New H7N9 strain of bird flu virus threatening China

There is evidence emerging in China that a new H7N9 strain of the bird flu virus is threatening the human population. There are already 18 deaths and over 100 known cases. The problem of course is establishing whether the patients and victims contracted the virus from poultry, or from human-to-human transmission. At this point, 50% of the patients say that they had contact with poultry in markets or the workplace. It seems probably that there is a strong link to poultry, but its probably not airborne contact. Its early days. The World Health Organisation has sent officials to China in order to appraise the problem.

This might be a confidence-breaker? It would take about 6 months to find a vaccine (only urgent if its sufficiently contagious); then up to 6 months to produce enough vaccine if it spreads globally. Only need enough for people in quarantine if its contained, otherwise everyone boards a plane needs it; and of course anyone who shows symptoms. That depends on how well its contained in rural areas to prevent it spreading to cities, and ultimately overseas. Perhaps people commuting or going abroad ought to be wearing face masks...though its uncertain how effective masks are. It seems probable that they will decrease your chances of infection.

The virus is at this point apparently threatening people with immune deficiencies  This of course diminishes the virility of the strain. Should the virility of a new mutation emerge with greater communicability, then ultimately the threat posed could be more serious. This is of course why authorities will be looking to prevent the spread of the virus in humans by killing infected poultry in close contact with humans. Of course that control measure becomes more difficult once all livestock are infected. At that point, the emphasis shifts from control to immunisation.


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Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

The value of fruit - when to eat?

Someone mailed me this - and it seemed to be based on reasonable premises; though you will need to verify for yourself. Some of it is not controversial.

We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths. It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit.

What's the correct way to eat fruit?

Fruit should be eaten on an empty stomach. Not after a meal!

Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

Fruit is the most important food.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so.

In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal! You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat!

There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT the concentrated juice from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all. You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins.

Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange!

AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

EATING 2 - 4 ORANGES a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C and Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!

Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this applies to you. It's nice to have a cold drink after a meal, however, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you've just consumed, which slows digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Painful Journey with Sciatica

This personal account of overcoming Sciatica comes from my father. Its a fantasy way of saying he has a pinched nerve I suspect. You could see this account as the medical service being thorough or over-servicing. Hmmm...at the end of the day you end up with the knowledge that you are ok.

I am a 72yo, reasonably fit man for my age. I played a lot of sport throughout my younger days and have always been an active person, living a life in the outdoors, enjoy gardening (i.e. I grow clivias on the Central Coast NSW, Australia). I have for many years practiced simple yoga regularly and for a number of years now have been careful about my diet.

In May 2011, over a period of 2-3 week, I developed pain extending down my right leg as low as my ankle. I became useless and had to sit down and put my feet up to diminish the pain. The doctor performed X-rays and prescribed pain-killers (Voltarin, Norflex, Tramal, Norspan patches and Naproxen), however most of these drugs made me feel sick and the patches which went on my shoulder made me violently sick for weeks, whilst the pain persisted. The X-rays didn`t reveal much and the doctor wasn't sure what was causing the pain.

I then had a few sessions of Physio. The well-qualified physio (with 2 diplomas) suggested some stretches and indicated some tightness in some leg muscles. He gave me a leaflet and didn't do much else for me.

Meanwhile, I was thinking it was my hip playing up (since I had had a hip replacement on the left side 10 years previous as well as a partial knee replacement on this same side as the leg pain). I decided to put my name down to see an Orthopaedic Surgeon - which entailed a 6 week wait. Now August, I also decided to get a CT scan done and get some injections (into the L4-5) to no avail. No one could tell me what ailed me, however the CT scan did identify spinal stenosis and a disc bulge or protrusion in the L4-5 disc and so it went on. I eventually got to see the Orthopaedic Surgeon who said I had no worries with hip or knee. He also conveyed that “the pain would go away in a few months!!!".............not saying why it would go away!!!

I however continued to go to muscle therapists, chiropractors and Physios as the pain endured. I still tried to do exercises and stretches to no avail. I had become quite depressed during this 5 month period. I had no trouble sleeping as when I lay down the pain left me. One day I awoke in the morning with no pain. It eventually subsided as the Orthopaedic Surgeon indicated. In about the 1st week of December I called the surgeon's secretary to provide feebdback; that the pain had gone away he anticipated.

I had found out just before this follow-up from a pharmacist that: hard tissue gives way (succumbs) to soft tissue (bulge & nerve). I would have loved to have known this whilst I was enduring over 6 months of pain; that when there is a bulge or a protrusion it entraps the nerve against the hard disc (pinched nerve) and causes pain all along the sciatic nerve (the longest nerve in the body) branching out behind the knee and travelling right down into the foot.....the hard disc eventually wears away and the pain subsides!!!

So there you go. After editing my dad's account, I empathise with his painful persistance. :)

Something interesting to me in this account is the fact that my father went back to his doctor with feedback. This is important, though I suspect there is a lack of formalised process by which this can be done. i.e. Telling the secretary probably will not make it to the surgeon. There really needs to be a third-party database by which doctors can log-in and amend and update a patient's records, so this can be used by researchers who study such issues. I really think this is a problem with our medical institutions...that there is a lack of process. This is often the case with professionals. I guess we can sympathise with doctors because they perform some 6-8 years of study, and then they have to learn software. Maybe they wouldn't have to if research was on the job? Then they might be using modern medicine.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Research supports hope for Andropause sufferers

If you read the following article you might be inclined to believe that - if you are over the age of 40 years old and tired, that you are suffering from Andropause. The reality however is that people who are purported sufferers could have any number of symptoms for other ailments; perhaps dietary or even a lack of exercise.

I am very sceptical of many of these labels which are adopted because of apparent "links". The problem with this research is that its steeped in empiricism. It is not science at all; its statistical correlation devoid of causation. Its the problem which arises from a misuse of the scientific method.

This problem is highlighted by the fact that this study discredits previous research. Who is to say that this research is any better. Is there any deductive analysis to disprove the old study, or is that just ignored. I'm very sceptical. Human ignorance abounds.

This is what happens when your hard-earned tax funds are expropriated to unconditionally support research, with no effective accountability. Its all a scam, with climate change and medical research backing pharmaceuticals the ultimate con.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Cure for diabetes imminent?

Hope for sufferers of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Research around the world is identifying methodologies for curing both forms of diabetes. I refer potential and actual sufferers to the following websites:

1. Irish Times

2. LA Times

3. Time.com

This is surely positive news for sufferers of obesity vulnerable or stricken with diabetes.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Over-eating due to government intervention

The message from the US government is eat less, and eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. This is of course not new information. It's like a parent telling their children not to laze around, but who bought the TV, and placed no restrictions on its use. The problem as I see it is that democratic governments are as flawed as their totalitarian cousins. They might not extinguish your 'political existence' but that is only because they can 'enslave' your economic existence. So long as you, as an individual, don't meddle with their political longevity, they are pretty happy. When you do, then you go to goal, like Pauline Hanson in Australia, or you, as a lone individual, get assassinated. John F. Kennedy was perhaps an example of that; its hard to say since I have no compelling evidence.

In common with totalitarian regimes is that they are superficial or concrete-bound. So when a government states after years of research what we already knew - that we are eating too much - it is really missing the point. The problem is that we are eating too much because of them. The reason is more important. We are over-eating for psychological reasons. We are not dealing with the causes because evading, compartmentalising and rationalising are 'coping mechanisms' used to evade that which we do not have a strategy to otherwise resolve. When humans cannot come up with a conceptual solution to a conceptual problem - which is the intrusive government - it goes looking for a concrete solution, whether it be 'physical' anxiety such as compulsive disorders like over-eating, or 'mental anxieties' or evasions like psychosis.

The reality is that the way in which we are governed is so important that it goes to the crux of our relationship between ourselves and others (ethics) and our productivity (i.e. efficacy), our self-worth (i.e. self esteem), and our expectations (i.e. Absolute or logical standards vs moral relativism).

The government will keep advising that you curb your eating. That is like telling you to be happy, to avoid psychologically illness, and to be happy. It does not help at all. In fact, it does more worse than good. It gives people hope of a 'government solution' when they are part of the problem. Want to know more about the nature of government. If you are looking for empirical evidence of that as a research, you are falling prey to one of the greatest myths, that induction is the only basis for scientific investigation. It is the basis of society's moral scepticism.

Disclaimer: This blog could be good for your health.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Best conceived adventure survival guide

The focus for most of these blog articles is internal health. This post will focus upon physical well-being in your external environment. It was inspired by this story of a 72yo man who was trapped in a flood. Humans have poorly developed critical thinking skills. There are several reasons for that:

1. Regulated living - we live in regulated or managed living spaces

2. Safety net - we have people telling us what to do, how to do it, procedures to follow, and even when we fail, there is someone to restore us to health or safety when we fail.

There are however those instances when we take it upon ourselves to engage in some adventure where we place ourselves beyond the safety, protection and responsibility of our fellow human beings. If we do not consider the risks, or take preventative steps, we can place our lives in danger, as well as the lives of those called upon to recover our bodies, or return us to safety. There are a great many adventurers in NZ, many of them tourists, who need to be recovered by rescue agencies. Here is an example of an adventurer who has had an interesting experience. It is interesting for a number of reasons:

1. He engaged in an adventure activity by himself. That is a high risk activity even if he is well-prepared. I know you can anticipate slippery surfaces, loose rocks, and take steps to avoid them, but consider that during a multi-day trek, you will make a million steps, and you will have roughly 1 second to determine the appropriateness of each step. You will be tired, you will be unfocused (by the last thousands of steps), even if you recognise that seemingly greater danger of a slippery slope. It is not worth it. I have done it myself - gone kayaking by myself. But you do need to actively plan your trip, and diligently anticipate every risk. Its hard to do when you have not been where you intend to go. How can you know ALL the conditions?

2. He took protective measures. The guy was well-prepared for his trip. He took a GPS device, he had a satellite phone, spare food and an emergency beacon. He abandoned the GPS when he was being flooded out of his tent. He could not get satellite phone reception in the storm and his emergency beacon was broken. Fortunately, he was able to fix the beacon. The moral of this tale is that even contingency plans can fail in a certain context.

3. He did not fathom how conditions could change. According to his story, the creek rose 1 metre in a few minutes. This creek gully was experiencing a flash flood which he did not anticipate. Humans have been living on the earth just 3 million years. Your active life experience is just 100 years at best. This is a very short period. We have yet to see the worst events of this planet. The terrain which you cross actually holds evidence of its risks, i.e. The huge boulders moved by rivers in flood, or glaciers in different times. The Earth has not changed; its just that we fail to appreciate that the Earth embodies change beyond our short perspective. There are often high or 'stranded' sediment deposits above normal river channels. These can suggest ancient alluvial beds stranded as the creek incised into the valley, or they might be your best indicator of what can happen when the river/creek is in flood. Acknowledging these plausible risks entails knowing something about the processes that shape the Earth, as well as some knowledge of rock and fluid mechanics, i.e. Applied physics, and this will help you develop a perspective that will preserve your life under all possible conditions.

4. He most probably did not have a plan. There are different types of plans.

a. A procedural plan allows you to get what you want.

b. A contingency plan allows you to keep what you have - that is your life.

The best laid plans are those which are based on the best possible information, which identify, assess, qualify and quantify all plausible risks. It does not mean that they are perfect. You might not want to plan for a 1-in-200 year flood condition, but you might want to be aware about the probability of a certain flood occurring. The safety precautions or contingency plan might entail very little consideration, and even the remedial measures might be simple, if they were only considered. They might not entail carrying more provisions into the bush. They might simply entail acting in a different way.

People tend to be sceptical about the need for plans. I have always been a planner. Even if not acted upon, they are useful for developing awareness of issues and perspective. People think short-range because of self-indulgent disregard for preparedness, because they lack information, or because they have a subjective disdain for objective reality. Critical thinking is loathsome to them because it entails self-discipline and judgement, whether of conditions they would prefer not to know about, or judgement of others, which they fear will be reciprocated.

Survival requires objectivity and critical thinking. We cannot always rely on the support of others. You would have disdain for these qualities, but call upon others to exercise them? Your disdain is shared by them, so you might be placing your life in the hands of disinterested savours. Self-preparedness is your most practical form of survival. This might seem like a burden until you recognise that such preparedness is actually a source of wisdom, efficacy and pride. When you realise that, you will actually embrace the process. Disdain is a position of ignorance or disempowerment.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com