Sister Corita Kent/Albert Camus

The thought is by the French existential philoosopher, Albert Camus.  The painting is by Sister Corita Kent.

Food for Thought

"Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." J. Robert Oppenheimer quoting the Hindu Bhagavad-Gita, on the detonation of the first atomic bomb.

Upcoming Appearance

i will be appearing at the Fall Author's Forum at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library on November 14, 2017 at 7:00PM to discuss my new mystery, The Trials of Lieutenant Morales. Please plan on attending.

Want to Live Longer? Read!

Do you want to live longer? Of course you do. Who doesn't? I'm going to surprise you with an easy and effective way to increase your life span. And this method requires no special exercise equipment, no gym membership and not even any special diet. The only thing you need is a book!

Yes, you read that right---a book can be your key to both a longer and more fulfilling life.

In a 2016 study published by the Yale School of Public Health, it was reported that people over the age of 50 who read any type of book for as little as 30 minutes a day could increase their lifespan on average by two  years.  The study was based on some 12 years of data originally compiled by the University of Michigan's Health and Retirement Study.

It should be emphasized that while  reading any type of book is effective, simply reading magazines and newspapers does not appear to have the same effect. Although researchers are not sure why that is the case, one theory is that reading a book causes you to think critically and make more brain connections that can protect against cognitive decline.  They referred to this effect as "deep reading."

So, if you want to live longer, get out your library card and head to your nearest library.

Dead in the Water

My mystery thriller, Dead in the Water, is anything but dead in the water.
Dead in the Water, which features the retired homicide detective, Lieutenant Mario Morales, has been called a "heart-stopping read!" by the acclaimed book lovers' website, BookBub.com. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It is the perfect book for the beach or just sitting on your back patio drinking a glass of homemade lemonade.https://www.amazon.com/Water-Lieutenant-Morales-Legal-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00U35Z7CS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1501524039&sr=8-9&keywords=dead+in+the+water&linkCode=ll1&tag=a0643413d-20&linkId=a5ee4affb7919a0538424466671b8b1a

Amazing Relief for Lower Back Pain

Suffer from lower back pain? Believe me I know all about it. My pain was so bad that I underwent four procedures and surgeries this past winter. Only the last, a lumbar fusion, finally gave me the much hoped for relief. But I still have some residual pain. You can imagine how grateful I was when I read recently that ginger oil massaged  into the lower back can relieve much of the residual pain. Ginger root has long been prized for its anti-inflammatory qualities. Now, studies have shown that its application to the lower back can actually help reduce pain.
Scientists in Pain Research and Treatment suggest rubbing a several drops of ginger oil mixed with jojoba oil on the effected area once or twice a day. The studies show this simple ginger massage can result in a 71% reduction in pain intensity and 66% greater mobility.
Sounds like a winner to me. I know I will give it a try.

Inexpensive Performance Enhancer: Beets

Do you like red beets on your salad?  Most salad bars feature sliced or chopped beets. Maybe you add them to your salad because you've heard about the anti-inflammatory properties of beets just like cherry juice. The latest news is that in addition to those properties, it also can provide enhanced performance of athletic events.

According to a report in the New York Daily News, several British athletes legally used beet juice to improve their performance in track and field competitions during the 2012 London Olympics. It must have worked because one of the British athletes, Mo Farah, won two gold medals!

Now, I can't guarantee a gold medal--or even a bronze---but you might improve your performance the next time you are working out at the gym. Why not give it a try.