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Thoughts & Tips

The issues and concerns of a simple bee will aid in the improvement and protection of the entire world. Read, get involve, and be a beneficial presence on this planet!

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A World View - Belize

9/26/2015

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 Belize is a beautiful Central American country that is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the East, Guatemala to the West, Mexico to the North and Honduras to the South.  It's main city is Belize City, but it has other distinct districts around the country.  Belize is home to a significant number of the existing Mayan population and can boast residence of the Garifuna or Garanagu.

I was able to visit this beautiful island country in 2006 with two very good teacher-friends of mine.  At the suggestion of one of the friends who had already been there, her description of its beauty, candor and Cayes made it an unpassable opportunity.   Making our way from the capital of Belize City (at the time) to Belmopan, Cayo, Placencia, San Ignacio and Caye Caulker - fortunate for us, it was an unbelizeable ​trip!

We were lucky enough to show up during the Easter festival in March/April 2006 and got to see the night time mass of Good Friday, the parade of believers going to thank Mary on Holy Saturday and worship JesuChristo for his sacrificial death on Easter.  This is a Catholic heavy country and regardless of my personal beliefs, I found serenity in the sacredness of the genuine gratitude of the people, not to mention the lit candles and beings that lined the streets.

Home to much wildlife, visiting the natural rain forest and the man-made zoo allowed me and my girlfriends to experience the beauty of the life forms that grace the sky, land and sea of Belize.  From parrots, to howler monkeys, otters and termites - the array was eclectic.  Belize is also home to a unique species of large tree - you can live in its above ground roots.  
Here in San Ignacio we met up in the mountains with some Rastas for lemongrass tea, Ital and a swing in the hammock.  More rugged and a little less developed, also much closer to the Guatemalan border, this area proved to be less populated, more vegetative and fully serene.

When Madonna sings of "dreaming of San Pedro" she is speaking about one of the Belizean Cayes.  With a cluster of some of the most beautiful sub-islands, a quick and bumpy and sometimes crowded speed boat ride to Caye Caulker was a highlight.  With hammocks in the night clubs, diving as an option, beautiful local people, delicious food, and strong drinks -- there is lots of room for fun and relaxation.     
Drink coconut water straight from the source; eat freshly caught crab; and catch the divine sunset whle you bathe in the sea on a daily evening basis.  You are sure to feel as high as the birds soaring above.

Beautiful Belize!
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Remembering My First 

9/23/2015

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 2010 – New Release Tells Erotic Tale of Sexy Party Hostess and Her Ability to Survive

Black Geisha

is released by author Rachel Blaze

Julie Flowers begins her ride on the roller coaster of life when a teenage neighbor molests her at the tender age of seven while the babysitter watches soap operas. Her father punishes her and rejects her, eventually rallying the family to his point of view. She can’t even turn to her mother, and the two drift farther apart. This young girl, who begins as a devout Jehovah’s Witness, loses her faith and begins to seek fulfillment by other means. As a free-spirited college student, Julie is well-rounded and educated but broke. This sassy, sophisticated lady learns that sex sells and becomes a party hostess, catering to swinging couples.

Black Geisha is a novel based on a true story about one girls’ sexual journey. As Julie runs into one setback after another, she realizes she may be in over her head, and this lifestyle isn’t working. As her world begins to collapse, will Julie be able to escape the madness and find the peace she seeks? Through her eyes, readers will experience love and loss and the ability to survive life’s roller coaster ride.

This erotica novel, based partially on the author’s life, is Rachel Blaze’s first adult book. Her passion is children’s books. This educator and motivational speaker has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in education. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and now lives in Los Angeles.

----------

For further information visit: www.rachelblaze.com or contact: black.geisha@hotmail.com

 

Black Geisha 
  Rachel Blaze

Dog Ear Publishing

ISBN: 978-160844-454-0                    160 pages                                                                                                           US

 

 

Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.

Promo video (NY): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Zt334Med0

Urban World Interview (NY): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V51XwkJKh30

Wealthy Minds Clip (LA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCkARDPwCgc

Empire Beats Interview (LA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ-enL4RYqc

Interview with Billionaire P.A. (LA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCkARDPwCgc

Urban Soul Radio Commercial (LA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmVf2-CI3_s

USR Studio (LA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKngRmrcUYI







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When Stuff Ain't Sweet

9/13/2015

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Aspartame is one of the most used artificial sweeteners in the food supply today and one of the most dangerous.  Specifically, the toxic substance is often found in diet soft drinks and various candies, but you should also be aware that aspartame is present in a number of lesser-known conventional products as well, like: sugar free ice cream, chewing gum, breathmints, cereals, flavored water, hot cocoa powder, iced tea powder, no sugar added pies, nutritional bars, sugar free cookies and ketchup, drinkable/sugar free and fat free yogurts, ricola soothing cough drops, and over 6,000 other products.  Table top sweeteners, especially Equal and Nutrasweet are aspartame.  Aspartame is an addictive substance with most people who consume diet sodas regularly developing a craving for it.

Aspartame can cause headache, achy joints, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea and high blood pressure immediately, but can also impair the immune system, cause pain or blindness in both eyes, severe depression, abdominal pain, pms and menstrual pain and changes, skin allergies, swelling & bloating, hyperactivity in children, peptic ulcers, irreversible brain damage, cancer, lupus, fibromyalgia, just to name a few and even death.

Eliminate Aspartame from your diet.  Do not consume these sugar substitutes.  Just because something has a ‘sugar free alternative’ doesn’t make it a ‘healthy’ substitute to sugar.  Though refined sugar is terrible for the human body, consumers would actually be better off eating “regular” sugar than aspartame containing substitutes.



You can find more information at www.randomthoughtspossiblesolutions.wordpress.com;  www.nationofchange.org and also www.sweetpoison.com
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The Chips are Stacked Against Us

9/12/2015

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Story at-a-glance
  • Stackable chips oftentimes contain so little actual potato that they cannot, technically, be considered “potato chips”
  • One of the most hazardous ingredients in potato chips is not intentionally added, but rather is a byproduct of the processing. Acrylamide, a cancer-causing and potentially neurotoxic chemical, is created when carbohydrate-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures, whether baked, fried, roasted or toasted
  • According to a 2005 analysis, ALL potato chip products tested exceeded the legal limit of acrylamide by 39 to 910 times, and baked chip products oftentimes contain more acrylamide than their fried counterparts
  • There are more than 800 different heat-induced compounds, 52 of which are potential carcinogens. Three of the most well-known, aside from acrylamide, include Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), and Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)
  • Ideally, you should consume foods that are raw or minimally processed to avoid these types of toxic byproducts of high-heat cooking and processing. The more raw food, the better, but strive to consume at least one-third of your food raw to protect your health
To understand the nature of Pringles and other stackable chips, forget the notion that they come from actual potatoes in any recognizable way.
The Pringles Company (in an effort to avoid taxes levied against "luxury foods" like chips in the UK ) once even argued that the potato content of their chips was so low that they are technically not even potato chips.
So if they're not made of potatoes, what are they exactly?
The process begins with a slurry of rice, wheat, corn, and potato flakes that are pressed into shape.
This dough-like substance is then rolled out into an ultra-thin sheet cut into chip-cookies by a machine.

According to io9:
"The chips move forward on a conveyor belt until they're pressed onto molds, which give them the curve that makes them fit into one another.
Those molds move through boiling oil ... Then they're blown dry, sprayed with powdered flavors, and at last, flipped onto a slower-moving conveyor belt in a way that allows them to stack.
From then on, it's into the cans ... and off towards the innocent mouths of the consumers."
I suspect nearly everyone reading this likely enjoys the taste of potato chips. However, they are clearly one of the most toxic processed foods you can eat—whether they're made from actual potato shavings or not.
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Save Seeds to Save Lives

9/9/2015

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Begin and maintain your own garden.  Whether big or small, it is important that you save seeds.  Though most seeds can be planted at the same time the vegetable is harvested, it is great to store them in a dry, dark place or the refrigerator for use at a later time.

Here are some good tips for saving specific seeds:

Tomato – Pepper – Cucumber – Eggplant – Squash – Pumpkin

Let these and plants like these get fully ripe or just a little more than ripe. Tomatoes should be bright red; with cucumber wait until the vine is dead.

Open the vegetable and remove the seeds. The remainder of the vegetable can be eaten if still good. Do this immediately after harvesting; do not store the vegetables in the refrigerator.

Put the seeds in a cup with some water.

Leave the seeds in the water for a few days and lightly swirl occasionally. This will remove any vegetable gunk inside from the seed.

Drain the water and let the seeds dry on a rag or paper before storing, otherwise mold or fungus can grow.

Lettuce

Leave some plants in the ground after the have ripened.

A stalk will grow up that will produce the seed.

A flower will form and then a white fluff.

Wait until a large white fluff is produced. Carefully pinch the fluff and pull up. The seed will be attached. You can also open the seed sac and remove any additional seeds

Cabbage

Cabbage produces seeds in a similar way to lettuce. However, it is a biennial, so it only produces after two growing seasons.

Only harvest from the outside of the cabbage.

When is becomes bitter leave it until it begins the next growing cycle.

After the next growing cycle a stalk will emerge from the center of the cabbage.

When the stalk heads turn brown they can be removed and seed can be taken from them.

Bean – Peas – Okra

Leave some vegetables on the plant until they begin to become dry.

Most pods will start to turn brown. Mung beans will turn black.

Remove the pods and leave them to dry completely.

Seeds can be removed from the pods or saved with the pods.

Herbs

Herb seeds are small. Also, many herbs change quality in the next generations. For this reason it is easier to propagate herbs through cuttings.

Cut the end of a fresh stem a few inches long. Do not cut any that are beginning to form seeds or that you have cut from before.

Plant the cutting in a bag with fresh soil.

The herb may wilt and appear dead a few days after it is planted. This is normal because it the plant is directing nutrients to the bottom to grow new roots.

Radish – Carrots

Carrots are biennials; they produce seed only after two years.

Radish and carrots are easy to save seeds from once they produce seed. Radish will be ready to save after the first harvest, carrots after the second.

Leave some vegetables in the ground after harvesting the ripe ones.

Flowers and then seed pods will grow from the stalks.

Wait until the pods are completely dry and then pick them off. Crack them open with your fingers and take the seeds from the inside.

If needed, seed pods can be removed when the plant first begins to get dry, however they should not be opened until the pod is completely dry.

Spinach

Spinach grows like a weed.  Small, young plants will naturally grow below the larger ones.

You can allow them to grow, weed them out, or replant them in other locations.

Change begins with each and every one of us and when we know better, we should do better.  Happy Planting!

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More Moringa

9/7/2015

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Known as The Miracle Tree, Moringa Oleifera, just one of the many Moringa species is a  multipurpose tree that is used all over the world.  So, why Moringa?

The better question would be, why not?

Moringa Oleifera is a tree in which every part can be used.  From its roots to its leaves and everything in between, the Moringa tree hosts a list of nutritional properties that are making children, adults, animals, and land healthier the world over.

Just look at these amazing facts.  Moringa leaves alone contain:
  • 7 times the vitamin C of oranges
  • 4 times the vitamin A of carrots
  • 4 times the calcium of milk
  • 3 times the potassium of bananas
  • 2 times the protein of yogurt

Altogether, it includes vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, C and E.  The plant is also packed with minerals, including: calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, protein, and zinc.  This miracle tree also harbors 18 out of the 20 essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of DNA that humans need.  There are eight amino acids that our bodies cannot synthesize on its own; fortunately, the Moringa provides it for us.  Moringa also helps stop diarrhea, skin fungal infections and stomach aches, while improving anemia, and stabilizing diabetes.  We do not recommend that you stop taking your doctor prescribed medications without medical consent, but it is advantageous to supplement the plant into your diet and reap its beneficial effects.

Moringa pods can be cooked as a vegetable, the seeds can be pressed for cooking and cosmetic oil, and the seed pulp can be used to purify water.  This has been extremely beneficial in parts of the world where clean water is scarce.  Its ability to mitigate malnutrition in these parts has also taken effect.  Africa, Asia, South America, Latin America and the Caribbean are benefitting from the high potency of vitamins by administering the leaves in pounded powder form to babies and pregnant women.  In fact, women in Senegal, Ghana, the Philippines, and Haiti are seeing such positive results for themselves and their children that they are planting their own trees and using the powder as a regular cooking spice sprinkled directly on top of each family meal.  And the benefits just keep on coming!

The increased planting of Moringa trees has helped to strengthen degraded soil and prevent future erosion.  The abundance of water in the root of the tree also makes it drought resistant, a huge benefit in this time of changing climates and unpredictable weather patterns.  These trees are also fast growing.  One tree can be harvested eight times a year, producing over 100 tons per hectare of green matter worth using.  And use it you can!  Even to bathe.

Yes, Moringa is a magnificent cleansing agent.  The sap from its bark can be used as an antiseptic to clean cuts and wounds, but the leaves itself can be processed into soaps, lotions, crèmes, and other cosmetic products.  This isn’t just good for personal hygiene and health; it is also good for the health of the family economy.  Products that are made can be sold and that produces another livelihood and generates income for a family.  This is truly a tree that keeps on giving, a miracle tree, which proves to be worth far more than the soil it’s planted in.

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Homage to Shango

9/7/2015

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SHANGO leads a full red-blooded life and likes to party. He is in great demand as a drummer and his dancing talents cause severe outbreaks of funkiness wherever perpetrated.

His special Feast Day is 4th of December and during this time he has a piper employed to play all the latest hits. His special number is six, and his favorite colors are red and white. He likes animals, particularly dogs. He also favors roosters and turtles, although we think these are more for eating than companionship. If you invite him to a feast you will need to stock up on bananas, apples, cornmeal, okra, red wine and rum.


Reference: http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/african-mythology.php?deity=SHANGO


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In the Spirit of Oya - "What I destroy, you no longer need"

9/2/2015

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Oya is the powerful Yorùbá Orisha of the winds and tempests. She is considered either the sister of the Orisha of storms Shango, or one of His three wives, with Oshun and Oba. She can manifest as winds ranging from the gentlest breeze to the raging hurricane or cyclone. She goes forth with Her husband during His thunderstorms, destroying buildings, ripping up trees, and blowing things down. Oya is known as a fierce warrior and strong protectress of women, who call on Her to settle disputes in their favor.

As the Orisha of change, She brings down the dead wood to make room for the new, and She uses Her machete or sword to clear a path for new growth. She is believed to watch over the newly dead and assist them as they make the transition from life. She is equated with the Vodou Lwa Maman Brijit, Who, like Oya, guards graveyards.

Oya is the Orisha of the Niger River, and Her violent rainstorms are said to be its source. Like Oshun, She is worshipped not only in Africa but in Brazil, where the Amazon is said to be Her river, and where She is equated with the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of La Candelaria. Oya, who is an Orisha of a very fiery demeanor, also seems to have a far-flung connection with the Celtic Bride or Bridgit, both in Her Vodou counterpart Maman Brijit, and in Her associated Catholic saint, Our Lady of La Candelaria, whose feast day, February 2nd, is shared with Bride.

Oya's attributes are the sword or machete and the flywhisk, and Her animal is the water buffalo, in Whom She sometimes manifests. Her mother is said to be Yemaya, the Great Sea Mother. Oya Herself is said to be the mother of nine children--Egungun and four sets of twins.

Her number is nine, Her color is burgundy or purple, and Her metal is copper. Offerings to Oya include eggplants, coins, red wine, and cloth.

Reference: http://www.thaliatook.com/AMGG/oya.php



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Honor the Cherokee

9/1/2015

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    When you know better, you do better.  

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