THREE GREAT DVDs !!

FOR  THE  WHOLE  FAMILY;  THE  MOVIE:

MR.  MAGORIUM'S  WONDER  EMPORIUM

A  movie  done  about  5  years  ago  staring  Dustin  Hoffman  and  Natalie  Portman.

A  great  fun  movie  with  a  fine  lesson.

On  the  back:

Toys  come  to  life  when  you  experience  Mr.  Magorium's  Wonder  Emporium,  THE  FUN  FILLED  COMEDY  ADVENTURE  THAT'S  A  DELIGHT  FOR  ADULTS,  AND  A  JUBILATION  FOR  KIDS [Gene  Shalit - TODAY]  Mr. Magorium [Dustin Hoffman]  owns  the  most  amazing  store  in  the  world  -  a  tantalizing  toy  heaven  in  which  everything  inside  literally  comes  to  life.  But  when  the  boss  decides  to  retire,  the  shop  throws  a  tantrum,  and  all  its  wonders  begin  to  cease.  Now  Mr. Magorium's  reluctant  manager [Natalie  Portman],  sceptical  accountant [Jason  Bateman]  and  most  loyal  customer  [Zach  Mills]  must  work  together  to  save  the  emporium....by  finding  a  little  magic  within  themselves.

THE  SPECIAL  FEATURES  ON  HOW  THIS  FILM  WAS  MADE  IS  ALSO  VERY  SPECIAL.  YOU'LL  BE  SURPRISED  WHAT  THEY  DID  TO  PUT  IT  ALL  TOGETHER.
..........

BBC  EARTH:

THE  WINGED  PLANET  

an  earth  and  FLIGHT  film

On  the  back  we  read:

In  this  stunning  natural  history  film,  featuring  some  of  the  most  breathtaking  footage  from  BBC's  acclaimed  Earthflight  series,  you  can  see  what  the  birds  see  -  snow  geese  dashing  through  Monument Valley,  scarlet  macaws  racing  through  the  rainforest  as  if  it  was  a  high  speed  obstacle course,  vultures  soaring  miles  above  the  earth,  then  zooming  down  to  scout  wildebeest  herds  far  below.  Hold  on  for  the  ride  of  your  life  as  you  cruise  just  above  the  ocean  while  great  white  sharks,  dolphins  and  whales  leap  up  at  you  -  so  close,  you  can  almost  touch  them!  This  is  a  wondrous  journey  guaranteed  to  take  your  breath  away,  time  and  again.

Running  time  94  mins  approx.

www.bbcearth.com

No  doubt  Amazon  will  have  it.
..........

ILLUSTRA  MEDIA

FLIGHT  the  genius  of  birds

On  the  back  we  read:

FLIGHT: The Genius  of  Birds  is  the  first  film  in  Illustra  Media's  new  series  THE  DESOGN  OF  LIFE.  Each  episode  explores  a  different  realm  of  the  animal  kingdom  and  the  remarkable  biological  systems  that  make  life  on  Earth  possible.

filmed  in  North  America,  england,  Peru,  Greenland,  and  Antarctica,  FLIGHT  probes  the  mysteries  and  mechanisms  of  a  bird's  anatomy,  instincts,  and  embryology  to  reveal  stunning  provisions  essential  for  life  in  the  skies.  You'll  marvel  at  the  hummingbird's  unique  skeletal,  muscular  and  metabolic  systems  -  all  vital  to  its  spectacular  aerial  acrobatics....

The  endurance  and  navigational  abilities  of  an  Arctic  tern  as  it  travels  from  pole  to  pole  during  the  longest  migration  on  the  planet....

The  instinctive  strategies  that  enable  a  flock  of  3000,000  European  starlings  to  evade  predators  at  break-neck  speeds.....

The  elaborate  network  of  a  million  component  parts  that  make  a  feather  an  aerodynamic  masterpiece.  And  much  more.

The  poet  William  Blake  wrote  that  to  see  an  eagle  in  the  air  is  to  observe  "a  portion  of  genius."  In  FLIGHT  the  ingenuity  of  a  bird's  behavior  and  biology  showcase  unmistakable  evidence  for  design,  purpose,  and  plan.  It  is  evidence  best  explained  by  an  intelligence  that  transcends  the  natural  world.

Running  time:  Approx.  63  minutes

www.illustramedia.com
..........

THE  CREATION  OF  BIRDS;  WHAT  IS  NEEDED  FROM  THE  WORD  GO,  TO  FLY THROUGH  THE  AIR  MAKES  EVOLUTION  THE  BIGGEST  JOKE  OF  THE  LAST 200  YEARS,  SINCE  THE  IDEA  OF  EVOLUTION  CAME  ON  THE  SCENE.  TO  THINK  THAT  SLOWLY  OVER  MILLIONS  OF  YEARS  LAND  ANIMALS  SLOWLY  DEVELOPED  WINGS  AND  ALL  THE  REST,  THEY  DON'T  TELL  YOU  ABOUT,  TO  MAKE  FLIGHT  POSSIBLE,  IS  ONE  OF  THE  CRAZIEST  IDEAS  MAN  HAS  COME  UP  WITH,  TO  DENY  THERE  IS  A  CREATOR  GOD  THAT  NOT  ONLY  CREATED  BIRDS  BUT  EVERYTHING  IN  THE  ENTIRE  UNIVERSE.

EVOLUTIONARY  SCIENTISTS  NOW  ADMIT [99  PER-CENT  OF  THEM]  THE  UNIVERSE  DID  NOT  ALWAYS  EXIST,  BUT  CAME  INTO  BEING  AT  SOME  14  BILLION  OR  SO  YEARS  AGO,  WITH  WHAT  THEY  NOW  CALL  "THE  BIG  BANG"  --  THEY  ARE  ADMITTING  WHAT  THE  BIBLE  HAS  SAID  FOR  AT  LEAST  TWO  THOUSAND  YEARS:  GOD  CREATED  THE  PHYSICAL  UNIVERSE  OUT  OF  NOTHING.  THERE  WAS  A  TIME  WHEN  THE  PHYSICAL  UNIVERSE  DID  NOT  EXIST.  THEN  A  TIME  WHEN  IT  CAME  INTO  BEING,  WITH  ALL  THE  LAWS  THE  UNIVERSE  HAS  TO  SUSTAIN  ITSELF.

THIS  EARTH  IS  FULL  TO  THE  BRIM  WITH  THE  GLORIOUS  TRUTH  AND  FACTS  OF  COMPLEXITY  OF  LIFE.  BIRDS  ARE  JUST  ONE  OF  THOSE  COMPLEXITIES  THAT  YOU  MUST  HAVE  ALL  PARTS,  AT  THE  SAME  TIME,  TO  FLY  THROUGH  THE  AIR.

THE  747  AIRPLANE  MUST  HAVE  ALL  PARTS  TOGETHER  IN  THE  RIGHT  ORDER  AND  DESIGN  TO  FLY.  TO  THINK  YOU  COULD  SLOWLY  INVENT  THE  PARTS  WITHOUT  A  DESIGNER,  OR  THROW  ALL  THE  PARTS  INTO  A  ROOM  AND  THEY  WOULD  PUT  THEMSELVES  TOGETHER,  WITHOUT  A  DESIGNER,  IS  BEYOND  THE  WORD  LUDICROUS..... IT  IS  INSANITY!

FLIGHT  the  genius  of  birds:  is  a  must  have  dvd  for  all  Christians.

THE LITTLE HORSE THAT COULD!!

WE  ALL  NEED  SOME  INSPIRATION  FROM  TIME  TO  TIME;  SOMETHING  TO  LIFT  OUR  SPIRITS;  SOMETHING  TO  GIVE  UP  HOPE  AND  ENCOURAGEMENT.

FRIDAY  OCTOBER  24TH  I  WAS  INVITED  BY  SOME  OF  THE  LADIES  WHERE  I  BOARD  MY  HORSE,  TO  JOINT  THEM  FOR  A TRAIL  RIDE  DOWN  AT  THE  SMALL  VILLAGE  OF  MILLARVILLE,  ABOUT  25  MINUTES  SOUTH.  I  HAD  NEVER  BEEN  ON  THAT  TRAIL  RIDE,  THAT  THE  LADIES  SEEMED  TO  KNOW  VERY  WELL,  SO  I  SAID:  SURE  I'D  LIKE  TO  COME  ALONG.

NOW  AT  MILLARVILLE  THEY  HAVE  A  THOROUGHBRED  RACE  TRACK  FOR  THE  PRO  HORSES  AND  RIDERS.

IT  WAS  A  SUNNY  DAY  THOUGH  A  FALL  COLD  BITE  OF  NORTH  WIND  WAS  BLOWING.  WHEN  WE  ARRIVED  ONE  OF  THE  LADIES   KNOWING  HOW  MY  HORSE  GOLDIE  LOVES  TO  RUN,  SAID,  "THE  TRAIL  RIDE  KEITH  HAS  NO  SMOOTH  RUNNING  PLACES,  BUT  JUST  OVER  THERE  IS  WHERE  YOU  CAN  RUN  HER."  RIDING  OVER  I  SAW  THIS  PRO  1/4  MILE  OVAL  RACE  TRACK;  IT  WAS  OBVIOUSLY  DESIGNED  FOR  THE  THOROUGHBREDS  TO  WARM  UP  BEFORE  GOING  TO  THE  PRO  AUDIENCE  RACE  TRACK  AND THE  MONEY  WINNING  RACES.

WE  WENT  FOR  A  3  HOUR  TRAIL  RIDE  AND  IT  WAS  VERY  LOVELY  WITH  THE  NOW  SNOW  CAPPED  CANADIAN  ROCKIES  OVER  TO  THE  WEST  OF  US.

ON  COMING  BACK  I  TOLD THE  LADIES  I  NEEDED  TO  GIVE  GOLDIE  HER  LONGED  FOR  GALLOP.  LOPPING  OVER  TO  THIS  1/4  MILE  OVAL  TRACK  YOU  COULD  SENSE  HER  EXCITEMENT.  SHE'D  NEVER  BEEN  ON  A  PRO  OVAL  TRACK  BEFORE.  NOW  SHE  IS  14  AND  1/2  YEARS  OLD.  I  TOLD  HER,  "OKAY  GIRL  NOW  WE  CAN  FLY."  SHE  WAS  OFF.  I  WAS  NOT  SURE  SHE  WOULD  UNDERSTAND  THE  OVAL  TRACK  AS  WE  HAD  ONLY  DONE  BASIC  STRAIGHT  RUNS.  BUT  LEANING  INTO  THE  FIRST  CURVE  SHE  GOT  IT.  AROUND  WE  WENT  AND  SHE  WAS  IN  THE  GROOVE,  AS  IF  TO  SAY,  "WOW  AT  LAST  I'M  HOME;  FINALLY  DOING  WHAT  I  LOVE  TO  DO  ON  A  PRO  RACE  TRACK."  IT  WAS  A  JOY  TO  FEEL  HER  SO  HAPPY.  SHE  IS  AN  AMAZING  HORSE,  NOT  JUST  SO  BEAUTIFUL,  WITH  HER  DEEP  GOLD  COLOR  AND  WHITE  MANE  AND  TAIL,  BUT  FOR  14  AND  1/2  YEARS  OLD  STILL  SO  HEALTHY  AND  SO  FAST.

I  AM  TRULY  BLESSED  TO  HAVE  HER  AND  I  THANK   THE  LORD  EACH  TIME  I'M  WITH  HER.

THAT  RUN  REMINDED  ME  OF  THE  GREAT  HORSE  SEABISCUIT  OF  THE  1930s.

IF  YOU  HAVE  NEVER  SEEN  THE  MOVIE,  THE  LATEST  ONE,  THEN,  FOR  INSPIRATION  FROM  A  HORSE,  THE  OWNER,  THE  TRAINER,  AND  THE  JOCKEY,  MAKE  SURE  YOU  SEE  IT.

OH  YES,  BUY  THE  BOOK,  WRITTEN  BY  LAURA  HILLENBRAND....WOW  WHAT  A  BOOK,  EVEN  BETTER  THAN  THE  MOVIE.  HILLENBRAND  DOES  ONE  FANTASTIC  RESEARCH  JOB  AND  PUTS  IT  ALL  TOGETHER  SO  BRILLIANTLY.....WELL  I  COULD  HARDLY  PUT  THE  BOOK  DOWN,  TRULY  A  REMARKABLE  STORY  OF  3  MEN  AND  A  HORSE.  REMARKABLE  FOR  THE  AMERICAN  PEOPLE  DURING THE  "DIRTY  THIRTIES"  -  THE  DEPRESSION..... GIVING  THEM  INSPIRATION  AND  HOPE,  THAT  OUT  OF  A  HARD-LUCK  LIFE  OF  TROUBLES  AND  CAST-OFF  TIMES,  THERE  CAME  ALONG  THIS  RACE  HORSE  THAT  LIFTED  THE  BROKEN  SPIRITS,  THAT  ENTHUSED  PEOPLE  TO  DREAM  AGAIN  OF  BETTER  TIMES.

SEABISCUIT  WAS  BORN  AS  AN  OUTCAST  BY  ALL  THE  HORSE  RACING  PEOPLE;  A  HORSE  THAT  LOVED  TO  SLEEP  IN  THE  SUN  OR  SHADE  OF  TREES  FOR  A  BIG  PART  OF  THE  DAY;  A  HORSE  BARELY  15  HANDS  HIGH [LIKE  MY  GOLDIE]  AND  LOVED  TO  EAT  ABOUT  TWICE  AS  MUCH  AS  THE  REGULAR  HORSES  OF  THE  RACING  WORLD.  HE  WAS  TRAINED  TO  LOOSE,  BE  USED  LIKE  A  DEADBEAT  TO  BOOST  OTHER  HORSES  EGO.  HE  BECAME  ANGRY  AND  VIOLENT;  UNTIL  HE  WAS  BOUGHT  BY  THE  FIRST  MAN  OF  THE  THREE  MEN.  THE  SECOND  MAN  WAS  THE  TRAINER  HIRED;  THEN  THE  THIRD  MAN  WAS  THE  JOCKEY  THEY  HIRED  TO  RIDE  THIS  WILD  BAD-TEMPERED  SMALL  HORSE.

WHAT  THEY  DID  WITH  HIM  WAS  A  HORSE  LEGEND  MIRACLE,  IN  CALIFORNIA.

THEY  TRANSFORMED  HIM  INTO  ONE  OF  THE  GREATEST  RACING  HORSES  OF  ALL  TIME.

DOWN  EAST  THE  TRIPLE  CROWN  HAD  BEEN  WON  BY  THE  18  HANDS  HORSE  WAR ADMIRAL.

FINALLY  A  MATCH  RACE  WAS  FINALIZED  BETWEEN  SEABISCUIT  AND  WAR  ADMIRAL  ON  NOVEMBER  1ST  1938.

AFTER  WRENCHING  A  LEG  LIGAMENT  IN  A  RACE,  THE  VET  SAID  SEABISCUIT WOULD  NEVER  RACE  AGAIN.  HOWARD  THE  OWNER  REFUSED  TO  PUT  HIM  DOWN.  RED  POLLARD  THE  HORSE'S  JOCKEY  FROM  ALBERTA,  CANADA,  NURSED  HIM  TO  HEALTH  AND  STRENGTH  OVER  THE  NEXT  YEAR.  TO   THE  SHOCK  OF  EVERYONE  SEABISCUIT  WAS  READY  TO  RUN  IN  THE  ONLY  BIG  RACE  HE  HAD  NEVER  WON  -  THE  CALIFORNIA  SANTA  ANITA  HANDICAP  [THE  RACE  SEABISCUIT  HAD  LOST  BY  A  NOSE  YEARS  BEFORE].

HOWARD  [THE  OWNER],  SMITH  [THE  TRAINER],  RED  POLLARD  [THE  JOCKEY]  AND  THE  GREAT  SEABISCUIT  WON  THAT  RACE !

 THIS  IS  HOW  LAURA  HILLENBRAND  WRITES  THE  LAST  MINUTES  OF  THAT  DAY:

"LONG  AFTER  THE  HORSES  AND  THEIR  HANDLERS  HAD  LEFT  THE  TRACK,  THE  DIN  DIED  AWAY  AND  THE  CROWDS  TRICKLED  OUT.  WORKMEN  CRISSCROSSED  THE  GROUNDS.  A  LONE  FAN  STILL  STOOD  AT  THE  EAST  END  OF  THE  GRANDSTANDS.  AS  THE  SUN  DROPPED  IN  THE  WINTER  SKY,  THE  MAN  CALLED  OUT  TO  THE  EMPTY  TRACK.  "HA-RAY  FOR  SEABISCUIT!  HOO-RAY  FOR  SEABISCUIT!"  HIS  VOICE  CARRIED  UP  TO  THE  PRESS  BOX,  WHERE  THE  REPORTERS  WERE  BANGING  OUT  THEIR  STORIES.  THE  ROOM  WAS  STILL  RINGING  WITH  THE  SENSATION  OF  WHAT  HAD  JUST  HAPPENED.  "OH."  WROTE  JOLLY  ROGER,  "THAT  I  LIVED  TO  SEE  THIS  DAY."

A  REMARKABLE  LITTLE  RACE  HORSE  THAT  LIFTED  THE  SPIRITS  AND  GAVE  HOPE  AND  INSPIRATION TO  A  NATION,  THAT  OUT  OF  HARD  TIMES  GOOD  THINGS  COULD  YET  COME.
....................

WONDERFUL TOMATOES !!....Dr. Mercola

Tomatoes

The beautifully sweet but brightly acidic flavor of a tomato picked fresh from the garden makes for a tasty treat. But in addition to their vibrancy and flavor, tomatoes—especially organic tomatoes—are packed with nutrition, including a variety of phytochemicals that boast a long list of health benefits.

Tomatoes are an excellent source of lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin C (which is most concentrated in the jelly-like substance that surrounds the seeds), as well as vitamins A, E, and the B vitamins, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. Some lesser-known phytonutrients in tomatoes include:

• Flavonols: rutin, kaempferol, and quercetin
• Flavonones: naringenin and chalconaringenin
• Hydroxycinnamic acids: caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and coumaric acid
• Glycosides: esculeoside A
• Fatty acid derivatives: 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid

Tomatoes are also a particularly concentrated source of lycopene — a carotenoid antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and watermelon a pink or red color.

Lycopene's antioxidant activity has long been suggested to be more powerful than other carotenoids such as beta-carotene, and research suggests it may significantly lower your risk for stroke and cancer.

It's estimated that 85 percent of dietary lycopene in North Americans comes from tomato products such as tomato juice or tomato paste.³ In addition to lowering your risk for stroke, lycopene from tomatoes (including unsweetened organic tomato sauce) has also been deemed helpful in treating prostate cancer.

If you consume ketchup, choose organic ketchup as it's been found to contain 57 percent more lycopene than conventional national brands.⁴ You should always store your tomatoes at room temperature; ideally, only store them in glass to reduce your BPA and phthalate exposure.

It would also be wise to cook any canned or bottled tomatoes as they tend to accumulate methanol very similar to aspartame. However, if you heat the tomatoes, the methanol is highly volatile and will boil away.

.....................

ARCHEOLOGY...AND THE BIBLE...down to the nitty-gritty

I  HAVE  BEEN  UPLOADING  PROOFS  FROM  ARCHEOLOGY  THAT  SUBSTANTIATE  ......

THE  ACCURACY  OF  BIBLE  PEOPLES,  KINGS,  PLACES,  EMPIRES,  TOWNS,  NOAH'S  FLOOD,  BABEL,  SODOM,  ISRAEL,  EXODUS,  CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN,  KING  DAVID,  SOLOMON,  THE  TEMPLE....FOR  STARTERS  IN  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.

MANY  OF  THE  LAST  CENTURY  ARGUMENTS  OF  AGNOSTICS  AND  SCOFFERS  OF  THE  BIBLE  AS   NOT  BEING  TRUTHFUL,  BUT  MYTHS,  AND  MAN  MADE  INVENTIONS;  HAS  BEEN  NOW  PROVED  THEM  TO  BE  THE  ONES  IN  ERROR,  AND  HAS  WIPED  OFF  THE  AGNOSTIC  SMILE  FROM  THEIR  FACE.

YOU  NEED  TO  BE  READING  THESE  STUDIES  OF  ARCHEOLOGY  AND  THE  BIBLE  UNDER  THE  "HISTORY"  SECTION  ON  MY  WEBSITE.  AND......

THERE  IS  MUCH  MORE  TO  COME.

Keith Hunt 

BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY....the JESSE OWENS story

HERE'S  ANOTHER  EPISODE  OF  A  LONG  SERIES  I  DID  A  WHILE  BACK  [DID  ABOUT  36  EPISODES]  ON  BLACK  AMERICAN  HISTORY.

I  BOUGHT  THE  DVD  CALLED  "THE  JESSE  OWENS  STORY"  MANY  YEARS  AGO.

THE  MOVIE  WAS  MADE  IN  1984  -  FOUR  YEARS  AFTER  JESSE  DIED  AT  AGE  66.

I'VE  NOT  WATCHED  THIS  MOVIE  FOR  A  DECADE  OR  MORE;  FORGOTTEN  99  PERCENT  OF  IT.

WOW!!!   WHAT  A  GREAT  INSPIRATIONAL  MOVIE  IT  IS  ABOUT  A  BLACK  TRACK  ATHLETE  MAN  THAT  ADDED  MADNESS  TO  AN  ALL  READY  MAD  MAN  -  HITLER  -  DURING  THE  1936  OLYMPICS;  WINNING  FOUR  GOLD  MEDALS.

THIS  MOVIE  SHOULD  BE  MADE  MANDATORY  TO  BE  SEEN  BY  ALL  HIGH  SCHOOL  KIDS;  IT  SHOULD  BE  PART  OF  THEIR  SOCIAL  STUDIES;  CERTAINLY  PART  OF  "AMERICAN  BLACK  HISTORY"  THAT  I  BELIEVE  SHOULD  ALSO  BE  A  MANDATORY  COURSE  FOR  ALL  HIGH  SCHOOL  STUDENTS.

ON  THE  BACK  OF  THE  DVD  COVER  WE  READ:

"This  Emmy  Award-winning  drama  tells  the  story  of  Jesse  Owens' Olympic  triumph.  As  the  shadow  of  war  hung  over  the  entire  world,  Nazi  Germany  celebrated  its  role  as  host  of  the  1936  Olympic  Games  in  the  capital  city  of  Berlin.  Adolf  Hitler  finally  had  a  stage to  showcase  the  superiority  of  his  "master  race."  But  during  the  course  of  one  week,  Jesse  Owens (Dorian  Harewood),  the  African-American  son  of  a  sharecropper  and  the  grandson  of  slaves,  would  deliver  a  performance  that  shocked  the  Nazi  and  gave  hope  to  people  around  the  world.

Almost  twenty-five  years  later,  President  George  Bush  Sr.  posthumously  awarded  Owens  the  Congressional  Medal  of  Honor,  calling  his  Olympic  victories  "an  unrivaled  athletic  triumph,  but  more  than  that,  a  triumph  for  all  humanity."
......

THIS  MOVIE  IS  ABOUT  MUCH  MORE  THAN  THE  1936  OLYMPIC  GAMES  IN  BERLIN;  IT  IS  ABOUT  THE  MAN  HIMSELF  AND  ALL  THAT  HE  DID  IN  HIS  LIFE  TO  SERVE  OTHERS,  EVEN  WHEN  SEGREGATION  AND  THE  RACE  PROBLEM  IN  AMERICA  WAS  IN  FULL  SWING.

IT'S  A  MOVIE  AND  LIFE  STORY  OF  GIVING  BACK  TO  OTHERS  WHAT  YOU  HAVE  BEEN  GIVEN.

AS  JESSE  HIMSELF  SAID,  "I'M  NOT  A  MARCHING  MAN;  I'M  NOT  A  MARTIN  LUTHER  KING."  BUT  HE  DID  WHAT  HE  COULD  IN  HIS  WAYS  TO  MAKE  AMERICA  AND  ITS  YOUTH  A  BETTER  PLACE  FOR  ALL  PEOPLE.

THIS  IS  AN  INSPIRING  TRUE  STORY,  HOPEFULLY  BY  ALL  THAT  VIEW  IT,  AN  INSPIRATION  TO  DO  BETTER,  TO  DO  GOOD,  TO  GIVE  BACK,  OR  AS  THE MODERN  PHRASE  IS  NOW  "PAY  IT  FORWARD."

THERE   IS  A  LITTLE  ALSO  ABOUT  THE  GREAT  HARLAM  GLOBETROTTERS  BASKETBALL  TEAM,  AND  THE  MAN  WHO  FOUNDED  THEM;  YOU'LL  SEE  THE  ASTONISHING  DROP  KICK  FROM  THE   HALF-WAY  LINE  INTO  THE  NET [WHICH  ONE  OF  THEM  DID  WHEN  THEY  CAME  TO  THE  CANADIAN  TOWN  I WAS  LIVING  IN,  IN  1962]

YOU  REALLY  DO  NEED  TO  SEE  THIS  MOVIE;  PUT  IT  ON  YOUR  LIST  OF  MOVIES  TO  WATCH,  TRUE  LIFE  MOVIES  THAT  WILL  INSPIRE.

YES  ONE  OF  THE  GREAT  BLACK  MEN  IN  AMERICAN  HISTORY.
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THE LATEST NEWS ON DRIVING SAFELY ... Dr. Mercola

Prescription Drugs Now Factor in Higher Percentage of Fatal Car Crashes Than Alcohol or Marijuana

October 16, 2014 | 111,843 views

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By Dr. Mercola

Prescription drugs, marijuana, and multiple drug combinations are frequently found in the blood of drivers involved in fatal car crashes on US roads, according to a new study in Public Health Reports.¹

Drivers today are more likely to test positive for drugs than drivers 20 years ago, and drugged drivers are now likely to be older than 50.

Gone are the days when drunk drivers were our only concern—alcohol is but one of MANY drugs that can make you dangerous behind the wheel. And now many people are on multiple drug cocktails, especially prescription drugs, whichmultiplies their impairment.

In 1993, about one in eight drivers were using more than one drug, but by 2010, it was closer to one in five. The number of drivers with three or more drugs in their system nearly doubled in this period, increasing from 11.5 to 21.5 percent. Study author Fernando Wilson of the University of Nebraska Medical Center adds:²

"Beyond that, we're also seeing more and more people using drugs and alcohol together. About 70 percent of drivers who tested positive for cocaine had also been consuming alcohol, and almost 55 percent of drivers who tested positive for cannabis [marijuana] also had alcohol in their systems."

Source: White House Report, Drug Testing and Drug-Involved Driving of Fatally Injured Drivers in the United States: 2005-2009 (PDF)

The Hidden Dangers of Pill-Popping

The study identified several drug use trends. Almost 60 percent of marijuana-only users were younger than 30, but 39 percent of prescription users were 50 or older.

This trend seems to be in line with the overall increased reliance on prescription medications, especially among lower income and older segments of the population. Ninety percent of people age 65 and up now use prescription medications.³

It is mind-boggling that the average person may have taken 14,000 prescription pills by age 70—and this doesn't include over-the-counter drugs! By the time you reach your 70s, you could be taking five or more pills every day, according to the documentary Pill Poppers. Virtually no drug is side effect-free, and drug side effects are often treated with even more drugs, perpetuating a vicious cycle.

Even drugs such as over-the-counter cold medications can make you sleepy and potentially dangerous behind the wheel. A 2013 CDC report estimated that up to 33 percent of all fatal car crashes involve a drowsy driver.⁴

Many people assume that the combination of drugs prescribed to them is safe to take while driving, because their doctor did not specifically warn them otherwise. The researchers suggest prescribers should take more care to warn patients about potential drugged driving impairment—a point also made by AAA in their 2009 report on this topic.⁵

Polypharmacy—using multiple drugs simultaneously—has numerous potentially adverse effects in your body, beyond impairing your operation of a motor vehicle, and typically a combination of drugs results in more impairment than any one single drug.

Even Small Amounts of Some Drugs Can Impair Your Driving

Use of a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug makes driving potentially unsafe—just like driving after drinking alcohol. The effects of specific drugs differ depending on how they act in your brain, but all can impair faculties necessary for the safe operation of a vehicle.

This includes motor skills, balance and coordination, spacial orientation, attention, reaction time, and judgment. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):⁶

"Even small amounts of some drugs can have a measurable effect on driving ability...

It is hard to measure the exact contribution of drug intoxication to driving accidents, because blood tests for drugs other than alcohol are inconsistently performed, and many drivers who cause accidents are found to have both drugs and alcohol in their system, making it hard to determine which substance had the greater effect."

Drugs commonly implicated in accidents include opiates (narcotics), amphetamines (stimulants), benzodiazepines (depressants), cannabinoids, and cocaine. Many people are still under the illusion that prescription drugs are somehow safer than street drugs, but it's important to realize that prescription medications like hydrocodone and oxycodone are opioids—very similar to heroin.

Many prescription drugs, including opioid pain relievers and benzodiazepines prescribed for anxiety or sleep disorders, come with warnings about the operation of machinery—including motor vehicles—for a specified period of time after use. When prescription drugs are abused (taken without medical supervision), impaired driving and other harmful reactions are even more likely.

Source: White House Report, Drug Testing and Drug-Involved Driving of Fatally Injured Drivers in the United States: 2005-2009 (PDF)

18 Percent of Fatally Injured Drivers Test Positive for Multiple Drugs

Eighteen states currently have zero tolerance laws for drugged drivers. However, recent studies suggest these laws may not be making our roads much safer. One of these studies is the 2007 National Roadside Survey, performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).⁷ The survey found that more than 16 percent of weekend, nighttime drivers tested positive for illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter drugs.

More than 11 percent tested positive for illicit drugs. In 2009, another NHTSA survey found that 18 percent of fatally injured drivers tested positive for at least one illicit, prescription, or over-the-counter drug (an increase from 13 percent in 2005).⁸These statistics are clearly trending in the wrong direction. According to a government report,⁹ in 2009 narcotics and cannabinoids accounted for almost half of all fatally injured drivers testing positive for drugs. The report, which includes an impressive array of statistical graphs and charts, includes the following facts:

• Fatally injured male drivers outnumbered fatally injured female drivers by approximately 3:1
• The younger age groups (15 to 24 and 25 to 34) accounted for almost half of all fatally injured drivers (each group with 23 percent)
• Cannabinoid-positive drivers were younger, peaking at age group 15 to 24, while narcotic-positive drivers peaked at age group 45 to 54
• Alcohol was involved in about one-third (34 percent) of all fatal crashes, yet among drivers who tested positive for any drug, 48 percent also tested positive for alcohol
• Driver inattentiveness was associated with 10 percent of all fatally injured drivers but was slightly more common among narcotic, depressant, and other drug-positive drivers; drug-positive drivers are also less likely to wear seatbelts

Prescriptions Can Be Fatal if Used While Driving

In the CDC's Public Health Reports study, prescription drugs were involved in fatal car crashes at three times the rate of marijuana. In half of the fatal crashes, alcohol was also a factor. This is not meant to be an argument that driving under the influence of marijuana is safe, but this latest study clearly shows that combining prescription drugs and alcohol is even MORE dangerous when you're on the road.¹⁰

People involved in car accidents are more likely to have taken psychotropic drugs for a period of days, weeks, or months, according to a study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.¹¹ Psychotropic drugs are those that alter your mental processes and are typically prescribed for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other psychiatric disorders. Benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and insomnia drugs known as Z-drugs (including Sonata, Ambien, Imovane, and Lunesta) all have the potential to impair your driving.

Impaired driving is just one of the many risks of these drugs. Since 2009, deaths from properly prescribed drugs have outnumbered traffic fatalities in the US, largely from overdoses. Prescription medications are also killing more people than illegal drugs these days. Psychotropic drugs are associated with a variety of serious mental and physical problems, including but not limited to the following:

• Benzodiazepines are associated with an increased risk of dementia, certain cancers, and premature death; hypnotics such as Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata ("sleeping pills") have been linked to certain forms of cancer and overall reduced lifespan
• Opioid pain relievers (narcotics) are associated with an increased risk of depression; the use of these painkillers hasquintupled in recent years, and addiction to painkillers has reached epidemic levels
• Deaths from prescription painkillers increased five-fold among women between 1999 to 2010, largely as a result of overdoses; a 2011 CDC report stated that prescription painkiller overdoses now exceed the number of deaths from heroin and cocaine combined¹²
• ADHD drugs (stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Strattera) have been linked to permanent brain damage, liver, heart and blood vessel damage, heart attack, stroke, sudden death, depression, suicide, and increased cancer risk; yet these psychotropic drugs are still being prescribed to children at alarming rates
• Antidepressants such as Prozac and Paxil have been associated with a disproportionate number of violent acts, including assaults, suicides, and homicides

Alcohol Kills One in 10 Working-Age Adults

According to a recent CDC study, alcohol accounts for one in 10 deaths among working-age adults.¹³ In addition to alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents, the study also took into account deaths from homicides, falls, and chronic diseases, such as alcoholic liver disease, stroke, and breast cancer. The report emphasizes alcohol is the fourth-largest cause of preventable death, behind smoking, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise. The report also estimates that the ravages of alcohol cost the US $224 billion each year, or $1.90 per drink.¹⁴

Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana May Double Your Risk of an Accident

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the most psychoactive compound in marijuana) can also cause serious driving impairment, especially at higher blood levels. Studies in several localities have found that between four and 14 percent of drivers who sustained injury or died in traffic accidents tested positive for THC.¹⁵ A large study in the British Medical Journal found that marijuana nearly doubles your risk of having a vehicle collision.¹⁶

In the 2007 NHTSA survey, 8.7 percent of weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for marijuana—four times as many as had blood alcohol concentrations exceeding the legal limit.¹⁷ This should be a wake-up call, particularly now that marijuana has been legalized in some states. According to NIDA:¹⁸

"Considerable evidence from both real and simulated driving studies indicates that marijuana can negatively affect a driver's attentiveness, perception of time and speed, and ability to draw on information obtained from past experiences. Research shows that impairment increases significantly when marijuana use is combined with alcohol."

Cannabis and Alcohol Produce Different Types of Driving Impairment

Cannabis and alcohol acutely impair several driving-related skills in a dose-dependent fashion, but the effects of cannabis vary more between individuals than alcohol because of individual tolerance, varying methods of ingestion (smoking, eating, etc.), and differences in THC absorption and metabolism.¹⁹ Alcohol and THC produce different patterns of impairment. The detrimental effects of THC are more pronounced with your automatic driving functions (such as spatial location) than with more complex tasks that require your conscious control. With alcohol, the opposite is true.

Some scientists believe that moderate marijuana smokers tend to be more aware of their impairment than drinkers, so they tend to compensate more effectively while driving by utilizing a variety of behavioral strategies. Alcohol impairs reaction time and increases risk-taking behavior (driving faster, tailgating, and passing recklessly), whereas moderately stoned drivers tend to slow down and be more cautious. However, as THC levels rise, these compensation strategies fail. The differences in impairment between alcohol and cannabis are further elucidated by Slate:²⁰

"Real-world data from auto accidents indicate that a drunk driver is approximately 10 times more likely to cause a fatal accident than a stoned driver. Pot makes drivers worse at mindless tasks like staying in a lane, while alcohol undermines behaviors that require more attention, like yielding to pedestrians or taking note of stop signs."

Epidemiological studies show that drivers with THC blood levels exceeding 10 ng/mL—equivalent to smoking about one-half of a joint—are far more likely than sober drivers to cause an accident.²¹ One study found that blood THC concentrations of only 2 to 5 ng/ml were associated with substantial driving impairment, particularly in occasional smokers.^22, 23 The most consistent finding in driving studies is that marijuana and alcohol together pose a much greater risk than using either one alone, which is very concerning as the two drugs are frequently used together.^24, 25

Some forms of cannabis have powerful medicinal effects due to their combination of cannabidiol (CBD), medicinal terpenes, and flavonoids. But THC is also present in medical cannabis in varying concentrations, so if you use it, please don't underestimate its psychoactive effects, and err on the side of caution—especially when it comes to operating a vehicle.

Lesson: Don't Get Behind the Wheel if You Are Taking Psychotropic Medication

The risk of driving impairment from prescription medications has likely been underestimated for many years. There is no way to know how many of the accidents attributed to "drunk driving" have really been a combination of alcohol AND prescription drugs. When you take combinations of drugs, even those prescribed by your doctor, the mental and physical effects can be complex and unpredictable. If you do choose to take psychoactive medications, exercise good judgment and avoid getting behind the wheel.

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