My Blog

uninspired

malcha — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:57:39 GMT

I don't know what it is. I've been down and uninspired since coming back from India. I went there to get away from the U.S., hoping to experience a culture untouched and unbothered by materialism, greed, money, etc., where spirituality was real and powerful. But that's not what I found. I found people who wanted to be like Americans, who wanted to have all the "stuff", eat Domino's pizza, commercial pressure to turn from their healthy idlis to cornflakes, god-awful MTV-like music videos, and a spirituality that was much more superstition that heart-felt. I can't get the Love up anymore. I feel I need to be steeled and hard. I see a world gone to hell and nobody cares. I see evil politicians getting away with ripping off the planet and nobody can do anything about it. I feel like blowing things up. Like Hanuman destroyed Lanka.

Iron Man

malcha — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:16:12 GMT

I had a slow week, with docs gone to a convention, so I decided to go to the movies. I saw Iron Man. Dang, what a great movie! I went again the next day and it was even better. I ended up going five times and it was better each time. Robert Downey Jr. ought to get an Oscar for that one. Anybody see it?

record snow turns into record melt

malcha — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:07:23 GMT

equals huge, fat, rushing river! This is the highest I've ever seen the Spokane River.

floored by beauty

malcha — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:09:53 GMT

hoar frost © Louise McGilviray #3334109 Pictures just don't capture the beauty of hoar frost. I tried it with words after my morning walk a couple days ago: * * * Early morning sun on thick hoar frost blinding brilliance from a thousand dancing rainbows Glittering diamonds perched in every frosted crevice transforming every bare branch, seed pod, and every blade of dead grass. The hawthorn tree's three children hang close, chickadees in their hair. * * * Here's hoping there something beautiful for you to experience today where you are. XXOO Malcha

Yes I'm back in the U.S.

malcha — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:28:01 GMT

Sorry for the lack of communication. Yes, I came back in September. I went around town and took a bunch of pictures before I left. Posted some if you want to check them out. On my last day I went and gave money to the widow ladies who sit in front of the Shiva temple. They never ask for money, so I figured it was okay. They wanted to touch my feet. I gave the security guards in my building a 500-rupee tip and they cried. I asked my friend Reyka how much they make a month and she said 1000 rupees. Guess I'd cry too if someone handed me half a month's pay. Made me feel thankful. Made me feel wealthy. It was only 12 dollars to me. The trip home was very long. Singapore Air is great, but it's 13 hours from Singapore to San Francisco. With five screaming babies the whole way. I caused a scene in every airport for refusing to put my laptop through the metal detector. I said xray is ok--metal detector is not ok. They said see--everyone is putting their laptop through. I said I don't care, I"m not putting it through. They gave me a hard time, but didn't make me do it. It was kind of fun. The Singapore (Changi) Airport is certainly the most beautiful I've ever seen. So, arrival in San Francisco. The first thing I see is something I hadn't even realized I'd been missing---lesbians! Yes, I'm home! Interestingly, the biggest difference, on being home, that took me the longest time to get used to, is the silence. No horns honking. I mean, ever. I go days, weeks, without hearing a horn honk. In India, there are horns honking every second of every day. The cars here seem to drive so slowly and orderly. And quietly. Amazing. It was great to see my kitties, my daughters, my granddaughter, my sister, my friends. My house plants. My kitties didn't know me at first and I was very sad. I think I just smelled very different. But the second I fired up a doobie, they remembered me. So I have a new hobby. Shooting handguns. I've been going down to the sharpshooters range, renting different guns and practicing with them. I want a sig sauer, but will have to save up for it. Meanwhile I have a S&W 357 revolver that I can play with. I don't know why. Must be the books I've been reading, where the guy really knows his guns and talks a lot about them (Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels). Got me interested. Plus the times, you know, and this *is* Washington. . . I'm also going to take a karate class with a friend of mine. I went to watch her at the dojo and it looked like so much fun that I signed up. I did karate about 25 years ago and really liked it. And I was pretty good too. All the news for now. Hope you guys are all well. Sorry for not tribing for so long. Happy Thanksgiving!

"a lonely voice of clarity"

malcha — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 02:59:35 GMT

Folks, *this* is the man we need running the U.S. It could happen. Spreading the word. *No corporate ties*. Kucinich Sounds the Alarm Thu Aug 16, 12:53 AM ET The Nation -- Dennis Kucinich may not be a front runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. But the congressman from Cleveland has succeeded in distinguishing himself from the other contenders when it comes to speaking those truths that are self-evident. And in an era of mass delusion and denial on the party of leaders in both major political parties, stating the obvious can be a radical act. Such is the case with Kucinich's appropriate answer to the latest move by the Bush-Cheney administration to ramp up hostilities with Iran. That move -- the unprecedented attempt to label Iran's 125,000-strong Republican Guard as a "specially designated global terrorist" group -- is, as the congressman says "nothing more than an attempt to deceive Americans into yet another war -- this time with Iran." No one who has paid even the slightest attention to the Bush-Cheney administration's approach to Middle East affairs can doubt that Kucinich is right. Yet, his is a lonely voice of clarity amid the din of Democratic obfuscation that aids and abets this White House's worst instincts. "The belligerent Bush Administration is using this pending designation to convince the American public into accepting that a war with Iran is inevitable," argues Kucinich. "This designation will set the stage for more chaos in the region because it undercuts all of our diplomatic efforts," he adds. explaining that, "This new label provides further evidence for Iran's leaders that there is no point to engage in diplomatic talks with the United States if our actions point directly to regime change." Delivering the response that should be coming from New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Illinois Senator Barack Obama and especially from Delaware Senator Joe Biden, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he isn't campaigning for president, Kucinich argued that, "Our nation is better served by demanding sensible and responsible diplomatic foreign policy initiatives from the Bush Administration." Kucinich, who has proposed impeaching Vice President Cheney for continually prodding the country toward an unnecessary war with Iran, may not get the political credit he deserves for calling out this administration. But history will recognize him as the man who sounded the alarm when the Bush administration moved America closer to the brink of disaster. --------------------------------------------------------------------- John Nichols' new book is THE GENIUS OF IMPEACHMENT: The Founders' Cure for Royalism. Rolling Stone's Tim Dickinson hails it as a "nervy, acerbic, passionately argued history-cum-polemic [that] combines a rich examination of the parliamentary roots and past use of the 'heroic medicine' that is impeachment with a call for Democratic leaders to 'reclaim and reuse the most vital tool handed to us by the founders for the defense of our most basic liberties.'"

Month Three in India

malcha — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:50:19 GMT

This is why I love Mysore: Hanuman is Everywhere! I've been in India three months now, the last two in Mysore. I'm feeling quite at home. I made a nice friend in the building where I live; her name is Reyka. She's from Calcutta but lived many years in Eritrea, in Africa, where her husband worked in a copper mine. Everybody is so friendly. Folks are used to seeing me around the neighborhood and smile and wave when I walk by: the mango man, the sabzi ladies, the clerks in the supermarket, the security guards, the flower ladies--just being friendly, no pressure to buy; they get a lot of business from me. The nice old man in the bookstore is always happy to see me (I buy a couple books a week) and helps me with my Kannada. Couple of trippy things about Mysore: (1) I have never heard a police siren. (2) There are guards with shotguns outside the banks and ATMs. (3) We have 86 hours a year without electricity. I'm getting used to the power outages. I'm getting used to getting up in the middle of the night to start my work day (medical transcription, done over the internet, but the docs I transcribe for are all on Pacific time). I'm getting used to hand-washing my clothes and rather enjoy it. I know there are folks I can pay to do that for me, cheap, just like there are folks who will iron and folks who will clean my apartment and cook for me, like Reyka has, but I'm not comfortable having servants. One thing I'm *still* having a hard time getting used to is the fact that pedestrians do *not* have the right-of-way! Gonna get myself killed one of these days. . . On a recent walk, I found a liquor store and bought a bottle of French red wine. I found a bakery that sells wonderful fresh whole-grain loaf bread and didn't realize how much I missed that soft doughy yeasty taste. I even found dark Swiss chocolate, but at Rs. 175 a bar I won't be buying it very often, or the wine which was a couple hundred rupees. I can buy two weeks' worth of groceres for less than that! Amazing. The cost of living is *so* low. In the U.S. I spent about $100 a week on groceries. Here I spend about 100 rupees, which is about $2.50. So although I can certainly afford wine and chocolate, the relative expense compared to everything else really makes them luxury items, to be bought infrequently and savored slowly. I imagine if a candy bar or bottle of wine in the U.S. was the equivalent of two weeks' worth of groceries, or $200, there would be a lot less obesity and alcoholism. Anyway. That's enough for now. I hope you all are enjoying your lives and savoring the good stuff. Peace out.

Mysore's Molly Malone

malcha — Sat, 26 May 2007 03:09:31 GMT

This is my favorite sabzi wallah. I try to go to others too, spread the wealth and all that, but I like this one best. Then there're the ones who wheel their cart down the street, shouting "Sab-zeh! Sab-zeh!" and for the rest of the day my mind is humming "Sweet Molly Malone"! If you don't want to be humming it the rest of the day, stop reading now! ;-) In Dublin's Fair City Where girls are so pretty I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone As she wheeled her wheel barrow Through streets broad and narrow Crying "cockles and mussels alive, alive o!" Alive, alive o!, alive, alive o! Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o! She was a fishmonger But sure 'twas no wonder For so were her father and mother before And they each wheeled their barrow Through streets broad and narrow Crying "cockles and mussels alive, alive o!" She died of a fever And no one could save her And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone But her ghost wheels her barrow Through streets broad and narrow Crying "cockles and mussels alive, alive o!" Hope you're all eating your fresh fruits and veggies!

Mysore

malcha — Sun, 06 May 2007 05:01:41 GMT

(my neighborhood Shiva Temple) I had to leave Kerala last week because of some difficulties with internet connection. Mysore is a wifi city, the first wifi city in India, so I came here. The drive over here from Kerala was fantastic. My driver didn't speak English, so it was very meditative. We came over the Western Ghats, which were incredibly beautiful, and came through a couple of wildlife preserves where I saw wild elephants and monkeys. The scenery on the eastern side of the ghats is different, less jungly, more spread out, farm lands and rice fields and tea plantations. Lots of banyan trees, which I just love, and a little bit of space between trees, not so claustrophobic. I really love Mysore so far. I stayed in the Hotel Dasaprakash, right downtown next to the big Devaraja Market, for four days waiting for my next paycheck before moving into the apartment I found the first day I was here, with the help of a friend (named Hanumantha!) who is a friend of the brother of my driver in Kerala--it's very helpful to have connections! So here I am, in the section of town called Jayalakshmipuram, and this beautiful Shiva Temple is half a block away from me! Everything I need, banks, grocery store, etc., is walking distance. I also brought my bicycle with me from Kerala and I'm going to go exploring today. The weather is milder here; I can go out for a walk or a bike ride and not have to change clothes when I get back! And the people here are super friendly. More later. I hope you are all well.

Hanuman Temple in Makreri

malcha — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 06:56:42 GMT

This morning I visited the amazing, thousands-of-years old Hanuman Temple in Makreri. There is a lake there that Hanuman made with his tail! Hanuman Himself is the main pujari, the other pujaris work with His permission only. The energy there is truly amazing, indescribable really. It is tucked away off the main roads and away from towns and the drive to get there was fantastic, as we had a big rain last night and everything was fresh and clean and green. Here's a website that tells the story of the temple: http://www.makreri.com/index.php Bolo Bajarangbali Hanuman Ki Jai!

Vishu Vishu!

malcha — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 05:31:35 GMT

(view from the rooftop of my building) I've been here two whole weeks. It feels much longer. Impressions: Everybody is friendly except the Muslim women, who frown and even physically turn their childrens' heads so they won't look at me (even though I am dressed "proper"). I haven't had any trouble from men. I don't look at them. They're not interesting anyway, except that almost all of them wear mini skirts. It's called a mundu, sometimes long, but usually short. The women, on the other hand, are fascinating. They are beautiful and colorful, in saris or salwar kameez of every color and variation of wrap. No two look the same. (The Muslim women, on the other hand, all wear black and I really feel sorry for them in this heat. Maybe that's why they never smile.) The children (girls) are always brightly dressed also, in long skirts and short-sleeved tops. I'm going to buy one of these outfits for my granddaughter, who loves to dress up. There is not a great variety of produce in the market, but what is there is seasonal so that is good. Yogurt is called "curd" and it comes in a plastic bag, like the milk. There's no garbage service; the garbage is burned or fed to animals. This really junks up the air, but with the sea breeze there's always fresh air coming in. I'm not sure yet where the water comes from, but sewage, sadly, is sent directly to the sea. Even though coffee grows here, it's very hard to find in the store. I've had it twice since I've been here, in a restaurants, but it's not coffee like we know it. It seems to be made like tea, with grounds floating in it; it's very weak and is brought to you with milk and sugar already added. I've tried asking for "black coffee", but nobody seems to understand even when I say it in Malayalam ("karupa koppie"). The weather is hot but bearable. The days are mid-90s and the nights around 80. When I go out I take a wet bandana to mop the sweat and I see that even the native people do this, so it's not just my Swedish blood. When I come back in, I have to take a shower and hang my sweat-drenched clothes up to dry. My skin is loving it. I haven't had to use lotion once, whereas in WA or CA I had to put it on immediately after showering or I couldn't even smile without my face cracking. The sounds: During the day there are tons of birds in the treetops and the steady "whap whap" of dhobi-wallahs (clothes washers) slapping wet clothes against rocks. At night there is drumming in the jungle and fireworks almost every night for some reason I couldn't figure out until just yesterday, when I learned it was all a build-up for "Vishu", or New Year's. Last night the fireworks and explosions lasted all night long. Five times a day I hear the Muslim call to prayer over a loudspeaker from a nearby mosque, sometimes competing with Hindu chanting, especially at dawn. I left my wallet in a rickshaw a week ago, but luckily (thanks to advice from tribesters) I didn't have everything in there. I have been able to easily live off $100 in traveler's checks since then, waiting for my replacement ATM card and credit card. I bought a bicycle and picked up a map at the tourist office so I can go exploring, but finding a good time of day to do it is the problem. I get up a 3 a.m. and work til noon (since my work is still on Pacific Standard Time) and then it's too hot to bike. I went out one evening with my upstairs neighbor and tribe-friend Crystal in the rain and it was wonderful. The rain put out the garbage fires and everything smelled wonderful. It was very cool and refreshing. One more month of heat and then we'll have monsoon, with rain like that every day, I hope. More later. I hope you are all well. It feels great to be out of the U.S. Hari Om!

my life fits in a 5x10 mini-storage

malcha — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:20:39 GMT

. . . with room to spare. This weekend I boxed up my belongings and put them in storage. My two daughters and my granddaughter came to visit and one went home with my kitty, Violet. The other took home some houseplants, some of which had been my mother's. They're going to get webcams and Skype so we can video-chat (free! anywhere in the world). We practiced while they were here, Skyping Lola's dad in Glasgow, where his band is touring. In two weeks I will be in India. I think I'm ready. (Yes, I hear you laughing, Mother India!) Just a few things left to do: get a hep-A shot and make an external back-up of my computer. I'm starting to get a little nervous, mostly about flying. Spokane to Seattle to Washington DC to Frankfurt to Bangalore to Kozhikode, 22 hours actual flying time, not counting layovers. Building up my immune system with green tea, sacred basil, B-complex, kefir. I hope you all are well. Crocuses are popping here in Spokane, birds are singing, and trees are budding. Happy Spring!

my new heroine

malcha — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:59:52 GMT

Arundhati Roy. I recently read and loved her book "The God of Small Things" , which is set in Kerala. I recently came across this quote of hers in an advertisement for Ode Magazine ("for intelligent optimists"): She's talking about corporate globalization and what we can do against this force that has governments doing what they're told, courts "pretending to dispense justice" and "a press that pretends to be free". She said "We can become a collective pain in the ass. Our strategy should be not only to confront empire, but to lay siege to it. To deprive it of oxygen. To shame it. To mock it. With our art, our music, our literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer relentlessness--and our ability to tell our own stories. Stories that are different from the ones we're being brainwashed to believe. The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling--their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." RIght on! Arundhati, I bow to you.

more fun facts about Kerala

malcha — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 17:15:40 GMT

Indian Laburnum--Kerala's official flower Learning more about Kerala: This is the month called Makaram, in the year 1182. The months begin on the new moon. The official animal is the eleplant. Other animals are sambar deer, gaur (wild bison), Nilgiri tahr, leopard, tiger, bonnet monkey, Hanuman and Nilgiri langurs, spectacled and King cobras, peafowl, and hornbills(official bird). I'm also trying to familiarize myself with the fruits and vegetables I might find at the market: narrow gourd, drumsticks (a vegetable like green beans that are long and narrow like the sticks used to play drums--you eat only the insides), jackfruit, mangos, mangosteen (forbidden to bring into some hotels because they stain so badly), red bananas, and of course coconut. Check out these great, long words: "Syarellavarum tulyavakasannalotum antassotum svatantryattotumkuti janiccavaran. Marsyannu vivekabuddhiyam manassaksiyum siddhamayirikkunnat. " Translation: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) will miss: hoar frost, waking up to the world covered in white will not miss: paying 200 heating bills while freezing in my own home wearing 4 layers of clothing. will miss: my kitties (one is going to live with one daughter and two are going to stay here with my sister who loves them. will not miss: picking cat hair off my earphones. will miss: my sister's cooking will not miss: my sister's drinking Over and out for now. Hope you all are well and staying warm. Temp right now in Kerala (Kozhikode) is 83F, at 8:30 p.m. It's 33F in Spokane, 9:15 a.m.

Preparing

malcha — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:31:51 GMT

(I have no idea what this says) Practicing sari-wrapping. Trying to familiarize myself with Malayalam (a beautiful, roundy language with 36 consonants and 15 vowels, and each consonant has a different look depending on which vowel sound accompanies it). Letting the cold air chill me deep as I walk, trying to save the crispness of the cheek-pinking weather in my mind to call up later in a hotter, steamier place. . .Eating lighter, more raw, more fermented. Learing about Kerala. Did you know it is referred to by the ancient Greeks? Vasco de Gama went there. Norwegians had a port there. They once had the world's first and only democratically elected communist goverment. They once had a Muslim King. They have a 100% literacy rate. Used to be called the Malabar Coast. The Spice Coast. God's Own Country. Only fault so far: they are directly downwind of any nuclear fallout, should anybody nuke the middle east. . . Taking holy basil every day, cuz I heard it protects against radiation. . . Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

Dream Come True

malcha — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:40:30 GMT

I did it! I booked a flight! I'm going to India! The door opened (thanks to Tribe and India Tribe in particular) and I am walking through. . . Hopefully, my home base for six months (longer if I get the 10-year visa I applied for) will be Kannur, Kerala. (Not too far from Hanuman's birthplace.) Leaving at the end of March. HARE RAM RAM RAM SITA RAM RAM RAM

JAI JAI RAM SUN IS REBORN

malcha — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 16:19:17 GMT

(Picture: Snow at Sunrise, by Lesley Fotherby) Hare Ram Ram Ram Sita Ram Ram Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Sita Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Sitaram Ram Ram Sitaram Sitaram Sitaram Ram Ram Sitram this morning in the muffled silence of gently falling snow the Sun is Reborn. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Casino Royal

malcha — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 01:58:19 GMT

If you like James Bond, you must see this movie. Daniel Craig is absolutely the *best* Bond ever.

Lola, The Tree, and the Three Gods

malcha — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:23:26 GMT

My granddaughter's father sent me this picture yesterday of her wearing the Hanuman necklace I gave her (the one the Indian lady from the neighborhood store gave me). I asked him if that was the necklace and this was his reply: "i think it may be. she loves that necklace. i think her favorites are one that i gave her with a plastic skull, and the hanuman one. the other week, she and i were at the park. suddenly she broke away from the kids with whom she was playing, and sat down in front of a huge evergreen tree. she bowed her head, until it was almost in her lap. i called out 'hey kid! what are you doing over there?', thinking that maybe one of the kids had hurt her feelings, or something made her sad. she looked up, and in her classic feigned-annoyance voice said, 'i'm PRAYING!' i then asked, 'to whom?' lola replied, 'my three gods!' aha. of course, dad. 'who are your three gods, lola?' lola's three gods are great grandma, hanuman, and the snake god. last we talked about it, a few weeks ago, she was communicating with them fairly regularly." Isn't that just the sweetest thing! Her method of praying is very cool too. She sings in tongues! I told her that is the language of the heart, of Gods and the Angels, and they understand every word. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE My heart is overflowing!

Interesting Coincidence

malcha — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:55:06 GMT

There's a little neighborhood grocery store down the street, run by a family from India. Two years ago when the tsunami was all the news, I stopped in to pick up a paper. I said something to the lady, "how sad" or something, and she said "Yes, that is my country." I said "My God is from that country." She said "Who is your God?" I said "Hanuman" and she said "That is my God too!" That was coincidence enough, in a small northwest US town, but it turns out she also moved up here from Sacramento. We had been to the same temple down on Florin Road. So I stop in now and then on a Tuesday (Hanuman's day) to give her flowers from my garden or ladoos. One day she gave me a little gold necklace with a Hanuman charm on it. But last week I went in and she was holding her jaw. She said she just had a tooth pulled. I said No Way! Because I just had a tooth pulled. It had broke a few months ago on hard grain pellet in a cracker (TLC crackers---beware!) and more pieces kept chipping off, so I had decided to go in to the nearest free clinic and have it pulled. Turns out she had the *very same tooth* pulled, one day after I did, *at the very same clinic*, by the *very same dentist*. Crazy, heh! Bolo Bajarangbali!

A Law Unto my Own

malcha — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 23:56:02 GMT

When my daughters were growing up, I told them things about my own teenage/young adult years on a need-to-know basis. I didn't want them to think they could do certain things just because I did. The problem is that my girls needed to know different things! (I remember my oldest daughter getting busted for shoplifting at Macy's. I was torn between scolding her for breaking the law and giving her shoplifting tips.) And now when they compare notes with each other, they see that they each have bits and pieces the other doesn't. They want me to write my story down. You know, those invincable years. Now that they're both adults, I think I will. /hoping you all have stories to tell the young'uns

Washington Burns

malcha — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 23:55:56 GMT

My state is on fire. 10 fires at the moment; 438 square miles have burnt. The hills have been hazy for weeks and it's really thick today. When the wind whips up, we get ash. They said the biggest one, the Tripod fire, won't be out til winter puts it out. The air is now officially unhealthy; I may skip my walk tomorrow.

Grandma's Hands

malcha — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 18:57:34 GMT

(art by Paul Murray) Digging, weeding, scrubbing--my hands this morning were a sight. I thought, well hell, they're grandma hands--and this great Bill Withers song has been with me ever since. Remember it? "Grandma's hands Clapped in church on Sunday morning Grandma's hands Played a tambourine so well Grandma's hands Used to issue out a warning She'd say, "Billy don't you run so fast Might fall on a piece of glass "Might be snakes there in that grass" Grandma's hands Grandma's hands Soothed a local unwed mother Grandma's hands Used to ache sometimes and swell Grandma's hands Used to lift her face and tell her, "Baby, Grandma understands That you really love that man Put yourself in Jesus hands" Grandma's hands Grandma's hands Used to hand me piece of candy Grandma's hands Picked me up each time I fell Grandma's hands Boy, they really came in handy She'd say, "Matty don' you whip that boy What you want to spank him for? He didn' drop no apple core" But I don't have Grandma anymore If I get to Heaven I'll look for Grandma's hands" -Bill Withers

Sacred Basil

malcha — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 02:58:10 GMT

I have three kinds of Sacred Basil (Tulsi), Rama (Ocimum sanctum), Krishna (Ocimum tenuiflorum), and Vana (Ocimum gratissimum). Tulsi is a very cool plant because each plant is an incarnation of Vrindivan, the Nature Goddess who kept the Green Things blooming and the animals beautiful in the garden where Krishna and Radha frolicked. The Rama and Krishna fried in the heat of my temple room upstairs when it got really hot, but the Vana is outside and loving it. Here are some interesting things I never knew about Sacred Basil, found on a web site for Tulsi Tea. Of particular interest is that it protects against radiation. I read a story about a convent or ashram or something in Hiroshima, right near the center of the blast zone when the bomb went off, and none of the people living in the ashram had any radiation damage. And they drank tulsi tea every day. "The unique chemistry of Tulsi is highly complex. Tulsi contains hundreds of different beneficial compounds known as phyto-chemicals. For example, the essential oil in the leaves of Tulsi, which contributes to the fragrant and refreshing flavor of Tulsi Tea, is a particularly rich source of valuable phyto-chemicals. Working together, these compounds possess strong anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and immune-enhancing properties that promote general health and support the body's natural defense against germs, stress and disease. But the best part is that tulsi is one of the most effective adaptogens ever known. An adaptogen is an agent that helps the body adapt more efficiently to stress. Adaptogens reduce the intensity and negative impact of the stress caused by mental tension, emotional difficulties, poor lifestyle habits, disease and infection, pollution and other factors . Health Benefits of Tulsi Holistic Health Promotion. Enhances general health and well-being, having positive overall effects on the body and mind. Stress Resilience. Increases the capacity to cope and adapt to changing and challenging environments, and reduces the negative physical and psychological effects of stress (adaptogenic). Energy and Performance. Improves stamina and endurance, and increases the body's efficiency in using oxygen. Enhances protein synthesis and strength. Anti-Aging Effects. Helps retain (and regain!) youthful vigour, and slows the biological aging process by reducing the impact of physiological aging factors. Antioxidants. Provides significant antioxidant and free radical scavenging protection. Neutralizes dangerous biochemicals that contribute to premature aging, cancer, and degenerative diseases. Radiation Protection. Reduces the cell and tissue damage caused by harmful rays of the sun, TV, computers, X-rays, radiation therapy, high altitude air travel, etc. Immunity Tune-Up. Strengthens and modulates the immune system. Reduces allergic histamine, asthmatic and other adverse immune reactions. Anti-inflammatory Action. Reduces the painful and dangerous inflammation that plays a key role in various forms of arthritis, cancer and degenerative neurological disorders. Antibiotic Protection. Offers significant natural antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties and is, thereby, helpful in treating many serious systemic diseases, as well as localized infections. Heart and Vascular Protection. Lowers dangerous cholesterol and stress-related high blood pressure, protects the heart and blood vessels, and has mild blood thinning qualities, thereby decreasing the likelihood of strokes. Liver Support. Generally contributes to healthy liver function, improves the metabolic breakdown and elimination of dangerous chemicals in the blood, and counteracts various liver diseases. Lung and Bronchial Support. In addition to contributing generally to respiratory health, Tulsi has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of a variety of serious allergic, inflammatory and infectious disorders affecting the lungs and related tissues. Nutrition. Contains vitamins C and A, and minerals calcium, zinc and iron, as well as chlorophyll and many other phytonutrients. It also enhances the efficient digestion, absorption and use of nutrients from food and other herbs. Allopathic Medicine Complement. Enhances the effectiveness and reduces the negative and often dangerous side effects of many standard modern medical treatments. And, as if that weren't enough, among its many other benefits, Tulsi also lowers fevers, reduces nausea, vomiting and cramping, protects against gastric ulcers, lowers dangerous blood sugar levels in diabetics, diminishes "bad breath," and repels mosquitoes!"

Bill Moyers for President

malcha — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:26:53 GMT

What do you think? Hey he might just win. I'd vote for him. Bill Moyers for President By Molly Ivins, AlterNet Posted on July 25, 2006, Printed on July 26, 2006 http://www.alternet.org/story/39470/ "Can Moyers win? No, but he can show the Democrats what political courage looks like. Dear desperate Democrats, here's what we do. We run Bill Moyers for president. I am serious as a stroke about this. It's simple, cheap and effective, and it will move the entire spectrum of political discussion in this country. Moyers is the only public figure who can take the entire discussion and shove it toward moral clarity just by being there. The poor man who is currently our president has reached such a point of befuddlement that he thinks stem cell research is the same as taking human lives, but that 40,000 dead Iraqi civilians are progress toward democracy. Bill Moyers has been grappling with how to fit moral issues to political issues ever since he left Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and went to work for Lyndon Johnson in the teeth of the Vietnam War. Moyers worked for years in television, seriously addressing the most difficult issues of our day. He has studied all different kinds of religions and different approaches to spirituality. He's no Holy Joe, but he is a serious man. He opens minds--he doesn't scare people. He includes people in, not out. And he sees through the dark search for a temporary political advantage to the clear ground of the Founders. He listens and he respects others. Do I think Bill Moyers can win the presidency? No, that seems like a very long shot to me. The nomination? No, that seems like a very long shot to me. Then why run him? Think, imagine, if seven or eight other Democratic candidates, all beautifully coiffed and triangulated and carefully coached to say nothing that will offend anyone, stand on stage with Bill Moyers in front of cameras for a national debate ... what would happen? Bill Moyers would win, would walk away with it, just because he doesn't triangulate or calculate or trim or try to straddle the issues. Bill Moyers doesn't have to endorse a constitutional amendment against flag burning or whatever wedge issue du jour Republicans have come up with. He is not afraid of being called "unpatriotic." And besides, he is a wise and a kind man who knows how to talk on TV. It won't take much money--file for him in a couple of early primaries and just get him into the debates. Think about the potential Democratic candidates. Every single one of them needs spine, needs political courage. What Moyers can do is not only show them what it looks like and indeed what it is, but also how people respond to it. I'm damned if I want to go through another presidential primary with everyone trying to figure out who has the best chance to win instead of who's right. I want to vote for somebody who's good and brave and who should win. One time in the Johnson years, LBJ called on Moyers to say the blessing at a dinner. "Speak up, Bill," Lyndon roared. "I can't hear you." Moyers replied, "I wasn't speaking to you, sir." That would be the point of a run by Moyers: He doesn't change to whom he is speaking just because some president is yelling at him. To let Moyers know what you think of this idea, write him at P.O. Box 309, Bernardsville, NJ 07924." Molly Ivins writes about politics, Texas and other bizarre happenings.