From the session: "The Neuroscience of Art:

What are the Sources of Creativity and Innovation?" (February 21 to 26, 2015)

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In recent years, there have been an increasing number of scientific investigations into art, exploring what actually happens in the brain during the creative process. Most of these collaborations have been based in neuroscience and psychological approaches to how art is perceived, produced and created, with music the main focus of studies carried out to date. These studies have yielded important new information that relates to a very basic fact of human biology: all behavior, even that as complex as creativity, can be linked to brain function. Building on this fundamental linkage, the neurobiology of art promises to yield exciting new insights as this research field evolves. Creative behavioral patterns are likely to be a critical component for developing the neurological capacity for innovation.

This Salzburg Global program represents a pioneering step to establish a neutral international forum to discuss state-of-the-art findings from a cross-disciplinary perspective, prioritize future research, and expand creative opportunities for learning, innovation and collaboration. While much research is taking place in various national and regional settings, more global dialogue is needed between specialist silos in order to catalyze knowledge exchange around the results, implications and potential practical applications of new cutting-edge research.

You must have learned about the multiple benefits of krill oil. The benefits are far better compared to fish oil. If you have made up your mind to get krill oil then be assured of the superlative supplement. Krill oil in the purest form works best. The krill harvested from the cold waters of Antarctic Ocean have shown remarkable health benefits. Krill is therefore contamination free of the harmful chemicals.

You should order the best krill oil supplement online. The krill oil supplement purchased from the local health store can be 2/3 times expensive compared to the online deals. You will find the krill oil supplements sold online by reputed companies offer the ideal price for it.

click to know about krill oil supplements

Krill oil supplements are sold in capsule form. The dosage is usually for one month. The krill oil supplements are capable of maintaining the regular blood pressure, therefore lowering the risk of having heart attack, strokes, and high cholesterol levels. Presence of Omega3 also aids in brain function, inflammation, eyesight and PMS conditions.

Krill oil supplements are destined to keep you in the best of health. This is the healthiest choice for a problem free life. Simply consult the doctor before taking them to know if you are allergic to sea foods. The key to safeguard your health can be easily accessed online.

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Warning labels should identify all electrical components and mark and address both shock (voltage) and arc flash hazards. Shock occurs upon contact of a (human) body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Arc flash is a short circuit through the air. The concentrated radiant energy explodes outward from the electrical equipment, and can spread hot gases, melt metal, and creating pressure waves that can damage hearing, eye sight or brain function.

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Schedule change

Back to the darkness

Hate workin swings

But

you do what you have to

right?

Silver Lining?

The drive home is incredible

It's so relaxing and peaceful

and

I get to speeeeeeeed!!!

Woooo!

I do love the fast.

LOL

I wish they had night school for the kids

it would have been perfect!

I would have worked nights forever

I'm so much more alive in the night

I don't know why

but even my brain functions better

higher frequency?

who knows but I feel more vital

more aware

I'm working right now

as usual

I miss the monitoring

I loved doing that

I think I was good at it

The nearest monitoring center around here

is in Austin

So, I'm considering another move

but

that takes me from family.... again

If I'm going to do that then I might as well move home

I don't know

I feel the crazy.

I want to do something that matters

That's a vital, positive aspect to my community

I don't think playing tech for cable/ inet

is vital

then again maybe I'm being petty

helping is helping right?

It's been a long week

I think it's starting to affect me processes

and

someone is sneaking into my car when I'm at work

they like to draw naughty pictures

on my windshield

for me to find in the light

LOL

which is funny

except I have no clue who it is

or how they are getting in

I'm anal about locking my doors

sooooo

WTF?

Nothings been taken, added or moved

just stuff on my windshield

It's odd

Maybe Fang is effing with me

but

it doesn't seem in his nature

and I would have expected him to have spilled by now

Still.....

My biggest issue is the how

ok fine and the why

I just can't figure it out

and

I think I've mentioned before

I'm obsessive

I think I would have made a great detective

LOL

Then I could focus on solving useful

people type riddles.

Ahahahaha

I'm rambling agian

10 more minute to break!!!

Woooooo!

And I get to nom nom the turkey with family

this year!!

Dude you have no idea how excited I am!!!

My favorite cousin that I haven't seen in years

is coming down

I am pysched!

You always reminded me a bit of him

I think you guys would have gotten along

(If you don't feel like reading the following I should tell you now that this is way cooler larger on black.)

*****************************************************

This is a fairly decent - though by no means perfect - illustration of how my attention span typically operates.

When I want to do something, learn something, build something, write something, or even just ponder something, the actual amount of time I spend is fairly small relative to what generally is considered "normal" - however during that time my focus is far greater relative to the same, & my productivity is explosive.

Unfortunately, most social institutions in which progress is required are not designed to work with this system of development.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd) really isn't appropriately-named; there isn't any real deficit of attention - in fact we have quite an impressive amount - it's just distributed differently. I liken the difference in distribution (specifically of attention span) to runners: particularly long-distance runners vs sprinters.

Assume for this example each one is adept only at their respective style. Those of us with adhd more closely resemble the sprinters in that our attention doesn't tend to last very long, but during that time our attention is intense, solid, & damn near impenetrable - a state referred to as hyperfocus. However, when we try to run longer distances at a reasonable pace - or moderately focus on one topic for extended periods of time - it can present us with varying degrees of difficulty. As I said: we typically have around the same amount of attention as anyone else, our brains simply distribute it in different ways. And when you think about it, that in itself really isn't a problem - or a disorder - at all. Something is a disorder in the technical sense only when it creates a problem in ones life.

The difficulty here is that the cultures in which most of us live today are optimized for slow & steady long-distance runners (I'm not suggesting you're a slow thinker if you don't have adhd, but moderate & steady just sounded too strange), or people whose brains generally function at moderate paces for extended periods of time (also, I'm not equating moderately-paced brain functions with intelligence here, I'm simply using the image to differentiate those whose brains operate at wildly different paces from those whose brains operate at steady paces).

Think about that for a moment: schools are designed to grow our knowledge gradually over long periods of time; most "standard" jobs/careers require us to make a little bit of progress on everything each day; we're taught that slow & steady always wins the race. But the turtle didn't beat the rabbit because the rabbit was quick & sporadic; he beat the rabbit because the rabbit managed to completely forget about the damn race.

The turtle beat the rabbit because the rabbit was a cocky dumbass.

Had the rabbit only understood he had adhd & actually focused on the race in his own way (without falling asleep in the middle of it - a trait attributed more to cocky dumbassery rather than adhd), all other things equal, they probably would have tied.

Measurements Approx.

Height - 3.6 cm

Width - 4.9 cm

Length - 8.5 cm

Zeolite is formed from a group of minerals that commonly occur together. It may be colourless, clear, white, and blue or peach. Apophyllite, Okenite, Pectolite, Prehnite and Stilbite are all in the Zeolite group and are commonly from India.

Commonly white or colourless, and sometimes though rarely green Apophyllite often appears in cubic or pyramidal shapes. Most Specimens come from India but can also be found in Italy, Germany, Iceland, Greenland and Brazil.

Pyramidal crystals are said to aid rejuvenation of the body, while both pyramidal and cubic are said to be good for travel, truth and brain function.

www.london-fossils-crystals.co.uk/pink-zeolite-with-apoph...

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

From the session: "The Neuroscience of Art:

What are the Sources of Creativity and Innovation?" (February 21 to 26, 2015)

---

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of scientific investigations into art, exploring what actually happens in the brain during the creative process. Most of these collaborations have been based in neuroscience and psychological approaches to how art is perceived, produced and created, with music the main focus of studies carried out to date. These studies have yielded important new information that relates to a very basic fact of human biology: all behavior, even that as complex as creativity, can be linked to brain function. Building on this fundamental linkage, the neurobiology of art promises to yield exciting new insights as this research field evolves. Creative behavioral patterns are likely to be a critical component for developing the neurological capacity for innovation.

This Salzburg Global program represents a pioneering step to establish a neutral international forum to discuss state-of-the-art findings from a cross-disciplinary perspective, prioritize future research, and expand creative opportunities for learning, innovation and collaboration. While much research is taking place in various national and regional settings, more global dialogue is needed between specialist silos in order to catalyze knowledge exchange around the results, implications and potential practical applications of new cutting-edge research.

From the session: "The Neuroscience of Art:

What are the Sources of Creativity and Innovation?" (February 21 to 26, 2015)

---

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of scientific investigations into art, exploring what actually happens in the brain during the creative process. Most of these collaborations have been based in neuroscience and psychological approaches to how art is perceived, produced and created, with music the main focus of studies carried out to date. These studies have yielded important new information that relates to a very basic fact of human biology: all behavior, even that as complex as creativity, can be linked to brain function. Building on this fundamental linkage, the neurobiology of art promises to yield exciting new insights as this research field evolves. Creative behavioral patterns are likely to be a critical component for developing the neurological capacity for innovation.

This Salzburg Global program represents a pioneering step to establish a neutral international forum to discuss state-of-the-art findings from a cross-disciplinary perspective, prioritize future research, and expand creative opportunities for learning, innovation and collaboration. While much research is taking place in various national and regional settings, more global dialogue is needed between specialist silos in order to catalyze knowledge exchange around the results, implications and potential practical applications of new cutting-edge research.

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Yuvika Brahmi Booti - Bacopa Monnieri Linn - Centella Asiatica Linn - Indian Pennywort

www.yuvikaherbs.com

Bacopa monnieri, also called brahmi, water hyssop, thyme-leaved gratiola, and herb of grace, is a staple plant in traditional Ayurvedic medicine.

Bacopa monnieri has been used by Ayurvedic medical practitioners for centuries for a variety of purposes, including improving memory, reducing anxiety, and treating epilepsy.

Benefits -

Contains powerful antioxidants

reduce inflammation

boost brain function

help reduce ADHD symptoms

prevent anxiety and stress

help lower blood pressure levels

have anticancer properties

Thanks

Vikas Petwal

Teaffaire Darjeeling Green tea has loads of health benefits:

It is rich in polyphenols which reduces inflammation.

It is an excellent source of anti-oxidants that helps to fight various forms of cancer.

The presence of stimulants helps to keep the brain active and has anti-anxiety effects too.

Not just improvement of brain function but green tea also lowers the risk of developing neurogenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Dementia etc.

It helps in boosting up the rate of metabolism, thus reduces body weight.

Catechins present in the tea helps to maintain dental health by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria.

It improves the insulin sensitivity of the body and reduces blood sugar level, thus lowering the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

It decreases the levels of total and LDL cholesterol and protects you from cardiovascular diseases.

Stimulates hair growth

Boosts immunity

Helps to cure hangovers. So the next time you come from a party with a feeling of lightheadedness, just have a cup of green tea!

The anti-oxidants help to clear your skin and even reduces acne.

From the session: "The Neuroscience of Art:

What are the Sources of Creativity and Innovation?" (February 21 to 26, 2015)

---

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of scientific investigations into art, exploring what actually happens in the brain during the creative process. Most of these collaborations have been based in neuroscience and psychological approaches to how art is perceived, produced and created, with music the main focus of studies carried out to date. These studies have yielded important new information that relates to a very basic fact of human biology: all behavior, even that as complex as creativity, can be linked to brain function. Building on this fundamental linkage, the neurobiology of art promises to yield exciting new insights as this research field evolves. Creative behavioral patterns are likely to be a critical component for developing the neurological capacity for innovation.

This Salzburg Global program represents a pioneering step to establish a neutral international forum to discuss state-of-the-art findings from a cross-disciplinary perspective, prioritize future research, and expand creative opportunities for learning, innovation and collaboration. While much research is taking place in various national and regional settings, more global dialogue is needed between specialist silos in order to catalyze knowledge exchange around the results, implications and potential practical applications of new cutting-edge research.

From the session: "The Neuroscience of Art:

What are the Sources of Creativity and Innovation?" (February 21 to 26, 2015)

---

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of scientific investigations into art, exploring what actually happens in the brain during the creative process. Most of these collaborations have been based in neuroscience and psychological approaches to how art is perceived, produced and created, with music the main focus of studies carried out to date. These studies have yielded important new information that relates to a very basic fact of human biology: all behavior, even that as complex as creativity, can be linked to brain function. Building on this fundamental linkage, the neurobiology of art promises to yield exciting new insights as this research field evolves. Creative behavioral patterns are likely to be a critical component for developing the neurological capacity for innovation.

This Salzburg Global program represents a pioneering step to establish a neutral international forum to discuss state-of-the-art findings from a cross-disciplinary perspective, prioritize future research, and expand creative opportunities for learning, innovation and collaboration. While much research is taking place in various national and regional settings, more global dialogue is needed between specialist silos in order to catalyze knowledge exchange around the results, implications and potential practical applications of new cutting-edge research.

Sheri Kennedy’s original acrylic paintings and prints reflect her love of nature, especially landscapes and flowers. She finds relaxation and healing in painting, and currently teaches others to paint through the Cancer Center at Lowell General Hospital and The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden.

Sheri is a professionally trained artist, graphic designer and educator turned Creativity Consultant from Watertown, MA. She is the President and Founder of Art-Think. Art-Think creativity workshops are designed to increase brain function, reduce stress, and teach people how to access their innate creative abilities. Art-Think workshops integrate mind-body techniques, visual art, and problem-solving techniques.

Sheri holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Connecticut, a Ed. M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and recent coursework in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University.

Visit Art-Think online at: www.art-think.com.

This artist was on display in the WFPL T. Ross Kelly Family Gallery in March 2013.

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Master gave Cealy her last exam today! Cealy is freee!

Half way into the exam I started getting sassy with my answers, which probably doesn’t bode well for the result. Afterwards Orrana and I commiserated over Thai food. Later (much later, it took a bloody hour and a half to do a 20 minute trip home from the exam), Emme, me and the boys partook in some trivia. Three of us had had exams that day, so brain function wasn’t at its peak.

Olivia Pereira, a senior, works with Dr. David Burdick, professor of Psychology, in Stockton's EEG Lab. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a brain imaging technique that records electrical activity along the scalp to help researchers gain a better understanding of how the brain functions.

From the session: "The Neuroscience of Art:

What are the Sources of Creativity and Innovation?" (February 21 to 26, 2015)

---

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of scientific investigations into art, exploring what actually happens in the brain during the creative process. Most of these collaborations have been based in neuroscience and psychological approaches to how art is perceived, produced and created, with music the main focus of studies carried out to date. These studies have yielded important new information that relates to a very basic fact of human biology: all behavior, even that as complex as creativity, can be linked to brain function. Building on this fundamental linkage, the neurobiology of art promises to yield exciting new insights as this research field evolves. Creative behavioral patterns are likely to be a critical component for developing the neurological capacity for innovation.

This Salzburg Global program represents a pioneering step to establish a neutral international forum to discuss state-of-the-art findings from a cross-disciplinary perspective, prioritize future research, and expand creative opportunities for learning, innovation and collaboration. While much research is taking place in various national and regional settings, more global dialogue is needed between specialist silos in order to catalyze knowledge exchange around the results, implications and potential practical applications of new cutting-edge research.

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

via

Sleeping should be the easiest, most natural thing in the world for us. Yet, more than 100 Million people in the U.S. alone suffer from poor sleeping cycles, meaning they struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep and suffer with long-term sleeping disorders.

Recent studies show that both sleep quality and quantity have declined over the past few decades. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 33% of American adults do not get the recommended 7 hours of sleep compared to 10% just 70 years ago.

Sleep is necessary for our bodies to function properly. Think about what an occasional night without sleep makes you feel the next day. Most people feel grumpy, irritable, rundown, and exhausted.

Adequate sleep is a necessary human function that affects our immune system, brain function, ability to lose weight, cardiovascular health, and productivity.

How do you get the best nights sleep ever?

· Cultivate soothing pre-sleep routine

Cultivating a pre-bed routine is the best way to wind slow down your body and prime it for sleep. With the routine, you will establish a clear association between certain habits and sleep – this lets your brain and muscles know that it’s time to decompress.

Think about the things you do before you turn in for the night. If you’re doing overly stimulating things, you might have more trouble falling asleep. Instead, find a relaxing activity and set at least 30 minutes aside before bed. This may include; reading, listening to relaxing music and deep breathing exercises or even knitting. Follow with other usual pre-bed activities such as washing your face/bathing, nightwear and brushing your teeth.

·Progressive muscle relaxation

This is a simple exercise which involves tightening and relaxing one muscle group at a time. Lie on your bed to increase your chances of falling asleep. Start with your feet and work your way towards your neck- tensing and releasing each muscle. You should be able to feel your muscles relax and become loose. By the time you get to your neck, your body and mind will be relaxed enough to fall into your best nights sleep ever.

·Block out distractions

Decluttering your mind is an absolute prerequisite for sleep. Mental chatter such as worries over money and time make it hard for you to fall asleep. Engage your mind in repetitive mental exercises such as counting down from 100, alphabetizing and reciting your favorite quotes or lyrics. This will quiet your mind and help you sleep faster.

· Practice Journaling

Write down your thoughts, feelings, and worries before sleep. According to a study conducted by Journal of Experimental Psychology, writing in a journal 15 minutes before bed helps you to worry less at bedtime and achieve better sleep. In addition, writing down your sleep quality such as dreams and length of sleep and how well you rested also helps the quality of sleep you get. A sleep diary will help you recognize patterns in your sleep that need improving. How can I sleep better at night naturally?

·Find the underlying cause

There are many reasons that could be wrecking your sleep including; high-stress levels, relationship stress, illness, pain, over-reliance on technology, depression and more. Finding out what might be causing your sleep problems is the first step to a better nights sleep.

·Stick to a sleep schedule

Your body has a regulatory system called the circadian rhythm. It’s like an internal clock which helps your body feel energized and drowsy around the same times every day. Having the same sleeping habits such as a set bedtime ritual,where bedtime and wake up time is the same helps regulates your internal clock and stay asleep for the night.

·Relaxation techniques take steps to manage stress

The right amount of stress helps us to do our best, keep alert and be energetic. However, too much stress during the day can cause sleepless nights. Stress, anxiety, and depression which are the most common causes of insomnia.

For you to have better sleep at night, it is important to learn how to sort out worries, anxiety, and concerns. Practicing mindfulness, meditation, light yoga and pirate stretches can help you reduce stress before bed and sleep better.

·Pro-sleep foods

There are many foods that contain naturally occurring substances which relax your muscles and encourage sleeping better. Consider adding having some of the following foods and drinks before bed; almonds, whole grain crackers, salmon, bananas, cherries and, passionflower tea, and low-fat warm milk. It is also important to watch what you eat before we sleep. Avoid spicy foods, fried foods, sugary cereal, hot sauce, coffee and soda before bed as they make it a lot harder for you to fall asleep.

·Exercise

Recent studies show that physical activity improves the sleep of people with chronic insomnia and sleep apnea. Regular exercise reduces stress levels and improves anxiety disorder- common causes of sleep problems.

Exercising in the afternoon is particularly helpful. Exercise increases your body temperature and the temperature drop after exercising will help you fall asleep at night. Studies have also shown that exercise increases the time you spend in deep sleep.

It is important to note that vigorous exercises before bed and overtraining can lead to sleep difficulties. You can perform moderate aerobic exercises before you go to sleep. Mind-body exercises such as stretching and yoga contribute to more restful sleep by helping you to relax.

What are the best conditions to improve your sleeping?

·Organized, clutter-free bedroom

Having a clean, sleep hygiene, organized bedroom waiting for you makes bedtime more enticing. Get rid of all clutter in your bedroom. Clutter around where you sleep will make you stressed. A clean space also allows you to breathe more easily.

Consider rearranging the furniture and clear dirty laundry off the floor. This will create more space to put your mind at ease. While you’re at it, wash your pillows, bed sheets and clean your mattress. Do this in spring to get rid of allergens and dust mites. The result will be less sneezing, itching, and congestion and therefore, less trouble sleeping.

·Dark and quiet room

Our bodies are affected by both light and dark environments. On the one hand daylight, hours naturally power our brain signaling to us when it’s time to wake and on the other hand dark environments signal it’s time to rest.

· Create a good bedroom environment

However, modern living exposes to unnatural light sources such as bulbs, smartphones, e-readers, televisions and more. This causes our brain to repress the production of melatonin- sleep hormone and makes it harder for us to fall asleep. It is therefore important to avoid harsh lights before bedtime.

Noise is also another big distraction. Your sleep environment should be dark and quiet. Try installing low-wattage incandescent lamps or a dimmer switch in your bedroom. Get rid of any devices and technology (including T.V.) that may be keeping you awake and clear any sound or disruptions before bed.

·Optimum room temperature

Hot and cold rooms can seriously affect how you sleep- you are more likely to wake during the night if your bedroom uncomfortably hot or cold. Your body cools down when getting into sleep mode and sleeping in a cool environment will your body maintain the low temperature. The ideal sleeping temperature for adults should be 16-18C (60-65F) while young children and elderly people may require a slightly warmer environment.

How can I get deep sleep at night?

The deep sleep stage is when your body and brain waves slow down. It is an important part of the sleep cycle is the restorative sleep state where muscles receive more blood supply, body tissues are repaired and energy levels are recharged. It’s important for maintaining, repairing, and rejuvenating your body and brain. Since deep sleep is elusive, here are some ways you can achieve the deep sleep stage;

·Use Pink noise

Pink noise is a natural-sounding mix of high and low-frequency sounds. A recent study showed that pink noise significantly increased deep sleep and enhances the brain activity associated with deep sleep. Other studies have shown that pink noise also improves sleep quality and induces more stable sleep.

·Adjust your sleep position

Fetal position (side sleeping) is the best sleeping position. It allows the spine to straighten out, lowers your heart rate, increases blood flow and reduces constipation. In addition, side sleeping takes pressure off your lower back and helps you achieve the deep stage in your sleep.

·Take a warm bath before bed

A warm bath raises your body temperature and the subsequent cooling down tricks your body into thinking you have gone from daytime into night-time relaxing you for the best nights sleep. Sleep cycle follows cooling phase of your body’s temperature cycle and getting a hot bath will help you get into the deep sleep stage faster. The biggest benefits of a really good nights sleep

·Strengthens immune system

Sleep is one of the best ways to strengthen your immune system and fight off disease. Your body needs sleep to regenerate infection-fighting cells and antibodies. This is why people who don’t get enough/quality sleep are more prone to get sick after being exposed to bacteria and viruses such as the common cold virus. Furthermore, lack of sleep is associated with diabetes, heart disease, poor immune systems, and poor mental health.

·Restores energy

A good night’s sleep will restore energy and replenishes your body. The deep sleep stage dramatically recharges our energy levels in the brain regions that are normally active during waking hours. In addition, sleep decreases your energy metabolism and conserves it for when you need it the most needed.

·Enhances brain function and improves memory

Sleep triggers different changes which strengthen connections between nerve cells and the brain. Your brain consolidates learned experiences and transforms weak, short term memories time into more permanent fixtures.

·Reduces Stress

A good night’s sleep is important for lowering anxiety and stress levels in the body. Sleeping is the best way to recharge and remove your day’s stress. However, too much stress can also affect the quality of sleep you get at night.

·Promotes skin health and youthful appearance

Quality sleep and healthy sleeping is important for skin health. Poor sleep can lead to increased inflammation hurting your skin’s quality or causing skin conditions such as acne or psoriasis.

Your body’s hydration also rebalances while you are sleeping. This enables your skin to recover any lost moisture while excess water is removed. Poor water balance due to lack of sleep can lead to dry, flaky skin, and under-eye circles and more visible wrinkles.

Simply having a bedtime routine and adding a daily melatonin supplement can help with sleep deprivation and help restore the disrupted sleep you are suffering from.

On top of this a luxury bed linen like our Jersey Knit TShirt bedding can also help as luxury sleep aids.

from The T-Shirt Bed Co www.tshirtbed.eu/your-ultimate-guide-to-the-best-sleep-ever/ tshirtbedeurope.tumblr.com/post/182396392422

Last week when I came home I found a box of Californian walnuts waiting for me. It was a pleasant surprise and it had been packed very nicely. The walnuts were in a wooden box and along with it I found a book titled “California Walnuts Nutrition and Health” by Geetu Amarnani, a Nutritionist and Lifestyle Management Consultant.

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I found the book to be very interesting as I got to know about the benefits of walnuts and various recipes and preparations through which I can incorporate walnuts in my daily diet.

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According to Dr. H.K Chopra an ounce i.e. 28 g of walnuts a day keep many ailments like cardiac attacks at bay. They reduce LDL bad cholesterol and give 2.5 gms of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per serving and are the richest source of omega -3 fatty acids which are not manufactured by our body and obtained though diet.

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Walnuts contain other minerals and vitamins like magnesium and phosphorus, which are important minerals in energy metabolism, bone health and regulating heart rhythm. Walnuts are a rich source of antioxidants as compared to any other nut. Not just that, Californian walnuts are delicious and eating 1.5 ounce per day promotes heart health, raises HDL cholesterol, decreases blood pressure, and improves the arterial function so as a result making them an essential food for reducing cardiovascular risk. Moreover research has proved that incorporating the right type of fat especially the type found in walnuts is important and helpful to people with diabetes as walnuts help in managing the metabolic syndrome which increases the risk for coronary disease, stroke, liver and kidney diseases and type-2 diabetes.

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According to Geetu Amarnani an ounce i.e. a handful of walnuts provide 4 g of protein and 2 g of fiber and fiber provides a feeling of fullness which promotes weight management, lowers cholesterol and improves blood glucose levels.

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Walnuts are also loaded with omega-3s, which makes them a good brain food as the brain needs high-quality fats like omega-3s to function properly.

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According to researchers, eating walnuts as a part of a Mediterranean diet was associated with better memory and brain function and the antioxidants present in walnuts may help counteract age-related cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurogenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s.

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The taste, the flavour and nutritional value makes it ideal to be used in salads and recipes like walnut halwa, chicken kofta, seekh kebabs, various puddings, cakes and desserts and I will enjoy eating walnuts more now that I have known all the nutritional and health benefits of them. I will also try to have walnuts as an anytime snack as now I know walnuts are naturally gluten, sodium and cholesterol free.

XOXO

Shivangi

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Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

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Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

From the session: "The Neuroscience of Art:

What are the Sources of Creativity and Innovation?" (February 21 to 26, 2015)

---

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of scientific investigations into art, exploring what actually happens in the brain during the creative process. Most of these collaborations have been based in neuroscience and psychological approaches to how art is perceived, produced and created, with music the main focus of studies carried out to date. These studies have yielded important new information that relates to a very basic fact of human biology: all behavior, even that as complex as creativity, can be linked to brain function. Building on this fundamental linkage, the neurobiology of art promises to yield exciting new insights as this research field evolves. Creative behavioral patterns are likely to be a critical component for developing the neurological capacity for innovation.

This Salzburg Global program represents a pioneering step to establish a neutral international forum to discuss state-of-the-art findings from a cross-disciplinary perspective, prioritize future research, and expand creative opportunities for learning, innovation and collaboration. While much research is taking place in various national and regional settings, more global dialogue is needed between specialist silos in order to catalyze knowledge exchange around the results, implications and potential practical applications of new cutting-edge research.

Museum visitors come in many shapes and sizes. Some travel great distances to study a particular subject or item held on display. Others are casual tourists in a group activity to pass the time. Some visitors, including young ones, are eager to engage personally with the general subject or the display object. This wall chart in color challenges people to find the small detail in the nearby large diorama built of LEGO pieces to depict the city streets of downtown Grand Rapids almost 100 years ago. The black and white set of images show historical buildings that have been recreated in the LEGO cityscape. Here, too, the visitors are challenged to spot the particular building among the diorama. It would be interesting to know visitor observations or interview results to learn how often visitors enter into the challenge in part or to completion. The ancient brain function of Hunter-Gatherers makes this exercise come naturally to modern people: scanning the terrain in search of specific resources, "the thrill of the chase."

Press L for lightbox (large) view; click the image or press Z for full image display.

Hover the mouse pointer over the image for pop-up remarks.

VAâs annual Brain Trust summit offers platform for innovations in brain health and head trauma

From a software platform for traumatic brain injury to a virtual reality device that assists Veterans with behavioral health issues, 15 competitors pitched a diversity of ideas during demo day at the Brain Trust: Pathways to InnoVAtion summit, hosted by VA on May 18 in Boston. The annual two-day event assembled more than 350 invited participants from the federal government, private industry, professional sports, medical research, caregivers and Veteran communities to collaborate and advance discussions around the prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion. âWe have an unbelievable opportunity to accelerate the speed of change,â said retired Army Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, CEO of Optum Military and Veterans Group, to the 15 industry and academic innovators who had come to pitch their ideas on TBI and head trauma to a panel of judges. âToday, the impossible gets challenged.âAfter reviewing a series of short presentations from competitors, the judges selected three winners: The Daptly Display, a gesture and voice-controlled assistant for the home or office; Save a Warrior: A peer-to-peer, archetypal approach for healing combat trauma and moral injury; and Recovery Acceleration Program for mild TBI by King-Devick Technologies. The winners will have the potential opportunity to implement and deploy their innovations with VA. âWe feel incredibly honored to be selected as a winner of the VA Innovation awards, which will further our opportunity to provide services to our Veterans,â said Steve Devick, CEO of King-Devick Technologies, who explained how his project would help Veterans impacted by TBI. âThe King-Devick technologies innovations are related to the fact that eye movements and vision are responsible for approximately 55 percent of brain function. âAs a result, implementing our recovery acceleration program by involving these pathways leads to faster concussions and TBI recovery when used with standard remediation. Additionally, caregivers can measure defects in eye movements, which may lead to dosage changes in chronic degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimerâs disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinsonâs disease. â  During the event, VA officials announced key partnerships with several influential organizations, including: Amazon, which donated 100 Echo devices with Alexa voice service to VAâs Assistive Technology Labs to help meet the needs of Veterans; Cohen Veterans Bioscience, which is coordinating efforts with VA to integrate data across dozens of labs to facilitate breakthroughs in trauma-related disorders; Booz Allen Hamilton; Comcast; Concussion Legacy Foundation; GE; IBM; Infinite Hero Foundation; Johnson & Johnson; Optum; Outward Bound; PenFed Foundation, Philips; the Warrior Care Network and the National Institutes of Health, which is co-hosting a âState of the Scienceâ workshop in 2018 that will focus on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and other neurodegenerative diseases. (By Paula Paige. VA photo/ Robert Turtil)

Last week when I came home I found a box of Californian walnuts waiting for me. It was a pleasant surprise and it had been packed very nicely. The walnuts were in a wooden box and along with it I found a book titled “California Walnuts Nutrition and Health” by Geetu Amarnani, a Nutritionist and Lifestyle Management Consultant.

DSC07155

I found the book to be very interesting as I got to know about the benefits of walnuts and various recipes and preparations through which I can incorporate walnuts in my daily diet.

DSC07156

According to Dr. H.K Chopra an ounce i.e. 28 g of walnuts a day keep many ailments like cardiac attacks at bay. They reduce LDL bad cholesterol and give 2.5 gms of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per serving and are the richest source of omega -3 fatty acids which are not manufactured by our body and obtained though diet.

DSC07158

Walnuts contain other minerals and vitamins like magnesium and phosphorus, which are important minerals in energy metabolism, bone health and regulating heart rhythm. Walnuts are a rich source of antioxidants as compared to any other nut. Not just that, Californian walnuts are delicious and eating 1.5 ounce per day promotes heart health, raises HDL cholesterol, decreases blood pressure, and improves the arterial function so as a result making them an essential food for reducing cardiovascular risk. Moreover research has proved that incorporating the right type of fat especially the type found in walnuts is important and helpful to people with diabetes as walnuts help in managing the metabolic syndrome which increases the risk for coronary disease, stroke, liver and kidney diseases and type-2 diabetes.

DSC07159

According to Geetu Amarnani an ounce i.e. a handful of walnuts provide 4 g of protein and 2 g of fiber and fiber provides a feeling of fullness which promotes weight management, lowers cholesterol and improves blood glucose levels.

DSC07160

Walnuts are also loaded with omega-3s, which makes them a good brain food as the brain needs high-quality fats like omega-3s to function properly.

DSC07227

According to researchers, eating walnuts as a part of a Mediterranean diet was associated with better memory and brain function and the antioxidants present in walnuts may help counteract age-related cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurogenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s.

DSC07237

The taste, the flavour and nutritional value makes it ideal to be used in salads and recipes like walnut halwa, chicken kofta, seekh kebabs, various puddings, cakes and desserts and I will enjoy eating walnuts more now that I have known all the nutritional and health benefits of them. I will also try to have walnuts as an anytime snack as now I know walnuts are naturally gluten, sodium and cholesterol free.

XOXO

Shivangi

LIKE ME ON Facebook: www.facebook.com/shivangireviews & spread the joy!!

Leave your comments: ‪#‎ShivangiReviews‬

Review Credit: Nidhi

JOIN my Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/shivangireviews/

FOLLOW ME ON Twitter: @shivangisinha

Food Reviews on:

Wix: jhenwick.wix.com/shivangireviews

Blogger: shivangireviews.blogspot.in/

Website: www.shivangisinha.com/

E-mail: mail@shivangireviews.com or shivangireviews@gmail.com

FOR MORE PHOTOS LOG ON TO: www.flickr.com/photos/shivangireviews/sets/

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

via Twitter ift.tt/1vcYwEB

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

An ampoule of Alfentanil, a rapidly acting opioid (morphine-like) analgesic. I use this stuff in my research lab where we try to understand how anaesthetics and analgesics affect brain function.

Last week when I came home I found a box of Californian walnuts waiting for me. It was a pleasant surprise and it had been packed very nicely. The walnuts were in a wooden box and along with it I found a book titled “California Walnuts Nutrition and Health” by Geetu Amarnani, a Nutritionist and Lifestyle Management Consultant.

DSC07155

I found the book to be very interesting as I got to know about the benefits of walnuts and various recipes and preparations through which I can incorporate walnuts in my daily diet.

DSC07156

According to Dr. H.K Chopra an ounce i.e. 28 g of walnuts a day keep many ailments like cardiac attacks at bay. They reduce LDL bad cholesterol and give 2.5 gms of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per serving and are the richest source of omega -3 fatty acids which are not manufactured by our body and obtained though diet.

DSC07158

Walnuts contain other minerals and vitamins like magnesium and phosphorus, which are important minerals in energy metabolism, bone health and regulating heart rhythm. Walnuts are a rich source of antioxidants as compared to any other nut. Not just that, Californian walnuts are delicious and eating 1.5 ounce per day promotes heart health, raises HDL cholesterol, decreases blood pressure, and improves the arterial function so as a result making them an essential food for reducing cardiovascular risk. Moreover research has proved that incorporating the right type of fat especially the type found in walnuts is important and helpful to people with diabetes as walnuts help in managing the metabolic syndrome which increases the risk for coronary disease, stroke, liver and kidney diseases and type-2 diabetes.

DSC07159

According to Geetu Amarnani an ounce i.e. a handful of walnuts provide 4 g of protein and 2 g of fiber and fiber provides a feeling of fullness which promotes weight management, lowers cholesterol and improves blood glucose levels.

DSC07160

Walnuts are also loaded with omega-3s, which makes them a good brain food as the brain needs high-quality fats like omega-3s to function properly.

DSC07227

According to researchers, eating walnuts as a part of a Mediterranean diet was associated with better memory and brain function and the antioxidants present in walnuts may help counteract age-related cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurogenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s.

DSC07237

The taste, the flavour and nutritional value makes it ideal to be used in salads and recipes like walnut halwa, chicken kofta, seekh kebabs, various puddings, cakes and desserts and I will enjoy eating walnuts more now that I have known all the nutritional and health benefits of them. I will also try to have walnuts as an anytime snack as now I know walnuts are naturally gluten, sodium and cholesterol free.

XOXO

Shivangi

LIKE ME ON Facebook: www.facebook.com/shivangireviews & spread the joy!!

Leave your comments: ‪#‎ShivangiReviews‬

Review Credit: Nidhi

JOIN my Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/shivangireviews/

FOLLOW ME ON Twitter: @shivangisinha

Food Reviews on:

Wix: jhenwick.wix.com/shivangireviews

Blogger: shivangireviews.blogspot.in/

Website: www.shivangisinha.com/

E-mail: mail@shivangireviews.com or shivangireviews@gmail.com

FOR MORE PHOTOS LOG ON TO: www.flickr.com/photos/shivangireviews/sets/

Animal Equality released disturbing scenes of animal suffering filmed at a Simmons Farm Raised Catfish slaughterhouse located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Simmons, which kills 21,000 fish catfish per day (animals who are raised in the company’s intensive confinement ponds), is one of the largest USDA inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S

. The fish slaughtered by the company go to national restaurant chains Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s, as well as grocery stores Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly.

PROLONGED SUFFERING: The investigation revealed fish kept out of water for prolonged periods—up to an hour—before they were finally beheaded. While fish pass through an electrical stunning device during processing, many regain mobility and begin gasping and moving their fins long before they are finally decapitated. Rejected catfish, mudfish, and turtles were removed from production lines and placed in buckets without water. Later they are placed onto a conveyor and transported to a macerator where they were ground up alive.

ILLEGAL ANIMAL ABUSE: Our investigator filmed disturbing scenes, including serious legal violations. Hidden-camera footage and eyewitness statements reveal:

- Hundreds of catfish regularly left out of water to slowly suffocate while workers went on breaks

- Conscious fish beheaded

- Turtles and rejected bycatch fish placed in buckets to be later ground up alive and, according to one employee, used as feed for Simmons’ still-growing catfish

- A turtle thrown onto a moving conveyor carrying severed catfish heads and then desperately trying to crawl in the opposite direction as they were carried towards the macerator

- Undersized, deformed, and parasite-scarred fish left alive in bins without water on the slaughter floor for hours

WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Every day at Simmons’ slaughterhouse, thousands of catfish and countless other animals suffer,” said Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality. “Our investigation revealed persistent violations of Mississippi state law. Charges must be brought against Simmons to stop the ongoing abuse."

CALLS FOR CHARGES: We submitted evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor, detailing violations of Mississippi’s animal cruelty laws documented during the month-long investigation, including severe violations of the statutory prohibition on needless mutilations and cruel manners of “carrying” or “conveyance,” such as upon the conveyor equipment.

Mississippi law states that any person who is responsible for the care and handling of “living creatures,” including fish, may not cause those animals to be tortured or tormented, nor deprived of necessary sustenance (such as oxygen), whether by reason of intentional cruelty or mere neglectfulness. In causing hundreds of fish each day to be subjected to such treatment, Animal Equality maintains that Simmons management and owners should be held criminally liable under Mississippi anti-cruelty law.

FALSE ADVERTISING: Contrary to the investigator’s findings, Simmons claimed the fish are processed “within 30 minutes” and in a “swift [and] sterile” manner. Animal Equality filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws. In response, Simmons agreed to remove from its website the claim that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

Animal Equality has filed complaints with state attorneys general in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, alleging that Simmons's false and misleading claims about its products and production practices constitute unfair or deceptive trade practices under those states’ consumer protection laws.

After slaughter, the dead catfish are inspected by the USDA and then go on to supply restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice companies. Although Simmons’ products bear the federal agency’s official seal, there is no federal law mandating the humane slaughter of fish, so USDA inspectors do not monitor for animal cruelty.

FISH FEEL PAIN: Definitive scientific evidence details the ability and scope of fishes’ ability to experience pain and distress and, in particular, the difficulty of rendering them insensible during slaughter. A study published last year on the effects of commercial stunning methods on the brain function of catfish reviewed the ineffectiveness of electrical stunning. The study determined that catfish regain sensibility from a two-second stun within 30 seconds, and recover from a 10-second stun after 1.7 to 4.9 minutes. When catfish, like those at Simmons, are allowed to recover from the stun, they experience avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, and distress during their deaths.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: In addition to requesting that charges be filed against Simmons for animal cruelty violations, we are also asking for federal legislation that would protect fish under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, as aquatic animals are currently excluded from the Act’s protections. To that end, we have created a petition asking Congress to act. Please, let your voice be heard on behalf of these animals and add your names to those asking our representatives to prevent fish from being killed while still fully conscious. You can also make a difference for fish by sharing this investigation and leaving them off your plate. With your support, we can help these suffering animals and ensure future generations do not have to face the same brutal fate.

SIGN OUR PETITION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY: animalequality.org/action/simmons-catfish

One of the faces of Rett Syndrome.

Rett syndrome is a unique developmental disorder that is first recognized in infancy and seen almost always in girls, but can be rarely seen in boys.

Rett syndrome has been most often misdiagnosed as autism, cerebral palsy, or non-specific developmental delay

Rett syndrome is caused by mutations on the X chromosome on a gene called MECP2. There are more than 200 different mutations found on the MECP2 gene. Most of these mutations are found in eight different “hot spots.”

Rett syndrome strikes all racial and ethnic groups, and occurs worldwide in 1 of every 10,000 to 23,000 female births.

Rett syndrome is a developmental disorder. It is not a degenerative disorder.

Rett syndrome causes problems in brain function that are responsible for cognitive, sensory, emotional, motor and autonomic function. These can include learning, speech, sensory sensations, mood, movement, breathing, cardiac function, and even chewing, swallowing, and digestion.

See www.rettsyndrome.com for more information.

This Saturday, I thought I'd do an overall body workout, training the big 5 with compound exercises. Squats for legs, overhead press for shoulders, deadlifts for lower back, pull ups for upper back and bench press for chest. That will drain your energy...

I wanted a GREAT meal for dinner after a heavy workout. Cantonese Steamed Fish - I have to say that the combination of ingredients for this dish makes it an OUTSTANDING meal for a post workout meal. It's light, quick to make and it tastes really good!

STEAMED FISH

- White Fish (I used a fillet of Tilapia)

AROMATICS

- Ginger

- Spring Onion

- Coriander

- Vegetable Oil

I cooked some of the aromatics, some I included raw.

SAUCE

- Hot Water

- Light Soy Sauce

- Honey

- Salt

This sauce has to be lightly sweet. That's how you know you got it right.

SERVED WITH

- Jasmine Rice (steamed)

DRINK

Organic Kombucha by Remedy. Flavour: Raspberry Lemonade

BENEFITS

- Steamed Fish

Protein for Muscle Development, Omega-3 for Heart Health

- Ginger

Gingerol for Anti-Cancer, Anti-Bacterial, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Brain Function

- Jasmine Rice

Carbs for Energy Restoration

- Honey

Natural sugar for Energy Restoration, Phenols and Antioxidant compounds for Heart Health.

- Kombucha

Tea Polyphenols for Anti-Cancer and Pro-Biotics for Gut Health.

Dorothy and Fritz.

.

Consider this:

Dorothy was 101 last week, January 15th 2014. She is tall and fit, walks upright without the aid of any aids, has all her brain function and a remarkable memory both short and long term.

However, she is very deaf, and conversation is by shouting into her hearing aids, and she has extremely impaired vision.

So she can't see subtitles on the blurred tv, or hear it or the radio, She has no relations: luckily the person who still lives in her once shared bungalow sees to her affairs and visits once a week.

The other women don't seem to like her much, even though she is kind and tries to be friendly. I think it's probably because they can't be bothered.

She used to work for the Pru when they still had agents out on the road. When she told me her life story she apologised for boring me! I was fascinated.

I am trying to persuade her to go to 'blind club', where they have all sorts of things going on. We shall see. The home are going to see if the audiologist can recommend suitable headphones to facilitate radio listening

She can remember what we talked about last week each visit, which is more than I can......

See another quite different photo of them here www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2506385

Last week when I came home I found a box of Californian walnuts waiting for me. It was a pleasant surprise and it had been packed very nicely. The walnuts were in a wooden box and along with it I found a book titled “California Walnuts Nutrition and Health” by Geetu Amarnani, a Nutritionist and Lifestyle Management Consultant.

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I found the book to be very interesting as I got to know about the benefits of walnuts and various recipes and preparations through which I can incorporate walnuts in my daily diet.

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According to Dr. H.K Chopra an ounce i.e. 28 g of walnuts a day keep many ailments like cardiac attacks at bay. They reduce LDL bad cholesterol and give 2.5 gms of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per serving and are the richest source of omega -3 fatty acids which are not manufactured by our body and obtained though diet.

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Walnuts contain other minerals and vitamins like magnesium and phosphorus, which are important minerals in energy metabolism, bone health and regulating heart rhythm. Walnuts are a rich source of antioxidants as compared to any other nut. Not just that, Californian walnuts are delicious and eating 1.5 ounce per day promotes heart health, raises HDL cholesterol, decreases blood pressure, and improves the arterial function so as a result making them an essential food for reducing cardiovascular risk. Moreover research has proved that incorporating the right type of fat especially the type found in walnuts is important and helpful to people with diabetes as walnuts help in managing the metabolic syndrome which increases the risk for coronary disease, stroke, liver and kidney diseases and type-2 diabetes.

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According to Geetu Amarnani an ounce i.e. a handful of walnuts provide 4 g of protein and 2 g of fiber and fiber provides a feeling of fullness which promotes weight management, lowers cholesterol and improves blood glucose levels.

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Walnuts are also loaded with omega-3s, which makes them a good brain food as the brain needs high-quality fats like omega-3s to function properly.

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According to researchers, eating walnuts as a part of a Mediterranean diet was associated with better memory and brain function and the antioxidants present in walnuts may help counteract age-related cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurogenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s.

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The taste, the flavour and nutritional value makes it ideal to be used in salads and recipes like walnut halwa, chicken kofta, seekh kebabs, various puddings, cakes and desserts and I will enjoy eating walnuts more now that I have known all the nutritional and health benefits of them. I will also try to have walnuts as an anytime snack as now I know walnuts are naturally gluten, sodium and cholesterol free.

XOXO

Shivangi

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