Le Claire, IA, July 10, 2014: Le Claire, Iowa-based Autumn Leaf Productions, is launching an Indiegogo campaign to produce a comprehensive documentary on President Abraham Lincoln's tomb and monument in Springfield, IL. In March the Lincoln Monument Association board voted to authorize owner, Chris Ryder, to produce the documentary.

Autumn Leaf will have access to the LMA archives, including photos that have never been publicly displayed, in addition to the support from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
"The timing is perfect for the 150th anniversary in 2015 of President Lincoln's death", said Autumn Leaf Owner/Filmmaker Chris Ryder. "There is a wealth of activity happening in Springfield next year. When you factor in the number of Lincoln enthusiasts across the country, it made complete sense to look at the bigger picture in regard to this documentary."

Mary Todd Lincoln insisted her husband's wish was to be buried in a quiet, remote setting. This was a new trend at a time when most cemeteries were developed inside cities.

Immediately there was opposition to Mrs. Lincoln by those who preferred the body either remain in Washington, D.C. or in downtown Springfield for tourism purposes. Ultimately Mrs. Lincoln's wishes prevailed, but it would be some time before Mr. Lincoln's body would be at peace.

From conception of the tomb to final interment, Mr. Lincoln's body would be placed in several graves and ultimately moved 14 times. After a thwarted attempt to steal the body, the casket would later be encased 10 feet below ground in steel and concrete.

"There is so much history encapsulated in the tomb's 12 1?2 acres of property", explains LMA President Pam VanAlstine. "From the architecture, statues, gifts from state and foreign dignitaries, to the commotion of the attempted theft, we have a lot of story to tell. There were millions of Americans who mourned the president on his funeral train route in 1865. To this day we see thousands of visitors each year who are emotionally moved when they visit the tomb. President Lincoln's legacy continues to grow."

Oak Ridge cemetery is the second most visited cemetery in the United States, next to Arlington National Cemetery.

Ryder will serve as producer and director. His production partner, Don Hertz, is executive producer and technical editor. Together they have previously collaborated on projects for PBS, ESPN, TLC, and VERSUS in addition to numerous corporate promotional videos, music videos, and national television commercials.

Indiegogo backers will receive a one-time printing of a 150th commemorative edition of the DVD or Blu-ray paired with a CD of the documentary soundtrack. The soundtrack will contain original recordings of period-appropriate music, led by Nashville recording artist and producer Jeb Hart. There will also be opportunities to fund re-enactment scenes and obtain reserved tickets for the premiere screening and reception in Springfield.

Ryder adds, "When my role is complete, the entire rights to the production will be gifted to the Lincoln Monument Association, so all subsequent copies will raise money for the association and preservation of the tomb. I want this production to be a mini-endowment of sorts for the LMA."

The campaign begins on July 10, 2014 and will run for 30 days.

Bliss Oils found to produce telomere regrowth, offer people an inexpensive, life-extending therapy that they can do themselves in three minutes a day

FAIR GROVE, MISSOURI, July 3, 2014 - Harvard-trained neurosurgeon Dr. C. Norman Shealy develops an innovative new therapy that challenges the phenomenon of aging. For the first time, he has shown in a clinical study that telomeres can be regenerated in healthy people and plans to release results of the Bliss Oils study in August.

"Every time DNA cells divide, we lose a little bit of telomere length, and eventually, the loss is what prevents proper cell division and limits human life," Shealy said.

Science has established that people who have longer telomeres, the tips of strands of human DNA, live longer lives and are less susceptible to some diseases. It is the natural lifelong reduction in the length and integrity of the DNA tips that has been a challenge for researchers, until now.

"If we were able to prevent the natural loss of telomere length of 1 percent per-year and instead re-grow telomeres at 3-4 percent per-year, healthy humans could live twice as long as they do today," Shealy said.

Renowned pain expert, holistic healer, and longevity researcher Shealy had 30 participants in his study who for 30-60 minutes a day reclined on a therapeutic mattress, designed by himself, which used a Tesla coil to create an electromagnetic field over the mattress, resonating at the human DNA frequency of 54-78 GHz.

"We found that instead of losing 1 percent of telomere length per year, 70 percent of the study's participants increased their telomere lengths an average of 3-4 percent per-year, over the 5-year-study," Shealy said. "Sustained regrowth of telomeres at these rates has the potential to double the lifespan of healthy people."

Shealy presented the study's findings at the Southern Medical Association and the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine last Fall and is continuing his work in the field of developing therapies to increase telomere length.

In August, he will present results of the Bliss Oils study that explores the possibility that certain essential oil blends may produce the same telomere growth rate that the resonating electromagnetic mattress produced in the study. Shealy formulated the oil blends, called Bliss Oils, which work by being applied to certain regions of the body connected by five energetic acupuncture circuits, which Shealy refers to as 'The Five Rings' that help balance our elemental energies.

"If the Bliss Oils produce telomere growth, we will be able to offer people an inexpensive, life-extending therapy that they can do themselves in three minutes a day," Shealy said.

Shealy's new book Living Bliss: Major Discoveries Along The Holistic Path, released in June, offers more information on the five sacred rings of specific meridian-point stimulation and the five essential Bliss Oils he developed to activate these circuits.

Living Bliss: Major Discoveries Along The Holistic Path
By MD, PhD C. Norman Shealy
Publisher: Hay House (June 5, 2014)
ISBN: 1401942644
Paperback ($15.95) www.normshealy.com/shop/living-bliss
Kindle ($9.99) www.amazon.com/Living-Bliss-Major-Discoveries-Holistic/dp/1401942644

ABOUT C. NORMAN SHEALY, MD, PhD (www.normshealy.com)  
C. Norman Shealy, MD, PhD is a neurosurgeon and humanistic psychologist with more than 50 years of professional experience in pain management and holistic medicine. A sought-after seminar speaker worldwide, frequent guest on radio and television programs across the U.S., and host of his own weekly radio show, Dr. Shealy recently released his 30th book, Living Bliss: Major Discoveries along the Holistic Path, in June.

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Republican co-sponsor, prominent national organization declare support for Seniors' Access to Social Security Act

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley's (IA-01) continued push to prevent impending Social Security service cuts got a bipartisan boost, as Rep. Don Young (R-AK) signed on to the Seniors' Access to Social Security Act. The bill has also received the support of the Alliance for Retired Americans?a group with millions of members focusing on issues affecting seniors. The bill now includes nearly two dozen sponsors from over a dozen states and the support of multiple national organizations.

"Protecting services that eleven million Americans use every year isn't a Republican or Democratic issue?it's an issue of commonsense," Braley said. "They're gutting services Iowa's seniors rely on and there's absolutely no evidence the cuts will save a penny. The bottom line is that the cuts need to be delayed until savings are shown and the administration can clearly illustrate how the cuts won't harm the Iowans that depend on them."

 

Last week Braley called on Iowans to visit braley.house.gov and share their experiences with Iowa Social Security Administration offices as he continues his push to delay the cuts to the essential services that 11 million Americans?including many Iowa seniors?used just last year. Braley will share the comments he receives with the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Beginning August 2014, SSA will no longer issue Social Security number printouts in its field offices.  In addition, beginning October 2014, SSA field offices will stop providing benefit verification letters, except in emergency situations.  Many seniors rely on these verification letters for a variety of services. Those requesting this information would be able to do so only online or over the phone. Last year alone, 11 million Americans used SSA offices to request this information.

Iowa's 19 SSA field offices are located in Cedar Rapids, Decorah, Dubuque, Marshalltown, Waterloo, Burlington, Coralville, Davenport, Ottumwa, Council Bluffs, Creston, Des Moines, Ames, Carroll, Ft. Dodge, Mason City, Sioux City, Spencer, and Storm Lake.

Over 450,000 Iowa seniors received Social Security benefits in 2013.

Braley's Seniors' Access to Social Security Act would prevent those cuts for one year, during which time Braley will seek verification that the proposed service cuts will not adversely affect Iowa's seniors and will save taxpayers money.

Braley recently wrote a letter to SSA Commissioner Carolyn Colvin asking her to provide a series of answers about the proposed cuts, including whether an analysis of cost savings has been done and if public input was solicited prior to the proposed cuts. Braley also sought information from Colvin on how Iowans seeking these services would be informed of cuts.

In June, Braley joined a Congressional push to prevent the elimination of the SSA services in a letter to the head of the SSA, noting that it's vital that seniors be able to receive these services in person especially given that telephone wait times for SSA services have risen drastically in the last year, and that many seniors lack internet access.

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Mount Carroll--Timber Lake Playhouse (TLP) presents the side-splitting comedy Rumors Thursday, July 17 through Saturday, July 26 starring ten performers who have quickly become some of the area's favorite comedic actors.  Derek Bertelsen, who staged last year's Spamalot, returns to direct the play by American comedy master, Neil Simon, about an anniversary party gone hilariously wrong.

Cody Jolly (Dr. Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein) and Allison Hunt (Elizabeth in Young Frankenstein) kick off the mayhem as Ken and Chris Gorman, married lawyers who arrive at the home of the Charlie Brock, deputy mayor of New York City, only to discover that their host seems to have shot himself and his wife is nowhere to be found. As more of their upperclass friends arrive, the Gormans conspire with Lenny and Claire Ganz, played by Matt Webb (Patsy in Spamalot) and Caroline Murrah (Sheila in An Inspector Calls), to make sure that everyone's reputations are kept firmly intact, despite the mounting absurdity.

Analisha Santini and Grant Brown (Frau Blucher and Inspector Kemp/Blind Hermit, respectively,  in Young Frankenstein) are the next to arrive as Cookie and Ernie Cusak, a TV cooking host and her psychoanalyst husband. The farcical accusations and cover-ups continue to spin out of control with Glenn and Cassie Cooper, a bickering political couple, played by Gabriel Brown (Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and Lexie Plath (Inga in Young Frankenstein).

When the police arrive (Blake W. Price and Christian Chambers), it's time for explanations, no matter how ludicrous they might seem. Director Bertelsen said, "The dream cast we have assembled for this play brings it to new comedic heights. Audiences already love them for their past work at TLP, and I think people are going to continue to be blown away by their talents."

Neil Simon's success as a comedic playwright and screenwriter is unmatched. His work includes The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park, Biloxi Blues, The Goodbye Girl, Sweet Charity, The Out-Of-Towners and Promises, Promises. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Lost In Yonkers.

Rumors performs evenings at 7:30 p.m., and there are 2:00 p.m. matinees on Sunday and Wednesday. There is also a Saturday matinee performance on the opening weekend at 3pm. Order tickets through the box office 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily at 815-244-2035 or any time at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org.

This program is partially supported by a grant for the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, through federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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