tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37529581305277443942024-03-08T08:51:02.221-10:00Hilo Living BlogHilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.comBlogger335125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-27770018298098862712018-05-12T15:20:00.001-10:002018-05-12T15:20:33.473-10:00Making Better Decisions<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter
Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts”, by </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Annie Duke, describes how most people incorrectly view
the outcome of a decision as being reflective of the quality of their
decision process. They think good outcomes from a decision means there was
a good decision process and bad outcomes are because of a bad decision process.
According to the author, who was a professional gambler, the outcome is more
often related to luck than a bad decision process. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For example, if you decide
to drive through a red light, the fact that you did not get into a crash is
more related to luck than being the result of a good decision.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The author claims that people
are very uncomfortable with the idea that luck plays such a big part in
the outcome of their decisions and are even more uncomfortable with the idea
luck plays a big part in their life. Instead of evaluating our choices as
having different probabilities of success (like a poker hand), we see our
choices as more black and white options with no shades of grey in which choices
may be best. Like playing a game of poker, the more information you gain as the
game progresses, the less luck controls the result and the better the probability
of your chances of making a decision with positive outcomes. Rather than
characterizing choices as black or white, her recommendation is to put a
probability of success on choices and modify the probability as more
information comes available.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Since reading this book, I
have been looking more closely at how much information I have about my given
set of choices. I noticed that as soon as I started adding a probability (my
belief of the percentage chance of success) to each choice, it clarified how
much I didn’t know about the future and what the overall risks I was taking with
each choice.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I recently had a major
decision about my car, since my 3 year lease was coming to an end. Should I buy
it? Should I lease another car? Should I buy a new car? Should I use the same
dealer? As I collected more and more information and calculated the costs and downside
risks of each option, it became clear that a new lease had the best probability
of long-term success for me. This process quickly ended my
quandary as to what to do. It also made the process of leasing a new car much
easier since I went into the negotiation aware of how much of the process was a
gamble; would the car be great or a lemon? Time will tell. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It is fascinating to consider
how much of the outcomes of my life decisions are just chance, out of my
control.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This book is really well
written which made understanding the concepts of probability easy to understand
and enjoyable to read.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I highly recommended the
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Bets-Making-Smarter-Decisions/dp/0735216355/" target="_blank">book</a>!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-70047146028779246452017-12-31T18:49:00.001-10:002017-12-31T18:50:45.510-10:002018 Year of the Earth Dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mwUnvubNGsY/WkmerLIk8uI/AAAAAAAAB3w/xLJ0xDlIzOQJe1KKq2o-MSSul8-ABxiMACLcBGAs/s1600/Earth%2BDog%2B2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="314" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mwUnvubNGsY/WkmerLIk8uI/AAAAAAAAB3w/xLJ0xDlIzOQJe1KKq2o-MSSul8-ABxiMACLcBGAs/s1600/Earth%2BDog%2B2018.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Here are our annual predictions, based on the Chinese lunar calendar,
for the 2018 Year of the Earth Dog. As we predicted, the current <a href="https://hiloliving.blogspot.com/2016/10/2017-year-of-fire-rooster.html" target="_blank">2017 Fire Rooster year</a></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="background: white;">has seen a focus on justice and more resources
put toward growth. The U.S. economy is beginning to improve, the stock market
has gained momentum, police and military have gained more favor. Some
long-awaited justice is being served. In contrast, the 2018 Dog Year will focus
on loyalty, relationships, family, and country. </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The Earth Dog New Year starts February 16, 2018. The Dog is conservative
and prizes safety, protection, and tradition. This year will see an inward
focus on the country, and major changes in relations between countries. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">This Dog year’s impact will be increased for the US by President
Trump, who was born in a Dog year (1946). A Dog president will have more
influence and power in renegotiating trade and military agreements and protecting
US interests during the Dog Year.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> The
Dog year will bring increased social awareness and interest in society’s less
powerful members. Generosity and selflessness will be more common.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Earth Dog years also increase focus
on </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">real estate,
agriculture, environment, and religion.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">During the
last Earth Dog year, 60 years ago (1958):</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Van Allen
radiation belts were discovered,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Antarctic
was crossed for the first time,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">50 feet of
snow fell across the Mason-Dixon line, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">NORAD was
formed by the US and Canada, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Mao Zedong
started the “Great Leap Forward” movement in China, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Castro’s
Cuban government was recognized by the US, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">US approved
Alaska's statehood, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Eisenhower
signed the NASA Act,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The USS Nautilus
reached the North Pole,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">China fired
on islands in the Taiwan Strait and a Chinese civil war started, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Japan
marketed the first precooked instant noodles, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The US
Air force Academy opened in Colorado Springs, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The National
Defense Education Act was signed, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">A US Air Force
C-130A was shot down when it strayed into USSR airspace, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Doctor
Zhivago was published in US, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The first
color video was recorded on magnetic tape, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Jack Kilby
demonstrated the first integrated circuit (IC), </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Rockets
designed by Ernst Mohr reached the upper atmosphere,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The US
manned space-flight project was renamed Project Mercury, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The first
pacemaker was installed in Stockholm, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Pope Pius
XII died and John XXIII was elected as the new Pope,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">First women
in the UK House of Lords,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">PanAm flew
the first transatlantic jet from NY to Paris</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The first
coronary angiogram was performed,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="xmsonormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The US tested
the first full range ICBM and launched the first guided missile destroyer,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The first radio
broadcast was made from space – President Eisenhower’s Christmas message “to
all mankind, America’s wish for peace on Earth and goodwill to men everywhere”.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The 2018 Dog
Year will emphasize friends and family and security which will be reflected in
US relations with other countries and world leaders. It is a time for caution,
pragmatism, and careful growth in business, career, home, and family
affairs. For the best luck in this year, keep calm and stay rational.</span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-71187311200215846562017-10-15T15:34:00.000-10:002017-10-15T15:34:12.017-10:00The First case of Diet destroying a brain tumor<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">About five years ago, I
read a study that started my interest in the ketogenic diet as a cure for
cancer. In the study, a woman had a brain tumor, a Glioblastoma (GBM),
completely disappear in two and half months on the diet. I learned about GBMs
while living in Los Alamos, New Mexico in the 1990’s while serving on a
community cancer study. GBMs were the cancer of greatest concern
because even with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, a quick death (usually
with in 6 months) was certain. <a href="https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-7-33" target="_blank">The study </a>piqued my interest in how a keto
diet could irradicate this deadly cancer. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The study was done in 2008
at the <a href="http://www.asmn.re.it/" target="_blank">Arcipedaule S. Maria Nuova Hospital </a>in
Reggio Emilia, Italy (a Province between Florence and Milan)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">It described how a 65 year old
woman started having nausea, headaches, and memory loss. Upon examination,
several GBM tumors were discovered on each side of her brain. Surgery was
performed to remove the tumors, but was not able to remove all the cancer.(GBM
tumors are like blobs of jello and all the tiny globs of cancer sticking to the
brain cannot be removed by surgery.) <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The patient was put on a
water-only fast followed by a calorie-restricted ketogenic diet of
600 calories a day for 14 days prior to beginning the standard treatment
of radiation and chemotherapy. The diet consisted of a ratio of 4 calories
of fat to 1 calorie of protein or carbohydrate. The ketogenic diet, a
low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet causes low blood glucose levels and high
blood ketone levels. The reduction in carbohydrates and high fat puts the body
into a metabolic state called ketosis.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">After six weeks on the
diet, the patient developed high levels of uric acid in the blood
(gout) so she was slowly moved to a 600 calorie a day, non-keto diet.
The low calorie diet continued to keep her blood glucose level low (in the
60mg/dl range though never under 45mg/dl.) Nine weeks later
an MRI showed the brain tumor was gone. A PET scan was performed 12 weeks
later and showed no sign of cancer. After 6 months the calorie restriction was
stopped. Eight weeks after her calorie restriction ended, the tumor reoccurred.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The study concluded that
low blood glucose in conjunction with high ketones in the blood greatly
reduces cancer cells’ ability to survive. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is considered the
first case of a GBM tumor being killed off with the help of a diet.
It also inspired my two year adventure in researching how ketogenic
diets kill deadly cancers and may greatly improve your health.</span>Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-19543923989329917402017-08-25T12:47:00.000-10:002017-08-25T12:47:00.502-10:00Happy Money<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">The book, <i>Happy Money:
The Science of Happier Spending</i> by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, summarizes
current research on how you spend money changes how happy and satisfied you
are in life and affects your health and well being. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a wonderful book that explains how you can increase
your happiness by spending on experiences with the people you value rather than
spending on prestige belongings that many people think will make them happy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">According
to the book, research shows that spending money on leisure activities like
trips, movies, sporting events, gym memberships and the like leads to more
happiness than buying expensive consumer and prestige items. Experiences tend
to be appreciated more as time goes by whereas things tend to be less appreciated
as time goes on as better things than they bought emerge. Experiences tend to make
us feel more connected to other people which improves life satisfaction. When
couples do exciting and novel things together, their relationships improve. Anything
we do to make the time with our friends or partners special is money well
spent. Experiences make memorable stories for retelling for years to come and
give us a sense of who we are or who we want to be. Experiences can’t be
compared to things purchased. Experiences
that remind of us of the past and give us nostalgia, like going to a museum,
watching an old movie, or hearing a favorite song, can bolster our vitality and
reduce stress. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Research
indicates people earning over $75,000 a year do not have an increase in happiness. High
income individuals spend more time doing high stress activities like
working, commuting, and shopping than those who make less. High income
individuals view their time as highly valuable which makes them feel like they
have less time. In contrast, buying time, called time affluence, increases happiness.
You can gain time affluence by moving closer to work to reduce your commute, working
in a job that requires less hours, or hiring people to do your yard work
or cleaning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Research
shows that having expensive things does not bring happiness, health, or
well-being. The University of Michigan found that those with cheaper cars had
the same satisfaction driving them as people with expensive cars. Surprisingly,
homeowners are not happier than renters, and are on average are 12 lbs heavier
than renters. Those who simplify their lives by reducing their wardrobe, moving
into a smaller abode, changing their consumption patterns, and reducing their
stuff are happier. The enemy of appreciation is abundance; if we make
everything we do special i<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;">t</span>
will increase appreciation and happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">I highly recommend this book for people wanting more happiness,
time, and life satisfaction. Five Stars. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-91644396207954368042017-08-05T15:41:00.000-10:002017-08-05T15:41:11.283-10:00Common Sense Investing<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I found a lot to like about the <i>The
Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair
Share of Stock Market Returns</i> by John C. Bogle. Mr. Bogle was the founder
of The Vanguard Group and is famous for creating the world’s first index mutual
fund in 1975, the Vanguard 500 Index Fund.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
logic of his index fund was to invest in a large number of stocks, all the
stocks comprising the S&P 500, to make money from the combination of their
growth and dividends. This is a departure from the more common view of
investing in undervalued stocks to make money from an increase in their stock
value.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bogle
makes a convincing argument that the best way to get the value from the
stock market is to invest in all the stocks by buying mutual funds based on
indexes of the market that invest in all the stocks.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The author
points out that the real net income from stock investments is the investments’
gain minus the cost of the investments. The costs are relatively easy to
determine in the case of retail brokers charging for a stock trade when buying
or selling stocks. However, the costs are much more complicated for
mutual funds because, in addition to the cost of the trade, in many cases
there is an annual incentive sales fee for the broker for up to five years (up
to 1.5% a year according to the author). I had no idea that there were hidden
sales fees in addition to the purchase
fee charged by the brokers. In addition to annual fees, most mutual funds
typically have additional management fees of 2 to 3%. In comparison, index
funds have low management fees (often .4% or lower) with no hidden sales fees.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What is
more disturbing is that 99% of mutual funds significantly underperform
the S&P 500 index. When the excessive costs combined with the
underperformance of mutual funds are compared to S&P index funds, the long
term income differences are shocking. The net return after taxes of $10,000
invested in an indexed fund from 1980 to 2005 would have been $76,200
versus $16,700 for other mutual funds (for those mutual funds that survived).
This represents 456% more net income to the investor with far less risk.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you are
one of the 85% of investors who let their broker "manage" their
assets, Bogle’s book may keep you awake at night. To sleep better, I switched
to low cost, low risk index funds. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The author’s
perspective is unique since he invented the very first indexed funds. It is a little
like reading Thomas Edison's thoughts about the light bulb. Bogle knows the issues
and history of investing in indexes versus other types of mutual funds.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This "common
sense investing" book was easy to read and easy to understand. I highly
recommend it to anyone wanting their investments to produce more income with
less risk. Five Stars and hats off to the founder of index
investing. </span>Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-20706048704037298882017-07-28T15:33:00.000-10:002017-07-28T15:33:17.152-10:00How your Bank Balance buys you Happiness<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">I recently
read an interesting study, <i><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27064287" target="_blank">How your bank balance buys happiness: The importance of "cash on hand" to life satisfaction</a></i>,
by Ruberton, Gladstone, and Lyubomirsky from the University of California,
Riverside and Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. The study claims having
more cash in your checking and saving accounts leads to increased life
satisfaction. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the first study on money
to use actual banking records from the participants to assess how their “liquid
wealth” affected their life satisfaction. Previous studies only used self
reported estimates of bank account information. In addition to the previous
year of bank records, the participants took a Life Satisfaction survey and
a two question Perceived Financial Well Being survey. Measures for the study
also included Income, Total Spending, Total Investments, Indebtedness status,
Employment status, and Relationship status. Another key detail was anyone who had
greater debt than savings was excluded from the study.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The study’s results confirmed
previous studies findings that people with higher debt have lower life
satisfaction and people with investments have higher life satisfaction, as do
people with an income high enough to have a moderately good quality of
life (approximately $75,000). It also confirmed studies showing that life
satisfaction is unrelated to income above $75,000 and people with no
debts have higher life satisfaction.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The new revelation from
the study was that having more cash in savings or checking accounts increased
financial well being and life satisfaction more than any other factor,
including total debt, income level, or investments. The study found that with
each increase in cash by a factor of ten, life satisfaction increases by 3.45%.
So an increase in savings from $1 to $1000 increases life satisfaction by about
10.35%. The next 3.45% increase in life satisfaction is at $10,000 in cash. And
another 3.45% increase is at $100,000. The next 3.45% increase in life
satisfaction requires a million dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Even people with very large
investments (over ten million dollars) who had small amounts of liquidity
in their bank accounts had significantly lower levels of financial well being and
life satisfaction than those with vastly lower investments yet more liquid wealth
in cash.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">What is unclear about this
new finding is if it is the result of the 2008 financial collapse, since
investments may not provide the same feeling of financial well being as before.
Or is this something that has been true for a long time and not previously found
due to self reporting biases, since actual bank statements were not used in the
past. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The researchers also raised
the alarm about how much the long-term, extremely low interest rates from banks
may be costing society in happiness and well being. These low rates punish those
who have more cash in savings. </span><o:p></o:p></span>Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-63934520501314296352017-05-29T11:43:00.001-10:002017-05-29T11:43:56.628-10:00How to Make Your Money Last in Retirement<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">I just finished reading
Jane Bryant Quinn’s book </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476743770/tag=hilolivingblog-20" target="_blank">"How to Make Your Money Last</a></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476743770/tag=hilolivingblog-20" target="_blank">: The Indispensable Retirement Guide”</a>.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ms. Quinn wrote this book last year
and is now 78 years old, so her</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">
concepts are not theoretical or abstract. She shares clear, concrete, and very
detailed information on how to make your retirement money last which made this
book useful and enjoyable to read.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></h1>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The most basic thing she recommends to
do to make your money last is to earn income as long as you can (as old as
possible) and not start taking your social security until you are 70 years old.
The social security payout increases 8% a year for every year after age 62. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The second way to make your
money last is to control spending. The happy place to be in retirement is where
your expenses are equal to or less than your income.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">For most retirees, their
biggest reduction comes from downsizing the cost of
their housing. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Another major expense for many
are high stock trade fees and hidden commissions in mutual funds, annuities,
and life insurance products. These high costs and hidden fees can eat away as
much as 50% or more of the long term value of a retirement portfolio. The
best way to avoid this is to use a discount broker and manage investments
yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">An area of great savings
and great risk is Medicare. You can start taking Medicare at 65 and it may be
much cheaper than your employers health coverage plan, however, there are big
risks to doing this. If you start Medicare, the government will automatically
start your social security payments. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">You have to have the
payments stopped or you could lose your 8% lifetime increase. If you miss a
payment to Medicare, they cover it with social security and that could
impact your start date. You may not even be notified and only find
out about it at age 70 when you file for social security. Not a small risk.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although I have
considered Annuities and Reverse Mortgages foolish things to do, the
author pointed out some circumstances where they can be very profitable. The
book does a great job of explaining the difference between an IRA, a 401K and a
Roth IRA and the tax implications of each. She describes the rules
for taxes and inheritances and what income is and is not taxable. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">One thing I found
surprising is that you can open a Roth IRA at anytime and put in any amount.
The earnings are not taxed and, unlike an IRAs, there is no minimum that must be
withdrawn each year or maximum that can be withdrawn each year. Even better,
the earnings are not taxed when taken out. It actually seems too good to be
true, so I recently bought a book on the details of Roth IRAs to see what the
downside might be. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The author recommends that you
pay off all credit card debt before retiring; apparently people 50 and older have a lot of credit card debt - far more than younger people. She also
thinks it is best to avoid buying rentals as a source of income because they
are hard to manage.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The book’s detail and depth
makes it a slow read but I found the information so useful that I used a
highlighter to mark the critical details and consider it an important
reference.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">I highly recommend this
book, five stars.</span><o:p></o:p></span>Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-46740325104644351552017-04-23T07:16:00.000-10:002017-04-23T07:25:49.616-10:00The Stock Market Index Revolution<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119313074/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=081298160X&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=9beba3cbeeb507cb270498ad0e9e745f" target="_blank">The Index Revolution: Why Investors Should Join It Now</a> by Dr. Charles Ellis
explained a lot of the changes that I have witnessed in the stock market over
the last 40 years. Dr. Ellis has a great deal of experience managing large
pension funds and wealth funds. He explained the reasons why investing by
amateurs like me no longer works and why it makes sense to invest in indexes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the 1960’s 99% of stock market trades were by amateur investors who traded just
a few times a year. Today, less than 1% of stock trades are by amateur
investors. Now, over 1.5 million professional traders, mutual funds, pension
funds, and automated trading systems make 99% of the world-wide stock trades. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Full
time professional and institutional traders take advantage of underpriced
stocks by finding them faster than amateur investors. They do it by getting
instant and detailed information about companies unavailable to amateurs. Stock information sources can cost over
$20,000 a year, impossibly expensive for an amateur like me managing my IRA and
small portfolio of individual stocks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Over
the past 40 years, the trend toward professional and institutional stock
trading led to the creation and spectacular growth of professionally managed
mutual funds. Although the “famously successful mutual fund managers” paid huge
salaries touted that their mutual funds performed better than the overall
market, academic researchers found that over the past decade only one or two
of their mutual funds out-performed the S&P 500 stock index. And, after the
cost of trades and the high management fees, none of the mutual funds out
performed the S&P 500 index.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
stock market generally goes up about 8% per year, averaged over 10 years. The
expense of trades and staff, which is commonly 4% of the gain, can cut the long
term appreciation of an investment portfolio by 50% of even the best
performing mutual funds. Most of the mutual funds do not come close to matching
the performance of the overall stock market index, but even if they did the net
result would be less because of their costs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">These
findings published by academia have led to a mass exodus from mutual funds to
exchange traded index funds (ETFs).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
author’s career included managing foundation portfolios as well as researching
stock fund results at Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. His unique experience makes
the book an especially enjoyable read. I was so impressed with the data and
view he presented that I immediately started moving out of individual stocks into ETFs. It has been about 90 days since I started and I am already very
happy with the greater stability of the ETFs; no more disturbing daily
volatility of individual stocks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">I highly recommend the book. Five stars. </span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-54893704322133819692017-03-23T16:44:00.001-10:002017-03-23T16:44:52.180-10:00Mini Habits<h1 style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book <span class="a-size-extra-large"><u><span style="color: #111111;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494882272/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1494882272&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=f40a51bb44296bfa3c4fd1775ff1cc34" target="_blank">Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results</a></span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #111111;"> </span></span><span class="a-size-large"><span style="color: #111111;">by Stephen Guise </span></span>is
based on the story of how the author discovered that<span style="color: #1f497d;">
</span>mini habits work better than traditional big habits. For ten years the
author tried many different personal development systems, to build
significant daily habits that would help him achieve his fitness and writing
goals, and had no success. One night in desperation he decided upon a mini habits
- just one push-up a day. To his surprise this mini habit empowered him to do
more and more push-ups and to ultimately develop fitness habits that helped him
achieve his goals.</span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">His surprising results with
mini habits inspired him to research why they worked so well in achieving major
results. The author’s personal experiences with a motivational approach to
achievement was that to be motivated to work on a goal, it had to be big
enough to be exciting, like running five miles a day or writing 2000 words a
day. The daily tasks required to achieve the goals took so much willpower
to start that he never had the energy to get started, much less start a new
habit. Without “motivation” he could not get anything done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Researchers have discovered
that to be motivated to achieve a goal, which requires habit formation, the
goal has to be big enough to get people excited. For many people just coming up
with a big “exciting” goal was enough of an accomplishment. Having the goal was
a reward enough and they no longer felt the need to actually accomplish it. Those
who tried to accomplish a big goal which required developing new habits that
took a lot of energy and willpower had a very negative experience and feeling
of failure when the goal was not achieved. The result was a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">huge resistance to developing
new habits and a negative experience every time forming new habits was
attempted yet not accomplished.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Establishing a mini-habit, on
the other hand, does not require a lot willpower to start and since it is easy
to do, it creates a regular positive experience by doing it each day. Even
though the mini-habit is ridiculously small, it provides a positive sense of
accomplishment and encouragement. It is important not to increase the mini-habit
goal so that it remains easy to do. The mini-habit doesn’t require much energy
to start so there is more energy to do the work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The author suggests taking at
least a month to see if mini-habits will work for you. I tried the mini-goal
the author had, to write 50 words a day on a book I have been working for a
year about what I have learned about cancer that I think everyone should know.
The first few weeks the mini-goal seemed to help a little, but now that I have
been doing it for 6 weeks it seems to be helping a lot. It not only helped with
writing the book, but it contributed to me focusing the content and scope of
the book. Instead of trying to explain the historical models of cancer and how
recent discoveries are finding them to be wrong, I am focusing on the stunning
new discoveries and the success of non-toxic cancer treatments. Last week
I wrote more in a day than I have since high school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I feel using mini-goals is helping
me achieve my goals. If you want to try a new way to accomplish things try out
mini-goals. I highly recommend this book - Five Stars. </span><span style="font-size: 22pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-53488359242817453732017-02-12T09:36:00.000-10:002017-02-12T09:36:15.719-10:00Trump’s Plan for America – Improve your Health and Sanity by knowing the Future<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rapid change and uncertainty can be upsetting and even make
you sick. The media’s daily portrayal of President Trump’s s behavior as
crazy and unpredictable has convinced many people that his plans are vague and
out of control. The reality is that Trump published the actions he
planned to take as president in 2015 and as far as I can tell he is following
the plan exactly. Knowing his plan and what to expect next has reduced my
stress and allowed me to ignore the media’s portrayal of Trump as a clueless
president who has no idea what he is doing. I summarized Donald Trump’s
10 major plans for America based on his book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1501138006/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1501138006&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=2396be1ba6516b1616a9184e128e6b8e" target="_blank">Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Immigration</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>End illegal immigration in America.</u> Enforce
existing immigration laws and deport all illegal immigrants who have come
across the border or overstayed their visas. Build a wall along the US/Mexico border.
End US “birth citizenship” which grants a US passport to babies born in the US
to non-US citizens, in many cases their mothers travelled to the US on tourist
visas, temporary visas, or illegally for the sole purpose of the birth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Foreign policy</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Foreign policy will be based on what is best for
the US. </u>The US will no longer put other countries first at the expense of
the US tax payers and American workers. This will have wide-spread effects on
trade, defense, and foreign policy where America is footing the bill for the
defense, economic protection, safe ocean passage , or international
organizations for other countries.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Trade</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Renegotiate all US trade deals to favor the US.</u> Renegotiate or terminate NAFTA. Although WTO
is not mentioned, changes to trade deals with China and Europe and Japan are
specifically discussed. Stop countries like China, Germany, and Japan
from getting a trade advantage by keeping their currency artificially low.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Defense</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Make the US military unquestionably the best
military force in the world.</u> The plan is to increase funding, increase
troop numbers, improve training, and improve the quality and military equipment
available to US troops. Have the best missile systems in the world. Charge
countries the US protects around the world for the cost of the defense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Energy</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Support US oil, gas and coal production.</u> Stop
the EPA from enforcing rules that are not laws. Repeal environmental laws that
impede the energy industry. Charge OPEC for the cost of the military protection
the US Navy provides them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Health Care</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Replace Obamacare.</u> Provide cheaper
alternatives for health insurance that gives people more choices and does not
fine those without insurance. Create more competition between insurance
companies to reduce healthcare prices. Negotiate with drug companies for lower
drug prices. Build and fund mental hospitals to take care of the people that
need to be there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Taxes</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Make the tax code so simple that no American will
need an accountant to fill out their forms</u>. Any person earning under $25K or
couple earning under $50K will pay no federal taxes. All corporate taxes will
be 15% as well as individual entrepreneurs. US corporations will be able
to bring money earned overseas back to the US and pay only a 10% tax. All
loopholes for the rich will be closed and the effective tax rates for the top
1% income earners will be increased.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Guns</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Make gun law standard nationwide.</u> Allow everyone, except felons, to carry a
concealed gun anywhere in the US. Make it a federal crime for any felon caught
with a gun, with a 5 year sentence in federal prison with no parole or reduced
time for good behavior.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Education</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>End federal programs for education.</u> Give all
federal funds for education to the US States to use as they see fit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Infrastructure</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Rebuild the infrastructure across the US.</u> Increase the amount the US spends on
infrastructure from 2.4% of the US GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to 9.0% of our
GDP. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have come to believe that
much of the commotion surrounding President Trump’s actions are caused by his
business approach of getting his plan completed as quickly as possible and not
from him doing the unexpected. Whether
you agree with Trump’s plan or not, you can reduce your stress by knowing more
about details of what he plans to do. I highly recommend this book, 5 stars. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-21393141227345811942017-02-04T15:44:00.001-10:002017-02-04T15:44:40.425-10:00The Power of Habit<h1 style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="a-size-large"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">The book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081298160X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=081298160X&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=9beba3cbeeb507cb270498ad0e9e745f" target="_blank">The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business</a></span></span><span class="a-size-medium"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"> was written by journalist Charles Duhigg
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">who became
interested in habits while covering the Iraq war after observing US troops
quickly and calmly respond to attacks. He learned that most military training
is teaching soldiers habits so they know what to do without thinking. The
author explains how habits allow us to do complex tasks without thinking, like
driving a car, cooking breakfast, and walking in a familiar place.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Much
of the new understanding about habits is from Eugene Pauly who had significant
brain damage caused by a viral infection at age 70. Though much of his brain
was destroyed by the virus including his ability to make new memories, he was
able to perform complex tasks that had been established as existing habits and
create new habits. By studying Pauly, scientists discovered that habits are
stored in the basal ganglia, the small primitive part of the brain. Habits make
up over 40% of our daily activities, which makes us very dependent on this
small part of our brain. If we had to think (in our cerebral cortex)
through every action we take during the day we would quickly become exhausted
and unable to function. Habits are instantaneous responses to stimuli; if a
child jumps in front of your car you slam on the brakes without thinking.<s><o:p></o:p></s></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Habits
are described as behavior loops that start with a cue like being hungry,
followed by a behavior, like cooking breakfast, and ending with a reward like
feeling full. All habits start out with a craving of some kind, like a
craving for food, or a craving for stimulation or socialization. Habits
effectively satisfy a craving by an automatic behavior. This seems a bit
simplistic of an explanation to me considering that habits can be formed
without a craving through external pressures, like a job or by your own
initiative.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although
habits are powerful and never really go away, they are also fragile and can be
altered by small changes to the cue. An example given was the loss of customers
to a McDonalds that moved just a block away; the cue at the specific place
where drivers saw the McDonalds sign was disrupted and that stopped their
behavior of driving in for food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
author states that to gain control over a habit we must understand what craving
is being satisfied by the behavior. To uncover the unconscious craving we
must experiment by giving ourselves different rewards. The author gives a
personal example of his cookie craving in the afternoon at work. His routine was
to go to the cafeteria, buy a cookie, and talk to people while he ate it. He
didn’t know if the craving was for food, stimulation, or socialization. To test
out food, he brought an apple to work and ate at his desk. This did not stop
his afternoon cookie craving. The next day he went for a walk around the block
and that didn’t stop his craving either. Finally, he tried leaving his desk to
talk to people and that stopped his craving. So he set an alarm 30 minutes
before he normally went to get a cookie in the afternoon and instead talked to
coworkers for ten minutes and no longer craved his afternoon cookie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
found the description of keystone habits very useful. Keystone habits are good
habits that lead to developing other good habits. One example of a keystone
habit is daily exercise. Once daily exercise becomes a habit, it can lead to a
habit of controlling spending, drinking less alcohol, and eating less. For
weight loss, keystone habits are keeping a daily food journal and recording
your weight every day. Studies have found people who exhibit these two
habits lose more weight than people who don’t have these habits. I am trying to
develop these keystone habits to see if they will help me take off the ten
pounds I have put on since moving to Oahu. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another
keystone habit is keeping a “conflict planning journal”, which leads to
preparation for difficult circumstances. By writing down ahead of time how you
are going to deal with a conflict, for instance how will you deal with a really
hostile customer, you will be less upset and emotional when it happens. Being
less upset leads to other positive things. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
author described successful organizations that teach their employees habits to
make their businesses more effective and profitable. Alco Aluminum increased
their profits by 500% by developing safety habits in their employees. Starbucks
teaches their employees communication habits to deal with hostile customers. A
low ranked NFL team became top ranked by teaching their players better football
habits.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although
some of the author’s claims in this book are thin and there is minimal
discussion about how to create habits, I found the book worth reading and
recommend it. Five stars.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-84073906530116662972017-01-15T15:06:00.001-10:002017-01-15T15:06:56.792-10:00IP6 - a non-toxic Treatment for Cancer <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I became interested in the
nutrient “<span style="background: white;">inositol hexaphosphate”, known as</span><span style="background: white;"> </span>IP6, after finding out that it reduced toxic levels of
iron in the blood and organs. Initially, my research on IP6 concerned me as
many health websites identify IP6 as an anti-nutrient since it removes
iron, copper, selenium, zinc and other metals from the body. If I had not just
read the about the <a href="http://hiloliving.blogspot.com/2016/12/iron-secret-killer.html" target="_blank">dangers of iron</a><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>and learned that older adults frequently have toxic levels of iron, I would not
have considered taking IP6 as a supplement<span style="color: #1f497d;">.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To learn more, I got the book </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/984332708X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=984332708X&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=9c279a30e6bdf88c5ead65bf625150fa" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">IP6 + Inositol: Nature's Medicine For The Millennium!: Discover How A Cocktail of Simple Molecules Can Prevent And Fight Cancer And Other Diseases </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="author" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. AbulKalam
Shamsuddin<span style="color: #1f497d;">.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">IP6 is a natural substance
found in the bran of grains, cereals, seeds and nuts. Since bran is now removed
from most grains, Americans are getting very little IP6 compared to their
grandparents. Long term studies have shown lower rates of cancer in individuals
who consume lots of foods with high levels of IP6. More recent studies of IP6
consumption have also shown significantly lower cancer rates in countries that
consume IP6 rich foods. Unfortunately, IP6 tends to bond with proteins in the
grain which reduces how much the body can absorb from foods and makes it
difficult to get the amount of IP6 into the bloodstream that was used in
studies that cured cancer in mice. The book recommends IP6 supplements be
taken on an empty stomach to get the best benefit and avoid the IP6 bonding
with food.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IP6 provides key nutrients to
the mitochondria and cell membrane. Since the mitochondria control cellular
reproduction rate, cellular death, intercellular communication, and cell
differentiation of new cells, it is critical for them to receive nutrients to
function properly. I learned from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500600318/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1500600318&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=b154e495dd6c6f4359aba5a8cbbea172" target="_blank">Tripping Over the Truth</a><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>that cancers are caused by damage to
mitochondria, not damage to the cell nucleus DNA which was believed for
decades. The nutrition from IP6 curtails the mitochondria from initiating
increased blood flow to support cancer cells rapid growth, slows cell
reproduction rates, and increases cell differentiation.
Cancer cells are rapidly reproducing cells that are immortal (no apoptosis)
caused by damaged mitochondria. In late stage cancer, cancer cells
replicate so fast that the cells are not
differentiated enough to be recognized as a
specific type of cell like a breast or liver cell. Undifferentiated cancer
cells (known as cancer stem cells) can be transported in the blood stream to other organs in the body
where they are not recognized as being foreign by
the immune system and can continue to replicate
and create a metastasized cancer site.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book described the many
other benefits of IP6 that researchers are discovering:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">reduces
excess iron in cells;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">reduces
xanthine oxidase, an enzyme that makes uric acid. Uric acid causes gout so
reducing xanthine oxidase could offer relief to gout suffers;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">helps
people with Type II Diabetes because getting inositol into the cell makes
cells more responsive to insulin;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">appears
to reduce blood sugar levels in the blood and help repair damage blood
vessels from high glucose levels in diabetics;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">helps
reduce kidney stones by binding to and removing excess calcium. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">improves
the immune system, increases bone density, reduces anxiety attacks,
reduces obsessive compulsive behavior, and increases energy by recharging
the potassium in ATP cycle.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IP6 looks like it may be an
effective nontoxic treatment for cancer as well as a nutrient to prevent
cancer. (The author did mention that he has a patent on IP6.)<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>The book convinced me that there were enough
benefits of taking IP6 to risk any side effects of lowering my metal levels. I
have been taking it as a supplement for about two weeks and I have noticed that
it has improved my energy level and seems to be making my skin look better
(something not predicted by this book but mentioned in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1530069505/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1530069505&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=d3e263e9c3bc34f8eff749bfdab0ed54" target="_blank">Dumping Iron</a> book).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In addition to IP6, the book covers many
other topics about cancer. For example, there was a review of what is wrong
with the methods used to diagnosis and treat bowel cancer. The current method
of looking for blood in fecal matter results in a large percentage of false
positives which requires expensive, painful, and dangerous procedures to
confirm if the diagnosis is accurate or not. Even worse, this entire system of
diagnosis only detects 20% of colon cancers, so 80% of colon cancer cases go
undetected. The author proposes using a less invasive mucus test that is 78 to
90% effective for finding all colon cancers. Similar cases are made for breast
cancer and lung cancer diagnoses using more accurate and less costly diagnostic
tests that are currently available.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although this book was not an
easy read and written for people with a bioscience background, I recommend it
to anyone wanting to learn more about how to improve their health through
better nutrition. A lot of the information and topics were understandable to an
average reader like me. Highly recommended. Five stars.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-73122708156038062502016-12-18T19:05:00.000-10:002016-12-18T19:05:27.135-10:00Iron, The Secret Killer<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I became concerned about iron in my body
after reading an article by a researcher at Duke on the <a href="http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/112/2/219?" target="_blank">“Golden Age of Iron Biology</a>”. I then read, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1530069505/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1530069505&linkCode=as2&tag=hilo06-20&linkId=2462af41a4bfd27176bccefcecefdaf5" target="_blank">Dumping Iron: How to Ditch this Secret Killer and Reclaim Your Health</a>” by P.D. Mangan, an excellent book on recent research about the negative effects of high levels of iron in the body. In
simple language a non-biologist like me can understand, the book explains
astonishing new discoveries of why high iron concentrations in the body
degrades health and shortens lives. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to the book, iron starts
accumulating in men at age 19 and in most women starting at about age 50 after
the end of their menses. At 50, the average man has 4 times as much iron in his
body as the average women; he also has 4 times the mortality from diseases that
appear to be caused by high iron. Women’s mortality increases as their iron
levels reach the same high levels as men. Though women live 4 years longer than
men, at their death the average iron levels of women are the same as the average men's level. The author notes
that the majority<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;"> </span>of
the oldest people alive have had low levels of iron most of their lives and
populations that are long lived have low levels of iron in their blood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to the book, there was a dramatic
rise in iron levels in the US population due to the addition of iron to grains
and cereals, which has caused the average person to have higher levels of iron
than is healthy. One of the issues with iron is that the body has no natural way to get
rid of it so it builds up first in the liver, then in the pancreas, then other
organs including the heart and brain. To make matters worse, sugar and fructose
increase iron absorption significantly. So all the sugary drinks and foods
people have added to their diet over the past few decades has further increased
their iron levels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">High iron levels damages cellular
mitochondria and is suspected to cause cancer. Even more interesting, cancer
cells need large amounts of iron to grow and spread. Tumors in people with low
iron tend to be very small and grow slowly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Iron is also implicated in cancer reoccurring
after treatments of chemotherapy and radiation because iron is needed for
cancer stem cells to form<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;">. </span>Cancer
stem cells are special cancer cells that can travel throughout the body and
restart cancer growth after treatment. Low levels of iron in the blood may prevent them from forming. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was surprised to learn that high iron
levels are needed for invasive bacteria to grow in the body and low iron levels
actually increase immunity to bacteria. Even viruses, like colds and flu, need
lots of iron to grow so low iron levels are also antiviral. It helps<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;"> </span>explains why people with low
levels of iron live so long.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Evidence is also growing that high iron
levels contribute to obesity because it destroys the hormone leptin, the key
hormone that reduces hunger after eating. High iron levels can make you
insatiably hungry which can lead to obesity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The author believes that the best blood iron
level is just over what would normally be considered anemia. He recommends that
people keep their iron levels much lower than the normal ranges and consume
things that both remove iron from the body and take things that decrease iron
absorption from the foods you eat. What is really interesting about this is
that most of the things that decrease iron absorption are considered
life-extending like green tea, dark chocolate, red wine, low dose aspirin, low
calorie diets, high fiber, vegetarian diets, and exercise. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I highly recommend this book for anyone
wanting to improve the quality of their health and longevity using recent
discoveries about iron biology. Five stars!!!!</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-53680641094846844412016-11-12T15:27:00.000-10:002016-11-12T15:27:41.828-10:00Keto Clarity, A Guide to Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book,<i> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1628600071/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1628600071&linkCode=as2&tag=hilo06-20&linkId=508a3f597a85b506ab02e30a8ac153f7" target="_blank">Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet</a>, </i>is blogger Jimmy Moore's personal story of losing
weight on the ketogenic diet. Jimmy began his blog in 2011 at the of age 32
while losing 180 pounds on a ketogenic diet. The success he had losing weight
made him a big fan of the diet and his blog became popular with others
wanting to lose weight. He interviewed experts on the ketogenic diet and wrote
about all the issues and concerns with living long term on the diet.
The book is a combination of his personal experiences on a ketogenic diet for 13
years and the advice and experiences of 21 experts in the ketogenic field,
mostly doctors, dietitians and researchers. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Interesting details about
being on a ketogenic diet (some new to me) from the book were:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Being in ketosis can cause
you to test positive for alcohol on a breathalyzer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. When you get into ketosis
it can cause a huge surge in Uric acid in the body which could bring about a
gout attack; the Uric acid levels will usually normalize in 4 to 8 weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Living in ketosis can
improve your fertility and increase your sex drive from better hormone
production.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. Using urine ketone strips
to test for ketosis has several draw backs: 1) it does not test for the critical
ketone of beta-hydroxybutyrate but instead for acetoacetate so it does not tell
you if you are producing the right ketones; 2) after several months in ketosis
your kidneys may stop releasing ketones in the urine so you could be in deep
ketosis and not tell from a urine strip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6. A better way to test for
ketosis is by using a home kit that analyzes a pin prick of blood for the right
ketones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">7. It is possible to produce
ketones and still have high blood sugar levels, something you want to avoid.
The best way to avoid this is to use a home kit to test a pin prick of blood for
glucose so you can monitor your blood glucose level to make sure it is going
down as your ketones go up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">9. Being in ketosis improves
your brain’s functioning and your mental energy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">10. Being in ketosis also
improves your overall energy and heart functioning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">11. Carbohydrates are not an
essential nutrient. If you don’t eat any, your body will produce them by
breaking down protein. You actually have to limit your protein intake to stay
in ketosis, although the amount varies from person to person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">13. Living on a ketogenic
diet reduces inflammation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">14. There is solid scientific
evidence that ketogenic diets work therapeutically for epilepsy, type 2
diabetes, metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, irritable bowel
syndrome, GERD and heartburn, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. There is
also good evidence of the benefits from ketosis for Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, dementia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, narcolepsy and
other sleep disorders. Emerging areas of research that look very promising are
cancer, autism, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, migraines, traumatic brain injury,
stroke, gum disease, tooth decay, acne, eyesight, Lou Gehrig’s disease,
multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, kidney disease, restless leg syndrome, and aging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although it is hard for me to
imagine how so many chronic diseases could be cured or improved by a ketogenic
diet, it has been suggested that these diseases are all made worse by high
levels of insulin in the blood and since the ketogenic diet cuts out all sugar,
the reduction of insulin as a result could be the primary factor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have been on a ketogenic
diet for a while, but the book inspired us to cut back on our protein intake
and to get a blood sugar analyzer. We also ordered a ketone blood analyzer to
determine the ratio of glucose and ketones in our blood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Overall this was a great book
that was easy to read and did a great job of explaining very abstract concepts.
It was the best book on ketogenic living I have read, (and I have read a
dozen or more). I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in their
health. Five stars !</span><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-47135899732340434512016-11-06T14:50:00.000-10:002016-11-06T14:50:44.693-10:00Tripping Over the Truth about Cancer<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="a-size-extra-large"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500600318/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1500600318&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=847095fa97f292fe5ba5d2e99733afd6" target="_blank">Tripping Over theTruth: The Return of the Metabolic Theory of Cancer Illuminates a New and Hopeful Path to a Cure</a></span></i></span><span class="a-size-extra-large"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> by Travis Christofferson</span></span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">is a surprisingly
interesting collection of stories about the history and findings of cancer
research.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the stories in the
book is about Dr. Warburg who in 1924 discovered that cancer cells can only
live on glycogen (sugar) and later that cancer cells have fewer mitochondria
than healthy cells. Dr. Warburg’s extraordinary brilliance, his personal
sacrifices to contribute to understanding cancer, and the dedication of his
students make the story an inspiring read. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book describes three
shocking revelations from recent discoveries made at the multinational Cancer
Genome Atlas project funded by the National Cancer Institute, started in 2006. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First: most cancers are not
caused by genetic damage to DNA, which mainstream medicine believes (except Dr. Warburg and his students) to be the primary cause of
cancer since the discovery of DNA in the 1950s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Second: the body does a
remarkably good job of repairing DNA; most cancer cells have far less DNA
damage than anyone realized, which destroyed the accepted model of
cancer known as the “Somatic Theory of Cancer“.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Third: tumors are rarely
comprised of just one type of cancer cell and instead consist of thousands of
genetically different cancer cells. This explains why cancer growths are so
resistance to chemotherapy and radiation. Cancer growths with thousands of versions
of DNA are far more likely to survive compared to a mass of cells with the same DNA. Sadly, it also explains why if cancer returns it is much harder to treat;
the cancer cells that survived initial treatments are not affected by the same
subsequent treatments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book describes a
discovery in 1978 that strongly pointed to cell mitochondria damage being the
cause of cancer. Cancer researcher Cyril Darlington found that x-rays with
enough energy to damage the DNA in the cell nucleus did not cause cancer, yet
when the energy in x-rays was increased enough to damage cell mitochondria, it
did cause cancer. Sadly this research was totally ignored until Thomas Seyfried
wrote his landmark book in 2012 “Cancer as a metabolic disease”. Mitochondria
controls cellular growth rates, apoptosis (programmed cellular death), and
intracellular communications. When the mitochondria of cells are damaged, it
causes rapid cell replication (from days to hours), the cells become immortal
and never die, and they tell nearby cells to redirect the blood flow to support
their rapid growth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the strangest
discoveries the book describes is that when the cell’s mitochondria is damaged,
it sends an emergency message (known as a “retrograde response”)
to the cell’s nucleus. The nucleus attempts to help the mitochondria by sending
it pieces of DNA to help it survive without oxygen. These pieces of DNA activate
some cell functions like high-growth and deactivate other functions like
DNA repair which can cause cancer cells to replicate. Ironically, these
changes can also damage the DNA of the cell nucleus because it is no longer
being repaired. Cancer researchers who thought that DNA damage was the cause of
cancer didn’t realize it was just a side effect of mitochondria damage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One disturbing fact is that despite
the number of smokers being cut by 50% in the last 40 years, cancer incidence
is going up as is cancer mortality. In fact, the mortality rates are increasing
so fast that the author predicts cancer will soon over take heart disease as
the number one cause of death. This contradicts what I had been hearing from
the media, about most cancers having effective cures and that a cure to all
cancers was very close.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite the bad news, the
author has a positive view of future cancer treatment because of an
experimental diet that promotes low blood sugar. The diet basically consists of
no sugar, very low carbohydrates, limited protein, and huge amounts of
saturated fat. This diet is known as the ketogenic diet. There are
several trials going on around the world and there have been some extraordinary
results with many people surviving previously incurable forms of cancer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I find it exciting to think
that a diet could be the cure to cancer. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Imagine getting diagnosed
with cancer and instead of surgery, radiation treatment, and chemo therapy, the
doctor just makes you an appointment with a dietitian</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">. I highly recommend this
book, five stars.</span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-81436654445899423462016-10-21T14:11:00.000-10:002016-10-21T14:11:41.125-10:002017 Year of the Fire Rooster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GM5LU3qoDaQ/WAqtSGmI45I/AAAAAAAAB1s/8Mbg31G8-oY8FForwR_lncOr_5CoOZmAACLcB/s1600/Roost%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GM5LU3qoDaQ/WAqtSGmI45I/AAAAAAAAB1s/8Mbg31G8-oY8FForwR_lncOr_5CoOZmAACLcB/s400/Roost%2B2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is time for our
annual predictions based on the Chinese lunar calendar for 2017 Year of the
Fire Rooster. As we predicted, the current <a href="http://hiloliving.blogspot.com/2015/11/2016-year-of-fire-monkey-predictions.html" target="_blank">2016 Fire Monkey year</a> has been crazy and disorderly. The Monkey Year has seen lawlessness, extreme
attitudes and deception. Unfortunately, the 2016's Star of Illness of the
Flying Star Feng Shui chart brought us Zika, Hep A and other diseases spreading
the globe. In contrast, the 2017 Rooster Year will be a time of rebirth,
transformation, and growth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Rooster New
Year starts January 28, 2017. It will focus on justice and efficiency and bring
harmony, less violence, and more resources for growth. Organizations like the police and military
will regain favor. Loyalty, commitment, punctuality, hard work, patience,
practicality, family values, and good physical appearances will be rewarded
this year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Replacing the Star
of Illness at the center of the Flying Star Feng Shui chart will be the Victory
Star which will make 2017 a great year for change and positive results.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">During the last Fire Rooster Year, 60 years
ago (1957) the Frisbee and portable typewriter were introduced, B52 airplanes
flew the 1<sup>st</sup> non-stop flight around the world and set a record at 45
hours and 19 minutes, US Congress accepted the Eisenhower doctrine (which
allowed a country to request American economic assistance and/or aid from U.S.
military forces if it was threatened by armed aggression from another state),
Mao expounded his ideals in his speech “on correct handling of contradictions
among people”, Great Britain became the 3<sup>rd</sup> nation (after the US and
USSR) to test nuclear bombs, the US army sold off their last homing pigeons,
NYC and other cities ended their trolley service, the US Supreme Courts ruled
that obscenity was not protected by the First Amendment, the link between
smoking and lung cancer was published, the 1<sup>st</sup> submarine designed to
fire guided missiles was launched, the element 102 (Nobelium) was discovered,
the 1<sup>st</sup> rocket with a nuclear warhead was fired in Arizona, the 1<sup>st</sup>
American ran the mile in less than 4 minutes, the 1<sup>st</sup> commercial
building was heated by the sun in Albuquerque, the US Congress passed the Civil
Rights Act of 1957, Ford introduced the Edsel, B52 bombers started flying full
time in preparation for a USSR attack, “In God We Trust” 1<sup>st</sup>
appeared on US paper currency, the USSR launched Sputnik with Laika the dog on
board, the1<sup>st</sup> US large scale nuclear power plant started generating
electricity in Pennsylvania, the 1<sup>st</sup> Fair Housing Practices Law was
passed in NYC, the 1<sup>st</sup> pneumatic pump operation on a dog proved an
artificial heart was possible, an Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile test
was successful, and Elvis Presley was drafted into the US Army,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The 2017 Rooster
Year will be a substantial change of pace from the crazy Monkey year with
sanity and order restored in the world.<span style="color: red;"> </span>Even
better, the year </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">will
be dominated by the Victory Star, so you can expect success <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">in competition, business, and your career</span> This is the year to work hard, keep your nose to the grindstone, and achieve
your goals.</span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-2510878302110843322016-10-01T13:53:00.000-10:002016-10-01T13:53:32.114-10:00Ego is the Enemy <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591847818/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1591847818&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=9807bc4fc74e85b18426fd2f64714815" target="_blank">Ego is the Enemy</a>”,
by Ryan Holiday, was motivated by the author’s personal experiences of
fantastic wealth at an early age and subsequent loss of his wealth and marriage
which he blamed on his big ego.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The content of the book is
inspiring with lots of stories of how big egos have caused people great pain
and their downfall. Many of the stories I had never heard before, for instance
after being president of the U.S., General Grant sunk all his money in a Ponzi
scheme and ended up poverty stricken in his retirement. The book also has
stories of humble people who have greatly improved the world and had happy
lives by not letting their ego lead them to poor choices in their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of my disappointments
with the book was that the author didn’t reveal much about his personal
experiences of having a big ego, how it felt for him, or what he learned. Many
of the stories seem like they are what the author tells himself repeatedly to
keep his own ego from getting out of control. The stories are told in a detached
way and are mostly about public figures rather than individuals he
knew. So there is nothing about what was going on in their minds or a
close personal view. Interestingly, most of the stories in the book are about
men. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In spite of these issues, I
still found the book enjoyable to read and it helped me to recognize my ego
better and be aware of the risks of letting my ego get out of control. It
actually helped me be less stressed when my plans do not work out. I recommend
it, especially for guys.</span><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-32021013409318244342016-09-25T09:45:00.001-10:002016-09-25T17:32:33.108-10:00Could it Be B12; An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1884995691/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1884995691&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=44a34a8e361d6653adcd906456139d5e" target="_blank">Could it Be B12?; An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses</a>”, by Sally M. Pacholok, R.N., B.S.N. and Jeffery J. Stuart,
D.O., appears to be written by people who work in a clinical setting where they
routinely see people misdiagnosed with fatal conditions when all they have is a
severe vitamin B12 shortage. The book is primarily a compilation of misdiagnoses cases
and the patients’ amazing recoveries, often within hours of receiving a B12
shot. The stories raise troubling questions about how the current medical
establishment has a tendency to diagnose older Americans with untreatable
chronic conditions without further investigation, even something as simple as an
inexpensive B12 blood test.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Initially I was unhappy that
the book did not provide an explanation about why B12 is so important for your
health. So I started to research what B12
does in the body and I learned that it does so many critical functions that it
would require another book to explain them all. Having investigated B12 made reading the book more enjoyable for
me as I could see how a lack of B12 could lead to all the misdiagnosed conditions
mentioned. Below is list of some of the things B12 does for our bodies:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->B12 is required
for the formation of red blood cells. Red blood cells (the hemoglobin inside
red blood cells) carry oxygen to the body from the lungs and carbon dioxide to
the lungs to be expelled. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->B12 is needed to
convert heart and vessel damaging homocysteine to healthy methionine. Methionine
is needed to make S-adenosylmethione, which is needed to make DNA for cell
replication and to make RNA. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->B12 is needed for
the metabolism of every cell in our body. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every
cell in the body needs B12 to function properly which explains why a shortage
of it can cause symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis (MS). A shortage can also
cause mental illness, heart disease, an impaired immunity system, auto immune
diseases, cancer, infertility, autism, and brain damage in children. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I read through the stories
and symptoms of acute B12 shortage I started wondering if I might have a B12
shortage. The authors implore readers to get a B12 blood test before taking B12
supplements to see if you actually have a B12 shortage. According to them, the minimum level is
450pg/ml, which is 80% percent above the current recommended 250pg/ml. Of
course I totally ignored their advice to get a blood test and began taking B12
supplements. I took the type they recommended, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QNPWGM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001QNPWGM&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=4b4303736fdfd3585c4e38192ae7c35d" target="_blank">methyl cobalamin, 2 mg or 2000mcg, in a sub lingual pill</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book does an excellent
job of explaining the reasons why older people tend to be short of B12. Many medications
keep B12 from being absorbed in the intestines and to get B12 from food
requires the right stomach acid strength and a critical enzyme. If these are missing, it is easy to get short
of B12. The authors recommend taking B12 as a shot or as a sub lingual pill that
you dissolve under your tongue to help bypass stomach acid and enzyme problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book gives great advice
about B12’s interactions with other drugs. Folic acid, for example, which is
taken as a supplement by some people, masks a B12 shortage. I was surprised that the authors didn’t make a
distinction between the natural version of folate and synthetic made folic acid;
my research about folic acid indicates it has lots of negative side effects
that natural folate (which is in fresh lettuce and greens) does not. I take
folate supplements with my B12.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book was a great read
that inspired me to start taking B12 supplements with my folate and B6 supplements.
So far the result have been very positive; I feel like I have more energy and my
memory is improving. I recommend reading it, especially if you are over
50. Five Stars</span><span style="color: #548dd4;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-74606316458088018182016-09-18T08:51:00.000-10:002016-09-18T08:51:15.831-10:00The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400052181/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400052181&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=d6d2f2fe92ce0c0e3734a1f1c1882aa" target="_blank">This book</a>, by Rebecca Skloot,
tells the extraordinary story of how Henrietta Lacks’s cancer cells became
immortal. On one level the book detailed how cancer researchers in the 1950's
were able to keep Henrietta’s cancer cells alive in the laboratory and how her
immortal cancer cells led to amazing things such as making the Salk polio
vaccine available, discovering chemicals that caused cancer, and designing drugs
for chemotherapy. Researchers learned how cells grow, how DNA works, and so
many fundamental discoveries in biology and medicine from research on Henrietta’s
cells that many biologists believe her cells were the single biggest
development in biology in the 20<sup>th</sup> century. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On another level the book told
the personal story of Henrietta Lacks and how destructive her death from
cervical cancer was to her family. The book moved between the personal story of
Henrietta’s family and the revolutionary discoveries and huge profits in the
pharmaceutical industry made from her cancer cells. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The most disturbing part of
the story was that the family was never told that their mother’s cells were
being grown in thousands of laboratories around the world. Her cells were unique
and amazing because they quickly grew in a lab and unlike other cells, if cared
for, they never died. Countless researchers have worked with her cells, known
in laboratory circles as HeLa cells for the first two initials of her name. Many
of the researchers who made discovery after discovery using her cells became
curious about Henrietta Lacks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over time a huge scientific
controversy developed between rich and famous cancer researchers who had
identified eight unique types of cancer cells and a young scientist who claimed
the eight unique properties were all in fact just HeLa cells. This made previous
cancer research not only invalid but a waste of hundreds of millions of
dollars. The only way to prove the young scientist’s claim was to get a DNA sample
from Henrietta’s now grown children. Although the family was living in
incredible poverty, they freely gave blood samples to help the researchers. However,
the researchers leaked their names to the press and the subsequent stories written
about them caused the family great distress.
They had no idea that their mother’s cells were still alive and being
grown in laboratories around the world. The staggering poverty of the family of
a woman whose immortal cancer cells had revolutionized 20<sup>th</sup> century
medicine stood in stark contrast to the billions of dollars the pharmaceutical
industry generated every year from discoveries using her cells. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the end of the book, it
described the legal cases that determined that when you give a tissue or blood
sample to your doctor, you lose all rights to it. Researchers and companies
have taken peoples’ samples during the course of their treatments, patented
their DNA, and made billions using it for unique treatments. I would
never have guessed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In spite of what sounds like very
dry subject matter, I found the book compelling and entertaining and I could
not put it down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Five Stars!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1505390214/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1505390214&linkCode=as2&tag=hilo06-20&linkId=4FMUMSTVBQKET55D" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1505390214/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1505390214&linkCode=as2&tag=hilo06-20&linkId=4FMUMSTVBQKET55D" target="_blank">Why People in Hawaii are so Healthy and Happy</a></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-24086139475668813312016-08-14T12:42:00.002-10:002016-08-14T12:42:20.879-10:00Gout and Molybdenum<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the challenges of
living on the Big Island of Hawaii was I often had gout attacks when emissions
from the active volcano (volcanic smog or VOG) got really bad. I attributed my
gout attacks during heavy VOG to two main factors. First, the VOG is
always the worst when the trade winds stop. When the trade winds stop it
gets really hot in Hawaii. When it is really hot it increases my chances of getting
dehydrated which concentrates uric acid and makes an attack more likely.
Second, VOG is mostly sulfuric acid which is highly acidic and acidity
in my body increases my chances of getting a gout attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I continue to research
nutrition, I came across another possible explanation as to why my gout attacks
were more frequent during heavy VOG events. According to <a href="http://www.drkaslow.com/html/molybdenum.html" target="_blank">Dr. Jermey E. Kaslow</a>, gout can be caused by very low levels of molybdenum or very high levels of
molybdenum. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LQX8L2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009LQX8L2&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=6de1b17d1dc61a095e0c83c0e9045eb4" target="_blank">Molybdenum</a> is a micro nutrient that is necessary for the breakdown
of ammonia and uric acid<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;">.
</span>It also is a key element in dozens of enzymes that<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;"> </span>remove toxins from the liver
and the body. One of <a href="http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03381/Molybdenum.html" target="_blank">molybdenum’s critical functions</a> is the breakdown of sulfur<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;">-</span>based amino acids.<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xGSl9_6JaOw/V7Dxzhw0eQI/AAAAAAAAB0c/Lv3rZE80b-cpJrFIPZW2TD0G2k91uImfgCLcB/s1600/MolyGout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xGSl9_6JaOw/V7Dxzhw0eQI/AAAAAAAAB0c/Lv3rZE80b-cpJrFIPZW2TD0G2k91uImfgCLcB/s320/MolyGout.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shortages of molybdenum are really rare
and only occurs in a few places where there is a very low amount in the soil.
Since we get a lot of our nutrition locally, I wondered how much molybdenum
there is in Hawaii’s soil. Apparently molybdenum is very <a href="https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/aj/abstracts/45/9/AJ0450090420?access=0&view=pdf" target="_blank">deficient in Hawaii’s soil</a>, so much so that some crops are hard to grow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even more interesting is that
although there is plenty of molybdenum in Hawaii’s volcanic rocks, it is <a href="http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/IC-012.pdf" target="_blank">absent in the soil</a>. It is possible that the sulfuric acid in the VOGgy rain washes the
molybdenum out of the soil.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One
of the best sources of molybdenum is peas which is one of the foods I have found most helpful during an attack. So with my
fingers crossed, I am taking very small doses of the micro nutrient molybdenum
to see if I am deficient and will have any beneficial results from taking it. It has been over 18 months now since my last gout attack, so I am curious to
see if this supplement will keep my luck going.</span>Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-27146496127125339052016-08-07T13:24:00.000-10:002016-08-07T13:24:11.816-10:00The Downside of Low Interest Rates<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ever since the US downturn in
2008, interest rates have been dropping both for savers and for borrowers. The
upside is those with debts<span style="color: #1f497d;">, </span>who
were able to refinance<span style="color: #1f497d;">,</span>
enjoyed a greatly reduced cost of borrowing. Low interest rates made buying a
home much cheaper and easier to qualify for.<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span> Monthly
payments are almost 50% less at a 3.5% interest rate than at a 7.5% interest
rate. The reduced cost of buying a home has helped keep housing prices high in
Hawaii, reduced foreclosures rates, and added to local governments’ funds with
higher property taxes from higher real estate valuations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the US economy continues
to improve and interest rates return to previous rates of 8% or more, what will
the downside be of this past decade of ultralow interest rates be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most obvious downside is
that house buying will be much more expensive. A monthly payment on a 30 year, $600,000
mortgage will go from $2308 at the current 3.5% interest rate to $4195 at a
7.5% interest rate. A $2308 payment at a 7.5% interest rate would only
buy a $329,714 home, a mere 55% of what the same payment buys at 3.5%. If the
return to higher interest rates drops the home selling prices and ultimately
the property values as you would expect, then these lower values will reduce
income to local governments from lower real estate taxes. It seems likely
that foreclosure rates will also increase along with more people having underwater
mortgages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A similar calculation can be
run on how stocks prices could be affected with increased interest rates. With
low interest rates, stocks are far more attractive to people wanting to earn
money on their savings. Most saving banks are paying only 0 .25% interest which
makes stocks that pay 1% dividends look very attractive. Risky stocks that pay a
higher dividend (2% to 4%) are attractive to people who may not normally be
willing to take the risk. When savings banks return to paying 7% or more in
interest, it will have a very negative effect on most stocks; normal savers and
investors will be able to get better returns without the risk. Companies
have benefited by being able to borrow at lower interest rates and they have
improved their returns as a result. When interest rates go up, stock prices could
drop up to 50%. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wvo0RabE9Yw/V6fCHhfbrhI/AAAAAAAAB0I/DK5Me0uEah4IheZgNPHXpwNPBnJ23A6jgCLcB/s1600/historical-federal-funds-rates.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wvo0RabE9Yw/V6fCHhfbrhI/AAAAAAAAB0I/DK5Me0uEah4IheZgNPHXpwNPBnJ23A6jgCLcB/s400/historical-federal-funds-rates.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we study how rising interest
rates may affect the prices of real estate and stocks, we can see why the
Federal Reserve (which controls interest rates in the US) is so reluctant to
raise them. The interest rates offered by banks are normally<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;"> </span>higher than the Federal Fund
rates<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;"> </span>for mortgages and
lower for savings. If they raise the interest rates too soon or too much, the
results could be a sharp drop in real estate and the stock market causing a downturn
in the US economy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-19258596215811560862016-07-30T09:39:00.001-10:002016-07-30T09:39:27.127-10:00Hawaii Nutrients<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">As
we were researching for our last book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SKB9QH4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00SKB9QH4&linkCode=as2&tag=hilolivingblog-20&linkId=a075067e6197d0ff04a98a9a4967e48c" target="_blank">"Your Ideal Hawaii Health: Why People in Hawaii are so Healthy and Happy"</a>, we discovered that the
health and happiness was due to people getting nutrients in Hawaii that are
missing on the mainland. People living in Hawaii get vitamin D from the
tropical sunshine, iodine from the ocean, and omega 3 oils in local fish
and grass fed beef. Each of these nutrients are so important that doctors have
written entire <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/hilolivingblog-20" target="_blank">books about how they can be a miracle cure </a>for people that are
severely deficient in any one of them. As we read stories of amazing
recoveries from taking a few supplements, we were curious if taking additional
supplements of these nutrients would have an even greater positive effect on us? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">We
found iodine the most appealing to try after reading about people who reported
that their tumors disappeared and kids with autism had sudden improvements
after taking iodine supplements. It was hard to believe that a simple
inexpensive supplement could have such a big impact. After convincing ourselves
that it was safe for us to try, we started taking iodine supplements in the
form of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AEFM9Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001AEFM9Y&linkCode=as2&tag=hilo06-20&linkId=3384cc88e458005ad11a877cb6a13003" target="_blank">Lugol's Solution</a> (5 drops of 2%) in the morning. We were impressed at
how much energy iodine suddenly gave us and we no longer need coffee to get us
going. It has been over two years now and we still take iodine every day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Over
the last two years we have found Facebook groups on iodine and we followed one
of them closely. It seems like most people are excited at first and then find
for one reason or another that the supplement did not do what they were
expecting. Generally people on Facebook groups trying iodine seem to have
some severe illness and when they are not cured overnight they are very
disappointed. For us, our low energy was cured within a few weeks, so we are very happy about that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Our
success with iodine supplements has inspired us to try other supplements and
continue researching key nutrients missing in our diet. We will post what we
discover in our continuing adventure in improving our Hawaii life with better
nutrition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-53366270185328701912016-06-29T19:55:00.000-10:002016-06-29T19:55:05.606-10:00Rainbows and Health<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">It
has been a year now since we moved to Oahu from the Big Island. We live in
central Oahu at an elevation of 800 feet above sea level in the town of
Mililani. This is the first time we have lived significantly above sea level
since moving to Hawaii, and though we miss our daily walks on the beach, we
love the cooler climate and gentle rains at this altitude. We also love the
amazing and frequent rainbows we see at all times of the day. The fine mist and
tropical sun make the rainbows unusually thick, bright and long lasting. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">We
have enjoyed eating at the wonderful restaurants on Oahu. The food is
delicious, the service excellent and the prices are cheaper than the Big Island.
We have also found great grocery stores with excellent selections of delicious
foods to cook.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately,
our reduced exercise and the great Oahu food has added inches to our waistlines
and 20 pounds to our weight. Our weight gain has motivated us to get back to our healthy diet and restart our Big Island weight
loss plan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">We
restarted our research about health and longevity, picking up where we left
off from our last book "Your Ideal Hawaii Health". Our new discoveries about health have been life changing in a good way. Our next post will highlight what we
have discovered and how we are using the knowledge to improve our health, increase our brain functioning and support our weight loss.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-79739307200593261742016-05-27T12:11:00.001-10:002016-05-27T12:11:52.186-10:00Zika in Hawaii<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-akOJI8148/V0jFhW90DuI/AAAAAAAABzo/PHpgJR-ra4gJNxtt291izViRceIMbHdugCLcB/s1600/spreadofzika.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-akOJI8148/V0jFhW90DuI/AAAAAAAABzo/PHpgJR-ra4gJNxtt291izViRceIMbHdugCLcB/s640/spreadofzika.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Predicted
spread of Zika virus-carrying mosquito in the U.S.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When
we first heard about the Zika virus we were concerned that it would
quickly spread in Hawaii’s tropical climate, like dengue fever recently has on the Big Island, and
become a major health issue in the state. According to our research, the
worst case scenario for Zika is pretty dire.</span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Zika
is not only linked to the serious birth defect microcephaly (abnormally small
skull), it is also linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder in
adults that can cause paralysis. For those who are healthy and not pregnant,
they may get by with no symptoms or only experience mild, flu-like symptoms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although
the disease seems far away, we have growing concerns after the CDC reported 157 pregnant women in the U.S. have tested positive for Zika and over 300
others have been infected primarily from trips outside the county.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately,
the Zika carrying mosquito, Aedes aegypti, likes warm, wet weather like we have
in Hawaii. They breed in flower pots, tires, trash and small pools of water and
live in and around homes which makes traditional evening insecticide fogging from sprayers mounted on trucks useless. The Aedes aegypti's
eggs can even dry out and cling to surfaces and come back to life
during the next rain. The Aedes requires indoor and outdoor spraying and both
the adult insects and larvae have to be killed to get rid of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
virus has already spread rapidly on the tropical island of Puerto Rico
and is expected to reach the southern U.S. states as their warm, wet weather
arrives. Although, the Zika carrying mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is not common in
the northern states, like New York, they have, Aedes albopictus, another
mosquito thought capable of carrying Zika. If we get warm, wet weather this
year, much of the U.S. population may be affected by the virus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thus
far congress has not provided the $2B funds requested by President Obama to
protect against a Zika epidemic. State funds are short for mosquito
spraying and the Aedes requires high-touch, door-to-door spraying to eradicate.
The concentration of people from all over the world in Brazil this summer for
the Olympics has many concerned that it will even more rapidly spread the Zika virus world-wide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So
far, the only victims of the Zika virus in Hawaii contracted it outside the
state. At this point it seems likely that the virus will spread to the U.S. mainland before
Hawaii. But if the virus spreads as predicted, it is only a matter of time
before it gets to Hawaii and much of the rest of the world with potentially
catastrophic effects to us all. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3752958130527744394.post-44432990321537962922016-04-23T15:10:00.000-10:002016-04-23T15:10:43.287-10:00The Cycle of House Prices and Foreclosures <div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our first experience with a volatile housing market and
mass foreclosures was in<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: dark2;"> </span>Texas after the oil crash, in the mid-1980’s. Ten
years earlier Dallas and the surrounding areas had a real estate boom from a surge
in oil prices and influx of people attracted to the area by the new jobs. Even
in the suburbs north of Dallas, like Plano where we lived, there were labor
shortages and high real estate prices. Track houses purchased in 1979 increased
30% in value in just 3 years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">By the mid-1980’s, the crash in oil prices was severe and
the massive layoffs included many of our friends. Houses were
rarely for sale in Plano, so it was a shock to see “For Sale” signs lining
the streets. We watched dumbfounded as the super hot Texas economy and real
estate market became a calamity. Half built skyscrapers stood idle. A huge new
shopping mall near our apartment had empty shops and tumble weeds blowing
through it. The Texas economic downturn was steep with dozens of banks going
bankrupt and thousands losing their jobs and life savings. The federal
government created a corporation to "warehouse" all the debt from
home mortgages and commercial properties until an orderly market returned to
sell them off.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">We experienced the Texas boom and bust during our early
years of working, and although we were somewhat on the sidelines without the
income or down payment to buy a house, the experience left a big impression on
us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Twenty years later when we saw the rapid rise in house
prices in Santa Cruz County we got a terrible feeling in our stomach.
Based on our experience, it was only a matter of time before the crash. But our friends and neighbors were convinced that house
prices only go up. They claimed that the 32% price increase in their houses over the
past three years, from 2002 to 2005, was only the beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the end of 2007, real estate prices in Santa Cruz County started to fall. From 2008 to 2012, house prices fell 33%. The crash crushed the buyers who had
purchased their homes at the height of the boom.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now we are living on Oahu observing the island’s housing
boom. The average price for a single
family home is currently $725,000, a 12% increase over the past three years. Oahu’s
foreclosure rate of 1 in 3200 homes is one of the lowest rates in the US. In
contrast, Maryland, the state with the highest foreclosure rate in the nation has
a rate of 1 in 537 housing units. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">The income needed to afford a $725,000 mortgage for an
average Oahu house is $290,000 a year, based on the conservative qualification criteria
of a mortgage not exceeding 2.5 times your income. In contrast, the average
salary for job postings in Honolulu is $40,000, which is 31% lower than the
average salary of job postings nationwide. In our central Oahu condo complex, a
3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 parking spot, 1100 square foot condo is listed at $525,000
(with no amenities like a gym or swimming pool or common area). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">The high cost for a house on Oahu feels a lot like California
in 2005, particularly when the low wages in Hawaii are factored in. Even so, house
prices continue to rise. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">The extreme cycles of housing prices has taught us to
expect the unexpected.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hilo Livinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080597923011693653noreply@blogger.com3