Our National Disgrace that is Elder Care – Even Worse than you’ve Imagined

Yes, worse than you’ve imagined if you’ve ever even thought about it all. 

We all hope to grow old. To be healthy and live a long life is the idea anyway. Yet we rarely think about end of life issues until the subject is thrust upon us by having a love one in need of a nursing home. Nursing always seemed a bit creepy to me when I was a very young child. As an adult I now find them closer to terrifying.

 

This opinion comes from my real world experience with a close friend, that I’ll call “Jay”. Jay is not his real name, and he wouldn’t even care if I did use his real name, but he could be anybody. So I’ll call him Jay. Before I get into this one-person case study it is helpful to know some facts about growing old on planet Earth. Growing old in America is, lamentably, one more thing that our “greatest of all countries” America, deals with so much worse than many other countries do. Our treatment of our loved ones is a byproduct of our industrialized culture. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do it much better. Recent studies of “Blue Zones” (places, lifestyles and environments of the world's longest-lived people) and Centenarian (people who are 100 or more years old) reveal something so very obvious, I’m sort of surprised it required any study at all. The “secrets” to a long healthy life come down to what you eat and do. Eat REAL food! Eat a largely plant-based diet free of preservatives, pesticides or other toxins. Keep active and engaged with others. Cultures who keep their elderly at home where they are part of social celebrations, where they keep active, tend to gardens, where they engage, in person not just on line or by phone, with others, is the other key to a longer healthier life. That and movement. stretching, walking, dancing, yoga, Tai Chi, moving.

So Americans blow it on both counts. Our diet is all wrong. Our Factory Farmed meats are full antibiotics and hormones. Our vegetables are toxic and drenched in ever increasing amounts of pesticides, especially those that are genetically modified. All these toxins run off the farms and from the animal urine into our water supply. A water supply also contaminated by plastics, pharmaceuticals and undisclosed fracking chemicals. So we even messed up our water! Why?  The answer is as simple as it is sad – GREED! Greed drives the process, and greed is how they managed to take over our entire political process, our elected leaders, the EPA, the FDA and the entire News Media. Spoiler Alert – Greed is also why our Elder Care Facilities are a nightmare. Would you be surprised to learn that those charged to watch over Grandma, with all the life and death responsibilities that involves, are not paid a living wage? Welcome to the “New Normal”. Wages used to follow productivity right up until around President Ronald Reagan. The same guy who let so many mental institutions close down, putting the burden on, too often, privatized prisons and law enforcement, where it remains today and is . But that subject of needed reforms deserves it’s own entire blog. The top CEO used to make about 20 times their workers wage. Today the CEO’s make almost 350 times their workers wage. And it’s not just Caretakers. Ambulance Drivers, School Buss Drivers, Security Personal… Life and death positions making minimum wage! Minimum wages that once were still a living wage, but that was decades ago. Not today.

Those are all numbers and facts. Important stuff to know but to really get to how bad it is, nothing beats experience. So, these last few years of helping Jay have been very enlightening. He’s an old friend with no family and I don’t mind helping when I can. And he has been a very interesting friend. He shares my dark humor, love of animals and travel. He was a know TV actor and hero to the disabled community. Even if many today don’t know it. He helped write the “American with Disabilities Act”. He met with Governors and Presidents. He protested inaccessible buildings and sidewalks by parking on them! He was arrested numerous times for refusing to pay his parking fines. Let that sink in… while today Bankers and Wall Street CEO’s don’t even get arrested for crashing the worlds economy, laundering drug money for terrorist, fraudulently foreclosing on peoples homes, Jay was going to jail for parking tickets!

The first phone call I got was from a nursing home in Westchester, CA. One or more of the staff was waking patients up by punching them then robbing them. Jay had snuck to a phone (his was stolen) and called 911 and the LA Times. But there seems to be some very odd loopholes in regards to nursing homes. The staff can just say they are senile and if they have no advocate or loved one, they are screwed. So I drive to Westchester and ask to see Jay. I am being told that he cant have visitors just has he wheeled up to me and said in an urgent hushed voice “Let’s get out of here!” He had two black eyes. We made it out the door and just as I got him into the car an employee tried to stop us by physically grabbing the car door. My friend has two black eyes, I’m suppressing my urge to reciprocate and now this fool is grabbing my car. I stop, jump out and let him know by words and body language that he is not dealing with an elderly patient. He’s about to get his ass kicked. Like all bullies, he’s a coward, so he runs back into the facility threatening to call the police. As if a patient there of their own free will can be arrested for leaving?

That was the just the start of a long line of nightmare facilities. I started to see a common theme. My friend was too articulate. The more vegetative patients were the preferred ones. Jay complained when his entire load of laundry never came back, leaving him with only a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt for days. He complained when his checkbook was stolen and his account was drained. He complained when his devices were broken or stolen, when his bathroom was completely inaccessible. He spoke out against injustice, just as he had always done, just as anyone would. He was “evicted” from the last four homes. Tuluca Lake, Los Angeles, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, different cities, same story. But they cant just evict for no reason, so they do things like wheeling him to the curb, putting him in a cab and calling the police when he returns. The police tell him it’s a civil matter and he can’t enter private property. As I write this he is on a five day “Code 5250”. His latest facility wants him out say they say he has gone crazy. Surprisingly, he has not. I got a nurse on the phone and he told me that Jay was a great patient, but the supervisors want him gone. When he got to Silverlake Medical Center Psych Ward, the staff told him that they see this all the time! Even the wording on the paperwork looks copy and pasted. So in two days from now, I’ll try to help him find a new home. With most every new place I see good staff and caring people. But they aren’t the entire system. I see patients sitting in corners like vegetables, I hear others moaning incoherently, I saw my first elderly woman with tattoos, so that generation is now in the system already.

It’s outrageous that Jay is experiencing this, but it would be just as bad if it were a WW II Vet, a stranger, your Grandmother! Every time I shudder thinking that this could be my home. The last place I live before I die. I tell my kid, who is way too young to grasp it, that I don’t need much maybe a small cabin with a view, a back room near a weeping willow tree, anything but not a place like this. I’m planting the seed now. I’m educating him on alternatives and how other cultures make it work. I hope to be an example by taking care of my parents if they get to that stage. But when it’s an inescapable matter of simply not having the money or needing medical care; it limits the options. That is where our entire nation, culture and government need to step up. If we take some time now with these uncomfortable choices it will be better in the long run. Living wills, End of Life Options, choices written down now not later under stress. Congress if full of millionaires, they’re millionaires by the time they do their deals and retire anyway. They are notorious for only addressing issues that effects their corporate donors or effects them personally. Pushing for reform should be done but don’t expect that to help you or your loved ones any time soon enough. This has to start with “Grass Roots” organizing…. And let the elderly smoke grass too!

Bottled Water Scam that is Killing You

Did you know that you are Paying to be Poisoned, at least six different ways, when you purchase and drink Bottled Water?

Boycotting Bottled Water as a simple, yet effective, way to help yourself and your planet.

My absurd amount of experiences and professions include my times as a Nutritionist and “National Academy of Sports Medicine” Certified Personal Trainer. And by far my favorite drink is Ice Water. My studies in subjects as disparate as Geo Politics, Evolution and Health have revealed sort of a “no brainer” Water is a big deal! A necessity of staying alive, the source of all life and what future wars will be fought over.

One of the most serious and insidious ways that you and your entire planet are being poisoned is the SCAM of Bottled Water!

Some of the facts about the Bottled Water industry and what you can very easily do to protect yourself and others from the toxic dangers:

I.      First, the problem and the perpetrators:

A.   PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Nestlé Waters have a defacto monopoly over your bottled waters and monopolies are never good for consumers. –

B.    The pollution from Bottled Water crosses more lines than your average toxic concerns.

1.     They pollute while extracting the water.

2.     They pollute while transporting the water to the factory.

3.     They pollute while manufacturing the bottles from petrol chemical.

4.     They pollute while transporting the bottles to the reseller, often requiring, trucks, planes and trucks again in worldwide distribution.

5.     The chemicals pollute you when you drink the water.

6.     The discarded bottle pollutes the oceans and if you eat fish, you get polluted again.

C.    Theresa Howard 2007 article in USA Today titled “Bottled water awash in a sea of controversy” states: “Some of the same health-conscious consumers who helped make bottled water a $15 billion business now are among those worried about its environmental impact -- its 38 million plastic bottles a year made with 1.5 million barrels of oil. Questions also have been raised about the need for a relatively costly convenience product that in many cases is purified municipal tap water.”

D.   The sales of water rights often circumvent the will, or even knowledge, of local residents.

E.    Water extraction can cause damage to underground cave system.

The effects:

II.  Your bottle has toxic effects to you and the environment.

A.   Chemicals leech into the water you consume from you bottle.  Erythropel, Maric, Nicell, Leask, & Yargeau’s 2014 Abstract in Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology “Leaching of the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) from plastic containers and the question of human exposure” - “Plasticized PVC is used in hospital equipment, food wrapping, and numerous other commercial and industrial products. Unfortunately, plasticizers can migrate within the material and leach out of it over time, ending up in the environment and, frequently, the human body. Other sources of the chemicals are flushed pharmaceuticals but also found in pesticides, flame retardants, industrial solvents and personal care products, according to a January U.S. Geological Survey report that first linked the pollutant to the problem.”

 

 

B.    Chemicals have been found to actually turn fish transgender, creating real concerns for pregnant woman William C. Flook’s 2007 article in the Washington Examiner “County pressures Virginia regarding pollutants tied to transgender fish” - “The intersex phenomenon, in which male bass are found with eggs in their testes, raised enough red flags to prompt a congressional hearing. The problem has been tied to endocrine disrupters, or EDCs, chemicals that tamper with the fish’s hormonal balance. Environmental scientists are not clear on the full ramifications and worry the pollutants could be harmful to human health. They are also uncertain how to curb the pollution.”

    C.    Since even recycled bottles make their way to the ocean, we are in serous threat of flat out killing our oceans. Kitt Doucette’s 2009 article in Rolling Stone “An Ocean of Plastic”- “The first thing you need to know about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is that its name, is disgustingly inappropriate. In reality, the "patch" is a swirling vortex of plastic soup, an immense, fetid swamp of debris where tiny bits of decaying plastic outweigh surface zooplankton, one of the most prolific and abundant organisms on the planet, by a ratio of six-to-one. Nobody knows its exact size or if it has any boundaries at all: Its location and shape vary depending on factors such as water temperature, season and major weather events like El Niño. Scientists estimate it is twice the size of Texas, maybe even larger and contains some 10 million tons of waste.”

Simple and effective solutions:

        

II. There are some very specific and easy ways to save yourself and your planet.  

 

A.   Stop buying Bottled water! Ed Begley’s 2010 article in the Saturday Evening Post “10 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint” states - "Industry estimates say 80 percent of bottled-water containers still wind up in landfills. Invest in a water filtering system that attaches to your kitchen sink."

B.    Consider boycotting all of the products manufactured by PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Nestlé and let them know about it.

C.    If you work or volunteer with a group, encourage them to use alternatives to bottled water for their events such as 5 Gallon containers and, or filters.

D.   Contact your local and national representatives - tell them “you know and you care”!

E.    If you find yourself in a community where a corporation is trying to take your water rights, go to the town halls, speak up and make your opposition known.

F.    Take time to consider the problems. As Christiana Z. Peppard 2013 article in Mind Body Green so eloquently states “7 Reasons To Never Drink Bottled Water” -  "How we drink our water shows us what kind of society we are. I want my body and my society to reflect sustainable values, so I only drink disposable, plastic bottled water if there is absolutely no alternative. If I were in a truly extreme situation—say, a cholera epidemic, an area without reliable water supply, or a desert, for example—then I would drink bottled water. Happily, most of us are not in those situations. And wonderful alternatives are easily available.   When you ditch disposable bottled water, you save money, live healthier, and join a movement for global sustainability. Plus, it’s easy. And you’ll save money."

G.   Spread the word and encourage others.

 CONCLUSION: In conclusion, know that Plastic isn’t evil. It’s how we use it. 

And we use 50 billion bottles of water each year using 17 million barrels of oil to produce and 80% end up in landfills. But it’s not just bottles. 500 Million Plastic Straws are used daily just in America. A completely unnecessary item that dulls the taste of your drink. We all know it is the class policy to refrain from vulgarities. Often when a person cusses, it is because they are too inarticulate to express themselves. And if one goes around cussing all the time, it takes away the impact for the occasional times when a good curse word is justified, like in the expression of art, or when you drop something heavy on your toe or like today with this subject. So fair warning, later I’m going to drop the F-Bomb. I have laid out the reasons and the ease of immediately ceasing to buy and drink bottled water. Maybe you’re still not convinced? Maybe you are fatalistic and just don’t care if you are poisoned? Maybe you think Jesus will return before we completely kill the oceans followed by the entire planet? Maybe you don’t have kids, or you hate them? It cant be laziness because it’s too easy to use a refillable bottle. But let’s say none of these facts persuaded you. How about it’s time to cop an attitude? How about this? Fuck Them! If they want to steal our water, pollute their way around the world, kill the entire ocean, kill the entire planet, poison you and everyone you care about? At the very least, say I’m not gonna PAY them to do it. Fuck them. We are onto you and count me as one less sucker in your unethical, destructive, greedy corporate scheme! – 

Thank You and Go Green!

The 5 Greatest Albums from the 1990's That You Have Never Heard Of:

I would love to be a "One Hit Wonder" someday. I don't find that as a put down at all. It must be really hard to to have the timing, talent and luck to make a single hit. But this list is specifically about albums where most, if not EVERY Song is really, really good! I bet even Music Nerds would be hard pressed to list bands that have pulled that off. Zeppelin, The Beatles... a few others? Then there are bands people just personally love. This is not a list of my personal favorite performers. This is a short list of what I objectively discovered to be way under rated, unknown or otherwise well worth checking out.   -  Truly there are only two kinds of music - Good and Bad. Maybe you're disappointed in most music coming out today or are just curious? If you never heard these songs, then they are new to you. Enjoy!

Life Sex & Death (LSD) - "The Silent Majority" 
1992 Rhino/Warner Bros

Like a Hard Rock Acid Trip, drenched in Whiskey!  A traditional looking Rock Band except for front man / lead singer Stanley. Word was he was going for a gimmick, but then maybe started living it instead?  He looked (and smelled) like a homeless person. Thick "Coke Bottle Glasses", torn dirty clothing. He looked and sounded like a Mad Man... one that could sing his ass off. The live shows were insane! Shredding guitar, Stanley trying to down an entire bottle of Jack in one chug. (You likely guessed correctly, it came right back up). Fortunately for us, it all translated well to the CD.

The London Quireboys - (now The Quireboys) 
"A Bit of What You Fancy" 1990 EMI

Sounding like an early Rod Stewart with "The Faces" and rocking like... forget about it, just flat out rocking! Even the ballad is great. Throw a "Sex Party" and play this album!

Warren Haynes - "Tales of Ordinary Madness" 1993, Megaforce Records

Haynes is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule - This Blues Rock Album, does both, Blues and Rocks!

 Pat Benatar - "True Love" 1991 Chrysalis 

While Benatar is well known, this album with combinations of covers and original tracks of Blues and Jump Blues is not. If you hear it, or caught the concert promoting it, you would think she was always a Blues Power Rocker. It seems to be so natural and she rips it up! Includes a great version of "Please Come Home for Christmas"

Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML 1995  Capricorn Records

The first of two CD compilation albums to benefit the organization NORML ( National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). The original and cover songs that appear on the album all have marijuana as the subject matter. Featuring the Black Crowes, Cypress Hill, Blues Traveler, and others. I especially like the track by Gov't. Mule "Don't Step on the Grass Sam" - it's like a freakin' anthem of all that is wrong with Cannabis Prohibition!  - Hempilation Vol. 2 "Free the Weed" 1998 - is almost as good. The track "Play the Greed" by Dar Williams is brilliant!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Temple of the Dog - "Temple of the Dog": 1991 A&M

 Temple of the Dog was started by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who had been a roommate of Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. Wood died on March 19, 1990. I think this was named due to Woods interest in Dog Shows? (he sung about them on Mother Love Bone albums) The album was recorded in only 15 days, produced by the band themselves. Eddie Vedder provided vocals too. Although earning praise from critics at the time of its release, the album was not widely recognized until 1992, when Vedder, Ament, Gossard, and McCready had their breakthrough with Pearl Jam. They never toured, but I did catch an amazing set at Lollapaloolza at the end of Sound Garden's set. Worth a mention here because I think it is still relatively unknown? And again, many great tracks. "Pushin' Forward Back", "Say Hello 2 Heaven", "Hunger Strike"and more!  They are actually reforming and plan a tour THIS YEAR!

Joan Osbourne - "Relish"  1995  

Blue Gorilla Records/ Mercury

Far from "unknown", this her first studio album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 38th Grammys. I am only listing this because I suspect it was her single "What if God Was One of Us" that got all the attention. But it's not even the 4th best track. This album is really good and deserves a listen in full!

The Godz (self titled 1st album) "The Godz" 1978 RCA

From 1978, so far off from the category of '90's Albums" but this album was still being rocked in the 1990's and today, from those that know. (fun ass "Biker Rock" at it's best! - get the import w/ bonus tracks) If you lived anyplace near Columbus, Ohio, you know and likely saw this band. They never really went away. Line ups have changed back and forth and they even just released a new album in 2016.  "Gotta Keep a Running" at 7 1/2 minutes could easily be called a Rock Anthem. But it's not the only long rocking song on the album. (When looking for them, dont be confused by the band of the same name out of NYC)

~ "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." ~ PLATO

My Cannabis Clinical Trial

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 Dateline Oct. 1998:

I was fully in the throws of “Wanderlust”.  I had just returned from backpacking across Europe and was planning my next adventure to Southern Africa.  I needed some cash. Not as much as you might think. I travel cheap. Often cheaper than if I maintained an apartment in L.A.. I book all the Acting gigs I can get, I Tend Bar, I Teach Self Defense classes, I do some Landscaping and play Costume Characters at Kids Birthday Parties. As soon as my bankroll lines up with the latest travel deal, I’m off! To that goal, I am reading “The Trades” officially called the “Hollywood Reporter” and “Variety” magazines. Yes, magazines, it was 1998 (and I still read magazines, btw) These publications listed Acting, Production and other Industry related jobs. They also tended to do something severely lacking today. They actually disclosed the pay and any benefits upfront. I’m not sure how that ever stopped being the norm, but I digress. So I came upon an advertisement for an “Experimental Marijuana Research Project” the pay was $185 for a brief interview followed by a short afternoon commitment. The criteria asked for “adults who smoked Marijuana, who smoked only Cigarettes, who smoked Marijuana and Cigarettes and Non Smokers”.  I had to read it 3 times. That described EVERY adult alive. So I thought, hey, I fit that! I called and got the “job”.

It wasn’t just about the money. I am very curious in general and was specifically curious about the politics of Cannabis Prohibition. Just a couple years earlier I had started looking into the history, constitutionality and politics of the “Drug Wars”.  I worked with renowned activist Jack Herer and became educated and articulate enough about the subject to speak at rallies in support of California’s Proposition 215 aka “The Compassionate Use Act of 1996”, the California law concerning the use of medical cannabis. (It was enacted on November 5, 1996 passing with 55.6% of the votes) So I saw this as an opportunity to interview medical professionals on the subject and get some real life experience from the inside.

The official name of the study was “Study of Pulmonary Effects of Habitual Use of Marijuana”. And it was being conducted at UCLA.

So I show up early, as I do to every appointment. I have no idea how the afternoon’s experiments will be conducted. I’m on an adventure, one that promises to be educational and intoxicating. 

I check in and meet the doctor. It is one on one. He explains that I will have my vitals taken and 25 ml blood sample drawn. I will be asked to smoke a “joint of Marijuana containing approximately 2-4% THC content”. Followed by a “fiberoptic bronchoscopy”. Basically, it means a small ¼ inch flexible tube will be inserted through my mouth and throat into my windpipe and large air passages, to be visualized and have samples of cells and a small amount of tissue collected from a deep portion of my lung. These cells play a crucial role in defending against infection and injury from smoking.

I had a few questions planned to ask, but now I had a more urgent one, regarding “tissue taken from my lung”?!  I was reassured that it was very small and healthy lungs repair themselves, in general.

First I ask if it is true that “all Cannabis samples have to come from the same government location, thereby limiting the variety and potential educational benefits?” - “Yes”.

Next, “Would you recommend Marijuana as a medicine?” – “Absolutely, especially for cancer patients. Unfortunately, I can’t provide it and I am uncomfortable telling people to get it off the streets.”

Finally, I want to know how the current research is going? What, if any, are the harmful effects of smoking grass? He replied “We have not found a single link to cancer or other major issues, BUT smokers are inhaling burnt vegetable matter and that is a concern. And one of the things this study is about.”

I would later learn that while our Government continued to classify Cannabis as a “schedule one” drug, with no medicinal value, they also now hold a Patent on this “worthless” plant.  Prohibition is nothing if not hypocritical!

Next he breaks out, what the paperwork referred to as, “a joint”. I don’t know what I expected. I guess I had not really thought about it but I do remember being a little taken aback by the size and perfection of this experimental “joint”. It was obviously machined rolled and looked just like a perfect cigarette without a filter.  He had me light it up and said he would count my inhales. I asked him what the record was to finish it? He said there really wasn’t a record, but when I finished it in 10, he said “There is now!”

I wasn’t trying to break any record.  I am barrel-chested, healthy, athletic and likely have a slightly bigger than average lung capacity. Mostly, I took big inhales because I wanted to do right by the study.

So now I am undeniably stoned. I guess even low THC, government weed can get a novice wasted. Especially after an entire joint in ten big fast tokes.

I find myself waiting alone in the hallway, longer than expected, with my ass hanging out of a hospital gown, contemplating having a piece of my lung taken out. I am getting a bit uneasy. As I try to calm myself, I glance to the right and notice the warning sign. “Nuclear Medicine”.  This really piled on my paranoia. On top of everything else, I was standing near Nuclear Radiation! I remember being very self aware and finding my emotions and circumstance funny even while I was disturbed. Which fits my personality and dark sense of humor perfectly.

The delay was due to the fact that they had lost my original paperwork. We could not do the procedure without it. I was asked if I was willing to come back and start all over? I paused in contemplation. “Would I be paid twice?” – “Of course.” – Then “Hell yes!”…. Africa here I come!

The Deep and Diverse History of December 25th.

(A "War on Christmas"? Most already realize is a scam used by Cable "News" channels whom need to fill 24 hours a day without upsetting their corporate overlords. Like "Star Bucks" having ONLY a green and red coffee cups in their store, surrounded by Christmas Music and other Holiday Cheer at every turn.

Any Grinch would not need a "war" as Christmas in America is practically secular anyway. And most agree is too much about consuming and not enough about "Christ-like" reflecting. So if anyone wanting to undermine Christmas, well... too late. While there's not a decline in Christmas, there is a decline in Education. 

So why not use the excitement surrounding the holiday to serendipitously educate the kiddies about History?)

Some facts about December 25th could lead to many explorations about culture, religion, geography or maybe just a few new subjects that will come up again later and by repetition, be that much easier to learn? 

Most Christians today probably can’t imagine Christmas on any other day than December 25, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, for the first three centuries of Christianity’s existence, Jesus Christ’s birth wasn’t celebrated at all. The religion’s most significant holidays were Epiphany on January 6, which commemorated the arrival of the Magi after Jesus’ birth, and Easter, which celebrated Jesus’ resurrection. The first official mention of December 25 as a holiday honoring Jesus’ birthday appears in an early Roman calendar from 336 A.D.

But Jesus wasn't really born on December 25th in the first place. The Bible doesn’t mention his exact birthday, and the Nativity story contains conflicting clues. For instance, the presence of shepherds and their sheep suggest a spring birth. Church officials settled on December 25 at the end of the third century, in an "inspired" move to co-opt the date to coincide with existing pagan festivals honoring Saturn (the Roman god of agriculture) and Mithra (the Persian god of light). That way, it became easier to convince Rome’s pagan subjects to accept Christianity as the empire’s official religion. Why compete, when they could just take over the day?

Especially popular was the Pagan Day of Saturnalia. The first-century AD poet Gaius Valerius Catullus described Saturnalia as ‘the best of times: dress codes were relaxed, small gifts such as dolls, candles and caged birds were exchanged. Saturnalia saw the inversion of social roles. The wealthy were expected to pay the month’s rent for those who couldn’t afford it, masters and slaves to swap clothes. Family households threw dice to determine who would become the temporary Saturnalian monarch.

If observed at all, the celebration of Christ's birth was usually lumped in with Epiphany (January 6), one of the church's earliest established feasts. Some church leaders even opposed the idea of a birth celebration. Origen (c.185-c.254) preached that it would be wrong to honor Christ in the same way Pharaoh and Herod were honored. Birthdays were for pagan gods.

Not all of Origen's contemporaries agreed that Christ's birthday shouldn't be celebrated, and some began to speculate on the date. Clement of Alexandria (c.150-c.215) favored May 20 but noted that others had argued for April 18, April 19, and May 28. Hippolytus (c.170-c.236) championed January 2. November 17, November 20, and March 25 all had backers as well. A Latin treatise written around 243 pegged March 21, because that was believed to be the date on which God created the sun. Polycarp (c.69-c.155) had followed the same line of reasoning to conclude that Christ's birth and baptism most likely occurred on Wednesday, because the sun was created on the fourth day.

Western Christians first celebrated Christmas on December 25 in 336, after Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the empire's favored religion. Eastern churches, however, held on to January 6 as the date for Christ's birth and his baptism. Most easterners eventually adopted December 25, celebrating Christ's birth on the earlier date and his baptism on the latter. The Armenian church celebrates his birth on January 6. 

The birth of Jesus probably didn't happen in the Winter or in year 1AD but slightly earlier, somewhere between 2BC and 7BC

(NOTE: The Gregorian Calendar is off by as much as 4 YEARS! - Something I liked to remind my friends whenever they brought up the year 2012 "Doomsday" Mayan calendar, or any other timed, myth. - That and the fact that it was a "Rebirth" not an "End" to their calendar... but back to Christmas)...

Theologians have suggested that Jesus was born in the spring, based on the biblical narrative that shepherds were watching over their flocks in the fields on the night of Jesus' birth, something they would have done in the spring, not the winter.

To pinpoint Jesus' birth year, other scholars have tried to correlate the "Star of Bethlehem," which supposedly heralded Jesus' birth, with actual astronomical events. For example, in a 1991 article in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, astronomer Colin Humphreys proposed that the fabled star was actually a slow-moving comet, which Chinese observers recorded in 5 B.C.

~ Many cultures claim December 25th ~

Chrishna, of India, born on December 25, 3228 BC, his mother was a virgin, mother’s name was Maia. Kamsa, the ruler at the time of his birth sought to kill him because he had heard a Prophecy that Chrishna would overthrow him. Chrishna escaped death by being smuggled out of the area to safety. (like the story of Herod and Jesus).

Mithra, of Persia, born on December 25, before 1500 BC, his birth was witnessed by Shepherds that brought gifts to honor him. He was styled as a Mediator between God and Man. Witness this quote from the Encyclopedia Encarta, “Mithraism was similar to Christianity in many respects, for example, in the ideals of humility and brotherly love, baptism, the rite of communion, the use of holy water, the adoration of the shepherds at Mithra’s birth, the adoption of Sundays and of December 25 (Mithra’s birthday) as holy days, and the belief in the immortality of the soul, the last judgment, and the resurrection.  The similarities made easy conversion of its followers to Christian doctrine” 

Horus, of Egypt, born on December 25, before 2500 BC. His mother, Isis, gave birth to him in the swamp, she was warned by the god Thoth, to flee and conceal the child from the evil Set. Set had killed the father of Horus, Osiris, and sought to kill Horus.

Buddha, of India, born on December 25, 563 BC, his mother’s name was Maya (similar to Mary) she was a virgin. He was immaculately conceived, and at birth, he announced that he was a savior to the world. His birth was announced by a star. At his birth, he was visited by Wise Men who declared that they had seen Signs of his birth. Seems Jesus claimed many of the Buddha’s teachings. Maybe the whole Buddha story was appropriated by Jesus or by his church?

There are many parallels among our worlds religions and even in literature in general, going all the back to the "Legends of Gilgamesh" and likely before. Virgin Births, Resurrections and of course "Creation Myths" from every culture. Brain Scientist have traced this to the very real need for our brains to explain the unknown. They even coined a phrase "The God Gene",  (VMAT2) that predisposes humans towards spiritual or mystic experiences.

Regardless of history or mixed emotions around the holiday, the message of "Good Will & Peace on Earth" is worth living and it warms my heart to hear it, even if only once a year.

"Just Say Know"... 
and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The 3 Day Hollywood Holiday

 This is the itinerary I use for my own Family and Friends when they visit.

Includes a variety of sights, locations and restaurants.

One does not need to rent a Hotel in Hollywood. Nearby cities are convenient and may be less expensive. Check out Glendale, Burbank or North Hollywood. 

Flying into Burbank Airport (BUR) is a lot easier than LAX. As is getting to your car if you are renting.  LAX requires you to shuttle to your car. Burbank (Bob Hope Airport, as it is officially called), is often, but not always more expensive. Check the rates for flights and car rentals when you are booking your trip. I use Burbank if the rate is close to that of LAX. Others, once they discover this smaller airport, use it regardless of the expense. LAX can be intimidating and/or frustrating with its size, rental car hassles, traffic, and lack of sane public transportation.

DAY 1 ~

* Might as well get the "Walk of Fame" out of the way first depending on what day of the week it is and any other commitments you may have. It is worth experiencing with all the history and shops. Best to see by day but just recently Hollywood Blvd has started to look more like the Sunset Strip with "nightlife".  And maybe time your visit to fit in one of the many FREE Tickets to see a taping of a TV Show? Check online or see a person wondering around the Blvd, handing them out.

The Walk of Fame is partially incorporated into the "Hollywood and Highland" complex. while touring the Walk, enjoy the shops and views from here. The new home of the Academy Awards, the Dolby Theatre is here too. (The very first show was held at the "Roosevelt Hotel", just 2 blocks East and across the street form here) Good View of the Hollywood Sign from top floor.

* Hit the Famous "Pink's" Hot Dog stand. East a few blocks on Hollywood Blvd. coming from the "Walk of Fame" then South (left) on La Brea to 709 N La Brea Ave. You will be almost on the Corner of Melrose Ave ready to cruise. The Chili Cheese Coleslaw Dog is the best! I rarely eat hotdogs, as I know what is in them, when I do it has to be special, like this.

* Go West (turn Right) After eating a hotdog at "Pinks". Cruise Melrose Ave. to enjoy what I call the "Trashy Chic". Stop to shop or just enjoy the drive on your way to Fairfax Ave. Where you will turn Left (South) to get to Wilshire Blvd and the La Brea Tar Pits. Where you will need to make another Left on Wilshire or backtrack on Melrose so you can make the easier Right Turn on Wilshire Blvd.

* Go West (turn Right) After eating a hotdog at "Pinks". Cruise Melrose Ave. to enjoy what I call the "Trashy Chic". Stop to shop or just enjoy the drive on your way to Fairfax Ave. Where you will turn Left (South) to get to Wilshire Blvd and the La Brea Tar Pits. Where you will need to make another Left on Wilshire or backtrack on Melrose so you can make the easier Right Turn on Wilshire Blvd.

* The "La Brea Tar Pits" (Across the street from "The Screen Actors Guild" main headquarters and down the street from LACMA "The Los Angeles County Museum of Art") is worth seeing. It is easy to get to. The grounds are good for strolling and picnicking. The Tar Lake (Pit) is for real. As is the tar creeping up in small sections all around the grounds

Walk to enjoy the grounds (and giant rock) of LACMA while here.

* The "Sunset Ranch" Horseback Riding, offers weekday specials (Check Website for 2 for 1 specials) and is an interesting way to see the Hollywood Sign. The trail itself is a bit short and underwhelming. Maybe time it with one of the many day-hikes one can do in the immediate area.

* "Miceli's" 1646 N. Las Palmas Ave. (since 1949) is Hollywood's Oldest Italian Restaurant. And if I'm not mistaken, is the second oldest over all. Only "Musso & Frank Grill" is older. Miceli's is just half a block off Hollywood Blvd. "Musso & Frank" is East right on the Blvd. But the food is expensive and not as good. Maybe opt for an old time Martini, just to say you did, then eat at Miceli's.

They have a nice enough alternative location close by at in Universal City, but this is the original.  I often go here for my Birthday Dinner and ask to sit in the booth used by Frank Sinatra.

I'm Italian, so most often the food at Italian restaurants never match up to what I'm used to, or could prepare at home. So I usually just avoid the Pasta and go for something else on the menu. Lamentably, Miceli's is not an exception. BUT I always enjoy the Pizza and Anti Pasta Salad here. And the Waiters Sing!

DAY 2 ~

* Ya gotta go to the Beach. So why not avoid the freeways and cruise the Sunset Strip all the way West to the Pacific Ocean?  Stop to shop, drink or stroll on the way.

NOTE:  Parking can be insane, expensive, hard to find and street parking signs may need translating due to their complexity and confusion. But usually there is not any legal street parking anyway.

Scope out the "Whiskey", "Viper Room", "Roxy" and "Rainbow" as you cruise West. So when it's dark on your return, you will know where you might want to stop on your way back.

You will be going through Beverly Hills and past the Beverly Hills Hotel on your way to the Beach. Look for the Signs/Photo Op on your right if you want to stop and/or snap a photo. NOTE: The Super Rich Drive Recklessly. A sense of Superiority, Entitlement and/or great Insurance? Just be aware in this area.

Maybe take 30 minutes to cruise the side streets and check out the architecture of the local mansions?  To quote Steve Martin in the 1991 Film "L.A. Story" - "You're really nobody in L.A. unless you live in a house with a really big door."

Historical Not: Before the Manson Family Murders, almost no one had walls around their property. A related note, Sharon Tate had her last meal at the "El Coyote" restaurant. A stop suggested under "Day3" below.

* When Sunset Blvd. ends at PCH, Turn Left and enjoy the view on your way to the Santa Monica Pier. Park here. Kids and Adults might enjoy the Roller Coaster and other Rides and Attractions at "Pacific Park". Sunset from the Ferris Wheel is cool. (Check their website for really good coupons) The Pier looks great at Sunset and there is plenty to do. Shopping, Dining and People Watching. But just below the Pier, on your way to Venice Beach is "Deans" a good burger joint, a local spot, less expensive, good patio to make friends and people watch. A local favorite. Good Burgers. Bottled Beers. Good Service. And right on the way as you make your way up the coast to Venice Beach. - Go for the Burger or the Fish and Chips. Sit in the front patio if available.

* Venice is a "Must See". It is the #1 Tourist Destination for a reason.  You can walk, bike or skate here from the Santa Monica Pier. Bike rentals are available as are bike taxis.  You can, of course, also just skip the Pier and drive directly here.

This is where the "Doors" formed, where artist hang, where Stoners get stoned, Surfers, Skaters, Street Performers, Art for sale, other shops and restaurants. Venice Beach still maintains it "Dangerous Vibe". But is as safe, or more so, than any other location. Especially in the daytime.

Maybe go off the beach and see the homes along the Canals... It was named "Venice" on purpose!

If you walked from the pier, pace yourself for your return. Especially if you plan to party and or dine on the Strip on your way back to your Hotel

* You may be too burnt out from a full day at the Beach to "Do the Strip". But do try to get back here. Either way, I suggests the "Rainbow Bar and Grill".  Drink and Dine where Led Zeppelin and so many other rockers did, and do.

They offer parking and validation good towards your meal.

I always get the Pizza but start with a large Warm Spinach Salad.

The small upstairs room is open on weekends for dancing to rock n roll. So many good memories here. They "Heyday" is over, but on the upside, the small space is now "smoke free" by State Law. (It used to be absurdly smoke filled)

DAY 3 ~

* Take Hollywood Blvd West and it will quickly end/meet at the world famous "Laurel Canyon" Turn Right, enjoy the short drive to -  Mulholland Drive! and turn Right (East). This famous "Drive", is cool to cruise by day and night.

By day, there is a designated spot to pull over and see/photograph the "Hollywood Sign". And views, depending on smog levels, of the Valley to the South.

By Night the Valley lights are beautiful and one can take this rout to where it ends East turn Right back to Hollywood, reverentially passing the Hollywood Bowl. - Turn Left to head toward Universal City / City Walk. And even a route to Griffith Park via Barham to Forest Lawn Drive.

Mulholland West can take you all the way to Malibu. (But the 30 miles up the 101 to Las Virgenes - Left to the Beach, through the Canyon is the better way to get there. Camping Hiking here too)

* Griffith Park could be a 3 Day Destination in by itself. The LA Zoo, Hikes, Train Town, and home to arguably the single best outdoor concert venue in America "The Greek Theater"

One can get here by heading East on Hollywood Blvd. Turn Left on Western. Western passes AFI, The American Film Insitute and curves right to become Los Feliz blvd. Quickly on the Left is one of the main entrance to the Park.  Further at Vermont is the entrance to the "Greek" (on the left) and further still is Riverside Drive another entrance to the park and closest one to the zoo. 

This is also close to to the LA River (hence the name "Riverside Dr.) and at the Cities of Glendale near Silver Lake and other trendy hipsters locations. You may want this to be your "hub" for your visit? As you may see, it's all pretty close to the center of Hollywood

Check to see if there is a concert at the "Greek Theater" that fits into your visit.  Why not check the Concert Calendar in general. We have a lot of Venues and we are lucky to get all the best tours. At all the usually “Monopoly” ticket prices. So budget accordingly.

 

* Griffith Park is home to the "Griffith Observatory".

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More great Hikes, views of the Hollywood Sign, History, Culture, Telescopes, a Tesla Coil, Laser Light Shows, Worlds Largest Photograph, Real Meteorites, a Huge Foucault Pendulum demonstrating the Rotation of the Earth, a cool Space Shop and much more.

(The Worlds Largest Photo can be found downstairs. I don’t think it’s labeled, so I’ll tell you why it’s special. First of all it’s “The Worlds Largest Photo”. It takes up the entire back wall(s). Taken by the bad-ass Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 and titled "Deep Field". Here is where it gets deeper; The entire image was taken over a 10 day period when the Hubble pointed it’s lens to a random area in space… the circumference of a Drinking Straw! Just in that tiny section of space it revealed almost countless Galaxies. Allowing the math to state there must be over 10 to the 22^nd power of Galaxies in the known Universe. More than every grain of sand on all the Beaches and Deserts on Earth combined. THAT is the photo!)

See where James Dean filmed and step up to one of the most famous telescopes on Earth; the "Zeiss Telescope".

Many gracious enthusiast bring their own serious telescopes to the lawn and let people have a look.

Check their schedule ahead of time to plan your visit with one of their many events.

Anyone who could not find something appealing here, would probably not be fun hanging out with on vacation.

* More History, good food and strong Margaretta's are to be found at "El Coyote" ("The El" as locals call it) at 7312 Beverly blvd.

This is one of only two place I make a point to go to on my birthday. Theirs is the day before mine. But it's the vibe that I enjoy. The days of $5 combination plates and $2 double Margaretta's are gone. Today they charge as much as any other place. But the food is still authentic and the Margaretta's are wicked! Try the Double Margaretta on the Rocks - order "From Scratch". The Server will usually ask if you want "from Scratch" but just in case remember that you do. this is most definitely a place you want to have a "designated driver" agreed upon ahead of time.

Combination plates and Shrimp Fajitas are solid. The "Ostrich Tacos" are interesting and worth trying. The "El Coyote Pizza" is a plate of chips covered in Beans, Cheese and Salsa. Good for sharing or as a meal.

For Combinations plates including  the Green Corn Tamale is a really good choice as is the Chile Relleno. the Tacos are traditional and the Cheese Enchiladas are a good but greasy traditional. 

Located on Beverly blvd. Cross street is Fairfax. The same street that is near the LA Brea Tar Pits. Next door to CBS Television City. Beverly runs parallel and just south of Melrose which is just South of Santa Monica Blvd, which is just South of Hollywood/Sunset Blvds.

Free parking before 4pm - No Side Street Parking. Limited Meters on Beverly.

So this fits well with ones Hollywood tour.  Maybe get tickets to see Bill Maher or another show at CBS while there.

So, there you have it. My “Go To” 3 Day Hollywood Tour.  I hope you have a safe, but not too safe, adventure and make memories that will last forever.  And when you leave, please consider taking a few people and cars with you.

“The World is a Book and those that don’t Travel Read Only One Page”