http://www.cns.nyu.edu/%7Ehupe/plaid_demo/demo_plaids.html
Stare at the red spot.
The coherent ("diamonds") perception of a plaid should switch to the perception of two transparent, independently-moving gratings (the component or "slidings" percept).
Atleast that's what I get. To get the "plaid" back again just flick your eyes off the red dot.
By concentrating on the dot and then stopping I "switch" between the 2 patterns.

Here's another, a dancer.
http://www.uq.edu.au/nuq/jack/dancer.gif
or find here
http://www.procreo.jp/labo/labo13.html  (this one rotates faster for me!)
To me, I perceive the dancer rotating clockwise.
Which way does she rotate to you?

This is thougt by some to be related to switching bwetween brain hemispheres, and possibly related to depression, bipolar etc.
For more info read here
http://www.uq.edu.au/nuq/jack/rivalry.html
http://www.uq.edu.au/nuq/jack/jack.html

"Sticky" Switch Hypothesis:
Pettigrew JD and Miller SM 1998 Proc. Roy. Soc. B 265: 2141-2148A "sticky" interhemispheric switch in bipolar disorder?

This paper is a little technical, but is not intended purely for a clinical readership (There is even a yin-yang symbol, for the complementarity of the cerebral hemispheres, in one of the figures that gets Jack into hot water in some stodgy settings!).

The important new finding is that bipolar subjects switch more slowly between rivalling perceptual alternatives. This "slow switching" trait seems to have a large genetic component, based on a high correlation in identical twins The trait seems accurately to position a subject in the bipolar spectrum, with slower rates of switching involving proportionately greater risk of bipolar disorder. The finding continues to be replicated in larger numbers of subjects in different centres. In addition, we discovered a study from the days before medication, that has essentially the same message (Hunt et al J. Abnormal Soc. Psychol 27: 443.1933).

Unexpected Confirmation of Unihemispheric Effect on Mood:

I just read about Prof.Jack Pettigrew in an old uni Mag (1999) I found lying around the house, and I thought it worth mentioning on here.
He mentions "coping " mechanisms like pets, exercise, diet, omega-3 /omega-6 oils, mediatation,music that people employ to keep their "balance".
The article says Jack did a medical degree but his experience as an intern in neuro-surgery led to a change in direction to research.
The brain does not heal well and people die. He found it very chastening as people he cared about died. If you're a bit sensitive you just can't do it , it knocks you around way too much. The distressing lack of power to save people drove him to become one of Australia's most eminent ..
Prog. Pettigrew "came out" as a sufferer of bipolar himself while he & his team were fielding accolades for their research findings on bipolar.
I thought a few people may be interested in having a browse thru his website.

The article also states "Professor Pettigrew believes that early undiagnosed episodes of manic depression "kindle" the brain. Pressure mounts until sometime later in life, internal mechanisms fire while the brain is stuck in one hemisphere, kindling the full blown disorder."

I am not sure of this but I suspect I have a "degree of bipolar", and I often think maybe everyone has, its just how big that degree is?.. although I must admit that as a teenager I thought some people didn't seem to have the lows or highs I had, or the drive?, and must have a pretty montonous life..now I think maybe it's way more peaceful?
These days I am too "wiped" to have that drive.
OTOH maybe I am normal, it should be normal to experience lows and highs to some extent.
I've often wondered also if "hyper" thyoid is not similar to the highs and "hypo" thyroid to the lows of bipolar to some extent or even wondered if the switching that some of us have experienced with thyroiditis or hashimotos or thryoid antibody "attacks" is not one of the "causes" of bipolar or similar/related to some extent at least  to early (not full blown) bipolar?

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/05/fungus-causing-cancer-a-novel-approach-to-the-most-common-form-of-death.aspx?source=nl

Ok, opinions please!

my input below:
I get a type of tinnea between my toes (and so does my Dad, its genetic) which is cured very easily by Advantan cream. Advantan is a prednisolone cream, called Methylprednisolone Aceponate 1mg/g and also contains Benzyl alcohol, so if that's a fungus its cured by prednisolone.

I'm not sure if all fungi are white? What about all the plants , there's bright orange etc?

I know psorasis is partly fungal, I could prevent an outbreak on my daughter by a heavy hit of penicillin at outbreak of the high temp that preceeded the bod outbreaks of it. I could get relief by sunbathing in the ocean.. ie salt and sun combo would partly clear it up and eventually it would go away.
Also baths of dilute potassium permanganate also helped, . .. even stronger help than the ocean water and sunlight.
The Potassium permanganate stains the nath but it can be removed at a later date with calcium, lime rust.
( Creams foir partiual help_The best cream for relief was a cream used to treat fungus as well as
..and now I've forgotten the name, but we only used that on her face and sparingly.
The rest of the body we had a 6% salicylate and cold tar cream I think.. I'd need to check if I can find any old bottles)
these "cures" do indicate that psorasis is at least partly fungus, I think.

Life After Leukaemia  by mytime @ 2008-04-09 - 23:10:01

I have published an edited version of my 1989 Autobiography on this site.
The book is not widely available.

It is the story of my successful battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia which began 32 years ago.

I hope it may help someone.
If you know of anyone who may need to read this story, please make them aware of this site.

Here's the links   thru the whole story below. 
The story is a inspirational and yet an easy, captivating read. 

Life After Leukaemia  Chapter 1  by mytime on 2007-07-28 

Chapter 2   by mytime on 2007-08-03

Chapter 3   by mytime on 2007-08-03
Chapter 4   by mytime on 2007-08-03
Chapter 5   by mytime on 2007-08-04
Chapter 6   by mytime on 2007-08-06
Chapter 7   by mytime on 2007-08-09
Chapter 8   by mytime on 2007-08-09
Chapter 9   by mytime on 2007-08-14
Final Chapter   by mytime on 2007-08-14 

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone and Cortisol Levels in Athletes and Sedentary Subjects at Rest and Exhaustion: Effects of Magnesium Supplementation

http://www.springerlink.com/content/c13762u7x0m3h147/

(R)-Lipoic Acid Restores Arterial Health in Aged Animals
Breaking News
By VRP Staff
In a recent animal study, (R)-lipoic acid significantly restored the impaired, age-related decline in arterial function.

Healthy arteries are in a state of vasorelaxation, where the blood vessel walls are less stiff and experience a lower degree of tension. As arteries age, they experience a decline in vasorelaxation. This decline is thought to be due to the accumulation of excessive ceramide, a group of amides that are formed when a fatty acid links to a long-chain base.

In the current study, researchers thought that the ceramide accumulation that causes arteries to stiffen might be due to the age-related loss of glutathione in the cells lining the blood vessel walls.

Researchers gave old rats (R)-alpha-lipoic acid (LA), an agent known to induce glutathione synthesis. The scientists then measured vasorelaxation, glutathione and ceramide levels in the animal’s aortic endothelial cells.

Before the old rodents were given the (R)-lipoic acid, vasorelaxation was decreased. Prior to treatment, glutathione levels in cells lining the aorta were more than 30 percent lower and ceramide levels were three-fold higher compared to young rats. When the old animals were given (R)-lipoic acid, however, vasorelaxation improved and levels of glutathione rose. Ceramide levels also fell in the animals given (R)-lipoic acid.

The researchers concluded, “Decreased endothelial glutathione was partly responsible for the age-related loss of vascular endothelial function and lipoic acid might be therapeutically evaluated to treat endothelial dysfunction.”

Reference:

Smith AR, Visioli F, Frei B, Hagen TM. Lipoic acid significantly restores, in rats, the age-related decline in vasomotion. Br J Pharmacol. 2008 Feb 25. Published online ahead of print.

Drinking Water Filter - Undercounter, FLUORIDE PLUS

Unfortunately in Vancouver, and I've seen nothing like these anywhere else in the world!
Pls let me know if you know of any. Fluoride is very difficult to remove and before seeing this product I had thought reverse osmosis was the ONLy way.. but that is expensive, consumes a LOt of energy, and slow, and removes ALL beneficial minerals, trace elements etc as well

Seaweed - contains Fucoidan

Stem Cell Enhancement
Fucoidan’s Novel Role in Tissue Repair and Heart Health

...In adults, stem cells and progenitor cells help to repair the body, replenishing specialized cells and maintaining the normal turnover in regenerative organs, such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues. Stem cells mobilize to a diseased or injured site where they repair or replace damaged tissue. Remarkably, this means they have the ability to reverse disease and injury. After a heart attack, for example, stem cells can replace damaged heart muscle with new muscle cells...

A caution to eating a lot of any seaweed where its source is unknown
Brown seaweed is also very good at soaking up heavy metals in the ocean, and some forms are actually used for this!.. It may also naturally seem to contain or mop up arsenic(one of the "heavy metals")

It does have many benefits.. pity we pollute the ocean without any thought!

Brain Regeneration

...synergy between acetyl carnitine arginate and acetyl carnitine in regrowing neurites and dendrites...

In addition, acetyl carnitine arginate protects neurons against the toxicity caused by the presence of beta amyloid plaque found in old brain cells.5 Beta amyloid production is strongly implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and is found in great abundance in Alzheimer’s brains

...the buildup of lipofuscin, another oxidized protein found in all older cells, was reduced in brain cells when acetyl carnitine was fed to rats ...

...acetyl carnitine increases serotonin and dopamine output in rat brains...

Conclusion

Acetyl carnitine increases the effects of nerve growth factor 100 times when in NGF’s presence. It increases the expression of nerve growth factor receptor sites, which nerve growth factor acts on to regrow neurites and dendrites. Acetyl carnitine arginate mimics the effects of nerve growth factor itself. The two supplements act synergistically.

Uridine is another supplement that has been shown to regrow neurites and dendrites during growth and development stages in vivo orally. It has been shown to stimulate neurite-dendrite outgrowth in older animals, too, while improving their mental abilities.

Gotu kola improves cognition in older animals while stimulating neurite-dendrite growth and out branching in key areas of the brain because of the presence of several active principals called asiaticosides. It improves cognition and outgrowth in both older animals and also during the growth and development stages of younger animals

Amalgams contain about 50% mercury. It's proved that mercury leaches out & accumulates in brain, liver, kidneys...
Lars Friberg was one of the researchers.

The following link is to a web page that contains a link to a Panorama programme, and a link to a transcript of the television programme.

http://zakstar.wordpress.com/2008/01/29/silvermercury-amalgam-fillings/
This is really worthwhile watching.
If it "sticks" at all, just move the slide slightly in front, this worked for me.

Contains good footage of the xrays of a sheep where the mercury had spread, and much more.

What does ankylosing spondylitis mean?

Ankylosing means fusing together. Spondylitis indicates inflammation of the vertebrae. Both words come from the Greek. So, AS describes the condition by which some or all of the joints and bones of the spine fuse together. Entire fusing of the spine is unusual. Many people will only have partial fusion

What actually happens?

Inflammation occurs at the site where certain ligaments or tendons attach to bone (enthesis). This is followed by some erosion of bone at the site of the attachment (enthesopathy). As the inflammation subsides, a healing process takes place and new bone develops. Movement becomes restricted where bone replaces the elastic tissue of ligaments or tendons. Repetition of this inflammatory process leads to further bone formation and the individual bones which make up your backbone, the vertebrae, can fuse together...eg your neck?

may occur after prolonged bed rest eg after a car accident
also
gene related
What is the risk of passing it on to my children?

If a parent has AS there is a 50% chance that the B27 gene will be passed on to a child. However, not everyone with the B27 gene will go on to develop AS

Are any other diseases associated with AS?

A skin condition called psoriasis is associated with AS. Psoriasis causes scaly patches on the skin and scalp. It can also lead to a slightly different form of arthritis

My daughter and son have psorasis, so maybe I might have this gene?
My Mother's neck is fused together she was told, I think my Xrays look fine still?

I'm not sure if this works, the gallbaldder flush, but I think maybe it might be worth a go. I haven't tried it myself, but some people seem to think it helped them. I'm just posting this here in case I ever need to think about it, and also, it case any readers have any thoughts on it.
-----------------------------------------------------
Kurt Pourbaix writes: I have looked through your website and have found a couple of interesting articles on gallstones. I see that sugar, fats, and grains aggravate gallstones. If a person has gallstones, the symptoms can be reduced by exercise, and by taking taurine and whole beet concentrate. My wife has been experiencing pain for years, and a recent ultrasound revealed that she has multiple small gallstones. In fact, her gall bladder is about half full of small stones. The doctor is concerned that with so many stones, there are some risks that the pain can become more frequent and more severe, and that a serious blockage in one of the ducts could occur. He is recommending surgery. Although not essential to do immediately, with that many stones, a serious condition could develop suddenly at any time.

My wife is 45, and she walks for exercise regularly. She is not overweight, but she does eat an average amount of fatty food, and at least an average amount of sugar. You recommend against surgery, but I didn't find any explanation about what is so bad about having surgery. The doctor makes it seem like a very common, low risk surgery that is very effective with essentially no side effects. Considering that she already has such a large number of stones, we are thinking that trying to treat the stones with taurine and beet concentrate might not be that effective for the number of stones that she has. It might be too late for that.

What exactly are the considerations of having the gall bladder removed? What are the possible side effects, and how often can they occur? What effect does not having a gall bladder have on the body? The doctor is telling us that the body adapts to not having a gall bladder and learns to function normally again, and only a very small percent of people have any negative effects at all from the surgery. What do you think about that? Thanks for your help.

DM COMMENT: Normally I do not address individual health complaints, so readers please do not send those in as there is no way that it can effectively be addressed in this format. However, this question represents a very common problem I believe it needs an answer at it will serve to help many individuals who read this.

First of all, I believe it is nearly criminal what traditional medicine is doing to our public when it comes to managing this problem. It is RARELY ever indicated to remove someone’s gallbladder. If one ignores warning symptoms and does not address the reasons why their gallbladder is not functioning properly, than the disease can progress to the point where the pancreas is inflamed or the gallbladder is seriously infected and may have to be removed to save a person’s life. However, it is important to have a proper perspective here. Nearly ONE MILLION gallbladders are removed every year in this country and it is my estimate that only several thousand need to come out.

So, not only are surgeons removing these organs unnecessarily, but in their nutritional ignorance they are telling patients that their gallbladders do not serve any purpose and they can live perfectly well without them. This is a lie. The gallbladder serves an important digestive function. It is required to emulsify fats. What is emulsification? One can easily understand this concept when washing greasy dishes. It is nearly impossible to properly clean greasy dishes without soap as the soap emulsifies the fat so it can be removed. Similarly, the gallbladder stores bile and bile acids, which emulsify the fat one eats so it can be properly transported through the intestine into the blood stream. Anyone who has had their gallbladder removed will need to take some form of bile salts with every meal for the rest of their life (I use and recommend Beta Plus from Biotics Research), if they wish to prevent a good percentage of the good fats they eat from being flushed down the toilet. If one does not have enough fats in the diet, their entire physiology will be disrupted, especially the ability to make hormones and prostaglandins.

So, let’s get back to the original question. If one has gallbladder disease it can be evidenced by:

1) Pain when pressing on the gallbladder, which is directly under the last rib on the right on the same plane as one’s nipple. This is usually due to gallbladder “sludge” (thick bile).

2) Stone on a gallbladder ultrasound.

3) Greasy stools that are loose and tend to float to the top of the toilet bowl. This indicates improper fat absorption.

Then what is the proper course of action?

Long time readers of this newsletter will be very familiar with the essential first step. It is imperative to clean up the diet.

One has to stop the sugars, and reduce the grains and eliminate all fluids but water. The gallbladder is frequently infected when it is diseased so large amounts of good bacteria will also be helpful in correcting the problem.

If gallbladder stones are present then it will be necessary to get them out. The gallbladder flush seems to work quite well for that.

Gallbladder Flush
AT BEDTIME take the following:

5 ounces CLASSIC coke
6 oz. Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
THE NEXT MORNING UPON AWAKENING:
10 ounces Citrate of Magnesium.
FOR NEXT 30 DAYS:

Drink 4 oz. apple juice FIRST THING in the morning and LAST thing at night. This will help to decrease the side effects of the flush such as nausea and headache. It will be helpful to watch the toilet with bowel movements, as the following the flush usually hundreds of stones will be dumped out of the gallbladder.
-------
I have read variations of the gallbladder flush, but most seemt o use the lemon juice and olive oil combo, usually afer a liquid fast for a day to give the gallbladde a rest first I guess? The oil should stimulate the gallbladder to empty. I've not a lot of knowledge on this, so It's listed here for interest only-----------------------------------------

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Salt.html

Ethanol Induces Hypoglycemia by Boosting Islet Blood Flow and Insulin Output
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/568589?src=mp

By Anthony J. Brown, MD

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 10 - Ethanol intake is well known as a potential cause of hypoglycemia in diabetic patients and now new findings from an animal study shed light on the mechanisms involved, according to a report in the January issue of Endocrinology.

The findings show that alcohol produces "a massive redistribution of blood flow within the pancreas," lead author Dr. Ake Sjoholm, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, told Reuters Health.

Using various techniques, Dr. Sjoholm along with Dr. Zhen Huang, also from the Karolinska Institute, showed that pancreatic islet blood flow is increased by about fourfold in rats after an injection of ethanol. Whole pancreatic blood flow, by contrast, was not affected.

"The magnitude of the alcohol effect on islet blood flow surprised us," Dr. Sjoholm said. Ethanol injection also amplified insulin secretion and resulted in hypoglycemia.

Further experiments showed that these effects were prevented by a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and by atropine.

Summing up, the investigators write: "Our findings demonstrate that ethanol acutely exerts substantial influences on pancreatic microcirculation by evoking a massive redistribution of pancreatic blood flow from the exocrine into the endocrine part via mechanisms mediated by nitric oxide and vagal stimuli."

The take-home message for clinicians? "They should advise their diabetic patients (or patients with liver problems) to be very careful with alcohol, especially if they are also treated with hypoglycemic sulfonylureas since these drugs may potentiate the alcohol effect," Dr. Sjoholm emphasized.

Endocrinology 2008;149:232-236.

Science "discovers" old known wisdom
OR why mothers in the olden days gave their children a
teaspoonful of cod liver oil once a week during winter months.

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=469543&fulltextType=RV&fileId=S0950268806007175

Abstract

In 1981, R. Edgar Hope-Simpson proposed that a ‘seasonal stimulus’ intimately associated with solar radiation explained the remarkable seasonality of epidemic influenza. Solar radiation triggers robust seasonal vitamin D production in the skin;
vitamin D deficiency is common in the winter, and activated vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D, a steroid hormone, has profound effects on human immunity.
1,25(OH)2D acts as an immune system modulator, preventing excessive expression of inflammatory cytokines and increasing the ‘oxidative burst’ potential of macrophages.

Perhaps most importantly, it dramatically stimulates the expression of potent anti-microbial peptides, which exist in neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer cells, and in epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract where they play a major role in protecting the lung from infection.
Volunteers inoculated with live attenuated influenza virus are more likely to develop fever and serological evidence of an immune response in the winter.
Vitamin D deficiency predisposes children to respiratory infections.
Ultraviolet radiation (either from artificial sources or from sunlight) reduces the incidence of viral respiratory infections, as does cod liver oil (which contains vitamin D).

An interventional study showed that vitamin D reduces the incidence of respiratory infections in children. We conclude that vitamin D, or lack of it, may be Hope-Simpson's ‘seasonal stimulus’.

(Accepted August 5 2006)

posted by Bob
8th Oct 2006

NB- Only take a teaspoon of cod liver oil once or twice a week.
For small children (under 7) 1/2 teaspoon; less for toddlers.
Over-dosing can be dangerous. Too much Vitamin A can cause death.
I just keep to a dose on weekends, so I can remeber when to take it.
Vitamin D3 can be taken instead, or preferably, as well as, if "higher VitD3" is prescribed by your doc.
If Hyperthyroid use VitD3 or cod liver oil with caution as possibility it may worsen the condition.

Below is copied from the Organic Advantage newsletter. (pls see RHS to subscribe)
I am definitely sensitive to nitrties in meat, and even higher levels of nitrates , such as eating a lot of spinach or baby spinach leaves!
The UK is way ahead of Autralia in nitrirte free meat. I even had some B&B's serve meat organic, non-nitrite processed bacon. Over in the Uk the smaller farms still exist and many still produce hams and bacons the "old" way.. luckily(not to mention that clotted cream icecream etc . Its due to not having the country "opened up" totally by knocking everything down to build huge hignways that benefit the multinationals and large companies to the detriment of everyone else, ie the whole country!
I hope to find an organic( nitrite and other non-natural-preservative- free) butcher in Sydney one day. Brisbane is always ahead of Sydney with "natural" too. I met one farmer in a Brisbane farmer's market who had copied the English of idea of making their own nitrite-free bacon on their own farm.. wonderful bacon. That Nudgee Junior market is no longer going... school playing cricket on the land
-------------------------

HEALTH: World Cancer Research Report findings favour organic meat

Findings from a co-joint report by the World Cancer Research fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research of a “convincing link between processed meats and colorectal cancer” is good news for Australian organic meat retailers.

The report states there is solid proof that high levels of processed meat containing nitrite and other preservatives increase the risk of cancer in the colon and rectum; two key organs of the digestive system.

Nitrites are barred from use in the processing of organic meat.

The findings come as no surprise to Steve Povey, meat processor certified by Australian Certified Organic, and owner of Brisbane butcher shop, ‘The Meat-Ting Place’.

He has specialised in the production of non-nitrite, preservative free and organically cured ham and bacon for the last ten years and says the benefits have brought in customers via doctor’s referrals.

“People come to us after seeing their doctors, who have associated high nitrite levels with a range of problems; gout, shingles, nervous rashes and so on,” says Mr. Povey.

“We receive customers from the age of eighteen and up wanting to decrease the chemical build up in their bodies. People consistently eating our meat say they feel better in themselves – and, some senior customers say it tastes like meat used to sixty years ago.”

Sodium Nitrite is added to conventional processed meat for preservation purposes and is the reason meat retains its recognisable red colour.

It is particularly high in foods such as ham, bacon, pastrami, salami, sausages and frankfurters; and fast foods.
The report found the consumption of red and processed meats to increase with income and particularly high in western countries.

Australia’s consumption of cured ham and bacon has almost doubled from 4.6kg to 8.7kg per person in the sixty years up to 1999, according to the last official records.

Organically cured meat means Australians can bring home the bacon, minus the carcinogens.

Link to World Cancer Research Fund Report ‘Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a global perspective,’: http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/?p=ER

--------------------------

GOOD TASTE: Organic Christmas - where fare is fair and the taste is in tradition

...Stephen Povey from The Meat-ing Place who specialises in preservative free and organically cured Christmas ham. “Our senior customers say it tastes like meat used to sixty years ago,” he says.

And organic turkey is renowned for providing a more tender feature of the Christmas lunch fare. “People say organic turkey is juicer than conventional,” says Matthew Jamieson, poultry producer from Sunforest in NSW. “Our birds take longer to raise, and they’re raised outdoors on very high standard chemical-free feed and that makes a big difference.”

Preparing organic Christmas meals and treats at home, or putting organic chocolates in the Christmas stocking is also one way to keep the kids hyper-activity levels at a low and possibly avoid some of the after-effects of indulging in overly processed foods.

Natural colours and flavours, no harmful additives or preservatives, the prohibition of hydrogenated or trans-fats and fruit inclusions in organic processing all contribute to a healthier holiday nibble.

On the alcoholic front, certified organic wine producer Scott Wright says organic wine is perfect for people with allergies who want the Christmas cheer to last.

“Certainly lower levels of sulphur dioxides, if people have allergies, lead to lower levels of headaches. And of course there is the value in knowing the wines are produced without synthetic chemicals in an ethical way.”

... www.bfa.com.au.