DR. Romance Blog

Mr. Greenjeans

Well, it took almost his whole presidency, but Shrub finally did something I agree with -- he presented Norman Borlaug with a Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony on July 17.  Dr. Borlaug has also Presidential Medal of Freedom.  These two medals, along with with the Nobel Peace Prize he received  in 1970 (it took America a while to catch on) are regarded as the trifecta in prizes: only Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Elie Wiesel have received all three.  There's room for a respectful quip here about them finally recognizing the American WASP guy.  Borlaug comes from strong Norwegian stock, but he was born in Iowa. 

He is an agronomist (agricultural scientist) who is known as a father of the Green Revolution.  One of his great deeds was saving billions from starvation by developing a hybrid called "dwarf wheat."  Even if our president was doing it for a "green" photo op (the medal was voted in by Congress in 2006) it was a good deed.  Congratulations, Dr. Borlaug.

I need to focus on good news like this, because I just had a wakeup call.  Last night Richard and I went to see the charming indie film "Once," and after it was over, we shared that both of us were waiting for a disaster which never came in the movie.  When "girl" walks down a dark street, we both thought "here it comes."  When they get on a motorcycle, and then into a car, we both cringed, thinking "this is it."  What has happened to movies that we can't watch a simple, sweet film without expecting disaster and violence?  This, even though I'm very careful what movies I go to, because I don't want violent images in my consciousness.  Well, guess what.  Our culture is so permeated with violence and disaster that it has permeated me, despite my vigilance against it.  That doesn't surprise me or shock me, it just reminds me I still have work to do.  I've been reading and meditating on it.

Dr. Romance knows that keeping your consciousness clear takes ongoing work.  Chronic problems require chronic solutions.  "Winning the War Within" presents some helpful ideas for achieving peace within.  As many wise teachers have said, we must find peace within in order to find or create it outside us.

What brings you peace?

Mother Nature Rages

As I wrote here, I visited my childhood home of Roscoe, NY in the Catskill mountains on June 2 & 3rd, and I took some idyllic pictures.  This week I heard from my former classmate, Patty Hendrix, that there was a flood in Roscoe area.  So, I went online to find out about it.  It happened June 20, and at least two people were killed -- several homes wiped out.

There are newspaper articles here:

http://wcbstv.com/local/local_story_172060037.html

http://www.topix.net/content/ap/2007/06/second-body-found-in-n-y-flood-search-2

Monetary donations can be sent to M&T Bank, 56 Stewart Ave., Roscoe, NY 12776. Flood relief fund donation information here

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070627/NEWS/70626012/-1/NEWS

This is a photo gallery of the destruction and the rescue operation, including the flooded river, smashed houses, cars in trees, and the rescue workers with heavy equipment.

http://joeynick.smugmug.com/gallery/3041274#P-3-9

Here's a somewhat blurry UTube video, and you can hear the power of the water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCctjr0gOPo&mode=related&search=

I remember some bad floods from childhood, but this seems to be much worse.  Roscoe also had a bad flood in June, 2006, called a "Once in 300 years" event.  I guess not.  Events like this really underscore the global warming problem.

Dr. Romance understands that life is unpredictable, and it hurts to be reminded of that.  If you've had a loss or disaster, "Into Every Life"  and "Surviving Loss and Thriving Again" might be helpful.

I hope you are all safe and well.

On the Air

Dr. Romance (Tina B. Tessina) will appear on Dr. Vidushi Babber’s show, “Winning With Wellness” on the VoiceAmerica™ Network on

June 13, 2007

at

7:00 AM PT

/

10:00 AM ET

on the VoiceAmerica Women’s Channel http://www.voiceamerica.com/womensnetwork.com

Modern Miracles

Last Monday, I had a routine colonoscopy.  When you reach a certain age, it becomes advisable, because it's an early detection procedure for colon cancer.  Mine, thank God, was OK.  The procedure is not a problem, because (unlike for the sigmoidoscopy, which just scans the lower bowel) I was anesthetized.  It's the prep that's not pleasant.  I had to fast all day Sunday, and drink the prescribed nasty concoction that cleaned me out.  Oh well, survived all that.  What made me laugh is that I got the results in the mail today, as promised.  What I was completely unprepared for is that I'd get five full-color pictures of my innards.  For most of us, looking at pictures of yourself is sometimes difficult, but it's no where near as surprising as this. Yikes! 

When I told Maggie, she asked "Why did they send them?"  I think they did it because now they can.  Kaiser has a new computer system, and they're very proud of it.  Thanks, doc, and I appreciate the clean bill of health, but next time, keep the pix for your records. 

In addition to that, my computer wizard, Irving Sanchez, had to spend four hours this week scanning the colon of my computer, because it crashed.  It kept freezing up on me.  Fortunately, I backed it up, so I didn't lose anything crucial, and Irving got it sorted out, as he always does. He's brought me into the new millennium, and taken me out of Compuserve 4.0, where I had been stuck until he found a way to forward my e-mail from that address.   Thanks, Irving, you're a blessing.

Dr. Romance thinks that new technology can be exciting and frustrating, and we have to remember not to give it too much power or be too eager for it or afraid of it.  As in everything else, balance is the key; and keeping on even when things are challenging.  "Into Every Life" has some clues on how to do it.

Anyone facing life's little challenges?

Community Heals

The front page in today's Long Beach Press-Telegram tells a totally different story from the Virginia tech shootings.  A huge wildfire devastated the wilderness on Catalina Island, fortunately only burning one home.  According to the story,"All over the island, businesses volunteered their time, supplies and vehicles. A gas station used its trucks to drive mainland firefighters toward the fire. Most hotels allowed residents to spend the night in their posh facilities - free. The island's Vons grocery store donated food to feed hundreds."

Dr. Romance thinks this is the opposite of narcissism -- selfless willinginess to help others, and to pull together when a problem strikes.  This is what I think of as the real America -- not the bully who perpetrates war for bad reasons, or the self-indulgent, consumer society full of pampered celebrities and consumers who want more, more, more.  When we work together to help each other, pitching in, lending a hand or a shoulder, donating money, and doing what we can, we're creating a better society, and moving toward a better world.  I have seen this over and over and all around the world, even in war-torn areas, as people who are designated as "enemies" by their governments or religious leaders manage to get along.  This is what gives me hope for the human race. 

For a study of the power of cooperation througout human history, try reading Nonzero by Robert Wright, which is a stunning study which shows that "survivial of the fittest" is not as powerful as cooperation and neighborliness. 

What gives you hope?

Am I (Jet) Blue?

Along with all other True Blue frequent flyers on Jet Blue, I received an apology today, which consisted of a video and a Customers Bill of Rights.  In addition Jet Blue published the apology in ads.  Lots of other bloggers and columnists are saying it's not enough.  However, I am paying attention to the difference between this reaction and the reaction of other airlines (some long gone) to similar situations, and I say "Good first step, now let's see the follow through."  If Jet Blue really makes some changes, this could be the disaster that turned into great success.

Dr. Romance says taking responsibility for mistakes and screwups is an important first step for anyone. "I'm sorry" is where you start.   To clinch the deal, and really heal the wound, however, it's vital to follow up your apology with an effective change in behavior.  What does effective mean?  A change that actually solves the problem and prevents it, or something similar from happening again.  To know what will solve the problem, you have to ask the person who was hurt.  To prevent the problem from reoccuring, you must make changes. The following article might help.

Let me know what you think....

Obama, Yo' Mama

The news is full of stories about Barack Obama, who declared his candidacy for president on the steps of the Historic Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln gave a famous speech condemning slavery. the companion piece states that African-Americans are rejecting Obama, because he's "too white" and his father was "not American, but African."   I don't believe it, I think it's just a sensational, divisive idea to sell papers.

Dr. Romance has frequently seen that the impulse to shoot down the underdog who appears to be succeeding is irresistible.  And also that it's the people who are least likely to vote who do the badmouthing.  Whether Barack succeeds in his quest will ultimately depend on his ability to convince the most. voters that he's going to do what they want. 

Whoever wins this election, I'm delighted to see three candidates of such high quality -- Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards -- declaring their candidacy for President.  And, if one of these Democrats wins, I think the country will beneft from having all three of them in high office.  It's the most hope I've had in years.    God knows, we need a change.

Does anything about this election give you hope? Do you think Obama's pedigree works for him or against him?

Anna, we hardly knew ye

Sorry, It's been a few days since my last post, I've been nose-to-grindstone on a deadline for my new book.

The news has been full of the death of Anna Nicole Smith.  To Dr. Romance, the whole story of her life and death is tragic. Now, her half sister is saying that Anna used the sperm of her late, very rich, husband, J.Howard Marshall.  If this is true, Dr. Romance thinks it's one of the smartest things Anna ever did.  Mr. Marshall's own child will have more secure rights to his estate than Anna would have.  Oh, but this poor baby!  Three men , including a prince, are vying to be named her father -- is this because they want the baby, they want the money, or their just bragging about having had sex with Anna.  It's hard for Dr. Romance to picture a bright future for this little girl, who has become a pawn in a huge struggle for money before she's even six months old.

We may never know the true story of Anna or her child -- yes, the paternity of the baby can be determined, and a court will decide who gets custody of her -- but Dr. Romance knows how often such stories swirl around death.   When someone dies unexpectedly, whether they're famous or not, the family members (especially those who were not close or had a difficult relationship) begin struggling for the spoils.  It's horrifying to watch, very sad, and truly unnecessary.  Anyone over 21 can create a living will and a health care directive to make your wishes known.  Do your heirs and survivors a favor, fill one out, and eliminate the temptation to "cast lots for the clothes" (Psalm 22:18). 

Have you had a tussle over inheritances, or know someone who did? I'd love to hear about it.