Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Hallejulah Chorus at Macys

I've been singing Handel's Messiah since I was about 14, and have always loved the musicality of it.  Someone said that watching a western won't make you a cowboy and hearing this song won't make you into a Christian, and it is in that vein that I offer this beautiful rendition of a wonderful piece usually sung at Christmastime.  It is sung as one of those "random acts of culture" that has been popping up all over the place, mostly "randomly" on tv.  This is a sweet one, performed by the Opera Company of Philadelphia, sung at Macy's in Philly over Halloween weekend, 2010.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Happy Felix Unger Day, Everyone!!

I've loved the Odd Couple since i was a young girl.  We celebrate officially on Felix Unger Day, November 13.


On November 13, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence.  That request came from his wife.  Deep down, he knew she was right, but he also knew that someday he would return to her.  With nowhere else to go he appeared at the door of his childhood friend, Oscar Madison.  Some years earlier, Madison's wife had thrown him out, requesting that he never return.  Can two divorced men  share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

Saturday, September 18, 2010

One of the Reasons I Love Michael Moore

If you know me, you know I have opposed this war we are in from the very beginning.  I love our country and believe in protecting our way of life.  Two of my uncles were in the Air Force in WWII, may God Bless them.  This insidious, creeping war is different.  We should never have gone there, and should not still be there.  I had to post this blog (below) from Michael Moore.  You can also click through to the original, here.

Michael Moore and I don't agree about everything, but that is one of the reasons I love him.  He will take on anyone, anyone, conservative, liberal, left, right, etc, if he feels that the truth is not being told.  Please read - it is worth it.  And here is hoping, praying, that this war ends soon.  Just one note - Michael Moore says that we elected an anti-war president.  I just don't buy it.  I think President Obama is waiting until the optimal time for his re-election campaign to bring the troops back home - blood will be on his hands in order to get himself re-elected - it's just how I feel.  (Who of you remembers Nixon and Vietnam in '72?)

With love towards you and yours,
Mary Beth


Never Forget: Bad Wars Aren't Possible Unless Good People Back Them
Today's OpenMike blog by Michael Moore
September 15, 2010
I know we've been "free" of the Iraq War for two weeks now and our minds have turned to
the new football season and Fashion Week in New York. And how exciting that the new fall
TV season is just days away!
But before we get too far away from something we would all just like to forget, will you please allow me to just say something plain and blunt and necessary:
We invaded Iraq because most Americans -- including good liberals like 
Al Franken, Nicholas Kristof & Bill Keller of the New York Times,
David Remnick of the New Yorker, the editors of the Atlantic and the 
New Republic, Harvey Weinstein, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer and 
John Kerry -- wanted to.
Of course the actual blame for the war goes to Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz
because they ordered the "precision" bombing, the invasion, the occupation, and
the theft of our national treasury. I have no doubt that history will record that they
committed the undisputed Crime of the (young) Century.
But how did they get away with it, considering they'd lost the presidential election
by 543,895 votes? They also knew that the majority of the country probably
wouldn't back them in such a war (a Newsweek poll in October 2002 showed
61% thought it was "very important" for Bush to get formal approval from the
United Nations for war -- but that never happened). So how did they pull it off?
They did it by getting liberal voices to support their war. They did it by creating
the look of bipartisanship. And they convinced other countries' leaders like Tony
Blair to get on board and make it look like it wasn't just our intelligence agencies
cooking the evidence.
But most importantly, they made this war (and its public support) happen because
Bush & Co. had brilliantly conned the New York Times into running a bunch
of phony front-page stories about how Saddam Hussein had all these "weapons
of mass destruction." The administration gleefully fed this false information not
to Fox News or the Washington Times. They gave it to America's leading liberal
newspaper. They must have had a laugh riot each morning when they'd pick up
the New York Times and read the nearly word-for-word scenarios and talking
points that they had concocted in the Vice President's office.
I blame the New York Times more for this war than Bush. I expected Bush and
Cheney to try and get away with what they did. But the Times -- and the rest of
the press -- was supposed to STOP them by doing their job: Be a relentless watchdog
of government and business -- and then inform the public so we can take action.
Instead, the New York Times gave the Bush administration the cover they needed.
They could -- and did -- say, 'Hey, look, even the Times says Saddam has WMD!'
With this groundwork laid, the Bush crowd ended up convincing a whopping 70%
of the public to support the war -- a public that had given him less than 48% of its
vote in 2000.
Early liberal support for this war was the key ingredient in selling it to a majority of
the public. I realize this is something that no one in the media -- nor most of us --
really wants to discuss. Who among us wants to feel the pain of having to remember
that liberals, by joining with Bush, made this war happen?
Please, before our collective memory fades, I just want us to be honest with ourselves
and present an unsanitized version of how they pulled off this war. I can guarantee
you the revisionists will make sure the real truth will not enter the history books.
Children born when the war began started second grade this month.
Kids who were eleven in 2003 are now old enough to join up and get killed in Iraq
in a "non-combat capacity."
They'll never understand how we got here if we don't.
So let me state this clearly: This war was aided and abetted by a) liberals who were
afraid to stick their necks out and thus remained silent; and b) liberals who actually
said they believed Colin Powell's cartoon presentation at the U.N. and then went
against their better judgment by publicly offering their support for the invasion of Iraq.
First, there were those 29 (turncoat) Democratic senators who voted for the war.
Then there was the embarrassing display of reporters who couldn't wait to be
"embedded" and go for a joy ride on a Bradley tank.
But my real despair lies with the people I counted on for strong opposition to this
madness -- but who left the rest of us alone, out on a limb, as we tried to stop the
war.
In March of 2003, to be a public figure speaking out against the war was considered
instant career suicide. Take the Dixie Chicks as Exhibit A. Their lead singer, Natalie
Maines, uttered just one sentence of criticism -- and their career was effectively dead
and buried at that moment. Bruce Springsteen spoke out in their defense, and a
Colorado DJ was fired for refusing to not play their songs. That was about it.
Crickets everywhere else.
Then MSNBC fired the only nightly critic of the war -- the television legend, Phil
Donahue. No one at the network -- or any network -- spoke up on his behalf.
There would never again be a Phil Donahue show. (Little did GE know that, when
they soon filled that 8pm hour with a sports guy by the name of Keith Olbermann,
they would end up with the war's most brilliant and fiercest critic, night after night
after night.) There were a few others -- Bill Maher, Janeane Garofalo, Tim Robbins
and Seymour Hersh -- who weren't afraid to speak the truth. But where was everyone
else? Where were all those supposed liberal voices in the media?
Instead, this is what we were treated to back in 2003 and 2004:
** Al Franken, who said he "reluctantly" was "a supporter of the war against
Saddam." And six months into the war Al was still saying, "There were reasons to
go to war against Iraq ... I was very ambivalent about it but I still don't know if it
was necessarily wrong (to go to war)."
** Nicholas Kristof, columnist for the New York Times, who attacked me and
wrote a column comparing me to the nutty right-wingers who claimed Hillary had
Vince Foster killed. He said people like me were "polarizing the political cesspool,"
and he chastised anyone who dared call Bush's reasons for going to war in Iraq "lies."
** Howell Raines, editor-in-chief of the "liberal" New York Times, who was,
according to former Times editor Doug Frantz, "eager to have articles that supported
the war-mongering out of Washington ... He discouraged pieces that were at odds
with the administration's position on Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction
and alleged links of al-Qaeda." The book "Hard News" reported that "according to
half a dozen sources within the Times, Raines wanted to prove once and for all that
he wasn't editing the paper in a way that betrayed his liberal beliefs..."
** Bill Keller, at the time a New York Times columnist, who wrote: "We reluctant
hawks may disagree among ourselves about the most compelling logic for war --
protecting America, relieving oppressed Iraqis or reforming the Middle East -- but
we generally agree that the logic for standing pat does not hold. ... we are hard
pressed to see an alternative that is not built on wishful thinking."
(The New York Times is so left-wing that when Raines retired, they replaced him
with... Keller.)
** The New Yorker, the magazine for really smart liberals, found its
editor-in-chief, David Remnick, supporting the war on its pages: "History will
not easily excuse us if, by deciding not to decide, we defer a reckoning with an
aggressive totalitarian leader who intends not only to develop weapons of mass
destruction but also to use them. ... a return to a hollow pursuit of containment
will be the most dangerous option of all." (To cover its ass, the New Yorker had
another editor, Rick Hertzberg, write an anti-war editorial as a rebuttal.)
Some of the above have recanted their early support of the war. The Times fired
its WMD correspondent and apologized to its readers. Al Franken has been a
great Senator. Kristof now writes nice columns (check out last Sunday's).
But the support of the war by these leading liberals and the majority of the
Democrats in the Senate made it safe for the Right to let loose a vicious and
unchecked tirade of hate and threats on anyone (including myself) who dared
to step out of line. It was not uncommon to hear the media describe me as
"un-American," "anti-American," "aiding the terrorists," and being a "traitor."
Here are just a couple of examples of what was said about me over the
airwaves by two of the nation's leading conservative commentators:
"Let me just tell you what I'm thinking. I'm thinking about killing Michael
Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to
hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me
in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out -- is this wrong?
I stopped wearing my 'What Would Jesus Do' band, and I've lost all sense
of right and wrong now. I used to be able to say, 'Yeah, I'd kill Michael Moore,'
and then I'd see the little band: 'What Would Jesus Do?' And then I'd realize,
'Oh, you wouldn't kill Michael Moore. Or at least you wouldn't choke him to
death.' And you know, well, I'm not sure." (Glenn Beck)
And:
"Well, I want to kill Michael Moore. Is that all right? All right. And I don't
believe in capital punishment. That's just a joke on Moore." (Bill O'Reilly)
(Ironically, O'Reilly made his threat/joke the night after Janet Jackson's
breast was bared at the Super Bowl -- which got CBS fined over half a
million dollars because, you know, nipples are far more frightening than
death threats.)
So that's how I'll personally remember the early war years: living with a
real and present danger caused by the hate whipped up by right-wing
radio and TV. (I've been advised not to recount certain specific incidents
that happened to me, as it would only encourage other crazy people.)
So I dealt with it. And I'm still here. And I know many of you went
through your own crap, standing up against the war at school, or work,
or at Thanksgiving dinner, taking your own blows for simply saying
what was the truth.
But how much easier it would have been for all of us if the liberal
establishment had stood with us? We didn't own a daily newspaper,
or a magazine with a circulation in the millions. We didn't have our
own TV show or network. We weren't invited on shows like "Meet
the Press," because they simply could not allow our voice to be heard.
The media watchdog group FAIR reported that in the three weeks
after the war started, the CBS Evening News allowed only one anti-war
voice on their show -- and that was on one night in one soundbite (and
that was four seconds of me in a line from my Oscar speech) -- even
though in March of 2003 our anti-war numbers were in the millions
(remember the huge demonstrations in hundreds of cities?). We were
around 30% of the country according to most polls (that's nearly 100
million Americans!) and yet we had no way to communicate with each
other aside from through the Nation and a few websites like
CommonDreams.org and Truth-Out.org.
But that was no way to build a huge mass movement of Middle Americans
to oppose the war. Unless you had just lucked out and been handed an Oscar
on live television in front of a gazillion people where you had 45 seconds to
say something before they cut you off and booed you off the stage (hahahaha),
you had no public platform. (Jeez, I sure did get booed a lot that year:
simply walking through an airport, or eating dinner in a restaurant, or
sitting at a Laker game where they suddenly put me up on the Jumbotron
and the place went so angry-crazy that Larry David, who was sitting next to
me, felt that maybe for his own safety he should perhaps slide a few seats
down or go get us a couple of wieners. Instead, he stuck by my side -- and
his skillful ninja moves got us out of there alive after the game.)
I know it's hard to remember, but when this war started, there was
no YouTube, no Facebook, no Twitter, no way for you to bypass the
media lords so you could have your own friggin' say.
Too bad for the bastards, those days are over.
The next time around, it won't be so easy to shut up a country girl
band or try to silence someone while he accepts his little gold statue
-- or completely ignore the millions of citizens in the streets.
So now we can hope that one of our wars is over. Too bad we lost.
I hate to lose, don't you? But the fact is, we lost the very day we invaded  
a sovereign nation that posed absolutely no threat to us and had nothing
to do with 9/11. We lost lives (over 4,400 of ours, hundreds of thousands
of theirs), we lost limbs (a total of 35,000 troops came back with various
wounds and disabilities and God knows how many more with mental
problems). We lost the money our grandchildren were supposed to live on.
And we lost our soul, who we were, what we stood for as a once-great
country -- lost it all. Can we now ask for redemption -- for forgiveness?
Can we be... "America" again?
I guess we'll see. The vast majority of the country eventually came around
to the Dixie Chicks' position. And we elected an anti-Iraq-war guy by the
name of Barack Hussein Obama.
But, please, promise yourselves never to forget how our country went crazy
7 1/2 years ago -- even though, to many people at the time, it seemed completely
normal. And I'm here to tell you, no matter how much better it's gotten, no
matter how normal you may think things are now, we're still halfway nuts.
Just listen to the new batch of "sensible pundits" as they start to beat the
drums about what we should do to Iran. One war down, one (or two or
three) to go.
C'mon, Mr. President, not one more kid needs to die overseas wearing a
uniform with our flag on it. We can't win like this. Let's dig a few thousand
wells in Afghanistan, build a few free mosques, leave behind some food and
clothing, fix their electrical grid, issue an apology and set up a Facebook page
so they can stay in touch with us -- and then let's get the hell out.
Your own National Security Advisor and your CIA Director have told you there
are less than 100 al-Qaeda fighters in the entire country. 100???
100,000 U.S. troops going after 100 al-Qaeda? Is this a Looney Tunes
presentation? "A-ba-dee-a-ba-dee-a-ba-dee -- That's All Folks!" Let's get real.
I'm glad one war is "over." But I know how we got there -- and I'm willing now
to fight just as hard to stop these other wars if you won't, Mr. Obama.
Your call.
Yours,
Michael Moore
Mike@MichaelMoore.com
MichaelMoore.com
P.S. Just a thought, Mr. President. Can I ask that you go back and watch this
movie I made -- "Fahrenheit 9/11." There might be some answers there. I give
you my permission to download it for free by going to this site: TorrentHound.com.
Don't tell the studio I said it was ok! They've only made a half a billion $$ on it so far.
P.P.S. To everyone on my list: Thanks to your thousands of generous donations,
we've raised over $60,000 for the Muslim community center near Ground Zero.
This has made news around the world, that there are Americans who believe in
our stated American principles.
--------------------------------
The second part of Mike's interview with Wolf Blitzer will air today on 
CNN's The Situation Room (5-7pm ET).
Also: Bill Maher has asked Mike to be his first guest of his new season this 
Friday at 10pm ET on HBO.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Droid - Ignorance Is Bliss

I had the opportunity to help my daughter pick out a new phone. She opted for the Droid with Verizon service.

While we were shopping, we looked into all of the features that smartphones have available. One of the most shocking to me is that parents can purchase phones for their
kids with a gps feature that allows the parent to know where their child is at all times. Once a kid is a bit older, do you really want to know where they are ALL the time? I am going on the record. I don't.
(image courtesy of The Telegraph, UK)
The phrase "ignorance is bliss" really has something going for it, sometimes. I can understand that a parent of a 10 year old needs to know, or at least wants to know where their child is. It is their duty, within reason, to keep that child safe and teach the child safety.

But a college kid? A 20-something? Give me a break. Even a high school kid needs some privacy. This takes helicopter parent to a whole new level. I would rather home school my kid than put a tracking device on them and send them out into the world. And believe me, I would rather send them out into the world.

Whatever happened to letting them make their way, and they will find their way home? What about the old saying - if you try to hold sand too hard in your hand it will sift its way out.

Can't there be some happy medium? How about teaching kids limits so they can test them, make mistakes and know what a huge cliff or hole is so, hopefully, they won't step into it. Further, what about learning? If we spoon feed everything to them, will they learn best? Our learning styles are unique to each of us. I learn best by rote - in other words, by doing. Will kids learn if they don't get to do? Some will and some will not. Let's give them a chance.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Vacation Time


(image - Banksy's Wet Dog)

Just got away last weekend for some much needed R&R, and to enjoy hanging out with family. It was a chance to catch up with a good book (Anthony Boudain's Kitchen Confidential - so much fun i was laughing out loud!), some sun (sorry, Sharon - I might have incurred a little sun damage but soaked up some much needed vitamins!), some good cooking (spaghetti with red sauce and italian sausage, quinoa with a million veggies, and some tuscan cured meats and mozzarella and a fabulous but inexpensive Gavi - yum!) and, of course, the wonderful 4th of July fireworks. My sis has a place with a roof deck, so we had a great view.

Mostly, vacation time was a chance to try and sleep past 5:30am and stay up past 10:30pm. Mission accomplished.

Here's hoping you can get that rest and replenishment you need in these steamy summer days!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Forensic Hypnosis


What is forensic hypnosis? It is the process of utilizing hypnosis to access your own mind to remember something that that you have forgotten, but that you know is in there.

Down the shore watching a rerun of House. He has amnesia and is being hypnotized so he can remember something important that he has forgotten. It was so nice to see hypnosis portrayed in a positive light. He simply remembered what he needed to, without any negative posturing in the script, or lack of belief. It is what it is. Hypnosis can work when you need to remember something.

One caveat - if there is something significant you may have forgotten, it is often the mind protecting you from something you may be better off forgetting. This is a complicated discussion better left for another blog, or, even more carefully, a discussion with a professional you trust! An even more complicated discussion revolves around repressed memories and false memories.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Painfully shy otherwise known as Social Anxiety?

I usually do fine speaking with people and meeting new people. I often have to go out to various functions, walking into rooms full of people I do not know. However, I went to a function today, Sunday, and really did not want to go in by myself. My Dad was supposed to join me but he had not yet arrived. Luckily, a couple I am friends with were also going to join me, and after waiting outside for about 15 minutes, they arrived at the function. I was very glad to see them. After waiting outside a few more minutes for my dad, I called him and found out that he wasn't joining us, as he had overslept, and I went inside to join my friends.

Maybe it was because it wasn't a work function that I felt like I had a choice about whether to mix with others. I'm not sure. I was just very happy that I didn't have to be there by myself. Once I got inside with my friends I felt better and had a good time.

When I work with clients, I feel as if I have deep understanding as I continue to struggle with some of the same challenges that they do. So my advice for others is, be gentle with yourself, hang in there and do the best you can.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Fears and Phobias



Over the years, I have worked with so very many people suffering from various fears and phobias.

Women facing childbirth want a happy experience but have heard the "war" stories from others. After learning how to relax and getting past the fears, they report back that the birth experience was wonderful, surprisingly peaceful.

One of the most daunting is the fear of something that we need, like food or fluids. We can get ourselves twisted up into fears that turn into phobias, that feel so real, but we know are irrational. The frustration builds on itself until it feels as if we will always feel that fear.

Others have anxiety around other people, or nature, insects or animals. It all feels so real because it becomes real. You are not crazy.

Peace is possible. It is possible to get past those fears, that visceral, physical reaction that is getting in your way from living a full, happy life.

Learning a combination of relaxation tools and talk therapy, we can help desensitize you to the root fear so you can get past it and experience long-lasting relief! You can also learn the tools that will empower you to get past flare-ups and feel better, quickly.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Julia is graduating!


My younger daughter, Julia, is graduating from college this weekend. She is receiving her BA in English, just like her mom. However, unlike her mother, she got a 3.5 in her final semester. I barely made it, though, for the record, I did graduate. Julia is continuing her education in social work in the Fall. I couldn't be more happy for her, or us.

Julia's sister, Jess, graduated from college two years ago, and is continuing her education in nutrition. She is a brilliant young lady who also works hard and is planning the future she wants.

They are both exactly where they need to be in their lives right now. I wish the same for each of us. Mazel Tov to my girls and blessings to us all!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Busy Healing the Universe



I heard this phrase once - used to ask for special favors for a fellow healer who "had been busy healing the universe". Aren't we all? I wish you special favors today!!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Flying the Blue Skies - New Fees in Air Travel from Continental Airlines

I flew back and forth from Newark to Orlando this week for a conference. It was an informational get together with a company called Campus Management, aimed primarily at higher ed. We also made side trips to sister colleges in the area, meeting with colleagues and gathering good information.

That being said, air travel is the easiest way to efficiently travel between NJ and FL, unless you are at liberty to take the time to drive, which I am not at this point.

On the way to Orlando, we were offered free Direct TV but we had to buy the headphones for $3 - and we could keep them any use them on subsequent flights - wow! On the way home from Orlando, we were offered free headphones but the Direct TV cost $6.

Aren't the execs at Continental Airlines clever?

I was traveling solo, but a ton of people were with their children, most of whom immediately felt like they needed to watch TV, bringing a general cry of anguish from all children who were denied the opportunity. Meanwhile, said small television screen was staring each of us in the face, playing the entire trip with enticing clips that foreshadowed what could be had by just swiping a credit card.
Lastly, cash is no longer a form of currency on Continental Airlines, only credit or debit cards.

Further, I was given the opportunity to save $2 by paying for my checked bag ahead of time - $23 instead of $25. Show me the money. The way I look at it, I'm still out $23.

Brave new world!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

please stop smoking



So very many people contact me regarding hypnosis for smoking cessation. I often broad-brushstroke smoking cessation, calling it one of the garden variety hypnosis techniques, along with weight loss, though it is sometimes the most critical key for health and wellbeing. Stop smoking and many other benefits fall into place; improved health, social interaction, confidence, peace and a little more money in the pocket too!


Most people I work with have been smoking at last 15 years, but usually at least 20, 30 or 4o years. Even though so many have good intentions to quit, the thing that is the biggest motivator is illness or restriction of normal life. Either they can't breathe, can't move, or don't feel well. Each client I work with is a unique individual who identifies with smoking in their own way.


Conversely, while we all experience the act of smoking and the habit uniquely, there are similar pieces to the experiences which are common to many of us. I say this as I am an ex-smoker.


Most of us have taken many years to become a smoker, and have hung onto the habit or addiction for dear life! Concurrently, most people want to know if they can quit in one session. Some can, but others need to learn to be gentle with themselves and participate in their wellness by giving themselves a chance to quit, an opportunity to be healthy and move on from a long-time habit. Many call it their old friend! There is sometimes an adjustment period.


I encourage my clients to give themselves a break and acknowledge that it may take a bit more time than just one session to quit. For details about how hypnosis works, I refer you to an earlier blog – 10 Misconceptions About Hypnosis.


Ask yourself these two questions:

On a scale of one to ten, ten being the greatest, how great is your urge to quit smoking?

Have you already cut back in anticipation of quitting?


If on a scale of one to ten your urge to quit is at least an 8, you are ready. If you had already cut back, even better!


How about these questions:

Are you afraid you will gain weight if you quit?

Do you feel that deserve to be healthy and can take a little time to restore full health?

Do you acknowledge that smoking is bad for you?


Some of these questions will reveal deterrents to quitting, along with many other possible roadblocks to success. These can be overcome when we uncover them.


For those of you who want to know how hypnosis helps as an aid to smoking cessation, I offer the following structure:

What to expect in a smoking cessation program:

  • Motivation and Confidence
    Learn how to build a strong desire to stop smoking. Reasons to quit and benefits of quitting are covered. You will easily learn tools for permanent release from smoking habit.
  • Overcoming Past Connections
    In order to quit successfully, we must change what cigarettes mean to us and the connections they have in our lives. Patterns that aid in our smoking habit are also re-routed, as are fears about what would happen if we quit, like gaining weight, or losing break time.
  • Creating New, Healthier Connections
    Time to reprogram our minds with healthier choices. Great guided visualization of cleansing our bodies of the toxins smoking leaves behind.
  • Preventing Relapse
    This session cements the value of quitting and provides help with avoiding a smoking relapse. Each hypnosis session is 45-60 minutes in length. Clients reported that not only was quitting easy, but that the sessions were relaxing and helped them with every day stress.
  • Tune-ups post quit date - Into each life some rain can fall. We react to the stress around us, and sometimes fall back on our old coping habits while dealing with stressful life issues. Smoking can be one of those old habits. With daily simple, relaxing practice and acknowledgement of this stress, we can quit permanently. 30 minute tune-up sessions are available to reinforce as needed.


Supplementary Hypnosis Sessions

Along with the basic 4-session set described above, additional 20 to 30 minute hypnosis sessions targeted at these specific issues:

  • Handling feelings without cigarettes
  • Weight management
  • Assertiveness / people skills
  • Energy and concentration
  • Pairing smoking with unpleasant experiences – also known as aversion therapy


I hope this clears up some questions about hypnosis. Make your decision to quit today!


Saturday, April 10, 2010

Virtual Games And Real Money

In my last post I discussed Fish World and the impact of social games on people, from the youngest to the oldest of us. I was amazed by how quickly I was sucked into the rhythm of playing a facebook based game and all of the housekeeping, decorating, maintaining and growing that world requires.

While I played Fish World, I was encouraged to "get" more fishbucks by clicking through to that page. When I got there, Offerpal suggested I purchase bucks with my credit card or through PayPal. You can certainly earn fishbucks through play, but you can also buy them with real money.

I have struck a nerve on a number of occasions already with friends and family, most of whom feel that they have witnessed love ones retreat from the real into the virtual world, which concerned loved ones have found alarming.

Here is another facet of social gaming - monetizing for game creators. I was not aware of the statistic, but my husband shared that real purchase of virtual gifts and gear is a multi-billion dollar business.

What exactly does this mean? One example - in facebook, members are prompted to remember their friends' birthdays with a link to their friend's home page. When clicking on the link, the member is encouraged not only to leave their best wishes, but to purchase a virtual gift which they can purchase with their credit card or through pay pal with real money.

Another example - in social gaming, many items are available through soliciting other members, but are also available for the "bucks" that the player can purchase - you guessed it - by depositing those bucks in their account through purchase with a credit card or other real payment source.

Just as the online gambling phenonenon has made real life difficult by draining players' bank accounts, so too can participation in virtual worlds affect an individual's real life bottom line.

Let the player beware, and as my daughter Julia and our friend Melina say, make good choices!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Games and real life



I recently had a young client tell me about her gaming fun in a game, played on the internet with others. She is very attached to this game and meets friends there. They have avatars and it is very interactive and action packed. She spends as much time as she can there and misses it when she is not there. I wanted to understand more about virtual reality and playing these interactive games.

Coincidentally, one of my Facebook friends invited me to a facebook based game called Fish World. About a week ago I decided to play Fish World, which, while it is very simple, it is fun. I am actually surprised at just how much time I wanted to spend playing with my fish, acquiring new fish, training new fish, sending gifts to my Fish World friends. In fact, right now, while blogging to you, I am thinking about going back to feed my fish.

Playing this game has given me some perspective on how internet based games can fill a void, or provide real social interaction in a virtual world. My fish world friends and I send each other gifts and clean tanks and feed each other's fish a treat. I tell my fish world friends how nice their tanks look.

While this interaction cannot replace real life relationships and fresh air, it does provide us an opportunity to interact with others, be kind and thoughtful, and learn strategies for success and problem-solving.

Interesting, but I'm still spending too much time on the fish! Here is a link to another blog that discusses Fish World.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

My Hundredth Post - Pink Floyd - First in Space

back in the day - after Syd
more recently

My friend Laura Nuescheler posted this video of Roger Waters of Pink Floyd performing The Wall after the Berlin Wall came down in 1990. I wouldn't feel right if i didn't post Pink Floyd performing it also - pick your favorite - Pink Floyd's version at Live 8 in London, summer 2005, is below Roger's. Watch them and break through!



Sunday, March 21, 2010

Guided Regression and Radio Program


More past life regression information, if you feel so inclined. Rockland World Radio hosts a program featuring my colleagues and friends Anton Bluman, Rory Pinto and Paul Lamb, New Perspectives, every Thursday evening at 6pm. I was their guest a couple of weeks ago. The program focused on past life regression. We discussed what someone might experience, as well as background on what we sometimes discover and why people participate in a regression. In other words, okay, what's in it for me?

We might regress in order to learn more about ourselves, our health, our emotions, our psychological patterns, pain in our body we can't explain or heal, reconnect with talents and abilities, to understand or release ourselves from promises or pacts that no longer serve us, and relationship issues. Though the experience itself may be either vivid or mundane, it is the result that is important. We may gain understanding or relief; physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual; healing, and so on. Please give a listen if you have an extra hour or so. The regression is about 20 minutes into the show (and the first two minutes are chanting, if you can wait it out!). Hope you enjoy. Would love to hear your experience! Click here for the regression. Choose the March 4 program link. The link may not work in Mozilla Firefox and may need to be opened in Microsoft Internet Explorer or another browser.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Just had a chance to see Michael Jackson This Is It last night. It was a very powerful statement to the fact that he still had so much creativity within him. I had never been a tremendous fan, even though I love his music. Watching his creative process was incredible, a real gift that gave me insight that led me to believe that he was taken too early. I thought about one of my favorite movies, or actually a movie that has been made three times; "Here Comes Mr. Jordan", then remade as "Heaven Can Wait" two times. In the recent theme of my blogs, past lives, regressions, progressions, why we come into the lives we are in, I do believe that people have unfinished business, that they are sometimes taken too soon, and that they come back. I do not believe we have heard the last of Michael Jackson and his amazing talent. It will stretch throughout his lifetimes, maybe again sooner than we might think. Here is one of his most recent songs, "Earth Song".

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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Listen to www.RocklandWorldRadio.com Thursday March 4, 6-7 pm

NEW PERSPECTIVES
A Lively discussion of everyday topics from a spiritual and metaphysical viewpoint

Join us Thursday Evening March 4th from 6-7 PM EST

with Paul Lamb,Anton Bluman, Rory Pinto
and Special Guest Mary Beth Del Balzo

visit Mary Beth at http://marybethdelbalzo.com or http://marybethdelbalzo.blogspot.com ;


Past Life Regression

A Key To Understanding The Present,
And Releasing The Limitations Of The Past

TO LISTEN...CLICK ON http://WWW.ROCKLANDWORLDRADIO.COM/

AND CLICK ON THE "LISTEN LIVE" BUTTON (upper left of screen)

Call us....what's your PERSPECTIVE?
WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Rockland World Radio Live Call-in Number
845-290-9493

Please forward to anyone you think would be interested
in listening. Thanks!


Affiliated with Blue Horizons Holistic Network