Blogs

The Dongria Kondh tribe + The Dongria Kondh fight to save Niyamgiri + The REAL "Avatar!" (full movie)

Mine, narrated by Joanna Lumley, tells the story of the remote Dongria Kondh tribe's struggle to protect Niyamgiri, the mountain they worship as a God. London-based mining company Vedanta Resources plans a vast open-pit bauxite mine in India's Niyamgiri hills, and the Dongria Kondh know that means the destruction of their forests, their way of life, and their mountain God.

The REAL "Avatar!" (full movie)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHcExHZR-q0

The Dongria Kondh tribe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH9xXBgqM98

The Dongria Kondh fight to save Niyamgiri

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLHBk9v-xw

These people don't get cancer!

They're cancer-free! But when members of this tribe move away from their native land and change their diet, they get cancer just like anyone else. A top cancer expert says it's all because of an overlooked food that most of throw in the trash! He calls it "the key to curing AND preventing cancer" -- and you don't have to go to a doctor or buy expensive supplements.

This little throwaway food tastes great and Bill Clinton (of all people) eats it regularly. It was first identified by a British doctor working with a remote tribal people in northern India. He reported in 1921 they were "unsurpassed" in their freedom from disease. Click below and find out more!

Cancer Step Outside the Box www.cancerdefeated.com/outsidethebox/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v4cRB462WI

Along the Thread of our Inner Sincerity
by Adyashanti

Sincerity is a word that I often use in teaching to convey the importance of being rooted in the qualities of honesty, authenticity, and genuineness. There can be nothing phony or contrived in our motivations if we are to fully awaken to our natural and integral state of unified awareness. While teachings and teachers can point us inward to “the peace beyond all understanding,” it is always along the thread of our inner sincerity, or lack thereof, that we will travel. For the ego is clever and artful in the ways of deception, and only the honesty and genuineness of our ineffable being are beyond its influence. At each step and with each breath we are given the option of acting and responding, both inwardly and outwardly, from the conditioning of egoic consciousness which values control and separation above all else, or from the intuitive awareness of unity which resides in the inner silence of our being.

Without sincerity it is so very easy for even the greatest spiritual teachings to become little more than playthings of the mind. In our fast-moving world of quick fixes, big promises, and short attention spans, it is easy to remain on a very surface level of consciousness without even knowing it. While the awakened state is ever present and closer than your feet, hands, or eyes, it cannot be approached in a casual or insincere fashion. There is a reason that seekers the world over are instructed to remove their shoes and quiet their voices before entering into sacred spaces. The message being conveyed is that one’s ego must be “taken off and quieted” before access to the divine is granted. All of our ego’s attempts to control, demand, and plead with reality have no influence on it other than to make life more conflicted and difficult. But an open mind and sincere heart have the power to grant us access to realizing what has always been present all along.

[...] When you are earnest, you are both sincere and one-pointed; to be one-pointed means to keep your attention on one thing. I have found that the most challenging thing for most spiritual seekers to do is to stay focused on one thing for very long. The mind jumps around with its concerns and questions from moment to moment. Rarely does it stay with one question long enough to penetrate it deeply.

--By Adyashanti, from his essay, "The Indispensable Qualities of Awakening"

You've Made A Mistake. Now What?
by Amy Gallo


Anyone who has worked in an office for more than a day has made a mistake. While most people accept that slip-ups are unavoidable, no one likes to be responsible for them. The good news is that mistakes, even big ones, don't have to leave a permanent mark on your career. In fact, most contribute to organizational and personal learning; they are an essential part of experimentation and a prerequisite for innovation. So don't worry: if you've made a mistake at work, — and, again, who hasn't? — you can recover gracefully and use the experience to learn and grow.

What the Experts Say
According to Paul Schoemaker, the research director for the Mack Center for Technological Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and co-author of the forthcoming Brilliant Mistakes, most people tend to overreact to their slip-ups. They "make asymmetric evaluation of gains and losses so that losses loom much larger than gains," he explains. As a result, they may be tempted to hide their mistakes, or even worse, continue down paths that have proven unproductive. This "sunk cost fallacy" can be dangerous and expensive.

It is much better to accept mistakes, learn from them, and move on. "Look forward and base decisions on the future not the past," Schoemaker says. Christopher Gergen, the director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Initiative at Duke University and co-author of Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives, agrees.

The most useful thing you can do is "translate a mistake into a valuable moment of leadership," he says

Here are a few guiding principles to help you turn your gaffes into gold:

Fess up and acknowledge your mistake
First and foremost, it's critical to be transparent, candid, and own up to the error. Don't try to blame others.

Even if it was a group mistake, acknowledge your role in it. In cases where someone was hurt, issue an apology. However, don't apologize too much or be defensive. The key is to be action-oriented and focus on the future. How will your misstep be remedied? What will you do differently going forward?

Once you've admitted your blunder, it may be appropriate to reframe it. Reframing is not making an excuse, but a genuine effort to help people see the mistake in a different light. Poor decisions or flawed processes can sometimes lead to mistakes, but that doesn't mean that every bad outcome is a mistake. Gergen says it's important to understand what was external and internal, what was in your control and what wasn't. Explaining in a non-defensive way what led to the mistake can help people better understand why it happened and how to avoid it in the future.

Change your ways
Mistakes play a critical role in leadership development. "The best kind of mistake is where the costs are low but the learning is high," Schoemaker says. If the error was a result of a poor decision, explain to your boss and other interested parties how you will avoid making the same or a similar misstep in the future. You have to respond quickly before people make judgments about your competence or expertise. "You need to get on top of it, get ahead of it, and deal with it," Gergen says.

By demonstrating that you've changed as a result of your mistake, you reassure your superiors, peers, and direct reports that you can be trusted with equally important tasks or decisions in the future. "If you are going to pay the price for making the mistake, you need to get the learning," Schoemaker says. This is far easier in a learning culture than in a performance-focused culture, in which mistakes are often viewed more harshly. But regardless of the office environment, you need to figure out "how you can translate the mistake from a liability into an asset," Gergen says.

Rely on your support network
A strong support network can help you. "Our research shows that a healthy support network has three components: authentic trusting relationships, a diverse range of perspectives, and is reciprocal," Gergen says. Ask current or former colleagues or people outside the organization for their perspective on the mistake and what they believe you can do to recover. They are likely to have some useful advice about how to frame the error and restore your reputation.

Get back out there
It can be hard to rebuild confidence after slipping up. The key is to not let your errors make you afraid of experimentation. Once the mistake is behind you, focus on the future. If it made people question your expertise, put more data points out there to rebuild their trust. Remember that mistakes are not signs of weakness or ineptitude; recovering from them demonstrates resilience and perseverance. Both Gergen and Schoemaker emphasize that many employers look for people who made mistakes and came out ahead.

Not all mistakes are created equal
Mistakes vary in degree and type and some can be tougher to recover from than others. Schoemaker notes that group mistakes are often easier to get over because there is a diffusion of responsibility. Mistakes that involve breaking someone's trust can have lasting consequences and contrition is critical. If your mistake has caused someone to lose trust in you, approach the person and offer a sincere apology. Ask what you can do to restore his trust. But be patient — forgiveness may take a long time.

Principles to Remember

Do:
Accept responsibility for your role in the mistake
Show that you've learned and will behave differently going forward
Demonstrate that you can be trusted with equally important decisions in the future

Don't:
Be defensive or blame others
Make mistakes that violate people's trust — these are the toughest to recover from
Stop experimenting or hold back because of a misstep

Case Study #1: A supportive boss and colleagues speed up recovery

As the associate director of the Science & Environmental Health Network (SEHN), one of Katie Silberman's responsibilities is to manage the nonprofit organization's grant applications. Last August, Katie created a calendar to track important funding dates; it included due dates for current grant reports as well as deadlines to reapply for future funding. In late January, Katie emailed the foundation officer at one of the organization's primary funders to check in about their re-application for 2010, thinking she was ahead of schedule. But the Foundation Officer replied that the 2010 deadline had just passed. Katie was shocked. She had a March deadline on her calendar — that was when the report for the 2009 grant was due and Katie expected they would talk about reapplying then. SEHN needed the Foundation grant to make it through the year. "To lose a funder in this environment isn't just bad, it's catastrophic," Katie says. It turns out that each January someone at SEHN calls the foundation officer to discuss that year's cycle. Katie wasn't aware of this informal meeting, but it was her responsibility to know each funder relationship in and out and to ensure that the organization was on top of each funding opportunity.

Katie immediately called her boss, explained the mistake and offered ideas about how they could secure new funding sources to keep the organization afloat. Because she was forthright, she and the rest of the SEHN team were extremely supportive, offering to join a team call and do whatever they could to help. The foundation officer had let Katie know that there was a deadline in May for a separate round of funding and so SEHN has decided to submit an idea for a new project conceived at a recent retreat. Katie is optimistic they'll get it funded.

While Katie felt like she had made an enormous mistake, she learned from it. Her calendar of deadlines now also includes "unwritten" ones and meetings in addition to the hard dates issued by funders.

Case Study #2: Don't blame the economy, change your ways

In the late 1990s, Christopher Gergen, one of our experts from above, co-founded Smarthinking.com, an online tutoring service for high school and college students. Christopher and his partner raised their first round of financing in the spring of 1999. The company grew quickly: by the beginning of 2000, it had 30 employees and was ready to launch. Then the dot com bubble burst. In a matter of weeks, the company's financing fell through. With six weeks of cash in the bank, Christopher and his co-founder were facing one of the biggest mistakes of their lives. Like many, they failed to foresee the bubble bursting and left the company and themselves exposed.

Christopher had prior experience with companies facing hard times and had seen leaders hide behind closed doors. He and his co-founder took a different approach. They brought their whole staff together and explained exactly what needed to happen to save the company. Emphasizing that they couldn't pull it off alone, they were clear about what each person and function needed to do.

They "limped" through that spring and summer, but were able to raise a $5 million round of funding in the fall and winter. While Christopher could easily blame the economy for what happened, he takes full responsibility for putting the company in an over-extended position. "While outside circumstances were not in our control, the ability to manage through it was," he says. Most importantly, he learned from the mistake and began to take a much more disciplined approach to cash flow. As a result of how he and his co-founder handled the aftermath, the company indeed survived and now has cohesive culture with practically no turnover. It just celebrated its eleventh anniversary and made it through the recent downturn with very few hiccups.

Why putting ice on injuries may slow healing
Inflammation helps repair the damage

© Mark Herreid - Fotolia.com

Putting ice - or a pack of frozen peas - on an injury to reduce swelling may not be such a good idea after all, as scientists say that inflammation is an essential part of the healing process.

The discovery, published in the FASEB Journal, turns conventional wisdom - which says that inflammation must be controlled to promote healing - on its head.

Researchers say the findings could lead to new treatments for muscle injury caused by trauma, chemicals, infections, freeze damage, and medications, which cause muscle damage as a side effect.

Researcher Lan Zhou, from the Neuroinflammtion Reserch Centre at the Cleveland Clinic, said: "We hope that our findings stimulate further research to dissect different roles played by tissue inflammation in clinical settings, so we can utilise the positive effects and control the negative effects of tissue inflammation."

During acute muscle injury, researchers discovered that inflammatory cells produce high levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which significantly increases the rate of muscle regeneration.

In the study, they compared how two groups of mice responded to acute muscle injury. The first group of mice were genetically altered so they could not make an inflammatory response to injury and the second group consisted of normal unaltered mice.

All mice were injected with barium chloride to cause muscle injury. The genetically altered mice which could not make an inflammatory response did not heal, but the second group of normal mice repaired the injury.

Further investigations showed the inflammatory cells within the injured muscle tissue produced a high level of IGF-1.

Gerald Weissmann, editor in chief of the FASEB Journal, said: "For wounds to heal we need controlled inflammation, not too much, and not too little.

"It's been known for a long time that excess anti-inflammatory medication, such as cortisone, slows wound healing. This study goes a long way to telling us why: insulin-like growth factor and other materials released by inflammatory cells helps wound to heal."

15 Brilliant Uses for Toothpaste
By Zana Faulkner, DivineCaroline

Toothpaste: it whitens, brightens, deodorizes, removes stains, and restores and protects enamel.

But toothpaste’s cleaning capabilities work wonders on many things besides our teeth. The same ingredients that help polish our pearly whites can also soothe some common ailments, make household items sparkle, and even get rid of stains and pungent smells.

Try out these fifteen tricks with a white, non-gel toothpaste (unless otherwise noted), and watch that cavity-fighting, breath-freshening tube of wonder work its magic.

1. Relieve irritation from bug bites, sores, and blisters. These skin irritations all tend to weep and, in the case of bug bites, often itch. Apply a drop of toothpaste to a bug bite or insect sting to stop the itching and decrease any swelling. When applied to sores or blisters, it dries them up, thus allowing the wound to heal faster. It’s best when used overnight.

2. Soothe a stinging burn. For minor burns that don’t involve an open wound, toothpaste can deliver temporary cooling relief. Apply it delicately to the affected area immediately after a burn develops; it temporarily relieves the sting and prevents the wound from weeping or opening.


3. Decrease the size of a facial blemish. Want to speed up the healing of a zit? Apply a tiny dot of toothpaste to the affected area at night before bed. Wash it off in the morning.


4. Clean up your fingernails. Our teeth are made of enamel, and toothpaste is good for them, so it stands to reason that toothpaste would also be good for our fingernails. For cleaner, shinier, and stronger nails, simply scrub the underneath and tops of fingernails with a toothbrush and toothpaste.


5. Keep hair in place. Gel toothpastes contain the same water-soluble polymers that many hair gels are made of. If you’re looking to style and hold an extreme hair creation, try gel toothpaste as your go-to product if you’re out of regular hair gel. (This is also a great trick for making baby barrettes stay in place.)


6. Scrub away stinky smells. Garlic, fish, onion, and other pungent foods can permeate the skin cells on our hands. Scrubbing hands and fingertips briefly with toothpaste removes all traces of smelly odors


7. Remove stains. Toothpaste can make tough stains on both clothing and carpets disappear. For clothes, apply toothpaste directly to the stain and rub briskly until the spot is gone, then wash as usual. (Note that using a whitening toothpaste on colors can sometimes bleach the fabric.) For carpet stains, apply toothpaste to the stain and scrub it with an abrasive brush, then rinse immediately.


8. Spruce up dirty shoes. This tactic works great on running shoes or scuffed-up leather shoes. As with carpet stains, apply toothpaste directly to the dirty or scuffed area, then scrub with a brush and wipe clean.


9. Remove crayon stains on painted walls. Rub a damp cloth with toothpaste gently on the marked-up wall and watch the Crayola marks disappear.


10. Make silver jewelry and other silver pieces sparkle. Rub toothpaste onto jewelry and leave overnight. Wipe clean with a soft cloth in the morning. Make diamonds shine by giving them a gentle scrub using a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a little water. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of toothpaste. Do not use this method on pearls, as it will damage their finish.


11. Remove scratches on DVDs and CDs. This remedy has been used with mixed success rates, but it seems to work fairly well on shallow scratches and smudges. Apply a thin coating of toothpaste to the disc and rub gently, then rinse clean.


12. Tidy up piano keys before tickling them. Piano keys retain oil from the skin, which then attracts dust and dirt. Clean away grime gently with a damp, lint-free cloth and toothpaste; after rubbing in the toothpaste, wipe the keys clean with a second lint-free cloth.


13. Deodorize baby bottles. If baby bottles develop a sour-milk smell, a good cleaning with some toothpaste and a bottle scrubber will clean away residue and deodorize. Always make sure to rinse well.


14. Remove the burned crust on irons. For those of you who still use an iron, you may find that after time, the plate of the iron develops a burned crust. The silica in toothpaste gently grinds away this rusty-looking layer.


15. Defog goggles. Scuba divers, swimmers, and triathletes may already know about this handy little trick: Rub a small spot of toothpaste into each lens of your goggles, then rinse thoroughly, and voila! There’ll be no need to ever buy expensive defogger gels again. Avoid rubbing too vigorously, though, as the abrasive ingredients in toothpaste could scratch the lenses.

I can see how using toothpaste could save me time and money over the course of a year, not to mention help me reduce my shopping time and cleaning-supply collection. I’d like to see my toothpaste work harder anyway. After all, if I’ve got to suffer through itchy bug bites, they might as well smell fresh.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/15-brilliant-uses-for-toothpaste-slideshow.html#ixzz0znom2hnv

Packing 400 lunches - and love - to serve the homeless

Kansas City's 'mother of the streets' rises at 4:30 each morning, packs 400 decorated bags, and then seeks out the homeless.

Marcia Merrick’ s Reaching Out Inc., in Kansas City, Mo., serves the city’s homeless. Here, she delivers socks and toiletries.

David Conrads
By David Conrads, Contributor / March 8, 2010
Kansas City, Mo.


For years, Marcia Merrick began her day making lunches for her two children. Her kids are grown up now, but Ms. Merrick still makes lunches every morning – 400 of them. Each decorated paper bag contains a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich or a bean burrito, chips, fruit, and two homemade cookies. She also includes a note of encouragement – and then distributes them to the homeless of Kansas City, Mo.

Dubbed the “mother of the streets,” Merrick starts every day (Christmas and other holidays included) at 4:30 a.m. so she can finish her preparations and make the 15-minute drive to downtown Kansas City by 6 a.m., the time when most homeless shelters close and their overnight guests are turned out. She also makes stops at homeless encampments tucked away in secluded spots around the fringes of the city, under bridges and highway overpasses, and along the banks of the Missouri River.

Each day is a little different. She gives out half of the 400 lunches in the morning and the rest during a similar afternoon run, before the shelters open again at 4 p.m. The time in between is taken up with other tasks, such as driving someone to a social services office or to court or a health clinic. She also gives away items like clothing and bedding based on individual needs. In addition, Merrick and the volunteers who work with her help some 370 homeless families a year.

Merrick doesn’t just feed and clothe the homeless. She talks with them, learns their names, listens to their stories, and gives them hugs and encouraging words. As a result, she’s well known on the streets of Kansas City and has the trust of many of the city’s homeless.

“Really, the food and clothing I give them is just a way to get into their hearts,” she says. “A lot of them want to change, but they don’t have ... the knowledge and the emotional support to do that. Some have been on the streets so long they don’t even know where to start.”

What keeps her going, she says, is the success she has had in helping destitute individuals and families turn their lives around.

Kim and Wayne Hill are one such case. The self-employed house painters found their work all but evaporated when the economy began to sour a few years ago. In time they lost their house and found themselves living with their young son in a family shelter.

That’s where they met Merrick. She was able to do many things to help them reclaim a normal life, including helping Mr. Hill receive much needed dental work. She even found painting jobs for the couple.

“I can’t begin to tell you everything Marcia did for us,” says Mrs. Hill, whose family now lives in an apartment in a large complex, where her husband is the staff painter. “She’s so compassionate. She’s good at finding that place in your heart that’s lacking – any heartache or sadness – and then filling that void. She’s the ultimate mother.”

Merrick works not only to meet the basic needs of the homeless, but to uphold their dignity and self-respect.

Gloria Brown is the kitchen manager for the City Union Mission Family Center, which provides long-term shelter for homeless families. One Saturday a month, Merrick and a group of volunteers bring food and prepare and serve a breakfast to the residents, who number as many as 120. Ms. Brown says that instead of having the residents line up and receive their food at the serving window, as is customary, Merrick puts out place mats, silverware, and a small vase of flowers on each table. She and her helpers then take the residents’ orders.

“They wait on them like they are in a restaurant,” Brown says. “She just likes to treat them with respect and let them know that somebody cares about them.”

“Marcia serves,” says Gary Blakeman, a retiree and volunteer who has worked with Merrick for seven years. “She doesn’t just dole out food. She actually serves the homeless. And she does what she does with love. She’s truly concerned with their welfare.”

Merrick says her work of providing care and hope for society’s disadvantaged began when she was in high school in Wichita, Kan. She made several church mission trips, one for an entire summer, where she first encountered large numbers of needy people.

“I realized what a difference it makes in how I felt, caring for other people,” she says. “I didn’t know it then, but I think I was developing a heart for people who had been shunted aside by society.”

Her charitable work took a back seat to her own family for a time. But 10 years ago, when her daughter was 15, Merrick felt the need to resume her caring activities. At first, she matched up friends and acquaintances who had items they were willing to give away with people in need. The recipients were not just the homeless, but also victims of domestic violence, the unemployed, the recently divorced – pretty much anyone she knew of who had a need.

“It kind of snowballed from there,” she says. In 2001, as her activity increased and donors asked for tax write-offs, she started a nonprofit, Reaching Out Inc. Today, about 80 percent of her work is for the homeless.

Her organization works with an area church, which provides her with storage space for food, furniture, and supplies. An ever-changing roster of volunteers – school groups, church groups, friends, and acquaintances – help with decorating the bags, putting together hygiene bags (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, clean pair of socks, and the like), baking cookies, and organizing food and clothing drives. Occasionally, volunteers go out with her on her rounds.

Merrick herself gets by modestly on alimony and a small pension. Circumstances may compel her to return to the paid workforce sometime this summer, which would necessitate an adjustment to her current grueling volunteer schedule. Regardless of what the future holds, she says, she will continue to work on behalf of the homeless in one way or another.

“I truly believe we can make a difference in their lives, and I don’t want anybody to ever think that somebody doesn’t care,” she says. “They’re homeless, but they’re still human.”
To learn more about Marcia Merrick’s work, go to www.reachingoutinc.org

Crab vending machines for Chinese commuters

Automatic crab dispensers have been installed at several underground stations in Nanjing, by an enterprising local company hoping to capitalise on the increasingly hectic lifestyles of urban Chinese.…

Posted By The Telegraph, mer 27 ott, 2010 11:31am BST
By:Peter Foster

Commuters in China who are too busy to keep supermarket opening hours are being offered a nutritious alternative to the diet of crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks usually dispensed from train station vending machines – live crabs.

The automatic crab dispensers have been installed at several underground stations in Nanjing, the capital of the southeastern province of Jiangsu, by an enterprising local company hoping to capitalise on the increasingly hectic lifestyles of urban Chinese.

The 'Dazha' hairy crabs, which are a popular regional delicacy along the Yangtze River delta cities of Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shanghai, are sold in three sizes – large, medium or small – and range in prices from £1.50 to £5.00.

The crabs are packed into custom-fitted plastic boxes and chilled to 41F (5C) which is enough to sedate them but also keep them alive. A sign next to the machine offers three free crabs for anyone who is unlucky enough to get a dead one, the local 'Guangzhou Daily' newspaper reported.

"The customers were a bit sceptical at first as they were worried if the crabs were alive or not," Wu Zhendi, general manager of the Twin Lake Crab Co. told The Telegraph, "but now they see they are alive, they keep coming back. We are selling hundreds each day, and more at weekends."

The company, which claim on its website to supply crabs to dignitaries staying at China's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse outside Beijing, said it was now planning to expand the trials, possibly even as far as Japan where vending machines are used to sell everything from eggs to ice and umbrellas.

It's All Yours! The Giveaway Lottery Winners

A Canadian couple who won nearly £7m on a lottery have given nearly every penny away.

It's All Yours! The Giveaway Lottery Winners Enlarge photo Allen and Violet Large won their fortune in July and decided to donate 98% of it, saving the rest - around £130,000 - for a rainy day.

"We were quite happy with what we had and the way we were going," said Mr Large, a 75-year-old retired welder.

"We have no plans. We're not travellers. We're not night-prowlers. We're not bar-hoppers."

After taking care of their family, the Larges donated the rest to churches, fire departments, cemeteries and the Red Cross, as well as hospitals where Mrs Large, who has cancer, has undergone treatment.

Mr Large said he and his wife decided a week before they picked up their winnings to give most of it away.

He said they had worked for 30 years in Ontario and put away money every year before retiring and returning home to Nova Scotia.

"We weren't millionaires before but we had enough to keep us going in our retirement years," said Mr Large.

Word of the couple's generosity has generated a wealth of attention from the media. "We're not used to all this attention," Mr Large said from the couple's modest home in Lower Truro.

"We're just plain, old country folks."

10 Cancer-Fighting Foods

1. Beans
Beans contain a number of phytochemicals, which have been shown to prevent or slow genetic damage to cells. While this makes beans beneficial for helping to reduce your risk of many types of cancer, specific research has suggested they are especially potent in preventing prostate cancer. As an added bonus, the high fiber content of beans has been connected with a lower risk of digestive cancers.

2. Berries
The two most widely studied cancer-fighting compounds in berries are ellagic acid (richest in strawberries and raspberries) and anthocyanosides (richest in blueberries). Ellagic acid is believed to help prevent skin, bladder, lung, and breast cancers, both by acting as an antioxidant and by slowing the reproduction of cancer cells. The anthocyanosides in blueberries are currently the most powerful antioxidants known to scientists and are beneficial in the prevention of all types of cancer.

3. Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale)

Cruciferous vegetables-like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale-are rich in a variety of compounds that have been shown to slow cancer growth and development in a number of laboratory studies. Other larger human studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables can help to reduce the risk of lung, stomach, colorectal, prostate, and bladder cancers.

4. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Leafy-green vegetables-like romaine lettuce, mustard greens, chicory, and Swiss chard-are rich sources of antioxidants called carotenoids. These compounds scavenge dangerous free radicals from the body before they can promote cancer growth. The vegetables are also rich in folate, a vitamin shown to reduce the risk of lung and breast cancer.

5. Flaxseed
Flaxseed in the form of oil and meal contains phytoestrogens believed to reduce the risk of breast, skin, and lung cancer. Research on the potency of flaxseed as an anti-cancer food is still underway.

6. Garlic (including onions, scallions, leeks, and chives)
Garlic contains a number of compounds believed to slow or stop the growth of tumors. One such compound, diallyl disulfide, appears to be especially potent in protecting against skin, colon, and lung cancer, though it is not known exactly how it functions.

7. Grapes
Grapes and wine contain a chemical called resveratrol, which has been shown to be a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Resveratrol is thought to work by preventing cell damage before it begins. Red and purple grapes are the richest sources of resveratrol.

8. Green Tea (decaf)
Green tea is a rich source of a class of flavonoids known as catechins. Laboratory studies have shown that the catechins present in green tea are able to slow or prevent the development of cancer in colon, liver, breast, and prostate cells.

9. Tomatoes
The anti-cancer compound in tomatoes, lycopene, has been shown to be especially potent in combating prostate cancer. This compound appears to be more easily absorbed if the tomatoes are eaten in cooked form-either as tomato sauce, paste, or juice. In addition to preventing prostate cancer, lycopene may also protect against breast, lung, stomach, and pancreatic cancer.

10. Whole Grains
Whole grains contain a variety of anti-cancer compounds, including fiber, antioxidants, and phytoestrogens. When eaten as part of a balanced diet, whole grains can help decrease the risk of developing most types of cancer.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-cancer-fighting-foods.html?page=2#ixzz0znuJnvpb

Do you believe in superheroes? After you watch this video, you will.

Amy Pankratz, a stay-at-home mother of three in South Dakota, crafts custom capes for sick children and their siblings. She reads their story, she thinks about them, and she prays for them as she is making each cape...infusing it with special powers of hope and courage for each child. And it works! As 5-year-old Brooke Mulford (a.k.a "Super Brooke") says, "It helps me to be brave".


Superhero Capes Provide Hope & Inspiration for Sick Children

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRxT-1N07og

10 things to know about the world's first car

When Karl Benz built the first Patent-Motorwagen in 1885 (it was patented in 1886) he probably didn't realise quite the extent to which it would transform the world. So without further ado, here are ten things you might not have known about the progenitor of motoring.

It wasn't the first attempt at an automobile

Inventors were trying to put a 'car' on the road as early as the 18th century. However, all were attempts to automate the horse-drawn carriage, and were largely useless; the Patent-Motorwagen was the first automobile designed from the ground up to be powered by an internal combustion engine.

An American nearly got there first

American inventor George Selden was working on a horseless carriage at about the same time as Benz, filing a patent in 1879. Unfortunately it wasn't until 1895 that his patent for a 'safe, simple, and cheap road-locomotive light in weight, easy to control and possessed of sufficient power to overcome any ordinary inclination' was approved.

It took at least 12 years to develop

By 1873 Benz had developed a working two-stroke engine, and thereafter set about creating a useable carriage to put it in. The Patent-Motorwagen was complete by 1885 and officially unveiled to the public in Mannheim, Germany, on 3 July 1886.

It had a 0.9bhp engine

It was claimed that the first Motorwagen developed a heady 0.66bhp from its single-cylinder gas-powered engine. A later test showed that to be a conservative power figure, however - it actually had a mighty 0.9bhp. Let's put that into perspective: one of the cars on sale in the UK with the lowest power outputs today is the cdi version of the Smart Fortwo, with 54bhp, or 5,900 percent more than the Motorwagen!

The original prototype crashed

Difficult to control using a lever linked to the central front wheel, the 1885 prototype was crashed into a wall during a public demonstration. Fortunately camera phones hadn't been invented yet, so there was no hilarious footage to upload to YouTube.

It was rear-wheel drive

Drifting wasn't too easy with a horse and carriage, but the Patent-Motorwagen was the keen power slider's dream. Its engine powered the rear wheels via two chains linked to the back axle, good for some serious sideways action. Its tyres were solid rubber.

Karl Benz's wife stole one and went for a joyride

The story goes that Benz's wife, Bertha, took Motorwagen number three for a lengthy drive in August 1888 without his permission. With her two sons she drove the car 50-60 miles to her mother's house then returned three days later. The Bertha Benz memorial route between Frankfurt and Baden-Baden celebrates that historic journey.

Early versions couldn't climb hills

It was only after Bertha's trip that a second gear was added to the car, at her request; like an Austin Allegro, early versions couldn't handle even the mildest of inclines.

The first customers had to buy fuel from pharmacies

Of course, there was no network of fuel pumps in place when the Motorwagen first hit the cobblestones. Buyers had to fill up with small bottles of gasoline, at the time a substance used as cleaning fluid and available only from chemists.

Around 25 were sold

In a five-year period between 1888 and 1893, Benz sold 25 Patent-Motorwagens to wealthy pioneers. In 1893 the three-wheeler was replaced by an updated version with four wheels - the luxurious Benz Velo.

Mark Nichol

Diwali (also called as Deepalwali)

Diwali
Diwali (also called as Deepalwali), is a festival of lights, symbolize victory of Good over Evil...

People put candles to show path to Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) to their home. We also play crackers.

According to the Vedic culture, the message of Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya (from darkness unto light) is given through the festival of Deepawali to all peoples of the world.

During the night of Deepawali the myriads of little clay lamps (dias) seem to silently send forth Deepawali messages:

Come let us remove darkness from the face of the earth. This is not the work to be done by one dia or by one individual. It requires collective effort. In the diffusion of light the question of high and low is forgotten. This is the lesson taught by both small and big dias.

The second message of the burning Dias is to destroy the difference between rich and poor- the destruction of discrimination based on poverty and wealth. The burning dia, whether in a palatial bungalow or in a grass hut, is a symbol of this unity. The wall of separation based on economic status cannot prevent the penetration and spread of the light of the dia.

The third message of the burning diias of Deepawali is to kindle the extinguished lights of our neighbors. Let us find out what is needed- whether there is a shortage of wick or oil- and just by a little help the neighbor’s lamps can be lit. One dia can light several others. A little charity can bring joy to countless others. The row of lamps teach yet another lesson and that is of unity as exemplified in Satyam, Shivam Sundaram- Truth, Joy and Beauty.

The lights of Deepawali are displayed at the entrance doors, by the walls of houses, in the streets and lanes. This means that the inner spiritual light of the individual must be reflected outside.

Passersby may thereby be prevented from stumbling on their way to reach their destination.

The lights of the dias on earth beckon the lights in the firmaments to descend upon earth and establish the heavenly kingdom of God for the welfare of the human race.

Feeding empty stomachs, lighting blown-out dias and providing cheer and joy amongst the downtrodden is to enter the true spirit of Deepawali. This is the true prayer to Lakshmi Devi.

Wishing you all once again Happy Deepawali..

In Love and Light, Pankaj

5 Minerals for Cancer-Prevention

Here are 5 of the top cancer-prevention minerals:

1. Calcium: A proven protector against colon cancer, this mineral is integral for maintaining the health of bones and teeth, blood clotting, and cellular metabolism. Excellent sources include: nuts and seeds, carrot juice, dark green vegetables, salmon and sardines.

2. Iodine: This mineral is found in sea vegetables like kelp, dulse, and Celtic sea salt. It helps protect the body from breast cancer and is required for energy and the growth and repair of healthy tissues.

3. Magnesium: This mineral protects against cancer in general, maintains the pH balance of the blood, as well as aids the formation of your body’s genetic material–RNA and DNA. While damaged genetic material can put you at risk for cancer, magnesium helps with the repair work. It is found in many foods, including: nuts, fish, brown rice, whole grains, and green vegetables.

4. Selenium: This mineral helps the body manufacture glutathione, an enzyme required for proper detoxification of the body. Because toxic build-up in the body is linked to cancer, assisting your body with its natural, ongoing detoxification processes helps lessen your risk of cancer. In research, low dietary levels of selenium have been correlated with higher cancer incidence. Supplementation with selenium is a valuable cancer prevention tool.

5. Zinc: A powerful protective agent against prostate cancer, this mineral is also necessary for the formation of RNA and DNA and a healthy immune system. And, you guessed it: a healthy immune system is better able to kill cancer cells. Zinc is found in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, seafood, whole grains, soybeans, and onions.

Michelle Schoffro Cook, BSc, RNCP, ROHP, DNM, is an international best-selling and seven-time book author and doctor of natural medicine, whose works include: The Life Force Diet, The Ultimate pH Solution, The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan, The Phytozyme Cure and HealthSmart News. Learn more at www.DrMichelleCook.com.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-minerals-for-cancer-prevention.html#ixzz0znsiNGrP

Excerpt from Sacred Circuitry, 20.06.2010

[…] This transmission we would like to focus on the idea that we called in your language “sacred
circuitry”. You all have diagrams of some, just a few, of the sacred circuits.
What this is a reference to, is a particular tool, a particular technique, a
particular reflective idea that is unique in a very specific way. Most times,
what we have shared with you, as tools and techniques and permission slips,
have come from our own society’s understandings, our own society’s applications
of these principles that we discussed with you.

While we have ourselves adopted and adapted this idea within our society, this particular
technique comes as a gift, as a sharing handed down from other societies in
Creation. We will only go so far back as to say that while it did not originate
with them, what is relevant to this particular interaction is that this
particular technique was also adopted and adapted by the civilization, the
physical civilization in the star system of Sirius and handed down to the
hybrid civilization that we have already spoken of, that we call “The First
Ones”, The Shalinaya or the Yahyel, who have handed it down to our
civilization, the Sassani people. And now, we hand it down to you.

So this is the first time that we are sharing a technique, a tool, a permission slip, a gift handed down as a gift from other civilizations
in a specific succession. And you are next in line to receive this gift, this
sharing. So we bequeath this now to you to make it your own, to adopt it and
adapt it to your own imaginings, your own civilization.

So, while we will give you some brief instruction as to how perhaps to utilize this particular permission slip, please understand that in
time, you may also rely upon your own imagination – the conduit between your
physical mind and higher mind, your spirit guides, your synchronicities, your
own understandings of the choices that you have made to experience this
reality; you may rely on these things to adapt this idea, this tool, in whatever
way, shape or form suits you best, individually
and collectively.

But the basic idea is that it will tap into – like many permission slips – a collective consciousness and unconsciousness of your
civilization, the collective world spirit of your civilization. And that is
why, even though you may adapt it in a very personal manner, it will have some
effect on most of you, even though it is a permission slip and you are giving
yourself persmission by simply using this as a reflection to become more of
yourselves, it will key into those things that are extremely common with most
of you because it taps right into the idea of the wiring of the brain, the
neurological wiring of your brain.

As we have said before, there are 3 levels to the idea of the reception of information in the idea of physical reality. There is The
Higher Mind – which is the conceiver, there is the Physical Brain – which is
the receiver, the antenna, and there is the Physical Mind – which is the
perceiver of the experience. This permission slip, this gift, this sharing
handed down, is specifically designed to assit you in rewiring and adapting
your receiver, your antenna, your brain, your physical brain, in such a manner
as to allow for many different things, one of which is greater communication
between your Physical Mind and Higher Mind, allowing your brain to become not
just super-conductive, but hyper-conductive, allowing information to go
smoothly, effortlessly in both directions, from Physical to Higher, from Higher
to Physical. Thus, acting also more as a network, allowing you to associate
more readily, tap into and access more information more readily, gain
perspectives that allow for broader understandings of various levels of your
reality experience, and allow you to tap into broader capability at perceiving
other levels of reality, other dimensions of experience.

Of course, as we have also said, each and every thought you have changes the wiring of your brain and that is based specifically on what we
spoke of last night of your time (note: in “Shifting Through Infinity”
transmission) in terms of shifting through parallel realities, the idea being
that you are truly a different person, a new person literally every moment. The
idea of learning how to consciously re-wire your brains in specific ways, will
allow you more efficacy in becoming the person that you wish to become, that
you prefer to become, who you prefer to be and thus then, along with that, the
attendant parallel reality that’s reflective of that state.

Now, as you gaze at the first 15 of the sacred circuits – and there are many many more, but we will start here, we will keep it simple.
The idea, first and foremost, one way that you can begin to utilize these,
would be to take some time, on your own time, to turn each and everyone of
these into its own, as you call them, flash card, individually – 15 flash
cards, each one with one symbol and one word upon it. As you thus create these
flash cards, 1 to 15, with each attendant circuit and attendant word, the idea
would be to sit in a quiet and meditative way, a relaxed and peaceful way, in
an environment that you find relaxing and peaceful, with music if you wish,
with colours if you wish – however you wish it to be, that to you represents a
peaceful state without interruption – the idea being that you will take and
gaze at each one of these in succession, in order, 1 minute a card for 15
minutes.

Do this 3 days in row, 1 card at a time, one minute per card, in order, 1 through 15, in 15 minutes.

And as you simply gaze and ponder and allow your mind to drift, and just absorb the idea of the shape, just absorb the idea of the
attendant concept, without thinking, without analyzing, just let it in, just
gaze at it, just let your eyes be the true windows to your soul, your spirit,
your mind and everything else. Allow yourselves the opportunity to just sit
with these shapes and know that as you do so, what they are doing is that they
are specifically designed to allow the neurological circuitry in your brain to
re-wire itself to be representative of each and everyone of these symbolic
shapes so that it may function in accord with the concept that is attendant to
the shape. And overall, over the course of those 15, allow you to more
holistically function in a hyper-connective, hyper-conductive associative
accessing way to knowledge, information about yourself, about the Cosmos, about
All That Is in whatever way, shape or form is appropriate for you as an
individual aspect of Creation.

After you have done it 3 days in a row, in order, 1 through 15, each time, thereafter, thereafter you may do it in any order you so desire,
any order you are attracted to, whatever is in that sense, you are wishing to
focus on, You may do it in that way and you do not necessarily have to even do
them all. You may find yourselves sometimes gravitating to simply 1, 2 or 3 or
more in any given day.

The idea, however, is that how many ever you decide on any given single day – and you do not need to do this more than once a day – you
can do it twice, you can do it three times; I would not suggest you do it more
– the idea is that you need to allow your brain time to adapt, time to
incorporate, time to absorb, time to crystallize these effects, these
adaptations, these circuits.

So, start slow, start soft, let it take whatever time it is natural for it to take. And if you only do less than 15 in any given day –
after you do the first 3 days in the order in which they come – then allow
yourself again, in any given sitting, even if you’re only using one, to not do
it for more than 15 minutes.

As we have spoken of before, in the session that we entitled “15 Minutes & Counting”, and as you have observed and will observe, with
the meditation that is attendant to the holotope experience, 15 minutes is the
time frame in your reality that best suits the absorption of information and
the alteration in the re-wiring of the brain for a specific task. Longer than
that is really not efficient. Longer than that can actually, in some senses,
before it is in that sense absorbed appropriately and adapted appropriately,
before it is crystallized can actually allow you to lose the effect a little
bit.

So, keep it simple, keep it short, always keep it to 15 minutes. You do not need more than that. Guaranteed.[...]

------- FORWARD THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS -------

Hi,

I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed:

"THE NATION SPEAKS - “NO!, not in my name’’"
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/joininghandsinhealth/

I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes just a few seconds of your time.

Thanks!
------------------------------

Did you know... new EU Laws secretly approved behind closed doors, threatens to destroy your health, rights & freedom of choice? Therefore, you will no longer have access to thousands of 'safe' natural products & foods used successfully for centuries to heal illnesses such as Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease or to maintain overall health.

SIGNING OUR PETITION TODAY can stop this tragedy and help 'safeguard' yourself, loved-ones and future generations.

Along the Thread of our Inner Sincerity
by Adyashanti

Sincerity is a word that I often use in teaching to convey the importance of being rooted in the qualities of honesty, authenticity, and genuineness. There can be nothing phony or contrived in our motivations if we are to fully awaken to our natural and integral state of unified awareness. While teachings and teachers can point us inward to “the peace beyond all understanding,” it is always along the thread of our inner sincerity, or lack thereof, that we will travel. For the ego is clever and artful in the ways of deception, and only the honesty and genuineness of our ineffable being are beyond its influence. At each step and with each breath we are given the option of acting and responding, both inwardly and outwardly, from the conditioning of egoic consciousness which values control and separation above all else, or from the intuitive awareness of unity which resides in the inner silence of our being.

Without sincerity it is so very easy for even the greatest spiritual teachings to become little more than playthings of the mind. In our fast-moving world of quick fixes, big promises, and short attention spans, it is easy to remain on a very surface level of consciousness without even knowing it. While the awakened state is ever present and closer than your feet, hands, or eyes, it cannot be approached in a casual or insincere fashion. There is a reason that seekers the world over are instructed to remove their shoes and quiet their voices before entering into sacred spaces. The message being conveyed is that one’s ego must be “taken off and quieted” before access to the divine is granted. All of our ego’s attempts to control, demand, and plead with reality have no influence on it other than to make life more conflicted and difficult. But an open mind and sincere heart have the power to grant us access to realizing what has always been present all along.

[...] When you are earnest, you are both sincere and one-pointed; to be one-pointed means to keep your attention on one thing. I have found that the most challenging thing for most spiritual seekers to do is to stay focused on one thing for very long. The mind jumps around with its concerns and questions from moment to moment. Rarely does it stay with one question long enough to penetrate it deeply.

--By Adyashanti, from his essay, "The Indispensable Qualities of Awakening"

Top 5 Vitamins That Protect Against Cancer

The best way to beat cancer naturally is to adopt a lifestyle to prevent it. Healthy, nutrient-rich food is an essential part of any anti-cancer plan. Here are my picks for the top 5 vitamins that help protect against cancer. Stay posted next week for the Top 5 Minerals that Help Protect Against Cancer.

1. Beta carotene
This precursor of Vitamin A is found in most orange and green vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, and other leafy green vegetables. An amazing nutrient, it has been shown in research to protect the lungs against toxins that are linked to lung cancer.

Another study found that ex-smokers who ate green and yellow vegetables high in beta carotene daily decreased their risk of stomach and lung cancer.

2. Vitamin B6
This B-Vitamin is essential to maintain a healthy immune system and helps protect the respiratory tract from pollution and infection. In studies it has helped protect against cervical cancer. Vitamin B-6 is primarily found in carrots, apples, organ meats, bananas, leafy green vegetables, and sweet potatoes.

3. Vitamin C
One of the most well-researched nutrients, Vitamin C has shown great promise in the fight against cancer, both in prevention and disease-management. Consider a recent study in which forty patients with cancer of the breast, ovary, uterus, or cervix received large doses of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and other vitamins.

Another sixty-one patients with other kinds of cancer followed the same regime, while thirty-one patients received no vitamin supplements and served as the control group. The control group lived an average of 5.7 months. Of the others, 80 percent of the patients with cancer of the breast, ovary, uterus, or cervix had a mean survival time of 122 months; patients with other forms of cancer lived an average of 72 months. That translates into a length of life 13 to 21 times longer in those who used vitamin therapy.

4. Folic Acid
In studies, folic acid, also known as folate or vitamin B9, helps protect against cervical cancer and is necessary for the proper formation of the body’s own genetic material – DNA and RNA. It is found in beets, cabbage, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, citrus fruits, and most types of fish.

5. Vitamin E
In addition to protecting against bowel cancer, Vitamin E works as a powerful antioxidant that reduces the damage caused by ozone and pollutants on the cells. It is found in eggs, wheat germ, liver, unrefined vegetable oils, and dark green vegetables.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-5-vitamins-that-protect-against-cancer.html#ixzz0zntIQpB5

Jaime Escalante - Stand and Deliver

Do you have 'ganas'? That's Jaime's word for the determination, discipline, and hard work that leads to success. For decades, Jaime Escalante taught math in the tough neighbourhoods of LA -- and again and again succeeded with students others had given up on. His untiring commitment and passion now lives on in the work of his many grateful students.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM6blsMhPRQ&feature=player_embedded