Category Archives: Lifestyle

Climate Solutions, Earth and Ecology

Climate Crisis: Report Reveals New and more extreme Dangers to our Oceans

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International Report Documents Expanded Risks from All Sides…

For decades, the human species has been treating its oceans poorly. Oil spills, pollution, overfishing, melting ice caps, and above all climate change have made our seas into perpetual punching bags. As a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows, however, the ocean is now at its most fragile. If we do not help it, then it will soon start punching back.

The report is based on an extensive review of more than six thousand studies from scientists in 36 countries and the results are voluminous and, frankly, very scary for any sane observer. These compounded dangers are becoming harder to dispute, and previously challenged assertions such as how to measure the acceleration of the rising sea levels are being more clearly defined and more confidently confirmed by scientists.

The ocean has always been one of the earth’s most crucial natural deterrents to global warming. As a pool of water that covers over seventy percent of the world’s surface, the ocean is an enormous carbon drain. Like a forest, it sucks in lots of our carbon emissions and uses it to sustain its ecosystem.

Unfortunately, as climate change evolves and accelerates, the ocean’s ability to absorb that carbon diminishes. There is so much CO2 in the atmosphere that the ocean is all but overwhelmed. Simultaneously, other kinds of pollution—such as plastic or oil—are also taking their tolls on the seas’ ecosystems. 

Rising Sea Levels, Extreme Weather Events, other threats are in Extreme Acceleration

The biggest threat that the ocean poses if climate change is not effectively combatted is rising water levels. The IPCC report shows that with our current level of carbon emissions, arctic ice will start to melt at a more rapid pace, and sea levels will rise significantly. By the next century, certain coastal communities and entire island nations could be uninhabitable. As a huge percentage of the world lives by the water, this could leave millions of people incredibly vulnerable. 

The water is not only getting higher, though. It is also getting warmer. As the world’s temperature increases with an oversaturation of atmospheric carbon, the oceans follow suit. Water temperatures are rising and the rate of that rise is increasing. 

Warmer water has already brought with it a whole new line of ecological issues. When the temperature changes, it affects marine life behavior and migratory patterns. This is impacting everything from the food chain to the fishing industry, making it a far greater issue than just a few confused fish ending up on the wrong side of the sea.

Furthermore, hurricanes thrive off of warm water, so as the ocean gets hotter, we are already seeing larger and more brutal storms washing up on our coasts. The IPCC report underscores an increased occurrence of powerful storms, with category 4 and 5 hurricanes becoming far more frequent. Flooding will also continue to occur more frequently, and beachside infrastructure will find itself in dire straits all-year around.

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Dangers Lurk beyond rising Sea Levels: Pollution, Disease and Contagions Threaten to Rise as well

Then, there is also the fact that our oceans are getting dirtier. Acidification and pollution have led to the extinction of certain species, the eradication of coral reefs, and numerous health problems that find their way to the surface. More foodborne illnesses are turning up in seafood; Marine heat waves affect seabirds and amphibious mammals as well as fish; And a summer dip in the ocean may soon become a grimy bath that leaves you sick and dirty.

The ocean is powerful and beautiful. Ever since humankind evolved out of its depths millions of years ago, the great blue saltwater haven has been helping sustain us on land. Its wondrous waves and illustrious currents have inspired many, and mystified even more. Conscienceless as a silent part of this humble planet we call home, the ocean has asked for nothing in return for her millions of years of ecological service. Now, however, in no small part due to our exploitative nature, she is suffering. If we do not help her now when she is desperate, then her years of docility will soon run out, and we will feel her wrath.

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Books, Food and Cooking, Health and Diet, Lifestyle

Cleanse with Apple Cider Vinegar for a Stronger Immune System

Above: Photo / Adobe Stock

It seems as if so many of us have less robust digestion than we would like. Perhaps due to the “modern” mix of food types, or the high percentage of processed foods we consume, almost everyone would like to digest more easily and completely. Bitters, traditionally, contained a mixture of herbs and spices along with some alcohol, which acted as a preservative and enhancing agent.

As far back as the ancient Egyptians, who appear to have added herbs thought to contain medicinal powers to batches of wine. By the Middle Ages, distilled alcohol was combined with concentrated herbs and tonics. In the east, such as in China and India the use of bitter herbs goes back thousands of years beyond any exact recorded date.

Holiday Feasts Meet “Bitter” Antidote

In a fitting connection to todays US Independence Day celebrations, it was in the America of 1806 that the first “Cocktails” became popular – which was at the time concocted out of “bitters”, spirits, sugar and water.

In the present day it is the digestive benefits of the herbs themselves that have become popular often without alcohol at all, but rather purely as a medicinal digestive aid. Both in Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine, for over 3000 years, the benefits of herbal bitters was recognized and in wide usage.

Simply put, the herbs in digestive bitters aid digestion by stimulating bitter receptors on the tongue, stomach, gallbladder and pancreas. The internal reaction to these compounds is an improved digestive functioning through increased production of digestive juices such as stomach acid, bile and enzymes to breakdown food.

Digestive enzymes are essential to life and are naturally produced in our bodies and digestive system. Nutrients are processed into a state that allows us to absorb all the nutrients. Another role for enzymes is to protect us from pathogens in food.

Rather than adding to this process, for example by introducing additional enzymes, bitters stimulate the natural production that is already occurring in the body. In the case of our modern American diet, so lacking in traditional bitter tastes in general (the exception being the dill pickle in the hamburger, as the old joke goes) introducing these herbs, known for a bitter and yet somehow soothing effect, can actually produce far more natural stimulation of the digestive system than one might otherwise expect.

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In a personal anecdote, an associate known to the author has a mild case of Pancreatitis, one variation of which can be a chronic inflammation of the pancreas. The symptoms are an inability to digest due to a lack of enzymes normally produced by a healthly pancreas. The inability to digest can cause severe pain and can reoccur anytime a meal is taken. Needless to say, this is a serious problem for those who suffer from it. Unfortunately, there are no simple treatments available and, short of risky surgical procedures, only pain medications and intravenous feeding in a hospital are available as treatment. There is no cure, and it can be fatal.

Interestingly, in the case of our colleague, the bitters we describe below elicited an immediate, seemingly miraculous, recovery. No pharmaceutical drugs of any kind were involved. The recovery was within 24 hours and there has been no return of symptoms, as long as the bitters are used regularly.

While this seems wild, even far fetched, the secret may lie more in typical “modern” eating habits rather than in any superpowers unknown to mankind (remember bitters have been known and revered for thousands of years). Our friend admitted to a stressful period of time, before his condition first arose, when fast food and generally unhealthy eating habits were the norm for him.

While this is an extreme example, the idea that any of us, for example, after a large and tasty 4th of July BBQ celebration, might find ourselves in need of a boosted digestive performance, is anything but unlikely.

As discussed from the historical synopsis above, most traditional bitters contain alcohol, and while for many, this may be neutral ingredient, our colleague is allergic to anything alcoholic, so he sought out one alternative product that was alcohol free (Cider Vinegar Bitters from Urban Moonshine).

Cider Vinegar Bitters add an additional zing to the herbal mix

While the concept is amazingly simple: bitter flavors stimulate better digestion and are an important part of the spectrum of the human palate, the ingredient combinations can vary greatly. The examples shown below can be used as an example of two, not typical but very effective products.

Cider Vinegar Bitters

by Urban Moonshine Herbal Apothecary
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Burdock Root Extract
  • Ginger Root Extract
  • Dandelion Root Extract
  • Gentian Root Extract
  • Artichoke Leaf Extract

Better Bitters (classic)

By Herb Pharm
  • Orange Peel
  • Burdock Root
  • Anise Seed
  • Artichoke Leaf
  • Ginger Rhizome
  • Gentian Rhizome with Root
  • Organic Cane Alcohol

Usage Tips for Happiness in the Real World

Once this “bitter” remedy is in your “go to” arsenal of healthy antidotes to real world stress and the challenges of overindulgence, the problems you might have been experiencing could soon be a thing of the past. Best taken shortly before meals, Digestive Bitters, can be used to aid in digesting on special occasions, or as a part of an every-day health regime to reduce inflammation and stimulate better nutrient assimilation.

Although the anecdote above related to a particular disease (Pancreatitis), many more common, and less serious, conditions are also often reduced or eliminated through use of bitters, according to Dr. Shannon Sarrasin, ND: heartburn, gas and bloating, constipation, reduction of food sensitivities, possible reduction in sugar craving, less blood sugar irregularities, liver detoxification, and more.

Bitters are not recommended if you suffer from gastritis, stomach ulcers, gallbladder disease or kidney disease. As with any medicine or herbal supplement please consult a doctor or practitioner before using.

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Alternate day or Intermittent Fasting Diets – Can they improve Strength and Stamina?

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Books, Food and Cooking, Health and Diet, Lifestyle

Celery Juice: Easy Detox and Hydration and other Big Benefits

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic / Adobe Stock

Simple yet mighty green drink filled with many health nutrients

Looking for a way to kick-start your day? Since a lot of us are basically stuck at home due to COVID-19, starting the day on a healthy note could be much needed. Many are turning to an unlikely source: a cool cocktail of celery juice. Best known as a very low calorie, high-fiber stalk for chomping while dieting, the juice option for celery is catching on as a healthy, refreshing drink. 

Celery juice consists mainly of water, which can help in keeping your body hydrated. Staying hydrated and having adequate water intake is essential; proper hydration can help regulate body temperature, manage blood pressure and also supports gut and kidney health. 

Read More: Summer 2020: Top Eight Books for Ultimate Health and Wellness

According to the US. Department of Agriculture (USDA) FoodData Central a cup of celery juice holds the following nutrients:

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  • Calories: 42.5
  • Protein: 2 grams
  • Carbs: 9.5 grams
  • Sugar: 5 grams
  • Fiber: 4 grams
  • Calcium: 8% of the Daily Value (DV)
  • Vitamin A: 7% of the DV
  • Vitamin C: 16% of the DV
  • Vitamin K: 74% of the DV

Long known as a low-calorie vegetable, it is also high in vitamins such as Vitamin A, K and C as well as being a source of potassium and, of course, the aforementioned high dose of fiber (even in juice form, apparently). Additionally, celery juice is said to be an anti-inflammatory agent and a contributor to gut health and ease of digestion. (And who doesn’t need that!). You can either DIY the juice with a home juicer or visit a juice bar.

The influence of Anthony Williams, the self-proclaimed pioneer of the celery juice movement, also known as the Medical Medium has been one contributor factor for celery juices’ newfound popularity.   Williams is an author of four New York Times bestselling books with a strong celebrity following, including Gwyneth Paltrow, whom posted on Goop about him.  On his site, he layouts the “miracles” of celery juices and how drinking sixteen ounces daily on an empty stomach can promote, heal and reverse many health related issues.

Below we have included some information from Williams book from the publisher as well as information on where to purchase if interested. Be safe and be well!

Medical Medium Celery Juice: The Most Powerful Medicine of Our Time Healing Millions Worldwide

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Celery juice is everywhere for a reason: because it’s saving lives as it restores people’s health one symptom at a time.From celebrities posting about their daily celery juice routines to people from all walks of life sharing pictures and testimonials of their dramatic recovery stories, celery juice is revealing itself to ignite healing when all odds seem against it. What began decades ago as a quiet movement has become a global healing revolution. 

In Celery Juice: The Most Powerful Medicine of Our Time Healing Millions Worldwide, Anthony William, the originator of the global celery juice movement, introduces you to celery juice’s incredible ability to create sweeping improvements on every level of our health:  Healing the gut and relieving digestive disorders, balancing blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, and adrenal function. Neutralizing and flushing toxins from the liver and brain. Restoring health in people who suffer from a vast range of chronic and mystery illnesses and symptoms, among them fatigue, brain fog, acne, eczema, addiction, ADHD, thyroid disorders, diabetes, SIBO, eating disorders, autoimmune disorders, Lyme disease, and eye problems. Also Available on Amazon.

Read More: Intermittent Fasting is not just a diet: it promotes weight-loss, detox and better health

So, skeptic or true believer, likely little harm can come from a dip in the celery juice oasis. Any testimonials or comments welcome.

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AI, Apple, Apple Services, Climate Solutions, Earth and Ecology, FaceTime, iOS 15, iPad, iPhone, Mac, macOS 12 Monterey, Observation, OS Software, Politics, Science, Tech, WWDC2021

Apple’s free upgrades are Inviting you into the Metaverse: iOS15 – macOS Monterey & iPadOS15

Video

Above:Photo Credit – Apple / Lynxotic

Sci-fi sounding, inevitable upgrade for today’s online communications

You might have heard lately about the “metaverse” and yet that can mean a variety of different things to different people. Often, it’s a term that relates back to gaming and 3D augmented reality enhancements of networked communications.

There are even crypto and blockchain related projects using this term and concept. While all of these various factors are welcome, and potentially part of this next phase of convergence of communication via networked technology, there’s something else happening under the surface.

”The pandemic, with its requirements of physical distancing, has brought people into online digital environments for a growing range of shared human experiences.” — Wired UK from “The Metaverse is coming” by David Baszucki

The acceleration in AI application, machine learning, and converging use cases for all communications tech has created a situation where the entry-portal to the emerging metaverse is already here.

One often overlooked aspect of a transition to a more complete digital life is the need for humans to have adapted to the need and potential benefits of the idea. This is what is happening via many routes, including Apple and the constant synergistic upgrade cycles that have just gone into a new, bigger phase with the migration to a unified OS structure built around Apple Silicon.

The gradual increases in iOS functionality and user sophistication are changing how we interact

iOS15, previewed this week at the WWDC2021 is rolling out literally dozens of new features, many based on machine learning, neural networks and AI that propose a new level of highly sophisticated options to communicate with video, photos and text.

While this mixture of “basic” media has been the staple of our current modes of online communication, particularly via social media, the incredibly increased depth of new options and functionality of iOS15 and iPadOS15 and MacOS Monterey will make all modes of communication feel completely new.

In the evolution of online media and enriched communication (OMEC to coin an 80s sounding acronym) the slow and uneven progress is based on many factors. #1 is always user adoption and sophistication.

Second is the quality of the hardware devices and software upgrades each user around the world has access to. In the case of iOS (iPad, iPhone & macOS) the immediate adoption of upgrades is a large factor on the plus side, helping new innovation to arrive in general use more quickly.

The last factor, a huge one, is access to fast ubiquitous internet data connections, and, in the US at least, this is less consistent than ever (or our expectations are rising faster than the build out).

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However, particularly in Asia, 5g is beginning to make a dent. Satellite broadband, like Starlink, should also start to be a factor as early as 2022. Government infrastructure build-out funding and subsidies in the US is on the way in 2021.

Augmented 3D features are still growing but will merge with 2D

The upshot of this topic is that “2D” factors and increasingly sophisticated manipulation and interactive features that are already coming in iOS15 will bring us all closer the entry-portal stone-age version of the metaverse.

We all depend more and more on communications and using our devices – work from home, personal, business and hybrid activities (such as the emerging content creator class). Often, as a result, we have fewer options to go offline for “organic” RL (real life) interactions.

The increasingly sophisticated capabilities available are beginning to make even face to face communications, particularly in work situations, feel “un-enhanced” as we become accustomed to and dependent on the digital enhancements and potential of a full media rich interaction.

This is an example, one could say, of the subtle encroachment of the emerging metaverse onto the “real world” and how the boundaries are blurring and even beginning to disappear.

Rather than a sudden “jump” into a metaverse, similar to the cliché sci-fi plots from films like “Ready Player 1”, what is happening is a nearly imperceptible transition to metaverse-like experiences that will become commonplace, initially in a primitive form, and then eventually become the norm. Similar to the proverbial Frog in pot, with warm water temperatures that increase so slowly that the Frog doesn’t even notice, until it finds that it is swimming in pot that is already boiling.

The misconception that a “killer app” or sudden shift into an online, virtual reality world, is the future, and that a big leap will happen nearly all at once, is harmlessly superimposed on the real transition that has already begun.

When Apple’s 2007 launch of the iPhone changed communication forever: the journey began

The new “Digital Legacy Program”, also announced at WWDC2021, is another hint that we are already living in an extremely primitive version of the metaverse. Our online identity, data, and even behaviors and experiences are so essential and all pervasive that it has become necessary to keep a digital key to access the huge trove of personal data we will leave behind to pass on to our living loved ones, after we are gone.

The metaverse, that means, is not only creating a parallel digital universe for us to live in, in an ever more complete and sophisticated way, but we are also already setting up the eternal storage of our virtual life experiences to be passed down to future generations.

Though nearly invisible while in such a relatively primitive iteration, the concept, an example of overlapping advancements in innovation, is a tiny step towards digital immortality.

The metaverse could help to save us all

It’s not just professional and work related communication that relates to the gradual increase in the depth of networked communication options, but, even more so, casual and leisure communication and interaction is key.

TikTok and other video communication trends are at the forefront of of user evolution and metaverse activity expansion. When people feel motivated to find new and better ways to communicate using richer media and augmented techniques for fun, and to gain more recognition in online societies, that advances digital sophistication.

This process of the evolution of user comfort and sophistication, while existing and interacting in the metaverse, is the fastest way for the augmentation to become more effective.

There’s a mostly unseen benefit and need for this, otherwise seemingly pointless, global development

The challenges that the world faces, encroaching, devastating fallout from global warming and excess carbon in the atmosphere, political corruption and inequality, disinformation and cybercrime, and so on.

Ultimately, unlike at any time in human history, we are facing a challenge. The survival of our species and even the planet are at stake.

In the years and decades to come it will become more and more obvious that there are only two paths possible. One path toward a kind of Utopia, or another one that will lead, inexorably to Oblivion.

Though the metaverse is scary in many ways, and does not always appear as a way to a better life, augmented and enhanced communication is one of the most desperately needed ways that solutions could eventually be discovered and implemented.

And that would put this progression and evolution of tech more in service of Utopia, and could be at the heart of a rescue plan to prevent Oblivion, before it’s too late.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/videos/universal-control/Apple-Universal-Control-cc-us-_1280x720h.mp4
Above: Craig Federighi Demo Video at WWDC 2021

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Books, Lifestyle

Pride is 365: June is for Celebrations

Above: Photo Collage – Lyxotic

Pride month power grows as the community becomes larger and stronger

One year ago, June 2020, in correspondence with protests around the country, spurred on by the killing of George Floyd, Pride month parades become protests and took on a new meaning.

In the middle of the pandemic it was a tense time, important elections were on the horizon and the were forces of prejudice and discrimination rising seemingly on all sides. In spite of the challenges and the forces aligned in misguided opposition, bravery and pride could be seen in the street around the US and the world.

Above: West Hollywood, June 2020 Photo: Lyxotic

A year later and there is the feeling, if only a faint one, that a chance exists for all of that to be turned back, not in a day a week or a year, but though the arc of history bending toward equality and inclusion.

And June was wisely chosen with rainbow colors, sunshine and hope for the future in a combination that can lead to hope for the future and joy for today. Joy is a concept that leads to and is a natural part of celebration just as much as pride equals hope, equality, inclusion and love.

June is the time, as spring transforms the world into summer, for us to remember not only the justice that is to come, but the joy of the journey, and even the joy of the righteous struggles to get there.

A way for the world to change must always begin with thoughts, ideas, information, education and, ultimately, understanding. In the books we’ve compiled there are chapters that contain stories of pride and struggles, and with more forthright and open information circulating the possibility for justice can only rise.

So, as June continues to beam it’s sunlit powers throughout the northern hemisphere, it’s a great time to reflect on the road ahead, the progress achieved, and most of all, the reasons for joy and celebration.

What We Will Become : A Mother, a Son, and a Journey of Transformation

A mother’s memoir of her transgender child’s odyssey, and her journey outside the boundaries of the faith and culture that shaped her. From the age of two-and-a-half, Jacob, born “Em,” adamantly told his family he was a boy.

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While his mother Mimi struggled to understand and come to terms with the fact that her child may be transgender, she experienced a sense of déjà vu–the journey to uncover the source of her child’s inner turmoil unearthed ghosts from Mimi’s past and her own struggle to live an authentic life. 

Mimi was raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family, every aspect of her life dictated by ancient rules and her role as a woman largely preordained from cradle to grave.

As a young woman, Mimi wrestled with the demands of her faith and eventually made the painful decision to leave her religious community and the strict gender roles it upheld. 

Having risen from the ashes of her former life, Mimi was prepared to help her son forge a new one — at a time when there was little consensus on how best to help young transgender children.

Dual narratives of faith and motherhood weave together to form a heartfelt portrait of an unforgettable family. Brimming with love and courage, What We Will Become is a powerful testament to how painful events from the past can be redeemed to give us hope for the future. 

The Stonewall Reader

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June 28, 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, which is considered the most significant event in the gay liberation movement, and the catalyst for the modern fight for LGBTQ rights in the United States.

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Drawing from the New York Public Library’s archives, The Stonewall Reader is a collection of first accounts, diaries, periodic literature, and articles from LGBTQ magazines and newspapers that documented both the years leading up to and the years following the riots.

Most importantly the anthology spotlights both iconic activists who were pivotal in the movement, such as Sylvia Rivera, co-founder of Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (STAR), as well as forgotten figures like Ernestine Eckstein, one of the few out, African American, lesbian activists in the 1960s. The anthology focuses on the events of 1969, the five years before, and the five years after.

Jason Baumann, the NYPL coordinator of humanities and LGBTQ collections, has edited and introduced the volume to coincide with the NYPL exhibition he has curated on the Stonewall uprising and gay liberation movement of 1969.

Fairest: A Memoir

A singular, beautifully written coming-of-age memoir of a Filipino boy with albinism whose story travels from an immigrant childhood to Harvard to a gender transition and illuminates the illusions of race, disability, and gender Fairest is a memoir about a precocious boy with albinism, a sun child from a rural Philippine village, who would grow up to become a woman in America.

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Coping with the strain of parental neglect and the elusive promise of U.S. citizenship, Talusan found childhood comfort from her devoted grandmother, a grounding force as she was treated by others with special preference or public curiosity.

As an immigrant to the United States, Talusan came to be perceived as white. An academic scholarship to Harvard provided access to elite circles of privilege but required Talusan to navigate through the complex spheres of race, class, sexuality, and her place within the gay community. She emerged as an artist and an activist questioning the boundaries of gender.

Talusan realized she did not want to be confined to a prescribed role as a man, and transitioned to become a woman, despite the risk of losing a man she deeply loved. Throughout her journey, Talusan shares poignant and powerful episodes of desirability and love that will remind readers of works such as Call Me By Your Name and Giovanni’s Room. Her evocative reflections will shift our own perceptions of love, identity, gender, and the fairness of life.

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Earth and Ecology, News, Science

A ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse Starts Thursday Dawn on east Coast

Above: Photo Credit / Bryan Goff / UnSplash

Look to the sky for a solar show that will create a stunning glow…

Stargazers and skywatchers are in for another treat, which come about two weeks after the lunar eclipse, also referred to as the “Super Flower Blood Moon”. Tonight and into Thursday, June 10th, an annular solar eclipse called “ring of fire” will be visible. Any discussion of all things lunar, blood moons and eclipses would certainly be congruent with a taste of the astrological perspective.

Unfortunately this time around, no parts of the United States will get to see the full eclipse, however some metropolitan areas like Toronto, Philadelphia and New York will be able to view a partial eclipse a little after the sunrise on Thursday morning.

Getting to see a partial eclipse looks kind of like the sun has a portion taken out of it. In total, this eclipse will last around 1 2/3 hrs (approximately 100 minutes) as it starts at sunrise in Ontario, Canada.

If you aren’t exactly clear on what a solar eclipse is, an annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is farthest from Earth. And because the Moon is far away it appears smaller. The Moon does not block the entire view of the Sun and thus creates the appearance of a ring around the Moon.

Check out additional detailed information and maps about the eclipse operated by retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenakly.

The word annular comes from the Latin word for ring. Since the Moon covers the sun’s center and what is left forms a ring, hence the name “ring of fire”.

If you are one of the lucky folks situated along the East Coast and Upper Midwest and want to catch a glimpse at the partial eclipse, it is strongly recommended to use solar eclipse glasses and to not look directly into the sun as it may cause permanent damage to your eyes.

Don’t fret if you aren’t able to experience the upcoming solar eclipse. This summer we have a couple more opportunities to gaze above. There is set to be a Supermoon June 24, a Meteor Shower on July 28, and the Blue Moon come August 22.

We have a couple years until the next total solar eclipse in the United States, in April 8, 2024, weather permitting.

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Books, LGBTQ+, Lifestyle

LGBTQ+ Books for Pride Month and Every Month

As the sun begins to peak out and early summer finally shines among us, June, as it has been for years, is the perfect month to be designated for Pride Month. Although large public celebrations like parades may still be stalled for most parts of the world because of the still looming pandemic, there are nevertheless plenty of opportunities to celebrate and proudly wave that beautiful rainbow flag (literally and metaphorically).

Pride can and never will be be canceled!

There are many ways to show your support/allegiance and to champion the LGBTQ+ community, particularly during Pride Month, (although Pride should really be a constant). One such way is through the classic form of words and images on pages, as reading and learning should never be considered less than desirable and always be savored. 

There are hundreds of LGBTQ+ books out there and although it can be extremely hard to choose which ones to spotlight, we’ve chosen a few with accompanying book descriptions to kick off June 2021 Pride.

The Queer Bible: Essays

Jack Guinness wanted to have a tangible way for us to see and praise the long and “glorious” history of the LGBTQ+ community and created the website QueerBible.com in 2016, the online community solely devoted to celebrating queer heroes both from the past and the present. 

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The new 2021 book pays homage to queer heroes that paved the path, both unsung heroes and queer icons, which readers will get learn and see them in a fresh light.

The illustrated collection of essays include contributions fro the likes of Elton Jonhn, Tan France, Gus Kenworthy, Paris Lees, Russell Tovey, Munroe Bergdorf. As well as honoring timeless queer icons such as  Susan Sontag, David Bowie, Sylvester, RuPaul, and George Michael.

We Are Everywhere: Protest, Power, and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation

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Check out this book that covers major historical Queer Liberation movements through photographs.

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Readers can learn the beginning queen activism in late 19th century Europe to the pivotal Stonewall Riots of 1969 to the current. 

The text features more than 300 pictures from more than 70 photographers and 20 archives.  Looking at family life, protests, marches, celebrations, mourning and Pride – you can to literally SEE queer history.

“We are Everywhere” shows readers how they can and must honor LGBTQ+ post history in order to shape a more liberated future.  

Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality

Sarach McBride would become the first transgender person to speak at a national political convention and later became the first openly transgender Delaware state senator and national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign.

Yet before all that she struggled with the decision to come out. 

“Tomorrow Will Be Different” is chronicles her journey.

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Her book, a powerful memoir, that is informative, heartbreaking and also extremely powerful as she writes about her identity and the battle for equal rights and what it means to be trans. 

Also includes a foreword by President Joe Biden. 

One Life

Megan Rapinoe is an Olympic gold medalist and a 2x Women’s World cup champion.

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In her book “One Life” she shares for the first time ore intimate information about her life on and off the soccer field and begs the ultimate question, if we all have just one life – what are we going to do? 

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After the 2011 World Cup, Rapinoe felt discouraged by how very few athletes were open about their sexuality. As a result, she decided to disclose publicly she was gay and from then on used her platform to help advocate for marriage equality. 

Her story follows some of the most important moments in her life and career including her realization she was gay in college, her experience with soccer coaches and the backlash / disputes she received when she took a knee during the national athem in 2016 in solidarity with NFL player Colin Kaepernick, how she met her fiancé Sue Bird and her process during the US Soccer Federation over gender discrimination and equal pay. 

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Books, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Science, UFOs

Best books on Aliens, Close Encounters and the Beyond

Curious about aliens encounters, extraterrestrial life and UFO sightings?  Us humans have and continue to search for answers on that big question.  And it seems like the more we uncover about our vast universe, the more questions and less we actually know.  

Read More: Aliens and “Galactic Federation” reported on by Major News Outlets as if ‘Real’

 Life beyond Earth has held a long been an interest and have made a resurgence in news. Including mysterious monoliths appears in different parts of the world.  Even reports from a former Israeli space program claiming an existing government alliance between aliens (via the Galactic Federation) with humans. 

Chariots of the Gods: 50th Anniversary Edition

Click to see “Chariots of the Gods”
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Also available on Amazon.

AS SEEN ON ANCIENT ALIENS’ “THE ALIEN PHENOMENON” Now in a beautiful 50th anniversary edition with a new foreword and afterword by the author, this is the groundbreaking classic that introduced the theory that ancient Earth established contact with aliens.

Immediately recognized as a work of monumental importance, Chariots of the Godsendures as proof that Earth has been visited repeatedly by advanced aliens from other worlds. Here, Erich von Däniken examines ancient ruins, lost cities, spaceports, and a myriad of hard scientific facts that point to extraterrestrial intervention in human history. Most incredible of all, however, is von Däniken’s theory that we are the descendants of these galactic pioneers–and he reveals the archaeological discoveries that prove it… An alien astronaut preserved in a pyramid
* Thousand-year-old spaceflight navigation charts
* Computer astronomy from Incan and Egyptian ruins
* A map of the land beneath the ice cap of Antarctica
* A giant spaceport discovered in the Andes
Includes remarkable photos that document mankind’s first contact with aliens at the dawn of civilization

Gateway

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WINNER OF THE HUGO AND NEBULA AWARDS – Frederik Pohl stands shoulder to shoulder with Philip K. Dick, Larry Niven, Robert Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury as one of the brilliant vision-aries in the science fiction stratosphere. Gateway is a modern masterpiece that defines–and transcends–its genre.

Seeded among the stars are troves of valuable artifactsleft behind by the enigmatic, long-vanished alien racecalled the Heechee. For the right price, anyone can climb aboard one of the abandoned Heechee spaceships, castoff on an autopilot voyage to parts unknown, and takea chance on finding wealth . . . or facing death.

Robinette Broadhead took that chance and walked awaya winner. But at what cost? Despite living a millionaire’s life of material luxury, he’s haunted by crippling despair–and the dark secrets buried deep in his psyche. With the help of his computerized psychiatrist, the truth about whathappened “out there” could set Broadhead free. But only after a personal journey more terrifying and, ultimately, more devastating than his last fateful trip into space. Click to see “Gateway” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

The Left Hand of Darkness: 50th Anniversary Edition

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50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION–WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY DAVID MITCHELL AND A NEW AFTERWORD BY CHARLIE JANE ANDERS Ursula K. Le Guin’s groundbreaking work of science fiction–winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards. A lone human ambassador is sent to the icebound planet of Winter, a world without sexual prejudice, where the inhabitants’ gender is fluid.

His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the strange, intriguing culture he encounters… Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction. Click to see “The Left Hand of Darkness” and help bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record

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Also available on Amazon.

Leslie Kean, a veteran investigative reporter who has spent the past ten years studying the still-unexplained UFO phenomenon, reviewed hundreds of government documents, aviation reports, radar data, and case studies with corroborating physical evidence. She interviewed dozens of high-level officials and aviation witnesses from around the world.

Among them, five Air Force generals and a host of high-level sources–including Fife Symington III, former governor of Arizona, and Nick Pope, former head of the British Defence Ministry’s UFO Investigative Unit–have written their own breathtaking, firsthand accounts about UFO encounters and investigations exclusively for this book. With the support of former White House chief of staff John Podesta, Kean lifts the veil on decades of U.S. government misinformation about this mysterious phenomenon and presents irrefutable evidence that unknown flying objects–metallic, luminous, and seemingly able to maneuver in ways that defy the laws of physics–actually exist. Click to see “UFOs” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

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Entertainment, Esoteric, LA Local, Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

Super Flower Blood Full Moon Eclipse more than Fulfilled its Promise

Above: Photo Credit Lynxotic collage with Photo by Sadman Sakib on Unsplash

Visible in the Western U.S. states early Wednesday

This kickoff to the Lunar eclipses for the year will be the fantastically named “Super Flower Blood Moon”. Although the visibility during the eclipse will vary across the nation, the west coast will have a great, bright vantage, where clear skies oblige.

Also, unlike solar eclipses the Lunar variety is completely safe to view with the naked eye. Just watch your forecast as clouds vs. clear skies will be the determining factor when it comes to visibility.

The “flower” moniker is perhaps less significant than it sounds, but no less poetic. Call the flower moon due to that simple fact that it occurs in late May, coincident with the spring bloom.

Although there were four penumbral lunar eclipses in 2020, they were less spectacular that what is anticipated for the one we will get on May 26th. That’s because this month’s total lunar eclipse will have a more obvious darkening phases as the moon passes through the umbra, Earth’s inner, darker shadow.

The eclipse will be at least partly visible in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and Asia, while the total phase will only be seen from some of these locations. In the case of North America, the eclipse’s total phase, the time during which the moon turns orange or red in color, will only be seen from the western U.S., British Columbia, Alaska and parts of western Mexico.

Alternatively, if the full Super Flower Blood Moon has got you curious but you are not in the ideal spot to view from your backyard, livestreams will be hosted by observatories and astronomers around the world.

The west coast is the best coast for this moon

The rest of North America will only see the first part of the eclipse before the moon will set in the western sky. There will still be something worth seeing but it will be a partial view of the entire event.

If you are in the Los Angeles area Wednesday morning these are points worth noting:

  • Total duration: 4 hours, 6 minutes
  • Penumbral begins: 1:47 a.m. Wednesday
  • Partial begins: 2:44 a.m. Wednesday
  • Full begins: 4:11 a.m. Wednesday
  • Maximum: 4:18 a.m. Wednesday
  • Full ends: 4:25 a.m. Wednesday
  • Moonset: 5:52 a.m. Wednesday

If you are a photographer please be aware that the moon, at any time, is hard to capture without powerful telephoto lenses. A cell phone will retrieve an image but the distant orb will be far more visible with magnification.

Above: Photo Credit /Photo by João Luccas Oliveira on Unsplash

The moon has many meanings and astrologically the event is significant also

Any discussion of all things lunar, blood moons and eclipses would certainly be congruent with a taste of the astrological perspective. We have it on good authority that this will be a Sagittarius full moon. There haas been prognostication that this will be a very challenging and “difficult” full moon eclipse, there are also signs that it will mark triumphs for some in the career dept., even accolades and awards.

A “major project” could be coming to a happy conclusion. As is always the case with Full moon lunar eclipses, if things are unclear and seem oddly incomplete, waiting 30 days can often bring the resolution that you are awaiting.

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Books, Earth and Ecology

‘Braiding Sweetgrass’: Unique collection of essays looking at the Interdependence of Humans and Plants

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Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic / Oregon State University Press

Lessons to how we can better listen to the wisdom of plants 

A blend of scientific, indigenous and personal experiences is where author Robin Wall Kimmerer memoir will take readers as she explores the relationship between humans and nature.

Robin’s first book, was also a collection of essays “Gathering Moss“. Her Second will follow suit and dig deeper into the genre while expanding the subject matter by way of a series of personal essays. She is devoted to focusing our attention on restoring ecological communities and humans’ relationship with land.

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The view that Natural resources are not unconditionally “given” and should not be viewed as property but instead “gifts” from mother nature is a persistent thread of the narrative.

“I think now that it was a longing to comprehend this language I hear in the woods that led me to science, to learn over the years to speak fluent botany.”

Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer

Kimmerer is a botanist, teacher and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and with that pedigree she is able to write about her lessors from plants, animals and nature from both a scientific and spiritual perspective. 

With her wealth of knowledge she has appeared in many YouTube videos as a guest speaker including below in “Gifts of the Land”.

 We’ve provided a closer look at  Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerers, along with a description, provided courtesy of  Bookshop.org (and the publisher), and added some links for a variety of options where to purchase.

Braiding Sweetgrass:Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants

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As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers.

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Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings–asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass–offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices.

In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.

For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.

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Accessories, Apple, Apple Watch, Lifestyle, OS Software, Tech

Apple Announces New Watch Pride Edition bands and gets Twitter Reactions Across the Board

Above: Photo Credit / Dominique Morgan/ Apple

New Braided Solo Loop & Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop announced via Apple Newsroom

Apple first launched the Apple Watch Pride Edition in 2016. The company’s unique bands have been a visible illustration of the ways in which Apple supports, and is proudly made up of members of the LGBTQ+ community. On on May 17th, 2021, the New Braided Solo Loop and announced with the subheading that it “represents the breadth of LGBTQ+ communities and experiences”.

The reactions on twitter were all over the map, to say the least. Many were sniping about the high price of the special band. Others seems to just be sniping as anti-Apple folks will do, but there were also plenty of defenders of the empire and Tim Cook himself.

Some of the criticism, sad and hilarious at the same time, was from people knocking Tim Cook as a presumably “straight-white-male” and defenders felt the need to remind them in a reply that he himself, is in fact publicly gay, giving him a different perspective on the LGBTQ+ movement and it’s importance overall.

There also seemed to be a lot of confusion over finances. The fact that there were associated donations to charities and pro-LGBTQ+ orgs seemed to be widely misunderstood or not recognized by would-be detractors. Again there were defenders who came to the aid of the reading-impaired:

https://twitter.com/Michael_Perski/status/1394555773552840707?s=20
https://twitter.com/logosaetos/status/1394870113577275393?s=20

Another aspect of the special product launch was the timing: “On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT), Apple debuts the new Apple Watch Pride Edition band and dynamic watch face, both of which incorporate a broader set of colors inspired by multiple Pride flags that have represented the diverse LGBTQ+ community throughout its rich history.”

Apple Watch

In case the explanatory text above was not 100% clear the following is also spelled out in the Apple press release:

Apple donates all the proceeds to International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (IGLA), The Trevor Project, and LGBT+ youth charity GLSEN.

The 2021 edition of the Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop includes black and brown strips that symbolize Black and Latinx communities, in addition to those who have passed away from or are living with HIV/AIDS.

The light blue, pink, and white stripes represent transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Cook, who in 2014 became the first chief executive of a Fortune 500 company to publicly come out as gay, also added the following:

Black, Brown and transgender activists have always been at the heart of the LGBTQ+ movement. The new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop honors their legacy and reaffirms Apple’s commitment to support the ongoing work toward equality.

Tim Cook / Twitter

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Books, Celebrities, Coronavirus, Documentaries, Entertainment, Health and Diet, Lifestyle, Movies

Michael Lewis’ Newest Bestseller “Premonition” is his latest Triumph in Capturing the Zeitgeist

A unique talent for choosing and presenting exactly the theme and subject of the moment, and for posterity

Above:Photo from ‘The Big Short’ courtesy of Paramount

Very few authors have the intense feeling for the “zeitgeist” that Michael has shown throughout his long career. The ability to capture the spirit of the times so well is also possibly the reason why so many of his books have been snapped up and made into successful films. Examples are “The Big Short” (Christian Bale), “Moneyball” (Brad Pitt), “The Blind Side” (Sandra Bullock), all three of these also received Best Picture Oscar nominations.

While perhaps not an author to be remembered as a high literary genius such as James Joyce or William Shakespeare, the body of work, as a chronicle of modern times seen through the lens of his minds eye is, nevertheless, substantive and engaging. While “The Big Short”, both the book and subsequent film, capture with amazing clarity a confusing period that has been in many ways glossed over, even willfully, by those that were partially responsible but never held to account.

Though it remains to be seen how the future will look back on the 2020 novel coronavirus era, “Premonition” has, once more, the same potential to become one, potentially definitive portrait, of the crisis and it’s emergence into a full blown worldwide pandemic.

Now, soon, “The Premonition” is set to be produced by Amy Pascal for Pascal Pictures, with Rachel O’Connor. Directors are slated to be Phil Lord and Chris Miller who are mostly known for lighter fare.

To make it easier a great selection of Michael Lewis’ books are featured front and center, below, along with descriptions, provided courtesy of the Bookshop (and the various publishers), and with some links for a variety of options of where to purchase.

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story

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Fortunately, we are still a nation of skeptics. Fortunately, there are those among us who study pandemics and are willing to look unflinchingly at worst-case scenarios. Michael Lewis’s taut and brilliant nonfiction thriller pits a band of medical visionaries against the wall of ignorance that was the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of COVID-19.

The characters you will meet in these pages are as fascinating as they are unexpected. A thirteen-year-old girl’s science project on transmission of an airborne pathogen develops into a very grown-up model of disease control.

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A local public-health officer uses her worm’s-eye view to see what the CDC misses, and reveals great truths about American society.

A secret team of dissenting doctors, nicknamed the Wolverines, has everything necessary to fight the pandemic: brilliant backgrounds, world-class labs, prior experience with the pandemic scares of bird flu and swine flu…everything, that is, except official permission to implement their work.

Michael Lewis is not shy about calling these people heroes for their refusal to follow directives that they know to be based on misinformation and bad science. Even the internet, as crucial as it is to their exchange of ideas, poses a risk to them. They never know for sure who else might be listening in.

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine

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The real story of the crash began in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn’t shine and the SEC doesn’t dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lower- and middle-class Americans who can’t pay their debts.

The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren’t talking.

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Michael Lewis creates a fresh, character-driven narrative brimming with indignation and dark humor, a fitting sequel to his #1 bestseller Liar’s Poker.

Out of a handful of unlikely-really unlikely-heroes, Lewis fashions a story as compelling and unusual as any of his earlier bestsellers, proving yet again that he is the finest and funniest chronicler of our time.

Liar’s Poker

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Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton and the London School of Economics when he landed a job at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street’s premier investment firms.

During the next three years, Lewis rose from callow trainee to bond salesman, raking in millions for the firm and cashing in on a modern-day gold rush. Liar’s Poker is the culmination of those heady, frenzied years–a behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business.

From the frat-boy camaraderie of the forty-first-floor trading room to the killer instinct that made ambitious young men gamble everything on a high-stakes game of bluffing and deception, here is Michael Lewis’s knowing and hilarious insider’s account of an unprecedented era of greed, gluttony, and outrageous fortune.

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Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

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Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball.

In a narrative full of fabulous characters and brilliant excursions into the unexpected, Michael Lewis follows the low-budget Oakland A’s, visionary general manager Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball theorists. They are all in search of new baseball knowledge–insights that will give the little guy who is willing to discard old wisdom the edge over big money. Also made into a hit movie starring Brad Pitt, Moneyball is a book that exposes human nature, and how it can suddenly be overcome when unique perspectives lead to innovative choices.

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The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

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When we first meet him, Michael Oher is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or how to read or write.

He takes up football, and school, after a rich, white, Evangelical family plucks him from the streets. Then two great forces alter Oher: the family’s love and the evolution of professional football itself into a game where the quarterback must be protected at any cost.

Our protagonist becomes the priceless package of size, speed, and agility necessary to guard the quarterback’s greatest vulnerability, his blind side.

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Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt

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In Michael Lewis’s game-changing bestseller, a small group of Wall Street iconoclasts realize that the U.S. stock market has been rigged for the benefit of insiders.

They band together–some of them walking away from seven-figure salaries–to investigate, expose, and reform the insidious new ways that Wall Street generates profits. If you have any contact with the market, even a retirement account, this story is happening to you. Billions have been spent by Wall Street firms and stock exchanges to gain the advantage of a millisecond. “Is it a scam?” 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft asks during his interview with the author, It’s bigger than a scam, Lewis says.

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Lewis further explains how ordinary investors are affected and argues that high-frequency traders have created instability in the stock market — for everyone. A reoccurring metaphor Lewis uses in his book “Flash Boys” is one of “prey and predators.” According to Lewis, the prey is “anybody who’s actually an investor in the stock market.”

The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy

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Michael Lewis’s brilliant narrative of the Trump administration’s botched presidential transition takes us into the engine rooms of a government under attack by its leaders through willful ignorance and greed.

The government manages a vast array of critical services that keep us safe and underpin our lives from ensuring the safety of our food and drugs and predicting extreme weather events to tracking and locating black market uranium before the terrorists do. The Fifth Risk masterfully and vividly unspools the consequences if the people given control over our government have no idea how it works.

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The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

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Forty years ago, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote a series of breathtakingly original papers that invented the field of behavioral economics.

One of the greatest partnerships in the history of science, Kahneman and Tversky’s extraordinary friendship incited a revolution in Big Data studies, advanced evidence-based medicine, led to a new approach to government regulation, and made much of Michael Lewis’s own work possible. In The Undoing Project, Lewis shows how their Nobel Prize-winning theory of the mind altered our perception of reality.

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Books, Climate Solutions, Documentaries, Earth and Ecology, Entertainment, Movies, Observation, Travel, Videos

Best 8 New Documentaries to Stream: ‘Seaspiracy’ Courted Controversy yet Still Must be Seen…

Video

‘Seaspiracy‘ was met with a suspicious amount of criticism in the media…

Above: photo / Netflix Seaspiracy

Which, for some, can be added reason to view it anyway, with open eyes, and judge for oneself. The same goes for many of the films show here below. It’s understandable that we are all still recovering (many in a literal sense) from the year long emergency crisis related to the novel coronavirus, and “crisis fatigue” has put the climate out of mind, to a degree.

Maybe it’s just that we are all tired of being scared out of our wits? That makes sense for sure. However, the situation can only improve with increased awareness leading to action.

“Seaspiracy“, regardless of its possible shortcomings, many of which were very convenient to the industrial fishing interests that are exposed in the film, there is one theme that runs throughout that is the one that deserves more and more attention.

Forget the shocking facts and figures. That’s all obvious news by now in many areas including the challenges to the ocean and it’s ecosystem. The message is the overwhelming importance of both Industry and Government in solving a problem that has been, in essence, created primarily by those same interests and entities.

In the film there is a thread of awakening that occurred in the mind of director / author Ali Tabrizi. He explains how he was very focused on individual responsibility and issues like plastic drinking straws and how they end up polluting the ocean.

The awakening came about when he dug deeper, with hands-on research, detailed in the film, and found out that, basically, the straws were a tiny, infinitesimal percentage of the plastic destroying the ocean. The real causes, it turned out, of the huge and growing problem traced back to…. you guessed it Industry and Governments.

Likewise, the Kiss the Ground documentary (also below) presents a strong and eminently sensible case for a sure-fire way to reduce carbon in the atmosphere by massive amounts. The film has been popular but there are many more “tech” based ideas that are getting a lot of attention also, and it’s easy to imagine millions being pumped into some wacko expensive high tech “solution” when the real-world solution (such as outlined in the movie) is staring us all in the face.

Why? Because to implement the Soil Regeneration systems put forth in the film would require the support of… wait for it…. The huge Industrial Agribusiness Complex and Governments. To be fair the Biden administration has put forward a plan to reward farmers that are using regenerative soil systems and that is definitely needed. But will it be enough? Will it be blocked when it hits the Senate and Congress?

In the mean time it is these films, and more certainly to come, are a lifeline to real solutions, and in particular increasing clarity regarding where the actual, devastating problems lie. And they are essential in countering the “pro-pollution propaganda” that can be so cleverly disguised by organizations that are dedicated to getting “rich” by practices that amount to planetary suicide.

Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers alarming global corruption.

Kiss the Ground

Kiss the Ground is a full-length documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that sheds light on an “new, old approach” to farming called “regenerative agriculture”

The Year the Earth Changed

In celebration of Earth Day 2021, Apple TV+ will debut “The Year Earth Changed,” an original documentary special narrated by Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning broadcaster David Attenborough. “During this most difficult year, many people have reappraised the value and beauty of the natural world and taken great comfort from it,” said Richard Attenborough. “But the lockdown also created a unique experiment that has thrown light on the impact we have on the natural world. The stories of how wildlife responded have shown that making even small changes to what we do can make a big difference.”

This Changes Everything

What if confronting the climate crisis is the best chance we’ll ever get to build a better world?

Filmed over 211 shoot days in nine countries and five continents over four years, This Changes Everything is an epic attempt to re-imagine the vast challenge of climate change.

Directed by Avi Lewis, and inspired by Naomi Klein’s international non-fiction bestseller This Changes Everything, the film presents seven powerful portraits of communities on the front lines, from Montana’s Powder River Basin to the Alberta Tar Sands, from the coast of South India to Beijing and beyond.

The Game Changers

Presented by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul — a revolutionary new film about meat, protein and strength.

Cowspriacy

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it.

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones,” and virtually every other environmental ill. Yet it goes on, almost entirely unchallenged.

Chasing Coral

Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world.

The film took more than three years to shoot and is the result of 500+ hours of underwater footage, coral bleaching submissions from volunteers in 30 countries, as well as support from more than 500 people in various locations around the world.

A Plastic Ocean

When he discovers the world’s oceans brimming with plastic waste, a documentary filmmaker investigates the pollution’s environmental impacts. Starring:Tanya Streeter

In the center of the Pacific Ocean gyre researchers found more plastic than plankton. A Plastic Ocean documents the newest science, proving how plastics, once they enter the oceans, break up into small particulates that enter the food chain where they attract toxins like a magnet. These toxins are stored in seafood’s fatty tissues, and eventually consumed by us.

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Celebrities, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Psychology, Social Media, Videos

Grimes shares about her Panic Attack following SNL gig with boyfriend Elon Musk

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Above:Photo Grimes / Instagram

Singer Grimes made a cameo and was present alongside partner Elon Musk on the recent Saturday Night Live episode. The artist posted photos taken backstage, including with musical guest Miley Cyrus, a few days later, adding that she was recently hospitalized due to a panic attack.

This isn’t the first time Grimes has been open and shared information about her mental health issues, explaining in a 2012 interview she struggled with bad social anxiety and sometimes experienced panic attacks.

Grimes played Princess Peach in a Super Mario type themed sketch. It was also revealed the two went to a crypto-themed after party. Its not exactly clear if social anxiety or other factors played into those situations.

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The artist also posted the following on her Instagram page:

Forgot to post these cuz I somehow caused myself to have a panic attack and went to the hospital yesterday which tbh was quite scary and I suppose it’s a good time to start therapy 😑😑😑. But nonetheless – wowwwww @mileycyrus is good live and so chill! So grateful to the SNL team for being so kind and letting me sneak in as princess peach snd so proud of my beautiful E (which I know will upset the grimes fans so I apologize in advance) but he killed it 

National Alliance on Mental Health

Grimes sharing her struggles only helps to highlight the reality that millions of Americans face daily with mental health issues. The month of May also happens to be mental health awareness month. Now you are not alone. If you are struggling and need support. The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., ET. 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org

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Breaking News, LA Local, Lifestyle, Travel

5$ Gas in LA after Cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline

Already high prices hit new records, although east coast was meant to see impact first

Above: photo credit: Lynxotic

The main pipeline carrying gasoline and diesel fuel to the U.S. East Coast was shut down by its operator after being hit with a cyberattack. The attack has been attributed to DarkSide, a group of veteran cybercriminals. Colonial Pipeline Co. operates the Colonial Pipeline system that takes fuel from the refineries of the Gulf Coast to the New York metro area.

The pipeline stretches 5,500-miles, and the company learned Friday that it was the victim of the attack and “took certain systems offline to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations”, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Although, according to sources, the cyberattack targeted only business related computers and none involved in the system itself, there have been reports that the supply chain would likely be affected and that prices could rise.

Prices are rising, but the West is way out ahead

Indeed, Gasoline futures saw an increase 2% to $2.168 per gallon, and heating oil futures also rose 1.2% to $2.03.

Above: photo by Lynxotic

Wst Texas Intermediate crude futures, which is the U.S. oil benchmark, also jumped 56 cents to $65.46 per barrel. International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $68.95 per barrel, for a gain of 65 cents.

Leave it to California, home to the highest consumer gas prices in the nation to move fast to the upside, base on anticipated higher costs, or just to take advantage of the news? Hard to say.

Just recently, in early March, California had the highest price in the nation overall at $3.68 on average.

The station in the photos, in Escondido, California, which is near San Diego, represents a single station and not an average for the State.

However, with premium plus at this station which is branded “V-power” is actually being sold for $5.19 which, if it were an average is likely the highest ever in the US, to date, by a very wide margin.

Jen Psaki, White House spokesperson for the Biden Administration made this statement with regard to the incident:

“As the Administration works to mitigate potential disruptions to supply as a result of the Colonial Pipeline incident, @USDOT is taking action today to allow flexibility for truckers in 17 states”

The effect, if lasting, could put a damper on holiday road trips

Many in the media have been predicting a blockbuster kick-off to the summer travel season with pent up demand, particularly for road trips, set to explode after a long year of lock-downs and Tavel bans. In the west, and particularly California, if gas prices at the pump rise above $5 that prediction could be in doubt.

Of course, if demand drops enough that could mitigate the ability of the industry to continue squeezing the maximum out of every drop. Let’s hope that the price, regardless of how, will drop below $4 in time for road trips and mobility as the weather continues to improve.

Recent articles:

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Books, Health and Diet, Lifestyle, Psychology

Feeling the Stress? For Thousands of Years Yoga Techniques have been giving Relief

Above: Photo by RKTKN on Unsplash

Unlike what they say about missing sleep, stress can build up over weeks, months even years. True to the “silent killer” moniker it can eventually kill you. After basically the entire world has been in an extra stressful situation due to covid and the economic fallout from the preventative measures taken to stop it, we all need to begin finding ways, not only to reduce the current stress levels, which are likely high, but to work off the effects of the accumulated stress that has been building for at least a year.

And that is not accounting for the “normal” stresses we all face individually in our own worlds, lives and due to our own unique problems.

Enter the practice and lifestyle benefits of yoga. Estimates of the origins of Yoga peg the beginnings at at least five thousand years and believe the practice could have been developed as long ago as ten thousand. The study of yoga goes beyond just the familiar “pretzel poses” and encompasses a way of life and philosophy that is universal.

According to the “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” (wikipedia: Sutra in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a condensed manual or text. Sutras are a genre of ancient and medieval Indian texts found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.) there are eight “limbs” to the path of yoga:

1. yama (moral restraints) – how we relate to others
2. niyama (observances) – how we relate to ourselves
3. āsana (posture) – how we relate to our body
4. prāṇāyāma (breath extension) – how we relate to our breath or spirit

5. pratyāhāra (sensory withdrawal) – how we relate to our sense organs
6. dhāraṇā (concentration) – how we relate to our mind
7. dhyāna (meditation) – moving beyond the mind
8. samādhi (meditative absorption) – deep realization and inner union
(quoted from http://ashtanga-yoga-victoria.com/what-are-the-eight-8-limbs-of-yoga/)

As can be seen from the list above there are many levels of thought and action that can all coalesce to form a bulwark against stress and to improve the enjoyment of life as a whole. Wherever you begin and at whatever level your journey brings you to, any interaction with these thoughts, actions and choices can enhance your life in some way.

Even the simplest meditation or reflection on our breathing and its connection to our inner spirit can cause an instantaneous reduction in stress and psychic pain. Below we’ve put together a variety of books that could represent a first step toward discovering how yoga, in whatever level or aspect your choose to explore, can reduce stress and help you take a huge step on the road to recovery.

Descriptions are courtesy of bookshop.org and the individual publishers:

Yoga: A Manual for Life

Click here to see “Yoga: a Manual for Life” also available on Amazon.

A stand alone practice companion and beautiful coffee table book, Yoga: A Manual for Lifeis for anyone interested in yoga, mindful movement and meditation, and exploring how these practices fit within the modern world. 

As well as an extensive guide to poses, this book features a number of picture-led sequences with specific targets in mind: to combat stress and fatigue, to ground, to uplift, to inspire creativity and to sleep better.

These sequences are underpinned with essays on yoga’s relationship with different aspects of life, such as yoga and discipline, yoga and self-care, and yoga and difficulty.

Peppered throughout the book are mindful life hacks–simple ways to take yoga’s message of radical self-care off the mat and into daily life. Click here to see “Yoga: a Manual for Life” also available on Amazon.

Restorative Yoga: Relax. Restore. Re-Energize.

Click here to see “Restorative Yoga” also available on Amazon.

Are you seeking balance, healing, and a calmer mind? Unlike active styles of yoga that focus on stretching and movement, restorative yoga emphasizes mindful rest by using props to support your body in complete comfort and relaxation–no flexibility required!

Whether you already practice yoga or are just getting started, Restorative Yoga is your step-by-step guide to deepening the connection between your body and mind. Click here to see “Restorative Yoga” also available on Amazon.

Yoga: Relaxation, Postures, Daily Routines

Click here to see “Yoga” also available on Amazon.

Yoga is a popular physical, mental, and spiritual discipline that originated in ancient India.

Various traditions of yoga can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, and in recent years Western culture has embraced yoga’s power of simplicity, stillness and mental poise.

This accessible new book focuses on a series of exercises, body motions and self-disciplines that offer the benefits of yoga to everyone.

Featuring specially commissioned practical photography, step-by-step instruction, and an introduction to the entire scope of the system of yoga. Click here to see “Yoga” also available on Amazon.

Restore and Rebalance: Yoga for Deep Relaxation

Click here to see “Restore and Rebalance” also available on Amazon.

Restorative yoga offers the body a chance to rest deeply and revitalize. Whether you are feeling weak, fatigued, stressed from daily activities, or simply need to slow down and tune into your body, this wonderfully adaptive practice is essential for well being.

Many of the practices are simple and accessible for people of all ages and in all states of health, using props that are readily available–like pillows and chairs. These deeply relaxing poses help you. Click here to see “Restore and Rebalance” also available on Amazon.

Yin Yoga: Stretch the Mindful Way

Click here to see “Yin Yoga” also available on Amazon.

Yin yoga offer remedies to the stresses of your busy yang life. Each restorative pose targets your deeper fascia and connective tissues, helping you experience increased flexibility and improved joint health. 

Yin yoga also focuses on deep breathing and longer hold times, allowing you the time and space to clear your mind and enhance your mental acuity.

These meditative poses will help you attain a renewed sense of mindfulness and physical well-being, making them the perfect complement to an active yang lifestyle and helping bring you back into balance. Click here to see “Yin Yoga” also available on Amazon.

Sleep Recovery: The Five Step Yoga Solution to Restore Your Rest

Click here to see “Sleep Recovery” also available on Amazon.

Insomnia is reaching epidemic proportions: more than half of us will suffer from a sleep problem during our lifetimes.

In this practical, compassionate guide, renowned yoga teacher and sleep specialist Lisa Sanfilippo shows how to sweep out sleep saboteurs and rest wreckers, putting in place sustainable strategies that will boost your energy during the day, and help you access a good night’s rest.

Click here to see “Sleep Recovery” also available on Amazon.

As we began this article above sleep was mentioned and, in contrast to our initial statements, recovery is also possible and yoga is one way that improvement, that so many of us desperately seek, is available. We hope you enjoyed this selection of books to help combat stress and ask that you please visit us again and also our sister sites Cherrybooks and InforMinx.

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Lifestyle, Psychology

Some Advice on Depression you might actually be able to Use

Well intentioned ideas are not always what works

When you don’t suffer from any mental health issues, like that of depression, it can be very easy to have “helpful” advice and well-intentioned  interventions you may think will alleviate someones’ depressed mood.  Yet the truth is there is no steadfast or  correct answer, every person experiences depression very uniquely.  Some respond to medications and therapy/counseling great, while others it doesn’t work.  Some have found that a change in diet and adding exercise have helped , while, again with others it did nothing.

Photo by Hisu lee on Unsplash

Whether it is just the beginning of the new year and you want to take healthy and proactive steps to improve your mental health, or wanting to find new ways on how to better manage your depression, the below may be helpful. 

Read More: Contain your Negative Chatter and Shift towards a more Positive Perspective 

A recent article from Cosmopolitan, shared five pieces of advice on depression that the author, Kate Lucey, found useless for herself as being someone who has been diagnosed as having depression. 

  1. Utilize the times when you feel less bad
  2. Communicate with family, friends, loved-ones that depression is a mental health illness
  3. Get a plant / add some greenery to your world
  4. Follow positive social media accounts that make you happy 
  5. Allow yourself to feel however you need to feel

I found that each piece of advise above to have a positive or helpful impact on my own mental health.  

Click to see “Chocolate Truffle Hearts” on Google Shopping and Amazon.

It is important to first acknowledge the times that you feel bad, awful, depressed, or however your mood declines.  Whether that is physically writing it down in a journal or to yourself, making a point to note your change is mood is key.  Once you become routinely more conscious about your mood change, you can better utilize the times when you feel OK. 

Allowing yourself to feel crummy is extremely helpful as well.  It seems common for many, including myself, to try to block out or try to “snap out of it”, when really all that is doing is further sabotaging your ability to actually accept your depression and allow yourself to emote ( a good cry can prove carthartic). 

Holistic is a fuzzy term but the whole person really does matter

Adding some green to your life has proven to help mental health. If you are able to get plants in your home, bringing in some greenery is a very good idea.  If you have a crazy kitty that decides to eat any plants you bring, I found walking around the neighborhood and focusing on the green plants, trees, flowers, and overall beauty of nature, takes me out of my head and makes a difference at the end of walks. 

Lastly, increasing more of things that makes you feel good and less alone is great.  Most of us are still living pretty restrictive lives due to pandemic, so social media, or streaming is a large portion of my life.  I find when following funny, cheesy, or positive content help to lift up the spirits.  

If you are struggling with mental health and need support here are a few resources: (National Alliance of Mental Health/ NAMI.

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Climate Solutions, Earth and Ecology, Observation

Elon Musk donating $100M for Carbon Capture Tech: Twitter wants Trees

Video

Immediate pushback is a healthy sign of debate

Elon Musk is one of the most interesting humans, and now he is also, at any given moment, the wealthiest. It’s somewhat unusual, even on Twitter, to see anything but positive and supportive reactions to his tweets, given the level of love and admiration he has among followers.

Above: Photo / Adobe Stock

Add to that the concrete, if cryptic, pledge to donate 100M towards a prize for the “best carbon capture tech. It has been pointed out that this is .05% of his net worth, but that is an odd calculation, it seems, since Tesla itself is firmly on the side of climate rescue, with it’s stated mission to “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”.

It is, as a matter of fact, what separates Musk from almost every other tech-billionaire: His motivations are not to acquire wealth as an end but only to support his planet and species saving efforts. Others, such as his sometimes rival (not worthy) Jeff Bezos, can not claim any such thing with a straight face (or any believability).

The reactions were swift and attempted humor but also truth

Click to see “Kiss the Ground” on bookshop. Also available on Amazon.

The number of replies that popped up swiftly proposing planting trees as likely the best “carbon capture tech” that would deserve such a prize was noteworthy. Because, in one of the few criticisms of the EV revolution that Tesla has started, it is likely not enough to rely solely on “S3XY” technology to save the world from carbon emissions causing global warming and climate change.

Not only is the plant-a-tree a valid rejoinder to the idea that some kind of elaborate technological breakthrough is needed (Bill Gates recently suggested blotting out the sun as a cooling solution), but there are also other “low tech” solutions that should not get short-shrift in order to fund expensive, possibly overly technological, solutions to a problem of our own making.

The recent highly acclaimed documentary film “Kiss the Ground” proposes soil regeneration to reduce carbon emission, improve health benefits of food and, at the same time actually reduce the amount of carbon already in the atmosphere.

Read More: “Kiss The Ground” Documentary Offers Hopeful Remedy to Climate Change by Focusing on Soil Regeneration

The arguments made by this excellent documentary beg the question: why not take funds, such as those being offered by Elon Musk, and divert them first towards obvious, low-tech solutions with proven results, rather than funding a moon-shot style tech search for a method that may, in then end, like so much that has come before, have unintended and even possibly negative repercussions.

At the very least, shouldn’t a portion of this 100 million, or even an equal sum (purportedly amounting to, therefore, 1% rather than .05% of Musks net worth) be allocated to existing, proven methods, rather than a search for new tech invented out of whole cloth?

Twitter posts hit a nerve, now maybe government and private funding should follow common sense

This is not a scientific or detail specific criticism. There may well be “issues” with planting trees or recovering damages soil around the world, and in the process reversing carbon imbalances and even reducing the levels currently measured.

But common sense says otherwise. The destruction of the soil and the deforestation of the globe are part and parcel of the same problem, extreme dependence on fossil fuel long after the dangers were well known, that has caused the current and worsening global problem.

Elon Musk is a hero of the sustainable energy movement, as he well should be. It is powerful and dedicated figures like Musk that are needed, desperately, to solve the looming and already unfolding crises that we face.

The voices for trees and soil regeneration are also an extremely important element of the solutions that are desperately needed, sans the hoopla and massive money prize that tech already has attached.

Would it be too far fetched, @elonmusk, for these various factions, all wanting the same result, to cooperate and collaborate on all the solutions that will undoubtedly be required is we are to pull back from the brink and substantially improve the condition of a planet on its way to possible total annihilation?

Read more: Climate Crisis Coverage by Lynxotic

Thanks to Elon Musk for all his contributions and they are many. Rescuing the E.V. and turning the entire auto industry on it’s head and bringing about an accelerating transition to sustainable transportation much sooner than could have happened without him and Tesla.

Creating the understanding that a business and an entrepreneur does not have to focus relentlessly on profit for its own sake to be successful and powerful. And, as for giving the human species a “plan-b” in the form of abandoning a dying earth in favor of Mars, let’s stick with plan A for now and plant trees, reiterate the soil and, yes, find other solutions to the massive carbon emissions that are choking the life out of our world.

https://twitter.com/NtJibey/status/1352393640300212225?s=20
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Celebrities, Climate Solutions, Lifestyle, Movies, Videos

Jonathan Scott’s Solar Movie: Frustrated with Warren Buffett, Property Brothers star decided to act

Video

Renovate the future could be an apt title for “Power Trip”

Perhaps a reality TV star is not the first place or person one would think of when considering the next cutting edge filmmaker to take on the corruption and controversies surrounding the potential transition to sustainable energy.

However, as someone who, on his show, is seen as an expert in home renovation, particularly high end homes, a solar-roof and energy installation is becoming standard and so it is natural that Johnathan Scott, Co-Host of the series of “Property Brothers” shows and associated products would have been exposed to the ins and outs of installing solar panels.

More surprising, however, is the way his experiences took him on a journey of discovery that led to him creating a serious and hard-hitting documentary film on the challenges and even the politics surrounding the solar industry. His eye-opening discoveries mirror his experiences and, by extension, give viewers of the film an opportunity to see this controversial state of affairs through his sympathetic eyes.

Read more: Dancing to Save the World: Elon Musk’s Infectious Joy is the Real Deal

FROM PBS.ORG:

In “Power Trip”, Property Brothers co-host and home-renovation expert Jonathan Scott journeys all across the U.S. to uncover why clean, renewable energy isn’t available to all. While traveling to learn both the obstacles and opportunities for achieving energy freedom, Jonathan talks with conservatives fighting for solar freedom; sits down with farmers struggling to make ends meet; engages coal workers desperate for a new, healthy means of making an income; the Navajo Nation who built a utility-scale solar plant; religious leaders who made a desperate attempt to help meet their community’s energy needs; and politicians at the forefront of the battle for energy freedom. 

Shortly after they finally approved us, they killed net metering in Nevada. And all of us a sudden, solar companies left the state, and my head sort of spun, and I was like, “What the hell is going on here?” And that’s when I started digging in. I hired a researcher. And we discovered this secret war being waged against rooftop solar.

Johnathan Scott on his INSPIRATION FOR MAKING “Power Trip”
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1319017491830538240/vid/1280x720/B2iR30sG-hQJOzXB.mp4?tag=13

Above: Trailer for Jonathan Scott’s Power Trip

While the film may not be from a major name in the sustainable energy or climate crisis movements, for that very reason, one could say it has potentially enhanced credibility or at least a more approachable back-story with an experienced TV host known to many for his more traditional fare.

Read more: ‘This Changes Everything’

  • JONATHAN SCOTT’S POWER TRIP
    • Premiered November 16, 2020
    • Took 3 and a half years to produce
    • story about corruption that he fell into when trying to solar his roof in NV 
    • Best known for his HGTV reality show “Property Brothers”, where Jonathan and his brother Brew purchase and renovate houses on a budget. 

“The film explores how utility companies across the country have fought to maintain their monopolies, focusing on power players including Buffett’s NV Energy, Duke Energy in North Carolina and Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power.”

PBS

More quotes from Jonathan Scott:

“It turned into a human story. I traveled around the country. I met with hundreds of people from all different walks of life. And I discovered that across the board, whether they are Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal, city dwellers, country dwellers — everybody agreed that renewable energy was a good thing. They liked the idea of being able to produce their own power. The only people I found that were against it were people affiliated with fossil-fuel companies or the utilities.”

“We need some sort of national energy policy that will not only bring that cost down and simplify the process, but also promote what is the future of energy. When I started the film, there were 20 coal-fired power plants slated to be built in the U.S. By the end, all of those projects were either abandoned or shut down. And that’s a good thing. We are moving in the right direction.”

“But solar is still being met with opposition. The new trend is that a lot of utilities are saying, “We’re pro-solar, we’re pro-renewable energy.” They support utility-scale solar farms, but they’re anti-rooftop solar because they want to own the power.”

“I was a big fan of Warren and all the stuff he’s done. Then I saw him talking about how net metering is a subsidy. Either he was severely misinformed by the people who work for him who run NV Energy, or he was lying through his teeth. Warren is an intelligent guy, and I don’t think he would ignorantly run a company of that magnitude without knowing what’s happening.”

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D.I.Y., Health and Diet, Lifestyle

New Years Challenge: How to Find Your Triumph of Meaning

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic / Adobe Stock

For a lot of us, the New Year kicks off by creating resolutions of things we hope to change

In the past, I have unconsciously set myself up for failure whenever forming resolutions. The unrealistic rhetoric of “New Year, New Me”, got me thinking that the way I was setting my resolutions, was almost automatically leading me down the same path, one that would be extremely short lived and make me feel bad that I couldn’t “change” and ultimately fail.

This year instead of trying to give myself over-reaching and vague goals like “lose weight”, or “try a diet plan” or “join a gym” ( which is a precarious decision right now anyways) I decided to do it differently.

Again, for me, in the many years I’ve pledged in the past, to aim for these types of resolutions, I’ve have almost always petered out. The focus and effort only lasted for a very short period, sometimes less than a month.

Setting up these absurdly, overly ambitious and wholly unrealistic goals, it’s no wonder that almost no kind of transformation or shift in my behavior ever actually happened.

With all the craziness of 2020, and the continuing rocky start in 2021, I wanted to do something a little different. Instead of a resolution or straight-up decision to change, I decided to instead focus on creating healthy and positive intentions and goals.

How to narrow focus, yet open up to the idea of what success actually looks like

After the pandemic and all the stressors that came alongside it (physical, emotional, financial) putting another unnecessary stressor, such as desperately wanting to get down to my high school weight seemed wrong.

I consider myself a generally healthy person that “sometimes” works out, though with covid-19, the workouts have been more sporadic and inconsistent. This year, I wanted to make healthy goals, in the form of a realistic resolution, while also holding myself accountable in ways I could actually attain.

I wanted my resolution to encompass something physical while also trying to get better with my followthrough ( I’m very much a “phase” person).

I decided I wanted to have run 1,000 miles by the end 2021.

Having a specific number, like 1,000, I would be able to better breakdown and track myself and monitor my progress. I also by thinking number itself as a concrete thought, or writing it out to solidify the idea, can help to engender a stronger commitment.

Looking at that number, 1,000, I knew it was a high number, but when broken down, I knew it could easily be achieved. I just did some simple math. There are 365 days in a year if you divide that by my goal of 1000 miles that’s only a little bit less than 3 miles a day (2.73).

While 3 miles is not a lot for a “runner”, it certainly is do-able for me and would not take more than an hour a day. On days where I have full energy, I am able to run a mile in about 10 minutes, although sometimes I’m not in the mood to run and I walk which then takes double that. Still either method would count toward the distance goal and is definitely possible to achieve.

It’s both the challenge to improve and the satisfaction of meeting a goal of my very own that drives me forward

With this concept in mind, the design of my resolution, and how to reach it, gives a little more flexibility. If I don’t feel good for example or have a crazy busy day, and take a day off, there might be “make-up-days” where I’m going to run 6 miles. I think having more than 2 off days (meaning I would have to be responsible for 9 miles) would put me on check not to get too far behind.

I think it’s important to be gentle with yourself when putting forth energy into something new and positive for yourself. There are always and understandably going to be “fails” and bumps that get in the way. Yet if you are able to not get down on yourself, these fails can be opportunities to learn about yourself and even turn into internal motivators to keep going.

My hope in that I can achieve my goal. I’m optimistic because I’ve purposely made the resolution (intention, goal, etc) based on something that I already do (exercise). Instead of trying to achieve something that is not even in my wheel-house, like win first place in a triathlon.

Why? Because I think it’s important to find reasons to be proud of yourself. Last year was really rough, yet many of us have survived, so while this year is starting out rough for many, I feel that, for me, a resolution focusing on something under my personal control is a way to start 2021 to be better. In short it’s privately optimistic beginning that hopefully leads to a much better outcome as the new year unfolds.

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Entertainment, Esoteric, Lifestyle, Memes

Bernie Sanders Memes Conquer Earth Internet, set sights on Cosmos

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic

The end-all and be-all of memes emerged out of the inauguration…

In a move that transcends the presidential, Bernie Sanders now owns the internet. All he needed was the right mittens and a countenance of equanimity, rising above to see into the center of all being and nothingness.

Like a zen monk or Yoda on steroids, he accomplishes all by doing little, even nothing, beyond his mind bending position and posture. Ever modest and with a meaningful invisible wink, he disavows any knowledge of his splendor or any plan to conquer all:

“I was just sitting there trying to keep warm, trying to pay attention to what was going on,” 

-Bernie Sanders / Interview Late Night With Seth Meyers

Meanwhile, there has been a meaningful and valid response to the triumph, and it all gets back to a t-shirt and mittens.

Read More: Lady Gaga Wows with her Voice and Style at Biden-Harris Inauguration

Now that there has been an endless stream of replication and iteration based on the genius moment, we best begin at the beginning and trace this new species of viral wonderfulness back to its humble source: the photo:

https://twitter.com/rachsyme/status/1351924607465496582?s=20

Read More: James Corden’s Les Misérables send-up a fitting Comedy Tour-de-force

https://twitter.com/rubycramer/status/1351915535647330306?s=20

Now: see the propagation into the world of movies, TV and more…

https://twitter.com/jamieleecurtis/status/1352624224330899456?s=20
https://twitter.com/AlfBergan/status/1352219458430005248?s=20

Of course there must be: Bernie as Art

https://twitter.com/_maura_callahan/status/1352067489405001732?s=20

And to you, Amazon, you can not have this meme for your endless self-aggrandizement, and here is the obvious reason why:

Then in closing: a live action TikTok cut-out-creation:

@mikebennettart

BRRRR-nie! #berniesanders #inauguration #inauguration2021 #art #2021 #painting #portland #bernie

♬ Disney Pictures Intro – Disney Pictures
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Lifestyle, Psychology

Contain your Negative Chatter and Shift towards a more Positive Perspective

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic

The Ways in which we Talk to Ourselves is Meaningful

Do you talk to yourself? Of course you do, most people have some sort of internal dialogue, whether it comes in the form of helping you remember a sequence of numbers, talking-out a big meeting presentation or motivating yourself, etc.

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There is usually some sort of self-talk in-motion within our brains. Some have even gone as far to say that people who frequently talk to themselves have a higher IQ, and could even be considered geniuses.

In an interview, in WSJ magazine, neuroscientist and experimental psychologist, Ethan Kross, who specializes in regulated emotions, provided some additional insight into how we can practice replacing negative thoughts with more positive ones:

“There is a lot of research that shows we are much better at advising other people than ourselves. So it can help to think of yourself as if you are someone else. One way to do this is to use ‘distanced self talk’ and coach yourself as if you were advising a friend. Use your own name. ‘Ethan, here is how you do this.’ Many people do this intuitively without knowing why.”

-Ethan Kross

Read More: New Years Challenge: How to Find Your Triumph of Meaning

If you are like me, I self-talk aloud (literally) a lot, which may sometimes get strange looks from others, but it can also be just to yourself, like a whisper. However, when you have a dialogue with yourself, the ways in which we do it is actually really important.

“When we experience chatter we narrowly focus on our problem. What we want to do is zoom out. Think about our experience as something that many people deal with. Think about other people who have experienced something similar and have endured it.”

-Ethan Kross

Experts in psychology have found that people that have more positive and helpful talks, rather than negative or self-sabotaging chatter, have a higher quality of mental health, generally more satisfaction towards life and even have physical benefits like better cardiovascular health.

There can certainly be times where our thoughts and the ways we speak to our inner self could be negative and damaging. Like you make a mistake at work, said something embarrassing to a crush, dropped your eggs as you were about to make an omelet, the list goes on.

“We experience awe when we are in the presence of something vast that we have trouble explaining. When we experience chatter we are narrowly focused on our problems. Experiencing awe shows us how much broader the universe is. And that puts things into perspective pretty significantly.”

-Ethan Kross

There could be a tendency to want to judge ourselves too harshly for not being “better”. Furthermore, our world has experienced some very real instability lately, with the pandemic, which could easily push our propensity for negative self-talk or chatter downhill towards more anxiety and be more “worry driven”.

Read More: Netflix: ’The Minimalists: Less is Now’ and how to Simplify in the age of a Digital Ad Avalanche

The negativity we internalize when we self-talk, based on research, makes problems worse, causes stress and is ultimately toxic. Stepping back and trying to see something bigger than ourselves could be one way shift our perspective.

We should instead learn to curb or greatly reduce and replace any negativity with more helpful talks.

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