Obama and the Palin Effect

This is what Deepak Chopra had to say about Obama and the Palin Effect. I thought it was really interesting! What do you think?

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.

She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin's message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision.

Look at what she stands for:

• Small town values -- a denial of America's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.


• Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America's image abroad


• Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded.


• Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.


• Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.


• "Reform" -- an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology.

Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of "I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is."

The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.

Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

Source: DeepakChopra.com

She may die

The following quote is from that cool book, Notes to Myself by Hugh Prather. It really hit home for me. Enjoy!



She may die before morning. But I have
been with her for four years. Four years.
There is no way I could feel cheated if
I didn't have her for another day. I didn't
deserve her for one minute, God knows.

And I may die before morning.

What I must do is die now. I must
accept the justice of death and the
injustice of life. I have lived a good life-
longer than many, better than most. Tony
died when he was twenty, I have had
thirty-two years. I couldn't ask for
another day. What did I do to deserve
birth? It was a gift. I am me - that is a
miracle. I had no right to a single minute.
Some are given a single hour. And yet I
have had thirty-two years.

Few can choose when they will die. I
choose to accept death now. As of this
moment I give up my "right" to live.
And I give up my "right" to her life.

But it's morning. I have been given
another day. Another day to hear and read
and smell and walk and love and glory.
I am alive for another day.

I think of those who aren't.

~Hugh Prather

Home Made Dog Food

I've been making dog food for my little dog Cinnamin, and it occured to me that the recipe that I've been using might be helpful. I don't know that what I'm feeding her right now would be good for all dogs - but it got a thumbs up from my vet, and she looks pretty good (all things considered), so I'm going to stick my neck out and say that I do think this diet would be fine for any dog with renal disease and cancer.

Ingredients:

• 1 can white meat chicken (no salt added)
• 2 tablespoons condensed canned goat milk (I poured the entire can into an ice cube tray and froze it - then I dumped the cubes into a freezer bag. I'm assuming that 1/2 cube is equal to 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 3 heaping tbsp rice cereal for babies - more if needed

Here's how I put it together. I empty the can of chicken (including the liquid) into a 10 oz jar. I add the cube of goat milk, the wheat germ, and the rice cereal. Then I add just enough water to moisten the cereal but not so much that it's too soupy. If I happen to put too much water, I just add more cereal until it's the right consistency.

And that's it! She loves it. My dog weighs about 18 lbs and doesn't have much of an appetite, so if she eats the whole thing in one day - I'm really happy. This diet is high in protein, which isn't usually recommended for dogs with chronic kidney disease, but since she is in "hospice" the vet felt that it didn't matter.

Variations - substitutions - additions:

• Substitute a can of salmon for the can of chicken.
• Add cooked oatmeal, couscous, rice, or baked potato if you want to add bulk or carbs.
• Add pieces of hard boiled egg.
• My dog also really likes those little chicken sticks that you can find in the baby food section - they come in a bottle and look like little hot dogs.

Disclaimer:

I am not a vet - nor am I an expert in dog nutrition. This was the only thing I could get my dog to eat, and it's bad enough that she's dying of cancer. I didn't want her to starve to death at the same time. So, for those of you who want dog food recipes designed by a vet - specifically for dogs with chronic renal failure - stay tuned... there's more.

Beef and Potato Diet

(Low-protein, low-phosphorus, high-potassium, normal sodium)

• 2 oz lean ground beef (raw weight), cooked
• 3 cups potato, boiled with skin
• 2 tablespoons chicken fat
• 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)
• 1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 737 kilocalories, 18.6 grams protein, 32.5 grams fat.
Supplies caloric needs of a 23 to 24 lb dog.
Provides phosphorus at 43 %, potassium at 293 %, sodium at 54 % of dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 4 bone meal tables for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

Chicken and Potato Diet

(Low-protein, low-phosphorus, high-potassium, normal sodium)

• 1/4 cup cooked chicken breast
• 3 cups potato, boiled with skin
• 2 tablespoons chicken fat
• 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)
• 1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 689 kilocalories, 18.9 grams protein, 26.8 grams fat.
Supports caloric needs of a 21 - 22 lb dog.
Provides phosphorus at 45%, potassium at 301%, sodium at 54% of dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 4 bone meal tables for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

Beef and Tapioca Diet

(Low-protein, low-phosphorus, high-potassium, normal sodium)

• 4 oz lean ground beef (raw weight) cooked
• 2 cups tapioca, cooked (125 grams dry before cooking)
• 2 tablespoons chicken fat
• 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)
• 1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 845 kilocalories, 19.9 grams protein, 37.2 grams fat.
Supports caloric needs of a 28 lb dog.
Provides phosphorus at 18 %, potassium at 29 %, sodium at 55 % of dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 5 to 6 bone meal tables for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

Eggs and Rice Diet

(Low-protein, low-phosphorus, high-potassium, normal sodium)

• 1 egg, large, hard-boiled
• 2 cups rice, long-grain, cooked
• 1 tbsp chicken fat
• 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)
• 1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 721 kilocalories, 15.2 grams protein, 31.4 grams fat.
Supports caloric needs of a 23 lb dog.
Provides phosphorus at 40 %, potassium at 30 %, sodium at 90 % of dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 4 bone meal tables for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

Egg Whites and Tapioca Diet

(Low-protein, low-phosphorus, high-potassium, normal sodium)

• Egg whites from 3 eggs, hard-boiled
• 2 cups tapioca, cooked (125 grams dry before cooking)
• 1 tablespoon chicken fat
• 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)
• 1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 610 kilocalories, 14.1 grams protein, 13 grams fat.
Supports caloric needs of a 18 lb dog.
Provides phosphorus at 6 %, potassium at 33 %, sodium at 269 % of dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 6 bone meal tables for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

Eggs and Tapioca Diet

(Low-protein, low-phosphorus, high-potassium, normal sodium)

• 3 eggs, large, hard-boiled
• 2 cups tapioca, cooked (125 grams dry before cooking)
• 1 tablespoon chicken fat
• 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)
• 1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 779 kilocalories, 19.3 grams protein, 28.9 grams fat.
Supports caloric needs of a 25 lb dog.
Provides phosphorus at 40 %, potassium at 30 %, sodium at 216 % of dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 4 bone meal tables for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

Chicken and Tapioca Diet

(Low-protein, low-phosphorus, high-potassium, normal sodium)

• 1/2 cup cooked chicken breast
• 2 cups tapioca, cooked (125 grams dry before cooking)
• 2 tablespoons chicken fat
• 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)
• 1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 763 kilocalories, 20.8 grams protein, 27.3 grams fat.
Supports caloric needs of a 24 to 25 lb dog.
Provides phosphorus at 20 %, potassium at 22 %, sodium at 55 % of dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 5 to 6 bone meal tables for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

Egg and Potato Diet

(Low-protein, low-phosphorus, high-potassium, normal sodium)

• 1 egg, large, cooked
• 3 cups potato, boiled with skin
• 1 tablespoon chicken fat
• 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)
• 1/2 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 600 kilocalories, 15.1 grams protein, 18.5 grams fat.
Supports caloric needs of an 18 lb dog.
Provides phosphorus at 53%, potassium at 322%, sodium at 114% of dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 3 bone meal tables for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

Notes to Myself

If I had only ...
forgotten future greatness
and looked at the green things and the buildings
and reached out to those around me
and smelled the air
and ignored the forms and the self-styled obligations
and heard the rain on the roof
and put my arms around my wife
... and it's not too late.

~Hugh Prather

Wow... I just love this book!

Yesterday I picked up "Notes to Myself" by Hugh Prather. I'd read it a long time ago, but now suddenly, it's all new again. I like it so much that I've decided to post portions of it - the stuff that really speaks to me - on a regular basis.

It's probably illegal, but I might even end up with the whole book here on this blog. I'm tagging the quotes "Notes to Myself," and am hoping you get as much from them as I do.

The Effects of Sound

This is a video showing the effects of sound vibration.
Interesting, huh?



Here's another one: water vibration, cool but it's in German.



This one is like a tutorial - kind of nice I think!

My New Toy

I want to thank everyone who has been so kind those of you that I know personally, and the wonderful people who have commented here, giving me words of encouragement even though they don't know me. You are all deeply appreciated.

On Monday, I got this email from my friend Cindy:

Sorry to hear about your dad and your sweet doggy. My dog, Tigger, had a cancerous tumor on her rear foot last year right about the time we were moving. The vet said we needed to amputate at least her foot if not her leg. We then took her to the oncologist who said we needed to amputate her hind leg at the hip. Well, I have had a 3-legged dog before and know they do great, but I just wasn't ready to do that to the girl! So I bought a Genesis tuning fork which is supposed to destroy cancer cells and I used that on her along with Reiki (and Lexi Reiki'd too, which I think kid Reiki is even more powerful than ours) and her tumor went completely away! And has stayed away!!!!

A friend of mine who is also an animal communicator does tuning fork healings and I bought the Genesis fork through her. I think it was about $30 plus tax. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!! FOR YOU DAD AND FOR YOUR DOG!!! It doesn't hurt, although with Tigger, she didn't like it - I think she could feel the vibration of the cancer cells shattering. I heard a story from my friend Linda about a couple who had a little boy with cancer and they did the tuning fork on him every day pretty much non-stop and it worked for them. I do believe that there are certain paths that are set to happen and it could be your dad's or your dog's time to go, but maybe not - worth thinking about anyway.

My vets are just astonished that Tigger's foot is now COMPLETELY healed and perfect!

So, naturally, I immediately went out and got myself one. I got it from Linda Trent, Cindy's friend. Here's what it looks like:



So what does it do? I think the idea is that through the use of sound waves, the cells are raised to a higher vibrational level which in turn facilitates healing. But I'm not exactly sure. This is the blurb I found about it online:

This fork is combined with the others to cause things to happen or to create things. It can be used alone or with the Gabriel fork to repair damaged portions of DNA. It can also be used alone or with the Shekinah fork to destroy cancer cells. It also will move bones and joints back into place when they are out of alignment. It will also repair and rebuild muscles and tissue. These are just a few of the amazing things we are discovering about this frequency. The possibilities are endless. Included are instructions for usage and a velvet pouch with drawstring.

Well that's all well and good... but does it work? I don't know if it's going to heal my dog or not. The jury is still out on that one. I did, however, use it on myself. I was curious to see how it felt, and what it might be able to do. And the results were astonishing to say the least.

For the last 3 months, I've had a lot of problems with one of my feet. It felt as if I had somehow broken one of the bones on the top of my foot - that kind of pain. Nothing worked. Then I noticed that there was a fatty tumor right where the pain would start from, and I think it was pressing on a nerve or putting pressure on a ligament, or pushing a bone out of place.... something like that. Anyway, I have no medical insurance - so I was just ignoring it mostly, and taking tylenol if it hurt too much.

Well, when I got the tuning fork, I was curious to see if it "felt" like anything, so I used it on my foot. It was interesting, because I could actually feel something happening, and then the rest of the day my foot didn't hurt at all. I used it for 3 days and this morning, I realized that the fatty tumor is gone. Yep. Gone. And my foot? It feels fine. So, we'll see what happens with Cinnamin! I haven't noticed any spectacular changes. Her appetite did pick up a little bit, and when I use it on her, she does look a little perkier... and if nothing else, it gives me something to do besides worry and fret.

The Ten Commandments of Endurance

From Marshall Ulrich, one of the greatest extreme athletes in the world, we have the Ten Commandments of Endurance

• Expect a journey and a battle
• Focus on the present and set intermediate goals
• Don't dwell on the negative
• Transcend the physical
• Accept your fate
• Have confidence that you will succeed
• Know that there will be an end
• Suffering is okay
• Be kind to yourself
• Quitting is not an option

Someone I Love

This is my little dog Cinnamin, it's quite possible that I love her more than I love my kids. And even if it's not a contest of who I love more - it is true that I really have no desire to be on the planet if she isn't here with me. So... last week, she got really sick. The vet said the C word, and pretty much said "no hope," and sent her home on hospice. What an excruciating thing...

At the same time, my dad is going through chemo and radiation for his own C word, and my mom is pretty much worn down to the nub. So, it looks like I might be needed here, which means I'll have to continue with life on earth even if (notice that I cannot and will not say "when") my little dog goes back to be with the Mother of All Life.

I expect that my posts here will be sporadic at best for the next few weeks. I barely have the energy or the enthusiasm for email - much less blogging - and I just wanted to let you all know what's up.

Sun Salutation Mantra

This mantra invokes the healing power of the sun. When using it, for maximum benefit spend some time in the sun each day. You will achieve optimal results by practicing the mantra between ten and twenty minutes each day for forty days.

Om Hiranyagharbhaya Namaha
(Om Heer an yah gar bah yah Nah mah hah)

-oOo-

"Om and salutations to the Shining One who heals and is golden-colored."

What a Cool Waterfall

Check this out!
It's a waterfall of words and images. Totally cool!

Heart Math

Ok, so now that I've been inspired to post some stuff about heart attacks, it occured to me that it might be a good idea to put in a plug for HeartMath.


At work, a couple of weeks ago, a HeartMath training seminar was offered... well, actually it was MANDATORY that we attend. So I went grumpily in on my day off, prepared to be thoroughly unimpressed by "propaganda" designed to force us to like our jobs and be happy with the additional stress that management has been piling on us. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be something actually useful!

They use techniques that are similar to ones I've already used. For example, breathing into the heart (a common practice in Sufi Meditations), and focusing on feelings of gratitude or love - both of which I explored at the prosperity project. And then they back up those techniques with lots of medical and scientific jargon, graphs, and charts.

Up until now, I'm not too impressed. As a matter of fact, the whole thing is one big yawn as far as I'm concerned. I'm thinking to myself, "Been there - done that."

Now comes the interesting and fun part. They have this cool little hand held biofeedback machine. They don't call it that, they call it emWave, or something like that. Here's an ad I pulled off their site:

It was so much fun to play with!! The thoughts that brought me into the best state in terms of coherence and no stress were memories of when we had 3 kittens one Christmas, and they wouldn't stay out of the Christmas tree. I'm thinking to myself - kittens... I'm going to have to invest in kittens so I can stay happy and healthy!

The other memory that brought a really healing emotion into my heart chakra was the time my sister and I climbed Dog Canyon. I'll tell you guys about it some time - but for now, all I'll say is that I was sure that climb was going to kill me dead! And when we finally got to the little oasis at the top, and sat down to eat, the food was manna from heaven. I kid you not. Just thinking about it, triggered an immediate "green" response in the little emWave gadget, indicating deepest harmony.

So, their gadget is way cool... I finally gave up feelings of lack and limitation, and decided I wanted one of those little thingys more than I wanted - well - running water or internet service. As soon as I decided that, the "Master of the Universe" sent me some extra work that more than covered the cost of the emWave ... so it's ordered and as far as I'm concerned Nirvana is on it's way!

And no, you don't have to have a emWave gadget to use their technique. The "how to" is pretty simple, and they do offer books - here are some of them:


Here's some more stuff (it's kind of dry, but informative nonetheless) from an interview with Dr. Howard Martin, executive VP of strategic development at Heartmath and coauthor of the book, The Heartmath Solution.

What role does the heart play in the body?
The heart is the main command center of the body. It actually sends information to the brain and to the rest of the body -- information that is essential to a person's overall health and well-being. As a person learns about the communication between the heart and brain, and how to shift this communication, positive changes in how that person thinks and feels begin to take place. It's really a shift in paradigm to say that it's not just the brain, but that the heart also has a big role in how we think and feel.

What is HeartMath?
Heartmath is a system designed for high performance effective living that consists of concepts, tools, techniques and technology. In general, they all involve heart focus breathing -- really focusing on the area of your heart and making an effort to activate positive feelings.

How did Heartmath come about?
Heartmath's been around for the last 11 years, and began on the initiative of a man named Doc Childre. It started out through self-study. By his own admission, Doc was a relatively undisciplined young man who set about on a course of trying to achieve new levels of self-management. His scientific research along with his understanding of other people and of himself, led him to develop his own philosophy as well as his own tools, techniques and concepts. For 20 years he never externalized anything, working quietly and leading a normal life. It was only in 1990 that he agreed to begin to more formally share some of his information with others. From there the companies were born and we entered into the training programs, books and technology that we have today.

How proven is Heartmath?
We know for sure that the heart does communicate with the brain and the body, and that's beyond a doubt. The field of neurocardiology studies this. The tools, techniques and concepts used in Heartmath are scientifically grounded, with a great amount of biophysical and social scientific proof to back them up.

How does Heartmath differ from other stress reduction techniques such as meditation?
Well first of all let me preface any comments by saying that we never like to be cast as any kind of a competitor, as better or worse than other systems of personal development and personal growth. We like to be seen more as a facilitator of any of those things. That being said, Heartmath is designed to be very interactive, very in the moment, very appropriate for the speed at which we're living in today's modern world. Techniques like meditation can be valuable but sometimes there is a cultural difference. Meditation comes from an Eastern culture and it doesn't necessarily overlay very well on modern western culture. It requires a lot of change in some of the basic stuff involved in a lifestyle and most people aren't willing to do that. Heartmath techniques are very appropriate for modern times, and very interactive with daily life and things that people can do in the moment.

How does Heartmath address individual stressors?
The tools and techniques can be used to create shifts of attitude or shifts in perception that lead to shifts of attitude. To manage stress or to begin to shift stress, you have to learn to shift perception first. It's the perception of the event that really creates the stress. It begins right there, with perception, and changes in perception lead to changes in behavior, how we process things, how we view things, how we act or react around certain issues. Those changes of behavior come relatively quickly once we begin to learn how to at least adopt different kind of perceptions of the stressful events.

Where are Heartmath techniques being used?
We are around the world, providing face-to-face training for over 20,000 people a year. We are focused primarily on large organizational clients, doing training programs in major Fortune 500, and Fortune 100 companies around the world. We deal with the individual customer who is interested in improving health and reducing stress through our books tapes, and freeze-framer software.

(This information is an extract from an article titled ‘Listening to the tell tale heart’ by Noel Boivin in February 2006 issue of Your Health.)

Ok, yeah, I'm pimping this stuff. I don't go commercial on this site very often, and I do think the emWave has value, and yes, I went ahead and signed up as an affiliate. So, hey, go get one for yourself. I think you'll like it, I really do!