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I heard that the new Beatles Rock Band game was on its way but it wasn’t until right before 9-9-09 that I found out that the entire Beatles album catalog was to be re-released, newly spruced up and remastered. Those who know me know that the Beatles are a major influence in my life and those of you who were, like me, teenagers in the mid-to-late sixties know how that feels. When a new Beatles single would come out it was so exciting for me - I would be on cloud nine for days! Hearing the songs always made me happy and so I would play them over and over. Although, I didn’t need to because Top-40 radio stations played them round the clock, too. Really, except for my kids and a few men in my life there isn’t much that surpasses the excitement I felt in those days when I heard a Beatles song.

Their influence on me cannot be measured because they permeated so much of what I was into. First off, as a member of a musical family I wanted everyone to love the music like I did and I was thrilled when my Dad, piano and guitar-playing arranger and excellent tenor, said, “That John Lennon is a genius” when Rubber Soul came out. My brother - the killer pianist and guitarist - loved them as much as I did and indulged me many times by playing to my singing. In fact, one year on my birthday I had a Beatles themed party and he played the whole afternoon while we sang as many Beatles songs as we could remember. And, yes, sadly, I have forgotten some of the words… But the new re-released albums will bring them all back to me!

It’s interesting that the Beatles went through many of the same things we did in our baby-boomer lives such as experimenting with drugs, embracing counterculture and exploring alternative religions. Post-Beatles, Paul, John and George have continued to influence me. I loved George from the first time I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. He was quiet, good looking and seemed so Liverpudlian. That mattered to me because of being born in Wales not far from Liverpool. I couldn’t believe that the biggest group ever came from my little part of the world. Too much! So there are many reasons why I will always love them but most of all - the music still lifts me up and enhances my life. Even when I’m feeling low a Beatles song can snap me right out of it. I’m so glad they’re back and making new generations of fans just as happy as I’ve been. One of the students at work last week heard me talking about the new releases and she said, “Oh, are you talking about the Beatles? I love their songs. You know, really, everybody loves them.”

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There’s no doubt about it, we are living in a time of extremes. War and strife abound while the planet is in peril yet there are so many positive, life-affirming things all happening at once. The medical gains of the last hundred years have unfortunately resulted in more diseases, more we have no cure for and barriers for most people to available cures, easing pain and living longer. Astonishingly, there are millions of people who are taking their health into their own hands spurred on by the sharing of knowledge on the Internet. I talk to people all the time who are telling their doctors about new developments in health so the physician can truly help them.

When was the last time you told your doctor what you wanted and you could cite studies that validate your assertion?

Sometimes the information is overwhelming, I know, but at your fingertips is a source to give you answers you need. I truly believe that the expansion of herbs, supplements, alternative therapies and natural nutrition would not be as widespread as they are without the Internet to disperse knowledge. And what’s great is that it’s a proving ground for the veracity of each health claim. From chat to social networking we now know that anyone can give an opinion on anything in cyberspace. I think that’s good and that we should all be skeptical about outrageous claims - ask questions, press for proof and demand backup.

In my company we cite all the scientific studies that support the claims we make about how a certain product can benefit you. On antioxidants alone there are over 30 studies cited. Become part of the health revolution and use the tools available to you to take charge of your life, your health and your future. Want to know more? Go to www.marketamerica.com/suemosher

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2008 ended on a sad note for me with the murder of my friend Linda Riley (and her husband, Steve), a fellow writer and follower of this blog. Although I promised to write Christmas posts beginning with a story about my last Christmas as a little girl in Wales, Linda’s death hit me hard and I just wasn’t able to write anything, let alone something cheery. Linda and I worked together for about five years and this year we really became friends. I will miss her sardonic humor and camaraderie. She was a talented writer and I will never forget her.

Now it’s a new year and we are about to see an historic event take place in our lifetimes - our first African-American president take office. So I’m feeling more hopeful, in spite of the gloomy business outlook. During the holidays, my Mom and I began to regularly check the news from “back home” by going to the BBC East Wales web page. We enjoy reading about the happenings in our former home and we check the weather daily. As a former journalist it’s fun for me to read the news items because of the style of writing, the language used, and the approach to the story - very different from US newswriting. Recently, we read that homelessness has become a problem in Wales. My Mom said she doesn’t ever remember seeing a homeless person so it’s quite a shock to think people are in such a state, especially in a country with major socialized programs.

A more upbeat news item this week was the opening of a bridge to Caernarfon Castle to give better access for disabled people. The news story is at this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_west/7833496.stm. You’ll get a taste of how we Brits like our news.

Caernarfon is the castle where Prince Charles was invested as the Prince of Wales so you may remember seeing him being crowned by his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in the beautiful grassy interior courtyard of the castle in 1969. I was lucky enough to see the castle on my last visit home in 1996. It’s pretty spectacular when you are there.

Going up to the battlements is tricky in that the steps in the towers are narrow - people in those times must have had small feet. But when you stand and look out over the Menai Strait you can imagine, as I did, medieval soldiers keeping watch both inland and seaward from that vantage point. The castle is spectacular not only because of its size but the beautiful banded masonry of its walls, fashioned after the architecture in Constantinople. Makes me proud to be Welsh. Have a lovely week!

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The recent events in India - what do they mean for us? In the light of the entire world situation what should we, as a country and a people, be thinking about? And our about-to-be-president? An interesting view from, Deepak Chopra, a person who sees things in a different view because he is Indian and a spiritual teacher, was presented on CNN but got short shrift so I wanted to share it here (as shown on The Huffington Post):

Chopra: What we have seen in Mumbai has been brewing for a long time, and the war on terrorism and the attack on Iraq compounded the situation. What we call “collateral damage” and going after the wrong people actually turns moderates into extremists, and that inflammation then gets organized and appears as this disaster in Bombay. Now the worst thing that could happen is there’s a backlash on the Muslims from the fundamental Hindus in India, which then will perpetuate the problem. Inflammation will create more inflammation.

CNN: Let me jump in on that because you’re presuming something very important, which is that it’s Muslims who have carried out these attacks and, in some cases, with Washington in their sights.

Chopra: Ultimately the message is always toward Washington because it’s also the perception that Washington, in their way, directly or indirectly funds both sides of the war on terror. They fund our side, then our petrol dollars going to Saudi Arabia through Pakistan and ultimately these terrorist groups, which are very organized. You know Jonathan, it takes a lot of money to do this. It takes a lot of organization to do this. Where’s the money coming from, you know? The money is coming from the vested interests. I’m not talking about conspiracy theories, but what happens is, our policies, our foreign policies, actually perpetuate this problem. Because, you know, 25% of the world’s population is Muslim and they’re the fastest growing segment of the population of the world. The more we alienate the Muslim population, the more the moderates are likely to become extremists.

CNN: I hope you’re - you’ve - (CNN edits out the rest and inserts him concluding the interview saying “Indian physician and philosopher Deepak Chopra.”)

We do have an opportunity to become a world leader again, one that embodies all the ideals the Founders believed in, and I have a fond hope that it will come to pass. Peace . . .

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Last week I read an article in the New York Times about the fact that we haven’t seen sunspots now for a long time. For 205 days actually, as of October 2, 2008, so there is some concern about why this is happening. We haven’t had this happen since 1954 when it went sunspot-less for 241 days. Is this unusual? Scientists who study the sun say the sun goes through these phases and such a period is called a “minimum.” And, yes, the sun goes through phases where there are many sunspots and solar flares and that kind of period is called a “maximum” (duh!). David Hathaway, a solar specialist at NASA, had predicted two years ago that the next maximum would be “ferocious.” Now he doubts that prediction will come to pass.

There was a period from the 17th to 18th centuries that was so long it was called “The Little Ice Age” but it’s more common name is the Maunder Minimum. It’s interesting too, says Hathaway, that the solar wind has also diminished. How will this affect us? Well, it could offset the effects of global warming . . . wouldn’t that be something? Makes you wonder about the intelligent design idea, doesn’t it? Nah . . .

To read the entire article go to this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/03/science/space/03sun.html?ref=science

May you have a wonderful week - sunspots or not!

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Busy, busy, summer - yeah, no excuse but it’s the truth. Work, mostly, has kept me very busy. Just finishing up taking some time off and I now feel sufficiently decompressed. In retrospect the work was very rewarding and the people who work for me and with me make it less like work. I’ll be going back refreshed and ready to tackle the next challenge.

Today my wonderful daughter and grandkids paid a visit to play Uno and get acquainted with our new puppy, the effervescent Trixie. She is rambunctiousness but sweet as all get out. We had fun and it was oh so brief. Looking for a bathing cap in my bedroom for my daughter we looked at the pictures I have on my bookshelf. There are several of my beloved as a child and of us together, most notably one taken the day I got my bachelor’s degree. My grandson turned to me and said, “You look better now than you do in that picture. I know you’re older and everything but you look so much better now.” I can’t tell you how wonderful that felt . . first, that he noticed, then that he told me and lastly that he spoke to me as a friend would. I’ll never forget it. Lately I’ve struggled with gaining back some weight and feeling a little down on myself. It was nice to be reminded that, yes, I am better now than I was eight years ago - even though I’m eight years older. Remarkable! Reminds me to keep my perspective day to day and moment to moment.

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Some days are harder than others. There are days when the immediate overtakes me and sends me on a crazy ride. When that happens I come back to my conscious self later, feeling emotional, seeing things in a rear-view mirror way with my ego at the wheel. Since I’m not a drinking woman I often go to my local Starbucks and drown my sorrows in a grande mocha Frappachino light double-blended-with-whip. Of course, it helps that my faithful Mom is with me, encouraging me and saying things that only the person who unconditionally loves me the most could say. Then I get all philosophical and rationalize it all away.

I’m basically a cock-eyed optimist so I snap back easy, not always quickly. Every once in a while, though, as I’m on my way home from work my son calls me as he’s doing the same and those calls are like manna from heaven. Today was one of those days and I was blessed with one of those heavenly calls. He was excited as he told me to look on the NASA website at a picture of sunset on Mars. He said that picture uplifted him and gave him hope for our lowly species that someday we will “loose these surly bonds” and be out there - in space - where we ought to be. Think of it, he said, here was a view of our camera on Mars looking back toward us - toward Earth and a sun that, on Mars, looks so far away.

When I got home I searched and found the picture. Though it’s a lonely look at a distant orb through what looks like a dust storm it was compelling. Every once in while we need a reminder that there are things greater than us, greater than the piddling things that distract us and prevent us from noticing the wonder around us. Peace.

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Hey - I’m back!

During Earth Week I had the opportunity to see National Geographic’s Strange Days on Planet Earth on PBS. It’s hosted by Edward Norton and it had examples of strange happenings in nature, some that are caused by global warming but mostly caused by US. The one that disturbed me the most was the amount of plastic that is now in our oceans.

Michelle Hester, a scientist studying albatross habitat in the Pacific, saw bird chicks that starved to death because their stomachs were full of plastic. Their little bodies had decayed and you could see the colorful plastic items they’d been given as food by their parents. One baby bird had a pacifier in his stomach. It was heart breaking. Hester’s the president of the environmental nonprofit, Oikonos. She, biologist David Hyrenbach and their colleagues have witnessed firsthand the horrifying results of this deadly smorgasbord in the stomachs of dead albatross chicks. “These very experienced albatross parents, which can live for 60 years, repeatedly mistake plastic as a source of food and funnel it directly into their chicks,” she says. By tagging and tracking adult birds, Hester, Hyrenbach and their colleagues have found that albatross feed their chicks with debris gathered from an area in the Pacific Ocean called the North Pacific Gyre. Within the Gyre, swirling currents collect miles of trash into what is now known as the “Garbage Patch.” Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Foundation surveys the areas that he says are, “pollution-filled eddies.” Some water samples have “less plankton than plastic,” says Moore. “The ocean has become a plastic soup.”

It’s hard to believe it but there is so much plastic around us that it boggles my mind. We’ve got to do what we can to make a dent in the destruction we’re reeking across our oceans. First we need to stop trash from getting into our water systems. For more on plastic pollution and what you can do to reduce it, view the Charles Moore video (link is on the Strange Days on Planet Earth web site) and follow these guidelines:

• Avoid unnecessary use of plastics. Bring your own cloth bags to the store when you go shopping. Right now other nations and cities across the United States are banning the use of plastic bags.

• When buying plastic products, stick to those that are more easily recycled. Numbers 1 and 2 are the best. See the Strange Days Plastics Guide on the site at this link

http://www.pbs.org/strangedays/episodes/dirtysecrets/experts/pollutantsoup.html

I’ve been thinking about the enormous job it will be to get all the plastic out of the oceans but we must! Plastic doesn’t biodegrade like paper so it will be hundreds of years before it’s gone. But, think about it, the warmer the ocean gets the more pliable the plastic will be and it may cause even more damage. My friends, I ask you to think about what we can all do to save the oceans because if we don’t we will not survive either…..I urge you to learn more and share your ideas on saving the oceans.

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Are you having a bad day? Do you need a good laugh? Do you love dogs?

Go to the Dooce link on my Blogroll and read Heather’s post about her dog Chuck. The pictures are great and the story is funny, well-written and reiterates how we need to pay attention to our animals. I also read about 50 of the over 500 comments on the post.

Really - you will thank me for telling you to read the story. It will make you smile/laugh/chuckle and possibly your day!

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Last week Tom Peters, the business guru, crowed how he tripped on the cord of his laptop and it flew off the table and landed on the floor but still kept working. I’m sure he wasn’t prepared from the Apple faithful who were only to glad to point out to him that if he’d had a Mac laptop his computer would have stayed put. Person after person berated him for not having a Mac when he reminds his audiences that “design is everything.” How could you be a design maven, Tom, and not have a Mac, they wanted to know. There were several Mac converts who left comments and they related stories about PCs letting them down (losing files, etc.). Even if I hadn’t become a Mac owner (see earlier post on loving my MacBook) I’d still find this entertaining. I haven’t checked to see if Tom has responded yet….check it out at Tom’s blog - see link in Blogroll.

Got a day off tomorrow so may post again on this long weekend. God bless Cesar Chavez!

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