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HOW HATH THE MIGHTY FALLEN

October 4, 2013 by Paul Hirsch Leave a Comment

There won’t be a parade down Market Street for the Giants this month. In fact, as of this writing they had a good chance to be the first team since the 1998 Marlins to finish last in their division the year after winning the World Series. How did this happen? The Giants returned all their core players besides Aubrey Huff and Ryan Theriot, and they both were minor contributors to the 2012 Championship. And that may be the problem.

In pro sports these days if you stay the same you’re probably losing ground. Yes, centerfielder Angel Pagan got hurt, but he’s just one player and not enough of a difference maker to cause the steep falloff this season. Instead, let’s examine the top players who played most of both seasons with the Giants and see if we can understand what happened.

Matt Cain

Basically, Cain went from being an ace level pitcher to a replacement level player making $20 million. Injured in August, Cain was 8-8 with a 4.43 ERA for 2013 compared to 16-5 with a 2.79 ERA last year.

Tim Lincecum

The Freak has been on a downhill slide ever since he signed a two year, $40 million contract after the 2011 season. This year, even figuring in the no hitter he had on July 13 against San Diego, Lincecum has delivered a below replacement level performance. He is 18-28 over the past two seasons with an ERA of about 5.00.

Pablo Sandoval

The most important stat about Sandoval, his weight, is only available as an approximation, but suffice to say the Giants are concerned enough that manager Bruce Bochy called him out publicly earlier this season. His performance has suffered in a measurable way. A .297 career hitter who in the past has delivered seasons where he hit .330 and .315, Sandoval this year is hitting .270 and is operating at only about one game above replacement level.

Buster Posey

It may not be fair to compare Posey to a season where he was declared the 2012 MVP, but it shines a light on the decline of his teammates as his RBIs, basically a function of his teammate’s ability to get on base ahead of him, have declined about 30 per cent. His batting average is also down about 35 points.

Barry Zito

What is it about pitchers who draw $20 million annual salaries from the Giants? Everyone’s favorite whipping boy since he signed with the Giants for $126 million over seven years before the 2007 season, he has reached epic lows this year, especially on the road. Away from AT&T Park this year in 13 games totaling 49 innings he is 0-8 with a 9.25 ERA. Opposing hitters are hitting .401 against him (in other words every hitter is Ted Williams in his best year) and slugging at a .600 clip (.500 is considered excellent). The good news is that Zito’s contract is up at the end of the season. The bad news is that the Giants owe him a $7 million buyout of they don’t pick up his $18 million option.

It will be interesting to see what the Giants do for the 2014 season. They have Cain and Posey signed for the next five years but otherwise are relatively flexible. The farm system is barren at the highest levels as the result of deals to aid recent pennant races that led to two World Series Championships in the last three years. Their choice seems to be rebuilding slowly through the draft or spending big bucks on free agents while hoping their core players rebound.

After an unprecedented run the last three years, the party at AT&T Park may be on hold for a while.

The Bells at Berkeley

October 4, 2013 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

Campanile: a bell and clock tower

One of the most historic, visible and all-encompassing landmarks in the Bay Area is most certainly the Campanile, on the University of California, Berkeley campus. It is one of the most enduring and well-known structures in Northern California.

The Carillon

Inside the tower is a musical instrument called a carillon. The carillon is a set of bronze-cast tuned bells that are cup-shaped in construction. They are attached to a keyboard with levers and wires to activate a metal clapper inside the bells. The performer or carillonneur, or a more contemporary title – carillonist, can alter the intensity of the sound by the force applied to the key. The carillonist usually plays the keys by a loosely closed fist. The keys, that are stick-like, sometimes called batons, are arranged like a piano keyboard. The large and heavier bells are usually played with the foot-pedal keyboard.

The smallest bell weighs 19 pounds and the largest, called “The Great Bear Bell,” weighs 10,500 pounds. Some of the larger extant carillons can weigh as much as 100 tons. Obviously, the structure that houses the weight of these bells must be very strong and massive.

Sibyl Marcuse, in her book, Musical Instruments, defines a carillon as “A set of tuned bells hung dead, i.e. stationary, in a tower or church belfry played from a keyboard, automatically by clockwork or by an electrically controlled pneumatic mechanism.” The difference between a carillon and a bell-chime is merely one of compass; any set of bells of more than one and a half to two octaves is considered a carillon.

“In the 15^th through the18^th century carillons became extremely popular and achieved a high degree of perfection in the low-countries of Belgium, Netherlands and northern France. In the 19^th century they spread to England and then to America,” according to the Harvard Dictionary of Music.

The Campanile

The proper name of the Berkeley Campanile is Sather Tower, named for its benefactress, Jane K. Sather. She gifted the tower to the university in 1914, along with the first set of 12 bells that are still housed today in the Campanile. The bells are inscribed with Sather’s name and year of the gift. She also gave the university the classic ornate gate that is named for her husband, Norwegian-born banker, Peder Sather. It is the formal south entrance to the campus, called Sather Gate.

Sather Tower is a Campanile designed by John Galen Howard, founder of the College of Environmental Design, to resemble the Campanile di San Marco in Venice, Italy. The tower is 307 feet tall. At this height it is the third highest bell and clock tower in the world. On the eighth or top floor, is the observation deck that houses the enclosure for the keyboard and foot pedals of the Carillon. When one goes up in the elevator to the observation deck ancient fossils and other artifacts can be seen on various floors. The fossils are from the Department of Integrative Biology and include many from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.

Berkeley Bells

The bells were first installed in October 1917. The delay was due to World War I. The original 12 bells were not enough to play many tunes including The National Anthem. It took many decades to remedy this dilemma until, in 1978, the class of 1928 decided to make a gift to enlarge the carillon to 48 bells. The new carillon, with the 12 original bells, was installed in 1979.

Another generous gift to the university came about in 1983. Jerry Chambers, a member of the class of 1928, and his wife, Evelyn, (and the class of 1928) gave an endowment for the enlargement of the instrument to 61 bells making it a fully chromatic five-octave concert carillon. With the endowment for the instrument, money was set aside for two practice keyboards and a full-time position for the university carillonist, who is presently Jeff Davis. The entire carillon program is funded by the Chambers endowment.

The UC carillon program is reputed to be one of the most active and complete programs, not only in the United States, but in the entire world. The instructional program offers both private and group instruction through the department of music. There is a professional staff and four artist performers plus advanced student performers.

You can hear the carillon performances daily on the Berkeley campus. For performance schedules, admission prices and other information, go to http://visitors.berkeley.edu/camp/

Go hear for yourself the beautiful sounds of this historic and famous carillon at UC Berkeley. It is well worth a visit to the campus and I’m sure you will enjoy hearing this wonderful musical treasure.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net

Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville

Community Band.

Bed of Roses: A Movie Review

October 4, 2013 by Carolyn Hastings Leave a Comment

Baggage, we’ve all got it. Sometimes we push it down so deep, we almost forget about it. It’s the kind of thing that comes out when you’re sitting on the sofa with a sibling at 2:00 AM. Whether you call it baggage or just history, it’s there. In some ways we are who we are because of it…or in spite of it. None of us are a clean slate.

Lisa (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a successful business executive who has gotten used to being alone but doesn’t like it very much. Abandoned by her birth parents, she then spent most of her life being raised by Stanley (S. A. Griffin). Stanley was her abusive foster father who never really loved Lisa after her adopted mother died. One day Lisa is on an important business trip and gets a call that Stanley has died. At first she doesn’t feel much. She goes about making arrangements and visiting the grave almost by rote, but she comes home exhausted and finds her pet fish dead as well. The dam bursts and Lisa releases years of emotion in racking sobs. Lewis (Christian Slater) is taking another of his nocturnal walks and looks up to see Lisa through a window. Christian is so moved by her grief that he follows her to work the next morning, finds out her name and delivers a beautiful arrangement of flowers to her office. Lisa has a boyfriend (Josh Brolin) who is just as self-absorbed as she is and their relationship is primarily one of convenience. Mary becomes obsessed with finding out who sent the flowers since her boyfriend didn’t, and goes on a mission to find the giver. She eventually finds Lewis and a relationship begins.

Lewis has baggage of his own. He owns a florist business…for a reason. He loves to deliver his flowers just to see the happiness on the faces. Of course, as in any good romance, Lewis is not a schlock. He is educated and had been very successful in another life, the self-absorbed life he lived before his own tragedy. He understands Lisa.

Bed of Roses is a beautiful story about letting go and living. It’s one of my all-time favorites in the romance category even though it was released in 1996. Mary Stuart Masterson and Christian Slater are both amazingly talented. They are also believable because they are a bit quirky, and relatable because they’re not necessarily considered two of the Hollywood “beautiful people.”

So when the weather starts to turn chilly and a fire in the fireplace sounds appealing, make some popcorn and curl up on the sofa for a wonderful evening of entertainment. It won’t knock your socks off but it just might let you have some pleasant dreams.

My hope is that you’ve all found someone in your life in which you can trust your “baggage.” As always, I invite your comments at chastings@rockcliff.com.

MAYFLOWER MIGRANT MYSTERIES

October 4, 2013 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

A thousand tales have been spun about the Mayflower immigrants who ventured to our shores in 1620, but there is more to the colonization story. My curiosity was ignited when colleague, Joe Silva, and I were volunteer appraisers at the Danville Railroad Museum. As appraisers and avid history buffs, we chatted about Pilgrim stories, as my recent DNA results hinted that a distant relative may be a Mayflower descendent, and I boasted the possibility of having a feather in my heretofore, unknown colonial cap.

Joe Silva added that over 20 million Americans can lay claim as Mayflower descendants, thus deflating the importance of my belonging to this historic gene pool. He revealed that he is English-Scottish-Mexican, and direct descendent of John Billington, the first man to be hanged in New England for murder. Well I knew there were more salacious stories than just turkey dinners and Pilgrims, so I researched the subject. I discovered many kernels of scandal about Virginia plantation speculators, and the God-fearing Pilgrims, that went far beyond the history books.

The biggest shock was the indentured child labor practices in the Colonies, and how little boys and girls were rounded up for transportation. It was common knowledge that pressers “shanghaied” sailors for service on the high seas, but corralling very young street children to work in the Colonies surprised me.

One such incident darkens the Mayflower’s auspicious history. In 1620, four small children, under the age of eight, were brought to New England shores as indentured servants to work as planters in Virginia. Ellen More was only eight; Jasper was seven, Richard, six, and Mary was four years old. The siblings were listed as servants. Three of the More children died during the bitter cold, one winter onboard the Mayflower anchored in the harbor, and six-year old Richard More was the only survivor of the four siblings.

Richard More lived to tell the story. He was thrice married, had children, and became a sea captain. He died at 84 in Salem, as marked on the original gravestone. He is regarded as the only Mayflower passenger to have had royal blood; related to William the Conqueror, Henry I, and Edward I, II and III.

The story of how these four children came to be on the Mayflower is heartbreaking. Their father purposely disposed of the children by banishing them to work the fields of Virginia. London was a microcosm of Britain’s social ills, decrepit laws, and those left in the wake of the pursuit of 17^th century expansionism. The gentrified landowners paid laborers a pittance, and the death and neglect of unwanted children was rampant. Beggar waifs blighted the streets, and to rid cities of crime, authorities rounded up little children and condemned them to labor in the colonies.

But the four More children aboard the Mayflower were not poor street waifs, as their families were wealthy landowners. Samuel More inherited title to the Larden estate by marrying his first cousin, Katherine More, seven years his senior. It was not until 1959 that documents discovered in an attic, revealed what really happened three centuries earlier, in 1620.

Samuel More, of Shropshire, was lord of the vast estate through the arranged marriage, as women could not inherit property. The Mores leased a portion of the property to the Blaskeway clan.

When Samuel More discovered that wife, Katherine, had committed adultery with tenant Jacob Blaskeway, he denied the four children were his kin, disowning them by claiming a strong likeness to the putative father, Jacob. Katherine admitted her illegal liaison, and confirmed they were Jacob’s children.

Enraged, Samuel approached Lord Zouche, head of Privy Council, and an investor in the Virginia Company in America. They devised a plan for the disposal of the four ‘bastard’ children in retaliation against his wife’s betrayal. Samuel More also cut the children from all inheritance, and denied their very existence. He removed them from Larden Manor in April 1616, just after baby Mary’s baptism, and sequestered them for four years in a tenant dwelling on his land.

After years of litigation, Katherine found her children; “In a hail of murderous oaths, she did teare the cloathes from their backes…” Samuel refused to return the children to their mother and delivered them to John Carver in London in July 1620. Carver was ordered to transport the ‘servant children’ along River Thames to Southampton, and then to open seas to work on the Virginia plantations.

The chartered Mayflower carried 65 passengers from London, including plantation speculators, and 37 self-governing Puritans from Leiden, Holland. There were 102 passengers, plus a crew of 35. By the time the 180-ton ship was under full sail on September 6, 1620, passengers had already been onboard the fluyt for nearly a month. Beloved England was behind them forever.

The More children were put in the care of four families as indentured servants aboard the vessel. Captain Christopher Jones and Surgeon John Parker sailed rough seas on the 66-day voyage. The ship’s manifest showed that Peter Brown brought a mastiff, John Goodman a spaniel, and others brought cats, dogs and birds. Supplies were casks of rum, beer and wine, sheep, goats and chickens along with cannons, weapons, gunpowder, and a 21-foot dinghy.

During mid-journey a fierce storm broke rafter boards flooding the belowdecks sleeping berths. Passengers were wet and cold, many becoming ill. Two died on the voyage, including a newborn. Elizabeth Hopkins gave birth to a boy named Oceanus, and Susanna White (later Windsor) had a son named Peregrine, born ashore and not considered a Mayflower passenger.

Passengers’ Christian names tell of their faith, adding to their religious mindset; Love, Fear, Wrestling, Remember, Humility, Desire, Story, Truelove and Resolved.

Historical dates may confuse; Julian AND Gregorian calendars are depicted in history books, as common usage of both were used in mid-17^th century. The first Mayflower land sighting shows 9/19 November, a ten-day span, and November 11/21 as Mayflower Compact signing (document to establish legal agreement between signatories spearheaded by William Bradford.) This writer refers only to Gregorian dates; thus the first sighting of Cape Cod Hook headlands was 19^th November 1620, now Provincetown.

NEW WORLD PILGRIMS

The Newcomers reconnoitered the snowy shoreline to build a safe settlement. They found serendipitous mounds of corn and beans buried for winter by the local Nausets. While the hardy men sought safe locations, women and children remained aboard in the airless dark bowels of the ship floating in the windy bay. Contagious sickness was rampant. Many were ill with scurvy, pneumonia and tuberculosis. Half of the passengers were dead before the year’s end. Of the 102 passengers, only 53 survived.

Mary Allerton, three years old when she disembarked the Mayflower, was to be the last survivor of all the passengers who sailed on the fateful voyage to America.

They finally disembarked the Mayflower in spring 1621.Those with enough strength dragged six weighty cannons uphill, some as long as eight feet and powerful enough to propel three-inch cannonballs, 1700 yards. The colonists drank beer and rum, played cards by candlelight, and cooked in sand-filled fireboxes. A one, William Morris, sold haberdashery; shoes, boots, oiled leather and canvas, breeches, jerkins, doublets, neck-cloths, caps, hose and belts. Others named Carver, Winslow, Brewster, Fuller, Mullins, Tilley, Turner, Soule, Cooke, and Gardiner went about fishing, hunting and planting.

The Puritans built a church, befriended Indians, and enjoyed a winter feast of roasted vulture birds and corn under the oaks. And Captain Myles Standish, who maintained order with his broadsword, was challenged by the Billington clan of troublemakers. Incorrigible John Billington was hanged in September 1630 for the murder of John Newcomen in Plymouth, and whose wife, Elinor, was whipped in the stocks for slander. She promptly married Gregory Armstrong, after her husband’s hanging. Their obstreperous sons, John and Francis Billington, revolted against all authority, and may have been the nation’s first teenage delinquents. Francis married Christian Eaton in 1634 and they had nine children.

The once-mighty Mayflower, one of the most storied sailing ships of the New World, limped back to England. On May 4, 1624 an appraisal was done of her worth for the three surviving owners to settle Captain Christopher Jones’s estate. Then dismantlers removed guns and cannons and the dowager sailing ship was broken up in a wrecker’s yard. Lumber from her oak hull was cut up and used to build a horse barn in Jordon’s Village, Buckinghamshire.

One can only imagine the twisted history stories that were locked in the heart-of-oak hull, the dank berth sidings, the creaking acrid galley, the worn gunwales, the stern and stem, hundreds of yards of canvas sailcloth, and the high forecastle, where Captain Jones sighted Cape Cod and Plymouth, before dropping the iron anchor. It is not hard to envision the carcass of the ship’s 100-foot hulk that forever holds the history and mystery of those who perished belowdecks, and the little More children who were never to see their mother again, and never to set foot on the New World shores except wrapped in cloth for burial. We can imagine what great things those who perished may have achieved for our great land, and who too, may have lived to be our ancestors.

DESCENDENTS

In order to join one of the prestigious Mayflower Societies, such as Society of Mayflower Descendants in California, a purported descendent must provide impeccable documentation to lay claim to historical First Comers. Documents must be proof of relationship, birth, marriage and death records, letters and other watertight evidence, such as DNA. Each Mayflower passenger is accounted for; as are marriages, and five generations of confirmed descendants.

If historians calculate there are over 20 million Mayflower descendants, there’s a lot of generational evidence to sift through and gather. My rough estimation is there may be 13 to 14 generations in the 393 years since arrival at Plymouth Rock. So, one may have to hopscotch on conceptual chains of many generations, to establish a Mayflower pedigree. Those who afforded the best genealogists on earth have proven their linkage. Example; the Bennets came through Degory Priest; Dunbars through Richard Warren; and the Nickersons followed from Stephen Hopkins et al.

Presidents and other luminaries who descended from esteemed Mayflower clans are; J. Quincy Adams, Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin Roosevelt and George H. Bush and George W. Bush. Others who surprised me for no valid reason: Alan Shepard, Orson Wells, Humphrey Bogart, George Eastman, Bing Crosby, Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood (through Governor William Bradford), Alec Baldwin, Hugh Hefner, and Dick Van Dyke through Myles Standish, and three other families. Richard Gere comes down the generational pike with three branches of Mayflower ancestors.

So my message to those who may think history is boring: It is not. History lives inside all of us. It is just a matter of how our ancestors lived and died, and what they achieved, great or small, to make this country, and our world, what it is today. Most ancestors left no stories in their wake and left us no milestones to follow, but we can envision what those men and women endured. We must honor those valiant pioneers, our ancestors from all over the globe, who bequeathed to us the fortitude and fibre to be who we are today.

Good Apples

October 4, 2013 by Peggy Fallon Leave a Comment

“In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.” William Somerset Maugham

When days are short and you suddenly recognize that unmistakable chill in the air, it’s too late to mourn the passing of summer. Instead, appreciate the moment. Embrace autumn with a rustic apple crisp. (Food can solve all kinds of problems. Trust me.)

This fruit-laden concoction is favored by both rookies and experienced bakers, as it provides all the comfort and goodness of homemade apple pie with none of the accompanying angst. Sweet, heady aromas wafting through the house will make you forget those days at the beach. Consider it a cheap form of aromatherapy.

In other parts of the country my choice of apple might be limited to the ubiquitous Granny Smith; and there would be nothing wrong with that. When grown and stored properly, these apples are pleasantly tart and hold their shape during baking. But since we live in the heart of several renowned apple-growing regions, it’s easy to add complexity of flavor and texture to the filling by mixing things up a bit. Along with that old reliable Granny, I might add a jumble of other varieties lurking in my refrigerator: Golden Delicious, Gala, McIntosh, Jonathan, and Pink Lady are all proven winners. I’ve found that a crisp can be a very noble ending for any aging apples losing their “snap,” and therefore less appealing to eat out of hand.

There’s a good reason this is a seasonal dessert. Have you ever bought a supermarket apple in the summer? A mealy, flavorless specimen that was waxed to a high shine, trucked in from another state (or hemisphere), and then held for months in cold storage? It takes only one lackluster bite to realize you’ve made a big mistake. One must wait for autumn to buy apples at their sweet, crisp, tree-ripened best. Just follow your nose at the farmers’ market to revel in this fruit’s perfection. And you’ll understand why poor Adam didn’t have a chance.

Apple crisp is designed to charm the palates of all ages and–although you may not want to advertise this fact to certain people–actually boasts some nutritional value. So think outside the box–there is no reason to limit crisp consumption to dessert-time. Crisps are the perfect little something to enjoy alongside a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea, or an ice-cold glass of milk. Since crisps are so easy to serve, they’re always a good idea for potlucks and buffets.(If you want to get fancy for company, divide the mixture among ramekins and bake individual portions.) And on the off-chance there is any around the next day, leftover crisp makes a darn fine breakfast…straight out of the refrigerator!

Homey creations like this have very few rules; so as long as you use good, flavorful apples, you’re home free. In a hurry? You can even forgo peeling them. And if the spirit moves you, toss a handful of raisins, dried cherries, chopped dates or dried apple slices into the filling prior to baking.A sprinkling of finely grated fresh ginger or citrus zest is also good. I generally use only a whisper of cinnamon, but feel free to amp up the spiciness to your standards byusing a bit more, with or without a little added ground ginger, cardamom, cloves, or grated fresh nutmeg.

This ispretty much perfect as is, but you can certainly add your own special flourish with a dusting of powdered sugar over each serving. For guaranteed oohs and aahs, serve with a big spoonful of Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, whipped cream, or ice cream. There’s no reason kids should get all the treats on Halloween.

Apple Crisp with Toasted Walnuts

For the crisp topping:

1 cup California walnut halves and pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats (regular or quick-cooking oatmeal)

1/2 cup (packed) light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

For the filling:

6 medium-to-large apples(2 1/2 to 3 pounds), preferably assorted varieties

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending on the sweetness of the apples)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or other 2-quart baking dish with no-stick cooking spray.
Spread the walnuts in a pan and bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool; then chop finely.
To make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the walnuts, flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to blend. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a large fork, work in the butter, tossing and mixing,until it forms small, irregular pieces. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
To make the filling: Place the lemon juice in a large bowl. Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4-inch thick, tossing the slices in the lemon juice as they are cut.
Sprinkle the sugar, flour, and cinnamon over the top of the apples; then toss gently to mix. Scrape the apple mixture (and any accumulated juices) into the prepared baking dish. Crumble the cold topping mixture evenly over the apples. (Do not pat it down or press it into the apple mixture. You don’t want this to end up being a dense, compact topping.) Bake until the topping is golden brown, the filling is bubbly-hot, and the apples are just tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool slightly before serving warm or at room temperature.

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM, or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com. This market is made possible through the generous support of the Town of Danville. Please show your appreciation by patronizing the many fine shops and restaurants located in downtown Danville. Buy fresh. Buy local. Live well.

Look at Me – The Author

October 4, 2013 by Ed Baxter Leave a Comment

Life is good. You know what it feels like to have a project that always gets put to the bottom of the “to do” list? It could be cleaning the garage or detailing the car, or… getting “the book” out of your head and on to your laptop, or even better yet, between some covers that you can open and turn the pages and read—a real book, with your thoughts, ideas and your own blood sweat and tears. I now know how that feels. I have a book: “Waiting at Red Lights.” Me, an author? Yes!!!!!

Although people have told me that I should write about my experiences doing the job I love, being a journalist, I chose to write about life’s random thoughts. Even though I’ve interviewed presidents, covered major news stories and interviewed some of the most important people in the country, I chose to write a book about life’s random thoughts. I’ve always collected them: things that just pop into your mind and then leave just as quickly. I started calling them “mini muses.”

How hard do some people have to try to look “natural?”

I collected and collected, and finally at the urging of my wife and the rest of the family, who said, “put those damn things in a book and stop torturing us with them,” I finally decided to publish. Oh, that was about ten years ago. I continued to collect them.

When somebody says ‘I have a short story to tell you,’ is it ever?

About six months ago, through my media company I met Eric Johnson of ALIVE Media. I had talked with a couple of people at one of those “big” publishing houses, and they had told me to send a manuscript and they would send me the finished product. I didn’t like that very much. These excerpts, for better or worse, are my thoughts.

What does “I’m fine” really mean?

They are my babies—they are part of me. I wanted them the way I wanted them. ALIVE has something that, to my way of thinking, is a cross between self-publishing and giving up ownership of your work. I don’t even remember what he calls it, but I was able to keep ownership and have him have a stake in making sure we weren’t putting out a piece of junk, just because “Eddie” wanted to do it.”

What is the strongest emotional motivator, Love, Hate, or Fear?

So we set out. What to do for the title? None of my friends or family could figure out what a Mini Muse was. Bye “MM.” We then got very clever and thought, aha, “#1 Bestseller.” After all how can there be so many #1’s at the same time? And heck, it had the hashtag already built in. Problem: Do you know how many items come up when you search it? So, I went back to reading the manuscript and it hit me.

Is it possible things aren’t really where you left them?

Of course, what thoughts come into your mind while “Waiting At Red Lights?” That’s where a majority of these originated. There it is! It works. It themes what the book is about.

It’s the end of January, what’s the statute of limitations on taking down Christmas lights?

Then there is the publishing process. I had just wanted to write and have it pop to fruition. If you want control, you have to want to work. We had several sets of eyes on the manuscript but I must have read it 150 times and every time found something that needed to be changed. It’s arduous. Then you have to decide whether you want to have it for a keepsake, something to sit on your desk, or whether you want to try and sell it and have it sold. It has become a part of you.

Are dogs and cats better at figuring out first impressions?

I think I’m better at the writing part than the promotion, but that is coming along. It’s up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and several local booksellers have agreed to take it. I have some book signings lined up. But you know what? I can hold my project—my dream—and I can open the pages. I can have people come up to me and tell me they enjoy it. I can read the first review, “You can tell he has a lot of deep questions that can keep you pinned to your toilet long after you’ve finished your business”. Oh well.

I can’t tell you how glad I am that I published. Unless there is some fluke of nature and all of us are vaporized into the planet of “ED,” it’s not going to make me millions, but I have been able to ask the question: “Why do they call it ‘happy hour’ when it’s between 5 and 7?”

Life is good. I’m an author. And you know what? I don’t get as frustrated anymore “Waiting at Red Lights”. (Okaaaaaaay, most of the time.)

The Four Secrets to a Better Brain

October 4, 2013 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

Last month I wrote about the various causes of Brain Fog, Memory Loss and Fatigue, showing that, like obesity or heart disease, most of the decrease of brain function is self-caused. Let’s look at four secrets of brain health that can go a long way to help prevent, and actually reverse, the brain degeneration process.

1) Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome

This condition is very common in our fast paced, complex, demanding lives. Essentially, this condition reflects the relationship between the brain and the endocrine (neuroendocrine) system. The symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue include fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, heart palpitations, hypoglycemia and depression.

Along with several other hormones, the adrenal glands produce cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that helps deal with stressful situations without being overwhelmed and under-energized. An imbalance in cortisol, and the other adrenal hormones causes the body and its organ systems to slow down, causes accumulation of toxins and increased inflammation, all of which travel to the brain causing malfunction, degeneration and general havoc. Sleep cycles are also disrupted by imbalanced hormone levels leading to increased fatigue and poor brain function.

Reversing and curing Adrenal Fatigue starts with testing the adrenal glands for the production of several key hormones (cortisol, 17 hydroxyprogesterone, insulin, Gliadin antibodies, and DHEA). This test can clearly identify exactly what the adrenal problem is so we can use target supplements and lifestyle changes to get you back on track.

2) Phosphatidyl serine supplementation

This compound (a phospholipid) is made in the body and it naturally attaches to nerve cell membranes where its function is to enhance signal transmission in nerve cells. It has very good memory-enhancing properties and has been used to treat age related memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease for many years. In a 2010 study in the Journal of Clinical biochemistry and Nutrition, phosphatidyl serine supplements caused significant improvement in memory. It enables your brain cells to metabolize glucose and bind with neurotransmitters. It also increases communication between the cells in your brain which increases overall function. I think its major positive attributes are the ability to decrease cortisol levels, enhance athletic performance and add muscle while also increasing brain function. It’s very safe to use with no known side effects.

3) Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar, affects the brain a great deal because your brain uses glucose as its primary fuel. Your brain does not have the ability to store fuel. This means it must have a continual and stable supply of glucose. Symptoms of low blood sugar often occur before eating and include: Confusion, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, dizziness, forgetfulness and can mimic all of the symptoms of low thyroid disorders. Laboratory tests of blood sugar will show low normal levels with overall lowered levels of many other blood tests. Sugar surges cause so many problems with other endocrine glands that many doctors feel that hypoglycemia should be one of the first issues addressed to fix a foggy brain.

4) Gluten Intolerance

Gluten is a protein that is found in many grains, including wheat, rye and barley and interestingly can cause unusual reactions in the brain. In fact, most of the research on gluten shows that the initial symptoms of gluten sensitivity is disturbance in the nervous system causing balance and cognitive problems.

Irritable bowel syndrome is usually caused by gluten sensitivity or other grains. It leads to a immune reaction that will attack gluten. This damages the inner layers of the bowel, and causes “leaky gut syndrome.” Eventually, the inflammation spreads from the gut to the rest of the body resulting in widespread pain and brain fog. Gluten sensitivity can be identified through specialized testing and dietary modification. Many of our patients who have elected to follow our treatment program for reducing inflammation and healing leaky gut syndrome report significant changes in their memory and concentration levels.

Dr. Don Davis, D.C., DACNB is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with chronic pain for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekHealth.com.

INFLAMMATION – A VITAL FACTOR INFLUENCING YOUR HEALTH

October 4, 2013 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

You might wonder why an orthodontist and TMJ dentist is interested in inflammation. In my eyes any practitioner who is not holistic is lacking. Everything that goes on in our bodies is related to the rest of the body.

If you have habits that create inflammation, your life can be at risk and any responsible person in the medical profession should be aware of this. So many of the medical specialties are so specialized that they treat the just what relates to their work, not taking into account what is happening to the rest of the patient. Sure, sinus inflammation can affect the shape of the mouth, but that is not what primarily concerns me.

Cancer, diabetes, depression, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and even your child’s recurrent sinus infections all have a common denominator: inflammation. Normally, inflammation is part of a healthy response of the immune system which brings in cells and chemicals that fight infection, or heal an injury.

The problem is there are hidden forms of inflammation which bring in an endless source of immune cells that interfere with the body’s healthy cells and tissues. Even worse, most people don’t know this is going on. The World Health Organization lists chronic inflammation as the number one cause of death.

There are many sources of this chronic inflammation, from the effects of obesity, to smoking and general poor health habits. In this issue I will address one of the most common sources of chronic inflammation: inflammatory foods. The following list includes the most common enemies of health:

Sugar: Since I entered the field of dentistry I always thought that if sugar rots your teeth, what else is it destroying? A Coke equals 10 sugar cubes. In nature, sweet foods are usually good for you, but man has learned how to make the sweet flavor. High fructose corn syrup is doubly bad. You not only get the glycemic effects, but fructose produces liver fat creating cirrhosis.
Cooking oils: High Omega 6 levels in vegetable oils promote inflammation. Polyunsaturated vegetable oils, such as grape seed, cottonseed, safflower, corn and sunflower, are all high in Omega 6 and low in Omega 3 and when used in cooking can easily become trans fats.
Trans Fats: Fat is an essential factor in causing food to spoil. Our wonderful industry has found that by changing to trans fats through hydrogenation, the shelf life of a food can be increased. Partially hydrogenated oil, such as margarine and vegetable shortening, are inflammatory foods. Deep fried foods are loaded with trans fats when cooked in vegetable oil.
Dairy Products: Researchers have found that the ability to digest milk after infancy is abnormal. Milk is a common allergen which triggers the inflammatory process resulting in gastric distress, rashes, acne and respiratory problems such as asthma.
Commercially Raised Grain Fed Meats: These animals are fed a diet high in Omega 6 fatty acids. Due to the cramped living conditions, they gain excess fat and contain high saturated fats. To make them grow faster they are given hormones and antibiotics. An inflammatory food is the result.
Red Meat & Processed Meat: A chemical exists in some red meats called Neu5Gc. The body can produce an antibody to this molecule that creates a low grade inflammation that persists for long periods of time. There is a high correlation between colon cancer and the consumption of red meats.
Alcohol: Regular consumption can create inflammation in the esophagus, larynx and liver. Small amounts can be tolerated, but heavy use is a killer.
Refined Grains: Over-refining of grains causes this food to become a similar inflammatory agent to sugar (a practically empty calorie with a high glycemic index). Even whole grains can be responsible for Celiac disease (an immune reaction to eating gluten. Over time, this reaction produces inflammation that damages the small intestine’s lining and prevents absorption of some nutrients) and have been found to be responsible for early aging of the skin.
Artificial Food Additives: Eating fresh is the answer. Processed foods contain flavor enhancers such as MSG, high fructose corn syrup and Aspartame, as well as preservatives such as BHA and BHT. Corn syrup has been found to stimulate ones appetite so our ever loving bread producers are adding this financial nutrient to improve their health.
Any Food You To Which You Are Sensitive: If a food makes you feel uncomfortable you should check into it. Some of the more common suspects are gluten, milk, eggs, legumes and nightshade related vegetables (eggplant, green peppers and tomatoes). Medical tests are not always conclusive, home tests are available.

The extreme importance of inflammation as a cause of dangerous diseases is relatively new to medicine. The quality of your life can depend greatly on its control.

It’s the Great Pumpkin Wish List

October 4, 2013 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

If you can remember, as a child, watching Linus (of the Peanuts gang) spend every Halloween waiting in a dark and lonely pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin to arrive, than you’re about my age. It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown debuted in 1966. I was four years old that year. What I remember most about Linus’s Great Pumpkin theory, other than the fact that it was a little scary and creepy, is that the GP wasn’t supposed to bring you presents like Santa; instead, the non-gender-specific, magical vegetable was supposed to grant you wishes…. or something like that. For the sake of this article, let’s not dwell on the whole, “precise accuracy,” thing.

As a slightly overweight kid, painfully growing up with both acne and a bad haircut, I’m not ashamed to admit that I did have a Great Pumpkin “wish list.” While I secretly carried my list around, year after year, in my Velcro waterproof wallet, I failed to actually wait in a pumpkin patch on the night of October 31^st for the squash’s arrival. That’s right, a pumpkin runs in the cultivars of squash, most commonly those of Cucurbitapepo, but let’s not spread that information around. If the Great Pumpkin had actually made an appearance, my absence was duly noted by the non-granting of my wishes.

Wish list items are typically things we would like in our lives, but they aren’t necessarily things we need to make our lives substantially better. As everyone knows, a wish list can be comprised of just one specific wish or several wishes. As a kid, my wishes typically revolved around peer acceptance. My first wish was always weight related. I wish I wasn’t fat, or as I phrased it, “A lean mean Cub Scout machine.” As best as I can recall, that was usually followed by; I wish my pimples would disappear or at the very least they should be accepted as an attractive tween facial feature. Finally, I added, I wish my parents would let me go to Supercuts, instead of making me cut my own hair. I never believed in wishing for things that were completely unrealistic, such as $1,000,000,000,000, having the ability to fly or making a guest spot on the Brady Bunch as Marcia’s super cool boyfriend, Nick.

Today, as an adult and father, my Great Pumpkin wish list is dramatically different from that of my adolescent years. A lot of items on my wishes are either related to my daughters, my age or simple practicality. Please allow me to expand upon this statement.

I wish the kids of today weren’t so addicted to smart phones. Somehow my, “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” peer group managed to survive without mobile satellite technology (pre 1995-96) and we turned out (relatively) okay. I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but our children virtually have their cell phones adhesively attached to their hands every waking hour of the day and sadly the irony is they do more texting than talking. Texting is the younger generation’s aversion to actually talking, but we may find out that we’re raising a society of mute drones! The mute drones will eventually battle their zombie parents because there is no possible way our non-speaking kids will ever be able to live without us, so they’ll have to settle for living with our animated corpses. This would be a great Halloween theme party.

Remember the olden days when we had to use the house phone to call a friend. Remember when we came home to a blinking answering machine? Remember pay phones? Granted, there are inherent conveniences, but have our lives dramatically improved due to instant connectivity? It makes you wonder if Linus would have been so loyal to the Great Pumpkin in the year 2013 or would he just have Snapchatted?

I wish this “twerking”dance thing was perceived as cheap and skanky. Oh wait, it is. See, wishes do come true. Whether it’s Miley, “Lizard-Tongue,” Cyrus in a music video, or some teenage Danville girl at a high school party, twerking is code for “stripper dancing.” While it’s acceptable at certain gentlemen’s clubs in Las Vegas (I hear things and read a lot), I don’t need to see it while watching television with my family or fear that this is the acceptable new dance craze at country club birthday parties. Young girls become exposed to this tawdry behavior and think it’s fun and acceptable. In most cases adults are alarmed and/or disgusted and hormone raging teenage boys get over stimulated. I can make that statement because I was once a hormone-raging boy. As a society, can we all agree to dial it down a bit and discourage this type of behavior? If not, I fear we’ll soon be seeing prepubescent girls, provocatively twerking on the playgrounds across the country. I feel my head pounding and my chest tightening just thinking about it.

I wish I could sing. The truth is, I do often get asked to sing solo, so low that no one can hear me. It’s not like I want to win The Voice or Geriatric American Idol, I just want to carry a tune. My singing voice is so pitchy right now that I make our dogs, Trudy and Molly, howl like wolves. They’re a tougher judge of talent than Simon Cowell. It would be so nice to be a Michael who could belt out a tune like Michael Bublé(crooner), Michael McDonald (soulful) or Michael Bolton (cheezy). Sadly, I’ve spent fifty-one years trying to improve my singing voice, with no luck, so all I have left is to hope my wish is one day granted.

I wish my dogs could talk. I am convinced that Molly, our big dog, and Trudy, our little dog, would have incredibly interesting things to say. Molly, who is two years old, would, in all likelihood, be short, curt and have that snide, teenager attitude, since two dog years is equivalent to 14 people years. Trudy, who is in her mid-60s in doggie years, would probably just go on and on about all her aches and pains. It would be just like living with Grandma. I’m totally convinced Trudy would rat out Molly for all the trouble she causes chewing up everything she finds in a closet, kitchen and yard. Speaking of which, if the dogs could talk, they could let me know what the kids, neighbors, gardeners and house sitters are up to when I’m not home. If the dogs could talk, it would be like having a living, breathing, butt-sniffing undercover security webcam. On the other hand, who’s to say they wouldn’t be tattling to mom for all my indiscretions? All it would take is one tasty Scooby snack and they would sell me out faster than lick their privates. Let me rethink this wish a little.

While I was a big fan of the comic strip, Peanuts, created by Charles Shultz, there were certain elements of the annual Halloween animated television special that troubled me. How old was Linus? Six, maybe seven years old, tops? Who in their right mind lets a second grader go to a pumpkin batch by himself on Halloween night? No one, that’s who! Did I mention that Linus convinced Charlie Brown’s little sister, Sally, to accompany him to a vacant field at night? Young Mr. Linus, and Linus’s parents, for that matter, can thank their lucky stars that I wasn’t Sally’s dad! That’s all I’m saying.

But seriously, wish list items aren’t qualities, skills or possessions that some genie, fairy or Great Pumpkin will be delivering to us in the dead of night on Halloween, Christmas or any other day during the year. (It would be awesome if that actually did happen, but it won’t, so I need to let it go, or so my therapist says). Occasionally, our wishes are granted, just by having patience or implementing hard work.

Eventually my face did clear up, thanks to puberty and Clearasil, and when I started working out and eating better, the excess weight was ultimately converted to muscle. Sadly, I did end up losing all my hair, probably due to my home haircuts and poor follicle maintenance.

Wishes are nothing more than wishfulthinking. I wish Linus van Pelt never learned that, because Mike Copeland sure has figured it out.

Healing Golfers Elbow: Don’t Settle for Sub-Par Results

October 4, 2013 by Dr. Niele Maimone Leave a Comment

What is Golfer’s Elbow?

Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is similar to its counterpart, Tennis elbow. The primary differences between these conditions are the location of the pain and the activity that leads to injury. However, both conditions are caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, leading to inflammation and pain around the elbow joint, commonly called tendonitis. Golf is one common cause of tendonitis, but many other sports and work related activities can cause the same problem.

The cause of golfer’s elbow can vary from a single violent action (acute injury) to, more commonly, a repetitive stress injury where an action is performed repeatedly and pain gradually develops. In an acute injury of the elbow inflammation occurs without substantial tissue damage. However in a repetitive stress situation a person may experience damage to the tendon and surrounding soft tissue causing tissue degeneration over time. Inflammation from acute injury often responds quickly to rest and anti-inflammatory treatment. However, if the injury is due to tendon tissue degeneration, treatment will be longer and will be focused on improving the strength of the tendon as well as rebuilding tissues.

Golfer’s Elbow Symptoms

With golfer’s elbow pain is on the inside of the elbow, usually during or after intense use. Typically the pain increases during wrist flexion or pronation and often radiates to the forearm. Because this frequently occurs in golfers, it has become known as “golfer’s elbow”. However, it is also known as “pitcher’s elbow”.

Treatment for Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer’s elbow does not usually cause any long-term disability. However, the condition may become stubborn and proper rehabilitation will help alleviate the symptoms and get you back to life again.

Rest and Reduce Inflammation: The first step a person should take if tendinitis is suspected is to stop the activities that cause the pain and inflammation in this case, rest the arm. Use a topical cream containing Arnica to begin to reduce the inflammatory process quickly.

Laser Therapy to Heal the Damaged Tissue: Ending the pain caused by golfer’s elbow requires healing the damaged tissue. Class IV laser therapy is an excellent method for this, because it is presently the only form of therapy that can both reduce inflammation and heal tissue simultaneously. Laser treatments at Align Healing Center are done with the K-laser 1200 a Class IV Laser. This laser does not cut or burn but is gently absorbed by the tissue. During Laser Therapy the infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular level, increasing metabolic activity and improving the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane. This initiates the production of cellular energy (ATP) that leads to a cascade of beneficial effects, increasing cellular function and health. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness, scar tissue and pain.

Correct the Mechanics of Motion: Assessing the forearm, elbow, shoulder and spine for proper postural feedback is done to diagnose and correct improper alignment. After proper alignment is restored specific muscular taping is applied to improve circulation and insure proper motion on a daily basis. Lastly, specific strengthening and stretching exercises are given. By strengthening the muscles and tendons involved with golfers’ elbow, you can prevent the problem from returning.

At Align Healing Center we are having great success treating golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, shoulder and neck pain, migraines, arthritis, carpal tunnel, post surgical pain, sports injuries and more; even long-term residual pain. Arthritis and degenerative disc disease sufferers can see long term benefits from this treatment without any of the negative side effects experienced with the long term use of medications.

Dr. Niele Maimone, DC is the owner and founder of Align Healing Center in Danville, CA. She has been active in our natural health & wellness community since 1999. For more information or to set up a consult call 925.362.8283 or visit www.alignhealingcenter.com.