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Friday, October 12, 2012

Sphere Sculptures Around the World.

Sphere Sculptures Around the World.
These Sphere Sculptures have been placed all across the world without any kind of mainstream media coverage giving basic information about them.  Are these some kind a sign? It looks if a new world is emerging from an “old world”, or a new planet breaking through the Earths surface; Ending the world as we know it…

The Sphere Within Sphere (Sfera con Sfera) was created by an Italian sculptor named Arnaldo Pomodoro. He originally created it for the Vatican Church but it now has spread across the globe. It can be found at these places;

Trinity College in Dublin,



The United Nations Headquarters in New York,


The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.,

Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis,

the de Young Museum in San Francisco,

Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art,

American Republic Insurance Company in Des Moines,Iowa,

and at The University of California, Berkeley.





Source:
http://www.utaot.com/2012/10/12/sphere-sculptures-around-the-world/

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Report: Obama attempting to block major story on donor scandal

On Thursday, the Washington Examiner reported that the Obama campaign has been trying to block a story that reveals a major donor scandal being prepared by a national magazine and web site.
"But," Paul Bedard wrote, a "key source said it plans to publish the story Friday or, more likely, Monday."
According to Bedard's sources, "a taxpayer watchdog group conducted a nine-month investigation into presidential and congressional fundraising and has uncovered thousands of cases of credit card solicitations and donations to Obama and Capitol Hill, allegedly from unsecure accounts, and many from overseas."
"That," he added, "might be a violation of federal election laws."
Bedard said that the Obama re-election campaign has received "hundreds of millions in small dollar donations, many via credit card donations through their website. On Thursday, the campaign announced a record September donor haul of $150 million."
"To raise $150 million in a month, you need an awful lot of donors," a post at Hot Air observed.
A similar problem was unearthed during the 2008 campaign when a Kansas City couple reported a "strange" $2,300 donation to Obama that appeared on their credit card statement. The couple said they were McCain voters and would never donate to Obama.
Although Chase dropped the charge, further investigation revealed a number of donations from fictional characters like Bart Simpson, Daffy Duck and King Kong, all using prepaid credit cards. Even "O. J. Simpson" donated $5 to the campaign.
"At the time," Bedard said, "the Washington Post reported that the Obama campaign let donors use 'largely untraceable prepaid credit cards that could potentially be used to evade limits on how much an individual is legally allowed to give or to mask a contributor's identity.'"
In 2008, the Post said that questions were raised when they discovered that Mary T. Biskup, a retired insurance manager from Manchester, MO., had donated $174,800 to the Obama campaign, according to FEC reports.
"Contributors are limited to giving $2,300 for the general election," the Post said.
Worse yet, Biskup told the Post she never donated to the Obama campaign and her credit card was never billed for the donations.

Source:
http://www.examiner.com/article/report-obama-attempting-to-block-major-story-on-donor-scandal

Enter At Your Own Risk: Police Union Says ‘War-Like’ Detroit Is Unsafe For Visitors

DETROIT (WWJ) – The men and women of the Detroit Police Department believe the city is too dangerous to enter, and they want citizens to know it.
Detroit Police Officer Association (DPOA) Attorney Donato Iorio said officers are holding the “Enter At Your Own Risk” rally at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in front of Comerica Park to remind the public that the officers are overworked, understaffed, and at times, fearful for their lives.
“Detroit is America’s most violent city, its homicide rate is the highest in the country and yet the Detroit Police Department is grossly understaffed,” Iorio told WWJ’s Kathryn Larson. “The DPOA believes that there is a war in Detroit, but there should be a war on crime, not a war on its officers.”

Iorio says the once 2,000 strong force is shrinking rapidly; since the start of summer, hundreds of officers have left the department.
“These are the men and women who we look to protect us… and police officers can’t protect you if they’re not there. Officers are leaving simply because they can’t afford to stay in Detroit and work 12 hour shifts for what they are getting paid… These police officers are beyond demoralized, these officers are leaving hand over fist because they can no longer afford to stay on the department and protect the public,” he said.
And that’s why Iorio cautions those who enter the city to be wary.  Are you afraid to go to Detroit?
“The explosion in violent crime, the incredible spike in the number of homicides and for officers trying to work 12 hours in such deplorable, dangerous and war like conditions is simple untenable,” he said.
Iorio said the department today has less officers than ever, even though crime rates are through the roof.
“By denying police officers the appropriate manpower, there’s a manpower crisis right now, there’s 1,000 fewer police officers today than there was 10 years ago, yet the homicide rate is higher. There’s more crime now than before, so if anything you need more officers, not fewer officers,” he said.


Source:

Friday, October 5, 2012

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

7 Reasons to Start Prepping

We often get comments and emails from readers asking how they can convince their friends and family to start prepping.
From friends and family members that truly believe the government will save them during a time of crisis, to those that have been brainwashed into believing that preppers are all  tinfoil hat wearing nutjobs, prepping can often be a touchy or even taboo subject to talk about.
Here are 7 reasons that might help convince your friends and family that it’s time to become a prepper.
1. Unemployment
According to the most recent numbers, the actual unemployment rate in this country is close to 22%. The average time it takes to find employment is at a record high of 39.2 weeks. Even those that see little value in prepping for a SHTF situation should understand the need to prep for the possibility of being hit by unemployment.
Prepping isn’t always about preparing for an end of the world scenario. It’s also about being prepared for those small scale events in life that can feel cataclysmic if we’re not prepared
2. Economic Problems
You don’t have to buy into the possibility of a total economic collapse, but you should at least realize that our country is in big financial trouble. With over 16 trillion dollars in debt, and unfunded obligations that make the actual debt number about $120 trillion, it doesn’t take an economist to see that we are in for some major trouble in the months and years ahead.
3. Natural Disasters
A number of people woke up real quick after seeing what happened during Hurricane Katrina. In under 24 hours, the city of New Orleans became a prime example of how quickly civilization could break down. Before our eyes we got a glimpse of what would happen during a full scale collapse; as people took to the streets to loot, riot, rape and even murder their fellow citizens.
4. It’s just like buying Insurance
Some people find the subject of prepping to be a little bit out there. When I come across these people, I often ask them if they have health or vehicle insurance. In my opinion, having a dedicated section in your budget for prepping is no different than buying vehicle insurance or a health insurance policy.
5. Shooters, Lunatics and the Extreme Fringe of Society
While active shooter situations and terrorist attacks are still pretty rare, it’s a phenomenon that does seem to be increasing in regularity. From the recent mass shootings to the growing number of terrorist attacks around the globe, these events do happen and they are something that we need to be prepared for.
6. The Cyber Threat
Our society is becoming increasingly dependent on cyber technologies; but according to Cyber Security expert Eugene Kaspersky, co-founder of the Kaspersky Lab, that dependence has left us extremely vulnerable. In fact, he is warning that emerging cyber threats could spell “the end of the world as we know it”. The threat is real, and the threat has the ability to set the world back 200 years in a matter of days.
7. The Pandemic Threat
According to Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and coordinator for two research centers at the University of Ottawa, the Emerging Pathogens Research Centre (EPRC) and the Centre for Research on Environmental Microbiology (CREM), “the world is becoming increasingly more likely to see a major (pandemic) event.”
When that happens, it will affect our infrastructure severely. By not having the human resources to work, protect and maintain our antiquated infrastructure, things will begin to rapidly deteriorate and leave us even more vulnerable to attack.

Source:
http://offgridsurvival.com/reasontostartprepping/

ObamaCare fines for hospitals begin 10-1-2012

One of the key provisions of the ObamaCare law that could result in drastic cuts to hospitals for treating the elderly and the poor will kick in today. In an attempt to rein in the costs of medical care which many critics say will hurt the elderly and the poor the most, the ObamaCare law will now mandate as of Oct. 1, 2012 that patients who need to return to the hospital for follow-up admissions within 30 days of discharge may not get the level of care they have come to expect.

The new provision will place fines on hospitals for treating returning patients who are readmitted within 30 days after discharge. Critics say that this will lead to serious declines in both the level and quality of care rendered to patients.
Critics further state that those hospitals that cater to the elderly and the poor, such as large teaching hospitals that are affiliated with universities, will be negatively impacted the most.
When the Democrat-controlled Congress of 2009 voted in secret after midnight to approve ObamaCare, it did so with the knowledge that citizens would be introduced to its provisions incrementally over a period of several years. This gradual implementation has had the effect of lessening the impact of the new law and gradually acclimating citizens to a new way of delivering healthcare in America, particularly with regard to strikingly large tax hikes, rationing of care, and reductions in care to seniors.
With popular opposition to the healthcare law still running consistently high in national polls, observers are anxious to see how the new provision will play out among the citizens who are most effected by the reductions in care, particularly the chronically severely ill who often need readmission to the hospital after initial treatment, and the nation's growing senior adult population.
Some observers believe that the new provision will place an enormous amount of added pressure on these populations, given that patients cannot be certain that their treatment will be up to par in the event of the need for readmission to the hospital after discharge. And hospitals that are already feeling the squeeze financially due to cutbacks in reimbursements from the government may be forced to limit the level of care given during readmission, resulting in patients being discharged long before they are ready.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have stated that they intend to repeal the ObamaCare law if elected, replacing it with common sense solutions that address specific areas of the healthcare delivery system without tax increases and reductions in the level and quality of care.
The Republican plan includes provisions such as tort reform that limits the amount juries can award litigants in healthcare lawsuits, allowing health insurance companies to market and sell their coverage across state lines, which will increase healthy competition and reduce the cost of premiums, allowing small business owners and individuals to purchase low-cost group insurance coverage, and implementing tax credits to low income persons who buy health insurance plans.
Conservatives have long maintained that these provisions will result in health insurance coverage for as many if not more of the uninsured than the ObamaCare plan, given that many citizens will choose to pay the IRS fine for not having insurance rather than pay costly premiums that are far more expensive than the fines.

Source:
http://www.examiner.com/article/obamacare-fines-for-hospitals-begin-today

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Artwork Likens Obama to Jesus

Street vendors across downtown Charlotte are selling posters and artwork depicting President Obama as Jesus Christ and the Democratic National Convention is expected to feature a stained-glass window backdrop during their meeting.
One poster features an image of the president in prayer with the headline, “Prophecy Fulfilled.”


“Barak is of Hebrew origin and its meaning is ‘flash of lightning,” the poster notes, referencing a passage in in the Old Testament book of Judges.
Hussein, they allege, is a Biblical word meaning “good and handsome.”
“So you see, Barak was destined to be a good and handsome man that would rise like a flash of lightning to win victory in a battle against overwhelming odds,” the poster read.
The posters were being sold outside security zones at the Democratic National Convention. The posters are not sanctioned by the DNC.
An Obama calendar, obtained by Fox News, features two religious images of the Commander-in-Chief.
The month of August includes a photograph of Obama’s birth certificate with the words “Heaven sent.”
The president was born on Aug. 4th.
The entry also includes a photograph of Obama along with a passage of Scripture from the New Testament.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” the entry read — referencing John 3:16.




The month of November includes an image of individuals with their hands on Obama’s back — with the words “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
Fox News also obtained a photograph of a DNC stage design. It resembled a giant stained glass window. It’s unclear what the imagery will be used for.
The comparisons to Jesus Christ have brought strong condemnation from some evangelicals — including Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, TX.
“If Barack Obama is the promised Messiah, I think there are going to be many Christians who are profoundly disappointed,” Jeffress told Fox News. “One only has to look at Obama’s record to understand that he is absolutely, positively not the promised One.”





Source

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Uses For Black Walnuts

Tincturing Black Walnut

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) trees are all around here.  This time of year they are thumping on roofs, smashing into cars, and sending the squirrels into a frenzy.  I was first introduced to Black Walnut as a medicine over 15 years ago while in herb school, though it wasn’t until we moved onto our little homestead, and had outdoor animals to take care of, that I really got to know it.
Black Walnut is traditionally used as an anthelmintic (That’s your vocabulary word of the day.  Use it the next time you are talking to your vet or doctor about worms and they’ll think you are super smart! :-)  )  That basically means that it works by expelling parasitic worms from the body.
Animals that spend most of their lives out doors (in our case, our farm dog and our chickens) are super prone to getting worms.  I’ve talked about my use of Black Walnut with Suki and heart worm (see the comment section of that post), but I also use Black Walnut as a dewormer for our chickens.  Twice a year, in the spring and late summer, when the weather is humid and muggy, I give them a Black Walnut preventative in their water (60 drops in a gallon of water) for two weeks.  If I ever notice those classic symptoms of a wormy chicken (sluggish, droopy wings, decrease in laying), I will give them another week of it.  It works wonderfully!
Black walnut tincture can cost $10-$15 an ounce in the store…. I can make a quart of it (32 ounces) for about $10.  That’s about .31 cents an ounce!
So, how do you do it?  It’s easy!

Here’s what you need:
  • Black Walnuts (I used about 12 to make a quart of tincture)  You can harvest them this time of year.  It’s easiest to grab them off the ground after they have fallen, because they grow pretty high up in the trees.
  • Alcohol (I like to use 100 proof vodka, but any alcohol that is 80 to 100 proof, or 40-50% alcohol is fine.  Since my chickens aren’t picky about the taste of their tinctures, I just use the cheep stuff.  This 1.75L bottle cost me $18)
  • A large jar (I’m using a 1/2 gallon mason jar)
  • Sharp knife
  • Wax paper
  • Gloves (though you can see, mine are mysteriously absent from this picture.  Oh, yeah.  I wasn’t wearing any.)

The state of your black walnuts is important.  You want them nice and green.  A black spot like this on the outside:

will look like this inside.  Ewwwww!  Though the chickens might not mind tinctured worms, I do!

This is what you want your walnuts to look like when you cut off the hull (or outer layer).

Cut the hull off of the walnuts and put the hulls in your jar.  You will see the black walnut start to darken before your eyes!  Seriously!  It starts oxidizing immediately!!

I begin pouring the alcohol into the jar as I’m cutting the hulls.  This keeps them from oxidizing so rapidly in the air, and puts all the good medicine in the alcohol.

So, the gloves.  Yeah.  It’s a good idea to wear gloves while you are cutting Black Walnuts as they can stain really badly.  I forgot to pick any up at the store, so I just went for it.  I think, from all the Black Walnut juice that I soaked up through my skin, I can safely say that I am now free of worms!
By the end of the cutting process the color of the alcohol had already changed dramatically, as had my fingers.

Lovely!
Once you cut the hulls, put them in the jar and cover them with the alcohol, you want to put the top on the jar.  A layer of wax paper goes in between the glass and the lid.  This keeps the alcohol from reacting with the metal.

You will also want to label your tincture!!  Always label!!  ’Cause you might just forget what you put in there and what a waste it would be to have to throw it all out because you didn’t label it.  On my labels, I always put the name of the plant, along with the percentage of alcohol, and when it will be ready to strain.  (Sometimes, on you might see things on tincture bottles like 1:2 or 1:5…. that is the scientific method of tincturing and it means amount of herb:amount of alcohol or menstrum used.  We’re not doing that here.  We’re keeping it simple.)
Put your tincture in a shady place indoors and shake it gently for the next two weeks.  Here is mine, happily resting on the kitchen counter.  (Yes, those are many bottles of home made hard apple/peach cider that you see in the background!!  You are very observant!)

About 15 minutes after taking the above picture, Leif asked if he could be in one of the pictures with the Black Walnut.  Check out the color difference already!!

And my hands…… My fingers are about 10 shades darker as I type this!!

After letting the tincture sit for 2 weeks, you can strain the hulls out.  I use muslin/cheese cloth to get all the little bits out of the fluid.  Save your tincture in a clean, labeled jar (don’t forget that layer of wax paper) and store in a cool, dark place.  You can bottle it up in little dropper jars for easy use.
See, wasn’t that easy???
(The happy, worm-free ladies say ‘hello!’)

Oh, and unlike many of the chemical dewormers for chickens that are on the market today, you can still eat the eggs of your chickens while they are taking Black Walnut tincture!!

Source:
http://dirtundermynails.com/2012/09/10/tincturing-black-walnut/