Parsley is a blood purifying superfood

Parsley is considered the world’s most popular garnish. Parsley was originally cultivated in Europe and the Middle East but has become a staple in American cuisine. This herb has remarkable healing and blood purifying benefits that classify it as a superfood. Parsley…

North Korea may soon be able to strike USA with ultimate doomsday weapon that deactivates (nearly) all electronics

(NaturalNews) Obama administration officials have released new intelligence indicating North Korea is building mobile ICBMs that will soon be able to reach the United States. This was reported in the Washington Times, which states, “New intelligence indicates that North Korea is moving ahead with building its first road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, an easily hidden weapon capable of hitting the United States.” (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/5/north-korea-making-missile-able-to-hit-us/) ICBMs typically carry nuclear warheads, and they can easily target cities on the West Coast such as Los Angeles or Seattle. But even this threat doesn’t compare to the “doomsday weapon” that China or Russia could almost certainly launch right now: A high-altitude EMP weapon (HEMP for short, and I’m not joking). High-Altitude EMP could fry the USA back into the pre-industrial age HEMP weapons are detonated in the high atmosphere, theoretically as high as 300 miles above the ground (well above the orbits of most satellites, even). Once detonated, the energy released by these weapons interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field, producing an extremely fast and powerful electromagnetic burst that rushes to the ground at 94% the speed of light, slamming everything on the ground with as much as 50,000 volts per square meter at high amps. Not surprisingly, such a phenomenon would fry virtually every piece of electronics they touch , as today’s electronics are manufactured with delicate circuitry that simply cannot withstand such extreme voltage ranges. Instantly taken out of service would be many automobiles, televisions, cell phones, air conditioners, airplanes, radios, military electronics, and many satellites. Even more worryingly, such an attack would also take out the backup generators and control electronics for active nuclear power plants , which as we’ve already reported here on NaturalNews, could unleash a wave of nuclear meltdowns across the USA (http://www.naturalnews.com/033564_solar_flares_nuclear_power_plants.html). As Duncan Long writes on a survival website: “A major area of concern when it comes to EMP is nuclear reactors located in the US. Unfortunately, a little-known Federal dictum prohibits the NRC from requiring power plants to withstand the effects of a nuclear war. This means that, in the event of a nuclear war, many nuclear reactors’ control systems might will be damaged by an EMP surge. In such a case, the core-cooling controls might become inoperable and a core melt down and breaching of the containment vessel by radioactive materials into the surrounding area might well result.” (http://www.aussurvivalist.com/nuclear/empprotection.htm) Extensively studied by the government This is not science fiction. EMP blasts from nuclear weapons have been extensively studied from the very first nuclear tests in the 1940′s. Back then, the world didn’t have much in the way of electronics, so the early effects of EMP were barely noted. But throughout the 1960′s and 70′s, as more testing was done, it became apparent that the electromagnetic pulse effects of nuclear detonations could be devastating. Today, with civilization running on computers, electronics, GPS units and mobile phones, such a blast could literally fry a modern nation back into the pre-industrial age . Well, at least back to the 1800′s anyway, where the only tools you could really rely on were shovels, leather straps and shotguns. Firearms, you see, don’t have electronics, so they’ll be fully functional even after an EMP attack. Keep this in mind when you consider how to survive a post-EMP scenario. Interestingly, governments openly admit that EMP attacks would wipe out all the electronics that keep modern civilization working. The Washington state Department of Health, Office of Radiation Protection explains: When “detonated,” an EMP weapon produces a pulse of energy that creates a powerful electromagnetic field capable of short-circuiting a wide range of electronic equipment, particularly computers, satellites, radios, radar receivers and even civilian traffic lights. Since EMP is electromagnetic energy traveling at the speed of light, all of the vulnerable electronic equipment in the detonation zone could be affected simultaneously. Society has entered the information age and is dependent on electronic systems that work with components that are very susceptible to excessive electric currents and voltages. Many of these electronic systems are controlled in some way by semiconductors. Semiconductor devices fail when they encounter an EMP because of the local heating that occurs. Failure of semi-conductive chips could destroy industrial processes, railway networks, power and phone systems, and access to water supplies. Commercial computer equipment is particularly vulnerable to EMP effects. Computers used in data processing systems, communications systems, displays, industrial control applications, including road and rail signaling, and those embedded in military equipment, such as signal processors, electronic flight controls and digital engine control systems, are all potentially vulnerable to the EMP effect. Other electronic devices and electrical equipment may also be destroyed by the EMP effect. Telecommunications equipment can be highly vulnerable and receivers of all varieties are particularly sensitive to EMP. Therefore radar and electronic warfare equipment, satellite, microwave, UHF, VHF, HF and low band communications equipment and television equipment are all potentially vulnerable to the EMP effect. Cars with electronic ignition systems/ and ignition chips are also vulnerable. Source: http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/rp/factsheets/factsheets-htm/fs41elecpuls.htm A single high-altitude detonation could reboot human civilization in North America If you still think I’m making all this up, by the way, check out the entry on Wikipedia which explains all this in much more detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse There, you’ll find a fascinating map which shows something rather horrifying: A single burst just 300 miles above the Earth would cover the entire United States (minus Hawaii and Alaska) while also nailing most of Canada and Mexico as well. See that graphic here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EMP_areas.JPG This map was created based on testimony given by Gary Smith to the US House National Security Committee on July 16, 1997. That’s right: With one relatively small nuclear weapon detonated high above the Earth, an entire modern nation could be effectively destroyed. Why? Because without electronics, you get runaway starvation, riots, fires, and a complete breakdown of law and order. A near-instant collapse of modern cities Imagine Los Angeles, for example, if all the water pumps went out. Imagine Chicago if food deliveries stopped. Many of the rigs on the highway, you see, would be instantly shut down with an EMP burst. Every plane, train and automobile — except for those built pre-1980′s or so — might instantly become road kill. Imagine police trying to function without police radios. Fire and other emergency services are wholly dependent on electronics. Deliveries of food, water, medical supplies and consumer goods are all dependent on electronics. Oil refineries , nuclear power plants, coal-fired power plants and even renewable energy systems are all entirely driven by complex electronics. All these electronics would be instantly wiped out in a nanosecond. And no, “surge protectors” cannot protect anything. The EMP wave moves far too fast for surge protectors to trip their own relays. So all the surge protectors get blown out before you can even blink an eye, and then the remainder of the pulse fries all the electronics that were supposed to be protected. Only those electronics specifically shielded against EMP attacks will be protected (and only the military bothers with such expensive retrofits). As the next graphic shows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:High_altitude_EMP.gif), such a weapon detonated even at just 100km above the surface of the planet would unleash anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 volts per square meter . This chart doesn’t cite the amperage of the current, but military experiments have shown it is more than sufficient to fry all electronics that aren’t specifically shielded against EMP. If you happen to be underground at the moment the pulse hits (i.e. in a subway station), your cell phone may be spared, but the cell phone towers of course will all be kaput. Both Russia and China probably already have these weapons North Korea is undoubtedly working on developing such weapons as a way to bomb advanced nations back to the level of low technology found in North Korea itself. But the real worry here is that China and Russia probably already have such weapons and could launch them at any time. “The non-lethal nature of electromagnetic weapons makes their use far less politically damaging than that of conventional munitions, and therefore broadens the range of military options available,” explains the Department of Health website for Washington state (http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/rp/factsheets/factsheets-htm/fs41elecpuls.htm). “Several nations, with United States at the forefront, are reported to have developed non-nuclear bombs capable of generating EMPs.” This is a game-changer. In the “old” mode of thinking about nuclear war, bombs were unleashed on targeted cities, then calibrated to detonate just a mile or two above the city in order to maximize the intensity of the nuclear burst. But with the rise of electronics-driven societies, the real weakness becomes not the brick and mortar of buildings but the delicate electronic circuits that keep civilization humming. Take away the electronics, and an advanced nation is far worse off than if it were physically blasted by a high-yield weapon. After all, a physical city can be rebuilt as long as you have the electronics to coordinate rescue operations and shipments of materials to rebuild. But if you take away the electronics, the cities destroy themselves with riots, fires, starvation and disease. Why America is unable to stop such an attack No doubt the strategic thinkers at the Pentagon have already realized all this. They don’t talk about it much, and they certainly don’t make it public, because if the public really knew the seriousness of this threat, they might utterly freak out. You see, America has no capability whatsoever to stop some other nation from launching a nuclear device into high orbit (300 miles, say) and detonating it over North America. There is simply no military capability to halt such a missile or to block the EMP effects. Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” defense system never became a reality. The only real way to stop such an attack is to stop pissing off other nations , and of course America can’t even do that because it’s running around the world interfering in everyone’s business, running secret military ops in Iran right now (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-bomb-20111205,0,7550482.story), overthrowing national governments with CIA-funded terrorist rebels (Libya, for example), unleashing economic hit men to enslave developing nations, and basically running around the global playground like a giant bully. This is not a way to win friends. If anything, the USA has been building resentment among other powerful nations such as China, which not only holds a shockingly high percentage of the U.S. national debt, but also has advanced rocketry technology and an ability to launch nuclear missiles into high orbit. Both Russia and China are fed up with the U.S. mucking around in the Middle East, and nearly everyone in the Middle East is fed up with U.S. support for Israel. What all this means is that America is making enemies, not friends , and some of those enemies no doubt have EMP technology already developed that could literally “bomb” America back into the pre-industrial era. Why the real threats have little to do with individual terrorists As you can tell if you’re getting all this, the real threats against America have almost nothing to do with lone terrorists trying to bomb a single airplane, for example. The TSA is a cruel joke. It will no more keep you safe than wishing for a magical unicorn to show up and whisk you away from danger. Even the events of 9/11 would pale in comparison to the total devastation unleashed by a high-altitude EMP device. Beyond a few skyscrapers being leveled, imagine entire cities being zapped into a state of instant electronic death . Such an act would transform cities into death zones from which few would escape alive. (Cities are not designed to sustain life without huge inputs from outside, including food, water, electricity, fuel, raw materials, and so on. Absent those inputs, they become concrete tombs…) See, most of the U.S. government is wasting its time running roadside checkpoints and trying to entrap gullible teens into acting like terrorists (http://www.naturalnews.com/034325_FBI_entrapment_terror_plots.html). What the government should be doing is figuring out how to stop acting like the bully of the world and start making economic trading partners instead of making enemies everywhere. Why international trade is crucial for halting war The only way to stop Russia or China, for example, from frying North America with a HEMP weapon is to make it more painful for them to lose the USA than keep it around . And that means engaging in two-way trade to create win-win economic ties that would lose a lot of money for some very rich people if bombs started going off. This strategy has worked for China-Taiwan relations, by the way, where China-Taiwan investments are now so commonplace that the two nations are strongly economically dependent on each other. The best “defense” against a military invasion, it turns out, is to have strong economic trading partners who need your nation to stick around so they have viable trading partners. It’s also effective to have your own HEMP weapons that you can unleash upon your neighbors, should they have any crazy thoughts about bombing you. “Mutually Assured Destruction,” believe it or not, is actually a very wise military tactic for self defense. People may bash the apparent insanity of the idea, but it is one of the things that has kept America relatively safe for generations. If we didn’t have nuclear weapons ready to be unleashed on other nations, do you really think we wouldn’t have already been bombed in the 1960′s during the Cuban Missile Crisis? I don’t have a lot of kind words for the military industrial complex, but at the end of the day, I must honestly acknowledge the fact that the U.S. military’s possession of nuclear weapons has effectively countered the nuclear arsenals of other nations. In the same way, the most polite place in the world you will ever visit is a small town where everybody carries a concealed weapon. You’ll hear a lot of “sir” and “ma’am” in polite conversation. People tend to avoid arguments for precisely the reason you might imagine: Because they’re all armed. “Mutually Assured Destruction” is a deterrent to violence at both the local level and the global level. It may sound insane, but on a practical level, it prevents violence and helps keep the peace. And that’s why the USA is no doubt also working on its own HEMP weapons. Even China is extremely vulnerable to the EMP destruction of electronics. It’s no longer a developing nation, you see. China left that in the dust decades ago. Today, China is a high-tech, electronically-organized nation in much the same way as the USA. Perhaps only Papua New Guinea would be completely immune to an EMP attack. Nearly all other nations (including North Korea) would be devastated by it. Solutions: What can YOU do about this right now? Okay, so if you’re convinced that the threat of EMP weapons looms over all advanced nations today, what exactly can you do about it? I’ll answer it in three words: Go low tech. In addition to your high-tech, electronically timed clothes dryer, have a clothesline outside so you can use the sun to dry your clothes. In addition to your high-tech Toyota Prius that’s packed with high-density electronics, have an old “beater” wagon from the 1970′s sitting around in case you need it. Heck, you don’t even need to keep paying the license taxes on it if you don’t drive it day to day. For every tool you have that’s electronic, have a hand-powered alternative standing by: Hand saws, hand drills and other hand-powered tools are easy to come by. Don’t rely entirely on electronics. Think about low-tech items that reliably work. Duct tape. Scissors. Shovels. Quality cutlery in the kitchen. And if you can, find yourself one of those antique treadle sewing machines powered by your foot! (I’ve been trying to find one of these for months and can’t dig one up…) How are you gonna write things down when the electronics are all melted? You’d be amazed how many people no longer have pencil and paper , especially among the younger generation which has entirely abandoned wristwatches, too. (Their mobile phones tell them the time, you see.) Have you ever tried to MAKE a pencil? You’d be amazed how difficult it is. It’s so much easier to just buy a bunch right now and have them stored away. They’re cheap, and for the moment, UPS trucks still operate just fine and they’ll bring these pencils right to your doorstep in a pretty brown box. Getting back to basics In a way, a world without electronics might actually be a far more “real” world than the one in which we live today. More peaceful… back to nature… a place where local community would mean something once again. But of course there would also be a huge price to pay for that transition in terms of lost lives in the cities where people are so disconnected from the real world that they are utterly unable to survive in it. Today’s teens are so addicted to texting devices that I’m pretty sure some of them would just flat-out drop dead within 24 hours if the cell towers stopped functioning. The good news in all this is that getting back to basics is a wise strategy no matter what threats we may be facing in the near future: Nuclear war, police state tyranny, EMP weapons, natural disasters, Earth changes, and so on. The more you can rely on your own two hands — and simple tools that leverage your efforts — the more likely you are to survive the next decade. It also goes without saying that if EMP weapons are unleashed upon the world, the internet will be destroyed , meaning you won’t be able to search Google to find answers like “How do I grow tomatoes?” You’ll need to either have the knowledge in your head or have the physical books on your shelf which is one of the reasons why I still buy lots of physical books. They don’t break, and they never have to be rebooted. If there’s one thing I’ve really learned in all these years of analyzing society, history and technology, it’s that technology is fragile , and so are civilizations. The society we take for granted today is far more fragile than you might imagine, and the whole thing could come tumbling down in a microsecond. It wouldn’t even take an act of war to make it happen: just one high-energy solar flare could accomplish much the same effect. If you want your children to survive and prosper in our world, teach ‘em the basics: How to grow gardens. How to care for animals. How to think for themselves, live off the land and resist buying into the bull being spewed by technocrats. When the electronic heartbeat of modern civilization comes to a screeching halt, all the circuit boards in the world won’t help you in any way whatsoever. You’ll have to save yourself. And you’d better have a little bit of gold, silver, ammo and garden tools packed away if you hope to have any real chance of making it through the transition. Learn the skills (and gather the goods) while you still can. If you want some real skills, here’s an online video course I recently filmed with Daniel Vitalis, called “Surthrival” : http://premium.naturalnews.tv/Surthrival_Vitalis_Adams__NN.htm Learn more about EMP weapons and protection methods at: http://www.futurescience.com/emp/emp-protection.html http://empcommission.org/ Read the Critical National Infrastructures Report at: http://empcommission.org/docs/A2473-EMP_Commission-7MB.pdf Editor’s note: There is a lot of information about EMPs on the internet, and much of it is flatly false. Beware of all sorts of myths that say things like EMP blasts will “fry your brain” (they won’t) or that you can put your electronic gear in a microwave oven and cut off the cord, making it function like a small Faraday cage. That doesn’t work, as you can clearly test yourself by tossing your cell phone into a microwave and then calling it from another phone. Some people say you can build your own home-made Faraday protection devices by placing cardboard boxes inside galvanized trash cans, but looking around the ‘net, there is a lot of conflicting information on whether this really works. Overall, there isn’t much reliable, proven information on the ‘net about how to actually protect valuable electronics from EMP attacks. One of the reasons for this is because virtually no one living today has personally experienced an EMP attack, so practically nothing has been tested against it.

Years of social unrest on the horizon if economies fall like dominoes

(NaturalNews) Have you been paying attention to the economic collapse of Europe? How about the rising debt of the United States ? If not, you should be, because these events are very likely to have a real effect on your future quality of life and safety. Last week leaders from the world’s top 20 economies were warned that a social tsunami is coming if their economies tank in the form of massive unrest that could even lead to the collapse of some governments. The United Nations International Labor Organization says souring economies will bring the loss of millions of jobs, a phenomenon that is likely to trigger social chaos on an unprecedented scale. Think of the Occupy Wall Street protests on steroids. The UN agency austerity measures being taken by some overextended European nations – Greece, Italy, and Portugal, to name a few – have already triggered angry protests. When those measures are ramped up, to bring bloated Eurozone budgets into line with reality, the frustration is only going to rise, and so are the protests for widespread unrest. In 40 percent of the countries it examined, the ILO said risks of social unrest are rising. Uncertainly, anger, frustration and the loss of benefits will all combine to create an environment that, according to some, is due to explode. Barclays chief Robert E. Diamond, Jr., says “the threat of further social unrest remains if we don’t work together to generate stronger economic growth and more jobs.” The rising threat is not without precedent. Economic crises in the past have threatened to tear apart a nation’s social fabric. Events like the Boston Tea Party, the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution in 1905, general strikes in Barcelona, Spain in 1919, sit-down strikes in Flint, Mich., Poland’s Solidarity strikes in 1980 and uprisings all throughout the Middle East have all resulted in political changes that, in turn, improved conditions for the populations involved and the governments those protests affected. But this time things are different. People aren’t protesting unfair work conditions, low wages or unsafe environments. Scores of millions are literally losing portions of what they have worked for, the result of overpromising by politicians, and they’re angry about it. Many feel like they have nothing more to lose. And in terms of maintaining civil order, that’s the last thing you want – millions of people who feel so desperate they don’t think things can get any worse for them, no matter what they do. The governments in Europe, as well as the boys and girls in Washington, need to understand they could be sitting on ticking social time bombs. They need to figure out how to dig themselves out of the economic hole they are in, and fast.

Benefits of cinnamon – surprising health facts

(NaturalNews) A shaker of cinnamon often sits on the spice rack in most of our kitchens. Given its frequent use in sugary baked goods, many health mavens overlook cinnamon’s centuries-old history as a healing substance, focusing on more exotic herbs rather than a brown powder found in Grandma’s kitchen. Yet cinnamon, derived from the bark of a tree commonly found in South Asia and the Middle East region, not only adds flavor to pies, it also delivers a host of health benefits. Ancient India’s Healing Tradition Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, often uses cinnamon to stimulate circulation as well as to increase the bio-availability of other herbs. Ayurvedic healers, prescribe remedies based on an individual’s dosha or type. Ayurveda sees cinnamon as an appropriate remedy for people who belong to the kapha type (characterized as sturdy, heavy, calm, slow and moist) and the vata type (thin, cold, prone to nervousness) since cinnamon tends to have a heating and energizing effect. People who belong to the pitta type (fiery, oily, sharp) can partake of cinnamon in moderation. Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbalists and acupuncturists in the Chinese tradition value cinnamon for its warming qualities. Doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may prescribe cinnamon, often in combination with another warming substance such as ginger, to ward off colds. TCM healers may prescribe cinnamon for disorders associated with the kidney meridian. Anti-Viral During the 1918 influenza outbreak, workers at cinnamon factories seemed immune to the Spanish flu which decimated the population. A potent new form of cinnamon extract may even protect against HIV. An Israeli researcher, taking a cue from a Biblical reference to high priests using a holy oil containing cinnamon, in 2007 developed a powerful cinnamon extract which may protect against modern viruses like the Avian flu. Blood Sugar Control There may be a touch of ancient wisdom at work in all the recipes which combine cinnamon with high-carb and high-fat ingredients. Cinnamon can mitigate the impact these foods have on blood sugar levels, slowing the rate at which the stomach empties after meals and thereby reducing the potential spike in blood sugar. Cinnamon can offer aid to people who have type 2 diabetes by preventing insulin resistance and has even been recommended by the American Diabetes Association. Research has shown cinnamon outperforms diabetes drugs. In a study published in The Journal of Diabetic Medicine, research subjects given cinnamon supplements experienced greater improvement in blood sugar levels than those who received standard diabetes drugs. Muscle to Fat Ratio Studies indicate that cinnamon supplements go beyond just improving blood glucose levels; they can also reduce body fat percentage and help increase lean muscle mass. Scent If people at the holiday dinner table seem especially alert when the cinnamon-spiced pumpkin pie is being served, it might be because of its scent, not just an appetite for sweets. A 2004 study found that the smell of cinnamon helped boost brain function. Study participants performance on tasks involving virtual recognition memory, attentional processes, working memory, and visual-motor speed while using a computer were measured comparing the relative effects of jasmine, peppermint, cinnamon and no odor. Cinnamon had the strongest positive effect on study subjects’ cognitive processing skills. Cinnamon’s aroma comes from cinnamonaldehyde, an essential oil in the bark of cinnamon trees. Anti-Microbial Cinnamon has the ability to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, molds and yeasts, including Candida yeast. In a 2003 study, two batches of vegetable broth were refrigerated, one with, and one without cinnamon oil. The broth with the cinnamon oil was resistant to food-borne pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days. Researchers in this study observed that the cinnamon not only served as an effective preservative but also improved the flavor of the broth. In another study, researchers at Kansas State University discovered that cinnamon eliminates E. coli in unpasteurized apple cider. Sources: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68 http://altmedicine.about.com/od/cinnamon/a/cinnamon.htm http://www.naturalnews.com/031133_cinnamon_diabetes.html http://www.naturalnews.com/029894_honey_arthritis.html http://www.naturalnews.com/031373_ginger_cinnamon.html http://www.naturalnews.com/033246_cinnamon_Alzheimers.html http://www.bluelotusayurveda.com/doshas.html http://www.desertbloomherbs.com/monographs/cinnamonbark.html http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1407574 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/77703.php

How to make prickly pear cactus fruit juice for FREE (Health Ranger video)

(NaturalNews) Mike Adams (the Health Ranger) teaches wild foods harvesting in a short video about harvesting nopal cactus fruit and turning it into nutritious, medicinal juice! Watch the video on NaturalNews.TV at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=6952BD89F1F8EC25756D84DBF43BDFA3 Or view it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VmzQgZN_g In the video, Mike Adams demonstrates how to harvest prickly pear cactus fruit (without getting stuck by the spines), how to press the juice out of the cactus fruit (using a juice press, see below), and how to mix the final juice with tea to make a delicious wild foods beverage! To press out the cactus fruit juice, Adams uses a Norwalk Juicer which features a powerful juice press. Because many people don’t have a juice press, the alternative way to accomplish the same thing is to blend the cactus fruits in a Vita-Mix blender , pour the slurry into nut milk bags , then squeeze the juice out of the nut milk bags. Nut milk bags are available at the NaturalNews Store: http://store.naturalnews.com Harvesting tips Prickly pear cactus fruit juice is almost incandescent purple — it’s a beautiful color made of phyto-pigments that are also powerful medicine. You’ve often heard to eat all the different colors of fresh foods, right? Well, cactus fruit has some of the most powerful colors you’ve ever seen in nature, similar to the color intensity of something like spirulina or astaxanthin. The best part about harvesting cactus fruit is that it’s FREE, and it’s widely available throughout the world where the climate doesn’t get too cold in the winter. You’ll find cactus fruits in the South of the USA, Central America, South America, Australia, China, the Middle East and many other regions. Harvesting tip: Always leave some cactus fruit for the birds. This is one of their important food sources. When harvesting wild foods, never harvest the entire plant, obviously. (Nature isn’t a farm operation!) Watch the short video at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=6952BD89F1F8EC25756D84DBF43BDFA3 Or view it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VmzQgZN_g Mike Adams (the Health Ranger) is an advocate of wild foods, sustainable living and personal preparedness. He also practices what he preaches, helping out on a farm in Texas and raising chickens and garden veggies while practicing principles of permaculture . View the video of the Health Ranger’s free-range chickens: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=9871D842E9C131D2CEFE9A377BD7AD11 And meet the Health Ranger’s two donkeys, Jackson and Jennifer: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=A4A2C911D95A6968E8E19A8684FD50A6 “Americans need to get back to recognizing and using the food that grows all around them,” said Adams. “People drive by FREE food every day on the way to the grocery store, and then they complain about food prices being so high. Maybe the answer is to stop getting all your food indoors and start finding more of it out in nature where it really grows!” Along those lines, NaturalNews.TV recently launched a course called FREE Food and Medicine which teaches that exact principle: http://premium.naturalnews.tv/Free_Food_and_Medicine__NN.htm Watch for more videos and articles on wild foods here at NaturalNews.com.

How to make prickly pear cactus fruit juice for FREE (Health Ranger video)

(NaturalNews) Mike Adams (the Health Ranger) teaches wild foods harvesting in a short video about harvesting nopal cactus fruit and turning it into nutritious, medicinal juice! Watch the video on NaturalNews.TV at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=6952BD89F1F8EC25756D84DBF43BDFA3 Or view it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VmzQgZN_g In the video, Mike Adams demonstrates how to harvest prickly pear cactus fruit (without getting stuck by the spines), how to press the juice out of the cactus fruit (using a juice press, see below), and how to mix the final juice with tea to make a delicious wild foods beverage! To press out the cactus fruit juice, Adams uses a Norwalk Juicer which features a powerful juice press. Because many people don’t have a juice press, the alternative way to accomplish the same thing is to blend the cactus fruits in a Vita-Mix blender , pour the slurry into nut milk bags , then squeeze the juice out of the nut milk bags. Nut milk bags are available at the NaturalNews Store: http://store.naturalnews.com Harvesting tips Prickly pear cactus fruit juice is almost incandescent purple — it’s a beautiful color made of phyto-pigments that are also powerful medicine. You’ve often heard to eat all the different colors of fresh foods, right? Well, cactus fruit has some of the most powerful colors you’ve ever seen in nature, similar to the color intensity of something like spirulina or astaxanthin. The best part about harvesting cactus fruit is that it’s FREE, and it’s widely available throughout the world where the climate doesn’t get too cold in the winter. You’ll find cactus fruits in the South of the USA, Central America, South America, Australia, China, the Middle East and many other regions. Harvesting tip: Always leave some cactus fruit for the birds. This is one of their important food sources. When harvesting wild foods, never harvest the entire plant, obviously. (Nature isn’t a farm operation!) Watch the short video at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=6952BD89F1F8EC25756D84DBF43BDFA3 Or view it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VmzQgZN_g Mike Adams (the Health Ranger) is an advocate of wild foods, sustainable living and personal preparedness. He also practices what he preaches, helping out on a farm in Texas and raising chickens and garden veggies while practicing principles of permaculture . View the video of the Health Ranger’s free-range chickens: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=9871D842E9C131D2CEFE9A377BD7AD11 And meet the Health Ranger’s two donkeys, Jackson and Jennifer: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=A4A2C911D95A6968E8E19A8684FD50A6 “Americans need to get back to recognizing and using the food that grows all around them,” said Adams. “People drive by FREE food every day on the way to the grocery store, and then they complain about food prices being so high. Maybe the answer is to stop getting all your food indoors and start finding more of it out in nature where it really grows!” Along those lines, NaturalNews.TV recently launched a course called FREE Food and Medicine which teaches that exact principle: http://premium.naturalnews.tv/Free_Food_and_Medicine__NN.htm Watch for more videos and articles on wild foods here at NaturalNews.com.

Americans preparing like never before – are you ready for the unexpected?

(NaturalNews) – Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Gustav. The recent tornadoes throughout the south. Flooding in Missouri. The devastating fallout from a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault line . The devaluation of the U.S. dollar. Hyperinflation. Civil unrest. All of these are disasters that have happened or are waiting to happen, and each one brings with it unique circumstances. But there a few common threads interwoven through all of them. One of the most important of those is the issue of personal preparedness . All over the country an increasing number of people seem to have gotten the message that in worst-case scenarios, government – local, state or federal – may not be there to help. In Colorado, for example, residents are stocking up on extra food, water, weapons and ammunition – even scrap silver and reserve stocks of gasoline. Some people are even preparing secondary shelters and bunkers. “It’s becoming apparent to many Americans that depending on our local, state and federal governments in the event of an emergency, catastrophic societal collapse or widespread disaster will not be sufficient to meet the needs of your family,” writes Mac Slavo of the prepper Web site SHTFPlan.com . Such preparations are reportedly being made all over the country. But why now? What has changed? In short, millions of Americans, quite simply are feeling uneasy about the future. They see dangers everywhere: the decline of the U.S. dollar and potential demise of the euro ; the growing unrest in the Middle East and, more importantly, mounting protests in our own country ; natural disaster after natural disaster; and the ever-present threat of terrorism all have combined to make Americans the most nervous about their future that they’ve been since the 9/11 attacks. To be fair, even the federal government is urging people to be prepared . But agencies like FEMA are only recommending people stash about three days’ worth of provisions because they are operating under the presumption that government services will be able to reach you by then and take over providing for you. While in most circumstances that might be the case, the preparations taking place around the country now are not, in large part, based on “normal” disasters. They are being based on worst-case scenarios that, unfortunately, too many people refuse to consider. Most of us have auto, home, life and health insurance. Think of preparedness as “disaster insurance.” Why wouldn’t you do it?

The Xtremes: Subversive recipes for catastrophic times

(NaturalNews) In just a few short months, we’ve witnessed people power in action. From the Middle East to the Midwest, movements have risen up to overturn tired dogma and challenge entrenched power. Many of us were inspired by these events. And many of us were surprised. Perhaps we were growing skeptical that people power could still work. Maybe we had forgotten a vital fact about our world: that bold citizens, united around a common mission, can still come together to create major change against enormous odds. — 350.org Even when people are willing to take action in concert to redistribute the pie, whether by Gandhian mobilization or use of force, this may resonate falsely, for the pie is disintegrating. Its recipe and ingredients are obsolete. And freedom attained in harsh austerity, characterized by intense competition for food, will be doubtful or of little comfort. — Jan Lundberg, “Social Justice Activists Must Take Into Account Ecological, Cultural, and Economic Transformation” After seven generations of industrial Business as Usual — burning up fossil fuels, waging war on nature and public health, and discharging greenhouse gas pollution into the atmosphere like there’s no tomorrow — we’ve peaked. Distracted by know-nothing climate change deniers and betrayed by cowardly politicians, we’re suddenly face-to-face with the Xtremes: Peak Oil, relentless heat, cold, droughts, blizzards, floods, pestilence, crop failures, and evermore deadly “natural” catastrophes, including hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, typhoons, and earthquakes. Held hostage by out-of-control energy corporations, make-believe terrorist threats, and indentured politicians, we lurch from disaster to disaster. Last year the BP oil spill, this year the Fukushima meltdown. Checking our gauges for oil, food, water, topsoil, clean air, climate stability, ethical business practices, and democracy – we’re running on empty. Economic depression, nuclear meltdown, extreme weather, catastrophic oil spills, crop failures, contamination of aquifers through natural gas fracking and oil sands extraction, dirty coal and mountaintop removal, genetically engineered “Frankenfoods” and agrofuels, endless wars for oil and strategic resources, and deteriorating public health – welcome to the New World Order of 2011. Bend down for the New Global Lords, our planetary Board of Directors: 1200 billionaires, 10 million millionaires, and 1000 giant multinational corporations. Out-of-control corporate globalization and hyper-consumerism have pumped so much carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere (390 parts per million of CO 2; and 438 ppm of CO 2, CH 4, and N 20 combined) that we’re fast-tracked for disaster. Melting glaciers and polar ice caps; thawing out the 1,600-gigaton permafrost methane time bomb of the Far North; burning up the tropical forests of the Global South, we are hell-bent for catastrophe. Leading climatologists such as Dr. James Hansen and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have delivered the final warning: either turn away from unsustainable energy practices; drastically reduce fossil fuel use by 90% by 2050 (starting immediately); and restore the natural greenhouse gas (GHG) sequestration capacities of our soils, forests, farmlands, and pasturelands through conversion to organic management practices — so as to safely bring CO 2 levels in the atmosphere back down to 350 ppm and all combined GHG back down to 393ppm — or else prepare to live in climate hell. In the planetary past, when volcanic eruptions, meteorites, changes in the Earth’s axis, or other mega-disasters oversaturated the atmosphere with greenhouse gases (GHG), the oceans, living soils, plants, and forests were able to sequester billions of tons of greenhouse gases and re-stabilize the climate. Unfortunately these climate stabilizing carbon sinks or sequestration centers are now being destroyed by the Business as Usual practices of the transnational corporations and a crazed narcissistic culture of hyper-consumerism. We are careening toward the final precipice. Either we join the global grassroots uprising to overthrow the Global Lords and their Military-Industrial Fossil Fuel Empire, either we downshift our energy-intensive culture and practices, and re-localize our economy, or else… Although billions are still asleep at the wheel or dozing in front of their TVs… Although the majority are still brainwashed or else mentally and physically broken down, a critical mass of enrages across the world are waking up and taking action. A new Green Internationale is spreading its roots in local communities and regions across the globe. A growing corps of global citizens and organizations in hundreds of thousands of communities are turning their attention and ire toward the real source of the Crisis, the Corporate Elite and the National Security State, and starting to work on building sustainable alternatives and resilient communities that can survive the coming economic and energy collapse. The outlines of this new decentralized Green Commonwealth are slowly but surely becoming visible: community supported organic food and farming; open source media and communications; holistic health care, alternative schools and education; renewable energy, housing and transportation; relocalized commerce, bartering, sustainable finance, and participatory decision-making. Damage to the Body Politic A suicidal Business as Usual still predominates in much of the developing world, and in the industrialized nations as well, because billions of us, the Underclass, are struggling with the nearly impossible task of trying to survive and support our families in a profoundly non-sustainable economy and society, often deeply in debt, living on minimum or starvation wages. Other would-be rebels, indeed a large percentage of the world population, are held in check by the understanding that, if they step too far out of line, they will be brutally repressed. Another huge segment of the body politic are physically ill, drug-addicted, malnourished, or psychologically incapacitated. In the workaholic, media-saturated culture of the industrialized nations, now spreading to the developing world, an army of lonely and alienated couch potatoes remain distracted, drugged, or hypnotized by rampant consumerism, political charlatans, and fake-Messiahs (such as Obama). Brainwashed and programmed to believe you can’t “Fight City Hall” or the big corporations, why not just jump in your car and go to the mall, or sit down and turn on the TV or the computer? Drink another beer, pop another prescription pill, stuff your face with junk food, kill the pain? Unfortunately as we move to confront the Xtremes, more often than not, we find civil society divided and disempowered by single-issue silos and tunnel-vision identity politics; or else mystified and mislead into believing that everything will turn out all right, if we just nudge the politicians and the corporations a little bit more. Although it’s obvious that we will never have a sustainable energy, housing, agriculture, health, or transportation system in the U.S. without transferring hundreds of billions of dollars a year from military spending into building a full employment green economy, the peace movement is over here, while the alternative energy, climate, organic, and green jobs movements are over there, each marginalized in their own respective corners or silos. Similarly we’ll never be able to fund a global green economy, or provide universal health care, or offer a living wage for workers, until we force the rich and the corporations to pay their fair share of taxes, democratize the media, take away the legal fiction, so-called “rights of corporate personhood,” and get special interest money out of politics. And yet we have a tax reform movement over here, a single-payer health care reform movement over there, a media reform movement in that corner, a union movement over there, and a vast array of isolated local and state movements (Wisconsin, Michigan, California and a dozen other states) trying to fight corporate-driven cutbacks and giveaways. And of course none of these life or death reforms will be possible until we get over our fear of confronting and taking down the 800 pound gorillas in the room: The Corporate Elite and the National Security State. It’s time to come together, unite our forces, and address the fundamental root causes of the Crisis. It’s time to get over our fears of being called radical or Utopian and offer real solutions. It’s time to broaden the discussion, link the issues, expand our coalitions, and fight the Xtremes. The Global Uprising: Is It Already Too Late? People in increasing numbers are connecting the dots, standing up and fighting for their rights and the rights of the future generations. Many of us now realize that it is extremely unlikely that things will ever return to “normal.” The energy, cultural, political, and socio-economic system that we’ve grown accustomed to — based upon cheap fossil fuel energy and a predictable stable climate, is headed for collapse. The urgent priority is to channel this coming collapse (think of it, hopefully, in terms of a descending stairway, rather than a plunge off a cliff) into a mass movement and a national community building process. Before collapse metastasizes into panic and martial law, we still have time to lay down the foundations for a new Commonwealth. But before we can rise up as a subversive and creative force, a critical mass needs to be prepared, both psychologically and politically. Only individuals with deep self-respect and communities with profound self-confidence will be able to move beyond halfway measures, so-called liberal, progressive, or libertarian solutions, and address the radical root causes and solutions to the Crisis. We must be strong enough and confident enough to face, with brutal honesty, the current situation, and have the courage and fortitude to “tell it like it is.” The irreplaceable prerequisite for a democratic revolution and a sustainable society are healthy, resilient individuals with a high-degree of consciousness and self-respect, and energized resilient communities with a high degree of self-confidence and solidarity. No Pasaran (They Shall Not Pass): Stand Up and Fight Through decades of activism, extending from the anti-war and counter-culture movement of the 1960s, to my current role as director of a nationwide activist network, the Organic Consumers Association, and a national campaign, called Millions Against Monsanto, I’ve been anxiously waiting for a critical mass of Americans to stand up and fight. From Johnson to Nixon, Ford and Carter, from Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, and Bush Jr. to Obama, along with so many others, I’ve fought the good fight, participated in all the front-line movements and protests, voted for the best candidates, greened up my lifestyle, and never lost hope–even as powerful forces of evil hijacked democracy, wrecked the environment, and destabilized the climate. But basta ya — enough is enough. We have reached the outer limits of democracy, climate stability, energy resources, and indeed human survival. It’s time to stand up, unite our forces, and fight for power — or else surrender. After decades of sucking up to liberal foundations and funders and lesser of two evils politicians who keep telling us to “tone it down,” and “stick to what’s practical,” we stand on the crowded deck of the USA Titanic. Amid the bedlam, and a growing sense of panic, our options are severely limited. We can keep arguing among ourselves about how to arrange the deckchairs – whose issue is more important, which magic bullet reform will save us, which candidate or corporation is slightly better, or who is the most oppressed. We can make a run for the lifeboats – even though most of us, especially our children and grandchildren, won’t make it. Or we can unite our forces, storm the captain’s quarters, and turn the ship away from the Xtremes. I’m sick and tired of a thousand different single-issue campaigns, identity politics, wimpy liberals, progressive infighting, armchair philanthropists, and limited-focus mobilizing. I’m terminally weary of just “fighting the good fight” against a corporate Goliath who always seems to win, or voting for alternative candidates who usually lose. I’m sick of lobbying hopelessly corrupt politicians to be a little more humane, and pressuring corporate criminals to be a little less greedy. And finally, I’m horrified to ponder the thought that my teenage son may have to struggle for sheer survival in a brutal, ecologically devastated, martial law state. Minor political reforms and corporate “greenwashing” at this stage of history are too little, too late. The lesser of indentured evils in the White House is not going to save us. Increased market share for organic, green, and Fair Trade products will amount to little or nothing in the closing era of the Xtremes. What we need is a bold determination to carry out regime change and build a new green and egalitarian society, inside the deteriorating infrastructure of the old. What we need are supercharged and inspired “networks of networks,” online and on the ground; mass-based multi-focus campaigns and electoral insurgencies, led by Live Wire organizers who bring together and frame the burning issues and popular passions of a critical mass of the majority Underclass. What we need is a massive new synergy between strategic sectors of the presently fragmented progressive/radical rainbow, supercharging a new wave of positive solutions, structural reforms, community building, survival planning, and electoral insurgency. On the personal level this means breaking with deeply ingrained habits and ways of thinking, and integrating our daily lives and practices into the building of a new transformative and revolutionary Movement. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on the relative desperation of your situation, objective conditions for a grassroots global uprising are quickly ripening. The current ruling junta has overextended themselves, and a powerful conflagration of disasters is waking up a critical mass of the global grassroots. We now have a political opening in the United States that has not existed since the Watergate Era and the fall of Richard Nixon in 1974. But time is of the essence. At the risk of stating the obvious, let’s keep these basics in mind: * The Republican and Democratic parties are both totally controlled by all-powerful corporations at the national levels (if not yet always at the lower levels). * The mainstream media is controlled by corporations that suppress real information and cynically manipulate the public. * U.S. elections are controlled by corporations and rich donors (with the direct support and involvement of the major parties) who buy the candidates and restrict access to the press by new or upstart candidates. Electronic voting machines and optical scanners (as opposed to hand-counted paper ballots) enable elections to be stolen, on a regular basis, by hired hackers and Black Box computer technicians. * The root causes of the Great Recession are “free trade” globalization policies, tax evasion by corporations and the rich, a trillion-dollar war machine, and the looting of the nation by the big banks and Wall Street speculators. * Until we are willing to overthrow the corporate and military-industrial dictatorship, we will not be able to deal with the fundamental power imbalances, injustices, and crises of the nation. * Climate change is real and getting worse. We are literally standing on the eve of destruction. Radical energy conservation, reducing fossil fuel use by 90%, retrofitting the nation’s 50 million buildings; retooling our transportation system, rebuilding our electrical grid to run on solar and wind, and restoring the carbon sequestration capacity of our billion of acres of farmland, pasture, and forests through organic land management, are absolute priorities. * We need to create a framework for a massive local to national alliance for survival that addresses the life-or-death issues head-on and is open to all methods of action, from legislative insurgency, to direct action, to civil disobedience. * Walk your talk. Stop bowing down to Business as Usual and the dictates of the ruling class. Nurture your health and self-respect and, at the same time, nurture the collective self-confidence of all the rebels and visionaries in your circle of friends, family, and community. Align yourself with people and organizations you can trust and rely upon. * Stay informed. Open your eyes to what’s going on. Stay in touch with the daily evidence circulating on the Internet that a global grassroots revolution has begun. Pay attention to the housing, transportation, health, and food and farming alternatives that are already being built, even if many of our sustainable alternatives currently exist only in embryonic form. * Keep in mind that the Xtremes are likely to get worse, not better, and that most of our elected public officials, especially on the federal level, are bought and sold by the corporations, and therefore are hard-wired for destruction. Don’t hold your breath for Obama, or any other national politician to change things. Go local with an emphasis on community building and local public policy change. Focus on building crash-resistant institutions: organic food and farming systems, re-localized commerce, holistic and preventive health practices, and an urban and rural green jobs infrastructure with a low carbon footprint. * Stay inspired. Stay in touch with the fact that the technological, economic, political, and social alternatives we need to survive and prosper are already being put into practice. Find examples of these across the nation or the globe and in your local community and join up. Stay vigilant. Stay positive. Stay strong. Prepare for the worst, as well as the best. Those who hold the power are not going to give it up without a tremendous fight. The fossil fuel System is going to collapse. Revolutions bear little resemblance to polite disagreements at a dinner party. The mass media can and is being manipulated. People’s fears and prejudices are being engineered. Elections based upon “black box” computer-controlled electronic voting machines and optical scanners can and are being stolen. The only elections that cannot be stolen are those based upon hand-counted paper ballots, where the ballots are tallied at the precinct level in clear public view immediately after the polls close. http://www.votescam.org * Keep the faith. Revolutions never seem possible until objective conditions ripen, until serious splits develop among the ruling class, and until a critical mass of people decide they won’t take it any more. Look at Egypt. Look at Tunisia, look at Yemen. Look at Wisconsin. Look in the mirror. Ready to lead the Uprising in your local community? Send me an email at ronniecummins[a]gmail.com. All power to the people!

Researchers discover oldest yet known remains of winery in Armenia

(NaturalNews) Archeologists from the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) recently uncovered an ancient wine-making facility in an Armenian cave that they say dates back roughly 6,000 years. The facility — complete with wine press, fermentation vats, storage containers, utensils and even preserved grape seeds and other organic grape materials — is now the oldest known wine press ever discovered. The materials in the cave were uniquely well-preserved because a layer of sheep manure had fossilized the remains and protected them from mold, fungi and various other destructive forces that would have long since destroyed them. But thanks to the concrete-like layer of dung, researchers were able to catch a glimpse of ancient history in a new and unique way. “Because of this unique preservation, we find all of these previously unknown but imagined organic materials,” explained archeologist Gregory Areshian from UCLA’s Cotsen Institute of Archeology, and co-leader of the expedition, to the Los Angeles Times . Among these organic materials were withered grape vines, grape seeds and even preserved remnants of pressed grapes. From the looks of the setup, the ancient folk pressing the grapes did so with their feet in a moderately-sized pressing vat. And because the various storage found tanks were relatively small, archeologists suspect that this particular wine-making facility was specifically designed for ceremonies involving the burial of the dead, and not for recreational drinking. “The site is very important because it is so early and shows how advanced they already were,” said biomolecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern from the University of Pennsylvania concerning the study. “The fact that winemaking was already so well developed in 4,000 B.C. suggests that the technology probably goes back much earlier.” The earliest known evidence of any sort of winemaking dates back to roughly 5,400 B.C. in the Zagros Mountains of the Middle East, where jars with residue of tartaric acid have previously been found. Sources for this story include: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-ancient-winery-20110111,0,1469486.story

Most of the world’s rivers threatened by pesticides, pollution

(NaturalNews) The vast majority of the world’s rivers are threatened by pollution, pesticide runoff and destructive species, say researchers from The City College (CCNY) of The City University of New York (CUNY), the University of Wisconsin and seven other institutions. And not only is the integrity of the world’s water at heightened risk, but so are countless aquatic species that rely on the threatened habitats for survival. Published in the journal Nature , the study explains that the threats come from a multitude of different sources, and that an independent, reactive approach to dealing with them is not going to work. A more holistic approach is required, say scientists, if the problems have any chance of ever being remediated. “We can no longer look at human water security and biodiversity threats independently,” said Dr. Charles Vorosmarty, director of the CUNY Environmental CrossRoads Initiative and professor of civil engineering at The Grove School of Engineering at CCNY. “We need to link the two.” One example cited is the fact that while water reservoirs are largely beneficial to humans because they supply clean water, they simultaneously alter the biodiversity of aquatic life by changing water migration patterns. So evaluating these issues and coming up with long-term solutions to benefit both humans and the environment are necessary, they say. According to the team, nearly all European water resources are highly threatened by environmental factors, as are most in the U.S. Central Asia, the Middle East, subcontinent India and eastern China are also increasingly threatened as they continue to develop. Both industrialized and developing countries are experiencing the same threats, but the two handle them differently. Industrialized nations tend to treat the symptoms of the problem after the fact — which is very costly — while developing nations, if they do anything at all, tend towards protecting the resources in the first place. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/ccon-gsf092410.php

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