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Greetings from Beech Mountain! We are on a pre-Christmas trip with my entire family that we take annually. Sorry it's been a few weeks since I posted...we have been in the road just like all of you I am sure. I am going to try to recap what we've been up to this month!
December started with a VERY successful Junior League Holiday Market! We had over 90 merchants from around the country selling everything you could imagine! I did take a few pictures, but didn't download them before we left town so I will have to post those later. It is always a long week, but at the end I think we are all a little sad it's over.
We also helped Gigi decorate the Christmas tree...we always have fun reminiscing over each ornament!Boys and their Gigi |
Jackson and Tradd |
Boys with Nana and Pop {Lee's Parents} |
Boys with Bryson and Liz {My brother and his girlfriend} |
Boys with Papa and Gigi {My parents} |
Last week at the boy's prechool, they had a Christmas party and little performance for the parents. We all cracked up when they all filed in dressed as the Blues Brothers! They sang a "blues" song and Joy to the World followed by lunch and crafts. We have truly been blessed with the friendships that have come from our preschool family!
Jackson |
Jackson and Tradd |
Mama and Jackson |
Mama and Tradd |
December has also meant a lot of changes to our house! The sheetrock has been completed and the trim guys have been working for a solid two weeks. The interior doors have been hung, the trim has been finished around the windows and doors, and the built in cabinetry was wrapping up today! The tile in most of the bathrooms has also been installed. We have been out of town since Sunday, so I am dying to see the changes that have taken place.
Locker/Charging Station |
Laundry Room |
Laundry Room Cabinets |
Downstairs bathroom tile |
Dining Room |
Dining Room |
More to come from our "BEECH" trip and Christmas, but until then Merry Merry!

subset: commoncrawl


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Buddhist Society of Western Australia
Religion & Spirituality:Buddhism
Tuesday 16th May 2023
Ajahn Cittapalo joins the Armadale Meditation Group on-line live. Armadale Meditation Group (AMG) is designed to teach you about meditation. The classes generally begin with chanting the Metta Sutta, then receiving meditation instructions and meditating together, followed by asking questions and finally if time remains listening to a Dhamma talk. However, the layout can vary. Due to social distancing regulations, these weekly Tuesday night teachings are happening via Zoom from Bodhinyana Monastery.
Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.
To find and download more precious Dhamma teachings, visit the BSWA teachings page choose the teaching you want and click on the audio to open it up on Podbean.
Teachings are available for downloading from the BSWA website the BSWA Youtube Channel, the BSWA Podcast, and Deeper Dhamma Podcast.
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We'll keep you up to date with detailed lesson notes, session recordings and hassle-free payments to make tutoring with us easy and simple.
Personalised 1:1 Biology Tutoring Mapped To The QCE Curriculum
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Cilantro Seed Starting Kit with Plantable Paper and Pot
Dig life * Plant seeds!
These DIY seed starter kits are an all natural, eco friendly way to start seeds. They can be ordered in bulk, and make an easy gift that keeps on giving. Each one contains everything needed to start growing cilantro inside on a window ledge or sunny desk. This earth-friendly set includes 100% biodegradable materials - our wonderful plant-based biodegradable pots plus seeds and soil, and instructions to get everything going.
Perfect for home schoolers, telecommuters, and people wishing to explore the wonderful word of botany. If you know budding chefs or beginner gardeners, these sweet gift boxes supply everything they need to get going growing cilantro. Order just one or one of each! Just add water and warmth and a bit of sunshine!
Each is packaged and ready for gift giving in a small kraft gift box with a natural raffia ribbon and tag that identifies the seed type. Heart color may vary from what is shown.
Each planting kit comes with the following:
- 1 plantable paper seed heart
- 1 eco-friendly biodegradable pot, 2 inch
- expandable soil pellet for growing
- planting instructions
- kraft paper gift box, 2 inches
- natural raffia ribbon
- tag that identifies the seed type
OPTIONAL: Upgrade your set to include a BIODOME. The biodome is a self-contained miniature greenhouse made entirely from plants (corn). The clear cup and rounded lid traps moisture inside to help seeds sprout, allows light in, and provides space for the hearts to grow. Shown in thumbnail photos.
These clear cups are re-usable and made entirely from plants: corn. They are biodegradable. Growing with these cups helps seeds to sprout because they seal in moisture. The top features a vent hole with removable cover so you can let out excess moisture if it becomes too humid inside the biodome. The covers are labeled with the seed type. When you upgrade to the greenhouse biodome, you also receive a larger gift box, for a bigger gift that is about twice the size. After the seeds have sprouted, you can save and re-use the biodome for more seed sprouting with another pot. The biodome may be composted (but not in a typical backyard compost pile, they need high heat to break down). We recommend using them again and again!
......... ABOUT OUR BIODEGRADABLE POTS and PAPER .........
These fiber pots are made entirely from plants. Growing with a biodegradable pot makes everything easy — just plant the entire pot right in the ground. No plastic waste left over, no shock to seedlings.
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All pots are made from the fiber between the husk and outer shell of a coconut, and are a 100% renewable resource.
The seed paper hearts are made from recycled paper that we make by hand right here in Walla Walla. We embed seeds in the pulp as part of the process. Plant like you do other seeds. To start the heart growing, wet it well, press it into damp soil, cover a tiny bit, and keep it damp. Most seeds like soil temperatures to be around 70ºF and will germinate best when the soil is warm. Care for the seeds and sprouts by providing a proper growing environment.
Made with eco-friendly packaging that is either re-used or recycled. It is meant to be re-use or recycled too. Keep it moving!
QUESTIONS ? If you have questions about this product, shipping, or would like to speak with us directly, please email us.
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The onset of monsoon is a welcome relief after the sweltering summer heat. The thick grey clouds and the cool breeze makes you hum. But don't be surprised if your skin doesn't share your fervour.
The rainy season brings with it an increase in humidity, grime and pollution, which has the potential to play havoc with our skin. To fight all the skin woes, one is required to follow a simple but effective skin care regime. Keep your skin fresh and glowing by following these expert tips by Dr. Sangeeta Amladi, Head Medical Services, Kaya Skin Clinic.
Skin Care
- Good and effective cleansing using a soap free cleanser (Try Kaya Soothing Cleansing Gel) is recommended. You could also use a gentle scrub (with uniform mild beads) once a day
- Cleansing should be followed by toning using an alcohol free toner (Try Kaya Revitalizing Tonic), since increased humidity could open up your pores
- Use a sunscreen even on cloudy days
- Use a light lotion-based moisturizer or serum which will gently rehydrate your skin and also brighten it up
- Avoid heavy makeup and use waterproof make up when necessary
- Remember to nourish your skin from the inside too - eat salads blanched in boiling water to disinfect them, vegetable soup which will keep you warm and healthy and drink the usual 8-10 glasses of water. Your skin is always thirstier than you are!
- Effective cleansing of feet is very important as they would be exposed to lot of grime and muck
- Do not forget to completely dry your feet so as to prevent fungal infections
- Avoid wearing boots as these would hold water for a longer duration, creating a soggy environment for your feet
- A home pedicure should be done once a week. This would consist of soaking feet in warm water to which you can add 3-4 drops of Savlon, for 15-20 minutes, followed by cleansing your nails and scrubbing your feet with a foot scraper. Complete the pedicure by applying a light moisturizer like Kaya Foot Care Cream
- When you go for pedicure, ensure that the instruments used are sterilized/ cleansed with disinfectants, or if possible use your personal instruments. Also instruct your aesthetician to avoid pushing the cuticles as toe nail fungal infections are very common in monsoons
- Good and effective cleansing using a volumising shampoo twice or thrice a week is highly recommended as hair tends to go limp in this season
- Conditioning your hair becomes twice as important during this season. Don't shun it if you have sticky hair, instead opt for a light conditioner that is suited for limp, oily hair
- Keep the scalp dry to avoid scalp conditions like fungal and bacterial infections, which are more prevalent during the monsoon
- If you need to blow dry your hair, apply a leave-on conditioner prior to it
- Go easy on styling during this season. Excessive use of hair gels and sprays will only cause further damage
- Take time off from your busy schedule and book yourself a hair spa therapy appointment
- Oiling once a week would help but make sure you wash your hair well as residue oil can attract dust and grime, which along with sweat, can cause dandruff and even scalp infections
- Keep your hair trimmed and short during the season
- Food for hair – milk and milk products, nuts, soya products
Monsoon skincare regime
It is possible to enjoy healthy, glowing skin without a high-maintenance routine. Here are some rules that we should try and adhere to:
Washing the impurities away from your skin allows it to breathe. To protect the skin's natural oils, avoid anti-fungal and perfumed soaps. Instead use a non-soapy cleanser that ensures deep pore cleansing.
This helps to tighten the pores and prevent pimples. A non-alcoholic toner incorporated into your basic cleansing regime every morning and before going to bed will prevent skin infections and eruptions.
People who spend a lot of their time in an air-conditioned environment need to keep their skin moisturized. However, those with oily skin should do so only twice every day. Their skin's natural oils will keep it hydrated.
Don't rub your face while drying it
The facial skin is very delicate so rubbing it with a towel can cause hyper-pigmentation. Gently pat it dry, avoiding any kind of friction.
Don't step out without sunscreen protection
As long as there is daylight, our skin needs protection from UVA and UVB rays. Apply sunscreen (Try Kaya Daily Use Sunscreen with SPF 15) 20 minutes before you step out and re-apply every three to four hours.
Regular Maintenance
For glowing blemish free skin, adhere to skin treatments like facials, cleanups, skin polishing, peels, etc, as suggested by your dermatologist. In fact the monsoon season is a very good time to do peels and lasers, as post care is much less due to the absence of direct sun rays.
To complement your daily skin care regime, you can also try the below mentioned services by Kaya Skin Clinic:
- Recently launched Fruit Sorbet is a unique service by Kaya Skin Clinic, which uses a combination of cutting-edge technology and exotic natural ingredients to luxuriously pamper and nourish your skin, giving it brilliant radiance instantly!
- Kaya Aqua Radiance, a service that uses the revolutionary JET aviation technology. Exclusive to Kaya in India, the service infuses vitamins deep into the skin. Drawing on the healing properties of oxygen and water to replenish skin cells, this service uses cool and soothing supersonic jet sprays to gently slough off layers of dead cells, instantly enabling your pores to breathe while restoring lost lustre. This service complemented with a proper skincare regime would be the ideal recipe to keep your skin radiant and glowing, in this weather.
- Aqua Fairness is an enhancement service perfect for those who are looking to overcome effects of sun tanning post summers. This service provides excellent hydration and helps in preventing the effects of the sweltering heat and scorching sun. The unique JET technology uses the goodness of water and air to provide lymphatic drainage which rids the face of toxins. This process is then followed by deep exfoliation. The glycolic peels used for "infusion" in the service are derived from sugarcane and penetrate the skin quickly and easily, allowing new skin to surface quicker.


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After writing her first song at age 5 and teaching herself to play guitar at 9, Niykee Heaton dedicated her entire childhood and high school years to making music. With her songwriting giving her an outlet and escape from her troubled home life, Niykee spent nearly every moment outside of school creating and sharing original songs that showed off her soulful vocals and powerful lyrics. Fast gaining a massive following after WorldstarHipHop picked up her acoustic-guitar-based rendition of Chief Keef's "Love Sosa" in December 2012, the 19-year-old Illinois native is set to deliver a debut from Steve Rifkind and Russell Simmons' All Def Music in partnership with Capitol Records, revealing her timeless sense of songcraft, intuitive grasp of beats, and a lyrical sensibility that fuses poetic finesse with pure emotion.
On "Bad Intentions"—a raw but smoldering R&B ballad whose lyric video shot to more than a million views soon after its January 2014 release, largely on the strength of her staggering social-media presence—Niykee's near-lifelong devotion to sharpening her songwriting is more than evident. "I realized early on that the only way to make my voice heard and say what I wanted to was through music," says Niykee, whose older sister Rachel battled cancer for most of her life and died when Niykee was 12. "It was less like a hobby for me and more like a lifesaver," she adds. Since her family couldn't financially support her musical education, Niykee gave herself vocal training by singing along to a Diana Ross greatest-hits CD, and learned to play guitar by holing up in her room with an acoustic handed down to her by a family friend. And when it came to her songwriting, Niykee relied on a natural sense of rhythm she attributes both to her South African roots and passion for hip-hop, yet also drew a great deal of inspiration from the bare-bones authenticity of singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits (two artists beloved by her sister and older brother).
In her early teens, Niykee began posting pop covers on YouTube while continuing to cultivate her songwriting. "On Friday and Saturday nights when all the other kids were going out, I was staying home and writing songs or, when I got a little older, driving hours to some broke-down bar and begging them to let me get up and play," says Niykee, who struggled with bullying throughout her school years. "I was doing everything I could to move my music along, but nothing was working out at all." Having promised her sister that she'd make an impact with her songs, Niykee told her parents that she'd put songwriting aside and go to college if her music career hadn't made any major strides by the time she turned 18. Then, the day before her 18th birthday—and shortly after she'd ditched the pop covers and started posting her acoustic takes on tracks by hip-hop artists like Chief Keef, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, and Pusha T—Niykee wound up on WorldstarHipHop and found herself fielding interest from a flood of record labels. Instead of aligning herself with a label right away, she graduated high school six months early and self-financed the recording of a host of her own songs, eventually signing with Steve Rifkind and Russell Simmons' All Def Music and setting to work on her debut EP.
With her personal highlights so far including getting hand-picked by Snoop Dogg to accompany him onstage at the YouTube Brandcast in May 2013, Niykee has kept up a steady songwriting routine despite the whirlwind of recent years. Now a magnet for up-and-coming producers, she constantly combs through beats sent her way and finds that many end up sparking song ideas. "I'll know if a beat's good after the first five seconds, and then I'll get a song in my head and start writing immediately," she says. "I go out to my back porch with my guitar and the words just come, and usually it's all done in under 30 minutes." As she continues develop as a lyricist, Niykee notes that the pain of her past serves as an endless source of unlikely inspiration. "Even when I'm not writing literally about things that have happened to me, all the pain of my childhood and losing my sister ends up getting pushed into my music," she says. "It shapes my songs and builds this deeper meaning under everything, which is one the most important things to me—I need to know that I could listen to any of my songs 20 years from now, and still be proud of what I had to say."


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Are your windows or openings need to be fixed or replaced as soon as possible? If you are residing here in Hart, you won't have to worry about it for quite a long time. It is due to the fact that this place is surrounded by several glass repairs that offer impressive glazing products and services. We are proud to tell that we are one of them. It does not matter if you are staying the surrounding area. As long as you know us, rest assured that you will get excellent glass repairs in less than ninety minutes.
Even in the past years, people look forward to using glass materials for their windows at home or in the business office. They enjoy a lot of benefits from this type of material so they do not hesitate to invest in it. After realising the key benefits of using window glass, the problem is now on choosing which company you should entrust your repair project. We will guide you in making informed decisions and practical choices for your window glass needs in Hart. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a weekm, call us on 01429 808024.
As a trusted and recommended company in the glass repair industry in Hart, all of our services and products are backed by satisfaction guarantee and years of warranty. In fact, this is often the most overlooked by many customers. When you entrust your windows with us, you will be happy and satisfied knowing that the money you will pay is well-spent. We are the glazing company that gives a high value to the needs of the customers. Most importantly, we have hired and trained our customer representatives to be professional and create an inviting atmosphere each time you visit the office. We take pride that our glass repairs are all provided by professional and skilled staff. We want you to feel good about our presence. We will help reduce your stress and worries about your broken or old glass windows
Our glass repair company is confident enough in accepting all kinds and sizes of glass repair projects in Hart It is simply due to the experience and good credentials we keep. We have worked on various residential and commercial glass window repairs and replacements in many years. Therefore, we already have the best solutions to your glazing issues. In addition to that, our glass repair experts and customer support representatives have established several years of experience in performing their respective roles successfully.
As a trusted and recommended emergency glazier here in Hart and all parts of the North West we will come to your place as fast as we can to fix any problem about your window glass and openings. Our customer support team would love to help you out and provide you further details about our service. Please feel free to get in touch with us today to meet your needs!
We at Hartlepool Glaziers want to get your Emergency Glass issues resolved. We accept a Bank Transfer or Cash. We will come out and deal with your Emergency and make sure you are safe and sound. Whether in your Home, Shop, Office or Commercial Premises.
We are simply the best answer to the question - 'Who Are The Glaziers Near Me?'
http://www.hartlepoolglaziers.co.uk/ - Local Glaziers in Hartlepool


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Let's assume that your pool has been "down" for the winter. Was it idling during those off months, cold yet maintained in some limited fashion? Maybe it was left to grow green or worse. … Or was it drained dry, then allowed to gather rain puddles, frogs and tadpoles?
We must start somewhere, and filling the pool is definitely a good start! The project certainly requires that the pool operator — you — be prepared with goodies such as a serious pool water test kit, a thermometer, some tools and the like. Don't get in your bathing suit yet, however.
If the water is cold, and we surely must assume it is, you'll want the heater on and any pool cover in place right at the start. Yes, that circulation pump must be running to get down to heating, that's for sure. Filling, pumping and heating are not "steps" in the opening process, though. If you don't have a full or nearly full pool and a functioning circulation system, feel free to skip all five of these steps listed below until you do!
1. Get your water in shape — manually! Chlorinate, chlorinate, chlorinate! Throw some, dump some or pour some. Just get a bunch in there now, remembering that 1 pound of unstabilized chlorine (or one 12 percent bleach gallon) will give you about one part per million in 120,000 gallons of water. So get figuring!
Now, with any luck and decent water clarity, you can use that fancy test kit to measure the chlorine residual, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, total dissolved solids and the pH. That last item (pH) probably is the most important, as long there's some chlorine in there, using muriatic acid or soda ash to get the water's pH in those happy mid-sevens.
Complete water "balance" includes those five variables — a book chapter in itself — but assuming you remember the calcium saturation index (CSI) calculations from pool school, you can get things "close" without precise testing or dosing.
2. Calibrate your controller. Yes, you have an automated chemical controller. It is, at the very least, managing the two most important of those variables — pH and free chlorine residual. More carefully testing the pH now, you must make sure the controller's pH calibration is correct.
With some digi-poking of the controller's calibration gadgetry (or using a tiny screwdriver in the older units), it is hoped the correct readouts will result, so your chosen set-levels can be achieved with the chemical pumps that the unit is managing.
3. Clean and check your chemical feed pumps. Automation with your controller to get your water to the chosen values is neither automation nor control without these critical little pumps. You will fill those chemical tanks below the pumps, most often with a diluted acid and a liquid chlorine product, and you'll test their function. Tell your controller where you want your pool water, then sit back and watch those pumps pump!
4. Examine your filter and make sure it's functioning. • Sand? Make sure you have enough sand in there and that it looks reasonably clean. Start off with a full-boogie backwash, with your pool's fill water running. Then let 'er run in normal filter mode, usually all night for the first day. (Some health departments want you to run them day and night anyway.) Keep your eyes on the pressure gauges, recalling the rising differential indicating the need for the next backwash.
• DE? Disassemble then clean, clean, clean those elements. Please recall your supplier's procedures because diatomaceous earth systems have myriad configurations. Start up your pool, and admire the crystal clear water in just a day or two!
5. Check all the lifeguard materials and the condition of any guard chair or stand. Keeping your swimmers safe is a bigger deal than chemistry; your aquatics staff includes those critically important guards, without whom we'd be looking at an empty pool. (Hey, some of them can use a test kit, too!)
General pool facility safety and cleanliness often are the guard staff's job, and you know they must get bored sitting under that big umbrella watching your silly (but precious) swimmers splash around in utter joy and safety.
OK, OK, these are five very important steps you'll take to get that beautiful pool back into serious functioning again. But there are more steps, more jobs and more concerns, all of which you'll discover as you use your incredibly special, very unique pool or waterpark. Put your suit on now, and go swimming!


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The "Ordinary" Superheroes: Doctors
We've seen the bat, stripes, and ridiculously tight spandex outfits that these guys wear, yet we've become accustomed to calling these guys superheroes. Sometimes it makes one wonder if there are any superheroes amongst us everyday people – oh wait, there are. They don't wear any silly capes or have any heroic taglines, but they do don a white coat and usually greet people with a, "How are you feeling today?" They're called doctors.
Have you ever had a near-death experience or emergency, only to find yourself racing to the emergency room? Or have you ever been hit with that nasty flu days before your vacation, desperately wanting it to go away? (more…)


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I Will Knot!
This is a site about knots: how to tie them, how to appreciate their beauty. Even the seriously knot-challenged among us can learn to tie many useful and popular knots by following along with the short, step-by-step instructional video clips on this site.
Before you begin, here are a couple quick knot-tying tips to keep in mind:
- Get youself some nice, thick rope -- don't learn with string! String is extremely hard to control, and your knots will be so small that you won't be able to see what is going on. About 4 feet of 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick nylon rope will do nicely for learning purposes. Any good hardware store will have this, and it is very inexpensive.
- Once you've mastered how to tie a knot from the clips, trying tying it around different sort of objects, at different angles. You don't really know a knot until you can tie it upside-down and inside-out!
Okee-dokee, now it's time to choose a knot to learn from the list below. So fix yourself a nice hot beverage, grab your rope, and repeat confidently to yourself: I WILL KNOT!!


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As an SMB CEO, you are required to find the best solutions offering you the best value for money, as resources are scarce these days.
When you are running a full-fledge business website, you need to give emphasis to one of the most important – yet often neglected – features of your website: Your online forms.
Your online forms – particularly your contact forms – need to be crafted in such a way that it converts well. Increasing your contact form conversion rate should be your top-most priority.
When you design online forms, you essentially have two options: design and host on your own, or design and host using a third-party service.…
Continue reading


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Does Remote Viewing Data Reveal That We Are Apart of a Solitary, Binary or Trinary Star System? Does Similar Data Point to An "Astronomical Event" and An "Ascension Energy Shift"?
Does Remote Viewing Data Reveal That We Are Apart of a Solitary, Binary or Trinary Star System? Does Similar Data Point to An "Astronomical Event" and An "Ascension Energy Shift"?
1989 Remote Viewing "Target" and "Session Summary" of a "Red Star" along with Additional Data Provided Directly Below (Red & Blue Star in addition to our "Yellow Star System").
A "Second Remote Viewing Session" Notes and Additional Follow Up "Dream Data" Performed Much More Recently, Refers To An "Astronomical Event" and "Ascension Energetic or Density Change" to our local Space Time.
This (And ALL) RV Data is completely subjective and should be read and looked at this way. These are a few of several RV Sessions that are added to my "Journals".
First Remote Viewing Session performed while working "On Project" June, 11th 1989. (CRV Blind Target).
Red Star/Blue Star/Solar System RV Info
Below is an RV Summary Transcription from hand written notes. Some of them were also of me asking (Speculating to myself) if colors Red and Blue had to do with "Red Shift" or "Blue Shift" as in the direction of star travel (According to current main stream Astronomy Models). By looking at some of the notes in the margins and corners of the pages I was not able to decipher what I was thinking at the time, lots of those notes had incomplete sentences and thoughts that I cannot correlate with what I was trying to communicate at that time. Many of those "Side Notes" didn't make it into the below "Summary" either because they were unreadable or were incomplete sentences and I didn't know exactly what they meant. I didn't want to speculate.
Most of the originals were kept by the group. These were carried out by myself after an oversight when I was asked to go over the drawing/sketch and problems with the legibility of my hand writing because it was so bad it couldn't be read by the lady that typed it up (Transcription). They received (And Kept) the originals for the most part. I don't really remember much about the (Original) session now, such as where it was done or the time of day etc.. (It was in 1989 and I was tasked with "Other Targets" in that time frame).
I didn't remember the RV of the Red or the Blue Star until reading it (It had been many years and I did quite a few very similar sessions) in the note's when I found them on a faded piece of notebook paper in an old folder (Then the "Imagery" of this session came back to me very vividly.). The date on this piece of paper was June 11th 1989. I am not sure if that is the date of a debrief or of the actual RV Session.Transcribed from my handwritten note, minus some bullet points that were unreadable because of my bad hand writing during the session.
Begin Session, Open Envelop and see "Alpha Numeric" Target Code: - Moving out to coordinate. Target acquired. - Spiral 2 arm galaxy? Feel hair on body stand. Electricity? (Magnetic Field?). (Bolts of) Lightening in the 2 spiral arms? Red like rust. Red light emitting. (Crunchy metallic taste in mouth...?) - Moving closer feels like heading into centre of Whirlpool. Strong! "Spiral" Arms magnetically attracted to other "bodies" near by. One "spiral arm" is North Pole the other "spiral arm" is South pole?? - Not a "Galaxy" but "spiral arms" look like "twisted" (Cork Screw), "Comet Tails" Red in color. "Star (SMALL) in middle cannot see it surrounded by cloud of debris, chunks of "Metal Rocks", HUGE! Some (Of the Huge Rocky Bodies) are smashing into each other some are "Magnetized" and keeping a polarity and distance (Strange "Equidistant") from each other. "Other Spherical and larger Bodies" in "Orbits", 5? 7? Objects?- Moving into debris to see "Centre Object". Centre of debris is "Perfect"circle/sphere around "Red Star". Very small but Much Torsion(Torsion was the word used in session back in 1989). "Fractured Space" (Portals?), "Torn", "Cracked". "Fractured Reality" (Beginning to feel/taste/smell "Obtain" other sensory data). (I am) "Nauseated", "Confused". "Feel Sick" and "Upset". Depending on "Perspective", "Everything is True" and "Nothing is True". "Strange Energy" coming from "Fractures in Space"!(Portals?), "Feel Very Ill"! (MUST LEAVE!), Allowing myself to move away (Not inspecting "Other Bodies"). Now in "spiral arm". Moving away from "centre" Very Fast and Being "Expelled".(I should have observed the "Other Bodies" in "Orbit" of this "Red Star Anomaly".)- Moving "Opposite Sol Plane" of our planets at extremely high speed! I find my self moving towards "Oort Cloud", Then "Passing Through" the "Oort and Sol Barrier" into "Open Space". Feeling Very "Anxious" want to go back to point of reference. Need to see this (Feel "Led" to continue). Feel "Buffering" of a "Strong Wind". Feel like I am in a "Taffy Machine" but I can handle it. - Still moving away (At a very high rate of speed). I can See "Sol", I can see the "Red Star" (With out spiral arms) now and see a couple of "Star Trails". See another "Star", A "Blue Star". Very Big (Giant), Sol and Red Star "Trails" "Move around this blue Star like "They" are chasing it across the Galaxy" and "Red Star chasing Sol and the Blue Star in Eccentric Orbit". - Red Star has very "Weird Orbit of both the Blue Star and the Yellow Star/Sol". (I am) Moving toward Blue Star (Very Big, Giant), "Strange Vibration" (Very "Alien Environment"), "Very Large Gas Giants" (Planets as big or bigger than our Sun?). "As Large as Sol?" "Maybe", "Seem so". They "Look like Neptune and Venus with many Moons". (Very "Orderly" Planetary System, Perfect Planetary "Axis" and "Balance" or "Orbits/Rotations").- (I/Myself) "Feel I Do Not Belong Here" and Should Not "Trespass". "My Energy is Not Compatible". Moving to point of reference.- (I) See "Sol" getting closer. Wow, (I can) see Sol and the "Oort cloud" with a "Tail", (IT/SOL) Looks like "Giant Comet" (As I move closer) close up. Entering Sol system. (I) Feel there is "Lots of Activity" (Non-Human) in "Outer Sol". - Stopping"Close to Point of Reference" But "Not Right Time" (Not "MY TIME" Frame). (I SEE) A "Comet", Huge Comet Entering One "SPIRAL ARM" of the "RED STAR" CLEARING SOME AREA (OF IT) OUT. "Sol SEEMS ANGRY". "CHANGES COLOR", "SHIFTS ORANGE" (Sun is extremely active, Something "Energetic" has occurred causing it to "Shift" from "Yellow" to "Orange"). - EARTH (Is Now Completely) COVERED IN CLOUDS and STORMS. "STORMS IN SPACE" (Energetic), "ELECTRICITY" (Electric Discharges), Meteors "LARGE AND SMALL". "Sol is GOBBLING UP LOTS OF METEORS (& Comets/Debris), Earth HAS TAKEN SOME DAMAGE ON LAND AND SEA. (Did not move into Earth's Atmosphere to "View", I was confused, was on my was to point of reference.)- RED STAR MOVES VERY SLOWLY WHEN CLOSE TO sol AND MORE RAPIDLY WHEN FURTHER AWAY AND HEADED TO AND FROM blue star? (Seems to be some strange dynamics at play). "Blue STAR WAS PRISTINE", ORGANIZED, VERY POLAR ORIENTED. Not LIKE sol SYSTEM (Total mess and hectic).Moving TO POINT OF REFERENCE. End Session.
"Astronomical and Energetic Event" RV & Dream Info: [10/5/13]
- In my Post RV "Dream/Vision" (Was not in "Sleep State") I saw a post (Astronomical) "Event" population of people "Confused", "Angry", and "At Their Worst", Fighting for "Resources"...
- 33 weeks later the "Elite" emerged (CABAL/Blood Line Groups)
- They looked "Strange"... "Emitting a Weird Energy" that "Sustained Them" to (Allow Them To) "Lord Over the Survivors" and to "Clean the Air and the Waters" and to Feed Everyone" (Dark & Ancient "Technology"). Appearing as "god's".
- There were 7 angels in the "vision" Each was "One Color of the Rainbow" (R.O.Y.G.B.I.V.)...
- Each had "Its" head bowed and then lifted "Its" head and pointed to the earth to show "Another Event" then looked to the "Next Angel" and it ended after the 4th Angel or "Being of Color".
The last 3 stayed in a prayer position when I was pulled out of my session by my son beating on the door yelling for me.
- So I called for the target at night (In a RV State) and was brought back to it where I saw ALL of the "Beings of Colors" above the Earth
- There were various "ET Races" around the Earth, (I) then floated inside some of their "Ships" as if I was passing through their "Hulls" and (I) saw them observing certain things (All over Earth, Below Earth And Off Earth on Huge Curved Monitors.) and (Some were) watching the "Elite" underground.
- It ended with a (Very Sudden and "All Penetrating" Bright) "Flash" then (A moment later) Flash flash, flash flash flash!
- It was coming from either the "Sun or the Galactic Sun/Centre" (Or Both at the same time?) and "Changed Everything on Earth (On a fundamental level)...
- Then the "5th Angel" lifted its head and pointed down to Earth which its "Clouds Now Looked Like Rainbows"!
- Then "Everyone On Earth" began "Singing" and "Crying" (Holding Hands and Smiling at Each Other) with "Love" and "Peace" in their hearts.
- Then the "6th Angel" lifted its head and pointed down to Earth and the "Elite" (Illuminati/CABAL) "Fell Off Of The Earth" and Just Were No Longer There? Or they "Phased Out"?
I don't Know, I couldn't make out exactly what happened to them, but it was so weird, I woke up crying.
End Session [10/7/13]
This RV Data above and the RV and Real Life Briefing Summary Below is "Incomplete"!
Coming Soon will be the "Further Data" (Some "SEEN" in the "Sketch" or "Image" Above) of "Russian and Chinese Nuclear Submarines" along Atlantic and Pacific Coastlines and Gulf of Mexico, "Disguised Steamer Ships" that are "Spy Ships" in and around the Caribbean Sea. They are Observing, Watching...
Directional Drilling to cause "Sea Water" to flood subterranean chambers all along the "New Madrid Fault" by "The CABAL" to set off Major "Earth Quakes" (Will be blamed on "Fraking"), "Directional Drilling" to cause "Spring Water" into "Lava Chambers" in the "Yellow Stone Super Volcano" along with strategic placement of "Mini Nukes" in parts of Yellow Stone and the "San Andreas Fault" timed to "Go Off" causing massive Earth Quakes, "Super" Volcanic Eruptions and Tsunami's in N. America and E. Asia along with "Synchronized" plans to collapse the EU.
This (Grand Deception and Distraction) is already "Prepared and Ready" to "Execute" upon any "Signs" that orders have been given for the "Arrest or Overthrow" of CABAL Syndicate Regimes or a "FINAL Kill ORDER" of their (Babylonian Money Magic Slave System) Financial "Debt Slave System" and Control Mechanism. The "CABAL's HYDRA GROUPS" have "Off World Support" as do the "White Hat Groups" inside the "Secret Space Programs" currently involved in a "Stealth Civil War" and an "Overt War" over the Global Financial System by the BRICS Alliance and the "Fragmented CABAL and Bloodline Secret Society Groups of the West.
This group that we call the "CABAL" BELIEVES that if THEY make the grand "Blood Sacrifice" of the Earth's Population and Their Selves and Their Own Families" that they will force the hand of their "OFF WORLD GODS" who will "Rush in and smite their enemies and bring in a THOUSAND YEARS of Their GODS and Their REIGN'S"... This is the mentality of a majority of these groups we are up against.
A FULL RV, Multi-Global Secret Government Assessments and Multi-Secret Space Program Report (Each Organization Allied with a "Different "Off World Group" who have "Different and Competing Agenda's") has been written up as well the delivery of this information from a Person with over 37 YEARS of REAL HANDS ON Experience in both conflicts and dealings with ALL "Off World Groups" via Delegation Support in "Federation Groups" (Similar to the "Earthly" UN Diplomatic Agency (Complete with all of its Competing Agenda's and Complete Mistrust of One Another).
And as I ALWAYS SAY... PLEASE, Always run everything that anyone says through your own discernment filter. Do not blindly succumb to "Hero Worship" of researchers or Guru's no matter who they are or where they come from. This is your path, your walk... step wisely and use your filter and listen to that little voice inside... Your Higher Self will guide you! (IMHO)


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Another easy way to get your praline fix today (with chocolate) would be to eat some Praline or Butter Pecan Ice Cream with a covering of chocolate syrup. Hence the Vintage Ad from 1951 for Borden's Praline Pecan Ice Cream. But another variation on Pralines would be Chocolate Praline Cake. See below for two recipes.. one is a traditional three tier chocolate cake with Ganache Filling and Praline Frosting, and the other a Chocolate Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting. With both cakes, it's all about the Praline frosting.
So what is Praline?
1) a confection of nuts and sugar: as in almonds cooked in boiling sugar until brown and crisp
2) a patty of creamy brown sugar and pecan meats
The original praline was a sweet confection made of almonds and some sort of creamy sugary caramelized coating. Lots of stories about how the Praline came to New Orleans and the South. One is that Pralines were first made in the home of 17th century French diplomat Cesar du Plessis Praslin by one of his chefs. The name "Praslin" eventually evolved into "praline." I don't buy that story since they were already popular in Europe in a slightly different version. Another story is that pralines were brought over from France by the Ursuline nuns, who settled in New Orleans in 1727. This makes sense since Pralines were already in the French tradition. Almonds were in short supply, so cooks began substituting the nuts of the native Louisiana pecan trees, thus the modern pecan pralines were born. Praline pecans were known as individual pecans covered in the sugary coating. The new pecan pralines quickly spread throughout New Orleans and became a common confection in the area.
Go here for Praline Candy Recipes.
So my motto today is "Let Them Eat Cake" since I'm more of a cake baker than candy maker.
This first recipe is one of my go-to Chocolate Bundt Cake, but any good chocolate bundt cake will work. It's all in the frosting. As a matter of fact a good sour cream or yogurt chocolate bundt cake would be great, too.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons Instant Coffee Granules (I use Starbucks instant espresso packs)
7 ounces dark chocolate (65-75% Cacao), chopped
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sweet butter, softened
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla
3 large eggs
Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease 10-inch Bundt pan.
Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in small bowl. Bring water and coffee granules to boil in small saucepan; remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth.
Beat sugar, butter and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture.
Pour into prepared Bundt pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until long wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.
Place on plate. Pour Praline Frosting over the top of the cake letting it drip down the sides.
PRALINE FROSTING (from Southern Living, see below for link)
1/4 cup sweet butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, and boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat, and whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
Stir in toasted pecans, stirring gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thicken slightly.
Pour immediately over cake.
Photo: Southern Living Chocolate Praline Cake. Beautiful! |
This is my favorite "real" Chocolate Praline Cake. It's from Southern Living, November 2001, and I'm so glad I found it again on the internet, my copy having been stashed inside a cookbook, somewhere. This recipe is all about the praline candy frosting! Yummy... on this cake or just about any chocolate cake!
1 cup butter
1/4 cup DARK cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache
Praline Frosting
Garnish: pecan halves
Cook first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove butter mixture from heat.
Beat buttermilk, 2 eggs, baking soda, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add butter mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating until well blended.
Combine sugar, flour, and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended.
Coat 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with cooking spray, and line pans with wax paper. Pour cake batter evenly into pans.
Bake at 350° for 18 to 22 minutes or until cake is set. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
Spread about 1/2 cup Chocolate Ganache between cake layers, and spread remaining ganache on sides of cake.
Pour Praline Frosting slowly over the center of cake, gently spreading to edges, allowing some frosting to run over sides.
Garnish with pecan halves
Chocolate Ganache
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a glass bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 to 3 minutes or until morsels are melted. Whisk until smooth.
Gradually add butter, whisking until smooth.
Cool, whisking often, 15 minutes or until spreading consistency.
Praline Frosting
1/4 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, and boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat, and whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
Stir in toasted pecans, stirring gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thicken slightly.
Pour immediately over cake.


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Antibiotic-resistant infections and the truth behind them
Story at-a-glance –
- Inappropriate use of antibiotics in farming bears the heaviest responsibility for creating the antibiotic-resistant superbug crisis of today. An estimated 80 percent of total antibiotic sales in the U.S. end up in livestock.
- In the 1970s, the FDA ruled drug manufacturers had to prove their antibiotics did not contribute to resistance or lose their drug approval. Industry research proved antibiotics in animal feed led to rapid resistance — findings the industry rebuffed, and the FDA has ignored ever since.
- Commercial chicken producers typically treat each egg with gentamicin, an antibiotic listed as "essential" to human medicine. Perdue Farms recently abandoned this risky practice. Encourage Sanderson Farms and KFC to follow suit.
By Dr. Mercola
Antibiotic-resistant infections affect 2 million Americans annually, leading to the death of at least 23,000. Even more die from complications related to the infections, and the numbers are steadily growing.
According to the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), just one organism — methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA — kills more Americans each year than the combined total of emphysema, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, and homicide.
A 2015 report3,4 commissioned by U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron estimates that by 2050, the annual global death toll from antibiotic-resistant disease will reach 10 million, and the global cost for treatment will be around $100 trillion.
Experts have been warning about the implications of antibiotic resistance for years, but as their warnings have largely been ignored, the number of strains developing resistance to even our strongest antibiotics has been allowed to grow unabated.
While overuse of antibiotics in medicine and widespread use of antibacterial household products (items containing triclosan) are part of the problem, the inappropriate use of antibiotics in farming bears the heaviest responsibility for creating the antibiotic-resistant superbug crisis of today.
An estimated 80 percent of total antibiotic sales in the U.S. end up in livestock. For example, commercial chicken producers have a history of treating each egg with gentamicin, an antibiotic listed as "essential" to human medicine. One chicken producer has seen the light though, and has abandoned this risky practice.
Perdue Proves Meat Production Can Prosper Without Drugs
Perdue Farms no longer uses gentamicin. In fact, according to a recent report by Mother Jones,the only antibiotic remaining in use at Perdue is narasin, an antibiotic not used in human medicine, and only about one-third of its chickens ever get it. (It's used to treat a parasitic intestinal condition called coccidiosis.)
Any other antibiotics are administered to sick birds only (about 4 percent of all birds). According to Mother Jones:
"Perdue … the country's fourth-largest poultry producer, has set out to show that the meat can be profitably mass-produced without drugs.
In 2014, the company eliminated gentamicin from all its hatcheries, the latest stage of a quiet effort started back in 2002 to cut the routine use of antibiotics from nearly its entire production process."
Interestingly, Perdue fared the best in a 2010 Consumer Reports test7 checking for the presence of the foodborne pathogens salmonella and campylobacter in commercial chicken meat. Fifty-six percent of Perdue's chickens were free of both pathogens.
Its main competitors, Tyson and Foster Farms, both had 80 percent of their chickens tested positive for one or both bacteria. Organic store brand chickens had no salmonella at all, but 57 percent still harbored campylobacter.
According to Consumer Reports, "This is the first time since we began testing chicken that one major brand has fared significantly better than others across the board." Even back then, Perdue's exemplary success was attributed to its more stringent policies on antibiotics.
Why Use Antibiotics in Food Production?
In food production, antibiotics are used for two purposes: 1) to combat disease brought on by overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, and 2) to promote speedy growth. The growth promoting ability of antibiotics was discovered by American Cyanamid (now part of Pfizer) in the 1950s.
It revolutionized livestock farming, allowing farmers to grow bigger chickens, turkeys, pigs and cows faster, without having to feed them more.
The main problem with using antibiotics in food production is that when microbes are exposed to repeated low doses of antibiotics, they quickly develop resistance. This possibility was highlighted by biologist Dr. Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin.
He noted that unless all of the microbes are killed, remaining survivors pass their resistant genes on to the next generation of bacteria, and so resistance becomes stronger and stronger, until the bacteria becomes completely impervious to the effects of the drug. As noted in the featured article:
"When you treat thousands of chickens in a huge enclosed barn with, say, steady doses of tetracycline, you risk generating an E. coli bug that can resist the antibiotic you threw at it, and that bug's new superpowers can also jump to a strain of salmonella that happens to be hanging around.
Now, two nasty pathogens that plague humans have developed tetracycline-resistant strains."
The 50-Year Cover-Up
In the U.S., use of antibiotics in food animals rose six-fold between 1960 and 1970. It didn't take long before scientists started warning that this practice had the potential to create a public health crisis.
By the end of the 1960s, British scientists found that feeding antibiotics to animals produced resistant bacteria that could be transmitted to humans. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) taskforce came to a similar conclusion in 1972.
At that time, the FDA stipulated that drug manufacturers had to prove their products did not contribute to resistance or risk losing their drug approval. So, the drug industry set out to prove antibiotics in animal feed would not pose such problems.
As reported by Mother Jones, rather than settle the question, their efforts resulted in a 50-year long cover-up of the facts:
"[T]he Animal Health Institute, a trade group of animal-pharmaceutical manufacturers, contacted Dr. Stuart Levy, a young Tufts University researcher who specialized in antibiotic resistance.
The group wanted Levy to feed tiny, daily doses of antibiotics to chickens and see if the bacteria in their guts developed resistance … Levy found a family farm near Boston and experimented on two flocks of chickens.
One got feed with small amounts of tetracycline. The other went drug-free. Within 48 hours, strains of E. coli that were resistant to tetracycline started to show up in the manure of the birds fed drugs.
Within a week, nearly all the E. coli in those birds' manure could resist tetracycline. Within three months, the E. coli showed resistance to four additional antibiotics the birds had never been exposed to: sulfonamides, ampicillin, streptomycin, and carbenicillin.
Most striking of all, researchers found that E. coli resistant to multiple antibiotics was appearing in the feces of the farmers' family members — yet not in a control group of neighbors.
The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were so stunningly clear that Levy thought they would prompt the industry to rethink its profligate antibiotic use, or at least inspire the FDA to rein it in. But the industry rebuffed the study it had bankrolled, questioning the validity of the data …
In 1977, the FDA proposed new rules that would have effectively banned tetracycline and penicillin from animal feed, but the House agriculture appropriations subcommittee, led by agribusiness champion Rep. Jamie Whitten (D-Miss.), ordered the FDA to wait, 'pending the outcome of further research.'"
FDA Complicit in the Antibiotic Cover-Up
An internal FDA review on the safety of feed additives belonging to penicillin and tetracycline classes of antibiotics, which began in 2001 and ended in 2010, revealed that 26 of the 30 drugs under review did not meet the safety guidelines set in 1973, and none of them met current safety guidelines.
However, this information only came to light after the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the FDA to obtain the documentation. The FDA is supposed to look at three factors when determining the safety of an antibiotic-based feed additive:
- Are antibiotic-resistant bacteria being introduced into the food supply?
- Are people likely to be exposed to those bacteria?
- The consequences of what happens when people are exposed to those bacteria — would they still be able to get treated with human antibiotics?
Based on these three factors, the NRDC's report concluded that virtually ALL feed additives containing penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics pose a "high risk" to human health and should not be permitted in animal feed, yet about half of the total sales for these two antibiotics are used for that purpose.
The FDA knew this for well over a dozen years, yet did nothing to curtail the unsafe use of these drugs. The NRDC report also found that as far back as the 1970s, when many of the antibiotics now used in feed were being reviewed for FDA approval, 18 of the 30 antibiotics were already considered "high risk" for human health, but were approved for use in animal feed anyway.
Over the years, as warnings about dire human health effects mounted, farmers started using more antibiotics, not less. Between 2009 and 2014, agricultural antibiotic use in the U.S. increased by 23 percent.
Finally, in December 2013, the FDA issued its long overdue guidance on agricultural antibiotics. Alas, it only went so far as to ask drug companies to voluntarily restrict the use of antibiotics that are important in human medicine by excluding growth promotion in animals as a listed use on the drug label.
The rule goes into effect in January 2017. However, farmers can still use antibiotics for therapeutic purposes, and this loophole allows them to continue feeding their animals antibiotics for growth promotion without actually admitting it, since enforcement is lax at best.
Why Most Commercial Chicks Are Treated With Vaccines and Antibiotics Before Hatching
Getting back to Perdue and poultry production, chickens are not just fed antibiotics in their feed. As mentioned earlier, most hatcheries also dose the egg with gentamicin. Why? Mother Jones explains:
"About 40 years ago, a herpes virus called Marek's disease began to attack chickens, and vets discovered that vaccinating the chicks while they were still in their shells could inoculate them for life. But when you penetrate eggs with a needle … the tiny hole … (allows) bacteria in.
To solve this problem, hatcheries added small amounts of gentamicin to the vaccine … This method was so efficient that, decades later, the hatchery ended up being the trickiest place for Perdue to remove antibiotics from production.
The company gets its eggs from contract breeders, and in the past eggs often arrived covered in bacteria-laden manure. Now Perdue requires its breeders to deliver clean eggs. Perdue also used to mix its Marek's vaccines in the middle of a less-than-pristine hatchery.
Today the company mixes the drugs under sterile laboratory conditions and injects clean, antibiotic-free vaccines into clean eggs. It took a while, but by March 2014 the company had banished antibiotics from all 16 of its hatcheries."
How Poultry Vaccine Created a Lethal Supervirus
What Mother Jones does not delve into is the story of how this vaccine created a supervirus. As previously reported by PBS, vaccinated chickens spread Marek's disease to unvaccinated birds, and research shows the vaccine actually makes the disease spread faster than it normally would.
Compared to a sick, unvaccinated bird, a vaccinated bird sheds 10,000 times more viruses. Scientists have also found the vaccine made the virus more virulent, with exceptionally rapid lethal consequences for unvaccinated birds, which can catch the virus via contaminated dust. According to PBS:
"This is the first time that this virus-boosting phenomenon, known as the imperfect vaccine hypothesis, has been observed experimentally … [T]he vaccine is 'leaky.' A leaky vaccine is one that keeps a microbe from doing serious harm to its host, but doesn't stop the disease from replicating and spreading to another individual …
[T]he results … raise the questions for some human vaccines that are leaky — such as malaria, and … avian influenza, or bird flu … Vaccines for HPV and whooping cough can leak too …
'Previously, a hot strain was so nasty, it wiped itself out. Now, you keep its host alive with a vaccine, then it can transmit and spread in the world,' [co-author Andrew] Read said. 'So it's got an evolutionary future, which it didn't have before' … The vaccination of one group of birds leads to the transmission of a virus so hot that it kills the other birds …
Like Marek's vaccines, vaccines for avian influenza are leaky. For this reason, they're banned from agricultural use in the U.S. and Europe. When bird flu breaks out in these western chicken populations, farmers must cull their herds.
However, Southeast Asia uses these leaky vaccines, raising the possibility for virus evolution akin to what's happened with Marek's disease. 'In those situations, they're creating the conditions where super hot avian influenza could emerge, 'Read said. 'Then the issues become what does that mean when it spills over into other flocks, into wildlife or into humans. Avian flu is the setting to watch for evolutionary problems down the line.'"
Probiotics and Oregano Take the Place of Antibiotics at Perdue Farms
So what is Perdue using to keep its birds plump and healthy in lieu of antibiotics? The answer is natural remedies like probiotics and oregano. As in humans, by keeping the chickens' intestines "well-seeded" with healthy bacteria, pathogens are suppressed and immune function is boosted. Certain strains of probiotics (which Perdue guards as a trade secret) have also been shown to boost the chickens' growth rate. Moreover, as noted by Mother Jones:
"After Perdue bought an organic chicken company called Coleman Natural Foods in 2011, it adopted another unorthodox therapy: oregano. The fragrant herb … has antimicrobial properties that, when added to feed, help the birds stave off infections. But, I ask Stewart-Brown, won't bad microbes develop resistance to oregano, too? Likely yes, he says, so Perdue only uses oregano to prevent particular infections, not as a constant additive.
Moving away from antibiotics, Stewart- Brown says, has forced him to think about the birds' overall well-being … Perdue even turns off the lights in the chicken houses for four hours a night so the birds can rest. In the past, lights were left on 24 hours per day on the theory that chickens kept awake eat more and thus get fatter faster.
Reducing stress by letting the birds rest … makes them healthier — and since healthy birds grow faster, the extra sleep has the same effect as constant feeding."
Another alternative warranting further investigation would be colloidal silver, which has a history of use that stretches back thousands of years. As noted in a 2013 study, which assessed silver's ability to reduce or prevent post-surgical infections, its bactericidal activity is well established. Researchers have also demonstrated that silver makes antibiotics thousands of times more effective!
Know This: Your Actions Make a Big Difference!
Why did Perdue make all of these changes when regulations don't require them to do so? Turns out Perdue listens to consumers. Starting in 2002, the company started noticing an increase in queries about its use of antibiotics. According to Perdue, "You can drown them with science to suggest they shouldn't be worried, but the worry is real."
A few years earlier, in 1998, the company began an experiment to evaluate the impact of antibiotics on growth. Three years later, the results were in, and they were not favorable for the continued use of the drugs. Nearly 7,000 chickens raised on 19 farms were included in the trial.
Half were given growth promoting antibiotics, and the other half got none. Before slaughter, each bird was weighed. The difference was minuscule. Antibiotic-free birds weighed on average a mere 0.03 to 0.04 pounds less than the antibiotic-fed chickens. That doesn't amount to much when you consider an average chicken weighs between five and six pounds.
The results proved you can eliminate the drugs without harming profitability, and armed with this knowledge, Perdue decided to address people's concerns by moving the operation away from antibiotics. Interestingly, a 2015 scientific review found that antibiotics don't promote growth the way they used to.
Before 1980, antibiotics boosted growth by about 15 percent. By 2000, that effect had dropped to 1 percent. The reason for this has been attributed to improved nutrition and hygiene, and better breeding methods. All in all, it seems clear that use of antibiotics — at least in chicken farming — has virtually NO benefits anymore over and beyond the occasional use to treat a sick animal.
Perdue's actions are a perfect example of what happens when enough people take the time to share their views and concerns with food companies. Your actions made the difference here, and it's important to recognize this fact. Even if you don't contact a company directly, each time you buy a product you vote with your pocket book, and your choices drive the food system. So be conscious of the system you choose to buy into.
Tell Sanderson Farms and KFC to Follow in Perdue's Footsteps
Remarkably, despite all the evidence pointing out just how dire the antibiotic-resistant disease situation has become, there are companies out there that still pay it no mind. Sanderson Farms is one of them. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is another According to its CEO, Joe Sanderson, Perdue's shift away from antibiotics is nothing more than a marketing ploy, and one he doesn't care to imitate. As noted in the featured article:
"Sanderson … has held to the old-school party line, maintaining that 'there is no evidence that using these antibiotics for chickens leads to resistant bacteria.' Cost is the No. 1 decision maker when people go to the grocery store to buy chicken, he says, and using antibiotics remains the cheapest way to produce a lot of meat fast. 'We believe the majority of chicken sold in grocery stores will continue to be grown with antibiotics,' he says."
No, Mr. Sanderson. While cost certainly plays a role, at this point in the game it's no longer the determining factor. Literally millions of lives are at stake if we do not address the elephant in the room that is agricultural antibiotics. Paying a few pennies more per pound of chicken is a small price to pay for a clean bird, and I'm certainly not the only person who feels this way.
The fact that Perdue has been growing faster than any of its competitors is evidence of this fact. The fact that the other top poultry producers, with the exception of Sanderson, are also transitioning over to antibiotic-free is another tipoff. If you agree, I urge you to contact Sanderson and tell him antibiotic-free does matter. You can use their online Contact Page to write them an email, or better yet, call them at 1-800-844-4030, or write a letter to:
Sanderson Farms
Attn: Joe Sanderson, CEO
PO Box 988
Laurel, MS 39441.
KFC is another major food company that has so far failed to take the situation seriously. While many restaurant chains, including McDonald's, Subway and Taco Bell have vowed to limit or discontinue use of chicken raised with antibiotics, KFC has made no move in that direction. You can reach KFC by calling 1-800-CALL-KFC, or fill out their feedback form, available on the KFC website.
Antibiotic-Treated Pork May Contain Carcinogenic Residue
Eating antibiotic-treated foods is like taking a small amount of antibiotic on a daily basis, and this is exactly what you don't want to do if you're concerned about your health and well-being. It can disrupt your gut flora, and predispose you to drug resistant infections.
It may also expose you to potentially dangerous drug residues. The veterinary antibiotic carbadox is one example. This drug has been used by American pork producers for nearly 40 years. Besides controlling swine dysentery and bacterial swine enteritis, it also boosts growth like many other antibiotics.
In April, the FDA announced it has conducted a preliminary risk characterization, which suggests pork derived from animals treated with carbadox may contain trace amounts of carcinogenic residue. This is particularly true for pork liver, found in lunch meats, hot dogs and sausages. According to Politico:
"'The agency clarified that it isn't recommending people make changes in their food choices while it works to remove carbadox from the market.' Potential cancer risks are based on an assumed lifetime of consuming pork liver or other pork products containing carbadox residues, and short-term changes in diet are unlikely to affect a person's lifetime risk … "
This just goes to show how little we know about the safety of the drugs used in food animals. And it's yet another warning signal that we really need to clean up our food supply. There are safe alternatives, so why not use them? The cost may (or may not) be a little higher, but I'm certain the 2 million Americans struck with a drug resistant infection each year would argue that the extra cost is worth it.
Family and friends of the tens of thousands who die from drug-resistant infections are likely to agree with this sentiment as well. At what point does public health begin to trump corporate profits? Aren't 23,000 deaths per year enough? How high must the death toll get before factory farmers like Sanderson wizen up to the seriousness of their obligation to create safe and healthy food?
Where to Find Healthy Food
In my view, buying antibiotic-free meat is an important step if you value your health. Ideally, opt for organically raised grass-fed or pastured meats and animal products such as milk and eggs. If you're still unsure of where to find raw milk, check out Raw-Milk-Facts.com and RealMilk.com. They can tell you what the status is for legality in your state, and provide a listing of raw dairy farms in your area.
The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund also provides a state-by-state review of raw milk laws. California residents can also find raw milk retailers using the store locator available at Organic Pastures. Other organizations that can help you locate wholesome farm-fresh foods include:
EatWild.com | EatWild.com provides lists of certified organic farmers known to produce safe, wholesome raw dairy products as well as grass-fed beef and other organic produce.
Here you can also find information about local farmers markets, as well as local stores and restaurants that sell grass-fed products. |
Weston A. Price Foundation | Weston A. Price has local chapters in most states, and many of them are connected with buying clubs in which you can easily purchase organic foods, including grass-fed raw dairy products like milk and butter. |
Grassfed Exchange | The Grassfed Exchange has a listing of producers selling organic and grass-fed meats across the U.S. |
Local Harvest | This website will help you find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies. |
Farmers' Markets | A national listing of farmers' markets. |
Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals | The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada. |
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) | CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms. |
FoodRoutes | The FoodRoutes "Find Good Food" map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSAs, and markets near you. |
The Cornucopia Institute | The Cornucopia Institute maintains web-based tools rating all certified organic brands of eggs, dairy products, and other commodities, based on their ethical sourcing and authentic farming practices separating CAFO "organic" production from authentic organic practices. |


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Oil trades above $91, recovering from big drop
The price of oil made gains above $91 per barrel Thursday, rebounding from a steep drop, as the European Central Bank cut its key interest rate to a new low.
By early afternoon in Europe, the benchmark oil contract for June delivery was up 48 cents to $91.48 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The European Central Bank cut its benchmark interest rate to 0.5 percent from 0.75 percent at its meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Thursday. The effects of the rate cut remain to be seen, but traders saw it as an encouraging step supporting the economy and possibly leading to increased oil demand.
On Wednesday, the Nymex contract plunged $2.43 after a sharp increase in American crude stockpiles and data from the U.S. and China that showed factory production in both countries growing at a slower pace in April.
The U.S. Energy Department said Wednesday that crude inventories expanded by 6.7 million barrels last week, nearly five times the increase analysts expected, to 395.3 million barrels.
Meanwhile, U.S. oil production, at 7.3 million barrels per day, is the highest it's been in 20 years.
Investors are also waiting for the Labor Department to report on Thursday how many Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week. The figures will help further assess the health of the world's largest economy.
Brent crude, which is used to set prices of oil from the North Sea used by many U.S. refiners, was up 85 cents to $100.80 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.
In other energy futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:
— Wholesale gasoline gained 0.74 cent to $2.7267 a gallon.
— Heating oil added 2.25 cents to $2.8114 a gallon.
— Natural gas rose 2.2 cents to $4.348 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Pamela Sampson in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Original article posted from thetrucker.com. To view entire article, click here.


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What is a ghost?
A tragedy doomed to repeat itself time and time again?
An instant of pain, perhaps.
Something dead which still seems to be alive.
An emotion, suspended in time.
Like a blurred photograph.
Like an insect trapped in amber.
— Narrator, The Devil's Backbone
Whether as writer, director, or producer, Guillermo del Toro is known for films which mesh fairy tales and horror, among them Pan's Labyrinth, The Orphanage, and Julia's Eyes. Many of his films are classified as "dark Spanish fantasy" or "gothic horror," and his films are, indeed, full of horror. Del Toro has called The Devil's Backbone (2001) his "most personal film." Like many of his others, this film features ghosts, orphans, and abandoned children, all tangled together, trying desperately to survive and to figure out what has happened to their previously happy lives. Ghosts and murder, betrayal and tragedy, pain and destiny and loneliness: these are the themes of The Devil's Backbone, where evil is not so much supernatural as it is a daily human reality. In The Devil's Backbone, the most terrifying evil is not external but, instead, within the humans themselves.
At an isolated orphanage in 1939, during the Spanish Civil War, Headmistress Carmen (Marisa Paredes), who is an amputee, secretly supports partisans, and has a stash of gold intended to aid their cause.
The co-director of the orphanage is Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi), who has long been in love with Carmen, and who is helping her hide gold for the Resistance.
A young boy, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), is left at the Home by his tutor, who neglects to tell the boy that his father is dead, killed in the War. Before Carlos even realizes that he will be permanently staying at the orphanage, he sees the ghost of a boy his own age.
Though the other orphans speak in whispers in the dark of night of "the one who sighs," the adults do not even discuss the War with the children, though it has affected all the boys' lives, let alone talk about a ghost or anything else supernatural with them. The orphans make up their own stories about the ghost and why it may be haunting the orphanage. The orphans do not know the ghost's "secret," so they make up reasons for its haunting the Home.
The adults don't seem to know about the ghost, but all the adults at the Home have secrets, none more so than the violent and angry caretaker Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega). He was once an orphan at the Home himself and has returned only to get at the hidden stash of partisan-gold.
Jacinto terrorizes and abuses the orphan boys. He steals keys at night to secretly search for the hidden gold. He ruthlessly manipulates the women at the school by having sexual relations with several of them, pretending to be emotionally attached to each of them, including Headmistress Carmen and young Conchita (Irene Visedo, below L), who is herself in love with Jacinto.
And this is the place where young Carlos is now trapped, like the ghost that he keeps seeing. Unfortunately for Carlos, Jacinto is not the only person at the Home who bullies the boys. One of the orphans, Jaime (Íñigo Garcés, below L), is just as ferocious and tyrannical as Jacinto.
Jaime, who is in love with the pretty Conchita, takes out his frustrated, unrequited love on the younger boys, especially on the ten-year-old, fellow orphan Carlos.
To deal with his own emotional pain, abandonment, and loss, Carlos decides to overcome his terror of the ghost. He begins to investigate the boy-ghost, hoping to discover the ghost's secret. How did a mere boy, after all, become a ghost trapped for eternity at the Home? Did the boy die in the War, or did he die in the orphanage itself? If the boy did, in fact, die at the Home — which would explain why the ghost is still there, haunting the other orphans — how did the young boy die? Was he a victim of illness, accident, or murder?
Carlos is desperate to discover the ghost's secret before he himself is killed — by Jacinto, by Jaime, or by another wayward bomb like the unexploded one in the Home's courtyard — and becomes a ghost forever trapped in the place Carlos hates most in all the world.
In Spanish with subtitles, The Devil's Backbone is as much about the perils of war as about ghosts, and as much about man's cruelty to each other as it is about the things that haunt us, whether they be the pain of abandonment, ghosts that roam the corridors at night, or our own secret pasts.
The Devil's Backbone is available for about $2.99 for rent from Amazon, YouTube, and iTunes.
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Biofuels attacked as food prices soar
News analysis Until only months ago biofuels were hailed as a silver bullet in the fight against global warming. But now they are accused of snatching food out of the mouths of the poor.
Billions have been poured into developing sugar- and grain-based ethanol and biodiesel to help wean rich economies from their addiction to carbon-belching fossil fuels.
Heading the rush are the US, Brazil and Canada, which are eagerly transforming corn, wheat, soy beans and sugar cane into cleaner-burning fuel, and the European Union (EU) is to launch its own ambitious program.
But as soaring prices for staples bring more of the planet's most vulnerable people face-to-face with starvation, the image of biofuels has suddenly changed from climate saviour to a horribly misguided experiment.
Late last week, the head of the International Monetary Fund said biofuels "posed a real moral problem" and called for a moratorium on using food crops to power cars, trucks and buses.
The vital problem of global warming "has to be balanced with the fact that there are people who are going to starve to death", said Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
"Producing biofuels is a crime against humanity," the UN's special rapporteur for the right to food, Jean Ziegler of Switzerland, said earlier.
More biofuel
Biofuels may still be in their infancy but they are growing rapidly, with annual production leaping by double-digit percentages.
In a speech last week that set down a target for reducing US carbon emissions, President George W Bush pointed to legislation requiring US producers to supply at least 136 billion litres of renewable fuel by 2020.
In 2007, 20% of grain or 81 million tonnes, produced in the US was used to make ethanol, according to US think tank the Earth Policy Institute, which predicts the percentage will jump to nearly a quarter this year.
"We are looking at a five-fold increase in renewable fuel," Bush's top climate change advisor, Jim Connaughton, said in Paris last week at a meeting of the world's major greenhouse-gas polluters.
But more than half of that legislatively-mandated production would come from second-generation biofuels made from non-food sources such as switchgrass and wood by-products, he said.
The EU's and the Brazilian delegates in Paris contested the link between biofuels and the world food crisis.
"This is highly exaggerated," said Sergio Serra, Brazil's ambassador for climate change.
"There is no real relation of cause and effect between the expansion of the production of biofuels and the raising of food prices. At least it is not happening in Brazil."
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said experts will report back by the end of May on how to guarantee that Europe's planned biofuel boost would not impinge on the environment or the poor.
"There are a lot of concerns about social impacts, rising food prices and environment issues, and for all those reasons we want to insist on sustainability criteria in our legislation," he says.
Defending biofuels
Defenders of biofuels say food shortfalls have multiple causes, including a growing appetite for meat among the burgeoning middle class in China and India.
On average, it takes more than 4 kilograms of grain to produce 1 kilogram of pork, and 2 kilograms of grain to yield 1 kilogram of beef.
Climate change may well be a contributing factor.
Some scientists fear rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns may be worsening water scarcity in key agriculture areas such as Australia's wheat belt, and rice-growing deltas may be hit by saline intrusion from rising seas.
In addition, the surging cost of oil has had an indirect impact on many poor people, adding to the pinch caused by rising food prices.


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Caltech researchers awarded $10M for molecular programming project
The National Science Foundation's Expeditions in Computing program has awarded $10 million to the Molecular Programming Project, a collaborative effort by researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Washington to establish a fundamental approach to the design of complex molecular and chemical systems based on the principles of computer science.
The focus of their study, molecular programs, are collections of molecules that may perform a computation, fabricate an object, or control a system of molecular sensors and actuators. The project aims to develop tools and theories for molecular programming--such as programming languages and compilers--that will enable systematic design and implementation in the laboratory.
Eventually, molecular programs could be used to manufacture nanoscale objects, to create biochemical circuitry to probe the inner workings of cells, and as "programmable therapies" placed within living cells to diagnose and directly respond to diseases.
"Our project is a response to the fact that the molecular systems people are building today are now so complex, and their behavior so intricate, that future progress hinges on developing the intellectual and practical tools for mastering that complexity, the kinds of tools that computer science has already developed for silicon computers," says Erik Winfree, associate professor of computer science, computation and neural systems, and bioengineering at Caltech, and principal investigator on the project.
"The Molecular Programming Project is one of the 'outputs' from our investment in the Information Science and Technology (IST) initiative over the years," says co-investigator Richard M. Murray, the Thomas E. and Doris Everhart Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems and director of the IST program at Caltech. "The Expeditions program is intended to identify future directions in computing that have the potential to lead to 'revolutionary' changes. The collaborations between the various investigators, many of which were funded by IST, were instrumental in bringing together the team of researchers who are embarking on this project," he says. Examples include research projects and workshops funded by Caltech's Center for Biological Circuit Design, an IST initiative.
The Expeditions in Computing award, sponsored by the NSF's Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, is designed to provide investigators with the opportunity to pursue "ambitious, fundamental research agendas that promise to define the future of computing and information."
The other members of the collaboration are Jehoshua (Shuki) Bruck, the Gordon and Betty Moore Professor of Computation and Neural Systems and Electrical Engineering at Caltech; Niles A. Pierce, associate professor of applied and computational mathematics and bioengineering at Caltech; Paul W. Rothemund, senior research associate in bioengineering, computer science, and computation and neural systems at Caltech; and Eric Klavins, assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Source: California Institute of Technology