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2024-03-28T11:31:06Z
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Parent’s Emotions are Passed on to the Fetus During Gestation
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/parent-s-emotions-are-passed-on-to-the-fetus-during-gestation
2019-06-01T14:54:20.000Z
2019-06-01T14:54:20.000Z
Joman Romero
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/JomanRomero
<div><p><strong>During the last 20 to 25 years, there have been numerous studies in France, Germany, and Spain about fetus’s life and receptivity to outside influences such as the emotional states of both the mother, the father, and other relatives involved during the gestation period. The fetus is also influenced by events, dramas, concerns, and anxieties that occur around them during life in the womb.</strong></p><p><strong>In BioNeuroEmotion, we call this time the Parental Projection Period, which begins at six months before conception, and can continue up to three years after the birth and principally involves the mother and the father. Our studies adjacent to the Parental Projection Period and focus on the fact that it is the mother who brings the most emotional information and incidental circumstances to the child during pregnancy. This includes both simple and complex stuff. The fetus will be “affected”, “influenced”, and “defined” by what the mother hears or sees. But above all, by the way the mother reacts to everyday events. The mother could leave small personality traces in the child or affect him/her completely in his/her health, physique, temperament, or self esteem. It will all depend on the type of emotions and reactions that the mother transmits to the baby. If the mother is strong, safe, confident, courageous, and expresses these qualities both in her words and actions, her child will be someone who possess similar qualities.</strong></p><p><strong>If, however, the mother is weak, insecure, fearful, or has low esteem, the child will also possess these negative qualities.</strong></p><p><strong>The Thoughts and Feelings of the Pregnant Woman</strong></p><p><strong>Most women, fortunately not all, are oblivious to these studies. Many women are ignorant to the big influence that their words, thoughts, reactions, and emotions have on the child. They believe that their child does not share any of these ideas, and therefore, feel that they are free to have any thought, emotion, or action without affecting the unborn infant. This is where they are wrong. The mother’s behaviour and belief system affects the child mentally, and even physically. In the novel Elective Affinities, Goethe tells the story of a woman who, during her pregnancy of her husband’s child, couldn’t stop thinking about another man she loved. The girl who was born had the same eyes as this man. So great is the power of thought and feeling in pregnant women! So why don’t women decide to work for the benefit of their child during pregnancy?</strong></p><p><strong> The True Nature of the Baby is Determined at the Moment of Birth</strong></p><p><strong>A woman waiting for a child should have affirmations such as:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>During these nine months, I have every chance to make my child a healthy, beautiful, intelligent, noble, full of love individual.</strong></li><li><strong>During these nine months, I have every chance to make my child a blessing for the whole world.</strong></li><li><strong>During these nine months, I should look at my thoughts, my feelings, my desires, my actions, and provide only the purest elements to contribute to his/her molding.</strong></li><li><strong>During these nine months, I must act knowing that my child, hears me, feels me, and sees me.</strong></li></ul><p><strong>Preparing to be Parents</strong></p><p><strong>The true education of the child begins before the birth with the education of the parents, who must prepare their interior beings well in advance through a better understanding of love, to attract an exceptional soul to the family. They must strive to conceive this child in the greatest light and purity. Once the child is conceived, the mother, aware of the power that has been given to her by nature, will work to give this soul a physical and mental body made from the finest materials. If thousands, millions of parents around the world decided to make this work, humanity would really be transformed in three or four generations.</strong></p><p><strong>This is an English translation of an article originally written in Spanish by: Elizabeth Romero Sanchez y Edgar Romero Franco </strong></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.emotionsandbody.com">www.emotionsandbody.com</a></strong></p></div>
Parent’s Emotions are Passed on to the Fetus During Gestation
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/parent-s-emotions-are-passed-on-to-the-fetus-during-gestation-1
2019-08-30T09:21:43.000Z
2019-08-30T09:21:43.000Z
Joman Romero
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/JomanRomero
<div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff;color:#343434;font-family:'source_sans_proregular', 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><ul style="background:transparent;list-style:circle;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><li dir="ltr" style="background:transparent;list-style-type:square;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p></p><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">During the last 20 to 25 years, there have been numerous studies in France, Germany, and Spain about fetus’s life and receptivity to outside influences such as the emotional states of both the mother, the father, and other relatives involved during the gestation period. The fetus is also influenced by events, dramas, concerns, and anxieties that occur around them during life in the womb.</font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">In BioNeuroEmotion, we call this time the Parental Projection Period, which begins at six months before conception, and can continue up to three years after the birth and principally involves the mother and the father. Our studies adjacent to the Parental Projection Period and focus on the fact that it is the mother who brings the most emotional information and incidental circumstances to the child during pregnancy. This includes both simple and complex stuff. The fetus will be “affected”, “influenced”, and “defined” by what the mother hears or sees. But above all, by the way the mother reacts to everyday events. The mother could leave small personality traces in the child or affect him/her completely in his/her health, physique, temperament, or self esteem. It will all depend on the type of emotions and reactions that the mother transmits to the baby. If the mother is strong, safe, confident, courageous, and expresses these qualities both in her words and actions, her child will be someone who possess similar qualities.</font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">If, however, the mother is weak, insecure, fearful, or has low esteem, the child will also possess these negative qualities.</font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><font style="background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">The Thoughts and Feelings of the Pregnant Woman</font></font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><div dir="ltr" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><p><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Most women, fortunately not all, are oblivious to these studies. Many women are ignorant to the big influence that their words, thoughts, reactions, and emotions have on the child. They believe that their child does not share any of these ideas, and therefore, feel that they are free to have any thought, emotion, or action without affecting the unborn infant. This is where they are wrong. The mother’s behaviour and belief system affects the child mentally, and even physically. In the novel Elective Affinities, Goethe tells the story of a woman who, during her pregnancy of her husband’s child, couldn’t stop thinking about another man she loved. The girl who was born had the same eyes as this man. So great is the power of thought and feeling in pregnant women! So why don’t women decide to work for the benefit of their child during pregnancy?</font></font></p></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"> <font style="background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">The True Nature of the Baby is Determined at the Moment of Birth</font></font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">A woman waiting for a child should have affirmations such as:</font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff;color:#343434;font-family:'source_sans_proregular', 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><ul style="background:transparent;list-style:circle;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><li dir="ltr" style="background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;list-style-type:square;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;vertical-align:baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><p><font color="#000000"><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">During these nine months, I have every chance to make my child a healthy, beautiful, intelligent, noble, full of love individual.</font></font></font></p></div></li><li dir="ltr" style="background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;list-style-type:square;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;vertical-align:baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><p><font color="#000000"><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">During these nine months, I have every chance to make my child a blessing for the whole world.</font></font></font></p></div></li><li dir="ltr" style="background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;list-style-type:square;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;vertical-align:baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><p><font color="#000000"><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">During these nine months, I should look at my thoughts, my feelings, my desires, my actions, and provide only the purest elements to contribute to his/her molding.</font></font></font></p></div></li><li dir="ltr" style="background:transparent;list-style-type:square;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;vertical-align:baseline;"><p><font color="#000000"><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">During these nine months, I must act knowing that my child, hears me, feels me, and sees me.</font></font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:transparent;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><div style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:2.3;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font color="#000000"><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Preparing to be Parents</font></font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font color="#000000"><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The true education of the child begins before the birth with the education of the parents, who must prepare their interior beings well in advance through a better understanding of love, to attract an exceptional soul to the family. They must strive to conceive this child in the greatest light and purity. Once the child is conceived, the mother, aware of the power that has been given to her by nature, will work to give this soul a physical and mental body made from the finest materials. If thousands, millions of parents around the world decided to make this work, humanity would really be transformed in three or four generations.</font></font></font></p></div><div dir="ltr" style="background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:justify;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"><p><font color="#000000"><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><font style="background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">This is an English translation of an article originally written in Spanish by: Elizabeth Romero Sanchez y Edgar Romero Franco </font></font></font></font></p></div></div></li></ul></div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="http://www.emotionsandbody.com"><font color="#000000"><font size="5"><font face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><font style="background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;font-weight:400;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">www.emotionsandbody.com</font></font></font></font></a></span></p></div></div></li></ul></div></div>
The Path to Inner Happiness
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/the-path-to-inner-happiness
2017-08-09T19:00:00.000Z
2017-08-09T19:00:00.000Z
Mojca Saje
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MojcaSaje
<div><p><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900639869,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="550" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900639869,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="10900639869?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span>When we look deep inside ourselves, we should ask ourselves what makes us so happy that we don’t hide our happiness from others. What is it that separates us from the times when we were dissatisfied with ourselves? It is love. Love is the one and only thing which always leads us to happiness, inner satisfaction, peace, mutual understanding… First the love of ourselves, and then of everyone else.</span><br /><span>Why don’t we allow happiness to knock on our door, what are we afraid of? First of all we are afraid of our own selves when we don’t admit to ourselves that it is good to be happy and that people who are unhappy won’t suffer due to our happiness. When we show our happiness to the outside world, it becomes a part of us. When we look within and tell ourselves, ‘I’m happy and I’m going to show this to everyone,’ those who envy us will gradually distance themselves from us all on their own, because our happiness will have made them even more painfully aware of their unhappiness and dissatisfaction they carry inside.</span><br /><span>The path to happiness isn’t always easy, sometimes we need to get rid of all the clutter burdening us day after day, and find our place under the sun among our equals. Whenever we want to feel happy, we should start celebrating even the smallest part of our day which will bring us joy. At times we are afraid that other people won’t accept us the way we really are, so we conform to that belief and want to please others. At other times we fear that no one in our life will love us the way we are, so we create a desire to be different, to be the way that other people will like us. We suppress our true emotions and come across as cold, since we don’t dare to show what we are feeling in a certain moment because our feelings may not be consistent with what we think other people expect from us. So we grow increasingly similar to everyone else day by day, caught in the everyday mediocrity. But when we decide not to live for others anymore, we shall begin to live for ourselves, please ourselves and become who we truly are.</span><br /><span>When we become who we really are, it is time to let go of everything we are not. If people around us disagree with our new image, it is their own problem, not ours. We can say to them, ‘I’m sorry I’m not the way you would like me to be, but this is my life.’</span><br /><span>When we are changing, we encounter numerous obstacles on our way, but if we are self-confident, inwardly believe firmly that we can do it and that we are the ones who will succeed, it won’t be difficult to overcome any obstacle. But where do the patterns holding us back stem from? They are dormant within us and lead us through everyday life either consciously or unconsciously. The unconscious patterns have been part of us for a very long time, eventually they have become the emotional mental programme directing our life, our way of thinking… These are the things we have picked up from our parents, our environment, some we have cultivated ourselves… Then there are also the conscious patterns, our character… If we look within and observe ourselves, we will discover which of our characteristics can make us proud and which can’t. If we try and change everything we can about ourselves, and accept everything we cannot change, we are already on our way to our new image which will pave the way to our happiness and satisfaction. As long as we are dissatisfied with ourselves, we are annoyed by everything in other people as well. Only when we begin to accept ourselves, with all our pluses and minuses, with all our peculiarities, shall we find ourselves on the way to shaping our personal character we will eventually take pride in.</span></p><p>The world won’t look more beautiful because it will have changed for the better, but because we will have changed. And if we change, the world shall change by that much as well. By radiating happiness and with our new self-image we will act as a role model for many who will follow us on their way to happiness and personal satisfaction. And that is the right path to transformation transcending personal happiness.</p><p>While searching for personal happiness we sometimes get caught in a vicious circle and cannot seem to find a way out of the existing situation which keeps repeating itself over and over again. Some people give up and resign themselves to their fate, others keep fighting, but only few find a way out of a crisis immediately. For example, we are disturbed by what someone is doing to us, but instead of telling them about it, we keep our dissatisfaction to ourselves. Or else someone hurts us and then withdraws from us, thus preventing us from dealing with emotions we are experiencing, or we experience a loss and act outwardly calm while suffering inwardly and we cannot express our natural emotions. In such cases we bottle our emotions up, turn them against us and create emotional blocks in our body which prevent us from expressing our emotions even when we do want to show them outwardly. Many people have been disappointed in their intimate relationships more than once. Later in life they tend to find it more difficult to connect with others, they don’t open up or show their emotions, since they are afraid of another disappointment and their fear is stronger than their love. In all those instances it is us who place limitations upon ourselves, which hinder us in everyday life. After we have been suppressing natural emotions for a long time, it often happens that they suddenly burst out as their opposites and become an even greater burden for us.</p><p>That happens mostly because our inner and outer self-images are moving further apart. On the inside we suffer, while on the outside we pretend to be happy. That causes severe stress for our body. Eventually, the body itself turns on the defense mechanism and creates inner peace by balancing out our inner and outer self-images. The inner image begins to show outwardly as an expression of the consequences of bottled-up emotions; for example, when the suppressed emotion is sadness, inner peace is created through the manifestation of depression. That way our body frees itself from constantly having to put on a front which doesn’t match what we feel inside. This becomes even more evident considering the fact that a considerable amount of time elapsed between repressing an emotion and the emotional balancing which is expressed outwardly. This means that we don’t deal with certain emotions as soon as they are aroused by an event, but instead suppress them, only to see them erupt later on in a situation which is no longer appropriate for releasing those emotions.</p><p>A similar process occurs with mental patterns which hold us back at every step. We create views and perceptions of most everyday things, and form deeply rooted rules of what is right and what wrong…</p><p>What is also extremely important on our path of transformation is accepting the fact that we can only change ourselves, we can never change others. Indeed, we often try our hardest to change people around us, but we keep forgetting that the only one we can change is ourselves and that others will change if we change first. This is particularly the case in intimate relationships. If we are unhappy with our relationship, we need to make the first step and change ourselves, and that is the only way the relationship will change. It is also important to allow our partner to be him or herself, and not limit them in any way. We can only limit ourselves, with our conscious and subconscious patterns, whereas we need to allow our partner their personal freedom. Personal freedom is irreplaceable.</p><p>The first step to accepting ourselves is to accept all our plusses as well as minuses, to change everything we can about ourselves and accept what we cannot change. And when we accept ourselves, other people won’t disturb us anymore. Next, the path to our love leads us further through wisdom and inner peace. The latter will be achieved when our body is completely relaxed and unburdened with everyday stress, troubled relationships… What happens in our life are events, and it is our subjective emotional-mental responses to them that cause stress. If we accept everything that happens to us as something good, although it may not seem as such at first glance, the events in our life won’t be stressful for us anymore. That goes especially for events we have no influence over. We often get involved in all sorts of things, and then get annoyed when the consequences result in further unpleasant situations. It is therefore extremely important to learn to accept responsibility for and the consequences of our actions. When we master that, we grow up.</p><p>Similarly, events which occur as a consequence of our mistakes won’t be stressful for us either. Everyone has found different ways of limiting the effects of stress and release the tension resulting from them. Some people go to a bar, do extreme sports or overwork, some use sex as a release, others take their anger out on a punching bag… But if we haven’t got a coping mechanism at our disposal in the moment, the tension only builds up within us. Furthermore, these methods of release only function for a short while, in the long run they are inefficient. It is therefore in our best interest to prevent the events from having a stressful impact on us. Whenever it does still happen, we can meditate for a couple of minutes and work through all our tensions and strains. That way we will have limited the effects of stress on our life in the very beginning.</p><p>In everyday life, meditation can help us in various ways. It is a form of relaxation and a way of establishing contact with oneself. By meditating we relax inwardly, calm our thoughts and generate within us the creative power to resolve all everyday problems. And when we learn how to incorporate our spiritual help into our meditation practice, the process of working through our stresses and strains becomes significantly faster. Our spiritual path is our life itself. We know that reading countless spiritual books, going to everything that resembles spirituality and then thinking about how enlightened one is, doesn’t make one a spiritual person. We become spiritual when we put our life in order; when we resolve all our difficulties and learn to deal with even the smallest problems as soon as they arise, when we create strong physical foundations which will be the base of our future. That way we also balance our life and achieve perfection in our existence. That is when spirituality becomes an upgrade in our life and opens up higher goals of our life.</p><p>Sandi Dolinar</p><p><a href="http://www.meditation-sandi.com/">www.meditation-sandi.com</a></p><p><a href="http://www.deleroi.si/">www.deleroi.si</a></p></div>
How to know if there’s a symbol of a ghost /spirit on your family tree?
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/how-to-know-if-there-s-a-symbol-of-a-ghost-spirit-on-your-family
2019-09-30T07:46:08.000Z
2019-09-30T07:46:08.000Z
Joman Romero
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/JomanRomero
<div><p>Today I will explain to you how to recognize the syndrome of a ghost in the family tree.</p><p>Ghost or Spirit</p><p>It could also be called “replacement child”. For example, a child is born, his name is Antonio and he dies. After his passing, another child is born and the parents also call him Antonio. Antonio lives on Antonio’s mind. Furthermore, is very probably that the second child will never feel loved and recognized by his family and, even though he could receive tons of attention, he will still feel a lack of it. The reason for this is very clear: all what the parents are giving to the second child, unconsciously, they are giving to the first. The second child has no identity, not even he has his own name, but inherits the name of his deceased brother.</p><p>Abortions are another form of ghosts or spirits.</p><p>I will use a metaphor to explain this: Imagine that conception is equal to buy a plane ticket. We all mostly know that, once we are ready to board the plane, we show our tickets and go through a sort of tube that leads to the aircraft (if you are lucky and don’t have to take a bus). In this case, the plane would be the birth, to show the ticket would be the conception and passing through the tube would be the pregnancy. When there is an abortion, the baby buys the ticket, shows it and goes through the tube… but when he gets to the end…. Surprise!… there’s no aircraft… And now what?… well, I will wait here. So, when another baby comes after an abortion, the baby buys again a ticket, he shows it up and while going through the tube, he finds his brother or sister waiting and, of course, he invites such brother or sister to board the plane with him. In other words, when there’s an abortion, the unconscious part of the unborn baby doesn’t gets lost and when his brother or sister are born, this one inherits the unconscious of the unborn baby. Again, a body and two minds.</p><p>Vertical ghost or spirit</p><p> It is called in this way because it comes from the top, down. For example: your grandparents had a daughter that they named Maria and she died as a child. Your father, who’s Maria’s brother, calls you Maria when you are born.</p><p>Another example: Your grandmother (mother of your mother) had an abortion and after that she didn’t have any more children. You are her first born grandchild.</p><p>We find this kind of ghost or spirit syndromes through the death dates. When you are someone’s double because of their death date, and this person died before you were born, his/her unconscious lives in you. In other words you carry with the ghost or spirit of this ancestor. For example: your grandparents on your mother’s side had a child that died young, His name was Pedro and he was born on November 3rd 1984 at 5 months old. Your name is Juan, but you were born on November 6 2012.</p><p>The last sample: Your great grandmother died on September 3rd 1975 and you are born on June 3rd 1980</p><p>To conclude, I’d like to tell you that sometimes a person can show the symptoms of the syndrome his/her ghost or spirit even though, this one doesn’t belong in his/her family tree. It could be the sample of a family member that dies in our arms. And sometimes this person doesn’t even belong to the family. This fact is not very common, but it could happen. This would be the case of a death that you experienced closed to you and impacted you. Sometimes an accident in which you were involved or a friend that died while in your presence, etc. But , as I said, this cases are the less common.</p><p>Again I thank you for sharing this information. I sincerely hope you find it useful . Thank you.</p><p>This article was originally written in spanish by Saul Perez Sanchez who reserves author’s rights. For the original article please visit. <a href="http://www.saulperez.co/sindromedelyacente-2/">http://www.saulperez.co/sindromedelyacente-2/</a></p><p></p><p></p><p>Knowing ourselves: What does the body want to tell us with diseases?</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Knowing-ourselves-What-does-diseases-ebook/dp/B01MG58SW2/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=">Look inside KNOWING OURSELVES (kindle edition)</a></p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Knowing-ourselves-What-does-diseases/dp/1539688097/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484740474&sr=1-2&keywords=knowing+ourselves">Look inside KNOWING OURSELVES (paperback)</a></p></div>
Lightworker 808: Starseed Ascension Short-Cuts and Star Races
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/lightworker-808-starseed-ascension-short-cuts-and-star-races
2017-01-20T00:45:45.000Z
2017-01-20T00:45:45.000Z
J-Tariah Aset Maat Kumara
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/JTariahAsetMaatKumara
<div><p>LIGHTWORKER 808: STARSEED ASCENSION SHORT-CUTS AND STAR RACES -- GFL & ASHTAR COMMAND DOWNLOAD<br /> J--Tar'ia'h En Ra El -- jtariah@protonmail.com --<a href="http://www.20Dhealing.com">www.20Dhealing.com</a></p><p>You probably think you are perusing this writing to learn more about starseed Ascension shortcuts and star races. Yet, reading these words begins your path towards a new reality. You are seeking your origins in the skies above: this is your quest. You are upon an adventurous intergalactic quest to find reflections of your innermost “self” -- patterns to identify with -- fractals which mirror you to your real Starseed family.</p><p>When you are truly Ascending and/or when you have already Ascended to the 5th Dimension, you will constantly be experiencing serendipity, a sense of inner wisdom, your body will be growing younger, and you will be instantly manifesting your wants and needs! Not quite there yet? Here are some super easy Starseed Ascension Shortcuts for you to use to rocket yourself to the 5th dimension and beyond!</p><p>Go Vegan Plus Probiotics -- this will get rid of all of your sleepiness and all groggy feelings, plus this will remove all ''time-loss'' scenarios!</p><p>Wear only Cotton or Hemp -- this will increase connections to your Guides, Angels, and Twin Flames, because synthetics block higher dimensions!</p><p>Remove Metal from Your Wardrobe --- this also increases connections to the Angelic realm. Only copper is Angel plusFaerie Sidhe friendly!</p><p>Be Celibate or Twin Flame Monogomous -- Being sensual only with your own Soul, with the self, with your Twin Flame heightens your dimension!</p><p>Create and Maintain Starseed Altars -- Creating Starseed Altars with your higher dimensional desires is a sure gateway to maintain your 5D reality!</p><p>Take Salt Baths -- Dunking in salt water followed by clear water daily removes 3D annd 4D residue from your Soul, body, and Merkaba!</p><p>Keep Crystals On You -- Drilled & copper-wrapped crystals -- and on your body, and in your bedroom -- help you maintain higher dimensions always!</p><p>Use Essential Oils & Hire Shamans for Healing -- Avoid western medicine in order to Ascend your pure Soul to the higher crystalline dimensions!</p><p>If you do not know ''HOW'' to do these shortcuts, write to me at jtariah@protonmail.com and I will help you out at no cost! And yes, I AM doing all of these shortcuts myself, daily!</p><p>Your Starseed relatives -- within the ships -- are attempting to talk with you now. They are trying all means of communication available. They approach you through dreams, visual signs, plus you may sense them physically of feel their ever-persistent presence in the psychic realms. Are you listening? Are you feeling? Are you sensing?</p><p>While you believe you are sleeping, you are -- in fact -- *on assignment* on your ship above. You are now attending ship-side schools related to your skill-set and Starseed race. Fundamentally, you're being *reprogrammed* for a brighter intergalactic future every night.</p><p>Many factors and tests (in the ships and higher dimensional areas while you believe you are sleeping) have decided your upcoming roles and jobs -– in the very near future -– in these primary arenas:<br /> - Acting as a Liaison between Humans and many other Star Races;<br />- Being a journalist on one of many media 7D holo ships;<br />- Returning to your home planet for rest and reunions;<br />- Working in this system for the Ashtar Command;<br />- Being a VOYAGER with your Twin Flames;<br />- Employment in space farm agriculture;<br />- Negotiating within a liaison / alliance;<br />- Performing within a committee;<br />- Being an empath healer;<br />- Working for the GFL;<br />- Being an artist;<br />- Performer;<br />- Pilot.</p><p>Most of these posts involve living on a ship, if only for a short time. This calls for traveling to a different planet within another galaxy -- or to an alternative dimensional reality such as a parallel universe -- or to even to a higher frequency of expression.</p><p>While you are co-habitating within a starship, flagship or lightship, you will be interacting with those from across the Cosmos! They will not be comparable to anything you’ve seen, felt, or perceived with your current reality veils (in this incarnation thus far).</p><p>Since you are now experiencing dimensional shifts leading to *life aboard the ships with your star race family* it is crucial to be as open-minded and open-hearted as possible: there are infinite prisms of kindness and utility that can be found within each planetary civilization.</p><p>Your Starseed relatives cannot *yet* be completely understood from your current vantage point, but will be holistically perceivable during your ecstatic love-filled multidimensional Starseed reunion.</p><p>You will be surrounded by non-human *family* on these ships (and your appearance will most definitely reflect theirs in your future). What will they look like? What will they be like? Here are some basic essential traits of just a few of the planetary star races you will relate with very soon:</p><p>Andromedans:<br /> 1) The 7D, 8D and 9D humanoid group-thinkers from the Andromedan Star System, or; 2) term identifying the race of sentient service-to-other beings occupying the livable planets such as Aion in the Andromeda sector, as well as; 3) Sentients known for perfecting co-creation for peacefully-running planets and star bases.</p><p>Arcturians:<br /> 1) Both 6D and 7D Sentient service-to-other beings occupying the livable planets and bases in the area of the star Arcturus, and; 2) These individuals are known by their deep compassion and unfailing kindness towards all walks of life in all dimensions.</p><p>Centaurians from Meton in Alpha Centauri:<br /> 1) 7D - 12D Loving high dimensional humanoids who are descendants of Venus Beings; and 2) Wildly strategic deep mental thinkers who are holographically connected to the Great Central Sun and maintain a 12D Akashic Library within it, and; 3) Gorgeous brainy beings whose ships appear in the form of a Merkaba spinning.</p><p>Centaurians from Proximi Centauri:<br /> 1) 5D to 7D Beings who come in the form of Humanoids and Reptoids, and hybrids who have both types of DNA; 2) Strategists, counselors, and empaths who are excellent benevolent thought-broadcasters; 3) machine savants who can fix anything mechanical, and; 4) Peaceful and harmonious group-thinkers with telepathy.</p><p>Lyrans:<br /> 1) Felines -- the original progenitor race of this Universe -- who are beautiful bipedal (standing) cats, and; 2) 6D through 12D Creators originally from the Vegan Star System of a planet called Lyra, but now live everywhere in the Universe, and; 3) Planners of many flagships and living planets, plus; 4) Cat-Beings who have a keen sense of fair play in all arenas, plus; 5) Sentients who believe that their young have more wisdom than elders.</p><p>Orion Beings:<br /> 1) 4D and 5D polymorphs who are either chameleon-reptilian or humanoid-reptilian hybrids, and; 2) Beings from the Orion System – also called the Orion Nebula – whom reside upon planets and space stations throughout the Universe, and; 3) Individuals and soul-collectives from Orion who have tendencies towards high intellectual pursuits in physics, plus; 4) Sentients whose self-ascension practices are linked to extreme isolation, as well as; 5) Beings well-known for the utter perfection of holographic recreation of other star races' emvironments.</p><p>Pegasians from the Pegasus Galaxy:<br /> 1) Humanoid descendants from Sirius B and Dinoids plus hybrids who have DNA from both; 2) Innovators, scientists, and diplomats in many sectors; 3) Expert polite gracious beings who are expert in creating peace, plus; 4) Linguists whose brains are adept and learning thousands of languages at once.</p><p>Pleiadians:<br /> 1) 5D and 6D humanoids as well as reptilian-humanoid hybrids (in gorgeous prismatic skin colors) from the planets surrounding the stars Targeta and Maia; 2) Soul-collective service-to-others beings who are artistic and sensual in nature, plus; 3) Beings who are masters of storytelling as well as inspired artistic ingenuity in<br />both music and projected visualizations.</p><p>Sirians from Sirius A:<br /> 1) 6D - 8D hybrids with a variety of humanoid, canine, and fox-like appearances resulting from tremendous dna manipulation, as well as; 2) Star races who are experts in bodily implant-device-tracking over eons of time, plus; 3) Beings well-versed in hyper-advanced bio-technology and organic holographic realities, and; 4) Sentients who are well-known across the Universe for their senses of humor, and their love of practical jokes.</p><p>Sirians from Sirius B:<br /> 1) Nektons of hyper-intelligent water beings -- called Chloglians, who look like Cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and orcas) of Earthshan -- whom group-think within pods, and; 2) Chloglian-humanoid hybrids, who are bipedal in shades of pale blues and greens, and; 3) Higher dimensional Sentients who reside in and upon many planets to raise vibrations, plus; 4) Playful and loving group-consciousness beings, known for their intricate songs, and also; 5) Advanced Beings who can live as numerous souls (called a pod) within one biological entity, such as a whale or orca.</p><p>Now that you have some depictions of some of your biological star race relatives, spend some time each day communicating with them -- until you have a constant rapport -- so you can quickly Ascend upward beyond the mundane.</p><p>Multidimensional life with your Starseed relatives is multi-layered, and must be cultivated by **you** making an effort to be alert to all subtleties. You need to reach out towards your Star relatives to begin communicating with them to have a relationship with them in a pro-active way!</p><p>It is the time to discipline yourself to be silent and aware of every nuance through waking hours of hearing (e.g.; you hear songs about specific constellations, star beings, etc.). Also it is vital to be hyper-aware of what you’re seeing (i.e.; you notice paintings of aliens, observing lightships everywhere, seeing number sequences indicating names of universes). Focus all of your six senses on receiving signals from your NOW future’s new realities.</p><p>Force your inner “Self” to wake up! Attempt to be lucid while your projected Earthshan body sleeps: talk to whomever you meet in dreams, as they just might be your relatives in the ships above.<br /> In the near future -- the upcoming articles will cover electrifying intergalactic chronicles, including: future home planets, Starseed missions, how to interact with non-organic life forms, and more! Meanwhile, WAKE UP -- shake others awake -- and remember that you are not *Home* yet…</p><p>///\\\\\\//\\//\\//\\\/\/\/\\\\\\\\\\\////\\//\\//\\//\\//\\\/<br /> About the Author:<br />J--Tar'ia'h En Ra El is a Walk-In from three space sectors. Every night during lucid dreaming, she is within the ships above attending school. Currently – during the day – she is a published poet, author and artist. Her Lightworking includes being a PR specialist for Sananda’s Eagles: <a href="http://www.sanandaseagles.com">www.sanandaseagles.com</a>. Her new post-Matrix website can be found at <a href="http://www.20dhealing.com">www.20dhealing.com</a>. In the near future – her upcoming articles will cover exciting multidimensional information, including: future home planets, intergalactic cultural understanding, how to interact with non-organic life forms, and more!</p><p>///\\\\\\//\\//\\//\\\/\/\/\\\\\\\\\\\////\\//\\//\\//\\//\\\/<br /> Distribution Information:<br />You are free to distribute this essay only if you do so in its entirety, including the article and graphics plus the “about the author” bio with the article links. Thank you and enjoy your new Freedom. This writing is NOT copy written.<br />///\\\\\\//\\//\\//\\\/\/\/\\\\\\\\\\\////\\//\\//\\//\\//\\\/</p><p>Lightworker 101:<br /> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/101-lightworker">http://tinyurl.com/101-lightworker</a><br />Lightworker 202:<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/202-lightworker">http://tinyurl.com/202-lightworker</a><br />Lightworker 303:<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/303-lightworker">http://tinyurl.com/303-lightworker</a><br />Lightworker 404:<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/light-worker-404">http://tinyurl.com/light-worker-404</a><br />Lightworker 505:<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/lightworker-505">http://tinyurl.com/lightworker-505</a><br />Lightworker 606:<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/lightworker-606">http://tinyurl.com/lightworker-606</a><br />Lightworker 707:<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/707-lightworker">http://tinyurl.com/707-lightworker</a></p><p>jtariah@protonmail.com</p></div>
Latest online scams to watch out for - Loose Change: Internet security
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/latest-online-scams-to-watch-out-for-loose-change-internet-1
2014-02-02T20:14:33.000Z
2014-02-02T20:14:33.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p>Latest online scams to watch out for - Loose Change: Internet security</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-4" style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b><font face="Calibri">Loose Change: Internet security</font></b></span></p><p style="text-align:center;">Sky Yahoo Originals</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><h3 style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://uk.yahoo.com/_ylt=A1f4eSOfxd1SRCAA0ZY4hJp4;_ylu=X3oDMTYwZ204amFzBGEDMjAwMTE0X2ZpbmFuY2VfbG9vc2VfY2hhbmdlX2ludGVybmV0X3NjYW1fdmlkZW8EYWlkA2lkLTk0NDMzOARjcG9zAzEEZWQDMQRnA2IwYjdiM2IwLTEyNDgtMzgzMi1hZDExLTExMWUyOTFmZGJhOQRpbnRsA3VrBGl0YwMwBHBrZ3QDMQRwa2d2AzYEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3RkLWZlYXQEc2xrA3RpdGxlBHRlc3QDOTAzBHdvZQMyNjc4Njc3MA--/RV=1/RE=1391475360/RH=dWsueWFob28uY29t/RO=2/RU=aHR0cDovL3VrLmZpbmFuY2UueWFob28uY29tL3ZpZGVvL2xvb3NlLWNoYW5nZS1pbnRlcm5ldC1zZWN1cml0eS0xMTAxMjQ2MjEuaHRtbA--/RS=%5EADA0lb.B2IfD8jZoNtQ9HjHbFEM2A4-"><font color="#0000FF" size="3">Latest online scams to watch out for</font></a></h3><p style="text-align:center;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">We rundown the latest tricks that online criminals are using to try and get your cash.</font> <a href="http://uk.yahoo.com/_ylt=A1f4eSOfxd1SRCAA0pY4hJp4;_ylu=X3oDMTV2cGJwN3ZhBGEDMjAwMTE0X2ZpbmFuY2VfbG9vc2VfY2hhbmdlX2ludGVybmV0X3NjYW1fdmlkZW8EYWlkA2lkLTk0NDMzOARjcG9zAzEEZWQDMQRnA2IwYjdiM2IwLTEyNDgtMzgzMi1hZDExLTExMWUyOTFmZGJhOQRpbnRsA3VrBGl0YwMwBHBrZ3QDMQRwa2d2AzYEcG9zAzMEc2VjA3RkLWZlYXQEc2xrA21vcmUEdGVzdAM5MDMEd29lAzI2Nzg2Nzcw/RV=1/RE=1391475360/RH=dWsueWFob28uY29t/RO=2/RU=aHR0cDovL3VrLmZpbmFuY2UueWFob28uY29tL3ZpZGVvL2xvb3NlLWNoYW5nZS1pbnRlcm5ldC1zZWN1cml0eS0xMTAxMjQ2MjEuaHRtbA--/RS=%5EADA0lb.B2IfD8jZoNtQ9HjHbFEM2A4-"><font color="#0000FF" face="Times New Roman" size="3">How to protect yourself »</font></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Ursula Errington on which internet scam to keep an eye out for in 2014, and how to protect yourself from the scammers.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/video/loose-change-internet-security-110124621.html"><font color="#0000FF" face="Calibri" size="3">http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/video/loose-change-internet-security-110124621.html</font></a></p><p></p></div>
7 Ways to Adopt Color Therapy for Free!
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/7-ways-to-adopt-color-therapy-for-free
2014-01-15T02:25:46.000Z
2014-01-15T02:25:46.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621264,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-4" style="color:rgb(255,0,255);">7 Ways to Adopt Color Therapy for Free!</span></strong> <br /> Posted: 16 Aug 2013 01:25 PM PDT</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621264,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="300" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621264,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900621264?profile=original" /></a><br /> <strong>By: Amanda Froelich,</strong><br /><strong>True Activist.</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Color therapy, or Chromotherapy, is an age-old practice that aims to aid bodily healing on all levels (mental, spiritual, and physical). Because light is comprised of all colors and human beings thrive when exposed to the full spectrum of hues (healing benefit of the sun, Heliotherapy), Chromotherapy is a unique way to further create harmony in the body, integrating what nature has to offer. Unlike expensive treatments, however, the great thing about utilizing Chromotherapy is that it is abundantly accessible in everyday life.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> As radical as it may sound, Color Therapy is an age-old modality long since recognized as integral for health. Cultures that revered the human spirit (Native American, Egyptian, Oriental as examples) recognized that we, or humans and all of life, are energetic beings; this phenomenon can be shown with Kirlian Photography and proven with Physics, as all life is energy. When healthy and in balance, the energy – or aura- of an individual reflects vibrant health and emanates a full spectrum of color.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">The premise behind using colors as therapy is to help awaken the different energy systems of the body (chakras) and restore balance. Because Oriental medicine recognizes that an energetic imbalance precedes any physical imbalance, this is cause to at least to strive to create bodily harmony, and including more vibrant shades into your life can help!</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> You can get your full spectrum of healing colors in just some of following free ways – there are no excuses not to improve your mood now with brilliant colors and experience the benefits of a full spectrum.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,255);">1. Get Sunshine</span></strong><br />What better source of all colors than the brilliant, beaming sun which gives life? As a source of Vitamin D and a relaxing beam to bathe under, just be sure to use common sense in your exposure. You can use all natural lotions or products (like Coconut Oil) to protect your skin; also, do not stay out longer than necessary to protect yourself from overexposure.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,255);">2. Eat your fresh plant foods</span></strong><br />Right away you may be thinking “that’s not free!” but truly there are no excuses; even harvesting your wild edibles (non-poisonous flowers, greens, and herbs) can be free! Utilize healing dandelion greens, grass, foragable trees, or grow your own foods which offer abundant supply of the most healing sources of colors!</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Getting double the benefit by visually seeing the gorgeous colors and also eating them, you’re doing a body good with the nutrients, hydration, fiber, and high-vibrational fare.<br />What is meant by high-vibrational? The colors are frequency of light which we can see vibrate at an energetic level that is viewable to the human eye and the higher vibrational one’s body is (through healthy lifestyle choices and mindset), the healthier and more connected spiritually one seems to be.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,255);">3. Meditate on colors</span></strong><br />A completely free practice, you can choose to become present and truly appreciate the colors in your house, in nature, or even some exotic patchwork at the store. It’s easy to pass by beauty, but by slowing down and being in the now, it’s a gift to relax and become more connected with all of life.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Freely absorb the resonating frequency of colors you are drawn to, etching out the perfect patterns and hues in your mind. YOU are color – you’re just re-exposing yourself to the beautiful vibrations of life.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,255);"><strong>4. Alter your backgrounds and themes</strong></span><br />If you think about it, most people are exposed to a lot of garbage they subconsciously tune out. What impact does that have?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> With such logic, it makes sense to change the little things you may not be aware you’re subjected to, such as the surroundings and colors on your technological toys.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Geeky it may be, if you’re wanting to utilize color therapy to it’s fullest, change the themes on your computer to reflect a beautiful array of hues; this way even when you’re not present to the art of color therapy, you’ll reap the benefits.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span class="font-size-3"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,0,255);">5. Play more stimulating music</span></strong></span><br />Truly interesting, each note and chord is shown to resonate with a certain color or frequency of light. To get the most out of your healing aspirations and the therapy of music, play uplifting, colorful sounding tunes that inspire the heart and soul.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> In this way you are exposing yourself to a different aspect of colors, but still gaining the same benefit. Mentally keep track of how you feel using peaceful, harmonious music instead of harsh, metallic (as an example) tunes. It seems even in studies the frequency of the varying types of music is good at supporting life or diminishing it – what type of waves do you want to subject your body to?</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,255);"><strong>6. Love your Water</strong></span><br />Water is an amazing compound of life which holds and reflects all the colors! Usually you can get it for free, although fluoridated and chlorinated is not the best option.</p><p style="text-align:center;">A great way to heighten your water’s colorful benefits is to use Masaru Emoto’s findings which show that the structure of water picks up thought patterns and can, like music, either benefit or destruct the health in one’s life. If you give powerful, positive thoughts to your water and ingest it, not only are you absorbing your color therapy but are using two holistic methods of living as a way to beneficially influence your health and happiness.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,255);"><strong>7. Get creative</strong></span><br />The greatest thing Crayola ever did was make full spectrum colors for drawing available (despite toxic ingredients). To imprint the imagination onto a sheet of paper and utilize all the brilliant colors available merges two important therapies for healing.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Get your free (get someone to donate a 20 cent crayon box) drawing utensils and let inspiration flow. Imagine the most beautiful scene you’d like to depict and don’t leave one crayon/colored pencil/ marker untouched! Bask in the beauty of what you created, hang it up so you can always see it and use it as a repeat resource for your color therapy, and awaken your own happiness through positive creation.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> It’s clear that in different modalities, there are practices less emphasized by science that are very practical and healing to include in every day life. Nature certainly offers many health benefits and by choosing to absorb the variety of colors in life, you could well be on your way to creating a happier, healthier you.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/7-ways-to-adopt-color-therapy-for-free/">http://www.trueactivist.com/7-ways-to-adopt-color-therapy-for-free/</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
How To Turn Your Brain From Anger to Compassion
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/how-to-turn-your-brain-from-anger-to-compassion
2014-02-02T19:13:19.000Z
2014-02-02T19:13:19.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900620857,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621097,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900620283,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a>If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>-Mother Teresa</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>How To Turn Your Brain From Anger to Compassion</strong></span><br /> --by Paul Gilbert, syndicated from Greater Good, Jan 26, 2014</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong>Attention is like a spotlight—whatever it shines on becomes brighter in the mind. This knowledge can help us build compassion, says Paul Gilbert.</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">Why do we need compassion?</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900620857,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="190" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900620857,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900620857?profile=original" /></a></span></span></strong>This week, we feature the video of a Science of a Meaningful Life presentation by Paul Gilbert, the author of Mindful Compassion. This essay is inspired by his talk.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> We need compassion because life is hard. We are all susceptible to diseases and injuries.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Every one of us has a lifespan that had a start and will have an end. Just like you, I am vulnerable to disease. Just like you, I could have a blood test tomorrow that says my life is going to end. Just like you, I could hear that my son has been killed in a car crash.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Because these things can happen to any of us at any time, we’re all in this together. No one—no one—escapes. And the more we work together, the more we can make this journey of suffering bearable. The Buddhist tradition puts it this way: “Just like me, you want to be happy; just like me, you want to be free of suffering.” That recognition of common fear and yearning is the basis for compassion.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But compassion isn’t always easy. I take a fairly simple general view of compassion, which is that it is “a sensitivity to suffering with a commitment to try to alleviate and prevent that suffering.” We don’t confuse it with other positive emotions, like love, because the hardest forms of compassion are for people you don’t love. It’s also harder to be compassionate toward people who seem very dissimilar from you than toward people who are like you.</p><p style="text-align:center;">These are just some of the factors that can inhibit compassion.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Life experiences can also diminish our ability to give and receive compassion. I’m a therapist, and people who come to therapy are often caught in psychological loops that prevent them from accepting compassion from others or from themselves.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But we can break those loops by becoming aware of how our brains work—by becoming aware of own awareness. We can then begin to deliberately cultivate compassion by learning to cultivate compassionate attention, compassionate thinking, compassionate feeling, and compassionate behavior. We learn to be open to suffering in others as well as to suffering in ourselves—and then we can act to alleviate that suffering.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>The trouble with brains</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900620857,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621097,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="237" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621097,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900621097?profile=original" /></a></span></strong></span>We are all biologically created. Our brains are created by our genes; they were not created by us, but for us by evolution, and as such we discover our brains can do wonderful things (find ways to cure disease) and terrible things (make war). So the way our brains have evolved means it can give us a lot of trouble, actually—and the trouble arises from the fact that we really have two brains.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> We have an old brain, which has a whole lot of motives and desires that evolved long ago and that we share with many other animals. So just like your family dog, we are naturally motivated to avoid things that could harm us, and we can be territorial, possessive, and concerned with status. We are also motivated to form friendships, reproduce, and care for offspring. And just like our family dog, we can experience emotions of anxiety, fear, anger, lust, and joy.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But we are very different from other animals, too. About two million years ago one of our primate ancestors started to evolve humanlike intelligence, and we are now capable of imagining, reasoning, using language, and using symbols. This “new” brain is fabulous when used wisely, but much depends on how it interacts with the old brain.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> For example, imagine a zebra spots a lion and runs away—that’s what the older, animal brain is good at: detecting and responding to threats. If the zebra gets away, it will settle down and go back to the herd and start happily eating again. But that won’t happen for a human because of the new brain. The human will start thinking, “Oh my god, can you imagine what would’ve happened if I got caught?” They wake up in the middle of the night thinking, “What about tomorrow? And the children! Oh my god.”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> The threat is over, but the new brain can’t let it go. We ruminate, and we run simulation after simulation in our minds of “what-if” scenarios. Now, of course, this can be very useful for working out how to avoid lions in the first place, or to make a spear. But it can also trap us in fear.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> This is what we call emotional memory. I’ll give you another example, this time closer to the modern world. Suppose that you like holidays. When you think about holidays, it makes you excited. But then on one holiday you get severely beaten up and robbed, and you end up in the hospital. What will happen the following year when you think about holidays? Well, that trauma memory will come back, and so holidays are no longer pleasant to you.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> The same mechanism is at work with the child who’s loved in the morning but whose parent gets drunk and beats him up at night. The attachment system—the parts of the brain that facilitate loving connection with our parents—fuses with the fear system. So as that child grows up and begins to feel connection with other people, he is opening up the attachment system—but unfortunately, in his emotional memory, attachment is also toxic. That person now has a mental health problem.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> A lot of people with mental health problems are in loops they can’t escape. They ruminate about things that frighten them, they ruminate about being no good or inferior. They focus on all the negative aspects. This is not their fault, because we have a natural, old-brain threat bias. As Rick Hanson notes, the brain is Velcro for negative- and threat-based things but Teflon for positive ones. We’re all like this.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">How does mindfulness help fix the trouble?</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900620857,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621097,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900620283,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="220" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900620283,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900620283?profile=original" /></a></span></span></strong>Fortunately, we also have the skills to reconcile the old brain with the new. One of them is a technique that we call mindfulness—moment-to-moment awareness of thoughts and feelings. That is, we have the capacity to be aware of awareness, and to simply observe and become familiar with the tricks our minds play on us.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> This is a phenomenally important evolutionary quality, almost like a quality of developing a visual system. Before animals had the capacity to be aware of light, there was no awareness of light. But of course light exists. We now have a brain to be aware of being aware, which no other animal has—and this actually puts on our shoulders fantastic responsibilities, because we can wake up to the reality of the life we’re in and start to make healthy choices as a result. Chimpanzees cannot do this—they can’t look at their body and think, “Oh my God, I’ve got to lose weight.”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Mindfulness helps us understand that attention is like the spotlight—whatever it shines on is what becomes brighter in the mind, which can even affect us physiologically.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Try this: Deliberately imagine your excitement around a vacation, or the possibility of winning a lottery. Let that be your focus for a minute of two and notice what happens in you body. Then switch your attention (on purpose) to an argument or one of your core worries at the moment. Notice what happens in your body. Did you feel very differently, according to where your attention was focused?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Attention also puts things outside the spotlight, into darkness. Let’s say you go Christmas shopping and enter 10 shops, and in nine shops the assistants are very helpful to you, but in one shop the assistant is very rude and she makes you wait. Well, whom do you think about when you go home? “God, where do they get these people from?” you say to yourself.</p><p style="text-align:center;">“Should I write to the store manager and get her fired? She was so rude.” You’re in a loop now and you’re in the anger system. You’ve forgotten all the shop assistants who were nice to you. They’re in darkness because the spotlight is on the rude one. How absolutely extraordinary that we can forget 90 percent of our experience!</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But of course once we notice what the mind is up to—and why—then we can begin to take control over our attention and use it mindfully and practically. What about if you, on purpose, decide that you’re going to recall the other nine people? Just spend time remembering how kind one of them was in that shop, another’s smile, how one tried so hard to find you the thing you wanted.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong>Taking that step—breaking out of the anger loop—requires intention. And that intention is a key to cultivating compassion.</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Compassion is rooted deeper in brain systems having to do with intentionality and motivation, and if you orient yourself to compassion, then you’re going to change the whole orientation of your mind. And the key here is to understand that we can select, on purpose, one of our basic motivational systems—for caring—and we can cultivate it, help it grow and mature, through practice. We also need to understand exactly why it’s useful to do this: because it changes our brain and will give us much more control over our thoughts and our lives.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> So in therapy that tries to develop compassion, we train people to remember, remember, remember, notice, notice, notice kindness—and then to build upon those remembrances. Buddhist monk and author Matthieu Ricard says our minds are like gardens and they will grow naturally. But if uncultivated, they are influenced by the weather and whatever seeds are in the wind. Some things will grow big and others shrivel—and in the end we may not like the results.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> We can come to understand why and how to cultivate compassion within us, which has the capacity for healing and reorganizing our minds such that we can begin to become the people we want to be—in other words, to have the garden-mind we want. This requires courage. If you’re an agoraphobic, compassionate behavior isn’t sitting at home eating chocolates, because that’s easy. Compassion is going out and confronting your anxieties.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> With our male clients we often talk about two types of courage. There is physical courage, which many of them have, but there is also emotional courage, which is being able to move into areas of deep suffering and pain. Compassion helps us to move in those areas. We must be prepared to confront pain in ourselves—and to alleviate that pain.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> So here is the situation. The brain we have inherited from millions of years of evolution is both a gift and a curse, if not understood and used wisely. It is easy for us to get lost in our very basic emotions and motives, or become personally distressed by the problems of others.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But evolution has also given us a very different type of attention—an extraordinary competency as miraculous as the ability to see light—that can sense and experience consciousness of consciousness itself. From here we can begin to see into the nature of the mind—and begin to make choices about what emotions we want to cultivate in our lives. This is what it means to wake up and to start to become enlightened.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>________________________________________</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> This article is printed here with permission. It originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC). Based at UC Berkeley, the GGSC studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="http://www.dailygood.org/">http://www.dailygood.org/</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Eight ways to protect your privacy online
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/eight-ways-to-protect-your-privacy-online
2014-01-15T01:49:06.000Z
2014-01-15T01:49:06.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621087,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-4" style="color:rgb(255,0,0);">Eight ways to protect your privacy online</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">There are some ways you can take to protect your privacy in this climate of mass surveillance – and here we offer eight. Nothing, however, beats collective action and a bill of digital rights</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"></div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/profile/jon-lawrence"><font color="#005689">Jon Lawrence</font></a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/profile/sean-rintel"><font color="#005689">Sean Rintel</font></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/"><font color="#005689">theguardian.com</font></a>, Tuesday 3 December 2013 01.23 GMT</p><p> </p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621087,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><font face="Calibri" size="3"><img width="460" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900621087,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900621087?profile=original" /></font></a></b></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,0);">Step one:</span></strong> Use a password manager. Photograph: Lasse Kristensen/Alamy</p><p style="text-align:center;">The <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/03/australias-surveillance-achieved-too-much-to-stop-david-johnston"><font color="#005689">current climate of mass surveillance</font></a> has led many people to ask if there are ways to protect their privacy online. There are, and Electronic Frontiers Australia recommends the following steps to minimise your individual online security risks.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Bear in mind two points. First, much of the information available from our near-ubiquitous Internet access is easily accessible not just to intelligence agencies, but also to online service providers, their advertisers, people who might want to steal your identity, and, increasingly, anyone with reasonable technical skill.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Second, a significant amount of online security risk is social, not technical. Easily guessed passwords used across a number of services and so-called "social engineering", in which a victim is tricked into providing login and/or identity information. For both issues, make security a conscious choice.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b>1. Use a password manager</b></span></p><p></p></div><p style="text-align:center;">A <a href="https://www.efa.org.au/2013/05/21/passwords-reuse-why-you-need-a-password-manager/"><font color="#005689">password manager</font></a> makes it easy to have a unique password for every site and ensures that if one service is hacked, other services will not be vulnerable. Some are free, many are low cost, and they are available for all platforms, including mobile.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b>2. Disable GPS and Wi-Fi on your mobile device until you need them</b></span></p><p></p></div><p style="text-align:center;">GPS: Your mobile provider is able to identify your approximate location using cell towers. If you have a smart device with GPS enabled, much more precise location information is available to a whole range of entities, including your platform provider and app developers.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Wi-Fi<b>:</b> Wi-Fi broadcasts detailed information about your device, the apps on it, your location, and Internet usage. Disabling Wi-Fi except when you are using it will prevent promiscuous broadcast of personal information. Power management apps will help you avoid having to remember by turning Wi-Fi off whenever the screen is dark, which will also maximise your battery life.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b>3. Read the access privileges for apps carefully, and make good choices</b></span></p><p></p></div><p style="text-align:center;">In the digital world if a service is free then you are the product. Many free services and apps collect detailed information about you that allows them to sell highly-target advertising. Next time you download a "free" app, check the information it is asking to access, and decide if this app really deserves those privileges.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b>4. Guard your date of birth and telephone number</b></span></p><p></p></div><p style="text-align:center;">Never display your full date of birth. It is a key piece of information that many providers use for verification. The same goes for telephone numbers, especially if you lose your telephone and are trying to re-create your contact list.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b>5. Make yourself more difficult to find on social media</b></span></p><p></p></div><p style="text-align:center;">Consider using a pseudonym on social media sites. You can also use unique email addresses for each website you join. Most online email providers allow you to do this by appending extra letters (eg "fb+") to your existing email address. This will make it difficult for strangers to search for you on social media sites and if you start receiving spam at that address, you’ll know exactly where the spammers found your address.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b>6. Keep your work and personal presences separate</b></span></p><p></p></div><p style="text-align:center;">If you have a work email account, keep it for work only. Your employer has the right to access your work email account, so you really should keep your private emails separate. This will also save you the significant trouble involved in telling all your contacts and updating all your logins if/when you change employers.</p><p style="text-align:center;">You might also consider creating multiple social media identities: work, very private, and "publicly" personal, with different names and different contact lists as much as possible.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b>7. Encrypt your connections</b></span></p><p></p></div><p style="text-align:center;">Encryption is the process of encoding information so that it is only intelligible to those given access to read it. Many online services, such as Facebook, Twitter and Gmail, now offer encrypted connections. Ensure that your browser uses an encrypted connection wherever it’s supported by installing the "<a href="https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere"><font color="#005689">HTTPS Everywhere</font></a>" plug-in. Email is an inherently insecure communications medium, but there are options available for encryption, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy"><font color="#005689">Pretty Good Privacy</font></a>. Unfortunately, your email messages will only be encrypted if the people you are communicating with also use a compatible encryption service, so this limits its usefulness.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b>8. Collective action</b></span></p><p></p></div><p style="text-align:center;">While these measures can provide you with some individual protections, the fact remains that the most powerful action is collaborative.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Globally, we should demand that all countries focus efforts on implementing the <a href="https://en.necessaryandproportionate.org/TEXT"><font color="#005689">International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance</font></a>. These are 13 principles that set out for the first time an evaluative framework for assessing surveillance practices in the context of international human rights obligations.</p><p style="text-align:center;">In Australia, citizens should also be demanding a much more fundamental and long-term solution: a bill of digital rights. Australians deserve a set of principles that underpin decisions made about legislation that regulates online freedom, access, fair use, and privacy.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/03/eight-ways-to-protect-your-privacy-online" target="_blank"><font color="#005689" face="Calibri" size="3">http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/03/eight-ways-to-protect-your-privacy-online</font></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p></p></div>
Latest online scams to watch out for - Loose Change: Internet security
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/latest-online-scams-to-watch-out-for-loose-change-internet
2014-02-02T01:32:19.000Z
2014-02-02T01:32:19.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-4" style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><b><font face="Calibri">Loose Change: Internet security</font></b></span></p><p style="text-align:center;">Sky Yahoo Originals</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><h3 style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://uk.yahoo.com/_ylt=A1f4eSOfxd1SRCAA0ZY4hJp4;_ylu=X3oDMTYwZ204amFzBGEDMjAwMTE0X2ZpbmFuY2VfbG9vc2VfY2hhbmdlX2ludGVybmV0X3NjYW1fdmlkZW8EYWlkA2lkLTk0NDMzOARjcG9zAzEEZWQDMQRnA2IwYjdiM2IwLTEyNDgtMzgzMi1hZDExLTExMWUyOTFmZGJhOQRpbnRsA3VrBGl0YwMwBHBrZ3QDMQRwa2d2AzYEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3RkLWZlYXQEc2xrA3RpdGxlBHRlc3QDOTAzBHdvZQMyNjc4Njc3MA--/RV=1/RE=1391475360/RH=dWsueWFob28uY29t/RO=2/RU=aHR0cDovL3VrLmZpbmFuY2UueWFob28uY29tL3ZpZGVvL2xvb3NlLWNoYW5nZS1pbnRlcm5ldC1zZWN1cml0eS0xMTAxMjQ2MjEuaHRtbA--/RS=%5EADA0lb.B2IfD8jZoNtQ9HjHbFEM2A4-"><font color="#0000FF" size="3">Latest online scams to watch out for</font></a></h3><p style="text-align:center;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">We rundown the latest tricks that online criminals are using to try and get your cash.</font> <a href="http://uk.yahoo.com/_ylt=A1f4eSOfxd1SRCAA0pY4hJp4;_ylu=X3oDMTV2cGJwN3ZhBGEDMjAwMTE0X2ZpbmFuY2VfbG9vc2VfY2hhbmdlX2ludGVybmV0X3NjYW1fdmlkZW8EYWlkA2lkLTk0NDMzOARjcG9zAzEEZWQDMQRnA2IwYjdiM2IwLTEyNDgtMzgzMi1hZDExLTExMWUyOTFmZGJhOQRpbnRsA3VrBGl0YwMwBHBrZ3QDMQRwa2d2AzYEcG9zAzMEc2VjA3RkLWZlYXQEc2xrA21vcmUEdGVzdAM5MDMEd29lAzI2Nzg2Nzcw/RV=1/RE=1391475360/RH=dWsueWFob28uY29t/RO=2/RU=aHR0cDovL3VrLmZpbmFuY2UueWFob28uY29tL3ZpZGVvL2xvb3NlLWNoYW5nZS1pbnRlcm5ldC1zZWN1cml0eS0xMTAxMjQ2MjEuaHRtbA--/RS=%5EADA0lb.B2IfD8jZoNtQ9HjHbFEM2A4-"><font color="#0000FF" face="Times New Roman" size="3">How to protect yourself »</font></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Ursula Errington on which internet scam to keep an eye out for in 2014, and how to protect yourself from the scammers.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/video/loose-change-internet-security-110124621.html"><font color="#0000FF" face="Calibri" size="3">http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/video/loose-change-internet-security-110124621.html</font></a></p><p></p></div>
Pictures of the week: From a roar that hit the spot to smoke-filled skies
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/pictures-of-the-week-from-a-roar-that-hit-the-spot-to-smoke
2014-02-02T20:13:44.000Z
2014-02-02T20:13:44.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615269,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615298,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900616275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617070,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617860,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900618059,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617694,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900618875,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619101,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619864,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619300,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-4"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,102,0);">Pictures of the week: From a roar that hit the spot to smoke-filled skies</span></strong></span><br /> <strong>Here's our pick of the best pictures around the world this week...</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615269,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615269,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900615269?profile=original" /></a>Hear my roar! Young leopard Fred attempts to show his sister, Ginger, who's boss in their enclosure at Dvur Kralove Zoo, Czech Republic. Ginger looks unimpressed. (Action Press/REX)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615298,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615298,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900615298?profile=original" /></a>Mount Sinabung spews ash as stars glisten above. The volcano in Indonesia has been active since November. More than 25,000 villagers from the surrounding area have been evacuated, while the ash has coated the ground below in a thick blanket of grey soot. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900616275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900616275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900616275?profile=original" /></a>The Saudi Hawks Display Team perform stunning aerial displays at the Bahrain International Airshow in Sakhir, Bahrain. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617070,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617070,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900617070?profile=original" /></a>A message from the gods? Lightning strikes during the doubles match between Rameez Junaid of Australia and Adrian Mannarino of France, and Rohan Bopanna of India and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan, during the 2014 Australian Open in Melbourne. Australia has been in the grip of a heatwave this week. Temperatures rose above 45C and dozens of bush fires raged through communities in the south and west of the country. The fires have claimed one life in North Grampians, west of Victoria. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617860,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617860,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900617860?profile=original" /></a>Pie-eyed: World Scotch Pie winner Stephen McAllister, from Kandy Bar Bakers in Saltcoats, Scotland, celebrates the only way he knows how at The Scotch Pie Awards in Dunfermline, Scotland. (PA)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900618059,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900618059,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900618059?profile=original" /></a>Taking a break: A family wrapped up in traditional Mongolian wear rest on a sleigh, while their camel, adorned in colourful garments, waits by their side. The family are attending the annual Thousand Camel Festival in West Ujimqin Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The festival boasts races, polo competitions and performances of traditional Mongolian music and dance. (Unimedia Images/REX)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617694,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900617694,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900617694?profile=original" /></a>Is this real or fake? Talented painter Roberto Bernardi, 33, spends up to a month painstakingly perfecting paintings that look real. The 39-year-old Italian artist uses oil on canvas to produce extraordinary art that can fetch up to £76,000. (Roberto Bernardi/Caters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900618875,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900618875,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900618875?profile=original" /></a>A Naga Sadhu, or Hindu holy man, offers blessings to a woman after taking a holy dip at the meeting point of the Ganges River and the Bay of Bengal, India. The man, covered in white, bathed in the water during Makar Sankranti - a Hindu festival that marks the start of the harvest season. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619101,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619101,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900619101?profile=original" /></a>The beginning of the apocalypse? The Luminarias festival, where riders guide horses through bonfires, is held annually in the small town of San Bartolome de los Pinares in central Spain. The festival dates back 500 years and is held the night before St Anthony's Day, the patron saint of animals. It is believed the smoke from the bonfires bless the animals and protect them for the year to come. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619864,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619864,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900619864?profile=original" /></a>A trend for next season? Photographer Tim Tadder snapped the moment a water balloon popped over a model's head. (Tim Tadder)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619300,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900619300,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900619300?profile=original" /></a>Smoke billows from a vast fire at a recycling plant in Sherburn-in-Elmet, where 15,000 tonnes of tyres burned this week. The blaze was so fierce that the nearby town of York was blanketed by the black smoke. The plume reached heights of 6,000ft - high enough to be seen from space. The cause of the fire is not yet known. (PA)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Black holes are 'portals to other universes,' according to new quantum results
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/black-holes-are-portals-to-other-universes-according-to-new
2013-12-05T01:21:53.000Z
2013-12-05T01:21:53.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(51,102,255);"><strong><span class="font-size-3">Black holes are 'portals to other universes,' according to new quantum results</span></strong></span> <br /> <strong>Posted: 30 Nov 2013 01:53 PM PST</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900618663,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="530" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900618663,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900618663?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Photo: Phil Plait (Preview)<br /> /Flickr</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">According to Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, black holes are uninhabitable chasms of space-time that end in a "singularity," or a mass of infinite density. It's a place so bleak that even the laws of physics break down there. But what if black holes aren't so forbidding? What if they are instead some kind of intergalactic stargate, or maybe even a passageway into a whole other universe?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> It may sound like the premise for a clever science-fiction movie, but new calculations by quantum physicists now suggest that the stargate idea might actually be the better theory. According to the startling new results, black holes do not culminate in a singularity. Rather, they represent "portals to other universes," reports New Scientist.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> This new theory is based on a concept known as 'loop quantum gravity' (or LQG). It was first formulated as a way of merging standard quantum mechanics and standard general relativity, in order to remedy incompatibilities between the two fields. Basically, LQG proposes that spacetime is granular, or atomic, in nature; It is made up of miniscule, indivisible chunks about the same size as the Planck length — which roughly amounts to 10-35 meters in size.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Researchers Jorge Pullin from Lousiana State University, and Rodolfo Gambini from the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay, crunched the numbers to see what would happen inside a black hole under the parameters of LQG. What they found was far different from what happens according to general relativity alone: there was no singularity. Instead, just as the black hole began to squeeze tight, it suddenly loosened its grip again, as if a door was being opened.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> It might help to conceptualize exactly what this means if you imagine yourself traveling into a black hole. Under general relativity, falling into a black hole is, in some ways, much like falling into a very deep pit that has a bottom, only instead of hitting the bottom, you get pressed into a single point — a singularity — of infinite density. With both the deep pit and the black hole, there is no "other side." The bottom stops your fall through the pit, and the singularity "stops" your fall through the black hole (or at least, at the singularity it no longer makes sense to say you're "falling").</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Your experience would be much different traveling into a black hole according to LQG, however. At first you might not notice the difference: gravity would increase rapidly. But just as you were nearing what ought to be the black hole's core — just as you're expecting to be squashed into the singularity — gravity would instead begin to decrease. It would be as if you were swallowed, only to be spit out on the other side.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> In other words, LQG black holes are less like holes and more like tunnels, or passageways. But passageways to where? According to the researchers, they could be shortcuts to other parts of our universe. Or they could be portals to other universes entirely.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Interestingly, this same principle can be applied to the Big Bang. According to conventional theory, the Big Bang started with a singularity. But if time is rewound according to LQG instead, the universe does not begin with a singularity. Rather, it collapses into a sort of tunnel, which leads into another, older universe. This has been used as evidence for one of the Big Bang's competing theories: the Big Bounce.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Scientists don't have enough evidence to decide whether this new theory is actually true, but LQG does have one thing going for it: it's more beautiful. Or rather, it avoids certain paradoxes that conventional theories do not. For instance, it avoids the black hole information paradox. According to relativity, the singularity inside a black hole operates as a sort of firewall, which means that information that gets swallowed by the black hole gets lost forever. Information loss, however, is not possible according to quantum physics.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Since LQG black holes have no singularity, that information need not be lost.<br />"Information doesn't disappear, it leaks out," said Jorge Pullin.<br /></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Source:</strong> MMN<br /> <a href="http://www.themindunleashed.org/">http://www.themindunleashed.org/</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Surprising Source of Arsenic in Your Drinking Water—Will EPA Take Steps to Protect Your Health?
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/surprising-source-of-arsenic-in-your-drinking-water-will-epa-ta-1
2013-12-05T01:56:16.000Z
2013-12-05T01:56:16.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><h1 style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">Surprising Source of Arsenic in Your Drinking Water—Will EPA Take Steps to Protect Your Health?</span></h1><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>August 13, 2013</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615475,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="300" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615475,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900615475?profile=original" /></a></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">Story at-a-glance</span></strong></p><ul><li>While naturally-occurring arsenic in groundwater is one of the most common sources of exposure, hydrofluorosilicic acid (fluoride) added to drinking water is commonly contaminated with toxic arsenic</li><li>According to recent research, diluted fluorosilic acid adds, on average, about 0.08 ppb of arsenic to your drinking water</li><li>Low-level chronic exposure to arsenic can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including chronic fatigue, reproductive problems, reduced IQ and other neurological problems, and various cancers</li><li>As petition urges the EPA to change the source of fluoride in US drinking water, as the most commonly used form, hydrofluorosilicic acid, increases lung and bladder cancer risk</li><li>Switching from hydrofluorosilicic acid to pharmaceutical-grade fluoride could save the US $1-6 billion annually and prevent an estimated 1,800 cases of lung and bladder cancer</li></ul><p> </p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>By Dr. Mercola</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">Pure water is one of the most important foundations for optimal health. Unfortunately, most tap water is far from pure, containing a vast array of <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/07/tap-water-toxins-is-your-water-trying-to-kill-you.aspx">disinfection byproducts</a>, chemicals, <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/14/is-your-home-supplied-with-water-contaminated-by-lead-pipes.aspx">heavy metals</a> and even <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/02/27/even-drugs-thrown-in-the-trash-can-end-up-in-your-drinking-water.aspx">pharmaceutical drugs</a>. <a href="http://fluoride.mercola.com/">Fluoride</a> and arsenic are two prime examples of hazardous water contaminants.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Not only is the level of arsenic in US tap water high due to natural groundwater contamination,<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn1"><sup>1</sup></a> the most commonly used form of fluoride added to water supplies also tends to be contaminated with arsenic. As reported by the featured article:<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn2"><sup>2</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>“In early August, the Environmental Protection Agency is set to decide on a petition to change the source of fluoride in US drinking water.</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>Currently, the source of fluoride in most public water supplies is</em> <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/11/dr-bill-osmunson-on-fluoride.aspx"><i>fluorosilicic acid</i></a><em>, according to government records. The petition calls for the EPA to instead require the use of pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride in water fluoridation, which is the addition of fluoride to drinking water for the purpose of preventing cavities.</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>Fluorosilicic acid is often contaminated with arsenic, and recent research has linked the arsenic from fluorosilicic acid in drinking water to as many as 1,800 extra cases of cancer yearly in the United States...”</em></p><p style="text-align:center;">The petition<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn3"><sup>3</sup></a> was submitted by William Hirzy, a chemistry researcher at the American University in Washington, D.C. Hirzy previously worked at the EPA for 27 years.</p><p style="text-align:center;">His team recently published a study entitled: "Comparison of hydrofluorosilicic acid and pharmaceutical sodium fluoride as fluoridating agents – a cost-benefit analysis", in the journal <em>Environmental Science & Policy</em>.<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn4"><sup>4</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">According to their estimation, switching the type of fluoride used to pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride would reduce the amount of inorganic arsenic contamination in drinking water by 99 percent!</p><p> </p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><b>The Health Dangers of Inorganic Arsenic</b></span></p><p style="text-align:center;">Inorganic arsenic is a powerful carcinogen that has been linked to an increased risk of several types of cancer. In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) lowered the maximum level of arsenic permitted in drinking water from 50 ug/L to 10 ug/L (or 10 parts per billion (ppb)) due to the established cancer risk.</p><p style="text-align:center;">The Natural Resources Defense Council<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn5"><sup>5</sup></a> estimates that as many as 56 million Americans living in 25 states drink water with arsenic at unsafe levels. According to the EPA:<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn6"><sup>6</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>"Chronic inorganic arsenic exposure is known to be associated with adverse health effects on several systems of the body, but is most known for causing specific types of skin lesions (sores, hyperpigmentation, and other lesions) and increased risks of cancer of the lungs and skin."</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>Other impacts of chronic arsenic exposure include, according to the EPA:</strong></span></p><table width="0" style="margin-right:auto;margin-left:auto;" border="1" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Kidney damage and failure</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Anemia</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Low blood pressure</p></td></tr><tr><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Shock</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Headaches</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Weakness</p></td></tr><tr><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Delirium</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Increased risk of diabetes</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Adverse liver and respiratory effects, including irritation of mucous membranes</p></td></tr><tr><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">During development, increased incidence of preterm delivery, miscarriage, stillbirths, low birth weight, and infant mortality</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">During childhood, decreased performance in tests of intelligence and long-term memory</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Skin lesions</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Water Fluoridation Chemicals Are NOT Pharmaceutical Grade</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">While naturally-occurring arsenic in groundwater is one of the most common sources of exposure, hydrofluorosilicic acid—the most commonly used form of fluoride added to water supplies—is a toxic waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry that is commonly contaminated with arsenic, radionucleotides, aluminum and other industrial contaminants.</p><p style="text-align:center;">According to the featured research, diluted fluorosilic acid adds, on average, about 0.08 ppb of arsenic to your drinking water.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Most people are shocked when they realize that the fluoride added to their water supply is actually a toxic byproduct from the fertilizer industry, opposed to a pharmaceutical-grade chemical. The source of most water fluoridation chemicals is explained by Michael Miller, a minerals commodity specialist for the US Geological Survey, in the featured article:<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn7"><sup>7</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>“During the production of phosphate fertilizer, phosphate ore is reacted with sulfuric acid to produce toxic gases. These are taken out of the air after being sprayed with water, which produces fluorosilicic acid... The solution is sold to water systems nation-wide, where it is diluted and put into drinking water. Occasionally, it is treated to create sodium fluorosilicate. Together, these compounds (called silicofluorides) provide fluoride to 90 percent of U.S. drinking water systems that are fluoridated...”</em></p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Water Fluoridation May Be Placing Infants at Great Risk</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">Not only is there mounting evidence that fluoride poses grave health risks to infants and children—including <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/14/fluoride-effects-in-children.aspx">reductions in IQ</a>—arsenic exposure in utero and during early childhood is also particularly problematic, as it can cause lasting harm to children's developing brains, and endocrine and immune systems.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>For example:</strong></p><ul><li>A 2006 study<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn8"><sup>8</sup></a> found that Chileans exposed to high levels (peaking at 1,000 ppb) of naturally-occurring arsenic in drinking water in utero and during early childhood had a <em>six times higher lung cancer death rate</em> compared to Chileans living in areas with lower levels of arsenic in their water. And their mortality rate in their 30s and 40s from another form of lung disease was almost 50 times higher than for people without that arsenic exposure.</li><li>A 2004 study<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn9"><sup>9</sup></a> showed children exposed to arsenic in drinking water at levels above 5 ppb had lower IQ scores. Earlier studies have linked chronic arsenic exposure to a range of cognitive dysfunctions, including learning disabilities, memory problems, poor concentration, and peripheral and central neuropathies.</li><li>A study<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn10"><sup>10</sup></a> published in 2011 examined the long-term effects of low-level exposure on more than 300 rural Texans whose groundwater was estimated to have arsenic at median levels below the federal drinking-water standard. It also found that exposure was related to poor scores in language, memory, and other brain functions.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Is It Worth Increasing Cancer Risk for Minimal, if Any, Benefit to Teeth?</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">Some proponents of fluoridation believe that the large dilution of these fluoridating chemicals that takes place when they are added at the public water works ameliorates concerns about the known contaminants. However, arsenic is a known human carcinogen, for which there is no safe level.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Inevitably, the addition of contaminated hexafluorosilicic acid to the water supply by definition must increase the cancer rate in the US because of the arsenic it contains, and this is exactly what Hirzy’s research shows. Why would any rational government do that to reduce – at best – a miniscule amount of tooth decay? According to Hirzy:<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn11"><sup>11</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>"We found that the United States as a society is spending, conservatively speaking, $1 billion to $6 billion treating the excess bladder and lung cancers caused by arsenic in the most commonly used fluoridation chemical, fluorosilicic acid... The switch [to pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride] would cost $100 million, but would save billions in reduced cancer costs."</em></p><p style="text-align:center;">For people living in areas with fluoridated tap water, fluoride is a part of every glass of water, every bath and shower, and every meal cooked using that water. This makes absolutely no sense considering the carcinogenic nature of arsenic—especially in light of the epidemic of cancer.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Hirzy’s study is actually the first risk assessment of arsenic-contaminated fluoride in drinking water. This is particularly shocking considering the fact that fluorosilicic acids have been used since the early 1950s<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn12"><sup>12</sup></a> (prior to that, sodium fluoride, a byproduct of the aluminum industry, was typically used). Incredibly, while the EPA performs risk assessments for most drinking water contaminants, the agency does NOT oversee the addition of fluoridation chemicals. As stated in the featured article, this policy makes no sense whatsoever.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>“Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the EPA has the authority to regulate or ban almost any substance — including fluorosilicic acid — that poses an 'unreasonable risk' to public health, [Hirzy] said.”</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Appropriations Bill Would Prohibit EPA’s Phase-Out of Sulfuryl Fluoride</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">While we’re on the topic of fluoride, a related news item<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn13"><sup>13</sup></a> is worthy of note. Drinking water is not the only source of fluoride, as I’ve discussed previously. Fluoride also enters the human food chain via fluoridated pesticides. According to a recent report, the House of Representatives Appropriations Interior and Environmental subcommittee has voted to approve an appropriations bill that cuts the EPA’s budget by nearly one-third.</p><p style="text-align:center;">What’s worse, the bill <em>specifically</em> prevents the EPA from enforcing its decision to phase out sulfuryl fluoride—a neurotoxic fumigant that has been linked to cancer and neurological, developmental, and reproductive damage. If it passes once markups by the Appropriations Committee are completed, it will move to a House vote. According to the news report:</p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>“This is an outrageous attempt to circumvent a basic risk assessment calculation that EPA acknowledges puts the public at risk, given current exposure patterns, to a chemical that is especially hazardous to children.”</em></p><p style="text-align:center;">In response, Beyond Pesticides, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) submitted a letter<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn14"><sup>14</sup></a> to the House Appropriation Committee Chairman and Ranking members, urging them to remove the section in question (section 449) from the bill. You can help by writing or calling your state Representative, asking him or her to uphold the EPA’s ability to protect the health of all Americans by removing this hazardous pesticide from our food production. There’s no need for it, as there are many other viable alternatives, including:</p><ul style="text-align:center;"><li>Temperature manipulation (heating and cooling)</li><li>Atmospheric controls (low oxygen and fumigation with carbon dioxide)</li><li>Biological controls (pheromones, viruses and nematodes)</li><li>Less toxic chemical controls, such as diatomaceous earth</li></ul><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Water Filtration – A Must for Clean Pure Water…</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">If you have well water, it would be prudent to have your water tested for arsenic and other contaminants. If you have public water, you can get local drinking water quality reports from the EPA.<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn15"><sup>15</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">In general, most water supplies contain a number of potentially <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/05/That-Tap-Water-Is-Legal-But-May-Be-Unhealthy.aspx">hazardous contaminants</a>, from fluoride, to drugs and disinfection byproducts (DBPs), just to name a few. You can get a good idea of what types of contaminants could be in your drinking water right now by viewing this awesome graphic from GOOD Environment<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn16"><sup>16</sup></a> (reprinted with permission.) It gives you a look at the five most and least polluted water systems in America (in cities with more than 100,000 population), including pointing out the pollutants of largest concern.</p><p align="center" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615867,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615867,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900615867?profile=original" /></a></p><p align="center" style="text-align:center;">I strongly recommend using a high-quality water filtration system unless you can verify the purity of your water. To be absolutely certain you are getting the purest water you can, you'll want to filter the water both at the point of entry and at the point of use. This means filtering all the water that comes into the house, and then filtering again at the kitchen sink. I currently use a whole house carbon-based water filtration system, and prior to this I used reverse osmosis (RO) to purify my water.</p><p style="text-align:center;">You can read more about <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/18/distilled-water-interview.aspx">water filtration</a> in this <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/18/distilled-water-interview.aspx">previous article</a> to help you make a decision about what type of water filtration system will be best for you and your family. Since most water sources are now severely polluted, the issue of water filtration and purification couldn't be more important.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Ideal Water Sources</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">Besides purification, I also believe it’s critical to drink <em>living</em> water. I recently interviewed <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/18/exclusion-zone-water.aspx">Dr. Gerald Pollack</a> about his book, <em>The Fourth Phase of Water: Beyond Solid, Liquid, and Vapor.</em> This fourth phase of water is referred to as “structured water” and is the type of water found in all of your cells. This water has healing properties, and is naturally created in a variety of ways.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Water from a deep spring is one excellent source of structured water. The deeper the better, as structured water is created under pressure. There's a great website called FindaSpring.com<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn17"><sup>17</sup></a> where you can find a natural spring in your area.</p><p style="text-align:center;">But you can also promote structured water through vortexing. I personally drink vortexed water nearly exclusively as I became a big fan of Viktor Schauberger who did much pioneering work on vortexing about a century ago. Dr. Pollack found that by creating a vortex in a glass of water, you’re putting more energy into it, thereby increasing the structure of the water. According to Dr. Pollack, virtually ANY energy put into the water seems to create or build structured water.</p><p style="text-align:center;">My own R&D team is working on a careful study in which we use vortexed water to grow sprouts, to evaluate the vitality and effectiveness of the water. We are conducting extensive internal research to develop the best vortex machine on the market, because we believe an ideal vortexer could be one of the simplest ways to improve people’s health.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Water Fluoridation Is Anything But Safe...</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">According to Bill Hirzy, water fluoridation remains a government policy because of “institutional inertia [and] embarrassment among government agencies that have been promoting this stuff as safe.” This is probably true, yet it’s shameful that the practice is allowed to continue in the face of overwhelming evidence showing the health hazards of not just fluoride itself, but also of related contaminants such as arsenic.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Clean pure water is a prerequisite to optimal health. Industrial chemicals, drugs and other toxic additives really have no place in our water supplies. So I urge you to join the Fluoride Action Network’s efforts<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn18"><sup>18</sup></a> and your local anti-fluoride movements in the US and Canada.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p align="center" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900616487,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="377" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900616487,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900616487?profile=original" /></a><br /> <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2">http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2</a></p></div>
Surprising Source of Arsenic in Your Drinking Water—Will EPA Take Steps to Protect Your Health?
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/surprising-source-of-arsenic-in-your-drinking-water-will-epa-take
2013-12-05T01:16:35.000Z
2013-12-05T01:16:35.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><h1 style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">Surprising Source of Arsenic in Your Drinking Water—Will EPA Take Steps to Protect Your Health?</span></h1><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>August 13, 2013</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615475,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="300" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615475,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900615475?profile=original" /></a></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">Story at-a-glance</span></strong></p><ul><li>While naturally-occurring arsenic in groundwater is one of the most common sources of exposure, hydrofluorosilicic acid (fluoride) added to drinking water is commonly contaminated with toxic arsenic</li><li>According to recent research, diluted fluorosilic acid adds, on average, about 0.08 ppb of arsenic to your drinking water</li><li>Low-level chronic exposure to arsenic can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including chronic fatigue, reproductive problems, reduced IQ and other neurological problems, and various cancers</li><li>As petition urges the EPA to change the source of fluoride in US drinking water, as the most commonly used form, hydrofluorosilicic acid, increases lung and bladder cancer risk</li><li>Switching from hydrofluorosilicic acid to pharmaceutical-grade fluoride could save the US $1-6 billion annually and prevent an estimated 1,800 cases of lung and bladder cancer</li></ul><p> </p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>By Dr. Mercola</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">Pure water is one of the most important foundations for optimal health. Unfortunately, most tap water is far from pure, containing a vast array of <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/07/tap-water-toxins-is-your-water-trying-to-kill-you.aspx">disinfection byproducts</a>, chemicals, <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/14/is-your-home-supplied-with-water-contaminated-by-lead-pipes.aspx">heavy metals</a> and even <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/02/27/even-drugs-thrown-in-the-trash-can-end-up-in-your-drinking-water.aspx">pharmaceutical drugs</a>. <a href="http://fluoride.mercola.com/">Fluoride</a> and arsenic are two prime examples of hazardous water contaminants.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Not only is the level of arsenic in US tap water high due to natural groundwater contamination,<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn1"><sup>1</sup></a> the most commonly used form of fluoride added to water supplies also tends to be contaminated with arsenic. As reported by the featured article:<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn2"><sup>2</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>“In early August, the Environmental Protection Agency is set to decide on a petition to change the source of fluoride in US drinking water.</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>Currently, the source of fluoride in most public water supplies is</em> <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/11/dr-bill-osmunson-on-fluoride.aspx"><i>fluorosilicic acid</i></a><em>, according to government records. The petition calls for the EPA to instead require the use of pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride in water fluoridation, which is the addition of fluoride to drinking water for the purpose of preventing cavities.</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>Fluorosilicic acid is often contaminated with arsenic, and recent research has linked the arsenic from fluorosilicic acid in drinking water to as many as 1,800 extra cases of cancer yearly in the United States...”</em></p><p style="text-align:center;">The petition<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn3"><sup>3</sup></a> was submitted by William Hirzy, a chemistry researcher at the American University in Washington, D.C. Hirzy previously worked at the EPA for 27 years.</p><p style="text-align:center;">His team recently published a study entitled: "Comparison of hydrofluorosilicic acid and pharmaceutical sodium fluoride as fluoridating agents – a cost-benefit analysis", in the journal <em>Environmental Science & Policy</em>.<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn4"><sup>4</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">According to their estimation, switching the type of fluoride used to pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride would reduce the amount of inorganic arsenic contamination in drinking water by 99 percent!</p><p> </p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><b>The Health Dangers of Inorganic Arsenic</b></span></p><p style="text-align:center;">Inorganic arsenic is a powerful carcinogen that has been linked to an increased risk of several types of cancer. In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) lowered the maximum level of arsenic permitted in drinking water from 50 ug/L to 10 ug/L (or 10 parts per billion (ppb)) due to the established cancer risk.</p><p style="text-align:center;">The Natural Resources Defense Council<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn5"><sup>5</sup></a> estimates that as many as 56 million Americans living in 25 states drink water with arsenic at unsafe levels. According to the EPA:<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn6"><sup>6</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>"Chronic inorganic arsenic exposure is known to be associated with adverse health effects on several systems of the body, but is most known for causing specific types of skin lesions (sores, hyperpigmentation, and other lesions) and increased risks of cancer of the lungs and skin."</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>Other impacts of chronic arsenic exposure include, according to the EPA:</strong></span></p><table width="0" style="margin-right:auto;margin-left:auto;" border="1" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Kidney damage and failure</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Anemia</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Low blood pressure</p></td></tr><tr><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Shock</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Headaches</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Weakness</p></td></tr><tr><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Delirium</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Increased risk of diabetes</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Adverse liver and respiratory effects, including irritation of mucous membranes</p></td></tr><tr><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">During development, increased incidence of preterm delivery, miscarriage, stillbirths, low birth weight, and infant mortality</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">During childhood, decreased performance in tests of intelligence and long-term memory</p></td><td width="182" valign="top"><p align="center">Skin lesions</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Water Fluoridation Chemicals Are NOT Pharmaceutical Grade</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">While naturally-occurring arsenic in groundwater is one of the most common sources of exposure, hydrofluorosilicic acid—the most commonly used form of fluoride added to water supplies—is a toxic waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry that is commonly contaminated with arsenic, radionucleotides, aluminum and other industrial contaminants.</p><p style="text-align:center;">According to the featured research, diluted fluorosilic acid adds, on average, about 0.08 ppb of arsenic to your drinking water.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Most people are shocked when they realize that the fluoride added to their water supply is actually a toxic byproduct from the fertilizer industry, opposed to a pharmaceutical-grade chemical. The source of most water fluoridation chemicals is explained by Michael Miller, a minerals commodity specialist for the US Geological Survey, in the featured article:<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn7"><sup>7</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>“During the production of phosphate fertilizer, phosphate ore is reacted with sulfuric acid to produce toxic gases. These are taken out of the air after being sprayed with water, which produces fluorosilicic acid... The solution is sold to water systems nation-wide, where it is diluted and put into drinking water. Occasionally, it is treated to create sodium fluorosilicate. Together, these compounds (called silicofluorides) provide fluoride to 90 percent of U.S. drinking water systems that are fluoridated...”</em></p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Water Fluoridation May Be Placing Infants at Great Risk</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">Not only is there mounting evidence that fluoride poses grave health risks to infants and children—including <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/14/fluoride-effects-in-children.aspx">reductions in IQ</a>—arsenic exposure in utero and during early childhood is also particularly problematic, as it can cause lasting harm to children's developing brains, and endocrine and immune systems.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>For example:</strong></p><ul><li>A 2006 study<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn8"><sup>8</sup></a> found that Chileans exposed to high levels (peaking at 1,000 ppb) of naturally-occurring arsenic in drinking water in utero and during early childhood had a <em>six times higher lung cancer death rate</em> compared to Chileans living in areas with lower levels of arsenic in their water. And their mortality rate in their 30s and 40s from another form of lung disease was almost 50 times higher than for people without that arsenic exposure.</li><li>A 2004 study<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn9"><sup>9</sup></a> showed children exposed to arsenic in drinking water at levels above 5 ppb had lower IQ scores. Earlier studies have linked chronic arsenic exposure to a range of cognitive dysfunctions, including learning disabilities, memory problems, poor concentration, and peripheral and central neuropathies.</li><li>A study<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn10"><sup>10</sup></a> published in 2011 examined the long-term effects of low-level exposure on more than 300 rural Texans whose groundwater was estimated to have arsenic at median levels below the federal drinking-water standard. It also found that exposure was related to poor scores in language, memory, and other brain functions.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Is It Worth Increasing Cancer Risk for Minimal, if Any, Benefit to Teeth?</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">Some proponents of fluoridation believe that the large dilution of these fluoridating chemicals that takes place when they are added at the public water works ameliorates concerns about the known contaminants. However, arsenic is a known human carcinogen, for which there is no safe level.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Inevitably, the addition of contaminated hexafluorosilicic acid to the water supply by definition must increase the cancer rate in the US because of the arsenic it contains, and this is exactly what Hirzy’s research shows. Why would any rational government do that to reduce – at best – a miniscule amount of tooth decay? According to Hirzy:<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn11"><sup>11</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>"We found that the United States as a society is spending, conservatively speaking, $1 billion to $6 billion treating the excess bladder and lung cancers caused by arsenic in the most commonly used fluoridation chemical, fluorosilicic acid... The switch [to pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride] would cost $100 million, but would save billions in reduced cancer costs."</em></p><p style="text-align:center;">For people living in areas with fluoridated tap water, fluoride is a part of every glass of water, every bath and shower, and every meal cooked using that water. This makes absolutely no sense considering the carcinogenic nature of arsenic—especially in light of the epidemic of cancer.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Hirzy’s study is actually the first risk assessment of arsenic-contaminated fluoride in drinking water. This is particularly shocking considering the fact that fluorosilicic acids have been used since the early 1950s<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn12"><sup>12</sup></a> (prior to that, sodium fluoride, a byproduct of the aluminum industry, was typically used). Incredibly, while the EPA performs risk assessments for most drinking water contaminants, the agency does NOT oversee the addition of fluoridation chemicals. As stated in the featured article, this policy makes no sense whatsoever.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>“Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the EPA has the authority to regulate or ban almost any substance — including fluorosilicic acid — that poses an 'unreasonable risk' to public health, [Hirzy] said.”</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Appropriations Bill Would Prohibit EPA’s Phase-Out of Sulfuryl Fluoride</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">While we’re on the topic of fluoride, a related news item<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn13"><sup>13</sup></a> is worthy of note. Drinking water is not the only source of fluoride, as I’ve discussed previously. Fluoride also enters the human food chain via fluoridated pesticides. According to a recent report, the House of Representatives Appropriations Interior and Environmental subcommittee has voted to approve an appropriations bill that cuts the EPA’s budget by nearly one-third.</p><p style="text-align:center;">What’s worse, the bill <em>specifically</em> prevents the EPA from enforcing its decision to phase out sulfuryl fluoride—a neurotoxic fumigant that has been linked to cancer and neurological, developmental, and reproductive damage. If it passes once markups by the Appropriations Committee are completed, it will move to a House vote. According to the news report:</p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>“This is an outrageous attempt to circumvent a basic risk assessment calculation that EPA acknowledges puts the public at risk, given current exposure patterns, to a chemical that is especially hazardous to children.”</em></p><p style="text-align:center;">In response, Beyond Pesticides, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) submitted a letter<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn14"><sup>14</sup></a> to the House Appropriation Committee Chairman and Ranking members, urging them to remove the section in question (section 449) from the bill. You can help by writing or calling your state Representative, asking him or her to uphold the EPA’s ability to protect the health of all Americans by removing this hazardous pesticide from our food production. There’s no need for it, as there are many other viable alternatives, including:</p><ul style="text-align:center;"><li>Temperature manipulation (heating and cooling)</li><li>Atmospheric controls (low oxygen and fumigation with carbon dioxide)</li><li>Biological controls (pheromones, viruses and nematodes)</li><li>Less toxic chemical controls, such as diatomaceous earth</li></ul><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Water Filtration – A Must for Clean Pure Water…</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">If you have well water, it would be prudent to have your water tested for arsenic and other contaminants. If you have public water, you can get local drinking water quality reports from the EPA.<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn15"><sup>15</sup></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">In general, most water supplies contain a number of potentially <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/05/That-Tap-Water-Is-Legal-But-May-Be-Unhealthy.aspx">hazardous contaminants</a>, from fluoride, to drugs and disinfection byproducts (DBPs), just to name a few. You can get a good idea of what types of contaminants could be in your drinking water right now by viewing this awesome graphic from GOOD Environment<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn16"><sup>16</sup></a> (reprinted with permission.) It gives you a look at the five most and least polluted water systems in America (in cities with more than 100,000 population), including pointing out the pollutants of largest concern.</p><p align="center" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615867,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900615867,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900615867?profile=original" /></a></p><p align="center" style="text-align:center;">I strongly recommend using a high-quality water filtration system unless you can verify the purity of your water. To be absolutely certain you are getting the purest water you can, you'll want to filter the water both at the point of entry and at the point of use. This means filtering all the water that comes into the house, and then filtering again at the kitchen sink. I currently use a whole house carbon-based water filtration system, and prior to this I used reverse osmosis (RO) to purify my water.</p><p style="text-align:center;">You can read more about <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/18/distilled-water-interview.aspx">water filtration</a> in this <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/18/distilled-water-interview.aspx">previous article</a> to help you make a decision about what type of water filtration system will be best for you and your family. Since most water sources are now severely polluted, the issue of water filtration and purification couldn't be more important.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Ideal Water Sources</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">Besides purification, I also believe it’s critical to drink <em>living</em> water. I recently interviewed <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/18/exclusion-zone-water.aspx">Dr. Gerald Pollack</a> about his book, <em>The Fourth Phase of Water: Beyond Solid, Liquid, and Vapor.</em> This fourth phase of water is referred to as “structured water” and is the type of water found in all of your cells. This water has healing properties, and is naturally created in a variety of ways.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Water from a deep spring is one excellent source of structured water. The deeper the better, as structured water is created under pressure. There's a great website called FindaSpring.com<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn17"><sup>17</sup></a> where you can find a natural spring in your area.</p><p style="text-align:center;">But you can also promote structured water through vortexing. I personally drink vortexed water nearly exclusively as I became a big fan of Viktor Schauberger who did much pioneering work on vortexing about a century ago. Dr. Pollack found that by creating a vortex in a glass of water, you’re putting more energy into it, thereby increasing the structure of the water. According to Dr. Pollack, virtually ANY energy put into the water seems to create or build structured water.</p><p style="text-align:center;">My own R&D team is working on a careful study in which we use vortexed water to grow sprouts, to evaluate the vitality and effectiveness of the water. We are conducting extensive internal research to develop the best vortex machine on the market, because we believe an ideal vortexer could be one of the simplest ways to improve people’s health.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Water Fluoridation Is Anything But Safe...</b></p><p style="text-align:center;">According to Bill Hirzy, water fluoridation remains a government policy because of “institutional inertia [and] embarrassment among government agencies that have been promoting this stuff as safe.” This is probably true, yet it’s shameful that the practice is allowed to continue in the face of overwhelming evidence showing the health hazards of not just fluoride itself, but also of related contaminants such as arsenic.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Clean pure water is a prerequisite to optimal health. Industrial chemicals, drugs and other toxic additives really have no place in our water supplies. So I urge you to join the Fluoride Action Network’s efforts<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2#_edn18"><sup>18</sup></a> and your local anti-fluoride movements in the US and Canada.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p align="center" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900616487,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="377" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900616487,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900616487?profile=original" /></a><br /> <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2">http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130813Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130813Z2</a></p></div>
Receive a Daily Dose of Love Transmission for Ascension in the Language of Light from Laura Pieratt.
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/receive-a-daily-dose-of-love-transmission-for-ascension-in-the
2014-03-03T11:14:41.000Z
2014-03-03T11:14:41.000Z
Alysen Vasold
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/AlysenVasold
<div><div class="post-content"><blockquote><h4><span>I want to share something amazing with you Lightworkers that I have been participating in everyday ;)) I hope you En- Joy it too! Happy Listening . . . .</span></h4><h4><span>A Daily Dose of Love is the best way I can imagine to start a New Year!</span></h4><p></p><div id="attachment_1940" class="alignleft"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/home_wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Laura-portrait-Screen-Shot-2013-08-21-at-11.35.47-AM.png"><img border="0" class="size-medium wp-image-1940" alt="Laura Pieratt 2013photo©GarrettPieratt" src="http://www.laurapieratt.com/home_wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Laura-portrait-Screen-Shot-2013-08-21-at-11.35.47-AM-197x300.png" /></a><p>Laura Pieratt<br />2013photo©GarrettPieratt</p></div><p><strong><span>This is a Loving GIFT from Spirit for a Tired Humanity!</span> </strong><span>All you need to do is relax, open your heart to receive and listen for a few minutes each day! And, of course, SHARE the LOVE!</span></p><p><span>One of my most powerful and unique gifts for assisting <a title="Humanity Rising" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/humanity-rising-series/"><span>humanity rising</span></a> is my ability to speak, sing and tone the <a title="The Language of Light" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/sound-healing/"><span>Language of Light</span></a> - including dolphin and whale tones!</span></p><p><span><strong>This new series is more than a daily post!</strong> If you listen daily, over time, you will find it to be a healing journey and process for ascension that can uplift, heal, bless, clear, attune and activate you, according to your need.<br /></span></p><p><span>Spirit asked me to <a title="Channeling" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/channeling/"><span>channel</span></a> this as a sequential post to<strong> </strong>provide a </span><span>building blocks type series of energies for healing, Light Codes, DNA activations and divine Light blessings to a tired humanity in need of restoration.</span></p><p><span><strong>We are literally recalibrating The New Earth Human! How cool is that! </strong>I invite you to join me, if this resonates with you - and ask you to spread the word that such a gift is being offered - so as many people as possible can receive an ongoing daily dose of the Love of God.</span></p><p><span>While every Language of Light transmission contains a blessings, my guides <em>strongly</em> advise that <strong>you will get the greatest benefit by listening to the transmissions in the sequence they are offered </strong>- remember these energies will build one upon the other over time! For that reason, I will soon offer A Daily Dose of Love as a discrete subscription-based daily post, in addition to posting through social media - and hopefully iTunes too!</span></p><p><strong><span>Important Note:</span> </strong><span>This is a healing and transformational process so you may periodically notice listening to these posts triggers emotions and sensations. Thankfully, Grace is available and we do NOT need to "process" every emotion in a slow challenging way. Healing CAN be instant! Simply drink lots of fresh water and step back to observe your responses without attaching to them. Send yourself love and be willing to accept or release the feeling, as serves your highest good. This is designed to offer restoration and healing AND also to activate you in your ascension path. It is time to consciously engage self-love and empowered choice!</span></p><p> </p></blockquote><h4><span>Why Would I Want to Invest my Time in this Every Day?</span></h4><h4><span>Light Language is a Spiritual Energy Language Used Throughout Creation</span></h4><p></p><div id="attachment_2213" class="alignright"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/home_wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hst_arp273.jpg"><img border="0" class="size-medium wp-image-2213" alt="NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)" src="http://www.laurapieratt.com/home_wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hst_arp273-296x300.jpg" /></a><p>NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)</p></div><p>The <a title="The Language of Light" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/sound-healing/">Language of Light</a> works through the divine wisdom of your higher Self, so it is always perfect for you. You will receive exactly what you need in the moment. The rest will remain in your energy field like a savings account for you to draw upon when ready. This gift from Spirit provides a powerful shifting process for ascension that doesn’t require people to work at it. Spirit tells me people are tired and need this spiritual fuel.</p><p>To <a title="Ascension" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/ascension/">ascend</a>, we need to transcend our 3D duality consciousness to hold a 5th dimensional non-dual Unity Consciousness (Christ Consciousness). We also need to transform our 3D physical bodies into higher frequency crystalline lightbodies.</p><p>The Language of Light originates from the higher planes beyond duality, providing the very Divine Light Frequencies, Light Codes and DNA activations we need for ascension. They will help you recalibrate, on all levels, to the intense new energy shifts on the planet, as well as attune to and sustain the higher dimensional energies necessary for ascension. A Daily Dose of Love will help you navigate such massive shifts with more ease and Grace.</p><h4><span>My guides explain A Daily Dose of Love, saying...</span></h4><p><span>“It will catalyze change in many who are unable to get started on a path or don’t believe they have the ability to change. Too many people feel lost, uncertain or unable to begin The Shift or keep up with the changes the Earth shift provokes. They are overwhelmed at the idea of starting a spiritual path that involves time and effort, diligence or fortitude, because they already feel overwhelmed by needing these very qualities just to get through the day and are exhausted after a day of efforting. </span></p><p><span><strong>"We wish to offer rest, respite and ease. We want to offer something people can look forward to as a pleasure, a gift at the beginning or end of the day.</strong> To slip into these sound frequencies the way one might feel comforted by slipping into a warm bath with candles to have a brief personal moment of peace and respite. We offer these as<strong> a gift to be received like a care package from Home, reminding you your Family in Spirit is thinking of you every day and sending you love</strong>. It is offered in the purity of such a loving gift, to be allowed to take root in the heart and blossom day by day.</span></p><p><span>What if you came home exhausted at the end of a day of giving and doing, depleted, angry perhaps or just despairing that every day is the same, feeling no real progress toward your own goals or believing your dreams are impossible? We see too much of this hopelessness and despair – doing for survival and to take care of those you love, but not to feed the soul - not generating more love and joy on the planet.</span></p><p><span>We wish to pour into you the very love and joy, lightness of spirit, comfort and upliftment that you wish you could give those you love, but feel you have no energy left to do so. Would you not welcome a daily packet of THAT and enjoy it like a daily dose of Love? We hope so. We offer it with joy. And we welcome you to suckle at the breast of The Beloved.</span></p><h4><span>This project to infuse more Love Light on Earth is like planting seeds in a field </span></h4><p>In fact, I was shown a vision last year of a pristinely plowed farm field, without a weed or stone in it, ready for planting. I asked what it represented and was directed to look up toward the stars. As I did, I saw brilliant starlight beaming onto earth, implanting Light Codes into the well prepared field. I now understand that the vision was showing me how Light Codes from the heaven, in the Language of Light, would seed the field of human consciousness. And this is my work.</p><div><dl id="attachment_2328"><dt><a target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/home_wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/potw1234a.jpg"><img border="0" alt="The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced this beautiful image of the globular cluster Messier 56 (also known as M 56 or NGC 6779), which is located about 33 000 light years away from the Earth in the constellation of Lyra (The Lyre). The cluster is composed of a large number of stars, tightly bound to each other by gravity." src="http://www.laurapieratt.com/home_wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/potw1234a.jpg" /></a></dt><dd>The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced this beautiful image of the globular cluster Messier 56 (also known as M 56 or NGC 6779), which is located about 33 000 light years away from the Earth in the constellation of Lyra (The Lyre). The cluster is composed of a large number of stars, tightly bound to each other by gravity.</dd></dl></div><p>So I ask you to join me in sowing more Divine Light into the fertile fields of human consciousness and The New Earth by sharing this work though social media. And, the beautiful synergy is that, in addition, you will carry these higher light energies of Divine Love in your Light Body (energy fields) and share them as you go about your day. Without you ever saying a word, they will be received by those who need them while you simply stand nearby emitting the Love vibrations you have been integrating. We are always emitting something, so why not emit these daily blessings to those who are not even aware of their availability! You will be helping to awaken the sleepers so they can enjoy this gift of ascension too!</p><p>And finally, since we might not collectively realize the harvest of the seeds planted through this project unless people share their experiences, <strong>I hope you will share via post comments or email me your experiences directly. And please share with anyone you think would benefit and enjoy too! </strong>Spirit tells me we don't need a crusade, just butterfly fields so each person can nourish themselves upon the nectar of Divine Love and Light.</p><p><span><em>You may read about the many <a target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/sound-healing/"><span>BENEFITS</span></a> of listening to the <a title="The Language of Light" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/sound-healing/"><span>Language of Light</span></a> throughout this website. </em><em>And you may also enjoy listen to my other <a title="Channeled Podcasts" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/channeled-podcasts/"><span>Language of Light Podcasts</span></a>, <a title="Buy Language of Light Albums & Tracks" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/shop/buy-language-of-light-albums-tracks/"><span>CDs</span></a>, <a title="Channeled Messages" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/posts/"><span>messages</span></a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/laurapieratt"><span>YouTube videos</span></a> and <a title="Laura on Radio with The Language of Light" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/laura-on-radio-with-the-language-of-light/"><span>radio interviews</span></a>. </em></span></p><p>If you have found these daily posts helpful, you may want find it helpful to...<br /><a title="Phone Healing Sessions & Custom Healing Recordings" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/shop/phone-sessions-custom-cd-orders/">Schedule a private phone/Skype session<br /></a><a title="Phone Healing Sessions & Custom Healing Recordings" target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/shop/phone-sessions-custom-cd-orders/">Order a Custom Language of Light Session<br /></a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/shop/buy-language-of-light-albums-tracks/">Order one of my Language of Light CDs</a></p><p> </p><p><strong>Disclaimer</strong><strong> - </strong><em>Laura Pieratt and anyone associated with this work or this website does not provide any medical advise, make no claims, promises or guarantees and are neither diagnosing nor treating specific health challenges. You are solely responsible for seeing to and continuing with your own medical care.</em></p></div><div class="meta"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/?author=1">Laura Pieratt</a></strong> | January 1, 2014 at 7:24 pm | URL: <a href="http://wp.me/p2IH5s-D3" target="_blank">http://wp.me/p2IH5s-CG</a> (Listen to #1)</div><div class="meta"></div><div class="meta"></div><div class="meta"></div><div class="meta"></div><div class="meta"><div class="af-element"><img src="http://www.laurapieratt.com/home_wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Hubble-spiral-hst_arp273-150x150.jpg" alt="New Graphic" /><div class="af-clear"></div></div><div class="af-element"><div class="bodyText"><p><span><span>SIGN UP HERE </span></span></p><p><span>FREE DAILY HEALING! </span></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.laurapieratt.com/?page_id=2427&preview=true" title="A Daily Dose of Love Project for Ascension" target="_blank">A DAILY DOSE OF LOVE</a></strong></p><p><span>FROM THE FIRST ONE</span></p><p><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><span class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.laurapieratt.com" target="_blank">Laura Pieratt website</a> </span></span></p></div></div></div><div class="meta"></div></div>
Surfer goes to head-to-head with pod of dolphins as he takes on gigantic Australian waves… and loses
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/surfer-goes-to-head-to-head-with-pod-of-dolphins-as-he-takes-on
2013-10-24T01:04:21.000Z
2013-10-24T01:04:21.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2430412/Surfer-Trent-Sherborne-goes-head-head-pod-dolphins-Kalbarri-Western-Australia.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2430412/Surfer-Trent-Sherborne-goes-head-head-pod-dolphins-Kalbarri-Western-Australia.html</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Surfer goes to head-to-head with pod of dolphins as he takes on gigantic Australian waves… and loses</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> • Trent Sherborne was catching waves at his local beach in Kalbarri, Western Australia<br />• Photographer Matt Hutton was lining up his last shot on the shore when a dolphin suddenly leaped from the ocean<br />• What he captured is an incredibly rare picture of man and mammal sharing the same wave</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong>By Chris Pleasance</strong><br />PUBLISHED: 05:33 EST, 24 September 2013 | UPDATED: 06:16 EST, 24 September 2013</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">When surfer Trent Sherbourne zipped up his wetsuit, grabbed his board and headed down to the secluded beach he was probably hoping to have the waves to himself.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> So imagine his surprise when he found himself sharing the surf with a pod of dolphins who jumped out of the water right in front of him.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But even more incredible is that the moment was captured back on land by a self-taught photographer who was lining up his last shot of the day while experimenting with a new lens.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900613301,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900613301,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900613301?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">This stunning picture was capture by Matt Hutton who was just lining up the last shot of the day</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900613099,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900613099,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900613099?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Dolphins are known to share waves with humans but it is extremely rare for them to breach the surface and even rarer for the moment to be captured on film<br /> Matt Hutton, 31, had been taking pictures of Trent when the local surfer was completely upstaged by dolphin racing him down the wave, before losing out to the speedy sea-mammal.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Amateur snapper Matt was travelling from Perth to his home in Wickham, Western Australia, in order to add pictures to his portfolio when he decided to stop in the small town of Kalbarri.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> After asking locals for information he was told of a few good spots to go and take pictures of surfers but was advised that dolphin sightings were rare.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>More...</strong><br /> • Beautiful Britain shrouded in morning mist - but more sunshine's on the way<br />• Incredible moment daredevil mountain climbers scale frozen WATERFALL as it melts</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> When he arrived at the beauty spot he found the rumours to be true as a few other photographers lined the shore training their hi-tech lenses on the ocean.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Luckily for Matt, he had bought a specialist lens of his own just a few days before and was determined to get some good shots.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> He said: 'One photographer said that he had been there hundreds of times but only seen dolphins on a few occasions.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> 'I was getting some great photos of Trent Sherborne surfing this awesome wave, when a pod of dolphins decided to join him.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> 'On the first occasion I captured two dolphins sharing a wave with him and a few separate photos of just the dolphins by themselves.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But when Matt came to line up his last picture a dolphin leaped from the wave just in front of Trent, and after zooming in on his camera's LCD screen to check it was in focus, Matt fired off a frame.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900614482,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900614482,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900614482?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Hutton said he was 'so lucky to have been at the right place and right time' as sightings of dolphins at the beach are uncommon</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900614876,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900614876,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900614876?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Losing out: Trent's surfing was completely eclipsed by the stunts of the camera-shy dolphins who shared the surf with him that day<br /> What he captured is the incredibly rare moment a dolphin breached the surface while sharing a wave with a surfer. While the intelligent animals are known to swim with humans, surfing with them is rare, and even then they stay underwater most of the time.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Matt added: 'It really is a very rare shot and I was so lucky to have been at the right place and right time and in regards to the dolphin and the surfer, Trent said he knew it was him in the photo as it's not everyday you get to eyeball a Dolphin, so it was pretty close!'</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> 'I have had so many people write kind emails, messages, comments etc and it has been a very humbling experience, it is simply the highlight of my small photography career.<br />'A few people think its photoshopped but I can assure you they're not!'</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> However, one surfer who fell foul of the usually friendly sea creatures was Troy Robinson, 43, whose arm was broken after clashing with a dolphin in July.<br />Robinson found himself surrounded by ten of the animals while paddling out to sea, and it quickly became apparent that there was not enough space for all of them on the same wave.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> As he ducked and dived through the tangle he was suddenly hit, torpedo-like, by one of the animals which knocked him clean off his board and left him in immense pain.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> The impact was so hard he had to have a plate inserted into his left forearm and it also punched a hole into his surfboard.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> However he later joked that it would be a good story to tell his grandchildren, adding that it was 'better than it being a shark.'</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Read more: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2430412/Surfer-Trent-Sherborne-goes-head-head-pod-dolphins-Kalbarri-Western-Australia.html#ixzz2hLuhvNbJ">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2430412/Surfer-Trent-Sherborne-goes-head-head-pod-dolphins-Kalbarri-Western-Australia.html#ixzz2hLuhvNbJ</a><br /> Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Gift Giving Dolphin Delivers Fresh Dinner to Family
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/gift-giving-dolphin-delivers-fresh-dinner-to-family
2013-12-05T01:41:22.000Z
2013-12-05T01:41:22.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-4" style="color:rgb(51,204,204);">Gift Giving Dolphin Delivers Fresh Dinner to Family</span></strong> <br /> Posted: 11 Aug 2013 10:22 PM PDT</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900613897,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900613897,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900613897?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">From the dailymail.co.uk</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Lucy Watkins, 14, was admiring the dolphin with her family in Devon</p><p style="text-align:center;">Mammal jumped out of the water and placed fish near to the teenager At first they didn't know whether to take the cod but dolphin reappeared with its own dinner - a seabass The family gratefully scooped up the cod and took it home for tea</p><p style="text-align:center;">A family watching a dolphin from their boat were shocked when it dropped them off a cod supper for dinner. The group were enjoying watching the mammal frolic in the water when it suddenly dived down and caught the cod before placing it near to Lucy Watkins, 14. The dolphin then then resurfaced and began nudging the fish towards the stunned teenager.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Lucy and her grandparents wondered whether they should pick up the fish in case the dolphin wanted it for tea. But the dolphin then appeared seconds later with his own fish, this time a seabass, and began tucking in. The family gratefully scooped up the cod, which weighed a massive 10lbs, before taking it home to nearby Combs Martin in Devon to cook for their dinner.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Lucy said: 'He definitely wanted me to have his fish. He first dropped it 20ft away but then pushed it to within 5ft of my kayak. 'Everyone was watching on the beach and we caused quite a stir when we paddled in with the cod.' Grandmother Nina added: 'It was as if he was saying to Lucy "Don't worry, now I've got a fish to play with and so have you. This is mine for my tea, you have that one for yours." 'He was just so playful and content to be around us. Lucy was dangling her fingers in the water and he seemed to be attracted by that. 'If I hadn't seen it myself I'd never have believed it. My theory is that he was lonely and wanted human company. He was with us for about two hours. 'It seemed rude to refuse him so we took the fish and had cod and chips for supper. 'It was massive - I've still got half in the freezer.'</p><p style="text-align:center;">Lucy was paddling off Combe Martin Bay with Mike and Nina, both, 52, when they encountered the dolphin. The animal has become so popular with locals who have christened him Dave.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Nina, a swimming club coach, said the July 25 sighting was the highlight of Lucy's school holidays. She said: 'We feel so privileged to have been there. Lucy loves dolphins and has always wanted to swim with them. 'Well she didn't get to swim with this one, but it is the first time she has seen one out of captivity. 'With the crystal clear water, it was such an experience.'</p><p style="text-align:center;">A spokesman for Whale and Dolphin Conservation said: 'This is a very interesting account. 'There are many examples worldwide of dolphins interacting with humans. We would just make our usual appeal for people to generally keep their distance.</p><p style="text-align:center;">'Dolphins can sometimes become distracted by humans, lose their awareness of nearby motor boats and sustain injuries.'</p></div>
Insane Photo: Late surfer resorts to jumping cliff to catch event
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/insane-photo-late-surfer-resorts-to-jumping-cliff-to-catch-event
2013-10-24T00:35:53.000Z
2013-10-24T00:35:53.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(0,0,255);"><strong>Insane Photo: Late surfer resorts to jumping cliff to catch event</strong></span><br /> By Eurosport | World of Sport – 10 hours ago</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900611495,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="630" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900611495,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900611495?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Photo copyright Caters</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> A surfer in Santa Cruz was running late for his competition so he was forced to improvise.<br />That improvisation came in the form of a jump off a cliff 30 feet high and into the Pacific Ocean.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> "He timed it perfectly," photographer Allen Hughes told The Daily Mail.<br />The same could be said of Hughes, who captured the spectacular photo of this anonymous surfer in mid-air as a huge wave cascaded behind him.<br />Hughes was alert to the possibility that an intriguing scenario was unfolding at Lighthouse Point.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> "Everyone else was watching the surfers out at sea, but then I noticed this guy running along Lighthouse Point," Hughes told the Mail. "I watched for quite a while and before each heat the surfers would climb down to the end of Lighthouse Point and make a smaller 10 foot jump.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> "I noticed this guy run down to the end, he was late for his heat."<br />That was Hughes' cue to lock in on him.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="630" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900610893?profile=original" /></a> Photo copyright Caters</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> "I could tell he was anxious so I focused my camera on him and before anyone knew it, he ran and jumped off the cliff," Hughes said. "He timed it perfectly and landed just behind the white water and paddled out. I never did find out who he was. The cliff itself must be 30 foot high and the waves were maybe higher."</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Although we can all marvel at the artistic quality of Hughes' shot, it ought not to be overlooked that the surfer got away with a rash decision. Not to be a ghoulish buzzkill here, but the outcome could've been far less favorable.<br />Hopefully this was crazy enough to dissuade any copycats jumpers, and perhaps it can be a lesson to all surfers: Pay attention to the time.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> For those hardcore photography buffs that might be curious about the gear, according to Metro, Hughes, 65, captured the moment with a Nikon D300S.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900612673,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="630" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900612673,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900612673?profile=original" /></a> Photo copyright Caters</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Text: ThePostGame Staff | Yahoo! Sports<br /><a href="http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/insane-photo-surfer-resorts-cliff-jumping-catch-competition-121458616.html">http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/insane-photo-surfer-resorts-cliff-jumping-catch-competition-121458616.html</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Camille Seaman: We All Belong to Earth
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/camille-seaman-we-all-belong-to-earth
2013-12-03T00:32:31.000Z
2013-12-03T00:32:31.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another. --Seth Godin</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610857,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="350" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610857,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900610857?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>Camille Seaman:</strong></span> <strong>We All Belong to Earth</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">--by Richard Whittaker, syndicated from conversations.org, Dec 01, 2013</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900611469,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="290" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900611469,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900611469?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> The first thing that captured my attention upon stepping into Camille Seaman’s home was one of her stunning photos, a large framed print centered on one wall. And then I noticed two large, wolf-like dogs in kennels. They regarded me silently. About forty-five minutes later, having looked at scores of Seaman’s sublime Arctic and Antarctic photos, she let one of the dogs out. It came over quietly to check me out. As I looked down at the animal’s long face and erect ears, it wasn’t apprehension I was feeling—let’s call it mobilized attention. The dog looked up at me and I was mesmerized. I’d never seen eyes like that in a dog before. Yellow, and they seemed huge. Astonishing eyes. I was being regarded by a being from some other world. The dog sniffed me a few times and Camille said, “You’re in.” That was a relief. By then, we’d talked a good bit and the things I’d heard were more than just interesting. I’d already proposed we do an interview on my next visit.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Camille’s story is unusual. Not the least of it is her almost instant success in the art world, something she’d never even thought about. And she’s a senior TED fellow. How did it all happen? About a month later I was back to hear more of her story. Before setting up for the interview, Seaman mentioned that she was planning to create a platform online for indigenous stories about climate change. I quickly turned the recorder on…</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">Richard Whittaker:</span></strong> That’s great. Do you see these being traditional stories or current stories?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">Camille Seaman:</span></strong> Probably a mix. I want it to be almost like a cross between a news thing and an anthropological archive. I want it to be really dynamic—with people’s videos and multi-media pieces and sound pieces and written word and art. I want it to be everything.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> And you mentioned that you just got a Stanford Fellowship.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Yes. A Knight Fellowship from the John S. and James Knight Foundation. It starts September 1st this year.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Well, that’s fantastic. Okay. I wanted to start out by asking a little about your parents. You come from a Native American and African American background. Could you talk a little about that?</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> My mom’s dad was Italian—like off-the-boat Italian—and her mother was African-American, probably descended from a slave in South Carolina. My father is Shinnecock. And recently, because I’ve been writing my life story, I’ve had to do some background research. I was able to very easily trace our family history back to about 1620. It’s one of the oldest families on Long Island. So my dad is part of the Shinnecock tribe.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Traditionally, they were located in the area of what is now called the Hamptons—really right next to South Hampton. There is some controversy, because we’re in the middle of the Hamptons and have almost 1,000 acres that people want. But it’s our reservation. We were just federally recognized by President Obama in 2010. It was the first tribe in a long time to gain federal recognition. So growing up on Long Island, it was my father’s family that really had the influence over my upbringing. That meant it was his father and mother, my grandparents. He had seven brothers and sisters and we had tons of cousins, so there was always activity, but we were quite poor.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Did you live there on the reservation on Long Island?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> No, we never did. We were quite lucky, because my grandfather lived and grew up off the reservation in Huntington on the Long Island Sound on the north shore. Traditionally it was one of the big ports for the whaling community. Shinnecock is on the south fork of the island, if you look at it like a lobster claw. So we grew up fishing. I didn’t hunt. My uncles and my grandfather would always shoot something; a squirrel, a raccoon. That was how we fed ourselves. We didn’t go to the store very often for stuff like that. We had our own chickens. We had geese. We had a huge garden. So we really grew up kind of playing with earth.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Really in contact with nature.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Well, it was interesting, because where we lived in Huntington was on a hill. Even when my grandfather was growing up there, they called it Crow Hill. It was this isolated little bump surrounded by the town of Huntington. And the way we were living wasn’t like the way other people were living in that area. I don’t think anybody else in Huntington had chickens or a garden the size that we did. Or shot squirrels in the woods or raccoons to eat. You know what I mean?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Sure.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So it was already quite different. One of my aunts was put in charge of teaching us about which plants were good for what. Another aunt was put in charge of how to tan hides, how to skin, how to take the squirrel and the raccoon and actually tan the hides.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> And your family did that?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Yes. We did everything. And my grandfather was an amazing gardener. We would put the fish heads that we caught into the garden as fertilizer. It was just part of the way we grew up. I mean we all knew what we were. I don’t think we advertised very much. It was not in fashion to be Native, or of color, even by the time I was born. I mean my parents were mixed race. They got married in 1969. The year before that it was made legal that mixed races could marry.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> That’s amazing.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> It wasn’t that long ago. A lot was happening socially for us. So yeah, that’s kind of the background from which I grew up.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> When we talked a few weeks ago, you were talking about your grandfather and how important he was to you.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> He was pretty impressive partly because he had no teeth left in his mouth, but he refused to wear his dentures. So everything was [mumbles]. He would even eat corn on the cob without teeth.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Wow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And he would get so frustrated, if you didn’t understand him and he had to repeat himself. And he would even do funny things. He had one of those recliner Lazy Boy chairs. He worked at Sears Roebuck and he would come home after work and get in the chair and start watching something on TV. And immediately, he’d fall asleep. We would go to change the channel and he’d be like, “Don’t touch that TV!” He had like this extra-sensory perception.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> He was really funny and so incredibly supportive—like there was no inequality between men and women in my family. The boys and the girls were not expected to behave in different ways. In fact, as girls we were really encouraged to be outgoing and be our best. It was my grandfather who encouraged me to play Babe Ruth baseball with boys. I was the only girl on the team.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> That’s impressive.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> In fact, I was the 13th girl in the United States to play Babe Ruth baseball. This was before Title IX. There was controversy about that, but he really encouraged us to not let anyone or anything keep us from being our best.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Tell me that story about sitting out in the field with him.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Well, I was probably five or six years old with a couple of my cousins. He made us sit outside in the hot sun on a summer day. There were no clouds in the sky and he basically just had us sit there. You didn’t question Grandpa. You just sat there and after awhile we started to sweat and perspire. He pointed up to the sky where a little white tuft of cloud started to appear. He said, “Do you see that? That’s part of you up there. That’s your water that helps make that cloud. You become the cloud that creates the rain that waters the plants that feed the animals.” So he was illustrating that cycle, that there was no separation. Our water is recycled. Everything in our body is recycled. We are literally part of everything.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> He would take me into the woods, just me, and we would go for a walk. He would stop at each tree and introduce me to the tree as if he were introducing me to a person. He would really have me look at the form of the tree and the way the branches were and the texture of the bark. He would have me hold it, and he would say, “Slow your breathing. Quiet your mind and listen. Listen to the tree.” And literally you could hear it moving. You know?—this huge, massive thing. You started to understand that this was a living thing. It was moving at a much slower pace or rate than we do as humans, but it was alive.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Of course later, in science, they tell us that we’re part of this tree of life. Also another benefit of his introducing me to the trees in the woods that way was I knew those trees. They were individuals to me, not just a tree. And I never got lost.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> So right now, as you sit here, do those memories come alive?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Yes. They do.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Isn’t that interesting? I think that even children who don’t have the benefit of that kind of wonderful guidance, will have moments they remember like that, the smell of a tree they climbed, the birds, the feeling of being in a silent snowfall. I mean those memories are so vivid. It’s contact with nature.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I hope. I know that as more and more of the human population lives in urban environments, that isn’t every child’s experience. It’s less and less as we become more of this virtual world of online connection. I’m not saying that that online world is a bad thing, but I think that without having context for it in a real world, our natural world, then it becomes very easy to disregard nature, destroy it and, in doing so, affect ourselves.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Right. Ultimately damaging ourselves.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Exactly.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> So this deep experience in your early years with the guidance you got from your grandfather, how is that alive in your work today?</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> You know, I take for granted that I’m me. I’m just me. I didn’t think of it as special. It just was. And I meet so many people who don’t have that grounded-ness, or stillness, within them. I was taught that, to be still, at a very early age. I think I told you that my grandfather everyday after school, from the time I was about five until thirteen—everyday, rain, snow, heat, it didn’t matter—I had to sit outside and be still. And I had to just sit and observe.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> And for how long?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> About an hour.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> That’s really something.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> And for a child that isn’t necessarily easy.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Not at all.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> He would have me come in after an hour and he would say, “What did you see?” And if I was feeling like I wanted to make trouble, I’d say, “I didn’t see anything.” Then he’d be like, “Go back outside and sit.” So it was really a discipline, but at the same time he was teaching me to observe. So I really owe him my ability to see, in a way. So from the very beginning, yes, that made a profound effect on who I am and what I do. There is this incredible foundation that I was given as a gift. Really, I took for granted. It was just the way I was raised. And in some ways, I had a bit of animosity toward it. I was not like the other kids in the community. I had my hair in two braids. They used to make fun of me and call me Pocahontas. You know?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> You had animosity towards what?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> Being raised that way.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> I see.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Not being the model kid like all the rest of the kids. But somewhere in there I embraced my difference. I embraced that I was not like the others. And in that, I think, is strength, especially as a young girl—because then you don’t try to fit in. You just live your own truth. That gives you a much bigger head start than anyone who waits until they’re an adult to figure that out.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> I mean people aren’t waiting; they’re just lost.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> Exactly.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> It’s hard to find that. The gift your grandfather gave you was tremendous. That’s a very strong discipline to have a kid sit for an hour. I mean that would be hard for an <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">adult.</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Well, you know, it even got to a point where it was fun for us. I mean my cousins and I lived outside in the woods. And we would pride ourselves that we built a shelter as it was about to start raining. We’d get inside the shelter and we’d be dry. We’d be like, aha! We can do it! We would do things where we took pride in our ability. That was playing, but it was fun for us. And we were quite proud about what we could do. I took great pride that I was really good at fishing. Everyone wanted me to be with them when we were fishing, because I caught lots of fish. It was one of the ironies; I didn’t like fish as a child. I didn’t like to eat it. And every time my grandfather would shoot a raccoon or a squirrel or even kill one of our rabbits or chickens, I didn’t want to eat it. It was too—it wasn’t what the other kids were doing. You know what I mean?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Yes. Oh, I see.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> It wasn’t until I was older did I grow to really love eating fish, but I was amazing at catching them.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Well, that’s fascinating. Do I remember correctly that you went to a special high school?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I did. I went to the Fame High School of Music and Arts in New York.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Okay. Let’s start moving towards your career.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> My art.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Right. How did that happen?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Well, a few things. I have to talk a little bit about my mom who was raised Roman Catholic. She was literally Halle Berry-beautiful, just a stunning woman, visually. I think that was a blessing and a curse. She was used to so much attention just based on her looks that I think it created a deep insecurity within her. Being raised Roman Catholic, there was also the guilt associated with sexuality. It was really a disaster for her. So she moved out to Long Island to sort of get away from her mother. They had some tumultuous times in their relationship.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> She came out to Long Island where she met my dad. Probably my earliest memories of her were not good. They were of her pushing me away, saying, “Uh-uh. Don’t touch. You’ll mess up my hair. You’ll mess up my clothes. You’ll mess up my make-up.” And I loved my mother’s hands and I always wanted to touch. “Uh-uh. Don’t touch!” I couldn’t touch my mother.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Oh my gosh.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So it was this incredibly strange rejection. My dad kind of stepped in and really took care of us. He would get us dressed for school. He would feed us. He would take us to school. It was a very strange dynamic.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> He was nurturing, it sounds like.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I think he had to. You know, nature abhors a vacuum. But as things deteriorated between my mom and dad, they separated. First we went to live with my dad back at my grandparents. That felt good. It felt safe. It felt comfortable. Then my mom became born-again Christian. That was really interesting. It was like our own little Spanish Inquisition, because she decided one day, and I quote, “I have to Christianize my heathen half-breed children.”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Wow. Uh-oh.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So she took us from our father. I think he was relieved, because caring for me and my brother, who is two years younger, was a lot. And so then suddenly my mother was requiring us to go to church and kneel and pray every night. Cleanliness was next to godliness, so we couldn’t go out and play unless our rooms were spotless. We went from this incredible freedom to this incredibly rigid structure. And that was just hard.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Wow, and how old were you then?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Eight or nine. And by the time I was 10 and 11, I started to rebel—first by little things. I adopted this punk style of clothing and started doing extreme and more extreme things with my hair. I think I had my first Mohawk when I was 12, and every time I would get in an argument with my mom, I would put another hole in my ear. The rebellion was just because we were so at loggerheads. In the middle there she remarried and had my younger half-sister. And that was difficult, because my mom is not very maternal. So here was this new child that needed to be looked after and it fell on me, as a 12-year-old, to get my sister ready for the baby-sitter. Get her dressed. Get her bottles warmed. Make the formula and change her diaper. I was the mom at 12.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Gosh.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And then my mom really broke down and just stopped paying our bills. After about a year we were evicted from our home. And she had exploited everyone’s good will to the point of no return.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But I should back up. From the time I was about six years old, my mom would never give me paper to draw on. So I ended up drawing in my closet on my wall or under the table in the dining room. One of my aunts saw this and said, “She needs paper. Give this girl some paper!” I mean the creative desire to express myself visually was very early. So by the time I was 12, I was literally locking myself in my room and just drawing, drawing, drawing. And I was really good. This same aunt told my mother that I should audition for this special high school.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> I see, yeah.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So we moved to the city. This was really difficult, because my mom really did a guilt trip on me. She said, “I am sacrificing everything for you.” For her to go back to New York City was really a defeat. It was as if she were going back to poverty and the ghetto. And she put that on me. She really emotionally abused me..</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I left home when I was 15. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was going to either really hurt her or myself, and neither of those was an option. So I left. I started sleeping on friend’s couches and that’s how I maintained going to high school. I needed a job, of course, because I had no income and I didn’t want to mooch off of my friends. So my first job was in Woolworth’s as a cashier.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Wow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I lied and said I was 16. And then I got a job as a bike messenger. I also got a job as a one-hour photo lab person.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> And now all this time you were in high school?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> Yeah, yeah.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Okay. So you moved out at 15. That’s like 10th grade?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> Exactly. 10th grade.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Okay. And did you get all the way through high school?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> I did. I did. So in high school they recognized that I was at risk of getting into trouble, ending up pregnant, on drugs or whatever. So they put me in this after school program and they gave me a Nikkormat film camera. They took away the manual and said I’d have to figure out how to use it. They taught me how to bulk load black and white film. They taught me how to develop using an enlarger and chemicals, all that. Then they said go out and photograph your experience.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I didn’t realize it, but that probably saved my life because I was given something creative in my hands, so I could express whatever anger, frustration or emotions I was feeling as this teenager. So I did. I photographed everything; all my friends, all of our adventures. I realized having that camera in my hands gave me excuses to be somewhere in a positive way. A lot of my friends were getting into trouble with alcohol and drugs and whatever.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> How much of that work do you still have?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> All of it. I have all of the negatives.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Oh, man.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> It’s pretty amazing. In fact, my high school yearbook was not representative of my experience. So I created my own with my own photos. It’s a huge book. I can show it to you sometime. It’s pretty amazing.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> When you look back at those, are you thinking, yeah, there’s some cool stuff here.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Actually I realized it was quite extreme. You know, I was in New York in the 80s when it was probably the worst time to be living there. You know New York was really in decline at that time.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> I would love to see some of this stuff. I bet there’s really some great stuff.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> There is, like me and my friends standing on an overturned car; just crazy stuff.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Yeah, yeah, yeah.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And I used to do pretty crazy things with my hair. I would either dye it different colors or I would go sort of Bride of Frankenstein, two white streaks. So I have these crazy pictures of me with my hair.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> That would be fun to see that work.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> But having that camera I really didn’t think of myself as a photographer. It was just something I did. So that high school was great as far as instilling discipline and practice. And we had great exposure. We were required to go to a museum every week. And being in Manhattan, you know, you have access to some of the most amazing collections of all of art history at your hands. So I didn’t take that for granted. In fact, whenever I would go to the Metropolitan Museum, they would say, “Oh, she’s back.” They would assign a guard to me, because I would get so close to the Rodin sculptures. I would get really right up close to the Monet’s water lilies. I wanted to see how they did it, how was the paint laid on.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Yes.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> So they would have a guard with me to make sure I wasn’t touching it.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> That’s hilarious.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS</span></strong>: I had my own guard. And I think when you have that exposure, looking at something of quality over and over, it affects you. It gets in there.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Yes.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So I graduated from the high school and went to the State University of New York at Purchase, which is their art school. And in order to support myself I was an R.A. in the dorms. I had to make sure that nobody got out of hand. And I was kind of the momma bear on the hall, which was fitting. I was used to being responsible. So that’s how I went through the university.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Then by the time I finished university, I was so tired of talking about rhetoric, art speak. I just wanted to feel. I didn’t want to talk about it. You know?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Right, right. I know.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So I was, “I think I’m done with art.” So then I went back to my Native practices. I started doing traditional bead work and quill work and making moccasins and things like that.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> I remember you talking about that and how good that work was.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> I loved it.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> And there was a lot of demand for what you were doing. I mean you were working long hours.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Two months, 10 hours a day, six days a week just to keep up with the orders. I was getting paid well for it, but at one point, my body was just like no way. My hands just…</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> They gave out kind of?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> They did. And it was the first time in my life where I found something that I loved. I was good at it. I was gaining a really good reputation with the Native Arts galleries. And then it was gone. I thought why would that be taken away from me? I was so happy doing it. And so during that break is when I got this free ticket to Alaska.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Oh, yes. This is a good transition. So talk about how you got up into the Arctic Regions. I remember you were telling me you were headed for L.A. with your boyfriend.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I was on my way from Oakland and they oversold the flight. So they said, if you can wait an hour for the next flight, we’ll give you a free round trip ticket anywhere we fly. I was like, I can do that. This was Alaska Airlines. And I have to stress that one of the reasons I left New York was to escape the extreme hot and the extreme cold. I liked that this was a nice average temperature here in on the West Coast. You didn’t really have seasons here, and so going someplace cold like Alaska or the Arctic or even the Antarctic was nowhere on my mental radar. It was the furthest thing from anything I could have dreamed for myself.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> But you thought, what’s the big deal? I’ll wait an hour and I’ll have a free ticket.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Exactly, free ticket. I should say that I’d been a good global traveller before that. And I knew that when doors opened, good things can happen behind them.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> That’s right. Tell me about that.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> I was a surfer.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Oh gosh. I forgot about that.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> Yeah. There’s a lot there.</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> So let’s go back a little bit. I mean that’s amazing that you were a surfer. How did that happen?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Okay. Well, when I was 18, the very first trip I took overseas was to London with my best friend from high school. She and I saved and saved. We even flew as couriers. Back then, you could fly as a courier. Basically you give up your luggage space for a discounted ticket. We stayed at youth hostels and had this amazing time in London. I came back and I felt so proud— “Yeah, I went to London!” Really, I was the first woman in my father’s family to ever have done such a thing. My grandmother, she was so funny. I said, “Nana, I went to London. I was in England!” And she said, “That’s great. But what do you know of your own backyard?”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I was like whoa. Like she’s right. Oh my god! You think you’re so great, but you don’t even know what your own country is. So I took the challenge. In Native American philosophy we believe that you can only be a whole person through touching. And touching doesn’t necessarily mean physically, but it means exploring, expanding your environment. So for me, it translated as actual travel. So this is about the time I’m in university and I’m really starting to embrace my Native heritage. One of my drawing teachers was John Cohen from The Lost City Ramblers, an amazing musician, photographer. He was photographing Kerouac and Ginsberg and was part of that group.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> The Lost City Ramblers. That’s back there in the folk days.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Well, and Jerry Garcia was inspired by The Lost City Ramblers. In fact, The Grateful Dead have a song called Uncle John’s Band which is about John Cohen. So even though he was an amazing photographer, he was my drawing teacher. We would go out into these amazing fields in Westchester on our campus and draw. He would talk to me about his trips into the Peruvian Andes with the people there, photographing them and recording their traditional songs. It kind of sparked something in me, “Hey, I have a heritage. I need to pay more attention to it.” He sparked this desire to get re-connected, which is where I started doing the bead work again. So every summer break I would travel to different reservations, different states. I would look for other people who were mixed within the tribe and talk to them about their experience of being not full Indian or not full white or not full black and find out how they reconciled that within themselves. I met some of the most amazing mixes. Like I met this amazing Cheyenne guy who was this beautiful Cheyenne dark-skinned kind of golden-brown skin, but he had freckles and flaming red hair. He was Scottish and Cheyenne.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Wow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I met another person who was Lakota Sioux and Korean. So I met all these people and we would share stories and talk about our experiences and sort of figure out how we found our space, which is a hybrid. I still feel today that I’m not black enough to be black. I’m not Italian enough to be Italian. I’m not Indian enough to… I’m a mix. I straddle borders.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> This is the future.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> It is. I mean so many people are entering this community of mixed identity and race and self-definition. And I am definitely part of that group even though it’s not anything new. It’s been happening for thousands of years, but finally now we get to be more than one thing.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> But back to the story of traveling. So the thing that really moved me to California was being attacked on the subway train in New York. I was on the subway one night coming back from a concert with my boyfriend who was a White Russian. His dad was a refugee from Russia, and so he was this blond, blue-eyed big guy. We fell asleep right in the first car, right behind the conductor. And I heard this noise coming through the train. And the next thing you know, I feel a blow to my nose.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Oh my gosh!</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> I was trying to wake up and I see my nose is bleeding. And my boyfriend is waking up. And immediately, just instinctively, I put my out arm, because he was a big white guy. When I looked up there were four or five black guys, young guys. And one of them was really antagonizing me saying, “Oh, if that was my girl, I would this. I would that.” I was wearing a little short kilt, a Scottish kilt. He went to touch my skirt and I smacked his hand away. It’s interesting, because I remember I had no fear at all. I remember being just so angry that this train was full. There were maybe 40 people in there and nobody was saying or doing anything. And even the guy he was with, one of them was saying, “Just leave her alone, man. She’s bleeding. Just leave her alone.” And Issa, my boyfriend, like he’s just trying to get up and I’m like, “Don’t move.” And the guy pulls a knife and he holds it to my face. He’s like, “I will cut you.” I was just so angry, but really contained. I wasn’t scared at all.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> And meanwhile I can see the conductor is looking back like, “Oh god. What do I do?” So she gets us into the station and they move around like they’re going to get off the train. And the guy, as he was getting off the train, leans and punches me square on in my eye so hard that all I see is black. And they immediately close the train doors and sound the alarm. The police show up within probably four minutes. And nobody saw anything. The guys got away.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I remember feeling like so paranoid, you know, for weeks and months feeling that somebody was going to hurt or strike me. I was really like on edge. I guess it’s PTSD. And so my boyfriend’s mother at the time, this was when you could still travel with other people’s tickets. Said, “Here’s a ticket to San Francisco. Take it. You need a break.”<br />So I came out here and I saw this place. It was like, “Oh my goodness. This is amazing!” So I went back and told my boyfriend, “You can come with me or not, but I’m moving.” And I arranged with all of my teachers that I should finish my senior thesis on the road and return and present it. That’s when I was traveling from reservation to reservation. It was part of my thesis. It was about making, sharing stories and photographing them and sharing traditions like how do you do beadwork? It was really an amazing experience.</p><p style="text-align:center;">And so I got to California.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I know looking back, that was a terrible thing to be attacked on a train, but I’m almost grateful because it was the universe’s sharp left turn for me. It was my, “Get out of New York.” Otherwise, my life would be very different.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> So when I was in my 20’s, I had various jobs here in the Bay Area. Then when I was 23, my friend from Long Island, Oliver, came out to live here. He was a surfer. I had just been laid off from my job at an architect firm and was on unemployment for a month or two. He said, “Well, come with me.” So I would go and watch him surf every day. We would go out to Bolinas usually, sometimes Pacifica, different spots. Then one day I was just, “I think I want to try that. That looks pretty amazing!”</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> So you must already have been a pretty good swimmer, right?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Well, growing up on Long Island, absolutely. And I was familiar with the ocean dynamics.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> So you knew how to deal with the surf, then?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Exactly. Exactly. But nothing prepared me for surfing. I mean that first time I went out in Bolinas, he suited me up in wet suit, gave me a board, put a leash on and said, “These are the three rules: always come up with your hand over your head so the board doesn’t hit you; don’t turn your back on the ocean; and relax and don’t struggle when you’re underwater.”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I was like, okay. I started to try to paddle out and my balance was terrible. It felt really awkward. The water was so dark, cold and murky. This was at Bolinas and the Farallons were 29 miles away. And there were all of these great white sharks out there, which meant they could possibly be here. That was all I could think about and I freaked out. I turned to him and was like, “Oliver, I’m scared.” He turned and looked at me and then he paddled away. And I was so mad. I was so angry. I was like, “Oh my god! He was my friend since we were like 16 years old and he just abandoned me.”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I tried for a while and then it was like, forget this. I got out of the water and just waited for him. I was like you’ve got to get out sometime. And when he came out and I asked, “How could you? I told you I was afraid and you just left me.” And he said something that really resonated. It was really a great truth. He said, “No one can teach you to manage your fears, but you.” And he was right.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> From that day on, I would go out and I would sit on the board. I got a little better at paddling. I got a little better with the balance. And I still sometimes would freak out. Then I would be like, okay, what’s the worst that could happen? Well, a shark could bite you and kill you. Well, is that happening now? No. Okay. You know, you kind of just work through it. What’s the worst that can happen? Well, I can drown. Is that happening now? No. So I surfed for over a year every day. And then I was hooked.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I fell in love with being in the water that way. You could just sit on top of the water and feel it and watch it and feel this ebb and flow and swell. It was so amazing. I was connected. And I wanted more. We went to Hawaii and getting in that warm water. Oh my god! It was probably the biggest mistake I made, because once you step in warm water, it’s so hard to put a wet suit back on. So then after Hawaii, I was like wow, warm water! I have to keep finding warm water. So that’s when I…</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> You have to go south.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I just packed up my car with my dog and my surfboard and I headed to Baja. And I lived on the beach for a couple of months. It was a great situation, because I found this spot, Punta Canejo. It was on the southern part California Baja Sur.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Yeah, yeah.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> South of Guerrero Negro. There was this little fishing village right there. They would go out and fish every day. And since I was so good at fishing, I’d say can I help you? So I would go out and catch fish with them. They would trade me lobsters for the fish I caught. So I ate lobster almost every night for a month.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> And then when did you surf?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> You only had to go out fishing for a couple of hours. You’d come in and then you could surf all day and surf in the evening.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Were you alone?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I was alone, but there were some Canadians.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Surfing?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Yeah. I met maybe five or six. And people would come and go. And there were these trees that you could go under. They were low, but they created shade and a little alcove. So you could set your tent in there. It was really quite nice. My dog loved it.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> It sounds absolutely idyllic.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Well, it was incredible. My dog, I think he really got his wild on. I always made sure he slept in the tent with me, and some nights you could hear the coyotes just circling around the tent, you know, making lots of noise. My dog would be like grrrrr, like he wanted to get out there. In the morning we would come out and there would just be tracks everywhere. You know?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Wow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> One of the best experiences I remember is one day I went out and there wasn’t much happening wave-wise. I was just sitting on my board looking at the ocean and then I turned to look back at the shore. I was sitting facing the shore, and like my friend said, never turn your back on the ocean. I was just sitting there thinking, “This is beautiful and it’s amazing.” I felt really at peace. And all of a sudden I heard this [whooshing sound] and it rained on me. My board started to lift up and it was a grey whale breaching right under me. It was literally lifting me up and I was dangling and there was this grey whale right there. It was like whoo! It was scary, but it was also like whoo!</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Wow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So it was just stuff like that. Things that I’ll carry with me. So this travel thing was in me. Then I came back. I would work odd jobs so that I could save enough money to go again.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> So that’s fantastic. Now let’s go back to the airline. You accepted to go on a later flight and got the free ticket.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Exactly. So I am now this fearless surfing traveler and going anywhere on my own is not a problem. So I got this free ticket. I was like well, I guess I better use it. It was the last week of March in 1999. I did a little bit of research because I wanted to literally walk across the Bering Strait where there had been a land bridge. And I learned that, yes, it would still be cold and yes, there would still be sea ice.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> So flew to the most remote place Alaska Airlines went. Right?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Which was Kotzebue, which is above the Arctic Circle. This is above Nome, even.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Okay, okay.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And there is a museum there for the Bering Land Bridge. This was a theory that this is how the Americas were populated; the Siberian people came across this ice during the last Ice Age. So I was going to do a reverse commute.<br /> So I arrived there and the first shock was that they lost my luggage with all my warm clothes. It was minus-30 degrees, probably minus-50 with the wind chill.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> And Kotzebue is not a city, right?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> No, there is maybe a thousand people.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> It’s in the snow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> It’s white. It’s just white. And they even have an artificial runway because it’s all permafrost there. So I step off the plane. I was just was wearing polar fleece and some slip-on shoes. The first breath my nose hairs froze, my lungs froze. It’s this choking kind of cold. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before then.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Wow. Thirty below zero you said?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Exactly. So I rush into the Quonset hut, which was the airport. I’m waiting for my bag, which doesn’t show up. All of the women who worked there were Native Inupiaq women. They were like, “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll find some stuff for you.” And they totally hooked me up with traditional sealskin parka, hat, gloves, boots—everything.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> They outfitted you in their Native…</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Exactly.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Which is totally adapted to the climate.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Thousands of years worth of technology! And it worked. What’s interesting is that when my clothes did arrive, they were nowhere near as efficient as the Native clothes were. But the next day I just woke up and said okay, I’m doing it. And I headed out onto the frozen sea and started walking.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Now I just wanted to kind of underline this.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> Insanity.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Yes, exactly. So here you are. You’re in this little tiny place with nothing but snow in every direction. And it’s 30 below in a little Quonset hut in a tiny village. And now you’re going to walk to the edge of the Bering Sea. So you just head straight out alone, right?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I just headed straight out. Yes, into the white oblivion.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Okay, so there you go.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And I was so euphoric, because as I stepped out onto the ice—and off of what was land, I knew I was on the frozen sea ice—it was squeaky like Styrofoam.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> This is the snow at that temperature, it squeaks.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Exactly. It squeaks. And I was like wow! And everything is covered. I’ve got my face in a scarf and you can hear your breathing. This is my lunar moment. I was like, “This is me on another planet. This is my extra-terrestrial experience.” And as I was walking, I was like, “Oh my god. This is amazing!” And I just started walking. There were little twigs in the ice maybe every 10 feet or so. I was like that’s a path. Someone had marked that.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Oh wow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And I was like, that’s great. So I felt reassured by that. Then every 10 minutes or so someone would come up on a snowmobile. They’d say, “Are you okay?” And I’d be like, “Yeah, I’m just going for a walk.” And they’d be like, “Okay.” And they would ride away.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> So are these mostly Inuit people?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> They were all Inupiaq, yes. So every 10 minutes or so I was like, cool, there’s traffic. I don’t have to worry. Then I walked for an hour and there was nothing. I could still turn and see the town. It was there. So I kept walking and after an hour, two people came up, each on a snowmobile; a Russian woman and an Inupiaq man. They asked me a different question, “Where are you going?”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I said, “I’m trying to get to where the ice ends and the sea begins.” I really thought of it as this clean edge like there would be the ice and then suddenly there would be the water. I was so naïve and stupid. I mean I couldn’t have been more wrong. They said, “Well, that’s 22 miles away.”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> And literally, all I had was my film camera tucked in my parka. I didn’t have water. I didn’t have food. I had nothing—no tent, nothing. So I was like, well, I don’t know.<br />They said, “We’re going that way. We can give you a ride, but we’re not coming back. So you have to decide.”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I thought, “Well, here’s an opportunity. I’ve never been on a snow mobile before.” So I got on the back with the woman and off we went. And I had no idea snowmobiles go 60 miles an hour. So we’re going for about five minutes, really just zipping along the ice. I’m like, “Wow, this is really cool!” Then I started to realize, whoa, we’re going really fast and I did the math in my head, 60 miles an hour times five minutes. Then I was like, “Stop, stop, stop, because I have to walk this back.”</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> And at this time of the year the sun just does this really low thing in the sky. It just dips down at about 1:00 in the morning. And it comes back up around 3:00, but it’s so low in the sky, it just hugs the horizon. It’s never high up. So it’s this beautiful thing just watching the sun going sideways.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Yeah, yeah.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So they left me off and it was one of the few times I took the camera out. I took a picture as they took off and watched them until I couldn’t see them anymore, just into the white. Then I remember thinking, wow, that’s pretty amazing to watch them disappear. Then I turned around and looked for the town. It was gone.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> All around me, 360 degrees was just white, just white. There was hardly a difference between the sky and the ice. It was just white. That’s when I freaked out, because nobody in the entire world knew where I was. I could fall through the ice. There were polar bears out there. There could be a whiteout and I’d never find my way back.<br />So this was when that surfing lesson came in handy. I just calmed myself down. Okay, follow the tracks of the snow mobile before they’re gone. Because if the wind blew them away I would really be in trouble. So I calmly walked back.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Now I think you said there was a moment that occurred right around there that was kind of a pivotal experience.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> As I walked back. Because it took five hours of walking before I could even see the town again. But as I walked back everything that my grandfather had taught me was kind of like activated. It was just like aha! I think they call it a satori moment, or an epiphany. It was a confirmation of everything that my grandfather had been trying to tell me as a child.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> So what was it that you were realizing in this very real way?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> On this extreme part of our planet I was realizing that I was a creature of this planet, that I was literally made of the material of this planet—that we all are. And in those moments, I realized the absurdity of tribe, of border, of culture, of language—because at the bottom of it all, we are all made of this material. We are all earthlings. There is no separation. There is no distinction. None of us were born in outer space. We will all return to the material of this earth.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> What was so clear was that I was standing on my rock in space. I understood the immensity, and also the minuscule nature of that. I understood that I meant nothing in the scale of time and space and history of this planet. That it would blow over my cold dead bones without a thought. But the fact that I could stand there on the ice and actually ponder such things was a miracle. That was a self-realization at its finest. It made me realize what my grandfather was trying to show me.<br />I started to think about that; if my sweat becomes the rain, whose sweat is this ice?</p><p style="text-align:center;">How many ancestors ago, what creatures created this? They’re all my relations, all my relatives. And in that, I understood the integral nature of this planet—that we truly are a web of life. And how absurd that we’re acting and thinking, in this modernity, that we’re somehow separate or above it, or can do what we want to. So that was really like, whoa…</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I think I told you before that I discovered when I got home that I was pregnant as I was walking on that ice. So my child was in me growing, and she’s been with me through this whole journey. So it’s sort of this awakening of a mother.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Oh my gosh.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And in a real sense. So I told my boyfriend’s mother, who is Kathan Brown of Crown Point Press, about this experience of meeting my planet. She said, “Oh, I have to go check that out.” So she did. She went on a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker to the geographic North Pole. She was almost 70 when she went. She was so profoundly moved by this experience that she wanted to write about it. By this time I had my child. And she was like, “We all have to go to this place called Svalbard.” I didn’t ever want to be that cold again. Remember, I moved to California. Alaska was really a cool adventure, but okay. Done, check. You know?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Right.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So I was really hesitant. But she is really persuasive. She’s an incredibly powerful and impressive woman. So we went. By this time my child was born and September 11th had happened. It was part of an activation that happened to me. When those buildings fell, I understood that my daughter would never know those buildings in the way that I had. That was a trigger. I mean when I was a bike messenger, I used to deliver things there daily. It was part of my visual landscape. I knew them, that space. And so when they fell, it was the first time I realized the significance of a photo as a historic document—that these were proof that these buildings had existed. It’s the same way that we have pictures of our ancestors as proof that they existed.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Right.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And the second part of the trigger that activated me to actually becoming a photographer was we were target aerial bombing, I don’t know, some Middle Eastern country, Iraq or Afghanistan. I just remember watching the news and thinking that we were going the wrong way, that there’s got to be another story being told about how beautiful this life is, how amazing this planet is, how lucky we are to have what we have.<br /> And in that moment it was if someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, it’s time. We need you to get your ass off the couch and do something. So when Kathan took us to Svalbard, I had many different formats of cameras with me, because the switch was triggered and I was going to photograph it.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I didn’t have any master plan. I had only heard rumblings of this talk about climate change and global warming. So when we went up there, it was much more an emotional response. I just fell in love with the ship breaking the ice. I fell in love with the sort of muffled sound in that environment. You know, when there’s snow, sound doesn’t move the same way.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> So as a thank you to her for taking us there, we decided to take her to Antarctica for Christmas. My daughter turned five as we travelled to Antarctica in 2005—December 2004, January 2005. We went to a place called the Weddell Sea. In that area I saw my first giant tabular iceberg. When I say giant, I mean like the size of Manhattan-like city blocks. And we had this crazy Norwegian captain who would actually take us between these canyons of icebergs. There would be these towering icebergs, 200, 250 feet above the sea level. Some of them had waterfalls coming off.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Oh my gosh.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And some of them had these glowing neon bands just to give a hint of what was below, which was another 800 to 1000 feet of ice. I remember the first time I saw them, I was literally shaking because I was short-circuiting. I was thinking, oh my god, “How much time is this? How many snowflakes is this? How many ancestors?” You know?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Wow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> What process happened that put this in front of me? And what blesses me to have the privilege to witness this as it enters back to the sea? —maybe 100, 200,000 years after the snowflakes fell to become part of the cycle again. I’ve had some experiences like that since, but that was one of the first where I was just overwhelmed with awe. I recalled this ecstasy of Mary, or St. Theresa or something—this beautiful sculpture in St. Peter’s. It was this moment of ecstasy where I was aware of how tiny I was, but how amazing creation is.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> So those pictures got shown to an editor of National Geographic. I was just doing this on my own. It was a compulsive curiosity. No one assigned me to go. No one paid me to go. And they said we have to acknowledge your effort. So they give me an award and some money. Just having the National Geographic stamp of approval got me access on an expedition on a Russian icebreaker to the far side of Antarctica. On that ship there was a Russian expedition photographer, Pavel Ochinicov. The whole time Pavel was saying, “How do we do this? If I want to get this, how do I set my camera?”—all these technical questions. He was really sweet. At the end he said, “You know, you should have this job. You’d be really good at it.” So he gave me the card for the company and I got hired as the expedition photographer.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> For the Russians?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> First for the Russians, and then for the Canadians, and then for the Norwegians, and then for the people from Monaco. I got hired for a lot of different companies and I ended up being the girl in demand on the ships as the expedition photographer.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Wow, so you did that for several years.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Yes, from 2006 until 2011. Five years of back and forth; one to three months in the Arctic in our summer and then one to three months in the Antarctic in our winter—every year. That’s up to six months at sea in polar environments. So I like to say that I’m bi-polar.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> [laughs] Right.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> And I really truly was. A few things became alien to me, like trees. Being in polar regions, there’s no trees. Then when you get back, you’re like “Oh, look at that! It’s so beautiful. It’s so green. And it’s, oh my god, it’s sticking out of the ground!” Because I would spend months not seeing anything disturbing the horizon. And another thing that was really interesting was daylight. I was so used to 2:00 o’clock in the morning looking like daytime that when I got home after an expedition and it was night, I would freak out a little. The sky has gone dark! How does this happen? Where did the sun go? Is everything okay? So it was pretty crazy.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> So those two things were a little trippy. Then in 2007, the UN announced the climate change was real. My phone started ringing. My first exhibition was at the National Academy of Sciences Museum in Washington, D.C. I told them I had never shown my work anywhere. They said, “We don’t care.” So they gave me my first ever solo show.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> That’s amazing.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Then my first ever print was purchased through the museum at the University of Michigan. I didn’t know anything about editions or sizes or anything. I said, “I’ll call you <strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">back.”</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> And you mentioned being mentoring by this National Geographic photographer, right?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Steve McCurry. In the time between going to Svalbard with Kathan and Antarctica with Kathan—from 2003 to 2004 in August I went to Tibet with Steve McCurry.<br /> When the switch came on for me to be a photographer, I was like there is no way I am going back to school. But there are some questions I had. I realized for me the best way to do things was to literally call people who had done things and ask, “How did you do that?” —and learn from them directly. So I called up Sebastiao Salgado and asked, “How do you handle yourself among people who are starving? Like what is the etiquette? Do you eat or do you go away and eat? Like what do you do?” Stuff like that.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> You talked with him? Was he okay with that?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Oh yes. But there were some that were, “I can’t help you.” They felt threatened.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> First of all, that’s pretty—it’s logical, but a lot of people wouldn’t have the boldness to make those calls.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);"><strong>CS:</strong></span> I know that.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> That’s pretty cool that you did.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> I think it’s because one, I felt that I’d been called to service. There was no time to mess around. It wasn’t about me or me being shy.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> Okay.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> It was like I need to get up to speed to do what I am here to do. And there was no time to mess about like oh, I’m sorry. You know what I mean?</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> I do.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So that removed a lot of that for me. And still it was not clear to me that I had to photograph the Arctic. It was just I need to…</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> Right, I understand. Sebastiao Salgado is one of the very best photographers in the world.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Amazing—and an incredible human being, actually.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> I know he’s got this tremendous project in South America.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Yes. He’s planted 12 million trees so far.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> That’s incredible.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> So Sebastiao Salgado, Eli Reed, Donovan Wiley, Paul Fusco—there were a bunch of Magnum photographers, really. It’s because they were doing stuff that I want to know how to do. So Steve was one of them. Steve was amazing. He always seemed to get right into the person, like they were not just looking at the camera. You felt they were looking through the camera at you. You know what I mean? There was a communication beyond the piece of glass. And he was incredible at using available natural light. He doesn’t use strobes or anything. And he’s an incredible color photographer.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> I really thought I was going to be a people-portrait-person of cultures. That was what I had always been interested in. So going to Tibet was incredible, because it was all about Steve’s people. He didn’t stop to do landscapes at all. It was all about doing portraits.<br />He was really hard on me that first time. He yelled at me for having so many different formats. “What the hell are you doing with five formats?” He challenged me to use one format for a year. So again, my discipline…</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Then he also took the time to literally pull me into alleys and say, “Do you see how the light is hitting?” He wanted me to understand how light worked and how it translated into cameras to create an image. I think Steve and I are both visually appreciative of painting, of using light to create an illusion of dimension—because a photograph is really a two-dimensional surface.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> That’s right.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Just like a painting. So if you understand how to manipulate light, shadow, shape, composition, you can really do some emotionally powerful things. He was good at that. So it was Steve who really pushed me. And then when I got to Antarctica there were no people, so I decided to photograph everything as if I was making a portrait. And just that simple intention, which resonated with my upbringing—you know, seeing a tree as an individual—worked perfectly. Every penguin that I saw was a unique individual; every hut, every rock, every piece of ice. I could connect with it. And I think somehow, because of my intention, that this communicates through my images in a way that has not for other iceberg photographers.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">RW:</span></strong> What you’re saying is very interesting. And I suspect that there are levels of sensitivity which we don’t have words for. And no one has quite figured that out. In fact, no one even thinks about it, but they exist. And if you’re tuned into a certain quality of sensitivity, it is felt, but no one knows how to talk about it.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Exactly, exactly. It’s that intangible.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:rgb(255,255,0);"><strong>RW:</strong></span> You’re good at that.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0);">CS:</span></strong> Yes, absolutely. Part of the magic of an artist is being able to sort of draw from the intangible and create a physical. That’s magic, truly, because you’re literally reaching into a void and drawing energy and making something. And it’s so sad that at this time in our history artists are not revered the way they have been in the past, because it’s what is going to save the world.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>An edited version of the interview appeared in Parabola Vol. 38 no. 3 Fall 2013</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;">You can learn more about Camille Seaman at <a href="http://www.camilleseaman.com/">www.camilleseaman.com/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.dailygood.org/story/581/camille-seaman-we-all-belong-to-earth-richard-whittaker/">http://www.dailygood.org/story/581/camille-seaman-we-all-belong-to-earth-richard-whittaker/</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Inviting someone to church isn’t as hard as you might think!
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/inviting-someone-to-church-isn-t-as-hard-as-you-might-think
2014-03-15T01:17:58.000Z
2014-03-15T01:17:58.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a title="Permanent Link to Inviting someone to church isn’t as hard as you might think!" href="http://blog.inspirationbygod.net/3304/inviting-someone-to-church-isnt-as-hard-as-you-might-think/"><b>Inviting someone to church isn’t as hard as you might think!</b></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">by Mary Writer on Friday, September 6th, 2013</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Do you know someone that you would like to invite to your church but you hesitate because you don’t think you have much in common? This funny video shows us that sometimes all we have to do is just ask!</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Even if you might think you don’t have much in common with someone - they might surprise you by saying yes. So don’t be shy – it’s not as hard as you might think – and wouldn’t it be nice if the one thing you had in common with someone was the most important thing… A Love for God?</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,255,0);">How To Invite Someone To Church the "Good-Humored" Way</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BtHWjL4z1WM?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://youtu.be/BtHWjL4z1WM">http://youtu.be/BtHWjL4z1WM</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="http://blog.inspirationbygod.net/3304/inviting-someone-to-church-isnt-as-hard-as-you-might-think/">http://blog.inspirationbygod.net/3304/inviting-someone-to-church-isnt-as-hard-as-you-might-think/</a></p></div>
Pictures of the week: From flooded homes in Britain to wildfire in California
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/pictures-of-the-week-from-flooded-homes-in-britain-to-wildfire-in
2013-12-30T00:03:12.000Z
2013-12-30T00:03:12.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603279,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603881,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900604862,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900605287,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900605898,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900606701,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607077,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607697,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900609075,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900609271,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610074,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610681,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-4" style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><strong>Pictures of the week: From flooded homes in Britain to wildfire in California</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong>Here's our pick of the best pictures around the world this week...</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603279,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603279,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603279?profile=original" /></a>Staff and residents are rescued as the floodwaters rise at the Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel, Dorking. Two separate storms have battered Britain this Christmas week. Rivers have burst their banks, flooded homes have been left without power, and high winds have caused travel chaos. (Tony Kershaw/REX)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603881,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603881?profile=original" /></a>This impressive castle is in fact made of ice. It is being constructed for the 30th Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, China. According to the festival organisers, nearly 10,000 workers were employed to build the ice and snow sculptures, which require about 180,000 square metres of ice and 150,000 square metres of snow. The festival kicks off on January 5, 2014. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900604862,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900604862,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900604862?profile=original" /></a>What are you looking at? Ring-tailed Lemurs inspect a scale during an animal stocktaking at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900605287,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900605287,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900605287?profile=original" /></a>Eve Grayson, a reindeer herder of the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd, feeds the deer in snowy conditions in Aviemore, Scotland. This is the only reindeer herd in Britain as the animals are not native to the land. Reindeer were introduced to Scotland in 1952 by Swedish Sami reindeer herder, Mikel Utsi. Starting with just a few reindeer, the herd has now grown in numbers over the years and is currently at about 130 by controlling the breeding. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900605898,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900605898,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900605898?profile=original" /></a>Haven't you forgotten someone? Onlookers hoping for a rare glimpse of Prince George were sorely disappointed after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived for the traditional Christmas Day church service without their newborn at St Mary Magdalene Church on the royal estate in Sandringham, Norfolk. (PA)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900606701,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900606701,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900606701?profile=original" /></a>Displaced families wait at Tomping United Nations base near Juba international airport, where some 12,000 people from the Nuer tribe have sought refuge as conflict rages in South Sudan. The country, which gained indepedence from Sudan in 2011, has quickly descended into violance after clashes between rival groups of soldiers in Juba spread across the nation. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607077,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607077,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900607077?profile=original" /></a>Stuart Radbourne (C), huntsman and joint-master with the Avon Vale Hunt, leads the riders and hounds for their traditional Boxing Day hunt, at Lacock in Wiltshire, England. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607697,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607697,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900607697?profile=original" /></a>A layer of ice coats the leaves of a Japanese maple tree after an ice storm in Toronto, Canada. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900609075,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900609075,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900609075?profile=original" /></a>Spot the baby: A shopper taking advantage of the Boxing Day sales in Leicester covers her child's pram with clothes while the baby sleeps soundly. (PA)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900609271,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900609271,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900609271?profile=original" /></a>Brrr, it's cold in there! Swimmers emerge from the Serpentine river on Christmas Day in Hyde Park, London. For over 100 years, swimmers have taken part in the Christmas Day "Peter Pan" swim in the Serpentine. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610074,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610074,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900610074?profile=original" /></a>Pope Francis holds a replica of the baby Jesus at the end of his first Christmas night mass as Pontiff in the Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610681,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900610681,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900610681?profile=original" /></a>Fire fighters battle a brush fire in the Simi Valley, California. Strong winds and dry conditions hindered the crews hoping to put out the flames. (ZUMA/REX)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Mirabeau Wine // How to open a bottle of wine - without a corkscrew
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/mirabeau-wine-how-to-open-a-bottle-of-wine-without-a-corkscrew
2014-02-24T00:24:36.000Z
2014-02-24T00:24:36.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Mirabeau Wine // How to open a bottle of wine - without a corkscrew</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/u1wROm-OF9w?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://youtu.be/u1wROm-OF9w">http://youtu.be/u1wROm-OF9w</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Published on 7 Jan 2014<br /> Subscribe to Mirabeau Wine's YouTube Channel here: <a href="http://bit.ly/136LfdR">http://bit.ly/136LfdR</a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Have you ever been in the situation where you'd like to open a bottle of wine but you can't get hold of a corkscrew for love nor money?</p><p style="text-align:center;">Well I have and I always used to try to force the cork INTO the bottle. Until I picked up this rather nifty trick.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong>CAUTION:</strong> THIS MAN IS A WINE 'PROFESSIONAL' AND HAS OPENED MORE BOTTLES OF WINE THAN HIS WIFE WOULD CARE TO REMEMBER. PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN TRYING THIS METHOD YOURSELF AS IT MAY LEAD TO WALL AND/OR PERSONAL DAMAGE. I.E. THE BOTTLE COULD SHATTER OR THE WALL COULD FALL DOWN.</p></div>
Noni stimulates the immune system to reject tumor cells: Research
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/noni-stimulates-the-immune-system-to-reject-tumor-cells-research
2014-01-05T01:13:17.000Z
2014-01-05T01:13:17.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607884,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(0,128,0);">Noni stimulates the immune system to reject tumor cells: Research</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Friday, August 16, 2013 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607884,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="300" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900607884,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900607884?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Learn more:</strong> <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/041651_noni_immune_system_tumor_cells.html#ixzz2cAMa4CUc">http://www.naturalnews.com/041651_noni_immune_system_tumor_cells.html#ixzz2cAMa4CUc</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">(NaturalNews) It is a widely reputed "superfood" that a cohort of published scientific research suggests possesses incredible healing powers. But the anti-cancer effects of Morinda citrifolia, also known more popularly as "noni," are among its most pronounced benefits, as a 2008 study out of South Carolina found that the fermented juice of noni stimulates the body's natural immune system to reject the formation and spread of tumor cells.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Researchers from the Oncology Research Institute at the Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center in Clemson discovered this after testing the effects of fermented noni exudate (fNE) in rats -- fNE, in case you were unaware, is dried noni in whole form, which includes the juice, pulp, and seeds of the fruit. Healthy rats, as well as rats lacking certain blood and immune cells, were given fNE as part of the study.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Published in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Oncology Reports, the findings of the study are truly astounding. In healthy rats with normal functioning lymphocytes and healthy natural killer (NK) cell function, intraperitoneal injection of fNE effectively induced complete tumor rejection by spurring the action of granulocytes and NK cells in the peripheral blood, peritoneums, and spleens of the rats. Even in rats lacking functional lymphocytes, partial tumor rejection was observed.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">"These data demonstrate that fNE appears to be able to stimulate the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system to reject tumor cells," wrote the authors in their conclusion. "NK cells respond quickly and appear to be among the major players of the innate immune system, while the adaptive immune system reacts later with a retained memory."</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Numerous government-funded studies confirm anti-cancer properties of noni<br />The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) also recognizes the anti-cancer benefits of noni, which is why this division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently funding research into the fruit. According to the agency's official website, NCCAM is currently moving forward with a laboratory study on noni's effects on prostate cancer cells, while the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is funding preliminary research on noni in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">"In laboratory research, noni has shown antioxidant, immune-stimulating, and tumor-fighting properties," says NCCAM. "These results suggest that noni may warrant further study for conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease."</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">The results of a Phase I clinical trial where patients with advanced cancer were given noni have also been promising. Published in 2009 in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, the results of this particular trial revealed that taking as much as 12 grams of noni extract daily can help advanced cancer patients not only improve their overall quality of life but also potentially reverse their condition. NCCAM has yet to publish the results of Phase II trials involving noni.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">A 2006 study presented at the IVth International Conference on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants from French Overseas Regions also observed an anti-cancer effect in mice given noni. Particularly with regards to tumor metastasis, noni was found to not only block the growth of tumor cells but also prevent them from affixing to tissues within the body.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">For a more complete list of published studies on the nutritive and health benefits of noni -- noni has also been shown to help relieve stress and anxiety; control blood pressure; fight damaging and chronic inflammation; boost energy levels; regulate blood sugar; battle diabetes; control blood serum cholesterol levels; and boost immunity, among other functions --</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>be sure to visit NoniResearch.org:</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="http://www.noniresearch.org">http://www.noniresearch.org</a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Sources for this article include:</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://science.naturalnews.com">http://science.naturalnews.com</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://nccam.nih.gov">http://nccam.nih.gov</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.noniresearch.org">http://www.noniresearch.org</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://nccam.nih.gov">http://nccam.nih.gov</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://science.naturalnews.com">http://science.naturalnews.com</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Learn more:</strong> <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/041651_noni_immune_system_tumor_cells.html#ixzz2cAMShvIJ">http://www.naturalnews.com/041651_noni_immune_system_tumor_cells.html#ixzz2cAMShvIJ</a></p></div>
Daily practice for all round healing
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/daily-practice-for-all-round-healing
2013-11-03T22:11:24.000Z
2013-11-03T22:11:24.000Z
Solomon Azulay
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/SolomonAzulay
<div><p>Hi!</p><p>This post will go through a list of actions which you can do to make yourself a much more healthy, aware, relaxed, easy-going, loving person.</p><p></p><p>Step one: Take a short walk to a quiet area, probably surrounded by nature. If you are not near a natural area, or it is not a nice day -- maybe just stay in your living room, or a quiet room somewhere in your house.</p><p></p><p>Step two: Sit down and relax, to steady your breathing. Maybe practice deep steady breaths, or alternate nostril breathing, to clear out your lungs.</p><p></p><p>Step three: Do a short yoga exercise, a example is salute to the sun;</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900606454,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900606454,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="10900606454?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Repeat this exercise until you feel relaxed, but not tiered.</p><p></p><p>Step four: <span style="font-size:13px;">Fill your chakras with energy, generally using Reiki, or another form of energy sharing; like Ethereal Crystals.</span></p><p>(You may want to call your spiritual guides/angels/archangels, to help with your healings.)</p><p></p><p>Step five: <span style="font-size:13px;">Ground, to relieve yourself of all negative energies.</span></p><p></p><p>Step six: Meditate for 10 - 15 minutes. I suggest a simple Chakra meditation, or Zen meditation, practiced in Zen Buddhism.</p><p></p><p>If you feel stiff between any of these steps, do a few stretches. Like stretching your spine or spinning your arms gentle around in their sockets.</p><p></p><p>Do this exercise daily, and make sure you have plenty of fresh air around you, so maybe if you are inside, open a window?</p><p></p><p> Love & light,</p><p>Solomon Azulay.</p><p></p><p>Namaste.</p></div>
Daily OM - Burning Brightly + Begin with Yourself + Plunging Into The Deep + Going Away to Go Within + An Invitation to Comfort + Peeling Away the Layers + Light Of The Party + More
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/daily-om-burning-brightly-begin-with-yourself-plunging-into-the
2014-02-21T02:42:13.000Z
2014-02-21T02:42:13.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">June 9, 2011<br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;">Burning Brightly</span></strong><br /> <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Allowing Your Soul to Shine</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> When we hide and try to be invisible and unseen by all we are only really hiding from ourselves.</p><p style="text-align:center;">At times, we’ve all wanted to crawl under a rock and hide away from the world. We may have preferred to be invisible rather than let other people see us or notice that we exist. This desire not to be seen often happens when we are feeling very hurt, angry, or simply weary of the world. And while we may console ourselves with the defense that we are shy, an introvert, or a loner, we may actually be hiding.</p><p style="text-align:center;">When we hide and make believe that we are invisible, we can think that we no one sees us even though, truthfully, we are only really hiding from ourselves. And while we may try to live life as inconspicuously as possible, we only succeed in becoming more conspicuous because people can’t help but notice that we are trying to hide our light. None of us are meant to hide; each one of us radiates a unique brilliance that is meant to illuminate the world. When we try to dim our light, we diminish the natural radiance of the Universe, and we deprive the people around us of the unique gifts and talents that we are here to share.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Stepping out of the wings and letting your light shine is actually a way to serve the planet. We each have a responsibility to contribute to our community, and we do this when we let ourselves be seen. It doesn’t do anyone any good when we try to hide. We are all beings of light and we are here to light the way for each other. When we let ourselves shine, we become a bright mirror that others can see their own reflected brilliance through, and they can’t help but want to shine also. Shine your light out into the world, bless those around you by sharing your gifts, and watch the universe glow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 10, 2011<br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;">Begin with Yourself</span></strong><br /> <span class="font-size-2"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">The Journey of Finding a Relationship</span></strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> The journey to finding a relationship is just that, a journey that uses all of our life wisdom and experiences.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Before we embark upon the journey of finding the relationship that is right for us, we may want to take the opportunity to refine our concept of who we are and our ideas of what we want from life. That way, we are clearer on the kind of person we want to attract into our lives. Part of the journey of finding a mate is learning how to become our own mate. When we can learn to meet our needs without relying on someone else to complete us, we don’t have to form relationships from the space of needing our emptiness to be filled. We can also discover our intrinsic value, separate from what someone else might be reflecting back to us. Getting to know who we are and learning to love ourselves creates a solid foundation of self that we can bring to any relationship.</p><p style="text-align:center;">We are fortunate to live in a time when relationships can unfold at a pace that is right for us and take unique forms. Friendship, dating, open relationships, long term relationships, long distance relationships, or committed relationships — we are free to choose the kind of relationships that we want. If you want to be in relationship, but haven’t found the right one for you, remember that the universe works in perfect order and, therefore, right now your life is unfolding exactly as it is meant to be. Maybe all this time has been part of your preparation period for meeting your intended partner. Even the relationships in our lives that haven’t worked out as we had hoped serve us by teaching us to make better choices in our next relationships.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Finding the relationship we want can come early or later in life. It may even happen again and again in one lifetime. There is no right or wrong for how to find a relationship nor is there a timeline that you have to follow. Follow your heart, listen to your inner voice, continue to become your own soul mate, and stay open to love. The journey of finding the right relationship begins with</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 13, 2011<br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;">Plunging Into The Deep</span></strong><br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;"><span class="font-size-2">Life Can Be Scary</span></span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> No matter how brave, strong, or levelheaded we are, sometimes we all get scared.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Life can take us on a roller coaster ride full of highs and lows and twists and turns. Even for those of us who enjoy unexpected thrills, it’s frightening to suddenly find ourselves heading for a deep plunge. Yet, it happens to all of us. At these moments, it is important to remember that you are not alone in your experiences. No matter how brave, strong, or levelheaded we are, sometimes, we all get scared.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Our fears may revolve around our physical safety, particularly if we are not feeling well, living under difficult circumstances, or doing work that exposes us to hazardous conditions. Or, we may be experiencing financial woes that are causing us to be fearful about making ends meet. We may also fear the loss of a loved one who is sick, or we may be scared of never finding someone special to spend our life with. We may be scared to start at a new school, begin a different job, move to a new town, or meet new people. Whatever our fears are, they are valid, and we do not need to feel ashamed or embarrassed that we are, at times, afraid.</p><p style="text-align:center;">It may be comforting to know that everyone gets scared, and it is perfectly OK. Sometimes just acknowledging our fears is enough to make us feel better. And while it sometimes takes a lot more to ease our mind, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that life can be scary at times. Giving ourselves permission to be scared lets us move through our fears so we can let it go. It also makes it alright to share our fears with others. Sharing our apprehensions with other people can make our fears less overwhelming because we are not letting them grow inside of us as pent up emotions. Sharing our fears also can lighten our burden because we are not carrying our worries all by ourselves. Remember that you are not alone.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 14, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Going Away to Go Within</span></strong></span><br /> <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Retreat</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Going on retreat is a time to cocoon so that we may emerge ready to return to our lives with a new perspective.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Occasionally, we need to pause - and step away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. One way to do this is to get away from our daily life and go on retreat. Far more than a vacation, a retreat offers us time to ourselves to rest, heal, reflect, and renew our spirit. It is a time to cocoon so that we may emerge renewed, refreshed, and ready to return to our everyday lives with a new perspective. A retreat gives us time for uninterrupted meditation so that we may go deep within and spend time with ourselves.</p><p style="text-align:center;">A retreat may offer quiet, solitude, and sometimes even silence. Retreats often take place in humble dwellings with simple fare so that our senses may be reawakened to the beauty of unadorned tastes and the sights and sounds of nature. When we spend days in contemplation, we can more easily hear our heart when it speaks to us. We also are able to really listen when a bird sings, deeply breathe in the smell of flowers, grass, or earth, and delight in a soft breeze blowing on our cheek. When we go on retreat we have time to connect to the sacred geometry of a labyrinth, discover epiphanies through asanas, or take a long, reflective walk through the woods where we can give each step our full attention.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Without the pull of deadlines, relationships, the Internet, or other media, we give ourselves time to go deep into our own solitude where we can fully reflect on our joys, sorrows, and fears, owning and releasing them as needed. We may even come to know and understand our life path more deeply. Hopefully, when we return home, we can take a little bit of this time alone back with us and create the space for deep reflection on a daily basis. We also may come back to our life renewed and ready to take on the world. The beauty of going on retreat is that no matter where you go or how long you stay, you’ll always meet yourself when you get there.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 15, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>An Invitation to Comfort</strong></span><br /> <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Creating a Happy, Serene, and Healthy Home</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Include all 5 senses while making a home, doing so provides safe haven for your evolving body and soul.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Your home is your oasis. Through your efforts, your house or apartment can become both a private sanctuary and a welcoming, serene, and healthy place to live in and visit. An organized and comfortable home can have a calming effect on you, your family, and guests, as well as be your personal escape from the rest of the world. Creating this nurturing space isn’t difficult. Even a household that includes young children or multiple animals can be a serene and peaceful place. In just a few minutes, you can make a number of changes that can turn your home into a safe and comfortable haven that you can be proud to share with your loved ones and friends.</p><p style="text-align:center;">One way to fill your house or apartment with calming energy is to imbue it with a peaceful ambiance that nurtures all five senses. Soft lighting and soothing colors like blue, purple, and green can make a space feel warm and inviting, while pleasant and calming aromas such as lavender and vanilla can positively affect moods. Peaceful sounds, such as running water in a fountain or gentle chimes can uplift and clear the space, while clearing clutter and making the most of open space can ease internal turmoil and dispel negative feelings. The physical objects in your home as well as your home itself can retain the energy of previous owners and the object’s creator. You can give your household’s energy a lift by visualizing white light surrounding our home, symbolically sweeping out residual energy, or smudging your home with cleansing sage.</p><p style="text-align:center;">The changes you make to your home can be as unique as you are and may involve utilization of space, lighting, new furniture, decorating, feng shui, or ritual. But what you do is not as important as being clear in your intention to set up your household as a soothing and refreshing place to be. Make your home a place of comfort, and you will feel nurtured and cared for whenever you are there.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 16, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Peeling Away the Layers</span></strong></span><br /> <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Trees Shedding Their Bark</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Like a tree our growth depends upon our ability to soften, loosen, and shed boundaries and defenses we no longer need.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Trees grow up through their branches and down through their roots into the earth. They also grow wider with each passing year. As they do, they shed the bark that served to protect them but now is no longer big enough to contain them. In the same way, we create boundaries and develop defenses to protect ourselves and then, at a certain point, we outgrow them. If we don’t allow ourselves to shed our protective layer, we can’t expand to our full potential.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Trees need their protective bark to enable the delicate process of growth and renewal to unfold without threat. Likewise, we need our boundaries and defenses so that the more vulnerable parts of ourselves can safely heal and unfold. But our growth also depends upon our ability to soften, loosen, and shed boundaries and defenses we no longer need. It is often the case in life that structures we put in place to help us grow eventually become constricting.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Unlike a tree, we must consciously decide when it’s time to shed our bark and expand our boundaries, so we can move into our next ring of growth. Many spiritual teachers have suggested that our egos don’t disappear so much as they become large enough to hold more than just our small sense of self—the boundary of self widens to contain people and beings other than just “me.” Each time we shed a layer of defensiveness or ease up on a boundary that we no longer need, we metaphorically become bigger people. With this in mind, it is important that we take time to question our boundaries and defenses. While it is essential to set and honor the protective barriers we have put in place, it is equally important that we soften and release them when the time comes. In doing so, we create the space for our next phase of growth.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 17, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Light Of The Party</strong></span><br /> <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Confidence In Social Situations</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> If you feel shy or awkward in social situations, know that many others are probably feeling the same way too.</p><p style="text-align:center;">If you’ve ever been to a social gathering where you’ve felt awkward and uncomfortable, chances are you are not alone. While social gatherings can be very enjoyable, especially when we are surrounded by people whose company we enjoy, there are social events that we attend where we sometimes find ourselves wishing we were someplace else. Such occasions can sometimes be the cause of much anxiety and self-consciousness. We may even feel like everyone else is having a good time except for us. Yet the truth is that everyone has felt shy and awkward on occasion. One of the best ways to overcome self-consciousness or get past your feelings of shyness at social gatherings is to focus on the people around you. If you can remember that other people might also be feeling awkward or shy, you might find the thought of speaking to them less intimidating or overwhelming.</p><p style="text-align:center;">The next time there is a social event you feel nervous about attending, you may want to try this exercise: Spend some time with your eyes closed and breathe deeply. When you feel ready, create your own zone of comfort by visualizing yourself surrounded in a warm white light that is protective yet accepting of others. Imagine people at the event being drawn to you because of the open and warm feelings that you are radiating. When you arrive at the event, take a moment to spread this same light of loving acceptance to everyone around you. Smile and greet people warmly. Try going up to someone who is standing alone and introduce yourself. When you radiate acceptance, openness, and receptivity, people can’t help but respond to you in kind.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Focusing on how we can make other people at a social gathering feel at ease can help us forget about our own insecurities. In the process, we end up making the very connections that we seek. The next time you attend a social gathering, invite people to join you in your zone of comfort that you have so lovingly and intentionally created. Let yourself enjoy being encircled in the warmth of their friendships.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 20, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Staying Afloat amidst the Spin</span></strong></span><br /> <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Taking Things Personally</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Try not to take everything personally, things that people say and do don’t always have anything to do with you.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Every time you interact with others, you have the choice to listen to, acknowledge, and let go of their words, or you can take what they are saying personally. Taking things personally is often the result of perceiving a person’s actions or words as an affront or slight. In order to take something personally, you must read negative intent in an individual’s words or actions. But what people do and say has no bearing upon you and is usually based on their own experiences, emotions, and perceptions. If you attempt to take what they do or say personally, you may end up feeling hurt without reason.</p><p style="text-align:center;">If you are tempted to take a comment or action personally, creating some distance between yourself and the other person can help you. Try to determine what is at the root of your feelings. Ask yourself if the other person’s words or actions are just reinforcing some insecurity within you or if you can really be sure that an offense was intended. You may even want to ask them what they meant. Finally, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Instead of taking their words as the truth, or as a personal affront, remember that whatever was said or done is based on their opinion and is more reflective of what is going on inside of them, rather than having anything to do with you. You may have been an easy target for someone having a bad day, and their comments may have been offered with no ill intentions.</p><p style="text-align:center;">When you recognize that what anyone says or does doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with you, you will no longer feel hurt or attacked. While it’s easy to take things personally, you should never let anyone’s perceptions or actions affect how you see yourself or your worth. Your life is personal to you, and it is up to you to influence your own value and sense of well-being.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 21, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>In the Open Air</strong></span><br /> <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Spending Time in Nature</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Because we instinctively know that nature is good for us on many levels, it’s not unusual to feel powerfully drawn to it.</p><p style="text-align:center;">In this modern age, we spend so much time indoors, focused on the busyness of our lives and disconnected from the earth. But much of what we truly need can only be found under the naked sky, alongside tall trees, on open plains, or in the sound of running water. Spending time in nature allows us to commune with other living beings and to find comfort in the nurturing embrace of Mother Earth. You can’t help but experience a different sense of self while walking in a wood or traversing a mountainside. Being in nature connects us to the earth, grounding us as we walk, unhindered by concrete, upon her. Surrounded by other living beings, both bigger and smaller than we are, we remember that human beings are simply one form of life in this vast universe.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Because we instinctively know that nature is good for us on many levels, it’s not unusual to feel powerfully drawn to it. Even if you live in a city or find it difficult to travel to a forest or the countryside, there are a myriad ways to reconnect with nature. When you step out of your door each morning, pause for a minute and close your eyes long enough to let your senses absorb your surroundings. Listen and breathe deeply, until you hear the wind rustling through branches, smell rain on damp grass, and see the reflection of leaves brushing up against windowpanes. If you have time, crouch down and closely examine any nearby grass and soil. The sights, sounds, smells, and sensations we experience that are part of nature can remind us of all the gifts Mother Earth grants us each day.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Spending time connecting with nature nourishes the soul, reminds you that you are never truly alone, and renews you by attuning you to the earth’s natural rhythms. Taking a walk under the stars or feeling the wind on your face may be all it takes for you to reconnect with nature. Remember, you are as much a part of nature as are the leaves on a tree or water bubbling in a brook.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 22, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Reversed Perceptions</strong></span><br /> <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Being Projected Upon</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> When we take ownership of our thoughts we are less likely to project our issues or disowned qualities onto others.</p><p style="text-align:center;">We all have issues, as well as undesirable qualities or traits that we don’t like about ourselves. Most of us realize that we are not perfect and that it is natural to have unpleasant thoughts, motivations, desires, or feelings. However, when a person does not acknowledge these, they may ascribe those characteristics to someone else, deeming other people instead as angry, jealous, or insecure. In psychological terms, such blaming and fault finding is called projection.</p><p style="text-align:center;">When we are the target of projections, it can be confusing and frustrating, not to mention maddening, particularly when we know that we are not the cause of another person’s distress. Even people who are well aware of their issues may find that sensitive subjects can bring up unexpected projections. They may feel insecure about a lack of funds and thus view a friend as extravagant. Or, if they really want to get in shape, they may preach the benefits of exercise to anyone and everyone.</p><p style="text-align:center;">While we can try to avoid people we know who engage in projecting their “stuff” onto others, we can’t always steer clear of such encounters. We can, however, deflect some projections through mindfulness and meditation. A useful visualization tool is to imagine wrapping ourselves in a protective light everyday. At other times, we may have to put up a protective shield when we feel a projection coming our way, reminding ourselves that someone else’s issues are not ours. Although it’s difficult not to react when we are the recipient of a projection, it is a good idea to try to remain calm and let the other person know if they are being unreasonable and disrespectful. We all know that it’s not fun to be dumped on. Likewise, we should be mindful that we don’t take our own frustrations out on others. When we take ownership of our thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings, we are less likely to project our issues or disowned qualities onto others.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 23, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Gut Response</span></strong></span><br /> <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">In Touch with True Emotions</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Our bellies can be wonderful monitors of our emotional health and the truth can always be found there.</p><p style="text-align:center;">So often, emotions that we long to express get stored in our bodies instead. The space where this most often happens is in our bellies. Rather than telling people, our even ourselves, the way we truly feel, we may stuff our true feelings deep inside of us, where they take up space until we are ready to let them go. Stuffing our feelings in our bellies may feel like the “safe” response, since we then don’t really have to deal with our emotions. Yet, doing so can actually be detrimental to our emotional well-being and physical health.</p><p style="text-align:center;">One way to connect with and release your emotions is to do a focused exercise with your stomach area. Take a moment to center yourself with some deep breathing and quiet meditation, relaxing your body fully and turning off the chatter in your brain. With your right hand on your stomach, tell yourself three times: “Please reveal to me my true emotions.” Listen for the answers. Repeat the exercise as many times as you would like, allowing yourself to drop deeper into your body each time. Notice any physical response in the stomach area, whether you have a warm, relaxed feeling in the middle of your body or if you feel tight knots in response to any emotions that do come up. You may even want to write down any answers that come to you. Remember that the body doesn’t lie.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Releasing our pent up feelings from our bellies can prevent disease and allow us to live more authentic and expressive lives. Sometimes, if too much emotional energy builds up inside of us, a blowout can result that can cause discomfort. You can help to alleviate this compression by doing the same exercise and adding sound to your emotional release. The more guttural the sounds released through your mouth, the more emotions you are likely letting go. Releasing your emotions from your belly doesn’t have to be painful and hard; rather, it can be organic and effortless. It’s important not to judge whatever comes up for you. We tend to stuff our feelings in our bellies when we are ashamed of them or not ready to express them. There is nothing wrong with having feelings, whatever they may be. You can’t help your feelings; if anything, you can help yourself by acknowledging the truth of your emotions so you can set yourself free.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 24, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Warning Signs</strong></span><br /> <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Paying Attention to Red Flags</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Red flags often come in the form of feelings urging us to pause for a moment, listen to our intuition, and reconsider.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Just as the universe wants to provide for our needs, it also seeks to protect us from dangerous situations, destructive relationships, and even minor inconveniences. Frequently in our lives, perhaps everyday, we encounter psychic red flags warning us of potential problems or accidents. We may not always recognize the signs. However, more often than not, we may choose to ignore our intuition when it tells us that “something just isn’t right.”</p><p style="text-align:center;">Red flags often come in the form of feelings urging us to pause for a moment, listen to our intuition, and reconsider. We may even experience a “bad” feeling in our bellies. This is a red flag letting us know that there may be a problem. We may not even know what the red flag is about. All we know is that the universe is trying to wave us in a different direction. We just have to pay attention and go another way. We may even wonder whether we are paranoid or imagining things. However, when we look back at a situation or relationship where there were red flags, it becomes easy to understand exactly what those warning signs meant. More often than not, a red flag is not a false warning. Rather, it is the universe’s way of informing us, through our own innate guidance system, that our path best lies elsewhere.</p><p style="text-align:center;">We may try to ignore the red flags waving our way, dismissing our unease as illogical. Yet it is always in our best interest to pay attention to them. For example, we may meet someone who outwardly seems perfect. They are intelligent, attractive, and charming. Yet, for some reason, being around them makes us feel uneasy. Any interactions we have with them are awkward and leave us feeling like there is something “off” about the situation. This is not necessarily a bad person. But, for some reason, the universe is directing us away from them. Red flags are intended with our best interests at heart. No harm can ever come from stopping long enough to heed a red flag. Pay attention to any red flags that pop up. The universe is always looking out for you.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 27, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Vibrational Imprints</span></strong></span><br /> <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Psychometry</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Like you, the objects you encounter have stories to tell as the previous owners have left their vibrational imprint.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Because our bodies exude energy, we leave behind a vibrational imprint each time we touch or live in close proximity to an object. These imprints, which may be positive or negative memories, emotions, or impressions, can become part of the history of an item. Like you, the objects you encounter have stories to tell. Psychometry is the natural art of reading an object’s history in regard to the people and events it has encountered. The objects we associate with are by no means silent bystanders. A house in which a tragedy has occurred may feel cold or silent, while handling a much loved toy may make you feel good. It is widely believed that all human beings possess psychometric abilities. All objects vibrate at specific frequencies, and psychometry asks only that one tune in to those frequencies.</p><p style="text-align:center;">It is common to learn the art of psychometry by using items such as jewelry or a watch, because these objects spend much of their time in close physical proximity to its owners. Information sensed using psychometry usually has to do with an object’s owner and may be related to a location, a feeling, or an event. Emotions tend to be easier to sense, though it can take time and diligence to perfect your psychometric talents. To exercise your psychometric skills, relax and sit in a quiet place with your palms facing upward. Have a friend place one of their treasured possessions in your nondominant hand. Let your mind wander until you receive any impressions. Finally, relate what you have seen, heard, or felt.</p><p style="text-align:center;">By simply by holding an object in your hand or putting it to your forehead, you can sense an object’s past and vicariously experience the emotions, sounds, tastes, scents, or images that have transpired around it thus far. While psychometry is most often performed on small objects intimately connected to its owners, it is possible for humans to leave an imprint on a large object like a home or automobile and to receive impressions from these objects. Once you know an object’s story, you can release it of its memories or marvel at the wealth of information cradled within.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 28, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Let It Flow</span></strong></span><br /> <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Tears</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Tears are as natural to us as breathing and there is beauty in allowing yourself to be open to the pain of tears.</p><p style="text-align:center;">How wonderful it feels to give in and let tears flow when we are overwhelmed with emotions, whether we are happy or sad. Tears come from the soul, from our well of feelings rising from deep down. When we give in to the prickling behind our eyes and the lump in our throat to let teardrops fall from our eyes, we allow our feelings to surface so they can be set free.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Proud parents shed tears of pride in a child’s accomplishments, a baby’s first step, birthdays, and graduations. Long lost friends fall into each other’s arms, tears rolling down their cheeks when they reunite after years of separation. Tears may flow from us when we are witness to a commitment being made at a wedding or even while we are watching a love story. Tears of relief may spring forth from our eyes when we hear that a loved one has survived an ordeal, and tears may fall when we bow our head in sorrow over a loss or death. Tears born from heartache can flow like they’ll never cease, whether our tears are for a love that is over, a friendship lost, or an opportunity missed. We shed tears because of disappointment in ourselves, tragedy in the world, pain, and illness. Tears of anger can burn with emotion as they fall down our faces. Tears offer us a physical release of our feelings.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Shedding tears can sometimes make us feel better, although it can feel like the tears will never end once the floodgates are open. There is no shame in letting tears flow freely and frequently. Tears are as natural to us as is breathing. There is beauty in allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to shed tears. Open up, release your tears, and let your feelings flow.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="320" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900585275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900585275?profile=original" /></a>June 29, 2011<br /> <span class="font-size-3" style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Reflections of Self</strong></span><br /> <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>We Are All Mirrors for Each Other</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> People you feel drawn to reflect your inner self back at you, and you act as a mirror for them as well.</p><p style="text-align:center;">When we look at other people, we see many of their qualities in innumerable and seemingly random combinations. However, the qualities that we see in the people around us are directly related to the traits that exist in us. “Like attracts like” is one of the spiritual laws of the universe. We attract individuals into our lives that mirror who we are. Those you feel drawn to reflect your inner self back at you, and you act as a mirror for them. Simply put, when you look at others, you will likely see what exists in you. When you see beauty, divinity, sweetness, or light in the soul of another, you are seeing the goodness that resides in your soul. When you see traits in others that evoke feelings of anger, annoyance, or hatred, you may be seeing reflected back at you those parts of yourself that you have disowned or do not like.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Because we are all mirrors for each other, looking at the people in your life can tell you a lot about yourself. Who you are can be laid bare to you through what you see in others. It is easy to see the traits you do not like in others. It is much more difficult to realize that you possess those same traits. Often, the habits, attitudes, and behaviors of others are closely linked to our unconscious and unresolved issues.</p><p style="text-align:center;">When you come into contact with someone you admire, search your soul for similarly admirable traits. Likewise, when you meet someone exhibiting traits that you dislike, accept that you are looking at your reflection. Looking at yourself through your perception of others can be a humbling and eye-opening experience. You can also cultivate in you the traits and behaviors that you do like. Be loving and respectful to all people, and you will attract individuals that will love and respect you back. Nurture compassion and empathy and let the goodness you see in others be your mirror.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="84" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900603893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900603893?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Pictures of the week: From a homemade boat in India to a colourful run in the Philippines
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/pictures-of-the-week-from-a-homemade-boat-in-india-to-a-colourful
2014-01-15T01:26:09.000Z
2014-01-15T01:26:09.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596067,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596092,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596297,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900597291,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598290,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598865,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900599498,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900600276,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900601075,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900601653,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602272,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602683,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(0,0,255);">Pictures of the week: From a homemade boat in India to a colourful run in the Philippines</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(0,0,255);">Here's our pick of the best pictures from around the world this week..</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596067,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596067,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900596067?profile=original" /></a>Hot lava from Mount Sinabung volcano spews skyward in Indonesia's North Sumatra province. About 20,000 villagers have been evacuated since authorities raised the alert status for Sinabung to the highest level. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596092,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596092,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900596092?profile=original" /></a>Row, row, row your boat: A fisherman rows a makeshift boat to fish in the Bay of Bengal at Visakhapatnam, in Andhra Pradesh, India (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596297,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596297,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900596297?profile=original" /></a>The first koala joey to be born in the UK in May of last year finally has a name. Pictured here with a toy koala he was given a name after keepers found out he was male. He was christened 'Yooranah', an indigenous Australian term meaning 'loving'. (PA)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900597291,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900597291,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900597291?profile=original" /></a>No longer the 'Windy City': This stunning aerial view over Chicago shows the 'Windy City' encased in ice as a weather phenomenon known as a 'polar vortex' wreaked havoc across vast swathes of America and Canada. (Hank Cain/@WCL_Shawn/Twitter)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598290,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598290,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900598290?profile=original" /></a>A large wave crashes over the promenade at high tide in Aberystwyth, Wales, as Britain endured more floods and winds. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598865,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598865,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900598865?profile=original" /></a>Students hold candles at a mourning ceremony for Run Run Shaw in front of a building donated by Shaw at the University of South China. The Hong Kong media mogul died on Tuesday at the age of 106. (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900599498,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900599498,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900599498?profile=original" /></a>The beauty of the Northern Lights in Whalsay, Shetland. The Lights can be seen as a green glow on the left. They were also seen in southern England and the last time they were so clear was 151 years ago.(SWNS)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900600276,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900600276,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900600276?profile=original" /></a>Anglers cast lines through holes into a frozen river during an ice fishing competition in Hwacheon-gun, South Korea. The annual event attracts thousands of competitors where participants compete with traditional lures or with bare hands. (Getty)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900601075,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900601075,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900601075?profile=original" /></a>Bright lights, big city: Visitors watch fireworks during the opening ceremony of the 30th annual Harbin International Ice and Snow festival in Harbin, in northeastern's China's Heilongjiang province. (PA)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900601653,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900601653,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900601653?profile=original" /></a>Flying high: A participant prepares to fly a large tiger-shaped kite at the 26th International Kite Festival in Mumbai, India. Kite-flyers from numerous countries participated in the day-long festival. (PA)</p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602272,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602272,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900602272?profile=original" /></a>'What are you looking at?' The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Hospital in Queensland, Australia, has been inundated with tiny flippers at the start of the New Year. 18 short-neck turtles, no bigger than a 50p coin, have recently hatched at the sanctuary. (Rex Features)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602683,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602683,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900602683?profile=original" /></a>Participants throw coloured powder in the air during the 2014 Colour Run in Manila, Philippines. The event was founded in the U.S. in January, 2012, as an event to promote healthiness and happiness by bringing the community together. (Rex Features)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Happy Christmas to All
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/happy-christmas-to-all
2013-12-25T02:26:48.000Z
2013-12-25T02:26:48.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="367" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a> <a href=""><img width="500" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="129" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="366" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="132" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="232" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="192" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qAi-LLcNKbU?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="650" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="149" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p align="center" style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href=""><img width="526" class="align-center" src="" alt="" /></a></p><p> </p></div>
Your money or your documents: how hackers can hold your files to ransom
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/your-money-or-your-documents-how-hackers-can-hold-your-files-to
2013-11-30T18:23:28.000Z
2013-11-30T18:23:28.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,0);">Your money or your documents: how hackers can hold your files to ransom</span></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>By Chris Hall | Yahoo News – Tue, Nov 19, 2013</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602060,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="600" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602060,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900602060?profile=original" /></a></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Yahoo News - The Cryptolocker software locks users out of their files, and asks for payment in return for the key - which is unlikely to be delivered. (Symantec)<br /> Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued a warning to businesses over a wave of hacking attacks that have seen hackers take control of computer files and demand a £900 ransom to unlock each one.</p><p style="text-align:center;">The attackers use spam emails to target small and medium-sized businesses, with attachments that look like invoices, voicemails or other business documents.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602489,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="600" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900602489,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900602489?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <strong>An example of a Cryptolocker-infected email, with malware attachment, as found by Symantec</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> The NCA says that 'tens of millions' of people may have been targeted in Britain, and noted that the attacks seemed to be aimed predominantly at companies. It described the attacks as a 'significant risk'.</p><p style="text-align:center;">The attachments contain a piece of malware called Cryptolocker - an automated piece of ransom software that, if activated, will search for documents and encrypt them so that they cannot be opened or read by the user.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Microsoft Office documents were the most commonly affected, but different variations of the malware also searched for other documents, such as .pdf files.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Cryptolocker then prompts the owner of the files to pay two Bitcoins (each worth £449 as of 19/11/13) for the key to unlock the files.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Bitcoins are a private and anonymous digital currency that can be traded against other major world currencies. The exchange rate can fluctuate wildly.<br /> Ransomware has been on the rise since last year. A report from Symantec Internet Security noted that for a much cheaper ransom, of 5,300 computers infected, 'About three percent of victims paid the ransom, which netted the criminals about $30,000.'</p><p style="text-align:center;">The NCA said in its statement that it 'would never endorse the payment of a ransom to criminals and there is no guarantee that they would honour the payments in any event'.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Lee Miles, Deputy Head of the NCCU says "The NCA are actively pursuing organised crime groups committing this type of crime. We are working in cooperation with industry and international partners to identify and bring to justice those responsible and reduce the risk to the public."</p><p style="text-align:center;">The malware should be detected by up to date antivirus software. Users should exercise caution over opening unfamiliar attachments. Some of the attachments are notable for having a double file extension, such as " FORM_101513.pdf.exe."</p><p style="text-align:center;">Decrypting files that Cryptolocker has been able to encrypt is 'not feasible', according to Symantec. But there are ways that affected users can recover their files even if they have been locked out, using free Windows tools.</p><p style="text-align:center;">If you have made backups of your files, Windows Backup will be able to revert the file to its pre-locked state. Similarly, you can right-click on a file before opening it and choose to open a previous version, giving you the chance to retrieve data from the file.</p><p style="text-align:center;">If your computer does become infected, you should disconnect it from your network, and run a full antivirus scan to identify and quarantine the affected files.</p><p style="text-align:center;">A spokesman for Symantec said: 'Symantec does detect and protect against this threat. We continuously work to protect customers against this threat through various technologies, including the Symantec Email Security.cloud solution.'</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Fiery 230ft crater nicknamed the 'Door to Hell' baffles scientists after burning endlessly for 40 YEARS
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/fiery-230ft-crater-nicknamed-the-door-to-hell-baffles-scientists
2013-11-30T17:45:57.000Z
2013-11-30T17:45:57.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3" style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><strong>Fiery 230ft crater nicknamed the 'Door to Hell' baffles scientists after burning endlessly for 40 YEARS</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Originally a level surface, the site was identified by Soviet scientists in 1971 as an area that was believed to house a substantial oil field</p><p style="text-align:center;">Yahoo News UK</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/door-hell-burns-over-40-231636083.html">http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/door-hell-burns-over-40-231636083.html</a></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">With fiery embers glowing deep underground, it looks like a scene from an apocalyptic sci-fi blockbuster.</p><p style="text-align:center;">But this huge crater is amazingly a real-life phenomenon which has been flaming away for more than four decades.</p><p style="text-align:center;">The 230ft-wide crater, known by locals in Turkmenistan as the 'Door to Hell', has baffled scientists since it first appeared more than 40 years ago.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Originally a level surface, the site was identified by Soviet scientists in 1971 as an area that was believed to house a substantial oil field.</p><p style="text-align:center;">However, the ground beneath the drilling rig soon collapsed, creating a wide crater that was believed to be releasing large quantities of methane gas, a potential danger to the nearby villages in Derweze, Turkmenistan.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Scientists decided that the most efficient way to solve the problem would be to burn off the poisonous gases -- by doing so, it was expected that all of the gas in the crater would be burnt off within days.</p><p style="text-align:center;">More than four decades later, though, the crater is still ablaze with endless flames and boiling mud - and hundreds of tourists flock to visit it every year.</p><p style="text-align:center;">The Karakum Desert, where Derweze is located, has one of the largest gas reserves in the world. Turkmenistan hopes to up its exportation rate around 75 million cubic meters of gas in the next 20 years.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598881,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="630" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900598881?profile=original" /></a> <strong>The fiery crater first appeared in Turkmenistan more than 40 years ago. (TORMOD SANDTORV / CATERS)</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900599096,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="630" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900599096,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900599096?profile=original" /></a> <strong>The astonishing crater is 230ft wide. (MARTHA DE JONG-LANTINK / CATERS)</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> Will Keeping, a retiree from Buchlyvie, near Stirling, visited the crater last month.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Unaware of the Door to Hell's existence before he visited Turkmenistan, Will, 57, was told on his tour that the crater was one of the hundred most bizarre places to visit before you die.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Intrigued, he decided to ride across the bleak desert environment, not knowing what to expect.</p><p style="text-align:center;">Will said: 'During daylight, I was initially not impressed as it looked like a hole in a vast desert. As we got nearer and the glow from inside the carter became evident, though, I started to notice the size of the crater and wondered how could continually glow like that.</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900600298,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="630" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900600298,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900600298?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Bubbling: The crater has been nicknamed the 'Door to Hell' by locals in Turkmenistan. (MARTHA DE JONG-LANTINK / …</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900601467,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="630" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900601467,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900601467?profile=original" /></a> <strong>Inside, the crater is filled with endless flames and boiling mud. (WILLIAM KEEPING / CATERS)</strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><br /> 'As I approached on foot, it became clear that this was a large crater and that inside was like a huge open furnace. At first, it appeared that it might have been a natural phenomenon, but the sides of the crater contradicted that. I could see the bent and rusted remains of some sort of metal railings or structure, implying some sort of catastrophe having occurred long before.</p><p style="text-align:center;">'I stood there gazing into the crater, the sheer size and intensity of the fire inside became more and more apparent.</p><p style="text-align:center;">'As the sun began to set, the location slowly transformed from a large, isolated furnace in the middle of the desert into the centre of attention that dominated the surrounding area - the glow became more intense and lit up the area including the sky above. It was impossible not to be drawn to the crater, something that was just dominant over the surrounding area.'</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
City of Love fails to woo the Chinese
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/profiles/blogs/city-of-love-fails-to-woo-the-chinese
2013-10-13T00:13:50.000Z
2013-10-13T00:13:50.000Z
Melodie Munro
https://www.cityofshamballa.net/members/MelodieMunro
<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-4" style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"><strong>City of Love fails to woo the Chinese</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900594864,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900594864,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900594864?profile=original" /></a>A farmer works in a field with the replica of the Eiffel Tower in the background (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900594887,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900594887,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900594887?profile=original" /></a>A resident stands on the balcony of his Parisian-style apartment. Construction first started in 2007 and although it is near completion and mostly open for business, local media regard Tianducheng as a ghost town (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900595661,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900595661,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900595661?profile=original" /></a>Rows of white Parisian style homes can be seen in Tianducheng. The knock-off of the famous 'city of love' features a replica Eiffel Tower, an Arc de Triomphe and a Bassin de Latone (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900595698,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900595698,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900595698?profile=original" /></a>European-style buildings are covered with Chinese lettering in Tianducheng. The development is supposed to house 100,000 people but so far is only home to 2,000 (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596098,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596098,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900596098?profile=original" /></a>People walk past a fountain with black statues of a chariot, horses and other animals in Tianducheng (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596500,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900596500,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900596500?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900597093,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a>A lightning bolt streaks across the sky above a replica of the Eiffel Tower in Tianducheng. The replica stands 108metres tall and is just one of the Parisian-inspired landmarks in the Chinese city (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900597093,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="683" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900597093,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900597093?profile=original" /></a>Brooms lean against a statue at the Tianducheng development in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. This isn't the only European-inspired town in China: Thames Town near Shanghai is filled with Georgian terraced houses, a Chinese Dorchester in Chengdu is modeled on the Dorset town. German and Italian-style towns are also being built (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900597866,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900597866,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900597866?profile=original" /></a>Tianducheng, a gated community near Hangzhou, capital of coastal Zhejiang province, was built to attract China's wealthy. Paris, French wine and designer labels and handbags are popular status symbols in the Asian country (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598486,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900598486,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900598486?profile=original" /></a>A replica of the Eiffel Tower can be seen behind a farmer's house in Tianducheng (Reuters)</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10900599859,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10900599859,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10900599859?profile=original" /></a>The 108metre replica of the Eiffel Tower in Tianducheng, Zhejiang Province (Reuters)</p></div>