Things We Stop Thinking About in the Fall

The weather is getting cooler again(thank goodness) and most people are getting in the mood for Fall. What does Fall mean? Fall means the falling down of all those New Years resolutions that promised to be good and eat right and sleep 8 hours every day and give up smoking and quit doing drinking too much, etc, etc, etc. Now is when thoughts turn to turkey and pie and deserts a plenty. It's harvest time and you need to put it somewhere, right? This is when people don't think about taking that long walk, having a salad before the meal to suppress the appetite, eating right, taking weight loss diet pills to keep trimming down, those promised sit-ups, having that extra drink after work, sleeping 5 hours a night. Did I say not eating right? Probably. The stress to excess this time of year is great. Thanksgiving should have been in August just to break things up a bit and curb the binge eating that occurs normally between November and January. We all tend to get selective memory loss about those resolutions and console ourselves by anticipating the next New Years resolution that you'll definitely keep!

Nature Can Help With Diseases Too.

There are so many sicknesses and diseases that people can get, or are born with, than you can shake a stick at. On of the most devastating is Alzheimer's Disease. You go through your entire life filling your responsibilities, and others, only to have your memories stripped away like shuffling a deck of cards and removing a card with each shuffle. It's a terrible thing to live with and equally hard on the families of those who are stricken with it. Nature may hold a few keys to slowing or even halting this debilitating illness and give back a quality of life to those who would have normally not noticed it leaving them, ever so gradually. I feel fortunate that I live in this day and age where we have research that allows us to implant cord blood stem cells into the effected portion of the brain that 'dries out' to regenerate that tissue. Even the amino acids in our life hold some keys to this disease as well as some others as well. Acetyl-L-carnitine is an amino acid that the body utilizes, even though it isn't an essential amino acid and because it isn't nobody in the past has really looked at it's effect because deficiencies didn't matter. Research has begun to show a different opinion. Just because something is non essential doesn't mean it isn't important in another chain of events in your body. L-carnitine makes acetyl l carnitine and vice-versa in the body as needed and is being shown be important for heart and brain function, muscle movement, and many other body processes. It is also factoring into the thinking processes of people with alcoholism, Lyme Disease, and age related memory loss. It is also used for Down syndrome, poor circulation in the brain, cataracts, nerve pain due to diabetes as well as nerve pain due to drugs used in the treatment of AIDS, and facial paralysis. We're still in the infant stage of how our body works and what makes it work, but we're getting there.

We Live a Supplemental Life.

That's right, we live a supplemental life. We've been told for many, many years that we need supplements for this that and the other thing because we don't eat this or do that. Okay, they're probably right. We have a habit of not doing the right things for our own betterment and we do suffer on various levels for it. That's a given. Have you ever stopped and looked at the various things we 'need' supplementation for? Well, I'm glad you asked, I guess. We, as a population, need vitamin supplements, hair-loss supplements, weight-loss supplements, eye health supplements, menopause supplements, skin aging supplements, colon purity supplements, blood pressure supplements, not to mention a wealth of herbal supplements that I don't even know what most of them really do. I think it's funny that we can get supplemental health care but that's something different entirely. Did I mention the supplemental death benefits you can get too? I digress. If you were to take all of these good supplements you'd probably live a few hours or even days so that wouldn't be a good idea. It's always a good practice to consult your physicians before entering any supplement program to make sure it's safe for you because we're not all alike. Some supplements keep my blood pressure meds from working while others don't. I know this because I asked!

What About the Oil Rig Workers?

Recently we in the Gulf Coast have seen of the U.S. have seen two oil rigs exploded and burn. One of these had a devastating effect of the environment while the other we were luckier. The ones who weren't that lucky were the oil rig workers who were on the rigs at the time, way out in the Gulf of Mexico. I have no idea what country oversees both of these rigs. I'm assuming that the United States must have a controlling interest as we seem to be spearheading all the actions to control both situations. Do the families of the deceased workers, as well as the injured and still living workers, need to get an offshore injury lawyer who would have this type of specific legal knowledge or would a regular television style lawyer due? I know when issues arise from abandoned shipping a sea lawyer is the one most versed in these marine laws. What rights do these workers have for compensation, appropriate compensation, for their injuries or survivors? I've never seen anything in the press about them and where they stand in the grand scheme of things.

Stout Hearted BBQ

It takes a stout heart to be a good BBQ person. I didn't say BBQ man or guy because some of the top BBQ competitors in the U.S. today are women so it's only fair to give equal billing and credit. There are the ones who swear by propane that I'll deliberately fail to mention and those that are purists, like myself, who swear by hardwood charcoal. I'm not talking about briquettes, I'm talking about real charred wood that gives maximum heat for searing but unfortunately doesn't stand the test of time cooking. That's why I use competition briquettes made solely from hardwood, not yard waste and paraffin, and charred wood. The charred wood will give that beautiful sear without becoming a meat or fat burner. The fat is where the true BBQ flavor resides and the meat is the bonus with that perfect smoke ring if done right. A little soaked Oak wood chip or chunk addition makes a good BBQ a great BBQ! I love smoked foods and I love BBQ. What's not to love about that? I've partially smoked turkeys and then deep fried them, wow! It takes time and patience to be a great BBQer and almost anyone with the desire can become great at it.

I Thought I Was Past All That!

Seriously, I thought I was past all that teenage based stuff but I guess I was wrong. Adults aren't supposed to get pimples or blackheads or whatever's, that's for teenagers. That's what spurs on teenage angst, isn't it? Adult angst now? Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic about it since it's only two pimples but they hurt. My wife says they're probably ingrown hairs from shaving too close and she may be right. What got me was that I'm seeing many adults with active acne on their faces and necks and I thought that was something you normally outgrow in your late teens. I know there are plenty of teen acne treatments but are there any adult acne treatments? Is there something that will zap them for good so an adult can enjoy the benefit of being an adult. My mother used to say when your a bit older you won't get them anymore and maybe at the time she was right. I guess today's diet and nutrition issues have a hand in this as well because we really don't east right anymore as a population. What's the payoff from Mickey D's? Fat with pimples! No thanks, I'll take a salad please.

Effects of Long Term Smoking pt.1

There are many aspects of smoking that are quite negative, especially to a vanity driven culture. What I'm specifically referring to is the loss of elasticity and firmness of the skin, particularly the face. We, as a culture, are caught up in the Botox and surgery loop and are being compelled to continue down that avenue else feel the effect of the snub by our peers. I personally could care less what someone thinks of my appearance so long as I'm happy with it. Many others are opting for collagen implants, Juvederm treatments, and even physical skin stretching to roll back the years of abuse, which is doubled when you factor in normal aging. The best answer would be to never start smoking but for many, including myself, that's no longer an option unless Mr. Wizard's time machine is now working. Help Mr. Wizard, I've got a wrinkle!

It's Football Time Again!

That's right, it's football season again and time for Sunday games, Monday night football, BBQ, and beer! Ah life is good again. I remember the days when we'd all go to Foxboro to see the Patriots play, it didn't really matter how, and we'd tailgate in the parking lot, have some BBQ whatever's, a couple or three beers, and light up a Rocky Patel Corona or even a Cuban if we could get them. Back in the early days it was a Schlitz and a White Owl Invincible or Garcia Y Vega Presidente, and they were good too. These days I don't go to the stadiums but stay home like most folks do and I've stopped smoking so that enjoyment of yesteryear is gone as well. The good news is that you can still buy Schlitz, if you really want to that is. Time to break the huddle and take the snap, it's football time again!

Happy to Have Quit.

I'm going towards my fourth anniversary of being smoke, and the debt of each pack, free and all the richer for it if not only in health but pocket as well. I'm amazed at how much cigarettes have gone up in price in just a short few years. They're expensive enough in Florida where I am but where I came from in Massachusetts the price is even higher. With the tools available to people to quit, if not just to cut down, I can't understand why more people haven't done so. There is still the ever present nicotine gum and patches, which never seemed to make a significant dent in the habit. There are new weapons to fight the habit such as Chantix and the smokeless ecigarette. I did my quitting with the Chantix as the smokeless products weren't available when I decided to kick the habit but I've heard good things about it none the less. To every idea there are naysayers that will tell you "it doesn't work" and "save your money" but I believe these people just like to hear themselves talk and any method you decide to take is a step in the right direction.

Where's All The Work?

I had a poor telephone day yesterday. I expected to be talking with a few friends I hadn't talked to in a while that still live up north in Massachusetts and got to listen to a couple of hours of tales of woe. It was disturbing to hear how many people I knew back home that were still out of work and were at the point where anything would do. One glimmering point was the brother of my friend Tom who took action through his local unemployment office. They were offering retraining sessions to get people into different careers, if they wanted to do it. They're weren't many business jobs but there were loads of science jobs available. Jim, Tom's brother, used to be a market analyst and now he's learning to be a water treatment specialist. I applaud his enthusiasm in making such a radical departure in his career path, it isn't easy in the beginning. I wish him the best of luck and encourage others to take advantage of new opportunities that may prove welcome.

Hurricane Earl Came and Left Little Grief

Hurricane Earl roared up the east coast of the United States recently and managed to stay off-shore for most of it's existence, fortunately. Shipping that was unfortunate enough to be east of the hurricane took the brunt of the storm, which spared most of the land mass which took the weaker west side of Earl. The press showed all the shop keepers along the North Carolina coast, which historically gets hit hard, boarding up their windows and doors. Businesses that had the metal buildings weren't getting as fancy with their protection as many of them had roll down shutters, how convenient and prudent. I never could understand why, in the classic path of major storms, why so many businesses opt for wood by the water. I guess there's no problem getting flood and storm damage insurance there. Needless to say there are a lot of nail holes in the window frames of all those stores but that's the price you pay for natural construction materials and the measures you need to take to protect them.

Chantix and Me redux

I've gotten emails from people who want to sue Pfizer for making the evil drug Chantix. I greatly disagree with them. I firmly believe that Chantix is a wonderful drug that did for me what they said it would do, allow me to finally quit smoking with no going back. I'm heading to my 4th anniversary being smoke free and I 100% endorse Pfizer for Chantix. If you really, really wanted to quit for good and you did happen to have a side effect from it and that made you stop too soon then you really didn't want to quit in the first place and you're now looking to blame someone with money you can get. I had NO side effects and quitting was a snap and easy as hell to do. Don't let a bunch of whiny, money grubbing people dissuade you from quitting by using Chantix, it really works!

I am republishing this article from last October for current consideration!

The recent articles on Chantix as a smoking cessation medication have reported negative side effects and may well be valid, for some individuals. I, for one, am an exception to that situation. I had to arm twist(figuratively) my doctor to write me a prescription for it because I had been smoking for over 20 years, was tired of coughing, tired of wheezing in bed trying to sleep, tired of the cost, and tired of stinking of tobacco all the time! I started the program (without using any of the support services they offer customers) on May 5th of 2007. I wanted a date to easily remember (Cinqo de mayo). I followed the instructions on the starter pack and by the end of the first week I no longer had a desire to smoke. I had no craving for a cigarette. I had no food cravings or other oral substitutions to replace the cigarette, and most importantly I had no indication of ANY withdrawal at all! None, Nada, Nicht, Nyet! Since that date my doctor still asks me how many cigarettes I'm down to because my blood pressure and blood chemistry look so much better. I give him the same answer I gave him when I went back for the second refill prescription - none! I took the Chantix for 8 weeks and stopped because I felt I was past the worst of it(missing the habit of lighting up) and had no desire for a smoke at all. This coming Cinqo de Mayo of 2010 will be my 3rd anniversary of being smoke free. Another benefit I realized from being on the Chantix was that I could stand in the middle of a group of smokers and feel NO compunction to light up, even just one.

There is one requirement to being on Chantix and being successful with it! This is a very important item now and you must pay close attention if your planning on opting for this route! I have seen a few friends fail the Chantix program because they didn't have this one requirement firmly in place. Ready for the answer? It's an easy one that has a higher failure rate if not seriously considered.

You deep down have to WANT to quit smoking. You need a reason that is important to you to keep in your mind that wants you to quit. Mine was coughing when trying to laugh, wheezing, shortness of breath doing simple physical tasks, high blood pressure and all of that while entering my 50's. I don't want to die! I want to live! The cigarettes were going to kill me before I was ready to go and I want to live as long as I can, without oxygen tanks or riding in scooters or having chemo tubes hanging out of me!

I want to point out to anyone who may feel apprehensive about taking Chantix after reading the Stephen King version of side effects. The government requires ALL reported effects to be listed, even if the product didn't cause it because the treatment was in place and it was considered relevant to be reported as raw data.

I did not have ANY side effect that was listed, or unlisted, during the time I took this medication. I'm not from the planet Krypton, I'm not bionic, and I don't attend Hogwarts School of Magic and Wizardry! I am an average Joe who achieved success in my desire to quit smoking everything. I felt GREAT while I took it and felt the benefits soon afterward while my system was weening the nicotine out of my brain and bloodstream and tissues. I've been able to lose weight and not feel a replacement habit to be in order and I'm able to list myself as smoke free for insurance purposes now, which also saves money!

If anyone has ANY questions about Chantix and would like my take on it just leave a comment and I'll be happy to help. To set the record straight, I don't work for Pfizer (makers of Chantix) and I'm not being compensated for this article. They are just my honest thoughts that I wanted to share with anyone who may be interested, especially since the negativity that surrounds Chantix may not be coming from health related sources entirely. There are some that will lose revenue if too many people stop smoking. You know who they are! Ride em' cowboy!

I will be repeating this article on all my blogs today for full exposure to me varied readers. Please excuse the redundancy for my writing. David.

Things That You Don't Use Cash For Anymore.

I was just thinking about all the things that I do on the Internet that I never could do before. I do 99% of my banking online, odd purchases, all of my sent mail and most of my received mail via the web, movie rentals, car registration renewals, license renewals, traffic ticket payments(when I've gotten one), theater tickets, prescription refills, swapping a recipe or two with a friend or website, occasional writing work, social networking with friends, coworkers and making new friends sight unseen. The list could go one for days if left unchecked which shows what a dependency we have with the internet, albeit a necessary one. There's nothing wrong with that unless you never leave the house because of it. That's why I like to use the internet as a tool to the outside world that makes my moving within it run more smoothly, like pre-purchasing movie tickets. No waiting lines. If it's raining outside we just go right in and present our tickets and go sit down with our tub of popcorn and super jumbo soft drink, yum. What could be better? You choose when you want to go for the best effect, like when the kids are in school and you want to see that new action movie without a lot of screaming kids. This is a plus for older viewers that don't want to be in a crush of people in a dark theater that may have a hard time hearing softer speech on the screen. Something for everybody! Just keep your anti-spyware and anti-virus software up to date and scan regularly and you should be fine.

Looking for Something New and Different.

I am. I'm looking for something new and different for a getaway for my next vacation. Most of my vacations have been considered by me to be, looking back, uneventful. I thought they were good and some really were outstanding. A vacation is something that happens so infrequently that you want to be able to remember it later on and smile about it. Right? Heck, I've been to Great Britain, the Bahamas, Bermuda(absolutely beautiful), Canada, and many other places along the east coast of America but never west. I have no desire to go to the Pacific coast at this time, probably due to the economy, because of the high cost of traveling along California to see everything. California isn't a dollar friendly state I'm afraid. The complications going on south of the border don't make me want to see Mexico or any border states right now either. I'm just being honest here. When things settle down again I'd love to travel there, just not now.

I figured the mid-western states would be boring with either manufacturing or farming occupying the majority of the land but I was wrong about that. I wrote an article a long time ago about a spot in Missouri called Branson. I don't know what prompted me to go way back and find it but I did. I had one of those 'oh yeah' moments when I reread and researched it once again. Branson has more to offer than I realized. It's not an expensive state or a security threat area either, which is very reassuring since I vacation with my family. Branson labels themselves as the Entertainment Capital of the World, which sounds pretty lofty and big boots to fill. They do their best to fill them though. I found a place, Branson Vacations, that had quite a few vacation packages to suit an abundance of stress relieving vacation needs. Branson boasts an amazing array of things to do, to name a few. They have museums(this is where the Titanic museum is), thrill rides, water rides, outdoor activities, mini golf(who doesn't have that?), kart tracks, golfing, shopping, IMAX and regular theaters. Like I said, to name a few. From September on they have many, many events and concerts booked. From Nov. 06 till Dec. 30th they even have an Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City that promote Christmas and the season, not just to get you into a store to shop like I had in Boston growing up. The best part is that you can hand tailor whatever type of vacation you want to have and if your ideal situation isn't shown they'll work with you to get you what you'd like. It's definitely worth a look see.