A non-profit news blog, focused on providing independent journalism.

Thursday, 7 May 2015

Photo-bombed by a ghost? UK family's spooky snap

© Yorkshire Evening Post
Mayrian Islam, 11, and Ryhan Kaliq, seven, at Roundhay Park - with a mysterious shape in the background.

    
Has this family been photo-bombed by a ghost at Roundhay Park?

Spooked dad Nurul Islam, 37, of Chapel Allerton, was on a day out with his family at the popular park when he snapped this photo of his niece and nephew, Mayrian Islam, 11, and Ryhan Kaliq, seven, in front of the castle ruins.

But when he got home and looked again at the picture, he spotted what seems to be a ghostly apparition hovering in the background. Nurul said: "We were taking lots of pictures. Because people were standing on the steps and walking about, we waited for them to move on before we took a picture.

"We waited and waited for a clear point when no-one was there as they wanted to hold their hands together. That's why we're sure there was no-one there.

"I didn't think anything of it and took a few more. Then we got home and looked at the photos and saw this thing at the back of it that wasn't there before.

"My sister said 'Oh my God it's a ghost'. I've started to think it might be. There was definitely no-one there when I took the picture."

However, according to Kevin Grady, director of Leeds Civic Trust, there is no ghoulish history to the castle site.

The folly was built in 1812 by George Nettleton for the Nicholson family, who bought the Roundhay Park Estate in 1803 and built The Mansion and landscaped the grounds, creating the lakes.

Dr Grady said: "Originally there was a wooden roof on top so there was an upper room which the Nicholson family would use. The folly was used as a family house, a sewing room by the girls and they had social functions there."

Orthomolecular treatment for adverse effects of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine

    
Immunization of adolescent girls with the human papilloma-virus (HPV) vaccine was initiated with the intention to prevent uterine and cervical cancer. The first HPV vaccine, called "Gardasil" (Merck) was approved in 2006, and a second vaccine called "Cervarix" (GSK) was introduced in 2007. By the end of 2013, approximately 130 million doses of Gardasil and 44 million doses of Cervarix had been distributed worldwide. In 2010, both vaccines were widely given to Japanese girls. In April 2013, Japan added both HPV vaccines to their government recommended vaccination schedule.

High incidence of side effects

In June 2013, only 2 months after the law was issued, the Japanese government suspended the recommendation for these vaccines. A new study reported that the adverse events of Gardasil and Cervarix were 1.7 to 3.6 times higher than other vaccines. The government task force analyzed reports of HPV vaccine injuries. They examined 2,500 cases and found 617 (25%) cases to be "serious."

Amazingly, the official task force then issued this statement:

"We find no physical cause for the alleged and presumed adverse reactions in those vaccinated girls, so we cannot recommend any specific therapy. We conclude that their so-called adverse reactions are psychosomatic. The government should provide counseling to the girls so that they may be freed from their psychosomatic reactions."

Severity of side effects

When other health experts re-evaluated those cases, they determined 1,112 (44%) to be serious. The initial onset of symptoms occurred several weeks to a year after the HPV vaccine was given. They included: headache, dizziness, muscle weakness and pain, nausea, hypersomnia, learning difficulty, impaired writing, photophobia, tremors of arms, feet and fingers, joint pain, irregular menstruation, gait disturbance, memory loss, skin eczema and acne.

Girls who had adverse effects from the HPV vaccine were variously diagnosed with:

  1. Higher brain dysfunction
  2. Guillain-Barré syndrome
  3. Multiple sclerosis
  4. ADEM: acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
  5. SSPE: subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
  6. CRPS: Complex regional pain syndrome
  7. POTS: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
  8. Anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome
  9. SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus
  10. Rheumatoid arthritis
  11. Chronic fatigue syndrome
  12. Fibromyalgia
  13. Cushing's syndrome (exposure to high level of cortisol)
  14. Hashimoto's disease (immune system attacks the thyroid)
  15. Hyperprolactinemia (high prolactin, induces breast development and lactation)
Laboratory findings included:
  1. Normal blood chemistry
  2. No inflammatory finding in the blood
  3. Increased pro-inflammatory cytokines in the spinal fluid (IL-2, IL-10, TNF-à)
  4. Reduced brain blood flow by perfusion scintigraphy
  5. High leukocyte sensitivity against aluminum.
HPV vaccine contains toxic aluminum

Vaccines often contain an adjuvant, which is an additional chemical added to provoke the body's immune response to the vaccine. The HPV vaccines contained an adjuvant that consisted of an aluminum compound, amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate (AAHS).

Current research strongly implicates aluminum adjuvants in various inflammatory neurological and autoimmune disorders in both humans and animals. For example, a recent research paper explained that nanomaterials such as this aluminum adjuvant can be transported by immune system cells first into the blood, lymph nodes, and spleen, and in some cases may penetrate into the brain. [1] This type of access throughout the body is potentially life-threatening. The brain symptoms are often the most delayed because of the time the aluminum takes to travel from the blood through the blood-brain-barrier into the brain.

Aluminum accumulates in neurons in the brain, and it is toxic to neurons, causing a variety of pathological conditions. It inhibits uptake of dopamine and serotonin, which are important neurotransmitters in the brain. Aluminum toxicity is a known factor in Alzheimer's disease, and may contribute symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Dementia resulting from kidney dialysis is related to aluminum and results in memory loss, loss of coordination, confusion and disorientation. In animal experiments, rabbits given aluminum showed difficulty in memory retention and difficulty in learning.

Effective treatments for the adverse reactions from the HPV vaccine

Protocol 1:
Vitamin C, Glutathione Cocktail, given by I.V. (Dr. Yanagisawa) Sterile water, 250ml
Vitamin C, 12.5g - 25g (12,500 - 25,000 mg)
Glutathione, 800 - 1,200mg
0.5 M Magnesium sulfate, 10-20ml
8.5% Calcium gluconate, 2ml
Vitamin B-complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12)

Case History: 17yrs, female.

May 23, 2014. When she visited the clinic, she could not walk without assistant. She complained of general fatigue, joint pain and frequent involuntary movement. The patient was treated with intravenous Myers' cocktail containing VCG (vitamin C 12.5g and glutathione 1200mg) and oral nutritious supplements (vitamin C, vitamin B, curcumin, SAMe, etc). After 10 days of vitamin C and Glutathione therapy, she could walk without an assistant. By December 2014, she could play tennis. Frequency and duration of involuntary movements were decreased and fatigue and pain dramatically decreased.

Protocol 2:
Vitamin C, Glutathione & EDTA, given by I.V. (Dr. Claus Hancke, Denmark) 5% Glucose, 250ml
Vitamin C (500mg/ml), 50ml (25,000mg)
Na2-EDTA (150mg/ml), 10ml (1.5g)
8.4% Na Bicarbonate, 10ml
MgSO4 (2mmol/ml), 4ml
When the infusion almost done, add Glutathione 150mg/ml, 4ml (600 mg)

Protocol 3:
Phospholipid Exchange Therapy and Glutathione, given I.V. (Dr. Damien Downing, UK) This membrane stabilizing protocol is a closely-monitored version of the lipid rescue that anesthetists use in toxic emergencies. As with all IV treatments, this should only be done by someone with full training.

Phosphatidylcholine (as Intralipid or Essentiale only) 1,250mg plus
Leucovorin (folinic acid) 10mg plus
Glutathione 1,000mg plus

Protocol 4:
Oral supplements (Dr. Claus Hancke and Dr. Atsuo Yanagisawa) Multiple vitamin/mineral2, 3x per day (Increased slowly from 1/day to 6/day). EPA/DHA/GLA2 x 3 doses per day Vitamin D, (1500 IU)1 x 3 Magnesium citrate1 x 2 Vitamin C, 750mg2 x 2 B-complex1 x 2 Thiamine (B1), 300mg1 x 1 Probiotic1 x 2 Turmeric1 x 2 Lipoic acid, 300mg1 x 2 CoQ10, 100mg1 x 1 S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe)400mg/day MTHF 5- methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF)5mg/day

Protocol 5:
Dietary principles (Dr. Claus Hancke) Alkaline foods with no fish, sugar, wheat or milk.
No chemicals or aluminum in the food (e.g. aluminum in table salt)
More greens, nuts and berries.
Use healthy fats: olive oil, coconut oil and organic butter.
Choose tea rather than coffee.
No alcohol or tobacco.

To make the body more alkaline, take a glass of water with a teaspoon bicarbonate and the juice from a lemon 3 or 4 times a day.

Other treatment options:

  1. Ferulic acid from rice bran for memory loss, learning disturbance
  2. Low-dose theophylline for headache, 50-100mg in the morning (excellent improvement in some patients)
  3. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) for hypersomnia, headache, 3mg before sleep
  4. Supplements for joint pain, gait disturbance, and to improve stem cell release.
Summary

The timing and appearance of adverse effects and symptoms of the HPV vaccines vary for each patient. These symptoms differ from anything that we have previously experienced. Unfortunately, governments and medical professions have not faced the problem proactively. Although treatment with orthomolecular medicine has been helpful in many cases, it is not always adequate to return the patient to normal. In order to establish an effective protocol, scientists and clinicians must work together.

The onset of adverse effects from HPV vaccines arrives several months to a year or more after the injection. This delay makes it very difficult to link the symptoms with the HPV vaccine. In Japan, more than 1,200 girls have been registered as "severe cases" and more patients are registered every day. We estimate more than 100,000 unrecognized cases of mild to moderate adverse effects in girls vaccinated with HPV. The symptoms are commonly seen as fatigue, muscle pain, headache, learning disturbance, difficulty in awakening, hypersomnia, irregular menstruation, among others.

Doctors should be made aware of HPV vaccine adverse effects. Unfortunately, there is no evidence about the effectiveness of cervical cancer prevention by the HPV vaccines. Therefore, in my opinion as a concerned physician, we should discontinue this harmful HPV vaccine as soon as possible.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Damien Downing, president of the British Society for Ecological Medicine, and Dr. Claus Hancke, FACAM, specialist in general medicine, for their very important contributions to this paper.

References

1. Khan Z, Combadière C, Authier F-J et al. Slow CCL2-dependent translocation of biopersistent particles from muscle to brain. BMC Medicine 2013, 11:99. DOI: 10.1186/1741-7015-11-99.

Video providing case history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO2i-r39hok

Crazy person alert! This woman is suing all gay people on earth on God's behalf. Yes, really.

    
Identifying herself as an ambassador for God and Jesus Christ, a Nebraska woman has filed a federal lawsuit against all homosexual people on the planet for breaking "religious and moral laws."

Sylvia Ann Driskell of Auburn argues in a seven-page, handwritten petition delivered to the U.S. District Court of Omaha that "homosexuality is a sin and that the homosexuals know it is a sin to live a life of homosexuality," according to the Lincoln Journal Star. "Why else would they have been hiding in the closet(?)"

The 66-year-old, who is representing herself in the lawsuit, cites Webster's Dictionary as well as a series of Bible passages in her letter, which is riddled with spelling and punctuation errors, the reports. She challenges U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard to not "judge God to be a lier (sp)," and slams gay people as "liers (sp), deceivers and thieves" in the case, filed simply as Driskell v. Homosexuals.

"I never thought that I would see a day in which our Great Nation or our Great State of Nebraska would become so compliant to the complicity of some people('s) lewd behavior," she notes. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not."

Head here to view the full petition.

The court has not issued a summons for Driskell, according to NBC. Of course, that hasn't stopped a number of high-profile gay writers from sharing tongue-in-cheek responses to the lawsuit.

Steven Payne of The Daily Kos said he and his husband, Brian, would be "liquidating our assets" ahead of a legal ruling in the case, which he jokingly suggested is a matter for the Supreme Court.

"We anticipate the restitution ordered to this woman will take us down to our very last penny," he quipped.

We'll be waiting with bated breath for the ruling on this one!

Common amino acid L-arginine found to stop the formation of dental plaque

© iStockphoto / Thinkstock

    
Arginine, a common amino acid found naturally in foods, breaks down dental plaque, which could help millions of people avoid cavities and gum disease, researchers at the University of Michigan and Newcastle University have discovered.

Alexander Rickard, assistant professor of epidemiology at the U-M School of Public Health, and colleagues, discovered that in the lab L-arginine -- found in red meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, and is already used in dental products for tooth sensitivity--stopped the formation of dental plaque.

"This is important as bacteria like to aggregate on surfaces to form biofilms. Dental plaque is a biofilm," Rickard said. "Biofilms account for more than 50 percent of all hospital infections. Dental plaque biofilms contribute to the billions of dollars of dental treatments and office visits every year in the United States."

Dental biofilms are the culprits in the formation of dental caries (cavities), gingivitis and periodontal disease. Surveys indicate that nearly 24 percent of adults in the United States have untreated dental caries, and about 39 percent have moderate-to-severe periodontitis, a number that rises to 64 percent for those over age 65.

Most methods for dental plaque control involve use of antimicrobial agents, such as chlorhexidine, which are chemicals aimed at killing plaque bacteria, but they can affect sense of taste and stain teeth. Antimicrobial treatments have been the subject of debate about overuse in recent years.

Pending further clinical trials to verify their lab findings, the researchers said L-arginine could take the place of the current plaque-controlling biocide substances including chlorhexidine and other antimicrobials.

"At present, around 10-to-15 percent of adults in the Western world have advanced periodontitis, which can lead to loose teeth and even the loss of teeth. Therefore, there is a clear need for better methods to control dental plaque," said Nick Jakubovics, a lecturer at Newcastle University's School of Dental Sciences.

Their findings are reported in the current issue of .

The mechanism for how L-arginine causes the disintegration of the biofilms needs further study, the researchers said. It appears arginine can change how cells stick together, and can trigger bacteria within biofilms to alter how they behave so that they no longer stick to surfaces, they said.

In conducting their research, team members used a model system they introduced in 2013 that mimics the oral cavity. The researchers were able to grow together the numerous bacterial species found in dental plaque in the laboratory, using natural human saliva.

"Other laboratory model systems use one or a small panel of species," Rickard said. "Dental plaque biofilms can contain tens to hundreds of species, hence our model better mimics what occurs in the mouth, giving us great research insight."

Scientists discover effective non-toxic herbal supplement to treat glaucoma

    
Scientists may have found an effective all-natural treatment for glaucoma, according to new research presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, in Denver, Colo.

In a study of adult mice, baicalein—a non-toxic, natural flavonoid derived from the root of —reduced intraocular pressure (IOP) by improving the rate at which fluid drained from the eye.

"Baicalein showed a consistent ocular hypotensive response and was able to reduce IOP during both daytime and nighttime in normal animals," says Hoi-lam Li, of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Optometry in Hong Kong. "It remains to be determined whether baicalein has any IOP-lowering effect in ocular hypertensive rats."

Li and his colleagues applied 10 mM of topical baicalein to the treatment eye twice, separated by 10-minute intervals, while using phosphate-buffered saline as a control in the fellow eye. They saw a significant reduction in IOP within 6 hours of drug treatment as well as significantly enhanced outflow facility.

Elevated IOP is widely recognized as an important risk factor for glaucoma and perhaps the only treatable risk factor. Like other chronic diseases, glaucoma therapy requires lifelong adherence and patient compliance to achieve positive treatment outcomes.

"Given the fact that many anti-glaucoma agents have substantial contraindications or long-term side effects, a potent, long-lasting drug with fewer side effects would be highly desirable. Baicalein is a natural compound that has no reported toxicity," Li says. "It appears to be a good candidate for glaucoma therapy in view of its effects on both aqueous humor secretion and outflow facility."

The team is now trying to figure out the mechanistic actions of baicalein in regulating drainage. "Our goal is to better understand how baicalein affects aqueous humor secretion and outflow facility, and their relationship to IOP," Li says.

He and his colleagues have adopted an integrated approach to study the effects of baicalein on aqueous humor inflow and outflow using isolated single cells, excised ciliary epithelium, arterially-perfused eyes, and whole-eye perfusion systems.

"The results of these studies can provide insight into the physiological mechanism for regulating aqueous humor dynamics and thereby IOP," Li says. "More importantly, the outcome of these studies may have a direct translational biomedical significance for the future development of novel anti-glaucoma agents."

US Federal Court rules NSA surveillance Illegal

Image

© AP Photo/ Patrick Semansky

    
The Second US Circuit Court of Appeals said a lower court judge erred in dismissing a lawsuit challenging the program's constitutionality.

A US appeals court ruled Thursday that the National Security Agency's program that collected phone records of Americans is illegal, saying it exceeds the scope of what Congress authorized.

The case hinges on revelations from a leak of NSA documents by Edward Snowden that exposed the bulk collection of information domestically by the agency.

Glenn Greenwald, one of the investigative journalists responsible for bringing Snowden's information to light, indicated: the ruling should mean that Snowden is absolved of criminal charges for being a whistleblower. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals said that the laws used as a basis for the bulk data collection "have never been interpreted to authorize anything approaching the breadth of the sweeping surveillance at issue here."

NGO claims Israel approves construction of 900 settler homes in East Jerusalem

Image

© Reuters/Ammar Awad

    
Israel has approved the construction of 900 settler homes in East Jerusalem, peace activists have said. It comes less than a day after newly-reelected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the formation of a right-wing coalition government.

The homes will be built in East Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, Peace Now group spokeswoman Hagit Ofran told on Thursday. "They've approved the request, and now they're allowed to build," she said.

It comes five years after the Interior Ministry announced a plan to build 1,600 settler homes in Ramat Shlomo. That 2010 announcement was made during US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel, sparking American opposition and tensions between Tel Aviv and Washington.

The plan came one step closer to being realized in November 2013, after passing a further stage of approval. But construction was delayed after the planning committee said that new roads must be built before any building could take place, according to Peace Now.

However, Ofran said Thursday that "the plan [for 900 units] has been approved even though they don't have the roads."

However the interior ministry has denied that the new units were approved. "The discussion that took place last night was about a technicality for a plan that had already been approved years ago," a spokeswoman told .

The news comes less than a day after Netanyahu made an 11th-hour deal to form a coalition government that will include the far-right Jewish Home (Bayit Yehudi) party, which strongly backs settlement building and opposes a Palestinian state.

The pro-settlement stance of the new government - which is expected to be officially sworn in Monday - could worsen Israel's rift with the US and EU.

During his re-election campaign in March, Netanyahu vowed to step up settlement construction in East Jerusalem - a practice that the international community sees as a major hurdle against peace with the Palestinians.

The Israeli-occupied territories have been seeking full Palestinian statehood and independence from Israel for decades. However, despite international criticism, the Israeli government encourages the Jewish population in the West Bank to build new settlements.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in over 120 settlements.

Tesla's Powerwall battery sold out in one week

Image

© Reuters/Patrick T. Fallon

    
Tesla Motors has so far taken 38,000 reservations for its zero-carbon Powerwall home battery. Such high demand signals that revenue from the company's new battery could soon outstrip that from its electric cars sales.

"There's no way that we can possibly satisfy the demand this year," Musk told Wall Street analysts Thursday during a conference at which he reviewed Tesla's first-quarter earnings.

"We're basically sold out through the middle of next year — in a week! We can't even respond to them. We have to triage our response to those who want to be a distributor. It's crazy off the hook. It seems to have gone super viral."

Tesla's first quarter revenue rose 51 percent to $939 million, while the company's net loss widened to $154 million as a result of new investments and the effect of the strong dollar. The loss was estimated at $45 million, better than analysts' expectations.

A series of two battery backup products for home and industrial use was presented on May 1. The lithium-ion battery modules can accumulate electricity from solar panels, charging up during non-peak hours of energy use, and then provide energy to a home or facility for up to 3-5 hours. The newly developed systems come under a product line called Tesla Energy.

Homeowners will be able to get a Powerwall battery in 7 and 10 kilowatt-hour modules for $3,000 and $3,500 respectively. Tesla will also offer 100-kilowatt-hour modules for industrial applications at $25,000 each.

Tesla is known as a car producer famous for its electric-powered vehicles such as the Model S sedan, which also operates on lithium-ion batteries.

The company has made a substantial contribution in changing the car business, forcing other major car producers to develop their own e-vehicles. Tesla's Powerwall battery could trigger a similar trend in the home-charging business.

Tesla hopes to reveal a prototype of its next vehicle, the Model 3 sedan, in March 2016. It will cost about half the price of a Model S and is expected to go on sale at the end of 2017.

Iowa using incinerators to cope with chicken casualties of avian flu

Image

© Reuters / Joshua Roberts

    
Iowa is struggling to dispose of more than 20 million chickens, ducks and turkeys affected by avian flu, as the epidemic spreads. Landfills are reluctant to accept any more birds, prompting authorities to bring in portable incinerators.

Six more outbreaks were discovered Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of H5N2 bird flu in northwestern Iowa to 34. Five cases involved commercial chicken farms in Sioux County, while one affected a backyard flock of ducks in O'Brien County.

The Associated Press estimates that 21 million chickens and half a million turkeys will need to be destroyed in 11 Iowa counties, with another 7 million birds in Wisconsin and Minnesota affected as well. The three states have declared an emergency due to the epidemic.

Iowa's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued three temporary permits to Clean Harbors, a Massachusetts company, to set up portable incinerators in Sioux, Kossuth and Cherokee counties, reports the Des Moines Register.

In a letter sent to state landfills Wednesday, DNR Director Chuck Gipp and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey asked for all disposal options to be made available, given the "unprecedented volume" of infected birds.

"This disease will ultimately result in tens of millions of dead chickens and turkeys" wrote Gipp and Northey in the letter. The birds need to be disposed of in a way that protects the environment as well as prevent the spread of the disease. This means using landfills, on-site burials, composting and incineration to cope with the crisis.


The permits were issued after some landfill operators refused to accept the increasing number of dead birds, citing fears of spreading the virus to nearby farms and possible groundwater contamination.

Larry Oldenkamp, director of operations at Northwest Iowa Area Solid Waste Agency, said local leaders are concerned over disposal of some 9.7 million birds that have been culled in the agency's area of operations, because authorities are yet to figure out how the virus is spreading.

"We know it's spreading somehow, but we don't know how. That's the kicker," Oldenkamp told the Register. "We have to worry about our neighbors. We've got quite a few operations within 5 miles — maybe four or five," he said.


Many of the affected farming operations have been composting the culled poultry on-site. State officials say that Sunrise Farm in Osceola County has composted about 2 million of about 3.4 million infected hens. Rembrandt Enterprises, dealing with the largest outbreak in the US with nearly 5.7 million laying hens, is composting as well.

Oldencamp explained the birds are placed in "bio-zip" bags that decrease the time it takes for the carcasses to compost and increase the temperature enough to kill the virus.

Iowa produces one fifth of all eggs consumed in the US. State and federal health officials continue to insist that there is no food safety risk, and that no human infections involving H5N2 have been detected.

Al-Qaeda leader killed that claimed responsibility for Charlie Hebdo shooting

© wikipedia.org
Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi

    
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has reportedly announced that one of its senior officials was killed in a US airstrike along with his eldest son and other fighters.

Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi was killed in a US airstrike, according to SITE jihadist monitoring group, citing an Al-Qaeda announcement. The report suggests he died on the night of April 21-22 in the port city of Al Mukalla in the south of Yemen. According to witnesses, an apparent drone strike destroyed a vehicle parked near the presidential palace there, killing the six Al-Qaeda militants inside.


The information cannot be independently verified so far.

Al-Ansi, a senior leader in the Yemen-based AQAP, was known for his video statement claiming responsibility for January's Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, where 12 people were killed in the office of the satirical newspaper which had printed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

He also appeared in the video claiming the capture and death of US hostage Luke Somers.

AQAP was formed in 2009 when Saudi and Yemen branches of the Al-Qaeda terror group merged. It is one of the most active subsidiaries of Al-Qaeda, and is considered the most dangerous by Washington because of its focus on attacks in other countries.

Cancer as a business model: $100 billion spent on chemotherapy drugs last year

    
If you are an American, there is a 1 in 3 chance that you will get cancer during your lifetime. If you are a man, the odds are closer to 1 in 2. And almost everyone in America either knows someone who currently has cancer or who has already died from cancer. But it wasn't always this way. Back in the 1940s, only one out of every sixteen Americans would develop cancer. Something has happened that has caused the cancer rate in this nation to absolutely explode, and it is being projected that cancer will soon surpass heart disease and become the leading cause of death in the United States. Overall, the World Health Organization says that approximately 14 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed around the globe each year, and the number of new cases is expected to increase by about 70 percent over the next 2 decades. There are very few words in the English language that cause more fear than the word "cancer", but despite billions spent on research and all of the technological progress we have made over the years this plague just continues to spiral wildly out of control. Why is that?

In America today, more money is spent to treat cancer than to treat any other disease by far. In fact, according to NBC News, 100 BILLION dollars was spent on cancer drugs just last year alone...

As drug prices continue to fall under ever-increasing scrutiny, spending on cancer medicines has hit a new milestone: $100 billion in 2014.

That's up more than 10 percent from 2013, and up from $75 billion five years earlier, according to a report published Tuesday from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

100 million dollars would be an astounding amount of money to spend on these drugs. But 100 billion dollars is 1,000 times as much money as 100 million dollars. And the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics is projecting that the amount of money spent on cancer drugs will continue to grow at a rate of 6 to 8 percent a year.

Needless to say, there are a lot of people out there that are becoming exceedingly wealthy treating this disease.

And the cost of some these drugs is absolutely absurd. According to NBC News, two of the latest cancer drugs to be developed "are priced at $12,500 a month"...

Forty-five new drugs for cancer hit the market between 2010 and 2014, including 10 last year alone, IMS said. Two of those are so-called immunotherapies, a hot new class that harnesses the immune system to fight cancer. They are Opdivo from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Keytruda from Merck. Both are priced at $12,500 a month.

Yes, I understand that drug companies are in business to make a profit.

But how can anyone possibly justify charging cancer patients that much for their medicine?

If you are diagnosed with cancer in America today and you choose to trust the medical system with your treatment, you can say goodbye to your financial future. Even if you have health insurance, you will probably end up flat broke one way or the other. Either you will survive and be flat broke, or you will die flat broke.


And despite all of our ultra-expensive treatments, the survival rate for cancer is still not very good. At this point, the five year survival rate for those diagnosed with cancer is just 65 percent. That means that 35 percent of those diagnosed with cancer are going to end up dead within five years, and for certain forms of cancer that percentage is much, much higher.

Sadly, as I mentioned at the top of this article, the percentage of the population getting cancer just continues to go up...

We have lost the war on cancer. At the beginning of the last century, one person in twenty would get cancer. In the 1940s it was one out of every sixteen people. In the 1970s it was one person out of ten. Today one person out of three gets cancer in the course of their life.

We live in a society that is highly toxic, and it is getting worse with each passing day.

And once you do develop cancer, doctors are not allowed to prescribe any "alternative treatments" for you. They are only permitted to offer you the treatments that the system tells them that they must offer.

One of these is chemotherapy. It is an absolutely nightmarish treatment that often kills the patient before it kills the cancer. The following is how one woman described her experience with chemo...

This highly toxic fluid was being injected into my veins. The nurse administering it was wearing protective gloves because it would burn her skin if just a tiny drip came into contact with it. I couldn't help asking myself "If such precautions are needed to be taken on the outside, what is it doing to me on the inside?" From 7 pm that evening, I vomited solidly for two and a half days. During my treatment, I lost my hair by the handful, I lost my appetite, my skin colour, my zest for life. I was death on legs.

Many patients go through round after hellish round, hoping that it will do something about their cancer. Have you ever known someone who has gone through this ordeal? It can be absolutely heartbreaking.

But in the end, there is a tremendous amount of doubt regarding whether chemo does much good at all. Just consider the words of Dr. Ralph Moss, the author of a book entitled "The Cancer Industry"...

In the end, there is no proof that chemotherapy actually extends life in the vast majority of cases, and this is the great lie about chemotherapy, that somehow there is a correlation between shrinking a tumour and extending the life of a patient.

So why do oncologists push chemo so hard?

Well, it is because they make a tremendous amount of money doing it...

According to the research of Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics fame, "Oncologists are some of the highest paid doctors, their average income is increasing faster than any other specialist in the medical field, and more than half their income comes from selling and administering chemotherapy."

Yes you read that right. Oncologists make a huge profit, as much as two-thirds of their income in some cases, from chemotherapy drugs.

Their business model is very different from other doctors because you can't buy chemotherapy drugs at your local pharmacy.

Oncologists buy these drugs direct at wholesale prices, then they mark them up and bill the insurance companies. This legal profiting on drugs by doctors is unique to the cancer treatment world. They're making money off the drugs that they insist you take to save your life. That's a HUGE conflict of interest. They're selling you the drugs, and charging you for the privilege of putting them in your body. No other doctor can do that.

Our system is deeply corrupt and deeply broken.

But nothing is going to change any time soon because hundreds of billions of dollars are being made.

So what do you think? Do you have an experience with the cancer industry that you would like to share? Please feel free to add to the discussion by posting a comment below...

SOTT FOCUS: Modern Music: Promoting pedophilia to adults and sexual debauchery to children

Image
    
Human beings seem to thrive both cognitively and affectively when they are exposed to any number of the infinite combinations of melody, harmony and rhythm that make up a particular piece of what we know as "music". Music has the potential to enrich our lives, to enable us to learn about ourselves and others around us and experience and interact with reality in dynamic and creative ways. Music can have profound and unique effects on our well-being, it can help us cope with the stresses that life brings and can make us feel happier in ourselves, and it can also make our brains happier! But there's a darker side to music.

In our technologically 'advanced' society, different types of music are more accessible than ever before. In this day and age, with the multiplicity of specialized MP3 players, mobile phones and other assorted gadgets, an entire album can be downloaded within a matter of seconds... with little or no content restrictions in place.

So how much music do kids actually listen to these days? An English study published by North et al in 2000 showed that a sample of 2,456 adolescents listened to an average of 2.45 hours of music per day. It has also been reported that children aged eight to ten listen to an average of 1 hour per day. A more recent study (Roberts et al) in 2005 showed that a staggering 85% of children aged eight to eighteen years old listened to music on any given day.

The effect of music and video on a developing human psyche

According to psychologists Ashby and Rich (2005) in their paper, Video killed the radio star:

"Music induces strong emotions that can make individuals more susceptible to changes in attitude or behavior. Multiple studies demonstrated the influence of visual media on risky attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among adolescents. Combined in a music video, music and visuals may enhance, redirect, or contrast with the effects of the lyrics and introduce new aspects to the media experience that were not understood or considered previously by the viewer.

"The combination of music and video may be synergistic in their effect on adolescent attitudes and behavior. Once music establishes a mood, the lyrics and images that are portrayed may have more impact than either form alone. Music can alter an individual's receptivity to visual presentation. A study from the early years of music television found that the enhancement of rock music with a visual component increased appreciation of the music. Conversely, research shows that after watching music videos, the visual images persist with the viewer even when that individual is listening to an audio only version of a song; most music video viewers ''always'' or ''frequently'' thought of content from the music video when listening to the corresponding music. Rubin et al demonstrated that college students assessed music videos more positively and believed that they were more ''potent'' than music alone "

So, the presence of both audio and visual stimulation can cause the visual image portrayed in a music video to "persist with the viewer"? They further state:

"Music videos socialize young people by communicating ideas about expected behavior, relationships, and male and female roles. Although music videos are diverse and individual music videos portray a variety of gender roles and responsibilities, content analysis of music videos demonstrates that those who use music videos as a source of social learning generally receive specific information about the roles, responsibilities, and behavior of their gender in society."

OK! So we are now aware that children and adolescents listen to a lot of music, and we also can see that music can induce strong emotions and can "communicate ideas about expected behaviors, relationships and male and female roles" playing a definite role in a child's identity formation, while visual images can "persist with the viewer even when that individual is listening to an audio only version of a song". So what type of music do kids today listen to?

When music becomes non-music

In recent years, the content of mainstream popular music appears to have undergone some rather drastic changes and the inclusion of "pro-social values" featured in songs seems to be gradually on the decline. In other words: The monotonous drivel spewed forth by the pop-culture of today's society (as a substitute for music) can only be described as an ever-growing cesspit of obscenities, profanities and the indication of outright moral decay. A prime example of this is Miley Cyrus.

Image


Miley Cyrus: the perfect role model for teenage girls

    
Miley is the reprobate daughter of the famous American country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, himself something of a social neanderthal (the apple never falls from the tree). Her career as an actress and musician began to flourish when, at the age of 13, she gained the lead role in Disney's "Hannah Montana", a popular television show with a target audience of children aged 6-14 years old. A relatively recent departure from this role has led to a sharp transition in her lyrical content and overall public persona. This once childhood sweetheart now appears to have gone well and truly "off the rails" so to speak, and it looks like she is now the music industry's latest disposable whore.

With the unlikely aim of "motivating mothers and daughters to build lifetimes of memories together and inspire kids around the world to live their dreams", Miley succeeds merely in glamorising and openly promoting pathologically, hyper-sexualised ideals such as excessive promiscuity, bisexuality, the public use of sexual paraphernalia and explicit drug misuse. Basically, this is pedophilic sexual debauchery presented to us in the form of a mentally-disturbed 22 year old girl with the emotional maturity of the average politician. It's not surprising then that the bulk of her target audience is between the ages of 6-14 year olds. In the name of "feminism" and "freedom", it is possible that Miley truly believes that parading her infectious filth across the world for young, vulnerable minds to absorb is acting in favour of the "greater good" and standing up for women's rights to express their sexuality. But what Miley believes is irrelevant. What she achieves is to support the goal of our pathocratic system to produce as many intellectually and emotionally-stunted adolecents as possible, to fill the ranks of the up and coming political class.

It is not surprising that Miley is one of the "Disney Kids" that have exploded onto the music scene in recent decades. Does anyone remember what happened to Britney Spears? It's gut wrenching to imagine the trauma and suffering that these 'just turned' superstars were probably made to endure as young children at the hands of the Hollywood music industry's predatory pedophile networks. Yes, that's right. Pedophilia is apparently not only rife in political inner circles, but the music and film industries are also badly infected with it. This is not so difficult to believe when you understand that psychopaths usually manage to work their way up to the top of any given sector, and seem to congregate with others who have similar 'predilections'. If you would like to gain some insight into the depths of abuse and the prevalence of institutionalized pedophilia within the USA Child Protective Services, take a listen to this interview. And for a ground breaking article concerning the UK establishment scandal please read this article.

According to 1980's Hollywood child star, Corey Feldman:

"I can tell you that the No. 1 problem in Hollywood was and is and always will be pedophilia. That's the biggest problem for children in this industry. ... It's the big secret,"

According to a 2014 newspaper article, a member of the audience at last year's performance said that "She (Miley) got loads of people of the same sex to snog in the audience and put them on camera on a giant screen and made a speech about how we should all just 'be ourselves'". The fact is that this particular demeanor is not unique to Miley.

It Gets Darker...

Here are some lyrics from another of pop-culture's currently most advertised "sex dolls", Katy Perry:

"I kissed a girl and I liked it, [..]
No, I don't even know your name, it doesn't matter.
You're my experimental game, just human nature.
It's not what good girls do, not how they should behave."

"Don't be a shy kinda guy I'll bet it's beautiful
Come on baby let me see
I wanna see your peacock, cock, cock
Your peacock, cock"

"You're reading me like erotica,
Boy, you make me feel exotic, yeah
Just when I think I can't take anymore
We go deeper and harder than ever before"

If these lyrics sound a lot like unadulterated filth, it's because they are. In my opinion, they would be better suited to the pages of an established pornographic magazine, or an internal White House memo. But from where does this revolting trash emanate, and who on earth actually chooses to sully their minds with it?!
Image


Katy Perry: Can we ban her yet?

    
Well, it turns out that Katy perry is also a big hit with the young minds of this generation. She has featured in the blockbuster movie The Smurfs, has appeared on children's shows such as Sesame Street and actually won the "Favorite Female Singer" award at the "26th Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards" in 2013.

Now let's consider some lyrics from pop-superstar Rihanna's single "SNM":

"Cause I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it
Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But chains and whips excite me"

The music video for this single boasts a total of 64 million views on the popular video hosting site Vimeo and is titled "SNM" which, by the way, is an acronym for "Sadism" and "Masochism". If you are unfamiliar with either term, here are the definitions:

Sadism - The gaining of pleasure of sexual gratification from the infliction of pain and mental suffering on another person

Masochism - The condition in which sexual gratification depends on suffering physical pain or humiliation.

Image


'Rhianna': broadcasting 'wholesome values' into your child's brain

    
Sorry to labor the point, but those two definitions read like a concise summary of the US government's foreign policy for the last...oh, 100 years.

Anyway, Rhianna's video depicts the singer prancing around in white latex dominatrix-style bondage gear and imitating sex acts with mannequin dolls while provocatively sucking on a banana. (Also to be seen in a future session of Congress no doubt).

Now, recall what you read earlier:

"Music videos socialize young people by communicating ideas about expected behaviour, relationships, and male and female roles"

With exposure to this "music" (aka mind-programming), what kind of ideas do you think that children receive about their expected behaviour, relationships and gender role in society? The popularization and glorification of this openly aggressive, psychopathic, sexually obscene vulgarity that objectifies and denigrates the female form appears to have gained acceptance in Western society. If you're not convinced, then consider that Rihanna, the girl who "whips and chains excite", recently landed a starring role in the children's animated movie "Home"...

If you are unable to see the trend by now, then I am afraid that you have probably succumbed to the very psychopathic mindset that has already been briefly addressed above, the one which turns out to be the driving force behind this whole phenomena. However, if you can see what is happening and have the courage to break free from this distorted perception of reality, the bigger picture will become clear further on. But first of all, we need to clarify a few things.

The Effects on a young (or even old) mind

Image
    
Identity formation is one of the main developmental challenges faced in childhood and adolescence. The goal is to establish a clear sense of 'self' by discovering one's own interests, desires, needs, likes, dislikes, and abilities with respect to love, inter personal-relationships and beliefs about both the self and the external environment. In relation to love, this also includes the development of sexuality and the development of gender-role identity, which is essentially learning about one's role as a male or female in a given society/culture.

In the opinion of psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, "music and music videos can play an important part in both love-related aspects of identity formation". Research supporting this notion has shown that the attitudes and beliefs of adolescents were affected by exposure to music that portrayed stereotyped gender roles. Another study also found that those who were exposed to such music were more likely to accept adversarial relationships and interpersonal violence in their own lives. It was theorized by the investigators that "media portrayals transiently alter the way in which subsequent human interactions are viewed and interpreted".

In addition to the alteration of adolescents attitudes and beliefs about their environment and others around them, exposure to certain types of music appears to also alter attitudes and beliefs regarding the self. Research has shown that just ten minutes of exposure to music videos that feature idolised models with the "desired physique" cause a drastic increase in female participant's level of bodily dissatisfaction. At integral stages of development, as children grow and mature in this world, particularly in Western society, unattainable socio-cultural ideals promulgated by the mainstream media are thrust upon the impressionable minds and aim to surround the child from as early on as possible. This promoted imagery may consist of the "perfect" body, the "perfect" face or any other combination of physical traits that are deemed to be "desirable" by the mainstream media monster. Excessive sexual behavior and self objectification are also promoted as being a means of gaining acceptance, popularity and success. Children soon learn to imitate behavior that they perceive as being socially beneficial, which, in this case is generally vanity, self love and self objectification. The sad truth is that modern society is so deeply infested with this stream of filth that people now openly worship the false and the hollow. Many people in Western societies (and around the world) now idolize a variety of pathologically narcissistic characters and seek to become like them. This is seen as "normal".

To top it all off, there is also evidence to suggest that the underlying beliefs and attitudes that have been adopted by children through the exposure to this type of pop-music also appears to manifest in children's behavior. A poll conducted by 'Netmums' which surveyed 1500+ parents showed that 81.7% of parents claimed that their child had repeated or sung sexual lyrics without realizing the meaning. In addition, 33.4% stated that their child had imitated sexually provocative dance moves performed by pop-music stars.

'But hang on!' I hear you say, 'these children are completely unaware of what they are imitating and it's not as if they are acting out these behaviors in real life, so... what's the problem?'

Image
    
Well, it turns out that some children actually are acting out these behaviors. One study showed that children aged 14-15 who were exposed to music featuring sexually degrading lyrics were more than twice as likely to have already had sexual intercourse than those who went unexposed. Is this merely a coincidence?

The destruction of society's moral compass and the sexualization of children

It turns out that the pop-culture music industry is one of most successful vehicles for the spread of this kind of, well, evil. The young mind, having not yet established a strong sense of 'self', is highly susceptible to this form of manipulation and can be quickly drawn into the dynamic at a very young age. These appearance-based values and unrealistic expectations of oneself then may lead to an over-active negative 'introject', a distorted self image and a rather twisted view of the external world and others in it.

This state of being thwarts any real possibility of truly connecting with other human beings and forming lasting emotional bonds. Any relationship that is established on appearance-based values is doomed to fail, just as the human being who has adopted these customs is forever doomed to be unhappy and filled with an insatiable hunger for anything that fills the empty void inside. This is what the children of today's world are faced with. This is their inheritance. Vulnerable children are becoming increasingly sexualized and developing a false 'adulthood' before their time. They are being manipulated to embark on a 'journey of sexual discovery' when they are not yet mature enough to understand the implications. A distorted image of sexual relationships is also planted within the child's mind, an image devoid of any real emotional connection, leaving only the biological urge to serve the self. It is socially and culturally-sanctioned psychological warfare, with children as the targets.

It's obvious that children do not benefit from being prematurely torn from their childhood and thrust into a life of narcissism devoid of fulfillment and emotional connection with others. It's also obvious that the majority of parents do not gain from this state of affairs, so who benefits, anyone?

Essential Psychopathy

Image


Two psychopaths together. Former British PM Margaret Thatcher with notorious pedophile and children's TV presenter, Jimmy Savile. Thatcher's government (in concert with British intelligence) repeatedly covered for pedophile members of her own government and party

    
In order to make any sense out of the pathological turn that our society appears to have taken, we're going to have to take a step back and try to see how this fits into the bigger picture. If you look closely, you can see that the mental, physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children is not isolated to the music industry. It pervades every aspect of our society. Be it within the inner circles of politics, business, the arts, the police force, religious institutions, royalty, media or the education system, the infection of organized institutionalized pedophilia is pervasive, if not pandemic.The predatory pedophiles at the top of the 'food chain', unencumbered as they are by any considerations of conscience or empathy, are prepared to stoop to any methods to satisfy their deviant "needs". It is not hard to see who such individuals would relish the thought of the facilitation of their ability to 'feed' in this way through the 'normalization' of pedophilia.

With psychopaths in control of many government and corporate institutions that produce popular movies, music, television programs, school curriculums and laws, they are able to direct and manipulate public perception in ways that ultimately benefit the psychopath's agenda. This agenda is being served through a gradual, multi-generational process that is therefore difficult to identify.

For further reading on this topic see the links I have included above or read this article.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://bit.ly/1xcsdoI.

California farmers desperate for water, but at what price? O&G industry selling them fracking wastewater

    
In the midst of the troublesome California drought, innovation sprouts up, invention being the mother of necessity. But just like the aftermath of the BP oil spill, how often are people allowed to actually embark on saving the day, versus the insulting "solutions" foisted on the world

It should not then be surprising that companies like Chevron are extending their magnanimous offer of "crop water" in the form of fracking waste chemicals - for a price, of course.

If one didn't know any better, it almost appears that we are systematically being undercut and sickened to death (she said sarcastically). After all, we already use our own baked sewage sludge to fertilize non-organic crops. And no, the treatment does not stop heavy metals, hundreds of chemicals, drug residues and stomach virus that reside on or within the plants. That's why the name "biosolids" was picked for the practice.

Care2 reports that Big Oil has farmers over a barrel, so to speak. To the tune of of 21 million gallons of waste water per day — sold to Kern County for farming for $30 per acre-foot, and potentially damaging the end product - our food. Untreated, untested. They are getting rich, while normally they'd be required to pay for disposal.

Scientist Scott Smith conducted independent tests on the waste water only to find "traces of oil as well as high concentrations of methylene chloride (considered a carcinogen) and acetone in the water." Chevron denies that they use those chemicals, hides behind "trade secrets" and claims safety. It is also unfortunately salt-ridden.

Wait, how are these companies able to frack up California's wazoo in the midst of a crisis (8 barrels of water to 1 barrel of oil), and pollute farming groundwater?

They own larges chunks of the land! Sort of conjures up that one scene from There Will Be Blood. (Nearby farmland be damned - source)

But more than that, farmers are desperate for any water source. Chevron tops the list above - waste water is just one way to double-dip. From the looks of the table, it appears they might simply be using the waste water for their own corporate cropland as well...something to think about.

For some, that revelation might pose an ethical obstacle - oh, private property, in that case we can't complain. I'll give you two reasons to complain. Owning land does not give a company the right to poison it, but especially not the right to destroy nearby land - i.e. poisoning crops. They are responsible for the waste they produce, as unfortunate as it is to produce toxic materials at all (again, we need innovation). Furthermore, being a corporation should not be a "Get Out of Crisis and Profit-for-Poison Free" card. And for all this talk of cutting energy use and reducing footprints - these companies create prints that would scare Godzilla. Yet, regulators and politicians are encouraging the recklessness. No testing necessary.

But selling the waste water for crops? Like it's an act of generosity? Now is that just plain absurd or full-blown psychopathic?

Definitely check out this essay and this blog post for more sources and information.

Volcanic activity shuts part of popular Japan hot springs

Image

© Kyodo News
White smoke is spewed out in Owakudani valley of Mount. Hakone where increased earthquake activity is found, in Hakone town, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Tokyo, Thursday, May 7, 2015.

    
Japanese authorities have closed part of a popular hot springs area to the public because of fears a volcano might erupt.

Increased earthquake activity at Mount Hakone prompted the Japanese Meteorological Agency to raise the alert level earlier this week to 2 on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest.

The town of Hakone met on Thursday with tourism industry representatives who are concerned about the possible impact on business.

About 50 people who operate businesses in the restricted area were allowed to make a temporary visit to maintain their facilities and collect necessities, according to Japanese broadcaster TBS. It quoted a cafe owner saying he hopes the situation will be over soon.

The closed area includes Owakudani, a well-visited site where tourists can see steam emerging from vents in a crater from a past eruption. Both a section of a ropeway that passes nearby and trails to Owakudani have been closed.

Hakone, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Tokyo, attracts visitors from both Japan and overseas. Most of Hakone's other sights remain open.

The eruption of Mount Ontake in central Japan last September killed 57 people.

Remains from Weekend at Bernie's: Skeleton tea party discovered at bottom of Colorado River


Screenshot from RT video

    
The eerie underwater scene would have warmed the cockles of Captain Barbossa's long-dead heart, but the snorkeler who spotted skeletons at the bottom of the Colorado River thought the grisly view was a result of foul play.

After the snorkeler notified authorities of the potential for human remains near a boat launch in Cienaga Springs, Arizona, La Paz County Sheriff deputies and the Buckskin Fire Department headed to the scene. A diver with a video camera 'headed down into the sea to see what he could see.'

As it turns out, the two skeletons were, in fact, playing ‒ but it was not foul play.

They were playing 'tea party.'

"When firefighter Foerstner located the alleged remains, he found it to be an underwater tea party with two fake skeletons sitting in lawn chairs," the sheriff's department said in a statement.

The two skeletons and their lawn chairs were attached to rocks on the riverbed, about 40 feet from the surface.

One of the members of the cursed crew was holding a sign that reads and It also contains the date August 16, 2014.

Bernie is presumed to be the host who invited the unnamed skeleton to his giant pineapple house for the weekend, but went a little overboard.

The unnamed skeleton was wearing aviator sunglasses and what appears to be a bib.

[embedded content]


"Although the call itself was resource intensive, both the Sheriff's Office and Buckskin Fire were happy to find that the remains weren't real and thanked the reporting party for making the call," the sheriff's department said.

Authorities have not named any suspects in the tea party prank, which only chilled the snorkeler to the bone.

"I don't think they were trying to set up anything to scare anyone," Lt. Curtis Bagby of the La Paz County Sheriff's Department told AP. "Things happen. We go all the time to false alarms. That's just a first-responder's life. We're trying not to be overly concerned about it, not make too big a deal out of it."

Police do plan to crash the tea party at some point this week to remove the scene of the crime, though the un-dead set-up could be resurrected in front of the sheriff's department building.

"We like to show some things that are fun, some levity, too," Bagby said. "But in the meantime, don't think it's OK to go put something there."

The sheriff's department does not plan to investigate, but if they did, one line of inquiry could lead them to the Mad Hatter, who is rumored to be directing 'Weekend at Bernies III'.

29 sightings of tornadoes reported throughout central U.S.

    
Multiple tornadoes injured at least 13 as they tore through the central United States on Wednesday destroying homes and felling trees amid heavy rains that triggered local flooding, US media reported.

At least 13 people were injured when a tornado tore through a mobile home park in Oklahoma City, CNN reported, quoting Susie Patterson of the Emergency Medical Services Authority in Oklahoma City.

The Weather Channel said at least 29 tornado sightings had been reported across the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma, where multiple homes were destroyed.

Footage from a local affiliate broadcast on CNN showed significant destruction in the state, including a building ravaged by the storm system, with belongings scattered across a lawn.

Cars were flipped into the air on an interstate highway, Newspaper reported.

A zoo called Tiger Safari in the town of Tuttle was also hit, and initially the county sheriff's office said some animals were on the loose, but they were later accounted for, the paper said.

© Travis Heying, The Wichita Eagle, AP)
A tornado passes near Halstead, Kan., on May 6, 2015.

    
"Severe weather will remain a daily threat for the Plains and Midwest through (the) weekend thanks to a stubbornly slow-moving weather pattern across North America," The National Weather Service said.

"Tornado watches have been issued for parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. In those watch areas, several tornadoes have been reported," it added.

Flooding was reported in Moore, Oklahoma and several houses sustained tornado damage in Bridge Creek, KOCO television reported.

The city of Norman also took a hit with the I-35 highway shut down due to downed power lines, the report said.

An image from the local newspaper, The Norman Transcript, showed part of the exterior of the city's Norman Hotel ripped off by a tornado.

29 Sightings of tornadoes reported throughout central U.S.

    
Multiple tornadoes injured at least 13 as they tore through the central United States on Wednesday destroying homes and felling trees amid heavy rains that triggered local flooding, US media reported.

At least 13 people were injured when a tornado tore through a mobile home park in Oklahoma City, CNN reported, quoting Susie Patterson of the Emergency Medical Services Authority in Oklahoma City.

The Weather Channel said at least 29 tornado sightings had been reported across the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma, where multiple homes were destroyed.

Footage from a local affiliate broadcast on CNN showed significant destruction in the state, including a building ravaged by the storm system, with belongings scattered across a lawn.

Cars were flipped into the air on an interstate highway, Newspaper reported.

A zoo called Tiger Safari in the town of Tuttle was also hit, and initially the county sheriff's office said some animals were on the loose, but they were later accounted for, the paper said.

© Travis Heying, The Wichita Eagle, AP)
A tornado passes near Halstead, Kan., on May 6, 2015.

    
"Severe weather will remain a daily threat for the Plains and Midwest through (the) weekend thanks to a stubbornly slow-moving weather pattern across North America," The National Weather Service said.

"Tornado watches have been issued for parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. In those watch areas, several tornadoes have been reported," it added.

Flooding was reported in Moore, Oklahoma and several houses sustained tornado damage in Bridge Creek, KOCO television reported.

The city of Norman also took a hit with the I-35 highway shut down due to downed power lines, the report said.

An image from the local newspaper, The Norman Transcript, showed part of the exterior of the city's Norman Hotel ripped off by a tornado.