Recently I went to my new dentist in Oakland. While going to the dentist is rarely much fun, everyone at this office is friendly and professional, and you get good dental advice with very little guilt-tripping. They are also amenable to my treatment preferences, such as getting X-rays every two years instead of every year.
My dentist pointed out two small cavities while I was there. She showed me the cavities with a small mirror, and also had me listen to the sound of metal pick touching my teeth. “Clanking” is good, indicating the enamel is hard. When the instruments sticks and doesn’t clank around, that can indicate the enamel is soft.
I usually meditate a few minutes a day, on most days. I’ve been doing this, on and off, since I was fifteen. Here’s a list of the benefits I notice from meditation:
lower pulse rate
feel more relaxed/body feels more “open” (lower blood pressure/blood vessel dilation?)
emotions seem less overwhelming and intense, with the option to disengage identity from emotion
worries seem more distant and less urgent
internal monologue dissipates, less “mental chatter”
remember to do things that need doing
think of more things to do, more ideas
immediate action path is clearer (what to do next)
Meditation is usually associated with the “spiritual” side of consciousness, and to some extent that matches my experience, at least in terms of increased emotional awareness and reduced reactivity, and “quiet mind”/enhanced attention.
I like Rob Lowe’s character Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation. “Medical science has predicted that the first man to live to be 150 years old has already been born,” he says. “I believe I am that man.” Or something to that effect.
In honor of supplement-popping longevity seekers everywhere, here’s my latest collection of recent medical advances that seem to come from the realm of science fiction. Part I is right here.
What do you think? Obviously not all of these will pan out and become effective treatments for human beings. But some probably will. We live in exciting times.
You’ve probably already seen the video. If not, it’s worth watching. The main point, that most of us aren’t aware of just how extreme income inequality is in the United States, is an important one.
So why did Steve’s post piss me off? I’ve linked to many of Steve Pavlina’s posts, and I enjoy his writing. He is both practical and spiritual. His writing tends to emphasize changes in attitude and framing; he uses phrases like “aligning yourself with abundance.” Phrases like this make my B.S. meter go off, but I tolerate them from Pavlina because he doesn’t discount the need for action, hard work, and changing habits.
What irritates me about Steve’s post (which includes phrases like “Donât fuss over what strangers are doing or not doing with their assets.”) is that it ignores the fact that extreme income inequality hurts all of us. We don’t need to be passive and accept income inequality. We can vote for more progressive taxation, and government spending that preserves wealth (a real national health care system, for example, would prevent millions of bankruptcies among middle-class and poor families).
I completely believe in personal responsibility, but I also believe that we should strive for a more equal, more fair, more compassionate society. So many people seem to think that these views are opposed, but they’re not.
To be clear, I’m not swallowing the message of the video whole; there are some inaccuracies worth pointing out:
Perfect wealth equality doesn’t happen under socialism, or communism, or any other system. Wealth equality has never happened in any nation, ever.
The video refers only to wealth distribution and ignores wealth creation. The size of the pie is just as important, or more so. Equal wealth distribution, where everyone is poor, is not a desirable condition.
The video is presented as if by an individual citizen. To my eye, the video looks professionally produced (high-end motion graphics, narration, sound quality, and music), and is posted with a throwaway account on youtube (user “politizane”, with only one video). This post on Mother Jones claims that “politizane” is a freelance filmmaker, proficient in After Effects, staying anonymous in order to “avoid losing clients.” Could be true … but I remain skeptical regarding the source and agenda behind all anonymously posted content.
I’ve got a new release out today on Beatport with my longtime music collaborator and business partner DJ Spesh. I don’t ask for donations or have a “tip jar” on this blog, but I always appreciate track purchases. Many thanks!
