Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

My First Time as a Podcast Guest

So much going on this summer but I wanted to share a link to my very first recording as a guest on Jayne de Sales' podcast. She "dives deep into why fiction matters with some of the most interesting living authors." Thank you, Jayne, for inviting me. It was a great pleasure.

We're not quite sure how she came across my work but she read BOUND and loved it and wanted to talk about it on her show. I was thrilled and a bit nervous because I think best through my fingers and not with my mouth but what a joy to converse with a kindred spirit. We spoke for about half hour about gardening and pets before we decided to record and ended up talking more about the writer's journey, which is also tied to my faith journey. Enjoy! Here's her lovely introduction: What treasure can you find in West Yellowstone, Montana? Scientist-turned-writer Vijaya Bodach found a copy of her favorite tale in a used bookstore there. Science, wonder, and faith were central to our conversation, and she even reveals what stories do to our brains on an MRI. Stick around to the end where she shares her recipe for Mango Lassi! This author of the Young Adult Novel “Bound”, set in Pullman, Washington is a fellow graduate of Washington State University. Go Cougs! 

I learned several things. Improvisation and spontaneity are good for thinking and articulating on my metaphorical feet. I will seek out more opportunities because it was very enjoyable, though there's lots of room for improvement on my part. I gained a new insight from Jayne when I mentioned my tendency of jumping into things and them working out. She said it's the opposite of fear holding us back from our dreams. So true. We should trust more in the Lord and listen less to the devil and his lies. I spoke about what I want, but the truth is, we should be constantly seeking what God wants from our lives. We owe Him absolutely everything and I'm discovering that I'm happiest when I'm doing His will. And it's not at all onerous. In fact, quite the opposite, as you can see below.

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Reading, Writing, Watching

In my previous post, I wondered if there was a schedule of childhood vaccinations that lessened the risks of adverse effects from vaccination and indeed there is. The Vaccine-Friendly Plan by Paul Thomas, M.D. and Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D. is a fantastic resource. It's easy to read and understand and gives new parents the tools to discern what is right for their child. Because let's face it, our children are more sick now than ever before. In 1983, the CDC recommended 11 shots until the age of 16 whereas in 2015, they recommended at last 50 shots starting at birth, with most of them given before the child turns two years old.  

"To what extent is overvaccination contributing to the rise in chronic diseases and other health problems among America's children? To what extent is overvaccination a trigger for autism? Have we taken an unquestionably good practice (childhood vaccination) and turned it into something that is actually causing harm?"

The Vaccine-Friendly Plan is a comprehensive look at all the vaccines currently in use, their ingredients, as well as a schedule of vaccination that makes better sense for each child, rather than the current guidelines that follow a "one-size-fits-all." The authors recognize that "vaccines are preventative medicine. They do not cure an illness--they give a boost to an already healthy immune system so the body is less likely to succumb to illness in the future." Therefore it's "even more imperative that we have proof that the vaccines we are recommending are both necessary and safe." One thing is clear, the medical industry must start following its own mandate: First, do no harm. 

Alas, this has been sadly missing with the Covid vaccines. It's very rare for a child to die from Covid, yet our govt. agencies continue to push mask and vaccine mandates upon our children. The former VP of Pfizer, Dr. Michael Yeadon, says that a child is 50X more likely to die from the Covid vaccine than of Covid itself. Covid remains a problem for the elderly and those with comorbidities, so we should be focusing on keeping them safe, not making the rest of the people, including children take a vaccine that may or may not be useful. Here's a well-written piece on rethinking our strategy for managing Covid

It is the unreasonableness of the vaccine mandates that made me question our current protocols. It's up to the parents to do due diligence because we can no longer trust the CDC to evaluate what's best for our children. The Vaccine-Friendly Plan follows a chronological approach from before birth to adulthood, with emphasis on the child's well-being. I highly recommend it. I've already invested in my own copy and know I'll be lending it out. 

So, I'm a fan of Julia Cameron and her morning pages. They really work. I've been writing morning (sometimes they turn into afternoon or night pages, lol, but all writing is beneficial) off and on for several years now and it is amazing how much clarity one gets not just in writing but in life. Michael is nearing retirement so I got a copy of It's Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Middle Age and Beyond, and we're both enjoying going through it. The one thing that resonates deeply for us is that human beings are naturally creative and we seek expression. Michael put aside many of his hobbies to focus on being a husband and father who provides and is present to us. What I've appreciated most is that he cultivated so many of the home arts in his spare time, from gardening to cooking. The newest interest is in all things fermented. He started with kombucha and beer, not the easiest things to manage, and onto pickling, and now yogurt, kefir, cheese. He's having fun. And we're often consulting Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz or On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. It's so lovely sharing books and ideas. And what joy being a beginner again. We spend a lot of time together and I'm looking forward to when he can retire and spend more of his time doing ALL the things he loves. Perhaps he'll write a book too! As for me, I'm deep in revisions of my historical. This time it's do or die! I just received a wonderful conference critique with so many helpful suggestions that resonate, that I'm confident I can polish this until it shines.  

This past weekend we watched Show Me the Father in the movie theater. I've not been in quite some time and even surprised that it was available, wondering how they can even sustain being open. Our little art house theater has closed permanently :(  But the movie! Beautiful! It's about fatherhood and how important it is because it reflects the fatherhood of God. He's not distant, but near. We cry out Abba! Daddy. How many of us are lost because we do not have a father and don't know the Father's love? Even the best of fathers aren't perfect. The Kendrick brothers share not only their own story about their father, but also follow a couple more men and their struggles with an absent father and the blessing of other father figures in their lives. This movie touched me so deeply, to my core (couer?), I cried. I needed this very much, even as I bow my head to pray, Our Father...  Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. It's reminds me God so loved the world that He sent His only-begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Go see Show Me the Father. Know that you are loved. Covid be damned.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Plague of Corruption

Plague of Corruption: Restoring Faith in the Promise of Science by Judy Mikovits and Kent Heckenlively might be the most important book I've read this year. However, it has not restored my faith in science. On the contrary, it has diminished my trust in our health care system, particularly at the highest levels that issue forth guidelines. From the food pyramid (maligning fats) to the vaccine guidelines, it's clear that our leaders do not care about our health nor the health of our children anymore. They might have started out with good intentions but when new data came forth showing the harm of certain products (like masks, certain vaccines), the data have been shoved under the rug to protect the pockets of big companies who lobby many of our government institutions. It's an incestuous relationship that benefits only them. No wonder health care is a billion-dollar industry. Beware.

This book would make a good movie. It's got dedicated yet naïve scientists who uncover interesting details of new diseases, villains (you'd think these are the bugs themselves, but sadly, it's other scientists or govt. regulatory bodies), and ethical questions at its core. I devoured this book because I enjoy medical mysteries. However, I realize that not everybody is interested in esoteric details or gossip between scientists. So I recommend reading the Foreword and Introduction that's available with the "Look Inside" Feature. It will shed a great deal of light on the current situation with Covid and why we need to fight mandates that have no scientific basis.  

I studied microbiology and biochemistry in the 1980s and 1990s and read many of the original papers regarding the new field of retroviruses, pioneered by Dr. Mikovitz's boss, Dr. Frank Ruscetti (and others). The central dogma of information flow for many years was DNA-->mRNA-->protein. Retroviruses have RNA as their genetic material (hence the "retro" part) and they have an enzyme, Reverse Transcriptase (RT) that transcribes the RNA into DNA. Why, you may ask? Probably because RNA is unstable. With a stable DNA template, the virus can hijack cellular machinery to make multiple copies of the RNA and viral proteins and packaging them into new infectious particles. However, RT is prone to making mistakes so this allows for these viruses to mutate more quickly and respond to environmental stresses to maximize survival. Remember, a successful virus is one that can hang out in a population. If it kills too quickly, it cannot spread far and wide. In fact, some of the most successful viruses have actually integrated into our own cells. Some of them are quiet. Others are activated and can cause diseases. Many autoimmune diseases and cancers have a viral component and it's fascinating to see how our genes interact with the environment.

So what is all this corruption about? Dr. Mikovitz found a link between Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and XMRV (a mouse retrovirus). How in the world does a mouse virus get into humans? Via vaccines. 

That's because to make a vaccine, you have to grow the viruses in cell-lines. Whether or not we used a killed-virus vaccine or one that's attenuated to be less infectious (by passing through several generations in cell lines) you have to realize that what goes into the arm is not a pure concoction but rather a mixture containing other animal viruses, heavy metals, and other nasty things that can cause disease. And the more you vaccinate, the more likely you might reach a tipping point that can awaken a sleeping monster.  

We're used to thinking about vaccines as magic bullets. But for certain sub-populations, these bullets end up harming the person and usually these are children. We do not monitor their immune responses; we just take them in for shot after shot thinking we're protecting them from deadly diseases. But consider what an immature immune system is being presented with: multiple pathogens that challenge the immune system and some of these children's immune systems get so thoroughly out of balance, they end up with auto-immune diseases. There's also a link to mitochondrial dysfunction (mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell) with ME/CFS and autism.    

During the early days of HIV/AIDS we asked so many questions. Some were answered, some not, but it was an exciting time. It is Dr. Mikovitz's work that commuted AIDS from a death sentence to one that's managed with multi-drug therapy. However, in my naivete, it did not occur to me that some things would be kept from being published. I always believed in the free exchange of ideas--that's why we pursue science--so I feel the same way Dr. Mikovitz feels, the outrage of not examining more closely what we know when new information comes to light. We have to shift our practices if we discover that we are actually harming some people. But there's a lot at stake--pride and money--and even the best of us can be corrupted. And Dr. Mikovitz uncovers a great deal of it. And guess, who's mixed up in all this? Dr. Fauxi. 

What we're seeing today, the suppression of data regarding Covid, is absolutely criminal. Scientists in India have been using the anti-parasitic drugs, hydroxychloroquinine or  Ivermectin, as a prophylactic, but also as a treatment for patients with Covid in combination with Zinc and Azithromycin. But because this protocol is still not approved by the FDA, it opened the door to using experimental vaccines on an emergency basis. From the beginning, it was touted as the thing that's going to save humanity from what is basically a disease that has a similar mortality rate as influenza. Yes, that was the first lie--that Covid is 10x deadlier than the flu. The next lie was that asymptomatic people can infect others. And on and on... diabolical. And now with the FDA giving its approval to the Pfizer mRNA gene-therapy, there will be more mandates, even though there were no proper controls. All of this is very disturbing. It's bad science; it's bad medicine. And our freedom to live according to our conscience is being eroded. Job or jab? And unfortunately, those who speak out against the lies are shut down. There is no debate, no examination of the data. But thank God for the people who are willing to put their lives and careers on the line, who are brave and I am joining them in this fight. 

I've had to rethink everything I know about infection and immunology in light of retroviruses and quiescent ones in our own DNA, how they could get activated. I too have observed an explosion of people with chronic ailments and allergies (I'm one of them with chronic migraines). Although I have always believed that vaccinations have saved lives (and even participated in a Phase III trial for Hepatitis B vaccine) I'm not sure whether people have been able to separate the effects of vaccines vs. those of good sanitation and hygiene. But increasingly, I am concerned that we might be doing more harm by having so many vaccinations. With my own children, I followed the regular protocol, declining the ones I thought weren't necessary because I kept my children at home until they were old enough for school. Thank God they didn't face any adverse reactions but I truly feel terrible for the parents whose children were harmed. I wonder if there's a schedule of vaccinations that minimizes damage.

We are made beautifully with a well-designed immune system that works to defend our bodies from various pathogens. The skin is the largest organ in the body and it's amazing! So are our T-cells and B-cells and clotting mechanisms. But they can go haywire as well and the current crop of so-called Covid vaccines may do just that. Never before have we been successful at making an effective vaccine for coronaviruses because they cause the body to hyper-react when challenged with the pathogen (it's called antibody-dependent enhancement or ADE). I don't know whether natural infection also causes it (in the case of dengue fever, there's ADE) but we'll see what happens with Covid this winter. The advantage of natural infection is that you get both T-cell and B-cell immunity that's long-lasting.  

I find Plague of Corruption credible. I believe the science and the documents Dr. Mikovitz has shared. She has great passion and I respect people who are willing to suffer for the truth. May we all be so courageous. 

I just finished Henry Miller on Writing and what a joy to read his "voyage of discovery" even as I struggle to write what matters deeply to me. I was introduced to him via Anais Nin many years ago and they both played a part in my own awakening. So it was especially interesting to read his thoughts on censorship. It's almost prophetic. He writes: "...there exists one morality for peace times and another for war. In times of war everything is permitted, everything condoned. That is to say, everything abominable and infamous committed by the winning side... In cold blood, years before any outbreak, they prepare to make others do their bidding; mentally they embrace every conceivable form of horror and destruction, and they set about their business calmly, deliberately, ruthlessly, waiting only for the opportune moment to put their plans into execution." This gave me chills as I thought about the people involved in Event201 leading up to AD 2020. 

Recently my publisher for Little Thief! Chota Chor! sent me book plates to sign and return so I was thinking about what's underneath the story and it's this: Question everything! Question your assumptions. And as we learn new things, revise your thinking. Truly, it's a re-visioning. And here I am envisioning the future, with the King and Queen of Heaven reigning! And not a mosquito in sight :)

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Reading

I've been reading a lot and neglecting my writing but it's summer! So I share five outstanding books: On Faith: Lessons from an American Believer by Antonin Scalia; Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson; Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding Your Soul--a Christian Guide to Fasting by Jay Richards; Plague of Corruption: Restoring Faith in the Promise of Science by Judy Mikovits and Kent Heckenlively; and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. 

What all these books share is common sense, something I've not seen in our public life in quite a while. It's so refreshing to read arguments for faith and reason, living a life of temperance, of courage, and hope. Yes, even the Alchemist! 

I have much more to say but my Dagny is coming home tonight instead of already being here, so pray her flight isn't canceled again. At least she's made it back to the US. There's no place like home!

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Dagny's Summer on Heron Farms

I'm so grateful Max and I got a tour of Heron Farms before Dagny's internship came to an end. This last week has been so busy there wasn't any time! And she'll be off to Florida and to Ecuador on a mission trip with the Sisters of Home of the Mother. Do check out the amazing story of Sister Clare Crockett. More on that after she returns. Please pray for their journey to be fruitful. 

Dagny has enjoyed her time at Heron Farms so much because she is involved in all areas, from planting, doing research, to harvesting and packaging of sea-beans (not a bean but a succulent salty plant, also called samphire greens or sea asparagus, but technically Salicornia). She, along with a friend, even made an emergency trip to Baltimore to deliver a big shipment to one of their clients in a refrigerated truck. I think they didn't get more than four hours of sleep in 30 hours and I can only thank God for their safe journey. The friend said, wisely, "Never again." But my Dagny...always ready for an adventure :) She's the youngest on the team and the least experienced, and she's discovered the beauty of being a beginner, how wonderful it is to work with people who are all better than you are, how much you grow. And of course, we're learning all sorts of interesting things as well.    

We've had a chance to do a few experiments with the seabeans they were discarding. We fermented it, planted it in the marsh (but I suspect it's not salty enough), made green salt, and of course, I used them in my cooking! They are good to eat by themselves as well as in stir-fry. It's been such fun.

Dagny has worked hard, played hard, and served well. I'm so excited to see what she will do with all the new things she's learning. We are so proud of her.  

 






Friday, February 19, 2021

Reading

It's Lent. And I can already feel the spiritual battle intensifying. Memento mori. The prayers for Ash Wed. Mass are so beautiful, reminding me what I am--dust, but God's beloved dust, and so He redeems me. I always remember my mother whenever this Gospel (Matthew 6:16-21) is read because she lived it. She had this beautiful secret life of prayer and fasting and giving, not out of her excess, but in her poverty. Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas influenced her hugely. It was the first adult novel I read at the age of 12 and although I had already lost my faith by then, I still understood this secret life of hers. But now, as a grown woman of faith, I can only say, she lived an extraordinary life, hidden.

Another mother I have to gush over is Daniel Nayeri's mom. Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story) is a memoir like no other I've read and it resonated deeply because although we've never been refugees, we've had similar experiences being poor in the US (it's hard but you have the freedom to work hard to rise out of poverty), some of the same feelings regarding poop (haha, there's a lot of poop in this book and it's all true), the stories of your ancestors that you carry with you (numbered, mythic) and what it means to convert. There are a thousand reasons, but his mother says the simplest thing: because it's TRUE. It's brilliant. Read these two pages for yourself. I want to put this book in everybody's hands because it's that wonderful. I laughed; I cried. 


  


I've been praying for discernment, especially when it comes to my writing, and I'm halfway through Jumpstart and Efficient Creativity and what an explosion of ideas. I'm actually feeling a bit scattered because there aren't enough hours in the day to write. What has helped is clearing my desk of all the scraps of papers and dumping them in an ideas folder. There are only five things now--the polishing of my historical fiction, a short story that I've not written a single word but just daydreaming (and I love how perfect it is at this stage), and three little picture books in various states.

I have to share a couple of PBs I've been reading because they are so poetic and gorgeous: All the World by Liz Garton Scanlan and Marla Frazee (the picture with the rain reminds of the beautiful photos Max took of raindrops); Dreamers by Yuyi Morales. I'm a sucker for immigrant stories but to have it in PB form invites you to look again and again.  









May you all have a blessed and fruitful Lent. If you have special intentions, write to me and I will pray for you.

Friday, January 15, 2021

Reading

It's been a while since I shared some good books. So without further ado:

My Sister, My Soul: An Arabian Night's Tale by Joan Friday is an imaginative look into the lives of Sheherezade and her sister Dunyazad. I love stories about the bonds of sisterhood and Ms. Friday delivers with a superbly crafted story. Both characters are richly drawn and come to life and their growth through the 1001 nights is beautifully rendered. The details of life in the harem with both their luxuries and confines made me grateful to live here and now with all the freedoms I enjoy. It also made me want to have someone pour scented water over me, feed me peeled grapefruit, dress me in silky soft gowns, and tell me stories. Ah, the life.

The Woman in the Trees: a novel about America's first approved Marian apparition by Theoni Bell was another beautiful story about family. Think Little House meets a saint. In this case, the saint, Adele Brise, is real and Slainie's family is fictional. It starts with the terrible Peshtigo fire that killed thousands of people but which miraculously spared the chapel and the people on its grounds no doubt because of the prayers of Adele and Our Lady of Good Help. The author backtracks to Slainie's childhood, her family's emigration from Belgium to Wisconsin and the hardships they endure. Slainie's story resonated deeply with me, especially since she struggles with an unbelieving mother. I also enjoyed all the places mentioned because we lived in Belgium for a couple of years and I have a couple of writing friends in WI and keep thinking I need to make a pilgrimage to the Champion shrine. All in good time.   

The Joy of Encouragement: Unlock the Power of Building Others Up by David Jeremiah was a book that came upon my radar in such a timely manner. This Advent, the Lord placed "encourage" upon my heart and no wonder, with so many people losing hope at the way our nation is going, we need to be salt and light. I am striving to live this daily. 

Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution by Tucker Carlson is not the typical book I read. But when I saw this at the thrift store, I knew I would understand better what is going on in the US. And indeed I do. What I appreciated most is how unbiased and fair he is in his reporting, something the mainstream media seems to have forgotten.

I, of course, have no answers for the problems besetting our nation, except to pray. So at this time I want to include a very special picture book that my friend Michelle Shahid made in a limited edition: Offer it Up to the Heavenly Cup. She packed the essence of Salvifici Doloris by Pope St. John Paul II for kids.  

 
Finally, a few artsy books: The Snuggle is Real: a Have a Little Pun Collection by Frida Clements is pure fun. 



My Friend Fear: Finding Magic in the Unknown by Meera Lee Patel is thoughtful and reminded me that perfect love casts out fear. I copied a couple of quotes: Fear is here to uncover your greatest wish. Every fear is connected to a wish or hope I have. Fear invites the impossible to happen.



Brilliant! 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People by David and Jaclyn Warren is a wonderful introduction to several Catholic scientists, some who are saints, accompanied by beautiful black-and-white art. This is a book that many children and adults will enjoy and perhaps spark an even greater interest in learning the mind of God, for science is exactly that--giving us a glimpse into our Creator. 




Happy reading, friends. And please do tell me what gems you've come across.