Hidden Hunger

Hidden hunger is a form of malnutrition that strikes both the underfed and the overfed. It affects close almost two billion people worldwide. It is caused by micronutrient deficiencies. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed in small amounts in the body, and which are essential to growth and development. Children and mothers from developing countries … Read more

Sucralose (Splenda) Baking Releases Dioxin

The Center for the Public Interest in Science downgraded Splenda from “safe” to “caution,” citing their need to evaluate a forthcoming Italian study linking the artificial sweetener to leukemia in mice as a basis for their decision. Another recent human study linked Splenda to diabetes-associated changes, calling into question its value as a non-calorie sweetener … Read more

Is Monsanto’s Glyphosate Destroying The Soil?

Ever since Monsanto developed, marketed and patented the glyphosate molecule — Roundup (®) herbicide’s active ingredient — beginning in the early 70’s, a substantial and ever-growing portion of the earth’s arable surface has been transformed into an environmental and human health experiment, of unprecedented scale. Roundup Ready (®) (glyphosate resistant) genetically modified (GM) plants (also … Read more

A Place of Warmth for a Continuously Productive Garden

An affordable and effective alternative to glass greenhouses is the walipini (an Aymara Indian word for a “place of warmth”). Also known as an underground or pit greenhouse, it was first developed over 20 years ago for the cold mountainous regions of South America, this method allows growers to maintain a productive garden year-round, even in … Read more

City Zoning Laws Allow Tiny Homes for the Homeless

Madison Wisconsin has changed its zoning laws to allow tents and tiny houses on property owned by churches and other non-profit organizations. The groups would need to have a management plan for sleeping areas, restrooms and parking, under the amendment. Occupy Madison’s “OM Build” initiative to create a sustainable village of “tiny homes” for the homeless … Read more

Freedom that Makes the Church Grow

“They prefer a life caged in their precepts, in their compromises, in their revolutionary plans or in their [disembodied] spirituality.” So said Pope Francis in his remarks following the readings last Friday, he focused on the day’s Gospel, drawn from that according to St Matthew (11:16-19). There, Jesus compares the generation of his time to … Read more

Pseudo Philanthropy

Wealthy philanthropic giving is on the rise, paralleling the rise in super-rich giving that characterized the late nineteenth century, when magnates (some called them “robber barons”) like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller established philanthropic institutions that survive today. But a large portion of the charitable deductions now claimed by America’s wealthy are for donations … Read more

DIY Built-in Roll-out Bed

While many people can find a nights comfort on a futon or even a sleeping mat typically reserved for camping/hiking, most guests prefer something a bit more inviting. Even blow up mattresses can be cumbersome when your interior walls are less than 8-feet across. In this case, a folding bed is a perfect solution for … Read more

Shedding Retardant Forces

Thomas Jefferson said it best. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors. Today we should be asking, What is the regimen? What motivates it? What will our future be like if … Read more

Inhibiting Cancerous Tumor Angiogenesis

Green tea consumption has been linked to a reduced occurrence of some tumor types. Current data indicate that the principal mediator of this chemopreventive effect is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant polyphenol found in dried tea leaves. Here, we examined the effects of this compound on the two key cell populations typically involved in tumor … Read more