1411: Spread the Word

There are only 1411 tigers left in India. Make it known to everybody around you. The tiger population has been decreasing over the past few years, but in 2008 the WWF conducted a detailed census and came up with the shockingly disturbing number.

Tigers are threatened by a combination of poaching, habitat loss from development, the loss of corridors between areas and retaliatory killing of tigers for preying on cattle or attacking humans. The existence of international markets for illegal tiger parts in spite of the fact that the countries where majority of illegal trade in wildlife takes place are signatories to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is indeed a matter of grave concern.


Tigers are not only beautiful animals, but also India's national animal and a symbol of their pride. Their extinction would be an unimaginable loss to their culture and society as well as to the rest of the world. Another concern is the impact the extinction would have on the ecosystem. For example, when the Dodo's became extinct in Mauritius, the Acacia tree stopped regenerating completely. The tigers are a vital part of the ecosystem and play a major role as the top predators in the forest who keep the food chain in check.

Ways You Can Help:

• Spread the word
• Be a responsible tourist-dont pollute: "Dont leave anything behind except footsteps, and dont take anything except memories"
• Write -politely- to the policy makers like the Prime Minister, the Minister for Environment and Forests or even your local MP.
• Inform the nearest police station or TRAFFIC if you know any information on poaching or trade of illegal wildlife.
• Reduce the pressure on natural resources by cutting down on paper and timber consumption
• Support the cause and/or donate to the cause! http://www.wwfindia.org/help/donate_for_tigers/
• Volunteer! Help out on the scene:  http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/tiger_wildlife/how_save_tiger/volunteer_form/

Wheatgrass: a Magical Health Potion

Experiencing inexplicable headaches?  Indigestion? Can't sleep? These are probably the results of malnutrition or the lack of wheatgrass in your diet. One would be surprised by how many little aches and pains are due to an insufficient or unhealthy diet. Wheatgrass is a healthy alternative to vitamins and is a powerful detoxifier. It cleanses and protects your blood, liver and organs and even works as a stimulant for the thyroid gland which regulates metabolism.

Try drinking one glass every morning before breakfast. If you can find a bottle of wheatgrass powder in your local store, do get it. Mix it with warm water and gulp it down. The taste is a little difficult to bare- it's as if you're drinking mehndi with water- but the benefits are definitely worth it.

Wheatgrass seriously sounds like a magical potion that cures everything, check it out:
http://www.hippocratesinst.org/Wheatgrass/Benefits-of-Wheatgrass.aspx

Religious Propaganda

A Michigan company called Trijicon Inc was providing the U.S. military with high powered rifles with biblical inscriptions etched onto them. These guns are used in Afghanistan and Iraq and could create an unnecessary issue about religious propaganda. The company has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide upto 800,000 gun sights to the Marine Corps and other contracts with the U.S. military as well. The U.S. military claimed to be unaware of these biblical references. The use of these inscriptions goes against their rules that specifically prohibit the proselytizing of any religion in Iraq or Afghnistan. These rules were established to avoid any accusation of a religious crusade against the Muslims in the war against terrorism.

Tom Munson, director of sales and marketing for Trijicon, said the inscriptions "have always been there" and said there was nothing wrong or illegal with adding them. The company has said the practice began under its founder, Glyn Bindon, a devout Christian from South Africa who was killed in a 2003 plane crash. His son, Stephen, president of Trijicon, then continued the practice.

Weinstein, an attorney and former Air Force officer, said many members of his group who currently serve in the military have complained about the markings on the sights. "This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country," said Weinstein. "It's literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we're fighting. We're emboldening an enemy."




One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Other references include citations from the books of Revelation: John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

These are clear biblical codes that raise many questions about their users and providers. They not only violate the U.S. constitution, but also cross the line of respect. However, what baffles me is that the U.S. military was unaware of these codes for the past 30 years. In my opinion, Jesus rifles are just as bad as screaming Allahuakbar before blowing yourself up.
For more, watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs0-fU-E-V0