Tanzanite Price History Explored

Tanzanite is one of the more recently discovered gemstones. Discovered in 1967 in the African nation of Tanzania by Masaai herdsman walking past Mount Kilimanjaro. The herdsmen took the stones into the nearest town, Arusha where they were thought to be Sapphire. On further testing however, it was revealed that the stones were not Sapphire at all but something never seen before. Since this discovery over 40 years ago, the only known deposit of Tanzanite remains on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Tiffany and Company in New York got ahold of some samples of the new stone and their chief gemologist at the time, Harry Platt, fell in love with it. Throughout the 1970’s Tanzanite was exclusively marketed by Tiffany’s. As the stone was only available to a very small portion of the market as a result of this marketing arrangement, the price stayed fairly low without consumer demand to drive them upwards. This exclusivity was relinquished in the 1980’s however, allowing for greater market exposure and Tanzanite gained rapidly in popularity. As demand increased so did supply and eventually supply levels neared demand levels and prices leveled after a long period of appreciation. A “Tanzanite Gold Rush” was already in full swing and this had the effect of pushing supply levels above demand and around the mid 1980’s prices had peaked and then started dropping. Tanzanite, now priced much lower than that Tiffany’s had tried to introduce it to the market at, became the new darling of the gem industry.

Towards the end of the 1980’s there was a clear distribution channel in place from Africa through the cutting markets of Germany and then on to the USA market for selling. Tanzanite’s popularity continued to rise with the German industry pushing hard behind it. It reached its height of popularity in the 1990’s when new pockets were discovered in Mining Blocks B and C (The Tanzanite mining area is divided into 4 blocks A,B,C,D). These new pockets really increased the availability of the finest material which was, and still is, very rare (less than 1% of all Tanzanite mined). This also helped to market the stone as a premium gemstone in the market by appealing more to the high end of the market.

However, prices continued to drop as rampant mining continued and the Tanzanian government tried to stem the decline by forceably closing some of the mines. This had the desired effect and Tanzanite prices started to rise once more and by 1995 dealers from all over the world, but most especially from the US market were flocking to Tanzania to buy up whatever they could pushing prices still higher. Towards the end of the decade Tanzanite was widely regarded to be the single hottest selling gemstone, outselling all colored stones except ruby, emerald and sapphire.

The next price blip occurred in 1998. The El Nino rains which pounded the continent flooded the mines, causing the death of 100 independent miners. The tragedy had the effect of shutting down all active production at the mines and the market was very slow to recover. Although the mines gradually reopened, the collapse made it very difficult to mine effectively and production was a refraction of what it was previously and prices rose steadily again as demand once more outstripped supply.

In the early part of the new century the Tanzanian government allowed a South African Mining company called Afgem to buy an exclusive lease to Block C. Today, this lease is owned and operated by Tanzanite One Ltd an offshoot of Afgem. Their stated objective is to use a De Beers business model to control supply and market heavily to the consumer to create a “pull effect” in the market. They are using De Beers long term “Sightholder” distribution system strategy. Ultimately, this is driving prices further upward as the effects of increased and targeted marketing bears fruit.

During the past 5 years, prices have been on the increase. It is impossible to tell where the prices of Tanzanite will go in the future. However, it is noteworthy that the production mix has dramatically changed in the past few years and production of the finest material has declined by 80%. This is the so-called investment grade. Prices continue to rise for this material, whereas the market for medium grade pieces is stable. Extra fine goods are now very scarce.

The active production life of the Tanzanite deposits is now estimated at less than 10 years. Demand is currently stable and rising as designers and manufacturers continue to work with and promote the stone. Only time will tell where Tanzanite prices will go from here. Much speculation sees them rising in tandem with increasingly smaller supply, especially for the very fine pieces which are already very scarce.

Antony Zagoritis is a GIA Graduate Gemologist and director of a well established gem cutting and export company in Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. To learn more about Tanzanite go to http://www.lapigems.com

Female Sexual Arousal Disorders

Female sexual arousal disorder can stem from many sources or causes. When a female simply cannot feel her own sexual desires even when she’s being stimulated by things that have aroused her in the past, she’s suffering from sexual arousal disorder.

Female sexual arousal disorder is specifically defined as the inability to become aroused, including lack of erotic feelings and physical signs of arousal including as erect nipples, vaginal lubrication, or increased blood flow to the labia, clitoris, and vagina.

IT’S COMPLICATED

Sexual response is complicated in both males and females. Arguably it’s a little more complex in females but only because they tend to worry over it more than men do.

Perhaps a woman is finding it difficult to get the right amount of privacy, or perhaps she feels so hounded by the events of day to day living and working that at night when she would have time for sex she just tries to rest and relax instead.

Women can also get themselves all tensed up about reaching orgasm, for one of the true differences between male and female is that, under typical conditions, women need more stimulation to achieve orgasm than men do. If a woman doesn’t have the most knowledgeable partners she can start to think she’s doing something wrong or has something wrong with her, and this can lead to her becoming so tense during sex that she truly can’t climax.

But there can also be actual physical problems that cause a woman to have a harder time enjoying sex. These physical ailments may include: multiple sclerosis; thyroid disease; kidney disease; hormone disorders; alcohol abuse; high blood pressure; diabetes; premature menopause or having her ovaries removed; consequences of radiation therapy for cancer; or any condition that causes physical fatigue.

Some older women believe that menopause causes a decrease in sexual drive for women, but this is only the case in about 25% of females, and very likely they already were experiencing problems before menopause. Furthermore, even if this effect is felt it should only be minor; once human beings reach sexual maturity their sex drive continues until death with only a possible slight diminution after about the age of 70, unless there is some kind of problem.

But there is hope for women who find themselves suffering from female sexual arousal disorder. Many researchers have concluded that Provestra and Vigorelle are the best natural female libido enhancers and can make all the difference between female sexual fulfillment and misery due to lack of sexual enjoyment.

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Blood Pressure and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Cardura is an alpha blocker that is used to treat conditions including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and high blood pressure. Cardura helps lower blood pressure by relaxing the muscles in blood vessels. This helps release tension in the muscles around the urethra as well thereby improving urinary symptoms and helping with BPH.

DO NOT USE IF:

Cardura should not be used in patients who are allergic to the medication or any of the components of the pill. Likewise, this medication should not be used by people who have had an allergic reaction to similar drugs. Discuss this with your physician when you begin treatment.

Before Beginning Cardura Therapy

The physician who prescribes Cardura ideally will be the same physician who diagnosed your condition and is following your course of treatment. This physician should be informed if you breast feed your child, if you are pregnant or if you are planning to become pregnant. Women who are pregnant, breast feeding, or planning to become pregnant should not take Cardura.

Since this medication is used to lower blood pressure people who have low blood pressure should not take Cardura. Allergies to medications as well as food allergies should be reported to the prescribing physician. The prescribing physician should also be informed of all medications and dietary supplements that are being taken.

Interactions

Cardura can have drug interactions with cimetidine (Tagamet) or verapamil (Covera-HS) which can cause dizziness and a lightheaded feeling. Vardenafil should also be avoided as should the other phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors by people who are using Cardura. The combination of the two drugs could drop blood pressure to a serious low that could cause death. Since other interactions are possible it is important to discuss this and any other medication issues with your physician before starting treatment and continue to discuss changes as while you are on Cardura.

Basic Instructions

Cardura can be taken with food or on an empty stomach. The initial dose may cause sudden changes in blood pressure. you should make sure you know how this medication is going to react with your body before you drive or do any other activity that is going to require you to be mentally alert. When taking this medication it is important to stay on schedule. If you miss a dose take it as soon as you can, if you are close to time for the next dose then skip the dose. Never take two doses at one time.

Warren has done extensive research on the most widely used blood pressure medications. See which one is best suited to your needs by visiting our Blood Pressure Med Reviews pages

How to Overcome Adversity

There Is Not Such Thing As A Shortcut To The Higher Level of Success In Life

You will most certainly succeed once you drive a stake in the ground and declare, “I will never go back any further than where I am right now!” When you begin to make progress make sure to hold on to what you’ve already accomplished. Even when obstacles and the pressure of mediocrity come against you just keep holding on. Refuse to take a step backwards.

If you run from the pressure, you’ll have to face it later, and usually, when you face the pressure again, it is more difficult to overcome. Don’t give up when you face difficult challenges. Struggle is not always bad. In fact, those who struggle may have the advantage over those who never did.

Struggle Is Often Good:

Look at any man who is recognized as a great individual and you’ll see that the roots of greatness stem from a season of struggle. Without struggle a muscle cannot grow and neither can you. In fact, struggle is the nursery for growth. You will come across difficult seasons along this journey of excellence, but embrace them as tools to help you grow. Refuse to give up and never, never quit!

There is no failure for the person who refuses to quit. No one fails unless they accept defeat and are unwilling to press on. Keep pressing on toward excellence. Refuse to let up or slow down. You are going to have your days of disappointment. There will be days when you feel you went backwards. Regardless of how you feel, don’t stop.

Everyone in history, who chose to stand up after he was knocked down, became stronger and wiser because of it. Every young toddler continues to fall as he learns how to walk, but no one sees him as a failure. It is simply the process of learning how to walk, and the same is true with you. You are learning how to live a life of excellence so don’t get discouraged when you’re not making the progress you expected.

Process of Success:

Success is a process, so setback is simply temporary. Like the little child, you may fall, but every time you get up you are one step further than you were before. Everyone can get better in some area of life, but for some reason humanity has this inherent tendency to settle. You must resist the temptation to settle if you are going to experience the true and lasting success.

Action Steps:

1. Identify the seasons of your life that you stop pressing. Once you have identified those seasons, ask yourself, “what can I do during those times to continue to press towards excellence?”

2. Write three benefits that will come from the difficult time you are going through right now.

3. Define failure for yourself and choose never again to allow failure to stop you from walking in your destiny.

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The Uranium Bull Market Keeps Getting More Bullish

China Demand for Uranium, World Growth in Electricity Demand to Drive Uranium Price Higher

Industry expert says all new production already factored in uranium price “We are consuming far more uranium than we are producing worldwide,” explained David Miller, Wyoming legislator and recently appointed president of Strathmore Resources (TSX-V: STM; OTC: STHJF.PK). “All the new production is already factored into the future market for uranium. We’re underwater right now without building one more nuclear power plant.” Nuclear reactor requirements have far outstripped current mining production (see chart below) for the past two decades. Current worldwide production is more than 80 million pounds, but the demand for uranium, which fuels nuclear reactors, is running an annual deficit of approximately 60 million pounds.

According to a World Nuclear Association report on uranium supply, published this past September:

“…the world’s present measured resources of uranium in the lower cost category (3.5 Mt) and used only in conventional reactors, are enough to last for some 50 years… Further exploration and higher prices will certainly, on the basis of present geological knowledge, yield further resources as present ones are used up… so a significant increase in exploration effort could readily double the known economic resources, and a doubling of price from present levels could be expected to create about a tenfold increase in measured resources, over time.”

Electricity: Uranium’s Supply and Demand Problem

“We’re not going to run out of uranium, but where will the price go to encourage new production?” asked David Miller. “We are around over $33/pound now. Could it double again? It wouldn’t surprise me at all.” Kevin Bambrough, a research analyst for Sprott Asset Management, heartily agreed with Mr. Miller, saying, “We have just started a long term uranium bull market that will end in a ‘uranium mania’ as utilities and countries drive uranium prices to unbelievable highs as they compete to secure supplies.”

That driving force is demand for more electricity. Over the past 25 years, total world energy use expanded by almost 50 percent, with stronger growth in electricity usage. Demand for electricity is increasing far more rapidly than overall energy use. Electricity demand has been projected to grow 2.8 percent annually through 2010, and substantially more between then and 2020. About 2 billion people currently have no electricity access, and with United Nations forecasts of world population growth by 1.5 billion people in 2020, electricity demand will continue to grow.

As an interim solution to the greenhouse gas problem and climate changes (e.g. the worst Atlantic hurricane season since record-keeping began), a growing number of countries are investigating nuclear energy to solve their burden of a soaring electrical demand. Presently, there is as much electricity generated by nuclear power as was provided by all sources worldwide in 1960.

Nuclear power generates more than 16 percent of the world’s electricity, nearly 24 percent of the OECD and 34 percent of the European Union’s electricity needs. In an April 2005 speech to the National Small Business Conference in Washington, President Bush announced, “Nuclear power is now providing about 20 percent of America’s electricity, with no air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear power is one of the safest, cleanest sources of power in the world, and we need more of it here in America.”

Demand for electricity is projected to impact other commodities as well, not just the price of uranium. In the Energy Information Agency’s Annual Energy Outlook 2005, U.S. electricity demand will bring about increases in natural gas consumption. By 2025, the electric power sector will account for 31 percent of total demand for natural gas, as consumption increases from 5.0 trillion cubic feet in 2003 to 9.4 trillion cubic feet in 2025.

China’s Demand May Be Greater Than Anticipated

Today, 441 nuclear power reactors in 31 countries provide more than 16 percent of the world’s electricity. In 2003, that was 2525 billion kilowatt hours. Eleven countries are constructing thirty more reactors, mainly in China, but also in Russia, Japan and Korea. The International Atomic Energy Agency has projected at least 60 new power plants will be constructed over the next 15 years. By 2020, nuclear power’s electricity production share will increase to 17 percent.

“China is the future wild card,” said Miller. “Their current uranium demand is miniscule. They have a small nuclear industry. They may have three or four thousand megawatts of capacity. Their uranium demand is only about 4 or 5 million pounds per year. They meet that internally from their own uranium deposits. But what they are planning for nuclear is probably the most aggressive program in the world. I visited China in 2003 to teach ISL (in situ leaching) uranium geology and ISL mining techniques to a couple of institutes. At that time, they were talking about building two new nuclear power plants per year for the next 20 years.”

But as Miller observed, they may have more ambitious plans. He added, “Since then, I have heard of more aggressive programs. One article I read recently was entitled, Let 1000 Reactors Bloom. That is more than 200 percent of the nuclear reactors we now have on earth. I believe that is what the Chinese will be doing in the next 40 – 50 years, converting nearly 100 percent of their electrical generation from nuclear power.” Currently, China is generating less than three percent of their electricity from nuclear energy.

Miller speculates of how this might impact the price of uranium, “If they are building nearly three times the world fleet in just China, then that would be about 500 million pounds of uranium demand from China in fifty years. Other companies are announcing new nuclear power plants.” What does that mean for the price of uranium? Miller concluded, “So, the demand for uranium is going up. I think the growth in demand will be more rapid than we realize.”

Uranium Mining: A Slow Process

David Miller, who was previously interviewed by StockInterview.com in June 2004 (view article), reflected on last year’s forecast, “I thought $30/pound was sufficiently high to encourage enough new production around the world.” But there are major issues with supplying the increasing appetite of the burgeoning nuclear power industry. Miller warned, “The problem with encouraging new production is you don’t turn these things on and off. The only uranium, coming onto the market in addition to what’s already planned right now, will come from the already-discovered deposits.”

Two years from now, Miller thinks the spot price of uranium could double again. “There are going to be a lot of people trying to put uranium mines into production, but it is not an easy process.” Permitting requirements in countries where most uranium is mined are roughly comparable. “If you haven’t done any work, after a discovery, it still will take about four to six years to mine in any of those areas.”

In early 2004, there were probably less than twenty uranium producers and exploration companies. Since then, the number of uranium exploration companies has jumped to more than 200. Miller warns investors that it could take up to 12 years for a grass roots project to begin mining yellowcake. Miller explained, “Starting, finding, permitting and mining a project is probably going to take a minimum of 12 to 20 years. From the start of the exploration program to defining the ore body, after you make a discovery, to starting the background and permitting process, to development and then finally mining – it’s going to take a long time.”

Through 2005, many uranium exploration companies announced new projects throughout Canada and the United States. Miller did not see how their efforts would immediately alleviate the uranium supply crunch, “If you are talking about any of those, such as in Labrador or the Yukon or in the basins outside the Athabasca Basin, or even within the Basin, for those that are just now doing their first exploration, you are talking the year 2020 before those could come online and supply uranium to the world market.”

But, what about the world’s richest concentrations of uranium in Canada’s Athabasca Basin? Will they help stem the rising uranium price? In a nutshell, Miller says no. He explained, “The next one to come online is Cigar Lake, but it was discovered over 20 years ago. Cigar Lake may come online in 2007 or 2008. There is another one called Shea Creek, which was discovered by Cogema more than a dozen years ago. They are having some very good results on that.” Could they start the permitting process on that one in the near future? “Absolutely,” Miller responded. “But you are talking about 8-10 years before that one could come online. It might be close to 2015 before it could bring any uranium to the world market.”

The future largest producing uranium mine in the world is likely to be Olympic Dam in Australia. It’s basically a copper mine with uranium grades. On October 27th Hong Kong-based institutional advisor Marc Faber, and author The Gloom, Boom and Doom Report, told Dow Jones newswire that he thought copper prices would fall by as much as 40 percent. (Note: Marc Faber also said, “I’d be a physical buyer of uranium.”) “What happens when copper is $0.50/pound? What will be their cost of producing that uranium?” asked Dave Miller. “Olympic Dam is low grade uranium, less than 0.05 percent U308. Their cost to operate the uranium portion of that will go up, if copper prices go down. It would make their cost higher, and they would be less inclined to sell it at a low price.”

Where else do utilities turn for their growing uranium needs? There are big known deposits in Australia, and one that has hundreds of millions of pounds of uranium in it. But, it happens to be adjacent to, and possibly partly in, one of Australia’s national parks. In other words, utilities are likely to be paying more for their uranium as this decade progresses.

David Miller argues that some of that uranium production is likely to come from the smaller, but well-capitalized, companies, such as Strathmore Minerals. “Our strategy from day one, and we haven’t veered from this at all, has been to acquire as many known uranium deposits as we possibly could,” explained Miller. “We started early in this uranium cycle in 2003. We were out there before 95 percent of these other uranium companies even thought of starting uranium companies. We were able to pick up some very good deposits in New Mexico and Wyoming. These are known, drilled-out uranium deposits in the country that’s produced as much as uranium anywhere else on earth. We’ve taken all that exploration information, where they discovered these old deposits, and have acquired a number of those old deposits. Now, we have opened a permitting office in New Mexico and starting the permitting process to put those into production, somewhere down the road. We don’t know if we can do it in four years or six years. It’s a long process and all kinds of studies must be done to get these fully permitted and into production.”

But there is a second part to the Strathmore Minerals strategy. Miller announced, “Don’t ignore the richest uranium province on earth, which is the Athabasca Basin in Canada. Strathmore is the Number One landholder in the Athabasca Basin., even larger than Cameco. We control approximately 3 million acres in Canada, and nearly all of that is in the Athabasca Basin. We have dozen different individual projects in the Basin. We are starting the exploration process on all of those. As I said earlier, exploration takes a long time. We have not made any discoveries yet, and it may be three to five years before we make a discovery.”

The case with Cameco (NYSE: CCJ), the blue chip publicly traded uranium producer, may also help fuel uranium prices rally to higher levels. They have forward sold their production. Added Miller, “I would bet their average sales price, under contract right now, of the 20+ million pounds they deliver every year is somewhere in the low teens – maybe $13/pound plus/minus $1-2. As these contracts mature, and bring on new contracts, that price is going to keep going up, but lag the market. They should keep going up for the next five years.”

And that should summarize why uranium prices are unlikely to suffer a down cycle over the next several years.

The Case for Nuclear Energy

As electricity demand grows by leaps and bounds during the 21st century, many of the world’s governments are seriously considering nuclear energy as a safer alternative to coal-fired plants. As many study the safety issues of nuclear-powered electricity, they tend to conclude that nuclear energy may very well provide a healthier, as well as a less expensive, alternative to present power generation methods.

Miller pointed out, “In the 1970s, when the anti-nuclear movement was very strong, the U.S. was then mining and burning 600 million tons of coal each year. And now, thirty years later, because the anti-nuclear industry was successful, we are burning 1 billion tons of coal per year, a 50 percent increase in the amount of coal we burn in this country.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. air pollution in 1999, as a result of energy from coal, emitted more than 13 million tons of sulfur oxides and nearly 5.5 million tons of nitrous oxides. In a Harvard School of Public Health study, as many as 70,000 Americans are dying each year as a result of air pollution. From sulfur dioxide alone, Harvard estimated that 2400 Americans die for every million tons of sulfur dioxide emitted, or more than 30,000 American deaths annually.

But, air pollution is far worse elsewhere. “The pollution levels in China – from Shanghai to Beijing – are shocking,” said Miller. “Emphysema kills 5,000 people per year in the coal mines. They need nuclear power, probably more than any area on earth, to clean up their air.”

About David Miller:

David Miller, P. Geol.

President & COO, Strathmore Minerals Corp.

David worked for over 20 years with Pathfinder Mines Corporation/Cogema, the second largest producer of uranium in the world, the last 4 years as its chief geologist for in-situ operations in the US. Mr. Miller has over 25 years of experience in the exploration and acquisition of uranium properties. He has also consulted in uranium exploration, mining, and “in-situ” recovery for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. In association with the IAEA, David also taught uranium geology, exploration and ISL mining practices at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology and Mining. Mr. Miller is also an elected member of the Wyoming Legislature. His committee assignments include the Minerals and the Energy Council. Mr. Miller has been the key architect behind the Strathmore Mineral Corp’s property acquisition strategy in the U.S. in identifying drilled out in-situ leach recoverable uranium properties in Wyoming and New Mexico.

November 16, 2005

By James Finch

StockInterview.com

COPYRIGHT © 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. StockInterview’s “Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market” has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors. Visit http://www.stockinterview.com

The Evolution of Clocks – Clocks And Science

The evolution of clocks is a study in time … how clocks and science merged over time to bring us to the point where every second of every day is measured in precision… allowing us to define each day down to each second.

Those first clocks were developed when the Egyptians in 3500 BC decided they needed to organize their days in a better manner to keep track of all their social doings. To do this .. they developed a shadow clock. They built a tall obelisk … a four sided tower and marked the day by the shadow it made as the sun moved across the sky.

These sun clocks could tell the longest to the shortest days of the year by the length of the shadows it reflected. As time went on, they realized they could mark more time off during each day by putting markers at the base of the obelisk.

It wasn’t until about 1500 BC that the Egyptians started using the sundial. They evolved over the years in design but remained basically the same and were the main time keepers for years. In fact .. they did that until but 325 BC.

This is when water clocks stepped in. All one had to do was fill a marked bowl that had a small hole in it and fill it with water. The water dripped out drop by drop … and markings on the inside of the bowl checked of the intervals of time in each day as the water ran out.

A second type of water clock was one that had water dripping into it …a reverse of the first type.

Another type was just a heavy bowl placed in a container filled with water. The bowl sitting in the water had a small hole in it and as the water filled the bowl, the bowl sank, marking one part of the day off.

As you can guess, these clocks were not very accurate … but they provided what those societies needed … a way to mark the day into regular parcels of time so they could organize their social obligations effectively.

The next step in the evolution of clocks was the first mechanical clock … put together using a setup of weights and a rope on a gear that moved back and forth as the weights moved the beam. These were more efficient than water … but not by much… as they depended on the force and friction put on the rope and beam by the weights which was never very uniform.

Spring loaded clocks were the next step in the clock evolution. Since the spring drive took up much less space than any of the previous clocks … people loved them. They could place them on their tables and mantles … or in their pockets. They made for a great addition to the home decor beginning sometime around 1510.

The first really accurate timekeeper was the pendulum clock. From clocks that lost a minimum of 15 minutes a day to one that ultimately lost less than .01 minutes a day was a huge jump in accuracy.

Still more accurate … and the clocks that are most popular today … were the quartz clocks. They came around in the 1920’s and are still heavy in the market today because of their accuracy and their price … which is low as they are not expensive to manufacture.

It is the atomic clock that is getting a hand in the market today … by far the most accurate of all the clocks to date.

In the past … a second was always determined by the movements of the earth. The atomic clock has determined the second to be exactly 9,192,631,770 oscillations of the atom cesium’s frequency … the element upon which standard atomic time is based.

So … from a time when there was no seemly reason to mark time … to a time when every second of every day is marked with precision … with transactions in life dependent on that marking of seconds … the clock has evolved into being the one bit of technology the whole world depends on infinitely … from second to second to second.

Browsing through vintage clocks is a reminder of times when perhaps the intensity of life was less and we would all have had more time to smell the roses … and just listen to those seconds tick by.

The Common Cold – Exposed

On a scale of discomfort from 1-10 the common cold would probably come in close to #1.

Mom warned us about it if we didn’t wear enough clothes – caught a chill – sat by a draft – slept with the windows open – slept with the windows closed – sat next to a ’sneezer’ – were facing due east when the wind changed direction – were kissed by an elderly maiden aunt on a full moon…and the stories go on.

The truth of the common cold lies in the ability of the skin to do its job.

The skin is our largest organ.

It is also an organ of elimination and excretion whose job, among other things, is to get rid of metabolic and poisonous wastes in the form of perspiration.

In order to accomplish this task, the skin likes to be active.

This is relatively easy to accomplish during the warmer weather as we tend to expose the skin to the elements regularly.

During the cooler climes, however, we tend to ‘rug up’ and spend more time indoors.

Consequently, the action of the skin is impeded.

Even though the skin is not able to process the body’s wastes in a manner to which it was accustomed during warmer times, there remains a need for the body to continue with its active elimination and excretion.

When the action of the skin is impeded – that which is normally excreted through the epidermis is thrown onto the other two organs of elimination – the kidneys and more specifically – the lungs – the upper-respiratory system.

The symptoms of an impending ‘heavy elimination’ from the lungs are characterized by;

- Coughing

- Sneezing

- Runny nose

- Swollen glands

- Excessive lachrimation

- Head pressure

- Skin eruptions

- Elevated temperature

Now we’ve got ‘the flu’ or possibly a ‘urinary infection.’

The common cold is not ‘the disease’ – it’s the ‘cure.’

The ‘cold’ is the body using an extra-ordinary effort to cleanse itself.

If we simply rested at the first sign of a ‘cold’ – the body would complete it’s ‘detox’ and in a short period of time we’d be ‘right as rain’ for a while – until the level of toxaemic waste builds up

to a point whereby the body determines that – once again – it’s time for a ‘cold’ or is it a ‘hot’ because the temperature usually goes up.

Rest the cold and stay warm.

All the best for your health and happiness,

Kevin

Kevin Hinton is a renowned Natural Health Educator & Advocator who has assisted a broad range of people to reinvigorate their lives through common-sense Natural Health practices.

He is a trusted advisor to many in the corporate world in Australia and North America who recognize the life-improving value of Natural Health habits.

His experience in the field reveals that adopting practical Natural Health habits usually helps drive success in other areas of life.

Visit Kevin at: http://www.thehealtheducator.com and sign up for a FREE world class newsletter.

Hippocrates Spinning in His Grave

Doctors today should not be allowed to take the Hippocratic Oath. Hippocrates dictated – “First do no harm” and “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Hardly the path of allopathic medicine today.

Allopathic medicine, or the term “allopathic” was coined by Dr. Samual Hahnemann around the 19th century. The term “allo” ( or dissimilar) was to be in direct opposition to the common and more accepted medical practice “homeopathic” (homeo, or similar to the body’s own functions), of which Hahnemann was the founder.

Homeopaths were considered empiricists and allopaths, rationalists. The difference is profound, and plays a role in how we ended up here in the debacle of national widespread illness and poor health.

Empiricists looked at symptoms as a sign that the body was overwhelmed by toxins or out of kilter with its natural healthy predisposition. They didn’t “treat” the symptoms. They used the symptoms as a guide as to whether or not the treatment was working. They believed that the symptoms were the body’s natural response, and a necessary response. To treat the symptoms alone eliminates the body’s cry for help.

They observed the patient, learned about the patient. Their habits, diet, activities, stresses, sleep, family, etc., all was taken into account. They looked at each person as just that, a person. Not one of a larger group. They then applied remedies that would balance the person. Those could be herbs, changes in diet, sleep, stress, etc. If the treatment was working the symptoms would begin to subside, giving sign that the treatment was on the right track. In short they looked for the root cause and eliminated it giving the body the opportunity to heal itself.

The rationalists took a different approach. The treated only the symptoms. They looked at the symptoms as the disease itself. They used drugs to eliminate the symptoms and thus the patient was “cured”. They also looked at groups. They found the common denominator in groups suffering from a particular disease. If all of “these” people who suffered from a particular disease also had this particular symptom, then that symptom was addressed and a drug that would eliminate that symptom would be the goal.

We see the rationalists approach today in modern medicine. Drugs are prescribed that solely address symptoms. Those exclusively lower blood pressure and cholesterol or increase bone mineral uptake to reduce osteoporosis without identifying and treating the root of the problem in the first place. The problem with these and many drugs like them is they carry side effects. And with some, the side effects are just marginally less then the negative effects of the diseases they treat. Practitioners and pharmaceutical companies will argue that the side effects are overstated or less life threatening than the actual disease itself – and in some instances this is true. But in most cases its not.

And more importantly, these drugs that carry negative side effects are doing harm. Regardless of the degree of harm, they are counter to the first edict of the Hippocratic Oath – “First do no harm”.

Now don’t be mistaken to think the empiricists were nothing more than voodoo doctors. They understood the science and substructures of the body to every degree as well as the rationalists. Perhaps even more so, since allopathic medicine was borne from within homeopathic medicine. What would catapult the rationalists would be a combination of an event and greed in concert with better organizational skills – but not a better mouse trap. Quite the contrary. I’m also not suggesting that the empiricists had it all worked out and just got railroaded either. Each group had its faults. What I am suggesting is that had greed not taken a front seat and these two groups worked together, we would have a better medical system and a healthier population as a result. More emphasis would have been placed on nutrition and physical exercise and less on pills and potions.

Here’s an example to substantiate my position. Lets look at a disease like Parkinson’s Disease. We know people suffering with the disease have cretin similarities, blank facial expressions, depressive disorder, motor coordination issues and neuro-muscular degeneration. As the disease progresses untreated, deterioration in neuro-muscular factors causes freezing and severe tremor. The rationalists look at the symptoms and look for a common denominator in a group of individuals suffering with the disease. One of the commonalities is a degeneration of the dopamine transporter neurons in the Substantia Nigra – an area of the brain responsible for the initial motor commands that allow us to move our bodies.

The rationalists decide that treating the patient with an external source of dopamine, in pill form to replace the dopamine the brain is no longer making, is the answer. Initially the symptoms do subside. The patient can move with greater fluidity. Some of the depression lifts and all looks hopeful. As time passes the dose of dopamine must be increased as more of the neurons in the Substantia Nigra die off. But this produces a vicious cycle as the higher doses of dopamine seems to cause the disease to progress faster till the highest doses have no affect what so ever. In fact, most practitioners now agree that it’s the prescribed dopamine that advances the disease faster.

So isn’t’ this in essence “doing harm”? If the “treatment” progresses the disease faster is it a cure? The brief suppression of the symptoms is a way to appease the patient. To enlist their trust in the magic of allopathic medicine.

A better alternative would be to look for a true cure. To look for the true source of the disease. The death of dopamine neurons in the brain is no less a symptom of the disease than is tremor. Learning why they die and looking at individuals as just that – individuals – to see what habits and traits they possess that predisposes them to these symptoms would be the answer. The problem is that this doesn’t fit our current medical movement. Finding a common symptom in large groups and treating that symptom is the home run the big pharmaceutical companies are looking for every day. How do you patent and sell life style changes, modifications in sleep or nutrition? Pharmaceutical drugs, for the most part, cure nothing. They allow us to live broken. Now you may say “what’s wrong with that if the symptoms are gone and I can move on?”. You wouldn’t treat you car that way, is what I would reply.

Let’s say you went to a mechanic and said your engine is making this loud ominous knocking noise. It’s so loud that you’re sure the engine is sustaining additional damage with every day that you drive the car. The mechanic looks at the engine and after a brief time gives you the disposition. He hands you a pair of ear plugs and advises that you should wear them each time you drive the car. His position is that you won’t be bothered by the noise any longer because you won’t hear it! Did he fix the problem? Will the engine surely fail – eventually? Would you seriously take his advice and drive off, ear plugs in place and a smile on your face? Then why do you take similar advice from your physician when he or she hands you a pill?

Now its not all allopathic medicine’s fault. You can’t blame them for capitalizing on our unwillingness to wait for change. We as individuals know that our illnesses and their respective symptoms took years to develop. We all know that poor lifestyle habits cause the majority of diseases. Yet we want to walk into our physician and demand to be fixed now! “Give me a pill and let me get back to living this poor life style” is what we demand through our impatience. Take type 2 diabetes for instance. It’s at epidemic proportions and so many companies are capitalizing on American people. Is it in their interest that you be cured? Type 2 diabetes can be completely reversed in 90% of those who suffer from it with simple modifications to diet and exercise and the other 10%, with the addition of some interventive hormone replacement therapies. But the nation will opt for a pill and a glucometer that will allow them to live broken, eat horrible diets and avoid exercise. These companies are banking on it. They want to supply us with our pills, glucometer, glucose strips and any other thing that the Diabetic will need for the reaming 50 or 60 years of their lives.

Ask yourself, what’s wrong with a medical community that doesn’t want to suggest a cure but rather make you nothing less than a junkie? Addicted and dependant on a drug. And here’s the best part to come full circle to my initial statement that doctors shouldn’t be allowed to take the Hippocratic Oath. Those medicines they prescribe. You pick the medication, diabetes, osteoporosis, cholesterol or blood pressure – some of the more popular ones – all have side effects that can be categorized as “doing harm”.

If you can cure your type 2 diabetes in six months without drugs and their side effects and the drug du jour cause harm, shouldn’t your physician be prescribing diet and exercise? If they want to live up to the Hippocratic Oath they should. And shouldn’t insurance companies be paying for that therapy?

I don’t pretend to answer all of the questions here – only to raise them. My hope is that this will give you some food for thought.

And like food, thought is powerful medicine as well.

Carl Lanore is the host of Super Human Radio – an AM Talk Radio show broadcast weekly on a variety of radio stations in the US including Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The show covers all topics related to fitness and health with an emphasis on exercise, nutrition and longevity. Super Human Radio can also be heard streaming on the Internet at http://www.superhumanradio.com or any of the top Podcast directories.

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Toyota: The New Number One?

For the past several months news reports have been focusing on the declining fortunes of the world’s largest automaker, General Motors, as well as on the rise of Toyota to pre-eminence. Many are predicting that this will be the year that Toyota overtakes General Motors in sales while others are expressing caution regarding this assessment. Does it really matter who is number one? In many ways it does. Let’s examine the fortunes of the Top Two to determine whether Toyota’s quest to overtake General Motors will happen this year.

So, why does it matter who is the top selling automaker in the world? In one word: prestige. Being number one in any category tells consumers that you are at the top of your game. No, there isn’t anything wrong with being number two – just ask Avis – but saying that “we try harder” doesn’t equate into being number one no matter how cute your commercials may be.

General Motors’ decline combined with Toyota’s ascension is remarkable. At one time, General Motors produced well over half of all vehicles sold in the U.S. Today, that number is down to about 25% and falling. Toyota, on the other hand, has gone from being the maker of poor quality cars to being a manufacturer that everyone points to when building their vehicles. A true “benchmark” in an industry overloaded with manufacturers.

Originally, many thought that the Toyota ascension would not occur before 2010, if ever. Although General Motors is losing market share, it does have a strong presence elsewhere especially in China where it is the number one automaker and double digit sales growth from year to year is common. Thus, the overseas market has been what has kept GM strong.

GM’s home market though may be what causes the capitulation. With planned layoffs and plant closings in progress, GM is dumping excess capacity in favor of anticipated need. Toyota, on the other hand, cannot keep up with capacity as demand for its three lines of vehicles — Toyota, Lexus, and Scion — continue to drive growth. Indeed, if there is factory space available, Toyota will use it to produce more vehicles. So, the prediction for Toyota overtaking GM is based largely on available capacity and demand.

Toyota, however isn’t about to claim the #1 position so easily. In 2005, General Motors sold the most cars that it has since 1978, so things are not as gloomy as thought when looking at the company from a global perspective. Growth in China, capacity through its Korean subsidiary Daewoo, and renewed interest in several new or modified home grown models may stem the bleeding. Some are thinking that GM has cut back as far as it needs to go and with new models online including pick up trucks, SUVs, the Saturn SKY and Aura, and others GM may be poised for a surge in sales.

None of us can predict the future, but it does show us one thing: the battle for automotive pre-eminence will only grow stronger and neither automaker can afford to take anything for granted. For consumers just like you, you stand to benefit as quality improvements and pricing strategies give you the best bang for the buck.

Copyright 2006 – Matt Keegan is The Auto Writer covering topics from performance auto parts to new car reviews. For discount Toyota parts including quality Toyota exhaust components and Lund products, shop online!

5 Congestive Heart Disease Beaters

The most important thing to know about congestive heart disease is almost entirely preventable. Congestive heart disease results from a life of poor nutrition, insufficient exercise, smoking, and alcohol and drug abuse.

All of those activities can result in a deterioration of the heart’s muscle fibers and their inability to contract strongly enough to send adequate blood supply to the rest of the body. The other organs, including the lungs, kidneys, liver, and brain all suffer when the heart cannot pump efficiently.

How can one stay away from acquiring congestive heart disease?

Are there steps you can take to avoid congestive heart failure? Yes, and they do not require any expensive medications. They simply require you to change the ways you eat move, and rest.

Good Foods If You Want To Prevent Heart Disease:

Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Even better, eat oatmeal with a side of blueberries for breakfast. Both oatmeal and blueberries have been show to be excellent cholesterol fighters–blueberries have even outperformed the drug Ciprofibrate in lowering LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and without any side effects!

Replace half the red meat you eat with fish– wild salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines are especially high in Omega 3 fatty acids which also fight LDL cholesterol and keep the blood vessels flexible and clear so that the heart does not have to strain to send the blood where it needs to go.

If you insist on drinking alcohol, drink red wine. Red wine contains reservratrol, which studies have shown allows mice to burn more energy and keep their figures. Obesity has been definitively linked to congestive heart disease, so every little bit of excess energy burned and not stored as fat is a help. Green tea, for those who would prefer to abstain from alcohol, will fight congestive heart disease in the same way, and is loaded with anti-oxidants to fight aging diseases as well.

Exercise And Rest To Prevent Congestive Heart Failure

If you aren’t in shape to run, walk at least fifteen minutes each day, on a treadmill if possible. You need to start strengthening your heart muscle. But don’t overdo it. Exercise will gradually build up you lungs’ capacity to absorb oxygen and send it to the heart in the bloodstream, but neither you lungs nor heart will learn to perform at their maximum if they are never asked to perform beyond their minimum. You’ll know when you’re ready to step up the pace of your workouts.

Finally, learn to relax. Studies have shown that a driven personality can very easily drive itself straight into congestive heart disease and a heart attack. Taking a few minutes–as few as fifteen–a day to do nothing and forget all the pressing matters which normally plague you will let your entire body get a breather, and be one more weapon in your fight against congestive heart disease.

You can also find more info on Congestive Heart Disease and Coronary Heart Disease. Treatheartdiseasehelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Heart Diseases.