“Just Noticing”: Observations Of A Blogger
Posted by Michelle Moquin on September 12th, 2010
“Just Noticing”…
- …that this is not the first time I have heard of someone referring to the “genius” inside of us as having one, instead of simply being one – a genius that is.
Confused at what I am saying? Let me ask a question and perhaps it will be clearer. In regards to a person that we consider a “genius”…do we consider him or her being a genius, meaning they are just naturally brilliant, or having a genius, meaning a divine magical being that would come and assist the artist with their work? Still confused?
Let me back track to something that someone once told me. I used to work in the film industry and I had an opportunity to work with Robin Williams on a film with a very limited crew. Contrary to belief, he was a very quite man, and during our lunch break I, and a few others, had the opportunity to hang with him.
He didn’t say much and then all of a sudden an inspiration would come out of no where. Williams would say a simple sentence that made us smile and then he was off…talking slowly first…and next thing you know he was doing a full monologue at record speed and we were all falling out of our chairs. And just as quickly as he began, he would end, and it was over. Silence. This happened quite often.
A friend of mine who was a channeler was involved with a group of mediums who studied Williams and his art. They used to joke that Williams was “channeling” when he was engaged in his comedy act. They could actually “see or feel” the spirit beings come and go. Now I think Williams is genius, so I was not sure that I believed that all he was doing was channeling, but the idea certainly was intriguing.
So this brings me back to my question: In regards to a person that we consider a “genius”…do we consider him or her being a genius, meaning they are just naturally brilliant, or having a genius, meaning a divine magical being that would come and assist the artist with their work? Still confused?
A few days ago I was turned on to a TED Talk that Elizabeth Gilbert gave last year in regards to creativity. She speaks of the peculiar rise of her “Eat, Prey, Love” book to bestseller status and how it has affected her life. Although she doesn’t speak of channeling a genius, she believes that we aren’t being genius, but that we have one. And why she believes it’s better to have one instead of being one.
I found it interesting and wanted to share her TED Talk with you:
Readers: What do you think? Are we genius? Or do we have one? And if we do have one, and our genius isn’t producing “brilliance”, is he/she just “lazy”, or are we the lazy ones not performing or tending to and cultivating our own natural brilliance, the genius that we are?
Thoughts? Ideas? Blog me.
Lydia: I want more. I played that quite a few times. Yummy.
Robert: How are you? As usual you are spot on.
Good observation Wayne.
Peter: My pleasure. Happy I could assist. Hafa Adai.
Anna: What’s up? haven’t heard from you in awhile. I HOPE all is well. Hafa Adai.
A Friend: Nice to hear from you again. I understand your point, but it is hard for me to see it. And I don’t mean to be insensitive to your comment. I am familiar with that feeling of intimidation myself. And because I myself have and still do experience that feeling in certain crowds, I am pretty keen on intuitively knowing when someone doesn’t feel as confident in their surroundings, and I make it a point to create a level of comfort.
I feel that I am the same person as I have always been; just a bit more read than I used to be. I would just HOPE that you know me well enough to know that I am not a judgmental person. I look forward to being in your company, and having a conversation with you, as light or as heavy as you chose. :)
Jock: Good observation and nicely said.
Florence: That question in regards to Obama goes through my mind ever so often. What I question even more so is “Does he even want to?” He is a man with incredible stamina, but how much can one endure and still want to go for round two? He is for sure a man who will fight for our country, for what is best for all, because he certainly isn’t reaping many benefits himself. But it’s never been about him has it? I don’t think Obama will drop out after the first round; I think he’ll go for it and if he does, he’ll have my support. And I think if he runs again, he’ll win it.
Yeah Irene! Thank you.
Zen Lill: No mother daughter relationship is perfect. It does take patience and work, but I do feel blessed with the relationship I have. There is still time for improvement in yours. Perhaps, if you have the desire, you will find a way. :)
Suzanne: No worries. It was obviously a good one.
Wayne: lol…
Lorrie: I am moved by your words. Thank you. I am also surprised by them..by the fact that my blog has brought together so many women who were once strangers and are now deep committed friends. I love that. My blog is wonderful in that way. I take credit for starting my blog, I am the impetus…but this thing, this blog, this genius :), has a pulse of its own, and everyone is part of that pulse. So cool.
And your sentiments, “It can truthfully be said that your blog is the reason we are who we are. Women who have come together to help other women improve their lives’. Wow. What a proclamation. I am so proud. Not of myself but of all of you. It proves how powerful women can be (and are!), and what they can, and do do, when taking the opportunity, when in support of each other. Beautiful.
Your words are also an inspiration for me. I can visualize that my blog is the pebble in this huge ocean that continues to ripple out, indefinitely, touching people, moving people, motivating people, enlightening people….thank you. I wish the best for all you GIRLZ.
Lot of LOVE – Have a beautiful Sunday! Peace out…
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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September 12th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
I turned 19 yesterday. Being born on 9/11 is not a pleasant thing. I am joining the Marines tomorrow. My father is celebrating his 22 year in the Air force.
My point is what is the big deal? I realize that we suffered a senseless attack that killed 3,000 innocent people. But my father who is a staunch republican says it was the Bush Administration’s fault. They did not protect the country from essentially a bunch of inept clowns.
I think the big ideal is that as long as the republicans can focus the country’s anger on the religion factor they can avoid being held accountable for letting the country down on the protective end.
I used to be a republican but I am now a democrat. I wanted to follow my father into the Air Force. But he is so insanely Beck oriented that I can’t follow the Colonel into his branch of service.
Why my father allows Beck to encourage him to hate fellow Americans who have a different religion is just plain crazy to me.
I have no experience with blacks, but our President who I didn’t vote for is black and that is enough for me. He is our President.
I have been reading your blog for three months and I have decided to switch to Democrat. Michelle, the people who write in are very hard on white males. Except for Zen Lill we never seem to catch a break.
I’m not complaining because most of what is cited is accurate from their point of view. But Robert you are almost as bad as my father. You can’t seem to find anything you like about us white men.
How about we took a wilderness and make it into what you are living in today. I know that we did some terrible things along the way, but as my father said we were building a country.
Keith
September 12th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
The Diabetes Miracle
Stuart A. Seale, MD
Lifestyle Center of America
Type 2 diabetes is one of the many chronic diseases that often can be managed entirely without medication, particularly when it is diagnosed at an early stage.
Among people with insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, nearly all can reverse it with the same changes.
Even with longstanding diabetes, many patients can discontinue most of their insulin/oral drugs when they make significant dietary and other lifestyle changes.
CATCH IT EARLY
About 24 million Americans have type 2 diabetes (once known as adult-onset diabetes), and at least 57 million have prediabetes, an intermediate condition in which levels of fasting glucose (blood sugar) are between 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and 125 mg/dL.
What they have in common: An inability to effectively utilize insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to move from the bloodstream into the body’s cells.
Most people with diabetes are first diagnosed via a fasting blood sugar test.
But by the time glucose levels are high, the disease already has progressed — and the cells that produce insulin may have suffered irreversible damage.
Better: The fasting serum insulin test. Cost: About $50 (which may be covered by insurance). High levels of insulin indicate insulin resistance, a condition that precedes sharply elevated glucose.
Anyone with diabetes risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or a waist circumference of more than 40 inches in men or 35 inches in women, should have the fasting serum insulin test.
Those who have diabetes or are at risk for diabetes should consider making the following lifestyle changes.
People sometimes complain about the “restrictive” nature of the changes needed to control diabetes.
It does take some effort, but far less than dealing with the complications of the disease — which may include blindness, nerve damage and amputation.
NEAR-VEGETARIAN DIET
One study found that 21 of 23 patients were able to discontinue oral diabetes drugs after switching to a mainly meatless diet — of those on insulin, 13 out of 17 were able to quit taking the insulin.
A plant-based diet is high in fiber, which slows digestion and the rate of glucose absorption into the blood.
This causes the pancreas to secrete less insulin, and it makes cells more sensitive to insulin’s effects.
People who consume little or no meat also tend to have lower cholesterol and blood pressure — important for minimizing the cardiovascular complications of diabetes.
The Diabetes Prevention Program study found that people at risk for developing type 2 diabetes who exercised regularly and ate a Mediterranean-style diet -
- mainly fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, lentils) and whole grains, with only small amounts of meat a few times a month –
decreased their risk of developing diabetes by 58%. In contrast, trying to prevent diabetes by using the popular medication metformin lowered the risk of developing diabetes by 31%.
CARBOHYDRATE COUNTING
Carbohydrate counting is among the most effective ways to control diabetes. Main steps…
Calculate net carbohydrate. This is the amount of carbohydrate in a food minus fiber content.
One cup of Kashi GoLean cereal, for example, has 30 grams (g) of total carbohydrates, but because this includes 10 g of fiber, the net carbohydrate is actually 20 g. You can find all of this information on food labels.
Identify “carbohydrate choices.” One carbohydrate choice equals 15 g of net carbohydrates. Example: A slice of whole-wheat bread is one carbohydrate choice (about 15 g of net carbs).
Eat 9 to 13 carbohydrate choices daily for optimal control. Most people are advised to have three to five carb choices for breakfast.
Sample breakfast: One cup of old-fashioned oatmeal with milk or milk alternative, such as soy milk (two carbohydrate choices)… one cup of berries (one carb choice)…
egg or tofu scramble with vegetables, such as mushrooms, bell peppers and onions (one carb choice)… one slice of toast with nut butter (one carb choice).
Have three to five carbohydrate choices at lunch and zero to three at supper. Eating lighter at night helps stabilize overnight and morning blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrate counting is confusing initially, but people quickly memorize the carbohydrate contents of the foods that they tend to eat most often.
Helpful: I advise patients to eat meals at the same time every day… and to eat about the same portion sizes to keep blood sugar levels stable.
GLYCEMIC INDEX
Some carbohydrates elevate blood glucose almost instantly — others much more slowly.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of how quickly carbohydrates elevate glucose. A lower number indicates a slower glucose rise — and better glucose control.
Example: White bread has a GI of 73. It is transformed very quickly into glucose, which causes blood sugar levels to surge.
A serving of carrots, on the other hand, has a GI of 32. The glucose conversion happens slowly, which causes steadier levels of blood glucose.
Recommended: Mainly consume foods with GIs of less than 55.
Foods that are minimally processed, such as legumes and whole grains, generally have lower GI numbers. (See http://www.glycemicindex.com for a complete guide to the glycemic index.)
Helpful: Aboveground vegetables, such as grains and leafy greens, typically have lower GIs than below-ground vegetables, such as potatoes and radishes.
Fruit from the temperate climates, such as apples, pears and peaches, have lower GIs than tropical fruits, such as bananas.
Also, if you feel like eating a food with a high GI (such as white bread), combine it with a low-GI food, such as peanut butter, to reduce the glucose surge.
POSTMEAL EXERCISE
Exercise helps people lose weight, which improves insulin sensitivity and reduces cardiovascular risk factors.
Even without weight loss, exercise is very effective for managing diabetes, particularly when you exercise after meals.
Exercise after meals makes it easier for muscle cells to absorb glucose from the blood. Patients who check their blood sugar two hours after eating, then test it again after a brisk 20-minute walk, typically see a drop of at least 30 points.
Strength training also is helpful. People who lift weights or engage in other forms of resistance exercise (such as push-ups) two or three times a week have an increase in muscle tissue, which increases metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
LOWER STRESS
In an emergency, the body releases cortisol, the “fight-or-flight” hormone that increases blood glucose to produce a quick surge of energy.
Unfortunately, the same thing happens in people with daily stress. Their cortisol — and glucose — remains at chronically high levels, making diabetes more difficult to control.
Stress management is critical if you have diabetes. Most people find that a daily walk keeps them calmer. In addition, hobbies are a good way to defuse tension and stress.
Others learn to meditate or practice yoga. Whatever you find relaxing, make time for it at least a few times a day
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Stuart A. Seale, MD, medical director of Lifestyle Center of America, a diabetes center in Sedona, Arizona.
He also is lifestyle educator and staff physician for the Stopping Diabetes Program in Sedona. He is coauthor, with Franklin House, MD, and Ian Blake Newman, of The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle (Perigee). http://www.diabetesmiracle.org.
September 12th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Get ready, Keith…hold on tight…
September 12th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
The bible folks have some help defending the fact that the bible is full of intolerance, hatred, and outlandish fables.
The obvious solution for them is to simply deny the facts. What else would you expect?
===================
Dear Fellow Conservative,
Fed up with smug atheists claiming that the Bible is full of intolerance, hatred, and outlandish fables?
Then you must get your hands on this free book. It’s the antidote against the secularist onslaught from mockers, skeptics and deniers.
Engaging and well-researched, it sets the record straight with archaeological and historical evidence to prove that the Bible is true.
So next time you talk to an atheist be prepared with this complete guide. Get the details here.
Sincerely,
Thomas S. Winter
Editor in Chief, Human Events
====================
September 12th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
This is another example of the insensitivity of the white male. He keeps a drug on the market that is a serious threat to every woman on the planet. The date rape drug.
This is the same white male that took marijuana, Cocaine, ludes and an host of other drugs off the market because
white males might get high off them.
But do they think it is a good idea to take a drug off the market that is used to rate women and leave them without a memory of that rape.
Of course not, Why? Because a white male may benefit from the drug’s use medically. There has never been any group more selfish on the planet than the white male.
===================
Date rape drug considered for treating fibromyalgia
In the long history of bad drug ideas, this has to go down as one of the worst.
Big Pharma is actually trying to push GHB–the so-called “date rape” drug–as a treatment for the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia.
Luckily, an FDA panel overwhelmingly rejected this one in a recent 20-2 vote. The panel even included an FBI agent, because the widespread manufacture and use of the date-rape drug has some pretty obvious law-enforcement implications.
Needless to say, she voted against it as well.
The drug made by Jazz Pharmaceuticals is formally known as sodium oxybate, also known as JZP-6. But don’t be fooled by those dry-sounding lab names–as one of the panelists put it, this isn’t just the same as GHB… it’s actually better than what’s available on the streets.
And by “better,” he didn’t mean “safer.”
The only thing more frightening than the two people who actually voted to approve this thing is the fact that it’s actually on the market already–it was approved for narcolepsy in 2002, and is currently sold under the name Xyrem.
And it contains one of the sternest black-box warnings you’ll ever see:
“Even at recommended doses, use has been associated with confusion, depression and other neuropsychiatric events. Reports of respiratory depression occurred in clinical trials.”
That’s only part of the warning, by the way. Other risks include coma, seizures and “profound decreases in level of consciousness.” The word “death” appears twice.
Those who abuse this drug say it also leads to a loss of both inhibitions and memory, which is what makes it so popular among rapists.
All that, and this thing isn’t even a cure for fibromyalgia.
In fact, a company-funded study found that it offered pain relief of at least 30 percent in between 54 and 58 percent of patients. That sounds much less impressive when a placebo did the same thing more than third of the time.
Opening this drug up to a potential audience of up to 6 million Americans–mostly women–would be a mistake of epic proportions… one the FDA could still make when they issue the final word on Oct. 11.
But thankfully, dangerous drugs aren’t the only option for fibromyalgia.
Many naturopathic doctors have had tremendous success treating the condition by looking for nutritional and hormonal deficiencies and food allergies. Some patients even experience significant improvement by simply losing weight.
And a new study shows that basic tai chi exercises offer safe, drug-free pain relief for fibromyalgia patients.
On a mission for your health,
=======================
Does one have to say anymore about the greed of white men? Women’s safety mean nothing to the greed of white men.
Who were the two bastards that voted to approve this drug? It just shows that we need to weed out the criminals on the take.
Helen
September 12th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now
a seasoned veteran.
September 13th, 2010 at 8:14 am
[...] Helen: This is in the same vein of women’s safety, in regards to the article you posted yesterday. Just when is women’s health and safety going to be taken seriously? [...]
September 16th, 2010 at 9:52 am
[...] Keith: I haven’t had much time to post comments lately. And quite frankly, I didn’t feel like getting into responding to your comment at the time. But today I feel like it. First of all Happy Belated Birthday! [...]