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POPSMark Twain's "The War Prayer" In 1904, disgusted by the aftermath of the Spanish-American War and the subsequent Philippine-American War, Mark Twain wrote a short anti-war prose poem called "The War Prayer." His family begged him not to publish it, his friends advised him to bury it, and his publisher rejected it, thinking it too inflammatory for the times. Twain agreed, but instructed that it be published after his death, saying famously: None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth. "The War Prayer" was eventually published after World War I, when its message was more in tune with the times. Now, Washington Monthly's publisher, Markos Kounalakis, who was affected by Twain's words when he covered the war in Yugoslavia in the early 90s, has made "The War Prayer" into a short video for release this Memorial Day weekend. It features stunning illustrations by Akis Dimitrakopoulos and is narrated by Peter Coyote, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Erik Bauersfeld. *
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POPSWild orangutans treat pain with natural anti-inflammatory After using the leaves, the orangutan dropped them, allowing Morrogh-Bernard and her assistant to find out what they were. The leaves belong to a genus called Commelina, a group of plants that orangutans do not eat as part of their normal diet. However, local indigenous people know the plant well, grinding it into a balm and applying it to their skin to treat muscular pain, sore bones and swellings.
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POPSAloe Vera, real or fiction? "THE BOTTOM LINE? Inconclusive. Studies of aloe vera’s effect on burns have produced conflicting findings." Maybe its power lies in what people believe it to be doing, which by itself can have healing powers... ;-)
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POPSFood of the week: Olives Tips for Preparing Olives: To pit olives, press them with the flat side of a broad bladed knife. This will help break the flesh so that you can easily remove the pit with your fingers or the knife. The brine in which olives are packed can be used as a replacement for salted water in recipes. Toss pasta with chopped olives, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs of your choice. Marinate olives in olive oil, lemon zest, coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
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POPSBlame Poverty, Not Pork, for the Swine Flu Rather than supporting economic development in Mexico as means of improving public-health conditions, the greens are content to sit back and exploit the swine flu crisis as another means for advancing their anti-people, anti-business and, yes, anti-environment social and political agenda. Remember, it’s the wealthiest nations that have the cleanest environments. So opposing economic development is essentially a vote for foul air and fetid water.
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POPSAn Aspirin A Day Keep the Doctor Away, Doesn’t It? The idea of preventing coronary artery disease, the forerunner of heart attacks (myocardial infarction, or MI) is well founded. Treating high blood pressure, lowering raised cholesterol levels, losing weight, exercising, and stopping smoking are all effective ways of lowering your chances of having an MI. Aspirin has both anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory effects, both useful properties when it comes to reducing the likelihood of coronary thrombosis, or clotting. Almost all studies have shown an increased risk of hemorrhage with aspirin use. One baby aspirin (81 mg) a day, taken with food, is enough. There's no advantage in taking higher doses for this particular use, and you may well increase the chance of side effects. Go to the article for more details of pros and cons.
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POPSShhhh! Census Worker May Have Committed Suicide * The Democratic Underground quickly posted a ‘Handy Guide to how Republicans and Fox News are responsible for Census worker being hanged'. * Rachel Maddow suggested Sparkman was killed simply because ‘he was a federal employee'. * Time chalked it up to government distrust, a sentiment fanned by ‘talk media, tea parties and white-hot town-hall meetings'. * The Huffington Post immediately assumed this was a case of right-wing paranoia. * True/Slant opined that the body of Sparkman should be shipped to Glenn Beck. * Think Progress pointed the finger at Michelle Bachman and her ‘inflammatory and fear-mongering rhetoric against the Census'. * New York Magazine linked the death to that of ‘some wide-eyed, hysterical woman' named Michelle Bachman. (The irony in this is that the reference to a wide-eyed, hysterical woman was made in an article mentioning Nancy Pelosi).
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POPSI can't say enough about the HEALING Potential of ALOE VERA!
Great Website frominfo on HERBS and their Healing Properties.. Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) Aloe vera Benefits Aloe vera is one of the only known natural vegetarian sources of Vitamin B12, and it contains many minerals vital to the growth process and healthy function of all the body's systems. Numerous studies worldwide indicate that aloe vera is a general tonic for the immune system, helping it to fight illness of all kinds. Various research studies are underway to explore the potential of aloe vera components to boost immunity and combat the HIV virus, and to treat certain types of cancer (particularly leukemia). It may even have a role to play in managing diabetes. Over 200 worldwide scientific research papers have been published on the effects of Aloe vera. The three main categories of research include anti-inflammatory, anti- bacterial, and anti-viral actions of Aloe vera. The juice is said to soothe digestive tract irritations such as colitis, ulcers and irritable bow
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POPSHealing Herbs: Turmeric "The medicinal properties of the turmeric have for millennia been known to the ancient Indians and its medical properties have been expounded in the Ayurvedic texts. It is only in recent years that Western scientists have increasingly recognised the medicinal properties of turmeric. According to a 2005 article in the Wall Street Journal titled, "Common Indian Spice Stirs Hope," research activity into curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is exploding. Two hundred and fifty-six curcumin papers were published in the past year according to a search of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Supplement sales have increased 35% from 2004, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health has four clinical trials underway to study curcumin treatment for pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, Alzheimer's, and colorectal cancer."
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POPSFood of the Week: Spinich Yummy. Spinach, whether bunched or prepackaged, should be washed very well since the leaves and stems tend to collect sand and soil. Before washing, trim off the roots and separate the leaves. Place the spinach in a large bowl of tepid water and swish the leaves around with your hands as this will allow any dirt to become dislodged. Remove the leaves from the water, empty the bowl, refill with clean water and repeat this process until no dirt remains in the water (usually two to three times will do the trick). Cut away any overly thick stems to ensure for more even cooking
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POPSExperts warn against long-term use of common pain pills More: The geriatrics society’s new guidelines say NSAIDs should be considered “rarely” in the population of frail elderly people, and used “with extreme caution” and then only in “highly selected individuals.” For those patients with moderate to severe pain that diminishes the quality of life, opiates may be considered, the guidelines suggest, after both the patient and caregiver are screened for prior substance abuse.
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POPSTape Recording Reveals Vile Rants Of British Mullah Now Choudary —who once called for the Pope to be executed and described the September 11 hijackers as "magnificent martyrs" — could face arrest under anti-terror laws for his evil ranting on the tape, which was passed to the News of the World. Terrorism expert and author Neil Doyle said: "There is no doubt whatever this a rallying cry to would-be British terrorists. "And this is the evidence from his own mouth. There's no doubt that the message he's preaching will eventually convince some impressionable people they should start planning 7/7-type atrocities. "He's certainly becoming the most high-profile cheerleader for al-Qaeda in the UK." When we spoke to Choudary he refused to discuss our recording but admitted he WAS on a recruitment drive. He ranted: "I would like to recruit enough to turn the whole country into an Islamic state within a month...by tomorrow. "You can put that down. I'm trying to recruit 5,000 a week."
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