Gay Marriage: Yes or No?

The issue is debated in the US Supreme Court (USSC) today and tomorrow. Now, I know you have your opinion, but I want you to get sophisticated about the human decision-making process involved because sooner or later what others decide affects your pocket-book, relationships, health and happiness in the United States, the greatest country on earth. Knowing that fact, you can fairly assume that the USSC will not vote Yes today or tomorrow because although these 9 fellows can legally force all 50 States in the Union to accept gay marriage, they will not do so.  It cannot be morally or ethically acceptable. Since the USSC members are humans, not just legalistic entities, they will vote NO or vote to spin the issue.

What is the real issue?

If you are smart you may not be surprised to know that the real issue is not gay rights. Gays already have rights. They have the rights to have a civic union, which has all the marriage rights except the legal right to use the label marriage! Thus, the real issue is not the legal rights that marriage would convey on gay couples. That rights are already conveyed by laws with all kinds of labels: Common law, co-habitation, civic union, and a host of other laws that give gay couples equal rights under the law. The USSC today is dealing with a legal trivia – a missing word!

Any psychologist can tell you that if you fight intensely over a label, not a substance, you are really fighting over a psychological identity problem, not a legal case. I think that the USSC will recognise that fact because they are smart dudes and will not pass a favorable judgment today. This psychological issue belongs elsewhere, not in the legal domain, and I doubt that it belongs in the political domain either. Whar right would 51% of the people in the State of California have to impose their will on the other 49%?

Here is the simple solution (as always, your loyal servant):

Since gay couples have the same rights that marriage couples have except for the use of the word marriage on legal documents, they can use the word “marriage” on their religious institution’s certificate. This way the only objection will come from God, and he works through Karma, a mysterious law above.

Behavioral medicine: The essence of a culture of health.

I am a behavioral economist. The discipline is a newly born financial baby. Behavioral medicine as a discipline does not exist yet on earth. My experience is probably a harbinger of what is yet to come. I had a Stage IV prostate cancer in 2011 that metastasized to my thoracic region and lodged a long tumor between 4 vertebrae bones. I lost sensation down to my toes and motor control. I had hormone therapy, photon radiation therapy and surgery, all free in Canada where I live. I had Proton radiation therapy in California where I worked all my life, paid for by my insurance company. In Germany, I paid myself for the dendritic immunotherapy treatment in Cologne where I traveled to in order to avoid a last resort chemotherapy treatment to extend my life by a few months or years (with unwanted side effects). Back in Canada from the Medical Center Cologne (MCC) in February 2012, on my last day at the beautiful clinic in Cologne, Germany, I asked the director what were my chances of survival. Dr. Robert Gorter looked at me, smiled, and said, “Elior, you are good at least till 88.” I am 76 and his response not only felt good, but also endeared me this renowned expert in immunology for his reassuring confidence in his treatment. You see, contrary to public sentiment against prophecies, there are a few doctors you could trust when they make life and death predictions. I  think Robert is one of them.

Now, why am I telling you all these personal things? Well, moving from Stage VI cancer to cancer in remission was such a smooth and awesome experience that I wish other cancer patients wake up to new treatment possibilities in the world. My success has created a dilemma for me as the director of http://www.cancer-VCRC.org, a small non-profit cancer information centre in a small Canadian city. Canada does not allow private cancer clinics. Even the recent desire of a few Canadians to start plasma clinics for pay is thwarted by government regardless of the fact that there is shortage in blood donations in Canada! Dr. Gorter’s clinic would have no chance of getting approval to open this incredible immunotherapy private clinic in Canada, like he had done in Holland, Turkey and other countries.

Well, the new board of VCRC discussed the idea of inviting Dr. Gorter and Dr. Hudi to speak at UBC, UVIC or other Canadian Universities, to be organized by Canadian individuals, doctors, cancer clinics, important patients… I wish to find a way to incorporate Dendritic immunotherapy for cancer with the conventional treatments offered free by cancer agencies in Canada. I hate to think that such a wonderful combination to reduce cancer deaths in Canada would fall on death ears!

I am not happy that Canadian cancer patients cannot afford the best treatments, but for now those cancer patients who can afford it can do what I did – fly to Germany, in addition to the great treatments they get at home! I have added all the information on our website http://www.cancer-vcrc.org and on my blog http://www.drelior.wordpress.com. Cancer patients: Hillel said: if there is a will, there is a way. Good luck.

Culture of medicine!

I was watching TV this morning. I set through five drug commercials and my mind started thinking. When I heard “Talk to your doctor” repeated 12 times in one hour I decided to tell the American people to get off that craziness about taking pills for every little infliction they have. I instantly coined the term “Culture of Medicine,” and started posting. Mind you, the American people spend more money on drugs than any other people on earth, and the country is only number 17 in health in the world! Do you know what I do for heart burns? I stop eating processed meat and junk food. I used to have migraine headache untill I changed my diet to natural food and pure drink. You won’t see me drinking any fruit blend drinks to save a buck like I did twenty years ago. Now the label has to say “pure pomegranate juice or pure apple juice, etc. before I touch it. I got off the culture of medicine by a conscious act of my self-loving heart. You can too! Medicine is good for you when you absolutely need it, not when it is dictated to you by suppliers looking for your business. The culture of medicine is almost as bad for the American people as the culture of violence. Get off it!

Someone asked me what have I replaced my culture of medicine with twenty years ago when I was fifty-six? I said, Culture of Love. Do you want me to post anything on that?

Budgeting by dummies!

Believe it or not, it’s about the stupid Republicans and Democrats in Congress…yah, I know…you didn’t vote for them. I have a friend, nice family, 3 kids, a dog, nice house, RV trips, big spenders, know how to live high on the hog…why don’t they fight all the time about how to manage their income and expenses like the Democrats and Republics do in Congress?

Mary works as a bank teller supervisor. She makes $50,000 per year. Joe works as  senior plumber. He makes $40,000. Their old home is worth about $800,000.00. Their equity is $250,000 and mortgage is $3,000.00.  Educating the kids in the best universities is expensive, about  $30,000. Living expenses $30,000. Retraining to upgrade work related skills about $20,000. Insurances about $5,000. the Smith’s take out a $150,000 loan for home improvement, attached to the mortgage. They drive two nice cars they paid for in cash.  In short, Joe and Mary live with huge deficit spending, much like the US…but they don’t fight. Why?

1. They don’t waste money. They live well and get maximum value out of the bucks they spent. The US doesn’t.

2.  They spend a lot of money on education that will pay off when the time comes to pay off the extra bills. The US doesn’t

3. They maximise their borrowing power and borrow cheap (e.g., 2.5% per year). the US doesn’t.

4. They don’t give their money away to fraudulent charities and other lost causes. The US does.

5. They cut expenses without hurting services (e.g., Joe just switched to Northern Shield, saving $600 per year on home insurance. Mary just saved a bundle by changing phone companies, car insurance ,etc). The US doesn’t shop around for better products and services at the lowest costs.

6. I could go on and on (may be I will when I have more time), but you got the point. According to my lectures at Universities, Behavioral Economics, living on borrowed money is very sound financially if you are smart and responsible. According to Classical economics, the prevalent theory in Washington, you should balance your budget. You know how I know smarty people from the dummies? The stupid ones pay off their huge mortgage as fast as they can afford to so they can sleep at night! Have a smart day!

Nos Graines De Chia.

In the last segment I described to you in the form of a quiz what Omega 3 can do for your health. Let’s have even a better quiz, just one question that I challenge you to answer correctly. If you do, pat yourself on the back, you are one in a million who can do more for yourself in the area of healing your body: What is the average intake ratio of the cancer causing and artery clogging Omega 6 to Omega 3 the incredible preventer of cancer and hearth attack? Is it 1/5, 2/1, 1/3, 1/1, 20/1, 1/20, 35/24, 50/40, 40/20, 2/2, 2/3,  3/1, 1/3, 1/26, 26/1, undetermined, depends on your diet, not important.

The answer is 1:26. Let’s accept any other answer around 1:26 such as 1:20. Please respond if you won, it’s rare!

Let’s have another quiz: What is the only natural food on earth that packs a ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 of 1/3? Please respond if you you use it. You are a big winner in the health or healing ares.

Why can’t Israel form a coalition right now?

If you think it’s because Yesh Atid (19) and Habait Yehudi (12) don’t like Haredim(12), you are wrong.

If you think the Right and the Left can’t be in the same government, you are wrong.

If you think it is important to know who is Haredi and who is not, you are wrong.

Actually you are wrong with any thought inside the box. You got to get outside of the box.

If you do you could form a happy government in one hour! You can make everyone happy!

How?

Have two leaders from each political party in the Knesset (including Arabs, Communists, etc) sequestered in a nice room with a view at the Tel Aviv Hilton from 8 AM till 12 PM (with a 10 minute break every 2 hours) on an agreed upon day (Wednesday is good, Saturday is great, Monday sucks, Friday…only if God wills it). All food and drinks will be served kosher. The Chairperson will announce the rules, so strict that anyone who breaks a rule his party will have to pay a fine of 40,000 Shekel to the national treasury, two rules 80,000, three rules 120,000, and so on.

Rule 1)  The only language spoken in the room will be Hebrew.

Rule 2) The participants must sign a legal document that they will abide without reservation by the unanimous decisions of the  five observing judges (a philologist, linguist, behavioral psychologist, language expert, etc.) selected from three distinguished universities in Israel.

Rule 3) The participants must stay respectful towards each other. Questions and answers are encouraged. Name calling, bad gestures, accusations, or refusal to response to one another will cost a participant 4,000 Shekel.

Rule 4) Anything that a participant says or does must focus on behavior, not concepts, beliefs, assumptions, etc. The Judges will correct you and make sure that what you say includes at least one behavior and one fact. You are not allowed to emit a sentence that has no behavior in it. For example, you are not allowed to say “You are wrong” (it’s not a behavior). You can’t even say “I feel that you are wrong.” A feeling is not a behavior either. You may say, “Your behavior is unacceptable to me.”  Good luck, don’t be a party poopers..