GO BUCKS! LET's KICK SOME ASS TODAY!!

think twice before agreeing to the GARDASIL vaccine series...

[PROVE Note: Judicial Watch recently reported that through several Freedom of Information Act requests, they have discovered 3,461 adverse reactions including eleven deaths reported to the FDA and CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System for the HPV vaccine. You can read Judicial Watch's report and documents at the link posted below.

Additionally, I'm including two recent articles on two different HEALTHY ALTHLETIC teenage girls becoming very seriously injured by the HPV vaccine. We'd like people to think about the fact that this is the same vaccine that is being pushed for mandates by misinformed or conflict-of-interest ridden legislators around the country.

As political races continue to heat up, be aware of the candidates from the presidential level down to your county officials and where they feel the government's role should be in health care. Experience shows that the more control the government has over your health care, the less freedom you will have, period. Don't forget that WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS - our FDA approved the HPV vaccine, our Congress gave the vaccine maker liability protection from the harm caused by this vaccine, and some of our state legislators and governors have tried to FORCE this vaccine on our young daughters. Look at these articles and ask yourself how much more you want the government deciding for you what you must do to be healthy. Find some candidates you believe in and help them. Our lives depend on it.

Mom Says HPV Vaccine Caused Paralysis in 12-Year-Old

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=95517

By Jackelyn Barnard

First Coast News

11/12/2007

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Brittany is a twelve-year-old girl who doesn't like to sit still. She's played softball. She ran cross country. The plan was to stay on the team and get a college scholarship, but two months ago, those plans drastically changed.

"She was walking through my house and collapsed. She told me she couldn't feel her leg. We went right to the hospital," says Christina Bell, Brittany's mom.

Bell says there were no answers at first, but then she started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Two weeks before her daughter's collapse, Brittany received her first injection of a vaccine called Gardasil.

"The doctor recommended we get the Gardasil shot and I'd been thinking about it because I've seen it on TV all the time," says Bell.

The vaccine, produced by Merck, is to help prevent contracting the Human Papillomavirus or HPV.

The virus causes 70 percent of cervical cancer.

Over the last year, the vaccine has been the center of moral controversy, but little has been mentioned about the number of vaccine reactions reported to the FDA.

Recent news reports link an association with paralysis and death with the vaccine.

"The reason I'm skeptical with this is this isn't a virus," says Dr. Guy Benrubi, an OB/GYN with Shands.

Dr. Benrubi says the HPV vaccine is one of the safest and he recommended it to his own child.

"The immediate risks are minimal. The FDA looked at those. We have not seen any major catastrophes," says Dr. Benrubi.

Benrubi says the majority of complaints are patients fainting during or after the shot.

So far, more than four million vaccinations have been done and nearly 4,000 adverse reactions have been reported.

"Even the worst case scenario, if you have four thousand in four million that is a one to one thousand potential adverse effect," says Dr. Benrubi.

The list of complaints range from temporary blindness, blurry vision, convulsions, seizures and numbness in arms and legs that won't go away.

"If you know something is happening why do you let it continue?" asks Bob Giuliano, Brittany's grandfather.

Giuliano and his daughter want answers as to how they didn't know paralysis could be a possibility for Brittany.

"I am very angry," says Brittany's mom. Two months later and after hours of physical therapy,

Brittany still has no feeling in her left leg.

Getting around is difficult. It's hard for Brittany to walk and balance and she often needs a little help.

"She's mad. I can tell she's mad," says Brittany's mom. A little shy, Brittany did not want to talk to us, but she did want her story told so parents and young girls know how her life has changed.

Now she is learning to cope with braces, crutches and a walker. "It's changed everything for us," says Bell.

Brittany's doctors have diagnosed her with Acute Demyelinating Encephalomyelitis or ADEM.

It is an inflammation of the brain that has been associated with a vaccination.

"I think there is a little cart before the horse going on here. I'm not saying this is not a good vaccine, but anyone who is going to have their daughter or child have this shot, they need to be fully informed of risks or potential risks associated with it," says Sean Cronin, Brittany's attorney.

Cronin says he can't go after Merck with a lawsuit because Gardasil is now part of a federal fund which pays out to those injured from vaccines.

First Coast News has learned, Gardasil was added to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund just months after it hit the market. "The Federal government would not put it on the list without medical scientific justification," says Cronin.

Brittany's family is filing an injury claim with the government.

They are also on a mission to spread the news of what they say can happen with the vaccine.

The family also holds out hope that one day, old Brittany will be back walking and running like she did once before.

"I do wish the doctor would have known and would have said there is a chance that this could happen. If he would have said, I would have never done it," says Bell.

The FDA told First Coast News the adverse reaction reports are not a good indicator of a direct cause or relation with an incident. The FDA also says they have investigated several deaths but did not find any association with the vaccine.

Merck told First Coast News it is unaware of Brittany's case. Merck also says it actively monitors the adverse reaction reports and other databases throughout the world.

As for the vaccine being added to the government vaccine fund, Merck says it is their understanding that all new vaccines are added to the fund.

The Pharmaceutical giant says the latest numbers show that ten million HPV vaccines have been given in the United States.

---------------------------

Teen falls ill after vaccine injection

Reported by: Larry Seward

Email: seward@nbcactionnews.com

Last Update: 11/13 9:08 am

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=fabcbaad-8971-4db0-8ed1-42ccbc106f20

LAWRENCE, Kan. - A Lawrence couple is furious over a new government-approved vaccine designed to prevent a type of cancer. They say it almost killed their daughter and significantly altered her life.

15-year-old Marissa Omon is an athlete. The daughter of a Nigerian soccer player she played basketball, volleyball and track, until now.

Surgeons put a defibrillator inside her chest Monday night fearing her heart could stop at any moment.

"HPV cost my daughter. It almost cost her her life," said Edem Omon.

Edem Omon is convinced his healthy, athletic teenage daughter Miranda almost died because of a vaccine doctors gave her to prevent cervical cancer.

Three weeks ago Miranda took a physical. Edem said he reluctantly allowed a doctor to give her the HPV vaccine.

"He convinced me the drug was safe," said Edem.

Less than three hours later, while practicing basketball at Free State High School, Miranda suddenly collapsed. Her heart stopped. Paramedics needed a defibrillator to revive her. Miranda was rushed to Children's Mercy where she spent several days unable to walk or talk.

Doctors ran a battery of tests, CT scans, x-rays and biopsies. They could find no explanation for Miranda's sudden heart problem.

They say they do not believe the HPV vaccine has anything to do with it.

"I do believe it's safe," said Dr. Scott Dattel.

Dattel is not Miranda's doctor but said he's never heard of any major side effects caused by HPV, only soreness and fever.

"HPV vaccine was thoroughly tested before the FDA approved it and I do think for that reason it is safe," said Dattel.

Miranda is still in Children's Mercy. If all goes well she could go home this week but doctors will not allow her to play competitive sports that she loves.

-----------------------------

Judicial Watch Uncovers New FDA Records Detailing Deaths in 1,824 Adverse Reaction Reports Related to HPV Vaccine

http://judicialwatch.org/judicial-watch-uncovers-new-fda-records-detailing-deaths-1-824-adverse-reaction-reports-related-hpv-

Judicial Watch Sues FDA for Producing "Partial Response" to FOIA Request

(Washington, DC) -- Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released new documents obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, detailing 1,824 reports of adverse reactions to the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), Gardasil, including as many as eight deaths related to the vaccine. Judicial Watch had previously obtained 1,637 reports relating to Gardasil on May 15, 2007, bringing the known total to 3,461 adverse reactions including eleven deaths since FDA approval. Among the new information uncovered by Judicial Watch:

"20-Jun-2007: Information has been received - concerning a 17 year old female who in June 2007 - was vaccinated with a first dose of Gardasil. During the evening of the same day, the patient was found unconscious (lifeless) by the mother. Resuscitation was performed by the emergency physician but was unsuccessful. The patient subsequently died."

"12-Jun-2007: Information has been received - concerning a 12 year old female with a history of aortic and mitral valve insufficiency - who on 01-MAR-2007 was vaccinated IM into the left arm with a first does of Gardasil. On 01-MAR-2007 the patient presented to the ED with ventricular tachycardia and died."

"28-Aug-2007: Initial and follow-up information has been received from a physician concerning an "otherwise healthy" 13 year old female who was vaccinated with her first and second doses of Gardasil. Subsequently, the patient experienced paralysis from the chest down, lesions of the optic nerve. At the time of the report, the patient had not recovered."

From May 10 to September 7, 2007, the 1,824 adverse vaccination reactions reported to the FDA via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) included 347 serious reactions. Of the 77 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 33 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormities. Other serious side effects continue to be reported including, paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures.

"In light of this information, it is disturbing that state and local governments might mandate in any way this vaccine for young girls," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "These adverse reaction reports suggest the vaccine not only causes serious side effects, but might even be fatal."

Judicial Watch filed its request on August 20, 2007, and received the adverse event reports from the FDA on September, 13 2007. (On October 3, 2007, Judicial Watch filed a new lawsuit against the FDA for its failure to fully respond to Judicial Watch's FOIA request as required by law.

SOME FACTS ON THE GARDASIL VACCINE:

How safe is Gardasil? ( extracted from the Immunise Australia literature)

It is a frustrating time when our young girls and women are being lined up and jabbed with a vaccine that has the potential to affect their future fertility - HPV (Gardasil) vaccine - and that may be the least of the problems. Anyone with a HPV infection (and they are common), who is given the vaccine risks immune system shutdown or autoimmune disease. "Purpura vaccinatoria" - an abnormal immune system response has been recorded following vacination with smallpox and other vaccines when the vaccine recipient is already incubating the same infection. They are not testing for wart virus infection prior to vaccination. In the trials for this vaccine they were careful to exclude anyone with a wart virus or who developed a wart virus infection. They chose women who were not likely to have more than one sexual partner, thereby minimising this risk. THIS IS AN UNKNOWN RISK FACTOR but when you read the reports already in from overseas you will see that once again vaccination is not rocket science, unless you equate it with the ones that explode and obliterate!
Please pass on the following information and contact VISA for articles and flyers

"Your daughter may experience minor side effects such as redness, pain, swelling at the injection site and mild fever. (and the rest?)
She should not have the HPV vaccine if she is pregnant or if she has had a serious allergic reaction to yeast or any other vaccine components (aluminium phosphate, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate and sodium borate)."

*exposure to borax may impair fertility or cause damage to an unborn child. (there were 5 reported cases of babies born with congenital birth defects to women who had the vaccine within 30 days of becoming pregnant.
*aluminium is implicated as a cause of brain damage, a suspected factor in Alzheimers Disease, dementia, seizures, comas, allergic skin reactions.
* polysorbate is known to cause cancer in animals.

Imunise Australia literature also states:

*Cervical cancer is not common in Australia
*Most women who have HPV, slowly clear the virus naturally and do NOT develop cervical cancer
*(HPV) is so common that four in five people will have had genital HPV infection at some time in their lives. Most genital infections with HPV do not cause any symptoms and people do not know they have the infection. (* girls will not be screened for any HPV infection prior to vaccination)

On the subject of safety, as usual the promotional brochure that states "This information is correct as at March 2007", (re-enforcing my belief that carrier pigeons are exceptionally slow between the US and AUS) makes no mention of the myriad of adverse events already being reported at an alarming rate after 6 months of vaccinating in the US.

See the NVIC website for the full story but - “Out of the 385 individual GARDASIL adverse event reports made to VAERS, (Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting Sysytem) two-thirds required additional medical care and about one-third of all reports were for children 16-years-old and under, with nearly 25 percent of those children having received simultaneously one or more of the 18 vaccines that Merck did not study in combination with GARDASIL. NVIC is calling on the FDA and CDC to warn parents and doctors that GARDASIL should not be combined with other vaccines and that young girls should be monitored for at least 24 hours for syncopal (collapse/fainting) episodes that can be accompanied by seizure activity, as well as symptoms of tingling, numbness and loss of sensation in the fingers and limbs, all of which should be reported to VAERS immediately.”

"There are twice as many children collapsing and four times as many children experiencing tingling, numbness and loss of sensation after getting a GARDASIL vaccination compared to those getting a Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis) vaccination. There have been reports of facial paralysis and Guillain-Barre Syndrome. And doctors who give GARDASIL in combination with other vaccines are basically conducting an experiment on their young patients because Merck has not published any safety data for simultaneous vaccination with any vaccine except hepatitis B vaccine."(Barbara Loe Fisher)

Also -
*Merck only studied GARDASIL in fewer than 1200 girls under age 16 in pre-licensure trials
*Merck has not published any safety data for simultaneous vaccination with any vaccine except hepatitis B vaccine
*There were several VAERS reports of HPV infection, genital warts and cervical lesions after GARDASIL vaccination. It is unknown if the girls were infected with HPV before being vaccinated or if GARDASIL failed to protect them. One case of HPV infection occurred in a 22-year-old girl who had participated in a Merck GARDASIL trial in 2003 when she had shown "strong conversion to all 4 vaccine types" but "tested positive for high risk HPV" in 2006, according to the VAERS report.

“There have been estimates that fewer than 10 percent, even as low as 1 to 4 percent, of adverse events which occur after prescription drug or vaccine use are ever reported to government adverse event reporting systems.”
"If only 1 to 4 percent of all adverse events associated with GARDASIL vaccination are being reported to VAERS, there could have been up to 38,000 health problems after GARDASIL vaccination in 2006 which were never reported," said Fisher. "How many girls are really having short-term health problems associated with getting this vaccine that could turn into long-term neurological or immune system disorders? And how many will go on to develop fertility problems, cancer or damage to their genes, all of which Merck admits in its product insert that it has not studied at all? We just don't know enough to be mandating GARDASIL for anyone, much less vulnerable 11 to 12 year old girls entering puberty."

http://www.nvic.org/

But wait! There's more!

"Diane M. Harper, a lead researcher in the development of the humanpapilloma virus vaccine, says giving the drug to 11-year-old girls "is a great big public health experiment." Not only that, she says it's not been tested for effectiveness in younger girls, and administering the vaccine to girls as young as 9 may not even protect them at all. And, in the worst-case scenario, instead of serving to reduce the numbers of cervical cancers within 25 years, such a vaccination crusade actually could cause the numbers to go up.

"It is silly to mandate vaccination of 11- to 12-year-old girls There also is not enough evidence gathered on side effects to know that safety is not an issue."

“HPV is not just spread through sex. We have multiple papers where that's documented. We know that 3-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 10-year-olds, and women who have never had sex have been found to be positive for the cancer-causing HPV types."

More Information by Patricia Bohackyi - PDF : Cervical Cancer Vaccine Deception

http://www.vaproject.org/

AND the vaccine costs 120.00 a shot and you have to get THREE and it is ONLY GOOD FOR FIVE YEARS meaning boosters would be needed.

Can everyone see that this is ONE BIG GOVERNMENT APPROVED possibly soon to be mandated experiment using our kids? I would never recommend it to anyone......male or female.......and some say boys would really need the shot too in order for this to be truly effective but MERCK does not yet know if the vaccine is effective in boys. They are currently doing their silly studies on that now. Personally I think everyone should steer clear of this....especially if someone tells you to give it to your little girl. AND by that I mean anyone under 13 years of age.....which is the next targeted range they are after. They want to immunize kids now with Gardasil as young as possible. I hate to think more kids would have to die or suffer long-term physical consequences because of playing around to see what will or won't happen with this vaccine. ALL the docs I work for are PUSHING this vaccine left and right to all their female patients and those patient's daughters! It has become a mandatory offering for them...and they push it big time. I know how the system works with drug companies and our docs.......and the government who "quietly" tells many what they have to do and not do. I KNOW this has been laid on the docs to PUSH this vaccine to all their patients and it happens over and over every day. AND IT DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINST ALL STRAINS OF HPV......only a couple......so the so-called 100% effectiveness of this vaccine in preventing cervical cancer is BULLSHIT!

Here's more:

There is a lot of discussion around the blogosphere right now about the HPV vaccine, because Texas has made it “compulsory.”

In fact, in most states, to include Texas, exemptions are available to parents for religious, philosophical, conscientiously held, or personal reasons. Here is exemption information from NVIC, the National Vaccine Information Center:

Legal Exemptions to Vaccination

Medical, philosophical or personal belief exemptions are worded differently in each state. To use an exemption for your child, you must know specifically what the law says in your state.

Philosophical Exemption:

The following 18 states allow exemption to vaccination based on philosophical, personal or conscientiously held beliefs: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

In many of these states, individuals must object to all vaccines, not just a particular vaccine in order to use the philosophical or personal belief exemption. Many state legislators are being urged by federal health officials and medical organizations to revoke this exemption to vaccination. If you are objecting to vaccination based on philosophical or personal conviction, keep an eye on your state legislature as public health officials may seek to amend state laws to eliminate this exemption.

Religious Exemption:

All states allow a religious exemption to vaccination except Mississippi and West Virginia. …

Complete information here. In point of fact, all you have to do is assert a religious exemption in order to get it. Nobody has to vouch for you, sign for you, anything like that. Most parents don’t realize exemptions are available, that’s not information that is widely publicicized or that, for that matter is widely known, but exemptions are available in almost every state, and parents who choose not to immunize should take them. It’s a matter of simply filling out a line on the Immunization Record which states that parents have taken a philosophical/religious/personal/conscientious/medical exemption to immunization for their children. That’s all that’s required in most states.

The HPV vaccine is not safe, despite the claims of Merck:

The early reports of potential safety problems with GARDASIL raise concerns and questions that need to be addressed by government regulators, manufacturers and prescribing physicians. Specifically, the following concerns need to be addressed

Syncope, seizures and Guillian-Barre Syndrome have now been reported with hours to a week after GARDASIL vaccination. GARDASIL manufacturer, Merck, should add these serious adverse events to the product manufacturer insert.

Considering that over 20 girls have experienced syncopal episodes sometimes combined with seizures and serious injuries, physicians should consider only giving GARDASIL when the patient is safely laying down on the examining table. Because there seems to be syncopal reactions up until 15 minutes after vaccination, patients should be asked to lie down for 15 minutes after receipt of GARDASIL.

The information provided by Merck indicates that it is safe to administer GARDASIL with Hepatitis B vaccine. The prescribing information states, “Results for clinical studies indicate that GARDASIL may be administered concomitantly (at a separate injection site) with hepatitis B vaccine (recombinant). Co-administration of GARDASIL with other vaccines has not been studied.” [4] Due to the small number of girls aged 9 to 15 who appear to have been evaluated for GARDASIL safety in Merck clinical trials (fewer than 2,000) and lack of publicly available information about how many of these girls were given GARDASIL and hepatitis B vaccine simultaneously, the safety of administering GARDASIL and hepatitis B vaccine to all pre-adolescent girls is uncertain.[5]

Aside from Hepatitis B, Merck does not state that it is safe to simultaneously administer GARDASIL with any other vaccine. Considering that there are ongoing evaluations of a reported association between Menactra (meningococcal vaccine) and Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and Merck does not explicitly indicate that it is safe to administer to administer GARDASIL and Menactra simultaneously, consumers and clinicians should question whether administering both GARDASIL and Menactra at the same time is safe.

Similarly, adverse reactions were reported when GARDASIL was administered with eight other vaccines: Hepatitis A, MNQ (?), MEN (Menactra), TD (Tetanus and Diptheria Toxoids), DPP (Diptheria/Pertussis/Polio), PNC Prevnar (Heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate), DTaP (Diphtheria And Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine), and TDAP (Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis). Because Merck does not state that it is safe to administer simultaneously GARDASIL with any vaccine other than Hepatitis B, consumers and clinicians should question whether co-administration of GARDASIL and other vaccines is safe.

Most, if not all, of the reactions reported to VAERS were in response to the first of the three doses of GARDASIL. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS) developed for HPV vaccine states that severe reactions include “any unusual condition, such as a high fever or behavior changes. Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heart beat or dizziness.” [6] The CDC also states that “anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to yeast, to any other component of HPV vaccine, or to a previous dose of HPV vaccine should not get the vaccine.” Which of the reactions reported to VAERS constitute a “life-threatening allergic reaction” and which, if any, of the children and young adults who experienced reactions should receive additional doses of vaccine? At the October 2006 ACIP meeting, CDC staff stated that only “three serious reports were reported to VAERS after HPV vaccination in females 14 and 16 years of age. One of these patients had vasovagal syncope and was hospitalized overnight for observation.” [7]CDC’s summary of the first 76 VAERS reports suggests that CDC doesn’t regard the remaining reports as “serious.” CDC needs to clarify which of the reactions reported to VAERS constitute contraindications to further vaccination with GARDASIL and make this information available to the public and to prescribing physicians.

What were the short and longer-term outcomes for the individuals who experienced the reactions reported to VAERS? Is there information available that would help to predict the characteristics that predispose one to be at greatest risk of experiencing a serious reaction?

The CDC’s Vaccine Information Sheet indicates that allergy to yeast is a reason to avoid taking GARDASIL. Merck notes that contraindications to the vaccine include “hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the excipients of the vaccine. Individuals who develop symptoms indicative of hypersensitivity after receiving a dose of GARDASIL should not receive further doses of GARDASIL.” The prescribing information provided by Merck does not specifically note that yeast allergy is a contraindication to taking GARDASIL. Government regulators and the manufacturer need to address the discrepancy between these documents and clarify the issues related to yeast allergy and make this information readily available to the public and prescribing physicians.Additionally, Merck notes that vaccine ingredients include 225 mcg of aluminum (as amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate adjuvant), 0.78 mg of L-histidine, 50 mcg of polysorbate 80, and 35 mcg of sodium borate. These ingredients are not listed on the CDC’s VIS sheet. The public needs this information so that they can identify whether they have “hypersensitivities” to any of the ingredients and whether they are at risk of experiencing a serious allergic reaction. Hypersensitivities and known allergic reactions are critical pieces of information that need to be communicated to prescribing physicians in order to make the safest possible vaccination decisions…

Footnotes and entire article here

LOWES HAS APOLOGIZED about the family trees....

and said there was a mistake in their ad and they advertise CHRISTMAS trees in their store and on TV and elsewhere as it should be......not family trees. They say someone made a boo-boo before the ad went out.

Lowes refuses to call them Christmas trees but calls them Family trees instead...

Lowe's refuses to call them "Christmas trees," chooses to call them "Family trees"

In an effort to avoid the use of the term "Christmas tree," Lowe's has renamed their Christmas trees and are now calling them "Family trees."

In their Holiday 2007 catalog, containing 56 pages of Christmas gifts, Lowe's advertises hundreds of gift items, including scores of "Family trees." In fact, the word "Christmas" only appears two times in the entire holiday catalog. The ads mentioning "Christmas cover only 12 square inches of the 5236 square inches available.

Lowe's even has one of their Family trees turned upside down on a stand. We are not sure what the significance of that is.

Lowe's evidently did not want to offend any non-Christians, therefore they replaced "Christmas tree" with "Family tree." Of course, if Christians are offended that is evidently ok.

An on-line search of Lowe's does reference some "Christmas" items. In fact, a word search of their Web site gives the exact same number 174 of the word "Christmas" as it does the word "holiday." Most of the items mentioning Christmas appear to use the promotional line given by the manufacturer.

Their Holiday 2007 catalog features scores of products, including lights, wreaths, trees, and yard decorations. Most people would associate these items with Christmas, but not Lowe's! Except for two obscure references, they refer to everything in their catalog as "holiday."

Click here to see the front cover of the catalog and a page featuring their "Family trees." catalog ad.


here is a pic of one of the upside down trees...this one is in a stand.......I guess if the shape is correct......they might resemble a cross ......but most trees are not shaped in that manner and it looks very odd upside down...







this one is made specifically to be HUNG upside down and has more of a shape of a cross...

I am shaking my head on this one...especially the UPSIDE DOWN Christmas tree?????? That was an old 12th Century tradition in Central Europe.......apparently Target is also offering or displaying some trees upside down in some areas (NOT in my area thank the Lord)......but to me there is something very WRONG with the upside down tree.

The Christmas tree is symbolic......the top pointing to HEAVEN....something HOLY......

**Hanging fir trees upside down goes back to the Middle Ages, when Europeans did it to represent the Trinity. But now, Christmas trees are shaped with the tip pointing to heaven, and some think an upside-down Christmas tree is disrespectful or sacrilegious.

The trees were recently introduced to retailers for in-store displays, so more ornaments could be displayed at eye level to the buying public. And they left more floor space to hold extra stock of decorations.

But the upside-down Christmas trees have caught on, and are being sold to the public as a novelty piece. Target.com has a version that sells for $399 and comes pre-lit. Hammacher Schlemmer’s website has not been able to stay in stock.

Upside-down Christmas trees are either hung from a bracket on the ceiling like a chandelier, stood upside-down on a stand, or mounted tip-down on the wall.

and here is more:

By the 12th century it became a custom, especially in Europe to hang the Fir trees upside down from the ceilings to symbolize the Holy Trinity. The Upside down Christmas Trees was also considered to be the symbol of Christianity. But the real history behind the hanging of the Trees upside down still remains vague. Presently the trend of hanging a Christmas Tree has changed, because nowadays the tip of the Christmas Tree is made to point towards Heaven, as many think that an upside down Christmas tree is a sign of contempt. Christmas Carnivals offers information on the History of the upside down Christmas Tree.

Of course it is not like I WORSHIP the tree because I don't....but it still bothers me. While it is only a symbol to me I cannot imagine hanging one upside down.

this makes me sick to my stomach....

A Roman Catholic nun pleaded no contest yesterday to two counts of indecent behavior with a child in connection with accusations from the 1960s when she was a principal and teacher at a Catholic school in Milwaukee.

The nun, Norma Giannini, 79, faces up to 20 years in prison for what prosecutors say was sexual abuse of two male students.

Although dozens of nuns have been accused of sexual abuse, often in civil lawsuits, Sister Giannini is one of the first to face criminal charges, said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of Bishope Accountability, a group that compiles reports about abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

Mary Pat Fox, president of Voice of the Faithful, a lay group formed in response to the Catholic sexual abuse scandal, said she hoped the case would encourage more victims of nuns to come forward. “I think this is the tip of the iceberg,” Ms. Fox said.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office, Sister Giannini repeatedly assaulted the two boys while they were in middle school at St. Patrick School. The complaint said the assaults included intercourse and occurred in numerous locations, including a convent and a classroom.

The men who say they were abused, Gerald Kobs and James St. Patrick, now in their 50s, attended Monday’s hearing in Milwaukee.

“This is just a tragic situation for everyone involved,” said Sister Betty Smith, president of the Regional Community of Chicago of the Sisters of Mercy, the religious order to which Sister Giannini belongs.

Sister Smith said Sister Giannini had been removed from work with minors after one of the men came forward with accusations in 1992. She will be sentenced on Feb. 1.

We have heard a lot about priests sexually abusing others....this report says MANY nuns have been accused of sexual abuse....but I have to say this is the FIRST case I have ever read about in the public regarding a NUN. Not that I am naive enough to think for a moment it does not happen. BUT look how much time passed in between her actions and finally being charged and her facing those charges. Did she think she could be forgiven by God and keep this secret forever and not have to own up to it and face her charges? What made everyone wait so long and why did her guilt not cause her to come forward prior to now? I guess I would like to know what she was thinking and how she could keep going living her NUN life as if everything was okay. Something is very wrong here.

I am sorry but this entire story makes me sick to my stomach. It says her assaults included intercourse and occurred in numerous locations...including a CONVENT and CLASSROOM????????

REPEATEDLY? Will she be labeled a SEX OFFENDER and besides going to prison....if she gets out....will she have to do all the crap all the other sex offenders have to do such as register each quarter...etc......FOR LIFE??????

Veterans Day.....giving thanks to those who have served....

is what today is all about. So I want to give my personal thanks to all who have served our country in the military...and remember those who sacrificed their lives in the process.

AND let us not forget those stuck in Walter Reed Army Medical Center....especially with the holidays coming up. When making out your Christmas cards or just to drop a note...please send a card or letter to:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

what the crap happened yesterday with Ohio State?

I am still sitting here stunned about that one.....