thewakingtimes--2020-09-11--Our System Is Crumbling Right In Front of Our Eyes

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Back in January , when the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to catch globe attention , Selco wrote an article stating , “ It ’ s not the virus you need to worry about .
It ’ s the system.
” Virus or illness on itself might not be a problem in its essence , but the impact that it brings to the system and people might be so huge through the media that it causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal way .
So you could find yourself in a collapse not necessarily because of a huge pandemic , but because of the reaction to it .
Another case might be the simple unwillingness from the system to admit how bad the situation is in order to stop the panic when folks realized the truth .
So , what might bring the system to collapse might be a real pandemic or a reaction to the pandemic ( which might or might not be controllable ) or simply the government ’ s poor or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source ) As things were just beginning to unfold , the article took a lot of heat on social media , with people saying Selco didn ’ t understand how things would go because he is not American and doesn ’ t know how things work here .
Whoops .
I guess that ’ s rather embarrassing in retrospect .
Because here we are , seven months after Selco wrote his warning , and our system is indeed falling apart .
Our system is failing in many ways .
It ’ s indisputable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous ways .
Some of these things directly relate to the virus and the subsequent lockdown , while others are tied to the nonstop riots that have been going on in some areas for more than 100 days .
The riots began after the death of George Floyd when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck until he suffocated .
From the economy to the justice system to the infrastructure , our system is grinding to a halt in a variety of manners that stand to completely change the American way of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look .
As predicted , our economy took a massive hit when government-mandated lockdowns closed the doors to many businesses .
Despite billions of dollars in relief ( much of which went to large businesses in an act of crony capitalism ) , the new economy has been nothing short of disastrous .
Millions of jobs are gone and are never coming back .
Millions of small businesses have fallen .
Corporate landlords aren ’ t getting paid rent and mom and pop landlords are being forced by the CDC ( that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control ) to house people who can ’ t pay their rent , while still maintaining their mortgages .
Obviously , this trickles down to the average American who just wants to go to work and pay his or her bills .
If you ’ ve lost your job , you are now in a heated competition for the few jobs remaining .
The effect on the economy was “ swift and severe ” according to a paper published by the Brookings Institute .
Now that the CARES Act financial assistance has run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being pushed into desperate levels of poverty .
( If this is happening to you , please check out this article for essential advice on surviving this situation . )
But it goes even further than that – in a puzzling turn of events , our country is running out of coins .
Many stores no longer give out change that is less than a dollar .
You can choose to donate your change digitally to the charity of the store ’ s choice or get it back on a store loyalty card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a push toward a cashless society , something that would cause even more day to day financial problems for people who are already struggling .
( And this is not as far-fetched as it might seem – it ’ s happened in Venezuela , too . )
And what about the folks who do have money ?
Well , spending it might be harder than it used to be .
Remember when the first hints of a looming lockdown occurred and store shelves across the country were emptied ?
And remember when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selfish hoarder preppers ?
And remember when they said if you would just buy for the next few days or for the week all the inventory would quickly be replenished because the supply chain was A-OK ?
Yeah .
I remember that too .
And guess what ?
Store shelves are still pretty spotty in many parts of the country .
Some places still have limits on how much meat or toilet paper you can buy .
If you go to your local Target , it ’ s difficult to find things like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants continue to close due to outbreaks .
Canned goods are still in high demand .
( source ) And what is affecting us even more is that we still aren ’ t getting the shipments from China that we used to receive .
When all of this began , I posted a list of essentials that we were getting from China which might affect our supplies , and unsurprisingly , many of these items remain difficult to find .
When you can find supplies in your local stores , you may find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more limited than before .
This is pretty startling , but something that I noticed when I spent several months abroad was that most other countries don ’ t have chicken cut in 12 different ways or 47 different brands of laundry detergent .
What feels like a “ shortage ” to us is somewhat normal elsewhere and this is something you can adapt to fairly well .
At the same time , limits on purchases make it incredibly difficult to stock up for the future , and you can also expect to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months ahead unless something happens to change the situation dramatically .
One of the first casualties of the lockdown was the education system .
Most schools simply gave up and didn ’ t continue the school year after the March lockdown .
Colleges and universities turned to distance learning .
Graduations were held virtually , if at all .
The new school year looks a lot different too .
The schools that have reopened for in-person learning have stringent – and somewhat unsettling – social distancing policies .
Many schools are only open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online portals .
( And don ’ t even get my started on the privacy issues this has unlocked – not to mention the overreaction of at least one school so shocked at the sight of a Nerf gun in a boy ’ s room that they called the cops and suspended him . )
Some schools reopened only to close again within a week when a new outbreak erupted .
Huge outbreaks are occurring at universities as ( big surprise ) students party without a lot of regard for social distancing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many classes as possible in an online format .
This is causing many families to question why they ’ re still paying the same exceptionally high prices for the education as they did when everyone spent time in the classroom , used campus facilities , and had the benefit of an active social life .
The US Postal Service has been losing money hand over fist for years .
After the COVID pandemic , it lost a whopping 2.2 billion dollars in the second quarter .
In a recent Senate hearing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not guarantee the ability to deliver mail-in ballots for the November election in a timely manner .
And it isn ’ t just the mail-in ballots that are a problem .
There have recently been massive delays with the mail .
These delays have led to mailed prescription drugs arriving late to patients who depend on them , thousands of dead baby chicks , and shipping delays that are causing unprecedented issues for small businesses that mail products to customers – and 70 % of small businesses use the USPS regularly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ General DeJoy , who donated to President Trump ’ s campaign , for the crisis .
Regardless of the specific cause , it appears a reliable postal service has been yet another systemic casualty .
One recent video even came to light of massive bags of mail simply being dumped in a parking lot .
After the death of George Floyd on May 25 , 2020 , the country erupted .
Protests were widespread .
The organization Black Lives Matter reached peak popularity .
The movement was quickly co-opted and groups like Antifa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protests soon turned into violent riots that saw cities across the country turn into battle zones .
The unrest has lasted for more than three months and shows no signs of slowing down soon .
Armed conflict has broken out in numerous cities .
In fact , a demonstration promising to “ lay siege ” to the White House is planned for later this month through the election .
This goes hand in hand with calls to defund the police in many of the cities where the protests/riots are taking place .
Massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New York City , San Francisco , Washington , DC , Los Angeles , Baltimore , Oakland , Portland , Philadelphia , Hartford , Salt Lake City , and Seattle , just to name a few cities .
( source ) It ’ s important to note that some of these cities have been the sites of extreme upticks in violence , looting , destruction , and arson .
And it isn ’ t just the criminal justice system breaking down .
The court system in general has been on hiatus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ custody hearings .
Civil suits are at a standstill .
Once the courts reopen , the massive backlog will mean even further delays .
The upcoming election is the next broken element of the system .
This year hardly feels like an election year in the first place .
Many people are hesitant to vote in person due to the virus .
The postal service has said they may not be able to get ballots to people on time .
Big rallies are a thing of elections past .
We have yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We probably won ’ t know who won on election night .
In fact , it could be weeks before a winner is announced , and even then , it looks as though Biden and Trump are both intent on questioning the outcome if it isn ’ t in their favor .
In short , it ’ s going to be a huge bone of contention that is likely to escalate the violence discussed above for weeks , if not months .
We could have the fifth contested presidential election in American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that isn ’ t just a possibility , but a likelihood . )
If an already divided country can ’ t agree on who won the election , would that be the final nail in the coffin of our system ?
What can we do ?
A lot of these are “ big circle ” things that are out of our personal realm of control .
We can ’ t do anything about imports from China , we can ’ t stop the riots in Seattle , we can ’ t fix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus our energy on getting as prepared as possible for what promises to be a bumpy road ahead .
And we must also stop focusing on a system that is broken to solve our problems .
Selco wrote : Pieces of the system are tumbling over like one domino after another .
Every stressor added is knocking out more of the system as time goes on .
Do you think the system is fixable or do you believe it is broken beyond repair ?
What do you foresee for the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments .
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging , gun-toting blogger who writes about current events , preparedness , frugality , voluntaryism , and the pursuit of liberty on her website , The Organic Prepper .
She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site , PreppersDailyNews.com .
Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company .
She lives in the mountains of Virginia with her family .
You can find her on Facebook , Pinterest @ @ @ @

Our System Is Crumbling Right In Front of Our Eyes
Daisy Luther, The Organic Pepper
Waking Times
Back in January, when the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to catch globe attention, Selco wrote an article stating, “It’s not the virus you need to worry about. It’s the system.”
Virus or illness on itself might not be a problem in its essence, but the impact that it brings to the system and people might be so huge through the media that it causes the system to stop working in the normal way. So you could find yourself in a collapse not necessarily because of a huge pandemic, but because of the reaction to it. Another case might be the simple unwillingness from the system to admit how bad the situation is in order to stop the panic when folks realized the truth. So, what might bring the system to collapse might be a real pandemic or a reaction to the pandemic (which might or might not be controllable) or simply the government’s poor or late response to the pandemic. (source)
As things were just beginning to unfold, the article took a lot of heat on social media, with people saying Selco didn’t understand how things would go because he is not American and doesn’t know how things work here. Whoops. I guess that’s rather embarrassing in retrospect.
Because here we are, seven months after Selco wrote his warning, and our system is indeed falling apart.
Our system is failing in many ways.
It’s indisputable that our system is now failing in numerous ways. Some of these things directly relate to the virus and the subsequent lockdown, while others are tied to the nonstop riots that have been going on in some areas for more than 100 days. The riots began after the death of George Floyd when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck until he suffocated.
From the economy to the justice system to the infrastructure, our system is grinding to a halt in a variety of manners that stand to completely change the American way of life. Let’s take a look.
The economy
As predicted, our economy took a massive hit when government-mandated lockdowns closed the doors to many businesses. Despite billions of dollars in relief (much of which went to large businesses in an act of crony capitalism), the new economy has been nothing short of disastrous.
Millions of jobs are gone and are never coming back. Millions of small businesses have fallen. Corporate landlords aren’t getting paid rent and mom and pop landlords are being forced by the CDC (that’s right – the Center for Disease Control) to house people who can’t pay their rent, while still maintaining their mortgages.
Obviously, this trickles down to the average American who just wants to go to work and pay his or her bills. If you’ve lost your job, you are now in a heated competition for the few jobs remaining. The effect on the economy was “swift and severe” according to a paper published by the Brookings Institute. Now that the CARES Act financial assistance has run out, more and more families are being pushed into desperate levels of poverty. (If this is happening to you, please check out this article for essential advice on surviving this situation.)
But it goes even further than that – in a puzzling turn of events, our country is running out of coins. Many stores no longer give out change that is less than a dollar. You can choose to donate your change digitally to the charity of the store’s choice or get it back on a store loyalty card. Many people are concerned that this is a push toward a cashless society, something that would cause even more day to day financial problems for people who are already struggling. (And this is not as far-fetched as it might seem – it’s happened in Venezuela, too.)
Consumer inventory
And what about the folks who do have money? Well, spending it might be harder than it used to be.
Remember when the first hints of a looming lockdown occurred and store shelves across the country were emptied? And remember when all the shortages were blamed on those selfish hoarder preppers? And remember when they said if you would just buy for the next few days or for the week all the inventory would quickly be replenished because the supply chain was A-OK?
Yeah. I remember that too. And guess what?
Store shelves are still pretty spotty in many parts of the country. Some places still have limits on how much meat or toilet paper you can buy. If you go to your local Target, it’s difficult to find things like bedding and certain cleaning supplies.
Food plants continue to close due to outbreaks. Canned goods are still in high demand. (source) And what is affecting us even more is that we still aren’t getting the shipments from China that we used to receive. When all of this began, I posted a list of essentials that we were getting from China which might affect our supplies, and unsurprisingly, many of these items remain difficult to find.
When you can find supplies in your local stores, you may find that the selection of options is far more limited than before. This is pretty startling, but something that I noticed when I spent several months abroad was that most other countries don’t have chicken cut in 12 different ways or 47 different brands of laundry detergent. What feels like a “shortage” to us is somewhat normal elsewhere and this is something you can adapt to fairly well.
At the same time, limits on purchases make it incredibly difficult to stock up for the future, and you can also expect to see fewer and fewer choices in the months ahead unless something happens to change the situation dramatically.
Education
One of the first casualties of the lockdown was the education system. Most schools simply gave up and didn’t continue the school year after the March lockdown. Colleges and universities turned to distance learning. Graduations were held virtually, if at all.
The new school year looks a lot different too. The schools that have reopened for in-person learning have stringent – and somewhat unsettling – social distancing policies. Many schools are only open for distance learning via Zoom or other online portals. (And don’t even get my started on the privacy issues this has unlocked – not to mention the overreaction of at least one school so shocked at the sight of a Nerf gun in a boy’s room that they called the cops and suspended him.)
Some schools reopened only to close again within a week when a new outbreak erupted. Huge outbreaks are occurring at universities as (big surprise) students party without a lot of regard for social distancing. Many colleges are fighting this by offering as many classes as possible in an online format. This is causing many families to question why they’re still paying the same exceptionally high prices for the education as they did when everyone spent time in the classroom, used campus facilities, and had the benefit of an active social life.
The postal service
The US Postal Service has been losing money hand over fist for years. After the COVID pandemic, it lost a whopping 2.2 billion dollars in the second quarter. In a recent Senate hearing, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified that they could not guarantee the ability to deliver mail-in ballots for the November election in a timely manner.
And it isn’t just the mail-in ballots that are a problem. There have recently been massive delays with the mail. These delays have led to mailed prescription drugs arriving late to patients who depend on them, thousands of dead baby chicks, and shipping delays that are causing unprecedented issues for small businesses that mail products to customers – and 70% of small businesses use the USPS regularly.
Many have blamed changes made by Postmaster General DeJoy, who donated to President Trump’s campaign, for the crisis.
Regardless of the specific cause, it appears a reliable postal service has been yet another systemic casualty. One recent video even came to light of massive bags of mail simply being dumped in a parking lot.
The legal and criminal justice system
After the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, the country erupted. Protests were widespread. The organization Black Lives Matter reached peak popularity. The movement was quickly co-opted and groups like Antifa and the Occupy movement took over. Protests soon turned into violent riots that saw cities across the country turn into battle zones.
The unrest has lasted for more than three months and shows no signs of slowing down soon. Armed conflict has broken out in numerous cities. In fact, a demonstration promising to “lay siege” to the White House is planned for later this month through the election.
This goes hand in hand with calls to defund the police in many of the cities where the protests/riots are taking place. Massive budget cuts have already occurred in Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia, Hartford, Salt Lake City, and Seattle, just to name a few cities. (source) It’s important to note that some of these cities have been the sites of extreme upticks in violence, looting, destruction, and arson.
And it isn’t just the criminal justice system breaking down. The court system in general has been on hiatus. Family court closures have halted divorce and custody hearings. Civil suits are at a standstill. Once the courts reopen, the massive backlog will mean even further delays.
The wheels have simply stopped turning.
The election
The upcoming election is the next broken element of the system. This year hardly feels like an election year in the first place.
Many people are hesitant to vote in person due to the virus. The postal service has said they may not be able to get ballots to people on time. Big rallies are a thing of elections past. We have yet to see a presidential debate between the candidates. We probably won’t know who won on election night. In fact, it could be weeks before a winner is announced, and even then, it looks as though Biden and Trump are both intent on questioning the outcome if it isn’t in their favor.
In short, it’s going to be a huge bone of contention that is likely to escalate the violence discussed above for weeks, if not months. We could have the fifth contested presidential election in American history. (And I’d say that isn’t just a possibility, but a likelihood.)
If an already divided country can’t agree on who won the election, would that be the final nail in the coffin of our system?
What can we do?
A lot of these are “big circle” things that are out of our personal realm of control. We can’t do anything about imports from China, we can’t stop the riots in Seattle, we can’t fix the postal service.
But we can focus our energy on getting as prepared as possible for what promises to be a bumpy road ahead. And we must also stop focusing on a system that is broken to solve our problems. Selco wrote:
Do not forget one basic fact: you as a prepper/survivalist, at your core, most probably do not trust the system. I am not saying you hate it, but you just do not trust it completely. So, watch the news and announcements. Help if possible, obey if possible (and if it makes sense) but always keep in mind that the system at its core has a very basic obligation: to keep that system running. If that means the system has to lie to you or let’s say, bend the truth, it will do it, because to the system you are an individual, and the system is machinery that needs to run. So, keep some common sense, and trust your gut instinct. (source)
Pieces of the system are tumbling over like one domino after another. Every stressor added is knocking out more of the system as time goes on.
Do you think the system is fixable or do you believe it is broken beyond repair? What do you foresee for the rest of the year? Share your thoughts in the comments.
About the Author
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, gun-toting blogger who writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company. She lives in the mountains of Virginia with her family. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.


thewakingtimes--2020-09-11--The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Decimated Mental Health

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America has had an epidemic of poor health long before SARS-CoV-2 appeared earlier this year .
This is largely a result of industry propaganda influencing their choices of large amounts of processed foods that are high in carbs and industrially processed vegetable oils .
However , over the past several months , several polls discovered more about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response on mental health , and it ’ s not good .
In the featured video , Glenn Greenwald , host of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. social fabric ” and explores the rise in “ deaths of despair ” from drugs and suicide brought on by the pandemic .
Anxiety , Depression and Suicide Are at All-Time Highs Indeed , statistics show rates of depression , anxiety and suicide are currently at an all-time high.1,2 The Kaiser Family Foundation has conducted polls at regular intervals since the beginning of the pandemic .
Here ’ s a quick summary of findings over time : • In the early-April poll,3 45 % of respondents said the pandemic had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” with women ( 49 % ) being more disproportionally affected than men ( 40 % ) .
At the time , 52 % worried they would lose their job , and 85 % worried local businesses would have to permanently close due to loss of revenue .
• The late-July poll4 found that 60 % of American adults still felt that the worst effects of the pandemic were still to come ( down from 74 % in early April5 ) , and 53 % now said that “ worry and stress related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their mental health.
” Of respondents , 4 in 10 reported having trouble affording basic necessities or falling behind on bills .
• Poll results6 published in late August revealed economic hardships have negatively affected many people ’ s mental health “ and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders.
” As in the previous month , 53 % of American adults said their mental health “ has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus ; ” 36 % report having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eating , 12 % report increased alcohol consumption and/or substance use and 12 % report worsening of chronic health conditions due to worry and stress .
Those faring the worst are people sheltering in place , 47 % of whom report negative health effects , compared to 37 % of those not sheltering in place .
Women with children under the age of 18 also report higher rates of mental health problems than male counterparts .
Kaiser Family Foundation reports : “ More than 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. have reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic ( weekly average for May : 34.5 % ; weekly average for June : 36.5 % ; weekly average for July : 40.1 % ) .
” For comparison , from January to June 2019 , the rate of anxiety or depressive disorder was 11 % .
Similarly , a study7 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published August 14 , 2020 , found 40.9 % of the 5,412 respondents reported struggling with anxiety , depression or symptoms of trauma- and stressor-related disorder ( TSRD ) relating to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults reported new or increased substance use as a way to manage stress , and 10.7 % of adults said they ’ d seriously contemplated suicide in the past 30 days .
Unpaid caregivers for adults had the highest rate of suicidal ideation at 30.7 % , followed by young adults , age 18 to 24 ( 25.5 % ) and essential workers ( 21.7 % ) .
Symptoms of trauma- and stressor-related disorder caused by the pandemic , increased substance use and suicidal ideation were all also more prevalent among employed than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Greenwald in the video above , depression and suicide rates were seeing significant increases even before the pandemic , especially among younger people .
This , despite the explosion of social media , where you can stay connected to people across vast distances 24/7 .
This paradoxical result has been taken as evidence that social media simply can not replace actual face-to-face interactions .
We need physical contact .
We need to be able to interact face-to-face .
Between lockdowns and mandatory mask orders , not only has physical contact been extinguished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other ’ s facial expressions when wearing masks .
Both significantly contribute to the feeling of alienation and loneliness .
According to an April 16 , 2020 , report8,9,10 by Express Scripts , an employer-based pharmacy benefit management company , prescriptions for antidepressants have also skyrocketed , rising 34.1 % between mid-February and mid-March , by which time stay at home orders had been issued for many parts of the U.S .
Combined , drugs for anxiety , depression and insomnia rose by 21 % .
Mirroring poll results , far more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with women increasing use by 40 % compared to men , who had a 22.7 % rise in prescriptions.11 June 3 , 2020 , The Food and Drug Administration reported12 that the antidepressant Zoloft had been added to the FDA ’ s list of drugs experiencing shortages due to increased demand .
Increased antidepressant use has also been reported in Queensland , Australia.13 All of this is regrettable , considering studies14,15,16,17,18,19 have repeatedly shown antidepressants work no better than placebo for mild to moderate depression and come with a long list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 systematic review20 that included meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of 131 placebo-controlled studies , all trials were at high risk of bias , thereby rendering their clinical significance “ questionable.
” None of the trials , even when reporting a positive result , met the threshold for clinical significance of three points on the depression score .
The authors also pointed out that “ SSRIs significantly increase the risk of both serious and non-serious adverse events , ” and that “ The potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are also seeing a rise in suicides .
In a July 2020 Buck Institute webinar reported by Townhall,21 CDC director Robert Redfield stated that lockdowns and lack of school attendance have had a disproportionally negative impact on children and teens ’ mental health .
Among high school students — who are at very low risk of dying from COVID-19 — suicides and drug overdoses have surpassed the death rate for COVID-19 .
Townhall pointed out that it ’ s unclear where Redfield got his data,22 but highlighted a May 21 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Dr. Mike deBoisblanc , at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek , California , stated the hospital had “ seen a year ’ s worth of suicide attempts ” in just four weeks .
Trauma nurse Kacey Hansen was also quoted , saying , “ What I have seen recently , I have never seen before .
I have never seen so much intentional injury.
” In March , FirstLink , a company that answers 211 helplines and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for North Dakota and parts of Minnesota , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volume.24 Text conversations with the national Crisis Text Line were also double that of the normal volume during the week of March 15.25 The week of April 20 , which , looking back , coincided with the peak of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. , suicides exceeded COVID-19 deaths in Tennessee,26,27 and in Knox County ( one of the few areas in Tennessee where nonessential businesses were ordered to close ) , eight suicides took place within a span of just 48 hours during the third week of March.28 Meanwhile , only six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state that week .
In a statement , Knoxville , Tennessee , Mayor Glenn Jacobs said:29 A report released in April by The Well Being Trust predicts30 “ deaths of despair ” due to the COVID-19 pandemic may reach as high as 75,000 .
Psycom , which reported the results , noted:31 The article goes on to address what people struggling with nine of the most common mental health problems can do to cope better .
This includes those with anxiety , depression , obsessive-compulsive disorder , substance abuse and eating disorders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-traumatic stress disorder .
For more details about each of those , please refer to the original Psycom article.33 According to data34 released by the CDC August 26 , 2020 , only 6 % of the total COVID-19-related death toll had COVID-19 listed as the sole cause of death on the death certificate .
Six percent of 161,392 is 9,683 .
“ For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19 , on average , there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death , ” the CDC states .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims being listed as COVID-19 deaths , and Table 3 in this August 26 report is granular enough that we can see that a total of 5,133 “ COVID-19-related deaths ” also had “ intentional or unintentional injury , poisoning or other adverse events ” listed on the death certificate .
This number likely also contains suicides where the individual was found to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 , or was suspected of testing positive .
( Please note , these data are accurate as of this writing , as shown in the partial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notate when data are altered as new death certificates come in , so the numbers may therefore be different from what is reported here , depending on when you ’ re looking at it .
For the most up-to-date figures , see the CDC ’ s website.35 ) The Difference Between Being Scared and Being Fearful Fear is the primary emotion that the technocrats are using to manipulate and coerce their tyrannical controls .
It is the most powerful tool at their disposal and highly effective which is why it is being deployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control Fear , ” there ’ s a difference between being scared and being fearful .
Right now , the whole world is holding its proverbial breath in anticipation for what might come next .
It ’ s easy to feel fearful , considering the daily barrage of bad news .
However , understanding the difference between being scared and living in fear can be very helpful , as fear has a paralyzing effect while being scared primarily heightens alertness .
Novel threats raise a person ’ s level of anxiety to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they have the same or similar consequences .
This is thought to be related to activity in your amygdala , which processes emotions.36 Ryan Holiday , media strategist and author of 10 books , including “ The Daily Stoic ” and “ The Obstacle Is the Way , ” writes:37 While fleeting feelings of concern are expected when faced with new experiences , when such feelings are allowed to continuously dominate , paralysis can set in .
To thrive in times of great uncertainty and fear , Holiday stresses the importance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the foundations of courage.38 The difference between being fearful and being scared is that fear paralyzes your ability to evaluate what ’ s happening and to make decisions .
But preparation and information help you to make decisions and act , even when you ’ re scared .
This is the definition of courage — taking action despite being scared .
How to Reduce Fear and Find Courage There are several strategies you can use to reduce fear and find courage .
It is important to begin with the understanding that your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have a life of their own , but rather are dependent on your thinking .
So , one of the strategies you can use to reduce fear is to change the way you think about things .
Yes , we ’ re dealing with many unknowns right now , but focusing on planning and preparation rather than getting locked into panic mode can go a long way toward safeguarding your mental health .
Take the safety precautions you can take , and limit your exposure to the news .
Psychology Today39 recommends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while keeping up with what ’ s going in the world .
Also do your best to apply some critical thinking when reading the news .
It ’ s important to pay careful attention to “ vague or loaded terms , cited statistics , and unstated assumptions.
” In other words , don ’ t accept at face value what ’ s in the news but , rather , consider the information and ask questions about what you ’ re being told .
Other stress- and depression-reducing techniques include:40 When you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have adequate nutrition to function , you ’ re more apt to fall into the trap of fear-based thinking .
Additional nondrug treatment strategies for depression can be found in “ What Does the Best Evidence Say About Antidepressants ?
” A strategy that can provide more immediate results is the use of Emotional Freedom Techniques , or EFT .
In the video above , Julie Schiffman demonstrates a tapping strategy to relieve anxiety and other challenging emotions brought on by news and uncertainty about this pandemic and/or self-quarantining .
If you aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll find a library of demonstrations at “ Basic Steps to Your Emotional Freedom.
” Another alternative is the Neuro-Emotional Technique ’ s First Aid Stress Tool , or NET FAST , demonstrated in the video above .
Firstaidstresstool.com also provides an excellent printable summary with visuals of the technique,41 which even a young child can do .
Here is a summary of the FAST procedure : • While thinking about an issue that is bothering you , place your right wrist , palm up , into your left hand .
Place three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area of your right wrist where you can feel your pulse • Place your open right hand on your forehead .
Gently breathe in and out several times while concentrating on feeling the issue that bothers you If you feel depressed , anxious or creeping despair , please do not hesitate to reach out to family , friends or any of the available suicide prevention services : • Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor • Lifeline Crisis Chat — Chat online with a specialist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suicide prevention services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org • Alternatively , call 911 , or simply go to your nearest Hospital Emergency Department

The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Decimated Mental Health
Dr. Mercola, Guest
Waking Times
America has had an epidemic of poor health long before SARS-CoV-2 appeared earlier this year. This is largely a result of industry propaganda influencing their choices of large amounts of processed foods that are high in carbs and industrially processed vegetable oils.
However, over the past several months, several polls discovered more about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response on mental health, and it’s not good. In the featured video, Glenn Greenwald, host of System Update, discusses the “crumbling of the U.S. social fabric” and explores the rise in “deaths of despair” from drugs and suicide brought on by the pandemic.
Anxiety, Depression and Suicide Are at All-Time Highs
Indeed, statistics show rates of depression, anxiety and suicide are currently at an all-time high.1,2 The Kaiser Family Foundation has conducted polls at regular intervals since the beginning of the pandemic. Here’s a quick summary of findings over time:
• In the early-April poll,3 45% of respondents said the pandemic had disrupted their lives “a lot,” with women (49%) being more disproportionally affected than men (40%). At the time, 52% worried they would lose their job, and 85% worried local businesses would have to permanently close due to loss of revenue. • The late-July poll4 found that 60% of American adults still felt that the worst effects of the pandemic were still to come (down from 74% in early April5), and 53% now said that “worry and stress related to coronavirus has had a negative impact on their mental health.” Of respondents, 4 in 10 reported having trouble affording basic necessities or falling behind on bills. • Poll results6 published in late August revealed economic hardships have negatively affected many people’s mental health “and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders.” As in the previous month, 53% of American adults said their mental health “has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus;” 36% report having trouble sleeping, 32% have trouble eating, 12% report increased alcohol consumption and/or substance use and 12% report worsening of chronic health conditions due to worry and stress. Those faring the worst are people sheltering in place, 47% of whom report negative health effects, compared to 37% of those not sheltering in place. Women with children under the age of 18 also report higher rates of mental health problems than male counterparts. Kaiser Family Foundation reports: “More than 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic (weekly average for May: 34.5%; weekly average for June: 36.5%; weekly average for July: 40.1%).” For comparison, from January to June 2019, the rate of anxiety or depressive disorder was 11%.
Stress Is Taking a Toll, CDC Finds
Similarly, a study7 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published August 14, 2020, found 40.9% of the 5,412 respondents reported struggling with anxiety, depression or symptoms of trauma- and stressor-related disorder (TSRD) relating to the pandemic; 13.3% of American adults reported new or increased substance use as a way to manage stress, and 10.7% of adults said they’d seriously contemplated suicide in the past 30 days.
Unpaid caregivers for adults had the highest rate of suicidal ideation at 30.7%, followed by young adults, age 18 to 24 (25.5%) and essential workers (21.7%). Symptoms of trauma- and stressor-related disorder caused by the pandemic, increased substance use and suicidal ideation were all also more prevalent among employed than unemployed respondents.
Now, as noted by Greenwald in the video above, depression and suicide rates were seeing significant increases even before the pandemic, especially among younger people. This, despite the explosion of social media, where you can stay connected to people across vast distances 24/7.
This paradoxical result has been taken as evidence that social media simply cannot replace actual face-to-face interactions. We need physical contact. We need to be able to interact face-to-face.
Between lockdowns and mandatory mask orders, not only has physical contact been extinguished, but we also cannot see each other’s facial expressions when wearing masks. Both significantly contribute to the feeling of alienation and loneliness.
Antidepressant Use Has Skyrocketed
According to an April 16, 2020, report8,9,10 by Express Scripts, an employer-based pharmacy benefit management company, prescriptions for antidepressants have also skyrocketed, rising 34.1% between mid-February and mid-March, by which time stay at home orders had been issued for many parts of the U.S.
Combined, drugs for anxiety, depression and insomnia rose by 21%. Mirroring poll results, far more women have turned to antidepressants than men, with women increasing use by 40% compared to men, who had a 22.7% rise in prescriptions.11
June 3, 2020, The Food and Drug Administration reported12 that the antidepressant Zoloft had been added to the FDA’s list of drugs experiencing shortages due to increased demand. Increased antidepressant use has also been reported in Queensland, Australia.13
All of this is regrettable, considering studies14,15,16,17,18,19 have repeatedly shown antidepressants work no better than placebo for mild to moderate depression and come with a long list of adverse health effects.
According to a 2017 systematic review20 that included meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of 131 placebo-controlled studies, all trials were at high risk of bias, thereby rendering their clinical significance “questionable.” None of the trials, even when reporting a positive result, met the threshold for clinical significance of three points on the depression score.
The authors also pointed out that “SSRIs significantly increase the risk of both serious and non-serious adverse events,” and that “The potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful effects.”
Suicide Rates Are Spiking
As one would expect, we are also seeing a rise in suicides. In a July 2020 Buck Institute webinar reported by Townhall,21 CDC director Robert Redfield stated that lockdowns and lack of school attendance have had a disproportionally negative impact on children and teens’ mental health. Among high school students — who are at very low risk of dying from COVID-19 — suicides and drug overdoses have surpassed the death rate for COVID-19.
“This is why I keep coming back for the overall social being of individuals,” Redfield said. “Let’s all work together and find out how we can find common ground to get these schools open in a way that people are comfortable and they’re safe.”
Townhall pointed out that it’s unclear where Redfield got his data,22 but highlighted a May 21, 2020, report23 by ABC7 News, in which Dr. Mike deBoisblanc, at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, California, stated the hospital had “seen a year’s worth of suicide attempts” in just four weeks.
Trauma nurse Kacey Hansen was also quoted, saying, “What I have seen recently, I have never seen before. I have never seen so much intentional injury.” In March, FirstLink, a company that answers 211 helplines and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for North Dakota and parts of Minnesota, reported a 300% increase in call volume.24 Text conversations with the national Crisis Text Line were also double that of the normal volume during the week of March 15.25
Isolation and loneliness is bad for our health — both physical and mental … Lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking three-quarters of a pack of cigarettes a day, every day. ~ Psycom
The week of April 20, which, looking back, coincided with the peak of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., suicides exceeded COVID-19 deaths in Tennessee,26,27 and in Knox County (one of the few areas in Tennessee where nonessential businesses were ordered to close), eight suicides took place within a span of just 48 hours during the third week of March.28
Meanwhile, only six patients died from COVID-19 in the entire state that week. In a statement, Knoxville, Tennessee, Mayor Glenn Jacobs said:29
“That number is completely shocking and makes me wonder if what we are doing now is really the best approach. We have to determine how we can respond to COVID-19 in a way that keeps our economy intact, keeps people employed and empowers them with a feeling of hope and optimism — not desperation and despair.”
Isolation Worsens Already Existing Mental Health Issues
A report released in April by The Well Being Trust predicts30 “deaths of despair” due to the COVID-19 pandemic may reach as high as 75,000. Psycom, which reported the results, noted:31
“The research has been clear on this one for years: isolation and loneliness is bad for our health — both physical and mental. According to a meta-analysis co-authored by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking three-quarters of a pack of cigarettes a day, every day.
‘There is robust evidence that social isolation and loneliness significantly increase risk for premature mortality, and the magnitude of the risk exceeds that of many leading health indicators,’ Holt Lunstad says. The coronavirus has obviously exacerbated the problem.”
In a related article, Psycom notes that:32
“The effects of this crisis are more far-reaching than heightened anxiety, which pretty much everyone is feeling. There are also trickle-down effects to those with addiction and behavioral disorders like OCD, ADHD, and substance abuse.
Along with the good that social distancing can do for our own health and society in general, it also increases feelings of isolation, loneliness, stress, and fear — all of which can be triggers that make many mental illnesses infinitely worse.”
The article goes on to address what people struggling with nine of the most common mental health problems can do to cope better. This includes those with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance abuse and eating disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder. For more details about each of those, please refer to the original Psycom article.33
Intentional and Unintentional Deaths Reported by CDC
According to data34 released by the CDC August 26, 2020, only 6% of the total COVID-19-related death toll had COVID-19 listed as the sole cause of death on the death certificate. Six percent of 161,392 is 9,683. “For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death,” the CDC states.
Now, we’ve heard reports of accident victims being listed as COVID-19 deaths, and Table 3 in this August 26 report is granular enough that we can see that a total of 5,133 “COVID-19-related deaths” also had “intentional or unintentional injury, poisoning or other adverse events” listed on the death certificate.
This number likely also contains suicides where the individual was found to test positive for SARS-CoV-2, or was suspected of testing positive. (Please note, these data are accurate as of this writing, as shown in the partial screenshots below. The CDC does not notate when data are altered as new death certificates come in, so the numbers may therefore be different from what is reported here, depending on when you’re looking at it. For the most up-to-date figures, see the CDC’s website.35)
The Difference Between Being Scared and Being Fearful
Fear is the primary emotion that the technocrats are using to manipulate and coerce their tyrannical controls. It is the most powerful tool at their disposal and highly effective which is why it is being deployed.
As explained in “You Can Control Fear,” there’s a difference between being scared and being fearful. Right now, the whole world is holding its proverbial breath in anticipation for what might come next. It’s easy to feel fearful, considering the daily barrage of bad news.
However, understanding the difference between being scared and living in fear can be very helpful, as fear has a paralyzing effect while being scared primarily heightens alertness. Novel threats raise a person’s level of anxiety to a greater degree than familiar threats, even when they have the same or similar consequences. This is thought to be related to activity in your amygdala, which processes emotions.36
Ryan Holiday, media strategist and author of 10 books, including “The Daily Stoic” and “The Obstacle Is the Way,” writes:37
“Being afraid? That’s not fight or flight. That’s paralysis. That only makes things worse. Especially right now. Especially in a world that requires solutions to the many problems we face. They’re certainly not going to solve themselves. And inaction (or the wrong action) may make them worse, it might put you in even more danger. An inability to learn, adapt, to embrace change will too.”
While fleeting feelings of concern are expected when faced with new experiences, when such feelings are allowed to continuously dominate, paralysis can set in. To thrive in times of great uncertainty and fear, Holiday stresses the importance of training, education and preparation, which are the foundations of courage.38
The difference between being fearful and being scared is that fear paralyzes your ability to evaluate what’s happening and to make decisions. But preparation and information help you to make decisions and act, even when you’re scared. This is the definition of courage — taking action despite being scared.
How to Reduce Fear and Find Courage
There are several strategies you can use to reduce fear and find courage. It is important to begin with the understanding that your thoughts engender feelings. Your emotions do not have a life of their own, but rather are dependent on your thinking.
So, one of the strategies you can use to reduce fear is to change the way you think about things. Yes, we’re dealing with many unknowns right now, but focusing on planning and preparation rather than getting locked into panic mode can go a long way toward safeguarding your mental health. Take the safety precautions you can take, and limit your exposure to the news.
Psychology Today39 recommends reducing anxiety by consuming positive news stories while keeping up with what’s going in the world. Also do your best to apply some critical thinking when reading the news.
It’s important to pay careful attention to “vague or loaded terms, cited statistics, and unstated assumptions.” In other words, don’t accept at face value what’s in the news but, rather, consider the information and ask questions about what you’re being told. Other stress- and depression-reducing techniques include:40
Getting enough exercise
Eating whole foods
Limiting sugar
Getting quality sleep
Practicing meditation and mindfulness training
When you’re tired and your body doesn’t have adequate nutrition to function, you’re more apt to fall into the trap of fear-based thinking. Additional nondrug treatment strategies for depression can be found in “What Does the Best Evidence Say About Antidepressants?”
The Emotional Freedom Techniques
http://youtu.be/H9H7XEQ-WN0
A strategy that can provide more immediate results is the use of Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT. In the video above, Julie Schiffman demonstrates a tapping strategy to relieve anxiety and other challenging emotions brought on by news and uncertainty about this pandemic and/or self-quarantining. If you aren’t familiar with EFT you’ll find a library of demonstrations at “Basic Steps to Your Emotional Freedom.”
The NET FAST Technique
Another alternative is the Neuro-Emotional Technique’s First Aid Stress Tool, or NET FAST, demonstrated in the video above. Firstaidstresstool.com also provides an excellent printable summary with visuals of the technique,41 which even a young child can do. Here is a summary of the FAST procedure:
While thinking about an issue that is bothering you, place your right wrist, palm up, into your left hand. Place three fingers of your left hand onto the area of your right wrist where you can feel your pulse Place your open right hand on your forehead. Gently breathe in and out several times while concentrating on feeling the issue that bothers you Switch hands and repeat Steps 1 and 2
Suicide Prevention Resources
If you feel depressed, anxious or creeping despair, please do not hesitate to reach out to family, friends or any of the available suicide prevention services:


thewakingtimes--2020-09-11--Portland, Oregon Becomes First US City To Ban Corporate Use Of Facial Recognition Surveillance

Portland , Oregon Becomes First US City To Ban Corporate Use Of Facial Recognition Surveillance Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
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In a historic move that privacy advocates said must be replicated nationwide , the Portland , Oregon city council on Wednesday unanimously approved a sweeping ban on the use of facial recognition surveillance by public agencies as well as private businesses “ in places of public accommodation.
” Though other major cities across the U.S. have enacted bans on law enforcement use of the notoriously error-prone technology , Portland on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban the use of invasive facial recognition surveillance by private corporations .
The city ’ s public ban ( pdf ) took effect immediately and the private ban ( pdf ) is set to take effect on January 1 , 2021 .
Jann Carson , interim executive director of the ACLU of Oregon , said in a statement late Wednesday that “ with today ’ s vote , the community made clear we hold the real power in this city.
” Fight for the Future deputy director Evan Greer tweeted that “ every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enacting their own bans on corporate use of facial recognition technology , which she described as “ just as dangerous and discriminatory as government and law enforcement use.
” Greer noted that the new ban on use of facial recognition technology by private businesses “ means stores can ’ t use it on their customers , or on people walking by .
It ’ s a huge deal.
” The Portland ordinances were led by Portland ’ s Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Council Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty , who celebrated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most comprehensive facial recognition technology ban.
” “ This is an exciting opportunity to set a national example by protecting the right of privacy of our community members , especially our most vulnerable and over-policed members , ” Hardesty wrote in a series of tweets Wednesday .
“ I refuse to sit back and watch our right to privacy and our civil rights be stripped away so that corporations can make more money.
” Jake Johnson is a staff writer for Common Dreams .
Follow him on Twitter : @ johnsonjakep

Portland, Oregon Becomes First US City To Ban Corporate Use Of Facial Recognition Surveillance
Jake Johnson, Common Dreams
Waking Times
In a historic move that privacy advocates said must be replicated nationwide, the Portland, Oregon city council on Wednesday unanimously approved a sweeping ban on the use of facial recognition surveillance by public agencies as well as private businesses “in places of public accommodation.”
Though other major cities across the U.S. have enacted bans on law enforcement use of the notoriously error-prone technology, Portland on Wednesday became the first American city to ban the use of invasive facial recognition surveillance by private corporations. The city’s public ban (pdf) took effect immediately and the private ban (pdf) is set to take effect on January 1, 2021.
Jann Carson, interim executive director of the ACLU of Oregon, said in a statement late Wednesday that “with today’s vote, the community made clear we hold the real power in this city.”
“We hope the passage of this landmark legislation in Portland will spur efforts to enact statewide legislation that protects Oregonians, across our state, from the broad range of ways that our biometric information is collected, stored, sold, and used without our permission,” said Carson.
Fight for the Future deputy director Evan Greer tweeted that “every city council should follow suit” by enacting their own bans on corporate use of facial recognition technology, which she described as “just as dangerous and discriminatory as government and law enforcement use.”
Greer noted that the new ban on use of facial recognition technology by private businesses “means stores can’t use it on their customers, or on people walking by. It’s a huge deal.”
The bans passed with overwhelming support despite Amazon spending more than $24,000 lobbying against them, along with opposition from local banks and Big Tech industry associations. Its an enormous victory for the global movement to #BanFacialRecognition & end racist surveillance — Evan Greer (@evan_greer) September 9, 2020
Corporate use of facial recognition can be just as dangerous and discriminatory as government and law enforcement use. This technology, like nuclear or biological weapons, poses such a profound threat to humanity that it can’t be regulated. It must be abolished. — Evan Greer (@evan_greer) September 9, 2020
The Portland ordinances were led by Portland’s Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Council Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who celebrated the measures as “the nation’s most comprehensive facial recognition technology ban.” “This is an exciting opportunity to set a national example by protecting the right of privacy of our community members, especially our most vulnerable and over-policed members,” Hardesty wrote in a series of tweets Wednesday. “I refuse to sit back and watch our right to privacy and our civil rights be stripped away so that corporations can make more money.”
About the Author
Jake Johnson is a staff writer for Common Dreams. Follow him on Twitter: @johnsonjakep


thewakingtimes--2020-09-11--‘Unprecedented’ Wildfires Scorch Oregon and Washington, Force Thousands to Flee

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Wildfires raged through Oregon and Washington Monday and Tuesday , prompting evacuations , blanketing Seattle in unhealthy levels of smoke and destroying nearly all of a small Washington farming town .
The town of Malden in eastern Washington lost 80 percent of its structures including its fire station , post office , City Hall and library after a fast-moving blaze roared through on Monday , NPR reported .
As of early Tuesday , there were no reports of injuries from the fire .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 330,000 acres in a 24-hour period , fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation , NBC News reported .
The two largest fires burning in the state are the 174,000-acre Pearl Hill Fire , in Douglas County , and the 163,000-acre Cold Springs Fire near Omak .
Neither was contained at all as of Tuesday ’ s press conference .
The Babbs-Malden Fire , the blaze that destroyed Malden , had spread to 8,943 acres and was also not contained .
West of the cascades , a fire burned through Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and forcing around 100 people to evacuate , The Seattle Times reported .
The wind that drove the fires also carried their smoke into the Seattle area Monday night and Tuesday morning .
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency scientists predict that air quality in the area will remain at “ unhealthy ” or “ unhealthy for sensitive groups ” levels through Wednesday and possibly into Thursday as easterly winds continue to blow .
In neighboring Oregon , wildfires have prompted thousands to flee their homes , ABC News reported .
One of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon .
There were 35 active fires burning more than 367,279 acres in the state , ABC News reported early Wednesday morning .
The fires prompted Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown to issue an emergency conflagration declaration .
This frees up state resources to battle blazes too big for local crews to handle on their own , USA TODAY explained .
The climate crisis has increased fire risk in the Pacific Northwest .
Fires are encouraged by wetter winters that swell vegetation growth and drier summers that dry it out , creating more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Seattle Times .
This weather pattern is expected to increase as the climate warms .
Inslee , who ran for president with a campaign centered on climate action , acknowledged these changes .

‘Unprecedented’ Wildfires Scorch Oregon and Washington, Force Thousands to Flee
Olivia Rosane, EcoWatch
Waking Times
Wildfires raged through Oregon and Washington Monday and Tuesday, prompting evacuations, blanketing Seattle in unhealthy levels of smoke and destroying nearly all of a small Washington farming town.
The town of Malden in eastern Washington lost 80 percent of its structures including its fire station, post office, City Hall and library after a fast-moving blaze roared through on Monday, NPR reported.
“The scale of this disaster really can’t be expressed in words,” Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers said in a statement reported by NPR. “The fire will be extinguished, but a community has been changed for a lifetime. I just hope we don’t find the fire took more than homes and buildings. I pray everyone got out in time.”
Per @PalouseNews these photos show the near total destruction of Malden, Wa. hit by an unbelievably fast wildfire just hours ago. #WAWildfires pic.twitter.com/0yZp4M2sdn — Zach Anders (@ZachAndersTV) September 8, 2020
As of early Tuesday, there were no reports of injuries from the fire.
In the rest of Washington state, fires consumed more than 330,000 acres in a 24-hour period, fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation, NBC News reported.
“More acres burned yesterday than in 12 of the last entire fire seasons in the state of Washington,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a Tuesday press conference, as NBC News reported.
Yesterday, 330,000 acres burned in WA. That’s more than 12 of the last 18 entire fire seasons. In a single day. pic.twitter.com/Op7UEfhTNA — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) September 8, 2020
The two largest fires burning in the state are the 174,000-acre Pearl Hill Fire, in Douglas County, and the 163,000-acre Cold Springs Fire near Omak. Neither was contained at all as of Tuesday’s press conference. The Babbs-Malden Fire, the blaze that destroyed Malden, had spread to 8,943 acres and was also not contained.
West of the cascades, a fire burned through Graham, Washington Monday, destroying six homes and forcing around 100 people to evacuate, The Seattle Times reported.
“You didn’t have time to pack clothes, it was like, get out, now,” 55-year-old construction worker Tim VanBrocklin told The Seattle Times. “It was pretty nasty here, embers flying around our faces.”
A drone shot capturing the destruction and devastation after a brush fire exploded overnight in #Graham. Firefighters from around the Puget Sound are working to contain the fire. pic.twitter.com/lCgmyKD3DK — Graham Fire & Rescue (@GrahamFireWa) September 8, 2020
The wind that drove the fires also carried their smoke into the Seattle area Monday night and Tuesday morning.
“It was so smoky you couldn’t see across the water, you couldn’t see the ferry boats coming across until the last few moments,” Andy Lipscomb, who works in Seattle, told KOMO News Tuesday.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency scientists predict that air quality in the area will remain at “unhealthy” or “unhealthy for sensitive groups” levels through Wednesday and possibly into Thursday as easterly winds continue to blow.
Smoke arrives. #wawx A short animation of satellite images late this afternoon (as downloaded from the excellent CIRA website–the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, in partnership with NOAA and Colorado State University). pic.twitter.com/2EmPJm5uaZ — NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) September 8, 2020
In neighboring Oregon, wildfires have prompted thousands to flee their homes, ABC News reported.
One of those people was Jody Evans of Detroit, Oregon.
“Fire on both sides, winds blowing, ash flying — it was like driving through hell,” Evans told NewsChannel 21. “Did you lose everything, or is the only thing you saved yourself?”
There were 35 active fires burning more than 367,279 acres in the state, ABC News reported early Wednesday morning. The fires prompted Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to issue an emergency conflagration declaration. This frees up state resources to battle blazes too big for local crews to handle on their own, USA TODAY explained.
“This is proving to be an unprecedented and significant fire event for our state, and frankly for the entire West Coast,” Brown said, as USA TODAY reported.
Listen up: We're in an unprecedented fire event. Several significant, growing fires across the state continue to spread due to hot, dry weather & high winds. Oregonians' lives are at risk. Follow evacuation orders, try to reduce your smoke exposure – and take care of each other. pic.twitter.com/t4ZZ7qIViX — Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) September 8, 2020
The climate crisis has increased fire risk in the Pacific Northwest.
“We can’t attribute single fire events to climate change. But the trends in large fire events that have been occurring in the region are consistent with expected trends in a warming climate,” University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences assistant professor Brian Harvey said in April.
Fires are encouraged by wetter winters that swell vegetation growth and drier summers that dry it out, creating more fuel, Washington state climatologist Nick Bond told The Seattle Times. This weather pattern is expected to increase as the climate warms.
Inslee, who ran for president with a campaign centered on climate action, acknowledged these changes.
“This is an unprecedented and heartbreaking event … We’re living in a new world. This is not the old Washington,” Inslee said Tuesday, as The Seattle Times reported. “A fire that you might’ve seen that was going to be OK over time isn’t OK anymore because the conditions are so dry, they’re so hot, they’re so windy — because the climate has changed.”
About the Author
Olivia is a freelance reporter for EcoWatch.


thewakingtimes--2020-09-11--The Science Of Our Collective Memory

The Science Of Our Collective Memory

British scientist Rupert Sheldrake has been speaking about the cutting edge of the new cell biology since 1981 , when he published his groundbreaking book , A New Science of Life : The Hypothesis of Formative Causation .
Despite hostile , ad hominem attacks of his ideas that cell growth is directed by more than mere genetic coding , Sheldrake ’ s critics have produced neither valid arguments nor evidence that counters his laboratory observations and theories .
Sheldrake proposes that ‘ memory ’ is inherent in cells , and that life exhibits “ evolutionary habits , ” a quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from other cells and inherit fields of organization ” and that morphogenesis innately depends on organizing those fields , which he refers to as morphic fields .
For instance , since the genetic basis of cell reproduction is so similar , it is the morphogenetic field of a specific organism that causes the development of a specific shape — a pink flower with five petals as opposed to an Orca Killer Whale or a Colorado Spruce .
The fundamental materialistic views still held by the majority of biologists resist the implications of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But his credentials are impeccable : He is a former Research Fellow of the Royal Society , obtained degrees from both Cambridge and Harvard , and held research directorships and fellowships with prestigious organizations around the world , including California ’ s Institute of Noetic Sciences .
Additionally , he has published over eighty scientific papers , ten books , appears on television shows internationally , and writes for newspapers and magazines regularly .
SuperConsciousness had the great honor of speaking with Dr. Sheldrake about his work , as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
SC : Please explain morphic resonance for our readers .
RUPERT SHELDRAKE : Morphic resonance is the way that things tune into each other .
It works on the basis of similarity , the same principle as ordinary resonance .
For instance , if you push down the loud pedal of a piano and while holding it down you chant “ ooh ” into the piano strings , when you stop singing , the piano will go , “ ooh , ” back .
If you sing a specific pitch , let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” into the strings they will vibrate back that same “ E. ” That ’ s resonance .
Many modern technologies work on resonance ; radio and television are both resonant technologies .
For instance , radio works because we tune into the specific frequency of a particular radio station , say 99.8 on your FM receiver .
However , the room that you are currently standing in is filled with countless frequencies , including radio , television , and mobile phone transmissions .
The reason we do not become overwhelmed is because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific frequencies .
SC : You ’ ve extended the concept of morphic resonance into the biological science of plant and animal development .
SHELDRAKE : Yes .
For example , a chrysanthemum plant , as it develops , it tunes in to past chrysanthemums , and a giraffe , as it develops , tunes in to past giraffes .
The DNA or the genetic material enables each living form to manufacture the correct proteins which are a part of their specific tuning system , just like each radio or television station transmits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electronics to be effective , they require both the correct electronic components as well as the specific tuning between them .
This resonance is also true for the inheritance of form and the instincts in animals .
SC : If plants and animals develop in accordance with an invisible , interconnected , and underlying environmental system of information and frequency , that would mean that their growth is not exclusive to genetic information .
SHELDRAKE : Exactly .
The conventional view tries to cram all the inherited information into the genes , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t do most of the things attributed to them .
What we know they do for sure is to code for the structure of protein molecules .
SC : Is this a living field of information ?
SHELDRAKE : It ’ s a kind of collective memory .
Every member of a species draws upon the collective memory of that species , and in turn , contributes to it .
You could say it ’ s like a collective consciousness , but actually it ’ s more like the collective unconscious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and contributing to it , so it ’ s a bit like the idea of the collective unconscious put forward by the psychologist C.G .
Jung .
I ’ m suggesting that , for example , if somebody learns a new skill , say windsurfing , then the more people that learn it , the easier it becomes for everyone else because of morphic resonance .
However , if you train rats to learn a new trick in one place , like Los Angeles , then rats all over the world should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly because the first group of rats learned it .
That ’ s what I ’ m saying morphic resonance does .
It ’ s the kind of interconnection between all similar organisms across space and time .
It works from the past and connects like a kind of collective memory , and it interconnects all the members of a species .
SC : For the past thirty years , you have received quite of bit of resistance from the general scientific community .
How significantly would the field of science change if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become fully accepted by the scientific as well as general audiences ?
SHELDRAKE : First of all , at the scientific level , the main reason for the resistance is that most scientists are still locked into the materialist paradigm , the doctrine that the only reality is matter .
What my observations indicate is that there ’ s more to nature than matter .
There are also fields , resonant fields within the material systems , and that the so-called laws of nature are not fixed , they ’ re more like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tremendous shift in thinking within science .
Perhaps those ideas would not affect most people that much because they probably don ’ t spend much time thinking about the laws of nature .
But it would be a big shift at the foundations of science and that ’ s why it ’ s so controversial .
SC : Once the shift in fundamental perception occurs , wouldn ’ t it impact the morphic field of most people in addition to scientists ?
SHELDRAKE : Oh yes .
It would affect our entire culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We would begin to think of nature as alive and organic rather than mechanical .
Science ’ s present view of nature is based on the perception that nature is a machine and acts mechanically , whereas I ’ m saying nature is an organism , alive , and possesses a kind of memory .
SC : Once science evolves to accept the evidence of the morphic field , will it become easier for science to integrate a more comprehensive understanding of biological matter as energy , and that fluctuations in energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : What we now understand in science is that activity in nature depends on energy , but energy can take any form .
It ’ s a bit like what the Hindus call Shakti ; it ’ s a kind of undifferentiated push that makes things happen .
The same energy can power a computer , a TV , a hairdryer , or an electric toaster .
It has no form of its own .
I suggest that the form the energy takes is determined , bound with , and organized by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in modern physics that quantum fields organize quantum particles .
We also know there are gravitational fields , electromagnetic fields , and in addition to those fields , there are also morphic fields — fields that organize the form and the behavior of animals and plants .
SC : So you are suggesting then that morphic fields are separate ?
SHELDRAKE : Yes , it ’ s a separate field .
The gravitational field is separate from the electromagnetic field .
It does different things , and quantum fields are different from gravitational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve already got quite a few fields in physics and one of the great challenges since the time of Einstein has been to find a unified field theory that would show how they ’ re all related to each other .
However , physics is primarily concerned with electrons and stars and galaxies , and there ’ s not a lot of attention put into the fields that govern living organisms , plants , ecosystems , etc .
SC : Is that because science perceives that it already understands biological processes ?
SHELDRAKE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the point is they don ’ t .
Biologists think that they can reduce living processes to physics .
Physicists , on the other hand , do not claim that they understand the human mind , for example .
Even within biology no one understands how minds work .
And consciousness continues to be one of the greatest unsolved problems in science .
It ’ s not as if there is a perfectly good theory of consciousness that ’ s not being accepted .
There isn ’ t a good theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m pushing forward a view that the mind is a system of fields .
The fields are in the brain but they extend beyond the brain , just like the field of a magnet is inside the magnet and extends around it .
And the field of your cell phone is inside your cell phone , but it extends far beyond its circuits , invisibly .
I suggest that the mind is totally detached from matter and time and space .
SC : And you see mind as a field as well ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a field .
Our minds extend into space and interconnect us with the environment around us .
One important aspect of it is that we ’ re interconnected with other members of social groups .
Social groups also have morphic fields , for example a flock of birds , or a school of fish , or an ant colony .
The individuals within the larger social groups and the larger social groups themselves have their own morphic fields , their own organizing patterns .
The same is true of humans .
People form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society , such as a football team , for example .
Each player in the team is working as part of a larger whole — the team — and the team works together to score goals .
The connections between members of social groups link them together through the morphic field .
They ’ re interconnected through this field and the field is an invisible interconnection that links them .
It continues to do so even when they ’ re far away .
The next time you are far away from somebody you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form the intention to telephone them .
They may just pick up on that thought and start thinking about you .
Then all of a sudden the phone rings and it ’ s that person .
I call that telephone telepathy , and it is the most common kind of telepathy in the modern world .
It ’ s just another way in which we are all interconnected .

British scientist Rupert Sheldrake has been speaking about the cutting edge of the new cell biology since 1981, when he published his groundbreaking book, A New Science of Life: The Hypothesis of Formative Causation. Despite hostile, ad hominem attacks of his ideas that cell growth is directed by more than mere genetic coding, Sheldrake’s critics have produced neither valid arguments nor evidence that counters his laboratory observations and theories.
Morphic Fields
Sheldrake proposes that ‘memory’ is inherent in cells, and that life exhibits “evolutionary habits,” a quality that Darwin also noted. “Cells come from other cells and inherit fields of organization” and that morphogenesis innately depends on organizing those fields, which he refers to as morphic fields.
For instance, since the genetic basis of cell reproduction is so similar, it is the morphogenetic field of a specific organism that causes the development of a specific shape — a pink flower with five petals as opposed to an Orca Killer Whale or a Colorado Spruce. The fundamental materialistic views still held by the majority of biologists resist the implications of such a hypothesis, despite experimental evidence.
But his credentials are impeccable: He is a former Research Fellow of the Royal Society, obtained degrees from both Cambridge and Harvard, and held research directorships and fellowships with prestigious organizations around the world, including California’s Institute of Noetic Sciences. Additionally, he has published over eighty scientific papers, ten books, appears on television shows internationally, and writes for newspapers and magazines regularly.
An Interview with Rupert Sheldrake
SuperConsciousness had the great honor of speaking with Dr. Sheldrake about his work, as well as the challenges of addressing personal attacks by pseudo-skeptics.
SC: Please explain morphic resonance for our readers.
RUPERT SHELDRAKE: Morphic resonance is the way that things tune into each other. It works on the basis of similarity, the same principle as ordinary resonance. For instance, if you push down the loud pedal of a piano and while holding it down you chant “ooh” into the piano strings, when you stop singing, the piano will go, “ooh,” back. If you sing a specific pitch, let’s say an “E,” into the strings they will vibrate back that same “E.” That’s resonance.
Many modern technologies work on resonance; radio and television are both resonant technologies. For instance, radio works because we tune into the specific frequency of a particular radio station, say 99.8 on your FM receiver. However, the room that you are currently standing in is filled with countless frequencies, including radio, television, and mobile phone transmissions. The reason we do not become overwhelmed is because we are not specifically tuned into their specific frequencies.
SC: You’ve extended the concept of morphic resonance into the biological science of plant and animal development.
SHELDRAKE: Yes. For example, a chrysanthemum plant, as it develops, it tunes in to past chrysanthemums, and a giraffe, as it develops, tunes in to past giraffes.
The DNA or the genetic material enables each living form to manufacture the correct proteins which are a part of their specific tuning system, just like each radio or television station transmits on their specific frequency. For these electronics to be effective, they require both the correct electronic components as well as the specific tuning between them. This resonance is also true for the inheritance of form and the instincts in animals.
SC: If plants and animals develop in accordance with an invisible, interconnected, and underlying environmental system of information and frequency, that would mean that their growth is not exclusive to genetic information.
SHELDRAKE: Exactly. The conventional view tries to cram all the inherited information into the genes, but DNA is grossly overrated. They simply don’t do most of the things attributed to them. What we know they do for sure is to code for the structure of protein molecules.
SC: Is this a living field of information?
SHELDRAKE: It’s a kind of collective memory. Every member of a species draws upon the collective memory of that species, and in turn, contributes to it. You could say it’s like a collective consciousness, but actually it’s more like the collective unconscious. We’re always tuning into it and contributing to it, so it’s a bit like the idea of the collective unconscious put forward by the psychologist C.G. Jung.
I’m suggesting that, for example, if somebody learns a new skill, say windsurfing, then the more people that learn it, the easier it becomes for everyone else because of morphic resonance. However, if you train rats to learn a new trick in one place, like Los Angeles, then rats all over the world should be able to learn the trick more quickly because the first group of rats learned it.
That’s what I’m saying morphic resonance does. It’s the kind of interconnection between all similar organisms across space and time. It works from the past and connects like a kind of collective memory, and it interconnects all the members of a species.
SC: For the past thirty years, you have received quite of bit of resistance from the general scientific community. How significantly would the field of science change if your ideas about morphic resonance were to become fully accepted by the scientific as well as general audiences?
SHELDRAKE: First of all, at the scientific level, the main reason for the resistance is that most scientists are still locked into the materialist paradigm, the doctrine that the only reality is matter. What my observations indicate is that there’s more to nature than matter. There are also fields, resonant fields within the material systems, and that the so-called laws of nature are not fixed, they’re more like habits.
These ideas would require a tremendous shift in thinking within science. Perhaps those ideas would not affect most people that much because they probably don’t spend much time thinking about the laws of nature. But it would be a big shift at the foundations of science and that’s why it’s so controversial.
SC: Once the shift in fundamental perception occurs, wouldn’t it impact the morphic field of most people in addition to scientists?
SHELDRAKE: Oh yes. It would affect our entire culture and the way we think of nature. We would begin to think of nature as alive and organic rather than mechanical. Science’s present view of nature is based on the perception that nature is a machine and acts mechanically, whereas I’m saying nature is an organism, alive, and possesses a kind of memory.
SC: Once science evolves to accept the evidence of the morphic field, will it become easier for science to integrate a more comprehensive understanding of biological matter as energy, and that fluctuations in energy affect the materiality of life?
SHELDRAKE: What we now understand in science is that activity in nature depends on energy, but energy can take any form. It’s a bit like what the Hindus call Shakti; it’s a kind of undifferentiated push that makes things happen. The same energy can power a computer, a TV, a hairdryer, or an electric toaster. It has no form of its own.
I suggest that the form the energy takes is determined, bound with, and organized by the fields. For instance, we know in modern physics that quantum fields organize quantum particles. We also know there are gravitational fields, electromagnetic fields, and in addition to those fields, there are also morphic fields — fields that organize the form and the behavior of animals and plants.
SC: So you are suggesting then that morphic fields are separate?
SHELDRAKE: Yes, it’s a separate field. The gravitational field is separate from the electromagnetic field. It does different things, and quantum fields are different from gravitational fields and electromagnetic fields. We’ve already got quite a few fields in physics and one of the great challenges since the time of Einstein has been to find a unified field theory that would show how they’re all related to each other. However, physics is primarily concerned with electrons and stars and galaxies, and there’s not a lot of attention put into the fields that govern living organisms, plants, ecosystems, etc.
SC: Is that because science perceives that it already understands biological processes?
SHELDRAKE: Yes, they think they do, but the point is they don’t. Biologists think that they can reduce living processes to physics.
Physicists, on the other hand, do not claim that they understand the human mind, for example. Even within biology no one understands how minds work. And consciousness continues to be one of the greatest unsolved problems in science. It’s not as if there is a perfectly good theory of consciousness that’s not being accepted. There isn’t a good theory at all within physics.
I’m pushing forward a view that the mind is a system of fields. The fields are in the brain but they extend beyond the brain, just like the field of a magnet is inside the magnet and extends around it. And the field of your cell phone is inside your cell phone, but it extends far beyond its circuits, invisibly. I suggest that the mind is totally detached from matter and time and space.
SC: And you see mind as a field as well?
SHELDRAKE: Yes, it’s a field. Our minds extend into space and interconnect us with the environment around us. One important aspect of it is that we’re interconnected with other members of social groups. Social groups also have morphic fields, for example a flock of birds, or a school of fish, or an ant colony. The individuals within the larger social groups and the larger social groups themselves have their own morphic fields, their own organizing patterns. The same is true of humans.
People form all sorts of social groups within modern society, such as a football team, for example. Each player in the team is working as part of a larger whole — the team — and the team works together to score goals. The connections between members of social groups link them together through the morphic field. They’re interconnected through this field and the field is an invisible interconnection that links them. It continues to do so even when they’re far away.
The next time you are far away from somebody you know well, think about them and form the intention to telephone them. They may just pick up on that thought and start thinking about you. Then all of a sudden the phone rings and it’s that person. I call that telephone telepathy, and it is the most common kind of telepathy in the modern world. It’s just another way in which we are all interconnected.