First Blog

  A Primer on Tumeric [1]   Turmeric, a plant in the ginger family and used for curry production, is native to Southeast Asia and is grown commercially in that region, primarily in India. Its rhizome (underground stem) is used as a culinary spice and traditional medicine. Turmeric — and especially its most active compound, curcumin — have many scientifically proven health benefits, such as the potential to improve heart health and prevent against Alzheimer's and cancer. It's a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It may also help improve symptoms of depression and arthritis. Most of the highlights below are not well researched, partly because the active ingredient, curcumin, is not biostable.   1. Increases Antioxidants in Your Body --- The antioxidant effect of turmeric is one of its greatest claims to fame. Oxidative damage is one of the mechanisms responsible for aging and many diseases. Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful antioxidant that can protect from fre

 This note is an abridged version of an article in the Epoch Times, on 2/21/22 Vitamin D , the sunshine vitamin is actually a hormone with several important jobs BY   Ashley Turner There has been a lot of discussion about  vitamin D  circulating among natural health enthusiasts recently. As a certified functional medicine practitioner, vitamin D status is something that I monitor very closely.   Vitamin D is actually a hormone, specifically a prohormone that the body converts into a steroid hormone. It’s synthesized in the skin from sun exposure and activated in the liver and kidneys. Lately, vitamin D has been a hotly discussed nutrient for its role in supporting the immune system. While vitamin D is a powerful modulator of the immune system, that’s far from its only role in human health. Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency Low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of cancer, autoimmune disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, and osteoporosis. Being awa

  Ever since I was a kid, the Democrats would grumble when Republicans were elected, and vice-versa. Yet, we had confidence all were loyal Americans trying their best to make America a great place to live. None would say this group or that was out to remake America. That would be excessive. Such language was forbidden. Today, we see the Democrats believe all Republicans desire full-boated fascism, jack-boots, and all. The Republicans believe all Democrats want Marxism, with total government control. What we have is the creation of a nuevo Pandemic of Distrust . This is new in the past few decades. Subtracting COVID completely changes nothing. COVID merely revealed it.   In totalitarian, fascist, and even monarchical states, distrust is their common state of existence, and this is why they have relied so completely on the gun. They accept their opponents’ blood-lust and take constant measures to maintain power. At this time, the USA is none of these, but nonetheless, it has been inf

  As social people, we love to give advice. “You should do this.” “You shouldn’t do that.” “The prof’s an easy grader. Just study the worksheet.” “You should buy that car.” But do you ever know all the facts? Do you see only a simplified situation with essential facts removed? Is your friend asking for advice or asking for hope? There’s a difference.   Hope is the meta-fuel of well-being, giving comfort and peace in times of distress. Is your friend asking for the advice they want to hear? For something they’ve considered but needs confirmation? For a go-sign? We, the advice-givers, all too often venture into homespun psychology. Not good, mostly because we don’t know any. Among the biggest advice-givers are friends, parents, pastors, and teachers. For younger persons, parental advice is often rejected, but the other three are on the spot.   Because, if they give advice, they must accept some responsibility if it is accepted. The pastor hopefully limits advice to simple homilies o

 Your diet works even when it doesn't. How can that be? In fact, if you're on a diet, you do limit your intake, but alas it seems not to be working. No weight loss. Dang!   Take heart. You're diet is working, for if you quit dieting, your intake would go way up without restriction, and you would definitely gain weight.  To actually lose those kilos will take a greater effort. But your effort does indeed help. Keep it up! Don't quit.

Often I get questions about math. Some tell me they like math but just can't solve the problems. What I always say is this. Life is solving problems. If you can’t solve problems, your life will be one speed bump after another, one crisis after another, one brick wall after another. Learn how to solve problems. First you learn at home from toys and your parents. However, school is the first place you learn this formally. Others are experience, reading, management, parenting, teaching, hunting, sports, carpentry, and many more. All teach applicable lessons for life's problem solving. As John Daly on What's My Line , would say about everyone. "My line is problem solving." Now a word about math... All that said, you may like math, but you cannot say you’ve learned it unless you can solve related problems. Otherwise, it would be self-deception.

 Of course, you've seen these headsets with visual viewers where the player can see virtual worlds.  It is the latest construct of the Metaverse. It is beyond experience toward a meta-reality.  It is the ultimate of cool. It is perfect and can be used for teaching, for learning, for understanding, and for enhancing your life.  But, it can also be used for subliminal training, subliminal suggesting, and subliminal testing.  The user is completely captivated by the device with no outside influence whatever. Their brains are isolated and  fully open to whatever is transmitted. Nefarious programmers, corporations, and even governments can use these devices to control their customers and populations.  It is time to consider the dark side of these new technologies.  When power and money lay in the balance, it will happen.  Is it already happening? If you're alerted, frightened, and even scared stiff, you should be. There are governments and corporations that see us not as citizens or

The  late, great mathematician George Polya has advises all (math) problem solvers to begin with a guess. What the? Really? This question was recently posted on quora.com.  Here is the response I gave. For any and every problem you face, if you haven’t experience with the problem, you first think about and then guess how to solve it. Based on this guess, you try to solve it. If it fails, you use this information and guess again. Life doesn’t usually give you a road map. Well, not quite. The chef has a recipe. The judge has procedures. The accountant has principles. Hence, the consultant.  However, the hunter, the parent, the student, the president, the citizen, and most others do not. They guess, at first. You must start somewhere. Hence, the guess, hopefully the educated or experiential guess. You begin life with no methods; your journey through life adds experience which helps. Polya’s guessing mandate is little more than common sense.

  ‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the nation, Not a creature was taking their next vaccination. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, Hoping that Santa would still come there. Up on the roof top were heard hooves of eight, And down came ‘ole Biden with another mandate.

  A number of studies suggest that aspirin may prevent both the development and spread of colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and/or rectum) and that it lowers the risk of dying from colorectal cancer. There is also some evidence that aspirin may protect against other types of cancer. (But, you need to take it for a number of years for the effect.) There is also evidence it slows the advance of cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

 Did you know that in a recent study of 7.2 million patients, the Cleveland Clinic (top-notch) established that taking Viagra (   sildenafil ) leads to a 70% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.   This study was done through insurance claim forms data of 7.2 million people.  For details, see https://www.sciencealert.com/giant-study-finds-viagra-is-linked-to-almost-70-lower-risk-of-alzheimer-s  Thus, a healthy sex life leads to better health. :)

 As is well-known, the great Poobahs of Californian have chosen a course in managing their woodlands to allow naturally fallen trees to rot in place, thereby allowing them to become fertilizer for succeeding generations of forests.  Sounds great.  I like the idea.   BUT, these fallen and rotting trees then became kindling for any random lightening strike, thereby setting fires and destroying many healthy trees. This is what's happened in California.   This was Mother Nature's  original solution to forest management for all of time.  It is conjectured that prior to man, forest fires were most frequent, and the people living in them were under constant threat. Modern forest management seeks to clear undergrowth, thereby making forests less vulnerable to fires.  California says no to this.  Go figure.  Pristine nature creates forests. Forests burn all the time. Man learns to clear forests. Man unlearns forest clearing. Forests burn all the time. Return to pristine nature.