No CO2, No Beer

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Beer Shortage Looms in Europe As CO2 Supply Dwindles

By Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer |
Beer Shortage Looms in Europe As CO2 Supply Dwindles

Beer drinkers in Europe could soon find that their favorite pub’s taps have run dry.

Credit: Shutterstock

Forget the conundrum of whether your glass is half-empty or half-full — pretty soon, plenty of beer glasses in the United Kingdom may not have anything in them at all.

Soda drinkers won’t have much to toast with, either. And it’s all due to a severe disruption in the European supply chain of industrial, food-grade carbon dioxide (CO2), the gas that lends the beverages their fizz, gas industry website Gasworld reported on June 19.

The CO2 shortage isn’t just affecting beverages — it’s also serving up a generous helping of trouble for meat production in Europe. Carbon dioxide is used in meat packaging to slow the growth of microbes and preserve the meat’s color and freshness, and in slaughterhouses, CO2 is used to stun animals prior to killing them, representatives of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) reported in a statement released June 21.

The trouble began with the recent closure of several industrial plants that provide liquid CO2 across northern Europe; they were shuttered “for various reasons, including maintenance and refurbishment,” affecting a number of businesses that produce or distribute food and beverages, Gavin Partington, director general at the British Soft Drinks Association, said in a statement on June 20.

BMPA officials reported on June 21 that the CO2 shortage would likely last “approximately four weeks.” In the days that followed, the flow of CO2 across northern Europe slowed to a trickle, with the U.K. the hardest hit by the CO2 scarcity. On June 26, a widely used British wholesale food and beverage company began rationing distribution of carbonated drinks, restricting businesses’ purchases to no more than 10 cases of beer and a maximum of five cases of cider or soda, CNBC reported.

Meanwhile, concerns were growing that meats, beer and carbonated beverages would disappear from British supermarket shelves “if a normal supply of CO2 is not restored as quickly as possible,” Ian Wright, a representative of the U.K.’s Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said in a statement released June 29.

A purified gas

CO2 that puts the fizz in your beer and soda is fundamentally the same as CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere, but it must be food-grade quality. In other words, to be used in food or drink, CO2 has to be purified according to local regulations and standards, and then shown to be free of contaminants, chemist and American Chemical Society member Richard Sachleben told Live Science.

This CO2 is typically produced as a byproduct of industrial or chemical manufacturing processes, such as those used in ammonia plants. It is dissolved in liquid in sealed containers under high-pressure conditions, Sachleben explained. Once the CO2 is sealed up, it has nowhere to go until the container is opened, which is why you see fizz rising in a bottle after you open the cap and release the pressure inside, enabling the CO2 to convert to gas and escape, he said.

“As long as you maintain the pressure, carbon dioxide will stay in the liquid — if you release the pressure, it’ll release into the atmosphere,” Sachleben said.

But in case you’re wondering if the U.K. and the rest of Europe could get some relief from the CO2 shortage by siphoning CO2 from the atmosphere — that wouldn’t be a practical solution, Sachleben told Live Science.

Even with rising levels of atmospheric CO2 due to climate change, CO2 in the air is still only about 400 parts per million, and is mixed with nitrogen, oxygen and other elements. It would therefore be quite a costly and time-consuming challenge to extract and refine purified CO2 from air — at least in the amounts that are typically collected from industrial processes, he said.

Original article on Live Science.

from:    https://www.livescience.com/62968-beer-shortage-co2-supply-dwindles.html

Dealing with Mars Retrograde

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How To Get The Most Out Of Mars Retrograde: June 26 – August 27

July 2, 2018

How-To-Get-The-Most-Out-Of-Mars-Retrograde-June-26-–-August-27.jpgThe astrological Mars often gets a bad rap. Mars is associated with war, hostility, anger, and rage; it fuels the primal “id” of need and desire – all things we consider “bad.” 

But Mars is also the factor that provides energy and motivation, fueling our desires so that we can accomplish our goals and dreams. We need Mars, and can’t live without it. But we need Mars to be healthy and clean of extraneous issues and ego needs.

That’s where the retrograde cycle of Mars comes in. Every two years or so Mars turns retrograde (meaning it appears to move backward from our perspective here on Earth).

Mars is an active planet and easily frustrated, so Mars is not very happy or comfortable during the retrograde periods which can make things more difficult for us individually since the force of Mars tends to be expressed more internally when Mars is retrograde. We are more likely to feel frustrated and angry if things don’t go our way, and less able to put our plans into motion.

Retrograde cycles are an important part of the unfolding story of our lives, and connecting ourselves with the rhythms of the planetary movements helps us to unlock the power of the planets to guide and help us shape our destiny.

There is a time for action when planets are direct, and a time for rest and reflection when planets turn retrograde, and this is especially true for Mars. During this period we may find it more difficult to initiate new action – there is a tendency to feel like we’re going one step forward and two steps back.

Retrograde periods of Mars can feel frustrating because our desires are often thwarted. If we listen to the planetary wisdom of the retrograde cycle and turn our attention within, we can utilize this time to re-assess and re-evaluate our desires, hopes, and wishes.

What’s known as the “shadow period” of a retrograde cycle begins when a planet slows down in anticipation of the retrograde turn. As it comes to a “station” (still point) its energies are most potent.

During this “shadow” period we are being prepared for the retrograde cycle. Our spiritual brakes are applied, usually without our conscious will, and the world begins to slow down around us. We may find ourselves becoming more frustrated, and that can lead to anger.

During this shadow and retrograde period, between June 26 and August 27, 2018, we can use the retrograde magic to pay attention. Where are we trying to make something happen but the doors keep closing around us? Where are we feeling weak and unable to assert ourselves? How is our body’s energy system coping with the retrograde?

Everyone will experience this cycle differently depending upon the health of Mars in our own charts, but here are some strategies for everyone to get the most out of this retrograde period.

Most importantly, take care of your health and your physical energy. With any challenging Mars cycle, this means physical activity of some sort, and with as much vigor as intensity as you can muster. Physical activity is an excellent way to balance the energy of Mars.

The advice you may hear to avoid conflict during Mars retrograde periods is really not helpful. Conflict often cannot be avoided, and in my view, the best way to manage conflict is to express it early.

Mars retrograde periods can be excellent for resolving longstanding conflicts and for bringing up issues that need to be dealt with. In fact, the retrograde period will force the continued reflection of the conflict until it is resolved.

Reassess your greatest desires; write down the five most important priorities for you at this time in your life. This is not a time to begin implementing action to make those things happen, but instead to reflect on your current priorities and see if any of them need to be adjusted.

All retrograde periods are excellent for reviewing our internal landscape: our thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires.

Mars retrograde periods are excellent for repairing your home, but not for beginning a new addition or new home project.

Mars fuels passion, and when retrograde our passions may wane or fizzle out altogether. This is a normal part of the natural rhythm of the planets so don’t worry!

Conserve your energies and gather your strength so when the retrograde is over, and Mars has picked up energy again, you will have the force of Mars to assist you in taking action once again.

from:     https://gostica.com/astrology/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-mars-retrograde-june-26-august-27/

I Have A Date for You!

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Scientists Confirmed: This Is The World’s #1 Food For Hypertension, Heart Attack, Stroke and Cholesterol!

Dates are ones of the healthiest fruits you can consume, as they are rich in beneficial ingredients that treat various health issues, including hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and high cholesterol.

They also accelerate the metabolism. Here are 8 of their health benefits:

Dates prevent diarrhea

Dates are high in potassium, which prevents diarrhea by the healthy bacteria and thus relieving the belly flora and the intestines.

Dates regulate cholesterol

Dates cleanse blood vessels and prevent the formation of blood clots, so they effectively regulate the unhealthy cholesterol or LDL.

Dates regulate blood pressure

Dates are high in potassium and contain no sodium, so they are perfect in the case of hypertension. Moreover, 5-6 dates contain 80 mg of magnesium, which boosts the blood flow and is spread through the blood vessels. To reduce blood pressure, you need about 370 mg of magnesium.

Dates for anemia

These fruits are a rich source of iron, so they are extremely useful in the case of anemia, pregnancy, and for children. 100 grams of dates daily will provide 0.9 mg of iron, which is about 11 % of the recommended daily intake of iron.

Iron has a beneficial effect on the red blood cells and hemoglobin and helps the oxygen flow through the blood.

Dates prevent strokes

The high potassium content in these fruits enhances the nervous system and prevents strokes. Hence, the daily intake of 400 mg of potassium successfully prevents strokes.

 Dates for heart health

Soak the dates in water during the night, and in the morning eat them or add them to your smoothie to support heart health.

Dates soothe constipation

Dates are extremely useful in the case of constipation. You should keep them in some water overnight, and then drink the water in the morning to help digestion, and use their mild laxative properties.

Dates help weight loss

The consumption of dates on an empty stomach will help you control your body weight, as they contain no cholesterol.

Source: besthealthpage.com, Via: healthyfoodhouse.com

from:    http://www.bbncommunity.com/scientists-confirmed-worlds-1-food-hypertension-heart-attack-stroke-cholesterol/

Considering the Flu Vaccine? Consider this.

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Even the bestselling flu vaccine is only the fifth most popular vaccine in the United States.

Prevnar, the vaccine used to prevent infection caused by pneumococcal bacteria; Gardasil, which supposedly prevents cervical cancer; PENTAct-HIB, given to tiny infants to stave off diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b; and Infanrix/ Pediarix, a vaccine indicated for active immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, infection caused by all known subtypes of hepatitis B virus, and poliomyelitis; are all far more popular than the flu vaccine.

Nonetheless, a report released in 2013 by the Department of Justice, shows that more than half of all claims settled by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, also known as the Vaccine Court, were for injuries caused by the influenza vaccine.

As reported by Health Impact News, during the period covering 16 August to 15 November 2013, 139 claims were settled by the Vaccine Court, 70 of which received compensation.

Of these settled claims, 42 – or 60 percent – were for injuries caused by the flu vaccine. The remaining 40 percent were for injuries caused by 11 other vaccines.

The greatest number of injuries by far that were reported as a result of the flu vaccine were for Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or GBS, a condition which the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes as follows:

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs.

In many instances the symmetrical weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase in intensity until certain muscles cannot be used at all and, when severe, the person is almost totally paralyzed.

In these cases the disorder is life threatening – potentially interfering with breathing and, at times, with blood pressure or heart rate – and is considered a medical emergency.

Such an individual is often put on a ventilator to assist with breathing and is watched closely for problems such as an abnormal heart beat, infections, blood clots, and high or low blood pressure.

Most individuals, however, have good recovery from even the most severe cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, although some continue to have a certain degree of weakness.

The flu vaccine: a toxic recipe for disaster

The injuries caused by the flu vaccine, as listed in the Department of Justice report, are not limited to Guillain-Barré Syndrome, however.

They also include: neurological injury, peripheral neuropathy, painful myalgias, psychological sequella, opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome, cerebellar ataxia, corneal transplant failure, transverse myelitis, encephalitis, shoulder injury, bilateral optic neuritis resulting in permanent legal blindness, leukoencephalopathy, chemically-induced multiple sclerosis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, fibromyalgia, and death, among others.

To the uninformed it might seem shocking that a medical procedure considered safe by the mainstream medical community could cause such serious health problems. When one considers the flu vaccine’s ingredients and adjuvants, however, it becomes totally understandable.

For one thing, the flu vaccine contains 25,000 times more mercury than is legally allowed in water.

For another, statistics confirm that vaccinated people are actually more susceptible to the flu and often get more ill than those who focus on building up their own body’s immune system.

Reports like these raise many issues.

For example, considering the severity of the reactions and conditions linked to the flu vaccine in just a three-month period, and remembering that very few adverse vaccine reactions are ever reported, why is the mainstream media not shouting this information from the rooftops?

Why is there virtually total media silence when it comes to the dangers of vaccines in general? Why are we not given this information when we choose to vaccinate ourselves and our children with these potentially deadly vaccines?

Source: Naturalnews.com / References: HealthImpactNews.com; NINDS.NIH.gov

from:    http://humansarefree.com/2018/06/us-government-statistics-flu-shot-is.html

 

Rome vs. Persia – Perhaps Even Now

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The Longest Conflict in World History may be the Root of War Today

The number one enemy of the US/NATO side of world power is Iran. Libya was first, now they want Syria, but the real target has always been Iran: why?

The answer to this question may be in part found in ancient history. Ever heard the expression “all roads lead to Rome?”

That means that the Western power cliques find root in Ancient Rome, whether it’s simple reverence for their ways, like the way the White House was situated on “Capitol Hill,” named after the Roman Capitoline Hill, or if the root is more literal.

England was once territory of the Romans, as was most of Western Europe. The Roman Empire once extended all the way to Syria, and that region of the world has always been the battleground between different Persian and Roman Empires.

Persia is Iran, and the on and off but quite consistent conflict between the Persian Empires and Roman Empires constitutes the longest war in the history of humanity.

The European royal families are father to son, direct descendants of the rulers of Europe hundreds of years ago today: it’s safe to say that kind of power tends to persist and be passed down through the generations.

Understanding that power is passed down, and it’s the historical norm for rivalries to last centuries, why wouldn’t it make sense to think that the modern day US/NATO conflict with Iran could find root in the conflict between Rome and Persia?

There may be reasons that the NATO side wants to control Iran so badly, that we don’t understand, that have roots in antiquity. Could there be ancient reasons why they want Syria, Iran, and modern day Persia?

Perhaps a bit of the historical details will trigger some imaginative theories.

The Roman-Persian wars lasted for 694 years, between the years of 66 BC and 628 AD. This is the longest conflict in human history. The conflict had been over for about 1,200 years prior to the modern day conflict between the West and Iran, but geographically, this region has been a crossroads forever.

Afghanistan, and Persia by extension, has historically been referred to as the “place empires go to die,” or the “graveyard of empires.” Nobody could colonize or conquer Persia during the reign of colonialism, when India, Australia, and other territories were ruthlessly conquered by the British, and the Americas were conquered by the Spanish.

It is the land where empires go to die because the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan and Pakistan shielded the Iranian, Persian homeland from attack.

Syria however, and the surrounding area, unfortunately does not have as great a defense against attack: and that brings us to where we are today. The Syrian conflict is no “civil” war.

States from the Greco-Roman world continuously engaged in conflict with two successive Iranian or Persian empires, the Parthian and the Sasanian empires.

It was the closest thing to constant world war that the world had really seen until the 20thCentury. Several vassal kingdoms provided the role of buffer states, and several nomadic nations that were allied played roles.

The beginning of Islam, with the Prophet Muhammad rising up out of the Arabian Peninsula to begin the Arab Muslim Conquests, was the fall of the Sasanian Empire and thus the near 700 war.

Then, the Muslims held down the territory of Persia against any intruder for the entire duration of the Colonialism Era.

The war began in Southern Armenia in 69 BC, when the Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla decided to invade the territory of Tigranes in Southern Armenia, despite the wishes for an alliance between the Roman and Parthian kingdoms, on behalf of Persia.

Iran wanted peace in the very beginning ironically, but under Lucius, the Romans attacked the Persians over 2,000 years ago.

To read more about this, click this link for a starting point. The details get a little dry, but if you like to read about this type of thing, it could be very entertaining and informative.

So again: is the modern day rivalry between the NATO side and Iran based on something more than we know?

Royal families carry secrets, as do the fraternal orders and secret societies they participate in. I’m sure it’s the same way on the Iranian side of things, but perhaps not the same morally.

(Image credit: commons.wikimedia, slideshare, sott, pixdaus, quora, dreamallowed.wordpress, colorado.edu)

From:    https://themindunleashed.com/2018/06/the-longest-conflict-in-world-history-may-be-the-root-of-war-today.html

Following Your Dream

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“I Will Teach You” by Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim

Photograph by Republic of Korea

Photograph by Republic of Korea

Only a miracle would free her to live her own life

As the following passage opens, the young Tae Yun Kim, a South Korean girl who has been separated from her relatives by the horrors of the Korean war, has returned to her family.
–The Editors

Eventually, I was reunited with my family, and when the war was over I went to live with my grandparents. One blue-gray morning in Kimcheon, South Korea, I was awakened by a shout. Although the war had ended, sudden sounds still had an unsettling effect on me. Cautiously I slid open the rice paper window in the room. My uneasiness disappeared as I saw something that instantly captivated me.There, in the early morning fog, my uncles were practicing an ancient martial art. I was mesmerized. The mists swirled with their fluid kicks. Their bodies glistened in the first light of dawn as they moved with amazing power and grace. What I saw awakened a deep feeling inside me. Their movements seemed mystical and yet so natural. To my seven-year-old mind, this was beautiful and exciting. It was important. Nothing had ever seemed so perfect. I had to learn how to do that myself. Little did I know how profoundly that moment would affect my life—and how much opposition I would face to fulfilling my desire.

As soon as I could, I asked my uncles to teach me how to do what they were doing, but they met my desire with laughter. “What?” they laughed. “You’re supposed to learn how to cook and sew. And if you’re lucky, someone will find you a husband.” You see, being seven years old was not the obstacle. The obstacle was that I was a girl.

Teaching martial arts to little boys was not unusual. In fact, it was a common practice. Girls, however, were forbidden to learn martial arts. Why? Simply because it had been that way for centuries. Everyone told me it was silly for me to even imagine that my uncles or anybody else would teach me martial arts. I should look forward to growing up, getting married, and having twelve sons, they kept saying. But I didn’t want to follow the path everyone expected of me. The women in my village were always working, working, working with their backs hunched over. That didn’t seem like any fun to me. I didn’t want to become like my mother. I didn’t want to become like my grandmother. I didn’t want to produce a lot of sons. I didn’t want any of that. I knew in my heart that I was supposed to dedicate myself to learning martial arts.

No matter how often my uncles told me that it would be impossible for me to learn martial arts, I would not listen. I insisted that they teach me anyway. Finally one of my uncles came up with a strategy that he thought would work. “Well,” he said, “if we go ahead and give her lessons, she will probably give up.” They were sure that I would stop being so persistent when I saw how difficult it was and started getting bruises from working out.

So every morning, I practiced. Yes, the work was hard and the bruises were many. I had to wear pants to hide the bruises so the other children wouldn’t laugh at me. But to my uncles’ surprise, I did not give up. To their further bewilderment, I progressed. I faced enormous difficulties—not in the art itself but in the continued resistance I met from those who believed that a woman couldn’t and shouldn’t be able to do that. I was, after all, breaking a five-thousand-year-old culture and tradition.

My family, my neighbors, and everyone I met applied enormous psychological and emotional pressure to try and stop me. My family even applied physical pressure, beating me and locking me in my room to keep me from practicing. My mother constantly nagged me and complained, “Why are you such a terrible daughter?” My father would come home drunk every night and beat my mother and me, demanding that I start acting like a marriageable young lady so he could have some peace in life.

My mother was once so desperate to keep me from practicing that she took a pair of scissors and cut off my hair, leaving me with a short, funny-looking hairstyle. She wanted to make me feel so embarrassed that I would not want to leave the house to go practice. I cried, crawled into the corner, and touched my hair in disbelief. Then I thought to myself, “Okay, hair grows back. My hair will grow back. I will have to endure looking like this for a little while, but I am not going to let you stop me from doing what I love. You are not going to cut away my dreams. I will not give that power to you.” In reality, the actions of my mother and family only made me more motivated and committed. The more I heard, “No, no, no,” the more I said to myself, “Yes, yes, yes. I can do it. I will do it.”

When I tell this story, people always ask me whether I was upset with my family for trying to hold me down. Of course I shed a lot of tears and would become frustrated and angry. At some point, though, I realized that my mother was simply doing what she thought was right. She had been taught, as had her mother before her, that the best way to raise a little girl was to teach her to fulfill the role expected of her as a good wife and mother, not to encourage her to dream big. The people who raise us usually do what they think is best for us. If you can understand why they are acting the way they are, you can have greater compassion for them. That doesn’t mean you have to accept their opinions or act like a victim. When you really want something that you believe in passionately, you can’t let anyone rob you of your dreams.

Take a moment now and think about yourself. Have you ever had to stand up for yourself in the face of pressure from those who wanted to force you to live in a certain way? What sort of challenges are you facing now? What dreams are you fighting for?

Photograph by the Republic of Korea

Photograph by the Republic of Korea

At this point in my life, I had an even worse reputation if that was possible. I was considered bad luck because I was born on the lunar new year as a girl instead of a boy, and now I was doing something that only boys and men were supposed to do. Everyone in my family was convinced that there was surely something wrong with me. While they would have been proud of my accomplishments had I been a boy, they regarded this as one more way that I was bringing shame upon them. In addition, my family was understandably worried that if I kept behaving in such odd ways, nobody would want to marry me and I would grow up to be a lonely, isolated, outcast old woman.Still, my mind was set. I was determined to break out of the box everyone was trying to keep me trapped in. I knew I had to be true to the burning desire deep within. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, that persistence is what would keep my dream alive through what was coming next.

One day I saw my grandfather talking to a strange woman in broad daylight, something that you would never normally see in our strict culture. All at once I realized what was happening—the woman was a matchmaker and my grandfather was bribing her to find me a husband. That’s not going to happen, I told myself. I knew that I needed to find a way to make sure the matchmaker didn’t like me, because if she did, I was going to be in big trouble.

When my grandfather asked me to serve tea to the two of them so the matchmaker could get a closer look at me, I knew this was my chance to thwart his plan. As I walked toward them holding the hot tea, I suddenly knocked the cup filled with steaming liquid onto the matchmaker’s lap, making it look like an accident.

She was furious. “I don’t care how much  money you give me,” she shouted. “She’s bad luck and I’m never going to find her a husband. She is clumsy, she is no good, she is like a boy!” Other girls would have been dismayed that such an important person as a matchmaker didn’t like them, but I was ecstatic.

As you can imagine, after I had spilled tea on this woman, no other matchmaker would come anywhere near me. My family was at their wit’s end. In their minds, they had done everything in their power to knock some sense into me. Now, they thought, if no one would marry me, they had only one choice left—to turn me over to the Buddhist monks and ask them to accept me as one of them.

Photograph by Jason Briscoe

Photograph by Jason Briscoe

That’s how the only person who would come to believe in me entered my life. Following the painful episode with the matchmaker, my grandfather invited a monk to come to our house to talk over this plan with him. As they were talking, the monk kept glancing over at me. I had no idea why he was there, but I knew they must be talking about me. Then the monk motioned for me to come over to him. You may not realize how extremely unusual that was. In my culture at the time, girls were not allowed to even make eye contact with their elders. They always had to look down, and if they ever dared laugh or smile in the presence of a grown-up, they were supposed to cover their mouths. Girls were never allowed to speak directly to their grandfathers or even eat in the same room with them, nevertheless talk to a man who was a monk. That was like having a king ask me to talk with him.

I walked over to the monk, looking down at the ground. In a very gentle, amazingly kind voice, he asked, “So, little girl, don’t you want to get married?”

“No, sir,” I answered.

“But it’s a woman’s place to get married and to be happy having sons and taking care of her family,” he said.

“No, sir,” I repeated. “That’s not what I want.”

“So what do you want to do when you grow up?”

“I want to become a teacher and help people.”

What a bold statement that was. In the 1950s in Korea, it was unheard of for girls to have such dreams. I might as well have been saying, “I’m going to the moon.”

“A teacher?” the monk asked. “What can you possibly teach?”

“I want to teach martial arts.”

“Martial arts?”

“Yes, sir. I’m going to be the first woman teaching martial arts.”

Unlike every other person in my life, he did not scoff at me or dismiss my audacious claim. Instead, in the same gentle tone he said, “Look at me.”

Since girls were not allowed to look a monk in the eye, I thought he must be crazy. But he took his hand, put it under my chin, and lifted my head up. “Um hum,” he said, as he studied my face for what seemed like an eternity. I had no idea what he was thinking. Then he looked directly into my eyes and said the words I had been waiting so long to hear: “Yes, you will become a great teacher.”

I could not believe my ears. Someone was finally acknowledging me and my desires. Then he said something even more amazing: “I will teach you.”

At first I didn’t believe him. But when he again said, “I will teach you,” I knew he was serious. For me, having someone of his stature say he was going to teach me martial arts was like winning a billion dollars in the lottery! It was the first time in my life that anyone had looked at me not as a lowly girl who was always disappointing everyone but as a human being who had value. In that split second, my life changed. ♦

Excerpted with permission from Seven Steps to Inner Power: How to Break Through to Awesome by Tae Yun Kim (Mountain Tiger Press, 2018). MountainTigerPress.com

From Parabola Volume 43, No. 2, “The Miraculous,” Summer 2018. This issue is available to purchase here. If you have enjoyed this piece, consider subscribing. 

from:    https://parabola.org/2018/04/29/i-will-teach-you-by-great-grandmaster-tae-yun-kim/

Know Your Rights!

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BE ADVISED:  There is some language in here that certain people may find offensive.

How One Woman Stood Up to Border Patrol When They Boarded Her Greyhound Bus

She was loud and made sure everyone knew that what was happening was illegal.
greyhound-bus-border-patrol.jpg
Yvette Montoya

We hear the word “ally” thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean to be an ally in a time when people are actually turning in their neighbors, delivery people, and parents dropping their kids off at school? When Tiana Smalls boarded a Greyhound bus in Bakersfield, California, headed to Las Vegas, she found herself in a situation that is reminiscent of Nazi Germany. She recounts her experience in a Facebook post that has now gone viral.

Ok. Storytime: this is kinda long but PLEASE READ. It’s about my experience last night with these fucking border patrol agents.

Last night, I rode the greyhound bus from Bakersfield to Las Vegas to visit family.
When we got to the California/Nevada state line, as always, there’s a checkpoint.
(This checkpoint USED to be one where they made sure you weren’t carrying fruits into California, bc of an invasive fruit fly species).

Anyway…

The bus driver makes an announcement: “We are being boarded by Border Patrol. Please be prepared to show your documentation upon request”.

WAIT. WHAT THE FUCK?

This is when Tiana decided to act when she could have just minded her business and continued her trip. But, no, what happened next is so bold and brave:

So you know I’m ready to act an ASS.

I stand up and say LOUDLY: THIS IS A VIOLATION OF YOUR 4TH AMENDMENT* RIGHTS. YOU DON’T HAVE TO SHOW THEM *SHIT*!!! This is illegal. We are not within 100 miles of an international border so that have NO authority to ask you for ANYTHING. TELL THEM TO FUCK OFF!

Realizing that the people most likely to be targeted by Border Patrol officers are Latinos, Smalls got on Google Translate so she could read her message in Spanish to make sure everyone knew what their rights were. She even went as far as reassuring the terrified woman next to her knew she wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

And, Since my Spanish sucks, I Google translated how to say that in Spanish and repeated myself:
Esto es una violación de los derechos de su cuarta enmienda. ¡No tienes que mostrarles nada! Esto es ilegal No cumples, y no tengas miedo. Están equivocados, y no dejaremos pasar esto.

The lady next to me did not speak English. She looked terrified. I reassured her that I had her back.

When Border Patrol boarded the bus, Smalls was loud, stood her ground, and made sure the agents, the driver, and everyone on the bus knew that what they were doing was illegal.

The agents get on. Proceed to announce that they are about to start asking for “documentation” from people.

I Stand up and yell “I’m not showing you shit! I’m not driving this bus, so you have NO RIGHT to ask me for anything! And the rest of you guys don’t have to show them anything, either! This is harassment and racial profiling! Don’t show them a gotdamn thing! We are not within 100 miles of a border so they have NO LEGAL RIGHT or jurisdiction here! GOOGLE IT!”

The agents start to look exasperated, because they can see I’m willing to act a WHOLE DONKEY. One of them said “Fine. We can see that you’re a citizen because of your filthy mouth.” And then they just said “go ahead” to the bus driver and got off.

Small’s “filthy mouth” saved numerous lives. She stuck up for what was right and for those who were most vulnerable. And she reminds everyone that injustice exists because of fear and silence and that using your voice to defend those in danger is the only way to combat the racism and blatant xenophobia sweeping the United States.

Point is: These border patrol officers act like they do because they EXPECT people to be afraid of them and just comply. The lady next to me spoke NO ENGLISH, but she was a very kind woman. She looked TERRIFIED when they boarded. I felt it was my duty to defend her. We DO NOT LIVE in Nazi Germany. No one should be asked to present “papers” for interstate travel. I defended her, and I defended myself. We DO NOT HAVE to just take this shit LYING down. What those officers did is WRONG and completely illegal. All it took was ONE LOUD ass Black woman to let them know WE ARE NOT WITH THE SHITS. FUCK Y’ALL. And they backed off.

Use your voice. Take a risk. Act an ASS. Because if you let them intimidate the poor Spanish[-]speaking woman next to you, who do you think they’re coming for next?

#ftpd #greyhound #useyourvoice

But what I really want to know is why Greyhound is allowing paying customers to be arrested simply for existing?

This article was originally published by Hip Latina. It has been edited for YES! Magazine.

from:   http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/how-one-woman-stood-up-to-border-patrol-when-they-boarded-her-greyhound-20180628

  • Amendment IV

    The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

A Little Buddhist Humor

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13 Buddhist Jokes That Will Enlighten Your Day

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Buddhists are one of the least understood religions out there, not because of a disinterest in understanding it, but because of so much disinformation. Buddhist jokes actually help us understand Buddhism the way it should be.

These are a few of my favorites.

1. Says the Master to his pupil: “Do you understand that you don’t really exist?”
Upon which the pupil replies: “To whom are you telling that?”

2. A zen student asked his master: “Is it okay to use email?” “Yes”, replied the master, “but with no attachments.”

3. Someone sent the Buddha a gift box tied with a ribbon. Buddha opened it to find it empty. “Aha!”, he said, “Just what I wanted. Nothing!”

4. What does a Buddhist comedian say when the audience stops laughing?
“I know you’re out there. I can concentrate on your breathing.”

5. A Western Buddhist woman was in India, studying with her teacher. She was riding with another woman friend in a rickshaw, when they were attacked by a man on the street. In the end, the attacker only succeeded in frightening the women, but the Buddhist woman was quite upset by the event and told her teacher. She asked him what she should have done: “what would have been the appropriate, Buddhist response?” The teacher said very simply, “You should have very mindfully and with great compassion whacked the attacker over the head with your umbrella.”

6. What did one Zen practitioner give to another for their birthday?
Nothing

7. What did the Buddhist say to the pizza chef?
Make me one with everything. The pizza chef prepares it and gives it to the monk. The monk pays him and asks for the change. The pizza vendor says: “Change comes from within.”

8. How many Zen Buddhists does it take to screw in a light bulb? There is no light bulb.

9. Q: What happens when a Buddhist becomes totally absorbed with the computer he is working with?
A: He enters Nerdvana.

10. Why did the Buddhist coroner get fired?
He kept marking the cause of death as “birth.”

11. A Buddhist phones the monastery and asks the monk, “Can you come to do a blessing for my new house?”
The monk replies “Sorry, I’m busy.”
“What are you doing? Can I help?”
“I’m doing nothing.” replied the monk. “Doing nothing is a monk’s core business and you can’t help me with that.”
So the next day the Buddhist phones again, “Can you please come to my house for a blessing?”
“Sorry,” said the monk, “I’m busy.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m doing nothing,” replied the monk.
“But that was what you were doing yesterday!” said the Buddhist.
“Correct”, replied the monk, “I’m not finished yet!”
~ Ajahn Brahm

12. Prince Gautama, who had become Buddha, saw one of his followers meditating under a tree at the edge of the Ganges River. Upon inquiring why he was meditating, his follower stated he was attempting to become so enlightened he could cross the river unaided. Buddha gave him a few pennies and said: “Why don’t you seek passage with that boatman. It is much easier.”

13. A Zen master told me, “Do the opposite of what I tell you.” So I didn’t.

This post was republished from e-buddhism.com. You can find the original post here.

from:    http://www.bbncommunity.com/13-buddhist-jokes-will-enlighten-day-2/

That Feline Magic!

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CAT – Protects You And Your Home From Ghosts And Negative Spirits!

CAT – Protects You And Your Home From Ghosts And Negative Spirits!

CAT – ONE OF THE MOST MAGICAL ANIMALS ON EARTH.

 The aura of the cat is so big, that includes not only the individual, but also his family, home, and territory that the cat is committed to.1

Therefore, we must understand that when a cat rubs against your legs, it’s not only that it’s trying to get some food from you, but it also means that the cat is sharing its magic with you, its astral force.

The one who pushes the cat away at this moment, saying “leave me alone, get out” simply blocks that positive energy the cat was trying to give him or her. Next time the cat won’t share its astral force field with you, as a matter of fact, it may even take some of yours.

Cats don’t only protect the home from evil spirits entering it, but it also protects the house from negative energies that resided there before even the cat came to the house. This is especially useful if you move to a home that belonged to other people before, or a house where bad things happened.

EVIL SPIRITS AND GHOSTS!

When a cat senses a spirit in the house, the first thing it does is following it around in order to figure out its intentions. To make sure that this astral entity won’t threaten its territory, the cat is making every attempt possible to expel it through her energy field displacement.

If that doesn’t work, the cat traps the entity in its energy field and leads it out oh the house. Hence, in some traditions, there were motives when the evil spirit rides or flies on a cat.

So, pay close attention to your cat and notice whether it keeps returning to a certain spot in the house, keeping a tense posture, and obviously staring at something. Such a behavior can be a sign of an evil presence.

To help your animal to get rid of any evil spirits, read a prayer over the spot or do a cleansing ritual.  If you don’t know any prayers or rituals, you can simply burn some White Sage – it’s a powerful way for getting read of negative or stale energy.

The cat’s astral field is so strong that it can easily chase any negative entity away. For this reason, people who communicate with spirits don’t allow cats in the room where a seance is taking place .

It can scare the astral beings. However, in some cases the presence of cats during magic rituals, is very encouraged.CAT – Protect You And Your Home From Ghosts And Negative Spirits!1

CAT AND HOUSE!

The presence of cats will also protect you from any evil eyes and curses.

But in order to protect you from an evil eye, or during a  conversation with a person whom you suspect of impure thoughts, you need to keep your hands on the cat, using your left hand for stroking her neck, and your right one for stroking its tail.

In this case, you will be in full contact with the animal. Your energy fields will come together in a single force field that will keep you safe even from powerful attacks.

Since cats are conduits of cosmic energy, they can bring positive energy into the house, which will contribute to the welfare and prosperity of the whole family. Cats like being in places where the energy is strong, like in geopathogenic zones.

They often choose these places because there is a strong negative energy flow or underground water.

Russians used to have a very interesting ritual: when moving to a new place of residence they first let a cat in the house. If the house was old, the cat was taking care of all the unwanted negative energy – a remainder of the former owners.

If the house was new, it demanded “a ransom,” which represents a powerful energy charge that a cat can give.

CAT HEALING!

A great use of cats’ magical powers is found in healing. Cats of any breed and color have the ability to treatment and may inadvertently treat their masters, lying on their sore spots.

One of the easiest methods of treatment with the help of a cat – a simple stroking her, release people from mental and emotional stress. In healing cats are used to improve vision too. To this end, some healers advise to pet tail white cat.

In terms of the psycho-emotional effects on humans, cats with congenital (not acquired!) main features of the body structure and facial (scottish-fold, Persians and Exotic, Bobtail, sphinxes, munchkins, Rex), have double magic powers!

CAT COLOR DECIDE YOUR NEED

Those people who are going to use the magical properties of the animal, need to know how to choose a cat.

In some cases you need a black cat, and in others a red-haired cat. When choosing a cat for a magical procedure it is very important to take their color into consideration.

  • Black: witchcraft, occult powers, protection, deep magic! Despite all the superstitions, the beasts of color take negative energy is removed from the trouble of households, grant wisdom and discernment!
  • Red (red) cats and cats: the classic witches moon, full of male power, the power of the sun, Yang energy. No matter of the cat sex, the representatives of this color are the magic of wealth, money, focus.
  • Blue (gray, smoky gray): Cats of this color bring love, happiness, good luck, as well as emotional stability and sensual peace!
  • White: cat-and-sorcerers create lunar magic, have powerful healing powers! Give people a sense of beauty and admiration, relieve stress, give out healing and recharging energy! In America, considered a good omen.
  • Colorpoint (Siamese), the royal color! Cats with the color of diluted Siamese temples, jealously guarding the purity of the color. Cats of this color bring fame and success, longevity, help in the solar magic, Yan energy!
  • Calico (Three-colored) – Cat supreme goddess. The classic three-color combination white color varieties (maiden), red (parent: the mother and father), deep black -color magic! This color is associated with the triple goddess. Calico cats are good luck and on land and at sea, keep home and family from harm, are happiness and prosperity!
  • Two-tone (black-and-white, orange-white, gray and white): according to legend, two-colored cats best Mouser and very friendly. Allow the energy of wisdom, understanding and common sense!
  • Tortoiseshell: Women’s magic, because this color pattern is inherited only by females. Children, pure magic, the giver of clairvoyance, healing.
  • Golden, golden brown (like the Abyssinian): revered temple cat, playful, wise, regal, which bestows grace, helps to master the age-old wisdom, solar magic.
  • Tabby (striped): smiling Cheshire cat, which bestows good luck, light, cheerful attitude to the situation, even the most critical, energizing humor and fun!

from:   https://gostica.com/spiritual-lifestyle/cat-protects-home-ghosts-negative-spirits/

Words of Healing

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11 Powerful Mantras for Healing

Everything in this Universe carries a vibration, including the words that you speak.

For centuries, people have used words for healing. Words can be used to share a story, they can be used to pray and they can be used to express a deeper truth.

Another way words can be used for healing is through mantras. Mantras are short, positively inspired phrases that carry a powerful healing vibration and can help to free your body, mind, and soul of any stresses.

The word mantra loosely translates to “instrument of the mind”. This is because mantras have the power to transform your thinking, and rewire thought patterns and belief systems that have been engrained deep within your subconscious.

In traditional practices, it was believed that you had to chant the mantra 125,000 times in order for it to really sink in to the deepest level of your soul. While this may sound daunting, even reciting a mantra a few times over the course of a week or month can have life changing effects.

In fact, mantras are so simple yet so effective for all sorts of healing, that I have shared 150 of my most favorite and powerful mantras in a new book – My Pocket Mantras.

Here are a few of my favorite mantras from the book:

1.) I know I am loved and supported as I move through the day

Recite this mantra three times either out loud or quietly to yourself first thing in the morning or whenever needed. As you recite the mantra, cross your arms and wrap them around your body like you are giving yourself a big, supportive hug.

2.) This too shall pass

Recite this mantra seven times out loud or quietly to yourself during challenging life periods and when you are working through painful emotions.

3.) I surrender my worries to the Universe

Recite this mantra three times either out loud or quietly to yourself as often as needed. Visualize yourself taking your heavy coat of burdens off and handing it over to the Universe to take care of as you recite the words.

4.) I choose to feel good about myself every day

Recite this mantra three times either out loud or quietly to yourself while looking in the mirror.

5.) I am exactly where I need to be

Recite this mantra three times either out loud or quietly to yourself.

6.) I release my past and forgive myself

Recite this mantra five times either out loud or quietly to yourself as you place your hands over your heart.

7.) Everything I need to heal is already within me

Recite this mantra five times either out loud or quietly to yourself while placing your hands over your heart.

8.) Things are always working out in my favor

Recite this mantra three times either out loud or quietly to yourself.

9.) I am effortlessly creating a life I love

Recite this mantra six times either out loud or quietly to yourself.

10.) The next perfect step is always being revealed to me

Recite this mantra three times either out loud or quietly to yourself with your hands in prayer position.

11.) I use love to make all the decisions in my life

This mantra is best recited after or during meditation. You can incorporate it into your own practice, or you can use the following instructions as your guide:

Take three to four deep breaths in and out while placing your hand over your heart. Chant the mantra in your mind eleven times. Once finished, end your meditation by taking three to four deep breaths.

from:    http://humansarefree.com/2018/04/11-powerful-mantras-for-healing.html