readings on what takes place in the cow's rumen."
[Image: A cow window, photographed by "Dori," courtesy of Wikipedia].
Alternatively, I've long been intrigued with the idea of installing upside-down periscopes on the sidewalks of vertically dense cities such as New York City, London, Istanbul, or Jerusalem—even Washington D.C., where road construction recently revealed the laminated stratigraphy of older roads beneath Georgetown—allowing everyone to peer down into subterranean infrastructure, exploring subways, cellars, plague pits, crypts, sewers, buried rivers and streams, scanning back and forth through the foundations of missing or war-destroyed buildings, even zeroing in on lost ships.
Call it cannulated urbanism, perhaps, or archaeological "truth windows" installed like skylights in the ground.
(Thanks to Lauren Baier for the tip!)


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MatraSport Forum
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New Bagheera Owner
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Topic: New Bagheera Owner (Read 26770 times)
Posts: 9
New Bagheera Owner
June 07, 2009, 12:02:01 am »
Hi everyone, just picked up a 1981 Bagheera 1442. Pretty good condition, but looking for a few things, need to buy a new seal for the windscreen, I am contemplating fitting an electric fuel pump since the old one seems to be problematic. Also need a spare wheel for the front, its been sitting for 12 years and trying to bring it back to life, can anyone give any pointers as to things to be done? I have taken the filters off, free'd the bores and got it running. It has an ANSA exhaust system and some period Momo wheels but otherwise 100% standard. Thanks, Torrian, Essex, UK
Sr. Member
Posts: 325
I'm a real donkey!
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #1 on:
June 07, 2009, 09:41:33 am »
Seal for the windscreen ?? The winscreen is glued. Do you mean the surrounding ? But then, which model because there are no 1981 Bagheera. It must be a 1980 or a 1979 or even earlier model
May I advise against the electric fuel pump. The mechanical are not too difficult to get by and work perfectly.
With an electrical one, you will have to deal with a presure regulator and maybe a return to the tank
What you need to do is check for the rust.
Get under the dashboard and look at the windscreen bay.
Get in the boot and slam the sides and the rear bottom
Remove a sils cover
Sr. Member
Posts: 456
New exhaust "straight through" - good sound!
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #2 on:
June 07, 2009, 10:21:38 am »
Welcome to the Bagheera world!
In addition to Spyros' suggestions have a look at the back wheels of the car from the rear. Are they vertical or sloping in at the top? Vertical is what they should be while sloping inwards suggests some corrosion around the rear suspension mounts.
- Is it Right or Left hand drive?
- Colour (inside and out) now and has it been a different colour in the past as many have been repainted in the last 30 years?)
- Fabric sun roof or not?
- The registration number might enable the Matra Club editor, Roy Gillard, to tell you what the club knows of its history.
- The "VIN" (chassis number) will tell you when it was made. There will probably be an "X" at the start of the number and another around halfway through. The number before the second "X" is the year of manufacture e.g. "7" says 1977. I have a Bagheera with a "V" registration number but that was the year it was first registered in the UK, not when it was made.
Might I suggest joining the Matra Enthusiasts Club UK? I didn't discover the club's existance until I had restored our original Bagheera in 1992. It would have been so much easier although if they had seen how bad it was they might have disuaded me from starting at all! The car is still in use. I used it yesterday to go shopping and four weeks ago it was competing in an "AutoSolo" with the Farnborough District Motor Club.
Once again, welcome. They are a good bunch on here!
Andy Owler
01372 844152 (Surrey)
Back in business for fun!
Posts: 9
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #3 on:
June 08, 2009, 12:33:19 am »
Thanks for your help. The car was a dark metalic grey but some bright spart has matt blacked the bottom half of the car. Glass sunroof, Grey tweed interior its a left hand drive imported from france in 1981 by the looks of the log book.
I have established I need a new fuel pump, plus the studs to mount it, since they both seem to be missing with just a plug in their place.
Can anyone point me in the right direction? Also can anyone tell me if the door pins becoming disconnected upon opening and closing the door is a common problem, had the door cards on and off repeatedly.
Does the fuel pump need to be specifically for the bagheera or does an early MG one work? The diagram I have of it looks very similar. Thanks, will look up the register.
Sr. Member
Posts: 442
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #4 on:
June 08, 2009, 01:16:11 am »
Broken door pins are not un-common. If they sieze then they tend to snap. Same with Alpines and Horizons - which made replacing doors a pain!
I used to have a Sikes Pickavant tooll which worked quite well:
The mechanical fuel pump on the 1.6 is generally reliable. No real problems with it - more than I can say for the 2.2!
Sr. Member
Posts: 456
New exhaust "straight through" - good sound!
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #5 on:
June 08, 2009, 08:30:56 am »
The original mechanical fuel pump is secured by (M8?) bolts and not by studs. I'll get the part number for you later if you wish but it should be easily available from motor factors. The fuel pump from the Talbot Rancho or Chrysler Alpine will fit and probably the Horizon also. It is basically the same engine. It should have three connections (suction from the tank, discharge to the carbs and recirculation back to the tank to get rid of trapped air and prevent vapour lock).
The Haynes manual for the Chrysler Alpine is very useful for Bagheera owners who don't have the french language original. There is also a Bagheera manual in English written by a club expert for a very modest sum.
What you may have trouble getting is the fibre spacer which fits between the pump and the crankcase to get the right stroke on the pump lever. But that could be made if you can get the thickness. Memory says about 5-8mm thick.
What pumps the fuel at the moment? A separate electric pump presumably. I have often thought of fitting an electric pump but never got around to it. The only problem with the mechanical pump it the time it can take to fill the carbs after the car has been idle for some time e.g. a week or more. The engine has to turn over over for ages and that can knacker the battery if it is already tired. So I suggest caution before refitting a mechanical pump if the electric one is working OK.
Andy Owler
01372 844152
Back in business for fun!
Posts: 9
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #6 on:
June 08, 2009, 09:11:14 am »
Well at the moment there is no pump at all, someone has fashioned a t-piece and a fairy bottle to pump the fuel in! So need something. So if i can find a new pump with the gasket I should go for that. Then just experiment with some bolts. I have been running the car with a direct feed just to get it running. Has worked, but now I know why there was no continuation. Because there was no fuel supply, lol.
Will have to take a look at that tool lewisman, thanks for the tip.
Sr. Member
Posts: 456
New exhaust "straight through" - good sound!
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #7 on:
June 08, 2009, 09:42:27 am »
The only time I have had a mechanical fuel pump failure I managed to get home by rearranging the pipework to connect the fuel tank directly to the carbs, bypassing the pump, and blowing into the petrol tank to pressurize it thus forcing the petrol into the carbs. There was still pressuure in the tank when I got home 10km later!
I wonder if one could use the air compressor from the air horns to pressurize the tank?
Maybe too much pressure? But it would serve to fill the carbs when starting the engine after a long rest. Needs more thought and perhaps a pressure relief valve.
Back in business for fun!
Sr. Member
Posts: 456
New exhaust "straight through" - good sound!
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #8 on:
June 08, 2009, 10:15:02 am »
Mechanical fuel pump for a 1442 Bagheera (and all other sizes based on that engine) is Quinton Hazell part number QFP103. Should be available from your local motor factor.
Spacer thickness to follow.
Back in business for fun!
Posts: 9
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #9 on:
June 08, 2009, 07:39:58 pm »
Thnaks Andy, will give me local a call in the morning with that number. If anyone knows of a place to get a spacer? If not spacer thickness would be cool and optimum material and i'll see if my mate can make me one up at work.
Sr. Member
Posts: 456
New exhaust "straight through" - good sound!
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #10 on:
June 08, 2009, 11:13:32 pm »
I have not today been able to remove a spacer and measure it but the consensus is that it is there to isolate the block heat from the pump and therefore it should be non-metallic. Plastic of some sort would do. 5mm thick is the approx thickness.
Best I can do at present.
Andy Owler
Back in business for fun!
Posts: 9
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #11 on:
June 09, 2009, 07:16:58 pm »
Ok thanks, well I am trying to locate one of these spacers so I can either get it re-manufactured or something. Otherwise not sure where to start.
Posts: 9
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #12 on:
June 09, 2009, 07:28:06 pm »
Also meant to ask if qfp 150 will fit? its listed as 1.5 bagheera 1977-1979 I know you have said it was qfp103 but I dont know if this will fit to?
Sr. Member
Posts: 456
New exhaust "straight through" - good sound!
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #13 on:
June 09, 2009, 07:36:00 pm »
I did not see the QFP150 listed in the Quinton Hazell list (download it from their website). Can't help you on that one!
Andy Owler
Back in business for fun!
Posts: 9
Re: New Bagheera Owner
Reply #14 on:
June 10, 2009, 09:13:09 am »
found out the qfp 150 is the qfp 103 but with re-circulation, could i use this pump still?
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Their vibrant personality and carefree spirit live on in the thoughts and prayers of those who cared about them. Our fireside basket arrangement, hand-designed by expert florists with splay of bright red, orange and yellow blooms, captures this thoughtful sentiment in a grand display, beautifully suited for the funeral or gravesite.
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Rescued article requiring attention |
This article was rescued from The Annex, a repository of pages deleted from Wikipedia for lack of notability. Please edit it to conform to this wiki's style guidelines before removing this notice. |
The Vashar are a fictional proto-human race created by Wizards of the Coast for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Vashar are outlined and detailed in the D&D supplement Book of Vile Darkness.
The Vashar were the gods' first attempt at creating humans, albeit an attempt that went horribly wrong. The gods watched as their creation, a male, attacked and violently killed an animal, feeding on it in brutish fashion. The gods were first impressed as their creation immediately began to fashion a tool from the animal's remains, then horrified as he used it to try and attack them. Disgusted with the outcome of their attempt, the gods slew the man and departed, not to try again for a long time.
However, a demon, perhaps impressed or simply amused by the newly-made creature's audacity and hate, took the remains to a high, almost impossible to reach plateau. There he resurrected him and fashioned a woman of his own sort, and gave them the ability to breed, before leaving them to their own devices. (Which demon is not exactly known. Sometimes it is said to have been the demon lord Graz'zt. Some legends even say that it was a succubus, who in that version takes the place of the woman and births the male's children, imbuing the race with demonic blood.)
Vasharans and humans have a relationship comparable to drow and elves; that is, vashar are still human, but an utterly corrupt and evil form of human.
Vasharans have no concept of love, kindness, or caring. All sex among the Vashar occurs because of rape. They have no taboos against acts such as rape and incest, no instinctive revulsion for vermin such as snakes, insects, or rats, and are not at all bothered by filth or gore.
Despite their nature, vasharan society is apparently quite orderly. While they despise each other to a certain extent, murder is a rarity, and the society is extremely democratic, with a council of elders enforcing their handful of laws. Vasharans would rather kill themselves than submit to a rule of tyranny and may explain their utter hate for gods. The vashar seem to have a desire for freedom from a more powerful influence, taken to its extreme. This hatred is what binds them together as a society, despite their apparent anarchistic leanings. Since they don't worship gods, vasharan clerics use divine energy stolen from other deities' priests. The Ur-Priest class was created to accommodate clerics without gods, but with divine spellcasting ability.
While their entire society revolves around engineering the death of gods, Vashar are apparently mostly neutral towards other races, and treat them as normal humans would. Thus, as far as other beings are concerned, the Vashar are likely more amoral, not caring if members of other races live or die (or need to be killed) than directly hostile or malicious.
Despite their own desire for freedom, vashar apparently sometimes descend from their plateau to capture slaves.
Favored Classes
- Any
Non-Applicable Classes
Common Classes
- Wizard
- Sorcerer
- Fighter
- Rogue
- Assassin
- Blackguard
- Shadowdancer
- Loremaster
- Warrior of Darkness
- Cancer Mage
- Vermin Lord
- Diabolist
Uncommon Classes
- Ur-Priest
- Ranger
- Demonologist
Game mechanics[]
A vasharan has the same starting features as a human. The only difference is that the extra feat they gain at first level must be a vile one, as they gain it from their utter corruption.
The new "vile races" introduced in the Book of Vile Darkness seem to personify some basic sin and add in a particular evil drive. The other race discussed is the Jerren, who definitely fall into the categories of greed and cannibalism. Likewise, the vashar could be considered creatures of vengeance and psychopathy.
The terms "vashar" and "vasharan/vasharans" seem to be interchangeable. Vashar can be either singular or plural, while in the other usage of vasharan, the "s" is required to make it plural, as vasharans. This may be a matter of preference, or something used to distinguish when one is referring to the plateau where they live (also called vashar) and the people from it (thus, vasharan). The Book of Vile Darkness uses both "vashar" and "vasharan" to refer to the people.
External links[]
- Wizards of the Coast, owner and publisher of Dungeons & Dragons
- Book of Vile Darkness at Amazon.com, or at Wizards of the Coast