Saturday, April 3, 2010

Welcome To Latvia! If You Can Find Us, Come Visit!

Cool photoblog devoted to Riga, Latvia, and another, also found quite by accident. And, for good measure, here's a webcam of Riga from the tourism board. (Map of Latvia in relation to the rest of Europe here). Why? Why not?

What Makes Chechen Women So Dangerous?

Great article about a subset of strategy (suicide bombers) in a war most Americans know nothing about, much less its location. If you even have a limited perspective regarding this ongoing war, it's probably not as.. nuanced.. as you might believe.

The Larger Point being, there are many conflicts, events, philosophies, and machinations that we have based Perspective out of randomly remembered bits of information cobbled together from hit and run exposure from the various medias, without context of the reporter's or broadcaster's agenda. These loosely connected bits are then co-processed with other items and the random bits of information about all the other events within each person's field of experience or exposure, all fighting for priority, comprehension, and the expansion or assimilation into Perspective.

Chechnya is but one barely, barely understood conflict of hundreds in the world, all exploding simultaneously, all with dire implications for those involved, most unfolding behind the media's deafening curtain of silence..

Friday, April 2, 2010

Study: Toads May Detect Coming Earthquakes

British researchers said Wednesday that they observed a mass exodus of toads from a breeding site in Italy five days before a major tremor struck, suggesting the amphibians may be able to sense environmental changes, imperceptible to humans, that foretell a coming quake.
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Researcher Rachel Grant said the findings suggested "that toads are able to detect pre-seismic cues such as the release of gases and charged particles, and use these as a form of earthquake early warning system."
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She said one possibility is that the animals sensed a change in the amount of radon gas emitted by the Earth because of the buildup of pressure prior to a quake.

Scientists also have surmised that animals may be able to detect minor tremors imperceptible to humans, or that they sense electrical signals emitted by rocks under stress before an earthquake."

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Quake hits Andaman, Orissa; tremors felt in Chennai, Hong Kong

From the Times of India:
"NEW DELHI: An earthquake hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal around 10.24 pm on Tuesday but no damage has been reported. Though Indian authorities said the earthquake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, the US Geological Survey said it measured 6.4.

..The earthquake was felt as far away as Hong Kong, around 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) to the east, where the Hong Kong Observatory said it had recorded an "intense earthquake" with a magnitude of 6.4."

Indian Spice May Delay Liver Damage and Cirrhosis

From Science Daily:

"Curcumin, one of the principal components of the Indian spice turmeric, seems to delay the liver damage that eventually causes cirrhosis, suggests preliminary experimental research in the journal Gut.

..Previous research has indicated that it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which may be helpful in combating disease. ..The research team wanted to find out if curcumin could delay the damage caused by progressive inflammatory conditions of the liver, including primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.

..The findings showed that the curcumin diet significantly reduced bile duct blockage and curbed liver cell (hepatocyte) damage and scarring (fibrosis) by interfering with several chemical signalling pathways involved in the inflammatory process.

Curcumin is a natural product, they say, which seems to target several different parts of the inflammatory process, and as such, may therefore offer a very promising treatment in the future."

Yeah, I've written about Curcumin before, and will continue to, as I really believe in its positive, healing effects. I take it every day(and have for several years), still eat.. not like I should, jog four or five times a week, have family history of inflammation, and yet, have almost no problems! Curcumin or Turmeric is accessible, easy to take, and has no aftertaste, and is great for you! Take it! Takeittakeittakeit!

Monday, March 29, 2010

We Interrupt Our Regular Broadcast..

For this special message: Never, ever.. forget how amazing you are. Even when you lose sight, it is there. When you're unsure: Still there. Be still, and try to accept the wonderful blessings you've been given.

And if you're still having trouble, please remember whose words you're reading. You are going to be fine. You're going to be better than fine. Trust me, as I'm amazing, too.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Prompts Considerably More Weight Gain, Researchers Find

Wow; really? Excerpts: A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."

In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.

What about those commercials produced by liars and acted out by whores?

Spoofs here, here, and here.. Even the jerkasses at CBN know how bad this crap is..

This is a fully reversible, un-necessarily deadly epidemic, targeting Americans for the benefit of the Corporate Bottom Line. Doesn't that piss you off? It should.

Chile rattled by 6.1-magnitude aftershock

SANTIAGO, March 29 (AFP) - Chile was rattled by a 6.1 magnitude aftershock Sunday causing no damage or injuries but some panic in Concepcion, near where last month's massive quake struck killing 452 people, authorities and eyewitnesses said.

The earthquake struck at 5:43 pm (2143 GMT), with its epicenter located offshore at 166 kilometers (103 miles) north of Concepcion, at a depth of 19 kilometers (12 miles), the US-based Geological Sury's National Earthquake Information Center said.

Twin Blasts Kill 40 In Central Moscow

Video courtesy the India Times. BBC story here.. First guess? Chechnya. Second? Georgia. Third? .....