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British TV host and fashion model Yes, yes, I love eating healthy! But I'm still a girl, and sometimes you just NEEEEEEEDDDDDDD chocolate.
I had weaned myself of the milk chocolate variety (which now just tastes like sugar to me), and i gave up white chocolate (after learning how to cook with it, i realized its basically all fat and sugar and none of the good for you stuff that actual chocolate gives you). So, I've been eating mainly 85% dark chocolate, just a few cubes at a time, just to get my fix. My naturopath actually recommended pushing the cube of chocolate up to the roof of my mouth as it melts, as thats where your taste receptors will send messages to your brain making sure you get maximum enjoyment!
Today i stumbled across this recipe, now i PROMISE you, when people make "alternatives" to the kinds of food we love, they normally taste like cardboard. THIS RECIPE IS HEAVEN! I kid you not! We're talking melt in your mouth, oh dear I've eaten the whole plate, delicious!!! AND…. so simple to make! YIPHEE!
Recipe:
4 tbs raw cacao powder
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2 tsp raw honey
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix with a spoon. Line a tray with parchment paper and spread on the mixture. Freeze for 10 mins. DEVOUR! http://ashaleo.com/recipe-homemade-chocolate/
Things You Shouldn’t Do In Japan
2016.06.23
Writer name : KAMIOKA
Japan is a country that's very concerned about etiquette, so there are manners that you should be aware of. Here are 7 things you should know so your trip can go smoothly and happily. The first three are things that shouldn't be done because they are related to Buddhist funerals so doing them will bring bad luck, while the other four are manners used in daily life.
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1. Awasebashi (passing food from one pair of chopsticks to the other)
Awasebashi is the act of passing food from one pair of chopsticks to the other, such as in the photo when someone is offering you a bite. It's also called "hashiwatashi," and it's a breach of manners that will break the fun atmosphere of your meal. Why is this bad? In Japanese funerals, after the body is cremated, the family members pick the bones from the ashes and pass it to each other using chopsticks. Since awasebashi is reminiscent of that, it is an act that will bring bad luck. So what do you do in the case of the photo below? You ask them to place it on the communal plate so you can pick it up yourself or you pass them a small dish. Under no circumstances do you take food directly from chopstick to chopstick.
2. Tatebashi (standing chopsticks)
Tatebashi is what it's called when chopsticks are placed in a bowl of rice standing up. In Japanese Buddhist funerals, rice is offered to the deceased with the chopsticks standing straight in the bowl. Since it has this funeral connection, it's also a breach of manners to do it in daily life. When you're eating and you want to put your chopsticks down, please use a chopstick rest. If there isn't one, place the end of your chopsticks on a small dish as shown in the photo. If you're using disposable chopsticks, you can also use the paper envelope it comes in as a chopstick rest.
Toby Oxborrow/Flickr
3. When you wear kimono or yukata, the left side goes on top
Since Western shirts have the buttons on the opposite sides depending on the gender, many Japanese people think that kimono or yukata (summer kimono) are meant to be worn with the opposite side on top depending on gender as well. Actually, both men and women are meant to have the left side on the top. If you have the right side on top, you're dressed the way deceased people are dressed for funerals. An easy way to remember it is to wear it so that your right hand can easily touch your chest under the top layer. In this photo of a woman you can see that her right hand should be able to easily slide into her kimono. That's how you know the left side is on top. Please remember that when you wear a kimono or yukata, your right hand should be able to slide into your clothing easily so you know you're wearing it correctly.
File Upload Bot (Magnus Manske)/wikimedia commons
4. Don't bring outside food into restaurants/drinking establishments
Since restaurants are establishments made to offer food and drink, you're meant to eat what they have on hand. Depending on the store, there are places that will let you bring in outside food for a fee but this is not a regular rule. Also, for restaurants, if a customer gets food poisoning then it won't be clear where the customer got it from and the store might have to close temporarily, making it a very big problem. Please only eat food offered at that restaurant. For example, don't bring rice balls to a French restaurant. However, if you're going to a food court, you're relatively free to eat what you want. If there's something you want to bring to eat, please go to a place like a food court. Please consider ordering something from a place in the food court as well.
*Photo is for illustrative purposes.
Carol Lin/Flickr
5. Stand on one side of the escalator
Technically you're not supposed to walk up the escalator, but in Japan it's considered polite to leave one side open for people in a hurry to walk up. When you ride the escalator, please leave the right side available for people. While the rule to leave one side open for people in a hurry is nationwide, standing on the left is the Kanto rule. In Kansai, you stand on the right. This is only a rumor, but it's said that the reason people in Kansai stand on the right is that when the World Expo came to Osaka in 1970, they moved to the right to match Western etiquette. So why do people stand on the left in Kanto? It's said to match Japanese traffic laws, where cars drive on the left so people pass on the right. This might be different from your country.
On escalators vators that aren't wide enough to pass by, please be careful to utilize the escalator when you're in a rush to you avoid accidents. When you walk on them, please make sure to use the handrail.
Miha TAMURA/Flickr
6. Don't speak loudly or use the phone in trains and elevators
It's fun to move around while talking with your friends. But if you get too excited and speak really loudly, it's considered a breach of etiquette in Japan. It is even worse in a small space like an elevator or a train. Speaking in such a loud voice that the people around you can hear you clearly will make others uncomfortable. Also, on trains, there is an announcement asking to put your cell phones on manner mode, to refrain from speaking on the phone, and to turn your phone off entirely when you're by the priority seats. Most Japanese people will hang up their phone quickly or respond by text if their phone rings. Even during the morning rush hours when trains are packed, it's surprisingly quiet. The basis of this rule is to not intrude in on other people's space and cause trouble, something that is very important to Japanese people. While it isn't necessary to ride a super-packed train, please be careful of your volume when you're in public areas.
peter-rabbit/Flickr
7. Trash separation
It's necessary to separate your trash when you're throwing it out. The biggest categories are burnables (raw trash, paper, etc.), non-burnables (pots, glass, etc.), and recyclables (glass bottles, cans, plastic bottles, newspapers, cardboards, etc.). Also, depending on the organization dealing with the trash, it might separate food trays that comes with pre-prepared foods bought at the supermarket separately from burnables, or non-burnables might be separated into even more specific categories. Please be aware of what it's like in the area you're staying in. Something that you'll see often is trash cans by vending machines that separate plastic bottles and cans. At convenience stores, there are garbage cans with illustrations representing which trash they're for so please try to use them without making a mistake. Being able to fully enjoy your trip sightseeing in Japan while participating in keeping the country clean is truly a great thing. Please separate your trash.
鈴木 宏一/Flickr
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Please remember and abide by these Japanese manners during your stay.
*Please note that the information in this article is from the time of writing or publication and may differ from the latest information.
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Arkaim: What ‘Swastika City’ Tells Us About Aryan Origins
Wednesday, 07 December 2016 09:43
Minhera Elen
Minhera Elen
Zon Staff
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Until recently the search for the Proto-Indo-European, or the Proto-Aryan homeland has taken on the same futility as the endless search for Atlantis. It has become the ever present thorn in the side of professional academics and amateurs alike. WWII expert and contributor to The Barnes Review, Marc Roland wrote:
arkaim-a-russian-stonehenge
Ancient History’s great mystery is its beginning.”
A South Russian legend speaks to us of a long lost sacred city of the East. This forgotten citadel was ruled by the legendary King Yama. This ancient monarch ruled over the Aryans at a juncture in prehistory which the ancient Egyptians call Zep Tepi, or the First Time, some 10,000 years B.C when the gods walked beside men, a golden age of fantastic wonders. According to the legend, there will come to pass a future age when the Aryans will reassert themselves and the gods will again return to Earth, and the ancient Aryans will become the center of world civilization.
Just north of Kazakhstan, near the Ural Mountains of Russia, are ruins of an ancestral land of cities known as Arkaim. Here “the structures man built on the ground are said to mirror the heavens above.” The religious scholar Mircea Eliade, in A History of Religious Ideas writes:
For more than a century, scholars have made every effort to identify the original homeland of the Indo-Europeans, to decipher their protohistory, and to clarify the phases of their migrations. Their land of origin has been sought in northern and central Europe, in the Russian steppes, in central Asia, in Antatolia etc. It is generally agreed today to localize the home of the Indo-Europeans in the regions north of the Black Sea, between the Carpathians and the Caucuses.”
Most scientists trace their origin to the Kurgan culture of that area. On February 18, 2015, Science Daily reported:
Linguists have long agreed that languages from English to Greek to Hindi, known as ‘Indo-European Languages’, are the modern descendants of a new language family that first emerged from a common ancestor spoken thousands of years ago. Now, a new study gives us more information on when and where it was most likely used. Using data from over 150 languages, linguists provide evidence that this ancestor language originated 5,500 – 6,500 years ago in the Pontic Caspian Steppe.”
This Bronze Age pre-literate Aryan civilization may be that long-searched for Proto-Indo-European homeland. Arkaim demonstrates a level of archaeo-astronomical and architectural sophistication that is amazingly sophisticated for its age. Could this be the point of origin of ancient white civilization? Archaeologists date it as early as 5600 B.C., but some suspect that this ancient site could be far older still. Academics have long held that the earliest civilizations first sprang in the Fertile Crescent region of Mesopotamia, the Nile Delta and the Indus River region around 5,200 years ago. We know from the examination of skeletal remains, most specifically skull measurements and DNA extractions of those remains, that these cultures were the by-product of the Old European or Mediterranean civilization, not Semitic culture as is the emphasis of many academics.
picture2-5-2
Recently, especially with the discovery by the late Professor Klaus Schmidt of Gobekli Tepe, we now know that Aryans were already building magnificent structures as early as 9600 B.C, in Turkey. Could the dating of Arkaim be at all incorrect? Could there be traces of an even earlier series of settlements beneath the ruins now known as Arkaim? The level of sophistication it took to build such structures is evidence that there had to already be in place, for many centuries, a system of technological skill capable of such feats. Many of the structures throughout Europe and other parts of the world, have been dated based on the existence on certain organic materials found in or around the site. When the organic materials actually were placed there is not always certain. There is no way of determining the date when great blocks of stone were cut and quarried and put into place. Furthermore, even with organic materials, carbon-14 dating relies on the interaction of certain radioactive isotopes in the atmosphere with the organic molecules. If those interactions were at all different due to different atmospheric conditions that are not present today the age could also be mistaken. It is clear that our methods of dating are not perfectly sound, and that Stonehenge, Callanish, even Gobekli Tepe could date back far earlier. Scholar Kevin MacDonald, editor of The Occidental Quarterly, claimed the white race is some 50,000 years old. Remains corresponding to the Europeans of today, showing the same anatomical pattern, suggest that Europeans could have been building structures many tens of thousands of years into the past. The Sanskrit writings of India describe an infinite remoteness for Aryan prehistory, and a destruction and regeneration of civilization that has been going on for an infinite amount of time. The main focus of any investigation of the lost cities of Arkaim must be how, if this is indeed the Urheimat, the ancestral Proto-Indo-European homeland, what made this great civilization of pre-literate Aryans sprout out in so many different locations, as Marc Roland points. Do their religious beliefs correspond with Indo-Aryan and other Indo-European peoples, their apparent descendants? What caused an end to this impressive civilization? What genetic evidence links them to current Aryan populations of the Earth?
In the Near East, in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates River, the region was first settled around 5000 B.C. by a group of Mediterranean whites and some early Nordic tribes known collectively as the Ubaidians. Marc Roland suggests that the Ubaidians could have possibly evolved from the Samarran culture of what is now northern Iraq (circa 5500-4800 B.C.). As author Arthur Kemp points out, “These original whites were conquered by a new white tribe, the Sumerians, in 3250 B.C. These people gave their name to the region “Sumer.” This means Southerner and they probably were the same group of proto-Aryans who built Gobekli Tepe and the other cities of southern Asia Minor such as Catal Huyok.” “In the centuries that followed their immigration,” Kemp writes, “the country grew rich and powerful. Art and architecture, crafts, and religious and ethical thought flourished.”
Ancient Egypt, despite its current, predominately dark Semitic Arab population, started as a white Mediterranean civilization and many times throughout its early history received an influx of Nordic migrations, followed by at least two Indo-European-speaking populations, which manifested themselves among the ruling elite of Egyptian society. Indo-European invaders aside, Egypt developed its own unique language. Most of the Nordic tribes were not Indo-European-speaking and created a society far different to its Indo-Aryan neighbors to the East. The prehistoric origins of Egyptian civilization can be traced to desert-dwelling Mediterraneans who lived in the deserts, rock faces and caves directly to the south of Upper Egypt near in around were Nubia established itself a few millennia later. These central Saharran Mediterraneans transported their ritual stellar science from Nabta Playa to the Nile Valley about 6300 B.C.–the standing stones of the Nabta Playa “teaches about the entire prececession cycle of the sky, speaking to its ancient user about two time period—5000 B.C., before then, circa 16,500 BC, brackering the time the ancient Egyptians as Zep Tepi, the first, the origin point of civilization itself.” (Brophy, 140) The source of the English word Aryan comes from the Sanskrit wordarya. The name means “noble” or of “venerable parentage”. In Hindu mythology they were known as the Shining Ones, the symbol of which was the familiar sign of the swastika. Many other cultures also refer to their noble peoples as the Shining Ones. This term also applied to the mortals during the First Time, or Zep Tepi of ancient Egypt, the South American Vericochas, the Seven Sages of Mesopotamia, the Mesoamerican gods such as Quetzalcoatl and Kukalkan and many others. We see a cross-cultural tradition, that can only lead to a common source. What if our tales of great gods who civilized the untamed masses of humanity in remote prehistory were not ancient aliens but in fact an ancient powerful race of human beings, with sophisticated astronomical and astrological knowledge, who gave primitive people technology following a great cataclysm in the distant past?
The Aryan invaders of not only India, but many lands, not military conquest but a voyage of proto-Aryans in a very distant age, seems a far cry from the visions of the 19th century. Marc Roland writes:
Until the late 20th century, prehistorians portrayed the invaders as crude barbarians belonging to a relatively backward society, culturally inferior to the Indus Valley civilizers they displaced. That depiction was discarded in summer 1987, when Russian archaeologist, Gennady Borisovich Zdanovich, led his colleagues from Chelyabinsk, a major industrial city located on the border of Europe and Asia, into the remoteness of the soouthern Urals steppe. They weere part of a larger team of scientists surveying the region in advanced of its flooding to make way for an extensive resrvoir project.”
This site exploded with finds. It soon became a hub of one of the most significant archaeological and cultural sites in all of Mother Russia. There is a certain degree of silence concerning Arkaim to the outside world. Despite the fact that 4,000 tourists visit it each Summer Solstice, its pet name “Swastika City” might be the reason Westerners turn a cold shoulder to it. But it is of tremendous significance to the West regardless. It is pivotal to understanding the development of not only Slavonic history, or that of the Indo-Aryans but of Western Europe in general. If one can imagine, it is here, perhaps more than any other site in the world, that we can see a glimpse of that great ancestral people from which sprung the lords of present humanity. Its name is properly picked, however, since examples of the hooked cross fill the site, ornamenting numerous artifacts. The site itself may even be built based on the shape of a swastika. The fact that the site has numerous burials, featuring some of the oldest known chariots, what Marc Roland calls the panzer tanks of the Bronze Age, dating back to 5600 BC, the oldest known chariots in existence, and other ancient objects which tell the same story, in physical reality, that is described in the Hindu Rig Vedas.
The city seems to have been evacuated. Its is barren. No jewelry, artworks or inscribed texts. The city of Arkaim was set fire to, probably by its own inhabitants. No evidence of conquest, or military operations have been discovered at or near the site. No humans remains have been found either. The site seems to be continuously inhabited for some two centuries, then mysteriously abandoned for some unknown reason.
In his 2012 article, Marc Roland writes:
Archaeologists are sure, however, these settlements derived from the Sintashta-Petrovka culture that dominated the northern Eurasian steppe on the borders of Eastern Europe and Central Asia from 2100 to 1800 B.C. The Sintashta-Petrovka Aryans were inventors of the chariot, hard-riding horsemen, far-ranging cattle-herders, busy copper miners and skilled bronze workers—professions that typified the residents of Arkaim.
A helicopter flight above Arkaim gives you an incredible impression,” sayus Zdanovixch. “The huge concentric circles in the valley are clearly visible. The town and its outskirts are all enclosed in the circles.” (Roland, 2012)
The city itself, suprisingly, is constructed in a similar way to Atlantis, as described by Plato. This might suggest that early, proto-literate Aryan civilization maintained this system of concentric rings in their cities, thereby indicating wherever Atlantis was, whether the Black Sea, the Mediterranean or the Atlantic, that this style is consistent with Aryan design. Furthermore, when one examines the structure of the main city of Arkaim which was the first of many settlements to be discovered, it follows a pattern not dissimilar to the Swastika. One might point out that the earliest known Swastika dates back to 15,000 B.C in Ukraine, carved a piece a mammoth ivory. In fact, the symbol of the swastika may be far older than we think.
The maternal bloodline of today’s white Europeans can be traced back 50,000 years ago to a vast migration from the Pakistani Gulf region. This migration had them skirt around the Libyan and Arabian deserts by penetrating the legendary Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and Euphrates. Just prior to this exodus, around 55,000 – 65,000 years ago, the world had descended into an Ice Age. During this time the Ice Sheets made the Fertile Crescent impossible to pass. Around 51,000 years a 5,000 year warming trend began that provided for a more ariable and sustainable environment which increased the population of South Asia and pushed forth a major migration out of India and westward toward Europe.
The first culture of Europe was known as the Aurignacians, and they were the primary root race of subsequent European populations. This culture, characteristiced by distinctive stone tools, emerged in Europe in Bulgaria some 50,000 years ago. Their path took them up the Danube, into Hungary then Westward into what is now Austria. They also moved southward into Italty, and occupied the Mediterranean coast. They then made their way across the Pyrenees, reaching, eventually, the Portuguese Atlantic coast by 40,000 B.C. At the time of this migration, the Black Sea was a lake, with a western landbridge connecting Europe with the rest of Eurasia. The Caucasus Mountains formed a formidable barrier east of the Black Sea, but many stalwart travelers managed to overcome this obstacle. The Caucuses were linked to sites in the Don River Valley, Russia, dating some 42,000 years ago. This included the site of Kostenki 14. Here, a complete skeleton of an ancient proto-Aryan was discovered. Carbon-14 dating dated the skeleton to between 38,700 to 36,200 years old. It was this skeleton that proved the evolution of the modern Aryan phenotype had already been in the process of forming. This was the earliest discovered human skull in Europe at present. His remains yielded a large amount of viable DNA. The results show he has much in common with European hunter-gatherers of the period but also with a 24,000 year old boy from Mal’ta in Central Siberia. His DNA was unique, however, and was not consistent with modern Europeans. His Y-DNA proved to be haplogroup C1, which is virtually unheard of in modern European populations. His mtDNA haplogroup was U2. Most of the satisfactorily tested mtDNA from Old Stone Age Europeans are consistent with these results. The rest of the DNA seems to have descended from haplogroups found in South Asia, the Indian subcontinent.
Starting around 13,000 years ago there seems to be an explosion of Aryan culture throughout Europe, Central and South Asia and North Africa. It seems to be the result of previous cross pollination of primordial, pre-literate proto-Aryan cultures. Its seems that by 9600 B.C both Gobekli Tepe and the city of Urfa in prehistoric Turkey, as well as sites in Southern Siberia, Afghanistan, Iran and Northern Europe exploded with culture and sophistication. The Sanskrit writings of India may offer a partly mythological explanation to this reality, but one that it is not devoid of scientific evidence to back it up. The Rig Vedas as well as other sacred writings tells us that the civilization of the Aryas, or the Shining Ones, date back to an infinitely ancient time. The ruling class of cultures from Mesoamerica, Indonesia to Egypt, Mesopotamia, Old Persia and India, refer again and again to the Shining Ones or the holiest of peoples.
This author has long maintained the validity of the Aryan Migration Theory, however, when one considers how ancient the various sites around the world are, and how so many are linked to even more ancient sites in both Europe and India, this persistent reliance on the Aryan invasion theory dissipated. Further research pointed to the fact that the earliest migrations of people into Europe began in South Asia, and that there are many legends of a sunken land mass off the coast of India. In the Rig Veda, it was called the lost city of Dwarka, ruled by Krishna the human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. India is the only culture now consisting of non-white Europeans, who have both genetic, historical and linguistic links to Europe as well as a mythology ever closely related to that of Druidism, and many of the mythical gods of European origin. Graham Hancock attempted to explain in his book Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization. “There can be little serious doubt,” Hancock writes, “that the evolution and lengthy survival of the Aryan invasion theory was underpinned by the ingrained conviction on the part of European scholars that the presence in India of a “superior” language such as Sanskrit that was related to European languages must imply a movement of that language from Europe to India in remote prehistory rather than from India to Europe.” But essentially, I believe that is the case, that our civilization, our white Aryan civilization, got its start in India, but not in some remote monsoon swept rain forest but north to the Kush mountains and the Himilayas. Some have stated that the original Nordic race was born from Central Europe to what is now Moscow southwest into Asia minor, that was the birthplace of the white race its official domain. If so, then perhaps Arkaim was not the first habitation but a place in which the Nordic Aryan evolved culturally and linguistically and became the Old Persians, Slavonic and Indo-Aryans.
Source: http://www.renegadetribune.com/arkaim-swastika-city-tells-us-aryan-origins/
Sugar seen as a bigger enemy than fat
Sugar seen as a bigger enemy than fat
Most Americans view sugar as a bigger threat to their health than fat
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In recent years it has become clear that traditional nutritional research blaming high fat diets for a range of health issues, most of all heart disease, were misleading and often wrong. In reality, while excessive fat consumption is indeed risky, sugar has been demonstrated to pose a greater risk to people's health than meat and dairy. New evidence shows, however, that this misconception may not have been entirely accidental: the American sugar industry gave large sums of money to scientists who blamed saturated fat, not sugar, for heart disease.
Research from YouGov shows that most Americans have got the message about the threat of sugar. 61% say that sugar is the worst for your health while only 26% think that fat is the bigger threat.
A majority of every demographic group says that sugar is the biggest threat, but while at least two-thirds of people aged either under 30 or over 65 say that sugar is the biggest threat, less than 60% of people between the ages of 30 and 64 agree. People aged 30 to 44 are the least likely to say that sugar is the bigger threat, while 30% say that fat is a bigger health concern.
Asked how many teaspoons of sugar are safe to consume each day the median response was three, but this is actually more cautious than the American Heart Association, who say that seven teaspoons of sugar is safe for daily consumption.
Full survey results available here.
The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, nicknamed Tianyan, is a radio telescope located in the Dawodang depression, a natural basin in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, southwest China. Wikipedia http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/25/china-unveils-worlds-biggest-radio-telescope-fast-in-search-for-extraterrestrial-life.html OUTER SPACE
China unveils world's biggest radio telescope in search for extraterrestrial life
CNBC.com staff | @CNBC
Sunday, 25 Sep 2016 | 8:32 PM ET
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China debuts world's biggest telescope to find extraterrestrial life
Monday, 26 Sep 2016 | 7:30 AM ET | 00:39
China switched on the world's largest radio telescope on Sunday, officially launching its mission to hunt for extraterrestrial life and explore space.
The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) was launched in a mountainous region of China's Guizhou province, according to state media outlet Xinhua, 17 years after the project was first proposed by Chinese astronomers and more than five years after work began on the $180 million structure.
According to a Xinhua report in August, 8,000 people were moved from their homes to make room for FAST, which is the size of 30 football pitches and made up of 4,450 panels. The displaced villagers were due to be compensated with cash or new housing and offered jobs in tourism or support services around the FAST project, as part of a $269 million relocation budget set aside by the government.
Xinhua described FAST as a "super-sensitive 'ear' capable of spotting very weak messages - if there are any - from space." The media outlet said that in a recent trial, FAST had detected high-quality electromagenitc waves sent from a pulsar about 1,351 light-years from Earth.
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'It's easier to grow grapes in PH than in US, Europe'
By Karen Flores, ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at May 15 2013 11:04 AM | Updated as of May 15 2013 07:18 PM
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MANILA, Philippines – While most Filipinos think that it is impossible to grow grapes in the Philippines because of its warm weather, an expert in viticulture stressed that the country is a better place for the fruit than the United States and Europe -- two places where most of the world’s wines are produced.
Unknown to many, the Philippines has been home to several vineyards, said Avelino Lomboy, who has been growing grapes in the country for more than four decades.
He said some of these are located in La Union, Cebu, Cotabato, Iloilo, Masbate and Nueva Ecija.
“In the Philippines, we have the best climate for grapes, which is 25 to 34 degrees Centigrade,” Lomboy explained. “And the temperatures the whole year round stay that way until winter. In Europe, you only grow [grapes] once a year. Here, you can grow [grapes] the whole year.”
“Grapes grow based on summer, so we have the whole year. Heat is not a problem,” he added, referring to the misconception that grapes need cold weather to grow.
Asked if Baguio is a suitable environment for grapes, Lomboy said: “No, because it’s gloomy. The grapes need sunlight. ‘Yung grapes sa Baguio are coming from La Union. Probably coming from me.”
Lomboy has been tapped to help put up the first vineyard in Tagaytay, a picturesque city that is about two hours away from Manila. The 10-hectare vineyard will be part of Twin Lakes, a real estate project of Global Estate Resorts Inc. The company is a subsidiary of the Andrew Tan-led Alliance Global Inc. which also operates Megaworld, among others.
For the vineyard, Lomboy will be working with local brandy maker Emperador and Spanish brandy house San Bruno, which are both owned by Alliance Global.
A 10-hectare vineyard will be put up in this area. Photo by Karen Flores, ABS-CBNnews.com
“We’re also building a chateau, which means we’ll have our own winery,” explained Harold Geronimo, Megaworld’s director for strategic marketing and communications. “We’ll be storing the grapes and we’ll age them. The company of Mr. Tan will be handling the production of the wines.”
Soil not a problem
Lomboy also reacted to questions about the Philippine soil, one of the most important things to consider when planting grapes.
“There’s no problem with the soil quality here,” he said, adding, “[and even if there is] you can condition the soil, or even replace it.”
The primary concern of viticulturists like him, Lomboy said, is the weather. This, according to him, is what gives the Philippines the edge over countries with cooler temperatures.
“In the Philippines, from planting to first harvest, it’s below one year. In America, it will take you three years. Why? Because of autumn and winter, stop ang growth. Pero ang Pilipinas, tuluy-tuloy ang growth because of the sunlight. Mas madaling mag-grow ng grapes sa Pilipinas,” he said.
First fine wines in PH?
With the project, the Andrew Tan-owned company is expected to produce the country’s first fine wines, said Geronimo, who cited the expertise of Lomboy and their Spanish partners.
“So it’s the best of both worlds, Europe and the Philippines. The Philippines with Mr. Lomboy’s expertise for more than four decades in growing grapes, plus the expertise of those growing grapes in Spain. Bring them together to produce the finest wines in the Philippines, the first finest Philippine wines,” he said.
The products of the planned vineyard – mostly wine and brandy – will be sold by Emperador.
But they are not going to do all the work: Alliance Global is also considering to sell lands to those who might want to plant their own grapes.
The light green area in this model is where The Vineyard, which includes the 10-hectare vineyard, will be built. Photo by Karen Flores, ABS-CBNnews.com
“We are eyeing certain lots within the area which can be used as a vineyard as well by other interested growers,” said Erwin Francis Go, Megaworld’s vice president for sales and marketing.
“So we’re not just confined to our own vineyard – we’re offering it already to others who might want to build their own vineyard here. We have pockets of available land for them to grow their own vineyard,” he added.
As for the taste of local wines, Lomboy said these are generally sweeter than the ones sold in the United States and Europe, and is expected to be a hit among Filipinos.
“Iba ang napro-produce ng tropical countries because of the heat,” he explained. “Mataas ang sugar content kaysa asim. Kaya iba ito sa Europe.”
Merlot, Shiraz, Chardonnay
The vineyard will be situated within a 177-hectare mixed use area, which is aptly called The Vineyard. The property will feature a low-rise hotel and three towers of condominiums labeled Merlot, Chardonnay and Shiraz -- just like the grape varieties.
A look at one of the condominium units in The Vineyard. Photo by Karen Flores, ABS-CBNnews.com
The one- and two-bedroom units are priced between P7 million and P12 million each, depending on the size of the balcony, and will be ready by 2017.
Other establishments are also set to occupy the 1,149-hectare Twin Lakes, from shopping areas and restaurants to retirement homes, schools and nature parks.
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You don’t know what you’re missing if you’ve never owned a Himalayan Pink Salt Lamp. It’s like having an open window – a softly glowing natural source of fresh, clean air – on your desk, in your living room, next to the bed, or anywhere you choose to put it.
Want to own your own Himalayan salt lamps? You can purchase a variety of sizes from this page on Amazon.
Before we dive into the health benefits of using Himalayan pink salt lamps in your home, it may be helpful to first have a brief chemistry lesson: How Salt Lamps Work
All matter (the human body, air, water, etc) is made up of molecules which are made up of atoms which are made up of three types of particles: protons (positive charge), electrons (negative charge), and neutrons (no charge). Electrons orbit their molecules like planets revolve around a star.
Occasionally an electron flies off and when it does, it leaves behind a positively-charged ion whose sole purpose in life becomes to fill the void left by its little lost electron. In other words: it wants to steal a replacement electron from another molecule. Due to differences in molecular structure (number of electrons in the outermost orbit, strength and structure of electron bonds, etc) some materials lose electrons much more easily than others. With this basic understanding of the behaviors of positive and negative ions fresh in your mind, let’s take a look at the top 10 benefits of the Himalayan Pink Salt Lamp. 1. Cleanse & Deodorize the Air
Probably the most well-known benefit – and why the majority of people use them – is due to their incredible power to remove dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and other contaminants from the air. “But how do they do this,” you ask? “It’s just a big chunk of salt with a light bulb inside, right?”
Well yes, but no. There’s much more to it than that.
Himalayan pink salt lamps purify air through the power of hygroscopy, meaning that they attract water molecules from the surrounding environment then absorb those molecules – as well as any foreign particles they may be carrying – into the salt crystal. As the HPS lamp warms up from the heat produced by the light bulb inside, that same water then evaporates back into the air and the trapped particles of dust, pollen, smoke, etc remain locked in the salt.
2. Reduce Allergy & Asthma Symptoms
Because HPS lamps remove microscopic particles of dust, pet dander, mold, mildew and the like from the surrounding air, placing a lamp or two in the rooms where you spend the most time can seriously cut back on allergy symptoms. Even people who suffer from asthma should notice a big difference after a week or two. (In fact, Himalayan pink salt is so good for your airways, there are even HPS Inhalers!)
3. Eases Coughing
When the Himalayan pink salt lamp heats up and begins its hygroscopic cycling of airborne particles, it also changes the charge of the molecules which are released. (Remember our chemistry lesson?) The majority of homes are filled with positively charged ions which aren’t particularly good for a person’s health. The positive ions are created by a number of things, but the primary source for most of us is from our electronics.
One of the health detriments of breathing lots of positive ions in the air is that the cilia (microscopic hairs) which line the trachea (aka windpipe) become sluggish and don’t work as well to keep contaminants out of our lungs. As a Himalayan pink salt lamp absorbs water and particles from the air, it also takes positive ions with them. Then, when the heated salt releases cleansed water vapor back into the air, it also expels negative ions which have the opposite effect on our airways – increasing cilial activity to keep your lungs clear.
What all this means in a nutshell: Besides removing contaminants from the air, Himalayan pink salt lamps also help your body to filter air more efficiently so any foreign particles you do happen to breathe won’t make it into your lungs.
4. Increase Energy Levels
Taking a drive through the countryside with the windows down, spending time at the beach or camping in the mountains, or simply taking a shower first thing in the morning are all things that many people find invigorating. It’s not a coincidence that these are all activities which expose us to increased concentrations of negative ions such as those generated by Himalayan salt lamps. The fact is, positive ions sap our bodies of energy. Unfortunately, it’s all too common for us to try to diagnose the problem as something else entirely.
If you constantly feel tired and don’t know why, try keeping a Himalayan salt lamp in the room or rooms where you spend the most time. After about a week, you should notice a difference.
5. Neutralize Electromagnetic Radiation
Nowadays, most of us are living in a metaphorical ocean of electromagnetic (EM) radiation which flows from our electronics (ie: television, computer, cell phone, tablet, appliances, stereo, etc). While they may be invisible, the long-term effects of EM exposure can be quite serious. Constant exposure to EM radiation is known to increase stress levels, cause chronic fatigue, and decrease the body’s immune response, among other things.
As they emit negative ions into the air, Himalayan salt lamps work to neutralize electromagnetic radiation. Keep one next to the computer, television, and any other electrical devices which you use frequently to reduce the potential danger to you and your family.
6. Better Sleep
Another side effect which results from over-exposure to positive ions in the air is that it robs you of quality sleep. This happens because those positively-charged particles can actually reduce blood and oxygen supply to the brain resulting in irregular sleep patterns. Himalayan pink salt lamps are natural negative ion generators, thus they can help to reverse this problem. Keep one or two around your bedroom to improve the air quality so you can get a better night’s sleep.
Remember, even if you’re like me and you can’t sleep unless the room is totally dark, you can always turn the lamp off at bedtime. Just leave it on for the rest of the day so it can do its work while you’re awake. People in humid climates should be aware that HPS lamps tend to weep when the salt becomes cool. You’ll definitely want to protect surfaces by placing a saucer underneath and be sure to follow the instructions for use and care which should be included with your lamp!
7. Improve Mood & Concentration
Himalayan pink salt lamps are a great way to naturally enhance your mood or to help you relax and unwind at the end of the day. At the same time and on the opposite side of the coin, HPS lamps are great for improving concentration. Again, this is due to the effect of the negative ions on your body, improving blood and oxygen supply to the brain and other organs, as well as providing a boost of serotonin – the neurotransmitter which makes us (literally) feel happy.
8. Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder
In addition to generating negative ions which improve mood and energy levels, the soft, natural light given off by a Himalayan pink salt lamp is close enough to the warm glow of sunshine that they can even be used to relieve the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. This year when the days get shorter, fight back the lethargy by surrounding yourself with a few HPS lamps set on timers.
9. Reduce Static Electricity in the Air
While not a “health benefit” at first glance, static is pesky stuff. It causes stress, embarrassment, and frustration. Static zaps you when you least expect it, as you’re reaching for a door handle, kissing your husband or wife before bed, or trying to pet your dog or cat. Static can give you a bad hair day, make it impossible to clean crumbs or coffee grounds off of the kitchen counter, and even cause you to accidentally go to work with a sock stuck to the back of your shirt…(Okay, so that last one may have been a little over-the-top.) The point is, static electricity can be a huge pain and Himalayan pink salt lamps are a natural way to neutralize the airborne ionized particles which cause it.
10. Environmentally-Friendly Light Source
Last, but not least: Himalayan pink salt lamps are environmentally friendly. While only an estimate, the reserves from which HPS is mined measure somewhere between 80 and 600 million tons and is projected to last for at least another 350 years at the current extraction rate. The base of an HPS lamp is generally carved from a sustainable wood such as neem. Some lamps use a low-wattage bulb which consumes very little energy while others are powered by a lit candle. Choosing & Placing Your Himalayan Pink Salt Lamp
hps-lamp-amazon-206x300When it comes to buying Himalayan pink salt lamps, coverage is determined by the size of the crystal. Smaller lamps are good for the average bedroom, while larger lamps are better for spaces like the living room or den. On average, calculate that 1 lb of HPS crystal will cleanse the air in approximately a 4′ x 4′ area.
If you can’t find a large enough lamp for any given room, remember that you can use multiple lamps spread out around the space for the same effect.
I highly recommend building a whole-home collection of these beautiful lights even if you only buy one or two at a time. Start by purchasing appropriately-sized lamps for those areas where you spend the most time, then move on to rooms with lots of electrical devices, and finish your collection by adding lamps to infrequently-used spaces.
For added variety, consider adding some Himalayan pink salt tea light holders to your HPS collection for a portable air purifier that can move around your house with you.
Remember, Himalayan pink salt crystals will begin to melt with prolonged exposure to high humidity. For this reason, use caution and keep a close watch on any HPS lamps positioned near sources of steam such as dishwashers, laundry machines, or showers.
Also, as previously mentioned, results of negative ion generation may take about a week to be noticeable, so don’t give up if you don’t feel the improvement right away.
More Ways To Purify Home Air
Himalayan pink salt lamps aren’t the only way to improve air quality in your environment. Pair them with air purifying houseplants or any of these other simple, yet brilliant techniques to naturally purify the air in your home so you and your family can breath the healthiest, cleanest air possible!
Then be sure to pick up even more excellent information on how to use Himalayan pink salt (in its non-lamp form) to fortify your health with these 10 Miraculous Benefits Of Himalayan Pink Salt!
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Natural Living Ideas shares some of the best ideas for living a healthier, happier, greener life using the gifts Mother Nature has to offer.
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My Lovely City is an online magazine that has been launched on 3 May 2016, for everyone who want to promote their Country Values, also Personal Values. The name “My Lovely City” is derived and inspired from this concept. This blog gives to everyone all the ideas to be creative & useful. My Lovely City gets you to make up your mind about whatever you are up to, a birthday party, an engagement party, a special holiday, an outfit for a special occasion, recipes, even your pet care ; it’s all in here! Therefore you will find the latest trends about fashion, home décor, outfits, weddings, parties, and more in a click of a button. We will work hard in this project also to promote new Artists like (Painter, Sculptor Architect, Engineer etc..) The best thing of this page is that we will represent different cultural values with video & photos send from YOU. Hope some days with your help we will be big community
Drone Photography Opens New View on Vertical Adventure
Ken Kaplan Executive Editor, Intel iQ Twitter
Andy Mann’s passion for daredevil climbing and multimedia storytelling is reaching new heights since he began using the Yuneec Typhoon H with Intel RealSense technology, a drone that can see.
Being stuck between a rock and hard place is when Andy Mann is at his best. For kicks, he climbs barehanded, wedging fingers and feet into nooks and crannies to scale some of sheerest cliffs Mother Nature has to offer. There are few things the 36-year-old rock climber, diver and arctic explorer likes more than defying gravity and even death…except capturing and creating visual stories about the thrill of these vertical conquests.
He seeks out remote summits with spectacular views, often only seen from the sky. Mann used to capture images from the ground or while clinging to a rock alongside other climbers, but his creativity was unleashed when he bought his first camera-equipped drone.
“Drones are a game changer for my line of work,” he said.
This summer, Mann agreed to test out Yuneec Typhoon H Pro, which has state-of-the-art Intel RealSense 3D camera technology that allows the drone to see and avoid obstacles.
In partnership with Yuneec and Intel, Mann created a video to inspire drone enthusiasts to enter their ideas for a drone video for a chance to win a free drone (ends Aug 30).
Drones expand Mann’s poetic range, giving him more evocative elements for telling compelling stories. Known best for establishing shots that start close up on a subject then zoom our wide to a bird’s-eye view, drones allow filmmakers to use steady pans, tracking, pedestal, fly over and reveal shots that different vertical perspectives, bring more visual drama to particular scenes.
“To be able to give that sense of exposure within the mountains is incredible.”
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He likes flying his drone just behind, to the side or in front of a subject at eye-level, moving at the same pace as the subject, especially through tight environments. It gives viewers a floating feeling and an authentic, human-eye perspective on the wonders of nature.
“I love the ability to back out from a story with an aerial shot and reveal my character within a larger landscape,” he said.
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Mann’s photography has appeared in National Geographic Magazine, NG Adventure, Outside and the New York Times. From his home near Boulder, Colorado, Mann travels the world as executive director at 3 Strings Productions, producing videos and documentaries about human pursuits of extreme outdoor adventures.
His fascination with visual arts started with he was a kid, flipping through photography books in the graphic arts office where his mother worked.
“It wasn’t until age 26 that I hit the road with a camera full time and never looked back.”
Getting his hands on a drone has stretched his imagination for ways to capture stunning perspectives.
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“It is super easy to use,” he said of the Typhoon H Pro.
“It only requires the flip of a switch (to activate Intel RealSense vision technology). You see the robot thinking as it scans its environment, and then it figures out the best path around an object.”
He said with Intel RealSense activated, the Typhoon not only reacts but it actually remembers its environment.
“If it avoids an obstacle once, it will remember the location of the obstacle and automatically know to avoid it in the future. It is especially valuable for me, as I often find myself filming in narrow rock canyons.”
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Mann requires a reliable drone he can take into the deep backcountry, places like Greenland, Antarctica, Africa and Peru.
“I need something light, reliable, safe and 4K,” he said. “I feel comfortable with the Typhoon.”
After a recent visit to The Monastery, a climb site near Boulder, with professional rock climber, Jon Cardwell, Mann knew it was the place to capture footage for his narrated video, “Upward Places.”
“It’s this granite ridge with spires rising 100 feet into the air, overlooking Long’s Peak (14,000) in the background, but you just don’t get a sense of where you are when you’re in the canyons,” he said.
The planning, good weather and excellent execution all lined up to made for a memorable experience.
“Jon was topping out a 5.14 (very difficult rating) climb right as the last kiss of sunlight was hitting the top of the wall.”
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Mann said that his good friend, world champion climber Sasha Digiulian, once told him a pizza delivery on top of a mountain would be amazing after a hard day climbing. While he hasn’t yet used a drone for that, Mann regularly uses one to scout new rock climbs and navigate cliffs to find paths of least resistance.
“I do think search and rescue is one of the biggest benefits of drone technology,” he said.
He has advice for any artist who wants to add a drone to their tool kit: Use a model that’s most comfortable in order to focus on executing creative vision rather than fumbling with unfamiliar gear.
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“Don’t be afraid to crash,” he advised. “It’s going to happen when you’re a beginner pilot. Luckily, most of the time, all that needs repairing are the blades, then you’re back in the sky within moments.”
While new technologies like Intel RealSense make drones easier and safer to fly, Mann believes even the most advanced drones aren’t silver bullets for making great videos.
“If you want to be a good storyteller, first be good on the ground,” he explained. “It all starts with an interesting script. Then move into making pictures. The drone should be one arrow in a large quiver (of filmmaking skills and tools).”
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Drones have evolved a lot since then Mann starting using one a few years ago.
“Drone technology seems to advance with every generation, and that is certainly true with the addition of RealSense,” he said.
“My dream drone would probably combine the current features of the Typhoon H Pro with a small, proprietary camera that has the dynamic range of a RED camera.”
Editor’s note: Go here to watch “Upward Places,” Andy Mann’s video shot using a Yuneec Typhoon H. Follow his work on Instagram and at his website. Learn more about the Yuneec Typhoon H with Intel RealSense Technology in this video.
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SCIENTISTS ARE ABOUT TO TURN ON A SYSTEM THAT CONVERTS ATMOSPHERIC CO2 INTO FUEL
by ALEXA ERICKSON
Source: Collective Evolution
Gases that help capture heat, called “greenhouse gases,” can be emitted from natural sources, while others are anthropogenic, resulting from human activities. The latter has caused a surge in global warming that has wreaked havoc on the wellbeing of our planet, and will continue to do so if we don’t change our practices drastically. In fact, a new study suggests that we could prevent up to 3 million premature deaths annually by the year 2100 if we reduced our emissions.
Many strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions have been developed over the last few years, with the majority involving ways to pump less carbon into the air, but what about the greenhouse gases already suffocating the atmosphere? Swiss company Climeworks has developed carbon capture and storage technology which will suck carbon pollution directly out of the air around us through the world’s first commercial carbon capture plant. They are set to begin operating in September or October of this year out of a newly-built facility near Zurich. The pilot plant will draw and filter CO2 out of ambient air as well as repurpose the gas as a marketable product.
Climeworks will try to sell its CO2 to third parties for use in agricultural processes like growing vegetables, and has considered other partnerships including beverage makers, who would be able to use it to carbonate their drinks.
The direct air capture process Climeworks will use entails collector modules sucking air into a sponge-like filter treated with chemicals acquired from ammonia. As New Scientist explains, “once the filter is saturated, the gas will be released by warming it with the heat generated by a nearby municipal waste incineration plant, then piped to a 4 hectare greenhouse.”
Climeworks aims to extract between 2 and 3 tonnes of CO2 daily, which is about 200 cars annually, but this barely scratches the surface of the roughly 40 billion tonnes of carbon put into the atmosphere each year by human activity. Because of this, the new strategy will only make an impact if it is widely implemented. “The advantage of taking it out of the ambient air is that you can do it wherever you are on the planet,” Climeworks’ chief operating officer Dominique Kronenberg explained. “You don’t depend on a C02 source, so you don’t have high costs transporting it where it is needed.”
Another setback is the price, which is around US$600 per tonne — not an inexpensive solution to reducing CO2 in the atmosphere.
“I think it provides false hope,” engineer Howard Herzog from MIT’s Energy Initiative said. “Why should we expect future generations to adopt significantly more expensive measures to deal with C02?”
Yet despite the skeptics, this focus on direct air capture plants marks a step in the right direction, and the technology has gained a lot of interest. In fact, Canada’s Carbon Engineering and New York-based Global Thermostat are also working on implementing this technology.
“While there is no one silver bullet technology to end climate change, using direct air capture to make fuels is potentially scalable, in a way that biofuels aren’t, because it doesn’t use much land or other resources,” explained Carbon Engineering founder David Keith.
In the meantime, let’s just hope this ambitious technology works to reduce CO2 emissions and aids the world carbon reduction efforts. Aaron L Meileiac via Google+1 week ago - Shared publicly
SCIENTISTS ARE ABOUT TO TURN ON A SYSTEM THAT CONVERTS ATMOSPHERIC CO2 INTO FUEL
by ALEXA ERICKSON Source: Collective Evolution Gases that help capture heat, called “greenhouse gases,” can be emitted from natural sources, while others are anthropogenic, resulting from human activities. The latter has caused a surge in global warming th...
