While I'm getting a real post together...

I'm not crazy, and neither am I

Okay, where was I?

Oh, yeah.

See, I have been sort of out of commission for a bit. I took some time off because I needed to see someone about anxiety and depression that was getting a little out of hand. So, that's how I spent my holidays, more or less. I'm doing better now, but... well, we'll get more in depth as I begin blogging again.

In the meantime, here is some video footage taken of me describing my problems to my therapist:



As you can see, I am not quite fixed yet...

This is EXACTLY What Happened to Me

On the Pendulum Swinging

Okay, so I have been gone again. This time I won't make excuses, although I must say that I finally succombed to depression... for a while. I dunno. Depression has a way of sapping one's energies, don't you think?



Ah, well. It can't go on forever, can it?

Sniffing the Glue that Holds the Republican Party Together

An interesting tidbit appeared in an article about Sarah Palin's resignation recently:

Only a few years ago, the [republican] party was considered a model of lockstep discipline with around-the-clock message control and seamless coordination of policy and politics. But from all appearances, it has entered a period of inner confusion, verging on the dysfunctional... How did so organized a party come apart so swiftly? One explanation is that it hasn’t been swift at all. The Republicans have been in decline for some time — and in recent years, even in disarray... Dating back to 1992, Republicans have won a plurality in only one presidential election — and that lone victory, in 2004, was not nearly the triumph it appeared to be at the time. Its architect, Karl Rove, spoke of establishing a “permanent majority” for the Republicans, but in reality Mr. Bush won by less than 3 percentage points — one of the narrowest re-elections in presidential history. And although he claimed a mandate, his two big second-term initiatives — privatizing Social Security and immigration reform — were easily thwarted. Some of the strongest opposition came from within Mr. Bush’s own party — further evidence that the Republicans were even then losing their cohesiveness.

The rise of Repubican power, and their abuse of it as they became drunk with it and sought to crush opposition without considering the lives of Americans whom they also crushed along with their political targets, followed by their fall from grace, fascinates me.

I have always tried to accept change readily, and yet I am, as this blog's title says, amazed at some of the changes I have seen in various areas of my life. I thought the repukes would always be on top because they are the power elite, or at least they are the tools of ht epower elite. Now, if the Dems are on top... what does that say about the power elite, who are always in control of everything? Nothing happens unless they allow it to happen, right..? So, maybe the Dems are the new tools of the power elite?

I don't know. Whenever I make real observations about the real world, it sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory. I wonder why that is?

Blog reflections again

My blog looks a little dated with all the old anti-bush stuff on there... I need to clean house. Maybe put those in the "don't let this happen again" section :). Gotta stay up-to-date, even as I become old and musty myself...

Life.

Okay, sometimes life gets in the way of blgging. I'm going into a busy period that will probably cause some more of my frequent lapses in blog posting... I'll try to keep up when I can. Blog on!

If conservatives weren't hypocrites, we couldn't recognize 'em

The same-sex marriage debate rages on in my corner of California. It's a very right-wing community, so letters to the local newspaper generate a lot of responses from the "regulars" - locals who comment frequently on most articles & letters to the editor.

I always take the position that supports marriage equality, so I always end up being a defender of gay marriage, a hot topic here on the left coast. What I try to communicate to the other commenters, though, is that my defense of "gay marriage" has nothing to do with homo- or heterosexuality. It has everything to do with civil rights.

See, I have always been very much a live-and-let-live kind of guy. I have tried to live by the credo that people can do whatever they want, as long as they don't hurt someone else or infringe upon others' rights. This has led to conflicts in my life, as few people understood my belief that people should be allowed to do things that many feel they shouldn't, like commit suicide, etc. Where marriage is concerned, I believe consenting adults have the right to marry, period. That includes consentual plural marriage, same-sex marriage, even (gasp) between relatatives if they are adults when they enter into it and don't intend to reproduce (I draw the line at deliberate risk-taking with birth defects). I think it's nobody else's business, regardless of their individual moral values.

Also, as my wife will attest, before I was married I explained my resistance to legally-sanctioned marriage: I am firmly opposed to the idea that one of the most intimate parts of my life has to be licensed by the government, as if they own the rights to me like a slave. How can the government license who I fall in love with, the level of committment we have with each other, etc? Of course, I still married, but I did it for us, not to meet some government mandate. And with regards to California, where opponents to same-sex marriage frequently justify their position by procalaiming "The people have spoken!" (because they voted to ban it), I am also opposed to the idea that my marriage is subject to approval by popular vote.

Of course, local opponents to marriage equality also justify their position by ranting against homosexuality, citing "natural law" or what "nature intended", or that marriage is basically about reproduction, or that marriage needs to be protected and defended, or that it is the fundamental cornerstone institution of all human society and should be not defined as anything but a union betweem a man and a woman, and most often claiming that gays in civil unions in California already have all the same rights as straight married couples. I keep pointing out the obvious: They don't have the right to get married. If they did, we wouldn't be having this discussion over and over again.

So here I am, a heterosexual married man who shows up in the local newspaper forum to advocate for "gay marriage". Or as I think of it, advocating for civil rights while the "small-government" conservatives argue in favor of government micro-managememt of the intimate aspects of peoples' personal lives. They can shove their @#$% tea bags, as far as I am concerned.

Torture and Rape Rooms: America's way of saying "Howdy!"

Remember when former unelected president, sneering condescending liar, and incoherent half-wit corporate stooge George W Bush was giving speeches trying to sell his war-for-oil to the public by howling about Saddam Hussein's "torture and rape rooms"?

"Iraq is free of rape rooms and torture chambers."-- Oct. 8, 2003

"We acted, and there are no longer mass graves and torture rooms and rape rooms in Iraq."-- Apr. 23, 2004

"Saddam Hussein now sits in a prison cell, and Iraqi men and women are no longer carried to torture chambers and rape rooms ..."-- Feb. 4, 2004

"Because we acted, torture rooms are closed, rape rooms no longer exist, mass graves are no longer a possibility in Iraq."--May 3, 2004

Well, no one in their right mind believed him, but that doesn't matter because the war was bought and paid for by corporate backers anyway. Nevertheless, his promises lies have come home to roost:

Abu Ghraib abuse photos 'show rape'

"At least one picture shows an American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner while another is said to show a male translator raping a male detainee.

Further photographs are said to depict sexual assaults on prisoners with objects including a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube.

Maj Gen Taguba’s internal inquiry into the abuse at Abu Ghraib, included sworn statements by 13 detainees, which, he said in the report, he found “credible based on the clarity of their statements and supporting evidence provided by other witnesses.”

Among the graphic statements, which were later released under US freedom of information laws, is that of Kasim Mehaddi Hilas in which he says: “I saw [name of a translator] ******* a kid, his age would be about 15 to 18 years. The kid was hurting very bad and they covered all the doors with sheets. Then when I heard screaming I climbed the door because on top it wasn’t covered and I saw [name] who was wearing the military uniform, putting his **** in the little kid’s ***…. and the female soldier was taking pictures.”

The translator was an American Egyptian who is now the subject of a civil court case in the US.

Three detainees, including the alleged victim, refer to the use of a phosphorescent tube in the sexual abuse and another to the use of wire, while the victim also refers to part of a policeman’s “stick” all of which were apparently photographed."

So, that's how supporters of the war in Iraq "spread democracy." That's the "freedom" we heard so much about. Freedom for full-blown depravity done in your name and mine, that is.

When I refer to the Bush administration in blog- or newspaper-forum comments to account for these things, rightwingers always try to dismiss them by saying I am dwelling on the past, "blaming Bush"; that I should "just get over it". They insist the fault lies with either Clinton or Obama.

Well, the raped and tortured don't "get over it", and neither will I. It was just lies. It was treason.

Bonus rant:
When are we going to be held to account for irradiating the Iraqis with depleted uranium?
(pictures of some of the freedom we have spread)

The Constantly Amazing solution to partisan conflict

A wise blogger once wrote that we should not whine about society's problems without offering a solution. Personally, I think that's too heavy a burden. But it is nice to offer at least a suggestion sometimes, right?

Well, here at Constantly Amazed, we go that extra step and just solve the world's problems anyway.

Recently, I described how to solve California's budget problems. Not to rest on my laurels, I will now offer another Constantly Amazing solution: How to end partisan sniping in American politics.

Now, the Democrats will have to take the first step on this one, but here it goes: All they have to do is, en masse, switch their party affiliation from democrat to republican... and voila! No more partisan bickering possible.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying the former dems should discard their values. I'm saying they should take their progressive selves, values and all, and simply become... the NEW republican party! They could go on doing what they did before, just under a new name. Not only would there be no more bickering between parties possible... but as a the majority, the former dems would actually redefine the republican party from the ground up. The old republican politicians, what's left of them, would be reduced to their role of the party's howling little mob of extremists, and eventually voted out as troublemakers. Most Republican voters would be fine with it since they would still have their familiar product-label recognition. The few who objected could splinter off and form their own little ineffectual extremist parties where they could no longer do any harm. They could deify their rightwing media heroes, hold conventions, have tea parties, and put up candidates like, yes, Palin-Bachman and "Joe the Plumber".

So there we have it. In my Constantly Amazing wisdom (don't worry, I'm as humble as ever), I have solved the California economic crisis and brought an end to partisan gridlock. As soon as I get loaded up with caffeine tomorrow morning, I'll see what other crises I can solve.

Giant blob found deep beneath Nevada

Giant blob found deep beneath Nevada. You don't suppose it's him, do you?

Who Would've Thought?

Not too long ago, I wrote that if I read or hear of one more person claiming that liberals hate Rush Limbaugh because he's right, my head would explode. Little did I realize that there is such as thing as this. Maybe I should choose my words of exasperation more carefully next time..!

Gabby Rocks

Gabby is home and doing great. He has to take some antibiotics for a little while, but he seems to be back to his old self and is very happy to be home.

Thanks very very much to everyone for sending the positive vibes. We, and Gabby appreciate it :)

He's probably going to be a spoiled kitty for a while, but he also seems to really appreciate his home environment now that he has had another taste of the outside world. He agrees with me that it's better back at the castle.

By the way, click the image for a surprise from Gabby :)

Ciao! Meow! - Gabby

Get Well, Little Gabby...

My kitty cat is sick. Throwing up. Lethargic. Not eating or drinking. Hardly even sleeping! He's been to the vet, and we're hopeful. We cannot bear the thought of life without little Gabby the cat. That's a worst-case scenario. We are hoping he'll bounce back.

I am sad.

Update: My wife posted about Gabby on her art blog here.

Hurry and get well, little Gabby.

Oh, man...

Seriously, how many of you wish you could jump on an opportunity like this? The top of the heap. Damn.

"I'm better than Sheanc because I blog for Think Progress"

BUY ME THIS

Click Pic for More

Please, buy me this bass. You know you want to. You have to. You must. There is nothing in the universe more important right at this moment than the simple, inescapable truth that I should have this bass. You know it, and I know it.

It's $10,400.00, and worth every penny.

It's the only thing in life that will really make you happy, and it will certainly make me happy. Forget about all those other things that cloud your judgment with false hopes and fleeting moments of pleasure. Imaging the joy you'll feel knowing that you made me so happy by buying me this bass.

Please. Buy me this bass.

Let's get real: we all know there are questions, eternal questions, unanswered questions, about life, about existence, about the role we play in the grand and glorious panorama that is life itself. Well, here is the answer, truthseekers:

Buy me this bass.



This message brought to you by the Buy SheaNC This Bass or He May Never Be Truly Happy Ever Again, Probably, Foundation, LLC.

The Thing That Just Won't Die.

Dick Cheney seems to be everywhere lately. I hate that. The former Vice President, to whom I will always refer as "The Snarling Hunchback" because 1) he maintains a visage with all the charm of an ill-tempered dog; and 2) whenever I see him on television he seems unable to lift his head... he simply lets it hang forward and addresses people by turning it sideways and glaring at them like Bela Lugosi's Igor from Son of Frankenstein, and snarling his answers out of the side of his mouth. But all that is neither here nor there. The point is, we can't seem to get rid of him. He is all over the media. They love to combine the hideous and the spectacular, and in him they have a tabloid monster ready-made. It serves their purpose well, and his also.

Sad to say, I blame the Democrats for Cheney's newfound public persona. In 2006 they were elected to end the war and impeach Bush and Cheney. Period. Everything else came second. They had the chance to impeach and they should have done it. It was absolutely the right thing to do... and they blew it. They decided that all the evil that had gone before would go unchecked and unpunished. It didn't matter. Lying. Conspiracy. Mass Murder. Treason. No matter, it's all okay; can't be bothered. Might affect someone's career, you know.

It's like Stockholm Syndrome. Or Battered-Wife Syndrome. The Repukes have been the battering spouse, and the Dems have been their apologetic enablers.

Whatever. We've all studied a little history, haven't we? We didn't expect the world to suddenly become fair just because a bunch of us want it to be that way, did we? I guess not.

...and Dick puts the "mean" in meanwhile...

This Just In: Big Bald Rat Exits Sinking Ship

Hoky Smokes, Bullwinkle, get a load of this:

Samuel Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber, tells TIME he's so outraged by GOP overspending, he's quitting the party

Is there no end to the evidence that we live in a universe where the only thing you can count on is that it will continue to be consistently bizarre no matter how hard you try to find logic in it?

Mr. Wurzlebacher went on to proclaim that

...he wouldn't support any cuts in defense, Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid — which, along with debt payments, would put more than two-thirds of the budget off limits.

So there we have it: "Joe the Plumber" is leaving the Republican party and becoming a socialist. Hey, if Sarah Palin can be a socialist, then so can "Joe", right? Of course, that means those of us on the left might be stuck with the weird "exaggerator" Samuel Wurzelbacher aka "Joe the Plumber", who was not a plumber, not named Joe, and whose sociopolitical wisdom could fill a thimble with room left over to hide a family of subversive crickets and the printing press they use to produce their pro-cricket 'zine.

Here's my prediction: Mr. Wurzelbacher will latch onto one ot the more, shall we say, "out there" political groups and try to pull a Jesse Ventura and get elected Governor as an independent. Any bets on which one of these parties he might find attractive?

What war?

The last I heard, we are still fighting at least two wars. But, you know what? To watch/read/listen to the mainstream media, you wouldn't think so.

We are still blowing the hell out of the cradle of civilization, still killing people, still sending kids and adults to be used as corporate cannon fodder and convincing them that they are somehow defending our country by doing so. But I don't think I've heard anything about the wars in so long I can't remember when the last time was.

Sure, it's covered by the alternative lefty media that I frequent, but only us diehards read that stuff - Alternet and Buzzflash and stuff like that. Nothing from local, state, or national news that was notable enough to notice.

On a related note, I recently read a quote from boxing great Muhammed Ali. A recent quote for a magazine article, he said that one thing he does not understand is war.

That is a very interesting statement coming from him, I think, because I'll bet he actually understands war better than most people do. See, you can kind of think of boxers as analogous to different countries. Ali, as a "country", fought for two different reasons. First he fought to get something. Once he had it, he fought to keep it. He didn't just fight because he enjoyed it. He fought because he was trying to acquire something or to defend it - the same reasons we fight wars (I'm leaving out the third reason - to destroy something - for now). Ali knows all about war, including how to win one, but perhaps he is unwilling to accept that the brutal, ugly aspects of boxing can be applied to entire populations. I guess it is hard to understand why entire countries can be made to behave like two pugs slugging it out to win a gaudy belt or some money.

GOP Reaches Out [with a withered rotting claw that grasps a jagged poison encrusted dagger that would stab at the soul of humanity]

This is fascinating to me. Republicans are scrambling to redefine themselves in the wake of their defeat in 2006 and again in 2008. According to this article,

“…a group of Republicans are trying to re-frame and re-focus the party.”

Because, as the article explains,

"According to a recent ABC poll, only 21 percent of Americans self-identify as Republicans. That's the lowest number since 1983. And only 39 percent of Republicans themselves [that's 39% of that 21%] say they have faith in congressional Republicans to 'make the right decisions for the country's future.'"

No shit, Sherlock.

It fascinates me because the Republicans still call themselves "conservative" with a straight face, and insist that's what they are. Okay, for the moment we will give them that: Because, if they really want to "re-frame and re-focus" the party, they must do one of two things:

• They must either return to real conservatism, which they abandoned in favor of neocon adventurism and corporate plutocracy, or
  
• They must stop giving disengenuous lip service to conservatism altogether, and admit that the Republican party wants to redefine its political ideology as "whatever it takes to return to power."

The article implies these Republicans want to attract moderates and independents to the party, after they recently left it in droves. But how can they do this without acknowledging that they need to abandon the policies that drove people away, and adopt new ones to entice them to return? And, how can they adopt new policies and still call themselves conservative? Unless, that is, they plan to abandon neoconservatism return to real conservatism, including fiscal restraint and sharply limited involvement in foreign wars. They must also resist new ideas, change, and forward-thinking; and those are some of the things that their lost membership felt was lacking in the first place.

It's okay if they want to re-frame or re-focus the Republican party; heaven knows it could use it. Frankly, I think most Americans could live with a government that included a balanced mix of fiscal conservatives and social liberals (I think that's how most Americans define themselves anyway). But this road show looks to me like a deperate attempt to entice swing voters with disengenuous pandering that belies their intention to continue in the same vein they have for years; the party of corporate powermongers and international strategy game players to whom we are simply pawns. Whoever buy the crap they're selling is getting played.

A Grain of Salt

My blog friend Nunya over at politckybitch raises some interesting questions about current events regarding swine flu in her post entitled "Color me cynical on the whole swine flu thing". Would maintream media employ sensationalism to distract from other issues, like the torture memos? Hmm...

Time on Wheels

Not too long ago, GM decided to stop production of the Oldsmobile line. Now, they are discontinuing Pontiac as well. This is sad to me. Classic Americana fading into history like an old photograph. I never thought I'd live so long.

It's not like I was unaware of such things. When I was most into cars, during my teens (16yo in 1976), I knew about brands that were real high flyers at one time that no longer existed, like DeSoto, Studebaker, Packard, and Willys, to name a few. But in those days, American autmomakers appeared strong, if knocked for loop by the energy crisis of the time. But the writing was on the wall. Anyone who is about my age would probably agree that new cars in the 70's were cheap, ugly crap. That's why we car buffs looked to the past for quality. It's probably also the first step in the sharp decline of the American market. Small efficient foreign cars took over, and American manufacturers struggled to produce poor imitations of those. Later, during the mass-consumption-consumerist-culture-me-me-me-gimme-gimme-gimme-more-more-more culture ushered in by Reagan & the Yuppies, big American junk became popular again, and the US automakers returned to producing the wrong product for the wrong reasons. In the meantime, I became a VW enthusiast in the mid- to late-eighties.

Now they pay the piper in so many ways. Oldsmobile and Pontiac, producers of such memorable machines as the Olds Rocket 88 & 442, and the historic Pontiac GTO, have gone to join the Studebaker Hawk and its brethren in automotive Valhalla. In the wake of peak oil, we look to hybrids and alternative fueled vehicles to carry us into the future. I just wish I wasn't so damn sentimental.

Update: I should add this: I had a great aunt who died in 1998 or so. As far as I know, she never lost her mental faculties. She was born around 1900 and was a nurse during WWI. Imagine witnessing almost the entire 20th century pass, and being aware the whole time! Incidentally - she chain smoked right up to the end. Go figure. Also: I inherited her favorite rocking chair, which she inherited from her father.

Tales from the Opinion Page Battleground

Recently, I donned my armor and engaged in battle on my local paper's opinion-page comment forum. The letter-to-the-editor in question was asserting that America was "founded on Christian principles". No, I am not broadcasting through time from the 13th century. Where I live there are people who think that way.

So anyway, as I researched my comments in order to rhetorically eviscerate my opponents, I found some rather funny rules that we are to follow if we are indeed a Christian nation. So, I thought I would pass these along to you, my loyal readers (and the occasional lost soul who accidentally googled wildly and ended up here - HaHaHaHaHa!)

• Don't let cattle graze with other kinds of cattle.
  
• Don't have a variety of crops on the same field.
  
• Don't wear clothes made of more than one fabric.
  
• Don't cut your hair nor shave.
  
• Any person who curseth his mother or father, must be killed.
  
• If a man cheats on his wife, or vise versa, both the man and the woman must die.
  
• If a man sleeps with his father's wife... both him and his father's wife is to be put to death.
  
• If a man sleeps with his wife and her mother they are all to be burnt to death.
  
• If a man or woman has sex with an animal, both human and animal must be killed.
  
• If a man has sex with a woman on her period, they are both to be "cut off from their people" .
  
• Psychics, wizards, and so on are to be stoned to death.
  
• If a priest's daughter is a whore, she is to be burnt at the stake.
  
• People who have flat noses, or is blind or lame, cannot go to an altar of God.
  
• Anyone who dreams or prophesizes anything that is against God, or anyone who tries to turn you from God, is to be put to death.
  
• If anyone, even your own family suggests worshipping another God, kill them.
  
• If you find out a city worships a different god, destroy the city and kill all of it's inhabitants... even the animals.
  
• Kill anyone with a different religion.
  

That last one explains a lot, doesn't it? The next time some rightie-tightie says we're living in a Christian nation... remind them that they'd better toe the line. I mean, that one about unfaithful husbands and wives being put to death would spell certain doom for the republican party!

Interesting stuff from the Interwebs

The following was a comment to an article on MSN: "...studies show 1/3 of death row is innocent, 90 percent of criminal cases are plea bargained and 96 percent of police officers admit to perjury. They actually have a name for it TESTILIE..."

96 percent of police officers admit to perjury!? Yikes! I haven't researched that claim, but if it's true, that's a pretty sad statement about the "first responder" heroes everyone praised in 2001. If it is true, I think the producers of Law and Order should take note!

How Easy Is It To Go Vegan?

Happy Cows Come From California, a current advertising slogan says. If you really want to make a cow happy, tell it "Moo moo moo moo", which roughly translates into "I have decided not to kill you, Ms. Cow."

I don't mind telling you, I am less and less inclined to eat meat. I know humans are omnivorous and nature is full of carnivores, but the longer I live the more disgusted I am at the thought of eating it. But I love cheese and other dairy products, even knowing that "Most cow's milk has measurable quantities of herbicides, pesticides, dioxins (up to 200 times the safe levels), up to 52 powerful antibiotics (perhaps 53, with LS-50), blood, pus, feces, bacteria and viruses" Oh, yum.

I kind of prefer leather shoes over man-made products, too, but I still hate the thought of eating animals.

It's hard to give up killing to make our lives a little better. Still, what are we giving up besides meat (and mad cow disease) when we spare our bovine friends from the slaughterhouse? Dig this staggering list of products made from cattle:

GENERAL MEDICAL & HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS

• antibodies (immunoglobins)
  
• beef insulin
  
• bovine collagen - used as injections to fill in scars
  
• bovine fibrinolysin (brand name- Elase) ointment for necrotic tissue
  
• bovine super oxide - dismutase cream (Orgotein) - cosmetic skin cream to prevent tissue aging.
  
• bovine thrombin (brand name- Thrombinar) clotting agent for blood culture medium - diagnosis
  
• fetal bovine serum - tissue cultures
  
• Hyaluronidase - efficient drug use
  
• PTH - control tetany
  
• pegademase - bovine derivative (brand name- Adagen) - for patients who are immune-compromised...helps prevent white blood cells from breaking down.
  
• pill capsules - GELATIN
  
• whole serum - vaccine manufacturing


PRODUCTS FROM OVARIES

• estrogen
  
• progesterone - a reproductive hormone
  
  PRODUCT FROM STOMACHS
  
• pepsin - aid in protein digestion
  
• rennet - aid in milk digestion


PRODUCTS FROM THYROIDS

• bovine thyroid (Thyrar) a thyroid replacement
  
• TSH - thyroid diagnosis
  
• thyroid extract - hypothrodism
  
• thyroid hormones
  
• myxedema
  
• cretinism


PRODUCTS FROM ADRENALS

• cortisone - for arthritis, skin allergies, anti-inflammatory medicine
  
• epinephrine - aid in raising blood pressure, heart disorders, and allergies


PRODUCTS FROM LIVERS

• heparin - anti-coagulant, prevents gangrene
  
• liver extract - treatment of anemia
  
• intrinsic factor - pernicious anemia
  
• Vitamin B12 - prevention of B-complex deficiencies


PRODUCTS FROM LUNGS

• heparin - anti-coagulant, prevents gangrene


PRODUCTS FROM BLOOD

• plasma protein
  
• blood albumin - RH factor typing
  
• Fraction I - hemophilia
  
• Fraction V - kills viruses
  
• iron for anemia
  
• thrombin - blood coagulant
  
• protein extracts
  
• diagnostic microbiology


PRODUCTS FROM HOG HEARTS

• heart valves for human transplant


PRODUCTS FROM INTESTINES

• medical sutures - surgery


PRODUCTS FROM BONES

• bone marrow - blood disorders
  
• bone meal - calcium and phosphorous source
  
• mineral source in supplements
  
• collagen and bone for plastic surgery
  
• soft cartilage - plastic surgery
  
• xiphisternal cartilage (breastbone) plastic surgery


PRODUCTS FROM PANCREAS

• chymotrypsin - contact surgery
  
• diastase - aid in starch digestion
  
• glucagon - treat hypoglycemia
  
• insulin - diabetes mellitus
  
• pancreatin - aid digestion
  
• trypsin - for burns, wounds, and infection - promotes healing - aid in protein
  
• digestion and in cleaning wounds


PRODUCTS FROM PITUITARY GLANDS

• ACTH - arthritis, allergies, rheumatic fever, skin and eye inflammations
  
• pressor hormone - regulates blood pressure
  
• prolactin - promotes lactation
  
• vasopressin - controls intestinal and renal functions


PRODUCTS FROM SPINAL CORDS

• cholesterol - hormone products


OTHER MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS

• nitroglycerine
  
• antibodies (immunoglobins)
  
• beef insulin
  
• bovine collagen - used as injections to fill in scars
  
• bovine fibrinolysin (Elase - brand name) ointment for use on necrotic tissue
  
• bovine super oxide - dismutase cream (Orgotein) - cosmetic skin cream to prevent tissue aging
  
• bovine thrombin (Thrombinar - brand name) clotting agent for blood
  
• culture medium - diagnosis
  
• fetal bovine serum - tissue cultures
  
• Hyaluronidase - efficient drug use
  
• PTH - control tetany
  
• pegademase - bovine derivative (Adagen - brand name) -- for patients who are immuno-compromised - helps prevent white blood cells from breaking down.
  
• pill capsules - GELATIN
  
• whole serum - vaccine manufacturing


*** GENERAL FOOD PRODUCTS ***

PRODUCTS FROM CATTLE, SHEEP, HOG FLESH

• a huge variety of fresh, frozen, and pre-cooked meats
  
• and prepared and processed meat products


PRODUCTS FROM MILK/DAIRY

• butter
  
• casein (proteins)
  
• cheese and cheese products
  
• cream
  
• food ethanol
  
• ice cream and ice cream mixes
  
• lactose (carbohydrates)
  
• milk powder
  
• sherbet
  
• whey (proteins)
  
• fats (lipids)
  
• yogurt


PRODUCTS FROM FATS AND FATTY ACIDS (edible)

• chewing gum
  
• lard
  
• oleo margarine
  
• oleo shortening
  
• oleostearin
  
• pharmaceuticals
  
• rennet for cheese (sheep)
  
• rennet for cheese (sheep)
  
• shortening


PRODUCTS FROM BLOOD

• blood sausage
  
• bone meal
  
• cake mixes
  
• deep-fry batters
  
• egg substitute
  
• gravy mixes
  
• imitation seafood
  
• pasta
  
• whipped toppings and coffee whiteners


PRODUCTS FROM BONES

• whitener in refined sugar


PRODUCTS FROM BONE, HORNS, AND HOOVES

• gelatin capsules
  
• gelatin deserts
  
• ice cream, malts and shakes
  
• marshmallow
  
• potted meats


PRODUCTS FROM INTESTINES

• sausage casings


PRODUCTS FROM HIDES and SKINS

• sausage casings
  
• gelatin
  
• candies and confectionery
  
• flavorings
  
• foods
  
• gelatin desserts
  
• ice cream
  
• marshmallows
  
• mayonnaise
  
• yogurt



*** INDUSTRIAL AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS ***

PRODUCTS FROM MILK

• adhesives
  
• animal feed
  
• buttons
  
• carriers for human medicine
  
• cosmetics
  
• glue
  
• pharmaceuticals
  
• sizing
  
• specialty plastics
  
• veterinary medicines


PRODUCTS FROM BLOOD

• adhesives
  
• bone marrow
  
• bone meal
  
• fabric printing and dyeing
  
• leather-treating agents
  
• livestock feed
  
• minerals
  
• plaster retardant
  
• plywood adhesive
  
• diagnostic microbiology
  
• from colloidal proteins - glue for automobile bodies
  
• protein source in feeds
  
• sticking agent
  
• textile sizing


PRODUCTS FROM BONES

• bone charcoal
  
• pencils
  
• high grade steel
  
• bone handles
  
• bone jewelry
  
• mineral source in feed
  
• fertilizer
  
• dried bones
  
• buttons
  
• bone china
  
• glass
  
• porcelain enamel
  
• water filters
  
• whitener in refined sugar


PRODUCTS FROM BONE, HORNS, AND HOOVES

• adhesives
  
• bandage strips
  
• collagen cold cream
  
• cellophane wrap and tape
  
• crochet needles
  
• dice
  
• dog biscuits
  
• emery boards and cloth
  
• fertilizer
  
• glycerine
  
• laminated wood products
  
• neatsfoot oil
  
• photographic film
  
• plywood and paneling
  
• shampoo and conditioner
  
• wallpaper and wallpaper paste
  
• syringes


PRODUCTS FROM BRAINS

• anti-aging cream
  
• cholesterol


PRODUCTS FROM FATS AND FATTY ACIDS (edible and inedible)

• animal foods
  
• biodegradable detergents
  
• biodiesel
  
• cellophane
  
• cement
  
• ceramics
  
• chalk
  
• chemicals
  
• cosmetics
  
• crayons
  
• creams and lotions (sheep)
  
• deodorants
  
• detergents
  
• explosives
  
• fertilizer
  
• fiber softeners
  
• floor wax
  
• glycerin
  
• glycerol
  
• antifreeze
  
• herbicides
  
• horse and livestock feeds
  
• industrial oils and lubricants
  
• insecticides
  
• insulation
  
• linoleum
  
• livestock feed
  
• lubricants
  
• makeup
  
• matches
  
• medicines
  
• mink oil
  
• nitroglycerine
  
• oil polishes
  
• ointment bases
  
• oleostearin
  
• paints
  
• paraffin
  
• perfumes
  
• pet foods
  
• pharmaceuticals
  
• plasticizers
  
• plastics
  
• printing rollers
  
• protein hair conditioner
  
• protein hair shampoo
  
• putty
  
• rubber products
  
• shaving cream
  
• shoe cream
  
• soaps
  
• solvents
  
• stearic acid (sheep)
  
• tallow for tanning
  
• textiles
  
• tires
  
• water proofing agents
  
• weed killers


PRODUCTS FROM GALLSTONES

• ornaments


PRODUCTS FROM HAIR

• air filters
  
• artist's paint brush
  
• felt and rug padding
  
• insulation material
  
• non-wovens
  
• plastering material
  
• textiles
  
• upholstering material


PRODUCTS FROM HIDES and SKINS

• belts
  
• collagen-based adhesives (from trimmings)
  
• bandages
  
• emery boards
  
• glues -for papermaking, bookbinding, cabinetmaking
  
• sheetrock
  
• wallpaper
  
• drum head (sheep)
  
• pharmaceuticals
  
• photographic materials
  
• leather sporting goods
  
• leather wearing apparel
  
• luggage
  
• pigskin garments, gloves, and shoes
  
• porcine burn dressings for burn victims
  
• shoes and boots
  
• upholstery
  
• wallets


PRODUCTS FROM HOOVES AND HORNS

• chessmen
  
• combs
  
• buttons
  
• fertilizer
  
• horn handles
  
• imitation ivory
  
• inedible bone meal
  
• livestock feeds
  
• ornaments
  
• piano keys
  
• plant food


PRODUCTS FROM INTESTINES

• instrument strings
  
• sausage casings
  
• tennis racquet strings


PRODUCTS FROM MANURE

• fertilizer - used in gardens, lawns and farm cropland
  
• nitrogen
  
• potash
  
• phosphorus
  
• minor minerals


OTHER PRODUCTS FROM CATTLE SOURCES

• airplane lubricants and runway foam
  
• car polishes and waxes
  
• hydraulic brake fluid
  
• Stearic acid - helps rubber in tires hold shape under steady surface
  
• friction
  
• steel ball bearings containing bone charcoal
  
• textiles for car upholstery
  
• various machine oils and viscous fluids


PRODUCTS FROM WOOL

• asphalt binder
  
• carpet
  
• clothing
  
• cosmetics
  
• fabrics
  
• felt
  
• insulation
  
• lanolin
  
• medical ointments
  
• paint and plaster binder
  
• pelt products
  
• rouge base
  
• rug pads
  
• upholstery
  
• woolen goods
  
• worsted fabric
  
• yarns

If you made it this far, it's a good time to point out that there are some mighty good uses for soy and hemp.