Little Song Soapbox

As a kid I had a lot of trouble getting the lyrics of music.  I knew a lot of tunes, but unless the song was in the church hymnal, I never knew all the words, especially if it was something I only heard on the radio.  So I'd just bee-bop along and with the few words I understood,  In retrospect it's probably a good thing we didn't have a decent sound system in the house or cars.

Now that I've been an adult for a few years I truly abhor the messages of some catchy tunes I enjoyed as a teenager.  Sure, I would hear the occasional preacher denounce this or that song - much harder stuff than I listen to - because of its bad message. At the time I didn't ask myself (and of course not the "authorities") how they knew a song was bad.  Did they take the word of someone else? Did (gasp!) they listen to it themselves?

The world may never know.  And that's ok -  not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

What gets me though is the number of older Christian tunes I now take issue with.  For all the denunciation of modern Christian music being repetitious and shallow,  there's plenty of popular old time gospel songs that fit the same bill.  I don't think any of the musicians or singers intended to create something with an improper or shallow message, but it did happen.

Take the chorus of this goldie oldie for example:

"And now its sunshine and roses,
Only a thorn now and then;
Cool Streams, warm breezes,
Since Jesus took my hand
Green meadows and laughter
Hope within a crumbling time
And now its sunshine and roses,
Only a thorn now and then."

Sunshine and roses.  Really?  I hope my brothers and sisters in Africa, Asia and the Middle East who have suffered the loss of parents, children, brothers and sisters know that.  I'm sure life is a green meadow full of laughter for them.  Tell the believers in China that the thorns are few.

And it's no wonder the so called prosperity gospel has flourished with bad doctrine like this making the charts in whats still a very popular industry.

Maybe I'm super sensitive because I'm not feeling well.  Maybe I've heard too much four part harmony as my hubby indulges in his love for this genera.  Maybe I'm more discerning about messages at this point in my life or maybe I'm just being a crab.  I don't know-  maybe I will know tomorrow.

But for now I just know that more than ever, I pay attention.  If I can understand the words I'm analyzing them.  And just because it's old don't mean its good.  And just because its new don't mean its bad.  What counts when it comes to music, any music, is the message.  What is the message it delivers to the heart of the listener?

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.   Philippians 4:8

The rest of the story.

As a follow up to last week's rant I think it necessary to tie up some loose ends.

I spoke with my NP and she confirmed everything I wrote about being shut down. She's heartbroken over the turn of events but believes that when God shuts one door, he opens another and is taking care of business until such time He deems good to do so. Her primary concern is that her existing patients continue to receive the care and products she started them on and is advising everyone who calls to that end.

But there ARE some things that can be done. Here's her request list:

1. Pray about the local situation.
2. Write the two owners of her clinic who made the final decision to protest and express concerns. (I'll gladly furnish names and addresses to anyone who emails.)
3. Go to this link and contact your congressman. Wyeth Laboratories (the horse pee hormone specialists) along with Senator Kennedy and a few other misinformed idiots are trying to push through a bill that would restrict or eliminate plant based hormones. THIS BILL HAS TO BE STOPPED.

Also, for what it's worth, there is another local clinic now prescribing bio-id hrt. I'll gladly furnish that info too.

I am livid. I am so angry I am seeing red and would stomp somebody's big toe flat had I license to do so.

Medical GREED has prevailed in Dothan, Alabama. The ob-gyn community has shut down the only practicioner in the area who promotes and prescribes bio-identical hormone replacement therapy for women. The word on the street is that they pressured the hospitals to shut out the physicians in her clinic if she didn't cease and desist treating women for hormonal conditions.

Mainstream medicine has always despised alternative medicine. Chiropractors have endured this for years. And the pharmacutical industry has such a grip on this country's economy they routinely and regularly try to discredit herbal and other alternative forms of treatment. In some cases they've even succeeded shutting them down entirely. (This happened with a product that helped cure my friend Mavis of cancer.) It should come as no surprise in our little corner of the state that doctors have successfully shut down a threat to their BMW payments.

I was appalled last year when an ob-gyn asked me if I'd decided how I wanted to be cut up before any test results had come back. There was no problem but it was obvious he'd have been happy to take something out anyway. My friend T.D. cancelled her hysterectomy a couple of days ago when she got wind that her clinic was involved. Her ob-gyn had flat out denied that Premarin could cause breast cancer and had angrily walked out on a patient who asked about bio-identical hormones. Apparently it is a very hot issue and "the establishment" doesn't like it.

Well, it's not going away. We are close enough to Tallahassee that if enough of us start making the pilgrimage to get REAL and SANE healthcare (none of this horse pee stuff) maybe someone will get the idea that women want CHOICES about how they go through menopause. The dr's at Women's Medical Center PC, Dothan OB-Gyn, Ob & Gyn-Dothan, etc. may have silenced and stopped bio-identical HTR for now, but it's not going away. Too many women have heard about it from Suzanne Somers, too many have read about it in health magazines, and many, many have heard about it from someone like myself who has been helped in a profound way.

I'm not going to shut up. And I'm not going to hide my anger about this shameful turn of events. Having an MD behind your name doesn't make you a god nor does it negate sound research or the experience of thousands of women who have been helped. GROW UP. Get a life that doesn't include the automatic removal of a woman's uterus once she finishes childbearing.

Pimping Hollywood (again)

Dan Burrell had mentioned in his 2006 year end observations that the money grubbers in Hollywood were using churches to promote (i.e. pimp) conservative and faith based movies.

It's not just churches. Thanks to some astute PR work the National Honey Board is now enlisted to promote Jerry Senfield's new movie. So what's being promoted here? Is the movie promoting beekeeping and honey products or is it the other way around? Will pimping this movie actually DO anything for beekeeping and beekeepers or will it leave impressionable and sometimes ignorant viewers with huge misperceptions like Disney's Pocohontis did? Will promoting this movie cause people to use more honey? Who stands to make more from this partnership? Will Jerry donate money for CCD research?

Fast food chains have been pimping Hollywood for years. Star Wars and Finding Nemo promotions never prompted me to get a Whopper or Big Mac. Don't get me wrong, I full well intend to see the movie. They'll get my few dollars for a ticket. I may even buy the dvd. I just question what short term or long term benefit we as beekeepers will gain from this.

This will be short and sweet.

When Capital One says "No Hassle', don't believe a word of it. They are one of several companies who have outsourced their customer service somewhere in Asia (meaning you can't communicate with the representatives). Getting anything done or any queston answered is a HUGE hassle. All the English speaking people are in the fraud department, and even they are challenged to get it right.

Don't be fooled, those bumfuddeling Vikings ARE Capital One.