Cancer is a disease that, in a high portion of cases, is completely avoidable with proper diet, exercise and healthy living choices (including where and how you live). But for those unlucky enough to be diagnosed with cancer, I found this video that has some promising results. Screw chemotherapy, hello radio waves!

The Bottom Line

The best cure is avoidance.

(image from NASA)

I can look at the above cloud animation all day… clouds are clouds right? Well, these ones are special… they are the clouds found on Mars!

Why is this so fascinating to me?

Most likely, within my lifetime, I will never get the opportunity to visit another planet or moon… if I am wealthy enough in the future, I can spend a few days in space but exploring alien worlds is probably going to be left to my descendants to experience. This animated picture, no matter how brief or grainy, is as close I will get to looking up in the sky on another planet. In the few frames of this animation, I see hope, success, wonderment and many other adjective, including expletives, that describe my deep desire to really explore this world I was lucky enough to be born on. It’s also a very tragic reminder of the limitations placed upon me from birth, that of my own mortality which I realize logically I can do nothing about but emotionally bothers me to no end. They say all living life on this planet has an urge for self-preservation built into it… I think I was born with an extra helping of this ingredient when I was created by my parents.

The reality of Aging

I am quickly approaching my 32nd birthday and from talking to others who are older then me, I have come to the realization of the cruel joke played on us by Mother Nature, the process of aging itself. I am starting to think those with Alzheimer’s are lucky, you see, they are aging and not in the best of shape but don’t realize this. It’s like going 100 miles an hour straight into a brick wall but instead of looking at the wall coming straight at you, you are facing the other direction.

Why is the process of aging a cruel joke?

Right now, I am in my early 30’s but mentally, I feel no different then when I was a teenager, I still have the same feelings, urges and essentially the same body. Double my age to 60 and guess what, I will still have the mind of a teenager but the body of an old fart… double that again, now 120 years old… still with the mind of a teenager but most likely the day after a party and the body that is simply unrecognizable. What I am saying is that physically we age rather quickly but mentally, well, not so much. Do I look forward to looking at myself in the mirror on my 100th birthday? As I continue to take great care of myself, most likely yes but I will also have a feeling of great loss of the body I have now is gone, never to return. Aging is a one way road that is part of the deal when you become mortal.

The Bottom Line

Anybody who says they love the process of aging is suffering from a mental disorder.

Buzvia: Mars Exploration Rover Mission

What I find interesting with most religions is how they seem to really dislike one another under their facade of acceptance while they compete for our “poor” souls. Each religion out there has the tenant that they are the only TRUE religion so anybody professing anything different is seen as a competitor in this life or the next. What I find equally of interest is that they try to discount each-others beliefs while re-enforcing their own. Scientology is no different in that they are attacked regularly by Catholics and Muslims as being an evil cult which to me sounds no different then a kettle calling a pot black. I fail to see ANY difference between Scientology and other world faiths out there.

Disclaimer

My postings about religion are simply my exploration of this concept within humanity, I am not judging nor bashing of others rights to believe in whatever they wish to believe. I welcome anybody wishing to discuss this with me on my blog, I am open minded enough to explore anything but have no desire to be directed how I should live my life (ei: don’t expect me to convert to your way of thinking). I am sure this is full of inaccuracies, feel free to point them out. My goal in life is to understand others mechanisms regarding what makes them function.

Comparison (however flawed) with other religions

Scientology, unlike other faiths is rather new on the scene, there are actual video and audio recordings from the founder, L. Ron Hubbard himself. They preach acceptance, conditioning and conversion just like, ironically, the other world religions. Where they differ most greatly is that you don’t pray to an all-knowing creator (God) but actually take courses in how to improve yourself beyond ethical reproachment. Instead of intense worship, you focus on intense study. There is no heaven or hell, there aren’t millions of death under their belt in their religions name and there most notably, have a rather more interesting story as to human existence then any other religion complete with aliens and galactic wars. Cult? Nope, it’s just re-incarnation 2.0!

Scientology - The Shrinking World of L. Ron Hubbard (1967) - Part 1

• Scientology means “study of knowingness”, it’s a faith or religion that calls itself a science
• Scientologists study for hours daily, listening to tapes and are tested regularly to make sure all materials are clearly understood and followed to the letter
• Scientologist use an e-meter, which is essentially a lie detector to audit people at confessionals for any type of emotion
• Scientology has a record keeping system that would make even the ancient Romans envious, everything written down and kept for further analysis
• Scientology is about profit, just like most other religions, at least they are honest about their intentions
• to become a “clear”, you must be able to answer 60 questions in L. Ron Hubbard’s own handwriting without showing an ounce of emotion on an e-meter
• ”suppressives” or people who dis Scientology are, in Lr. Ron Hubbard’s own words “Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of Scientologists. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed”.
• R2-45 is the mechanism by which people actively bashing Scientology are persecuted and investigated in order to ruin them
• L. Ron Hubbard comes through as a rather intelligent and charismatic leader
• I like how L. Ron Hubbard clarifies that he has no problem with people who are critical of him but of those who actively try to suppress the rights of others to practice what they want deserve what they get

Scientology - The Shrinking World of L. Ron Hubbard (1967) - Part 2

• L. Ron Hubbard states that he had only two wives in his life but the record states that he had three, what I find interesting about this is… who cares? I fail to see how many wives, children or other details about a person have anything to do with leadership
• L. Ron Hubbard spends a lot of time researching past civilizations, he believes he has lived before during many lives, memories exist within everybody from prior lives
• people sign up in servitude to L. Ron Hubbard for a billion years as part of their training
• -L. Ron Hubbard says that Scientology is a science, not a faith nor belief
• L. Ron Hubbard’s quote stating “the one man in the world who never believes he’s a mad is a madman” couldn’t be any truer

BBC Panorama - Scientology & Me (Part 1 of 3)

• Scientology is gaining acceptance around the world and is trying to become classified as a religion through various movements
• use of a disconnect is used to break all links with individuals, including family members who try to get in the way of the religious growth of Scientologists
• the concentration of this documentary is on making Scientology look like an evil cult, I completely see how Jon Sweeney has slanted his reports already
• Scientology is the study of life and knowledge
• e-meter was designed by L. Ron Hubbard himself

BBC Panorama - Scientology & Me (Part 2 of 3)

• using the word “cult” is heavily frowned upon, they state they are a religion which I don’t understand because their Founder, L. Ron Hubbard stated emphatically that they are not a religion but a science
• Scientology sends in their volunteers after major disasters to help using “touch assists” which is a healing method using hands and touch sort of like a massage but much lighter
• Scientology runs an anti-drug program called “Narconon” using exercise and vitamin supplementation to help people kick their habits
• courses don’t equate worship in British law, hence why it’s acceptance as a religion is stalled
• it becomes quickly evident that Jon Sweeney isn’t very popular with the Scientology

BBC Panorama - Scientology & Me (Part 3 of 3)

• many stars speak highly of the religion
• I find Scientologist rather confrontational regarding Jon Sweeney’s interview, they seem to follow him everywhere, trying to break him down mentally but I also understand where they are coming from, how you would feel if you where Catholic or Muslim and constantly referred to as being part of a cult?
• psychiatry is a pseudo-science according to Scientologists, a view that I actually have come to fully agree with though they take things a little further then I would have
• they completely succeeded in driving Jon Sweeney nuts, if all for a few moments, they achieved their goal in my opinion as a result, discrediting his journalistic indifference
• Scientology takes it’s religion extremely seriously, just like other world faiths

Brainwashing 101

If something works, it’s adopted by others and religion is no different then other types of marketing. They all seem to follow the same principles as those used in brainwashing 101 courses. These are the same techniques used by marketers who tell us you must buy a diamond for marriage, buy new cloths every season and that debts are no big deal in the pursuit of happiness (capitalism). I consider any type of activity whose sole purpose is to change the thinking of another person to be considered brainwashing.

Repetition!

First, begin with repetitive repetition on a continual basis to re-enforce a certain method of thinking. When I saw the video of this, I instantly thought of Madrasas or Sunday Schools the dot this planet.

Servitude

If you are Christian, you must give your soul to God “for eternity”, I believe it’s the same for other faiths but in Scientology, they only keep your soul under servitude for a billion years. I think this is progress… a billion years doesn’t seem so long when compared to eternity!

Sacrifice

Surrounding yourself by like minded individuals and “blocking out” those who don’t share your beliefs and the donation of energy whether in time, money or deeds to the religious organization. Evangelists have tiding where you give a portion of your income to the church, Catholics have the basket they put through the pews and other religions a mix of the two. If you want to be “part of us”, you must prove it in actions as well or words. At least Scientology is straight forward and very clear regarding these expectations with ladders related to donations.

Overly-friendliness: Community of the like minded

I grew up Roman Catholic and I see the same thing among other faiths, this overly-friendliness towards the like minded and possible conversionable. I visited a “born again” Evangelist complex a few years ago and that is when it really struck me… it isn’t just “hi”, it’s the big handshakes, hugs and even kisses. Why does this exist? Well, simply to re-enforce that you have entered a safe place, you have friends. Some people like hugging complete strangers, as for me, handshakes are about as far as I will take things.

Confessionals

Scientologists use e-meters, Catholics the confessional and I am sure there is an equivalent in other religion but what is it’s true purpose? No matter how the religious autocracy wish to characterize it, these are a brilliant method of control in two fundamental ways. First, they help break down the mental barriers which may, at a later period of time, create doubt in the mind and secondly, it keeps people in line. If you told your priest that you did xyz they say, “your sins are now forgiven” what has actually happened? NOTHING but a bonding event at the subconscious level! You told somebody else your deepest secrets which gives you some relief but also helps to keep you in line at a subconscious level.

Humans = EVIL

Humans are all evil, worthless and lost without GOD or some other entity, Scientologists don’t revert to these words, instead, they focus on purity of the mind. Religion is basically the pursuit of perfection, something that cannot EVER be achieved no matter how much training or lives a person spends on this endeavor. Religions all describe humans as being fundamentally flawed and only religious dogma is the way to go to achieve a higher level of being in this life or the next. I find this incredibly interesting as there are far more Catholics, Muslims and other religious persons in prisons and committing crimes out there then Athiests yet, regardless of religion, Athiests are seen as the absolute lowest of the low. It seems that people who believe in themselves, for themselves are so off kilter in not seeing supreme guidance that we are vilified just under the surface of acceptance.

Profit

Scientology is an expensive religion, you have to pay for courses to constantly improve yourself, the books, tapes etc all add up to a pretty penny. Before you bash this, consider that the Pope lives in his own city of incredible splendor just like Evangelists live in their multi-million dollar homes. What’s the difference? None. Religion is truly the most profitable enterprise out there, many governments even allow tax deductions for “donations” to religious organizations.

Death to critics!

This bears repeating, in L. Ron Hubbard’s own words “Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of Scientologists. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed”. Sounds harsh? I don’t think so, considering Catholics wish you to spend eternity in hell under the most inhumane conditions while fundamentalists believe you deserve a beheading for speaking badly about their beliefs. Considering this, Scientology is rather generous to it’s critics as it doesn’t involve death! Christians has their crusades and I am sure Muslims had their equivalents in history, so far, not a hint of this from Scientology. Again, I believe this is progress as far as religions go.

Gays are ok!

Unlike Catholics and many other major religions, Scientology doesn’t seem to discriminate against sexual orientation. If you are gay, you are welcomed with open arms. Again, this is welcome progress in the world of religion.

Charisma of the Leader

After watching quite a bit of video, no matter what you believe about Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard is a rather charismatic leader, I am sure this was as true about Jesus in his time as with other prophets from other religions. He comes across as rather sincere, he obviously believes his way of thinking is the “purest” and wants to expand this organization to touch the hearts of minds of others around the world. Ironically, this is the same mission and method used by other religions around the world.

Is Scientology a Cult or a Religion

If others wish you ill harm on others, then I would consider this a cult but if they simply wish to be left alone to work on themselves while bettering the lives of those around them, who is to judge or make this distinction? As for me, I don’t see them as a cult anymore then other religions out there. They have their beliefs, I have mine… as long as they don’t infringe on my rights, I couldn’t care less about what their followers are doing behind closed doors. What I do find fascinating about the evolution of Scientology is that it gives you a glimpse of how religions form and grow in both influence and power in our world over time. They are the new kid on the block, learning along the way what should and shouldn’t be adopted.

Is Scientology for me?

Although I find their stories far more interesting then those of other prophetic books, I still cannot fathom giving up my inner power, no matter how slight, to another organization, no matter how it’s characterized by preachers and sinners alike. I do agree with some of their teachings and even some of their views but not enough to feel any deep passion to join them. Their equivalent to the Koran or Bible called Dianetics is on my “to-read” list though but unlike these two other books, I can’t find a free copy of this one.

The Bottom Line

Religion is no different then cough medicine, it makes the symptoms of thinking about our collectively mortality go away without solving the underlying problem that we all die eventually.

Buzvia: Church of Scientology Official Web Site, Wikipedia

For those who may not know who Randy Pausch is, he’s the university professor who was told he had only 6 months to live, as such, he decided to give one last lecture to his students. If you had only one last lecture to give, what would you speak about? This is great advice from somebody who has lived a very good life and some of these words may help you achieve your goals in the future.

Lecture’s Key Points

Aptly titled, his lecture is about achieving your dreams and allowing others to achieve theirs, here are the key points from his lecture:

• he grew up always being happy in his childhood, always dreaming about what could be, he was a child of the 60’s while people where landing on the moon when he was young
• dream specific dreams, they help to establish focus and make things happen
• get the fundamentals down otherwise the fancy stuff doesn’t work
• when people stop pointing out to you the things you are doing wrong, it means they have given up on you
• critics that carve you up are actually expressing their love for you
• experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted
• learning that is done indirectly is the most valuable type as they tend to stick with you through life and aren’t as easily forgotten
• you don’t have to be the smartest, most talented nor physically gifted person to succeed in life and lead others
• it’s cool to meet your boyhood idol but even better when they come to visit you because you have done something special
• brick walls are there not to keep you out but to provide a challenge to keep others out (how badly do you really want to achieve this goal?)
• it’s easy to sound smart when you study a subject intensely and ask others for advice
• wait long enough and people will surprise you
• it’s important to realize when you are in a pissing match and even more importantly to get out of it as quickly as possible
• there is a good way and a bad way to say “I don’t know”
• giving people a bar to strive for only does them a disservice, tell people they can always do better then they will, DO BETTER. People will always better themselves at a far faster pace then if you give them specific criteria to be met
• if you are going to be a pioneer in anything, you will get arrows in your back and experience many headaches but it will be all worth it when you look back
• find somebody better then you to give a project you hold dear
• self-reflection is the best give you can give anybody
• parents and mentors are vitally important to achieving a successful life
• being humble is a very difficult habit to build and maintain
• respect authority while questioning it
• never loose your childhood wonder, it’s what keeps your mind young and energy boundless
• it’s fun to do the impossible
• loyalty is a two way street
• actions speak louder then words
• never give up on achieving your goals
• you cannot get “there” alone, earnest people are worth more then any salesman could ever hope to be
• apologize when you screw up and focus on other people
• brick walls show us our dedication
• don’t bail out, the best gold is at the bottom of barrels of crap
• when you do the right thing, good things will come out of it
• get a feedback loop and LISTEN to it
• show gratitude
• don’t complain, just work harder
• be good at something that makes you valuable
• be prepared, luck is where preparation meets opportunity
• if you lead your life the right way, karma will make your dreams become reality

If you wish to watch this for yourself, here is the video of the entire lecture thanks to Google.

After the lecture

As some of you may know, this lecture became an international hit in 2007 after it was given. He appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss his situation and the lecture, spent a day with the Pittsburgh Steelers to accomplish his goal to play for the NFL and even better, Disney through it’s subsidiary, purchased the rights to his story for millions of dollars, providing his family with financial security long after he is gone. I think the only way to explain this is the last summary I wrote about his lecture, if you lead your life the right way, karma will make your dreams become reality.

The Bottom Line

Dreams are as important as breathing (hint hint).

PS: I wish everybody a very happy and prosperous 2008!

More information about:

• Randy Pausch himself at Carnegie Mellon
• Transcript of this lecture
• Alice Programming Project
• Entertainment Technology Center
• Randy Pausch on Wikipedia

I believe that if we all lived our lives like an open book, then we would better understand one another as hiding things from others simply breeds suspicion. We are all human, we all have emotions and everyday struggles. I am no different then anybody else in this world but I think memory fades with time, hence why I am recording this now. Two years ago now, my youngest sister died.

Summers by the pool

My most happy memory of the time I spent with my sister Dominique and my other sister Melanie was in our family pool during the summer months. In Canada we have two months break from school, a relic of our countries earlier harvesting days, which we always took full advantage of. It was the 1980s and early 1990s where, every summer, we would alternate from jumping off the diving board and roasting on the hot sun on the concrete slabs surrounding the pool. News of wearing sunscreen hadn’t hit the mass market yet so we where burnt like toast just about everyday, oddly enough, I don’t remember getting that many sunburns. Our complexion darkened to the point where even today, I am far darker then most of the people I have the pleasure of spending time with. We would have contests all summer long with my parents, drinking his cold water under the shade of the Oak tree right next to the pool talking. Who can hold their breath the longest, who can swim the most laps, who can make the biggest splash and the list went on. In hindsight, we where actually quite a bunch of competitive kids trying to best one another. The fact that I was a few years older then either of my sisters made no difference, we wanted to be better then the other. I remember we use to play a monster game where I, as the oldest, was the monster… I would make lots of splashes and they would have to go from one end of the pool to the other without me catching them. We also had a slide which provided hours of fun as well. It was really a great time for the entire family. We would always beg our parents to join us in the pool and usually they did later in the afternoon. I think the fact that we where all very young and ignorant of the world around us made that time that much better, we had no worries, no pressures nor much to think about during those summer months other then two straight months of playing. The summers are also when we would visit or be visited by our extended family, it was the one time year that everybody had time off to meet up. Summers have been special ever since.

Lessons two years on

Well, it’s been two years now, the emotions aren’t gone at all, nor would I want it any other way. I do have to credit my sisters death for putting the fire under my ass to make things happen faster then would have otherwise been. Facing mortality makes you realize that our time on this Earth is rather limited and can be taken away at any time. I decided long ago that I would not live a life of regrets, wishing I did this instead of that, trying to re-visit the past etc. , not sure where this came from but so far, it has served me very well. I live in two kinds of worlds as a result, one that is short term where I make key decisions right away, wasting as little time debating them as possible, taking steps immediately to make them become reality while the other is trying to plan out my future. Sometimes it’s difficult to decide where a decision goes though, long term or short but regardless, I waste as little time debating this as well. Live is about living it, trying to get as much out of it as possible before it’s taken away by your actions or those of somebody else.

The Bottom Line

Christmas is as much about celebration as reflection.