CLIFF JUMPER DIED IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

EXTREME ATHLETE DEAN POTTER
DIES IN BASE JUMPING ACCIDENT

www.sltrib.com - Two wingsuit fliers who leaped to their deaths from a cliff in Yosemite National Park were trying to zoom through a notch in a ridgeline and were airborne for about 15 seconds when they slammed into a rocky outcropping, a friend said Monday. Dean Potter, 43, and his partner Graham Hunt, 29, were both experienced at flying in wingsuits — the most extreme form of BASE jumping, which is a sport so dangerous that enthusiasts keep lists of the dead. 
Dressed like flying squirrels, with flaps between their outstretched arms and legs to keep them aloft, they leaped off Taft Point, 3,500 feet above the valley floor, and would have been traveling at speeds close to 100 mph as they aimed for the narrow gap in the ridge.

Potter thought he had found ways of safely enjoying some of the world's riskiest endeavors. He scaled the toughest vertical faces without rope, and walked barefoot across lines suspended between cliffs. If he fell or became exhausted, he would deploy a parachute. As if that didn't provide enough adrenaline, Potter wanted to fly. 
BASE jumping — renegade parachuting off buildings, antenna, spans (such as bridges) and Earth — is illegal in national parks. Doing it in a wingsuit is even more dangerous, particularly the form Potter practiced, gliding frighteningly close to cliffs and trees before deploying his chute. The park service celebrates Yosemite's role as a climbing mecca, but struggles to stop people from illegally leaping off the cliffs.

From the moment of his death, Dean Potter earned legendary status. One of the most popular extreme sports in the United States and the world, failed in one of his attempts to base jumping in Yosemite park in California. Dean Potter is remembered as free spirit, risk-taker; “He was all about getting the most out of life, and doing what you love and not being afraid to take those chances,” a friend recalled. “Dean was part of this community and had a great impact on the climb. He was a luminaire in the pantheon of the gods of the rally,” said the director of Yosemite, Mike Gauthier, at the Times. Yes, the man took risks without fear. But we do not believe it is something worthwhile to do that. If you put at risk your precious life to enjoy the feeling of adrenaline running in your veins, what you do is not to applaud and celebrate. At least five people have died in BASE jumping accidents in U.S. national parks since January 2014, including the most recent deaths at Yosemite, said Jeffrey Olson, a National Park Service spokesman. It is illegal do this in all U.S. national parks, and jumpers who are caught are fined and have their equipment confiscated, however people continue doing these nonsense. People who lack true spiritual knowledge enjoy maintaining a defiant attitude towards the laws of man and God, laws designed to protect them, yet risk their lives. Our spiritual teachers have already taught us that human life is invaluable, because it is an opportunity to know and love God, and it is completely silly to jeopardize our lives just to take dangerous risks in these so-called extreme sports. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Currently, it is imposed the general idea that “You have to enjoy the world.”  But the concept of enjoyment is dangerous, self-destructive and, in turn, it makes people to put their lives at risk.  More and more people spend large amounts of money on distractions that have no importance, just to satisfy their desires.  Some are poisoned themselves with drugs and alcohol, while others engage in activities that are constantly exposed their health and welfare.  In the rush to meet happiness artificially, man does foolish things, knowing from experience that is wrong and that ultimately end up disappointed. ... However, this type of activity sooner or later, discouraged artificially them, it is a pleasure so brief that fails to meet the expectations of enjoyment. ... We invite you to learn more about the spiritual life, which delivers a superior taste.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
“Dangerous Fun” - “Fictitious Happiness”
http://bhaktipedia.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php
http://bhaktipedia.org/espanol/index.php?n=sabidurias_vedicas.diversiones_peligrosas

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY OBSERVED

WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY
CRUSADE AGAINST SMOKERS

www.euronews.com - World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on May 31. It aims to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe. Another intended purpose is to draw global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to the negative health effects of using tobacco products, which currently lead to an estimated 5.4 million deaths worldwide annually.
The member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day in 1987. In the past twenty years, the day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance across the globe from governments, public health organizations, smokers, growers, and the tobacco industry. Each year May 31 is observed as World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), but do we actually understand its importance? Many smokers pledge to quit smoking on this day and forget it just the next day?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) , the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. It kills nearly six million people a year, of whom more than five million are from direct tobacco use, while more than 600,000 of tobacco’s victims are non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. Approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco and this accounts for one in 10 adult deaths. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease. 
Nearly 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest. Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development.

Since 1987, today May 31 is celebrated as "World No Tobacco Day". The event features enthusiasts and detractors, but is an opportunity to send messages, and encourage the Smoking Control Agreement, stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is called on countries to prohibit all forms of advertising , smoking promotion and sponsorship to help reduce the number of consumers of tobacco. Tobacco consumption kills nearly 6 million people each year. Health organizations have renewed today the crusade against smokers and in favor of the right not to inhale passively and for compliance with the legislation prohibiting this undue practice into public places.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

My father told me when he was young, nobody had any idea that cigarettes were bad. It was fashionable to smoke cigarettes.  One movie star always had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The way he did it the whole of America was trying to imitate. He was such a sex symbol and such a handsome heroic person. His style became the fashion. ... but he died of cancer of the lips. So doctors began coming out and saying, ‘Cigarettes are going to kill you. Stop Smoking!’ When that message came out cigarette smoking became more popular among the young people. Because they are trying to prove to themselves, “I am daring. I am fearless. I don’t care if I am risking my life.  I am going to do it to be cool. Yes I know it will kill me.” It’s so foolish. It’s just the example of mentality of material existence. We are not willing to listen to good advice. 

Śrīla Radhanath Swami Mahārāja : 
“Listen To Good Advice”
http://www.radhanath-swami.net/
http://radhanathswami.info/archives
http://radhanathswami.info/knowledge/listen-good-advice-radhanath-swami#more-814

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

QUITTING SMOKING PROLONGS LIFE AT ANY AGE

SMOKERS HAVE SHORTER LIFE 

EXPECTANCY THAN NONSMOKERS

www.latimes.com - It's never too late to quit smoking, and researchers have new data to prove it. Even at the age of 64, kicking the habit can add four years to a person's life, while quitting by age 34 can increase life expectancy by a decade, according to a study published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine. 
After analyzing health data from more than 200,000 Americans, researchers calculated that current smokers were three times more likely to die during the course of the study compared with people who had never smoked. For the most part, their deaths were caused by smoking-related ailments, including heart and lung disease. Overall, their odds of surviving to age 80 were half as good as for never-smokers. But the study, one of two large-scale surveys in the journal providing updated information on smoking and mortality, saw significant benefits for those who quit.

Giving up smoking between the ages of 35 and 44 was associated with a gain of nine years of life, and those who quit between 45 and 54 lived an extra six years. "The good news is, because the risks are so big, the benefits of quitting are quite substantial," said study leader Prabhat Jha, an epidemiologist and director of the Center for Global Health Research, based in Toronto. While the U.S. smoking rate has declined to 19.3% among adults, there are still an estimated 45.3 million smokers in this country. Cigarette use is responsible for about 443,000 U.S. deaths each year, the CDC says. 
The two papers did not draw distinctions between people who smoked a pack a day and those who might smoke just a few cigarettes a day, said Dr. Steven Schroeder, director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at UC San Francisco. The message needs to get out to young and old smokers alike, he said: "There's a ray of hope. It's never too late to quit."

Smokers lose at least one decade of life expectancy over non-smokers on average according to a new study. Kicking the smoking habit can add years of life even in one's 60s, new research in the New England Journal of Medicine shows. Younger smokers can gain a whole decade by quitting. We all know that quitting smoking is not easy and most of the time you’ll be unsuccessful. Studies have found that many smokers make five to seven attempts to quit smoking before quitting successfully. With that in mind it is important to keep trying to quit and taking every opportunity to make a renewed attempt to quit. As Amina Khan, author of the article, says: "It's never too late to quit smoking."

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

My father told me when he was young, nobody had any idea that cigarettes were bad.  It was fashionable to smoke cigarettes.  One movie star always had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.  The way he did it the whole of America was trying to imitate.  He was such a sex symbol and such a handsome heroic person.  His style became the fashion. ... but he died of cancer of the lips.  One of the most famous singers would sing while smoking a cigarette.  How can you smoke when you are singing!  It was amazing ... he died of cancer of the lungs only when he was forty.  So doctors began coming out and saying, ‘Cigarettes are going to kill you.  Stop Smoking!’  When that message came out cigarette smoking became more popular among the young people.  Because they are trying to prove to themselves, “I am daring. I am fearless.  I don’t care if I am risking my life.  I am going to do it to be cool.  Yes I know it will kill me.”  It’s so foolish.  It’s just the example of mentality of material existence.  We are not willing to listen to good advice.

Śrīla Radhanath Swami Mahārāja : 
“Listen To Good Advice”
http://www.radhanath-swami.net/
http://radhanathswami.info/archives
http://radhanathswami.info/knowledge/listen-good-advice-radhanath-swami#more-814

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

SMOKE-FREE LEGISLATION REDUCES CHILDREN'S ASTHMA

CHILD HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS FOR

ASTHMA SLUMP AFTER SMOKING BAN

www.dailymail.co.uk - The number of children being admitted to hospital to be treated for asthma attacks has dropped sharply since the smoking ban came into effect. Experts believe the law may have made smokers more aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke at home. This is despite the fact that the legislation only applies to work and public spaces. Researchers at Imperial College London found NHS hospital admissions for children under 14 for asthma attacks fell by 12.3 per cent in England in the year after July 2007, when the ban came in. In the two subsequent years, admissions were 3.4 per cent lower. 
Experts say law change may have made adults more aware of dangers of passive smoking. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that the total fall in the three years to July 2010 was equivalent to 6,802 hospital admissions. The drop was found in both boys and girls, in homes across all social classes and in both cities and rural areas.

Admissions for severe child asthma attacks had previously been rising from 2002 by 2.2 per cent a year, peaking at 26,969 admissions in the year before the ban. Asthma affects approximately one in every 11 children in the country. In other research, experts have found that hospital admissions for childhood asthma fell after legislation banning smoking in public spaces was introduced in Scotland and North America, before the law in England. Dr Christopher Millett, of Imperial College’s School of Public Health, said: ‘Previous studies have suggested the smoke-free law led more people to abstain from smoking voluntarily at home and in cars. 
‘We think exposing children to less second-hand smoke in these settings probably played an important role.’ Immediately following the ban, experts found a 10 per cent fall in heart attacks in England and it was suggested that older people who never smoked benefited the most.

Research shows there was a 12.3% fall in admissions in the first year after the law came into place in July 2007, and these have continued to drop in subsequent years, suggesting that the benefits of the legislation were sustained over time. Previous studies have shown hospital admissions for childhood asthma fell after smoke-free legislation was introduced in Scotland and North America. “As a society we must keep moving forward in ensuring that we protect our children from passive smoking. The next logical step would be to see a ban on smoking in cars when children are present, as the concentration of smoke caused by smoking within the small enclosed space of a car can be significantly greater than we used to see in pubs before the smoking ban,” said Dr Penny Woods, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation. We must protect our children and support the smoking ban all over the world!

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

An average cigarette contains 401 poisons and 43 cancer-causing chemicals, there are around 1.1 billion smokers in the world (about one-third of the global population aged 15 and over) and we have quite a sobering picture of the world around us.  The statistics about other self-destructive behavioral patterns – alcoholism, substance abuse and suicide - are equally, if not more, alarming. And even among so-called normal people, practically everyone is victimized by some form of self-destructive behavioral pattern - unwarranted expression of anger that turn out to be disastrous, unintentional use of caustic words that break hearts and ruin lives and so on. ... Chanting (the Holy Names of God) enables one to experience within oneself continuous happiness, which is absolutely independent of the state of the body and the external world.

Śrīpad Caitanya Caran das (BE E&TC) :
“The Tragedy of Self-Destruction”
“The Spiritual Scientist” - Vol. 1 Issue 16.
Bhaktivedanta Academy for Culture and Education (BACE), Pune
http://thespiritualscientist.com/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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A NEW SMOKING WARNING FOR WOMEN

SMOKING DOUBLES WOMEN’S
SUDDEN DEATH RISK, STUDY

www.webmd.com - Smoking cigarettes may more than double a woman’s risk of sudden cardiac death. But quitting can reduce that risk significantly over time, according to a new study. Sudden cardiac death is a sudden, unexpected death caused by loss of heart function. It is the leading cause of heart-related deaths in the U.S. and is responsible for up to 400,000 deaths per year. Researchers found that women who were current smokers were two-and-a-half times more likely to suffer sudden cardiac death than nonsmokers. The risk of sudden cardiac death was even higher among heavy and lifetime smokers. 
The study showed that quitting smoking had an almost immediate effect in reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death within five years among women without any symptoms of heart disease. For women already diagnosed with heart disease, the benefits of quitting smoking took much longer to take effect. 

“Researchers say for many women, sudden cardiac death is the first sign of heart disease.  Although smoking is a known risk factor for sudden cardiac death, researchers say few studies have looked at the nature of this relationship in a large number of women both with and without heart disease. This study looked at the impact of smoking and smoking cessation on the risk of sudden cardiac death among 101,018 women who took part in the Nurses’ Health Study. The results appear in Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology. During 30 years of follow-up, 351 cases of sudden cardiac death were reported. 
Researchers found the amount and duration of cigarette smoking was strongly associated with the women’s risk of sudden cardiac death. “The study shows that even modest levels of smoking can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death,” says Goldberg, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. “People should know that just one cigarette is too much.”

According to a new study published in Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology, an American Heart Association Journal that looked at results of more than 100,000 women, those who were light to moderate smokers had a significantly increased risk of dying from sudden cardiac arrest than those who didn't smoke. “We found the more that you smoke, the higher the risk of sudden cardiac death,” says researcher Roopinder Sandhu, MD, MPH, from University of Alberta, Canada. “But the important thing is that this risk can be eliminated after smoking cessation.” Even light smoking can increase your risk of dying suddenly, and that's just not cool; but the good news is that this risk may decrease if you leave this bad habit. So, try to quit smoking today!  Ask God for help and you will be able to do so.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

My friend, to smoke is a big trap and you have become a victim of it, and you will need lots of endeavour to get rid of if.  Perhaps you tried already several times and even promised, nevertheless you feel dejected, weak and ashamed; and at the same time you play as if you would be the strong one, the brave one, the rebellious one, the American cowboy that finally shows the boast braveness of killing himself with that stupid bad habit.  Wake up! Your body does not belong to you. It is the property of God and Mother Nature. It is very useful and you can do many things to help others, so don’t be discouraged. You have a mission in this very life. We want you to be healthy with nice character. We don’t want you to be ashamed, hidden in the smoker’s corner, afflicted with their own miseries. ... My friend you have to overcome yourself. Lift up your head! You will win like many others who already overcame their weakness.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
Vedic Wisdom: “Cigarette addiction”
http://vedicwisdom.weebly.com/
http://vedicwisdom.weebly.com/cigarette-addiction.html

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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SMOKING WORSENS HANGOVERS

SMOKING REALLY DOES MAKE
YOUR HANGOVER WORSE, STUDY

www.webmd.com - New research suggests that your hangover will be worse if you smoke when you drink. People who smoke on a day when they have been drinking alcohol heavily are twice as likely to report hangover symptoms as those who only drank. In the study of college students, heavy drinking was defined as about 5 or 6 cans of beer in one hour. But substance abuse experts not affiliated with study are quick to point out that binge drinking and smoking - alone and together - can have far worse consequences than hangover symptoms. Smoking increases the risk for cancer, heart disease, and stroke, and binge drinking can lead to addiction, alcohol poisoning, car accidents, and unprotected sex.
“In general, people smoke more when they drink because it counteracts some of the sedative effects of alcohol,” says researcher Damaris J. Rohsenow, PhD., professor of behavioral and social sciences at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University in Providence, R.I. 

“People also tend to feel better when they smoke while drinking because both increase the release of [the brain chemical] dopamine.” Dopamine is known as the brain’s pleasure chemical. The findings appear in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Exactly how smoking makes a hangover worse is not fully understood. Both alcohol and smoking can disrupt sleep, which may make hangovers feel a lot worse, Rohsenow says. What’s more, the dopamine rush may also be followed by a shortfall of this brain chemical. The study included 113 college students from a Midwestern university. 
They answered an online survey daily for eight weeks. Questions concerned how much they drank or smoked on the day before as well as their current-day hangover symptoms. According to the findings, students smoked about seven cigarettes a day, and this number jumped to more than 10 on heavy or binge-drinking days. Students reported drinking an average of more than two drinks a day, and more than 10 on average on heavy drinking days.

Researchers investigated the effects of smoking on hangovers from drinking. Authors of the study define, “Hangover refers to the cluster of unpleasant symptoms of physical distress that occur as blood alcohol falls after an acute incident of drinking to intoxication.” Hangover symptoms include, but are not limited to: headache, nausea, fatigue, feeling dehydrated or thirsty, slowed mental function. Dr. Rohsenow suggested people who choose to engage in heavy drinking should smoke fewer cigarettes to reduce hangover symptoms the following day. “The best way to avoid a hangover is not to drink that much, but if you smoke, it will aggravate it, so this provides another reason to not smoke,” she says. The human body is designed to help us to achieve the transcendence and needs to be cared by adopting healthy practices that harmonize and connect it with our inner self.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The physical body is considered an instrument or vehicle of the soul on its path towards perfection, and it has its own needs that must be met in order to run well.  Right exercise: The asanas, improve blood circulation and muscle flexibility, and help the joints, muscles and other body parts to work correctly. Correct breathing: Yogic breathing techniques called pranayama, producing a burst of energy that leads to mental and physical rejuvenation of the body.  Correct relaxation:  Relaxation is a natural method of revitalizing the body and mind.  Rigth diet: The yogic diet is a vegetarian one and is composed of pure foods that promote health and vitality.  Positive thinking and Meditation: They purify the intellect and allow to achieve wisdom and inner peace.

Yoga Inbound :
“Yogic Diet”
http://www.yogainbound.org/ws/
http://www.yogainbound.org/ws/hatha-yoga/30-articulos-interes/195-dieta-yoguica

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
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MONSTER ENERGY DRINK LINKED TO FIVE DEATHS

WHEN CAFFEINE KILLS: MONSTER
ENERGY DRINKS UNDER SCRUTINY

http://vitals.nbcnews.com - The Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports that five people died and one survived a heart attack after consuming energy drinks. It is not yet clear whether the drinks actually caused - or even contributed to - those adverse events, said FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess. “So far there’s been no causal link,” Burgess said. “There could have been other products involved. We don’t know that yet and that’s why we’re taking this seriously and looking into it.” 
The six reports were entered into the FDA’s system voluntary reporting system over an eight year period, with the first surfacing in 2004. This system doesn’t necessarily show that a food or drug caused a problem, the two events could be coincidental. Last week, the parents of Anais Fournier of Hagerstown, Md., sued the company that makes Monster Energy Drinks, saying caffeine in the drinks killed the 14-year-old girl.

The autopsy report attributed her death to “cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity.” She had consumed two 24-oz. Monster Energy drinks in a 24-hour period, the last drink just hours prior to her death. “The two drinks combined are believed to have contained approximately 480 milligrams of known caffeine, the equivalent of almost 14 cans of Coca-Cola,” her lawyer said in a statement. Monster energy drinks contain a long list of ingredients, including sugar, ginseng, amino acids such as taurine and L-carnitine, salt, guarana seed and B vitamins. 
The Center for Science in the Public Interest says the drinks contain about 10 mg of caffeine per ounce of drink, which would mean 240 mg of caffeine in a 24-ounce energy drink - not much more than two stong cups of coffee. How much caffeine is too much? Some people who take in 500 to 600 mg a day of caffeine may suffer insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, a fast heartbeat and stomach upset.

Reports of five deaths and a heart attack linked to Monster Energy drinks should bolster efforts to get the Food & Drug Administration (USA) to regulate caffeinated energy drinks. The combination of caffeine and natural ingredients that also act as stimulants in the drinks, can be risky for people with undiagnosed heart conditions. Emergency room visits involving energy drinks increased tenfold between 2005 and 2009, especially when the energy drinks are mixed with alcohol or drugs. On its website, Red Bull says “there is no scientifically substantiated reason why Red Bull Energy Drink should not, like any other drink, be mixed with alcohol.” However, health experts explains that energy drinks “mask the effects of alcohol”: People drink more because they are highly stimulated.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Intoxication is one of the more obvious sinful activities because so many people develop addictions to it. Whether it be alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or caffeine, addiction to intoxication is very common. Considering the fact that our senses are impossible to satisfy, it is no surprise that many take to intoxication in an attempt to break free of the senses. Instead of trying to escape the senses, the Vedas tell us to purify them through practicing devotional service to God, or Bhakti yoga. ... Success in spiritual life requires training and austerities from us just like in any other discipline. In order to attend college, we had to suffer through twelve years of grade school. Practicing Medicine is not allowed until one undergoes the long training and passes many exams. Olympic athletes train rigorously for four years in order to perform at their peak.  Similarly, we have to train ourselves now so that we may think of God at the time of our death.

Krishna’s Mercy - Jai Shri Krishna :
“The Four Regulative Principles”
Written by Keshava - Posted on Feb 15, 2009
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/the-four-regulative-principles/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

AT LEAST 53 KILLED IN MEXICO CASINO

ARSON FIRE KILLS 53
IN A CASINO IN MEXICO

Mexico City - In what Mexican officials have called an “act of terror,” a half dozen gunmen burst into a casino in Mexico’s industrial capital of Monterrey Thursday, sprayed the place with gasoline, and started a fire in the bingo section, killing at least 53 people.  Speaking to Monterrey’s leading newspaper El Norte, Nuevo León Gov. Rodrigo Medina said that at least 53 people had been killed in the attack, making it the bloodiest attack suffered by this prosperous city, which has been rocked by spiraling drug violence in the last year. Monterrey is the capital of Nuevo León state.  Officials said they expected the death toll to continue to climb in what appeared to be an attack linked to warring drug cartels, although there was no immediate information linking the massacre to drug traffickers. Up to 80 people were in the casino when it was attacked.

“Six hooded gunmen came in, shouting obscenities and firing their guns,” said a person at the scene who asked not to be named. “They drenched the place with gasoline. People were running as the place went up in flames. Those who stayed behind burned to death.”  Videos of the Casino Royale by local news channels showed a grim scene of rescue workers dragging bodies out by their feet as billowing clouds of black smoke came out of the building. One fireman appeared to be attempting rescues from a crane. The entrance to the casino was charred black and a sign reading “Royale” stood beside it.  The massacre in the Casino Royale in an upper-middle-class area of the city was the second such attack on an entertainment center in the past two months in Monterrey. The attack on the casino, located on one of Monterrey’s main avenues, took place at about 3:30 p.m. when six men drove up in two cars, officials said.
Armed men burst into a casino in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey and set a fire that killed at least 53 people and injured several others.  The attack at the Casino Royale, was the worst massacre since a crackdown on drug gangs by the authorities and infighting among the gangs exploded more than five years ago.  Casinos, growing in number across the country, have also emerged lately as targets of extortion, violence and money laundering.  Kali-yuga resides in four places: brothels, liquor shops, slaughterhouses and gambling casinos.  There, greed, lust, pride, and violence are perceived.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

King Pariksit, in disciplining the Personification of Kali, submitted to his earnest plea and granted him five places for his residence, irreligion to flourish. These are namely gambling, liquor and all other stimulants, illicit sexual intercourse, violence (brutal killing of defenseless creatures) and gold (money used in the service of the Lord properly does not fall into this category). The practice of gambling breeds dishonesty, drinking of intoxicants and taking of stimulants lead to loss of austerities. ... Hence those desiring their highest welfare should not indulge in any of these sinful activities at all, especially the religious minded person. A King and spiritual leader or ‘guru’ should shun all such activities from a distance. Such indulgence in irreligion will only deteriorate the character of the individual and all his so called preaching will be of no avail.

Śrīla Bhakti Promode Puri Mahārāja :
“Essence of Pure Devotion”
Part V -  “Preaching and Self-Practice”
Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library - http://bvml.org/SBPPG/eopd5.htm

RED MEAT BOOSTS DIABETES RISK: US STUDY

RED MEAT CONSUMPTION MAY
INCREASE RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES

AFP - Two slices of bacon, a hot dog or a serving of deli meat daily has been found to significantly boost the risk of getting type 2 diabetes, said a major US study published on Wednesday. The research by experts at the Harvard School of Public Health represents the largest study of its kind to date and appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  Eating 50 grams of processed red meat every day increased a person’s diabetes risk by 51 percent, while eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat each day, about the size of a deck of cards, boosted the risk by 19 percent. However, those risks went down if the red meat was substituted with nuts, white meat, low-fat dairy or whole grain proteins. “Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health implications given the rising type 2 diabetes epidemic and increasing consumption of red meats worldwide,” said senior author Frank Hu. “The good news is that such troubling risk factors can be offset by swapping red meat for a healthier protein.”
 
The data for the study came from questionnaire responses from more than 204,000 people in US nurses and health professionals’ studies. The subjects were tracked for between 14 and 28 years. Researchers also updated a meta-analysis that included their data with other studies covering more than 442,000 participants. Diabetes affects nearly 350 million adults worldwide, and more than 11 percent of adults over age 20 - or 25.6 million people - in the United States have the disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that involves high levels of blood sugar, is often caused by obesity, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits.
 

Recently, a major study of the US conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health has found that routine consumption of meat could trigger Type 2 diabetes.  It is believed that the high iron content of red meat can increase inflammatory chemicals, which can destroy insulin- producing beta cells - could be the main reason of triggering Type 2 diabetes.  Due to their unnatural diet meat-eating human beings are far more susceptible to diseases and disorders as compared to their vegetarian counterparts.  

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Every day, several times a day, every living being, in whichever part of the world he may be, enjoys a universal ritual - eating.  Most people decide what they eat based mainly on taste, cost, habit, nutrition and convenience.  But for those who are a little more thoughtful, here are some other points worth considering. ... The Bhagavad Gita states that foods such as milk products, grains, fruits, and vegetables increase the duration of life and give strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction. Conversely, foods such as, meat, fish and fowl are putrid, decomposed and unclean. They cause numerous hazards to physical health. ... Apart from bringing severe sinful reactions, meat-eating also dulls the human intellect thus rendering it incapable of understanding the higher dimensions of life. Therefore real spiritual life, nay real human life, can not begin unless a human being stops killing his younger brothers, innocent animals, just for the satisfaction of his tongue.

Śrīpad Caitanya Caran das (BE E&TC) :
“Think Before You Eat”
“The Spiritual Scientist” - Vol. 1 Issue 8.
Bhaktivedanta Academy for Culture and Education (BACE), Pune
http://thespiritualscientist.com/