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Why Acne Happens to You and Not to Others

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 11:21 pm

To understand how to treat your acne, you need to understand what acne is and its causes. The skin is vital to our well-being, It plays a crucial function. It keeps your body safe from harm, damage and infection. The skin is designed to keep out harmful bacteria and viruses. Your skin adjusts to temperature so you’d feel warm when the temperature is cold. It also keeps you cool when the temperature is hot.

Your sebaceous gland beneath the skin secretes oil or sebum to keep your skin from becoming dry and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there are times when the sebaceous glands become overactive and produce more sebum than the body needs. The oils are left stuck on the pores. This blockage keeps the dirt inside the skin and the dirt then combines with the bacteria. This ultimately results to acne.

”Why does it happen to me and not to others?”

This is often the complaint of people who are suffering from acne. You’d probably hear your own teenage daughter complaining of the same thing. So, why does it happen to some and not to others?

Actually, more than 50 percent of the women’s population suffers from acne at point in their lives. These women can blame their hormone level changes. This is more common amongst teenagers because their bodies are growing from “child” into “adult” and hormonal changes occur along with the bodily changes. The hormones that cause teenagers to grow hair and deeper voices are the same hormones that may cause the acne. To be specific, these are the androgens which is a type of hormone that can cause the acne.

Acne, however, is not just a problem of teenagers. It is also a problem for some adults. So, does this mean that the teenagers who suffer from acne will continue to suffer acne for the rest of their lives? Actually, it doesn’t work that way. The human body actually copes with the hormonal changes and the body adjusts to these changes.

Eventually, the acne goes away. However, the same hormones may act up and once again trigger the acne problem later on. There are women who suffer from acne during their menstrual periods. Some women would experience acne breakouts during pregnancy or while going through menopause.

Aside from hormones, there are other factors that can cause adult acne. Your cosmetics may contain irritating ingredients that may trigger acne breakout. You could be taking medications like lithium or anti-epileptic medications that may cause acne.

There are a lot of external things that can cause acne on adults. Some of these things include:

1. Pollution. There are a lot of pollutants in your surroundings. Unwittingly, you may not be aware but exposing your skin to dust, dirt and grime will eventually cause acne.

2. Unhealthy diet. You can’t always blame McDonalds’. Eating French fries or other greasy foods does not really cause acne per se. However, there are people who react negatively to certain foods. It is up to you to take note of foods that trigger acne breakouts.

3. Fabrics. Imagine purchasing a new pillowcase. After washing it, you immediately wrap your pillow with it. After a couple of days, you begin to notice acne breakouts – whiteheads and blackheads dotting the tip of your nose and your cheeks. The culprit is your pillowcase especially if it is made of synthetic materials. Better go for natural fibers like cotton. Indeed, there are a lot of things around you that can cause acne without you knowing it.

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Yes, Most Daily Horoscopes are Junk — But Daily Horoscopes are not Real Astrology

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 10:09 pm

You may know “astrology” through the pop-culture categories of dime-store booklets or through reading your daily horoscope in the newspaper. These are supposedly the descriptions of who you are and what’s going to happen to you today based on some mysterious elements at work in the sky and little more than the luck of the draw you were handed on the day of the year you were born. Usually the dime-store booklets are simplistic but accurate as far as they go. Daily horoscopes in the newspaper, though, resemble real astrology about as much as Styrofoam resembles real food.

I’m an astrologer. If I do say so myself, I’m a good astrologer … who has for over thirty years studied this intriguing metaphysical subject, and when people say the daily horoscopes in the newspaper are meaningless and silly, I have to agree. But it’s also meaningless, silly, and short-sighted to judge the whole field of astrology itself as worthless based on what even good, competent practitioners of the craft (and there are plenty of us around!!) agree are ridiculous distortions. Most daily horoscopes aren’t even an amusing cartoonish representation of what real astrology is all about.

It is possible to write a decent daily horoscope. In fact, I write one that reflects the varying emotional climate as it shifts and realigns itself — changing its focus sometimes several times a day. I publish it on the front page of the Enchanted Spirit website; it’s called “The Lunar Light.” It’s accuracy sometimes astonishes even me, and yes, I consult it myself quite often as I go about my daily routine. But the information there is just that … a point or two of knowledge to have and keep in mind.

I also stay aware of what else is going on in the sky the way I stay aware of the days of the week, the changing seasons, and the daily weather patterns. But, even I don’t run my life “by astrology” in any way I’d call superstitious or grossly inconvenient … and neither should you. I also say it’s just good sense if it’s stormy outside to dress for the occasion. Give yourself some extra time to get where you want to go. Plan for the unexpected. Keep in mind that the roads are slick and you need to drive with caution.

And when Mars is opposing Pluto in the sky … as it is as I write this article, realize it’s likely people are feeling pushed, impatient, hassled, and on edge. Tempers may flare. They may take foolish chances. They won’t react kindly to interference or delays. There’s a lot of resentment and anger floating around just under life’s surface — and it won’t take much to “set it off.” So … maybe a little extra patience can help defuse a problem — or avoid it altogether. Maybe a little extra courtesy can help ease this bump in the road for everyone. Maybe thinking twice before you act — or react — could add extra safety to the daily hustle whose deceptive calm … or already ruffled edges … conceals explosive possibilities.

If you ask me, that attitude that can’t hurt. As an astrologer, I know that any square or opposition between Mars and another planet indicates a time for caution … again, something to keep in mind. Stressed Mars energy (which is what an opposition or a square represents) is explosive, temperamental, and indicative of poor judgment — and there’s often something “spectacular” about what occurs at such times, when things go terribly, terribly wrong.

Mars was opposing Uranus the night The Station Nightclub fire in New Jersey became the 4th deadliest in U.S. history. Mars was opposing Uranus and Neptune when the Waco compound of the Branch Davidians was stormed … with the resulting fire and carnage. Mars was opposing the Moon and moving into an opposition with Jupiter on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center in New York City was demolished by terrorists. (Saturn was also opposing Pluto; the Sun was square to both of them; and Venus opposed Uranus. To an astrologer, it was a messy day in the sky as well as a tragic one on the ground. )

Mars was moving out of an opposition with Jupiter and into an opposition with Pluto the night Nichole Brown Simpson was killed by “somebody.” Mars was square to the Moon, Uranus and Jupiter the night Princess Diana was killed. And sure, most people on earth made it through those same nights without being murdered or dying in a car accident. So were there special reasons why those two women were particularly “at risk” at that time. Yes.

The night Nicole Simpson died, Mars — already “in trouble” in the sky was conjunct her Natal Mercury (an indication of possible arguments and decisions made in anger), opposing her Natal Neptune (an indication of self-sabotaging or self-destructive actions), and square to her Natal Uranus (an indication of hasty, ill-considered, impulsive actions.) Are these the best conditions under which to walk out of your house and confront a shadowy figure in your driveway, whether or not you know … or think you know … who it is?

(The best theory I have read about what might have happened that night suggests OJ, angry at his ex-wife’s appearance at their daughter’s recital with another man, MAY have gone to her house, not to kill her, but to slash her tires — expecting that his imminent trip out of town that night would give him an alibi for the incident. That explains the timing of the attack — just prior to the limousine coming to take him to the airport — and the reason why he was at her house with a knife. But Nicole’s mother had forgotten her glasses at a restaurant that evening, and Nicole was watching for Ron Goldman to drop them by her house on his way home from work. Instead, as the theory goes, she saw “somebody” messing with her car, went out to confront whoever it was, and was killed when that “somebody” panicked at being discovered.) This scenario certainly fits what her horoscope describes.

The night Princess Diana died, Mars, again “under pressure” in the sky was square to Natal Mars in her chart (indicating actions “at cross-purposes” with each other). It was conjunct her Natal Neptune (indicating self-sacrificing actions and actions undertaken for emotional rather than logical reasons). It was square her Natal Uranus (again indicating hasty, ill-considered, impulsive actions.) It was square her Natal Jupiter (indicating excessive, “over the top” reactions.) Probably not the best conditions under which to get into a high-speed midnight chase with the paparazzi through the streets of Paris … to say nothing of having a drunk at the wheel.

Might knowing that the energies afoot at the time were “problematic,” and that those energies in comparison to placements in their Natal Charts were especially dicey have offered these women at least a chance to rethink their fatal choices? It’s a question without an answer, of course. And it’s not the kind of information you’ll ever find in a daily horoscope. It is, however, there for anyone to read if they know literally “how to read the signs” … or if they have someone they trust help them decipher the celestial code.

And if knowing these conditions exist and listening to what they mean helps me get myself and my family more safely through the “trouble spots” of life, I’d be an idiot to ignore them. Some people may think that’s the equivalent of clutching a rabbit’s foot and muttering incantations. Maybe they feel the same way about holding a rosary and reciting prayers for protection. But I believe prayers work, that thoughts are things, that extra caution is never misplaced … and that information is power. So I will keep on reading charts … and heeding what they say .. and agreeing with those who say most daily horoscopes, as an example of real astrology, are pretty darn useless.

(c) 2007 Rebecca Brents, All rights reserved.

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My husband is an alcoholic. We have a 5 month old daughter. Should I leave? Will he get help?

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 10:06 pm

He is not physically abusive. But on occasion gets so drunk, that he makes awful comments and threats. He alway apologizes the next day and claims to not remember the night before. I do not want to raise my daughter like this. But I am so scared to leave her alone with him during custody if I was to leave.

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Depression in adolescents and young people

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 4:23 pm

One in five children and adolescents is affected by mental health problems and disorders. Those aged 18-24 have the highest prevalence of mental disorders of any age group.

Depression in this age group should be taken seriously. Youth suicide is the third most common cause of death in this age group.

The Lawson Clinic, a leading mood disorder facility based in Sydney Australia, believes that both biological and developmental factors contribute to depression in adolescents. If Bipolar disorder or psychosis is suspected, biological causes would need to be examined.

Signs of depression in an adolescent

It is often hard to distinguish adolescent turmoil from depressive illness, especially as the young person is forging new roles within the family and struggling with independence, and academic and career decisions.

An adolescent who is depressed may not show obvious signs of depression. Instead, he or she may start to behave uncharacteristically, for example by:

- Becoming socially withdrawn.

- Falling in their performance at school.

- Engaging in risk-taking behaviours (e.g. reckless driving, inappropriate sexual involvements).

- Engaging in drug and alcohol abuse.

- Sometimes a minor physical problem is used as a disguised appeal for help.

Where to get help for an adolescent

If you think your son or daughter, or someone you are close to, might be depressed, the first step is to either take them to a general practitioner, to the local Community Health Centre. The general practitioner will either conduct an assessment or refer the adolescent to a child and adolescent psychiatrist or mental health worker. Other initial sources of help are school counsellors and trusted close family members to whom the adolescent feels comfortable talking.

Sometimes the adolescent may not want to seek help. In this case it’s best to explain that you are concerned and perhaps also provide them with some information to read about depression.

There are also some excellent websites designed for young people, as well as confidential online and telephone counselling services. It’s important for young people to know that depression is a common problem and that there are people who can help.

If there is any talk of suicide this should be taken seriously and immediate help sought from a mental health professional.

Key points to remember

- Depression among young people is common, with one in five affected by mental  health problems.

- It can be hard to distinguish depression from adolescent turmoil.

- Depression in an adolescent may be indicated by uncharacteristic behaviour such as withdrawing socially, dropping in performance at school, using drugs or alcohol, or engaging in risky behaviour.

- Professional help from a general pracititioner or counsellor should be sought if depression is suspected.

- Immediate help should be obtained from a general pracititioner or other mental health practitioner if an adolescent talks of suicide.

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The Down and the Dirty

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 4:23 pm

It is perplexing how most men seem to think that women can’t take dirty jokes. Admittedly, we tend to draw the line at certain things (anything devaluing women can’t be funny…unless we’re talking about women who ALREADY demean themselves – like Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian). But we can be just as dirty as the next guy. We may not be telling them twenty-four-seven while drunk on beer and laughing our heads off, but seriously. Women can have dirty minds, and get some of the sleaziest jokes in the world. I am a testament to that, actually. I have been corrupting the innocent since 1998, and my cuteness – in conjunction with my filthy, filthy mind – have shocked the masses.

It might have started when I first got my hands on one of my mom’s romance novels, which taught me about sex and showed me the marvels of innuendo. Or it may have been when I was even younger, when I thought that swearing was funny and eventually took pride in being dubbed by my father (as he introduces his family) as “my older daughter; she’s the one who swears”. Or maybe it’s because I practically grew up in the 90′s, when disgustingly inane shows like “Ren and Stimpy” or “Beavis and Butthead” were the height of comedy. It’s not that clear, really. In any case, I am not at all ashamed to say that I have an entire database of off-color humor lodged in my subconscious, rising at the most inopportune (but slightly appropriate) moments. Believe me, it’s something else entirely to end up thinking of something disgusting and politically incorrect when talking to your grandmother about cats.

The difference, as I may have mentioned before, may be that women tend to not indulge in inappropriate humor as regularly as guys do. Maybe it’s women who make jokes like that tend to be thought of as “easy” (in the case of jokes of a sexual nature) or worse, “one of the dudes” (in the case of jokes that involve bodily functions and pranks). Either way, dirty jokes tend to make women either unappealing as a romantic interest or fail to attract the attention of the right type of men. Some women don’t care of course, but others take finding a decent man very seriously – and you can’t find a decent man using fart jokes and other kinds of dirty humor.

But being the kind of person that I am, I marvel at how easily I break people’s brains when I say something as nasty as the “Aristocrats” joke (look it up) and THEN smile innocently. My friends and family have developed an immunity (although my mother protests my habit of saying things like that for the “shock factor”), but acquaintances tend to stare and gape, not quite knowing how to react. The fact that I engage them in extremely intelligent conversation afterwards just boggles their minds even more, as the disjoint becomes even more palpable.

I realize that my mother may be right, that I’m collecting all these disgusting jokes for later use as a means of getting a lot of attention at parties, but at the same time, I wonder if I hold on to these offensive bits of humor because I have become sick and tired of the idea of men who tell them being barely given a reprimand and even defended with the line “boys will be boys”. I am far from being the traditional feminist who think that men should pay for their crimes, but sometimes I just wish that women are allowed to say something inappropriate just to let out some of the pressure – without the fear of being judged for it.

Personally, I think I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who understand that the way I talk doesn’t necessarily have to reflect who I am. Persons can be totally smart but have an extremely juvenile sense of humor. At least, it should be allowed. I refuse to believe that the down and the dirty should be limited to men or the uneducated. I don’t plan to be uptight about anything at all.

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In the Quran: what Allah is made of?

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 4:10 pm

The Sons of the Lord God in Bible versus Quran (2)

This is the second article of the series:” The Sons of the Lord God in Bible versus Quran”.

The Bible says that the Lord God, the Almighty Creator, has SONS who were married the daughters of men.  When the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

The Quran says that Allah, the Almighty Creator, has neither a son nor a partner.  Allah is the Self-Sufficient, the eternally Besought of all; the One Who is always sought at times of need.

 

—————————————————————————————–

 

The Sons of the Lord God in the Bible (2)

The Bible says that the Sons of the Lord God, the Almighty Creator, were married the daughters of men.  When the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

But the Bible does not tell the names of the sons of the Lord God,

The Bible also does not give the physical attributes of the sons of the Lord God. In addition, the Bible does not tell what the number of the sons of the Lord God was and how many they were?

In short, the Bible does not let us know who, how, when, where, how many etc. in respect to the sons of the Lord God.

On the other hand, the Bible gives some informative details about the sons of the kings of Israel, for example, but does not give any details about the Sons of the Lord God, the Almighty Creator, who are of course very much more important than the sons of the kings of Judah . 

On the other hand, the Quran makes it very clear and says that Allah, the Almighty Creator, has neither a son nor a partner.

 

—————————-

 

Genesis 6:4

 

New International Version

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

 

New American Standard Bible

4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

 

English Standard Version

4The Nephilim (Or giants) were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

 

King James Version

4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

 

Young’s Literal Translation

4The fallen ones were in the earth in those days, and even afterwards when sons of God come in unto daughters of men, and they have borne to them — they [are] the heroes, who, from of old, [are] the men of name.

 

—————————————————————————————–

 

The Sons of the Lord God in the Quran (2)

 

The Quran firmly forbids saying that Allah has a son.

It is not befitting for the Majesty of Allah to take to Himself a son.

In Islam, this point is very important faith wise.

In a very simple word, Allah, the Almighty Creator, has neither a son nor a partner. 

Again, it is unforgivable sin to say or to believe that The One Almighty Creator who is Allah or God or the Lord or Jehovah or whatever you name Him has a son or sons.

 

A group of the disbelievers and the idolaters’ people of Mecca went to the Prophet Muhammad, and said to him:

Describe to us your Lord,

What is the lineage of your Lord?

what is He made of?

And to which species does He belong?

Is He made of gold, copper or silver?

Does He eat and drink?

Who did He inherit this world from?

And to whom will He bequeath it?’

 

and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this Surah (Chapter 112) to describe His attributes and traits, saying:

Say (O Muhammad): He is Allah, the One!

He has no son or partner.

Allah is the Self-Sufficient, the eternally Besought of all; the One Who is always sought at times of need,

He begets not, nor is he begotten, for anyone who is begotten will certainly die and whoever dies will be inherited. Allah does not die nor is He inherited.

And there is none comparable unto Him.

He does not have anyone who resembles Him or is like Him

Naught is as His likeness

 

From the Islamic point of view, the conclusion of this essential topic that may establish or destroy the faith is that:

Any one who believe that the Almighty Creator has a son or sons; he messes his faith up and is considered as a disbeliever and in the afterlife he will end up as an eternal inhabitant of the hell.

Any one who believe that the Creator has neither a son nor a partner; he has a good faith and is considered as a believer and in the afterlife he will end up as an eternal inhabitant of the paradise. 

 

—————————-

 

The meanings of Surah (Chapter) 112 of the Noble Quran:

 

Say: He is Allah, the one; He is the Master whose glory is at its peak and for Whom all created beings are in need;

It is also said that means: He Who does not eat or drink;

It is also said that this means: He Who does not have an interior;

It is also said that this means: He is the Everlasting; He is the Sufficient;

It is also said that this means: He who does not have an entrance or exit.

He begets not, nor is he begotten

He neither begot, for no likeness of Him can exist, nor was begotten, since createdness is precluded in His case.

He did not inherit and will not be inherited;

And it is also said this means: He does not have a son who will inherit His dominion and He was not begotten, which means that He did not inherit His dominion.

Nor is there anyone equal to Him’, neither match nor comparison

there is none comparable unto Him

He does not have an opposite, peer, or equal nor anyone who may resemble or begin to resemble Him;

and it is also said this means: He does not have any co-equal who would compete with Him about dominion and sovereignty’.

 

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Surah (Chapter) 112 of the Noble Quran:

 

Verse 112:1

QARIB: say: ‘he is Allah, the one,

SHAKIR: say: he, Allah, is one

PICKTHAL: say: he is Allah, the one!

YUSUFALI: say: he is Allah, the one and only;

 

Verse 112:2

QARIB: the called upon.

SHAKIR: Allah is he on whom all depend

PICKTHAL: Allah, the eternally besought of all!

YUSUFALI: Allah, the eternal, absolute;

 

Verse 112:3

QARIB: who has not given birth, and has not been born,

SHAKIR: he begets not, nor is he begotten

PICKTHAL: he begetteth not nor was begotten.

YUSUFALI: he begetteth not, nor is he begotten;

 

Verse 112:4

QARIB: and there is none equal to him. ‘

SHAKIR: and none is like him

PICKTHAL: and there is none comparable unto him.

YUSUFALI: and there is none like unto him.

 

================================

 

Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:

Is the Quran quoted from the Bible?

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How would I deal with an alcoholic without enabling him?

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 12:07 pm

My daughter’s father is a severe alcoholic. He often puts alcohol ahead of his daughter.
Example 1: he PROMISES he will bring by diapers (or formula, its happened with both), but instead, he goes out drinking, and I don’t hear from him for a few days.
Example 2: he calls me, when drunk, in the middle of the night, wanting to come see his daughter and spend the night with me. he no longer has feelings for me, and is actually seeing somebody else at this point, yet insists he loves me and wants to have sex with me and whatnot… and gets angry when I say no.

How would I deal with him without enabling him? I have tried calmly talking with him about his behavior when he is sober, but it falls upon deaf ears. I am tired of him putting his drinking problem and the people he drinks with ahead of his daughter. I try my hardest not to get mad at him and yell, or threaten to cut him off until he gets help (which he refuses), as that enables an alcoholic. Any suggestions?
I have tried just ignoring it, but he seems to enjoy “getting away with it” and acts like nothing happened and like he is doing/has done nothing wrong. Ignoring the situation seems to be enabling him…

… he also tries to drink AROUND my daughter… and gets all mad at me when I tell him not to
We are no longer together. I left him before I found out I was pregnant due to his excessive drinking and abuse.
I no longer answer his middle-of-the-night calls. I also no longer depend on him. He still persists on calling, even though I ignore the calls and have told him numerous times NOT to call that late.
I also don’t depend on him for anything, though that doesn’t stop him from saying he will bring stuff, then not doing it.

I *NEVER* allow him to be alone with her. Whenever he comes to see her, I am always around. I would NEVER leave him alone with her. Not even for a minute. I don’t even allow him to hold her.

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Alternatives to Sophistication

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 10:11 am

Lots of people like to think they’re sophisticated, or, to put it another way, that they’re witty, urbane, experienced and knowing. Some of us would like to think of ourselves as people who’ve grown up and learned the ways of the world, how to prosper and survive, how to make your mark and contribute. Is that right? We’ve grown up, all right, or at least, grown older, moved along the journey and done what we’ve done, but looking back, can we honestly say we’ve learned one damn thing?

Like, for example, a friend of mine, who spends his leisure time sipping a glass of expensive wine and looking back on his achievements. A while ago we were reminiscing about the Swinging Sixties. Remember them? Yes, there was a time, back when the years began with a 1960, that people in England liked to think they led the world, in music, fashion, business, oh, and all those other important human endeavours. Like sex. In the 1960s sex changed; the birth control pill made people more easygoing and experimental. Like what? I said, quizzing my friend. Because, as I remember, the thing about the 1960s is that I was there, but I don’t recall doing much swinging. Whatever it was that was happening, it didn’t seem to be happening to me.

For example, he said, he remembered hitchhiking up to London for the Stones concert in the park. Not just any park, Hyde Park. Ah, and that was the Rolling Stones. It was 1969, Mick Jagger wore a frilly white shirt, released some doves and read a poem in honour of one of the founder members of the band, Brian Jones, who had just died. You were there? I asked, (although I might have vaguely remembered). Yes, my pal had hitchhiked from Bristol where we lived, about 120 miles, and before the motorway was finished, so it took about 4 hours, to London, with his sleeping bag on his back. It was the night before. The park was already crowded, people lying on the grass, drinking and smoking. My friend joined in, getting drunk, smoking the dope he was offered, and talking about important things, like their favourite Stones’ song. When it was time to sleep, they crawled into their sleeping bags and drifted off. That’s when a young girl sidled over to my friend, asked him if there was room for two in there, and snuggled in beside him. They made love and went to sleep. That’s it? Yes, that was it. Casual sex with a complete stranger, at an event to do with music, in the presence of our idols and mentors, pop stars.

So much for the 1960s. We thought we were so clever, and all we have to remember is a few bits of music and carnal lust. It isn’t much, is it? Not much of a monument. In contrast, last week I went to the Graduation of one of my daughters. The University she happened to attend is called Cambridge. To graduate, she had to dress up in a gown with (fake) fur trimmings, take part in a procession from King’s College to the Senate House, and there, in the presence of the Vice Chancellor and the Beadles, line up for her scroll. The graduands walked forward in lines of four, where they were received by a woman in a black cape who offered them each a finger of her hand to hold. (No one knows why.) They then went singly forward, and had to kneel before the Vice Chancellor’s representative. They put their hands together, as if praying, and the lady, who was dressed in red robes and looked like Santa Claus, put her hands over their’s and whispered some words in Latin. They then had to stand, back off, bow their heads and exit by the side door. That’s it. That’s the ceremony. That’s Cambridge University, which has been there since 1278. I can’t help thinking that they are the sort of people who people like us, back in the 1960s, were sneering at, but they’re still here, having weathered the upsets in society, and we have nothing to offer but sleeping bags and pop music.

Or maybe we just got older and creakier. I see that Glastonbury Festival was on last week, another hangover from years ago. It’s been going since 1971 and was an attempt to emulate the success of Woodstock in America, all top bands, heavy vibes and mud. The TV reported that there was mud at Glasto this year, as usual, but most people, these days, are coming prepared, wearing their designer Wellington boots. They also stay in hotels, some of them, or nearby farm houses, or designer yurts, with their own built-in bathrooms, Berber wall hangings, and beds. Ah, more sophisticated times: the beds have replaced the sleeping bags, for some.

Maybe that’s the point. People like the idea of music in the open air, and, these days, are prepared to pay a lot more money for it. At the same time, they don’t really enjoy the hardship, the rain and the soggy ground, (most of them), and are happy to pay extra for a comfortable night’s sleep. But, when younger, are happy to pretend that rough conditions and lewd behaviour are enough to constitute a good time. When older, tastes are not just more sophisticated, they are gentler and more demanding, when it really does matter that the bed is comfortable and the wine is chilled. Having tried the opposite, the choice is made for the less stressful option and, being ever adaptable, we call that ‘sophistication’ and explain it as being the logical choice, going through the same process of self-justification as we did when we were younger, just thinking about different things.

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My Wife’s Triumph Over Uterine Fibroids

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 9:27 am

There’s nothing quite like sitting down on a crisp fall Sunday morning to write about my wife’s uterus. I suppose I could have written something generic about the topic of uterine fibroids, but I prefer to write personal stories about true-life experiences that have the potential to inspire and motivate readers.

It all started about a year after we got married. During our first year of marriage, like most couples, our focus was on starting a family, which meant we did our best to make that happen. So far, so good.

But after almost a year of trying without success, we began to wonder if something might be wrong. Off we went to see the fertility specialist, who first asked how old my wife was, then took a blood sample to measure her level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which is the main hormone involved in producing mature eggs. Then he did an ultrasound test to check out her uterus.

When they gave us the results, it would have felt better if they had used a shotgun. At age 39, my wife had an FSH score of 12 (the odds of conception at anything over 10 is virtually zero). Not only that, but they also found three uterine fibroids in three different areas, or levels, in the lining of her uterus.

How bad news spurred us into action

I’ll spare you the grief and heartache we went through that day—the day we were told we would never have a child. I can tell you that when I get bad news, I feel the same emotions of hopelessness, grief, and frustration as anyone else would in the same circumstances. I also have to admit that I expressed my rage in a torrent of choice words (mostly R-rated). For me, it was the release I needed, and it was the first step on our road to recovery.

For as quickly as the bad news had created a sense of hopelessness, my wife and I were somehow able to put aside the negative and begin to focus on what we could do rather than what we couldn’t. Within 12 months of that terrible day, we finalized the adoption of our daughter, Jessica Taylor.

In fact, from the first day we signed any paperwork to the time we were standing in front of a judge, it took only 10 months—a land speed record in the world of domestic infant adoption. Jessica will be 5 next month, and if my wife and I had simply sat by and gotten negative and depressed, she surely would not be in our lives today.

What you need to know

While not truly understanding what a uterine fibroid tumor was at the time and only hearing the word “tumor,” I immediately went to work to learn everything I could about them. And, like anything else, the answer is out there—you just have to ask the right questions, find the right people, and knock on the right doors.

Of course, the doctor we had only wanted to sell us a $20,000 Egg donor fertility package. He could not have cared one bit about the fibroids and the emotions my wife was experiencing when she learned she had them—let alone offer us a solution.

The first bit of good news I found was that fibroids are rarely cancerous. In fact, some are even asymptomatic, meaning they don’t have any symptoms. Many women, however, will experience symptoms such as abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, bowel and bladder irregularity, and painful or uncomfortable intercourse. In some case, fibroids can cause a distended abdomen.

What exactly are fibroids?

Uterine fibroid tumors are small, solid collections of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue that can develop in various parts of the uterus.

What causes them?

No one really knows why they develop, but there is a well-established correlation between fibroids and hormonal imbalances—specifically, higher estrogen levels and lower progesterone levels.

Being in an estrogen-dominant state should not come as a surprise to women these days—even up to premenopausal ages—because of the widespread use of birth control pills and even the large amounts of soy we all eat. Yes, I said soy.

The best way to overcome a challenge is to overwhelm it

If you suspect (or know) that you have a uterine fibroid, please seek proper medical attention. In our case, we were not offered any treatment, which is common. The typical recommendation is to do nothing but wait and see what happens.

Well, we weren’t going to wait until these fibroids got to be the size of bowling balls before we took any action. (Personal observation: sometimes when we are faced with a medical situation that is not life-threatening, we tend sit back and hope that things will get better on their own. Seldom do we decide to attack the problem from as many different angles as possible—all at once, in an effort to overwhelm it, stop it, or at least control it as quickly as possible.)

My wife found her solution in enzymes

My wife had been off any birth control for a while before she found out she had fibroids. But the hormonal imbalances were already evident. We did look into hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but this was right around the time when this approach was getting bad press and some of these products were even being pulled from the market. She did try some natural progesterone cream for a while, until she discovered something called “proteolytic enzymes.”

Can Proteolytic enzymes reverse fibroids?

Proteolytic enzymes are a remarkable substance, and they are responsible for a host of bodily functions. When it comes to uterine fibroids, proteolytic enzymes help break down and remove excess fibrous tissue, which is what fibroids are mostly made of. That’s why these enzymes work so well.

Let me tell you what happened in our case. We both started to take them. Why both of us? Well, for one thing, my wife had never heard of these enzymes, and she felt that it was something we should do together. In less than a week, we both started to feel better—and I’m talking all over. Simple aches and pains began to disappear, and we found we had greater flexibility in our hands (We were both massage therapists at the time and our hands are everything to us).

By week two, my wife started to have what the scientists and the developers of the enzymes call a “side activity.” Why they can’t just call it a side benefit is beyond me. Anyway, she started to get this vaginal discharge that she called “the goo.” I called it “money” because it was a signal that remnants of the fibroids were passing through her.

This continued over the next four to six weeks. My wife did not complain of any vaginal pain during this period. She simply said, “Things just worked better if you know what I mean.”

The one interesting thing about enzymes is that they work at several different dosing levels, in the beginning there is an Activation dose, the Activation dose is different for everyone so you will need to experiment with your dose by incrementally adding one or two capsule per day.

The Activation dose can be continued as long as your are experiencing the side activity, once the side activity starts to subside you can start on what is called a maintenance dose.

That was five years ago. Today, we still take the enzymes for the numerous health benefits they provide, including cardiovascular support not to mention helping to control the levels of systemic inflammation in our bodies the root cause of virtually every disease known to man. It goes without saying that when your enzyme levels drop or stay too low for too long, you will eventually find yourself planted on the other side of the grass.

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In the Quran: to whom will Allah inherit His Dominion?

  • Posted on January 22, 2010 at 7:09 am

The Sons of the Lord God in Bible versus Quran (2)

This is the second article of the series:” The Sons of the Lord God in Bible versus Quran”.

The Bible says that the Lord God, the Almighty Creator, has SONS who were married the daughters of men.  When the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

The Quran says that Allah, the Almighty Creator, has neither a son nor a partner.  Allah is the Self-Sufficient, the eternally Besought of all; the One Who is always sought at times of need.

 

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The Sons of the Lord God in the Bible (2)

The Bible says that the Sons of the Lord God, the Almighty Creator, were married the daughters of men.  When the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

But the Bible does not tell the names of the sons of the Lord God,

The Bible also does not give the physical attributes of the sons of the Lord God. In addition, the Bible does not tell what the number of the sons of the Lord God was and how many they were?

In short, the Bible does not let us know who, how, when, where, how many etc. in respect to the sons of the Lord God.

On the other hand, the Bible gives some informative details about the sons of the kings of Israel, for example, but does not give any details about the Sons of the Lord God, the Almighty Creator, who are of course very much more important than the sons of the kings of Judah . 

On the other hand, the Quran makes it very clear and says that Allah, the Almighty Creator, has neither a son nor a partner.

 

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Genesis 6:4

 

New International Version

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

 

New American Standard Bible

4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

 

English Standard Version

4The Nephilim (Or giants) were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

 

King James Version

4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

 

Young’s Literal Translation

4The fallen ones were in the earth in those days, and even afterwards when sons of God come in unto daughters of men, and they have borne to them — they [are] the heroes, who, from of old, [are] the men of name.

 

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The Sons of the Lord God in the Quran (2)

 

The Quran firmly forbids saying that Allah has a son.

It is not befitting for the Majesty of Allah to take to Himself a son.

In Islam, this point is very important faith wise.

In a very simple word, Allah, the Almighty Creator, has neither a son nor a partner. 

Again, it is unforgivable sin to say or to believe that The One Almighty Creator who is Allah or God or the Lord or Jehovah or whatever you name Him has a son or sons.

 

A group of the disbelievers and the idolaters’ people of Mecca went to the Prophet Muhammad, and said to him:

Describe to us your Lord,

What is the lineage of your Lord?

what is He made of?

And to which species does He belong?

Is He made of gold, copper or silver?

Does He eat and drink?

Who did He inherit this world from?

And to whom will He bequeath it?’

 

and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this Surah (Chapter 112) to describe His attributes and traits, saying:

Say (O Muhammad): He is Allah, the One!

He has no son or partner.

Allah is the Self-Sufficient, the eternally Besought of all; the One Who is always sought at times of need,

He begets not, nor is he begotten, for anyone who is begotten will certainly die and whoever dies will be inherited. Allah does not die nor is He inherited.

And there is none comparable unto Him.

He does not have anyone who resembles Him or is like Him

Naught is as His likeness

 

From the Islamic point of view, the conclusion of this essential topic that may establish or destroy the faith is that:

Any one who believe that the Almighty Creator has a son or sons; he messes his faith up and is considered as a disbeliever and in the afterlife he will end up as an eternal inhabitant of the hell.

Any one who believe that the Creator has neither a son nor a partner; he has a good faith and is considered as a believer and in the afterlife he will end up as an eternal inhabitant of the paradise. 

 

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The meanings of Surah (Chapter) 112 of the Noble Quran:

 

Say: He is Allah, the one; He is the Master whose glory is at its peak and for Whom all created beings are in need;

It is also said that means: He Who does not eat or drink;

It is also said that this means: He Who does not have an interior;

It is also said that this means: He is the Everlasting; He is the Sufficient;

It is also said that this means: He who does not have an entrance or exit.

He begets not, nor is he begotten

He neither begot, for no likeness of Him can exist, nor was begotten, since createdness is precluded in His case.

He did not inherit and will not be inherited;

And it is also said this means: He does not have a son who will inherit His dominion and He was not begotten, which means that He did not inherit His dominion.

Nor is there anyone equal to Him’, neither match nor comparison

there is none comparable unto Him

He does not have an opposite, peer, or equal nor anyone who may resemble or begin to resemble Him;

and it is also said this means: He does not have any co-equal who would compete with Him about dominion and sovereignty’.

 

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Surah (Chapter) 112 of the Noble Quran:

 

Verse 112:1

QARIB: say: ‘he is Allah, the one,

SHAKIR: say: he, Allah, is one

PICKTHAL: say: he is Allah, the one!

YUSUFALI: say: he is Allah, the one and only;

 

Verse 112:2

QARIB: the called upon.

SHAKIR: Allah is he on whom all depend

PICKTHAL: Allah, the eternally besought of all!

YUSUFALI: Allah, the eternal, absolute;

 

Verse 112:3

QARIB: who has not given birth, and has not been born,

SHAKIR: he begets not, nor is he begotten

PICKTHAL: he begetteth not nor was begotten.

YUSUFALI: he begetteth not, nor is he begotten;

 

Verse 112:4

QARIB: and there is none equal to him. ‘

SHAKIR: and none is like him

PICKTHAL: and there is none comparable unto him.

YUSUFALI: and there is none like unto him.

 

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Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:

Is the Quran quoted from the Bible?

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