thelerner

There were 10's of millions of Chinese people who actually starved (not potentially) in the late 60's and 70's. This wasn't maybe starving this was real people dying painfully. It happened because Mao forced millions to the country side to become simple farmers and they starved. That really happened, not a what if. Similarly there was horrible pollution here in the States in the 60's and 70's. Very bad, not that its great now, but we've cleaned up the worst of our smog, stopped the worst the acid rain that was destroying whole forrests. Again we're far from perfect, but in most metrics (clean air and water) we've been moving steadily better for a long while. My point it is, with good policies things can be turned around. There is impetus for China to clean up its act. It has too. Things change and evolve, you usually can't set the future by looking at just 2 or 3 points, because imo things move in pendulum. The damage of pollution is vast; a generations worth, it'll take a generation, say 20 years to clean up. But I bet they will. The Chinese are smart, they've seen there skies darken and people sicken due to smog. The earth can be forgiving, it is the ultimate recycler, especially when given a breather.

The sad thing to me is that people on the, lets all go back to the vegan homestead side lose support of those who'd be natural alies because going part way isn't good enough. Anyone who doesn't fall completely into there camp is brain washed. <I've also found many of the most radical believers are hypocrites who don't walk there talk. Its what other people should do, but they don't> Mention 100's of miles of corn are being used inefficiently for enthanol could used for better purpose and you get angry replies about Nafta and corn farmers in Mexico. Are they for ethanol, against it, or the mere mention of corns sets them off?? Many people do well, others do poorly on veganism. Most important of all, unless your hoping for a Maoist revolution where elite and educated are forced into tiny farms (to survive or not) you ain't gonna get your land distribution. You'll get 10's of millions of dead, just like Mao. The dream is a good one. It just has to be done family by family. Hopefully with as little government help or hindrance as possible.

So you didn't understand what I wrote. I didn't mention Nafta or Mexico.. I was trying to get across that in ethanol we waste 1.3 billion bushels of corn a year. If that was put on the free market world corn prices would go way down. Personally I found the analysis way to simplistic. To figure out why corn prices move you need to figure in quite a few factors. Concentrating on a single factoid like Nafta and you wouldn't be explain corn prices, like why they exploded from $2 in 2006 to over $7, 2012. Its not that its wrong but putting the responsibilities on a single metric is naive and would keeps you from understanding pricing dynamics. Same blinder I see in far right wing and left wing politics, interpretations that are too simplistic because they ignore important variables. PS. Sorry to stop the flow the OP..

good article. Still while the prediction is dire, we waste an incredible amount of food. With ethanol we grow enough corn to feed whole nations and use it for very inefficient fuel. We don't take advantage of home gardening or alternate energy because what we have right now, is so damn cheap. It'd be better if that could change before economic realities force it too, but the changes don't have to be very drastic in order to bring about a better future. Least not here in the West. I can't speak for India. <add on 3/30> speaking of corn the U.S grows 14.4 billion bushels a year, @ 35 pounds per bushel that's about 540 Billion pounds of the stuff. That's a hell of a lot. Course much is used inefficiently to feed cattle. Some becomes corn syrup , and much of it.. I forget and am lazy, 1.4 billion bushels-ish goes into ethanol. I disagree with the ethanol program, its way inefficient, bad law. But one can make money off of it. Due partly to this conversation I've purchased some of the stock 'CORN', its based on futures so its ultimately doomed by the contango affect, but I'm betting in the short run (a few months) more driving means more corn going into gas tanks means more higher prices.

Exactly, the first picture in the OP shows a beautiful fertile land, there's not that much available for the world population. Heck the 2 horses alone would need (i googled it) need '1 to 2 acres of well-established pasture per horse if you feed only pasture during the growing season'. When the U.S gave away free crappy land it resulted in the late 1920's dust bowl. When Mao forced people onto crappy land, it killed millions. ok.. that's a bit gloomy, truth is there are excellent solutions, but they're probably have to be family by family. Paradoxically, the skyscrapers in the 2nd photo can be more environmentally sound then spreading people out over 1,000's of acres, knocking out forests and vast natural spaces. Those skyscrapers can have gardens on top, and people can container garden on there balconeys. There can be more community gardens in every park, cities can put up more fruit and nut trees and encouraging communal responsibility toward them. In the U.S. there is so much waste. If it was culturally acceptable and encouraged to turn our lawns and back yards into productive fruit & vegetable (& flower) dense gardens (I'd include chickens too) instead mono-cultural grass we'd be so much better off- physically, mentally, spiritually. I put in a small, simple squaire foot garden in my front lawn and a couple of neighbors have followed (the garden is long but only 1 foot wide, so very easy to create and take care of). The dream would be to find the sweet spot between maximum gain and minimum effort and resources. There are some families who've gotten extreme produce from tiny areas but they put in a lot of work. Anyone have a book recommendation for idealized city gardening set ups? I bet Mother Earth magazine has some good ideas in that area, they helped inspire my front yard garden and some bread baking. I'll see if they have a specific book that collects the best of urban farming. Here's a link to there site: http://www.motherearthnews.com/ Even my library, always a good source, has 3 different books on creating edible front laws and culinary gardens.

Prostrations are very non-Western kind of practice. I imagine them as kneeling then bending down, repeatedly. Can you tell us a little more about the practice. Also, if I may ask what do you consider a typical dedication of merit? To all sentient beings, or do you get more specific? Thanks.

Historically I've found that true. I think its due to harder survival, ie harsh seasons create the need to band together and innovate. When your South fruit and game are available year round its easier to get soft and siesta. Course then North becomes South and the cycle repeats itself.

I'm for the mind chipping of babies! I have several commands I'd like added to the programming too: 1. Command code word that makes them go to sleep. 2. Command code that makes them give warning before diaper change. 3. Code that radio's to me when they wake up. 4. Command code to stop throwing a fit. 5. Function that allows me to beam sappy music directly into there heads so I don't spend weeks with Barney & Friends songs echoing through mine. that's about it. and as turn about is fair play, I'd be willing to get the chip in mine. http://youtu.be/eP4INdt_-fk

fine. just let me get this in.. the great majority of doctors are for vaccinations. ahem.. I apologize for my abrasive tone. Both sides have to acknowledge that the passion in this issue is driven by concern for the lives and well being of children and the general population. Its a heated issue, where the heroes on one side are the villains in the other. Also its wrought with questionable statistics on both sides. And worse litered with anecdotes and opinions taken as facts. Take the Amish angle. In one story online, the anti-vaccine researcher stated Amish don't get vaccinated and have no autism, but he found 3 who somehow did and all 3 had autism. That could interpreted as the vaccine gives 100% of kids autism, or God hates the Amish, or more likely there's a screw up in interpretation. Another site said, the Amish they sent out a survey and accordingly found 85% of Amish returns said they did vaccinate. That also gets my BS detector going. The hard rule of Anthropology is people lie en masse particularly when there is gain involved. I assume the truth is in the middle, some Amish get vaccinated, some Amish have autism, but at high levels its probably grouped in with mental retardation and low levels are considered quiet people. There's no over diagnosis as in the regular population where schools give special benefits to the iffier claim. Thus both sides exaggerate. Its good to have people question and double check big government and big business. Where there is profit motive there is possibility of corruption. Its certainly not automatic though. Government and Business do good things too. There is a possibility that the anti-vaccination people are right on some fronts. There may be too many mandatory vaccinations and some might be less safe then others, But thats a call for better studies, not to throw out the tool of vaccinations, which save and prevent imo many diseases. Personally, I've always chosen not to get a pneumnoia shot, that could change in the future. I didn't like having my new borns get shots just after birth. I'd have preferred to wait a few weeks until they were stronger and not subject them to more trauma just after birth. Thus, with good will towards all, I will continue to study with matter with an admittedly bias towards vaccination but with an open enough mind to look for the most even handed, least manipulated, cleanest studies.

Enishi, when you have to dig up a a comparison of the U.S army in the Phillippines in order to prove something, I get the feeling its highly cherry picked. In other words, the general army number didn't work, the army in San Juan didn't, the navy in guam didn't but finally we found a statistics that backs us up, the U.S army in Phillippines. You look until you find an abnormality, then compare to another number. Its how statistics become lies. It weakens the case in my opinion.

eye of the storm, a billion or two people moving from this: a City (w/ highrise living) spreading out into this beautiful cabin (wood burning?) with 10 idealyic acres would be horrible for the planet. Strangely enough city life, having 400 people living in one tall building is probably more ecological responsible then 100 cabins taking up a few squaire miles. Wood burning is horribly inefficient and polluting. Without modern farming we'd probably kill all wild life within a few years, not to mention finishing the job of deforesting the earth. We are 7 billion people and counting. In some ways your idealyic picture might well be showing the "Psychopaths have been self selecting to rule while destroying/controlling everyone else" enjoying there spoils. back to the vaccines.. how anti science and medicine do we want to get? If we were bitten by a rabid raccoon would we really say no to the vaccine? Think its a conspiracy to make money, full of lies and poison? Hopefully not, it based firmly on science and has saved 1,000's of lives. Hopefully it'd be a no brainer. Yes, it may not work all the time, there could be side effects, there are some kinds of perservatives in it to keep it active, but bottom line is, its based on solid science and saves lives.

Yet life spans and child mortality rates have dropped. From http://data.unicef.org/child-mortality/under-five "The dramatic decline in preventable child deaths over the past quarter of a century is one of the most significant achievements in human history. The global under-five mortality rate has declined by nearly half (49 per cent) since 1990, dropping from 90 to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013. The under-five mortality is falling faster than at any other time during the past two decades. Thanks to the accelerated progress in reducing child mortality, the world saved almost 100 million children– among them, 24 million newborns – who would have died had mortality remained at 1990 rates. Despite this admirable accomplishment, progress must be accelerated to meet Millennium Development Goal 4: Reduce child mortality. Going beyond the MDG deadline, the momentum to improve child survival must be sustained in all regions. If current trends continue, the world will not meet the MDG target until 2026. - See more at: http://data.unicef.org/child-mortality/under-five#sthash.pGdCJbLW.dpuf" and for life spans http://www.healthdata.org/news-release/life-expectancy-increases-globally-death-toll-falls-major-diseases summary: Global life expectancy for both sexes increased from 65.3 years in 1990 to 71.5 years in 2013, and women made slightly greater gains than men. Female life expectancy at birth increased by 6.6 years and male life expectancy by 5.8 years. If trends seen over the past 23 years hold, by 2030 global female life expectancy will be 85.3 years and male life expectancy will be 78.1 years. or just Americans http://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/centers-for-disease-control-news-120/americans-living-longer-than-ever-683595.html Summary: Global life expectancy for both sexes increased from 65.3 years in 1990 to 71.5 years in 2013, and women made slightly greater gains than men. Female life expectancy at birth increased by 6.6 years and male life expectancy by 5.8 years. If trends seen over the past 23 years hold, by 2030 global female life expectancy will be 85.3 years and male life expectancy will be 78.1 years.. .. "Life expectancy has been increasing pretty steadily for the last 50 years or so," said Robert Anderson, chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Life expectancy has been increasing for several reasons, Anderson said. But, he added, "improvements in heart disease and stroke mortality have had a big impact. That's a large proportion of total deaths and that's where the action really is in terms of improved life expectancy. That's really what's driving the trend." me. So if you believe there's a Machiavellian plan to destroy mankind or parts of it. Good news, its not working(!); humanities population is growing, and we're living longer. There is the hope that population growth slows down and living standards for mankind as a whole continues to increase, which its done more in the past 30 years then in the previous 1,000. It certainly hasn't all been good, but its not so bad.

The editing in that clip is awful; awfully manipulative and it from the beginning to the end. You have someone who's trying to halve the deaths of children, spending billions to save lives in a dozen different ways you've found a video that cuts and pastes to reverse its true meaning. The Gates speech, a Ted's talk, which outlines ways to save lives is twisted to mean the opposite. Despicable. Its an example of how horribly far anti science people will go to incriminate anyone opposes them. Vaccination is one of the ways the Gates Foundation is going to fight childhood deaths because they're smart and want the biggest bang for there buck. They're going after other diseases and poverty in other ways too. There is a theme in the Foundation that the best way to slow population growth is through education of woman, greater opportunity and prosperity and knowledge that children won't die young. Its not a machiavelian scheme rather its trying to raise the living standard with the hope that when its raised 3rd world populations become more like first; families choose to have fewer children. I recommend reading about the Gates foundation its very worthwhile. He's gotten fellow billionaires to give to it, not because they're like doctor evil and want to destroy the world, but because they want to give back. From purifying water to ending childhood scourges (which it starts saying in your clip before the editing goes nuts). Read about there goals and what they do: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do As always look to the original, listen to the actual talk, make a decision without the manipulation on what he is saying : But its also the same game of continual fraud and substantiated fearmongering we see throughout the antivaccine movement. Let me see if the link here gets copied: (Snopes has a more in-depth rundown of the rumor's origin and history, if you're interested its short.) For readers: http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cdcwhistleblower.asp summary: "For a thorough analysis of the flaws and misinformation associated with the current CDC autism "cover-up" conspiracy theory, we recommend the posts on the subject at ScienceBlogs, which note of the claim at the heart of this matter (i.e, allegedly suppressed proof of a 340% increased risk of autism in African-American boys after MMR vaccination) that: Vaccination data were abstracted from immunization forms required for school entry, and records of children who were born in Georgia were linked to Georgia birth certificates for information on maternal and birth factors. Basically, no significant associations were found between the age cutoffs examined and the risk of autism. I note that, even in the "reanalysis" by Brian Hooker, there still isn't any such correlation for children who are not African American boys So is Hooker’s result valid? Was there really a 3.36-fold increased risk for autism in African-American males who received MMR vaccination before the age of 36 months in this dataset? Hooker [performed] multiple subset analyses, which, of course, are prone to false positives. As we say, if you slice and dice the evidence more and more finely, eventually you will find apparent correlations that might or might not be real. In this case, I doubt Hooker's correlation is real. There's no biologically plausible reason why there would be an effect observed in African-Americans but no other race and, more specifically than that, in African-American males. In the discussion, Hooker does a bunch of handwaving about lower vitamin D levels and the like in African American boys, but there really isn't a biologically plausible mechanism to account for his observation, suggesting that it's probably spurious. There are multiple other studies, many much larger than this one, that failed to find a correlation between MMR and autism. What [Hooker] has done, apparently, is found grist for a perfect conspiracy theory to demonize the CDC, play the race card in a truly despicable fashion, and cast fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the CDC vaccination program, knowing that most of the white antivaccine activists who support [him] hate the CDC so much that they won't notice that even Hooker's reanalysis doesn’t support their belief that vaccines caused the autism in their children. Read more at http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cdcwhistleblower.asp#WRDkZmyAxRMDTVrz.99"

Fine, we'll ignore measles (though its highly contagious, can cause death and was nearly knocked out before the anti-virus craze kicked in) still its seems obvious to me stopping such things as small pox and polio would result in millions of lives saved. Here's a chart that perhaps explains it better: I think the antivaccine people are the ones putting lives at risk. I get the feeling you don't realize just how deadly some of those diseases used to be. Here's a link: http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/vaccines-saved-millions-lives/ summary: Over 5.2 billion people died in the 20th Century. Although the 20th Century ended a mere 13 years ago, from a statistics standpoint, we know we will probably die of different diseases (and other less natural causes) than our forebears. The causes of death evolve over time as medicine improves, science ameliorates risk, lifestyles change, environments shift, and politics reshape our world. British data journalist David McCandless (of Information is Beautiful) created this fascinating infographic based on a project, commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, a U.K. charity devoted to human health, called Death in the 20th Century, which shows us, graphically, the leading causes of mortality from 1900 to 2000, worldwide. Some of the numbers are shocking... But the most interest information is in the Infectious Disease section. Nearly 1.7 billion people have died from infectious diseases. Some of the more interesting numbers are: Diphtheria–0.76 million deaths Hepatitis B–12.7 million deaths Measles–96.7 million deaths Meningitis-21.9 million deaths Polio–0.13 million deaths Smallpox–400 million deaths (yes, 400 million) Tetanus–37.1 million deaths Whooping cough–38.1 million deaths Vaccines are life savers and a tool that should not be ignored or thrown out. There may be problems with some but they are too important and saved too many lives to ignore.

My research indicates vaccines have saved the lives of 10's of millions and prevented the suffering of many more. I'm not saying all vaccines are equally good, I'm glad the mercury compound used as a preservative was abandoned. All in all, in total imo we're much better for having vaccination. For me a no brainer, small pox, malaria, measles used to kill off millions of people a year. Polio was a terrible scourge that killed and crippled 100s of thousand. Whooping cough similarly. My hat is off to vaccination, in my opinion its fantastic. I think without them we'd return to the dark old days when millions died and suffered needlessly. I think the serious researcher, looking at the numbers will find vaccination is the way to go. I'm glad the Chinese have looked at the data and are vaccinating. A country without a huge medical industry persuaded by the facts.

The last year or two I've been spotting more snakes on my walks in the Chicagoland forest preserves. Its a good thing..

After I've meditated for a while and in a good groove I tend to be much less reactionary. The sudden bark or blast won't make me jump. Strangely its the same with brushing my teeth. When I'm in the zone its impossible to trigger the gag reflex, but when I'm in a hurry or poor state of mind it triggers much easier.

I'd add there are problems with looking for 'perfect'. One, you might never find it, or find it and its not recipricated, or discover 'perfect' is not forever or being perceived as perfect is an unwanted burden. There is beauty in the imperfect, maybe because of it. There is a journey and evolution that goes on in all relationships; and in a changing world, the journey and sharing is goal enough.

in weighing the value of things you have to look at the alternatives. If you hadn't gone to (and spent the usually large amount of money) on college, what do you think you'd most likely have been doing over those years?

To me, the big detail is fraud or not, he's bad news and such study would probably only bare rotten fruit. Even if he was levitating around, you can't let that over come the manipulation and tinge of perverted nastiness.

This kind of publicity stunt probably generates more ill will then good. Right now there are probably dozens of right wing and redneck sites publishing this and mobilizing action to fight such double reverse racism.

Here's a good thread with Doc Morris info: http://thedaobums.com/topic/30975-looking-for-some-legit-advice-on-kundalini-and-cultivation/?p=611906

But it's Oonn the internet. and didn't I read about king herod using micro chips on babies in genesis 64?? Cracked.com does continual articles on this weeks bullshit news on the internet. Factcheck.org does intelligent fact checking for political writings on all sides.

God, we're maturing like fine wine.. 51 in October.

Our destiny lies in our choices not in our stars.