RIP Muhammad Ali

Who would have thought back in 1942 in a time severe persecution of African-Americans was unfortunately still strong in the USA, just thirteen years before the Montgomery Boycott, twenty-one years before Martin Luther King Jr. would march on Washington D.C., that Cassius Clay Jr. would be born to Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. (named after a Republican and abolutionist) and Odessa O'Grady Clay in Louiville, KY?  It would have seemed so insignificant had this young child not grown up into an American hero and icon transcending every race, age, religion, and gender. 

He was subject to segregation.  He couldn't buy water at some stores.  He had to drink water from  water fountains marked 'Whites Only'.  He focused on his career of boxing and was good at it winning in his youth six Kentucky Golden Glove titles and Light Heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 summer Olympics US boxing team.  The US loved him.  I won't write more about his career for it is public record. 

A lot of people don't realize that Muhammad Ali (formerly Cassius Clay) was Muslim.  He had converted.  Even in this last week he spoke against the bigotry forming in this country and even instigated by certain celebrities. 

I am not endorsing this website, but merely citing it for Ali's quote:
http://www.thepostgame.com/daily-take/201512/muhammad-ali-donald-trump-muslim-islam-violence-san-bernardino

The short lives of goldfish

My roommates and I are reviewing the last week in hopes of figuring out how we messed-up in taking care of our fish, granted they were won at a carnival.  Blacherd was always kind of sickly.  He swam and played with Orangrid in their Starbucks cup with ease. 

When we got home, we set aside water, added the drops to neutralize the chemicals in the water.  After 24 hours we gradually added water back from the cup to the bowl before adding the fish.  After three or four days Blacherd stopped eating in part because Orangrid blocked him from the food often pushing him away, and partly because he chose not to, it seemed. Blacherd would often look out the sides of the bowl.  He thought him a little narcissistic or depressed. He died last Friday. 

Orangrid continued to thrive eating like a prince and swimming gingerly.  We worried how being all alone would effect him.  After watching the cartoon, Nemo, we wondered if fish really do go crazy.  He didn't seem to be phased.  We knew we had to change his water, so we prepared, switched it, and re-added Orangrid back to his bowl.  The little guy was doing swell.  Last night he died.  We are all kind of scratching our heads and wondering what happened. 

Conclusion: As easy as it seems to raise goldfish, our hats are off to those of you who can do it. 

RIP

Blacherd & Orangrid

Blacherd and Orangrid

My roommates and I were not supposed to have pets.  Yet at a Fiesta last weekend one of my roommates won two goldfish.  It was proposed that if they survived the next 24 hours, they could be kept.  Thus, Blacherd and Orangrid came to live with us.  Unusual names?  Absolutely.  The owner did not want to give them human names.  If you think about it long enough, you'll figure out what colors they are.

These little fish came to us in a Starbuck's cup.  Immediately a trip to the pet shop was made where the proprietor was excited to show us the tanks costing $500+.  Well, we were thinking just a simple bowl, the old fashioned kind...that were cheap.  The litany of things to do is one of them got sick was pretty long.  We condensed it into, if the fish seem to be acting abnormally, change the water. 

It has not yet been a week, but we've already figured out that Blacherd is part narcissist and loves spending its time staring at itself in the glass, or maybe trying to plot devious ways to escape.  Orangrid is more of an antagonist.  We've seen this one push Blacherd away from food and stand guard on it.  We had enough of the bullying act and thinking that Blacherd was starving, put in more food, which Orangrid greedily began to eat.  Don't worry, there is still some in the bowl, so if Blarcherd wants, it can eat too. 

Craziest part, instead of watching tv or the internet shows, we're spending more time at the dining table watching these two little fish.  It is a new adventure in our lives.  Amid the difficulties surrounding us, it is something different and fun.

Aging Parents--a love note to my siblings.

When parents get older as adult kids we are faced with many challenges.  If we have siblings we are sometimes blessed with the challenges of trying to figure out what is truly going on with our parent/s without invading our parent's privacy too much.  There is a relationship there between child and parent that is so strong and complex.  We as the children struggle with our own mortality when we look at our parents, who we could never think of as anything except strong and invincible, suddenly needing help, and know that our turn is coming quickly too.  There are so many emotions.

Sometimes siblings are not ready to deal with the harsh reality of a situation.  Sometimes they hide mask their own emotions under other ones.  Taking care of a parent means giving up a part of ourselves, realizing that as an adult, we really do need help, because the task is so much greater that we expect, even greater in some ways than taking care of children.  There is a demand for a great deal of patience, compromise, love and forgiveness.  In certain circumstances this working together can be an opportunity to grow together.  Hope in that should never fade.  It should help us learn more about each other, a coming full circle of sorts as we have a shared beginning and family values that were in common, and now we can see how life has changed and altered some of that from our shared and separate experiences, and the different viewpoints.  Yes, there will be times of anger, resentment, and frustration.  We need to remember how much we mean to each other and hold onto our love which is bigger than that.  

To our parents:  work with us.  Don't hide important things.  Help us to make good decisions for you in the future.  That thing called the Advanced Directive that no one wanted to fill out...we're glad you did because we learned more about you and what is important to you.  These were conversations that no one wanted to have because no one likes to think of our own deaths, but they mean so much to us because otherwise we wouldn't have known the stories that you shared about your own experiences  with other family or friends.  We are ever grateful for that.  They have inspired so many more questions that we can't wait to ask about.  Thank you for sharing your lives with us even more intimately.  We love you.

An Amazing Family

I was trolling the net and I stumbled upon a news cast of an actually uplifting story about a remarkable family, the Hartleys, that is raising two daughters with Microcephaly (which is what the Zika virus can cause.)  This family could be looked at as a beacon of hope in a time when people are afraid and have no answers.  But to those of us whose kids are already born, this is an inspiring story of what it means to be family.

Below is the family blog.  They are truly uplifting and serve as a example to us all.

http://www.thehartleyhooligans.com/2016/02/code-yellow-saga-continues.html

Vulcan & Mars

Mars was the Roman god of war.  Vulcan was the Roman god of fire and was good with metalworking and forging of weapons.  Can you imagine the chaos that Vulcan could produce with his fires, then Mars move in to incite war among peoples? 

During this last week there have been earthquakes around the world from Japan to Ecuador.  Our sympathies go to families of victims, and hope for the survivors.  It was long ago thought that Vulcan caused the fire from volcanoes.  We know now that volcanoes, whose name comes from Vulcan, are caused by the magma coming up from along the edges of tectonic plates, like the volcanoes around the "Ring of Fire" surrounding the Pacific plate, or from "hot spots" like in the case of Hawaii, USA.  Sometimes around the ring of fire, shifting magma causes the plates to slide together or away from each other, or sideways erupting in an earthquake.  We understand these why these earthquakes and volcanoes exist.  An interesting volcano happens to be North Korea's Mt. Paektu, which has been in the news recently. Mt. Paektu is an active stratovolcano, which means that it is made of layers, or strata, of ash, hardened lava and pumice (yes, like the pumice you buy in the store).  A volcano similar to it is Mt. Vesuvius near Naples, Italy.

Also interesting has been a hoax about the planet Mars glowing green this coming Wednesday, April 20th due to some planetary conjunction.  Our friends at Space.com refute that this will occur.  Too bad.  Sound like it could've been something right out of a Marvin the Martian cartoon courtesy of Warner Brothers. 

Retrospect Religion and Servants of God

The other day I met a man at a bakery who assumed that my friends and I were from a church for whatever reason, perhaps the time of morning.  He initiated the conversation with us over our town's sewer that is being implemented.  As my friends left, he turned the conversation to religious matters that he wanted to get off his chest. 

I am astounded at the need for people to relieve themselves of guilt for not attending any type of church, and feeling like they need to apologize for it.  In this gentleman's case, he was saying that he is afraid of offending anyone, therefore he won't go to any service.  His wife on the other hand does attend some form of religious service and doesn't care if she offends anyone.  The absurdity of the conversation based in guilt made me wonder how many people go through this self doubt, which this man apparently had. 

I met a woman yesterday who is friends with the sister of a Servant of God, Cora Evans.  Servant of God is the designation given to a holy person before the Catholic Church/Holy See decides there are enough miracles and other works done in their name before that person is considered "Blessed."  After that, with more miracles, the person can be canonized a "Saint".

It is amazing the surety of faith Cora Evans had, and what great trust.  She had no need for self doubt, or worry about being led astray.  Her faith saved her from these things.  It made me wonder if people who practice a faith are indeed happier, more confident, and settled because their lives are secure in their faith versus those like the man encountered at the donut shop.  I guess we'll never know. 

Contested Convention

With the big wins yesterday we are one step closer to a contested convention.  This means that no one contender has a majority of votes in an primary election, in this case, for the Republican party for their presidential nomination.  So, as an American voter, what can I expect? 

It means that there will be a lot of talking and debating in the Republican party as they try to broker deals.  It could even lead to some fist fights within their congress, but probably not.  More than likely as a general public we may hear really great reasons why certain candidates are strong and should be supported by the party, as well as greater communication within the party and new associations leading to a stronger party.  As a nation we should be paying attention.  There are many hard questions being asked around the world right now, questions about ISIL in Syria, nuclear threat in North Korea, the continuing refugee crisis, the dollar's depreciation, inflation looming with the increase of minimum wage, and more.  These are the things that the next president will be facing.  These are the things that the contested convention will have to weigh in looking at someone the party will stand behind as they honor the voters' wishes. 

This is history in the making and we're all a part of it.  It won't be left up to chance like that 3 point shot Villanova made to win in the final game of March Madness. 

March Maddness

I would be so remiss if I let March Madness slip by without a mention.  Yeah, all my favorite teams are knocked out of the brackets already.   We are down to the final four teams: Villanova, Oklahoma, Syracuse, and University of North Carolina.  There is something enchanting about watching college basketball.  Maybe it is the idea of revisiting the excitement of youthful days of getting into games for free as college students during the regular season and hearing the crowd echo around the bleachers of an enclosed court.  Whatever it is, it remains a big event in homes across America. 

This year the idea of March Madness has been subdued in my particular household with all the Trump happenings and curious teenagers wanting to understand better how primary elections work, and what outrageous thing candidates (or their campaign managers) will do.  The Lewandowski incident actually incited a huge debate amongst the college crowd that I was with the other night.  Many of the young people didn't think that what he did was assault and thought the entire thing ludicrous and not worth airtime or an arrest/civil suit.  Others wondered how it would effect current abuse laws, would it make them stricter, or relax existing ones.  One or two people tried to explain how the simple act of grabbing another person's arm and pulling it is absolutely abuse.  However, if someone were about to get hit by a car, then it wouldn't be: they started pulling out so many exceptions.  Are the younger generations right?  Was it no big deal? 

There are so many other things to be thinking of and puzzling over.  The European Space Agency has proposed a moon village.  I wonder how long until they have fast food once the domiciles are set-up?  Will the inhabitants be as obese as those on earth?  What about the Siberian unicorns that popped up in the news as well?  They may not be as pretty with white hair and golden horns, but hey, a giant rhino-like unicorn with long single boney protrusion from its forehead definitely works too. 

Best wishes to everyone!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  In the US there are parades, and everyone is considered Irish for the day.  And yes, in some pockets of the country you'll still find pictures of Leprechauns, pots of gold, and rainbows.  To be sure despite political correctness, there will be some pinching of another is not wearing green. Oh, yes, how many will be eating corned beef and cabbage today?  What about the green beers, and the Irish ales and whisky's to be had?  Truly this is an American holiday! 

After 1720 C.E. there was a steady stream of Irish immigrants to the American colonies/United States creating an Irish diaspora.  In Boston, a major port for the colonies, a gathering of Irish immigrants grew, both of Presbyterian and Catholic background.  Many of the colonies were originally settled by English immigrants, so the Irish settlers found it important to rally together against penal laws prohibiting the freedom of religion and economic opportunities.  Together in a new land, how the similarity of speech and culture must have also been a comfort.  In 1737 the Charitable Irish Society was founded to assist those immigrating to North America, specifically Boston, Massachusetts. In other areas throughout the colonies similar Irish support groups, like the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Hibernian Society, were formed.   They brought with them their charity toward others, especially those in need, and their shared faith, especially in Ireland's Patron Saint, St. Patrick.

At the time of the Revolutionary War, there were so many Irish immigrants fighting for the Colonies that General George Washington (who would be our first president), during the bleak winter at Morristown (1778-9) called for a day of rest and merriment so that everyone could be in solidarity with the Irish colonists in celebrating their heritage and patron saint, while at the same time boost morale. (See History.com).   Thus this simple feast to commemorate one homeland, became an American holiday lasting through the present.  We are all sojourners and through our solidarity we seek solace together through this shared tradition.

So, in the tradition of Irish Blessings,

May love and laughter light your days and

warm your hearts and home.

Happy Pi Day!

This is the day, March 14, that from coast to coast that college math students to kindergarteners get out their pizza and favorite fruit pie, hold contests and celebrate that little number called pi.  We all use it when calculating circumferences of circles and finding the area of circles, and more. 

Pi is a special number in that is a very special number because its decimal number seems to go on forever without repeating. Groups of mathematicians have tried to solve pi since the middle of the last century. In 2012 it was reported that a group had solved pi, but there is some speculation about that.  Pi was first  originally used by William Jones in 1706 and made popular in 1737 by Leonhard Euler.  Pi is an irrational number that is also sometimes approximated by the fraction 22/7 and the decimal number 3.14 (which is why today is Pi Day).

Anyway, happy Pi Day! 

We Got Rain! & other random water thoughts

We got rain in California yesterday where I live.  I know those of you reading this in Europe of even the East Coast might laugh an the excitement, but it is exciting.  For the first time in a long time our hills are green and the wildflowers are starting to bloom. We had some rain a few weeks ago, yes, but it hasn't been enough to refill our dams or aquafers.  The dams still have a long way to go.  As for the local aquafer, the water companies are still restricting us as the saltwater intrusion continues (I live along the coast.) and one of our towns wells has had to stop pumping because it was contaminated with Chromium VI, a naturally occurring element in our area. There are still fears that we will run out of water in my local area by next September/October.  Every rain brings the hope of pushing that date back further.   If only we had some of that water from the snowfalls from the Midwest and East coasts!  What a wonder that would be!

In the ancient world tunnels were made into mountains to underground springs/water table using a slightly sloped horizontal tunnel to connect several vertical shafts along the way.  Gravity would take water along the tunnel, called qanat, to the fields or irrigation canals.  The cool thing about qanats is that they still exist in areas like Iraq, so natural disasters like earthquakes, sandstorms, etc. haven't really effected some of them.  Mankind has definitely done some damage.  In college some of us used to think about ideas like this as we tried to solve California's visits with drought.

California has adapted ancient technology in the form of aqueducts and canals to help distribute water to different regions of the state.  Impressive is that water must be pumped in certain places 2,882 feet high using different pumping stations.  California is home to the world's highest water lift, where it is raised 1,926 feet! 

So, if we are capable of so much, both in the ancient world and now, why do we suffer with droughts?  We sometimes forget about water rights, state regulations, and cost effectiveness.  However, shouldn't we keep dreaming, thinking "What if..." and challenging ourselves to think of ways to keep providing clean drinking water to our citizens, and helping those annually inundated by floods? 

Shock to the Heart

If any of you knew/ know Bon Jovi's song, "Shot Through the Heart" you'd probably laugh that I thought for years that it was "Shock to the heart and you're to blame, darling, you give love a bad name."  I guess the reason was that we didn't have the internet back then where we could google the lyrics.  I have a young friend currently trying to get me to learn a song from Shakira without cheating by looking at the lyrics.  As I barely know Spanish, it will be fun to learn how I mispronounce/mishear all these new words.

Thinking of the misheard Bon Jovi lyrics, 'shock to the heart' it correlates to something that I recently learned about.  An older friend of mine had a double bout of pneumonia over the turn of the new year and suffered severe congestive heart failure needing constant oxygen as part of the treatment now.   In the last couple of weeks her pulse started to slow and she didn't feel good.  It turned out that she had developed A Fib (atrial fibrillation).  What does this mean?  Put simply normally the heart contracts and relaxes in a rhythmic pattern with the pumping actions of the atrium and ventricles. In atrial fibrillation the atrium beats irregularly and sort of quivers instead of pumping the blood into the ventricles/lungs as it should.  You can imagine, this is a very bad things.  It can cause blood to slow down (as in the case of my friend), blood to pool causing clots, and strokes.  There are medicines that can be used to help stimulate atrium.  In some cases, as in my friend's case, electrical cardioversion (shocking the heart) can be used to send a low voltage of electricity through paddles on her chest to charge the atrium into its regular pattern.  She was pretty scared at first because at her age, they couldn't knock her out, they needed her awake.  However, she was quite pleased that they were able to give her medicines to make it so she couldn't feel it, as well as a muscle relaxant.  She had been in the hospital for three days, and after the procedure she was sent home as the electrical cardioversion is typically an outpatient procedure.  She had so much energy.  Unfortunately two weeks later she has A Fib again.  She is currently taking the medicine and has the choice of trying the shock therapy again.  She is older though and is ready to move onto the next life.  She is a great woman though, one of my heroes.

For the official Bon Jovi video on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrZHPOeOxQQ

How to Fix a Primary Election

I'm not very savvy with elections, but a couple of months ago I thought it would be interesting to register to vote for the political party whose primary I wanted to vote in so that I could help determine who would be on the ballot for president.  I thought it would be a twofold benefit: first, I believe my vote will hold more value than the regular election where the area in which I live is mostly votes one party all the time, and even then the rest of the state cancels out our votes; secondly I wanted to help choose a candidate for the opposing party that I thought might annoy the heads of the political party. 

Imagine my joy when registering I saw that I could vote for the opposing political party's candidates in the primary without having to join the party. (Some states offer this option, not necessarily all.)  This led to an interesting debate as my friends and I watch Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders numbers from the primaries in other states.  Is it possible that constituants of Hillary have figured out to register for voting in the Republican primaries in order to trump up Trump?  Would Trump as Republican candidate for president mean an instant win for Democrats?  There is so much at stake in the US at the moment.  It is probably a long shot that anyone could connive such a thing and play it out on a grand scale, but it is fun to imagine.  And what is going on with Rubio, Cruz and the others?    

Cross Word Puzzles, Japan, & the Arab Spring Revisited

As a child I used to watch my grandmother do the crossword puzzles.  It was part of her morning ritual.  When she came to a word that she couldn't figure out she'd ask the younger generations hoping we knew what was going on in the pop culture and could help her out.  Suddenly the crossword became a family game and we could all play together.  Ten years ago I picked up a newspaper and for nothing better to do, I started it.  How pleased I was that some of the more difficult answer could easily be obtained by a quick search on the internet or just catching up on current events.  Suddenly the use of the crossword puzzle to educate and keep one up-to-date seemed to make sense.  I enjoyed it as a hobby, but because of family demands had to drop it a couple years later.  Now I find myself dabbling with the crosswords again.  As I give some of the clues to my teenagers we can fill in most of the puzzle without going to a Crossword Dictionary or the internet.  There are days when I just want to 'cheat' and I pull out the internet.  I am still learning.  For instance I leaned yesterday that Japan's constitution, Article 9, prohibits the country from declaring war, or rather suggests that it can defend itself, but should not use war to settle matters of state. However they could use a military to keep peace, for defense, and help the United Nations in peace keeping missions. This Article was written just after World War II, and makes sense in light of that.  In 2014 Japan added Article 69 clarifies and amends Article 9 allowing Japanese military to also defend its allies.  There was some question as to the way this article was passed.  However the Japanese Diet, also known as the Japanese Kokkai or National Assembly  (started in 1889 under the Meiji Constitution and reorganized in 1947), recently enacted a series of laws to allow for the support of its allies.  As we learn new things like this, perhaps it gives us a different understanding and appreciation for other cultures and the lessons that history has taught as we look at current conflicts. 

In the same paper was an article about how the US was backing certain groups in Syria against ISIL (aka ISIS) near Aleppo and how Russia and Turkey were doing the same and wound-up firing on the people the US is supporting.  One may ponder, why are they firing on each other if they have the same enemy?  We tend to forget that it is more complicated than that.  Recall the Arab Spring that started in Tunisia in 2010?  The discontent with Arab rulers spread quickly.  By 2012 Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Yemen all had new leaders because of the civil protests that had erupted.  Meanwhile there was ongoing civil unrest in  Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Sudan, Mauritania, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Western Sahara, and Palestine with some of the Libyan unrest spilling into Mali.  It was during this time in Syria had major protests against President Bashar al-Assad, who in turn enforced violent crackdowns.  The United Nations in their report in 2012 stated that the conflict in Syria had turned sectarian.  That is to say, Shia versus Sunni, versus Alawite. (The government was primarily Alawite.)  There has been fighting in Syria ever since.  Interestingly there were elections help in 2014 and several candidates for president were able to run.  With 30 countries watching the election procedures President Bashar al-Assad won the election. Due to rebels, Kurdish and ISIS control of parts of Syrian land, 60% of the country could not vote.  So as we hear reports of the allied groups against ISIS/ISIL, we need to remember that Syria's troubles are like a complex Gordian knot that need to be unwound and solved carefully and with thought.  So many countries have soldiers, weapons, and other investments in the country.  How much is too much?  And what of the people?  If peace was intent of Japan's Constitutional Article 9, what will be the intent of the people of Syria in the future?  For what should we hope?

Supreme Court Justice Scalia

Every time a Justice steps down or dies politics get really interesting.  The Supreme Court is meant to interpret the United States Constitution.  By doing so it helps to keep the other two branches of the government, the Executive (the President) and the Legislative (Congress),  in check. 

Has there been a more interesting time for a Supreme Court Justice to die?  As a nation we have almost a roulette situation on our hands.  The feuding political parties could make it impossible for President Obama to get a nomination through the system before his term expires, and with presidential elections this November, the fight for president just became serious.  Hopefully it will inspire people who don't normally vote to sign-up this year.  This should be exciting.

Zika Virus Revisited and Government Responses Questioned

Retraction from what I wrote yesterday.  The US has indicated today (3 Feb 2016) that there is at least one patient now that acquired the Zika virus through sexual relations
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-35478967

There continues to be an enormous amount of media coverage creating hype and panic over the Zika virus.  There has been a push in some Latin American countries for abortions to prevent the birth of children who may have been exposed to Zika while in the womb, and suggestions in countries with  known cases for their citizens to not have children for the next several years.  This shows a real ignorance of the virus. 

The response from the governments, especially Brazil, is reminiscent of the panic in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s when it was feared that the world was overpopulated.  That was instigated by the publication of The Population Bomb written by Paul Ehrlich in 1968 advocating immediate action to curb population growth, which he considered a cancer.  Around the same time the US government in a move toward population control suggested families be small and planned.  Under Title X of the Public Health Services Act of 1970 (1), the US government provided (and still provides) different forms of contraception to help maintain planned families.  What are the upsides to a country having smaller populations? Economists are in debate as to whether it helps to keep the country's economy strong, but citizens tend to move toward urban areas, have longer lives, better educations, and better health care. It all sounds great until we learn that it is the poor and marginalized who are the victims of this population control. Starting in 1907 the US saw its first eugenics laws passed in an effort to shape society into an ideal.  It was the marginalized, poor, and those from Mexican or African descent that were targeted for sterilization, especially in California (2).  Population control through contraceptives, abortion, and media pushes to not have children are called the new face of eugenics in the modern era in many circles, and we must consider it especially in light of the responses by governments in fear of the Zika virus.  Aldus Huxley in his Brave New World Revisited cautioned the public, "In politics the equivalent of a fully developed scientific theory or philosophical system is a totalitarian regime.  The Will to Order can make tyrants out of those who merely aspire to clear up a mess.  The beauty of tidiness is used as a justification for despotism.  The future dictator's subjects will be painlessly regimented by a corps of highly trained engineers.  Thanks to technological progress, Big Brother can now be almost as omnipresent as God.  Christ promised to be present where two or three are gathered together.  He did not say anything about being present where thousands are intoxicating one another with herd-poison.  To give organizations precedence over persons is to subordinate ends to means.  What happens when ends are subordinated to means was clearly demonstrated  by Hitler and Stalin." Let us be careful to not lose ourselves as individuals and be suckered into a herd mentality, as economists call it.  Let us carefully watch over our governments and make sure that the policies made are for the greater good, and not social engineering by the elite. 

Referencing:

(1)  http://www.hhs.gov/opa/title-x-family-planning/index.html

(2)  http://www.uvm.edu/~lkaelber/eugenics/CA/CA.html

The most important thing about the Zika virus: don't panic.  It is not contagious, it is transmitted through a certain mosquito. 

The United States of America has confirmed six known cases of patients with the Zika virus in New York, Arkansas, and Virginia.  Separately the California Public Health Department has identified several cases since November. Of those identified in the US, they occurred in people who travelled to Latin America.   And what about the dreaded possibility of microcephaly that supposedly comes with the Zika virus?  It is more common than we realize and even more common than autism in the USA.  The Foundation for Children with Microcephaly is here in the United States. (see link below)  Other countries may have their own support foundations.  I watched a video put out by a journalist in Latin America with microcephaly.  I'm attaching the link here because it is worth watching, especially if you are afraid.

Foundation for Children with Microcephaly     http://childrenwithmicro.org/

Journalist article     http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35472410

CDC Information on the Zika Virus     http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html

Using Ovens for Heaters

While visiting an elderly friend, their relative came for a visit.  She and I were shocked to learn that her aunt was using the oven for a heater.  The worst part is there was old food in the containers on the stove, plastic bags filled with food, and an container of olive oil laying on its side over the open oven where it had been knocked over.  My friend did not realize that the plastic knobs on her oven could melt (they were right above the door in the front), nor did she realize that plastics have high BTU and combust at lower temperatures than other things and could have set the place on fire.  She also didn't realize that using the oven to heat her home increases the amount of carbon dioxide in her home, giving her the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Why was she using the heater?  Her heater wouldn't work.

The use of ovens for heating IS NOT recommended.  Use a portable heater if you can, or an electric blanket.  Even heating something in your oven and taking it out to set it on a cutting board is more preferable to using the oven to heat your home. 

If your heater's pilot light has gone out, contact your gas company and they should relight it for you free of charge (mine does for free, but ask).  If it is a mechanical failure of the system, have a technician check the furnace. 

Be safe this winter and make sure your friends and family are too.  For more information on the dangers of using the oven as a heater because of carbon monoxide poisoning see the CDC website. (Link below.)
http://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm

http://ota.dc.gov/release/dangers-using-your-stove-home-heating

Black Rose Versus Red Rose

Last night my teenagers asked me if I was a red rose person or a black rose person on Valentine's Day.  This definitely required some discussion because black roses have had different meanings over time.  Supposedly true black roses only found naturally in Tibet.  The roses that we can get are those with deep reds and maroon coloring, but as much as they look black, they are really a shade of red.  More often roses are blackened with ink.  Sometimes they are also charred.

The language of flowers is thought to have originated in Persia and spread to Europe in the 18th Century.  The thought was every flower, color, and number of flower could convey a message and lovers and friends would not have to actually talk, their conversation would occur through the flowers.  (Next time you watch a movie and the characters are handing each other flowers, remember that.)

Red roses have always meant love and respect.  (Different shades could add meaning.) Black rose usually meant death, hatred or farewell.  At one time it was not atypical for men leaving for war to have black roses to give to their loved ones when they didn't think they would return.  It is also common at funerals.  In Gothic writing, especially current writing the black rose can be a symbol for vampires or black magic.  The black rose was also once used as the symbol for anarchy.  Perhaps more famously it was used in the Phantom of the Opera as a symbol of undying love. 

When posed with the question of whether I was a red rose or a black rose person, with the younger generations the idea of the black rose is getting a new meaning.  The question posed was really asking, 'Do I believe in love and romance at Valentine's day, or do I stand in opposition of what the day has come to mean in our consumer society which dictates the candy, hearts, and dinners for two?'  There are movements within the college crowd to make Valentine's Day color black instead of the cheery red in protest.  My answer, I like the multicolored roses for Valentine's day.  They are festive and full of life and celebration.  It makes sense as one of my children was born on that day and we celebrate that instead of Valentine's day. 

So, which are you desire this February, red roses or black?

Disney, Water and Flint

Have you ever wondered how much of your body is made of water?  Scientists generally agree that 50-70% of the human body is comprised of water, but that it depends on gender, fitness level, and fatty tissue.  Because we are comprised of mostly water, that is why we need clean safe drinking water. 

In California we have been in drought for many years.  It is not atypical to see signs along highways saying "No Water = No Work" indicating too that there is no work for migrant farm workers, their jobs have literally dried-up too.  A couple acquaintances have ranches with dying fruit trees.  They were lamenting in the fall that the ground is dry fifteen feet deep, that it would take several years of good rain.  Though we've had an El Nino year so far, where I live in California we are still on mandatory water conservation efforts and our water supply nearly depleted.  The rains haven't soaked in.  Instead they have been merely superficial.  We are looking at needing to use bottled water and already we have seen chromium and other metals entering the water supply through groundwater contamination due to the drought.  We aren't alone in having difficulties with our water supply.   Fracking supposedly causes trouble with water supply in pockets of the nation.  Most notable for its water trouble currently is Michigan.

Water is such an essential element to life.  It is intolerable that the people of Michigan were not initially told that their water was poisoned with lead.  If anyone thinks of Disney's Mad Hatter, then, yeah, possibly there could be some humor in thinking of lead poisoning.  That would be cruel.  Throughout the United States any domicile with paint older than 1978 the landlord/rental company/seller is required by law to notify the people living on the premises because the ramifications of lead poisoning are severe.  Lead causes kidney failure/problems, anemia, hearing loss, mental developmental issues, growth problems, behavior problems, weakness, weight loss, headaches, constipation, seizures and sleep issues. 

Usually lead in the water supply is caused by older pipes.  As a child my grandparents used to run the water for a few minutes to let the pipes clear of lead debris.  They used only cold water.  When time allowed the pipes were switched to a non lead material.  These are the procedures recommended by state governments across the nation.  The Michigan story is different.  It began when Flint Michigan changed its water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April 2014.  The water was supposedly brown and smelled.  Residents of were told their water was safe even though the government took steps to purify water to state buildings for its employees. 

Do you remember the old story about the beloved king who lived on the hill and his people who lived in the village below.  Over time the people began to go crazy.  The king and his men noticed it.  They discovered that the village well had become contaminated and effected the people.  The king because he so cared for his people drank from the well too so that he could be in solidarity with them.  I guess old fashioned values have gone out the door.  Maybe though, these values should be brought back.

There are a number of ways that the people of Flint and other effected areas in Michigan can be helped.  A quick on-line search will give you a list of organizations who have people supplying water to residents and actively distributing water.  There are still people in the area with access to water being denied because of lack of social security number or state drivers licences.  Advocacy could help in that regard.  Outside groups have helped already with the initial outside testing of the water.  Other groups are setting-up funds for the children and others who will need medical attention now and in the future.  If nothing else, may it be a wake-up call to each of us that in a first world country, stuff like this will happen if we aren't vigilant. 

Zika Virus, Microcephaly and the Circus

There is a great deal of concern in the USA and elsewhere in the Americas about the Zika virus.  In part of the hysteria expectant mothers or those hoping to become parents are encouraged to not travel to South America where infection is great.  The virus is transmitted by way of Aedes mosquito, which is supposed to be a daytime-active mosquito.  According to the World Health Organization symptoms include mild fever, skin rash and possible joint pain and conjunctivitis that last 7-10 days.  The down side, and it is being seen now, is that in newborns and mothers who have been bitten by the mosquito, there may be a link between the Zika virus and microcephaly.  According to the May Clinic is "Microcephaly (my-kroh-SEF-uh-lee) is a rare neurological condition in which an infant's head is significantly smaller than the heads of other children of the same age and sex. Sometimes detected at birth, microcephaly usually is the result of the brain developing abnormally in the womb or not growing as it should after birth. in which a newborn's head is smaller than normal and the brain may not have developed properly."

This brings two separate thoughts to mind.  The zika virus is not new.  It was originally identified in Uganda in 1947 and is (according to Wikipedia--so take it with a grain of salt) related to yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile Virus.  Since 1950 the world has seen huge outbreaks of Zika virus in Uganda, the Republic of Tanzania, French Polynesia, Brazil and nineteen other countries in Latin and Central America. 

There has been a rise of microcephaly in infants in those countries in the Americas which is bringing the conjecture that they virus and condition may be linked.  Microcephaly is rare, but not unknown.  Circus side shows in the United States have used people with his condition for entertainment.  Two of the most famous were Schlitze “Schlitzie” Surtees who toured with Barnum and Bailey Circus and did some occasional acting ("Freaks"1932, "Island of Lost Souls" 1932, "Tomorrow's Children" 1934, and "Meet Boston Blackie" 1941), and the second, William Henry Johnson, known better for his stage name with P.T. Barnum (Barnum and Bailey) as "Zip the Pinhead." ('Pinhead' was a derogatory term.)  In more recent times we have the comic strip, 'Zippy the Pinhead' or 'Zippy', by Bill Griffith whose appearance of the main character, Zippy, seems almost an inspired tribute to Mr. Surtees and Mr. Johnson while packing a satirical punch at consumerism, politics and the like.

Thoughts on Death...What would you do?

Have you ever considered how you'd like to die?  My grandmother is currently dying.  On 27 December she went into the hospital with pneumonia.  It took one and a half weeks to find an antibiotic that would treat the pneumonia.  We knew that it had caused some congestive heart failure.  She was put on an oxygen tank to help while they figured out which antibiotic to give her.  Once they found the antibiotic, she was moved to a nursing care facility where she still is.  Last week the doctors were hopeful about sending her home, but she had two children who lived at her home to take care of her who were sick.  On Thursday she felt weak.  Friday tests were taken and she has pneumonia again.  She has always believed in the next life, but she is scared.  She is completely cognizant of what is going on and the gravity of the situation.  She is one of the bravest people I know and in many ways I hope that I can live as fully as she.

Other family have died of other things, some sudden, some prolonged.  It has made me think long and hard about how precious life is.  How uncertain life is.  It makes me appreciate it all the more and the time we/I have with others around me.  I find myself thanking more people.  I am writing to those who I've put off writing to, and sometimes just picking up the telephone.  If today were my last day, I've wondered, how would I spend it. How would you?  Would you fear what you don't know or understand?  Would you stand up to injustices?  Would you try something new?  Would you take that extra moment and smell a rose? Would you help a complete stranger? It is not carpe diem.  That throws out responsibility.  We have to be prepared for tomorrow, but live like today is our last. 

Astrophysicists Need a Little Love Too

Space, that final frontier.  It is rife with fodder for science fiction writers.  I was shocked this week when I watched a news release of all the space junk floating around the planet.  There are supposedly more than 20,000 pieces of space debris the size of a softball or larger orbiting the planet.  Space agencies all over the globe have to keep track of them because they can cause quite severe damage to everything up there since they fly faster than the speed of a bullet.  Then there are those things that are smaller than a softball.  Where did all this come from?  Well, companies from tv stations to telephone companies send up satellites for use or research that overtime corrode and stop working, There are parts to rockets or other things that have gone into space.  They collide and make smaller pieces.  Ever wonder why we hear about the International Space Station having to change its orbit.  This is part of the reason.  We think the ocean's are bad with their islands of trash, just wait.  Maybe we'll be able to make a new moon someday for our planet with all the space trash  that we've got up there. 

In the 1980s Reagan was really big into getting kids excited about space, and especially using that excitement to push education in science in math. In 1983 German astronaut, Dr. Ulf Merbold (the 2nd German in space after cosmonaut Sigmund Jahn), joined American astronauts on Space Shuttle Columbia paving the way for NASA to do more joint missions with other space agencies.  Recall Sally Ride was the first American woman in space.   Teachers were especially excited because fellow teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was on board Space Shuttle Challenger as a non-astronaut civilian payload specialist in 1986.  The work of these astronauts has brought us better understanding of the human body as well as our own planet.  Now we are exploring of Mars and beyond. 

One of the neatest things coming out of NASA so far this year are the images of Pluto, that demoted little planet of ours.  Perhaps you've seen the headlines about new proof for Planet X, or more recently the astrophysicists in California who have found a ninth planet in our solar system, at least mathematically, and it is three times bigger than the earth.  They need a little love, we have been focused too much on politics for the last year. 

Asking kids to design space ships leads to interesting results.  Some liked the idea of  Disney's Treasure Planet which had actual sails.  The kids had heard of solar flares and thought they could be ridden like the waves of the ocean.  Others came up with pictures of wings that could fold-up when not in use.  Others used origami and could transform and adapt to the environment of that particular part of space.  They are our future.  Their imaginations are alive and well.  "Space," like Captain Kirk used to say, "is that final frontier." 

Growing-up with Roe v. Wade

In the United States today, January 22, marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision of Roe versus Wade, which gave women in the United States the legal right to end their unborn child's life.  It sparked the abortion debate that has since ensued for decades.  

On one hand it seemed like the Women's Liberation movement in the US had made a huge victory.  Women could have abortions that allowed them to continue as members of the workforce; it allowed them to not be tied down to children, and as women were/often mistreated by men it allowed them to be free of the results of those unfortunate situations.  It was also a victory for the overall health of American women because backroom abortions were all too common, very often with women becoming severely ill and dying because of poor sanitation, untrained medical personnel, and complications.  Of women who have abortions, many are coerced into having them by boyfriends, husbands, or other family.  Still other women choose to have abortions of their own volition. 

Yesterday and today there mare many prayer vigils being held across the nation from Washington DC to San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Millions of people are gathered in prayer vigils against the disrespect of human life of those who cannot defend themselves.  They are people of different nationalities, races, walks of life, different religions, and differing experiences. Yet they have all come together to show they are a people of life: that they believe in human dignity; that every human life is sacred from conception to natural death.   

It begs the question, is abortion about a woman's right, or about upholding the dignity and sacredness of the human condition? 

My father is of the mindset that it is a woman's issue, that men should stay out of it.  Several of his female friends disagree.  Several friends have had abortions and regretted them for decades, especially when they have later had other children and worried what to tell their other children because once their other children were born, they realized how sacred those children were.  A friend's girlfriend aborted his child simply because she didn't want to have a baby with his nationality even though he loved her dearly and wanted to be a family.  Living across the street from me once was a doctor who performed abortions, her partner, and her partner's adult child who had Down syndrome.  Personally Roe v. Wade touched me when my spouse and I were expecting our first child.  Because we young adults, it was strongly suggested by the medical doctors that we have an abortion and that way we could both have our careers.  It would have been as easy as making an appointment.  We chose to give life. 

The point, abortion effects everybody.    Everyone knows someone, or has an experience, and that colored our relationships.   

In recent times there was a famous case of Gianna Molla of Italy who is usually brought-up with the abortion debate. She became a doctor, a gynecologist.  She married and had three children.  In 1961 she became pregnant with her fourth child.  During her pregnancy she developed a fibroma on her uterus. The doctors gave her three choices: an abortion, a complete hysterectomy, or removal of only the fibroma. As a Catholic she knew the Catholic Church forbids all direct abortion, but would have allowed her to undergo a hysterectomy, which might have caused her unborn child's death. As a gynecologist she understood the severity of her condition and all the implications.  Believing her child’s life more important than her own, Molla opted for the removal of the fibroma, telling doctors that she wanted to preserve her child’s life.  This was her personal choice.  On 21 April 1962, through Caesarean  section Gianna gave birth to a daughter, Gianna Emanuela. However, Gianna Molla continued to have severe pain, and died of infection seven days later. The daughter, Gianna Emanuela, is still alive today, following in her mother’s footsteps as a doctor. 

So, is abortion a woman's right, or is life a right of the human condition with its dignity, respect and sacredness encompassed in that?  What is we take away the circumstance of abortion and ask the question again in terms of eugenics? Or genocide?  What of the Holocaust?

Steelers and the Bengals

Something that all Christians can discuss seems to be sports.  This morning after the Liturgy of the Word (our church can't offer Thursday mass) I found myself talking to a friend, who like me leads the services at his parish, but his is a different Christian sect.  After we discussed the differences and similarities in our readings and similarities between reflections and sermons, we turned to the sports, especially the American football AFC Wild Card game this last weekend between the Steelers and the Bengals.

It was an awful game as far as behavior goes. It seemed like the teams really hated each other, my friend commented.  With the plays by the Bengals and the penalties inflicted on the giving the Steelers an advantage there, it seemed like justice was being served. (The Steelers in general have a reputation of being a hardworking team with good values, the whole Porter thing is just weird.) Why is it that we teach our children not to do things because they are wrong, like helmet to helmet contact, but it is okay for adults? Why do we suggest that once someone is an adult, anything goes, but while people are young they need to stick to moral teachings?  It is the same off the playing field and in real life. 

We teach kids not to cheat when they are in school, but how many adults cheat and steal within the work place setting?  I realize that questioning our beliefs and taking responsibility for our actions and even our faith is a phase in the learning behavior of every person as they grow, especially starts in the early 20s.  Sometimes like for these young players, one wishes they would grow up a little faster.  But the players are paid to do this too to keep viewers watching.  In watching we convince ourselves that this should be normal behavior. We are not paid to entertain.  Why do we act like this?  It should be a cautionary note.  It is okay to stand against the grain, to look towards one's own conscience and not necessarily follow the crowd.  Who knows, you may be surprised and find others with you.  Maybe that is all you need to do to make a difference in a young person's life, especially when you don't realize that you are also being looked up to as well.

A Movie and the Plight of the Hungry

There is a film called, Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which is about the friendship between a boy in a Nazi concentration camp and the son on the camp commandant.  The movie explores some of the propaganda that the Germans were instilled with by their government.  It explored the turbulent emotions and ideas that tore families apart.  For me one of the most striking things was a propaganda movie that showed the Jewish prisoners playing games, sitting at a table outdoors eating a meal as a family, and demonstrating what a lovely place the camp was.  We know now the horrors of those camps.  My family has a friend who was interred at two German labor camps: Clermont and Frontabalag(sp?).  He still has items and is working with French museums to continue writing the history of what happened to the many who passed through the gates.  One image that he has is of children lined up.  They were being taken to the trains to be sent to the concentration camps.  They had been separated from their parents.  He himself was an American born to French parents.  He tried to escape through Italy, but was detained, arrested and taken the to camps.  As an American he said that he was often put with a group of other Americans, paraded and showed off to reporters and photographers, but never allowed to speak.  He was used for propaganda purposes without knowing it. 

The same friend has been having my family watch closely what is happening in Syria.  He sees many correlations starting with the refugees fleeing.  Now media is starting to report that the Syrian people are being starved.  Some reports in our news this week suggest that the UN has found sarin poisoning in the blood of some of the dead they have come across.  It is frightening to think that the world is trying to forget what was to justify its actions now.  Let us not forget.  Let us stand strong too and remember that these are men, women, and children who are like us in every way who are being injured, starved and killed in Syria.  The politics is incredibly complex, but on a humanitarian level, what can we do to help the people? 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!  May it bring you good health, prosperity, joy and much love.