LOVELIGHT
magazine
*****
Vol.
2, no. 11*****November 2005
***
Managing
editors: Richard Shining Thunder
Francis and Adamaria Francis.
Contributors to this issue:
Christine Finer, Mick
Gallagher, Pat Goodman, Sandi
Grubb, Marcia Lehman, Teresa Ramsey, Ty Scharrer, and Geoffrey Stoermer
*****
*****
PREVIOUS ISSUES OF LOVELIGHT MAGAZINE
PUBLISHED IN PAPERBACK
We are delighted and excited to announce
the publication of a single paperback book that contains all the issues of
Lovelight magazine—all twelve—for the year twenty-oh-four. It is called The Light of Love, and is the newest publication of Love
Ministries. Since the book costs
us $12.61 per copy, we must request a Love-donation to help defray the
cost. However, we are willing to
sell them for less than the publishing cost to our dear and wonderful friends
who contribute and contributed to the magazine.
Why was it so very expensive? Because we insisted on printing it on
one hundred percent recycled paper, which, oddly, costs considerably more than
virgin (new) paper.
We apologize that it took so very long to
collect and republish the magazines, but there were unavoidable delays and
postponements. We hope to get
Volume 2 off the ground much earlier—as early as January or February of
twenty-oh-six if possible!
As you might know, Lovelight is published as a "light" introduction to
spirituality. It is designed
especially for those who have little or no interest in the "heavier"
aspects of spirituality. Indeed,
with its humor and miniparables, it has already served this purpose, and proved
useful to reach many with no compelling interest in the subjects of agapology
(the psychology of Love) or the Way of Love (spirituality). And it is also great, fun reading for
all the rest of us!:) This
collection would make a sweet gift for a loved one. Happy reading!:)
*****
*****
GASPS, SNORTS, SNICKERS, AND MILK OUT THE
NOSE: HUMORTHERAPY
GUILTY BUSH-INSOMNIA, sent in by Mick Gallagher
|
One night, George W. Bush is tossing restlessly in his White House bed. He realizes that he has done no good for the country and this fact will not let him sleep. He awakens to see George Washington standing by him. Bush asks him, "George, what's the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Set an honest and honorable example, just as I did," Washington advises, and then fades away.
The next night, Bush is astir again, and sees the ghost of Thomas Jefferson moving through the darkened bedroom. Bush calls out, "Tom, please! What is the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Respect the Constitution, as I did," Jefferson advises, and dims from sight.
The third night sleep is still not in the cards for Bush. He awakens to see the ghost of FDR hovering over his bed. Bush whispers, "Franklin, What is the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Help the less fortunate, just as I did," FDR replies and fades into the mist.
Bush isn't sleeping well the fourth night when he sees another figure moving in the shadows. It is the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. Bush pleads, "Abe, what is the best thing I can do right now to help the country?"
Lincoln replies, "Go see a play." |
Friday, October 28, 2005 humor
from Gator:
Q - Why don't
Jehovah Witnesses like Halloween?
A - They don't like all those strangers coming
up on the porch and ringing their doorbells
--
CHRIST IN WASHINGTON, sent in
by Ty Scharrer
Newsalert: There will be no Nativity Scene in
Washington, dc this year! The
Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a Nativity Scene there this
Christmas season. This isn't for
any religious reason; they simply have not been able to find three wise men and
a virgin in the Nation's capitol. There
was no problem, however, in finding enough asses to fill the stable.
***
THAT "DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS"
EXPRESSION, sent in by
Geoffrey Stoermer
Donald Rumsfeld was giving the
president his daily briefing. He
concluded
by saying, "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed in an
accident."
"OH NO!" the President exclaimed. "That's terrible!" He put his face in his hands, and seemed to cry.
His staff sat stunned at this uncharacteristic display of emotion, nervously watching as the president groaned. Finally, the President looked up and asked, "How many is a Brazillion ?"
***
THE EVIL OF BIRTHDAYS, sent in
by Ty Scharrer
Today is my brother's
birthday. He is a Jehovah’s
Witness. He believes that God will
murder me if I wish him a Happy Birthday.
So here is the challenge:
Happy Birthday. Allen! If
I’m alive tomorrow, then Allen was wrong and he, along with all
Jehovah’s Witnesses, can go jump in the lake!
***
FRACTURED SCIENCE ANSWERS, sent in by
Ty Scharrer
These comments come from test
papers and essays submitted to science and health teachers by elementary,
junior high, high school, and college students. They were compiled at the NEA Life Sciences Symposium,
Kansas City, Kansas. As the originator noted, "It is truly astonishing
what weird science our young scholars can create under the pressures of time
and grades." The original
spelling has been left intact.
1. "The body consists of three
parts - the branium, the borax, and the abominable cavity. The branium contains the brain, the
borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abominable cavity contains the
bowels, of which there are five - a, e, i, o, and u."***2. "H2O is
hot water, and CO2 is cold water."***3. "When you smell an oderless
gas, it is probably carbon monoxide."***4. "Water is composed of two
gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin
is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and
water."***
5. "Three kinds of blood
vessels are arteries, vanes and caterpillars."***6. "Blood flows down
one leg and up the other."***7. "Artifical insemination is when the
farmer does it to the cow instead of the bull."*** 8. "A super
saturated solution is one that holds more than it can hold."***9."The
pistol of a flower is its only protections against insects."***10."A
permanent set of teeth consists of eight canines, eight cuspids, two molars,
and eight cuspidors."***11. "A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is."***12."Equator:
A managerie lion running around the Earth through Africa."***13."Liter:
A nest of young puppies."***14."To remove dust from the eye, pull the
eye down over the nose."***15."For a nosebleed: Put the nose much
lower then the body until the heart stops."***16."For dog bite: put
the dog away for several days. If
he has not recovered, then kill it."***17."For head cold: use an
agonizer to spray the nose until it drops in your throat."
***
NINE SIGNS THAT YOU ARE GROWING UP, sent in by Pat Goodman
25 SIGNS YOU HAVE GROWN UP
1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.
2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
3. You watch the Weather Channel.
4. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."
5. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.
6. You are the one calling the cops about the loud music!
7. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."
8. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
9. When you find out that your friend is pregnant, you congratulate her,
instead of asking "Oh S*$# what the hell happened?"
***
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make
them all yourself.
***
THE LIE-CLOCK, sent in by Teresa Ramsey
A man died and went to heaven. As
he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of
clocks behind him. He asked,
"What are all those clocks?"
St. Peter answered, "Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time that you lie, the hands on your clock will move."
"Whose clock is that?" asked the man, pointing to a still clock.
"That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie."
"Incredible," said the man. "And whose clock is that one?"
St. Peter responded, "That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abe told only two lies in his entire life."
"Where's George Bush's clock?" asked the man.
"Bush's clock is in Jesus' office. It's a great big one."
The guy was impressed. But then, the angel continued: "He's using it as a ceiling fan."
***
NEW HEIGHTS OF IGNORANCE, sent in by Ty Scharrer
Evangelical Scientists refute the Theory of Gravity:
KANSAS CITY, Ks.
As the debate over the teaching of evolution in public schools continues, a new
controversy over the science curriculum arose Monday in this embattled
Midwestern state. Scientists from
the Evangelical Center For Faith-Based Reasoning are now asserting that the
long-held "theory of gravity" is flawed. And they have responded to it with a new "Things fall
not because they are acted upon by some gravitational force, but because a
higher intelligence, 'God' if you will, is pushing them down," said
Gabriel Burdett, who holds degrees in education, applied Scripture, and physics
from Oral Roberts University.
Burdett added: "Gravity—which is taught to our
children as a law—is founded on great gaps in understanding. The laws predict the mutual force
between all bodies of mass, but they cannot explain that force. Isaac Newton himself said, 'I suspect
that my theories may all depend upon a force for which philosophers have searched
all of nature in vain.' Of course,
he is alluding to a higher power."
Founded in 1987, the ECFR is the world's leading institution
of evangelical physics, a branch of physics based on literal interpretation of
the Bible.
According to the ECFR paper published simultaneously this
week in the International Journal Of Science and the adolescent magazine God's Word For Teens!, there are many phenomena that cannot be explained
by secular gravity alone, including such mysteries as how angels fly, how Jesus
ascended into Heaven, and how Satan fell when cast out of Paradise.
The ECFR, in conjunction with the Christian Coalition and
other Christian conservative action groups, is calling for public-school
curriculums to give equal time to the Intelligent Falling theory. They insist they are not asking that
the theory of gravity be banned from schools, but only that students be offered
both sides of the issue "so they can make an informed decision."
"We just want the best possible education for Kansas'
kids," Burdett said.
Proponents of Intelligent Falling assert that the different
theories used by secular physicists to explain gravity are not internally
consistent. Even critics of
Intelligent Falling admit that Einstein's ideas about gravity are mathematically
irreconcilable with quantum mechanics.
This fact, Intelligent Falling proponents say, proves that gravity is a
theory in crisis.
"Let's take a look at the evidence," said ECFR
senior fellow Gregory Lunsden.
"In Matthew,... Jesus... says nothing about some gravity... Then, in Job 5:7, we read, 'But mankind
is born to trouble, as surely as sparks fly upwards.' If gravity is pulling everything down, why do the sparks fly
upwards with great surety? This
clearly indicates that a conscious intelligence governs all falling."
Critics of Intelligent Falling point out that gravity is a
provable law based on empirical observations of natural phenomena. Evangelical physicists, however, insist
that there is no conflict between Newton's mathematics and Holy Scripture.
"Closed-minded gravitists cannot find a way to make
Einstein's general relativity match up with the subatomic quantum world,"
said Dr. Ellen Carson, a leading Intelligent Falling expert known for her work
with the Kansan Youth Ministry. "They've been trying to do it for the
better part of a century now, and despite all their empirical observation and
carefully compiled data, they still don't know how."
"Traditional scientists admit that they cannot explain
how gravitation is supposed to work," Carson said. "What the gravity-agenda
scientists need to realize is that 'gravity waves' and 'gravitons' are just
secular words for 'God can do whatever He wants.'"
Some evangelical physicists propose that Intelligent Falling
provides an elegant solution to the central problem of modern physics.
"Anti-falling physicists have been theorizing for
decades about the 'electromagnetic force,' the 'weak nuclear force,' the
'strong nuclear force,' and so-called 'force of gravity,'" Burdett
said. "And they tilt their
findings toward trying to unite them into one force. But readers of the Bible have already known for millennia
what this one, unified force is: His name is Jesus."
*****
*****
TAX-ABUSE, sent in by Geoffrey Stoermer
Here are only some of the taxes
commonly collected in our everyday lives: Accounts Receivable Tax***Building
Permit Tax***Capital Gains Tax***CDL license Tax***Cigarette Tax***Corporate
Income Tax***Court Fines (indirect taxes)***Dog License Tax***Federal Income
Tax***Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)***Fishing License Tax***Food License Tax***Fuel
permit tax***Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)***Hunting License Tax***Inheritance
Tax Interest expense (tax on the money)***Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges
(tax on top of tax)***IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)***Liquor Tax Local
Income Tax***Luxury Taxes***Marriage License Tax***Medicare Tax***Property Tax***Real
Estate Tax***Septic Permit Tax***Service Charge Taxes***Social Security Tax***Road
Usage Taxes (Truckers)***Sales Taxes***Recreational Vehicle Tax***Road Toll
Booth Taxes***School Tax***State Income Tax***State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)***Telephone
federal excise tax***Telephone federal universal service fee tax***Telephone
federal, state and local surcharge taxes***Telephone minimum usage surcharge
tax***Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax***Telephone state and
local tax***Telephone usage charge tax***Toll Bridge Taxes***Toll Tunnel Taxes***Traffic
Fines (indirect taxation)***Trailer Registration Tax*** Utility Taxes***Vehicle
License Registration Tax***Vehicle Sales Tax ***Watercraft Registration
Tax***Well Permit Tax***Workers Compensation Tax
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago; and our nation was the most
prosperous in the world, had absolutely no national debt, had the largest
middle class in the world; and mothers stayed home to rear the kids.
What the hell happened?
*****
*****
THE FOUNTAIN OF REAL JOY: MINIPARABLE, sent in by Marcia Lehman
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed
each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and
shave perfectly applied, even though he is legally blind, moved to a
nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making
the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby
of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual
description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
hung on his window.
"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having
just been presented with a new puppy.
"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."
"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my
room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged. It's how
I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it "It's a decision I make
every morning when I wake up. I have a choice: I can spend the day in
bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no
longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new
day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in
my life."
***
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank
account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory
bank. I am still depositing.
***
Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less.
*****
*****
A passage from Hindu scripture: "There are those who forget that death
comes to all. For those who remember, quarrels come to an end."
*****
*****
THE SPOONS: A MINIPARABLE, sent in by Sandi Grubb
A holy man was having a conversation with the
Lord one day and said,
"Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."
The Lord led him to
two doors. He opened one of the
doors and
looked in. In the middle of the room was a large
round table. In the middle of the table
was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious, and made his mouth water.
The people sitting
around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared
to be famished. They were holding
spoons with very long handles; and each
found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But
because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the
spoons back into their mouths.
The man shuddered at
the sight of their misery and suffering. The
Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next
room and opened the door. It was
exactly the
same as the first one: There was
the large round table with the large pot of stew which made his mouth water.
The people were
equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the
people were well nourished, laughing and talking. He said, "I don't understand."
"It is
simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. They
have learned to feed each other."
*****
*****
STOP PAYING FOR WASTED ENERGY
October 2005
Read this issue of Greentips online.
The typical American family spends close to $1,500 a year
on utility bills, and as much as half of that expense could be unnecessary if a
home were energy-efficient. An
inefficient home not only puts needless strain on your wallet, but on the
environment as well. For the
fossil fuel-generated electricity consumed by a single house puts more
heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars.
With
heating fuel prices on the rise again, it's a good time to conduct an energy
audit of your home. Whether performed by you or a professional, an energy audit
can help you determine where your house is losing energy, and what changes
would most improve its efficiency. Areas where energy is typically lost include:
· Insulation—A standard feature of exterior walls, it should also be used in ceilings, floors, attics, crawlspaces, and around pipes and ducts in uninsulated spaces (such as basements).
· Heating and cooling systems consume more energy than any other in your home. Older furnaces and air conditioners are often inefficient; and leaky or uninsulated ducts exacerbate the problem.
· Water heating—Many water heaters are set at a higher temperature than necessary (120° F is sufficient); and units with a water-holding tank are often uninsulated, allowing heat to escape.
· Air leaks—Warm air can escape your home in the winter and enter it in the summer through leaky window and door frames, baseboards, electrical outlets, fireplaces, and foundations.
· Lighting—Energy is often wasted by lighting empty rooms, lighting an entire room when only a small part of the room is occupied, using brighter lights than necessary, and using traditional incandescent bulbs rather than the new generation of compact fluorescent bulbs.
· Appliances—Household appliances account for about 20 percent of annual home energy consumption. Refrigerators, clothes washers, and dryers are prime candidates for replacement by Energy Star-rated models.
You can find and eliminate most of these problems on your
own; several of the websites listed below offer help for the do-it-yourself
energy auditor. For a more
thorough inspection and assessment, hire a professional auditor who can run
specialized tests such as a blower door
test. Alternatively, an infrared camera can be used to produce a thermographic scan
indicating where heat is escaping from your home. Though a professional audit can cost several hundred dollars
depending on the tests being done, some local utilities offer existing
customers free or discounted audits.
For more information:
Energy Star—Home Energy Yardstick
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm
c=home_energy_yardstick.index
*****
*****
SAY, "I LOVE YOU" NOW! sent in by Geoffrey Stoermer
One day someone's husband died, and on that clear,
cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife
was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes
there isn't any more. No more
hugs, no more special
moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls
just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes,
what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away
never to return before we can say
good-bye, say "I love you."
So while we have it, it's best we love it and care for it. And fix it
when it's broken. And heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage
and old cars. And children with bad report cards. And
dogs with bad hips. And aging
parents and grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it, because we are
worth it. Some things we keep --
like a best friend who moved
away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things
that make us happy, no matter what. Life is important, like people who
are so special. That is why we keep them close!
*****
*****
THE SUBCONSCIOUS FOUNTAIN OF "EVIL," sent in
by Ty Scharrer; The source of the following
article is:
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/subconcious_perception.shtml
IS
SUBCONSCIOUS PERCEPTION THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL? by Rusty Rockets
Recent
studies have suggested that the brain resembles a big, powerful simulation
machine. Using the various paths
of perception at our disposal, we create a mental picture of our environment. But not all of the brain’s data-acquisition
occurs consciously. Research has
shown that much of the visual data that we are exposed to slips past us without
being consciously registered. But
still, it manages to continue on to the brain’s processing network. But does it follow that the incessant
stream of data can influence our behavior? Do television, movies, and videogames actually have a
subliminal effect? Do we have the ability to control what we perceive?
In a paper in Current
Biology, Drs. Colin Clifford and Justin Harris investigated this. Just how far can visual signals penetrate
into our brain without being consciously registered? They found that visual signals can travel farther under the "radar"
of consciousness than many scientists had previously thought.
Vision begins with an
image on the back of the eye. That
stimulates a flow of nerve impulses to the brain. They are processed in a brainarea called the "visual
cortex." There, the signals
are interpreted. In their study,
Clifford and Harris examined the influence on conscious vision of an
"invisible" image. In
their experiment, an image was masked.
It could be perceived by the brain, but not consciously detected. They showed that such an invisible image
received in one eye can influence the appearance of an image in the other eye. So, they demonstrated that signals from
the invisible image must travel into the brain. They must go at least as far as the area where eye-signals
are processed. So, signals from
each eye must pass through the "midbrain" to the brain's occipital
lobe. This is at the back of the
head. (The occipital lobe is
specialized for vision.)
Many scientists believed
that it was also the seat of visual consciousness. The results of the Clifford and Harris study challenge this
belief. It showed instead that
activity in the occipital lobe can occur in the absence of conscious seeing.
The current climate
of terror is one example of our brains being flooded with media images. Many of these must get through to our
subconscious, to affect our emotions and behavior. Perhaps consciousness is there to prevent hysteria in the
face of an impending threat to society.
In other words, it gives us an ability to keep a level head in times of
stress. Unfortunately this is a
skill not employed equally throughout the population. When a society is faced with a perceived
threat, reason succumbs to primal instinctual behaviors. In giving in to these, an otherwise
tolerant civil society tends to fall back on paranoid tribal policies. It seems primed to trade off its hard
won liberties and moral codes for what it perceives to be greater security. A recent study on the psychology of
“perceived threat” stands as an example.
The study was
published in the latest issue of American Journal of Political Science. It examined the psychological reaction
to “perceived threat.” This plays a role in the public's support of anti-terrorist
policies. The authors found that
perceived threat increases a desire for retaliation. It also promotes animosity towards a "threatening
enemy." As the perception
increased, people became more supportive of restricting the rights of groups
broadly associated with terrorism.
They also supported policies that limit the civil liberties of all
citizens.
Higher levels of perceived threat were
also linked to greater support of U.S. military intervention. They led to support of policies that
would restrict the number of foreign visitors to the U.S. and the singling out
of Arabs for "special attention" after entry
"Over the long term, perceived
threat provides the government with greater leeway to increase domestic
surveillance and restrict civil freedoms,..." said lead author Leonie
Huddy.
The behaviors
highlighted in the study could be construed as emotive overreactions. In these, instinctive emotional
responses dominate reason. Walter
Freeman (Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Berkley) says
that emotion and rational thought are not so easily separated. He argues that both rational and
emotional responses exist as an intrinsic part of the human species. Both
emotion and rational thought determine behavior when faced with a critical choice.
He sees emotion as an
intentional response. It responds
to a set of circumstances. They relate
to past experiences. These are
combined with present contextual cues....
Emotions are, of course, important to
us. They provide an outlet for both communications and catharsis. Other studies have shown the significant
responses that people have toward others whose faces express emotions. These included anger, happiness and
surprise. Without these expressions, it would be difficult to communicate feelings. However, it appears that one of the
reasons that we have been endowed with consciousness is so that we can overrule
the "beast within." Consciousness
lets us "pull rank" on negative emotions that make society a less
attractive place. Unfortunately,
just possessing consciousness is not enough to guarantee control over negative
emotions. And its finer points need to be refined and exercised to be
effective.
Are we helpless, then, in the face of a
torrent of data streaming into the neural pathways of the subconscious? Perhaps not.
A recent study was reported by Olivia
Carter and Jack Pettigrew of the University of Queensland, Australia, and
colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley. It was demonstrated that it might come
down to our ability to vet and interpret what we see. In an unusual collaboration between
Tibetan Buddhist monks and neuroscientists, researchers have uncovered clues as
to how mental states can impact conscious visual experience. In their study,
reported in Current Biology, the researchers found evidence that the skills
developed by Tibetan Buddhist monks in meditation can strongly influence their
experience of a phenomenon. This
was termed "perceptual rivalry." It deals with attention and consciousness.
Perceptual rivalry arises when a different
image is presented to each eye. It
is manifested as a fluctuation in the "dominant" image that is
consciously perceived. The neural events underlying perceptual rivalry are not
well understood. But they are
thought to involve brain mechanisms that regulate attention and conscious awareness.
Some previous work had suggested that
skilled meditation can alter certain aspects of the brain's activity. But the significance of such changes for
understanding brain function remains unclear. Visual perception is regulated within the brain. So, researchers chose to investigate
the extent to which meditative practice can influence conscious experience. For this, they studied visual
perceptual rivalry....
The most impressive results were
provided by "one-point" meditation. This is described as the maintained focus of attention on a
single object or thought. This is
a sharp, bright concentration and focus.... So, meditation can considerably alter the normal
fluctuations in conscious state that are induced by perceptual rivalry....
The results of experiments such as these
are encouraging in that they might offer a way to maintain focus and control
during some of our darkest emotional upsets. Taking a leaf out of the monks’ meditative lives may
result in avoiding altogether climates of fear induced paranoia, hatred and
xenophobia.
***
Further Reading:
Emotion is Essential to All Intentional
Behaviors: http://sulcus.berkeley.edu/wjf/CE.%20Neurodynamics.and.Emotion.pdf
*****
*****
WHY WE LOVE BROTHER DONKEY: ASS-TOUNDING AND ASS-TONISHING CREATURE! sent in by Christine Finer
A couple were out riding on the range, he with his rifle and
she (fortunately) with her camera. Their dogs always followed them, but on
this occasion, a Mountain Lion decided that he wanted to stalk the dogs
(you'll see the dogs in the background watching.) Very, very bad
decision.
The hunter got off the mule with his rifle and decided to shoot in the
air
to scare away the lion, but before he could get off a shot the lion charged
in, and decided that he wanted a piece of those dogs. With that, the mule took
off and decided that he wanted a piece of that lion! That's when all hell broke
loose-- for the lion!
As the lion approached the dogs, the mule snatched him up by the tail
and
started whirling him around. Banging its head on the ground on every pass.
Then he dropped it, stomped on it and held it to the ground by the throat.
The mule then got down on his knees and bit the thing all over a couple of
dozen times to make sure that it was dead, then, whipped it into the air
again. He walked back over to the
couple, who were stunned in silence. And he stood
there ready to continue his ride, as if nothing had happened.
Fortunately even though the hunter didn't get off a shot, his wife got off
these four.
*****
*****
LOVE
WHENEVER YOU CAN, sent in by Christine Finer
One morning, you will never wake up. Do all your friends know that you love
them? I was thinking, I could die today, tomorrow or next week. And I wondered whether I had any wounds
needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling, or the
"magic" three words needing to be said. Let every one of your friends know that you love them. Tell them, even if you think they don't
love you back. You would be amazed
at what those three little words, and a smile, can do.
And just in case GOD calls me home before I see you
again: I LOVE YA!
***
Live today to the fullest, because tomorrow is not promised.
*****
GOVERNMENT WANTS TO ALLOW CHILD-POISONING FOR PROFIT, from the Organic Consumer's
Association [1]
In January, the Organic Consumers Association alerted Organic Bytes readers about the EPA striking a backroom deal with chemical companies to weaken rat poisoning regulations that were originally created to protect children. These regulations previously required the addition of artificial coloring as well as a chemical to give the rat poison a bitter taste for children. We would like to personally thank the thousands of organic consumers who signed OCA's action alert to the EPA. Vindicating our position on Aug. 8, a federal judge ordered the EPA to implement stronger safety guidelines for rat poisons. Congratulations to everyone for standing up to the government and the chemical companies to protect children's health. http://www.organicconsumers.org/toxic/rat.cfm
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NEW
STUDIES: MONSANTO'S BEST SELLING "SAFE" PESTICIDE IS HIGHLY TOXIC
GOV-ENDORSED CORPORATION PROMOTES DEADLY TOXIN. Two new peer-reviewed scientific studies have further confirmed the toxicity of glyphosate, the world's most commonly used herbicide. The June 2005 scientific journal "Environmental Health Perspectives" reports that glyphosate, sold by Monsanto under the brand name "Roundup," damages human placental cells at exposure levels ten times less than what the company claims is safe. A study in the August journal Ecological Applications found that even when applied at concentrations that are one-third of the maximum concentrations typically found in waterways, Roundup still killed up to 71 percent of tadpoles in the study. Similar glyphosate studies around the world have been equally alarming. The American Academy of Family Physicians epidemiological research has now linked exposure to the herbicide with increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a life-threatening cancer, while a Canadian study has linked glyphosate exposure with increased risk for miscarriage. A 2002 study linked glyphosate exposure with increased incidence of attention deficit disorder in children. Despite these studies, Monsanto continues to advertise Roundup, sprayed heavily on 140 million acres of genetically engineered crops across the world, as one of the "safest" pesticides on the market. Learn more & take action: http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html
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COLLEGE CAMPUSES BREAKING THE CHAINS
Student run farms on college campuses are cropping up at record levels across
the U.S. In 27 states and at 60
colleges, these farms are providing an opportunity for students to learn
sustainable farming techniques while incorporating healthy and locally grown
produce into the college dining programs, area farmers markets and restaurants.
Another 200 colleges across the
U.S. have joined the farm-to-college program wherein local farmers provide
universities with locally grown produce. As students begin preparation for the fall 2005 semester, the
record harvest from these quickly expanding programs clearly indicates the
"buy local" movement is on the threshold of mainstream fruition. Learn more and get involved http://www.organicconsumers.org/btc.htm
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QUICK TIDBITS
Recent polls show that 70% of EU [European Union] consumers support a ban on GE [genetically engineered] crops. Yet, under pressure from the Bush Administration, the European Commission has approved a 10 year permit to Monsanto to import a controversial genetically modified corn for use as animal feed. The Commission decision does not yet allow the experimental corn variety to be grown for human consumption, but a vote on this matter will come in September. http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/frankencorn080905.cfm
The annual Anholt-GMI Nations Brand Index survey of 25 nations reveals that international consumer support of U.S. name brands is quickly slipping. The index, used by marketing and advertising agencies, assesses global consumer perceptions of individual nations' cultural, political and investment potential. The U.S. ranked last place in the category of cultural heritage, a measure of a country's "wisdom, intelligence, and integrity." http://www.organicconsumers.org/BTC/brandname080305.cfm
Last Wednesday, a study funded by the British government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reported that organic farms in the UK support, on average, 32% more birds and 35% more bats than non-organic farms. According to the study, thicker hedging, smaller fields, and the lack of pesticides on organic farms were all contributing factors to the richer wildlife. http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/birdsbats080305.cfm
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FORGET TASTELESS, WIMPY SUPERMARKET FRUIT!
Discover a whole new world of distinctive, complex aromas and delectable flavors: Let Mother Earth News magazine show you how easily you could soon be sinking your teeth into your own home-grown Sweet Sixteen apples(“with bourbon and vanilla overtones”),Seckel pears (“spicy, aromatic and velvet on the tongue”) or Toka plums (“like the smell of lilacs on a warm spring morning.”) Ronnie Cummins, executive director of the Organic Consumer Association, has this to say about Mother Earth News magazine: “Mother Earth News gives us the hands-on information and inspiration we need to "Break the Chains" of mindless consumerism--corporate control of our food, energy, and housing. Mother Earth's practical tips are an important roadmap for an organic future.” Subscribe to Mother Earth News now and grow all these flavorful, all-organic foods and more –PLUS – with each paid subscription placed from this newsletter – we’ll make a $5 contribution to the Organic Consumer Association! Grow your garden, grow your knowledge, and help grow the OCA with one click. Subscribe to Mother Earth News magazine now: https://www.motherearthnews.com/ecom/router.aspx?pageId=OCASub2
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ORGANICS IN THE FRIGHTENING WAKE OF KATRINA
The unfolding human and ecological catastrophe in New Orleans and the Gulf
Coast has literally blown the lid off "business and politics as
usual" in the United States. Katrina
has forcefully reminded us here at the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), as it has
millions of Americans, that out-of-control government and corporate greed,
global warming, the Iraq war, racism, poverty, oil dependency, and wetlands
destruction are literally matters of life and death. We, as socially responsible consumers and citizens, can no
longer ignore or downplay the hypocrisy and greed of the government.
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THE GOV TRIES TO RUIN FARMERS
The
U.S. Congress has been ordered to cut $3 billion from farm and nutritional
programs by the Bush Administration.
Powerful members of Congress are leaning towards cutting farm
conservation programs as well as food stamps for hundreds of thousands of poor
people. But a broad coalition of
nonprofit public interest organizations, including the Organic Consumers
Association, Oxfam, Community Food Security Coalition, and the Land Stewardship
Project, adamantly disagrees with placing the burden of budget cuts on the
backs of the needy and the environment. Instead, we STRONGLY feel the cuts should be taken out of the
$20 billion annual pork-barrel subsidies that are currently being given to the
wealthiest factory farms, commodity exporters, and industrial agriculture
corporations. Money should be
spent to save lives, not to murder.
So, some needed funds can be taken from the war-chest of bush's campaign
to slaughter American girls and boys, and many foreigners.
Iowa
Senator Grassley has proposed an amendment to USDA appropriations that would
cap taxpayer subsidies to corporate farms at $250,000 a year. It's no surprise
that even this modest attempt at reducing corporate welfare is being attacked
by corporate agribusiness. The
nation's food stamp recipients, as well as the environment, need your support!
***
A COFFEE A DAY
KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY?
A
new study from the University of Scranton in
Pennsylvania indicates that coffee is one of the leading dietary sources of
antioxidants for Americans. Researchers analyzed 100 of the most common food
items in the American diet, and found coffee led the pack, contributing 1,299
milligrams of antioxidants to the average American each day. Tea was a distant second (294 mg.) and
bananas fell into third place (72mg.). The results were based on average daily consumption of these
food products, and researchers were quick to note that coffee, which can also
increase cholesterol levels, should not be substituted for a healthy intake of
fruits and vegetables; it should only be consumed in moderation. The study also cautions that high
antioxidant levels in foods and beverages don't necessarily translate into
levels found in the body. The
potential health benefits of these antioxidants ultimately depends on how they
are absorbed and utilized in the body, a process that is still poorly
understood. http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/coffee090305.cfm
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THE ETHICS OF FISH-EATING
The
ethics of fish-eating is becoming murkier. Species depletion, mercury and other toxic contamination make
the choice difficult. And yet
recommendations from nutritionists still say that fish is good for you. Take the case of salmon: There are those
that say it's best to purchase wild salmon, which spends its life in the ocean,
feeding naturally, and thereby has less toxic residues in its body. It's like "free-range" fish,
they say. And then there are the aquaculture
proponents who note we're over-harvesting the ocean's fish to the point
of extinction. On this side of the
issue, they'll tell you it's best to raise salmon on coastal fish farms. They'll tell you it's the only way to
produce enough fish to feed hungry North American consumers. But the coastal farms have their
problems, as well. Concentrated production of fish creates aquatic clouds of
feces that literally kills the coastal waters, while diseases and parasites run rampant and spread to wild fish.
Feeding captive fish antibiotics,
concentrated fish meal, and slaughterhouse waste also increases toxins in their
bodies. Now a new breed of fish
producers claims to have the "ultimate" environmentally conscious
method. By raising fish in massive
closed tanks, large numbers of fish can be
produced without the spread of disease into the wild and the feces is collected
and used as compost. But what
about the well-being of the fish? Is
it possible to assess whether or not our finned friends are content with
swimming in such close quarters? Or
is it simply time to dramatically cut back on these types of fish in our diets?
Download your pocket seafood guide
here (http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/seafood-guide.pdf),
and share your thoughts on this topic in OCA's web forum http://www.organicconsumers.org/chat/index.php
***
ORGANICS
& EXCESSIVE PACKAGING
Eco-conscious consumers are increasingly suffering ethical short-circuits while shopping. Yes, those organic crackers were made from organic wheat that was not doused with synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Good for the environment and worth the extra cost? Yes. But what about the packaging? Neatly lined up in a plastic tray that's shrinkwrapped in more plastic and then swaddled up in a sealed plastic bag, these "organic" crackers suddenly lose their environmental edge. So what's a consumer to do? Well, if you're from the UK, things are looking up. This week, the British Government announced a new funding program that will reduce waste from packaging of organic products. They will also create new guidelines wherein producers seeking organic certification must also meet stringent packaging waste standards. For organic consumers outside of the UK, the OCA recommends choosing organic products with minimal and/or recycled packaging. http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/packaging090205.cfm
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UPDATE: STOP THE SNEAK ATTACK ON ORGANIC STANDARDS
Last week,
the Organic Consumers Association alerted you and all of our supporters about a
"Sneak Attack" on organic standards in the U.S. Congress. As a
result, network members deluged the U.S. congress with over 60,000 emails and
10,000 telephone calls. Thank you for your support. This nearly unprecedented
grassroots upsurge has temporarily GOV COMPROMISES "ORGANIC"
LABELLING.
Your efforts to protect the label "organic" have
rattled Congress and the industry, delaying the initial Sneak Attack in the
Senate on organic standards. This
has resulted in a temporary compromise amendment (H.R. 2744), which calls for
"further study of the issue." Unfortunately we are on the threshold of another, possibly
even more serious, follow-up attack on organic standards in the House/Senate
Conference Committee over the next week.
For Congress members are putting the final wording together for the 2006
Congressional Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The OCA is calling on consumers and the organic community to
apply pressure to their House of Representatives members as well as their
Senators to stop the Conference Committee from degrading the standards. If you haven't already done so, please
send a letter to congress.
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YOUR FAVORITE DRUG DEALERS SHARE THEIR SECRETS
Over
the last decade, the doctor-patient relationship roles have changed
dramatically in the U.S. Traditionally,
a patient would visit a doctor with an ailment, the doctor would diagnose the
ailment, and the best known remedy would be prescribed. But now, pharmaceutical companies have
discovered how to bypass this system by convincing patients to demand specific
brand name drugs that they've seen advertised over and over again on TV and in
magazines and newspapers. Recent
studies show that drug companies now spend a record $3 billion on direct
advertising to consumers. A
60-second commercial slot on TV can tell a viewer what's wrong with her, and
what drug will fix her. And it
works-- the advertising, that is. Recently
released marketing statistics show that each year, prescriptions for the 50
most heavily advertised drugs rise six times faster than prescriptions for all
other drugs. Unfortunately, the
side effects of these same prescription drugs kill over 100,000 Americans every
year. http://www.organicconsumers.org/Politics/drugcon091605.cfm
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ALERT : KIDS AT RISK FROM PESTICIDES IN
SCHOOLS
A summer 2005 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports "significant increases" in pesticide poisonings of children in schools since 1998. Nearly a third of the cases were attributable to drifting pesticides from applications taking place off-site. But the majority were due to the use of insecticides inside schools. Studyauthors also addressed chronic exposure to herbicides due to repeated applications on school yards. They said, "the potential for chronic health effects from pesticide exposures at schools should not be dismissed." A piece of legislation that would reduce these chemical risk factors in schools is currently stalled in the House of Representatives. Again, the government wants to protect the profits of the corporations over the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. Learn more and sign on to support the School Environmental Protection Act here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/sepa-petition.htm