VISION TIMES
VOL.045 NOV 12 - NOV 18 , 2021
11 States Challenge Biden’s Vaccine Mandate in Court
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US Heating Costs Expected to Soar Alongside Rising Gas Prices By Darren Maung Vision Times
B
iden-appointed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm confirmed on Oct. 7 that Americans should expect higher heating costs for the winter of 2021. In a time when the pandemic has hit the world’s economies hard, the rise in gas prices has prompted a firm warning by the U.S. that people’s quality of life is going to be impacted.
(Image: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
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ttorneys general from 11 U.S. states have filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden’s mandate that requires companies with more than 100 employees to institute vaccination requirements for workers. The lawsuit insists that only states have the right to impose such mandates. The case has been filed in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Missouri. On Nov. 4, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published guidelines on how companies are expected to implement Biden’s vaccine mandate. Workers either have to be inoculated or be subjected to weekly testing. Moreover, unvaccinated employees will also have to wear face masks. Companies that do not impose these requirements can face fines of up to $14,000 per violation. The mandate is scheduled to come into effect on Jan. 4. “Vaccination requirements are good for the economy. They not only increase vaccination rates but they help send people back to work – as many as 5 million American workers. They make our economy more resilient in the face of COVID and keep our businesses open,” Biden said in a statement on Nov. 4.
Eric Schmitt filed vaccine mandate lawsuit
On Nov. 5, the 11 attorneys general, led by Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt, filed the lawsuit against the vaccine mandate, calling it “unconstitutional, unlawful, and unwise.” Schmitt points out that more than a century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court had already affirmed that decisions regarding compulsory vaccination of citizens are only to be taken by the states, with the federal government having no role in it. The state of Missouri has 3,443 private employers who together employ around 1.3 million people. Continued on A2
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SPR and the high costs of oil President Biden Delivers Remarks On CDC's Authorization For Children To Receive Covid Vaccinations.(Image: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Biden Admin Instructs Businesses to Enforce Vaccine Mandate Despite Court Order to Pause By Todd Crawford Vision Times
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n Monday, Nov. 8 White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine JeanPierre told a room full of reporters that “people should not wait,” to enforce the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate despite the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Court issuing a temporary stay, blocking the mandate while a permanent injunction is considered. “They should continue to move forward and make sure they’re getting their workplace vaccinated,” Jean-Pierre said when asked about the court’s decision. On Saturday, Nov. 6 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit halted the enforcement of Biden’s mandate stating that petitions received “give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate.” Republican attorneys general from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah in addition to several private companies petitioned the courts and asked for a pause arguing that the requirements of the mandate “exceed the authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which will enforce the man-
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dates, and amount to an unconstitutional delegation of power to the executive branch by Congress,” CNBC reported. The White House believes that pausing the mandate “would likely cost dozens or even hundreds of lives per day” and further argued that the OSHA is acting within its authority established by Congress.
The vaccine and testing requirements, mandated by Biden’s executive order, take precedence over “any state or local requirements that ban or limit an employer’s authority to require vaccination, facecovering, or testing.” - Seema Nanda, the Labor Department’s lawyer.
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In September, President Biden signed an executive order mandating all companies with 100 or more employees have their staff vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Companies have until Jan. 4 to ensure staff are fully vaccinated or unvaccinated staff must submit negative COVID-19 tests on a weekly basis. At least 26 states have issued challenges to Biden’s mandate and testing requirements in five different U.S. appeals courts since Nov. 5. The Republican National Committee has also issued a challenge in the D.C. Court of Appeals. Seema Nanda, the Labor Department’s senior lawyer, said on Friday that the Biden administration is “fully prepared to defend this standard in court.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has dictated “that all future cases, appeals, motions and petitions on the issue in that jurisdiction shall be assigned to the same three-judge panel,” Breitbart reported. One of the judges, Edith Jones, was appointed by President Ronald Regan and the remaining two were appointed by President Donald Trump. The case is BST Holdings v. OSHA, No. 21-60845 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
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Granholm’s comment came after President Joe Biden declared that he was “noncommittal” to utilizing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which was constructed as a back-up source for the supply of crude oil should there be any major disturbances or disruptions in the nation’s oil reserves. The SPR was first established during the Ford administration in 1975 in response to the oil embargo of 1973-1974. In 1977, it received its first oil supplies from Saudi Arabia. Since then, oil has been released from the SPR by multiple administrations in attempts to help supplement the country in times of need.
Senate Republicans Discuss Rising Energy Prices. (Image:SamuelCorum/GettyImages)
The Biden administration has been concerned about the increasing price of crude oil after the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) refused to respond to calls by the U.S. and other oilrich nations to increase oil production by “more than planned in December.” OPEC is committed to keeping their monthly oil output increase plan in place. To date, oil prices have increased to more than US$80 per barrel, driving an increase in gasoline prices for consumers, Reuters reported. Because of OPEC’s refusal to pump more oil, the White House has accused the organization of endangering the global economic recovery.
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Continued on A3
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NATION
A2 | NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021
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Trump’s Ban on Investments to Chinese Militarylinked Companies Will Continue: Biden
(Image: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
By Alina Wang Vision Times
U
.S President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday, Nov. 8, that American investments will not be allowed to funnel into Chinese companies with ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The ban was first created by former President Donald Trump as an executive order in November 2020. The ban will now be extended beyond Nov. 12, 2021, Biden said. “The PRC [People’s Republic of China] is increasingly exploiting United States capital to resource and to enable the development and modernisation of its military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses, which continues to allow “I find that the use of the PRC to directly Chinese surveillance threaten the United technology outside States homeland the PRC and the and United States development or use of forces overseas,” Chinese surveillance Biden wrote in a lettechnology to facilitate ter to House of Reprepression or serious resentatives Speaker human rights abuse Nancy Pelosi. constitute unusual and The ban’s extenextraordinary threats.” sion follows a pre- Biden. vious change in June where about a dozen Chinese firms and subsidiaries were added to the list, raising the total number of blacklisted Chinese companies to 59. The additions included 10 publicly listed companies such as China General Nuclear Power Corp, China Mobile Communications Group, China National Offshore Oil Corp and plastic pipe
manufacturer Aerosun Corp. Also included in the ban was Chinese mobile leader Huawei Technologies Ltd and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp — a key company in China’s national drive to boost its domestic chip sector. The new expansion also removed some top names from the list such as Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, which has been in competition with American aerospace company Boeing Co and Airbus in innovating space and telecommunications technology. Gowin Semiconductor Corp and Luokung Technology Corp, two
companies that previously challenged the ban in court, were also removed from the list. While China hawks in Washington applauded Biden’s extension of the policy, some took aim at the administration’s failure to add new companies to the list since the June revisions. “While we should applaud the extension of the ‘national emergency’… it’s hard to understand why not one Chinese company has been added to this modest capital markets sanctions list since the issuance of the Order on June 3,” said Roger Robinson, former chairman of the congressional
The executive order was first signed into effect to deter American investment firms, pension funds and venture capitalists from buying shares of Chinese companies that were blacklisted by the U.S Department of Defense as having ties with the PLA.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Civil-military links in China are very common, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) takes a “whole-of-society” approach to national defense, espionage, and other political matters. The PLA’s modern doctrine is centered on “unrestricted warfare” which sees all interaction with other countries as a part of an existential struggle for dominance. The new order announced that American investors remain barred from buying new securities in these blacklisted companies but will have a year to divest existing holdings.
11 States Challenge Biden’s Vaccine Mandate in Court Continued from FRONT
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ccording to Schmitt, local firms have complained to him that the vaccine mandate would “decimate” their businesses, including those who have been in operation for several decades. The attorney general vowed to “preserve” the state’s businesses, “protect personal freedoms,” and
(Image: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
fight back against the “bureaucratic tyrants who simply want power and control.” The 10 states that are backing Missouri’s lawsuit include Arizona, Montana, Alaska, North Dakota, Arkansas, New Hampshire, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska. Nine of these states have Republican attorney generals while Iowa has a Democrat. In addition, several other
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nonprofit, religious, and private employers have also joined the suit. “The federal government lacks constitutional authority under its enumerated powers to issue this mandate, and its attempt to do so unconstitutionally infringes on the States’ powers expressly reserved by the Tenth Amendment. OSHA also lacks statutory authority to issue the ETS, which it shoe-horned into statutes
that govern workplace safety, and which were never intended to federalize public-health policy,” the lawsuit states. Several other groups have also approached courts concerning Biden’s vaccine mandate. Companies in states like Michigan and Ohio have filed such lawsuits. The Daily Wire, a company owned by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, filed a case in federal court.
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NATION
VISION TIMES
NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021 |
Facebook Covers Sign At Menlo Park Headquarters. (Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A3
US Heating Costs Expected to Soar Alongside Rising Gas Prices Continued from FRONT
‘Meta’ Trademark Dispute May Cost Zuckerberg $20 Million to Resolve By Darren Maung Vision Times
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Superunion CEO Jim Prior told Business Insider that Facebook likely spent a good amount of their resources to secure the “Meta” brand, potentially affecting other smaller businesses which need it.
fter changing its parent company’s name to “Meta”, Facebook could face a hefty price tag to continue using the name. A small PC company that has been using the trademark for a year prior to Facebook’s rebranding, has raised objections over the use of its name however said that it is willing to end its dispute for US$20 million. Facebook announced the rebranding at Connect 2021 on Oct.28. The rebranding aimed to bring the company forward by branching out to more fields than just social media. The move was intended to “bring its apps and technologies” together under a more unified banner, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. Zuckerberg said that the “metaverse” is “going to be a big focus, and I think that this is just going to be a big part of the next chapter for the way that the internet evolves after the mobile internet…and I think it’s going to be the next big chapter for our company too…”
Arizona, filed to trademark the name in August 2020 after about a year of operations by founders Joe Darger and Zack Shutt, who have already filed the documents needed to trademark their brand. Meta PC currently sells computers, disk drives, keyboards, and other hardware and devices, offering buyers illuminating and awesome designs to make their user experience shine as they work or play. The pair told Business Insider, the Patent and Trademark Office website confirms the filing, stating that Meta PC first started using “Meta” for their products in November 2020. However, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative acquired the ownership of the trademark in 2018 on the same site. While Meta PC has not been officially granted the use of the name, they are said to still have an edge over Facebook should Zuckerberg attempt to claim it for his rebranded company. The company has also posted memes and jokes online in light of the
situation, including a video jokingly announcing that Meta PC was rebranding to “Facebook.” Facebook has claimed that they have online rights to its brand, including the domain meta.com. However, a motorbike magazine in Denver already acquired the @meta handle on Instagram, which is a Facebook property, prompting the magazine to use @ wearmeta instead. Darger and Shutt would have to rebrand themselves should Zuckerberg agree to pay. However, a source from TMZ believes that Facebook thinks they have the necessary rights to use the trademark that could disrupt Darger and Shutt’s plans. Another company named Meta Company, centered in Chicago, published a long letter on their website that alleged that Facebook’s lawyers contacted them to buy the name. Founder Nate Skulic then claimed that they refused the offer, saying that Facebook made a “low offer that wouldn’t cover” the costs from the name change.
“There are many businesses already in the world with Meta somehow in their name who will be cursing the impact this move may have on them yet who will be powerless to do anything about that,” Prior said.
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(Image:Screenshot from video of META PCs)
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Closing down the pipeline
In addition to the problems with OPEC, Biden also signed executive orders that ended the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline — which would have distributed oil from Alberta, Canada — and shuttered U.S. drilling sites, but the action was met with a lawsuit by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Administration (AIDEA). CEO of Blackstone (BX), Stephen Schwarzman, stated that fossil fuel companies are facing difficulties funding production projects, mainly in the U.S. The idea of closing down the Line 5 pipeline would be beneficial for several indigenous tribes in Michigan, who have requested the shutdown to Biden to “preserve treaty rights.” However, it has also faced criticism, with an environmental expert anticipating another loss of heating energy like the one that happened in Texas during last year’s winter storm.
Consequences at home
Meta has been trademarked by another company
While there are other companies that are named “Meta”, custom PC manufacturer Meta PC, based in
“I’m not anticipating that OPEC would respond, that Russia and/ or Saudi Arabia would respond,” Biden said to reporters. “They’re gonna pump some more oil. Whether they pump enough oil is a different thing.” Granholm said last month that tapping into the SPR was considered, but it was later put aside as there was no “immediate plan” in place. Biden has indicated that there are other options on the table. By releasing SPR stockpiles, it’s believed that it would only provide momentary relief from the higher prices. Granholm assures that Biden is looking for “immediate-term and the long-term” solutions, such as investments in clean energy.
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According to the Energy Information Administration, it is calculated that U.S. households that depend on natural gas for heating will spend an average of $746 to warm up their homes for the coming winter, 30% more than the last. Experts have warned that the increase in natural gas futures, which have risen by 132% this year, could be higher during the winter, when Americans need more heat.
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CHINA
A4 | NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021
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Buddhists Made to Watch Communist Propaganda, Told to Be ‘Monks of Mao Zedong’ By Juliet Wei Vision Times
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n image showing a group of Buddhist monks in northern China’s Tianjin city watching a communist propaganda film about the Korean War has elicited scrutiny amidst heightened efforts by the authorities to instill “socialist core values” in religious communities. The photo, posted by the public WeChat account of the Huasheng Buddhist temple, shows about 18 monks wearing sanitary masks while watching Battle at Lake Changjin, a recent production extolling a supposed victory of Chinese forces over U.S. troops in the early stages of the Korean War (1950–1953). “The movie was so impressive. It was a riveting exercise in ‘[Communist] Party video education,’” the Huasheng temple wrote in its WeChat post. Battle at Lake Changjin was released on Oct. 1, the 72nd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party’s ascendance to power. It received heavy state promotion not only at different levels of government, but also throughout the CCP, schools, and non-government institutions such as temples. The film is based on the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, where in late 1950 the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army (PVA) deployed 120,000 troops against a 30,000-strong U.S. force. Though the PVA suffered many times more casualties than the Americans at Chosin and failed in their objective to rout the defenders, the CCP has held up the battle as a stunning victory. More recently, it has utilized the engagement and the Korean War in general as a means of drumming up anti-U.S. sentiment.
Monks wearing masks watch the film “The Battle at Lake Changjin” at the theater on Oct. 29. (Image: Screenshot/Tianjin Huasheng Temple/WeChat).
Minnan Buddhist College, which in FuJiang province, hold the lecture competition about celebrating CCP 100 years for “learning CCP History and following the CCP” (Image: Screenshot from video of China Insight channel)
In Fenghua temple in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, a leader tells clergy to be the “monks of Mao Zedong” and pledge loyalty to the CCP.
‘Monks of Mao Zedong’
The indoctrination of monks and other religious clergy has also been common in recent years. In April 2021, various CCPapproved Chinese religious associ-
ations launched a “Love the Party, Love the Country, Love Socialism” campaign, asking their respective adherents to systematically study the history of the Party, celebrate the centennial of the founding of the Party, and “always follow the Party.” CCP-approved religions include Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism. However, believers may only attend Party-sanctioned churches, tem-
ples, or mosques, where they are being increasingly required to study the CCP’s atheist ideology. Religious Chinese who do not fall under the five approved religions, or who choose to set up their own places or forms of worship, are heavily persecuted by the CCP. For example, adherents of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline are routinely abused for their faith and tens of thousands are believed to have been murdered for their organs.
The Communist Party’s Measures for the Administration of Religious Personnel, which took effect on May 1, 2021, require religious personnel to “support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party” and “practice the core values of socialism.” While the CCP has been suppressing all religious beliefs, it has also been mutating the connotations of religion. In a video from the Fenghua temple in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, the temple leader can be heard saying, “Our purpose is to be the monks of Mao Zedong, for the Party, for the country, and the people.” The leader continued to say, “We are today in front of the Party flag, the national flag, and the statue of the leader. We solemnly swear to be loyal to the Party; Loyal to the motherland; To love the leader; Love the people. …To be a good citizen, a qualified new man to vow to work for communism and fight for it till death.” Buddhist monks being compelled to “work for communism and fight for it till death” is not a new concept. During the Korean War, many “reformed” Buddhist monks were coerced into service with the PVA, killing and being killed on the battlefield.
China’s Power Shortages to Last Through Next Spring By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
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hina has been struggling under an intense power crisis for several months and according to the county’s power grid agency, the power situation will continue to remain a problem for some time. The power crisis has triggered accusations of mismanagement of the country’s electricity supply. In a statement dated Nov. 7, the State Grid Corporation of China warned that it will be unable to ensure continuous, reliable electricity supply to all of China in the next months. The grid services almost 1.1 billion people spread over 88 percent of China’s land territory. Power outages could become common as demand for electricity picks up due to winter heating www.visiontimes.com
(Image: Screenshot from Weibo)
China's Coal Power Plants In Shandong. (Image: Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)
and electricity demand. Weather experts predict La Nina conditions to come back by winter, which would mean less rainfall in the southern regions and possibly colder winters in the north. Some provinces will have to face continuous power outages through win-
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ter until spring, the agency said. “The grid would overall see a tight balance of the supply and demand situation and power shortage in some regions… The current electricity supply and demand situation in the region managed by the company has returned to normal,”
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the firm said in a statement. To deal with the power crisis, China has ramped up coal production. According to CCP mouthpiece Global Times, average daily output of coal in November rose by 800,000 tons from October to 11.53 million tons. Power plants now have enough in coal inventories to maintain electricity supply for 20 days. ad.ny@visiontimes.com
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Some plants in areas like Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning have coal stocks to last up to 32 days. Coal prices at the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange have fallen by almost 50 percent from the 1,982 yuan (US$310) per ton record high hit on Oct. 19. The power crisis has attracted intense criticism from several quarters. Speaking at a virtual energy forum, Chen Weidong, the former chief energy researcher with the China Institute of Energy Economics, put the blame of the current power crunch on antiquated power pricing systems and poor planning of coal production. “China, in fact, has no shortage of power generation capacity, coal resources nor production capacity. How could China suddenly descend into power rationing? This is a man-made crisis,” Chen said at the forum.
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CHINA
VISION TIMES
NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021 |
A5 AdobeStock
The Henan Province announcement raises major concern in light of mounting evidence that rather than willing organ donors, the vast majority of organ transplants conducted in China come from murdered prisoners jailed for their religious faith or political activities.
CHINESE OFFICIALS ADVERTISE HUMAN ORGANS on Public Website, Raising Scrutiny About Transplant Abuse By Alina Wang Vision Times
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fficials in Henan Province, central China, have published a schedule of fees and availability for different “donated organs” — and inadvertently spotlighting the largescale transplant abuse that has been occurring with the support of the Communist Party for decades. State-run media Xinhua reposted the notice published by daily newspaper Zhengzhou Evening News on Nov. 3. According to the report, six governmental departments had collaborated on the joint statement, however only three were mentioned: the Henan provincial Health Commission, Department of Finance, and Market Supervision and Administration Bureau. The announcement stated that “organs are priceless,” then proceeded to detail the price breakdown as costs included for organ evaluation, function maintenance, acquisition, testing, preservation and transportation. “The fees are not the ‘prices’ of organs since organ donation is voluntary and free,” the notice read, emphasizing that listed fees were aimed at at “further regulating collection of fees” and to “protect the rights of organ donors and its recipients.” The Henan Province announcement raises major concern in light of mounting evidence that rather than willing organ donors, the vast majority of organ transplants conducted in China come from murdered prisoners jailed for their religious faith or political activities. Notably, the Chinese organ transplantation industry shot up in the years directly following the start of the Chinese Commu-
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nist Party’s persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, a meditation discipline practiced by an estimated 70 to 100 million Chinese at the time. Later investigation and testimonies have linked the Chinese transplant industry with the mass murder of Falun Gong practitioners.
A black market for organ harvesting
This isn’t the first time the Chinese government has made global headlines for the sinister practice of organ trafficking. BBC reported in an article on Nov. 27, 2020 that six people including several doctors had been arrested and jailed in China for illegally harvesting organs from accident victims. According to the report, the group had tricked families of the deceased into thinking they were making official organ donations. Local media said they would target victims involved in car accidents or patients who suffered from brain bleeds at the Huaiyuan County People’s Hospital in the country’s eastern province of Anhui. There, the hospital’s ICU director, identified as Yang Suxun, would approach patients’ family members and ask if they would like to donate their loved ones’ organs. The families would then sign what would later turn out to be bogus consent forms. The victims would be wheeled out of the hospital in the middle of the night and placed into makeshift vans disguised to look like ambulances where doctors would harvest the organs. These would then be sold to sick individuals in the black market or to other hospital connections the trafficking ring maintained. A report compiled by Washing-
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ton-based human rights group Victims of Communism also noted the coincidental timing of then-Party leader Jiang Zemin’s anti-Falun Gong campaign in China, which began in July 1999 — six months before the rapid growth of the transplant industry — and cited reports by those targeted of blood tests and physical examinations, noting consistent data with those used for organ procurement.
Experts weigh in
Ohno Akira, professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Shizuoka University in Japan said the problem is serious. “This would not happen in a democratic country,” Akira said, “organ removal and transplantation surgery are included in the entire cost,” adding that the official publication of organ fees could increase crime as vulnerable groups could potentially be targeted and killed for their organs — undermining social stability. Current affairs commentator Cai Shenkun told Radio Free Asia on Nov. 2 that the surge in organ transplantation was most likely attributed to the perception of low-priced Chinese goods and obtaining organs in China being viewed as easy and fast, with a relatively low surgical cost. In comparison, in the U.S, the average wait time for a kidney is 5 years, 11 months for a liver and 6 months for a lung. According to organ donation statistics, a new patient is added to the transplant list every 9 minutes. There are currently over 120,000 people in need of an organ transplant, with 17 individuals dying everyday while awaiting a life-saving organ. According to a report by Radio Free Asia published on March 12,
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2020, the international community has consistently questioned the source of China’s transplanted organs. Uyghurs of Xinjiang imprisoned in mass concentration camps and persecuted Falun Gong practitioners are believed to be the main source of organs since the Sujiatun Incident in 2006.
“Shopping list” for organs
Below is an image of the detailed price chart, translated from Chinese. All prices are approximates: Adult liver: 260,000 Chinese yuan (US$40,000) * Child’s liver: 100,000 yuan (US$15,000) Left or right liver lobe: 100,000 yuan (US$15,000) Heart: 100,000 yuan (US$15,000) Single adult kidney: 160,000 yuan (US$25,000) Both adult kidneys: 230,000 yuan (US$36,000) Single child kidney: 100,000 yuan (US$15,000) Both child kidneys: 150,000 yuan (US$23,000) Single/double lung: 80,000 yuan (US$12,000) Pancreas – 50,000 yuan ($8,000) Corneas were listed for 10,000 yuan ($1,500), with a single cornea selling for only about $1,500 and a pair for $3000. * The term “child” was explained as any individual under the age of 18.
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$ The pricing chart published by the Henan provincial authorities. (Image: via WeChat)
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TO
A6 | NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021
Secret s of t h e
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
a n d t h e To m b of Ch i n a ’s Fi rst E m p ero r
The tomb of Emperor Qin
By Tea With Erping
By the 4th century B.C., China’s seven kingdoms were at war, a historical period known as the Warring States. This period of time saw great loss of life, and the nations struggled to maintain their population. Since a larger population leads to a rise in the labor force, burying real people for the king’s afterlife became an unaffordable luxury, as the value of human life had increased during war. Eventually, Qin State conquered the other six kingdoms, and in 221 B.C. the empire was unified under Qin Shi Huang, whose name means the First Emperor. Emperor Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with immortality and was constantly seeking ways to achieve it, if not in this life, then in the next. He envisioned another worldly domain that would parallel his worldly existence after his death. His mausoleum is one of the greatest archeological discoveries in history, but remains an eternal mystery because no one has ever seen the inside of this grand tomb. Chinese archeologists used the latest in remote sensing technology to probe the Emperor’s tomb. The technique revealed an underground chamber which was meant to house the Emperor’s soul. Experimental pits dug around the tomb reveal statues of dancers, musicians, and acrobats full of life, a sharp contrast to the rigid military poses of the terracotta warriors. The Emperor wasn’t only a man of war, it seems; but also quite cultured. More than 720,000 laborers across the country participated in the construction of the mausoleum and took 39 years to complete. In com-
I
n very ancient times, the death of a Chinese ruler could be deadly for his subjects too. At the tomb of Duke Jing (r. 576–537 B.C.), who led the Qin State of western China, 186 human skeletons were found interred with the ruler, men and women buried under the belief they would continue to serve the dead as they did the living. This practice — similar to those found in other civilizations of the time — was fairly common throughout China. But hundreds of years later, things were changing. The Qin duke who was buried with 186 living people had lived in a time called the Spring and Autumn period, when China was split between dozens of small nations, similar to Europe. Though their rulers all pledged fealty to a single king, called the Son of Heaven, they had their own governments, armies, laws, cultures, and even languages. Confucius also lived in this period. He travelled the many states, preaching moral conduct, family ethics, and proper ritual. One practice he found abhorrent, however, was the sacrifice of living people to be buried with the dead. It would take centuries for the teachings of Confucius to become mainstream. However, his ideas about humane burial took off much more quickly. Contrasting with his far-off predecessor Duke Jing, Qin Shi Huang — who conquered the rest of China and became its First Emperor — had his own tomb staffed not with the remains of mortal men, but immortal terracotta warriors who guard the monarch in the afterlife.
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The Qin dynasty standardized coins, weights, and measures. Above all, this Emperor is credited for building the first version of the Great Wall.
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parison to the world’s oldest and largest pyramid, the Great Pyramid of Giza, Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb is the most extraordinary mausoleum complex in the world. Archeologists have figured out that under the hidden mount in the mausoleum complex,is a huge building in the shape of an inverted pyramid, 9 stories tall. The number 9 has a symbolic meaning, referring to the Son of Heaven, the sacred title for the Emperor. Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb is at the very bottom of the pyramid. Artisans apparently carved a map of the entire Qin kingdom on the floor, and laced the ceiling with precious gemstones to represent the sky, complete with the constellations of the stars, the sun,and the moon. All the country’s streams were reproduced with liquid mercury and by some mechanical means made to flow into a miniature ocean. Such a structure symbolizes that, even after death, the Emperor can still look up to the cosmos as a guide to cross over to an immortal existence. Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s coffin is the world’s largest copper coffin, made to float on the rivers, lakes, and seas of mercury. This is in line with his wish to travel the world, even after his death. The Emperor spent most of his life fighting wars to conquer other kingdoms and unify all of China. His achievements in his lifetime needed to be reflected in the mausoleum, so burying him with the company of an entire army is only natural. The Terracotta warriors are placed in such a fashion that they are guarding this tomb. The Qin belief system was that the Emperor's enemies would seek revenge in the afterlife. Thanks to the warriors, they would be blocked by an immortal force.
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An army of immortals
The word Terracotta means “baked earth” which refers to the materials used to make these wonderful sculptures. The Terracotta army has more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses. This impressive number of terracotta sculptures took a significant amount of time to make as well as a lot of capital. This goes to show the level this Emperor was concerned about: what lies beyond this present life and his own mortality. These soldiers were housed in a grand mausoleum, and helped paint a vivid picture of how the ancient Chinese military operated. The army was found in tight military formations and heavily armed. The pits in which the army is located yielded almost 40,000 bronze weapons including swords, spears, billhooks, arrowheads, and crossbows. These weapons are real weapons forged specifically for the Terracotta army, and have retained their sharpness and luster despite being buried underground for almost 2,200 years. They are so well-preserved due to a protective chrome plating, a seemingly modern technique that was first used in the West by Germany in 1937 and the U.S. in 1950. This shows the high level of metallurgical sciences native to that time period, as modern Western civilization only discovered this technique some 2000 years later.
The terracotta soldiers are surprisingly lifelike and have a resemblance to real people. Latest facial recognition technology reconstructed what each soldier would look like today with stunning accuracy. It seems these soldier’s faces were modeled from real soldiers who lived at the time. The soldiers are also depicted to have unique body shapes, with some being thin, some bulkier. It goes to show that each soldier was made to be unique and not made from a generic mold used for mass production. The techniques used to make the soldiers are hard to replicate even today. It is perhaps the most detail-oriented illustration of the ancient world using baked clay. This attention to detail ensured that no two statues were alike: just like real people, no one is completely alike in appearance and build. The soldiers have the height of actual human beings, that of about 2 meters. The ancient people were much taller in comparison to people today. It took more than three decades to create the terracotta army between 246 and 210 B.C. However, the tomb lay undiscovered for nearly 2,200 years until 1974 when it was accidentally found by two farmers. The Xi’an region (near the ancient Qin capital of Xianyang) was experiencing a severe drought at the time. So these farmers decided to dig a well. Upon digging a few meters down, one farmer recalls seeing a clay head, then shoulders appeared until the other farmer realized they had stumbled upon a secret historical site that was unknown to history. A few interesting facts about the terracotta army: All of the soldiers are facing east. The native areas of the Qin kingdom were in the west and the other states were
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in the east. From the onset of his ascension, Emperor Qin Shi Huang planned to unify all the states. Thus, the soldiers facing east are a testament to his determination to achieve the goal of unity. The soldiers were painted full of color but the paint has now worn out into the grey we see now. As soon as the soldiers were exposed to air, the color quickly shriveled up and the original color was lost. Yet it was discovered that the artisans of the time had used a specially made purple color, now named the Han purple, it’s similar to Egyptian blue. Many in the world of art conservation view the accomplishment of creating these colors to be beyond the time in which they came about.
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A8 | NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021
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LANCET STUDY:
By Steven Li, MD Vision Times
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ccording to a recent study published in The Lancet on Oct. 29 by authors in the UK and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), while vaccination for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) may reduce the rates of hospital admissions and deaths, “Fully vaccinated individuals with breakthrough infections have peak viral load similar to unvaccinated cases and can efficiently transmit infection in household settings, including to fully vaccinated contacts.” The paper continues, “Vaccine effectiveness against infection is reduced for delta. Determining the extent of transmission from vaccinated delta-infected individuals to their vaccinated contacts is a public health priority.” Furthermore, “Vaccine effectiveness against infection is reduced for delta, compared with alpha, and the delta variant continues to cause a high burden of cases even in countries with high vaccination coverage.” Indeed, the findings from the study call into question the degree of public health benefit provided by vaccination and the scientific basis for vaccine mandates.
COVID-19 TRANSMISSION RATES
SIMILAR BETWEEN VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED The proportion of infected contacts was similar regardless of the index cases’ vaccination status.
Vaccines do not significantly affect household transmission
The authors investigated the “community transmission and viral load kinetics” of the Delta variant through a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study. Data was taken from 602 community contacts of 471 COVID-19 index cases between Sept 13, 2020 and Sept. 15, 2021. Index contacts and their contacts were followed in the community soon after exposure to the Delta variant of the SARSCoV-2 virus, and daily quantitative RT-PCR tests were conducted on samples from the upper respiratory tracts of the subjects for 14 to 20 days. Individuals were classified as “fully vaccinated if they had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 7 days before study enrolment.” The primary objectives of the study were to evaluate the secondary attack rate (SAR) in household contacts based on vaccination status, and to also analyze viral load kinetics via “differ-
ences in the peak viral load, viral growth rate, and viral decline rate.” The results showed that SAR for household contacts was “not significantly higher in unvaccinated (38%, 95% CI 24–53) than fully vaccinated (25%, 18–33) household contacts.” In fact, the data showed that fully vaccinated contacts were infected by fully vaccinated individuals (38.7%, 12 of 31) at a higher rate than by unvaccinated individuals (23.5%, 12 of 51), although the statistical significance of this difference was not commented on. The study additionally stated, “The SAR in household contacts exposed to fully vaccinated index cases was 25% (95% CI 15–35; 17 of 69), which is similar to the SAR in household contacts exposed to unvaccinated index cases (23% [15–31]; 23 of 100.” “The proportion of infected contacts was similar regardless of the index cases’ vaccination status.” “Breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people can efficiently transmit infection in the household setting.” The 163 PCR-positive individuals were 55 percent female, 82 percent White, and had a median age of 36-years-old. Researchers note, “The proportion of asymptomatic cases did not differ among fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated delta groups.” Also, while “peak viral load did not differ by variant or vaccination status,” the “peak viral load increases with age.” Evidence of waning immunity was observed, as “the time interval between vaccination and study recruitment was significantly higher in fully vaccinated PCRpositive contacts than fully vaccinated PCR-negative contacts, suggesting that susceptibility to infection increases with time as soon as 2–3 months after vaccination—consistent with waning protective immunity.” The authors conclude, “Our findings help to explain how and why the delta variant is being transmitted so effectively in populations with high vaccine coverage. Although current vaccines remain effective at preventing severe disease and deaths from COVID-19, our findings suggest that vaccination alone is not sufficient to prevent all transmission of the delta variant in the household setting, where exposure is close and prolonged.”
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France Locks Down Poultry Farms as Bird Flu Spreads Across Europe placed the entire nation on “high alert” for bird flu as the virus continues to spread across Europe.
By Todd Crawford Vision Times
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n Nov. 4, France’s agriculture ministry ordered French farmers to keep their poultry indoors due to a heightened risk of bird flu that authorities believe is being spread by migratory birds. The order communicated the “need to take urgent and immediate preventive measures to protect French poultry farms from potential contamination by the avian influenza virus from wild birds…” The French government has www.visiontimes.com
Flocks under Quarantine
Effective immediately, poultry farmers, large and small, are required to keep their flocks indoors. “Since the beginning of August, 130 bird flu cases or clusters have been detected in wild animals or on farms in Europe,” the ministry said in a statement after disclosing that three cases were identified in northeast France. The lock down follows similar actions taken by farms in the
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Boxes of eggs are decorated with labels in French that translate as "freerange is finished" as artisanal poultry farmers sell France's "last 10,000" freerange eggs in response to new Bird Flu measures that threaten to end traditional practices of raising birds outside, in favour of industrial methods, on October 14, 2021, in Paris, France. (image:Sam Tarling/Getty Images)
Netherlands on Oct. 26 after a bird flu infection was discovered on a
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farm in the central province of Flevoland. Approximately 36,000 animals were culled in an attempt to prevent the spread of the disease, Reuters reported. Last year, France was forced to cull approximately 3 million birds in its southwestern duck-breeding region after the virus jumped from wild birds to the region’s poultry flocks. The French government hopes that the lockdown will help avoid a repeat of the slaughter that occurred last year. Avian Influenza (AI) otherwise known as “Bird Flu” is a highly contagious viral infection which affects all species of birds. The ad.ny@visiontimes.com
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strain currently making its way through the avian population in Europe is the highly infectious H5N1 strain. While the strain largely affects birds, in rare cases it can be passed to humans. Common symptoms in humans include fever, aching muscles, headache and coughing or shortness of breath. Other unlikely symptoms include, bleeding from the nose or gums, diarrhea, stomach pain, chest pain and conjunctivitis, or “pink eye.” Typically it takes three to five days for the first symptoms to appear following direct exposure to a diseased bird.
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NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021 |
A9
Spike Protein Created in COVID-19 Vaccines ‘Hijacking’ DNA and Immune System Mechanisms: Study By Neil Campbell Vision Times
increase in numbers and attack the invading pathogen.”
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V(D)J recombination
recent study published by two Chinese scientists working for a university in Sweden has found evidence that the full length spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), damages a crucial DNA repair mechanism involved in the human body’s adaptive immunity. The study, titled SARS–CoV–2 Spike Impairs DNA Damage Repair and Inhibits V(D)J Recombination In Vitro was authored by Hui Jiang and Ya-Fang Mei of the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology at Umea University in Sweden and published in the scientific journal Viruses on Oct. 13 after first being submitted on Aug. 20. The Abstract states, “Clinical studies have indicated that patients with severe COVID–19 exhibit delayed and weak adaptive immune responses,” and that the mechanism SARS-CoV-2 uses to impede adaptive immunity was currently unclear.
Adaptive immunity
A textbook on human biology
SARS-CoV-2, which causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), as seen under electron microscopy. A recent study from Sweden published in the journal Viruses has shown that the full-length spike protein generated by gene therapy mRNA and adenovirus vector vaccines is causing damage to the human body’s DNA repair and adaptive immune system mechanisms. (Image: NIAID via American Association for the Advancement of Science EurekaAlert!)
found on the University of Minnesota’s website describes the significance of the human body’s adaptive immunity function, noting it takes effect “after exposure to an antigen either from a pathogen or a vaccination.” While adaptive immunity takes significantly longer than the innate immune system to become established, it has the virtue of being highly specificized to the invading pathogen. The text uses two examples to explain antigen exposure, “An antigen is a small, specific molecule on a particular pathogen that stimulates a response in the immune sys-
tem. One example of an antigen is a specific sequence of 8 amino acids in a protein found only in an influenza virus, the virus responsible for causing ‘the flu.’” “Another example is a short chain of carbohydrates found on the cell wall of Neisseria meningitidis, the bacteria that causes meningitis.” It goes on to explain the specifics of how the adaptive immune system generates B and T cell lymphocytes to combat an invader, “In adaptive immunity, activated T and B cells whose surface binding sites are specific to the antigen molecules on a pathogen greatly
The Swedish study states definitively in its Abstract, “Here, by using an in vitro cell line, we report that the SARS–CoV–2 spike protein significantly inhibits DNA damage repair, which is required for effective V(D)J recombination in adaptive immunity.” “Mechanistically, we found that the spike protein localizes in the nucleus and inhibits DNA damage repair by impeding key DNA repair protein BRCA1 and 53BP1 recruitment to the damage site.” The authors do not shy away from the implication their finding may have on today’s messenger RNA and adenovirus vector vaccines, “Our findings reveal a potential molecular mechanism by which the spike protein might impede adaptive immunity and underscore the potential side effects of full-length spike-based vaccines.”
COVID’s immune system impact
The Umea study summarizes several clinical studies in order to illustrate the effect the virus has on the adaptive immune system, “SARS–CoV–2 infection extraor-
dinarily affects lymphocyte number and function. Compared with mild and moderate survivors, patients with severe COVID– 19 manifest a significantly lower number of total T cells, helper T cells, and suppressor T cells.” “Additionally, COVID–19 delays IgG and IgM levels after symptom onset. Collectively, these clinical observations suggest that SARS–CoV–2 affects the adaptive immune system. However, the mechanism by which SARS– CoV–2 suppresses adaptive immunity remains unclear.” The authors state that a loss of function in crucial DNA repair proteins have been found to “inhibit the production of functional B and T cells, leading to immunodeficiency.” This point is critical to the topic of defending public health against the pandemic because, “In contrast, viral infection usually induces DNA damage via different mechanisms…If DNA damage cannot be properly repaired, it will contribute to the amplification of viral infection-induced pathology.” “Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether SARS–CoV–2 proteins hijack the DNA damage repair system, thereby affecting adaptive immunity in vitro.”
A large replica Denmark shirt with Christian Eriksen, Number Ten is displayed on the pitch prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Quarter-final match between Czech Republic and Denmark at Baku Olimpiya Stadionu on July 3, 2021 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Multiple European professional athletes have suffered significant and mysterious heart problems in recent months. (Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Multiple European Pro Athletes Suddenly Suffer Significant Heart Injuries By Neil Campbell Vision Times
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Two cricketers collapse on field, convulse
In July, two players of the female West Indies women’s cricket team collapsed on field, one after another, and began convulsing during a televised match against Pakistan. Chinelle Henry The duo, identified as Chinelle Henry and Chedean Nation, were removed from the match and taken to hospital for observation. Both players parChedean Nation ticipated in a social media video for the club’s Twitter account to let fans know they were doing fine only a few days after the collapse. DC
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33-year-old benched for three months after heart exam Getty Images
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On Nov. 2, Finnish media reported that Sogndal Football player Emil Palsson, age 28, suffered a catastrophic heart attack during a match against Norway and had to be resuscitated on field before being transEmil Palsson ported to hospital. According to the media, the broadcaster of the match was criticized for relaying the footage of Palsson’s ordeal live. Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson commented on the event on his Substack, stating “No report on whether he is vaccinated, but Iceland has near-complete adult vaccinations; 84% of people 16-29 are fully vaccinated.”
In June, 29-year-old Christian Eriksen, midfielder for Denmark, suddenly collapsed face first on the field while trying to handle a pass during a Euro 2020 Christian Eriksen match against Finland. Medics attended to the player for 10 minutes before he was removed on a stretcher. Newsweek reported that the calamity was so serious that Eriksen spent 6 days in hospital, underwent surgery, and is now saddled with a pacemaker.
ing and breathing, clutching his chest. Aguero’s incident emerged just a few weeks after he appeared in a vaccine acceptance segment targeting youth.
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The Hockey News reported on Nov. 4 that 24-year-old Slovak hockey player for the Bratislava Capitals, Boris Sadecky, “collapsed during a league game on Friday in Dornbirn, Austria before passing away earlier on Boris Sadecky Wednesday.” In a post on the HC Slovan website, the club made it clear that in accordance with government regulations, fans would be required to flash a vaccine
28-year-old Icelandic footballer suffers heart attack
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24-year-old Slovak hockey star dies
Danish soccer star collapses on field, gets pacemaker
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string of European professional athletes have suffered serious heart related disorders in recent weeks, often occurring suddenly and on live television. Reporting on the events has been sparse and causation remains a mystery to fans.
passport in order to attend games. According to Reuters, the country has distributed more than 4.8 million injections to its almost 5.5 million citizens.
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LIFESTYLE
A10 | NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021
VISION TIMES
WILD EDIBLES PART 4
Continued from the previous issue By Ila Bonczek
Oyster Mushrooms
Mushrooms
Giant puffballs
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Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) is another unmistakable edible. The bright yellow shelf fungus with a porous underside grows readily on oaks and other hardwoods, both dead and alive. This mushroom is parasitic and it will cause heart rot, eventually killing its host tree. Any Chicken of the woods found on non-deciduous trees should not be consumed, as it may have absorbed toxins from the tree. Chicken of the woods is large to begin with, and sometimes grows in clusters so big that it would be impossible for one family to consume them. They can have a chicken-y flavor and texture, and are often breaded or used like meat. Surplus mushrooms that are cooked and frozen maintain their flavor and texture better than dried mushrooms in this case.
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Oyster mushrooms are another easily identified edible. The only potentially dangerous lookalike is angel wing, which grows almost excluFungi are likely to frighten many foragers due sively on rotting hemlock. Oysters prefer deciduous to the very real potential for poisoning; but with hardwood, like maple and beech. They are saproa little knowledge and some sensible precautrophic fungi, growing on dead and dying trees. tions, you can feel safe in sampling some of the These mushrooms have notable gills that extend most unmistakable edibles. down an off-center stalk. With their flat, fan-shaped overlapping tops ranging from blue-grey to golden yellow, to pure white; and their delicately Puffballs are fruiting fungal bodies that conpatterned underside; the tain spores, which, when mature, are released as clusters can be so gora “puff” of fine powder. Giant puffballs (Calvatia geous that you may have gigantea), the favored culinary species, are found qualms about disturbing in eastern and central US and Canada. They tend to ma them. ge : Pi show up in disturbed areas, usually after a good rain, With approximately 40 spexab ay) and will appear either on rotted wood or pop right up cies of oysters, their season can out of the ground. They can grow to be quite big, with range from spring right into winter, but autumn the largest exceeding 50 pounds. temperatures and a good soaking rain bring out To identify a puffball, simply slice it down the midthe most possibilities. They have a mild flavor and dle. The flesh should be a uniform white and firm, a delicate silky texture, and are often used in soups, with no trace of stem or gills. Avoid anything with a pasta dishes, and stir fries. colored interior, or any visible shapes within the flesh. Take them when they are in the growing stage, before the spores form and the skin turns papery. Enjoy them right away, as they do not keep well. Batter fried, or fried in butter are popular and tasty applications; but sliced, they can also serve as low-carb pizza crusts.
Chicken of the Woods
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Greens
While herbs were covered previously in my spring article, it is worth mentioning them again to round out your harvest. Most spring greens make a comeback with the cool temperatures of autumn, and you can enjoy these nutritious herbs cooked or raw. You might also take advantage of the abundant wild onion, which is generally considered a weed. With over a dozen species of wild onions growing in North America, they shouldn’t be hard to find.
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Scratch and sniff is the most reliable method for positive identification. Small but potent, these onions are the perfect seasoning for your other wild finds. Sauteed with mushrooms, roasted with roots, or finely chopped and added to soups and salads, they act like the finishing touch. I leave you with a challenge: Try to find as many of these wild edibles as you can; at least one in each category, and fashion together a simple meal, what I hereby coin as:
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‘Forage Pilaf’
• Roast sliced burdock (or other wild roots) and onions to bring out their sweetness. • Saute diced chicken of the woods (or other edible wild mushrooms) in olive oil and sea salt. • Toss these together with a blend of wild rice and brown rice, cooked in a flavorful stock. • Sprinkle with barberries and toasted beechnuts (or other foraged nuts). • Serve over a bed of chickweed (or other wild greens). • Savor both the experience and what you make of it, and “May the forest be with you.”
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VISION TIMES
NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2021 |
By Darren Maung
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ecision making is a part of life. It is how we move forward and shape our destinies. From choosing a dinner entree to selecting a spouse, we may weigh feelings, instincts, practicality, propriety, and other factors; or we may just go on a whim. Most of us are confident in some areas and helpless in others, yet we will be required to make choices in a wide variety of situations. Sometimes the decisions we make may have grave consequences and we are fearful to make a move. With a few basic considerations, we can all learn to handle decision making rationally and responsibly.
HOW TO BE MORE
DECISIVE Why be decisive ?
One of the most pivotal traits of being a great leader is being able to make important decisions quickly and efficiently; even when faced with difficult choices and possible unpleasant outcomes. Those who are responsible for others must have the determination to stick with the chosen course, and a belief in their power to carry out what they wish to accomplish.
Decisive people have confidence in themselves. They deliver their words and actions with clarity and courage. Becoming a better decision maker gives one the courage to venture out and make a difference, without letting fear or resistance to change hold them back from learning and growing. By making decisions in the field of duty, you not only boost your own self-assurance, but also gain the trust and confidence from those around you. The more decisive we become, the fewer regrets we will have. It’s not that a decisive person never makes mistakes, but they understand the value in mistakes and use them for growth and guidance in the future, rather than wallowing in guilt and regret.
of the unknown. Even decisive people feel this, but they are willing to move forward with their decisions without overthinking what could happen. If they make a mistake, they will learn from it and be able to forge a new path from the failure. Realize that there are possible negative outcomes as well as possible positive outcomes with every choice you make, and be prepared to accept and deal with either situation. Once a decision is made, one
Key factors in decision making
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must stay on course, and avoid making last-minute changes or having second thoughts. Learn to trust your instincts and build upon past experiences to guide your decision-making. Try to look at mistakes as opportunities rather than failures. Without mistakes, how can we learn and grow? Once you accept that mistakes are a natural part of learning something new, you can begin to overcome the fear of failing. When we fall down, we need to have courage to stand back up. None of us is perfect. If you expect perfection, you will be disappointed. Guaranteed. The most we can do is our best. Make your decisions based on sound reasoning, and you will have fewer regrets. Move forward over the bumps, and you will still be moving forward. If you lack the knowledge necessary for making a sound decision, seek the advice of an expert. Don’t expect your intuition to guide you through technical or exacting dilemmas.
Exercising your skills
So, how does one become more decisive? Like most things, practice makes perfect. Exercise your decision making skills by giving proper consideration to each choice you come across during the day. A strongly decisive person knows to allocate time for forming a decision. Establish a deadline for making your decision, and let others know. That way you will feel obligated to stick with it. Decisiveness is often hindered by hesitation, and the fear of unwanted outcomes. No one can be certain about what will come of their choices. We must take our best shot and move forward. Knowing that whatever decision you make will shape the future in some capacity, open your mind to the possibilities, and mentally prepare for different outcomes. In making a big decision, ask trusted friends or family members to help guide you. Gathering information from acquaintances who may have gone through a similar situation will help you gauge the possibilities and forge ahead. Some find it beneficial to visualize the outcomes of their choices. Imagine both the pros and the cons of each scenario to help you understand the situation more thoroughly. Start small. When faced with a big decision, break it down into smaller components and make one choice at a time to tackle the final decision. Keep your eyes on the prize. Establish a specific goal for your decision making process to help guide your actions. By staying on course and embracing the decisions you’ve made, you will feel more satisfied and rewarded with the outcome. Learning to be more decisive is a process. Deciding to embark on this journey is the first step to success. If you consider the possibilities and factors related to your decision and make your best effort; stick with your decision once you’ve made it; and let the mistakes and failures in life help you make better choices in the future; then you can consider yourself a champion decision maker!
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with Buddhist and Taoist spirituality and values–thrived for thousands of years until communism seized power. Under tyranny, much of this divinely inspired culture has been destroyed or forgotten.
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The gong resounds, the curtain opens, and a heavenly scene is right before your eyes. Fairies emerge from a sea of billowing clouds. Mongolians ride on horseback across grasslands as vast as the sky. Classic stories of love and loss, of humor and heroic deeds, of divine intervention, all come to life on stage.
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