Sean Croxton, recent author of the Dark Side of Fat Loss, owner and operator of Underground Wellness & well known within the online health community and even among “Paleo-Libertarians” (Libertarians who have adopted the Paleo lifestyle) interviewed Dr. Vera Tarman, 17 year addiction expert and Founder of Addictions Unplugged. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Snippet from the enlightening discussion between Sean Croxton and Dr. Vera Tarman ] 

One of the key reasons I started this blog and one of the main “themes” behind it was that Liberty and Health are two necessary factors for pursuing Happiness, most people’s goal in life. Without Liberty, there is no choice to advance yourself and thus, the world around you. And without health, there is little or no ability to advance yourself and thus, the world around you. Without choice and ability, happiness is but a thought that cannot be pursued nor entice human action.

Food addiction is something I most definitely dealt with in my heavier years, and I still to this day remember the restraint and burden food had upon myself and present/future choices. As I read more into addiction and health, I also believe it affected everything from mood, to relationships, to experiences, to sleep. Food is such an essential and consistent cornerstone within each of our lives that it’s nothing but obvious that it affects other areas of our lives we do not associate with it.

Many reading this may see this entire situation as over-hyped, and food as food and nothing else, which I understand, but there is a science behind this and there are individuals who stress about food addiction as much as you or I do about other issues that draw your own attention. I do sympathize with some of the skeptics in that I dislike the word addiction in that I see it as a reinforcing word behind what may just be a psychological fix to be defeated by willpower, but the physical and chemical reactions that come along with addiction point towards the theory that willpower is only an essential part of the approach-among other essential parts-in dealing with this behavioral problem.

This is why I find the discussion between Sean and Dr. Vera Tarman very interesting, in that the study of addiction has seen advances, but the mainstream approach seems to have stayed the same, only offering programs whose goal is a generalized normalcy ,while Dr. Tarman offers a different point of view and different approach on an individual level. 

the recording of this discussion can be found in full HERE.  

Since my knowledge is extremely limited in comparison to the individuals conversing within the recording, I will simply recommend you listen to the recording above and leave *some* of the points I found interesting and/or important: 

• Many of the same neurochemicals activated and present with drugs and alcohol are the same neurochemicals that arise with sugar, starches, and chemicals within processed foods
• In some cases, food addiction can be more difficult to overcome than drug addictions because of the need for food, the abundance of opportunity to get it (for some of us), and the adoption of food into various cultures.
• The imbalance of neurochemicals within the brain can and does affect the Frontal Lobe, and thus, reasoning and executive thought
• Being able to stop the respective behavior, limit the behavior, and the presence or absence of cravings are all factors which can make the difference between a “normal” behavior and an “addicted” behavior.
• Three areas of the brain, the bottom Cerebellum and Brainstem, the middle Limbic System, and the top Frontal Lobe, all work together in this case, representing non-voluntary digestion, motivation and emotion for food, and thought and action to achieve that food, respectively.
• The middle part of the brain, the limbic system, is associated with emotions, and can often overpower reasoning and thought, as many of us know in relation to other non-food related issues
• Addiction is affected by the respective substance, and the amplification of neurochemicals within the brain by the substance
• For example. Cocaine covers neurochemicals dopamine and serotonin, alcohol covers neurochemicals dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, and Sugar & processed foods cover neurochemicals dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins
• Addiction to alcohol and drugs, when put down and stopped, can often re-appear with an addiction to sugar and other processed foods
• Certain aspects associated with addiction to drugs and alcohol, such as withdrawal, appears in its own form with addiction to sugar and processed foods

For those interested in finding more information on REAL food, I recommend Sean Croxton’s Dark Side of Fat Loss, and for those more interested in the addiction aspect of health, I recommend a visit to Dr. Vera Tarman’s Addictions Unplugged website with plenty of information and media.  

Ahmed Serag

Senator Rand Paul introduced Amendment 2143 to S.3187, the FDA Re-authorization bill, which has three Constitution-restoring sections (Amend. 2143) which rein in the power of the tyrannical FDA, and attempt to restore some justice to the justice system.  

The vote is Thursday, May 24th, 2012, so I recommend everyone call their Senators and tell them you want a YES vote on Rand Paul’s amendment.

You can find & contact your Senator HERE

You can contact and thank Senator Rand Paul HERE

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Rand Paul introduces Amendment 2143 to S. 3187 on Senate Floor]

First Section, reins in FDA’s over-regulation of alternative supplements and industry:

In this first section, Rand Paul highlights the hypocrisy of the FDA, granting pharmaceutical companies unlimited ability to claim benefits as they please with their pills, but when it comes to alternative supplements, especially the ones that many people actually use, the FDA censors the products of small businesses and takes away their first amendment rights to market their products as they please.

The FDA consistently makes small supplement companies face the threat of armed-raids, pay exorbitant fees & taxes, and deal with regulation that requires expensive lawyers which only big Pharmaceutical companies can afford, thus leading to smaller companies declaring bankruptcy and clearing any and all competition for the FDA-sponsored-pills.

This first section of Rand Paul’s bill would also prevent the FDA from censoring scientific articles on nutrients and articles which oppose their ideology. This is one of the most important Amendments in regards to Food Freedom just because of this small part.  

Section 2 of Amendment 2143 moves to Disarm FDA Officials and stop armed-raids:

“I think we have bigger problems in our country than sending armed FDA agents into peaceful farmers’ land and telling them they can’t sell milk directly from the cow” -Senator Paul [Source]

 The FDA is well known for raiding family farms and small businesses to seize and destroy product, illegally arresting Citizens, and slapping the victims of their raids with cruel and unusual bails fit for those who commit murder.

This section of the Amendment seeks to eliminate sending armed bureaucrats onto farms, and highlights the fact that there are over 40 Federal Agencies which use arms, without being officers or having that certification. If armed officers are required to raid a family farm (can hardly see the need for this) then there are appropriate agencies which already exist ( Law enforcement, FBI).

Section 3 of Amendment 2143 seeks to restore the Mens Rea requirement:

From what I understand, a Mens Rea requirement is a requirement for the alleged “criminal” to have known that what he or she did was wrong before being charged, as opposed to Actus Reus requirement which is the requirement of an objective criminal action to actually charge someone with a criminal crime.

This section seeks to stop the arrest of individuals who violate a regulation without knowing they were breaking a regulation. To slide of on a tangent here, this happens everyday. There are thousands of regulations introduced every year, which are actually laws, but seek disguise under the title “regulation”, that innocent non-violent Citizens end up in jail for. Additionally, the fines behind breaking one of these regulation-laws are always in the thousands, containing the ability to destroy a person or families life.

I urge everyone to contact their Senators and understand why the actions of the FDA are immoral and Unconstitutional. 

UPDATE: Senator Rand Paul’s Amendment 2143, failed by a vote of 78-15, you can see who voted for the bill and to STOP the FDA’s Police State Powers HERE.

If your Senator is not on that list (NO Democrats voted Yes), you should contact them, express your disapproval & reasoning, and why you will be VOTING THEM OUT. 

Ahmed Serag

The language within the Federal Reserve Act is much more eloquent and deceiving, but that is not the point here. The point is that recently released information is hinting that a new bailout may be in the works, although the 5 members requirement for a bailout may face some trouble, along with some problems in the Senate.

“In March, the Senate Banking Committee voted out President Obama’s latest nominations to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Jeremy Stein and Jerome Powell” [Source]

Currently, this leaves 2 of the  positions on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve  awaiting affirmed nominees, while another position, held by Elizabeth A. Duke, has already expired on January 31st, although she still holds the position.

Why she is still illegally holding the position is beyond me, possible awaiting the 2 vacant positions to get  filled so that they may pass a bailout without the other 2 vacancies or with the nominated individuals when they arrive. We are talking about an Unconstitutional organization to begin with, so determining what is going on behind closed doors is difficult. 

Recent over the counter information from the Wall Street Journal shows that JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs are putting pressure on Senator Vitter, the man responsible for stopping the obama board of governor nominees, to let go and let them take their seats.

Interesting information seeing as JP Morgan just announced last week it lost 2 billion, with much more expected to come over the next few months according to financial experts. As I mentioned, this major loss by JP morgan may be influencing  the vacancies and Mrs. Duke’s over-extended stay, so this is another situation I would watch closely. 

Now, a bailout is not confirmed, but these are all signs that something is in the works, with pressure coming from Wall Street, the Fed, and the Executive branch on Congress to approve the nominees. Nominees to the Board of Governors serve hefty 14 year terms, are appointed by the President, and must be approved by the Senate. The Board of Governors is the main power house of the Federal Reserve.

Once again, the Fed must have approval from at-least 5 out of the 7 board of governors, and since there are only 5 members currently present, with one serving beyond her term, any bailout attempt may be risky if one member votes no (I have no information on the possibility of that). I have read that the 2 suggested nominees, Stein and Powell, are two individuals who would agree to a bailout and are of the interventionist-Keynesian “school”, as opposed to the Austrian School which has predicted and explained most crashes our economy has faced.

As Mark Calabria points out, Senator Reid has the power to call the vote on the nominees to the floor at *any* time, but has not done so, which delivers a little mystery to the entire situation. 

Either Harry Reid is waiting for some type of additional financial crisis or event to make the move, or some type of situation that would guarantee the approval of the nominees, or he doesn’t want to bring the Federal Reserve to discussion upon an election and so recently after the Congressional Hearing last week with Chairman Ron Paul titled “Abolish or Reform the Federal Reserve” and the heat already on the Fed.

From my understanding, Reid may already have the required 60 members to approve the nominees, but he has not taken much action yet, which is why I advise everyone start putting pressure on their Senators to not approve these members and to make sure there is a LARGE discussion on the floor if the motion is brought to the floor. 

I also advise any and all to make calls to Senator Vitter, and tell him not to let up and thank him for stopping this for now, and also Senator Rand Paul, who will most definitely make a strong attempt to stop this nonsense. I don’t know Vitter’s record, I just know that he has apparently stopped this, and I can thank him for that.

Contact Senator Vitter

Contact Senator Rand Paul

UPDATE May 17th, 2012: Senate VOTING THIS AFTERNOON TO CONFIRM/VETO NOMINEES. CALL/EMAIL/WATCH CLOSELY.

Any more information I can find will be posted here or in a new post linked to from here, for now, here are some useful tools:

Find Your Senator and His/Her Contact Information HERE. 

Important Fed Related Info:

Congressman Ron Paul Texas Straight Talk on the Federal Reserve May 13th, 2012

Robert Wenzel of The Economic Policy Journal speaks at the NY Fed April 2012

Review of Last Week’s Hearing “Abolish or Reform the Federal Reserve”

Taken From a Previous Post on the last bailout failure in the USA:

Since the recent Housing Financial Crisis, the Fed has gained more attention from the public because of the 16.1 Trillion Dollars in loans it gave out between December 1st, 2007 and July 21st, 2010, to Domestic and Foreign Banks & Governments revealed with the GAO Audit, without any approval from Congress or the people through their legislature.

Page 131 of the GAO Audit, or Page 144 of the document on the website is it linked to (Click HERE for Direct), shows that the complete balance of loans added up to 16.1 Trillion with a capital T dollars, much more than the 1.2 Trillion discussed by certain news outlets, and double the Bloomberg figure of 7.77 Trillion.

“It’s a big distraction. Pedestrians aren’t watching where they’re going. They’re not aware,” Fort Lee Police Department (FLPD) Chief Thomas Ripoli said at a news conference [Source]

From the various articles and websites this story has spread to, we can extrapolate that the police are actually taking this “law” seriously, already handing out over a 100 tickets to these citizens and showing no signs of stopping.

With Fort Lee’s 16 robberies, 18 assaults, 42 burglaries, 262 thefts, 16 auto-thefts, and 1 arson in 2010 [Source], it’s obvious that the best use of Police Force is to harass citizens who are walking on streets they paid for while using phones they purchased from private companies (sarcasm).

By now, you can probably tell I do not just see this as just another law. It’s a complete violation of the law by every sense of the word. For the law to operate correctly, in a civilized society, the citizens would offer their respect for the law. How can you respect a law that literally says you cannot use an electronic device while walking?

This “law” completely diminishes all respect for any other law that exists, the good,  and the bad ones that should be repealed anyways. It is laws like this, which seek to dictate the very intricate details of the life of an individual, that are a complete threat to society. It is not the citizens who are texting while walking to the bus they now take to work because they can longer afford a vehicle because government spending has destroyed the economy that are a threat, it is the belligerent use of force to influence behavior by authority. 

Let me attempt to approach this from a different angle for a short while before I bring up the tone again. Replace the phone with a book; replace the phone with a toy; replace the phone with a map; replace the phone with a disorganized wallet; what is the difference?

If I or you are distracted by something other than a phone, it presents the exact same situation when crossing a street. The phone is not the problem, nor is the problem anywhere near a lack of laws. In-fact, the 40,000 laws introduced at the beginning of the year will require a police force of distracting size, as individuals attention are drawn towards cars being pulled over and their neighbors being strip searched in the streets.

The problem is the failure to hold individuals accountable and responsible for their own actions. It is the sole responsibility of the individual to look both ways before crossing a street, to pay attention to the sea of responsibility that the world presents, whether it’s a phone or a map in their hands is besides the point. 

I could sprint across the street to the bus I am taking to work because I can no longer afford a vehicle with my devalued Federal Reserve notes or the inflated gas prices, not look in any direction, and get hit. There’s no phone, nothing in my hands, just a lack of responsibility. This no texting “law” does not even begin to address the very root of the problem, nor does it address the symptom which it attempts to.

The real question that I want to bring up, which is probably the only success of this new “law”, is, what should the role of Government be?

This is a question that many in the United States will not have to just begin asking, but continually ask in an increasing manner in the present and in the future. I recommend all citizens who are offended by this law in New Jersey to vote anyone out who played a role in getting this law passed. I also recommend that the citizens of Fort Lee, New Jersey, start electing candidates and filling the jobs at the Police Department with individuals who respect the Rule of Law and the Rights of the Individual.

For anyone interested in understanding the relationship between the Law, Respect for the Law, and Individual Rights, I recommend reading “The Law” by Frederic Bastiat. There’s a free version available at the Mises Institute HERE, a warning though, this institute advocates Responsibility and Rights.

Ahmed Serag

Here are just some of the violations of the NDAA in regards to the Constitution-the SUPREME law of the land:

Violates United States Constitution Article 1 Section 9 Clause 2:

NDAA denies right to Habeas Corpus, a writ by which an individual can be released from unlawful detention

Violates United States Constitution Article 3 Section 3: 

NDAA authorizes indefinite detention against Article 3 Section 3 which provides those charged with treason heightened due process protections

Violates United States Constitution Amendment 4:

NDAA Authorizes indefinite detention and before amended, authorized the detainment of citizens even after an Innocent verdict from a Jury, against the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seuizeure

Violates United States Constitution Amendment 5:

NDAA Detainment provisions violate Amendment 5 right of prohibition of deprivations of liberty without due process

Violates United States Constitution Amendment 6: 

NDAA Detainment Provisions violate Amendment 6 right to a speedy public trial, ability to confront witnesses, knowledge of crime, and assistance of council

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Great Video explanation of SOME of the problems with the text of the NDAA]

SB 1182, The Arizona NDAA Nullification Bill, explicitly states:

“This state and any agency of this state shall not provide material support or participate in any way with the implementation of sections 1021 and 1022 of the national defense authorization act of 2012, Public Law 112‑81, against any citizen of the United States”

It effectively criminalizes any type of participation with agencies attempting to enforce this Unconstitutional law, and rightly so. Nullification is the only answer when the law assumes it can supersede the supreme law of the land- The Constitution.

With Virginia fully passing its own NDAA Nullification Bill, the Anti NDAA nation zooms in on Arizona, and it is most definitely Arizona’s time to Stand Up and become the Second State in a line of many, such as South Carolina, in demanding Liberty and respect for the rule of law.

It is possible to regain our individual rights and restore our individual freedoms to live our daily lives as we see fit without threat of seizure of property or threat of detention, and it requires HUMAN ACTION. 

Governor Brewer has until May 15th to sign this bill into law, so action must be taken right away.

Governor Brewer has a few office phone numbers which seem to lead directly to answering machines, which is why I advise emails first, along with sharing and informing those you know to do the same.

Governor Brewer Email Form 

Governor Brewer Phone:

Phoenix Office: (602) 542-4331

Tucson Office: (520) 628-6580

Fax Number: (602) 542-1381

Sample Email:

Hello Governor Brewer and Office Employees,

I am contacting you today in support of Liberty, the Constitution, and SB 1182, the Arizona NDAA Nullification Bill. I urge Governor Brewer to immediately sign SB 1182, and issue a public announcement that the State of Arizona and its citizens will not be subject to indefinite detention, absent of a right to trial, jury, and appeal, but instead, subject to the Natural Rights guaranteed and echoed within the Constitution of these United States.  The Supreme Law of the Land is the Constitution, and for a law to supersede the Constitution, as the NDAA Indefinite Detention provisions do, would imply that the Constitution is no longer relevant. I do not believe Governor Brewer is willing to agree to that, and thus, should sign SB 1182.

Simply not agreeing to an Unconstitutional law is not enough, and waiting is not the answer either. Are the citizens of Arizona and the United States to wait until their neighbors are being arrested, never to be seen again? Are we to wait until action is barred to take action? Or will the State of Arizona join Virginia in declaring that the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land, and that the Free Individuals who reside on this land have the right to life and to live freely? This important decision rests within the hands of Governor Brewer, and I only remind her of the Oath to the Constitution that her and other employees of the Citizens have taken.

Governor Brewer, Sign SB 1182, and you will have the support of the Citizens and Patriots within your State and around the Country; more than that, you will have taken a stand for the Constitution and for the Natural Rights this very Country was Founded upon.

Ahmed Serag

Related Links:

Arizona’s Constitutional Candidate for Congress

Arizona Sovereignty Bill

]]> http://livingnotsurviving.com/2012/05/10/anti-ndaa-nation-zooms-in-on-arizona/feed/ 0 http://livingnotsurviving.com/2012/05/08/review-of-the-abolish-or-reform-the-federal-reserve-hearing/ http://livingnotsurviving.com/2012/05/08/review-of-the-abolish-or-reform-the-federal-reserve-hearing/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 18:57:24 +0000 Admin http://livingnotsurviving.com/?p=4942 On Tuesday, May 8th, 2012, Presidential Candidate and Congressman Ron Paul, Chairman of the Financial Services Committee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, along with 11 other members of the committee, discussed legislation dealing with the Unconstitutional Federal Reserve System.  

I covered the hearing as best as I could, it was moving rather quickly, and many voices were speaking once after another while also being long (my list of excuses), that said, I think I did cover the general experience and discussion within the hearing well.

First is opening statements, followed by discussion on legislation, followed by discussion by ranking economists.

Full Video of May 8th Hearing on the Federal Reserve (C-SPAN)

Opening Statements Of Interest:

• Fed has been around for 100 years, has generally gone under the radar.
• We need to remember what Constitutional money is and decide how we deal with that the related facts.
• Supply and demand is only half of all transactions, the other half is the monetary issue.
• We need to be able to define the dollar, there is no legal definition of the Federal Reserve note, even though it is a pledge to pay something.
• The general attitude is that if something doesn’t work out with the Federal Reserve notes, we just need more regulation to fix that and it’s not a big deal.
• Federal Reserve ignoring rising prices in healthcare, education, food, and energy.
• I am a skeptic of the mandates given to the Federal Reserve in reference to its goals and policies in dealing with the mandate.

H.R. 4180, the Sound Dollar Act, introduced by Rep. Kevin Brady (comments by Rep. Kevin Brady):

• We acknowledge Congressman Paul’s work towards restoring Sound Money and bringing the Federal Reserve and the issues it has created to the forefront of the debate in the Nation.
• The Federal Reserve’s inflationist and interventionist policies have led to the housing crisis and the current crisis we are facing.
• The Federal Reserve’s inflationist and interventionist policies have led to the robbing of the value of the average American’s savings and the rise in prices the average American faces.
• Protecting the purchasing power of the dollar protects the employment and stability standards that the Fed allegedly protects with its “dual” mandate.
• We require the Fed to articulate its mandates and hold the various bureaus accountable and require more transparency.
• Mr. Chairman (Ron Paul), I would prefer to be grilled by Congressman Schweikert than you sir (laughter).
• I think some of the Fed’s policies during the financial crisis did help, but since then, have caused certain problems.

Questions on the Sound Dollar Act:

Q (Rep. Paul): I like the name of the bill, but how does your bill define the definition of the Sound Dollar?

A (Rep. Brady): It is defined by the statistics of prices and policy, not by any formal definition.

Q (Ron Paul): How do you define it based on policies based off the price inflation in certain industries compared to others? For instance, education, healthcare, food, and energy prices have increased and are increasing due to monetary inflation, whereas relatively de-regulated industries like technology experience falling prices.

A (Rep. Brady) : Within the Sound Dollar Act, we require the Fed to monitor and report back on asset prices including Gold, agriculture, and housing.

Q: Do you believe we need the Federal Reserve as a lender of last resort?

A (Rep. Brady): Yes, I believe the Fed still has roles in lending to solvent banks, but not to contribute to the current crisis.

Comment by Rep. Frank on Rep Brady’s Bill: I don’t think we should pass this bill because it doesn’t accomplish anything by setting no standards as Mr. Garrett and Chairman Paul pointed out.

Q (Garrett): Where is the Constitutionality for this legislation?

A (Rep. Brady): I don’t think we should open up Monetary policy to being subject to Congress since the coining of money by Congress has been contracted out to the Federal Reserve.

H.R. 3428, introduced by Rep. Barney Frank  (comments by Rep. Frank):

• I have filed legislation to remove the Regional Presidents from certain voting abilities.
• The regional Federal Reserve officials are picked by bankers.
• Bankers pick members of the board who form policy, which is greatly un-democratic.
• Inflation is not at the point where it has created a problem for the American people, the Federal Government has made money off of the Fed’s policies.
• I think it would be of great error to repeal the dual-mandate.
• The dual-mandate is not in the Constitution, neither is the Federal Reserve, which is one area I agree with my colleagues.
• I think the Federal Reserve has been very helpful and that its policies have helped the economy.

Questions on Rep. Franks H.R. 3428:

Q (Ron Paul): I want to ask you a question on Mr. Frank on the appointees on whether they are approved by the Senate or not. Many are concerned about the private nature of the Federal Reserve and whether it is a Government nature or private nature.

A: I think there is a problem with the self-selection of members by the Federal Reserve who set policy for the rest of us.

Q: Why do you think altering the private/Government nature of the Federal Reserve would affect anything?

A (Rep. Frank): I think setting interest rates is a Government function and the private entity participation in the Federal Reserve is wrong, but their roles are Government roles.

Q: Can you comment on the diversity of the representation within Federal Reserve officials employment history?

A (Rep. Frank): I think that this is Corporatism, and the dominance in the Federal Reserve by former bankers is wrong, and that professional diversity doesn’t exist. I think various professions should be included, along with various races and genders. I don’t think private citizens should be setting the policy for other private citizens without being elected.

They shouldn’t be voting to set global monetary policy without being elected, and the positions within the Federal Reserve are generally self-selected.

Comment by Rep. Brady on Rep Franks Bill: I think it’s a mistake to open up the Board of Governors to being appointed because it will further politicize the positions of the Federal Reserve.

Q (Garrett): Where is the Constitutionality for this legislation?

A (Rep. Frank): What it says in the Constitution that important Government officers should be voted on by the Congress.

Second Panel (questions by Congressman Paul & other members listed when possible, does include answers & explanations by various Economic Professors):

Dr. Herbener: The Fed has too much authority, it has discouraged prudent behavior with its artificial interest rates which it has kept near 0. It has loaded the US economy with printed money without any public debate or public approval. The Fed has too much authority and has a goal it can never accomplish, no one besides the market should be picking the “winners and losers” in the economy.

The Fed simply does not know the optimal standards it is mandated to create, and thus, does damage and creates more difficulty, especially in situations which require market actions which the Fed cannot accomplish. Devaluing the currency and discouraging consumer prudence with the artificial interest rates is the nature of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve and Central Banks do not fight inflation, they create it. The reforms being proposed do not solve the problem, and the Fed should be replaced with competitive currencies and/or a commodity standard. 

Dr. Taylor: The dual-mandate creates high unemployment, such as in the 70s, where interventionist policy was high, unemployment was through the roof. I disagree with those who claim that removing the dual mandate would create unemployment.

The dual-mandate is not the whole answer, which is why I agree with the Chairman in that the Federal Reserve should completely report money growth and future policies. If there is an emergency, they need to come back to Congress and explain why they will or should deviate from policy they previously agreed to enact.

The Fed purchased 77% of the Government’s debt last year, and the working hand in hand with the Government by the Fed is a problem.

Would you be in favor of a report on M3 (by Congressman Ron Paul)?

I would be favor in that, as that would be constructive, but it would require the Congress to ask questions about the M3, and not just allow the Fed to dictate strategy.

Dr. Galbraith: The Federal Reserve is different than the European Central Bank in that it cannot be independent of Congress because it is a creature of Congress under the Constitution. Unemployment is not going away and there are limits to which what the Federal Reserve can accomplish. I don’t believe the Federal Reserve must sacrifice one mandate at the expense of the other, and I believe Congress should continue to provide oversight to the Federal Reserve.

I think that largely, the crisis we face is due to the de-regulation of the Financial Industry. We are much better off with a large Government that can stabilize the situation at this time.

I do not have an answer to how large the Fed balance sheets can get Congressman Schweikert.

Where does the authority for the Federal Reserve come from, Constitutionally (by Congressman Paul)? 

I would be cautious to tangle with you on this Chairman Paul, but I believe it comes from the coining money role given to the Congress and contracted out during the Federal Reserve Act.

Dr. Rivlin: I believe the dual mandate has served the United States well, and that removing it would damage the US Economy. I believe in a strong independent central bank, and changing this would create chaos within the US and global economy. Their objective should be a rise in the standard of living of people over the long-run. Let the economy create jobs but continue to fight inflation.

Monetary policy makers did not tighten soon enough in the stagflation of the 70s. In the 90s we held off tightening because there was little inflation, and partly thanks to the Fed, we had a good decade and balanced the budget. I think raising interest rates during the Dot com bubbel would have tipped the economy into an recession. Operating under the dual-mandate the Fed has kept inflation in control for three decades. The theory that inflation is a threat to the American economy at this time is unwarranted.

I think asset bubbles are a large problem, but will not answer to Fed actions. I’m not worried about the Fed’s large balance sheet and a bond bubble, but the worry should be about inflation, which we do not have right now.

How worried are you about the world financial situation (asked by Congressman Ron Paul)?

I am very worried about Europe, and the long-run debt situation with Europe is trouble, but the focus for them and us should be getting out of the recession.

Has the Dual-Mandate interrupted or troubled the Federal Reserve in any way (Member Clay): 

No it hasn’t, setting monetary policy is very difficult, we weren’t really worried about inflation. We had strong growth in the economy and fiscal restraint along with a balanced budget during my period of service.

Dr. Klein: The Fed is not antagonistic to the various branches of the Federal Government. I think the Federal Government and the Fed work hand in hand in creating the financial crisis.

How worried are you about the world financial situation (asked by Congressman Ron Paul)? 

I think it’s a huge financial crisis, both in Europe and the US, not only the crisis itself, but the response to the crisis by the monetary authority. We haven’t seen overall rises in the price level, but if you look at the money pumped in the system, there’s no study or theoretical model in which there aren’t long-term consequences. The worst is yet to come.

Panel-Wide Questions:

Do you think the Federal Reserve’s Monetary Policy execution would be effective if it set explicit inflation targets and were held accountable?  (asked by Rep. William Lacy Clay)

Dr. Herbener: Not really… I think when the Fed engages in any kind of expansionary monetary policy, they always generate the same ill effect in the economy, like credit expansion, which leads to mal-investment. These lines of malinvestment, the sort of thing we saw in the 1920s,very similar in the 1980s, so even if there were price level targets, it would be followed by mal-investment, inflation, and the necessary liquidation.

Dr. Klein: I think that posing the problem as a trade off between inflation targeting as opposed to targeting nominal income is sort of a false dichtomy. Something that Rep. Paul mentioned, you increase productivity, resulting in decreases in pricing, there’s no reason we should expect or desire stable 2% price level. In a growing economy, we should and could see the price level fall, as we’ve seen with increased productivity.

Dr. Taylor: We already have a target of 2% and the problem still exists as we see this interventionist policy, so we need more to be done.

Dr. Galbraith  : I think explicit targets can be useful, in the humphrey-hawkins law there were targets, but they took 22 years before it actually happened. The difficulty is setting too difficult a target and allowing too long of a timeframe, it should be more interactive.

Dr. Rivlin: I would agree with Dr.Galbraith as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

How big do you think the balance sheet can or should get (asked by Congressman Schweikert)? 

Dr. Taylor: Well I already think it’s too big… I think the quantitative easing were not appropriate, which is why the balance sheet is so big. I think if we did the interventions during the crisis the sheet would have been back to normal, there will be a bubble if it stays this large and there already is a bubble. The problem is more the Fed causing bubbles, I see this in the housing bubble and others before, and lets not forget that the Fed has and is causing bubbles.

Dr. Klein: I agree with the Fed being the cause of the bubbles and I agree with Doctor Taylor it’s not just the overall size of the bubbles but the composition of the bubbles.

Dr. Galbraith: As I said earlier I don’t have a view on how big the balance sheet may get… but one has to evaluate the composition of the sheet, and there comes a point when you do need to address those questions.

Dr. Herbener: The real problem is how exactly is the Fed going to unwind the balance sheet, not just how big is it going to get, but how they unwind and how large will the consequences be.

Dr. Rivlin: I think the world thinks we are a safe investment and it’s more that Congress hasn’t stepped up to face the problem. We cannot have a rapid reduction in national borrowing because it would derail the recovery.

How many of you believe the Fed should be abolished (asked by Rep. Green)?

2 of the members believe it should be abolished, explanation (answers were limited to 10-20 seconds):

Dr. Herbener: There is no instance in which the Federal Reserve can help the economy.

Dr. Klein: I don’t believe there should be a Central Bank in America, we do not have a Central Dairy, or a Central Automotive agency…In my writtent testimony I give reasons why it is harmful to the economy.

Dr. Rivlin: I feel strongly that we need a strong and independent central bank.

Dr. Taylor: I think we should reform the Fed… the policy isn’t working, but it has worked well before when it intervenes less.

Dr. Galbraith: I think that on the whole the 20th century was better than the 19th and that is thanks to the Fed.

The 20th century was better than the 19th, reform is necessary, but the evidence for a Central Bank is better than the evidence against it. The idea that the world’s greatest economy can function without a central bank is bizarre.

Would we be at a disadvantage without a Central Bank while other Countries have a Central Bank (asked by Rep. Green)? 

Dr. Rivlin:I think we would be and we would lose as our pre-eminence as a strong power.

Dr. Galbraith: I think it would make US Treasury bonds much riskier.

Dr. Klein: Of course it depends how a reform occurs.. but people are fleeing from the dollar and heading towards hard metals.

Dr. Taylor: I don’t recommend abolishing the Fed, just reforming it.

Dr. Herbener: I would back the dollar by gold.

Ahmed Serag

Related Posts:

Abolish or Reform the Federal Reserve Hearing Part 1 (before hearing)

The Financial Services Sub Committee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology will discuss Six pieces of legislation dealing with Ending or Reforming the Unconstitutional Federal Reserve Central Bank on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 10 AM in Room 2128 in the Rayburn House Office Building [Source].

Pieces of legislation are as follows, *explanations & links are further below*:

1. H.R. 245, introduced by Rep. Mike Pence
2. H.R. 1094, the Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act, introduced by Rep. Paul
3. H.R. 1401, the Democratizing the Federal Reserve System Act, introduced by Rep. Marcy Kaptur
4.  H.R. 2990, the National Emergency Employment Defense Act, introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich
5.  H.R. 3428, introduced by Rep. Barney Frank
6.  H.R. 4180, the Sound Dollar Act, introduced by Rep. Kevin Brady

Congressman & Presidential Candidate Ron Paul serves as Chairman of the Financial Services Sub Committee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, along with Vice Chairman Representative Walter Jones of North Carolina, Congressman David Schweikert of Arizona, and 11 other members of Congress which can be found HERE. The interesting factor here is that Ron Paul is well-known for his principled and consistent stand against the Federal Reserve, Trillions of dollars in Debt, artificial interest rates, fiat currency, Centrally Planned Economy, bailouts, and is also author of End the Fed. He has effectively made the Federal Reserve and its endless accumulation of debt a National issue for the Presidential Election currently going on. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

[The Ron Paul Austrian Economics V. Paul Krugman Keynesian DEBT debate that aired this past week & gained much attention]

LIVE Webcast (Lower Left Corner, click “Live Webcasts”) of Financial Services Sub Committee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology “Abolish or Reform the Federal Reserve Hearing”, 10 AM (Washington DC Time) Tuesday (May 8th, 2012). 

CSPAN-3 Live Link/Re-Play HERE. 

So, why is this such big news? The Financial Services Sub Committee has held hearings with Federal Reserve officials over the past year and they have slowly gained more attention, but not as much as this upcoming meeting. The unique aspect of this hearing on Tuesday is that it outright states the issue and title as “Abolish or Reform the Fed“, and gives the impression that some members of Congress are finally taking the debt and the Federal Reserve’s role in its accumulation seriously. I am a little more skeptical of Congress and the Central Bankers to believe this will fix everything, but it is a step in the right direction.

If the Fed is being taken seriously by Congress and the media, it’s been long-awaited. Since the recent Housing Financial Crisis, the Fed has gained more attention from the public because of the 16.1 Trillion Dollars in loans it gave out between December 1st, 2007 and July 21st, 2010, to Domestic and Foreign Banks & Governments revealed with the GAO Audit, without any approval from Congress or the people through their legislature. 

Page 131 of the GAO Audit, or Page 144 of the document on the website is it linked to (Click HERE for Direct), shows that the complete balance of loans added up to 16.1 Trillion with a capital T dollars, much more than the 1.2 Trillion discussed by certain news outlets, and double the Bloomberg figure of 7.77 Trillion.

The news outlets weren’t lying, but they did choose to present smaller figures that did not represent the complete and total loan revealed in the official Government Accountability Office Audit. I do have to thank Bloomberg for actually pushing for information on the Federal Reserve with the Freedom of Information Act, practicing the occupation of a REAL news network and a REAL Free press in this instance.

Short Summary on Legislation with links to Text, thanks to Open Congress for much of the information:

H.R. 245, introduced by Rep. Mike Pence: Amends the Federal Reserve Act to remove the mandate for the federal reserve board of governors and Federal open market committee to achieve maximum employment

-Requires more research, but removes one of the many mandates the Federal Reserve seems to have, which is achieving “Full Employment”. The only way governments achieve maximum employment is through a draft, which isn’t productive employment nor helpful to the economy. Of course, if the Fed retains this mandate, it can continue with its debt-infusing philosophy which damages the economy, and really begs the question, if debt is so good for the economy, why do Americans have jobs? Why not have the Federal Reserve just print as much money as needed and allows us to buy and do whatever we please with the fiat dollars? (sarcasm)

H.R. 1094, the Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act, introduced by Rep. Paul: Abolishes the Federal Reserve and its mandated roles in central planning of the economy

-This bill’s title is relatively clear with its purpose, to abolish the Federal Reserve. More reasoning for this can be found in End the Fed, but the artificial interest rates which the Fed sets, are a manipulation of natural market interest rates which are supposed to rise when savings in the economy is low to discourage mal-investment, & fall when savings is high to encourage investment and act as a sign of a strong economy.  Investment is derived from savings, which drives the economy. The Fed instead artificially manipulates these interest rates, tricking investors and citizens into thinking there is a large amount of savings and creates the boom-and-bust cycle exemplified by the recent housing bubble crash.

-The Fed’s destruction of the dollar is what also justifies this bill, in that because the dollar is no longer “Sound Money”, or Constitutional Money, meaning it is not linked to anything of value like gold & silver. The Fed is allowed to literally create worthless Federal Reserve Notes (also known as Dollars) without limit, funding every project Government wants passed. When a currency is linked to something of value, it limits the growth of Government because the money can’t simply be created out of thin air, but with the status of the dollar as it is now,linked to nothing of value, every dollar the Fed creates through the Treasury with ease decreases the value of existing dollars in your savings accounts, retirement accounts, wallet, ect… Additionally, those who receive the newly created money first, which is usually the government-insiders, as shown with the GAO audit, receives and spends stronger dollars, while everyone below suffers the cost of rising prices (price inflation) and deals with weaker dollars.

- Additional “Side-Bill”, not combined with H.R. 1094 in anyway, but I see Congressman Paul’s H.R. 1094 hitting many bumps, which is why I want to note one of his more popular bills, H.R. 1098, The Free Competition in Currency Act, which would simply legalize competing currencies, and offer an alternative to the dollar (while still keeping everything the same about the dollar). Many States have passed or are considering legalizing Gold and Silver as currency, & it would simply end the Unconstitutional monopoly on currency that the Fed has, allowing for a backup plan or stronger currency to emerge as the dollar is destroyed by the Fed’s monetary inflation. This is a VERY IMPORTANT bill, and I would ask everyone to call their representatives to support it. It does nothing that “both parties” should be disappointed about, simply legalizes competition as Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution mentions. 

H.R. 1401, the Democratizing the Federal Reserve System Act, introduced by Rep. Marcy Kaptur: Reduces and changes length of service of members of the Federal Reserve board of Governors from 14 years to seven years.

H.R. 3428, introduced by Rep. Barney Frank: Once again, I am reading over these rather quickly, and more research should be done if you intend to be interested in this, but as far as I can tell, H.R. 3428 adds 5 additional members to the Federal Open Market Committee, which artificially sets the interest rates. The 5 additional members are to be chosen by the President and agreed upon by the Senate. This seems like it could really go either way, but generally, giving more members to the Fed, even if selected by the President, seems like it would just turn into a contest to get members who will agree with spending increases and the traditional policies. 

H.R. 4180, the Sound Dollar Act, introduced by Rep. Kevin Brady: Seems to be a trick of the name, doesn’t stop the Federal Reserve from inflating the currency in anyway or create a “Sound Dollar”. This bill is described here, but has six titles that generally deal with re-enforcing the current mandates of the Federal Reserve while allowing Congress to analyze the budget of the Federal Reserve and requires the Federal Reserve to set metrics for its mandate of long term price stability by defining what long term price stability is based on analysis of goods.

What you can do:

Share information on this hearing, and watch it when you have time, I have now updated this post with two video links, 1 to C-SPAN and 1 to the Financial Services Committee webcast above.

Please find out more about the Federal Reserve HERE, and then consider calling & writing your Congressmen and Senators on the need to seriously reform and/or abolish the Federal Reserve to end its continued destruction of the currency and creation of boom-and-bust cycles.

You can contact the Congressional Switchboard and ask for your Representative and Senator’s office with this phone number: (202)224-3121

Ahmed Serag

With election 2012 grabbing the attention of voters and Patriots around the Country, the seat for the President isn’t the only one in dispute. Around the Country, Constitutional Candidates are being elected and placed against establishment Republicans and establishment Democrats in an effort for true Liberty Candidates and a REAL approach to the economic situation created by BIG government. Many individuals are tired of voting down the party line (thankfully), and are now returning to voting on issues. 

The surprising call I received, was not with a secretary, or an office, but a direct phone call with Martin Sepulveda, a seventh generation Arizonan and Veteran who proceeded to answer my questions. 

See, I sent out emails and calls to many of the various campaigns on three issues:

1. Federal Reserve Fiat Currency, Keynesian “philosophy”, and Trillions of Dollars in Debt
2. Anti-Rights bills such as NDAA Indefinite Detention, Patriot Act, CISPA, HR 347
3. Bringing the Troops home, Endless & Unconstitutional War, Massive economic cost 

Some of the campaigns responded back with emails, others not at all, and one with a direct phone call, Mr. Sepulveda, who has now garnered my support against all other candidates. Now I didn’t ask to “publish” his answers, but by his Confident and Constitutional nature, I can tell he wouldn’t mind at all, and in-fact, would support it. Here’s why he has my support:

1. Federal Reserve, Keynesian Economics, Fiat Currency, DEBT:

Martin believes that an Audit of the Federal Reserve is not enough, and agrees with Representative Ron Paul, Representative Justin Amash, and many others that an END to the Federal Reserve system is justified. It is Unconstitutional and there is no authority for a Central bank within the Constitution. He agreed that the Legalization of Competing Currencies, which would simply legalize the creation of competing currencies such as Gold and Silver, and not eliminate the dollar, would be a great step in the progress towards a Sound currency.

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, by inflation, the banks  that will grow up around them will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” -Thomas Jefferson

The Federal Reserve’s easy-access-money allows for unlimited funding of any issue, program, or war that the Executive branch and/or Congress wants, and encourages the 15 Trillion dollars in debt and addition to that which is occurring . The Fed’s central planning and policy of artificially manipulating the interest rate tricks businesses and investors into believing there is a much higher amount of savings than there is, encouraging mal-investment and the bubbles, such as experienced with the recent housing bubble.

Mr. Sepulveda’s knowledge of these issues and ardent opposition to them has confirmed to me that he will make a tough and principled stand against the Federal Reserve.

2. Anti-Rights Issues, NDAA, CISPA, Patriot Act, HR 347

Mr. Sepulveda, a Veteran, did not fall for the trick of the “Patriot” Act, and understands that the elimination of the Fourth Amendment was not Patriotic at all. He believes in a Constitutional National Defense, but not the indefinite detention, elimination of a lawyer, jury, and trial for American citizens. He will stand against any and every violation of Free Speech rights, like those presented in CISPA and HR 347. His stand alone knowledge of these various bills, and explanation of why he would stand against them and similar Unconstitutional bills confirms my support in him against Anti-Rights issues.

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety” -Benjamin Franklin

3. Unconstitutional and Endless War

Martin Sepulveda served in the Marine Core and as a Commander in the Navy Reserve. His long career within the Military isn’t the only trait that separates him from others, it is also his stand against the Unconstitutional and endless wars we are currently in. He understands that continued presence abroad drains the treasury by the Trillions, and serves to unite the enemy and strengthen their cause to add additional enlistments, while endangering and mentally damaging our troops.

“No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare” -James Madison

His understanding of the Military, strategy, and the Constitution confirms that he will stand against dangerous and damaging foreign deployments, and instead focus on the National Defense and borders of this country. He doesn’t believe the borders of other countries and the wars of other countries are more important than the destruction of our Constitution and our defense occurring in this country.

It is for these reasons that I ask that you support Martin Sepulveda in the election for Arizona’s Congressional District 9, and his Constitutional stand against BIG government. 

Volunteer for Martin Sepulveda

Mr. Sepulveda’s Facebook

Upcoming events for Martin Sepulveda

Ahmed Serag

Mark Sisson on Chronic Cardio, Author of the Primal Blueprint

Marathon cardio, chronic cardio, traditional cardio, ect… is defined as long stretches of steady state movement at an above-average heart rate or intensity (some say 75%, some say a little lower/greater). Regardless, intensity is often at a consistent heart rate which is often times monitored.

[For what it's worth, whenever I see people running on pavement/cement, they seem to really be hurting. This holds especially true when doing some sort of marathon cardio. The pain could be an exact sign of what's going on inside. Running on grass or a dirt path (clear of tripping rocks) should be more comfortable on joints ]

The Problem With Marathon Cardio:

The problem with traditional chronic cardio is the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol normally has an essential-meaning it is essential for life-role in the human body with regulating blood sugar, playing an important role in the immune system, and the metabolism of macronutrients- protein, fat, carbohydrate.

But as with many hormones, when cortisol is produced in excess, its effects are negative and troubling.

While running at a consistent pace without break or rest for a long period of time-Marathon Cardio-the body is exposed to a large amount of stress hormone cortisol, which in excess, depresses immune function, increases risk for disease and sickness, increases inflammation and consequently pains throughout the body, increases oxidative stress, causes the degradation of muscle tissue and increases the accumulation of fat.

As Dr. K points out HERE, this type of cardio can actually lead to cardiovascular disease, and the inflammatory effects of excess cortisol play a key role in that.

Additionally, traditional cardio, as fitness and nutrition expert Mark Sisson points out, can increase craving for sugary snacks and foods which can lead to a domino effect with other unhealthier foods. This can obviously lead to some hits to health in the longrun, but more importantly to many of you, can lead to the accumulation of fat, the very thing you were trying to fight with exercise. The long, intense, and consistent nature of traditional cardio requires a large amount of fuel, and since that fuel is rarely taken in throughout the workout, as to avoid digestive complications, the cravings hit high after the workout and throughout the day following it.

Choosing between Passion and Health:

There’s something I’d like to expound on that Mark Sisson lightly touched on in his explanation of Chronic cardio. If you really love your cardio and it’s what motivates you to exercise, then keep doing it. No not 5 times a week. But a couple sessions a week should be fine.  And don’t tell me you love your cardio if you’re on a machine staring at the television for 60-90 minutes.  Sometimes the passionate exercise people do is the only factor that keeps them coming back the other days of the week to do other types of muscle building exercise like strength training or sprint exercise. If that’s you, eliminating your cardio might not be a solution, but instead just another problem.

For some people, it might not be the cardio itself causing the problem, or just the cardio, but also, what it entails, like Early Waker Cardio.

This is the person who heads to the gym at 4 or 5 am and decides to start your day off with the damage. That’s a problem because of what was already mentioned, but also because you’re missing out on the golden hours of sleep. If you’re getting less than 8 hours of sleep and waking up at 4 or earlier to go do chronic cardio, you’re skyrocketing cortisol through lack of sleep, screwed sleep, and the chronic cardio that you replace that sleep with.

Sleep is very important for your body to repair and recover. And as a health conscious person (I’m assuming you are if you are reading this) I believe sleep should be a priority over many other health habits.

The Solution:

It’s sad seeing people who dedicate themselves to training and achieving a healthy body suffer through extended sickness, fatigue, inflammation and pain, and even weight gain. It’s sad because they think they’re doing everything right: eating low-fat, doing chronic cardio 5 times a week, avoiding animal products, eating soy, lathering up with sunblock every time they leave the house, ect…

All these factors are the exact opposite of what I would recommend. And it’s not just me. The solution is knowledge. The solution is waking the people up. The solution is understanding that the resistance to change is often much more difficult then acquiring the proper knowledge and implementing new strategy.

I see the solution (although I’m not a doctor) as High intensity interval training or sprint training. Focusing on periods of high intensity work alternated with rest will maximize the benefits of exercise, while minimizing any drawbacks. It’ll also save you a lot of time in the gym, allowing more sleep for those of you who have to exercise early in the morning, eliminating that drawback.

Great Supplementary Articles:

Rusty Moore, of Fitness Black Book, details his opinion on marathon training here.

Mark Sisson, of Mark’s Daily Apple, details what he thinks about Chronic Cardio here.

Matt Stone, of 180 degree health, talks about this very issue in detail here and here.

P.S. if you’re looking for a professional program that shows you the why and how of intense exercise, take a look at Turbulence Training. It emphasizes the exact science we’re discussing here and the articles outlined above.

I’d love to hear what you think about traditional cardio versus high intensity interval training in the comments!

Ahmed Serag