Happy Birthday, Dear ORACLE

The ORACLE had a birthday last week... And my daughter threw a little party for me...family only. This shows the care and attention she paid to the table settings. The food was great, there was a fair amount of fermented grape juice, and entertainment by the "singing babettes." I will report on the food in my next post.

HE WHO LIVES BY THE SWORD...

Dies by the sword. No, folks, this is not advocating violence, it is an old saying that means "If you use a certain tactic (weapon) expect that it may be used against you." Federal Judge comes to mind. Remember how a judge overturned the will of the people in California a while back when they voted to define marriage as between a man and a woman, for example? The cheers from the left were deafening. Yesterday, a Federal Judge in Pensacola Florida ruled that the part of the Obama Health Care Plan that forced people to buy insurance was unconstitutional and not severable (meaning you just can't eliminate that part and the rest is OK). Consequently, the ENTIRE health plan is unconstitutional. Predictably the left whined like babies and called the action of the judge "political" and mean spirited. All judges are equal, it's just that some are more equal than others (Animal Farm reference). To those of us out there who are appalled by this decision, remember that the sword of which I spoke above cuts both ways. Ideally, the Constitution "is what it is" and all well educated judges would come to the same conclusion on the same subject. Practically, they rule all over the place and sooner or later (sooner hopefully) this case will come before the U S Supreme Court where it will be decided in a 5-4 decision one way of the other. If the high court decides that Congress can use the commerce clause for any and every whim of theirs, be prepared, as one judge put it " to be forced to buy and eat Broccoli."

SO IT IS WRITTEN

So it shall be done. The words of Yul Brenner as Pharaoh...oft repeated. Here we have another country that lead the world "back in the day" with science, and medicine. It is rumored that the process they invented to preserve mummies is used in Twinkies and Little Debbie cakes today so that their shelf life is infinite. Anyway, as I was saying, this is one of the greatest civilizations on the planet and it is reduced to street rabble marching on their museum of antiquities and tearing the head off King Tut. This reminds me of our founding with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and such and our present day "Jay Walking" Tonight Show interviews of average Americans. All civilizations I guess are destined to collapse when ignorance becomes pervasive and intelligence and achievement become suspect.

One thing I am certain of in the present Egyptian Crisis is that our government will back the wrong side. We backed Mao in China as the great agrarian reformer. We supported Fidel Castro as "the Robin Hood of the Caribbean." We not only let the Shah of Iran get kicked out but in the ensuing power vacuum, we sat idly by and watched the Ayatollahs abscond with the country. So now, we have to deal with Amanutjob. There is something in the American psyche that feels the need to export democracy to the whole world even if the inhabitants of a particular country are living in caves and worshiping goats. Free elections for all. Dictators are all bad. But then again...have you heard that our president wants to have the power to turn off our internet in a crisis?

I was asked by some of my loyal readers to opine on this issue and other current ones (presumably the health care bill). My opinion in a nutshell is that unless the Egyptian Army takes over the country and eventually transitions to a civilian government, the Muslim Brotherhood will seize power and another Iran will be created. 70% of the Egyptian population believes Sharia law should be the law of the land. On the other hand, the Army is religiously neutral and would be the best chance for a more secular society. Promises of some money from the US would be helpful. It would be better spent before we have to fight another war. It costs us more in a week in Afghanistan than it would cost to infuse some front loaded cash into their society because people are less likely to riot if their bellies are full.

Speaking of Afghanistan, if Egypt becomes another state controlled by Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Brotherhood, we might as well PULL OUT of Afghanistan because our erstwhile reason for being there is to defeat AlQuaida. If Egypt falls, every country in North Africa except Israel will be training jihadists and we might as well bring our troops home.

TREND SETTER

Hollywood sets the trends for the rest of us. Whatever they do, so eventually do we follow. When the Kitty and I go to our next black tie event and the Photographer comes over to take our picture so we can appear in SRQ or Sarasota Magazine...just as the shutter clicks, I'm going to channel my inner Brad.

I'm WILD about FLOWERS

And why are you anxious about what to wear? Consider the
lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they
spin. And yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory
is not arrayed like one of these.

- Matthew 6:28-29

Sure, these are not Lilies, but you get the point. We spend our days trying to outshine one another. Perhaps, this is a natural thing...witness the peacock and tropical fish vying for the attention of the female. 'Tis the time of year when all the spring catalogs are coming to the Casa de Kitty. Saks, Niemans, Nordstrom, LL Bean...well maybe the last one is for me. She is not one for flannel even if it has sequins.

The latest offerings from Ralph Lauren include "Bohemian Chic." Women are encouraged to spend vast amounts of money buying clothes that the real Bohemians get at second hand stores for pennines on the dollar. I wonder what will happen when these new and expensive "Boho" clothes are brought to Goodwill after they are no longer stylish...will real Bohemians buy them? Or wear them?

Speaking of that, a great place to wear your new Ralph Lauren faux-bohemian ensembles would be at the opening performance of La Boheme at the Sarasota Opera. Kind of reminds me of Lou Gehrig dying of Lou Gehrig's disease.. What are the chances? For, as you know, La Boheme means "the Bohemian" in French.

And finally a little something by William Blake:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

ON POINT

So, it's a Sunday Afternoon and it's a little overcast outside and the Kitty has cabin fever. At first we were going to go to St. Armand's Key to the outdoor art show. That seemed like too much work so she then said "Let's go to the movies." "Oh Look. Natalie Portman is in Black Swan at the Hollywood 20 Theater." I said "Isn't that about ballet?" "Perhaps, she said, but I hear it is really good." If I had asked her to go to movie with a title like "Naked Biker Chicks from Hell 3" I am certain she would have resisted the temptation. Therefore, I offered to do anything except see "The Black Swan." Which IS about ballet.

They could make an action thriller with Arnold, Bruce Willis, Stallone, and VanDame in it and if the theme was ballet, I would have to decline. There's just something about ballet that actually makes your testosterone level fall. On the way out of a movie about or a performance of Ballet, one gets the temptation to rush home and turn on Oprah or Martha Stewart to see if there are some table decorations that a guy could make out of pine cones.

To make a long story short, Natalie performed for someone else and The Black Swan remains unwatched by the Oracle. Maybe we can just go out and enjoy the fresh air and stop for a cup of coffee somewhere.

the MEDITERRANEAN DIET

One of the PREMIER websites for health information is WebMD. I extracted some of their recommendations concerning the Mediterranean Diet. Maintaining a healthy diet should not be torture. For me, this diet has all my favorite things and is easy. There is a difference between American Pizza and the kind they make in countries around the Mediterranean...Italy for example. They do not have an inch of melted cheese on top. Their pizza is made of dough, olive oil, tomato sauce and some parmesan. And DON"T FORGET to have that glass of Red Wine... it's doctor's orders.

The Traditional Mediterranean Diet calls for:

• Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables each day, such as grapes, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, figs, olives, spinach, eggplant, beans, lentils, and chickpeas.

• Eating a variety of whole-grain foods each day, such as oats, brown rice, and whole wheat bread, pasta, and couscous.

• Choosing healthy (unsaturated) fats, such as olive oil and certain nut or seed oils like canola, soybean, and flaxseed. About 35% to 40% of daily calories can come from fat, mainly from unsaturated fats.

• Limiting unhealthy (saturated) fats, such as butter, palm oil, and coconut oil. And limit fats found in animal products, such as meat and dairy products made with whole milk.

• Eating mostly vegetarian meals that include whole grains, beans, lentils, and vegetables.

• Eating fish at least 2 times a week, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, or sardines.

• Eating moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products each day or weekly, such as milk, cheese, or yogurt.

• Eating moderate amounts of poultry and eggs every 2 days or weekly.

• Limiting red meat to only a few times a month in very small amounts. For example, a serving of meat is 3 ounces. This is about the size of a deck of cards.

Limiting sweets and desserts to only a few times a week. This includes sugar-sweetened drinks like soda.

The Mediterranean diet may also include red wine with your meal-1 glass each day for women, and up to 2 glasses a day for men.

Tips for changing your diet

Here are some things you can do to switch from a traditional Western-style diet to a more Mediterranean way of eating.

• Dip bread in a mix of olive oil and fresh herbs instead of using butter.

• Add avocado slices to your sandwich instead of bacon.

• Have fish for lunch or dinner instead of red meat. Brush it with olive oil, and broil or grill it.

• Sprinkle your salad with seeds or nuts instead of cheese.

• Cook with olive or canola oil instead of butter or oils that are high in saturated fat.

• Choose whole-grain bread, pasta, rice, and flour instead of foods made with white flour.

• Add ground flaxseed to cereal, low-fat yogurt, and soups.

• Cut back on meat in meals. Instead of having pasta with meat sauce, try pasta tossed with olive oil and topped with pine nuts and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

• Switch from 2% milk or whole milk to 1% or fat-free milk.

• Dip raw vegetables in a vinaigrette dressing or hummus instead of dips made from mayonnaise or sour cream.

• Have a piece of fruit for dessert instead of a piece of cake. Try baked apples, or have some dried fruit.

• Use herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor to foods.

A dietitian can help you make these and other changes to your diet. You can find information about the Mediterranean diet, recipes, and sample menus online and in cookbooks or videos.

Staying active

The Mediterranean diet isn’t just about eating healthy foods. It’s also about being active. So try to get at least 2½ hours of moderate aerobic activity a week. It's fine to do blocks of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week.

Choose exercises that make your heart beat faster and make you breathe harder. For example, go for a swim or a brisk walk or bike ride. You can also get some aerobic activity in your daily routine. Vacuuming, housework, gardening, and yard work can all be aerobic.