edi pentol: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

THE MEEK: IT'S TIME FOLKS, LET'S CLAIM OUR INHERITANCE-IT'S THE EARTH!!!

Early on, Simon and Garfunkle offered their take on the Beautiful Beatitudes with "Blessed"

BEAUTIFUL BEATITUDES:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you, falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Words attributed to Jesus, viewed by millions worldwide over 2,000 years following his death as the Christ or the Messiah, in a Sermon delivered on a mountain within Israel while it was under Roman domination to ‘multitudes’ as reported by a disciple of Jesus’ deemed an Apostle by Him, Matthew, in his book contained in the Holy Bible. The Bible is a lengthy document (more accurately an amalgam of ancient documents) considered sacred including both an Old Testament (recognized and held sacred by those of the Jewish faith) and a New Testament based upon the basic Christian tenet that everything changed with Christ’s conception, birth, death and resurrection. This translation is of what Matthew is attributed with having documented is the English Standard Version, and these words are found in Chapter 5 of Matthew’s first book in the New Testament, one of four referred to as The Gospels, which document Jesus' life, with the gospel writers' focus primarily on his ministry as an itinerant preacher, really. These excerpts come from Matthew's Chapter 5, verses 3 through 11.In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offered certain blessings, promises really, that He and His father, God, would grant those so described in each of his Beatitudes. Webster’s online defines beatitude as follows: be•at•i•tude noun \bē-ˈa-tə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\

Definition of BEATITUDE

1a : a state of utmost bliss b —used as a title for a primate especially of an Eastern church 2: any of the declarations made in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3–11) beginning in the Authorized Version “Blessed are”I find the first definition offered as very revealing. These ‘blessings’ promised by Jesus are in fact to be a state of bliss for certain individuals is the message I received from looking up various definitions of the term beatitude with a lower case ‘b’ at the beginning. So He promises bliss, and of a specific nature for certain classes of people. I’ve highlighted those classes of people, so the highlights are my own, not contained in the English Standard Version, or any English translation version of which I am aware. I’ve highlighted them in order to review the list and make a point or two about the most important sermon ever delivered. Agree, disagree. Believe or not, like it or not, like Him or not, like His followers or not; it would be difficult to argue that Christ’s words on that day were anything but Earth-shattering and perhaps the most important words uttered. These words, and His life have altered the course of the species and life on the planet for the past 2,000 years like none other.

The most beautiful woman ever conceived: Judy Garland. What a concept!

So first He addresses the “poor in spirit.” Who are they. In my mind immediately I think of the despondent, those perhaps suffering from depression, having had such a diagnosis of my own and having been depressed as a kid, had one legitimate attempt to off myself over 25 years ago, and having worked as a counselor to those with mental retardation and mental illnesses and as a manager of programs for such persons for most of my adult life. I think also of persons of faith who have had tragedy befall them in life and stray from that faith or who still have belief in God but are not happy with the cards dealt to them or to others that they love. My experience has been that almost universally those suffering from either or both of these conditions in a chronic manner have not been primarily responsible for their outlook. Often their upbringing as children, when environment is beyond a child’s control, results in a PTSD sort of situation resulting in chronic depression. Or an action by another, rape perhaps, assault of a loved one or their unjust demise, enforced poverty or deprivation beyond one’s control often triggers these chronically “poor in spirit” folks in my experience. Genetics do play a part as well, I firmly believe, quite often. The promise Christ offers these wonderful people is a Kingdom, which to me implies empowerment, and heaven is never referred to as something of an after-life thing, necessarily. This promise of this empowerment does not necessarily mean it is deferred to the demise of the bag of bones carted around by us in this life. When I think of the poor in spirit I think of Judy Garland, my all-time favorite movie actress/singer, because I relate to her life so well. Born to a wealthy power family (I do not relate to that so much) and successful beyond belief with skills, charm, beauty and talent even as a tyke, a great career admired by millions, and yet suffering despondency and addiction. Perhaps Elvis Presley might fit that category. And Senator Thomas Eagleton who was Democratic Presidential Nominee George McGovern’s Vice Presidential pick before it was uncovered that he had received mental health care in his life and had to step down from that nomination also occurs to me.

In the day, Neil Young, along with his musical pals Graham Nash, David Crosby and especially Stephen Stills put

"Ohio"

into stark perspective

Ohio

“Those who mourn” could be anyone who attains a level of consciousness in this life. But I think Jesus was more tuning in to those who mourn for people who not merely die, but are in a lesser condition than themselves. I think he felt a special bond to those who worry about the hungry, the impoverished, the enslaved, and the survivors of breadwinners and of those who suffer injustice. Mourning the loss of loved ones because they’ve loved us is something that’s easy and all of us do it. Christ found more appealing those who mourned for strangers, or even for those who do themselves and those they love harm, I do believe. That’s just my take. He promises comfort to those who mourn for those in desperate straits, which implies to me that those desperate straits, those yokes or what-have-you can be removed from others, thereby comforting ‘those who mourn.’ Funny, but what comes to mind here is Neil Young and his inspiration to write the song “Ohio” in response to the murder of 4 promising, bright and moral young student protesters at Kent State University by Ohio “law enforcers” and of Stephen Stills’ “Find the Cost of Freedom.” I believe that both Young and Stills mourned and continue to be deep mourners for others and very effective ones at that.

A very happy Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior said we have to get it done with peace and love

I’ll defer discussion of “the meek” till last. Next on Jesus’ hit parade of the specific audience he seeks to receive his message are “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” These people are those, I believe who actively engage on behalf of those who are treated unjustly. Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. is one obvious example. Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela certainly would appeal to Christ I believe in this manner. And again, keeping in mind that these promises are not pie in the sky, nor something to wait for following our death and parked on a cumulo nimbus playing a harp (I looked, it just ain’t in ANY of those gospels), Jesus promises that thirst and hunger for righteousness shall be satisfied. Strong language indeed. He certainly didn’t mince words on this promise.

John Paul II went into a Roman prison to visit Mohammed Atta, the man who shot him trying to kill him

“The merciful” is pretty self-evident I think. Hitler and Stalin, for example wouldn’t fall into this category. Jeffrey Dahmer, NOT! ‘Reverend Jim Jones’ certainly wouldn’t qualify, neither would Pat Robertson. Neither Glenn Beck nor Rush Limbaugh either. I think of John Paul II visiting his attempted assassin in a Rome prison. I think of the recently deceased Betty Ford admitting her problem with alcohol and dedicating her reputation and life to aiding others so afflicted. And I often think of the desperate challenge perhaps of a rape victim, or the parent of a child victim of a sex offender who has found it within themselves to forgive their or their loved-one’s victimizer. These are heroes, I do believe, in Christ’s book. The one being reviewed here, the New Testament. And what he promises to the merciful is mercy, which I find fascinating. I know I’ve had resentments in my life. Which I’ve heard defined as reliving anger over and over. If the anger is justified it’s even worse. I take it out like an evil gem stone and polish it up from time to time and poison my soul with such resentments. If I find mercy and am able to forgive, then I am freed from the resentment, thereby earning and being blessed with mercy in return. Again, I don’t have to wait for that whole six-feet-under phenomenon for this benefit promised by Him. If I go further and work on behalf of obtaining mercy for my victimizer or the class of people I perceive as my victimizers, then the mercy I receive is that much greater.

Caylee Anthony, let's please have mercy on Casey

“Pure in heart” is Caylee Anthony. An infant. A puppy. An abused dog or cat. At our core I think all our hearts are pure, however attaining adulthood makes that Ivory Snow bar soap purity the only possible level perhaps. Even the white stuff on the old porcelain soap holders wasn’t claimed to be 100% pure, only 99 and 44/100ths percent pure if I recall correctly. John Paul II, Mother Teresa, MLK, Gandhi, etc. were all good guys. But none of them even, as pure as the Ivory Soap claim. And I dispute that claim for the white stuff too. Just cuz it floats don’t mean its all purity and virginity. But we all have purity at our center and it is who we are at the soul level. Caylee died before she lost it. Any SIDS victim does. Casey Anthony needs mercy. Caylee, the SIDS victims, and so forth have seen God if Jesus’ promise is true. We all will if His promise holds up (and I'm sure it will). :)

A legendary man of peace: President Anwar Sadat of Egypt

“The peacemakers” who come to mind are of course your Anwar Sadats, Barack Obama by rendering freedom fries back into French fries and so earning the Nobel Peace prize following the alienation of the world by his predecessor, and such. But on a day-to-day basis peacemakers are office workers who go way beyond their job description and make sure fisticuffs don’t break out at the water cooler. Or friends who lend an unbiased listening ear to two arguing friends. Or members of 12 Step groups who help to mend lives and families without financial compensation or credit. We are the sons and daughters of God; and He promises that we shall be so named. Ya gotta luvit!

“Those who are persecuted for righteousness sake” are the jailed Nelson Mandelas, and perhaps WW II Jewish Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who, like MLK was tied in closely to an institution I love and was privileged to be a part of at a young age, Boston University. Persecuted not just for political beliefs, perhaps a Mom persecuted for going to court to get her child support money due her children, or a man going to court to exercise his right to safety and security by getting a restraining order or exercising his rights to safe housing against an assaultive and threatening spouse. Being judged simply for exercising rights is a difficult one indeed. This is persecution. Prejudgment, which is prejudice, is persecution and always lacking righteousness. He promises these folks who have had their rights stripped from them the same empowerment He grants the “poor in spirit,” which is that blessed kingdom of heaven. And if yer gonna wait till the next life for it, good luck toya!

A minister within the traditions of the United Church of Christ, the Congregational Church,

Reverend Jeremiah Wright

“You when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” brings to mind the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama and Eric Holder. Reverend Wright was taken out of context by Fox News and the mainstream media with his inspirational “God Damn America” sermon! I wish I’d have been there for that barn-burner of an inspirational talk, if you read the entire text of that sermon, you’ll understand what I’m saying. And for Barack to be called a Muslim, a socialist and worse, when he’s a card-carrying Congregationalist—an active member of the United Church of Christ when he’s not running for President and being President and his politician opponents won’t let him worship, is exactly who Christ had in mind. And Eric Holder, being accused of dropping charges against fools who call themselves “New Black Panthers” and intimidate voters at the polls, when the charges were dropped by Bush’s Justice Dept. 11 days before President Obama was even inaugurated, simply because Eric and Barack are themselves black and accusing Attorney General Holder of running a racist Justice Department no doubt offends his sensibilities. He comforts these persecuted folks by comparing them to the prophets who have preceded them and been likewise persecuted despite their good motives, good intent and good actions. His promise is that they should rejoice at a great reward in heaven (which I submit can, will be and is here on this Earth, not on that cloud drifting by on a partly cloudy day after they’re dead and buried).

meek adj \ˈmēk\

Definition of MEEK: enduring injury with patience and without resentment : mild 2: deficient in spirit and courage : submissive 3: not violent or strong : moderate — meek•ly adverb — meek•ness noun Examples of MEEKa meek child dominated by his brothersShe may seem meek and mild but it is all an act.Origin of MEEK

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mjūkr gentle; akin to Welsh esmwyth soft

Related to MEEKSynonyms: demure, down-to-earth, lowly, humble, modest, unassuming, unpretentiousAntonyms: arrogant, bumptious, chesty, conceited, egotistic (or egotistical), fastuous, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, hoity-toity, huffish, huffy, imperious, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

Your genuinely meek unabashed author, Steve Alexander aka Unabashed Left acronym UL same as:

Unconditional Love

<3 :) ;o)

“The Meek” I’ve also heard defined by biblical scholars as anyone who is downtrodden, the physically and mentally incapacitated especially, the addicted, the alcoholic, some even might argue it may include those with criminal proclivities and such. I am “The Meek.” I was bullied in junior high school, please see a series of articles on this blogspot headed “Bully, Bully, Bully” for details. As I’ve indicated, I’ve been diagnosed psychiatrically and also misdiagnosed at times. I’m a recovering alcoholic and addict. I am in poverty as defined by the federal and state government and presently disabled. Don’t, however, feel sorry for me. I’ve never had it so good, and nobody has it better than me! <3 Thank YOU Lord! The meek are the impoverished. The meek are the handicapped, the elderly, the illiterate, the discriminated against, etc…

I am a male of European descent. I’m a white guy. Western ‘civilization’ as I see it is a history of intimidation of the rest of humanity and the other species by males of European descent, going back to before the Romans ruled over Jesus when they were the occupiers of Israel and enslaved the Jews in the day. Before the Romans it was the Greeks. Then it was Europeans doing it in Christ’s name with things like their absurd and vicious “Crusades.” You had your Dark Ages, your era of European Colonialism (the British and French and Dutch ‘Empires’ etc. ad nauseum). In the 20th century we European guys brought you ‘the big one’ WWI, Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini among others. And since Truman and his European male cronies at the War Department made the choice to launch a first-strike nuke attack on two civilian targets at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 the U.S. materialistic demands, nationalism and consequent militarism have intimidated the world like no other killing machine in human history. In 1776 European slave owners for financial reasons broke from Europeans in London and wrote a couple of documents, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution which enslaved millions for nearly a century, kept all but property owning males from any rights whatsoever, deprived women of even the right to vote for nearly a century and a half, and has kept women and the entrenched poor out of real power for 235 straight years! Let’s look at the antonyms of meek once again:

Antonyms: arrogant, bumptious, chesty, conceited, egotistic (or egotistical), fastuous, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, hoity-toity, huffish, huffy, imperious, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

Super-greedster Wal-Mart CEO Rob Walton

In other words the worst of the ‘un-meek’ are entrenched wealthy European males. It was true when Christ spoke the words, and has not changed at all. Now it’s Wall Street and the Republicans and the French and NATO in Libya, Britain and Tony Blair and George W. Bush and what-not. And what’s happening in Washington this week with these Debt Ceiling “negotiations” is just an obscene sideshow.

We “the meek” are we disabled, impoverished, addicted, ethnically discriminated against, educationally deprived, mentally and emotionally challenged, persecuted religious believers, persecuted non-believers, atheists, agnostics, women, obese, ill, elderly, terminal patients, homeless, incarcerated, home renters, and all who are not in that group that’s dominated the world since Jesus uttered his beautiful beatitudes. And His promise to us is that WE SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH. Very strong promise right here. Wow. Check it out. I really like this one. No. Let me backtrack. I LOVE this one.But to claim our inheritance requires work. Real grunt work sometimes. It’s not like S. Robson Walton inheriting Wal-Mart from his Dad Sam Walton and making sure he moved in as CEO within 48 hours of his father’s death and then profiteering by farming out manufacturing to the Communist governors of China and undercutting the competition. Not like George H.W. Bush inheriting a fortune, a political name and contacts from his father, Connecticut Senator Prescott Bush, and then passing those same things on to an ignoramus like his son George W. Bush and the other one, Jeb Bush.

We have to work to earn ours. It’s time. We are uniquely qualified to bring the tyranny of millennia of European male domination to an end here in one really offensive dynasty, the United States of America today. Our economic, military and nuclear domination of the world post WWII has been epic, but we are at a crossroads. We’ve elected a non-European President who is well motivated. The right wing may appear ascendant at times, but in fact are simply desperate. They know that they are losing their grip. We cannot relent. We have to win the election by a huge margin in both houses and return Barack to the White House next year. We have to turn the majority around on the Supreme Court, absolutely. We need to plan for a long-term strategy which will put us in political power for more than one term at a time. We need to establish a Democratic majority once again and this time we need to revamp the Constitution in such ways as to ensure that there is an equitable distribution of political and economic power between the sexes, ethnicities, denominations, non-believers and those in rural and urban areas. We need to disarm militarily and stop intimidating the rest of the world. We need to eliminate our incessant demand for an endlessly expanding economy, more consumer goods and creating and exporting a carbon footprint which is killing the atmosphere. Insead we need to focus our future economic planning on planned economic stability or even negative 'growth' with more efficiencies and more equitable distribution of resources. We are liberals. And these are liberal economic philosophies for the era of global warming and global consumerism run rampant thanks to America's own policies since WWII.

Assassinated with a handgun of all things, Mr. Peace, John Lennon

Lennon told us it 'could only mean into the streets singing Power to the People" but it's gotta be peaceful!

As John Lennon said, it does mean ‘getting into the streets and singing power to the people!” It means demonstrations and huge ones. It means love-fest style demonstrations and the spread of Christ’s central message, perverted by many so-called followers over the centuries, which is a simple message indeed: Unconditional Love. Love of one and all. We all deserve it inherently. Give some today. Hug someone before today is over. Take and give as many as ya can. The revolution starts one hug at a time.

In Jesus’ Precious Name

AMEN

Everybody's invited to my birthday Obamaque for Barack's 50th Birthday from 4pm on on August 3rd with a live video feed from his party and food. Bring a dish or two, and maybe some food, too. Facebook me at Steve Alexander or Unabashed Left on FB or email me at unabashedleft@gmail.com or click the link and find it there. :)

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/birthdayhouseparty/gpk9xx

Spyder Paintball

NOT-SO-GALLANT RAY GALLANT, "LIBERAL," CALLS A STRANGER NAMES, BULLIES ELECTRONICALLY! REALLY FUNNY BUSTED BULLY! DON'T MISS UNGALLANT GALLANT!

Bette Midler Sings About A Hero Who Flies Higher Than An Eagle

To Be Honest?

This Morning Ray Gallant Is NOT 'My Hero' NOR Is He

'Everything I Would Like To Be!'

In Fact, Quite The Opposite.

Not-So-Gallant Ray Gallant From Facebook.com who chooses to assassinate the character

of others on other peoples' Facebook walls, turn down friend requests so that a more

civil and maybe even a friendly dialogue might happen on his own or his debate

partner's wall instead. He also sends mean and vicious "Private" messages

and then gets mad, in this case, because I posted another person's "Private" messages which

were neither mean nor vicious, just posted to make a point about a separate issue.

He continues to ignore my Facebook friend request. He called me arrogant and worse

electronically. On his own profile, his hometown, state and contact info such

as email are not too surprisingly NOT available. Mine is. :)

Be my friend Ray. I just checked, and he's blocked yours truly,

Unabashed Left.

On a Facebook friend's wall, not Mr. Gallant's nor my own, Ray Gallant called me arrogant and worse in an irrelevant tyrade and then proceeded with these attempts at intimidating and bullying "Private" messages in a manner most cowardly and very sad in the extreme. He claims to be a liberal. Our "Private" messages as they happened in their entirety, unabridged:

Ray Gallant 10:03am: Bring It Left ~

Unabashed Left July 24 at 10:05am: Not till you accept my friend request. .

Unabashed Left July 24 at 10:08am: You neither know me, know the situation here, and I suspect would NOT assassinate my character in person, only electronically. Such behavior in person would result in frequent arrests, bodily injury and what-not. One thing's for certain. Calling a stranger arrogant when you don't even know their name, is not Gallantry at all, mere cowardice my friend. So I await your positive response to my friend request prior to continuing our discussion of exactly what 'arrogance' is and I'd like to add 'cowardice' to the agenda, if I might be so bold. :) Happy day, sir..

Nice Bike, Huh? Only Pics of Ray are with his hog! Lol.

Ray Gallant July 24 at 10:13am: Thar Is some more arrogance ~ I saw what U R trying to do to Christine on your Page ~ That Is NOt Christian at All ~ Do U have a attention seeking dis-order ~ We ALL have the Right to Delete or un-friend or Block anyone 4 any reason we have on FB ~ from all I see she said she was concerned about either family or friends reading the postings ~ So what we IMHO mostly have all done that 4 whatever reasons ~ We have Rights or have U 4gotten that !!

Yes, not-so-gallant Ray Gallant attempts to pretend that he's a liberal.

And yet has this type of behavior online and in his own personal interactions.

Arlo Guthrie said of peace [not really a direct quote I'm taking liberties here, lol]:

"Ifya can't do it fer yerself first, then ya can't get it fer

communities, counties, countries, continents, planets and worlds either."

Arlo's pal and musical partner Pete Seeger said, saying he learned this from Arlo's old man

Woody Guthrie:

"Plagiarism is a tradition in folk music. He stole it from him. I stole it from him.

We steal from everybody."

So Arlo:

Sorry if I didn't get your quote dead on dude! :)

Here's Woody Guthrie doing his kinda angry but beautiful answer to "God Bless America"

the most non-nationalistic patriotic song I ever heard:

This Land Is Your Land!

How 'bout this one for National Anthem instead of the one we have now that pumps up

"Bombs burstin' in air!"

OMG!

American Militarism outa control!

We need people like Woody and Arlo

and I'm trying for an interview with Arlo! :)

Ray Gallant continued his verbal assault at 10:13am July 24th thusly: Thar U go with the Bully Tude !!! Only a Bully would not see the concern one has 4 a good friend that Is obviously being attacked by U Mr Not so good Guy ~ Showing private conversations on your Page ~ Not honorable and disgusting at best ~ So I really don`t see how we could ever be Friends ~ But thar Is A Great Song I Like ~ SOME PEOPLE CHANGE ~ As U have demonstrated with your open posting of a private conversation U have No Honor !!! Do it to me and I`ll have U reported repeatedly by many many Friends !!!

Unabashed Left July 24 at 10:43am: U fool. There are no copyrights and NO such thing as 'private' messages. Congrats. Yours now will be published on 6 continents this last one's so funny. Congratulations. You, gallant Ray Gallant, are now a published author. Lol dude! Thanks, this one'll surely get hits galore. Peace man and have a nice Sunday! Wow! ♥

After receiving this notice at 10:43 that his attempts at intimidation, character attacks, and comments such as 'Bully Tude' and questions such as "Do U have a attention seeking dis-order?" Mr. Gallant blocked my Unabashed Left friend page on Facebook as all trolls do once I inform them of the pending publication, verbatim, of their own comments as well as my own. This is the complete text of our "private" messages this morning, following his decision to call me arrogant on anther's wall, and that wall owner has since deleted those comments and, are unfortunately unavailable at present. :(

Read all about the Lennon Peace Prize in memory of John Winston Ono Lennon here:

yoko-ono.com

Spyder Pilot Paintball Marker

Spyder Paintball Classic

MOMCAT'S VEGAN PROJECT: ASSEMBLING MY CABINET

Melanie Safka Sings "I Don't Eat Animals" Cuz They Don't Eat ME!!! :D

I don't eat animals cuz I luvem you see!!!

http://www.la-spca.org/

rainbowsbridge.com

Will I See This Moon Tonight?

Sideways Moon Toya!

Will any one of us see it[the Lunar surface, that is] tonight? Who knows? Doya think the 'Beckster'[talk about Lunar Lunacy! Guffaw!], Palin, Newt, Tanman-Mr. Orange, Mitt or Huckabee[is that his name or is it more sorta like what he prefers doing to stinging insects?--kinda like shucking corn--corny cornpone corn, like his Fixed News broadcast with the touchy-feely reactionary politics and him looking all stiff and absurd playing electric guitar in an ill-fitting suit and tie, doya know what I mean??] think about these things? NOT! LOL. ;-DHow do you know it's Autumn in Wasilla, Alaska? Sarah is up in the trees raking the leaves, of course. And selling tickets to the great event!How many Palins does it take to change a light bulb? You know that answer already. Three, naturally. Sarah clings to the bulb with both hands; after reading the instructions written on her palms; while Bristol and Todd spin the ladder. :D

So we've established that I've been sick. I have a primary care doc, who seems responsive and sort of a minimal interventionist type. His name is Rippell, and he's in a neighboring town, about 15 minutes as the Ford Windstar flies. I, of course, am my own case manager, however Dr. Rippell has agreed, despite the limitations of my Medicare plus an AARP supplement, to be my primary care. I will call by Friday, to tell his office of my vegan decision, and seek their guidance.

My chiropractor is Dr. Dawn Tobin,

Dr. Dawn Tobin, D.C.---Doctor of Chiropractic

and she has been of great assistance since August 1, 2010. Her practice is a one chiropractor phenom, in my estimation. She advocates for minimal medical intervention, opposes for example, routine flu shots and offers education throughout her office on the matter. She has inspired me by sharing about her own family's medical matters, and her request that I attend and support her first inservice-type training for new patients, and offering her gratitude routinely for my support of her efforts. She honored me by requesting that I attend a "Band of Brothers" patient appreciation conference in Hartford, on an evening when she could not attend herself.

This "Band of Brothers" includes men and women who are chiropractors and I had the privilege of meeting many of Dr. Tobin's friends there. The basic notion seems to be, according to Dr. Steve, who moderated the event, that mechanical intervention and spinal manipulation is vastly superior to the scalpel or pills as a knee-jerk reaction to any health matter. There is a clear spiritual component to the "Band of Brothers." Dr. Tobin has educated me in many ways. The idea seems to be that the central nervous system, indeed the entire nervous system, affects every body part, system and the personality as well(after all the brain contains these components, at least in part). She suggests that there is an underlying logic and map to the nervous system and that healing is contingent upon a healthy spine and nervous system. If the spine is misaligned, if "subluxation" happens, then health, especially healing, is not going to occur in a maximally effective manner.

The good Doctor Tobin demonstrated for me once how she adjusted her newborns the day she delivered them and it brought tears to my eyes. Lovely. Spinal maintenance from birth. Touch. Wow. No harm there! Only benefits that I can see. She uses just her finger tips to adjust the spine. I've routinely joked to Dr. Tobin and her Chiropractic Assistant Anna Gagliardi that "I'm already well-adjusted. Please just fix my back." I, of course, was joking, and wrong on the first count and needing the second badly. She said give it a year. It's been months now, and slow progress with my back pain has occurred.

My outlook on life and my spiritual journey has progressed well since chiropractic. My other medical stuff, including ingesting the nuclear purple pill, Iodine Radiation, the week of the very onset of my chiropractic treatment render judgements on the effectiveness of the chiropractic treatment difficult at best.

The speaker at the "Band of Brothers" conference was Dr.(PhD) Pastor Aaron D. Lewis,

Dr. Lewis' Book Features This Artistic Rendering Of A Romantic Heart

author of Why I Love Chiropractic(2010; Foghorn Publishers, P.O. Box 8286, Manchester, CT 06040-0286; 860-216-5622; http://www.foghornpublisher.com/; foghornpublisher@aol.com).

Dr. Aaron D. Lewis' Why I Love Chiropractic(Foghorn Publishers, 2010)

Explicitly not a Doctor of Chiropractic himself, Dr. Lewis is a pastor of the evangelical tradition, holds a Doctorate of Philosophy, and is an ordained minister. He's ghostwritten over 100 books, and consults major publishers--he lives in New England and in Panama. He is winging all over the world all the time, it seems. Busy man, indeed. Quite in demand as a preacher and speaker it is apparent to me. So I was eager to attend services with him on a Sunday morning at the Family Of God Church in Glastonbury, which I did last Sunday morning.

Dr. Lewis has become something of an expert on Chiropractic, as a layman and advocates for it as an inspirational speaker. Since commencing my Chiropractic care I have made some good choices. Including reconnecting with two pastors from the United Church of Christ(formerly the Congregational Church) and making the decision to shop for a local church to attend regularly since my move to this locality a year ago. I've attended services in Goshen, CT; plan to visit a congregation in Naugatuck, an Episcopal church in Cheshire, visited Pastor Aaron's last Sunday and plan to return there in 2 weeks time.

I've been in phone contact with pastors, by email, and have a newly reacquainted friend from high school who is recently retired as a counselor in private practice with Counseling credentials, and a Doctorate in Divinity. I will call the Deacon of Pastor Aaron's church this week to arrange a coffee get-together, and will email Dr. Lewis for an appointment on a one-to-one basis. I've requested admission information from the Hartford Theological Seminary. Dr. Lewis' book I will finish shortly and is chock full of health info.

I have an appointment scheduled for three MD's of differing specialties. One Gastro-intestinal doc will be doing a necessary colonoscopy in early December. My Endocrinologist is Dr. Surani Fernando, and I have full confidence in her abilities and inclination to be cautious in treatment. And I have an intake scheduled for a psychiatric screening with an MD. I will consult all these MD's as well as my Primary Care Doc Rippell on my vegan plans.

At a fund-raising dinner for the Northford, CT Historical Society, I recently had a great conversation with an operating room Registered Nurse who happens to be a friend of the family's. Another long-time friend recently acquired her R.N. and was pinned recently, despite her busy life of raising her son as a single Mom, and has been invited to write a guest blog for Unabashed Left on public health care policy. I also recently met an R.N. from the Maritime Provinces in Canada whose judgements I respect greatly and admire. Their advice will also be sought for my Vegan endeavor.

I intend to contact my insurance carriers soon to determine if coverage is available for nutritionist services, and look into local nutrition groups. Since undergoing chiropractic care with Dr. Tobin I've also gotten much more involved in my 12 step work, which has also improved my health in many ways, my spiritual condition and my outlook on diet and exercise.

My niece is now in her mid-20's and has been a vegetarian since 12 years old, and has been an inspiration and a love of mine from her birth. She's honored me in many ways, and has a Baccalaureate degree in journalism, and has been not eating animals because she loves 'em. My sister, her Mom, and family have had to compensate for her wishes and has been an example for friends, acquaintances and families by quiet, humble example for way more than a decade now! She is a cabinet member indeed! She honors me with her participation.

So there it is. 4 MD's, 3 R.N.'s, one Chiropractor and several of her friends, a Pastor/expert on things medical, a "Band of Brothers," 2 additional spiritual advisers, 12 step supporters, and a couple of more.

I attended a Stress Management course three times at the invitation of teacher Beth Roth, and will renew contact with her, who incorporates Yoga and many great principles into her teaching. In fact, she asked me to pose for photos as a poster child for Stress--and I can assure you that she chose wisely. :-D One more MD I hope to contact is actually primarily an herbalist, whose been a friend for years, and I am uncertain regarding my ability to contact him.

And finally, I have much in the way of contacts online now through this Unabashed writing venture of mine. Many experts of all sorts, but especially experts in Unconditional Love. <3 I have to shout out to my new Facebook friends and say that their inspiration has been and will continue to be instrumental in this endeavor. TYTYTY!!!

In the short run my diet will be dictated by my immediate medical needs. I have several medical concerns at present of an immediate and serious nature, which I shall document soon in a separate essay on this blogspot.

And a thanks to 4 people educating the public about diet and exercise who have inspired me. Mrs. Barack Obama, Michelle, has made obesity her central issue in Barack's first term. To be honest, the President's own transgressions as far as his health maintenance have no doubt compromised her efforts. He has not quit smoking cigarettes that I am aware of, and has his photo taken with world leaders eating junk food. NOT constructive, Mr. President. I don't know how you manage to run up and down a gymnasium floor playing basketball doing what you do to your body, sir. Unless media reports of your own health maintenance are distorted, and that certainly may be the case.

Al Roker and Stephanie Abrams From NBC's The Weather Channel

Jennifer Carfagno From NBC's The Weather Channel

Al Roker, from NBC's Today Show and Wake Up With Al on the now NBC-owned The Weather Channel, has gone public for years with his decision years ago to have gastro surgery in order to deal with his own obesity. He's lost oodles of weight, exercises and has made his life an example of public education for the nation and world---Dads, Moms and kids! Just last month he became a media event himself when he completed all 26 miles and change of the New York City Marathon! Congratulations to Al! Thank you sir, for your inspiration. You've helped to make this an easy choice for me. And at The Weather Channel, Stephanie Abrams and Jennifer Carfagno--on-camera meteorologists--have gone public with their own diet and exercise changes and talk on camera and on facebook about their friendship and their runs together from the TWC studios in Atlanta. Thanks Steph and Jennie!

So there it is, the cabinet.

www.la-spca.org

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The Weather Channel Expert Stu Ostro On Global Warming: Unabashed Q & A

A Bit Of Vintage Local On The 8's The Weather Channel Music (Pre-NBC Takeover) Forya To Listen To

Whilst Yer Reading Stu's Perspective

Senior Meteorologist Stu Ostro of The Weather Channel, which was acquired by NBC Universal in 2008 (and, of course, NBC itself was acquired recently by Comcast--can anyone keep score of modern corporate subsidiary subterfusion except the gangs occupying the Manhattan boardrooms and on the Fairfield county cocktail party circuit?) agreed to answer a series of questions posed to him unabashedly by your Unabashed Lefty. So thanks to The Weather Channel and to NBC and especially to a wonderful and inspiring friend, Stu Ostro.

Brief background. When I came online last year I objected to the BP oil spill and its effect on canines and felines on the Louisiana Gulf coast, and sought to raise money for the awesome Louisiana chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA SPCA -- donate immediately, get that darned debit/credit card out--here's the link: la-spca.org). I was reinforced with some success and with meeting some wonderful people and this writing project of mine is the result. I learned to make contacts in order to advance the K9 and feline cause. The most approachable television on-camera media folks were far and away within the category: meteorologists! Ya gotta luvem!

To a "T" almost, these folks have been responsive, and are dedicated to saving peoples' lives through advancing technology, warning systems and their own broadcasts. I immediately found that the meteorologists at two national networks based in or near Atlanta, The Weather Channel and CNN were not only receptive, but enjoyed interacting with viewers and teaming up to cover stories and more! Fun galore, plus fund raising efforts for groups such as doctorswithoutborders.com and redcross.org when weather catastrophes were imminent or had happened were succeeding.

I immediately noticed Chad Myers' ability at CNN to explain the pseudo-science behind each successive pathetic ad-hoc effort to cap the spill in a way that was understandable to the layman, and his humility in not understanding the BP explanations of these efforts. He educated the public far better than the federal point man Thad Allen was my observation. I've always had a penchant for journalism, and had been noticing Julie Martin at TWC for years, without a meteorology degree herself, but doing on-camera journalism the way The Weather Channel should do journalism for a long time now. I followed her career a bit, and learned of her recent marriage to CNN producer John Murgatroyd. Murgatroyd happened to have produced a CNN prime time special on attempts to clean up the spill while it was still in progress, by their meteorologist Rob Marciano, with whom I'd already had several pleasant interactions, and I was delighted by that. A life-long fisherman and weather buff, with complex home meteorology stuff, I've been watching TWC religiously for years and my friends and family accept it as an eccentricity, even accepting that I'm fairly responsible in my efforts to chase tropical systems when they near my neighborhood (the tri-state area---lol).

Dr. Cullen in 2008 at the Humanities Institute at Stony Brook

Eventually, as a consequence of the BP spill and these meteorological interactions, I went into political writing, doing these photo/music/essay things, fiction and more. Now I am employed as a journalist for the online paper Examiner.com, and so on. I have a long list of media and government contacts and sources today, and it all began with the responsive stable of dedicated folks who are that special breed: on-air meteorologists. And I've interacted with many, many experts in the past year and only one out of that group of more than a hundred sees no direct connection between human behavior and not just climate change, but the actuality of global warming. Dr. Heidi Cullen is a PhD, a Princeton and Columbia University person, a TWC on-camera climate expert, and the CEO of Climate Central, linked at climatecentral.org.

Stu Ostro may be a weather geek, but he's a brilliant guy and a great educator.

Since most folks still get their news and climate info from TV, aside from Nobel Peace Prize winner and climate change advocate extraordinaire Al Gore (the former Vice President and winner of the 2000 popular vote for President of the United States over George W. Bush by more than 500,000 ballots), Heidi and Stu Ostro are probably the most effective public educators on the topic. Besides nuclear weapons, if there is one way we, as a species, will botch our ability to inhabit this little blue ball we call Earth and the delicate thin little layer of gas surrounding it that we call the atmosphere, it will be by continuing to despoil the atmosphere with our absurd and selfish gaseous emissions.

Dr. Heidi Cullen of The Weather Channel and Climate Central

Stu holds a degree in meteorology from one of the finest schools in the country for weather experts, Penn State, and has been working diligently on and off-camera for TWC since 1989. Here are his answers to some important questions:

Q1) Many people object to the use of the term "Global Warming" when speaking of the "Climate Change" phenomenon. Is the global climate warming due to human carbon and other atmospheric emissions in your opinion? A1): There’s a lot of short-term year-to-year natural variability superimposed, but the overwhelming evidence is that the longer term temperature trend, which is one of warming, is primarily the result of human activities.Q2) Besides climatic temperature changes, what other Climate Changes do you see happening in the past century due to human carbon and other emissions? A2): A serious trend of Arctic sea ice loss, changes in atmospheric circulation patterns, and changes in the nature of precipitation extremes. Q3) What weather phenomenon outside North America of note would you attribute, if any, to the Climate Change phenomenon, and what weather events in our country would you say have been affected by climate change over the past century?A3): Some of the temperature anomalies and precipitation extremes we’ve seen in recent years likely have a climate change component to them. Q4) Are human injuries, deaths and/or property damage occurring due to weather anomalies produced by Climate Change or is that impossible to assess? A4): If climate change is affecting the day-to-day weather including extremes, which my assessment indicates it is, then there are injuries, deaths, and property damage which have occurred as a result. What’s impossible to assess is exactly how much of those impacts would have occurred without these changes in climate.Q5) Environmentally, what damages have occurred or are occurring world-wide and here due to Climate Change, and are you aware of any species (whether single-celled, plant or mammal) which have become extinct or endangered primarily due to climate change? A5): The frequency of devastating floods worldwide, and the nature of the 2003 Europe and 2010 Russia heat waves, and the kind of topsy-turvy patterns that have produced odd snow extremes, have a signal to them suggesting an influence of climate change. [N/A on the species question – outside my realm.] Q6) What public policies should be highest on the agendas of the state governments, the U.S. government and the U.N. and the international community and which policy initiatives would accomplish the most in an expeditious manner and are ones you would advocate? A6): An increased focus on adaptation to climate change, given that it’s already happening and affecting us regardless of what is done to mitigate the causes.I can't overestimate the seriousness of one of Stu's comments. Please remember this one from an expert who has been at this for decades:"If climate change is affecting the day-to-day weather including extremes, which my assessment indicates it is, then there are injuries, deaths, and property damage which have occurred as a result."

And don't forget the kitties and doggies

so donate today to

la-spca.org

Amen

Sunday, July 31, 2011

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