Quantcast
Channel: Refreshing News
Viewing all 6389 articles
Browse latest View live

Why does America lose its head over 'terror' but ignore its daily gun deaths?

0
0

The thriving metropolis of Boston was turned into a ghost town on Friday. Nearly a million Bostonians were asked to stay in their homes – and willingly complied. Schools were closed; business shuttered; trains, subways and roads were empty; usually busy streets eerily resembled a post-apocalyptic movie set; even baseball games and cultural events were cancelled – all in response to a 19-year-old fugitive, who was on foot and clearly identified by the news media.
The actions allegedly committed by the Boston marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan, were heinous. Four people dead and more than 100 wounded, some with shredded and amputated limbs.
But Londoners, who endured IRA terror for years, might be forgiven for thinking that America over-reacted just a tad to the goings-on in Boston. They're right – and then some. What we saw was a collective freak-out like few that we've seen previously in the United States. It was yet another depressing reminder that more than 11 years after 9/11 Americans still allow themselves to be easily and willingly cowed by the "threat" of terrorism.
After all, it's not as if this is the first time that homicidal killers have been on the loose in a major American city. In 2002, Washington DC was terrorised by two roving snipers, who randomly shot and killed 10 people. In February, a disgruntled police officer, Christopher Dorner, murdered four people over several days in Los Angeles. In neither case was LA or DC put on lockdown mode, perhaps because neither of these sprees was branded with that magically evocative and seemingly terrifying word for Americans, terrorism.
To be sure, public officials in Boston appeared to be acting out of an abundance of caution. And it's appropriate for Boston residents to be asked to take precautions or keep their eyes open. But by letting one fugitive terrorist shut down a major American city, Boston not only bowed to outsize and irrational fears, but sent a dangerous message to every would-be terrorist – if you want to wreak havoc in the United States, intimidate its population and disrupt public order, here's your instruction booklet.
Putting aside the economic and psychological cost, the lockdown also prevented an early capture of the alleged bomber, who was discovered after Bostonians were given the all clear and a Watertown man wandered into his backyard for a cigarette and found a bleeding terrorist on his boat.
In some regards, there is a positive spin on this – it's a reflection of how little Americans have to worry about terrorism. A population such as London during the IRA bombings or Israel during the second intifada or Baghdad, pretty much every day, becomes inured to random political violence. Americans who have such little experience of terrorism, relatively speaking, are more primed to overreact – and assume the absolute worst when it comes to the threat of a terror attack. It is as if somehow in the American imagination, every terrorist is a not just a mortal threat, but is a deadly combination of Jason Bourne and James Bond.
If only Americans reacted the same way to the actual threats that exist in their country. There's something quite fitting and ironic about the fact that the Boston freak-out happened in the same week the Senate blocked consideration of a gun control bill that would have strengthened background checks for potential buyers. Even though this reform is supported by more than 90% of Americans, and even though 56 out of 100 senators voted in favour of it, the Republican minority prevented even a vote from being held on the bill because it would have allegedly violated the second amendment rights of "law-abiding Americans".
So for those of you keeping score at home – locking down an American city: a proper reaction to the threat from one terrorist. A background check to prevent criminals or those with mental illness from purchasing guns: a dastardly attack on civil liberties. All of this would be almost darkly comic if not for the fact that more Americans will die needlessly as a result. Already, more than 30,000 Americans die in gun violence every year (compared to the 17 who died last year in terrorist attacks).
What makes US gun violence so particularly horrifying is how routine and mundane it has become. After the massacre of 20 kindergartners in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, millions of Americans began to take greater notice of the threat from gun violence. Yet since then, the daily carnage that guns produce has continued unabated and often unnoticed.
The same day of the marathon bombing in Boston, 11 Americans were murdered by guns. The pregnant Breshauna Jackson was killed in Dallas, allegedly by her boyfriend. In Richmond, California, James Tucker III was shot and killed while riding his bicycle – assailants unknown. Nigel Hardy, a 13-year-old boy in Palmdale, California, who was being bullied in school, took his own life. He used the gun that his father kept at home. And in Brooklyn, New York, an off-duty police officer used her department-issued Glock 9mm handgun to kill herself, her boyfriend and her one-year old child.
At the same time that investigators were in the midst of a high-profile manhunt for the marathon bombers that ended on Friday evening, 38 more Americans – with little fanfare – died from gun violence. One was a 22-year old resident of Boston. They are a tiny percentage of the 3,531 Americans killed by guns in the past four months – a total that surpasses the number of Americans who died on 9/11 and is one fewer than the number of US soldiers who lost their lives in combat operations in Iraq. Yet, none of this daily violence was considered urgent enough to motivate Congress to impose a mild, commonsense restriction on gun purchasers.
It's not just firearms that produce such legislative inaction. Last week, a fertiliser plant in West, Texas, which hasn't been inspected by federal regulators since 1985, exploded, killing 14 people and injuring countless others. Yet many Republicans want to cut further the funding for the agency (OSHA) that is responsible for such reviews. The vast majority of Americans die from one of four ailments – cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease – and yet Republicans have held three dozen votes to repeal Obamacare, which expands healthcare coverage to 30 million Americans.
It is a surreal and difficult-to-explain dynamic. Americans seemingly place an inordinate fear on violence that is random and unexplainable and can be blamed on "others" – jihadists, terrorists, evil-doers etc. But the lurking dangers all around us – the guns, our unhealthy diets, the workplaces that kill 14 Americans every single day – these are just accepted as part of life, the price of freedom, if you will. And so the violence goes, with more Americans dying preventable deaths. But hey, look on the bright side – we got those sons of bitches who blew up the marathon.

China says aims to banish superstition, promote knowledge

0
0

 China is struggling to get its estimated 100 million religious believers to banish superstitious beliefs about things like sickness and death, the country's top religious affairs official told a state-run newspaper.
Wang Zuoan, head of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, said there had been an explosion of religious belief in China along with the nation's economic boom, which he attributed to a desire for reassurance in an increasingly complex world.
While religion could be a force for good in officially atheist China, it was important to ensure people were not mislead, he told the Study Times, a newspaper published by the Central Party School which trains rising officials.
"For a ruling party which follows Marxism, we need to help people establish a correct world view and to scientifically deal with birth, ageing, sickness and death, as well as fortune and misfortune, via popularizing scientific knowledge," he said, in rare public comments on the government's religious policy.
 
"But we must realize that this is a long process and we need to be patient and work hard to achieve it," Wang added in the latest issue of the Study Times, which reached subscribers on Sunday.
"Religion has been around for a very long time, and if we rush to try to push for results and want to immediately 'liberate' people from the influence of religion, then it will have the opposite effect and push people in the opposite direction."
About half of China's religious followers are Christians or Muslims, with the other half Buddhists or Daoists, he said, admitting the real total number of believers was probably much higher than the official estimate of 100 million.
Wang did not address specific issues, such as what happens after the exiled spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism the Dalai Lama dies, testy relations with the Vatican or controls on Muslims in the restive Xinjiang region in the west.
Rights groups say that despite a constitutional guarantee of freedom of belief, the government exercises tight control, especially over Tibetans, Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and Christians, many of whom worship in underground churches.
"LURE FOR UNREST"
Beijing also takes a hard line on what it calls "evil cults", like banned spiritual group Falun Gong, who it accuses of spreading dangerous superstition.
Still, while religion was savagely repressed during the chaos of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, the government has taken a much more relaxed approach since embarking on landmark economic reforms some three decades ago.
The ruling Communist Party, which values stability above all else, has even tried to co-opt religion in recent years as a force for social harmony in a country where few believe in communism any more.
China had avoided the religious extremism which happened in some places with the collapse of the Soviet Union or the religious problems seen with immigrants in Europe and the United States, Wang added, something to be proud of.
Still, China could not rest on its laurels.
"Religion basically upholds peace, reconciliation and harmony ... and can play its role in society," Wang said.
"But due to various complex factors, religion can become a lure for unrest and antagonism. Looking at the state of religion in the world today, we must be very clear on this point."

California city threatens to sue red light camera company for collecting data on city drivers

0
0

Murrieta will consider suing American Traffic Solutions for continuing to collect data on city drivers after the City Council ordered the Arizona company to shut off the data-collecting cameras.
Council members used strong words to describe their anger after learning last week that American Traffic Solutions left the sensors inside the cameras active for months to collect the data without the city’s knowledge. The company announced on Thursday, April 11, that it had shut off the cameras but left the sensors active to collect raw data.
“I’m really appalled at the way this occurred,” Councilman Alan Long said after agreeing with Councilman Randon Lane’s proposal that council members consider legal options during a future closed session hearing. “I’m flat out angry that a company… that was asked to take down the cameras or turn them off (would) completely disregard our request, especially because it was such a contention, controversial manner.”
American Traffic Solutions representative Charles Territo said Tuesday, April 16, that the company turned off all components of the technology on Thursday after the city’s reaction.
Murrieta first introduced red light cameras in 2006. Several years later, the City Council, at the suggestion of the police department, considered expanding the program beyond the three intersections currently armed with cameras.
Residents responded with a petition drive for a ballot measure banning the cameras. American Traffic Solutions, and another red light camera company, unsuccessfully backed a lawsuit challenging the petition drive, and then again challenged the ballot measure after voters approved banning the cameras by 57 percent.
This month, a Riverside County Superior Court judge ruled that the voters do not have the right to dictate traffic management. Now with the judge’s ruling in place, council members are scheduled to discuss the cameras again on June 4.
The issue likely will draw further debate.
“I’d like to remind the council members that you are representatives of the people,” resident Jackie Fenaroli said. “You should honor the people’s wishes.”

Earth Day: A glimpse of world’s 10 most enchanting forests

0
0
April 22 is Earth Day, an annual event to raise awareness about the environment and its conservation. So, in time to celebrate this day, a leading online travel adviser has compiled a list of the ten most enchanting forests from around the world.
 Crooked Forest, Poland 

Taking top honours is Poland’s Crooked Forest with its 400 curved pine trees planted in 1930. The twisted shape of the trees is said to be man-made, though the method and motive are not known.


 
Sagano Bamboo Forest, Japan
Sagano Bamboo Forest is located within the Arashiyama district in the western outskirts of Kyoto covering an area
of 16 square kilometers. The sound of the wind as it blows through the grove was voted by the Japanese government as one of the hundred sounds to be preserved.

 Black Forest, Germany

The Black Forest situated in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany, has always been an integral part of German folklore and was a fertile source of stories for the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale compilation. The Romans named the forest Silva Nigra or Silva Carbonara (Latin=Black Forest) because of the dense growth which blocked out most of the light in the forest.
 Caddo Lake, United States

Situated on the border between Texas and Louisiana, Caddo Lake is named after a Native American culture called the Caddoans or Caddo who occupied the area before their expulsion. It covers an area of 25,400 acres and is internationally protected under the RAMSAR treaty. It also features the world’s largest Cypress forest.
  Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is one of the several parks located within the Wulingyuan scenic Area in Hunan Province, China. It is famous for its majestic pillar-like geographic formations which dot the entire park. The pillars are said to be an inspiration for the floating Hallelujah Mountains seen in the movie 'Avatar'.
 Inyo National Forest, United States

This National Forest covers 1,903,381 acres, including the White Mountains of California and Nevada and parts of the eastern Sierra Nevada of California. Nine designated wilderness areas are located within the national park and it is also home to the oldest living tree in the world, the Methuselah bristlecone pine.
 Bialowieza Forest, Poland and Belarus

Bialowieza Forest is one of the last remaining parts of a primeval forest stretching across Europe and runs along the border of Belarus and Poland. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve lies along the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range within the provinces of Puntarenas and Alajuela. It consists of 6 ecological zones, 90% of which are virgin forest and is home to 2,500 plant species, 100 mammal species, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects.
. Daintree Rainforest, Australia 

The Daintree Rainforest in north east coast of Queensland, Australia, is the world’s oldest surviving rainforest and teems with myriad flora and fauna. Over 12,000 species of insects are found in this lush tropical rainforest. Around 30 percent of Australia’s frog, reptile and marsupial species, 65% of bat and butterfly species and 18% of bird species are found in this area.

Half of Guantanamo on hunger strike: US official

0
0
More than half of the 166 detainees held at the US-run Guantanamo military prison have joined a rapidly growing hunger strike to protest their indefinite detention, an official said on Sunday.

There are 84 inmates who are refusing food, including 16 on feeding tubes, five of whom are hospitalised, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel House said in a statement, adding that none had "life-threatening conditions”.

House said that as recently as Friday there were 63 inmates who were refusing to eat. On Tuesday of last week just 45 were taking part.

The hunger strikers are protesting their incarceration without charge or trial at Guantanamo in the 11 years since the prison went into use for terror suspects detained in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The hunger strikes began on February 06, when inmates claimed prison officials searched their Qurans for contraband. Officials have denied any mishandling of Islam's holy book.

An inmate detained at Guantanamo for over a decade without charge gave a graphic account of his participation in the hunger strike in a New York Times op-ed earlier this month entitled "Gitmo Is Killing Me”.

The inmate, a 35-year-old Yemeni named Samir Naji al-Hasan Moqbel, said he had lost over 30 pounds since going on hunger strike February 10 and that a fellow inmate weighed just 77 pounds.

"I will never forget the first time they passed the feeding tube up my nose. I can't describe how painful it is to be force-fed this way," he wrote.

"There are so many of us on hunger strike now that there aren't enough qualified medical staff members to carry out the force-feedings... They are feeding people around the clock just to keep up."

Like most of the striking inmates, Moqbel has never been charged with a crime or put on trial, and is not viewed as a threat to US national security.

But he cannot be released because of a moratorium on repatriating Yemenis enacted by President Barack Obama in 2009 after a plot to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day was traced back to al Qaeda's Yemeni franchise.

10 Nutrients Missing In Your Diet

7 Super Snacks That Heal

0
0
If some doctors had their way today, Americans would be more medicated than industrial feedlot cattle. But what most people don’t realize is that the first line of defense against stress, fatigue, depression, and so many other maladies is found in supermarket aisles, not in the drug store.
Research shows that the vitamins, minerals, and active compounds specific to certain fruits, vegetables, and even chocolate and red wine have an immediate and lasting impact on your mood, your health, your fitness — even your sex life.

Whether you have a big presentation at work, or the need to burn a few hundred extra calories a day (and who doesn’t want to do that?), why not put food to work for you? Here are seven research-backed quick cures just waiting for you in the fresh produce bins and supermarket shelves.
1. When You're Stressed...

Eat This:
1 Cup of Low-Fat Yogurt or 2 Tbsp of Mixed Nuts
Scientists in Slovakia gave people 3 grams each of two amino acids — lysine and arginine — or a placebo and asked them to deliver a speech. Blood measurements of stress hormones revealed that the amino acid–fortified public speakers were half as anxious during and after the speech as those who took the placebo. Yogurt is one of the best food sources of lysine; nuts pack tons of arginine.
Not That!
A Can of Soda
A study from the American Journal of Public Health found that people who drink 20 ounces of soda daily are three times more likely to be depressed and anxious, compared with those who drink less.

2. When You Want to Increase Your Metabolism...

Drink This:
Green Tea
Catechins, the powerful antioxidants found in green tea, are known to stoke your metabolism, making it burn hotter and torch more calories. A study by Japanese researchers found that participants who consumed 690 milligrams of catechins from green tea daily had significantly lower body-mass indexes and smaller waist measurements than tea-totalers (i.e., they avoid the stuff).
Not That!
Nothing
Skipping meals lets your body's calorie-burning furnace go cold. Spread out snacks throughout the day. Try a cup of yogurt with fresh fruit or almonds between breakfast and lunch, and a hard-boiled egg or hummus with vegetables in the afternoon.

3. When You're Low on Energy...

Eat This:
A Handful of Trail Mix
Raisins provide potassium, which your body uses to convert sugar into energy. Nuts stock your body with magnesium, which boosts metabolism and improves nerve and muscle function. (When magnesium levels are low, your body produces more lactic acid — the same fatigue-byproduct that makes your muscles ache at the end of a workout.)
Not That!
Espresso-Based Drinks
Sure, the caffeine will perk you up, but the spike in blood sugar that follows — with anywhere from 16 grams (latte) to 59 grams (white chocolate mocha) of sugar coursing through your veins — will ultimately launch your own personal energy crisis. Stick to brewed coffee with one packet of sugar, max.

4. When You Need a Brain Boost...

Eat This:
Blueberries
Antioxidants in blueberries help protect the brain from free-radical damage, which could decrease your risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and improve cognitive processing. Wild blueberries, if you can find them (or grow them!), have even more brain-boosting antioxidants than the cultivated variety.

Not That!
Ice Cream
Sugary foods incite sudden surges of blood glucose that, in the long term, cause sugar highs and lows, and make you as distractable as a toddler in the Disney store. And foods high in saturated fat can clog blood vessels and slow the flow of nutrients and blood to the brain.

5. When You're Under the Weather...

Drink This:
Ginseng Tea, Hot or Iced
In a Canadian study, people who took 400 milligrams of ginseng a day had 25 percent fewer colds than people who popped a placebo. Ginseng helps kill invading viruses by increasing the body's production of key immune cells.

Not That!
Caffeinated Beverages and Energy Drinks
Excessive caffeine messes with your sleep schedule and sabotages key immune agents. And insufficient sleep opens the door to colds, upper respiratory infections, and other ills. What's more, caffeine can dehydrate you, and hydration is vital during illness: Fluids not only transport nutrients to the problem zones, but also carry away toxins.

6. When You Need to Wake Up and Go...

Eat This:
Eggs and Whole-Wheat Toast
Eggs are a great source of protein, and having them for breakfast sets you up for a perfect day of eating. Saint Louis University researchers found that people who eat eggs for breakfast consume 264 fewer calories the rest of the day than those who eat bagels and cream cheese.

Not That!
Bagel and Cream Cheese
At 500 calories and 20 grams of fat, this deli disaster is one of the worst ways to start your day. Sixty grams of fast-burning carbohydrates will cause a dip in energy and a spike in hunger, long before lunchtime. The same goes for croissants, danish, donuts, and pancakes.

7. When You Want to Get ''In the Mood''...

Eat This:
Dark Chocolate
The cocoa in chocolate contains stimulants that increase your body's sensitivity. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that can give you a slight natural high. And Italian researchers found that women who often eat chocolate have a higher sex drive than those who don't. Make sure your chocolate has at least 60 percent cacao.

Not That!
The Third Glass of Wine
The alcohol in wine affects your prefrontal cortex, which can decrease inhibition and up your sexual appetite. But only for the first glass or two. Beyond that, the toxic affects of alcohol in your system take over and are as likely to make you sleepy as they are to make you sexy. The more pouring, the more snoring. 

Top 10 Most Nutritious Fruits

0
0
Health is wealth! That is what they always say. It is a cliché but still what this statement says is always true. The most important means to get & keep healthy is through eating the right food. We all know this fact but still we tend not to put it in practice. Though unhealthy foods might be delicious, it can be destructive to our health. This is the reason that it is necessary to list down ten of the most nutritious fruits in the world. While different sources might not agree with each other, the fruits listed here are the most frequently mentioned as the most nutritious fruits.

10. Apricot


This fruit is small and round with soft furry yellow to orange skin and a single pit. It has a great amount of anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, and lycopene. Because it is rich in fiber, it can help detoxify your gastrointestinal system. It also has potassium which can help regulate proper muscle contraction and pumping of the heart.

9. Grapefruit


This is a hybrid of pomelo and sweet orange packed with anti-oxidants, potassium, iron, and fiber. It is believed that darker the fruit, higher the antioxidant ability. Grapefruits can also prevent diseases of the heart and some types of cancer.

8. Papaya


Papaya is also known as “pawpaw” and “tree melon”. Pregnant and nursing mothers should eat papaya because it is rich in folate for the brain development of their baby. Papaya is also a superb source of vitamins A, C, E, and K. it has an amount of vitamin C and potassium that exceeds three times the recommended daily intake. The centre for Science in the United States declares papaya as the most nutritious fruit.

7. Kiwifruit


This fruit is greenish brown and has a hairy skin. Kiwifruit is rich in vitamins A, C, and E. Its sweet green pulp is also a good source of an antioxidant known as flavonoids. Accordingly, if you want a good source of potassium, kiwifruit should be your first choice since it has more potassium than banana and orange.

6. Cantaloupe


This fruit is very aromatic coming from orange flesh. It is rich in vitamin A, potassium, folate, and beta-carotene. This fruit is a perfect diet to develop good eyesight and to avoid development of eye diseases.

5. Cherries


Cherries are good in boosting the immune system because of its high content of flavonoids, potassium, vitamin E and C, folate, magnesium, and Carotenoids. Eating cherries on a daily basis can help you decrease bad cholesterol level, inflammation, pain brought about by degenerative diseases, and risk of cancer.

4. Watermelon


Aside from its delicious and thirst-quenching properties, the watermelon can be very nutritious. The color of watermelon suggests that it is rich in lycopene, beta-carotene, antioxidants, and vitamin A, C, and B1, potassium and magnesium. A watermelon can significantly strengthen the immune system and improve the health of the heart.

3. Guava


The Guava is one of the most nutritious fruits in the world. This is because it has dietary fiber, vitamin C, B3, A, and polyunsaturated fatty acid. Especially pigmented guavas, it is rich in carotenoids and polyphenols. It is said that guava has four times more vitamin C compared to orange.

2. Apple


You all heard it, an apple a day makes the doctor away. This is definitely true. Did you know that it is better to eat apple each morning rather than drinking coffee? An apple is rich in fiber especially on their skin. It has vitamins A, C, and E. Apples can be used to fight diabetes and asthma. It is also a natural breath freshner.

1. Avocado


Finally, we are now in our number one slot. The avocado fruit is considered by the Guinness World of Record as the most nutritious fruit and for good reasons. The strength of avocado lies in its high content of monounsaturated fats that helps in lowering bad cholesterol. Avocado is perfect for infants because of its soft and sweet texture.
Now that you know the best gift of Mother Nature for us, humans, you can have more reasons to eat fruits rather than empty foods. Remember that what you eat now will have an effect on your body, now and in the future. So stick with this list and you are on your way to a better and healthier you.

Nearly half of Guantanamo inmates on hunger strike against their incarceration without charge or trial at for over the past 11 years

0
0

The number of detainees taking part in a hunger strike at the US-run Guantanamo Bay military prison has grown to 77, an increase of 25 in just the past few days, according to a US military spokesman.
Lieutenant Colonel Samuel House said in a statement that of the detainees refusing food, 17 are receiving "enteral feedings," a process involving being force-fed via tubes.
Five of the inmates have been admitted to hospital, although none faces "life-threatening conditions," House said.
The facility, which houses 166 detainees, has been hit by hunger strikes since February 6, when inmates claimed prison officials searched their Qurans for contraband. Officials have denied any mishandling of Islam's holy book.
The hunger strikers are protesting against their incarceration without charge or trial at Guantanamo over the past 11 years.
"They say they want their freedom," Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington, said. "Or they'll die trying to get it."
Lawyers representing inmates at the prison have said most of the estimated 130 detainees at Guantanamo's Camp Six wing, which houses "low-value" prisoners, are on hunger strike.

Torture
Al Jazeera journalist Sami al-Haj, who spent six years at the Guantanamo Bay prison, said: "They used dogs on us, they beat me, sometimes they hung me from the ceiling and didn't allow me to sleep for six days."
Brandon Neely, a US Military Policeman and former Guantanamo guard, told Al Jazeera that detainees were "treated horribly".
Neely said he regularly watched detainees being beaten and humiliated, as well as watching a medic beat an inmate.
Bill O'Neil, an international lawyer, pointed out that by its actions in Guantanamo, the US has violated the UN Convention against Torture, which it has ratified and is thus legally bound to uphold.
"As such under international law binding on the US, those involved in planning, ordering and overseeing those acts in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and elsewhere that constituted torture [and those subordinate officers who were ordered to commit torture cannot use the defence of "following superior orders"] should be investigated and if the evidence so indicates, prosecuted," O'Neil told Al Jazeera.
Despite an order in 2011 by Barack Obama, the US president, to close Guantanamo down by the end of that year, there are no current plans to shut the prison.

Afghan Girls School Poisoning: 74 Girls Poisoned in Suspected Taliban Gas Attack

0
0

According to Reuters, as many as 74 school girls at the Bibi Hawa Girls High School are feared poisoned after falling sick from smelling a strange gas on Thursday morning. The school, located in Taluquan, the capital of Afghanistan's far North province of Takhar, is only the latest incident of mass poisonings of girls schools — a sadly recurrent tragedy being coordinated by the ultra-conservative elements of Afghan society that believe girls should not be educated. 
As President Karzai calls for local leaders to promote fairness and equality in education for women, a right that was granted to women after the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, the Afghan Education Ministry has closed 550 schools across the country due to security concerns, affecting 300,000 students in eleven provinces.
The girls smelled gas and started falling unconscious at the school, and the ensuing chaos involved other classmates crying while police and school officials transported the girls to the provincial hospital. The 8th, 10th, and 11th grade students are receiving treatment at the local hospital, and most were released after being deemed healthy but some are critical condition. Dr. Jamil Frotan, head of the provincial hospital treating the girls, described the ongoing investigation into thepoisoning, saying: "We have already sent samples of their blood to the Ministry of Public Health and it will soon become clear what the reason for their illness was."
This poisoning comes three days after another girls school in Taluquan was reportedly gassed, sending a dozen young girls to the hospital. No individual or group has stepped up to claim responsibility of this abhorrent act, and it is unknown if any one will be brought to justice. The Takhar province is known to be a stronghold of militant and surreptitious activity from groups like the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
Taluquan's schools witnessed four similar poisonings on girls' schools between May and June of 2012, poisoning 700 girls through contaminated drinking water and poisonous gas, prompting provincial officials mandating principals of schools to instruct staff and faculty to remain on the grounds after students' dismissal, and inspect the schools for any suspicious objects or activity. One such poisoning on May 23, 2012 affected 120 girls on the same day, and another poisoning of a local boys' school sickened 200 students.

The FBI was alerted by Russia’s security services to serious new concerns about one of the Boston bomb suspects as recently as last November

0
0

As the agency was accused of "dropping the ball" over the case, NBC News reported that Tamerlan Tsarnaev had been seen making six visits to a known Islamic militant in a mosque in the Russian republic of Dagestan.
The visits came during a six month trip that Tamerlan made to the city of Makhachkala to see his family, NBC said.
According to a local police official, a case file on Tsarnaev was then handed over to the FBI along with a request for further information. However, the FBI never replied.
The agency has already admitted that it interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011 after Russia raised concerns that he was becoming a follower of radical Islam, but found nothing "derogatory" against him and did not pursue the case further. 
The 26-year-old, who allegedly orchestrated last Monday's bombings with his younger brother Dzhokhar, was killed in the early hours of Friday morning in a shoot-out with police. It came just hours after police released images of the pair to the public.
In a further twist, Channel 4 News claimed on Sunday that Tamerlan had phoned home in the wake of the bombings and told his mother that the FBI had already called him to accuse him of being responsible.
According to the report, Tamerlan telephoned his mother on Wednesday last week and said he had replied to the FBI's accusations by saying: "That's your problem." The claims emerged from an interview with his father, Ansor.
The FBI declined to comment directly on either claim on Sunday.
However, if either is confirmed, they will add significant weight to the growing chorus of criticism of the FBI, which came on Sunday from senior members of Congress who accused the Bureau of repeatedly "dropping the ball".
Michael McCaul, the chair of House Homeland Security Committee, said the FBI must explain why it failed to keep track of Tsarnaev after the 2011 interview, particularly after he visited his family in Dagestan, which is a known centre of Islamist militancy and training facilities.
"If he [Tamerlan Tsarnaev] was on the radar and they let him go, if he was on the Russians' radar, why wasn't a flag put on him, some sort of customs flag?" Mr McCaul asked on CNN, adding that there were clear signs that Tsarnaev had been radicalised during his trip.
"One of the first things he does [upon his return] is puts up a YouTube website throwing out a lot of jihadist rhetoric. Clearly something happened, in my judgment, in that six-month timeframe – he radicalised at some point in time," Mr McCaul added. "Where was that and how did that happen?"
In a further sign that Tsarnaev's record was in the US security apparatus, the New York Times reported that a "hold" had been placed on his citizenship request by the Department of Homeland Security after routine background checks discovered the FBI's former interest in him.
The FBI has also not explained why it did not immediately retrieve the Tsarnaev file after the bombs exploded on Monday afternoon – an event which should have triggered routine checks on those suspected of involvement in with Islamist militant groups.
Even three days later, when the FBI correctly identified the bombers after reviewing hours of the CCTV footage and public smartphone videos of the race, they failed to cross-reference the photograph with a man whose picture they already had on file.
When contacted by The Daily Telegraph to ask why Tamerlan's file had been overlooked in the aftermath of the bombings, the FBI said it would not comment on "operational matters".
While at pains to praise the bravery of police in the hunt for the bombers, which ended last Friday night with Tamerlan, 26, dead and his younger brother Dzhokhar, 19, in hospital in a 'serious' condition, senior politicians openly questioned the competence of the FBI.
"The ball was dropped in one of two ways," said senator Lindsey Graham on CNN warning that the FBI needed to improve its performance. "The FBI missed a lot of things, is one potential answer, or our laws do not allow the FBI to follow up in a sound solid way."
"It's people like this that you don't want to let out of your sight, and this was a mistake," he added. "Either our laws are insufficient or the FBI failed, but we're at war with radical Islamists and we need to up our game."
Another Republican, congressman Peter King, chairman of the House sub-committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, was even more direct, accusing the FBI of having a track-record of failure in monitoring potential terror threats.
"This is at least the fifth case I'm aware of where the FBI has failed to stop someone," Mr King told Fox News, citing cases including that of Anwar al-Awlaki, who planned terrorist attacks as part of al Qaeda and Nidal Malik Hasan, who opened fire at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 killing 13 people.
"This is the latest in a series of cases like this...where the FBI is given information about someone as being a potential terrorist; they look at them, and then they don't take action, and then they go out and commit murders."

Police: Man used baby as shield to protect himself

0
0

According to police, a burglary suspect held up his own, 7-month-old son between himself and deputies during a face-off in Estacada on Saturday afternoon.
Deputies with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office say they thought the suspect might have been armed at the time.
Police were responding to a report of a burglary in the 400 block of Clackamas Way in Estacada when they spotted the suspect, later identified as Raleigh Reynolds.
When they approached and attempted to arrest him, Reynolds allegedly ran and jumped a fence before entering the house next door, inside of which he barricaded himself.
As deputies surrounded the home, a woman came out of the house and told police she was the suspect's sister. 
Police continued to surround the home as Reynolds attempted to escape several times but kept retreating back inside.
Eventually Reynolds came out of the house holding a baby in front him. Police say he positioned the child as a shield between himself and the deputies.
Police say Reynolds refused to comply with commands and it was believed he may be armed. 
Deputies negotiated with Reynolds until he finally released the baby and was taken into custody. As it turned out, Reynolds was not armed.
The infant, later learned to be Reynolds' son, was not hurt during the incident. The baby was released to family members at the scene.
Reynolds was booked into the Clackamas County Jail on the burglary charge, obstructing governmental administration, endangering welfare of a minor and resisting arrest.
Reynolds is expected to face a judge to hear the charges Monday.

NYC Proposes Raising Minimum Age for Cigarette Purchases to 21

0
0

Young New Yorkers would not be able to buy cigarettes until they were 21, up from the current 18, under a proposal advanced Monday by Dr. Thomas A. Farley, the city’s health commissioner, and Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker.

The proposal, which would give New York the highest smoking age in the country among major cities, is the latest effort in a long campaign to limit smoking that began soon after Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took office, with bans on smoking in restaurants and bars, and expanding more recently to bans at parks, beaches, plazas and other public places.
The new proposal would make the age for buying cigarettes the same as for buying liquor. It was not immediately clear whether Dr. Farley’s proposal would make it illegal for people under 21 to possess cigarettes, as well as to buy them.
Surveys suggest youth smoking has been declining in New York City, perhaps, some analysts say, because young people have been influenced by the public health campaigns and never taken it up to begin with.
In March, Mr. Bloomberg proposed legislation through the City Council that he said would make New York the first city in the nation to force retailers to keep tobacco products hidden where customers could not see them. That proposal, he said, was meant to shield children from tobacco marketing and keep people from buying cigarettes on impulse.
But the latest proposals have also come amid some recent defeats in Mr. Bloomberg’s public health campaigns, like a reversal in court of the city’s policy of putting graphic antismoking advertisements where cigarettes are sold, and another court reversal of a highly anticipated city ban on selling super-size sugary drinks at movie theaters, sports arenas and other establishments.
The smoking age is 18 in most of the country, but 19 in four states: Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey and Utah. Some counties have also adopted 19, including Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. The Boston suburb of Needham, Mass., also has raised its smoking age to 21.

Senator Told Shooting Victim’s Mother He Supported Background Checks, Then Voted Against Them

0
0

Shortly before the a crucial Senate vote to expand background checks in gun transactions, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) sent a letter to the mother of a shooting victim claiming that he was “truly sorry” for her son’s death and that “strengthening background checks is something we agree on.” A few days later, he voted to kill the background checks bill.

Caren Teves’ son Alex died during the Aurora theater mass shooting while shielding his girlfriend from the gun man’s bullets. She wrote a letter to Sen. Flake, in which she “invited him to our home to sit in our son’s chair, his empty chair” and “feel the emptiness and have dinner with us and discuss” guns. In response, Flake sent Teves a hand-written letter claiming that he supported one of the most important steps Congress could take to improve gun safety — expanding background checks:
Just days after raising Teves’ hopes that the Senate would act to prevent future mothers from experiencing the same pain inflicted upon her family, Flake voted against background checks. Flake claimed to oppose the bill because it “would expand background checks far beyond commercial sales to include almost all private transfers — including between friends and neighbors,” but this claim is false. As Mark Kelly, husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) lamented after seeing Flake’s explanation, “it appears he hasn’t read the bill.”

The most mystifying things the Tsarnaev brothers did

0
0

On Monday, it became official: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged with "use of a weapon of mass destruction" and "malicious destruction of property resulting in death" for his alleged role in last Monday's bombing of the Boston marathon. The federal criminal complaint comes three days after police captured Tsarnaev in a boat in Watertown, Massachusetts, and four days after a manhunt for these specific suspects began in earnest. For the time being, law enforcement officials believe Dzhokhar and his older brother, Tamerlan, who was killed Friday, acted alone.
Dzhokhar and Tamerlan's motive—or motives—is still unclear. But that's not the only unknown. Many of the Tsarnaevs' actions last week seem baffling in retrospect. Here are some of the most confounding things they did:
  1. Wear a backwards hat and no sunglasses. Unlike his older brother, Dzhokhar made little effort to prevent cameras from capturing his face, making him easier to identify when the FBI released security camera photos on Thursday. Indeed, classmates at University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth did see him in the photos, but dismissed the similarity because it seemed so far-fetched.
  2. Not react to the explosions. For three days, investigators pored over all available photos and surveillance videos of the blast area searching for abnormal reactions. The complaint filed in federal court on Monday specifically cites Dzhokhar's reaction to the first explosion as a giveaway; per the complaint, he glanced in the direction of the first blast only briefly.
  3. Leave the car in the shop. The Wall Street Journal reported that Dzhokhar stopped by an auto-body shop in Watertown on Tuesday to pick up the Mercedes he'd brought in for repairs.
  4. Stay in Boston. The second bomb exploded at 2:49 p.m. last Monday. Dzhokhar and Tamerlan carjacked a Mercedes at 10:39 p.m.* on Thursday. What did they do in the interim three days? Go to the gym, check in on their busted car, and, in Dzhokhar's case, go to a party on the UMass–Dartmouth campus. During the three-day window in which their involvement was unknown, they made no attempt to flee.
  5. Kill an MIT police officer. Why did the brothers shoot 26-year-old Sean Collier? The murder at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday set in motion the events that would ultimately lead to their capture.
  6. Run out of cash. When Dzhokhar carjacked a Mercedes on Thursday night, he and his brother had one thing in mind: Get cash, and fast. They emptied $800 from an ATM using their victim's PIN number, before they reached the account limit. Holding up a stranger for money suggests a woeful lack of planning on their part (they hadn't budgeted) that helped alert them to the authorities.
  7. Not understand how ATMs work. After reaching the daily withdrawal limit at one ATM, the Tsarnaevs, apparently not realizing that the machines are part of an interconnected system, decided to try their luck at two different machines. The quest to find a working ATM was how they ended up, coincidentally, at a 7/11 in Cambridge around the same time it was the scene of an armed robbery, and were spotted on the store security camera.
  8. Confess to the hostage. According to the complaint, when Dzhokhar got into the Mercedes, he immediately told the driver, "Did you hear about the Boston explosion? I did that." That meant their cover would be immediately blown if the driver escaped. Which brings us to…
  9. Stop for snacks. The Los Angeles Times reported that the hostage escaped after the brothers stopped at a gas station on Memorial Drive to buy snacks.
  10. Keep the hostage's phone. The Tsarnaevs continued on without their hostage—but they did have his phone, which allowed police to track their location via GPS.
  11. Bring a BB gun. The weapons used by the two suspects, according to police: a pressure-cooker bomb, seven IEDs, an M4 carbine, two handguns, and a BB gun. Why a BB gun?

Muslim community tipped off RCMP about terror plot

0
0
 Muslims want a safe Canada, too.

That's what Muhammad Robert Heft, a Muslim community leader in Scarborough, wants his fellow Torontonians to know as the RCMP arrested a Muslim man in the GTA for allegedly plotting a rail attack that would have taken innocent lives. Not only do Muslims in the city condemn the attack, they turned over information in a bid to help foil it.

"There is going to be backlash," he said, alluding to those who will blame the Muslim community. "But I want to reiterate. Who was the one who tipped the RCMP off? It was our community."

Heft said Muslim leaders are often criticized for not speaking up or not turning over information about radicalized community members. They are cooperating, he said.

"We have to be on the front lines," he said. "To either nip it in the bud in the very beginning or co-operate with authorities so they can be brought to justice."

Heft himself runs an out-reach program for youth who are at risk of being radicalized.

"At the end of the day, it's not how you dress, it's how you think," he said. "In our community we may look a little different, but in our hearts we love Canada. It's our country. It's our tribe. We want safety for all Canadians regardless of their religion."

Photos of the Tsarnaev brothers' shootout with police

0
0
Here are the two brothers taking cover behind the black Mercedes SUV and shooting towards Watertown Police officers. (Taken at 12:46:11AM)
The shooters were also driving the green sedan on the left. They had the back passenger door open and were going back into the car where they had additional supplies (assumingly, more ammunition and explosives). They also had backpacks at their feet where they also had additional supplies.
This is a view from the west-facing window at the end of the block (Laurel St.) you can see multiple police vehicles. These vehicles were about 75-80 yards from the shooters. (Taken at 12:46:25AM)
Here it’s clear to see the brothers taking aim and firing on the officers. (Taken at 12:47:57AM)
This is a zoomed in view from the last image. The red circle highlights the pressure cooker bomb that was used just moments after this photo was taken. The use of this explosive created an enormous cloud of smoke that covered the entire street. While the street was still cloudy with smoke one of the brothers started running down the street towards the officers, while still engaging them in gunshots. As he got closer to the officers, within 10 -15 yards of them he was taken down. 
As the one brother was running toward the officers the second got back into the SUV, turned it around in the street and proceeded to accelerate at the vehicle barricade. This image shows the black SUV charging the officer vehicles. (Taken 12:50:57AM)
This is a zoom-in from the last image and the red circle highlights where one of the brothers was taken down and still laying in the street. The black SUV proceeded to accelerate towards the officers and drove in between the two cars at the top of the picture. The SUV side swiped both cars taking out doors and windows and ultimately broke through the vehicle barricade and continued driving west on Laurel St. 
This image was taken from the east-facing window. As soon as the black SUV had left the street officers rushed toward the green sedan and the spot of the shooting. As soon as officers got to the vehicle they started alerting all others on scene that there were “IEDs” on the street and for everyone examining the scene to clear the entire street. Also pictured at the bottom of the image is a Watertown Police SUV that had crashed in our driveway at the start of the gunfight and had many of its windows shot out. (Taken 12:57:52AM)
At the bottom of this image is the blast mark from the pressure cooker bomb that exploded in the middle of the street. At the top of the image, the bright light is a bomb detecting robot that was moving toward the blast mark. (Taken at 1:20:10AM)
Here bomb squad personnel inspect the blast mark of the large explosion.  (Taken 1:39:22AM)
Here heavily armed agents are still in search of the suspect on Laurel St. (Taken 2:14:54AM)
Here is the bomb detecting robot inspecting the vehicle from the back right passenger seat. (Taken at 2:49:19AM)

The bomb squad had finally inspected the entire vehicle and all the backpacks beside it and have cleared the area.  (Taken 5:45:25AM)
Armed Agents searching and evacuating all homes on Laurel St.  . (Taken at 6:01:17AM)

5 Surprising Ingredients Allowed in Organic Food

0
0

 What are the weirdest additives the USDA allows in food labeled "organic"? Here are five.
1. Carrageenan
Made from seaweed and used as a thickener and stabilizer for certain dairy products like cottage cheese and yogurt, carrageenan is probably the most controversial organic additive. Joanne K. Tobacman, an associate professor of medicine at University of Illinois-Chicago, claims that carrageenan causes intestinal inflammation, and she petitioned the USDA not to approve it for organic food. The organic watchdog group Cornucopia Institute notes that according to USDA organic code, nonorganic ingredients like carrageenan can only be introduced into certified-organic food when they are deemed "essential" to the manufacture of a given product. The group argues that carrageenan should not have been deemed essential, because some organic dairy companies don't use it at all, proving it can be done without. For example, Horizon and Whole foods 365 use it in their cottage cheeses, while Organic Valley and Nancy's don't.
2. Synthetic DHA (a fatty acid)
This omega-3 fatty acid supplement, derived from algae in some dairy products, is made by Martek Biosciences Corp., a subsidiary of the Dutch conglomerate Royal DSM. Its critics  argue it's a dubious addition to organics because it's not essential to producing any product. You don't need it to produce milk; you only need it to produce milk that contains synthetic DHA. According to Cornucopia, Martek's DHA is is derived from a strain of algae generated through "induced mutations with the use of radiation and/or harsh chemicals."
3. Acidified sodium chlorite
This synthetic chemical, used as a disinfecting wash for poultry and other meats, hasn't been connected to any health problems. It's made by chemical giant Dupont.
4. Tetrasodium pyrophosphate 
A mixture of phosphoric acid with sodium carbonate, this compound is used is soy-based meat alternatives. "It promotes binding of proteins to water, binding the soy particles together, and is used for the same purpose in chicken nuggets and imitation crab and lobster products,"writes Simon Quellen Field, author of Why There's Antifreeze in Your Toothpaste: The Chemistry of Household Ingredients. 
5. Ethylene
This fossil fuel derivative is used to speed ripening of tropical fruit and "degreen" citrus. While its use in food doesn't harm people, using fossil fuels sure does.

6 Things To Know About the Freeze-Dried Food Craze

0
0

1. Freeze-dried cottage cheese lasts 30 years unrefrigerated. 
Freeze-dried-food companies sell their cuisine for long-term storage in one-gallon, nitrogen-sealed cans that are advertised to last 25 to 30 years unopened and another one to two weeks once opened. The wares of Mountain House, a prominent vendor, include a can of diced beef that retails for $52.49, a can of freeze-dried cottage cheese for $65.39, and a 16-serving can of scrambled eggs with bacon for $31.89. Tim Hemmingway, an employee at Food Insurance, recently ate a 37-year-old can of freeze-dried beef stew to prove its longevity.

2. Economic hardship and natural disasters propel people to store food. 
The modern industry of freeze-dried food storage arose in the late 1970s, when widespread concern over the oil crises of 1973 and 1979 and stagflation led many to stockpile food. In recent months the economic downturn prompted a spike in sales of freeze-dried foods. The founders of Shelf Reliance, a food-storage start-up born in 2004, say their company tripled in size from February to March of this year and again doubled in size from March to April. In January, Mountain House sold out of its one-gallon cans. Unable to meet demand, the company recently had to temporarily remove the cans from their website. In March, right after the earthquake in Japan, they could be found on eBay for two to three times their retail price.
3. Freeze-drying food requires a lot of energy.
Freeze-drying is one of the most energy-intensive ways to preserve food, according to R. Paul Singh, a University of California-Davis food science and technology professor. Mountain House freeze-dries its food in 3,000-pound batches over a period of 18 to 20 hours. The final product weights about 900 pounds and takes about 2.4 million Btu of heat to produce—1.2 times more energy than canning, and 1.7 times more energy than freezing.

4. Mormons are food-storage aficionados. 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages members always to store one year's supply of food—in fact, many food-storage companies were founded specifically to serve the Mormon community. Shelf Reliance is one such company. Born seven years ago in Lindon, Utah, it has now expanded well beyond the Mormon market, operating in all 50 states, boasting some 75,000 online customers and selling an estimated $2.4 million worth of freeze-dried food, storage containers, and emergency products annually.

5. Freeze-dried food is relatively healthy. 
Gary Stoner, a professor of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, found that the freeze-dried berries retained 90 percent of their anthocyanins—compounds that give berries their color and are thought to prevent cancer. Other nutrients, such as vitamins C and E and folic acid, are somewhat depleted through the freeze-drying process. Once rehydrated, freeze-dried food is similar in nutritional value to fresh food according to Diane Barrett, a food science and technology prof at UC-Davis. Barrett calls freeze-drying "one of the best ways to preserve food." Freeze-dried food has long been popular with outdoor enthusiasts and shoppers at sporting-goods stores such as REI, which sells small, lightweight packets for hiking and backpacking.

6. Freeze-drying is a really, really old technique.
Freeze-drying is a three-step process that begins with freezing. Next the food is placed in a vacuum chamber under low heat. The frozen water crystals evaporate directly from ice to water vapor in a process called sublimation. The food then undergoes "secondary drying," in which any remaining water molecules are removed under slightly higher temperatures. The food is nitrogen sealed for storage to prevent contamination from water or oxygen. As far back as 1200 A.D., the Incas freeze-dried potatoes (chuño) and a precursor to beef jerky (charqui), placing food on high-elevation stone platforms to freeze overnight and then dry in the sun.  

7 Weird Ways Stress Makes You Healthy

0
0

The upside of stress

You probably try to limit the amount of the dreaded “s” word you have in your life: Stress. After all, it’s been linked to weight gain, heart attacks, hair loss and more. There’s even been some buzz about the creation of a vaccine on the distant horizon that can protect your brain from the effects of stress. However, there’s plenty of research that finds stress may actually be good for you. 
“Stress is a very healthy thing, because it gives you the energy you need to live life,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and Chronicity and author of Real Cause, Real Cure. “Without it, you wouldn’t have the energy you need to take action.” 
Consider adrenaline junkies who seek out stressful situations in order to reap a physical and emotional high. Those anxious feelings trigger a fight-or-flight response that releases cortisol and adrenaline for a surge of energy that pushes you to react when you need to (such as moving fast if you’re about to be hit by a car) while offering protective health benefits such as enhanced immunity.
“It’s when stress becomes excessive and lasts for long periods of time and when your body doesn’t release it through physical activity or emotional reactions that it becomes unhealthy,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. It’s all about balance: While we’re not suggesting you take up skydiving, just know that some stress is not only healthful—it’s essential. It’s when you have stress overload that it becomes toxic to your mind and body. 
So the next time your palms get sweaty before a speech; your heart races when you’re getting cavities filled; or your blood boils after your neighbor’s dog tears apart your garbage again, take heart: It’s just your body’s own natural defense system operating smoothly.  Check out these seven healthy benefits of stress.

 

1. It could help ward off colds

If you’re feeling deadline pressure in the short-term, your body will most likely work overtime to keep you well. That’s because some stress is helpful to rev your immune system to fight off viruses and bacteria since it’s the stress-regulating adrenal glands that balance immunity. “These glands help release cortisol, an anti-inflammatory, in response to either physical or emotional stressors so you can tap into your energy reserves and resist infection,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. It’s when your stress levels stay high for more than a few hours that you can exhaust your adrenal glands and become prone to getting sick. 
 

2. It can speed recovery

Going under the knife is stressful. But the short-term stress of surgery can work in your favor by actually helping you to heal faster. “The biological changes that take place during short-term stress are the brain's way of preparing the body for something stressful that is about to happen or is already happening,” says Firdaus Dhabhar, PhD, director of research at the Stanford University Center on Stress and Health.
In nature, wounds usually happen following stressful situations, such as when a gazelle is being chased by a lion. The idea is that short-term stress hormones surge through the body in anticipation of the potential outcome—like the gazelle getting bit but managing to escape—and gets the body ready for the fast healing that will have to take place. It does this by triggering the release of the body's "soldiers" or immune cells into the blood stream and redirecting those fighter cells to where they are most needed for healing, such as the skin and lymph nodes.
Researchers tested this hypothesis in humans by collecting a series of blood samples from 57 patients undergoing knee surgery before and after the procedure. Patients whose immune systems responded to the stress of surgery by mobilizing and redistributing large numbers of pathogen-fighting cells recovered more quickly and completely, according to a study in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. “The physiological acute stress response may serve as a defensive or preparatory ‘call to arms,’ to improve wound healing and recovery,” says Dr. Dhabhar. 
 

3. It helps you bond

Even if you’re not the type to actually embrace stress, it may motivate you more to reach out to others. In fact, short-term stress has been shown to boost levels of oxytocin, a.k.a. the bonding hormone, says Kathleen Hall, PhD, founder of The Stress Institute and The Mindful Living Network. “Oxytocin actually inhibits the production of stress hormones such as adrenaline and reduces blood pressure by dilating the arteries to help buffer the body from the more negative affects of anxiety.”
 

4. It may boost vaccines

Do needles make you woozy? That reaction might make the protective powers of getting a shot last longer. When researchers studied acutely stressed mice before giving them an immunization, they had higher numbers of disease-fighting memory T-cells and mounted a larger immune response as many as nine months later (a long time in mice years) compared with the non-stressed control group, finds a study in theAmerican Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
 

5. It enhances memory

Have you ever been in a stressful situation where your mind felt super-aware and laser-sharp? It’s the rush of hormones to the prefrontal cortex (a brain region important for controlling cognition and emotion) that may boost your working memory, or the short-term kind used in problem solving and processing sensory information.
While some studies link chronic stress to the development of brain plaques tied to Alzheimer’s, acute stress has been shown to improve recall. Stressed-out rats forced to swim scored better on tests of working memory when compared with their calmer counterparts, reports a recent study in Molecular Psychiatry. Researchers say acute stress helps facilitate key brain receptors that are essential for the type of memory that can help you better figure out the task at hand. 
 

6. It could fight tumors

While the kind of chronic stress that keeps you up at night has been shown to suppress the immune system and lead to disease, the short-lived kind might help fight skin cancer. According to a study in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, when mice were exposed to cancer-causing ultraviolet light for 10 weeks, those put in brief stress-inducing conditions (such as being confined in ventilated plastic tubes) developed fewer tumors than the non-stressed mice. One possible explanation may be that the stress triggered the mice to express more immune-activating genes and direct more immune cells to tumors to help suppress tumor growth.
So the next time you’re in a stressful situation, such as finding yourself inside the elevator alone with the big boss, tell yourself that this uncomfortable moment may be a boon for your health. 
 

7. It boosts resiliency

Whether you’re stressed because you lost your job or are having problems with your marriage, those feelings could be life-changing—in a good way. When several psychologists recently asked nearly 2,400 people about their history of adverse experiences—everything from whether they'd been through a divorce or natural disaster to if they'd ever lost a loved one—they found that those who had faced some misfortune were actually more well adjusted than those who'd had no bumps in the road at all.
"Having to deal with challenges may toughen us up," says Mark Seery, PhD, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Buffalo, "and leave us better equipped to deal with subsequent challenges."
 
Viewing all 6389 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images