Birthday Calculator
Topic: Metaphysical

"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, the unimaginative pest of my psyche, "if you're like me, this page will be a blast."

'I'm not like you,' he responded too quickly. When he recognized what he had just said, Tiger did a swift about face and stated, 'I'm just like you - tough-minded, sensitive and happy-go-lucky. What do you have of interest today?" he asked pleasantly.

I laughed at the first part and answered the second. "It's a birthday calculator at PaulSadowski.com. You can punch in the month, day and year of your birth and then within seconds, you'll get statistics."

'I don't need that,' the pest confessed, 'My birthday is ancient and I'd rather keep it to myself. And besides,' he spoke sharply, 'I have no desire to find my soul mate.'

"It's not like that," I told him before going on. "Mine birth date is January 29, and I was born in 1948. One of the top songs that year was Buttons and Bows by Dinah Shore and I'm 1,855,466,597 seconds old," I said, reading aloud while looking at the data the computer turned up.

'Ancient too,' he said with insistence.

I went on without commenting on his insinuation and said the obvious. "Of course I know my astrological sign is Aquarius, and I knew too," I said throwing in what wasn't, "that my Life Path number is a 7, but I didn't know I was born on a Thursday - my mother had too many kids to remember that - and," I said a moment later, "I had no idea 1948 was a leap year."

'How'd you know your so called life path number?' asked Tiger, that aspect being of interest to him.

"Until finding this neat computer, I did it the old fashioned way," I responded before demonstrating. "Add the month - mine is a 1, for January. Then the day of the week - 29 for me, which adds together to be 11- actually a two when you add 1 + 1. And then," I continued, "the year. 1 + 9 + 4 + 8. All that translates into a 7. My life path is a 7.

Tiger became quite. My imagination was ignited. I went back to the site for some more fun. "I wonder what it'll instantly calculate for my kids dates of birth?" I said as I clicked back.

Flu shot or NOT
Topic: Health & Well-being
"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, the stubborn and inflexible inner pest, "are you aware of the latest on the flu shots?"

'I've heard that the Center for Disease Control is urging all Americans to get their flu shots,' answered Mr. Tiger before showing off how knowledgeable he can be, 'Tamiflu, an anti influenza drug, can reduce the duration of symptoms.'

"Yes," I responded quickly, " only 50% of the time." And then without wasting mine to talk about the particulars of the neuraminidase inhibitor drug I asked another question. "But did you know that it has the harmful preservative mercury in it? And did you know that more than 100 new cases of adverse side effects have been reported?

'Mostly from kids in Japan,' answered Tiger as if that fact should immediately halt our discussion.

In spite of his callousness, I continued with, "Serious skin reactions, and bizarre neuropsychiatric events, such as delirium and hallucinations. And last year," I added to top this off, "12 deaths were said to be a reaction to taking Tamiflu."

Tiger shrugged while saying, 'What can you do?'

"When you hear all the media boosts calling for a demand for this so-called vaccine - without also mentioning the correlation between between the drug and the unusual side effects - a good first step is to ask some questions," I responded.

'I have none,' he shot back.

Instead of arguing with this kind of nonsense, I said, "Take note," as I linked to Mom's Against Flu Shots and a pasted page 1 from today's ABC News story, FDA: Tamiflu Patients Need Monitoring.

WASHINGTON Nov 14, 2006 (AP)— More than 100 recent cases of delirium, hallucinations and other unusual psychiatric behavior in Japanese patients treated with Tamiflu should have parents watching for similar reactions when treating their children with the flu drug.

That's the new advice from the Food and Drug Administration in adding a new precaution to the label of the influenza drug, prescribed about 2 million times a year in the United States.

The FDA updated the label after receiving the 103 reports of abnormal behavior, most of which involved children in Japan. Japan uses more Tamiflu than any other country in the world, with more than 30 million prescriptions since 2001. It's been prescribed about 8 million times in the U.S. since 1999.

The FDA said a relationship between the drug and the behavior had not been established and that the updated label was "intended to mitigate a potential risk associated with Tamiflu." It recommends that close monitoring of patients begin immediately after starting treatment with the drug.

The changes bring the U.S. label more in line with the Japanese one, which already warned that such abnormal behavior could occur. The previous FDA-approved label mentioned only that "seizure and confusion" had been seen in some patients.

Tamiflu is made by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG. Roche spokesman Terence Hurley said there was no evidence the drug caused the rarely occurring adverse events.

Both Roche and the FDA also said that severe cases of the flu can spark the abnormal behavior flagged in the updated label.

Furthermore, the FDA acknowledged that stopping treatment with Tamiflu could actually harm influenza patients if the virus is the cause of delirium, hallucinations and other abnormal behavior, such as aggression and suicidal thoughts.

Health officials have been sensitive about taking any action that might dissuade people from taking Tamiflu, since the drug could play an important role in an outbreak of bird flu. The drug doesn't prevent flu but can reduce the length and severity of its symptoms.

--
page 2 continues.

Phrenology Revisited
Topic: Metaphysical

"Phrenology is always criticized by those who never studied the science, using rather obscure reasonings and aprioristic statements." - Dr. DESCURET, "La Medecine des Passions"


"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, the blockhead of my psyche, "there was a time when Phrenology, the study of the shape of the skull, was readily accepted. A phrenologist was consulted by thousands of people to access a persons character, personality traits, and latent abilities. The bumps, and the size of the head were thought to be a clue to a persons propensities or even a good way to find a marriage partner."

'And what brings this up today?' asked the pest in his smart-alecky way. 'Are you ready to admit you are a bonehead?'

It's a good thing I've long since grown past the days when an insult like that would have me running to the mirror. I was able to calmly respond, "I find it interesting that this ancient object of study - one that was once eagerly embraced by the medical community has virtually disappeared."

'With good reason,' the paper tiger sassed.

"This old self-instructor book, as they called it, entitled Phrenology: New Illustrated Self-Instructor in Phrenology and Physiology with over 100 engravings by O.S. and L.N. Fowler, offers detailed "description of various traits detected by phrenology," I went on.

'An old book and an old topic - dead and buried long ago,' said Tiger and before he strongly suggested, 'It's nonsense.'

"Perhaps," I half heartedly agreed. "I've no real knowledge of this subject, just a tireless interest in anything pertaining to body shape, facial features, and head size."

'A foot fetish too,' Mr. Tiger accused.

"Hands also," I threw in to make sure not to leave the impression that my attraction was not an erotic fixation.

I ended with a link to The History of Phrenology and a copy and paste of an excerpt from My Battle for Life: The Autobiography of a Phrenologist by David, G. Goyder from an 1857 edition of a 481 page book. Text complied by historian Dr John van Wyhe who authored, Phrenology and the Origins of Victorian Scientific Naturalism.

page 124
...showy, but rather rambling lecturer; but people were generally disappointed at the conclusion of his lectures. His subjects were Mnemonics and Phrenology. He was very skillful in the selection of his pupils, whom he invariably chose according to their organization. He has passed from this natural state of being, and the conclusion of his existence was, I believe, embittered by poverty and neglect.
But, to return to myself. It was from Dr. Crook that I received my first phrenological impressions, and so firm did his instructions take hold of me, that from the time of his visit to Bristol, I noted the peculiarities of all I came in contact with, and then turned to their organization to see if those peculiarities harmonized therewith. I was often at fault, mistaking prominent bones for eminences of brain; and as I had no one to consult, I made many mistakes.
With a very superficial knowledge of osteology, and great dread of ridicule, I kept my opinions to myself ; but, from the time of my first hearing Dr. Crook, I became a portrait collector. I never found a person with a low and contracted forehead possessed of high intellectual ability ; and eminence of intellect I ever found associated with depth and breadth of forehead. My portrait collecting has continued; and, at the present time, a period of thirty six years from my first impression of phrenology, I think I possess the best collection of portraits of any phrenologist in Great Britain.
I continued to take notice of the formation of the head of the different persons I came in contact with. In other words, I began to reduce to practice my small amount of phrenological knowledge. I did this both with regard to children as well as adults, and my situation afforded me abundant opportunities for the study of character. I had a deaf and dumb pupil, who was largely endowed with the qualities of imitation and music. I wondered whether music could be considered as a primitive and independent.

more here: http://pages.britishlibrary.net/phrenology/other_texts/goyder.txt

Pages from the past and present
Topic: Book Reviews

"We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become." - Ursula K. LeGuin

"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, the egghead within, "My sister Colleen tagged me a long while ago to do a book meme. I'm finally ready. Let me say also, that I have to agree with what Colleen expressed on her entry, when she wrote, "I've been thinking how hard it is to name only one book that changed my life; how I read mostly to learn rather than for entertainment..."

A quote from an author unknown came to mind. I asked Tiger, "In the vastness of the ocean, is any drop of water greater than another?"

'Good question,' he answered feigning interest. 'Let's talk about it,' he added like a cherry on the cake.

The question from the unknown author has burned within my heart for as long as I can recall, I let it pass though in favor of getting to the task at hand, responding thusly, "No, not today Tiger. Let's just tackle the questions below beginning with the most difficult on the list - number one.

1. One book that changed my life:
I've chosen; The Four Agreements by Toltec master Don Miguel Ruiz. It has become almost a practical guide to living. The four agreements are:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.


2. One book that I have read more than once: Drinking to the very last drop of, Initiation by Elisabeth Haich, has never been enough for me. All reads (probably 4) have taught me something new, depending on where I was on my path while reading. Said plainly; Haich teaches as the reader follows her journey of her initiation.

3. One book I would want on a deserted island: Since Light is so critical to our total health, bringing Light - Medicine of the Future by Jacob Liberman, O.D., PH.D might be just the book to have on an island. I could bolster what I learned when I read his book the first time in '91 and study again about the immune system, the third eye, color wavelengths; all while basking in the Light of the sun.

4. One book that made me laugh: "If you get the joke, you get the philosophical point," a quote by John Allen Paulos explains why I liked the irresistible humor of George Carlin in, Brain Droppings.

5. One book that made me cry was:
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.
An excerpt first from Chapter 4 and then another from Chapter 11 offers two clues as to why I cried throughout this powerful tale.
"[Siddhartha] stood alone like a star in the heavens...That was the last shudder of his awakening, the last pains of birth. Immediately he moved on again and began to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer homewards, no longer to his father, no longer looking backwards."

"Had not his father suffered the same pain that he was now suffering for his son? Had not his father died long ago, alone, without having seen his son again? Did not he expect the same fate? Was it not a comedy, a strange and stupid thing, this repetition, this course of events in a fateful circle?"


6. One book I wish I'd written: "The Jim and Dan Stories: A Journey of Grief and Faith" by my sister Colleen Redman (yes the same sister who tagged me for this meme). My ability to dig down as deeply as Colleen was able to do - pulling up as she did - the gems of our childhood, while also conveying the pain of losing two brothers within the span of 36 days, is doubtful. But, I wish I had. She is my hero and my heart will be forever grateful to Colleen for writing a book that I've read over and over - always while laughing and crying, and sometimes while wishing I was on a deserted island.


7. One book I wish had never been written: Since everything teaches I have no answer for number 7.

8. One book I am currently reading: I'm on a fiction kick these last few weeks. Since discovering Dennis Lehane's novels I have been on a riverting ride because of the remarkable story lines but moreso because he is able to shine such psychological insight onto his characters. Mystic River the novel I'm reading today (much better than the movie).

9. One book I have been meaning to read: The Mystery of the Seven Vowels by Joscelyn Godwin. With a name like Godwin, I can't think why this book remains on my shelf unopened. Picking it up now, I read this from the back jacket.
I think this one will definitely be next...unless it isn't.

The Price of War
Topic: Family

Belles of St. Mary's after winning a National Championship contest in Minneapolis. I'm in the front row; sixth from the right.
--------
"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger the drill sargent of my psyche, "When I was a kid, I marched with the CYO drill team - The Belles of St. Mary's. I marched with squads of teenagers on Veterans Day, and other holidays, through the streets of Boston and neighboring communities in our crisp red, white and blue uniforms and shiny spit polished white boots."

'Right flank - right,' Mr. Tiger commanded .

"The Veterans Day parades stand out for me, not because I was especially patriotic but because of the people behind the waving flags and cheering crowds. They were wives, mothers, fathers, sisters or brothers of the men whose service we honored," I recalled for him. "Many of them had lost a family member or a close friend."

'About Face,' yelled Tiger.

Playing along, I said back, "At ease."

My thoughts drifted back to another Veteran's Day from our small New England town - Hull, Massachusetts.

When I marched with the Belles, my main concerns were for my appearance, staying in step with the team, and falling out to a soda and and ice cream at the Hull Village playground, after the parade.

While I stood in prayer at our local cemetery, looking over to my family home, which was as close as a stones throw from where The Belles of St. Mary's stood in formation that day, I thought of my father's brother - my uncle John - who died at the ripe old age of 29 in The Bataan Death March.

"Were the other dead soldiers as loved as my uncle John was? Would the gaping hole I felt in my heart for those who died, ever go away? Was the price of war worth it?" I wondered all at once.

Today as we fight a war that didn't have to be, and as Bush & Company continue with the same old lies and the same old sour tune - I'd have to say, I still feel as I did all those years ago. I'd have to say, "We just can't justify the cost."


"By illegally using hundreds of tons of depleted uranium (DU) against Iraq ~ Britain and America have gravely endangered not only the Iraqis but the whole world." Dr. Chris Busby, the British radiation expert and UK representative on the European Committee on Radiation Risk .

Now Playing - The Real Donald Rumsfeld
Topic: Political

"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, the not so funny pest within, "now that Rumsfeld is gone I can hope he'll be tried for war crimes."

'Are you kidding me?'

"I'm as serious as I've ever been," I answered, "and I think you will be too if you take the time to watch this Jon Stewart Daily Show clip where Rumsfeld is the target."

'Jon Stewart's a comedian."

"Yes," I responded, before adding a question. "Have you ever heard of the saying 'honey makes the medicine go down?"

Forgetting to play dumb, Tiger answered, 'Sure.'

I came back with, "Comedians know that it's through the avenue of humor," I said, hoping Tiger understand what I meant, "that people are more able to swallow what is otherwise hard to take."

With that I posted the YouTube video.

Bright Ideas
Topic: Thirteen Thursday



"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, low wattage pest of my psyche, "I'm doing my Thirteen Thursday with the idea of fresh perspectives."

'Is this going to be political?' asked Mr. Tiger who was happy to be done with anything revolving around the midterm elections, 'because fresh perspective are the words Bush used yesterday for the appointment of the new secretary of defense Robert M. Gates - the one replacing Donald Rumsfeld.'

I'm sure I could come up with at least thirteen reasons I was glad to see Rumy replaced and another thirteen showing that it should not be with the former director of the CIA, Robert Graves, but that was not my plan for today. I said to Mr. Tiger, "Since my list has nothing to do with the Democratic party win, nor is it about Texas's good ol' boy network, I'll call this Thirteen Thursday bright ideas."

Before Mr. Tiger had time to speak, I jumped right in with my 13 beginning with the "LouseBuster." Imagine a supped up blow dryer that kills lice! A bright idea that any parent would love, especially if their own children have had the nasty critters and had to use the highly toxic chemical shampoos to get rid of them.

1. Researchers Devise New Weapon for Head Lice
?We think that it works by drying them out,? said the lead author of the study, Dr. Dale H. Clayton, a biologist at the University of Utah. ?The key is volume of air, not heat.? The report appears in the current issue of Pediatrics. read more here.

2. V.Smile? Baby Infant Development System
An activity center that's got lots of different facets to explore with baby. It's easily portable and comes with a separate receiver that plugs into the TV to allow for interactive on-screen play.
picture here.

3. "Little Fretty"
Pocket sized, Little Freddie is recommended for musicians of all skill levels and is great for warm up, practice or rehearsal. He doesn't make any sound so you can jam away without disturbing your neighbors, parents, spouse, friends or fellow musicians, although you may imagine hearing him in your head. He is made of a space age, hard foam type material, engineered to give a 3-Dimensional feel of the guitar neck, frets and strings and gives a pressure resistance to build playing strength and ability

4. Dust Art
As a kid there was nothing like dragging your finger across the dirty back window of your mom's minivan. Imagine lifting your finger to find you've created a Mona Lisa on the rear glass. Scott Wade of San Marcos, TX is perhaps the only person who could say he's done this.
Continue reading and see amazing pictures here

5. Rent designer jewelry for your holiday party
Are you looking to impress some people at your holiday parties this year? You can rent high-end jewelry from a website called bagborroworsteal.com.

6. Bag Borrow or Steal
a new online handbag "store" that works the same way NetFlix and GameFly do for movies and video games.

7. Eyelashes taken to the extreme
for me, these false eyelashes seem more like a Halloween leftover, but for others it might be a bright idea whose time has come.

8. Bebi Ravi, which means "Baby's Delight,"
is a company that helps out women in Nakurua, Kenya

9. Feline Furniture
for cat lovers everywhere scratching posts and plastic kitty litter boxes may become a thing of the past.
(after raising 9 kids my mother is raising Jazzy, a kitten gifted to her after my dad passed away last year)

10. Wallpaper-by-Numbers
paint by numbers wallpaper and borders

11. Disabled Artist Network
I haven't had time to look yet, but this quote is enticing: "Art you will Love - People you will never Forget"

12. Table Settings
Just in time for Thanksgiving, inspiration for beautiful table settings
A.Nanette Lepore
B.a href="http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/template/catC35.jhtml?itemId=cat11970741&parentId=cat11970739&masterId=cat3520749&cmCat=">Jay Strongwater
C.Valentino
D. I'll be using my trusty old Blue Onion, which I've used now for over 30 years during holiday gatherings.

last but not least...
13. BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
whether new or old books are always a bight idea!

Who's BLUE Now?
Topic: Political
"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, the petulance within, "the Democrats have gained and so have we."

'How so?' asked Mr. Tiger who must have have spend the last twenty four hours under a rock.

"They've taken control of the House of Representatives and Senate," I answered, "for the first time in 12 years," I added, "which translates to, a loud message for Bush."

'Too close to call,' yawned the stubborn pest, 'absentee ballots, recounts, etcetera, etcetera. Too early to tell.'

I knew there were glitches in the electronic voting machine (what else is new?) but I didn't follow up with that because it won't change the results of millions of votes. I chose to say instead, "The economy, government corruption, scandals, the illegal war in Iraq, etcetera, etcetera," thinking as I said it that the timing for the Saddam guilty verdict did not work as the Republicans had hoped it would.

I thought of the genius of our system created by our founding fathers and ended with, "Congratulations to the American people. And congratulations as well to Duval Patrick."

---
Duval Patrick wins by a landslide. The first African-American elected governor of Massachusetts. See page one of Boston Globe article: It's Patrick in a romp - Bay State win makes history.

Voting Today
Topic: Political

"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, the pest who actively tracks my thinking, "those phone calls during dinner last night were so so soooo annoying - the ones from everyone and his brother wanting a vote for their candidate. It's enough to cause me to stay away from the polls."

The close-minded beast said, 'You're finally smarting up.'

I laughed, for indeed I had asked for that one. I said to him, "Yeah, finally."

He didn't expect that from me, nor would he accept it. 'What'd out of your mind?' he asked, his voice growing considerably smaller.

"Yup," I answered loudly and through another laugh, "I'm so out of my mind, I think my vote will make some kind of difference, when in reality I know otherwise."

'You do?'

"I do."

Our conversation kick-started my thinking.

Could the "Get out the vote" slogan be over tired and over used? Do most people assume their vote really counts one way or the other? Or could the reason some don't even cast one, be because they feel it's a waste of their time? Has what was once a source of pride - voting - become a duty instead of a novel idea that helped make our country great? Can we trust the electronic voting software? Could the huge cost of campaign spending - a hefty $42.8 million for the gubernatorial candidates in Massachusetts - be part of what's gone sour? Or is it the negative campaigning that tastes so bad? Who still thinks it's possible for anyone to grow up to become governor or president? Is money what it takes, or are our steadfast values still part of the equation?

So many questions.

One that is downright scary for me is; what will happen if we continue along the same road we've been traveling since Bush took office?

I knew I'd be voting today.

Bringing our Hearts Together
Topic: Family
"Hey Tige," I said to Mr. Tiger, brazen beast within, "yesterday at church..."

The sassy Mr. Tiger abruptly interrupted before I could even finish my sentence. 'Since when do you go to church?' he snapped.

We could have entered into a long discourse about the nature of my spirituality; that being, that Life, with a capital L, is my church and religion. I hesitated though to go there with the pest, Mr. Tiger, because I didn't have the energy to deal with that particular topic today. I said instead, "I went to church yesterday for my mother's sake Tige," adding, "she wanted her children beside her for Feast of All Souls Day - a day the Catholic Church annually reserves for those who have preceded us in death. Yesterday we lit candles for the Faithful Departed in memory of my dad who passed away on November 28, 2005." I tacked on after a silent moment, "I'm thankful that I went."

There was really no way to bring today's discussion to a close, for it had hardly begun.

I opted to use a quote from my sister Sherry whose humbly expressed words this morning on our family's email chain, summed up the strain we were all feeling at this time last year. Sherry said, "I can't believe we all lived thru last year" to which another sister, who attended yesterday's mass before another for her young niece Jenna, also agreed. We all did. "I can't believe we lived through it either Sherry," said Tricia.

There wasn't much left to say so I ended today's entry with a picture of myself and my dad and a portion of a post originally published on December 5, 2005 at our father's funeral mass.

The eulogy of almost a year ago, was opened with a piece, Let Me Clue You in about My Father, written and read first by my sister Colleen for his 80th birthday and then again on the alter during a three part oration. My brother Joe told those in attendance about how our dad always encouraged him, in spite of his dyslexia - to build his first house, his second house, his third house - which eventually grew into the thriving construction company he owns today.

My contribution to father's eulogy follows:

The other morning I woke up with the words, "his contract was up" on my lips.

Our dad had fulfilled his end of the contract after raising 9 children - two of whom he and my mother buried.

I looked at these words as a message from those on the other side who invisibly hold us close when times get rough. Those words were a perfect way to explain our father's departure, for indeed "his contract was up" and no matter how much he loved his job here on earth, he had been letting us know, since the car accident that broke his neck on Oct 17th, that his "contract was up." The 42 days of hospital care had drawn to a close.

He wasn't going to do it the way Jimmy did. He knew the harshness of sudden accidental death and wouldn't put his family through that again.
He wasn't going to do it the way Danny did either - with a long lingering disease that sucked the life out of him.

The 42 days of hospital care was a gift to us, his family - it was to help us adjust to the end of his contract, even while we visited daily to root him on to health.

On the 42nd day my father said to my mother and sister Sherry, "today is the day." How could they have known that that meant it was the end of his contract?

Sherry's email that night excitedly informed us of his words that she and my mother took to mean a new beginning; for indeed it looked that way.
It turned out to be his best day.
He was up in a wheel chair for the first time.
He was talking lucidly for the first time in weeks.

Sherry told us too that he kept looking at the calendar. Did he know? Did he know that an extension to his contract would have been too hard? Too hard for not only himself but also his beloved Barbara who was his rock.
Looking back, I'd have to say that I think so.