Minutiae et Obscura

New Book Is Out!

2012-01-29T00:11:00.000-08:00

Well my newest book Fairy Tales and Fables is out a little sooner than I had expected. It's available right now for $1.99 on Amazon. If you are a Prime Amazon member, it's free. I said I would see what this Select program can do for me so I'll see what happens in 90 days with this book in the program and report back after then.

In the meantime, check it out. If you like the work of the Brothers' Grimm and things like Aesop's Fables then you'll enjoy this book!

KDP Select

2012-01-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned in the past how I feel about Amazon's KDP Select program. I'm not too enthusiastic about it. I've gone from sitting on the sidelines watching to not wanting to put my books in the program to watching with skeptical interest. I have thought about writing a new book to put in the program to see how things shake out.

There's been a change. I've been working on two book, The Lady Moons - the rough draft is done, and another book of fables. In fact, I plan to put my new book of fables into the Select program to see what happens. Why? The pay out is far higher than I thought it would be. Now don't get it twisted - I'm not in the least bit interested in putting my Secret Doorway Tales books in that program, nor am I going to put my other books that I've already published into the program. So my new book of fables, Fables and Fairy Tales will be in the Select program and I'll see what that does for me. If it works out nicely, my next series I may put the first book in. One thing I have no interest in doing is putting all of my books in one place. I get too many sales over at B&N for that to make any sense to me. February I have two books coming out. it will be an interesting and exciting month.

So in February, We'll see what happens. . .

Come on, Feedbooks!

2012-01-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

I made some beer braised beef casserole (basically an English beef stew as far as I know) and while that is cooking on the stove I feel like a rant!

Independent authors on many distributor sites are treated like ghetto trash. Barnes and Noble is one although it looks like things are changing and I am getting more sales over there and Feedbooks. Now, I like Feedbooks a lot. I've picked up a lot of readers there that appreciate my work and for that I am grateful. However, I queried the staff there about putting sample chapters of my novellas there and I received a terse response. Now, keep in mind that indie authors like myself can't sell our works on Feedbooks. Only the trad pub authors can. They say that eventually they will allow us to do this but I see progress here. I suppose i shouldn't complain because they don;t have to allow us to upload our works at all but even so, I have a very small but growing readership and I believe I create a quality product. Why shouldn't I be able to rub shoulders with other trad authors on their site? These folks are even worse than B&N because at least on B&N you can sell your work and make some money for your efforts. Anyway, here is the email I received in response (I've x'ed out the responder's name):

Hello,
Feedbooks is a self-publishing platform for independent authors, and is not intended as a venue simply to advertise for books available elsewhere. If you are publishing full-length books in our Original Self-published section we tend to be somewhat tolerant of the occasional sample provided that
1. the sample is a significant length (no "first chapter" samples please) and
2. the title of the book as well as the description clearly indicates "SAMPLE"
However we do not encourage authors to use Feedbooks to publish exclusively short samples of their work which is available elsewhere, and in addition, readers tend to react badly to this practice which they see as spam.

I hope this answers your question.

Best regards,

XXXXXX,
Feedbooks Team

Well! It most certainly does! I *WILL* be putting sample chapters up this week. In fact I was a little insulted as I usually put up generous portions of my work online like on Scribd. None of this one-sample-chapter business for me! from now on my readers will get sample chapters of my longer works (novels and novellas) after all, I work every bit as hard as trad pub authors on my books if not harder because as an indie I have to do everything! I should be able to make money from my work and no one should be making me feel as though I should give entire novels away for free just to be read. if others want to do that, they can do it. but I feel that the books I write are worth money.

I have another rant about the short term thinking going on with some KB authors. I'll post that tomorrow!

Got My Blu-ray Player!

2012-01-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

I just got my new (or rather refurbished) Blu-ray player in the mail. The one I ordered from Ebay. Looks very nice. Now, all I have to do is order the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings on Blu Ray, which is the reason why I bought it anyway.

The Blu-ray edition comes with extra documentaries in addition to the extensive documentaries that already come with them. I know I will be pleased. The only hiccup now is the Blu-ray editions of the Star Wars films. The definitive editions have not found their way to disc yet. Hmmm. We'll see. . .

Cheesecake!

2012-01-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

I made New York style cheesecake this week and some raspberry/strawberry sauce to go with it!

Here's the pie. So far I've had two slices out of it. Baking is cool, baking is fun!

Poetry Contest Is A No Go!

2011-12-31T22:11:00.000-08:00

You know folks, I know I've said that I was planning to enter a poetry contest next year. My third book of poetry is almost finished (See? Even in my laziness I've managed to get something done!) But after looking over the contest guidelines again, it gave me pause. If a chapbook is selected as the winner (there will first, second and third place winners) it won't be announced until July of 2012 - which I can wait for, but - it won't be published until 2013!

Now, years ago I thought that wait times like this were normal but now? I can't fathom waiting that long to hear back from someone, whether my work as been selected or not. I just can't do it! It's too long!

I guess I just don't have the patience anymore. In any case, my poetry book, City Life should be published the week after next.

The Lord of the Rings Blu Ray Boxed Set!

2011-12-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

Last night I bought my first Blu Ray player. I bought off Ebay.

Yes, I know I'm late in the game. I still have my standard DVD player. Why did I break down and get a Blu Ray? Two reasons. First, I've noticed that the most recent movies do not come with features on standard DVDs anymore. Only the Blu ray DVDs have all of the features i want, commentaries, documentaries, behind the scenes features, etc. Second, Now that Christmas is past there will be great sales - and since The Hobbit trailer is out my interest in all things LOTR has been freshly renewed (as if it ever went away) and I want the huge Blu Ray extended edition, which as EXTRA documentaries by Costa Botes.

I never did get around to buying these extra documentaries on all three films when they first came out on DVD so it will be great to have them on this super boxed set.

I plan to go out to Walmart today and see how much the grand boxed set costs. If it is comparable to the price I saw on Amazon, I'll buy it from them today.

The latest Star Wars Blu ray boxed set is out but from what I'm reading of the reviews, it's missing a lot of essential documentaries. I'm going to wait on that until i see The Whole Enchilada!

When it comes to DVD boxed sets, George Lucas needs to follow Peter Jackson's lead.

The Hobbit Trailer is Finally Here!!

2011-12-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows I'm a huge Tolkien fan and I love Peter Jackson's LOTR films. Likewise, I'm just as excited to see his Hobbit films. Finally we get some major information - a trailer, music and a great poster! I'm so excited!

Olive Oil: What's Real and What's Fake?

2011-12-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

The idea that many olive oils out there on the market are fake is not new to me. In fact I first heard about this issue over a year ago. A New York Times article called 'Slippery Business' educated a lot of Americans about what's really going on in the olive oil business. It makes me really angry. People - like me - buy extra virgin olive oil or any olive oil for the health benefits and taste. Why can't people just sell what they say they are selling?

Last week NPR once again brought this disturbing issue back to my mind. A man named Tom Mueller has written a book called Extra Virginity: the Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil. I plan to buy this book and read it. He also has a website dedicated to letting people know who the real, honest olive oil growers are and who are the crooks - evidently there is a lot of fraud in this business. It makes me so mad I don't know what to do! I wonder, are my favorite brands, Napoleon and Athia fake or are they real olive oils? One never really knows. Thank goodness for those willing to step forward and investigate these things.

Christopher Hitchens Has Passed Away

2011-12-17T20:21:00.000-08:00

I was checking my email a few days ago and ran across Yahoo! news headlines, as I usually do when going to my email box and ran across a headline that caught my attention - Christopher Hitchens, the famed, staunch atheist died of cancer a few days ago.

After reading that and thinking on it for a little while I thought to myself: when Mr. Hitchens wakes up, finding himself newly resurrected in the New World paradise he's going to find that he was very wrong about God.

In any case, Hitchens's life course is over. He will most likely be resurrected. How about the rest of us? Will we be there to greet him and speak with him? I for one would like to have a conversation with him because even though I didn't like what he had to say about God and religion he had a prodigious intellect.

Something sobering to think about for Christians looking forward to that hope in the New World.

Moving

2011-12-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Well I'm in the process of getting a new apartment. I've had a look at the possible new digs and I don't like it as much as my current downtown apartment but it's pretty good. It's on the third floor of a large building si I'll be able to have somewhat of a "view" especially at night and on misty rainy days which will be nice - and it has a balcony! Finally, I can buy myself a fire pit and a grill! I can't wait! The kitchen has no window so, no day light which I will miss but it has a self cleaning oven and it does have a dish washing machine like my current one does. They have free parking! That's the main reason why I'm moving away. parking where I live has become untenable and it's getting worse.

it's a two bedroom apartment so I can keep my messiness in the bedrooms instead of letting it spread out into the living room. It will be interesting living in this new neighborhood. it's pretty far away from everything I know in the urban Portland area but it's very close to my church which is why I chose it.

However, I don't look forward to the actual moving process. I have a lot of stuff. Hopefully in all of this Comcast will give me a discount. If they don't I may go wireless.

Adam Carolla and the Occupy Movement

2011-12-08T07:15:00.000-08:00

A little while ago there was a big blow up about Adam Carolla going off on the Occupy Wall Street protesters. He had a lot of "choice" things to say about them, to put it nicely.

Here's the thing from my perspective - when he complains about today's generation being selfish, greedy, envious and expecting too much for doing too little, he's right on the money. The Bible at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 bears that out. People's attitudes today are exemplified in the greed, selfishness and the crass materialism in world society that keeps landing us in economic depressions/recessions every decade or so. Anyone who is paying attention to the world scene can see this.

However, it doesn't invalidate their message. The OWS folks are also correct and their critique of business, government and the system of capitalism as it is practiced today is on spot. The problems we face, whether from individual people or systems of government, organizations and businesses are all related to the hateful, corrupt, immoral and unethical behavior that the Bible foretold would signal the last days.

The problem as I see it is that neither side (left or right) is willing to understand the truth in the other side, which is what is truly sad.

Throwaway Pumpkin

2011-12-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I found a perfectly good pumpkin sitting by a garbage can. So I picked it up and took it home. This week I processed it (quite easy to do, if time consuming) and I've been eating pumpkin soup all week long. Delicious! Today I added beef chuck to it.

The things people throw out in this country! We Americans really do not appreciate what we have. I still can't believe it. Nothing was wrong with this pumpkin and somebody threw it away as if it were so much refuse. Oh well. Their loss!

Orange Cake

2011-11-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my Nourishing traditions cookbook and came across a recipe I wanted to try - orange cake. Now that I have a lot of leftover citron from last week (marmalade) I've decided to use that in this cake. The cake is baking as I type this post and boy does it smell good! All I have to do is make the whey/honey/rum/citrus syrup to pour over it after it cools. Think I'll have it with a big glass of raw milk tonight!

I love baking and cooking.

Thoughts and Goings-On

2011-11-29T13:25:00.001-08:00

I've picked out several apartment buildings that I like and yesterday I got an application from Esperanza Court. This place has balconies! I've always wanted that and I like the neighborhood, so far. It's inner southeast Portland. I'm hoping to get in there by the end of this month.

It will be nice to get a break from the merciless meterman/maids around here. They really are spiteful sometimes. I just can't live downtown anymore and this makes me sad. I've been in this building for ten years. Time to move o, though. My newest book is out and you can buy it on Barnes and Noble.com. It won't be on Amazon until December.

I played a bit of angry birds last night. Fun, fun, fun! I'm getting better too. I had a wonderful weekend. I spent it with my mother and some family/church friends. it's so good to meet and have fellowship with those in the Christian brotherhood.

It's time I made more fermented vegetables and soup stock.

A Good Day

2011-11-26T21:24:00.000-08:00

I had a good day today. I finished the final editing pass on my latest novella, went to Bible study meeting and spent the day with my mom and some friends from church! Not in that order. Now I'm listening to an excellent speech from Richard Wolff. Brilliant man!

Yeah. Today was a good day! :)

A Ham!

2011-11-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

Even though I don't celebrate holidays I usually opt to take those days off just to relax and put around my apartment or talk with family and friends over the phone. I usually like to cook a delicious dinner also. last winter I cooked a prime rib dinner (MMM MMM MMM!) The two years before that, it was a whole roast turkey.

This year, meaning tomorrow I'm cooking a half of a ham with the scoring and the cloves and all that and then I'm going to make Nigella Lawson's Girdle-Buster pie! I'll make a few other side dishes as well. There will be good eating all week and weekend long! Black Friday? Nah, not really into Black Friday. people really behave strange on BF so as usual I'll pass.

I really enjoy cooking feasts and large meals because it's a challenge and I love a cooking challenge when I have the time and desire to really get into the pots and pans. Cooking is so much fun!

It's Time To Go!

2011-11-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

I've had some strange and annoying things happen in the last few months that have helped me make up my mind on something.

I've lived in my current apartment building for ten years. Next month, that will come to an end. It's finally time for me to move. Last week I went looking for apartments and I found some i might like.

A new building for mentally ill people has gone up a couple of years ago and the tenants there cause a lot of problems in the neighborhood. besides that, some of those problems involve my car. Someone has been vandalizing my car. It happened to my van too at work but that's a different post. I'm ready to move so that the vandalism doesn't get worse. On top of that, the parking situation has become untenable for me. It's outrageous what they charge now and I'm fed up. It's really too bad because I enjoyed living down here. Oh well.

I'm done with getting angry about the abuse around here. I realize that it's time for me to move up and out.

Challah!

2011-11-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

I made challah a few days ago. The braids aren't so pretty or neat looking like they are supposed to be but it was delicious nonetheless. Soft and buttery. The recipe calls for using water and I suppose water works fine but when you use buttermilk, especially raw buttermilk it takes the texture and taste up to a new level!

Consequently I also started back with my water aerobics three times a week. I've figured that if I'm going to eat carby foods like bread every now and then I might as well step up my exercise game! I made pumpkin bread and I have enough pumpkin for about two more loaves and I've been eating sandwiches! I've missed those! it's so nice when you know how to cook and bake because you are not limited to what you can buy ready made in the store, nor are you a slave to the bad ingredients found in a lot of highly processed foods. You have more control over what you eat and therefore more control over your health and your quality of life. All of that from challah bread? LOL!

In any case, I'm looking to purchase another cook book by Nigella Lawson and I'm currently looking through my Nourishing traditions cookbook for a recipe that will help me use up the sour milk I have. I foresee another cake in the works. . .

Making Challah Again

2011-11-05T15:27:00.001-07:00

I'm in the process of making challah again. I made it with a homemade sourdough starter last year and although it looked beautiful it was far too sour and the starter didn't make it rise all that well. I've decided to just settle for yeast breads instead of starter sourdough. It's a lot easier for me and the taste is far better. I suppose I'm just not experienced enough in using my own starter but it's OK. Sometimes convenience works just as well as the long way.

I can't wait to see how my challah will turn out. Then I'll make another pan of pumpkin bread. I've got plenty of raw milk to drink with it! Yum!!

Kindle Nation Sponsorship

2011-10-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Along with getting back into baking and making cocktails this fall season I've been hard at work promoting my book The Pumpkin Princess. Promotion is hard work, I tell ya!

Anyway two weeks ago I purchased a Kindle Nation sponsorship and today I finally got confirmation that my sponsorship will go live on December 24th. So happy over this. I submitted it to a site called Kindle 3 and gt a small bump in sales which was exciting. I may submit The Green Door there and I will definitely submit The Winter Wolves there. Every little bit in this self publishing game counts.

Check them out. The Green Door is free and The Pumpkin Princess is only $0.99!

PS: Oh yeah, I just finished the first draft of The Winter Wolves today! I'm working on the sample chapter that I will add to it for the fourth book, The Lady Moons! It always feels so good when I finish that first draft of a book.

Lychee-tini?

2011-10-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

I tasted for the very first time some sparkling sake. it was delicious! The brand is called Hou Hou Shu. The only bad thing is that it comes in tiny bottles.

This may be my new favorite thing to drink now. I was watching Nigella's Christmas Kitchen and she made a Lychee-tini. I'm planning to make those this week. I've bought some lychee fruit in syrup. All I need now is some gin and vermouth. I love trying new things sometimes. Especially when it has to do with food and drink.

Processing Pumpkins

2011-10-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I have two pumpkins (actually one is a green squash that looks like a pumpkin) and I've processed one already so it's ready to use for cooking. I'll be making some pumpkin bread either tomorrow or tonight. We'll see how much time I have - it's been a very busy weekend!

Information On The Hobbit Films

2011-10-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

For quite some time now I've been following the developments on the two Hobbits films that are being filmed by Peter Jackson and his team. Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows I am a rabid The Lord of the Rings/Tolkien fan so - The Hobbit. I will try to post updated information about the films and events surrounding them and also the new music scores that will be created by the one and only Howard Shore.

So far I haven't found any news on the scores yet. Stay tuned.

Quotes and Other Sunday Goings-On

2011-10-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

Wil Wheaton - words to live by

"When you're fortunate enough to have success and love what you do, you have a choice: Be kind and grateful, or be a dick. I choose the first

When I see someone who is successful, whose work I enjoy, treat other people badly, it just makes me sick inside, and sad for them.

So I do my best to live by example, treat everyone with kindness, and never lose perspective on how lucky I am. "

Wil Wheaton is so awesome! I couldn't agree more. The more I meet people who are malicious or nasty the more I just sit back and wonder at them and feel sorry for them. I can't go through life that way. it's too much rage to carry around.

In other news, I'm having a relaxing Sunday, eating bean soup, writing the third book in my children's fantasy series and watching Nigella cook some delicious food. Also writing it down on this blog!

And now I'm thinking, it's time to make some vanilla challah! Think I'll do this this up coming week.

Vacation Time

2011-10-02T09:47:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm on vacation now! I have 1 week do whatever I want and I'm going to send it writing, relaxing, getting the apartment detailed cleaned and cooking up some new recipes I haven't tried before. I spent the day with mom yesterday and I plan to ferment some hot peppers and bring them over to dad's place either today or tomorrow. Always good to touch bases with family and friends. I may call one of my friends up this week and take her out to lunch!

Sometimes the best sort of vacation is rather mundane, you know? I swear one of these vacation weeks I will actually go on a trip but not this year. I have been thinking of going back to the beach next month on my own and then taking my niece with me. We'll see because it's going to take up a lot of gas money! It is time to go back to the Oregon coast though. I went in 2005 and took some beautiful pictures. I really need to get back. It recharges my batteries. This is especially important for me as a writer.

It's also high time I bought some more ebooks for my Kindle. Some people just download all kinds of books just because they are free. I don't understand that. If I'm not interested in reading it within a few days I won't download it and I don't want it taking up space on my Kindle. Some people are just hoarders, I think. They want something just to say they have it whether or not they actually value the objects they are acquiring. In my opinion, this is a psychological issue. Since I am working on wanting LESS things in my life and not more things, this is something I try to avoid at all costs. I think it encourages a form of materialism, just acquiring things because you can - even if it's only junk!

Sick As A Dog

2011-09-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday night after the Bible study meeting instead of going home and eating something healthy like I should have done I went to 7-11 and got some nachos and a slurpee. The next morning I was as sick as a dog! I had a migraine headache and I wanted to vomit. After a few hours the stomach ache went away but it took about five more hours before the headache decided to jump ship. I thought i wanted to die.

Serves me right for eating pure junk masquerading as food. That was a terrible mistake. To make up for it I fixed some liver and onions and spinach over a potato for dinner yesterday and that's what I ate today as well. My God! I think it'll be a very long time before I touch those fake nacho food-like products from 7-11 again!

Worry and Hope

2011-09-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

Last Friday sis had to be admitted to the hospital for severe anemia. Also she found out she has gallbladder disease. So to make a long story short, the weekend consisted of a lot of worrying but she has finally stabilized and is now at home. On top of that my mother joined the missionary work and just came back last night. She had some harrowing stories to tell me about working the Native Indian reservation territory they were given. There were so many people hungry for spiritual food and Christian truth. It was both amazing and harrowing, the things they have to live through and tolerate every day. My mom says it's like they are a forgotten people. No one cares about them or their plight. But God hasn't forgotten. That's why the organization has been asking for volunteers to preach and serve where the need is great. He sees the need for us to be in these kinds of places. I've been thinking about getting into the missionary work myself. I've already signed up to join the hall building committee. I may decided to do disaster relief. There is so much work to be done! I'll blog about it this weekend but wow! What a weekend. besides that I'm working on a novella.

I received well wishes from a good friend about this and it made me feel really good. I thank Jehovah for the Christian brotherhood, I really do.

No More Cream

2011-09-14T21:54:00.001-07:00

I got an email today sent by the dairy coop I belong to - no more raw cream for the foreseeable future.

That sucks. :(

Strawberry Mess

2011-09-12T21:41:00.001-07:00

I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows - Nigella Express - and I got an idea from one of her recipes. Her's is called Eton Mess. Mine is called Strawberry Mess. Here it is:

Strawberry Mess

1 large package of fresh strawberries, cut into quarters

1 package of Truvia (or sugar if you want)

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 pint of heavy cream whipped into soft peaks or 1 container of whipped topping

pinch of salt

1 package of Heath Toffee Bits

Mix the vinegar, salt and Truvia or sugar into the strawberries in a large bowl. Mix in the whipped cream and mix it all together lightly, then add half a package of the toffee bits and mix well. Spoon into wide-rimmed glasses and enjoy!

It's delicious!

Back To Bible Study

2011-09-11T14:19:00.001-07:00

I've been so busy with getting back into writing fiction again that I've been a little lax with my Bible study. So I'll be getting back on track with that again. Even though I possess a gift for writing (or at least I like to think so) I need to remember who gave me that gift and give thanks and remember the spiritual things.

In fact, we've had some truly excellent study articles lately that I've really enjoyed. One in particular we went over yesterday was about rejecting the false stories that distract us from Bible truth, rejecting empty things like false teachings and materialism of the world and slanderous gossip and behavior - not listening to it or creating it.

Very serious things to think about. Especially with gossip. We all gossip but when does it turn into slander? There's a line that can easily be crossed. The article mentioned an old Jewish fable about scattering feathers into the wind - and illustrated perfectly that once you say things to damage others, whether they are true or not, the words can never be undone. It's like trying to gather up feathers that have been scattered in the wind. An impossible task.

In this day of social media and information that can spread with lightening speed, lies are spread just as easily as truth and when people hear something repeated often enough they see it as truth, even when it is obviously false. I know that from here on out, I will be extra careful about what I write about others. Years ago when I first started this blog I said all kinds of things, thinking that because they were raw, honest feelings and observations that being mean was justified. It isn't. One can be honest without ripping people to shreds. Even with certain celebrities that irritate you. I've never knowingly spread lies about anyone but even when something is true, I feel now it's best to comment on it if you must, be direct and truthful but not ugly and then move on. Lowering yourself to slander and ugliness towards others would make the devil happy. After all, he is the First Slanderer. I have no wish to emulate him.

I need to get back to my Beautiful Works series as well.

Here I Go Again!

2011-09-09T09:51:00.001-07:00

I promise this will be my last post on this subject for a while but I still have some things on my mind, so. . . .

The attitude of some indie authors on other indie authors in general smacks not only of elitism but also of frustration and anger. I suspect a lot of the elitism is fueled by anger because they probably aren't doing as well as they had hoped or perhaps they aren't doing well at all. I have no solid proof, just a suspicion, but I've seen this kind of behavior before, many times. When you feel insecure and you don't have enough confidence in your own worth or work, you denigrate others and throw salt on their game to make yourself feel better or to try to derail their success.

I think that these authors see others swimming in the same pool whom they perceive as inferior and doing better than they are financially and it bugs the hell out of them. What irritates me is that they keep bringing this subject of indie authors and bad e-books up over and over again on this forum I'm on. Guess what? There isn't a dang thing anyone can do about what other authors produce. Web technology has democratized publishing and many authors who are invested in some ideal where only "the chosen few" should be published are distressed by this fact. Too bad for them. I think that the great, the good, the mediocre and the bad all have a right to be at the publishing table. The wheat will be seperated from the chaff. I believe this because even though some books out there are demonstrably bad, there is a huge element of subjectivity that enters the equation. "One man's trash is another man's treasure" as the saying goes. Some people find books that really are badly written and everyone would agree (bad grammar, poor spelling). Then you have others who may judge an e-book as badly written when another person may see that same e-book as a good read. This is where editing comes in. But editing can be highly subjective. Who knows? Who can judge a thing like that without being disputed by someone who disagrees with an opinion?

My issue is that you have too many people (it's usually the same posters I've noticed) always bellyaching and bemoaning the quality of indie books. Yes, I'm sure it has a small, negative effect on indie authors in general, but guess what? There's nothing you can do about it. You can't stop an indie author that you feel isn't ready or even worth publishing from publishing if that author feels they should be publishing their work. And who the hell died and made you ruler any way? The constant threads that pop up on this issue just seem like trolling to me, thus the photo above. It's like internet piracy. You can't do anything about it, nor does it stop content creators from making a living. Stop wringing your hands over what you can't control and focus on what you can control.

Those who succeed in this business are the ones who know what they can do to control their own writing careers and keep it moving. They focus on their work, their product, their marketing efforts and their readership. They do not sit around moaning about other's people's business. I love the change in publishing. If other authors are releasing bad works I don''t care. It doesn't affect what I do or what I write and it doesn't stop people from reading MY work. But then, I have enough confidence in my own work that I do not feel I must control what other authors are publishing. If anything I am supportive of all authors because I know what it's like to be barred from entry into publishing. I feel that I have some good stories to tell and I would like to make a living from my stories some day.

It makes me think of the catchphrase president Ronald Reagan made famous many years go. He made it famous and it was funny as hell: "There you go again."

Snobs Will Be Snobs

2011-09-08T23:20:00.001-07:00

I have to be honest, I always seem to find a few people on forums that get on my everlasting nerves! It happened on TWOP Sucks (defunct), it happened on FTOTZ (also now defunct) and maybe one other one that I can't remember.

This time it's a writer's forum. The issue is indies who are churning out crappy work and selling them on Amazon. Some readers and writers have been constantly complaining and bitching about this to the point that the noise reminds me of mosquitoes buzzing around stagnant water.

In my opinion, why the hell do you care that other indie writers are supposedly writing bad, poorly edited books? (I say 'supposedly' because I haven't seen these books yet) It's as if a group has risen to try to act as new gatekeepers. Funny though, there's nothing they can do about what other writers do. They look down on others from their little perches and find that most of the writers who they feel could benefit from their "advice" blithely ignore them. I think this drives them mad, which is why stupid threads about "quality control" keep popping up. Perhaps these writers could benefit from better proof reading and editing, I don't know. It looks to me like a war is brewing between those who were in the legacy publishing business and those who never got our feet in the door. Like me. I call myself a primitive because I've never been published by a traditional publishing house. I think there are many who despise us. They don't feel special anymore. Boo-hoo-hoo. I don't give a care!

It's the wild west in book publishing now. Why worry about who doesn't like independent books or indie authors? Why worry about badly written/formatted books? You can't do anything about it. You can't control it. Only readers can do that. I'm a firm believer that the cream always rises to the top. Joe Konrath has said this on more than one occasion. Besides, sometimes I wonder what some of these snobs mean when they talk about bad books. Some of this is purely subjective. Let the snobs read what they will and ignore them. People have the right to express themselves without others playing Mother or Father Gatekeeper. Some people simply can't concern themselves with their own business. They have to jump in the business of others. I just give folks like that the side eye. You can't control what kind of work others put out and if they are getting readers and making money then obviously their writing appeals to people on some level. I think it's jealousy. Jealousy is an ugly thing. I see all kinds of nonsense on the Amazon forums over reviews and the writing forum I'm posting about. It's a damned shame how people behave sometimes. Pettiness rules on forums. It makes little difference what kind of forum it is.

What I have noticed is that the TRULY professional authors don't usually get involved in posting in these kinds of threads. If they do, they keep it short and sweet and don't post more than once. I think I'll follow their lead. I've seen two kinds of authors on the writing forum - those that make a big hullabaloo about being professional but reveal how small and vicious they really are and those that walk the walk and rise above it all.

Some Things End, Others Begin!

2011-09-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should go ahead and mention this on both of my podcast pages - I will this weekend, actually - but I will officially be closing my podcast shows out by making announcements.

Why? Well, sometimes things have to come to an end. I've had my ups and downs while producing the shows but I loved doing those shows and at the time I started them it was something I needed to do. I have gained new skill sets by learning how to produce these shows. You never know how you can parlay newly learned skills in the future but I value them, most certainly.

I'm proud of the work I've done with Urban Outside and Tango Eternal but other opportunities have opened up, opportunities that I have dreamed of since I was a little girl. You see, ever since I was a girl I've wanted to be a writer. But writing until now has been extremely difficult to break into. The big publishers controlled who got published and who did not. They don't control that anymore thanks to places like Amazon.com, Scribd, PubIt and Smashwords and other venues. Writers can publish their novels or whatever else they want to publish and get them straight to the readers. We have the power now - power has shifted and it feels so good! Things are leveling out. It's the same with broadcasting and music. Podcasting made the way for those who had the ability to produce content that people wanted to hear and a mind to make money creating their own content. They didn't have to go to legacy radio or TV anymore to be in the music or TV business. The publishing industry is now going through the same changes thanks to e-readers like the Kindle and the Nook and many other devices.

It's a new day and an exciting time and once again I'm jumping in, but this time it's something that isn't new to me. I'm not a new writer. I've been writing for many years but this is the first time in my life that I have a chance to gain a readership and make a living. Strike while the iron's hot and all that business!

So, what this means is that my podcasting, which was a wonderful hobby and served as a diversion for my musical interests will be laid to rest. My episodes will remain out there online for as long as Talkshoe keeps the content and if people have a notion to email me back for any reason I'll be right here to answer. I hope you enjoyed those shows like I did. But now it's time for me to move on to my number one passion - to be a published author. I already have 4 books out. Check them out! And keep supporting the artists, whether it may a podcaster, a musician, artists, writer, etc. always support the artist!

Changes And Opportunities

2011-08-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Something I've been thinking about lately is how much I've been motivated to write. I'm not someone who views money as the end all and be all but if I can make some money doing something I love, I have to say that it motivates me. Just being honest. Especially now that I have no barriers in the way to getting published. before in order for anyone to see my work I had to hope that a publishing house or an agent would accept my manuscript - and that was slim to none because of the dramatic changes happening in the industry. Dramatic changes are still happening at lightening speed - but now those changes benefit the authors, whereas before they benefited big publishing houses.

In fact, until now I suspect that the author was the least important part of the book publishing equation for many years. How long we will have this advantage I don't know but I plan to take advantage of the opportunity before it slips away.

And if I never make a living out of this I can at least say that my work has now been published and that someone out there thought it was alright. That makes me pretty happy.

Because of these changes, my desire to write is back because now I have a powerful incentive to keep writing. Before because of the seemingly intractable issues in the publishing industry, it was enough to make me give up my dream. I would write poetry here and there but I had stopped writing stories because I had no real outlet to publish them. I put them on my blog but that's not the same as actual publishing. A blog can help with getting the word out for your work but unless you are already established as a author it doesn't work so well for making a living. before e-publishing, self publishing costs were prohibitive. Now? if I can actually make some money from my work I can also go to a place like Lulu or Create Space and have some physical books printed up. it's nice to have a book in your own hands - your OWN book that you wrote. I would love to achieve that someday and thanks to industry changes that goal is once again attainable.

Changes. Sometimes it works against you, sometimes it works in your favor.

My First Book Series: Book One Is Finished!

2011-08-24T20:03:00.001-07:00

My first novelette/novella is done and up on Scribd! If you want a free download just go to the sidebar and click on the link under "check out my current draft on Scribd".

I'll be publishing The Green Door on Amazon and Smashwords this weekend. I'm so excited! it's been many years that I've been writing, on and off if the truth be told and I had given up on ever getting my work published. Until now! I have a number of things brewing; a series of which the first book has been written (The Green Door), three more short stories and a full length novel. it will be a long time before I get around to writing the novel. I have written fragments and the first paragraph already but that's it.

I gotta a lotta things brewing and it feels good that my work can now see the light of day. I don't feel like I'm writing for fun anymore. I can see myself eventually making a living as a published author. Finally, my dream ever since I was a girl might just come true.

A Dance With Dragons - Finished!!

2011-08-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished A Dance With Dragons.

I feel both sad and relieved. Sad because I have nothing more in this great series to read and it has become one of my favorite stories of all time. Relieved because it has disrupted my life! I'm a thrall to martin now, I admit it. I can't wait for the next two in the series and I rue the day they are released because i will be under his control once again.

At least now I can take a break and get some other things done. Like my own series, coming up soon. Also I've been neglecting other reading and I need to do two farewell episodes for my podcasts.

A Dance With Dragons

2011-08-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally gotten down to reading the latest book A Dance with Dragons. I swear I have never been this emotionally invested in a book since LOTR and The Hobbit. I revere authors like Tolkien, Lewis and Herbert. I love Butcher as well. They are my favorites and now Martin has joined the literature pantheon in my mind. I hope to write as well as they do some day. To learn how to write well enough to keep people enthralled.

I have to say, Martin has definitely made a thrall out of me. And now I bid you goodnight, gentle folk, as I will go and read my book!

Thoughts on Game of Thrones.

2011-08-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

One thing I've noticed about George Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series is that above all else, you should be very careful of what you wish for because it might just happen and never in the way you expect or want. This is true of nearly every major character in the books. Arya wants the freedom to fight with a sword and be like a man. She got it. Sansa wanted to be at court and marry a great lord and live in a castle like the fairytales. She got it. Cersei wanted power. She got it. Tyrion wanted someone to love him. He got it. Catelyn wanted her daughters and Eddard at court to gain more family influence. She got it and boy did it cost her. Eddard valued his honor above all else and judged men harshly who fell short of his personal standard. Then his turn came when his honor and courage was tested to the limit. He passed but it cost him his life and his family name and Winterfell and the lives of other family members as well. Jon wanted to be lord of Winterfell. Looks like he might be that but not in the way he imagined. Bran wanted to fly. He flew. Jaime wanted glory and honor and notoriety. He got that. and so on. Every singe one of these epople payed a terrible price for what they wished for. For some it was deserved, others it was not, but pay it they did.

And it also seems to me that there are certain characters that started out as villains that I hated that I don't hate so much anymore. Like Jaime Lannister. Enigmatic characters that I love like Jorah Mormont. Still don't know what to make of Littlefinger. I never cared for Catelyn Stark but it destroyed me, how she died.

Curse The Lannisters, Freys And Boltons!

2011-08-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm in the middle of book three (A Storm of Swords) in Martin's fantasy series and as far as I'm concerned a pox and a black curse on the Lannisters, Freys and Boltons! I never thought I would hate these families so much! Vile and ugly! I hope they received their just desserts for the Red Wedding and many other evil things they've done.

I sort of like Jaime now and I've always liked Tyrion Lannister but the rest? Die! (except Myrcella and Tommen since they are small children.) Oh yeah and I hate the Greyjoys too!

I have to remember often that it's just a story. It isn't real. This is how you know you are reading a story from a master storyteller. I hope to write this way some day.

Changing Interests, Dream Reality

2011-07-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

The blues fest came and went - and I wasn't interested and now the beer festival is here. I'm not interested. I went last year and it was one of the worst experiences ever. Some guy at work wanted to take me today and I told him no thanks. I'm not interested in him anyway.

It's funny how your interests change, short term interests anyway. I've been so busy, intensely so with my writing and reading Martin's Songs of Fire and ice series that I haven't had time to do much else when it comes to entertainment. Haven't seen any movies in a while either but I'll get around to that. I'm nearly finished with my second book of poetry! The first book was a collection of poems I wrote over the course of 10 years. This second book perhaps a month. of course there is a poem in it I wrote about 5 years ago but the rest were written last month!

One thing I've learned about reading the blogs of other more experienced authors is that the more you write the better you become at the craft. In fact, writing everyday is what most serious writers do. It's something I already know and practiced in the past when I needed to finish a novel but now I have a powerful incentive to wrote again. The publishing landscape has changed and I don't have to deal with publishers in order to get my work out there and get paid for it. Am i taking advantage? You bet! To be an author has always been my dream ever since i was a little girl. That dream has finally come true for me.

Great Writing

2011-07-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have my Kindle and I'm loving it! I waiting for my cover I ordered from Etsy to come in the mail. I think I'll be moving on the the second Game of Thrones book in the series. I really don't want to wait until the second season. Wow it's a great read. I've been engrossed in it all week! I wish I had written that book. In fact, I hope to write as well as as my writing heroes do - Tolkien, Herbert, Poe, Shakespeare (well, no one can top him, certainly not me) and now Martin. Great writing is forever!

New Fantasy Book Series For Me

2011-07-09T14:17:00.001-07:00

I finally bought Martin's book Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire. Very good reading so far. I get the feeling he's going to become one of my favorite authors. I bought it for my Kindle and I just love it! In fact today I downloaded a PDF study copy for my Bible study meeting this morning and read it on my Kindle instead of using the hard copy. It's so fun to use! (the Kindle, I mean)

Kindle!

2011-07-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

I bought a Kindle this morning! It's so beautiful! A graphite gray color. and I love the screen savers! I even downloaded my own ebooks to it. I love it!

Brewing Things

2011-07-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well things are looking up (and a little down too - lost a court case with a creditor I hate) but mostly up. My writing career might actually have a chance at seeing the light! I'm losing weight and just feeling all around good about things. The summer convention has come and gone with new info.

I can't complain right now. I'm sure in the future that will change. ;) I managed to sell 7 copies of my short story Night Terrors. I've made some progress on my current short story and I have a few ideas brewing in my mind for more poetry.

HitReCord.org

2011-07-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to join Joseph Levitt-Gordon's HitReCord.org. I don't know what will come of it but it looks like a wonderful collaborative tool for my own creative career and something fun to do. I've been thinking about it for awhile now. I'm not sure what to submit yet. Maybe artwork in the future? Right now I've got mostly poetry and shorts that I'm working with.

There's definitely some interesting stuff going on there. The digital age is upon us. Things have changed. I like this change. Publishing my work and collaborating with others in freedom is a beautiful thing.

The New Chuck Norris

2011-07-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is totally late but I'm going to say it anyway -

Sean Bean stood up for the honor of the lady friend he was with who was being insulted by another man while they were going to a bar. Bean challenges the man over his lewd comments, the man gets mad and stabs Bean. Bean comes back to the bar with cuts and bruises, he gets patched up at the bar and he orders another drink.

Sean Bean. The new Chuck Norris.

Chocolate Candy Bars

2011-07-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

It's that special time of the month again and I ate 4 candy bars today. Yes, 4. I really wanted some chocolate. I also drank to big glasses of raw milk. Delicious!~ Then I had a soda with sugar. Yeah I was a very bad girl. But it'll be ok because I've been eating every other day this week. Tomorrow will be the third day of 24 hour IFing for me. So I don't feel too bad about it.

Intermittent Fasting

2011-07-01T19:38:00.001-07:00

So I've been doing Intermittent fasting. And I'm loving it! It's the TOM for me right now so I always gain a bit of water weight at this time but After next week I'm hoping I will be able to lose more weight with this new technique I've added to my diet and exercise regimen - IF.

I'll be honest, I could NEVER do IF if I was on a low fat diet. The only way this works is if I am low carbing and eating plenty of saturated fat. When I eat a lot of carbs in my diet and I fast I get bad blood sugar issues. But with Atkins I've managed to IF two days this week each for 24 hour fasts and feel great! If I feel hungry I'll snack on about 7 or 8 pork rinds and drink come Cascade Ice ( a no calorie, no carb and no sodium sparkling beverage). Working out great so fat. Then I break my fast and eat a good sized dinner. Hope this works for fat loss!

New Favorite Show!

2011-06-28T20:25:00.001-07:00

Can I have a castle too?

I've got so many things going right now it's a little crazy but it's also exciting. The time for me to truly showcase my writing has come and I'm taking advantage of the digital opportunities available. Publishing is changing and in a good way for those of us still struggling to get published through traditional means. To be honest, I'm no longer that interested in traditional publishing. I see it as a waste if time now. If a big publishing house comes knocking I probably wouldn't turn it down but I no longer feel as if my work is at the mercy of agents and publishing houses. Hooray for progress in technology!

Now that I've entered the post-Lost era and Smallville is finally off the air, I almost felt that besides Fringe there wasn't much else on tv to keep me interested. I was wrong. Again. Enter, Game of Thrones based off of a fantasy series. This show is every bit as good as Lost but in a radically different way. I love this show and one of the wonderful things about it is that the first season has Sean Bean, one of my favorite actors. I don't know if I can wait for season 2 which will be airing 9 months from now (remember those terribly long wait times for Lost?) Well, here we go again! After I finish the most recent book in the Dresden files series I may start reading Game of Thrones. Wow. A powerhouse of a show. I hope to write great epic stories like this one day. I think my work is pretty good but George R.R. Martin is a master! I'm currently working on one now. My greatest writing heroes like Tolkien and Frank Herbert and Jim Butcher will have to make room for Martin.

First Amazon Kindle Book Published!

2011-06-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

I finally got my first book published on Amazon.com for the Kindle! I'm so excited! anyone can get a few free pages or buy the book for $0.99 by clicking this link! I think it's good and I'm proud of the work I've done! I even took the picture myself (from a beach trip a few years back) and made the cover art myself. Graphic design school sure comes in handy!

If anyone is interested in purchasing it, tell me what you think of my work! I'll be working on getting a small collection of short stories published next. In fact, one is already finished - I wrote it long ago but made huge revisions, a second one started off as a novel that I will be turning into a short story and I'm currently working on another one. Exciting stuff. if I could give them away for free I would but Amazon won't let me do that and a company like Amazon can give me the exposure I can't get in just any place. I'm so excited!

New Films, More Actors I Admire

2011-06-18T18:21:00.001-07:00

I've been watching quite few movies lately. Stuff I really like from actors i admire and respect.

Mysterious Skin

Juno

The Lookout

Inception

Super 8

Whip It

Mouth To Mouth

500 Days Of Summer

Brick

The Last American Hero

Plus a lot of other films from other great actors I can't remember right now. And yeah you might be seeing a pattern here. My favorite two actors right now are Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love that fact that they are doing so much more than just acting and that they both choose quality projects. Gordon-Levitt has Hitrecord.org his own production company that has a creative twist and Page is an environmentalist and is a part of causes that are important to me -sustainable food and farming practices, Bee collapse colony issues, and she uses her star power to make others aware. I have deep respect for young people who do more than abuse themselves and others because of their new found star power and money.

All of this reminds me of a new opportunity opening up for me as a writer - the kindle and amazon ebooks. It inspires me to get my work published and to make new work. I'm already getting my first poetry book up and running on Amazon.

Now let me get back to writing instead of wasting my time on blogger.

I Won't Be There

2011-06-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

I have a BBQ to go to. Unfortunately people I don't like will be there. I will not be going. I already told the host that I don't want to associate with these people. I understand they are their friends and so I have no right to determine who they invite into their home. But I don't have to associate with bad people.

I won't be there. Now I will have to give them a decent excuse as to why.

Arguing About Diets

2011-06-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

I had a near bust up on a low carb forum I'm on. Some people don't want to accept that you have people out there that don't care about their own diet or the diet they feed their children.

There are a lot of people out there that feed their babies soda and kool aid in their bottles and a steady diet of junk food and these babies and small children are developing the same health problems that middle aged people have. There is a poster that refuses to believe that some people are ignorant and uneducated and will do this. She refuses to believe that some people are indifferent about food and don;t care about health - even when it comes to their kids and see nothing wrong with eating these things everyday and feeding it to their kids. These people are out there and there are a lot of them. I see the evidence of it everyday. She's the classic bleeding heart without much common sense.

Other posters, including me, tried to tell her that this is a cold hard fact. She's only interested in arguing us down. In any case, the proof is there for all to see; children and babies now are having health issues that used to only affect middle aged and old people. Why? The foods of civilization are the cause. Besides that many parents today don't have the common wisdom of what healthy foods are, how to cook them and feed their families. Many people nowadays don't cook. They eat take out or prepared junk. There are many reasons for this. That is a post for another day.

Doodles, Vibrams, Pilates and Stuff

2011-06-09T10:18:00.001-07:00

I made a recordable doodle on the Google homepage. This morning they are celebrating Les Paul by having a playable guitar on the homepage that you can strum and record with. You can hear it right here.

This is one of those truly inspired doodles, of which they have created many.

I finally ordered a pair of Vibrams Five Fingered shoes! I wanted the Jaya model but they were completely sold out so I went with the Classic. I can't wait to get them! I can definitely see myself wearing them everywhere - even to church!

What I need now is to figure out what brand of CLA I should buy to help burn my belly fat and to order a yoga mat to do my pilates exercises on the roof. I have no room to do them in my own apartment. What a shame but I really want to get good at pilates. So far I haven't found a pilates class in Portland that I can actually get to on time.

Not Hungry?!?

2011-06-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

One thing I've noticed over the course of being on the Atkins diet is that I'm barely hungry anymore. At least I've noticed this for the past three days. Others have said the same thing. For me this is unusual and a good thing considering how much I love to eat! I love it. This doesn't mean that I never get hungry but when I'm hungry now, I'm truly HUNGRY, not bored. I love it! I finally feel truly free of needless hunger cravings on an everyday basis. You couldn't pay me to go on a low fat diet. No amount of money in the world would convince me to go back to that.

Last night I was craving pizza, so I ordered an extra large butcher block (all meat) and scraped all the meat and cheese off and threw the bread away! Then I ate like five bites and I couldn't eat anymore and I hadn't even eaten that much throughout the day! I wasn't hungry this morning for breakfast either but I grabbed a kombucha anyway so I wouldn't suffer from blood sugar issues later. I finally ate the rest of the bread-less pizza for lunch. and to tell you the truth I can't see myself eating much for dinner but salad. Think I'll be eating a lot of salads for lunch and dinner this week not to mention cream and berries for breakfast!

Can't Be The Fat Girl Anymore

2011-06-04T21:12:00.001-07:00

My attitude about weight has evolved over time. I feel that I have a more nuanced understanding of weight and my own looks. I used to give hearty support to plus size women and the plus size figure. I still do. The anorexic looks is one that is poisonous and needs to go.

But being plus sized isn't for me anymore and slim doesn't equal anorexic. Yes, I can buy beautiful clothes now, yes I can look as good as I can as a fat girl, but a few months ago I was looking over some pictures of myself when I was much younger back in the 90's - and slim - and marveled at how beautiful I was as opposed to now. For the last ten years of my life there is no picture I'm in where I don't look like an elephant that is 9 months pregnant. I look awful in pictures now. It's so bad that I refuse to take them. I see other plus size women who look beautiful with so much fat, but I have to face facts; I'm not one of them. I don't look that good fat and at my heaviest - 219 lbs I looked like a butterball turkey with chipmunk cheeks. I look awful and there is no one that would disagree with this if they were going to be honest. Now does this mean that I have low self esteem and that I hate myself? No. It means that I know how to be honest when I need to change something about myself. The weight has to go. It hasn't enhanced my looks at all, or my health.

Besides, I now disagree with those who revere plus sized beauty over slimmer, smaller girls. Why does one body size have to be superior over another? Every woman has her own beauty and allure. For some, part of their allure is their curvaciousness and buxom looks, for others it's a delicate, small boned look. Many of us are in between the two. We all have our own appeal. The woman herself has to be happy with what she sees in the mirror in the end and to do that she needs to actively shut out negative images from others and reevaluate what she wants to look like from time to time. My reevaluation has taken me to this realization and it is not one that is coming from self loathing but from honesty.

Good Job At A Gathering

2011-06-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

I HATE the Starlight parade! It took me nearly one hour to get from the Broadway bridge to my apartment, when it usually only takes 10 minutes! Couldn't even find a parking space so I had to park near a fire hydrant. We'll see if my car is still parked there in the morning.

Anyway, I had a church gathering today, a huge one with several congregations at a state park. Beautiful place up in Washington State; Clark County Lewisville State Park to be exact.

And I was a very good girl!! There was so much food there it was unbelievable! But I stuck to the barbecued meats and green salads and there was a giant bowl of mixed berries with another bowl of whipped cream to put on them! Lots of fruit and vegetable dishes like turnip greens besides all the carb junk which looked delicious, and a large table devoted solely to desserts (as usual at Witness gatherings). OMG. I can't believe I stuck it out the low carb way and was satisfied. No cravings for the mac and cheese, the potato salads, the pasta dishes, the casseroles, the potato chips and Doritos or the desserts. None. I'm so proud of myself. I drank diet soda and water as well. I'm going to give myself a job well done today. You do have to navigate these things carefully. I had some coleslaw that I was ready to eat and then I saw crushed pieces of Top Ramen in it and had to throw it out. Good thing I didn't eat any!

Because it's hard out here for a dieter!

Low Carb Meals

2011-06-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

So I've been staying steady on Atkins induction and I'm slowly but steadily losing. I don't miss any of the foods I use to miss either. I feel free from addictions - for now. We all know how addictions are. Anyway this is week 5 and I might stay where I am. I have been doing a lenient, shall we say version of induction which I think has really helped me stay put on the diet.

I bought some truvia today and I plan on making milk and fruit ice pops with it. it tastes good. Still there's a slight after taste but for now that's ok. It's better than falling off the wagon and eating sugar. I made a lasagna with eggplant instead of pasta noodles which was good. I also added liverwurst to the ground beef which made it even more delicious!

What's bubbling on the stove right now is a yogurt (homemade yogurt by the way! Whoohoo!) tomato soup with shredded chicken.

What's so nice about this is that even though I don't own a scale I can tell I'm losing inches. My uniform isn't painfully tight anymore. I used to be so tight that I had to loosen the buttons and undo the zipper on my pants. Now I can leave my pants zipped up all day, even until I get home.

The California Whopper Sucks!

2011-05-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

I normally don't eat fast food any more. However there's the rare urge for a quick burger when I don't want to make one myself - sans the bun, of course.

Anyway, Burger King, one of my favorite burger places has a new burger called the California Whopper. It has guacamole so I decided to try one yesterday since I had the day off. I ran some errands and then bought two of them, no fries, no pop. I got home, all excited, threw the buns away, got a plate and started eating.

Biggest. Disappointment. Ever. It was the blandest, tasteless thing I have ever tasted. I'm serious! They tasted like cardboard! There was once a time when I was in and out of BK like it was going out of style. I loved Whoppers. But yesterday busted my bubble. Most of the food I eat I cook myself and I love well seasoned food. I just couldn't believe it. It was awful. I don't remember BK ever making bad burgers. Maybe I remember things wrong, or maybe fast food no longer holds any appeal for me since my own cooking is far better and I'm used to eating my own food all of the time these days. Come to think of it, a year ago, I had the guacamole burger from Carl's Junior and that tasted good, so. . . . maybe BK just ain't on their A-game. Anyways. . .

I'm still a little mad at losing $8.00 and some change over that mess. Humph!!

How It's Going So Far

2011-05-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've started back on Atkins this time. This week so far it's been going well. I'm not doing the 20 or below carbs but 30 or below. Give myself a little more wiggle room. Anyway, I've joined a low carb forum to keep me motivated and accountable. So far it's working.

I think I've decided to grow up when ti comes to foods I need to avoid. It's not that serious if I can't have pancakes or banana bread for a while. It really isn't. That's what messed me up the last time. Besides, it's spring going into summer and the foods I eat this time of the year aren't as carb laden. I will be building a plan for myself when fall rolls around again. because last time it was the falls season and all its carb bounty that did me in. Not this time!

My Food Journal

2011-05-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to take atkins seriously this time because I know it;s effective and I'm ready to get my waistline back. So I'm keeping a food journal.

This is the third day of Atkins Induction for me. except I had a small bit of grape juice from this past weekend's castor oil cleanse to finish up with my vitamins. That's finished. This isn't the harsh Atkins Induction that is in the book but a slightly gentler version. if my weightloss stalls though I'm going to follow it exactly by the book. I think I'll be ok though.

I had:

Breakfast: 2 deviled eggs, ice water, cup of yogurt and half a kiwi fruit

Lunch: cup of homemade chili (no beans), handful of smoked almonds, ice water

Dinner: homemade chili.

I was tempted to buy some kombucha and I might do that for this week since I'm getting sweet cravings. Kombucha helps a lot and I haven't made a fresh batch yet. I do have some lacto fermented ginger ale but i won't open that until next week.

Of course I have my fermented peppers on the side and all week except today I've been eating green salads galore!

Vitamins and supplements: iron, zinc, grape seed extract, fermented cod liver oil. Protandim's in the mail.

So this is day one of my food journal. I won't be recording my meals every day but I will from time to time. or maybe I will. We'll see. I've also incorporated hiking with my training and will be going back to water aerobics. right now it's that special time so I haven't been running, just walking.

Castor Oil Cleanse and Atkins For Real This Time!

2011-05-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

I did a castor oil cleanse today. I don't know how effective it will be since I'm regular already but I did it anyway. So far my system has flushed three times. I've decided to take something to eat now. Tomorrow I start back on Atkins and this time I'm dead serious about the weight loss. yes I went on a rant about paleo people and their hate for carbs but I don't see anything wrong with low carb diets at all. I see something wrong with seeing this as the way for everyone else to eat regardless of their own body chemistry and experiences with carbs in general. I'll probably carb cycle/eat more carbs on the weekends.

Anyway, I'm relaxing and having a pretty good time putting around the apartment.

Maybe It's Not So Bad

2011-05-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

You know, I've been thinking.....about modern architecture, that is. Some of it I truly do like. Some of it is beautiful. It still isn't as beautiful as other styles in my opinion but I don't hate it so much anymore.

Even some of the brutalist buildings which can be the ugliest looking things in the world seem more authentic and graceful than the candy-coated, cheap ass looking, copy-cat Mcmansions being thrown up these days in exclusive neighborhoods which I truly hate with a passion even more than modern architecture. truly hideous!

Dietary Extremism Doesn't Help Anyone

2011-05-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Paleo Diet.

A lot of people on the internet tout this as The Way, The Truth and The Light. Kind of like the low fat Nazis have done when it comes to vegetable based diets.

I have no doubts that it can be a healthy diet, especially if you're looking to get shredded or lose a bunch of fat, but their scientific evidence that so called paleo people lived and thrived on this kind of diet is nil. In fact, one of the funniest things that the paleo crowd engages in is imaginary just-so stories and pure conjecture similar to the kind that evolutionists engage in to prop up their ideas about how life and the universe got here. I've noticed that the paleo crowd seems popular with the so-called rational crowd too - athiests/agnostic types. Unlike them, The Weston A. Price Foundation really does have science AND history to back up its claims.

My biggest problem with them is the demonization of grains and dairy. Especially grains. And this is coming from someone who is gluten intolerant. Groups who run around demonizing entire food groups give me pause and force me to re-examine what they have to say on diet in general. I don't think they are any diffrent from those who control the current paradigm and push 6-11 servings of grains as healthy for everyone. What we need is balanced thinking. Dietary extremism is dangerous. We already see the effects of one kind of dietary extremism right now with the grain based diet pushed on everyone as healthy and the only good way to eat. Because we have lost the knowledge of preparing them properly, this diet is harming millions of people. However, humans have been eating grains for as long as there have been civilizations in existence. Why go back to some imaginary time when we were supposedly scratching around in caves or in the dirt like apes? Hunter gatherer tribes in ancient times ate grains as well. Grains have always been a part of the human diet around the world. Some had a grain based diet others ate very little grains but they were still there. What the Weston A. price foundation can help us appreciate is that back then (and one can even see evidence of this in the Bible) people prepared them a certain way so that any toxins and other bothersome elements in grains were removed.

As far as the idea that we need to go back to what we ate before civilization existed, I say, bah to all that! I'm only interested in what we did in the last 10,00 years because that is where history and archeology tells us when humans beings actually came into existence. There is no proof we existed as a species before this point. The earth was here, the animals were here, the universe was here before that time, but not human beings. The paleolithic ancestor stuff is imaginary nonsense.

I believe that people with allergies, weight issues, metabolic disorders and blood sugar issues need to be very careful with grains, some even removing them completely, but this does not apply to everyone. Not everyone has a problem with grains and grains are definitely fit for human consumption when prepared right. If you don't want to eat grains, don't. But don't demonize a perfectly healthy food that has been around since ancient times for everyone else just because you can't handle them. I swear, it's like these tee-totaling people at my church that like to demonize all alcohol use has sinful when the Bible says that it's ok to drink in moderation. even the good Lord provided wine for guests at a wedding in Cana. If drinking alcohol was a sin Jesus would never have done such a thing. Likewise, if grains were so dangerous to humans, we would never have bothered to include them in our diet.

Some folks aren't happy unless they are taking things to the hilt and way out of context. Grains ARE the staff of life, when prepared properly!

Temperature Rising

2011-04-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Last spring was very cold and this spring looks to be a very cold one too. I wonder when we are going to get some warmer weather?

Speaking of temperatures, I have to say, I just turned 38 a week ago and for the past three weeks I've been feeling like a cat in heat. Honestly. I'm so frustrated I don't know what to do. Actually I do - it involves prayer - but it's never been this bad. Some people say most women my age get this way because of hormones. The so-called sexual peak or something. I don't know. Maybe they're right. I want a man. However, in order to find one I find attractive some of this weight has got to go. I've been working on that and at the same time it's helping me work some of this sexual energy off through. H.I.I.T.. It helps.

Shoot, when I get my figure back, nobody can tell me anything! The men better watch out, 'cause I'm comin' for them like Maggie for Brick. In a classy way, of course. I intend to find a husband at some point in my life. That's what I'm really after. Hopefully I can find one before I turn 45. :)

Green Lantern, Super 8

2011-04-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing quite bit about The Green Lantern movie over the past couple of years and then very recently, Super 8.

The Green Lantern looks like it will be pretty good. I definitely want to see it. Once again, they have a hunk of a man in the lead role. I love a gorgeous man. I just can't help it. The trailer looks wonderful. In fact I'm now interested in reading about The Green Lantern. He's definitely a major DC hero but he's one I don't know much about. Hopefully this movie will explain things well with a good and compelling story. In brightest day. In blackest night. Sounds intriguing.

But I'm super excited to see Super 8 after having seen the full trailer. In fact I saw the teaser trailer last night. I haven't been this excited over a movie since Star Wars or E.T. or LOTR and considering who is helping Abrams produce this movie it's no wonder (Spielberg). Not only does this movie have Abrams's genius written all over it but Spielberg's great hand as well. Everything about this trailer is pure, old time movie magic and glory. I'm stoked. Watch the trailer for yourself below. Can't you feel the wonderment?

Oh yeah, and J.J. Abrams kicks the holy duff out of Joss Whedon.

Captain America Trailer

2011-04-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Talk and rumors about a Captain America movie has been ongoing for years. And for years I had zero interest in it. Besides being a comic book character I had no idea who Cap was nor did anyone tell me about a story of his that caught my interest until I started listening to a podcast called Fanboy Radio. even then, they talk about the new Captain America comics, understandably, not the old stuff. But two weeks ago I saw for the very first time a full trailer for the movie Captain America: The First Avenger. and this is the old origin story. All I have to say is:

Oh. My. God.

Hell yeah, I'm going to see this movie. It looks so good. And so does the actor playing Cap. Can we say Beautiful Man? I mean, wow. He rivals Tom Welling in the looks department and that's not easy. I remember seeing him in Sunshine, an excellent film, btw and remembered thinking: "Wow, he's handsome." And then thought nothing more of it. But he's been given the clean cut look which really suits him. He doesn't look like just any cute guy in Hollywood - which are a dime a dozen, but he looks like an Adonis. Amazing what a clean look, beefing up and getting rid of facial hair can do to a man. I even love the way they designed the suit. So masculine and realistic looking. And he throws his shield in the trailer. Awesomness! I'll get to my opinions on the trailers for The Green Lantern and Super 8 later this week.

Hey, feels kind of good to write about movies again.

Upcoming Movies

2011-04-01T23:13:00.001-07:00

It's been a great long while since I've posted about upcoming movies but there are some movies I simply am excited to see - Captain America and Super 8!

The trailers for both look phenomenal!

Vaccines

2011-04-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

What is interesting is that the pharma companies that issue these vaccines have now pushed through laws that give them complete immunity from lawsuits if their vaccines harm or kill people. And then help make vaccines required for children and health workers and who knows, perhaps vaccines will be required for the entire population in the country one day.

I can see the evil at work behind this. A man who has studied and found out links between vaccines in children and the harm they cause is Dr. Andrew Wakefield. Some try to claim his work has been discredited. It has not been discredited. What has happened to him is what is called black balling. Something that happens to whistle blowers who uncover things that others want to remain hidden. I would encourage anyone with a concern about certain vaccines to read and listen about his experience, work and villification of his valuable work by pro-pharma opponents.

Another great interview about this subject is with Sherri Tenpenny. In fact you can find a wealth of information about what is actually in vaccines and what these things really do to people by going to naturalnews.tv and put the word "vaccines" in the search function. You will be stunned, angered and disgusted with what you hear about the truth about vaccines. Be prepared.

Autism and Vaccines

2011-03-29T22:04:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid I didn't know anyone with autism. Now everywhere i turn somebody's kid has autism or condition along the autism spectrum.

Something is very wrong and a lot of people don't want to examine the vaccine issue. it offends them. I think that there is a genetic component to the issue that is triggered by certain substances in certain vaccines children are given. It's late and I don't have time to write much about it now but I will in the near future.

And as for this idea that there were just as many children with autism decades ago as now and that they just shuffled them through the school system - and that we just know how to diagnose it today - I seriously doubt that. Autistic children don't learn the same way regular children do. I've worked around autistic children before and it's impossible to put them in the same classrooms with other kids and teach everyone, especially them. No, there was much less of it back then. I know five different people who have autistic children today, five!

Children are being poisoned by their own society that's supposed to protect them. And the main culprit in my opinion is vaccines. More on that later.

Got A Car!

2011-02-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

I finally bought a car! Finally and it's a beauty! I bought it Wednesday. The person I called about the Honda they were selling never answered (Not surprised) so I decided to call one more person. This man had an Acura Vigor and he left his cellphone number. I called the same morning he listed the ad and he answered. We agreed to meet at his house. When I think about it I should have brought someone with me but he was a retired family guy so it was cool. He and his wife were great people. He had a mechanic finishing up a few things on the car when I was there so i sat and talked with his wife for a couple of hours. We test drove it and it drove great, no strange sounds, funny smells, nothing that would make me feel bad about the car. I think God helps me through these kinds of things because I certainly don't know a thing about cars! An Acura with a rebuilt engine. It's beautiful. Now whether it will keep running, we'll see. So far it's been excellent.

It had Washington plates so I have running around all week taking care of business. Changing the plates and title transfer, DEQ test, getting it insured, etc. I've been very tired this week over just trying to get a car and then get it registered. Even if there are problems, at least I already own it! The last time I bought a car (from a dealer, no less) I bought a $6000 car and had to pay $400.oo in car payments plus $200 for insurance! This was many years ago. After one month the radiator, transmission and engine failed. I had to try to fix it and still make payments (it was used and the warranty expired funny enough right before the car broke down.) I was so mad I called the finance company to come get it. I refused to pay them any more money for it. Then they tried to sue me over it and I managed to get out of that by . . . well, I'm ranting now.

At least with this car, if anything goes wrong, and it's very possible, I already own it and my insurance payments aren't that high this time around. Saving your money really does have its advantages. Putting down that amount of cash was painful ($2300) but owning a car right off the bat feels great! No car payments!

PS. I forgot the fact that looking for a car was exhausting. It took the energy right out of my at night. i went to bed early all this week.

Fakers On Craigslist

2011-02-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for a car this month - specifically on Craigslist.

I had no idea about the amount of buffoonery that goes on around this site! It's full of worthless fakers! Sellers, I mean. I'm complaining about it on the buyer's side of things. I'm sure sellers have their own complaints about stupid buyers.

Here's the thing. I have cash, I'm ready to buy. Now! I'm not interested in fooling around but it seems like many people post car ads on CL without any intention of selling. Some of them just ignore your calls and repost the same thing every week! On Sunday I called a man about a Toyota Cressida. I wanted to buy it that day. He told me to meet him at such and such place and I told him 1:00 pm. We agreed to this. I show up at 12:50 pm. I wait around for 20 minutes and no one shows up.

I don't know, maybe he found a buyer before then. It would have been nice if he had called me to let me know this.

Later I called a man about a Ford Crown Victoria. He never called me back. It's been three days now. Last week I called someone about an Acura Legend. Never got a response. I called three other people about various cars and never received a response except from one man. He emailed me back and told me that someone else called before I did about his Volvo and is coming to look at it within the hour. He said if it's no-go he'd call me back. Well I assume that other guy bought the car. :(

The others are flakes. I'm not about to stalk or chase down these jackasses.

This is how I operate on CL - I only look at ads with: pictures, only ads that say Portland, Gresham or Beaverton, have the price that I'm willing to pay, and have enough pics so I can see the inside and outside of the car, ads that state details like what's wrong with it, it's features, especially if it's an automatic (can't drive a stick). I don't waste my time with anything else. I don't haggle or try to get them to go down on the price and I have no interest in trying to get there and then tell them I want to trade them with something I have when I told them I had cash. And I don't email or call them asking for endless pics or details. If I see it and it's what I need I call and let them know I'm ready to come look, test drive and buy. I don't deal with dealer ads at all.

It seems like I can't get a break. I called one more person tonight. I might try the rest of the week to get something. If not, well, I'm going to have to look elsewhere. I don't have time for this.

It's been raining like mad for a few days now. These days are for hot tea and relaxing. Oh well, on to more CL stupidity.

Another Matrix Film?

2011-02-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

When I first started this blog I watched a lot of films and reviewed them here. I didn't pay much attention to the philosophical content of these films unless they were extreme. These days I'm a lot more concerned with my spirituality and faith and how the entertainment I watch stacks up against that. A lot of films I watched years ago I have no interest in watching now. There are a few exceptions.

Which gets me to my point; I've been hearing rumblings that Keanu Reeves and the Wachowski brothers are planning to make another Matrix film. Now when the Matrix films were first out I would have been excited to hear news like this, especially after the second one was released. After the third one was released and today? Well, I'm still interested but with reservations. After having bought the box set and watched the films and documentaries several times, my opinion on the first film still stands: it is brilliant and I love it without reservations of any sort. In fact, it's a stand alone film imo and didn't need any sequels. The second one is ok and the third one is awful. Really, the last two didn't need to be made since neither one of them match the first film in quality of story but even if the last two were excellent films I don't know that I would like them much. Why? Because of the philosophy behind them.

My dislike for them is no longer simply about visuals, aesthetics, score, script and plot. It's about what they try to say about the world we live in. Behind the glitz, awesome fight scenes and pretty people is Gnostic spirituality which puts freedom and arcane knowledge above spiritual salvation. A dangerous thing since Gnosticism is based on a lie. The problem I have with this is that knowledge does nothing to empower people or liberate them if they make no spiritual or moral transformation in their lives. And if people simply live to act on their selfish desires and do not live by any sort of moral principles they are not free people. If anything this kind of knowledge can be used as a tool to enslave and harm others. The first film deals with a more traditional theme of salvation through a hero/savior who is Christlike. You also have the John the Baptist figure in Morpheous and a strong woman, Trinity who supports them and ties them all together. The second film tried to go beyond that but handled its philosophy rather superficially and the third film handles things badly. But even if they handled the story well, I have an issue with it. The devil began the idea from the beginning that God is withholding secret knowledge from people and if they just break free from God and learn to do what they will, so to speak, they will gain the knowledge God has. As we can see when we look at the violent, crime ridden, corrupt and polluted state of the world and humanity in general, that was the biggest and deadliest lie ever told. None of us are gods. Not even close. And none of us are truly free. We are all in bondage to some political, religious or economic system depending on the time period we happen to be born in and then we live short, stressful, sometimes very painful lives and then die. Death has dominion over all of us in the end. It was never suppose to be this way. We have fallen so far away from what God intended us to be. We need to be redeemed. That is where Christ comes in. We salvation and we need knowledge, but we need the RIGHT TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE. The knowledge promised to Eve was a lie. Gnosticism evolved from that lie. Gnostic spirituality is a trap. The ideas in the Matrix films suggest that simply breaking free and gaining knowledge is enough.

In the documentaries it is suggested that the traditional form of salvation which was raised in the first film does not require spiritual knowledge and that the ending in the first film packages everything up in a nice, neat little bow. This too is a lie. Without the proper spiritual knowledge one never gains salvation. Somehow the second and third films are deeper in meaning and more profound, according to the documentaries, and one reason is because it leaves things hanging in the air. I don't think so. Not only are the last two films bad in story telling and execution but they flounder when it comes to philosophical ideas as well. They just didn't make much sense or come together well. There are other ideas presented in the films as well but I'm going to focus on this one.

So what will this next film say? Will it continue the occult ideas that through knowledge one can achieve godhood? Neo died in the first film and was reborn. Then he died again in the third film. So now that it looks like his "soul" has become one with the machine godhead is he now a god too? This false idea was raised by Satan in the garden of Eden first to Eve and then to Adam that if they eat from the forbidden tree they would have the same knowledge God had and would be like gods themselves, like I stated before. However Satan told a lie and Adam and Eve did not attain godhood. They died and brought death, imperfection (sin) and suffering to all of their offspring - the entire human family.

One might say, "Vargas it's just a movie. What's the big deal?" Well I suppose in the grand scheme of things it isn't. But young people watch these things and are heavily influenced by them. These ideas seem deep to them and can confuse the issue at hand - what is real spiritual knowledge and how can people obtain it? In my opinion, the Matrix films follow down a misleading ideology. The sad thing is that many young people took these ersatz ideas presented in the last two films seriously. You even had college classes about these ideas and philosopy books written on the subject! In any case, it's knowledge that leads to nothing, at the least. A big waste of time. At the worst it leads to the occult, which is dangerous to play with. Many people who are seduced by the occult are forever destroyed by it.

With that being said, the first film, The Matrix, will forever be a great film, in my opinion.

PS - It looks like this was really just a false rumor so I suppose we don't have to worry about this trio unleashing another set of films that may or may not be good. Not that I have an issue with Reeves, I will always like him and wish him well. The two directors? They have a ways to go before they completely get back into my good graces.

Powder Power!

2011-02-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

I've gotten rid of my toothpaste and started using this herbal tooth powder from Good-Gums.com. I can't believe how much better my gums are doing. I first heard about them from an ad of theirs in the back of one of my Wise Traditions journals. Toothpaste was actually making my breathe smell awful! It's amazing how useless and even dangerous conventional nutrition and conventional medicine is. I don't know why so many people still accept it and believe in it. It's a joke! I feel as if I lost half my life to compromised health, thanks to conventional medicine/dentistry, etc. Sad indeed.

It just makes me shake my head. I just don't get it.

Anyway my Primal Fuel powder meal replacement came in the mail today and I'm so excited! I tasted a little bit. it's the Vanilla Creme flavor. It's delicious! There have been so many powders out there I've had that don't taste good at all! This tastes wonderful. I'm planning on mixing it with coconut milk or yogurt or even milk and frozen berries. I might add some cinnamon and coconut oil as well. All I need now is a blender and I'm set!

Of Rain and Cookbooks

2011-02-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

It's raining tonight. First rain in many days. This is the first weekend in a long time that I truly have some time to myself for the entire weekend. I only wish it was a three day weekend.

I'm planning on going for a walk later tonight. or maybe I'll go up to the roof instead? We'll see.

I'm planning on buying a car this month! I'm so excited. One of the elders at my congregation is going to look at a car for me and he knows a lot about cars so I'm excited to see what he might come up with. He's going to look at a car that might be put up for sale next week. if the price is right and it's a good car I might get it. I have other options too. It'll be nice to have a car again!

Once again I'm finding that I can take the time to look at life and nature and slow down and enjoy little moments - like this rainy night. I can hear the rain outside. I've just eaten a good meal with a nice homemade cocktail. Life is good so far. I bought a great cookbook this morning on my way to Bible study - Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer. I loved the tv series but could never get it on dvd here in the US. Nigella's philosophy on food is one that I think every woman should adopt. if we all did there would be no need for the fashion industry (as it is in its current state), diet industry and no one telling us food is the enemy.I think her ideas about food are a great big vaccine against all the poisonous foolishness out there about what makes certain foods good or bad. The only bad foods are fake foods. The real stuff should always be enjoyed, often and with relish. And no guilt. That's one thing I've certainly achieved in my food journey - besides better health. I don't feel guilty about eating anything. I haven't felt too bad about it in years but these days I feel not even a twinge. Why should I? I exercise and I eat well. God put food on this earth for me to eat. So I eat. Without guilt. And I thank Him. I think that's far more subversive than anything I can think of at the moment. In fact, I just made some cajeta and I intend to eat it over vanilla ice cream in a little while. Then go for a walk in the rain. Nigella always has great recipes and I've tried some. They always work well. I have one of her dvd sets (Nigella Express) which I adore but my favorite has always been Forever Summer!

I now have the book. A fabulous book, indeed. This spring and summer is going to be wonderful feasting, as far as I can see!

My Strong Arm:

2011-02-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

Majesty of the Heavens

I've been becoming really diligent about my personal Bible study these past couple of weeks and just surrounding myself with spiritual things almost 24/7. I have such peace in my life when I do this. Bible dramas, Bible sermons recorded from the past, Bible study, ministry, talking and meeting with my fellow Christians at meetings.

Now my goal is to look to increase my ministry hours and get back into the theocratic school at meetings. Also to look for ways to establish a relationship with my nephews. I don't know what things they will be going through but they will need someone in the family who is reaching out for spiritual goals. Maybe it will rub off on them or one of them? One can only hope. I'm especially concerned about my oldest nephew. I will definitely be praying for him as he has no spiritual help or spiritual association of any sort.

I look up at the night sky and I thank Jehovah for all that he has given me. Everyone should recognize this. Too bad so many refuse to do so. He is my strong arm in everything I do. Just look at the power and majesty of His works in space. Who can look at that and despair? He is a strong arm for everyone seeking Him.

Hip Hop And The Occult

2011-01-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

From time to time I've been doing some reading about the demonic symbolism in hip hop today. There's a certain site I go to that has some insightful commentaries on this issue. I appreciate the work they do there at that site to enlighten people.

The real problem though is that people are asleep in every sense of the word, especially young people. I can't say too much against them because when I was young I was captivated for a time by this stuff too. Thankfully I also loved classical and jazz music when I was a kid too, so its bad influences were lessoned somewhat, but I had a craving, and I do mean craving, for hard rock and heavy metal music for a long time. I also loved gangsta rap and hip hop. I still love hip hop but the higher consciousness kind these days. What also helped back then was a good foundation of religious training and instruction. As Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a boy in the way that he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."

It's funny because I started off loving conscious hip hop and rap before I descended into music madness. In any case I had God and my faith to help me escape from the Devil's clutches with that stuff. I finally found the courage to let that stuff go. Many young people today don't have the help I had. Everyone around them tells them that there's nothing wrong with this kind of music, that it's not a big deal or even that it's harmless! They have no one to give a mature opinion on why this stuff is toxic and dangerous so they remain trapped in Satan's web and it can influence them in tragic ways. People already know the occult is a large influence in a lot of rock and metal music but peope don't realize that it is also in today's hip hop. It's pervasive and it needs to be taken very seriously. I don't need to give too much time to the stuff they spout because I don't wish to give them any more attention than they have already grabbed but it's poisonous trash and it's dangerous for young people to listen to. Or anyone for that matter.

All you have to do is look at the bad influence it has on the ones producing it. They start out ok and descend into weirdness and darkness and you can see it bear out in their music and lyrics, their behavior on and offstage, their dress and lifestyle. Some of these people end up on drugs and alcohol and eventually dead because of this. people who play with darkness and dark forces pay a high price. Look at Rihanna. Something is very, very wrong with her. The girl ain't never been right after she started working with Jay-Z (who seems to think he has the right to use the name of the Most High in reference to himself, the fool!) Like the arch-angel said of the devil in the book of Jude, I'll say of Jay-Z, "May Jehovah rebuke you!"

I suppose the end of the matter is this - these people cannot influence those that tune them out or ignore the trash they put out. More adults, specifically parents, need to get involved in training their children about what is good for them spiritually and what isn't. Too many parents don't care or give up and don't speak their minds on their disapproval of these bad influences in entertainment. or maybe they do approve, I don't know. Shame on them if they do, because what is going on is vulgar, disgusting and dangerous! One of the best ways to shut out these evil influences is to turn it off. That's one of the best ways parents can train their children to protect themselves from these things. Tune them out, turn them off, throw them by the wayside.

Stop Demonizing Butter And Cream!

2011-01-15T15:33:00.001-08:00

I read some time ago that the first lady, Mrs. Obama, wants restaurants to replace cream and butter in their recipes with so-called healthier replacements to create healthier options on their menus. She wants to replace fries with apples slices and carrots for children. I have no issue with the apples and carrots. Love both. But the butter and cream? I don't think so!

What is it with people and their demonization of cream and butter? Cream and butter have nothing to do with why so many people in this country are obese. Most obese people that I know don't consume full fat cream and butter. At all. They do eat a lot of highly processed food though. She, like most people, misses the point by a hundred miles. She can go take flying leap! I hope those in the restaurant business ignore this silly idea. Butter and cream are healthy, nutrient dense foods. If more people added these foods to their diets on a regular bases they would see all around better health. Sounds like heresy but sometimes what is seen as heresy is actually the truth that no one wants to hear.

I have no issue with her concern for the health of children in this country. I think that's a wonderful goal, to improve the health of the nation. But the issue I have is that the modern ideas and rules that people have followed to get better heath have done the opposite. They rely on science and technology for better health when they should rely on God and nature and look to their ancestors for ideas about what healthy food was and is. Modern ideas about food and health have put the human race on this downward slope of illness and degeneration.

One of the worst ideas is the low fat diet! Low fat diets are one of those demons that won't go away. Most people don't lose weight or thrive on these kinds of diets, ( I would know, I'm a living testament to the failure of these kinds of stupid diets) yet here it is being thrown in our faces as a healthy way to live and eat, again and again. It's the monster that won't die. Now we have the first lady touting this nonsense! I for one will be ignoring her on this issue. Lowfat food choices, especially from processed foods have made people obese, not cream and butter. Cream and butter are staples in my house and when I go out to eat I expect them to be used, not fake, health ruining substitutes.

Michelle can go somewhere and sit herself down and mind her business when it comes to food and diet and restaurants.

Fermented Cod Liver Oil - Oy!

2011-01-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

I bought a bottle of fermented cod liver oil a couple of weeks ago and since I just finished my lemon flavored CLO I am now using this.

FCLO is STANK and RANK!! Lord have mercy this stuff is nasty! I got the orange flavored kind and I don't taste orange at all. Wow. In any case I know this stuff is excellent for your health so I will continue to take it. What I am doing is trying to see if this will benefit me more than the regular stuff I usually take. If so I will be switching to FCLO for good. If not, I'm going back to Carlson's. Either way, I'm benefiting. Thank God for sacred foods like this that are still around and being made by good people who care about the health of others. I haven't been sick at all this season because of the CLO and raw milk. Ancient people knew what they were about when they ate these sacred foods. I bought the FCLO from a company called Green Pastures. I heard about them from Weston A. Price Foundation, one of the very best places in the world to find out about good, healthy foods.

Seeing Beyond Weaknesses To Spiritual Illumination

2011-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

I've been pondering spiritual matters lately (I always do but this time more than usual) and all the things Jehovah God has done for me and continues to do. I made a promise this year to make a better effort to make it to all of my Bible study meetings on Thursday night. Also to firm up my weekly studies and stay on schedule with that. I am blessed in many ways. I have also learned some things by living life and making mistakes. I know that by relying on Him I can make it through anything. I see so many strange things in this world within the faith and without. Jehovah is opening my eyes to my own weaknesses and where I need to improve and to the weaknesses of others. it doesn't mean that I have lost faith - not at all. If anything it has proven to me that the Bible is correct in that we are all imperfect and make mistakes, sometimes grave ones and that there are those claiming to serve Jehovah that are false Christians or even wolves in sheep's clothing.

What it teaches me is that I have to know why I am serving God, why I have faith in His promises. Hearing and seeing these disturbing things doesn't mean that I should be stumbled. Rather, it calls for self examination of my own faith and my own motives for why I serve God. Am I here only because I was raised in the faith? Am I here because all of my family and friends are in the faith? Because it is my tradition? Because I have no motivation to do anything else and I am just drifting along? Or am I here because I love God and want to remain in Christian truth? Do I really believe that God cares and will do what he promises in the Bible? A superficial faith is exposed when one goes through trials or encounters people in the faith that don't treat you with respect or are hypocrites. I speak from experience and observation.

It also helps me keep in mind that we are all fallen and need help after stumbling or making missteps. I used to get angry and upset and feel that such people don't measure up. That was back when I was a young, self righteous woman who had no real life experience or much in the way of observing human failings - including my own. Life has taught me different and I thank God for it and I pray that I continue on the path of humility and understanding. No I don't condone wrong doing; the Bible is still correct on all matters, but I don't focus on it much anymore as if it were my personal business. If someone is wrong but repentant they remain my brother in the faith and I'm happy. If they are being hypocritical or rebellious in their wrongdoing, that's between them and Jehovah God in the end. I will continue to work on my own spirituality and pray for them.

The Great Tribulation

2011-01-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking these days especially on what the Bible calls the Last Days or the End Times. I was watching a video narrated by Mike Adams on how animalistic and crazy people behave on Black Friday. Of course this is nothing new but it got me thinking because of his insightful commentary on what is going to happen in the future. Of course he's thinking of this in terms of survivalism but Jehovah's Witnesses know what this really means - that this entire Satanic world system has been built on a lie, a mirage and one day it's going to come crashing down. The video is a disturbing one but something I think everyone should watch and ponder over.

When we see how horrible people behave during disasters that destroy the social structure of a society like Katrina or the many disasters that have hit people in other parts of the world; people begin looting, killing, raping, kidnapping and even selling lost or displaced children to sexual predators and slave masters in foreign countries and all manner of other kinds of animalistic behavior it doesn't take much to understand how people will react when this system comes down to The End.

When I watched the video I simply shook my head at the awful behavior I saw. This was just over saving a few dollars on some stupid stuff in a store that they still have to buy as Adams insightfully points out. What he mentions is that the drug industry has poisoned and destroyed people's capacity to think for themselves. I would go farther than that and say the entire world system from the schools to entertainment to everything else is designed to indoctrinate everyone into following the Devil and his demonic ideas and ignoring God. the drug industry is but one facet of this insidious influence but the schools, business, religion and entertainment is designed to program people into mindless autamatons that consume and don't think for them selves. The Bible says that the Devil has blinded the minds of people so that the light of the Good News might not shine through. He uses the mirages of his wicked system to blind people. By using his system, set up the way it is, thoughts and evil ideas can be placed into the minds of people so they can be controlled and continue on blind to the truth. What some people fail to understand is that it goes far deeper than just powerful humans in place who control these systems. These people who do these things from the powerful to the poor are controlled by demonic forces.

The question is not how many guns do you have or how much food do you have stockpiled up but how is our faith in God? Do we trust that Jehovah has the power and the will to help us or not? He foretold in the Bible that we would be facing such times but many people choose not to heed the Bible warnings about the Last Days even with all of the signs around them today that point to that time period. How are we living our lives now? Is there any evidence that we are Christian and are living by Bible principles or have we allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world and its thinking? The world is obsessed with materialistic lifestyles and money and other things that bring people to ruin, hence the insanity on Black Friday and other occasions where people feel justified in acting out and becoming violent or lawless. There is no doubt that when the jig is up people will becomes monsters when money becomes worthless and people begin throwing it into the streets. The Bible foretells that this green paper that has everybody in check now will become as nothing at some point in the future and when that happens and people can't buy or sell, can't get food or other necessities they will take it from their neighbor and kill if they try to fight back. All you have to do is watch how people act during natural disasters, violent sports game matches or on Black Friday sales to see what will happen when the Great Tribulation is here. Those things I just mentioned are a warning of what is to come. But I know that that will be a time that I can be hopeful even under persecution because as the Bible says you will raise your eyes and lift your heads up because you will know your deliverence is near. I can only hope that I remain in God's love and continue to strive to be a better Christian in order to reap those benefits and I can only hope that others in thr world who are slumbering will wake up to this fact and get on the path to salvation.

Back On The Wagon And Buttermilk Cake

2010-12-07T20:39:00.001-08:00

I made a buttermilk apple cinnamon cake two days ago and used up the goat milk butter with it. Goat's milk butter is nice but a little too strong for desserts. Or anything for that matter except just spreading on hot toast.

I had so much buttermilk left that I had to find ways to use it up. The buttermilk cake was brilliant and delicious. I still have some buttermilk left so I'll be making another cake later this week.

I'll also be going back on Atkins. Not as severe as the first time - let's face it, 20 grams of carbs or less ain't gonna work for me. But I'm serious this time. I'm also going back to water aerobics. it was working. i wish i hadn't stopped. I would be at my desired weight right now if I had kept it up. Those adrenals and stuff - you know, they get in the way sometimes and especially when my schedule is bad. Last sign up was rough and I think it contributed to my falling off the wagon. Time to get back on.

Taking Up For Aronofsky A Little Bit

2010-12-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

Black Swan.

A movie I've been waiting to see for months. One thing I see with Aronofsky films is that no matter what, people always seem to impugn my favorite film by him The Fountain. I'm sorry but I simply cannot agree with people who trash it. it irritates me when people always have to take shots at such a great film. It's too imaginative, too beautiful and too positive and romantic for those who hate those things. Too spiritual. You can gauge where people's attitudes about values and worldviews are with films like that.

So, Black Swan. I haven't seen it yet but I intend to. It looks like a wonderful film. The Filmspotters (or at least one of them anyway) trashed it already. I swear, all some people want to see absolute perfection from Aronofsky. He's not allowed to explore his style without people taking cheap shots at him. Or at least that's my perception. There are others - like Nolan that seem to do no wrong. I love Nolan but he's no better than Aronofsky IMO.

So looks like I'll be seeing to films at the theaters this weekend. One of the will be Black Swan.

Looking Forward to a New Schedule

2010-12-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

I've been quite busy this past month - more than usual. But fall sign up is finally over. Winter sign up begins tomorrow. I'm so glad fall sign up is over. I hated it. I have no idea if this new one will be better in all respects but I know the schedule will be better.

I have quite a bit of buttermilk still left and I'm looking for ways to finish it up. I'm making a buttermilk cake tomorrow and I'll be looking for some other recipes later this week to use the rest up. I start picking up my milk from a new drop site this coming week as well. I'm glad for it because I hated going to the last house to pick it up. She lived in this cul de sac way out in southeast Portland. Took so long and I had to walk part of the way after work to get it. I had to ride the #4 to south east every Wednesday to get there - one of the worst buses in the system in the worst area of the city!

Looks like my next dinner will be in January. Had a wonderful time with my mom yesterday evening and a great time with some Christian sisters out to lunch yesterday after meeting. It's those little charges of spiritual and emotional support that can give a flagging girl some energy! I might even bike to work tomorrow! Just to get there earlier.

Too Busy

2010-12-02T22:59:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy this week! In fact I've been too busy for the entire month of November it seems. I need a long breather! Honestly.

Trade Off

2010-11-27T14:13:00.000-08:00

I have finished brewing my second batch of kombucha and I am drinking as I type this. There was a small spot of green mold on the newest baby SCOBY. Had me a little worried. I cut that part off and put the mushroom in a container and put it back in the fridge. I need to be more vigilant about making sure all utensils are spotlessly clean next time and next time i will brew it in the linen closet again like I did the first time. This second time around I brewed it in the kitchen. Bad idea!

I love kombucha, it is so delicious! There are so many health benefits that others have talked about that I wonder why the whole world doesn't drink it. Besides that it's delicious! Anyway, My dark gray mood has lifted a bit. The day off and easier traffic this week has helped. I had a wonderful day to myself Thursday. I got plenty of rest, fixed pumpkin bread and homemade nutmeg ice cream, roast chicken with sweet potatoes and pearl onions, homemade stuffing from my own homemade bread and cornbread (yum!) got some cranberry sauce and made a delicious green salad and bought some Moscato wine. I went for a walk around my neighborhood, got some coffee at Starbucks and bought a few things at Fred Meyer before going home to finish cooking.

Which had me thinking the rest of the week about trade offs. I may have written about this before but here I am again. When I was working for Laidlaw (later First Student) I had plenty of time and I walked around my neighborhood far more than I do now. I went all over the place. I used to go to the track regularly in the middle of the night and walked. I noticed far more about my neighborhood than i do now. I appreciated the stars back then even though I was broke most of the time. Now I hardly ever do this. My job as far more stressful now and even though I get paid more than twice as much I don't have the time and freedom I used to have. I wouldn't go back to bringing home $400-$500 checks and fighting with the unemployment office in the summer over the fact that I go back to work every September so I don't need to do any job search or accept jobs from them. That got to be a nightmare!

But I Sorely miss those days and nights wandering through my old haunts and finding wonderful things and people, how the area has changed over time, seeing the mists in the trees at night, the stars and meteorites in the summer night sky; going to Voodoo Doughnuts at midnight, walking over to Plaid Pantry or 7-Eleven for snacks at 11pm, going for a drive around town at 1 am back when I had a car. You see I had plenty of time to do this. it was so much fun! I had more energy then to do this. I suppose I can do that now too but I have to plan for them. They can't be spur of the moment anymore. Also I've noticed that when I have a schedule that sucks (like the one I have now) I have no energy to do anything. My summer schedules seem to be blessed by God. I'm too tired. The closest thing I have to what I had back then was when I walked to work in the mornings to my current job. That was very much like what I experienced then. Yo get to know and see the city the way night people see it. it's a different kind of magic and it's dangerous and wonderful at the same time.

Anyway, I'm not trying to say that I feel sorry for myself because I don't. I have a good life and God blesses me. But I'd like to make time and room for spontaneity again in my life. Just every now and then.

A Bright Spot Of Music

2010-11-19T20:59:00.001-08:00

I've been mildly depressed for a while now. Seems like there's no sign of it lifting any time soon. Between prayer and reading and eating the right foods I've been keeping it together though. None of the deep dark days where I wanted to shut off the whole world and never come out again. Cod liver oil and raw milk have been tremendous help in that regard. Keeping me on an even keel even through depression.

There is a bright spot though - I've been collecting soundtracks and film scores again. I tell you this can get expensive. I just spent nearly forty dollars in a few minutes buying Lost: The Final Season, Lost: The Last Episodes, Fringe and The Tudors Season 4 soundtrack. You know it's been so long since I've listed or even talked about my film and tv score collection. It's not impressively large or anything but I think that it's a good one since I'm very picky about what I like. Some people will collect anything. I like to think that I'm a bit more discriminating than some other collectors. I'm listening to Lost: The Final Season right now. Just got it in the mail today. It's every bit as wonderful as it was when I was watching the show. I think Giacchino really did change how tv music can affect and shape a show. There are others who have done a wonderful job in this regard (Mark Snow comes to mind with his great work on The X-Files and Smallville) but Giacchino takes the cake in my opinion. He's one of the very best. You can put any of the Lost soundtracks in the cd player and let the entire cd play through while you work or just listen. So expressive, dramatic and beautiful. The Tudors soundtracks have grown and matured and I have to say that the last two seasons have produced gorgeous music. Jane Seymore's theme in the season three soundtrack and the entire season soundtrack are achingly beautiful in melody and shape. I love them so. What saddens me is that both of these shows have finished for good. No more The Tudors, No more Lost.

Oh well, at least I have the music.

Leaky Days

2010-11-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

There are some days that seem to blend into the next. ordinary.Fine but nothing too special. There are those days that transcend everything - wonderful days that become highlights in your life.

And then there are those days that darken and shadow your life. Not the deepest dark days (though I've had my share of those) but the gray ones. Sometimes I need a few days where I can just do nothing and be sad, tired, depressed and dull. Those days when I don't want to talk to anyone or do anything at all. This past weekend was one of those times. of course that fact that it's that time of the month plays a major role in these feelings as well. Sometimes I just feel leaky, icky and yucky and I just want to be alone. I feel like th weather we've had this week. Rainy, misty, wet and gray.

Thank goodness I have another day off this month. I need it. I could use a three day weekend.

Yeah I Make Good Wages. So What?

2010-11-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

I happen to now have a job that pays good wages. I work for the county government and many people who hate government and government workers - like me - always love to attack us in the tv news and the newspapers here in Portland. Some of it is deserved as some of my coworkers and some in higher management do a poor job. But there are times when the attacks run far deeper than encountering rude or wasteful employees. Some people resent those who make good wages in government. Or in any job for that matter. It's like they want to see everyone working for 5 dollars and hour or something. There's a website supposedly "outing" top earners at my organization. It's mostly geared towards those who make more than $40,00 a year. However I feel that it has opened the floodgates for all employees to be attacked by the public. Even the janitors!

I've payed my dues. I've worked enough horrible jobs and took a lot of abuse. I got a break, for now and I enjoy my job and the wages I get for it. Why should I feel bad or guilty about making a good wage and getting good benefits just because someone else isn't getting it or just because some rabid anti-government kook thinks I should be making far less for whatever reason? They don't do my job and if they did many of them wouldn't last long. Yet they run their mouths at us as if we sit on the government dole and do nothing. It escapes their notice that government workers also pay taxes and that this transportation system we have is vital to the city.

I've had lowlifes who hang out near my apartment building who do nothing but live on welfare and other handouts look at me with disdain when I have on my uniform. Or expound on how much I make in an accusatory tone. I'm going to work everyday to pay their way while they sit around fighting, drinking, cursing and bumming cigarettes off people in the street and then get their Oregon Trail food stamp card to buy beer, wine and chips. I see them and watch them just like they see and watch me.

I don't have any issue with those who need welfare but some people I wonder at. Especially when they live on government handouts and then look at me funny. Others who attack us are private industry/free trade fanatics who resent anyone working in government. Just because bus operators at the place I work at make $100,00 all of a sudden it becomes "all of them are making this kind of money sucking tax payer dollars dry" bull crap. All operators who make these kinds of salaries also work at least 12 hours a day, work overtime almost everyday plus work on their days off. You don't get that much money being a blue collar worker by working 8 hours a day.

I just feel like others begrudge me what little I make just because they're angry over their own misfortune and they are being spurred on by interest groups that probably make a nice income of their own looking to make a name for themselves by stirring the pot. I'm not saying where I work is above criticism; we certainly aren't, but no one is these days. I don't be grudge bankers and stockbrokers for the money they make, only when they rob others to make money or resort to crime and corruption. As far as I know bus operators aren't robbing people. So why begrudge us just because we have a pension, paid healthcare and good wages? There were times when I didn't have these things. I didn't hate on those who did. I waited on God to provide and He came through. It's a blessing and I'm proud of it.

I guess what I'm really saying is that some people think that I should feel ashamed to be a government worker. I don't feel ashamed and they can kick rocks. I like my job and will be here for the forseeable future. I've worked enough crap private jobs for crap private wages. I've dealt with the private sector and it works well for some but I was abused and tossed around. I now work for an organization with a powerful union. No one can abuse my time and cut my wages without problems. I see nothing wrong with that and if there are those who want to out my annual salary on their little website as if all of us are making a killing, so be it. Maybe what reasonable people will see is that the salaries we make are what used to be called living wages; something that is becoming a thing of the past in this country.

We can all thank free trade and private industry for that.

Relaxation

2010-11-01T13:14:00.001-07:00

My niece came over Friday and stayed until Saturday. That was fun. Anyway, I took today off from work to get some cleaning done and to rest myself and relax. Sometimes you just need that extra time to yourself. I'm having a dinner party this Saturday so I want things to be ready for that day. I can't believe it's November already. This fall is going by quickly! Pretty soon Winter sign-up will be here and I can get off my current fall sign-up which I don't like. At least this Friday school will be out again - another Teacher's Planning Day I assume - which will be nice.

It really is too bad when you are a person who once loved children who now hates dealing with kids but kids these days are a different breed and can really be a nasty headache. The things they talk about on the bus are a shame. I feel sorry for the teachers who have to deal with them all day long. In any case, only one more month and it's over!

Films and TV Here And There

2010-10-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

I finally received my The Music of the Lord of the Rings book last weekend and I'm so happy I could burst. Besides that the new Hobbit films will start filming in New Zealand once again. And gladly, Peter Jackson is at the helm, thank God! I wasn't too happy about the choice of that other guy directing it considering he dislikes heroic fantasy.

To be quite honest there are fewer and fewer films I'm interested in seeing. LOTR and TH are some of the shining exceptions. I must say that I've rented the film The Young Victoria. I'll be watching that one tomorrow and will report on ti soon, as well as an interesting little film called Peacock. I'm surprised Peacock didn't get any press. The only time I heard about it was a short post about it on The Movie Blog. I didn't even hear about it on Filmspotting. Or maybe I missed that shoe. IDK.

On PBS they have Masterpiece Theater the new Sherlock Holmes. Brilliant! I've only seen one episode and I already love it to death! There's hardly anything worth watching on tv or film these days in my opinion. Which is nice because it leaves more time for other more important pursuits.

Protandim In The Mail!

2010-10-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

I just got my LifeVantage Protandim sample pack in the mail today and I'm so excited! I first heard about this supplement from the Underground Wellness radio podcast. I'm hoping that it will help speed up my weight loss which has been pretty slow (I have to admit that I fell off the Atkins diet because I found that that I can eat bread if I prepare it the Nourishing Traditions way) but it may also help with other things in my health path as well. You can find out more about this supplement on Underground Wellness. it's suppose to be far more effective as an anti-oxidant supplement than the usual supplements out there. I'm going to see for myself if this works for me and I'll post what it does or if I see any difference in my health.

Beautiful Works: Works of God

2010-10-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

The Pillars of Creation

The Eagle Nebula. A specific region of it anyway. Or as I love to call them: the Fingers of God. I think that these clouds are far bigger than the entire solar system. Don't quote me on that but I think their size is, simply, vast! What awesome creations lie beyond the earth's borders. There are so many things that we have yet to see and explore. Glory be to God for His works.

Gearing Up

2010-10-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

I had a nice calm weekend. I was pretty tired and didn't get as much done as I would have liked but I got the most important things done. I've got some dinner parties coming up next month that I'm planning for and basically just settling in for fall. It was a beautiful day today even though I stayed indoors this weekend. I still appreciated the fact that the sun was out this weekend. Even though it's very cool these days I've managed to not use the central heating in my apartment so far which really saves me a lot of money - that mess is expensive! Oh well, time to gear up for the next week.

Humor Of The Day

2010-10-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hilarious. Just, hilarious.

Rainy Day Gathering

2010-10-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

Well I went to a gathering at the beach today with my mom. Left my place around 9 AM and just got back 30 minutes ago. The beach was stormy and rainy but it was a beautiful day nonetheless and I loved associating with my brothers and sisters in the faith. It was such fun and I will cherish the memories. So many of us have been through the mill in this world and we keep on keepin' on!

What a wonderful day, but I forgot to take my camera! :(

On The Warpath. . . . Again!

2010-10-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm back to write about triflin' ministers who lead hypocritical lives and disgrace the name and dignity of God.

I wrote about how some greedy ministers lie about what the Bible teaches about tithing in regards to Christians. Now I want to talk about the hypocrisy I see. There is one prominent minister that is now facing problems in the media and within the church (I presume) because of his homosexual escapades with young men in his church - things he has committed for years. It took several young men who slept with him to out him in the media. I won't mention his name because if you Google "mega-church scandal" you'll know who I'm talking about. This minister, mind you- called himself apologising a week later after news of this broke but he really didn't apologise. He is one of a long line of perverted and corrupt pastors, ministers, whatever you call them that preach one thing and do another. They really are no better than the Catholic priests that have raped and abused boys and girls or had illicit sex with those who are not their marriage mates for years and continued for years without let up with their perversions, immorality and lawlessness. Punishment awaits people who take advantage of the trust of others, lead hypocritical lives and claim to be men (or women) of God. It is hypocrites like this that Jesus talked about in Matthew 25: 41-46. They seem to think it's all a big joke. They'll find out different one day.

When I think of all of the martyrs and people who died during the Protestant Reformation so that people today could have the right to read and study the Bible in their own language and see for themselves what it says instead of relying on a clergy class telling them what to think about the Bible in a dead language it just boggles my mind. I'm sure all those courageous Protestants back then, many who were brutalized, tortured and executed in horrible ways to gain religious freedom from the Catholic church would be turning over in their graves if they saw what the Reformation has deteriorated into today. You have people nowadays who say they are Christian who can't even name the first five books of the Bible. They attribute quotes in the Bible that aren't in the Bible, they believe doctrines that aren't in the Bible and they whole-heartedly support behavior and activities that are expressly forbidden in the Bible, Many don't own a Bible yet say they are Christian and many who do own a Bible let it sit on a shelf somewhere in their home collecting dust. Atheists in some cases know more about the Bible than Christians today. Who is to blame for this spiritual and moral famine? The clergy; the church leaders. Those who pretend to preach Christian morality but blatantly ignore it in their own lives. They set the tone for the congregation and if they don't care, neither will their congregation.

Money - This issue reminds me of what I've read about what helped bring about the rebellion against the medieval Catholic church - the idea that you can purchase indulgences as retribution for your sins and receive forgiveness from both the church and from God. A doctrine that many people of integrity (and intelligence) realized was a false doctrine. It was motivated and created to get more money for the church which was already steeped in massive wealth and luxury in many countries in Europe. When I see pastors like Creflo Dollar (interesting name) Leroy Thompson, Joel Osteen, Jesse Duplantis and many other pastors of ministries that emphsize money and the prosperity doctrine I see that they are no different from the medieval Catholic church in mindset. Many of these so called men of God preach that in order to get in good with God or be right with God or even to go to heaven you need to constantly give money to their churches and fund their ministries. Yet you see these people living lives that are anathema to Bible teaching, living high off the hog and bragging about their wealth (that they rob from the church members) and showing off what the Bible calls their showy diplay of wealth and means of life. They don't just have wealth, they have to flaunt it in everyone's face. This is in strict contrast to what Jesus, his Apostles and the early disciples did and to what He taught. Are you suppose to run around looking like a beggar? No, but neither are you suppose to be using this world to the full and seeking wealth in this system either. The Bible teaches that this is a dying world and that it is in Satan's control. Why spend so much time and energy in a dying world when there is the kingdom preaching work to be done? These preachers do not follow God's ways at all, in fact, they spit in the face of God. They lie about the kind of prosperity God teaches. It is spiritual prosperity, not material wealth and perfect health that He promises. God promises all the desires of our hearts in the new system or new kingdom if we remain spiritually alert and faithful in this old system. That means using all our means and power to serve him in the kingdom preaching work and bringing others to Christ, not scheming up ways and using all our time and resources to make more money. They are suppose to work for the good of their members and for the public good, not enrich themselves individually by living off the church.

Sexual morality - this is another huge issue. People make mistakes. That isn't the issue. The issue is our attitude when our serious sins are found out. Too many preachers and ministers have a cavalier attitude about sin, especially sex sins. When we read what the Bible says about how God views illicit sex there can be no true argument. Either you follow God's way or you don't. And if you don't, you are in rebellion against Him. Especially if you are a leader in the church. Too many seek to cover up their wrong doings and act like it doesn't matter. Paul made it clear that those caught in the act of wrong doing or exposed were to be rebuked and removed from their positions of authority. Those who had a rebellious attitude about their wrongdoing were to be expelled from the congregation. Was this cruel? No it was to keep the rest of the congregation spiritually and morally clean from immoral influences. you can't have people preaching the gospel if they don't live it; that's hypocrisy. Letting people remain in the congregation who flout moral laws in the Bible leads to a spiritualy and morally bankrupt congregation. It is then that God withdraws His Holy spirit from it. This can be seen in many churches today where anything and everything goes and they claim the label "Christian" but they are anything but; and they have zero respect for Biblical morality. They will pay the price in the end for this rebellion.

Better Saving

2010-10-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Spending.

I've had a few hiccups this summer on the savings front (mostly because I go to a naturopath and my insurance doesn't cover that so I have to pay for everything out of pocket) but I'm back on track and doing well so far. It's so nice to have a good cushion. When important things come up I can pay for these things and keep moving. I wasn't always this fortunate but I feel that since I've been making strides to be more responsible with debt and money things have gotten better because of these better decisions.

But I still see some need for improvement when it comes to the little things. Yes I can save a good deal of money but I can do better. I tend to spend extra money several times a week at convenience stores for energy drinks, Odwalla smoothies, trail mix, beef jerky, coffee; stuff for breakfast when I'm in a hurry and don't have time to fix breakfast. Sometimes I eat leftovers for breakfast but I need to do this everyday not once or twice a week. It'll save some serious cash. So I'm going to go back to using my budget software again starting with the next paycheck to reign in spending some more. I also fell off with collecting pennies and other change as I find it. So many ways to save that I've forgotten about. The little things can add up just like large purchases can. I've focused on the big amounts for saving, now it's time to watch the small amounts.

Prosperity Churches = False Teachings

2010-10-01T19:42:00.001-07:00

I have a bone to pick. With prosperity preachers. Specifically this unscriptural idea or brainwashing of Christians requiring them to pay a tithe to their church.

It is a sad thing when so many Christians have no idea what the Bible actually says because there are these preachers that tell bald faced lies to people about what is exactly required of Christians. The Bible is freely available to billions of people. Funny how where it is easy to get a Bible people who call themselves followers of Christ rarely acquaint themselves with it. There are a lot of other bones in Christendom that need to be exposed (like immoral ministers living double lives, basically hypocrites (see Jimmy Swaggart, Eddie Long, etc.). I'll write about that later.

Tithing was a requrement for Jews living under Law. Nowhere in the Bible are Christians required by God to tithe.

Let me repeat this: NOWHERE IN THE BIBLE ARE CHRISTIANS REQURED TO TITHE. Christians do not live under Mosaic law. Tithing was a requirement for those under that Law. Christians are encouraged to give freely and generously according to what they are able to give and what they want to give - so if they want to tithe and are able, they can, if they want to give more they can, if they can only give less they can do that and it is all acceptable to God. God requires that we be cheerful and willing to give what we are able to give, not a certain amount of money or goods. Giving doesn't always mean giving money either, although it can include money. It can also mean giving of your time and energy and other resources; and it has very little to do with giving these monies or resources to some pastor who lives off the congregation like a blood sucking louse. The Bible exposes men like these as peddlers of the Word.

The Bible does not teach that leaders of the church are suppose to live off the congregation. The example was set by Jesus and the apostles who all had their own professions and supported themselves. They received assistance from disciples when they needed it but they did not live off the congregation and bully people into paying them ten percent of their income. Only people who are gullible and don't read or understand the Bible (which sadly describes most Christians today) believe that mess. On top of that, this idea that God will bless you with wealth if you give money to your church all the time has nothing to do with the Bible's teachings. It is a lie promoted by evil and greedy men and women who use the Bible and other people's ignorance of it to get filthy rich.

The Bible warned us of many things. One of them were the wicked effects of the love of money, of which many pastors are guilty. They love money above everything else. And they fleece people without a second thought about it. They have no shame. But let's be real here; God has nothing to do with prosperity pimps and prostitutes. Satan is behind them and that is obvious to those who choose to use their thinking faculties. If you examine some of these scandals in many churches and how these things are handled you can SEE that they don't have God's Holy Spirit within them. They will say and do anything to protect their profits. They are just like corrupt CEOs and other business executives who commit all manner of skulduggery to increase their already obscene profits. In fact, prosperity preachers and corrupt business men are the same sort of people. God has no truck with any of them. They are instruments of the Devil.

The sad thing about it is that the Bible foretold about false prophets and wolves that would infiltrate and fleece the flock. It started right after the apostles had died and it's been going on for centuries. The Bible also foretold that people would want to collect these kinds of false teachers and would prefer them over the truth and would not put up with the "healthful teaching" (2Timothy 4:3). People want their ears tickled; they want to hear only what they want to hear, not Bible truth. Bible truth examines people's very souls and makes them realize that they have to make difficult changes. Changes many people don't WANT to make. These days it's a la carte religion, not truth that folks seek. So they look for ministers who will tell them that they can live how they want and not worry about morals and rules because they are saved by God's grace no matter what they do. In walk the prosperity preachers tickling their ears. When Jesus Christ comes and sits down on his judgement throne with his angels in tow and begins judging the sheep from the goats these people will be in for an ugly reality; they will be destroyed at Armageddon right along with the false teachers they collected together to lie to them.

Some Christians want to believe that they will get rich if they serve God; that He will give them all the material blessings in this world that they desire. They dont want to hear about Sin, and how to please God in order to gain everlasting life; they aren't interested in prophecy or the deep things of God. So, such people deserve the crooked preachers they gather together for themselves who take advantage of them. Just take a good look at these preachers - masters of ripping people off and preaching false doctrines. Some of them if you watch them act like they are at a comedy club. I like to call it "jive preachin' " or minstrel gospel. These churches are exciting, fun, they are mere social events for social climbers, materialistic people and for those who just want to sit in church and see a comedy routine and then go home and sin and commit all manner of wickedness and ignore God until next Sunday. When God brings His judgment He will start with Christendom and these people and their false ministers will have hell to pay.

If this is what people want that's their choice but don't get the scriptures twisted. God didn't promise Christians or anyone else material wealth in the present system. He promised us Holy Spirit to strengthen us for the looming spiritual battles ahead if we serve Him and obey Him. He promises us spiritual wealth if we store up spiritual treasures with Him. Through the ransom sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ we are promised eternal life in paradise on a clean beautiful Earth free of sin, crime, and all the problems we have now; benefits that will be extended to us through the Heavenly Kingdom of God, but this is only given to those who strive to remain spiritually clean, awake and obedient to Him now. It has nothing to do with making lots of money or having some charmed life in Satan's world. In fact, Jesus made it plain that in many instances Christians would have even more problems in this world because of our standing apart and being different from the rest of the world. He promises strength to endure hardships and problems, spiritual blessings to strengthen our faith and yes in some cases He blesses us materially but only when this forwards our service of Him and His kingdom. He doesn't bless those who look to make the most of this world and ignore God's Word and moral standards, live as hypocrites and basically live for themselves because those people are friends of the world and children of Satan, not God.

The tithe is a relic of the Mosaic Law and it had an important function back then but when Christ came and preached the gospel and died for us he fulfilled the Mosaic Law and brought the New Covenant. The spirit of the old law remains and the spirit of it was love for God and his righteousness, love for family and neighbor. That still remains in the new Law through Jesus. But the actual technical rules, such as not eating certain animals, sacrificing animals because of sins, not mixing certain fabrics together and such no longer apply. That includes the tithe. It no longer applies either. Christians don't need all of the rules of the Mosaic Law because we have the fulfillment of the Law, the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and we have the entire written Holy Scriptures, which back then the Jews didn't have. Anyone telling you that you need to tithe to be right with God is lying to you and you need to walk away, fast! What He/she is really saying is that you need to give them more money so they can upgrade their lifestyle.