Archive | December 2021

Vitamin D3 Miracle: Book Review

Dec28

First of all, this self-published book is a complete mess. This is one of those books that definitely give self-publishing a bad rap. In interviews, the author seems far more coherent and knowledgeable, so it could just be he isn’t a writer, but, wow, could this book have used an outline, a focus, and an editor! The knowledge, however, is sound, and I think worth the time to consider.

The Miraculous Results of Extremely High Doses of the Sunshine Hormone Vitamin D3: My Experiment with Huge Doses of D3 from 25,000 to 50,000 to 100,000 IU a Day Over a One Year Period by Jeff T. Bowles. Wow, the title, I can’t even. The book is more a stream of consciousness, not really a detailed description of how taking high doses of D3 affected this man. Bowles is clearly very smart, as most readers are, but it’s as if he was thinking too fast when he wrote this and while there’s some useful information in the book, he has updated it periodically and frequently contradicts himself. It’s clear that he is onto something with Vitamin D and kudos to him encouraging everyone to do their own research, but this isn’t a book I would recommend spending money on. If you do, purchase the ebook, which the author himself recommends in the published book. Bowles has a few theories and ideas of why D3 works, especially the idea that if we don’t get enough vitamin D3 that we, like other mammals, go into a winter hibernation mode in which our body is just trying to stay alive and keep from freezing. Thus, we gain weight and have a great lack of energy.

I bought this book because I listened to a great interview that Bowles did, and I can now say, just watch/listen to the interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HCIm5kt8jI. See also the interview by Dr. Somerville on D3 as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYJ1GHRDiRc. Both these men are outside-the-box thinkers as so many are having to become today and finally a light is being shed on just how ineffective modern medicine and doctors are at actually healing people of disease. If you have a broken leg and need heart surgery, it’s not so bad, but for most chronic ailments and illnesses, doctors simply only have one tool: pharmaceutical drugs. From cancer to rheumatoid arthritis, all they can do is “manage” your illness for life, they can’t cure it. That doesn’t mean there are no cures, however, there are a plethora of natural ways to cure a variety of illnesses, but they require patience, perseverance, and endurance, something that modern man just isn’t all about. We want a quick pill to make it better. Trouble is, those quick pills come with a cost we are only just beginning to realize: even more chronic health conditions. (I also lump vaccines into this category, but won’t go into that today).

Bowles largely got a lot of his information from simply reading medical journals, studies, abstracts, etc., many on pubmed.gov, which anybody can search, and he encourages his readers to do just that, touting the wealth of information there that just needs to be put together. I cannot get behind his dismissal of the actual data in the studies, however. The data is vital. Sometimes the scientists come to conclusions that do not hold up to the data and their study still gets published. He’s also very into the theory of evolution and for me as a Christian it just makes more sense to go with a Creator who designed us. Our bodies are designed to adapt to our environment. My light skin likely came due to my ancestors living for many years in the North, where there’s little sun, just as those who have dark sun have ancestors coming from very sunny, hot climates. Anyway, a lot of Bowles’ ideas and theories are largely available for free online and also touted by others. He certainly doesn’t mind that and seems to be just a man who really likes learning, finding things out, and experimenting. He definitely has a scientist heart, even if he’s a poor writer.

So, Vitamin D. Well, it’s actually a hormone, something our bodies produce in sunlight, but since we all refer to it as a vitamin, I will, too. Is it a “miraculous” substance? A year and a half ago I heard from somewhere that we actually produce 10,000+ IUs of D3 with 20 minutes to a half hour in the sun. It gave me pause, because I realize the recommended daily allowance is low, severely low. It’s now 1,000 to 4,000 IUs a day, but I think was even lower when I was growing up. This is the case with other vitamins, like vitamin C and magnesium: The recommended daily allowance is just enough to keep one alive, not in optimal health. Is this a purposeful misinforming of the public? For money? Is is so that the pharmaceutical companies and doctors can all just keep making money as drug dealers “managing” all of our chronic conditions and illnesses? I don’t know the answer for sure, and neither does Bowles, but in this day and age it certainly appear wicked and nefarious.

For about a year and a half, I have been taking 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D3. In all that time, I haven’t had a respiratory illness, not a cold, not the flu, not covid. My allergies are better, and my health is generally better. After listening to Bowles and Dr. Somerville, I have decided to try 20,000 IUs a day, split up morning and night. After a few days, I can tell you my sleep is a lot better, and my skin and hair are softer. A sebaceous cyst I’ve had for almost a year appears to be healing faster now. I am also supplementing magnesium and Vitamin K2, both of which Bowles would recommend. Although I do have a few other sort of major health things I want to fix, at this time I am content just to increase the D3 a bit at a time and will maybe just still with the 20,000 and then go back down to 10,000 again when summer comes and plan to get a lot more sun time. I think healing needs to be thought of in the long term. Is D3 miraculous? Maybe, but it’s not an instant miracle even at high doses. From the testimonies in the book, people still have to take the high doses for several weeks/months to be healed. Bowles highly recommends testing your blood beforehand and also supplementing other vitamins as D3 uses those, such as magnesium and K2, to repair your body. It’s a fascinating concept and I applaud him for latching upon it.

Although in some ways this book isn’t worth the cost or the read, the information certainly is, but that info can be found for free elsewhere. It can, however, be important to financially support these outside-the-box thinkers, however, for their curiosity and persistence will surely lead to more studies being done on Vitamin D and other health aspects. Bowles mentions little about one’s diet and I wonder how supplementing Vitamin D3 fares with people on, say, a keto or carnivore diet. Those diets, too, people have touted as miracles. It’s clear to me our bodies are complicated and made by a designer, a Creator, who meant us to spend some time outdoors and in the sun, and who meant for us to eat natural foods.

Is Vitamin D the answer, the cure, for so many of our ailments? From personal experience, I think the lack of it is definitely why we get so many respiratory illnesses in the winter months. It also may be why we have so many seasonal and other allergies. My allergies, although not gone, are definitely better after increasing my D3. The healing of bones, we’ll see over time. The healing of tumors, we’ll see over time. The biggest part of this book is that modern medicine and doctors are really only taught what they are taught. If they are not curious and don’t have time, they will know little about the possible healing powers of Vitamin D, other vitamins, and proper nutrition. Fat and cholesterol, for example are now bringing people to better health as well as cutting their sugar and carb intake. Will modern medicine catch up to this? Well, it better, or it may find itself soon extinct, or at least relegated back to casting broken legs and open heart surgery. Really, I don’t think that would be such a bad thing. I’ve always thought it a bit silly that we run to our local clinic for colds and things like that, because rest and proper nutrition largely heal one within a week. Even with antibiotics or medicine, again, it’s usually a week and people are back to normal. It is only if one is already in poor, poor health that a cold becomes a scary cause for concern.

Am I glad I bought this book? Yes, and no. I am happy to support the author, but it’s just not a coherent enough book to pass along. It’s an extremely frustrating read and I skimmed much of it. Bowles also appears to contradict himself much in the book, and so it’s just better to look at the concept: Vitamin D3 can heal you, and take it from there. It may be worthwhile trying for yourself and certainly worthwhile looking up the numerous testimonies and discussions about the substance and considering that our society, since being encouraged to run away from the sun at every turn, has not been healthier. No, it’s been the opposite. For me, this is just one more lie in a growing list and I’ve come to think it’s malicious. Big Pharma and Big Medicine don’t want to heal us. They want to have power and make money. It could also just be stupidity, but I think not, not after reading and hearing so much about the sordid history of vaccines about which lies were told from the start. The sun is good for you, vitamins and nutrients are good for you. Fat and cholesterol are good for you. Meat and animal products are good for you. Sunshine and a change in diet will do far more for your health even than exercise will. In fact, you will feel like moving, like exercising more, and it will just be natural. No expensive gym memberships needed. But, as Bowles says, don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself. Three months, give it a shot. What have you got to lose? But be smart about it, do your own reading and research. If you begin and your body protests, listen to it. Everyone is different, and what works for one person may not work for another.

Happy New Year and I pray you have a blessed and healthy 2022 and be a slave to lies no more.

The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 6, The Silver Chair

Dec22

The Silver Chair is definitely still in my top 3 Narnia books. For some reason I always forget and think the story has Prince Caspian in it, when really it’s his son. This story also says Lord of the Rings more to me than the other ones. Perhaps it’s the marshes and Puddleglum, or the great caverns they eventually find themselves in. Maybe it’s the owls, but that makes me think more of Harry Potter.

In this story, we are introduced to a girl named Jill Pole who goes to a school with Eustace Scrubb. It’s a horrible school that doesn’t really teach them anything–gee, how could we ever relate?–and where they get bullied. Jill is pretty fun and how great to have Eustace back! They end up first in Aslan’s country, then in Narnia, and all set to complete a quest Aslan gives them, but of course everything goes wrong. They are off to save Prince Rillian, King Caspian’s son, and keep forgetting their quest, much due to the evil machinations of the, well, evil witch who has Rillian under her spell.

Puddleglum is the standout character in The Silver Chair, and what a character he is! He is a pessimist who’s almost always wrong. What fun. He’s something called a marsh-wiggle and helps the two leads get to their destination: Giant country. Everyone almost gets eaten by the giants and then they find their way underground to where Prince Rillian is being held.

In Lewisian fashion, they get to fight a bloody battle at the end and also get to be part of a Narnian romp of a party. And I hated the part where Caspian died and loved it when Aslan brought him back to live in Aslan’s country, or heaven. First thing he says to Eustace is: “Oh, don’t be such an ass!” Heh, heh. Even better, Caspian requests to see the children’s world. Aslan takes them there and they all have a magnificent time scaring off the bullies, and after that time, the children’s school is better, and Polly and Eustace are always friends. How wonderful.

Now it’s just The Last Battle, and, well, that one I really don’t care for, despite liking some things in it. But I’ll tell you about that next time.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Happy Birthday, Jesus, our Savior!

Happiness–Is a Power Couple: Kdrama review

Dec14

It’s a good sign when one finishes a drama that one wants to watch it again right away. Happiness by TVN is an excellent 12 episode drama worthy of binge watching. It is short on the blood and gore of usual zombie stories, for which I’m grateful, but decently paced and has a great X-factor, an awesome power couple.

The leads, played by Han Hyo Joo (W: Two Worlds Apart), and Park Hyung Sik (Strong Woman Do Bong Soon) are great, both reckless and cool as cucumbers. Both actors really show their chops here and the writing displays a strong man and woman working together while not denigrating either sex. They have each other’s back, are best friends, and have sort of contract marriage that they realize at the end was born out of mutual affection. Sometimes it takes a number of years for one person to fully realize they love another, and sadly, it often is the prospect of losing said person that brings it out.

The short plot is that during a outbreak of an unusual virus, an apartment complex is quarantined from society and the residents have to deal with that, scared for their lives and bickering with each other. Yes, this is a zombie show, but I don’t think they mention zombies once. The way the characters act, one just has to suspend disbelief a bit and realize this is an alternate universe in which there may be no zombie movies for them to reference. The framework, or reference for this story, is roughly COVID and the writers deal well with that, making this another outbreak with which the authorities and regulate people have to deal. While it is clear that most of the characters are over COVID, there are subtle reference to the lifestyle changes we have all made throughout the show. The best aspect of this, though, is that no matter how great the two leads are at taking down zombies, they never lose their empathy and compassion. They almost always see them as people, just afflicted people.

Jo Woo Jin (Squad 38) is the definite standout actor here. I almost always looked forward to his scenes as he ended up being a bit of a scene stealer. I actually wanted more scenes with him and the two leads together. He plays a somewhat shady military colonel who is trying to find a cure for the virus. From the first time we see him, it is clear he knows way more than what he is telling. But isn’t that always the truth with government officials?

All of the minor character actors were also excellent, many of them, so, so infuriating that I think they must have really enjoyed playing these flawed people, some who just want to survive, some who go out of their minds, and some who end up surprising those around them by their kindness and strength. Intense circumstances will bring out our true characters. The leads are just cool and because they both work in the police force are completely accommodated, but the others are all just regular people caught up in the chaos.

The writing of the show was great overall, but, again, only if one assumes this is an alternate world where zombie and/or scary movies don’t exist. The characters are excessively stupid when it comes to keeping the virus in check, even the leads. Fortunately, the zombies don’t have particular super strength or speed. They also don’t eat brains and are sort of zombie vampires. The female lead is the most reckless of them all, but her recklessness is likable, cutting through all the crap and getting to the point, and one can see why her longtime friend has fallen for her. The loyalty of the couple to each other is amazing and is showcased with little romantic scenes in sight. Their love for each other shines through so well, that by the end, a kiss scene wasn’t really necessary. The writing also was made better by having only 12 episodes. Whoever made that decision chose wisely. The show doesn’t feel dragged along like many other ones can. The other big thing I like about the writing and this story concept in general: It gets the watchers to question whether their government really has their best interests in mind, something everyone needs to consider and weigh these days.

Other great things about the show: The music was very fitting, although off-putting and unsettling at times, which was the goal. I loved the theme song and beginning credits. Everything about the production was modern and slick. This is a show that would also make a great book series.

The only, very minor, flaw I saw was that many cuts were edited horribly. These were clearly cuts before a commercial break, and because I watched it on Viki, I am not sure if these were bad cuts made by Viki to insert their commercials or if the editor was just that bad. The former makes the most sense.

Come for the zombies, stay for the power couple. They are very cool and just the sort of people one would want to be with if civilization would crumble.

Which Percent Are You?

Dec9

This is a great article on mass psychosis by Dr. Robert Malone, who helped invent the mRNA vaccines. Mass formation psychosis explains why so many refuse or just simply can’t see the truth: that this totalitarian push is about power and control, not our health, and that the vaccines are unsafe and not effective. Which percent category do you fall into? Happily, many, many people are being awakened and moving into the percent that fights the evil narrative, but is it enough? Dr. Malone thinks a bigger issue has to come into play, and that is global totalitarianism, which, once realized will put a whole lot more people in the category of fighting the narrative. Australia, for one, has already had a rude wake up call. We’ll see what happens. God is always in control and we should trust him. I encourage any of you who have realized that the COV and vaccine narrative is false, to speak up about it when you can. Using humor helps, even grim humor. It is our duty to speak the truth, but we should understand that for a certain percentage of people the facts will not and do not matter. They are unable to use logic in this instance. It’s okay, I’ve seen it myself, very smart people completely unable to comprehend that the authorities that be do not have their best interests in mind. Unable to understand that they have been lied to repeatedly. I pray for them, that God will show them the truth and awaken them to what’s really going on.

It’s striking to me that many have already forgotten flu season. This time of year is usually filled with coughs, sneezes, etc., and before nobody said boo and no one was afraid they were going to die of a cold or flu. Is COV just really the flu repackaged for totalitarian control? Often it seems like it, but even a lot of scientists skeptical of the narrative won’t even go that far. I am definitely a person that has come to question many things about how our current society operates, many, many things. I am not alone. Few of us have real answers, though, and I find more and more that just focusing on my faith and God will get me through. I am not sure this global tyranny can or will be stopped at this time. It is like a storm one has to wait out at this point.

Here is the article and happy reading. The video’s pretty good, too: https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/mass-formation-psychosis?r=ta0o1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Elantris: The Cursed City

Dec7

Elantris is the second book I’ve read by Brandon Sanderson (third one I’ve tried–the main character and the writing in Steelheart got on my nerves). Although I don’t find it quite as awesome as The Emperor’s Soul, this was a very good, if long, read. Sanderson is a great world builder and clearly a deep thinker as well.

In the land of Arelon there is a city called Elantris, a dead and crumbling city that was cursed ten years ago. Before that, Elantris was powerful, gorgeous, and full of magic, as were it’s citizens, the Elantrians, who were much like superheroes or gods on the earth, using special ruins or Aons to access the Dor, or the “Force” of the universe and using that power to do great things. One day, suddenly, the magic stopped working, the Elantrian’s silver skin and white hair disappeared and they found their appearance changed to that of diseased corpses instead. For the neighboring city of Kae, Elantris is now a place condemned. Whereas before, any person taken by the power and made into an Elantrian lived in splendor, now those taken by the same power are thrown into the same place to rot and likely die.

Elantris follows three main characters: Prince Raoden, who is heir to the Arelon throne, wakes up one day to find he is a cursed Elantrian. He is thrown into the city which dwarfs his own, to rot and to starve. His family and nations considers him as dead. Princess Sarene is a princess from the nearby country across the water, Toed, and arrives in Arelon to marry Prince Raoden, but finds that he is now dead and that per Arelon law she cannot marry another and will just remain a widowed court lady. Hrathen is a priest of the country of Fjordell. He has come to convert Arelon to his religion, Shu Dereth, and convert him he must, or they will all die as Fjordell plans to attack and invade them for their unbelief.

This book, like many high fantasy books, is long and so takes awhile to get going. But much world building needs to be done for the reader and Sanderson is great at that. We get to follow Raoden as he finds a new life in Elantris and even works for the good of his country despite his circumstances. We follow Sarene in her disappointment and then watch her rally as she forays into political intrigue in the Kae court. We see Hrathen confident, then continually thwarted in his plan to convert the city of Kae and Arelon. We learn more and more about what Elantris was before and what it is now.

The biggest theme that stood out to me in the story was the power of positive thinking. Raoden takes grime and decay and in his own way makes it beautiful and useable. Sarene does the same, making the best of her circumstances. Although there isn’t a lot of their romance in the book, it is neat to see how they work together for the good of their country as a couple, even if neither really know they are still a couple. They two are indeed kindred spirits and how in tune their minds and objectives are despite the distance is romantic. Even more exciting is when Raoden realizes who she is, but Sarene doesn’t know who he is. What fun.

The parts with Hrathen I found interesting, but also tedious. There are a lot of religious themes going on, but it is never clear what his religion, Shu Dereth, really teaches. The biggest message is basically convert or die. For the opposite religion, Shu Korath, there is a general feeling of kindness, but few specifics. Obviously the author left the religions purposefully vague, which on one level I found irritating, but on another level worked: By the end of the book, Hrathan has a full on questioning of his faith in Shu Dereth, and that is essentially the point of his character. He is bent on converting those to a religion in which he doesn’t really believe. However, he keeps faith in the god both religions share.

Sorry, that was a spoiler, but it’s pretty easy from the beginning of the story to see where his character arc is going. His battle with Sarene is amusing as she continually thwarts his efforts to convert the masses. She and her country of Toed are followers of the kinder religion, Shu Korath.

The religious aspects were fascinating to me because all the characters clearly had some matter of faith, but it was also as if they didn’t fully understand or know what they were believing in. Here, the vagueness didn’t quite work for me, for even believing children will know specifics. It just wasn’t flattering to any of the characters. Yet, can we say in the real world, those of us religious believers, that we really and truly understand specifically what we believe in? For me, yes and no. It depends how far I have pulled away from God at any given moment.

The magic of the world is similar to the stamps in The Emperor’s Soul and makes sense and both worlds are in the same universe. I was very much rooting for Raoden to figure out what went wrong in Elantris, why the magic suddenly stopped working. And although he does figure it out, it’s almost by mere chance that it works, and after I wondered just how he would manage to keep the magic permanent in the future. The Aons are beautiful things, both artistic and powerful, and the entire world of the story is built around them. Good world building, indeed.

Elantris is great on many levels, but Sanderson really found his stride here especially with family and friend relationships. They are all warm, real people one could imagine meeting in real life, with strengths and flaws all on display throughout the story. Maybe it’s just me being a woman, as we tend to be more interested in relationships, but I was so glad there was very little battle time and that I as a reader just got to, well, “live” in the world of Arelon. There is quite a lot of politics in the book, so if one isn’t interested in that, that or the religion, that could be a turn off. Somehow Sanderson manages to write about the most controversial topics in the real world, but in this story they are things to be pursued and studied, rather than avoided in conversation at all costs. Again, the vagueness helped in this, allowing him largely to avoid offence to the readers, while getting them interested in the story.

This was a great, if long, read and enjoyed almost all of it. It is definitely a book I’d like to read again someday and of course has made me more interested in Sanderson’s other books set in the same universe. The magic he uses in his books is very specific, a science, almost. Looking forward to reading more of him in the future.