A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions of either nuclear fission or the more powerful fusion. As a result, even a nuclear weapon with a relatively small yield is significantly more powerful than the largest conventional explosives, and a single weapon can destroy or seriously disable an entire city. Did you know that there are approximately 26,000 nuclear weapons in the world and that 3,500 of them can be fired in minutes?

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has joined with leaders including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Dalai Lama, Walter Cronkite, and many others to get their message out to the world: Nuclear weapons threaten the future of all life on our planet, and it’s the responsibility of all of us, working together, to end this threat forever. Their aim is to collect one million signatures and present them to the new President on Inauguration Day in January 2009.

Addicted to War
By Tedi Elliott

I recently came across an interesting piece of writing. It’s not exactly a graphic novel, more graphic non-fiction. Not strictly a comic book but presented in that form, Addicted to War, by Joel Andreas is an entertaining and insightful depiction of war as anything but a glamorized exercise in patriotism. 

Published initially in 1991 after the first Gulf War, it was updated in 2002 following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the ensuing military operations in the Middle East .  It has been used as a textbook in high school and college history classes and translated into several different languages.  In the interest of getting the word out, the author and publisher have made the entire book available to read online and it can be purchased in bulk quantities at a good discount.  In light of recent headlines about how American public opinion was manipulated in the run-up to war with Iraq , Addicted to War provides chilling background information on the question “why?” 

Remember learning about the doctrine of “Manifest Destiny” in history class?  Me neither.  But now I know that manifest destiny was what the early Americans believed was the right of every nation, to determine for itself all matters pertaining thereto.  The only problem was, our forefathers got a little carried away…manifest destiny was such a great idea, they decided they’d apply it to every other sovereign nation as well!  Marching westward was first on the agenda, and the Native Americans were the first to suffer.  All sorts of racial theories cropped up to justify taking over lands and resources.  The manifest destiny bunch usurped vast lands belonging to Mexico , touting their birthright as part of the white race to spread ‘Anglo-Saxon democracy’ to the ends of the earth.  Wealthy southern slave owners and corporate bigwigs talked of high ideals but they really just wanted more land and more markets for their products.

The Gods of Men part II: A Messianic Bloodline?
by Miceal Ledwith

When I began this series of three articles on the relationship of Jesus to women I had not realized that the movie Bloodline would be released half way through. I have not yet seen the film but I have researched everything available on it thoroughly and am saddened to see very strong indications that the documentation claimed to be part of the discoveries on which the movie is based appears to be fraudulent.

Twenty five years ago Donovan Joyce was the first person in modern times to postulate that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a child with her (The Jesus Scroll, 1973). It hadn’t been heard of in any notable way since the time of the Valentinians in the second century. Andreas Faber-Kaiser, a few years later (Jesus Died in Kashmir, 1977), said that Jesus had several children with a woman in Kashmir and was buried there. The book carried an interview with a woman who claimed descent from that couple and who was the current custodian of the famous Jesus Tomb in Srinagar.

Holy Blood, Holy Grail five years later asserted that the descendents of Jesus and Mary Magdalene eventually became the Merovingian Dynasty. Allied to this, the 2000 book Rex Deus stated that a Jesus Bloodline was part of a dynasty called “Rex Deus” or the “God King” that descended from 24 priests of the Jerusalem Temple and Jesus himself. Last year, The Lost Tomb of Jesus was produced by James Cameron of Titanic fame, and Simon Jacobovici, which said that what is known as the Talpiot Tomb near Jerusalem was the Jesus family tomb and that it contains his bones and that of Mary Magdalene.

The Power of the Collective
by Lynne McTaggart

For 18 months I have been running international experiments involving thousands of participants focused on targets in well designed scientific experiments. But I’ve also been running informal weekly experiments, using the power of the group to heal people with physical and emotional challenges.

These small experiments started in March 2007, when a US Army veteran named Don wrote in to the website forum, offering to be our first human intention experiment. In 1981, he had been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and his spine was fused, making it impossible for him to move from side to side. He suffered constant pain. As he had a wealth of x-rays and other medical test reports, he could produce a full record of his medical history by which to measure any change.

Don’s blog prompted our other readers to set twice-weekly periods during which they would send intention to Don, and he in turn began to keep a diary of his condition.

After a few weeks, he wrote in to say that he was feeling better; six months later, he was virtually pain free and able to move his chest for the first time in years.

Benefits of Practicing QiGong
by Jane Appleby, MD, FACP

Qigong is an ancient Chinese tradition rooted in the observation of nature and the cycles of the seasons. I recommend Qigong as a daily practice to cultivate health and well-being. Qigong is also an excellent complement to any form of medical treatment or healing.

Qi (pronounced chee) is the Chinese word for “life energy”. The absolute translation of Qi is difficult and many words can be used to describe this concept. One way to think about Qi is as the animating power that flows through all living things. Qi is an invisible, subtle force like the wind. Some additional words that are sometimes used to describe Qi are: vital energy, breath, Prana, and Holy Spirit.

Gong (pronounced gung) can be translated as work or benefit acquired through practice.

So, the practice of Qigong can be thought of as working with life energy to enhance its flow through the body thus improving and sustaining health, inner balance and harmony of the mind and body.

The Mystery of 2012: The Predictions, Profocies & Possibities
by Gregg Braden, Peter Russell, Daniel Pinchbeck, and Geoff Stray
Book review by Tedi Elliott 

Whether you’re an expert on everything ‘Mayan calendar’ or you’ve never heard of it, this book has something guaranteed to blow your mind.

It is a compendium of writings and essays by a tremendous variety of renowned mystics, poets, scientists and thinkers who walk you step by step through the facts and theories surrounding our impending date with destiny…December 21, 2012. Not only are you thoroughly brought up to speed on how the Mayan’s came up with that crazy calendar, you are given specific practical instructions on how to prepare for and participate in what is coming.

And what, exactly, is coming? Will 2012 mean the utter annihilation of the planet, or will it usher in a new and wonderful golden age? Are we doomed, done for, SOL…or are we being given the opportunity to save ourselves and make everything better? I don’t want to ruin it for you, but I have to say: when the current state of affairs in this world gets me down, I flip through the pages of this book, and I am filled with hope. But time is short.

Powerful yet to the Point
by Betsy Chasse

When you're a busy mom of 2 children under 5 you don't usually get the luxury of reading books with words having more than one or two syllables. Simplicity is KEY! So when I do get the chance to read these days, I prefer it to be something substantive and to the point. Usually those two words don't work together. But with Guy Finley's book, The Essential Laws of Fearless Living, I was pleased to find they do.

Profound, inspiring, and enlightening and one chapter can be read in 10 minutes. Whether you're new to your own self-discovery or you've been at it for a while, this book is an important addition to your library. For me, it's books like this that keep me going on the path. Nothing profoundly new – but so much of a great reminder. 

BH: People have talked a lot about this emerging genre and they give it a lot of different names. What are some of the names you’ve heard people give this emerging genre and what’s your favorite?

Raatz: Well, the only name that I use is the word “transformational” as a qualifier. Other terms that people use as labels for the emerging genre include: spiritual, new age, metaphysical, inspirational, and so forth. I feel like those words have connotations and various meanings that invite people to disagree with them for one reason or another, but the word “transformation”, I think, is more of an inclusive word, a word that doesn’t have necessarily, the same baggage that some of the other words have, and it feels like a word that expresses wholeness as opposed to a particular viewpoint or slice of understanding. So “transformational” to me, transformational film, transformational media, as a phrase, is one that I feel invites people to participate and is inclusive....

read the rest here: http://www.bleepingherald.com/may2008/raatz

Nature: More than Meets the Eye

I was staring out a window, high up in the mountains in Colorado. My lap top wasn’t cooperating for about the fourth time that day, my blackberry wasn’t getting any service, I was sick of all 39 days worth of songs on my ipod, there was nothing on TV, and so I had nothing to distract me from gazing out and just observing. I was watching tiny snowflakes falling and hawks circling above huge pine trees. A rabbit ran across the field past a single little wildflower in bloom. It was amazingly beautiful and it hit me then that I hadn’t even given it a minute of my time because of all the electronic gadgets taking up space in my attention.

I gave up on my lap top ever working again and once I convinced myself that life would go on regardless, I spent more and more time out in nature. I am already a tree - hugging, nature lover and do spend what I would guess is more than an average amount of time out in it, but there are still times I get caught up and forget it for awhile, only to come back to it with a whole new outlook on the wonderful effects it has on me.

My first day back “to work” with my repaired computer, someone e-mailed me the webpage of Richard Louv. I was excited (and none-too -surprised, thanks Universe!) to see that this man, among other things, is the recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, an award for the recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of conservation and environmental protection. He is chairman of the Children and Nature Network, and honorary co-chair of the National Forum on Children and Nature. So of course I ran out and got one of his books, Last Child in the Woods; Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

for the rest of the article: http://www.bleepingherald.com/may2008/nature

The Real Teaching of Jesus on Women

At a public lecture many years ago, a speaker surprised me by saying that some of the most sexist organizations on this planet have been the world’s great religions. Indeed many of them, he went on to say, claim to base such prejudiced attitudes on the inspired written word of God. It occurred to me then that the matter bore investigation. 

Knowing how far apart the belief and practice of any organization can sometimes drift, I wondered if this prejudice was a matter of fundamental doctrine for the great religions, or was it just how things happened to develop in practice for any number of the many reasons imaginable.  So I began to look afresh at the principal writings that the great religions hold sacred, to see how they estimated women, such as the Old and New Testaments, the Talmud, the Koran, and the sacred scriptures of the Buddhists and Hindus.  It was a discouraging investigation. 

for the rest of the article: http://www.bleepingherald.com/may2008/miceal

Intention: An effect like Starlight

Is intention an all-embracing energy that affects anything in its path?

This question has been explored by German physicist Fritz-Albert Popp and his team in Neuss , Germany , by studying the tiny current of light — biophoton emissions — emitted by every living thing.

In one intriguing study, Popp’s colleague, Dutch psychologist Eduard Van Wijk, placed a jar of algae near a healer and his patient, then measured the photon emissions of the algae during healing sessions and periods of rest.

After analyzing the data, he discovered remarkable alterations in the photon count of the algae. The quality of emissions significantly changed during the healing sessions, as though the algae were being bombarded with light. There also seemed to be changes in the rhythm of the emissions, as though the algae had become attuned to a stronger source of light.

for the rest of the article: http://www.bleepingherald.com/may2008/mctaggart

Help! My Shirt has an Owners manual

By Will Arntz

Help - my shirt has an Owner’s Manual!!!

It was probably 10 years ago. I had bought an “outdoor hiking shirt” with some special something so that I wouldn’t end up like a prune after days in the great outdoors. OK, that sounds good. But low and behold when I unpacked it an Owner’s Manual fell out! Not a simple care and feeding tag, but pages and pages of how to use the shirt, what vents to open when, the best wicking strategy for a variety of conditions, UV conversion charts for various altitudes and probably recycling considerations - but I may be exaggerating, or not.

It was the beginning of the end of innocence, or maybe I should say simplicity. Nowadays EVERYTHING is not just what it is, but a veritable smorgasbord of features, functions, and menus. And each and every device is different. Hence the owner’s manuals, the learning curves, and the frustration of simply making it work.

to read the rest of the article: http://www.bleepingherald.com/may2008/filmmakers

Changing the World One Mind at a Time by Betsy Chasse

How strong is your belief system? What do you hold onto so tightly that it is impossible to shift even when new data comes in that would make it possible to change your mind?

I have recently had the pleasure of asking myself this question. As I am in the throes of releasing another film that challenges the current paradigm, I have encountered many people who – even while being given strong data to support change, still refuse to...

Interview with Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. "Stroke of Insight"

Recently TED.com featured an 18 minute clip about a brain researcher who had suffered a stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. One morning Jill Bolte Taylor, PH.D, a brain scientist at Harvard, found herself in the midst of having a stroke. Being the curious neuroanatomist that she is, she proceeded to keep track of what was going on during the 4 hour deterioration of her left brain, which rendered her unable to walk, talk, read, write, or recall her old life...

Turmoil at the Roof of the World by Tedi Elliott

China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama; all three have been in the news again recently. China’s preparations for the Olympic Games and its efforts to become an accepted world power are contrasted with protests and demonstrations against China as Tibetans call attention to China’s ongoing violations of their human and national rights...

To read the full article, please check out http://www.bleepingherald.com

The March issue of the BLEEPING Herald is ready for release Thursday the 13th.
Here are some small excerpts from the latest issue:

Wish Me Luck
by WTB Filmmaker Will Arntz

In a dozen or so paragraphs, I hope to lay out the simplest, most difficult, all inclusive, nebulous concept there is. But first a little history...

When making BLEEP and talking to all the quantum folks, Betsy was always saying, "Yeah but what does this mean to me?" Matter doesn't touch. Yeah, so what? The universe is mostly empty. Story of my bank account. We are all connected. Who's your mobile phone service with....

Dr. Dean Radin Gets Intentional

An Interview

In answer to the many questions we've received on the validity of the work done by Dr. Emoto and the effects of intention on water, we've asked our friend Dr. Dean Radin to share his results on a double blind experiment he did with Dr. Emoto. 

Dean also shares with us some interesting insights on other intention experiments being done, how we may be effecting these experiments, and he gives us another excuse to eat more chocolate by revealing his results on an experiment done on intentional chocolate....

What it Takes to Create from Intention

by Katie Elliott

Mind, Brain, and Intention: Your thoughts can change your life. That was the title of the workshop I attended at a wellness resort and retreat center in Austin, TX, called The Crossings www.thecrossingsaustin.com. The workshop was put together by quite a dynamic duo: Dr. Joe Dispenza www.drjoedispenza.com and Lynne McTaggart, www.livingthefield.com both very well versed in the art and science of intention. They were joining forces in the Texas hill country to teach a group of conference goers, myself included, how intention, focus and the will to change can make a difference in our everyday existence, and not only our personal selves, but our environment too....

to read more, check out  http://www.bleepingherald.com/