TEOTWAWKI

One night a few weeks ago I couldn't sleep so I started listening to the radio show coast to coast which is on every night from about 1 am to 5 am. Since I have sleeping issues I often find myself listening to the show until I fall back asleep but this particular night the interview was fascinating. The host, George Noory, was interviewing a man named Jim Rawles who was answering questions regarding preparation for TEOTWAWKI, acronym for the end of the world as we know it. What struck me was how ill prepared I was for any potential interruption in my life. We have become so dependent and complacent. We assume the supermarket will always have stocked shelves, the electricity and gas/oil that power our homes and the police that provide security will always be there. But what if it's not? We have become so narrow in our fields of expertise that we have no clue how to provide the basic necessities for ourselves in case we need to. It may not be the extreme of TEOTWAWKI but it is certainly possible for interruptions in supply chains to be prolonged. Terrorists, who by the government's own admission, are already in this country, can cause enough damage to instigate a prolonged interruption of what we take for granted will always be present.

So many of our resources are completely dependent on technology for their production as well as delivery that if this was ever compromised food and fuel delivery would be cut off. What would we do then? Do I have any clue as to how to maintain warmth, obtain and purify water, get food once the pantry goes dry or how to defend my family against looters? Do I gave any of the skills necessary for survival in these circumstances? Now that I am in my fourth day of a blackout and forced to live in someone else's house I think I need to be more concerned about being self-sufficient. What if someone else's house wasn't available or the blackout was regional and not limited to several blocks.

How long would it take for people to loot, steal or worse to obtain food, water or shelter? Mr Rawles suggested we live in a society with a very thin veneer of civility. After missing two or three meals that veneer would disappear and it would be every man for themselves. It seems extremely scary but preparation could put one way ahead of the game. What seems simple and inexpensive to obtain now could be a commodity later. Skills that one could master now would go a long way at TEOTWAWKI. I try to talk to some neighbors about this and most think I'm nuts. If this make any sense to you I suggest you go to Mr Rawles web site at survivalblog.com and start doing the research. Start making the right purchases and obtain the appropriate skills. Plan ahead for a situation where you may need to protect yourself and your family. There is a ton of information on the web to get you started. I know after these several days with no power or warmth, forced to live in small room in a friend's house, I will be doing more to prepare for the next time. I believe this was a wake up call for me.

Bad Medical Decisions

Thought I would share a patient story to illustrate a point. I had seen a five year old child last year with recurrent ear infections and after failing numerous courses of antibiotic therapy the recommendation was to insert tubes in the child's ears. The child was covered by medicaid, the health insurance for the poor. The patient was scheduled for surgery but for whatever reason failed to show for the appointment. I am not sure why the child didn't show up but it was never re-scheduled. About one year later the child shows up with the parent and it appears that permanent damage ensued since the problem was never dealt with and the parent didn't pursue the appropriate treatment. What was an easy problem to fix last year has become a much more difficult problem and perhaps not fixable with a permanent deficit.

My initial reaction was that the nanny state can give the poor all the benefits they want but ultimately an individual or parent still needs to take some individual responsibility for their health care. I blamed the parent for stupid decision making which results in their child having a more serious problem. But after watching 60 minutes last week regarding Steve Jobs it seems that stupid decisions regarding ones health are not limited to a certain segment of the population or income level. It seems there was a chance had he taken care of his tumor when it was initially found he could have beaten the disease. Probably out of fear, he decided to wait and try alternative treatment and that may have cost him his life.

Why do people fail to pursue the recommendations of their doctors? Is it just fear or is there something else that influences their decisions? I put part of the blame on the media. There is so much negative media attention paid to the medical profession that people question the recommendations of their doctors. You hear so many times on the TV the vast number of deaths that are caused by medical errors. You hear how American health care is rated low compared to other nations (totally ridiculous, just look at cancer survival in the US vs. anywhere else). Even BO promotes this skepticism towards doctors when he questions doctors/surgeons motivations when they perform operations. Specifically he questioned the motivations of doctors who perform tonsillectomy in children as well as the greed of doctors who perform amputations only to line their pockets (as if this community organizer has a clue about the indications for such surgery). This environment of suspicion regarding the motivations of doctors has an adverse effect by allowing patients with serious problems to justify putting off needed interventions. On a similar note, there are so many false claims by alternative treatments (which are legally permitted) that the public buys into it. People don't realize that medical treatments go through rigorous trials to ensure efficacy and safety whereas alternative treatments do not.

In no way am I advocating for people to blindly follow any doctor's recommendations as I have encountered many a patient who I believe were advised incorrectly. Similarly, I am sure I have had patients who have seen me and then went elsewhere for another opinion that was different and may have been correct when I was wrong. Doctors are human and can make mistakes or overlook something which is why I always encourage second opinions in my own patients. I never look at it as a threat to my abilities but rather what is in the general welfare of the patient which is the ultimate goal. I believe most physicians feel similarly.

Whatever one may think of a doctor it is imperative that if an individual does not believe or trust the recommendations of a specific doctor that he/she seek another medical opinion.

Herman Cain's Appeal

The reason Herman Cain has such appeal to the republican party (btw, I thought the GOP was a racist institution) is that he does not define himself by his blackness. He is a post racial politician that looks past the color of his own skin and rather defines himself as an American who worked hard his entire life, achieved to the best of his abilities and succeeded and just so happens to be black. He bought into the greatness of this country which is to work hard using your innate and learned abilities to compete on a level playing field and succeed and/or fail in the marketplace. He didn't rely on his blackness as a source for entitlement or as a reason to provide an advantage over non-blacks. He didn't claim to be a victim and use that as an excuse for failure or to not even try. He personifies an America where you can go as far as your abilities take you and what makes this country great. This message needs to be taken to the entire black population and to all segments in this country that race to be the most victimized and in need of a handout.

This message stands in stark contrast to BO whose message is that your failure or inability is not due to you but to the rich guy on the other side of town who doesn't pay his fair share of taxes. He encourages scapegoating another group for one's own shortcomings. The OWS ( occupy wall street) rally is a perfect example of this by blaming wall street bankers (?code name for Jews?) for the lack of jobs and unavailability of opportunities. BO's only chance is to continue his lies that the reason for this country's economic malaise is due to group x and not due to his own political and ideological failures. He is the scapegoater in chief and nobody does it better. The problem is the masses will believe his lies since it is easier and more comfortable to blame someone else for your misfortune then to look inside of yourself and admit to your own failures and lack of success.

These two figures, Cain and BO, have as their only similarity the color of their skin. On everything else they stand in stark opposition. Two black men, two disparate ideologies, two visions for what America is and what it should be. The only way this country can survive and thrive is for the Cain mentality to succeed over BO's.

It seems as though my prayers from my last post were answered (Gilad Shalit) but I never would have imagined they would be answered so quickly . So I am now going to turn my prayers to the downfall of the Iranian regime and support for the suppressed population in that country. As the main source of exported terror to the entire world and instability around the globe as well as the oppression of the Iranian people I hope this prayer gets answered as timely as my last.

5772

One of the nice things about being Jewish in America is the reaction of non-Jews to the celebration of our holy days which we are presently enjoying. There are those who say that spending the holidays in Israel is the only place to be because the entire country revolves around those holy days. But I think that there is something truly special in observing the holidays in America and portraying as a living example to the general population our ancient customs and our dedication to the service of the Almighty. It also demonstrates the religious tolerance of this nation and the respect we all have for each other's religious practice.

The number of people who convey to me new year's wishes this time of year amazes me and they are from all different walks of life. Their wishes seem to be with true sincerity and I think it comes with a deep respect for our religion. The cleaning lady in my house, the loan officer at the bank where I am applying for a mortgage, the stranger on the street who sees me walking to synagogue all wish me well. Additionally, it is nice to hear from so many of my patients who wish me a happy new year. I sincerely appreciate their New Year's wishes.

The New Year reminds me though of Gilad Shalit who is spending yet another year as a prisoner in a Hamas dungeon. No contact with the outside. No red cross visits. No knowledge of his health. My prayers go out to him and his family who have had to endure this torture of being used as a pawn by the Pals. It wouldn't surprise me if the Israelis had intelligence on his location and may even have a plan in place to extract him. It is a risky undertaking but a point may be reached where there is no alternative. The parents may get desperate as they realize the longer he stays there the higher his mortality. The family and the government may soon reach a conclusion that an attempted rescue is the only option. I pray that next year the Shalit family will be celebrating Rosh Hashanna together with Gilad.

Turkey Out, Greece In

Here we go again with another leader of an Islamic country shooting of his mouth against Israel for the sole purpose of garnering support amongst the masses in their countries. Instead of telling their citizens the truth, they tell lies to their people and attribute all that is wrong in their societies on Israel. Turkey's leader has unilaterally transformed his nation from a peace partner with the West and Israel to just another loser society that will continue to be left behind as the rest of the world advances. All in an attempt to amass personal power and inflate his ego. Antisemitism is always an incredibly forceful rallying cry even as his nations falls farther and farther behind the rest of the world. The citizens will mind-numbingly tolerate any destruction of their own countries as long as they are fed a constant stream of antisemitism.

Erdogan wants to inflate his chest and act like a big bully while picking on Israel as so many other neighboring states are doing. He thinks he's got nothing to lose by tormenting and threatening Israel but I think Israel's big brother needs to step in and put this power hungry Ottoman in his place. The US needs to send warships to the area and demonstrate it's support of Israel and its intolerance of Turkey's provocations.

The Turkish leadership is threatening Israel's exploration and exploitation of energy finds in the Eastern Mediterranean. Here's the deal. For a 10% cut of the mined gas, the US will provide protection for the extraction of the fuel in that area. This way the US gets reimbursed for its expense and maintains a military presence in that region. The US citizens will be thrilled that they will be getting an economic return on their military investment and exerting a presence in the region.

I remind these leaders to look at their bibles, specifically Genesis 12:3. Those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. Turkey is definitely being led down the wrong road but ironically Greece may be the beneficiary. It appears that Greece is in dire straits of its own as insolvency is being considered but it is establishing closer military ties with Israel. As they help and support Israel I believe they will be helped with their economic problems.
In a strange quirk of history even as Greece looked to destroy Israel and the Jews two thousand years ago it may be that they will now assist each other in their current existential challenges.

My Dietary Transformation

My wife has been after me for some time to read a book that she read about six months ago called The China Study. So I finally read it while on the Bermuda cruise through Hurricane Irene. I must say it is very compelling and has transformed the way I eat. Essentially, it makes the case for a plant based diet as opposed to an animal based diet. It looks at demographic trends of heart disease and certain cancers in various countries and within countries and correlates it with dietary habits. It is nearly a direct correlation between increased animal protein intake and the rates of heart disease and certain cancers. Conversely, it directly correlates a plant based diet with a decreased incidence of heart disease and certain cancers.

Of course reading this on the cruise wasn't the best place to be exposed to this enlightening information as there was so much food to eat and especially delicious looking desserts. But the truth is there were so many choices on the cruise to eat a plant based (vegan) diet. For the past four or five years I was petty good being on an Atkins type diet, limiting my carbohydrates. I was able to keep my weight in check but as it turns out I was eating so much animal protein and dairy. Eggs, cheese, milk, and butter for breakfast. Tuna for lunch and chicken or beef for dinner. This is exactly the opposite of the diet I should have been consuming per The China Study.

I decided I would try and change my diet. For the last two or three weeks I have been consuming mostly a vegan diet. Whole wheat toast with almond butter, black coffee, and a fruit for breakfast. Large salad and fruit for lunch. Nuts to snack on midday with tea in the late afternoon For dinner vegan chili with a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, kashe, etc.), a large salad and some veggies. I can say that I do not feel much different but I have lost weight and I do not miss meat or dairy. I do miss milk chocolate and I have cheated on some oreos as there are some things I just cannot give up. I don't know if I will keep it up but for sure I will continue to limit my intake of animal based foods.

While reading the book the question I wanted answered was do vegans live longer than non-vegans. That should be a fairly easy study to do. So when I arrived home I googled vegan longevity study and the results are inconclusive. One may argue they may live a more disease free life and not a longer life but a disease free life should translate into longevity. Even if it has a disease minimizing effect and not a longevity effect I think it is worth the effort. I think a little meat and/or dairy is fine in moderation but no doubt Americans need to cut back on their animal based food choices and spend more time in the produce section.

My teenage children have also adjusted their eating habits and are eating more of a veganish diet. I give my wife a lot of credit for opening my eyes to this way of eating and I should have listened to her a while ago and read this book earlier. I guess it's never too late. I suspect I will read a different book in a few years that will completely refute all the conclusions of The China Study and convince me to change my diet again. Anyway, I highly recommend reading the book. It's worth a look.

A Few Steps to Jumpstart the Economy

I am in the process of trying to refinance my mortgage at these historically low rates and it seems to me there are a few fairly easy steps that can be taken to make the process easier. This would be a tremendous boost to the economy and the housing market as more money would be freed up for people to spend as their interest rates and mortgage payments are lowered. The main problem is that even though rates are very low it is very difficult to qualify for a mortgage or a refinance. The banks have overcompensated for their previous laxity by creating an environment where getting approved for a loan is near impossible. Even a person with excellent credit who has been paying the mortgage bill on time for years has difficulty getting approved. How ridiculous is that? The refinanced mortgage will result in a lower payment and the individual has already demonstrated the ability to pay on time for years at a higher level. Isn't it less risky he/she will default at a lower mortgage payment. This is where government can step in and do something useful for the homeowner and the economy. There should be a national program to be able to refinance your home loan at current interest rates with very few qualifications and no cash out.

My next gripe is title insurance. The entire concept is ridiculous. In order to refinance I am required to have a title search on my property that only I have owned for the last 13 years. The title search is basically a few clicks on the Internet to look to see if there are any liens on the property. To make it worse if the "person" doing the title search is in error I have to pay title insurance to cover for his error. This is parallel to me charging a person my fee for a doctors visit and then charging an additional fee to pay for my malpractice insurance. Additionally title insurance fees are set by regulators when it should be market based and allowed to float like other insurance products. This entire industry of title search/insurance is a hindrance to refinancing property and needs to be adjusted. The problem is they are typically owned by lawyers. Need I say more.

Another innovation could be that a person could take out a mortgage at theses low rates with the condition that he could later sell the property with the mortgage as a package. In other words, the buyer would assume the mortgage of the seller. Locking in a low rate would significantly increase the value of the property to a potential buyer. This simple innovation would trigger rapid investment in the overhanging supply of houses as investors would predict a gain not only in the underlying property but also the increased value of a low interest rate mortgage which they could pass on to the buyer. Of course the buyer would have to qualify with the bank prior to the transition.

These three steps would dramatically spur the real estate market. They would also free up much needed cash flow in people's pockets to be able to spend more and invigorate the economy. It would also trigger job creation within the mortgage and construction industries. The only losers are the lawyers and therefore a perfect plan.