Category Archives: Check this out!

This Beautiful Village In The Netherlands Is Famous For Its Lack Of Roads. Check It Out!

February 2, 2016 Jeff Wilson Leave a comment

Paul Almasy brings us incredible images of Giethoorn, a lovely village in the province of Overijsse, northern Holland with an internationally renowned distinction. It has no streets only waterways! In lieu of streets is a system of canals 90 kilometers ( about 56 miles) in its entire length. With no aggressive noise pollution, visitors and inhabitants enjoy lush green scenery and the sound of lapping waters. People use row boats, gondolas, and dinghies driven by electric motor called ‘whisper boats’. In the summer musicians are invited to play on a gondola that circles the town.

Tourist agencies have dubbed this magnificent place the ‘Venice of Holland’. While the canal structure is similar, this village’s calm pace does nothing to beat the bustling Italian city. A perfect travel location for shutterbugs, water enthusiasts and those in need of a sincere nap!

Check this out!, News

When You Stop On This Rural Oklahoma Road, Something Inexplicable Happens

January 31, 2016 Jeff Wilson Leave a comment

If take your car to the bottom of a certain hill of Springer, Oklahoma you will experience one of the strangest phenomena. Cars in neutral and bicyclists will start rolling up the hill in clear defiance of gravity. This is known as a magnetic hill or mystery hill and there are hundreds of related phenomena across the globe. It is up to debate whether the causes for this lapse in gravity are all the same.

There are many theories as to how this can happen, including aliens, ghosts, and optical illusions. The optical illusion theory is interesting. The layout of the surrounding land confuses the viewer into seeing a downward slope as upward. The illusion is consistent with a obstructed horizon. With out a reliable reference the eye can be easily fooled. Sometimes, for varying reasons objects like trees may be leaning but viewed as perpendicular to the earth. This would tilt any perspective. Like I was saying there are many of these hills throughout the world. This means you may not have to go to Oklahoma to experience this event.

My friend has been to one such in the Philippines, and reports that he saw water flow up a hill. I explained to him the optical illusion theory of why this occurs. He replied that this hill was surrounded by nothing besides a few houses. He could clearly see the horizon. I have no explanation to this. The experts seem to be similarly stunned.

Check this out!, Inspirational, News

This Autistic Genius Realized His Full Potential Only After Being Pulled From “Special Ed”

January 31, 2016 Jeff Wilson 1 Comment

Jacob Barnett was diagnosed at two years old with autism. Specialists told his mother (Kristine Barnett) that he was going to have to work hard to be able to achieve life’s basics like tying his own shoes or reading. Naturally his concerned parent followed the advice of the specialists and ‘experts’, enrolling him into a special education program designed to teach and develop the young man’s short comings.

Upon entering him in this program Ms. Barnett noticed a dramatic change in her child’s behavior. He was quickly withdrawing from everyone and speaking less and less.

It takes a strong person to break off from social norms and do whats best for them and their’s. Ms. Barnett did exactly this, took her son out of the states care and prepared him for kinder garden herself. This bold action would spell unforeseen success for Jacob.

She catered to his interests and watch him develop with an unheard of speed. His intellectual progress and thirst for knowledge continued to build as he advanced past anyone his age. An IQ test showed him to be at 170 higher than Einstein’s (165)! Continue reading →

Check this out!, Discoveries, Inspirational, News, Technology, Thoughts

11 Documentaries Currently On Netflix That Will Change Your Life

January 31, 2016 Jeff Wilson Leave a comment

Find yourself staring at the home screen of Netflix more often than you watch movies or shows? Well have no fear, you are not alone! The diverse and plentiful collection of visual media can be overwhelming! Psychologists have shown that when people are offered more than seven choices, the individual as a marked increase in difficulty making a choice. These options are not only big deals in building awareness about problems but very entertaining. Educate yourself while passing away an afternoon!

Hungry For Change

Revealing the truth behind the diet, weight loss and health food industry, this film reveals the trap set by corporation and marketing teams to keep you in a vicious cycle. Few of the plans and products are in earnest pursuit of health or fitness. Hungry For Change will show you the way to the body you deserve.

Fed UP

Everything about the last three decades of food and exercise is a lie, that director Stephanie Soechtig ( Oscar winner of An Inconvenient Truth) uncovers. This film focuses on the lack of healthy practices and products found in today’s ‘health crazed’ society. It also covers the lack of oversight in the products people use to lose weight. The body reacts to many of these as it would a poison or steroid.

Tiny

The idea of home is a constantly shifting term as social pressures change and terms of ‘wealth’ flux. This film showcases a couple building a small house from scratch. Diverting from the couple periodically we get to see families that have successfully downsized their homes to be able to fit inside an average parking space. This film raises questions about what good design could mean, the nature of an home in the 21st century and how it all relates to the American dream.

Cosmos

A reboot of Carl Sagan’s award winning and iconic Cosmos, this one takes my vote as my favorite. This docu-series takes viewers through out the universe exploring scientific theories in fantastic detail. It’s like Planet Earth for the stars. Science buffs and those not scientifically inclined will enjoy this series. All the information is clearly explained in very simple layman’s terms by famed astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson. Tyson’s unique insight makes him a prime guide to revealing our universe’s mysteries. The creative collaborator for the original Cosmos, Ann Druyan, is an executive director. Seth McFarland is also an executive producer which marks an interesting break from his accustomed work.

Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead

Joe Cross suffers from a rare auto immune deficiency, and the treatment looks like a collage of steroids that only help in short term and the cost of his health. Years after his diagnosis Joe looks up from his heavy regiment of pills to see he has turned into a 310 pound depressed version of himself. He starts exercising and looking for applicable replacements to the pills. This documentary is part road trip, part self help as Joe travels the country talking to people about nutrition. Along the way he meets people in similar situations. The film showcases how these people take back their lives.

Forks Over Knives

This film has a profound claim with far reaching implications. Most if not all degenerative disease can be controlled if not stopped. Focusing on you are what you eat, the move away from meat based and processed foods could save lives. The protagonists in this journey are pioneering researchers: Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

Follow director Kip Anderson as he travels to uncover secrets of one of the most ecologically damaging indurties of today. A very comprehensive film that covers everything to GMO’s, malpractice in farming and processing of food, to the implications and why world leaders are afraid to address these problems head on.

In Plane Sight

This 2004 documentary focuses on ‘conspiracy’ theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks. Thoroughly dissecting available information (eye witnesses, photographs government reports and scientific research), this films points out holes in the ‘official’ story.

Pump

If you aren’t aware of the extent of America’s fuel addiction or how we got to this point in history as famed codependents this film is for you. This film provided eye opening information about the politics, monopolies and various illegal tactics that control the oil industry. The film finishes saying how to end this vicious cycle with some very plausible ideas.

The Human Experiment

Be careful when you watch this one. If your anything like me, I got very upset over the cruelty of corporations and the ignorance that allows them to negatively effect us. Award winning writers and journalists Sean Penn, Dana Nachman and Don Hardy reveal not only the thousands of mystery chemicals found in common everyday products but shed light on the connection to the hundreds of diseases plaguing the average person. Follow the ins and outs of researchers trying to find answers and activists trying to make a difference to the people who have fallen ill.

Zeitgeist

This documentary is an eye opener for anyone watching it. Confronting widely agreed upon social constructs; religion , the 9/11 attacks, and the financial system. A well thought out film, it provides new view points on life’s general truths. Everyone can walk away from this experience with new information.

Check this out!, Discoveries, News

Study: Cheap, Mass-Produced Candles May Contain Toxic Ingredients

January 30, 2016 Jeff Wilson Leave a comment

The more I investigate even the most innocuous house hold products are proving to be absurdly hazardous to my health. I know I’m not the only person that thinks of candles as being a brilliant addition to a home. I knew most candles used scented paraffin or paraffin blend. I did not know that as these petroleum derivatives melted they release carcinogenic chemicals similar in structure to exhaust from a diesel engine!

The worst compounds are acetone, Trichlorofluoromethane, Carbon Disulfide, 2-Butanone, Trichloroethane, Trichloroethene, Carbon Tetrachloride, Tetrachloroethene, Chlorobenzene, Ethylbenzene. Researchers in California found up to twenty toxins in various waxes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have officially recommended limited exposure to these fumes as they are known causes for lung cancer, and tumors in the kidneys and livers.

Candle manufacturing has been revealed to be a surprisingly shady process. For some strange explainable reason you will not find any list of chemical compounds or potential hazards on any candle container. In 2003, the US banned lead from being in wicks. The metal made the wicks stand up straighter. Burning these wicks puts five times the amount of toxins that the EPA considers toxic. American companies have been accused of continuing to put lead in candles by Australian scientists.

Other potential countries to watch out for are Mexico, China and Taiwan. The cheaper a candle is the more you should try to research that brand. Researchers suggest looking for a thin wire or metallic sheen in any candle you intend on burning. I cannot stress enough how dangerous this is. People with a weak immunity or asthma will be effected the severely and quickly. Healthy adults can develop serious hormonal, respiratory and other health issues breathing this poison.

Alternatives

There are alternatives to paraffin wax candles. One of these is soy candles. While a longer burning, clean, and soot free solution, I don’t strongly recommend them. They spoil unless they have been treated with preservatives which can range from bleach to hardeners.

My favorite option is beeswax candles. Non toxic, non allergenic, soot free, burn the brightest and up to 5 times longer than the paraffin ones. Beeswax also has the interesting property of naturally omitting negative ions found to invigorate the body. The down side is they are normally very expensive. They can be made very easily if you have some free time and at a fraction of the cost.

Check this out!, Discoveries, Inspirational, News, Technology

A Solar Powered Automatic Water Condenser For Under $100!

January 29, 2016 Jeff Wilson Leave a comment

Fontus is a revolutionary water collection device that will be within most budgets. A solar powered water condenser, this light and portable device will pull water right out the air and put it into a water bottle.

That’s right, a solar powered self filling water bottle!

On average the device can gather half a liter of water in an hour (depending on humidity) and will work in any climate including deserts. Adventurous explorers will now be given more leeway in the distances between water sources. It is built to strapped to a bike, but that isn’t the only method of its use. Attached to a bag or car or a boat this simple contraction uses a heating/cooling unit (called a Peltier Element) to speed up and direct natural condensation rates.’

Kristof Retezar invented this device with the people in mind. While very cool, it could seriously benefit the 2 billion people all over the globe who experience water scarcity. That many people and countries are experiencing water scarcity currently. This cheap and easy to use device could be a game changer for so many people trying to survive. On average 3,100 cubic miles (mi³) or 12,900 cubic kilometers (km³) of freshwater is untapped in the atmosphere. That will put a serious dent in many country’s water needs.

Production, costs, and shipping arrangements are still being worked out. The device is expected to be under 100 American dollars. Keep an eye out for the release of Fontus for yourself and be ready to participate in the expected Fontus donation programs!

Spirit Science