The Opinion Sector

The Healthy Pet Network.Org, Your Pet's Health is our Passion

2010-02-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

We are all interested in keeping our pets healthy, that’s why we created the website, Healthy Pet Network.org. We are a character based coalition of forward thinking animal health care professionals and advocates who promote proactive care, preventative practice and innovative techniques in animal health. Our mission…to create the Healthy Pet Network.org, a cutting edge website which is the home base of a unique online pet health support community.

Membership in HPN is FREE and offers access to an interactive network of information, education, products and services that promote and enhance Whole Animal Health and promises all the tools needed to create a ‘foundation of wellness’ that will help keep all pets and their human companions safe from catastrophic illness and disease.

At the heart of our site is a Pet Health Library showcasing the life’s work and ongoing articles tips and advice from Dr Al Plechner DVM. HPN also features; exciting LIVE interactive, educational events and webinars, a monthly newsletter, the Healthy Pet Digest, which is filled with pet health advice and information, and access to the best available, naturally healthy Pet Foods and Supplements and environmentally sound pet care items, which are all, “Plechner Approved”.

The latest addition to the Healthy Pet Network is the pet lover’s answer to “MySpace” and “FaceBook”, Critter Power.com. As the social neighborhood and entertainment arm of HPN, Critter Power’s FREE membership is populated by a diverse community of people and pets with two things in common, our love for our pets and the delight we have sharing them with other pet lovers across the planet.

HPN was also created to mainstream the clinical practice and research of Dr Alfred J Plechner DVM. Dr Al, as he is known by his dedicated following, has devoted over 40 years of his life to clinical practice and research. During that time he discovered a endocrine related immune system imbalance, A Typical Cortisol Imbalance Syndrome (Plechner Syndrome) which is caused by a defect in the middle layer of the adrenal glands.

This defect creates a decrease in the production of cortisol hormone (stress and infection fighter) while at the same time causing the currently present cortisol hormones to become inactive. The syndrome also causes an increase in the production of adrenal estrogen which binds (blocks) the thyroid receptors and limit’s the availability of thyroid hormone, leading to a dangerously imbalanced immune system.

To combat this potentially lethal syndrome he has developed the “Plechner Protocol’ which consists of a ‘hormonal specific’ diagnostic blood test to determine the nature of the imbalance and a treatment protocol using physiological (low dosage) injections and/or oral dosing of hormonal replacement supplements to regulate and maintain the proper balance. Once the endocrine system is back in balance, the immune system kicks in and all disease signs disappear.

The Plechner Protocol has saved well over 150,000 dogs, cats, horses and people. Animals that were considered to be “without hope” and at “ the end of the line”. It has also shown a very pronounced success rate on not only the treatment of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)( feline equivalent of HIV), but also Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) and Feline Leukemia (FELV). Cats with FIV and FIP achieve a 70 % recovery, while cats with FELV have an 85 % recovery rate.

The amazing results his protocol has garnered in numerous cases of potentially lethal diseases and the human health care possibilities it presents in cases including; allergies, auto-immunity problems, coronary occlusion, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, cancers and even Aids has inspired a talented group of pet health care advocates to launch a major campaign to mainstream Dr Plechner’s findings to the people of the world.

Your concern for the health of your pets has lead you to a very defining time in history. This year, maybe even this very day will be the start of the end of disease as we know it. It’s like Dr Al always says, “You can make a difference!” The Healthy Pet Network is building an alliance for whole animal health and you are now an important part of those efforts. Be a part of history. It’s absolutely FREE so you have noting to lose and everything to gain.

Get in touch with your family and friends and invite them to join you at…
https://www.healthypetnetwork.org and https://www.critterpower.com

The Healthy Pet Network
Your Pet's Health is Our Passion

Hyperestrogenism by Dr Al Plechner of The Heathy Pet Network. org

2009-12-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

An article from the University of Tennessee signals that my esteem fellow professionals are finally beginning to understand what this old Vet’s been saying for many years now. They are beginning to realize the dangers of excessive adrenal estrogen. They are close, but alas…no cigar.

It seems they are attempting to reduce the production of adrenal estrogen by using various chemicals to affect it’s source, the adrenal gland. This approach at least shows someone’s been listening to some of what this Animal Doctor’s been saying for quite some time.

However, They still are off track. They keep trying to affect the middle layer of the adrenal cortex but they’re barking up the wrong layer. They need to be studying the inner layer. That’s where the problem lies. Even so, when they finally get there they’re going to find that it’s not going to be affected by their chemical assault.

I can understand their dilemma. The middle layer adrenal production of cortisol hormone appears quite normal in their eyes. The problem is that they need to understand that the cortisol being produced is defective and is not being recognized by the pituitary gland which keeps churning out the ACTH hormone which can cause an increase in the production of estrogen and androgen (which can be converted into estrogen) due to an enzyme in the fatty tissue called aromatase.

Since the elevated estrogen binds (blocks) the receiver sites of thyroid. The bound thyroid reduces the activity of the liver and kidneys which further guarantees less breakdown and elimination of the estrogen and androgen. This allows the estrogen and androgen to remain excessive. The patient, unavoidably, is also bound to gain weight, which at the same time produces more aromatase due to the increase of fatty tissue which inadvertently increases the amount of estrogen present…and so, round we go, in a vicious cycle.

It’s just our luck! The corporate medical industry is finally realizing what I’ve been trying to tell them for years. That excess estrogen can cause real problems. Still it seems that they haven’t listened to all of what this old Vet’s been saying (they must have dozed off in the middle of the lecture).

The capper is that certain hormones like cortisol can be defective or bound (unable to get to the right receptors) The decreased or defective cortisol and the increased estrogen throws the immune system out of balance. When the immune system is imbalanced it may fall victim to a number of problems including; Aids, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, coronary occlusion, all types of auto-immunity, and even cancer.

Now, I understand that I am but a healer of ‘animals’. However, I think we can all agree that all the beings on this planet are very similar on the inside. What’s good for the Goose…well, I think you understand. I just hope that those learned professionals at the University of Tennessee can rise above the status quo and maybe listen to alternative sources in their 'quest for the cures'. They should at least heed Shakespeare…

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Yours in Health,
Dr Al Plechner DVM

For more information from Dr Al Plechner, about Animal and Human Health visit the...

http.www.healthypetnetwork.org

Remote Control

2009-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Arise! Our once razor sharp minds are being dulled down by our electronic babysitters. Controlled by the cult of celebrity. Ruled by...reality TV stars? The time has come to take back our senses. Yes, you do have a remote chance to take control! However, you must have the courage and...be sure to put the dogs outback for the evening.

I spend too much time in my brain. It's an occupational hazard, for writers.

Late nights, when the dogs are dozing and Kate’s asleep, it's just me and Hunter (my computer) trying to create some twisted vista for my mind's eye to see.

Occasionally, I pause at the keyboard, to allow time for my brain to drink deep of the cosmic chowder that is my creativity, the heady stuff that sustains my soul and puts the words on the page.

While my subconscious keeps sorting through the files, my conscious brain slips into neutral.

Casually, without even thinking, I pick up the cable TV remote and flick through the offerings.

CNN to TNT to HBO to TBS.

Now, I've noticed that sometimes, a certain trance level can be reached and the tube's regurgitations, channel right into cerebral matter, forming a direct connection.

Electrical impulses flow to a passive receiver.

I absorb the power of the tube and find that I’m able to create my own TV programming by the digital divining of the cable remote.

PBS to NBC to WGN to CBS.

As the channels pass, images flicker across the screen; strobe like, hypnotic.

Partial sentences combine and form an altogether different dialogue.

Cautiously, I journey through the channels; slowly at first, unsure, hesitant but gradually gaining confidence, my speed increases.

Feeling more attuned, I begin to adjust the direction of the flow, first forward, then backward, then forward again. As I master the meter, the rhythm, a feeling of power nudges my ego.

I become obsessed with my manipulation of the media.

I control the horizontal.

I control the vertical

This sudden feeling of worth is…overwhelming.

It takes me over the edge and I tube-out.

Suddenly, I'm careening through the channels wildly out of control.

CNN to TNT to HBO to NBC to TBS to CBS to CNN

Madly up and down the dial in a suicidal charge, a veritable tubing frenzy.

Not content with just scanning up and down. I began to…randomly select.

72 to 39 to 17 to 64.

Finger to the touch-pad I go for it, shocked at my own abandon!

I can feel the tube, sucking at my mind; hungry, cold, indifferent.

But, I am powerless to stop the inevitable.

My senses glued to the tube we become one; locked in a psycho/techno embrace, virtually violating all sorts of inter-species prohibitions.

Power boosting each other towards a channeling climax…

Suddenly, a dog, awakened by telesthetic impulses, howls, sinks its teeth into the sweaty touchpad, wrestles it from my grasp and I come screeching to a halt smack dab in the middle of…Larry King.

The TV's back to generating white noise in the background.

I sit…frustrated, wanting a cigarette, but not sure I deserve one.

Reflections on “Medical Ice Age?”

2009-06-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

After I posted “Medical Ice Age?, on OpEdNews.com I received a number of emails singing the praises of Dr. Alfred Plechner DVM. They were from readers who had visited the page after the two week comment period closed. Being avid Plechner supporters they wanted to comment but, alas, couldn’t. Their stories were very moving tales of near tragedy and touched me so deeply I decided to create this addendum to the previous article. If you haven’t read the original article or you would like to refresh your memory you will find it here…

Medical-Ice-Age?-by-David-Spangenburg

If you don’t have the time, here are a few excerpts to bring you up to speed. First off, let’s take a quick look at the man himself. Even though it is almost impossible to recount “Dr P’s” achievements in a brief snippet I will attempt to present Plechner in a paragraph (or two).

“Doctor Alfred J. Plechner is the consummate medical professional whose devotion to duty reflects a true "calling to vocation". People who have sought his healing hands to help "end of the line animals" have called him, "the doctor who never stops caring." Beginning his practice in 1966, he soon became frustrated that many of his patients weren't responding to standard treatments. After researching for the past 40 years (on his own time and his own dime) He discovered an "Endocrine-Immune Imbalance" or the "Plechner Syndrome".

The article went on to describe the effects of the syndrome and the protocol that he developed to successfully treat it.

The syndrome involves a defect in the middle layer of the adrenal glands. This defect causes a major hormonal immune system imbalance which Dr. Plechner believes, ""… creates a ripple effect throughout the body's physiology, making them susceptible to conditions ranging from, Autoimmune Diseases, Cancer, Common Allergies, and Reproductive Failure."

The defect keeps the glands from manufacturing enough cortical hormone (helps the body fight stress and infections) and can cause the cortisol to bind up (become inactive). In turn, too much estrogen can be produced and not enough thyroid hormones causing an imbalanced immune system.

Dr. Plechner developed a special blood test one that would test for cortisol, total estrogen, thyroid hormones T-3 & T-4, and IgA, IgM and IgG antibodies. If the cortisol level is low, estrogen level high, thyroid hormones low and antibodies are low, chances are the adrenal glands are afflicted by the defect.

Dr. Plechner's protocol is a series of physiological (low dosage) injections (or oral medication) of cortisone to boost up the adrenal glands. 90% of the dogs and 10% of the cats treated also required low doses of thyroid hormone. Once the endocrine system is back in balance, the immune system takes over and all the disease symptoms disappear. However, the animal must continue this low dose hormone replacement protocol for life.

A large number of FIV afflicted cats were treated with his protocol and showed a recovery rate of over 70%. In that, FIV is a retrovirus similar to HIV and considering the fact that every animal that Dr. Plechner's treated for cancer has had this endocrine-immune system imbalance. Could this adrenal defect and the protocol he developed to treat it, lead the way to possibly being able to treat or prevent AIDS and/or cancer? These are questions that continue to be asked, due to the advanced stages of "status quo" which has afflicted the current corporate medical establishment.

*******

When Medical Ice Age? was posted on OpEdNews it was followed by this comment from Margaret Bassett…

“As an editor who was conflicted about this article I concluded that the doctor whose work is described is DVM. Veterinarians really have a diverse patient population, although not human beings. Questions through my mind: Is this a promotion? (I forgive my friends who prescribe horse liniment for my arthritis, and allow them to make their case.) OR Why should anyone find a sure thing to solve many problems and not have a peer review? (I thought about Jonas Salk. What happened when polio was the scare of the public?) I'll stop there, except to say that further discussion of such questions is why we have interactive journalism in the Age of Unanswered Questions.”

Margaret Bassett

To which I commented

“This article is promotion but not for his business, for his life. He has been more than a Veterinarian he has been a true healer to his patients and their keepers. The care and concern he has shown throughout his career has been patient specific and unique. The research that has occupied a good deal of his free time has proven to be a benefit not only for the animal kingdom but the human species as well.

As you can see by the opening paragraphs of the article, I have a rather tainted view of the medical industry. This is due to the fact that I spent many years working as a pharmacy technician III, at a leading California Hospital and Medical Group. I have seen personally what the business of medicine has done to the medical profession. I have also shared my life with a number of animal companions and so have experienced the good, bad and the ugly of the Veterinarian profession. When I come across a true professional, such as Dr Plechner, who is driven more by the 'love of his craft' than by 'filling his wallet' I feel an obligation to let others know about his contributions.”

*******

The following comments could not be posted on site due to the two week posting deadline…

“I am a long time client of Dr. Plechner's and I just had to send a brief response to Ms. Bassett's comments. From how her response reads, I feel confident she did not read through the testimonials...

http://www.drplechner.com/testimonials.php

She would have seen why, from my own personal experiences, there are no peers coming forth, jumping up and down about his treatment protocol. I hope she will read through the testimonials, it will be eye opening. Individual pet owners are not promoting anything, nor am I, a retired breeder of quality Dobermans. We are merely anxious for other veterinarians to give their clients the option of using Dr. Plechner's protocol, one we have had much success using on our own animals, when 'mainstream treatments' aren't working. Again I add, why does death have to be the final answer?”

Roz Wheelock

*******

“I want to add my 2+ cents to this discussion. Five years ago I just happened to hear Dr. Plechner on an alternative radio talk show one morning. This happenstance was one of the luckiest occurrences of my life so far....and for the life of my beloved calico cat, Jazzy. Over the course of the intervening years, I have been fortunate enough to become friends with Dr. Plechner. I mention this only for a point I will make later.

That first morning I heard him speak, I listened with rapt attention as Dr. Plechner talked openly regarding his work and the lack of general acceptance of his work by the mainstream veterinary community. I immediately ordered his book and began waiting impatiently for its arrival.

After giving his book a quick read, I got on the phone and began looking for local veterinarians who would be open to working with Dr. Plechner's protocol. I lucked out, once again, and the first one we (Jazzy and I) went to agreed to run the I-E blood tests. The results showed that Jazzy clearly had the syndrome: Low Ig's; high estrogen; low cortisol. We scheduled a consultation with Dr. Plechner and he suggested a steroid injection, followed by tablet prednisone. Our local vet followed Dr. Plechner’s suggestions, and we rechecked the blood tests 2 or 3 weeks later.

Lo and behold, just had Dr. Plechner had purported in his book, all of Jazzy's numbers were moving toward their optimal ranges. Well done. Subsequently we rechecked about once a year and she held fine. All symptoms were gone. ( She previously had been diagnosed with IBD - inflammatory bowel disease. ) Now, let’s fast forward to end of March, this year.

Through a series of unfortunate and compounding occurrences, Jazzy became quite ill; she lost her appetite and was losing weight quickly. Blood tests showed three liver enzyme levels off the charts, her glucose was very high and also that she apparently was suffering from pancreatitis. It became necessary to hospitalize her. She was put on IV fluids and other medications. I paced for 3 days waiting for and IgA test result. When it did come in, it showed she was clearly under optimum range. Dr. Plechner suggested an injection of steroid, immediately, if her life was to be saved.

Neither of the vets here - the one at the hospital, or our usual - would agree to administer the needed medication. They both were of the opinion that the steroid would exacerbate the glucose and that it could cause her liver additional stress and possibly take her life.

This is the most important part:

As she means the world to me, it fell to me to make the decision that the trained, informed and professional caregivers would not: I had to find a way to see that she received the needed steroid. I did this based upon my understanding of the mechanism of the I-E imbalance, and my faith in Dr. Plechner's integrity as a veterinarian, and as a man. She received the steroid and based upon blood test results - not speculation, all of her numbers improved! The three liver enzymes had been markedly reduced, the glucose was coming down and the pancreatitis was abating. All within a few days!

People can say what they want and believe what they want. We are all entitled to our opinions. In this case, I really have no interest in someone who offers an opinion without any firsthand knowledge of Dr. Plechner and the syndrome he has identified. On the other hand, I do have firsthand knowledge; not only of the efficacy of Dr. Plechner's ideas and protocol, but also of the man. Throughout this recent ordeal, he was always there when I wanted to talk or ask for his input….Always.

I will personally stand with him in his fervent effort and hope to broaden the acceptance of his work. My dear beloved Jazzy is alive today because of him and his knowledge. I feel very strongly that if I had been complacent and had accepted the mainstream approach to treating her illness, she would not be here today.And this thought saddens me beyond measure. Our companion animals look to us and are dependent upon us for their nurturing, their homes and ultimately, their health.

What is it within us - people ( I'll not use the word humanity as to me it is not human(e) to treat our animal friends' health based upon our stupidity and small mindedness ) that causes us to constantly close our minds to a thought or idea which may not be our own? We take a stance and know we're right, usually with incomplete information. That’s fine, but why must our animal loved ones suffer because of our egos?

This is the crying shame in my opinion. How many animals are senselessly lost or suffer every year due to our small minds and belligerent sense of self-righteousness? If we could just get out of our own way, perhaps, at the very least, our animal friends could have a better chance of remaining well and living happier lives with us. It pains me deeply to think of this.
Certainly we’re entitled to treat ourselves based upon faulty and erroneous logic. Why do we subject our helpless friends to the same? I wish I knew.”

Ken Collier and Jazzy

*******

“I have two pets in my family who are on the “Plechner Protocol“. A spayed cat that has been on the Protocol for 5+ years and a spayed dog for almost 8 years. Prior to diagnosis and treatment for the endocrine imbalance, both animals showed various symptoms of disease.

The cat, a stray kitten, had gone blind from eye infection before being rescued by a veterinary facility. Her vision was lost and then her body began to show signs of auto-immune disease. She was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Granuloma and rodent ulcers in her mouth. This blind kitty was adopted by one of my family members. Her veterinarian was unable to find a successful treatment for the body lesions and painful oral sores. She even needed surgery to close one of the lesions on her body.

The dog had various infections; skin, urinary, gastrointestinal, ear, etc. As soon as one infection had resolved it seemed another began. She was constantly in need of veterinary care. Both animals Endocrine-Immune test results were out of range, showing very low immunoglobulin levels and abnormal hormonal levels with elevated Estrogen (both animals were spayed when young, this is not ovarian estrogen).

Once both animals had their hormonal levels normalized with replacement levels of hormonal medication, their test results were no different than any normal healthy cat or dog that would have had the blood test. Their immune systems improved on their own, and their disease and symptoms resolved. IgA, IgG and IgM levels normalized.

It took roughly two months for each animal to improve dramatically, but then it was evident that they would not revert so long as their hormonal levels remained within normal range. If their hormonal levels slipped, then their immune cell levels did also. Clinical symptoms would reappear and blood test results of CBC and Chemistry would show abnormal results until the hormonal levels were once again normalized.

My husband and I also had this blood test drawn at our own physical exams, thankfully both were normal results. I am a member of an online yahoo group that discusses Dr. Plechner's Protocol and it's Endocrine- Immune Imbalance. There are people who have tested with the imbalance and thankfully the treatment has helped them also, just as it has my family's pets.
Canines are commonly used in medical research and studies for human disease, education on human biology, and drugs. Research using dogs has aided the medical community on hormonal disorders. Common human thyroid and adrenal medication may be administered to treat dogs and cats. Canines used in medical studies have provided information for the human medical community on cardiology and various areas.

Felines are models for human neurology. I am just illustrating a point to show that the physiology is quite similar and therefore it is understandable how the Plechner Protocol applies to both humans and animals. So much of Dr. Plechner's work applies to various mammals, from horses to humans. My family was really at the end of the road with veterinary medical treatments, we had tried so many to help our dog and cat.

My vet, as well as my family member's, is very dedicated and we owe them gratitude just as we do Dr. Plechner for helping our animals. Had I not become aware of Dr. Plechner and his publications years ago, I feel that our pets may not be with us today.”

Kindly, Michele Walker-Lewis

*******

“Please let it be known that Dr. Plechner has never, nor will ever, self promote!!! "Dr. P" as he is known to his clients, has proven his abilities and concern to all of us. My family and I, have been so thankful for his dedicated EDUCATED concern for our animals for over 20 years. He has given us the opportunity to live longer lives with our family (pet's). He has raised the quality and extended our time together, due to his unique approach (which is not recognized by his peers)… Dr. P is a great healer... TAKE HEED YE ALL!!!”

Alexandra Vallier

*******

“Your article has really stirred up some emotions from people who resent the fact that there are doubts about this deadly Syndrome and the Protocol I developed that has not only helped their pets but themselves also. Dr Rashimi Pace is a physician that I have helped, that has well over 100 patients doing well on my protocol. My findings have convinced me that this syndrome is the cause of AIDS, Cancer, Auto-immunity and Allergies. It is, beyond any doubts, the cause of chronic disease in humans and animals. You cannot believe how frustrating it is to see young children and pets die from terminal diseases, when ‘Death does not have to be the answer‘. Thank you for helping me.”

Al Plechner

*******

In closing I will say that I have not benefited, personally or professionally, from Dr. Plechner’s research and expertise. A friend of many years recounted to me his experience with “Dr. P” and I felt obligated to share the Doctor’s story with all of you. After receiving the preceding positive comments I am very happy I did.

To those who might respond negatively to his lack of “established peer reviews” and “placebo comparisons and blind studies” let me say that you, obviously, are not one of the Dr.’s clients. Doctor Plechner has devoted over forty years to his practice and research, has received no grants or other types of funding and still has successfully treated thousands of afflicted animals, most of which were "end of the line animals" that his ( above mentioned ) “peers” had given up on. He has an amazing record of success and thousands of grateful beings, all of whom I’m positive, would stand up and shout, bark or meow his praises if asked.

For those who doubt the possible benefits his research offers the human species, let me add the following. William Jeffries, MD, emeritus professor of internal medicine, University of Virginia pioneered long term, low dosage cortisone treatments for humans. This method has safely and effectively treated patients with allergies, chronic fatigue and autoimmune disorders. Yet, just as in veterinary medicine, has been largely ignored.

This may be due partially to the stigma attached to cortisone therapy which may cause side effects when given in pharmacological dosages. The small physiological dosages of natural cortisol or synthetic cortisone medications recommended by Plechner and Jeffries are used as a form of hormone replacement to compensate for a hormone defect. This is an important distinction.

As you can tell by the opening paragraphs of “M.I.A?”, I cast a rather jaundiced eye at our current medical and pharmaceutical industries. The days of “Dr. Kildare” and “All Creatures, Great and Small” are just a misty eyed memories. Research today seems to be more concerned with erectile dysfunction and aids for depression and acid reflux ( says something about our modern society, doesn’t it? ).

The main thing to consider is the reality that the majority of our species’ most fabulous and beneficial ideas have come from thinking outside the box and not from hiding inside it. Before I close, I’d like to present one more thoughtful submission…

*******

From: Michele

“I recall Shaun Stannert's words (“Dr. P” had advised on treatment of her English Labrador 'Tubbs'). She is a medical writer. As I recall she placed a time frame, whether it was twenty or thirty years, that it takes sometimes for medical discoveries to really be accepted by the medical community, despite the very real and tangible successful results they have yielded within that time. From what I gather, doctors and researchers who make life changing discoveries tend to be harshly viewed at first , BUT then later revered as time goes on. Linus Carl Pauling was labeled a quack at first- and then he won the Nobel prize for his research into chemical bonds.

The following article titled " Familiar Quacks and Heretics (Now considered Heroes)", on Healthier Talk,com, explains how the medical community turns their back on those people who have made outstanding discoveries but then later embraces them (fair weather friends!).”
Familiar Quacks and Heretics ( Now considered Heros )

Medical Ice Age?

2009-05-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

“Large numbers of pets and people die or become sick before their time despite the best efforts of healthcare professionals. In order to change this, there must be a realization that we are in a, ‘Medical Ice Age’.” - Dr. Alfred J. Plechner DVM

How would you feel if you found out that they’ve discovered a cure for cancer but they’re not going to let anyone know about it? I’m sure you’re all responding to this question by attacking it. “Why would they do that?” “That makes no sense!” “What about the money they could make?”

I could answer all of your objections by stating a single fact. The profits that a cancer cure would accrue wouldn’t even come close to the profits made by all of the cancer treatment drugs and the associated services involved in treating cancer. Sad to say, the treatment of cancer has proven itself to be, a tremendously successful revenue builder. Why wouldn’t you keep a possible cure under wraps?

But of course, this is purely a hypothetical question. We couldn’t possibly believe that our medical institutions could be callously driven by the pursuit of profit. Why, they’re as ethical as our great financial institutions are and look at how successful they’ve been.

The frightening fact is that a cancer cure could prove to be financially disastrous to the pharmaceutical and all of the other dependent medical industries. The key word in the preceding sentence, being industries. In our corporately constructed society, the medical profession has become, an industry directed more by profits than by principal.

The ‘hands on’ noble vocation of healing the sick seems to have become just another job. Controlled and limited by corporate officers and regulatory agencies like the AMA and driven by the cold hard facts of student loans and malpractice insurance. . The current corporate medical paradigm’s methodology seems to be based on the principle that “there is more profit in treatment than there is in cure“.

Has the Hippocratic Oath become a semantic punch line by the juxtaposition of a single letter? The sad reality is that our medical and pharmacological institutions have become far more financially successful by treating maladies than they would be by actually curing them. More importantly, they seem to see no reason to upset the “status quo“.

How can you argue with success? Well that depends on what your primary goals are and how loyal you are to your principals. Not to mention any concern you might have for improving the human condition. Or the animal condition as the case may be.

Doctor Alfred J. Plechner is a Veterinarian who is concerned with both. He stands at the opposite end of the spectrum. He is the consummate medical professional whose devotion to duty reflects a true ‘calling to vocation‘. People who have sought his healing hands to help "end of the line animals" have called him, "the doctor who never stops caring."

He began his practice in 1966 in Los Angeles, A young but dedicated practitioner he soon became frustrated by the fact that many of his patients weren’t responding to standard treatments. As he puts it, “Large numbers of pets and people die or become sick before their time despite the best efforts of healthcare professionals. I believe much of this has to do with hormonal imbalances that have possibly deregulated (lowered) animal and human immune systems, and thereby has undermined their natural protection against illness and disease.”

Refusing to, just accept the inevitable. He decided to find another way to treat them. He has researched (on his own time and his own dime) for the past 40 years. That research, along with his clinical work, led to his discovery of an "Endocrine-Immune Imbalance" or the “Plechner Syndrome”.

It involves a defect in the middle layer of the adrenal glands, which are pair of ductless glands that sit astride the kidneys in the lower back. This defect causes a major hormonal immune system imbalance. Dr. Plechner believes, “…this creates a ripple effect throughout the body's physiology, making them susceptible to conditions ranging from, Autoimmune Diseases, Cancer, Common Allergies, and Reproductive Failure.”

The defect keeps the glands from manufacturing enough cortical hormone (helps the body fight stress and infections) and can cause the cortisol to bind up (become inactive). In turn, too much estrogen can be produced and not enough thyroid hormones causing an imbalanced immune system.

Recent studies, which have led to increased awareness about hormonal balance and metabolism, suggest that the thyroid and the adrenal glands have a major influence on everything from allergies and immune function to energy production and in general, good health.

Due to the fact that standard blood tests did not determine the levels of certain thyroid and adrenal (cortical) hormones, Optimum Choices.com, Silent Epidemic states that, “Dr. Plechner developed a special blood test one that would test for cortisol, total estrogen, thyroid hormones T-3 & T-4, and IgA, IgM and IgG antibodies. If the cortisol level is low, estrogen level high, thyroid hormones low and antibodies are low, there is a good chance that there is a hidden defect in the adrenal glands.”

” Dr. Plechner’s solution is a protocol of physiological (low dosage) injections (or oral medication) of cortisone to boost up the adrenal glands. He also found it necessary to give low doses of thyroid hormone to 90% of his dogs and 10% of his cats. Once the endocrine system is back in balance, the immune system kicks in and all the disease symptoms disappear. Unfortunately, the animal must stay on this low dose of hormone replacement protocol for life.”

“Dr. Plechner was able to treat autoimmune disease, cancer, kidney & liver disease, epilepsy, obesity and even behavioral problems in dogs. In cats, Dr. Plechner successfully treated FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis), FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) and urinary tract disorders. One of the most prevalent but overlooked symptoms of the imbalance is malabsorption and digestive tract disorders (e.g., irritable bowel disease).”

“If the endocrine-immune imbalance is present, the IgA antibodies that normally operate in the mucus membranes of the gut go out of control and sometimes even attack the body itself. The walls of the gut then become inflamed and thicken for protection. With the gut’s defense system compromised, harmful bacteria and other bad microorganisms can attack. When this happens, nutrients, supplements, as well as medication to treat the disease are not absorbed by the body and exit the other end.”

“This is one reason why positive results may not be seen using the best holistic remedies and even medication. One must correct the endocrine-immune imbalance first, so that the mucus lining of the gut returns to normal and then the body can absorb nutrients again and heal itself.” [1]

Treatment results have shown that as adrenal estrogen production declines, it stops binding to thyroid hormones. Therefore thyroxin is allowed to increase the cell’s ATP production which normalizes body temperature and improves cell-regulated immune functions.

Dr. Plechner also found out that his protocol has a very pronounced effect on feline immunodeficiency virus. He has treated a large number of FIV afflicted cats by balancing their endocrine-immune systems with his protocol and has had a remarkable recovery rate of over 70%. FIV involves a retrovirus similar to HIV.

Is it possible that Dr Plechner’s protocol could be utilized in the fight against human HIV (AIDS)? Considering the fact that every animal that Dr. Plechner's treated for cancer has had this endocrine-immune system -imbalance, Could we possibly be able to treat or prevent cancer by identifying and healing this adrenal defect? These are questions that continue to be asked, due to the advanced stages of “status quo” which has so grievously afflicted the corporate medical establishment.

Even though he has received some criticism, for not conducting “controlled” studies using split groups of patients along with placebos. Dr Plechner is understandably proud to say, “I have created a successful treatment program that has helped approximately 150,000 dogs, cats, horses and people. These were patients, not only at my hospital, but in healthcare facilities throughout the world. I am happy to also point out that I was able to do this financially on my own without having been financed by grants of any kind.”

“The Animal and Human Protocols that I have developed to treat Plechner's Syndrome have been extremely effective when followed as directed on a long-term basis by healthcare professionals throughout the world, and have rapidly improved even very ill and diseased animals and humans.”

Due to “over-whelming request“, Dr. Plechner has come out of retirement and is currently in full-time practice in Los Angeles, California. “I am now also offering consultations for the general public as well as for healthcare professionals interested in exploring the possible role of Plechner's Syndrome in various diseases.”

Although Dr Plechner has established the existence of and a treatment for, “Plechner's Syndrome“, the actual cause is yet to be determined. Plechner says, “…it may be caused by genetics, exposure to toxins, stress, aging, lack of sleep, or in combinations thereof.”

For a more complete look at Plechner’s Syndrome and the protocol he has developed to treat it. Visit his website...

http://www.drplechner.com/home.php

NOTES
[1] Silent Epidemic, http://www.optimumchoices.com/Silent_epidemic.htm

Arlen’s Specter

2009-04-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Arlen Specter has haunted Capital Hill since 1980. Having been elected to five terms in the U.S. Senate he has been the longest serving Senator in the history of my home State of Pennsylvania. Considered to be a moderate Republican, his term in office, like his political career, has been one of contradictions.

A good illustration of this is that, he was once a Democrat who became a Republican who has now become a Democrat. Even though this is considered to be a somewhat rare occurrence. He is actually the 13th Senator to become a switch hitter since 1913.

Originally he was a Democratic lawyer practicing in Philadelphia when he decided to run for District Attorney on the Republican ticket there in 1965. Following his victory he renounced the Democratic Party and became a Republican. As District Attorney he declared himself a death penalty supporter, However, as a prosecutor he spoke of his reservations about the evenhandedness of the Pennsylvania death penalty statute in 1972.

Some say he caught the public’s eye when he ran for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1967. However there are many more who believe that he caught the eye of the powers that be when he pulled the Warren Commission’s chestnuts out of the fire, following the John F Kennedy assassination back in 1963.

Then, a lowly attorney in Philadelphia, his services were recommended by Representative Gerald R. Ford and he became the Assistant Council for the hastily created Commission. His duties included investigating and prosecuting the case against Lee Harvey Oswald who was accused of being the ‘lone gunman’ at the time.

Arlen took to his duties with the relish of true opportunist. Always the aggressive prosecutor, he was like a bulldog in a meat market. Threatening, harassing, intimidating and bullying almost all of the eye witnesses who were allowed to testify before the Commission. Selectively channeling all of the forced testimony and questionable evidence to the already forgone conclusion of Oswald’s guilt.

He also co-created the controversial "single bullet theory," along with David Berlin. This “theory” (which has since been determined to be not even plausible) pontificated that a “single bullet” fired downward from an elevated position to the right, struck President Kennedy in the rear of his neck, exited from the front of his neck, changed direction in mid air as it traversed the space between Kennedy and Governor Connally, struck Connally in the right upper back, exited his chest then passed through the Governor’s right wrist, finally ending it’s convoluted journey by causing a superficial wound in his right thigh. This SUPER bullet was finally discovered (in pristine condition) laying on a gurney at Parkland Hospital in Dallas Texas. Pretty big, tall tale, huh? Ah, well, it was Texas.

Just the fact that Arlen was able to use this “tall tale” to convince a committee consisting of two prominent US Senators, one Republican one Democratic; two prominent House Members one Republican one Democratic; two prominent spy masters (one that JFK just recently fired) and the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court seems to commend his oratory skills. However, when you consider that these appointees of the (accidental) President Lyndon B Johnson were in fact all conservatives and, to a man, were not quite enamored with our slain President nor the direction that JFK was charting for Americas’ future. Arlen’s skills may have been slightly overstated.

Railroading the ‘lone gunman’ was necessary. So selling this “tall tale” was critical to all concerned. Without it, one would be forced to assume that there was more than one assassin that day in Dallas. Which, by logical conclusion, would mean that there was (my gosh!) a conspiracy. Considering that 1) both LBJ and J Edgar Hoover had already stated that Oswald was the LONE assassin and, 2) that Lee Oswald had also been conveniently eliminated (so there would be no trial). It was generally accepted that Arlen’s efforts encouraged everyone to jump onboard the train.

In 1976, Specter ran in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate and was defeated. He was also defeated when he ran in the Republican primary for the Governor of Pennsylvania in 1978. However, when he ran again for the U.S. Senate in 1980, he was finally victorious. As he became the junior Senator from Pennsylvania his contradictive tendencies continued. To the consternation of supporters and detractors alike.

Even though his opposition to Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork did not endear him to his fellow Republicans His antagonistic interrogation of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings was considered by some Democrats as being vaguely reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition. Although, at one point he actually accused her of “flat out perjury”. In the end he didn’t put a ‘contempt of Congress’ charge where his mouth was.

While primarily continuing to tow the party line he was also vocally critical of fellow Republicans for their impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Even though he is recorded in Senate records as giving a “not guilty” vote. In actuality, he cited Scots law to render a verdict of "not proven".

Throughout the years you could always be sure that Arlen would be loyal to Arlen. While he outwardly appeared to be an opponent of President Bush's warrentless wiretapping of US citizens. He ended up voting for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Amendments in 2008. Effectively placing the executive branch, almost exclusively in charge of federal electronic searches.

It seemed that you could never take Arlen for granted. He announced on Feb, 15th 2005 that he was being treated for an advanced form of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Following a course of chemotherapy, he went into apparent remission and ended treatment on July 22nd. However, his illness appeared to be as contrary as his principals. It returned on April 15th 2008 in a "significantly less advanced form than when it was originally diagnosed in 2005." Following a continued chemotherapy regimen, he went into remission again on July 14, 2008 which continues to this day.

Arlen’s defection to the Democratic Party is in reality due in part to ongoing polls taken by Quinnipiac University, which have illustrated that Specter has a higher approval rating among Democrats in Pennsylvania than Republicans, 62-55 respectively. That plus the sobering fact that he is being targeted by rightwing conservative PACs. These influential money sources are bankrolling far less moderate opponents for the upcoming Republican primaries. Being, as always the, ‘fair weather friend’ Arlen decided to change horses in midterm.

His ex-fellow Republicans have certainly not bade him well. Even though they were all standing (like Brutus and his chums) with sharpened knives, hidden behind their backs. If I may geo-historically mix a metaphor, Arlen Specter is kind of like the Trojan Horse. You can see what he is on the outside but you never know which Arlen awaits you on the inside. He’s a man (it seems) whose principals flow any way the wind blows.

The Democratic majority in the Senate obviously doesn’t know how it feels. Arlen remains as always an “even though”. Even though he does bring them closer to the filibuster proof(?!) number of 60. There is no telling where he’ll put his voting power. And, with the rise of the new “centrist” caucus, (the infamous ConservaDems) Vegas is currently taking odds on, if Arlen is a blessing or a curse.

The most troubling outcome, as I see it, is the increased frustrations that this is going to cause the American public. We are already sick and tired of our elected officials being so childishly bipartisan. Now it seems like we’ve got to worry that they’re all going to be bipolar too.

Dog Training

2009-04-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

A strange thing happened to me the other night. I was ‘sleep’ walking my way to the bathroom. Delicately balancing my sleepy haze with a temporary level of half consciousness. Which would allow me to safely navigate my course through the dark dangers of sleeping dogs and dog toys, deal with my bladder and still allow me to easily slip back into my interrupted state of blissful unconsciousness.

The house was dark and silent and seemed as sleepy as me until I noticed a sort of gleam coming from my office. It appeared that my computer, Hunter, was out of his “sleep mode”. As I looked into the office I saw that Scout (our Wirehaired Dachshund) was sitting at my computer.

Her butt was nestled in my chair with her long low body stretching out so that one paw leaned on the keyboard while the other paw was on the mouse. She was staring so intently at the screen, she didn’t notice me. I strained to focus on the screen and realized she was on my Blog page, The Opinion Sector.

Smirking and shaking her head in quiet disbelief she pushed the mouse and moved the cursor to the top of the page, right clicked and started looking through my bookmarks! I know that you find this all hard to believe. I did too but there she was, her little paw putting the mouse through its paces. Her beady little eyes blinking at the changing display, with just a hint of a smile on her little wiener lips.

I crept in quietly, quite disquieted by the queer and quirky scene. (I alliterate when I get nervous). She softly blew some air out of her nose. She had found what she wanted. She appeared to be looking at some gift site‘s products and collections page.

She moved the cursor over the “See All” link and when the list came up she moved it quickly to the “Pet Accessories” link. The smile on her little wiener lips grew craftier. Without hesitation, her little paw left clicked the mouse. Her eyes grew larger underneath her bushy eyebrows.

She scanned the new page left to right and back again with real determination. Standing up in my desk chair she leaned forward as her eyes narrowed and squinted at the screen. Peering down, she moved the cursor to the scroll bar, right clicked and scrolled the page downward. It was quite obvious to me that she was looking for something in particular. She had the same determined look on her face that she’d get, just before she’d steal Papa Dog’s treat.

I heard a soft yip, it could’ve been a yap but it was so quiet I really couldn’t tell. She almost tumbled out of my chair as she did the wiener dance of victory. She had definitely found what she was looking for.

She left clicked the mouse once and then again. A popup page appeared and she leaned closer to the screen. So close, her nose fogged the glass and her mustache and beard were silhouetted against the bright display.

She licked her lips like she does just before she bites me and she made a sound. A nasally sinister, expulsion of breath sort of like… “..eeh…eeh…eeh.” It’s kind of like the sound John McCain makes when he laughs. You know, like Burgess Meredith sounded when he laughed as the Joker on the original Batman TV series, “…eeh…eeh…eeh.”

It’s a really creepy sound and it was my cue to back out into the hall. I was a little shaky, not sure if I was dreaming this or not. Through it all I became aware of the reason I got out of bed in the first place. I continued on to the bathroom to complete my original mission.

On my way back I glanced nervously into the office but Scout was not there. Hunter was dark and my chair was back against the desk. When I got back to the bedroom, little Scout was lying in her bed as still as the night. Shaking my head I crawled back into bed right next to Kate, who mumbled in her sleep.

As I lay there I began to think that what I thought I’d seen was really just a dream. A by product of my nocturnal call of nature. After all, Scout is smart but she really couldn’t manipulate my computer, could she? I know she can be a…devious little devil… but…she has…no opposable…thumbs….and it…seems…unlikely…………

As my last thoughts turned to sleep, I thought I heard a quiet little yip. It could’ve been a yap. I wasn’t sure at all as I strained to remember the next morning while I was having my coffee. I didn’t say anything to Kate. I knew she would have told me I was crazy. Dogs…computers…sleep walking, that’s what it was.

After she left for work, I fed the dogs and watched a little news. I knew I was procrastinating about heading for the office. Scout appeared to be her normal morning self, playing with Merle’n and Mystic and annoying Papa Dog. I shook off my weird feelings and headed for the office.

So I sat down at Hunter and gave his mouse a wiggle or two to wake him up. As the screen came to life, the first thing I saw was a popup page. It was from a gift site and showed a Pink Plush Pet Carrier picture with the text, What pretty pet wouldn't want to come along for the ride if they could travel in stylish comfort like this? I was, needless to say, speechless. My eyes read further, 19" x 6 1/2" x 10 1/2" high.

My brain was trying to calculate when my ears heard a soft but ominous, “…eeh…eeh…eeh.” behind me. I slowly spun in my chair to find Scout standing in the door way. She had that strange smile on her little wiener lips. As I looked closer I noticed she had my handy, 4-in-1 Tape Measure (with built in calculator and notepad) lying at her feet. As I rose to begin measuring I heard a soft yip, it could’ve been a yap but it was so quiet I really couldn’t tell….

Feed Your Head

2009-03-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

Life can be pretty tasty. Grace Slick said it all in a song nearly four decades ago, “Feed your head!” Of course, she was talking about a different diet then I am right now but it’s close. You remember, don’t you? Late sixties, just out of high school, I wore beads, you wore fringe. We told the barber to get a real job and followed Doc Acid’s directions “Turn on, tune in, drop out!” We were all tripping and I don’t mean by Greyhound.

When the Ice Queen sang about it, she was talking about drugs, any and all kinds and being obliging young rebels; we ingested this and smoked that. We fed our heads with everything that was available. We convinced ourselves that we were adventurous travelers, exploring the limits of our inner selves but hey man, we were mostly just getting high. We liked to think we were searching for the meaning of life but we ended up just spinning our wheels in psychedelia.

Even though we eventually found out that drugs could not provide the answers they did pose quite a few questions. It was those questions that were the real benefit of the drug culture of the late 60’s and early 70’s. They didn’t provide enlightenment but they sure peaked our interest (pardon my pun) and increased our awareness. The music; that was in part fueled by the drugs, had a more crystallizing effect.

Psychedelic acid rock, both powerful and political, reached into our ears and shook us by the brain stems. It made us aware of things our parents had no time to think about, the human condition and the fragility of our planet. It also forced us to question the authority of our government. Civil rights violence, Vietnam, the world was in a state of flux and we had the audacity to think we could change it all.

The sixties became the seventies and somewhere around Altamont things began to spin out of control and when Disco hit, man the scene skipped a beat. The we generation became the me generation and the drug menu changed right along with it. It went from weekend psychedelic trips to party down pharmaceutical lifestyles. Quaalude ruled the day, uppers and downers and, good old cocaine, the ‘all around towner‘.

We got older (and wiser?) and as we climbed the ladder of success we were forced to confine our tripping to the weekends . We occasionally needed a ‘pick me upper’ or a ‘slow me downer’ but caffeine and alcohol came back out of the dugout to pinch hit. Making money was the new high and as always, we did it to excess.

Even today, we never have the time to realize that the high we’ve been chasing all this time has been chillin’. Just hanging out, waiting for us to slow down to catch up. Our senses are the real drug. We carry them around all the time but we just barely use them.

Most of our adult lives we try to close the doors of our perceptions. We shut down from life. Worries cloud our perceptions; the bills, the kids, our careers. We become “comfortably numb”. We begin to be afraid to experience life and that fear dulls the senses. We tend to catch the real experiences of Life as a blur in our peripheral vision.

There is no drug quite like the experience of life. If you want to expand your consciousness just open your senses wide because it is all around you. Life is the drug. Close your eyes and smell that newly mown lawn. What do you flash on? Riding your Schwinn on a warm spring morning or sweating over the lawn mower in the middle of a hot humid August day? It is all in the way you interpret it. It is all in where your head is at. The great thing is you have control. You can make it be, what you want it to be.

I’m saying you’ve got to feed your head everything, continuously. It is meant to absorb all of our experiences and I don’t mean just the drug induced ones. That blood red sunset at the beach, that ice cold pale ale sliding over your tongue and down your parched throat, Garcia noodling in your ear on that Sunday drive in the country, the warm spray of the Gulf in your face as your Hobie cat is flying a hull. When any of these sensorial experiences hits that sweet spot in your gray matter, you’re off and running. You’re higher than a kid on Christmas Your brain wants more and the good thing is that you can give it more. The more you perceive the more you receive.

Don’t get me wrong, we still love our drugs. It’s just that, with the help of our primary care physician, we have made them legal if not mind expanding. Now we’re more concerned with reduction not expansion. We use our drugs today to lower our blood pressure, reduce our cholesterol and shrink our waistline or our prostates. But hey, don’t be bummed out. If you are still seeking expansion, at least you have Viagra.

Vinyl Fence Buyers, Don’t End Up With “Buyers Remorse”. Read the Vinyl Fence Buyers Guide Before You Talk to the Fence Companies.

2009-02-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

Spring is just around the corner and so is fence buying season. If you’re one of the millions of home owners who are seeking to provide their family the privacy and security they deserve you’re probably starting to think about purchasing a lifetime quality vinyl fence. Dollar for dollar it is the best value on the market today.

However it is one of the largest investments you’ll add onto your house. In these tight economic times you’ll want the most from your investment. So you need to make the right decisions. You need to thoroughly research such a large investment before you make it.

His name is Michael Goldman. He is also affectionately known as, the Fence Doctor. One of his customers started that. He said Michael knew so much about vinyl fence , He should have a degree in “fence-ology”. Well I don’t know about a degree but he has personally guided thousands of people through successful fence purchases. Of course, to learn all he knows, He also had to go through a few rough purchases to truly experience all the ins and out’s. Now, we're hoping that you’ll take this opportunity to benefit from his years of ‘learning lessons‘.

The purpose of this report is to make sure that you’re aware of the special challenges you’ll face and the information you’ll need to gather to make a wise buying decision, when buying vinyl fence. So where does one get this information? Research. You need to know as much as you can about a product before you buy it. The more expensive the purchase the more research you need to do.

First and foremost, don’t believe everything you will hear. I know that you've been google-ing "vinyl fence" hoping to get any information that will help you make that big decision. However, all you've been getting back are sales pitches from the countless numbers of vinyl fence companies trying to sell you their fence. They are not interested in making you an educated buyer they just want to make a sale.

You will hear many different things regarding the properties of vinyl. And believe me, you’ll hear many contradictory statements. Just bear in mind the suppliers and dealers you’ll be talking to, are all trying to sell you what they have to offer. Therefore their view of vinyl products is, in most cases, limited to what it is they are selling. You’ll run into quite a few opinions about vinyl. Just remember that is what they are, just opinions.

Most people don’t realize the simple fact, that just knowing the right questions to ask can save you 1000’s of dollars. The flipside to that coin is, not having the right information before you buy, can cause you plenty of headaches and heartaches. Take your time and research thoroughly before you buy. You need to do your due diligence to avoid a bad case of buyers remorse.

The 'Doctor' has examined the process from the start to the finish and here are a few of the costly hazards that you need to investigate comprehensively, before you even start looking for a fence.

* Not all Vinyl is created Equal. - Did you know that there are different quality grades available and that commercial grade vinyl fence is superior to residential grade? Did you know that both virgin vinyl and recycled vinyl are readily available and that a company may be ready to sell you the recycled version and you would never know. Does it even matter? Did you know that there are different amounts of the very important ingredients (UV inhibitors and impact modifiers) in the vinyl which protect the fence from the suns rays and allow it to stand up to the elements? The highest quality fence is readily available at the best prices if you know what to look for and especially if you know what questions to ask and what info to gather.

* Size really does Matter. - Did you know that vinyl comes in varying sizes and thicknesses. One would think that the thickest is the strongest, or is it? The thickest vinyl is typically found in PVC pipe which can be in excess of ¼” thick. However, even thick PVC pipe (if exposed to the elements) will yellow and possibly turn brittle due to the fact that it hasn’t been blended with impact modifiers and UV Inhibitors. Thickness is extremely important BUT it is only one factor in the quality formula that is used to create commercial grade vinyl fence.

* Where to buy? Internet VS Home Improvement Chain Stores. - Did you know that you can generally get a higher quality fence over the internet than from those big name home improvement stores? Why is this, what are the differences and what does one look for. This is very important and can make the difference from having a fence that will last you a lifetime VS one that may only last 10 years. Even though the ad from the local home improvement store shows their prices are unbeatable. There are hidden costs that will surprise you! Buyer beware, this can be very misleading.

* What do you do before you do anything else? - Did you know that you may need a permit and that there maybe code restrictions? I have seen these facts alone or not knowing them, cost people a lot of extra money and some real heartaches. Know how to make the proper decisions and how to get the proper information BEFORE making any buying decision.

* Which company do you choose for your specific fence project? - There are so many places to buy a vinyl fence. How does one pick the RIGHT one? Would you like to have expert counseling in deciding between; the Major Manufacturers, the local fence company, internet companies, the local home improvement store? Who will provide the best product at the best price, while offering comprehensive service? This information is INVALUABLE and could save you thousand of dollars.

* Which questions do you ask to make the RIGHT decision? - Do you know the answer to this? Most people don’t. Not knowing what to ask and what information to gather opens the door for big MISTAKES. How can one get the best product, at the best price, with the very best service without knowing the proper questions to ask in the first place?

* Understanding the shipping and receiving process. - This is the trickiest part of the whole process and where many potential problems can happen. One must know exactly what to expect and how to prepare. With a thorough understanding of the process and by knowing what to expect, most if not all problems will be alleviated and you can expect a good experience.

* Have you ordered everything to insure a smooth installation? - This can save you a ton of money because if you don’t order everything you need for your unique project, you could possibly have to order more items. These additional items, along with the exorbitant costs to ship them, have wiped out many a well planned budget. You need to know exactly what to discuss with your supplier to prevent any potential miscommunication which may lead to you not having EVERYTHING you will need.

I hope that we have helped you understand some of the many things you need to research before you start your search for the perfect fence. Vinyl Fencing can be costly and confusing but as I said earlier, dollar for dollar it is the best value on the market today. You have made a wise decision to purchase vinyl.

However, make sure that you get your moneys worth. You need to thoroughly research vinyl fence before you start calling the fence companies. Take your time and do your homework first. Seek out any and all information on the subject. Go to the library, search on the internet, there are consumer guides and references available to you such as the Better Business Bureau. Take advantage of them.

Your family deserves the best the industry has to offer just make sure you do everything you can to gather all the information you need, to make a wise decision that will benefit you all, for many years to come, with a product that will last you a lifetime. You need to be an educated consumer before you can be a satisfied buyer.

Excerpts from The Vinyl Fence Buyers Guide, Copyright 2008 David Spangenburg & Michael Goldman

A Vinyl Fence purchase and installation can be very expensive and confusing. You need this 70 page, comprehensive and honest, guidebook. It takes the risks out of buying! You must read the Vinyl Fence Buyers Guide. It’s a candid and unbiased look behind the scenes at vinyl fencing. You can find it at http://www.vinylfencebuyersguide.com/

It's not a trade manual, filled with industry jargon and dry terminology. It was written for you, the buyer, as a quick, easy read. 70 pages filled with ALL the critical facts and information you need, laid out in a straight forward and sometimes humorous manner. It's a priceless resource! An easy to read step by step approach that walks you through each and every phase in the purchase and general installation of your new Vinyl Fence. For more details, go to:
http://www.vinylfencebuyersguide.com/

Dragons and Ogres, A Fable for our Times

2009-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

There once was a beautiful village that lay far away across the big water. The people in the village were a unique and proud sort, and had overcome much adversity and tyranny at the hands of their previous ruler. They wanted a village that protected their uniqueness and that would grow to be the largest and richest anywhere, so they hatched a Dragon’s egg for its protection. They knew that once it had grown, this Dragon would in turn protect the village from ogres and help it to prosper and grow strong.

At first the Dragon was small and fragile and it was up to the people to protect it from the evils that roamed the world. It was a lot of hard work and money, but the people realized if everyone worked together it would minimize everyone’s sacrifice. They knew if they wanted the best from the village they had to give their best to the village. So they struggled on, and through their cooperation and diligence they forged a society second to none.

The villagers soon realized that they could not do their jobs to keep the village growing and still have time to take care of the Dragon. They knew that they had to find someone in the village that had time to spare. Of course, the ones who had the most time were the ones that had the most money and property. They were chosen to be dragon keepers, and they promised that they would always protect and feed it for they had the most to lose if the ogres came. Once the villagers were relieved of their burden they worked even harder and the village began to prosper.

The dragon keepers gathered money and goods from the villagers, which they sold and traded to feed the Dragon. Because he was still small, they bought weapons and created an army to protect him. As he grew strong, so too did the village, it became the richest and most powerful of all and so too did the dragon keepers.

Now it came to pass, some of the keepers decided to change the rules and began to demand more from the common villagers and less from the other land owners. Their friends became richer and more powerful, and soon they influenced all of the decisions regarding the village. The common people, forced to work longer and harder, did not rebel because they had become very dependent on those in power and felt that they knew best.

It has been said that absolute power corrupts absolutely. As the dragon keepers’ egos grew they began to convince the Dragon that its primary duty was to maintain the status quo that they had carefully created. Soon it began to protect just the ones with money and influence, and allowed the weak and the sick to fall along the wayside. The poor, undereducated villagers were sent to foreign lands to fight and die, trying to acquire more wealth for the glutinous elite.

The village began to change. Soon soot and filth covered the once splendid towers, and the fresh rivers lay stagnant, fouled by the waste of the ruling classes. Not wanting to pay a fair wage to workers it became dependent on sometimes dangerous imports. Self-indulgence and laziness overcame the artists. Unable to create new art, they could only try to mimic the works of the past and to showcase the idiocy of the present. The people of the village became crass and ignorant and driven by the basest instincts.

It was truly a dark time for the formerly glorious and powerful village. Its financial structure began to tremble under the weight of its excesses. Vanity and folly had stretched its once mighty army to the breaking point, and old enemies, sensing the growing weakness, began to taunt and to threaten. The previously proud Dragon, finding that he was no longer capable of fire, could only show his teeth and growl ineffectively.

The moral of this story is simple. If you want to protect your village from ogres, don’t put them in charge of raising the Dragon.

Siren Song

2008-11-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

The road is eternal,
its yellow line a perpetual exclamation of freedom.
Oh, to be the wheels that chase that line,
that race away…to forever.

The open road has always been synonymous for freedom. Long before the automobile, the road was a lure to our species. We wandered out of Africa just barely upright and looking to straighten our stride. Down through the centuries we just kept on going. We never seemed to be satisfied with where we were. We just had to keep trying to find out, where else we could be.

We spread all over the eastern continents and when we got to the edge of the Atlantic, dove in and swam to the other side. Once there, we wandered the plains, the frozen mountains and burning deserts till the migration ended. After that there was just a country to build. So, we settled down, soaked our itchy feet and for many years our wanderlust lay dormant.

Now, it came to pass that the period following World War II was a boom time for our country. America went back to work full time, our industries thriving and our farmlands abundant. People left the cities in droves and snuggled into suburbia. We had proven to the world, and ourselves, that we were the big kids on the block and finally we had the money and the cars to enjoy it.

We also had discovered something even more precious, leisure time. We took a breather and when our vacations came we just had to show our kids what it felt like to be mobile. We had to show them that freedom was not just ‘living’ in the USA’. Freedom was also the open road!

Not just any road, Route 66, the "Mother Road”. US Highway 66 was established on November 11, 1926. She cut diagonally across the middle of the U.S. like an exploratory surgery from Chicago to Santa Monica., 2,448 miles of wide open spaces and sheer American beauty.

Originally, the escape route west during the dustbowl of the thirties, the revenues she generated spawned small towns and roadside attractions. She was lean and flat on the horizon, which made her a popular truck route and she had her share of natural wonders like the Painted Desert and the Grand Canyon to dress her up some.

The more fashionable she became the more wealth she generated. All sorts of strange and wonderful sights sprang up alongside her, like mushrooms after a heavy rain. The Cadillac Ranch, the U-Drop Inn, the tee pee shaped Wigwam motels, and Red’s Hamburgers, the first drive through eatery. The wonders she inspired on her way west paved the way to her reputation as the ultimate appetizer plate of pure Americana.

She’s been immortalized in song, on TV and in literature. Bobby Troup wrote his best-known song,
“Get your kicks on Route 66” as he rode her west to California and Ray Charles sang “Hit the road, Jack” to honor Jack Kerouac, who cruised “The Main Street of America” several times when he was On the Road ,with friends Neil Cassady and Allen Ginsberg. She became a major symbol of the new American way of life.

Alas, there were dark clouds on her horizon. President Eisenhower, inspired by Germany's high-speed roadways during World War II, predicted a similar system of roads for the US, and in 1956 signed the Interstate Highway Act. After only 30-years in existence, Route 66 was placed in the ICU and she never fully recovered.

“The Main Street of America”, was officially decommissioned from the US Highway System on June 27, 1985. She was replaced by various legs of the Interstate System which bypassed the countless small towns and roadside attractions that made her so popular. Leaving them to wither and die on the vine.

This also marked a change in the culture of our road trip holidays. These new highways were meant to be rode fast so instead of stopping to smell the roses, we started chasing the exhaust of our fellow travelers. No more vacillation on our vacation. The destination became the new sensation.

The Mother Road still lives on, even though she doesn’t always appear on the maps of today. Portions of her have been designated a National Scenic Byway and given the name "Historic Route 66". It’s not possible to ride her continuously east to west or vice versa. However, the remaining eighty percent is still drivable with precautious planning and a pinch of patience.

This is good news because our species is still driven by a primal urge to look for the greener grass at the other end of the block. Maybe that’s the problem with America today. We don’t have any horizons to look to anymore. Perhaps the next time we hear that siren song we’ll stop to realize that we don’t need to “democratize” another country. We just need more dreams to pursue. We need new roads to chase.

Open letter to the American Middleclass!

2008-11-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

Just who are they calling Joe anyway? Do they really think they can take the vast and diverse collection of individuals that make up the mighty middleclass of America and dilute us down to a beer drinking, can crushing, bulls**t spouting jingoist? Ready to sit up and beg for their guidance?

YEAH, THEY DO!

Do they think they can turn the once greatest power in the world into a third world country teetering on the brink of financial and physical ruin by giving major corporations huge tax breaks for outsourcing American jobs and industries all the while not paying to maintain and repair our country’s crumbling infrastructure? Leaving us with few industries, rising unemployment and falling bridges, broken roads and tunnels? Expecting us worker bees to watch the upper 1% get richer while we work our asses off to pay the difference?

YEAH, THEY DO!

Do they think they can get rid of the watch guards; of our economy, our environment and our safety and appoint wolves to watch over the sheep while they rape our resources, deregulate our safety and turn our once mighty dollar into funny money? Do they think they can deny the pure logic of science and embrace the emotional confusion of religions that reject reality and deny the benefits of research that could put an end to medical problems that have plagued mankind for centuries and help to prevent this planet’s inevitable demise at their hands?

YEAH, THEY DO!

Do they think we’ll keep watching our young Americans die in their OIL WAR! All the while knowing that Saddam Hussein was never a threat to America or American interests? He just controlled 11% of the worlds oil resources’. SO THEY LIED TO US, lied to the world and preemptively invaded a sovereign country. Killing hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi women and children and costing the lives of 4,124 young U.S. soldiers and another officially reported 30,182 seriously wounded young American casualties. Do they think that we can keep spending billions every month for the honor(?) of being stuck in this desert standoff and all the while instead of admitting their mistakes and bringing our young men and women home to safety they stand looking at Iran just licking their lips in anticipation?

WHAT CAN WE DO?

We need to show them that we resent their condescending attempts to homogenous us. We are not half cooked scrambled eggs all runny and weak. We are a very hearty stew of mixed beliefs, competing philosophies and diverse tastes! We are not joe six pack, joe the plumber or even average Joe the middleclass schmoe. We are the many we are strong and oh so very tired of their contemptuous, patronizing attempts to diminish all the differences that make us tough American citizens.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

We need to show them they should stop stabbing us all in the back and just lean over and kiss our collective ass! When you look at the damage of the last eight years it’s easy to see that our supposed leaders have been America’s greatest enemies. They have used the subterfuge of terrorism and safety to do as much damage to our democracy and our freedoms as they possibly could. Even though it meant destroying our economy and the entire planet in the process.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

We must remind them that ever since it’s inception, our country has taken in all of the races, cultures, religious dogma, political agendas et al that color our planet and struggled to blend them into the consummate example of the best and the worst that mankind has to offer. We, middleclass Americans, are the heart of this multiracial, multicultural and multinational cross section. We are the fuel that drives the engines of our economy. We are the workforce they expect to stay productive while they increase our hours, shrink our wages and take away our benefits. More importantly, we are the voting force that can keep them from screwing things up anymore than they have already .

IS IT TOO LATE?
YOU BE THE JUDGE!

They’ve had laws passed which state that they can control any and all dissent with unrestrained violence if need be! They have financed and increased the research and manufacture of non-fatal but highly effective weaponry used to control large crowds of disgruntled people. They have secured vast parcels of land in remote areas and built sturdy containment camps to incarcerate millions of dissident individuals! Since late September 2008, just a few weeks before this Presidential election, U.S. Northern Command’s 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has been deployed to active duty on American soil for what is expected to be a permanent mission to respond to possible domestic or foreign terrorist attacks on American soil and to control crowds of American citizens in the case of mass civil unrest.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
VOTE!
VOTE AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT!!!
BECAUSE IT DOES!!!!

Kerouac’s Ghost Haunts the Bars of St Petersburg FL

2008-11-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

The road ended here. Actually, just about four blocks away from where I sit right now at my computer. Jack Kerouac was taken from his home at 5169 10th Avenue North to St Anthony’s Hospital here in St Petersburg FL, where he died from an internal hemorrhage caused by cirrhosis of the liver. Alcohol finally gave him his ultimate road trip on Oct 21st 1969, at the age of 47. He always said that St Pete was "a good place to come to die". Some say he was cursed when he said that, cursed to haunt the bars in St Pete, much like Davy Jones haunts the seven seas! So on the 39th Annual Celebration of his final road trip, all you barflies all over St Pete stay alert and when the time is right, raise your glasses to the King of Beats! And say…
…here’s to you, Jack!

Born on March 12th 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts his French Canadian parents named him Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac. His ancestry would have an influence on him throughout his life. A child of two cultures, he did not learn to speak English until 6 years of age. Jack’s early adult years found him be-bopping between wandering America’s highways and byways as an itinerant, and staying at home with his mother. The cultural shifts of post-war America were forcing him to define his own place in society, ultimately causing him to refuse the repressive morals and limiting social ethics of the American fifties. These rebellious values led him to drugs, alcohol and the road. Even though Jack’s tenacious devotion to these three muses ultimately lead to his death, it also fired the boilers of his creativity and forged the works that are often cited as some of the great literary mechanisms that helped lay the foundation for the counterculture of the sixties, much to Jack’s dismay.

Jack’s first novel, The Town and the City, published in 1950 was well received but did not bring him fame. Even though he wrote persistently his rebellious philosophy and his experimental writing style did not mesh well with the structured publishing estate, and he struggled to get his next novel into print for six years. Finally, after drawing from a number of earlier drafts, he created what is now the classic beat saga, On the Road.

In one of the many tawdry tales that populate Kerouac’s mythic legend, it goes down that he completed the first draft of the novel during a three week period of ‘spontaneous confessional prose fueled by Benzedrine and coffee’. The reality being that he outlined the work over the course of several years. After many rejections, Viking Press purchased the novel but demanded major changes before going to press. On the Road was published by Viking in 1957.

Jack’s writing style was driven by his love of Jazz and had a quick conversational cadence. Some say it was meant to be heard by the ear more then read by the eye, and along with the works of Neal Cassady, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, John Clellon Holmes and others, formed the literary structure and irreverent and caustic guiding philosophy of the Beat Generation. Kerouac's best known works are On the Road, The Dharma Bums, Big Sur and Visions of Cody.

A few critics wax psychological about his “inability to enjoy personal success” and his “quest for spiritual cleansing” and some have said these demons overcame him in his later years revealing hidden prejudices and inflexible conservative ideals. At the end of the road, he was living back at home with mom and his third wife Stella and was buried in his home town of Lowell, MA. which holds a festival each year honoring his memory.

As with a great number of world altering artists, true recognition of his literary and social contributions would elude him during his life and only really manifest itself years after his death. Today, he is heralded as one of America's most vital and significant authors influencing the work of many of our cultural and literary icons from Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison and the Beatles to Ken Kesey, Lester Bangs, Tom Robbins and Richard Brautigan. He was without doubt a great American novelist and poet, and the leading figure and spokesman of the Beat Generation, which he named. The 50th Anniversary Edition, an uncensored and unedited version of On the Road was released by Viking Press September 2007. And so, here on the 39th anniversary of when he last beat feet on the street…
Here’s to you, Jack!

Send in the plumber!

2008-11-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

A lot of people scrambling around out there trying to determine just who the hell, Joe the plumber really is. Isn’t it obvious? He’s a red herring. As Alfred Hitchcock would say he’s a McGuffin. What is a McGuffin? It is a plot device that motivates the characters or advances the story, but the details of which are of little or no importance otherwise.

Joe the plumber is a ringer brought in by and for the McCain campaign. He's right out of central casting! A McCain product placement at a Obama event just in time for McCain to spin it at the debate. Ah, hackneyed political melodrama at it's most banal. "Joe the plumber" talking points were being unleashed like noxious gases before the debate was even over. Talk about telegraphing your next punch, how many times did McCain chant his name, 23...24?

The ’plumber’ symbol is very much like Palin’s, ‘joe six pack’, weak attempts to fool working class average joe Americans into thinking that the Republicans aren’t Republicans at all but are actually populists.

That’s why they brought in Sarah Palin. Basic, simple Sarah fresh out of the Alaskan wilderness toting her gun and evangelical credentials. Guns, god, and wink, wink, nudge, nudge!! Then they turned her loose to be an attack dog, which is normal for a VP candidate. However she wasn’t trained at all. No time! She had to hit the road running and snapping, the lipstick-ed pit bull!

All teeth and no nuance can turn real nasty really quick! Innuendo was trumped by desperation and her spirited rallies turned into vicious mobs which she and McCain couldn’t even control. Her technique was so raw that even the major conservatives gave her the thumbs down.

You got to figure the Republican elite never expected to win this go round any how. Not after 7 years of ‘W’! They also knew the economy was going to tank. It allowed their Hail Mary play for their standard destroy government at all costs mania. I think they figured that any Republican candidate was going to be a sacrifice play this go round. They had to pick the one with the least to lose.

Let’s see, who should it be?! The maverick(?). The war hero, the one who was too old to make the next go round. Think back in early primary season, McCain actually lost way back then. Then amazingly the old warrior rises from the battleground and now trudges on to his very own Alamo. Then pick a power mad newbie of no real consequence to be his toady and send them both out looking for windmills!

Now, just days away from Election Day, they stand. The old warrior and the ruined novice, their backs in a corner and nothing to lose. It is a very frightening scenario! This whole campaign has been a powder keg from the very beginning. This whole campaign season, starting way back before the primaries, has been straight up crazy and not a good crazy either. Not a “god, this is so crazy it’s almost funny” kind of crazy but a “fearful, anything can happen kind of crazy“! The kind of crazy that makes you turn your head away in embarrassment and sometimes in disgust.

This race for the white house has laid waste to my already dim opinion of our two party cistern. I haven’t voted since the ’68 election. That’s neither an apology nor bravado. It’s just a fact. However, if there was ever a time we needed our democracy to work it is now! The United States of America is coming apart at the seams. Our standing in the world is dangerously low and we are right on the cusp of losing the rest of our freedoms. I fear our time is running out.

Of course Joe the plumber was a plant. Just one of a number of very desperate actions taken by a dangerous faction of political people who are so beyond desperation they are bordering on anxious restless despondency. Some were talking, SCORCHED EARTH! (Praise be Armageddon!). Some said let’s plant a ringer at a Obama Rally. Luckily, they went for the ringer (a lot less to clean up).

However, we don’t have time for anymore melodrama. In these fragile economic times millions of dollars are being spent to throw lies and worse against the wall to see which will stick. I know that we’re primates, but this is beyond ridiculous.

Our once powerful nation is surely becoming a third world country. Our infrastructure is in shambles and our culture has devolved. We need to decide as a nation, just what is America’s direction in this new millennium. In order to do that we first need to settle this 50/50 split that seems to render any hope for decisiveness moot. It has become a vicious circle. I do know that even though we seem to be in the toilet. We certainly don’t need any more plumbers.