Doctor Scott Moller - Chiropractor

Dr Scott Moller, Chiropractic, Gilbert - Ghana, West Africa

2011-02-04T22:52:00.000-07:00


This update has been a long-time coming.

But first: GOOGLE me! ....mollerchirogilbert

Ghana, West Africa

I was in Africa for about seven months. Was given different very appealing possibilities and I went. The first three or so weeks were okay. After that, I figured out a real third world country. Almost died of malaria and had a stay in hospital for about four days. Don't mess with malaria. The parasite stays in the liver and my enzyme count is still way high after being back in the states a few months. Ever since my little trip, my health is still waned. Good nutrition there comes at a great cost. It is literally about 3 to 4 times more expensive than the states to eat decent food with fair nutritional content.

Before leaving AZ, I was told differently. I wasn't necessarily lied to about conditions. I just didn't ask the right questions. Ghanains think President Obama as a god. Its really crazy. There were some pretty nice people whom I met, but it seemed most of the people were quite good at being extremely deceptive. Great pictures on the internet, do not believe. Believe the car bombs, killing and deaths.

Ghana is one of the more civil African countries. It takes anywhere from one hour to two hours to get to places and its mostly via cab or dangerous tro-tro vehicles where you are packed in like sardines with fifteen other sweaty people. Stay away from taxis running on propane which are immediate death traps in case of car crash. The Africans there pretty much use the ocean as a dump. Don't go swimming and eat very limited fish due to iodine content. If you walk on the beach, be careful. You might step on one or two syringes. Aids and malaria are the big deal in the region. Not much cancer or heart disease and the doctors are lucky to have limited training. Cancer and heart disease are from SAD - Stupid American Diets. Our food here is killing us. Plant-based diet is the way to go.

Okay. So I saw a few dead people in the streets. The worst one was a completely sprawled out motorcyclist who was wearing a strange American flag leather jacket. His head was split open and his blood freely flowed down into the gutters for about 50 meters. The blood was a non-stop river. 2 meters away were police directing traffic (kind of like "nothing to see here") and there were probably about one hundred or more on-lookers just standing there checking out the scene. Their attitude is "he's dead" and they mostly just gawk.

The gutters/sewage outlets are many times open holes. One night in pouring/flooding rain, I fell in one and gashed my knees and elbows. Another night walking to get a cab, I fell in probably one of the largest gutters in Accra. A huge bunch of people were pushing to get through from behind me and there was some sort of hold-up with a huge bunch of people in front of me. I couldn't figure it out and there were no lights on and no walls. Everyone else knew the gutter was there, but I went around and fell into the nine-foot down hole. Not too fun and hurt like a mother. Geez, I was angry. Today, I realized the recent knee pain is probably due to this episode. I climbed out and all these people were just gawking. Then a bunch of cabbies tried to take advantage and attempted to charge me triple to get to the house I stayed in.

As a white guy, the cabs already charged double and if you don't stay in the background and let a black friend take care of the negotiating, you're pretty much screwed.

Oh, back to eating. The cost is horrendous. An apple is in the area of $1. Pineapple, mango, oranges are all about the same cost. Two brown meat chicken and rice was average of $8 to $12. Breakfast was least cost at local chop shop for a couple egg sandwiches and Nescafe while waiting for thirty minutes. I limited meals and lost weight. Lost the most weight from malaria bout. Gym cost was $125 per month for decent place and $40 per month at sweat box. Early morning workouts and a lot of water are a necessity.

There is a lot more. The place is just kind of crazy. In conflicts, one common saying I saw a lot was "I kill you". That's when you kind of skirt around whoever is in a fight and pray for your life because they're pretty serious with lead pipes and sometimes machetes. Thinking of that I did get to see some machete wielding motorcyclists where they call them cutlers. That was kind of a strange one. Another common saying is "I'm coming". This actually means you are waiting. The longest time I waited for someone "coming" was about three hours. That was for food and I think they had to go kill it and prepare or something like that. Usual time on a menu item is one hour, sometimes less but that comes at a cost.

The scariest people there are the Muslims. Another scary thing is all the Christianity. Most shops had strange Christian names like God Saves or Jesus Loves You Market. A lot of the time this is a guise. During the night, the multiple churches all around the place play extremely loud music. The churches are extremely big business in West Africa - I have never seen anything like it. Jehovah's are big, Muslims are big up north and Chiefs they call Kings are multiple - hundreds of kings - Who they call a king is a big deal, but keep in mind that they have hundreds of them.

Everywhere you go, televisions are blaring and huge speakers scream at all sorts of open air shops. Walking around, it was extremely common for a local to come along and ask for ten Ghana Cedi which is about eight $US. Ghana is now in the oil business and prices are rising because of it.

The previous is a lot of the negative. There are positives. Media appearances were kind of fun. Working six days a week in three offices was way too much. Was basically 14 hours a day with transportation included. Just way too much. The prospect of a hopeful working with FIFA soccer/futbol was my major draw. Ghana Blackstars and World Cup action was too much to pass up. The thing with that was the people are so slow that the opportunity looked like it would never happen. Another thing I wanted out of the deal was to begin more offices/clinics which also didn't occur. Without these positives occurring, the money just wasn't there. I could have worked on a hundred people per day in the states for the most part. But, also, how many people can say they did Africa? And, then, worked on over 250 people in less than two hours at media appearances? No real paperwork, by the way. Just spinal awareness - simple talks and quick adjustments. The people in the offices we treated were mostly good patients. One problem I did have were the amount of patients who would tell me that they were not coming back for a while because they ran out of all money. I never heard people say that before. The government workers treated never had that worry and most of them had their own public vehicles and drivers.

There were many people who were extremely nice. Especially those who had experience from other European countries like the UK and Germany. A number of Ex-Pats were nice as well and I really enjoyed getting to the golf course. The older people were also fun to talk to and accommodating. They seemed to have greater understanding of this American due to their history most-likely.

A few restaurants also got to know me and I had about five places I really liked. My favorite was at the big-ladies place and the owner had me call her "mama". Yolanda's grandma's shop was cool. Another one had good burgers at only $8. Friday's was also great and they got to know my routine order of $12 rice and chicken. The places often would include a cole-slaw or side salad. I didn't care for goat - rubbery. The fruit tasted good. Coconut I didn't think much of but that was not expensive - they chop the thing in front of you from a big rolling stand. Guinea fowl is great. At big-ladies' place, (I don't remember the real name) she would try special foods prepared differently. That was really appreciated. Also there was this guy who probably had the best tasting skewers. I really don't know what goes into the skewers at the road-side stands, but he had the best and another one at a club owned by a guy from the UK - they had guinea fowl, sausage and beef - very good.

Let me see. I forgot to mention house-help and other workers. Its basically slave-trade. I had house-help which the going rate is less than $80 per month. They would stay in a hot garage. When I would try to give them decent bed, I was told this is forbidden for the help. What I ended up doing was take them out for decent food and that was good. I enjoyed the company as well while waiting for "I'm Coming" service.

Okay. So this is Ghana. Near the end of this stay, I got kind of scared. It got to the point of people coming up to me and, instead of asking where I lived, they would tell me my exact locations. On one occasion, late at night (about 10pm after my work-day) a muslim in fully-dressed traditional garb approached me and stated my name. I don't know if he saw me on TV or if he was possessed or something - but it scared the crap out of me. I ended up going to the U.S. embassy and asked for assistance. Another thing that became a constant occurrence were people asking me for help to make it to the U.S.A. The embassy told me that this sounds common for any American who has been there for extended period of time. Their recommendation was for me to finish business and hide out in a higher end hotel until I could fly out. I stayed in two hotels, finished business and left. Holiday Inn, by the way, is over $200 per night. I stayed in others after Kumasi and Takoradi and still paid $150 per night with limited surroundings in the two hotels over a six night period. The first hotel stole my $250 deposit. In a way, I would like to go back. It was an adventure in life. There are potential good things in Ghana. But if its that bad there, I would really hate to go to Belize, Nigeria or Egypt. South Africa, maybe. Even there is really not civil with multiple murders and untold of just-plain-bad-things.

If you ever decide to visit West Africa: Make it no more than a two week trip. Also, plan a stop-over for a couple days in either Germany or London. You will not regret the stop-overs. Right now, I don't recommend Cairo - too much upheaval there. Also prepare for the Euro cost as well as a minimum $2000 per week in Africa. $3000 per week is safer and will keep you alive. If you do go, plan on a lot of waiting and do not think of it as anything related to the faster way of American living.

Oh, almost forgot. Always protect yourself there. I was robbed twice to about the tune of $1000. There is a reason every place has bars over the doors and windows. Also, most houses have protected walls with locks on their gates and multiple sharp objects on the walls which include glass, iron pinpoints and electrified barb-wire. Always keep doors locked and store any secured information on safe email status with encryption. Do not access secure information on the web servers and internet cafes.

Ha! Expect a very decent coffee to cost you $7 US and no free refills. Smoothie cost: $5 US - and its their native fruits. Gosh, the place is expensive. If you eat the cheap native foods, expect not much nutritional value.

I know a lot of this sounds negative. There definitely were good times. I do miss some people there. And we will meet again at the end of the road. I don't regret taking the chance on the travel. The whole deal just didn't work out. Worth the experience because I would have always wondered what would have been had the experience not been taken.

Dr Scott Moller Chiropractic - Gilbert - Classified Ad

2011-01-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

Dr Scott Moller Chiropractic - Gilbert - Classified Ad

"Dr Scott Moller", Progressive "Chiropractic" - "Gilbert" Arizona - Classified Ad

2010-12-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

"Dr Scott Moller", Progressive "Chiropractic" - "Gilbert" Arizona - Classified Ad

Prescription Drugs and the BIG Scare

2010-03-12T17:24:00.001-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

OK. Goofy. Recently I made my own Wonder Hangers and it was that infomercial which inspired me and I thought it was a great idea. Each ScottWondaHanga took me approximately twenty minutes to make at the price of about $2.33 each. I made six of the things with two power tools, three hand tools and clear liquid nails.

One day I sneezed so hard that I lost consciousness. Went to see a neuro, did an MRA (MRI with nuclear contrast media), and was sent to opthalmologist due to incidental finding of papilledema. Findings were negative and inconclusive. Bills were probably pretty expensive. Insurance paid.

Anyone notice all the prescription drug commercials?

This morning I woke up around 5am after around four hour's sleep. I've had it on my mind for quite some time to watch different shows and sit there and list all the drug commercials which I usually tend to ignore. I'm not sure, but the drug stuff seems to be about one in every three commercials. Beer is pretty big business too, I guess, alongwith financial wars (investments), and cars - These four have got to be in the top ten categories unless you're watching Cartoon Network.

So today I've had the opportunity to check out all of the favorite drugs out there and discover how many disease complexes I am suffering from and how best to treat the ailments (as long as I don't listen to the nasty, quickly spoken possible side-effects at the end of the ad). We are a drug nation and a want-it-now country hooked on conventional allopathic western medicine.

By the way, do you believe that we are nearing the end of recession? I agree with Beck that we are only beginning. Kiyosaki says so as well. I have only seen things getting worse. Also Obama is a socialist/communist and I guess the words have now been twisted into "progressive" and so many people call it "liberal" which is just not accurate according to what our government is demonstrating today. Yes, I watch a lot of Fox News. Its the only one that makes rational sense. The others have blinders on and/or they are just communists and fascists.

Back to the drugs. I began writing down the commercials last night and the drugs they are attempting to sell. Started again at 5am and then went to office around noon and continued watching online while listening to the radio and flipping through the lame, lame, lame chick and old person magazines. Geez these ads make you really believe that everyone is dead and dying and that we absolutely need-need to be on ten scripts each and become walking pharmacies.

Whatever happened to Thomas Edison and his statement that, "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his or her patients in the care...in the cause and prevention of disease"? Aah, its a long quote. According to pharmaceutical companies they think that everyone has forgotten Tom's quote anyway. They spend over four billion (4,000,000,000) dollars per year on TV advertisements alone just to make sure we forget intelligent statements like Edison's.

Another Edison quote is probably one the pharm's would like to keep, "Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something".

The pharms are currently pulling in somewhere near two hundred billion dollars ($200,000,000) per year. Well...guess that looks like a small number now since we keep upping the Federal deficit into the trillions - what is it, like, twelve trillion currently? That is nuts. The drug business is nuts and also all politicians need to have a swift banishing to some place like China (stupid communists joined together). Send the communist politicians FedEx overnight via luxury one-way jumbo jets and tell them there is Louis, Dom, women and caviar onboard and they are being sent to a luxury resort. Then drop 'em by parachute from 15,000 feet.

Okay, did you know that MD and prescription-related deaths per year amount to a now-calculated three hundred thousand (300,000) persons? Allopathic related deaths per year amount to more than guns and auto accident deaths combined. Top five causes of death in the USA are tobacco, alcohol, medical malpractice, traffic and firearms. Most label death in terms of symptoms: heart disease, cancer, etc. - but there are causes for those symptoms....i.e. tobacco causing cancer.....get it?

I'm a chiropractor. Most MDs I've ever met don't necessarily recommend chiros. I'm second in line for their pockets (2nd for the money and their Beamer). You've heard the term "Follow the money"? I've searched for deaths in chiropractic and I cannot find anything which is 1) a non-chiropractic source or 2) some guy not off his rocker and has independent peer reviewed research. I disqualify chiropractic sources due to bias and loons get disqualified due to....well, I shouldn't have to explain that one. What I do know is that the very low allopathic malpractice liability starts at thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) and most plans are much higher. My malpractice policy is about one thousand dollars ($1,000). And I get dividends from my policy for having no incident. Aww, its just because the insurance company loves me so much! Right, sure. Chiropractic is one of the safest medical professions on earth.

So there. Back to the advertisements from television, magazines, radio. After being inundated, I attempted to remember the ads I did not see but do remember. I came up with Crestor, Fosamax, Plavix and Zelnorm. What happened to these? Maybe they are on one of those annoying attorney tort commercials by now- Vioxx, anyone?

In the course of about one day, here are the prescription drug advertisements I viewed:

Actonel, Viagra, Nexium, Avodart, Valtrex, Prilosec, Wellbutrin, Zocor, Cialis, Boniva, Abilify, Alavert, Chantix, Effexor, Flomax, Nasonex, Aricept, Cymbalta, Restasis, Symbicort, Astepro, Norvasic, Lipitor, Gardasil, Januvia, Singulair, Yaz, Zicam, Spiriva, Lunesta. Geez, that is thirty (30) different drugs. Levitra never was there, thank God.

Okay so I must be suffering from COPD, BPH, ED, asthma, depression, sleep disorder, herpes, osteoporosis, smoking, sinusitis, ovarian cancer and high cholesterol. I don't remember my other symptoms but at least maybe twelve of the problems is enough since I will have to take that many drugs to take care of it all. I'm only sort of kidding as I do know a number of people who the docs have on five or more drugs. The most I saw a patient taking was fourteen different meds given by three different doctors. Quite a bill there for Medicare! Government program anyone?

These advertisements post disclaimers. Hmmmm. Wonder why. Makes the tort lawyers salivate in anticipation. The disclaimer doesn't do much to decrease liability (CYA). So the list has a number of options on side-effect possibility and many lists go pretty in-depth like this one from Boniva:

"Important Safety Information

BONIVA is a prescription medicine for the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis. You should not take BONIVA if you have low blood calcium, cannot sit or stand for at least 60 minutes, have severe kidney disease, or are allergic to BONIVA. Stop taking BONIVA and tell your healthcare provider if you experience difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain, or severe or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. Follow the once-monthly BONIVA dosing instructions carefully to lower the chance of these events occurring. Side effects are generally mild or moderate and may include diarrhea, pain in the arms or legs, or upset stomach. If you develop severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain, contact your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider may also recommend a calcium and vitamin D supplement."

That one was easy to take down. I was surprised to see this ad since I think its Boniva and Fosamax which are the next ones we will see attorneys attacking. Seems that the big offender is Fosamax, though, with many thigh/femur fractures showing up from users. Ha, these two drugs are supposed to be meant to combat osteoporosis! Go figure.

But, anyway, just about every side-effect disclaimer pretty much covers every possible related system in the body. The drug company may as well just come up with one very good mass disclaimer to display with every ad they have out there. But that would make things too easy.

Thats my beef. I'm so sick and tired of these stupid prescription drug television advertisements. What's worse is, excepting movie channels, most of the channels I enjoy watching seem to have the most of the ads. I must be watching the shows that all infirms view. Discover, Fox News, TLC, History, things like that. Cartoon Network has cool ads.

This is a long one. I finally wrote it because a patient recently asked me what I thought of Boniva. Everything I wrote here is what I told her - except for my aside tangents maybe. You put it all together, your life is big money, and the drug companies and MDs want you sick and they are mass-blitzing us with their crap. You have to remember that you are what you think. If they get you thinking that you are a dying individual, then they have won the war and you finally gave up a battle. Do not let that happen.

Dr. Moller

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

http://www.bodytherapyaz.com/

P.S. Just so you know. I am not necessarily totally anti-drug, just anti-drug campaigning. There are some times when the stuff is needed. The prevalence of use is in the major abuse area, in my opinion. And most people need to get off their behinds and do something safely with their health rather than develop a super lame crutch. Do something much greater with your health and be a conservative and wise consumer.

In a Writing Mood

2010-03-10T01:09:00.001-07:00

This is my sister and her husband's band out of Honolulu.

Totally great music and I'm very proud of my sister for this production.

Some of the best work I've ever heard with Shane.

A chick in a band can be pretty kewl.

And look at her all skinny after two kids.

http://cwsplace.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/luther-n-dogmatics/

Shane is a fan of Martin Luther and they once had another band called Junker Jorg - Luther's code name when he went into hiding and the Wittenberg Door episode. I have written before about them, but I was thinking of my sister tonight and this week after Pastor Andy mentioned Junker a couple of Sundays ago. Shane and Jeanine also pastor a church in Hawaii as far as I know. Haven't seen them in quite a while and just miss my sister. I think last time was in Santa Barbara for my uncle Mike's surprise birthday party in '06.

Okay. Tonight was church pig roast night and last week I came up with a couple more suggestions: business card mentioning and altar call. I was actually a little embarassed to approach Pastor Andy with the suggestions, but he mentioned my jacket a little bit ago. I tell you what, I very much admire what the Faith Family Church is accomplishing. I also was brought up as a kid to only approach my pastor if they approach me, so the guy is busy and I don't like to break the rules my mom taught me early on when they were heavily involved with the Hickey's church. But I did approach and I know he is a cool guy.

The goofy part of this blog in this installment is this: Lately business is challenging and I called my buddy, Kurt, and we discussed the latest challenges and it was helpful. Kurt is one of the neatest guys to associate with. He ain't a C-h-ristian and probably has greater meaning in his life than many guys I know including myself.

So we talked for a while and I've been thinking about part of my earlier brief discussion with Andy. He stated that he can see that I am a Godly man. And I tell you what, the statement kind of shocked me because I do so many crazy things. Sometimes I come up with weird ideas like getting no sleep just because of I don't know why and I enjoy reading and researching. My ex-wife used to get angry at me for the sleep thing so we would go to bed and I would sneak up after I'd hear her snoring. You know just weird stuff and its been a long while since I've thought of myself as being exactly Godly and so much of my attention has been in business lately. Actually some days things just appear as going through the motions. I like to relax on patios and just watch things happen. Well, slight tangent and ramble.

I am getting to a point here. The Godly man statement got me to thinking back in time in my christian history of an entire lifetime and sometimes "Hide the beer the pastor's here" moments. Or "church of do what you want to" episodes. You see, I have always known my proclivity to make sure I stick with my roots and due to any number of things I have lately gotten some shallow times and pockets haven't been deep and stuff like that.

Here's the thing. Ever since I can remember, I have been this kid/man whose voice breaks when I am speaking in Christian moments and the only term I can come up with regarding that is because of the splanchtizomai in me. Its a deep gut thing when I am taking something seriously. I remember one time when my voice didn't break during a serious matter with a patient and I was pretty surprised. It was during a half hour where I practically quoted half of a Jim Richards book that this lady needed to hear. Shoot, just tonight I cracked just when praying over and with three guys I barely know but I still care.

So. You know, craziness aside, I guess I believe and know Pastor Andy's Godly comment. Its nice to be reminded of it when a few things have been a bit difficult lately and I've begun clenching my teeth when I've never done that before. The reminder has not happened in a while and I appreciate it.

Just a few thoughts on some of the recent happenings and things which came to mind. Ha! Guess the Red Eye is on now and that means its 1am. Crazy.

Great things to you, take it easy and God bless all the merry children. : )

Dr. Scott http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

P.S. Scottsdale office now up and running at Hayden and Raintree in http://www.bodytherapyaz.com/

and I'm in Chandler still as well.

The Jacket

2010-02-28T22:11:00.028-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

Recently I gave my pastor (Faith Family Church) a note in the suggestion box.

In the past year or so I've noticed something.

I've been watching jackets and coats. Is it possible to think of Keanu Reeves without the Matrix jacket?

So much of the time the lead character in a role has some sort of jacket.

Even the villains have jackets.
The women sometimes do not but can you imagine Angelina Jolie in action without a coat?
(She has pretty cool looking jackets by the way)

Church pastors have the jacket - even the laid back type of pastor in the seekers area. One guy I saw pull anything off in clothing was Eastman Curtis - only coat I ever remember seeing him in was a leather riding one. The coat also helps with anyone overweight. A large basketball paunch can be well overlooked with the cover.

When I met Kiyosaki his shoes were a bit worn....but he sported the traditional blazer when he could have been wearing anything he wished.
See my don't need no stinkin' shoes blog archived April, 2009:

http://drsmoller.blogspot.com/2009/04/1000-thread-count-dont-need-no-stinkin.html

The Don wears the jacket. 'Nuf said.

So, anyway, I did a little research on the coat and now try to go with one on going out. Next one I get is another doctor jacket thing (monogrammed and tailored navy long sleeve, not white).   My research was first in movies, then advice on clothing sites like Tom James.
In school we were made to wear coats most of the time and they were mandatory for examinations and tests. The reason behind it was that testing scores were markedly higher once the rule was implemented. President of my school was always dressed immaculately.
I ran across a website which suggested that the proper coat stated strength, power and wisdom. I thought that was goofy. I once was told by an instructor that your style of dress should be that of your best-dressed patient/client - that's pretty much what I have realized in most businesses.

So that is the non-comprehensive beginning of doing the jacket/coat/blazer. The next thing I've done in the past couple of years was testing. Networks, business to business, meetings, restaurants, outings.  The sportcoat has gotten me more Respect and Recognition. In the business climate today and also in a quirky profession called chiropractic, those two R's are somewhat of a need.
I've seen goofy looking kids in coats and the appearance creates a goofy to not-so-goofy transformation (i.e. the prince of Wales kids - you know, Diana's boys). Rare to see a politician out of a coat, isn't it?

Okay. Out of school, I strayed from the clothes. I even showed up at my office in running shoes, t-shirt, shorts - probably a few times in flip-flops. I was comfortable. But as a doctor I probably looked like a schmuck to anyone who did not know me and my accomplishments - about 99% of all the people you run into during a day's time. After about two years in business I hired a consultant after we became friends. Dr. Kats would personally come to my office and help me out. His first thing he said? "Until you are at forty plus per day I will never catch you without a tie." (No mention on the coat, though). After his statement I remembered the days at ORU wearing a sweater with a cut-off tie and a knot showing at the neck so we could eat in the cafeteria - oooooooh, sweet rebellion in a tie mandatory school. I did what Dr. Kats ordered.

You know, I don't really care for the whole dress-up thing. Its a pain. I even pre-knot my ties so I can just slip them over my head and I have a large lot of neck extenders for collars so my shirts have stretchy room. The wardrobe is kept pretty basic and interchangeable.
In our culture today - following social mores - we can now get along with some scruff and, with the coat, I don't care about the matching aspect and different colors. I just now make sure I have the things on. If I were to go with just one style, I would have to defer to the basic blue sport blazer which you can go anywhere with. I'm not a fan of suits. Suits are just not my cup of tea.

There isn't much more for me to say on this subject that I can think of. I'm sure there is a lot more, but those are my basics. I guess I could say this: The coat/jacket goes well with the ladies. This is true. I've tested the fact. 80% of my business is female. At the club/bar/restaurant/billiards/bowling - probably have general ratio of 8:1 male-female. Hmmm, what is going to set you apart exclusively?  Probably not your lucky socks and extra generous personality.

Ha! Things are good. Second office location in Scottsdale coming next week. Hayden/Raintree - AZBodyTherapy. Sweet.

Dr. Scott                 http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

Oral Roberts Dead and Alive

2009-12-16T12:26:00.001-07:00

Wow. I can't believe it. First Billy Joe Daugherty and now Oral.

"God is going to strike me dead unless I get two million bucks and I ain't coming down from this prayer tower until one or the other happens."

Yesterday, I was actually thinking about Mr. Roberts and wondering if he was dead or not. Its funny how some things happen when you are thinking about how people are doing or where they are at. Before you know it, they are at your front doorstep. My morbid thoughts were not that, but, rather ----- Oral was just plain old and I wondered. I forgot to Google him yesterday.

This morning I almost didn't go to the early CIC meeting. Woke up late, felt groggy and just went anyway. The one guy I do not really care for in the group brought up the news of Oral's death and I was shocked. Almost started crying during the meeting. I couldn't believe it and I was just thinking about Oral yesterday.

You know, a lot of people will remember him by that goofy fiasco in the prayer tower and that's how it is. I will always remember other things much greater and realize that, sometimes, we are all human and capable of great stupidity. Heck, maybe the tower thing was true- I don't know - but it sure was widespread and goofy. We all do stupid stuff and the higher the profile the worse and bigger things are. Tiger Woods is our latest great example and no one will take his golf prestige and achievements away in the history of it all. This tangent can go on and on with other historical figures but I am here to tell you the great things of Oral Roberts.

This is it - Famous Tower Incident Location!

I went to school at ORU pretty soon after the Tower Incident. Fall of 1990. ORU changed my life directly and Oral indirectly through his instruments. My stay at school was the best. I attended in order to discipline and learn about myself. It was definitely a selfish matter between me and God. I didn't like what I was doing in Colorado and met many ORU graduates whose lives had changed because of their experience. So I went. Tulsa was a journey and it is now in the past.

I stayed in EMR on fourth floor north, Allied wing. I hung out with another wing of guys - Am Herratz. Am Herratz was disbanded after I left because the name fit the description of the guys there and administration didn't like it. It was good fun and, compared to state school, not all that bad. Chapel I always looked forward to on Wednesdays and, out of all the world-renown religious leaders/speakers, the very best sermons I ever received were one from Oral and then Richard and also Larry Lee. Oral was gifted and, I tell you what, he turned that place on.

Small story. Billy Joe has also passed. I had an apartment which bordered his Victory properties. Around 7am many mornings I would see BJ jogging around his land. All dressed in black and just running on his own keeping up the faith in ORU style of mind, body, spirit. I enjoyed waking up and going out to see him digging in out there. I am very sorry to see that he has passed prematurely.

Back to ORU. Had it not been for Oral, my life would probably be extremely different, I don't know. Firstly, I would not have met so many great people in the college experience. Probably never would have worked with Youth for Christ. Actually, Tulsa never would have been on the map for me. My spiritual life would possibly be bereft. Maybe would have never thought of chiropractic as a career. My ex-wife may not have ever been and my son, Josiah, would maybe not exist. Former practice in Tulsa would not have happened and sports teams and families I have had privilege to treat would possibly have never reached the radar of Dr. Scott. Looking at the perspective of things, about fifteen years of my life would have been completely altered had it not been for Mr. Roberts. Thats over 1/3 of experiences in this short thing called my life. I really can't imagine the many different turns that may have been taken in my life had it not been for Oral.

Oral Roberts has touched millions directly, indirectly and all in-between. I know many personally and I also know myself intimately. Its crazy.

Some things I really enjoyed at ORU there in one short semester. With my mom's credit card (got in trouble for using it) I purchased an hibachi grill, love lamp and food. I got people together on the mid-east lawn by the big tree to cook out in the middle of campus quite a bit. We got a lot of looks and made friends. My love lamp was a fancy lantern thing I would hang out with on the front lawns and study or take a girl out and it was a cheap date reading and talking on a blanket. The gardens were a great place for this as well.
On Fridays I figured out that one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Ruth Sexton, liked to hang out on the steps by the fire fountain leading to the library. The first time I caught her I just kind of watched and figured out that she was just looking at the students and faculty and taking things in. So I joined her every Friday afternoon I could. Mrs. Sexton was a good conversationalist and she gifted me with a "B" in one of her courses.
Many late nights I would go out to the praying hands or by the fountains in front of the City of Faith and just sit silent with no one in sight and nothing else around. There was something I enjoyed while doing this and I do not know what it was that was so enjoyable. It was just the quiet and, at the same time, simply the listening to nothing that may have been there. Can't say if that makes sense. So it goes.

At ORU a large amount of my time was gym time. I worked at the AC, went to class there, and worked out there. I shifted times up in the gym over the semester. Morning workouts I would associate with the swimmers and that got boring real quick. Sometimes would go at night and it was so crowded. I ended up at my standard noonish workouts. I guess it was about halfway through the semester that Oral decided to get in shape and that is also when I decided on the noon hour workouts before and after I was supposed to work and clean the place.
The first time that Oral showed up with his trainer, everyone cleared out of the lifting area as they felt that they were not worthy to be in the presence of the guy. It was nuts. A Wayne's World/Aerosmith/Alice Cooper moment. Oral steps in and ten guys clear out. I thought this was way too good to be true. The whole place to me, Oral and his trainer, Coach Johnson. Too cool, curling, squatting and benching alongside Oral Roberts. WhooHooooo. Totally got me stoked.
Coach Johnson is probably gone now too. But, anyway, I thought Coach was going to kill Mr. Roberts. Johnson was the old basketball coach and had to be at least fifteen years older than Oral. Their training was so sporadic and it looked like some backs were going to break due to totally bad form. Neither one looked like they knew what they were doing and it was so fun to watch these old men trying to heft some weight. Everything was so old school. Something strange I did notice with Oral was that his presence definitely brought something new to the place. An energy which could not be defined. I guess it would probably be called his anointing - either that or the air was being hyper-oxygenated (right). I will never forget lifting with Oral Roberts - even if it was just in the same room.

I am going to miss Oral Roberts. In a way, his passing sort of symbolizes the final closing of the door to my Tulsa adventure - a symbol for me, anyway. Its maybe a closing but its no closing to the seeds planted by many many many deeds/avenues Oral brought into so many lives over years of diligent service in Jesus' name. Oral Roberts is dead and alive.

San Diego Kurt

2009-10-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

KURT and his wife, Alex...and the Spyder

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

Recently I was treated to a visit with my old friend, Kurt, in San Diego. I tell you what, he and his wife were so gracious. I just had a really neat time and wish we had been in touch over the past 20 years. He picked me up at the airport, carried baggage, fed me. I was truly amazed and touched that they are both true and genuine people. Makes me think of moving to SD.

Kurt and I went to high school together and it wasn't until right around graduation that we really got to spend time doing stuff. He had this idea getting us into business together making shirts called S3, like S-cubed where it stood for surf,ski,skate. Simple design and easy business. After we did that together he went to school and I did the same and thats it. Out of about 450 high schoolers, Kurt is one of maybe five that I always wondered about. Well, we got in touch through facebook and I just had to visit. So I did. Its beautiful being in Phoenix where you get on the freeway and see exits for LA, San Diego and Flagstaff. It only takes a few minutes to get to the airport and costs nothing to fly out of here.

So, anyway, Kurt has two beautiful Ferraris, 911 and fun BMWs that he kicks around in. The Ferraris were just classic driving and the convertible BMW was just plain fun. Had a much different feel than my Saabs. All the cars were just solid. The Ferraris, Kurt drives around in and treats them like gold, not parking just anywhere and they are mostly garaged. I think he takes them out for a brief thrill. Prestige condition on all the vehicles. Kurt is what I would call a perfectionist. His house is exemplary of this, his websites, his vehicles. Crazy.

Seeing his perfectionism made me wonder a bit. Just like I decided on cars that I don't mind parking anywhere and do not treat them in any other way than fun rides. They are not in the best shape and I don't mind. Kurt's vehicles are showroom condition. At home I have become the sloppy semi-bachelor type and have stuff still in the sink. Kurt's kitchen is spotless and the only messy areas are the works in progress.
What is really neat in seeing how Kurt and Alex work is that everything is basically simple. Although complex as well. The complexity comes with their making sure things are complete prior to unveiling. I think of this as semi-complex because of the stress in getting there. Kurt and Alex make the journey to completion in what seems a flawless fashion and they appear as if the process is stress free.

I truly appreciated the amazing stay with my great friend. I can't wait to see his next great adventure and hope to be a part of it.

Good things and God's blessing.

New Happenings

2009-10-20T17:47:00.002-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

http://www.bionicdoc.com/

The black dog to the right or, dereche, for those spanish speakers out there. It's Cody, JP's dog. Looks kind of mellow, but I bet the guy's got some fire in him. Don't let him fool you. Look at those eyes - he's thinking up mischief.

Recently I've been pretty busy and have not gotten around to writing on blog. Patients are sort of picking up and/or steady. Can't figure out which it is - increase or just steady. Time will tell.

So, let's make a list:

Finally got glasses (again)

Had dental work and received crown

Wearing sportcoats and ties often now
Getting pretty ensconced in church and CIC (Christians in Commerce)

Enjoy eating with a bunch of men on Wednesday nights

Recent movies watched are Marley & Me, Wolverine, Charlie Bartlett, The Wrestler

Developing a couple good friendships

Enjoying settling into new home

Started swimming at nights

Made solid 215 - 220 pound mark and am fairly strong although concentrating on movements

Using Sport Bionic Band and living very well on 5 hours sleep with increased energy

Light a candle at St. Francis and pray in courtyard now

Am contemplating attending catholic church at St. Timothy's

Enjoying football season

Updated website

Eating a lot and not getting fat

Organizing garage and getting closer to figuring out backyard

Lost car keys to Saab

Lost wallet

Found wallet

Fixed one car to have another one break down

Weather in the valley has broken (OH YEAH!)

Think my hair is now staying intact

Mostly, I'd say life is beginning to smooth out after many trying transitions. That is good. Check out the new facelift on website. I tend to think it is simple and good. But I'm partial and enjoyed programming it. That took half a day to do. I looked at other people's sites and just decided on making sure there was not a bunch of headache information (TMI) on my website.
Remember that good news is all around you. Sometimes you have to do the Ferris Bueller thing, though, and look around you in order to find the good stuff.

bionic scott revisited

2009-06-13T09:01:00.003-07:00

I've received some inquiries recently which are building up surrounding results with bionic band:

www.bionicdoc.com

Here's the latest cool one. (I haven't actively marketed product - just so you know - I just tell people when they ask). So, my latest fun one, tell you what, this lady is sitting at pc all day and sometimes night. She is the same one who has me all fired up to purchase the Kindle. Well she is surrounded by electronics and gadgets and all this stuff and EMF. I hope she doesn't live under power lines!

M purchased a band and I think she is also interested in pendants with the proton technology. She wasn't aware of other products offered when she purchased. Her sleep and dreams have really intensified. I've noticed that her energy levels are also severely increased and that it looks to me like she has lost about seven or so pounds in about one week. M first came to me with LBP and that has dissipated much faster than I anticipated in my professional experience. Also she did not have much energy which has increased. Her speaking subjects have gotten much more positive and there is greater expression in her eyes when we talk. She confirmed the energy increase today on visit. I guess she is having hormones checked recently and had to fill out questionnaire of about 250 Qs and one question was about her dreaming habits. Since her dreams have intensified the wonder is about hormone response during the deep sleep many experience when using the proton technology.

It seems everyone has something different happen with the bionic band. Some say nothing is different and I do not understand this but I do know that some are more or less sensitive with their bodies. Some of us are just not aware of our health and some of us are keenly aware. Also, as a physician, I realize that many patients do not reveal total history and just take a lot for granted regarding health. Like an example would be a patient who comes in for low back pain and they don't tell me anything about their headache or car crash two years ago. Its as if they think the headache is normal but the low back pain is most aggravating. No headache is "normal". So they come in, the headache leaves first and then the patient reveals this and, as physician, I say, "What the heck, you never told me about headache." Well, cool, we got rid of one problem and get to take care of the primary complaint. I think the bionic band works in much the same way while aligning our protons to electrically balance our systems.

So there is the one update. I wish everyone I knew would take in this technology and use it. You can lead a horse to water.....

www.fnchiropractic.com

Facebook

2009-05-25T14:17:00.004-07:00

Already May. Before you know it - Holidays

Okay. Finally got around to updating some of Facebook as well as searching for people I think about at times. Memorial Day and its straggling patients. I tried something different on this day and scheduled everyone for the same time. Lets see. One showed up on time. Two were over an hour early. A couple were over an hour late. And then walk-ins. Have gotten to eat like a maniac.

Was on Amazon ordering a couple things and ran across these download deals and couldn't figure it out. Didn't know what they referred to. This lady I treat started talking on a visit a couple days ago and she mentioned Kindle. I had no idea the thing existed. It is now my quest to find a Kindle 2 for less than $300 on ebay. Retail is $359 w/free shipping.

For those who are in a cave like me, Kindle is a reader's dream come true. I really don't know how I missed this one. My journey to buy one would have been said and done quite a while ago had I known about the product. Items I recently ordered on Amazon go for 99 cents and a brief download. I spent quite a bit more. S/H and all that. The Kindle saves on bookstore runs, expense and is so easy to read - its amazing. I've given some thought to trading the 360, but that is unreasonable. More fun to find the 2 on a total deal.

http://www.amazon.com/kindle-store-ebooks-newspapers-blogs/b/ref=topnav_storetab_kinh?ie=UTF8&node=133141011

On my patient's Kindle wonder G3 machine, I looked up titles off the top of my head. Had 'em all. Got me twitter-pated. More fun than a new car, new house, the DS, new board, you-name-it. Makes me drool. After work today I decided that its workout and then a cigar at the Salty to contemplate moves to acquire this genius contraption. Cigar, iced tea, taco, patio will probably get my brain to formulate the ultimate plans. If I just get four new patients in the next three days, then I would be meeting up with the next day FedEx guy and reading all the stuff in the instruction manual. Four new intakes would mean no waiting for insurance funds to satisfy my craving. Its either that or just sell one of the cars. I'm already tired of one of them and want a truck anyway. Have a few things to think about there.

So the Kindle2. It holds like 1500 books and Amazon stores that which you don't currently want on the unit. It is no-fail that I run by a speaker and a book suggestion will be made. Lets say that I have my K with me and am at church or listening to Kiyosaki or something and, there we go again, oh, "Grunch of Giants" - wait a second (or two)- downloading on K2 - got it! Simple as that. Tell you what. Well, yes, I am a book junkie. One of my Rand copies has sand on it from probably five different beaches. I have a few sauna books which have dried sweat all over them. I'm on my tenth or eleventh copy of Hill's "Think and Grow Rich". Can't tell you how many titles I've given away just to replace them. My favorite Bible is a cheap $5 NASB which I don't mind abusing when I flip through the thing. Current one is kind of torn up - and the covers don't go flat since I fold it all up and over and stuff. I have boxes and boxes of books, I have lists of "wants", bookcases, coffee table reads, bedside reads. Kindle takes care of all that stuff. This is just really crazy for me to think about. All the possibilities.

On an average bookstore outing I will have one title in mind and leave the place with five. I've figured out 1/2 Price books and, I don't know, the library just isn't that fun for me. The reason why I don't like the library is because I read around ten things at once. When I am in the mood for one book, the others stay idle until the next swing. Sometimes a book may last months this way. Library doesn't like this kind of thing too much. The late fees aren't that bad, but the ladies there are kind of scary. Just makes you feel like a bad person to be late on a book. This may have to do with problems had in elementary school. I never did have late return problems, but the reason was due to being afraid of the librarian probably.

Kindle2. 'Nuf said. Wow, some new titles just came to mind. Geez, nerd. Okay. Hope the mail is good news tomorrow. Should be since the long weekend.

Okay. Out of the office in a minute with my new and great Pretenders download and I'm back in the middle of the road.

God bless all you Kindle readers.

Scott

www.fnchiropractic.com

2009-05-05T17:22:00.001-07:00

Sweaty.....Palms

2009-05-05T17:15:00.003-07:00

Hyperhidrosis

For years I had it. Schweaty you name its - Everything always sweaty. I have always run hot and a/c is my best friend as well as any cold body of water. Roommates have called me a polar bear since I freeze 'em out due to my always being hot. The heater doesn't go on until late December and goes off in February. My last three cars had the heaters disconnected and I never noticed. The Saab has a heater but I don't know how to use it. One girl I went to San Diego with froze over the large mountain pass when I had the top down. She kept begging for the top to go up and I refused. Its a convertible, why does the top need to go up?

From about age thirteen to age twenty-six I suffered from the condition. I've learned how to make sure I do not go sockless and my feet never smell. Haven't ever, actually. Never really been smelly but the "wet" look was always "in" for me. And now I'm in Phoenix. During summer tendency is to wear wick shirts. Winter is anything, really. I just figure, dry heat, it will dry. Humidity - good luck.

I can wear jackets and it is covered up. As far as sweaty pits.......

Party Like a (Catholic-girl) Rockstar

Tell you what. I had sweaty pits. Sometimes it would be so embarassing that I would change shirts two to three times per day. A semi-cover-up would be to wear darker colored shirts. Didn't really work, though. I knew they were there and if someone were checking things out, they knew they were there. Also, the sweat would just be there. Didn't matter if I was sitting around or running around. If I were nervous, calm, comfortable, stressed, relaxed - didn't matter.

When I worked in restaurants by the end of a shift sometimes there was extreme chafing and I would be all red and sore under the arms. If I walked the Vegas strip for hours, same thing. I was lucky that it wasn't smelly B.O. but, still, it was terrible. No complexes or anything, just dislike for the situation. Shoot, it could have been something way worse, you know?

I tried every anti-perspirant out there. Mitchum a-p worked best and I stuck with that. Mitchum stinks, by the way, like your grandpa's aftershave which is old school spicy something or other. They may have come out with some cool scents by now, I don't know. I tried these other things which shocked the crap out of you. They are these pad things where you moisten some conductors and stick them over these battery operated deals which you place in your pits. You turn them on and the feeling is so.....invigorating. I think they are made to scare you straight into having dry come right out of you. I think you can use them on your feet and hands as well. I only had the sweaty pits. The shockers sort of worked, but were a real pain to use daily. They were a bit expensive also.

Those are about the only things I ever attempted - switching around on anti-perspirants and the "shockers". A lot of little kids have trouble with sweaty feet. If their shoes stink and you can't seem to figure out why, its probably sweaty feet. The goofa-scientific term for it is "hyperhidrosis". I say goofa because hyperhidrosis means nothing except increased moisture in any good old area. Its just a diagnosis like arthritis which is completely non-specific. It identifies no source and offers any good-old-boy solution to a problem. Throw the paint around and see what sticks kind of word.

Well. So I walked around with this hyperhidrosis thing through my adolescence and into my graduate studies career. Probably close to fifteen years of carrying this burden around. I finally got fed up with it. One day I ended up with a bunch of free time after running clinicals in 1996, maybe 1997. I got to thinking about this hyperhidrosis on a particularly humid day in Kansas City and decided to give some meds a try. There had to be something the MDs had right?

I stopped in a local office which accepted me as a walk-in and got this fiftiesh little snot of a lady who told me to just choose different shirts so the sweat would not show as much. I told her that wasn't good enough. She begrudgingly left the clinical room and came back with a book ten minutes later. Obviously she had not encountered this prior. She read to me out of the book and told me I had what's called...........hyperhidrosis - - NO KIDDING (WOW, genius)! But....she did offer solution. Cool, what I want finally. The med prescribed was this roll-on bottle called Drysol. Roll it on underarm and it stings like a little needle poking you all over the place for a while and it only costs about $7 per bottle. Great price and small sacrifice for no more....sweaty pits. Party like a rockstar!

I was stoked. It completely eradicated problem within four days and then I maintained it about once every four to five days. But my problem was still there. Hmmmm. The drug either clogged me and stopped the sweat or had to be doing something like putting heavy metals in or something. So this got me to thinking. I checked the ingredients of Drysol and there were massive amounts of aluminum - can't be good, right? I checked anti-perspirants and there are certain metals in those as well. If I remember, the a-p's have mostly forms of zinc. I think. Anti-perspirants are all I had used for years. So I kind of thought, that, what if I took out the products with the metals and simply went with regular ol' deodorant? Can't hurt. If they fail, I already have the heavy metal Drysol on my side (or underarm, I guess).

I went to only deodorant. Wanna know what happened? No more sweaty pits. No more Drysol needed. The word "anti-perspirant" was a lie. I was intoxicating my system and it had been fighting back what is supposed to be a natural release valve in the system for heat release. I was and am now able to wear any color shirt I want.

You want to know something else? Its kind of difficult sometimes to find simply deodorant. 80 to 90% of any underarm shelf is anti-perspirant. You really have to search for deodorant-only product. This must mean that 80 to 90% of the population is applying toxic metal product to their pits. And they probably do not even realize it. Think about it. Many people are going to great lengths to get mercury out of their teeth because of old fillings, but then are applying all sorts of similar stuff to the porous underside of their arms. Think this metal may go systemic? You bet it does. I've never looked too closely into chelation therapy, but I wonder if they give any advise on underarm deodorant? I don't know. If I run into a naturopath who does chelation therapy, I might ask. Did you know that we are all running around with cancer cells? We are all one chromosomal mutation away from expression of oncogenes. Its fact. Oncogene expression is probably mostly regulated by hormonal action and this is why you find preponderance of cancers with sex organs - prostate, ovarian, breast. I think the chromosome is #69 or somewhere thereabouts.

The more polluted any given system is, I surmise the greater the risk of a cancer expression to occur. Let's say we are tipping a boat. There is good and bad in the boat. Okay, we eat the occasional vegetable and fruit. But here we go: Let's see, I have years of smoking in me, years of metals in the form of teflon coating, tooth fillings, anti-perspirants, diet sodas (how does something taste good and have zero calories- chemicals), pollutants in the environment, birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, and I live under a bunch of power plant wires coming out from the base next to my house. Occasionally I exercise but sit in front of two monitors ten hours per day before watching three hours of television in front of the LCD while my food is microwaving and I am talking on the phone while playing with my IPOD after the trip to Wal-Mart with a bunch of LCDs screaming at me about the latest anti-perspirant and I even got to pump gas while watching the screen in front of me telling about the latest Diet Coke I can purchase in the convenience store. Lunch time was fabulous at my favorite, McDonald's and I'm looking forward to Jack tomorrow. And Friday is pizza day - but its healthy pizza with spinach on it. So that's okay. I tell you what, do you suppose that with all this stuff that we may just be pushing a certain envelope which has the words mutation of oncogene all over it? It only takes one little lead ball to tip that boat. I can't say if that one little ball is anti-perspirant, but, if one can do without, then that part of the matter is taken care of.

Just a thought, anyway. I do know that I conquered hyperhidrosis and it was kind of by mistake - mistake with some thought put into it. Well, anyway, this is just one more goofy thing that I've gone through and its off my to-do list.

Thank you. Take care and God bless.

Dr Moller

Explaining the Lifting Rules

2009-05-04T15:15:00.003-07:00

Rules of Size Defined

Well, they're more like "guidelines" - (Pirates of Caribbean).

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

We will go over the "rules" which I labeled in last blog to decrease some confusion.

1) Time under tension.
2) Rule of Three
3) Rule of Five
4) Primary Movers First
5) Stress on any System Will Cause Change
6) Guyton's Text: All-or-None Principle

Okay. These are quite simple. For the first time in my life of bodybuilding, I began writing the rules out in a journal when I started timing myself and pseudo-scientifically analyzing my approach in the gym around 1994-1995. I bought a journal, calculator, stopwatch at this time. Had this stuff for around three months of training and left it all behind in the gym one day and they were never seen again. I hope whoever found my stuff learned from it all and got huge.

Time under Tension: Simple. The more tension a muscle group is put under for a short amount of time, the greater the growth potential. This is where the increased reps come in on one set and/or the two minute set. Something which is similar is when you perform a drop-set, from high to low weight. This is a true stressor rule and also conditions your body for changes as well as joint and tendon lubrication which is extremely important for maintaining non-injury status.

Rule of three: Performed after initial warm-up of ten when you are well-conditioned, good sleep, eating right. Three reps per set until you have tendons warmed for your max set of 6-8. The reasoning for three is to get the tendons ready for tremendous weight. Also, three is just enough to condition, but not enough to fatigue. You save your energy stores for the "real" working weight which is what you really want. The real working weight is your max weight since this is the true stressor on the system and not the piddly working-up weights. The threes are injury breakers. If there is potential for injury anywhere in the workout it is at beginning of training and usually with minimal weight on the positive motion of any reps versus the negative. The lead-ups (ten and then threes) to max weight should be performed carefully to prevent injury and to assess current days' condition. Very unlikely for injury to occur once you get in max ranges.

Rule of Five: After initial ten warm-up. Same as rule of three, basically, but used when you may be fatigued, lack sleep or food, or have been under unusually greater amount of stress. When Fives are used, be acutely aware of your overall condition to find how much you can take on this day.

Primary Movers First: Beginning set(s). The non-glamorous movements which emphasize only the muscle you are working versus utilizing "helpers" or ancillary muscles. The easiest example would be with chest. A fly movement is primarily only chest work. If a bench is performed, then ancillarys come into play and you are using shoulders, triceps, and back stabilizers. Attempting to work a primary movement can be somewhat difficult to assess. The idea is to eliminate as many muscles as possible in performing a movement for any one part which is being worked that day. It can lead to a non-fun workout sometimes as the other movements will go down in weight due to depleted energy. It can also lead to increased growth due to changes made and stresses put in different order. After primary movers is used, end the workout utilizing an overall movement - like, again, with chest I may end workout with dips which incorporate all ancillarys and give my chest a final burn.

Stress on any System will cause Change:
To grow, you want change. To change, there must be stress. In my programs, I create a medium of decreased time and increased weight. There's a two-fold here. With decreased time, the weights go down although the interpretation by the system is an overall increase in stress due to increase in pounds per minute. This makes it easier to influence the system by not having to greatly increase any one increment in order to create stress on the system. All it really takes is one little tweak in the next workout to maintain stress on the system. Makes it so you consistently do more work in less time. When I take time off for let's say, one month, and get back in the gym then I greatly rely on knowing that I can do just about anything and my system is stressed. So I start out on the lighter side of things and the results are then seen in less than two weeks. Some of my friends have called me a freak because of the way I know I can get my body to respond in such short time due to my utilizing the Stress/Change Rule. Some of my friends also "feel" like they haven't done enough once we get through a workout. They don't understand the solid concept of this rule.
This rule also applies to eating - the fuel in your body, sleeping - anything going on mechanical, chemical. It all comes down to conditioning. If your body is conditioned for something, the more effort you must exert to create change. The less you have conditioned yourself for something, the greater response you will receive. My system of rules surrounds maintaining a non-conditioned organism in order to gain great response with as little increase of stress as possible.
The System Under Stress Rule is very important to understand. Because of my knowledge of this rule, I get to eat Cap N Crunch in the morning and Oreos at night. Interspersed, of course, I make sure I get good food in and also I don't skip the cheese sticks. Crazy. Anyway, remember that the goal here is to get as large as possible (muscle) without having to exert much stress for optimal response.

All-Or-None-Principle: The all-or-none law is the principle that the strength by which a nerve or muscle fiber responds to a stimulus is not dependent on the strength of the stimulus. If the stimulus is any strength above threshold, the nerve or muscle fiber will give a complete response or otherwise no response at all.
It was first established by the American physiologist Henry Pickering Bowditch in 1871 for the contraction of heart muscle. According to him, describing the relation of response to stimulus,
“An induction shock produces a contraction or fails to do so according to its strength; if it does so at all, it produces the greatest contraction that can be produced by any strength of stimulus in the condition of the muscle at the time.”
The individual fibers of both skeletal muscle and nerve respond to stimulation according to the all-or-none principle. ---------
This is taken directly from Wikipedia. It was first brought to my attention in 1994 where it is written and explained in Guyton's Physiology (Bible of Physiology). There are references to this all over the web.
What this law states, basically, is that when a muscle is primed, then it is ready to fire (you are ready to lift). The one conundrum a person must deal with is tendon strength. You can warm a muscle and it is ready to go, but the tendons must be insured as to not pop. No injury is the name of the game. This is why we have the Rule of Three and the Rule of Five. Utilizing All-or-None really comes into play after your first max set. We don't namby pamby pyramid our way through the subsequent max sets and ruin/deplete our energy stores. We get on it and maintain another max set after another with each being a different exercise in order to influence the entire muscle (and to escape boredom) which also greatly influences our overall pounds per minute. This is putting All-or-None to work in our favor. This is the key which doubles our pounds per minute versus old school. Using the law is painful and grueling. After our initial max, there is no downhill. Its all work, work, work. The work increases overall stress in short period of time and the work is non-stop for a straight twenty minutes utilizing All-or-None. If there be one great thing to understand in building powerful strength and greater size, then this one thing is the All or None Principle.

That's it for my rules. I have a coupla others utilized, but these are the basics and foundation. I don't know if my rules will ever change as I still have yet to see them beat in routine practice. If I were ever to desire enormous size again, these are the basics I would still stand by, only intensified and with proper diet, etc. Right now and after two month lay-off I have begun my prep for a poolside body and by next week, I intend to see the fruits of my labor.

Some tips in the gym:

Keep in mind at least two exercises for each set. This is to avoid being held up by campers lounging around on your first exercise choice. Just move on to your next choice.
Be creative in your exercise choices.
Talk to people along the way for a more enjoyable workout.
Help the old ladies and old men who look lost.
Keeps dem headphones and hats off so you may make an impact on others when you see a need.
Rack your weights properly.
Help those little girls who have to unload a bunch of 45s left over by that jerkoff who doesn't know how to properly rack the gear.
If the handicap guy is having trouble, then help him out. - Even if its just tying a shoe.
Walk through the new gym first and check everything out in order to figure the layout and make a plan.
Don't allow trash to muck up your house - Deposit in the can.
Do sneer at the dawg who slams the little 40 pounders on the floor after a set - those are your DBs he is abusing.
Don't mind too much the guy who slams the 175s after doing 15 - he's just tired and probably just made a mistake.
Watch those who actually know what they are doing - you may learn something.
Enjoy the spa and facilities after you've done your work - you should be rewarded for a job well done.
Key to all of this: Get In, Get Out, Move On.

Thank you and God bless.
sm

Mathematically Lifting

2009-05-02T14:06:00.008-07:00

The Christian's Guide to Paganism

(not for the faint of soul)

In times of war (especially POW's), one does not think of sex or pleasure. One desires food and safety. Victor Frankl said something like this.
Vonnegut finds you can laugh at just about anything. Its medicine.

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/
http://www.aynrand.org/

The picture above is me before I really started to lift.

This is me when I really started to figure it out.

Okay. Just kidding in both cases. I wish on the second pic. I did start at a very wet 140 lbs. at age thirteen. I graduated high school at a little over 190 lbs. During teen years, I competed in Colorado, Western States, USA and America. But teenagers are small, in general, and I felt no different. I was bigger and stronger than anyone I knew in high school. I wore fairly normal clothes and every once in a while wore a "muscle" shirt to school and those few times got a date that same day. The muscle scared fights off and encouraged my friends to attack me two-on-one to see what I had. I always won. I wasn't just deceivingly larger, but also very strong. I was over a 3-3-4-2. Which means the squat, bench, deadlift, clean/jerk were over the number of plates given. I really don't know why I was strong. Probably stronger than I was big.

I began the journey because I was scrawny and wanted to play football. I grew quickly and then didn't want to play football. The coaches asked me numerous times to play. I was addicted to iron. I received permission to workout after school in the H.S. gym and also had a tremendous setup at home which took up most of a three car garage and more gear in the basement. This was Olympic stuff, not the plastic crap. I got all this equipment for home because my church had a workout room which they decided there was no room for any longer - I got the equipment and kicked my parent's cars out of the garage. The garage doors were a hassle anyway. My free time was work, lifting, fixing my Karmann Ghia. My passion was weights and eating and learning to eat and workout.

My max weight was a little over 265 lbs. by the age of 25 and I was most comfortable in the 240-245 range. This was with a fat layer and 31"-34" waist. My max jacket size ever measured was 54"-56" which was for my brother's wedding in December of 1993 or 1994. I don't remember which year it was. 1993 sounds a little off since I had my back surgery the same year, so I would think 1994 is more accurate. I competed in the 210 to 220 area and never won anything, but always placed 3s and 4s. I never liked the super-ripped look, but preferred the huge and cut look. I also never truly worked on posing routines seriously and have zero rhythm. Can't even clap and sing at the same time in church. I end up looking like Steve Martin in "The Jerk". Judges would dock me. The biggest pain of getting large is clothing and food. Can't find clothes off the rack very well and always in the kitchen and carrying food around.

Putting Size On Is All Mathematics

I wrote the math last in an easy to read and understand format for my friend, Wes, a couple months back after we finished working out. The concept is really quite simple: The more you lift in a shorter period of time, the greater the result.
I have rules to this game. These are a couple.
1) Time under tension.
2) Rule of Three
3) Rule of Five
4) Primary Movers First
5) Stress on any System Will Cause Change
6) Guyton's Text: All-or-None Principle
There are a couple more rules, but this is the base of my conceptual learning in the art. In the gym, I get in, get out, have fun and see the same people when I go out as when I went in. I see others who desire size spinning their wheels. It is a shame.
So here is my basic concept on getting large. On any given bodypart day, I warm-up briefly, go up using mostly reps of three or five and at my max weight of the day I hit one solid 6-8 reps. Next exercise I choose a max weight for 6-8 reps. Two to Three exercises later I am ready for my last set. The last set can be grueling. Its either 20-30 reps of given weight on an exercise or a two minute set of given weight. A typical chest workout, then, would look like this:

1)Incline - Warm-up, 10reps

Increase weight, 3-5 reps

Increase weight, 3 reps

Increase weight (max of day), 6-8 reps

2)Bench - 1 set, 6-8 reps

3)Flyes - 1 set, 6-8 reps

4)Smith Bench - 1set, 6-8 reps

5)Machine something-or-other, 20-30 reps or 2 minutes

With this type of workout, I have employed wasting no energy on constantly depleting energy on pyramid sets. I have also utilized the All-or-None, rule of three and/or five, and time under tension. If I desired to utilize primary movers, then flyes would be my first work-up set. What all of this does is condition your body for having to utilize as little energy as possible for your next workout so it is much easier to inflict stress in order to grow. If it seems I am not being clear, then read the above again. Sometimes people think things are so complex when, actually, things are very simple.

This chest workout is about 20-25 minutes. My rest between sets of the next exercise is setting up the next object of my desire and then going to the furthest drinking fountain. I go back to the exercise, do my prep routine, and do my work. The trip to the fountain is always fun. After I've done three different sets, I will often see "campers" on the same machines I passed prior. I want to ask them if they brought their sleeping bags. If its someone I know, I will have continuance of a conversation as I pass by each trip. Good fun!

The math is quite simple as well. An overview basically is that the longer you are in the gym, the less weight you will actually do in that period of time mostly due to decreased energy as well as (stupidity). No, I mean due to energy and old school method and lack of wisdom. Some just enjoy being in the gym and its a social occasion. Cool. This little excerpt is just for those who want serious growth. By the way, you can still get serious growth and have fun along the way. You do not have to be some seriously smirking schmoe with hat down low and sunglasses on to get through something like this while making gains.

So, the math. Let's do a typical old school with the same exercises above: Exercise 1 ) Set 1 - 135x10, 2 - 225x10, 3 - 315x10, 4 - 405x6 Exercise 2) Set 1 - 135x10, 2 - 225x10, 3 - 275x8 Exercise 3) Set 1 - 100x10, 2 - 125x10, 3 - 180x8 Exercise 4) Set 1 - 135x10, 2 - 185x10, 3 - 225x8 Exercise 5) Set 1 - 125x10, 2 - 170x10, 3 - 200x10

Time: 1.5 hours Total weight lifted: 28620 Total weight per minute: 28620/90min.=318lbs

All that work sure looks like a lot doesn't it? Only to eek out a mere 318 pounds per minute.

Okay. Let's do Dr Scott Math from the chest workout now. I'll even go conservative and go middle of the road on the 6-8 and go 7's. Remember also, sometimes what weight you chose for each consecutive set you did may be light and you'll do double reps. Once you choose a weight and it feels light, you just keep going and make mental note that you need heavier next workout. Last I did legs, I chose a weight for legpress where I thought I could get out 8 and did 15. Okay, Dr Scott Math: Exercise 1, Set 1) 135x10, 2 - 225x5, 3 - 315x3, 4 - 405x7 Exercise 2) Set - 315x7 Exercise 3) Set - 225x7 Exercise 4) Set - 275x7 Exercise 5) Set - 25x220

Time: 22.5 min. Total wt. lifted: 16460 Total weight per minute: 16460/22.5min.=731.5

Hmmmm. Strange. Kind of looks like the actual amount of work done has more than doubled, doesn't it. And I went conservative on reps and time. Usually the time is pretty constant with my workout, but the reps are generally increased. Crazy. Non-conservatively, this is almost always a 950 pound per minute workout.

With the body and stress on a system, more is less and less is more. I reached all-time best when this type of working out was implemented. Never went back to old school. This is just my base workout. There is more. I have put people through my workouts and many cannot hang. Have even had a couple people ready to puke mid-way through. Its funny because you don't necessarily sweat, but this thing takes a toll. I don't think its enough time to get a good sweat out of you. Go sweat on cardio. That's what the old school workout is anyway - cardio.

I guess Mike Mentzer made an argument once for a 1 set workout (the Heavy Duty). I couldn't put light on the idea because of the all-or-none principle and your tendons do need to warm prior to hitting it real heavy which is the point, by the way, to creating greatest stress on a system. Realistically, mathematically and physically and non-conservatively, a 1 set workout would be something like this:

5 min. in gym, 275x10 2750/5min. Total: 550 pounds per minute.

You still fare better with Dr Scott Math. I guess, conceivably, you could argue that the actual time is only the amount of time it takes to do each set. The numbers on a graph still come out the same, only thing that each workout, the time is lower and the total pounds for each workout is much higher. Its linear, so its easy to simply mark the amount of time in the gym which really is better anyway since I could probably do 1000 pounds per minute all day long if I did one set every fifteen minutes and stay in the gym for five hours.

Okay. Thats the basics. I'm not going to write up a complete bodypart by bodypart workout. Its the concept of this training which is important to understand. And I have put many people through my plans and its never failed. My best story is Lance who lost over 100 pounds of fat, put on muscle at the same time and won overall a competition in OKC. He also decreased his blood pressure and was eligible for health insurance after being denied for years. The process took about one year.

And, finally, the two minute set. On my workout example I employed just the 20-30 rep final set. Don't do the two minute set. It hurts like a mother. When you do this one, you are praying for the last minute to end. Its killer. I've done entire workouts just doing two minute sets and these set you on fire. It hurts like a mother. Said it again for emphasis. Don't do this one unless you are working out with an enemy or you want to pull a prank on your buddy or if its your girlfriend and you're fighting.

Thank you, God bless. Take care.

JP/Josiah, Pit Bull, Flesh-Eating Wonders

2009-04-30T14:21:00.006-07:00

Geez, So It Goes

(One time I was yelled at by my dad for saying geez - It's too close to Jesus)

This is my son, Josiah (JP). He is a long-hair soon to be Larry Norman and a fun, introspective kid. His mom recently had a bike race in Prescott, AZ. That's about a two and 1/2 drive from my place in Chandler. For about the first time in three years, Josiah invited me to visit with him over the weekend last and that was way cool. Last I saw him was the Monday after Thanksgiving in 2005. About 3 1/2 years. I got to visit on Friday and had to leave for patient visits on Saturday. I should have stayed in Prescott, but planned on making the drive back late Saturday to stay over through Sunday and visit some more. We got to touch base, anyway, on Friday - played frisbee, ate and kicked back.

Pit Bulls look cool, but you see that chain? There's a reason for the size of the thing.

On Friday late night after Prescott, I went over to check on my friend, Chuck and relax at his place (Chuck's whole family is the coolest). I stayed over there and Saturday morning helped him with some stuff to take to his other house. They have side-by-side houses. Their Pit is chained to the tree near to the second house (a big chain like the picture). So I was helping Chuck, he was to my right and Cindy (wife) was a little behind and left. So we were moving to the other house and out of nowhere the pit went and launched into my right leg just below my calf. I didn't feel anything except I saw the dog chewing on the leg. Cindy went into action and I think scared Prince (pit's name) off my leg. I went and hit something with my head trying to get away and we rushed into the house.
Cindy ripped off my shoe in the kitchen area and there was blood gushing everywhere. It was crazy. Chuck wanted to duct tape my flesh together and we agreed on wrapping everything up in a paper towel and then duct taping then agreed on hospital. Cindy threw out my totally bloody sock. I started to get that white pale, I don't know where I am feeling and don't remember much after that excepting I was glad I didn't let Chuck put that tape directly over the wounds.
After everything, I was out of commission for two straight days. I remember eating a burrito and spilling cheese all over myself on Saturday night. We never called Elsie and Cindy and Chuck took care of me with a hobbling right leg after the different trips and stuff. They took me home on Sunday late and Elsie was all frustrated. She later took care of all the bandages and then did the house cleaning. Then when all my meds wore off the leg started to really really really hurt. So it goes.
I still think Prince is a good dog. I feel kind of bad about bleeding on Cindy's carpet and tile. I hope she's not mad at me. Lo siento.
I had planned to make it back on that drive to Prescott, see some patients, and it was all botched. Kabosh. A Wash. Not-a-This-Time. I figure either I should have stayed in Prescott or I was saved from a massive pile-up on the drive. Either/Or. I do know I lost a lot of blood in the process, received this gaping flesh wound, and missed out on extended visit with JP.
I called Josiah on Monday and got yelled at by his mom and she requested a picture of my bandaged wounds. I understand that, I guess. I don't know if she understands the trauma when I think of my side (if there be sides). We had a pretty fair time on Friday. Also Prescott is a pretty cool place although a bit of a drive.
Six days later I'm still trying to navigate stairs and not walk like a gimp. Its worse after I haven't been up and walking for a while. And its a pain changing the bandages.
Oh, another thing crazy. On Friday my phone display stopped working and does anyone remember phone numbers anymore? Then later the power went out. Had to trade the numbers and go to the other phone. I sure hope my better successes are right around the corner. Either that or maybe I'll start teaching or something.
Life's an adventure. Ups and Downs and All-Arounds. If I didn't know how to laugh, don't know what I'd do. One thing is now checked on my to-do list - Pit Bull attack - I don't advise it, just so you know. I can be your proxy/stand-in if its on your to-do.

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

Dr Moller Constants

2009-04-18T15:02:00.006-07:00

At any given moment, these things may change.

Its funny because there is nothing new under the sun and I think this also makes us creatures of habit.

Like in the pic here I am doing my scott-watchee-movie or Suns game thing in one of the rooms. I doubt that this will ever change.

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

http://www.85224chiro.com/

http://www.bionicdoc.com/

Here's the Dr Scott list:

snickerdoodle cookies

land 'o lakes butter

chips ahoy

spree

orange juice

snowboard

weightlifting

big screen

movies played max volume with bass

crier when happy

sleeper when sad

know bible, can't quote verse

love good church, sometimes don't go

christian, sometimes don't act like it

smiley

don't likey talky to large group

movies

fox news

coffee

root beer

tequila

protein

math

philosophical rant

statements with bad timing

creative under duress

matter-of-fact

calvin klein underwear

savane pants

express shirts

liz shirts

ralph shorts

new balance socks

calvin socks

asics running shoes

edmonds,haan dress shoes

black shoes/belts

automatic watch

nioxin shampoo

99 cent store

big lots

home depot

cars cash

no land lines

ocean

mountains

dry heat

food served

bed made

closet organized

hotel, not family

entrepreneurial

carbs

non-fiction reader

minor in fiction

novelist on email

sister is the best

love patients

sometimes nose-picker

a little bit of metro

thinker

mostly mellow

can be life of party

people watcher

girl watcher

native eyewear

listening ear

advice when asked

criticism encouraged

perfectionist at times

agree to disagree

sometimes wish you were here

sometimes wish you would leave me alone

like too much of a good thing

spa

sauna

jacuzzi

pool

massage

chiropractic

computer

research

stress easy but don't show it

hard to read

can't fake it

don't want to fake it

anti-religious

forgiving

no need to be around ones not good for me

problem solver

sweat outcomes

positive and realistic

calculating

opportunity and not problem

chemistry

good food

i can cook, seldom do

patient

giving to a fault

think others want the best same as i do

few friends

more acquaintances

xbox 360

nintendo ds

blackjack

pai gow

baccarat

stick to principle even to detriment

traveler

patios

no bugs

no snakes

alligators okay :)

keep refrigerator organized

can't see it, won't use it

olfaction

decisive when needed

perform well on own with a plan

kids okay, don't need any more

i prefer answer when asked specific question

keep things simple

cap'n crunch

eggs

multiple music genres

ice not heat

arizona basketball, hockey, football

fixer of mechanical things

klipsch

bose

convertible

a/c not heat

ocean sounds, stream sounds okay

dogs

cats can all die

pigeons can die too

rest easy

work more with mind versus physical

The list goes on and on. This is a smattering. Is that a word? Think so. I am willing to bet that my list fits a lot of other's lists. This one is not so different from friends sitting across from me at the dinner table.

God Bless and thank you.

Scott

1000 Thread Count? Don't Need No Stinkin' Shoes

2009-04-18T11:35:00.012-07:00

You Will Forever Thank Me
(if you take action)

The past week or month or so was pretty cool. I started a new church and found many things which were missing. After two months in limbo at a temporary room, I finally moved into my great house. My son, Josiah, contacted me after not hearing from him since the Monday after Thanksgiving, 2005. He's a long hair now just the way I'd envisioned him since he was born - like a Larry Norman. Larry Norman, look him up. he's dead now but left quite an impact around the world. His biggest ever was the song, "I Wish We'd All Been Ready". But, anyway, my son Josiah (JP) I named after the good king for a reason.

My sister, Jeanine, contacted me and also sent one of the best CDs I've ever heard produced by her husband. Its not only one of his best, but one of the best CDs now in my collection - period. Jeanine plays on it with Shane alongwith some other types. And the music totally screams. Best ever - its called Luther-N and I forget the title. Oh, just looked it up - Dogmatics. I can't stop playing it and it has around 8-9 solid tracks out of 11. Totally jams and I can tell that Shane really let go and also I can imagine my sister's playing and her role in the making of the music. Good stuff. Chicks playing music can be soooooo sexy.

Link to Luther-N and their CD, Dogmatics. Its on MySpace, Facebook and others:

http://www.myspace.com/luthernband

http://cdbaby.com/cd/luthern http://www.facebook.com/pages/Luther-N/30792859920

First link on myspace is coolest since it opens with the music. Totally....I don't know what to say. It is good stuff.

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

http://www.bionicdoc.com/

Yes, I'm still onto the bionic band. When I've taken it off I don't function as well as with it. Also the great and sometimes disturbingly vivid dreams stop. Need to get a few more bands again and will do that this week. I just don't really market it as it is so time consuming.

Okay.
If you've ever given thought to your living circumstances, then maybe you don't need this sermon. I have found that most do not give parts of their living much thought. Like say for instance I have this very large monitor and I kept switching back and forth from business computer (slooowww) to my laptop (faaassstt) at work. I got to thinking - why not just get a DIP switch and wireless keyboard/mouse with USB so I only have to use one setup for both PCs. So I did. You know what? My eyes and patience are now saved. Got everything on ebay for next to nothing. Paid 1/5 retail store price. Once again, ebay my hero.

You see the pic above of the sheets? They are 1000 thread count. Do you have any idea what these kind of sheets feel like when you go to bed? OMG! I look forward to hopping in the sack every night and every night I go through oohs and ahhhs. I am not kidding. And here is the thing I realized years ago: We mostly are up 16 hours of the day and are in the bedroom the next 9 hours. Okay, just kidding, 10, I mean 8 hours of the day.

Its funny because a many of us populace out there will spend proliferate dollars on the rest of the house and neglect the bedroom. I had one roommate who had this $25,000 setup in his living room and his bed was on the floor and his sheets mostly made up of clean laundry and a cheap bed-in-a-bag throw. Go figure. Do the math. 8 hours a day is one-third of your lifetime - except when you are in med school or are a lawyer or are Donald Trump. The Don reportedly sleeps about four hours per night. He still probably has only the best anyway. So on average we are in the bedroom 1/3 of our lives. Why would you ever even conceive of slacking on that department? That is the first department to invest in, in my opinion.

If you have not experienced the luxury of great bedroom accommodations, you are missing out. You are missing out on feeling great when you draw down and you are missing out when you wake after the best sleep ever. We have enough stress all around us just in everyday living. Why add to it in the home especially during the most important part of reloading your batteries?

There is a combination, though. A good foundation is required. This is the bed itself. Has to be a good one which is comfortable to your tastes and your back. The most important part of the bed is the supporter which is the boxspring. The Box is one thing you cannot go cheap on. Then the sheets - 1000 thread count. Comforter has to be down with max fill and at least 600 thread count cover. I prefer no duvet as I have never found one I didn't fight with to get my comforter straight. I have a light down for summer and an overfill for the other eight months which is all fluffy and stuff. That is really all there is to the bed. It is quite simple. No bed-in-a-bag, though. Pillows, I just go light and fluffy for a few, memory foam for one and then cervical pillows for two others. Mix and match the pillows for comfort and cervical pillow for neck support as the primary pillow. When this formula is followed you feel like a little kid waking up and are so grateful for giving yourself abundance.

1000 thread count and down comforter and totally great bed? You've got to be crazy; you know how much that would cost? Okay, Okay. The cost does not have to be all that much. Its an investment and on every budget, where there's a will, there's a way. When I was thinking of this stuff years ago, I had nothing to really go on monetarily to get my thoughts into action on this subject. I researched and found Denver Mattress through my buddy, JP Ferraro. Great bed and no middleman. Found what I wanted and then requested scratch and dent and mentioned that I could refer others. Got 25% off an already great value. Another way to push your value on a buy is to offer cash and request cash discount. This takes a few cojones but works. You know how many bed dealers there are out there competing for your earnings? The comforter: Tuesday Morning. I don't like ebay for the comforter. You really have to touch and squish the thing and put it against your face and stuff. Tuesday Morning is everywhere and has tremendous buys. The sheets: ebay. Always look at the seller's ratings, read some reviews and read the ad to get a "feel" for repute.

My current bed system cost only $630. And its killer and probably better and more luxurious than well over 90% of them out there. Even those purchased for over $2500. I know because I've slept on some of those over-priced wonders. Only thing which has come close to my setup is the Westin's. They are close, but something is just a shy miss. I think its their bed itself since they have a one size fits all deal.

Next subject and this is a little shorter - maybe - but its been on my mind. I think next blog I write is solely on working out. This next deal is on shoes..........

What you see in the pic is a pair of Allen Edmonds. I've actually tried on this style shown (in black, of course) but just didn't like 'em. They just made me feel kind of funky. But thats not the main point of this subject. There are $30 to $60 pair out there at Famous or whatever (I mean the cheapies, not Edmonds). I would go through these cheapies about every four to five months and then return to spend another $45 on average every four to five months. On average that is $120 to $150 per year. The four to five months was because of wear and tear and breakdown. I started thinking about this around seven or so years ago. On one hand, its fun to buy new shoes. On the other hand, it's not fun to spend money out of pocket. At around $300 every two years, you have only one pair of shoes. What if you did this with a rotation of three different styles? That's $900 per two years. That's around 700 cheeseburgers you could have had for lunchtime or two weeks of bar-time. (Just kidding). Its season tickets to Arena ball or CHL hockey. Its two gym memberships. Almost 1/4 of a yearly IRA investment. You get the picture.

I checked into it. Companies like A. Edmonds, Cole Haan and others are life-time shoes. They cost. To the tune of $200 and you-name-it. The pair shown is $300 retail. Go to Nordstroms and check it out. I'm not kidding. Over time, though, the cost outweighs the re-buys of the cheapies. The shoes begin paying for themselves after about 1 1/2 to 2 years.

So I ran the guys and ladies over at Nordstroms and Macy's over a number of days and discovered that I like Allen Edmonds for classics and Cole Haan for a little less classic, but sporty. My next step was specific styles. For this I went directly to the websites and then tried the shoes on at Edmonds and Haan. I'm fortunate that they have retailers here in PHX. I ran those guys. I found my best size for each and chose my favorite style(s) - told them I'd be back later or send my assistant (sure). Okay, I fibbed a little, but given that they served me for an hour and their belts even cost +$100, I wasn't buying and I felt guilty. Oh, by the way, when I was in Tulsa, I initially started this process in Dallas.

So, anyway, I went to ebay. Tracked the things until my styles popped up at prices I adored. After probably a total of three months tracking in intermittent spurts, I now own three Haan and two Edmonds. The cost was from $60 to $90 pair of my specific styles and respective sizes. On average thats $75 per pair for what retails at average $225 per pair. One of my Cole Haan's is ready for resole at cost of $55 and they lasted six to seven years without repair. Pretty darn good if you ask me. You do have to buy classic to semi-classic to get by with this. Don't do the trend thing. Those look atrocious after four months anyway. Another thing is that you only buy new. Shoes have to be new for proper breaking in and proper support for only your unique foot.

I do ebay. There are options. Here, there is a place called Nordstrom Rack where good buys are to be had. In Kansas City I know of a place called Bob Jones. Only problem is that its a crap-shoot and you have to fight with old blue-hairs since they know what they are looking at. Then all around you there are the screaming kids and annoying moms giving in to the kids and you feel like slapping them up side their heads for being such push-overs to their bratty kids no one seems to know how to control any longer. Just sort of kidding there.

Thats the shoe buy lesson. Take it or leave it. Just do the math and make a decision. Some are just satisfied with ruining their feet in mediocrity and that is fine. I could go with just one pair, but then I would get bored. That is me and may not be you. If you are just a Sunday nice shoe person, go with one. If you are only Christmas Eve and Easter, go with a classic cheapie and store them with shoe tree in a box with mothballs. No one will know the difference. My uncle Mike does the Hush Puppie and that is totally stylin'. He is the semi-Sunday, once in a while dresser so thats cool for him.

I do wish I never had to think this shoe thing up as it would be nice to show daily as a pro in shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops. Don't have that option. What I've written is the solution.

Next blog is working out. Its been put off for a while, but I have promised a few people. I still have yet to find anyone who works out the way I have implemented. It will be the base style of the majority of my workouts.

God Bless and Abundance to all who seek it and take action. Scott

Low Back Pain! OMG!

2009-02-16T13:07:00.004-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

My long-time friend and buddy, Tito, sent me a text this morning asking for help. T lives in the Denver area. We've had a celebratory history of ups and downs and mostly ups over the course of almost thirty years now. Tito is one of less than five who I call my closest friends. We've had parties together, fights together, worked out together, shared weddings and his second-born is partially named after me.

I guess Tito's wife, Sandi, has come up with a severe lower back complaint and it sounds like it is a problem stemming from the L5/S1 nerve root which some commonly call a sciatic problem. The sciatic distribution of the problem is somewhat accurate, at times, but most of the time the root and source of the lesion is from the L5/S1 nerve root coming out of the intervertebral foramen. Its actually a radiculopathic problem most of the time versus what is termed a peripheral neuropathy. I mostly find that this is actually a sign of facet syndrome instead of inflamed disc. Sometimes ilio-sacral ligaments can elicit the same signs/symptoms of the lesion. Usual physical findings are tight/spasm supporting lumbars, iliopsoas, TFL, gluteus medius and piriformis. Neurologic decrease in achilles DTR, lack of sensation rear thigh/leg/foot. Sometimes a patient cannot tip-toe walk. Subjective is rear thigh/leg pain sometimes down to foot, numbness and tingling/shooting pain. Sometimes, one does not even feel the lower back pain. If this problem is not caused by traumatic circumstance, then you generally find a history of an insidious onset with off/on signs/symptoms occurring over extended period of time. Repetitive motioning and micro-injury are usually the culprits. The patient finally presents after the idea that "It will go away" does not happen this time. The reason it "does not go away" is because episode after episode has finally caught up to the patient and the body has finally had enough. The patient would have been much better off had they been checked and treated on the previous milder episodes. Rarely does this ever happen. So it goes.

Key indicators of the nerve root problem when I see this patient filling out their paperwork are the following: They usually lean to one side, have slip-on shoes instead of tie-ups, no socks and shorts or easy to put on sweats. These four indicators are dead give-aways to a radiating low back victim.

I talked to Tito, told him what he needed to do with Sandi and this is what I said:

Print this thing out for reference.

Make sure she has good shoes. Asics or New Balance are my preferences for patients. Higher the number the better for proper anti-pronation. Throw away anything older than one year. No flip-flops. Shoes are the foundation and, basically, your back care is from the feet on up.

At health food store/vitamin store - Emergen-C by Alacer with glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate and Emergen-C with MSM. They are two different boxes with 36 packets each. I only recommend the Emergen-C b/c its in salt form and over 90% assimilated in body. Any pills, whatever, in any other form, you are throwing away over 50% of your purchase b/c of lack of assimilation. Thats not my opinion, its fact. The C in the Alacer product is also vitally important to collagen synthesis and joint structure (as well as anti-oxidant properties) in body. Take 3 to 6 packets per day in water. Would be good for you also as well as your whole family. Don't pay more than $12-13 per box. Any more than that and you're being ripped off. I usually pay about $11. The regular Emergen-C is around $8-9. Multi your doing is probably okay (as long as it is multi-pack versus all-in-one), but quit that calcium - its for crap to do that and a waste of money. You build and maintain your bones with load bearing activity and hormones do the rest of conversions.

Maintain chiropractic correction and therapies. Any heat on low back follow with cold/ice. Like spa/jacuzzi follow with cold shower or cold pool.

Stretch, stretch, stretch. Especially your hamstrings/glutes/piriformis. Maintain proper lifting techniques (No rotation of torso with load and also knees bent while lifting). If that chiro does active/release, then make him do it - otherwise, anyone else can do it with you. Tight hams are number one with low back. You may have disc bulge, but over 50% of population has this and its asymptomatic - its a chance finding anymore. Stretch those hams with a belt around the foot and pull on the belt. Cross one leg in front of the other to get that glute medius/piriformis. Hope you know what I'm talking about. If not, look it up online. Common yoga stretches. Oh, yoga is also great for everything.

If any drugs OTC, try getting rid of IB and go with aspirin/excedrin, aleve. If script, I prefer naprosyn, celebrex. Don't mess with muscle relaxants and oxycodone like stuff - they don't do crap and only put you on headtrip and dehydrate you.

Food - fruits, veg, fish, light chicken, rice - up to 5-6 small meals per day. Decrease breads, dairy, candies, cakes, cookies. Increase water intake. Make yourself exercise. Low impact.

Inversion table is good idea. You may be able to find them in sports stores. I prefer ebay. Full inversion is best versus just hanging from torso. Teeter brand is best and most expensive. My table at the moment is Lifegear and I think its just as good. Probably in the $150 range. Be careful of shipping cost if buy on ebay. This is usually where great profit is made by selling.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=inversion+table&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Here's link.

Depending on degeneration, contributing factors, previous injury and extenuating circumstance, a good trial for severe low back is four months solid at least three times per week treatment in first two months and then minimum two times per week last two months. Within first one month, results should be evident and things should get better. Expect brief relapse after about six weeks which is very painful for a few days and then its downhill from there. If you have no relapse, then God is with you! Ha. Within that four month mark, do not stop treatment no matter how good you may be feeling. Its not worth it to start from scratch again, at anytime. This didn't happen overnight, you will not be able to control it into submission overnight. After full recession of symptoms, you must maintain. You have a weak link and it will always be a weak link. It depends on the person, but ongoing maintenance of your weak links is anywhere from once per week on up to one month. If this schedule is abbreviated by any doc, then treatment time is extended as then there is just a lot of patch, patch, patch per visit. You can't leave a lot of time between treats and expect the structure to maintain proper position when it has been compromised and in bad position for great length of time prior.

When you're dealing with such a problem, this is my best recommendation for your best result. Often cost must be taken into account and you can always ask for point of service discount when you know that forty visits over a four month period of time can get quite costly. You have to figure out how much your health is worth to you. I can tell you this: You're health is something you've always got, good or bad. Its up to you to live for the best. Without your health, where would you be? Its a small expense to making sure of a happy, productive mom, dad and kids. I offer a discount at start of a problem for multiple visits paid ahead of time and I do charge full price until base problem is taken care of. Thereafter I offer maintenance office visit fees as these visits are not as time consuming.

Something I also do in my office with families is offer an unlimited care plan for the entire family at only $169 per month. This saves me an insurance headache as well as makes it easy on a family to get care they desire and need. The kids end up being better and more coordinated in the sports, takes stress off the parents and makes life 20% better with well taken care of nervous systems. Also keeps from getting sick with properly working immune systems. When you think about it, my average insurance copay is now $30. If I used a family of five's insurance just once per month, the cost would be a total of $150 just for that one visit - not to mention deductible cost. My family plan is a total deal. All you have to do is ask your chiro about the possibility. Its a win-win. The patient gets care they need and the chiro ends up not paying for filing insurance and also waiting the month or two for pay. The chiro also ends up with less stress b/c of maintaining happy patients instead of dead and dying patients.

Just Ask Alice

2009-02-09T15:15:00.006-07:00

Michelle, Helping the Goal Out

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

Approximately eight years ago, I had to re-up my goals. I have this prayer/goal journal and I realized that most of what I had in it was either outdated and my orientation shifted or I had accomplished what I set out to do. I have to admit that, as of now, I have not kept up with the journal. But I do have goals set in my head. The latest accomplishment has been to bank on this goofy housing market.

(By the way, we keep hearing about how bad things are today in the economy. One thing I don't understand is that things are soooo bad; but why are these abandoned houses off the market with a good buyer in such a short period of time if things are so awful? Corrections are being made by the people and this ain't being covered by your mass media.)

When I revamped my goal settings, I had to decide on personal items/things to procure/conquer and added a twist which I hadn't given much thought before. The twist was simple: Meet people. Meeting people can be intimidating for some. We live in a society today where many of us don't even know our neighbors. Tell you what, your representatives, athletes, movie stars, rockstars are all like you and me.

One guy I had on my list was Alice Cooper. I found out all this stuff about Alice when I moved to the valley. He is extremely charitable, likeable and full of energy. So I began my quest by frequenting his restaurant whenever I got the chance - lunches, dinners, before games. I asked about when he might show and came this close (fingers length) to calling him on his radio show. Just before I got to this breaking point, my girlfriend at the time, Michelle, told me about a book signing with Alice. I was there. I was the only guy dressed up for the occasion. Michelle joked about this and told about my "stalking" him and Alice laughed. He also let me know where his favorite seat is at Cooperstown. Cool.

The meeting people list is so easy. It takes a lot of watching stuff and taking things in to accomplish the goal. Just being observant. I already do this with my work so have some experience but it is so easy to just put your head under a rock as well. Experience can be generated by doing something as simple as going to the mall or sitting on a patio with expectancy in watching things happen. This doesn't cost much, is relaxing and therapeutic even. It brings to mind the Psalm or Proverb, "Be still and know that I am God". Not really sure when much of us are all that still anymore. Always something going on. Maybe missing something important, you know.

The first guy I met who I knew was different and I recorded his name in my journal was Mr. Potter. I was in Vegas at House of Blues in a forty minute line and had to pee. I got this idea and went up to the doorman, shook his hand and asked him, one muscle guy to another, if he would let me in when I got back from the restroom. He said we'll see.

I got back from depositing the golden stream and my friend, doorman Joe, politely refused my premature entrance. It was worth a shot.

I waited in line for about five minutes and saw this guy go up to the doorman. I kind of thought to myself that, "hey, he's doing the same thing I did". So I went to the front and the newbie is shelling out a few hundreds from a wad to the doorman. He was asking, "how much is it going to take?". I looked at Potter, then the doorman and back at Potter. "I'm with him." Mr. Potter looked at me and said he didn't know me. I put out my hand, introduced myself, we shook and I got his name. Now we know each other. About five hundreds later we were escorted past the rose colored velvet rope and down the stairs. If I ever work a door again, I'm doing it in Vegas. Way way way great!

My new friend, it turned out was extremely well known. Before I knew it, we had the red carpet treatment, women surrounding us and an open bar. When Potter went off somewhere in the club, I got to talk to his driver, Frank. Turned out that Mr. Potter was a billionaire and was in Vegas on a whim and a weekend just for kicks and to check on some property. Frank, the driver, was a pretty cool cat and went everywhere with Mr. Potter.

Near the end of our night together, I got to talk to Mr. Potter, one on one. I asked him how to do what he has done. He said he was often in the right place at the right time. That he had the good fortune of being lucky. He asked me some questions: city where I live, do I like my profession, and do I believe in debt making money. Well, he told me to get out of Tulsa should be one of my priorities. And then to learn managing of people and to not let debt scare me from making potential return of investment decisions. To act quickly and boldly. We decided to call it a night, I got Mr. Potter's number and made a new friend.

Getting out of Tulsa needed to be my greatest priority because the city/town lacks a population where chances are slim as far as overall opportunity to be in the right place at the right time to get to know the right people where good luck might rain. I took his advice and made sure to not forget. It took me about seven years to finally act on his advice. After I had built my house in Oklahoma, it was extremely difficult to consider leaving when my practice was in motion and there was nowhere else to go excepting starting again from scratch. But I finally did it. There are some regrets and I live with them. There are more plusses than minuses. Name that book: "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" by Susan Jeffers.

That Vegas weekend I went with friends Fred and Kim. Fred's in restaurant management and Kim has real estate license but waits tables still. I kind of (well, not kind of) ditched them waiting in the forty minute line in order to have my all night meeting with Mr. Potter. I got to see Fred and Kim dance on the floor while I received VIP treatment. I didn't feel bad about ditching them because they just weren't watching.

The next night I ended up at Hard Rock and then at Caesar's. HR was okay and I saw some people I knew were celebs. I only knew this due to witnessing a couple posses. At Caesar's it was way cool. I saw a bunch of guys who looked fun and began chatting with them. It turned out that they were L.A. Dodgers out goofing around. I'm pretty sure it was during a short break in the season. Didn't know, didn't ask. The Dodgers are fun guys to hang out with. Funny thing I noticed in being around them was that they all had the expensive watch and nice/casual clothes but they were wary of sticking more than a nickel or quarter in a slot. When the spare change floating around in the pockets was gone, they were mostly about just hanging tight around the stage and that was actually pretty good to see. Just a bunch of guys like you and me cautious about their hard-earnings.

Wish I were more of a picture-taker sometimes. So it goes.

Patients and Patience and Anitas of the World

2009-02-06T00:27:00.004-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com

This is Tritia from my previous posting. She's actually blonde, but experimented for one time in her life. Tritia is blonde again. She's hot.

I have only two shirts with stuff on them. One was a gift and says San Diego with a little surf guy. The other one has my name and info on it. Quite a while ago I decided that no one should go around with all this crap written all over their stuff. My thinking is that these companies who make stuff with all their names and emblems all over your shirt should be paying you to wear their stuff. Or wild discounts should be made on such adornments. I do have a few shirts with small emblems, but that is my limit. I only have these because they fit well otherwise I would prefer no emblem but, rather, my monogram of choice. Preferably my initials. Its my shirt, my initials.

As of now I have treated thousands of people with chiropractic and delivered that many adjusments. There are some chiros out there who take offense when others may call our work "cracking". Often these types want to explain subluxation and specific chiropractic adjustment or possibly CMT. I really don't mind the term cracking and prefer to talk about joint out of place and nervous system interference and what this does to a person's being. It just seems nice and simple to me and more similar to something people understand better. Its easier to relate something as complex as the nervous system to the simplicity of a pinched hose and no water.

Out of all the people I've treated I often try to think of someone I just didn't like. Can't think of one. I care about my people. They are living, breathing, have ups and downs, crawl in and walk out. People like you. People like me. And everyone is truly unique. I strive to make sure that I keep my patients. This doesn't always happen. It can be very difficult to adequately convey to someone the importance in understanding that a weak link will always be a weak link and must be maintained in order to prevent further deterioration. Due to our symptom and pain related culture, usually many wait until the deterioration is too great. Then its patch patch patch. That job is tougher on you and its tougher on me. And it costs more. I offer my patients true value, caring hands and heart and fun atmosphere and relationship. In my opinion these cannot be beat in healthcare as we know it today.

Okay.
She drove up one day and parked outside my office. The car was an old, beat up, light blue Ford Tempo which looked like something might fall off the thing at any moment it was driven on the Tulsa streets. She stepped out of the vehicle and walked into my office. Anita. The sign above the office said "Back Out, Pop In" and had this pain girl/spine picture which looked eerily like my ex-wife. Anita liked the sign, I guess. She wore old ratty dress heels, a vintage seventies dress and smelled like she may actually hold a job at Goodwill as well as shop there. I think Kristen was the assistant then.

Anita 'splained that she drove over from another chiro office which refused her service on some kind of chump-like explanation like they were not taking new patients. I have yet to find an office which will not accept new patients and most are able to see them on the same day. I interviewed Anita. She was legitimately in need. She had Medicare. I don't do government problems like Medicare. Anita had no money. Her son was schizophrenic and autistic.

Anita's full time jobs were taking care of her mother, controlling her son and failing attempts at higher education. She was let go of her last job for some reason or another. I decided to treat the lady. Then I also knew that she required regular ongoing treatment after checking her out. Her body was just kind of all over. I also figured I may be her last ditch since she was already turned away from one place that I knew of. I began treatment after exam/x-ray: roller, stim, adjustment. Most people over 45 yoa you just have to x-ray or else you're pretty much possibly working blind without knowing extent of degeneration and previous elements left from past injury. No one discloses full history and no one remembers much of their physical history. Many do not even know that what they have done to themselves actually caused damage. I don't remember what I ate for breakfast.

To begin with Anita took off her heels. Kind of stinky. Well, not kind of. My work is done in open bay. Take your zapatos off, thats okay, I understand. When it got to be my turn and her arms came down there was hair. And more odiferous delight. The hair was interesting. I couldn't quite tell if she just lapsed at a shave or if she wasn't too hairy. I couldn't get a clear picture from the ankle hairs since that was an obvious lapsed shave. Adjustment was performed.

When I was treating Anita that first time, I was thinking that there had to be some way I could charge this person. I have a belief in no charity and people then place value in a job well done. No fare, I've found, yields minimum commitment and vague appreciation. There are exceptions, but few. One time in a spelling bee my brother, Tommy, misssssspelled the "C" word. Often I joke with patients that if they don't like co-pay, then I like chocolate chip cookies. Well, I didn't really want cookies from Anita. It may sound mean, but I sort of envisioned her as the possible cat-lady you read about in the paper who is ordered by city sanitation to give up her cats and clean the house or be condemned. I couldn't risk the cookie joke for fear that Anita would take it as literal statement and waste her time making me up a fresh batch slaving over something which would go uneaten.

After treatment I got an idear. Dem idears sometimes I has ta write 'em down quick-like ors else I might never ever 'member dem dere thangs. Us'ns 'n' we'ns wouldn't like dat.
My idea went like this. Give Anita homework. So I did. The homework went like this: You do your homework and come back in one week with it complete and we're friends. You don't do the homework then I yell at you and we're not friends until the next week when you complete the new homework. Anita's standing appointment was Wednesdays at 3pm. She kept her appointments and, the few she missed, I refused explanation. She did her homework.

Her chores were something of the following nature: I wrote down the chores on a blank sheet of paper and made a copy for myself which went into her file. The agreement was that she would complete the sheet in writing on what she did and return it on next visit with her signature. I would put the completed sheet in her file and toss my copy. The items needed to be done were constructed by myself. The ideas surrounded building up Anita and, hopefully, lift her shattered self-esteem. On return visits, Anita's spirits were generally rising and there became less poor me stuff. It was really pretty neat.

My demands included three to five items per assignment. An example of duties always included reading two Bible passages which I would pick out. Sometimes I did that open the book and wherever the finger points....and other times I was more specific on what I wanted her to read. I also always included a walk-a-day at least one time around the block. I would sometimes add that she had to smile during her entire exercise time. The other parts of assignment were mish-mash. Like I discovered that Anita enjoyed comedies and so I put in there to watch a comedy at least one time during the week. I would have her write down 25 times on a piece of paper something like "I am a great person and am made in righteousness" or "I have a great life and there is no one like me". Stuff like that. When I found out something new about Anita, it would be applied to her homework. My Anita list grew.

It was kind of funny because I began to look forward to her visits. The homework thing was fun. And I'm a smell/nose/olfactory conscious person. Of course, the second that she left my office I sprayed the place down and the assistant wiped down the tables. Oust is pretty cheap and a good product. I have fun spraying it, too. I often even spray down people's feet if it really is that bad. The last real bad one was this guy who I don't think ever washed his feet and he had an ankle problem I was treating. Spray 'em down. Guy got the name of smelly foot. My previous assistants thought this was kind of hysterical as they never saw their doctors being so forward in spraying down someone. Snickering assistants are fun. A lot of people know if their feet smell; its no mystery.

Okay. Anyway. Anita was a keeper. At the end of her first year, she made somewhere in the area of 20 visits. I had this file on her which was pushing go-for-broke in its girth weighted down by all this completed homework. I gave this some thought and, oh! 'Nother idear. Geez, where do these thar thangs come from? I hole-punched her year's work and placed it in date order in a binder. Labeled it "Anita's Chiropractic Homework". Gave it to her as a christmas present. I think she was pretty proud of that. Shoot, it may have been her only christmas gift that year. I don't really know and didn't ask.

The story is not over. My creative (genius) went on and Anita continued through two assistant changes. One of them, Jackie, worked for a bit and, on about the second Anita visit under Jackie's command, I was asked about the story on this one. Jackie got to know me through her care and a car crash. She came back to me when some hard times, a stalker husband, and divorce with three kids was occurring. I told Jackie that Anita probably had nowhere else to go and was just a broken spirit which required lifting. Anita began to get more attention in the office. And Jackie disappeared after a little bit. Turned out that the husband thing turned pretty bad and Jackie had to hide out and protect her kids. Pretty cool kids, by the way.

I got another assistant. Ads can be so expensive. Every once in a while one of Jackie's kids would come in for care and it was usually her son. He was a pretty tough and top-rated football player. Fast, too. Chiropractic improved his game and he would usually come in when I would have some of the Arena players in getting treated which he thought was pretty neat. I would get a report on the family and move on. Finally a long amount of time passed and Jackie came into the office to say hi. It may have been a year or so. She was always a kind of bright light. Always smiley and these beautiful big brown eyes. We got to sit down and talk and she was dating some guy and all this and that. Cool. And, you know what? Anita rolls into the parking area with her blue bomber Ford Tempo clattering away and she came lumbering through my office door. Jackie lights up and looks at me all amazed and stuff and she just had a good laugh. Time to work. Jackie knew the process well. Get the spray can handy, roller table, stim, adjust, Anita out the door, spray, spray, spray, clean the tables.

Q45 Love Affair

2009-02-05T17:42:00.006-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

http://www.bionicdoc.com/ http://www.85224chiro.com/

Distinctly I remember a few things my grandparents directly taught me. My grandma taught me about stocks and benefits of dividends. She also told me to learn Spanish and she taught me the Lord's Prayer in Finnish. She is fluent in Finn and Spanish. My grandpa taught me poker. The one other thing was a statement on dating from my grandpa. He said, "Scott, if she sleeps with you on the first date, dump her". My grandma is alive, grandpa is dead. I used to just really enjoy hanging around them. They were simple and easy and watching them work was inspiring.

Just figured out I can drop pictures on this thing.

A few years ago I purchased a Q45 on ebay. It was one of the best cars I've owned. The car started off in New Jersey as a one owner and I suspect it was a bargain because it was probably a headache. I don't really know as it was never a bad car for me. The Q was always good to me. My cousin, Tritia, now has it and I gave it to her in April of last year. She's angry at me over the car. I've also been told that my favorite uncle Mike is also angry over it, but this was said by my mom who often seems to be losing the cheese off her cracker. So, not sure about his anger as I would think he's sensible enough to know that I thought I was gifting my cousin with what I thought was a totally great vehicle although it was definitely used and a '91 car.

So here's the deal with this Infiniti. I flew out of Tulsa at 9am on a Saturdayand made it to Laguardia by 6pm EST. Long travel day. The planes were way cool. I love those that have around eleven seats across and you can't tell the beginning or end in the length from the inside. Cab drive to Bayonne was twelve miles and took almost an hour and cost a little less than a Ben Franklin. Just stepping into the cab at the airport started the tab at $50.

Dropped at the address of the Q45, I was tired from all day travel, but very excited.

The son of the owner took my cash after showing me the car and this thing was cool and looked as fast as I expected. I asked the guy if there was anything I should know about the vehicle since I intended on driving it about 1200 or so miles to Tulsa. He said it was all good and he then said that we needed to go out and make a receipt copy. I thought this a bit strange since I witnessed the all-in-one on his desktop outside the kitchen. Tell you what, this guy drove like a maniac in my car. He tore up all sorts of streets all over Bayonne and kept making excuses about different places he thought had copiers but ended up not. Finally after about one half hour and the clock nearing 9pm, he called it quits while jamming at 70 down a 25 street and decided he could go with a written copy and signature. I dropped him off at his house and proceeded to the Penn Turnpike/Thruway.

When I made this "miraculous" purchase I decided it was from God. Goofy maybe, but that's how it is. So I started the journey first by praying over my great buy and screaming fast green battleship. I prayed for safe journey and that this car may last a lifetime if I so needed. The trip from Jersey to Tulsa is beautiful. You pass by all these amazing things like the RCA dome, St. Louis arch, the green of Pennsylvania, all sorts of things. The drive is also long especially when you don't speed excepting the number of occasions when you just sort of "test" the pickup. You know, just to make sure that the wind doesn't hold you back and stuff when you know you need that extra speed in a pinch. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if I got up to only about 120 mph a coupla times. It was for safety reasons that I averaged 95 most of the journey. Naturally.

I made it home within 24 (or less) hours. About every hour or so I made it to the garage to make sure the Q was still there. Opening and closing the garage door so I could see it in the light and check out how magnificent it looked against the outside and open background. Wow! A car finally bought outright with no payments and it had everything - right down to the amplified Bose which massaged your back when you turn it up and powered that bass. So cool. Amazing.

I made it to work the next Monday and the car started to cry. At lunch I took the car home to check out where the tears were coming from and then it really started to weep. Anti-freeze saturated the drive and the belt to waterpump was off. I put the thing back on and it just wouldn't stick. Paul came over and we were both perplexed - its just a belt, what the heck. We were able to drive the short 2 or 3 miles to Infiniti dealer and Paul struck a deal with the service guys he was familiar with.

It turned out that the water pump recently installed was an inch shorter than the pump which belongs on the vehicle. I have no idea how the belt ever stayed on as long as it did. I know I prayed over a safe journey and know my prayer was answered. I also figured out why that guy drove like a Nascar driver all over Bayonne, New Jersey. He was testing what he knew was wrong after learning of my loooong trip. Crazier things.

Got the pump fixed and everything was good as new. I continued to make sure and pray over my Q45. I (no kidding) probably prayed over it every time I drove and also thanked God for such a gift. I was influenced in prayer over such objects when I once heard Bob Yandian talk about how he believes in God for prime parking spots, longer wearing tires and better gas mileage.

About one week went by and I left office around dusk (This is November '05, by the way) and got in the beautiful car. Now, I have to tell you this - generally I'm not that stupid, sometimes goofy-stupid and calculated stupid, but not common sense stupid that often. So, yeah, I got in the car and the emergency brake light was on. I must have kicked it or something when I last got out of the seat. I pulled on a few levers and stuff and, after about seven pulls, finally turned off the blaring red light. My routine was to hop on the freeway and skate home the next few miles to 91st from 61st. I entered freeway and hit 70mph in flat time, got a lane over and....bam! Friggin' hood went straight up into the front shield. Geez, I couldn't believe it! I thought this only happened in comedy movies. I was close to laughing, but putting my head out the side window made my teeth chatter and I was in rush hour traffic and I had to act quickly. People slowed down, I pulled over and bent the hood down which put a couple little creases perpendicular to the hood and the latch did seem to still work and the aft edges of the thing were a little bent. Windshield was fine.

Umm...I decided to take sidestreets home and did around 25mph. All these things went through my head. Faulty latch? Any recalls? Bad hood? Driver error? I stuck on driver error. I went through all my actions and also thought about the pump which was just worked over. Between 81st and 91st and Mingo all of a sudden I remembered the levers I pulled in attempt to release E-brake. Ah, I suddenly hit 60 and made it home a minute later and looked for the latch release. Shoot, I must have pulled that thing about six times before I finally got what I was looking for. I figured I'm glad the Q is paid for and had a new adventure on my done list. I really don't advise anyone to intentionally do the hood flip adventure. Its kind of dangerous. But its all good.

When I gave away this car, it was a very sad trip to Vegas for me. Our farewell trip. I did it because I knew Tritia wanted something more dependable, the a/c was not all that great and I didn't want to deal with it and I was juggling three autos. Out of the three cars two had great a/c (in Arizona) and the J was another fabulous deal and the convertible is totally fun. I disclosed to Tritia all the work I had done and, to me, the car was basically new and all set up to run another 100,000 miles or more given the Infiniti reputation. The only thing I forgot to mention was my praying over the car and my constant petting of the vehicle and telling it how nice it is to me and how privileged I am to have been picked to be its owner. I attempted calls and emails to check up on my baby and friend and there was no response. From what I understand, Tritia had problem after problem from the start of her ownership. I feel badly about this but it was pretty much out of my hands. This made me a bit concerned also since my favorite, auntie Pam, said something to the effect that she would kill me if the car didn't work out. At least that's how I took her statement. And I wouldn't ever want to disappoint my auntie Pam.

Before the Q45's great send-off, I changed the oil, added its favorite oil additive (greased lightning), rotated the tires, checked all fluid levels, gave a thorough exterior washing and polish and painstakingly burned many of my favorite cd's for Tritia to listen to on her trip home from Vegas. I didn't drive it on the stay in LV and Elsie and I lost the car in the hotel garage. I looked for about twenty minutes and ended up at a blackjack table. Elsie kept looking and found the vehicle. She was pretty ticked to find me at the tables while she searched for almost two hours. I think she was more angry about my high-fiving the cute Thai lady next to me and I had to hear her say, "We go now". What can I say, I was winning and its Elsie's J-O-B to take care of me. We left and met up down the street with Tritia and her boyfriend and it was farewell. I just about cried watching Tritia's car drive off - without me.

Out on a Limb

2009-01-19T12:58:00.002-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com
http://www.bionicdoc.com
http://www.85224chiro.com

And you don't know what to do.
Out on a limb.
And He's waiting there for you.

Ha, old song which came to mind.
Another one which brought me to attention was at E3Scottsdale on Sunday.

Celebrate this heartbeat by Stonehill. Randy is the best. I don't know how pastor Brad got me to think about this song, but his preaching has really begun to take life. I'm so thrilled to wake up on Sunday just to get to church. Its a great day. Then, seeing the Cardinals going to the SB is outrageous. Can't wait to watch the next game.

I've been around the sports stuff for quite some time now. When I've treated these guys, there's something I watch for. The IR, how the guys are moving and the logistics surrounding intervals of training/rest. Coach with the Cards got something down. I saw the rest interval and our losses and we just may see a big fat W. That's W for WINNER. Pitt is extremely tough, though. Only thing is that I see the Steelers playing with broken ankles and a whole lot more hurt than what the Cards have. This next game will be interesting dependent upon who has the heart. That's all these guys are playing with now at this point in the season. AZ does have a more healed up team, though, to go along with the heart. I also believe that we have some tricks up our sleeves. In the Cardinal's first two to three games some things were tested. Coach brought a few things out of the bag as testing period and then we didn't see any more as the bag wasn't needed for us to get to playoffs. I saw that this was a real team and we'll see come SB Sunday. If I were to bet, I'm going Arizona. I even visited the training center to entertain my thoughts on the team and I realized that the Cardinals are no party-errrrs and that we are now all business. That's good news considering that I've witnessed other teams where the main guys are up the night before closing down the local shindig bar and expected to "perform" at a higher level the next day. Over ten years ago I witnessed this with Pitt and don't think the core team has changed. I expect that the Steelers will goof around way more than AZ during the next two weeks.

Okay, thats my thought(s) for the SuperBowl. My latest maneuver on stocks is most likely for GE in about one week. Pretty certain I will allocate funds to this location and put a sell staked at 24-25 at time of purchase. In about 4-6 months this will probably go through. It may go longer, but I think the big Obama deal will post winnings at GE. I'm also re-locating the Cuervo to healthier aspects like Marvel as the number one investor has gone dry for well over the past ten months.

P.S. Just another note. I've been out marketing for my office in the Chandler area. A lot of closed offices out there. Three of them are chiropractic offices and its kind of sad. I knew one of the offices and, you know, they really opened up to just close down. Overhead was so high that I didn't know how these people were going to make it. Turns out they didn't. I hope these things will turn for the better.

Lepper and Moller

2009-01-17T14:31:00.003-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

Well, its been a while. I've been very busy with whatnots and wheretos. Last thing was another pigroast and a whole lotta mushkatka. Really fun stuff and I love the many pigroasts. Great stuff.

I am currently doing quite a lot of stuff with sub-ing at different offices as well as building a great clientele in my own office. My latest patient has a huge roofing business and, if you want his #, its Desert Roofing and he is genuine. When you request his #, I will gladly send it out. Haven't posted for a bit as have been busy acquisitioning foreclosures and I will be moving into a place near to the office. Its pretty cool. Two story place with windows and fireplace and fairly large. I'm not sure, but a cleaning lady is probably in store for the thing. I've always wanted the fairly simple and this monster is a little off my beaten path. But it is worth much for little and thats good.

Lepper and Moller. I was briefly in an office when first moved to the valley. Lincoln Chiropractic owned by John Lepper. A joke I heard was, "Well, we have a Lepper and now there's a Moller." The place was good. It attracted patients like flies and was pretty okay. I really like Dr Lepper and he is very outstanding. When I left after close to two months I had a number of things which I took with me. There were many patients who tracked me down and they are still my patients today. I never "stole" them as I don't do this. They came to me. One said that they felt Dr Lepper was intimidated and thought I was better. I have a difficult time believing that, but anyway, these were reports. Dr Lepper, in my opinion, is tops.

When I started at Lincoln, I began to have people who would make appointments only when I was there and Doc was not. This was a little uncomfortable but I accepted it. One of these guys was actually named George Bernard Shaw just like the Nobel winner. He was white, though, not black. Shared the same name. I figure its okay for me to say the name since its the name of a well-known and many may actually have that name. So, George, I had to ask after seeing him the second time...."how did you land this name?" George is a highly accomplished, exceptionally wealthy, old man. Every visit he would come in and say this, "I suffer from something very very bad. The name of the impairment is......old age." George made his wealth off of land and development of commercial property. Very smart codger. Very much like another of Dr Lepper's guys named Rik. Very smart people.

So, anyway. George B Shaw. It wasn't his real name. In kindergarten his first day, George had to stand up and say his name. He stood up and said his name: Gaylord. The whole class snickered. This was probably in about or around the early 1920's. Even then, I guess, Gaylord was something for kids in kindergarten to snicker about. So the next day of kindergarten, the process was repeated and, you know what Gaylord did? Stand up, name: George. No snickering. George B Shaw never was Gaylord again. He never had a legal name change, but throughout life has signed document after document as George. Everything. The name to his buildings, houses, cars. Younameits. George.

He's a very funny guy. Came in with a walker due to a dystrophic disease and it was always a joy to see him come in. He usually called ahead to make sure I was there. The last Saturday that I ever treated him was almost prophetic. You see, what I did with him was special. I treat everyone with special care, but I made sure that he was exclusive. I could tell with George that something was made of gold and so I took careful attention to involve him with probably a good thirty minutes of talk. So, on our last visit, he told me that he was headed for Sun City. This is Arizona talk of the grand retirement community where old ladies take dogs for walks while riding in golf carts. So here's what George told me. He said that he can't wait for the day that he calls for his appointment and finds that I am no longer working out of Dr Lepper's offices. George said that I am better than the office I was in and he wanted to see me get out. It was something hearing this guy say these things. I'm still not sure if I understand it. You know what? That week I was gone. I really miss George. I really miss a lot of patients I've treated over the years. George never tracked me down the way some others did, but I'm willing to give my left leg if he didn't call at some point and find that I had moved on. I think he was very pleased that morning.

sm

Razors, toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant

2008-11-18T08:39:00.003-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

Hi.
Today, I decided to be Superman. No kidding. Five new patients scheduled did not motivate me enough to get going out of the sleep phase. I had to do something fun so I put that little curl on my forehead and wore a form-fitting shirt to show my proportions. It was the curl which transformed me. I even pasted it with hairspray so it would glisten. No kidding, I was then Superman. So I "flew" off in my Saab built by jet engineers. Only problem was I couldn't fly too fast because of all the stinking cameras now all over the freeways. I got to fly at 55.

Razors, toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant. I haven't bought any of that for well over one to two years now. Its because I stocked up. I actually have bought some toothpaste, but it hasn't cost much of anything. I buy it at the dollar store.

Deodorant, I found a good Adidas brand made by a major company. It was on sale for a third of the regular price and discontinued by Walgreens and I bought about fifteen of them at the time in three different scents. I bought so many since it was a great buy and good brand and I know I will use it and it doesn't go bad. All just deodorant and no anti-perspirant. I used to have sweaty pits until I figured something out. My pits were chemically reacting to anti-perspirant additives like aluminum and zinc. In 1997, I went to straight deodorant, and, voila, no more sweaty pits and ring around the shoulder. I rotate the three scented deodorants I have and they dominate the bottom of the medicine cabinet.

My toothbrush I purchased about two years ago is an Oral-B sonic brush and it gives me a great clean. Only problem was the extreme cost of brush refills. About the same cost of the wand for two replacement brushes. I couldn't believe that one. I went to ebay and purchased about twenty of the refills for about ten bucks and still have two years to go before another buy. Not too bad. Ebay - my hero.

My toothpaste. I don't like any one paste on the market and most tubes are in the three dollar range. A little over a year ago I got to thinking about this while lazing in the pool. I decided to do my own formula for what I wanted. I got a small container out of the kitchen which is never used. I'm not even sure why Rubbermaid puts those really little tubs in their boxes of 18 sized tubs and lids. I think its for those inclined to mix up their own toothpaste. After that, I went to the dollar store and bought a variety of name brand larger sized pastes and a few boxes of baking soda. I squeezed out one third of the tubes of three different pastes and added a quarter box of baking soda into my Rubbermaid toothpaste holder. Mixed everything up with a Q-Tip and finally enjoyed a great toothpaste. My latest mix turned out purple as I used a red cinnamon tube by Pepsodent. Turned everything purple and now I have a dinosaur paste any kid would love.

Razors. Thats a perplexing one. I remember a discussion I once had with my brother over how quickly the things dull and sometimes get scratchy. I think at the time the consensus was that the metal deteriorates due to banging it against the sink. I think we were wrong. Then I remember reading in the book, Coyotes, how many Mexicans will go over six months with the same razor. I didn't know how a good shave could ever be gotten that way.
My favorite three are the Mach 3 and Quattro and Lady Quattro. You know how much the refills cost? Something like ten to thirteen dollars for four depending on which blades. I used to go through a blade maybe once a week, give or take a few days. Expensive.
So I started looking. I bought four of those Infinity razors. Lame lame lame. Worst blade yet. Before getting them in the mail, I was all excited and I grew a five day beard so I could test the best blade ever. Well, at least the free meat cleaver is comparable to my Henckels.
The different razors got me thinking, though. I finally got a close look at the blades after a few shaves and noticed the clutter inside. It wasn't broken metal and, also, possibly not even dulled. A bunch of hair in there - stuck inside and between. The water pressure out of the sink was not doing the job and violently shaking and tapping in a basin didn't do it. I attempted to rinse the blades out with the kitchen shooter and it does not direct forceful enough flow to clean much.
I went extreme. Purchased a directional flow flexible shower extension. Cleans the blades flawlessly. On ebay I purchased multiples of my favorite blades a while ago and I don't foresee having to ever buy the things again for a long, long, long time.

My first office and ebay mostly

2008-11-16T19:56:00.002-07:00

www.fnchiropractic.com

I've been forced by unseen evidence to remember good circumstance in order to avail myself to fight bad circumstance. I have a good list which overpowers a bad list. In this little excerpt I identify the good in my practices.

I started my initial practice in Tulsa with no fortitude. It was luck, graciousness, ebay and reality which fueled what it is I do.

My first office was on Garnett Road. I was gifted by Dr. Smith with equipment. Adjusting tables, intersegmental traction tables, e-stims. That was a start. I already owned therapy tables which I purchased in KC from a deceased chiropractor. I was set for a bit. Had a computer and purchased software on a budget where EZ-Bis took in payments over ten months for a thousand or so. I purchased an ultrasound unit for $1200 from a local company which later went out of business. I moved to an office and had to change. Dr. Kats gifted me with a desk, office chairs and furniture and his time. A dentist friend gifted me with office chairs and file cabinets.
My introduction to ebay was in purchasing an x-ray machine and processor. Went to New York on Long Island to pick up x-ray. Went to Long Island over a weekend with a girl who never seemed to sleep. Got a guy to set up the unit on the side of his brother's business and my total was $1400 for a $10000 project. The x-ray was paid for by my travel and time and I made it up in about two to three days. My first processor, I had to pick up outside San Antonio and the total for that rivaled half the cost of my actual x-ray machine. On ebay I ended up buying another processor from Branson which I picked up and that was about two years after my initial processor. The automatic processor is very important and probably the biggest headache in x-rays. That can get expensive. That second AFP was a total of $400 plus my gas and time to drive to Branson. The first processor was gas, time and about $700. The actual cost was so much because I got auction anxiety and I refused to let someone outbid me. It wasn't a good buy.
Another all-time ebay purchase for me was for therapy equipment. This company in Fort Scott, KS expanded their facility and I banked. They are a non-profit organization and put a bunch of stuff up on ebay. I won on three bids and requested to pick up personally. The items I won were for about $450 and they were two stim units and one combo which were worth new about $15000. When I went to Fort Scott to pick the stuff up, I was in the middle of a fire sale. Everything had to go. I looked at the size of my Chrysler LHS and all the stuff and systemacally loaded up. Couldn't see out the rearview mirror and only spent an additional $150 on things like extra ortho products, med desks, pictures, therapy desks and stim units. That was totally cool. Total bank. My office was transformed.
Ebay got me therapeutic pictures, clinical diagnostic tables and therapy tables at a fraction of the cost. X-ray film? Ebay. Hundreds of films for pennies. I even bought tons of cassettes and then re-sold them. Top quality Kodak, Fuji and AGFA. I brought hundreds of thousands in hard-costs down to less than tens of thousands. I have been so blessed by all of this.
Anyone can do it. The only problem is that it does take time and patience which most do not possess. I even had a candy machine in the office which came from ebay and one of those neon "open" signs. Ebay is crazy and it has made me a living.

I had an assistant in the first office and, when she was irritated with how I handled business at one point, I took her through my process: I pointed out to her everything and where it came from. It was enlightening to me. Our whole argument began out of her disliking my paying for Billy's trip with us to KC for a seminar. I told her that the least I could do for Billy was give him a trip out of town since he has referred well over twenty of the people we see. He contributed probably over twenty thousand dollars to my practice because he is my friend and I saved him from surgery and he knows chiropractic. I really miss Billy. So I showed my assistant how much of the practice was not her and it definitely was not me. It started with the blessings from Dr. Smith, Dr. Kats, the dentist and ebay. None of it was me. I didn't do it. I did pay for some things, but in the end, it was just earning and learning. No big deal and just how it is. I put in sweat and tears but that didn't make what we did. It is just how it is.
I don't think K ever got the picture, but I sure did. And Billy got an enjoyable trip out of town and the best steak dinner ever at Hereford House in KC.

Today I am blessed with a great situation and I only see it as being great and greater. Its just a matter of time when people find that I do more with less, and, much of the time - its not even me doing it - its just being and living and knowing that I know that I know that I know. So simple that it can be complex. This life is sometimes crazy.

Ranked #2 in Section 3, 1 out of 4 Scenarios Divorce

2008-11-16T12:08:00.004-07:00

www.fnchiropractic.com
www.bionicdoc.com
www.85224chiro.com

Hi. Its been a while.

Today in church there was this totally hot female and I caught her checking me out. I wanted to go up to her and say, "Hi, I am, state your name, and I would love to find out more about you". She was standing without obstructions and available and flashing her empty ring finger. Hot hot hot. A few years ago, this would have been great. I have Elsie now and she is the best. So the intro did not happen. In my history, it would probably have been crash and burn in less than four days and another female anyway. I have a loooooong history of that and you can take my word for it. The only strange integer in there would be if the hottie had fed me which extends any possible relationship.

Last night I was at Chris's place and watching the UFC Couture fight which was very disappointing. I probably have spelling errors all over the place here. But, anyway, right before the fight I got a call from my ex-wife. I was hoping it was my son, Josiah, calling to finally touch base. Ha! Well, go figure, it wasn't. Just the ex. She asked if I had a moment and I said no, about fifteen minutes I could call back. She didn't regard that statement and decided to proclaim any number of cussings that I don't know if any sailor even knows. On her second call of about six, I stated that I would not listen to such things and that, if she calls to get my son on the phone and she attempted multiple call backs just to berate me with different names. Would be much easier if she would just simply get my own son on the phone, but she does not. It was a bit comical although not so much so. I don't accept that kind of junk as a man and, if you don'[t accept a gift, it goes back to the sender. Hate to see how her gift has gotten back to her. Too bad she is the recipient of all the ramblings she was saying. I kind of felt like holding the phone up to my neighbor's ear who happens to be my great friend and pastor of my church who I have known for a good eight years or so. Wes has been around me during some strange parts of my life. And he also knows my son, Josiah.

In my years of chiropractic practice I have found that about 80% of what I do is learning about people and their lives and the other 20% is actually the healing part. The 80% of a divorced situation with kids is different. In divorce with kids, you find one of four or so different things. The rarity is the dad who has the kid and, most of the time, you find a dad who is very good about the mom involving herself with the kids life/lives. With the moms, you find a number who are okay with visitation which lies at about 50% of them. The other ways go about 25%/25%. These are the ones who either 1) Wish their dads had something to do with their kids or 2) Want nothing to do with a dad and wish the dad would go to hell and they do anything to get in the way of any possible relationship.
My own situation most closely resembles the #2 of the 25%. I have been adequately prepared for this situation, but, at times, I do wonder since I go through poor coping skills. Doesn't make much sense to me excepting on my own analysis of the DSM text and experience through experiences. Guess you could call it a practice and research orientation.

So, anyway, got the call last night right before the main event and a really always angry ex. Really funny how she is always so angry since I still have no gray and she probably has bunches of it as well as crow's feet. Anger does a lot and it also showed on her mom who probably gave the inheritance (inheritance of angry/controlling lack of accountability behavior). It is a bit perplexing because the ex has done everything in her power to deter me from having anything to do with my son's life and I have just let it be because it is so damaging. Damaging to me (selfishly) as well as my son potentially. It killed me to have to go through it and also fight it so I decided to set it aside. So, since I have let the situation aside, now the ex is vehement about my lack of involvement and that my son is wrenched over the lack of relationship with his dad. Well, there is a saying, "Damned if you do, damned if you don't".

I'm really glad that my friend, Pastor Wes, was there during the call. He's been asking me about seeing Josiah. So has Tonya, his wife. The last time I saw JP was the Monday after Thanksgiving in '05. She showed up at my office in Tulsa after being there for a week and my not knowing it. She showed with my son in my office when I was busy with patients and work and gave me no opportunity during the entire time of their stay to schedule anything since, of course, she did not notify of their arrival. It was a gratuitous fifteen minute "hello" to satisfy her conscience to say that she did her job. JOKE joke joke. So Wes got to hear from the call what kind of animal female I am dealing with before we got to see the potential UFC fight of the year. At least I don't think he could have missed the rants coming out of my ear piece one foot away from his ear.
Wes asks about Josiah about every other time we visit because, for some reason, he noticed my son. He also asks, I think, because he is ready to have some kids of his own. Wes was also near to me when I was breaking my back to stay in business and also stay in contact with my boy.

There was a time when I had JP and Wes did not know it. I brought my son to Sunday school. A day later, Wes visited my office and told me that he didn't know I had JP. I didn't know that Wes even knew what JP looked like. I guess my kid sat in the front row and totally involved himself with the stuff on Sunday and Wes was leading it. I thought that was cool. My own son was doing it like I intend to if something is important - staying front and center. Cool. Josiah is in the game.

There are two sides to the story. I've done my very stupid mistakes and the ex is particular to her dumb mistakes. Who cares? Who wants to throw the first rock? You know what I'm saying? I know that I have thrown a few rocks and have found that they come back and give me a black eye. I hope that, now, I am the one who holds onto the rock and packs it in a secure suitcase. Well, I know I am that one. I also know that I have on what is termed the armor of God. I put it on everyday because I know that, on any given Sunday......I get a call from a b#$@*. Just kind of kidding there. It is the art of war. We are given the tools and they are fit for our warfare. We are told that is so and it remains true. I was recently prepared for last night's little calls by three dreams in the previous two nights involving the angry ex and her proclivities and my parents, as well, with their lack of responsiveness to being on my team. The dreams were extremely vivid and I knew that something was either going to attack or I was just having healing of memories.

There is still a lot more. My parents are involved. You ever have people on your team and they turn on you? A friend you give confidential information to and they send it on to your enemy? That would be my parents. For some reason, they give out the confidential. If you ever want someone to spread what is of FYI, I'll give you their #'s. I still have not figured out if they want to think that any information is everyone's information or if it is simply a living through everyone else's living. I think it is a combination of the two combined with a Munchauser syndrome which is an indepth look which is for another spot on the weblog.

So. The parents and the ex. What was it, the first Batman movie, "Who do you trust, who do you trust", stated by Nicholson as the Joker. For some strange reason my parents thought themselves as counselors and adequate third party to my marriage. Due to my heavy schedule in school and work and everything, I would have to schedule a later "appointment" to deal with any conflict she would come up with. It was just how it was - You have a beef, I would schedule it for later because I had twenty exams coming at me at the same time. This was a legitimate appointment and I knew what could be handled at any given time. What would happen was the ex had/has no patience (like previous phone call mentioned where I stated fifteen minutes and she couldn't wait until fight over) and she would get my parents (usually mom) on the horn and talk about her stuff. Well, the jack was talked over and then my appointment was never kept. So we never dealt with our stuff - all the steam was let out before I could get around to it. I had to tell my parents to stay out and not receive the calls. They never stopped. We divorced.
During the ex stages, the same thing. I had to tell them to stay out. Same thing. They never stayed out. Pisses me off. Probably at the half of my divorce, the parents were on suspension from my team.
When the parents helped the ex move away from me in Tulsa with my son was when they were ejected from my team after already being placed on the bench. It took a slow communication ejection for me. I found it difficult to understand how someone on my team could do such a thing. I would never do that to my own and even if it were to my detriment, I would take anything to the grave.
Here are the things they didn't see. I moved from family and friends to somewhere I didn't like and spent thousands on starting business and spent 24/7 fighting to just be near my kid. A ton of energy, emotion, time, money. I made it - of course. Had nowhere to go but up, you know. But then, my team (parents), helped my son to move away after everything I established. What the hell? My own team? You know what they said? Just quit your practice and move to CO. BS. I just spent thousands, all this energy, time always on and you think I can just throw it and just move to follow the louse of an ex-spouse? What kind of BS is that? So for years I attempted travel back and forth constantly and it depleted the life out of me and stole a part of my sanity. It also has now turned me into a Braveheart kind of guy. I know I am provided for and that Jehovah Nissi is sitting next to me in the convertible and I know who is now on my team -- a bunch of free agents who earn their positions.

Its funny because the parents would continue to get information and then disperse it to the ex as if its all open info and never FYI. So there goes my ex-communicado. Its too bad for me, too bad for them, but loose lips sink tight ships. Still anyway, it drove me kind of crazy for a day.
Like, it is still difficult for me to figure out how someone as close as family could help turn a rudder in such a direction. I just deal with it now and recognize that, sometimes, you have to trade in for a free agent.
So, in the #2 department of divorce where the lady wants nothing to do with the dad. Everything given to the female is ammunition, no matter what circumstance. With my parents, they supplied the #2 and have given it jet fuel with a large amount of information, communication, you-name-its. I had one lady who wished the dad would take the kids, even if just for a weekend so she could get a break. My parents supply that one by baby-sitting and taking my kid in three or more times a week. No more need for time off, I guess. Last I knew, my mom was taking Josiah to the movies with a buddy and probably picking up the tab (nice perk for the single mom, eh? - time off and a monetary discount). Even if you are glorified grandparents, stay out. You are no help retaining strings which should be detached no matter how much you love your grandkid. The strings detach at the time of a marriage. Stay on the team and stay in the game by staying out.
There are exceptions. Elsie Jane is an exception. She is in the 50% with her son and the dad has very good and free visitation rules. Quite obviously this has not driven him to any extremes and Brandon is a great, healthy kid. Elsie then has also afforded an also healthy relationship with her ex-in-laws. She has earned that in a possible adverse situation. Others have not earned it and someone ends up paying when nothing is earned. Thats a rule in our universe - earn and learn and reap the return.

Thats it on that one. There is a lot more and there is detail. Detail against my favor as well as for my favor. There are always two sides to the story. I just wanted to write this when a close friend in my church said today that she didn't know I had any kids. She just didn't know because she never sees me with anyone. That just kind of got to me.

This past week, my friend, Aimee, called and told me she is looking for a job. She is a medical examiner in the PHX coroner. She didn't pass some necessary boards and I didn't know what to say. Aimee is a very very cool chick. Great MD.
I told her to know that everything always works out, even if she doesn't think so at the time. I also told her that she is good as she is and not as she should be. And that she has been made for a purpose and that no one can ever take her righteousness away from her. That, when you think you are about to quit, the light is probably closer than you think.
It probably sounded goofy to her, but those are things that I know.

Church, Big Business? Or Fellowship Center?

2008-10-04T09:13:00.004-07:00

http://www.e3scottsdale.com/

http://www.fnchiropractic.com/

Dance, then, wherever you may be.
I am the Lord of the dance said He.
I will lead you all wherever you may be,
For I am the Lord of the dance said He.

That's my favorite church hymn. At least the second verse of it from how I remember it. I always thought it was pretty cool for the writer to talk about Jesus being the dance. The dance of life and living when He was rejected, murdered and still lived on as the dance. Probably, I first heard the song and took it in at about four or so years old. About the same time, I thought it was very powerful of Solomon to ask for wisdom versus riches. I still have that stuff I think about from very young age.

Here's a history. I may forget one or four, though:

St. Mark's United Methodist
Melodyland
Living Faith Lutheran
Happy Church
Christian Fellowship
Vineyard
Asbury United Methodist
Oral Roberts Chapel
Riverview
Kansas City Seeker's Church
Faith Christian Fellowship
Circle of Love
Calvary Temple
Believer's
Open Bible
Victory
Destiny
Guts
People's Church
Church Live TV
Life Church TV
We Do Life
Calvary Chapel
E3 Scottsdale
Cornerstone
Church of Do-What-You-Want-To

The last one is kind of a joke. Not a good joke for the soul of a believer, but it is my aside. I first learned the term Do-What-You-Want-To from a Jacob's Trouble song. They also sang "Hide the Beer, the Pastor's Here". Church of D-W-Y-W-T is the portion when a drop-out has been made and decision to leave corporate church of America. Hide the Beer pretty much occurs when the drop-outs happen. Literally. One time in 2000, I was up at the bar with Justin and the pastor of Guts happened to come in. I helped start off the mega-church in 1992 with Billy. He saw me, I was ashamed, I turned on his approach, and he turned, rejected. I apologized later to him in 2003 and his statement was "Water under the bridge". Cool.

The reason for this post is because of a conflict I have been running into with attending different things/meetings and just having no desire. I'd like to enjoy increased fellowship, but don't see this as being effective with mega-church. Right now my current conclusion has to do with the matter of whether churches today are mostly big business versus true and authentic fellowship. I call my church home now E3 of Scottsdale. I call it home because I honestly feel that they are truly about relationship and fellowship. I enjoy meeting, can't wait for Sunday and get-togethers and know many people there. I think and pray about them daily and also know their names. I look forward to seeing them on any basis, at any time.
In Chandler, I have attempted another church relationship and it just doesn't fit. There is lack of relevance, structure and something which seems built up on the excitatory nature of the herd mentality. I've been to and attended the programs of the very small all the way to the very large. I've had to evaluate my personality and proclivity to prefer the closer knit situations versus being in a herd of cattle. And I've also had to evaluate the herd mentality itself and the nature of the mass population in general. Herds make people comfortable. In true fellowship, you actually involve application, communication, relationship. This is probably achieved best in small groups.
On the subject of the large versus the small. I was brought up early on in the small situation in Santa Barbara. My parents had large prayer studies and, still, I know that everyone knew each other because of the enrichment surrounding a small community. We had potlucks, eat-outs, and all that and it was kind of Kumbya. You knew people actually cared and phone calls, house visits and grill-outs, beach-outs, picnics were achieved. My parents had an open door, no-knock policy.
Its kind of funny because I remember getting extreme stress headaches much of the time surrounding the time of get-togethers. I've always needed space it seems. I also would get the headaches when going to church. I've given thought to this as well. There was a routine I expected on Sunday. We would all be forced to go and it was mom and dad fight morning. Much of the time it was when my dad attacked my mom and all the drive to service, the family would endure my father lighting into my mom. It was so backwards. Of course, we would get out of the car/bus and, all of a sudden, my dad was business and Mr. Socialite and that was it. Couldn't understand that. Gave me a headache. Another aspect to the get-togethers involved my dad's forcefulness in drilling this certain aspect of religion which didn't seem to me to actually be a "real" lifestyle. I just don't think there was a good example coming out of the things I saw in the home. There were certain aspects good and bad. A place where I saw the reality of living in Christ was found at the Friesen's house. But, then, they were kind of boring, but actually living out the reality of their spirituality.

The big church, in my perspective. The first biggie was Happy Church with the (Hickeys). Yep, Happy and Hickey. The first church in Denver. The first visit, I went to Sunday school in this huge place. I was ordered to move to a certain seat, the kids teased me about my winter clothing and I was also forced to hold up my hands during singing. This was pretty disgusting. Did anyone get to know me, the new kid? Was I introduced? Naw, there was no opportunity. It was mega-church. The Sunday school alone was over one hundred kids with friends and factions already made. The only change was made in this situation when it was found that I could get tapes of music because of my dad's gig with christian radio.
The next strange thing I saw was that there was almost no community. People came and then went. A little different. Or a lot. The niche made was in business and politics. Probably the only factor in my family's fellowship with others was my father's actively campaigning for his christian radio and my mom's delving into the business of counseling for the ministry. I'm sure that people's lives were affected positively, but most of it revolved around business. This aspect was probably most revealed in the very real hiearchy of the Happy system of administration. There was the ministry side and the church side; the book and tape side and the TV/radio side. I gave up on the Happy system pretty much right away. A few years went by and I did get blessed by some of the church in different ways, but that took a good and long time.

Other indoctrination into the big churches was Oral Roberts, a KC Seeker's, Destiny, Christian Fellowship, Believer's, Victory, Guts (later years), others. At each of these, there was established very corporate structure. You could get involved and maybe be recognized as a person eventually. If you didn't have an "in" somewhere with a higher-up, though, then you are a number or a paycheck. In the interim, you are hit up for the latest numbers on TV ministry "opportunities", the new mall that they are buying and the new sanctuary being bought so the growth can keep going and you get even smaller. Until you get an insider, then the individual goes in the in door and out the out door only to wait in traffic to get out of the parking lot. I don't call this fellowship and relationship and I also do not think this is what Christ meant the church to be. At this point, this type of church becomes business and should be treated like one.

(An aside - Destiny is an example - I can't tell you how many times I talked to the head pastor and his wife. The last time I was introduced as someone new to the wife, I just told her that we met many times before. She was kind of shocked at my response to "meeting". You know what? I still bought two of the seats in the sanctuary which was never built. Glad I never bought into their bonds deal. I feel sorry for those who did.)

In all fairness. These places do attempt to get you involved in things like small groups. Usually, in the many I have attended, the concept is usually contrived and done out of what "feels" like obligatory action. There is a heart there, but lack of effectiveness in connecting. I have often viewed the lack in effectiveness of the "small" group. Its even worse when you find in excess of twenty to thirty people in one group and then there is rare authentic communication outside the group or even inside the group. Often, there is introduction so that people can get a glimpse. But, its still much of the coming and going again. Just the way it is.
My positives coming out of the mega-church? I have learned a lot. I can count on a few fingers and then there are extensions: Paul, Wes, Brad, Jude, Pat, Carson. Teaching is generally okay and usually music is great. Its relatively easy to introduce someone to the gospel here.

Also, I'm not bitter about this and do contend that the larger the church, the bigger the business and the lesser a person gets. Right now, most communication is via mass email delivery which may even include people's pictures of their family whom will probably never be met. A bit comedic. Part of the problem is the nomadic nature we all now share. Most of us are in three-step: Work-Family-Home. Another problem has to do with extreme growth. Too much, too fast. How in the world would one expect personal identification when a place grows by hundreds per month? The personalization dims with that kind of growth.

But let me see here. If there is to be fellowship, relationship, commitment to stewardship and loving your brother, then is mega-church business truly performing their statement of purpose? The growth most of the time cannot be matched. I'd say that growth is the primary factor in creating the void of true christian fellowship. What if a place of fellowship creates a center and then satellites once a certain goal is achieved? For a lot of these places, that would be a lot of buildings bought and sold. The center (mass sanctuary) could be a mass meeting place for maybe once per month services and then everyone goes to the satellite to truly commit to discipleship/relationship/fellowship.
The satellite could just be someone's house: i.e. small group. But with true structure and the church "business" set aside so the concentration is on truly talking one-on-one, having a meal and development of true mentors with even "appointments" made weekly or semi-weekly with your even smaller mentor group. I know this is already being done in certain areas, but have seen that mega-churches mostly have not developed outside their corporate structure. The average christian and definitely not the "seeker" rarely develop into this system. Obviously there are problems/opportunities which can be dealt with regarding this. But when you have a structure where some pastor-type is running around for his "church" day and night because the place is out of hand with thousands in the population....Well, I've seen this one. Leads to just the church all the time, affairs, factions, political in-fighting, financial woes. Business, right? The average church attendee contributes maybe about $20-$22 per week to their church of choice. If someone becomes a number in thousands with little fellowship opportunity, then why would they want to contribute? Because of obligation? Is the solution an increase in numbers? That's what has contributed to the cycle in the first place. The increased numbers lead to more members getting a machine instead of a real person at the end of the line.

There is also a possible problem with the smaller mentor groups. The biggest, in my opinion, is accountability. People are many times afraid of being honest. How many times have you been in any group and the individuals are courageous enough to know that they are accepted? Or how many times do you go into a group and know that you actually are not accepted "As you are and not as you should be"? The people talking behind your back and saying something to your face which is not true. We will always have that. And it shuts a person down into "feeling" something other than what Christ has stated them to be (Made in Righteousness) from the beginning of their acceptance. Everyone has something - just how it is.
My dad had the beginnings of a small mentor group. I believe that the intentions were good and bright. It went wrong out of lack of honesty and integrity and became C-O-D-W-Y-W-T (Church of Do What You Want To). The leadership was askew and that's too bad. The group may still be going, I don't know. And, hopefully, leadership and accountability has been righted. Or maybe the group is down the drain and a lot of people have been hurt and friendships/fellowships have been torn and raped. Isn't the destroying of these relationships exactly what the devil wants? The devil is here to steal, kill and destroy. He does a good job of this, too. Darn good job.

So. All this said, its my option to stay within a smaller church where I know people actually get to know me and I get to know them. There may be no concerts and I may not get a Tony Robbins seminar but there will be actual true Word translation and fellowship. Guess Tony will benefit because of my having to buy his stuff.
I maintain my relationship with E3 and those guys are a blessing. Fun too. I'm trying to make it to small group dinners and have developing friendships. I also don't feel like going there is helping to maintain a business machine. It usually takes me about 25 minutes to drive there and Elsie Jane has asked me to go to a nearer church since she comes in on Sunday. She's catholic and attends any close place of worship. She comes and goes. I have had to explain to her that this is not why I attend. To come and go. I go for open fellowship and to be around those I care about and to nurture what I feel the church was made for. Shoot, if I did it her way, I would couch it on Sunday, read a few scriptures, pray over breakfast and make it for kick-off of my favorite football games. My way, I get to be closer to people who are the real deal and who I can go to the fights with on Saturday and who are available for honest and open communication and also are there thick and thin.

Dave

2008-10-02T10:36:00.003-07:00

www.fnchiropractic.com

www.bionicdoc.com

www.bionicscott.com

Dave. I'm so glad you left post on my weblog. The BionicBand has completely changed my life. I'm only 37 years old and every year going by has seemingly been more stressful. I've had no explanation for it until finding out about emf and all the ramifications regarding it. Your sleep and dreams are somethings I definitely identify with. Just finally getting good sleep has helped change the person I am. I also have experienced detoxification which I can only explain through the P.A.R.T. technology. It is truly amazing. I just hope that you will experience some of the great things I have. Ha! I'm still loosing hair at the monk's cap, but continue to have no gray! Maybe the hair loss will change.
As a chiropractor, I have many times attempted leading horses to water and to no avail. Some things cannot be explained except for the one who actually comes and drinks from the well. Financially I wish to benefit from proton alignment technology, but my greater purpose is to see how many benefit healthfully from this stuff. That, to me, is worth more than a million.

One of my greatest new patients is L. I've known her socially for about one year now and she had a bad car crash and now I am her doctor. I got to my office on emergency visit Wednesday. She is doing well excepting bad whiplash and probably low back complication which will most likely be present in about two weeks according to my history with this sort of thing. I didn't know certain things about L prior to treating her and I am truly blessed that she is coming in for care. I watch people when I am doing my thing. When I watched L, I noticed certain problems with her movements and posture and finally get to include her on education of chiropractic and how much this kind of care can do for a person.

One of my first new patients out of school ten years ago was sent in to me by his wife. Outside of clinic in school, I think this guy was probably my fifth patient ever. After two visits, his wife came to me and asked for a "closed" session. I was scared. I didn't have insurance coverage. So, anyway, she asked me what I did to her husband. I did not have a response and a turtle head was growing in my pants. After what was probably only ten seconds which felt like thirty minutes, the lady said that they had been married for over 25 years. In that span, the guy never said he loved his wife and she had often wondered. I don't know what happened exactly, but I treated him for low back twice and he became a chiropractic patient for life. His wife made him come in after she got sick over his constant complaint. Well, after the second visit his wife came in. After 25 years of marriage, he told his wife that he loved her and even brought flowers home. She was almost crying in my office over this. To this day I don't know if I really did anything. I just performed chiropractic as I know it. I did what I would want done to me and that is it. I still don't know sometimes the power of what it means to let the nerves live in a person but I do know what this does for me.

I was coached earlier today by my friend Dr. Dawson. This guy should be published. I'm still working through everything he taught me today on the workings of upper cervical treatment. This was only a twenty minute session and encompassed two years of work which I never learned in college. Dr. Dawson is a genius. If you are a reader, everyone on earth can benefit from chiropractic care. That is fact, in my opinion. I've seen it and lived it and will never do without it. I feel pain for those who do not get chiropractic. I am now a 17+ year veteran of the sport.

The List

2008-09-23T09:08:00.002-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com
http://www.bionicdoc.com

I have a list. It keeps growing. Sometimes this list is just out of hand. Starting a new business in what appears to be a bad economy has made my list get larger as bills come in and then you have to figure out who gets what and when. You know, you make sure the roof stays over your head and that transportation cost is maintained and then you allocate. Also, until about ten years ago, I didn't understand paying yourself first. After divorce and attorneys and a bunch of stuff with business, I figured that out. I asked my dad about it early on and he wasn't any help. I asked my CPA and he had vagaries. I figured out that a CPA on trade-out was not the best person to use for finance. So, you know, I just continue to learn. My list right now is chiropractic, domain names, ebay drop-ship, parking, and bionic band P.A.R.T. technologies and Elsie. Then there is the grocery list. None of it is necessarily in order, Elsie Jane is probably #1.

I think Brandon is the latest on the list as he's started to come around and ask me about stuff. Brandon is Elsie Jane's son and I think I may be becoming his second dad. And that's pretty scary. Very soon I think the time is coming when we will probably all be living in the same place. Brandon's real dad seems to me to be a pretty nice guy but there are two stories and now three with Brandon's perspective. I don't want to mess with the stories but add another to make all the themes become one. Eventually, I know that this will happen because I know that Brandon is a mathematical genius and that we get along very well. But I have been stand-offish. Its just my approach to be sure that a learning curve is achieved.

A little background. I really loved my ex-wife, Stacy. I was never able to express certain things, though. And when it came to a point when my self-esteem was challenged, my ex-wife wasn't there and she tried to tear me down. So I left. Elsie Jane is very much like Stacy but she challenges me and holds me up when I may be down. She looks at me with these big brown eyes that spurn me to just be a man. I also just really love Elsie Jane. There is no one like her. Its kind of funny and also tragic that I could say that I would also be able to love my ex-wife if she would stop being a real junky person and just come around. But I guess that is how she is.

So Brandon keeps asking me about certain things and I just don't know how to say it like it is because he is told one thing and the truth lies elsewhere. I'm fairly certain that his education lies with his father and that Elsie Jane has no plans involved. I'm kind of hoping that the dad dies before Brandon goes on to a PhD program, but thats just me saying that. His dad is older so to say that he may pass away is not like a giveaway or anything. Brandon's dad is just older. Brandon is asking me about workouts, but I am first taking him to a financial management seminar and then to the gym. I can easily make him stronger in the gym, but I hope I can make him stronger in the financials. That is my hope. I'd rather not see him grow up groping for a rope when he could easily make the rope on his own. I did all sorts of things with my own dad but never learned much of consequence. I'd like to learn the communication style of Brandon to maybe make a small difference in what I know is a continued life of greatness. If that can be achieved, then I would know that I have actually done something that is tangible and real. This is one great kid and I just hope that I can be more than a carpenter with him.

The life we are all living now is crazy. It seems that we all just go from place to place and sometimes it is difficult to notice any progress. When I'm not seeing progress, I just take a step back. I figure that the step back is better than taking a wrong step forward. When I'm working for my self in my own businesses, its easy to take the step back. I realize that there is real life and that real life is far better in affecting others in a real way.

Sometimes maybe my weblogs make little sense. I figure that's okay. They make you think if there is no sense involved. I can be reached at drscott@fnchiropractic.com

P.S. I enjoy hearing from you. Especially if what I exploit is zany or otherwise.

sm

Stocks

2008-09-18T13:59:00.002-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com
http://www.fool.com

I'm a motley fool follower. The Gardeners are the advisors on the market I follow most. I appreciate IBD and all the statistics O'Neill has to offer. Motley Fool tells the real story, in my opinion. My Caps list can be found under the name drsmoller. The volatile market today can show some real losers and I have continued to not be one of them. I can't say that I have much strategy in "diversifying" and all that may entail. I just kind of see what's hot and I go with it.
I started with ideas on stocks at about age 13. I bought through my dad initially. I also got bullied by my dad and his broker, Joe. I only mention getting bullied as the last transaction I ever made as a young kid was when I was hot after an IPO called Quicksilver. I presented my position and got steamrolled in the offices of my dad's broker and agreed to a buy with some kind of company involved with fingerprinting and microfilm. Something like that. That was a mistake. My last mistake after the dad-Joe-deal was listening to others on WilliamsCo. and a sudden and total crash in '02.
Since then I've bought what I know and also I've bought what I see all around me. My latest that I've seen is Paradise Bakery, an AZ company. Its traded as Panera and the shops are totally hot. Eating out frequently, I see stuff that maybe some don't. The experience at Paradise is better than Cheesecake Factory and the cost is half. If you visit my Caps at Motley Fool, you will see that my picks are usually in the 60% range or greater. My favorite all-time are MVL and CSE. Those are not gambles for me. My gambles are in ETF's and emerging markets. With these, I just think long-term and let it roll. I don't like my MSFT, but its sort of stable and I like their ads with Bill shaking his butt next to Seinfeld.

So, a bunch of financials are getting hit and its crazy seeing the tickers go. Other than that, I've been happy with my picks and haven't gone down mainly because of buying what I like and what I see others like. I think Elsie Jane understands the investment process and I wish she would understand better when I put another thousand into my convertible because I love that ride so much.

Mike

2008-09-10T17:41:00.003-07:00

http://www.bionicdoc.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=160280482655

http://www.fnchiropractic.com

Mike, I really appreciate your input. I'm hoping you may see this blog since I don't know when I may find you again at the gym and I didn't get your email address or information.
I wasn't sure what you thought when I had approached you and I just decided to take the chance. I have noticed you before and wondered about your story and now I know that "little bit more" aspect. I was a bit timid about coming up to you as I didn't want you to think I was some kind of flake or something and I genuinely just wanted to find out more and now I have this bionic band thing that I'm so excited about. So I gave it a chance.

In most gyms nowadays its sometimes rather difficult to get to know people. We're all running around with an Ipod stuck on our heads and hats hung low. Women think that guys are just hitting on them and so many keep to themselves. Right now I know a few people in the place and its made more fun the time spent at 24 Hour.

I told Dan about you with the band and he was very excited even though all we could prove was that small balance/strength test. Dan has tried it on one other stroke victim and she began to develop pain on her paralysis side. She refuses to wear the band now. I don't know how much pain it was, but Dan wanted to get her to continue. She had no sensation prior. His thinking was, "I wonder what if?" We all know that pain is a nervous system response and this lady has been living with absolutely no response except at this time with the band. He said, that if you like, he would be thrilled to give you a band with the technology and would like to hear about any result.

You made it very easy to get to know you and then you took the time to write. I just want to let you know that I genuinely appreciate that. Mike, you are an all-the-way, A#1 classy guy.

Thank you.

A Few Days

2008-09-09T19:49:00.002-07:00

I've been so busy.
I can't stop talking to people about the bionicband. Its really crazy because normally I just don't do this kind of thing and I am a clam. Its also funny since I'll go just about anywhere and, out of the blue, I'll see something and simply get attention from any person and then we're talkin' bionic. My new domain name is bionicdoc.com. Its linked to the primary website for people to purchase the product and/or sign up for the business.

Since I am at the beginnings of my office which started in July, I have a ton of marketers coming in and trying to hit me up. I really can't believe how many people there are in the Chandler area attempting to sell me their stuff. Its intimidating when I pick up any local ad product and I see how much money other chiros are spending on the publications. I've rarely had any success with this kind of ad material and I just don't buy any longer and I rely on building relationships and gaining quality referrals. I tell you what, since July I've probably sat down with about fifty to sixty ad-type salesman. No kidding. Just about every one of them involves the range of 2 to 9 thousand dollars or month and the range is usually over the period of one year or just one month. I'm thinking of starting one of those businesses and make it into something I would actually like to see sitting on my doorstep every week. All of them are pretty much the same and have never influenced me to buy anything. So I think I would make one of these ad things fun and zany and then maybe get someone to call my ad paying clients. It would probably be cheaper for me to make this kind of thing and get high school kids who want a couple twentys on the side to distribute than if I paid the other guys. Just an idea.

So the ad-copiers: I initially thought to offer them fifty bucks per legitimate patient they brought in to my office in lieu of my not buying their stuff. I still have been too chicken to make my offer after I tell them I don't buy their kind of product and they don't produce. Now that I have bionic band, I can't believe I'm doing this...but I figure I have captive audience. I have let them tell their story and then I get to tell mine. What better person to tell this than someone who is taking my time and who is also in the sales field and understands selling and what a good business is all while selling something that is good for everyone? Right? One of these guys will soon see the big picture and its a matter of time.

An update. I have been talking to a lot of people and it is truly fun. Everyone I've been branching out to I have truly enjoyed the experience and I totally look forward to meeting them again. I remember every one of your names and I really don't know why this has always been the case with my memory. Most hear a name and then its forgotten. That's okay. Just happens that I hit at about ninety percent. My most recent are Kevin, Mike, Doug, Matthew, Don, Kimberly. Very strange. I think its after reading Carnegie's books that this began to happen. Before that it was memory of numbers. That is a strange thing as well. The numbers continue. I base most things on math. Where you walk, how you drive, working out, sleep. Its all math to me. I have a count to sixty and, in general, sixty takes me approximately 43 seconds to count to. Since my interior gauge lights on the Saab do not work, my count to sixty tells me how fast I am going on the freeway according to the mile markers. Its no-fail. Every once in a while I get the flashlight out and check and, sure enough, it works out.

On a note and not to be a real pain. I continue to be surprised about reports on how others are reacting to the bionic band. I know my personal experience is, so far, such that I do not do not want to go without. Elsie Jane has been telling all her friends and I cannot believe the response she is getting. I wish they would be the same with chiropractic. But, anyway, I simply have this total energy and my personality has turned into something very outgoing. Of course, today I was hoping that the energy would attract more patients into my office, but that didn't happen. The energy did give me more ideas and I think I have so much going that I'm getting into the position of having to figure out how to delegate all the things I would really enjoy being done in a bunch of endeavors. The neatest thing behind it all is simply the part of connecting with others. Whether they get the message or not, that is okay. I just know that when I take the time to talk to any one person that I have been honest and tell it like I see it. That is most important. It is always so great to hear others tell their story. I think I enjoy that best of all.

I have a lot more to say but Elsie told me I better eat or I might die or something like that. I think she said something like "You eat, you never eat and you need healthy body so you not go goofy." She brought me breakfast this morning and I had to eat two breakfasts.

Bionic Scott

2008-09-04T14:57:00.003-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com

I'm trying out the bionic band. Its science is behind P.A.R.T. - proton alignment resonance technology. The business aspect is a new MLM and the theory of the product in practice is interesting. The primary focus in its marketing seems to regard balance, energy and strength in the body. The science is a focus on decreased EMF interference/pollution by redirecting proton energy in the body with a small imbedded metallic object. Something like that anyway. EMF is electromagnetic field. A potential current and vastly worsening problem with how we use and produce technology today is the amount of electrical radiation which is not taken into account and how our systems may react to all the input.
Whats kind of strange when this subject was brought up to me (and I am getting to test drive the bracelet) I began to recall a few people in one of my men's groups. I've never been around so many individuals who are fighting cancer or know others in the same struggle. The types of cancer appear to be mostly related to problems in the brain region and this bionic band got me to thinking. You see, we are living in a time when we are being bombarded with all this EMF and we don't give it a thought. Every one of us is running around with un-expressed cancer genes and the cells are just one mutation away from expressing themselves in the cancer form. Everybody has it, its just not expressed.
My next thought was about breast cancer. I don't think its coincidence that there has been a huge surge in breast cancer ever since the traditional mammogram practices have been implemented. I mean, think about it. To detect possible breast cancer we take a woman, smash her breasts against a film and radiate them in order to see if there are any abnormalities. We actually take potentially damaging radiation to our bodies and take multiple films of tissue. Since mammograms have become routine yearly checks, there has been rise of cancer cases. Of course one may argue that this is due to our early detection systems, but I don't buy it. I'm not against x-ray, but I also don't generally take soft tissue specific films and the units I use equate to someone watching TV for only about twenty seconds.
So then I get back to the people I've run into who are suffering from brain related conditions and my first thought is on how much cell phone usage there is today. I think I've probably gone through at least 15 phones since first getting a cell in 1999. When you think about the population as a whole and cells, the amount of EMF exposure is exponential not to mention a hugely expanding reliance on the computer and all that. EMF, EMF, EMF. In my thinking, its a matter of time before certain cellular matter expresses itself in some way in order to adapt to the pollution.
Some of us will be like George Burns and live forever with little side effects from all the drinking and cigars. And then there will be the others who do not adapt. Might that possibly be the big guy I sit next to in group and he currently suffers from something diagnosed in his temporal lobe and is still in the throes of chemo? Or the other guy I've run across who had to have open brain surgery? I don't know. I'd say the effects of EMF will most likely be expressed soon as everything is a matter of time. Maybe the death statistics will be changing.

I decided to give the bionic proton band a go. Experimented yesterday during my workout. Here's what I did. I already did chest and biceps and calves on Tuesday and that was a fair workout and yesterday (Wednesday) I was totally sore. So I figured I would test the band by a re-do of the same workout. Man, I felt stupid getting under the bar on the bench since my chest was already on fire and I really didn't want to do this to myself. It didn't help that I also was on limited sleep and hadn't eaten much of anything either. First was warm-up and, it was funny, the 135 was so light that I almost thought the plates were off. I went on up to the 3's and didn't feel like finding a spot so I quit. Then I just went straight to four plates on a supine unilateral bench and put that one out. 3 wheels on the incline and then the stack on a machine. I wasn't able to do this the other day - I flagged and sand-bagged in comparison. Everything felt so light, it was strange. And I had energy too. I even didn't want to quit on chest, but have a policy on how much stress you put on a system at a given moment. Next was biceps and calves and going through a few movements and there was the same result. I don't know. I was surprised and am thinking that tonight I may do another re-do without the band and see what a third time around is like. And maybe alternating with and without and see how much memory of the P.A.R.T. my body has.
Another thing. Usually my left shoulder hurts when I push it and my right forearm and left upper trapezius act up. Neither happened. The only problem I had was with doing the rack on cable curls, my left bicipital tendon felt kind of "ropey". But overall, no pain.

I have also been trying to tear apart the physical/neurological tests that are done to display the properties of the bionic band and haven't found a loophole. The type of testing done on the subject is considered sound in the medical field. So thats not part of a potential slick oil sale.
Another aspect is that I stay routinely adjusted by chiropractic every week. I was adjusted the day before being introduced to the bionic band. Often I can get similar balance with my patients and adjustment, but never with the same type of tests which are done to demonstrate with the product. Like the phone to your ear one to demonstrate the EMF. I'd like to see an applied kinesiology practitioner do this. There are certain ways to get neurological responses, but the tests used don't have any "tricks" to fool the nervous system - just a band with imbedded metal technology.

Anyway, I've been impressed enough so far and my impression was such that I made sure I bought a domain name in case I went into business with it. I haven't been impressed enough to go through buying every domain I could think of related to the new find (yet).

My Friend Will

2008-09-03T16:31:00.003-07:00

http://www.fnchiropractic.com

Today has been so busy. Its very strange that, even when you don't think you are busy, it isn't so. My new practice growth appears to be in the beginnings of creating possible great relationships. Had a busy morning and then I don't know where the afternoon went....and its my off day excepting for marketing and meeting.

This morning I almost made it on time to Toastmasters. If time exists, that is. Whether time exists or does not exist is still in question according to my quantum thinking. I would say that time is like money. They are both different species of imagination. But, anyway, the people I decide to gather with have an agenda early in the morning when coffee is my favorite item on the menu. The "time" doesn't matter. I was five minutes late according to a clock driven by atomic generation. I probably need to get going five minutes sooner next week.

On the way to Toastmasters, I listened to talk radio commentary sort of. What I really did was get over anxiety of possibly having to be called on to speak in front of these people and my internal dialogue went through about five scenarios and I got over my junk. My scenarios went through some things probably not appropriate for christian public speaking and all the way to varying clinical experiences. None of it mattered just like in most of our internal dialogues and the meeting had a theme on movies anyway. I still haven't read the direction booklet on Toastmasters and I hope to get that done so I know what to do in that service since I don't have a clue about all the clapping and stuff. Maybe in the earlier five minute wake-up next week I will read those books and directions. Or hire a coach. Today I did get to at least say the Pledge of Allegiance which I haven't said since the sixth grade. It was like riding a bike.

One of my scenarios I went over while making the journey was one I kind of stuck to and thought a little more about. It was this time about two years into my practice and I was presented with this six week old kid, Jakey. The mom, Nikki, was struggling because J was not eating, always grimacing and just kind of curled up. I guess this was going on for a while and the MD visits and stuff all pointed to the kid being healthy and everything. I don't know, but if the mom is concerned and loses sleep over her kid who has little to no reaction to life, I call that a problem. So I adjusted a couple things on the six weeker, J, and that was it. I thought that was it, anyway. I think it was a Wednesday. About 10:38pm I received a call from Nikki and she was all emotional and stuff and said that Jakey was eating and smiling and acting like a normal kid and she was so excited. My response: I really didn't have any that I know of. It was an expected outcome and I know that I know that I know. It was as I expected and that was it. When I think about it, I "feel" like I should have been jumping up and down and shaking people's hands, waking up the neighbors to tell them the good news and then schedule the ticker tape parade down Tulsa's main street. I didn't and that's just how I am I guess. Takes a little bit to get my motor running. I'm not even sure what that little bit is. But I tell you what, when I think about being a part of getting a six week old kid's power running, it makes tears well up. A good feeling.

So I had a meeting after a meeting after a meeting and this was with my good friend, Will. Will and I had a sort of agenda. I'm interested in seeing his new business doings and also interested in making sure that he and his own are doing okay. I know he's interested in getting my business and also I'm fairly certain that he does have genuine interest in the heart of my matters since he tells me what he sees and doesn't hold back on laying down the faith.
We met at a Starbucks and one thing we discussed was this little thing about Jakey and my reaction, or lack of, and he pointed out that God made me as I am. I'd have to say this is true. How the Jakey story was opened was because, while we were talking, Will stopped conversation and stated that he couldn't "read" whether I was interested in what he was saying due to my lack of expression. I knew exactly what he was commenting on and brought up this little story of my little patient. Will's comment about my demeanor being a God make-up was pretty cool. It takes an understanding person who is patient and kind to comprehend that kind of thing and put it together the way that he did. I genuinely appreciated that.
As a teenager I was thought of as "stuck-up" because of my posturing. It was nothing but, but considered so. It was only those who sought further who actually ever discovered the truth. Those who have sought have discovered a lifetime friend. Can't get much better than a lifer.

I'm not totally sure, but I think my responsiveness is more and more and continually in progress of learning. Something that kind of seems to put a temperature on my responsiveness to certain stimuli seems to be something in me that says Solomon was right in Ecclesiastes that nothing is new under the sun. Also there seems to be an element I gathered from my friends, the Soderman's, when they had a motto of revenge to "expect it when you least expect it". So response and active excitement seems to be cultured by many influences and mine tends to be blank in waiting and attentiveness for what I know is yet to come. Sounds a bit strange and not even yet superfluous, in my opinion. It is what it is.
About ten years ago my mom coached me in small talk at a Red Robin in Bear Valley. I still don't quite understand that one. Someone trying to coach someone in being a total fake talking to others about nothing that matters and assuring someone else that what you're saying affects the universe and I really will meet with you again at the end of the rainbow. Doesn't make sense as I know sense. One thing in my corner on all of this stuff is knowing how Frankl had stated that we are all a work in progress and, as we all learn, sometimes things may change how we view different circumstance.

School and Finance

2008-09-02T15:59:00.004-07:00

First time writing to my blog audience. I am a little nervous and...just kidding. Check out my website at http://www.fnchiropractic.com

I will let you know that I will post probably lengthy items on this site and, since this is a new addition, this blog will undergo many changes until I see something that suits my taste(s). Colors, gadgets, pictures, layout, you-name-its. There will be changes. The daily journal of today, yesterday and the future will remain the same. I say daily, but I really will not write daily unless I lose use of my legs and somehow get chained to a computer and someone holds a gun to my head and I am forced to write endlessly.

This morning at 6am I joined my new men's group and we discussed prayer and the beginning of the book of James to about verse 18 or 19. What was pretty good was the fact that we actually discussed much of the application of the book to our daily lives. I go to this other group and its okay to have the interaction of other brothers, but there are so many of us that things seem to be a bit off track. Also in the second group, we'll go over a book (last was John 12) and then the discussion will mostly be back to prayer request items or something not even related to what was read. For me as a bookworm and textbook idiot and one who has trouble with small-talk, this is aggravating. So, anyway, this morning was timely, educating, and a somewhat enjoyable sociable time. Once I got over the part of waking up so early that my eyes hurt anyway.
Right now, you know how God says that you have dominion over your circumstance and the animals and all that stuff? Well, I'm kind of scared when I sit at my desk lately because of an encounter I had with a scorpion. It was my first scorpion after being in AZ almost three years. The thing was large. LARGE. I didn't know it, but after some research, I found that anything over two inches is considered somewhat of a size around here. I also found the type was the hurtful kind of stinging type. So now, I keep looking down around my shoes about every three and a half minutes or so. I used to even take my shoes off in the office. Ummm, what's that smell? I have dominion over creation and can't get over a big-little scorpion.

Today I've been sitting here with little to no patients and doing all sorts of things. While playing my Nintendo DS I was thinking about my education and the cost and what it took to go through nearly ten years of school. It sometimes gets to me that it cost over $120k to get to be a chiropractor. Its crazy and its been a subject in my head quite a bit lately for some reason. Its the past and the past is passed, you know?
So, anyway. Today I remembered some of the beginnings of my education. After high school where I graduated I think at like #15 or something out of somewhere in the area of 400 people, I had to figure out going to school or not going. I decided to forego the immediate enrollment and give it a wait and pretty much felt that would be good. Wanted to just kick back and watch some waves roll in and play it easy until I had solid footing on a destination in scholastic stuff. Or maybe I just wanted to be lazy. I don't really know.
I received notice of acceptance in the University of Colorado system and they already had loans and all that stuff lined up and everything. When I got the notices, I told my parents that I wasn't going and would hold off. It was a kind of stand-off in the front living room area between me and my parents. It was kind of like, "No I'm not. Yes you are. No I'm not, yes you are". Probably should have tried it long enough so they could forget what the subject was and I could go and eat dinner peacefully. But that didn't happen. Here's what happened.
The front living room had a layout consisting of an upright piano, leafed waist-high end table, a kind of loveseat thing, hutch, sofa and matching antique Chippendale coffee table (mom's favorite). There may have been a couple other items, I know there were spider plants and fern and stuff. The house was a two level with a split and basement and three car garage so that front room was a fair size and the place was nice for entertaining or for two families to live in. Well the go-to-school argument was getting heated. No one would back down. My dad decided to end it by physically attacking me not realizing the fact that I had already been lifting for over five years and was probably the strongest bodybuilder in the immediate area of Moller Central. I don't remember exactly, but I think this has only happened twice between us and this was one of the two times. I basically picked him up and threw him flat on his back --- right onto my mom's favorite piece of Chippendale coffee table on the planet. You know the guy living in a van down by the river (SNL Chris Farley)? That table and my dad should have been aired over the tube. It was crazy. The legs on the thing went four out flat, a plant went careening and I took off for my basement abode. I laugh now, but I left quickly since I was more afraid of my mom than I had ever been of my dad.
I guess they won the battle. I don't really know. They fought as if I were about to give up a full-ride scholarship and new shoes. But I started in the CU system that semester. Here's the funny thing about it all. We had a disagreement about my schooling but it was never discussed about how to pay for it. The most finance ever discussed was in having this Woodmen of the World rep. come over to set me up on an education fund (smart thinking - I was already 18) and my mom taking me aside and saying this: "I don't care what you do and I don't care what it costs, you get your education." That was it. Good financial reasoning. So they didn't care the cost, but then how was that going to be picked up? You think they paid for it? Are you kidding?

For some reason I had this thing embedded into me that I had to get the education and don't worry about the money. My family, I'd say was and still is basically poor were it not for my grandma. My dad pissed away a nice living and many potential investments and they are now aging and moved in with my grandma, "to better take care of her". The parents did pick up a couple very small doodads during my education but never grasped the larger picture. Both of them had educations paid for -- by their parents.
I'm not lamenting going all the way through the system to get my degree. Chiropractic has done so many things for me that can never be matched by any other profession on earth. I've been able to see so many lives touched in so many ways that it brings me to tearing up when I think about all the great things. I do wish that I had thought about the finance.
School costs a lot. It costs even more when you don't see the cash changing hands and you're running scared with the thoughts of your mom coming after you if you don't get that diploma at any cost.

Then the getting out part. I was lost. I had nowhere to go, no finance to rely on and no established doctor friend and no rich relatives in the field or any of that to get me ahead. Had to start with nothing, couldn't get a loan because of so much debt and other chiros out there wanted to pay not even enough for me to pay basic bills if I were employed. I beat the trees down trying to find anything and, hopefully not work a second job, and found nothing. I was very fortunate to find a couple gems out there who helped me greatly. In retrospect I should have moved to a state which had already established great pay in chiropractic. My ex-wife wanted to move to Tulsa so that is where I eventually stayed and started up on credit and my bare knuckles. It was pretty tough. I know -- sob,sob.

Here's the thing. Financially, I would be far better off now if I had become a career bartender or salesman or janitor of HVAC guy or you name it. Thats because, when I get on my feet, I can be pretty smart on the move-up. I figure things out and have had many business ventures which have all been generally successful. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. When I think on these things I remember not to shoulda myself.

If you have kids, please plan early and make healthy and wise investments. Sometimes we lose everything and there is no choice. Just don't lose everything because of being blind to dumb junk. In most circumstances, there is a choice to go greater and stay from the lesser. If your an adult, think about who is paying and, if you are paying, what is the true finance behind when you get out. I had a choice and was following the man and orders when I was actually the one in charge of posting the orders. Was too stupid to realize that. I didn't go to be a doctor thinking about how wealthy it would make me, but rather how much the profession had actually done for me physically and that I would like to be one to share the message. On the other side, it really does cost a lot and, if you don't have it, you cannot fake it before you make it. You break it before you make it. In our society today, a professional must be and do and live in certain circumstance to be recognized and attract clients and just to make a living. There is something expected and that costs a lot. I'm not talking about "keeping up with the Joneses". I'm talking about the associated costs of something as simple as your continued education and licenses and fees and tons of other stuff that people do not even realize until your chest deep. Shoot, I'm lucky that I'm now in Arizona and status quo seems to be only dress pants and a polo. Think I may head to Hawaii and see if shorts and sandals are acceptable.
Also you need to consider the types of pressure that your own business and mental coupled with physical stress does to you in a day to day grind. I'm sorry, but when you take a break, a short trip to get a Dairy Queen sundae is not rewarding enough to justify what you are going through. Your buddies are all heading for a resort and an extended weekend. When you get back you are somewhat refreshed. Then you're looking for the next mountain to climb.