How to survive when the dollar collapses

© Natural News

Natural News | Jan 30, 2015 | Daniel Barker

The current administration would like for you to believe that the economy is on the mend and that we can look forward to growth in 2015. But most economists and basically anyone with a grain of sense will tell you otherwise.

The drop in oil prices may seem like a good thing when it's time to gas up the SUV, but the free fall in oil prices is actually very bad news in the long run. And when you take a look at how the Federal Reserve has been artificially stimulating the economy with quantitative easing and the continued printing of ever-more-worthless dollars, it's not difficult to see that there is a huge economic bubble being created, and it will burst sooner or later. My guess is sooner, but maybe I'm just a pessimist -- time will tell...

Many are predicting that 2015 will be the year the dollar collapses, and few of us are truly ready to face what some are forecasting will be a financial "bloodbath" or "Armageddon." Despite the Obama Administration and the Fed's attempts to paint lipstick on a pig by cooking the books, the fact remains that more than 100 million Americans are unemployed -- the highest percentage since the Great Depression.

And with oil prices expected to drop even further, more Americans can expect to lose their jobs -- if they are lucky enough to have one in the first place.

And let's not forget the effects of Obamacare, which is driving employers to cut hours for their workers so that they can avoid having to meet the ACA requirements.

In short, we are headed for an economic collapse that will make the 2008 crisis pale in comparison.

So, how to survive the coming crash?

Daisy Luther, creator of the website offers some useful advice on how to cut costs and prepare as much as possible for the inevitable collapse of the dollar.

As Luther notes: "The key to economic survival is requiring less of things that cost money." She urges readers to realize the difference between essentials and luxuries, and get rid of the things that aren't necessary to survival. Her list of essentials includes:

• Water
• Food (and the ability to cook it)
• Medicine and medical supplies
• Basic hygiene supplies
• Shelter (including sanitation, lights, heat)
• Simple tools
• Seeds
• Defense items

Beyond these basics, all else are luxuries. Luther recommends looking for ways to cut monthly costs. Among her suggestions: moving to a smaller home, relocating to a smaller town, getting rid of monthly car payments by buying a cheaper used vehicle with cash, stop using credit cards, eat at home instead of dining out, and generally becoming as frugal and self-reliant as possible.

The more you can provide for yourself, the better off you will be. Do whatever you can to reduce your reliance on the power grid -- harnessing solar energy and limiting the use of electricity to powering actual necessities is a good start.

The more food you can grow or produce, the more money you'll save and the healthier you'll be -- not to mention the fact that you'll be more self-reliant when the SHTF.

It is essential to establish a mindset that will get you through any crisis. The core philosophy of prepping is to be ready before things go sideways. Luther also urges everyone to build a "preparedness library." If the power grid goes down, you'll need books to help you develop and maintain survival strategies -- websites are of no use if you can't get online.

Even if the economy turns around (which is highly doubtful at this point), it makes sense to be prepared for the worst. Don't wait until the proverbial wolves are at the door -- make plans now for facing what could prove to be a very challenging situation when the current economic bubble finally bursts.

Source:

http://www.theorganicprepper.ca

Conspiracy Theorists Vindicated: HAARP Confirmed Weather-manipulation Tool

image Wikipedia Commons

Activist Post | May 18, 2014 | Catherine J. Frompovich

The most damning aspersion that can be lobbed against any person, or the exposure of “secret government activity,” overwhelmingly is “Conspiracy Theorist.” That pejorative ‘handle’ is equated with imbecile mind-activity with aspersions often suggested as ‘tin hat wearers’. Well, step aside all you doubters and listen up carefully to what took place in the halls of Congress on May 14, 2014 regarding the weather modification system known as HAARP.

In the YouTube below Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) asks some pointed questions about HAARP. However, readers may not be surprised at the answers, but the mainstream media ought to be wiping oodles of egg yolk from its collective face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX3IOHpe6sY

In the report “Air Force Admits Weather Control via HAARP and New Tech,” David Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering, very-matter-of-factly states that they took over from the Navy and will be moving on

to managing the ionosphere, what the HAARP was really designed to do, to inject energy into the ionosphere to be able to actually control it… [CJF emphasis added]

Furthermore, the U.S. Air Force intends to dismantle the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Gakona, Alaska, by or during the summer of 2014! [1]

Built at a cost of more than $290 million, the site has 180 antennas on 30 acres that are used to direct energy into the ionosphere, which is 55 miles to 370 miles above the Earth, and monitor changes in the flow of charged particles. Stevens was the godfather of HAARP, which he helped start two decades ago with annual earmarks slipped into the defense budget. [1]

It seems that no research facility can be found to take over the HAARP Alaska facility. Could that be an indication that the weather modification system is regarded unfavorably? I find that as a possibility and extremely interesting, especially in view of all the technology that was invested and built into it. If no one wants to continue operating HAARP, will the State of Alaska be interested in it for education research purposes? But then, maybe HAARP-at-sea-ships, i.e., the Tesla Weapon Platform SBX-1, probably will be the most effective ‘on-site’ HAARP facility rather than one remotely stationary on land.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqhME0dD5Ds

However, there are numerous HAARP facilities in other countries around the globe that the Tesla Weapon Platform SBX-1 possibly could interact with. But then, we have to wonder what Assistant Secretary Walker was referring to when he stated that they got out of HAARP Alaska what they wanted and were moving on…moving on to what?

May 2nd, 2014, I published “What’s With the Weather and Chemtrails?”  Readers may want to review in light of the latest “bombshell” acknowledgement by Walker at a Congressional hearing.

Conspiracy theories and theorists truly have been vindicated about HAARP.

 Knowing the dogged research we, who are proclaimed ‘tin hat theorists’, perform and circulate, this writer feels extremely confident that other information regarded as ‘conspiracy theories’ about vaccines and other ‘sacred cow’ secrets also will be vindicated at some forthcoming date—just when, who knows—since it all depends upon who has the integrity to stand up and tell the facts of what’s been going on that the U.S. media, press, TV, and controllers won’t permit be made public until it’s too late to get objection going to stop the destruction of the planet and humankind.

It’s graduation time, theorists. Throw your tin hats into the air and let them fall wherever they may land. Hopefully, they will land on some mainstream media journalists’ heads so they can wear them and become empowered to tell the facts of what’s really going on.

Notes:

[1] http://www.adn.com/2014/05/14/3470442/air-force-prepares-to-dismantle.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1

Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies. Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting.

Catherine’s latest book, published October 4, 2013, is Vaccination Voodoo, What YOU Don’t Know About Vaccines, available on Amazon.com.

Her 2012 book A Cancer Answer, Holistic BREAST Cancer Management, A Guide to Effective & Non-Toxic Treatments, is available on Amazon.com and as a Kindle eBook.

Two of Catherine’s more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process (2008).

Archeologists find 3,000-year-old burial site in Peru

© Press TV News Video

PERU | Mar 8, 2014 | PressTV News Videos

Every now and again, archaeologists stumble upon something new. This time around, they've discovered a burial site, containing human remains dating back three-thousand years.

Excavators working in Peru's city of Cusco have found ancient artifacts and skeletal remains of five individuals at the site. They believe the remains are from the pre-Incan Marcavalle culture. They were discovered in two double graves and a single one. Among the artifacts are tools, ceramic fragments and beaded necklaces. This latest discovery is significant because no human remains dating back to the Marcavalle culture have ever been found before.

Power Tool Makers Fight against Finger-Saving Device

ALLGOV | Mar 2, 2014 | Steve Straehley

SawStop of Tualatin, Oregon, has named several major power tool companies in an antitrust lawsuit, claiming the companies conspired to boycott SawStop’s device that can prevent finger amputations by saws. The reason for the boycott, according to SawStop, is that companies are afraid that if one adopted the technology, others would be more exposed to personal injury lawsuits.

SawStop’s technology sends a weak electric current through a saw blade. When the blade touches skin, a sensor detects the change in current and jams an aluminum wedge into the blade, stopping it in about three milliseconds, much quicker than a user can react.

The company filed suit against several companies, including Black & Decker, Ryobi, Makita and Bosch, according to the website Fair Warning. The suit says that it was revealed in a 2010 lawsuit that company officials discussed the SawStop device and its potential effect on liability issues at meetings of the Power Tool Institute, an industry trade group.

SawStops’ action contends industry companies conspired to boycott the technology and force Underwriters’ Laboratories to change its saw safety guard standards to the detriment of SawStop.

In the 2010 suit, David Peot, Ryobi’s former director of advanced technologies, testified that “if another manufacturer were to develop a concept of improved table saw safety, then the manufacturers who don’t have that would certainly be at a disadvantage when it comes to product liability,” according to Fair Warning.

A key issue in the SawStop case is whether it was filed in time. Antitrust claims are required to be brought within four years of the violation, unless it’s shown that the defendants willfully concealed the action. SawStop claims it learned of the violation only in 2010, with Peot’s testimony.

SawStop hopes to collect at least $10 million in lost revenue, as well as treble damages, in the suit. In the meantime, SawStop is selling saws using its technology. The company says it has sold more than 50,000 of the saws and claims to have saved more than 2,000 amputations.

In response to the marketing of SawStop saws, the big players in the power tool industry joined to create their own version of the safety technology, according to Fair Warning. The venture ended in 2009 with the companies saying they had created a device superior to SawStop’s. However, the device has yet to be incorporated into any saws marketed by the companies.

To Learn More:

Power Tool Makers Accused in Lawsuit of Thwarting Adoption of Finger-Saving Device (by Myron Levin, Fair Warning)

After More Than a Decade and Thousands of Disfiguring Injuries, Power Tool Industry Still Resisting Safety Fix (by Myron Levin, Fair Warning)

Comment:  "However, the device has yet to be incorporated into any saws marketed by the companies." There's a good reason for that. This technology has not figured out how to stop a blade instantly without screwing up the motor and parts permanently that run it. (Notice electric miters saws don't stop on a dime even with their current stopping functions.) Unfortunately, this type of thinking will not suffice over time, and partially because the whole idea of cutting wood is to have a "very sharp" blade that runs efficiently and with greater power. Now, these idiots are attempting to cover the fact their large and obvious warning labels are absent as these warnings are detrimental to their sales to people who really don't have any business using these tools and have not be trained. Nevertheless, being able to sell any tool to anyone is the main objective, and this is an attempt to hide that fact.

11,000-year-old settlement found under Baltic Sea

© iStock
A newly discovered underwater site was
in fact some sort of a dump in which
nomadic Swedes discarded objects.

11,000-year-old settlement found under Baltic Sea
Feb 22, 2014 | Rossella Lorenzi \ Discovery News

Evidence of a Stone-Age settlement that may have been swallowed whole by the Baltic Sea has resurfaced near Sweden, revealing a collection of well preserved artifacts left by nomads some 11,000 years ago.

Dubbed by the local press "Sweden's Atlantis" after the fabled island which according to Greek philosopher Plato sank around 9600 B.C. in the Atlantic Ocean, the newly discovered site was in fact some sort of a dump in which nomadic Swedes discarded objects, according to a report by the Swedish daily The Local.

Buried 52 feet below the surface at Hanö, a sandy bay off the coast of Skane County in Sweden, the items include wood pieces, flint tools, animal horns, ropes, a harpoon carving made from an animal bone and the bones of an aurochs and an ancient cattle which became extinct in the early 1600s.

"There's wood and antlers and other implements that were thrown in there," project leader Björn Nilsson, archaeology professor at Södertörn University, told the Local.

Amazingly, the artifacts have been perfectly preserved because of the abundant oxygen-consuming gyttja -- a black, gel-like sediment which is formed when peat begins to decay.

"Around 11,000 years ago there was a build up in the area, a lagoon or sorts ... and all the tree and bone pieces are preserved in it. If the settlement was on dry land we would only have the stone-based things, nothing organic," Nilsson said.

Nilsson's team is continuing to excavate the area, looking for a potential burial site.

"What we have here is maybe one of the oldest settlements from the first more permanent sites in Scania and in Sweden full stop," Nilsson said.

H/T Sott.net

'Wise chisels': Art, craftsmanship, and power tools (w/ Video)

A carving tool designed by MIT Media Lab postdoc
Amit Zoran, called FreeD, allows the user to control
the carving process while aided by a computer guidance
system that is preprogrammed with the
desired three-dimensional shape. Credit: MIT

'Wise chisels': Art, craftsmanship, and power tools (w/ Video)
Nov 22, 2013 | Phys.org | David L. Chandler

It's often easy to tell at a glance the difference between a mass-produced object and one that has been handcrafted: The handmade item is likely to have distinctive imperfections and clear signs of an individual's technique and style.

Now, some researchers at MIT are finding ways to blur those distinctions, making it possible, for example, to sculpt items with those distinctive signs of handicraft, while controlling the outcome so that the object doesn't stray too far from the desired form. They described their work at the recent Association for Computing Machinery Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology.

Amit Zoran, a postdoc at the MIT Media Lab who did much of this work as part of his doctoral thesis research, is the lead author of the reports. He says that, in an age of increasing standardization and mass-production, he has been "searching for this human quality, for ways to translate the long heritage of craft and creativity" into the digital age.

For example, in work with graduate student Roy Shilkrot, Zoran has designed a handheld carving tool that can be programmed with a desired three-dimensional shape. When the user begins to carve a block of material, anytime his motions would extend into the region of the desired final form, the device provides physical feedback that slows the motion.

If the carving alters the shape so much that it would compromise the structural integrity of the object, the computerized system can adjust the shape accordingly, in real time. For example, if in sculpting a giraffe the user carved too far into the neck, the computer can adjust the shape, introducing a bend in the neck that maintains its strength.

Watch video

The basic principles Zoran and his colleagues are pursuing could also extend into physical safety. For example, by recognizing when they might be about to inflict damage, these "smart tools" could sense that a sharp blade is getting too close to a user's fingers, for example, and automatically deflect its path to avoid injury.

"We're developing tools that don't have a direct physical, craft heritage, but are entirely new," Zoran says of a project conducted with graduate student Pragun Goyal. "Creativity is all about error. … We're looking for creativity, for something that surprises us."

To demonstrate the inherent flexibility and creativity of these computer-assisted tools, Zoran had several different people make carvings based on the same programmed shape—in this case, a cat. As expected, each piece had a unique appearance, with distinctive textures, forms, and styles.

Goyal and his advisor, Joseph Paradiso, an associate professor of media arts and sciences, have also developed a handheld inkjet printer head. The device can be programmed to print a specific image, but instead of moving across a fixed track as in a conventional printer, it can be guided by hand across any surface. This would allow, for example, a highly detailed image to be printed onto a complex 3-D shape—something no conventional printer can do.

This combination of digital capabilities and human control could permit a new kind of tool for measurement or testing, explains Goyal. For example, a handheld probe could be used to test an electronic circuit board—but unlike ordinary probes, it could be preprogrammed with details of the circuit. So instead of having to manually set parameters, such as the expected voltage range at a given point, the device would know what range to set, and do so instantly. It would also record the reading and automatically associate each result with the exact location where it was taken.

Zoran, Goyal, and Shilkrot carried out this research with Paradiso and Pattie Maes as part of the Media Lab's groups on Responsive Environment and Fluid Interfaces.

Could the Use of a Standing Desk Slash the Risk of Diabetes, Cancer and Premature Death? Advocates Say Yes

WakeUp World: Could the Use of a Standing Desk Slash the Risk of Diabetes, Cancer and Premature Death? Advocates Say Yes
Aug 20, 2013 | Natural News | Carolanne Wright

As research continues to confirm the deadly effects of sitting for long periods of time, savvy workers are switching to standing desks and reaping the benefits.

Notable advocates of tall work stations include Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway, among others. All sensed the inherent reward of increased creativity, alertness and physical stamina. What they may not have known is that standing desks can save lives.

Health perils of sitting

Linked with an increased likelihood of heart disease, inflammation, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer, lengthy periods of sitting are bad news for health. According to the Natural News article, “More evidence suggest that desk jobs and excessive sitting are deadly,” researchers at Leicester University in the U.K discovered:

“… the longer a person sits each day, the more likely he or she is to develop markers of metabolic syndrome, which include high levels of both glucose and fatty acids in the bloodstream. As it turns out, an individual’s metabolic rate, which represents the amount of energy expended while at rest, also plummets while sitting, which in the absence of proper exercise can lead to being overweight or obese.”

Additionally, the Mayo Clinic states:

“From previous studies we also know that a sedentary lifestyle is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers (breast and colon).”

Thankfully, we need not succumb to such dire consequences of a sedentary life. When we take a stand for health, we can fend off disease while encouraging better focus, productivity, energy and zest. Not to mention a svelte waistline.

Stand-up and thrive

Instead of slouching over your computer for hours on end, consider a standing desk. Used by great minds throughout history, standing upright while working burns calories, increases blood flow, reduces neck strain and keeps us healthy. Steve Connor notes in The Independent:

Scientists have found that a person’s metabolic rate crashes to a minimum when sitting and that standing up for an extra three hours a day, even without exercising, would on average burn off about 3.6kg of fat a year.

And Chris Adams in “The Benefits of a Standing Desk,” observes:

Another benefit of a standing desk is an increase in your focus, alertness and activity level. These all support each other. When standing it is easier to release restless energy. Combine that with the good circulation, stable blood sugar and an active metabolism and it is easier to focus on the task at hand. Many authors and statesmen throughout the centuries who swear by working at a standing desk have claimed that it helps get the creative juices flowing. It also fights fatigue and improves tiredness.

If you are sold on the idea, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

- Place the computer screen at eye level to avoid neck strain

- Arms should be kept at a 90 degree angle

- Stand straight with feet shoulder width apart

Also, do not purely stand throughout your work day as this increases the risk of carotid atherosclerosis along with varicose veins. Gentle movements such as shifting weight from one foot to the other as well as an anti-fatigue mat are helpful to keep leg circulation humming.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sitting-disease

http://www.independent.co.uk

http://www.forbes.com

http://ergonomics.about.com

http://ergonomics.about.com

http://www.artofmanliness.com

1762 Monograph Series Records - The Five Architectural Orders

1762 Monograph Series Records - The Five Architectural Orders

The following are the original scans done from records saved from the original publishing (at that time about 1987) which were converted into a PDF file. These are records of William Pain's original work recorded in 1762 for the Tuscan (Etruscan), Corinthian, Ionic (Attic), Compofite (Composite), and Dorick (Doric) orders.

This file post is being updated...

1762 Monograph Series Records

References:

• Etruscan civilization
• Corinthian order
• Ionic order
• Composite order
• Doric order

Ancient Human Innovations Linked to Climate Shifts

Stone tools known as bifacial points recovered
from Blombos Cave, South Africa. They were
made during the Middle Stone Age, about
75,000 years ago, by anatomically modern
humans. Scale bar: 1 cm (0.4 inches).
CREDIT: Courtesy of Christopher Henshilwood,
University of the Witwatersrand

Ancient Human Innovations Linked to Climate Shifts
May 21, 2013 | Live Science | Douglas Main

The climate of South Africa was once much wetter than it is today, and those lush times may have spurred human populations through especially innovative periods, new research shows.
Evidence from these ancient periods suggests humans produced new tools, and used symbolism in wall engravings. The findings suggest a tight link between abrupt climate changes and the emergence of modern human traits, researchers say.

"We provide for the first time really good evidence that the occurrence and disappearance of these first finds of human innovations are linked to climate change," said study author Martin Ziegler, an earth science researcher at Cardiff University in Wales.

Before these periods of innovation, humans were quite primitive, with the most impressive technology being hand axes, Ziegler said. But during these wet periods, more advanced stone and bone tools appear in the fossil record, as well as painted symbols on cave walls that suggest the development of language.

Archaeologists have also found some of the first evidence of constructed plant beds during these periods, and shells thought to be worn as adornments or jewelry, Ziegler said. Among the most important periods analyzed in the study date to 71,000, and a period between 64,000 and 59,000 years ago. [Top 10 Mysteries of the First Humans]

In the study, Ziegler's team reconstructed South Africa's climate over the last 100,000 years. They pieced together the record by analyzing sediment cores taken from the offshore region near the southeastern tip of Africa.

Chemicals within the sediment suggest how much rainfall fell nearby, Ziegler said, as well as other indicators of climate.

The climate reconstruction agrees with records from elsewhere in the world. During these lush periods in South Africa, much of the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa was experiencing a drought, while much of the Northern Hemisphere was very cold, Ziegler said. The study suggests that cold conditions in the north reoriented Atlantic Ocean currents, shifting the global monsoon belt — with its torrential rains — to the south, he said.

The study shows an association, but not a cause-and-effect relationship between wetter conditions and human innovation. But it may be that during these periods, drought farther north forced ancient humans into South African refuges, leading to a "bottleneck" of competition, and cross-cultural fertilization, Ziegler said.

Future work may look at the connection between human populations elsewhere, and local climate shifts.

But insights from these locations in South Africa are vital, because they are thought to "reflect the emergence of modern behaviors of innovation, language and cultural identity," the authors wrote in the study, published today (May 21) in the journal Nature Communications.

Email Douglas Main or follow him on Twitter or Google+. Follow us @livescience,  Facebook or Google+. Article originally on LiveScience.com.

Why Logic Alone Is Not Enough (With James Corbett)

Why Logic Alone Is Not Enough (With James Corbett)
May 8, 2013 | SchoolSucksPodcast

A conversation about the importance of defining terms, checking premises and monitoring emotions in the pursuit of truth.

3-D printer could create human organs

3-D printer could create human organs
Feb 19, 2013 | RTAmerica


Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland have created an apparatus that is able to print out embryonic cells. What does this mean for you? Imagine if you are in need of a new kidney or heart, this 3-D printer has the capability of printing what you need in order to continue living a healthy life. For more on this innovative technology Marina Portnaya joins us to discuss the recent developments.

The Vagus nerve: Your friend in weight loss and a better mood

image

The Vagus nerve: Your friend in weight loss and a better mood
Dec 27, 2012 | Dr. Daniel Zagst

(NaturalNews) It's no secret that a healthy nervous system is important for well-being and longevity. The spinal nerves are responsible for controlling most of the muscles in your torso, arms, and legs, along with bowel, bladder, and reproductive functions. The cranial nerves reside mostly in the head region and control much of what goes on in the face and neck, but the tenth cranial nerve goes way beyond. The Vagus nerve influences your body and brain more than most people realize.

What is the Vagus nerve?

The Vagus nerve is responsible for speech, swallowing, keeping the larynx open for breathing, slowing heart rate, monitoring and initiating digestive processes, and modulating inflammation, among other actions. It arises from the medulla in the brain and passes through the skull down within the chest cavity where it branches off in multiple directions to innervate organs and muscles. 80 to 90 percent of the nerve fibers are devoted to sending information from the organs/gut back to the brain. The Vagus nerve is the main line of communication between the brain and the energy-producing digestive tract. It also relays information to the brain from what is known as the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). The ENS is our "second brain" controlling the digestive process; it is made up of over 500 million neurons that surround the digestive tract. It is called a second brain because it can function independently from the brain if the Vagus nerve is severed. Research into the Vagus nerve and its effects on the body and brain have revealed good reasons to keep it stimulated.

Research shows health-promoting effects

The Vagus nerve is an activator of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS is responsible for relaxation, slowed heart rate, digestion, sleep, and general well-being by the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that acts as a messenger. Furthermore, Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been found to activate anti-inflammatory pathways that work in the digestive tract. Another recent study found VNS to be a possible treatment for chronic depression in people that didn't respond to any other treatments. It is not entirely understood how VNS affects the brain in such a profound manner but it may be due to the inhibition of certain aberrant pathways. A secondary effect of VNS was weight loss due to the "feeling of fullness" caused by activation of the Vagus nerve, the same that is felt after consuming a large meal. Research is now moving forward into possible applications in the treatment of anxiety disorders, Alzheimer's disease, and fibromyalgia.

How to activate the Vagus nerve

VNS is commonly performed as a surgical procedure to install a pacemaker-like device that continuously stimulates the nerve. Although effective, it carries many risks and there are easier ways you can stimulate the Vagus nerve without surgery. VNS can be achieved by performing a vagal maneuver; the same given to people with a fast heartbeat or blood pressure issues. These maneuvers include holding your breath, placing a cold, wet washcloth over your face, or tensing your abdomen as if you were going to get punched in the stomach. Taking deep, long breaths using your diaphragm to expand your belly is one of the best ways to achieve VNS while simultaneously oxygenating your blood. When hungry, performing these maneuvers may help you resist those high-calorie holiday snacks in the brake room.

Sources:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1566070200002150
http://journals2005.pasteur.ac.ir/NI/6(8)/844%20-%20851.pdf
http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/189/3/282.full
http://www.newscientist.com

About the author:
Dr. Daniel Zagst is a chiropractic physician at Advanced Health & Chiropractic in Mooresville, NC. He has a BS in Professional Studies of Adjunctive Therapies, Doctorate of Chiropractic from NYCC, and an Advanced Certificate in Sport Science and Human Performance. Find out more at www.dzchiro.com

The beautiful math of coral - Margaret Wertheim

The beautiful math of coral - Margaret Wertheim
Nov 24, 2012 | TEDEducation

How To Build A Bicycle Generator

How To Build A Bicycle Generator
Nov 12, 2012 | Alt-Market

This article was originally published at Waking Times

Building your own generator requires a number of items. A person, a bike, a way of supporting your bike off the ground, a motor, an energy smoothing system and an inverter if you want to use your bike generator to power mains equipment. Each of these parts needs to work efficiently in order to generate between 50 and 100 watts of usable energy for your generator.

REMEMBER TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WORKING WITH ELECTRICITY – IF IN DOUBT, ASK AN ELECTRICIAN

We’ll discuss the parts and how to assemble a single bike generator in this D.I.Y. Guide which you can download as a PDF here.

1. PEOPLE

At the end of the day if there are no motivated cyclists you cannot create electricity. Each person can create between 20 and 100 watts over extended periods and we’ve got as much as 250w from athletes in short bursts. It’s also more fun doing things together so get your friends round to give you a hand!

2. A BICYCLE

Type of bike:

Road bikes are most suitable type of bike for generating electricity because they have slick tires. Slick tires help keep friction and noise to a minimum level. Road bikes are designed to be efficient on smooth roads. You will generally get more watts from a road bike than a town (designed for comfort) or a mountain bike (designed for bumps and bashes).

Gears:

Geared bikes have the advantage that cyclists of different abilities can use them.

• Single speed bikes have the advantage that the cyclist cannot change gear and make life easier for him/herself. Therefore you can almost guarantee the same power out from each person.

Magnificent Revolution has a set of second hand road bikes. You can get a good bike for just over £100. We got ours from places such as the Bicycle Ambulance in Cambridge and Bike Works in London.

Read complete instructions..

The art of the metaphor - Jane Hirshfield

The art of the metaphor - Jane Hirshfield
Sept 24, 2012 | TEDEducation

Vietnam Vet Leaves This World – To Live in the Trees

“I’ll take the trees – if you please.”

Vietnam Vet Leaves This World – To Live in the Trees
Sept 10, 2012 | Jim W. Dean | Veterans Today

A Green Beret Medic Comes Home in 1974 and after Many False Starts Becomes King of the Tree House World  

“One of the big things in my life was to try to make a living at something that I liked…on that I didn’t sell out on.” …Mike Garnier  

I have a gem for you today folks. Mike Garnier moved to Oregon to put down roots after Vietnam but his desire to make a living working with wood initially ran into one disappointment after another.

Eventually, he raised his sights, literally, to the trees on his property. The rest is now history. He’s the king of Tree House mountain.

Mike owns more tree houses than anyone on the planet. And if you don’t think that’s a big deal, watch the video.


As I began watching the video for the first time myself, I knew right away I was going to feature it on VT just for the great treehouse story alone.

The first bullet quote that had me diving for a notebook was,

“I had to figure out how to make a living off the trees without cutting them down.”

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Bonobo chimp makes stone tools like early humans did

Bonobo chimp makes stone tools like early humans did
Aug 23, 2012 | Phenomenica

Bonobo Kanzi.
 
After learning sign language or making up “words” for things like banana or juice, Kanzi, the 30-year-old male bonobo chimp, continues to impress researchers with his new skill of making stone tools like early humans did.

Eviatar Nevo of the University of Haifa in Israel and his colleagues sealed food inside a log and watched Kanzi try to extract it.

While a companion bonobo attempted the problem a handful of times, and succeeded only by smashing the log on the ground, Kanzi took a longer and arguably more sophisticated approach, New Scientist reported.

Both had been taught to knap flint flakes in the 1990s, holding a stone core in one hand and using another as a hammer. Kanzi used the tools he created to come at the log in a variety of ways: inserting sticks into seams in the log, throwing projectiles at it, and employing stone flints as choppers, drills, and scrapers. In the end, he got food out of 24 logs, while his companion managed just two.



Perhaps most remarkable about the tools Kanzi created is their resemblance to those made by early Homo: wedges and choppers, and scrapers and drills.

Though it’s hard to say whether all bonobos possess similar skills, the findings will fuel the ongoing debate over whether stone tools mark the beginning of modern human culture, or predate our Homo genus.

They appear to suggest the latter – though critics will point out that Kanzi and his companion were taught how to make the tools.

ANI

Neolithic Man: The First Lumberjack?

A polished axe from the PPNB period.

Neolithic Man: The First Lumberjack?
Aug 15, 2012 | Terra Daily

During the Neolithic Age (approximately 10000-6000 BCE), early man evolved from hunter-gatherer to farmer and agriculturalist, living in larger, permanent settlements with a variety of domesticated animals and plant life. This transition brought about significant changes in terms of the economy, architecture, man's relationship to the environment, and more.

Now Dr. Ran Barkai of Tel Aviv University's Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations has shed new light on this milestone in human evolution, demonstrating a direct connection between the development of an agricultural society and the development of woodworking tools.

"Intensive woodworking and tree-felling was a phenomenon that only appeared with the onset of the major changes in human life, including the transition to agriculture and permanent villages," says Dr. Barkai, whose research was published in the journal PLoS One. Prior to the Neolithic period, there is no evidence of tools that were powerful enough to cut and carve wood, let alone fell trees. But new archaeological evidence suggests that as the Neolithic age progressed, sophisticated carpentry developed alongside agriculture.

Evolution of axes

The use of functional tools in relation to woodworking over the course of the Neolithic period has not been studied in detail until now. Through their work at the archaeological site of Motza, a neighbourhood in the Judean Hills, Dr. Barkai and his fellow researchers, Prof. Rick Yerkes of Ohio State University and Dr. Hamudi Khalaily of the Israel Antiquity Authority, have unearthed evidence that increasing sophistication in terms of carpentry tools corresponds with increased agriculture and permanent settlements.

The early part of the Neolithic age is divided into two distinct eras - Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) and Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB). Agriculture and domesticated plants and animals appear only in PPNB, so the transition between these two periods is a watershed moment in human history. And these changes can be tracked in the woodworking tools which belong to each period, says Dr. Barkai.

Within PPNA, humans remained gatherers but lived in more permanent settlements for the first time, he says. Axes associated with this period are small and delicate, used for light carpentry but not suited for felling trees or other massive woodworking tasks. In PPNB, the tools have evolved to much larger and heavier axes, formed by a technique called polishing. The researchers' in-depth analysis of these tools shows that they were used to cut down trees and complete various building projects.

"We can document step by step the transition from the absence of woodworking tools, to delicate woodworking tools, to heavier woodworking tools," Dr. Barkai says, and this follows the "actual transition from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture." He also identifies a trial-and-error phase during which humans tried to create an axe strong enough to undertake larger woodworking tasks. Eventually, they succeeded in creating a massive ground stone axe in PPNB.

Home makeover

Whether the transition to an agricultural society led to the development of major carpentry tools or vice versa remains to be determined, says Dr. Barkai, who characterizes it as a "circular argument." Whatever the answer, the parallel changes led to a revolution in lifestyle.

Beyond the change from a hunter-gatherer to an agricultural economy, a new form of architecture also emerged. Not only did people begin to live in permanent villages, but the buildings in which they lived literally took a different shape. The round and oval structures of earlier domiciles were replaced by rectangular structures in PPNB, explains Dr. Barkai. "Evidence tells that us that for each home, approximately 10 wooden beams were needed. Prior to this, there were no homes with wooden beams." In addition, humans began to produce limestone-based plaster floors for their homes - which also represented a growing use of wood, since plaster is manufactured by heating limestone.

These architectural developments, along with building pens and fences for domesticated animals, also necessitated the felling of trees in large quantities.

How to Build A Woodworking Bench

© R. Mark Sink
(Completed bench)

How to Build A Woodworking Bench - R. Mark Sink

When it comes to wood benches to build, here is one that is extremely simple and functional. It is the same workbench plan I have used for years but this one is improved in a way where you can build it easier.

Dimension: 14 1/4 Inches Wide (3 1/2" X 4 plus spacing) X 23 7/8 Inches Long X 24 Inches Tall (Note: If boards are only 3 1/4 inches wide, adjust overall width to 13 1/4 inches wide and adjust horizontal cuts.)

This is a really fun project and you can make the cuts with a jigsaw, but a circular saw or electric miter saw is recommended. All your cuts are square cuts except for the bottom of the legs which are simple cuts to make. I use screws so a battery powered drill makes this project a real breeze. You can also nail this bench using #6 finish nails or box nails. You need to pre-drill the holes if possible.

This project takes four 1X4 pine 8' long or 32 feet. You'll need some 1 1/4 inch coarse thread drywall screws. One small box is enough. Glue is recommended to ensure the workbench doesn't loosen up over many years of use.

Step 1: Here's Your Cut Sheet

© R. Mark Sink
(Step 2, two sections)

Legs: 4 @ 23 1/4 inches long
Horizontals: 4 @ 22 1/4 inches long
Horizontals (ends): 4 @ 12 3/4 inches long
(shown in photo right attached to the two legs using a framing square)
Top: 4 @ 23 7/8 inches long

This will leave 48 inches of stock incase you need to re-cut a piece you cut the wrong length. One tool you really need is a framing square. This makes your job simple and critical to ensure your workbench is square itself. The horizontals are glued to the legs and 1 1/4 inch screws are used. Each end horizontal is held back from the edge 3/4 inches. I use a drill bit that has a beveled collar but it's not necessary. Drill a pilot hole 3/4 way into your material. Only drill the piece laying on top or your screws may not hold well.

I attach the top longer horizontal piece with the workbench laying on its top. I place two screws into the horizontal piece directly into the adjacent horizontal end piece. I also place one screw through the leg from the end into the long horizontal piece in the middle of the board.

© R. Mark Sink
(Step 3, begin building standing structure)

Then add the rest of your horizontal pieces by screwing them into your end horizontals. It is highly recommended that you check your workbench with a framing square as you are constructing the parts. Often, you will discover that one piece may be slightly too long or short. You have a bit of extra and could make an adjustment to improve your bench. As soon as you have inserted all the screws, stand your workbench up and make sure it is sitting firmly on a flat surface. I use plenty of glue on all the joints and especially the top.

When you lay your top pieces on, the ends may not line up perfectly across the narrow end. This is ok. You can draw a straight line and trim it slightly. The lengths of the tops pieces should be slightly longer than the outside length measurement of your existing bench you just constructed.

© R. Mark Sink
(Two pieces make handle)

© R. Mark Sink
(Install 4 top pieces)

This allows for a simple trimming or sanding because it is much easier to construct a rectangle that is is more a parallelogram than a perfect 3 dimension rectangle. I commonly use long pipe clamps to force parts back to square using cross clamping techniques. By allowing your top pieces to overlay your sides slightly, you build your workbench more like a real table and allow some of imperfections. I usually sand the edges flush and then hit them with the Porter Cable Sander.

This design allows for you to lay your 4 top pieces and the spacing between each piece will allow you to install them without worrying about the 4 pieces being too wide. Mark your screw line 1 1/8 inches back from the edge and insert two screws in each board at the end. Keep all your screws about 3/8 inches from edge of the board.

Your horizontal ends required you to drill your pilot hole 3/8 inches from the end of the board also. This centers your screw into the 3/4 inch material you are screwing into.

© R. Mark Sink
(Handle layout)

I add a handle in the middle by cutting the two center boards. Simply use a compass, draw a perpendicular line 1 3/4 inches back at the center (11 15/16"), and draw an elliptical curve on each piece. This is the most comfortable handle and doesn't require special sanding requirements such as inside corners. This requires a jigsaw. If you don't have one and would like a handle, notch this area out with a chisel or other cutting tool.

Make your handle at least 4 inches long from long point measurement.

I add a lower shelf in my workbench to throw stuff while I'm working with the bench. You only need for smaller pieces of scrap to nail or screw in the inside lower banding.

© R. Mark Sink
(Lower inside shelf)

(See below right) Here I have ripped 1 inch wide strips from the left over 1X4 pine, glued and nailed to the inside flush with the bottom edge of the horizontals. Then, I cut a piece of 1/4 Birch plywood 12 3/4 inches wide X 20 3/4 inches long. Any piece of material up to 3/4 inches think will work fine. It's nice to keep your workbench lightweight because you will be moving it around a lot.

Surprisingly, these workbenches last forever if you keep them dry. If you leave them outside, they can rot out in just a year or two. Store your workbench out of the rain! This is critical to its life.

Copyright 2005© Randy Sink
Revised 2012

Rudolf Steiner - The Polymath Philosopher

Rudolf Steiner - The Polymath Philosopher - 108morris108



The depth and spectrum of Steiner has to put him in the league of the world's greatest people.

From Wikipedia: Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner[2] (25/27 February 1861[3] -- 30 March 1925) was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist.[4][5] Steiner gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher. At the beginning of the 20th century, he founded a spiritual movement, Anthroposophy, as an esoteric philosophy growing out of idealist philosophy and with links to Theosophy.

Steiner led this movement through several phases. In the first, more philosophically oriented phase, Steiner attempted to find a synthesis between science and mysticism;[6] his philosophical work of these years, which he termed spiritual science, sought to provide a connection between the cognitive path of Western philosophy and the inner and spiritual needs of the human being.[7]:291 In a second phase, beginning around 1907, he began working collaboratively in a variety of artistic media, including drama, the movement arts (developing a new artistic form, eurythmy) and architecture, culminating in the building of a cultural centre to house all the arts, the Goetheanum. After the First World War, Steiner worked with educators, farmers, doctors, and other professionals to develop numerous practical initiatives, including Waldorf education, biodynamic agriculture, anthroposophical medicine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner