I Had a Conversation.....

       A conversation with one of my colleagues today on facebook, Nov. 25, 2012

I posted the above cartoon on my fb wall yesterday (11/24/2012). One of my good friends who is my colleague responded:  "Trouble is we don't have Capitalism - the opposite is North Korea and that doesn't look that appealing! Eygpt is trying it's best to be free - look at struggle over last few days as leader tries to consolidate power. Capitalism isn't perfect, but free people, free to act in their own best interest, is still the best gig in town. Other countries have similar if not worse problems with much fewer resources to correct them."

I entertained with the following 2 posts:

Good morning ___! yes, there is no perfect politico-economic system, but that does not deny people to ask what, when, who, where and how profit and privileges are created and distributed in order to improve a society for the majority's well being : )! You are economics professor of our school. I don't have much expertise in this field. If "the trouble is that we don't have Capitalism here", then what do we have? Multi-national corporate companies plundering the 2nd and 3 worlds? Outsourcing/downsizing, bailing out big companies and banking tycoons? Mass laying off workers? Tax-cut for top 5%? Subsidizing the big corporate companies (such as the welfare queen Malmart)? 47 million residents no access to health care? Minimizing educational funding? Maximizing investment on the military-industrial complex? ... etc. Are these kind and caring polices non-Capitalistic? Then how to name them- socialism, communism, or welfare state? - just to name a few. If these "benevolent" practices are not Capitalism, then those Scandinavian countries' politico-economic systems got to be joking? - from the cradle to cemetery in those countries are in the precarious conditions and insane? Don't get me wrong. Yes, there is no 100% Capitalism, nor 100% Socialism. Obviously, most countries/nations stand somewhere between these two sides of socio-economic spectrum - just, some are on the right side, some in the middle,and some,  close to the left.

Capitalism used to be a big tide, but only lifting up the gigantic boats (repeated in the history), while smaller ones are capsized and drowned, like now, harvesting all the wonderful "legacies" dominated by a handful of big politics-economic BROTHERS. Is this so-called "trickle down economy"???? :D! A triply magnified of 1984...

If Capitalism (depending on whose definition and what the gradation/% is :)!) frees people, ask those living in hypnotized as free- in-fear sentient beings and are at the mercy of big corporate company job-manipulators/profiteers, ask those modern slavery and indulgers submerging in the artificially created consumptive demand provided by the low-income countries'  sweatshop products (via, such as the biggest welfare queen Wal-Mart); ask those 2.2 million "artificial residents" in the for-profit business-industrial complex prison system, ask those who work to death still having no access to hearth care... Give me the "freedom" to choose between bread and hospital bills.....

"Democracy" for the few, compared to those Totalitarian regimes can be a fun thing to ponder :P! Cost and fear might be similar, but just in different psychological-shades??

My colleague replied:
There is definitely no "fairness" in it (Capitalism) but what are the alternatives? All the alternatives appear to me to be less attractive (the economic pie shrinks) - and looking to Congress for social justice is a complete waste of time - they are corrupt (influence of big corporations, etc.) I think the best we can do is personally try and make the world better by helping those less fortunate face to face so to speak!

My response again:

There might be some hybrid/alternative econo-political systems existing taking on the advantages of these polarized two, such as State Capitalism (e.g. in some Asian countries) and Welfare Capitalism (such as most countries in the Scandinavian nations), "Democratic" capitalism (U.S. trying to be), Capitalistic Socialism (sounds like China??)... and so on so forth.

Expanding the pie is good if only without increasing the externalities (plundering and damaging the natural habitats, environments, and the whole earth/ecosystem) is nice to entertain too.

Dear ___, I agree that individual's endeavors are precious, but there are systemic/systematic and institutional issues that also need the collective actions to challenge and confront with to be feasible, such as now the awakening and actions of Wal-Mart workers nationwide, and the global protests of the 98 and 99%'s movements against the plunders, to name a few.

Nov. 24, 2012 072412112412 - Specific 123 Episodes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtOvBOTyX00

(Note- Feeling some sort of synchronicity going on at 8:30 pm, 112412, interesting!!!)

Homeopathy for Beginners

Homeopathy for Beginners

By Li-chin (Crystal) Huang. ( Published in the Dunn County News when I was a LifeStyle Columnist.)

There is an interesting intersection in the medicine practice between East and West - the concept of the vital force.

In the Far East, around 722-481 BC., the Book-”Nai Ching, 內經” based on Taoist philosophy, deemed “ch’i” ( 氣, prounced “chee”)- the life energy, or the vital force, is the essence of living beings. Ch’i / the Vital Force seeks and promotes life and health. The level of Ch’i/the Vital Force enables our bodies to resist illness, and to heal when we are sick

This is the main task of acupuncture and massage-to stimulate or regulate the flow of the vital force to a equilibrium state.

In the West, about 490 BC., Hippocrates of Cos proposed that the Human body was able to heal itself- the patient is to be treated, not the disease. Later, in 1790, based on Hippocrate’s notion of “like cures like’, Samuel Hahnemann, a German medical doctor, abandoned the conventional allopathic approach, and founded Homeopathy.

Homeopathic medicines  enhance  people's vital force to combat diseases and heal the body.

If you are aware that some microbes that can become resistant to antibodies, and resist taking incessantly increasing doses of drug for yourself and family members, if you notice that the orthodox allopathics always has side effects, if you regard bodies with the respect they are due, and refuse to settle for the “side effects’ of the “cures,” then homeopathy could be your alternative medicine for healing.

So, what is Homeopathy? How does it work? If you are curious about it, Sandi Borgmeyer will give you from a brief to deep and broad explanation of homeopathy from her 20 years’ research and practice.

An energetic, generous and loving lady, Sandi - a resident of Knapp, is a member of National Center of Homeopathy. She is very knowledgeable in areas including Herbalism, Organic Gardening, but especially in Homeotherapeutics.

Sandi is always eager to share what she knows from her experiences and experiments about health, herbs, and variety of remedies and preventatives.

She wanted to share more information with anyone interested in learning more about the effectiveness of homeopathy. Eventually, through her tremendous efforts, the Study Group-Western Wisconsin Homepathy ASG #317 in Dunn County was born in October, 1997. Currently, there are 16 members in the group, and Sandi voluntarily takes the instructor’s role as well as the group leader, encouraging members to study, question and share their experience about homeopathy.

Sandi will explain to you in a very gentle and clear way that just as environmentalists questioning the disruption of our ecology, the contemporary holistic health movement is seeking ways to treat illness with minimal disruption of the internal environment of the body.

“Homeopathy does not apply the substance with the ingredient of “anti”, such as anti-biotic, anti-depressants, anti-inflammatory and anti-pain etc. It also differs from herbalism,” she continued.

“As we know that allopathic practice uses drugs to 'suppress' or 'to be against' diseases and its symptoms. It is very different from homeopathic healing which progresses from the deepest part of the organism-the mental and emotional levels and the vital organs - to the external parts such as the skin and extremities,” Sandi said.

She pointed out that “ The principle of homeopathy is based on the ‘law of similar’-like is cured by like- a remedy can cure a disease that would cause symptoms similar to those of the disease in a healthy person.”

For example, have you ever wondered how quinine cures malaria? - It is based on the law of similar. Hahnemann, in order to prove the theory, took quinine (cinchona bark) as a healthy man, and as he expected, the bark caused the symptoms of malaria. Thus, symptoms are indicators of the body struggling to eradicate diseases. This is called a “proving”. Hence, the bodies‘ immune system is stimulated to fight against the disease.

Each meeting, group members Jan Erdman, Ellen Liberto, Sally Reed, David Rumsey, Jackie Williams, Erica Eddy, Laura Buchol, and Tricia Karop and many others interested in specific remedies, enthusiastically share their experience of this inexpensive, no side effects approach demonstrated through personal, family members and pets.

Do you want to know more about how to study the vital force, how to observe the symptoms, and how to select and prepare remedies for yourself, your family members, and your pets? The study group welcomes you. 

Gwa Sa, Home Remedies, and the Alternative Medicine

The Roots of Home Remedies in Ancient Alternative Medicines  by Crystal L.C. Huang

(This article was published a few years ago  when I was a LifeStyle columnist of the Dunn County News.)

          Modern medical knowledge has greatly enhanced the quality of human life, nevertheless, the many healing methods (non-allopathic) have caught certain stakeholders' attention once in a while. Beyond allopathic (traditional) medicine, alternative approaches, such as homeopathy and non-western medicines have been rediscovering and investigating.

          In Asia, many ‘home remedies' often used even till today have their roots in ancient holistic practices such as acupuncture, massage, and herbal treatments. It is believed that cultivating a healthy and harmonious relationship with the environment (the electromagnetic sphere, for example) around us is very important. Many handy and natural practices can help out small medical emergencies or prevent minor ailments from developing into chronic diseases.

          Growing up in Taiwan, I learned some miraculous home remedies through observing what my mother did for us siblings. One of them is called “Gwa Sa, 刮 痧 ”.  It is actually a very dreadful yet effective way to cure a combination of maladies, such as lethargy, fatigue, and loss of appetite, etc. It came to be useful and handy (surely, economical, the most important factor) particularly,  when at a time, doctors, nurses, and hospitals were for affluent families. A household like mine, they were too luxurious to think about in daily life.

          The practice of Gwa Sa is very simple, requiring only a coin and a bowl of water. My mother used to hold the coin and dip it into the water (works as a minor lubricant) then heavily scraped on the center of the back skin from the top of the spine to the waist, then, back and forth until you could see the bloody-like stripes appearing upon the spine! Sounds primitive and brutal, huh?

Note: In fact, there was a movie called Qwa Sha about an immigrant family from China to the US. that the elders of that family practiced Qwa Sha to a sick grandchild. Due to the cultural misunderstanding, a white neighbor reported "child abuse" to the police.  Then, the elder was arrested, and so on...

          As you can imagine, Gwa Sa brings up unbearable pain. It was the most dreadful nightmare for us children (and sometimes, friends in our neighborhood, who asked my mom for help to Gwa Sa on them) to recall those days when mother with tears in her eyes, asked our other older siblings to help hold the sick brother or sister’s four limbs tight on a table in order that she could practice such a "horrific" home remedy. Surely, you hear the howling, crying, struggling to escape, and, sometimes just cursing along the way with a heart-wrenching mother's firm treatment.  But, after a couple of days’ rest from that awful and exhausting ordeal, the gloomy, listless kids have enlivened again.

         Gua Sa is a very powerful, economical, and effective method without any side effects. Perhaps imposing a certain degree of physical pain will stimulate the immune system. (In the left-hand side photo, the practitioner uses a piece of gemstone which may cause fewer pains and shows professionalism. The gem might not be available to my mom, while coins were handy.)

          But, more than that, my mother’s approach, actually is derived from an ancient medical tradition. Instead of using needle or cautery,  針灸 (moxibustion) - a sophisticated medical training which she lacked, she took the alternative way. This approach is consistent with the acupuncture theory.

          The theory of Acupuncture holds that the human body consists of 365 “hsueh mens, 穴 面”, the pressure points connected by the 14 longitude and latitudinal paths of the “ching low” or meridians,  經絡. (See the graphic shown on the top left corner). And “Ch’i” (the vital force, 氣) moves along these pathways making a complete circuit every 12 hours. Gwa Sa is a method to treat the malfunction of the body by imposing heavy scrapes on many hsueh men (pressure points) along the back to stimulate or regulate the flow of the ch’i and other circulatory systems.

      This reflects an important aspect of ancient medical philosophy- that imbalances are the fundamental factors of malfunctions and diseases. Such ancient medical practice helps to normalize organ malfunction, regularize blood circulation, balance metabolism, regulate hormone secretions, maintain the balance of body fluids and chemicals, suppress or prevent pains, stimulate the body’s resistance to the disease and contribute to physical-mental balance and harmony.

          Most of us siblings know some of the frequently used pressure points for muscle pains, cough, headache, stuffy nose, and other minor uncomfortable conditions. It is not the panacea, but it works most of the time if one is patient and diligent enough! It is quite useful and convenient, isn't it?

A Mini-Thanksgiving Story:

A Mini-Thanksgiving Story:

When cleaning house, this time, I had to make a hard decision to give away these aged herbal medicine sent by my mom (with my sister's help) 15 years ago from Taipei to Wisconsin (she passed away in 2005) for my winter coughing.

I have never taken these packaged herbal medicine because of wanting to keep all her love with me...

I unpacked one by one this afternoon. Some of the herbal ingredients were pulverized and became very old. When I opened each package, the tears were just disobediently mingling with mother's unconditional love - thanksgiving!

I brought them to the backyard to share with the soil and plants that might want to say thanksgiving to my mom?? :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su6mU1o8N84

you- the ONLY people

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohOtDA3dTAA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uBkWv8L0eg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUMcA--ejOc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbXiECmCZ94

                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo_0UXRY_rY

Nov. 17, 2012 An Esoteric 18

                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb2Awn_dYTs&feature=related

Born free, as free as the wind blows
As free as the grass grows
Born free to follow your heart

Live free and beauty surrounds you
The world still astounds you
Each time you look at a star

Stay free, where no walls divide you
You're free as the roaring tide
So there's no need to hide

Born free, and life is worth living
But only worth living 
'Cause you're born free
 

Nov. 16, 2012 Multiple/G- Intelligences in Various Love-Identities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkvLq0TYiwI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQnAxOQxQIU

Nov. 16, 2012 Photonic Existence

                               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAoiPVGrSzA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgcy-V6YIuI

Nov. 11, 2012 A Silent Journey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjnmICxvoVY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2kEx5BLoC4

Nov. 10, 2012 That Single Daisy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wln6NX0V4AQ   

   

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P1x7Yy9CXI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P1x7Yy9CXI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P1x7Yy9CXI&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P1x7Yy9CXI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P1x7Yy9CXI&feature=related

Nov. 9, 2012 108 Counts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM-XhQeFzW4&list=FLy9Tg-RM_etKHprISsDcQTA&index=6&feature=plpp_video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wln6NX0V4AQ&feature=autoplay&list=FLy9Tg-RM_etKHprISsDcQTA&playnext=4

A Potential Universal Online Voting? Your Pros and Cons?

                           Nov. 6th, 2012. 7:10 am. at the Ward 9, Menomonie Polling center.

I used to cast absentee ballots due to the working schedule conflict, but always worrying about my vote that might not be properly "rendered"- you know my sensitivity with a "minority status" :P!, since I have never gotten a paper trail.

Yesterday, stopping by the polling place to cast in person made me re-evaluate the pros and cons of potentially universal online voting possibilities.

Rethink all the issues regarding Voting Apathy (physically, socio-psycho-politically): starting with simply finding polling places (if, first timer, ID, registration, district, ward, places...etc. I did go online to double-check that I was in the right place. With a proper computer literacy, I found it wasn't quite user-friendly, not to mention others with 68% of the high speed Internet accessibility ), weather, working schedule, transportation/parking availability (e.g. yesterday, I could not find a parking spot under the snowy condition), waiting in the long line (needed to go back to work!)...and so on so forth.

Adding to the complexity - the political literacy issues (doing the election homework and concerning a genuine civic participation without the "distraction" of the ubiquitous commercialism, pre-occupied by the sports/media entertaining, occupied by the family chores/affairs, inflicted by political carelessness and laziness... and so on so forth ....), they do comprise a mission-impossible to be accomplished by a general population!!!

An old and silly-sound question popping out again: what truly motivates a citizen to visit a polling place
- I "mean" under 2-BIG party system (sometimes = 1) contaminated by the humongous campaign financial and media manipulation (sound familiar? with all those jargon: political pluralism, power-elite and Marxist political-economy models... How much can they really explain a baggage with 2 centuries' "legacy"?)

http://rt.com/usa/news/us-online-voting-internet-070/  (about hacking - con).

Nov 2, 2012 An Anatomy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBRXTZluF9g

Nov 2, 2012. Tunnel Light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpiCUqkXRiA

                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX5X9SxRdT8

                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQD3At3E7TA