Time Out for My Vomit Break

This one's no gag. Actually, I'm gagging.
The Senate leaves me needing to heave;
to regurgitate the acid in my stomach
and the bad taste in my mouth for what
they have schemed to do late this evening
while America sleeps.

The bill will be passed Saturday night
away from the glare of media lights,
avoiding reporters ability to dissect the
details of political machinations and deal
making in the Sunday editions of our
nation's newspapers.

Will America's new health care bill cover
the costs of my nausea treatment after 10
hours of continuous projectile vomiting?

Here's what I read on the Internet:
____________________________________
####################################

ABC News' Jonathan Karl reports:

What does it take to get a wavering
senator to vote for health care reform?

Here's a case study.

On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is
a section increasing federal Medicaid
subsidies for "certain states recovering
from a major disaster."

The section spends two pages defining
which "states" would qualify, saying,
among other things, that it would be
states that "during the preceding 7
fiscal years" have been declared a
"major disaster area."

I am told the section applies to exactly
one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate
Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been
playing hard to get on the health care bill.

In other words, the bill spends two pages
describing would could be written with a
single world: Louisiana. (This may also
help explain why the bill is long.)

Senator Harry Reid, who drafted the bill,
cannot pass it without the support of
Louisiana's Mary Landrieu.

How much does it cost? According to the
Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.
Here's the incredibly complicated language:

SEC. 2006. SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT TO FMAP
DETERMINATION FOR CERTAIN STATES RECOVERING
FROM A MAJOR DISASTER.

Section 1905 of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1396d), as amended by sections
2001(a)(3) and 2001(b)(2), is amended—
(1) in subsection (b), in the first sentence,
by striking ''subsection (y)'' and
inserting ''subsections (y) and (aa)''and
(2) by adding at the end the following
new subsection:

''a)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (b),
beginning January 1, 2011, the Federal
medical assistance percentage for a fiscal
year for a disaster-recovery FMAP
adjustment State shall be equal to the
following:

'A) In the case of the first fiscal year
(or part of a fiscal year) for which this
subsection applies to the State, the Federal
medical assistance percentage determined
for the fiscal year without regard to this
subsection and subsection (y), increased
by 50 percent of the number of percentage
points by which the Federal medical
assistance percentage determined for the
State for the fiscal year without regard
to this subsection and subsection (y), is
less than the Federal medical assistance
percentage determined for the State for
the preceding fiscal year after the
application of only subsection (a) of
section 5001 of Public Law 111–5 (if
applicable to the preceding fiscal year)
and without regard to this subsection,
subsection (y), and subsections (b) and
(c) of section 5001 of Public Law 111–5.

'') In the case of the second or any
succeeding fiscal year for which this
subsection applies to the State, the
Federal medical assistance percentage
determined for the preceding fiscal year
under this subsection for the State,
increased by 25 percent of the number
of percentage points by which the Federal
medical assistance percentage determined
for the State for the fiscal year without
regard to this subsection and subsection
(y), is less than the Federal medical
assistance percentage determined for the
State for the preceding fiscal year under
this subsection.

'') In this subsection, the term 'disaster-
recovery FMAP adjustment State'means a
State that is one of the 50 States or the
District of Columbia, for which, at any
time during the preceding 7 fiscal years,
the President has declared a major
disaster under section 401 of the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act and determined as a result
of such disaster that every county or
parish in the State warrant individual
and public assistance or public assistance
from the Federal Government under such Act
and for which— ''(A) in the case of the
first fiscal year (or part of a fiscal
year) for which this subsection applies
to the State, the Federal medical
assistance percentage determined for the
State for the fiscal year without regard
to this subsection and subsection (y), is
less than the Federal medical assistance
percentage determined for the State for
the preceding fiscal year after the
application of only subsection (a) of
section 5001 of Public Law 111–5 (if
applicable to the preceding fiscal year)
and without regard to this subsection,
subsection (y), and subsections (b)
and (c) of section 5001 of Public Law
111–5, by at least 3 percentage points;
and ''(B) in the case of the second or
any succeeding fiscal year for which this
subsection applies to the State, the Federal
medical assistance percentage determined
for the State for the fiscal year without
regard to this subsection and subsection
(y), is less than the Federal medical
assistance percentage determined for the
State for the preceding fiscal year under
this subsection by at least 3 percentage
points.

''(3) The Federal medical assistance
percentage determined for a disaster-
recovery FMAP adjustment State under
paragraph (1) shall apply for purposes
of this title (other than with respect
to disproportionate share hospital payments
described in section 1923 and payments
under this title that are based on the
enhanced FMAP described in 2105(b)) and
shall not apply with respect to payments
under title IV (other than under part E
of title IV) or payments under title XXI.''.
____________________________________
####################################

Got it?

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Elsie in the Sky With Diamonds

"Picture yourself in a boat on a river,
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,
A cow with kaleidoscope eyes."
  - With apologies to Lennon & McCartney

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds was the Beatles
1967 song in which the titled initials (L.S.D.)
described a place where rocking horse people
viewed plasticine porters and ate marshmallow
pies while drifting past flowers.

In the late 1940s, citizens of a French
town ate rye bread baked with moldy grain.
Actually, the grain contained a fungus called
ergot (Claviceps purpurea). Historians record
similar incidents of mass hysteria due to
hallucinations caused by LSD ingestion. Some
suggest that the Salem Witch Trials had
their etiology with this same grain fungus.
When the black growth on rye is refined
(process #25) it produces a chemical
hallucinogen known as LSD-25...which
brings us to November 20, 2009.

Dairy farmers have suffered through more than
their fair share of low prices, hardships,
and calamities. Add one more potential
problem to their 2009 curse.

Due to unusual and unprecedented weather,
many dairy farm operators experienced a
relatively cool and rainy summer which
set back harvest time three weeks later
than traditional harvest times. Many corn
and grain growers had to deal with early
frosts and lost a good part of their crop.
The frost added moisture to their corn
and other grains which caused mold and
fungus growth. The grains have been
harvested and stored, and therein is the
problem.

Some of those molds and/or fungus growths
could be toxic to cows or to the humans
who drink the milk or eat the cheese from
those cows who have ingested such toxins.

Mooo, man!

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

MAP of Your Irritable Bowels,
Ulcerative Colitis,
or Crohn's Disease

A newly published study has shocking
implications for every individual who
drinks milk or eats cheese. The subject
of the study is an infections agent
gastroenterologists call MAP.

The Study was published in the November
13, 2009 issue of Foodborne Pathogens
and Disease.

More than 40 million Americans have
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Ulcerative
Colitis, or Crohn's Disease. These conditions
been proven to be caused by a bacterium,
mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP).

Sixty-five percent of America's dairy herds
have cows infected with this bacterium. Cows
pass the disease on to humans who drink
infected milk. One hundred percent of people
with Crohn's disease carry MAP bacteria.

Five years ago, researchers discovered that MAP
survives in the human bloodstream. (The Lancet,
Volume 364, Issue 9439, Pages 1039 - 1044,
18 September 2004.)

These bacteria can take many years to culture
into a new colony, and when they do, Crohn's
Disease symptoms return with a vengeance by
invading previously unaffected human tissues.
_________________________________________

In the new study, scientists (Favila-Humara LC,
et. al.) investigated the presence of MAP
in bulk milk samples taken from cow and goat
milk. Their results:

"MAP DNA was detected in 100% of the bulk
tank milk samples of 14 bovine herds and
3 caprine flocks..."

The researchers concluded:

"...Raw milk ingestion represents a potential
risk of Map infection."

The researchers erred by assuming that only
raw milk was a health risk. Previous studies
have shown that MAP survives pasteurization.
Link to that research and additional MAP info:

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

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Vegan Thanksgiving for the Anti-cook

For every Auguste Escoffier-like individual
who is capable of whipping up a vegan
Mousseline or Perigordine sauce, there
exists an Elmer Fudd-like character who
is incable of the culinary skills required
to boil a cup of water.

For every culinary genius who loves cooking
for friends and family at Thanksgiving time,
there is a terrified anti-gourmet who dreads
the task of chopping, dicing, cooking, and
serving up a multi-course dinner consisting
of bland overcooked food. Limp veggies.
Undercooked pies. Oversweetened cranberry
sauce. Overspiced stuffing.

There is an instant solution for those
wishing to serve the perfect vegan meal.

I pride myself on being a gourmet, and am
appreciative when I find great food. I've got
a discerning palate and my favorite television
show is anything on the Food Channel.

So, without further ado, let me state with
the self-appointed authority within me that
I've found the most highly skilled gourmet
vegan food provider in North America:

The Veggie Brothers

http://www.veggiebrothers.com
Toll Free Tel: 877-VEGAN-55 (877-834-2655)

I began my experience with the Veggie Brothers
a few months ago by ordering nine dishes which
turned out to be enough to easily serve and
satisfy four meat eaters with plenty of
leftovers for my dog. I ordered:

Charcoal grilled flank steak au jus
Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy
Grilled soy chicken cutlet w/garlic lemon sauce
Vegan chicken noodle soup
Grilled Mahi Mahi fish steaks
Meatballs in marinara sauce
Hot & spicy soy chicken buffalo wings
Hamburger
Soy chicken cacciatore

The range of tastes and textures were unbelievably
true to the essence of the meat-dish equivalent.
The presentation (appearance) of each dish was a
pleasant surprise. Before the package of foods
arrived at my home I anticipated a disaster. Each
dish was plastic-sealed in its own package and
the entire box was shipped with dry ice. Grill marks
appeared on the chicken cutlet and mahi-mahi and
perfect large sprigs of fresh rosemary accompanied
the faux fish dish which actually came with a
whiff of the ocean's bouquet. How do they do that,
I wonder?

Do your taste buds cream out for Southern-style
ribs and spicy buffalo chicken drumsticks?

Call Veggie Brothers and they'll arrive in dried
ice, ready for heating.

From soup to dessert, the one thing veggie
brothers cannot prepare is a real turkey.
Sorry! It's against their philosophy to prepare
anything but magnificent gourmet vegan foods!

Place your order today for next week's
Thanksgiving meal.

http://www.veggiebrothers.com

Toll Free Tel: 877-VEGAN-55 (877-834-2655)

Even if you're cooking for just one, your
Thanksgiving experience will be well worth
the cost.

NOTE: NOTMILK 'NEVER' solicits nor accepts
payment to promote a vegan product. We do so
in order to spread joy of a plant-based diet.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

A Perfect Cow

"You don't understand. I coulda had
class. I coulda been a contender.
I coulda been somebody, instead of a
bum, which is what I am, let's face it."
  - Marlon Brando (as Terry Malloy)
On The Waterfront, 1954

What is a perfect cow, and what is her value?

If I was walking the streets of Delhi, I
could not tell the difference between a
perfect cow and a near-perfect cow but
somebody paid $1.2 million dollars for
the "perfect cow" last week at the Royal
Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.

My second reaction to this story was to
wonder: Was the second place finisher an
imperfect cow and is she now somebody's
hamburger?

My first reaction to the above is to alert
my Canadian neighbors that Winter begins
some time in December, not November, and
that their event should have been called
the Agricultural Autumnal Fair in Toronto,
but I've heard that north of the border
where ice hockey is played 12 months per
year there are just two seasons, July 1st
(Canadian Independence Day) and winter.

Independence from what, you might ask?
Nobody in Canada actually remembers, but
I believe that it has something to do with
Lord Stanley's Cup and Canada's secession
from America's Union in 1867.

So, Canadians celebrate Winter in the Fall,
and Spring in the Summer, and still take
pride in the fact that Pierre Trudeau stole
away Bianca Jagger from Mick, demonstating
that a Rolling Stone gathers no more.
That's about all I know regarding Canada,
America's Winter wonderland.

I understand winter's beginning to mean the
very instant when the sun's position in the
sky is at its greatest angular distance on
the other side of the equatorial plane from
the observer's hemisphere...OK, I cheated.
That's really Wikipedia's definition...

This year, Winter actually begins in New York
on December 22 at 1:07 AM, but my calendar
claims it begins in 33 days on the 21st.
Where's global warming when it is most needed?

According to Toronto Winter fair organizers,
Missy, raised by Morsan farms in Alberta,
was rated according to the bovine genetic
index.

I wonder. Is there a human genetic index?

Are human females ranked according to the
size of their udders, and if so, does a
perfect female human have sized 80 centimeter,
90 cm, or 100 cm udders? My idea of the perfect
human might differ from yours, but I'd score
perfection closer to the 80 than the 100...
but who am I to judge?

For more information, call the spokesperson
for MTC (Missy, The Cow). Tiffany Fisher's
cell phone: (416) 456-7650.

After unsuccessfully searching google for a
definition of the bovine genetic index, I
gave in and left a message for Tiffany on
Monday (11/16) at 9:02 A.M.

Since Tiffany did not return my phone call,
you'll have to make do with a transcript
of my imaginary conversation.

ME: Hello, Tiffany. Is it really winter
in Toronto?
TIFFANY: No. We only call it that because
the Maple Leafs are the worst team in the
National Hockey Leage and have won only
3 of its first 18 games.

ME: That's really awful.
TIFFANY: I've followed your Knicks and Nets--
ME: (Cutting off Tiffany) Enough said!

ME: Who paid $1.2 million for the cow?
TIFFANY: I cannot say.

ME: What exactly is the bovine genetic test?
TIFFANY: I'm not exactly sure.

ME: Since cows have genetics, and people have
genetics, is there a human genetic test?
TIFFANY: Why would you want to know that?
ME: I'm am looking for the perfect woman.
TIFFANY: It could be me. Got $1.2 million?
ME: Is that American or Canadian dollars?

TIFFANY: Either/or.
ME: No, sorry, I'm a little short this week.
TIFFANY: Too bad. You coulda been a contender.

I still have no idea how to identify the
perfect cow, but I would imagine that she:

1) Keeps the horns on her head and the tail
on her rear end for her entire life and is
not mutilated like every American cow;

2) Is not kept pregnant in order to be milked
for the majority of her adult life;

3) Does not end her life with a man's knife
severing her carotid artery and jugular vein;

4) Never takes bull from the male of her
species.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Snack Time!

"If the poor overweight jogger only knew how far
he had to run to work off the calories in a crust
of bread he might find it better in terms of pound
per mile to go to a massage parlor."
-Dr. Christiaan Barnard

Snack Time!

This is the time of year for indoor stationary
biking, but yesterday's weather provided a rare
treat.

It's the week before Thanksgiving and it's
beautiful outside. My roses are still in bloom
and the lettuce and parsley plants are still
producing. It hit 70 degrees yesterday, and
I pumped up my bicycle tires to 90 pounds of
pressure, took my bicycle gloves and racing
shoes out of storage, and enjoyed a summer-like
ride.

Let's assume you weigh 150 pounds (don't you wish?)
Let's assume you like to exercise on your bicycle.
(more wishful thinking!)

Assuming you exercise at a moderate rate (ten miles
per hour), you will burn about 280 calories per hour.

Consider how long it would take to burn the calories
after munching on the following hearty snacks:

1 pint raw celery: 7 minutes
1 pint raw watermelon: 20 minutes
1 pint raw carrot: 22 minutes
1 pint raw strawberry: 24 minutes
1 pint sliced raw apple: 35 minutes
2 slices pizza: 1 hour and 57 minutes
1 pint cheddar cheese: 2 hours and 53 minutes
1 pint rich vanilla ice cream: 3 hours and 48 minutes

Which snack makes the most sense to you?

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Milking $tarbuck$

The United States Centers for Disease Control
publishes a journal which name speaks for itself:

Preventing Chronic Disease

The October 6, 2009 issue (Prev Chronic Dis. 2009
Oct;6(4):A118) reports:

Researchers from New York's Department of Health
(Huang C, Dumanovsky T, et. al.) investigated the
number of calories in beverages from 42 Starbucks and
73 Dunkin' Donuts outlets in New York City.

Their findings:

"We included 1,127 beverage purchases at Starbucks
and 1,830 at Dunkin' Donuts in our analyses. Brewed
coffee or tea averaged 63 kcal, and blended coffee
beverages averaged 239 kcal. Approximately two-thirds
of purchases at Starbucks and one-fourth of purchases
at Dunkin' Donuts were blended coffee beverages."

Researcher's conclusion:

"Calories in blended coffee beverages are high; on
average, customers bought 12% (of their daily
caloric intake in one portion of coffee) of a
2,000-kcal diet."

Researcher's explained that their analyses of caloric
content was based upon cash register receipts.
What they did not make record of was the number
of patrons who paid for their purchases and then
dosed their beverages with high calorie Half & Half
and/or extra helpings of sugar at a side counter.

Starbucks uses over 2 billion pounds of fluid milk
in their coffee drinks.

Starbucks also uses about 3.7 million pounds of whey
protein in their banana chocolate, orange mango, and
strawberry banana Vivanno smoothies.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Are Americans Consuming More Beef?

The United States Department of Agriculture's
May 22, 2009 Economic Research report reveals:

2007 beef cow slaughter: 31.7 million animals
2008 beef cow slaughter: 35.9 million animals

Are Americans consuming more beef?

Unless companion dogs and cats raid refrigerators
while their companion humans sleep, the thirteen
percent increase in cattle slaughter suggests
that people are eating more beef.

Coming next: An investigation into why animal rights
groups promoting animal welfare increased their
cash flow donations from 2007 to 2008 by a factor
of thirteen percent. Is there a connection, or is
it a coincidence that the number of slaughtered
animals and the public's meat consumption increases
directly proportional to the increase in spending
by animal welfarists?

The public's perception that farm animals are now
living gentler lives due to new laws and regulations
appears to be appeasing the conscience of meat eaters
and the end result is that more meat is being consumed
guilt-free.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

You Cut Her Up in Pieces, Like Livestock!

Yesterday morning, I was putting the finishing
touches on a writing project. WFAN, New York's
sports talk radio station, was on as background
noise. Boomer (Esiason) & (Craig) Carton went
to a commercial at 9 AM. The show aired a
commercial for the prime time hit television
show, C.S.I.

A.M. radio is "white noise" for me, but
occasionally a word or phrase causes me to
turn my full attention from my work to the
radio's subject matter. This excerpt from
last night's show (Friday, November 12)
jolted me.

"You cut her up in pieces, like livestock!"

There must be a word to describe phrases
which compare horrendous ways sadistic mass
murderers treat their fellow humans while
routinely accepting the methods men use to
slaughter livestock as "normal". Can we
refer to a slaughtered cow as deadstock?

Can you watch just one episode of reality
and walk away unchanged?

http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings

Is cutting up a cow or pig or lamb or chicken
normal behavior? The last time I witnessed a
live animal being slaughtered, I was the one
holding the knife, and the experience haunts
me.

The most remarkable aspect of that commercial
is that the CSI producers understood that
human slaughter sells. They cut "her" up.
They correctly reason that television viewers
wanted to tune into that episode and watch
a woman suffer "like livestock." My bet is
thatg the the female victim was under 35 and
beautiful. Such an appeal to the worst within
man will boost ratings and sell more fast food
hamburgers.

If and when all Americans come to terms with
pain and torture of killing innocent humans
and completely reject the lascivious and
lustful nature of such actions, only then
will man come to terms with the horrors we
inflict upon ten billion sentient "livestock"
each year.

They just played the commercial again, and
the moment after the line was delivered, I
could hear the sound of a woman gagging.

"You Cut Her Up in Pieces, Like Livestock!"

Today, pieces of 27 million livestock will
be served to American consumers.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

New Food from an Old Friend

"I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it
since I was a little kid and my mother made me
eat it. And I'm President of the United States
and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli."
George H. W. Bush

**********

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables and
I could probably offer you dozens of ways to
prepare it, but today I am offering (many of
you) something new.

(***At the conclusion of today's column, I
offer you an O.M.G. culinary broccoli moment,
guaranteed to thrill most meat eaters!)

In the past, I would use half of the broccoli,
cutting off and eating the lovely florets while
discarding the not-so-wonderful stalk. What a
mistake!

If you've done the same, try this. Cut off the
stalks as you've done in the past and peel them.
They peel easier than carrots, and I use a
paring knife in place of a vegetable peeler.

What remains are delicious crunchy stalks, softer
than the florets. The pithiness is gone, and
what remains is something which does not contain
the usual broccoli bouquet. Instead, you'll discover
a clean crisp taste with a mild hint of horseradish.

I suppose these delectables would be delicious dipped
in hummus, but I like 'em plain. I've munched on
carrots and celery stalks, but this kicks the taste
buds up a notch. Not only are the stalks a quick low
calorie snack (28 calories per 100 gram/3 1/2 ounce
portion), but I've found that broccoli stalks act as
an appetite suppressor. After eating a few pieces,
any hunger that I have disappears for hours.

Broccoli is loaded with Vitamins A and C and contains
isoflavones and phytochemicals which have been said to
prevent and shrink cancers. I suspect that there exist
yet-to-be discovered substances within the stalk which
make it a perfect food and medicine.

After two weeks in my refrigerator...
The carrots would have wilted.
The celery would have dried.
An entire bunch of broccoli would
now smell like someone died.
BUT...the peeled broccoli stalks were stored in a
plastic container and suffered no ill effects. They
maintained their crispiness and the taste was as if
they were just cut fresh from the ground.

What magic plant chemicals are responsible
for this natural preservation?

***A special Broccoli dish Invented by the Notmilkman

INGREDIENTS
1 head broccoli
1-tsp red Thai curry paste
2-tsp maple syrup or agave
3-tsp soy sauce (I use Tamari)
Grated zest from 1 lime

METHOD
Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces
and steam broccoli until al dente
Mix all other ingredients

Add broccoli to pan with sauce and
heat until sauce coats broccoli

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT
1 Lb firm Tofu
Above Sauce

METHOD
Cut tofu into 3/4 inch pieces (around 48)
Coat tofu with sauce and gently mix

Put tofu on aluminum-foil-lined sheet pan
Broil each of six sides one minute each,
turning after each minute

NOTE: Raw foodists can skip the heat and
use the sauce for dipping.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Notmilkman Guarantees 20% Investment Return

Many investors speculated on higher than
normal market returns by placing their
dollars in the hands of Bernie Madoff.

While banks return 2-3 percent interest on
savings accounts and somebody guarantees ten
percent, run the other way.

Some very known very well-heeled inheritors
even invested their not-so-hard-earned dollars
with Madoff and got caught with their pants down.

Well, this is an opportunity for you to make
a guaranteed 20 percent or more on your money,
and all you've got to do is follow my advice.
Who guarantees it? Me!

You can do so by investing in commodities.

Not corn futures or pork bellies (poor
piggies!) The commodities you purchase at your
local supermarket.

Here's how the Notmilkan scheme works. Let's
say that you have $5,000 to invest. Loan it
to your bank and if you're lucky enough to
get a 3 % return, at the end of one year
you'll be $150 richer before paying taxes.

I'll show you how to earn that same $200 with
just $1000.

Let's imagine that your weekly supermarket bill
is $100. At that rate, you'll spend $5,000 on
food this year.

In reality, you might buy hundreds of different
items over the course of a month's shopping,
so the following is for illustration purposes.

Let's just examine the following nine items:

1) canned beans
2) dried beans
3) dried fruits
4) nuts
5) pasta
6) canned olives
7) rice
8) canned tomatoes
9) marinara sauce in jars

Item#1 - I am distressed that the price of
canned beans has crept up from last year's
33 cents per can to this year's 67 cents or
greater. Once or twice each year a market
will run a '3 cans for a dollar' sale.
That's the time to stock up.

Item #2 - One pound bags of dried beans were
usually less than $1 last year, and this year
they've also crept into the $1.19 per pound
range. These items also go on sale, but if
you buy in bulk, you'll save 50% or more
with each purchase.

Item #3 - It pays to invest in a de-hydrator,
but if that's not your first choice, go
online and buy directly from the grower or
producer. Even with shipping, you'll find
better products at sub-supermarket prices.

Item #4 - Ignore any advice put out by the
dairy or meat folk.

Item # 5 - Last week, I purchased over 100
bags of imported (egg-free) Italian semolina
pasta at 50 cents each per pound. Supermarkets
run their sales. Wait for 'em.

Item #6 - My local Shop Rite's price for a
standard can of pitted black olives (delicious
in salads) is $1.19. Once every two months or
so, they run a special for 99 cents. This is
the time for to purchase 100 cans. Do the math
and you'll find a $20 savings from a $99
purchase. That's a 20.2 % investment return.

Item #7 - Rice has gone up this year, and my
family eats plenty. Uncle Bens. Risotto.
Kohinor's Basmati. California Kokuho sushi
rice. The economics of rice buying best
illustrate the potential savings. A one
pound box can cost $4.00. A two pound box
can cost $7. A five pound bag can run you
$11 while the ten pound bag is $17. Go
for the 20 pound bag at $22. Over the
course of a year, the savings are enormous.
Buying in bulk is like putting money
in the bank at Madoff-like returns.

Item #8 - I still have three cans of
2 Lb-3-Oz Tutteroso tomatoes which I paid
59 cents each for last fall. I bought
about fifteen cases. I'll do the same
soon, because the harvest is over and
warehouses are filled with canned tomatoes.
Watch for sales. This past year, I've seen
1 Lb-12 Oz cans of Tutteroso tomatoes
selling for more than $2 each. Do the math.

Item #9 - I usually make (and freeze) my
own. However, it's always nice to have a j
ar of sauce ready for an emergency (such
as coating the bottoms of sheets of cheeseless
eggplant parm which I make when my daughter's
friends show up unannounced for an impromtu
Saturday night party. Jars of sauce run in
the $2 range, but supermarkets often
offer the same jars (as loss leaders) for
$1 each.

Shop wisely. It's like putting money in the
bank and realizing greater than market returns!

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Where Cows Fly Into Hell

The November 9, 2009 issue of the Global Post
tells the story of how cows are loaded and
unloaded by crane to and from ferry boats
which supply 90 small Taiwanese islands with
livestock.

http://tinyurl.com/yfn6hmx

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/china-and-its-neighbors/091106/taiwan-where-c\
ows-fly

The article is humorously presented, but people
of conscience would find nothing funny about
the abuse these cows are subjected to. They
are roughly transported and "kicked."

The short article is accompanied by photos.
Counting from the left side, photos 9 and
10 show a suffering animal with a raw and
bleeding hernia or tumor...or was it a kick
that created the oozing wound?

You've got the ability to ZOOM and view the
photos with great clarity, but the closer one
gets to the point of injury, the less one
desires to see the pain.

Many people wonder why there are "misguided"
animal rights activists (like me) raising
their voices in protest to such treatment.
It is because we continue to be cursed by
images of animal suffering...

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

Butter Inflation Continues and Few are Aware

On Friday, November 6, 2009, the wholesale
price at which butter traded on Chicago's
Mercantile commodity exchange closed at
$1.50 per pound.

On September 11, 2009, less than two
months ago, butter was trading at $1.17
per pound. A Notmilk column predicted:

"...wholesale price increases will be so
rapid and dramatic that processors will
react with overnight price increases."

"The economic illness that America is
about to experience and the suffering
which follows will be unprecedented..."

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/notmilk/message/3385

The wholesale price for butter has
increased 33 cents, or 28 percent in
just 67 days. That's equivalent to
a yearly increase of 153.6 percent.

Why is it that nobody in the news media
seems to have yet noticed the "I" word
when it comes to the higher prices consumers
are now paying for processed supermaket
foods?

Why is it that the "I" word was not a part
of any politician's political platform during
last week's elections?

Why is it that every shopper who keeps
track of supermarket prices and weekly
increases is painfully aware that Inflation
applies to just about everything except
for weekly take home pay?

I paid 49 cents per pound for bananas at
my local supermarket yesterday (ShopRite,
Emerson, NJ). I paid 59 cents per pound
for apples and 99 cents for a head of
Romaine at my local produce store.

It takes no butter to produce apples
or lettuce. Another argument for eating
a plant-based diet during these challenging
economic times!

Robert Cohen
i4crob@...