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Can a Worm Have a Footprint? . . .

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As humans, everything we do creates carbon in some form. . . even when we die. But before we get to that stage, we have a lot of living to do, and living requires creating CO2. What creates CO2? Eating, moving, clothing, communication, creating shelter, socialization. . . and well, everything we do.

  Everything we consume or utilize uses some form of fuel for it’s creation. If it’s a chicken wing  we’re consuming- consider all the steps it took to get to your plate. . . um. . . give me a second here, I’m trying to figure out how I chose talking about a chicken wing. . . I could switch to “celery stalk” but that would be “chickening out.” Literally.  NO, let’s give it a try. . . so, a farmer raises a chicken with all it’s food and water and nesting materials and heat and care and energy to make that life possible.  Think of all the corn that chicken may have eaten. . . and all the energy that went into creating that corn. . . Then, the chicken is slaughtered to create food for us. . . now a wing is the item of consumption and. . . ( I’m going to let you imagine the next few steps) . . . then it’s put in a bag (packaging was created for this) with other wings. . . fuel is used to keep it cold or frozen. . . fuel is used to deliver it to a market or wholesaler. Let’s say that this wholesaler sells it to “Wing It Bar & Grill” and you come in for a bite after work. . . . and yes, there’s one more wing left on the platter at happy hour and you get to be the lucky consumer.  How much energy was used to get this wing to you and make your hour happier?  Consider this. . . what if you just ate a piece of corn instead . . . and eliminated all that stuff in between the corn going to the chicken and happy hour?  I know. There’s a lot of math to be done and processes to consider.  There are many great websites out there where you can set up your own profile and try calculating your carbon footprint.  There are hundreds of great videos you can watch to help you understand it all better, and we’re going to link to one below that’s good for children to watch too.

But, I promised a few simple ways we all can reduce our carbon footprints so here goes:

Eat less meat, especially red meat. Grow your own veggies and fruit if possible. If not, eat as locally as possible. Support organic farmers.

Use your own grocery bags and use less plastic. Re-usables are very important!

Keep your heat lower in the winter (wear sweaters etc. ), and reduce A/C usage in the summer (shade your windows etc). Insulate your home, cut down drafts. Reduce home energy consumption.  Wash clothes at lower temps- dry outside in the sun if possible. Take shorter showers.

Limit your driving and travel (plan your outing to accomplish as much as you can in one trip). Drive slower. Use less fossil fuels.

Carefully consider your purchases. Try buying products with less packaging, no plastics, made with recyclable materials.  Buy less- consume less. Donate old or unused clothing to others. Donate home goods, books etc to others.

And when you get a chance, check out some more cool websites (like Link and Wormy are). Oh, and in case you’re wondering. . . worms are carbon neutral.

Actually, I don’t know for sure that worms are carbon neutral. I have no source for that information. . . I just made it up. But, I’m allowed to do that because I’m a cartoonist. That’s what I do.  Peace!

Brad (with Peter looking over his shoulder)

Worm Holes and Carbon Footprints

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Today we meet two of the critters at The Green House, Link and Wormy. Link is a liberal blogger who is trying to introduce his new friend, Wormy to the world of environmentalism. Tomorrow, Link checks in with Wormy to see how he’s enjoying reading “An Inconvenient Truth.”

As much as we seek knowledge and “the truth,” we’re all  reading the latest news, reports and studies to see what “those in the know” want us to know. It’s also clear that those who are “experts” can sway us to their side by great speeches, writing or story-telling through movies. However, seemingly minutes after we form an opinion or answer a call to action, we can dismiss and distrust if we hear “facts” well told from the other side of the debate.

I really wanted to believe Al Gore and the message of “An Inconvenient Truth.” I recall taking my Mother to the movie and seeing how moved she was by all the facts about the melting glaciers and endangered polar bears. . . which I knew were facts “skewed” a bit to make a point (and sell a movie). My Mom and I had a great discussion about the movie on the way home, which proved one point that put Al’s movie into a “plus” column for me. . .

It was clear from the discussion that my Mom hadn’t really been following environmental news much, even though she knew how big a “Greenie” I am- and she was now excited to start reading more and to start living a cleaner, more organic life. After dropping her off, I came to the conclusion that as much as Al Gore may have propped up certain info and dramatized events to make a more compelling movie, my Mom was moved into a more positive direction for having seen “An Inconvenient Truth.”

I don’t condone lying to the world to make a more impactful movie-  I like to see balance- but in this case, I’ll give a nod in the affirmative to Al.

So, for my part,  I’ll  do what I can to show how thoughtful, informed, conscious people (and critters) relate to the same information, in my own writing. Maybe my presentation of debatable subject matter will open discussion that is balanced and discussed with open minds. In any event, finding any moment to open a person’s mind to thinking about their planet is a good thing. Do it with humor and cute characters and it’s a big round ball slam dunk!

More on the subject over the next few days.

What were your thoughts and experiences after reading or seeing “An Inconvenient Truth?”  Start a conversation here or on our Facebook page. We love fresh insights and honest experiences.

Reason #17 for keeping a recycling bin handy. . .

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Everyone who sees Wormy seems to love the guy. . . his cute little pink body, his happy demeanor. . . everyone save one. . . the bird.

Who are we to argue with the natural order of things? Okay, yes- birds DO love worms, but in a different way. Wormy is discovering that life isn’t always a pleasant wiggle through the garden. You have to watch out for adversaries and be a little lucky. Fortunately, Tuesday is recycling day at the Green House and the bin was in a handy location. Wormy was lucky today. . . but he also was quick thinking and prepared.

Denzel Washington said about luck, “I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.” And there’s another side to that, the more prepared you are, the more open you are to taking chances. Personal Development guru, Brian Tracy says, “I’ve found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.“

We always talk about the early bird getting the worm. . . but where does that leave the early worms? I’ve felt like an early worm many times during my life. . . putting myself out there, going for the experience and sadly falling prey to those more prepared to take advantage of my “green-ness.” But I’ve always learned from those experiences and told myself that I was never going to be an early bird and prey upon those less experienced. . . I would instead be the most “lucky” early worm they ever ran into. How do you feel about luck? What was your luckiest moment and how do you think that luck found you? Share your thoughts here, or on our Facebook Page, where there’s always great conversation.

 

Getting Our House In Order. . .

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It’s another beautiful day here at the Green House! The weather has been odd. . . in a good way, mostly. July- like February. . . March-like April. . .  June-like . . . hopefully JUNE? . . .    As Mark Twain said about New England weather, “WTF?”  That’s not really a verified Mark Twain quote but he must have asked, “what’s the forecast?” as least once or twice in his lifetime.

Things have changed rather abruptly for us in the Green House too as we began looking into the reality of our “business plan” going forward. . .  just like the 80 degree days that popped up out of nowhere in April- the sun began to illuminate a path for us and our work.

Realizing that we have SOOOO much we want to do and just a few months until a new year is upon us, we have decided to do as Pam is doing in today’s comic. Put the “inside” out. . .

“Ohhhh, ahhhh. . . . (the little voices in my writer’s head are saying. . .) Brad– that’s such an mysterious statement. . . is it a metaphor for your life’s ambition?. . . Is it an astral projection?. . . Is the cat at the door with it’s legs crossed?”  All of the above!

In the next few blogs, we’ll be revealing our new path and talk about the steps we’re taking. It’s kind of like we’ve been walking up to the forest and saying, “Yeah! Let’s walk through this thing!”  And then finding the trail head. . .  all the signs pointing to interesting stops we can make along the way. . . so we’re going to put what’s inside us – out to y’all and see what you think.

We’d love to get your feedback and comments about what interesting stops you’ve made along the trail. Did you see a Mantis? A worm? A young couple carrying a houseplant?  There’s fun stuff to see and talk about “out there” and we’re glad you’re here to share it with us. . .  I think you’ll enjoy our new focus.

We’ll be making a big announcement shortly. . . maybe something about a book?  Maybe a new website or two. . . there’s a lot hinging on the month of June!

Now. . .  the “inside part” & “hinging”  and getting our houses in order . . here at the Gilchrist house- my hallway and the two doors that lead to vastly different destinations: the garage and the bathroom. . .  ( I could try to find a common denominator or tie- in here. . . but, um. . . nope . . .    :o)    )

Part of our new focus is about the small steps in the big journey of life. . . how to do it greener, simpler, more consciously. Yes! BE CONSCIOUS Brad. . .  stop ignoring that high-pitched squeek everytime you open a door. . . wow, so many metaphors here that I’ll have to pass, lest I keep you on this blog all day. . .  Here’s my Red Green Tip Of The Day:

 

The squeeky wheel. . . in this case, hinges. . . got their due this morning. After (at least) 1,000 trips to the bathroom and garage, hearing those awful squeeks and ignoring them, I finally decided to play Home Handyman this morning. A few whacks of a hammer. . . the hardest part- getting that pin to pop up out of the paint, not put the screwdriver into the wall or door, and getting that little space to extract . . . pull the pin, steel wool it down a bit and apply a few drops of the miracle 3-in-One oil. . . Note to anyone else who I am inspiring this morning: LEAVE A GAP WHEN YOU REPLACE THE PIN- JUST ENOUGH FOR A SCREWDRIVER HEAD (IN ABOUT 20 YEARS). . . Two doors have been made silent and functional. Yay! As Red Green would say, “If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.”

 

See you in a few days, at the (suddenly more quiet) Green House.

 

Lil’ Ol’ Lady Whoooo? . .

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Apples! WE have so many wonderful orchards here in NW Connecticut- been eating the fruits of Applegate Farms in Canton, CT lately. . . so, here’s a little info on the goodness in this garden of Eden temptation. . .

 

Going for it. . . and hanging on!

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I just broke into the Green & Blacks organic dark chocolate bar (70%). . . it’s 9:30 am. . . I had coffee earlier, my smoothie at 7 am, a few nuts and I’m sitting here staring at the computer trying to figure out what to write about that’s relevant to today’s strip. . . then it came to me. Or called to me. . . the chocolate in the pantry. . . Wormy’s showing me the answer and I’m not even noticing. . . go for it.  The chocolate is calling . . . it’s not like you do it everyday, just grab a piece, savor it and then hang on!

Channel your inner Wormy. Sometimes we just overthink this stuff. A lot of information doesn’t always translate to knowledge or “know how,” or wisdom. . . it’s just stuff there confusing you. When your tummy hurts you need to heal it. . . you need that “gut feeling” and you need to allow a gut reaction.

I’ve been starving at my core for a long time now, trying to put all my knowledge and experience of writing to use for the greater good. The greater good of mankind and Bradkind. . . I need to make this Green House thing my future, my today, my purpose and in all sincerity the part that I’ve been struggling with is the physical writing of it. It’s like there’s a wall in me that I walk up to daily and scribble on. It’s really entertaining if you step back and read it. . . but there’s SO MUCH more on the other side of that wall. So much more space to scribble on. . . and (Holy Wormholes!) . . . there’s a bunch more walls!!!

I think all creative people have a wall. Some walk up to it daily and walk away. .  some walk up and knock down a few bricks until there’s a hole big enough to crawl through. Some run up and vault over it. . . you get the idea. . . I’ve been trying to plan the perfect door to build and calculate all the materials I’ll need to make that door work perfectly. . . but lately I’m jumping. . . a little higher each day. I’m writing stuff on the top of the wall now.

Today I’m throwing a chunk of chocolate over it and then scaling the danged thing to get to that chocolate!  I’m almost to the top and ready to . . . . wowwwww. . . . it’s amaaaazing on the other side. Ready to jump. . . . . . I jumped. . . landed . . .  and the chocolate is delicious.

What’s been holding you back? What’s your wall? Need to talk about it? Need some chocolate? I’m right over here. . . toss me a note or climb over and join me! Crap . . . Wormy just told me he tunnels under the wall everyday. I gotta start paying more attention to that worm.

Comments?

Sensei-tive subject. . .

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This week we introduce Mantis. He’s our sensei, our outspoken guru and leader on spiritual matters at the Green House. The term “sensei” generally implies “teacher,” and that’s the role he plays for Wormy. Wormy has a million questions and it takes spirituality, patience and a sense of humor to be his teacher. . . much like our school teachers, I suppose. Who was your favorite teacher? Mentor? Take a moment today and show gratitude. . . think of them, send them a note or if you have a child still in school, ask them the same question. You could bring them an organic apple. . . it’s okay if it has a worm in it.

 

Perks of the job. . .

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I set up a couple Worm Composters last summer. . . one of the large, multi-tray composters and one small portable one for doing classroom lectures. They’re both doing great and the worms seem happy. . . eating away. Coffee grounds are supposed to be a great “snack” for the worms- as it’s listed in Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm literature. . . and I can’t help thinking that the worms are looking forward to their morning “pile of joe.”

Peter and I are just starting to put together an educational workbook & poster about composting for kids (and adults who like fun pictures with their information). We’re planning to start doing talks for libraries, schools, museums etc for late spring and summer. . . and we’ll be bringing along a tub of hard working worms to show the participants. I just hope they don’t start making me stop at Starbucks on the way to the “gig” for a “jolt.” Although I would kind of like to bring them in and tell the barista that they’d like a Grande Groundaccino.

 

 

In Biblical Portions. . . High Fructose Calamity.

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Finding out what’s actually in your food is not a trivial pursuit. . . is High Fructose Corn Syrup the silent killer in our food? Is it the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse? The actual fourth horseman of our impending demise is Famine. You could say that if you’re eating something with HFCS in it, you aren’t starving, but in reality you are. You’re eating a diet that’s filled with processed foods and additives that make food last longer, cheaper to produce and addictive. You’re giving your body substances that it doesn’t recognize as “food” or fuel and it doesn’t naturally know how to process these additives.  It does what it can with them, but it leads to many problems as we consume more and more. And HFCS isn’t the only bad thing we’re putting in our bodies. . . look at the labels on the so-called “Healthy” stuff in your pantry. . . if you can’t pronounce it, it’s probably not something your body wants to process either.

Below is an article I found on the Huffington Post by Dr. Mark Harmon, that gives you the whole story from a Dr.’s perspective. . . but don’t let it end there. . . start doing some investigation for yourself.  (Side note:  Don’t take everything a “Dr.” has to say as a truth, unless they’re also a qualified Nutritionist and one who is current on nutritional research. . . some Drs only want to prescribe meds to heal your symptoms, instead of tackling the core problem, what you’re putting in your body. All Drs are not created equal. . . Dr. Mark Hyman is on my recommended Expert List, along with many brilliant Nutritionists )-  There’s a new Sugar Detox making the news lately, where you take sugar (in processed form) out of your diet completely. My investigating has taken me a few steps past just the sugar detox- I’m in week 2 of the Microbiome Diet, taking sugar, dairy and grains (gluten) out of my diet and adding prebiotics and probiotics to my system to reconstruct my Microbiome. . . I’d recommend reading up on this to everyone. . .  But for starters, realizing that most food manufacturers don’t care what your ingesting as long as they’re making revenue from it is good information. . .

Dr. Mark Hyman:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/high-fructose-corn-syrup_b_4256220.html

Renaissance physician Paracelsus famously said, “The dose makes the poison,” meaning that even harmless substances can become toxic if you eat enough of them. Many people ask me, “Is high fructose syrup really that bad for you?” And my answer to this question is “Yes,” mainly for this very reason.

In America today, we are eating huge doses of sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup. It is sweeter and cheaper than regular sugar and is in every processed food and sugar-sweetened drink. Purging it from your diet is the single best thing you can do for your health!

In recent history, we’ve gone from 20 teaspoons of sugar per person per year to about 150 pounds of sugar per person per year. That’s a half pound a day for every man, woman, and child in America. The average 20-ounce soda contains 15 teaspoons of sugar, all of it high fructose corn syrup. And when you eat sugar in those doses, it becomes a toxin.

As part of the chemical process used to make high fructose corn syrup, the glucose and fructose — which are naturally bound together — become separated. This allows the fructose to mainline directly into your liver, which turns on a factory of fat production in your liver called lipogenesis.

This leads to fatty liver, the most common disease in America today, affecting 90 million Americans. This, in turn, leads to diabesity — pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. So, high fructose corn syrup is the real driver of the current epidemic of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, dementia, and of course, Type 2 diabetes.

HFCS contains dangerous chemicals and contaminants

Beside the ginormous load of pure fructose and sugar found in HCFS, as an added bonus, it contains other chemical toxins.  Chemical contaminants used during manufacturing end up in the HFCS and in our food.  What we know, for example, is that chloralkali is used in making high fructose corn syrup. Chloralkai contains mercury. And there are trace amounts of mercury found in high fructose corn syrup-containing beverages. Now, it may not be a problem if we eat this occasionally, but the average person in the country consumes more than 20 teaspoons a day of high fructose corn syrup and the average teenager has 34 teaspoons a day. Over time, these heavy metals can accumulate in the body, causing health problems.

Additionally, when we look at the chemical components of high fructose corn syrup on a spectrograph, we can see that it contains many weird chemicals that we know nothing about. That’s why I say better safe than sorry.

Look out for the red flag

The main reason you should give up high fructose corn syrup is that it’s a big red flag for very poor quality food. If you see this ingredient on a label, I guarantee you the food is processed junk. So, if high fructose corn syrup is anywhere on the label, put it back on the shelf. You should never eat this food.

If you want to stay healthy, lose weight easily, get rid of chronic disease, and help reduce the obesity epidemic, the single most important thing you can do is eliminate high fructose corn syrup from your diet and from your children’s diet. Just banish it from your house.

Purge your kitchen

I challenge you to go into your kitchen right now, go in the cupboard and refrigerator, and look at every single label. And I want you to count how many products you have right now in your house that contain high fructose corn syrup. Then, I want you to get a big garbage bag and throw them out and find replacements that are free of it.

If you want to have some sugar, that’s fine. Have a little sugar, but add it to your food yourself. Don’t eat food made with added sugar. Cut the high fructose corn syrup from your life forever. You’ll be healthier. Our planet will be healthier. And we’ll have a healthier generation of children.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

Mark Hyman, MD is a practicing physician, founder of The UltraWellness Center, a six-time New York Times bestselling author, and an international leader in the field of Functional Medicine. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on YouTube, become a fan on Facebook, and subscribe to his newsletter.

For more by Mark Hyman, MD, click here.

For more on personal health, click here.

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Corn Syrup Personal Health Food as Medicine Hfcs Nutrition High Fructose Corn Syrup Diet and Nutrition Food for Thought

“Living with Ed & Co-Eds”

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I found this comic from 2007 where we reference “Girls Gone Wild” and one of my favorite shows, “Living With Ed.”  Personally, I’m so happy that the “GGW” thing is in our past. . . it always pissed me off how these people were using young women and denegrading them. . . we’re all young and impressionable at some point- why do people have to abuse innocence for profit? If girls want to get topless, fine. . . I’m not against that. . . but getting them drunk and selling their images pisses me off.

“Living with Ed” was fun though. . . I liked how he was struggling to have his wife and family see his “visions.” Ed Begley, Jr. continues to be a role model for me. . . keep seeking information and live by example. I should talk to Ed about having topless girls on a new show introducing new energy concepts and helping Ed clean his solar panels. . . Girls Gone Eco?

I emailed Ed back in 2007, showing him our work and his caricature- and he replied in person, telling me (and Peter) to keep at the Green House, that we were ‘kindred spirits and he was glad we connected with him.’ Really nice guy who loves to share information. . . I like his style. He has a new book out about Sustainability and a great website: http://www.livingwithed.com

Here’s a great interview with Ed, where he gives us a fantastic tour of his home and his sustainable concepts. . . he should be an inspiration to everyone. . . he is to me.

 

Seat of The Soul Revistited

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INTENTION and How To Find YOUR Authentic Self & Spiritual Path in a Comic Strip. . .

That one little moment. . . when you peek out from under the covers, see a tiny ray of light shining through the curtain, and something awakens deep within you. . . that awakens the whole of you and gives you the strength to get out of bed and seek the light. . .

Yes, it’s all there on a tiny note under the shoe that Mantis is meditating on. It’s about INTENT. I intend to keep this post brief so more of you will read it. . . so I won’t elaborate each point. . . but Peter Menice has been a sensei to me and hundreds of other people. . . he’s been my Mantis since we began the Green House, whether he likes it or not, he has often been the teacher and the light. He led me to Gary Zukov, Oprah Winfrey and Jim Carrey. . .

I wrote a fun little strip about Mantis trying to meditate while Link is digging through some Swap Shack CD’s. . . both are seeking nirvana. . . one finds Pearl Jam. Some may be seeking Pearl Jam and find Nirvana. . . which is how Peter works his sensei magic. Peter takes my “gag” (what cartoonists chokingly call a strip idea- no, I don’t think “chokingly” is a word, but it fits the description). . . so he takes my gag, and places Mantis on an old shoe and puts a tiny note on the bottom of the sole. . . “Seat of the Sole.”  Days later, while we’re discussing the gag, Peter barely mentions the note, except with a few words that carried a tone of satisfaction that he shared a message that is both a good pun and a valuable lesson.

I said I’d keep this brief, so I’ll just let you take the same little journey I took. . . I googled, I found, “The Seat of the Soul,” by Gary Zukov. . . I read some excerpts. . . I found that Oprah Winfrey credits “The Seat of the Soul” with changing her life and how she conducts herself and her business. . . discovering the power of Intent, which told her that “Intention is at the heart of authentic power. . . how do we intend to serve?” Learning about Intention from Zukov’s book changed her life in a powerful, spiritual and authentic way. I also found a profound piece by Jim Carrey. . .

If you’re reading this, you’re finding the note on the bottom of a shoe and you may be thinking, “I’m going to put that shoe on and find a path.” I’d recommend putting two shoes on and make the trip more comfortable. . . so I’ll share two quick videos here. Fifteen minutes total that could change your life. AND. . . ( just a little inside tip from the Swap Shack)- The Audio Book of “The Seat of the Soul” is available on YouTube completely free. Thank you, Mantis. . . thank you, Peter!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEOW_uhF8bk

Take Your Meds or Med-itation for Motivation. . .

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In the creative moment, there’s one side of me that wants to check out mentally and meditate . . . and there’s the other side that is struggling to create the piece, whether it’s writing, art or any project.  Finding the balance is the key- and for me, I’ve  always been able to find the creative spot of productivity easier with a partner.  I have the hardest time doing work when it’s just “me.” Put me in a room with someone else and I’m a brilliant, creative dynamo. . . by myself, I seem to start creating a second (or third) personality so my brain has someone else to play with, get approval from, create synergy.  I’m always happy, energized, excited by the opportunity to solve a problem for someone else.  By myself, I think about it WAAAAY to much.

Everything gets twisted up and complicated when I’m trying to work by myself.  But when I’m working with Peter, I get it done- the cords get neatly wrapped and the solar panel is connected and producing energy.

Maybe it’d be easier to be a worm and draw another face on my tail to create that second entity in my mind. . . Any thoughts. . . please share them, I need the connection. . . :0)

Cloudy with chance of sniffles. . .

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It’s Herbal Awareness Month. . . not really, but I couldn’t figure out an attention-getting opening line. I’m a little under the weather today. . . my brain’s a bit cloudy and I do have the sniffles. I do not have any Echinacea tea in the cupboard, but will be getting some later today. Meanwhile, Link is healing up from his fever and you’ll be getting to know him a bit more tomorrow. In the meantime, you might want to check out another “link” below and get a quick description of the benefits of Echinacea and 12 ways to use it. We have lots of it planted in our perennial garden and I can attest that the bees and butterflies love it! It’s just starting to pop out of the ground now, so here’s a pic of what it will hopefully look like in a few months. . . monarch and all- although we seem to attract a lot of yellow swallowtails. . . enjoy the article!

http://www.diynatural.com/echinacea-benefits/

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Mr. Breeze. . .

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I love this throw back strip from 2007 as it shows our liberal blogger being honest about another liberal’s potential.

If you can’t win an election, at least do something positive and create a different kind of power for the party.

Concepts for collection of power from wind turbines have certainly grown in eight years . . . check out the wind trees in this video- slated for mass production in early 2016 . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvWYVoCwjBY

“Link-ed” In. . .

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This week we’ll be introducing you to our liberal blogging rat, Lincoln. . . his friends call him Link. He loves everything from the 1960’s and idolizes John Lennon (hence his usual army shirt outfit, round glasses and long hair). His blog is called, “Link’s Underground,” and you’ll see Pam & Todd reading his blog on occasion at The Green House.

Writing a comic strip with environmental themes, we naturally attract a more liberal audience. Often it’s of the extreme liberal variety. When we first started The Green House, we would get “strong” suggestions to get really liberal with our story lines, but our goal was to always keep a good balance. Link gave us the ability to get a little “out there” and have fun poking fun at the extreme right wing media, especially Rush Limbaugh, whom Link loathes. . . but also listens to. Maybe it’s the old “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” philosophy, but he listens, as do I from time to time.

As time has gone by, I find myself inclined to mellow out Link’s attitude a bit, and have him be more into technology and pushing the green agenda more than being political- although sometimes those topics intertwine. To be totally honest, it’s just that politics are a subject I’d rather not focus on in my writing. There’s so much greater good I can do finding humor in everyday life. . . it reaches a broader audience and tells the kind of stories I like to tell. It’s also too easy to fall into a reactionary position and spend too much time in negativity and the hot political topic of the media day.  I do LOVE how Walt Kelly handled politics “back in the day” with Pogo. . . but I don’t feel that’s where Peter an my strengths are as story tellers. In that regard, it’s important to have well defined characters with easy to recognize personalities. Link is a character with a lot of character- and personality. It’ll be fun sharing his quirkiness with you. He angers easily, but is also a true friend. We hope you enjoy spending some time with him this week.

As Kelly and Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” I don’t want to be my own enemy in the world of promoting green concepts and lifestyle. I don’t want to preach my philosophy, but instead depict a world where our characters are positive role models, working to find peace and harmony. . . along with a few laughs along the way. For ideally, that’s what life should be about. . . and I believe Walt Kelly and John Lennon would approve.

In Biblical Portions. . .

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Finding out what’s actually in your food is not a trivial pursuit. . . is High Fructose Corn Syrup the silent killer in our food? Is it the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse? The actual fourth horseman of our impending demise is Famine. You could say that if you’re eating something with HFCS in it, you aren’t starving, but in reality you are. You’re eating a diet that’s filled with processed foods and additives that make food last longer, cheaper to produce and addictive. You’re giving your body substances that it doesn’t recognize as “food” or fuel and it doesn’t naturally know how to process these additives.  It does what it can with them, but it leads to many problems as we consume more and more. And HFCS isn’t the only bad thing we’re putting in our bodies. . . look at the labels on the so-called “Healthy” stuff in your pantry. . . if you can’t pronounce it, it’s probably not something your body wants to process either.

Below is an article I found on the Huffington Post by Dr. Mark Harmon, that gives you the whole story from a Dr.’s perspective. . . but don’t let it end there. . . start doing some investigation for yourself.  (Side note:  Don’t take everything a “Dr.” has to say as a truth, unless they’re also a qualified Nutritionist and one who is current on nutritional research. . . some Drs only want to prescribe meds to heal your symptoms, instead of tackling the core problem, what you’re putting in your body. All Drs are not created equal. . . Dr. Mark Hyman is on my recommended Expert List, along with many brilliant Nutritionists )-  There’s a new Sugar Detox making the news lately, where you take sugar (in processed form) out of your diet completely. My investigating has taken me a few steps past just the sugar detox- I’m in week 2 of the Microbiome Diet, taking sugar, dairy and grains (gluten) out of my diet and adding prebiotics and probiotics to my system to reconstruct my Microbiome. . . I’d recommend reading up on this to everyone. . .  But for starters, realizing that most food manufacturers don’t care what your ingesting as long as they’re making revenue from it is good information. . .

Dr. Mark Hyman:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/high-fructose-corn-syrup_b_4256220.html

Renaissance physician Paracelsus famously said, “The dose makes the poison,” meaning that even harmless substances can become toxic if you eat enough of them. Many people ask me, “Is high fructose syrup really that bad for you?” And my answer to this question is “Yes,” mainly for this very reason.

In America today, we are eating huge doses of sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup. It is sweeter and cheaper than regular sugar and is in every processed food and sugar-sweetened drink. Purging it from your diet is the single best thing you can do for your health!

In recent history, we’ve gone from 20 teaspoons of sugar per person per year to about 150 pounds of sugar per person per year. That’s a half pound a day for every man, woman, and child in America. The average 20-ounce soda contains 15 teaspoons of sugar, all of it high fructose corn syrup. And when you eat sugar in those doses, it becomes a toxin.

As part of the chemical process used to make high fructose corn syrup, the glucose and fructose — which are naturally bound together — become separated. This allows the fructose to mainline directly into your liver, which turns on a factory of fat production in your liver called lipogenesis.

This leads to fatty liver, the most common disease in America today, affecting 90 million Americans. This, in turn, leads to diabesity — pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. So, high fructose corn syrup is the real driver of the current epidemic of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, dementia, and of course, Type 2 diabetes.

HFCS contains dangerous chemicals and contaminants

Beside the ginormous load of pure fructose and sugar found in HCFS, as an added bonus, it contains other chemical toxins.  Chemical contaminants used during manufacturing end up in the HFCS and in our food.  What we know, for example, is that chloralkali is used in making high fructose corn syrup. Chloralkai contains mercury. And there are trace amounts of mercury found in high fructose corn syrup-containing beverages. Now, it may not be a problem if we eat this occasionally, but the average person in the country consumes more than 20 teaspoons a day of high fructose corn syrup and the average teenager has 34 teaspoons a day. Over time, these heavy metals can accumulate in the body, causing health problems.

Additionally, when we look at the chemical components of high fructose corn syrup on a spectrograph, we can see that it contains many weird chemicals that we know nothing about. That’s why I say better safe than sorry.

Look out for the red flag

The main reason you should give up high fructose corn syrup is that it’s a big red flag for very poor quality food. If you see this ingredient on a label, I guarantee you the food is processed junk. So, if high fructose corn syrup is anywhere on the label, put it back on the shelf. You should never eat this food.

If you want to stay healthy, lose weight easily, get rid of chronic disease, and help reduce the obesity epidemic, the single most important thing you can do is eliminate high fructose corn syrup from your diet and from your children’s diet. Just banish it from your house.

Purge your kitchen

I challenge you to go into your kitchen right now, go in the cupboard and refrigerator, and look at every single label. And I want you to count how many products you have right now in your house that contain high fructose corn syrup. Then, I want you to get a big garbage bag and throw them out and find replacements that are free of it.

If you want to have some sugar, that’s fine. Have a little sugar, but add it to your food yourself. Don’t eat food made with added sugar. Cut the high fructose corn syrup from your life forever. You’ll be healthier. Our planet will be healthier. And we’ll have a healthier generation of children.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

Mark Hyman, MD is a practicing physician, founder of The UltraWellness Center, a six-time New York Times bestselling author, and an international leader in the field of Functional Medicine. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on YouTube, become a fan on Facebook, and subscribe to his newsletter.

For more by Mark Hyman, MD, click here.

For more on personal health, click here.

Oooommmm. . . My, My. . .

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It’s Wednesday. . . “Hump Day”. . .  a good day to let yourself get a little silly and groove any tune that may float in to your head.

Mantis is taking his role as a sensei seriously and not letting Wormy see his fun side. . . at least not yet.  I think if he did start banging out a tune by the Rivingtons, he’d find Wormy shaking his tail, finding his groove and most likely doing “The Worm.”

Seriously, who could meditate with that song in your head? Now here’s the real music geek insider stuff. . . The Rivington’s started out as a group called The Sharps and had a hit with a cover of the song, “Little Bitty Pretty One” in 1957. After a name change, in 1962 they had a big hit with a silly titled song, “Pa Pa Oom Mow Mow.”  They followed that quickly with another hit- a song with perhaps an even stranger title, “The Bird’s The Word.” Then, they tried recreating the “Oom Mow Mow Magic” by recording a follow up, “Mama Oom Mow Mow.” Not such a big hit. . .

To make the strange even stranger, in 1963, a group from Minnesota called The Trashmen, put “Pa Pa Oom Mow Mow” and “The Bird’s The Word” together as a new song called, “Surfin’ Bird.” Believe it or not, my older brothers, Joe & Mike owned this 45 and I played it a lot. The whole thing gets sillier as The Trashmen recorded the song, never crediting The Rivingtons for their input, which was basically the whole song. They later were threatened with legal action and gave the Rivingtons writing credit. Wow. . .  Wednesday’s are fun, aren’t they? I’ve been deliberating over which version to share with you, but I think you need to see The Trashmen’s version first. . . (yes, there actually is a video of a live performance of this song) and if you think the whole concept is weird,  you’re right- but watch the video anyway!  Then imagine Mantis breaking into the “final dance.”   Steve Wahrer was the group’s drummer, not lead singer, but his vocals and performance here may have inspired many future legends. . . David Byrne  comes to mind.

For the purists, The Rivingtons version is just below (along with another surprise!).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICsBw6zJRSM

Ah, at least these guys have some real vocal talent! But, it doesn’t end here. . . Family Guy loves the song too. . .

And I hope to never, ever, ever top this as the strangest blog post ever. You’re welcome!  Share this if you dare. . .

 

 

 

The Inconvenience of Truth

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“The truth shall set you free.”

~Jesus (John 8:32)

Trending now are some really funny memes with Brian Williams- photoshopped as the Captain of the Starship Enterprise- standing alongside Lincoln and Grant in a Civil War spoof. . . In Brian Williams case, the truth may free him from employment. What bothers me most is that a man of his stature can’t just say, ” I lied, sorry.”  It’s the careful fabrication of words, like: ” I mis-remembered the event,” and chalking it up to the “fog of memory” that disgust me.

The truth is often inconvenient, but it truly does set one free. I understand lying. As a kid, I learned how to do it as a survival skill. . . as a young adult,  I learned that it’s all part of the game of celebrity. . . fabricate a line or event a little to make you seem more important, get yourself out of a gig you don’t want to do. . . Use it as a weapon to gain space without hurting other’s feelings. . . a hundred, thousand, million “good” reasons for lying.

I heard this from a friend recently. . . “To be totally honest, I still lie on occasion.”

Huh?

Here’s another great quote:

“Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving.”

~James E. Faust

The most important changes you can make in the world are those you first make within yourself. The truth sets you free and allows you to live in freedom.

Last fall, during a family visit, my cousin’s daughter, Ginger,  said three words that struck a deep and resonating chord in me-  and made my heart sing for her. In a conversation we were having with her and her parents, Greg & Debbie, she replied to her Dad, “I don’t lie.” And she meant it.

Ginger is totally free. Her life may be occasionally inconvenienced, but she will always be free.

Three words that in this world can mean a future filled with happiness. If you never lie, you are always living in truth. Amen, Ginger. Keep it real, keep it honest.

What are your thoughts on Brian and inconvenient truths? Do you think Ginger should be the new NBC Nightly News Anchor? As always, join us on Facebook where we can share a great, truthful dialogue. . .

Greg, Ginger & Debbie Schiff

“Catching Some Rays at Fenway.”

 

Deep Thoughts, Warm Places

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Yesterday I told you about my Mom, and taking her to see “An Inconvenient Truth.” She was moved to start learning more about environmentalism by the movie. . . and my final takeaway from our discussion over REAL ENVIRONMENTAL TRUTHS, was that if the movie got her interested in learning, it served a positive purpose.

Wormy is looking at global warming from his own perspective. . . how he feels it- which is how most of us should be looking at it. What feels right? What seems to be furthering someone else’s agenda? From my perspective, I’m okay with being wrong. . . or being told I’m wrong, as long as it opens a dialogue and we can share our individual perspectives. Whatever subject we want to approach in conversation or a comic strip is going to meet with varying opinion and perspective. I’m okay with being “schooled.” I invite it!

I don’t ever want to stop learning or hearing someone’s  point of view. . or “poit” of view. . .     If you look closely at the first panel, Peter chose a great sound effect for Wormy popping up out of the ground. . . “poit!”  Great word, with no meaning unless you know where it’s coming from. In Wormy’s case, he’s coming from a place of deep thinking and warmth. What more could I ask for?

Do you have a good story to share about perspective or are you wondering what song Link was playing on guitar? (Hint: It will be featured in Thursday’s Comic/Post) . . . as always, the best place to share our comments and thoughts is on our Facebook page. . . pop in and share. “Poit!”