The Dangers of GMO Golden RIce

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Golden rice debunked: ten blatant contradictions and false claims of genetically modified rice

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

(NaturalNews) Golden rice is being touted by GMO advocates as a miracle cure for blindness and death. It is claimed that golden rice is genetically engineered to produce higher levels of beta carotene which the body converts to vitamin A, preventing blindness and death. These claims, however, have no basis in fact and are utterly unsupported by any scientific evidence whatsoever. In fact, those pushing golden rice are doing so as a matter of intense faith rather than science. This is especially noteworthy because those pushing it are staunch enemies of “faith” and claim to be operating solely based on science.

That’s why I’ve assembled a list of ten glaring contradictions in the arguments of golden rice advocates, nearly all of whom have financial ties to the GMO biotech industry.

Here are ten important things golden rice advocates won’t tell you about the unscientific faith in an untested, unproven Frankenfoods experiment:

#1) There is no scientific basis to claim that the beta carotene artificially produced in golden rice survives storage and cooking to actually be absorbed by those who eat it

No clinical trials have ever been conducted showing that the beta carotene engineered into golden rice actually makes its way from harvest, to storage, to cooking and into the human body intact. There is no evidence to support any claim that golden rice, when grown and harvested in the traditional manner of southeast Asian cultures, will actually raise levels of beta carotene in the bodies of those who eat it.

We cannot simply assume that an artificially-induced phytonutrient will survive harvesting, storage and cooking to deliver the claimed impact on human health unless it is extensively studied. The studies that have been done on golden rice and beta carotene consumption were conducted under laboratory conditions, not real-world conditions.

#2) Golden rice advocates utterly ignore the environmental risks of genetic pollution

There are no scientific studies whatsoever to show that the open-field cultivation of genetically engineered golden rice is safe for the environment. The risk of genetic pollution that might contaminate and alter neighboring rice populations has been callously and irresponsibly ignored by golden rice advocates. (This is part of the “faith” requirement to join the Church of Biotechnology.)

There is also risk that this alteration of golden rice may have unintended consequences such as creating new vulnerabilities to pests or microbial infections. These risks are routinely dismissed by golden rice advocates as if they did not exist. Murphy’s Law tells us that good intentions often have unintended negative consequences. To pretend they do not exist is the height of scientific irresponsibility.

#3) There is no scientific basis whatsoever for the claim that golden rice can “prevent blindness” or “prevent death” as is being widely claimed

Where are the clinical studies for such a claim? They do not exist. With claims that it can prevent blindness or death, golden rice is now being positioned as a drug (see below) with specific medical benefits. Where are the clinical trials that prove such benefits exist at all?

Where is the science that assesses the possible side effects of human consumption of golden rice? Such studies do not exist. If golden rice is supposed to represent the best of modern science, then modern science is a tragic failure because the story of golden rice is one based almost entirely on wishful thinking — or as some skeptics call it, “Magic!”

Yes, golden rice is a “magical GMO crop” that cures disease and saves people from death. How do we know this? Because the GMO pushers essentially tell us we should all believe in magic. Golden rice magic!

(Notice how their pet projects never need any actual science to back them up? But when they criticize medicinal herbs, even a massive collection of scientific evidence is always declared to be “unconvincing.”)

#4) Claiming that golden rice can prevent blindness or death automatically turns golden rice into an unapproved drug according to current FDA regulations. All golden rice claims are actually “drug claims”

The very same people who promote golden rice also tend to be so-called skeptics of nutritional therapies, medicinal herbs, superfoods and phytonutrients. They insist that there is no such thing as any nutrient, vitamin, mineral or food that has any therapeutic effect on the human body whatsoever. (This is the official position of the FDA and nearly all mainstream science skeptics.)

Yet, magically, their golden rice is exempt from any skepticism. All claims about golden rice are automatically believed to be truth as a matter of faith, not fact, and those claims include outlandish therapeutic drug claims which are illegal under current FDA regulations.

If I grew golden rice and sold it at the Natural News Store with claims that it could prevent blindness and halt death, I would be almost immediately sent a stern warning letter by the FDA and possibly also the FTC. If I continued to sell the “magic” golden rice with such claims, the FDA would very likely raid my facility, sieze all product inventory, and have me arrested at gunpoint and charged with “drug crimes” for “selling unapproved drugs.”

According to the FDA, unless golden rice is tested and approved as a drug for preventing blindness and death, it cannot be sold or marketed with such claims. And the real catch-22 is that if this magical golden rice is actually approved as a therapeutic drug, then it would only be available by prescription, not as a common food. Because, again, the FDA says that no foods have any ability to prevent, treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Including blindness.

Is it the intention of the golden rice proponents to seek and acquire FDA approval for the food as a therapeutic drug that can treat specific medical conditions? If not, then proponents of this magical golden rice are engaged in medical fraud by making unsupported drug claims.

#5) Golden rice advocates selectively believe that unproven drug claims can be made only for golden rice, but that vitamins and minerals in all other foods have no medical benefit whatsoever

All the health claims being made for golden rice are far better applied to carrots and canteloupe — both are foods that naturally and holistically contain beta carotene. But if I pen an article on the internet that claims “carrots can prevent blindness in children,” I will be viciously attacked by the very same people who are now claiming their magical golden rice achieves the same outcome.

The contradictory logic in the golden rice pushers collapses at the merest challenge. Apparently only their own magical, selected foods have nutritional benefits, but everybody else’s non-genetically-engineered foods are devoid of all benefits, if you believe their twisted logic.

#6) Golden rice is being used as a political wedge to try to dismantle safety regulations regarding genetically engineered foods so that the biotech industry can dominate global agriculture with patented GMO crops

Another glaring contradiction in the argument of golden rice advocates is that the biotech industries really aren’t interested in helping humanity in the first place. They are interested solely in corporate profits, and golden rice is a strategy to achieve the goal of global food domination and monopolization of seeds.

In effect, golden rice is an anti-regulatory battering ram designed to destroy regulations that currently limit the testing and deployment of GMOs. This is the goal: lower the regulations so that biotech can ramp up its global agricultural imperialism and invade every last nation on the planet with an army of intellectual property lawyers and a cabal of modified seed salespeople.

#7) Since when did GMO pushers ever believe in nutrition, anyway? If vitamin A deficiency is the cause of so much suffering, the answer is to teach populations how to grow a more diverse diet using sustainable agriculture practices

Biotech “scientists” frequently resort to the logical fallacy of false choice. In the context of golden rice, the false choice is that you either accept golden rice or thousands of people will die from malnourishment. This is a false choice because there are a multitude of other options which don’t run the risk of genetic pollution or unforeseen negative effects.

Sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, squash and spinah all contain high levels of the vitamin A precursor known as beta carotene. Solving the vitamin deficiency problem with populations in Asia is no more complicated than teaching them how to grow these sustainable crops using open-pollinated, non-patented seeds that can be shared generation after generation.

Golden rice is not needed at all.

#8) GMO agriculture is, almost by definition, highly toxic to the environment. The risks of genetic pollution and the widespread use of cancer-causing glyphosate in conjunction with genetically engineered crops present a far greater health risk to the world than any lack of vitamin A in rice

If the aim is to protect life and save human lives, GMO agriculture is precisely the wrong answer. It is based in large part on crops that have been engineered to grow deadly insecticides inside each kernel (GM corn).

In so-called “Roundup-ready” crops such as soybeans and cotton, highly toxic glyphosate poisons are sprayed indiscriminately on entire fields. This not only poisons the land, the streams and the rivers, it also results in the inevitable formation of incredibly threatening superweeds which then require even more toxic chemicals to eradicate.

GMO agriculture breeds superweeds in the same way antibiotics breed superbugs. According to the CDC, superbugs are right now killing 23,000 Americans each year. And this number is expected to rapidly multiply as last-ditch antibiotics become useless in the next few years.

#9) If the goal is to help humanity, why doesn’t the biotech industry give up all its patents on seeds?
As part of the strategy to use golden rice as a weapon to bring down GMO regulations, the industry has given up its intellectual property claims on golden rice. But it maintains its intellectual property claims on all other genetically engineered seeds. In fact, companies like Monsanto have been suing hundreds of farmers whose fields were contaminated with such seeds due to no fault of the farmer!

If the biotech industry really believes its products can “feed the world,” and if it really believes in doing good things for humanity, then why won’t it donate all its seed patents to humankind?

The answer is because the “humanitarian” cover story is a lie. The real aim of the biotech industry is to dominate the world seed supply and thereby dominate the food supply as well. This is an industry with a long history of violating human rights in its quest to destroy farming freedom and force its seeds upon nearly every nation of the world. To even think for a second that this industry has anything positive to offer humanity is a terrible mistake. Do not be seduced by golden rice into misunderstanding the true motives of the biotech industry.

#10) “Nutritional holocaust?” Or GMO death knell?
The golden rice website claims that not feeding children golden rice is equivalent to a “nutritional holocaust.”

Such a label is wildly contradictory, given the industry’s wholesale denial of the risk of unleashing a true genetic holocaust by tinkering with the genes of plants in unnatural ways.

The history of science is filled with horrible mistakes, unforeseen circumstances and costly lessons for those who have abandoned the precautionary principle. Good intentions alone do not ensure positive outcomes. This is evident with the history of Agent Orange (also manufactured by Monsanto), DDT, Bisphenol-A, flame retardants, thalidomide and countless other deadly oversights that have exacted a horrifying toll on humankind (see my video, below).

The genetic engineering of food crops in open fields is a foolish, unscientific practice that’s practically begging for a devastating response from Mother Nature.

Today, golden rice believers and faith-followers march forward with the same delusional confidence that once emanated from believers in antibiotics or DDT. When it comes to science, false confidence is exceedingly dangerous to humankind.

More on Comet ISON

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COMET ISON ON TRACK TO BECOME ‘IMPRESSIVE’: Amateur astronomers around the world are photographing Comet ISON as it approaches Mars in the predawn sky. The comet is not as bright as some forecasters expected. What does that mean for ISON’s future prospects? The answer may be found below this color photo of the comet obtained by UK astronomer Damian Peach on Sept. 24th:


Photo details: 17″ CDK with FLI-PL6303e camera. LRGB. L: 5x3mins. RGB: 1x2mins. Sun -18 to -14deg.

At the moment, Comet ISON is about as bright as a 14th magnitude star, which puts it one or two magnitudes dimmer than forecasts. Nevertheless, according to several experts speaking in a NASA video, Comet ISON is still on track to become an impressive sungrazer. John Bortle predicts ISON will rival Venus during the hours leading up to its closest approach to the Sun in November, while Matthew Knight notes that Comet ISON is brighter than Comet Lovejoy was at the same distance from the sun in 2011. As many readers remember, Comet Lovejoy went on to become a spectacular naked-eye object. Comet ISON might do the same.

fr/spaceweather.com

Your Color Vibe for 9/26

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Thursday,  September 26:    Chalky White

There are going to be a lot of things whirling around today in the atmosphere.  The question is will you get caught up in them or will you see through them to the illusion that they are masking.  There are people in your life who are looking to trip you up, and they are going to be out there today.  It is a good day for being cautious in word and deed.  Think before you respond and plan before you act.  It can be hard, but it will be to your benefit to be cautious.  There is a lot of stuff going on right now and there are a lot of people who are not willing to take the responsibility for their own actions, so they are looking for scapegoats.  If you can stay within your power and see things through the eyes of your heart, you will be able to see just what is truly going on around you, who to trust, and who to be wary of.

Your Color VIbe for Wednesday, 9/25

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Wednesday,   September 25:    Payne’s Grey

There are surprises in the air today, and along with these, can come some pretty significant revelations.  This is a time in which you need to allow yourself to believe that anything is possible because, guess what, right now, anything is possible.  You will see today how things that once seemed so logical are no longer making sense, and people that you looked up to really had nothing of substance to offer.  These kinds of things can cause a bit of a shake up in your worldview.  After all, we all like things to flow evenly, smoothly, and predictably.  Right now, however the energetic currents are swiftly flowing, and the important thing is to hang on while always keeping your focus on your destination.  You will get a lot of reminders today that things are on the move.  Be aware of these and take them to heart, work with them and open to receive the information and the guidance that the Universe is offering.

Looming Debt Crisis

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Congressional Budget Office now admits catastrophic debt ‘crisis’ inevitable for America

(NaturalNews) From the behavior of both sides of the political aisle in Washington, you’d think that the nation’s unsustainable debt is no big deal. Otherwise, lawmakers would be clamoring to get a handle on it. But as it is, only a small, small group of fiscal conservatives is working to not only get a handle on the national debt, which is spiraling ever faster out of control, but to reform the entitlement spending that is driving the debt higher.

Obamacare is just the latest massive entitlement that is quickening the pace of America’s bankruptcy, which is why the fiscal hawks are moving to defund it. The same forces who passed that monstrosity, however, are now working overtime to not only keep it the law of the land but to make sure America goes broke funding it.

Is there anything that can impose reason on the unreasonable? Well, the Congressional Budget Office, Congress’ non-partisan fiscal watchdog, is trying. But there is only so much the CBO can do.

Like a broken record, the warnings keep coming

In its latest budget projection, which covers the 10-year period between 2013 and 2023, the CBO offers yet another dire warning that lawmakers ignore at there – and our – peril. The agency says that, based on its current projections, America’s large and growing debt – can you guess? – is unsustainable.

“[A] large and continually growing federal debt …would increase the probability of a fiscal crisis for the United States,” says the report.

What’s more, CBO says that if current laws and policies don’t change, the federal debt could reach 100 percent of GDP by 2038 (it is currently about 73 percent).

CBO also projects that healthcare spending by the federal government “will grow considerably in 2014 because of changes made by the Affordable Care Act” (Obamacare).

Of the current federal debt-to-GDP ratio, the “percentage is higher than at any point in U.S. history except a brief period around World War II, and it is twice the percentage at the end of 2007.”

If laws remain the same, CBO said that it expects federal debt held by the public to decrease slightly, relative to gross domestic product, over the next several years. But after that, deficits would begin growing once more, in no small part due to the government’s major healthcare programs (think Obamacare, Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP).

“CBO projects that the federal debt held by the public would reach 100 percent of GDP in 2038, 25 years from now, even without accounting for the harmful effects that growing debt would have on the economy,” the report said.

Per CNSNews.com:

The word “crisis” appears numerous times in the report, as the CBO explains the negative consequences of burdensome debt. At some point, the report says, investors would begin to doubt the government’s willingness or ability to pay U.S. debt obligations, making it more difficult or more expensive for the government to borrow money. Even before that happens, the high and rising amount of debt “would have significant negative consequences” for both the economy and the federal budget.

And it just gets worse from here

More bad news:

— As the debt-to-GDP rises, there will a larger risk of a major fiscal crisis as well, because investors could begin demanding much higher interest rates to finance the federal government’s borrowing.

— More debt equals less flexibility in Washington to utilize tax and spending policies as a response to unexpected issues or occurrences, like a new recession or a major war.

— Most assuredly, interest payments on the government’s rising debt would necessarily increase – and substantially so – to become one of the budget’s biggest line items, if not the largest.

— As the government borrows more, private investment will fall off, “because the portion of total savings used to buy government securities would not be available to finance private investment,” CNSNews.com reported.

Uses for Coffee Grounds

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5 Uses for Spent Coffee Grounds

coffee grinds

24th September 2013

By Dr. Edward F. Group

Guest Writer for Wake Up World

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. It’s grown in over 70 countries and amounts to over 16 billion pounds of beans every year. That’s a lot of beans… and when they’re only used once and thrown away, it also amounts to a huge amount of waste.

If you drink a lot of coffee or have worked in a coffee house, you have probably looked at the massive amount of coffee grounds being thrown away after one use and wondered, “isn’t there something these can be used for?” You’re not alone, researchers all over the world have wondered the same thing and explored the issue. The good news — spent coffee grounds DO have value! What potential uses for used coffee grounds have been found?

1. Remove Lead from Water

Researchers at Japan’s Kinki University investigated the possibility of using coffee grounds to remove lead from drinking water and found that, indeed, not only was it possible, but that it actually worked quite well. [1] The prospect of using coffee grounds, an overly abundant waste item, for a purpose as beneficial as removing lead from drinking water is an exciting idea!

2. Biodiesel Production

You may have heard of diesel vehicles being converted to run on discarded grease from fast food restaurants, wouldn’t it be great if discarded coffee grounds could also be used as a source of energy? Perhaps they can.

Researchers at the University of Nevada in Reno found that oil extracted from spent coffee grounds could be converted to biodiesel. Spent coffee grounds can contain about 15% oil, depending on the variety. This might not sound like much, but experts estimated that the biodiesel production levels could reach upwards of 340 million gallons when accounting for all the used coffee grounds in the world. As a side bonus, they also determined that even after the oil is extracted, the coffee grounds are still great for garden fertilizer, feedstock for ethanol, and fuel pellets.[2]

Additionally, the Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology in South Korea conducted similar experiments and found that spent coffee grounds were a strong candidate for the production of bioethanol and biodiesel. [3]

3. Enhances Composting

A 2008 study out of Malaysia found that when coffee grounds were added to vermicompost — composting that uses worms — it helped produce more earthworms than kitchen waste alone. This is, at least partially, because the coffee grounds increased the nutrient content in the vermicompost. [4] This is an easy one for anyone to partake in. If you’re not composting, start composting. And if you are already, make sure to throw your coffee grounds in the mix!

4. Agricultural Nutrient

It’s fairly common for home gardeners to add used coffee grounds to garden soil. I had a friend who would routinely dump the remnants of his French press right into his plant pots. Old wives tale? Not quite, research suggests it’s an idea with merit.

In early 2012, Portuguese researchers examined the impact of adding spent coffee grounds to growing lettuce. The results were astounding — the carotenoid and chlorophyll content in the lettuce increased, as did the amount of lutein and beta-carotene. There is a ceiling, however, as they also determined that a 10% limit on the ratio of coffee grounds to soil was where the benefits stopped. [5]

In Japan, the National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science has published information recommending that spent coffee grounds be added to rice farming so as to increase rice yields and the nutrient content (as well as decrease landfill waste). [6]

5. Source of Antioxidants and Other Nutrients

So really, why are spent coffee grounds so beneficial? Because they’re not actually “spent” and they still contain valuable nutrients. Just earlier this year, it was confirmed that spent coffee grounds still contained antioxidants that could be used for nutritional supplements, food or cosmetics. [7]

In fact, research conducted at Spain’s University of Navarra found that spent coffee grounds actually contained up to seven times the amount of beneficial antioxidants than the respective brewed coffee! [8]

The Logistics of Using Spent Coffee Grounds

While most anyone can take advantage of using spent coffee grounds at home to fertilize their plants or add to their compost pile, some of the other uses, like biodiesel creation, are less home-user friendly, and require significant processes to be in place. It begs the question — do large scale coffee outfits like Starbucks have a plan in place to repurpose the spent grounds? Are there any industries springing up to collect and process used grounds? I couldn’t find an answer to that in my research. If you know, please weigh in and leave a comment below. Additionally, if you have a used for spent coffee grounds, please share that with us too!

from:    http://wakeup-world.com/2013/09/24/5-uses-for-spent-coffee-grounds/

TIme to GO Organic

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Yet Another Reason to go Organic – Research Verifies it Really is More Nutritious

Organic24th September 2013

By Carolanne Wright

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

While it’s generally agreed in the natural health arena that organically produced fare is superior in safety compared to crops that utilize GMOs or chemical pesticides, the fact that it’s more nutritious might be overlooked by consumers. Conventional growers insist there isn’t a substantial difference between the two, yet several studies have found otherwise.

The science behind nutrient rich organic edibles

In the battle between conventional versus organic, research has shown the latter to be the victor with higher levels of vitamins and minerals as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fats.

Nutritional profile of organic compared to conventional crops

After reviewing 41 published studies examining the nutritional content of conventional and organically grown crops, certified nutrition specialist Virginia Worthington discovered organic food rated significantly higher. Findings include greater levels of vitamin C (27 percent), iron (21.1 percent), magnesium (29.3 percent) and phosphorus (13.6 percent). She also notes that organic crops had lower nitrates and heavy metal contamination. Worthington’s results can be found in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Likewise, a study led by Alyson Mitchell at the University of California-Davis found free radical scavenging flavonoids were notably higher in organic tomatoes. Over the course of ten years, organically produced tomatoes were compared to their conventional counterpart. The organic fruit was shown to contain between 79 and 97 percent more flavonoid, aglycones, quercetin and kaempferol than conventionally grown tomatoes.

Variance in milk fatty acids between organic and conventional farming practices

A study in the Journal of Dairy Research investigated the chemical composition of milk sourced from conventional and organic dairy sheep and goats in Greece. One hundred and sixty two milk samples were taken over three months. Results showed fat content was lower in the organic milk compared to conventional. Additionally, the researchers discovered:

Milk from organic sheep had higher content in MUFA, PUFA, alpha-LNA, cis-9, trans-11 CLA, and omega-3 FA, whereas in milk from organic goats alpha-LNA and omega-3 FA content was higher than that in conventional one. These differences are, mainly, attributed to different feeding practices used by the two production systems.

According to the study, organic milk has a greater nutritional value (due to its fatty acid profile) compared to conventional milk when “produced under the farming conditions practiced in Greece.”

Similar results were found with cow’s milk. A team of researchers at the Institute of Food Science and Nutrition in Piacenza, Italy evaluated the fat composition of organic bulk milk as well as conventional. Once again, organically produced milk had higher levels of CLA. “The animal diet appears to be the factor which has the highest effect on the CLA concentration in milk and milk products and an organic diet based on fresh or dried forage, that is rich in CLA precursory fatty acids, may improve the yield of fatty acids with beneficial effects on health.”

from:    http://wakeup-world.com/2013/09/24/yet-another-reason-to-go-organic-research-verifies-it-really-is-more-nutritious/

Reclaiming Earth’s Energy

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As always, do your research and use your discretion:

Time To Reclaim Earth’s Hijacked Ancient Energy

leylines1

25th September 2013

By Zen Gardner

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

The takeover of the earth’s energy grid being executed on our planet’s spiritual energy system by clearly malevolent forces has been in effect for eons. I am personally convinced that at this juncture in our timeline we are flushing out these energies with very powerful, positive ones and literally lighting up and pushing back the dark side by our spiritual realizations and directed energy efforts, whether done consciously or subconsciously.

The “current” manipulators have gone techno-mad in this arena, messing with the natural Schumann resonance of the planet and de-naturalizing anything they can via the massive man-made electromagnetic grid. This is beautifully addressed in the must watch film “Resonance – Beings of Frequency“. (Enjoy this short trailer.)

These spiritual parasites who intend only self serving destructive evil are quickly overcome when confronted with proactive truth energies from the awake and aware spirits of those who have overcome their influences, all of which influences are driven by irrational fear. I also contend there is an array of other energetic entities we thereby activate in other realms to perpetrate the same overcoming, but we are generally prevented from fully understanding them by the very nature of the structure of the Universe.

We have much to learn in this arena but it’s all contingent on our actions. Nothing’s coming to save humanity without humanity coming alive and activating for itself. Then maybe we can commandeer some supra-natural sympathetic energetic help to some degree, but not without serious commitment on each of our parts. They’re not the valiant rescuers you’d like to think. It’s way more metaphysically causal than that.

Shallow pleas and scared petitions, no matter how sincere, simply empower the Enemy and his negative energy grid with fear, helplessness and a sense of disempowerment.

We all have our experiences to draw upon. To the uninitiated this will sound a bit out there, but the parallel worlds around us are very much a reality in our lives. How much we learn about them is up to each of us. My take? Don’t fear it. Learn. The dark side does not dominate the Universe by any means. It has virtually mastered the fear trade, but that paradigm is getting blown to pieces more by the minute.

Wade in with wisdom. You might need help or more info from others more experienced.

Tesla did say, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

Now we’re talking! Extrapolate that! We’re dealing with quite the realm around us! How exciting! It’s only taboo because they conditioned you against it. March on and claim the land!

The Hijacking

Much has been written on this subject and even more experienced. We simply need to be aware of this aspect of the parasitic attack on our planet and its species and learn how to reverse it.

As I said, we need to claim these channels and energy centers back. You may very well be near one or on one for yourself that you can utilize. Either way, you can send energy any way you want. Use it constructively.

Their invasive force is built on fear and intimidation, as well as luring the weak to supposedly share their “power” and so help push their weeny program. All lies, all deception, and never helpful to mankind, or beyond. We know better, and are “hands on deck”.

from:    http://wakeup-world.com/2013/09/25/time-to-reclaim-earths-hijacked-ancient-energy/

Hacking Your Pacemaker

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Medical Devices Vulnerable to Hackers, New Report Says

By Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer   |   September 24, 2013 11:00am ET
heart technology, biotech
 X-ray image of a pacemaker.
Credit: khuruzero | Shutterstock

In an episode of the television series “Homeland,” a terrorist organization assassinates the vice president of the United States by wirelessly hacking into his pacemaker. Although the scenario was fictional, the underlying premise is not.

Life-saving medical devices abound in today’s world, and many of these devices are connected wirelessly to hospital networks, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. For example, a malicious person could hack into a pacemaker, causing the device to apply lethal electrical stimulation, or an insulin pump, causing it to deliver a deadly dose of the hormone.

“Just like any other piece of Internet technology, medical devices are susceptible to the same cyberthreats you hear about all the time on the news,” said Russel Jones, a partner at the consulting firm Deloitte, which released a report Monday (Sept. 23) on the subject of cybersecurity in medical devices.

As more and more medical devices go online, device manufacturers and health care organizations will need to address security issues to keep patients and their health information safe. [Image Gallery: The BioDigital Human]

So far, there have been no known incidents of a hacked medical device injuring or killing a person, but researchers have demonstrated that these events are possible “with the right level of skill and understanding,” Jones told LiveScience.

In the Deloitte study, consultants interviewed representatives from nine health care organizations, in areas spanning from information technology to clinical engineering. The participants answered questions about the regulation, risk management and security of networked medical devices.

The majority of organizations surveyed felt their organizations had strategies and frameworks for managing cybersecurity risks. However, there were differences in the degree of preparedness and approaches for handling cyberthreats.

One way to protect information sent to or from a medical device is to encrypt it. The problem is, encryption takes up valuable processing time on the device. The challenge, Jones said, is to develop encryption that addresses cyberrisk without impacting the functionality of the device.

In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released draft guidance for cybersecurity concerns. The FDA’s previous guidance from 2005 was pretty vague, but the new draft lays out specific concerns that must be addressed when applying for FDA approval for new devices.

Ensuring cybersecurity in medical devices will require collaboration, Jones said. “This is going to be a problem that’s jointly solved by health care systems, providers, device manufacturers and the FDA,” he said.

from:    http://www.livescience.com/39889-medical-devices-vulnerable-to-hackers.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Color Vibe for Tuesday 9/24

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Tuesday, September 24:  Red Gold

This is a day for perspective, for seeing things as they fit into the larger picture, for realizing that you are part of that larger whole and that your job as a creator is to be true to yourself within this context.  There can be people coming to you today to ask for advice, to ask for direction, even to criticize some of the things that you have stood for.  It is your task in all of this to see through this momentary illusion into where it all fits together, how it all fits together.  You can find yourself not quite in touch with everything going on, a bit spacy, but that is what the energy is doing right now.  It is tearing apart and bringing together at the same time, and because you are in touch with the flow of these energetic shifts and changes, you are acting and reacting simultaneously.  So, take the day as it comes.  Be ready to laugh at yourself when those Freudian slips occur, those lapses of memory happen.  And do not take anything too seriously right now.  The time is right for observing without judgment.