Thurber Thoughts *

 "If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I 

have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons."

- James Thurber

Be That One Person - Using Your Integrity *

“Why We Die- And How To Deal With It” *

“Why We Die- And How To Deal With It”

By Larry Schwartz

“We are born. We grow up. We get stronger. We shrink. We get weaker. We die. That is pretty much the arc of life. In his new book "Being Mortal," doctor and writer Atul Gawande heartbreakingly portrays humans who tend to pay a lot of attention to the first part of the arc, and pretend the second part only happens to other humans. It doesn’t of course. We are profoundly uncomfortable with "the idea of a permanent unconsciousness in which there is neither void nor vacuum — in which there is simply nothing,” as the late surgeon and writer Sherwin Nuland perfectly articulated in his 1993 book "How We Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter."

Take a look at our popular books on aging. Most of them don’t actually focus on aging, but rather on avoiding aging. "Younger Next Year." "Growing Younger Handbook." "The Secret Method for Growing Younger." These are just some of the thousands of book titles you can order with a click from Amazon. Movies about older people most often portray them as spry, older versions of our young selves, ready to head off on an action adventure at the drop of a hat. If they happen to die in the movie, it is usually mere moments after they were alive and kicking. The slow, inevitable decline part of the life arc is skipped. Yet, by refusing to believe we are growing old and will indeed die, we may actually hasten the endgame.

Why do we age? We don’t know the exact answer to that. Some scientists believe we are genetically engineered to age, that at some point in our lives, a gene switch goes off and the body begins to slowly shut itself down. There is some evidence for this. Geneticists have found genes in some worms, mice and other animals, that when “turned off,” have extended the lives of the creatures beyond their normal lifespan.

Then again, what is a normal lifespan for a human being? A couple hundred years ago, it was about 30 years. Even 50 years ago it was only around 65 years. Only with the advent of modern medicine, making lifespans of 80 years or more commonplace, have we staved off what would have been, and historically was, a much shorter existence. As the philosopher Montaigne put it in the 16th century, “To die of age is a rare, singular and extraordinary death, and so much less natural than others: it is the last and extremest kind of dying.”

The preponderance of evidence leans toward the probability that aging is not genetically programmed, but is simply our bodies slowly wearing away. Atul Gawande compares our bodies to machines, and explains how in a very simple machine, like a wind-up toy, one malfunction, like a broken spring, will render the entire machine inoperative. In more complex machines, however, backups are built in. If one component of the complex machine malfunctions, backups will keep the machine going. Often there are backups to the backups, and on the surface, the machine will continue running smoothly. Underneath, however, the complex machine is not in fine shape. Eventually the backups malfunction, and with no backups left, the machine will finally stop working.

So it is with the human body, one of the most complex machines in existence. We have backups all over the place: two lungs, two kidneys, two eyes, multiple teeth. We run smoothly over the years, but right around the age of 30, the parts begin showing their wear. We start running out of hair pigment cells, and our hair begins turning grey, skin cells become inefficient at getting rid of waste, gunk builds up, we develop age spots, our eyes become less elastic and we suddenly need reading glasses.

That’s all on the outside. On the inside, similar, less obvious changes are occurring. The bones begin thinning, the lungs, heart and arteries begin calcifying, and the brain begins shrinking. The parts of the brain that start shrinking first are the frontal lobes and the hippocampus. These are the parts that control our judgment, our organizational abilities and our memories. (Want to know why older people sometime seem confused, forget their keys, can’t seem to get their pill regimen straight? A literally shrinking brain is the answer.) All these processes go on and on, and despite the promises of our bestsellers on aging, they are not reversible. At some point, the backups to the backups are exhausted, the body breaks down, we deteriorate, grow frail and die. The end.

But what about the sometimes decades-long period when our bodies are failing but we are still very much alive? In another era, the unfortunate elders ended up in poorhouses, Dickensian horror shows that make today’s nursing homes seem idyllic in comparison. Fortunate older people were taken care of by their families. There were many more young people and far fewer older people. Anyone who lived to an old age was admired, a survivor with a font of knowledge to be passed down.

Sadly, that is no longer the case. The knowledge older people have is not valued in the same way as in the past. When most of us want knowledge, we do not have to ask our parents. We Google it. In today’s advanced technological world, our parents might not have the answer anyway. Fewer families take care of their aging relatives, who are expected to get by on their own, independently. If they cannot, we look to nursing homes and hospitals to fill the void.

Despite improvements, no one wants to end up in a nursing home. They are no longer the poorhouses of old; most are clean and staffed with competent people. Still, people fear them because nursing home residents are no longer in control of their lives. They are basically warehoused, regimented and catalogued. Studies have shown that indifferent care, even excellent indifferent care, results in indifference to life itself. As our bodies march inexorably toward oblivion, with our choices limited, it is perhaps understandable that we shut our eyes and pretend this won’t happen to us. It is either that or accept that the nursing home is our destiny. The eldercare industry is currently in flux. Numerous homes have flourished under new alternative care models, which operate under the assumption that the more control people have over their lives, the healthier, happier and longer-lived they will be. While these homes are still a distinct minority, it’s possible that in the future the elderly need not fear their fate.

Meanwhile, there is one thing in our control. We can accept that this will happen to us, we will not be young forever. That may seem like a simplistic idea, but it’s amazingly rare. And acknowledging it can have real-life consequences. If we know we will inevitably degrade, we can plan for that. If we are fortunate and have the resources, we can make sure we save enough money not to be a financial burden on our families. We can talk to our children, our partners and those close to us about what we want in the last part of life’s arc. We can make sure our wishes are known, and we can write them down. We can maintain contact with our family and friends, doing our best not to be alone if we can help it. Isolation is depressing, depression is a killer, and laughter is indeed the best medicine.

If we pretend we are still the young people we used to be, we set ourselves up for a rude awakening. By admitting to ourselves that we are in decline, we can literally protect ourselves. The greatest danger to all of us in our elder years is not disease. If we make it to 75 or 80, we have statistically already beaten the odds. An older person’s greatest enemy is actually falling down. Because our bodies are frailer, our balance more unsteady, we are in grave risk of falling and hurting ourselves. Our thinner bones break more easily. Our shrinking brains have more room to slosh around in our skulls and are more easily damaged by a blow to the head. When older people are hospitalized for these types of injuries, they are statistically apt never to fully recover from them. 

So, hold on to the stair rail. Ask a younger person to change the ceiling light bulb. Remove slippery rugs from your home. Equally important, find a geriatric physician, who is an expert in making sure we don’t take medicine that makes us dizzy (and likely to fall), who will examine our legs and feet to make sure our gait won’t cause us to stumble, that we’re wearing the right kind of shoes, and who can recognize the symptoms of depression.

You may not consider yourself old, but the truth is that your body began accessing backup systems from the time you were 30 years old. Plan for the adjustments that may save your life. Look at yourself objectively and be aware of the changes that are happening. While you are at it, look around you, too. There are many older people out there. It is important to realize that they are us."

- http://www.alternet.org/

On 'Time' *

"Someone once told me that time is a predator that stalked us all our lives.

But I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey,

that reminds us to cherish every moment because they'll never come again.

What we leave behind is not as important as how we live it.

After all, Number One, we're only mortal."

- Jean-Luc Picard

The Future Destroyed? *

excerpt of Ray Jason's 
well-written article over at his blog 
TheSeaGypsyPhilosopher (see left)

 "And we let our big brain technologies seduce us.  We unleashed gargantuan forces without wisely pondering the consequences.  So now we are poised at the edge of the abyss.  Our human intelligence and power has been so distorted and corrupted that we are on the verge of destroying our planetary support system.  We are on the threshold of annihilating much of the life that exists on the one single planet amongst millions that can support life.  How insane and tragic is that?"

I enjoy all his writings as he enjoys his float on the waters.

Words are Real Things - Serious Consideration Needed *

that can be remembered for a lifetime.  They often outlast the speaker, 

"The Danger Of Words"

by Paulo Coelho

"A woman said so often that her neighbor was a thief that the young man was finally arrested. Some days later, they discovered that he was innocent and set him free. Then he sued the woman.

“Comments are not so serious,” she said to the judge. “Granted,” answered the magistrate. “When you get back home today, write down everything bad you said about the young man, then tear up the paper and throw the bits away as you walk along. Come back tomorrow to hear the sentence.”

The woman obeyed and returned the following day. “You are pardoned if you give me the bits of paper you spread on the street yesterday. Otherwise you will be condemned to a year in prison,” declared the magistrate.

“But that’s impossible! The wind has blown them all away!” “In the very same way, a simple comment can be spread by the wind and destroy a man’s honor, and afterwards it is impossible to repair the harm that has been done.” And he sent the woman off to jail."
          

A Most Disturbing Video *

It is only 4:39 minutes long, yet it surely woke me up.  No wonder we're sick and our planet is so tragically harmed.


http://www.nextworldtv.com/page/27777.html

Good Guides for Living Well *

1. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.

3. Never spend your money before you have it.

4. Never buy what you do not want because it is cheap; it will never be dear to you.

5. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold.

6. Never repent of having eaten too little.

7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.

8. Don’t let the evils that have never happened cost you pain.

9. Always take things by their smooth handle.

10. When angry, count to 10 before you speak; if very angry, count to 100.

A Worthy Read by Paulo Coelho, "May We All Be Forgotten" *

“May We All Be Forgotten”

by Paulo Coelho

“In the monastery of Sceta, Abbot Lucas gathered the brothers together for a sermon. ‘May you all be forgotten,’ he said. ‘But why?’ one of the brothers asked. ‘Does that mean that our example can never serve to help someone in need?’

‘In the days when everyone was just, no one paid any attention to people who behaved in an exemplary manner,’ replied the abbot. ‘Everyone did their best, never thinking that by behaving thus they were doing their duty by their brother. They loved their neighbor because they understood that this was part of life and they were merely obeying a law of nature. They shared their possessions in order not to accumulate more than they could carry, for journeys lasted a whole lifetime. They lived together in freedom, giving and receiving, making no demands on others and blaming no one.

That is why their deeds were never spoken of and that is why they left no stories. If only we could achieve the same thing now: to make goodness such an ordinary thing that there would be no need to praise those who practice it.”

- http://paulocoelhoblog.com/

When Theft is Legal *

Often I come on to some news item that strikes me as well worth my time to read.  Thus it is that my 'Favorites' on occasion becomes glutted.  Here is one such bit I rambled across this middle of the night, it really getting my dander up.

 The article comes out of Canada and is aimed at its citizens crossing the border into the United States with substantial sums of cash and going on to expose just what is happening here in the US under the aegis of legality! 

This situation is not a random occurrence perpetrated by one lone 'officer'.  It is sanctioned by the whole legal spider's web. 

I am appalled and I am angry to know that those we think we can trust practice such rotten behavior.
There is definitely something very wrong with our system.

You should read the full news piece at the link below, in order to realize we are all susceptible to being victims of this legalized trap.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/american-shakedown-police-won-t-charge-you-but-they-ll-grab-your-money-1.2760736

   There’s a shakedown going on in the U.S., and the perps are in uniform.
By Neil Macdonald, CBC News Posted: Sep 11, 2014

Across America, law enforcement officers — from federal agents to state troopers right down to sheriffs in one-street backwaters — are operating a vast, coordinated scheme to grab as much of the public’s cash as they can; "hand over fist," to use the words of one police trainer.

Roadside seizure It usually starts on the road somewhere. An officer pulls you over for some minor infraction — changing lanes without proper signaling, following the car ahead too closely, straddling lanes. The offence is irrelevant.
Then the police officer wants to chat, asking questions about where you’re going, or where you came from, and why. He’ll peer into your car, then perhaps ask permission to search it, citing the need for vigilance against terrorist weaponry or drugs.
What he’s really looking for, though, is money.



'Authorities claim it’s legal, but some prosecutors and judges have called it what it is: abuse. In any case, it’s a nasty American reality.' And if you were foolish (or intimidated) enough to have consented to the search, and you’re carrying any significant amount of cash, you are now likely to lose it.


'Authorities claim it’s legal, but some prosecutors and judges have called it what it is: abuse. In any case, it’s a nasty American reality.'

　
　The Washington Post this week reported that in the past 13 years, there have been 61,998 cash seizures on roadways and elsewhere without use of search warrants.  The total haul: $2.5 billion, divided pretty much equally between the U.S. government and state and local authorities (hence the Kafkaesque “equitable sharing” euphemism).......


note  -   KAFKAESQUE: of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially: having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality

 
final note - Jim, who, unlike this crooked procedure, had his $14,000 cash inheritance from his father, taken by the sheriff as "evidence" from the crook who broke into Jim's safe at his business site and stole the money along with his father's hunting rifles. 

Words to ponder: From what I gathered there was no arrest even though the perpetrator was caught red-handed and was a widely known drug dealer! OMG

Jim is a very hard worker but certainly hasn't the financial means of taking on the legal system to retrieve what's his from a crooked sheriff.  Sheriff lost the election yet almost instantly able to start a new food store business; an all out "spare no money high end" business.

My skepticism has kicked in.  Yes, there are many "somethings" wrong.

Have you or someone you know had an unsatisfactory encounter with our nation's legal machine?

The Cycle Of Life: Aging Parents" *

"The Cycle Of Life: Aging Parents"

by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM

"Dealing with an aging parent is part of the challenges and blessings that are part of the cycle of life. For most of us a natural part of the cycle of life is when our roles as children start to shift from that into caretaking roles where our parents are concerned. This can be as major moving a parent into a retirement facility, or coming to the realization that it’s necessary to check in with them more often than usual. Whatever the case, such a shift is momentous as it signals a time of confronting our own mortality as we confront that of our parents. In addition, it can bring up issues about how well they cared for us when we were young. We may also find ourselves consumed with fear at the thought of losing them, even if we’ve been on our own for a very long time.

Talking to other friends and family who are going through similar experiences can be a large source of support. They can help us look at both the unresolved past and the unfolding present, and we are free to talk only about ourselves. Sometimes we need the kind of undivided attention a friend can offer in order to deal with the material that comes up at this time of our lives.

In many ways, this time of life signals a rebirth as we examine our individual past, as well as our familial past. As our parents’ lives move toward completion, we are able to see what they did with their time on earth, what we have done so far with our time, and what we might want to do with the time we have left. These challenges and blessings are all part of the cycle of life."

- http://www.dailyom.com/

Be Here Now - Live Today *

You must understand the whole of life, 

Not just one little part of it.

That is why you must read, 

That is why you must look at the skies, 

That is why you must sing and dance,

And write poems

And suffer 

And understand,

For all that is life."
                           - Jiddu Krishnamurti

So, You Think You Have Freedom? Think Again! *

Atop the pyramid, the Rothschild family, with an estimated fortune of $500 trillion.

Masters of the Universe, indeed...

Considerations for a New Year *

DESIDERATA

(Latin for Things to be Desired)

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

 -- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --DESERTERATA