Monday, April 15, 2013

"Flameproof"

Last week, I blogged about the emotional issues faced by thousands of college age students. Today's blog is about another drama that befell many of the art students at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn this February.

One's art work is an expression of their emotions ... their visions ... and a part of their soul that often taps into something not on this spectrum of reality.

Now imagine watching years of your hard work suddenly going up in flames. There are no words to describe the loss as I learned from a Pratt student, and client, this weekend. How you handle loss goes to your personality and awareness - and the learning lesson gained not just at university but in the university of life. Luckily, in the age of technology, my client had photographed her art work and showed it to me on her iPad as a sort of memorable to her loss. I'm not sure if she's going to put it on YouTube, create a tattoo, or something else.

The speed at which her work was taken away, ignited the flame to quickly create something new as suddenly there was a goal - one she never dreamed would happen - a Manhattan showing of her work. In times of stress, the greater part of our soul steps in and comes to the rescue, showing us another aspect of who we are and why we are here. With the help of faculty and benefactors, the students' new art will be exhibited at the Seagrams Building May 9-14 - the title of the showing "Flameproof".

Life repeatedly teaches us to rise from the ashes and create something new and better. Now, this would make a great film for the Tribeca Film Festival, mentioned below.

An Exhibition for Students Who Lost Art in a Studio Fire  
New York Times - April 11, 2013


The show has become an exciting watershed in a healing process that many students said had changed the way they viewed their work. Several said they felt oddly renewed by the losses suffered and had taken imaginative leaps that they might not have risked before. "Loss is part of being a painter," said Rebecca Warlick, 21, of San Diego, whose canvases were damaged, though salvageable. "You sell a painting and it's not yours. But everything you learn, the fire can't take away from you. I've learned that painting is more about experimenting and taking risks - and not making it such a sacred object."




Sunday, April 14, 2013

Film Festival


April 17 - 28, 2013

Tribeca Film Festival Website

Tribeca Film Festival   Wikipedia

Eastwood, Stiller Among Celebrity Panelists at 2013 Tribeca Film Festival  
Downtown Magazine NYC - April 14, 2013

The woman in the video is riding the R Train - that's the one out to Ellie's World.


Linda and Ellie at Tribeca a few years ago. We share the same birthday and creative flair.

The Tribeca Film Festival begins this Wednesday. Independent film remains the best way for creative people to get their messages out on an affordable budget- other than YouTube which gets better every year but it limited in time. Through my daughter Nikki, I get to work behind the scenes and sometimes interview those on the red carpet. Hurricane Sandy is part of one man's documentary shot live from his basement as Sandy hit the Rockaways - interesting guy.

There are so many topics I would love to do an independent film about - I wouldn't know where to begin. "Fun and emotional cleansing with my clients" would be a great place to go. A producer pitched that theme, using my readings, to several of the cable channels, but it didn't get much interest. All has been said and done in metaphysics so unless one can find a new twist - the networks aren't interested. How about "Ellie interviews the first alien" - setting: aboard a UFO. The "Ancient Alien" series is still producing new shows - the latest one aligning Norse mythology with alien visitors - really interesting. I sure hope someone gets to meet and greet ET in the time remaining.


For now I'm putting my creative efforts into the workshop with Dori Ann


Ellie's Workshop - Sunday 28, 2013




Saturday, April 13, 2013

4 4 4


Saturday is April 13, 2013 or 4.13.13 or 4.4.4


Earth Changes 2013


Earthquakes



Current Earthquake Activity IRIS

By now, most people have done their homework on climate changes, expect the unexpected, and use their logical minds and intuition to conclude that this reality is about to end or however you are programmed to process what is happening. From now on ... - STOP - Click on the Seismic Monitor near the top of the page - and observe the activity. You can also refresh the page and watch it again. Use this as a subconscious trigger in your programmed memory to awaken end time events as we have been down this road before. I pay attention to the North Mid-Atlantic as I have been told that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is moving - not to forget the Canary Islands are also getting active ... along with the sun. I also am drawn to Greece, Crete and Cyprus ... all active and I just realized are all connected to the myth of Atlantis.


Highlighted now:

What Caused Iran's 6.3 Deadly Earthquake?   Live Science - April 9, 2013
Crashing continents caused today's deadly earthquake in Iran, which killed dozens. The magnitude-6.3 Iran earthquake hit in the southern Zagros Mountains, a stunning range that marks the boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Arabian plate is grinding northward at about 0.4 inches (10 millimeters) a year, pushing the boot-shaped Arabian peninsula into the Eurasian plate, which covers most of Europe and Asia.




The Sun and the Moon

Sun Unleashes Biggest Solar Flare of the Year Yet   Live Science - April 11, 2013
The most powerful solar flare of the year erupted from the sun today sparking a temporary radio blackout on Earth, NASA officials say. The solar flare occurred at 3:16 a.m. EDT (0716 GMT) and registered as a M6.5-class sun storm, a relatively mid-level flare on the scale of solar tempests. It coincided with an eruption of super-hot solar plasma known as a coronal mass ejection. "This is the strongest flare seen so far in 2013," NASA spokeswoman Karen Fox explained in a statement. "Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013."


  You MUST WATCH this 3 minute video about upcoming solar activity as anything can happen now - the unexpected - aquarius effect ... July 22, 2013 Full Moon 0° Aquarius. That day the sun moves into fiery Leo ... Oy vey! I hear a clock ticking and see the lion waking up.


April 25, 2013


Full Moon Lunar Eclipse 5° Scorpio

Partial Lunar Eclipse: Visible from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.


Piece the puzzle together any way that makes sense,

but don't stop paying attention.




Friday, April 12, 2013

Earth Changes 2013

By now, most people have done their homework on climate changes, reality shifts, and expect the unexpected.

This week, the temps in NYC were over 80° on Tuesday and Wednesday. At the same time, a Crystalinks advertiser in Colorado was experiencing a blizzard. Temperature suddenly plunges 55 degrees in Colorado: 'It's just brutal'   MSNBC - April 9, 2013


4 Things You Need to Know About Tornado Season   Live Science - April 11, 2013
1. Tornadoes can happen anywhere, any time of year.
2. The difference between tornado watches and warnings.
3. Don't open your windows. Or shelter under an overpass.
4. Tornado season can't be forecasted.


2013 hurricane season prediction: Above-average year   Yahoo - April 10, 2013
Mother Nature appears to be showing no mercy when it comes to hurricanes. This year's Atlantic hurricane season could see 18 named tropical storms with nine forming into hurricanes and four of those increasing into major hurricanes, according to a pre-season forecast released Wednesday.




The sun

Sun Unleashes Biggest Solar Flare of the Year Yet   Live Science - April 11, 2013

The most powerful solar flare of the year erupted from the sun today (April 11) sparking a temporary radio blackout on Earth, NASA officials say. The solar flare occurred at 3:16 a.m. EDT (0716 GMT) and registered as a M6.5-class sun storm, a relatively mid-level flare on the scale of solar tempests. It coincided with an eruption of super-hot solar plasma known as a coronal mass ejection. "This is the strongest flare seen so far in 2013," NASA spokeswoman Karen Fox explained in a statement. "Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013."

  You must watch this 3 minute video about upcoming solar activity as anything can happen now - the unexpected - aquarius effect ... July 22, 2013 Full Moon 0° Aquarius.

That day the sun moves into fiery Leo ... Oy vey! I hear a clock ticking and see the lion waking up.



Making plans

Did you notice that people are living each day as it comes ... not as if it's their last, but more about the unpredictability of tomorrow or an intuitive knowing that it can all end in the blink of an eye. How far ahead do you plan?

Did you also consider that long range career plans are not easy to determine as the world changes. If you are a child today, your future career/careers may not as yet been created.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Thursday Memos

Today, I pick up my new car - see previous post :)

The server is loading very slowly which might have to do with the storms in the mid-west where it is located.




Lightning

I love lightning, enjoying it most as a child in the Catskill Mountains where my family spent summers. I never understood my fascination with it, until I realized the connection with creation and physical reality as electromagnetic energy grids.

Wednesday night, I witnessed the most spectacular lightning show ever. It all began as I was talking to George while looking out over the Verrazano Bridge ... when suddenly a bolt of lightning flashed across the center of the bridge and I jumped up for a closer look. What made it so spectacular was its width. It was huge. If ever I'd witnessed reality as projected illusion - this was the moment. The first wide lightning bolt was followed by one that arched across the entire horizon as if the sky was going to open up. Lightning of extreme width continued on for several minutes then returned to normal size. Awesome.




Seen from space


People often look at enigmatic landmarks, such as the Nazca Lines and other unexplained monuments, as markers for the return of gods or aliens some time soon. This of course would be about this reality ending and souls returning to the source of creation, or however you perceive closure.

Coney Island with George

Friends and I have visited the iconic Parachute Jump on the boardwalk at Coney Island, when no one was around. We've observed the 12 around 1 grid design and all came away with the feeling that it was linked to UFOs or something paranormal from the past that would awaken in the future. How about this thought ... The rhythmic displays mentioned in the article below brought to mind the film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" ... when the UFOs arrived.

Coney Island's Parachute Jump gets $2 million upgrade and 8,000 programmable LED lights   New York Daily News - April 11, 2013
The new LED lighting scheme on Coney Island's tallest structure - the parachute jump - will be programmable with funky rhythmic displays for shows and concerts. The increased number of lights is a dramatic jump from the 450 that were installed throughout and the ride will reportedly be so bright it can be seen from space.




Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The Sun

  You must watch this 3 minute video about upcoming solar activity as anything can happen now - the unexpected - aquarius effect ... July 22, 2013 Full Moon 0° Aquarius.

That day the sun moves into fiery Leo ... Oy vey! I hear a clock ticking and see the lion waking up.

Right now we have a fire moon ... I woke up, looked at the moon, and made a wish (see blog below).




The new moon

April 10, 2013 - New Moon 20° Aries

A new moon at this time opens a window of opportunity for something that comes to fruition in the Full Moon in Aries six months from now.

In the light of the new moon

    Close your eyes

    Make a wish

    Be reasonable about the outcome.




Earthquakes in Iran

Wednesday - Iran is still experiencing aftershocks - see the map above.

  'Devastating' quake strikes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, kills 20   MSNBC - April 9, 2013
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits near the port city of Bushehr, Iran, raising concerns about the safety of the nuclear power station located 11 miles south.

What Caused Iran's 6.3 Deadly Earthquake?   Live Science - April 9, 2013

Crashing continents caused today's (April 9) deadly earthquake in Iran, which killed dozens, according to news reports. The magnitude-6.3 Iran earthquake hit in the southern Zagros Mountains, a stunning range that marks the boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates, said Bill Barnhart, a research geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Denver office. The Arabian plate is grinding northward at about 0.4 inches (10 millimeters) a year, pushing the boot-shaped Arabian peninsula into the Eurasian plate, which covers most of Europe and Asia.




Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Does anyone else remember ...

Every kid I knew had mouse ears and sang this song.

[2:37] Now it's time to say good-bye to ... Annette Funicello ...

why ... because we like you ...

Annette Funicello, 70, Mouseketeer and film star, dies   Yahoo - April 8, 2013
Annette Funicello, (October 22, 1942 - April 8, 2013) - Mouseketeer on "The Mickey Mouse Club" (1950s) - with Frankie Avalon (1960's) fun-in-the-sun movies




A new moon

April 10, 2013 - New Moon 20° Aries

A new moon at this time opens a window of opportunity for something that comes to fruition in the Full Moon in Aries six months from now.

In the light of the new moon

    Close your eyes

    Make a wish

    Be reasonable about your wish.




Penis size

Everyone loves jokes and articles about "penis-size". I have been told this by men:

    There is no correlation between height and penis size

    Most men measure their penis incorrectly

    Size does matter

'Ideal' Penis Size Depends on Guy's Height   Live Science - April 8, 2013
Put down the rulers, guys - whether your penis is the "right" size depends on the proportions of the rest of your body, a new study finds. Women rate men with larger penises more attractive, but the returns on bigger genitals start to decrease at a flaccid length of 2.99 inches (7.6 centimeters), the researchers found. What's more, larger penises gave tall men a bigger attractiveness boost than shorter men. The study suggests that women's preferences for bigger penises could explain why human males have relatively big genitals for their body size. Studies on women's preferences for penis size have been mixed, with some suggesting that women who frequently orgasm through vaginal stimulation are the pickiest, perhaps because penis size matters for that sort of stimulation. Men typically fret more about size than women.




Monday, April 8, 2013

The Loss of a Child

As you know, I often blog about college age students suffering from any number of emotional problems, going postal, or taking their own lives. On a sad note, I received this email from a client in Chicago, and reader of this blog:

    Dear Ellie,

    In our last reading, you said someone was going to leave us soon. Grandma's spirit was around me, so I was worried. Sadly, it turned out to be my daughter, Monica, 22, away at university in Michigan, who died Friday from complications of depression. The grids sent me a dream the night before she died. In the dream, my dog went to a morgue to smell Monica's body to believe she had died. This was before her body was discovered when some one noticed an unusual odor. Just as cancer and heart disease takes so many lives, depression takes the lives of the young and promising. Mary was in a special program to be an art teacher.

    Also, in the news on Friday ... Pastor Rick Warren's son, Matthew, 27, commits suicide after suffering from mental illness resulting in deep depression and suicidal thoughts.

I am so sorry for your tragic loss. I know you are psychic and often as much as we are shown, some things are never told until it is after the fact, as the destiny of that person must play out, as per their programming. All of the meditations, natural products, etc. cannot change the fate of the souls or the hologram itself, but I know you understand that and the nature of reality. Perhaps this might bring you some degree of comfort at this time. I can't imagine any greater loss than that of a child, especially at such a young age and with so much to live for. Mary's death is so sad and we send our love to you at this time.




How things work

The climate

Tomorrow, the temperature in the city is going to hit 80° while the midwest experiences a hail storm and spring blizzard. By now most people have done their homework on climate changes, reality shifts, and expect the unexpected.




When numbers follow you

Do you remember 11:11 and the codes that followed linked to creation? You are going to discover that numeric codes are going to follow you everywhere ... so please pay attention and search them on google or wherever. They are very important now. They will show up in dreams and meditations.




The reunion

As you know ... life is about patterns ... that often repeat. You may recall that last month I read a man ->woman who is transgendered. What are the odds I would read another client like that? very high ... Last week a client of 20 years called to book a reading for her daughter. As I remembered - she had two sons, but though I was wrong. She arrived at my door with a tall stunning looking woman, age 21, who turned out to be her son, now going through the process change. She is gorgeous. So what is the message? Could it be the reunion of the male and female aspects of one's soul at this time of transformation of body, mind, and soul?




The new Lexus

My old car is a 2008 white Lexus 350 RX. Though it has low mileage, it is time for a new car - same make and color - but with updated features. I tend to buy cars from a dealer that have low mileage and are a year old. And so this spring I called everyone I know in the car business as the car will be there - that was two weeks ago and I trust Z. You do remember how well we shop together.

Reports on a 2012 SUV: From NJ - nothing. From Manhattan - nothing. From my son-in-law Ryan in Westport, CT. who is friends with the owner of Westport Lexus - nothing. Ryan owns a LandRover dealership in Milford, CT. and said he would look around at the auctions, but found nothing. It seems no one is parting with my car of choice in white.

Saturday, after finishing with clients, Z said ... "It's time to go buy the car!" So off we drove to Bay Ridge Lexus where we were greeted by a very nice salesman, John, who showed me the 2013 models - nope. He also had a gray and a black 2012 RX 350 - nope - not my car but I loved the newer features. I don't like the grill and headlights on the 2013 designed to attract a male audience I was told, but it is totally a "chick car" as the guys call it.

As John and I exchanged business cards - I asked Z where "my car" was? Suddenly, John remember that late Friday afternoon several new cars had come in and were on the roof.

Off he went to see what was up there - returning a few minutes later all excited that a 2012 white SUV was indeed there. (Ellie thanking Z who nodded in approval and the synch that the car was "above" :)).

John got the key and we climbed the "stones stairs" (metaphor) to see the car and check the mileage. "Not to worry," I told John, who by this time knew what I did after having exchanged business cards. "The car will have 6,000 miles". We opened the door, I got in, turned on the ignition, and there was 6,100 miles and the new "Ellie-mobile"!! The car was perfect. Love at first sight!! It has a gray interior.

We went back to the showroom - called the manager to inspect my car for trade-in and off the guys went to make me their best offer. FYI - My car had 15,555 miles. I know most people would keep a car with that low mileage, but Z said it was time for something new, and I agreed. It's about the latest features, the warranty, and best of all, a feature that allows me to call for GPS assistance if lost and not able to use the Navigation system properly. A woman alone needs all of these features ... just in case. Also ... should I have an accident and become disabled ... it calls for help on its own ... or Z comes to my rescue ... stops time again ... and reboots me into the hologram again good-as-new. How many times has he done that ... more than I can count, but that's another blog.

Back in the showroom ... once John and the manager were gone, Z said to call Ryan, which I did, and explained what was gong on. John returned with his figures, but it was Ryan's input that saved me $5,000 in the end through a series of negotiations where everyone comes out a winner - even Ryan. Thanks Z! It was amazing to someone like John but not to me and Ryan, as we know how Z works.

FYI - This feels like the last car I will buy ... and you know why ... I pick it up this week but not sure what day.




The Domino Effect

The Domino Effect is also going to follow your life more quickly now, so please pay attention. The first domino will quickly lead to the fall of the others for you and the universe - which starts with the "Big Domino" or the Monolith from "2001 a Space Odyssey". Once that Big Black Domino Falls - it signals the end and off we go.




The paint job

It's time for my apartment to be painted. Richard, the painter for the building, showed me the colors the building offers, but I wasn't impressed. Who should come to my door for a reading on Sunday ... the woman who designs the colors for Benjamin Moore. After our reading, she got her color charts and we made some decisions. It seems that gray is trendy but not my color. Now, to find Richard today and then get to the paint store.




The lamp

About 5 years ago, I went to a lamp store and met the owner. It turned out she had been my client 20 years before and went on and on, raving about her reading to her employees and customers in the store. Her life was taking a turn and she remembered me, which is probably why I was guided to her store, which is not in may area. Long story short ... I had admired a Tiffany lamp which she offered to trade for a reading -- right there -- right then -- in her office at the back of the store -- so off we went. Among the things I told her, I told her she was going to sell the store ... before a recession (which happened months later) ... and that it was time to retire and get out. She listened and also sold the commercial property the store was in.

I brought the lamp home with loving care, but somehow it never quite fit in. And so I gently put it in the closet until I could determine what to do with it.

The years passed and I forgot about it until ... the day I went to Dori Ann's apartment (see blog about the workshop) when it sort of toppled onto the carpeted floor in the closet. Therein likes a metaphor ... all things must come "out of the closet" when they are ready or suffocate. I lifted it out carefully and asked what it wanted. Apparently, it was ready to leave ... and move on the Dori Ann's home.

After Dori Ann drove me home, I told her to wait out front while I got the lamp. I brought it down to the lobby, at which time Dori Ann just happened to get a parking spot in front of the building - not easy to come by at that time of the evening. As she took the lamp, it became a sort of magic moment, as everyone turned to admire it. We plugged it in and the blue light glowed through the glass, truly inspiring. The lamp now lives happily in Dori Ann's home where all can admire it. She also plans to use it as a prop at some point in one of her spiritual productions in the city. She also told me that when she gently cradled it in her arm, from the parking spot in her building to the elevator, a little boy approached with his mom. As the little boy ran towards her, he stopped dead in his tracks, stared at the lamp and asked if it was a "magic lamp".




Sunday, April 7, 2013

Ellie's next workshop

A client and friend named Dori Ann, who lives a few blocks from here, called and asked if I was still teaching. She and her family have been my clients for 20 years, though she is only 38. As the story goes ... one day, just after I moved here, her aunt came for a reading and showed me Dori Ann's picture. She was only a teen then, but I felt a very strong connection to her. She is all about spirituality and helping others. In the years that passed, Dori Ann came for readings and classes. On occasion, we would run into each other in a local story and catch up. Today, she works in media production and has my enthusiasm for life. As soon as I saw her apartment and felt the energies, I knew it was time to make plans ... and so we have. In three weeks from today ...




Psychic Tools For Healing and Balance



Workshop Description:

    The world is changing so rapidly, we often rush about having little or no time to find our authentic spiritual selves. People feel anxious, stressed, forgetful, as time accelerates, beckoning them to some greater destiny. In the transformational energies of a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse 5° Scorpio, the class will gather in the home of Dori Ann Scagnelli in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on the water. I believe that life is a simple equation once understood, but humans make it complicated. You may have read my blogs, had a reading with me, been to past workshops, seen me on TV or other media venues, friended me on Facebook, and now its time to share an afternoon together for fun and learning. This workshop will create a supportive environment in which you will explore:

    • The nature of reality, why you are here, and where it is all going.

    • Psychic tools in "2013 consciousness" for easy use - practiced with the class and whenever guided.

    • Are you a teacher, healer, energy worker, counselor to others and don't know it ... yet?

    • Are you drawn to self-help books, classes, TV shows ... learn why. Bring something to write with.

    • We will be moving energies with our minds and bodies, so please dress comfortably as the class is interactive.

    • Is this a time of great decision making for you? Let's get to it ....

    • Quick tip for balanced living - always keep it simple.


About Ellie Crystal

    Ellie Crystal is a contemporary spiritual healer, teacher, author, and psychic whose works and theories can be found on her award winning website Crystalinks.


Date: Sunday April 28, 2013

Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

Location: 9201 Shore Road - Apt. C208


Fee: $80
Payments are non-refundable due to limited seating.
After payment is made, please send me an email so I can place you on the list.

Paypal or Credit Card





Marriage, Living Together,
What are the 2013 Trends?



If you read the statistics, or just look at relationships in 2013, you will note that society as a whole doesn't work, that most marriages fail, and couples find it easier to just live together. They may cohabitate first and marry later or just live together until the karma of the relationship is complete. Ending a relationship is complicated. You don't know somebody until you live with them - ask anybody who has been married.




More Couples Living Together Outside of Marriage   Live Science - April 4, 2013
Even more couples are choosing to live together before they get married, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2006 and 2010, nearly half of heterosexual women (48 percent) ages 15 to 44 said they were not married to their spouse or partner when they first lived with them, the report says. That's up from 43 percent in 2002, and 34 percent in 1995.

Just 23 percent of women in the new report said they were married when they first lived with their partner, down from 30 percent in 2002, and 39 percent in 1995.

And nearly 75 percent of women ages 30 or younger said they've lived with a partner outside of marriage (known as cohabiting) at some point in their lives, compared to 70 percent in 2002, and 62 percent in 1995, the report says.

The trend "reflects the fact that marriage is increasingly becoming optional in adult life now," said Susan Brown, a professor of sociology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, who was not involved in the new report.

Nowadays, people expect to be financially secure and to have finished education before they enter marriage, Brown said. "For many people, this is a very high hurdle," Brown said. The average age for marriage is 26.5 for women and 28.5 for men - an all time high.

However, people are not shunning marriage completely. Over a three-year period of the study, 40 percent of cohabiting couples got married, 32 percent stayed together and 27 percent broke up. "Even though marriage is being delayed, it's not forgone" said study researcher Casey Copen, a demographer at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, which put out the report. Some people cite financial factors, such as wanting to buy a house first, as reasons for delaying marriage, Copen said.

The report also found:

    The length of time people live together before marriage is increasing, from 13 months in 1995 to 22 months in the 2006 to 2010 survey.

    White women and those with a higher education were more likely to get married during the study period, compared with Hispanic and black women, and those with less education. For instance, 53 percent of women with a bachelor's degree or higher got married over a three year period, compared to 30 percent of those with less than a high school diploma.

    Nearly one in five women (19 percent) became pregnant within the first year of cohabitation.

    Fewer cohabiting women now get married soon after becoming pregnant - in the 2006 to 2010 survey, 19 percent of cohabiting women got married within 6 months of becoming pregnant, compared to 32 percent in 1995.

The findings are inline with a previous survey by the CDC that found that births to cohabiting couples make up nearly half of all births that occur outside of marriage.

Research suggests that children of cohabiting couples don't do as well as those of married couples in terms of education and health, but these disparities have been attributed to the instability and financial struggles of couples, rather than their status as cohabiting, said Corinne Reczek, an assistant professor in the department of sociology at the University of Cincinnati. "It is not cohabitation that is causing worse child outcomes, but the social conditions within which cohabitation takes place that may matter for child outcomes," Reczeksaid. "Bolstering the socioeconomic resources and residential stability of cohabiting unions is one way to ameliorate these potential negative effects."



Saturday, April 6, 2013

10 Life-Changing Gifts
You Can Give Yourself


10 Life-Changing Gifts You Can Give Yourself   Oprah.com - April 2, 2013

New scientific research offers surprising ways to shower yourself with tranquility, creativity, longevity and more.


1. Optimism - Never mind if you don't have hours a day - even a few minutes spent in quiet contemplation once in a while yields noticeable benefits. A group of adults who meditated an average of six hours and 13 minutes over the course of five weeks developed patterns of brain activity typically associated with positive moods.


2. Serenity - When mice were fed a strain of probiotics found in some yogurt, they became calmer under stress, Irish and Canadian scientists observed. The were less likely to panic like their broth-fed brethren, and they produced fewer stress hormone - effects similar to those brought on by antidepressants. Look for yogurt that has active probiotic cultures, and say, "Mmmm."


3. Creative Thinking - Volunteers who worked in rooms lit by a lamp with an incandescent lightbulb instead of overhead fluorescents solved problems requiring novel thinking more successfully. Scientists say the symbolism of the bulb, not just its light spectrum) led to the subjects' bright ideas, and cited "a growing body of research showing that perception of objects...can subtly influence our behavior."


4. Belonging - Undergraduates who considered chicken soup a comfort food and then were fed some scored higher on a psychological test of social connectedness than those who weren't given any soup. When given a word fragment like incl, they converted it into a "relationship word" such as include, instead of a neutral term, like incline, because the dish stirred a sense of connection.


5. Fitness - A remarkable experiment with mice showed that eating a small amount of the compound epicatechin (the quantity found in about five grams of dark chocolate) prompted physical changes similar to those caused by exercise, even when they weren't active. Their muscles resisted fatigue better, and they could run faster on a treadmill without training.


6. Better Sex - A recent survey by the Kinsey Institute of 1,009 committed heterosexual couples reveals just how important it is for couples to be physically affectionate, especially in long-term relationships. Scientists found women were more likely to be sexually satisfied overall if they were frequently cuddled with and were kissed by their partner - even if sex didn't immediately follow.


7. Vitality - Tired? Draggy? Stuck in your office? Picture yourself outside beneath an arching sky and canopied branches. Daydreaming about nature is energizing, according to a new study. And if you can go outdoors, even better: As little as 20 minutes in a natural setting demonstrably increased people's energy levels for the day.


8. Longevity - Using data from about 10,000 adults tracked over 50 years, scientists discovered that volunteering, especially for altruistic motives, can be a lifesaver. People who reported giving their time because they wanted to help others outlived those who didn't volunteer at all, as well as those who did so mostly for their own satisfaction.


9. Bliss - Researchers asked volunteers to rate their level of happiness the last time they spent money on themselves or on someone else. Not only were the givers happier, but when presented with extra cash to use as they wished, they were more apt to spend it on others. The study's authors concluded "a positive feedback loop" exists between offering gifts and well-being.


10. A Healthier Diet - To make better choices at the grocery store, bring dollar bills, a revelatory study shows. Analyzing 1,000 households, researchers found that shoppers who paid by credit card tended to select chips, cookies, and other junk food. The theory: Shelling out cash is more psychologically painful, so people are less likely to spend it on unhealthy goods.



The Curse of the Pharaohs

On Friday night, I spoke with Sherif about life in Egypt, as the months roll by. Just as I had predicted when he went there after the revolution in 2011, the news is not good. He will be returning to the US some time in the fall. As it had been a while since we talked about Zahi, I decided to ask. Zahi is not under arrest. He is living in his apartment in Cairo, with travel abroad limited, as there are those who would love to know where he hid the treasures of the pharaohs ... and other artifacts. Zahi believes that his fate is the result of the curse of the pharaohs ... Good luck with that in a courtroom. Guilty!


Curse of King Tut's tomb turns 90 years old   MSNBC - April 5, 2013
Happy birthday, curse of Tutankhamun. The rumor that some mysterious force set out to kill the team who opened the tomb of the boy pharaoh turned 90 Friday. On April 5, 1923, Egyptologist Lord Carnarvon, the 57-year-old financial backer of the Tutankhamun search who opened the tomb along with Egyptologist Howard Carter, died of an infected mosquito bite he'd slashed open while shaving. Carnarvon's failing health spurred a media frenzy that gave birth to the myth of the "Mummy's curse."




Friday, April 5, 2013

When dreams and realities merge

Thursday morning, in my wake-up dream, I was saw myself walking a dog, though I don't have one.

    As I woke up, I heard the barking of dogs from the street below. I looked out as two people walking dogs had stopped to talk - their dogs barking at each other.

This morning I had another wake-up dream incorporating events in my life with my with my dream time. Last night, I watched the latest episode of "Bones," which I recorded Monday night. The victim of the week is the producer of a "Judge Judy" rip-off, appropriately starring "Judge Trudy". It showed how reality courtroom shows are staged yet people love them.

Segue to my wake-up dream. I was in a room somewhere as people kept coming to tell me that we had to go to court, and they were concerned I would be late. And yet I felt the timing was wrong for me to "leave," so I stayed in what was probably a "green room" or kitchen area as I noted a microwave.

    Yesterday, I got a new microwave.

Though not listening to the others in my dream who told me to hurry, I pride myself on the fact that I'm never later.

    Yesterday, I asked a question on my on my Facebook wall -- "What group of clients are the most punctual for their readings with me?" The answer is "teachers". I was a teacher and work with time.

Back to the dream ... I was still taking my time knowing I would be on time as everyone else left. The clock on the microwave read: 7:20. I knew it was time to go (wake-up).

    I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It read 7:20.

Yesterday, I received this email from a TV producer.

    Dear Ms. Crystal,

    I'm doing development research on a new show for The Discovery Channel in which murders are solved with the aid of psychics. I've been looking for some great cases online but most of what I'm finding are not particularly recent.

    If you have a moment to link me to a couple very good examples from the past 10 years, I would be really grateful. It doesn't matter if the skeptic community didn't believe, our show would retell the murder and solve it vis-a-vis the psychics visions.

    Of course, if the show gets picked up, I'll be back in touch to see if you would like to participate - but at this stage we're just looking for a few recent, convincing cases.

    Many thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

We have an appointment to talk this morning at 9:30. I will be on time.

Also ... Yesterday I found a new article for my file on Dreams.




Thursday, April 4, 2013

The brain... It's complicated !

With so many people addicted to drugs, this article shows promise ...

Resetting addicted brain: Laser light zaps away cocaine addiction   PhysOrg - April 3, 2013

By stimulating one part of the brain with laser light, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have shown that they can wipe away addictive behavior in rats - or conversely turn non-addicted rats into compulsive cocaine seekers. "When we turn on a laser light in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex, the compulsive cocaine seeking is gone," said Antonello Bonci, MD, scientific director of the intramural research program at the NIH's National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), where the work was done.


BRAIN Initiative Launched to Unlock Mysteries of Human Mind   Science Daily - April 2, 2013
Today at the White House, President Barak Obama unveiled the "BRAIN" Initiative -- a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury. The NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is part of a new Presidential focus aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. By accelerating the development and application of innovative technologies, researchers will be able to produce a revolutionary new dynamic picture of the brain that, for the first time, shows how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space. Long desired by researchers seeking new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, this picture will fill major gaps in our current knowledge and provide unprecedented opportunities for exploring exactly how the brain enables the human body to record, process, utilize, store, and retrieve vast quantities of information, all at the speed of thought.




It's all connected through harmonics


Today is 4.4.4 (4.4.13)

Not sure if you caught Wednesday night's "Nashville" but there were some great connections for me. The episode was shot in several locations. First we find something close to home -- Broadway and Times Square in Manhattan --> then right here in Brooklyn at Barclays Center both a hub for the entertainment industry.

As if that weren't enough --> we segue to the main street in Nashville - Broadway where I spent 4 fun filled days celebrating my 70th birthday in February, a few days after the TV series "Nashville" shot part of last night's episode in the same location. To top it all off ... remember Chris Carmack who I met in the hotel lobby? Last night Chris premiered on "Nashville" as Will, Scarlett's new neighbor. Good luck to y'all.




Do you remember when ....

When did you buy your first cell phone? For me, it was 1996.

April 3, 1973: Motorola Calls AT&T ... by Cell   Wired

40 Years of the Cell Phone: Photos   Discovery - April 3, 2013

More People Have Cell Phones Than Toilets, U.N. Study Shows   TIME - March 2013




Along the way ...

With so many people addicted to drugs, this article shows promise ...

Resetting addicted brain: Laser light zaps away cocaine addiction   PhysOrg - April 3, 2013
By stimulating one part of the brain with laser light, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have shown that they can wipe away addictive behavior in rats - or conversely turn non-addicted rats into compulsive cocaine seekers. "When we turn on a laser light in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex, the compulsive cocaine seeking is gone," said Antonello Bonci, MD, scientific director of the intramural research program at the NIH's National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), where the work was done.


BRAIN Initiative Launched to Unlock Mysteries of Human Mind   Science Daily - April 2, 2013
Today at the White House, President Barak Obama unveiled the "BRAIN" Initiative -- a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury. The NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is part of a new Presidential focus aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. By accelerating the development and application of innovative technologies, researchers will be able to produce a revolutionary new dynamic picture of the brain that, for the first time, shows how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space. Long desired by researchers seeking new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, this picture will fill major gaps in our current knowledge and provide unprecedented opportunities for exploring exactly how the brain enables the human body to record, process, utilize, store, and retrieve vast quantities of information, all at the speed of thought.




Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Psychic Input


There are times clients listen politely and you known they will do what they want after they leave ... which you tell them as the reading ends. Then you wonder why they spend the money in the first place and are happy the session was recorded. Other times clients go psychic-to-psychic until they find someone who tells them what they want to hear - and you tell them they will do just that as your reading with them ends. Most times people come for a reading when they are ready for change ... and they pay attention ... leaving with important pieces of their destiny and a greater understanding of who they are.

When life imitates film and you warned your client not to take a certain direction ....

Six New York lawmakers arrested in alleged corruption scheme   MSNBC - April 2, 2013
A prominent Democratic state senator and a Republican city councilman from Queens were arrested Tuesday in an alleged plot to get the senator onto the New York City mayoral ballot by paying off GOP county chairmen, authorities said.




Burnout - April 2013

The charge that keeps the electromagnetic grids alive and running in reality is burning out along with the people and events it supports. You know about human burnout and how it is causing autoimmune diseases aka mini-breakdowns.

Stress comes in two waves - daily life and cumulative based on events that seems out of your control but tie you down nonetheless - often without you knowing it, as you fight to remain strong. Only you can review what is happening on a daily basis that must be changed.

I have a friend in this building who is 75, as is her husband. You couldn't find kinder, nicer, more hardworking people ... Alas, with age, comes the breakdown of systems. He has progressive Alzheimer's disease, the pressures of which gave her a severe case of Shingles last year that has yet to subside. She and I often meet in the laundry room and talk about the breakdown of her body due to stress. Her husband as a home care attendant, as she won't put him in a home ... yet. It is all so sad.

On the client front ... I learned about two autoimmune diseases this week - Polymyositis and Morgellons both as a result of burnout and each taking the person on a journey to find answers from many avenues. Autoimmune diseases come from the emotional body and are a cry for help as the soul can't cope - stress, fear, anxiety, panic, etc.

The closing grid frequencies of the hologram vibrate too quickly for the physical body to process endless negative emotions. As with the evolution of technologies, you must keep up with the changes in consciousness. In the flow of the collective unconsciousness - there are times we fight the current - but at the end of time itself - it is best to remove life's pressures and let your soul guide the rest.




The Deadliest Volcano Ever



As the cycles of life on planet Earth endlessly recycle - (birth - destruction - rebirth) - until reality runs out of time and no longer exists - we search for answers about the end of one period and the beginning of another. The answers take us from science to mythology as if carving the way for a final truth that seems close at hand to those who understand that time is not linear and we exist in the illusion of timelessness perceived by our minds as real.

Here in linear time ... I see the close of each cycle marked by a volcanic event equated to an explosion of consciousness in which reality is rebooted and something new emerges containing remnants of the old as reminders of what is to come. We find this with mythological civilizations such as Atlantis and Lemuria among dozens of others within the grids yet not within our conscious awareness. Always there is the explosion - the Big Bang - the volcanic eruption that starts and ends the process.




The Deadliest Volcano Ever   Discovery - April 2, 2013

The damning evidence keeps rolling in with regards to volcanoes and mass extinctions. The latest is in the journal Geology regarding the mother of all extinction events - the end Permian Extinction Event 252 million years ago. The new evidence is from the Salt Range in Pakistan, where fossil plants reveal a huge input of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that yanked the global climate into a new regime.

Sound familiar? Yeah, that's the same thing we are worried about happening under the current global warming event. Back in the Permian, it looks like it was the Siberian Traps volcanic eruption that released the carbon dioxide. Now it's humans digging up and burning fossil fuels, releasing into the atmosphere millions of years worth of naturally sequestered carbon.

The Siberian Traps are a gigantic volcanic deposit unlike anything that has been laid down in the time that humans have inhabited Earth. And that's a good thing - the timing - because it's beginning to look like these sort of jumbo lava flows - which can ebb and flow for millions of years before they are finished - are the prime suspects in most of the worst mass extinction cases in our planet's history - even the one that killed the dinosaurs.

In this particular study researchers from Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Pakistan focused on carbon data locked up in land plant cuticles (essentially, the outermost layer of plant skin) and fossil wood fragments. They used the carbon-13 isotope in the plant cuticles as a proxy for atmospheric CO2 across the Permian-Triassic boundary - which is marked by the loss of 96 percent of all marine species, 70 percent of all land vertebrates, and is the only mass extinction known to have seriously perturbed insects (who otherwise tend to ride out hard times rather nicely). The Pakistan cuticle carbon reveals a shift in carbon isotopes that reflects a surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Is this proof of the cause of the worst mass extinction? No. But it's pretty damning evidence and hard to come up with any other possible cause of the die off that can be found in the geological record. Does it have any bearing on us today? Only the same lesson all history has to offer: If we don't learn from it, we will be condemned to repeat it.




Volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging. A mid-oceanic ridge, for example the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has examples of volcanoes caused by divergent tectonic plates pulling apart; the Pacific Ring of Fire has examples of volcanoes caused by convergent tectonic plates coming together. By contrast, volcanoes are usually not created where two tectonic plates slide past one another. Volcanoes can also form where there is stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust in the interiors of plates, e.g., in the East African Rift, the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field and the Rio Grande Rift in North America. This type of volcanism falls under the umbrella of "Plate hypothesis" volcanism. Volcanism away from plate boundaries has also been explained as mantle plumes. These so-called "hotspots", for example Hawaii, are postulated to arise from upwelling diapirs with magma from the coreÐmantle boundary, 3,000 km deep in the Earth.




Monday, April 1, 2013

Smart TV

As much as I try to keep up with the latest technologies, it's generally my clients who pave the way. This weekend ... a local man in his 30's told me about something called a Smart TV explaining its benefits which sounded really cool.

After he left ... off I went to search Wiki. A Smart TV sometimes referred to as connected TV or hybrid TV, (not to be confused with IPTV, Internet TV, or with Web TV), describes a trend of integration of the Internet and Web 2.0 features into television sets and set-top boxes, as well as the technological convergence between computers and these television sets / set-top boxes. The devices have a higher focus on online interactive media, Internet TV, over-the-top content, as well as on-demand streaming media, and less focus on traditional broadcast media than traditional television sets and set-top boxes. Similar to how the Internet, Web widgets, and software applications are integrated in modern smartphones, the name "smart TV" is akin to "smart phone".

That wasn't helpful ... so I went to YouTube as I am a visual learner ...

Conclusion ... For now I'll stay with my Sony large screen TV's and observe new technologies when I visit my children or friends who keep up with these things. FYI ... I have many friends in all age groups who don't have a TV ... just get the news online ... or prefer not to follow the news at all.




21 "must sees" unique photos of Egypt and an amazing adventure March 21, 2013




Thursday, March 28, 2013

Currency


Money and finance is the focus today. Eyes are on Cyprus as banks reopened (after nearly two weeks of closure) and many people wait for the next shoe to drop wherever that is in the world. The future of currency is becoming electronic (virtual) as is everything else ... even reality. :)

Bitcoin prices surge post-Cyprus bailout   CNN - March 28, 2013
Shares of the cyber-currency bitcoin have surged in the past week as investors seek safe havens following the unprecedented bailout of Cyprus' banks. Bitcoin is an unusual place to seek security. It's a four-year-old digital currency developed by a hacker who still remains anonymous.

  Bitcoin   CNN - March 2011

Bitcoin - the most widely used alternative currency - which may be the way of the future.

Cyprus banks reopen amid tight security and tough curbs   BBC - March 28, 2013
Banks in Cyprus have reopened after a two-week closure sparked by discussions on an EU-IMF bailout, amid tension over possible large-scale withdrawals. Branches were replenished with cash overnight and police were deployed amid fears of a run on the banks.

"Cyprus euro" a boon to US dollar: James Saft   Reuters - March 28, 2013
One clear winner from Cyprus's imposition of capital controls is the U.S. dollar, which stands to benefit from public and private flows after another round of damage to the euro's reserve currency status.