Nearly Half of All The World’s Primates at Risk of Extinction

· Study paints bleak picture for hundreds of species
· Loss of habitat and boom in bushmeat trade blamed

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/05/10813/

Giant Toads and Colossal Squid... Whatever Next?

To start with 'Toadzilla'... I have mixed feelings about introducing such a poisonous animal into the ecosystem. It is well documented that both the Cane Toad and it's offspring are very toxic if ingested by other animals. Introduction of this 'now considered pest' also rippled negative effects to farmers and other native species to this environment. "Both eggs and tadpoles are toxic to many animals. This toxic protection remains at all life stages and very young cane toads kill small reptiles that eat them (Wiki)." Our need to control nature, without taking each and every variable into consideration, turns around to bite us in the rear more often than not. This narrow vision of reality does not take all factors into consideration.

As for the half-ton Colossal squid hauled from the deep sea? Can't we let anything be? It would have been a much more interesting story if it turned around and swallowed the ship! Just kidding (or am I)?

What Significance for Chimps 'Making Tools'?

Makes perfect sense to me. I think the funny part of it all is the significance placed on the study of it. We are so closely related that it would be more absurd to think that chimps don't use tools. I actually feel that we could learn a lot more from studying their behavioral patterns and how they care for their home rather than destroy it. How many creatures do you see that have this pattern of behavior?

What does concern me is the severity in which their habitat is being destroyed for our so called 'needs'. It is truly a brutal world that corporations can have so much control that they can destroy the planet at such an alarming rate. It's truly horrendous how often you see that the leaders in some of these major corporations fluctuate so rapidly between government officials and decision makers for these businesses. Where is the separation? Hopefully, very soon, the chimps can design some tools that will destroy corporate greed... haven't these folks ever read the 'Lorax'?

Laughter the Best Medicine... Yes!

I definitely agree that laughter is the best medicine. And let me add my feelings towards the simplicity of life's greatest prescriptions, laughter and breathing. We are constantly searching for that magic pill to take life's woes away, when we embody it completely and totally. It is so simple it almost feels like a joke (so start laughing... it will greatly reduce your risk of dis-ease!). We have been so trained to look outside ourselves for the solution, when in all actuality we embody the true elixir to life... our own fountain of youth.

It brings to mind the story of the journalist Norman Cousins'. On his path through life he learned the Qigong of positive emotions which he believed 'was the key to human beings' success in fighting illness'. His struggle with this illness is detailed in the book and movie Anatomy of an Illness.

"Told that he had little chance of surviving, Cousins developed a recovery program incorporating megadoses of Vitamin C, along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter induced by Marx Brothers films. "I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep," he reported. "When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would
switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."

For us 'left-brainers' that need a detailed explanation, it has been proven that laughter can raise the levels of immune-boosting hormones in the blood and the benefits can last for up to 24 hours. Laughter and positive emotions were also proven to diminish the secretion of the body's stress hormones, cortisol and epinephrine, which have been shown to weaken the immune system's response to viruses and tumors.

I will end with a simple yet profound Qigong exercise I learned in my Chi Nei Tsang studies:

Take 20 minutes (yes, even you can find the time). Shut off your phone and any other
distractions (you are worth it). Find the most comfortable position for yourself, sitting, lying or standing. Start by feeling your entire breath, all the way down to your toes. With each exhale see the stress leaving through your body. Now, picture someone's face in front of you (eyes closed). Someone or something that brings a great big smile to your face. Feel that smile penetrate every part of your body, down to your DNA. And now, start to laugh, like you are sharing the most funny moment together. Keep laughing... I know, it sounds corny, so just laugh out of the corniness of it if you must! Keep it up as long as possible, just keep laughing and smiling into your entire being. I even make the bubble larger than myself and embody the Earth into it as well, we all know she needs it too! Laugh your way back to health! Hai!

Can 'Carbon Offsets' Work Effectively?

As with everything there are many levels to consider. It is a beneficial gesture to contribute to organizations which are dealing with climate issues, but overall, if you look at the larger picture the climate is still being affected. I feel there needs to be more extreme measures to curb airline travel. With modern technology, there are many of these meetings which can be done with a conference call and with live visual recordings if necessary. These representatives should be setting an example instead of adopting nicknames like 'air miles Margaret'. We need to elect representatives that are moving on the path of solution to this very serious issue. Each individual needs to start seeing what changes they can make to help save this planet and acting effectively to make these differences. Every living being plays a role.

How Would I Deal With the 'Global Crisis in Diet?'

I feel that first and foremost people should take responsibility for their own choices. They should inform themselves about their diet. Know where their food comes from, how far a distance it has to travel before arriving in their mouth, and learn about the 'extra' ingredients added. Restaurants should have to post all dietary information and make it available to the consumer, including any foods which are genetically modified. All preservatives should be required on the list as well. It should also be noted if any of these food products caused any devastation environmentally. Any advertisement should have to list the ingredients and dietary information as well as health warnings, like they have to advertise for cigarettes. They should not be allowed to target children in their advertisements or be allowed to include a free toy or game upon purchase. This is a set-up. Children under 18 years of age should not be allowed to consume these ingredients until they are old enough to make mature decisions on what they are consuming. I would also make it unlawful to have a playground inside your establishment, another decoy. This may all sound a bit extreme but these fast food chains need to be held accountable. They are not here to provide any of us with a healthy nourishing meal, they are here to just make a buck. The times need to be a changin'.

'New Pill' Promises to Reduce Breast Cancer?

Whoaaa! Hold on, not so fast. That is my impression. To say that this pill may reduce breast cancer bypasses a lot of other information that isn't so promising for this 'new pill'. Mifepristone is based on the pill RU-486, designed by the Roussel Uclaf company, which has been used to terminate pregnancies. The side-effects are alarming as well. Abdominal pain, uterine cramping, and abnormal bleeding are just a few to name. It has also been said to stop periods which should be another red flag. In extreme cases, in much larger doses, it has lead to the deaths of eight women in the U.S. The FDA's prescribing information also states that there is 'no data on the safety and efficacy of mifepristone in women with chronic medical conditions'. I would encourage them to develop a more natural approach to contraceptives. An approach that would not have these dangerous side-effects. Once again, if more awareness is brought to our natural rhythms and knowledge of our monthly cycles, a solution can be re-discovered that would be more in-tune with our bodies. One that wouldn't cause these abnormal conditions. There are many other natural approaches to birth control as well as ways to reduce your risk of getting breast cancer without having to take pharmaceutical drugs.