Heaven can wait

Dreaming Like an Egyptian

2012-02-03T03:23:00.000-06:00

By Robert Moss

The ancient Egyptians understood that in dreams, our eyes are opened. Their word for dream, rswt, is etymologically connected to the root meaning “to be awake”. It was written with a symbol representing an open eye. The Egyptians believed that the gods speak to us in dreams.

As the Bible story of Joseph and Pharaoh reminds us, they paid close attention to dream messages about the possible future. They practiced dream incubation for guidance and healing at temples and sacred sites. They understood that by recalling and working with dreams, we develop the art of memory, tapping into knowledge that belonged to us before we entered this life journey, and awakening to our connection with other life experiences.

The Egyptians also developed an advanced practice of conscious dream travel.

Trained dreamers operated as seers, remote viewers and telepaths, advising on affairs of state and military strategy and providing a mental communications network between far-flung temples and administrative centers.

They practiced shapeshifting, crossing time and space in the dreambodies of birds and animals.

Through conscious dream travel, ancient Egypt’s “frequent flyers” explored the roads of the afterlife and the multidimensional universe. It was understood that true initiation and transformation takes place in a deeper reality accessible through the dream journey beyond the body. A rightful king must be able to travel between the worlds.

In early times, in the heb sed festival, conducted in pharaoh’s thirtieth year, the king was required to journey beyond the body, and beyond death, to prove his worthiness to continue on the throne. Led by Anubis, pharaoh descended to the Underworld. He was directed to enter death, “touch the four sides of the land”, become Osiris, and return in new garments - the robe and the spiritual body of transformation.

Jeremy Naydler’s Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Texts makes a convincing case that the palace tombs and pyramid texts of Egypt are about much, much more than funerary arrangements; that the Egyptians traveled beyond the gates of death while very much alive, not only to bring back first-hand knowledge of the afterlife, but to enter into sacred union with the gods and enthrone their power in the body, and so acquire the spiritual and sexual potency to marry the worlds.

The dream guides of ancient Egypt knew that the dream journey may take the traveler to the stars - specifically to Sothis or Sirius, the “moist land” believed by Egyptian initiates to be the source of higher consciousness, the destination of advanced souls after death, and the home of higher beings who take a close interest in Earth matters.

When we look for ancient sources on all of this, we are challenged to decode fragmentary texts, some collated over many centuries by pious scribes who jumbled together material from different traditions and rival pantheons. Wallis Budge complained (in Osiris) that “the Egyptian appears never to have relinquished any belief which he once had”. We won’t find what we need on the practice of ancient Egyptian dreaming in the fragmentary “dream books” that survive, any more than we’ll grasp what dreaming can be from the kind of dream dictionary you can buy in drugstores today.

We gaze in wonder at the Egyptian picture-books displaying the soul’s journeys and ordeals after death - and the many different aspects of soul energy that survive death - and quickly realize that to understand the source of such visions, and the accuracy of such maps, we must go into a deeper space.

We must go to the Magic Library.

In Hellenistic times - the age of Cleopatra - dream schools flourished in the temples of Serapis, a god who melds the qualities of Osiris and Apis, the divine bull. From the 2nd century BCE we have papyri recording the dream diaries of Ptolemaios, who lived for many years in katoche, or sacred retreat, in the temple of Serapis at Memphis. A short biography of the dreamer has been published by the French scholar Michel Chauveau in his book Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra. Ptolemaios was the son of Macedonian colonists, but like ancient Egyptians he was called to the temple by a dream in which the god appeared to him. He seems to have lived for years as a full-time dreamer, whose dreams guided him not only in his spiritual practice but in handling family and business matters beyond the temple walls.

In this later period, the Egyptian priests who specialized in dreaming were called the Learned Ones of the Magic Library. What marvelous promise is in that phrase! What profound recognition of the magic and wisdom that is available to us through dreaming!

Article source here

Spicy Masala Tea Recipe

2012-02-02T10:31:00.003-06:00

Masala tea, also known as chai is a a black tea brewed with Indian spices. There are many chai recipes, probably as many as there are people making the chai. The spices used or their amount may vary from recipe to recipe, the brewing method may be different, or the amount of milk or sugar added. One thing these recipes have in common is the fun one derives from preparing this aromatic concoction.

Ingredients:

2 cups water

4-6 whole green cardamom pods, smashed

2-3 thin slices fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick

2 anise stars

1 cup of milk

3-4 teaspoons of loose Darjeeling tea leaves (or any other black tea)

Brown sugar to taste

Method:

Warm water in a saucepan. Add cardamom, ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise and ring the mixture to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture is fragrant. Add the milk and tea leaves, and simmer for another minute or so. Turn off the heat and let it steep for about two minutes. Pour into pre-warmed cups using strainer or a fine meshed sieve. Discard the tea leaves and spices. Add sugar, to taste. Enjoy in good company! For a healthier option use honey or stevia extract.

Painting Bliss

2012-02-01T03:46:00.001-06:00

Life in itself is an empty canvas, it becomes whatsoever you paint on it. You can paint misery, you can paint bliss. This freedom is your glory. - Osho

Utopian by Nature

2012-01-30T02:52:00.000-06:00

It’s very difficult for me to imagine a world without people who dream, who have a vision of what they would like to see. I can’t think of anyone who would say, “We’ve arrived at a perfect existence, so let’s retain it.” There are always things that are distressing and that we think could be bettered, so we imagine improvements. That impulse has not died out, and if it ever does, I don’t think we’ll have human beings on earth any longer. We’ll have some other form of life, which I can’t imagine. - Fritzie P. Manuel

By Jessica Roemischer

Human beings, by nature, are Utopian. We dream and we hope, and since the dawn of civilization, we have conjured notions of an ideal and perfect existence. From the bucolic realms of the Garden of Eden to Plato’s republic of philosopher-kings, from the island paradise of Thomas More’s Utopia to the libertarian collectives of nineteenth-century America to the counterculture communes of the 1960s, the ways in which utopia has been envisioned have changed dramatically over time. But whatever forms they have taken, Utopian ideals have helped drive forward an unfolding process of reinvention, a process whereby humankind has sought, through vision and experimentation, a new and better life. Indeed, Utopian visions, and the social experiments they inspired, are a product of our most freely creative faculty, the human imagination. They are an expression of the universal impulse to create the new - to reshape culture and even consciousness itself.

From an Enlighten Next editorial
Image source unknown but greatly appreciated

It's All in Your Mind

2012-01-28T05:50:00.002-06:00

There was once in China an expert archer. One day he went to a very high mountain with his bow on his back. While strolling on the mountain, he became thirsty and wanted to drink water. Fortunately, he found a small spring under a bush. He bent the bush and scooped the water with his hands. He drunk out of his hands until his thirst was quenched. It was only when he finished drinking that he thought he saw a snake crawling in the water. He immediately felt sick and wanted to spit out the water he had drunk, but the water would not come out. He became seriously nervous about the water in his stomach, feeling something wriggling in it. He was more than certain that he swallowed the snake. When he got back home he fell seriously ill. Numerous doctors gave him medical treatment, but in vain. Finally, he became nothing but skin and bones, resigning himself to die.

One day a traveler stopped at his home. Seeing the condition of the patient, he asked the reason. The patient told him that he saw a snake crawling in the water of the spring and that he had most certainly swallowed the beast.

The traveler said that he could cure the illness if the patient would do as he told him to do, taking him to the same spring where he had drunk the water.

He told the patient, who was still bearing the same bow on his back, to take exactly the same pose as he had the first time he was there. The patient reluctantly bent over the water and was just going to scoop it up with his hands when he screamed out, that a snake was crawling in the water again. The man told him to be quiet and to observe the snake more closely. The archer got control of himself and found that what he saw was not a snake, but a reflection of the bow he was carrying on his back.

When the sick archer realized that the snake he thought he had swallowed before was only a reflection of his bow, he felt very relieved and soon regained his health...

We must recognize that our mind is the creator of our world and our fate. Our senses play tricks on our minds and yet, we live in fear of things that are not even there. Just as the dust of fear accumulated on the archer's mind and he become healthy again when he was able to wipe the dust away, we must scrutinize our beliefs that obscure the reality of our existence. Only then we will be able live fulfilled lives.

An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine

2012-01-25T00:03:00.002-06:00

Countless volumes were written about the Chinese medical theory and the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Ongoing research in China and in the West is testing the efficacy of traditional treatments and the herbs used by the Chinese for many thousands of years. Chinese medicine finds new applications in the treatment of terminal cancer patients. Many chronic disorders that are hopelessly incurable in the West seem to improve considerably with the Chinese approach to disease. This article presents an introduction to a highly developed and complex medical system.

"When the mind is calm and stable, the vitality of life circulates harmoniously throughout the body. If the body is nourished and protected by this circulation of vitality, how can it possibly become ill?" From Huangdi Neijing also known as the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine

Chinese Traditional Medicine is one of the oldest systematized medical systems in the world. Its recorded history dates back to about 1,000 BC, but its concepts are much older and deeply rooted in the Chinese culture and the Taoist philosophical thought which originated in China more than 5,000 years ago. It is almost impossible to understand the concepts of Chinese medicine without a rudimentary understanding of the philosophy and cosmology of traditional China where immortality was considered to be the highest purpose of life. The Chinese medical ethics developed around this goal and physicians strove to preserve life and prevent disease. They received payment for as long as the patient remained healthy.

Human body in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine regards human body holistically as a part of a greater whole. This attitude is based on Taoist philosophy and its understanding of the universe. Just as much as an individual has an effect on his or her environment, the environment in which he or she is immersed, has an influence on the individual. Everything we do has a consequence and manifests itself in the flow of energy. Our actions disturb the harmony in nature within and without. We must strive to restore balance and maintain the equilibrium. Symptoms of disease are seen in the context greater than the patient's body and are understood as a disturbance in the flow of energy. To heal means to restore the balance and harmony.

The anatomical classification of a human body differs form the classification known to the Western medicine and there is no dichotomy between the body and the mind, and both, physical and mental illness, is regarded as a manifestation of an obstructed energy flow within the body and between the human body and the environment.

Key concepts in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Qi (chi) is one of the most important philosophical concepts in Taoism. Qi literally means air, gas, or breath and is often translated as energy or energy flow. Although not really identical, this concept is often compared to the Greek pneuma or the Indian prana for a better understanding. Qi is the life force that permeates everything that exists in the universe. Obstructions in the flow of qi result in disease and illness. To restore health means to open energy blockages and restore the qi flow in the body.
Jing Luo* or meridians are the channels through which the qi energy circulates in the body. Disease occurs when the flow of energy in the meridians is obstructed. Complex techniques were developed to open blockages and restore the flow of energy.
San Bao or three treasures are considered to be the three elements sustaining human life. They are the Jing or essence, Qi or energy, and Shen or spirit, soul, or mind. Longevity depends on the properly nurtured body where everything is in balance and the essence jing is abundant. Depleted jing means premature aging, disease, and premature death.
Jin Ye or body fluids are generated mostly in the digestive system from the nutrition that enters the body. In the body the fluids undergo multiple transformations until pure fluids are separated from the impure or turbid ones. The pure fluids are transported upwards to the lungs and excreted through the breath. The turbid fluids are transported downwards and excreted through the bladder. Multiple body organs are involved in the transformation of the fluids.
Xue or blood is understood as a dense form of body fluids that are under the energizing influence of the qi. Xue does not only flow in the anatomical blood vessels, but also in the meridians because of its relationship with the qi energy. The Chinese developed a very complex theory of blood and its importance to health. Blood provides moisture and nourishment to the organs, bones, tendons, muscles, and the skin. Energized with qi, blood is the foundation for mental activity.
Yin Yang represents another ancient concept in Chinese philosophy. Yin and yang are complementary, interdependent aspects of a greater whole. They do not represent duality or dichotomy, although in the West they are often understood as such, but are rather understood as polarities in the non-dualistic Chinese thought. They arise together and the harmony in the universe depends on the balanced flow or interplay between the two forces. In Chinese medicine, health is understood as a perfect balance between the two forces. Because these forces fluctuate constantly, even a healthy body undergoes changes under the influence of the external and the internal environment. Shift in balance is natural. When it becomes pathological it manifests itself as a disease. TCM doctor has to determine the reason for imbalance and bring it back.
Wu Xing or the Five Phases also known as the Five Elements, is another concept central in the Chinese thought and was devised to explain the changes in the universe. In the Chinese medicine wu xing correspond with the organs of the body and represent natural cycles and patterns of change where one element affects another causing change in another one. The five elements are: earth, fire, metal, water, wood.
Zang Fu* theory divides the body into five zang organs and six fu organs. The zang and fu organs do not exactly represent the anatomical organs in the body, but are rather generalizations of physiology and pathology of associated systems in the human body. The zang organs are responsible for the production and storage of essence: qi, blood, body fluids. The fu organs receive and digest nutrition, absorb nutrients, and eliminate waste. Health is understood as the perfect function and harmonious interplay between the organs. To restore health means to calm overactive systems or to energize those that are failing to function properly.

Diagnosis and treatment of disease

Like in the Western medicine, the Chinese doctors examine their patients, make a diagnosis, prescribe medication and treatment. The anamnesis (or gathering of the case history) involves:

pulse diagnosis
tongue diagnosis
diagnosis of the feces and urine
examination of physiognomy

A doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine uses his senses to assess a patient's health. Everything that can be observed is useful for a diagnosis of disorder: skin color and texture, body odor, sound of the voice, breathing, etc. After the diagnosis is made, an adequate medication and treatment will be prescribed to restore the energetic balance within the patients body and with the environment. Medication in TCM is based on the more than 5,000 years old documented tradition. Chinese Materia Medica includes plants, minerals, and body parts of particular animals. A special diet will be suggested as certain foods may be detrimental to the condition of a patient, while others restore the balance and enhance the energy flow in the body.

Practitioner of TCM seeks to cure the symptoms of a disease and to eradicate the cause of it. Herbal medication may be sufficient in some cases, however to restore health, a particular treatment or a combination of treatments will prescribed by the doctor. Treatment may include:

Acupuncture is a method of treatment unique to Chinese medicine. It was developed and perfected over thousands of years. Because disease is understood as an obstruction in the flow of qi along the meridians, acupuncture is used to restore the flow and create a balance within the body. To achieve this acupuncturist manipulates the energy flow with the help of thin needles that are inserted into the acupuncture points along the meridians of affected organ system. There are twelve main meridians and 400 acupuncture points that are recognized by the World Health Organization. Depending on the patients condition multiple acupuncture sessions may be necessary to remove the energy blockage.
Moxibustion is a treatment in which mugwort herb or moxa is used to warm the area in the vicinity or directly on the acupuncture point in order to stimulate circulation. Depending on the diagnosis, moxibustion is used together with acupuncture to especially treat chronic health problems and health problems associated with aging.
Cupping is a therapy in which heated glass cups are applied to the skin in the area where the energy is congested and does not flow properly. The cups create suction and draw the blood into the area. This treatment leaves the patient with dark bruises on the area of application, but is very effective for treating cold and flu as well as muscle injuries and headaches. Bruising depends on the severity of injury or congestion and disappears after a few days after the treatment has been completed.
Tui na is a Chinese body work developed to restore the balance in the body. The therapist uses a wide range of massage techniques to manipulate the energy flow in the meridians. Tui na is often used in conjunction with acupuncture.
Qi gong is therapy that combines breathing, movement, and meditation. It helps to restore and regulate the flow of qi in the body and to promote overall mental and physical health. The exercises were devised to promote longevity.
Five elements nutrition is a diet based on the qualities of certain foods according to the Five elements theory. Depending on his condition, a patient is advised to follow a particular diet and to avoid foods that are detrimental to his condition. Emphasis is put on balance and energetic tendencies of certain foods and their interaction with the body systems.
Herbal medicine uses thousands of herbs, minerals, and body parts of certain animals. After a diagnosis is made, Chinese practitioner prescribes the most efficient herb or a formula. Over the millennia, countless standardized formulas were developed to treat diseases and conditions. They are all based on the same energetic principles that underlay Chinese medical theory and are meant to restore balance in the body of the patient. Herbs may be added to food and eaten with stews or soups. They can be drank as teas, used in poultices, as tinctures, or as pills.

Chinese medical system was successfully used for thousands of years in China and other Asian countries where the Chinese established their colonies. It was brought to the West with the influx of Chinese immigrants. Its efficacy is legendary and its popularity is growing. As a holistic system, TCM is not only interested in alleviating the symptoms, but most importantly, it addresses the causes of the disease and seeks to restore balance and modify behaviors that disturb the inner and outer flow of energy. All aspects of existence are being addressed to align the body, mind, and spirit.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease

Glossary

*Five Zang organs: heart including the pericardium, lungs, liver, slpeen, and kidneys. Six Fu organs: the gall bladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, and sanjiao* which represent three different areas of the body. There are also extraordinary fu organs that include the brain, bones, bone marrow, blood vessels, and uterus. Although they are named fu, their function is similar to that of zang organs.

*Jing luo or Meridians. There are twelve standard meridians and eight extraordinary meridians. The twelve standard meridians extend along the arms and legs. They are divided into yin and yang meridians and are assigned to particular organ systems in the body. The eight extraordinary meridians are not directly associated with the zang fu organs. They are rather described as storage vessels for the qi energy and are of great importance to the cultivation of immortality by the adepts of the esoteric art of Chinese alchemy.

*San jiao or triple warmer or triple burner represents an energetic model of the human body in which the body is divided into three areas. The upper warmer corresponds to the thoracic cavity and is responsible for the respiration. The middle warmer corresponds to the dorsal cavity and is responsible for digestion. Lower warmer corresponds to the lower dorsal cavity and is responsible for elimination.

An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T00:05:00.002-06:00

Year of the Dragon

The symbol of the dragon in Chinese culture is very ancient and dates back to the fifth millennium B.C.

In the Chinese mythology and folklore dragon is an auspicious symbol of power, strength, good luck, and happiness. In imperial China dragon symbolized imperial power of the Emperor. The throne on which the Emperor sat was called the Dragon Throne.

Dragon is usually portrayed by a long, lizard-like, scaled four legged creature that controls the realm of weather and water and is responsible for rain, floods, and hurricanes. Unlike European dragons Chinese dragons are not evil, but they may be tempestuous and very unpredictable.

Dragon is the fifth of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac. He is the only creature that is legendary.

Year 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon or Black Dragon. Water is one of the Five Elements in Chinese philosophy. In the Five Elements system it is represented by the color black. The water element brings such qualities like intelligence and wisdom, flexibility and softness and will calm the normally tempestuous nature of the dragon.

The Chinese geomancers associate Year of the Dragon with new beginning and good fortune. This is a good year to start a business. Any new venture, including marriage, is bound to succeed. People born under this sign are usually very gifted and very lucky.

Those less fortunate who suffered losses and misfortune in the past may expect some positive change.

But no matter what the predictions for the Year of the Dragon may be, remember that you are the ultimate master of your fate.

Wishing everyone Happy and Auspicious Chinese New Year - Dominique

新年快樂 !

Green Tea and Weight Loss

2012-01-21T02:33:00.004-06:00

Most people understand that in order to lose weight they have to consume fewer calories than they are able to burn off during the day. But unless they exercise daily, it can take a long while to slim down. This is why most people who wish to lose weight are looking for a magic potion or at least a helping hand to speed up the process.

One weight loss aid with overall health benefits is the traditional green tea. Research has demonstrated that green tea has a positive effect on our insulin. It not only helps regulate the insulin levels in our body, but also helps lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides. green tea also has the ability to our metabolism. It makes us burn fat more quickly. Green tea also affect the hunger center in our brains. It switches off the receptors that gives us the urge to eat.

Unlike many other weight loss aids, green tea is a very healthy drink. It contains very potent antioxidants that help keep our bodies healthy and disease free by fighting harmful free radicals. A diet that is rich in antioxidants has been linked to reduced risk of cancer and heart diseases. So green tea will not only help you shed the pounds, but it will help you improve your overall health and protect you from degenerative disease.

So how does green tea work for weight loss? Studies have shown that there are three main fundamental elements in green tea that exert dramatic effects on weight.

Caffeine

Studies demonstrated that caffeine may help dieters to lose weight. However, there is no evidence that mega-doses of caffeine will accelerate weight loss. Green tea contains a much smaller amounts of caffeine than coffee or black tea. Moreover, caffeine in green tea does not appear to have the same detrimental effects as artificially caffeinated products. Green tea does not cause heart palpitations or tremors. It does however help speed up the metabolism. Studies have shown that people on a low calorie diet who include small amounts of caffeine in their diet on a daily basis will lose more weight than those who do not consume any caffeine. Caffeine in green tea, coffee and black tea is more beneficial than synthetically isolated caffeine in caffeinated drinks or caffeine pills.

Catechins

Catechins are polyphenols which display powerful antioxidant activity. They are found not only in green tea, but also in coffee, cocoa, garlic, various fruits, potatoes, and some varieties of nuts. Among the several types of catechins that exist, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) is the most powerful antioxidant, and green tea contains much more EGCg than any other kind of tea, such as black tea, or woolong tea. That's why green tea has received so much attention. Green tea is considered to be a much better source of catechins than black tea because the fermentation process causes some changes the chemical composition of these compounds. Green tea on the other hand, is not fermented and contains catechins in their natural state. Catechins are very beneficial to dieters because they are believed to help suppress lipid (fat) absorption from food. This also helps reduce cholesterol but also helps to combat the build up of body fat.

Theanine

Theanine is the main amino acid found in green tea. Theanine has a natural ability to alter mood and a sense of calm and balance in the body, it helps to release dopamine, the chemical produced by the brain that provides a sense of tranquility in the body. It also minimizes the side effects that caffeine can have on the body, which is why the caffeine found in green tea does not seem to have a great effect. While theanine in itself is not a weight loss aid, it may stop people from stress related overeating. It calms the nerves and induces a relaxed mood.

So if you need to lose weight, try green tea! Tava Tea is a special blend that will make any weight loss regime more effective and less stressful.

Article courtesy of Tava Tea website

Ameritopia

2012-01-19T14:07:00.004-06:00

The Liberty Bell

Tyranny, broadly deﬁned, is the use of power to dehumanize the individual and delegitimize his nature. Political utopianism is tyranny disguised as a desirable, workable, and even paradisiacal governing ideology. - Marc Levin

Ameritopia is an new book by the acclaimed author and conservative radio host, Mark Levin.

In his book Levin discusses the Utopian visions of Plato, More, Hobbes and Marx and sketches the historical background of failed societies and their perilous visions of equality.

Each of these thinkers postulated what they believed to be an ideal society. Levin, however, skillfully demonstrates that each one of these ideals was no more than a plain tyranny. In order to achieve the perfect society an individual was stripped of his individual rights and had to submit to the tyrannical rule of a highly centralized government for the sake of the greater good. There hardly was anything noble or romantic about such dehumanizing visions of society.

In the second part of his book Levin discusses John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu, and Alexis de Tocqueville and demonstrates how their principles of liberty influenced the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Levin explains that the skillfully revived Utopian ideology is threatening the liberty loving America that was built upon the philosophy of Locke, Montesquieu, and Tocqueville. The various liberal and socialist movements disseminate ideology that is intellectually and morally spent.

The "shining city on the hill" seems to dwindle with every new rule and regulation imposed by the ever growing central government. The shrinking personal liberties and civil rights are the terrifying signs that something is horribly wrong in the land of the free.

In the year of presidential elections, Ameritopia should be a required reading for all American citizens.

Dominique Allmon

Suggested reading:

Plato The Republic
Thomas More Utopia
Thomas Hobbes Leviathan
Alexis de Toqueville Democracy in America

Healing Irritable Bowel Syndrome

2012-01-19T01:14:00.004-06:00

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic condition that makes life miserable to those it affects. Some estimates put the direct costs of IBS between $1.7-$10 billion in the United States each year. One study suggests that IBS costs patients $5,049 in out of pocket expenses annually, and 13.8 hours lost per 40 hour work week.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a proof that life is not always fair. While most people live their lives in relative harmony with their gut, IBS strikes victims with pain and discomfort at the worst of times, be it at work, in public or out with friends. Symptoms include:

abdominal pain and discomfort
bloating
diarrhea
constipation
irregular bowel movements

Eighty percent of IBS patients are women. And with 14% of the American population complaining of IBS symptoms, irritable bowel syndrome has serious implications, to the patient and the economy. Although irritable bowel syndrome rarely progresses into a dangerous condition, it may be a sign of another, more urgent illness. Coeliac disease, parasitic infections (like giardiasis) and several inflammatory bowel disease are not uncommon in IBS patients.

Four Triggers of IBS

IBS is a highly unique disorder. What sets off irritable bowel syndrome in one patient may

leave another unscathed. Having said that, some causes of IBS are more common than others:

Lack of Hydrochloric Acid - Your digestive system is a delicate creature that requires an optimum balance of hydrochloric (stomach) acid and digestive enzymes. Without sufficient stomach acid, many IBS patients experience poor nutrient absorption, develop bacterial and protozoal infections and allergic reactions to partially digested food.
Inflammation of the Gastrointestinal System - Another common IBS trigger, inflammation of the GI tract begins an ugly cycle of food allergies, fatigue, toxic substances leaking into the bloodstream and, notably, gas, constipation and diarrhea. Gotta love those.
Stress - Studies suggest that up to 60% of IBS patients have a psychological disorder - often anxiety. And more proof that problems of the gut are linked to the brain: 95 per cent of the body's serotonin receptors are located in, you guessed it, the gut.
Bad Bacteria - Your gut is home to naturally occurring bacteria. Some, like probiotics, are beneficial. Yet, when dangerous bacteria take over, bad things happen, including IBS. Down the road, dangerous bacteria can cause weight gain, chronic pain and perhaps even cancer.

Treatment for IBS

You can’t cure IBS, but you can minimize its symptoms as part of a comprehensive, long-term ongoing strategy, of the lifestyle, dietary, stress-related, medical and psychological factors that can cause irritable bowel syndrome. The two foundations for this strategy are:

Maintain an open, long-term communication with your doctor, and
Keep a journal of your IBS symptoms, and its triggers

While it’s tempting to think that diet is the leading cause of irritable bowel syndrome, a variety of factors can cause IBS, including stress, lifestyle habits, even psychological issues.

Healthy lifestyle habits can reduce IBS symptoms and make it bearable:

Exercise – regular walking, running, swimming and other exercises can reduce stress and encourage regular bowel movements.
Stress management – a common factor in irritable bowel syndrome is high levels of stress. Meditation, stress management and psychological intervention or counselling can reduce IBS symptoms.
Medications – while there is no one-size-fits-all medical treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, some medications can alleviate specific symptoms. Stool softeners and laxatives can encourage comfortable bowel movements and prevent constipation. Oddly enough, some anti-depressants can reduce IBS symptoms, but consult with your doctor before pursuing this route.

The diet connection

Dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome is usually a case-by-case basis, as foods that can trigger IBS in one patient might not affect another, and there’s not enough evidence of foods that cause IBS to craft a generic diet. That said, some foods tend to trigger IBS more than others. Therefore, dietary treatment for irritable bowel syndrome might incorporate the following guidelines:

avoid caffeine and alcohol
limit intake of fatty foods
limit dairy, fruit and artificial sweeteners (if constipation’s a problem)
increase daily fiber intake to 20 grams
avoid beans, cabbage and uncooked cauliflower and broccoli

Curiously, the countries with the highest rates of irritable bowel syndrome place a large emphasis on spicy foods in their diets. Mexico and Pakistan are among the nations with the highest reported cases of IBS, at 46% and 34% of their populations claiming IBS symptoms respectively. Considering this fact, those who suffer from IBS should consider consumption of mildly spiced food.

Irritable bowel syndrome is an ongoing, yet manageable condition. While it can cause pain and discomfort, remember that it’s rarely dangerous. Watch your triggers closely. Note your symptoms, talk to your doctor, and always seek medical advice if your symptoms change. Take notes, err on the side of caution, and use common sense. More likely than not, it’s not a life-changing problem, and with good planning and a bit of common sense, a minimal one at that.

Article courtesy of Digestive Science website

Dreamlands Beyond the Veils

2012-01-18T03:55:00.000-06:00

The key to the hidden lands beyond those veils lies in the letting go of all hope, fear and expectation. The portal opens when one realizes that one no longer needs to seek it and must simply open to that which is already fully present. In that vastness in which nothing is hidden and nothing needs to be revealed, all is transparent, clear, and the doors, in response, open everywhere. - Ian Baker in The Heart of the World

Critical Thinking

2012-01-17T03:49:00.000-06:00

How can we survive in an increasingly complex world?

Critical thinking is essential if we are to get to the root of our problems and develop reasonable solutions. After all, the quality of everything we do is determined by the quality of our thinking.

Whereas society commonly promotes values laden with superficial, immediate "benefits," critical thinking cultivates substance and true intellectual discipline. It entails rigorous self-reflection and open mindedness - the keys to significant changes. Critical thinking requires the cultivation of core intellectual virtues such as intellectual humility, perseverance, integrity, and responsibility. Nothing of real value comes easily.

The world is swiftly changing and with each day the pace quickens. The pressure to respond intensifies. New global realities are rapidly working their way into the deepest structures of our lives: economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental realities - realities with profound implications for thinking and learning, business and politics, human rights and human conflicts. These realities are becoming increasingly complex; many represent significant dangers and threats. And they all turn on the powerful dynamic of accelerating change.

We cannot deal with incessant and accelerating change and complexity without revolutionizing our thinking. Traditionally our thinking has been designed for routine, for habit, for automation and fixed procedure. We learned how to do our job once, and then we used what we learned over and over. But the problems we now face, and will increasingly face, require a radically different form of thinking, thinking that is more complex, more adaptable, more sensitive to divergent points of view. The world in which we now live requires that we continually relearn, that we routinely rethink our decisions, that we regularly reevaluate the way we work and live. In short, there is a new world facing us, one in which the power of the mind to command itself, to regularly engage in self-analysis, will increasingly determine the quality of our work, the quality of our lives, and perhaps even, our very survival.

The question of how to survive in the world is a question continually transforming itself. Accelerating change, increasing complexity, and intensifying danger sound the death knell for traditional methods of learning. How can we adapt to reality when reality won’t give us time to master it before it changes itself, again and again, in ways we can but partially anticipate? Unfortunately, the crucial need for ever-new modes of thought to adapt to new problems and situations in new and humane ways is ignored by most cultures and most schools today. Short-term thinking leading to quick-fix solutions still rule the day. Critical thinking is not a social value in any society. Yet critical thinking is essential to dealing effectively with the problems we face and will increasingly face into the future.

Quote source here

Government's Responsibility

2012-01-15T13:12:00.000-06:00

In the last analysis, employment and prosperity are the function and responsibility of private enterprise. It is government’s responsibility to end the harassment, roadblocks, and regressive taxation and to offer, wherever practical, tax incentives that will help to provide jobs and a friendly business climate. - Ronald Reagan at the University of Southern California on April 19, 1966

Self-Discipline

2012-01-13T07:06:00.000-06:00

“Discipline” is a difficult word for most of us. It conjures up images of somebody standing over you with a stick, telling you that you’re wrong. But self-discipline is different. It’s the skill of seeing through the hollow shouting of your own impulses and piercing their secret. They have no power over you. It’s all a show, a deception. Your urges scream and bluster at you; they cajole; they coax; they threaten; but they really carry no stick at all. You give in out of habit.

You give in because you never really bother to look beyond the threat. It is all empty back there. There is only one way to learn this lesson, though. The words on this page won’t do it. But look within and watch the stuff coming up - restlessness, anxiety, impatience, pain - just watch it come up and don’t get involved. Much to your surprise, it will simply go away. It rises, it passes away. As simple as that. There is another word for self-discipline. It is patience.

By Henepola Gunaratna

You Are the Universe

2012-01-12T05:14:00.000-06:00

You are the air you breathe. You are the food you eat. You are every human being. You are every blade of grass. You are every tree, every insect, every mammal. You are every fish and coral and crab. You are every grain of sand. You are every mountain range and grass plain. You are the oceans. You are all the iron and nickel and silicon in the center of the earth. In fact, you ARE the earth, intimately intertwined, connected, inseparable. Every atom and all the cells and minerals and forms that they compose in this hyper-complex system.

You are every photon that hits the earth or leaves it. You are the sun. You are every hydrogen and helium atom, every electron changing energy levels. You are every gamma ray. You are every magnetic loop and filament, every solar flare. You are every little wave of light that has ever left the sun, traveling across the universe.

You are the icecaps of Mars, the storms of Jupiter, and the rings of Saturn. You are dust on asteroids, you are nitrogen ice on Pluto.

You are the suns magnetic field. You are interstellar hydrogen. You are Alpha Centauri, you are Arcturus. You are Sirius and Procyon and Deneb and Alberio. You are Gilese 581. You are the Orion nebula, you are the Pleiades. You are the every star you can see in the night sky. Every planet and comet and asteroid and atom that orbits these stars. You are all the stars that you cannot see, but that are still their, boiling with momentous energy. You are White Dwarfs and Red Giants. You are Neutron Stars and Black Holes.

You are The Milky Way Galaxy. You are Globular clusters. You are Andromeda and Triangulum and the Whirlpool galaxy. You are every galaxy. All the stars and planets and atoms and light and particles they contain. All the creation and destruction, all the alternate forms of life, every icy moon and gas giant billions of light years away.

You are every photon and neutrino and proton and neutron traveling in the space between galaxies. You are every quark and boson, graviton and gluon. You are the lonely stars and planets that have been cast out of their galaxies, wandering through nothingness for eternity. You are electromagnetism. You are gravity. You are the nuclear forces. You are the fabric of space-time itself.

You are the hyper-dense plasma of the beginning of creation. You are the epochs of a thin mist of superhot hydrogen gas. You are the first stars. You are galaxies forming, solar systems manifesting. You are the sun casting off its outer layers and cooling. You are the last star to form. You are the last proton that evaporates. You are the forever that happens after. You are everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen.

You came inexplicably from a single point. You are growing and expanding. You are a beautiful, four-dimensional self-influencing tapestry. You evolve through many forms. You become more complex over time. You create mechanisms by which you can know yourself. You are so large that everything that can exist, does.

You may think that you are small, that you are separate. This is just an illusion.

You are the cosmos. You are the whole universe. You are everything. You are infinite...

Author unknown but greatly appreciated

Universal Consciousness

2012-01-10T06:19:00.005-06:00

“Infinite worlds appear and disappear in the vast expanse of my own consciousness, like motes of dust dancing in a beam of light.” - Yoga Vasishtha

Each of us exists as a ripple in the field of conscious intelligence that gives rise to everything in the universe - our bodies, our planet, the stars, the galaxies...

Since we are an inseparable part of this underlying field of intelligence, we are also the source of all reality. In every moment of our existence we are co-creating our world with and in the universe. Everything we will ever know is a result of this creative process that takes place in our minds.

Both, the ancient wisdom traditions and modern science, tell us that our bodies, our minds, and the physical world around us, are projections of our consciousness. Only consciousness is real. Everything else is its projection. For better or for worse.

It is only the veil of illusion, or rather, and more properly, the veil of delusion - known in the ancient yogic tradition as maya - that keeps us from seeing that everything is pure consciousness. We delude ourselves constantly. We mis-take our own experience for the reality out there. We experience ourselves as separate from all that is.

However, when we pierce this veil, when we begin to finally see through it, we discover that universal consciousness permeates everything. Only then, we will be able to access our own unlimited creative potential.

Dominique Allmon @2012

Health Benefits of the Himalyan Salt

2012-01-08T06:33:00.001-06:00

Himalayan Crystal Salt™ is the purest form of salt crystals in the world. We know this because Himalayan salt has been in the earth for over 250 million years. It's truly toxin free. What that means is that it's safe and more beneficial than any other salt on the market. To preserve this purity, the salt is hand-collected from the mountains, broken down into granules by hand with the use of stones, and packaged in cotton bags.

Himalayan crystal salt is beneficial because it contains 84 minerals along with trace elements that come alive when dissolved in water. This salt can actually help your body return to its optimal pH balance. The beneficial living nutrients in Himalayan Crystal Salt™ can be easily processed by your body. And, since it's not pulling excessive amounts of water from your cells, it doesn't dehydrate your body the way that common table salt can. This balancing ability was recorded in a double-blind study that was conducted by the Inter-University of Graz, Austria.

Research showed that consuming Himalayan crystal salt can provide:

Help for regulating heartbeat
Prevention of muscle cramps
Help to maintain firmness in bones
Balancing blood sugar and pH acid levels
Help regulating the electrolyte balance of cells which aids in conducting electricity
Healthy patterns in intimacy and sleep

All living animals need salt. And, for our best health, we need unrefined salt. One benefit of unrefined crystal salt is that it replenishes electrolytes. The importance of electrolytes cannot be overstated. Electrolytes are electrically charged and are a major factor in powering up our bodies. You see, water alone is not the conductor of electrical currents; we require electrolytes in proper balance to coordinate the electrical currents required for many body functions.

Electrolytes are not the only useful substances that we get from natural salt. Healthful benefits come from natural unprocessed sources such as, vibrant, Himalayan Crystal Salt™. There is no salt processed anywhere that is better for your body than this crystal salt. Even sea salt is partially refined and so loses some of its natural integrity during the process.

"Himalayan Crystal Salt™ is an all natural salt that has all of its 84 ionic minerals in tact. There is no mistaking the benefits of having 84 minerals in the salt you consume, or soak in or clean wounds with - the same 84 minerals that naturally occur in your body. And, to make it even better, the nutrients in Himalayan Crystal Salt™ are very easily absorbed by the body.

To find out more please click here

Himalayan Crystal Salt™ - Fine Granulated

$29.50
[ learn more ]

Himalayan Crystal Salt™ is the purest and most beneficial form of salt crystals in the world. The fine granulated crystal salt works well for salt shakers and cooking recipes.

1 kilo (2.2 lbs)

*This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease

Healing Properties of Calcite

2012-01-06T09:04:00.002-06:00

Cobaltoan calcite

Calcite is a calcium carbonate mineral which forms wide variety of trigonal-rhombohedral crystals. There are actually more than three hundred crystalline forms of calcite.

The name "calcite" derives from the Greek word "chalix" which means lime. Calcite can be found in sedimentary rocks, especially limestone and its metamorphic equivalent - marble. It can also be found in some volcanic rocks such as carnonatite. Calcite is also a building block of egg shells and the shells of invertebrate organisms.

Calcite crystals are transparent to opaque and may occasionally be phosphorescent or fluorescent. A transparent variety called Iceland spar known for its strong double refraction and perfect cleavage has been used for optical purposes since the 17th century. Acute scalenohedral crystals are sometimes referred to as dogtooth spar while the rhombohedral form is sometimes called nailhead spar.

Dogtooth calcite

Calcite is easily found. The largest deposits are found in USA, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Iceland, Peru, and Brazil.

It comes in variety of colors. It can be white, pink, gray, blue, green, orange, red, black, or colorless. Its color depends on the content of various minerals during the crystallization process.

In esoteric circles calcite is regarded as a fire stone with an amazing ability to cleanse and purify. It is an excellent healing stone. It can be used to purify the aura and to align the chakras. For this purpose calcite crystals of different colors should be placed accordingly on the corresponding energy centers. Healing properties of calcite depend on the color of the particular crystal used in chakra therapy.

Calcite is known to dispel negative energy and to amplify the good one. This quality is very useful during astral travel and channeling as calcite enhances memory of the experience.

This mineral helps establish connection between emotions and the rational mind. It promotes creativity and imagination, facilitates insight and learning, and helps crystallize and realize ideas.

It is a stone of confidence. It helps reduce stress, pacify the mind, and dispel fear. Lazy people or those who lost hope or motivation find new energy to follow their path.

On the physical plane calcite is believed to enhance elimination of toxins from the body. It speeds up the healing process and soothes troubled skin. It may enhance the immune system and alleviate ailments of the digestive tract. It may also enhance the absorption of calcium. Calcite elixir is very effective in healing various skin conditions. It can be directly applied to warts, boils, or to festering sores.

Calcite is a very beautiful mineral that brings light to any space. It increases the energy flow and can be used to clear negativity from the environment. Stagnant energy begins to flow again.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Healing Properties of Calcite by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

From Russia with Love - Health Benefits of Siberian Ginseng, Chaga, and Rhodiola

2012-01-04T08:38:00.006-06:00

Herbal Tradition in Russia

The use of herbs in Russia dates back many centuries. On the one hand, herbs were used in traditional folk medicine and by the shamans, on the other, herbal medicine was introduced to Russia by the Byzantine Empire together with the Orthodox Christianity. The early herbal tradition is not very well documented and it seems that by the early 16th century the healers in Russia experienced the same difficulty as did their brothers in trade in Western Europe. The Church condemned any use of herbs in healing. By the end of the 16th, however, many monasteries established herb gardens and revived the ancient Greek and Roman herbal recipes.

The Russian expansion to the Far East gave the herbal healers and doctors access to herbs and medicinal plants that were traditionally used by the native folks living in the steppe of Asia and in Siberia. Some of these plants were highly valued by the Chinese who incorporated them into their Materia Medica.

With time, the Russians developed a rich herbal tradition that uses hundreds of herbs, some of which grow only in the Russian territory. Today, herbalism is a highly regarded healing art in Russia. Herbs are widely researched and well understood. Most medical schools offer courses in herbal medicine and treatment of diseases usually includes pharmaceutical drugs, herbs and natural therapies such as massage and cupping.

A serious, scientific research of certain herbs began in 1947 when a Russian pharmacologist, Nikolai Lazarev observed that some of the herbs and plants were traditionally used as tonics in Siberia and the Russian Far East. These tonics were used to alleviate fatigue after long periods of exertion. Very often, these tonics were used before the taxing activity to increase endurance.

Dr. Lazarev coined the term "adaptogen" to describe the properties of these particular herbs. An adaptogen is a substance that is supposed to help the body better cope with stress, either mental or physical. Although botanically unrelated, all herbs researched by Dr. Lazarev and his followers had one important quality - they were all able to modulate the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.

Adaptogen research was taken to the next level by Lazarov's student, Dr. Berkhman who conducted wide ranging experiments and later prescribed them to the Cosmonauts and the Russian Olympic athletes who were able to produce extraordinary results.

There are many healing plants in Russia, but probably the best known in the West are the Siberian ginseng, Rhodiola, and Chaga. Their efficacy was confirmed by the research in the West, but as with other potent herbs a caution is advised as some herbs may interfere with other medication.

Siberian Ginseng

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), also known as eleuthero, has been used for centuries in Russia for centuries to prevent colds and flu, to increase stamina, and to prolong the lifespan. Despite its name, Siberian ginseng in not related to panax ginseng.

Studies conducted in Russia demonstrated that eleuthero stimulates the immune system. It is not only useful in warding off cold and flu, but also in reducing the duration of infection and the severity of symptoms. Its efficacy was also tested on people with herpes simplex infections. The herb is capable of reducing the duration and frequency of herpes simplex outbreaks.

Siberian ginseng is a well known and widely used adaptogen. It helps reduce stress and improve concentration and memory. It also helps reduce chronic fatigue. The herb is also used by physically active people to increase energy and physical performance.

Siberian ginseng supplements are made from the root which contains the active components called eleutherosides. Eleutherosides are responsible for the therapeutic effects. The root is also rich in polysaccharides which were demonstrated to improve the immune function and to lower the sugar levels in serum. Siberian ginseng is available in form of tinctures, dry extract, bulk powder, as capsules or tablets, and as a dried, sliced root that can be used to prepare infusions.

The recommended daily dose is 100 - 200mg of standardized extract or 500 - 3000mg of root taken in form of infusion. Siberian ginseng is not recommended for children.

Chaga

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) also known as birch fungus, grows in the Northern part of Russia on birch, beech, and alder trees with the best specimens coming from the cold climate of Siberia. The medicinal chaga is harvested from birch trees.

The primary active compounds in Siberian Chaga are triterpenes, sterols, saponins, and polysaccharides.

It is used to stimulate the immune system and improve metabolism. This fungus also stimulates the central nervous system as well as the cardiovascular and the endocrine systems. It helps with respiration and digestion. It regulates blood sugar and lowers blood pressure. Chaga contains large amounts of the antioxidant SOD enzyme. It is also rich in betulinic acid which has very strong anti-cancer properties. It inhibits the growth of tumors and slows down the development of metastases in the body. Chaga is a very powerful antioxidant. It has the highest ORAC value ever measured.

Chaga can be taken as tincture or as a powder mixed in a non-alcoholic liquid. As with other herbs, there is no established daily dose. Healthy people should take 200 - 300mg of powdered extract for disease prevention. Sick people should take higher doses in order to stimulate their immune system. The suggested amount is 700 - 1000mg daily.

Rhodiola rosea

Rhodiola rosea also known as golden root, is a Siberian herb with a very long history of therapeutic use. The main active compound is called rosavin. This herb is thought to strengthen the nervous system, improve mood, enhance immune system, increase endurance, enhance memory, aid weight reduction, increase sexual function, and improve energy levels. It has long been known and used as a potent adaptogen.

Rhodiola is used traditionally to prevent cold and flu and to increase physical performance. The herb is also capable of reducing mental stress and chronic fatigue. It is also successfully used to alleviate depression and fatigue syndrome.

Research shows that rhodiola rosea can shorten recovery time after prolonged physical exertion. The plant extract increases the level of RNA as well as the enzymes and proteins important to muscle recovery after exhaustive physical activity. It stimulates glycogen synthesis in muscles and liver.

Rhodiola also demonstrated some anti-tumor activity as it stimulates the immune system and the body's resistance to toxins.

Rhodiola can be taken as a tonic or in form of capsules. There is no established daily dose, but for the best results it is suggested to take 300 - 500mg of full spectrum herb.

Conclusion

These three herbs from the Russian Far East are well researched and show very good therapeutic results. They are powerful adaptogens and immune system modulators. A caution is advised as the active ingredients may interact with certain drugs. Please contact your health care provider before commencing self medication.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

From Russia with Love - Health Benefits of Siberian Ginseng, Chaga, and Rhodiola by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Agent Orange

2012-01-03T07:20:00.006-06:00

Agent Orange dozing off in a bathroom sink

If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much. - Mark Twain

Generally, felines are considered to be more graceful than dogs. I can imagine that the above quote describes most of the cats, but definitely not this young orange tabby sleeping in the bathroom sink. The only time he is gracefully quiet is when he is asleep. Other than that he is rather vocal. He loves adventure and always has much to say... Laud. Very laud.

New Year in Japan

2012-01-02T15:10:00.004-06:00

New Year's ceremony at the Sensoji temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, Japan

Like every year, on January 2, 2021 Japanese Emperor Akihito delivered a New Year's address to his nation. In his speech Emperor Akihito has expressed his hope for Japan’s recovery from disasters that devastated the island nation last year.

The emperor appeared on a bullet-proof balcony of the Imperial Palace with his family. He told throngs of well-wishers he shares in the nation’s pain over the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and hoped for the country’s recovery.

“I pray for the recovery of the disaster areas to continue and I hope that this year will be a better year for each and every citizen.”

Japan’s northeast coast was struck by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, the strongest quake on record in Japan, and a massive tsunami that triggered the world’s worst nuclear crisis since a reactor meltdown in Chernobyl, Ukraine, twenty five years earlier.

Procession of Shinto priesthood

Japan’s March 11 earthquake and tsunami left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing. In his New Year’s speech, Emperor Akihito said he felt sorrow for those who died in last year’s disaster, as well as those who were forced from their homes because of the nuclear crisis that followed.

“There are great concerns for the people who are still going through hardships from the disaster. As the rebuilding of the affected areas continue, it is my wish that this year will be a better year for each and every person of this nation.”

The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant went into meltdown after the tsunami destroyed back-up generators. Government officials have announced that the plant is now in a stable state known as “cold shutdown.” But experts say it could take decades to fully clean up and decommission the plant.

Southern Japan was hit by a magnitude 7.0 quake Sunday that caused buildings in Tokyo to sway, but there were no reports of injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued as the events occurred unexpectedly.

Article source here

* * *

The year 2011 was marked by series of natural disasters, weak if not disastrous economy, and by a wave of social and political unrest that spread throughout the world. We were literally bombarded every day by bad news.

With the beginning of the new year many people around the world hope for some positive change. Big hopes are harbored in spite of the predictions made by economists worldwide.

As most people struggle with their own fate, the victims of the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami begin to fade out from our collective memory. But they are not yet quite forgotten. It will take many years to restore normality in the affected area. And it will take even longer to heal all the emotional wounds caused by this disaster. We can only wish them strength for the years to come.

Dominique Allmon

Are You Prepared to Design the Future?

2012-01-02T09:44:00.003-06:00

By Jacque Fresco

Although many of us feel we can prepare for our future by thinking, acting, and learning using present methods and values, nothing is farther from the truth - especially in today’s rapidly changing world. A newborn child enters a world not of his or her own making. Each succeeding generation inherits the values, accomplishments, hopes, successes, and failings of previous generations. And they inherit the results of the decisions made by those generations.

For the hundreds of thousands of years of human existence when technologies were simple or non-existent, this may have had little impact on human life and the earth that sustains it. Each generation of hunters and gatherers, then plowmen and pioneers, passed on tools to the next generation to help them survive. Change from one generation to the next was slow and hardly noticeable. In those days there was little understanding of science and how things worked, and explanations were not scientific.

This is no longer the case in today’s high-tech world where a change that affects millions may happen in a matter of seconds. A child born today inherits a world vastly different from that of its parent’s generation, let alone that from centuries ago. Previous generations left a legacy of, exploitation, occupation, and irrelevant values that present great challenges, but also opportunities to the people of today.

The application of scientific principles, for better or worse, accounts for every single advance that has improved people’s lives. Important documents and proclamations have been issued granting rights and privileges to members of societies, but at the heart of human progress - or destruction - is the rock-solid foundation of science.

The future does not just happen. Except for natural events like earthquakes, it comes about through the efforts of people and is determined largely by how well informed people are. You can play a role in the shaping of tomorrow’s world by asking yourself questions like, “What kind of world do I want to live in?” and “What does democracy mean to me?” There are many other options of organization for the future than those typically discussed today.

Here is a scenario for you to consider: Suppose you were called upon to redesign planetary civilization without any limitations based on how things are done today. The goal is to help rid the world of war, poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation, and to create the best world for all inhabitants, given the resources at hand, for the longest period of time.

Remember, you are free to rearrange society in any way you think will work. The only limitation is that your social design must factor in the carrying capacity of the planet, which means the resources have to be sufficient to support life on the planet.

You can rearrange the entire civilization to make what you consider the best of all possible worlds, bearing in mind that any unmet need for any segment of the population reduces the standard of living for all. This may include not only environmental protection, but also city design, transportation, interpersonal relationships and the restructuring of education, if you feel it is necessary.

To Your Health!

2012-01-01T07:01:00.008-06:00

Many people promise themselves to lose weight when the New Year comes, especially after they managed to gain some during the Holiday Season.

The beginning of a New Year seems to be a perfect time to make some important changes in one's life and weight loss is an issue that is becoming acute for more and more people.

As we age, our metabolism slows dawn considerably and it becomes more difficult to lose weight now than it was when we were younger. In order to lose weight we must understand these physiological changes and adjust our nutrition accordingly. We may have to supplement with digestive enzymes to help our system digest the foods we eat. We may have to add herbs and spices that will enhance our digestion and increase metabolism. And we definitely need to exercise more and eat less than we used to if we want to keep the weight off and stay fit.

There are many reasons why people are overweight:

unhealthy diet that consists of white flour, too much fat, sugar, artificial coloring and preservatives
overeating
emotional overeating
extreme stress
lack of physical activity
genetic predisposition to obesity
pre-diabetic state or the diabetic disease itself
underactive thyroid gland
intestinal parasites and candida
food intolerance

Going on a strict diet may be necessary in some cases. Diet pills and drinks are perfect to jump start an effective loss of excess weight, but I do not advocate any long term food deprivation or meal replacements. Initially, you may be able to loose some weight with diet pills and drinks, but more often than not, you will gain it back as soon as you revert to your regular diet.

In order to achieve any durable improvement you need to change your lifestyle and the way you perceive yourself. Any drastic change is ineffective because sooner or later you will sabotage it. The changes you implement must be gradual and should not add stress to your life.

Remember that you eat to nourish yourself and choose your food accordingly. Your food must deliver energy, proteins, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, enzymes, and other vital nutrients that will help your body function properly and stay healthy. Add fruit and vegetable to your diet and eat them raw as often as you can. Eat smaller portions and choose fish and poultry over red meat, olive oil over butter, stevia over sugar...

Additionally you will need to supplement with high quality vitamin and mineral supplement, L-Glutamine and Omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Healthy, balanced nutrition and sufficient physical activity are essential if you want to reduce your weight and improve the overall health. But if you feel that, despite all these lifestyle changes, you are not loosing any weight, you may suffer from an underactive thyroid or from intestinal parasites, including candida. You may also have undetected intolerance to some foods. Very often hidden allergies are responsible for the unexplained weight gain. Weight loss is almost impossible unless the allergens are removed from the daily diet.

It is important to find out the reason for weight gain and a difficulty in losing it. Unless you do, you will struggle from one diet to another without much success but rather a serious damage to your health.

You may have to consult your health care provider before you set out on an exercise or a diet plan.

Two very important aspects of a successful weight loss program are your determination and motivation to lose weight. If you failed before, you may want to find a health coach and a support group. You could join an exercise group or a healthy-cooking class to get all the support you need. Sharing your success and experience with like-minded people will help you stay on track well beyond January 8th.

Whatever you decide, make the 2012 the healthiest year in your life!

In radiant health - Dominique Allmon

Please, also read How to Successfully Lose Weight and Keep it Off

Dominique Allmon ©2012

Let There Be Light

2012-01-01T01:01:00.001-06:00

It doesn’t matter how long we may have been stuck in a sense of our limitations. If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn’t matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years - we turn on the light and it is illuminated. Once we control our capacity for love and happiness, the light has been turned on. - Sharon Salzberg

Wishing everyone a year full of light - Dominique ♥

Happy New Year 2012!

2011-12-31T10:02:00.019-06:00

Beyond Good Intentions...

By Andrew Cohen

I don't have a particular New Year's message - because the concept of the New Year doesn't really mean anything to me!

I see the passing of time as one line. So I don't really see that there's anything special about this particular day.

For most people, the beginning of a new year means a renewing of those commitments that we feel are the most important. But to me, every single day is that day! I would hope that we would each get to that point in our own spiritual and moral development where making those commitments is something that we have already done and are always doing.

And the way that we were living and the consequences of our actions would be an ongoing reflection of that fact. I think we have to get to that point - otherwise we're living in a world of broken promises and good intentions that don't really amount to much in the long run.

So we want to evolve to such a degree that we're always very clear about what's most important. And then we make good on it, and we spend the rest of our life making good on it - in such a way that there is tangible, objective evidence that we have done it, and that we are continuing to do it. So I just want to encourage people to get moving - sometime around yesterday! There is no time to waste.

Another year comes to an end! I hope it was a good one for you. The next should be even better! Wishing you just that - with Love Light and Laughter - Dominique

Crossing the Treshold?

2011-12-30T13:45:00.002-06:00

By Charles Eisenstein

For a few decades now, it seems, humanity has been on the verge of a breakthrough in collective consciousness. Perhaps it was the Hippies in the 60s who saw it first. To them, it was crystal clear that the consciousness revolution would sweep all before it, that within a few years’ time such institutions as government, money, marriage, and school would become obsolete. Forty years later, their vision has not come to pass and, superficially at least, the defining institutions of our civilization are more powerful, more encompassing than ever. Nonetheless, to many of us much of the time, and to most of us at least once in a while, the breakthrough in consciousness the Hippies foretold seems imminent still.

Perhaps it seems imminent because, in those peak experiences when we know the true potential of our humanity, the true vastness of our minds, and the love that is the default state of existence, it seems so obvious that we have returned to our birthright and recovered our original estate. It could be a near-death experience that brings us there, a psychedelic experience, a moment in nature, giving birth, making love; it could be a religious experience, or come through a dream, music, or meditation; it can also be awakened through psychological work, a transformational seminar, even a book. Usually, though, the high does not last.

I’ve had many such experiences where I think, “Nothing will ever be the same again,” but after a few days or weeks, I notice that I must struggle to maintain the realized state I’d been in. What was once effortless and self-evident becomes the subject of reminders and practices. The “old normal” encroaches, until I am back where I started, and the state that had felt so true and obvious becomes a mere memory. I can try to repeat the experience, but as with a drug, the second high is a little less intense than the first, and the return to baseline more rapid. Eventually I come to doubt: maybe the experience was a drug, an excursion away from reality and not, as I’d believed, something more real than the world I’ve come to accept. For some people, that voice swells in volume until it becomes a deafening tumult of despair. Before the experience, there was at least hope, but having entered paradise and been ejected, what is there now to live for?

So it was on a cultural level, that after the enlightenment and exuberant expectations of the sixties, much of the counterculture turned to the hedonism and consumption of the Me Decade. What a sense of betrayal we felt, as the psychedelic revolution gave way to the War on Drugs, as the Clean Air Act gave way to Ronald Reagan and James Watt (“Trees pollute more than people do.”)

Happily, whether on a personal or collective level, the despair can never be complete, for the ember of the awakening experience lives on inextinguishable in our hearts. However deep the despair to which we may descend, we carry a first-hand knowledge written into our cells that there is more than Just This. Even if we know not how to return to that more beautiful world, we know it exists. This knowledge lives independently of beliefs, underneath the currents of reason and doubt and impervious to them. We cannot cultivate or practice that knowledge, but it cultivates and practices us. The first thing it does is to prevent us from wholeheartedly participating in the old normal. We can do our best to participate in the program, we can go through the motions, but deep down we know that it isn’t the real thing. The effort to direct life energy at goals unworthy of our knowledge is exhausting.

Eventually, our reservoirs of health and luck depleted, we enter a state of crisis. Whether it is health, relationship, money, or work-related, the crisis is a birthing from the old normal. We cannot go back, yet neither do we know how to go forward. This is a special state, the threshold between worlds. Many of us are there right now, individually; the collective human body is approaching it as well.

The purpose of this essay is to describe a paradigm of mutual care that can carry us across the threshold between worlds.

We did glimpse a more beautiful world in the 1960s, but the old normal wasn’t finished yet. The story had not yet been told to its fullness. Therefore, we could not abide in the new reality; the pull of the old was too strong. To be sure, there were many individual exceptions; to this day there are unregenerate hippies living in the interstices of our realm, as invisible to us as the Taoist immortals of legend, holding the template of the next world until such time as we are ready for it. But for the most part, after the sixties people returned to the world they’d left behind, and followed it indeed to new extremes.

Forty years later, that world is falling apart at an accelerating rate. The stories that undergird our civilization are crumbling. Two are primary: the story of the self, and the story of the people. The first is the discrete, separate self, a Cartesian mote of consciousness looking out onto an objective universe of soulless masses and impersonal, deterministic forces. In biology, the separate self manifests as the paradigm of the selfish gene seeking to maximize its reproductive self-interest; in economics, it is homo economicus, who seeks to maximize rational self-interest as measured by money. In psychology, it is the skin-encapsulated ego; in religion, the soul encased in flesh but separate from it. Such a self is naturally in opposition to all other beings, whose interests are indifferent to or at odds with its own. Spiritual teachings based on this story of self, then, tell us we must try very hard to rise above nature, to conquer our biological and economic drive to maximize self-interest at the expense of other beings.

Externalized, this war against the self manifests as the second defining story of civilization, the story of the people that I call “ascent”, that says that humanity’s destiny is to overcome and transcend nature. It perfectly complements the story of self, elevating the mental over the physical, the ideal over the concrete, and spirit over the body.

In describing these myths, I use the word “story” in a special sense, as an unconscious narrative that makes meaning of the world, that assigns roles to human beings, that explains the nature of life, the world, and the purpose of human existence, and that coordinates human activity. Stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. We are approaching the end of ours, of the stories upon which our civilization is built. To the extent those stories are no longer true for you, you do not feel like a full participant in this civilization.

They are becoming untrue for more and more of us, as the world built upon them falls apart. How can we believe in the conquest of nature, when because of our actions the ecological basis of civilization is threatened? How can we believe any more that the final triumph over disease is just around the corner, or an age of leisure, or space vacations, or a perfectly just society, if only we extend the realm of control just a bit further? And how can we believe any longer in the paradise of the separate self, independent of all, beholden to no one, financially secure, when we see first hand the alienation, the despair, the starvation for community that makes that paradise a hell? When depression, addiction, suicide, and family breakdown strike even the winners of the war of all against all?

Whether on a personal or collective level, we are discovering that the stories of separation are untrue. What we do unto the other, inescapably visits ourselves as well in some form. As that becomes increasingly obvious, a new story of self and story of the people becomes accessible to us. I have written of these in other essays, among them Money and the Turning of the Age, Rituals for Lover Earth, Autoimmunity, Obesity, and the Ecology of Health, and in greater depth in The Ascent of Humanity. The new story of self is the connected self, the self of inter-being-ness. The new story of the people is one of co-creative partnership with Lover Earth. They ring true in our hearts, we see them on the horizon, but we do not yet live yet in these new stories. It is hard to, when the institutions and habits of the old world still surround us.

Poised as we are at the transition between worlds, and traveling, many of us, back and forth between them, we need a way to enter the new one, learn to live in it, and be able to abide there. We need, in other words, a midwife. The birth metaphor is perhaps imperfect, since we are undergoing not a single, final expulsion, but a series of brief experiences of a more radiant world in which we have been unable to stay. How can we stay? How can we fully establish ourselves in a radically different way of thinking, relating, and being? Make no mistake: this revolution goes far beyond the acceptance of an idea. To know and embody as an experiential, lived, enacted reality the truth of inter-being-ness, to live in the spirit of the gift as appropriate to each relationship, to absolutely trust one’s divinity and that of others, to know in every fiber of one’s being, “I art Thou,” and to navigate this knowledge with appropriate boundaries, constitutes a fundamental revolution in human being-ness. Moreover, though we have entered the new territory, we lack models and maps to live in it. We need guidance, we need sacred teachings. But who are to be our teachers, when all is new?

To be sure, we have inherited teachings and models for the new world, both from visionaries who saw through the stories of separation centuries ago, and from tribes who avoided civilization long enough to transmit their knowledge to us. Much of this knowledge has been distorted through the lens of separation, but as the new stories come into focus, we can discern their original intent. For example, the usual formulation of the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is a moral injunction that we hear as yet another version of the dictum, born of the separation of spirit and matter: “Try hard to be nice.” It is a standard of behavior, something we must overcome our natural selfishness to attain. From the perspective of the connected self, though, the Golden Rule changes form to become not a rule but a reminder: “As you do unto others, so you are doing unto yourself.” The intent of its original articulator is recovered.

Similarly, the Boddhisatva Vow, “I will not enter Nirvana myself until all sentient beings have entered Nirvana,” lands on us as the ultimate self-sacrifice, a heroic and magnanimous vow beyond the reach of ordinary people. For the connected self of “I art Thou,” however, it is merely a distorted articulation of a simple fact that we might call the Boddhisatva Realization: “It is impossible to abide in Nirvana alone. If any sentient being is left out of it, then part of me is left out of it.” Only someone under the delusion that he is a discrete, separate soul would imagine otherwise.

Enlightening as these teachings might be, mere information is not enough. As many spiritual traditions recognize, a living teacher, a guru, is necessary to bring the teachings to life in their unique application to each individual. We need something from beyond our old selves, someone to illuminate our blind spots, to humble our conceit, to show us the love we didn’t know we had within us. This presents a problem today, because the age of the guru is manifestly over.

No human being can hold the guru energy in post-modern society. This is old news - the age of the guru has been over for at least thirty years. In the 1960s and 70s, any number of masters came to America from the East and, absent the cultural structures that traditionally kept them in an insulated realm, succumbed one after another to scandals involving money, sex, and power. The same thing happened as well to many of the gurus who remained in the East, as even their traditional structures crumbled under the onslaught of Western cultural warfare and the money economy. In the past, to even access a guru you had to make a journey and to some extent leave the old normal behind. Now, gurus were interfacing directly with the old normal. No journey was necessary to receive a mantra; soon all that was necessary was money. This interface was perilous to guru and seeker alike.

The gurus that did not fall found ways to maintain their exclusion from a story of the world that would drag them into it. Some, like Neem Karoli Baba (died 1973), took the simple expedient of dying. Others retired or disappeared. After the 1970s, anyone who got into the guru business was quickly corrupted; the wiser ones stayed away, preferring to act as teachers, mentors, spiritual friends. Human consciousness was approaching, on a mass level, the template that had been prepared, in insulated, secret lineages and remote sanctuaries, for thousands of years. Millions were ready for what only a select few were prepared in the past. The gurus through the ages had finally succeeded: they had awoken an energy of a magnitude no single human being could contain. For those who tried, the uncontainable energy inevitably emerged in subterranean ways as shadow and scandal, and their followers learned not only the lessons of their teachings, but also the lessons of their failures.

The difficulty, then, is that we are ready as never before for a guru, yet no single human being is capable of taking on that role. Whence are we to obtain that spiritual midwifery, “someone to illuminate our blind spots, to humble our conceit, to show us the love we didn’t know we had within us”? What can bring to the masses what hidden lineages and gurus once brought to a select few? To answer that question, let us follow the trajectory of spiritual teachings after the 1970s.

What followed the demise of the guru was a new age of spiritual independence. Its motto might have been, “All that you need is within you.” People trusted their own inner guru, their guidance. The spiritual teachers of this period were just that, teachers not gurus, not accorded a different category of being, but a kind of spiritual friend, a more experienced colleague. It was a time of self-improvement and doing your own spiritual work. The goal was a kind of self-sufficiency. We sought to eradicate negativity from our minds and take full responsibility for our lives. We worked on forgiveness. We sought to “manifest” health, wealth, and romance through the power of positive thinking. We resonated with teachings like, “Change yourself, change your beliefs, and reality will change along with it. All the power is within you; each person is a self-sufficient creator of his or her own reality.” We sought to liberate ourselves from victim mentality, the belief that our happiness depends on the choices of others. Sure, we wanted to attract good relationships into our lives, but we didn’t need anyone.

Though I am writing in the past tense, I don’t mean to denigrate the beliefs I describe, nor even to say they are not true. They were true, and there is truth in them still. They are not the whole truth though, as many people are now starting to realize. For having reached the pinnacle of spiritual independence, they want something more.

A participant at one of my retreats put it like this: “I really do have it all. I run my own wellness center, I live in a beautiful house with a view of the mountains, I have manifested financial abundance, I have a fabulous relationship with my wife, who is my partner on the spiritual path. We’ve done the most amazing retreats, the most powerful transformational workshops, had deep experiences of altered consciousness, states of samadhi, experiences of kundalini… But this is no longer enough. There is something else, a next step, and I’m not sure what it is. It’s not that I’m unhappy - I have a lot of peace, joy, and contentment in my life - but I know there is a next step.”

Spiritual self-sufficiency ignores the fundamental truth of our inter-being-ness. Without each other, we cannot make those peak experiences, those glimpses we have all had of a more vivid way of being, into anything more than glimpses. How can we make them into a new baseline for life? How can we enter into the world that they show us, how can we redeem their promise? How can we bring into living reality the knowledge that we have been shown something true and real? Each time, the old world drags us back. The inertia of our habits and beliefs, the expectations of the people surrounding us, the way we are seen, the media, the pressures of the money system all conspire to hold us where we were. Coming off a peak experience, we may try to insulate ourselves from all these things, to live in a bubble of positivity, but eventually we realize that is impossible. The negative influences find a way to creep back in.

From the understanding of the connected self, this is entirely to be expected. Because you are not separate from me, you cannot be fully healed until I am fully healed. You cannot be enlightened until I am enlightened. This is the import of the Golden Reminder and the Boddhisatva Realization described above. Each one of us is pioneering a different aspect of the connected self in the age of reunion, and each one of us as well carries vestigial habits of the age of separation that are invisible to us or that, if visible, we are helpless to overcome on our own. Quite practically, to inhabit a more enlightened state we must be held there by a community of new habits, new ways of seeing each other, and new beliefs in action that redefine normal.

In other words, in the age of the connected self our guru can be none other than a collective, a community - as Thich Nhat Hanh put it, “The next Buddha will be a sangha.” By a community, I don’t mean an amorphous “we are all one” mass devoid of structure, but rather a matrix of human beings united in a common story of the people and story of the self. Aligned with these defining stories, this community can hold us in the vision of what we are becoming.

Until recently, such a community barely existed. Either we were alone, gasping for breath in an ocean of separation, or we nurtured the new ways in isolated and insulated bubbles that, with rare exceptions, quickly popped. Such bubbles cannot last very long alone; like soap bubbles, their substance evaporates unless replenished and sustained. Today it is different, because these bubbles, Ken Carey’s “islands of the future in an ocean of the past,” are appearing faster than they can pop, clumping together, strengthening each other, forming a connected matrix. We are reaching critical mass, a point where we can live so much surrounded by nascent institutions of the new world that we can stay there most of the time. No longer will we need to struggle to remember what those special experiences showed us was true.

Health and spiritual well-being are maintained through relationships, not through self-sufficiency. No one is so enlightened that they don’t need help. Rather, they are enlightened because they receive the help they need. Enlightenment is a state of dependency. And to the extent that any other being is sick in any way, so is each of us. Every hurting person out there matches a hurting thing in here. It could be as subtle as a grain of sand in your sock: unnoticeable when major wounds are still hemorrhaging blood, but increasingly intolerable as the big wounds heal. As wholeness increases, these little things come into consciousness and become intolerable. We can no longer comfortably abide in our idyllic house with a view, eating health food, and thinking positive thoughts. Our self-sufficiency is no longer sufficient, when we feel the pain of the world echoing inside our selves.

If we try to stay in the bubble of spiritual self-sufficiency, the hurting of the world sneaks in as various of the new diseases, forcing itself upon our consciousness. Consider, for example, two of the most significant of the new diseases, MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities) and electromagnetic sensitivity. Toxic chemicals and EMFs are the physicalization of our negativity, as well as the byproduct of our mindset of separation that sees nature as an indifferent reservoir for our wastes. For the chemically and electromagnetically sensitive, no amount of retreat is enough. Trying to avoid negativity, we have to retreat further and further, until the repeated intrusion of the world upon our serenity makes us realize we have to cleanse the whole world of toxic chemicals and all they represent, not just avoid them.

The yogic teaching, “Don’t try to cover the world with leather, just wear shoes,” served us well in the age of spiritual self-sufficiency, but it serves no longer, especially if taken to mean, “Heal thyself; the world is not your responsibility.” That was true, for a time. It was medicine. It healed us of self-rejection and self-sacrifice. It was a necessary stage toward the next step, when we do seek to heal the world - not as an act of self-sacrifice, not at the cost of our own well-being, but as a necessary step in our own self-healing. Through our relationship to the other we heal ourselves. There is no other way.

This realization often manifests as a desire to find one’s true purpose in life, one’s service to the world. Such a purpose is never just about the separate egoic self. It is always about service; it is about one’s gifts and how to give them. Purpose is about gift and relationship. The emerging state of vitality, joy, and love that humanity is entering is not a place where we can abide for long on our own. We need each other.

It is not only in spiritual life that this is true; the same shift is manifesting in economic life and our ecological relationships. Indeed, because spiritual well-being can only proceed to the next level through our relationships to other people, other beings, and the planet, the very word “spirituality” as distinct from social, economic, and material life is losing its relevance. Built into the concept of spirituality is the idea that some areas of human life are not spiritual. That divide between spirit and matter, between the life of the soul and the life of the flesh, is crumbling. High time, too: look at the results of treating the planet as not sacred. Look at the results of treating part of our own selves as profane. The war against the self and the conquest of nature, each mirroring the other, are coming to an end in our time as the intuitions of the connected self wax stronger.

Interdependency is something of a euphemism for what is really a form of dependency. The latter word is a trigger. Whether it is emotionally, financially, or spiritually, most people seek to avoid dependency. That, I am sorry to say, is a conceit. By our nature as ecological beings, we are helplessly dependent on other beings to survive, to thrive, even to exist. In the heyday of the age of science, we thought it human destiny to become independent of all other beings: we aspired to a wholly artificial world in which even food would be synthesized, the flesh transcended, and death overcome. No longer. We are learning, painfully, our utter dependency on the rest of nature. Interdependency is a sub-category of dependency in that it is mutual and multi-directional, but that doesn’t make us any less dependent. And that is OK! To be dependent is to be alive - it is to be enmeshed in the give and take of the world. And when we allow ourselves to enter it, to release the perceived safety of self-sufficiency, we access and can sustain an intensity of being and of love that we could only glimpse before. That is because we are encompassing more of our true connected being. We are being more fully ourselves.

Humanity collectively, and many of us individually, are at a threshold between worlds. The world we are entering is both a new world for us, and a long-forgotten realm. As we step into it, we can be each other’s welcoming committee. We can do for each other what a guru does for a disciple: hold each other in the knowing of who we really are, and teach each other how to live there. Each of us, as we experience our own piece of the age of reunion, becomes a guide to a small part of that vast new territory.

Hopeful in Bad Times

2011-12-29T11:56:00.003-06:00

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places - and there are so many - where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand Utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of present moments, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

Howard Zinn

Lifting the Veil of Duality

2011-12-28T01:09:00.002-06:00

We are all masters, although we have managed to disguise ourselves as students, pretending that we are ignorant and in need of guidance. Now we are ready to show our true essences.

There is not going to be a new master or a Messiah who will suddenly appear and take away all our troubles and pains. The Second Coming is not an external event. We are the Second Coming, every one of us is.

It is not about being spiritual and doing spiritual things in life or gathering others around you who can learn from you how to live spiritual, meaningful lives. The only thing that counts now is being the Spirit. Being the Spirit is our essential nature and requires no special skills.

Just being the Spirit helps others to go through their own transformations and assists Earth to go through her birthing process without unnecessary pain or upheaval.

We, each in our own way, have committed ourselves to transmute this planetary sphere, for otherwise we would not be here.

Andreas Moritz in Lifting the Veil of Duality

Helen Frankenthaler Dies at 83

2011-12-27T13:02:00.001-06:00

"Mountain and Sea" by Helen Frankenthaler, 1952

The lyrically abstract painter, Helen Frankenthaler died December 27, 2011 at her home in Darien, Conn. She was 83.

Known as a second-generation Abstract Expressionist, Ms. Frankenthaler was married during the movement’s heyday to the painter Robert Motherwell, a leading first-generation member of the group. But she departed from the first generation’s romantic search for the “sublime” to pursue her own path.

Refining Jackson Pollock's technique of pouring pigment directly onto canvas laid on the floor, Frankenthaler, heavily influencing the colorists Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland, developed a method of painting best known as Color Field - although Clement Greenberg, the critic most identified with it, called it Post-Painterly Abstraction. Where Pollock had used enamel that rested on raw canvas like skin, Ms. Frankenthaler poured turpentine-thinned paint in watery washes onto the raw canvas so that it soaked into the fabric weave, becoming one with it.

Helen Frankenthaler, December 12, 1928- December 27, 20111

Her staining method emphasized the flat surface over illusory depth, and it called attention to the very nature of paint on canvas, a concern of artists and critics at the time. It also brought a new open airiness to the painted surface and was credited with releasing color from the gestural approach and romantic rhetoric of Abstract Expressionism.

Although Ms. Frankenthaler rarely discussed the sources of her abstract imagery, it reflected her impressions of landscape, her meditations on personal experience and the pleasures of dealing with paint. Visually diverse, her paintings were never produced in “serial” themes like those of her Abstract Expressionist predecessors or her Color Field colleagues like Noland and Louis. She looked on each of her works as a separate exploration.

Unlike many of her painter colleagues at the time, Ms. Frankenthaler, came from a prosperous Manhattan family. She was one of three daughters of Alfred Frankenthaler, a New York State Supreme Court judge, and the former Martha Lowenstein, a German immigrant. Helen, their youngest, was interested in art from early childhood, when she would dribble nail polish into a sink full of water to watch the color flow.

Helen Frankenthaler at work

After graduation from the Dalton School, where she studied art with the Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo, she entered Bennington College in 1946. There the painter Paul Feeley, a thoroughgoing taskmaster, taught her “everything I know about Cubism,” she said. The intellectual atmosphere at Bennington was heady, with instructors like Kenneth Burke, Erich Fromm and Ralph Ellison setting the pace.

As a self-described “saddle-shoed girl a year out of Bennington,” Ms. Frankenthaler made her way into the burgeoning New York art world with a boost from Mr. Greenberg, whom she met in 1950 and with whom she had a five-year relationship. Through him she met crucial players like David Smith, Jackson Pollock, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, and Franz Kline.

Her marriage to Mr. Motherwell in 1958 gave the couple an art-world aura. Like her, he came from a well-to-do family, and “the golden couple,” as they were known in the cash-poor and backbiting art world of the time, spent several leisurely months honeymooning in Spain and France. In Manhattan, they removed themselves from the downtown scene and established themselves in a house on East 94th Street, where they developed a reputation for lavish entertaining.

Ms. Frankenthaler and Mr. Motherwell were divorced in 1971. In 1994 she married Stephen M. DuBrul Jr., an investment banker who had headed the Export-Import Bank during the Ford administration.

She never aligned herself with the feminist movement in art that began to surface in the 1970s. “For me, being a ‘lady painter’ was never an issue,” she was quoted as saying in John Gruen’s book “The Party’s Over Now” (1972). “I don’t resent being a female painter. I don’t exploit it. I paint.”

Article source New York Times

American Culture

2011-12-26T02:56:00.166-06:00

"Mercy Otis Warren" by John Singleton Copley, 1763

At the end of November I had an interesting conversation with a German colleague of mine. We started talking about politics and ended up with the American culture... or rather lack of it. According to my colleague America had no culture.

"The Circus" (detail) by George Bellows, 1912

I have heard such categorical statements before and usually became very upset trying to persuade my prejudiced interlocutors that America had a culture and it was a very rich one on top of that. In fact, there were many cultures in America and some of them were very ancient...

"In the Generalife" by John Singer Sargent, 1912

This time, I decided not to persuade anything to my colleague and not to get upset. Her statement did not mean that America had no culture. It only meant one thing: she was either ignorant or stupid. It meant that despite her high opinion of herself she lacked a big chunk of knowledge. For an educated German person this must be a reason to be ashamed.

Can you imagine someone who never heard anything about, say, Henry Miller, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, Jacob Lawrence, or Charles Edward Ives? How embarrassing that might be? Even if you were not interested in American culture in particular, these people made invaluable contributions to the world culture as such and not to know anything about them is shameful when you consider yourself well educated and well versed citizen of the world.

"American Gothic" by Grant Wood, 1930

The word "culture" can mean many things. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines culture as:

the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education
enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training
acquaintance with and taste in fine arts, humanities, and broad aspects of science as distinguished from vocational and technical skills
the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations
the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time

among other things.

To make sure that we are talking about the same thing we had to define what she meant by "culture". In the past I talked to Germans who used to compare McDonald's fast food culture with Beethoven and Brahms. The fact that there were fast food outlets like McDonald's in America was according to them a proof for the notorious lack of culture in America. On the other hand, the fact that there ever was a Beethoven or a Brahms in Europe was the very evidence of cultural superiority of the old continent. But how fair is that? Apples and oranges? How can anyone compare the high culture with McDonald's?

"Waterfall" No. III, Iao Valley, Hawaii by Georgia O'Keefee, 1939

For the many Germans I talked to in the past America had nothing to offer, except of course, shopping malls, Disneyland, stupid Hollywood movies, and fast food while Germany, of course, was full of concert halls, opera theaters, and museums. Was it possible that someone who traveled to America and spent most of his or her time in a shopping mall did not have the time for theater or a museum? Surely, they must have heard about the Metropolitan Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, the Chicago Art Institute, or the Metropolitan Opera.

"Report from Rockport" by Stewart Davis, 1940

I asked my colleague whether she liked literature. When she confirmed that she was a voracious reader I asked whether she has ever heard of Americans who received the literary Nobel Prize. Oh, yes! But they were actually all European writers who lived in the USA, was her answer. This was more than embarrassing, but I did not let her go off the hook so easily. She could not possibly think that Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, or Toni Morrison were Europeans. No, she didn't, but she actually did not think of those writers when she meant that America has no culture. She kind of did not consider the American literature to be that important... I was more than shocked and decided to continue. Socrates would do the same thing.

"Galaxy" by Jackson Pollock, 1947

We moved on to music. She played an instrument herself, but never heard of Aaron Copland or John Cage. Gershwin or Bernstein were not really making a high quality music and could not be considered makers of culture... When she thought of American music she meant rap and hip hop. How about jazz, lady? She was drowning deeper and I must admit, I almost enjoyed seeing her flounder in her own ignorance...

"Office in a Small City" by Edward Hopper, 1953

How about the visual arts? She heard of Andy Warhol, but for her someone who painted canned soup wasn't really an artist. The Belgian surrealist René Magritte who painted a pipe was considered a great artist. How was that?

The whole conversation was hopeless, so I suggested that she visited the Whitney Museum Of American Art on her next trip to New York. This museum has an amazing collection of American art and was a good start for someone who would like to learn something about the very rich history of visual arts in America.

"Scene with Nude" by Helen Frankenthaler, 1952

America is a relatively young country. The first European immigrants brought their own aesthetic traditions and went on to create a new, rich culture in their new homeland. In the 20th century many artists escaped the Nazi oppression and found creative freedom in America that was unknown anywhere else. But many famous writers, composers, painters, and sculptors were born in America. And although they studied their European counterparts, they created a very unique and original culture that to this day inspires people from all corners of the world.

The Other Roswell Incident

2011-12-25T08:00:00.016-06:00

By James W. Allmon

“Edgar Jensen, you drunken fool, you’d better not forget the dang tree again this year!” The shrill harpy-like voice of his wife Madge shot through his head like fingernails on a chalkboard. He winced as he pulled himself up onto the bony swayback of Ol’ Bess, his long in the tooth, but still reliable mule.

“Yes dear.” he said noncommittally. Edgar heard her, but his mind was on the frosty beer the boys down at the Lazy A Bar over in Roswell had lined up. It was time for their annual Christmas Hootenanny and chili cook off and he couldn’t wait to get his taste buds seared to perfection with Cookie’s Horned Toad Chili then cooled down with several frosty mugs of Blatz. It was as close to heaven as he supposed he’d ever get.

“I mean it, you old coot! If you don’t get that tree, you and that walking jerky factory had better not show yourselves back here. The grand kids are comin’ and they need something to put presents under!”

Edgar sighed and gently nudged his mule in the direction of town. It was a long way, so he’d better get to it.

* * *

“Zisnak! Are you listening to me? We need to hurry up and get to that place where your stupid brother and his drunken friends crashed so we can set up the beacon! Zisnak? Do you hear me?” Zisnak Hlpsnk shuddered as the shrieking voice of his nagging wife cut into his reverie of the good times he and his buddies were going to have on their R&R next week. Without wives!

“Yes dear.” he said cautiously as he rubbed his nearly shattered eardrum. She wasn’t a bad woman. Just a little intense. Yeah, that’s it. Intense.

“Good. We have to find the exact spot or the sub-ether transponder won’t allow the wormhole to open and allow our battle fleet to come through so we can take over this world! Remember, you fool, it must be within a three meter radius or the fleet will be shunted to who knows where!”

Okay, maybe more than intense. Borderline nagging, perhaps, but she was the commander of this mission after all.

“Is it ready to deploy, Cholnak?”

“Of course it is! Do you think I’m incompetent, my dear husband?” Her derisive tone was a bit much. Oh well. Next week is coming and the pristine beaches of Sagitarian IV were calling. Zisnak sighed wistfully. It can’t get here soon enough.

* * *

The boys at the Lazy A Bar were in rare form. They murdered several old favorite Christmas carols with a wanton display of off key blaring while belching and farting their way through several kegs of Blatz and gallons of the meanest chili that ever oozed up from the fiery pits of hell. The air was an evil shade of blue and it was a good thing there were no open flames within a three-mile radius.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Especially when Stu Whitman fell into the two holer out back and they had to lasso his legs to haul him out. Even after they tossed him in the watering trough he was too ripe to allow back inside so they passed his mugs through the window to him. You can’t allow even a stinking man to go without libation. That would be downright uncivilized!

The hooting and hollering continued unabated well into the night and even the coyotes and crickets joined the chorus. It was certainly a night to remember, that December 23, 1947 local Earth time. Interestingly, no one but a lone scraggly prairie dog noticed a small star that was headed over toward Edgar’s ranch.

* * *

“Prepare landing sequence and put some fresh batteries into one of the little gray drones. We can’t have a repeat of the last time when one fell over and was taken by their military. I still say your brother should have paid for that one!” screeched Cholnak.

Zisnak winced, but only said, “Yes dear.”

“Yes dear! Yes dear! Is that all you can say?”

“Ummm…”

“Never mind. Just get busy!”

Zisnak opened the bulbous gray head of a drone and slipped two cylindrical batteries into the sockets inside. The batteries were DurableCells, the only kind Intergalactic Hyper Scouts ever used! After snapping shut he switched the creepy little droid on. The thing turned its large black eyes on him and simply stared. Zisnak shuddered. He never liked this model. He much preferred the more voluptuous MK XII that came complete with Seduction Pack 8. He thought it was much better for abduction purposes. Oh well, it wasn’t his call. Bureaucrats and back room deals ruled the galaxy after all.

“The drone is ready.”

“Good. Give him the beacon and have him mount it to that indigenous plant right over there.” Cholnak pointed to a scrubby little tree sheltered by a large rock. “It should be safe there until morning when the invasion begins! Hail to the conquerors!” She punched the sky and hooted with unbridled glee.

Zisnak looked sideways at his wife and commander and wisely kept his mouth firmly shut.

* * *

The revelry, like all good things, finally came to a close. Cookie swept out the last of the drunken ranchers and began to muck out the overflowing spittoons. He smiled and hummed Jingle Bells and chalked up another great time with the boys.

Edgar crawled up onto the back of Ol’ Bess and weaved uncertainly back and forth until he grasped the saddle horn to stabilize the rough seas his mule was sailing through. At least that’s what it felt like to him. Ol’ Bess took it in stride like she always did. Nothing fazed her.

Edgar blearily focused on a pair of Cookies until they merged into one. He hiccuped, belched and said, “Merry Christmas Cookie! ‘Mon muh way home now. Gotta git a tree or the old hen’ll skin me alive!”

Cookie smiled and said, “Good night Edgar. It’s a dang good thing Ol’ Bess knows where the barn is! Now don’t go falling off and getting lost out there.”

“Won’t”, Edgar said under his breath. As his mule carried him past the watering trough he noticed Stu sprawled out beside it with a pair of skunks curled into his armpits, snoozing like smelly little babies.

* * *

Zisnak handed the drone a bright five-pointed golden object and a string of bright green, yellow and red lights and instructed it to attach them to the vegetation. The drone looked blankly at him and didn’t move.

“Kritslak!” he cursed and kicked the drone between its lower appendages in order to restart its motor functions. The drone gave an audible sound like someone sucking on a lemon and moved toward the airlock to complete it’s assigned task. It was limping noticeably.

“The drone is deployed, my darling commander wife.” he said.

“It’s about time!”

They watched through the glass dome of their saucer shaped ship as the drone shuffled to the scruffy tree and began to attach the signaling apparatus. When the last orb was attached the drone plugged the end of the light string into the side of the tree. The lights began to glow and the five-pointed beacon was satisfyingly golden in the night.

“The biometric power of the shrubbery should produce enough energy to guide the fleet straight here. At last we will overcome another planet to build a new hyper mall! The shopping will be amazing!” Cholnak’s eyes gleamed with what could only be called maniacal glee. Zisnak privately mourned the fate of his Galactic Express card. He was glad he left home without it.

“When the drone is back on board we’ll rejoin our glorious forces for the attack to come!”

Zisnak rolled his eyes, but only after his wife and commander turned her attention to the flight preparations. “Yes dear.” he said.

* * *

The miles went by very slowly for Edgar’s bladder and finally he couldn’t take it anymore. “Whoa, old girl. I have to take a moment or you won’t like me much.” The bowlegged mule stopped beside a large boulder and Edgar slid unceremoniously to the ground wile giggling like a drunken cowboy. Which was perfectly in order, given the state and employment he was in.

After he finished his necessities he stood swaying like a sapling in a stiff breeze. He noticed it was a bit bright on the other side of the boulder and staggered around to see if someone was camping out for the night.

Instead of a campsite he saw a forlorn looking tree bent under the weight of some lights and a beautiful golden star. “Well, I’ll be dipped in… Bess! Come over here you old mule! Look at this! It’s a Christmas tree right here in the middle of the dang scrub!”

The mule poked her head around the boulder and gazed without a hint of interest in what had gotten Edgar all riled up. The barely sober cowboy tried to dance a jig, but managed to trip over himself and fell flat on his nose.

After several moments of writhing and cursing, Edgar pulled himself to his feet with a Herculean effort and glared at the mule. “You’d better not laugh!” She didn’t.

“Well, one thing’s for sure. I don’t need an axe or anything, This thing is scrawny enough to pull up by the roots.” Without further ado, he proceeded to do just that. It was a smallish thing, but kind of cute, he thought.

“I think the wife’ll like it just fine. What do you think, Ol’ Bess?” The mule silently approved. “Good! Let’s get ‘er home then.”

Neither Edgar nor Ol’ Bess considered it strange that the lights on the tree continued to glow even after it was strapped to the bedroll on the back of the saddle as they moseyed the last few miles across the scrub toward home.

* * *

“Commander, the fleet is preparing to drop out of the wormhole and begin our attack on the planet Earth!”

The Supreme Commander, resplendent in his black and purple Battle Toga smiled at his second in command. “Thank you. You may proceed with the attack.” He took another sip of his steaming cup of gluh. “Mmmm, it’s good to the last sip!” he muttered.

A hideous alarm blasted his reverie into oblivion and the navigator screamed fearfully that the beacon wasn’t where it should be! “Wha..” was all he managed to articulate before the wormhole collapsed and the entire fleet was ricocheted like a well hit billiard ball into the left pocket of the universe.

* * *

Edgar nursed an epic hangover as he and Madge sat back in their favorite chairs sipping coffee. Their grandchildren put brightly wrapped presents under the odd little tree with the strangely glowing lights. Tomorrow was Christmas and it would be a nice one this year. Their new Victrola was playing the best holiday music and it was a beautiful day, without a doubt.

Suddenly there was a burst of static on the radio and a faint voice could be heard screaming.

“Zisnak, if we ever find our way home again, I’m going back to my mother!”

“What in the world was that?” Madge asked as the music suddenly resumed.

“I have no idea.” Edgar said, shaking his head and immediately regretting it.

Yes, it was a beautiful life!

A Little Tree

2011-12-24T10:17:00.005-06:00

little tree

little silent Christmas tree
you are so little
you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest
and were you very sorry to come away?
see i will comfort you
because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark
and hug you safe and tight
just as your mother would,
only don't be afraid

look the spangles
that sleep all the year in a dark box
dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,
the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms
and i'll give them all to you to hold
every finger shall have its ring
and there won't be a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed
you'll stand in the window for everyone to see
and how they'll stare!
oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands
and looking up at our beautiful tree
we'll dance and sing
"Noel Noel"

By E. E. Cummings (1894-1962)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T02:29:00.006-06:00

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown:
O, the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas - Dominique Allmon

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas...

2011-12-23T01:22:00.001-06:00

For James

We were planning this for years! It never worked, no matter how much we tried. Each year we would promise to celebrate Christmas together, but each year around Thanksgiving at least four of us would find an excuse. Maybe because neither of us ever forgot that fateful Christmas Eve party of 1981. We were in it together. We promised to stay in touch and we did, but we kept avoiding each other. And no one ever mentioned Ginny.

Occasionally one or two of us would accept an invitation to a wedding or to a birthday party. And each of us knew what the others were up to. But the whole gang never met together again. Until this year, that is. Thirty years later!

We rented a house near Aspen and booked our air tickets on time. We agreed to take our spouses with us, but the kids were to stay at home.

We all made it in life. Ron in Boston. Kira in New York. Bob's law firm was the best on the West Coast. Tom did well on Wall Street. Susan became a Governor of Texas. John decided to give a shot for the White House in the next elections. Chris directed the best Symphony Orchestra in the country. And my project won the prestigious 2011 Architectural Vision Award. Only Donna wasn't doing so well. Her company was under Congressional investigation and you could read about it for weeks in papers across the country. Even the British Financial Time mentioned the scandal. Heads would have to roll, they wrote, and we knew precisely whose head it was to roll first.

I guess, no one in the gang knew that John was cheating on Donna back then. They were to get married, but John could not resist temptation. Ginny was absolutely gorgeous and all the guys had eyes on her. But she was a taboo. Because of her father. There was even a rumor that she was a mistress of Senator Coldwell, but we did not believe it. Coldwell was a friend of her father. They both were running the political scene in Boston. We simply could not imagine that anyone would want to risk his career for a seventeen years old beauty. But after we found Ginny dead under the Christmas tree, I wasn't that sure anymore.

We were so stoned at that Christmas Eve party that neither of us could even give a coherent testimony to the cops investigating the crime. We smoked too much Mary Jane and the Christmas punch was stronger than it was supposed to be. It was pure booze with cloves and cinnamon. Ginny's time-tested recipe.

Poor Ginny was strangled that night and if she screamed for help, we did not even hear her. The music was too loud.

I remember that there were few other people in the house, but they left early. Ginny's parents were attending a Christmas reception at the Governor's house and all the servants were given a day off.

The police did not find any traces of an intruder and speculated that it must have been one of us. They could not prove anything, so Ginny's murder remained unsolved.

Things were never the same for us after that. A shadow of suspicion spread over our friendship. After the funeral we decided to never talk about Ginny again.

For years I suspected Donna, but never went to tell the cops. She was the jealous type. There wasn't a day that she would not make a scene. Eventually, John broke off their engagement and Donna moved to Chicago to live with her older sister. She told me that she wanted to get her degree there. I knew better.

* * *

My flight was delayed for another twenty minutes, but strangely, I was relaxed. I seldom traveled for pleasure and usually got very upset when my schedule got messed up. But today I was holding Jim's hand. He was still talking on the phone with his secretary. Last minute business had popped up unexpectedly.

The flight was quite pleasant, but I could not stop thinking about our reunion. Jim had met Susan and Ron before, and was a great fan of Chris, but I knew that his political views would collide with John's vision for the country. If we could only leave the politics out of our gathering!

I took a nap while Jim was reading his book. I don't know how long I have slept. I only knew that I had a nightmare. For the first time in years I found myself in Ginny's house. Drunk. Everybody was singing and dancing. I saw John disappearing with Ginny. Oh, no! He was the last person who have seen her alive. It occurred to me that this actually wasn't a dream. It was a memory that I repressed for years. I could even hear Ginny's laughter. John meant nothing to her. He was not a match to the man she was in love with.

I now clearly remembered that John reappeared from the library quite disheveled. Back then I thought that he just spent some exciting time with Ginny, when in fact, she was struggling with him. No sooner than he entered, Donna was all over him. I had another cup of punch. The next thing I remember was the scream. Susan had found Ginny under the Christmas tree. Ginny was lying there like an unwanted gift. Dead.

* * *

John probably will win the presidency. But what if he is a murderer? I need to talk to someone. Can anyone of them be trusted? Or shall I confront John? We were good friends back then...

Thirty years on and we still looked great! Everybody was already there when Jim and I finally arrived. Many new faces. Susan came with her second husband. Ron brought his dazzling new wife. Kira came with her lover. Tom finally married his college sweetheart, a prominent Boston lawyer whose name I could never remember. And freshly divorced Chris brought his new love Maureen. She was Irish and played first violin in his orchestra. Chris looked very happy. But when didn't he?

The house was fantastic! We had a large Christmas tree in the living room. And a fire place! Donna took care of the entire arrangement. An old friend of her was a real estate mogul in Colorado. He knew how to live in style. You could actually smell the money.

Everything seemed perfect. It wasn't very cold outside and all was set for the greatest Christmas Eve party ever. A five star catering company took care of our meals, while John provided the champagne. He was in the mood to celebrate. The primary campaigns were absolute success and everything looked like he would secure his party's nomination. The incumbent in the White House had no chance! Dom Pérignon for all!

Champagne helped us relax into a festive mood. We cracked old jokes and laughed at our past adventures. The music was loud and someone brought Mary Jane. Like in the old days! We smoked at the porch and drunk hot Christmas punch that wasn't as good as the one Ginny made years ago. All the years that separated us from that fateful day seemed to be forgotten and we were our old selves again.

Susan was making angels in the snow and everybody laughed. Ron was dancing with Kira. Jim mingled with the other spouses. I approached John and asked him to follow me into the house. No one seemed to have noticed that we disappeared from the porch. Standing next to the festive Christmas tree, his smile vanished when I told him that I knew he killed Ginny. If this ever came out he could forget the White House. The next thing I knew was that John was glaring at me, his hands around my neck. I could hear everybody sing my favorite Christmas song. Have yourself a merry little Christmas... La la la la la... I struggled. Unable to utter a sound, I saw my world disappear into a deep, scary blackness...

By Dominique Allmon

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas... by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Spiced Apple Cider

2011-12-22T07:45:00.000-06:00

As days are getting colder, many of us are looking for something comforting that would keep us warm from inside out. For some of us hot chocolate is the winter drink of choice, while others choose grog or spiced apple cider for the ultimate warming experience.

The tradition of warming beer or wine goes back to Medieval Europe where honey and spices were added to beer, ale, cider, or wine during the cold winter months.

There are some classic ingredients that are always used in mulled wines, but some people would add vanilla pods, cardamom, mace, ginger, pomegranate juice, or raisins. There is no limit to one's creativity.

The recipe below is for the purists and for those who are rather timid in the kitchen and who do not wish to experiment too much.

Recipe serves 5-6 persons. Although most alcohol will evaporate during cooking, the drink is not suitable for children.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon apple cider, preferably organic

2-3 pods of star anise

8-10 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp grated allspice

freshly squeezed juice of 1 organic orange

3-5 tbsp organic honey

1 sweet organic apple, thinly sliced

Method:

Pour the apple cider into a saucepan and add all the spices and orange juice. If you used organic orange, you may also add the washed orange peel. Simmer on a small fire for about 15 minutes. Do not boil as the spices may turn bitter at hot temperature.

Add the apple slices and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Add honey and stir.

You may want to strain the liquid through a colander before pouring it into tall cups.

Enjoy in good company!

Winter Solstice - The Shortest Day

2011-12-22T02:03:00.002-06:00

Prehistoric Hohokam sun observation shrine in South Mountain Park, Phoenix, Arizona

The winter solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, the term is also a turning point to midwinter or the first day of winter to refer to the day on which it occurs. More evident to those in high latitudes, this occurs on the shortest day, and longest night, and the sun's daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest.

The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.

Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.

Happy Hanukkah

2011-12-21T04:03:00.005-06:00

Sevivon

Dreidel spin spin spin
Hanukkah is a nice holiday
Hanukkah is a nice holiday
Dreidel spin spin spin

It's a joyous holiday for the nation
A great miracle happened there
A great miracle happened there
It's a joyous holiday for the people

Happy Hanukkah!

Ah Lichtige Chanukah!

The Dresden Christstollen Cake

2011-12-19T02:38:00.002-06:00

The Dresden Christstollen is a traditional German Christmas cake. The main ingredients include flour, yeast, water, almonds, macerated raisins, candied orange and lemon peel. Sometimes marzipan is used. Spices such as cinnamon and cardamom may also be added. Normally very little sugar is used to make the dough and some recipes call for milk, butter, and eggs.

The history of the Christstollen goes back to the early 15th century when it was first baked during the Advent at the Royal Saxon Court. The recipe was much simpler, though.

The original Christstollen cake was rather tasteless. No raisins or spices were used in the recipe, just flower, water, and rapeseed oil. Because Advent was a time of fasting and penitence, the bakers were not allowed to use any butter in the recipe. The rapeseed oil made the cake hard and tasteless. Eating it must have been a penitence itself.

The Saxon Court petitioned Rome in 1450, but the petition was declined by the Pope Nicholas V. More appeals were made by the Saxon royals until, finally, in 1490 Pope Innocent VIII granted a permission to use butter during Advent. However, the permission was granted to the household of the Prince Elector and his court only. The famous "Butter Letter" arrived in Dresden in 1491.

With the passage of time the permission to use richer ingredients was extended to other households, but the bakers had to pay fine. The money was then used to build the Freiburg Cathedral.

The general ban on butter during the Advent period was lifted when Saxony converted to Protestantism in 16th century.

Over the centuries the cake evolved from a rather tasteless loaf of bread to a delicious, but not too sweet, cake.

Ingredients:

10 oz raisins
2.5 oz almonds, coarsely chopped
2.5 oz candied orange peel
1.5 oz candied lemon peel
2 tbsp rum, optional
2 tbsp water
1lb 2 oz wheat flour
1 bag of dry yeast
ca. 3/4 cup milk, lukewarm
2oz granulated sugar
2 whole eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
7 oz unsalted butter, melted
zest of 1/2 of organic lemon, finely grated
3 oz / 100g unsalted butter
powdered sugar

Method:

Place raisins, candied orange and lemon peel, chopped almonds, rum and 2 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Stir ingredients together and set aside. Let them soak for a few hours.
Sift flour into a mixing bowl. Make a little depression in the center.
Dissolve yeast in ¼ cup of lukewarm milk. Pour into the center of the bowl, add 1 tsp of sugar and mix with some of the flour. Let the starting dough rise for ca. 20 minutes until it becomes very bubbly.
Add eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Stir well.
Add butter and the remaining milk. Knead the dough until it is smooth and firm. Adjust consistency with either a bit more milk or a bit more flour. Make sure the dough is not too dry, otherwise it will be difficult to mix in the raisins and almonds.
Cover the mixing bowl with clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until the volume has approximately doubled.
Incorporate the raisins, orange and lemon peel, and the almonds into the dough. Let it rise again until volume has almost doubled.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
To make a loaf, gently shape the dough into a thick oval and fold the edges over so that they meet in the center.
Let the so formed stollen rise for another 10-20 minutes.
Bake for about an hour or until fully baked - test with a wooden skewer before taking it out from the oven. When the skewer appears clean and dry, your cake is ready.
Remove from the oven. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Let it cool then wrap in aluminum foil. Keep it in a cool and dry place for at least a few days before slicing.

Enjoy in good company!

Good Fortune

2011-12-18T09:55:00.001-06:00

You are a fortunate person, indeed, if you can begin each day accepting the fact that during that day there will be ups and downs, good breaks and bad ones, disappointments, surprises, and unexpected turns of events. - Roy Benjamin

Happy Without Guilt

2011-12-16T10:57:00.001-06:00

The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It is more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, and yet, everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit. - Gretchen Rubin in The Happiness Project

Image source unknown but greatly appreciated

In Love with the Possible

2011-12-15T16:10:00.003-06:00

When you have the profound awakening that you are part of a cosmic process that’s going somewhere. You find yourself falling more deeply in love with what’s possible than you are with what has already happened.

This shift inevitably challenges almost all of your values and beliefs, including your ideas about what it means to love another person.

What are the conscious and unconscious values that inform your relationships with other people? Are those relationships primarily based on the past - on shared personal history and outdated cultural ideals? Or are they evolutionarily inspired, informed by the understanding that we’re part of a process that’s ever-aspiring to go somewhere new?

Are your relationships alive with the evolutionary impulse, with a shared love for what’s possible? Once we awaken to them, these future-oriented spiritual values are going to impact, in the most profound way, every notion we have of what life is supposed to look like.

By Andrew Cohen

Image source here

The Gifts of Imperfection

2011-12-14T07:56:00.010-06:00

Our truth and authenticity come perfectly gift-wrapped in our imperfections. - Author unknown but greatly appreciated

Why would people want to perceive themselves as something other than what they really are?

The pressure from society deprives so many people of freedom to live authentic lives. The fear of inadequacy leads to frustration and alienation from the core of one's own being.

A little gem of a book offers readers a way to change their lives through adopting the practices of "wholehearted" living. The Gifts of Imperfection is a work of a human behavior researcher, Brené Brown.

Each day we face a torrent of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should look and behave. We are mis-led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we would no longer feel inadequate. So most of us work hard to please others often without inner conviction that we may ever come close to the ideal that is expected from us.

The author teaches us to to embrace life and ourselves with all the imperfections and inadequacies. This helps deal with the stress of overdoing and over-performing. She offers exercises for readers to access their own emotions and begin develop resilience that is needed in life. Readers learn to stand on their own feet and confront the unrealistic expectations of others and their own.

A Willingness to Try

2011-12-13T06:27:00.010-06:00

Betterment is possible. It does not take a genius. It takes diligence. It takes moral clarity. It takes ingenuity. And above all, it takes a willingness to try. - Atul Gawande

When I first saw that image, I had to laugh. What a clever business idea! It reminded me of the ingenuity of countless immigrants who came to America penniless but determined to make it. Many would try their luck in business. Some would peddle snake oil, others would try to sell you the Brooklyn bridge. There were many crooks and the mafia, but also many decent people who would come up with business ideas so unique that the whole world would sigh in admiration and then quickly set out to copy the example. Fortunes would be made and lost like nowhere else. This was the America in the making, always striving for the superlative.

The unique desire to succeed shaped the face of America from the very beginning of its existence. Capitalism in its most aggressive form was responsible for unsurpassed economic growth. But America did not exist in vacuum. Just like any other country it was touched by the globally occurring events. World War I, the Great Depression and World War II brought hardship and poverty to many, but at the same time, mobilized others to utmost creativity and diligence. In only few decades American economy recovered. American Dream was the new motivating force. Prosperity was attainable once again.

People worked hard to achieve high living standard that was propagated by the cheerful Hollywood productions of the era. As always, some people made it, others were left behind. But one could always start all over. Americans were well known for their resilience. They were industrious and willing to take risks. And no one was blamed if things did not turn out well. There was no vicious envy for those who succeeded. Instead, people admired those who made it and wanted to emulate their success. This is how things always were in America. Until the Vietnam war, that is.

The Vietnam war incited violent social and racial unrest. The suburban ideal crumbled when youth rebelled against everything that was sacred to their parents and grandparents. Things were never to be the same again. The conservative values of the previous generations were replaced by so called progressive thinking and a desire to create a new society which was to be modeled after the collectivist totalitarian societies of China and the Soviet Union. The acid-laced (LSD) vision of the American "revolutionaries" comfortably omitted the atrocities perpetrated by the communist regimes. They ignored the plight of the people living the communist hell on Earth behind the Iron Curtain.

America needed change but thankfully, the "red" rebellion did not succeed and things returned to normal. More or less. The disenchanted students went back to school and graduated. Some of them went to teach in schools and universities, others went into politics. Some, however, decided to embrace capitalism and became successful entrepreneurs.

The late 70s brought the energy crisis, stagflation and the escalation of the Cold War. In 1981 Ronald Reagan became the president of the United States and once again America gradually recovered from the economic crisis. People prospered as the country experienced new wave of upward mobility. Everyone had the same chance to succeed, although Black and women still experience some discrimination.

Now, four decades later, the Vietnam era protest movement experienced its revival as the wave of protests spread across America. Once again, students took to the streets with demands for change. Ironically, many of them were indoctrinated by their own teachers - the very people whose rebellion died without success in the sixties - the Flower Power and the pot smoking hippies. This were the many "colorful" grown ups you could see among the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

The protesting crowds were by no means homogeneous. Most of the protesters were young. Many of them were college graduates who could not find jobs with their degrees. But there were of course others. There were the union thugs, the agitators, the neglected veterans, the homeless, the long-term unemployed, but also others who claimed that they quit their jobs in order to participate in the protests.

And just like in the sixties, the demands for change were made, most importantly, the demand to abolish capitalism and create a just society were the wealth would be redistributed and marijuana legalized. Once again America witnessed the revival of the Maoist and Stalinist thought. And this only twenty years after the collapse of the Soviet Union!

Their demand for equality is irrational and perilous! We all need an equal opportunities, but some of us are more talented than others. Some of us are more diligent or more determined. Some of us decide to work hard while others prefer to waste their lives away. And yet, demands are being made to share the wealth equally. These demands are reinforced by President Obama who believes that the rich are not paying their fair share.

The Wall Street protesters are backed, among others, by President Obama, by the Unions, by the American Communist Party, by the American Nazi Party, by the Vatican, and by Soros and his movement. There is no valid statistics, it appears that most of the demonstrating students have degrees in humanities. Very few of them understand how the economy works. They do not understand capitalism. And something is wrong with their math. They claim that they represent the 99%. They don't!

Many of the the demonstrators do not really want to take responsibility for their own lives. Instead, they demand that things be given to them. Meritocracy is gradually being replaced by mediocrity, complacency and laziness. They abhor capitalism, but are comfortable with its products. Could they imagine a world without iPhones, Lewis jeans and Starbucks lattes? Probably not. And if you asked them whether they would agree to "redistribute" their good grades so that those who did not work hard could also graduate, you would hear an uproar. Grades are different! Grades cannot be compared to money and wealth! Why not?

There is no doubt that things must change in America. Cronyism and corruption must be eradicated. Entitlement programs must be reformed. Some oversight of financial institutions must be introduced, but the ridiculous business-stifling regulations must go. Conditions must be created for businesses to invest in America again. School system has to be reformed, infrastructure modernized. Tax code has to be simplified. It is scandalous that those who make money with money pay so much less taxes than those who create jobs and work hard to keep their family businesses afloat. And when a corporation pays less taxes than a teacher, something is fundamentally wrong.

Economy is in a downturn again and many people have very few reasons to feel optimistic. And yet, there still is much talent and much ingenuity in America. Some people give up too quickly, but others are always willing to try.

By Dominique Allmon ©2011

Post Scriptum

Do not get me wrong! I do not suggest in this article that you have to senselessly toil for the rest of your life to amass a fortune that you wouldn't be able to spend in five lifetimes. This article is not that much about making money, as it is about dignity, self-realization, creativity, and ingenuity.

Great fortunes were made by greedy sociopaths and much too many people suffered and died in poverty never being able to realize their own humanity. But our beliefs and values evolved over time and today we understand that some people are simply unable to fend for themselves. This is why social programs were created in many capitalist countries. Unfortunately, these systems are prone to fraud and abuse. Some are nothing but cleverly designed Ponzi schemes. They create dependence and lethargy. And they definitely buy votes.

Just think. It is not about "justice". It is about motivation, self-reliance, self-determination and self-worth. It is about the individual mindset because people who resign themselves to handouts not only give up their independence, they also forfeit a chance of genuine fulfillment.

Image source unknown but greatly appreciated

A Willingness to Try by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Health Benefits of Mistletoe

2011-12-12T01:14:00.005-06:00

Common Mistletoe - Viscum Album

Common or Eurasian Mistletoe (Viscum album) is one of the many species of a hemiparasitic plant that grows on a variety of trees, especially apple trees, poplars, willows and linden. It forms a drooping, evergreen bush on branches of a host tree from which it obtains some its nutrients. The fact that it contains chlorophyll enables it to synthesize its own nutrition as well.

Mistletoe was believed to have magical properties and was used in medicine since ancient times. The Druids held mistletoe in great reverence as a sacred plant that could cure any illness. It was harvested in a great ceremony and cut from the trees with a golden sickle. Mistletoe that grew on oak trees had the highest value because of its rarity.

In the beginning of the twenty century Rudolf Steiner, who initiated the Anthroposophic Society, proposed the use of mistletoe in the cancer therapy. A wide research of the plant was conducted by anthroposophic researchers. They came up with homeopathic preparations that combined the summer and winter extracts of the plant harvested from different trees. These preparations are still successfully used in anthroposophic medicine to treat cancer patients in Europe.

It is assumed that the host tree influences the healing characteristics of mistletoe. Rudolf Steiner observed that to heal some of the female conditions, extracts from the mistletoe that grew on apple trees was the most effective. Extracts derived from the plant that grew on oak trees was considered to be the best to correct male health problems. Different extracts were used to heal different organs or systems of the body.

Nowadays the amazing healing properties of mistletoe have almost been forgotten. Mistletoe is commonly used as a Christmas decoration and many people consider it to be poisonous. This is only partly true. The white berries containing the seeds are indeed poisonous and should never be consumed. But the leaves and twigs are considered to have high medicinal value and may be taken like any other herb on a regular basis. Usually homeopathic preparations, tinctures, and tea are used for therapeutic purposes.

Mistletoe contains many active compounds that have strong healing properties. Among others, scientists identified viscotoxins, alkaloids, lectins, glycoproteins, flavonoids, polypeptides, saponines, choline, lignans, histamine, mucilage, and tannin. Mistletoe is believed to have many therapeutic properties, among others it is used to:

* alleviate hypertension

* help heal arteriosclerosis

* stimulate immune system

* improve the function of the urogenital tract

* alleviate PMS and menopausal symptoms

* improve the gastrointestinal function

* enhance metabolism

* calm the nervous system

* alleviate respiratory ailments, including asthma

* improve cardiovascular function

* inhibit the formation of tumors

Common mistletoe in cancer therapy

In Europe mistletoe is used in complementary cancer therapies. The extract is injected subcutaneously, but it can also be applied topically around or directly to the tumor or a body cavity. Sometimes it is delivered intravenously as an infusion. It can also be administered orally. The extract is used to treat all kinds of cancer. It can be used alone or as an adjuvant to a conventional cancer treatments.

Mistletoe extract works on many levels in the body. Most importantly, it stimulates body's own defenses. A strong immune system is absolutely vital at any time, but especially when a person is afflicted with cancer. Mistletoe extract protects the DNA of healthy cells against the harmful effects of cell toxins, otherwise known as the cytostatic agents. The extract lessens the effects of the administered chemotherapy or radiation treatment and helps to minimize the damage caused by these treatments to healthy body tissues. Moreover, the extract has a substantial thermogenic effect. It induces mild inflammatory reaction and a slight fever in the body of a patient. This in turn helps to speed up metabolism and activate the immune system. Both reactions are necessary to effectively eliminate toxins and to heal.

Clinical studies and direct patient observation demonstrated that patients using the mistletoe extract tolerate the conventional cancer treatments much better. They experience less pain, have better appetite, and manage to sleep better at night. They recover much faster and have more energy in comparison to those who do not use the extract, and their survival chances are higher.

"The effectiveness of mistletoe extract appears to be not so much attributable to any individual constituent as to the concerted effects of all the substances contained in the whole extract – just as the desired overall sound of an orchestra is only brought about if all instruments play harmoniously together." From the Mistletoe Therapy Website.

There are many different preparations on the market. Some of them are produced under the anthroposophic guidelines, others are non-anthroposophic. The anthroposophic preparations use extracts of mistletoe harvested from different trees. Summer and winter extracts are mixed together. The non-anthroposophic preparations use only mistletoe harvested from poplars during winter and emphasize the lectin content on the premise that lectins are the main active compounds in mistletoe. This approach, however, is fragmentary and the efficacy of the preparation uncertain.

One of the most popular preparations is the lactobacillus-fermented Iscador. This potion was first developed in 1917 by anthroposophic doctor Ita Wegman. Iscador is widely prescribed by oncologists in Germany. This preparation is sold in the USA under the name of Iscar. It is a prescription drug.

There is an ongoing debate in the scientific circles as the clinical effectiveness of mistletoe cancer therapy is still greatly disputed as the conducted studies use different standards. The anthroposophic approach is holistic. Disease is regarded as imbalance in the organism. To restore balance, physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of a person have to be addressed as well as the relationship with the environment in which she or he lives. Since every human being is different, each disease takes on a personal characteristics. Some of the therapeutic results may not be replicable in clinical studies.

Mistletoe is a very potent herb and should not be administered without a supervision. The mistletoe tea may be safely consumed daily over a longer periods of time. However, it is strongly advised to consult a certified health care provider, particularly one who understands the principles of anthroposophic medicine, before beginning self medication.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Health Benefits of Mistletoe by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The Christmas Tree Controversy

2011-12-10T04:40:00.009-06:00

Here we are again! The Christmas tree controversy in the United States!

Millions of firs and spruces will be cut on the Christmas tree farms with the sole purpose of bringing joy to the Christmas celebrating households, stores, shopping malls, and offices across the country. The larger specimen will be put on display in or outside of city halls, governor mansions and even the White House. One of the most famous Christmas trees ever is the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

Millions of trinkets and decorations will be sold to those who want to make their trees look pretty. Millions of Christmas tree lights will be sold for this purpose. Just like every year. But just like the last year and the year before, this ritual will be overshadowed by a political controversy. A Christmas tree is not allowed to be called a Christmas tree anymore. It is a holiday tree! What holiday?! - you may ask in disbelief. The April Fool's Day maybe? The argument goes that in a country that prizes itself for tolerance it is offensive to non-Christians to have a Christmas tree on display. Why have a tree at all?

The incorrigible people who insist on calling Christmas tree a Christmas tree are severely criticized by the liberal press and politicians and ridiculed by the enlightened talk show hosts. And believe it or not, the public is laughing.

But no matter how much fun is being made of the Christmas tree or the Christians who insist to call it so, Christmas tree will always be a Christmas tree.

In Germany people enjoy their Christmas trees, in German "Weihnachtsbaum" not a "Feiertagsbaum" or holiday tree. The French have their "sapin de Noël" or "l'arbre de Noël" not a "sapin de fête". Even the British are allowed to have a Christmas tree. But in America it is politically incorrect to have a Christmas tree in a public space. What you are allowed to have are the politically correct "holiday" trees, decorated with taxpayers' money for the joy of all Americans: Christians, non-Christians, and the atheists alike.

Ah! Wait! Political, cultural or religious correctness would require you not to have any Christmas tree at all, but if you decide to have a tree in a public space and your tree looks like a Christmas tree, you would actually have to call it a Christmas tree, if you wanted to be correct. Isn't it? The decorated tree is a Christmas tree! If the Martians, the atheists, the non-Christians wish to enjoy a decorated tree, they are free to do so, but they have to accept the fact that it is a Christian tradition. Just like the Easter Egg is an Easter Egg and not a holiday egg.

The whole argument might appear trivial and ridiculous to those living outside of the United States. For the Christians in America it is an assault on their tradition, if not the religion itself.

The tradition to decorate trees may have Roman and Celtic origins, but it began as Christmas tradition in Germany in the 16th century and spread from there around the Christian Europe.

The legend, however, has it that the tradition goes back to the late seventh or early eighth century when St Boniface, who converted the German people to Christianity, was said to have encountered a group of pagans worshiping an oak tree. In anger, St Boniface is said to have cut down the mighty oak tree. To everybody's amazement a young fir tree sprung up from the roots of the massacred oak. St Boniface took this as a sign of the righteousness of the Christian faith.

It was not until the 16th century that the fir trees were brought indoors at the time of Christmas. It is said that one cold Christmas Eve, about the year 1500, Martin Luther was walking through a snow-covered woods. He was struck by the almost divine beauty of a group of small evergreen trees. Their branches, dusted with snow, shimmered in the moonlight. When he got home, he set up a little fir tree for his children. He decorated it with candles, which were lighted in honor of the Baby Jesus' birth.

The Christmas tree tradition came to the United States either with the Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with the German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio. But their custom wasn't popular at first.

The New England Puritans abhorred any sign of religion and banned Christmas altogether. It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that the Christmas tree tradition become universal in the United States.

During the Great Depression, a new kind of business sprung up - the Christmas tree farm! Nurserymen couldn't sell their evergreen trees for landscaping, so they simply cut them dawn for Christmas. Cultivated trees were preferred by the city dwellers because they appeared more symmetrical than the those growing in the wild. Besides, one did not have to spend hours looking for a right tree in the forest anymore.

People enjoyed their Christmas trees undisturbed until the recent attacks on their tradition. Strangely, it isn't the tree itself. It is the tree's name. A not so subtle nuance, though! The public can have its tree for as long as it is called a holiday tree!

How about the Santa? Will he lose his job?

First Snow

2011-12-08T03:00:00.012-06:00

Madame M.

I shuffle through the fresh new snow while strolling in the park,

Seeing shadows start to form as it is getting dark.

So quietly and peacefully new snowflakes hit the ground,

And form a pure white layer and they never make a sound.

The soft flakes feel like drops of ice when drifting on my face,

And everything feels fresh and clean as I walk through this place.

The trees are covered with a coat of freshly fallen snow,

Then some have icy branches that give off a crystal glow.

The only sound that I can hear is little wisps of wind,

But only for a moment then the air is still again.

My heart is overflowing with a feeling from within,

A gentle, soothing, calming feeling comes to me again.

From a poem "December Snow" by James A. Kisner

Snow in Roswell, NM

It is really pretty out there. So much snow fell over night only two days ago. And it is very, very cold! The temperature dropped to average 6º F or -15º C, but at least it is sunny and nice.

Madam M. is not really interested in the landscape. She enjoys the warmth of the house. Agent Orange, on the other hand, loves adventures. Until only few days ago, he spent most of the nights outside. We have no idea what he was doing out there, but it was simply impossible to keep him indoors. Till the snow fell.

It was late in the evening and still snowing when Agent Orange gave his usual "concert". James opened the back door for him. What ensued was really comical. You could see an orange fur ball rushing like mad through the door. Suddenly the ball halted in its tracks in disbelief. Someone did something to his kingdom. He gave James an accusing look and hid under the table, sulking.

Few minutes later he was meowing at the front door, probably hoping that at least this part of his universe was still normal. When James opened the door, Agent Orange appeared even more confused. He wanted to check the backyard again and did not stop howling until James picked him up. Something was really wrong out there! What was that white thing? Who put it there? Everywhere!

Agent Orange, sulking

James decided to keep the confused cat indoors for a while. The cat almost resigned himself to his confinement. For one night! He either forgot about the snow, or simply wanted to explore it, because the next evening he insisted on going out.

Agent Orange is a very adventurous cat and it is almost impossible to keep him indoors. He was a baby alley cat when he moved in with us last year in October and has never seen the snow before.

He meows and howls if he doesn't get his way. He "must" go outside, even if it is for a few minutes only. Snow isn't as horrible as he first seemed to think.

We decided to keep an eye on him. It is simply too cold to allow him to spend the entire night in the bushes or wherever he desires to go.

By Dominique Allmon @2011

Pearl Harbor 1941

2011-12-07T02:55:00.003-06:00

Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941

We resolve that our strength, our vigilance, and our devotion will forever keep America the land of the free and the home of the brave. We resolve that we will keep faith with those we have loved and lost. And we resolve that, always, we will remember Pearl Harbor. - Ronald Reagan

Proclamation 5751 – National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7, 1987

Seventy years ago, on December 7, 1941, at 7:55 in the morning the Japanese began an air attack on the US Navy Base at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii.

More than one hundred Japanese airplanes dropped incendiary bombs or fired torpedoes at the unsuspecting port city and the naval base in a first wave of attack that lasted about 35 minutes. Newspapers reported later that untold damage has been done to the Pacific Fleet.

A second strike occurred at 9:00 and lasted for about an hour.

The entire naval base and the Hickam Army Airfield Field have been destroyed by 353 planes that took off from six Japanese aircraft carriers. 2, 390 American men, women and children perished and more than one thousand were wounded that fateful Sunday morning in a surprise attack which was planned as a measure to neutralize the US Pacific Fleet and prevent American military intervention in South East Asia.

The news of that savage air raids came as a shock not only to the people in Hawaii. The members of Congress were outraged because the attacks occurred without any formal declaration of war by Japan at a time when the Japanese officials were still negotiating with the US Secretary of State Cordell Hull on lifting US sanctions that were imposed on Japan after continuing Japanese aggression against China.

On December 8, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his "Day of Infamy" speech to a joint session of Congress and via radio, to the entire Nation. Immediately afterward, the Congress declared war on Japan.

The Japanese declaration of war on the United States and the British Empire, which was published in Japan on December 8 on front pages of all Japanese newspapers, reached the American government hours after the attack.

Although the American relations with Japan were deteriorating rapidly, the Pearl Harbor attack came as a surprise. It changed the flow of history and precipitated American entry into World War II.

By Dominique Allmon ©2011

Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

2011-12-06T02:56:00.132-06:00

Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century figure.

His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young.

Nicholas used his entire inheritance to assist the poor, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and became Bishop of Myra at a very young age.

Nicholas was known for his generosity, his love of children, and his concern for sailors and ships. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is venerated as the Miracle Creator or the Wonderworker.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered persecution, was exiled from Myra and incarcerated.

It is said that the prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons that there was no space for murderers, thieves and robbers.

After his release from prison, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325.

He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas.

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told about St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so loved and revered as a protector and helper of those in need.

One of the legends has it that during a great famine a ship which was loaded with wheat for the Emperor of Byzantium, was is in the port at anchor.

Nicholas asked the sailors to unload a part of the wheat to help in time of need. The sailors, at first disliked the request because the wheat had to be weighed accurately and delivered to the Emperor. But when Nicholas promised them that they would not take any damage for their consideration, the sailors agreed. When they later arrived in the capital, they made a surprising find. The weight of the load had not changed. The amount of wheat they left in Myra lasted for two full years and could even be used for sowing.

Saint Nicholas Day is joyfully celebrated in Europe, especially in Poland and Germany, but also in Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and France. The Orthodox Christians celebrate this holiday on December 19 in accordance with the Orthodox calendar.

To learn more please visit St. Nicholas Center

Holiday Stress? Not this Year.

2011-12-05T07:54:00.006-06:00

Stress is probably one of the most underestimated holiday "companions" we may ever encounter. While the Holiday Season is meant to be a time of love, warmth and cheerfulness, it usually turns out to be the most stressful time of the year. And although we celebrate every year, the Holiday Season seems to always take us by surprise year after year.

Since holiday stress is predictable and avoidable, why, after all the preparations are finished and the first dinner guests appear at the door, some of us feel little joy and are about to collapse from plain exhaustion?

What is stress?

Stress is the body's natural response to intense situations that require some kind of action on the part of the individual. Some stress is considered to be good. Experts say that it can actually improve our immune system. Bad stress, however, weakens the body's immune response and may cause a range of health problems such as sleep disorder, weight gain, heart problems, impaired digestion. An untreated, prolonged or chronic stress may even have deadly consequences.

Is there anything that we can do to avoid stress before the Holidays?

Keeping an eye on your budget, mailing Christmas cards and buying gifts early, buying online, preparing a Christmas dinner menu in advance, hiring catering service, delegating tasks to family members, etc., are some of the strategies worth embracing if we want to avoid unnecessary stress. But even if we do, we may still worry that the gifts might not be delivered on time or that someone forgets what we asked them to do.

The very fact that we still have to oversee all the preparations of the festive dinner makes the "delegating business" just as stressful as doing everything oneself. No matter what we do, stress and anxiety seem unavoidable as there always is a chance that things will go wrong. The vision of impending catastrophe is almost comical and yet, not funny at all.

So, if the Holiday stress seems unavoidable, why not give yourself a gift of relaxation? Schedule an early afternoon visit to a spa and pamper yourself. Take a bath after a long day of Christmas shopping. Light some scented candles and listen to a quiet, relaxing music. Have a cup of hot chocolate or some calming herbal infusion. Go to bed early. Relax and don't let the stress ruin your Holidays.

We function much better when we are relaxed. Our memory improves and we are in a much better mood.

Plan ahead, but remember that things do not have to be perfect. Holidays are about joy and not about perfection. Maybe it is time to simplify the way you celebrate Christmas.

By Dominique Allmon ©2011

Holiday Stress? Not this Year. by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The Joy of Gift Giving

2011-12-04T04:28:00.006-06:00

Or How to Avoid Major Mishaps

The gift giving tradition is much older than we think. It probably started with the first offerings to the gods. Gift giving was practiced in many cultures and often involved complex symbolism. It was practiced in archaic societies where gift giving was a matter of honor and morality and a way to forge relationships with strangers. To give a gift was a sign of generosity and called for respect of the giver. The recipient of a gift would show his respect to the giver by accepting the gift and was given a chance to reciprocate and prove his own generosity.

In ancient China gift giving was highly ritualized and there was a strict gift giving and receiving etiquette. Some things, like clocks for instance, were considered to be a taboo. Other things, like sweets or perfectly round fruit, were considered propitious. This tradition is still meticulously observed by the majority of Chinese people all over the world.

In ancient Rome simple gifts such as twigs from sacred groves, were exchanged during the new year's celebration. With passing time more elaborate gifts were given. Gift giving was also practiced by the Nordic societies during their new year's festivities of Yuletide.

In Japan gift giving etiquette regulates the social interaction with strangers and friends. It is obligatory to bring gifts from a trip abroad. Gift giving is an important part of the business protocol and constitutes an entire industry in japan. There are many complex rules concerning the gift exchange, presentation, and the gift itself.

There are many occasions for gift giving throughout the year. We celebrate birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduations. There is the Saint Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Christmas. We give house warming gifts and wedding gifts. We have baby showers and bachelor parties, First Communions and Bar Mitzvahs. We give gifts just to show that we think of our relatives or friends. Gifts are expression of love and generosity and our way to reinforce our relationships. Much time and energy is devoted and millions of dollars spent annually on gifts that very often are disappointing to their recipients. We seem to seldom receive what we really wanted. And sometimes we manage to give the wrong and disappointing gift ourselves.

Each of us probably received a wrong gift at least once. You were so happy that someone thought of you that you could not wait to unwrap your present... And then, your smile just froze on your face and you wanted to scream, but you were just too shocked to even let a sound out of your mouth. Since you didn't want to offend anyone, you expressed your gratitude. The disappointment took a root in your heart and your mind was frantically working out a strategy for the quick disposal of the gift. Maybe aunt Edna who is 87 years old would love it...

It is an awkward situation. We really want to be grateful and think that we must, but we just cannot stop thinking that someone who knows us could have made such a wrong judgment. The giver did not even consider what you might like or want, or even what kind of person you were. The giver just satisfied his own joy or need of giving. It seems that the recipient was completely taken out of the equation. It may sound absurd, but it may be very true in many cases. It takes time and energy to really imagine and consider what the other person may like, want, or need.

Three years ago a dear friend of mine was given a gold fish for Christmas. His friends who visited him at his home realized that he did not have a pet and decided that a fish will be a good start, without even considering his lifestyle or his personal choice not to have any pets. He did not have an aquarium and could not relate to the poor creature in any way. It took days for him to recover from his shock! How on earth did his friends get such an idea? The fish eventually died when he went on a long business trip. A sad end for the poor animal that could be avoided if his friends considered his circumstances. Think of it if you decide to give a pet to someone. Try to find out if the person likes and wants to have a pet in the first place. Too many animals end up on the street after Christmas and this is more than cruel.

I was given a horrid gift more than once by the same person. I guess, I probably looked very happy the first time I received the gift, so the same kind of gift was bought for me the next year. I could not stop thinking were did I go wrong. But how to tell someone that you just hate what they gave you. My friend knew that I love reading, but decided that I already had too many books and chose to give me something "nice" instead. Who would ever expect that this very gift was to become one of the most atrocious presents I have ever received? I still wonder where do you get stuff like that.

A friend of mine receives a new cooking utensil from her husband on every possible occasion. She loves cooking, but would prefer to get French lingerie from time to time, or something as exciting if not original. She believes that her husband gets his inspiration from some website discussing best gifts under $50 or so for house wives.

There are millions of similar stories. So where do we go wrong? What can we do to avoid these little disasters? A woman called Patricia Steplyk from Houston, TX wrote in the "Reader to Reader" column of the Body and Soul magazine December 2009 issue that throughout the year she takes notes in her calendar. She would write down her observations about friends and relatives. And when holidays approach she would just go through her notes and use this information to identify thoughtful gifts for every one of them. In this way she can refrain from panic shopping and overspending. This approach not only saves her time and money, but it helps her chose the best and most suitable gift for her friends and loved ones. The recipients seem to be in the center of her gift giving ritual. And I believe they really enjoy their gifts.

Even if gift giving means fun to some of us, it is considered by the psychologists to be one of the most stressful aspects of any Holiday experience. Our creativity, sensitivity, taste, and insight are being put to test and there is always a chance of misunderstanding or faux pas. We look for inspiration, but our choices are sometimes limited by the budget we have to our disposition. In this case we have to be even more creative. And what do we do when our friends already have "everything"?

The best gifts are the gifts that the recipient really wants, enjoys and appreciates, but would possibly never buy for himself or herself. A gift that reflects the amount of time and energy spent on choosing, making or preparing it, is valued much higher than a store wrapped "something" you found on sale. Presentation is important, although some people believe that elaborate wrapping only covers up the poverty of the gift inside. It does not have to be so.

Here are some aspects to consider when you decide to buy or prepare a gift:

put emphasis on relationships rather than things
invest more time rather than money
chose mindfulness and meaning rather than mindlessness
chose ecological, reusable, environmentally friendly gifts
give home made delicacies like your own cookies or preserves

One of the ways to avoid gift giving disaster is to offer a gift card, especially if the recipient has a favorite store. This may appear not as sophisticated as a box of cookies or chocolates made by you, but it will help you avoid stress and disappointment. Buy the most beautiful greeting card you can find, write a sincere personal note, insert your gift card, wrap the card in a beautiful gift paper and tie it up with a festive bow. You cannot go wrong as your gift will show that you spent time and energy preparing it. The recipient, on the other hand, can use the gift card the way he or she really likes. And since gifts are usually reciprocated, you may be surprised what you get next time.

The Joy of Giving or How to Avoid Major Mishaps by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The Five Myths of Aging

2011-12-02T00:01:00.004-06:00

By Lauri M. Aesoph N.D.

If you were an alien visiting our planet, you might think Earthlings never age. Even as awareness about aging rises, most major magazines and television stations still fail to display healthy, active older people. Medical journals, on the other hand, harp on the infirmities of old age. It's no wonder we fear and even deny our own inevitable aging.

Grower older can't be avoided, but it doesn't have to mean the loss of health, mind and independence. In fact, research seems to indicate the opposite. By paying a little attention to lifestyle, most older individuals can live active, healthy lives and we can all shatter those old age myths.

When I get old I will become senile?

Many of us view the elderly as doddering old creatures, unable to think for themselves and constantly forgetting the most mundane things. In reality, senility only strikes five percent of Americans. The other piece of good news is that some age related declines in mental functioning can be prevented or even reversed.

When scientists from Tufts University reviewed a number of studies, they discovered that vitamin deficiencies account for many of the symptoms of senility. Just as vitamins are needed for normal nervous system development in children, they are required for normal neurological functioning in adults - young and old.

For example, low folate levels in the elderly can cause forgetfulness, irritability and possibly depression. Vitamin B6, a nutrient required to make many neurotransmitters, may lead to peripheral neuropathy (a disorder of the nervous system where the limbs feel numb or tingle) if deficient. The nutrient that ensures nerves are protected with a myelin sheath, vitamin B12, can be responsible for delusions and mood disturbances when levels fall below normal.

Most of us think that nutrition must be poor before these kind of deficiencies show up. However, researchers have found that seemingly healthy, elderly subjects can still exhibit low vitamin levels. In fact, an older individual can be lacking in certain vitamins for years without any hint of a deficiency. Symptoms, mental or otherwise, may not show up immediately and even the usual blood tests employed to detect lagging nutrients are not always reliable.

Old age means losing all my teeth

If you're not worried about losing your mind when you're old, you might fret about losing your teeth. Periodontitis, or late stage gum disease, is the primary cause of tooth loss in adults. This condition commonly begins as gingivitis where gums turn red and begin to swell and bleed, a situation experienced by too many people. Fortunately healthy gums and avoiding false teeth are both reasonable goals.

The elderly of today are much more likely to keep their teeth than previous generations. Even so, dental disease is prevalent. The New England Elders Dental Study found the beginnings of periodontal disease in over 3/4 of the 1150 persons examined. Part of the problem, said these investigators, was that education and dental care for this population are overlooked by both dentists and the patients themselves.

The sad part of this situation is that proper dental hygiene and regular cleanings by the dentist are usually enough to stave off infection. Another simple and inexpensive way of preventing or at least halting the progression of periodontal disease is to store and replace your toothbrush properly. Although most of us are in the habit of keeping our toothbrush in the bathroom, this is not recommended. Bathrooms are the most contaminated room in the house. Healthy people should replace their toothbrushes every two weeks; those with a systemic or oral illness more often. Everyone should use a new toothbrush when they get sick, when they feel better and again when they completely recover.

Finally, an important aspect of both dental and general health is immunity. It has been determined that a suppressed immune system is associated with the rapid progression of periodontal disease. A Midwestern research group found that cigarette smoking was one habit that dragged down immunity and sabotaged periodontitis treatment. Other lifestyle behaviors that theoretically could do the same include poor eating habits, stress and other immune depressors.

The older I get the sicker I will become

It's true that as we age, our physiology changes. These changes can lead to poor health if not addressed. But old age doesn't have to mean feeling sick and tired. An important part of staying well into the older years is keeping your immune system operating at its peak.

Aging is generally associated with lagging immunity and consequently more infections especially of the respiratory system. However John Hopkins' Professor Chandra discovered that when independent, apparently healthy, elderly people were fed nutritional supplements for a year, their immunity improved. Immunological responses were so marked that those who were supplemented (versus the placebo group) were plagued with less infections and took antibiotics for less days. It should be noted that these effects were achieved with a moderate amount of nutrients in a balanced formula. Megadoses of some vitamins can actually impair immunity.

Besides taking care of your immunity with supplementation, diet, exercise and other measures, you can prevent many age-related diseases with specific health precautions. For example, there is evidence that smoking and low plasma levels of vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene contribute to cataracts. Dr. Dean Ornish showed that a one year program of stress management, moderate exercise, no smoking and a low-fat vegetarian diet may reverse the development of coronary atherosclerosis. Left untreated, atherosclerotic plagues usually continue to grow.

Many other chronic diseases can also be prevented or treated with lifestyle changes. Calcium and magnesium supplementation helps some individuals with hypertension. Most are helped by high potassium foods (fruits and vegetables), salt restriction and weight maintenance. Keeping blood pressure under control can also decrease the risk of a stroke.

Adult-onset diabetes is usually treated best with dietary measures such as reducing simple sugars, consuming a lot of fiber and taking chromium supplements. It's estimated that half of all types of cancer are linked to diet. This explains why less fat, lots of fruits, vegetables and fiber, vitamins A, B6, C and E, and zinc and selenium all appear to play a role in cancer prevention.

Lifestyle changes won't help me when I get old

It's a mistaken notion that at a certain age, you reach the lifestyle modification point of no return. If you've used this as an excuse to cling to old, comfortable, unhealthy habits, it's time to let go. Of course, it's always best to live as healthy as possible as young as possible. But for those in their golden years, there's still plenty of hope.

Two of the most difficult habits to break, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle, can, when discarded, yield great health results. In 1990, the Surgeon General at that time, Antonia Novello, MD, MPH, declared that "even people who quit smoking at older ages can expect to enjoy a longer and healthier life compared with those who continue to smoke".

Although the incidence of cigarette smoking naturally declines with age, those who continue to smoke should be aware of the numerous advantages of quitting. In as little as 20 minutes, blood pressure, pulse and body temperature all return to normal. Eight hours later, oxygen levels in the blood rise. After a day, the chance of a heart attack decreases. In five years, the risk of lung cancer falls to about half and in five more years lung cancer risk almost parallels that of a never-smoker. All these changes occur no matter what your age when you quit.

Frailty in the older person can't be totally blamed on aging. At least some weakness occurs because of physical inactivity. A regular exercise program not only decreases the risk of chronic illness, but can help prevent early death. Those who begin exercising later in life can slow or even reverse organ deterioration.

When elderly individuals exercise, they reap a number of health rewards. Aside from fighting chronic diseases, their heart is stronger, muscles are more fit and flexible, mood is enhanced, and falls and fractures are less frequent. While exercise alone probably doesn't significantly extend life beyond 80 years old, it can improve your quality of life.

As long as I maintain the eating habits I had when I was younger, I will stay healthy

Perhaps one of the biggest fallacies of good health is that nutritional needs don't change with age. Just as children and teens have different dietary requirements than adults, so do the elderly differ in their needs from younger individuals.

Experts are still arguing about what and if diet needs change with age. Because of this it's estimated that anywhere between zero and forty percent of the independent elderly are nutritionally deficient. A number of factors feed into poor dietary intake. Chronic diseases, both physical and mental, can cause nutritional problems. Various medications can impair nutrient availability or discourage eating due to loss of appetite. If you wear ill-fitting dentures, pain can prevent you from eating. Elderly who live alone may feel isolated and uninterested in eating.

But even if you are older and healthy, the very process of aging alters your metabolism and physiology. Stomach acid declines, thus affecting some nutrient absorption. Many older people feel full quicker because of an increased sensitivity to the satiety peptide, cholecystokinin octapeptide. Aging also dampens the body's appetite center, and consequently eating. Finally, it's suspected that an older palate doesn't detect those tastes that drive us to the dinner table: the salty and the sweet.

Aging is inevitable. Poor health is not. Regular exercise, nutritious eating (appropriate for your age) and a lucky roll of the genetic dice can help you to age with grace and good health.

Article source here

Utopia

2011-12-01T06:42:00.005-06:00

By Frantzi P. Manuel

The earliest Utopian visions are that of a paradise that does not exist on earth. It’s a paradise after death. And they don’t just depict a single person. It’s a vision of a whole lot of people wandering through this beautiful garden and talking to one another. It’s not a solitary paradise; it’s a community. But there’s no connection to reality - immortality was a given, for example. These visions are ethereal. The early Utopian thinkers were not social revolutionaries or social activists; they were pure dreamers.

From the very beginning, people thought in terms of realities other than those of everyday life. And that’s apparent in the evolving nature of paradisiacal Utopias over time. You have the Garden of Eden, with the earth’s “earliest inhabitants,” Adam and Eve, and there is a sharp difference between the paradise of Eden and what happens after the serpent enters the garden. Then you have the future paradise, the days when the Messiah arrives. There is the “world to come” as compared with the world as it is.

The visions of paradise found in the paintings of fifteenth-century Italian artist Giovanni di Paolo were of literate people - nuns, priests, monks - who were meeting and talking together in a beautiful garden. There was natural beauty, but there was also lofty discourse. You then have the Age of Exploration. What vision of paradise pushed Columbus, for example, to venture out to the New World, and did he think he had come upon it when he reached South America? Because whole new lands and new societies opened up, as compared with the old lands of Europe. What pushes us? Fame? Money? We cannot create any generalities about notions of paradise. But one thing remains: There is a division or a distinction between paradise and what people are facing in everyday living.

The sense that one could create Utopia here in this world starts with the work of Thomas More in the early sixteenth century. You don’t find this kind of thinking earlier than that. Even a hundred years earlier, Utopia was much more otherworldly. But with Thomas More, man rather than God is now conjuring life on earth. The idea of Utopia is More’s invention, and it’s very much linked to the life he’s actually living in the sixteenth century. It takes off from there. He doesn’t think that his Utopia will take place after you die and get resurrected. It becomes concentrated on this world.

Thomas More thinks in terms of a whole society with nice proper gardens and decent relationships, which he describes in detail. He thinks it through. And he’s laughing; he’s enjoying it, but he’s serious, too, because he is well aware of the faults of the society in which he lives. He is critiquing the Tudor monarchy of King Henry VIII, and it is a very shaky monarchy. All sorts of things are happening, and More is very much a man of ideals, principles, and faith. After all, he gets beheaded because he upholds his allegiance to the Catholic Church and breaks with the king, which is ultimately recognized; and eventually he is canonized as a saint. He was a brilliant man, a very well educated man, a man who not only thinks ahead but acts on it. For example, he has his daughters educated. He stands out in his world. Thomas More was a different kind of dreamer.

People were beginning to explore the life of the mind and the riches that were around them, not in terms of gold and jewelry but the riches of scholarship, of thought. They were interested in whatever they could find in history, and this went along with opening up the New World, with finding out about other races. They were finding civilizations in both North and South America that they didn’t know existed. Columbus discovers the New World at the end of the fifteenth century, and very shortly after that, Thomas More writes "Utopia". So there’s a confluence of a lot of things - the artistic world, the literary world, the geographic world. An enrichment takes place, and that gives birth to a new thinking, a new dreaming. This is the birth of humanism, and of course, the religious world starts getting hacked away.

The seventeenth-century Utopians, such as Sir Francis Bacon, were imbued with a different spirit. Virtually all of them were men of action who believed that their plans could and would be crowned with success within a foreseeable, not a distant, future. "The New Atlantis", which Francis Bacon wrote in 1626, is hardly a popular Utopia of social regeneration, as was Thomas More’s. Its purpose lies elsewhere. In "The New Atlantis" Bacon introduced science into human thinking, and he had a very clear and interesting conception of how science should be employed. Of course, you had scientists before Bacon - Copernicus, for example. But Francis Bacon is the father of scientific thinking. He was setting things forth, using his imagination and then checking on that imagination, measuring, changing, and testing. Bacon wasn’t just dreaming; he was working things out scientifically. He was developing a practical way to arrive at conclusions, so he used "The New Atlantis" to help introduce the scientific method into society, to alter the thinking of the time. And he was obviously an imaginative, brilliant man.

For Utopian visions to take root and influence the course of history, you had to have a population - more than a few philosophers - that could enact them. Utopia had to be more than someone’s reverie. A Utopian thinker in the seventeenth century, for example, had nobody on whom to pin his thinking. He was isolated, not from his fellow philosophers but from the great masses of people who were barely making a living and were thus unaware of what he was envisioning.

That begins to change with the Industrial Revolution and the shifting economic and world systems. You begin to have a population that can think. People begin to find their voices. They begin to become aware of themselves, to know who they are. Working people of the period come closer to philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who was articulating Utopian visions. As a result, these thinkers begin to stir things up in a way that hadn’t happened before. The French Revolution led to emancipation and the rise of a middle class. And it was happening in the American colonies as well - the Declaration of Independence is a Utopian document. It wasn’t just somebody’s dream - you have a mass uprising and different classes of people begin to have authority. These people become part of a Utopian vision of the future, and Utopian ideals actually begin to take flesh. That’s when you see a change in the thinking, the wishing, and ultimately the working of Utopian thinkers.

In the nineteenth century, a much broader Utopian thinking emerges that concentrates on creating a whole new society. Important Utopian thinkers from the period included Charles Fourier and Henri Saint-Simon in France and Robert Owen in England. Their visions were not merely dreams of the future. They were meant to be adopted by groups, by cells, by societies - and they were.

Fourier and Owen were the two major early-nineteenth-century apostles of the small-community movement. They had confidence that a single successful experiment based on their principles of organization would provide an example so compelling that it would persuade the rest of humankind to adopt their systems. On the other hand, the main thrust of the Saint-Simon movement was not directed toward establishing small communities but was rather a total reorganization of the whole scientific-technological society. He began to think in much bigger terms and also in very specific terms, down to the kind of roadways he wanted to see. To join the Saint-Simon movement was an act of commitment to the future progress of man - a world of order and limitless progress in the flowering of all capacities, a world virtually without pain, a world of love and cohesiveness. The movement, the religion, was the new world in miniature.

In the twentieth century humanity chose some ruinous and catastrophic directions. Totalitarian regimes set out to create new societies. But in this context, we talk of dystopia rather than utopia.

Immediately after World War II, dystopian novels sold more copies than any literary Utopian works in memory. Dystopia portrays the future as a living hell. You have apocalyptic visions of human beings overpopulating the earth and clawing one another for survival, of nuclear disaster, of escaped pathogenic bodies heedlessly being created by experimental scientists. Yet out of these visions, the Utopian propensity shows signs of stirring again, because at the heart of a dystopia has to be a utopia. You say, “This is awful. This is terrible. We’re going in the wrong direction.” But you’re saying that because you think there’s the possibility that it can change. If you didn’t think there was that possibility, you wouldn’t bother. Aldous Huxley, author of the ironic dystopian "Brave New World" lived to write the Utopian "Island". The impulse behind a dystopia is really Utopian.

Utopians are true realists. They know what would be good for the world. And they know that you have to have an ideal before you can move toward it. So they’re realists in that sense. Those who merely accept what is are really the non realists because they’re denying that the world is going to change, that the world moves. But what direction the world moves in is another story. And if you have no goal toward which you hope it will move, no goal you’re pushing toward, then you’re accepting everything that’s bad and you don’t need to. The Utopian thinkers of the past were often far in advance of their societies, and it’s good to know about them. Of course, sometimes the societies that were founded on their ideas didn’t work out that well. That’s certainly true of Marx, for example. But that, too, gets corrected in time. By new utopias.

If you’re alive and you’re a thinking person, then you have to hope for something, even if you’re not very optimistic that it will be achieved. You still want to work for it. You want to better this world, and you have the feeling not only that it needs to be bettered but that it can be - that its evolutionary fate is ultimately to be better. Therefore you have to align yourself with those who think similarly and not with those who either have given up or think that the world begins and ends with them.

In the twenty first century life is different, and the province of the Utopians is changing. They’re not worried about sexual freedom anymore. Economic ideals still move Utopians, but they are moving other people too. Issues that were once Utopian have become common objectives; they’ve been gobbled up by the Democrats, who are no longer called Utopian! So Utopians are really hard-put today, don’t you think? For instance, would you call the ideal of world peace Utopian thinking? I don’t think so. This has almost become a world ideal, whether you think it’s possible or not. What was once specific to Utopians has now spread to entire populations, linking what used to be Utopian with the life of humanity.

You don’t need a vast number of people to destroy the planet anymore, and that puts Utopians in a different position altogether. There’s talk of the end of humankind. In the nineteenth century, that would have been considered crazy. But people who think in those terms are not considered wild dreamers anymore. Utopian thinking now has to do with the preservation of the human race. Utopians in the twenty-first century are those who think we can preserve the world. And it’s not one class or society; it’s all of humanity. So Utopians are no longer simply isolated in little enclaves of their own. Without the whole world to back them, their ideals can’t move into a practical phase. We all have to become Utopian because we all have to believe we can preserve the world. And if we don’t, we should give up right now and go into a cave, or pray, or just think, or spend our time knitting. The alternative is the end. That sounds gloomy.

From an interview with Jessica Roemischer for What is Enlightenment, 2007

About the author:

Fritzie P. Manuel is a scholar and art historian. Together with her husband, the late Harvard professor Frank E. Manuel, she coauthored Utopian Thought in the Western World. This seminal work chronicles the unique nature and progressive history of Western utopian ideas and their influence on the development of civilization, past to present to future.

Image source unknown but greatly appreciated

Health Benefits of Chili Peppers

2011-11-29T01:17:00.010-06:00

Chili pepper also called chile pepper or chilli pepper (from Nahuatl term "chilli" ) is the fruit of a plant from the genus Capsicum, in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Chili peppers originally grew in America, but spread around the world after the discovery of the continent by Christopher Columbus.

The fiery fruit found its way into many ethnic cuisines. Its medicinal qualities were quickly discovered and applied for variety of ailments. Modern science confirms most of the popular uses.

The main active compund that gives chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically is capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide). Several other related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids, work in synergy to the same effect.

Chili contains vitamin A, C, B6, and folate. When ripe and red, it contains significant amounts of beta carotene. The hot fruit is also an important source of phosphorus, iron, sodium, magnesium and silica. They are also rich in lycopene, lutein, and zeaxantin - compounds that help fight free radicals in the body.

Regular intake of chili peppers delays oxidation of serum lipids, and lowers and improves insulin and glucose profiles following a meal, both of which contribute to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Australian researchers also demonstrated that the amount of insulin required to lower blood sugar after a meal is reduced if the meal contained chili pepper. When chili was consumed on regular basis, the insulin requirements dropped even more.

The benefits of chili may even increase with a higher body mass index - an obesity indicator. In obesse individuals, chili not only significantly reduces the amount of insulin required to lower blood sugar levels after a meal, but it also results in a lower ratio of C-peptide to insulin, an indication that the rate at which the liver is clearing insulin has increased.

The levels of C-peptide in the blood also indicate how much insulin is being produced by the pancreas. The pancreas produces proinsulin, which splits into insulin and C-peptide when it is secreted into the bloodstream. Each molecule of proinsulin breaks into one molecule of C-peptide and one molecule of insulin. Lower levels of C-peptide indicate that less insulin has been secreted into the bloodstream. Since chili positively affects this ration, regular consumption of chili may help prevent adult diabetes.

Capsaicin improves the ratio of bad versus good cholesterol in blood and stimulates the liver enzyme responsible for the fat metabolism.

Scientists found out that chili stimulates blood circulation and is a great anticoagulant. Both, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin reduce platelet aggregation and the activity of blood clotting proteins in blood samples. Regular consumption of hot peppers may help reduce the risk of thrombosis and prevent stroke.

A team of scientists found out that capsaicin has the potential to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the cells of the prostate cancer. The cancer cells alter their genetic information to avoid the genetically programmed apoptosis. Capsaicin demonstrated the ability to interfere with this maneuver and slow the proliferation of the cancer cells and the development of prostate tumors.

Hot peppers can provide some relief for cold and sinus problems because capsaicin has as expectorant effect. It increases lung function and facilitates the elimination of mucus.

There is a strong scientific evidence that capsaiconoids in chili boost metabolic rate. This brings hope to many who wish to lose weight. Chili stimulates receptors in the bowel when a spicy meal is eaten and increases thermogenesis. Increased heat means increased energy expenditure and thus the boost to the metabolic rate. It must be said, however, that excessive consumption of hot chili peppers may irritate stomach in sensitive individuals. A safer option for weight loss is available on the market in form of a non-irritant capsaicin pill.

Capsaicin has been used externally with great success to control pain. Such conditions as painful joints, arthritic inflammation, muscle pain, athletic injuries, and frostbite improved considerably with topical application of capsaicin containing ointments. Scientists in Scandinavia found out that capsaicin increases the DNA synthesis and triggers production of pain suppressing collagenase and prostaglandin.

Since capsaicin improves blood circulation, hot chili may be used as an aphrodisiac. It is wise, however, to avoid contact with the genitalia as the stinging may have an adverse effect.

Adding a little chili to daily meals not only makes a bland diet tastier and more appealing, but, most importantly, helps prevent disease and improve many degenerative conditions associated with aging.

By Dominique Allmon

*Information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Health Benefits of Chili Peppers by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Enlightenment

2011-11-27T12:18:00.002-06:00

Enlightenment - that magnificent escape from anguish and ignorance - never happens by accident. It results from the brave and sometimes lonely battle of one person against his own weaknesses. - Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano in “Landscapes of Wonder”