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 Below from Thad Cossabone on FaceBook.
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 Recovery.gov Web site errors fuel criticisms by opponents of program
By Jonathan Tilove
November 18, 2009, 7:02AM
When President Barack Obama came before a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24 to talk about his $787 billion stimulus package, he acknowledged that there were many "who are skeptical of whether this plan will work.''
He promised unprecedented oversight, and transparency, including the creation of a "new Web site called recovery.gov so that every American can find out how and where their money is being spent.''
But Louisianans visiting the site might find themselves not just skeptical but truly puzzled to see that nearly $5 million was listed as headed to Louisiana's 8th Congressional District, $2.8 million to the 22nd Congressional District, $1.8 million to the 12th Congressional District, and lesser amounts to the 26th, 45th, 14th, 32nd and even the 00 districts.
The problem, of course, is that Louisiana only has seven congressional districts, and while those seven, to be fair, are listed as the intended destination of the lion's share of the $2.2 billion awarded to Louisiana -- of which $554 million has been delivered -- many millions of dollars are listed as bound for nonexistent districts in Louisiana.
The problem was first noted in a story Monday by ABC News, with phantom districts in states from coast to coast.
According to Ed Pound, director of communications for recovery.gov, the Web site relies on self-reporting by recipients of the stimulus money. They are required to fill out an online form with federalreporting.gov, identifying how much money they have received and how many jobs they have created or saved in the process. A drop-down menu requires them to fill in the number of their congressional district, and apparently some recipients of Recovery Act funds entered incorrect congressional district numbers in their reports.
Pound said the information from federalreporting.gov is then simply transferred to recovery.gov. No one checks to verify its accuracy, or to take note of the fact that Utah really doesn't have seven congressional districts, South Dakota, 10, or Louisiana, 15.
"We're not certifying the accuracy of the information,'' said Pound. Federal agencies can and do sometimes notice mistakes, he said, and call it to the attention of recipients, but only recipients can correct the information.
"We know what the problem is and we are trying to fix it,'' said Pound. Asked why recipients would pluck random numbers - 26, 45, 14 - to fill in for their congressional district, Pound replied, "who knows, man, who really knows. There are 130,000 reports out there.''
The snafu provided a splendid opening for critics of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as the stimulus package is more formally known.
"One thing - there is no black hole here,'' said Pound. Money, for example, that is listed is going to Louisiana's 26th district, really did go to one of Louisiana's actual districts, it was just mislabeled.
Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said the ambitions of recovery.gov are grand and "I think you have to give the administration credit for trying, but you know you got to get it right,'' and that this obvious mistake may undermine the credibility of other data on the site.
"The phantom congressional districts highlight a bigger issue - the utility of the data in general,'' said Eric Gillespie, the chief information officer for Onvia, a Seatte-based private company that has its own stimulus tracking site: recovery.org. "The recovery recipient reporting model aggregating up literally hundreds of thousands of data points from many, many people doesn't really work."
The result, said Gillespie is that while, as of Oct. 30, recovery.gov reported that the Recovery Act had created or saved 640,329 jobs, according to recovery.org, the actual figure, on the ground, so far, as of Tuesday morning, is more like 175,000.
Current Music: Slide (Limited Version) - Chi-A.D. (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid
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The question I have is now that Army Corps of Engineers is liable, does that mean that *ALL* flood damage, as well as subsequent and consequent damagesl be paid for by the Army Corps of Engineers? And if not, then why the fuck not!
====================================
Federal Judge Stanwood Duval ruled late Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers' mismanagement of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet was directly responsible for flood damage of homes in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
The New York Times wrote "It was the first time that the government has been held liable for any of the flooding that inundated the New Orleans area after Aug. 29, 2005, vindicating the long-held contention of many in the region that the flooding was far more than an act of God."
Plaintiff attorneys Joe Bruno and Pierce O'Donnell said they expect to travel to Washington, D.C., as early as next week to try to convince members of the administration of President Barack Obama and members of Congress to consider revisiting requests for compensation by New Orleans-area residents in both the areas covered by the decision and in other areas flooded by corps-related failures of levees.
The corps allowed the channel to attack the levees in three ways, Duval said, allowing the levees to slump under their own weight, failing to armor the channel's banks against ship wakes and allowing saltwater to exacerbate the loss of wetlands throughout the area.
Check in with Levees.org's website for updates.
Current Music: Seed - Entropic Appetites (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo el
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Below from Richard Green on FaceBook. Go to URL for rest of the long essay.
==========================================
Arabic and Islamic themes in Frank Herbert's "Dune"
Submitted by Khalid on Thu, 2004/01/22 - 19:59 Those who are familiar with Frank Herbert's famous novel Dune know that he took his analogy from the oil of the Middle East, and that the novel is symbolic about the dependance of the West on the oil, and the power struggles to control this valuable resource.
You will really enjoy this article whether you have read the novels, or summaries of them, or just watched 1984 David Lynch Dune movie, and/or the Dune TV Mini-series, or even played the Dune games.
In this article, I try to explain in detail where Frank Herbert got his name, concepts, and words from. This article is not meant to be a literary nor an exhaustive topical critique of the novels, which I am cannot fully do, because simply, I did not read the original novels. I have watched and enjoyed the movie and the mini-series, and read summaries of the novels. Instead, this article is a linguistic and etymological study of the major aspects of Dune as they pertain to Middle East, Arabic, and Islam.
http://baheyeldin.com/literature/arabic-and-islamic-themes-in-frank-herberts-dune.htmlCurrent Music: Markus Guentner - Express Yourself (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid
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Below from coconut oil list. Previous DIM post here.
==============================================
I found this one at Puritan.com
What do you think?
I am 60yrs, 125lbs, 5'3", no family history, and exercise.
My husband is 6', 195, some history osteo and 66 yrs.
Taking 15mg pregenolone.
From the info one of you all sent looks like I would take about 25 and he 50 of Dim.
S0 buying 5 would give 300 caps at 3 a day for both and be about $16 for us both. 60 Capsules
Item #055122
DIM® is a standardized, bioavailable form of diindolylmethane, a phytonutrient found in vegetables such as broccoli. As a patented formula, DIM® promotes women's metabolism and cellular health.** Each capsule contains 100 mg. of the DIM® Blend Complex which provides 25 mg. of DIM® (Diindolylmethane). Buy 1 Get 1 Free2 for $26.49Add to CartBuy 2 Get 3 Free5 for $52.98Add to Cart
Label InformationMore Information Supplement Facts
Serving Size 1 Capsule Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
DIM® blend complex 100 mg * (Providing 25 mg of Diindolylmethane)
*Daily Value not established. Directions: For adults, take one (1) capsule with a meal up to three times daily. As a reminder, discuss the supplements and medications you take with your health care providers. Other Ingredients: Rice Powder, Gelatin, Silica, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate. Contains soy ingredients WARNING: Not intended for use by pregnant or nursing women. If you are taking any medications, consult your doctor before use. Discontinue use and consult your doctor if any adverse reactions occur. DIM® and BioResponse® are trademarks of BioResponse, L.L.C. DIM® is protected by U.S. Patent No. 6,086,915. DIM® is a standardized, bioavailable form of diindolylmethane, a phytonutrient found in vegetables such as broccoli. As a patented formula, DIM® promotes women's metabolism and cellular health.** Each capsule contains 100 mg. of the DIM® Blend Complex which provides 25 mg. of DIM® (Diindolylmethane). No Artificial Color, Flavor or Sweetener, No Preservatives, No Sugar, No Milk, No Lactose, No Gluten, No Wheat, No Yeast, No Fish, Sodium Free. http://www.puritan.com/womens-vitamins-023/dim-055122Current Music: Orb - Ultraworld Probe Eight - Outlands (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient an
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Below from Dana Hegar on FaceBook. Watch video at link below.
==================================
On Saturday, a few dozen anti-immigration activists gathered on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol for a Tea Party, part of the nationwide effort by Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC). But somehow, one of the counter-protesters, a “concerned citizen from Minneapolis” named “Robert Erickson,” manged to get on the speaking list. His address started with the standard anti-immigrant rhetoric, but then revealed that he was talking about European immigrants.
"Let’s send these European immigrants back where they came from! I don’t care if they are Polish, Irish, English, Italian, or Norwegian! European immigrants are responsible for the most violent and heinous crimes in the history of the world, including genocide and slavery! Its time to restore the sovereignty of people native to this land! I want more workplace raids, starting with the big banks downtown. "
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/16/columbus-go-home/
Current Music: Omicron - Tranquility Base (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo e
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From Shannon Moore on FaceBook.
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Image Swirl Brings New Visualizations to Google Image Search November 17th, 2009 | by Jennifer Van Grove
Google seems to have a renewed focus on improving the image search experience. For example, just last month Google Similar Images, which uses image recognition technology for filtering search results, graduated from Google Labs and became a default feature of Google Image search. In an effort to continue down the better image search path, GoogleGoogle has just released a new Labs feature called Google Image Swirl. The new functionality is the result of computer vision research and clusters images into groups that you can search by way of an experimental new user interface.
With Google Image Swirl, your image search results are coupled together in 12 different groupings. Once you identify a particular group, your results will swirl into view, whereby each selection refocuses and swirls the search results in a circular fashion. The experience is reminiscent of Google’s Wonder Wheel, and reminds us of Visual Thesaurus. According to Google, “Image Swirl expands on technologies developed for Similar Images and Picasa Face Recognition to discern how images should be grouped together and build hierarchies out of these groups. Each thumbnail on the initial results page represents an algorithmically-determined representative group of images with similar appearance and meaning. These aren’t just the most relevant images — they are the most relevant groups of images.” The new Google Lab is already live and works for about 200,000 image queries. Try it out and let us know what you think.
http://mashable.com/2009/11/17/google-image-swirl/ Current Music: Steps-Dis-Charge - Track 2 (Part 1) (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mi
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I have a routine for lugging home heavy boxes of supplements. I pick up the heavy box or boxes at Royal mail using my foldable 2-wheel cart. I drag the cart to my courtyard. I leave the loaded cart at the bottom of my stairs. I do other errands. I come back home. I take all the small packages upstairs. I take supplements and drink whey. Then I go back down to retrieve the heavy package, which I empty into my shopping cart, then drag my cart up the stairs. I need to rest, shake my arms, and breathe at the first floor landing, and again at the second floor landing. When I finally get home, I am huffing and puffing, my legs are shaking, and I am feeling lightheaded.
A week ago I got my shipment from Vitamix. 2 ten pound bags of whey, 5 big jars of inulin, 3 pounds of ascorbic acid, and a handfull of smaller supplement bottles. I noticed something odd. When lugging my shopping basket up the stairs, I had to rest at the third floor landing, but not at the second floor landing. And when I got back home, I was neither winded nor feeling unstable. I felt fine.
The only difference I can think of is that I am taking DHEA and Pregnenolone.
Today it got even better!
I received an almost identical shipment. Same procedure, but with one change. Instead of drinking whey before I lugged up the shipment, I drank about a pint of my tuna salad smoothie. One batch of liquid tuna salad is too much to comfortably drink in 2 meals. So I drank about a pint of it before going down for the supplements. Same errands earlier, so same exertions walking around. Today, I needed no rest stop at the first landing or the second. And when I got home, I felt better than I usually do walking up 3 flights of stairs when I am walking up empty-handed.
When I drink liquid tuna salad for two days in a row, my blood sugar goes up compared to when I eat chopped steak & mushrooms and drink whey for breakfast. However, I seem to crave liquid salad. So, the question I have been asking myself is whether my body is craving the liquid salad because it contains lots of nutrition and vitality which it wants, or if the increased carbs in the various components of the salad triggering carb cravings.
I find that answers to questions like this rarely come in a very straightforward manner. I was responding to a question earlier on HML list and I got my answer. See below.
( Read more... ) Current Music: Sunkings - Galapagos (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electro
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Below from Doc Saul. The essay with footnotes below is exactly my own personal experience. Back when I had my last serious flu, I resisted increasing C when symptoms first arose, so I got sick. But then I upped my dose to bowel tolerance & I was back to work in less than a week with no fever, body aches, or feeling brain dead. For the past year I have added a large daily dose of Vitamin D3, which I have observed is also very helpful for not getting sick.
=============================================
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, November 17, 2009
Flu, Viruses, and Vitamin C Megadoses: A Personal Statement
By Robert G. Smith, PhD
(OMNS, November 17, 2009) Like most Americans, throughout most of my life I have occasionally been down with a virus. But for a long time, a simple cold for me started as a headache, sore throat and congestion in my nasal passages, and typically progressed to prolonged infection in my lungs, and a terrible cough. The whole experience took up to two weeks for recovery from the virus, and several more weeks for my lungs to recover. In his book Vitamin C and the Common Cold (1), Linus Pauling explained that vitamin C, taken at the proper dose, can prevent a virus from taking hold in the body. This pioneering book, written back in 1970, was ignored by many doctors but was well-received by the public. One chemistry professor told me that he had heard of Pauling's book and the vitamin C therapy but didn't think taking a big dose of an acid, even a mild one like ascorbic acid, would be good for the body. As for me, I imagined Pauling was probably correct about the details he had researched, because he was a renowned scientist and knew much more than most about biochemistry. Perhaps, I thought, he had simply gotten some of the medical details wrong or had missed some of the important studies about the effects of vitamins. But I started taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C every day and kept this up for several decades. Two years ago, I decided to look further for myself. I looked online and found a recent book by Hickey and Roberts (2) that summarized 60 years of vitamin C research and revisited the issue of Dr. Pauling's rejection by the medical establishment. Pauling and a few brave physicians had continued research into the use of vitamin C to prevent illness and had gained a lot of new knowledge and intuition about its use. The book explained that all of the studies showing little effect of vitamin C had serious flaws. It also carefully debunked the myths about hazards of vitamin C use. I also read Pauling's newer book on vitamin therapy, How to Live Longer and Feel Better (3), and was amazed at his clear explanation of individual differences in the need for essential nutrients. Pauling had been right all along, and now there was a lot of new knowledge about how to use vitamin C for best benefit. Next, I found a book by Thomas Levy on the use of vitamin C to cure infectious disease. (4) All of these books contained numerous references to the scientific literature. So I started taking 2,000-3,000 milligrams of vitamin C every few hours, and more when I went to bed at night. This caused no discomfort and only occasionally produced a minor laxative effect from vitamin C that was unabsorbed. Then, if I ever got an infection, I followed Dr. Robert Cathcart's instructions about going to "bowel tolerance" of vitamin C. (5) Usually when I get a cold or the flu there is an initial period of several hours when I feel tired, with a slight headache, sometimes with a slight sore throat or sniffle. As the books described, I could stop the symptoms of the oncoming infection within an hour or two by taking a higher dose of vitamin C at shorter intervals (3,000-5,000 milligrams every 20 minutes). Did it work? ( Read more... ) Current Music: Ibizzare - The Mask (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electron
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Over the decades, I have heard this particular question a lot. People seem to assume that living forever means being feeble, being in constant pain, living with lots of tubes going into and out of them, having no desires, drives, or plans, etc.
OTOH, to me, living forever means being in tip-top health, with a well-honed mind capable of learning and changing patterns, having a sex drive, a sense of humor, and a continuous wonderment about the world.
Dying is no challenge. I can jump off a building right now. Or I can eat crap foods, allow myself to age, get feeble & sickly, then die. But living forever is a challenge! I can always change my mind later if I get bored. But if I do not take up the challenge of immortality, I will soon (in a few decades) be so fucked-up, burnt-out, and so sickly that I won't be able to change my mind. To me, the quest for physical immortality is about having options. As Robert Anton Wilson used to say, "I will live forever or die trying." I feel I have an edge on Bob. I do not smoke, I exercise, I eat healthy foods, and I take lots of supplements. When I met Bob in the 1980s, he wasn't doing any of those things. ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) aion131 asked me a question on HML list: I have one for you Alobar:I just turned 53 and want to prolong life etc- what simple advice/suppliments do you suggest? Especially if I have not given up hedonism quite yet... If I had to add 3 things, say, what should I do/take in your opinion? 131
To which I replied: Three things won't do it, AION. I'd start with ( Read more... )Current Music: Orbital - Times Fly (Slow) (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo e
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See also here and here. More from coconut oil thread.
=======================================
Here's a potent and unique product (supersupplement?) complete with most of the research.
http://activamune.com
It contains DIM, which is being used by bodybuilders also to enhance their Testosterone:Estrogen ratio, and antioxidants; the research should interest :)
I think Alobar (and myself) will benefit from this anti-aging and anti-cancer tool. Thanks cadalyst. Let me know what you think of the product.
all good,
Duncan
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Looks like a good product, but more than I can afford right now, Duncan. I think I'll start with Nature's Way DIM-plus.
Alobar
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nature's Way DIM-Plus Estrogen Metabolism Formula -- 120 Capsules,
price: $18.27 Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 2 Capsules Servings per Container: 60
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate 9 International Unit 30%
BioResponse-DIM™ complex (patented, enhanced bioavailability
complex containing 25% diindolylmethane [25 mg]) *
starch, diindolylmethane, natural vitamin E, phosphatidylcholine
(soy), silica 100 Milligrams *
Protectamins (spinach powder, cabbage powder,
concentrated broccoli powder) 100 Milligrams *
*Daily value not established. Current Music: Miasma - Settled Storm (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo elect
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Below from Alex Kuznetsov</a> (lyoshka) on FaceBook.
=============================================
TIMESTAMP 08/11/2009. The original Mandelbrot is an amazing object that has captured the public's imagination for 30 years with its cascading patterns and hypnotically colourful detail. It's known as a 'fractal' - a type of shape that yields (sometimes elaborate) detail forever, no matter how far you 'zoom' into it (think of the trunk of a tree sprouting branches, which in turn split off into smaller branches, which themselves yield twigs etc.).
It's found by following a relatively simple math formula. But in the end, it's still only 2D and flat - there's no depth, shadows, perspective, or light sourcing. What we have featured in this article is a potential 3D version of the same fractal. For the impatient, you can skip to the nice pics, but the below makes an interesting read (with a little math as well for the curious).
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BackgroundIt's been almost two years since we last wrote about the potential for a real 3D equivalent to the famous 2D Mandelbrot set. We're talking about a fractal which produces exquisite detail on all axes and zoom levels; one that doesn't simply produce the 'extruded' look of the various height-mapped images, or the 'whipped cream' swirls of the Quaternion approach. The article received a degree of popularity, but in the end, the problem remained open, and the Mandelbrot refused to relinquish its deepest secret. At times, it felt tempting to give up the search, but the potential for the thing is too great - we are talking about the Holy Grail of fractals after all.
Opening Pandora's Box For the Second Time  ur story starts with a guy named Rudy Rucker, an American mathematician, computer scientist and science fiction author (and in fact one of the founders of the cyberpunk science-fiction movement). Around 20 years ago, along with other approaches, he first imagined the concept behind the potential 3D Mandelbulb (barring a small mistake in the formula, which nevertheless still can produce very interesting results - see later), and also wrote a short story about the 3D Mandelbrot in 1987 entitled " As Above, So Below" (also see his blog entry and notebook). Back then of course, the hardware was barely up to the task of rendering the 2D Mandelbrot, let alone the 3D version - which would require billions of calculations to see the results, making research in the area a painstaking process to say the least. So the idea slumbered for 20 years until around 2007. I then independently pictured the same concept and published the formula for the first time in November 2007 at the fractalforums.com web site. The basic idea is that instead of rotating around a circle (complex multiplication), as in the normal 2D Mandelbrot, we rotate around phi and theta in 3 dimensional spherical coordinates ( see here for details). In theory, this could theoretically produce our amazing 3D Mandelbrot. But here's the somewhat disappointing result of the formula (click any of the pictures for a larger view): 
The first thing I tried was multiplying phi and theta by two, resulting in the shape you see above. It's nice, but not exactly what I'd call a 3D Mandelbrot (zooming in doesn't show true 3D fractal detail). | 
This one is the same as to the left, except offsets have been added to the multiplication bit (0.5*pi to theta and 1*pi to phi), to make it appear almost 3D Mandelbrot-esque. Also see Thomas Ludwig's globally illuminated render, and this one from Krzysztof Marczak. | 
Same as the first, except this time we try only multiplying angle phi by two, but not theta. |
Although the second one looks somewhat impressive, and has the appearance of a 3D Mandelbulb very roughly, we would expect the real deal to have a level of detail far exceeding it. Perhaps we should expect an 'apple core' shape with spheres surrounding the perimeter, and further spheres surrounding those, similar to the way that circles surround circles in the 2D Mandelbrot. Zooming in reveals some interesting detail, but nothing truly fantastic. The best shot I could find was this view from the YZ plane (found just before this article was published actually):  Full size shown here. For other 'hot spots', try here, and this one from the inside. I went to great lengths to explore the concept, including the utilization of various spherical coordinate systems and adjusting the rotation of each point's 'orbit' after every half-turn of phi or theta. But it didn't work. Something was missing. I scoured everywhere to find signs of the 3D beast, but nothing turned up. Pretty 3D fractals were everywhere, but nothing quite as organic and rich as the original 2D Mandelbrot. The closest turned out to be Dr. Kazushi Ahara and Dr. Yoshiaki's excellent Quasi-fuchsian fractal (see right), but it turned out that even that doesn't have the variety of the Mandelbrot after zooming in. Is this merely a fool's quest?Some said it couldn't be done - that there wasn't a true analogue to a complex field in three dimensions (which is true), and so there could be no 3D Mandelbulb. But does the essence of the 2D Mandelbrot purely rely on this complex field, or is there something else more fundamental to its form? Eventually, I also started to think that this was turning out to be a Loch Ness hunt. But there was still something at the back of my mind saying if this detail can be found by (essentially) going round and across a circle for the standard 2D Mandelbrot, why can't the same thing be done for a sphere to make a 3D version? Our story continues with mathematician - Paul Nylander. His idea was to adjust the squaring part of the formula to a higher power, as is sometimes done with the 2D Mandelbrot to produce snowflake type results. Surely this can't work? After all, we'd expect to find sumptuous detail in the standard power 2 (square or quadratic) form, and if it's not really there, then why should higher powers work? But maths can behave in odd ways, and intuition plays tricks on you sometimes. This is what he found (also see forum thread, and the full size pic at the 'Hypercomplex Fractals' page of his site): ( Read more... )Current Music: Serve Chilled - Eve's Theme (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo
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Below from Alternative Medicine Forum. I would never recommend anyone go on a vegetarian diet. Omega 3 from plants must be converted into the essential omega 3 oils which are naturally found in fish. Likewise D2 drom plants needs to be converted to D3 which we humans need. Many people are unable to convert D2 and plant omega 3 oils. People who are sickly may well have an even more difficult time doing the conversions.
=========================================
THE MIRACLE OF MAGNESIUM
http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/the_miracle_of_magnesium By Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, ND
The following is an excerpt from The Miracle of Magnesium by Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, published by Ballantine Books, New York; 2003. This excerpt is from Chapter 1 entitled “The Case for Magnesium: The Personal History of an Element”:
Mary joked that she felt as though she was constantly being run over by a slow-moving bus. Cramping in her legs startled her awake at night, making her an insomniac, and she had heart palpitations daily. Her doctor also found that she had high blood sugar — not bad enough to need injections of insulin, but he prescribed pills to try to stimulate more insulin production. Finally, frightening panic attacks came out of nowhere and made this vibrant, fun-loving woman afraid to go outside.
To try to relieve her leg cramps, Mary began taking calcium at night, having read that it was good for cramps and sleep. At first, the calcium seemed to help, but after a week or two, the pains got worse. If she yawned and stretched in bed, her calf muscles would seize up and catapult her to the floor, where she would lie frantically massaging her muscles to try to release the spasm. All the next day, she would limp about with a very tender, bruised feeling in her calf.
Although Mary’s heart palpitations had improved somewhat after she’d given up her three cups of coffee a day, they too resumed after a few weeks. Every time the palpitations occurred, which was several times a day, they made her cough slightly and catch her breath. She found it frightening, even though her doctor said her stress tests for heart disease were fine and she didn’t need further testing with an angiogram.
Both Mary’s parents had adult-onset diabetes, and Mary knew that she should watch her diet, but she was overweight and craved sugary and high-carbohydrate foods that were hard to resist. When the panic attacks hit on top of everything else, Mary knew she had to seek help, and came to my office. She was only fifty-three, far too young to be feeling so bad, and was worried about her future health.
Sam was only forty-nine and experiencing chest pains. At first, he thought they were indigestion, but sometimes the pains would occur in the middle of the night. Concerned, he went to a cardiologist, who found two slightly blocked arteries, not serious enough for bypass surgery. Sam’s cholesterol was somewhat elevated, as was his blood pressure, which he attributed to his high-stress occupation and the fact that he had not exercised regularly for the past six months, when he was sidelined with back pain. The cardiologist observed that his arterial blockage would almost inevitably worsen over time and eventually necessitate surgery. The doctor offered him medication for his high cholesterol, told him not to eat butter or eggs, and gave him nitroglycerine to take whenever he had the pain. If the symptoms got worse, he would prescribe other medications. Sam couldn’t imagine having to wait to get worse before doing something about his chest pain; he knew there must be something more he could do to avoid surgery and came to me for advice.
At thirty-five, Jan had actually begun to look forward to going through menopause. That’s how bad her PMS symptoms were. As soon as those horrible feelings lifted, she was hit by the sledgehammer of menstrual cramps. She also had migraines, which for years had come before her period but now were occurring once or twice a week. She was so miserable that she was considering a complete hysterectomy, with removal of her hormone-producing ovaries, but wondered whether the migraines, since they were happening all month, were not hormonal.
Different as their symptoms are, Mary, Sam, and Jan all suffer from magnesium deficiency. While women and men seem equally susceptible to magnesium deficiency, women may become deficient faster than men due to hormonal fluctuations because pound for pound, they have fewer circulating red blood cells, which carry magnesium, and so perhaps less magnesium available. There are a few other gender differences. Because of magnesium’s effect on hormonal regulation and vice versa, women can have deficiencies in pregnancy, when breast-feeding, with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and with dysmenorrhea (painful periods). Osteoporosis, which affects more women than men, is evidence of a deficiency of both calcium and magnesium. An overactive thyroid, which afflicts more women than men, increases the metabolic rate, which uses up magnesium-requiring ATP (adenosine triphosphate — the energy packets made in each cell in the body). Without magnesium, ATP would not be produced.
Let’s follow Mary, Sam, and Jan and see how they overcame their magnesium deficiencies.
When Mary visited me, I charted her health history in detail, according to procedures commonly used by naturopathic doctors, and found several symptoms of magnesium deficiency. In her case it had been made even worse by too much calcium, so simple magnesium supplementation wouldn’t be enough for Mary. Her diet and lifestyle needed a complete overhaul.
I gave Mary a list of magnesium-rich foods that she needed to start eating, which included nuts, beans, greens, and seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin. Mary realized that she’d been avoiding almost all of these foods: She thought nuts were fattening, beans gave her gas, and greens never seemed fresh enough at the supermarket. She had never even thought about eating seeds.
After a week of enthusiastically eating a lot more magnesium-rich foods, Mary felt somewhat better. To make sure she could get fresh organic greens regularly, she tracked down a local community-supported agriculture (CSA) program and bought a share in a neighboring organic farm. Mary also learned how to soak and cook beans to prevent them from causing gas, and began eating nuts and seeds rich in magnesium and healthy oils, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
After her second visit I recommended that she begin taking magnesium supplements. Starting with a dosage of 200 mg a day, we added another 200 mg every two days to build slowly to 600 mg. I cautioned her that it could take months to eliminate magnesium deficiency symptoms and that not all her symptoms would necessarily respond. Within two months, however, Mary was singing the praises of magnesium. Her palpitations and panic attacks had disappeared. Her cravings for sweets were fewer, she was able to control her blood sugar with diet alone, and tests for blood sugar were normal. Her leg cramps were gone, and with them her insomnia. At three months we added calcium along with magnesium so that she would not develop an imbalance of the two. Mary’s internist was quite surprised at her improved health and told her to keep up the good work with her diet and supplements.
Sam had an inquiring mind, and I encouraged him to start reading about heart disease. He found that up to 30 percent of angina (chest pain) patients do not have badly blocked arteries but may be suffering from an electrical imbalance that is driven by mineral deficiency, most commonly magnesium. An astonishing 40 to 60 percent of sudden deaths from heart attack may occur in the complete absence of any prior artery blockage, clot formation or heart rhythm abnormalities, most likely from spasms in the arteries (magnesium is a natural antispasmodic). Moreover, he found that magnesium deficiency has been linked to sudden cardiac death. Sam didn’t want to wait around for that to happen to him; he was determined to find out what was causing his problem and treat the cause. The more he read, the more intrigued he became. When he read that magnesium deficiency is also associated with muscle pain, especially back pain, that really got his attention, since he had begun having back pain four or five months before he began to develop chest pains.
With a packet of information on magnesium, Sam went back to his cardiologist. Before the doctor saw him, however, a nurse took Sam’s blood pressure; it was unusually elevated, even though at home it was usually only a few points above normal. (Doctor-induced hypertension is commonly reported by patients.) The cardiologist swept into the room and immediately began talking about blood pressure medication. Sam countered with magnesium. The cardiologist visibly cooled and said that magnesium was used to control hypertension that occurred in pregnant women because there were no side effects, but that there were plenty of effective drugs for everyone else. When Sam said he would rather not have side effects either, the cardiologist gathered up his file and told him to come back when he was ready to take medications for his heart disease.
When Sam came back to see me, he was still pretty upset by this encounter; he didn’t like the specialist refusing to discuss a possible magnesium deficiency as part of the picture. Sam and I agreed that magnesium seemed the best treatment for him to initiate at this time since he was not willing to take medications.
Sam began adding magnesium to his diet by eating magnesium-rich foods. After a week he felt much calmer, but he still had chest and back pain. So he added magnesium and calcium supplements, and in about three months he felt almost normal.
Among the studies Sam read was one that looked at the correspondence between type A personalities and magnesium deficiency. From the description, Sam realized he was a type A, an aggressive guy who lived on adrenaline, time pressure, and stress. This type of behavior drains the body of magnesium and can lead to disorders such as heart disease, muscle spasms, hypersensitivity, and irritability. Prolonged psychological stress raises adrenaline, the stress hormone, which depletes magnesium. ( Read more... )Current Music: Evolver - The Journey (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electr
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Previous post here. Below is more info on DIM from thread on coconut oil list.
Looks like enhanced absorption DIM is sold by Vitacost. I sure know I am never gonna want to eat a pound of brussel sprouts each and every day!
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My husband and I just started taking pregnenlone 15 mg.
We do eat a lot of broccoli but the Weston Price info seems to indicate more DIM should be supplemented. ( I have great regard for the Weston Price site. )
Does anyone know for sure what the proportion DIM/pregnenolone should be? Eating more than a pound of brussel sprouts in a sitting (and, every day!) is a bit much for some people, but that's the threshold given in the page.
Duncan
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There is not an easy answer. As we age, our hormonal levels tend to decrease and become unbalanced. The goal is to restore hormone levels to a more youthful level while maintaining balance.
The only way to know for certain that you are doing this safely is to test your hormone levels and in particular the ratio of your 2-hydroxy estrogens (often called good) to your 16-hydroxy estrogens (bad).
If your 16-hydroxy levels are too high, then you are at risk for breast/prostate cancer. If your relative 2-hydroxy levels are too high, then you are at risk for osteoporosis.
Pregnenolone tends to raise all hormone levels, but not necessarily in the desired ratios. DIM tends to restore 2-hydroxy and estriol to more optimal balanced levels.
If you are taking pregnenolone, dhea, obese, have a family history of breast/prostate cancer, exposed to xenoestrogens (e.g. parabins in hand lotion, bisphenol A in water bottles, etc), or older then you want to take more DIM. To minimize the risk of osteoporosis, you want to ensure optimal vitamin D levels (requires supplementation during winter months). Men generally need slightly higher levels of DIM, than women.
If you are young, have no family history of breast/prostrate cancer, but have a family history of osteoporosis, take no hormones (or their precursors), are thin, and diligent about avoiding all sources of xenoestrogens, then you need little to no DIM.
DIM is also poorly absorbed, so it is best to obtain a supplement that states enhanced absorption on its label (otherwise you need to take higher doses). In general as we age, taking both pregnenolone and DIM is desirable as long as they are taken in moderation. Do not take megadoses of either one.
X
Current Music: Skyclad (High Frequencies Version) - Aes Dana (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambi
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Below from someone on FaceBook (I forget who).
 I feel the article below is missing something. Human brains are getting smaller, but what does that really mean? To me, it could mean decreased brain power, but it could also mean more efficient packing of neurons or more efficient programming. Compare the size of the ENIAC computer with the computer you are now using. Which computer do you think is faster, more reliable, easier to use? Your computer or the ENIAC?
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 Humans still evolving as our brains shrink
Decrease has been happening over last 5,000 years, researcher says
Image: Human brain
dreamstime
Weighing in at an average of 2.7 pounds, the human brain packs a whopping 100 billion neurons. Every minute, about three soda cans' worth of blood flow through the brain.
By Charles Q. Choi
updated 3:53 p.m. CT, Fri., Nov . 13, 2009
Evolution in humans is commonly thought to have essentially stopped in recent times. But there are plenty of examples that the human race is still evolving, including our brains, and there are even signs that our evolution may be accelerating.
Comprehensive scans of the human genome reveal that hundreds of our genes show evidence of changes during the past 10,000 years of human evolution.
"We know the brain has been evolving in human populations quite recently," said paleoanthropologist John Hawks at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Surprisingly, based on skull measurements, the human brain appears to have been shrinking over the last 5,000 or so years.
"When it comes to recent evolutionary changes, we currently maybe have the least specific details with regard the brain, but we do know from archaeological data that pretty much everywhere we can measure — Europe, China, South Africa, Australia — that brains have shrunk about 150 cubic centimeters, off a mean of about 1,350. That's roughly 10 percent," Hawks said.
"As to why is it shrinking, perhaps in big societies, as opposed to hunter-gatherer lifestyles, we can rely on other people for more things, can specialize our behavior to a greater extent, and maybe not need our brains as much," he added.
Mutations against malaria
In contrast to our limited but growing knowledge regarding the modern evolution of the human brain, the best example we see of evolution of humans in recent history is linked with malaria, Hawks said.
Since the disease often targets humans early in life, there was a strong pressure to evolve defenses from malaria — any genetic factor that confers resistance against it would give descendents a chance to have offspring, while those without such protection were more likely to not reproduce.
There are lots of examples of defenses against malaria. ( Read more... )Current Music: Indidginus - Nimbus (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electron
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Below from Loki on FaceBook.
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New Orleans (November 16, 2009) – The Louisiana SPCA (LA/SPCA) has started an investigation into disturbing acts of cruelty against cats. The LA/SPCA Animal Control Officers collected the body of an orange and white cat. During the necropsy it was determined the cat died from blunt force trauma. This was the 10th cat to be found in this area. The other 9 cats were disposed of before the LA/SPCA could examine them. The LA/SPCA is expecting more bodies to turn up. “Animal cruelty is a pre-cursor to violence against humans,” states Ana Zorrilla, CEO of the LA/SPCA. “This case is not only disturbing because of the trauma that this cat endured, but also because there is a member of our community who thinks it is ok to torture living creatures. It is only a matter of time before this escalates.” The LA/SPCA is asking for anyone within the area bounded by Orleans, Tulane, Murat and Jeff Davis for help. Residents should see LA/SPCA Animal Control Officers in the neighborhood asking questions in the investigation of these crimes. Cooperation is appreciated, and if you have information please call 504-368-5191 ext 100 or log onto www.la-spca.org and fill out an animal cruelty report. The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is an organization devoted to improving the lives of animals and eliminating the homelessness, neglect and abuses that signal animal suffering. Chartered in 1888, our history has been paved with an understanding that only through an improved human-animal ethic can we better the lives of companion animals and that of our community. Our programs and services are infused with the highest standards of care and compassion.
http://humidkitties.blogspot.com/2009/11/cat-abuse-in-mid-city-call-for.html Current Music: Ibizarre - Psychonavigator (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo e
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Below from C3 list.
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The walls shook at Glide Memorial in San Francisco ’s Tenderloin District this past SUN … and it wasn’t the result of someone accidentally turning up the Amp on their internationally famous Glide Ensemble choir and Change Band. It was the direct result of United Methodist Church Bishops sending an open letter with a stern message: Pull Out Troops from Afghanistan in 2010. That was all that it took for the flood gates to burst open, and the reverberating voice of Pastor Donald Guest challenged every American to rise to the current economic / political / social problems facing our country and take to the streets to end All Injustice: end War, end Poverty, end Job Loss, end Home Foreclosure, end Lack of Health Care. Though they love all of humankind, that absolutely does not follow through to the misdeeds and/or inactions of humankind attributable to evil and creating a hell-on-earth for so many peoples in so many areas of the world. “The Times They Are A Changin” as one by one we make our voices heard, our presence felt and collectively we realize that in our similatities and common experiences lies our greatest strength. As this strength pales differences that lead to weakening, we can take back America and transform the dream, the promise, into the reality. The time of those who call their acts against humanity and country, humanitarian and patriotic, will end only when we say “No More” and End It Ourselves. The Methodist Bishops get-it … Spread the word, “It’s All Over Now …!” John Stauffer
San Francisco, CA
M 415-385-0065
johnjstauffer@att.net http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2789393&ct=7670905 77 bishops urge troop pullout from Afghanistan
By Kathy Gilbert*
Nov. 13, 2009 | LAKE JUNALUSKA , N.C. (UMNS) “I have struggled with the war in Iraq ,” Meadors said. “I held public prayer services when the 3,000th and 4,000th soldier was killed in Iraq .”
The most recent letter also addressed the war in Iraq . “Several years ago, more than 120 bishops issued a ‘Statement of Repentance’ for our failure to speak out early against the war in Iraq ,” the letter stated. “We do not want to make that mistake again of remaining silent in the face of another widening war.”</span> Meadors said he wants to remember and honor those who have died or been wounded, and to support their families and loved ones.
The bishops pledged to uphold the president with prayers “as you seek a just and peaceful resolution to the tragic war in Afghanistan .”
“I have 10 grandchildren,” Meadors said. “I want to do everything I can to leave them a world without war.”
The 77 bishops who signed the letter are part of the larger Council of Bishops, which includes 69 active and 94 retired bishops from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America . http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2072519&ct=4625215 Council of Bishops calls for immediate Iraq withdrawal By Linda Green
Nov. 9, 2007 | LAKE JUNALUSKA , N.C. (UMNS) Declaring war "incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ," the bishops of The United Methodist Church called on leaders of all nations to begin an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq . The bishops also urged against deploying additional troops to Iraq and against establishing permanent military bases in the Middle Eastern country. "This resolution is long overdue," said retired Bishop Clifton Ives before the Council of Bishops voted its approval on Nov. 9. ( Read more... ) Current Music: Mermaids - Innervisions (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo elec
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In general, the homeless community is honorable. But when new homeless come to town, they sometimes do not have manners. This month we have an influx of new homeless folks. Some attempt to beg from readers. They do not yet understand that they should beg from tourists, not people working out on the Square. Some want me to hire them to pack up my setup. Some gypsies hire people to pack setups, but not other readers. We have far better things to do with our money. But these are just minor annoyances. The ones I loathe are the thieves.
Last weekend somebody walked off with kellcrow7's cheapie cellphone. Early in the evening. Plenty of people around when she went on break. She had to buy a new phone. She lost all her phone numbers she had stored on the old phone's contact list.
Tonight, around 9:30 PM, when I went on break, I made sure to put my Tarot deck into my duffel bag, rather than leaving it out on my table. When I came back, someone had walked off with my duffel bag. Nothing with much retail value in my bag. They got my Thoth deck. That pisses me off, but I have 2 more Thoth decks at home. One new one. And one which had been stolen back over 5 years ago, then returned to me by Rose. So I am now using my ancient deck. They also got my backup cannister of pepper spray. I still have the cannister on my hip, but no backup in case things get mean and ugly.
I went to the police supply website, but they seem not to carry that make/model. So I asked customer service what they would recommend. Once I hear from them, I shall order me a back-up. Maybe two of them.
I am more annoyed than really pissed. I hate the sense of violation. It is not feasible for me to pack all my stuff up and take it home every time I want to take a piss break or run to the store. I sure can't afford to hire someone to watch my setup every time I need to take a piss or buy groceries. Current Music: Cirrus Minor - Zulu (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electron
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I am finding very odd changes in my tastebuds. I have always known veggies which do not taste good are probably good for me. I can handle a small bit of cabbage in a salad if it is finely chopped. But the only way I can eat any significant amount of cabbage is in sauerkraut. Until now.
My tuna salad smoothie experiment is going well. But there are odd changes. The first few time I drank it, the taste was not real yummy. Not terrible, but just not yummy. But when I had two quarts of salad smoothie today, it tasted better than previously. Same recipe. I am guessing my body has decided this stuff is good for me, so it has adjusted my tastebuds. Specifically, I am craving more cabbage. So tomorrow I shall use 2 leaves instead of just one.
A while back I was moaning about income being poor and not knowing where $$ for supplements was coming from. Money is still poor, but I am buying even more supplements and foods than usual. An old friend (who wishes to remain anonymous) wrote me to off to buy the supplements I need and told me I can pay back the money whenever I can, be it months or longer.
I am earning enough to pay rent, utilities, and basic food items. The loan is paying for supplements and non-perishable food to last me thru the winter. So I have ordered sprout growing kit and seeds, 5 gallon pail of coconut oil, lots of whey, and many other vitamins and supplements.
I had not realized the pressure I was feeling from lack of money until the pressure was relieved by the indefinite loan. I am now able to explore many different supplements I have been wanting to try for a while now, but just did not have the $$.
My use of liquid tuna salad smoothies is increasing. Today I broke the 2+ quart batch into 2 large batches for breakfast and dinner, and I am having a pint of it along with my whey for my late night meal. I realize the enzyme and vitamins go down over time, but I figure having smoothies for 2-1/2 meals is better than either bloating myself by drinking too much all at once (or even in 2 meals) or throwing away a pint of smoothie I cannot finish. ( Read more... )
Addendum:
Drinking both whey and tuna salad smoothie late at night before going to bed is not a good idea. Too much fluid in my tummy made for not the most restful sleep. Because of added carbs from the smoothie, my fasting blood sugar was up to 156. I had been expecting it to be under 140. And something about the combo gave me slight acid reflux. Not fun. So, I am going to skip the late night smoothie when I have whey tonight.
Current Music: 21st Century Aura - Something Started (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and
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