My new Harp

The Selfish Gene

We are what we eat

The Wanting Seed- more of a summary than a review

The Wanting Seed is a dystopian novel by Anthony Burgess. I spent some of my summer afternoons reading this book while Summer napped. Although the novel addresses many societal issues, the primary subjects being overpopulation, its realtion to culture, religion, government, and history, a healthy portion of the book is a condemnation of war.

Whats the deal with the white light you see before you die?

So I had a very close near death experience a few weeks ago- in which I slipped out of consciousness and saw a very bright white light mixed with a lot of memories from my past?/different scenes. When I finally started to come back to consciousness I felt like I was falling down a long dark tunnel and the white light was being sucked away. Next thing I knew I was breathing extremely hard and screaming- my eyes now open and conscious.

Train operator Kelvin DeBourgh Jr. was killed when the AirTrain, which connects Manhattan to Kennedy International Airport, crashed. Before succumbing to his injuries, he told rescue workers: "I can't see you anymore—all I see is a bright light." Whats the deal?

Assuming it's not the Great Beyond, medical science has advanced several theories as to the bright light's physiological roots. Many researchers ascribe the glow to the effects of anoxia, or oxygen deprivation, which can affect the optic nerves. Others suspect that trauma to the right temporal lobe, the area of the brain responsible for perception, can cause the senses to malfunction. Michael A. Persinger, a neuroscientist at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, has replicated the bright-light phenomenon in test subjects by stimulating their right temporal lobes with mild electromagnetic fields.

A third theory holds that the brain releases massive amounts of endorphins, or natural painkillers, when the body is gravely injured. Those endorphins may "override" the optic nerves, causing the victim to see a peaceful glow rather than their own mangled body or teams of desperate paramedics scurrying about. This endorphin-induced serenity can be crucial to warding off lethal shock, thus giving the person better odds of survival.

It has also been suggested that some bright-light glimpsers neither gaze at eternity nor experience unusual neurological activity. Instead, they may simply mistake the high-powered operating room lights as something a tad more mystical.

Bonus Explainer: In Western societies, the bright light is often accompanied by visions of deceased relatives, idyllic gardens, and a convivial bearded man in flowing white robes—all standard images of the Christian heaven. Dying Hindus in India, by contrast, typically picture the afterlife as a Kafkaesque bureaucratic office. Fading Micronesians have been known to describe a bustling, skyscraper-filled metropolis.

Hemp Could Save America

HEMP FACTS

1) Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.

2) Presidents Washington and Jefferson both grew hemp. Americans were legally bound to grow hemp during the Colonial Era and Early Republic. The federal government subsidized hemp during the Second World War and US farmers grew about a million acres of hemp as part of that program.

3) Hemp Seed is far more nutritious than even soybean, contains more essential fatty acids than any other source, is second only to soybeans in complete protein (but is more digestible by humans), is high in B-vitamins, and is 35% dietary fiber. Hemp seed is not psychoactive and cannot be used as a drug. See TestPledge.com

4) The bark of the hemp stalk contains bast fibers which are among the Earth's longest natural soft fibers and are also rich in cellulose; the cellulose and hemi-cellulose in its inner woody core are called hurds. Hemp stalk is not psychoactive. Hemp fiber is longer, stronger, more absorbent and more insulative than cotton fiber.

5) According to the Department of Energy, hemp as a biomass fuel producer requires the least specialized growing and processing procedures of all hemp products. The hydrocarbons in hemp can be processed into a wide range of biomass energy sources, from fuel pellets to liquid fuels and gas. Development of biofuels could significantly reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and nuclear power.

6) Hemp grows well without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. Almost half of the agricultural chemicals used on US crops are applied to cotton.

7) Hemp produces more pulp per acre than timber on a sustainable basis, and can be used for every quality of paper. Hemp paper manufacturing can reduce wastewater contamination. Hemp's low lignin content reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and it's creamy color lends itself to environmentally friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds. Less bleaching results in less dioxin and fewer chemical byproducts.

8) Hemp fiber paper resists decomposition, and does not yellow with age when an acid-free process is used. Hemp paper more than 1,500 years old has been found. It can also be recycled more times.

9) Hemp fiberboard produced by Washington State University was found to be twice as strong as wood-based fiberboard.

10) Eco-friendly hemp can replace most toxic petrochemical products. Research is being done to use hemp in manufacturing biodegradable plastic products: plant-based cellophane, recycled plastic mixed with hemp for injection-molded products, and resins made from the oil, to name just a very few examples.

Only a few months now....

Inti Wara Yassi’s main aim is to rehabilitate and care for the animals we rescue

The Facts: In Bolivia, there are black markets full of wild animals being sold to hotels, private homes and Circus’s. These animals are usually obtained by hunting down the parents or group leaders and then taking the babies to be sold in the black markets. In many cases the animals are endangered species. The captured animals are usually kept in small cages, with little or no protection from the elements. Many are malnourished and some badly abused.

Inti Wara Yassi’s principle areas of activity are:

• running a scheme whereby injured, maltreated, seized or surrendered tropical animals are rehabilitated by Bolivian and international volunteers, with the aim of release in to Parque Machía (organisation headquarters,) Parque Ambue Ari or our newest park Jacj Cuisi;
• working with the young people of Bolivia raising awareness of the need to protect the environment;
• running a nationwide ecological awareness school;
• raising awareness of the cruelty of the tropical pet trade;
• building links with the indigenous peoples of Bolivia, with a view to increasing their income to reduce the pressure on their lands and traditions;

Your help can make the difference! Help us to create a better home for some of the least fortunate animals on this planet.

Financial help is critical to our survival, Donate here.