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Lab Grown Meat for You to Eat

petrimeatWhat if you didn’t have to kill the cow to get the meat? No, we’re not talking about cutting the cow’s leg off and eating it and then letting it sadly hobble around. That’s just cruel. We’re talking about “test tube meat.” There’s a new initiative to grow real animal protein in a lab, which has a lot of benefits, and not only for cows. Even though it sounds ultra creepy.

The meat and dairy industries account for a bigger chunk of greenhouse gasses than the entire global transportation industry. This is because cows burp methane when they eat, which is about 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Essentially, this means that going vegan reduces your carbon footprint much more drastically than buying a fuel efficient car.

But what if you don’t have to go vegan? This is why, on a PETA initiative offering one million bucks to the first guys to offer lab-grown meat, we’re starting to really work on the idea. Supposedly, it could start being mass produced in as little as 10 years. Want to hear some crazy quotes? OK.

“Cultured meat would have a lot of advantages,” said Jason Matheny of research group New Harvest. “We could precisely control the amount of fat in meat. We could make ground beef with an ideal fatty acid ratio — a hamburger that prevents heart attacks instead of causing them.” Not only that, but reducing animal-farming-originated diseases like…Swine Flu! Or Mad Cow disease.

Thermodynamically speaking, whenever you go up a trophic level, you lose about 90% of the energy that goes into the process. Meaning, the transfer of energy from cow feed to cow is about 10% efficient. Grow meat in a lab, and you can increase that ratio by a heck of a lot, drastically reducing the cost of meat.

A study by at the University of Oxford even suggested that cultured meat would reduce the carbon emissions of meat production by more than 80%.

Now the trick is to get the public to buy the stuff and eat it. The world is certainly getting stranger by the day…

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Green Peace for the Holidays

We use Peace signs to declare our commitment to the spirit of love and openness in the world. To show that we care, and that we haven’t lost hope in a better tomorrow.

Green Peace Charms Bracelet

This unique peace bracelet contains a silver Peace sign, alongside a green Evil Eye amulet, and a fish amulet. You can find this beautiful green bracelet at MostOriginal.com, an online hub for unique gifts. They also offer various holiday specials during December.

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China is shooting it up again

China has already managed to successfully launch 2 manned spacecrafts into Earth orbit. By the end of this month, they’re planning to launch their third manned mission, and this time, one of the main objectives is to perform a space walk.

Chinese astronauts are sometimes referred to as taikonauts, and currently they comprise an extremely exclusive club.

Chinese officials have previously claimed they wish to send humans to the moon by 2020, which is the same landmark that Bush set for an American return to the moon. However, it seems the Chinese are now less optimistic about the 2020 deadline, although they did not abandon their lunar ambitions.

Especially in a time when the US economy is tumbling, China may find it easier to compete in the space race.


Savage Garden – To the Moon and back

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Arranging Our Homes According to Feng Shui

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese doctrine, practiced for thousands of years, which is based on the belief in the flow of energy or “chi” through the universe and in its influence on our daily lives. The Feng Shui tradition, considered by many to be both a science and an art, relates to elements of nature, such as physics, philosophy, astronomy and astrology, with the intent of creating balance and ensuring harmony. It is based on the belief that by providing compatibility between nature and people’s physical surroundings, it can impact on the physical and spiritual ambience and quality of their lives.

This compatibility with nature is accomplished by the way people’s furniture and other objects are arranged, within the space of their home or workplace. According to Feng Shui tradition, good relationships, wealth, success and health are dependant on just the right kind of arrangement of our belongings in our physical environment. Therefore, it requires adherence to a set of principles, which dictate just how to arrange objects so as not to hinder the flow of positive energy in our environment and cause disharmony and negative energy.

The arrangement of objects in our living space is determined with the aid of a special compass, the bagua, which designates how to place each object in the correct position and direction and how to align it with other elements in the environment. The bagua determination of the space is just one of the seven basic steps to promote positive chi energy. These steps include: clearing out clutter; having good quality air and good quality light in your space; defining the space with the Feng Shui bagua; studying the five elements in the home; finding the personal Feng Shui birth element and planning accordingly; finding the personal Kua number to adjust directions and positions; paying particular attention to the state of the “health triangle” at home, namely, the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

In addition, it is recommended to adhere to several basic design tips: avoid long straight entrances to your home’s front door or office door; avoid sleeping with your feet to door of your bedroom; and place a mirror in areas that are stagnant, such as at the end of a hallway, in order to help the flow of energy throughout your home or office.

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Good Feng Shui Bedroom Can Promise Rest, Fun, and Love

Chinese Compass
Picture: FengShui.co.il
Planning a bedroom according to the principles of the ancient Chinese tradition called Feng Shui, is believed to promote a harmonious flow of positive energy which influences the different functions of the room. It will make the room more inviting, luring, exciting and calming, all at the same time. By planning a good Feng Shui bedroom, one will be able to enjoy pleasure and fun, as well as calm and a good night sleep.

When arranging the bedroom, the basic factors to be considered include the placement of the furniture, as well as airing, lighting and colors. First, the bedroom should not have any kind of equipment which is not related to its inherent functions, and therefore should not have a television set, a computer or exercise equipment. Secondly, the room should have lots of fresh air and oxygen, coming in from open windows. Therefore, plants in the bedroom are considered bad Feng Shui and are not recommended. As for the lighting arrangement of the room, there should be several levels of intensity, in order to provide various levels of energy in the room. This can be attained by use of a dimmer, although candles are considered the best Feng Shui bedroom lighting. The colors one chooses for the bedroom should be of a soothing nature, so that they will provide a good balance in the bedroom. The best Feng Shui colors for the bedroom are the “skin colors”, namely a range of colors from pale white to rich chocolate brown.

As for the décor of the room, the Feng Shui tradition places great importance on choosing the right kind of images, which will provide powerful positive energy. It recommends choosing images that reflect what one wants to see happening in one’s life.
Feng Shui provides clear guidelines for the placement of the bed itself and the quality of its components. The bed should be approachable from both sides; it should have two bedside tables; and it should never be aligned in a direct line with the door. It should be of good quality, with a good mattress and sheets made of natural fibers.

Finally, the room itself should be kept closed during the night, in order to make the most of the flow of energy in the room itself. Therefore, the bedroom doors, including closet doors and en-suite bathroom doors, should be kept closed.

These guidelines, based on the Feng Shui aspiration for harmony and balance, all aim to provide the most positive energy for those using the room, so they can achieve calm, relaxation and love, and inevitably lead healthier lives.

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Bagua: The Feng Shui Compass to Balance and Harmony

Bagua
Picture: FengShui.co.il
Bagua is one of the main tools used to analyze the Feng Shui of any given space. Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese tradition which strives to achieve harmony and balance between the forces of nature by designing and constructing the home and workplace according to certain guidelines and principles. Translated from Chinese, Bagua literally means “8 areas”, which are: North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, and Northwest. It functions as a unique compass, in which each direction has an Element, Color, and Life Area associated with it.
Feng Shui involves five basic elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water, which interact amongst themselves in cycles defined as either productive or destructive. Each element is associated with certain Feng Shui colors, which when used properly, will bring the desired Feng Shui energy into one’s environment.

The Bagua can be superimposed over a diagram or plan of the home, office, room or desk and serves as a guide to achieving a good Feng Shui. It provides location and specific areas, which address the different aspects of one’s life. Enhancing a specific area by planning accordingly, may lead to an improvement in that area of one’s life. Thus, the Bagua is actually an energy map of any given space and a guide to optimal harmonious energy flow in that space.

The eight Feng Shui areas are:

North (compass reading from 337.5 to 22.5)
Element: Water
Colors: Blue and Black
Life Area: Career/Path in Life.

Northeast (compass reading from 22.5 to 67.5)
Element: Earth
Colors: Beige, Light Yelow, and Sandy/Earthy
Life Area: Spiritual Growth/Self-Cultivation.

East (compass reading from 67.5 to 112.5)
Element: Wood
Colors: Brown and Green
Life Area: Health & Family.

Southeast (compass reading from 112.5 to 157.5)
Element: Wood
Colors: Brown and Green
Life Area: Prosperity & Abundance.

South (compass reading from 157.5 to 202.5)
Element: Fire
Colors: Red, Orange, Purple, and Bright Yellow
Life Area: Fame & Reputation.

Southwest (compass reading from 202.5 to 247.5)
Element: Earth
Colors: Beige, Light Yelow, and Sandy/Earthy
Life Area: Love & Marriage.

West (compass reading from 247.5 to 292.5)
Element: Metal
Colors: White and Gray
Life Area: Creativity/Children.

Northwest (compass reading from 292.2 to 337.5)
Element: Metal
Colors: White and Gray
Life Area: Helpful People/Blessings.

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Feng Shui Principles and Yin and Yang Compatibility

Yin Yang
Picture: FengShui.co.il
One of the fundamental principles of Feng Shui is the philosophy of Yin and Yang, which represents the interdependence and complementation of opposites i.e. balance and continual change, activity and passivity, lightness and darkness, hot and cold, night and day, sound and silence, male and female. According to this philosophy, everything in the universe consist of two opposing but deeply interconnected forces and the movement and interplay of these two forces, is what creates the life around us.

Whereas in many religions the notion of duality involves one element overriding another, as in “good over evil”, the Chinese concept of duality requires an inherent and mutual dependency between opposites in order to achieve harmony and balance. Yin and Yang are the dependent opposites that must always be in balance. They cannot survive one without the other and they flow into and out of each other, just as do the seasons. The aim to achieve an equilibrium between Yin and Yang, in order to create balance and happiness, is the ultimate goal of the Feng Shui practice. The best representation of the interaction between Yin (Black) and Yang (White) is the Tai Chi symbol of a perfect circle with two components, represented in black and white, flowing together and each containing inside itself a dot of the color, or the essence, of the opposite sign.

The quest for equilibrium is also the basis of Feng Shui’s “Five Elements Theory”. These elements, namely fire, water, metal, earth and wood, all interact with one another. Their interactions can be either of constructive or destructive character.

In the constructive cycle, water is a source of moisture for wood, namely trees, to grow; wood is a source of fuel for fire; the remnant of fire is ash- soil of the earth; the earth forms metals, and metal allows moisture – water, to condense on it as it cools. In the destructive cycle, water extinguishes the flames of fire, fire melts metal, metal cuts through wood, and wood controls the earth by over growing it.

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Feng Shui at Home and Office

Feng Shui, or wind-water, is an ancient Chinese philosophy that is centered around making a harmonious balance between Man and the natural elements. This philosophy, which is said to have been in existence even longer than the sayings of Confucius, believes in the concept of living in harmony with the earth’s natural forces instead of trying to oppose them. In China and other eastern countries, many businesses or new homes will not be occupied until a Feng Sui practitioner is invited to come and make sure that items such as furniture, plants and other greenery are arranged in a an order that is most compatible with the natural elements.

The Five Elements of Feng Shui are wood, fire, metal, earth and water, and each element in represented by a particular color. Fire is red color and is usually located in the south. Water is black color and is located in the north. Wood is green color and is located in the east. Metal is either a white or gold color and is located in the west. Earth, the last element, is yellow and located in the center.

In a house for instance the location of doors and windows are important for allowing the maximum admission of natural light and air circulation. Other things such as lamps, paintings and pictures, and even the colors of walls and ceiling should be coordinated to create a more pleasant and light filled effect. In Feng Shui, importance is made towards the creation of happy, pleasant surroundings, which will help to create the same feeling in the lives of those who live there. This concern for pleasant effect in the environment results in making sure that doors and mirror are positioned properly and that certain rooms will have green plants, while other rooms will have flowers or other symbols of natural beauty. Colors representing the previously mentioned Five Elements are arranged in each room according to the items placed there and their appropriate directions.

In Feng Shui there are two main energy forces, Chi (chee) which is a spiritual or supernatural force, and Sha which is a nard of natural energy. As these energy forces are constantly opposing each other with both “good” and “bad” energy, the arrangement of items in rooms, plus the positions of doors are important in respect to which energy force is dominant and thus controls our lives. It is almost as if one is talking about electromagnetic fields or other forces that can have an effect on the balance of harmony in our lives. For example, if a door is not positioned properly, or is left open unnecessarily, Feng Shui philosophy will say that this supposedly insignificant thing can upset the balance between our Chi and Sha energy fields.

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5 Feng Shui Tips for a Harmonious Thanksgiving

Feng Shui tips for the holiday seasonNothing spells potential family conflicts than week-long cooking and preparations, the kids coming home from college, the in-laws flying in from out of state, the men off in the living room watching football, the younger children running and yelling throughout the house and then having the entire family gather around the same Thanksgiving table. 

It’s no wonder most people have a love-hate relationship with the holiday season!

Luckily there are several minor things you can do in the Feng Shui tradition to minimize the stress levels and achieve a more balanced flow of positive energy in your home:

• Clean Your Clutter: When company’s a comin’ there is no better time to get rid of the things that are creating a mess in your home – both physically and emotionally. Use the opportunity to go over the “stuff” that has been lying around and remove all the items that you no longer need or want, things that are broken or no longer in good condition and especially those things which cause you to associate with bad or negative memories from your past.  To increase your vibrational energy, give away the things you don’t need to someone who does or donate the rest to charity.

• Remove Sharp Edges: Have your guests sit at a round or oval dining table where there are no sharp edges and remove sharp knives as soon as you are finished using them. Sharp edges are said to cut the flow of chi, encourage sharp words and arguments, as well as cause negative effects to the person sitting directly in front or behind them. Oval shaped tables also foster harmony as there is no hierarchy or rank created by the “head” of the table.

• Flower Power:  Place a centerpiece of fresh orange flowers to encourage conversation. Chrysanthemums are also said to bring laughter and happiness to your home and you should try to have at least one big plant in each room to freshen the atmosphere, clean the air, and bring beneficial energy to your surroundings.

• Bring Out the China: Bring out the good stuff, like the china, crystal and fine silverware you’ve been hiding in your cabinets and closets. Share them with your guests as a token of prosperity and abundance.

• Energize the Main Rooms: Before your company arrives, mist each room with the scent of lemon, lavender, pine or cinnamon to help your guests relax the moment they enter your home. Increase the active yang energy with soft lighting, candles and soft music. As you prepare your home, use the opportunity to center yourself, clear your mind, revel in the present moment and raise your positive energies.  Your guests will be able to sense these “good vibes” as soon as they enter the door.

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Shira Tamir enjoys blogging on topics that encourage spiritual, social, environmental and global change. Her personal blog can be found at www.livinginmyownworld.com

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The Bagua & Feng Shui

The Bagua & Feng ShuiHow does one live in harmony with all the forces within nature? More suitably, what discipline is the right choice for “arranging” all of life’s locations to where the most will be gained; especially in the areas of health, peace and prosperity?

The answer to these questions can be found in applying an ancient Chinese discipline known to its followers as Feng Shui, or Fire and Water. This discipline, said to be more than 4,000 years old, teaches its followers to arrange the ‘space’ within their lives in order to realize the most advantageous with the surroundings in which a person lives and works. Feng Shui is so much practiced in the Far East that businessmen will not make changes or open an enterprise in a new location without first consulting an expert in the practice of Fen Shui. For example, when designing a restaurant, office suite, store, or other business enterprise, the Feng Shui adviser will be brought to the location to advise what décor, furnishings, even plants and other greenery are needed to create the greatest harmony and benefit for the amount of space utilized. Without this assistance, these entrepreneurs feel they will not be successful in their venture.

Incorporating this discipline is an eight sided diagram known as the Bagua, derived from the book of Ching, or changes, which is actually a map to survey the parts of the floor plan which best correspond to the ideal sections of life; including wisdom and knowledge, family, health, career, and beneficiaries of all of these positive forces. The Bagua is like a ‘floorplan’, much like a blueprint or schematic diagram is used by a master builder to construct an edifice.

On each of the eight sides of the Bagua, a different design or Ching is drawn and laid out to correspond with the level of importance that is desired. If it is then indicated that something is missing from a particular area, then more changes will be introduced to make the weaker area stronger. Perhaps it is in the area of health or wisdom that needs to be strengthened, for example. The Feng Shui practitioner will then help to arrange the proper solutions, such colors, furniture fabrics, plants, etc. to help bring a more complete harmony to the whole.

Feng Shui societies are increasing in popularity everywhere, and this includes Western countries, especially North America. As this ancient discipline increases in popularity, it may help to bring more peace and harmony to an otherwise less complete life environment.