blog – Page 6 – Van Clayton Powel

LOW VITAMIN D – a SYMPTOM of POOR HEALTH, NOT a CAUSE

“Low vitamin D levels are a symptom of poor health – not the cause, according to a systematic review of previously published scientific studies. The new finding casts further doubt on the role of vitamin D supplements in disease prevention, even as millions of Canadians pop pills of the sunshine drug each day.”

Supplementation is rarely as simple as many would have you believe.

By Adriana Barton in The Globe and Mail, Dec. 08 2013: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/report-questions-effectiveness-of-vitamin-d-supplements/article15804477/

1 In 5 LUNG CANCER TUMORS NOT DANGEROUS

‘Many lung cancer tumors prove harmless, says study’

“Nearly 1 in 5 lung tumors detected on CT scans are probably so slow-growing that they would never cause problems. The analysis suggests the world’s No. 1 cause of cancer deaths isn’t as lethal as doctors once thought.

In the study, these were not false-positives — suspicious results that turn out upon further testing not to be cancer. These were indeed cancerous tumors, but ones that caused no symptoms and were unlikely ever to become deadly, the researchers said.”

Kind of a good-news/ bad-news piece. One in five negative. Four in five still positive.

Article by Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press December 10, 2013 http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Study+says+many+lung+cancer+tumors+prove+harmless+disease+didnt/9268763/story.html

KATE UPTON IN ZERO GRAVITY

I was originally asked to do this photo shoot for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue but had scheduling conflicts so handed it over to Kate Upton. Damn. Was really looking forward to zero gravity.

DINING DOG

DINING DOG – Has been done before but this dog has a particularly expressive face. And a nice follow-up to the previous post.

RUSSIAN MOB REAL POWER BEHIND UKRAINE PRESIDENT?

The book McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld painted a chilling picture of the influence of organized crime on global politics and policies.

And the simultaneous fall of the Iron Curtain and deregulation of international currency markets played a significant role in enabling the Russian crime lords in particular to go global in a big way.

Are they pulling the strings in the Ukraine? Read more here:
“Semyon Mogilevich, one of FBI’s most wanted people, identified as real power behind billionaire owner of Ukrainian-based RUE” http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/01/wikileaks-cables-russian-mafia-gas

A piece on Semyon Mogilevich here: http://www.ibtimes.com/worlds-most-powerful-mobster-you-probably-never-heard-980488

KILLER WHALES CHASING DOLPHINS

We’ve seen a lot of Orcas (Killer Whales) and dolphins or our regular travels in the Salish Sea of western Canada, but never something like this. The video was taken right in the harbour of the city of Nanaimo, where the ferry docks on its trip from the Vancouver area.

Click image to view video

'SUPERBOWL' CALLED by BRITISH ANNOUNCER

I have friends in both Denver and Seattle who are somewhat excited about the Superbowl in a couple weeks. So this is for them. (Personally, I think they should get this guy to announce the game. Might be enough to get me to actually watch part of it. Maybe.)

NEIL YOUNG … OILSANDS … GREED, etc.

Neil Young is stirring up quite a fuss in Canada.

Seems he’s got the gall to criticize Canada’s oilsands. And much as we Canadians like to criticize other countries (Hello, America!), we don’t take too kindly to folks calling us out.

Especially if it’s a ‘fellow’ Canadian who happens to be living elsewhere these days. Ah well, growing pains. As in, Canada trying to grow up.

Just as much greed in this country as elsewhere. Maybe more under the Harper regime. And on that note, a video by Jor Jor Well. Lyrics below.

JUST COUNT YOUR COIN

We are the victims of your point of view
You think the world was put here just for you
You deal in cash and you manipulate
The devil helps you navigate

Sell your bombs, put your landmines under children’s feet
Cut the old growth forests down
Pump the oil from the tar sands, poison every creek
Don’t let your conscience rejoin, just count your coin

Find the island we call paradise
Build your house and say it’s mighty nice
Then one year later stand and make your speech
Announcing strip malls on the beach

Buy all the water, make us pay to take a drink
Claim all the seeds from Nature’s womb
Advertise to our children, tell them what to think
Don’t let your conscience rejoin, just count your coin

I remember times of innocence
When our minds were not for sale
Yes, I remember times of innocence
But we’ve let heaven go to hell, yes go to hell

Pump all the oil from the tar sands, poison every creek
Dig your holes deep in Native ground
Tear up the treaties, let your lawyers have a feast
Don’t let your conscience rejoin, just count your coin

Yes, I remember times of innocence
When our souls were not for sale
Yes, I remember times of innocence
But we’ve let heaven go to hell, yes go to hell

Take a pill that says it’s time for sex
Take another ‘cause your life’s a mess
Be a victim of their point of view
Don’t stand up and shout, “Hey, you!”

“Take your bombs and shove them where the sun don’t shine
Leave those goddamn trees alone
You can have your piece but this world’s also mine
Stop acting like you were just born to count your coin”

WHAT DID WORLD LEADERS STUDY IN SCHOOL

Dude did a map of the education background of all the world’s leaders.

click to enlarge

Surprise – US likes lawyers. But so does Russia. ‘Economics/Business’ also well represented. Strange though, doesn’t seem to be many from the ‘Art/Film/Music’ category.

Map compiled by ‘Mareyv’ on Reddit for Mapporn http://www.reddit.com/user/mareyv

2013 – It's A Weird World

Here in BC, our provincial ‘Liberal’ government redefined democracy by sitting the legislature just 39 days out of the last 569.

Federally, the Harper government redefined hypocrisy by gagging scientists and gutting environmental protection, and then claiming their approval of the Northern Gateway Spill-line was ‘science-based.’

Internationally, a homophobic Russian dictator became the most powerful man in the world. And Japan introduced a new Secrets Act that says what is secret is a secret, but exposing those secrets can lead to ten years in prison. (George, are you watching this?)

George Orwell quote

Meanwhile, the president of Uruguay drives a 1987 VW Beetle, uses the official palace as a homeless shelter, and donates about 90% of his salary to local charities.

And the fine folks at Playground Builders reach into war-torn darkness and make the world a better place one joyful child at a time.

It’s a weird and wonderful world. And if you don’t think we can lose what we’ve got, you’re not paying attention. Now, if only our taxes were subsidizing people like Playground Builders instead of Enbridge.