Bettina Network's Blog - Table Talk at a Bettina Network Home - Page 31

Going to the Toilet

October 6th, 2013

copyright 2013 Bettina Network, inc.

What a horrible title for a blog!  We have postponed writing this blog for a couple weeks, but it has been such a great find and the topic of several breakfasts so with fear and trepidation – here goes!!!!!!

We discovered – would you believe across the breakfast table – one of the reasons we think our ‘cultured’ cousins have such a problem with things like colon cancer, bladder problems, etc.  It was an off-hand remark by a guest which, of course, we could not let go of and kept her talking about for quite some time (after everyone had finished eating, of course).

The off-handed comment was about how difficult it is to travel in America and in some European countries because of the problems it generates with the simplest things like going to the bathroom.  We asked why – especially since we felt we had a really up to date bathroom complete with a toilet seat which could also act like a bidet, close by itself, work via remote control and provide heat or no-heat as the user desired.  That comment was totally deflating and one of the few times I became defensive.  All the money we spend in those bathrooms and someone has a problem, not just a problem -a complaint?

As it turns out, all that money spent was spent in vain.  I had a problem that those of us growing older have and it can be embarrassing – and that is, not being able to control the escape of air from the body at the most horrible times.  Nothing like letting people know you are gross without even trying, especially if that escaping air comes with a bit of noise.

That conversation has changed all of that.  It took about a week, but after that time frame I have no more problems with air escaping.

We, in the ‘cultured’ part of the world,  go to the toilet in a very comfortable way which helps to disintegrate our bodies instead of shaping them up and its getting worse.  You can now sit on the heated toilet seat and have a spray of water wash your bottom when you finish.  I thought that was the ultimate luxury, but wow have I ever changed my mind.

Have you ever thought of squatting instead of sitting on a toilet seat?  It is cleaner, quicker and strengthens the muscles which need strengthening to keep your colon, bladder, legs, stomach and balance in good shape.  I used to feel sorry for those third world people who had to squat to go to the bathroom.  I didn’t know how they survived such a throw back to primitive times.  Well, I feel sorry no more!  I can go anyplace, do anything and not be embarrassed by that escaping air – it just doesn’t happen anymore.  My legs are firmer, my stomach tighter and even my balance is better.  It took a couple weeks to make this a habit and to stop complaining because of how difficult it was to form this new habit at my age, but form it I have and a few others have come along for the journey.  We had to form a small support group – a telephone call when we were about to quit for a pep talk.

Today, there are no complaints, we are all healthier for this new way of using the toilet and a bonus – we can use any toilet anyplace and not worry about catching anything the former user of the toilet may have left behind.

Try it!  But you have to give it a good try of at least 14 days before you decide.  It takes that long for the good results to show up and you will be surprised at how many good results there will be.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Giordano Bruno – A Talk by Alan Powers

October 3rd, 2013

 

Alan explores the life, writings and legacies of Giordano Bruno.  Powers has an addendum to his book on early efforts to map the moon.  He calls Bruno “The Man Galileo Plagiarized and having written 26 books Bruno lost a University post to a man who had written a small pamphlet – you have to see the video to know who was this person who had the influence to get such a job on such a small academic amount of publishings.

Bruno is also the man who claimed there were billions of stars in the inhabitable part of the universe.  He didn’t fare too well with the inquisition, but is still important today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaC-VexYoY&feature=youtu.be

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

WOW! What an article!

October 2nd, 2013

Thanks for your article on the Government shutdown.

I am a Democrat who is constantly mystified by the workings of this political campaign business.

As a regular traveller to Cambridge, I stay fairly often in your home.  It is quite the place for good conversation.  What I appreciate about this article is that I haven’t missed what is being discussed at your breakfast table about the shutdown.

It seems to me that the Republicans chose to shutdown the government on the day Obamacare went into affect to mute the peoples response and knowledge about Obamacare.

That isn’t possible because every person in this country who benefits from Obamacare will be at the polls voting for whoever Barack Obama designates as the person he wants to succeed him.

I hope that will be Hillary Clinton.  I was very young when Hillary was trying to get a health care bill passed as the wife of the President.  All I remember about that was my parents being upset because after her effort failed, our health care insurance bill went from $250/month to way up there – I don’t know exactly, but I remember the conversations about how we were paying two to three times what we used to pay before her efforts.  What my parents didn’t realize was she had the cat bird seat and could see what was coming down the road and she tried to prevent it by getting health insurance passed which would keep middle-class America from having such a huge increase in their health insurance.  If they had realized that, I am sure they would have been more active in supporting her efforts.  Nothing was done about that until Obama was elected.

My wish is that politicians would be honest – clear – and not only believe in something, but run on their beliefs and attempt to implement those beliefs if they are elected.  How many of us wish our politicians were of good character.

I also hope that those politicians who want to act find either Broadway Theatre, the Movies or Television in which to exercise their talents and stop using the American public as their audience when what they really want is to be a part of the fictional dramas we all watch in the evenings on television or weekends in the theatre.  I am so tired of bad actors and actresses running for office and sometimes actually being elected.  Worse than the bad actors and actresses are those with few ethics, morals and bad character – who seem to proliferate with too many such people concentrated in our group of politicians and political wannabes.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

The Next Republican Presidential Campaign has started and it ain’t pretty!

October 1st, 2013

copyright 2013 Marceline Donaldson

What is this government shut-down about?

Don’t even mention Obamacare because that has nothing to do with all of this hullabaloo.  Obamacare is really only a distraction and something on which to hang the proverbial hat of those who have done this.  They are really into red herring when they throw in Obamacare and how big business will be reduced and controlled by this shut down and how members of Congress should be treated like everyone else. That will never happen and that is clearly not their goal.  They are not interested in any of the above, they are moving themselves into the public eye to be in a position – they hope – to be elected for higher office.

This is the new way to get your MAN into the presidential office if he is a Republican.  After all,  didn’t such a shutdown and impeachment of a president result in the election of a Republican – one George Bush?

The way to fight for power and control is to close down the government of the Democratic President and then impeach him.  It was new with Clinton, but today it is clearly the way the Republicans are running their campaigns.  Any issue around which they could drape emotional appeals connected to this new political campaign would do.  And a secondary result – scare away all the good candidates, who are not Republican candidates. To become President of these United States you have to be ready and willing to give up a hard-earned reputation; be ready to accept crap thrown at you without cause; and have mud slung at you on a daily basis. Who would want to risk that?

Will an attempt to impeach  Obama follow?

“Fool me once shame on you.  Fool me twice shame on me”

The government was shut down in the Clinton era by Republicans.  It is now shut down in the Obama era by Republicans.  You can quote Obamacare as the reason or any other reason you want to pull up.  That is totally irrelevant.  Obamacare has nothing to do with this government shut-down.  It is just convenient.  What is really going on is the Republican swarm of those who want to be president or important to who they think will be the next Republican president.

If you believed in conspiracies you could see the meetings during which this strategy was discussed and the decision taken for all to act in concert to bring down the government, the economy and middle-class America.  Any discussion in those meetings about the possible harm this would do to the American people?  Don’t be foolish – those vying for power never consider such.  They consider only what they think they have to do to satisfy their hungering after power.

The guy who read from “Green Eggs and Ham” was showing the American public how competent he would be as president.  He could read to them each evening so they could go to bed hearing his voice reading one of the childrens’ classics.  A child reading to children while trying to manipulate the American Public into thinking he would be the next really great president. Look at what he has accomplished – hours in front of a microphone during which time he either had on a diaper or he paraded his bladder for all to see  how long he could  hold his need to go to the bathroom.  Truly a requirement of a good potential presidential candidate.  He clearly cares – not at all – about the people being hurt through this process.  His care is about setting himself up to run for President and using this opportunity to do so.  Sort of an application process during which he put forth his credentials.

The woman talking head in Congress is probably setting herself up for a ministerial position or the head of a major non-profit when she leaves Congress, if she can’t be a part of what she believes will be the new Republican Administration.  I had to give her a really good look because the way she was dragging out her responses were right up there with the best African American preachers.  She diverged from the ringing tones and singing quality of the Black preacher with  her message.

Joe – from MSNBC is just being Joe – obnoxious, opinionated, totally biased and an anointed follower of Trump.  He just wants to be who he is with the show he now has.  I don’t think he realizes how horrible he comes across to thinking people- those trying to understand the news of the day and the market of the day in ways other than through such a bigoted and intransigent lens.

If all of you let this happen – shame on you!

In an elected government you get who you deserve as a leader.  In this case, several areas of the country have gotten what they deserve in their representatives.  The rest of the country – the majority – have shown they want something different.  Is this going to continue to be a case where the minority destroys the majority for very mean spirited reasons and because their imagination and ability to run a winning political campaign is limited?

I am a Republican.  I have been a Republican since I registered to vote.  I have cousins – long dead – and other relatives who lived in Louisiana and who were head of the Louisiana Republican party and/or were pretty high up in the firmament – African Americans all.  If you were African American and you wanted to vote back then you had to be Republican because the Democrats were off chasing and trying to keep the Ku Klux Klan in their fold, doing whatever they had to do to let them know the Democrats were just one of the KKK guys.

Times have changed and the Democrats, seeing the handwriting on the wall, started chasing after the NAACP, NOW, etc.  The Republicans – who have shown their new constituents don’t get it – have been chasing the KKK guys and their successors.  It was clear in the 1970’s when Reagan was nominated and the four years prior to his nomination when he lost the Republican nomination that a movement had started which was very well funded to do exactly what is happening today.  Make a home for the Neo-cons in the Republican Party and change its image and what it is about. It is amazing what lots of money and very few people can accomplish in these United Sates.

Well today, things have changed mightily.  I understand why so many have left the Republican party.  If you are active, just about any place in the country, and you are not one of those Germany would classify as one of the Neo-cons, but who we call the Tea Partry, you are treated pretty shoddily by all of these recent converts from the Democratic Party claiming to be Republicans. Is the racism in this country so great that you will allow such to happen to bring down the country because you want Honorary Oppressors to deal with and maintain the racism that has been so traditionally practiced in the United States?  Are you, White America, so hard up to be ‘better than’ by virtue of your Whiteness that you will let such a small group shut down the entire government and threaten the economic recovery which the Obama administration has worked so hard to bring about?  Why aren’t you in the streets in protest?  Why are you so quiet?  Quiet acknowledges acquiescence and that is the message I am receiving.  This closing down of the government is not just a Tea Party action – it is being led by the Tea Party and tacitly agreed to by the majority.  What is there to lead me to believe otherwise?

If you folks don’t take hold of your party and bring it back from this incredible precipice we will read about Republicans in the history books and no one will be able to say we know or knew one.  And me?  Everytime I venture out to any Republican event I am so beat up and wounded it takes a while of staying away and licking my wounds before I have the courage to venture out again. Maybe if I were not so aware of history it might be different.  After all, even the Klan had its favorite Blacks – included in their activities.  If I could just smile and acquiesce in what I don’t believe maybe I too could be financially substantial with a brighter economic future because I allowed myself to be used.

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

A Stock Market Conversation – about PRHB

September 3rd, 2013

copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2013

Every once in a while we have  conversation about the stock market – stocks people are buying – all the things of interest to those who invest, trade, gamble  stocks listed in the New York Stock Exchange, but sometimes we even have conversations about foreign exchanges and stocks traded around the world.

The most interesting are generally those connected with natural resources – gold, silver, oil and the like.

This one is about a small stock we traded before and so were interested to hear it come up for consideration once again.

It is PRHB –  which stands for Pure H2o BioTechnologies.  They are currently selling for $.0001 – so $100 will buy one million shares.  Our ears picked up immediately.  What a conversation piece.  We could buy this stock and talk to our friends dropping our million share purchase of a stock we expected to soar.  Well, to at least .01/share, but we will leave out that part.

The cost of one million shares is the cost of a lovely meal for two – so we will forego the meal and buy the stock.  Much more fun and with some lasting memories.  Maybe we will even send for the stock certificate and frame it for future generations.

The company has a good technology, we think.  It produces and distributes high purity water for industrial and institutional applications.  What could be more environmentally friendly.  They say their water treatment is trouble-free for their clients and they say “they manufacture the highest quality, totally integrated systems that exceed customer expectations and reduce customer operating costs.”

If you want to read more about them, their web site is www.ipureh2o.com or you can Yahoo, Google or Bing PRHB or their name!

We didn’t do a lot of research – instead we just bought the stock because we were looking for a bit of fun in the stock market, which has been great for some lately and a disaster for others.  We thought we would take the fun part and have a great story – follow a stock that could produce millions for us – or could lose us our $100 investment.

Maybe next month we may even buy another one million shares!  Our ears are open for those conversations at breakfast which just might bring us that windfall that the lottery has not produced.

Isn’t it amazing how bed and breakfast can add to the quality of your life!

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Bed & Breakfast: Lessons in Etiquette

August 30th, 2013

copyright2013 Bettina Network, inc.

LESSON ONE:

Etiquette – “the forms required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life.” syn. Decorum.

This etiquette monologue is for host families in the Bettina Network as well as guests. We will tell our stories through true anecdotes, but don’t worry, we won’t use your names or even your initials. If you pretend it was someone else, so will we. If you have stories from your guests or if you are a guest and have stories from your stay in a bed and breakfast home, please don’t hesitate to share your wealth of experience.

Assorted Bed & Breakfasts

Assorted Bed & Breakfasts

Today bed and breakfast – as a stay in a private home -has spread around the world and people of many different cultures are opening their homes to bed and breakfast guests. Cultures, which once would have been appalled at the thought of strangers staying in their homes, are fast adapting and enjoying turning their home into the house by the side of the road which welcomes strangers.

An even more common phenomenon is that of people from different countries, cultures, religions etc.  staying together in the same house, living in a style close to that of an extended family.

However brief or lengthy the stay might be,
one needs an awareness of social dos and don’ts
during those two, three or more days
under a stranger’s roof,
interacting with other strangers.

A Boor

A Boor

Who after all, wants to be thought of as a boor and find there are no availabilities when one calls for another reservation – even though it is February and the home in Antarctica in which one wants to stay is totally empty with no guest reservations until July?

—-Even more to the point—-

who wants to remember

and be remembered

as someone who caused another pain that could have been avoided?

                                                                                                                                     to be continued………………

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

The March on Washington

August 21st, 2013

copyright 2013 Bettina Network, inc.

This coming week we will remember one of the highlights of the Civil Rights Movement which changed so much in this country.  It is such an emotional time that I have barely started to write this and the grief, tears and overwhelming feelings take over.

I was very young during the Civil Rights Movement – it took my life from the early 1950’s until today.

As I go back to remember all of those years – from my teenaged years on – several of Dr. King’s words come flooding back.  The strongest in my memory is the quote “You will be judged not by the color of your skin but by the content of your character.”  During my darkest days that will pop up in my mind as I experience the racism, sexism and now ageism of even my closest friends and sometimes, my family.

On Wednesday, August 28 at 3pm, the time and date of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, houses of worship across the country will ring their bells in honor of the anniversary and will play hymns and spirituals.  It should be an awesome moment!  I want to be standing outside where I can hear all of them!

To contrast that to what was happening in the 1950’s and 1960’s is a stretch very few of us can make.  People were being beaten, killed, maimed and the young were being denied freedom and equality.  What young people had equal access to were the dogs, the hoses, the hostile and vicious law enforcement people who then worked hand and glove with the Ku Klux Klan.

Opportunities which these United States gave in its written documents were taken away at birth in the actual living out of life if you were the wrong race and sex.  There has been no giving back.  In fact, we still practice and allow others to practice the denial of the experiences of racism and sexism and we still strongly support the right of those engaging in such denial to be able to continue it.  The denial that was so prevalent at the time is still hanging on with much tenacity and with no sign of the structure which accepts and promotes that denial being taken down.  It is one thing to suffer the indignities and pain of racism and sexism; it is quite another to suffer those indignities and have those perpetrating them stand in front of you and deny their actions.  —it has to do with the content of their character.

So many groups will be leading marches in Washington, D. C. from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Memorial.  Around the country other groups will be leading marches to other places in their cities, towns, villages which have meaning in the context of this Movement.

Where will you be?  What will you be doing?  How will you contribute to the possibility that on August 29th you have helped to bring about some change which will make this a country more receptive to seeing everyone as equal?

The Bettina Network, inc. does its part – as a corporation – small though we may be – to help bring about moving us from a world of individuals, maybe even families, tribes, neighborhoods who see ourselves as better than those others out there – to a group of people who have an ethical commitment to  dismantling the racism even further; to eliminating the sexism; to addressing the ageism and to reducing our thoughts about the culture within which we were raised away from a culture that is greater than, better than, more important than, to a culture which is different from but equal to all others.  From that stance we are about giving, sharing, taking care of others as well as ourselves, and treating even the lowest and most tread upon of our brothers and sisters as equals and with respect.

The other quote from Dr. King which I hear often is “We must all learn to live together as brothers (and sisters) or we will all perish together as fools.”

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Bettina Network is Expanding

August 17th, 2013

and we need your help.

We are looking across the United States for

                   Artists            –  Curators,           – Art Historians,                  –Musicians,            –Interesting Venues         – Appraisers

Are you a part of a performance group with performances which can take place in a small ‘French Salon’ type environment ?  –

Do you have a Great Imagination which is not limited by what has been done

AND

who feels constrained by the present structure of things? ——————

Call us – email us – write us and let us know who you are and your interest in being a part of Bettina Network’s future developments !!!!!!!!

And no – you don’t have to pack up and move, you can be a part of Bettina Network’s new expansion right where you are.

Do you want to use all of your talents and can’t stand the thought of being put into the straight jacket of what you see around you as career possibilities?

If you are a destination and feel your destination fits Bettina Network’s lifestyle – email, call or write us and lets see if we have commonalities.

Are you a museum curator and want to look at additional possibilities?

Are you a Professor of Art History and need additional income – while staying in your field of study or exploring one you have always wanted to investigate?

Are you an appraiser who wants exposure to what’s happening today in your area of expertise and who wants to share your knowledge with small groups?

Bettina folks are out and about looking to make this expansion one you will want to investigate further and be a part of when visiting any city whether you are staying in a Bettina Network home or not.

This new expansion has been in the works for several months and is ready to be introduced beyond our small circle of planners, strategists, and friends who helped.

Contact us soonest!

And you know we are looking for talent not limited to one race, one sex, one age group,  one economic status, one country of origin, one sexual orientation?   Your talent is what counts – not even where you are from in the world matters. Our development group ranges in age from 32 through 83 and growing!

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

 

 

I Tried Your Liquid Vitamin C….

August 9th, 2013

It was terrific.  I started using it when I heard about it at a Bettina home.  Liquid C is a little difficult to find, but I discovered it in a Vitamin Shop.  It comes in a bottle – like a milk bottle – and the bottle is covered with an orange plastic wrap.  That was great for me because it says you have to keep the liquid C in a dark place.  I keep mine in the refrigerator and the orange wrap keeps out the light.

I started by pouring a little into a saucer and after a few days I added a Vitamin E capsule to the liquid C.  The combination has been fantastic.  I was beginning to look my age and now I look as young as my daughter – and that is no exaggeration.

I only used the liquid C on my face because that is the only part of me I take care of – you will not bump into me in a gym nor will you find me exercising at home nor walking.  My neighbor, however, goes the entire route.  She watches what she eats, exercises, does all the good things.  She didn’t know about your blog so I introduced her to the blog and to what I learned at a Bettina Home about Liquid C.  My host talked about giving herself an all-over massage with the liquid C – well that is what my neighbor has been doing and she says her energy level is not to be believed.  Her tendency to catch every cold within a mile of her house has also stopped.  She hasn’t had a cold since she started this regimen.

I wanted her to write about her experience herself, but that won’t happen so I will try.  She gives herself an all-over massage with the vitamin C when she gets up in the mornings.  Only recently has she started mixing the C with clipping a capsule of Vitamin E and mixing it with her vitamin C.

She then puts her cotton pajamas back on and goes back to bed – with the C and E all over her body.  I hope she sleeps alone because that could be a small mess.

When she is ready to get up for the day, she rinses herself off in the shower, dresses and is on her way.  No lotion, no make-up, nothing added after the shower.

I wondered about that because I spend lots of money on lotions, but not for my face – I am committed to the Vitamin C with the Vitamin E capsule in the mix.

She looked fine when she started this, but now – after some weeks of this, she looks fantastic.  It is almost enough to make me try the same thing, but my energy level is not up to the daily task and I am not nearly as disciplined as she is – but then I don’t look as put together as she does every single day.

I look forward to your blogs on what you are discovering in the health and beauty section.  I think I have tried everything, but the liquid C was the most outstanding and gave me unbelievable results – so I had to write and tell you about my experience.

Ed. Note:  Thank you for the note.  You might also want to read or re-read the blog on “My Feet and Liquid C” dated Sept. 28, 2011

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Live by the Rule of Law – OR –

July 31st, 2013

copyright 2013 Bettina Network, inc.

Live by the Rule of Love!

As a host family in the Bettina Network I’ve met all kinds of people, had thousands of conversations around the breakfast table and sometimes have great evenings with complete strangers in front of my wood burning fireplace.  Conversations which changed my life and have often made me reflect on the condition of my soul.  That is one of the hazards of having a Bettina Lifestyle House – or whatever we are called these days.

None of these breakfast conversations have made me reflect so much as the conversation about the “Rule of Law” to which we hold as a country.

What is amazing about that is we also claim to be a “Christian” country. – not to ignore my non-Christrian brothers and sisters, but it is who we claim to be and the reason today for the great political divide in this country.  We have almost become the country of the ‘saved’ and the ‘damned’.

The Rule of Law has never struck me as hard as it did listening to all the comments on the various cases which have caught the media’s attention of late – Zimmerman, Martin, Bradley Manning, and on and on.

In this country where the Rule of Law is supreme – Martin was killed, Zimmerman was exonerated and freed, Bradley Manning was tortured, tried and convicted and on and on we go, closer and closer to the depths of hell.

When the decision goes against the just and is clearly not justice, we revert to much talk about how we are a nation under the “Rule of Law” .  We tell ourselves to remember that and continue to live under this Rule of Law- even though it is not always perfect –  and we must accept that or our entire system will be destroyed and undermined.  We threaten those who weaken with talk about  the unwashed many who will run amuck and rob, kill, rape, and commit general mayhem if we don’t respect our Rule of Law.  Without it, we claim, we will all be at risk of being harmed.  We are told it is not perfect, but it has created a great nation – the greatest nation on earth and without this Rule of Law, we are told,  we will be overrun with  mad people running around doing all kinds of unspeakable things with no controls and nothing to stop them.

But Martin was killed and his killer was exonerated under our Rule of Law —— wasn’t that mayhem out of control?  Maybe we deserve to be a nation under the “Rule of Law’ because we can abdicate responsibility, reason, sanity, but mostly we can abdicate love – that which demands the most of us.

Christianity claims to be ruled by a God of Love. Christianity claims that the God we worship is Love,  but Christians don’t want that concept to enter into their considerations when making and changing the institutional structures under which they will live.  As a country, we refuse to live under the “Rule of Love”.  It is a great mythical and theoretical concept to talk about, but not to live under.  It has nothing to do with our reality.  But still Christianity claims that Jesus came to bring in a regime which eliminates the “Rule of Law” and takes it to its next step.  As a nation and as Christians, we hold up the “New” Testament which is all about moving away from the law into the gospel and the gospel is about love not law.  In fact, one could almost say Christianity denigrates the Rule of Law.  It is not an eye for an eye…………….it is better than that!  By your fruit………….

I called a friend of mine, also a host family in the Bettina Network, who has these breakfast conversations with strangers about the most intimate things – to try to talk through what has been and is troubling me.  She talked about how the Zimmerman/Martin case exposed the hypocrisy of the “Rule of Law”, but that just didn’t do it for me.  It didn’t go far enough.

Since religion is at the core of all politics I would like to ask our editor to throw open the blog to writings about religion.  Why are you who you are spiritually?  Why do you need to convert others?  Why do you refuse to convert others because you are one of the chosen few and don’t want those others to join? Why do you live under a rule of law when your religion dictates that you live under a rule of love?  How can you claim to believe one thing and live another? How can you define God to be who you need God to be and ignore the reality of God and God’s kingdom breaking in all over this world of ours?   Why are you running around trying to patch up those holes where God’s kingdom is breaking in so the structure you, your friends and your family helped create won’t fall apart and will remain in tact in this process?

I heard a young person constantly bragging about her family.  They had a Radcliff degree – she had a degree from a college just as prestigious – and went to a private grammar schools considered to be one of the New England Establishment’s schools that the ‘elite’ attend – and her mother supposedly came from a prestigious, wealthy community in New York.  It was very painful to listen to her put up this smoke screen because she and they have done nothing with all that background except live in pain and want and tragedy.  This young person has the God-given talent of a beautiful voice, which she trashes on a regular basis and when given the opportunity to use and develop that talent trashes the opportunity as well as the voice.  What is that about?  Raise those issues to her and she will trash you!  How does that happen?

Sin, in Christianity, is defined as the absence of God.  God is defined as Love!  Sin is the absence of Love! Isn’t that how all of this happens?  It is such a huge responsibility and such a huge burden to live under the rule of law.  Yet not only do we live under this rule, but we raise our children to do just that.

It is such a treasure and joy to live under the rule of love.  What a place this country would be if we could move on – out of the shadow of the laws which have enslaved us for so many years into the light of love which has freed us.  That kind of freedom seems to be what we are most afraid to embrace – and so we live our lives in such a small, carefully defined place with those better than we are and those less than we are carefully defined and kept in their places by this Rule of Law.  We give up everything we have, including our lives to maintain those carefully crafted laws of oppression.

We set forth a body of laws which maintained Jim Crow as legal and the law of the land and we forced our citizens to live under that law – preserved and reinforced by the Supreme Court of these United States and today we glorify that same Court without calling it into question and demanding acknowledgment for its wrongs.

We maintain that Rule of Law because it maintains the status quo – the oppression, the poverty, the homelessness, the suffering of all the people who live under those laws.  That Rule of Law maintains the status quo of the wealthy, the powerful, the dictators of high-brow culture, whether right or wrong  – and we consider ourselves the greatest nation on earth because we live under this Rule of Law.  We call it the greatest ever created.

The loneliest place to be in this society – all over the world – is in that place of a child without a group; a half-breed who does not belong to one group or the other.   We ostracize such a person – trash them – try to hide them – scapegoat them for the sins of the rest of society.  We elected one as President of these United States and the anger, hostility, horribleness thrown at him is beyond and beneath all of us, yet some of the seemingly nicest people do it and hide behind their political designation as their claimed reason.  This half-breed president strikes terror in the hearts of those who most cherish the rule of law.  Is that what is wrong with that young person with the beautiful voice?  She lives with a mother who holds up her “Yankee” history as great, while her children look on as half-breeds and incorporate into their souls their brokenness and inadequacy because they are not such a great and glorious part of this New England Establishment?

If you live, even partially under the Law of Love it shows – in how you look; in how you take care of yourself; in how you relate to others; in how you take on the responsibilities of being a part of a whole, in how you are not afraid to speak truth.  Every minute of every day it shows and those around you see it.  God is Love – not Law.  Law cannot be fair and just.  It was created by all of us and it embodies all of our sins, our flaws, our weaknesses, our biases and then those who most benefit from this Rule of Law throw in the demand that we all live by it or be negatively judged by it.

We expect and demand that Rule of Law to maintain a society in which we are judged and agree to be judged by a Rule of Law set in place to maintain the privileges of those in control and maintain the oppression of those who are under the heavy foot of the privileged.

God forgive us!

I nominate this Rule of Law for Bettina’s Hall of Shame!

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

A Guest Responds – Popcorn and Mosquitos

July 28th, 2013

Thank you for the recipe for an exceptional snack.  I tried it and it was sensational.

I had to make two tries before I got it right. The main problem was keeping the popcorn crisp while adding the simple syrup and the chocolate.  I messed up the first try and had soggy popcorn.  The second try it was perfect.  I let the syrup cool a bit before pouring it over the popcorn.  Hot simple syrup right off the stove is guaranteed to give you a mess.  The same thing with the chocolate.  I added heavy cream to the chocolate chips while melting them, stirred the pot until it was all blended and when cooled a bit, added it on top of the simple syrup and the popcorn.  I think the experience of doing this is actually what made it work the second time.  I was too anxious with my first try and thought I knew it all the first time I made this snack.  The blog read like it would be a snap.  Once you figured out how to keep the popcorn crisp through the entire process and into the eating of this snack, it was a snap.  But until then it was a worry.

When I melted the chocolate chips and poured them over the popcorn, it was a bit stiffer then when I added heavy cream to the chocolate while it was melting.  The chocolate, with heavy cream added did not harden on top of the popcorn, which added to the texture and taste of this fantastic snack.  I suspect whichever way you use the chocolate it will be a matter of personal taste.

The snack lasted about two minutes and I made lots for just three people.

My second comment is about mosquitos.  I’ve read lots this season about what to do to fend off mosquito attacks – from staying inside when its dawn and dusk to all kind of remedies.

One I got from a stay in a Bettina home, which I haven’t found on your blog, worked.  It has been tremendous for me and my children.  Vitamin B1.  We take one Vitamin B1 capsule before going out – about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour before going outside and whether its high sun or dawn or dusk we have had no mosquito bites.  According to the breakfast where I picked up this tip, your skin would smell like mosquito repellant even though the only thing you did was to take this one Vitamin B1 tablet.  Sure enough, my skin smells like mosquito repellant.  When I get that odor I know I am good to go outside for several hours.

Hope this helps someone!

Ed. Note:  The blog recipe the guest is referring to is:  An Incredible Snack – Bettina Style, published May 28, 2013 and can be found categorized in Bettina’s Blog under Bettina’s Cookbook

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Jose Mateo Ballet School – A Review

July 20th, 2013

by: Luisa Kay Reyes

Luisa at the Ballet Barre

Luisa at the Ballet Barre

 

 

Ed Note:  While not being a reviewer/critic by profession,  Ms. Reyes has a love of music, art and dance.  Musically, she specializes  in opera and is passionate about ballet.  She is a trained vocalist and pianist, having studied, among other places, at Oberlin Conservatory.   She has a Masters Degree in Library Science and is a licensed attorney. You will see her reviews and other articles in the blog from time to time.     Ms. Reyes is currently a Project Manager with Bettina Network, inc. 

 

“When my colleague, knowing my passion for ballet, sent me an e-mail she received announcing the Adult Ballet Classes offered at the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre School, needless to say I jumped (or did a jete!) at the chance to experience what they offered.

Looking closely at the summer schedule, I noticed that for the most part the Adult Ballet Classes were held Monday through Friday from six o’clock in the evening until seven-thirty in their main studio, which is located right in Cambridge.  In fact, the studio is merely a block past the main Harvard University campus.  Being preoccupied most of the week with other activities I decided to pull out my black ballet leotard and pink tights on Friday.  And walk right on down to the ballet school ( when the temperature was over 90 degrees).

With my hair up in a bun, I walked past the Harvard campus.   Past all of the street musicians that line the sidewalks in front of the campus and, yes, I’m ashamed to admit, I walked right past all of the beggars sitting along the way holding up cardboard signs with their various pleas for money written on them with a black marker of some sort.  I also walked past a group of old-fashioned Mennonite ladies dressed in their pastel calico dresses with their hair pulled up nice and neat underneath a white cap on their heads. They were joined by some of their men folk who were dressed in long pants and white shirts.  It looked as though the Mennonite group was busy setting up an evening evangelism outreach,  complete with Gospel Tracts and a choir that was warming up to sing.

When I reached the corner of Bow Street I wasn’t sure whether  I should proceed straight ahead,  so I stopped and asked a young fellow for directions.  He was gracious enough to look it up in Google on his phone, but the map it pulled up confused us both more.  I continued walking and encountered the same fellow just a block away, who apologized profusely for not being able to be of more help.  I assured him I was directionally challenged and quite used to getting lost and that I was also certain I would eventually find my way.  Which when I turned around, I did.

The signs in front of the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre were rather inconspicuous.  What stood out first was actually the sign for the Old Cambridge Baptist Church.  The ballet theatre school is housed in the old Church building, although the theatre has no religious affiliation.  The Church is a grey stone building, reminiscent of the grey stone Church buildings one sees in the British Isles.

As a transplanted Southerner who is accustomed to running from the air conditioned house to the air conditioned car to the next heavily air conditioned building, what I immediately noticed upon entering the old Church building was that it felt very warm.  And when I went to pay my thirteen dollars for the class, the lady at the desk informed me that true to Boston form there was no air conditioning,  but the dance studio had lots of fans that would keep us cool.  She then directed me to the room where the adult class would be held. It was a spacious room that was once the sanctuary of the Church.  All of the people who walked into the room commented on how they loved that particular studio because the room felt so serene.  And I have to concur.  The feeling was lovely.

I set my dance bag down on what looked to be an old pew bench on the side of the room and began my warm-up stretches along with the six other ballet aficionados who came to class.  While the teachers vary depending on which day of the week one takes class, our teacher this Friday was Molly Wheat.  Who proceeded to give us the pattern for our plies and commented on how impressed she was with us as we were the “true diehards” of ballet to be taking class in this “101 degree heat!”  (It wasn’t actually 101 as far as we know, but it certainly felt like it!)   We were accompanied in our dances on a grand piano by a very skilled pianist who adeptly transitioned from folk songs to the Brahms Waltz in A flat Major right on tempo.  Once we were in the center, Molly choreographed some lovely Romantic (as in Romantic Era) adagios and waltz routines that really brought out the ultra feminine ballerina in us all.  So in spite of  dripping with perspiration, we executed pirouettes and pique turns beautifully.

After class was over, we all thanked Molly and the pianist for a very nice class with our ballet curtsies.  And rushed either for bottles of water that we brought with us or we ran to the water fountain and drank as much cool water as we possibly could, all the while promising to come back next week.  As we exited the building, we encountered an elegant statue of a ballerina in honor of the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, reminding us just why we all love ballet so much.”

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

A Bettina Guest Comments on Zimmerman-Martin

July 17th, 2013

You don’t have to copyright my comment!  It is free to whoever wants to use it.

I’ve been a guest at Bettina homes for many years.  My regret is that I was not at the home in Harvard Square to be a part of the discussions that I know took place over this trial and its verdict.  They have some really unbelievable conversations – especially on race.  So, I have to join the conversation via email.  I understand,as a former guest in the network, my comments are accepted for Bettina Network’s Blog?  If not, let me know.  If yes, I will see it published – except, like most people, please don’t publish my name.  I am not afraid of backing up my comments, I just don’t want anyone to pick up my name and start to harrass me.

My contribution to the conversation comes from listening to the juror.  It was clear racism was deeply embedded in the jury deliberations. In the USA denial is the way racism continues and the way folks are able to go to Church on Sundays and feel good about themselves even when they have participated in some really low-down racism.  They neither own up to nor are they even conscious of their sin.  In this case, I think they were – the tears show some unconscious understanding of what they were doing.  The juror saw Zimmerman very positively and could relate to him.  Martin, however, in her comments, deserved what he got.  How dare a Black man think he could question being stalked and treated in a demeaning way by someone like a Zimmerman.  Afterall, Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch person – Martin was the hoodie wearing ‘punk’ – according to Zimmermans description.  She said, she felt he was fully repentant and would be careful with his gun in the future.  I wonder if that is true – or if he got the taste of celebrity from killing a Black man and will want more?  So he becomes even more reckless and irresponsible with his gun.  There are always two sides and her and the jury’s racism only allowed them to see the side which cast Zimmerman in a positive light and Martin as a stereotype.  Her comments about Martin, as she quoted Zimmerman, were of a man looking in windows and clearly as someone who did not belong in the neighborhood because he was Black.  Has anyone explained to her and the rest of the jury the definition of profiling?  By the way, how could she quote Zimmerman who he did not testify at trial?

If you had any doubts that the Martin-Zimmerman decision was racist,or that the make-up of the jury was crucial to getting Zimmerman exonerated by the State of Florida, her comments erase those doubts.

I think this was a done deal before the trial – and I am not alone in that opinion.  The Department of Justice was considering filing charges against Zimmerman because the State of Florida was refusing to do so (by dragging its feet).  I think when they discovered the DOJ was coming, the State of Florida got its act together and started this trial, but did not intend for it to be a fair trial.  A public show so DOJ didn’t come in to get a conviction after they covered for this neighborhood watch person for almost two months.  To go forth with the kind of jury they picked – and to look at the history of convictions of Blacks in Florida and the refusal of the Florida prosecutors to charge some Blacks under the ‘Stand your Ground’ law – I don’t see how Trayvon Martin could get any kind of justice.  It was a clear stacked deck before the case even started to be tried.

Thanks for the platform!

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

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1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Please ask your readers to sign the petition

July 15th, 2013

Thank you for your writings about the Trayvon Martin – George Zimmerman encounter.  It was special and I learned a lot.  You said everything I wanted to say.

The NAACP has a petition on its web site which you can sign asking that the Department of Justice file a case against George Zimmerman, who violated Trayvon Martin’s right to life.

You can sign this petition at

www.naacp.org/page/s/doj-civil-rights-petition

you may have to go back to the site several times because it has been overloaded with people trying to sign the petition. Be persistent – don’t give up – keep going back to the site until you are able to sign the petition.

All of Us At Bettina’s

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

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Martin-Zimmerman and they Followed Historical Patterns

July 14th, 2013

copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2013

Don’t you know, just about every table talk conversation today is about the Zimmerman/Martin case and practically every sermon in many different denominations and religions includes some reference to it.

This is our contribution to the conversation:

1) George Zimmerman was not tried by a jury of his peers.  Wasn’t it in the 1960’s and 1970’s that lawsuits abounded because Blacks were tried by all-White juries and those law suits proved that the results of such cases had nothing to do with justice and more to do with allowing the racism of the society penetrate and skewer Court decisions?

Lawsuit after Lawsuit proved that and change happened – until now!

How is it then, that a jury of five white women with white children and one minority woman who the press has never identified as to race – sometimes she was Black, sometimes she was Hispanic – is a jury of Zimmermans’ peers.  This decision had nothing to do with justice and this jury did nothing except let the racism and sexism of this society enter the Court system through the front door with a special escort to make sure those twin isms knew where to go.

When one reflects on the fact that the children were White and the women were going to consider this case from the biased perspective not of – what if your child was Black and went to the local grocery store wearing a hoodie or just went to the grocery store in his neighborhood where there was an overzealous, out-of-control neighborhood watch person out there on the street; but what if your child was the White kid named some form of Zimmerman who had to go through a trial because he was doing what he claimed was his job and felt perfectly justified in shooting Trayvon Martin to death after the neighborhood watch person provoked the incident which allowed him to do this huge violence against another human being?

Zimmerman was not charged for 45 days after the fact.  Who said “justice delayed……………”  What happened in those 45 days?  When someone confesses to shooting someone to death, there is an immediate arrest in this system because the evidence is subject to be skewered, disappear, witnesses tampered with and on and on and on.

2) George Zimmernan was a neighborhood watch person.  There were many comments that he was a wannabe policeman, but those comments from the media seemed put out there only to cover the ugly facts of what happened.  Why is a neighborhood watch person in the street in his car watching for ‘trouble’ with a gun?  Was he trained in the use of a gun?  Did he have to make regular trips to the shooting range to make sure he knew how to shoot a gun and his skills were up to where they should be?  Was he ‘fit’ in the way police and other law enforcement officers have to be, in addition to keeping up their skills with their weapons?  Had he been vetted psychologically to know he was able to be responsible with a gun in this neighborhood watch job?  Was he encouraged to carry a gun by law enforcement?  Why was he not immediately removed from this neighborhood watch duty when it was clear he was not sure of his own ability to fight off any possible attack on himself  without the use of a gun?  I didn’t hear any of these questions raised.

Zimmermans’ personality – character – ethics – kept him from following orders from those who knew better and advised him as to what to do.  To ignore those orders, get out of his car to stalk a Black man in a ‘hoodie’ after telling the police who this Black man was using very  negative racist and demeaning terms is a personality, character and ethics exposure. This could not have been the first time this side of Zimmerman was exposed to those who elected him or allowed him to be the neighborhood watch person.  What was their motive to ignore these warning signs and allow him out with his gun.

Zimmerman is a man whose own defense witnesses said could not fight – he was too fat to defend himself in a fist fight on the street.  He couldn’t punch, etc.  He must have been very insecure being a neighborhood watch person – why else was carrying a gun?  He knew his limits and he knew his temper – is that what made him so quick to pull the trigger?  That is a very insecure person who is looking for trouble when he goes out on a job where he is supposed to be simply a neighborhood watch person observing the neighborhood for signs of trouble and if he saw possible problems, his ‘job’ was to alert the police.

With a gun, Zimmerman was not an ‘observer’ who would quickly alert the real police to trouble.   He was someone who was armed and ready and willing to use his weapon at the least provocation. He has shown that is true by his actions against Trayvon Martin.  Zimmerman was ready to use his weapon and to provoke an incident during which he could use his weapon – which he did.  In the Mafia he would be a made man.  In the gang world, he would be welcomed as a member, in the Florida police force ………………?

Has Zimmerman now overcome his half-breedness and is now welcomed into the arms of the majority group?  Is this what it takes for a half-breed to become a full-fledged accepted White Person?  Zimmerman didn’t make it by birth, but he has absolutely shown he is ready to take his place in a racist, sexist, classist system which  is prone to violence against its minorities and is against giving its minorities justice in its court system.  Review cases over the past years and see what you come up with!  When the jury has spoken, justice has been served.  No one commentating on this case has been willing to say other than the jury system has delivered justice.  A jury system has delivered that kind of justice to a whole lot of Black folks over the generations – are we dissembling to take attention away from that fact?  Are we throwing out a red herring to get folks to look in every place except at the truth?

3)  We are all being told the jury has spoken and justice has been served because we are the best nation in the world and our justice system is the best there is!!!!!!!  Tell that to the generations of African Americans who have been through our justice system and have seen results come through like Plessy vs Ferguson and a whole lot more.  I could go on here and take time to list pages of such cases in which the same kind of justice we have just seen is traditional in this country when African Americans are involved.

When has this country’s justice system ever convicted a White man for the murder of a Black man?  And clearly Zimmerman was White.  His mother may have been hispanic or some other kind of minority, but his father was White and that is the determination in this country.  He stands up as a White man and is respected as such.

4) This great system of justice will now reward Zimmerman and he is the man of the hour – he will shortly be the multi-millionaire of the hour as the offers pour in.  I heard talk that his brother may even benefit since the media is talking up how ‘professional’, how ‘well spoken’ is his brother. All we could say is – how self-serving was his brother and how unbelievably horrible in the way he mocked what happened and put himself and his family on that top line where we are the best, most caring people in the world.  A family that has produced a George Zimmerman has lots of problems the brother has not let slip out.

All on the back of Trayvon Martin.  Trayvon Martin’s life was taken so this man can succeed.  Zimmerman followed the book, written over the generations – the racist, ugly names; the provoked violence for which the Black is blamed, the holier than thou attitude at the end, that the Zimmerman family seems schooled in……………….   This name calling and showing the spite and vicious racist attitude the Zimmermans have towards African Americans has been slathered over and will soon be buried deep under everything else.  Just the fact that the arguments in court were around who was the aggressor says the red herring had already been thrown and Zimmerman was a free man.  After Zimmerman started the fight – the court argument takes up at the point where they could picture Martin as the aggressor and all is well – the jury acquits and justice is served.  For who? Certainly not for the African Americans in this country.  This was a case about racial profiling which resulted in the death of an African American and the courts’ have said ‘ justice was served because the African American was the ‘aggressor’ – and now let the real aggressor go free.

5) The aggressor was clearly George Zimmerman.  Trayvon Martin was going home from the store – he was not breaking into a neighborhood where he did not belong, he was going back to his father’s house.  This 17 year old child, who had never been in trouble of any kind, had an exemplary record, was going home and was followed and threatened by one George Zimmerman who then shot and killed him and there was a question in the trial as to who was the aggressor!  Well – who was the African-American!  In this society, in its criminal justice system,  there is no question that in that circumstance the Black man was the aggressor – let the facts be selectively chosen to prove this case – AND THEY WERE.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

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Helping you Keep Cool in the Heat!

July 10th, 2013

copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2013

Do you have a difficult time coping with the heat and high humidity?  A recent breakfast conversation around a Bettina Network table just might come to your rescue!

We can’t guarantee results, but this breakfast conversation was intriguing and we tried the suggestions.  It worked for us.  Which reminds me, if you want to be one of those who tests suggestions from Bettina Network breakfast conversations, let us know, we will send you the conversation and you send us your results.

There were many suggestions on how to deal with the heat and high humidity.  The one which intrigued us was the massage with Organic Aloe Vera Gel and Juice.  We’ve heard that before and may have written about it, but given the weather around the country we thought we would take a flyer and risk repeating ourselves.

Everyone has their favorite thing to do when the temperature rises.  We heard about hot tea on a hot day to cool off! We heard about sitting in front of the refrigerator with the door open – one we would not recommend.  We heard about taking hot showers so you could come out of the shower and cool off.  But the Organic Aloe Vera Gel and Juice worked for us.

Take a shower – warm, not hot.  No soap please, just plain water.

After the shower and after you dry off, give yourself a massage with the Organic Aloe Vera Gel and Juice.  You will find it is cool to begin with and as you give yourself a massage you will feel yourself begin to cool down.  If you do this before bed you will sleep comfortably or you can even give yourself a massage, get dressed and go out.  No, you don’t have to rinse it off.

How to find Organic Aloe Vera Gel and Juice?  We tried several and wound up liking the  “Lakewood” brand best.

I went crazy and also massaged my hair and scalp with the Aloe Vera Gel.  Since I was not going out I took the risk of looking horrible to everyone who came into the house if things didn’t work with the Aloe Vera Gel.  I was pretty sure it would not make my hair fall out, but I wasn’t sure about anything else.  I know a couple people in the Bettina Network have tried it, but haven’t shared their trials or results with me.

It worked beautifully.  I have been looking for something organic to give my hair a fuller look since it is starting to thin. This accidental side effect of this experiment worked perfectly.  I added a bit of organic, virgin, expeller pressed coconut oil and that gave a tiny bit of a sheen that I liked.  The two are a perfect combination.  Since then, I also tried clipping a capsule of vitamin E into my hand and massaging it on top of the Organic Aloe Vera Gel and that worked even better.  Which one to use, I think, is probably dependent upon the texture of your hair and how dry or how oily it is.

Another version discussed was Organic Aloe Vera Gel with an infusion of peppermint.  Not only did we find this combination cooling, but it gave us a nice smell during the day – and it is difficult to smell great on a hot day.  Either you try perfume and alienate everyone you come in contact with or you use nothing and maybe you will or won’t make it through the day.

Being a child of the heavy marketing that has gone on over the past few decades, and having been gullible enough to buy their messages it took a while for me to realize they were  selling you the same product in different packages and under different brand names and at different prices, I have developed a horror of smelling and a need to be ‘clean’ – television commercial ‘clean’.   I’ve used every tooth paste, deodorant, lotion, perfume, hair product, etc. that has been advertised to be the person pictured in the marketing and advertising. In the long-run, however, that only hooked me into spending money for nothing except to hurt my health, slowly, over a long period of time, but hurtful nevertheless.   First I was paranoid about having a bad body odor, now it is about just smelling at all.  I even give ugly looks to people who smell of very expensive perfume and other products guaranteed to give you a body-smell-good day if you pay the very high price for the products.  When you think about it, their high price is totally justified because they have to pay for the product ingredients (about 3% of the total price) and that huge marketing and advertising bill.

The only substances we used besides the Organic Aloe Vera Gel and Juice was our favorite Organic Apple Cider Vinegar splashed under the arm in the arm pits.  I wasn’t ready to take a chance of the Aloe Vera Gel alone taking on the job of keeping me smelling nice and fresh on a hot and very active day.  It might have been able to do that, but someone else will have to try that experiment.  My apple cider vinegar splashed on top of the Aloe Vera Gel worked the entire day with not even a hint of a smell.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

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Open That Car Door Wide before Entering

July 4th, 2013

copyright 2013 Bettina Network, inc.

We had a guest recently, a frequent visitor from Turkey, who was going with us to an estate sale.  His area of expertise – both education and research – is in materials.

He got to the car door, opened it and stood there for a minute or two.  I wasn’t sure what was causing his hesitation.  I thought maybe he was having second thoughts about going or not, thus his hesitation to get into the car.

When I asked if everything was alright, he said fine, but with the materials they use these days on the inside of cars I hold the car door open a minute or two before getting in because I want to make sure there is an exchange of air before getting into a car.

Wow!  That took some thought.  Hadn’t ever considered off-gases in cars from the materials used in making them as being harmful.  Nor had I ever thought to open the doors and windows before getting in and breathing in all of what would be in the air inside the car.

It has taken a couple weeks, but I am now pretty proficient at opening the car door – waiting a minute or two – and then getting in and going about my business.

It took that long because a lifetime habit of opening the car door, jumping in and going off to wherever is hard to break.  That moment of thoughtfulness had to be programmed into my brain and set as a habit.

I now notice when I get into a car that the air coming in feels fresh – so something was going on before I opened the door that the difference in air would feel so dramatic.  To stay healthy one must always be vigilant and aware of everything going on around us.  The difference these days is with health and lack of health that a few moments over many years in the wrong place can cause.

We pass this along for your consideration and use.  This is just one more good bit of information coming from the experience of bed & breakfast.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Dr. Oz – Breakfast Conversation

June 24th, 2013

copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2013

Considering we are a network which tries hard to be as organic as possible – which means in food, lifestyle, building structures, etc. – it was quite something to be a part of a breakfast conversation which resulted in all saying they were turning off Dr. Oz and his television program and anything he says.

This came from a television program in which he talked about Alzheimer’s and about metals as being looked at as possible causes and naming those metals – iron, zinc, copper – and – another program in which he dissed supplements.

Why did those two things cause so much conversation?  It wasn’t about the organic things he talks about, but by the fact – as this group took it – that he galvanized many who were looking for information on how to live more organically and is now using that group to promote the agenda of the worst of those who brought us to this impasse of much money spent and no results, – or rather, much profits being pocketed by a few who leave the many ill, troubled and in dire circumstances.

Let me summarize the conversation:

It started because of conversation about aluminum and its being one of the possible causes of Alzheimer’s.  We were talking about the fairly controversial Bettina Network blog suggesting that we all give up deodorants and anti-perspirants because they work by clogging our underarm pores with aluminum, etc. – read that blog for more information.  One person let loose because she was fairly angry at Dr. Oz and felt he had led her down the ‘primrose path’ only to misuse her following of his programs to promote himself and get lots of money from the large corporations and big pharma.  She talked about this program in which he attributed the increase in Alzheimer’s to our use of Zinc, Iron and Copper and that he and his invited guests strongly advised that we stop using iron and copper pots and use very little zinc.  Her point was that no one uses copper pots in which to cook foods; iron pots have been used for generations with no increase in Alzheimer’s; and zinc has been great whenever she threatens a cold or other such infection and why was he so intentionally silent on aluminum.

The conversation was heated:  Copper is used on the bottom of pots to make the heat more even and outside some other kinds of kitchen utensils, but copper would not withstand being used on the inside of a pot for cooking.  So what did using those kind of copper utensils have to do with Alzheimer’s, since we didn’t have direct contact with the copper used on pots and besides, she said, he totally made no mention of what we believe to be the main cause of Alzheimer’s, which is our overuse of Aluminum, especially in pots – in which we directly cook foods which are in direct contact with aluminum and add to that  all of the aluminum products which our bodies take in like deodorants and anti-perspirants.  To totally eliminate aluminum from such a conversation when the research shows it is probably implicated was a real clue that maybe Dr. Oz isn’t as free of taking support, in exchange for protecting those from whom he takes it, as most of us think.

There was – especially-  a lot of response to his including iron pots since iron pots have been used for generations – hundreds of years – without any indication that using these iron pots was increasing Alzheimer’s.  Alzheimer’s did not become a problem until recently and the time line for the increase in Alzheimer’s totally lines up with the introduction of those Aluminum pots into general use in the 1950’s.  A set of such pots were a great wedding present and many people still use the pots given to them decades ago when they married.

The second irritation that came out, as the conversation heated up, was Dr. Oz’s show on supplements.  What made lots of people deride Dr. Oz and where he is coming from were those who knew that supplements were coming up for a vote, in the U. S. Congress, just days after Dr. Oz’s show dissing them and talking about how dangerous some could be and how useless were others and intimating that we needed a doctors advice or prescription for supplements and the FDA’s regulation of them.  The claim that supplements should be regulated – is an old story – and Dr. Oz giving the case in favor of such regulation, in that time frame,  showed exactly where he is coming from and the interests with whom he is aligned.  The time frame in which his show discussed supplements looked to us as another political outlet for the arguments for doctor and FDA intervention.  We know about budgets being allotted for such political issues and apparently, Dr. Oz was included in that budget.

That was a total misuse of his audience – both those physically present and his television viewers.

His show should start each segment by acknowledging to whom he owes allegiance and what he has been paid by the industries being touted – and that payment in any form.

We all agreed to lock out his shows and most of us had been Dr. Oz devotees.  We felt used, abused, sold-out and that done under the table.

Good-bye Dr. Oz.  You were great for awhile, but the public is a lot more astute than given credit.  It may take a while, but we do catch on and move on.  So many has-beens, and if we have our way, that will also be your road – a dead-end constructed by an intelligent, astute, understanding  world-wide public.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

An Incredible Snack – Bettina Style

May 28th, 2013

copyright 2013 Bettina Network, inc.

We discovered an unbelievable snack as we roamed the country looking for families/individuals wanting to use their houses for bed & breakfast.

It is basically popcorn, but such popcorn should be the food of the gods.

First – in a saucepan, preferably glass i.e. A Corning pot – put one cup organic turbinado sugar and one cup water with a little piece of organic ginger root.  Bring this to a boil and let it summer until you have reached 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Don’t stir this – even when you first put in the water and sugar just let it heat up and bubble, it does not need you to do anything to it, especially stirring.

Second – in a hot air popcorn popper, put the requisite amount of organic unpopped corn and plug it in. Let the popcorn popper work until almost all of the popcorn is popped.  If you don’t have a hot air popcorn popper use a kettle popper or whatever you have.  We use the hot air popcorn popper because it does not take any oil to pop.  Hot air does the trick.

Third – let the syrup cook a bit and then carefully pour the sugar syrup over the popcorn.

Fourth – Let this cool

Fifth – melt organic chocolate and/or cacao either in a double boiler or carefully in a glass pot on top of the stove.  If you use just the pot and not a double boiler, don’t leave the chocolate while it is melting.  Someone else who tried this put equal amounts of chocolate and organic heavy cream letting the chocolate melt and stirring until the two were well mixed.  That might be an option for you, we have not tried this way of melting and adding chocolate to the popcorn.

Sixth – This is best done with semi-sweet chocolate – we used semi-sweet organic chocolate chips and threw in about 1/3 organic peanut butter chips – just because we were getting carried away with ourselves.

Seventh – Once the chocolate is melted – let it cool a bit and very carefully sprinkle this over your popcorn – which is now covered with the sugar syrup and has cooled to become hardened.  The chocolate is the second layer and once it cools and hardens again your popcorn is ready to eat.

It is best eaten lukewarm.  Don’t expect to have any left.  We demolished  a huge amount in minutes and more had to be made.

Eighth – this is good with or without the organic peanut butter chips.  The piece of ginger root which you put into the pot with the sugar and water gives a wonderful under taste, which many people will not be able to identify because we are not accustomed to the taste of real, organic ginger root.  It is a powerfully hot ingredient.  Not temperature hot, but spicy hot.  Using just a small piece will not bring up the spicy heat, but will give a nice taste to the popcorn.

Let us know how you liked this dish.

________________________________________________________________

Learn More About How We Use Your Donation!

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

One More Time in Dracut

May 21st, 2013

                              Come help us empty the house!!  

          Saturday, May 25th from 10am-4pm

                                         Lovely possibilities –

Many desks, chairs, long tables, file cabinets, tons that could be used to start a school, great for a rental co, chairs for a wedding and more.

Basketball hoop – large, sturdy and very good.

Beautiful Oriental-style carpets – barely used, purchased from Jordan Furniture about 7 years ago.

Come and see and buy from a carefully edited selection of items accumulated by one family over some  7-8 years, so most things are fairly new and very well cared for.

           8 Presidential Circle, Dracut, MA. 01826.

You will find bark paintings from Kenya which tell of the traditional life of the people of Kenya.

You will see an elegant and very large chandelier for sale – iron and crystal – delicate and perfect for that entrance foyer.

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beautiful iron and crystal chandelier

 

 

 

 

Some crystal – some gold rimmed china dishes – many lamps – and a room for just sitting and enjoying which could be purchased intact to be removed to your home to create a similar environment.  All worked out for you with the right drapes – chairs – lamps – tables – pictures and more.  Who could ask for better!

Drapes which will keep you from ordering those custom drapes into five figures – one pair long enough for windows two stories high and still in beautiful condition – in a very neutral color to fit any decor. – Window shades very soft with off white color and horizontal pleats which are not quite pleats, but beautifully rushed shades – wooden windows to fit a contemporary home in condition good enough to be transferred for their windows to your windows.  Bring your window measurements.  Beautiful custom cornices, well made and also in a condition good enough to just transfer to your windows.

Elegant home - beautiful drapes

Elegant home – beautiful drapes

 

A brown leather sofa, plus other sofas which just might be what you need for that empty space.

And tables to match everything – glass and brass – glass and wood – inlaid wood – marquetry round tables with lamps to upscale any space.

 

 

 

 

Endless desks for a school

Endless desks for a school

A round mirror for that hard to deal with space, tall vases with some over 3 feet

– and much more for those decorator touches that don’t cost a decorators budget.

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And in the basement – start your own business with desks, tables, chairs, filing cabinets, safes, a gurney of all things – conference tables, and much of what is needed to start a School, but which can be transferred to your office.

Need furniture for that new space in your office you have looked at but haven’t done anything about?  There is a little of everything in that basement.  Well kept, clean and ready for use, including chafing dishes and other serving pieces one would use in an office for entertaining

IMG_0698

Endless desks for a school

 

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IMG_0698

 

             Directions to Dracut, Massachusetts

     Try Mapquest.com and  put in the address from which you are coming.

Basically, the address follows:

Take I-93-N toward Lawrence.Concord. N. H.

Take the Rt.-110/RT-113 exit 46 toward Lawrence/Dracut

Enter next roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto RT-113 W/RT-110 W/Lowell Street

RT-113 W/RT-110 W/Lowell St becomes RT-110W

Turn right onto Wheeler Street

Take the 1st left onto Lowell St

Lowell Street becomes Methuen Street

Turn right onto Presidential Circle

to 8 Presidential Circle.

________________________________________________________________

Learn More About How We Use Your Donation!

[give_form id=”3763″]

______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.


Bettina's Lifestyle Commnity!

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Bettina’s Lifestyle Community

Making a difference in this very difficult and changeable world.

Bettina's Lifestyle Commnity!

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