Friday, July 31, 2026
ME/CFS - An Overview of an Underappreciated Disease
A discussion of the symptoms, epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, pathogenesis, treatment, and prognosis of ME/CFS.
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
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La Belle Epoque | France zone at abelard.org
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| https://www.abelard.org/france/belle_epoque.php |
short historical introduction
La Belle Époque, - the Beautiful Era - is an expression, born after the First World War, created to evoke the period stretching from after the Napoleonic campaigns until the watershed in Europe of the Great War: the years from 1890 to 1914.
The name Belle Époque encompasses the 1901 building designed by Jules Lavarotte, Parisrealities of expansion, carefree attitudes, a faith in progress, and an affluence spreading down through society, together with a certain nostalgia. This nostalgia was an embellishing memory of reality coming out of the trauma of the First World War. [Note that the term Belle Epoque was not widely used by the French.]
The social disruption, turmoil and loss of the Great War, caused by the millions of young men sent away from their families and work, never to return, marked Western Europe and its societies. Women having to cope without men and replace them at work resulted in female emancipation and independence, while returning military turned against the almost feudal nature of civilian society.
The Belle Epoque was coined to describe the years of peace and prosperity that marked middle-class life in France, before the Great War changed so much. The name soon spread to include many other countries in the West.
The Bell Epoque had notable features, such as dress, art and, with the optimism generated by a new century, engineering feats and technological progress. Art included painting such as the Impressionists, furniture and architecture, much styled by Art Nouveau and the English Arts and Crafts movement.
the Belle Epoque in Europe
After the Franco-Prussian War, Europe saw a long period of peace, at those times unusual yet favourable to economic and technical progress. This progress touched particularly France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary.
People at that period were very optimistic and carefree about the future, thanks to the extraordinary technological advances. Positivism (Faith in science) and scientism (Science explains everything) made their appearance. La Belle Époque was manifest mainly on the streets of European capitals, in cafés and cabarets, in workshops and art galleries, concert halls and salons - places frequented by middle classes who benefited from economic progress.
in France
After the 19th century Great Depression of 1873/4 to 1895/6, France entered a period of sustained growth in what was termed the Second Industrial Revolution.
The French population, while remaining hierarchical, became aware of belonging to a single nation. The rail network extended and helped open up the countryside, although France’s population remained largely rural.
The English, from different social groups, would come to France during this period. They came both for holidays where the seaside was an attraction, especially in winter when they could escape the bleak northern winters, and because France was a cheaper and socially more accepting place to live.
Exiles from the harshness of UK society included Oscar Wilde, and later the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Oswald Mosley and his wife. Hitler chose Hendaye on the south-west coast to meet Franco, a town where later Winston Churchill would come to convalesce after World War Two. Decca Mitford lived in Bayonne when she and her reporter husband , Esmond, ran away to join the Spanish Civil War.
At this period, those of very limited means and the idle classes travelled to France because of its low prices, and for fun in the sun. For the richer people, there were virtually no borders, and they discovered the newest means of touring by motor car and coach.
The English disported themselves in casinos and on the Mediterranean coast, on the Côte d’Azur. There were so many English people staying in Nice that the main road along the sea front was named la Promenade des Anglais - the Promenade [seaside walkway] of the English. The English also came to the southern Atlantic coast, particularly to sojourn at Biarritz, with its sheltered beaches and more affluent commerce.
technology
During this period, there were a succession of inventions that fundamentally altered people’s lives: the harnessing and use of electricity, the internal combustion engine, vaccinations against disease [invented by Louis Pasteur], the photograph, films, the bicycle. There was also immense progress made in chemistry and steel. These technological advances made life easier at all levels of society.
In France, the growing command of engineering in steel were manifest in the Eiffel Tower, the Viaduct de Garabit and the Grand Palais in Paris.
As well as the national demonstrations of engineering prowess, there were more local examples like the funicular train up the Rhune mountain in Pyrenees Atlantiques, built as a tourist attraction and still growing strong in the 21st century, and the moving pedestrian ramp at Biarritz, sadly dismantled to help the Great War war effort [page under preparation].
All this progress gave people a feeling of optimism, that anything was possible.
From 1889 postcard of the Eiffel TowerThe World Fair of 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was opened to the public, and the Universal Exhibition of 1900 put Paris and France on the map as lively, expanding places in international society. For the Universal Exhibition, many new buildings were erected for the exhibition, often lit by the then novel electric lighting, while gas lamps illuminated the streets. Thus, Paris became an early City of Lights.
These major exhibitions were symbols of the Belle Epoque.
The Belle Epoque was marked, particularly among the wealthier, by particular dress styles.
1890-1900 Marked by leg of mutton sleeves, very small waists and skirts flared like a cone. Often, women wore an ensemble of a tailored short jacket and skirt - a suit.
1900-1907 Better-off women wore corsets which altered their silhouette to an S-shape. High-collared necks during the day gave way to very low decolleté scoop necks in the evening. Sleeves were wide and loose, held in by a wrist cuff.
1908-1914 Corsets extended downwards, to make the body look much slimmer and willowy.
Fashion Era is an impressive web site with sections on fashion from many historical periods.
art, particularly impressionism
Cancan poster for the Moulin Rouge club, Montmartre, ParisThe cultural scene flourished and took on new forms with Impressionism and Art Nouveau, the realistic novels of Gustave Flaubert and Emile Zola, cabarets, the French Cancan.
After 1880, Neo- or Post-Impressionism outgrew the school of painting, that had arisen first in France, called Impressionism.
Dejeuner sur l'herbe by Eduard ManetImpressionists had burst onto the French art scene in the 1860s. They painted in a fresh new style with colour, light, strong brush strokes, compositions taken directly from life and painted in the open air, not keeping to accepted formal rules of sombre presentation and historical and religious subjects, painted only indoors in a studio.
The Impressionists’ new style was rejected by the establishment in the guise of the Paris Salon, managed by the Académie des Beaux-Arts and founded by Emperor Napoleon III. However, it was Napoleon III who, in due course, supported the alternative Salon des Refusés - Exhibition of the Refused - so the general public could decide for themselves the merit of the new painting style.
Impressionists in France included Eduard Manet, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Paul Gauguin, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot, Armand Guillaumin, Frédéric Bazille.
Neo-Impressionists in France included Georges-Pierre Seurat, Camille Pissarro, Paul Signac, Charles Angrand, Maximilien Luce, Henry Edmond Cross.
The great radical Dutch painter, Vincent Van Gogh, was a pioneer of a movement known as Expressionism. He lived in France from 1886 until he died there in 1890.
art nouveau
Dancer by Alphonse Mucha, 1898The creators of the Art Nouveau [New Art] had the ambition to break ties with the past, and to invent forms of art which would employ new techniques and new materials. Art Nouveau would be expressed in an original style, without precedent.
The source of paramount, sometimes exclusive, inspiration was nature and its seasons. Everything in the choice of the lines and forms was provocative, coming very close to disrespecting tradition. All lines were based on a stylisation of plants.
Art Nouveau was both a reaction against the established culture of historical art and a response to the Industrial Revolution, with its new materials and techniques, and sometimes shoddy standards of production.
This new artistic movement encompassed many areas of everyday life as a “total work of art”, or Gesamtkunstwerk: buildings, furniture, textiles, clothes, and jewellery. These were all designed to conform to the principles of Art Nouveau, which started in about 1890 and ended in 1914 with the coming of the Great War.
It is thought that this movement acquired its name from a shop in Paris, also called Art Nouveau and opened in 1895.
Paris Metro staion by Henri Guimard“It is always from Nature we must seek advice”, said in 1899 by Hector Guimard, architect and designer of many Paris Metro entrances. The Art Nouveau designers and artists were attracted by the linear qualities of plants and their expression of an organic force. Plants preferred were iris, umbelliferae, water lilies, sometimes made more stylised, with designs inspired by the stems rather than the flowers. There was also the influence of Japanese art, particularly tusche paintings.
Despite the desire to achieve an art for all and allow for some industrialised manufacturing, often unique or small series were made. These were mainly the work of craftsmen such as woodworkers, sculptors, workers in marquetry, and so expensive and accessible only to the wealthier.
Art Nouveau arose almost simultaneously in most West European societies. Here is a list of proponents in several countries:
In France
the fin de siècle [end of century] movement, Hector Guimard and his designs for Paris Metro entrances, René Lalique’s jewellery
In Britain
Walter Crane, Arthur Mackmurdo, Arthur Lasenby Liberty, Charles Ashbee, Aubrey Beardsley, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the PreRaphaelite painters, William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement
In Belgium
Franch Theophile Alexandre Steinlen, Alphonse Mucha, Victor Horta, Henry van de Velde
In Spain
Antoni Gaudí, Modernisme
In Austria
Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann, Secessionism
In Germany
Abstract speed - the car has passed by Giacomo Balla, 1913 Hermann Obrist, August Endell, Jugendstil
In Italy
Giacomo Balla, Boccioni, Futurists
In the Netherlands
Piet Mondrian
In United States
Rookwood Pottery of Cincinnati, Tiffany Studios of New York City, Louis Sullivan
art nouveau furniture
Chair by Henri GuimardFundamental elements of Art Nouveau design are the line and the curve. Slim and stringy iron constructions were invented. Horta used lines and curves as graphical ornaments, Guimard tried to bring lines into space and created compositions of iron, glass, and air. However, van de Velde considered a dynamic, abstract line as intrinsic construction element. He said:
“A line is a force, acting like all elementary forces; several associated but antagonising lines provoke the same as antagonising forces.”
Thus, the legs of furniture are usually made of curves, flaring outwards, that the plan is often curved, sinuous moulding and carved decoration or applied bronzes, well integrated to the structure, Walnut, oak and above all pear, tamarind or mahogany wood are preferred.
timeline
Sangrada Familia, still under construction in 20071885 Beginning of the construction of Sagrada Familia
by Gaudi in Barcelona
1889 The Eiffel Tower is built for the Paris World’s Fair.
Jane Avril at the Jardin de Paris by Toulouse Toulouse-Lautrec1893 Paris Japanese prints exhibition organized by Siegfried Bing.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec paints Jane Avril at the Jardin de Paris.
Posters by Toulouse-Lautrec for the Moulin-Rouge.
Lithograph by Bonnard for the White Review.
1894 Claude Debussy completes L’après-midi d’une faune
Poster with Sarah Bernhardt by Alphonse Mucha 1895 The Lumière brothers screen the
first moving picture, of workers leaving a factory.
René Lalique designs Dragonfly woman corsage ornament.
1896 Opening of the gallery Art nouveau
by Seigfreid Bing in Paris
1898 Guimard builds the Manor house
Béranger, first Art Nouveau building in Paris.
Jewels by Lalique.
1899 Ceramics by Gauguin.
Furniture by Majorelle, lamps and objects by Tiffany.
1900 Paris: Loïe Fuller Pavilion, Pavilion Bing, and other Art
Nouveau designs triumph at the World’s Fair.
Paris metro opens using Hector Guimard’s Metro station entrances.
1903 Pierre and Marie Curie share Nobel Prize
1905 Exhibition at Salon d’automne by artists
named collectively, les fauves.
Monday, July 27, 2026
On St. Georges Avenue in North Vancouver. Spring of 2019.
St. Georges Avenue is a residential street in North Vancouver, a scenic city across the Burrard Inlet from Vancouver, known for its blend of urban amenities and natural beauty (e.g., proximity to the North Shore Mountains). It runs through the Central Lonsdale neighborhood, a bustling area with shops, restaurants, and community services. The street is part of a well-connected residential zone, with easy access to key local landmarks and transit options, making it a desirable place to live or visit.
The Saint George Apartments is a multi-faceted community on or near St. Georges Avenue. It offers studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom apartments, and 3-bedroom townhomes, featuring amenities like in-suite laundry, in-floor radiant heating, and stainless-steel appliances. Located near Central Lonsdale, it’s close to Lonsdale Quay Market, retail shops, and outdoor attractions like water and mountain vistas. It emphasizes a “better way of life,” appealing to those seeking modern living with access to nature, suggesting St. Georges Avenue is a hub for young professionals, families, or retirees.
St. Georges Avenue is well-integrated into the city’s road network, accessible via major arteries like Lonsdale Avenue. Its location near Central Lonsdale places it within walking distance of public transit (e.g., SeaBus to Vancouver) and the Highway 1 corridor, enhancing connectivity.
As of 2025, North Vancouver’s real estate remains competitive, with Central Lonsdale seeing steady demand due to its amenities and views. Prices for condos or apartments on St. Georges Avenue likely range from CAD 600,000 to over CAD 1 million, depending on size and condition.
Central Lonsdale, where St. Georges Avenue is located, is known for its vibrant community feel, with local favorites like the Lonsdale Quay Market offering fresh produce and artisan goods. The area’s proximity to parks (e.g., Lynn Canyon) and outdoor activities aligns with Vancouver’s active lifestyle culture. The population includes a mix of young families, professionals, and older residents, with a growing international community reflecting North Vancouver’s diversity. North Vancouver is generally safe, with low crime rates compared to Vancouver proper. St. Georges Avenue’s residential nature suggests a quiet, family-friendly environment, though its central location means some traffic noise.
St. Georges Avenue in North Vancouver is a residential street in the heart of Central Lonsdale, offering modern living options like The Saint George apartments, strong connectivity, and proximity to shopping and nature. It’s an attractive spot for those seeking a balanced urban-outdoor lifestyle, with a real estate market reflecting its desirability.
Saturday, July 25, 2026
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Millions of Americans suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A campaign is drawing attention to a a medical condition that affects people worldwide.
PEA + Luteolin – Young Nutraceuticals
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| https://youngnutra.com/pages/pea-luteolin |
Luteolin is a bioflavonoid that neutralizes free radicals, reducing oxidative stress, which is held to be associated with aging. It is naturally occurring in many foods including artichoke, celery, parsley and peanuts.
Like PEA, luteolin has several mechanisms of action. It inhibits mast cells, as well as mast cell-dependent T cell activation. Luteolin modulates microglial activation and inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine production. It also acts on GABA and opioid receptors in the spinal cord.
The combination of PEA with luteolin has been shown to decrease mast cell activation significantly more than PEA or luteolin alone, and to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6) and chemokines (MIP-1 alpha, MIP-2) significantly more than PEA or luteolin alone. Additionally, PEA with luteolin was shown to reduce oxidative and nitrosative damage more effectively than PEA or luteolin alone.
Monday, July 20, 2026
On Broadway in Vancouver. Spring of 2019.
Broadway is a major east-west thoroughfare in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Vancouver’s numbered avenue grid system, it runs in place of a 9th Avenue, between 8th and 10th. The street has six lanes for most of its course. Portions of the street carry the British Columbia Highway 7 designation.
The route begins as “West Broadway” at the intersection of Wallace Crescent and 8th Avenue, in the affluent residential neighbourhood of West Point Grey, a few kilometres east of the University of British Columbia (UBC). Past Alma Street, Broadway takes over from 10th Avenue as one of Vancouver’s major thoroughfares, as it enters Greek West Broadway (or Greektown) section of Vancouver’s Kitsilano district. East of here are several blocks of generally trendy, upscale shops interspersed with low-rise apartment blocks and small supermarkets. The surrounding neighbourhoods generally consist of large, older homes dating from the early twentieth century, many of which have been subdivided into rental suites.
As Broadway approaches Arbutus Street, the commercial establishments become larger before transitioning into a mix of small to mid-size apartment blocks. East of Burrard Street, the apartment blocks get progressively taller, and commercial establishments larger and busier. Between Burrard and Main Street, Broadway can be considerably congested by vehicular traffic. Past Granville Street, Broadway yields completely to medium-to-large commercial structures and high-rise apartments and condominiums. Between Cambie and Main, the commercial establishments become smaller and somewhat more downscale.
At Ontario Street, two blocks west of Main, the route becomes “East Broadway.” After bisecting Main and Kingsway, traffic on Broadway eases somewhat, and the character returns to a mix of small-to-medium apartment buildings and commercial establishments, interspersed with older homes – all considerably less affluent than those to the west. At Commercial Drive, Broadway passes by the Commercial–Broadway SkyTrain Station. Past here for several blocks, the neighbourhood consists predominantly of older residential homes.
As Broadway travels east of Renfrew Street, the neighbourhood once again becomes mixed, with older homes to the north and larger industrial, commercial, and warehouse establishments to the south. Broadway finally ends at Cassiar Street, just short of the Vancouver-Burnaby boundary, where it becomes the Lougheed Highway.
Broadway was created at the turn of the 20th century, along with other gridded roads south of False Creek, to meet the needs of an expanding population in Vancouver. The name of the route was changed from 9th Avenue to Broadway in 1909, at the behest of merchants around Main Street (at that time the hub of Vancouver commerce), who felt that it bestowed a more cosmopolitan air. Commercial establishments originally spread out around the intersections of Cambie and Main Streets, while the character of the rest of the route remained predominantly single-family dwellings.
By the 1970s, the length of Broadway had become a major arterial route in Vancouver, conveying commuters from downtown to the neighbourhoods of the west and east sides. With the growth of UBC and the expansion of the Vancouver General Hospital (one block south of Broadway between approximately Oak and Cambie), traffic demands accelerated. In the 1990s, the agency then responsible for public transit in Greater Vancouver — BC Transit — introduced an express bus route, the 99 B-Line, to help reduce congestion. The Vancouver transportation plan for Broadway notes that congestion is such that the bus service is at capacity, and will not be eased until a new rapid transit line is built paralleling the street. It is anticipated that the SkyTrain’s Millennium Line will be extended to Central Broadway by 2021; the extension is expected to connect with Canada Line at Broadway-City Hall Station, at the intersection of Broadway and Cambie Street.
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) Nootropic Review: Benefits, Side Effects & Dosage
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| https://nootropicology.com/palmitoylethanolamide-pea/ |
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a unique nootropic that can help people with ADHD, anxiety disorders, and depression. It has also been shown to improve memory in animal studies.
What is Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)?
Palmitoylethanolamide, or PEA, is made in the body naturally to alleviate pain and inflammation. Many plants and animals also synthesize PEA like:
- Soy lecithin
- Soybeans
- Egg yolk
- Peanuts
... and alfalfa are all high producers of PEA.
Since its discovery in the 1950s, scientists have been interested in PEA. It has potential as a pain reliever, but there is a lack of large-scale safety and efficacy data.
Nonetheless, PEA has also been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, which is why it's often used in supplements for people who are diagnosed with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions.
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has also been found to work on the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which is why it has become increasingly popular in the biohacking-sphere.
The fact that Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has been shown to work on the cannabinoid receptors, is the reason for its anxiolytic, antidepressant, and cognitive effects.
Palmitoylethanolamide's Mechanism of Action
PEA activates the energy-boosting, fat-burning, and anti-inflammatory PPAR alpha.
PEA inhibits pro-inflammatory genes and the synthesis of numerous inflammatory chemicals by activating this important protein.
PEA activates the bliss gene, FAAH, which degrades natural anandamide.
This results in increased amounts of soothing anandamide in your system, allowing you to relax and feel better.
It may also activate cannabinoid receptors (CB2 and CB1).
The palmitic acid in PEA might be the basis for its synthesis. The body's starting point for PEA production is saturated fatty acids.
It has also been claimed that consuming extra palmitic acid or other dietary fats will not boost PEA creation in the body. This is because your body only uses PEA when it is needed to relieve inflammation or pain, and its levels vary considerably throughout the day.
The most effective approach to get PEA's advantages is to use standardized supplements or PEA-rich meals, according to researchers.
Their idea remains in the realm of hypothesis at this time.
Benefits of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)
One study found that PEA can reduce chronic neuropathic pain by influencing neurotransmitter signaling.
This is mainly due to its anti-inflammatory properties, which help with managing inflammatory conditions like arthritis and other diseases.
It can also be used as a supplement for people who are dealing with symptoms of depression or anxiety.
PEA has also been shown to improve memory, learning, and brain processing in animals.
It may do this by increasing the release of dopamine from neurons involved in cognition-related processes like motivation and attentional control.
This is why it has become increasingly popular for people who take Nootropics and want to improve their focus and attention spans.
PEA's effects on these neural circuits resemble those of conventional ADHD medications.
PEA has also been shown to be effective in analgesic in rats.
It was found to work on the mu-opioid receptor, which is thought to be responsible for its painkilling effects.
At this time, there isn't enough research to determine whether it has similar effects in humans.
Many other benefits of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) are just beginning to be discovered.
Let's take a closer look at each benefit below...
Pain Relief
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an anti-inflammatory agent with analgesic effects.
It has been used in different types of pain management, including nerve and muscle aches.
This may be due to its ability to influence neurotransmitter signaling at the spinal level by activating descending inhibitory pathways that block the transmission of pain signals.
PEA also reduces chronic neuropathic pain by influencing neurotransmitter signaling.
It does this primarily through its anti-inflammatory properties, which are beneficial for managing inflammatory conditions like arthritis and other diseases.
Brain Health and Regeneration
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) may even be able to promote the growth of new neurons.
It can do this by activating PPAR alpha, which is a protein that encourages cell differentiation and regeneration in different parts of your body.
This also makes it useful for people who want to improve their memory or reduce cognitive decline.
PEA has been shown to have a positive effect on cognitive abilities in animals with dementia-like symptoms from neurodegenerative disorders or brain injury.
This is thought to be due to its ability to improve memory, learning, and the processing of stimuli by increasing dopamine output from neurons involved in cognition-related processes like motivation and attentional control.
PEA's effect on these neural circuits is similar to the effects of conventional ADHD medications.
Hormone Regulation
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) also regulates many hormones in your body.
It can do this by either increasing or decreasing the production of certain hormones, depending on what is needed for a given situation.
For example, it has been shown to reduce cortisol levels when they are elevated due to stress and fatigue.
This means that PEA may help improve sleep quality and provide energy to deal with stress.
On the other hand, it increases insulin production in diabetics who have hyperglycemia by reducing glucagon levels.
This makes PEA useful for people who are dealing with diabetes or hypoglycemia.
Symptoms of Depression And Anxiety
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has been studied for its mood-elevating effects in animals.
It works by neurotransmitter signaling to activate the release of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
The inhibition of these chemicals is thought to be responsible for feelings of depression or anxiety which makes PEA useful as a treatment for depression and anxiety.
One study found that PEA improved symptoms of depression in mice treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
This is why more research on Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) as an anti-depressant medication has been called for by many people who are dealing with depression.
Overall, Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a very promising nootropic compound that has many positive health benefits for improving quality of life.
Side Effects of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)
Some people have reported that they experience mild side effects when taking PEA supplements or consuming high-fat meals with lots of palmitic acids, like indigestion and nausea.
Other side effects include:
- Muscle twitches and cramps
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- Loss of appetite
These side effects might be due to PEA's ability to activate the energy-boosting PPAR alpha protein in the body, which may also be responsible for its anti-inflammatory effects.
If you want to minimize your risk of experiencing side effects, it's best to take PEA supplements that are standardized for their active ingredient and remember to consume electrolytes.
The best way to take Palmitoylethanolamide
Palmitoylethanolamide is a fatty acid derivative.
Because it takes some time for Palmitoylethanolamide to build up in our bodies, certain effects may not be apparent right away.
The pain-relieving benefits of PEA are the most time-sensitive of its effects.
However, don't be discouraged, since many individuals have had excellent results with PEA after supplementing it for 2-4 weeks.
This implies that if you want to get the most out of Palmitoylethanolamide, you must take it regularly.
When it comes to dosage, the standard dose for Palmitoylethanolamide is 400 mg-800mg, twice a day.
To maximize absorption, you should time your supplement intake with meals that contain dietary fats.
In Summary
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a fatty acid derivative that has been studied for its mood-elevating effects in animals.
It works by neurotransmitter signaling to activate the release of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
The inhibition of these chemicals is thought to be responsible for feelings of depression or anxiety which makes PEA useful as a treatment for depression and anxiety.
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is best taken regularly and at a dose of 400-800 mg, twice per day.
Finally, remember to take PEA supplements with meals that contain dietary fats for maximum absorption.
Grover Furr on the big lies about Joseph Stalin
American professor Grover Furr talks about his book Trotsky’s “Amalgams.” Trotsky's Lies, The Moscow Trials As Evidence, The Dewey Commission.
Grover Carr Furr III (born April 3, 1944) is an American professor of Medieval English literature at Montclair State University, best known for his books on Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union. He has published many books on this subject.
Friday, July 17, 2026
Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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| https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/208 |
The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria, integrating various cultural influences into the Gandhara school of Buddhist art. The area contains numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries, as well as fortified edifices from the Islamic period. The site is also testimony to the tragic destruction by the Taliban of the two standing Buddha statues, which shook the world in March 2001.
Brief synthesis
Enclosed between the high mountains of the Hindu Kush in the central highlands of Afghanistan, the Bamiyan Valley opens out into a large basin bordered to the north by a long, high stretch of rocky cliffs. The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley comprise a serial property consisting of eight separate sites within the Valley and its tributaries. Carved into the Bamiyan Cliffs are the two niches of the giant Buddha statues (55m and 38m high) destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, and numerous caves forming a large ensemble of Buddhist monasteries, chapels and sanctuaries along the foothills of the valley dating from the 3rd to the 5th century C.E. In several of the caves and niches, often linked by galleries, there are remains of wall paintings and seated Buddha figures. In the valleys of the Bamiyan's tributaries are further groups of caves including the Kakrak Valley Caves, some 3km south-east of the Bamiyan Cliffs where among the more than one hundred caves dating from the 6th to 13th centuries are fragments of a 10m tall standing Buddha figure and a sanctuary with painted decorations from the Sasanian period. Along the Fuladi valley around 2km southwest of the Bamiyan Cliffs are the caves of Qoul-i Akram and Lalai Ghami, also containing decorative features.
Punctuating the centre of the valley basin to the south of the great cliff are the remains of the fortress of Shahr-i Ghulghulah. Dating from the 6th to 10th centuries CE, this marks the original settlement of Bamiyan as stopping place on the branch of the Silk Route, which linked China and India via ancient Bactria. Further to the east along the Bamiyan Valley are the remains of fortification walls and settlements, dating from the 6th to 8th centuries at Qallai Kaphari A and B and further east still (around 15km east of the Bamiyan Cliffs) at Shahr-i Zuhak, where the earlier remains are overlaid by developments of the 10th to 13th centuries under the rule of the Islamic Ghaznavid and Ghorid dynasties.
The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterised ancient Bactria, integrating various cultural influences into the Gandharan school of Buddhist art. The numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries, as well as fortified structures from the Islamic period, testify to the interchange of Indian, Hellenistic, Roman, Sasanian and Islamic influences. The site is also testimony to recurring reactions to iconic art, the most recent being the internationally condemned deliberate destruction of the two standing Buddha statues in March 2001.
Criterion (i): The Buddha statues and the cave art in Bamiyan Valley are an outstanding representation of the Gandharan school in Buddhist art in the Central Asian region.
Criterion (ii):The artistic and architectural remains of Bamiyan Valley, an important Buddhist centre on the Silk Road, are an exceptional testimony to the interchange of Indian, Hellenistic, Roman and Sasanian influences as the basis for the development of a particular artistic expression in the Gandharan school. To this can be added the Islamic influence in a later period.
Criterion (iii):The Bamiyan Valley bears an exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition in the Central Asian region, which has disappeared.
Criterion (iv): The Bamiyan Valley is an outstanding example of a cultural landscape which illustrates a significant period in Buddhism.
Criterion (vi): The Bamiyan Valley is the most monumental expression of the western Buddhism. It was an important centre of pilgrimage over many centuries. Due to their symbolic values, the monuments have suffered at different times of their existence, including the deliberate destruction in 2001, which shook the whole world.
Integrity
The heritage resources in Bamiyan Valley have suffered from various disasters and some parts are in a fragile state. A major loss to the integrity of the site was the destruction of the large Buddha statues in 2001. However, a significant proportion of all the attributes that express the Outstanding Universal Value of the site, such as Buddhist and Islamic architectural forms and their setting in the Bamiyan landscape, remain intact at all 8 sites within the boundaries, including the vast Buddhist monastery in the Bamiyan Cliffs which contained the two colossal sculptures of the Buddha.
Authenticity
The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley continue to testify to the different cultural phases of its history. Seen as a cultural landscape, the Bamiyan Valley, with its artistic and architectural remains, the traditional land use and the simple mud brick constructions continues to express its Outstanding Universal Value in terms of form and materials, location and setting, but may be vulnerable in the face of development and requires careful conservation and management.
Protection and management requirements
The monuments and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley are public property, owned by the State of Afghanistan. However, large parts of the buffer zone are in private ownership. Many documents defining the ownership were destroyed during the decades of conflict and civil unrest, and are now being re-established. The State Law on the Protection of Historical and Cultural Properties (Ministry of Justice, May 21st 2004)is in force and provides the basis for financial and technical resources.
The management of the serial property is under the authority of the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) and its relevant departments (Institute of Archaeology and the Department for the Preservation of Historical Monuments), as well as the Governor of the Bamiyan Province. The Ministry of Information and Culture has a provincial local office representative in Bamiyan. There are 8 guards specifically protecting the site against vandalism and looting, with additional resources provided by the Ministry of Interior in the form of a dedicated police contingent for the protection of cultural property (Police unit 012).
At present, the management system is provisional with help from the international community for the appropriate administrative, scientific and technical resources. Since 2003, UNESCO has been leading a three-phase safe-guarding plan for the property. Its focus has been to consolidate the Buddha niches, to safeguard the artefacts that survived the destruction of the Buddha statues and to render the site safe, notably by pursuing the complex de-mining operations at the site. A Management Plan for the property is under preparation with the objective to prepare and implement a programme for the protection, conservation and presentation of the Bamiyan Valley, to undertake exploration and excavation of the archaeological remains, and to prepare and implement a programme for sustainable cultural tourism in the Valley. The Governor of the Province is responsible for the implementation of a regional development plan, which includes rehabilitation of housing, provision of health and educational services, and development of infrastructure and agriculture.
In March 2011, it was concluded by Afghan officials and international experts at a meeting of the 9th Bamiyan Expert Working Group hosted by UNESCO that the World Heritage site is potentially ready to be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger by 2013, pending continued progress in addressing security risks, the structural stability of the remains of the two giant Buddha sculptures and their niches, the conservation of the archaeological remains and mural paintings and implementation of the Management Plan.
The Greatest Games of All Time – Chrono Trigger
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| https://web.archive.org/web/20060610051222/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6147770/index.html |
The Original Time Trotters
Chrono Trigger
Platform: Super NES | Genre: Role-Playing Game
Publisher: Squaresoft | Developer: Squaresoft | Released: 1995
As the 16-bit era waned and the world looked to the 3D graphics and CD storage of the next generation of consoles, who would've thought the era's heaviest hitter would release arguably its finest work to date on one of those very systems about to enter obsolescence? That's precisely what happened when role-playing titan SquareSoft delivered Chrono Trigger--an entirely original Super NES role-playing game of incredibly high quality--just days before the historic September 1995 launch of the PlayStation. Though the impact of Sony's entry into the video game market is still being felt today, Chrono Trigger's charming personality and top-notch gameplay kept many RPG fans clinging to their Super NESs months after the PlayStation came onto the scene.
Based on the enormity of Chrono Trigger's development pedigree, it's a wonder the game even came close to matching RPG fans' wild expectations. The project was helmed jointly by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yuji Horii, respectively the creators and overseers of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series (and if you don't know what those are, well, just quit reading now). Those two names alone assured every RPG fan in the know would look forward to Chrono Trigger with a quickened pulse.
But that wasn't nearly the end of the game's development "dream team," as it came to be called. Dragon Ball creator and longtime Dragon Quest character designer Akira Toriyama threw his artistic expertise into the ring, and famed Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu contributed to the game's splendid score. Even the lesser known members of the team went on to make names for themselves, such as writer Masato Kato and revered composer Yasunori Mitsuda, both of whom helped create Xenogears and its spiritual successor, the Xenosaga series.
Chrono Trigger's epic adventure put you in the middle of a valiant effort to save the world. Sounds like old hat for an RPG, right? But the game's sublimely rendered storyline spanned not just continents but epochs, as you visited and revisited the same locations in time periods hundreds, thousands, even millions of years apart. Events were woven into the storyline such that your actions in one time period had a direct and gratifying effect on circumstances in a later period. And the storyline had a natural flow. You didn't start out with power over time itself at your command; in fact, you didn't even start out planning to save the world. Rather, you were yanked into the game's larger-than-life events just by being an innocent bystander, and every time you discovered a new ability or were thrust into a new era, it was by the seat of your pants. You got the feeling you and your cohorts were being dragged along by the storyline's crazy goings on, but in true RPG fashion, you got the chance to rise to the occasion and prove your valor anyway.
At the outset, you took control of Crono, a spunky redheaded kid with little to say but a big heart all the same. Over the course of your adventure, you collected a diverse cast of characters from every time period, including Crono's present-day friends, princess Marle and Lucca the inventor; the futuristic tin-can Robo; Frog, the valorous, amphibious knight; and even the dark wizard Magus, who started out as the bad guy but turned out to be simply misunderstood. Ultimately you were fighting against Lavos, a malevolent alien parasite that had perverted the future and begun to suck the life from the planet, dooming the world to a horrible dystopian fate. As you progressed, the game played with the "silent protagonist" concept--which has become de rigueur in so many games since--to immerse you more fully in the game. Crono himself never spoke, and the other characters occasionally made light of this fact--but they certainly gabbed among themselves enough to make up for your main character's dramatic shortcomings.
Besides, Crono was the type to let his sword do all the talking. Though Square's RPGs had been cutting party size consistently--first five characters in Final Fantasy IV, then four in Final Fantasy VI, and finally a scant three in Chrono Trigger--there were plenty of offensive and defensive options available to your trio of fighters. In lieu of a vanilla magic system, you had a "tech" system that encompassed pure magical spells, physical special attacks, and hybrids of the two. The best part was that each of the seven playable characters could team up in tandem or even in triplicate to perform double techs and triple techs, compounding the number of available special attacks and sending your offensive power skyward. Some of Chrono Trigger's boss battles could drag on seemingly without end, so you needed all that power to get through some of the toughest fights.
Then there were the endings...all dozen of them. Chrono Trigger did the multiple-endings thing before multiple endings were cool, man. There was, of course, the "real" ending in which you saved the world, got the girl, and floated off into the sunset clinging to a balloon (and then there were a couple of variations on this theme). But one of the most interesting things about Chrono Trigger was that, since you were navigating so many places and time periods, you had a multitude of opportunities to "beat" the game, even with many of the plot's most important events yet to take place! This could potentially leave a character-in-distress in limbo, for instance, or leave another character in the wrong time period. In short, finishing the game early made for a host of bizarre or amusing alternate endings that were utterly different from the final ending and all worth viewing in their own right. Of course, any committed player considered these mock endings to be mere diversions, as you had to play through to the climactic final battle to get the closure only the full resolution could provide.
Chrono Trigger was a class act from every conceivable angle. It had dense, rewarding RPG gameplay; a memorable and endearing cast of characters; a complex storyline; vibrant, expressive graphics; and one of the most cherished game soundtracks in history. The game was widely hailed as an instant classic, and really, how many 16-bit Japanese RPGs can claim such unlikely characters as Doom cocreators John Romero and Tom Hall among their staunchest fans? Chrono Trigger was later released on the PlayStation in a standalone package and then in the Final Fantasy Chronicles collection, though the cartridge original remains the definitive version. But whatever format you have access to, anyone who has an interest in quality gaming owes it to themselves to play Chrono Trigger.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
SOME REASSEMBLY REQUIRED | An MCU Complete Retrospective - 2
It’s Part Two of a Four Part complete MCU retrospective, journeying from 2012 to 2015 to chronicle the development of Marvel’s Phase Two.
Building from The Avengers’ box office success, to opening the cosmic side with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and finally reassembling Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to battle Ultron.
Covering the good, the bad, and everything in between as Marvel cemented its place as a box office champion throughout Phase Two.
This is… A Complete Retrospective on the Marvel Cinematic Universe… PART TWO.
THE COMPLETE TIMELINE:
00:00 - 2012: Phase Two Begins
00:02:04 - 2012: Comic-Con 2012
00:04:00 - 2012: Phase Two takes shape
00:06:21 - 2012: Iron Man 3 trailer
00:08:16 - 2013: Phase Two Casting
00:09:13 - 2013: Iron Man 3 superbowl
00:10:23 - 2013: Iron Man 3 trailer 2
00:10:50 - 2013: Captain America 2 begins production/Thor 2 trailer
00:11:57 - 2013: IRON MAN 3
00:19:01 - 2013: Iron Man 3 reception/Contract Disputes
00:21:13 - 2013: Agents of SHIELD greenlit
00:21:59 - 2013: Casting Continues
00:23:33 - 2013: Comic-Con 2013
00:26:40 - 2013: Thor 2 trailer 2
00:27:06 - 2013: Phase Two Casting/Agent Carter One-Shot
00:28:38 - 2013: Agents of SHIELD Begins
00:30:52 - 2013: Captain America 2 first trailer
00:31:55 - 2013: THOR: THE DARK WORLD
00:40:18 - 2013: Reception to Thor 2
00:40:50 - 2013: Agents of SHIELD S1 Continued
00:41:52 - 2013: Phase Two Continues/Paul Rudd cast
00:42:39 - 2014: Ant-Man/Age of Ultron casting/All Hail the King One-Shot
00:43:48 - 2014: Captain America 2 superbowl/trailer 2
00:44:18 - 2014: Guardians of the Galaxy teaser trailer
00:45:28 - 2014: Assembling a Universe documentary
00:46:18 - 2014: Agents of SHIELD S1 Continued
00:47:34 - 2014: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
00:56:18 - 2014: Reception to The Winter Soldier
00:56:53 - 2014: Agents of SHIELD Winter Soldier tie-in
00:59:08 - 2014: Guardians trailer 2
00:59:53 - 2014: Edgar Wright leaves Ant-Man
01:01:24 - 2014: Comic-Con 2014
01:04:35 - 2014: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
01:12:58 - 2014: Reception to Guardians of the Galaxy
01:13:47 - 2014: Phase Three Develops
01:14:30 - 2014: Agents of SHIELD S2 Begins
01:15:10 - 2014: Phase Three Continues to Develop
01:16:05 - 2014: Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser trailer
01:17:15 - 2014: Phase Three Announcement
01:21:27 - 2014: Age of Ultron extended teaser
01:22:19 - 2014: Agents of SHIELD S2 Continued
01:23:40 - 2015: Agent Carter Season 1
01:24:21 - 2015: Ant-Man teaser/Age of Ultron trailer 2
01:25:28 - 2015: Spider-Man joins the MCU
01:26:58 - 2015: Age of Ultron trailer 3
01:28:08 - 2015: Agents of SHIELD S2 Continued
01:29:49 - 2015: Russos hired for Infinity War/Ant-Man trailer 2
01:30:49 - 2015: AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
01:40:03 - 2015: Reception to Age of Ultron
01:40:35 - 2015: Agents of SHIELD S2 Age of Ultron tie-in
01:41:39 - 2015: Marketing for Ant-Man
01:42:35 - 2015: ANT-MAN
01:49:40 - 2015: Reception to Ant-Man/Conclusion
Sunday, July 12, 2026
On Broadway in Vancouver. Spring of 2019.
Broadway is a major east-west thoroughfare in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Vancouver's numbered avenue grid system, it runs in place of a 9th Avenue, between 8th and 10th. The street has six lanes for most of its course. Portions of the street carry the British Columbia Highway 7 designation.
The route begins as "West Broadway" at the intersection of Wallace Crescent and 8th Avenue, in the affluent residential neighbourhood of West Point Grey, a few kilometres east of the University of British Columbia (UBC). Past Alma Street, Broadway takes over from 10th Avenue as one of Vancouver's major thoroughfares, as it enters Greek West Broadway (or Greektown) section of Vancouver's Kitsilano district. East of here are several blocks of generally trendy, upscale shops interspersed with low-rise apartment blocks and small supermarkets. The surrounding neighbourhoods generally consist of large, older homes dating from the early twentieth century, many of which have been subdivided into rental suites.
As Broadway approaches Arbutus Street, the commercial establishments become larger before transitioning into a mix of small to mid-size apartment blocks. East of Burrard Street, the apartment blocks get progressively taller, and commercial establishments larger and busier. Between Burrard and Main Street, Broadway can be considerably congested by vehicular traffic. Past Granville Street, Broadway yields completely to medium-to-large commercial structures and high-rise apartments and condominiums. Between Cambie and Main, the commercial establishments become smaller and somewhat more downscale.
At Ontario Street, two blocks west of Main, the route becomes "East Broadway." After bisecting Main and Kingsway, traffic on Broadway eases somewhat, and the character returns to a mix of small-to-medium apartment buildings and commercial establishments, interspersed with older homes - all considerably less affluent than those to the west. At Commercial Drive, Broadway passes by the Commercial–Broadway SkyTrain Station. Past here for several blocks, the neighbourhood consists predominantly of older residential homes.
As Broadway travels east of Renfrew Street, the neighbourhood once again becomes mixed, with older homes to the north and larger industrial, commercial, and warehouse establishments to the south. Broadway finally ends at Cassiar Street, just short of the Vancouver-Burnaby boundary, where it becomes the Lougheed Highway.
Broadway was created at the turn of the 20th century, along with other gridded roads south of False Creek, to meet the needs of an expanding population in Vancouver. The name of the route was changed from 9th Avenue to Broadway in 1909, at the behest of merchants around Main Street (at that time the hub of Vancouver commerce), who felt that it bestowed a more cosmopolitan air. Commercial establishments originally spread out around the intersections of Cambie and Main Streets, while the character of the rest of the route remained predominantly single-family dwellings.
By the 1970s, the length of Broadway had become a major arterial route in Vancouver, conveying commuters from downtown to the neighbourhoods of the west and east sides. With the growth of UBC and the expansion of the Vancouver General Hospital (one block south of Broadway between approximately Oak and Cambie), traffic demands accelerated. In the 1990s, the agency then responsible for public transit in Greater Vancouver — BC Transit — introduced an express bus route, the 99 B-Line, to help reduce congestion. The Vancouver transportation plan for Broadway notes that congestion is such that the bus service is at capacity, and will not be eased until a new rapid transit line is built paralleling the street. It is anticipated that the SkyTrain's Millennium Line will be extended to Central Broadway by 2021; the extension is expected to connect with Canada Line at Broadway-City Hall Station, at the intersection of Broadway and Cambie Street.
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