20190630 SAVERS for SUNDAY

SILENCE

Tried to do it for 60 seconds.  Didn't succeed, but at least I tried.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my base-70 routine for a Sunday:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 35
7. push-ups 35

READING, WRITING

Read for 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that back then, as well as now, the codes upon which human beings based their collective behavior, are largely based on MYTH.  He'll explore 2 examples:a.  The code of Hamarabi (c. 1776 BC), and the US Declaration of Independence (1776 AD).  And he'll attempt to answer the question:  "How can myths sustain entire empires?"

I am at a loss as to how to respond to the direction this book is taking.  It seems to me that Harari has made some generalizations, assumptions, speculations, etc. about how we as a species have evolved.  He might be right, and he might be way off.

But he made them, and now will (I think) base his discussion on these "tools" as if they were facts.

Or will he?  Perhaps he'll qualify his next segments all the way through.  Perhaps he'll hope that the reader will conveniently forget that his phrasing included "possible" and "might be," etc.

We'll see.  But for whatever reason, I'm on guard for possibly unfounded statements, etc.

The rest of my writing today will be composing 2 emails to Bill Laursen.

20190629 SAVERS for SATURDAY

(I caught up for Friday first)

SILENCE

I lay in bed, knowing that I did not have to hurry, and I tried more than usual to silence my brain for 60 seconds.  But it still seems impossible.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Re-read and researched the previous 60 second reading of SAPIENS:

1.  Anatolia is modern day Turkey; it is where the first "city" of record was located, a place called Catalhoyyuk (?) which is estimated to have been home to 5,000 to 10,000 people.

2.  The Fertile Crescent.  I thought that this referred to a "crescent" in Persia, over the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  I also recalled that it included Egypt.  So it's a lot larger than I had thought.  It goes from Egypt up and over and down to the Persian Gulf.  It has to "get around" the Saudi Arabian Desert, I guess; hence it's called a "crescent."

3.  Cities "popped up" in the Fertile Crescent, but also in Italy, and in China.

I then read for 60 more seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that by 200 BC, the Roman Empire had grown to millions of "subjects" and it was not all just to become farmers; it was to gain oppressive influence over the masses, through taxation.

Harari introduced the idea that mythology motivated many back then, but does not seem to address it much; he's more interested in stating how the elite oppressed the peasants by taxing them, enslaving them, and exploiting them to build the cities, pyramids, areenas, etc.

Enough writing for today.

20190628 SAVERS for FRIDAY

Today was not completely "routined."

I did my first elements, but did not record my achievements here.  Below is my best effort at recalling what went on yesterday, Friday, June 28, 2019.

SILENCE

Did not do it, as far as I can remember.

AFFIRMATIONS

Did not do them.

VISUALIZATION

Did not do them.  But I DID recall, during the day, that I was striving to be a "SAFE AND  COURTEOUS DRIVER."

EXERCISE

Did my full base 70 routine for a push-up day:

At abouthile still in bed, I did my Creator/God prayer/meditation & breathing routine, followed by testical examination (no irregularites) and squeezing, followed by penile/kegel exercise squeezing.

Then, I did the regular routine:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. push-ups 70

READING/WRITING

Did not do them on Friday; now it's Saturday, and I'm trying to recall the events as they occurred yesterday.  This is sometimes quite difficult to do for me; other times, I recall every detail.

I had to leave at 7:15 to drive roommate Chad to his hospital for a routine colonoscopy; because of this, my regular routine was disrupted.  I did the above, and took my laptop with me, thinking I'd make this record while waiting the estimated 2-3 hours for Chad's procedure to be completed.

But I did not make the record.  in stead, I went to the local 24-hour fitness gym and "worked out."  I spent all the time in the steam room & sauna, and then showered and left.

Also, with the time I had, I located and visited a vacuum cleaner repair shop on Thousand Oaks Blvd, and I found the filter material I needed for my hand vacuum filter replacement.  (Yay!)

Rather than a smoothie, I had a mocha coffee and a panini bread with tomatoes, spinach and cheese.

After picking up Chad, he offered to buy me lunch, which ended up being at Jack-in-the-Box drive thru, and I had a pita pocket chicken "sandwich" with fries & iced tea.

I returned home with Chad and lay down to rest, but fell asleep, and woke up at 12:30 or so.... 

Went to STEIGER'S for the auto body repair due to the accident I had a week or so ago (I was rear-ended by an Asian young man; the impact was strong enough to leave an impression of his license plate on my rear bumper).

Some things that happened there:

1.  Steigers is on Reseda Blvd, and it's kind of a "Valley Busy Low End" area of Reseda.  But the place was amazingly clean, professional, and customer-friendly.  I was glad I chose them.

2.  AAA auto insurance had suggested I go to Hertz next door to get a rental, and I was glad to do that.  But I did not anticipate that there might be a problem with the disputed balance on my last Hertz rental (in Montreal, in October, 2018).  But there was.

Although I had sent proof of my quote by Hertz to them and to their collection agency, the status on Friday was still "sent to collection."  Therefore, the local Hertz office was directed not to accept me as a customer.  The agent was all smiles and "sir" before that point.  After, he was quite different:  He put his hands up to me, saying that there was nothing he, the local Hertz agent, could do to get past this "situation."  He called a colleague over to look at his screen, which apparently prohibited him from going any further with the rental.

I had been quite ready to walk across the street to Enterprise rental agency to get a car there.  And I reminded Hertz that I was not the party renting their car - it was the AAA agency, on my behalf, who was responsible for this rental.  But that apparently didn't matter; he could not proceed. 

In an effort to get the deal done, he contacted a Hertz representative named Sandy, and she spoke to me on the phone about the "Montreal rental."  I admitted that this was my rental.  I told her that it was disputed, and that I had already provided written proof both to Hertz and to the collection agency.  She put me on hold while she called the collection agency (LONG hold time).  When she came back, she said, "I removed it," meaning that she took care of the disupte, and allowed the local Hertz office to proceed with the rental.  She said the removal would be "immediate."  The local agent then checked the computer, and it was, in fact, removed by Sandy. So I got the Hertz car, and went back to Stiegler.

Whew!  While I was quite upset that this happened, I had a fleeting thought several days ago:  while on the phone with AAA, they said that I could rent from Hertz.  I wondered briefly if the Montreal claim dispute might prevent me from dealing with Hertz.  I decided (without really thinking it through) that I'd give it a chance.  After all, I was not paying Hertz (or any rental agency) for the cost of the car. rental.

So I "shelved" the thought, and went all the way to the point described above.

I got all my stuff transferred to the rental car, and drove home.

Enough "recalling" for today (I'm writing this on Saturday morning, during my Saturday routine).

20190627 SAVERS for THURSDAY & CUB'S BIRTHDAY

SILENCE

Didn't do it today, but it doesn't work that well anyway.  I was silent a long time through the night, right?

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my base-70 routine for a Thursday.

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets.
6. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Read for 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He describes how our social evolution out-raced evolution after the advent of the Agricultural Revolution:  Small towns became larger, first with 100-200 inhabitants, and then larger (e.g., Jerico?) with several thousand, and then 10,000s, 100,000s and over a million by 5000-4000 BC.  Empires came into being, the first likely being in Egypt, ruled by Pharaohs.

All this seems quite logical and possible.  Harari has called this section "An Imagined Order" and has hinted that he will address the mythological aspects of Sapiens' social evolution, but hasn't really said much yet.

I'm expecting to read about the evolution of the beliefs of Sapiens (if such is reliably discoverable) in the forces of Nature, or in made-up dieties.  Read on, Ken.

In TO DOs for TODAY news, or rather, the PLAN is......

Thursday:

• go to work earlier; do the 2nd phase of Dr. Pruitt's on-line requalifying Medicare forms.
• go to Pomona, take mini-boombox
• return to Hollywood, possibly watch the 2nd Demo debate w/Dr. P.

Friday:

• clean out car
• take Chad to hospital for colonoscopy
• pick up non-perishable food items (BANANAS)
• visit vac store
• car wash? NO
• pick up Chad
• drive to Steiger auto repair
• get rental, return home

Saturday

• grocery shopping
• spend the day with GG

20190626 SAVERS for WEDNESDAY

SILENCE

Tried for 60 seconds.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also, said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my base-70 routine for a Wednesday

1. ankles/wrists circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. push-ups 70

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that with the advent of the Agricultural Revolution (12.5K BC to 8.5K BC), the previous bands of 24-36 Sapien tribes could not have "evolved" in their thinking to adopt a mythology, and then to "apply" it to millions of other Sapiens.  There was not enough time for this evolution to take place (i.e., 4,000 years).

And Harari imagines that a sociologist of 20K years ago, who also knew about life post-AR, might have thought that it would be impossible for millions of Sapiens to adopt and live according to mythology.

But, Harari says, s/he would have been wrong.  And next, he'll tell us readers why.

***********

TO DOS for TODAY:

1.  Groceries:  Bananas, peaches

2.  Vacuum repair place

3.  Test

20190625 SAVERS for TUESDAY

SILENCE

Did it for 60 seconds - sorta.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 routine for a Tuesday:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that in spite of times of plenty (when there were enough resources to feed many MORE people than was needed), human beings still fought each other.  He gives the French Revolution (spearheaded by affluent lawyers), the Roman Empire collapsing, and Yugoslavia (recent bloodbath)... as examples.  As I read, I felt that Harari was seeking dubious examples to support his claims.

For example, an author might say, "You, the reader, probably think that hunger causes uprisings.  But NOOOOOOOO, you are wrong!  In the cases I am citing, the uprisings were caused by surprising influences, and NOT what you've thought all along.  Therefore, you need to re-think this and change your opinion to mine."

Well, he MIGHT be doing this, and he might not.  But for whatever reason, I am TERRIBLY suspicious of his motives.

Could it be he wants to sell more books?  Could he just like being contrary?

I don't get in him the approach of a scientist, who would logically and reasonably and unbiasedly select the examples he can see, and THEN draw a conclusion.  Rather, I get that he says "HERE!  and THERE!  See??"  And we're supposed to follow along behind his train of thought.

Well, I'll keep reading, because maybe I'm wrong.  Maybe all he claims is legitimately reasoned.  Maybe I DO need to change my thinking.

We'll see.

20190624 SAVERS for MONDAY

S

No

A

I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.  (60 seconds)

V

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER

E

Yes

R,W

No

20190621 SAVERS BUST for FRIDAY

At least, til now.

It's POSSIBLE I might do it later today, but since I'm on my way to SLC (at Burbank Airport), and I'll be staying with JKT & family, I highly doubt it.

Oh well, I'm not that bad, really.  Boarding soon.

20190629 SAVERS for THURSDAY

SILENCE

Did it for 60 seconds

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

READING

Read 60 seconds in THE FOUR AGREEMENTS by Don Miguel Ruiz

20190619 SAVERS for WEDNESDAY

WHAT THE HELL DO I CARE ANYMORE?????

SILENCE

Tried to silence my brain for 60 seconds; but I'm mostly empty-headed anyway.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 routine

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. push-ups 70

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in THE FOUR AGREEMENTS by Don Miguel Ruiz.  He says I should not take ANYTHING personally.  But as I read, I realized that he was talking about messages we receive from OTHERS.  Other Human Beings.  God.

In contrast to that, I'm dealing with messages I send to myself.  I say, "I'm a place holder," or "I'm so stupid," or "Why doesn't God talk to me?" or "Why do I even care?"

I suppose it means that I'm depressed or something.

Let's see.  Today is the day AFTER I was hoping would ne "D-DAY" (David Day, or Decision Day).  But I did not hear from David ALL DAY.

So, should I take that personally?  According to Ruiz, I should not.

It's coming up on 5 years now.  In that time, I've struggled with

1. Not hearing from David when I expected to (based on what he told me)
2. Hearing from David, but there was a postponement of job offer.
3. Blaming myself (on a cosmic level) for being in this situation.

*sigh*

I'm not sure how beneficial it is to go over and over all this.

I changed my Affirmations today.  

BEFORE:  "I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator."

AFTER:  "I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being."

*sigh*

20190618 SAVERS for TUESDAY - D DAY?

SILENCE

Tried to silence my brain for 60 seconds; mild success.

AFFIRMATIONS

Today I'll do my "Aconda Mine" affirmations one more time.

IF it turns out to be "D DAY" (i.e., the day when David calls to say the money has arrived), then I'll continue this affirmation.

IF it turns out to be another DISAPPOINTMENT (i.e., no call from David, or a call in which the money is again postponed), then I'll select another Affirmation thread.

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 exercise routine for a Tuesday - Squat day.

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Read for 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the early farmers of the Agricultural Revolution were the "harvester ants" of their time, while a tiny minority of elites lived off of the farmers, which he now calls "peasants."

I had an immediate thought, which does NOT comport with this Harari-ian theory of how people evolved.  Harari does not even "go there" to the possibility that the "peasants" were in any way happy, or content with their lot in life.  He ignores the possibility that there was some sort of joy or peace to be experienced by farmers.  Believer in an unseen god, or not, they MUST have had some joy in their lives.  How about reproducing and enjoying their kids?

Harari doesn't even hint that this could have been part of the Sapien experience of the early Agricultural Revolution.

He's setting the reader up for the disparity between the elite and the peasants who provide the sweat and harvester ant work to support them.

Were there no benevolent elite?  Did no one ever think to share both the workload AND the bounty?

I don't know, of course.  HE'S the expert in his reasearch.  But I have my doubts that he's got the complete picture.

**********

In a recent conversation with George, he encouraged me to write daily, and he suggested that it would be good to write about the things for which I am grateful.  Grace = gracias = thanks.

1.  Family:  Teresa, Joe, Chrissy, Ada, Ethan, Elliot, Oliver; Lisa, Rodney, Lyla, Elijah, Caleb.

2.  Friends:  David, George, Dr. Pruitt, Paul, Bill, Sandie

3.  Health

4.  Comforts, food

5.  Eyesight, hearing, smell, touch, taste

6.  Books

7.  Movies

8.  Technology (phones, satellites, TV, automobile)

20190617 SAVERS for MONDAY, DAD'S and GRANDPA BORG'S BIRTHDAYS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD (111)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA BORG (131)

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 60 seconds.  Mild success.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving knowedgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 monthly routine for a Monday:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. push-ups 70

YAY!!!

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the "peasants" of the Agricultural Revolution (which took hold over a period of approximately 4,000 years - i.e., between 12.5K BC and 8.5K BC) necessarily confronted the changing weather and geologic conditions for the first time.  They began to think about "what ifs."  What if there were not enough water, or too much water, or strong winds, etc, etc.

I agree that we had to have somehow adjusted our thinking about conditions we were subject to, and that this changed our thought processes.

But I don't see that as a bad thing, which Harari again implies.  He, more than AR "peasants" longs for the prior days of foraging.

Enough of that for today.

*****************

Happy Birthday Dad (111) and Grandpa Borg (131)!!!

It's hard to imagine what they'd be like if they were alive today.  Maybe they ARE (reincarnated).  Or maybe they're in another life somewhere else.

I do wish I could somehow talk to them, and do so openly.  I wonder what they'd think of my life.  I wonder what they'd tell me about THEIR lives that they kept secret.  Or were they like that man who looked in the mirror every day, and strove to so live that the image he saw in the mirror at the end of his life was the same image that others saw when they looked at him.

Some things I read in my youth are still with me today.  Some are not.

So, let's have a good day today!

20190616 SAVERS for SUNDAY, FATHER'S DAY

SILENCE

Tried it for 60 seconds.  Sorta did it.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 routine for a Sunday:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 35
7. push-ups 35

(YAY!)

READING, WRITING

Read for 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says the Agricultural Revolution brought an increased concern among Sapiens for the future.  Since they now relied on farming (of grain AND animals), they necessarily had to be more and more concerned about the welfare of their crops into the remainder of the current season, the next season, and beyond.

This is an interesting observation.  Sapiens changed their mindset from "what about today" to "what about this week, this month, this year, next year," along with "what about droughts, pestilence, etc."

Harari is apparently setting the stage for the sorry state of affairs for Sapien farmers as the AR progressed.  He has never mentioned the possible "middle class" or "wealthy class" of the AR Sapien groups/villages....  He has only referred to them as "farmers," until this reading.

Now he's calling them "peasants."  Interesting.

********

I'm trying to guard against general old-age bitterness and crusty criticism.  But I'm also still evolving in my critical thinking skills.  So...... what should I do?  I'm guessing I should refrain from being too "old-age bitter," too "crusty critical," and keep evidence of such to a minimum, especially when I'm around my family & friends.

But today is Father's Day.  Here are 2 reactions to what has happened thus far.  I'll start with the "crusty critic response," and follow that by the "loving appreciative response."

A)  The "Crusty Critic Response"

When I was young, my Dad was celebrated on Father's Day with a cake, cards and being treated to things like breakfast in bed, etc.  His birthday (June 17) was also celebrated in like manner, in spite of the fact that it was often only a day or two different.  We children and Mom would not allow that to minimize the celebration of each way we could honor our Dad.

I'd often make my own greeting card for him, and ALWAYS give him sensitive and thoughtful messages about how appreciative I was to have him as a father in my life.

WHERE THE HELL ARE MY KIDS ON FATHER'S DAY????

No call ahead to see what I might be doing.  No gift.  Not even a card.  When they "have time" they send me a text.  If I'm lucky, I get a call.

And later, I'm guessing I'll find out that they went to Rodney's parents' house to celebrate PAUL on Father's Day.  He gets a visit (likely with cards, etc.), and I get a text message.

Sheesh!  I must not be all that good of a father/grandfather for my family.

B)  The "Loving Appreciative Response"

My kids each have young families, and demanding kids.  They also are fathers.  They tell me throughout each year that I'm a good father/grandfather, better than many they know about.

If they take the time to text or call, I will be very glad I got a message from them.  I love them, and they love me.  What more can we add to that?

*******

What often bothers me in my life is that I am both a "natural" person and a "disciplined" person.  My natural response to Father's Day as celebrated by my children is A) the "crusty critic response."  And I HATE that this is so.  So over the years, I've tried to change it.

As I've tried to change it, I've invariably asked, "WHY must I be like this???"  There is no answer evident to me.  I might have inherited it from family.  I might have learned it from environment & society.

But I still don't like it, and I'm still trying to change it.  AT 68 YEARS OF AGE!!!!!!!

*sigh*

20190615 SAVERS for SATURDAY SQUAT DAY

SILENCE

Had disturbing dream about 2 young disobedient girls who defied me by breaking eggs right in front of me.  I endeavored to discipline them, and I likely went way overboard.  Others were building a building near us, and their kids wanted to play with my 2 girls, but I wouldn't have it.  My girls cried and were sad most of the time.

I'm not sure what this dream means.  I'm wondering who the 2 girls were, why I had them in my care, why they defied me, why I felt obligated to discipline them them, and why I felt so sad and frustrated by the whole experience.

Qui Sait??

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

NOT YET.  But I'm still gearing up for it, however foolishly it might be.

Said aloud 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 routine for a Saturday

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that foragers of pre-Agricultural Revolution days limited their footprint to a few acres, and they learned how to subsist hand-to-mouth, day to day  They didn't worry about anything long-term.  AR Sapiens, by contrast, planned for the coming seasons, and even years & decades ahead.

The artwork left behind by foraging Sapiens tells that they DID in fact intend messages to be left for future generations.  But they were nowhere near the planners and efficiency experts their descendants would become.

Again, Harari seems to pine for the foraging days, while having little good to say about AR Sapiens.  This is a book ABOUT Sapiens, and I'd guess it describes how we got where we are.  I'm a little tired of Harari's constant lamenting about times gone by - MILLENIA gone by.

AND he almost arrogantly states what the foragers were thinking, or not thinking, about their lives ("Foragers usually didn't waste much time thinking about......").  How could he know what or how much millions of foragers were thinking about????

20190614 SAVERS for FRIDAY

SILENCE

meh

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administraotr.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 routine

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. push-ups 70

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says AR people occupied only about 2% of earth's land mass.  Now it's a lot more.

He's right.  We started small, and gradually expanded.

20190613 SAVERS for THURSDAY

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 60 seconds.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my base-70 routine for a Thursday/Squat day:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the Agriculture Revolution necessarily downsized the "home" of Sapiens.  In stead of living on large territories with few changes (exception:  fire), Sapiens began to live in small fiercely guarded domiciles built of wood, stone, etc., which they kept clear of "interlopers" (ants, spiders, wild animals, etc.); they now lived in contrived environments (houses, villages) rather than wild, natural environments.

He's right about this.  He's still implying that it was overall "not good" for Sapiens; I'm not so sure.

For example, I place great value on making my bed every morning.  I also place great value in controlling my actions (i.e., doing my routine daily).  Why do I do this?  Is it a "wild v domesticated" spectrum?  Is it a "natural" thing to exercise regularly?  Would Harari opine that if I had been a forager from birth, I'd have no need to do regular exercise?

Again, I observe in my limited view of my life thus far, it is a series of one-way streets.  I was born to farmers in the Agricultural Revolution era.  Dad taught me early on that it was important to do something regularly, "even if it's just polishing your shoes,"  I hear him saying.  So I was "doomed to be an "AR Sapien" from birth.

I rebelled against that "regular something" slightly, but always sensed the value in it.  I eventually made a conscious choice to do several things regularly:  make my bed, exercise, so the SAVERS routine every day.

My medical friends would surely say something like, "Your body is meant to be exercised regularly."  I'm guessing that was true of pre-AR Sapiens, too.  Did they get the exercise they needed through a wild and natural means (chasing their prey), or did they do push-ups and sit-ups daily?

Today, brain experts say our brains will atrophy over time unless we "fight back" and do mental exercises (crosswords).  What did pre-AR Sapiens do to exercise their brains as they got older?  Or did they even bother?  There must have been some who were more mentally agile than others.  Did the more "exercised" Sapiens encourage their lazy siblings/friends to follow suit?

Dunno.  But it's interesting to think about it.

And, as I'm sure anyone who might read this has concluded, MY brain is now "exercised" for today.

20190612 SAVERS for WEDNESDAY

SILENCE

Tried for 60 seconds

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 routine for a Wednesday:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70=second sets
6. push-ups 70

(YAY!)

READING, WRITING

Read for 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that with the "advent" of the Agricultural Revolution (by 8.5K BC), people began to build in, live in, and identify with a "house" which also had psychological implications:  they developed less vast spaces in which to live, as compared to hunter/gatherers, who had lived in large territories of land.

Eventually, the "left-over" foragers became the "wild people" and the village people became "civilized."

Sad days for Sapiens, although they hardly realized what was happening (probably)

20190611 SAVERS for TUESDAY

SILENCE

Tried for 60 seconds.  meh.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full base-70 routine for a Tuesday - Squat day

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

(YAY!)

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the Agricultural Revolution brought about a serious, permanent, and perhaps the most important lesson:  the discrepancy between evolutionary success and individual suffering.

Harari now moves from the AR to "Building Pyramids."  But not without stressing how the AR changed us, and he hints in every sentence that it was NOT for the better.  I'm guessing that he'll now "give up" on how bad the AR was for Sapiens, and focus on other aspects of our social evolution.  First, he notes how dramatically the population increased:  foragers decreased, but farmers increased to approx 250MM by 100 AD.

I'm in agreement - Sapiens evolved and increased.  "Filled the earth."  So necessarily he/she will focus on architecture to house all the people.

20190610 SAVERS for MONDAY

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 60 seconds; kinda worked, but kinda didn't.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full 70=based routine

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. push-ups 70

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that not all Agricultural Revolution (12.5K BC to 8.5K BC) sapiens were cruel farmers.  And not all species were kept in confined conditions (in order to give the maximum advantage to the farmer).  Harari compares the treatment of herd animals to slaves: some were mistreated, others were loved.  But in spite of this more loving approach, they were (are) still mistreated when compared to wild animals.

So what are we to make of sheep who have wool to "give" to people.  Are they better left alone?

It's quite confusing to me.  I'm wondering if we shouldn't become vegans.  What would I have to remove from my life in order to become a pure vegan?  Would I do that or anything like it at my age, and in this society?

George is vegan.  Kelpfish is vegetarian.  What am I?

20190609 SAVERS for SUNDAY

SILENCE

Lay in bed trying to silence my thoughts & clear my mind; couldn't do it.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthrtopic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my base-70 routine for a Sunday:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 35
7. push-ups 35

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He matter-of-fact-ly describes the brutal methods and mutilations of sheep, goats and cows, to get the mothers to produce milk but not to allow her to give the milk to her young.  Too gruesome to repeat here.

But if true, it makes me want to stop consuming dairy products.  That's hard for me, since I do love them.  I've cut way back on dairy products, but haven't given them up totally.

After centuries of this kind of animal "farming,"  it's difficult to imagine our society without dairy products.

20190606 SAVERS for THURSDAY SQUAT DAY

SILENCE

Forgot to do it.  Maybe that's good.  My brain is emptier than usual

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full 35 rep routine for a squat day:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Read for 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that today, pigs, cows, sheep and goats are all raised for giving milk while alive, and then it's on to slaughter.  He says cows are almost always pregnant.  They give birth, and their calves are taken away & slaughtered, so the milk can be harvested.

Farm animal mutilation has been common for centuries, mostly so that the farmer and keep control over his/her herd.

This is totally disgusting to me.  I'm possibly going to give up dairy 100%, just so that I'm not a co-conspirator in this ugly process.

But I'm also wondering if there are any farmers who are more kind to their animals.  Some today might have more of a conscience.  Rick Bingham's dad was a dairy farmer, and also a mormon.  I wonder if he ever felt guilty for the way he treated his cows.

I'm anticipating that Harari will win me over to his way of thinking before too much longer.

20190605 SAVERS for WEDNESDAY

I'm not working w/Dr. P today, so I ALMOST just stayed in bed.  BUT...... I psyched myself into doing my full SAVERS today by agreeing to do one step after another, until I did it all!  YAY!!!

SILENCE

Tried to silence my brain while counting to 60 seconds.  Didn't work.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my full 35 day/rep routine (except push-ups):

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second reps
6. push-ups: 1st set of 35; 2nd set of 33 (fail); 3rd set of 5

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says the movement from "wild" to "domesticated" (wrt draught animals) involved very unseemly treatment (corrals, cages, castration, mutilation (-branding?), and generally altering their natural inclinations to the point of economic advantage for the farmers.

Obviously this changed the course of evolution, and I believe Harari is saying (or will soon say) ..... NOT IN A GOOD WAY.

He's right.  This is like hearing about the truths about my religion after 35 years of believing it - it's tough to accept the truth that it's a bunch of baloney.  After 15K years, it's tough to admit that we did wrong.

I'm not sure if I should be feeling guilty about it.  I'm not sure if that's what Harari is trying to engender.  I hope that he hopes for at least SOMETHING better in all this.  We'll see.

20190604 SAVERS for TUESDAY

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 60 seconds.  Kinda worked.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my 1+ routine for June 4 - squat day

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Read for 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He compares the life spans of wild animals (e.g. chickens) to domesticated animals.  wild:domesticated = 12 years:3 months.  This is a tragedy for the animals, and I agree.  Domesticated animals are slaughtered after they reach their maximum weight; why keep feeding them after that?

While the number of animals has increased, their misery has also.

While I agree with Harari that this situation is a tragedy, and don't know how he can know assuredly that chickens today are the most "miserable" of creatures.

I'm inching toward become 100% vegetarian.  Maybe.

20190603 SAVERS for MONDAY

SILENCE

Tried to silence my brain for 60 seconds; the world around me won't cooperate.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my 1+ routine for the build up to 70.

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. push-ups 2 sets of 33 (66; on the way to 70)

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the farmers appearing during the Agricultural Revolution gradually shifted the labor needed from humans to animals, and that the domesticated animals also provided food (meat, milk) and raw materials (e.g., hides).  Their numbers went from a few million world wide to more than a billion world wide.

Harari considers that from a "narrow evolutionary perspective," the AR was a boon to these animals, since they became so prolific.  But......he has some other perspectives to bring up in the next session.

(NOTE:  I'm trying to read for 60 seconds, put the book down, and then write about what I've read; I usually have to pick the book up a 2nd time to recall a particular idea or term.  I'm hoping that I eventually won't have to pick the book back up at all.)

20190602 SAVERS for SUNDAY

SILENCE

Calm, but not totally empty brain.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, professional and knowledgeable philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my 1+ routine for day 33 - working to 2 reps of 35:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 35
7. push-ups 33  (Monday will be 2 sets of 34; Wednesday will be 2 sets of 35)

READING, WRITING

Read 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He speculates on the likely development of how humans domesticated animals, and goes into detail about how sheep might have ended up as a corralled animal on a farm.  The nomads could have herded the sheep to keep them from predators (lions), and eventually could have slaughtered the "correct" rams, ewes and lambs so as to end up with a fatter and more docile farm animal.

I'm speculating that IF what Harari says is close to the reality of the evolution of herding and domesticating farm animals during the Agricultural Revolution (12.5K BC to 8.5KBC), then what would sheep, pigs, etc. have been like had humans NOT evolved into farmers.

Harari calls the evolution of farmers and raising grains a  "Faustian bargain;" i.e., humans sold their true selves to farming.

Hmmm...... I wonder.  He could be right.  But it's soooooo very sepculative (to me), I still doubt that it really "happened that way."  I just don't know.

20190601 SAVERS for SATURDAY

SILENCE

Tried to silence brain for 60 seconds.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving, knowledgeable and professional philanthropic foundation administrator.

Also said aloud for 60 seconds.

VISUALIZATION

I AM A SAFE AND COURTEOUS DRIVER.

EXERCISE

Did my 1+ full 70-based exercise routine:

1. ankle/wrist circles 70
2. toe/finger stretches 70
3. bicycle crunches 70
4. shoulder rolls 70
5. inversion table 3 70-second sets
6. squats 70

READING, WRITING

Read for 60 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says Gobekli Tepe discoveries indicate that it was built by foragers, not by farmers.  Perhaps it was built for some cultural/spiritual/mysterious reason.  But it was definitely there BEFORE a village grew up near it.

In other places, the village came first, and THEN the people built cultural/spiritual/mysterious structures.

The most fascinating thing in today's reading, to me, was that based on what we now know (and that's not at all pinned down), it would have taken thousands of hunans (who were at the time foragers) a very long time to create the Gobekli Tepe (5 meters tall) pillars.  What convinced them to all cooperate?

Either religion, or something food/wheat related are the likely answers.  Maybe both.