This StormCloudsGathering video details the biometric data collection mandates contained within the recent immigration bill, “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act”. The video suggests that such biometric tools (meant for use in immigration) are and will continue to be used to create massive databases, not only of immigrants and visitors, but of all Americans — and that it — the database — is currently quite far along in its development.

While some fear ID tags and mandatory microchips, perhaps more scary is the notion that we are passively being corralled into a situation in which all of our biometric data is shared and stored opaquely by the government and various agencies within it. What could the data be used for? Most terrifying is as a condition of employment for American citizens. But there are surely worse scenarios that I cannot yet imagine. For instance (off the top of my head), what if mistakes in your Tax return flagged you as suspicious and automatically barred you from entry into certain government institutions or warned potential employers of your ‘untrustworthiness’? There are too many dreadful scenarios, too much unaccountability.

What technologies are being used currently? What may be being collected about you as we speak?

• Gait Recognition, based on the bounce in your step — decipherable from far away
• Facial Recognition, aided by your sharing of images of yourself from various angles on social media sites like Facebook
• Iris Scanning, recently thrust upon Occupy protesters lest they pay higher bail for release from prison
• Voice Recognition, how many microphones are there, right?
• Fingerprints, of course
• Whatever is next: DNA-collection, maybe?

12 nations have and are agreeing to cede their national sovereignty completely to the new Global Corporate Order through the docily-named Trans-Pacific Partnership. They are:

1. Canada
2. The United States
3. Mexico
4. Peru
5. Chile
6. New Zealand
7. Australia
8. Singapore
9. Malaysia
10. Brunei
11. Vietnam
12. Japan

These governments have more-or-less agreed to step out of the way of Corporate & Business entities and any and all decisions they would make in their Profit-Seeking, Earth-Raping, Human-Dignity-Destroying endeavors. Thailand and the Philippines have also expressed interest in becoming slaves to (and enforcers of) the new and grander Corporate Crony-Capitalist Aristocratic Kingdom.

Source: truth-out.org/opinion/item/16295-why-the-transpacific-partnership-is-a-scary-big-trade-deal

From RT:

This from PhysOrg:

Reliable information on the depth and floor structure of the Southern Ocean has so far been available for only few coastal regions of the Antarctic. An international team of scientists under the leadership of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, has for the first time succeeded in creating a digital map of the entire Antarctic seafloor. The International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO) for the first time shows the detailed topography of the seafloor for the entire area south of 60°S. An article presented to the scientific world by IBCSO has now appeared online in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters.

The IBCSO data grid and the corresponding Antarctic chart will soon be freely available in the internet and are intended to help scientists amongst others to better understand and predict sea currents, geological processes or the behaviour of marine life.

The new bathymetric chart of the Southern Ocean is an excellent example of what scientists can achieve if researchers from around the world work across borders. “For our IBCSO data grid, scientists from 15 countries and over 30 research institutions brought together their bathymetric data from nautical expeditions. We were ultimately able to work with a data set comprising some 4.2 billion individual values”, explains IBCSO editor Jan Erik Arndt, bathymetric expert at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-04-entire-topography-antarctic-seafloor.html

Click to view full-size version.

Alternatives to radiation and chemotherapy for cancer patients

First it is important to note that the information presented here should not be construed as professional medical advice. You should follow your doctor’s recommendations. For many people radiation and/or chemotherapy are indispensable and the only alternative is death.

If you are currently undergoing either radiation or chemo regimens follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. For instance it is dangerous and counter-productive to take Vitamin C while undergoing radiation. While it may be recommended otherwise you want the oxidizing radiation to do its work — thus antioxidants like C are a hindrance to this process in their way of gobbling up free radicals. Again, listen first to your doctor…

Now for our article…

On Cancer:

Most people have some cancer cells in their body. The reason we are unaware of this fact is that cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion in number. If your doctor were to treat you for cancer and then declare that you no longer had any cancer cells remaining, this declaration would likely indicate only that none remained above the threshold of detectability.

On the Immune System:

It is important to note that cancer cells will emerge between 6 and 10 times in the average person’s life. When the immune system is strong, however, in many cases the body can destroy cancer cells and prevent them from multiplying and forming tumors. Thus, when a person has cancer it can sometimes be an indicator of nutritional deficiencies of various sorts. These deficiencies can stem from genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors. In order to bolster the immune system and address such nutritional deficiencies, diet, exercise, and supplementation are essential (more on this later). This can help the body to fight cancer by itself.

On Chemotherapy:

Chemotherapy involves the poisoning of rapidly-growing (cancer) cells. This also destroys the body’s other rapidly growing cells, namely: bone marrow cells, the cells of the gastrointestinal tract, and many others. This form of treatment is also likely to damage vital organs: the liver, the kidneys, the heart, and the lungs.

On Radiation:

Radiation destroys cancer cells but it also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs – similar to chemotherapy but using different (electromagnetic) means.

Further Limitations of Traditional Cancer Treatments:

Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However, prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in greater reduction in or shrinkage of tumors.

When the body has accumulated too much toxic burden (or too much damage) from chemotherapy and radiation, the immune system can be said to be in a ‘compromised’ state. This exacerbates other health problems in general, of course, and makes you susceptible to a number of otherwise trivial infections and ailments.

At this point we are left with surgery – and while it is sometimes necessary and successful (just like the other traditional treatments), surgery in itself also poses the risk of spreading malignant cells to other sites in the body.

Back to Basics!

One effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells of vital nutrients.

What do cancer cells feed on?

Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar you cut off one of the most useful sources of energy to cancer cells. Note: Intake of artificial sweeteners can also be detrimental, especially those containing Aspartame. Avoid eating too many sweets.

Milk and dairy products cause the body to produce excess mucus, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus and inflammation. Use milk substitutes to thwart cancer cells. Flax, soy, almond, rice, and oat milk are all good substitutes.

Acidic conditions in the body are a boon to cancer. One of the most acidic food types is meat. Avoid beef and pork if possible. Aim for lean meats from animals that are not given antibiotics, growth hormones, or genetically-modified foods to eat. Limiting meat intake is also beneficial in general insofar as it eases the burden on digestion and helps you avoid many of the parasites that come with meat (yes, even in this day and age!). Consider substituting meat with products derived from beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains (more on healthy foods below).

Nourishing Yourself:

A diet comprised largely of fresh vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, and mushrooms helps create alkaline conditions in the body. All that fiber is really good for you. And you need all the macro, micro, and phyto-nutrients in these whole foods to get your body back into the ring, so to speak.

With the exception of the beans and lentils, the rawer the better – active, useful enzymes from whole foods are destroyed at temperatures greater than 104°F/40°C. To obtain such live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh, raw vegetable juice in the form of a smoothie. Consider including chlorella, spirulina, and bean sprouts – they’re great immune system boosters! Whole fruit can be very good too, but remember that you are trying to minimize sugar intake here.

Pure, filtered water, exercise, and plenty of sleep (in a dark room) are highly underrated in terms of the role they play in fighting cancer. Simply put you need all three in large quantities.

Try starting with daily walks, push-ups, and sit-ups. If you begin exercising more, you will also probably find yourself drinking more water naturally, and sleeping more deeply and easily as well. This is a positive feedback-loop, or perhaps we should call it a Synergistic Health-Boosting Vector Trajectory..! Ok, ok, let’s keep it simple then. How about “Nutrition, Exercise, Water, and Sleep”. It’s good NEWS – get it? Just give it some encouragement and you can let your body do its thing!

Other foods and forms of supplementation to consider:

• Garlic – The superfood to beat. Anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, etc. I take it chopped up (finely) and swallow the (raw) pieces with a big glass of water at the first sign of a cold.
• Turmeric – One of the best anti-inflammatory foods available. It adds nice flavors to food too.
• Melatonin – A natural hormone your body releases when you sleep (in dark spaces). Be careful to protect your personal stock of melatonin by turning off all screens that shine into your face (such as this one) 30 minutes before you go to sleep. Supplements come in 3mg doses generally. Melatonin effectively turns off cell division while you sleep as one of the key mechanisms of homeostasis (body maintenance) – this means cancer cells aren’t growing while you sleep!
• Vitamin C – General health booster extraordinaire!
• Vitamin D – The sun vitamin. Prevalent in oily fish. One of the only vitamins proven to help prevent disease through supplementation in pill form.
• B Vitamins – These perform a wide variety of roles in your body. B6 and B12 are particularly important to supplement in times of illness, but can be obtained through healthy, whole foods at adequate levels.

Fight the Holistic Fight:

Remember that cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Likewise, a prolonged angry and bitter response to illness may shorten your life.

Learn to relax, remember to breathe, and try to enjoy life to the fullest.

What would it mean for Computers to overtake Humans?

How do we define Humans?

And how do we define Computers as different from Humans?

And are Humans in fact Computers as well?

One might argue that humans, being biological, and computers, being mechanical and electrical, are different. Likewise, one might describe the human brain as a machine, in addition to calling computers ‘machines’.

The question, if each type of brain is trying to understand the other, is who is going to understand who first?

Will computers outsmart us? Will they outfeel us? Will they outdo us in every area of life? Can they be creative? Etc.

Or will humans understand and enhance their own minds through a process of self-learning boosted by machines? Will we end up optimizing our brains? Will we decide to (or act in ways that bring about) a Human Intelligence Explosion? This is the alternative to the idea that we will soon see a Computer Intelligence Explosion, and that by 2029 or so we’ll be in Artificial Brain territory, complete with feelings and creativity and ability and knowledge. Wow! And then others think that maybe the Singularity, the point of no return, will be a culmination of both human and machine intelligence, a merging of the two life forms, where now instead of animals and automatons we’ll have auto-animals and animatrons, humans on cruise control and robots high on weed. And maybe at that point we just won’t really care anymore what happens. It’s all good, man. Pass the spliff.

No, really. The idea is that technology is accelerating, and that that acceleration is accelerating, and that that acceleration is… Well you get the idea. We are innovating up to the point where the innovator will no longer be us — or so it’s thought — because all of our technology is converging on this point — and once that point is passed, the reins will no longer be in our hands; the living, breathing technology itself will be in control, and the computers will quickly orient themselves to do whatever they want.

It’s a scary and disturbing thought that we wouldn’t know (or even be able to know) what such a self-emergent superintelligence would want, what it would be motivated by, or what it would try to do, once it realized it was in control (or at least became aware of itself). And it’s also fascinating, the concept that we will reach a point where history itself will shoot light years out in front of us all of a sudden, where spacetime will be stretched and pulled away at nearly infinite speed. We will essentially be stuck in a black hole without any window into the future as it is being created by the machine. And could we predict what that machine would want? No. That is the terrifying and, for some people, exciting essence of the “A.I. Singularity”.

But what if it doesn’t happen that way?

One alternative, as I’ve mentioned, is that humans incorporate computers completely – will we just overtake ourselves is the question. Perhaps we will become seemlessly integrated with our technology. I could see this happening in a number of ways:

We have already figured out that we can perform basic chemical ‘calculations’ in our bodies, that we can set up chemical triggers. I wrote about this here. Basically we can become DNA-based bio-computer, human, but with added defenses and mechanisms, such as the ability to release aspirin into our own bloodstreams if we have a heart attack. We already have pacemakers that can perform such regulatory functions, and we are moving from mechanical/electrical, to chemical, and eventually to biological (read: stem cell) solutions to wear-and-tear and failure of various parts of ourselves. The next step is actually just a subtle shift toward having machines do more and more of our thinking for us. Where before we had physical encyclopedias now we have google and wikipedia; where now we have instant smartphone messaging, tomorrow we may have digital telepathy. Of course here it’s important to point out that this goes beyond offloading or accelerating current functions of our brains and bodies — it’s a phase change to a new level of human effectiveness, insight, and ability — we are now doing more and more that would have been impossible before. And to draw out this human intelligence trend, future versions of ourselves will do equally impossible things in our current conception! That’s the idea behind a fused Human/Computer Singularity.

…

I implore you to read Kevin Kelly’s What Technology Wants if this whets your appetite for the study of technology and where it’s going.

The video below, from 1981, shows newspapers embracing the early internet to share text-only papers with tech-savvy (at the time) readers on their home computers.

I love how the dial-up modem requires that the rotary phone handset be placed on top of it before connecting — and just the fact that the computer owner is introduced with “owns home computer”!

My first experience with the internet was at least 10 years after this, around 1992, on a Mac II (with AOL 2.0), which cost $5,500 in 1987 when it first came out! Here is a picture of one:

AND HERE’S WHAT COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET WERE LIKE IN 1981…

We sure have come a long ways in 30 years! I wonder what it will be like in another 32 years — 2045? They say the Singularity is supposed to hit us by then, so maybe we’ll store all our data in our DNA and share images telepathically and fly around with antigravity nanobots! I’ll bet few of us could have predicted back in the day that we’d all carry around these communicators which are constantly connected to the internet and act as video/audio/telegraph phones with 1 million personal secretary apps that track our every movement and remind us of what we need to do all the time! Yeah? I thought not!

Nootropics (say “Noah-Traw-Pics”) are drugs that provide some form of cognitive enhancement and yet are shown to be, if not neuroprotective, at least non-toxic and safe to use. These drugs work by A) making certain neurochemicals more available in the brain, B) by increasing the brain’s oxygen supply, or C) by stimulating nerve growth.

I first became interested in smart drugs (and subsequently nootropics) when a friend in college told me she took Adderall occasionally to boost her productivity (a non-ADHD-related use). She told me she could easily stay awake for 24+ hours and feel alert, clean her dorm room from top to bottom, write a paper or two, and so on. It should be noted, however, that in speaking of nootropics, we should not include Adderall, because it has numerous potential side-effects that may stem from non-prescription use: addiction, heart problems, depression, nausea, etc. (source: webmd)

A powerful and commonly-used smart drug these days is Modafinil. It is a “wakefulness promoting agent”, meaning it keeps you awake and alert, and is prescribed generally for narcolepsy and other sleeping disorders, in addition to ADD. It is has been used by soldiers on long missions and even by Canadian astronauts serving on the International Space Station. As noted by Andrew McMillan, a Journalist for Rolling Stones (Australia) who experimented with the drug, while it may not be addictive, after three consecutive days on the drug — staying up for 79 out 90 hours:

I felt as though I’m not making sense, and that those around me are acutely aware of this. I feel in control, but my mind is racing faster than my mouth can keep up. … Around 2am, I note that I’ve got an impending feeling of doom going on. Like I’m riding this too far, and it’s about to start doing some serious damage.

After sleeping a full-night’s sleep and erasing some of his sleep debt, he remarks further:

I reflect on how my views toward modafinil have veered between utter devotion to, now, in the cold light of day, a realisation that it’s probably not a good idea to be taking that shit on consecutive days.

Despite the illegality of off-label use in most places, one study in the journal Nature estimated that up to 25% of students at some campuses had taken neuroenhancing drugs like Modafinil in the past year. Many students have reported that it helps them to stay alert and perform — both mentally and physically — and that when final exams approach, the temptation to ‘take something’ can be overwhelming.

It seems that, as it’s not a safe long-term solution to the desire to enhance cognitive function, perhaps it is best to look at other (and more legal) options for those that would like to improve their memory, accelerate their learning, or simply be able to work longer each day. I have no qualms with people enhancing or hacking their bodies or their metabolism; I exercise and take numerous supplements myself (including turmeric, garlic, vitamin C, vitamin D, melatonin, and a few others). Indeed, even healthy (read: non-super) foods can improve brain function. And who among us wouldn’t like to stave off Alzheimer’s, right? So, with that pre-emptive counter-argument to the “But taking drugs is like cheating, man!” argument, I present you with my Thrivenotes List of Safe* Nootropics for your consideration — these should all be milder, safer, and more effective over the long-term, according to my research**:

1. PIRACETAM + CDP-CHOLINE — Piracetam is a safe and effective cognitive enhancer that is thought to restore membrane fluidity of compromised neuronal cells (helping with neuro- transmission, protection, and plasticity). It was first used in the 1960′s to combat motion sickness. Its companion (I’ve listed them together intentionally) is CDP-Choline, which is a choline supplement, so it increases the amount of choline available to the brain. (Choline, or Acetylcholine, more properly, is one of the primary neurotransmitters in your brain; without sufficient choline, your brain can’t function well.) [Read more about both of these substances, including how they work together, at SmarterNootropics.com]
2. ANIRACETAM — Similar to Pricetam, being in the “racetam” family, but this is a fat-soluble version. It may be worth checking out due to the fact that you can take it at greater intervals, as in just once a day. [See more here: smarternootropics.com/table-of-contents/aniracetam/.]
3. PYRITINOL — Pyritinol is a modified form of vitamin-B6. It is two B6 molecules combined together so that — when broken down by your body — they can easily cross the blood/brain barrier to help with neurotransmitter synthesis. It has been shown to improve reaction time in individuals in time-based tests and is used to help treat dementia in some places in Europe. It has been in use as a nootropic since the 1990′s. (Interesting to note that it is also known as an effective “hangover cure”.)
4. MAGNESIUM L-THREONATE — While magnesium is apparently one of the most deficient minerals in the American diet, eating foods high in the mineral and taking supplements is unlikely to positively impact your brain for the reason that these forms of magnesium cannot easily pass through the blood/brain barrier. With this challenge and the knowledge that in-brain magnesium is vital to synapse density, recognition memory, and spatial working memory, MIT sought to find a form that can easily get where it needs to go, hence: Magnesium L-Threonate, or MgT. In lab animals given it it led to 18% improvements in short-term memory and 100% improvements in long-term memory. It is currently being tested in human trials.

There we have it — four nootropics for the uninitiated to look into! Please let me know in the comments if you have insights into (or experience related to) these or other cognitive enhancers.

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* I am not a doctor and do not recommend anyone take these drugs or supplements based purely on my advice. You should do your own research and consult your doctor before taking anything. Please!

** Admittedly, my research into this area is only around eight hours total. I am not an expert — I am just curious.

What makes them worthy of the Thrivenotes designation?

• High in potassium (good for blood pressure and heart health)
• Portable (no-mess and 0-prep)

What should I bring with me to eat while traveling?

The following foods are high in potassium. The nuts and seeds are high in protein and healthy fats as well. All these can be great for camping, hiking, or taking with you on the airplane to balance out the pre-cooked, high-sodium meals-on-a-tray. They will help balance your electrolytes and help you stay hydrated as long as you are drinking enough water. (Smart Traveler – 1; Desert/Dessicated Cabin – 0!)

Listed in order of potassium content per 100 gram serving:

• Dark Chocolate (72% DV)
• Dry Roasted Soybeans (39% DV)
• Dried Apricots (33% DV)
• Pistachios (29% DV)
• Pumpkin Seeds (26% DV)
• Sunflower Seeds (24% DV)
• Almonds (20% DV)
• Dates (20% DV)
• Dried Figs (19% DV)

Note: watch the sodium content on the nuts and seeds! Perhaps unsalted is wisest.

For the fruit and chocolate, know that these can be very high in sugar too. Best to mix it up with some of the nuts and seeds.

What to drink?

Coconut Juice (Contains 7% DV of potassium per 100 grams)
Orange Juice (6% DV of potassium – not too shabby!)

Since we’re talkin’ potassium, what about bananas?

Besides the fact that they quickly spoil and get squished when lugged around, their nutrient density is only about 10% of your daily value of potassium. (Not bad, really, but you can do much better!)

Any Honorable Mentions?

Sun-dried Tomatoes — with an astonishing 98% of your daily potassium needs! But then who eats straight-up sun-dried tomatoes 100-grams at a time? (Oh, sorry — I didn’t see you there, Tomato Larry!) Just know that they are good for you the next time you see them on the menu somewhere.

Bon Voyage!

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SOURCE: healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php