DIANETICS: The Modern Science of Mental Health

1950

DIANETICS

No, I did not search out this book, nor was it given to me by a friend. This came with the collection of science-fiction books my wife bought from an out-of-business bookstore. I am sure that it was included in the set due to Hubbard's backround as a sci-fi writer, although I'm sure many people would argue that this book is certainly not science-fact.

I was determined to read it despite my own pre-bias. I read all the books on my shelf... but more importantly I wanted to know what all the fuss is about. I did my even best to clear my mind of preconceptions and biases and read this book with an open mind.

And at first it went well. I was a little suprised at how reasonable the book starts, following theories along a path of common sense. The core concepts of Dianetics are not revolutionary or terribly controversial. It stands to reason that traumatic events in our past can lead to mental blocks in our psyche which can lead to mental, or even physical, ailments. The idea that one can achieve the status of a "clear", meaning a person free of major or even minor mental blocks and illness, isn't so different from ancient religious goals or modern psychology. The extent that Hubbard details this out reflects the amount of time he put into really thinking this idea out.

But by the middle of the book- once he's got his hooks into the readers of the 1950's who perhaps were not well versed in the study of psychiatry- he starts to really go off the deep end and use his "well-tested" theories as an excuse to blast every aspect of modern society he didn't care for. You see, no matter how hard you try to clear yourself, there will always be surgeons filling your unconscious mind with unpure thoughts while you are under anesthesia. The homosexuals and abortionists and degenerates surround you with their filth and your only salvation lies in following every piece of alien-spawned direction ole' L. Ron spoon feeds you.

Readers of my blog posts will agree, I think, that I can often find something nice to say about everything I read, even if it wasn't my cup of tea. And I really did want to educate myself on the contents and origins of Scientology before I said anything negative in a public forum. I thought that maybe some of the Xenu Galactic Confederacy space opera stuff would make for good sci-fi reading (even if considering it as such may be blasphemous). But I simply had to put the book away. I actually stopped reading a book because I was just that disgusted with the contents.

From the get-go Hubbard is clearly targeting uneducated readers, as evidenced by the fact that he includes definitions for any word more than four letters. As his statements of belief get wilder but are always supported by vague and undocumented lab testing, and are used to justify gross and nasty biases, I found myself increasingly offended. Hubbard offends both my intellect as well as my own beliefs as to everything that is moral and right about the world.

Sorry, L. Ron. Sorry, Tom Cruise. Sorry, Xenu. Scientology has its place in my crossover world of fiction- Hubbard had fleeting relationships with Aleister Crowley's group and Burroughs targets it multiple times in Nova Express, for example. But I had my fill of the trash in Dianetics and don't feel the need to read any more beyond the first half.

Wishing to remain somewhat PC in the more public forum of Goodreads, I rated it two stars (generous!) and my review read like this:

"I liked the hologram volcano on the cover!"

Sex-pol: Essays, 1929-1934

Sex-pol: Essays, 1929-1934

Yeah, I'm definately out of order. What I had intended to read was Listen, Little Man! but I couldn't find a copy handy. I'm sure I would've read that out of order, too. But this edition of Sex-Pol fell out of a library shelf and into my hands so I took it home to check it out.

Like a lot of my readings, I can't remember why I first added Reich to my list, or why I had picked any specific title of his. I am sure it was most likely a result of Bill Burroughs listing Reich as an influence- particularly in his Nova Express series, which I read around this time. Cut-up mentions of orgone machines and released sexual expression may have led me to believe that understanding Reich would have an important impact on understanding his influence on pop culture. Or at least Devo's hats.

My review of the book: Fans of Reich's controversial views on orgone machines and other sexual themes will be disappointed in this largely straightforward take on how sexuality fits into society, specifically within socialism and the communist movement. While views such as female independance and sexual freedom for youth (as well as his criticism of the CP and Hitler) may have sparked outrage in the thirties, it comes across as common sense now. Perhaps the greatest value of this tome, outside of it's importance in a historical context, is to illuminate how ahead of his time Reich is. But I recommend this book to students of psychiatry and socialism only- casual readers (like me) will find themselves skimming ahead looking for interesting bits.

Readers: Has anyone else read Reich's stuff? Is it worth revisiting the essays he wrote later in life which would still be considered controversial today? One day I plan on getting around to it.

Sally Forth

I used to read the comics in newspapers religiously. I adored the newer strips like Bloom County and Dilbert that took the daily funnies to a new level, and also loved the old has-beens like Peanuts for their genuine charm and the nostalgia of reading the Sunday paper together with my father when I was still young enough to fit on his lap.

And there are a ton of great comics out there today. I just don't read them like I used to on account of things like, oh, print media being dead, growing up... lame stuff like that. I still have funny videos my friend Mike sent me I haven't watched yet, I don't have time for Funky Winkerbean!

But today I happened to read the Sunday comics, and I was really taken aback by Sally Forth. As you probably know, Sally is a pretty plain comic about a whitebread normal family. It does a great job of balancing traditional family entertainment with a winking sarcasm enjoyed by intelligent adults. Now, I've been out of the loop for awhile, but I know that the comic has tackled some issues over the years like unemployment and the sports team you coach or play in always losing (subjects I can relate to). But today's strip struck me as... pretty out there.

CLICK HERE

The second panel hits pretty hard. Undistinguished career? Financial woes? Dude, I think Ted might have cancer! I can seriously relate to the first two concerns, but the man really needs to get that mole looked at.

And the bit about the guidance counselor? Does anyone really say that to someone?! That is simply cruel. And Ted may be a bit of a goofball, but was he retarded in high school or something? He just never gave me that gang-member-as-a-kid feeling. Granted, in my career guidance session in high school I was advised to be a janitor, but it was a computer program that said that, going off of cold hard logic.

"Let's rearrange our furniture and lives to look directly at it." This is perhaps the funniest bit for me. It is absolutely something I would say. For the first time ever, Sally Forth has made me feel that I'm not totally alone and unique in the world.

And then an unexpected bonus: A Gollum reference! From the lips of a lady who was in her forties thirty years ago! Sally is still hip! Then the strip wraps up with the one-two-three burial-100 years-invicibility punchline. Man. There were plenty of clever comics today, but Sally Forth really nailed it with some good old fashioned shock'n'awe.

ADDENDUM 1: In the process of writing this blog, the east coast hit midnight and the strip rolled over to Monday on the web. I had to select 'yesterday' to access the Sunday strip I was writing about. But I won't retro my references to "today's strip" since it's still Sunday for me.

ADDENDUM 2: An older SF strip I stumbled upon that I really loved. I never thought Sally Forth would sucker-punch me in the gut with the two best comics I read in one day!

Visual Bookshelf

It is the end of an era in online book reviews, one that will most likely be completely forgotton a year from now.

When I first started posting my thumbnail book reviews (2008?), it was on the website Visual Bookshelf. I was pretty excited about the website. It initially ran as a Facebook app, which I think they intended to expand out of but never did. It was listed as an affiliate of Living Social, the guys who have made a name for themselves as the main competitor of Tibet-mockers Groupon. Visual Bookshelf was actually the flagship program for Living Social, originally called Hungry Machine. Back then LS advertised itself as a sort of online social network geared specifically toward common interests, and in the beginning there were no deals- just sites to post and write about your interests and reviews. And probably buy your friends virtual cocktails, which provided none of the pleasure of a real cocktail, nor the warm feelings generally associated with real gifts of any kind.

Over the last few years things changed. While I was busy writing reviews and adding books to my online bookshelf along with a handful of friends, Living Social was busy changing their business model. Meanwhile, I noticed a handful of different friends were posting similiar book reviews on a different website, Goodreads. I debated what to do, wanting to absolutely maximize my online sharing (duh). Obviously I chose to join both sites. I wrote my reviews in the original VB, then copied and pasted them into copycat GR. Both programs interfaced with Facebook to allow me to post links to my reviews for 300 of closest friends who are dying to know what piece of steampunk fiction I had just finished. I posted both reviews, then went to FB to see which looked better and deleted the other link.

This went on for a year or two. But over time my original beloved Visual Bookshelf started to suffer some technical issues. It would re-route users to spam, often vicious spybots. Then it started crashing and the server would be down for hours, even days. Meanwhile Goodreads was steadily improving many of its functions and slowly gaining users. I was hardly suprised when I wandered onto a VB forum one day and found all of the posts ripping Bookshelf apart, and more than a few recommending Goodreads as a great alternative.

Then one day I noticed an ad in Facebook notifying people of a website to import their Visual Bookshelf collections to- while there is still time! 'Still time?', I wondered. I wandered over to the VB app only to find a letter to users slapped on the page instead of the usual website. You can see a version of that letter on the initial Visual Bookshelf link I posted. Basically, Living Social had shifted its focus into other areas of business (shocker) and rather than try to reallocate assetts into a website they had been ignoring pretty well and probably weren't going to start making money on anytime soon (despite an early affiliation with Amazon (the same kind I have on this blog (which similiarly does not make me any money))) they had decided to throw in the towel. I was only mildly suprised to see them straight-up recommending Goodreads as the most viable site to export your collection to. I was slightly miffed that there hadn't been an export option back when I re-created my account onto GR, but what was done was done and I understand the reasons why exporting may have been frowned upon back in the day.

In the end I'm happy, and think that even VB loyalists will be won over by GR's overall better features and technical excellence. I can only hope that Goodreads sustains a viable community and flourishes. There are a lot of people still grumbling about that 30-day issue. While VB did allow 30 days to export your collection before shutting down, they never did actually notify anyone. Folks who happened to not use the site recently, or who didn't happen to notice the news otherwise like me, and more importantly were people who had not backed up their collection and reviews... well, those people are plumb outta luck I guess. I understand Living Social's business priorities, but you can't tell me they couldn't afford the time and expense of sending out notifications to all users. That just seems like a bit of salt in the wound, and a bad piece of PR for a very public company.

Meanwhile, Google Offers is about to launch in most major cities, in an attempt to prove Google's dominance in all things internet. I have no problem admitting my own addiction to LS and Groupon's current deal systems, and I'm mostly happy with the experiences I purchase. Once GO starts offering deals in my city, I'll probably sign up. But will this power trio, combined with a hundred copycat systems, such as the one offered by the local newspaper company which I have also used with general satisfaction, oversaturate the market? Is it just a matter of time before the deals start to stink, or competition runs one of the companies to the ground? Do you, Dear Reader, use these bargain systems? What do you think is the future of the online deal industry? I anxiously await your replies.

Shambling Towards Hiroshima

1945



Obviously we come to a closure now on the second world war. I am sure I missed 100 great sci-fi/alt history stories taking place during WWII, and I know some of my more modern stories in the future re-visit the era in flashback or time machine, but 'shambling toward Hiroshima' is certainly what I have done over the past few months.

This book is a play on the creation of Godzilla, a giant reptile monstrosity bent on the destruction of Tokyo, born from the toxic fumes of nuclear destruction. I read recently that when the original Godzilla movie first showed in Japan, audiences sat in shocked silence, and openly wept. The anology of Godzilla's wave of destruction as representative of the nuclear bomb hit very close to home with the Japanese of the 1950's.

Morrow walks a very thin line when he uses this metaphor in his story of a B-movie actor recruited by the US military to masquerade as a monster trashing Tokyo in an attempt to end the war. The hope is that the threat of a monster invasion will force the Japanese into surrender. It will also buy them some time while they perfect the real life versions of the monsters.

I'm just not sure. Is this a comedy? A wry statement on nuclear bombs at the onset of the Cold War? A tongue in cheek look at the Hollywood horror / b-movie industry of the forties? A serious statement about growing old in Reagan's eighties? A book about Godzilla? It's all these things. Unfortunately, it fails to excell at any of the above genres, but rather muck about and hop from point to point. Yes, this novella is a fun and easy read, but if a mishmash of the mentioned subplots and genres doesn't hit any sweet spots of interest for you, you may wish to pass on 'Hiroshima'.

The Last Days of Krypton

The origin of Superman has been re-written so many times that it's hard to pinpoint when he landed on earth, much less how the travel across the light years affect what earth-year Krypton was destroyed. I suppose the purist in me would say that we should leave DC history as it was before it got hit with a series of Crises changing up timelines. This version is written purposefully vague enough to apply to nearly any version. Supes made his first public appearance in 1938, so Krypton was originally destroyed prior to that. Let's say in the early 1900's. Which makes this post pretty late.

I picked up this book in the library when I had first moved to Colorado Springs and had nothing else to read. Superman isn't my favorite superhero and we'll get to Kevin J. in a second. The cover was nifty. Basically I knew it would be a quick and easy read while I waited for something better to come along.

K.J. Anderson is my most favorite least favorite writer. He has made most of his fame writing spin-off material from popular sci-fi brands. I first became aware of him when reading his Star Wars Jedi Academy series. The Star Wars novels and offical 'expanded universe' had recently been launched with the spectacular Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn, and Anderson's trilogy was a major follow-up with the landmark re-establishment of the Jedi Order after the events in Return of the Jedi.

And it sucked. Like most of Anderson's work, it's overly simple and seems to read like young adult fiction. Where Zahn took a childhood movie and breathed new life into it, Anderson seemed to relish in taking Zahn's complex and adult take on the Star Wars and dumbing it back down to a childhood level. He has done the same with every brand he's touched, and fans of Dune particularly loathe what he has done to the Atriedes family.

But I give Anderson his due: He is the ultimate fan fiction writer. Where relative unknown Alan Dean Foster made a living out of adaptations of screenplays (famously ghost writing the original Star Wars novelization), Kevin J. Anderson has trumped him by writing spin-offs of most major sci-fi sagas, finally making his way to the world of DC comics. And crapping on it, based on this novel and his other recent works.

There I go again getting negative. KJ loves his material, he really does. He is studious in his inclusion of continuity, minutia, and easter eggs for fans. And I think he writes it in a way that reflects his love; it's what we would all do. I just don't know why he continues to enjoy so much "success" for such mediocre material.

'Krypton' has some nice elements. The Kryptonian society is fleshed out in a way that neither confirms nor denies most versions written in the past. Zod is believable, if cliche'. I enjoyed the inclusion of Braniac. But overall the story is bland, unoriginal, drawn out and just didn't need to be told.

I'll read Anderson's work again, and you'll hear more from me about how I am always disappointed by his work, but you'll keep seeing the posts. Because I love the same fantasy worlds he does, and I respect the fact that he enjoys being a creator in those worlds, just as I would if people paid me for my lousy writing.

YesNo by Markus Raetz

The Shut Up Diet

I've lost 50 lbs in 6 months.  There are millions of ways to be less fat; and every diet you read is right.  There are some pretty jacked up theories out there; but there is no wrong way to take responsibility for your fat ass.  Just do something, ANYTHING.  Move yourself in the direction of fitness and don't stop 'til you get there.  Shut up and drop a few pants sizes!

Here are my 5 easy steps to achieve a less fat you.  Follow my suggestions or don't.  This advice is unsolicited, unwelcome, poorly organized and has not been evaluated by the FDA.  But I am wearing size 36 britches right now and last Xmas I was wearing a size 42. 


1) Movement: sweat every day for 3 weeks.  You don't have to "workout" for an hour.  Just do something . . . anything . . . until you sweat.  After 21 days, start alternating sweaty days with lazy butthound days.  Or exercise 4 days a week.  Or do isometric desk movements while sitting on a fitness ball at your desk all day. 


Walk further, pick up heavy things, stop watching TV.  Do more.  Sit less.  Make it a habit.  You do not have to become an athlete.  You do not need to even like exercise.  Heck, you don't even have to exercise....but get up and move.  Do more chores, pull more weeds, walk the dog, have lots of sex.  It really doesn't matter.  For the record, I walk the dog a lot more than I have sex. 

Exercising earlier in the day will help you boost your metabolism for the remainder of your day.  But there is no wrong way to break a sweat.  Morning noon or night:  bust a move.  Or don't.  I don't care if you get diabetes and have to get your feet amputated.  That just means more shoes for me!  Seriously, the last time it was measured, diabetes was directly responsible for 231,404 deaths in this country.  Diabetes was listed on the death certificate as the cause of death.    According to the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet: about 26 million Americans have diabetes right now.  And, yes, circulation issues, artery disorders and nerve diseases (caused by diabetes) will lead to foot and leg amputations.  Also, if you continue to remain fat, people will like you less.  None of this is fun.  

2) pH:  7.4 is normal.  That's the Alkaline state that you're born into.  But the average American's blood pH level is 5.5.  Low numbers mean an acidic state of affairs.  The "good" bacteria that's supposed to populate your tummy is just fine with a higher pH of 7 or better.  Stop rolling your eyes at me; I swear this is the only step of The Shut Up Diet that involves any kind of science.  And this ain't rocket surgery folks.  But you have to get your gut right or your efforts of weight loss will be resisted by your own body.  Internal Revolution!

You see, the beneficial flora in your gastrointestinal tract help you deal with all the garbage you consume.  But the garbage you consume is mostly the fats and starches that create an acidic environment in your gut.  And "bad" bacteria freakin' LOVE acid!
These naughty acidhead bacterium will overtake and play the bully towards your nerdy high-pH bacteria population. If you want to digest like a pro: you got to feed your gut the alkaline forming foods that it needs to break down all the junk.  Lay off the coffee, alcohol, bread, sweets and peanuts for a minute . . . or six weeks.  Give your gizzard a chance to raise it's pH.  Eat broccoli and cabbage and apples.  Learn to love apples.  Pick up a bottle of Bragg's organic apple cider vinegar (or the Trader Joe's equivalent).  Dose yourself with the vinegar at every meal.  Eat lots of yogurt.  Take a probiotic supplement.   Google "alkaline diet" and find a way to choke out the"bad" bacteria by feeding the beneficial bacteria.  Eat figs, olives, edamame, dried apricots and spinach.
If you gotta have nutbutter . . .try almond butter.  Avoid egg yolks; but load up on whey protein powder.  

Foods are classified as acid-forming or alkalizing depending on the effect that they have on the body.  We think of lemon juice as acidic; but the minerals it leaves behind after digestion helps remove hydrogen ions, decreasing the acidity in our system.  It's all about the ions.  pH is really just a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration.  Click HERE for a list of alkalizing foods.




3) Okay, enough already: Stop eating so goshdang much.  Just eat when you're hungry.  Or eat 6 precisely portioned mini-meals at scheduled intervals.  Or eat a big breakfast and lunch and just have a little nibble at dinner.  Or starve yourself all day, only drinking veggie juice until dinner time, and then feast like a freakin' king!

Or do whatever seems reasonable to you; but don't starve yourself!  Your body will hold onto your fat reserves for dear life if you start depriving it of the fuel it needs to survive.  Dieting is the art of tricking yourself into going against the grain of your built-in survival instincts.  You can count calories if you want.  If you have a tendency to over do it; then maybe you should start tracking the crap you're loading into your system.  I track my food for the purposes of replicating positive results.  If I am paying attention to what I eat, and I end up feeling great, after a day of controlled consumption . . . then I can repeat those same actions the next day. 

I use http://www.myfitnesspal.com/   to track my nutrients.  The myfitnesspal iPhone app makes this task easy and entertaining for me.  There are lots of different programs and systems out there to help you keep a food diary.  If keeping score on your intake helps: then do it.  Really, I just like to geek out on the micronutrient calculations of my daily chow.  But maybe you don't care how much potassium that bok choy you just wolfed down has.


Remember that protein builds muscle.  Muscle is sexier than fat.  Be sexy.  Make sure there is lots of lean protein sources on your shopping list.  Chicken can get really boring; but good organic, hormone free, chicken is really the bestest stuff around.  And think about trying harder-to-break-down carb sources.  If you're gonna eat cereal, ditch the kiddie loops and poofs and switch to the high test stuff.  Whole grain bread too.  And steel cut oatmeal.  The harder your food is to chew, the better.  No pain, no wane. 

There are so many competing expert recommendations for how many calories the average adult should consume in a day.  But there is no such thing as an average adult.  I really don't know how many calories I can effectively metabolize in a day.  And I sure as hell don't know how many donuts you can eat and still fit into your skinny jeans.  The number is likely somewhere between 1200 and 2200 for most people.  But I don't care.  This ain't that kind of diet.  If you are losing weight . . .then you're doing it right.  If you are not losing weight you are eating too much or too little.  Figure it out for yourself and stop whining.  

4) Fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber.  However you want to get more fiber into your diet is fine.  Do it.  Do it now.  Eat 20 - 35 grams of plant fiber daily.  Metamucil or Benefiber is fine.  Eat fruits and veggies or just gnaw off the frayed hem of your bluejeans; but eat more fiber!  You've got about 20 feet of small intestines that you have to push your lunch through before you can drop the kids off at the pool.  Help yourself out by eating more fiber.   

A high fiber diet will help you lower your cholesterol levels, which makes your heart happy.  It will stabilize your blood sugar levels, warding off Type 2 Diabetes.  High fiber diets have been specifically linked to reduced risks of  both colon and breast cancer.  So be nice to your boobs and eat a handful of raspberries today.

5) Mas agua por favor.  Drink at least 64 ounce of water daily.  No excuses.  All that fiber your eating now pulls water out of your gullet; you'll need to replace it.  And, hopefully, your new found love of movement is making you sweat.  You'll need to replace that water too.  Water regulates your body temperature and helps prevent kidney stones and lubricates your joints.  And who doesn't love a good lubricated joint?  Even mild dehydration, a loss of say, 1% of your body weight, will completely zap the energy out of your day.  If you are feeling sick, tired, irritable or have a headache: then you probably need a drink of water.   

When your body is burning fat, because you've deprived it of sugar, your breath will smell like dog poop.  This is an unfortunate but natural side effect of your body's efforts to utilize your stores of fatty acids to replace the glycogen that it normally uses to power up.  The more water you drink, the more you'll flush out waste products through urination . . . instead of through respiration.  In other words; if you drink a lot of water, then the foul smelling byproduct of your fat burning efforts will exit your body via your pee instead of your breath.





Okay, that's it folks.  5 easy to follow steps.  I've haven't cut it short or simplified the process.  It's just not a very complicated system.  Move yourself, lay off the acid, stop pigging out, keep yourself regular and hydrate.  Do it and lose fat.  Or don't do it.  I don't really care.