Spotlight On: Suburban Spies Review

Eleanor White has done it again with a no-nonsense review of "Suburban Spies" by Anthony Brina is now available on her activist Multi Stalker Victims website.

Any T.I. thinking about doing activism should also visit Eleanor's excellent Vertacs. Eleanor says the purpose of Vertacs is "to collect, discuss, and display the best verbal phrasing ideas for use in the fight against Organized Stalking and Electronic Harassment (OS/EH). Posts are restricted to the narrow topic of how best to compose public education material for, and discuss OS/EH with, the unaware public and public officials."

A Word to the Wise T.I. thanks Eleanor White for her ceaseless activism, and also Felix C. of Multistalk for the heads up.

Get Wise, T.I. - Spying & Sickening Cell Phones (Updated 11/05/09)

Thanks to Blanche C. for first alerting us to an Eye Witness News report on how even the most modern cell phone can be turned into a spying device. While I can no longer find that video, here is another.

Each T.I. needs to evaluate how much he/she needs a cell phone. The video hasn't convinced you? Read this article, quote...

"Mind Control by Cell Phone: Electromagnetic signals from cell phones can change your brainwaves and behavior. But don't break out the aluminum foil head shield just yet." by R. Douglas Fields, Scientific American

Hospitals and airplanes ban the use of cell phones, because their electromagnetic transmissions can interfere with sensitive electrical devices. Could the brain also fall into that category? Of course, all our thoughts, sensations and actions arise from bioelectricity generated by neurons and transmitted through complex neural circuits inside our skull. Electrical signals between neurons generate electric fields that radiate out of brain tissue as electrical waves that can be picked up by electrodes touching a person's scalp. Measurements of such brainwaves in EEGs provide powerful insight into brain function and a valuable diagnostic tool for doctors. Indeed, so fundamental are brainwaves to the internal workings of the mind, they have become the ultimate, legal definition drawing the line between life and death.

Brainwaves change with a healthy person's conscious and unconscious mental activity and state of arousal. But scientists can do more with brainwaves than just listen in on the brain at work-they can selectively control brain function by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This technique uses powerful pulses of electromagnetic radiation beamed into a person's brain to jam or excite particular brain circuits.

Although a cell phone is much less powerful than TMS, the question still remains: Could the electrical signals coming from a phone affect certain brainwaves operating in resonance with cell phone transmission frequencies? After all, the caller's cerebral cortex is just centimeters away from radiation broadcast from the phone's antenna. Two studies provide some revealing news.

The first, led by Rodney Croft, of the Brain Science Institute, Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, tested whether cell phone transmissions could alter a person's brainwaves. The researchers monitored the brainwaves of 120 healthy men and women while a Nokia 6110 cell phone—one of the most popular cell phones in the world—was strapped to their head. A computer controlled the phone's transmissions in a double-blind experimental design, which meant that neither the test subject nor researchers knew whether the cell phone was transmitting or idle while EEG data were collected. The data showed that when the cell phone was transmitting, the power of a characteristic brain-wave pattern called alpha waves in the person's brain was boosted significantly. The increased alpha wave activity was greatest in brain tissue directly beneath to the cell phone, strengthening the case that the phone was responsible for the observed effect.

Alpha Waves of Brain

Alpha waves fluctuate at a rate of eight to 12 cycles per second (Hertz). These brainwaves reflect a person's state of arousal and attention. Alpha waves are generally regarded as an indicator of reduced mental effort, "cortical idling" or mind wandering. But this conventional view is perhaps an oversimplification. Croft, for example, argues that the alpha wave is really regulating the shift of attention between external and internal inputs. Alpha waves increase in power when a person shifts his or her consciousness of the external world to internal thoughts; they also are the key brainwave signatures of sleep.

Cell Phone Insomnia

If cell phone signals boost a person's alpha waves, does this nudge them subliminally into an altered state of consciousness or have any effect at all on the workings of their mind that can be observed in a person's behavior? In the second study, James Horne and colleagues at the Loughborough University Sleep Research Centre in England devised an experiment to test this question. The result was surprising. Not only could the cell phone signals alter a person's behavior during the call, the effects of the disrupted brain-wave patterns continued long after the phone was switched off.

"This was a completely unexpected finding," Horne told me. "We didn't suspect any effect on EEG [after switching off the phone].

We were interested in studying the effect of mobile phone signals on sleep itself." But it quickly became obvious to Horne and colleagues in preparing for the sleep-research experiments that some of the test subjects had difficulty falling asleep.

Horne and his colleagues controlled a Nokia 6310e cell phone—another popular and basic phone—attached to the head of 10 healthy but sleep-deprived men in their sleep research lab. (Their sleep had been restricted to six hours the previous night.) The researchers then monitored the men's brainwaves by EEG while the phone was switched on and off by remote computer, and also switched between "standby," "listen" and "talk" modes of operation for 30 minute intervals on different nights. The experiment revealed that after the phone was switched to "talk" mode a different brain-wave pattern, called delta waves (in the range of one to four Hertz), remained dampened for nearly one hour after the phone was shut off. These brainwaves are the most reliable and sensitive marker of stage two sleep—approximately 50 percent of total sleep consists of this stage—and the subjects remained awake twice as long after the phone transmitting in talk mode was shut off. Although the test subjects had been sleep-deprived the night before, they could not fall asleep for nearly one hour after the phone had been operating without their knowledge.

Although this research shows that cell phone transmissions can affect a person's brainwaves with persistent effects on behavior, Horne does not feel there is any need for concern that cell phones are damaging. The arousal effects the researchers measured are equivalent to about half a cup of coffee, and many other factors in a person's surroundings will affect a night's sleep as much or more than cell phone transmissions.

"The significance of the research," he explained, is that although the cell phone power is low, "electromagnetic radiation can nevertheless have an effect on mental behavior when transmitting at the proper frequency." He finds this fact especially remarkable when considering that everyone is surrounded by electromagnetic clutter radiating from all kinds of electronic devices in our modern world. Cell phones in talk mode seem to be particularly well-tuned to frequencies that affect brainwave activity. "The results show sensitivity to low-level radiation to a subtle degree. These findings open the door by a crack for more research to follow. One only wonders if with different doses, durations, or other devices, would there be greater effects?"

Croft of Swinburne emphasizes that there are no health worries from these new findings. "The exciting thing about this research is that it allows us to have a look at how you might modulate brain function and this [look] tells us something about how the brain works on a fundamental level." In other words, the importance of this work is in illuminating the fundamental workings of the brain-scientists can now splash away with their own self-generated electromagnetic waves and learn a great deal about how brainwaves respond and what they do.

Mind Matters is edited by Jonah Lehrer, the science writer behind the blog, The Frontal Cortex and the book Proust was a Neuroscientist.

"5,000 Discarded Cell Phones Turned Into Art"

Special thanks to Mireilledepardieu for bringing the article to our attention. Here's hoping that A Word to the Wise T.I. is sufficient.

A Word to the Wise T.I. - Axing Anxiety with Laughter Yoga

Art: "Laughter in the Wind" by Karsten Stier

Updated 03/09/09 and 03/10/09

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LAUGHTER YOGA works even if you think the idea is absurd, or are too stressed out to laugh, or have no sense of humor. With laughter yoga you can still laugh away your anxiety. This Discovery Channel video report on physician Dr. Kataria's globe spanning movement is the best on YouTube.



Or watch these: Oprah Show, or BBC's Report.

Does it still seem stupid? Laughter as therapy was used two centuries ago at one of America's most well known health spas for the rich and famous, as this scene from the movie, Wellsville, illustrates so well. Well, you can always revisit this idea when all else fails and you are desperate enough to try something new and effective. Click here to locate your area's nearest laughter club. Don't want to go out? Watch these videos over and over and laugh along with the participants:

BBC's Human Face (John Cleese visits laughter club in Mumbai, India)

Laughter Yoga Day South Africa

Race Around the World visits Dr. Kataria's Laughter Club

Laughter Yoga Session, Tokyo

If you cannot access the YouTube videos, watch a Marx Brothers film:

1. At the Circus (1939)
   
2. A Day at the Races (1937)
   
3. A Night at the Opera (1935)
   
4. Duck Soup (1933)
5. Horse Feathers (1932)
   
6. Monkey Business (1931)
   
7. Animal Crackers (1930)

Warning: if you choose to do laughter yoga alone in your home, make sure you laugh silently (engaging your entire body except for your vocal cords) so your neighbors don't call the police on you.

Tip: If you hope the Laughter Yoga Alone DVDs will include a 15-minute laughter club session, you will be disappointed. Both disks only have Dr. Katarias going over the technique, so your money won't be well spent. You are better off just laughing along with one of the above laughter club videos on YouTube.
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And may A Word to the Wise T.I. be sufficient.

A Word to the Wise T.I. - Ditching Depression with 5-HTP

Photo: Griffonia simplicifolia tree

What is 5-HTP? – It is the precursor to serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep and pain levels.

Why would I want to take it? – Targeted Individual’s rarely sleep undisturbed by organized multiple stalking or electronic harassment protocols.

What is 5-HTP good for? – It may help with other health issues affected by serotonin deficiency, including nervousness, body tension and stiffness and head cavity discomfort. Supplementing may not only assist with falling asleep faster, but also with increasing the duration of dream states (REM sleep) and of deep slumber.

Where does 5-HTP come from? – When you eat meat or fish, your body takes the amino acid, L-Triptophan, and converts it to 5-HTP. 5-HTP is the precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin regulates mood, sleep and pain levels. Up to a certain point, the more serotonin your body makes, the better your mood, the quicker and deeper you sleep.

If my body makes 5-HTP, why buy it in a supplement? – Because Targeted Individual’s rarely sleep undisturbed by organized stalkers and electronic harassment protocols.

Are 5 HTP supplements made from animals? – No, 5-HTP is extracted from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia plant.

How much 5-HTP can I take? – Doctors agree that it is generally considered safe and beneficial for many individuals to take as much as 100 mg per day. There are some however, that say higher doses are safe as well, but these are in the minority.

Can I take it forever? – There is a health warning not to take 5-HTP for more than three consecutive months without consulting a health care practitioner. Too much 5-HTP in the diet could potentially result in too much serotonin in the peripheral circulation.

When shouldn't I take 5-HTP? – Here is a partial generic list of some of the conditions for which 5-HTP may be harmful. If you have one of these pre-existing conditions, professional advice may be indicated, especially if prescription medications are also being used.

• Cardiovascular Diseases (high blood pressure, post-stroke, post-heart attack)
• Extremely Elderly Persons
• Parkinson’s Disease, Cancer or Autoimmune Diseases (Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus)
• Lung Diseases
• Chronic Alcoholism
• Liver diseases (hepatitis or cirrhosis)
• Parasitic infection
• AIDS
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Low protein Diets
• Allergies (severe)
• Myalgia (persistent pain and weakness of the muscles)
• Peripheral Neuropathy (pain weakness of the muscles)
• Rash or Flushing
• Edema
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Sickle cell anemia
• Hemophilia
• Pregnancy

Is there any prescription medicine with which 5-HTP has bad reactions? – Yes. 5-HTP should not be taken if you use the following drugs:

• Anti-depressant drugs
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's e.g., Prozac)
• Tricyclic medications
• Weight Loss medications (i.e., dextenfluramine)
• Anti-Parkinson medications (e.g., L-dopa)
• Barbiturates and other tranquilizing drugs
• Antihistamines and cold medications
• Alcoholic beverages
• Intravenous (illegal I.V.) drugs
• Cancer chemotherapy or Antibiotic Medications

The principal reason for not combining 5-htp with these classes of medications is that many of them may also increase serotonin levels or affect other neurotransmitters, but by different biochemical mechanisms. The combination, in some cases, has the potential of acting synergistically to dramatically increase serotonin levels. This combined action could have adverse effects.

Can alcohol and 5-HTP be taken together? – No. Allow at least six hours between use of alcohol and 5 HTP.

Are there any government warnings about 5-HTP? – Yes. And this one isn’t just a scare tactic: lives were lost.

In 1989, a life-threatening condition called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) occurred in many people using L-Triptophan and some died from the condition. All of these people had taken L-Triptophan distributed by a company in Japan. This L-Triptophan was found to contain trace levels of impure ingredients. Since that time, the FDA has limited the availability of L-Triptophan in the U.S. However, the increased use of the Internet has made many dietary supplements available from non-U.S. sources.

The FDA warns: The sale and distribution of L-Triptophan outside of the U.S. does not comply with the regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the safe use of this medication.

Nonetheless, when used intelligently 5-HTP can be a powerful weapon against situational depression caused by OS&EH. So check out 5-HTP because A Word to the Wise T.I. should be sufficient.

Sources:

Drug Information Online
Advance Health
FDA: Impurities in foreign made 5-HTP

A Word to the Wise T.I. - Ditching Depression with Homeopathy

"Joy" by Alceon Jones

Did you know that Flower Essences a.k.a. Homeopathy can be an important part of battling EH (Electronic Harassment) induced depression? Some of the best known manufacturers are Bach, Borion, Highlands, Nature's Way, Nelson and NSI (Nutraceutical Sciences Institute), and are available at health food and herb stores, as well as online (where you can often get them at half price).

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Below is a list of excellent flower essences for depression. They can be taken singly or mix-and-matched to suit your specific needs. The following descriptions come from A Guide to 38 Remedies.

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Elm is for “When You are Overwhelmed by Responsibility. Though usually competent and capable, they momentarily lose confidence and become despondent."

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Gentian is for “When Setbacks Leave You Disheartened and Those Who are Easily Discouraged. They may be progressing well in illness or in the affairs of their daily life, but any small delay or hindrance to progress causes doubt and soon disheartens them. The positive potential of Elm is restoration of one's normal capable personality, and a return to efficiency and self-assurance.”

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Gorse is for “When You've Given Up. Gorse is for hopelessness; despair. It is for people who have given up the fight. They feel that there is no light at the end of the tunnel and have lost all hope. The positive potential of Gorse is a sense of faith and hope despite current physical or mental problems.”

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Heather is for “When Your Attempts to Communicate Drive People Away. Heather is for when you are self preoccupied; self concern; talkative. They drive others away with their extreme neediness. They exaggerate their symptoms, or make mountains out of molehills. The positive potential of Heather is the good listener who is generous in helping others, selfless and understanding of other people's problems.

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Hornbeam is for When the Thought of a Task Leaves You Weary. Hornbeam is for weariness, mental rather than physical; for those who wake up doubting their ability to face the day's work. The positive potential of Hornbeam is certainty of one's strength and ability to face the day's work. A lively mind, vitality, freshness and spontaneity are restored, and life is enjoyable again."

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Larch is for “When You Expect to Fail - Regularly. Larch is for lack of confidence. It is for people who won't even try because they are sure in advance that they will fail. They suffer from feelings of inferiority. The positive potential of Larch is expressed in people who are determined, capable, with a realistic sense of self-esteem, unworried about failure or success."

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Mustard is for “When Sudden Depression Comes and Leaves as Suddenly. The positive potential of Mustard is the return of joy, supported by an inner stability and peace, which cannot be shaken or destroyed under good circumstances or bad."

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Olive is for “those who are Exhausted in Body and Mind after a long period of strain through personal difficulties, and intense period of study or work, a long illness, or nursing someone else for a long time. The positive potential of Olive is restoration of strength, vitality, and interest in life."

Try these and you'll find that A Word to the Wise T.I. was indeed, sufficient.

Spot Light on: Felix Canez's "Organized Stalking and the Resistance Video"

Organized Stalking And the Resistance #6

by Felix Canez

When not bravely facing down his stalkers, Mr. Canez can be found distributing activist literature to local law enforcement or producing activist and inspirational Organized Stalking and the Resistance videos

Norma Lawrence's multiple stalker video is presented and commented on in this video by Felix Canez.

03/08/09 UPDATE: Keep an eye out for more exciting and educational videos by Felix a.k.a. GSWatchdog, on YouTube.