Author Archives: marcia

Your Color Vibe for Saturday, 8/23

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Saturday, August 23:   Muted Green

You will be very much aware of how things are different today. These sensations will come at different times and in different situations. You will be seeing things in a new light, and this can cause you to do some inner questioning. You also will be seeing those annoying tings that are not there but are there. The dimensions are particularly leaky right now, and this will continue for a while. You will also find that people are acting in new ways, as are you. Things are being said that before were left unsaid. You too find things popping out of your mouth that you did not mean to express. It is a good idea to start the day out with perspective, and this is the view from the heart center. If you act from there, what is said and done will be in accordance with WHO you are.

Picture of new lights and energies shifting into this dimension:

DSCI6107

Cottonwood, CA UFO

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Glowing UFO caught during sunset in Cottonwood, CA On aug 10, 2014, UFO Sighting News.

Date of sighting: August 10, 2014
Location of  sighting: Cottonwood, California, USA
This came in the email today and if you have seen this UFO in Cottonwood, CA, please let us know about it in comments below. At first I believed this to be a reflection, but the beam of light coming from the UFO says its not. This looks very similar to the UFO seen over China that closed an airport. SCW
Eyewitness email report states:
My Mom and I were headed home from Red Bluff Ca headed north on I-5. We were almost to the Bowman road exit at the time the photo was taken. My Mom asked me to take a picture of the sunset. It was Aug 10, 2014 around 8:30 p.m. After turning on to Bowman Rd. heading west, I saw a bright light in the sky, but quickly lost track of it. I noticed the dates said Aug 11 on the pictures that i took on the way home. The rest of the photos that I took earlier that day were dated Aug 10. I notice it while tranfering pics from phone to pc. I checked the phone and the pc, they both had the right date and time on them.

http://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/2014/08/glowing-ufo-caught-during-sunset-in.html

Bardarbunga Volcano, Iceland Activity

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Earthquakes Still Rocking Iceland’s Barðarbunga

The volcanic wastelands between Barðarbunga and Askja in Iceland, seen in 2012. Photo by Dave McGarvie, used by permission.

It has now been over 4 days of intense seismicity at Iceland Barðarbunga, located under the Vatnajökull ice cap. The latest report from the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) says that over 2,600 earthquakes, most less than M3, have occurred since the morning of August 16. The activity has shifted in its focus (see below) and is now primarily under a part of Vatnajökull that is ~600 meter thick, so any eruption would have a lot of ice to melt when the lava reaches the surface. This likely means that it would be a long time before any eruption would be noticed on the surface of the ice cap – instead, it would be glacial outburst floods (jökulhlaups) that would herald the start of the eruption. If the eruption never breaches the surface of the ice cap, there is the potential of a new tuya forming under the ice, where lava forms a broad, flat-topped mountain. Beyond the seismicity, we’ve also seen deformation around the focus of the earthquakes, suggesting magma is filling in below and needs to make space by moving the Earth’s surface. IMO says most of the seismicity is occurring at depths between 3-7 km but there aren’t signs yet that the magma is moving to shallower depths, so we still could see this all end as merely the intrusion of magma rather than an eruption. The alert status for Barðarbunga remains at Orange.

 

The location of earthquakes near Barðarbunga, color-coded to time (blue is earlier in the day, red is later - see hours marked on scale to right). Illustration by Iceland Meteorological Office.

If you want to see what some of the potential scenarios, be sure to read Dr. Dave McGarvie’s article. Also, there are now two webcams pointed at the Barðarbunga area, so you can keep an eye on it if any potential eruption manifests at the surface: Mila and Mogt.is. You can also see some realtime earthquake data in 3D (note: I can’t guarantee the accuracy of this model and more recent earthquakes do not have accurate depths until they have been examined) on this interactive page.

 

http://www.wired.com/2014/08/earthquakes-still-rocking-icelands-bardarbunga-volcano/#more-1434361

Your Color VIbe for Frisday, 8/22

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Friday, August 22:    Payne’s Grey

Well, as the pictures are showing, the energy in the yard is cranking up, even so you will feel the energy around you going into a higher gear. There is much that is happening right now, and you can feel yourself in the middle of it all, not knowing what to do, not knowing whether to go or to stay where you are, not sure whether you should try to grab one of those things whirling by or play it safe and keep you hands by your sides. Well, observation is actually the best option today. There is too much happening and too many thigns that can open up new trajectories that very possibly will spin out of control. If that were to happen, you would feel the effects but not for a few days. Let it all be. You might feel dizzy, confused, somewhat unsettled. Take time to go within, breathe, relax, center. You have all the resources you need to see things for what they are, but that takes time and quietude. So, again, take a few moments today and just be WHO you are. Things can make a little more seen from that vantage point.

A photo of a plasmic event in the yard here in New Mexico 8/21/14:

DSCI6259

Birth COntrol Pill SIde Effects

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That Naughty Little Pill. Birth Control Side Effects

Posted by Kelly Brogan MD

It was early in my actualization as a feminist-minded, righteous post-adolescent that I began to think of birth control as a woman’s right (who was anyone to tell me that I couldn’t assault my hormones with synthetic imposters). It would be years before I would learn about the nuanced considerations of tacit permissiveness toward reckless unprotected sex, the wholesale delegation of contraception to the female counterpart, and the fundamental divorce of a woman from the very feedback systems that fire up her reproductive age vitality.

These concerns would begin to color my perception of this gift from Pharma, well before I began to learn about functional biochemical concerns surrounding the metabolism of synthetic hormones. With over 100 million women using this form of hormonal suppression worldwide, I have to wonder how many of them have any exposure to information about the Pill’s subtle but important perturbations to the system, not to mention the consensus risks of thromboembolism, hypertension, cerebrovascular events, gallstones, and cancer.

As notorious as our hormones are for wreaking havoc, they are what pop us into high relief – they excite us, move us, drive us and enliven us.  The highly non-linear relationships between sex hormones, thyroid hormone, and adrenal hormones is like the magic of 3-D glasses: if you cover one lens, things just don’t look as exciting.

When patients come to me with complaints of low libido, low or flat mood, weight gain, hair loss, and cloudy thinking, one of my first questions is ,“Are you on the Pill?”  When they come complaining about premenstrual irritability, insomnia, tearfulness, bloating, and breast tenderness, requesting that I sanction beginning a course of oral contraceptives and perhaps an antidepressant, the one-size-fits-all-cure-all of psychiatrists and gynecologists nationwide, my first comment is “There’s a better way.”

The signs of hormonal imbalance are often quickly dismissed as a problem too complex to rectify from its source. In my practice, I first look at diagnostics to better personalize dietary recommendations, targeted nutritional interventions, and herbal options to promote the body’s own drive toward harmony. If it’s not enough to celebrate their right to an optimally functioning hormonal system, and they also want to preserve their right not to have a fertilized egg, then I recommend a non-hormonal IUD, nifty gadgets like the Pearly, or the good ol’ fashioned condom.

Why is it that I think rendering a woman a 2-dimensional version of her hormonal self is such a big deal?  Simply because, if she’s in my office, she is someone who has struggled with mood and anxiety, and the last thing she should be doing is stacking the cards against her recovery with synthetic hormones and the pharmacologic burden they bring. Since the 1960s, there has been controversy around the potential mood effects of oral contraceptives, but over 50 years of their use has not settled the question.

There is acknowledgement; however, that depression is the most common reason for discontinuation of use. I don’t need pilot studies that demonstrate women using the combined oral contraceptive pill were significantly more depressed than a matched group who were not, to persuade me because I see it first hand, most notably, in those who begin contraception (hormonal IUD, progestin-only, or combined) postpartum.

The data, overall, is compromised by inconsistent assessments of mood pathology across the cycle and between groups, and often by study design, but suggests that there is likely a subset of women for whom oral contraceptives represent a major risk factor for depression and/or related mood disturbance.

Who might these women be? From 13 prospective trials, it appears that they have a personal or family psychiatric history (though doesn’t that include the entire population at this point?), one that has been exacerbated by pregnancy/postpartum, and premenstrual periods, and young age. More specifically, women with premenstrual mood symptoms prior to use experience more adverse effects with lower progestin dosages or triphasic OCs, unlike women without this history who experience more psychiatric side effects with higher progestin preparations.

Could these side effects be just coincidence? Could they represent “confounding by indication” or the fact that many women who opt to suppress their cycle might already be prone to depression?  It’s possible, but so are some of these important mechanistic insights:

  • Synthetic hormones like those in combined oral contraceptives increase thyroid and sex hormone binding globulin, effectively decreasing the available testosterone and thyroid hormone in circulation (which can render you of nun-like libido, and functionally hypothyroid or depressed, constipated, overweight, cloudy, with dry skin and hair, to boot!). A randomized, open-label, 9 week trial of 3 forms of hormonal contraception found that they all increased SHBG, as well as insulin resistance, and markers of inflammation such as c-reactive protein.  Another study suggests that increases in SHBG may persist long after discontinuation of the Pill contributing to sexual dysfunction/low libido.  Incidentally, xenoestrogens such as PCBs, BPA, and pthalates, as well as poor excretion of estrogen as occurs with gut dysbiosis, can also contribute to elevated SHBG and lead to undesirable states of “estrogen dominance”.
  • Oral contraceptives promote oxidative stress.  Stress is often defined as the inability to cope with demands, and oxidative stress is a destructive force in the body perpetuated by reactive oxygen species that outnumber available antioxidant enzymes and factors.  One measure of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, was found to be higher in those taking OCs, and improved (not quite to baseline controls) when they were treated with vitamins E and C, known antioxidants.  Thus OCs may decrease the activity of two major defense systems in the body.
  • Oral contraceptives deplete vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants as measured by activity of Coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, and Total Antioxidant Activity.  More specifically, OCPs have been acknowledged to deplete vitamin B6, a cofactor for the production of serotonin and GABA, as well as zinc, selenium, phosphorus, and magnesium demonstrated by this cross-sectional randomized study.  Interestingly, elevated levels of copper (which can upregulate catecholamines, potentially causing feelings of overstimulation), iron (which can be a pro-oxidant), calcium, and cadmium were elevated compared to controls.  Given that replacing and correcting these vitamins can be an imperfect effort, perhaps it’s best not to mess with them in the first place!

The review also discusses that the identification of patients vulnerable to these risks should include assessment of hormone sensitivity (menstrual cycle history, acne/hirsuitism, body mass index), comorbid diagnoses indicative of hormonal disarray (thyroid, diabetes, breast cancer), and baseline hormone assessment.  I would add that an assessment of antioxidant and micronutrient status and markers of inflammation would also help to risk stratify.

This tends to be my major concern with regard to pharmaceutical interventions – there’s just no free lunch with medication treatment, and a risk/benefit analysis is very difficult to do if we don’t know what environmental and genetic risks an individual is bringing to the table.  If there is a treatment option that presents minimal to no appreciable risks and some degree of evidence-based benefit, this, to me would represent the kinder, gentler road to health.  These days, women’s lib looks a lot more like a healthy, happy menstrual cycle free from the grips of a prescription.

from:    http://kellybroganmd.com/article/that-naughty-little-pill-birth-control/

Health Ranger Tests Countertop Water Filters

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water

Water filters tested for heavy metals removal: Zero Water, Pur, Brita, Mavea, Culligan, Seychelle and Waterman

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

(NaturalNews) As promised, we’ve now published the results from testing countertop water filters for their ability to remove toxic heavy metals and elements with radioactive isotopes. The brands we tested are:

* Zero Water
* Pur
* Brita
* Seychelle
* Culligan
* Mavea
* Waterman Portable Alkaline Water Purifier

(We also tested large “survival” gravity filters, with results to be published separately here on Natural News.)

Click here to see the full results at the Natural News Forensic Food Lab.

What we tested

Using ICP-MS instrumentation (see lab videos here), we tested these water filters for their ability to remove toxic heavy metals and elements which have radioactive isotopes.

Specifically, we tested for removal of:

* Aluminum
* Copper
* Arsenic
* Strontium
* Cadmium
* Cesium
* Mercury
* Lead
* Uranium

Why didn’t we test for fluoride removal? Fluoride is an extremely difficult element to work with due to its high reactivity (which is one reason why you probably shouldn’t drink it). It is also very difficult to remove from water. Testing fluoride concentrations via ICP-MS requires a complicated process run separately from other elements, using different matrix solutions and different plumbing for the instrument.

How we tested for heavy metals removal

To conduct the tests, we created a multi-element “spike” solution containing from 1300 ppb to 2300 ppb concentrations of each of the tested elements. This spike solution consisted almost entirely of laboratory-grade water (DI water), with a very small fraction (less than 0.1%) of laboratory acids found in element standards for the purpose of matrix stabilization.

For each water filter, we first ran several cycles of pure water through the filter in order to “flush” it and pre-load the filter cartridge with purified laboratory water. Once that was complete, we loaded each water filter pitcher with the spiked solution containing the multiple elements listed above.

After the water passed through the filter and was emptied into the holding section at the bottom of the pitcher, that filtered water was then sampled with a clean pipette, weighed on a calibrated laboratory scale and prepped for ICP-MS analysis.

Each sample was run via ICP-MS using a variety of quality control methods, including the use of calibration checks during the run and a four-point calibration curve for each element. Keep in mind that our ICP-MS instrumentation is far more accurate and sensitive than labs running ICP-OES. In fact, we have had to correct other labs using ICP-OES who discovered their calibrations were way off. The Natural News Forensic Food Lab is in the process of ISO 17025 certification.

Click here to see the actual results at Labs.NaturalNews.com

Click here to learn about Heavy Metals Defense, a supplement invented by the Health Ranger for capturing toxic heavy metals during digestion.

What we did NOT test for

We did not test for removal of PCBs, pesticides, chlorine or other organic compounds. Accordingly, we cannot reach any conclusions on how well these filters might work on removing those substances.

Testing for those complex molecules would require additional instrumentation which we do not yet have in our lab. (Remember, the Natural News Forensic Food Lab is entirely self-funded and receives no grant money from the government.)

Performance overview

What shocked me the most about the results of this testing is just how poorly most water filters performed on the removal of toxic heavy metals.

Most of the water filters we tested were entirely unsatisfactory in terms of heavy metals removal, in my informed view. Only two filters showed results which I would consider to be sufficient. Most filters also appeared to perform very poorly for removal of elements with radioactive isotopes (uranium, cesium, strontium).

Here’s an overview of what we found, element by element:

Aluminum removal

Four of the seven filters tested here actually increased aluminum concentrations in the filtered water.

This indicates they are using a filtration media which contains aluminum and allows some amount of aluminum to enter the water stream during filtration.

Only one filter removed 100% of all aluminum (Zero Water). See full results here.

Copper removal

Copper removal ranged from a low of 8.6% to a higher of 99.1%.

The average copper removal rate was 44.8%.

Copper is associated with mental insanity if consumed in very high quantities. Many homes still contain copper pipes, causing copper contamination of tap water.

Arsenic removal

Arsenic removal ranged from 12.1% to 99.3%, with an average removal of 42.6%.

Arsenic is a cancer-causing metal that’s linked to cancer and organ damage. It’s a common contaminant in well water. Click here to see full results on arsenic removal.

Cadmium removal

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal which can cause kidney damage, heart damage and hardening of the arteries.

Cadmium removal ranged from 6.6% (Brita) to a high of 99.2% (Zero Water). The average removal was 33.1%.

Mercury removal

Mercury is an extremely toxic heavy metal that can cause brain damage, kidney damage and reproductive damage.

Because mercury is a “sticky” element, it’s the easiest to remove of all. Removal rates ranged from 62.4% (Culligan) to a high of 99.7% (Waterman Mini).

Average mercury removal across all the filters was 88.5%.

Lead removal

Lead is a toxic heavy metal that causes brain damage and organ damage in the human body. Natural News has found significant quantities of lead in Organic Rice Protein superfoods imported from China.

Lead removal ranged from a low of 14.1% (Brita) to a high of 93.7% (Waterman Mini).

Average lead removal was 52.5%.

Strontium removal

In its non-radioactive form, strontium is a bone-building nutrient that’s often found with calcium.

Some water filters removed almost no strontium (Brita and Mavea), while the Zero Water Filter removed 100% of strontium.

One filter, the Waterman mini, increased strontium concentrations in the resulting water, indicating use of strontium in the filter media. This is not a bad thing. Strontium is actually a nutritive mineral, much like calcium.

Cesium removal

Cesium removal is important to consider due to the Fukushima disaster and the radioactive fallout of Cesium-137.

I am intimately familiar with cesium binding and removal technologies, as I invented the patent-pending Cesium Eliminator dietary supplement that binds with and captures radioactive isotopes of cesium.

In our testing of water filters, cesium removal varied from a low of 9.5% (Brita) to a high of 100% (Zero Water).

Average cesium removal was 35.3%.

Uranium removal

Removal of uranium is crucial for those planning on surviving a nuclear accident or nuclear war. Following nuclear events, uranium and cesium both fall out of the sky in radioactive forms, settling on bodies of water which are used for irrigation and public water supplies.

Removing radioactive uranium isotopes from drinking water is a crucial survival strategy following a nuclear incident. Only two filters we tested showed an ability to remove substantial amounts of uranium: Zero Water and the Waterman Portable Alkaline Water Purifier.

Click here to see actual results and uranium removal rates for all filters.

Magnesium mineralization

Two water filters we tested substantially increased the level of magnesium in the filtered water. The highest water mineralization rate was achieved by the Waterman mini filter, which is advertised as creating “alkaline water.”

The claim is true. While the magnesium concentration of the water we poured into the water filters was only 1.3 ppm, the Waterman Mini increased the magnesium concentration of the resulting water to nearly 250 ppm.

This is a substantial increase in magnesium concentration. The Seychelle filter also increased magnesium concentrations to nearly 250 ppm, indicating it has a “mineralization” component in its filter cartridge.

Recommendations and conclusions

Based on the laboratory analysis completed here at Natural News, I can only recommend two water filters in the category of countertop “pitcher” filters.

Natural News does not sell any of the water filters tested here, but they are available at retailers like Amazon.com. If you wish to help support our non-profit efforts to conduct more testing, please click this Amazon Smile link before shopping on Amazon.com, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase price to the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center.

The two filters I recommend are:

1) Zero Water
2) Waterman Mini

Click here to see full laboratory testing results and data.

Heavy Metals Defense – a breakthrough in dietary self defense

In addition to researching the removal of toxic heavy metals in water filters, I’ve also pioneered extensive, original research into heavy metals contamination of foods, superfoods and dietary supplements.

From this research, I was able to invent a patent-pending dietary supplement formula called “Heavy Metals Defense” which binds and captures toxic heavy metals during digestion.

This formula is laboratory validated to reduce heavy metals by the following factors:

Aluminum reduction: 98.7%
Arsenic reduction: 77.6%
Cadmium reduction: 98.5%
Copper reduction: 95.8%
Lead reduction: 99.9%
Mercury reduction: 92.9%
Uranium reduction: 76.5%

Click here to view the full laboratory results data on Heavy Metals Defense and see how it works.

Essentially, Heavy Metals Defense works in a very similar way to the “ion exchange membrane” of the Zero Water filters. That’s why the metals capturing capacity is so high.

LIfe in Space — Plankton at ISS

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Plankton Found Living In Space On ISS Solar Panels Says Russians, Aug 2014, UFO Sighting News.

Date of discovery: August 2014
Location of discovery: International Space Station
Country to make discovery: Russia
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2728979/Never-mind-alien-life-SEA-PLANKTON-space-Creatures-living-surface-ISS-officials-say.html

 As I have said may times before, life exists in space. Animals like in our oceans can adapt though mutations and grow, live and eat in space. An example of living creatures in space is during the NASA tether incident which was filmed in infrared video (Feb 25, 1996). It caught many living creatures of mass proportions…one of which broke the many miles of tether in orbit. SCW

 News states:

Traces of plankton and other microorganisms have been found living on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS), according to Russian space officials. They claim the plankton were not carried there at launch – but are thought to have been blown there by air currents on Earth. Incredibly, the tiny organisms were found to be able to survive in the vacuum of space despite the freezing temperatures, lack of oxygen and cosmic radiation. (more at source).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuFBUS0kiSA
from:    http://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/2014/08/plankton-found-living-in-space-on-iss.html

The Tri-Faith Initiative

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Berlin to Build a Mosque, Synagogue, and Church—All Under the Same Roof

“We want to show that faith doesn’t divide Jews, Christians and Muslims, but instead reconciles them.”
by Tom Lawson
posted Aug 08, 2014

Photo by Lia Darjes, courtesy of house-of-one.org.

In 2009, archaeologists working in the heart of Berlin excavated the foundations of what is thought to be one of the city’s first churches, St. Peter’s Church, built in the early 12th century, in what is now the Petriplatz area. The church was destroyed during WW II and in its aftermath. The site where the once-grand Romanesque building stood is now little more than a wasteland—but that is set to change.

Due to the religious significance of the site, city planners asked local Protestants if they would like to be involved in the site’s redevelopment. But representatives of the Protestant community thought that another church was not necessarily the way to go.

“It became clear that we didn’t want to build another church,” said Anna Poeschel, member of the local Protestant community. “We have two big churches in our parish already, the Jewish population has exploded in the last 20 years, and the Muslims in the city need a mosque.”

What emerged instead was the the House of One—an idea for a new building hosting a church, a mosque, and a synagogue—all under the same roof. If all goes according to plan construction will begin next year and the doors will open in 2018.

Pastor Gregor Hohberg first put forward the idea of multi-faith building, and Rabbi Tovia Ben-Chorin and Imam Kadir Sanci have now joined him in the project.

House of One may be the first purpose-built building to have three religions come together under the same roof.

Each religion will have its own practice space, all equally sized but with different designs. There will also be a central room connecting the prayer rooms and providing an area where Christians, Muslims, and Jews can all meet, along with those of other faiths.

“We can see all over the world that faith can divide people,” said Markus Dröge, a Protestant bishop in Berlin. “We want to show that faith doesn’t divide Jews, Christians, and Muslims, but instead reconciles them.”

House of One photo by Michel Koczy

A model plan for the House of One. Photo by Michel Koczy/House of One.

In 2012, local architect Wilfried Kuehn won a competition to design the building. To raise money for construction a crowdfunding campaign is under way, with a target of $58.6 million. So far donations amount to just over $47,000 from more than 600 donors. But failure to reach the project’s goal will not deter planners, who say a basic version of the building could be built for $13.5 million. If planners are unable to raise that, they still plan to fund smaller projects that promote understanding between religions.

“The project in Berlin is exciting and beautiful, but in no way the first to go this direction,” said Paul Chaffee, editor of The Interfaith Observer. “There are lots of sanctuaries serving more than one tradition. You could write a whole book on the experiments to date.”

“As a Jew, I associate Berlin with memories of pain and deep wounds, but that is not the end of the story.”

In Omaha, Nebraska, the Tri-Faith Initiative is aiming to build a church, mosque, and synagogue in the same park by 2015, although each building will be separate. There are also several examples of two religions using the same space. In Ontario, Canada, for example, the Westminster United Church and Temple Shalom share a building. Many university campuses, hospitals, and airports also incorporate multiple places of worship into their buildings. However, the House of One may be the first purpose-built building to have three religions come together under the same roof.

Those working on the project hope that their example can be followed elsewhere. “The House of One is not only for Berlin…the idea will spread to different countries all over the world,” said Tovia Ben Chorin, a rabbi and chair of the House of One board.

“As a Jew, I associate Berlin with memories of pain and deep wounds, but that is not the end of the story,” said Chorin. “A place that has darkness in its past has the potential for peace in its future.”

Tom Lawson wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions. Tom is a production editor at Positive News UK and a freelance writer living in the United Kingdom. Follow him at @Tom_Lawson88.

from:    http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/berlin-to-build-a-mosque-synagogue-and-church-all-under-one-roof

UFO’s Over Houston

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Mass UFO Sighting Over Houston Texas, August 2014, UFO Sighting News.

Date of sighting: August 2014
Location of sighting: Houston, Texas, USA
News source: http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/weird/2014/08/15/ufo-spotted-in-houston/14132471/

News states:

Houston, Texas (KPRC/CNN) — Pictures posted on Twitter earlier this week show something floating through the skies over the Houston area.

In one, a circular “thing” appears to hover. In another, it appears in front of impressive clouds. In yet another, the circle appears to stand on its side with an impressive light show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7MRcY-0V1Y
You can find a lot of things flying through the halls of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, but a real answer to just what appears in these Twitter pictures is a mystery. (More at source).

Posted by at Sunday, August 17, 2014

from:    http://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/2014/08/mass-ufo-sighting-over-houston-texas.html

On Healing & Art

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Art & Healing: the Health Benefits of Art are for Everyone

The Health Benefits of Art are for Everyone20th August 2014

By Deane Alban

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

There’s a huge misconception about art and artists. Most people believe that you are born with talent or not, and there’s nothing you can do about it. While we can’t all be Van Goghs, the desire to create, along with proper instruction, can take a person of modest talent a long way towards creating art.

If you’ve ever had the urge to embrace your artistic side, why not do it? It doesn’t matter whether you think you are “talented” or not. Do it because creating art is a wonderful way to stimulate your brain, improve your well-being, and possibly get healthier! Do it for yourself because you enjoy it, and with lessons and practice, your hidden talents will blossom.

The Brain Benefits of Art

Here are some of the best ways that picking up your paint brush can benefit your brain and mental health:

1.  Art makes you more observant. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Painting embraces all the ten functions of the eye; that is to say, darkness, light, body and color, shape and location, distance and closeness, motion and rest.” Creating art helps you learn to “see” by concentrating on detail and paying more attention to your environment.

2.  Art stimulates the imagination. If you consider yourself a right-brained (artistic) person, you can enhance creative skills you already possess. If you’re left-brained (analytical), creating art will stimulate your creativity and imagination.

3.  Art enhances problem-solving skills. Unlike math, there is no one correct answer in art. Art encourages out-of-the-box thinking and lets you come up with your own unique solution.

4.  Art boosts self-esteem and provides a sense of accomplishment. We stick our kids’ artwork on the fridge to boost their self-esteem. Hanging your latest work of art on the wall can instill you with the same feeling.

5.  Art reduces stress. Painting, sculpting, drawing, and photography are relaxing and rewarding hobbies that can lower your stress levels and lead to an overall improvement in well-being.

6.  Art enhances cognitive abilities and memory, even for people with serious brain conditions. Dr. Arnold Bresky is a physician who has created a program he calls the “Brain Tune Up” that utilizes art therapy for patients that have Alzheimer’s and dementia. He has seen a 70% success rate in improvement of his patients’ memories. He believes that by drawing and painting, they are connecting the right and left hemispheres of the brain and growing new brain cells.

Art & Healing: Can Art Be Medicine?

Besides helping patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s, art used as therapy has successfully helped people with anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic pain, cancer, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder, and other serious health conditions.

This video — Can Art Be Medicine? — shows some real-life examples of how art is being used as therapy. Particularly moving is the story of a Marine with PTSD who used art therapy to express his pain in a safe way and help lift the burden in a way that nothing else had been able to do.

Art is for Everyone

Unless you have a serious health condition, seeing an art therapist is not necessary. ArtTherapyBlog.com puts it like this, “If it’s therapeutic for you to draw or paint a few times a week (without an art therapist), then I would consider that therapy. Who says art therapy always has to be professional?”

Creating art isn’t just for artists, art is for everyone! Within each of us lies a spark of creativity. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try drawing, painting, sculpting, or fine art photography, but never had the time or opportunity so you put it on your “someday” list. Now that you know all the benefits artistic pursuits can provide, I hope you won’t put off exploring your artistic side any longer.

Art and Healing - the Health Benefits of Art are for EveryoneYou might be satisfied experimenting on your own, but art lessons can teach you shortcuts and techniques so you can see your work progress faster with less frustration. Here’s a dramatic “before and after” shot of two portraits done by an adult student. After just two lessons, the difference is amazing! While the purpose of art is to relax and have fun, you can get a lot of enjoyment watching your talent unfold. Thinking you suck at something isn’t much fun.

from:    http://wakeup-world.com/2014/08/20/art-healing-the-health-benefits-of-art-are-for-everyone/