Just watched a video clip from someone who made the very valid point that if the media want you to look one way, look the other way to discover from what they are attempting to distract you.
Rome Fell
Forget Me Not
“When I’m dead and long gone,
Think of me, forget me not.”
She said this to her new boyfriend.
Hoping for good time till the end.
He laughed and he smiled,
Nodding his head all the while.
“When I’m dead and long gone,
Sing for me, forget me not.”
She spoke this to her fiance.
Wishing for luck to come their way.
He nodded his head and kissed her lips,
Loving each and every moment like this.
“When I’m dead and long gone,
Laugh with me, forget me not.”
She whispered this to the new father,
Watching him hold their new little daughter.
With tear of joy in his chocolate brown eyes,
He kissed her soundly, smiling bright.
“When I’m dead and long gone,
Dance for me, forget me not.”
She said to him, both old in age,
Celebrating their grandson’s birthday today.
He took her lovingly into his arms,
Humming whilst keeping her safe and warm.
“When I’m dead and long gone,
Always remember, forget me not.”
She said to him, lying sick in bed,
A heavy fever upon her head.
He laid down beside her, holding her hand,
Praying for a healing touch to land.
But, on that Sunday, in late May,
She was there… lying as if in sleep.
He stood there, caressing her cheek in dismay,
Wanting her back in his arms, gentle and sweet.
And, knowing she wouldn’t come back, he knelt down,
His head positioned in a bow…
“You may be dead and soon to be long gone,
But I’ll see you there, I’ve forgotten you not.”
Since those words, the years have flown by,
The sun and clouds still grace the sky.
In the field of lilacs, where they buried her,
Another stone sits beside the other.
Linked by a chain made of flowers,
Those that were picked by their daughter,
A single verse stands out as if on an alter…
“When I’m dead and long gone,
Think of me, forget me not.”
To this day, the words shine in the sun.
Glittering rapidly as though the couple were having fun.
You’ll notice something else if you look.
Pretty little flowers kept within the nook.
There are no lilies or roses in this spot…
No…
the chain that ties time are forget me nots.
How Lactobacillus Protects Your Health
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Several studies have found that different strains of the Lactobacillacea family are diminished in people with anxiety and depression, and others have confirmed that different species of Lactobacillus can help prevent and/or treat these conditions
- Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine discovered that Lactobacillus bacteria — found in many fermented foods, including yogurt — helps dampen stress responses and prevent depression and anxiety by modulating levels of an immune mediator called interferon gamma (IFNγ). In other words, these beneficial bacteria help “tune” your immune system
- Another recent paper describes how Lactobacillus inhibits the growth of gram-negative endotoxin-producing bacteria through a process known as competitive inhibition, and eliminating endotoxin is crucial for health
- Endotoxin is one of several factors that impairs mitochondrial function, promotes glycolysis and, ultimately, promotes cancer metabolism
- Lactobacilli also benefit your health by breaking down dietary fiber into beneficial short-chain fatty acids, breaking down phytonutrients such as polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, promoting the growth of other beneficial gut microbes, and maintaining an appropriate pH level in your gut
I’ve often recommended traditionally fermented foods for their ability to “reseed” your gut with healthy bacteria. A healthy gut microbiome, in turn, can help ameliorate or reverse many chronic health conditions, as so much of your health is dependent on and can be traced back to your gut.
Even many mental health problems have in recent years been linked to gut health. Several studies1 have found that different strains of the Lactobacillacea2 family in particular are diminished in people with anxiety and depression. Others have confirmed that different species of Lactobacillus can help prevent and/or treat these conditions. So much so, Lactobacillus has been dubbed a “psychobiotic.”3
For instance, one 2011 study4 found that the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus has a marked effect on GABA levels in certain brain regions and lowers the stress-induced hormone corticosterone, resulting in reduced anxiety- and depression-related behavior.
How Lactobacillus Regulates Your Mood
Most recently, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine discovered5 that Lactobacillus bacteria — found in many fermented foods, including yogurt — helps dampen stress responses and prevent depression and anxiety by tuning your immune system. As reported by SciTech Daily:6
“The new research from UVA’s Alban Gaultier, Ph.D., and collaborators is notable because it pinpoints the role of Lactobacillus, separating it out from all the other microorganisms that naturally live in and on our bodies …
Our guts are naturally home to countless bacteria, fungi, and viruses … scientists have increasingly realized that these tiny organisms and their endless interactions are critical to our immune systems’ health, our mental health, and many other facets of our well-being.
Disruptions of the microbiota, whether from illness, poor diet, or other causes, are known to contribute to many diseases and even help cancer spread …
Early attempts to manipulate the gut flora with beneficial bacteria, called probiotics, have produced mixed results. A big part of the problem has been the sheer complexity of the microbiome … Gaultier and his team took an innovative approach to hone in on Lactobacilli …
Gaultier and his team decided to continue their depression research using … two strains of Lactobacillus [L. intestinalis and L. murinus] … Gaultier and his colleagues were able to explain exactly how Lactobacilli influence behavior, and how a lack of the bacteria can worsen depression and anxiety.”
According to these findings, one of the primary ways in which Lactobacillus helps prevent depression and regulate your body’s response to stress is by modulating levels of an immune mediator called interferon gamma (IFNγ). As explained by the authors:7
“… we found that the Lactobacillus species themselves, and not the disrupted microbial communities, are protective from environmental stressors. Further, we determine that Lactobacillacea are maintaining homeostatic IFNγ levels which are mediating these behavioral and circuit level responses …
By utilizing mice lacking Lactobacilli from birth, we found that Type 1 adaptive immunity is important as a primary mediating factor in stress resistance.
Building off a body of work showing that Lactobacillus is necessary for the maintenance of systemic IFNγ, we further demonstrate that both Lactobacilli and IFNγ are necessary for resilience to environmental stressors.”
Lactobacillus Prevents Endotoxin Production
Another recent paper,8 published in April 2022, describes how Lactobacillus inhibits the growth of gram-negative endotoxin-producing bacteria through a process known as competitive inhibition, and eliminating endotoxin is crucial for health in several respects.
Endotoxin, also known as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is produced by gram-negative bacteria in your gut. As explained in several recent articles, endotoxin is one of several factors that destroys mitochondrial function, promotes glycolysis and, ultimately, cancer metabolism.
When complex carbs aren’t digested in your stomach, they travel down to the intestine where they feed these gram-negative bacteria, and as the bacteria grow, multiply and die, they release LPS, which can result in leaky gut, allergic reactions, organ dysfunction and even sepsis.
Endotoxin also catalyzes a series of metabolic reactions that convert tryptophan in your gut to serotonin. Most people think serotonin is good, but mostly, especially higher levels, it is not good for your health. You do not want high levels of serotonin because it’s an antimetabolite.
This means it suppresses your body’s ability to create energy in your mitochondria in the electron transport chain, so you become tired and fatigued, your metabolic rate slows and you gain weight.
To address this vicious cycle, you need to heal and seal your gut. Beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, and beneficial yeast like Saccharomyces boulardii, can all help rein in the endotoxin production through competitive inhibition.
Probiotics such as these also strengthen your intestinal barrier (the “seal” part of “heal and seal your gut”) by increasing mucus production, stimulating release of antimicrobial peptides and increasing tight junction integrity.9
Additionally, they tend to crowd out the gram negative bacteria by occupying space and territory and displacing them in the gut. In microbiology this is termed competitive inhibition and is one the reasons they help decrease endotoxin as there are simply less gram-negative bacteria.
At the same time, you also want to strictly limit your intake of refined sugar and most starches, as these types of carbs tend to feed the bacteria that produce endotoxin, especially if your microbiome is less than optimal. Alcohol is also best avoided, as it too can promote the growth of gram-negative bacteria and the accumulation of endotoxin.
As explained in a 2008 study,10 when gram-negative bacteria metabolize alcohol, they can also produce acetaldehyde, which increases intestinal permeability to endotoxin. In other words, the acetaldehyde facilitates the endotoxins’ entry into your blood circulation.
Other Benefits of Lactobacilli
Lactobacilli also benefit your health by:
- Breaking down dietary fiber into beneficial short-chain fatty acids.
- Breaking down phytonutrients such as polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
- Promoting the growth of other beneficial gut microbes, including bacteria that produce butyrate, which is a fuel source for the cells in your gut lining and inhibits inflammation.11
- Maintaining an appropriate pH level in your gut by producing lactate and acetate from dietary fiber. And, by balancing the acidity in your gut, they encourage the proliferation of beneficial and harmless (commensal) bacteria while minimizing the harmful ones.
Specific strains have also been shown to be particularly beneficial for specific health conditions. For example:12
| L. acidophilus is recommended in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. |
| L. plantarum may ameliorate irritable bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), heart disease, cancer and gastrointestinal problems. It’s also been shown to decrease pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s, including amyloid plaques and tangles.13 |
| L. reuteri can be useful in the treatment of infant colic and leaky gut, and for the prevention of urogenital disease, dental caries and food sensitivities. |
| L. casei can help prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea and clostridium difficile infections, and improve your body’s glucose response. |
| Preliminary animal research suggests L. paracasei might be able to prevent Type 2 diabetes by influencing genes involved in glucose metabolism.14 |
| L. rhamnosus has been shown to help women lose weight.15 |
| A probiotic milk product containing L. acidophilus, L. casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum and L. fermentum was shown to lower highly sensitive c-reactive protein levels (a marker of inflammation) by 18% after 12 weeks in elderly patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.16
Meanwhile, those who got a placebo saw a 45% increase in hs-CRP. The placebo group also continued to decline cognitively, while those who got the probiotics saw significant improvement in their mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores. |
When it comes to mental health, three Lactobacillus species — L. casei, L. helveticus and L. rhamnosus — have been shown to reduce anxiety and depressive behavior. L. helveticus may also improve memory.17
How to Feed the Lactobacillus in Your Gut
The take-home here is that diversity matters, even within a single family of bacteria. The greater the diversity of your gut microbiome, the more likely you are to be able to maintain overall good health. There are three primary ways to increase the number of Lactobacilli and other beneficial bacteria in your gut:18
- Take a high-quality probiotic supplement that contains one or more strains.
- Consume fermented foods such as unpasteurized yogurt or kefir made from raw milk, sour cream, and fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut.
- Eat foods that promote proliferation of Lactobacilli, such as dietary fiber, Konjac flour, wheat bran, buckwheat, barley, apples, walnuts, artichoke and chokeberry.
Originally from: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2023/12/14/lactobacillus-benefits.aspx
How The Banks Get Rich And We Go Broke
When you tender a $50 note to pay a $50 fruit and veggie bill, you pay $50, the seller gets $50 cash. He then spends that on $50 worth of items. Simple, clean and fair.
If instead you pay it by card, the merchant pays a fee to the banks. The amount of the fee varies from merchant to merchant. I have used 1.5% in this example. So you pay your $50 bill by card. It still only costs you $50 but the merchant has received only $49.25 after the bank deduct their fee.
Do that for a month and a half and you can readily see how fast money evaporates out of your and my pockets and transfers magically to the banks.
Starting amount: $50.00
Credit Card Fee: 1.5%
Transaction No. Balance Available After Fee
1 $49.25
2 $48.51
3 $47.78
4 $47.07
5 $46.36
6 $45.67
7 $44.98
8 $44.31
9 $43.64
10 $42.99
11 $42.34
12 $41.71
13 $41.08
14 $40.46
15 $39.86
16 $39.26
17 $38.67
18 $38.09
19 $37.52
20 $36.96
21 $36.40
22 $35.86
23 $35.32
24 $34.79
25 $34.27
26 $33.75
27 $33.25
28 $32.75
29 $32.26
30 $31.77
31 $31.30
32 $30.83
33 $30.36
34 $29.91
35 $29.46
36 $29.02
37 $28.58
38 $28.15
39 $27.73
40 $27.32
41 $26.91
42 $26.50
43 $26.11
44 $25.71
45 $25.33
46 $24.95
At a transaction a day, as you can see from the above figures, in a month and a half the banks have over half what started as a $50 note.
Remember, on the surface this is invisible to the consumer as it is the merchant who pays the credit card fee. Of course the merchant has to build into the cost of his product the cost of the bank fee so you, the consumer, ends up paying for it.
So unless you are comfortable with the banks owning half of everything in less than two months, keep using cash or direct deposit for your purchases!
Trouble In NZ Health System, A NZ Paramedic Shares The Truth…
Several weeks ago I called an ambulance for a sick family member.
While the one Paramedic performed extensive testing, another one just stood watching.
I engaged him in conversation…
I learned that:
*North Shore Hospital is BREAKING Huge numbers of staff are away sick.
*Virtually every night the St Johns Ambulances are “ramped” (e.g. parked in the Ambulance bays, and used as extra “rooms and staff”….no room or staff to admit those brought in).
*The day before our conversation, 20 ambulances were scheduled to be on duty TWELVE of them were not operating due to sick staff.
*YES THEY KNOW….They are frequently running covid vaccinated young people to hospital with chest pain and suspected MYOCARDITIS.
*St Johns is in strife because new graduates join them and work 3 or 4 years, before dumping their Paramedic career and going overseas.
*He referred to our Health Care System as THIRD WORLD.
As posted by NZ and the MRNA on Twitter.
Sometimes It Is Hot
You may know that lots and lots of Australians move to Queensland every year. This is an extract of the diary of one such adventurous soul!
August 31st
Just got transferred with work into our new home in Brisbane!! Now this is a city that knows how to live!! Beautiful, sunny days and warm balmy evenings. What a place! I watched the sunset from a deck chair on the verandah. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my home. I love it here.
September 13th
Really heating up. Got to 35 today. Not a problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun everyday like this. I’m turning into a sun worshiper.
September 30th
Had the backyard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing lawn for me. Another scorcher today, but I love it here.
October 10th
The temperature hasn’t been below 30 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s kind of windy though, but getting used to the heat and humidity is taking longer that I expected.
October 15th
Fell asleep by the pool. Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed 3 days of work. What a daft thing to do. I learnt my lesson though. Got to respect the ol’ sun in a climate like this.
October 20th
I didn’t see Kitty our cat, sneaking into the car before I left this morning. By the time I got to the hot car at lunchtime, Kitty had died and swollen up to the size of a shopping bag and stank out $3,000 worth of leather upholstery. I told the kids that she ran away. The car now smells like Wiskettes and cat poo. I learnt my lesson though. No more pets in this heat.
October 25th
The wind gives me the shits. It feels like a giant bloody blow dryer!! And it’s as hot as hell. The air conditioner is on the blink and the AC repairman charged $200 just to drive over and tell me he needed to order parts.
October 30th
Been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bloody $450,000 house and we can’t even go inside. Why did I ever come here?
November 4th
It’s 35 degrees. Finally got the ol’ air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500 and gets the temperature down to 25, but this bloody humidity makes the house feel like it’s about 30.Stupid repairman. I hate this bloody place.
November 8th
If another smartarse says, “Hot enough for you today?” I’m going to throttle him. Bloody heat. By the time I get to work the car’s radiator is boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet,and I smell like baked cat!!
November 9th
Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts, and sat on the black leather seats in the ol’ car. I thought my arse was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs. Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried arse and baked cat.
November 10th
The weather report might as well be a bloody recording. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 damn months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Doesn’t it ever rain in this damn place? Water rationing will be next, so my $2,000 worth of palms will dry up and blow into the bloody pool. Even the palms can’t live in this heat.
November 14th
Welcome to HELL!!! Temperature got to 38 today. Now the air conditioner in my car has gone. The repairman came to fix it and said, “Hot enough for you today?” My wife had to spend the $2,500 house payment to bail my arse out of jail for assaulting the repairman. Bloody Brisbane. What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here?
December 1st
WHAT????? This is the first day of summer???? You are @#?*@! kidding!
Diary Of A Snow Shoveller
Moved to North Dakota this fall. We heard that summers are fun and winter is beautiful. We think there is no more beautiful a place in the whole world!
December 8 – 6:00 PM It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print. So romantic, we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!
December 9th
We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I’ve ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks.
This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!
December 12th
The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry- we’ll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we’ll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I’ll never want to see snow again. I don’t think that’s possible. Bob is such a nice man, I’m glad he’s our neighbor.
December 14th
Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn’t realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I’ll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn’t huff and puff so.
December 15th
20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4×4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife’s car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that’s silly. We aren’t in Alaska, after all.
December 16th
Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.
December 17th
Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should’ve bought a wood stove, but won’t admit it to her. God! I hate it when she’s right. I can’t believe I’m freezing to death in my own living room.
December 20th
Electricity’s back on, but had another 14 inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but. they said they’re too busy playing hockey. I think they’re lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they’re out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they’re lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he’s lying.
December 22th
Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white shit fell today, and it’s so cold, it probably won’t melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to piss. By the time I got undressed, pissed and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob-who has a plow on his truck-for the rest of the winter, but he says he’s too busy. I think the asshole is lying.
December 23th
Only 2 inches of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts?!! Why didn’t she tell me to do that a month ago. She says she did but I think she’s lying.
December 24th
6 inches – Snow packed so hard by snowplow, l broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snow plow, I’ll drag him through the snow by his balls and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling, and then he comes down the street…at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I’ve just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents…but I was too busy watching for the damn snowplow.
December 25th
Merry f—ing Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn slop tonight – snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she’s a fricking idiot. If I have to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” one more time, I’m going to feed her through a chipper shredder.
December 26th
Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She’s really getting on my nerves.
December 27th
Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $4,400 to replace all my pipes.
December 28th
Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. The BITCH is driving me crazy!!!
December 29th
10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That’s the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?
December 30th
Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars, not only for the beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up his ass. The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted.
December 31st
I set fire to what’s left of the house. No more shoveling.
January 8th
Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed ???
– Author Unknown
The Climate Scam Revealed by COP28
As COP28 draws to an end, it may be the moment to uncover the enormous scam these COPs are, have been and will be – if the fraud is maintained into the uncertain future.
About That Detour
I think this idea can at times be reassuring but I have reservations about it. I think you are a lot more powerful and aware than for which you give yourself credit. I think you engineer a lot more of what happens in your life than you have been led to believe or you may care to admit. You might choose at times to believe that some higher entity is playing an active role but my guess is that you are selling yourself short.
I suspect that if you were to ramp up your recall ability and carefully inspect your past decisions you would find the ones that led you to be exactly where you are right now.
But that is not nearly as important as is learning how to make better decisions so you create the future with which you will be very happy.