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From the Bionic Mosquito Today’s DB interview is with Daniel McAdams, from the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.  The interview offers a valuable reminder that war is the issue for all individuals concerned with libertarian, liberal, and free-market (e.g. Austrian) ideas. I offer only a couple of quotes from the interview: I view [the Institute’s] number one priority to be fighting war propaganda. Calling out the lies of the neocons and a lapdog mainstream media that walks lock-step with the US regime, regardless of which party is in power. I am not aware of many organizations that do … Continue reading →

A 2,200-year-old crossbow which some experts believe could have been almost twice as powerful as a modern-day assault rifle has been discovered among the Terracotta Warriors. The crossbow, which was found intact this week, could have shot an arrow up to 2,600 feet – about the length of nine football pitches, the People’s Daily Online reported. The discovery is particularly exciting as experts believe the crossbow may hold the secret to the success of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The crossbow, which was found half-buried next to one of the terracotta statues, was discovered by archaeologists working at the site. It is … Continue reading →

Historically speaking, wheels are a much newer development than you might expect. The oldest recovered specimen is a wooden Slovenian model built sometime between 5,100 and 5,350 years ago. By then, humans had already been practicing agriculture for several millennia—in fact, farming may date all the way back to 12,000 BCE. Canoes and animal domestication also vastly predate the wheel. Why did this invention take so long to get rolling? Well, from a vehicular standpoint, spinning wheels are basically useless unless they’re attached to a secure shaft of some sort. It was only after mankind finally built such stabilizers—which we … Continue reading →

Financial Experts:  World War Looms … Unless We Stop It The Economist argues that there are ominous parallels between the conditions which led to the first world war and today: The United States is Britain, the superpower on the wane, unable to guarantee global security. Its main trading partner, China, plays the part of Germany, a new economic power bristling with nationalist indignation and building up its armed forces rapidly. Modern Japan is France, an ally of the retreating hegemon and a declining regional power. The parallels are not exact—China lacks the Kaiser’s territorial ambitions and America’s defence budget is … Continue reading →

The gluten-free debate continues to rage, with critics claiming that ‘free-from’ products are entirely unnecessary for over 99 per cent of the population. But you can’t argue with the stats and 12 million Britons are now choosing gluten-free products, whether they need to or not. Market research firm Mintel has pinpointed gluten-free beer as the next big growth area in the free-from food market, and it’s already on the shelves at M&S, Waitrose and Asda. Even Tennent’s, the most laddish of lagers, is preparing to roll out a version. But with two of the main ingredients of beer – barley … Continue reading →

Originally published in Ancient American Magazine Issue # 105 When we think of ancient trade by ancient merchants, we usually think in terms of durable goods, that is, things or materials that have survived rot and decay to the present day. We think mostly of those things because it’s what we can see or touch. It’s not just earthworks, stone, shells, bone, metal, ceramics, or fabric, either. Pollens, foodstuff remains, wood, seeds, insect remains, domesticated plant and animal remains, paint, language, and the big one, DNA, drive our thoughts and are all are tools we can use to reconstruct some … Continue reading →

Potatoes are one of the world’s most common, and most beloved, vegetables—and they can be used for much more than just sustenance. 1. WEAR THEM Potatoes come from a nightshade plant called Solanum tuberosum, which blooms with white, pink, red, blue, or purple flowers. In the late 1700s, in an effort to inspire their starving subjects to plant the newly introduced vegetable—which the Spanish had brought to Europe from the New World—Marie Antoinette wore potato flowers in her hair, and her husband King Louis XVI wore them in his buttonholes. This inspired potato flowers to be a favorite of the French nobility for a … Continue reading →

Can you pinch more than an inch around your middle? That flabby flesh seems to settle and spread out around the waist, creating a belly bulge that looks as though you’ve spent every one of your Saturdays drinking beer. A protruding belly and love handles isn’t considered the most flattering look going. But what’s more, that belly fat can be a hazard to your health. In medical speak, subcutaneous fat is the belly fat that you can feel when you grab the skin and tissue around your middle. Then there’s visceral fat, which is more dangerous. It’s the belly fat … Continue reading →

You’re going about your day when the urge to eat sets in. Sure, you might be physically hungry…but it’s possible you’re seeking a security blanket to alleviate stress. Or perhaps you’re just bored. Use “The Broccoli Test” to identify emotional hunger and stop it from ruining your diet. There’s a reason that “comfort food” exists. When you’re stressed, your brain seeks ways to alleviate these stressors by eating certain foods, resulting in unwanted calories. If this weren’t bad enough, the act of self-medicating with comfort food also increases your body’s propensity to store abdominal fat, leading to greater risk of … Continue reading →

Britons are still living in the same ‘tribes’ that they did in the 7th Century, Oxford University has found after an astonishing study into our genetic make-up. Archaeologists and geneticists were amazed to find that genetically similar individuals inhabit the same areas they did following the Anglo-Saxon invasion, following the fall of the Roman Empire. In fact, a map showing tribes of Britain in 600AD is almost identical to a new chart showing genetic variability throughout the UK, suggesting that local communities have stayed put for the past 1415 years. Many people in Britain claim to feel a strong sense … Continue reading →

A good night’s sleep is nature’s best medicine. But unfortunately, many Americans find it difficult to get their six to eight hours of shuteye. The problem with sleeplessness is that it gets worse as one grows older. There are many reasons why this happens, so it is a good idea to get an understanding of the causes of insomnia, and the symptoms of insomnia, before we discuss natural sleep remedies and tips for better sleep. Causes of insomnia While there are many reasons why a person can’t fall asleep, scientists have zeroed-in on three main causes for sleep loss: 1. Your … Continue reading →

Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles are believed to carry a total of approximately 1,000 strategic nuclear warheads that can hit the US less than 30 minutes after being launched. Of this total, about 700 warheads are rated at 800 kilotons; that is, each has the explosive power of 800,000 tons of TNT. What follows is a description of the consequences of the detonation of a single such warhead over midtown Manhattan, in the heart of New York City. The initial fireball. The warhead would probably be detonated slightly more than a mile above the city, to maximize the damage created by … Continue reading →

Not Theory … Admitted Fact There are many documented false flag attacks, where a government carries out a terror attack … and then falsely blames its enemy for political purposes. In the following instances, officials in the government which carried out the attack (or seriously proposed an attack) admit to it, either orally or in writing: (1) Japanese troops set off a small explosion on a train track in 1931, and falsely blamed it on China in order to justify an invasion of Manchuria. This is known as the “Mukden Incident” or the “Manchurian Incident”. The Tokyo International Military Tribunal … Continue reading →

Today, March 18, marks Grover Cleveland’s birthday. Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the U.S., was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms (1885-1889 and 1893-1897), to be married in the White House, and to have a candy bar named after his daughter (“Baby Ruth”). Cleveland is hailed by many libertarians as an honest champion of limited government and the constitution. True, Cleveland refused to inflate the currency during recession and he vetoed more than 300 bills. That’s more than double the combined vetoes of all presidents before him. He was also known for his advocacy of voluntary charity over … Continue reading →