In this month's New Jersey Monthly, there's a profile of Rabbi Dresner, one of the original freedom riders from the civil rights movement of the turbulent 1960's.
Besides this man's bravery, one quote really stood out. He reminisced about his meetings with Dr. Martin Luther King. He stated,"not all great people are nice privately. Many are arrogant. Dr. King was never that way".
That got my attention. Are most great public figures not so nice in private? If so, what's the price on one's psyche to carry around a facade? To have such incongruity and disparity between what one is projecting when it's at contradiction with one's inner feelings? Is it virtually impossible to have the same private persona as public one because of undue pressure and expectation?
I'm still digesting this. But I'm glad I can walk down the street in relative obscurity.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
JACK LALANNE-R.I.P
January 24, 2011
Received word that Jack Lalanne passed away today at age 96. Part of me has now passed, too.
As a pimply 13 year old, I remember stumbling along a book at the public library. It was entitled, "For Men Only" by Jack Lalanne. On the front jacket was a pic of a man almost 60 years old, coming out of a swimming pool, with coconut deltoids, horseshoe triceps, a barrel chest and a waistline you could wrap your one hand around. Talk about inspiration! I thought, "you really can turn back the biological clock".
I had known of Mr. Lalanne from his syndicated TV show, thinking of him as a gymnast,with that incredible V-shape from obliques-to-lats-to-shoulders, making him appear taller than his 5'6" frame, unaware of the super-human feats he had performed--1,023 push-ups in twenty minutes, swimming Alcatraz island while shackled. Joe Weider wrote of the voluminous amount of reps in his workouts. Arnold Schwarzenegger described how Jack would out-chin everyone at Muscle Beach in Venice.
Despite being decades his junior, I really thought he would outlive me.
What is more impressive than living 96 years, is that he was active up until the end. To quote an article from a doctor that appeared in the New York Times, "living to an old age isnt an attribute, living healthfully is". You can't argue about his genetics, since his father succumbed to a heart attack around the age of fifty, he wrote in the aforementioned book.
Jack Lalanne-- a true pioneer--chiropractor, exercise inventor and physiologist, and one of the few celebrities who had congruity in his life. He set the example, so therefore he did not have to set the rules. He was 96 and left us too soon.
post-script---Jack was also one the first personal trainers, decades before it became a profession for the masses. Check out his attempt to personally "train" Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan) on an hilarious episode of "The Adams Family"!
POST-SCRIPT 12-09-2011---I think of the most successful infomercial involving exercise machines or instructional courses--this would include TOTAL GYM, BOWFLEX, NORDITRAC, P90-X. The inventors all owe a debt of gratitude to Jack Lalanne. His exercise show was the genesis of the fitness movement. And he started it when it was not only a virtual unknown, but taboo. There were all types of myths associated with exercise---getting muscle-bound, sterile.
In addition, Jack was a chiropractor. I can only wonder what it was like to have a practice in the 1930's. While the AMA's conspiracy to destroy chiropractic didn't come until the 1960's, they were still plotting, under the direction of Morris Fishbein, the editor of JAMA, who later testified under oath, he hadn't treated a single patient ever and failed basic anatomy courses in colleges.
So, with few exceptions, Jack was a one-man gang, a grassroots founder, taking on the medical establishment, putting himself out there, with not a whole lot of support, just the convictions of his beliefs and vision.
Received word that Jack Lalanne passed away today at age 96. Part of me has now passed, too.
As a pimply 13 year old, I remember stumbling along a book at the public library. It was entitled, "For Men Only" by Jack Lalanne. On the front jacket was a pic of a man almost 60 years old, coming out of a swimming pool, with coconut deltoids, horseshoe triceps, a barrel chest and a waistline you could wrap your one hand around. Talk about inspiration! I thought, "you really can turn back the biological clock".
I had known of Mr. Lalanne from his syndicated TV show, thinking of him as a gymnast,with that incredible V-shape from obliques-to-lats-to-shoulders, making him appear taller than his 5'6" frame, unaware of the super-human feats he had performed--1,023 push-ups in twenty minutes, swimming Alcatraz island while shackled. Joe Weider wrote of the voluminous amount of reps in his workouts. Arnold Schwarzenegger described how Jack would out-chin everyone at Muscle Beach in Venice.
Despite being decades his junior, I really thought he would outlive me.
What is more impressive than living 96 years, is that he was active up until the end. To quote an article from a doctor that appeared in the New York Times, "living to an old age isnt an attribute, living healthfully is". You can't argue about his genetics, since his father succumbed to a heart attack around the age of fifty, he wrote in the aforementioned book.
Jack Lalanne-- a true pioneer--chiropractor, exercise inventor and physiologist, and one of the few celebrities who had congruity in his life. He set the example, so therefore he did not have to set the rules. He was 96 and left us too soon.
post-script---Jack was also one the first personal trainers, decades before it became a profession for the masses. Check out his attempt to personally "train" Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan) on an hilarious episode of "The Adams Family"!
POST-SCRIPT 12-09-2011---I think of the most successful infomercial involving exercise machines or instructional courses--this would include TOTAL GYM, BOWFLEX, NORDITRAC, P90-X. The inventors all owe a debt of gratitude to Jack Lalanne. His exercise show was the genesis of the fitness movement. And he started it when it was not only a virtual unknown, but taboo. There were all types of myths associated with exercise---getting muscle-bound, sterile.
In addition, Jack was a chiropractor. I can only wonder what it was like to have a practice in the 1930's. While the AMA's conspiracy to destroy chiropractic didn't come until the 1960's, they were still plotting, under the direction of Morris Fishbein, the editor of JAMA, who later testified under oath, he hadn't treated a single patient ever and failed basic anatomy courses in colleges.
So, with few exceptions, Jack was a one-man gang, a grassroots founder, taking on the medical establishment, putting himself out there, with not a whole lot of support, just the convictions of his beliefs and vision.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
ANOTHER SALMONELLA SCARE (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)
Heard on the radio today about 150 lbs. of cilantro being pulled off the shelves because of possible salmonella.
So, you're thinking, "I understand the inherent dangers with uncooked meat and eggs, but now, a leafy green is dangerous"?
Solution: all raw foods should be thoroughly washed, something that Gary Null has stressed on his radio show for years.
I've heard that in the armed forces, raw vegetables are washed in a solution of Clorox bleach (relax, it's a tbsp. of bleach per gallon of water, then thoroughly rinsed). Alternatively, some use grapefruit seed extract (ten drops per gallon of water). Be sure to soak for five minutes.
So, you're thinking, "I understand the inherent dangers with uncooked meat and eggs, but now, a leafy green is dangerous"?
Solution: all raw foods should be thoroughly washed, something that Gary Null has stressed on his radio show for years.
I've heard that in the armed forces, raw vegetables are washed in a solution of Clorox bleach (relax, it's a tbsp. of bleach per gallon of water, then thoroughly rinsed). Alternatively, some use grapefruit seed extract (ten drops per gallon of water). Be sure to soak for five minutes.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
WHEAT DEXTRIN, YOU'RE NO PSYLLIUM
Remember the 1988 Vice Presidential debate, when Lloyd Bensten said to Dan Quayle, "you're no Jack Kennedy?"
Bought a product called ""Live Better Fiber Aid",at Pathmark. I'm assuming this is a private label, made exclusively for them, given the name and location of the distributor. Its sole ingredient is wheat dextrin, a newcomer on the block, touted for its non-gelling qualites when mixed with liquid.
My experience: none. I know this is not a dinnertime subject.
Psyllium is superior. As expained so succinctly by Gary Null on his syndicated radio show, the intestine moves constantly, like an inch worm. This is called peristaltic motion. Psyllium aids this function. The product referenced above, does not appear to.
Bought a product called ""Live Better Fiber Aid",at Pathmark. I'm assuming this is a private label, made exclusively for them, given the name and location of the distributor. Its sole ingredient is wheat dextrin, a newcomer on the block, touted for its non-gelling qualites when mixed with liquid.
My experience: none. I know this is not a dinnertime subject.
Psyllium is superior. As expained so succinctly by Gary Null on his syndicated radio show, the intestine moves constantly, like an inch worm. This is called peristaltic motion. Psyllium aids this function. The product referenced above, does not appear to.
EAT ACCORDING TO YOUR GEOGRAPHY?
I listened in on a very informed discussion between two of the leaders at my synagogue.. It was a civilized debate on whether consumption of certain foods are appropriate choices, based upon your place of origin. In this case, whether one of Ashkenazi origin should consume rice. Rice is native to Asia, while barley and wheat are related to Europe.
It raises an interesting point: Certainly, before modern freight made it possible to consume foods from around the globe, people ate what was indigenous to their immediate environment. This is the same principle that forms the basis of a macrobiotic diet.
However, modern times have changed things a bit. For example, oranges and bananas are among the most popular fruits. Question: can you grow these fruits in New Jersey? Not to my knowledge. They are of tropical origin and require that climate to prosper and grow. Same for kiwis, mangoes, pineapples. I don't think there will be a movement any time soon to question consumption of these phyto-nutrient and anti-oxidant rich delacacies.
In addition, there are exceptions allowed, religiously, for health contingencies. Scientfically, unpolished brown rice is one of the least allergenic of the whole grains. And when I prepared it in a pressure cooker, which is the optimal way to seal in nutrients, I had a sustained energy*,not unlike when one exercises lightly, or meditates. All of those feel-good brain chemicals, serotonin, ephenephrine, dopamine, norepinephrine, kicked in. For maintaining blood sugar levels, brown rice is king.
Summation: rational judgement, combined with a respect for the past, and the best of science, should guide us.
Good health,
@
* sustained energy--as opposed to a 15 minute coffee rush and crash (like dancing the hora to hava nagila, then immediately taking a nap).
It raises an interesting point: Certainly, before modern freight made it possible to consume foods from around the globe, people ate what was indigenous to their immediate environment. This is the same principle that forms the basis of a macrobiotic diet.
However, modern times have changed things a bit. For example, oranges and bananas are among the most popular fruits. Question: can you grow these fruits in New Jersey? Not to my knowledge. They are of tropical origin and require that climate to prosper and grow. Same for kiwis, mangoes, pineapples. I don't think there will be a movement any time soon to question consumption of these phyto-nutrient and anti-oxidant rich delacacies.
In addition, there are exceptions allowed, religiously, for health contingencies. Scientfically, unpolished brown rice is one of the least allergenic of the whole grains. And when I prepared it in a pressure cooker, which is the optimal way to seal in nutrients, I had a sustained energy*,not unlike when one exercises lightly, or meditates. All of those feel-good brain chemicals, serotonin, ephenephrine, dopamine, norepinephrine, kicked in. For maintaining blood sugar levels, brown rice is king.
Summation: rational judgement, combined with a respect for the past, and the best of science, should guide us.
Good health,
@
* sustained energy--as opposed to a 15 minute coffee rush and crash (like dancing the hora to hava nagila, then immediately taking a nap).
Monday, April 18, 2011
NATIONAL PUBLIC GUM-CHEWING WEEK
It must be. I've been running into some people (and I use that term tongue-in-cheek) who seem to have a need to stand out, especially in public places. Trust me, you do. Buses, trains, venues, food lines....
It compels me to repeat a verse that I read in either Ann Landers or Dear Abby's column:
The gum-chewing student and cud-chewing cow look quite alike
But they're different somehow
What's that difference?
I can see it all now
It's the intelligent look
On the face of the cow
It compels me to repeat a verse that I read in either Ann Landers or Dear Abby's column:
The gum-chewing student and cud-chewing cow look quite alike
But they're different somehow
What's that difference?
I can see it all now
It's the intelligent look
On the face of the cow
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
FAST FOOD EATERIES... SWIMMING UPSTREAM OR DOWN?
As reported, this writer ventured to Checkers, to sample their fish sandwich. They matched the price of their foe across the street, MacDonald's, 2@$3.
The fact they reacted instead of responding to a competitor's promo leaves clues. They laid an egg, to be blunt (and Not fish eggs, a.k.a. caviar.)
Less fish, dull color, excess breading, soggy (meaning wasn't cooked at proper temperature to create a seal).
They can keep it. Good service didn't make up for it. My advice: stick to what you do well. Seafood ain't it. Nothing personal.
The fact they reacted instead of responding to a competitor's promo leaves clues. They laid an egg, to be blunt (and Not fish eggs, a.k.a. caviar.)
Less fish, dull color, excess breading, soggy (meaning wasn't cooked at proper temperature to create a seal).
They can keep it. Good service didn't make up for it. My advice: stick to what you do well. Seafood ain't it. Nothing personal.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
MACDONALD'S "FISH VALUE" MEAL....WHAT VALUE?
okay, just because i graduated 269 out of a high school class of 623, doesn't mean i'm that naive.
qualifier: i don't order soda or french fries. but for those who do....
qualifier: i don't order soda or french fries. but for those who do....
CAVEAT EMPTOR
The value meal, ordered a la carte:
--2 fish sandwiches 3.00
--1 med. fry 1.79
--1 med. drink 1.69
total 6.48
but, if you order the "value" package...
drum roll......................$6.39
You can fool some of the people some of the time.............
next stop...the under-rated Checkers, to try their 2@$3.00 fish sandwich.
For an excellent fast-food blog, check out:
For an excellent fast-food blog, check out:
CELL PHONE RADIATION STORY-NEW YORK TIMES 3-31
New York Times, page B9, personal tech section, "Cellphone Radiation May Alter Your Brain. Let's Talk".
In 2003, I was laughed at by my colleagues for citing some research of Scandinavian source, raising the possiblity of cell phones being a source of ionzing radiation, along with my use of a weird-looking headset called blue tube (not to be confused with blue tooth).
Rebuttal: when a new idea is presented, which goes against the status-quo, and challenges people's comfort:
I would like to clarify a few things in the article:
First, Dr. Mercola contends that blue tooth does not guard against radiation. Instead, he recommends the blue tube, which has a rubber tube, not unlike a physician's stethoscope, running between the phone and your ear.
Also, I would like to put out a caveat for those sleep in close proximity to their phone. I read an article somewhere (I apologize to the author for not having recall), who had a really clever idea: that is, put the phone in "vibrate" mode, on top of a china plate, on the floor. That type of sound will definitely wake you up.
health always,
@
In 2003, I was laughed at by my colleagues for citing some research of Scandinavian source, raising the possiblity of cell phones being a source of ionzing radiation, along with my use of a weird-looking headset called blue tube (not to be confused with blue tooth).
Rebuttal: when a new idea is presented, which goes against the status-quo, and challenges people's comfort:
- first, it is ridiculed
- then, it's debated
- eventually, it becomes the existing paradigm.
I would like to clarify a few things in the article:
First, Dr. Mercola contends that blue tooth does not guard against radiation. Instead, he recommends the blue tube, which has a rubber tube, not unlike a physician's stethoscope, running between the phone and your ear.
Also, I would like to put out a caveat for those sleep in close proximity to their phone. I read an article somewhere (I apologize to the author for not having recall), who had a really clever idea: that is, put the phone in "vibrate" mode, on top of a china plate, on the floor. That type of sound will definitely wake you up.
health always,
@
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