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Good Theory for Colony Collapse Disorder

Mommy, where does a bee go when it dies?

A couple years ago I got interested in following the honey bee die-off problem that has come to be known as Colony Collapse Disorder. At first it appeared that there might be something mysterious going on that caused the bees to disappear. Being open to strange things, I figured I’d listen and see if some reasonable explanation would come along. For if it didn’t, without honey bees to pollinate humanities crops, we’d be in for a big hungry problem in no time at all.

A quick search on Google finds a reasonable Wikipedia entry that reads:

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) or sometimes honey bee depopulation syndrome (HBDS)[1] is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear. While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture, the term colony collapse disorder was first applied to a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of Western honey bee colonies in North America in late 2006.[2] Colony collapse is economically significant because many agricultural crops worldwide are pollinated by bees. European beekeepers observed similar phenomena in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain,[3] and initial reports have also come in from Switzerland and Germany, albeit to a lesser degree[4] while the Northern Ireland Assembly received reports of a decline greater than 50%.[5] Possible cases of CCD have also been reported in Taiwan since April 2007.[6]

The cause or causes of the syndrome are not yet fully understood, although …

That’s the basic background into the problem. Now, what might be the cause?

About a year ago, I stumbled upon a great YouTube video from a passionate woman posting as “beepassionate’s channel”. What she happened to say struck me as a reasonable solution to the problem.

So, rather than spelling it all out here for you to read, I’m just going to link in her original video and the followup video that came along 18 months later.

I would be willing to guess that Colony Collapse Disorder is not some mysterious mystical happening, but rather man run amuck in the chemical factory! It seems, others might be figuring this out too:

Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder Finally Explained: Too Many Chemicals

(NaturalNews) A combination of toxic chemicals and pathogens are probably to blame for colony collapse disorder in honeybees, according to a study conducted by researchers at Washington State University.

Researchers conducted careful studies to uncover contributors to the disorder, in which seemingly healthy bees simply vanish from a hive, leaving the queen and a handful of newly hatched adults behind.

“One of the first things we looked at was the pesticide levels in the wax of older honeycombs,” researcher Steve Sheppard said.

The researchers acquired used hives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, finding that they had “fairly high levels of pesticide residue.” When bees were raised in these hives, they had “significantly reduced longevity,” the researchers said.

…

Here is another article from the same site:

Colony Collapse Disorder Debunked: Pesticides Cause Bee Deaths

(NaturalNews) The great mystery of bee deaths has been solved. Colony Collapse Disorder is poisoning with a known insect neurotoxin. Clothianidin, a pesticide manufactured by Bayer, has been clearly linked to die offs in Germany and France.

Although the bee die offs that have occurred recently are more severe, there have been many in the past from the same and similar products. In North Dakota, a lawsuit is pending against Bayer for the loss of their bees in 1995, the result of spraying rapeseed with Imidacloprid. In 1999, the same product was banned in France for use as a seed dressing for sunflowers when they lost one-third of their hives after widespread spraying. In 2004, it was banned for use on corn. Recently, France refused to approve Bayer’s request to sell Clothianidin.

Clothianidin and Imidacloprid are both members of a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. They are well known as insect neurotoxins, especially with regard to bees. The spokesperson for the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, based in Germany, stated, “We have been pointing out the risks of neonicotinoids for almost 10 years now. This proves without a doubt that the chemicals can come into contact with bees and kill them. These pesticides shouldn’t be on the market.”

…

Looks like Mother Earth News picked up on this problem.

Colony Collapse: Are Potent Pesticides Killing Honeybees? 

Colony collapse disorder has wreaked havoc on U.S. beekeeping businesses (and the agriculture industry) since its devastating arrival in 2006. The veiled killer entered hives across Japan for the first time earlier this year, affecting 25 percent of the national beekeeping association members. Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is being sued by the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for withholding details about the impact of neonicotinoids — a class of widely used pesticides — on honeybees and other pollinators

…

If you want a bigger list of articles, search Google using the string “colony collapse disorder causes pesticide”.

The way I see it, this type of problem is money based. Thus, to change it, we need to change where and how we spend our money. Basically, don’t spend your money to buy products from companies that you know are part of the problem. Buy products from companies that are part of the solution.

It is not a miracle, it is supernatural

I really do have to admit that the article I read about the ‘starving yogi’ really has left me with a head full of questions and what’s most puzzling is not the questions, but the type of questions. It’s not; can someone really live without eating, but rather, what is his body running on? Are we all running on the same thing without knowing it? Why do we sleep? And, is he more efficient than the rest of us? Is he more efficient than the rest of us?

I’m sure the list could go on and on, but the idea that really spurred me on this morning came after reflecting on the words of the female interviewed in the pranasynthesis video (found on this page). I’ve written down her words here (found 3:28 seconds into the video):

It’s impossible for us to generate heat or light energy from looking at the sun almost liken it to photosynthesis which is the process by which plants generate their energy supply and this is absolutely impossible for a human being to do.

I would have to completely agree with a small part of her statement; Humans are not plants and, so, I would have to agree with her that humans do not do photosynthesis within their bodies. Photosynthesis is a well defined process performed by chlorophyll molecules.

Yet is it interesting to read the Light reactions process on the Wikipedia page associated with photosynthesis.

In the light reactions, one molecule of the pigment chlorophyll absorbs one photon and loses one electron. This electron is passed to a modified form of chlorophyll called pheophytin, which passes the electron to a quinone molecule, allowing the start of a flow of electrons down an electron transport chain that leads to the ultimate reduction of NADP to NADPH. In addition, this creates a proton gradient across the chloroplast membrane; its dissipation is used by ATP synthase for the concomitant synthesis of ATP. The chlorophyll molecule regains the lost electron from a water molecule through a process called photolysis, which releases a dioxygen (O2) molecule. The overall equation for the light-dependent reactions under the conditions of non-cyclic electron flow in green plants is:[17]

2 H2O + 2 NADP+ + 3 ADP + 3 Pi + light → 2 NADPH + 2 H+ + 3 ATP + O2

Not all wavelengths of light can support photosynthesis. The photosynthetic action spectrum depends on the type of accessory pigments present. …

This process of an electron flowing through the cell reads very similar to this:

Electric current means, depending on the context, a flow of electric charge (a phenomenon) or the rate of flow of electric charge (a quantity).[1] This flowing electric charge is typically carried by moving electrons, in a conductor such as wire; in an electrolyte, it is instead carried by ions, and, in a plasma, by both.[2]

That, is the Wikipedia’s wording for, electric current. It’s kind of funny how things link together. The light reactions in a plant with the moving electron seems to parallel what we ca electric current.

So ultimately it all stems back to the photon, which came from the sun that triggers an electric current in the plant.

Now the question is, is it the photon that’s important, or the electric current? Looks like the photon triggers the process by freeing up an electron, but the electron is that the plant uses for its photosynthesis process. It’s the electron that’s flowing around within the plant, not the photon. Yet, it took a photon from the visible light spectrom to kick start the process.

If the photon is so important to the plant, maybe it might be important to the human body too, but not specifically for photosynthesis.

From here:

In physics, a photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic interaction and the basic “unit” of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It is also the force carrier for the electromagnetic force.

…

The modern concept of the photon was developed gradually by Albert Einstein to explain experimental observations that did not fit the classical wave model of light. In particular, the photon model accounted for the frequency dependence of light’s energy, and explained the ability of matter and radiation to be in thermal equilibrium. …

Let’s see, “matter and radiation to be in thermal equilibrium.” Or matter and electromagnetic radiation co-exist in a relatively stable, yet delicate balance.

So, if a photon is a basic unit of light, as in the basic unit of electromagnetic radiation, and we know that electromagnetic radiation is compressed of all wave lengths (not just visible light) – one might have to conclude that there are photons out there of all different types just waiting to trigger electrons free in some type of matter somewhere.

Might they be triggering electrons free in this yogi? Maybe that yogi is sensitive to a particular type of light?

So, back to the woman’s comment about photosynthesis in the human body. She states that it’s impossible to generate heat or light energy from looking at the sun. Which, I believe she means, it’s impossible for the human body to create sugar by starring at the sun. But, I’m unclear what she means about heat energy, for we’ve all seen snakes warming themselves in the sun.

But could it be possible to get electrons to flow by allowing in more electromagnetic energy into the body? Could there possibly be a particular wavelength of light that resonates with the human body in such a way that it sparks electrons to flow?

This yogi mentioned the crown chakra. Could this be a filter for the electromagnetic energy (that’s always around in the form of photons) that works to trigger electrons to flow in the body? That flowing of electrons would be similar to what the body does when it breaks down food? (breaking down food gives off electromagnetic energy.  See Is food another form of light.)

If the body runs on electromagnetic energy, it might seem logical that any source that could provide electromagnetic energy to the body would be considered ‘food’.

So now the question is, if the yogi is ‘normal’ in every sense (as the doctors measure him), might that imply that we all have the genetic makeup to harvest energy the same way he does?

There are still tons of unanswered questions, but it’s a fascinating journey and I’m totally looking forward to seeing what comes along next. And by the way, I love how they end the video clip: It is not a miracle, it is supernatural!

Energy for the human body

Many years ago, a wonderful friend gave me a used copy of Viktoras Kulvinskas planetary healers manual. At the time, I was a volunteer at a religious retreat and had plenty of time in the evenings to read. I’m sure I read that book multiple times.

About a year ago, I ordered up another copy and read it, again, cover to cover. By today’s standards, I have to say that book cracks me up. It’s, oh … so groovy man, you gotta just feel the vibes. Lol.

Yet, I have to hand it to Viktoras Kulvinskas, he’s still selling copies and I’m sure that book was divinely inspired. The best part about that book was that he approached his topics with just enough science backing to make you believe that the subjects just might hold a little truth.

On topic that he covers, but doesn’t cover very well is the idea of Breatharianism. The idea that someone could live on nothing but the life force in the air. I’ve always thought it curious and magical at the same time.

When I brought this idea up to my older daughter, she immediately stated “they cheat. No one can live on air.” My response was along the lines, ‘are you sure’?

When it comes down to measuring a lot of things in life, we can say with confidence that, say, when you let go of an apple, it will fall to the ground. Yet, people like to generalize things and so they make absolute statements like ‘if you let go of it, it will fall to the ground.’ But, is that really true in the absolute sense?

The absolute measuring may not apply to the human body. We may ‘think’ we understand how the human body works, but what I’m discovering is that we (as scientists) have discovered how a bunch of the little processes seem to behave within the body and some classic cause and effect situations. But not the full end-to-end story.

In the simple case, the generality is: Sugar gives the body energy. This statement then gets turned upside down so as to state: the energy that the body needs is acquired from sugar. But is that really the truth?

Let’s come back around to that concept of breatharianism. That idea was a key trigger inspiring me to write the post on Prana. Might there really be energy in the air? Might there be enough to sustain someone?

Or, is there another source?

Part of the reason for revisiting this topic is because I came across an article on MSN that talked about ‘the Starving yogi’. He claims to have not eaten since he was 15 (or twelve depending on the source). To me, the MSN article has sensationalized the science behind the 10 (or 15 depending on which news source you read) day ordeal in order to get readership up.

My first reaction to the article was – He’s not starving! If he was hungry he would have eaten something!

Then, if you visit this other article, it looks like one of the scientists is quoted as saying:

If Jani does not derive energy from food and water, he must be doing that from energy sources around him, sunlight being one,” said Shah.

Deriving energy from water? That is new to me.  I’ll overlook that, for everyone can be mis-quoted.

Looking a little deeper, it turns out that there is a video clip on YouTube titled pranasynthesis that is absolutely worth the 4.25 minutes.

What’s unfortunate about this video is the female scientist that’s interjected just about 3 minutes in. And, of course, the editing of her ‘impossible’ statements into the legitimate interview that they are doing with the scientist (Shah) applies someone else’s agenda to the video clip, but we can watch with an open mind.

The narrator also mentions that Shah has a theory about how this yogi survives – he’s feeding off the sun – solar gazing. He goes into details about what must be done. It’s pretty clear that Shah is open minded about the process. Yet, the female is edited in again with a series of misleading “impossible” statements that are really… irrelevant to the observation. Of course people don’t do photosynthesis – plants do that to store energy. What if he’s using the energy directly?

And, by the way, she states that plants generate their own energy supply via photosynthesis (about 3:40 seconds in). That, in my understanding, it technically incorrect. Plants receive energy from the sun and store it in sugars. Plants do not generate energy, they use it and store it.

Now, what they seem to skip over is the Yogi explaining how hs is able to manage (just over 4 minutes into the video) to stay energized. The narrator says, the sun transmits energy through a hole in the holly man’s throat producing a sticky solid lump that he can digest. Then, he states that it refuels the chakra energy points in his body. These words completely contradict the female talking about photosynthesis, for the yogi knows he is not recieving his energy through photosynthesis.

Ultimately, this is interesting. The scientists talk about photosynthesis and sun gazing, but the yogi talks about chakras and actually touches his head.

Seeing this video, I have to wonder if the scientists are even listening to the yogi. He seems to be telling them where the energy comes from, but they seem to only hear that they can understand.

I would love to find more videos like this so that I could learn a little bit more about ‘energy’ in the human body. This yogi seems to point out that there are energy sources other than food that are quite enough to sustain life. And, I have to admit that he looks pretty healthy.

Surfing and encountering malicious software

A couple days ago I was researching for the “You full of Crap?” posting and came across some malicious software on one of the websites that I visited. Every time I come across something like that I get flashbacks to different attacks that I experienced in the early days of the net – say, a little more than ten years ago.

Dang, those attacks where full of popup storms where the act of closing a window popped up a dozen more. And every time, the content was more than triple-x.

I have to say that I’ve been lucky to not have to deal with losing control of a computer for quite some time now.

Fortunately, the other day I was able to successfully kill the explorer before doing anything foolish. In other words, as soon as I detected something unusual, I switched to the task manager and proceeded to terminate the internet explorer and then ran a virus check using the software that I’ve got installed for just such occasions.

The scan didn’t turn up anything wrong.

It was at that point that I took a second visit to that sight just so I could gather the following information:

  • A screen shot(or two) and
  • The explorer address

The screen shots follow:

Notice that I caught this software running a progress bar from 0 to 100% at 96%. Just after it hits 100%, it appears to pop up a dialog allowing the user to remove the malicious software. That dialog is shown  in the second image.

Click for larger image
click for larger image

Things to note:

Take a good close-up look at the first diagram. This information is shown inside IE (Internet Explorer) – it’s NOT a dialog like it looks. The designers of this malicious software want you to think that Windows has detected an issue and Windows is trying to warn you.

Aero is missing. One of the cool display items that came out with Windows Vista was the transparent application title bar. It looks like this:

Click for larger image

Notice that you can partly see through the title bar of the dialog showing you what’s underneath. Now look back at the malicious software dialog – you can’t see through the title bar AND it’s the  old windows classic style. This difference can be seen in the first screenshot looking at the top right hand side of the picture. The minimize, restore and close icons are different than the malicious software dialog. If things don’t look right, they aren’t.

Also notice that they cleared out the content of the website.  Why? Because you’re not on the website that you thought you were on. Take a look at the name in the address bar of the explorer. I copied it so you could see the entire address

http://www1.firesavez7.com/?p=p52dcWpkbmqHjsbIo216h3de0KCfYWCcU9LXoKitaVzHysd2lJOCeXBarK3NapqXYWRha2VrlGXIVqPajtfZ1m5do3OL1cytnpl2Wp6dpJ6eU9rPlqdqWpuooWOYXmKZYpGak19oaGeL08ifb1qtp3VlanCUYJucaWNmWqarlmqTYmeZYJqam2RwWJnInriMWKuimHVscXE%3D

I went looking for www1.firessavez7.com and couldn’t find anything useful. But this definitely is not the website that I wanted to visit.

Now here is where it gets tricky. You know how when you click on a webpage the explorer will perform operations for you? Well, these dialogs are itching for you to click on them. Don’t you just want to click on the “Remove all” button? 

  • Don’t.
  • Resist.

If you do anything, click on the ‘x’ associated with IE’s tab. This little area:

Click for larger image

When you click here, the internet explorer will shut the page down. But, the page complains with a frightening warning – that I did not capture. Fortunately, that dialog is a legitimate dialog (look at how it looks) and instruct it to close the page.

At this point, you’re heart might be beating fast, but you didn’t empower the malicious software to install anything!

I guess the reason for this post is to let you know that you can get out of some situations relatively unscathed.

Remember, if in doubt, bring up the task manager (right click the task bar select Start Task Manager) and terminate the explorer. Afterwards, run your favorite virus scan for piece of mind.

If you want to search for more information on this using Google, search for “Security Threat Analysis virus”. Microsoft has a write up here.

You full of crap?

I’m willing to bet that everyone is. Lol. 

When surfing yesterday, I came across an older Raw Life Health Show video on YouTube that caught my eye. It had both Cacao and Colon in the title, so I couldn’t help but wonder if chocolate was …  ah… Let’s not go there!

I do have to admit that I’ve had a couple colonics before. I’ve suffered from allergies for as long as I can remember, but when I finished my first colonic I experienced three days of pure clean breathing! I couldn’t believe it. It was during allergy season and my nose just didn’t act up. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that experience.

Now that video also had the word cacao. If you’ve read through the archives at all you’ll know that I love my raw chocolate. Well, there is cacao in that and it’s not a small amount.

So, anyway, I clicked and watched the video. I figured I’d see what these guys had to say.

Part way through the video I distinctly remember getting the impression that the Dr. being interviewed wasn’t telling the whole truth. Might be that there is a conflict of interest or something, but the basic information is worth the time. Hopefully you will not get the same feeling.

Before giving you the links, I’ll have to state that I am a firm believer that the body cures itself. If given the proper tools (molecules and energy) the body will always strive for perfect health. The only thing that we should be striving for is pure thoughts – let the body do what it does. Meanwhile, we get to use the body to live out our dreams and manifest our thoughts.

If nothing else, if you cut yourself, it’s the body that heals the wound – not the bandaid that you place over the cut. You didn’t have to think about the healing process or help it along other then to pay attention to any sensation of pain.

Back to the videos. Turns out that this interview can be found on the YouTube channel “The Raw Life Health Show with Paul Nison” – thedurianking’s channel (Google that up if the link above doesn’t work).  It is a four part series where Paul interviews Dr. Charles Partito of www.Ejuva.com.

Try to keep an open mind for the doctor can sound like a salesman during different parts of the interview, but he does have interesting information to share.

First segment: How important is it to cleanse the colon?

Second segment: Are all probiotics the same? (#227)

Third segment: Are herbs really healthy? (#228)

Fourth segment: Is Cacao Healthy and Colon cleansing #230

After having watched this, I looked up the websites. The Ejuva website has a highly motivating video about cleaning the colon on the “program” page (see the link). Try to overlook some of the pictures. The testimonial page seems a bit contrived, but Google (I’m sure) can help me find some real customers. If I find some, I’ll link them in here.

Lastly, if I can find some real testimonials, I might just give this cleansing program a try. And, the next time I go to refill my probiotics, I think I’ll order up Moflora. Seems like a reasonable price.