Marinating Tips & Restaurant Reviews

For my post about MARINATING TIPS, please CLICK HERE .

To read RESTAURANT REVIEWS, please CLICK HERE .

"Coming Out" to Oakland?

After reading George Will's op-ed piece, "Speech police riding high in California" about Oakland, California's ban on the terms "natural family," "marriage" and "family values" in the government's open e-mail system and on the employee bulletin board, I felt compelled to write the mayor, Ron Dellums, via e-mail, to ask him a few questions. I will ask him here, where I don't have to worry about any legal ramifications for interfering with Oakland's delicate and sensitive open e-mail system. I'm sure it would be screened and deleted for offensive language.

Mr. (may I call you Mister?) Mayor:

Since the terms "natural family," "marriage" and "family values" have been deemed homophobic, disruptive, hostile and intolerably inflammatory, how does one apply for a "marriage" license if that is such a derogatory word to city government workers?

If you, Sir, (if I may address you in such a manner) or anyone else in local government, are "married" to a person of the (warning: non gender-neutral term ahead!) opposite sex, are you allowed to bring that spouse to official functions? I hope not. It's no longer politically correct in Oakland and you could save your government a lot of money by disallowing it.

What about (warning: more non gender-neutral terms ahead!) healthy male/female couples who want to have children by good old fashioned "natural" insemination? Can they legally start a "family" if one or both parents work for you, and can they announce the birth of their child on the employee bulletin board? Personally, I guess it wouldn't be a problem if the genders of the parents and baby are not disclosed, but how that particular child was conceived might be an issue to some. Shudder the thought.

Isn't your government inferring that same-sex couples are not qualified to have, nor are capable of believing in, "family values" by banning that term, so there can be no perception of targeting and excluding that group?

You may send me your answers through the good old U.S. Postal Service. As far as I know, it's still legal to do that.

Sincerely,

David B. Knechel

Florida Humor

An old time citrus farmer in Florida owned thousands of acres of orange groves that had been passed down through generations. He had a small lake in the back, set back a spell, that was well stocked with large mouth bass and catfish. Surrounding it were his best orange trees. His property was fixed up real nice-like, too, with picnic tables all about under shady live oak trees draped in Spanish moss. There were horseshoe courts and plenty of other fun things to do, plus a good sized vegetable garden. On many days, the scent of freshly caught catfish and just picked okra frying filled the air. The wafting aromas were downright friendly and inviting.

Early one evening the old farmer decided to go down to the lake, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over. He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some oranges from the nearby trees. As he approached the lake, he heard water splashing and voices shouting and laughing with glee.

As he came closer he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end of the lake.

One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!"

The old man frowned. "I didn't come down here to watch y'all ladies swim naked or make you get out of the lake." Holding the bucket up he said, "I'm here to feed the gator."

Mother Teresa's Ghost Endorses Hillary

(API) The late Mother Teresa recently endorsed Hillary Clinton for president of the United States by channeling her spirit through one of Clinton's campaign videos. How the message came to them was unclear and no explanation was given by the Clinton camp. The Catholic church is at odds with the late Mother's decision and had considered exhuming her body for a rite of exorcism until the Clinton campaign decided to partially abort what they deemed as the most inspirational part of the video by removing Mother Teresa's message. The church then said it would allow the rest to run full term and it was now a dead issue.

In the meantime, a Clinton campaign spokeswoman stated that, "In spite of the church's decision regarding this matter and our decision to remove that aspect of the video from airing, Mother Teresa stands fully behind Hillary and her message was loud, clear and unwavering."

A Message From Paris: To My Adoring Fans Everywhere!

Do you want to know what really happened to me, boys... why they let me out? Let me tell you, it was not fun in there. The TP was like wax paper. The food was... well, I don't even want to go there. It was, like, SOOOOO bad! Back to the TP tissue issue. For 3 solid days, I couldn't poop. Beautiful girls like me don't poop anyway, do we (wink, wink)? Oh, I pee peed alright, but I had to hold in that horrible food for, like, 3 days!!! Since I never pass gas (God forbid!) it got pretty nasty back there. The guards found me all pukey like and rushed me to the jail infirmary, where the not so beautiful female nurse discovered I had become quite impacted. Hectum in the rectum, oh my!

(Memo to nurse: Cut your fingernails.)

Anyways, I was taken to the hospital where I was given an enema. Canned peas and corn went flying all over the room! They decided to send me home. My tummy can't handle that type of food. Gimme a break! Corn flakes for breakfast, bologna and cheese sandwich for lunch? American cheese? Get real. Don't ask me about the meatloaf.

My poor little rearend hole hasn't been this sore since... well, we won't go there, either, since I don't talk to him anymore.

Thank you all for your support! I will be a good girl from now on. Ouch!

Love & Toodles,
Paris

A DIABETIC DIARY, Part 13

Proud of my 5.5

I have emphasized the importance of periodic tests to check your average blood glucose values, blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), and kidney function. When I got the results back from my most recent tests, done at the end of April, I was very encouraged by what I saw. I switched to a new doctor since then and he hasn't seen the report, but I think he will be impressed too.

From previous tests, my triglycerides dropped from 222 to 128. Less than 150 mg/dL is ideal. Total cholesterol went from 216 to123. The normal range is 125-200 mg/dL. My bad cholesterol (LDL) dropped from 135 to 68. The desirable range in diabetics should fall below 100 mg/dL and <70 for those with known heart disease. Unfortunately, my good cholesterol (HDL) also dropped from 37 to 29. It should be > or equal to 40 mg/dL. I don't know what caused that, but I will research ways to improve it. More exercise will help, I'm sure.

Everything on my Comprehensive Metabolic Panel w/EGFR was fine except for my fasting glucose reference interval, which stood at 126. It should range from 65-99 mg/dL. What totally amazed me was the result of my Hemoglobin A1c test. Originally, I clocked in at 8.o%, a relatively high number. The non-diabetic range is less than 6.0%. This time, my number is 5.5%, an incredible improvement and something I am quite proud to crow about. I attribute this and the other results to several different factors: I am on a prescription medication for blood pressure and to loosen my arteries to protect my kidneys, I take a statin drug for cholesterol, and I take a sulfanilurea medication for diabetes. I do not consume processed sugar and my fat intake is way down. I exercise more than I did before I was diagnosed and I drink a lot less alcohol. I try to eat better overall. Of course, I miss pizza and fried chicken, but hey, you gots to do what you gots to do.

I did a tremendous amount of research on supplements for diabetics, primarily for those with type 2. I really tried to weed out the junk stuff and to make a concerted effort to avoid conflicts with other supplements and medications. Here are the results of what I've found and a list of what I take daily. Bear in mind, I made sure my doctor knows exactly what I'm taking and what his thoughts are on each one. Can I say for sure that these supplements have helped? Of course not. I've only been taking them for a few months. I would have to have similar test results over a much longer period of time to assume otherwise, and my tests may vary as much in myself as they will in any other individual. I would not recommend any other treatment without consulting your own physician first. OK, I do think cassia cinnamon can be a small miracle for people like us.

1.) 2,000 mg cassia cinnamon. This type of cinnamon may help promote sugar metabolism.

2.) 200 mcg chromium picolinate. May help promote insulin effectiveness and regulate blood sugar.

3.) 250 mg magnesium. I take this because of neuropathy. It may help with nerve impulses.

4.) Omega 3 fish oil/alpha lipoic acid. I alternate daily between these two for heart health and to fight against free radicals, plus antioxidant benefits.

5.) multivitamin

6.) 1 gram apple cider vinegar tablet with min. 35% acetic acid. Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar helps control blood sugar spikes in type 2 diabetics.

1.) 81 mg aspirin. Because my doctor told me to.

I take all of these supplements with my evening meal, except for the aspirin, which I take whenever I remember to.

When he looked over my list, he was amazed. He said that the only patients he ever sees that take these supplemental cocktails are diabetics and those with AIDS. Whether they help or not are subject to further studies. He approved most of them in a round about sort of way by checking them off one by one and saying they seem to be OK. He only questioned two of them. Chromium picolinate may alter DNA, but if I'm not thinking about having children at my ripe old age, it should be fairly safe. He takes it himself. His children are grown. He seems to think it might be of more benefit to help ward off diabetes, though. He was puzzled by the magnesium and when I told him it's for neuropathy, he just shrugged. That one, he was less sure of. I wonder what he'll think after reading my test results? I'm running them up to his office this afternoon, but I won't see him again until the middle of July. In the meantime, please discuss these with your doctor before going on any sort of regimen. Just because you read about them here does not mean they are right for you. Besides, I'm still exploring other supplements. It doesn't give me license to eat pizza and fried chicken, either, so watch your diet!

No mames guey, José Luis de Jesús Miranda

Holy Moises!!! Those religious zealots are at it again. This time, it's a big, scary one. Hayzooz, otherwise known as Yahweh, just passed through Orlando in all his glory. Praise the Lard, because this guy's worth less than rendered pig fat. Fancy jet. Big SUV. Bling Bling. Nine bodyguards. Caramba! He even sports a "666" tattoo on his forearm. This man says he is the real deal. The Second Coming of Christ and the Antichrist all rolled into one. He lives in a fancy, big money, gated mansion, smokes, drinks and surrounds himself with erotic, I mean exotic, women. Drugs? No problem. No need to pray to the other, older Jesus. He's dead and that brand of religion died with him. In this new and improved version of Christianity, The Man Christ Jesus, as he calls himself, runs a ministry called "Crescendia en Gracia" or "Growing in Grace" and seriously believes he is the living incarnation of Jesus Christ, hand-picked by God and anointed the true Apostle when two angels appeared before him. Before that, he told his flock he was the Apostle Paul. Just like all the Caesars and all the pharoahs, he is the living god! A self-taught, self-anointed one, at that. Hey, time to give myself a promotion. And a raise. This self-proclaimed Son of God is a 60 year old former heroin addict and convict. The divorced father of 4 was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in South Florida with his second wife.

Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda’s message is “freedom to indulge.” He preaches that the devil, hell, and sin are non-existent, prayer is a waste of time, and that the Ten Commandments are irrelevant.

His followers believe they are God’s chosen people, predestined for salvation, no matter what they do on earth. Consequently, the teachings of other religions’ are rejected, believing that all other faiths are lies and must be destroyed, even if Crescendio en Gracia’s marches result in violent consequences. His responses during interviews are crazy: “I am greater than him . . . I teach better than him . . . I won’t die. Even if you tried to kill me! I will be president of the biggest government that this earth has experienced. I’m going to change the whole world.” If he can't die and you can't kill him, as if bullets would bounce off, why does he need bodyguards? His bodyguards act like they work for the U.S. Secret Service. Even his logo looks like the Seal of the United States.

Here is someone who brainwashes the masses, most of whom are from Puerto Rico, and to followers in some 35 nations, mostly in Latin America, and has 287 radio programs and a 24-hour Spanish-language TV network. They lavish him with money and expensive gifts. “I don’t have one Rolex,” de Jesus Miranda said, “I have 3 because they want to give it to me. It’s like that woman that came to Jesus with the expensive perfume and put it on his feet. He didn’t reject it, so when someone gives me a watch or a gift, I receive it. I like them too, they’re nice.”

Shades of the Rev. Jim Jones and Jonestown, this man is very scary. Whether you are of any faith, agnostic or atheist, anyone who can gather people and swallow them up in a hysterical, worthless cult, trouble is bound to find its way into the hearts and minds of these senseless followers. I don't care whether one has faith in any god or not. I don't care if one wants to live an indulgent lifestyle. What puzzles me, though, is why would anyone want to pimp his ride? For salvation from sin? Hell, his followers don't believe in that, so what's the point?

A DIABETIC DIARY, Part 12

Interesterified Oil

I've always gotten along with kids. Years ago, before I became qualified to be considered of grandfather age, many of my girlfriends had children. I used to tell them things while driving along, like, "Do you see that apartment complex over there, called Hidden Pines? Do you know why they call it that?"

"Nope."

"Because they had to tear out all the pine trees when they built it. The trees are all hidden now."

I had plenty of examples like that and many times, they'd pass those little tidbits on to their friends when they'd ride around together. I often wondered about Hidden Valley. Do you really believe a giant food manufacturing plant is safely nestled inside of a quaint valley, with babbling brooks and birds chirping in the hidden valley trees?

Back to reality. Fats and oils are an important part of the human diet. They contain fatty acids such as linoleic and help metabolize vitamins as well as being a source for calories. They are used to enhance the texture and flavor of foods. All oils vary in their range of melting properties.

Partially hydrogenated oils have been around since the early 1900s. Originally believed to be a healthy substitute for natural fats like butter or lard, it is cheaper to produce, performs better under high heat and has a longer shelf life. Today, we have learned all about how bad these types of oils are for you, even worse than oils found in animal fats and some highly saturated vegetable oils. Years ago, health officials touted the health benefits of partially hydrogenated oil, also known as trans fats, over saturated fat. It took a long time of studying to prove otherwise. I don't adhere to any sort of government plot or conspiracy to fool the masses and make big outfits like Archer Daniels Midland super rich at your heart's expense, but I don't think these mega-outfits care about you, either.

“They did so in all innocence, trying to do the right thing,” Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest stated. “Everybody thought it was safe. We thought it was safe.”

Today, researchers at Harvard’s School of Public Health estimate that trans fats contribute to 30,000 U.S. deaths a year.

A relatively new oil is over the horizon. Even before I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was carefully examining the ingredients on food packages. Recently, I read something new on one of those labels: interesterified soybean oil. Interesting. What is interesterified? Well, I did some research.

As food manufacturers, bakeries and restaurants move away from trans fats because of laws, such as New York City banning them, and federal labeling requirements, something has to replace it, something with the same flair, flavor and consistency that will keep these goods as close to original as possible. The manufacturing process of interesterified oils is very similar to that of hydrogenated oils - without the trans fats. Wow, lucky us! New & Improved! Now, they can put No Trans Fats on their labels and you'll think it's a healthful product, since partial and hydrogenation have become such dirty words.

Interesterified oils, in plain English, are a combination of polyunsaturated oil and fully hydrogenated oil. Simple enough to read, but a whole lot more complex and controversial than that. Technically, interesterification shuffles the fatty acids that make up each fat molecule. Like partial hydrogenation, which generates unnatural trans fats, it produces some molecules that are rare or nonexistent in nature. Science News describes this process as "...chemically or enzymatically removing fatty acids from fat molecules and transferring them to other fat molecules. Because this process recombines fatty acids randomly, chemical interesterification is sometimes called randomization." The article further states that, "To make a fat with new and useful properties, manufacturers typically interesterify blends of different kinds of fats. These blends often consist of a natural vegetable oil and a solid fat such as fully hydrogenated soybean oil. Full hydrogenation forms saturated fats rather than trans fats, which are products of partial hydrogenation."

A recent study reported perplexing changes in cholesterol and blood glucose concentrations in 30 volunteers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who had consumed an interesterified-fat–heavy diet. Fasting blood glucose levels were elevated almost 20% after a 4-week period, and was linked to relatively depressed insulin and C-peptide. In other words, interesterified fat was found to depress the level of HDL (good cholesterol) more than trans fat. In addition, it raised blood glucose levels and depressed the level of insulin. This strongly suggests that interesterified fat could lead to diabetes.

By the way, the FDA advised manufacurers, including ADM, that interesterified fats containing a stearate content of greater than 20% may be properly labeled as “interesterified soybean oil,” or “high in stearic acid” or “stearate rich.” Key words to consider on a list of ingredients, especially if you are diabetic.

In the meantime, let's start getting used to dipping our cloned and irradiated lobster in some artificially flavored, drawn interesterified soybean butter. Yum. Is this really what we want our children growing up on? Remember, it took a long time to figure out how harmful trans fats are to the human body. I guess the facts had been hidden in some valley all along, with the pine trees. Interesting, huh?

References:

A Trans Fat Substitute Might Have Health Risks Too http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070210/food.asp#how

Stearic acid-rich interesterified fat and trans-rich fat raise the LDL/HDL ratio and plasma glucose relative to palm olein in humans http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/4/1/3

Partial interestification of triaclyglycerols http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6238926-description.html

An Intestinal Affair

When I sold advertising for a newspaper in New Jersey, the son of the publisher and I became pretty good friends. He was employed there as a photographer and was quite good. His sister also worked there, but I don't recall what she did. She used to have a crush on me in high school, but I had a girlfriend. Eventually, she ended up marrying someone else and my old girlfriend broke up with me. Too bad, she was a real cutie.

He invited me to dinner with his family one night. They lived in one of the nicer homes in town and were a relatively sophisticated family. Higher end kind of material, if you get my drift. The publisher’s wife was a published author and weekly columnist and the paper had been in her family for generations. Old money. His sister and her husband sat across from me at the dining room table which was adorned with fine linen, elaborate silverware and stemware. She was with child. We sipped expensive wine while awaiting the filet mignon treats the publisher was grilling outside. I recall it was a rather frigid night and it was very toasty inside. I must say, I have never had a finer filet in my life, to this day. It was nicely charred on the outside and pink and juicy in the middle. We all began complimenting the chef for doing such a great job. I never thought of him as being such an accomplished cook.

All of a sudden, his wife blurted out that, yes, for being in the freezer over a year, they were surprisingly fresh tasting. She had worried about freezer burns. Had she not said a word, I wouldn’t have known. Some things should be left unsaid.

"Good Bernaise," I said, as I savored the tasty meat.

"Oh, it's just one of those packaged sauces," she replied.

While feasting, her daughter began talking about her pregnancy. Mostly, it was a discussion between she and her mother, yet clearly, quite open and frank. The conversation became more intimate as she started to talk about the differences in her bowel movements since she had become pregnant. Yum. I tried to concentrate on my filet, all brown and moist, but it became less and less appetizing as it got more detailed in the bodily function department. I started a conversation with her brother and regained my compost, I mean, composure.

It didn't make me feel all tingly inside, but the intimacy they shared made me feel as if I was part of the family. At least, I knew I was no stranger in their house. And, having grown up in a very middle class family, this was my first taste of the world of the elite, and I learned a valuable lesson. Even rich people poop.

4 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELL PHONE COULD DO

A friend e-mailed this cell phone information. I haven't tested whether these tips work or not, but I think they are interesting and may come in handy. If you have tried any of these, please let me know.

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST
Emergency

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND
Have you locked your keys in the car?

Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

THIRD
Hidden Battery Power

Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.

FOURTH
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 # (A 15 digit code will appear on the screen.) This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset s o even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

Do as I say, not as I do

There's a lot of hubbub surrounding the inappropriate
remark by Don Imus calling the Rutgers University
women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos" and
rightfully so. There's no room for racism in society.
Reverend Al Sharpton, among others, is demanding his
resignation. His apology is not enough.

More than likely, it is not enough, but this demand is
coming from the man who has never apologized for his
role in the Tawana Brawley hoax, and for his
hate-filled and toxic libel of an innocent man.

That man was Steven Pagones. In 1988, Mr. Pagones was
an assistant district attorney in the upstate New York
county where Brawley claimed she had been abducted.
Her story, that six white men had raped her over four
days turned out to be false. But Sharpton swore it was
true, and vehemently accused Pagones of being one of
the rapists.

"If we're lying, sue us," Sharpton taunted Pagones,
"so we can go into court with you and prove you did
it." Pagones did just that. He sued Sharpton, Alton H.
Maddox and lawyer C. Vernon Mason for defamation. In
1998 he was vindicated and the jury awarded $345,000
in damages. Maddox was disbarred following the suit.
Evidence indicated that there had not even been any
attack on her.

Sharpton is unrepentant about having incited the
Brawley hoax and the accusation against Pagones. He
still perpetuates that myth to this day.

Just when is an apology not enough? For sure, when
none is given.

The Age of Enwhitenment

I wrote this last March, before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Hence, the references to imbibing a little more than I do today. Originally posted on another blog, that person turned out to be a complete, self-centered jerk and he has been struck from the records like what Ramses did to Moses.

I don't understand what is going on today. After September 11, 2001, I knew there would be an outpouring of resentment and hatred toward Arabs and Muslims. This is pretty much a standard mind reflex when hit below the belt. We were hit hard and left to bleed openly for the world to see. For a country with so much pride, we can be pretty naive. How many of us harbor distrust for all people of Arab extraction because of the events that transpired on that fateful day?

After 9/11, I wondered if the prejudice felt by many towards African/Americans would be circumvented or replaced by a much more deeply rooted hatred for our new enemies. I questioned whether blacks would climb up the social ladder or would there be a new rung added just below theirs for our new Muslim adversaries? Today, I find not much has changed. Here in the land of King Kong, Mickey and Shamu, the status quo prevails. Oh, not with you who come to visit. I'm talking about the ones who grew up here and elsewhere, where southern ideals from a lingering past still exist.

A few weeks ago, I met a friend to discuss a few things at an Irish pub. After all, St. Patrick's Day was right around the corner. This type of location would seem innocuous enough, wouldn't it? After a couple of drinks, my friend had to leave. I stayed a little while longer. In came a couple, she with a nice charm about her and he of the long hair that Hippies used to have. There's not much peaceful about his ilk these days. The conversation started out innocently. We discussed "where y'all from originally?" and a few more pleasantries. She sat between us. All of a sudden, he blurted out of nowhere,

"The best thing to ever happen to this country was when Abraham Lincoln was killed."

I was completely dumbfounded. I asked, "You mean on account of slavery and all?" Yup, that was it. I finished my drink and left, but I turned back to him and asked, "If you had sex with a monkey, could you get it pregnant?" After all, to these types, all blacks are monkeys. "If you had sex with a black woman, could you get her pregnant?"

Out the door I went. I didn't wait for a response.

Last week, I went to my regular place, where I sometimes go to relax and meet old friends. One gentleman is a bank vice-president and was not born with the same color skin as me. He's a very nice, well educated man and is faithful to his wife and honest upbringing. I stopped by briefly and stood next to him and we talked. A younger couple came in. The bar was pretty full at the time. She went elsewhere to look for a place to sit and he went into the restroom. I went in, too, not because of him, but I was leaving and I wanted to do whatever one does in a men's room before beginning a journey across town. I told him, "You can have my spot. I'm leaving. There's room for both of you."

"You mean, next to that..." Well, you can add your own racial epithet. "My woman won't sit next to a..."

"Come on, now," I responded, "he's a really nice guy. He runs a bank."

"Good thing I didn't bring my hanging rope, then," and out the door and to the bar he went. I turned the other way and left. What makes these types better in their own minds? In deference to the good, kind folks I've met through the years, most people around here are nothing like those two.

After September 11, I had a dream that times would change. We would begin to trust our brothers and sisters who stand with us, no matter what creed or race. We would ALL work together to face the evil that hit us. New leaves will turn. A revolutionary resolution would form. I was wrong. I guess I'm just one of those naive Americans.

The 9/11 Conspiracy

Here is the absolute truth on the 9/11 government conspiracy.

Everyone knows that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are deeply in bed with the oil industry. It's common knowledge. Most oil comes from Arab countries with strong ties to the Islamic faith. Consequently, Bush & Company had no problem rustling up some Arab miscreants to do their dirty work in September of 2001. In spite of the fact he had only been in office for 8 months before that fateful day, Bush had years of help and planning from a secret organization. I'll explain later.

Airlines are big business. Bush & Company are all for big business. He and the rest of the Republicans strive to reduce or eliminate corporate taxes. Heck, the administration would prefer that the government pay them to remain big and powerful. Promises were made by Bush. You supply the big jumbo jets filled to the brim with big oil company jet fuel and we'll compensate you in the form of tax incentives and other perks, like secretly flying in tons of illegal aliens at government expense. What's a few thousand lives and a handful of flying machines when the future of our great nation is at stake! We get to eliminate Saddam, take over the Iraqi oil fields, the oil companies get to jack up prices and big business wins, wins, wins!!! It's a no brainer. The loss of American lives on 9/11 and in Iraq will be replaced by illegals here. Eventually, we'll send them over there to do the work Americans don't want to do. Again, a win/win situation. We "dirty sanchez" the little wetbacks. How patriotic can you get?

As far as Bush being referred to as a Nazi, well, that's partially true. A hidden fact is that the Bush family has kept Adolph Hitler on life support since the end of Germany's reign of terror in 1945. Go ahead, Google "The Knights Preston" and the "Duh Vincheney Code" and see what you get. Don't forget to wish Adolph a happy birthday on April 20. He'll be 108 years old. Send your greetings to the White House.

Little known facts:

St. Elvis is alive and well in the minds and hearts of Minnesotans.

Walt Disney's brain is cryogenetically preserved in a hidden vault deep in the bowels of the Cinderella Castle at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I know, I live there and I've seen it.

Area 51 exists. So does Roswell. Don't get me started on life on Mars.

By the way, are you aware that, in retaliation against the Republican Machine, the Democrats have kept John F. Kennedy alive all these years and he's living on a yacht somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Massachusetts? He masterminded the midterm Democratic landslide. Google that, too. Oh, his 90th birthday is May 29th. Send greetings in care of Howard Dean. He's his doctor.

I would never admit to doing this ad

A DIABETIC DIARY, Part Eleven

The Benefits of Cassia Cinnamon and Oolong Tea

I ran out of cinnamon capsules last week. My numbers had been running around 120-130 something in the morning. That's somewhat high, but not too bad. Like I've said in past posts, under 100 is ideal. Partially, it's due to Dawn Phenomenon, which I wrote about here. I could probably do a little more work on what I eat and increase my exercising, too. Last night, my sugar was 160. This morning it was 159. I think it's because I've been too lazy to go buy cinnamon.

In December 2003, Diabetes Care published an article on a Pakistani study about the effects of cinnamon on type 2 diabetics. In the study, 30 women and 30 men were broken into 6 groups. Of that, half were given varying amount of cassia (cinnamomum cassia), otherwise known as Chinese cinnamon, and the other half were given placebos. The first 3 groups were given 1, 3, or 6 g of cinnamon daily. After 40 days, all three levels of cinnamon ingested reduced the mean fasting serum glucose (18–29%), triglyceride (23–30%), LDL cholesterol (7–27%), and total cholesterol(12–26%) levels, with no significant changes in the placebo groups. Changes in HDL cholesterol were insignificant.

Cassia has a long history as both a spice and medicine. It is the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree native to southern China and mainland Southeast Asia west to Myanmar. Medicinally, it has been widely used to treat digestive problems, but the most intriguing of all is in the treatment of diabetes. Scientists have discovered that it has insulin-like properties and its active ingredient, called polyphenols (tannins, lignins, and flavonoids), can boost levels of proteins which are crucial to promoting normal insulin signaling processes, a healthy inflammatory response, and increasing glucose transportation throughout the body. Tannins are present in red wines. That may be one of the reasons why small amounts of red wine can be of benefit to diabetics. Cassia might also lower blood pressure, making it potentially useful to those suffering from hypertension. The USDA has three ongoing studies that are monitoring the blood pressure effect.

It seems like a relatively benign form of treatment, although risk factors are always an issue. There haven't been any long term studies done on cassia to make a firm determination. There is concern about the potential for toxic buildup of the fat-soluble components and some European health agencies have warned against consuming high amounts of cassia, due to a toxic component called coumarin. Although not present in large amounts, coumarin has been found to be moderately toxic to the liver and kidneys. It is where warfarin (Coumadin®) is derived (synthetically), so it may have ever so slight anticoagulant properties, as well. I wouldn't worry about it. People have been eating cinnamon for thousands of years and I've never heard of anyone dying from it or causing any type of harm.

There are various forms of cinnamon on the market. You want to buy cinnamon cassia (cassia cinnamomum), a close cousin of true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, synonym C. zeylanicum), which is native to India and Sri Lanka. If you can't find it, I think regular cinnamon will do in a pinch. One is just better than the other.

I strongly recommend all diabetics talk to their primary care physician and/or endocrinologist about cinnamon. I recommend this treatment, unless you are allergic to it. If you decide it might help, I'd start with 500 mg per day, gradually increasing, if necessary. I usually take 3,000 grams per day. Remember, don't expect overnight success. The original study took 40 days. Those on insulin must be extra cautious because they may have to reduce the amount they take or at least monitor their glucose more often during the day at first.

Another article in Diabetes Care, in June of 2003, suggests oolong tea, a type of tea that is partially fermented during processing that proved to lower plasma glucose in a test of 20 type 2 diabetics who also took hyperglycemic drugs. They were given 1,500 milliliters per day for 30 days. Their glucose fell from 229 to 162 on average. A group not given oolong tea, but water instead, showed no change. Bear in mind, green tea is not fermented at all and black tea is fully fermented. The only problem with oolong tea is trying to find it. It is imperative it comes from China. Also, 1,500 ml is a little over 5 cups, so I'd think about brewing a nice big pot and turning it into iced tea.

You may also find this article helpful. This particular study reviews herbs and dietary supplements for glycemic control in diabetes. Please remember, you can always ask me questions. I will do everything in my power to find the right answers. I'm not a doctor or anything, but I learn easily and well and I know how to weed out improper information.

Well, I'm off to the health store. I want my BG level to go down.

Hard Core Extremists

I think the far right has been indoctrinated for such a long time, they interpret “far right” as meaning, “So far, I’m right. You’re wrong.” Then, they yell, swear at you and call you a Commie and other sordid names. Don’t get me wrong, the flip side can be way out in left field, too. Michael Moore and Al Franken come to mind, but I’ve noticed that ultra-right wing, arch-conservative, basket case Republicans think anyone who disagrees with them on any subject matter is a liberal. They are always right and when backed into a corner without beating the crap out of you, they go into denial. Denial in a sense that whichever Republican official a “so called” liberal names, they come up with a standard excuse: HE’S NOT A REPUBLICAN - HE’S A RINO (Republican In Name Only). If all Republican politicians are RINOs, then who are the true Republicans in their vein?

Let’s see… the esteemed Abraham Lincoln, long considered the father of the Republican Party, freed the slaves. That’s much too liberal. He must have been one of the first RINOs. Imagine people of color having rights!

Moving on, let’s consider Theodore Roosevelt. He was at the forefront of conservationism. He was responsible for writing the book on the preservation of land and species that might, otherwise, become extinct. Save the red-breasted throck morton! Ouch!!! Way too liberal. G*d-D*mn Tree Hugger!

OK. Let’s try Dwight D. Eisenhower. Good guy. War hero. 5 star general. Head of the entire European Theatre during WWII. Let’s see, wasn’t he the architect of the Interstate highway system? Didn’t he usher in the Space Age? Without those two, we wouldn’t be able to move around or communicate with such speed as we do today. Maybe we would stay home more often, listening to fireside chats on the radio. Oh, wait! That was FDR, a Democrat. Anyway, good old Ike was way too progressive for his time. Nope, he won’t do.

The list can go on and on and each one can be excused or written off as a RINO. George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, John McCain, Charlie Crist. “W” let all those Wetbacks in. Don’t even mention Rudolph Guiliani. Chuck Hagel? Pretty darn conservative, but he’s against that damn patriotic thing going on over there in sand n*gger country. You know, the WMD place. You name the Republican and these idiots will find a way to denigrate any one of them to their own selfish benefit and in their best interests, period.

Back to the first question. Who are the true Republicans in their vein? I think the only ones these morons would support are not politicians at all. They are a bunch of political pundits who spew exactly what they want to hear - such fine and upstanding men, like… Rush “Oxycontin” Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill “No Spin” O’Reilly and the entire “cast” of FOX News. One day, they’ll finally have a “fair and balanced” administration. Whoopee, we’re all gonna die! Turn that sand into glass!

The worst and most frightening people in the world are the extremists. It doesn’t matter which side of the fence they sit on, left-wing, right-wing, they are the same. What is the difference between extreme heat and extreme cold? They are both very uncomfortable and, I hope I’m far from alone in feeling this way. Well, that’s my opinion, anyway. What? You want to go outside?