kEEP IT SIMPLE

When I behold a fashionable table set out in all its magnificence, I fancy that I see gouts and dropsies, fevers and lethargies, with other innumerable distempers, lying in abundance among the dishes. Nature delights in the most plain and simple diet. Every animal, but man, keeps to one dish. Herbs are the food of this species, fish of that, and flesh of a third. Man falls upon everything that comes in his way; not the smallest fruit or excrescence of the earth, scarce a berry or a mushroom can escape him.

This is a quote by Thomas Addison (1793-1860), a British doctor famous for his description of Addison's Disease.

My favorite quote is from our own beloved Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790):

I saw few die of hunger-of eating, a hundred thousand.

Apparently, man has been eating poorly for a long time. No wonder we live in a state of confusion about food.
"Keep it simple, stupid," can well be applied to the way we eat. A general rule to follow, for those interested, is never to eat anything that has ingredients you can't pronounce.

THE MIRACLE

Just as science is meaningless without facts and figures, religion is nothing without faith. The enduring conflict between science and religion lies in that which can and cannot be proven, between the visible and the invisible.

Science slowly and meticulously unravels the mystery of life's origin as solid evidence unfolds. The search continues... Religion has left creation in the hands of a Supreme Being. One need look no further for answers. A true believer does not need to see to believe. The dictionary defines faith as "believing without proof."

While every culture has its own religious beliefs and practices, it is obvious that science could never function at such a level. It must remain within its boundaries and claim as fact only that which can be proven without dispute. Science does not enjoy the flexibility that religion takes for granted, and would be ridiculed and deemed inconclusive it it based its theories on faith and then challenged us to adopt them as facts.

In the scientific world, a miracle occurs when a new discovery is made. Spiritually speaking, a miracle occurs when no earthly explanation can be found for an occurrence.

Ours is a unique planet, an oasis in the desert sky. It is a miracle we are here at all. This is probably the single fact that science and religion agree upon.

IS IT LUCK, OR PROVIDENCE?

When I graduated from eigth grade at the Colegio Junipero, my classmates said I was lucky to receive the general excellence medal. I remember thinking it had nothing to do with good luck, everything to do with hard work and persistence, which translated to better grades and test scores, the best in the class.

Some people say they are lucky. I often wonder if it is provident they mean. After all, luck is a chance encounter with good fortune, while providence seems to be an act of God.

Luck would have one win the lottery, while providence would place one in the right place at the right time. Or is it the other way around?

Like wishing and hoping, luck and providence can be a bit confusing.

Are hopes nothing more than wishes? Or is it the other way around?

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

There is an old saying that no good deed goes unpunished.
How can this be?
Karmic law says that for every action there is an equal reaction. Certainly there must be some error in this old saying. I ponder, for somewhere lies a hidden meaning, and I aim to shed light on it.
No matter how selfless one's good deed may be, one expects gratitude. When gratitude is not forthcoming, or does not live up to expectations, disappointment sets in, feelings get hurt. Sometimes, a good deed gone unthanked can lead to resentment, and loss of friendship. While it takes but a moment to do a good deed, feelings of resentment and anger can linger indefinitely.
No good deed goes unpunished. It is our expectatiions that make this so.

Prudence

Prudence is a word we seldom hear these days. In reply to a question, our beloved president George Bush, Sr. anwered, "It wouldn't be prudent." Ever since, that phrase has been used in comedy. But do we know, when we hear the word prudence, what it means?
All definitions point in the same direction. Prudence means caution, discretion, managing carefully and with economy.
Seems that governments, worldwide, are becoming less prudent. Old grudges have festered, and it becomes increasingly evident that their differences will not be settled peaceably. Prudence is the last thing on anyone's mind. Rash, bold, to the point of irresponsibility, that's what I'm seeing, and it makes me mighty nervous.
I think we ought to begin to use that word, prudence, more. I think we should demand to hear what George Sr. uttered from our next president.

Is it fear, or something more sinister?

While it's true that a paranoid individual is full of fear, one who is fearful is not necesarily paranoid.
Have the terrorists succeeded in creating a paranoid nation? Or is it simply that we are now a nation full of fear-second guessing when and where the next attack will take place?
There is no shortage of reporters that interview 'experts' on our national security. Invariably, these experts point out how fragile our security really is, how easy it would be to launch an attack on any given nuclear site, poison our water supply, etc... How many more ideas can we give the enemy, I ask, before they know all our weaknesses and vulnerabilities?
An enemy that has nothing to lose is a most fearsome one. Their ultimate goal is to strip those who have much to lose from everything they hold dear. They are watching us squander money and resources to defend our airports, seaports, borders, and every conceivable place in between. Even if there is never another attack on American soil, the terrorists have sucessfully instilled fear in our nation, and we all pay the price as they slowly bleed us to death.
As the experts deliver the sad state of our national security, we become more watchful, more suspicious. Only thing is, we don't really know what we're afraid of. Unsure of where to be looking, we see danger everywhere. Is this fear, or has it morphed into something more sinister, like paranoia?

Words to ponder

I like words. I like to look them up in the dictionary and write their definitions in a notebook I have designated for good words. Oftentimes, while I go about my tedious housework, or the never-ending gardening, I ponder on words.
It seems there is some confusion about obligation, responsibility and duty.
Duty is dictated by one's conscience.
Obligation refers to what one is bound to do to fulfill a particular contract, promise or social requirement.
Responsibilty refers to a particular task for which one is accountable or answerable.
Nowhere is this more confusing than from a parent's perspective, where all three merge, becoming almost indistinguishable from one another. It's difficult to separate obligation from responsibility, easy to confuse them with duty.
Perhaps on a larger scale, we all forget which is which from time to time. Is it our obligation, our responsibilty, or our duty to do the things we do?

Antidote for depression

Thank you, Frances, for posting the first comment on my blog. It makes me feel like a player, whatever that means.

Kindness is the best antidote for depression. Being kind makes us feel better about ourselves. For obvious reasons, the person on the receiving end also feels better. If you happen to witness an act of kindness, you, too, will feel better.
In a study, it was found that a single act of kindness increased serotonin levels in giver, receiver, and observer.
Kindness needs no reason, so create your happiness- do something nice for someone.

Many inventions have made modern life what it is: comfortable, convenient, and efficient. One invention, however, stands above the rest, as it has made all the other inventions possible. Stop. Can you guess what it is?
While it is true that life would have gone on without the arrival of ink, mankind's history would read differently. In fact, it wouldn't read at all. A world without ink would take us back to the stone age.
Although ink has undergone many changes since its crude beginning, it earmarks the beginning of recorded history, an event bigger than anyone can fathom, as it is still going on.
We must not lose sight of those that came before us, because they braved unmapped territory. Had they not had the ability to record their findings, obviously things would be different. In a single breath it can be said that ink has both simplified and complicated life on planet Earth.
While I stand agape at all the new inventions, I bow in humble gratitude to those who made everything thereafter a possibility.
to be continued....

Unlikely Connections

Ever wonder where pharmaceutical companies come up with names for their new meds?
I certainly don't lose any sleep over it, but one day, while indulging in my favorite passtime, which happens to be flipping through the dictionary, I came across the word 'virago'. From its Latin roots, it means a manlike (or warrior) woman.
Is it mere coincidence that 'Viagra', and this word, virago, share so many letters in common? Pray tell. And please, please, say it isn't so!

greetings

Sometimes an inspiration comes our way. No telling when or where it will happen, or who or what causes it. No matter. Inspiration is free, and what we do with it is as personal as the clothes we choose to wear each day.