Silver Pines – Invitation to Surf (Amasa Gana Remix)

Silver Pines – Invitation to Surf (Amasa Gana Remix)

I’m very happy to say that I’ve finished the video I have been working on for my friends, Silver Pines. The project started quite some time ago, but it didn’t get started in earnest until recently when I wiped the slate clean, abandoned the song that had been chosen for the video, and started from scratch with a new concept. The song that the band picked to go with this new approach ended up being a remix from one of their friends- the song has a different tone than most of their pieces that include vocals, and I think their choice works really well with the visuals to create a feeling of strange dread, that is still somehow funny.

In the video we meet a q-bert faced worlock who performs a psychic surgery on a chain smoker, in the process removing the library card that had been causing his addiction. Also, since the song is as much about surfing as Brian Wilson was about surfing (not at all. except for all the sand.) I had Brian Wilson wander in to approve the psychic surgery process. -Wiley Wiggins

Captain America and The Avengers Arcade game

click link for full screen

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3352086668103307681

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America_and_the_Avengers

Players can choose to play one of four of the Avengers, being the superheroes Captain America; Iron Man; Hawkeye and the Vision. What follows are a series of battle against supervillains across various locations in a bid to stop the villain the Red Skull. Other Avengers including the Wasp; Quicksilver; Wonder Man and Namor the Sub-Mariner make cameo appearances.

Opponents include villains Klaw; The Living Laser; Whirlwind; Wizard; the Grim Reaper; the Mandarin; The Juggernaut; Ultron and the assassin Crossbones. The game also has two and four-player options.

Data East originally released a home version of the game for the Sega Genesis. The game was later licensed to Mindscape, who released their own ports of the arcade game for the Super NES, Game Boy and Game Gear. The versions published by Mindscape were developed by Realtime Associates.  Data East also released an NES game with the same title. The NES version is a side-scrolling action platform game. The only playable characters in this version are Captain America and Hawkeye; their mission is to save the Vision and Iron Man from Mandarin.

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http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7275

Captain America And The Avengers Description

Isometric action side-scrolling game. Become either Captain America, Iron Man, Vision, or Hawkeye and battle Red Skull and his henchmen in classic Marvel-comic style! “Avengers Assemble!”

Know anything more about this game?
Click here to contribute a description or other text information.
Thanks!

Game Introduction

The object of the game is to defeat The Red Skull and crush his evil schemes. The game has five stages. The other supervillians in this game are Klaw, The Living Laser, Whirlwind, The Grim Reaper, The Wizard, The Controllers, The Mandarin, The Juggernaut (from X-MEN) , Ultron and Crossbones. The game ends when the fifth and final stage has been completed.

Each player character has a different weapon or power that can be used throughout the game while fighting. Captain America uses his shield, Iron Man uses his repulsor rays, Vision uses his solar beam and Hawkeye uses his bow and arrows.

There are also additional superheroes such as Quicksilver, The Sub-Mariner, Wonder Man, and The Wasp that will appear in certain parts of the game to assist the player characters.

Ladies and Gentlemen….Mr. Leonard Cohen

Fever Ray receives the prize for the years best dance artist at “P3 Gold” in Gothenburg. + x-tras

two of my fav vids from the ‘09

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fever ray winter solstice mix

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Fever Ray – Fever Ray

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http://feverray.com

Goldman Sach’s CEO Takes $100 Million as “Bonus”

sheeeeeeit!

The Paleo Diet

http://www.thepaleodiet.com

Paleolithic Diet

The Paleolithic Diet (“Paleo” is a common abbreviation) is based on eating foods that our Paleolithic ancestors ate. The “Paleolithic” refers to the Paleolithic Age, which is a formal time on Geologic and Archaeologic Time Charts from about 2,600,000 years ago to about 10,000 years ago. Although they are technically misnomers, the time is also sometimes informally referred to as the Paleolithic Period or Paleolithic Era. The term derives from, and is best translated as, “The Old Stone Age”. This is in conjunction with the Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age), and the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age).

The premise is that during the Paleolithic, we evolved a specific genome that has only changed approximately 0.01 per cent in these last 10,000 years. However, during this recent time span mass agriculture, grains/grain products, sugars/sugar products, dairy/dairy products, and a plethora of processed foods have all been introduced as a regular part of the human diet. We are not eating the foods we are genetically and physiologically adapted to eat (99.9% of our genetic profile is still Paleolithic); and the discordance is an underlying cause for much of the “diseases of civilization”, “syndrome X”, obesity, and  “diseases of old age” that are so epidemic in our society today.

As Dr. Cordain and others’ scientific research reveal – the evolutionary, genetic, and clinical evidence point to a natural (i.e., unprocessed foods), omnivorous diet as the healthiest way to eat. Dr. Cordain’s research shows that 70% of the average caloric intake of Americans is from foods that did not even exist for our Paleolithic ancestors. This discordance is having tremendously negative health consequences for our society as a whole.

Our genes determine our optimum diet, and our genes evolved according to the environments in which our ancient ancestors lived, including the foods they ate. Our Paleolithic ancestors did not eat just one single diet, but rather they ate within a range of natural, unprocessed diets – depending on variables like geography, climate, competition, ecologic niche, season, and glaciations. All of these Paleolithic diets did share some universal characteristics, though:

Some Paleolithic Diet Details – the ingredients

1) The vegetable sources were:

· Plants
· Roots and tubers
· Berries
· Fruits
· Nuts

The most obvious plant food missing is grains and grain products. If you can concentrate on fresh versions of the plants above – and eliminate or drastically reduce grains, grain products, sugars, and sugar products – you will be well on your way to eating the plants that fit your genetic consitution.
2) The animal sources were:

·Wild terrestrial animals (including the muscle tissue, fat and organs, although the total amount of fat and the fatty acid composition were quite different than that found in modern domestic animals).
· Fowl
· Insects
· Fish and seafood
· Eggs

Paleolithic Diet; an outline from Dr. Loren Cordain

Below is a short excerpt from Professor Cordain’s book, outlining and summarizing some of the salient points about what Paleolithic Era people’s ate:

• Paleolithic people hardly ever ate cereal grains. This sounds
shocking to us today, but for most ancient people, grains
were considered starvation food at best.

• Paleolithic people ate no dairy food. Imagine how difficult
it would be to milk a wild animal.

• Paleolithic people didn’t salt their food.

• The only refined sugar Paleolithic people ate was honey,
when they were lucky enough to find it.

• Wild, lean animal foods (relative to today) dominated Paleolithic diets, so
their protein intake was quite high by modern standards,
while their carbohydrate consumption was much lower.

• Virtually all of the carbohydrates Paleolithic people ate came
from nonstarchy, wild fruits and vegetables. Consequently,
their carbohydrate intake was much lower and their fiber
intake much higher than those obtained by eating the typical
modern diet.

Historical Descriptions of encounters with Hunter-gatherers still on a Paleolithic diet

In many historical accounts (i.e., Ethnography), European explorers and early settlers are amazed at how healthy native people were, how vital their old people were, and how ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, auto-immune diseases, and obesity didn’t exist (or were extremely rare). These cultures were without exception each on a “Paleolithic diet” …until trading posts and western food goods, and then they started switching to our “modern”, western diet. Following are just a few of these early ethnographic accounts:

1772; Captain Cook speaking of the New Zealand Maori
“ … strange that these people enjoy perfect and uninterrupted health…we never saw a single person who appeared to have any bodily complaint…the great number of old men that we saw. . . . appeared to be very ancient , yet none of them were decrepit; and though not equal to the young in muscular strength, were not a whit behind them in cheerfulness and vivacity…”

1527: Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer, speaking of how impressed he was with the health of the native inhabitants of Florida
” …wonderfully well built, spare, very strong and very swift…

1564; by the North American French explorer. Rene Laudonniere
“ … agility of the women is so great that they can swim over great rivers, bearing their children upon one of their arms. They climb up, also, very nimbly upon the highest trees in the country. . . . even the most ancient women of the country dance with the others…”

1869; Begert speaking of aboriginal Californian’s health vs. gold-diggers during the Gold Rush era
“ …the Californians are seldom sick. They are in general strong, hardy, and much healthier than the many thousands who live daily in abundance and on the choicest fare that the skill of Parisian cooks can prepare…”

1832-39; George Catlin describing the Crow tribe in the Great Plains
“ … are really a handsome and well-formed set of men as can be seen in any part of the world. There is a sort of ease and grace added to their dignity of manners, which give them the air of gentlemen at once. I observed the other day, that most of them were over six feet high…” (note: some academicians of the time say the Great Plains Indians were the tallest cultural group in the world).

There are many more historical accounts of explorers, early settlers, and academcians encounters with hunters and gatherers, still on a Paleolithic diet - and their obvious amazement at the overall health of the indigenous people.

The Paleolithic Diet, Geologic Time, & Magnitudes

To understand and appreciate the basic premise of the Paleo Diet – that our genetic composition has not substantially changed since the geologically recent times of mass-agriculture and industrial age food – it is very helpful to have a clear perception of the magnitudes of time (both very large and very small) involved.

A change in magnitude (in math or science) is a number written in scientific notation that is at least one power of ten more or less. So, 20 and 40 (written scientifically as: 2 x 10¹ and 4 x 10¹) are actually of the same magnitude, or often stated as being the same “order of magnitude”. However, 20 and 400 (written scientifically as: 2 x 10¹ and 4 x 10²) are one power of ten different and therefore one order of magnitude different. It is much more than mere doubling or exponential change (it must be a change in exponents of ten versus any smaller base number), and it is not uncommon in the natural world or science.

The graph below illustrates the magnitudes of the time our ancestors ate a Hunters and Gatherers’ (H-G) Diet versus when our ancestors consumed a Mass-Agriculture Diet. The specific times used in this graph are 2,000,000 for the H-G Diet and 10,000 years for the geologically recent Mass-Agriculture Diet. Although exact dates and amounts can be argued, and would change some among different ethnic groups and regional histories, the graph would always look very much the same – because regardless of the specific dates you utilize, it always would very definitively involve magnitudes of change difference.

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Figure 1: Bar graph illustrating the ratio of geologic time: 2,000,000 years vs. 10,000 years. These times are good representations of the magnitude of time of the Paleolithic Era foodstuffs of our ancestors as compared to the time our ancestral lineages have been on a Mass-Agriculture Diet.

It is startling to see the Mass-Agriculture Diet as a nearly flat, non-existent bar. In a mathematical sense one could almost say it is approaching the inverse of infinity … or that it is “infinitesimally small” in comparison to our earlier foodstuffs. It is more than a full 2 magnitudes smaller. As a decimal ratio of 2,000,000: it is .005.

While we can continue to debate (and we should) the exact amounts and rates of change in human physiology and the dietary amount of animal products vs. fruits/vegetables, etc. – an obvious fact is that the amount of time we and our ancestors have had mass agriculture and industrial era food is incredibly small indeed … and not debatable.

When we talk about “evolutionary discordance” in regard to our modern diet vs. the Paleo Diet, this is what it means in one very real sense. A diet based on the way humans ate for a couple million years will lead to optimum health and greatly reduce the risk of degenerative disease.

See our home page for more general information on a Paleolithic Diet, or see Dr. Cordain’s book, The Paleo Diet, which outlines the historical and nutritional science for this very healthy way of eating.

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various links from http://paleodiet.com

• The Paleo Diet Defined is my concise definition of the core paleo diet and the many variations of it.
• Life Expectancy in the Paleolithic by Ron Hoggan was written to refute those that argue they died by age 30 and therefore the diet is unhealthy. His book: Dangerous Grains (Ron, though listed as co-author, wrote all but seven page of the book).
• Introduction to the Paleolithic Diet written by Ben Balzer, a family physician in Australia, is probably the clearest introduction on the web. Also see other posts to his blog.
• Second Opinions is a site by Barry Groves, PhD. It includes many articles exposing dietary and medical misinformation. A selection of them:
  • The Naïve Vegetarian is a long article covering various diets with a focus on pointing out the fallacies of vegetarianism.
  • The Cholesterol Myth points out there is no evidence that eating cholesterol is bad.
  • Animal Fats Don’t Cause Breast Cancer points out that an examination of a couple of studies that came out in July 2003 does not support the claims that media is making for them.
  • Polyunsaturated Oils Increase Cancer Risk blames the rise of margarine for increased ills.
  • William Banting: author of the first low-carb diet book is a history of the first low carb diet, which was also paleo.
• Paleolithic Nutrition: Your Future Is In Your Dietary Past is an article Jack Challem wrote for Nutrition Science News: April 1997.
• An Interview with Ward Nicholson now has three parts on the web. Good overview of man’s diet over the past 65 million years. Long but highly recommended reading. First published in Chet Day’s “Health & Beyond” newsletter. Now part of a very comprehensive Beyond Vegetarianism site. Every argument that your vegetarian friends use to avoid meat for health reasons is debunked here.
• You won’t find many blogs listed here. Most are either chatter or the author is chronicling their paleo eating or attempts at it. But some are good and they often consider themselves as providing primal wisdom:
  • Mark Sisson has the popular and worthwhile Mark’s Daily Apple, though he is not a strict paleo. He is the author of The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy which has become the best selling paleo book.
  • Don Matesz has his Primal Wisdom blog. It is one of the few paleo diet blogs with interesting information you can learn from. He is co-author of The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook which is excellent, if you cook.
  • Stephan Guyenet, a Ph.D. in neurobiology who conducts bench research on body fat regulation, has Whole Health Source. He provides technical insight not often found in the blogs.
  • Loren Cordain in his blog The Paleo Diet mostly answers questions and promotes his products. His two books at Amazon.com: The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes are best selling paleo books.
• Jan Engvald has studied food and health thoroughly in the literature. In Unexpected facts on… food he shows that today’s health advice (more or less unchanged for more than 30 years) is a direct cause to the increase in national diseases like coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, adult-onset diabetes, allergy, eye diseases, etc. His findings are low-carb and high-fat, close to paleo, though he allows high fat dairy.
• Sweden’s Staffan Lindeberg has a home page Paleolithic Diet in Medical Nutrition. A recent study of Staffan’s has A Paleolithic diet improving glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischemic heart disease. Also see his first web page, an overview of his Kitava study: On the Benefits of Ancient Diets. Now he has a book Food and Western Disease: Health and nutrition from an evolutionary perspective.
• Tamir Katz MD’s Diet Information has a paleo orientation, though he doesn’t call it that. He has a knack of clearly and directly explaning things. Excellent for friends and relatives of paleo eaters who are wondering why you eat weirdly. He also sells the book TBK Fitness Program.
• Neanderthin (Paleo) eating is Vad’s page where he tries to sum up, super concentrated, what this whole thing is about. Includes menus, weight loss, and more.
• Vitamin D is the one supplement that would be paleo. At least it would be for those of us that don’t live outside year round. You can have your D level measured. The low RDAs only prevent definable deficiences, not problems that take a long time to develop. Michael Holick, MD is a leading writer on this subject. This is a 10 page PDF: Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis and its companion Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease [change PDF to 100% to read]. Or if you prefer, there is an hour video on YouTube.
• Regimen to promote neuroprotection and encourage nerve repair by Dr. Anthony G. Payne pushes the paleo diet. Especially see his links on turmeric.
• A diet high in phytic acid, which can be found in whole grains (it’s in the bran) and beans like soy, is very detrimental for mineral absorption. Phytic acid strongly binds to minerals like calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium to form insoluble salts, phytates, which precipitate from the body. Staffan Lindeberg has written a summary on phytic acid.
• Two common foods clearly are Neolithic and avoiding them is key to a paleo diet. Here are link pages for avoiding them: Gluten-Free Page and No-Milk Page.
• Dr. Brett Hill, a chiropractor, has written a few paleo sympathetic articles. He’s a strong advocate of the Paleo Diet and has found it to be very effective for himself and his practice members/subscribers. His Is Milk Good For Us?.
• Optimal Diet is a dietary model of human nutrition devised and implemented by Dr. Jan Kwasniewski. Lots of fat and low in carbs. Lots and lots of articles collected from various places.
• Meet Your Inner Mole Rat is a summary of Wrangham’s hypothesis, which argues that humans became tuber eaters when we moved from the rain forest to the savanna.
• Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Macular Health is an article discussing antioxidents and protection against the oxidizing ultraviolet radiation of the sun. The best dietary sources of antioxidants in general, and carotenoids specifically, are fruits and vegetables ­ and the more brightly colored, the better. Lutein and zeaxanthin are yellow pigments found in high concentrations in yellow fruits and vegetables as well as in dark green, leafy vegetables. In particular, spinach, kale and collard greens contain high levels of these two carotenoids.
• JoAnn Betten of the PaleoFood mailing list and I have collected many recipes at PaleoFood.com. All have no grains, no gluten, no dairy, no beans/legumes, no refined sugar, or other Neolithic foods.
• Ashton Embry has an essay Paleolithic Nutrition. He’s a leading proponent for using dietary intervention to control MS.
• Chris Masterjohn has Cholesterol: Your Life Depends on It!, another web site pointing out that the war on cholesterol and the push to put people on statins is misguided. The site argues it is actually polyunsaturated fats, not saturated fats or cholesterol, that contribute to heart disease, cancer, liver damage, and aging.
• The Evolution of Human Nutrition by Barry Bogin is interesting reading which covers themes like homo erectus and up to date findings, and the relation to nutrition. [now in archive.org]
• In William Calvin’s The Ascent of Mind, Chapter 8 he discusses why he thinks that the Acheulian hand-ax (the oldest of the fancy stone tools of Homo erectus) was really a “killer frisbee.” He argues that natural selection for throwing accuracy, which requires brain machinery, is the evolutionary scenario for bootstrapping higher intellectual functions. There are many more articles about evolution and human development throughout William’s extensive site, though much of it these days is on climate change.
• Matt Emery has The Caveman Power Diet has you in stages go through a detox diet eating only paleo foods.
• Pemmican: Recipes, Stories and Stores is a link page with more on this than you’ve seen before.
• Lex Rooker has written The Pemmican Manual. It is the most complete description of making pemmican that I’ve seen.
• Lynne Olver at the Morris County Library has assembled The food timeline, which gives you the history of Neolithic foods. Includes paleo foods, like animal domestication and when some foods where first noted in the literature.
• Eating is an essay by Todd Moody.
• Dental Microwear Web Site is on the study of the microscopic scratches and pits that form on a tooth’s surface as the result of its use. See the page on references. Some are evidences of past diet.
• Factors that Inhibit Calcium Absorption is an article pointing out the non-paleo things we do, mostly food related, that are negative for calcium absorption.
• The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, M.D., Ph.D. argues that too much animal fat being dangerous is a myth. This is a collection of essays, complete with the critical references.
• Dr. Joseph Mercola has an extensive web site on alternatives to traditional medicine. A hodge podge of different things. A small selection:
  • Low Grain Guide To Health has a few links that are relevant to paleo eating. At bottom take link to his Sugar Index Page.
  • Why Grassfed Animal Products Are Better For You.
  • Low Grain and Carbohydrate Diets Treat Hypoglycemia, Heart Disease, Diabetes Cancer and Nearly ALL Chronic Illness.
  • Caveman Cuisine by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD.
  • Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century by Mary Enig is an address she gave to a Cocotech meeting. Long and gets into coconut oil’s competition. Many references at the end.
  • The Paleolithic Diet and Its Modern Implications is an interview with Loren Cordain, PhD done by Robert Crayhon, MS.
• There is ample evidence that grain consumption is behind many cancers. Here is a quick analysis of the connection.
• Jack Challem has written Alpha-Lipoic acid: Quite Possibly the “Universal” Antioxidant and meat is the best source.
• paleofood.de is a site all in German, but PaleoFood.Info is their English version. Here is Loren Cordain’s Food Pyramid.
• To Crack a Coconut tells how this is done in Thailand, without fancy tools, then gets into pressing milk, and some recipes.
• Cooking Clan of the Cave Bear Style! is a student experiment in boiling water in a skin pot over a fire (or not…)
• Aris Stathakis has a page How To Make Real South African Biltong – a traditional South African dried meat.
• Brett Saks, B.S., D.C. has a page The Adverse Effects of Wheat and Other Grains. Based on his clinical experiences. [now in archive.org]
• Chet Day sent a copy of the article by Robert Crayhon (Interview with Loren Cordain) to the Rea Centre in London, a place claiming to be proponents of a paleo diet. You can check out their counterpoint at Hunter Gatherer Paradigm Examined in New Light. It argues that our ancestors were not big meat eaters. Argues that since men are the scientists that hunting has been exaggerated out of proportion, and that gathering was the primary source of food. Chet Day also asked some questions and created The Rea Center Interview: Paleo Nutrition, Veganism, and More. Incredibly wordy with little content. [Some now in archive.org]
• The Myths of Vegetarianism by Stephen Byrnes goes through many of the arguments that vegetarians use and explains why they are myths. A must read for all vegetarians.
• Blindness, Mad Cow Disease and Canola Oil by John Thomas points out the negatives of canola oil. [Now in archive.org]
• The Venison Processing FAQ covers everything from choosing your target to recipes.
• What is the Paleolithic Diet? is Bob Hodgen’s basic summary. He had a story of his experiences on NeanderThin, but it is no longer on the web.
• Krispin Sullivan has written The Lectin Report. It explains the background on lectins and their connection to health problems. A good place to start to learn about these toxic proteins in Neolithic foods.
• Aquatic Ape Theory is a site covering all links on the subject. (The theory argues that humans evolved along the water’s edge, but such evidence is now covered by the oceans.) [Now in archive.org] A more up-to-date page is Wikipedia’s Aquatic Ape Hypothesis.
• Buried in the middle of The Revised Metabolic Oncolytic Regimen for Effecting Lysis in Solid Tumors one can find their diet recommendations for tumor control. It has a paleo diet orientation. Protein is 35%, preferably Omega 3 rich. Carbohydrates (also 35%) are only vegetables and fruit, no beans, bread, potatoes, or any grain. Then dietary and supplemental forms of fat should provide 20-30% of (daily) calories.
• PaleoTube is a site by Mario Antoci, a fellow into traditional bow making and primitive skills. It is a resource for videos, photos, events, Live Video Chat.
• Jeremiah Reid has a blog where he plans to gradually transition into a Paleo diet and document the results.
• EATING BUGS! is a summary page by Aletheia Price. She used to have the comprehensive eatbug.com.
• Weird & Different Recipes is a page by Bert Christensen that includes several insect recipes and other foods that a Paleolithic dieter may have eaten.
• Zachary Huang has put up his Zack’s Bug-Feasting Page. Mostly pictures of people eating giant silkworms and mealworms. Also see his other links.
• Mauro Teodori has www.paleodieta.it in Italian. The site discusses paleodiet and its deep affinity with human evolution. It also shows some of the most populars diets (Zone, Okinawa, New Mediterranean, Low Carbs, etc), and the aim to show how all of them originate from the paleodiet itself.
• WWW.PALEODIET.NU is a site in Swedish put up by Niclas Larsson. He has plans to grow the site.
• Vad är Paleodiet? is a site in Swedish put up by Hans Kylberg.

Fat Head

http://fathead-movie.com

full movie

Tonstartssbandht “Black Country”

ABC NIghtline: Does Satan Exist?

U.S. Air Force building supercomputer from PS3s

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/u-s-air-force-building-supercomputer-from-ps3s/1387199

by Mike Smith

No doubt the Air Force purchasing department gets some odd requests from time to time, but we’d love to have seen the grin on the face of the officer tasked with procuring some 1,700 Playstation 3s for a USAF facility in Rome, NY.

Before you complain about your tax dollars being spent on toys, the machines aren’t for gaming. Instead, the facility — an Air Force research lab — will join them into a parallel-computing cluster that, when complete, will number well over 2,000 PS3s.

The supercomputer — snappily monikered “500 TeraFLOPS Heterogeneous Cluster” — will be put to work playing 2,000 simultaneous games of God of War III. Wait, no. Among other things, they’ll be attempting to simulate the way the human brain processes information and how it pulls off the remarkably difficult task of recognizing the content of images.

“Humans can routinely do these things, but a computer struggles to do it,” the facility’s computing director Mark Barnell told Stars and Stripes. “In a general sense, we are interested in making it autonomous.”

The cluster won’t be as powerful as a regular supercomputing rig, but it will be cheaper and more environmentally friendly: it’ll consume as much as 95% less electrical power and shut down unused machines when the cluster isn’t running at full capacity.

President Obama’s Speech at the House Republican retreat in Baltimore.

resevoir muppets

Charlie Brooker – How To Report The News

re:lack of activity

been busy workin
not much computer communication time…
s’bout it

The Oxycontin Express: Vanguard

http://www.current.com

TechnoCalyps

Italian scientists’ ‘wood to bone’ medical breakthrough

Scientists in Italy have discovered a way of making artificial replacement bones out of wood.

Early trials on sheep have showed encouraging results.

The team behind the programme hopes the new bones will soon be available for patients whose own bones have been damaged by accident or disease.

Duncan Kennedy reports.

Fuck You Mike Love

tribute to Mike Love of the Beach Boys
credits: HogPig (music)
Wikipedia
Man vs. Clown! blog

How to drink whisky – Master Blender Richard Paterson shows David Hayman how to drink blends

Whyte and Mackay master blender Richard Paterson – who can be found online at www.themasterblender.com – shows David Hayman how to drink whisky. WARNING: video contains slaps and scenes of whisky being thrown on the floor.

Congorock – Babylon

Congorock – Babylon
Fool’s Gold/Scion Audio/Visual
Directed by Pomp&Clout

Available for purchase on iTunes starting December 22, 2009

Scion A/V Video Project. For more info and exclusive content visit us at scionav.com

.http://www.congorock.com

random photo likes

Shadow’s starting the New Year off with a bang, check out his latest journal entry here!

well…

what is with these “indie” artists and their entitlement bullshit
like music is some grand good great that needs to keep its status quo proper
does shadow think money is more fluid for consumers?

are consumers supposed to purchase product within and for the paradigms of artists, entertainers and performers?
or by their own measures and standards?
these folk come off as sour old men whose boyhood dream can not now be realized because they weren’t aware and intuitive enough to see the world change as they grew up and then act accordingly and congruently
your consumers did and are!

now they want to bitch and cry that “times ain’t what they used to be”
bitchin bout the internet like “it” is the problem
“…you will NEVER hear or read anything negative about the Internet ON the Internet.There’s too much money to be made…”
LOL
hey smart guy, in your blog i did just read something negative about the internet on the internet
and why not quit yer bitchin and make money with the damn thing!?!?
WTF? shadow!
this is some weird it ain’t 25 years ago boo-hoo shit
i don’t get it

at least he’s not one of those dumb asses equating shitty compressed lesser quality copies of selected and specific parts or their products as the same thing and calling folk who pre-judge and sample such first thieves

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Posted Jan 4, 2010

WARNING: RAMBLING TIRADE FROM A 37-YEAR OLD TECHNOPHOBE BELOW

Well, here we are again, another year, another decade. Optimism about the future is tempered with a nagging sense that underlying factors causing most of the misery in the world still exist. Lucky, then, that I’m a musician and not a politician.

Specifically, when it comes to the wallet, everyone’s suffering…of that there can be no doubt. And what of the financial prospects for musicians and recording artists in the years to come? Shaky, at best. Unless you’re one of the grotesque ‘Idol’-type pop disasters in the top 5, you’re looking at getting a day job or finding other sources of income. Conventional wisdom amongst my peers has been remarkably short-sided over the last decade: “Yeah, CD sales are down, but all the money is in licensing.” Not anymore. “Yeah, licensing money is down, but the video game industry is killing it.” Less so these days, according to recent data. “Well, the real money is in touring.” Really? When was the last time you saw a ‘new,’ post-record company artist headline a major music festival? At this rate, we’ll be stuck with Coldplay for decades (no offense intended).

Time for a little straight talk, from one reasonably intelligent human being to YOU, the reasonably intelligent reader. As distasteful as it may sound, the fact is that so many of our heroes: Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, The Beatles, whoever you care to name; generated much of their best art in return for financial compensation. If you take away the compensation, guess what…the art stops. For example, how many young rap artists are grinding away these days in New York, trying to get a deal? Not too many, certainly compared to the ‘80s and ‘90s. There’s no allure, no pot at the end of the rainbow. People have been asking for years now, “Where’s the next Nas, the next Jay-Z?” Be prepared to keep waiting…and for music, overall, to keep sucking. Why? Because only bottom-of-the-barrel, embarrassing pop tripe generates enough income to feed the machine. Anything unproven or risky? Nobody’s going to bankroll that kind of ‘experiment.’

Let me be clear: I love music. I love the culture of music, making music, playing music, geeking out over music from the past and present. I love old record company stories, and the characters that inhabited it. In other words, I have learned to appreciate the merchants of commerce as well as the art. If you love movies or cars, chances are you can relate to what I’m describing. What would Hollywood be without the larger-than-life, audacious personalities behind the scenes? What would cars be like if there had never been Detroit?

Gone are the recording studios (including the historically important Plant down the road from me in Sausalito), the record shops, and the music magazines. Replaced by the oh-so-cynical, oh-so-corrosive AM talk radio of the new millennium, the Internet. But I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Chances are, you may have even been one of those majority who danced on the grave of the falling record companies, pointed to Radiohead giving their album away for free and said, “See, look, if they can do it, why can’t everyone else?” Slowly, I turn…

Every artist is entitled to their own price point, just as every consumer has a choice in what they purchase. Nobody puts a gun to someone’s head and says, “Hey, buy this Picasso for 20 million.” Likewise, if $9.99 is too much to spend for one of my albums, so be it, your choice. But if you’re holding your breath, waiting for me to boost my cool-quotient by giving my music away for free, it’s not going to happen. The fact is that I feel my music has value. You may disagree, and that’s fine. But I know how much energy I put into what I do, and how long it takes me to make something I’m satisfied with. Giving that away just feels wrong to me. It’s not about money per se; I can donate a large sum of money to charity and not think twice, but I won’t give my art away. I’d rather sell it to 100 people who value it as I do than give it away to 1000 who could care less. That’s MY choice.

I realize these are all unpopular subjects. Artists are never supposed to address their flock about such icky subjects as business and commerce. (By the way, and I hope it doesn’t sound disingenuous, but now would be a REALLY good time to express my undying THANKS for your support, which matters IMMENSELY in my ability to retain music as my primary endeavor. As a fan of others, I always used to wonder, “does this artist or group really care about whether I buy their stuff or not? Do they care that I go to their show?” YES, WE CARE!!!!! Now, more than ever). Most think that I should stop whining, grow up and embrace the Internet, become more active, tweet more, hype more, give more stuff away, etc, etc. Honestly, I’ve tried…and will keep trying. But the bottom line is that not every paradigm or system is right for everyone. We’ve all been told for years that the Internet is our Savior; it’s cool, youthful, hip, the solution to every problem, and if you aren’t joining a new networking site on a weekly basis, you’re a social pariah. Sorry…I just don’t feel that way. I’m old enough to know that when 99% of the population is marching lockstep in one direction, sometimes it’s wise to break rank and go the other way. Plus, I simply don’t like sitting in front of a computer screen all day.

I’m not saying that I don’t use the Internet on a regular basis; I do. And obviously I’m very proud of this site and its ability to support itself through the store. Honestly, I just think a large portion of the dialogue and content available online is an utter shit fest: a Pandora’s box of violence, neurosis, bad impulses, and bad intentions. It has become the “Super Horror Show” the Last Poets could never have dreamed of, like bad television on steroids and angel dust simultaneously. CL Smooth memorably called television “a schism…negative realism.” And much like the TV of the ‘60s and ‘70s, you will NEVER hear or read anything negative about the Internet ON the Internet. There’s too much money to be made, by someone somewhere (and hey, why ruffle the feathers of the goose that’s laying the golden egg, right?). 20 years from now, it will be interesting to see what hindsight reveals. I predict a flag on the time-line: when we moved closer to becoming a passionless, listless, hollowed-out society, one in which art and nature could no longer provide the psychological shock to the system required to endure another harrowing day of terror alerts and super-bugs. Music can only suggest sex and violence…the Internet provides both, full frontal and full strength, 24/7. Maximum dose.

Whatever…what will be will be. As long as I breathe, I’ll make music, love music, support music. I used to get in fights at school to defend my right to listen to rap, and I’ll fight on against any institution or prevailing thinking that seeks to dictate to me how and when the music I make is to be disseminated. If there’s 50 of you, or 100, or more out there willing to accept my right to choose, as I accept yours, then welcome aboard…you are my fan base. The rest of you that don’t, and want me to play someone else’s game…I wish you well. Let’s just leave the subject at that and call it what it is: a mutual misunderstanding.

Regardless, it’s going to be a hell of a year. I am working hard on new music, and hope to share some of it with you in the coming months (really!). I’m fully aware that there are many former fans that insist my best work is behind me. Well, respectfully, I disagree. It’s not easy walking the tightrope between artistic validity and financial solvency, but I stand behind all of the decisions I have made to date. What matters to me is that EVERYONE reading this knows that I take my career, my music, and my fans EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY. When I started in music 25 years ago, my mission was to provide an alternative, to expand the scope of choice available to music lovers like myself; and above all to demonstrate a willingness to go the extra mile and put the MAXIMUM EFFORT in EVERYTHING I DO, so that the bar continues to be raised, not lowered. Whether that manifests itself on stage, on record, or as a character in a video game, I honestly feel that I have given it my best, win or lose, and I’m proud of that. I have to believe that your continued support is a vote of confidence, which I take great comfort in as I strive to create some of my best work to date.

I may not be the best looking dude out there…I may not be the most linked-in, the most prolific, the most successful…but I’ll be god-damned if I’m not up there with the most passionate. If you agree with what I’m saying, that so much music we’re fed is utter GARBAGE that insults the intelligence, then no matter where you’re at…the States, the UK, France, Japan, Canada, Australia, wherever…we’re ALL outsiders, and we owe it to each other to band together and fight for something better. Personally, I’m loving the challenge, and when the time is right, I look forward to reconnecting with all of you.

Until then…

DJ Shadow

tineye.com

http://www.tineye.com

TinEye is a reverse image search engine. You can submit an image to TinEye to find out where it came from, how it is being used, if modified versions of the image exist, or to find higher resolution versions. TinEye is the first image search engine on the web to use image identification technology rather than keywords, metadata or watermarks.

2012: end of the world?

click to enlarge

Immortal Princess EP

Immortal Princess EP

Felipe Andres Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper and political activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on political issues. The views expressed in his lyrics are largely a mixture of commentary on issues such as politics, poverty, religion, social class and racism.

Immortal Technique’s music is inspired by historical and often political figures such as Ali, Malcolm X, Che Guevara, César Chávez, Augusto César Sandino, Marcus Garvey, Túpac Amaru II, Jose Carlos Mariategui, W. E. B. Du Bois, Karl Marx, Toussaint L’Ouverture, Harriet Tubman, Emiliano Zapata, and Mumia Abu-Jamal

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

Chris Hedges, the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of “War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning” and “I Don’t Believe in Atheists”, is back with another diatribe about our morally-bankrupt society. Whether you agree with all of his assertions or not, “Empire of Illusion” is a necessary, thought-provoking work on the role of entertainment in American culture.

Particularly fascinating is Hedges’s take on professional wrestling. Whenever an academic brings up wrestling, it is usually as an example of low-brow culture. Hedges doesn’t snub his nose, however: He merely observes and reports.

His thesis that wrestling storylines have “evolved to fit the new era…by focusing on the family dysfunction that comes with social breakdown” is on the money: Gone are the simple bouts of good vs. evil. “Morality is irrelevant,” he writes. “Wrestlers can be good one week and evil the next. All that matters is their own advancement.” The “illusion” here isn’t that wrestling is fake. The “illusion” is that the wrestlers are idealized versions of what we want to become. He asserts that this mirrors a fundamental change in society.

Hedges traces this change through other American institutions (reality television, celebrity culture, the adult industry, universities, psychologists), arguing that we are “unable to distinguish between illusion and reality”. We forgo morals for an elusive and unattainable happiness. He states that we “will either wake from our state of induced childishness…or continue our headlong retreat into fantasy”.

The subtitle–”The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle”–is somewhat of a misnomer. Even with the alarming illiteracy rate in this country, it’s a stretch to say that literacy has literally come to an end. “The Triumph of Spectacle” is a more accurate description of the book’s contents.

“Empire of Illusion” is a snapshot of America, circa 2009 AD. Some of the precepts that it touches on–such as universities churning out morally-dubious graduates–are already coming under populist fire due to the banking crisis. WWE, wrestling’s most popular promotion, has toned down the sex and violence in recent years. The once-popular Jerry Springer Show limps along on basic cable, its cultural relevancy having long since expired.

Hedges believes that the financial crisis “will lead to a period of profound political turmoil and change.” In a recent Truthdig article, he wrote that “Those who care about the plight of the working class and the poor must begin to mobilize quickly or we will lose our last opportunity to save our embattled democracy.” “Empire of Illusion” makes a strong case to be the much-needed cry for arms.

4 Reasons you are “fake hungry”

Our appetites can be quite the pranksters.  It often fools us to think we are hungry, when often, we may be suffering from something completely different.  Distinguishing between false hunger and true hunger will help you know when your body really needs food and when it needs something else.

1. Hunger Due to Eating the Wrong Food: Symptoms include craving high sugar foods or feeling “hungry” soon after eating a meal.  If you just had a big meal that is high in simple carbohydrates and did not contain fiber, protein or healthy fat, all of which help provide a sense of satiety, you may have experienced a drop in blood sugar. In this case, have a healthy snack, such as a piece of fresh fruit and nuts, or cottage cheese or celery and peanut butter or 1/2 of a sandwich on whole grain bread).
2. Emotional Hunger: Sometimes, our appetites can go haywire when we are experiencing boredom, fear, anxiety, stress or loneliness. Try taking a walk, journaling, listening to some favorite music, calling a friend or chewing a piece of mint gum instead. Read a book, go to a “safe place” like a library or museum or park where you will not be tempted to overeat or distracted by food. Take a bath, meditate, or think about what REALLY would satisfy you, vs. eating to stuff down emotions you do not want to confront.
3. Hunger Due to Sleepiness: Experts at www.WebMD.com state that two major hormones, leptin and ghrelin, affect and control sensations of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, while leptin, made in fat cells, alerts the brain that you have had enough to eat. Lack of sleep causes a significant drop in leptin levels as well as an increase in ghrelin levels, a so called double whammy for appetite control and feelings of satiety.  Daytime fatigue may lead people to overeat (often, high sugar, nutrient poor foods) in an attempt to get an extra surge of energy. This is equivalent to placing a Band-Aid on the true problem. It provides only temporary relief, which is soon followed by a crash in energy levels and a resurgence of “hunger” leading to more snacking, increased sugar cravings, etc….a vicious cycle.  If you are feeling mid-afternoon hunger pains, try: a brisk 10 min walk around the block (fresh air helps, as does exercise, to boost alertness and increase circulation), a cup of green tea (high in antioxidants and low in caffeine relative to coffee), a 1/4 cup of almonds and a small apple (high in protein, healthy fat and carbohydrates, low in sugar, and a good source of magnesium and fiber). Even taking a few deep breaths can help curb fatigue!
4. Hunger Due to Thirst: We often mistake thirst for hunger. Try drinking a glass or two of water to identify whether you are truly hungry or just slightly dehydrated, in which case water is the perfect antidote!

When you are really experiencing true hunger, however, it is pretty clear to identify.  For instance, a growling stomach will cause us to be cranky and unfocused…until we get some food, that is! If it has been four hours since your last meal or snack, you may well be truly hungry. Don’t ignore true hunger…doing so may exacerbate it and cause you to overeat to compensate for the missed calories. It is important to eat regularly and consistently to keep energy levels elevated and avoid dips in blood sugar. Try to include fruits and vegetables at each meal and snack, along with some protein (cheese, beans, lean meat/poultry/fish) and some healthy fat (avocado, olives, nuts, oil). This whole foods approach will help keep you at a healthy weight and lessen the likelihood for emotional hunger to rear its head!

Written by Brooke Joanna Benlifer, RD (www.brookejoannanutrition.com) for Sheer Balance

drake interiveiw

been curious over the rift on this dude
the dichotomy
politics
over this dude
idk

I feel  he runs that line of style and substance with no sentiment
if im to hate
but why should i…
though i half assed did

maybe once he gets beyond ghost riders/writers and puppet masters

he’ll even out as himself

i like the gleams and glimmers in this interview though

bottom line

do the damn thang drizzy

god damn religion

“For centuries, man has used organized religion to control the hearts and minds (not to mention the pocketbooks) of the ignorant masses. Well, Sir Richard Bishop has decided he would like a piece of the action.

This film is a diabolical experiment in hypnotic mind control — a phantasmagorical presentation of demonic and divine imagery, meticulously assembled and designed to put the viewer into an altered state of darkened awareness. Includes original music from Elektronika Demonika, as well as unreleased material.

If you ever wanted to go to hell and back, this film will get you halfway there. Some viewers may find the imagery used in this film to be disturbing, but that’s the idea. Contains some strong sexual content (as all true religion should). Not for the weak-minded, faint of heart, or those suffering from occasional seizures.” (Locust Music)

The Known Universe by AMNH

The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world’s most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010.

For more information visit http://www.amnh.org

doseone vs. reed richards

video excerpt from a battle session featured on  Be Evil
a limited tour disc form Themselves 09 tour

doseone – be evil

from track 4. “Stabbed By Kittens (vs. Zano, Glypmse and Reed Richards)”

idk bout pt. 2

Jim Bumgardner and information theory

http://gelconference.com

check 8:15 for the Whitney music box

Jim discusses screensavers, information theory, and (with crowd participation) the Whitney music box, which sets an algorithm to music. Blending visual, musical, technical, mathematical, and intentionally useless elements, Jim gives a notable Gel talk.

A few months later, Jim posted a recap of his Gel experience.

John Whitney “Catalog” 1961

John Whitney’s demo reel of work created with his analog computer/film camera magic machine he built from a WWII anti-aircraft gun sight. Also Whitney and the techniques he developed with this machine were what inspired Douglas Trumbull (special fx wizard) to use the slit scan technique on 2001: A Space Odyssey

The 7 foods experts won’t eat

http://www.prevention.com/cda/homepage.do

How healthy (or not) certain foods are—for us, for the environment—is a hotly debated topic among experts and consumers alike, and there are no easy answers. But when Prevention talked to the people at the forefront of food safety and asked them one simple question—“What foods do you avoid?”—we got some pretty interesting answers. Although these foods don’t necessarily make up a “banned” list, as you head into the holidays—and all the grocery shopping that comes with it—their answers are, well, food for thought:

20 ways to feed your family for $100 a week.

1. Canned Tomatoes

The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi.

14 worst health mistakes even smart women make.

2. Corn-Fed Beef

The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.

25 ridiculously healthy foods you should be eating now.

3. Microwave Popcorn

The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. “They stay in your body for years and accumulate there,” says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

Your nutritional guide to grocery shopping.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes

The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation’s most popular vegetable—they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. “Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,” says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals.”

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

14 ways to make veggies less boring.

5. Farmed Salmon

The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn’t intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. “You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer,” says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. “It’s that bad.” Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

Delicious and easy fish recipes

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. “When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract,” says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. “There’s not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans,” admits North. “However, it’s banned in most industrialized countries.”

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

Don’t be fooled by these 11 health food imposters.

7. Conventional Apples

The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods

The problem: If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it’s just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. “Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers,” he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson’s disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can’t afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.

How to pay less for organic.

1994 BBC2 documentary on the U.K. jungle scene

i felt an uncomfortable me watchin this vid

once i quit thinking baout it

i immediately recalled this vid

idk