progression of political correctness

We used to have --

Problems which eventually became--

Challenges which after some time became--

Issues which soon after became--

Opportunities .

So now folks--I don't have any problems.

I have opportunities.

new alliance to watch?

--N.Y. Times article re: this past month's Peace Prize Ceremony

"Nineteen governments have said their ambassadors will not attend a ceremony

awarding the Nobel Peace Prize.

The countries not attending...China...Afghanistan, Columbia, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Vietnam."

Comment: wait a minute aren't some of these countries supposed to be US allies?

Have we not shed blood?, guts?, tears?, suicides?minds? and ethics? for some of the

countries allying themselves with China.

I do believe this is a look into the future. We should be paying attention.

New Born

How can I describe the joy of the Survival of a a New Birth.

At 67 years of age I witnessed a Newborn who fought for his life.

He was heliocopterred as an infant from Nevada to Stanford, CA.

Now that baby named Aaron lives in Reno, NV. He is one year old.

Ode on a Photo

We were the last mid-year class at Polk School. We were all smiling for our 6th grade photo.

The boys were smiling slightly more than the girls perhaps because they out-numbered the girls almost 3 to 1. The photo is sharper than any digital photo although I know that seems impossible 55 years later.

Miss Tapper was school Principal. She had a chest you could set a piano on and an iron hand-- although she had no electric paddle. The electric paddle was an invention of my older siblings and other older kids. The paddle was second only to the electric chair as a fear factor to me. I heard about the electric chair in the news daily. It was an era of what seemed to be daily executions. Executions for murder. Executions for espionage. All the transgressions we read about in the news. All the fictional crimes on the radio and in comic books. It seemed quite a normal thing to kill those people who did bad things. In private moments I think it would be a good idea in the 21st century. At any rate the electric paddle had me terrified of Miss Tapper and the whole old, ancient, spooky looking building where she reigned as the High Executioner.

Miss Tapper would stand at the great second story window with ruler in hand as we played at recess. When she observed misbehavior she did not tap but rapped harshly on the window so that the whole glass shook. All eyes looked up to see her looming presence. All the children came to attention and behavior was modified although I'm sure it would not have been called behavior modification in that time. To see her there at that window meant she was probably warming up her electric paddle for her next victim. She never smiled much but wore her stern look like a badge as much to display her authority to her charge of teachers I'm sure as to her students.

Fifty years later I looked at my report cards covering my years at Polk School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I noticed for the first time Miss Tapper had written small notes on each card. The notes start with "needs to do (this,that)", needs to improve (this,that). The final note says simply "good report --IBT." It was only then that I appreciated Miss Tapper's silent hand that guided me through her feudal estate where she ruled

supreme --ruler in hand like an emperor's scepter.

(This piece was inspired by a picture sent to me in 2010 by classmate Irv Hubbard. Pictured are:

David Young, Paul Saylor, Danny Arnold, Irvin Hubbard, Johnny Baldwin, Larry Johnson, Jimmy Carlson, Dale Dykhusen, Johnny Niedermayer, Freddie Donegan, Howard Hopkins, Lynette Smith, Barbara Burgess, Judy Lane, Sharon Smith. We were the last mid-year class of 1954.

Not pictured but surely present was Miss Inga B. Tapper)

.

A Look Adverse -- a verse

A look forlorn, a look of scorn?

You look at me as if looking into

An abyss --

Of lost opportunity, a bleak future.

That you can project such ideas

Upon me is a travesty.

I did not meet your dreams, did not

toe the line, or follow your beliefs.

A loner I have been, a loner shall I be.

For it is in being born we come all by

ourself and so it shall be when we leave.

9/25/10

My 50th high school class reunion. A young man who I told I would be

attending my 50th asked me: Do you think there will be many left?

Well, there are a lot left. Class of 500 - 100 missing in action-50 declared

dead. 120 attended the 2010 event.

I surmise after the event that the premise is still "popularity". The photos

shown were repeats of classmates who were and (some) still are admittedly

photogenic and popular 50 years ago.

Yet photos of 90% of the others are "missing in action."

My complimenting moment after meeting my dear friends forever (Sharon, Susie, and

Christine) was Dickie F. and Jimmie K.

Jimmie K. said "Oh I remember you, Jimmie Carlson, you were a 'brain.' "

Dickie F. who stood nearby said "And he still is."

Deepwater Horizon behind us?

The 'Gulf Leak' may be behind us...but I can't believe it is so.

The sea floor of the Gulf must be very fragile and compromised

a 100 times at sites other than the Deepwater Horizon.

Terrible leaks in the Gulf have occurred elsewhere and will again.

It is only because this leak was so tragic and so prodigious that we

can not have ignored it.

Will we learn? What did we learn from the Valdez 20 years ago?

Andy Warhol said we would all have our 15 minutes of fame.

Even non-human entities can have their 15 minutes.

It's a 'News-cycle." Soon to be forgotten.

Deepwater Horizon

It's as if man has punched a hole in Hell.

Wouldn't the solution be to concentrate the oil

into Tar Balls, which I understand occurs

naturally over time? Why not assist in this

process to make the material more manageable?

Using 'dispersants' as is currently being done

is the opposite of concentrating the crude oil and

slicks.

L-Argenine

The science behind the use of L-argenine for its many anti-aging benefits is that

it induces release of growth hormone (HGH) within the body. The decline of growth

hormone with age is associated with many symptoms of aging. This would explain

why we experience the "aches and pains" and other maladies as we age, that we never

had to deal with in younger years. Medical injections of HGH may cost as much as

$10,000 per year.

How does L-argenine work? It works as an agonist to stimulate release of HGH from

the pituitary. Twenty amino acids form the building blocks of all proteins. "Essential"

amino acids are those that cannot be created on their own within the body but must

be supplied from outside the body. L-argenine is an essential amino , acid that acts as

an agonist to bring about release of human growth hormone (HGH).

L-argenine helps improve exercise performance by raising high-energy creatinine

phosphates -the raw material energy. For this purpose L-argenine has been used in the body building community for some time.

Claims for argenine include fat burning and building muscle tissue. It increases activity of the thymus gland which produces T-cells, thus boosting immunity, promotes healing,

protects the liver and aids in detoxifying. It is a precursor of nitric oxide which is critical to male sexual function.

This office carries L-argenine from SYN=RGY Products.

Bio - Academic/Medical

I was recently asked to provide a bio for a talk. I provided my

academic accomplishments. When I thought about it I have a

health bio that is probably more interesting and reveals more

of who I am. Here goes --

I was born at the beginning of WWII. I was expected in december

but, perhaps because of Pearl Harbor, I decided to wait until January

by which time I had a full head of hair and weighed in at 10 pounds.

My mother never forgave me. I was born at about the same time

penicillin was developed. My grandmother had been an herbalist

as had been her own grandmother who traded goods and knowledge

with Native American Indians. My mother being a "modern" young

mother forgot about all the old stuff and we as her children were

the beneficiaries of the new "miracle drugs." One old practice I wish

she had forgotten was periodic enemas and a spring tonic of turpentine

in a spoonful of sugar. Well, I survived these and then confronted the

pandemic of polio in the 1950's. The spectre of iron lungs and being

entrapped in them for life was a nightmare to children everywhere. Then

along came Dr. Salk and his vaccine. I was a subject of a double-blind

study to test his vaccine. I felt like a very important 10 year old. fortunately

and by the good grace of God the vaccine worked and I and my friends

were saved from the curse of polio. I idolized Dr. Salk.

Life was good. I graduated high school, college and joined the Navy in 1962.

I was rejected because of flat feet - "pes planus - third degree." I was well

into my career in textbook publishing for John C. Wiley & Sons, N.Y.,N.Y. when

in 1967 I received a draft notice. This was the height of the Vietnam war and

bodies were needed. U.S. Army and Ft. Bliss, Texas, here I come. I did in fact

have foot problems that proceeded to infection on 15-mile night marches. I was

prescribed anti-biotics and once again was blessed by the miracle drugs. I was

given a medical discharge by doctor and Lt. Colonel Skipworth. I was spared

physical and mental injury or even death in that war of choice.

I returned to publishing and developed an array of stress-related ailments --

anxiety, back problems,digestive and sleep dysfunctions. I was prescribed drugs

for each ailment and gleefully took my Valium. I took a sabbatical in 1972 and

went to Europe visiting 22 countries over the period of a year. In the first few

months I traveled the Mediterranean countries. A strange thing happened --my

irritable bowel syndrome -IBS- disappeared. It was the Mediterranean diet I was

following, of course. When I returned to the States I had another medical issue

and went to a wonderful medical doctor who put me on an elimination diet. No

expensive tests. 3 days no eggs, 3 days no chocolate, 3 days no wheat and bingo!

my complaints of post-nasal drip vanished.

By 1976 I had moved to Utah. I went to the University of Utah and worked part-time

at a hospital where I contracted hepatitis A -infectious hepatitis. I told my doctor

my symptoms over the phone. He said go look at the whites of your eyes in the

mirror. I did. They were yellow. When I saw him for his next appointment I asked

"What can you give me for it.?" He said: "Nothing." Nothing? Never in my lifetime

had I been given that answer. It struck terror in my heart. The regimen was rest,

good food, no alcohol. Recovery would take 6 weeks and if I didn't follow this

strictly the disease could even lead to death. I don't remember but must have heard

a voice within say 'you're on your own, Baby.' At this time I stumbled on an arcane

book -The Mucusless Diet written by someone I would have considered a 'health-nut'

that is, had I not been facing the prospect of long term illness or even death. Suffice it

to say that with the visit of my older sister, the blessing of Mormon priests and the

support of friends I was well and back at work in 2 weeks.

This was probably the most important lesson of my life --I was responsible for my health.

Not the doctor, not a pill, not a miracle drug.

I gave up tobacco at that time and started to choose better foods.

I moved from Utah to California in 1978 with my Master's in Education. Teaching jobs

were not plentiful at this time. I worked at a holistic health clinic and took more classes at Foothill College in the heart of Silicon Valley when it was booming. I started chiropractic college in Palo Alto which later merged with Palmer West. After one year I transferred to

Palmer East -The "Fountainhead" at Davenport, Iowa, where I graduated in 1982. Back to California for State Board Exams. I was licensed in 1983.

I started practice in San Francisco and moved to Fair Oaks, CA. In 1985 I bought a

practice in Rocklin where I have remained through the present, 2010. My webpage

rocklinchiro.com gives more info on our work with SF 49ers,etc. Back to my health

history. In 1992 after years of dealing with high blood lipids (cholesterol) I decided to

undertake an experiment --I would refrain from chicken, pork, and beef for several months to lower these lipids. After 6 months I had lab work done and my cholesterol hadn't reduced. While I was disappointed I decided to remain "almost vegetarian" (I still eat

fish and seafood). I have become more concerned about the whole meat industry and

gently discourage friends,family and patients from eating meat--with no converts yet.

I continued to take a statin -Lipitor and a daily baby aspirin for 18 years.

In 2010 I was introduced to L-argenine from Synergy products. I also changed my health insurance to Kaiser. I emailed my Kaiser doctor to prescribe a statin. He emailed me back to say I didn't need a statin (Lipitor) as all my blood work was normal --including cholesterol!

The only change I had made was taking the Synergy product..L-Arge-9 (Argenine).