Would Jesus Do Valentine’s? 3 Romantic Alternatives to Valentine’s Day.

For Scripture Sunday”:

“What Would Jesus Do?” Would Jesus Do Valentine’s?

“A few years ago the acronym WWJD became really popular—it stands for “What Would Jesus Do?”

So here’s a question for this time of the year: Would Jesus do Valentine’s?

Well, why not? one could argue. It’s all about love, romance and showing sweetness to someone special. Sounds like the kind of thing Jesus is all about!

But think about this for a minute: The only reason we have Valentine’s Day today is because someone started it somewhere. We can’t simply put Jesus in our context today and ask if He would be celebrating Valentine’s, without first asking would He have celebrated it when it first became popularized.

So let’s rewind history just a bit. Going way back, centuries before Jesus, the Romans had a big, three-day long religious celebration—a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Faunus was the Roman equivalent to the Greek god Pan. He was also associated with the god Lupercus, from which this festival got the name Lupercalia, which was celebrated between the 13th and 15th of February.

All the lore surrounding the goings-on of this festival is a little murky. Some say that after the sacrifices and rituals to pray for the gods’ blessings for fertility, the bachelors would draw from an urn the names of young women, and they would be paired with them for a year, maybe longer if the relationship worked out. Others debate that, but we do know enough to conclude that, well, let’s just say that the pagans knew how to mix a lot of illicit sex into their religious celebrations.

So skip ahead a few hundred years and—I’ll just quote from a National Public Radio report—“Pope Gelasius I muddled things in the 5th century by combining St. Valentine’s Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals.” Knowing how popular it was with the masses, though, he said, we’ll still have something on Feb. 14, but we’ll honor Saint Valentine, a fellow Catholic legend says was martyred. As NPR says, “The festival was more of a theatrical interpretation of what it had once been. Lenski adds, ‘It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didn’t stop it from being a day of fertility and love.’”

The AmericanCatholic.org website says Gelasius “changed the lottery to have both young men and women draw the names of saints whom they would then emulate for the year (a change that no doubt disappointed a few young men). Instead of Lupercus, the patron of the feast became Valentine.

For Roman men, the day continued to be an occasion to seek the affections of women, and it became a tradition to give out handwritten messages of admiration that included Valentine’s name.”

And let’s not forget about Cupid—where did he come from? Well, in Roman mythology Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. He himself is the god of raw desire, erotic love and attraction; and he was worshipped because he could cause people to fall in love by shooting them with his love-potion arrows. So, that cute little cherub on your greeting card?—a Roman god.

So would Jesus have done Valentine’s Day when it first appeared on the scene in modern Christianity? Would He have said, “Hey, I don’t have any problem with you borrowing a little religion here and there from the pagans. Want to weave their idols and gods into My religion? Go for it. Don’t worry about that silly commandment about idolatry and no other gods before Me. My God, Roman gods—no big deal.”

“Valentine’s and WWJD”—what would Jesus do? That’s pretty clear. The real question is “Valentine’s and WWYD”—what will you do?”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/speaking-of/would-jesus-do-valentines/

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3 Romantic Alternatives to Valentine’s Day

“As Valentine’s Day draws near, many will celebrate romantic love. But what about true love? Here are three ways to escape the superficiality of Valentine’s Day.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, millions of people have already made plans for romantic getaways, ordered flowers or chocolates and started writing valentines. For the holiday that is supposed to epitomize romantic love, it is very materially based and commercialized.

Can a married couple express true love in better ways than heart-shaped chocolates and bland, poorly worded cards? You bet!

Origins of Valentine’s Day

Where does real romance that is related to true love come from? A solid, healthy relationship. The old adage of “we could talk for hours” should still be one of the most romantic things to us.Before we discuss the meaningful alternatives to Valentine’s Day, consider why we should seek alternatives in the first place. Valentine’s Day is based on a very bizarre, ancient fertility festival called the Lupercalia. This festival was celebrated in mid-February in ancient Rome. The ancient Romans would sacrifice an animal on the Lupercalia and then use the hides to whip females in order to supposedly increase their fertility.

Another component of the festival was matchmaking. Males and females would be paired up at Lupercalia by a lottery and then would remain partners for either the duration of the festival or for a year.

The Roman church later replaced the Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day in honor of a martyr named Valentine. But the popular celebration maintained the romantic and sensual elements of the pagan festival.

The fact that Cupid, a Roman god of love, is associated with this day is even more proof of its deep roots in ancient Roman paganism.

Alternatives

Marriage is a beautiful institution created by God, and there are much better ways to build and celebrate it than a celebration like Valentine’s Day!

Here are a few ideas to celebrate your love for your spouse—without doing it on Valentine’s Day!

1. Get romantic at unexpected times.”

Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/blog/3-romantic-alternatives-to-valentines-day/

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Update

When the back seats where taken out of my van, we covered the rear of the van and the seat tracks with a piece of carpet which we cut to fit.  It had become grubby, so Zack and I took it out and shampooed it, and gave the van a good vacuum. On Tuesday I went with another neighbor, Hans, to the Y and did yoga and senior exercises again.  Yoga doesn’t look strenuous, but you know you have done it! 

Another day, Zack and I sanded down a table top and a few other things, we didn’t get them finished though.  On Friday, Jay came to work and we put some of the siding on the outside wall of the mini-house which is inside the attached greenhouse.  We have had several nights when it went below freezing, so I am glad that I could put my potted aloe vera plants in there.  For the several hundred aloe plants that are planted outside we tried something new this year, we covered them with the endless supply of pine needles instead of cloths.  So far they have fared well.

Then we had another old spell. I didn’t make anything for the church potluck this week as something went wrong with my oven and also I just couldn’t get warm.  On Friday, it was fine while I was working outside, but when I came back indoors I just felt like I was freezing.  A hot shower and an electric blanket fixed that.  My temperature is always below normal, so I really feel the cold, that is why I left England and Washington State.

Then, my desktop computer went crazy and so I had to drag out this laptop. I don’t like the wide narrow screen so you have to scroll all the time. I can see a whole page on my desktop’s monitor. My van is fixed, but now the oven and computer don’t work. It’s always something.

The Bible readings where Gen. 43:15-44:17. Jer. 42:12-17, 43:12-13, Mat. 6:19-24 and all of Mat. 5. The Teaching was about “Messiah, Our Advocate.”  It was so cold that I was wearing two jackets and three warm shirts to make it through the day.

RV: Free Days. Steep Roads. CBs. Slide-outs. Clean Fridge. Wrong Way. Safe Kids. Remove Lint. First Tribal Park. Air Tanks. Golf Batteries. Lee Petty. Easter or Passover? ‘New’ Monitor.

For “tRaVersing or RV day”:

Free National Park entry days for 2012

“Visit the National Park system on several fee-free days at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees.
Mark your calendar for these fee-free dates in 2012:

* April 21-29: National Park Week
* June 9: Get Outdoors Day
* Sept. 29: National Public Lands Day
* Nov. 10-12: Veterans Day weekend
Here's a tip: many of your 397 national parks never charge an entrance fee, so start planning your visit!”
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Be careful while driving an RV over steep mountain roads

“A motor home or truck pulling a good-size trailer can run great in most areas of the United States, but it can be a different story once you start traversing mountain ranges in some of America's national parks.

Before leaving home be sure brakes are in good working order. Many mountain highways and roads have six percent or greater downgrades that require the RVer to maintain a safe speed while perilously driving down a grade at ever increasing speed.
The air gets thinner at higher elevations and an RV's engine loses its ability to produce maximum power. This also results in a corresponding drop in generator output wattage. Different engines react in varying ways.
Diesel engines are able to handle the fuel injection requirements at higher altitudes while gasoline engines do not have that luxury.
Use lower gears and your exhaust brake to save your regular brakes. Don’t wait until you are going too fast to engage the exhaust brake. Turn it on at the top of the grade. Allow plenty of room between you and guy ahead of you. Passing trucks while going uphill is a chore since you are both going slow. Allow plenty of time and distance to pass a truck going uphill.
In an attempt to make mountain driving  safer R&R Publishing Inc. has been collecting information about mountain passes and steep grades since 1993. Over 85,000 copies of Mountain Directory West and Mountain Directory East have been sold. The books have been expanded and upgraded periodically and contain the locations and descriptions of over 700 mountain passes and steep grades in 22 states.”
The books are available at http://www.rvbookstorecom/
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CB radios are still a popular way of communicating while on the road

“A lot of us use cell phones for communicating while on the road, but the CB radio still has its place in the RVing world.

By listening to channel 19 (the unofficial trucker’s channel) you can get updated information on road conditions, emergencies and speed traps. You can't do that with a cell phone.
There are rural areas in the U.S. where cell phones don't work, but the CB radio can still provide great communications in case of an emergency. Channel 9 is designated as an emergency only channel. Many police and emergency services agencies monitor it 24/7. Thus, you have a pretty good chance that someone will hear you if you call for help.
CBs are also great when traveling with a group. Channel 13 is the unofficial RVers channel even though most RVers stay tuned Channel 19 because it's so popular.
There are many types of CB radios in all price ranges. For about $50 you can get a basic 40 channel unit such as the Cobra 19DXIII 40-Channel Mobile Compact.   If you want a radio with bells and whistles for about $145 you can get one like the Cobra 29 LTD BT 29 LTD with Bluetooth Technology. There are also CB units that have weather radios built into them.
The type of vehicle you have will determine what kind of CB antenna you need. If you are planning to install one on a fiberglass roof you will need a no ground plane antenna. For a non-fiberglass RV or towing vehicle there are all types other antennas to choose from.
For more information stop by electronics stores such as Radio Shack, camping service centers or truck stops that generally stock radios, antennas and accessories.”
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Maintaining Slide-outs

RV slide-out rooms have both inner and outer seals (I also refer to them as gaskets, but seals is probably the more accurate word). They keep the slides sealed against the elements whether they are extended or retracted. Keeping them working smoothly is a quick and easy once-a-year maintenance item... probably the simplest task on our annual spring cleaning list! lol

 

As always, read your manufacturer's book, first.

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Keep RV Refrigerator clean while in storage

 

 

“It is not uncommon to go into a used RV's refrigerator, or one coming in for a spring spruce-up, and find the refrigerator full of mold and mildew. Not only is this unpleasant, but it's unhealthy, and can be downright dangerous for people with allergies.
Keeping the refrigerator clean is an important part of refrigerator maintenance. Regular use not only keeps moisture in the interior of the fridge, but food particles invariably remain inside too, which is a mold attractant. Clorox (or similar) cleaning wipes are a great way to wipe the fridge down quickly to help keep it clean.
When its time to shut down the fridge for awhile, be sure and leave it OPEN. In order to prevent growth, the inside must be clean and dry, and fresh air help to accomplish the latter. All current model refrigerators have a special lock, which allows the door to be fixed in an open position for ventilation. This is great while the RV is parked, but won't hold the door adequately while the vehicle is in motion. In the RV aftermarket, there are devices designed to hold the doors open which may be better. These can be found at Camping World or your local RV parts supplier.
Substantial water accumulation may occur if the fridge has been on for a long time and develops frost which melts. This is especially a concern for fulltimers. All that moisture must be removed from the freezer. Frost that melts off the refrigerator compartment fins should drain to the outside of the fridge. Once all the standing water is removed, allow the fridge to dry, then clean it using a household cleaner like Spray Nine, Windex, or the wipes I mentioned before.
Once the interior of the fridge is completely clean and dry, it is safe to close the refrigerator doors securely. Leaving a new box of baking soda inside, I am told, works well to absorb any remaining odors.
One last thing for you seasonal campers who leave your unit at the campground. I have seen it happen many times... the power in the park goes down, but because there is no battery and the LP gas is shut off, the fridge shuts off and doesn't restart. Two weeks later when you return to the RV..Yikes! Rotten meat smell doesn't come out of the fridge easily! Make sure you have a good battery on your rig (if applicable) and leave your LP gas on, if you're going to use your RV fridge while you're away.
With just a few steps, your RV refrigerator is ready for yet another RVing adventure!”
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Changing transmission fluid is not as complicated as it seems

“If you can change oil you can change the transmission fluid and filter.
Besides new fluid, you need a transmission maintenance kit that consists of filters,  gaskets and rings.
Here are some instructions to get you started:

• Don't drain the fluid if you are only changing the filters.
• If you are draining the fluid make sure it is at operating temperature.
• Remove the drain plug from the control module.
• Remove the cover bolts.
• Remove the filter covers.
• Remove all the O-rings and replace them.
• Install the new filter.
• Reinstall the covers into the control module, press them up into place until they are seated. Don't use the bolts to draw them into place as this can damage the covers or strip the threading in the bolt holes.
• Reinstall the bolts and torque them to proper strength. If you don't have a torque wrench, just tighten it very hand tight with the appropriate box wrench. If you were to use a socket with a long handle you can easily over-torque and therefore strip bolt holes.
• Refill the fluid.”

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Sometimes a road sign like this would really help!

“Have you ever driven down a road for awhile and then realized it was not the road you thought it was? What a pain! Sometimes you have to back track a long way. When this happens, you might wish that a sign like this would have been posted early on the route.
Thanks for Lawrence Spooner who spotted this sign. He wrote:
"On a recent jaunt through Utah to visit most of the National Parks in the state we stayed a few days in Panguitch Utah, near Bryce Canyon. Highway 89, which goes south through the town makes a 90 degree turn east at the one major intersection. However the street, and later the road, continues south as another route, and soon climbs steeply into the hills as a twisty road to eventually come to Cedar Breaks and a ski area at an elevation of about 10,000 feet. Apparently a lot of people miss the turn in town and end up on this road instead. If you are driving an RV (or transport truck) this could cause a great difficulty as there are hardly any places to turn around until you reach the top and the going is steep and difficult for all but smaller vehicles."
As a result, he says, just outside of town just before this road starts its climb, this sign is posted. Adjacent to it is a large gravel turn-around area so RVers and truckers can reverse and get back on the right road.”
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RV travel with children can be tricky when it comes to safety

“Traveling safely with children in an RV, no matter how well behaved they are, can be challenging because motor homes are rarely ideal for transporting kids.

Child safety is vital in RV traveling.
Unrestrained passengers as well as luggage, and other items within an RV can be extremely hazardous in case of an accident. Loose items such as dishes left in a sink, cameras, furniture, books and even pets can easily become deadly missiles. And the lack of seating positions with safety belts or seating positions that face rearward or side facing can also create problems.  Child restraint systems should never be installed in RV seats that do not face the front.
Here are a few tips to consider:
Check the driving compartment and driver’s manual to determine which vehicle seats are appropriate for installing a child restraint system. Unlike Class A’s, the smaller Class B and Class C units are built on a conventional truck or van chassis, so the cockpit shares the structural and safety features of those vehicles.
Consider using a trailer instead of a Class A motor home because child restraint systems have a better chance of being properly installed in the conventional vehicle that is towing the trailer.
If the family is towing a passenger vehicle behind the RV for jaunts around destination areas, consider driving this vehicle separately instead, and transporting children in it.
Make sure that all occupants stay buckled up while the RV is moving and that there is enough seating to properly accommodate all occupants."
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Lint can cause an RV dryer to stop working

“Splendide washers and dryers are installed in a large number of motor homes and larger trailers, but simple things can cause the units to malfunction.
The company supplies their units to various RV manufacturers with a duct filter that should be installed outside the dryer. This removable filter is designed to trap the lint so that it doesn't pile up inside of the ductwork. The problem is that most RV manufacturers do not install the duct filter because it would add to the overall length of the washer-dryer combo.
RVers often find that lint will pile up and will need to be eliminated. The first hint of a problem usually begins when a dryer doesn't do a very good job of drying clothes. The way to resolve the problem is fairly simple.
Begin with setting the unit on "dry" and allow it to run for a few minutes. Then open the door and take a small object such as wooden pencil or screwdriver and place in door latch slot to make contact with the "door closed" switch. The dryer will then start up again. If the air is hot, then the duct is plugged with lint. If the dryer air is cool or cold, then you have a more complicated problem.
A quick way to eliminate the lint is to remove the vent cover and flapper. Then gently pulled out the vent and remove the lint from the hose and flapper/screen.
It's a good idea to remove lint on a regular basis, and before it causes problems while on the road.”
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Midwest home to nation's first tribal national park

“In a first for the US, a first-nation's group, the Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa has opened a national tribal park. The Frog Bay Tribal National Park now opens to the public access to views of the Apostle Islands, and walks through what some describe as, "primordial."
At 89 acres, the park is far from the largest public access in the country, but it is a first. There are no other tribally owned or controlled parks open to the public, says the National Park Service. The primordial dub comes from the parks natural canopy, provided by hemlock, pine, spruce, cedar, and others. This boreal forest is a rare treat in Wisconsin.
But get out from under the trees, visitors will find a quarter mile of sandy beach to walk on. Rare views of the Apostle Islands, them spiritual home of the Lake Superior Chippewa can be seen from the beach. Dubbed the Apostle Islands by a French historian, there are 22--not 12--islands in the chain.
The tribe purchased the property from a private landowner who couldn't bring himself to log the charming parcel. The tribe is looking to purchase other lands adjacent to the park to protect the area watershed. Come next spring tribal crews will start to build trails in the park, with access to the public from Frog Bay Road in the nearby town of Russell. An official opening is anticipated in August.”
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Draining a motor home's air tanks is a simple, but necessary procedure

“Draining or bleeding the air tanks of an RV is a reasonably simple, but necessary procedure.
One common misconception is that the main purpose of draining air tanks is not to remove the moisture from the system, but really to test the integrity of the system. If the air drier is doing its job there should be very little, if any, moisture exiting the tanks when the manual tank drains are operated. If you do see excessive moisture coming out it is time to service the air drier.
Normally you would pull and then release the tank drain lanyards. Any moisture within the tank will settle to the bottom and be expelled. However, some procedures go a step farther and tests the check valves within the air tanks. This requires complete draining of the tanks rather than a brief spurt.
The following procedure is required to test the check valves between the tanks. Note that there are two physical air tanks on some systems. One tank, however, is divided into two partitions to form both the wet tank and primary tank. Thus, in effect, there really are three tanks.”   The test procedure is here: http://rvtechtips.blogspot.com/2012/01/draining-motor-homes-air-tanks-is.html
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Why you should replace your house battery with golf cart batteries

Golf cart batteries (right)
“Your rig came with a standard 12-volt deep cycle battery to power your RV's electrical requirements when not hooked up to electricity. By replacing it with two 6-volt golf cart batteries, wired in series, you will gain more than twice the usable amp hours (due to the higher density of the golf cart batteries) and they can be discharged much deeper than the 12-volters.
This will give you more power for a longer period of time when camping without hookups, which is when you need it. And better yet, the 6-volt batteries will last longer before needing replacement--in most cases from five to seven years--or more--if taken care of properly.”
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On This Day:

NASCAR legend Lee Petty dies, Apr 5, 2000:

“On April 5, 2000, Lee Petty, an early star of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and the patriarch of a racing dynasty that includes his son, NASCAR legend Richard Petty, dies at the age 86 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Lee Petty won more than 50 races during his career, including three NASCAR championships, the first driver to rack up that many championship titles. He also won the first-ever Daytona 500, held in 1959.
Lee Arnold Petty was born March 14, 1914, in North Carolina. He worked as a mechanic before starting his professional racing career in his 30s. His first NASCAR race was in June 1949 at the Charlotte Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina (the track closed in 1956). Petty won his first NASCAR (then known as the Grand National Series) championship in 1954, and captured the title again in 1958 and 1959. On February 22, 1959, he defeated Johnny Beauchamp in a photo finish at the just-opened Daytona International Speedway in Florida to win the first-ever Daytona 500. The 500-mile race was so close that Beauchamp was initially declared the winner by William France, the owner of the track and head of NASCAR. However, Petty challenged the results and three days later, with the assistance of news photographs, he was officially named the champ.
In 1961, Petty was seriously injured in a crash during a qualifying event at Daytona. Following the crash, he drove in a handful of races before retiring in 1964. Petty's son Richard (1937- ) became one of the greatest drivers in racing history, with a record 200 career victories, seven NASCAR championships (only Dale Earnhardt won as many times) and a record seven Daytona 500 victories. Richard Petty's son Kyle (1960- ) was also a NASCAR driver. Kyle's son, Adam, was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history; he died at the age of 19 on May 12, 2000, after crashing his vehicle during a practice run at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.”
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Tonight, at sundown, Passover is being observed all over the world.

(1 Corinthians 5:7-8 [7] Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
[8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. See All...).

Should Christians Observe Easter or Passover?

 

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/doctrinal-beliefs/should-christians-observe-easter-or-passover
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Yesterday:

It was shopping day, and I had seen some things at St. Mark’s Thrift Shop the other day, and hoped they would still be there. They are only open from Wed-Sat, so we went there first.  Yes, the hanging dress bags were still there, and at 50 cents each, I bought all three.  I have some really nice clothes for sale, and I needed these to store them.

 
Jay wanted to go with me as he had to go to traffic court last night, and he didn’t know if he would get thrown in jail.  He was with some drunk guys at Kroger’s, and they had started fighting in the parking lot.  Jay had stayed in the truck.  He isn’t a fighter, but as he was with them, he got ticketed, too, even though there was no breathalyzer or blood test done.   So he was considering yesterday as his last day of freedom.  He wanted to eat ‘his last meal’ at The China Buffet, so we enjoyed lunch there.

 
It is close to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop, so we stopped there, too.  Jay bought a flat screen computer monitor for $10, and I bought a larger one for $20, which I am now using on my new computer. It is 4” wider than my other monitor, so it will take a bit of getting used to.  We tried Jay’s out, and it works great, too.

The court didn’t keep him as he pleaded not guilty, so it will go to trial another day.

Killer Prescriptions. WebMD. Houston. Cargo Trailer.

This Kills Twice as Many People as AIDS – Why are Doctors Ignoring it?

Many people are still completely unaware of the many ways in which they are being manipulated into taking dangerous and unnecessary drugs.

There's the $5 billion direct-to-consumer marketing, of course, which is rather obvious. But physicians also play a major role, and the manipulation that takes place on this level is more obscure.

Drug reps often give 'gifts' to convince doctors to prescribe the medications that they represent. These drug reps usually have no medical or science education. Instead, they're armed with some of the most potent brainwashing techniques used throughout the world, which I'll discuss in a moment.

Perhaps the manipulation technique most difficult to detect is the 'education' given by doctors, to doctors.

Here, it's very easy to forget that the doctor presenting the material is working entirely on the drug company's behalf, and not as an independent, well-educated, appropriate source of objective information.

And then there's the insidious Drug Industry sponsored "education" that takes place in medical schools across the US.

For example, out of Harvard's 8,900 professors and lecturers, 1,600 admit that they or a family member have ties to drug companies that could bias their teaching or research. In 2008 alone the pharmaceutical industry contributed more than $11.5 million to Harvard for "research and continuing education classes."

All of these tactics (and others) are employed on a massive scale in the name of "education," but nothing could be further from the truth.

Is Your Doctor Paid to Promote a Drug?

Chances are your doctor has fallen prey to pharmaceutical marketing tactics. Most doctors simply do not have the time to research each drug, and rely heavily on information from their pharmaceutical reps and from other 'experts,' i.e. doctors who are receiving significant fees to talk about drug treatments.

Pharmaceutical sales reached a staggering $300 BILLION last year, up five percent from 2008. It's no secret that the industry spends big bucks on direct-to-consumer advertising, but just how much do they spend on marketing to doctors?

A LOT!

According to a new database created by ProPublica, seven drug companies paid $282 million to more than 17,000 doctors during 2009-2010.
The drug companies included in the database are:

1. Cephalon
2. Johnson&Johnson
3. Merck
4. Pfizer
5. GlaxoSmithKline
6. AstraZeneca
7. Eli Lilly

Bear in mind that these seven represent just a small portion of the drug industry as a whole!

In 2006, the pharmaceutical industry spent an estimated $16 BILLION on physician advertising. At the time, that amounted to $10,000 for every doctor in the US.

How Does Drug Industry "Education" Help Protect and Improve Your Health?

The drug industry insists these payments are for "education," and improve patient care by keeping doctors up-to-date. However, I agree with those who call it bribery as it most definitely influences doctors' prescribing habits, which can have a seriously detrimental impact on their patients' health.

After all, prescription drugs are responsible for an estimated 700,000 ER visits a year due to adverse drug reactions. And adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered cause about 106,000 deaths per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S.

The truth is prescription drugs kill more than twice as many Americans as HIV/AIDS or suicide. Fewer die from accidents or diabetes than adverse drug reactions.

This will all change in 2013 under the new health care law, however.

More at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/17/how-much-is-your-doctor-being-paid-and-manipulated-by-the-drug-companies.aspx

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BUSTED: This Popular "Independent" Health Website is Deceiving You

In a shocking report published earlier this year, BNET exposed how WebMD's online test for depression is rigged for profit:

"Feeling depressed? Cheer yourself up by taking WebMD's comical new depression test.
It's sponsored by Eli Lilly (LLY) — maker of the antidepressant Cymbalta – so they must know what they're talking about, right?
In fact, no matter which of the 10 answers you choose on the test, the result comes out the same:
You may be at risk for major depression."

But that's just the beginning. A number of questions about just how 'independent' a source WebMD is have since surfaced, and the answers are not what you'd expect.

WebMD has changed its Eli Lilly (LLY)-sponsored depression test so that not every answer results in a diagnosis of potential major depression. BNET noted on Feb. 22 that if you checked the “no” box to all 10 symptoms in the online quiz, the results page said, “You may be at risk for major depression,” and urged users to call a doctor “right away” if they were feeling suicidal.
From: http://www.bnet.com/blog/drug-business/webmd-caves-on-rigged-depression-test-not-everyone-is-suicidal-apparently/4300
and : http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/14/webmd-not-the-independent-health-source-you-expected.aspx

So there again, it is all about the money!
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Diet and depression are linked, so eating right and not taking a bunch of chemicals is the way to go:

"It makes sense that if the fuel we are providing for our body, including our brains, is healthy, that our bodies will function more efficiently. We all know that diets higher in fiber, as well as low in saturated fats, contribute to better health overall.

We have talked about the link between depression and other medical illnesses many times. For instance, depression and heart disease are linked. Thyroid disease is another medical condition that can cause or contribute to depression.   Your diet may be another link." 
More at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-diet/MY01026
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In Houston yesterday, Jay and I drove around the Beltway 8, (Sam Houston Toll Road), to Hempstead Road and picked up the new-to-me flat screen monitor.   But the seller didn't work on them there, so I couldn't check it out, or my other "faint" one.  There was no way I was going to leave the "faint" one, as I didn't want to make that trip again.

We drove east across on West Tidwell, and turned north at I-45 to the wholesale RV store.  They didn't have anything that I wanted in stock, but I did get some Dicor RV caulk,  a new pair of dikes on sale,  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagonal_pliers),  and white Frijilok refrigerator door latches, normally $10, for 50 c. 
I rarely use them for fridges, but they are very handy to have if you want to keep something like an RV medicine cabinet door closed!

The big Goodwill store that used to be on Little York Road had been closed down, so we hightailed it back to Conroe in time to get to St. Marks Thrift Shop before they closed at 2.00 PM.

They had one of these for $2, so I bought it for the cargo trailer:

"A 3-in-1 appliance, this mini toaster oven, griddle and coffee maker can warm or toast breads, heat pot pies, cook small-size frozen foods or cook an egg, hamburger patty, mini sausages or a pancake. It also brews 4 cups of coffee."

I also bought a very sturdy dog bowl, a folding cutting board, a neat paper towel holder, and a very nice long sleeve white/animals scrub top (for Adoption Days), and blew $3.25 for it all!

I am getting extravagant.


Now that we are going digital, I took the time to pick up the boxes at the cable company's office for all the old TVs around here. 
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Today:

Ray installed the cable hatch, and tank filler with butyl putty tape and caulked around them.  We had a delay on installing the water tank filler.  (See hole in panel) 

Jay and I carefully measured everything, and cut the first piece of paneling.  This panel was the most difficult, as it has 4 holes in it.  Water filler, city water, GFI outlet, and cable hatch. 

Here it is dry fitted, and it worked out great.  This is in the kitchen area.

It was still only a high of 53, and there seemed to be a chilly north wind, but it was ENE and gusted up to 12 mph. today.

Medicare & Traveling. Adoption Day.

There is a lot to consider when you have to choose a Medicare HMO, or any health plan for that matter. It depends which state you are domiciled, too, as not all plans are available everywhere.  Some plans require that you are in your home state for some of the time, so you have to look for that in the fine print.  If you go to the Medicare.gov site you can look at them.  If you sign in, it asks you specific questions about yourself, you will find that it narrows down your choices quite a bit.  I had a hard enough time finding one, and I don’t travel much.

This is supposed to be done by the end of the year, but I was told that if you are unhappy with your choice, that you can still make one more change in January.

Excerpts from": http://fulltimerver.com/fulltiming-and-medicare-insurance/
“What to look for: First, you’ll need to evaluate your own priorities. If money is an issue, find out how much the plan costs, both in terms of an up-front monthly payment to the insurance company, and how much individual co-pays are for each type of service. When you check out plans on the Medicare website, you’ll be asked the general state of your health, and the site will provide estimates of your annual cost for each plan. It’s a pretty broad estimate, but at least you can compare plan for plan to see which would likely cost less.

You’ll also need to know what happens if you go out of the network–if the plan has one. Some plans are very tight and only allow you to obtain non-emergency services in the network. Others will allow you to go out of the network for a higher cost. Still others may allow you to see any doctor, anywhere, who’ll accept Medicare assignment.

Be sure to check out how much it will cost you for prescription drugs. Each plan has its own “formulary” of what drugs it allows, and how much you’ll pay for them. If you’re on a lot of drugs, or some expensive ones, it will pay to shop around.

One RVer, who has the “go anywhere” plan, found there is another hitch to look for: He can’t be out of his “home” state for more than six months. As a result, in his travels he always plans on being “home” twice a year to meet the plan requirement.

Learning more about Medicare plans: Log on to www.medicare.gov.  Look for the option on the left side of the screen labeled, “Plan Choices” (this will also help you sort out Medigap plans) and click on it. Chose the “Medicare Advantage Plans” option. Now look for the choice, “Medicare Options Compare,” and next find “Find and Compare Health Plans.” (Whew! Told you this could be frustrating!). If you click on “General Plan Search” you can enter a zip code for any town in the country you might call “home,” and you’ll find what plans are available and the details.”
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Ray and I did a little work around here, and then he helped me load the cats into the van in their traveling cages, and I went to Petco for Adoption Day.  Prime and Patches, didn’t like it much, and huddled together asleep in a cat bed.  They don’t show well.  How will they ever get adopted?

A couple of young teenage girls had organized a school project of collecting dog and cat food, towels, litter, treats and other pet items for the homeless pets.  They did a lovely Christmas song and dance for us, and donated about three shopping cats of pet supplies to the SPCA.    How thoughtful of these two young girls to spend time to do this.  It brought tears to our eyes.  Then another young lady came in with a big pet carrier full of pet items.  How wonderful that folks think of giving to the homeless animals as well as their familes.  It did remind me of a quote though, "Every day is a feast day in the eyes of the Lord", and that giving should be an everyday occurrence, not just at certain times of the year.

We borrowed a cord off another monitor that I had bought, while I am waiting for the seller to send the proper cord.   But the monitor that I like the best, is so faint that I can hardly read the writing.  I have tried to adjust it, but it hasn’t worked so far.

 I am just tired of messing with it today!

Why I Won't Be Having a Christmas Tree.

Today, Ray caulked the back windows on my house. I have vinyl siding, plywood, 3/4” foam board, and fiberglass insulation all around this house, but the double-paned windows had never been caulked.

Then we got a little table repainted.  My new-to-me flat monitor arrived, but I can’t use it as they sent the wrong video cord with it.  A 9-pin, where it should be a 15-pin on the monitor end. 
The cats had been playing with some wrapping paper, and so I vacuumed all the little bits up.  But I let them have their fun, first. I was supposed to go to the store, but it was wet, chilly and yucky, so I put that off.
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Why I don't put up a Christmas tree.  I am probably going to alienate a lot of people by saying this, but please bear with me, and understand my reasoning.  This something that many of you have done for years, but never really thought about it, and just done it because others do. It's expected!
I don’t do things just because ‘everyone else does it’, without checking facts first.

If I hadn’t done that, my (then) doctor could have killed me by prescribing a medicine that was not compatible with another that HE had prescribed for me.  I read the standard info that the pharmacy gives you, so I was alerted. Then the pharmacy looked it up on their computer, as I didn’t have one then, and it was so, absolutely must not be taken together.   So read the labels or instructions and be aware.

Here is one reason, though not my main one:

"With Christmas almost upon us (again), I thought I’d take another look at the often environmentally outrageous and wasteful traditional customs [like the cutting down of living trees], associated with a mindless, consumer-driven 'festive season.'

Many a Tradition is Born in Creative Endeavour ... and followed because of a lack of it...

 It was not until the 16th century – with the rise of a wasteful bourgeoisie class of society - who had become rich on the backs of the poor house factories of the industrial revolution - that the 'iconic' fir trees were first dragged indoors at Christmas time and decorated, more a symbol of wealth and social standing than respect to Christ.

The Incredible Facts:
Approximately 30-35 million living Fir trees are cut down in the US (alone) every year. No wonder environmentalists grow more and more concerned at the need to continue possibly outmoded traditions, in the face of annihilation due to the continued decimation of the planet upon, which we breathe and stand.

Whilst it is true there are about 21,000 commericial Christmas Tree growers in the U.S today, to compensate the annual demand, it is also true that it takes as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height - approx. two metres (6 - 7 feet) - with the average commercial growing time around seven years.

However, it is also true that a global population of 12 billion is expected by the turn of the 22nd century, far exceeding the earth’s capacity to supply such a demand - for no other use than to die over a period of a week - releasing large amounts of stored CO2 into households throughout the world.

It takes only one (1) acre of growing Christmas trees to produce the daily oxygen needed to sustain 18 people..
It is sensible to expect that growing food may be more essential a market by 2100 than dying Christmas trees.
In a world that is slowly beginning to choke around us, it makes sense to seek out alternatives to cutting down anything that is living and converting CO2 into oxygen."

Please make sure yours gets recycled into a lake as cover for the baby fish, or chipped for mulch.

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But my main reason goes back to reading the labels, again! 
Don't just believe the advertising.
Research something before you do it.
The book of Jeremiah was written six hundred years before Jesus’ birth.

JEREMIAH 10:1-5

“1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne , because they cannot go . Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil , neither also is it in them to do good.” King James Bible.

Here you can check this in other versions of the Bible:

http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/jeremiah/10.html

So that is why I won't be putting up a tree today.

Pearl Harbor. Wasting Food. Boarders.

Pearl Harbor was 68 years ago today.   " A day which will live in infamy"

Still a gloomy day, but not so cold.  Ronnie (I think it is really spelled Rone`, but I don't know for sure), came today and helped me with the yard sale stuff.  I like that, as she usually takes goods instead of pay!  We got a lot more boxes unloaded, and now I have a laundry basket of clothes to wash for the sale.  Any thing that has stains on it, or looks like it has to be ironed, gasp, (Oh, go wash my fingers with soap), goes into a pile for Ronnie, as she cuts them up and makes rag rugs.

Any shirts and ladies tops are hung up, $1 , and the T-shirts go in a 50 c. basket.  I want this stuff gone.  We did weed out, and re-box the tank tops and shorts, as I will have to have one more sale in the new year for all the summer things.

Ray painted the cage that Pretty, the Siamese had been in, and made it look pretty for Sheba.  She is 15 years old, blind, collapsed trachea, and when the others start rough housing, they could hurt her. All she does is sleep and eat, and has to be carried outside, and back.

Americans Waste 40% of Their Food
"In the United States, it seems that food is everywhere we look.

Driving down the highway, we see signs for a plethora of fast food restaurants, and food companies spend millions of dollars each year coming up with new value-added food products to attract consumer dollars.

This has not only resulted in an increasingly overweight population, but a citizenry that has begun to waste food at levels never seen before -- even in the middle of a recession and with hunger rising.

A new study has found that Americans waste 1,400 calories per person per day, or nearly 40% of the county's entire food supply. But that's not even the most disturbing statistic.

In order to produce the 1,400 calories that Americans toss into the trash everyday, we use one-fourth of the country's supply of fresh water. In addition, three hundred million barrels of oil are used each year to produce food that eventually just gets thrown away.

What the heck is wrong with us America? This is completely and utterly unacceptable."

From:  http://uspoverty.change.org/blog/view/americans_waste_40_of_their_food

My boarders arrived midday:

The five dogs have settled in.  It was good to see my old friend Jakey again, Sheba's son, he is getting old, too.  These are only a five of Mindi's house dogs, as Suggy, Punkin', Caesar, poodles, and Buddy, a dachsipoo, another of Caesar and Precious' offspring, are staying at the ranch, so the lady that tends to the horses is taking care of them.

There is a whole room for them to play in, and four of these kennel cage beds, with the doors removed, but they all have to play in one bed!

Princess, Buddy's sister, is Precious's daughter by Caesar, and he is also Jakey's sire.  Puddin, is a little Yorkie, newcomer, who is still very young, but she is behaving better than the last time she was here.  They better get her fixed before Ceasar Romeo gets her, too!

I did buy a flat panel monitor off eBay, so this big one can go back to the bottom of the closet instead of taking up so much room, soom

So I am having a busy day.

Swine Flu Virus By Mail.

It was over 40 deg. when I opened the blinds to the porch, but I still didn’t trust the weather enough to let the cats out there. The temperature is still rising this evening. 55 deg. now.

I am getting a little tired of being right on top of this big old monitor that I had to drag out when my flat panel one went on the blink.  It is so big that I have to keep the blinds up in the window behind it, to give it more room. 

So I spent time searching on eBay for a cheap flat panel to tide me over.  I bid on quite a few, and they were going at cheap prices, but I just wasn’t quick enough on the draw to get them in the last few seconds of the auction. Also, I had set myself a limit for my maximum bids + shipping.

 Getting my router set back up again, took some time. I had quickly undone it when my monitor went out so that I could use my  laptop on the cable.  I knew I had one more of those cables that would hook the laptop up to the router, so that involved straightening out all the computer junk that I had on the shelves, and getting it organized into little drawers. Lots of ‘meece’, and wires! The cats thought that was great fun.

It was a struggle to poke all the wires back where they belong behind the PC, and I looked at that mess, and thought, gee I don’t want another PC with all these wires, I’ll get a better laptop.  Then I looked at the octopus of wires coming out of my laptop, (without a printer or camera cord attached), and I don’t know if it is much better!!

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Now, be careful of this email:

“It seems that people have been receiving emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requesting that recipients complete a "Personal H1N1 Vaccination Profile" at cdc.gov for the CDC Sponsored State Vaccination Program for H1N1. Of course, there's no such thing.

The CDC writes on its website under the Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors section:

"The CDC has NOT implemented a state vaccination program requiring registration on www.cdc.gov. Users that click on the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system."  For more info:

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/03/swine-flu-email-conceals-phishing-scam-cdc-isnt-seeking-your/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl7|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailyfinance.com%2F2009%2F12%2F03%2Fswine-flu-email-conceals-phishing-scam-cdc-isnt-seeking-your%2F

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I didn’t feel chilled to the bone, like I did yesterday.  Even the attic and garage were comfortable, not drafty.    It gave me the incentive to get the dog room ready for my 5 boarders arriving tomorrow.

Oh, what a different day today. 

Canadian Forests are Important.

It was still to cold, 40 deg., at 6.00 AM for the cats to go out onto the screen porch, even though all the vinyl panels are up now.
Bobcat was upset about this, and stayed right there next to the radiator by that patio door, glaring at me. But when the sun came around there, it warmed the porch up to nearly 60 deg., so all three were happy to be out there for a while.
But after 10 minutes Prime wanted back in, she wants to be where I am. She doesn’t bother anything, or ever meow with the “I wants” like Patches does. She just lies down near me, and watches me.

My flat screen monitor would not turn on this morning. What ever next? Then I couldn’t get my laptop to connect on WiFi, so I had to read my mail on dial-up. I had never been able to connect it to the Broadband, but I struggled with this and that, and finally got it connected that way.

I tried my monitor on another outlet, but it still didn’t work. So I dug out my big old monitor, it is fairly fancy as it has microphone and web camera on it. So I do have my PC going now. I can do more with it, than the laptop.
I just can’t see spending money on this old set up, as I am looking for a new one.

Now on a more important note.
From: http://www.sincerelysustainable.com/government/canadian-boreal-forests-prove-to-be-one-of-the-largest-carbon-sinks-on-earth

Canadian Boreal Forests Prove To Be One Of The Largest Carbon Sinks On Earth

“In northern Canada, an area twice the size of California stores the equivalent of 27 years worth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Now, Canadian provinces and other groups are taking steps to preserve the expansive boreal forest.

Some groups are planning to sell carbon offsets in exchange for protecting the forests. Others just want to see them preserved at any cost. Indeed, Greenpeace spent years pressuring Kimberly-Clark to cease chopping down old-growth boreal forests. When the paper goods giant agreed to use 40 percent recycled content earlier this year, it was deemed a victory for Canada’s boreal forests.

Canada’s boreal forests, which are made up of a mix of trees, wetlands, peat and tundra, soak up as much as 22 percent of all carbon stored on the Earth’s land surface, according to the International Boreal Conservation Campaign.

Now, Canadian provincial governments and aboriginal leaders are leading a conservation drive to ban logging, mining and oil drilling on about 250 million acres of Canadian boreal forest, reports the GuardianUK.
In Manitoba, a $10 million fund has been set up to protect about 10.8 million acres of forest.
Observers note that, even with conservation efforts, the boreal forests may one day become a virtual carbon time bomb. If climate change causes warmer, drier weather, the boreal forest swamps may dry up, exposing tons and tons of peat that would release carbon. Additionally, warmer weather would bring insect pressure and disease, potentially causing deforestation and the release of even more carbon.

Boreal forest timber...the opposite of what needs to happen.
repost from Environmental Leader
The Good: A focus on trees and forest that actually make a real difference in the carbon sequestration game.
The Bad: Climate change may destroy these forests thereby releasing huge amounts of CO2.
The Bottom-Line: Conservation of these forests and climate change mitigation are intertwined with the success of both being crucial to our environment.”


About boreal forests:     http://www.fws.gov/birds/documents/unspoiledfinal.pdf

Tomorrow another cold day.