Echo Park Lake

Echo Park Lake is a relaxing place to spend a Sunday or pretty much any day. Morning joggers run around, early risers walk their dogs, and stop by Piknik to grab a cup of Joe, and Canadian geese forage for food. Although I do try, I'm not an early riser. Last Sunday, I pushed myself to meet up with a friend because I needed a major social media detoxing, wanted to go for a long walk, and to try out the Clark Street bakery.

I'm tired of X aka Twitter, Facebook, and basically the entire internet experience, so much so that there are times when I just want to disappear. They cut off my connection from other users through algorithms and shadow banning, and I often feel as though I'm just wasting time. It didn't used to be this bad, but the online experience seems to be getting worse with each passing day.

My friend and I walked for ten minutes and decided to eat first. Clark Street is popular. We didn't feel like going in late, standing in a long line to order, or wait for a table. We also wanted to make sure that they wouldn't run out of their sourdough seeded bread. I have to say that the patrons seemed to be regulars, and knew exactly what they wanted which made the line move along. And it was easy to find a table. Not everyone dines in; many locals order ahead and takeaway.

One of the things my friends and I have in common is that we can sit at a café and gab for hours. We ordered Cream buns. I know. It's an unhealthy way to start the morning, but my friend had raved about it so much, that I had to try it at least once. It's really good, and shareable. I got an almond tea latte. They didn't know how to do it right. They basically just poured almond milk over my tea. And the only tea they serve is black or a sugary chai latte. Maybe someday they'll get it right. My friend had brought her own tea. This coffee shop also has eggs and sandwiches.

 

After breakfast, we began our two-hour walk. The air was crisp, the sun started to peek, and as we walked, I tried not to get in the way of the geese. There are benches around for people who want to veg out or read a book.

Some of the outdoor scenes from Gilligan's Island were filmed on a tiny island in Echo Park Lake where the the bridge is situated in the above photo. Currently, it's closed off to visitors.

There are swan pedal boats. I think they charge something like $15/person to rent. My friend and I got into a discussion about pedal boating. She likes it. I don't. I tried it twice, once when I was twenty with a college friend, and with my nieces when they were younger. All of us hated it. You pedal and pedal and go nowhere. You're better off pedaling on a stationary bike. With that said, I don't want to discourage anyone. If that's what you enjoy, by all means, go for it and have fun.

Oh, and do buy a loaf of sourdough seeded bread from Clark Street. You will not regret it. The flour used is high-quality, and since it's fermented, it's good for digestion.

Cancer

 

Cancer is a big business. After my mom passed away, I was planning to blog more about this, and even write a book on corruption in the medical industry, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, because each time I tried, it brought back a lot of negative memories about my mom's cancer, her time spent between doctors, the hospital, and home, the amount of suffering she went through, and the darkness I faced. 

Everyone should know something about cancer because once you or someone you love gets it, it's much harder to start learning. Do your own research. I'm not a doctor. My goal here is to post a few things about what my friends and I faced. I hope you find it helpful.

(Image by Ivan Oboleninov)

Some of the symptoms to look for:

1.   Low vitamin D level 

2.   If a person is tired all the time and wants to sleep often. 

3.   They stop caring about things that they once enjoyed.

4.   If they struggled to lose weight their whole life, and all the sudden their weight start to come off easily, and they're not hungry.

5.   High fever that comes and goes, Fever is the body's way of warning—It's trying to get rid of something in the body that doesn't belong there (I learned this at the Gerson institute).

6.   Any type of bleeding. It may or may not be hemorrhoids or urinary tract infections. Hopefully that's what it is. Sometimes it's more than that.

7.   Crying and feeling depressed for no reason. Deep depression can cause the body get out of balance, and may cause cancer. 

(Image by Ivan Samkov)

If you have Cancer:

1.   Cancer is not a death sentence. Many people have recovered. Doctors sometimes say that you have six months or one year to live. Unfortunately, once they plant that seed in your head, that's how long you will live. It's best to wipe out any time frame from your mind, and make it a goal to want to fight back and live. Because once that time frame gets to you, you begin to spiral down.

2.   Trauma gets trapped in the body, and shows up as a disease. Better to find away to release it asap, be it through therapy, talking to your friends, journaling, exercising, or whatever way that works for you. The longer trauma stays within you, the more difficult it becomes to get rid of it. I should know. I carried mine for too long because I didn't take care of it right away, and now it's that much harder to release it. Don't be like me. Snip it as quickly as you can.

3.   Animal products are too hard on the body, especially when you have cancer (I learned this at the Gerson Institute). Fish is a better option than meat, chicken and dairy.

4.   Avoid too many products on your body. If possible use organic. If not, buy from the children's section. Sometimes, they put less crap in those. Dr. Bronner's liquid soap (this can be used as shampoo, hand soap, dishwashing, and laundry soap), coconut oil to moisturize, and Naturtint hair dye are some suggestions.

If you're taking care of someone with cancer:

1.   Decorate their room with things they used to like, be it in the house or during their stays at the hospital. Nothing is worse than staring at blank walls when you're sick. There is no joy in it. If they're lying on their back all the time, hang things from the ceiling.

2.   Fresh cut flowers bring happiness to any room.

3.   Put on their favorite music. I was too busy taking care of my mom that I didn't pay attention to this. But music heals the soul.

4.   Play their favorite movie or TV show even if they have Alzheimer's or are in coma. They can still hear it and know that you care. 

5.   Read to them. 

6.   Ask family and friends to come and visit more often. When my mom was ill, she would always ask if anyone was going to come over and see her. She was happy even when a doctor or a physical therapist would come by.

7.   Borrow a pet. I'm not a pet owner, but I have learned that when people pet an animal, they somehow start to feel better. 

8.   Let them eat their favorite foods or snacks.

9.   Figure out a way to have them spend time in the sun. Sunshine has many health benefits.

10.   And more important than any of this—show them a lot of love. I would say this is more important than any medicine. 

(Image by Craig Adderley)

Suggestions for caretakers:

1.   It's important to also take care of you. Talk to people who are going through cancer, or join a forum. It helps to share. I remember this one guy who was going through cancer. He shared some tips with me. He passed away a few years after my mom. I will always remember him, and his kindness. 

2.   Live in the moment, and enjoy your time with the person you're taking care of. Don't worry about things you're missing out on. You'll have plenty of time for them later. Nothing ever stays the same.

3.   Find a few minutes of solitude. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and take deep breaths.

4.   Do one thing everyday that helps take your mind away from your troubles such as going for a walk, painting, cooking, or any activity that helps relax your body.

5.   I used to listen to AM/PM Yoga Meditation by Gael Chiarella, and found it helpful. I even bought one for a friend who had cancer. He emailed me and said that it helped him to relax. 

(image by Bergadder)

Suggetions for the friends of the cancer patient or the caretaker: 

1.   Help out. Don't just be a bystander. When you go for a visit, make a thermos of tea, and take food with you. Don't expect the caretaker to serve you. Serve them, and wash the dishes. Perhaps do a load of laudry for them or vacuum the floors.

2.   Engage with the patient, and give the caretaker a break to go out for a few hours.

3.   Check on them regularly, and see if they need anything.

4.   Having cancer or taking taking care of someone with cancer drains you, and at times, takes you down a dark path. Any help is always welcomed.

Seasons flow in a cycle. Life too passes through difficult winters. But after any winter, spring will follow.

 —Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Tales from the cafe

     

Normal People Book Review

"No two persons ever read the same book." —Edmund Wilson

 

I don't often review books. I find that reviews are subjective. I don't buy books just because they're bestsellers, or have positive reviews, and I'm not concerned about negative reviews. Many of the books that I picked up in the past, and thoroughly enjoyed, were by chance. It's been more than a year that I cannot find a fiction interesting enough for me to want to finish. My mind often wonders off, and I move on to something different. For a writer, this is disheartening. It wasn't that the books I picked weren't good, they just weren't for me until I came across Normal People by the Irish writer, Sally Rooney, suggested by a staff member at the Museum of Literature in Dublin.

The story starts with the odd relationship between Marianne and Connell, two troubled souls who have an on and off relationship. Connell is the son of Marianne's Mom's housekeeper. He is young, insecure, and constantly cares about what the outsiders think of him. Marianne's family is dysfunctional, and don't care whether she is dead or alive. This and the fact no one ever taught Marianne to love herself, pushes her to seek love from abusive men. Throughout the story, the one person who she thinks understands her and she deeply loves in Connell. But even so, there is plenty of miscommunication between the two. Connell's insecurities lead him to break her heart, have temporary relationships with other women, and keep going back to Marianne. Feeling unwanted, Marianne gets involved with other men, but always seeks and accepts Connell's love. (image by Mable Amber)

 

On the surface, this book seems to be a coming-of-age story. However, in real life, many adults battle insecurity, abusive relationships, mental health, and financial issues. The story is interesting as it delves into the psyche of men and women, and how their life experiences effect the way they get along. But this wasn't the only reason why I kept on reading this tale. I continued because it was different. It broke all the writing rules, and yet made sense to me. Oftentimes, there is no set up to introduce a character or a scene. The set up comes later as you read the story, and you realize you're in someone's house or in another city. These sudden shifts in the story pushed me to stay engaged and focused. (image by Iffany)

The ending is bitter sweet. Some Amazon and Goodreads reviewers didn't like this. I can see why the writer took this route. Sometimes you may love someone, but you don't want to stand in their way, and hold them back from reaching their dreams. As for me, I prefer happy endings. When two people love each other so deeply, they should stick it out together. But I wasn't the one who wrote this book, and Rooney has the right to stay true to her characters. (image by Matthew Jackson)

Other reviewers didn't like the editing and the formatting. There are no quotation marks around the dialogue. Two or more people maybe speaking within the same paragraph with their thoughts mixed in, and yet, I had no trouble following it. Some complained about the other characters not being fleshed out. None of these bothered me. I was enjoying the overall quality of the story. I do analyze, but I don't analyze things to death. I either like a book or I don't, and I liked this one. Sally Rooney is talented. Her style is unique, and far from being a carbon copy of other writers. Normal people gripped my attention from the beginning to the end. (image by Michael Richmond)

(image by Martha Mcclure) 

The Reason why the democrats lost

 

The republicans had primaries to choose a candidate. It was an illusion of choice, but the illusion is sometimes better than nothing. The democrats had only one choice—Kamala Harris.

 

If the democrats were so keen on putting a woman in office, they needed someone as strong as Margaret Thacher. Kamala Harris was no Margret Thacher.

 

Biden made a lot of empty promises and never carried through. Kamala would have been an extension of Biden. 

 

The democrats should have never given the green light to Israel, allowing them to kill the Palestinians. Hindsight is not 20/20. I watched the democrats crash like an airplane out of control. refusing to accept a lifeline. Israel, with the help of the British, and United States, has been abusing the palestinian population for decades. October 7 was an excuse to annihilate an entire race. What were the democrats thinking? That the Palestinians were going to accept their demise? That people were too stupid to find out the truth? Democrats sold the genocide through lies on mainstream media, forgetting about the fact that we have the internet and social media. You can only lie so much. It's like trying to bury a body under the water. Eventually, it's going to pop up. 

Am I happy about the election results? Of course not. The democrats had plenty of opportunity to improve the economy by weakening the 1% and AIPAC, reducing military spending, and shutting down their military bases around the world. But instead, they nourished them. 

As long as our government is in the pockets of special interest groups, change will not come around. Change comes by putting in an effort. I don't see the democratic party wanting to put in the effort to create an economically sound and peaceful world. Nor do I see them to ever learn from their mistakes. Good luck with another four years of lunacy with a convicted felon running the country. (Image by: Krimker)

You're either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid, Gene Hackman tells Will Smith in the film, Enemy of the State, to which Will Smith responds, "We'll see in a minute." So, I put the same question to the democratic party: you're either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid. 

Was it their intention to lose all along by making sure that they did everything wrong? Because to lose to a guy who was the instigator of an attempted coup d'état with four criminal indictments, and two impeachments raises numerous questions. 

The republicans and the democrats are starting to look alike. Perhaps we only have one political party, and the next step is a dictatorship. It's important to remember that freedom is never free. We must all speak out and make our voices heard. Otherwise, our freedom will be taken away one bite at a time until there is nothing left.

 

 

If the Democrats lose 

After posting on Twitter that I voted for Jill Stein, a bunch of cowards hiding behind bizarre-looking avatars protested, and said that I just handed Trump the Presidency. They said congratulations, now Trump is going to destroy Palestine, and cater to Bibi and Russia. I was flattered. I had no idea that I was that powerful. Had I known, I would have put a president in office that represented the people instead of special interest groups. A president who wasn't like Biden, a warmonger. A president who wasn't insane like Trump.  

No, if the democrats lose, I will not be responsible for their loss. It will be of their own doing. For months and months, people all over the U.S have been protesting, shouting, vlogging—stop sending billions of dollars worth of weapons to Israel, stop the damn genocide, stop killing children, stop killing innocent people—but apparently, all the shouting have fallen on deaf ears.

I made a big mistake once and voted for Biden against my better judgement. I knew exactly what he stood for. But everyone said, please vote for him. He is the lesser of the two evils. The alternative would be Trump. You see, this is how they sell you corruption. They sell it through the two-party system. Choose, Choose the least evil one. They say: "We are protecting the American interest." They are not protecting the American interest. They are protecting the people who spent millions to put them in office. (Image by: Joey Harbour)

The democrats continue to make the same mistakes over and over. The last time they lost, Hillary cheated Bernie who had more votes. The democratic party was clueless as to how much Hillary was disliked. They thought that if they pushed her on us, we were all going to suck it up, and accept her. But it backfired. Some of Bernie's voters didn't vote. Other Bernie voters voted for Trump to teach the democratic party a lesson. Did they learn? Oh, no. They continue to make stupid mistakes. This time they pushed Kamala on us. Perhaps I would have considered her if she had guts. If she stood up for humanity. For months, I have listened to her speeches written for her by idiots who support genocide. 

So, no. I will not make the same mistake again, and choose between the two devils. I voted for the Green Party. And please don't be shy. Let me know if I am the one responsible for handing the presidency to the republicans, because that would give me a big ego boost. That would make me not only the most important person in the US, but also in the world. Soon, I would get sucked into the system. My face would turn red, and I would start to grow horns. I would become a colonizer, killing innocent men, women, and children, flattening property after property, to feed my insatiable hunger. As John Edward Acton said: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."