BE THE STAR OF YOUR LIFE

“Fame or integrity: which is more important? Money or happiness: which is more valuable? Success or failure: which is more destructive? If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
- Lao Tzu, from the Tao Te Ching

Lots of people want to be famous. Especially prone to the longings, are children, teenagers, and a whole lotta California. Statistically, wouldn't becoming famous be similar to landing a winning lottery ticket? Even if talents were whetted to perfection, fame would still be a shot of luck. The need for praise, popularity, or appreciation drives those who want “it” regardless of daunting probability. During the last few weeks of American Idol auditions, judges sifted through thousands of performers afflicted with “fame-itis” to discover a scant few who might have the goods.

Successful artists like Josh Groban who have prepared their craft, can accept the well deserved acknowledgements when they come. But a “lottery winner” like Susan Boyle freaks out when her simple life is overtaken by video cameras staked outside her home. Blinded by her desire for celebrity, she wasn't prepared for the dark side of the dream.

The negative aspects to fame like loss of privacy, penetrable scrutiny, and pressures to maintain success are irrelevant to the star-struck. Fame and celebrity are a tempting delusional sundae full of corn syrup, not always as tasty as it looks, but when someone is starving, satiating the need is all that matters. Then, when the in-coming praise doesn’t match the internal praise, the difference is maddening. Fame cannot accelerate self worth or cure life’s problems. While the spotlight exalts, it also exposes flaws. Are the nervous breakdowns and addictive behaviors common to meteoric fame any surprise?

Perhaps it’s best to be the star of your own life, first.

“I don’t think I realized that the cost of fame is that it’s open season on every moment of your life.” -Julia Roberts

“If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are.” - Oprah Winfrey

“With fame, you know, you can read about yourself, somebody else’s ideas about you, but what’s important is how you feel about yourself - for survival and living day to day with what comes up.” -Marilyn Monroe

“The image is one thing and the human being is another. It’s very hard to live up to an image.” -Elvis Presley

“By accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time, but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever.” -Lao Tzu

AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM

Ten years ago I discovered world music super group, Afro Celt Sound System and began collecting their entire discography. They are the least likely group to see live, but that's ok, the best seat is in your ear. If stranded on the island with one CD, I would choose Afro Celt Sound System and never tire of it, if it was the last music I ever heard.

Afro Celt Sound System is a musical group which fuses modern dance rhythms (trip-hop, techno, etc.) with traditional Irish (Celtic) and West African dance rhythms formed by Grammy-nominated producer-guitarist Simon Emmerson, and is considered to be somewhat of a world music supergroup, often having a wide range of guest artists on their albums:

Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Pete Lockett, Sinéad O’Connor, Pina Kollar, Dorothee Munyaneza, Sevara Nazarkhan, Simon Massey, Jesse Cook, Martin Hayes, Eileen Ivers, Mundy, Demba Barry, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, and Ciarán Tourish of Altan, Ronan Browne, Michael McGoldrick, Myrdhin, Shooglenifty, Mairead Nesbitt, Davy Spillane, Jonas Bruce, Heather Nova, Julie Murphy and Ayub Ogada. -Wikipedia

One click will take you to the experience: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrJW33JkVlM

FOOD PHILOSOPHY

My parents were raised on farms, so a necessity for their first home was space enough for a large vegetable garden. We dumped food scraps on a compost pile behind the shed, and every spring my father tilled the soil and added fresh manure. If that didn’t raise a few eyebrows, when the elder neighbors spotted my hippy Mother weeding in her white go-go boots they declared the neighborhood was going down the tubes. Actually, in the 60’s sustainable farming was a growing trend, but for my parents it was second nature.

In summer we ate from the fruit trees and vegetable garden, “canning” our winter food in glass jars. We stored pickles and tomato sauce in the basement cellar. Corn, plus other veggies were blanched, frozen, and stashed in an auxiliary freezer along with meat from Grandma’s farm. Several times a year we visited the cheese factory that processed her cow’s milk. It was a way of life and I became accustomed to the taste of good food.

When I left home, these food sources were replaced by processed and non-organic food. After a few years I was overweight, chronically tired and malnourished. It took many years to get healthy again, and it wasn’t inexpensive. To survive, I had to start spending more money on food and less on health care. I returned to my roots and sought options for better quality food. Thank God for the Outpost, Health Hut, and eventually Whole Foods. A simple solution to the healthcare crisis - spend more on quality food, stop inflating medical costs, and don't support companies who produce nutritionally poor food. In his new documentary “Food, Inc.” based on two books, “An Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan, and “Fast Food Nation” by Eric Schlosser, filmmaker Robert Kenner explores the dilemma.

Kenner is adamant that food is not an elitist issue. Rather, “it is a health issue, an environmental issue, a human rights issue. This industrialized food, whether you're eating it or not, is going to cost us all.” - June 11, 2009 By Tamara Straus, Special to The Chronicle
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/michael-pollan-offers-64-ways-to-eat-food/

My other food hero is co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey. His fascinating story appeared in The New Yorker in January 2010. I’ve always been curious about the origins of this super market. I encourage you to read Nick Paumgarten’s impressive profile of John Mackey’s journey through the food industry, and support businesses that benefit you and your whole community.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/01/04/100104fa_fact_paumgarten

CHERRIE BOMB'S LOVE FEST

Surround yourself with the things you love....Make every day a love fest!
My valentine to you, dear readers, is a bouquet of bright ideas and a box of delicious surprises:

Are you still using a microwave? A convection toaster oven is the most used piece of equipment in my kitchen. It toasts, broils, warms, convection bakes, and reheats food adding crispiness you can't get in a microwave. Microwaving destroys flavor and texture and makes leftovers second rate. Replace your microwave and toaster for one space-saving wonder machine. (Find at Target stores under $70) Bon appetite!

Sifting through the thick glog of television’s heinous crime, disaster, or freaky people drama, I am always on alert for intelligent, positive programming. If you like music you must check out Elvis Costello’s show, “Spectacle” on Sundance Channel. (Executive produced by Elton John). The common thread among the diverse appearance of musicians and songwriters is talent. Their bells and whistles do not include over-the-top costumes, vulgar dance moves or exploding stages. They discuss personal history, careers, artistic process, and the music industry. Guests perform with and without Elvis. Thinking people’s entertainment. Explaining his approach to the program, Elvis said, "I'm not interested in extracting some dark secret. I'd rather hear about a bright secret, a deep love or a curiosity that might be otherwise obscured by fame. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk in complete thoughts about music, movies, art or even vaudeville, then frame it with unique and illustrative performances." -PR Newswire

Are you concerned with bad breath? Do you brush twice a day? Find out the best way to have fresh breath. Dr. Tung’s Tongue Cleaner: http://www.dreamcastle.com/tungs/
“Modern research confirms that tongue cleaning is the best way to remove bacteria that cause bad breath. Tongue cleansing also helps improve taste, remove the coating on the tongue and slow the growth of plaque.” -Dr. Tung

Every morning for breakfast I prefer coffee and something sweet. I should be having fruit, yogurt, or oatmeal, but most days I have Nature’s Path chocolate toaster pastries. An organic alternative to pop tarts, with many natural flavors to choose from and nothing artificial.

(toaster pastries + convection toaster oven = love)

PLAYBOYS AND HEROES

What’s up with the playboys lately? Not popularity or respect it seems...
Cumulative headlines suggest the pedestalus erectus may be crumbling:

-Tiger’s worst 16 holes
-Letterman the-well-hung-man
-Fellini’s philandering film fest
-Peter budget-eater Orszag
-Donald mad man dumped Draper
-The politically incorrect John Edwards
-Warren Beatty’s unauthorized bedpost boast

Is the womanizer image withering? Do playboys coat intimacy issues and arrested development with persona and power? Does the recent finger pointing mean we are collectively rejecting adolescent behaviors in favor of integrity?

Sex rehab seems to be on the rise as well. Such healing has a collective effect, but starts with individual intention, acceptance, and responsibility. If a man stands behind promises thus cultivating his self esteem, relationships with girlfriends, spouses and children will be his pride, not his failure. The harm of playboy behavior - the temporary relief of insatiable lust or insecurities – takes its toll. Dalliances destroy personal relationships, but they also impair businesses that rely on reputations for endorsements. So why have we glorified the playboy for so long? Are we becoming more conscious?

Women are playgirls too, but the term is comparatively derogatory. Playgirls are viewed as sluts tramps, or cougars, while playboys are billed studs, sex-gods, or heart-breakers. Are women who are drawn to playboys hoping to conquer the noncommittal and share their limelight? Practically speaking, why date or marry a man who’s not capable or interested beyond infatuation? They’re dealing in Mr. Right Now, not Mr. Right. The infatuation phase is undeniably addicting for men and women, but the treasure of real love takes time and commitment. If you have a partner who is mutually willing to get there, the payoff is greater than temporary pleasure.

Wouldn’t it be great if playboys were heroes instead?

CHARLIE

I love Charlie Rose, he is the Kung Fu Master of the interview. Which makes me wonder how he still flies under the mass popularity radar? Is it the late night time slot? Or does average find little interest in the way above average?

For 19 years, the Charlie Rose show has been broadcast and honed to a surgeon’s scalpel. He glides from intrapersonal to interpersonal with perfect measure, leaving room for the subject to bloom. Confrontational and occasionally ornery, he is obsessively eager to harvest details and truths.

His dark minimal set is a round oak table illuminated in the foreground. The focused environment inspires guests to relax and open up. Charlie introduces actors, writers, politicians, scientists, entertainers, political correspondents, Heads of State, and Presidents. He interviews the greatest minds of the world with equaled brilliance.

The Charlie Rose Brain Series should be programmed on your DVR. Over the next year Charlie will be interviewing scientists and researchers about different subjects of the brain like perception, social interaction, aging and creativity, including scientific discovery and advances in technology.

Be my Valentine, Charlie Rose!

http://www.charlierose.com/view/collection/10702