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What drives people to collect items?

7/31/2015

The Wizard of Oz - www.flickr.com

Be it comics, toys, shoes, books, paintings, or memorabilia, most of us have a prized collection stored away. Whatever you love, cost plays a major role.

Some people love props and costumes from films.

Demand for items from The Wizard of Oz is at a high at Bonhams auction house.

So much so, that a dress, set aside for the young Judy Garland who played Dorothy which wasn't even used on screen, sold for £157,000 (US$1.2 million) in a previous auction.

This price was dwarfed by the Lion costume, which sold for a staggering £1.9 million. Dorothy's slippers would likely sell for a similar figure if they were put up for auction.

The blue check dress and white trim marked with Judy's own sweat is set to become one of the most expensive dresses in history, thanks in part to the 17-year-old starlet's star quality. The Gingham dress was designed to make her look closer in age to the 12-year-old orphan character.

This famous dress, made for MGM's 1939 production, will be sold on November 23 in New York. The owner has entered it into Bonhams' Treasures from the Dream Factory sale at a guide price $1.2 million.

The director of entertainment memorabilia at Bonhams, believes the universal appeal of The Wizard Of Oz will mean huge levels of interest. Source: Express.

The Gingham dress wasn't even the only one. About ten more exist, recycled by the MGM studio and reused for other films.

I have to wonder about the motives for collecting clothing items of interest. They will not last like an ancient stone carving or a historical jewel, which are collected for their beauty and age. Clothing, particularly those that are sweat-stained, will deteriorate. Perhaps the wealthy bidder hopes to impress their friends. Even if I wanted Dorothy's dress, which I don't, I could never hope to afford the price.

On the other hand, I own several artefacts from Ancient Egypt, which I bought at auction for very reasonable prices. These fill me with wonder every time I look at them. I'm interested in Egyptian history, and have woven the subject into my novels. (On the sidebar.)

What item interests you enough to collect?

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Would you leave if your home was under threat?

7/30/2015

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Snow-covered houses - MorgueFile

Darkness and snow shrouds Sweden’s northernmost city in Lapland. About 23,000 people live in Kiruna, situated 90 miles into the Arctic Circle and a 75-mile drive away from the nearest town, Gällivare. But the residents will be forced to jump onto their snowmobiles by 2040. In their best interests, the town has to move.

You see, Kiruna’s current location hinges on the reason for its existence. Beneath the Earth's surface, locals mine one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world.

The Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag (LKAB) mining company, established in 1890, built a railway to the area. Founded in 1900, the city of Kiruna grew to keep pace with the mine.

But now buildings are cracking and collapsing due to ground subsidence.

LKAB will purchase all the shops, offices, schools, the city hall and the hospital, knocked them down and relocate them. The process of moving the city will happen in phases during the long process.

Negotiation with the owners of the buildings continues. The company will either pay for the house or replace it with a similar one in the new city.

Although many people would rather keep their old home, the mine from which they earn their living has to keep operating, so the city needs to move. Source: The Guardian.

It must be difficult to think of moving away from the town you love, especially for the older residents. People like the familiarity of their own home, and a stark new town wouldn't appeal to me. But I live in England, surrounded by historical buildings, whispering tales of the past.

As you may have picked up from the sidebar blurb, I write novels.

Here's an excerpt of a vision Liliha lives through at the end of the final book in the Moonstone series, Karm Currents, as yet unpublished. All the visions I use are taken from occurrences or facts, and this one just happens to cover a similar occurrence.

* * *

When I emerge from the spinning tunnel, I float, buoyed by ancient forces. My ethereal body is as translucent as a jellyfish in the sea of life.

Below, white snow covers most of the land beside the sea, where patches of blue peek between floaters of ice. A loud crack precedes a thunderous splash.

Alerted, I drift lower. A group of bright painted huts with white shutters huddle together on a rocky outcrop close to the beach. A musher drives a dog team away from the village with a sled containing a lifeless seal and a pile of fish. Several alert people walk the pavements dressed in jeans and colorful nylon jackets.

At a yell, they turn to face a man who shuffles fast along the snow-covered pathway from the direction of the shore. "Danger. A large section of ice has slipped into the sea. Run." More inhabitants emerge from huts onto the snow, calling to each other.

Close to me, a black-haired woman runs outside followed by her daughter and an old woman supported by a stick. I hover while the mother sends the girl inside. When she emerges again, her arms are piled with coats. People are running, calling to each other in high voices, steam emerging in the cold air.

Is this family special? Should I remain with them? The situation is dire. I urge haste.

The young woman slips into a red jacket and then helps the elder Inuit woman, years of hard living creasing her face. The child tugs her mother's coat.

She shouts, "Run. We'll get to higher ground."

The child points at the hill further away and grasps her grandmother's hand.

I do all I can to remove their terror, give their legs speed and ease the pain from the old woman's shuffled steps. She drops her stick and rushes forward unaided, claw-like hands reaching ahead.

A change happens inside me—something unexpected. The shape of my essence takes form against the white snow. It's my body but sheer, rather like the gelatinous fish I had thought of earlier. I'm stunned, but force myself alert. I should search for the bigger picture. This catastrophe can't be about one family, but everyone in the village. My brain expands, encompassing those nearby and grasping their knowledge of local events. My alteration allows me to bond with them all at the same time. Worry, panic and doom penetrate from their collective minds like a buzz of bees in the hive. They know their fete although they can't control their urge to flee. Over one hundred people rush away, some in vehicles, others on foot.

I remain behind to face nature's response to the displaced ice. The mental effort I make will never be good enough, but I must try to help these people. Why else would I have been drawn here?

The towering wave nears the village, holding me spellbound. A tinge of fear combines with my awe.

I send love and peace to the fleeing hearts. Maybe I can give them valuable seconds. I'm with them all, share their fear and send each of them love to calm their panic.

I stand steadfast facing the waterfront, arms raised, palms forward. Power surges inside me to calm the raging sea. I raise my awareness—use all my strength to push against the eminent wave.

Against a background of their screams, I center everyone's mind with powerful thoughts. 'Appreciate the love that surrounds you.'

The wave washes over me, erasing the scene. A powerful force engulfs me and establishes a connection. 'It's not death, but alteration.'

With no need to breathe inside my wet prison, I grasp at understanding.

'Let go of your perceptions. Bend with the wind of change.'

Tears of understanding and acceptance join the water sliding over my essence.

* * *

How would you feel if you had to leave your threatened home?

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Has modern man advanced at all?

7/29/2015

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lion - en.wikipedia.org

In Zimbabwe, a poacher has ended the life of Africa's most famous lion.

Cecil, one of the world's most recognisable felines because of his rare black mane, was the star attraction at the Hwange national park, in Zimbabwe. Thousands of tourists visited and photographed him every year.

How did the Spanish hunter manage to get away with his barbaric exploit? He reportedly bribed park guides with £35,000 (US $54,646) to turn a blind eye.

As part of a project looking at the impact of hunting on lions living in and around the national park started by Oxford University in 1999, a GPS collar had been placed on the 13-year-old lion. Park rangers analysed data from the chip. Hunters had used bait to trick the big cat into leaving the safety of the park and shot him with a bow and arrow. They then followed the bleeding animal for 40 hours before finally ending his pain with a rifle.

Walking with lions - en.wikipedia.org

The Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association admitted that its members were involved, although the guides and their Spanish paymaster were on a private safari the act was not illegal. They have launched a probe.

One of the principal researchers on the project said events like this have an effect on the population far beyond the individual losses, because any new males entering a vacated pride will get rid of all the previous male's living cubs.

The incident, which happened earlier this month, has only just come to light, causing outrage in Zimbabwe where the animal was a national treasure.

Here in England, plans are under way to ban lion trophy imports into the European Union.
Source: Express.

It makes you wonder who would want to end the life of a magnificent adult lion, admired and photographed by all the park’s visitors. And yet, some outdoor types go on hunting even when species are endangered. That's criminal, in my opinion.

But why do men hunt living creatures with a bow and arrow for sport?

Back in 1960, South Australia, I had just married my first love. On weekends, we would ride the motor scooter up north into the red heart of Australia amongst dry earth and pungent eucalyptus trees. My new husband loved the outdoors and hunted with a bow and arrow. One weekend, from the shelter of a little lean-to he'd built out of dry grass strung from a tree, I shuddered in repugnance when he dragged the limp body of a kangaroo into camp. I can see the young man in my mind's eye, dressed in army surplus trousers and shirt with a big grin on his face. He needed to live an outdoor life and I went along with his passion, although I didn't share it.

What do you think of trophy hunting?

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Not everyone believes in alien visitors.

7/28/2015

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en.wikipedia.org Skull 200-100 BC

In Russia, in the spectacular site of Arkaim, a bizarre egg-shaped skull has been unearthed from 4,000 years ago, leading to speculation about previous alien visits.

Previous skulls have been found with a similar shape, like the one pictured.

Archaeologists believe the elongated skull belonged to a woman living in an ancient tribe on a site known as Russia's Stonehenge, now modern day Ukrain.

Her skeleton has sparked fresh ideas about extraterrestrial visitor to earth.

The elongated skull shaped slightly like an egg on an otherwise humanoid form has deepened enthusiasm from UFO enthusiasts who claim it's proof that aliens had once visited Earth.

Archaeologists insist on a perfectly reasonable explanation for the misshapen skull. They say the tribe which had lived in Arkaim near the modern-day city of Chelyabinsk in central Russia used to bind children's heads to make them grow out of shape.

UFO watchers have countered with the claim that if that was so, it was simply a way of mimicking the skulls of the alien visitors, therefore cementing proof of visitation.

A head researcher has spoken to the Russian news agency TASS, but declined to comment on speculation it was attributed to alien visitors because they were still working on theories about the tradition.

Scientists who revealed the photographs of their discovery say the body was probably from the second or third century after Christ. (I'm not sure how this date relates to a 4,000 year-old site. Seems to be conflict between 4,000 years ago and less than 2,000 years. Unless I'm missing something or my sums are wrong.)

Discovered in 1987, the Akraim archaeological site, believed to have been built around 4,000 BC along the same lines as the British monument, has yielded spectacular revelations. As well as being a primitive astronomical observatory like Stonehenge, it included a village fortified by two large stone circular walls. As an important site to study Bronze Age, the settlement covers an area of some 220,000sq-ft and consists of two circles of dwellings separated by a street, with a central community square in the centre.
Source: Mirror.

In ancient times in the Americas the Mayans, the Mexicans from Peru, and Aztec people bound their heads, along with many other cultures around the world

How do they do it?

'Artificial cranial deformation, head flattening, or head binding is a form of body alteration in which the skull of a human being is deformed intentionally. It is done by distorting the normal growth of a child's skull by applying force. Flat shapes, elongated ones (produced by binding between two pieces of wood), rounded ones (binding in cloth), and conical ones are among those chosen. Typically, it is carried out on an infant, as the skull is most pliable at this time. In a typical case, headbinding begins approximately a month after birth and continues for about six months.' From Wikipedia.

Why do they do it?

MorgueFile - Native youth

Earlier, the discovery of the skull, from Sonora, Mexico promoted a wave of articles proclaiming it, and other similar examples to be evidence of ancient alien contact. Images of elongated skulls or 'cone-heads' can be seen as far back as Sumerian and Egyptian times, but some experts claim the act of cranial deformation can be traced as even further to 45,000 years ago.

The cultural preference for elongated skulls has found its way onto every continent on the earth suggesting a cultural connection of great antiquity, and therefore one of potential importance. In the earliest Sumerian Al Ubiad pottery, there is a clear association to the gods, and variations on the idea that it was a symbol of status, high rank, or wisdom have been recorded in the traditions of differing cultures around the world. A common theme exists in the minds of people to this day.

Did this cranial deformity ever exist naturally in humans?

If so, why has it been copied by so many people for such a long time?

It does make me wonder why they would do such a thing, and why they considered mutilating the bone structure of the head would make them more attractive.

What do you think—fashion, status or emulating aliens?

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Discover how to help your memory.

7/27/2015

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Say you met some interesting people recently. A few days later, you can’t recall any of their names. Or recently you walked around in a daze trying to remember where you put your glasses and keys. And then your long-term friend asks you a question about an event you both shared, but you've forgotten every detail. Don't worry, this happens whether you're young or old.

Are you losing your mind?

MorgueFile - 5demayo

The latest research from psychologists at UK's University of Exeter, shows that if you are trying to remember something critical, get a good night's sleep.

Although it is well known that sleep boosts memory, scientists have shown sleep improves your chances to retrieve vital facts hiding in a corner of our brain.

They used subjects in two situations. The people taking part had forgotten information during 12 hours of being awake. However, after a night's sleep they were twice as likely to be able to remember the details.

The lead psychologist stressed that sleep almost doubles your chances of remembering previously unrecalled material. The post-sleep boost in memory may indicate that some memories are sharpened overnight. This supports the notion that, while asleep, we actively rehearse information flagged as important.

The doctor believes the boost comes from the hippocampus, an inner structure of the temporal lobe, which unzipps recent episodes and replays them to regions of the brain originally involved so you play out major events of the day. Source: The Telegraph.

At the moment, I'm recalling details of my life to write my memoirs, going back seventy years. Old letters written to my mother help me recall circumstances, and I wrote 'events by date' about fifteen years ago, which also help in my recollections. But some details escape me. I ask myself, “What on earth did I do for the next two years?”

As we get older memory along with all our functions begin to decline. We have to work harder at maintaining our retentiveness if it’s important to us.

The good news is that we don't have to sit back and let it happen without a fight. But anything worthwhile takes work.

Use it or lose it.

MorgueFile - greyerbaby

A number of ways will push or encourage your memory to improve and excel. The amazing human mind performs beyond expectations when given everything necessary to operate.

Our mind needs water, nutrition, rest and exercise, fresh air and nutrition; the mind must be active and always learning; the mind must be challenged. Our minds are capable of much more than the daily and routine tasks we ask of it—the things we need to do for survival or livelihood. But the mind also needs an active life. Get outside and do more. Source HubPages.

Okay, there are many people like me who can't get out and socialize. What's left for us? We're advised to tell our family about our past, to link a part of our life to what they are doing. An example would be to relate their smartphone to us running to the telephone box to make an important call. But, those of us with no family around have to resort to other ways to maintain our memories.

We are all special, unique.

Even if you're twenty years old, a lot of interesting things have happened in your life. It's never too soon to start writing down your experiences. Rather like the diaries of old. Remember The Diary of Ann Frank? At thirteen years old, she wrote about how her family and friends hid from the enemy during the occupation of the Nazis in the Netherlands, and how they survived living together in close quarters.

If you're older, I recommend writing the story of your life. Make a start and more information emerges out of the corner of your mind where it's been stashed away. Often I wake recalling a detail I'd forgotten.

Do you remember everything that ever happened to you? Or do you open a cupboard and forget what you were looking for?

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Do you believe in using the mind for survival?

7/26/2015

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MorgueFile - pippalou

Here's a story about a young UK soldier, buried alive, who kept believing she would see her tiny daughter again.

In Iraq at the end of February 2007, the building she was in took a direct hit from a mortar bomb. For a while, the twenty-three year old woman felt sticky liquid on her body. When pain brought her out of unconsciousness, she realized the building had been obliterated and she was trapped underneath rubble.

Despite her scant chance of survival, she willed herself to believe she would see her daughter again. And so she shouted and shouted. She knew if she gave up, nobody would find her.

'The next thing I remember is hearing voices with American accents, along with a faint sound of digging. Members of the US Special Forces, who were in a neighbouring camp, had heard the explosion and come to help. It took them more than two-and-a-half hours to dig me from the rubble; it felt like an eternity. Then I could hear the clanking of spades getting closer and I heard Karl shout: ‘Hannah, we’re coming! You need to hold on.’

This excerpt comes from Never Broken: My Journey From The Horrors Of Iraq To The Birth Of My Miracle Baby, by Hannah Campbell with Sarah Arnold and Jill Main, to be published next month. Source: Daily Mail.

MorgueFile - FantasyDesigns1

Perhaps you could say love brought her through her ordeal. However, strength of mind played a big part. If you believe something with absolute conviction, no physical trauma can overcome you.

In our own circumstances, my husband is battling cancer at the moment. He moans, he condemns the health service for not doing enough, or not acting fast enough, he curses the blow life has dealt him. And yet … He keeps fighting. I've never met anyone with a stronger will.

That's saying something because I'm no sloth. I've survived intact despite life's blows.

An alternative way of treating cancer is to visualize sending white cells to fight the bad cancerous ones. That's another form of using your mind to control your body, but you're playing someone else's game. My husband prefers to work in his own way, and shrugs off anyone else's advice.

Do you think you could survive against all odds?

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Ever wonder what you're using in your mouth?

7/25/2015

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MorgueFile - jdurham

A leading research magazine--Which?—gives it's finding on toothpaste brands.

The result: A toothpaste costing under £1 a tube is as effective at protecting teeth as more expensive brands.

Research by Which?, and backed by leading dentists, suggests that a toothpaste containing the maximum level of fluoride permitted will keep teeth healthy. Shops offer an enormous array of brands, and it's hard to know which one to choose. However, look around for a cheap product. It is possible to find one with the optimum fluoride level of 1,450 parts per million for less than £1.

In their research, the consumer group and dental experts examined claims made by premium products and compared these to cheaper versions.

Which? said its experts saw no long-term evidence of more protection from these speciality toothpastes than from a standard fluoride toothpaste. Neither were the claims of extra whitening substantiated. Source: Daily Mail.

MorgueFile - kakisky

Some people claim that fluoride is harmful. But I found otherwise, starting in the early sixties with my three youngsters under five years old. 'It took a long time each day, just to clean the children's teeth, and their wriggling, complaining, and dribbling was so traumatic the dentist gave me tranquilizers to get through it twice a day. I had taken fluoride tablet throughout my pregnancies, and when the children were able to feed themselves, they took one with their evening meal.' As adults, their teeth were perfect. Not like mine, which were damaged in my teens when I stayed with my father and stepmother for a short time.

Here's another short extract from the memoirs I'm working on at the moment:

'Every evening, Lloyd, Mollie and I assembled before dinner for 'drinks'. They liked vermouth and soda and I sipped glassful of Coke over ice. None of us knew about the substance the soft drink contained, which the company later removed. But, I got a strong dose of sugar, which added to other ingredients I blame for the poor condition of my teeth in later life. Don't worry—I've still got a full set. Only the deep caverns of my back teeth were affected, and I've always been scrupulous about cleaning them with a brush. Lloyd showed me how to dip a wet brush into a palm full of baking soda, although I switched back to toothpaste later.'

I've since learned from my dentist to brush my teeth for at least two minutes using a soft brush, and now it's a pleasure to run my tongue over the smooth surface. I've also used table salt on my brush to good effect when my gums are sore.

So, don't think you have to buy the most expensive brand of toothpaste. All you have to do is check the packet to find out if the inexpensive toothpaste contains enough fluoride.

Now you know you're wasting your money, would you consider switching brands?

7 Comments

Would constant loud music annoy you?

7/24/2015

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en.wikipedia.org

A classically-trained pianist loved playing his favourite music. In his youth he performed the work of Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart. After his retirement, he used the keyboard to keep himself amused. Everyone loved to hear him play. Except his neighbour.

They used to be friends, but the 72 year-old UK man fumed when building work next door disturbed him from early morning 'till 10 at night. Things escalated, and his former friend retaliated by complaining about the loud music.

He was slapped with a noise abatement order banning him from making too much noise. Last week a court ruled he breached it by playing his keyboard. Six officers raided his home last week and confiscated his keyboard, three TVs, a laptop, four tape players, a megaphone and an ornamental gong from his home. The retired hotel manager, who is divorced and has no children, claims the authorities overreacted.

Abatement notices are served by local authorities when it is deemed that a noise problem amounts to a statutory nuisance. The notice may require that the noise be stopped altogether or limited to certain times of day. A spokesman for the council said: "As legal proceedings are ongoing we are unable to comment further at this stage." Source: Telegraph.

www.pixabay.com

Well, firstly, how could he make any noise without his equipment? Maybe they return his property after the hearing. And secondly, how much noise can a neighbour be expected to bear?

The old man has my sympathy. He wants to amuse himself by playing beautiful music, which will keep his mind, and skill, active.

Their houses are abutted, leaving no space between them. Perhaps the neighbours should come to an agreement about certain times when the noise would be acceptable.

Um, I have to admit that a recent tenant in our block of four flats has just been rehoused. My neighbour on the lower floor constantly complained about her (and her male visitors) comings and goings, as well as the noise overhead.

Loud music at unsociable hours doesn't disturb me. On one side of our home, a public house used to employ live bands. Now converted to a shtibel (synagogue), wonderful music drifts into the peace of our neighbourhood at various times. I love the voice harmonies which come over microphones on special celebrations. But what if the music came over and over, day and night? I don't know if I could accept that so easily.

How would you react to constant loud music?

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Discover how your rate of eating affects your body.

7/23/2015

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MorgueFile - by clarita

I can't remember if my mother told me to eat slowly, but it's a common saying, and one I've always followed. My husband and I eat at a different rate. He spends hours preparing a good meal, and then 'wolfs it down' in a few minutes, leaving me halfway through my plateful. A few times, he's attempted to limit his rate of eating by placing his knife and fork on the plate and taking deep breaths. Kind of funny if it wasn't so sobering.

New research from UK's University of Bristol suggests people who eat more slowly feel fuller and think they have eaten more than those who eat quickly.

Previous studies have found that slower eaters have a lower body mass index than those who gobble down their grub. I've always been slim, which I put down to good genes and high metabolism. I won't bore you with a whine about the way ageing has changed my shape in the stomach area. It happens to everyone, Francene—get over it.

MorgueFile - by xenia

Before, researchers didn't understand how eating slowly affected slimness.

To investigate whether our rate of eating influences how hungry we feel afterwards, University researchers fed forty volunteers canned tomato soup through a tube into their mouths.

The participants then had 400ml of soup pumped into their mouths at two rates—a fast and a slow rate. Those with the fast rate were given a four second pause between sips and the slower rate group's sip was followed by a ten-second pause.

The volunteers (probably starving students), who were paid £15, were then asked how full they felt at the end of the meal and two hours after.

Those who took the soup more slowly said they felt fuller than the fast eaters both immediately after the test and two hours later.

The slow eaters overestimated how much they had eaten.

This is how I feel when I'm halfway through my meal. I could easily leave the rest of the food on my plate uneaten—probably would do so if I was alone. However, my husband would only ask, “What's the matter? Didn't you like it?”

Just before the meal, aromas drift from the kitchen, which makes me hungry.

But environmental prompts at irregular times, such as the smell of our favourite food cooking, can throw us off course by stimulating our appetite and leading us to eat even when we don’t feel hungry.

A researcher at Harvard University, who was unconnected with the new study, said as well as our own perception of hunger, hormones in the stomach have a role to play in our feelings of fullness.

The hormone leptin, which is produced by fat cells, sends a signal to the brain based on how much fat we have just eaten and how much is stored in our body.

Other hormones are produced by the stomach based on how ‘stretched’ it feels.

Research has shown that leptin - together with the other hormones - then interacts with the ‘feel-good’ hormone dopamine in the brain to create a feeling of pleasure and fullness after eating.

Source: Mail Online.

So now it's time to think about the way you eat. Fast or slow? Do you notice the way the rate if your eating affects you?

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Taking supplements may cause other problems.

7/22/2015

7 Comments

Morguefile by MGDboston

Millions of people around the world who take vitamin D and calcium pills to prevent bone thinning may be wasting their time. Vitamin D helps build stronger bones, partly by increasing the absorption of calcium. The main source of vitamin D is a chemical reaction which occurs when the Sun’s rays are absorbed by our skin, although small amounts are found in eggs, oily fish and some breakfast cereals.

That news hits home because I've taken two large Adcal tablets every day for over twelve years, supplied on prescription funded by UK's National Health.

An article in the British Medical Journal has accused academics and researchers in international osteoporosis foundations heavily funded by supplement manufacturers of wrongly promoting the use of these supplements. This is despite evidence piling up for over ten years that shows no positive effects on osteoporosis in the elderly. The main aim of managing osteoporosis is to prevent fracture. From 2002, evidence from randomised trials began to challenge the notion that calcium or vitamin D supplements alone or in combination safely reduce fracture risk. By 2010, 14 large studies with over 1,000 participants each showed results. Nine found no benefit, two found increased fracture risk and three found reduced risk. Source: Times of India.

MorgueFile by froggidonna

Researchers point out the scant evidence of the supplements preventing fractures. Not only that, but they may cause harm through kidney complications and strokes.

The pills are thought to prevent osteoporosis, the bone-thinning condition that occurs in middle age which is particularly common in women after the menopause.

Calcium is a naturally occurring mineral which helps strengthen the bones while vitamin D is thought to help the body absorb it. But several major studies published in the last decade have found no evidence that adults taking these pills are any less likely to suffer bone fractures.

My osteoporosis was discovered when my femur shattered during a hip replacement operation. After tests on my bone density, these supplements were prescribed. Several years later, I tripped over a piece of furniture and broke my thumb joint. On another occasion, my ring finger broke when it got knocked. Chuckle. My husband moves during his dreams. He claimed a witch was trying to get into the bedroom through the picture above us and he was saving me. I raised my hand to stop his thrashing. Not funny at the time, but it makes me grin now. Must remember to keep my hands clenched.

MorgueFile - by bjwebbiz

Casting slapstick aside, researchers say most people get sufficient calcium in their diets, mainly from dairy products. Apart from that, vitamin D may not actually help our bodies absorb it. In an editorial in the BMJ Open online journal, academics from New Zealand also highlight evidence that supplements increase the risk of strokes, kidney stones and heart attacks. They say over-65s ‘should not have been recommended’ to take daily vitamin D supplements to prevent osteoporosis.

Researchers say the benefits of the pills may have been hugely overplayed by their manufacturers.
Source: Mail Online.

This is another case of big businesses, foundations and governments working hand in hand.
What can I say? Business reign's supreme in our modern society.

Evidence for harm also emerged, including hospital admission for gastrointestinal symptoms, kidney stones, falls, hip fracture, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The United States Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against calcium and vitamin D supplementation for primary fracture prevention in 2013.

Do you take a Calcium and Vitamin C supplement?

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Francene Stanley
From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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