Tag Archives: Health

I got so mad I bought a bike.

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The Gulf spill has me so angry, I often can’t articulate passed “I’m really fucking pissed!” followed by grunting and a tightening of my stomach. I was thinking about how mad I was at BP, but then it occurred to me: Who’s really to blame? Who keeps BP in business? We do. Everyone who buys their gas or products is to blame. Our sickening dependence on oil is why this happened. Blame BP all you want, but the truth is that while yes, they are indeed hell bent on destroying the planet, we most certainly give them the money to do it. Even I, friend to the Earth, buy my gasoline at ARCO. No more.

As with all these situations of planetary crisis, I ask myself what I can do. What can I change? First off, I’m boycotting BP and all their brands: BP, AMPM, Aral, ARCO, BP Travel Centre, BP Connect, BP Shop, BP 2go, and Castrol. Anything with BP in it…boycotted.

Secondly, I used this disaster as the final push to get that bike I’ve been dreaming about for ages. My master plan includes two bikes: My 3-wheeler with a basket for shopping and my 1974 Schwinn Breeze for getting around town. Right. Excellent. I’ve got the bikes, now what? I haven’t rode a bike since I was 12. While I’ve never been totally out of shape, I’ve never been in great shape. Turns out, riding a bike is hard work – especially around Pasadena which is incline-city. I found out on Friday how a minor incline doesn’t even occur to you in a car, but it really kicks your ass on a bike. The good news is, it gets easier.

Day One I just about died, but I hit it again the next day and the next and the next, going further and further each day. Sure my knees are now more apparent to me and my ass is complaining, but you know what? Riding a bike is damned fun! Holy crap is it fun! I feel free, the breeze on my face, working up a sweat on those baby inclines and then gliding all the way back home. The best part is, BP can suck it.

In the real world, I don’t actually live in riding or walking distance of all the places I need or want to go. For work, I need my car and will use it for out of town excursions and trips I don’t have time to bike to. What I figure is that I can cut my driving by half which means I buy half as much gasoline. I’ll save money, I’m pretty sure I’ve already lost some weight, I’ll get healthy, and I feel pretty darned good about myself. I’m gonna pat myself on the back…hang on. OK. Dude, I seriously deserve it. I’m putting my money where my mouth is and in my own way, I’m sending BP et al. a message: “Fuck off“.

Biking half the time doesn’t solve the problem. It does a bit and I feel pretty great about it, but one person biking half the time doesn’t make a big enough dent. We all need to figure out ways to drive less, walk more, bike more, save ourselves, save the planet, and send a real message to these assholes who are cashing in by killing our home.

Some tips:

1. Google has walking, biking, and public transit directions for just about everywhere now. Use it. I’ve been charting my bike routes with it and it’s great.
2. Buy a bike. I got both of mine on Craigslist – sweet little vintage numbers that need a little TLC, but work great for under $200.00.
3. Don’t drive if it’s a mile or less. A mile is less than you think. Walk or bike.
4. Read this: No Excuses! Ride a bike.

You’re pissed about the oil spill too. So what are you gonna do about it?

Parasites in my belly. I know. Gross, right?

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For the last two years, I’ve suffered with eczema. It popped up out of nowhere after my Dad died. All the stress, I guess. At times, it was pretty horrendous. Since then, I’ve attempted to find a natural cure and have come to the conclusion that the only way to totally rid myself of eczema is to change my life. This means, changing the products I use and the food I eat – drinking more water, exercising, sleeping better. I’ve also been working myself up to doing various cleanses. I’m following a protocol recommended by www.curezone.com – which is this gigantic website filled with a gazillion facts, articles, forums, and information about healing yourself with natural remedies.

About Cure Zone: I love the concept and I love that thousands of people are coming together to heal themselves. What I hate about it is that it is THE most confusing website I’ve ever been to. It is so bogged down with information, none of it is really organized or cataloged very well, it’s just this big mess of links and info. It drives me crazy and it actually takes a while to find what you’re looking for…even when you use their search function. Their forums use the old fashioned thread style – which I hate. When you click on a topic, it takes you to the first post, but in order to see the follow ups, you have a click a link that opens a new window. Every time. Furthermore, there are literally THOUSANDS of topics to filter through – which makes finding the information you need, a chore. What’s worse is the forum doesn’t have it’s own search function, it uses Google Search which is far too broad and not very intuitive. Anyway, it’s a crappy website with lots of good information…when you can find it.

That said, AJB and I started a parasite cleanse this on Friday as part of an entire list of various cleanses that need to be done in a certain order. I thought, alright, what the hell? Can’t hurt. It’s just herbs. I wasn’t sure I believed in creepy, Tales from the Crypt worms living in your gut until this morning. Without going into too much graphic bathroom detail, I believe worms live in my gut. They do and I’ve seen them. First of all, it’s horrifying and I’m trying not to think about it. AJB also experienced an anomaly he couldn’t explain. OK, so I’m sold. I’ve got worms. AJB has worms. I think everyone does. We all must. It’s not the sweetest thing to think about, but the fact that I’ve seen it with my own eyes proves that I’m onto something.

The parasite cleanse is rather simple. You start with 3 herbs (black walnut, wormwood, and *cloves). You take them at 3 different intervals during the day and that’s it. Voila! Worm expulsion! We’re on an 18 day treatment, which should eradicate most of the worms living in our bodies.

What’s the point? Parasites can cause all kinds of uncomfortable problems like anemia, asthma, diarrhea, digestive disorders, fatigue, low immune system, nervousness, and skin rash. You see my point? I believe that eczema is a outer reaction to an internal problem. Solve the inner problem and the outer problem goes along with it. Regular doctors can’t help me. I’ve tried. All they can do it treat the symptoms, not the causes. My sister likes to say that we human beings don’t come with operation manuals on how to fix ourselves, but if we take the time to figure it out, it’s simple. I’m paraphrasing, but something like that. The American diet is a death sentence. It’s filled with so much bad crap, it’s no wonder so many people are sick. Think about it, if we all ate healthy, took care of ourselves, and did a cleanse once a year, how many life threatening illnesses simply would not exist? Did the ancient people of the world have restless leg syndrome or cancer? Did they have insomnia or IBS? If so, how did they treat themselves?

I could get into a gigantic rant about medical doctors, the medical industry, and why it’s a good idea to heal yourself, but I haven’t got that kind of time. I think most people, deep down, realize it’s right. I’m not here to preach, either. I’m just doing it because I believe it’s best for me and I’ve seen results.

*Makes you burp clove smell – which is actually kind of nice and reminds me of my old clubbing days at Helter Skelter.