"You can fool some of the people all the time.
You can fool all the people some of the time.
But you can't fool all the people all the time."
--Abraham Lincoln.

Sleeps With Wolves

Just when I was starting to like the guy...

Guess who is sleeping with the enemy? The
strangest of bedfellows, John Kerry and Monsanto.
America's new nightmare couple.

Kerry is the man who claims that he does not
take corporate money. My research has taken me inside
of Kerry's brain. Malkovich, Malkovich. Kerry, Kerry.
Try to avoid the manure, as you slide through the
tunnel of this man's slippery synapses.

Kerry and Monsanto, sitting in a tree.
Kissing and promoting B-S-T.
First comes love, then comes marriage,
There's no justice, just a Kerry miscarriage.

The law firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, et. al., specializes
in biotechnology law. One of their most important clients
is Monsanto. Call today's column a lesson in trickle-down
economics. Call it an example of a carefully laid out
political agenda. Kerry wants you to believe that he
accepts no donations from corporations. Kerry's lie that
just plain folk contribute to his campaign is phony
politics at its worst. He has carefully hidden the twisted
route that dollars take before reaching his pocket. Make
no mistake about it. Kerry is no better than a common crook.

JFK (John-Fraud-Kerry), the man who would tiptoe
a circuitous path around election finance laws.

One very connected attorney with Mintz, Levin & Cohn is
David Leiter. Leiter now works for the Bush administration
in the Department of Energy. Leiter served as Kerry's Chief
of Staff for six years. Is there really a difference between
Democrat and Republican in these United States? These
insider-traders prove again and again that politics is the
best cash business in America. Leiter has raised nearly
$20 million for just three political campaigns.

Interesting aside regarding of the law firm of Mintz,
Levin and Cohn and the George Bush cabinet. This firm
represented Biogen, the maker of the genetically engineered
Flavor-Saver Tomato. Biogen was purchased by Monsanto
at a time when Ann Veneman was on its board of directors.
Today, Ann Veneman is America's Secretary of Agriculture.
Mintz, Levin & Cohn arranged the financing for the initial
public stock offering of Biogen.

While we will never be privy to cash transactions and
deals made behind close doors, what financial services
have Mintz, Levin & Cohn performed on the record for Kerry?

After examining campaign donations from 1997 through 2002,
I determined that Kerry's top three contributions came from
Boston Fleet Bank ($75,694), Verizon Communications ($65,862),
and Mintz, Levin & Cohn, et. al. ($54,700).

So, how much has the firm given Kerry for his 2004 run
by Mintz, Levin & Cohn? The shocker: $112,250!

This man is a people's person?

Mintz, Levin, Cohn has acted as counsel in funding biotech
acquisitions by raising nearly $800 million. They do
much more than that for Monsanto. Mintz, Levin & Cohn
also represents Monsanto in PCB litigation.

Kerry's association with Mintz, Levin, Cohn is as deep as
his relationship with Monsanto and other biotech companies.
In 2000, after Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced a
labeling law that would have given Americans the right to
know whether the foods they ate contained genetically
modified organisms, Kerry refused to support that bill.
Now you know why. He has been bought and paid for by the
biotech industry.

Over the weekend, Kerry was accused of being just another
good old boy Republican by a fellow Democrat. Kerry remarked:

"I've spent a career fighting against special interests.
I'll take a second seat to nobody in this race with respect
to my lifetime fights against special interests and my efforts
to run campaigns on a high standard."

Kerry insisted that he had accepted no money from political
action committees or "special interests."

Tomorrow, February 3, 2003, Americans vote in seven primaries.

Arizona
Delaware
Missouri
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Carolina

Tuesday's victories might propel Kerry far ahead of
the field for the Democratic presidential nomination.
There is but one vehicle that can stop Kerry at
this eleventh hour. It's called the Internet. Your
activism can insure that millions of voters see
this critically important truth--before it is too late.

A message can be sent to Mr. Kerry that "politics as usual"
can no longer be tolerated. Kerry campaigns on issues of
integrity, claiming that he is beholden to no corporate
sponsors. This man lies by informing Americans that his
financial support comes from individuals like you and me.
Faced with this fantastic evidence, would you cast your
ballot for a liar such as John Kerry?

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Illegal Monsanto Antibiotic Found In Slaughtered Cows

Point #1

In America, it is illegal to treat lactating dairy cows
with an antibiotic called LS-50.

Point #2

The most commonly found antibiotic residue in meat
from slaughtered dairy cows is LS-50.

Point #3

New strains of bacteria causing new emerging diseases (such
as E. coli 157:H7, VRE or Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci,
and Staphylococcus aureus-MRSA) have developed immunities to
antibiotic treatment. Some consumers ingest these pathogens
and become ill, unable to be cured by overused antibiotics
which no longer work. The above 3 points represent a formula
that seems to be beyond the grasp of FDA and USDA
understanding.

This is the story of two federal agencies which protect
the interests of dairy and meat producers, while ignoring
health concerns of American consumers.

This is also the story of a pharmaceutical company that
violates the spirit of the law, and in doing so, encourages
dairy farmers to treat milk-producing creatures with a
drug that was never intended to be used on cows. That drug
leaves residues in milk and compromises human safety.

LS-50 is an antimicrobial made up of two other antibiotics,
Lincomycin and Spectinomycin. LS-50 is a powerful drug,
traditionally used on chickens. You can purchase LS-50
on the Internet from companies marketing it as "the best
treatment for bovine respiratory diseases." Less than one
teaspoon of this powder is added to a gallon of water, and
given to the infected cow each day for 7-10 days. A 2.65 oz.
bag offered for sale for just $33.50.

Dairy farmers also use LS-50 to treat a condition called
footwarts. Very unpleasant. Very illegal. The category of
mycins that include LS-50 carry serious restrictions and
warnings regarding their use. FDA relies upon a manual called
the "Green Book" in setting antibiotic standards.

Remembering that LS-50 is composed of Lincomycin and
Spectinomycin, I first looked up the files on every single
variation of Lincomycin approved by the FDA. There are
actually 49 different antibiotic drugs permitted for animal
use. Without exception, each and every one of those drugs
has been approved for either chickens or swine weighing
under 250 pounds. None have been approved for cattle or
dairy cows. There are 21 different manufacturers listed for
the 49 different drugs. One name stands out, owning 18 of
those 49, Pharmacia-Upjohn. That is the new name for
Monsanto.

It seems that they changed the name, but their game remains
the same. When it comes to compromising human health,
Monsanto sits at the leading edge of biotechnological
deception.

The second category of drugs were the Spectinomycins. There
were just ten of these, and Pharmacia-Upjohn/Monsanto owned
three of them.

There on the list was Monsanto's LS-50, and here is the
warning for use of that drug, as written in FDA's Green Book:

"Species: chicken up to seven days old. Limitations: can be
used in cattle, calves excluding veal calves, dairy cows
excluding female breeding age animals. Do not use in female
dairy cattle 20 months of age or older. Use in this class of
cattle may cause residues in milk. Federal law restricts
this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed
veterinarian."

Today, Americans eat and drink a drug that taints our dairy
supply. They consume a drug that compromises their bodies.
That drug is being illegally used. Can we one day build enough
jail cells for all of Monsanto's crimes against humanity?

I would offer you names of FDA and USDA regulators, but
I will not, for to contact them is an exercise in futility.
I will no longer play a role in making you feel better by
writing or calling those people who are working against you.
Do yourself and your friends and family a favor. Avoid those
products containing poisons. Take back your health. Never
again place your future health in the hands of the deceivers.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Damn The Torpedos

I have been threatened, and my enemies can go to hell.

They will read this, and know that there will be many
witnesses to any future coincidences. You, my readers,
are an insurance policy that may or may not have
matured to its full term.

The first admiral in the history of America's Navy
was a man named Farragut. As a young boy, just ten
years of age, he remarkably reached the rank of
ensign while serving on a ship during the War of 1812.
At age eleven, he received a promotion while fighting
pirates. During the Civil War, after witnessing the
ironclad Tecumsah sunk by a floating mine, then Admiral
Farragut inspired his sailors during battle with these
words, "Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead."

Yesterday, I received my most threatening phone call.
I've spent a few hours in distress, wondering what
course of action lay ahead for me.

I traveled an emotional roller coaster ride, climbing up
the first steep incline called concern, cascading rapidly
into a deep valley called dispair, and then finally leveling
off at anger, and as the ride ended, stepping into clarity.

What caused this ride of a lifetime?

I received a phone call.

Caller: Hello, Robert. Don't say my name.
         Do you recognize my voice?
Robert: Yes, I do.
Caller: Call me at this number in five minutes from
         a safe telephone.

I was given a number, and followed instructions.

Caller: You've made some very powerful people very unhappy.
Robert: Can you give me details?
Caller: Just watch your back. People are talking about you.
Robert: Thank you.
Caller: Goodbye, Robert. You take care.

What could have caused such a warning. Who may my
most powerful adversaries be?

Does this go right to the top? I believe that it does.

My actions have caused one powerful biotechnology company
to lose many millions of dollars. FDA inspections resulting
from my complaints have cut Monsanto's production of
their genetically engineered bovine growth hormone in half.
By continuing my pressure, by staying on my course, I have
the potential to cause the company a billion dollar loss.
Monsanto invested in excess of $500 million during the
develpoment of their genetically engineered bovine growth
hormone. That hormone has generated $300 million in cash
flow every year since 1995. I've helped to cut that income
stream in half. My information can put Monsanto out of
business. They are a dangerous company. I will not back
away from my responsibility. Monsanto is hazardous to your
health.

America has changed. Warriors are in charge of our destiny
at the senior-most levels of our government. Homeland
Security has overstepped its powers by compromising those
inalienable rights promised to Americans in the Constitution.
Laws have been usurped. Due course has been ignored. We
have become a quasi-fascist state, exercising police powers
by issuing code alerts, and brainwashing Americans with fear
so that they willingly give up their rights. What has happened
to the nation that I love so?

It seems as if I am now a target, and for what?

For placing in jeopardy that company which donated millions
of dollars by helping Mr. Cheney and Mr. Ashcroft to
achieve absolute power.

To understand Monsanto is to understand the key players.
I have revealed so much, and may be in danger, and this
column may be a final monument, as my warning hints, but
in the words of one very foolish man who risked all,
"Damn the torpedos."

The key vote in the Supreme Court that delivered
the election to George Bush was Clarence Thomas.
Mr. Thomas served as Monsanto's lawyer at the firm
of King and Spalding for two years before becoming
a Supreme Court justice.

John Ashcroft, Attorney General. The one man out of 535
members of the House of Representatives and the Senate
received the greatest amount of financial support from
Monsanto during the 1996 election cycle. He received
five times the amount of money as the congressman
finishing second in the bribery sweepstakes known as
PAC money.

Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, was president of
Searle Pharmaceuticals, purchased by Monsanto.

Ann Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture, was on the board of
directors of Calgene Pharmaceuticals, purchased by Monsanto.

Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health, overseer of the Food
and Drug Administration, was a supporter of Monsanto as
governor of Wisconsin. He received $50,000 from biotech firms
during his election run, and used state funds to set up a
$317 million biotech zone in Wisconsin.

I will not turn my back on the children. So, I continue
my course. Full speed ahead.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

You've seen the 6PM news broadcasts. You've heard
about the unfortunate children on the radio.
Frantic mothers call, wondering whether the
same tragedy will strike a child in the community
in which you live.

Every once in a while, you read about a student or two
who was exposed to or infected by meningitis. Schools
close down for a day while classmates are tested and
hallways are wiped down with Lysol.

Today's meningitis scare focuses upon eastern Texas. Four
cases of stricken children have been confirmed in Angelina
County during January of 2004.

Earlier this month, a female University of California at
Berkeley basketball player died of bacterial meningitis.
The University of Kansas also experienced an outbreak,
advising all of their students to be vaccinated. With
each and every case, doctors are at a loss to explain the
etiology of meningitis infection.

The current issue of the British journal Lancet (2004; 363:5-6,
39-40) points a finger of blame at a bacterium called E. sakazakii.
According to researchers, cases of severe meningitis have been
associated with powdered milk-based infant formulas and powdered
milk. What product is used to make milk-based powdered formula and
dried milk? Uh, huh. Fluids from diseased dairy cows.

Scientists note that bacteria in powdered milk products are not
destroyed by pasteurization and pose a serious health risk to
users. Dr. Farber's comment:

"Because it now appears that this organism may be widespread
in the environment, it may be prudent for regulatory bodies
to tread carefully before embarking on strict requirements
with regard to the presence or absence of this organism in
various ready-to-eat foods."

So, in revealing this new study to you, let me ask you a riddle.
What does the Notmilkmilkman's relationship with the dairy
industry and the first sign of meningitis have in common?

Ready?

Each appears as a severe pain in the neck!

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Invite your friends to subscribe to the free daily
Notmilk letter. Archived columns and subscription info:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/notmilk

Coming Soon---

Friday: Illegal Antibiotics in Milk & Cheese
Saturday: New Research (Jan/2004) Regarding Meningitis & Dairy
Sunday: New Research (Jan/2004) Regarding Prostate Cancer & Dairy

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Consider the spawning salmon. She lays ten thousand
pea-sized eggs, yet, only a few survive to continue
the species. Deep water fish can produce millions of
eggs each season. Nature's solution to insure survival
is to make lots of what is needed. That same mechanism
applies to internal "housekeeping." Internal hormonal
secretions contain thousands of times more chemical
messengers than are needed. That's because most of those
hormones are broken down long before they deliver their
sets of instructions to cellular receptors. What has
man wrought? We have improved upon nature to upset
the natural balance. By overdosing the cells with
too many hormones, man has turned health into disease.

When milk is passed through a fine filter at pressures
equal to 4,000 pounds per square inch, the fat globules
(liposomes) are made smaller (micronized) by a factor of
10 times or more. These fat molecules become evenly
dispersed within the liquid milk so that, by federal code,
after 48 hours of storage at 45 degrees Fahrenheit, there
is no visible cream separation in the milk. One pint of
homogenized cow's milk can contain one-trillion micronized
fat molecules.

Humankind often takes small steps in changing biological
mechanisms, attempting to improve upon nature. In the case
of homogenization, the dairy industry took an accidental
giant stride by insuring that protein growth hormones in
milk survive digestion. Homogenization insures that
these powerful growth hormones survive. One of these
chemical messengers has been identified as a key factor
in the growth of human cancer. See:

http://www.notmilk.com/b.html

Remember those time-release cold capsule TV commercials?
Encapsulate cold medicine in gelatin capsules and "medicine"
works many hours after ingestion. Milk is nature's natural
mechanism, delivering hormones, lactoferins and immunoglobulins
to nursing infants. Through homogenization, fat molecules in
milk become smaller and become "capsules" for substances that
bypass digestive processes. Proteins would normally be broken
down into amino acids, and digested in the stomach or gut. By
homogenizing milk, these proteins are not broken down and are
absorbed into the bloodstream, intact.

Genetic engineering makes a bad product worse. Milk naturally
contains powerful growth hormones. Milk from cows treated with
the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone contains
increased amounts of naturally occurring hormones. After cows
are treated with rbST (or rbGH), levels of another hormone in
milk, IGF-I, increase. IGF-I (insulin-like growth factor) is
identical between humans and cows. In the case of existing
cancers, normally controlled by immune systems, IGF-I
ingestion is like pouring gasoline on a fire.

Two Connecticut cardiologists, Oster and Ross, demonstrated that
cow proteins survive digestion. Every one of their heart patients
manufactured antibodies to bovine proteins after consuming
homogenized milk. This proved that milk proteins are not destroyed.
These two scientists pointed the finger of blame at homogenization.
Hormones in milk are protected, survive digestion and exert powerful
effects on the human body. For more detail, see:

http://www.notmilk.com/x.html

Many Americans would like to bring back the good 'ole days
when "cream rose to the top." In 1940 there were nearly
twenty-four million dairy cows in the United States producing
milk for 132 million Americans. The total pounds of milk
consumed each day exceeded 2.2 pounds per individual, the
equivalent of one quart. That amount has slowly declined each
decade and has leveled off at a per capita daily intake of
1.6 pounds. Interestingly, the greatest decrease occurred
after the dairy industry made the decision NOT to allow the
cream to rise to the top.

By returning to the days when cream once again rises to the
top of the bottle, dairymen would eliminate the artificial
mechanism by which milk proteins survive in such great
quantity. Many scientists have considered innumerable factors
in explaining increased rates of cancers and heart disease.
Homogenization has not been given the blame, nor the
attention that it merits.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Wyoming's state motto is "The Equality State."

This prairie state, once home to roaming buffalo herds,
now joins Texas and Missouri in a form of equality
that they most certainly were not seeking.

Wyoming has lost its brucellosis-free status.
That makes beef from these three meat-producing
states as "separate, but equal."

Brucellosis in cattle can be passed on to man in the
form of Mediterranean Disease or Undulant Fever. These
conditions are difficult to detect and easily misdiagnosed.
The symptoms include chronic fatigue (syndrome), headaches,
and arthritic pain. Once infected with Brucellosis from
cows, the disease can hide in the human body, emerging many
years after the initial infection.

According to USDA, Brucellosis causes abortions in cows,
and can cause flu-like symptoms in cowboys and cowgirls.
Consumers eating unpasteurized milk or meat cooked rare
can also be affected. So...if you are still eating meat
or cheese, ask your butcher or supermarket manager whether
your product had its origin in Wyoming. They will be
clueless, but their ignorance can help you continue on
your course of self-deception.

You will not have that problem if you live in Nebraska,
Colorado, California, South Dakota, or Utah. These five
states have imposed restrictions on cows from states that
have lost their Burcellosis-free designation.

Before taking your next bite of cheese, carefully read this
information from page 222 of Mad Cows and Milk Gate by
Virgil Hulse, M.D.:

"The following groups of pathogens can be involved in
manufacturing cheese made from raw milk: TB (mycobacterium
paratuber-culosis, Undulant fever (Brucella species),
Disease producing Strep (Pathogenic streptococci), staph
food poisoning (Coagulase positive sttaphylocci), staph
arrhea that may lead to death (Entero-pathogenic
Eschererichia coli), Salmonella, Rickettsia, Virus species,
Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium
botulinum (can be fatal and cause death)."

So, as you shake your heads at the pathetic state of
America's dairy industry and consider the shock value of
today's notmilk letter headline, you might be wondering
why the other 45 of America's states have not become united
in banning Wyoming cows.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Wyoming Cows Banned by 5 States

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/notmilk NOTMILK GROUP

Wyoming's state motto is "The Equality State."

This prairie state, once home to roaming buffalo herds,
now joins Texas and Missouri in a form of equality
that they most certainly were not seeking.

Wyoming has lost its brucellosis-free status.
That makes beef from these three meat-producing
states as "separate, but equal."

Brucellosis in cattle can be passed on to man in the
form of Mediterranean Disease or Undulant Fever. These
conditions are difficult to detect and easily misdiagnosed.
The symptoms include chronic fatigue (syndrome), headaches,
and arthritic pain. Once infected with Brucellosis from
cows, the disease can hide in the human body, emerging many
years after the initial infection.

According to USDA, Brucellosis causes abortions in cows,
and can cause flu-like symptoms in cowboys and cowgirls.
Consumers eating unpasteurized milk or meat cooked rare
can also be affected. So...if you are still eating meat
or cheese, ask your butcher or supermarket manager whether
your product had its origin in Wyoming. They will be
clueless, but their ignorance can help you continue on
your course of self-deception.

You will not have that problem if you live in Nebraska,
Colorado, California, South Dakota, or Utah. These five
states have imposed restrictions on cows from states that
have lost their Burcellosis-free designation.

Before taking your next bite of cheese, carefully read this
information from page 222 of Mad Cows and Milk Gate by
Virgil Hulse, M.D.:

"The following groups of pathogens can be involved in
manufacturing cheese made from raw milk: TB (mycobacterium
paratuber-culosis, Undulant fever (Brucella species),
Disease producing Strep (Pathogenic streptococci), staph
food poisoning (Coagulase positive sttaphylocci), staph
arrhea that may lead to death (Entero-pathogenic
Eschererichia coli), Salmonella, Rickettsia, Virus species,
Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium
botulinum (can be fatal and cause death)."

So, as you shake your heads at the pathetic state of
America's dairy industry and consider the shock value of
today's notmilk letter headline, you might be wondering
why the other 45 of America's states have not become united
in banning Wyoming cows.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Multiple Sclerosis: New Evidence for the Milk Connection

Today (January 27, 2004), I ask you to get mad.
Anger fuels action and action gives birth to change.

Last week, I got mad when I learned that insiders were
trading on mad cow fears. What did I do? I called federal
regulators who are now investigating whether insider trading
did indeed occur. Speculators leave glorious paper trails.
You'll probably read the story in your newspaper a few days
from today.

Last week, I got mad when I heard the rumor that Monsanto
would inform dairy farmers that supplies of their commercial
rbST (genetically modified bovine growth hormone) would be
cut back to 50% on March 1, 2004. I blew the whistle by
alerting federal investigators that Monsanto was up to no
good. Tomorrow, Newspapers will break that story too.

Getting mad can be fun. Getting results is rewarding.

Today, I ask you to get mad. Help to change the world
by helping others.

There is new evidence for the dairy/Multiple Sclerosis
cause and effect. What you are about to read should make
you and your loved ones angry, if you are so affected.
Perhaps what is needed is a bit of anger directed at
those who are uppermost in the hierarchy of marketing
milk and dairy products. FDA scientists and dairy
industry executives are familiar with the real science
that you are about to read.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a common neurological disease,
affecting approximately 300,000 Americans. Two-thirds of
those diagnosed with MS are women. Women are the targets
of dairy marketing. Women are told that their bones will
break if they do not get the calcium from cheese and milk.

The January issue of the Journal of Immunology (2004
Jan 1;172(1):661-668) contains an important clue to
understanding the etiology of MS. Scientists at the Max
Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried, Germany
(Guggenmos,et. al.) have determined that milk proteins
produce a reaction in the myelin sheath of nerve fibers
that can result in MS.

Most researchers believe that MS is an auto immune disease.
Auto means "self."  The body's reaction to a foreign protein
is to destroy that antigen-like invader with an antibody.
The antibody then turn upon one's own cells.  That is an
auto-immune response. In the case of MS, the body's response
is to attack the outer membrane-protecting nerve cells, or
the myelin sheath.

Symptoms of MS include tingling or numbness of the limbs,
paralyses, and vision problems. Sometimes MS patients
experience slurred speech accompanied by chronic pain.

MS costs approximately $2.5 billion each year in America. MS
is found in milk-drinking populations. It is interesting to
note that Eskimos and Bantus (50 million living in East
Africa) rarely get MS.  Neither do those native North and
South American Indian or Asian populations that consume no
dairy products.

John McDougall, M.D., cites the British medical journal
Lancet in pointing out that a diet filled with dairy
products has been closely linked to the development of MS.
(The Lancet 1974;2:1061)

A worldwide study published in the journal Neuroepidemiology
revealed an association between eating dairy foods (cow's
milk, butter, and cream) and an increased prevalence of MS.
(Neuroepidemiology 1992;11:304?12.)

The April 1, 2001 issue of the Journal of Immunology
included a study linking MS to milk consumption. It has long
been established that early exposure to bovine proteins is a
trigger for insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Researchers
have made that same milk consumption connection to MS.

The July 30, 1992 issue of the New England Journal of
Medicine first reported the diabetes auto immune response
milk connection:

"Patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus produce
antibodies to cow milk proteins that participate in the
development of islet dysfunction... Taken as a whole, our
findings suggest that an active response in patients with
IDDM (to the bovine protein) is a feature of the auto immune
response."

In October of 1996, The Lancet reported:

"Antibodies to bovine beta-casein are present in over a
third of IDDM patients and relatively non-existent in
healthy individuals."

Two months later (December 14, 1996), The Lancet revealed:

"Cow's milk proteins are unique in one respect: in
industrialized countries they are the first foreign proteins
entering the infant gut, since most formulations for babies
are cow milk-based.  The first pilot stage of our IDD
prevention study found that oral exposure to dairy milk
proteins in infancy resulted in both cellular and immune
response...this suggests the possible importance of the gut
immune system to the pathogenesis of IDD."

Michael Dosch, M.D., and his team of researchers have
determined that multiple sclerosis and type I (juvenile)
diabetes mellitus are far more closely linked than
previously thought. Dosch attributes exposure to cow milk
protein as a risk factor in the development of both diseases
for people who are genetically susceptible.  According to
Dosch:

"We found that immunologically, type I diabetes and multiple
sclerosis are almost the same - in a test tube you can
barely tell the two diseases apart. We found that the
autoimmunity was not specific to the organ system affected
by the disease. Previously it was thought that in MS
autoimmunity would develop in the central nervous system,
and in diabetes it would only be found in the pancreas. We
found that both tissues are targeted in each disease."
(Journal of Immunology, April, 2001)

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Rosa Choi Chose Chai

On Sunday, I met Rosa Choi. She's just set a record
by purchasing 500 SoyToys. I gave Mrs. Choi a one-hour
lesson in how to use and demonstrate the soymilk-making
machine to others, and we both ate and drank foods
made from soybeans.

I taught her how to make soymilk that tastes like
SILK. We then made chocolate milk and chai, using
wonderfully aromatic spices. Of the sweet drinks,
Mrs. Choi liked the chai best. Finally, I added a
veggie bouillon cube to a cup of soymilk. That was her
favorite. For lunch, I used the ground soybean paste
(okara) to make veggie burgers. I told her that I
would make "White Castle" burgers, which I did. The
secret "burger" taste is in the chopped sauteed onions,
slice of dill pickle, and ketchup. The veggie burgers
looked and tasted like the real thing. How to make them?
Equal parts of okara, crushed black beans, and bread
crumbs. We then added olive oil to that mixture to make a
delicious dip (which tastes like chopped liver). Finally,
Mrs. Choi asked me to make butter. That was easy. Soymilk
and oil in a food processor.

What other kitchen appliance pays for itself
in less than two months? With the SoyToy, you can
make your own soymilk for less than a penny a glass.
Sixteen cents per gallon!

Homemade soymilk tastes better than the store-bought
version. The homemade version contains fiber and unless
you are extremely foolish, does not contain artificial
flavorings or emulsifiers or coagulants.

You can also make soy ice cream and the world's best
veggie burgers. I showed Mrs. Choi how easy it was to
make homemade ice cream. I pureed peaches and soymilk
and twenty minutes later, the ice cream was done. Your
family will eat healthier, and you will stretch your food
budget dollars, guaranteed!

Last year, over 100 people purchased four or more
SoyToys, and gave them as gifts or found a source of
income by selling them to third parties.

You can buy one soytoy for $159. Buy three, and I'll
throw in the fourth for free and add 20 pounds of
non-GMO soybeans!

On January 5th, we added 6,000 new machines to our
inventory, ready for immediate delivery. In order to
get to our next stage (where we manufacture 20,000
machines per run), we are offering an enormous one
week discount for our wholesale buyers. This one-time
offer will not be made again and is good until
February 1st. Call Lisa for greater volume discounts.

201-967-7001

Robert Cohen
http://www.SoyToy.com

What was the reward for Dave Louthan, the slaughter-
house worker who discovered America's first mad cow?

a) Dave was given a bonus
b) Dave is to be awarded the Medal of Freedom by
President George Bush in a White House ceremony
c) Dave has been fired
d) Dave will be drawn and quartered, and his
body parts will be sold to Ralston Purina for
cow feed.

(Answer at the end of this column)

Dave took a sample of a cow's brain tissue on a whim.
She had recently given birth and was bleeding from
beneath her tail. The animal was in pain and had trouble
walking down the ramp to be slaughtered. Louthan called
this animal "a good walker."

Although Dave sensed that something was wrong with the
cow, he still shipped out the meat for human consumption.
Parts of this creature went to eight states and the
island of Guam. Families in the state of Washington
who dined on infected meat from this cow must now
spend the remaining years of their lives wondering
whether or not they have been infected.

USDA's Smokescreen

USDA is proud to reveal that their surveillance
system of checking the brains of "downer cows" is
working, as evidenced by this one case of Mad Cow
Disease. They have been leaving out one very pertinent
fact. This was not a downer cow. This cow walked to
her own slaughter. New legislation is being enacted
to prohibit the slaughter of cows for human
consumption. How about prohibiting the slaughter
of sick cows too? Would anybody in his or her right
mind choose to eat meat from a diseased animal that
is bleeding from its anus?

The answer to the question that began this column is
"c." Dave has been fired from his job and he's not happy.
Why did he voluntarily take a sample of brain tissue from
a cow he butchered and send that sample to USDA? Dave said:

"I did it because I liked to kill cows. I don't care if
I'm hauling them, feeding them or killing them. As long
as I'm around livestock, I'm happy. I'm a cowboy."

Not any more, Dave.
To paraphrase the immortal words of my die hard buddy,
Bruce Willis, Yippie--I-O-Ky-A, pardner.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

I Believe in Abortion

"Compassion is the basis of morality."
Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

The animal rights movement supports the murder of
unborn children. Most of its members are liberal
feminists who demand a woman's right to make that
painful life or death decision about a future being.

The animal rights movement also promotes compassionate
slaughter of animals, and, in doing so, insures that
more animals are to be slaughtered and eaten.

When the goal of a movement changes to contradict its
founding principles, we reach that point in time when
that mission should be aborted. It is in that spirit that
I believe in abortions. In its current state, the animal
rights movement is dead and must be ripped from the body
of injustices which men and women of conscience continue
to protest. In its place, we must pray for the birth of a new
movement that supports the rights of all living creatures,
even humans.

Animal rights activists protest pain to laboratory rats, but
support a woman's right to an abortion. Some demand that meat
eaters acknowledge the horrors of slaughterhouse films, or
vivisection, or bullfighting. Yet, they turn a deaf ear and
firmly shut a blind eye to the conscious being who grows
within the human mother.

Each year, one thousand or more animal rights supporters
gather near Washington, D.C. for their annual convention.
The majority of these activists are women. As a matter of
fact, there would be no animal rights movement without the
gentler sex, who seem to possess a spirituality and wisdom
that their male counterparts lack.

Most of these passionate women also support the rights of
women. That's a natural. More than one female author has
paralleled the abuse and struggles of animals to the sexual
politics and multiple indignities suffered by women at the
hands of a male-oriented society.

Is abortion murder? Of course it is. It is more than just
murder. It is death without compassion, for the living
creature, not yet named, possesses pain receptors and is
aware of his or her own suffering.

In defense of their ignorance, some animal rights activists
argue that the fetus feels no pain, much the same way that
animal abusers use the very same argument to defend
vivisection, sport, or the consumption of sentient farm
animals.

As an animal rights activist, I am faced with an enormous
dilemma. Do I call abortion anything else than murder? I
cannot rationalize murder, for that is exactly what it is.
Murder, without regard for the human who will die in great
pain. Abortion is murder.

I cry for the cow and the calf, and the bull in the
bullring, and the dog who is euthanized, and the rat
who is burned in the name of science, and the squirrel
shot by the young boy in the name of sport, and the
coyote who is anally electrocuted so that her fur can
adorn a parka.

Many people do not recognize the unborn child as possessing
the same rights as the rest of us, yet, a study published in
the May, 2003 issue of Psychological Science (2003;14:220-224)
reveals that a fetal infant is able to recognize the voice of
her own mother.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that the growing human
fetus feels pain and learns about the external environment
while within. The fetus recognizes songs and voices. The
brain works, the heart beats, pain receptors feel. How much
compassion do animal rights activists emote for sentient
human infants, not yet born?

Supporting animal research is a transgression of the laws of
nature and an insult to the respect of life. This is why
Animal Rights activists are so right in the things they protest.
Supporting abortion for just one of the 4,700 species of mammals
is a contradiction in terms against all of the good. In 1866,
one of America's first great intellectual feminists, Ellen
G. White, wrote in book 3 of How to Live:

"Against every transgression of the laws of life, nature will
utter her protest. She bears abuse as long as she can; but
finally the retribution comes, and it falls upon the mental
as well as the physical powers."

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Something Very Bad Has Happened
and we may never learn the truth from FDA.

I often see the clues, hear the rumors, and
examine the facts long before newspapers get the
first inkling of a story. My advice for you today
is sell Monsanto stock short.

Good news for consumers is bad news for Monsanto.

Very shortly, perhaps in just a few weeks, cows
sent to slaughter will have to be separated into
two lines--those treated with the genetically
engineered bovine growth hormone and those
not receiving injections of Posilac. USDA will
mandate this because of some very serious news.

The first rumors came out of the state of Kentucky on Monday.
Representatives of dairy co-ops have been telling dairy
farmers that cows treated with Posilac have been developing
bone cancers. I have received this news from a very good
authority, although I am not at liberty to reveal my source.
Let's call him Mr. W.M.

What could be worse? I have a copy of a letter that Monsanto
mailed to its dairy farmer customers on December 19, 2003.
On that date, Monsanto shocked farmers by alerting them to
the fact that Posilac would be in limited supply until:

"Conditions and improvements in manufacturing are made..."

Monsanto is accepting no new customers, and anticipated their
"shortfall" to last for "several months."

I have just learned (another rumor) that Florida farmers are
being warned that Monsanto will cut back Posilac distribution
to 50% or less on or about March 1, 2004.

All of genetic engineering and biotechnology was based upon
the safety of Posilac. We naive Americans have been part of
an experiment, and are learning that Posilac may have
compromised the safety of rbST-treated cows and humans who
consume hormone-rich body fluids from these cows.

Ex-Surgeon General C. Everett Koop was hired by
Monsanto to tell Americans on February 6, 1994:

"Milk from cows given supplemental bovine somatotropin is
the same as any other milk...Unfortunately, a few fringe
groups are using misleading statements and blatant falsehoods
as part of a long-running campaign to scare consumers about
a perfectly safe food."

The following day, Monsanto scientist Bernard Violand
submitted a paper to the Journal of Protein Science
admitting that Posilac contained many different "freak
amino acids." That paper was stamped "received" by the
journal on Thursday, February 10, 1994, and published
on July 6, 1994.

Monsanto fixed the errors. FDA now knows of those mistakes
because my whistle broke windows. During the process of
developing a new technology to filter out those freak
amino acids, Monsanto never alerted FDA as to the nature
of their error. Had they done so, such honesty would
have cost Monsanto over $500 million. Monsanto should have
repeated the research because every scientific paper
submitted to FDA was performed on animals with a different
formula than the one currently on the market.

Monsanto's actions are criminal. So are FDA's. We know
the perps. Look at your kids. Look at your friends
and relatives. They are the victims.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

"The Army is the Indian's best friend."
General George Armstrong Custer, 1870

I spoke with Gloria Dunnavan at the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) last evening (Wednesday,
January 21, 2004) at 7:20 PM. At that late hour,
the secretaries have gone home and she answers
her own phone. Gloria is the Director of
Surveillance at FDA and she has enormous power.

I no longer give a damn about working with the FDA.
I told Glo, "I give up. You win. The American
people lose."

If and when you meet me as I travel from state to state
this summer, please ask me to bend over and deliver a
swift kick to my posterior.

I deserve a wake-up call, for I deceive myself each time
I attempt to place my trust in FDA. I would be a lot less
frustrated if I pretended that FDA does not exist, for
in reality, they work to protect the interests of pharmaceutical
companies and, in doing so, betray all American consumers.

Where does one sweep the dirt at FDA's investigative branch,
the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)? Temporarily, under
the rug. There's just so much crap that will fit under that
rug, that piles of manure have to be flushed down CVM's toilet,
and that toilet empties directly into a cesspool.

The stench is amazing, so please, as punishment for once again
trying to work with FDA, kick me. That's right. Ask me to bend
over and plant your best fake-leather vegan boot directly to
my naive ass.

A few weeks ago, Monsanto came very close to having their
genetically engineered bovine growth hormone error exposed
to the world. In the spirit of Wagging the Dog, damage
control experts flushed Monsanto's GMO error down the
toilet and hoisted a grand petard upon America's meat
producers. One Mad Cow. Was there really a Mad Cow?
All I know is that so-called zany bovine took all of
the heat off of Monsanto.

FDA has one powerful person in charge of surveillance,
Gloria Donovan. I called Glo Donovan's office and could
not get a straight answer from anybody. By law, they
must immediately release their report (Report number
483) but bureaucrats in the Office of Compliance pretend
that they know anything. Ever see sergeant Schultz on Hogan's
Heros? He was that likeable Nazi who always responded in
comedic style, "I know nothing." He would have worked well
as an FDA bureaucrat.

FDA's excuse to Monsanto's error? "Everybody is working
on Mad Cow." Mad Cow? How convenient for them. What a load
of bovine crap for us.

I spoke with Lynn Post, who is the director of Enforcement.
Lynn possesses the report. Of course, he would not share it.
That's Glo's job. She will not get on the phone with me
during business hours. Figures that I'll go away quietly
if I ignore her. Maybe you can do better:

Glo: 301-827-1166
Lynn: 301-827-6641

If you speak with Gloria Dunnavan's office, chances are
that you'll get Toni. Toni got mad at me. Toni said to
me "Stop rambling in my ear."

I asked if I could quote her on that. She gave me
permission to do so, and added, "Say whatever you want.
I don't care." Well, Toni, I will. I don't like having
to pay your salary with my tax dollars. I don't like
getting swept under your rug with the rest of FDA's
lies and deception. You want more? I do not care for
the revolving door policy between FDA and Monsanto.
I do not like the fact that three ex-FDA commisioners
have left their jobs and gone to work for Monsanto.
I do not like having the Monsanto mess disappear,
all because of one Mad Cow in the state of Washington.

I am mad as hell, and I am not going to take it anymore.
So far as I am concerned, FDA does not exist. The
pretenders are merely an extension of the pharmaceutical
industry's public relations machine. So, if I am
delusional enough to work with them again, kick me, please.

One last bit of business.

Yesterday, FDA bureaucrats declared that milk
from cloned cows was safe to drink. FDA believes
that there is no difference between cloned milk
and milk from uncloned animals. See:

<http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/ne_food/article/0,2071,NPDN_14931_2591
354,00
.html>

That conclusion reflects the best of Shakespearian
comedy and tragedy. On November 9, 2003, I published
the cloning evidence that FDA continues to ignore:

<http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/ne_food/article/0,2071,NPDN_14931_2591
354,00
.html>

Is there anything you can do about this? Sorry to disappoint
you. Not with people like Glo Dunnavan running things. The
system is broken. I give up.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

One month ago today (Sunday, December 21, 2003),
I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

One day earlier, I had received a FAX from a
pro-dairy friend of a letter sent to dairy farmers
by Monsanto Agricultural Company. The letter alerted
dairymen that Monsanto's genetically engineered
bovine growth hormone (rbST) would be in short
supply. Monsanto wrote:

"Supplies of Posilac bovine somatotropin (rbST) are
temporarily limited while necessary corrections and
improvements in manufacturing are made by Monsanto's
supplier."

I smelled something rotten in Monsanto-land and
issued an *emergency* notice to readers of the
Notmilk letter:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/notmilk/message/1499

That next day, I called many people at FDA, attempting to
get the facts. Sadly, nobody was talking. I've just learned
that those armed with the knowledge of what really happened
have been amused at the irony of my phone calls. On December
21th, 2003, I mailed my FOIA request.

In the past, FDA has taken six months or longer to
respond to FOIA requests. I've just received (in record
time) a response to my December FOIA request. It seems
that the St. Louis FDA field office launched an investigion
as a result of a Citizen's Petition Suit that I filed four
years ago.

On one hand, I am offended and angered that my
complaint took four years for FDA to act. On the
other hand, they finally have begun an investigation,
so I am delighted.

In 1999, I assembled numerous smoking guns and sent
the entire cache to FDA. I had discovered that
Monsanto defrauded FDA. During their research and
investigative period before approval of rbST, Monsanto
invested $500 million in research. By 1990, all of that
research had been submitted to FDA. From 1990 until 1994,
dairy cow test herds were observed for adverse affects
from rbST use. Approval was granted on February 4, 1994.

I discovered that Monsanto had made a gene transcription
error during the development of their new genetic
technogy. Proteins are made up of amino acids. Each time
that Monsanto attempted to re-create their new hormone,
one amino acid, lysine, was incorrectly transcribed
as a "freak" amino acid, epsilon-N-acetyllysine.

Monsanto learned about that error in 1992, two years
after submitting their research. Scientists at Monsanto
subsequently invested spent many millions of dollars and
two years to invent a technique that would filter out
rbST proteins contianing the freak amino acids.

They succeeded.

The problem is that all of the research that was performed
on their new drug before 1992 was conducted with an rbST
formula that is different than the one that is currently
on the market.

My argument is that this new drug was never tested
and must be immediately taken off the market.

FDA ignored my request until last month.

Now, things become interesting.

An investigation has occurred. Monsanto has new friends
in the White House. These friends include ex-Monsanto
employees. They include names like Ashcroft and Cheney.
I may be re-classified as a terrorist. Should I be
sent to jail for revealing this information, please
write.

You might also wish to contact the FDA investigator
in charge of this case. His name is James Giefer.
His phone number is 314-645-1167, extension 136.

James Giefer
Food & Drug Administration
Kansas City District
St. Louis Resident Post
12 Sunnen Drive
St. Louis, MO 63143-3813

Missouri is the "Show-Me" state. Please show
Mr. Giefer that you care.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

I Laid a Big Egg

This morning I recommended organic eggs for vegans who
do not get proper nutrition, preferring to gain their
vitamins and enzymes as breatharians.

How can it be that people who should know better-rarely
eat a balanced diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains,
and beans? In any event, many people abuse their bodies
by not taking responsibility for the foods they should
be eating. Today's earlier Notmilk letter:

<http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/notmilk/message/1533>

Some readers got mad at me for betraying millions of unborn
and unfertilized chicken ova from Arkansas. That's just a
shame. Some letters were filled with hatred. I've been beaten.
I feel scrambled.

A few readers wrote, suggesting great sources of
organic eggs from chickens who live as companions to
compassionate bird rescuers. One person sells out her
entire supply. The second offers farm-fresh organic
eggs from happy chickens at $1.50 per dozen. Her letter:

CastleWoodsRanch@... wrote:

"Hi! I read your newsletter and, after years of being vegan,
I slipped eggs into my diet via my sweet chickens that are
like pets. I rescued these guys from a dock at the airport,
where, according to law, once they leave the hatchery to go
to their new prospective home, they cannot be returned (disease
issues, I guess). It was 30 degrees and the plane co. refused
to ship them as it would kill them (DUH) so they put 200
chickens on the dock to freeze to death. I was called and
managed to save about 100 of them...several farmed out to
friends and sold as pets. I currently have about 30 chickens
that produce about 50 eggs in the summer each day. Right now
production is down to a dozen a day. I cannot eat that many...
cannot give that many away!

I am located in north Texas...these girls are treated like
royalty and roam freely to get the best nutrition. Anyone
interested in eggs, well email me and we can surely help out!
Eggs aren't for everyone, but for those who like a tasty
nutritious egg, here they are! We are about 70 miles north
of Dallas, close to the OK border by I35.  Hope I can help:)"
______________________________________________________________

Was there a hidden agenda to my first column?
You bet! Over 100 people wrote to me, and they
now know my secret. If you write, I'll respond
with plenty of clues.
;>)

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Vegans With Egg on Their Faces

I received an Email fron Darwin White.
<realtor_darwin@...> He wrote:

"Dear Notmilkman,

Just wanted to thank you for your web site, I enjoyed
going through it. My family and I have been vegans with
strict no dairy, milk, eggs or cheese of any kind for
over 5 years. I have a 4 year old who has never had an
egg or milk and a 12 year old who barely can remember,
and a 14 year old who probably wishes he could forget :-)
Any way, is it possible that we are not getting enough
calcium or Vitamin B-12? Do you have any thoughts on not
eating eggs?"

Dear Darwin,

I travel from coast to coast each year, and speak to
many thousands of people. I am often troubled by the
number of unhealthy vegans that I meet. Why are they
unhealthy? Because many of them, upon discussion, reveal
that they eat no fruits, few legumes or fresh vegetables,
and exist on what I call vegetarian junk food.

Calcium does not concern me. There is more calcium in a
100 gram portion of potato chips than there is in a 100
gram portion of human breast milk. Scientists have found
that dietary calcium plays little or no role in
preventing bone loss. All you need to know about calcium:

http://www.notmilk.com/c.html
http://www.notmilk.com/calbones.html
http://www.notmilk.com/deb/092098.html

As for Vitamin B-12, a historical review of the subject
reveals that more meat eaters test positive for B-12
deficiency than vegetarians.

Consider this information, when considering Vitamin B-12.
In 1996, Victor Herbert determined that B-12 deficiency is
rare among vegans, even though most do not take supplemental
B-12. His landmark work was published in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 59(suppl), pp. 1213S-
1222S. Herbert wrote:

"To a great extent, B-12 is recycled from liver bile in the
digestive system...The enterohepatic circulation of vitamin
B-12 is very important in vitamin B-12 economy and
homeostasis...bodies reabsorb 3-5 mcg of bile vitamin B-12.
Because of this, an efficient enterohepatic circulation
keeps the adult vegan, who eats very little vitamin B-12,
from developing B-12 deficiency disease..."

So, there are issues other than calcium and B-12 that concern
me. These sick vegans that I meet. I can see it on their faces.
Sunken eyes. Poor skin color. They complain of lethargy.
It's all about protein.

In nature, there are 28 different amino acids. Nineteen of
them are manufactured in one's liver. The other nine must
be eaten in food. This is where the vegan diet is lacking.
Unless one takes responsibility by eating plenty of raw fruits
and vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes, it is easy
to lack essential aminos, particularly leucine and isoleucine.

For that reason, I often counsel sickly vegans by advising
that they find the healthiest source of organic eggs. Locate
farmers who raise chickens compassionately. Chickens who
forage in the yard. Chickens who are companion animals and
not birds raised for ultimate slaughter. A few organic
eggs each week can solve the protein problem. Of course,
they also provide supplemental insurance policies by supplying
additional vitamin B-12 and calcium.

Is such advice a compromise to being vegan? Of course it is,
but who gives a darn? Not me. Compassion to animals is quite
important to me, and all well and good, but number one on my
list is compassion to humans. As Hippocrates once said,
"Let food be thy medicine."

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Erin O' Shea is a world-class triathlete.

Erin dispels the myth that in order to become
one of the world's great athletes, one must eat
meat. She's more than a vegetarian. Erin's a vegan!
One day, many years ago, a member of Erin's
Trathlon team took her aside, and convinced
her to go dairy-free for a few days. It took
little convincing. In a few days, her congestion
vanished, and she's never looked back.

Erin's photos:

http://www.e-fitnews.com/ebar_r7_c3.jpg
http://www.e-fitnews.com/about_r7_c3.jpg

What abs! What pecs!! What an endorsement
for a vegan diet!!!

When competing in the classic Ironman, an
athlete first swims 2.3 miles, then bikes
110 miles, then, completely exhausted, she
or he runs a 26.2 mile marathon.

Erin, recognizing that some high performance
athletes might need to consume additional protein
in their diets, experimented and created new high
calorie high protein energy foods for athletes.

I've tried a few, and they are delightful.

I get many requests from athletes, particularly
weight lifters, who want to give up expensive and
unhealthy powdered dairy products, but find no
alternatives. Never again does an athlete have
to buy whey protein to supplement his or her diet.

Erin makes a high protein popcorn in a purple
bag, approrpiately titled: Pro-Pop.

Pro-Pop, the only hight protein popcorn in the
purple pouch. The protein comes from soy, and
a 60 gram serving contains 230 calories and
20 grams of protein. Talk about high energy food!

She also makes 2 ounce E-bars, energy for the
extreme. I conducted a taste test with three
experts serving on the panel. My daughters liked
them all. Jen preferred the Almond Butter Carob
and Coconut. (180 calories, 11 grams of protein)

Sarah went for the Crunchy Peanut Butter and Carob
(190 calories, 12 grams of protein. Lizzy's favorite
was the Peanut Butter and Jelly (180 calories, 12
grams of protein).

You can buy the bars directly from Erin's website:

http://www.e-fitnews.com

Note: I receive no fee to promote other people's
products. I do so when I find something wonderful!

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Wall Street & Mad Cows

Were Wall Street insiders given an illegal heads up
regarding America's first mad cow? In reviewing market
data, there seems to be something rotten in the stock
market, and I'm not referring to feed lots, where cows
are fattened by being force fed lots of corn and live
in their own excrement. Come to think of it, that seems
a lot like the ugliest part of Wall Street that often
produces insider trading scandals.

Speaking of ugly, take a look at the chief advisors
to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman. Her closest aides have
ties to the meat industry. There is a long paper trail
from her office which leads directly to meat-producing
National Cattleman's Association.

On December 23, 2003, after the stock market had ended
its daily trading, USDA announced that a suspected
case of Mad Cow Disease had been indentified in the
state of Washington. Two days later, lab tests confirmed
cattlemen's worst fear. USDA possessed this information
long before their official announcement.

Who are these USDA phonies kidding? Americans, that's
who. They alerted us on the evening of December 23rd that
there was a "suspected" mad cow. By then, it was too
late for most Americans to return Christmas roast beasts
to their butchers. On Christmas day, we were told that
the brain of that animal tested positive in a British
lab for Mad Cow Disease. A few days later, entire herds
were placed into quarantine. Over six hundred animals
have been slaughtered. Analyses of their brains takes 2-3
weeks to reach anxious consumers. So, figure it out.
How then, could the analyses of the first cow brain take
just two days? No way. The animal's brain was sent to
experts in England for careful analyses many weeks earlier.
What had been kept from Americans was truth. Cattlemen
had an opportunity to prepare for this.

A historical review of market trades reveals that the bad
news may have been delivered to meat industry insiders
three weeks earlier. They had plenty of time to do damage
control before the rest of America got the news. Publicists
and spin doctors applied their form of marketing medication
so that the bad news would be buffered by rosy outlooks
from Veneman and President Bush.

An official investigation should ask why did stock market
prices began to fall lomg before the announcement. That
same investigation will explore why stock market prices for
McDonald's and Wendy's increased in the days and weeks
after the Mad Cow revelation. The market should have gone
down, not up. Is the world insane?

The timing of the release of this story should not come as
any comfort to the Seattle families who dined on tainted
beef from that mad cow. For them, the fear of Mad Cow Disease
is something that they will live with for many years.

Let's examine trade histories for McDonalds (MCD)
and Wendy's (WEN):

......12/3...12/17...12/24...01/2...01/9...01/16

MCD $26.58  $24.50  $23.96  $24.79  $25.15  $25.31
WEN $40.30  $37.97  $37.39  $39.11  $38.00  $39.49

It is clear to see that during the two week period
from 12/3-12/17, both hamburger stocks were hit with
bad news about "something." Billions of dollars in
stockholder equity is not lost for "no reason."

Before the official announcement was made, in that
fourteen day period, McDonalds lost 9.86 percent of its
equity, while Wendy's lost 7.22 percent of its value.
Insiders were trading on serious information. That is
clear. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
should immediately launch their own investigation.

So, with the worst case scenario for meat producers,
why is it that stock prices for fast food burger
companies have recovered so rapidly? Because meat
producers have had enough time to prepare an
unprecedented publicity campaign. Subtle at times,
overwhelming at others. Bush went bird hunting, then
dined on a well publicized steak. Ann Veneman did the
same. Governors and Senators, Congressmena and Mayors,
all dined on beef, proclaiming versions of "it can't
happen here." American consumers swallowed the
brainwashing. Hook, line, and stinker.

How is Wall Street reacting? The proof is in the
(blood) pudding.

Closing Prices January 16, 2004, just 23 days
after news of the first mad cow hit:

McDonald's Burgers (MCD) $25.31 (up 5.63%)
Wendy's Burgers    (WEN) $39.49 (up 4.50%)

Animal rights activists demand safe conditions for
animals. No more downer cows. Larger living crates.
Better feed. Old Chinese proverb: Be careful what
you ask for. Your wish might come true.

USDA has both been working hard to insure that
America's meat remains safe to eat. New regulations
and laws will be passed. Thanks to one mad cow and
AR activisim, more meat will be eaten. More animals
are to be killed.

The American conscience is relieved. Meat is safe
to eat, or so we are told. As Americans become convinced
that meat is safe, more meat will be eaten. Cattlemen are
realizing record high prices.

So, how's the meat industry doing?
They seem to be having no beef with mad cows.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Mad Cow in Blood & Milk

An editorial in today's British Medical Journal
(Jan. 17, 04, 328:118-119) calls for an urgent action
to prevent the spread of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease (vCJD), the human form of mad cow disease--
through blood transfusions.

In December of 2003, England's Secretary of Health
announced that a case of Mad Cow Disease had been
passed from a human blood donor to a human blood
recipient.

What took England so long to announce this truth?
The blood donation was made in 1996. It took three
years for the recipient to become ill, and die.

In the United States, it is illegal to donate blood
if an individual has visited or lived in England for
a period greater than one month.

Each day, a typical dairy cow filters 10,000 quarts of
blood through her udder. The average quart of milk sold
in America in 2003 contained 322 million dead white
blood cells.

The infectious particle causing Cows to become "mad"
and human brains to turn into sponges, is called a
Prion. Prions cannot be destroyed by pasteurization.
Laboratory tests have demonstrated that Prions
survive when exposed to temperatures in excess
of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Doesn't it stand to reason that if Mad Cow Disease
can be passed from human to human through blood, then
it can also be passed from cow to human in blood?
And, if milk is actually white blood, should we
continue to drink body fluids from diseased animals?

The average dairy cow in America produces 24 quarts
of milk each day. That's 8,760 quarts per year. That's
nearly three trillion blood cells. What plague
potential!

The one dairy cow infected with Mad Cow Disease from a
Washington herd, whose milk was pooled with 3,000
others from that same herd, had the potential to
infect every American thousands of times over. Her "pooled"
milk was distributed on the West Coast. Her infected milk
was made into cheese and butter and ice cream, and shipped
from the West Coast to the East Coast, and to all points
in between.

What can you do?
Wait.
Hope for the best.
In 20 years (the incubation period) you will know
whether you have been infected.

On Monday of this week, USDA quietly declared a State
of Emergency in the State of Washington by publishing
notice in the Congressional Record (01/12/04). As of
today, six hundred cows have been euthanized. Tests
of their brains are ongoing. Many herds have been
quarantined.

If and when you or a relative or friend is diagnosed
with vCJD, loved ones will remark, "Nobody warned me."
Sure they did.
You just were not listening.
You continued to eat the pizza.
You continued to slurp the ice cream.
Many gourmets describe the experience of eating these
foods as "a taste to die for."

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

In first grade, I learned:

To stand in line and not cut in.
To raise my hand if I had something to say.
To not interrupt when a teacher was talking.
To print the letters of the alphabet.
The names of the 50 United States.
Vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin."

Most people learn most of their lessons well,
but the final and most important lesson is
forgotten by most.

Today we go back to school with a series of
questions and authoritative answers. Test
your Vitamin D knowledge:
____________________________________________

QUESTION #1

Most humans get Vitamin D From:

A)Exposure to sunlight.
B)Drinking body fluids from diseased animals.
C)7-11.
D)Pills made in factories.

ANSWER to QUESTION #1

A: Exposure to sunlight.

"Exposure to sunlight provides most humans
with their vitamin D requirement."

Journal of Nutrition 1996;126(4 Suppl)
_________________________________

QUESTION #2

How much sunlight must an adult be exposed
to in order to satisfy his/her Vitamin D needs?:

A) 10-15 hours per day in the Iraqi desert.
B) 10-15 seconds per day while wearing #32 block lotion.
C) 10-15 minutes per day, two or three times each week.
D) 10-15 days of continuous solar radiation.

ANSWER to QUESTION #2

C: 10-15 minutes per day, two or three times each week.

"Adults need 10-15 minutes of sunlight, two or
three times a week to ensure proper Vitamin D levels."

Journal of Pediatrics, 1985; 107 (3)
_________________________________

QUESTION #3

Can too much vitamin D be dangerous?:

A) No. Kids eat 1000 micrograms per day of Vitamin D.
B) No. Vitamin D added to milk helps build strong bones.
C) No. Vitamin D is added to milk because FDA requires it.
D) Yes. Too much Vitamin D can be hazardous to one's health.

ANSWER to QUESTION #3

D: Too much Vitamin D can be dangerous.

"Consuming as little as 45 micrograms of Vitamin D-3
in young children has resulted in signs of overdose."
(one quart of milk contains 400 IU, or 10 micrograms).

Pediatrics, 1963; 31
_________________________________

QUESTION #4

Can you believe everything you see on a carton of milk?

A) One quart of milk contains 400 IU of Vitamin D.
B) Dairymen have little clue as to how much D they add to milk.
C) Milk prevents osteoporosis.
D) Cows eat grass.

ANSWER to QUESTION #4

B: Dairymen are clueless.

"Testing of 42 milk samples found only 12% within the
expected range of Vitamin D content. Testing of 10
samples of infant formula revealed seven with more
that twice the Vitamin D content reported on the label,
one of which had more than four times the label amount.
Vitamin D is toxic in overdose."

New England Journal of Medicine, 1992, 326
_________________________________

QUESTION #5

Can too much Vitamin D cause Alzheimer's disease?

A) Nah.
B) Yep.
C) I forget.
D) Moo-grrrr.

ANSWER to QUESTION #5

B: Yep.

"Vitamin D increases aluminum absorption, and
high aluminum levels in the body may cause an
Alzheimer's-like disease."

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1992 147(9)
_________________________________

QUESTION #6

What have scientific studies proven in infants?

A) Children fed breast milk do not need vitamin D.
B) Children fed breast milk must have supplemental D.
C) Infants fed cow's milk have stronger bones.
D) Infant's fed elephant's milk have the strongest bones.

ANSWER to QUESTION #6

A: The dairy industry and USDA have a LOT to
learn about bone formation and Vitamin D
absorption:

"Eighteen breast milk and 17 formula-fed infants,
ages 2 to 5 months were studied. The serum 25-hydroxy
vitamin D (Vitamin D) level was significantly lower
in breast-milk than formula-fed infants but bone
mineral content was not different. This demonstrates
adequate mineral absorption occurs from a predominantly
vitamin D-free transport mechanism."

Journal of Pediatrics, 1998 Apr, 132:4
_________________________________

BONUS QUESTION:

Does the Vitamin D added to milk work?

A) Of course it works, stupid!
B) That's what the dairy industry wants us to believe.
C) It cannot possibly work; it's just a clever marketing ploy.

ANSWER:

C: It not only doesn't work, but by consuming too much
artificial Vitamin D in milk, one can develop
osteoporosis.

"It has since been discovered that the Vitamin D
necessary to absorb the calcium moving down the
intestine must already have been in the bloodstream
for a while; what is present with that calcium (in
milk) is useless at that stage. Vitamin D is part
of the mechanism to break bone down so that it can
then stretch and grow. Thus an overdose of D can
eventually lead to osteoporosis."

Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition,
by George Eisman, M.A., M.Sc., R.D.
____________________________________________

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

The United States of Butterland in 2004

Imagine taking seven sticks of butter and
molding them into a softball-sized sphere
of greasy animal fat. If you are the
average dairy eater living in America
in 2004, you will be adding onto your
body this additional saturated mass weighing
1.7 pounds, which represents the increase over
what the average individual of 1969 ingested
during each twelve-month period.

Butterball (Latin): That which coagulates in
the female butt or thigh. (Male equivalent
goes directly to the stomach.)

Butterland: That nation which is experiencing an
unprecedented obesity epidemic. (See: Journal of
the American Medical Association 2003;289:187-193,
229-230; Annals of Internal Medicine 2003;138;24-32.)

While the consumption of whole milk decreases,
Americans continue to eat increased amounts
of concentrated dairy products containing
enormous amounts of saturated animal fat.

During 1969, the average American drank 229 pounds
of whole milk. By 1999, the average American was
drinking just 69 pounds of whole milk per year.
Whole milk contains 2.079 grams of saturated
animal fat per 100 gram portion.

So, we drink much less milk. What is the problem,
then? We've replaced liquid milk consumption
with enormous amounts of concentrated dairy
products. That's what. In addition to ingesting
increased amounts of hormones, we
grow more obese with each portion of cheese.

In 1969, the average American ate ten pounds of
cheese. By 1999, the average American was eating
thirty pounds of cheese per year. (Ten pounds of
milk are required to make one pound of hard cheese.)
Wisconsin's cheddar cheese contains 21.09 grams of
saturated animal fat per 100 gram portion.

In 1969, the average American slurped 18 pounds
of ice cream. In 1999, the average American ate
30 pounds of ice cream. (Twelve pounds of milk are
required to make one pound of ice cream.) Vanilla
ice cream contains 6.79 grams of saturated animal
fat per 100 gram portion.

Total Saturated Fat Content Consumption
Per American From Milk, Cheese, Ice Cream:

1969 = 8.1 pounds
1999 = 9.8 pounds

CONCLUSION

A 1.7 pound glob of saturated fat multiplied by
ten years of a child's life is equal to 17 pounds.
By the time a child of the 21st century turns 30,
he or she will have eaten 51 pounds more saturated
fat than a child of the 60s.

Got liposuction? Got obesity epidemics?
Got heart disease and strokes?

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Mad Cows Won't Get You, Healthy Cows Will

When it comes to health and safety, Americans
should consider the lowest common demominator
theory, not the highest. One out of two, not
one out of a million.

During these past few weeks, thanks to the Mad
Cow Disease scare, dozens of activist fanatics
have appeared on television, each claiming title
as the discoverer of Mad Cow Disease. Each one
claiming that he was the one to predict the
so-called "outbreak." Each one claiming to know
more than anybody else. What will be the result
of these goofy attempts at a 15-minutes-more claim
to fame attempt to inform Americans that everybody
is going to die from the new plague?

How have consumers reacted to scare tactics?
By setting records for beef purchases, that's how.

Americans are buying more meat because the
activist/fanatics are not being taken seriously
The world is not going to end on Sunday. Your
brain will not waste away this year.

<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&edition=us&q=cow&btnG=Search+News>

Sadly, Mad Cow ex-spurts are not using prime time forums
to alert people to the simple dangers of meat-eating
that affect us all.

It's the healthy cows that represent the greatest cause
for concern. By eating animal flesh, one consumes proteins
containing a greater amount of sulphur-based amino acids
than are contained in plant proteins. This is the major
reason that vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters.
For scientific support, see:

http://www.notmilk.com/y.html

Sulphur-based aminos include methionine and cysteine.
These convert to homocysteine. Many heart researchers
believe that homocysteine production is the key to
America's number-one killer, heart disease. Eat foods
containing a lot of sulphur and your body's furnace
burns filthy fuel and dirty residues result.

Mad Cows? No.
Be mad at cows and people who brought you up to eat
their bodies? Perhaps.

It is never too late to explore a dietary change.
Don't do it for the mad cows. Do it for the sad cows.
Do it for the bad cows. Their meat is bad for you.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Despite evidence of thousands of studies in peer-reviewed
scientific journals, most medical doctors advise their
patients that cow's milk is nature's perfect food.

There is an arrogance among medical doctors of knowing
it all. The God syndrome. As a group, with rare exception,
they do not study much nutrition in medical school, and
discount a dietary role in the causes and cures for disease.
That same know-it all attitude has created a genre
of doctor/God jokes. Which brings me to one of my least
favorite doctors, the man who would be God.

It's 294 days and counting until America's next presidential
election. Most of my Democratic friends are big fans of
Howard Dean. He's served as Vermont's governor for twelve
years and not one African American or Hispanic has ever
served in a Howard Dean Cabinet. In his obvious pomposity,
what was Dr. Dean thinking when facing the obvious issue
of political correctness as he selected cabinet members?
Rule number one in every state Governor's book is to be
sensitive to race issues by seeking out and selecting
various shades of rainbow sensitivity with job applicants.
In Dean's case, the improbable occurred. No blacks. No
Hispanics. Such an omission of sensititivity is an error
that few people would make.

Betcha Karl Rove is salivating over the future release of
this tidbit. Just for the record...Vermont has a population
of about 620,000 which includes 5,580 Hispanics and 3,100
African-Americans.

A few times each day, I receive E-mails from irate
people who accuse me of being a left wing, liberal,
Communist so and so. For the record, I love America,
have read each of Ayn Rand's blockbuster novels
twice and support her brand of capitalism, and I also
happen to be a registered Republican (call the Bergen
County, New Jersey Board of Elections to confirm). So,
please do not get mad at me for relating this good old
"Republican" story. I do so in the spirit of fun.

I've seen the future. Write this one down.
I am never wrong about such things.

July 7, 2037

While walking down the street one day, George "Dubya"
Bush is struck by a large wheel of cheese that had
fallen out the cargo door of SwissAir, flight 119.
Sadly, George does not make it. His soul arrives in
heaven and he is met by St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle
in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see Republicans
around these parts, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in; I'm a believer," says Dubya.

"I'd like to just let you in, but I have orders from the
Man Himself. He says you have to spend one day in hell and
one day in heaven. Then you must choose where you'll live
for eternity."

"But, I've already made up my mind; I want to be in heaven."

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules." And with that, St. Peter
escorts him to an elevator and he goes down, down, down, all
the way to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the
middle of a lush golf course; the sun is shining in a cloudless
sky, the temperature a perfect 72 degrees. In the distance
is a beautiful clubhouse. There is a Texas-style barbecue
featuring cloned cattle and genetically engineered corn.

Standing in the crowd are his dad and thousands of other
Republicans who had helped him out over the years: Karl Rove,
Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, Jerry Falwell. The whole of the
"Right" is here, everyone laughing, happy; casually but
expensively dressed. They run to greet him, hug him, and
reminisce about the good times they had getting rich at
expense of tree huggers and liberals. They play a
friendly game of golf, then eat cheesecake made from
genetically engineered milk.

The devil himself comes up to Bush with a frosty drink and
says, "Have a BGH milkshake and relax, Dubya!"

"Uh, I'm watching my weight," says George, sadly.

"This is hell, son. You can drink and eat all you want and
not worry, and it just gets better from here!" says Satan.

Dubya takes the shake and finds himself liking the devil, who
is a very friendly guy who tells funny jokes and pulls hilarious
nasty pranks, kind of like a Yale Skull and Bones brother with
real horns. They are having such a great time that, before he
realizes it, it's time to go. Everyone gives him a big hug
and waves as Bush steps on the elevator and heads upward.

When the elevator door reopens, he is in heaven again and St.
Peter is waiting for him. "Now it's time to visit heaven," the
old man says, opening the gate.

So for 24 hours Bush is made to hang out with a bunch of honest,
good-natured animal rights activists and anti-milk folk,
people who enjoy each other's company, talking about things other
than money, and treat each other decently. Not a nasty prank
or frat-boy joke among them; no fancy country clubs and, while
the broccoli and tofu tastes great, it's not steak. It's organic
soymilk shakes and veggie burgers. And these people are all
poor; he doesn't see anybody he knows, and he isn't even
treated like someone special!

Worst of all, to Dubya, Jesus turns out to be some kind of
hippie with his endless 'peace' and 'do unto others' jive.

"Whoa," he says uncomfortably to himself, "Pat Robertson never
prepared me for this!"

The day done, St. Peter returns and says, "Well, then, you've
spent a day in hell and a day in heaven. Now choose where you
want to live for eternity."

With the 'Jeopardy' theme playing softly in the background, Dubya
reflects for a minute, then answers, "Well, I would never have
thought I'd say this--I mean, heaven has been delightful and
all -- but I really think I belong in hell with my friends."

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down,
down, all the way to hell.

The doors of the elevator open, and he finds himself in the
middle of barren, scorched earth covered with leaking 55-gallon
drums of Roundup-Ready herbicides, garbage and toxic industrial
waste...kind of like Gary, Indiana. He is horrified to see all
of his friends dressed in rags and chained together, picking
up the industrial waste with teaspoons, and putting it in black
bags.

They are groaning and moaning in pain, faces and hands black
with open sores, boils, and sooty grime. Then Lucifer comes
over to Bush and puts an arm around his shoulder.

I don't understand," stammers a shocked Dubya. "Yesterday I
was here and there was a golf course and a clubhouse and we
ate a Texas barbecue. The cloned animals were tasty. We had
a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage
and everybody seems miserable!"

The devil looks at him, smiles slyly, and purrs, "Yesterday
we were campaigning. Today you voted for us."

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Make Your Own Cow's Milk!

Occasionaly, I am asked by both the friendly
and sarcastic if I have a hobby.

I enjoy expressing myself in a culinary way by
creating the taste of animal proteins from simple
plant proteins. Two of my favorites are ricotta
cheese (made with tofu), which bakes well and tastes
like the real thing, and one of the most sacred of
Jewish soul foods, chopped chicken livers on rye
bread, made from ground soybeans.

Ricotta is easy. Combine one 12-ounce package of firm
tofu and one 12-ounce package of soft tofu with one tsp.
maple syrup and 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice. No food
scientist can explain why these four ingredients create
the taste and texture of real ricotta cheese. They just
do. Pulse in a food processor, and like magic, you've
made inexpensive non-pus ricotta.

To recreate the taste of chopped liver requires a
SoyToy. Make your own soymilk, then combine one cup
of the resulting ground soybeans (okara) with one cup
of breadcrumbs and one cup of pureed black beans. Saute
1 Tb minced garlic in 3 Tb olive oil, then mix together
with the other ingredients. Vegan chopped liver
is best served on a great Jewish rye bread.

Now for the most amazing discovery. Thanks to my friend
Tammy Roesch, here's how to make cowless cow's milk.

Two wonderful appliances are necessary--a SoyToy
soymilk making machine, and a VitaMix blender.
Good news. We sell both. (Call Lisa at our
toll-free number for more information).
1-888-NOT-MILK (668-6455)

Use your SoyToy to make two quarts of soymilk.

http://www.SoyToy.com

Strain the soymilk, saving any fine okara for later
use. Pour the 2 quarts of soymilk into a Vitamix and
add 1/4 cup of oil (I use safflower or sunflower) and
one teaspoon sweetener (I use evaporated organic cane
juice) and blend for five minutes. The milk foams like
a cappucino. Try this with homemade chocolate milk and
you'll be in milkshake heaven. Try this with Chai
(cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove), and you'll never
again pay $4 in Starbucks for a drink that costs you
two or thee cents to produce in your own kitchen.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Had my grandmother been alive today, she would be
celebrating her 114th birthday.

In 1890, Grandma Ruth was born in a small town in Russia,
near the Polish border. During that same year, most of her
family escaped the deadly pogroms which killed my great-
great grandfather, and emigrated to the United States to
operate a dairy farm and raise cattle for slaughter. Their
farm was in Stillwell Corners, NJ. It was called the
Greenberg Farm. It remained a family farm until the middle
of the 20th century. My mom tells me that they milked 14
cows. As a little girl, she also remembers feeding the
chickens with homegrown corn, and digging potatoes. At about
the same time my great-grandma was milking cows and churning
butter, Ellen G. White wrote:

"Butter and meat stimulate. These have injured the stomach
and perverted the taste." (Counsels on Diets and Foods, Page
48, written in 1870)

Who is Ellen G. White? She represents many things to many
people, and she is the most translated author in the history
of American literature.

During her 70 years of writing, White produced 50,000 pages
of manuscript which have been translated into 140 different
languages. White was one of the spiritual founders and
architects of the Seventh Day Adventist Church which today
includes over 13 million members.

Seventh Day Adventists believe that Ellen White's writings
are just one level below that of scripture. They have
inspired a religion, and continue to inspire me. One of
White's greatest works is her "Counsels On Diet and Food."

White makes a most convincing argument that we become what
we eat. Her book includes five hundred+ pages of witticisms
and intellectual arguments regarding diet.

I take this opportunity to share some of my favorite
passages from White's book, Counsels on Diets and Foods.
Did White predict today's Mad Cows, or a dairy industry
infected with bovine leukemia and irritable bowels?
There is scientific support that body fluids from
diseased animals affect humans with enormous adverse
consequences. White wrote:

"Animals from which milk is obtained are not always healthy.
They may be diseased. A cow may be apparently well in the
morning, and die before night. Then she was diseased in the
morning, and her milk was diseased, but you did not know
it." (Page 356, written in 1870)

"Many a mother sets a table that is a snare to her family.
Flesh meats, butter, cheese, rich pastry, spiced foods, and
condiments are freely partaken of by both young and old.
These things do their work in deranging the stomach,
exciting the nerves, and enfeebling the intellect." (Page
237, written in 1890)

"Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet
chosen for us by our Creator. These foods prepared for us in
as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most
healthful and nourishing." (Page 310, written in 1905)

"Children are allowed to eat...cheese...Parents do not
realize that they are sowing the seed which will bring forth
disease and death." (Page 350, written in 1873)

"Cheese should never be introduced into the stomach." (Page
368, written in 1868)

White's dietary philosophy can be summed up by these words
of wisdom:

"Let it ever be kept before the mind that the great object
of hygenic reform is to secure the highest possible
development of mind and soul and body." (Page 23, written in
1890)

The last memory I have of my grandmother is of her resting
in a hospital bed, groaning, painfully dying of a cancer
that had spread from her pancreas to other internal organs.
The cancer was eating her body from within. I was only 15-
years-old, and cannot swear that she was a big-time dairy
user. I do remember her last meal, though. She begged me for
ice cream. I walked from the hospital, which was located in
the South Bronx, to a small store and fulfilled her last
request. I walked through a very tough neighborhood in fear.
Her pain was my motivation. Before leaving her room, I
talked with Grandma Ruth's attending physician. I let him know
that our family believed in euthanasia, and that as she
was suffering so, our wish would be for her to have her
endure no more pain. She enjoyed the ice cream. I remember
her smile. She died a few hours after I left. I will never
know for certain if her death was physician-assisted. I
like to think that it was.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

If you enjoy today's story, please visit your local animal
shelter this weekend. Lizzy and I experienced the adventure
of adopting a dog from a shelter four years ago with the
help of our Massachusetts friend, Nan, and so we welcomed
Tyke into our home, a loving companion to all of the members
of my family.

If you should adopt a companion animal, let the author
of today's story know. You might appear in his next book!
To contact Jim Willis:

jwillis@...
______________________________________________________________

When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made
you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of
chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became
your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger
at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent and roll
me over for a bellyrub.

My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because
you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I
remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your
confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could
not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the
park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone
because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long
naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the
day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your
career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for
you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and
disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped
with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her
into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was
happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and
I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how
they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you
worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time
banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to
love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur
and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes,
investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved
everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now
so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need
be.

I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and
secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the
driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had
a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told
them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered
"yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog"
to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and
they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've
made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when
I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal
shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness.
You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a
good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look.
They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat,
even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose
from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them
take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had
just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and
responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a
goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused
to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet
and now I have one, too.

After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew
about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to
find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked
"How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy
schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite
days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to
the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind -
that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be
someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I
could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy
puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far
corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day
and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A
blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my
ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation
of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The
prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more
concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on
her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.

She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran
down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to
comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic
needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid
coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her
kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so
sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to
make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored
or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of
love and light so very different from this earthly place. With
my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of
my tail that my "How could you?" was not meant for her. It was
you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you
and wait for you forever.

May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

The End

http://www.crean.com/jimwillis
______________________________________________________________

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

I incorrectly reported to you that the 450 calves
that were killed this week in the name of Mad Cow
Disease would be incinerated. In fact, they were
buried on Wednesday in a landfill south of Yakima,
Washington.

Kevin Barry, a Washington health official, commented:

"Once we get them covered up, the risk is very close to zero.
There is virtually no chance for the rogue proteins called
prions that are believed to cause the disease to escape the
landfill."

Virtually no chance?
Let's examine what history has taught us. As my favorite
sports reporter often says, "Let's go to the videotape."
Let's explore other no-chance scenarios.

Fifty years ago, a famous surgeon, Max Cutler, defended
the smoking of cigarettes as being an exercise in the
pursuit of good health. On 4/14/54, the New York
Times quoted Dr. Cutler:

"I feel strongly that the blanket statements which appeared
in the press that there is a direct and causative relation
between the smoking of cigarettes, and the number of
cigarettes smoked, to cancer of the lung is an absolutely
unwarrented conclusion."

Eight years later (2/21/62), Frank Getman, president of
Merrell Company defended the use of Thalidomide:

"There is still no positive proof of a casual relationship
between the use of thalidomide during pregnancy and
malformations in the newborn."

President Ronald Reagan, an environmental authority
for the "right" had these words of wisdom on 9/10/80:

"Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from
hydrocarbons released by vegetation. So let's not
go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emissions
standards for man-made sources."

A few months later (3/4/81), New York Governor Hugh
Carey said:

"I offer here and now...to swallow an entire glass of
PCBs and run a mile afterward...to be in danger you
have got to take PCBs in quantities steadily over a long
period of time, and probably be pregnant, which I don't
intend to be."

Even the best of men occasionally show flashes
of cluelessness. My second prize for naive
statements is awarded to Mohandes Gandhi for his
statement of May, 1940:

"I do not consider Hitler to be as bad as he is
depicted. He is showing an ability that is amazing
and he seems to be gaining his victories without
much bloodshed."

Real men laugh at danger, look death in the face,
and jump to less-than brilliant conclusions. The
all-time winner:

"I don't need bodyguards."

Jimmy Hoffa, June, 1975

"May the Lord forgive man's arrogance and
have mercy upon, and protect us all."

Robert Cohen, January 9, 2004
http://www.notmilk.com

The January, 2004 issue of the Journal of the
American Dietetic Association contains a study
that traces food consumption patterns of
American infants and toddlers, ages 7 months
through 24 months.

What foods are American infants and toddlers eating?
Parents of over 3,000 infants reported shocking results.

Depending upon the age group, between 18% to 33% of
infants and toddlers consumed no vegetables, and 23% to
33% consumed no fruits.

The most commonly consumed vegetable for those who
did eat veggies was French fried potatoes.

What happened to dark-green leafy vegetables? What happend
to an apple a day? What happened to America's health?

Many years ago, Ellen Gould White recognized that
educating children to cook healthy meals was a
primary responsibility of adult teachers and parents.
In 1913, White wrote:

"The science of cooking is not a small matter.
The skilful preparation of food is one of the most
essential arts. It should be regarded as among the
most valuable of all the arts, because it is so closely
connected with the life. Both physical and mental strength
depend to a great degree upon the food we eat; therefore
the one who prepares the food occupies an important and
elevated position."

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens would
certainly be included in my book of top 500 favorite
things, but today's top ten list is limited to my
favorite edibles. The first is a miracle of winter:

(1)

It's January. We've had two major snow storms in
the New York area, and I am still picking lettuce
from my garden. Last night, we had an enormous
salad for dinner consisting of dark red eruption
(a cross between bibb and romaine), green oakleaf,
and green butterhead. Snow covered the heads of lettuce.
When the snow melted, we were blessed with warm weather
and the lettuce is robust.

Lettuce grows like weeds. You can be a great gardener
with very little effort. I'll be purchasing at least a
dozen different lettuce seeds in a few weeks. Step one:
Call for a free catalogue from Johnny's (207-861-3901)
or visit their website:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com

(2 & 3)

This morning, I dined on dates and oranges.

The oranges were organic. I bought them from a farmer
who has a gem of an orange grove in Florida. Dave picks
them early each morning before leaving for his local
high school, where he is a physical education instructor.

Oranges: http://www.flnaturalcitrus.com

The dates were also organic, and fresher than anything
you might find in a supermarket. Jamie grows 50 different
varieties on his Southern California date farm and
I guarantee that a box of his dates will be one of the
most incredible culinary treats of your life.

Dates: 760-359-3211

(4)

This one is for New Yorkers. I discovered a tiny
hole-in-the-wall store on 1st Avenue between 85th
and 86th streets called "Pickles and Olives." My mouth
waters as I type. If you go, buy a container of their
full sour pickles. The pickled cabbage is amazing too,
while the green olives stuffed with lemon were unique.
Never before have I tasted such sweetness and tartness
from a fruit that looks like a miniature red pepper, but
tastes like...sweet and sour and saltiness that I cannot
describe. Wonderfully addictive. They are called
pepadews. Around the corner from Pickles and Olives
is a bakery that specializes in magnificent breads.
Buy a loaf or two at "Mr. Fresh Bread" for a
perfect meal.

(5)

Soy-based oyster sauce from my local Chinese grocer.
I sautee bok choy and snow pea pods with wedges of
portabello mushrooms. Make more than you can eat, and
you've got a cold salad that is second to none.

(6)

Patek's Indian flavorings. Find these in most Indian
markets. These 5-1/2 ounce jars last for months, and
a tablespoon or two of five different flavors
creates the same wonderful dishes found on menus from
great Indian restaurants. Tandooris and curries are easy
to make. Sautee veggies, add sauce and a bit of water,
perhaps a boullion cube, and dine very well.

(7)

Vegan pizza at Andiamo's Ristorante in Haworth, NJ.
I've not found a thinner crust in any of New York
City's great Italian restaurants. I've been going
there for pizza for 40 years, since moving to New
Jersey from the Bronx. The've been making a cheeseless
pizza for the past three years because so many of their
customers requested it. If your local pizzaria does
not yet do so, let them see the wisdom in developing
a great vegan pizza recipe.

(8)

White Castle Hamburgers. No, not the ones from
Mad Cows. The burgers I love to eat come from
Happy Soybeans. Here's how to make them. (You
will need a SoyToy soymilk machine)

After making fresh soymilk, you will be left with
about 1 cup of ground beans, or "okara," in the filter
basket. Mix that paste with one cup mshed black beans and
one cup bread crumbs. Roll a golfball-sized lump of
veggie-burger dough and flatten it into a patty. Sautee
in a tiny bit of olive oil. That makes a great burger,
but it's still not a White Castle. Now, finely dice
onions and sautee in olive oil. Add salt and pepper
to taste. Cut (with the rim of a small glass) small
wedges of bread to make burger rolls. You should get
four wedges from one slice of bread. Serve the burger
on the bread, add a small dollop of fried onions,
a thin slice of full sour pickle, top with ketchup
(are you salivating yet?), and try to eat just one.
It's nearly impossible.

(9)

This one is simple. Great pineapple. There is no
sweeter taste treat than freshly cut pineapple.
You can taste the Hawaiian sunshine. Expect to
pay $4-$5 for one in your local supermarket.
Consider this. That's cheap. If your friend
grew pinapples on Oahu and sent one to you by
jet, the shipping would cost around $20. Count
your blessings for 21st century transport and
distribution.

(10)

Have I saved the best for last? You decide.
This one is a staple in our home. Begin by buying
five large red peppers. Cut off the tops, discard
the seeds, then cut large wedges (two, three,
or four, depending upon the size of the pepper).

Finely chop 5-10 cloves of garlic, depending upon
your taste. We use more. Add about 1/4 cup of kosher
salt and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Use your hands. Mix
the garlic and oil and salt into the peppers. Put
the peppers onto a cookie sheet and bake for 40
minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The skin will
blacken in spots. Let the peppers cool. The skin
is easily removed. Serve with a crusty Italian
bread. Serve on sandwiches with hummus. Chop a few
into your favorite salad.

Bonus:

It's an enchanting song, a perfect song, and
for that we pay tribute to Rodgers & Hammerstein:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com