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Insomnia, diet, digestion and circulation

Richard Heft — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:38:49 +0000

The following is an excerpt from Hot and Cold Diseases (c) 2008 by R. G. Heft. For more info, you can buy, read the book, as the whole (story) is better, more illuminating than the part. If you buy, order the book from a bookstore, you will force them to carry this book, which may be a good thing for evryone else, unless you're satisfied with the status quo, i.e. the same old experts, the same old story, the same old health crisis, which has nothing to do with insurance and doctors, and everything to do with health and common sense.

Disclaimer: Hot and Cold Diseases is a blend of traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western medicines and is based on the author’s personal and professional experiences, including the questioning and counseling of 30,000+ people. Western medical authority does not scientifically recognize either medicine. It considers them more opinion than fact despite the fact that two billion plus people practices them. The content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable health-care practitioner if you need medical care. Everything builds up and breaks down.

There are two types of insomnia, acute and chronic. Acute (sudden, recent) insomnia is relatively easy to cure via supplements, herbs, alcohol, drugs, meditation, etc. Chronic insomnia is more difficult to cure as it generally involves chronic illness: arteriosclerosis, cirrhosis, malnutrition, drugs, etc., which require greater time, discipline and sacrifice.

Insomnia (inability to fall and or stay asleep, wakes up frequently, etc.) is a function of blood and energy. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the spirit (shen) is said to reside in the brain and heart. It is often referred to as the heart mind. During the day, the spirit rises into the head where it stimulates the brain. At night, it sinks back down into the heart, where it sleeps, rejuvenates.

The heart is a blood rich organ. A rich supply of blood enables the heart to hold, anchor the spirit. A lack of blood or heat in the heart during the night can weaken the heart's ability to hold, and or excite the spirit, causing it to rise up into the head and stimulate thinking, dreaming.

A lack of blood can be caused by hemorrhage and or poor diet. Low protein and low fat diets, in the extreme, tend to cause blood, protein and fat deficiency, weakening all function, including the heart's ability to hold, sleep the spirit during the night.

Too much protein and fat (includes cholesterol), in the extreme, tends to overbuild/, thicken and overheat the blood, arteries, veins, heart, liver, brain, producing wakefulness and or insomnia. Sleeping is a cooling process. Building foods, protein, fat, caffeine, tobacco, large dinners and late night eating are heating. Vegetarian meals are less heating. Fruit, (pineapple, oranges, etc.) are cooling, especially when eaten at night. Eat more building, heating during the day and more cleansing, cooling at night.

The middle diet, meal [plan adjusted accordingly is recommended. Coffee, caffeine is very stimulating and should be avoided after 5 P.M. Over eating, especially at night overheats the body mind.

Sleeping on the right side generally opens the left nasal passage, which is more relaxing, as compared to breathing through the right nostril, which is more stimulating.

Sleep apnea (page 206), shortness and or disruption of breath caused by excess mucous in the lungs (includes nose, throat and sinuses) can also be a cause. This is one reason why spices are added to the diet as they not only dry excess mucous but also tend to open the sinuses, allowing the breath to flow freely. Reduce cold, damp foods (milk, yogurt, ice cream, tropical fruits, fruit juice, cold drinks, etc.) if you suffer from excess mucous.

Insomnia is not only a function of diet and biology, but emotions, surroundings, electrical fields, neighbors, etc.

The best approach is a healthy body and common sense.

It's amazing that you cannot get this info from most doctors.

Bronchitis, diet and climate

Richard Heft — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:07:45 +0000

The following is an excerpt from Hot and Cold Diseases (c) 2008 by R. G. Heft. For more info, you can buy, read the book, as the whole (story) is better, more illuminating than the part. If one or more of my articles (37 total) have impressed you, just think what the whole book will do for you. If you buy, order the book from a bookstore, you will force them to carry this book, which may be a good thing for everyone else, unless you're satisfied with the status quo, i.e. the same old experts, the same old story, the same old health crisis, which has nothing to do with insurance and doctors, and everything to do with health and common sense.

Bronchitis is inflammation or obstruction in the bronchial tubes. The inflammation, obstruction is often caused by excessive mucous, phlegm and or contaminants (smoke, pollution, etc.). The bronchial tubes connect the throat, trachea (windpipe) to the lungs, alveoli. Alveoli are small air sacs within the lungs where gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.) are exchanged between the body and the environment. The lungs, bronchi are naturally moist (blood, water, mucous) Moisture, water facilitates the exchange of gases between the body and the environment. Too much or too little tends to stress, weaken the breath. Mucous and phlegm in the lungs also tends to be a breeding ground for bacterial and viral infection.

The lungs lie directly above the digestive organs. Digestion is an energetic, fiery process that heats the body, especially the lungs, as heat naturally rises up into the lungs, heating and drying. Too many cooling, damp foods and drinks (milk, yogurt, ice cream, salads, fruits, juices, smoothies, cold drinks, etc.), in the extreme, tend to dilute and weaken digestive fire, acid and enzymes, producing less digestive energy, fire, which in turn, fails to heat and dry the lungs, throat, nose, sinuses, etc. but instead cools and moistens with excess fluids, mucous, phlegm.

Cold condenses. Outside the body, the colder temperatures of winter tend to cool, condense air into water, into rain into snow into ice. Inside the body, colder temperatures tend to cause excess water, mucous and phlegm.

Excess water, mucous, phlegm, tends to clog the bronchi, alveoli reducing the breath, oxygen exchange while inflaming the bronchi via increased respiration, panting to take in more oxygen, in addition to causing a cough, sore throat, fever, fatigue, pain in the chest, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, sudden chills, shaking and or bronchospasm to occur occur.

Low protein and low fat (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, etc.) diets, in the extreme, weakens all function, including digestion. A cold, damp environment (winter, air conditioning, living in a cold, damp basement, etc.) can also be a cause.

The middle diet, meal plan is recommended. Cooked foods, soups, stews, protein and fat warm the body, lungs, digestive organs etc. Spices increase digestion and dry dampness: excess fluids: mucous, phlegm, loose stools, edema, cellulite, etc.

Asthma, diet and climate

Richard Heft — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:35:36 +0000

The following is an excerpt from Hot and Cold Diseases (c) 2008 by R. G. Heft. For more info, you can email me (rgheft@earthlink.net) your question and or buy, read the book, as the whole (story) is better, more illuminating than the part. If you buy, order the book from a bookstore, you will force them eventually to carry this book, which may be a good thing for evryone else, unless you're satisfied with the status quo, i.e. the same old experts, the same old story, the same old health crisis, which has nothing to do with insurance and doctors, and everything to do with health and common sense.

Asthma is a respiratory disorder characterized by thick mucous in the lungs (bronchi, alveoli), shortness of the breath and a wheezing cough, especially on the exhalation. Inflammation and spasm of the bronchi may also occur. The general cause is thick mucous that obstructs and shortens the breath. It is often caused by an external (winter, air conditioning) or internal (diet) attack of cold and damp.

The lungs (includes nose, sinuses and throat) are naturally moist. Moisture, water facilitates the exchange of gases between blood and the environment. Air, oxygen is taken into the lungs: bronchi, alveoli where the exchange with blood takes place. Blood gives up carbon dioxide (waste product) while receiving oxygen. The pulmonary vein carries freshly cleansed and oxygenated blood (60%+ water) from the lungs to the heart. The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood and waste (carbon dioxide) from the lungs to the heart. The heart circulates the blood throughout the body.

The lungs require a certain amount of moisture. Too much or too little moisture tends to weaken, distort the breath.

Too much (thick mucous, phlegm) tends to clog the lungs, bronchi, alveoli distorting and shortening the breath, causing it to wheeze. Too much moisture (mucous, phlegm) tends to be caused by an excess of coldness (includes damp) via environment or diet.

The body is just like the earth. It (solid, liquid and gas) also reacts to changes in temperature, energy. Cold, winter temperatures, in excess, not only thicken water into ice and snow, but also thicken fluids into mucous and phlegm (thicker mucous).

Cold condenses. Cold air can attack and penetrate the lungs via the breath and or skin. It can cause excess condensation (thick, white mucous) to occur in the bronchi (passages), alveoli (where air and blood mix), throat, nose and or sinuses, obstructing, shortening and wheezing the breath.

Cold and damp can also attack the lungs from within, via diet. Some foods, nutrients are hot (protein, fat, meat, eggs, cheese. beans, etc.); others cold, damp (milk, yogurt, grains, vegetables, fruits, juices, smoothies, shakes, cold drinks sodas, juices, raw, uncooked foods, etc.). Cold, damp foods, drinks, in the extreme, tend to dilute and weaken digestion, which in turn, cools and dilutes the lungs.

The lungs are located above the digestive organs. Two or three meals per day stimulate the digestive organs, digestion for several hours at a time, producing a lot of energy, heat, which naturally rises into the lungs, warming and drying, preventing excess moisture, mucous and or cold from occurring.

The digestive organs heat the entire body, including the lungs. Cold and damp diets (lacto vegetarian, raw foods, fruitarian and or sproutarian) in excess tend to dilute, dampen and cool digestion, which in turn, dilutes, dampens and cools the lungs.

Women (menstruation), children (undeveloped) and or those living in cold, damp climates tend to be adversely affected by cold diets. The lacto vegetarian and vegan diets can be adjusted, heated to prevent a weakening and cooling of digestion and respiration.

Milk and cereal, yogurt and fruit, smoothies, shakes, cold drinks, smoothies, shakes, etc. tend to be cold and damp breakfasts. Low protein and low fat diets tend to weaken, cool digestion, which is fine, if you need to cool down, reduce excess fat, cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, gout, tumors, etc.

Cooked foods, protein, soups, stews, etc. increase digestion, heat, energy. Spices (cardamom, cumin, coriander, fennel, ginger, cayenne, turmeric, etc.) stimulate digestion and dry dampness (mucous, phlegm).

In traditional Chinese medicine, the general cause of asthma is cold and damp invading the lungs and kidneys (anchor the breath).

The Influence of Fundamental Frequency and Sound Pressure Level Range on Breathing Patterns in Female Classical Singing

Callier Library — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:07:19 +0000

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Purpose: This study investigated the influence of fundamental frequency (F0) and sound pressure level (SPL) range on respiratory behavior in classical singing.

Method: Five trained female singers performed an 8-s messa di voce (a crescendo and decrescendo on one F0) across their musical F0 range. Lung volume (LV) change was estimated, and chest-wall kinematic behavior (dimensional change in ribcage [RC] and abdominal [AB] wall) was recorded using triaxial magnetometry.

Results: The direction of F0 influence on LV excursion (LVE) varied among singers, but SPL range appeared to be less important than duration to LVE. LVE was generally evenly divided between crescendo and decrescendo. Kinematic patterns differed markedly among singers, despite task consistency, and RC and AB paradoxing was widespread.

Conclusion: Each singer maintained her characteristic kinematic pattern regardless of F0 or SPL range, although these did influence aspects of RC and AB behavior. Given the essential role of breathing in classical singing, further work is needed to understand how singers develop their highly individual respiratory strategies and the principles by which each singer's breathing strategy can be optimized.

Age-Related Changes to Speech Breathing With Increased Vocal Loudness

Callier Library — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:43:58 +0000

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Purpose: The present study examines the effect of normal aging on respiratory support for speech when utterance length is controlled.

Method: Fifteen women (M = 71 years of age) and 10 men (M = 73 years of age) produced 2 sentences of different lengths in 4 loudness conditions while respiratory kinematics were measured. Measures included those related to lung volume and chest wall movements.

Results: Data from the older adults were compared with previously published data from 30 young adults. A significant Age x Sex effect was demonstrated. Older men produced speech at higher lung volumes than younger men. No significant differences existed between older and younger women. Older adults tended to use more abdominal movement in loud speech than younger adults, especially when talking in noise. Some of the mechanisms used by the older adults to support increased loudness in response to the cues differed from those used by the younger adults. Age-related differences were larger when participants produced the longer utterance as compared with the shorter one.

Conclusions: Reduced chest wall compliance, pulmonary elastic recoil, and laryngeal closure may explain the findings. These data can be used to help distinguish normal age-related changes from disease-related changes.

Anxiété : les Attaques de Panique, c'est quoi ? (1ère partie)

Frédéric Duval-Levesque — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:01:29 +0000

Sueurs froides, mains moites, difficulté à respirer sont les principaux symptômes de l'attaque de panique.

C'est un moment de terreur intense durant laquelle la personne est incapable de se contrôler.

La crise peut durer de 10 à 20 minutes, qui paraissent une éternité pour le sujet. Elle atteint son intensité maximale en quelques minutes seulement.

Lors d'une attaque de panique, le sujet perd complètement pied avec la réalité.

Il est fréquent que les personnes sujettes à ces crises, que ce soit la première ou non, pensent qu'elles vont mourir.

Tout le monde peut y être confronté une fois dans sa vie au gré des circonstances. Mais il faut bien savoir que la plupart du temps, elle est imprévisible et peuvent se produire en l'absence d'élément déclencheur identifié.

Les principaux symptômes sont :

Palpitations ou accélération du rythme cardiaque.
Transpiration.
Tremblements musculaires.
Impression d'étouffement, d'étranglement.
Douleur ou gêne dans le ventre et dans la poitrine.
Peur de perdre contrôle sur soi, de perdre pied.
Engourdissement ou picotements.
Frissons et/ou bouffées de chaleur.

Entre 2% et 4% des Français touchés par les troubles paniques

La plupart des personnes n'ont ce type de crise qu'une seule fois dans leur vie : elles s'inquiètent naturellement de ce qui est train de leur arriver ! Donc pas de panique (!), si vous en avez déjà eu une, vous n'en aurez plus d'autres.

Mais pour 2% à 4% de la population française, ces crises se répètent régulièrement, se succèdent.

Elles créent un état de panique permanent dans la crainte de la survenue de la prochaine crise. On parle dans ce cas de troubles paniques, véritable maladie qui peut s'avérer très invalidante. A noter que les femmes sont deux fois plus touchées que les hommes par les troubles paniques. Ne me demandez pas pourquoi, je n'en sais rien.

Dans le cas d'une simple attaque de panique, le plus prudent est d'isoler la personne afin de la protéger physiquement, lui montrer comment reprendre contrôle de sa respiration, la rassurer. Plus tard, de l'emmener aux urgences ou chez un médecin afin qu'elle mesure l'innocuité de ce qui lui est arrivé.

La 2ème partie de l'article, sur le traitement (psychothérapie et antidépresseurs/anxiolytiques), très bientôt !

Débranchez la "machine à penser" grâce à la respiration

hercule — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:59:47 +0000

"Oui, resirer c'est vivre. Mais respirer lentement c'est vivre longtemps. Et en bonne santé." André van Lysebeth

Ressentir au lieu de réfléchir, tel est le programme!

Toute la journée, votre esprit bouillonne, il y a un flux incessant de pensées qui se bousculent dans votre tête, viennent, repartent, se contredisent et amènent parfois la confusion dans votre esprit. a plupart du temps, ces petites voix intérieures vous permettent de prendre des décisions et vous sont indispensables pour réfléchir. Dans la journée, elles sont d'une grande aide et ne troublent pas trop votre concentration car vous êtes occupé à des tâches bien précises (activité professionnelle, tâche ménagère, pratique sportive, etc.) qui focalisent votre esprit et guident vos pensées sur un sujet à la fois. Néanmoins, au coucher, lorsque vous voulez les faire taire, pour trouver un peu de repos, elles ne veulent pas! Dès que votre corps est inactif, que vous soyez tranquillement installé dans votre canapé ou allongé dans votre lit, vous avez l'impression que vos pensés redoublent d'agitation et occupent tout l'espace sans vous laisser le répit de vous détendre. Cette sensation est encore accrue lorsque vous éteignez la lumière et que vous vous retrouvez dans le noir. Vous ne maîtrisez plus rien, vous vous sentez dépossédé de votre propre réflexion car les pensées arrivent et repartent de façon totalement inorganisée, sans que vous le vouliez et sèment souvent le trouble dans votre esprit. Cette perte de contrôle vous rend nerveux, votre corps s'échauffe et vous empêche de trouver le sommeil. Vous remarquerez alors que vous êtes en état de stress émotionnel et que votre respiration se fait mal, qu'elle est courte et irrégulière. Que faire?

"La où se loge le souci, le sommeil ne s'abat jamais." William Shakespeare

Une fois encore, vous pouvez faire appel à votre corps dans le but de cesser de réfléchir, de penser. Le but est de ressentir votre corps, de vous recentrer sur vous-même et de vous sentir vivant grâce à une respiration contrôlée et appliquée: lorsque le flux d'air pénétrera régulièrement dans votre corps, vous vous sentirez exister, vous reprendrez peu à peu le contrôle de vous-même grâce au plaisir physique et immédiat que cela vous procurera et vos pensées se calmeront et disparaîtront progressivement.

"J'aime le lit, c'est le seul endroit où, comme le chat, je puis faire le mort en respirant, tout en étant vivant." Arthur Cravan

L'exercice est simple: allongez-vous dans votre lit, sur le dos, la tête dans le prolongement de la colonne vertébrale et les bras détendus le long du corps, puis préparez-vous à une respiration en trois temps: inspirez profondément par le nez en gonflant le ventre comme un ballon (respiration abdominale) puis continuez à inspirer en gonflant les poumons et en ouvrant la cage thoracique (respiration thoracique) jusqu'à ce que vous sentiez quasiment vos clavicules se soulever (respiration claviculaire). Gardez l'air inspiré prisonnier quelques instants, puis expirez-le progressivement par le nez dans le même ordre: ventre, poumons, clavicules, jusqu'à ce que vous ayez la sensation qu'il ne reste plus une once d'air dans votre corps. Attendez alors quelques instants puis recommencez l'exercice autant de fois qu'il sera nécessaire pour calmer vos pensées et trouver le sommeil. Cette respiration doit être harmonieuse, lente, silencieuse, régulière et sans à-coups. Vous ne devez pas sentir de douleur ou de gêne. Cette respiration peut parfois provoquer une sensation d'étourdissements au départ, mais cette perception disparaît progressivement avec la pratique. Cet exercice de respiration est également très efficace pour se rendormir en pleine nuit et lutter contre l'éveil nocturne et même dans la journée, pour calmer une angoisse passagère, redonner de l'entrain lors d'une sensation de fatigue ou de découragement.

"La respiration est comme le volant du moteur qu'est notre corps (...) La respiration est le volant qui fournit et régularise la force motrice pour tout ce qui fait partie du corps." Swami Vivekanada

Le saviez-vous?

La respiration est la seule fonction vitale dépendante du système neuro-végétatif que l'homme soit capable de maîtriser. En agissant consciemment sur votre respiration, vous participez à la régulation de votre système nerveux et émotionnel et de votre circulation sanguine.

Si vous parvenez à calmer vos pensées et par la même à ralentir vos ondes cérébrales, vous participez également à la bonne santé de votre corps: le rythme cardiaque se ralentit, la tension nerveuse et la fatigue diminuent et vous envoyez à votre cerveau des signaux de bien-être qui contribuent à améliorer l'ensemble des fonctions organiques.

The Scientific Revolution Part 2

theglaringfacts — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:08:13 +0000

Philosophical Foundations of Science

Theoretical changes and practical gains
Rene Decartes and Francis Bacon
Bacon’s work empirical, observations and common-sense, Descartes rational, logic and reason
Induction – going from the particular to the general
Deduction – going from the general to the particular
Bacon and inductive method, accumulating observations
Descartes and deductive method, clear and distinct ideas
Descartes - system of ideas, Bacon - organization of scientists
Bacon’s ideal scientific community, common sense, experiment and observation
Bacon - science and industry, improvement of society
Descartes - deductive logic and self-evident propositions, mathematical analysis, coordinate geometry
Cartesian quantitative philosophy, separation of religion and science, matter as extension and motion, living beings as machines

The Expansion of Science

Merchant interests and manufacturing interests
Nation building, economic expansion, communication, cooperation and demand for scientific innovation
Scientists independently wealthy, merchants, landowners, lawyers, doctors, clergy
Royal Society of London and the French Royal Academy
Science and practical issues: pumping and hydraulics (mining), gunnery and mechanics (warfare) and navigation (trade)
Scientists traded ideas, published work, carried out public experiments
Experimental basis to 17^th century science
Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke and air-pump, vacuum, atomism, corpuscular theory

Experimental Equipment

Telescope and optical theory
Microscope and new observations, microorganisms
Barometer, pressure of the air, vacuum
Air pump, experiments on vacuum and combustion, respiration, sound, electricity

Celestial Mechanics

Copernicus and physics, rotating and revolving Earth
Determination of longitude, astronomically and chronologically
Motion of stellar bodies, centrifugal force and gravity
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), mathematics, astronomy, optics, mechanics, chemistry, alchemy
Professor, warden of the Royal Mint, Knighthood
Principia Mathematica Philosophia Naturalis (1687)
force should decrease with distance, inverse-square law (1/r²)
Force associated with a change in motion, rather than motion itself, objects tend to preserve their motion until acted upon by a force
Universal gravity: planets, moon, falling objects, tides
Unifies terrestrial and celestial realms

Revolutions in Science

Disruption of capitalism and revolution in science
Unity to 17^th century science, in persons (broad interests), ideas (quantitative analysis) and applications (practical)

Talib Kweli Is Some Kind Of Wonderful

phalary42 — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:02:25 +0000

(Image Via: http://www.d-nice.com)

I'm mad at myself and Talib Kweli. Talib Kweli came to perform in Stockton and yo! I was on the meet and greet list. I was so excited. This was my second shot at meeting him because the first time he sat five feet away from me at the Brooklyn Music Festival in Prospect Park. Instead I chickened out and couldn't even say hi. He even walked right past me and I punked out. It was going to be different on March 28, I even wore my Brooklyn t-shirt and my video of Respiration live was in my hand ready to show him. Instead he showed up to the concert at 11 p.m ready to perform. At the end of the night, no one was able to meet Kweli. Fuck it, one day, it's going to happen. Here's my review that Ian, my editor, and I wrote for the Record's (Stockton's main newspaper) Recordnet.com.

By Phalary Long and Ian Hil

The crowd inside University of the Pacific's Faye Spanos Concert Hall on Friday was exhilarated.

Conscious rapper Talib Kweli's show at the 900-seat concert hall had sold out. Before the show, fans waited outdoors in the rain for the venue's doors to open - some for more than 90 minutes - in a line that stretched around the block.

Still, and despite a second long wait indoors for the headliner to take the stage, fans were loud and reacted with zeal to a great show by Kweli and his opening acts. The concert was sponsored by ASUoP and 209Vibe.

Stockton-based literary organization With Our Words began the evening by bringing several spoken-word poets to the mic. Sacramento-based Ike Torres hit the crowd first with his poem "I Am Money," and he got fans hollering to the call and response "get money, money."

Paul Mabon also got a standing ovation when, during a poem about sex, responsibility and pregnancy, he ran in front of the stage shouting, "Hallelujah, her period came. Thank you, Jesus!"

Poets Besskepp, Sara Shea and Stockton teen Isaac Stoneride drew similar love from the crowd for their works, and Sacramento-based beatboxer Butterscotch had fans dancing and cheering with her rhythmic vocal acrobatics. The audience went wild when the "America's Got Talent" vet switched it up and reversed her beats.

The poets were followed by Sacramento rap group Righteous Movement, which was backed by The Park, a live band from San Francisco. When brought together, the funky grooves of the band and the fun, smooth flow of the rappers had those in the crowd out of their seats with their hands in the air.

Each rapper and musician on stage had a unique sound, voice and flow that created a powerful group. At least one fan compared them to The Roots.

After their hourlong set ended, the emcee told the crowd that Talib Kweli would be on stage in about 15 minutes. Thirty minutes later, fans were still waiting. That stretched into 45 minutes, leading a few fans to become impatient and boo.

On a few occasions, the crowd took up chanting Kweli's name.

Finally, at about 10:55 p.m. and after an hourlong wait, the rapper arrived at Faye Spanos Concert Hall from his hotel. Fans forgot their frustrations and got out of their seats a few minutes later when the house lights dimmed.

They were amped by the time Kweli took the stage, wearing a leather jacket and black ballcap pulled low, and opened with "Eternalists" from his 2001 collaboration with Hi Tek, "Reflection Eternal."

At first, the Brooklyn rapper seemed a little unsettled, staying near the center of the stage and looking like he needed the first few songs to get his bearings and tinker with the sound.

His flow and energy got stronger with each new beat from his DJ, however.

Kweli went on to play an hourlong set that demonstrated the range of hip-hop history and his impressive career. He dropped challenging, intelligent lyrics that boasted about his skills, examined love and addressed social issues, performing solo hits like "Listen!!!" as well as tracks from his many collaborations, including Black Star's "Definition."

The rapper and his DJ also got the crowd moving by taking on Bob Marley's "Jammin'" and KRS-One's "Sound of Da Police." He brought the singer Res onstage for songs from their collaboration, Idle Warship, and performed a tribute to UGK's Pimp C.

But while the range of his career is impressive, it's Kweli's lyrical flow that has really made fans and critics take notice. He often demonstrated Friday how he can move effortlessly between being smooth and rough, groovy and poetic.

Kweli showed how his ability to slow down, speed up and mount a lyrical attack may be unmatched in the rap game.

The party atmosphere in Faye Spanos hall grew with Kweli's energy level, as fans danced and shouted along to his lyrics. They had forgotten the rain and the delays and were just having fun by the time Kweli closed with "Get By" at midnight.

He was only offstage a few minutes when the crowd's chants of "Kweli" brought him back for an encore. The beat was old-school and funky, and Kweli called three b-boys to the stage to pop and lock as he rhymed.

It was a fun end to a show that was worth the wait.

Souffle court

ange7 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:12:55 +0000

Proverbe :
Inspiration, aspirations, inspiration, disparition : c'est la respiration du poète.

Photo Ange7, Philippines (Madredejios) 2008.

Run, (Insert Name Here), Run!

scienceguy288 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:31:01 +0000

A couple of nights back, I watched a fascinating special about the science of running marathons. Months before the Boston Marathon, Novaput together a marathon team representing a regular, old, cross-segment of society. Of the 13 members of the team, most are over-weight or have a very high BMI. Nova wanted to see if these regular people could achieve most folks scoff off as impossible: running the Boston Marathon. The 13 members of Team Nova, were followed through nine months of training. (For more about the show: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/marathon/)

Marathoners

Different athletes have different physiques that allow them to excel at their sports. Football players have large upper bodies with bulky muscles for short bursts of power (fast-twitch). Futbol players have sinewy muscles, that may look scrawny, but are actually much more efficient at carrying oxygen to the muscles over long distances (slow-twitch). So what did the "normal" people need to do in order to become marathoners?

VO₂max is the most important aspect to a person's strength endurance sports. It is also a good gauge of overall cardiovascular health. VO₂max is the "volume of oxygen a person can consume in one minute as they exercise at maximum exertion." In endurance sports, you rely on oxygen to convert the polysaccharides (sugars) into energy for your muscles, so your efficiency at dispersing oxygen through your body is critical during long distance runs, such as, let's say, the Boston Marathon. Elite endurance athletes can consume huge amounts of oxygen when they compete. Some of their VO₂max scores are twice as high as most of us mortals. For example: Lance Armstrong once measured in at 83.8 ml/kg/min, while the average man at his age would only get between 40 and 50. We are all born with a genetic range for a certain VO₂max, and this is why most of us will never become champion runners, but despite the importance of genetics, we can improve our VO₂through exercise.

Given that VO₂max is a measure of oxygen consumption, most people believe that lung capacity, "the volume of air a person can inhale in a single breath," is an important factor. Not so, as lung size is not a limiting factor and most people inhale more than they can ever use anyway. From the lungs, oxygen diffuses into the bloodstream. Then, it attaches to the iron-based protein hemoglobin on red blood cells, which carry the oxygen to the multitude of cells requiring energy. Naturally, smoking and diseases like anemia will decrease your oxygen carrying ability. Runners also create high numbers of red blood cells for transporting oxygen. Training at high altitudes where the air is thin can create more red blood cells. Exercise creates new capillaries, tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen to the muscles. Exercise can also make the blood vessels everywhere less stiff, improving blood flow and reduces clogs in veins and arteries.

The greatest input to VO₂max scores is cardiac output, "the amount of oxygen-rich blood your heart can send throughout your body in a single minute." Through exercise are hearts actually increase in size, bettering our cardiac output, which is "the product of heart rate (the number of beats per minute) times stroke volume (how much blood the heart ejects with each contraction)."

A person's ability to grow slow- or fast-twitch muscle is mainly genetic, but by training in ways to strengthen a specific type of muscle we can gain each one in turn. The key to efficient energy production are mitochondria, tiny cell organelles that act as power plants. Mitochondria combine oxygen with glucose to make ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which powers cellular work. In muscle cells, ATP is essential for muscle contraction and therefore motion. Slow-twitch fibers hold more mitochondria than fast-twitch. Exercise, again, increases the number of mitochondria and makes mitochondria larger and more metabolically active. In order to contract and relax, the muscle protein, actin, will use ATP to "shuffle" or "walk" up and down the other protein, myosin. "Better," mitochondria also lower muscle fatigue. Sore muscles during exercise are linked to a buildup of lactic acid, which is a byproduct of anaerobic respiration, where glucose is converted to 2 ATP molecules without oxygen, this is much less efficient, and produces the burning lactic acid. Aerobic respiration, by comparison, produces 36 ATP molecules with oxygen. Glucose is converted to pyruvate through glycolysis in the cell. The pyruvate is then moved into the mitochondria where it is stripped of its H+ ions in the Krebs Cycle. These will pass through the mitochondria membrane creating a proton gradient, a difference in electrical charge. When the ions pass back through the membrane they go agains the gradient, producing energy to combine a phosphate to ADP (phosphorylation), in order to produce ATP, the energy molecule. (http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/cellresp.htm)

A Diagram of Cellular Respiration

There is a runner in all of us and it just takes some hard work to achieve that.

Food as Medicine

esoterickat — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:39:05 +0000

This is a brief summary of some of the foods that can aid you in your well-being. Thought it helpful for times such as this when most folks have forgotten we can use food as medicine with no side effects.

apples
Protects your heart
prevents constipation
Blocks diarrhea
Improves lung capacity
Cushions joints

apricots
Combats cancer
Controls blood pressure
Saves your eyesight
Shields against Alzheimer's
Slows aging process

artichokes
Aids digestion
Lowers cholesterol
Protects your heart
Stabilizes blood sugar
Guards against liver disease

avocados
Battles diabetes
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin

bananas
Protects your heart
Quiets a cough
Strengthens bones
Controls blood pressure
Blocks diarrhea

beans
Prevents constipation
Helps hemorrhoids
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Stabilizes blood sugar

beets
Controls blood pressure
Combats cancer
Strengthens bones
Protects your heart
Aids weight loss

blueberries
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Stabilizes blood sugar
Boosts memory
Prevents constipation

broccoli
Strengthens bones
Saves eyesight
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure

cabbage
Combats cancer
Prevents constipation
Promotes weight loss
Protects your heart
Helps hemorrhoids

cantaloupe
Saves eyesight
Controls blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Supports immune system

carrots
Saves eyesight
Protects your heart
Prevents constipation
Combats cancer
Promotes weight loss

cauliflower
Protects against Prostate Cancer
Combats Breast Cancer
Strengthens bones
Banishes bruises
Guards against heart disease

cherries
Protects your heart
Combats Cancer
Ends insomnia
Slows aging process
Shields against Alzheimer's

chestnuts
Promotes weight loss
Protects your heart
Lowers cholesterol
Combats Cancer
Controls blood pressure

chili peppers
Aids digestion
Soothes sore throat
Clears sinuses
Combats Cancer
Boosts immune system

figs
Promotes weight loss
Helps stops strokes
Lowers cholesterol
Combats Cancer
Controls blood pressure

fish
Protects your heart
Boosts memory
Protects your heart
Combats Cancer
Supports immune system

flax
Aids digestion
Battles diabetes
Protects your heart
Improves mental health
Boosts immune system

garlic
Lowers cholesterol
Controls blood pressure
Combats cancer
kills bacteria
Fights fungus

grapefruit
Protects against heart attacks
Promotes Weight loss
Helps stops strokes
Combats Prostate Cancer
Lowers cholesterol

grapes
saves eyesight
Conquers kidney stones
Combats cancer
Enhances blood flow
Protects your heart

green tea
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Helps stops strokes
Promotes Weight loss
Kills bacteria

honey
Heals wounds
Aids digestion
Guards against ulcers
Increases energy
Fights allergies

lemons
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin
Stops scurvy

limes
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin
Stops scurvy

mangos
Combats cancer
Boosts memory
Regulates thyroid
aids digestion
Shields against Alzheimer's

mushrooms
Controls blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol
Kills bacteria
Combats cancer
Strengthens bones

oats
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Battles diabetes
prevents constipation
Smoothes skin

olive oil
Protects your heart
Promotes Weight loss
Combats cancer
Battles diabetes
Smoothes skin

onions
Reduce risk of heart attack
Combats cancer
Kills bacteria
Lowers cholesterol
Fights fungus

oranges
Supports immune systems
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Straightens respiration

peaches
prevents constipation
Combats cancer
Helps stops strokes
aids digestion
Helps hemorrhoids

peanuts
Protects against heart disease
Promotes Weight loss
Combats Prostate Cancer
Lowers cholesterol
Aggravates
diverticulitis

pineapple
Strengthens bones
Relieves colds
Aids digestion
Dissolves warts
Blocks diarrhea

prunes
Slows aging process
prevents constipation
boosts memory
Lowers cholesterol
Protects against heart disease

rice
Protects your heart
Battles diabetes
Conquers kidney stones
Combats cancer
Helps stops strokes

strawberries
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
boosts memory
Calms stress

sweet potatoes
Saves your eyesight
Lifts mood
Combats cancer
Strengthens bones

tomatoes
Protects prostate
Combats cancer
Lowers cholesterol
Protects your heart

walnuts
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
boosts memory
Lifts mood
Protects against heart disease

water
Promotes Weight loss
Combats cancer
Conquers kidney stones
Smoothes skin

watermelon
Protects prostate
Promotes Weight loss
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
Controls blood pressure

wheat germ
Combats Colon Cancer
prevents constipation
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
improves digestion

wheat bran
Combats Colon Cancer
prevents constipation
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
improves digestion

yogurt
Guards against ulcers
Strengthens bones
Lowers cholesterol
Supports immune systems
Aids digestion

Courir après sa queue!

alcolo — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:25:58 +0000

Bon allez! On avance lentement dans notre recherche de la nunuche de miss Météo. Ah ce qu'on se l'imagine bien nous, dans notre tête, si vous saviez. Comment? Comme ceci entre autre. Ceci dit, il y a du côté de Diane-Ève qui a eu la gentillesse extrème de se geler les pieds pour nous faire une scène extérieure, bon on voit pas la météorologue parce qu'elle doit aussi faire la caméra, soyez indulgents quand même! On a aussi bibite qui nous a fait parvenir un audio qu'on vous montera bientôt pour vous donner les choix! Elle travaille fort la bibite, vous allez le constater! Alors on va bien finir par devoir avoir une miss France et une miss Québec, va falloir ce qu'il faut!

Continuez de nous envoyer vos capsules, je ferme le tout mardi soir, 21h, top chrono! Sortez votre meilleure voix de nunuche, soyez blonde de la voix à souhait, lâchez votre fou, nos lecteurs ont hâte de voir la relève de Will! Dans un nouveau décor en plus samedi prochain, avouez que ça marque le coup! Bon là je vais me farcir quelques 500 kilomètres pour ramener fils, z'allez être gentils en attendant, z'allez même être contents que pour la Pâques, dans ce temps où on s'ouvre suffisamment les veines, j'ai eu la gentillesse de ne vous faire que des textes légers!

J'ai la sale gueule du mec en vacances. Barbe de 5 jours, cheveux en bataille, comme le coeur qui veut pas trop devoir rentrer demain. On a à peine décompresser avec les enfants, l'appartement dont les murs rapetissent sur nous, c'aurait presque été le délire sans cette délicieuse discussion nocture avec un scribe à quelques heures d'ici, de ces gens qu'on aime à découvrir, de ces vives intelligences qu'il est agréable de constater. Bon je me pousse, c'est rien pour ramener des enfants que de noircir des pixels ici. Pourquoi j'ai l'impression de courir après ma queues?

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