Soy Confused

I am having a difficult time filtering through the big business hype, science and the eastern traditional consumption of soy foods. I've read, one may possibly achieve a spiritual advantage by consuming soy. "soy is believed to interfere with zinc absorption, and zinc deficiency can cause a "spacey" feeling some may mistake for the "high" of spiritual enlightenment."
Is this soy doing my body good, or am I poisoning myself in small increments?
Several years ago I was listening to a radio infomercial by a person who touts his own line of supplements both herbal and vitamins. His sincerity about the side effects of consuming soy and how he believes that it contributed to his prostate cancer, was very convincing. This prompted me to check out some of his sources and believe me there are many others. "The soy industry is one of the world's most wealthy and powerful multi-billion dollar industries."
I eat or drink soy every day an have for years. Now what do I do?
The eastern Asian diet seems to be healthy, no? Well “a 1998 survey found that the average daily amount of soy protein consumed in Japan was about eight grams for men and seven for women - less than two teaspoons” and yet “Asians in general, have much higher rates of other(than breast) types of cancer, particularly cancer of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas and liver.” I am sure other factors come into play.
The soybean itself seems to be loaded with something called “anti-nutrients”, that is they block the normal absorption of important nutrients and elements. To be fair some of those "anti-nutrients" are processed out when making tofu and other solid foods.
The processing of the beans in aluminum vats causes the bean to leach-in huge amounts of that metal. Not a good thing. Oh, did I mention that 90 percent of soybeans grown here are genetically engineered.
I could go on with this but it is best if your check it out for yourselves. So, if you eat soy daily you might want check this, this and this.
I have made a personal decision and may return to "arroz con frijoles" for my vegetarian source of protein and a little fish now and then. As you can see by the above links, it can be confusing.
I must say that I've heard the soy bean makes great renewable biodeisel fuel, printers ink and solvents.
Final word, "soy" translates to "I am" in spanish. Soy confused
PS: I added a comment on September 22, 2007

Gated community, safe?

Gated communities are not new:
"the gating of a residential area is not a new phenomenon. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, kings and other royalty provided gated enclaves for their families and loyal followers during times of siege and pestilence. "Fortified with towers, moats, and drawbridges, they stood as formidable reminders of class distinctions" (Dillon, 1994, p. 6). In the late nineteenth century, St. Louis developed a large network of private gated streets for its beer barons, most of which still exist today. Since the real estate boom in the late 1980's, this rapidly growing phenomenon of gating off communities has become more prevalent in today's society."
Last December this happened to our neighbors. (watch newsclip,too)
Well, so much for living in a gated community.

Interesting take on Reincarnation

The successive existences in a series of rebirths are not like the pearls in a pearl necklace, held together by a string, the ‘soul,’ which passes through all the pearls; rather they are like dice piled one on top of the other. Each die is separate, but it supports the one above it, with which it is functionally connected. Between the dice there is no identity, but conditionality.
(Glimpse of the Day, Rigpa)

From H. W. SCHUMANN'S book,
THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA
So conditionality is Bardo, should I think this through or just accept it?

Could your Brain's Own Music be Therapeutic?

Brain Music Therapy records an individual's brain waves and converts them into unique musical sounds. These musical sounds correlate to brain waves that promote relaxation and trigger activation in your body. By reducing and eliminating imbalanced brain activity, Brain Music Therapy fights insomnia, anxiety, depression, stress, and headaches, and improves productivity and concentration. The musical sounds are presented to you in the form of two musical files - one relaxing, and one activating. Playing those files promotes relaxation and activation in your body.
After treatment in 3-4 weeks, the patients receive their personal brain music CD, which includes recommendations by a licensed physician.
Just a thought, what if Ottmar Liebert had his brain waves turned into musical files, what beautiful musical compositions would we hear from his brain(waves).

What does a Buddhist wish someone on their birthday?

May you have many happy returns.

How does it work?

I have a child like amazement when flying and the same goes for using this computer. I don't understand fully the technology of how it operates, but glad that it does. This quote is the kind of explanation to which I would have probably nodded a yes, I now understand.

You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.

Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955), when asked to describe radio

World Car Free Day, September 22, 2007

One day a week Deer Park Monastery (Escondido,CA) has a no car day, Tuesday. Working for a Greener Deer Park. I personally do not drive 2 days a week minimum. Noticed this link
on Deer Park's website and took this pledge. I really don't need a reminder but Thich Nhat Hanh's green campaign, convinced me and I signed. By the way September 22 is a Saturday. Give it a try.

Change the world one loan at a time

I want to let you all know about a cool non-profit that is doing great things: Kiva.org

Kiva.org allows individuals to make $25 loans to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). By doing so, individuals like you provide affordable working capital for the poor (money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc.), empowering them to earn their way out of poverty.

It's a new, direct and sustainable way to fight global poverty, and the way I see it, I get a higher return on $25 helping someone build a future than the interest my checking account pays.

Anyways, if you have a minute, please check out the site: kiva.org. If you need more "reputable" validation than my recommendation :), know that they have received great press in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to NPR to BusinessWeek.

Thanks for reading!

Saturday AM

I usually get up early around 5AM, have a cup of java and see what FSTV is broadcasting. FSTV is Free Speech TV (channel 9415 on dishnetwork) out of San Rafael, CA. Weekday mornings it is usually Amy Goodman's " Democracy Now". But this morning it was disturbing. Author, Jeremy Scahill was speaking about the Blackwater Mercenaries in Iraq. Watch this short You Tube version.

After that I needed to read something with new ideas for the future of this country. Turned to an essay by William Irwin Thompson. This takes a few minutes but well worth the visit. From Annals of Earth

Grocery pollution

Thinking about the many trips I make in a week to grocery shop. I do this to keep the produce fresh and moving. Being a full time caregiver for a parent, must keep her healthy. I have no choice but to drive, as so many others, I reluctantly leave a large rural and dusty carbon footprint. Sorry. Another example of rural area becoming suburbia. How much better it would be to live in a smaller town or downtown area within walking distance to groceries and greens. I am fast approaching the "AARP" years and am seriously looking forward to a new "compact" town environment. From my perspective today it looks like that may be in a foreign land.

Check this out What the World Eats.
Thanks to BF in Erongaricuaro, Morelia.