Crashed UFOs: The Bolivian Affair

November 28, 2011

Mysterious Universe

By Nick Redfern

“Roswell isn’t the only incident of an alleged UFO that has crashed.  Keep an eye on the sky.  We have never been alone.”  –KTRN

Regardless of whether or not UFOs really have crashed to Earth, there can be no doubt that mentioning the words “crashed” and “UFO” in the same sentence inevitably brings the controversial Roswell, New Mexico affair of July 1947 to mind. But, there are numerous other cases on file that could, perhaps, be termed the “little brothers” of Roswell. And even though, as people may know from my Body Snatchers in the Desert book, I’m not a particularly big fan of crashed UFO cases, there are some that even I still find very intriguing, including the following…

The genesis of the affair in question appeared to come from a U.S. Department of State telegram transmitted from the American Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia, to the U.S. Secretary of State, Washington, D.C., on 15 May 1978. Captioned Report of Fallen Space Object, it detailed strange events then afoot in Bolivia.

It began: “The Bolivian newspapers carried this morning an article concerning an unidentified object that apparently recently fell from the sky. The object was discovered near the Bolivian city of Bermejo and was described as egg-shaped, metal and about four meters in diameter. The Bolivian Air Force plans to investigate to determine what the object might be and from where it came. I have expressed our interest and willingness to help. They will advise.”

The author of the report added, with some significance: “Request the department check with appropriate agencies to see if they can shed some light on what this object might be. The general region has had more than its share of reports of UFOs the past week. Request a reply ASAP.”

The Department of State was not the only branch of government that took an interest in the case, as a CIA report – also of 15 May 1978 – makes abundantly clear:

“Many people in this part of the country claim they saw an object which resembled a soccer ball falling behind the mountains on the Argentine-Bolivian border, causing an explosion that shook the earth. This took place on May 6. Around that time some people in San Luis and Mendoza provinces reported seeing a flying saucer squadron flying in formation.”

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The Myths and Reality of Gold Confiscation

November 28, 2011

Free Gold Money Report

By James Turk

There are a number of common misconceptions about the gold confiscation foisted on the American people by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. Most of these have been offered as justification for FDR’s nefarious deed, and over time have endured to become urban legends.

For example, perhaps the biggest and most enduring myth is that FDR had to confiscate gold because it was needed to back the dollar, which was still defined as 23.22 grains of fine gold, i.e., $20.67 per ounce. What the propagators of this popular myth conveniently ignore is basic math.

In December 1932, the US Gold Reserve equaled 204.5 million ounces. This weight was slightly more than the reserve’s average weight of 202.2 million ounces from the October 1929 stock market crash through December 1932, a period that covers the worst of the depression.

After FDR’s election victory in November 1932, rumors began circulating that once in office, FDR would seize the people’s gold. Because of these rumors, which perhaps originated from tips by White House insiders who knew of the confiscation scheme, dollars were redeemed for gold, as was possible at the time, and much of this gold was exported or simply hidden. This point is explained in detail in Milton Friedman’s The Monetary History of the United States.

As a result of these redemptions of paper dollars for physical gold, the US Gold Reserve dropped to 193.3 million ounces by FDR’s inauguration in March 1933. With the confiscation thereafter in place, the outflows stopped, and the reserve began to grow with the metal collected from the confiscation. The reserve reached 195.1 million ounces in January 1934 when FDR re-defined the dollar as only 13.71 grains. It was a 41% devaluation of the dollar, which meant that it thereafter took $35 to exchange for one ounce of gold. So here is the math.

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Why Inflation Is Hitting Baby Boomers Hardest

November 28, 2011

CNBC

By: Antonia van de Velde

UK inflation, currently at 5 percent, is hitting those aged between 45 and 65 known as the baby boomer generation hardest, a new report has found.

If the current level of inflation persists, in 2024 that generation will find that 100 pounds ($156) will lose half its value and will only purchase £49.86 worth of goods and services, M&G Investments economist Anthony Doyle said in a report .

To analyze what the average UK citizen experienced in terms of inflation, Doyle split the population into four categories: student, parent of a young family, baby boomer, and pensioner.

“The basket of goods will differ between a student or a pensioner and hence their respective experience of inflation can be very different,” he said in his report.

His brother’s girlfriend, a university student, his uncle (parent of a young family), his father (baby boomer born in 1956), and his 78-year old grandmother served as examples.

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Adventures in Silver and Gold

November 28, 2011

Strike The Root

By Douglas Herman

Metal, heavy metal is much in the news these days. While heavy radioactive metals are melting down in Japan, the twin precious metals of gold and silver are melting upwards. We are always surrounded by precious metal. It is inside us. Sometimes we sacrifice our more precious mettle inside of us to sweat and sacrifice and finally extract the less valuable gold and silver metal outside us. “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see in nature is ours.” So wrote a man named Wordsworth and he surely knew what words were worth. Precious mettle, rarely radioactive.

I pass precious metal everyday on my walks. Most I pick it up. Aluminum cans, recyclable, required some person to sacrifice a portion of their life to extract that metal from the ground. I pick them up and save them; they’re like free money. And curiously, aluminum serves us far better than gold in our everyday life. But since these discarded cans are considered “trash” by trashy people, lacking in precious mettle, they toss them on the ground.

One day, in the not-too-distant future, ALL landfills will be mined for precious metals. I know for a fact the smallish Kodiak Island landfill contains tens of thousands of dollars worth of easily extracted aluminum, brass, copper, zinc, stainless steel and probably silver and gold. One day this landfill, like thousands of others like it, will be a valuable resource, once we change our way of thinking.

All metals are precious, requiring considerable time and toil to extract. Like the best elements of people, most of their value is overlooked and tossed away casually. Funny, but it has taken me more than 60 years to understand these simple truths. Precious mettle and precious metal share similar qualities that most treasure seekers finally see.

GOLD

Gold will get you killed or make you rich. Mostly gold will make you wiser on the way to getting you killed or getting you rich. In his youth, Mark Twain learned that digging dirt, looking for gold in Aurora Nevada, was much harder work than digging for the right noun or verb. Writing colorful stories paid better than pick and shovel work. Young Sam Clemens, the future Mark Twain, got his writing career started in Aurora by striking a rich vein of nouns and verbs rather than elusive gold nuggets.

America had a golden past once. And a silvery past too. Every ghost town in the American West was once either a gold or silver boom town. Because, once upon a time, all the paper money in America was proudly backed with either gold or silver, and sometimes both. But history, especially the history of empires in decline, are anathema to gold and silver as money. Precious metal is an impertinence, a “barbarous relic” in the memorable words of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. And so empires decline, but gold and silver, as does all precious metal, retains its wealth.

We were on a road trip, not to Aurora Nevada but instead to the Vulture Mine, just north of Phoenix, Arizona. The Vulture Mine ghost town consists of several large old industrial buildings and the ruins of numerous others. More than $200 million in gold was wrenched from the hard rocks of the mine. Eighty years after the discovery in 1863, the Vulture mine closed in 1942, by orders of the US government. Seems gold was less of a strategic mineral than brass and lead at the time.

From the Vulture rose the Phoenix, said a local historian we met there. The boom town of Vulture required supplies shipped from the smaller supply hub of Phoenix. Thus from the Vulture rose the Phoenix.

We stood staring at the remains of the assay office, a two story stone building nearing collapse. According to popular legend, the stone used in the building still contains several million dollars in unrefined gold. I picked up a chunk but didn’t see any indication of wealth, only a sort of ghostly nostalgia.

Behind the building stood the ruins of the mine supervisor’s little office. Shading the walls stood a smallish tree, a hanging tree according to legend. Hard to imagine that 18 men were hung from this little tree for “high-grading,” or pilfering gold from the mine walls. Frontier justice. High grading seems like a far lesser offense than any crime committed by the Masterminds of Wall Street and their willing, wealthy accomplices in D.C. who have high-graded billions from poorer Americans. But then again Joseph Stiglitz said throwing a few Wall Street bankers in jail would serve as a lesson for the rest. “Somebody is caught for a minor drug offense they are sent to prison for a very long time,” said Stiglitz. “And yet, these so-called white-collar crimes, which are not victimless, almost none of these guys, almost none of them, go to prison.” Maybe a hanging tree wouldn’t be such a bad idea, for the crime of epic high-grading, I mean.

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Green Tea Supplements Prevent Flu Better Than Vaccination

November 28, 2011

Natural News

By Ethan Evers

“Only people who are misinformed and brainwashed get a flu shot.  Try some green tea – or better yet, how bout some Vitamin D3?”  –KTRN

Flu season is now in full swing and seasonal vaccinations are being pushed from every corner. Nonetheless, a recent clinical trial showed that green tea-based supplements reduced the risk of flu by 75%. This is far better than the 60% risk reduction recently reported in the Lancet for vaccinations. Given that green tea provides a host of other health benefits and none of the risks of injections, it would appear to be a far superior alternative to vaccination.

Green Tea: Natural Antiviral and Immune Enhancer
For many years it has been known that green tea polyphenols actively suppress many bacterial, fungal and viral species. On the virus front, green tea suppresses the adenovirus, Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, HIV-1 and influenza viruses. EGCG, one of the main polyphenols in green tea, is mainly responsible for this suppression. Specifically, ECGC binds to the hemagglutinin of the influenza virus, which blocks it from attaching to (and infecting) target receptor cells. EGCG also alters the virus cell membrane, which further inhibits its ability to infect other cells. Another important component of green tea is the amino acid L-theanine, which has been shown to activate human gamma-delta-T lymphocytes to proliferate and make interferon-gamma, a potent antimicrobial cytokine. These lymphocytes are considered to be the body’s first line of defence against infection. Green tea therefore offers a two-pronged protection from the flu which vaccination simply cannot match. But for final proof, we need clinical trials.

Green Tea Lowers Flu Risk: Early Clinical Evidence
One early trial using green tea against the flu involved gargling three times daily with a weak solution of green tea (50 mg of catechins per cup, of which 60% was EGCG). The theory was that since the throat was a major infection site of influenza, gargling could stop the flu virus there. The theory was right: 1.3% of garglers contracted the flu vs. 10% of the control group. In another more sophisticated trial on 97 healthy adults, a proprietary blend of theanine and green tea polyphenols (apparently worth about 10 cups of green tea per day, but exact amounts were not disclosed) was used for three months during flu season. This trial was randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled. The supplement takers experienced 32% less illnesses and 35% fewer “symptom days.” However, participants were included in the statistical analysis even if their compliance (actually taking the green tea pills) was only 70%.

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U.S. Ranks 28th In Life Expectancy While It Pays The MOST For Health Care

November 28, 2011

The Daily Mail

By Daily Mail Reporter

“If mainstream medical care was effective, than the US should be the healthiest country in the world. Sadly, we are one of the sickest.” –KTRN

A new survey on health care is revealing that you may not be getting what you pay for if you check into a U.S. hospital.

The U.S. healthcare system is more effective at delivering high costs than quality care than other developed nations, according to the study, conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD.

It found first-rate treatment for cancer but insufficient primary care for other ailments.

The study said Americans pay more than $7,900 per person for healthcare each year – far more than any other OECD country – but still die earlier than their peers in the industrialized world.

The cost of healthcare in the United States is 62 percent higher than that in Switzerland, which has a similar per capita income and also relies substantially on private health insurance.

Meanwhile, Americans receive comparatively little actual care, despite sky-high prices driven by expensive tests and procedures.

They also spend more tax money on healthcare than most other countries, the study showed.

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Olympic Canoeists Introduce Honey To Diet To Boost Recovery

November 28, 2011

The Telegraph

By Andy Bloxham

“Someone better call the FDA. Olympic athletes are using honey to help them recover. Quick – honey is now a drug. Let’s get a patent.” –KTRN

Jon Schofield, Liam Heath and Rachel Cawthorn trialling the honey as part of their preparations for the London Games next year.

The idea is that the honey could help fat burning and post-training recuperation as it fuels the body’s nightly repair and recovery processes.

According to researchers, the body burns more fat during the first four hours of sleep than it does during any other activity, including exercise.

But foods rich in fructose, such as honey and dried fruits, may prolong the process if eaten before bed.

However, the manufacturers claim the “Active Chilean Rainforest Honey” is better than normal honey, partly because it is unpasteurised, which helps retain the maximum nutritional benefit.

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Taking Just a Little Too Much Tylenol Each Time Can Be Deadly

November 28, 2011

Time

By Maia Szalavitz

“Try this: never take Tylenol again and you won’t even have to be concerned with this.  Duh!” –KTRN

Taking just a little bit too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) over the course of days or weeks is more likely to be fatal than taking a single, massive overdose, according to a new study. In part, that’s because when people take such a “staggered overdose,” physicians aren’t always able to identify the problem in time to help.

Acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world, with 28 billion doses purchased in the U.S. in 2005 alone. But its very familiarity can obscure the fact that it is a powerful drug, and that taking only slightly higher than recommended doses can cause potentially fatal liver damage. Tylenol overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the U.S., leading to 26,000 hospitalizations and nearly 500 deaths annually, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The new study, led by Dr. Kenneth Simpson of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, followed 663 hospital patients who had suffered from acetaminophen overdose between 1992 and 2008. Of these patients, 161 had taken a staggered overdose, increasingly escalating their use of painkillers containing acetaminophen to treat common pain like toothache, headache and muscle pain.

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7 Natural Cures for Migraines

November 28, 2011

MSN

By Nikki Jong

“There are natural and non-drug cures for everything.  I have a friend who suffers from migraines.  The doctors have her on so many drugs – no wonder she is still sick.  She doesn’t want to try any natural remedies and she still eats meatloaf.  Doctor’s orders.”  –Chris Davis KTRN

For most people who experience an occasional headache, a couple of aspirin will usually do the trick. Migraine sufferers don’t have it so easy. Not only do many migraine meds have side effects that range from nausea and stomach ulcers to an increased risk of stroke and even heart attack, but up to two-thirds of users have also reported that they don’t deliver satisfactory results.

What to do? Plenty, according to the latest research.

Although researchers haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly why migraines strike, they do understand the physiological changes that occur when a migraine hits. When the nerve cells in the brain become overstimulated, they release chemicals that cause inflammation and swelling in the blood vessels in the neck and brain. The cures listed below work by addressing these issues. Here are seven surprising natural cures for migraines that help prevent and reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks.

1. Exercise

Exercise has long been recommended to migraine sufferers, and now there’s new evidence to support the theory that physical activity appears to help prevent migraines. In a 2011 randomized, controlled study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, researchers found that aerobic exercise was as effective at preventing migraines as the preventive migraine medication topiramate (brand name Topamax). A third of the patients in the three-month study exercised on a stationary bike three times per week for 40 minutes, while another third took a topiramate regimen that was gradually increased to the highest tolerable dose (a maximum of 200 milligrams per day).

The exercisers and drug group both experienced a similar reduced number of migraines, but 33 percent of topiramate users also experienced adverse side effects, while the exercisers reported none. The researchers concluded that regular exercise may be an option for migraine sufferers who don’t want to adhere to a daily medication regimen, and the medical community agrees that the findings are encouraging.

How it helps: Regular, gentle exercise helps to reduce tension and ward off stress, a well-known trigger for many migraine sufferers. Exercise also triggers the release of endorphins, which act as a mild sedative.

How much helps: The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, ideally spread out over the course of the week. Beware that intense exercise can actually trigger rather than prevent migraine, so don’t overdo it.

Click here for the full report.

Leaked UN Report Reveals Torture, Lynchings And Abuse In Post-Gaddafi Libya

November 28, 2011

The Independent

By Kim Sengupta, Solomon Hughes

“Our efforts in Libya sure don’t seem to be paying off.  Not much has changed there is seems.”  –KTRN

Thousands of people, including women and children, are being illegally detained by rebel militias in Libya, according to a report by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Many of the prisoners are suffering torture and systematic mistreatment while being held in private jails outside the control of the country’s new government.

The document, seen by The Independent, states that while political prisoners being held by the Gaddafi regime have been released, their places have been taken by up to 7,000 new “enemies of the state”, “disappeared” in a dysfunctional system, with no recourse to the law.

The report will come as uncomfortable reading for the Western governments, including Britain, which backed the campaign to oust Gaddafi. A UN resolution was secured in March in order to protect civilians from abuses by the regime, which was at the time mercilessly suppressing the uprising against the Gaddafi regime.

There was evidence, says the report by Ban Ki-moon, due to be presented to the Security Council, that both sides committed acts amounting war crimes in the bitter battle for Colonel Gaddafi’s hometown, Sirte. The Secretary-General who recently visited Libya, echoes the concern expressed by many world leaders over the killing of the former dictator by rebel fighters pointing out that Gaddafi was captured alive before being put to death.

The report also stresses that it is a matter of great praise that the country has been liberated after 42 years of totalitarian rule. The victorious opposition – which formed a new interim government this week – fully intends to follow a democratic path and introduce a functioning legal system, he says. The report is due to be circulated among members of the UN Security Council, and discussed next week.

However, Ban Ki-moon also presents a grim scenario of the growing power of the armed militias that control of the streets of many towns, including those of the capital, Tripoli, and the settling of internecine feuds through gun battles resulting in deaths and injuries.

Meanwhile the lawlessness has resulted in the vast majority of the police force not being able to return to work. In the few places where they have been back on duty under experienced officers, such as Tripoli, their role has been restricted largely to directing traffic.

Libya is the only Arab uprising to have attracted direct Western military support, despite the closer links forged with the West in recent years by the Gaddafi regime. The resistance in London, Washington and elsewhere to Nato-led intervention in other Arab countries has centred largely on a lack of coherent opposition. Political backers of the air strikes in Libya had cited the National Transitional Council (NTC) as a credible alternative to the Gaddafi regime.

Click here for the full report.

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