Norma for President

A friend sent me this guest editorial from a newspaper somewhere -- the lady appears to be a private citizen who offered her opinion on change to her local newspaper, and they printed it. I like her ideas. Why wasn't she on the ticket this past November 4?

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10 Healthiest Grocery Store Chains

CNN.com reported on a study to find the healthiest grocery store chains in America. You can read here about the original study, the judges panel, and the vocal complaints from lots of readers that their local-favorite stores weren't included -- like Wegmans, the legendary New England chain that supposedly is the most customer-friendly grocery store chain in America, even if not the healthiest.

Here's the list, in descending order from #1 to #10. (How did Food Lion get in there?):

Whole Foods
Safeway
Harris Teeter
Trader Joe's
Hannaford
Albertsons
Food Lion
Publix Super Markets
Pathmark
SuperTarget

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A Piper Worth Following

I know the election is over -- but here are some wise reflections for Christians from the voice of one worth listening to: pastor John Piper. He is an elder statesman for the church at large -- a strong, sober, and sane voice for biblical thinking:

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Morning Glory

Don't know what these bushes are named that are in my front yard, but they do this outlandish color display every fall. Took this picture in this morning's early light: (Full disclosure: the reds are more saturated here than they are in real life due to a bit of digital enhancement -- not unlike the analog enhancement we do to ourselves when we want to look our best, right?)

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The Beautiful Truth

Here's a short trailer to a very important movie opening in L.A. and New York City this month. You can view the longer trailer at the Apple trailer site.



This is a movie that tells the story of cancer and how one man, Dr. Max Gerson, a German doctor, discovered that cancer could be cured nutritionally. The American Medical Association (along with sanctioning doctors to appear in cigarette advertisements and commercials) was so threatened by Dr. Gerson's work in the late 1940's and early 1950's that they used all manner of surreptitious means to shut him down and make his work illegal -- Dr. Gerson being the man that Dr. Albert Schweitzer called "one of the most eminent geniuses in the history of medicine." I have read the books available by and about Dr. Gerson -- they were a primary impetus in my own pursuit of the power of nutritional healing therapies. (Dr. Gerson's work is carried on by his daughter, Charlotte Gerson, at the Gerson Institute in San Diego, though the Gerson Therapy has to be practiced at a hospital across the border in Mexico -- it's illegal for doctors to use the Gerson nutritional therapies in the U.S. And you didn't think the AMA has power?)

From what I can tell, this movie isn't scheduled for nationwide distribution -- only the two openings in L.A. and New York later this month. You can read more about the movie at its website.

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Do You Have P-O-V.S.D. (Post-Obama-Victory Stress Disorder)?

From the Onion News Network comes this latest news flash. (If you're not a fan of TheOnion.com, you may not want to watch. Thanks to Paul Stack for the tip.)


Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

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Animal Scenes

A couple of pictures I came across in magazines that touched me.

The first is of workers in a knife factory in France, taken around 1900. The craftsmen lay on their stomachs all day to sharpen knives as it was easier on their backs (the whetstones being out of sight, below their platforms). The workers would bring their dogs to work not only for the companionship but to keep their legs warm as they worked. You can see two of the dogs resting between their masters' legs. What a great picture (credit: the Orvis "Sporting Gifts" catalog, Holiday 2008, p. 30):



The next picture is from the Small Farmer's Journal (Winter, 2006, p. 29), from an article entitled "What You Can Learn from Your Horse" by Hartmut von Jeetze. The author had worked for many years in England at a home for juvenile delinquent boys -- a sort of working farm where the boys gained discipline and maturity by participating in farm work and responsibilities for caring for animals. This picture was probably taken a number of years ago given the dress of the boys, but I love what it conveys. You may not be able to see clearly in this photo, but both the boys are wearing ties under their farm work clothes -- so typically British. The small horses look scruffy -- delinquent? -- themselves. Perhaps the boys and horses bonded so well because of their similar backgrounds and temperaments. The author gave many examples of the power of animals to change boys for the better. After describing one such event he wrote, "Who thinks that horses and oxen do not know what goes on in your mind? It is of immense value to have the chance to learn from such events." Think how many young people today (and old) are completely missing the experience of being psyched out by a "horse or ox" or other animal in a farm-type setting. The (apparently) mutually respectful and peaceful relationship between humans and animals, described in Genesis 2:19-20, has its last remnants in the small farms of the world. How much better we would all likely be to maintain contact with such settings. Don't hurry past this picture until you've thought for a moment about the redemptive power of animals in these two young men's lives -- the acquisition of close companionship and love, perhaps for the first times in their lives.

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Back Attack

Daniel was laboring with the Kruidenier "bad back" syndrome this weekend, so I drove to Columbia Sunday afternoon to take him my ultrasound wand to use on his back. Enjoyed a nice visit for a few hours, a delicious soup 'n salad supper from the kitchen of the lovely Jen, and lots of hug time with E & A.

Part of the winter gardens:



A cute little winter sprout:



We were eating these greens within the hour:



Another section of greens:



Spreading bubbles:



Double dose of bubbles:



Hot water bottle strapped to the back:



A little more erect:

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