THE SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE COMPARED TO THE HUMAN ONE? IT’S NOT RELIGIOUS!

We are multi-dimensional beings, maintaining 2 perspectives almost simultaneously. They work like this: An event occurs.  The instant we observe the event is one perspective.  The 2nd perspective comes an instant after the 1st in our interpretation of the event.  The first perspective is pure experience.  The 2nd perspective consists of interpreting the event according to one’s beliefs, thoughts, feelings, emotions, ideas, etc.  The Spiritual perspective comes without that baggage… just TRUTH!  Those who will tell you, there are many truths, are usually trying to move you from a position you know is correct, for you, to something that works for them.

Spirit is detached from all of those things we know as being very human: feelings, emotions, ideas, thoughts, etc.  The Spirit observes and the information it retains is in symbolic form.  There are no words to describe, no feelings to be hurt or soothed.  Just the silent knowledge of  experiences.  THAT information is TRUTH!

Those same things the Spirit is detached from are the things that make us human.  We are Spirit living a human journey with all the baggage that comes with it.  As Spirit, one takes the journey as an observer, and as a guide, when called upon by one’s reason/beliefs.

When you discover your Spirit Identity, the idea is to mesh both perspectives, human and Spirit.  Yet, if you live in the flow of Spiritual Law, even with all your human-ness, you boost your capabilities as a human being.  How?  First, you can increase your clarity of reality by assembling other diverse perspectives, forming clusters.  See, we each have a perspective of life, but that perspective is like being a part of a mountain where you have a great view but it doesn’t give you the totality of what exists. The more perspectives you get, the greater your view of reality.  Being in touch with your Spirit Identity allows you to grab clusters of perspectives giving you a clearer view of self and physical reality.  A tremendous tool in anything you’re doing!

WHAT ARE QUALITIES OF ONE’S SPIRIT IDENTITY? – The Spirit is much greater than words can express.  So to talk about Spirit is much like trying to tell someone in words about the melody of a song… You just can’t do it.  Nothing you say verbally, evokes the melody.  So here’s my futile attempt.  The Spirit is an observer/watcher that observes and absorbs all of your experiences.  Within this higher consciousness is all the information available from our physical experiences as well as the Universe.  There are no closed systems within us, or in the Universe.  We are connected to All That Is!  When we are born we still have that connection to our Spirit Identity.  The physical world and nurturing tends to blur (or stomp out) the connection as we become more focused on physical reality.  To reach the totality of yourself, later in life, is to re-establish that connection to Spirit.  In some churches they will tell you it’s being re-born.  But then give you so much gobble-dee-gook to go along with it, you forget you’re re-discovering your Spirit self.

WHY IS THIS KNOWLEDGE IMPORTANT? As Maxayn Lewis would sing, THE ANSWERS LIE WITHIN, MY FRIEND!  Purpose, identity, passions, beliefs (& belief system), creativity, ideas, thoughts, dreams, TRUTH, intuition, with it also accessing your feelings and emotions.  The answers to your mental and physical health are within your Spirit.  How to get one’s life in order is there.  What you would benefit the most from doing with your life.  How to attract people and events in your life.  Love!  Self love (self knowledge).  How to flow with Spiritual Law.

HOW DOES ONE DISCOVER SPIRITUAL LAW? – Many Christians would say Spiritual Law comes from Christ/God as stated in the Bible.  Actually Spiritual Law existed long before the Bible or Man even existed.  Spiritual Law is!  Spiritual Law is Reality.  Spiritual Law is Truth!  We discover Spiritual Law through observation of the trends in our lives and our Universe.  Just keeping a daily journal (observation) of your life and dreams (sleep) will illustrate the power of Spiritual Law and how your life flows within it.  Also the means of how to get out of a negative flow within the Law.

Spiritual Law is in operation whether you are ignorant of it, don’t believe it exists, or just testing to see what happens.  It affects/effects everyone – rich or poor, all ethnic groups and nationalities, both men and women, religious, non-religious, atheists, agnostics and Spiritualists.  You can’t escape it.  It’s how the Universe functions.  We have many man-made laws that don’t flow properly within Spiritual Law.

Spiritual Law is: Love, Sowing and Reaping, Asking and Receiving,  Seeking and Finding, Knocking and Opening Doors (opportunity).   

If you think life has given you a bad deal, it’s all your creation and you don’t even know it.  You’re unaware of your own uniqueness and creativity.

It’s important to be free and know how to live free in ever changing conditions of life.  The Constant is Spiritual Law.  Flow with it, Baby!! Find the difference for yourself!

QUESTION EVERYTHING!  THAT’S WHERE TRUTH RESIDES.

THE PASSIVE WAY TO USE YOUR DREAMS TO IMPROVE LOVE, HEALTH AND WORK – For Lazy Folk!

Life offers us choices, in each moment, to create a life that’s filled with love, joy, and fulfillment. The challenges we face in life often cloud our vision of life events, leading us to take life journeys of irresponsibility that are so far removed from who and what we are. The hole within us that we try to fill with promiscuity, alcohol, drugs, and negative behavior can lead you to wondering why the hell you’re in the position you’re in now.

Each night you dream or have nightmares, your inner self or Spirit is giving you information, straight talk, about you and the life you’re creating by means of symbols and picture-grams. Remember you create your life, through your beliefs about self and life.

Computers have a basic ability that resembles our ability as humans, which is to enter data to get information. We can use our dreams to not only acquaint ourselves with who and what we are, but also to solve problems in our waking life.

Some people complain Spirituality takes too much thinking or time. What it does take is being. Being real and responsible with yourself about you and your behavior. Your life is about you, not the other guy/gal. Your dreams represent you. Even the characters, items and events in your dreams are about what they represent to you. These representations are known as symbols or symbolism.

You may have a brother or sister that represents intelligence and athleticism, while another brother or sister may represent good grooming, flirty with the opposite sex and lost when it comes to how to live. Jewelry can represent worth or value and also an item that attracts the wrong attention. Symbols are personal. To truly acquaint yourself with the symbols of your dreams and life, you need to take a pencil and paper and write down what people and things, that are regular in your dreams, represent to you. And make sure you include all the representations you can think of. Dreams, just like life, have many levels of understanding.

CAPT., HOW CAN I USE MY DREAMS WITHOUT ALL THOSE DETAILS?

 

– There is no shortcut in getting to know your self. You dream whether you remember them or not. You often act on dreams you’ve had, unconsciously and without knowing why. But here are some tips to using your dream laboratory passively.

CREATE A BUZZ OR EXCITEMENT IN YOUR SELF ABOUT USING YOUR DREAMS

– Bring to mind during your waking day that you’re going to ask questions of your dreams. Don’t obsess, but think of it, as you would, a date you might look forward to. That date is with your self!

Get into a good sleeping position, allow the images in your mind to pass without following them and

 

ASK FOR THE TYPE OF DREAM YOU WANT.

WHAT KIND OF DREAMS DO I NEED TO ASK FOR?

– For starters, I would ask for a dream that would bring about good health. You can also ask for a dream that will show you what you need to do to improve your health. [ As if you didn’t already know] A dream of the proper diet for you. Ask for a dream that will allow your body to reduce or eliminate pain. Ask for a dream where your Spirit assists you in finding solid approaches in changing your health for the better. Ask for a dream that will lead you to exercises or activities you enjoy taking part. Ask for a dream that will show you how to make depression a thing of the past. Ask for a dream to show you how to provide your own happiness. Ask for a dream of financial independence. Ask for a dream that frees you from your neediness. Ask for a dream of energy.

ASK FOR A DREAM THAT SHOWS YOU HOW TO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS OF RESPECT AND SELF WORTH

– Ask for a dream that helps you to neutralize a relationship of brutality, stubbornness, and/or lacking direction or ask for a dream that will lead you to freedom from said relationship. Ask for a dream to attract a mate who will accept you for who and what you are. Ask for dreams to illuminate how to overcome challenges within your relationship. Ask for a dream that will show you how to improve your self love, self worth, and self esteem. The most important relationship you have in your life is with yourself.

ASK FOR DREAMS THAT WILL SHOW YOU YOUR PASSIONS

– If you don’t know what your passions in life are this is one way of finding out. Passions are those activities you engage in for long periods that you thoroughly enjoy with little concept of time.

THINGS YOU HAVE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF, YOU CAN ASK FOR A DREAM THAT WILL ACCESS THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.

Ask for a dream on how you should deal with a boss or co-worker on a project. Ask your dreams for strategies you can use to deal with work or personal projects.

As you can see, you can ask your dreams to give you information or knowledge on just about anything you can think of.

IN YOUR RESTFUL STATE, VISUALIZE (HOLD AN IMAGE IN YOUR MIND) YOURSELF POSING YOUR QUESTION AND ASKING FOR A DREAM SOLUTION. ALSO ASK THAT YOU BECOME AWARE OF THE SOLUTION EVEN IF YOU DON’T REMEMBER THE DREAM.

SEE YOURSELF WAKING REFRESHED AND FULL OF PROMISE, THEN LET IT GO!

WHEN YOU WAKEN, DO SO WITH THE FEELING THAT THE DREAM ANSWERS WILL BE REVEALED TO YOU.

Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged if the answer doesn’t come right away. You are just beginning to do this, but if you continue, you will become more proficient. Remember, this isn’t costing you a thing but a smidgen of your time, and it’s all about you.

YOUR DREAMS ARE FLOWING TO YOU UNDER THE SPIRITUAL LAWS OF ASK AND YOU RECEIVE, SEEK AND YOU FIND, KNOCK AND DOORS WILL OPEN, SOWING AND REAPING, AND LOVE.

If you need more information about dreaming check out:

 

 

Dreams! They’re worth getting into!

QUESTION EVERYTHING! THAT’S WHERE THE TRUTH RESIDES

LIFE’S A BITCH, AND THEN YOU DIE – IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

When we think about living, largely, our concerns are about work, money, love relationships and family. Yet, the details of living encompass almost everything under the sun.

 

How long have you been taking vitamins? All of your life? Over half the adult population in the U.S. use multivitamins. The problem is there is no evidence that most of these pills do any good. Dr. Michael McGinnis, of the Institute of Medicine, who led the study says there is not enough evidence to tell if taking vitamins is a good or bad idea for the average healthy American. This is a $23 billion dollar industry.

 

If you work the lobster or graveyard shift, you better look out for your health. The Associated Press says like uv rays and diesel exhaust fumes, working the graveyard shift will soon be listed as a ‘probable’ cause of cancer. This is based on research that finds higher rates of breast and prostate cancer among women and men whose workday starts after dark.

 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer arm of the World Health Organization will add overnight-shift work as a probable carcinogen, next month. And the American Cancer Society says it will do the same. Scientists think overnight work is dangerous because it disrupts the circadian rhythm, the body’s biological clock.

 

Back in August of 2007, two small studies of the popular heartburn drugs Prilosec and Nexium found that patients who took the medicines over many years had an increased risk of, sometimes, fatal heart attacks and heart failure. As usual, the Food and Drug Administration attempted to protect the drug companies and are reviewing the heartburn drugs, in the meantime, allowing doctors and patients to continue to prescribe and use these drugs.

 

This is the same agency that failed for more than a year to alert the public to studies that suggested Avandia, prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, may increase the risks of heart attacks and angina. The FDA the protector of the people – I think not. The FDA is the protector of big business in drugs and food.

 

May I suggest to those who suffer heartburn to try a less expensive  and safer alternative. A study published in the Journal of Dental Research in 2005 found that acid levels, after eating heartburn-inducing meals and chewing sugar free gum for 30 minutes, reduced the severity of heartburn. Heart attacks and heart failure are not side effects of chewing sugar less gum.

 

We always say, if you drink don’t drive and if you drive don’t drink. It’s the ideal but not the reality of our lives. The key is being responsible no matter what you do. Yet, a new study finds that people who take opioids regularly for chronic pain drive as well as most others on the road.

 

The study, presented to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, used the driving simulator to measure weaving, reaction time and accident rates, and found little difference between those who were regular users of oral morphine and those who took no pain medication. The lead researcher, Dr. Asokumar Buvanendran of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago said, the findings suggest that some of the employment and other restrictions placed on regular opioid users should be revisited. If not, regular opioid users may be unfairly denied a chance to have a normal life.

 

In a article entitled, HOBBIES ARE RICH IN PSYCHIC REWARDS by Eilene Zimmerman, it addresses some of the benefits of indulging in your passions. Dr. S. Ausim Azizi, chairman of the department of neurology at Temple University’s School of Medicine in Philadelphia says, WHEN PEOPLE DO THINGS THAT MAKE THEM FEEL GOOD, LIKE A HOBBY, IT ACTIVATES AN AREA OF THE BRAIN CALLED THE NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS THAT CONTROLS HOW WE FEEL ABOUT LIFE. ACTIVITIES YOU ENJOY ALSO STIMULATE THE BRAIN’S SEPTAL ZONE – ITS “FEEL GOOD” AREA – AND THAT MAKES YOU FEEL HAPPY.

 

HOBBIES CAN ENHANCE YOUR CREATIVITY, HELP YOU THINK MORE CLEARLY AND SHARPEN YOUR FOCUS, according to Carol Kauffman, an assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School. She also said, WHEN YOU’RE REALLY ENGAGED IN A HOBBY YOU LOVE, YOU LOSE YOUR SENSE OF TIME AND ENTER WHAT’S CALLED A FLOW STATE, AND THAT RESTORES YOUR MIND AND ENERGY. She says in a flow state, you are completely submerged in an experience, requiring a high level of concentration. Research shows strong correlation between flow states and peak performance.

 

Hobbies also enhance self-steem and self-confidence. WHEN PEOPLE RELY ONLY ON THEIR ROLE AT WORK TO FOSTER SELF-ESTEEM, THAT ALONE CANNOT TYPICALLY FULFILL THEIR NEEDS, as per Michelle P. Maidenberg, a psychotherapist and business coach in New York and clinical director of Westchester Group Works.

 

As you’ve read in this blog repeatedly, living your passions is about the healthiest thing you can do in your life. To do so, you have to know what your passions are. Self Discovery is as much an exercise in good health as eating wisely, doing exercises and drinking water. The cost of health care in this country is through the roof due to waste and fraud, but also because we depend on the medical industry for health instead of our own behavior.

 

If you truly want to be healthy, take the time to find out who and what you are. The evidence coming in is showing more and more that YOU CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY THROUGH YOUR BELIEFS AND CHOICES.

 

QUESTION EVERYTHING!  THAT’S WHERE THE TRUTH RESIDES.  USE YOUR PERSONAL POWER.

IT’S TIME TO GET BUSY! STRATEGIZING FOR THE NEW YEAR THROUGH SELF KNOWLEDGE!

No resolutions! But a strategy in how to approach the coming year could be very beneficial. A sports team looks at itself critically and sees how best to improve in areas of weakness. It’s the same for us as human beings, although we don’t behave that way. However, we also assess how to best use our strengths to meet our goals. All of this happens if you KNOW who you are.

WHAT’S THE GOAL? – For me, that’s easy! Health (you can’t do much without it), happiness (it’s the means to living), prosperity (expanding life in all ways possible) and love/passion (the expression of who and what we are in every aspect).

Starting with health, I noticed, upon entering the New Year, how out of shape I had gotten over the last year. Despite my personal foibles over that time period, I didn’t expect to feel so out of condition at this point in time. It’s not a comfortable feeling and the only way to change that is to do something about it.

Being somewhat disciplined, I’ll establish a regimen to work my body starting with few reps and increasing them incrementally over time. I could lose between 15 and 20 pounds, and intend to do so over the next 5 months while increasing my conditioning and stamina.

The Happiness portion of the equation I’ve already internalized, in knowing happiness is a frequency from which to operate, rather than a feeling coming from outside of me. It’s what you bring to the table. When you’re truly happy with yourself, you don’t feel the motivation to bring others down – but to lift them up.

Prosperity is wealth! Nevertheless, wealth comes in many forms – money, knowledge, self knowledge, playfulness, challenges, experiences, love, relationships (all types), passions (gifts), possessions, exploration and development. I’ve established a plan of attack regarding projects I want to expand and those I choose to explore further. The more we become self aware, it’s in that knowledge we expand our wealth. There’s nothing more prosperous than knowing how to live a happy life of abundance no matter how much financial wealth exists in your life. Clue: Remember, Sowing and Reaping!

It’s said, GOD/THE SPIRIT IS LOVE! Love is expression, and the Universe (and everything in it) is one of God’s physical expressions of that love. The knowledge of how that Universe operates is another expression of God’s love. The awareness of being made in the Spirit’s image enhances your personal power (you’re a little god with responsibility for your actions as per Spiritual Law).

What I find amazing is how many people argue with me about believing they don’t have REAL passions. We all do – not just a selected few on the planet. It’s taking the journey to discover them that gives you knowledge regarding yourself. What you believe and don’t believe about yourself and reality. But once you begin to experience your passions, your God given gifts, you will begin to see how they create the life you REALLY wanted versus the life you’ve been told by others, is real living. THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON PEOPLE AREN’T LIVING THEIR DREAMS.

LIFE IS A GAME! AND IT’S PLAYED WITH PASSION! IF YOU DON’T HAVE PASSION, THE GAME IS KICKING YOUR ASS!

QUESTION EVERYTHING!  THAT’S WHERE THE TRUTH RESIDES. 

HEALTHY CHOICES FOR HAPPINESS DURING SERIOUS ECONOMIC TIMES!

80% of Americans say the economy is a significant cause of stress, according to the American Psychological Association Survey.  As a result, there’s a toll on personal health – insomnia, fatigue, irritability and sadness are on the rise.

Just because you have a certain level of knowledge regarding meta-physics doesn’t mean you need not take your own advice.  Happiness comes from purposeful steps in achieving and maintaining that frequency. 

You often read me say, IT’S NOT THE EVENT(S), IT’S HOW YOU RESPOND TO IT!  It’s a key principle to happiness. 

Too many of us learn that life is about status, money, fame, and possessions.  Too often, we learn what’s truly meaningful to us in the worst of times, rather than the best.  Family, friends, exploring & sharing your passions (gifts), while helping others help themselves (charity).

Julian Kesner of the New York Daily News wrote an article dated April 23, 2009, entitled LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.  He claims Happiness and Optimism can wipe away or prevent a host of worry related health problems.  He quotes lead researcher Dr. Sheldon Cohen at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh saying, WE NEED TO TAKE MORE SERIOUSLY THE POSSIBILITY THAT POSITIVE EMOTIONAL STYLE IS A MAJOR PLAYER IN DISEASE RISK.  After two studies of study, he found, being happy can help ward off the common cold. 

The article goes on to state, after reviewing 35 different studies at University College London scientists determined a positive state of mind was associated with an almost 20% decreased risk of mortality, and the benefit existed regardless of whether an individual was sick or healthy.  In addition, Yale University scientists discovered that optimistic seniors lived about 7 years longer on average than their pessimistic peers.   Hear that so-called Realists?

In a study done at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, last year, supported that young women who had suffered substantial mental hardship in their life had a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer, even accounting for other variables.

The Capt. talking here: We often talk about depression, with respect to chemical imbalances in the body, as though we don’t have any control in how these chemicals are created.   So some patients who are told they’re condition is caused by a chemical imbalance often don’t see the connection between personal responsibly in behavior and beliefs, and the said imbalance with respect to how they respond to stress.    

Kesner continues his article with Dr. Richard Davidson, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is one of the few scientists in the world who has tried to isolate happiness in the head.  In the early 1990’s, he discovered that happier people have more electrical activity on the left side of their brain, while dour types had more brain waves on the right side.

I’m always amazed at the number of people who feel their lives are out of their hands, when the reality is, your power is in how you respond to what life drops in your lap – so your control is in the response.   But you also have a lot of control in the seeds you sow in behavior.

Julian Kesner also offered 10 Ways To Feel Happier…Scientifically proven.

1) Curl Up With A Hot Drink – Yale University Researchers found simply holding a warm (non-alcoholic) drink makes you feel more generous and giving.  Cold drinks made subjects less trusting of others.

2) Exercise – Daily 30 minute cardio workouts can relieve depression and anxiety – in some cases, even better than prescription pills – and lift your spirits according to studies at Duke University, Arizona State University and elsewhere.

3) Splurge On Dinner, Not Shopping – A study at Empire State College says spending what money you can spare on experiences, such as a night on the town with a loved one, is more likely to make you feel happy than retail therapy at the mall. 

4) Play An Online Game – Has been proven in studies to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol and improve your mood.

5)Watch A Funny Movie – Laughter benefits your immune system and can help replace negative emotions with positive ones, since your brain can’t  technically think about two things at once. 

6) Walk In The Woods – Japanese researchers found that experiencing nature reduces levels of stress, and can also boost immunity.  Good also for returning soldiers from war.

7) Make A Gratitude List – People who kept journal entries of things they were grateful for – as few as five things per list daily – were better off emotionally and felt more optismistic about the future according to psychologists at the University at California-Davis and the University of Miami.

8) Get A Whiff Of Lavender – An American study found it helped regulate the brain’s electrical patterns and induce relaxation, while British researchers found it improved subjects’ moods in a matter of minutes.  Aromatherapy!

9) Listen To Your IPOD – Music can change your mood for the better in seconds, according to studies.  It can even dilate your blood vessels and improve circulation – as long as it’s music you truly enjoy!

10) Try A Supplement – Both Vitamin D and fish oil have been linked to decreased risk of depression and a healthier mental state, and experts say few Americans get enough of either in their diets.  There’s a need for at least 1000 i.u.  Check with your doctor. 

Kesner says, invest in your relationships since they’re a key factor in happiness.  Learn to meditate since it helps one to become good at self-triggering positive emotions in daily life.   Set goals, they give you direction.  Avoid comparisons, it leads to disappointment.  Happiness and envy can’t co-exist.  Focus on your own progress.

The Capt. would like to add, discover, explore and share your passions (gifts) with the world.  HAPPINESS RARELY HAPPENS BY ACCIDENT!

QUESTION EVERYTHING!  THAT’S WHERE THE TRUTH RESIDES.

IS DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S GROWING DUE TO CLOSED MINDS?

In the past, when one started to lose their faculties, we labeled this as senility.  AW, MAN, SHE’S/HE’S SENILE!  This word has been replaced by dementia/Alzheimer’s disease and its seriously increasing – probably because the ‘boomers’ (the largest segment of the population) are aging.

Today, I’m celebrating the life of my Mom, who died a year ago (today) of dementia/Alzheimer’s (where did the time go?).  Two days ago, it was reported that this disease is increasing among the population at an alarming rate.  Is it possible the disease is created through psychological rigidity?

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL RIGIDITY? – To put it simply, it’s a failure to open one’s mind.  There’s an old expression that says, IF YOU DON’T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT!  Many in the scientific community suggest we use between 15 and 20 percent of our brain.  Circulation of blood throughout our body is what makes it vibrant, vital and working – through the usage of all parts of the body.  Using even 20% of the brain says, 80% ISN’T BEING USED!  When a part of the body is not exercised, it atrophies (dies off).  This tends to, eventually, affect the healthy part of the brain.  What are the ramifications of this non-usuage?  From my Spiritual point of view, dementia/Alzheimer’s are a portion of those ramifications of not opening or expanding one’s mind. 

As much as I love her, Mom was guilty of keeping certain parts of her mind closed.  And we’re talking about someone who was outgoing (while being shy), who loved traveling and taking in new experiences, treated people in public the way she wanted to be treated, however had conflicting beliefs about gays (even though she had many gay friends & a gay pastor she loved), Jews, the role of women in relationships, and religion.  And she held to these conflicts, rigidly.  [For those who ask, Capt., Why Didn’t You Help Your Mom?  I did, but had as much success with her, as Jesus had healing the people of Nazereth when returning to his home town.]

I, personally, assisted a neighbor with her husband, who suffered dementia/Alzheimer’s.  He was a controlling husband, and held rigid ideas about race and people outside of his family.  Conversations with other families who have experienced this, seem to indicate rigidity in thinking as a common thread to almost every case. 

Although the report on the disease came out a few days ago, I’ve known for almost a decade that this was a growing problem by the number of people I kept hearing were having to take care of their parents, due to it.  Many people told me I was blessed that my Mom died less than a year of its onset, impacting her physically, because many patients live for years with it as it becomes increasingly debilitating on the patient as well as family and friends – in terms of responsibility, emotions, and financially.  

Like most folks in this situation, I miss Mom, dearly, for what she did to prepare me for life, as well as her being a great friend, the rest of her life.  I dropped more tears this past year than I have the last 20 prior, just in the memories of having her here – knowing there were to be no more new ones.  She certainly assisted in making me what I am – ONE HAPPY MUTHA….THAT LOVES HIS LIFE!

THANKS, MOM!

WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO OUR FOOD? HAS ANYONE NOTICED THAT FOOD TASTES LIKE S**T?

I live in New York, and in the last 4 or 5 years, the taste of food has changed drastically.  First I started smelling and tasting a slight mold flavor in produce (fruits & vegetables) bought from grocery stores.  If you want to get produce that tastes like produce, you better visit your local farm stand.  The food still tastes like food from them.  With de-regulation in the FDA, the meat and agriculture industries, labeling and identifying what we’re eating, had become lax.  Couldn’t tell whether beef was really beef, horse, dog, etc.  Or whether meats and produce had been cloned or bio-genetically engineered or produced in another country (China, in particular).

Then the billionaire mayor of New York, Mike Bloomberg, said all restaurants (including fast food) had to remove all transfats.  Even in grocery stores, food products had to lose the transfats.  Shortly afterward, he did to salt what he did to transfats, lowering the sodium content.  In removing the transfats and reducing salt content, the taste of food has changed drastically, to me.  Even cakes, cookies, and candies (other than chocolate) seemed to have been affected taste-wise.  We all make trade-offs in life.  But don’t take my freedom of choice from me by telling me this is healthy, but tastes like cardboard.  Let me make that choice… it’s my body.

It’s like we’ve forgotten that food is for consumption, energy, nourishment, and satisfaction.  Historically, we’ve added a lot of different things to food to tantalize our palates.  However, profit has now become a major element of food, making the above mentioned elements secondary.  So we went from eating very tasty grass fed cows to fatty less tasty corn fed cows.  We started feeding cows corn (not their natural food) because it bulked up the cows faster for sale than grass fed cows.  Yet, the taste quality of beef has fallen tremendously, and gets worse with time.   More profits for the corn industry as well as the cattle industry at the consumers’ expense (flavor).  The market is flooded with corn fed cows, with grass fed ones (better tasting) more of an expensive delicacy.

Our fisheries around the world are shrinking.  It’s said that by 2048, if we haven’t changed our eating habits we’ll run out of fish.  Another case of man saying, I NEED MY JOB (FISHING) EVEN IF MY JOB MEANS THERE WILL BE NO MORE FISH!  Man versus the environment!  We call the environmentalists terrorists when they attempt to save the very thing we want, yet believe these folks get in the way of our livelihood.  Not smart!  The same folks, who were against the environmentalists in the Gulf of Mexico (regarding oil drilling) who attempt to keep the waters clean for people and the things we do, scream DRILL BABY DRILL until an oil spill occurs, then they cry, WHY ISN’T THE GOVERNMENT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!  Excuse my French, but these people are living assholes.

To compensate for the fish we’re losing, there are many ‘fishing farms’ created to insure that we have the various types of fish we want, but lack the knowledge of raising these fish in a similar environment to what is natural for them.  What happens?  We get seafood that looks like seafood, but doesn’t have the taste of seafood raised in the wild.  The fish we get from China often have chemical contaminants that may help for selling the fish, but is injurious to the human body.

We discuss the obesity problem we have in this country (which is helped by children not getting the physical activity that leads to better health as an adult) yet don’t address the corn fructose that’s in almost everything we eat, that make people as fat as the cow we corn feed.  Why?  Money for the corn industry?  The ethanol we use for our cars is made from corn that’s almost as costly as the gasoline we put in our cars.  Why?  For the corn industry?

What’s clear is profit has even gotten in the way of the tastes of food, with what’s healthy for human beings and the quality of our lives taking a backseat.  If there was true competition in our capitalist system, we would have the choices and alternatives to what these folks are passing off on us.  Unfortunately, having the best House and Senate that money can buy we don’t get the competitiveness that would allow for us to have a choice of the food we want to eat. 

And please don’t tell me about buying organic food.  There’s a catch there too, with organic food costing even more than the lousy food we buy in stores now (and those prices are already high).  With an economy that’s uncompetitive, people’s disposable incomes have decreased because new jobs are barely paying a living wage.  In New York, the mayor takes tax payer dollars to subsidize national companies wanting to establish themselves here, yet only pay minimum wages for the privilege of being here.  Bloomberg thinks this is good job creation, despite how much it costs to live in New York.  The idea of having business people in government has only been to make things better for business, not the people!

Does anyone (including our government) know what the long term affects of eating cloned or bio-genetically engineered food on the human body?  But just like the drugs that haven’t gotten the scrutiny they needed before selling them to the public, business and government are willing to take chances with our lives.  Look how many ‘legal drugs’ are on the market that can take your life, bring on a stroke, and/or leave you seriously injured.  This, with Republicans and Tea Party folk asking for ‘tort reform’ to keep these companies from being liable for the dangerous products they put on the market.  We’re talking products with wide-spread use like those for diabetes, heart problems, anxiety, reducing menstruation, etc., while the government willingly gives up control of illegal drugs to unsavory types.  These folks make billions of dollars every year creating social problems for the citizenry, using those dollars to legitimize themselves in banking, mortgage, financial instruments, and more, ripping off the people domestically and internationally. 

Russia showed us one thing in particular.  When your economy goes south, it makes it extremely difficult to maintain military strength.  Unless, like North Korea, you starve your nation to maintain your military strength.  Is this where we are headed?  Is our government any less corrupt than, say, Afghanistan? 

Take a careful look at the special interests in this country and where our tax dollars are going and how they are being spent before answering those questions.  In many ways, we’ve turned into our ‘evil twin’.  This is not ‘government of, for and by the people’.  I can’t even get a decent burger that tastes like one.

QUESTION EVERYTHING!  THAT’S WHERE TRUTH RESIDES.