"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭" ... 𝐃𝐫. 𝐈𝐝𝐚 𝐏. 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐟

"Nobody can prove what I am about to say, but I think it is so: every energy in which we live is nourishment to us. It is something which is literally contributing food to the individual. If you are living within a field of sound, the same is true of your ears. 

Now it would be absolutely ridiculous if we lived in a field of Gravity and it had no effect on us, yet down through the ages this has been our assumption, that it didn’t make any difference. This assumption is still held among a lot of people. They think it doesn’t make any difference how you carry yourself because you are a spirit, an immortal and superior something, and it’s the superior something which is in charge of the situation. 

Well, a spirit is in charge of the situation, but not in the way many think. The spirit is in charge to tell the individual that he can so organize his body that he is now in line with a supporting force [Gravity]. He cannot just go on indefinitely striking out indiscriminately against this force that’s tearing him down, yet this is what he tries to do. 

You know average posture: the head way forward, the back way back, the chest almost lacking, the ribs down, no air coming in, etc., etc. His spirit will carry him through? It is an assumption that no longer works; it is the relic of an idea which was universal a hundred years ago."

— Ida P. Rolf

𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐀-𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 ...

I wrote recently about all the fuss over Coffee. Origins, varieties, home equipment, processing, tastings. 

Sounds like a short list. Think again. Multiply each of those basic categories by a factor of let's say 100, and I give you the kaleidoscopic cornucopiatastic world of "COFFEE". From one vantage point the whole thing looks like a democratic take on what the "Wine World" has been doing from quite some time. Only with Coffee, it's more accessible to more folks. "Mulla, hulla." Wine snobs, Coffee snobs ... what's the difference?

That last point, accessible to more folks, is arguable. If you read my previous missive [linked below] you'll understand that the quest for that just right, Goldilocks cup of Joe can get pretty, pretty, pretty high up there. In terms of what's entailed, and certainly in how much you can spend to get there. And it's not like there's that one cup of Coffee that you finally find and settle with at the pinnacle of the climb to perfection. There are so many variations that one can become a connoisseur of the differences and distinctions. If you search you'll see a lot of Coffee people online have batteries of all sorts of equipment in their kitchens. The lexicon of taste, color, and texture variations is as dense as it is for wine.

So, where is Cooky Cat now in this maelstrom on the caffeinated hunt?

Seems that the basic next step in upping the Coffee game is the grinder. Enough on that subject already online, so we won't be rehashing things. Suffice to say that the size and shape of the ground Coffee makes a difference. 

Your Boy here has mostly been content with a cup of Coffee. Pour overs and Moka pots mostly. French Press, Cowboy style [Chorreador]; that last one for large batches. With a $20 blade grinder. No complaints.

Then I got the bug. If I trade up will I get that better cup? As I'm typing this I'm awaiting the arrival of my new Coffee grinder. Hand grinder. Why by hand? In Coffee World an electric grinder is considered "budget" all the way up to the $500 price point. No kidding! And when doing the comparisons it's easy to price yourself up to the the next better level. Seems there's a major divide between units that deliver for espresso, and those that perform more for the coarser settings. If you're really into it you have a device for both. At least.

The one concern on my new hand grinder is the grinding itself. I'm preparing for just one cup, so the grinding should be under 30 seconds. One of the beauties of the hand units is burr grind speed. It's a thing. Electric units spin at high rpm's bringing some heat into the equation. Obviously, cranking by hand doesn't have that issue. Don't want to over excite those tender beans.

So, what did I buy. The Timemore S3. $159.00. Wow! You say. I know. I traded up a bit. There are some good units under $100. I opted for the one with an easy and quick collar adjustment. And, like I said, you get to $100 what's a few more? The other contender was the 1Zpresso J at $139.00; larger conical burrs; 48mm versus the Timemore at 42mm. But, the adjustment ring was the deal breaker along with the Timemore having 15 microns particle size per click versus 25 microns per click; more precise. The price spread ... hey, if you're gonna get wet, what's a little more water?

What next? 

I've also been looking into roasting my own Coffee beans. I'm putting that off for now. The main qualifier is this: just how much better can it get given that the unit I'm considering [the Hive Roaster with digital temperature reader] comes in at nearly $200. And it takes about 10 or so minutes of constant shaking the hand unit over the stove to get those green ones to be "has beans"; that is, roasted and ready to grind.

Enough for now. If my universe shifts again, I'll update you. Don't hold your breath.

By the way, I'm thinking of springing for some Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. The best cup of Coffee I ever had was at a small hotel in Montego Bay located on the road to the beach. Had to have been Blue Mountain.

Blue Mountain Coffee runs nearly $65 per pound from what appears to be an excellent source. Lothian Coffee. At that price it also nudged me to up the quality on the grinder. You dig my thinking?

They also sell green beans at $49 per pound. That's where I got the idea for roasting my own. At such steep pricing you don't want to have already roasted beans laying around and getting stale. I know, there are vacuum cannisters. Yet another something or other.

See ... so many issues. OY!

Here's the previous writing ...

And, right now as I'm about to pull the trigger and publish this my new grinder just landed on the porch. With — OMG I'm becoming one of THEM — a mister to give a bit of a spray to the beans just before grinding. It keeps the retention — stuff still in the grinder — down. Spraying Coffee beans before grinding is a technique called Ross Droplet Technique [RDT]. It reduces static electricity for a cleaner grind and less stray grounds. 

Addendum: Made my first cup of Coffee grinding with the hand grinder. Medium dark roast. Quantum step up in flavor quality. Before with the blade grinder the flavor was "confused", not clear; with a lot of different things going on. The more consistent grind brings the flavor to a unified whole. Lots of punch. I'm not versed in more florid/floral descriptions; just to net net ... the grinder does make a difference. Big. May have to dial back on the amount I'm using. Following, by the way, the 1:15 ratio; 20 grams of Coffee, 300 grams of water. 

  

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 ...

From my 2020 Facebook post citing from Senator Chuck Schumer ...

Oh, Chuck. There you go again, you slicky slickerson!

Today I heard Chuck Schumer say that the attempt at "downgrading the postal service" was in order to "affect the election". And that is "despicable".

First, it's arguable that the postal service is being downgraded, more so that the motive for whatever is going on in the post office is to affect the election [in DT's favor, in case you don't know where the Senator is coming from].

If that's true, then sure it's despicable. 

Only ... 

I didn't hear the "if". Even if it were couched with that necessary "if" the real net effect of that statement is to cast shade on the opponent. Never mind what's provable.

By the way, I'm amending this in the year 2025 and the narrative from the Dem side continues to be absent any creative policy stance other than "Trump bad". And, the unwashed [brainwashed?] millions are expected to take whatever is served with the cold comfort that whatever it is, and whoever it is they're voting for ... it's "NOT TRUMP!".

If what he said fits your preconceived, conditioned point of view, I won't argue with you. Be that way. Stay entrained to your favorite propaganda bell ringer. If you take apart the statement and look at the facts and the logic — and a lot of what Schumer and his allies have similarly stated — you'll see a pattern ...

1. State an accusation, suspicion, conjecture, hypothetical, a rumor.

2. Assume it is a fact.

3. Assert the nefarious motive behind it.

4. Condemn it.

5. State all that wrapped in the Flag, on a knee, in Kente cloth, and assume cynically that the rubes you call your voters will eat it up.

By the time you get there your spiel registers as news. 

I reposted this on Facebook recently. This is what transpired ...

Commenter: With everything else going on this is what you choose to comment on

Me: ... Yes. It came back in the FB memories today. It is still in play. "He Bad." Obviously, there are other things going on too. I could comment on the Middle East, but then I'd be anti-Semitic. We do have boychik's assurance that there is no starvation in Gaza; who am I to disagree. If I was in the clear, I'd say ... "He Bad". Or, how it's now well documented that the West provoked what's going on in Ukraine. Oh, that Putin ... "He Bad" too.

If that doesn't clear it up for you, let me point out that with all the varying narrative story lines being foisted/discussed there is that one underlying common theme. Like I've been pointing, the game is Good versus Evil. The Good in us, and the Evil in them. I defer to C. G. Jung for an elucidation on how the world is as you see it, and the evil we see is a projection of the unrecognized shadow within us. You can argue that point. Yet, I find that taking that position one has some real agency in terms of bringing something constructive to all that is going on.

𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎

Featured 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 

𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

Author: David D. Wronski

Abstract ...

Fascia “informs” ... Gravity “justifies”

 

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES

There’s an inextricable relationship between Gravity and Fascia. This is overlooked. [Interesting, remember how Fascia itself had been overlooked?]

Gravity should be included as a prime factor in understanding Human health and well being. Make it an integral consideration in Fascia science, research studies, and clinical practices.

Simply put, Fascia wouldn’t behave as it does without Gravity.

BACKGROUND

The Fascia Research Congress was started by Tom Findley MD, PhD and Robert Schleip PhD — both practitioners of Structural Integration, the method originated by Ida P. Rolf PhD. She is acknowledged as the “Mother of Fascia”.

Knowing the ideas which underpin Dr. Rolf’s approach will clarify the significance and utility of working with an included view of the integral relationship of the form that is Fascia with the force that is Gravity. And, hopefully recontextualize the subject to open for new creative ideas on approaches for the bench and for the office.

DISCUSSION

Key points on the Fascia-Gravity connection ...

Gravity is an essential reference. Balance in the architectural arrangement of the whole body is healthy, normal. The standard for bodily balance is the same as for all structures on Earth: balance in respect to the three cardinal planes. The Fascial system is the “Organ of Structure”. It is the bodywide, three dimensional fabric [“matrix”] of support and organization. Seeing its globally interconnected tensionality we now model the body as a tensegrity structure; i.e., true balance maintained in the equipoise span of the connective tissues. Imbalances in the Fascial web are contributive in symptoms of chronic pain and stress. Imbalances in the fascial web have accompanying compensations. Fascia is plastic, adaptive. Myofascial anatomy is a clinical map. Integration of the body structure with Gravity is wholistic, somatic: that is, we access the whole Human being at the concrete, hands-on body level. Upright verticality in the Human body structure is in the definition of normal. It is the direction of Human physical evolution.

CONCLUSION/SUGGESTIONS

The Human body design calls for balance with the force of Gravity. Imbalances contribute to dis-ease.

That the Human body can transform to such a level of structural integration is still to be seen as a realizable possibility. Much less a value in itself. Including this can open new areas for research study as well as clinical diagnosis and applications.

PROPOSED RESEARCH

Compile an image record of pre/post Dr. Ida P. Rolf Method Structural Integration processing enlisting models in training classes in schools accredited by the International Association of Structural Integrators. Images to include strictly comparable photographic imaging/analysis, and other innovative measurement devices; e.g., on site foot pressure plate mapping, gait analysis; selected digital pattern overlays in system with analysis of spatial and morphological variances.

 

𝐂.𝐆. 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 ... 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬

 

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐈𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞?

Cheap Is Expensive?

Simply put, when you buy cheap it can be expensive. 

Down the road. On account of cheap stuff doesn't hold up over time. Maybe, even right away. And, even worse, when something cheap is part of an assemblage of other stuff, a larger whole, the cheap thing will bring the entire thing down. 

Weakest link kind of thing. Either right away, like a plastic flower on a prom dress; or, down the road, like a flimsy prom dress that comes off in the back seat, but the zipper is stuck and the frock doesn't get back on quite right. Gotta sneak upstairs so the folks don't see. 

Or, like painting a house with cheap paint. If you've ever had to scrap paint off wood shingles or siding, you know what a pain and expense that is. Cheap paint don't last long. 

Be forewarned. 

In our experience things like you buy for the home, or the wardrobe, tend to stay around for a long time. Again, buy the best; in your budget, of course. You'll appreciate this advice down the road. Unless, of course, you're living on up the hill, and tossing out even new things that are not wanted is not an issue.

There's truth in "You get what you pay for". Generally, that's a good axiom to hold to. Generally, that is. Sometimes you get something good at a bargain. Other times bargains are indeed only worth the price; or, not even. That's where education comes in. It's called discrimination, discernment. Quality shows. Now, let me ask you, Pilgrim, how do you discern quality? Based on what? Do you know what you like, or have you been instructed — shaped — like just another brick in the wall to like what someone says you should? And, not just being told what to like to your face; beware the "hidden persuaders". Of course, when it comes to politics, that certainly doesn't apply. You can take what you're being told to the bank. Especially if it confirms your already set bias.

We always need to give some purchases proper attention. Once you buy that kitchen knife, for example, it's gonna stay with you a long time. So, select with care. Or, shoes. Or, belts. Or, pots and pans.

What's popular too, is a good basic way to base a choice. But, basic. What most people think and/or like may not be any friggin' good at all; or, to your liking. Satisfy yourself. In a bar when I go for a glass of beer, I always ask for the favorite what's on tap. Can't go wrong on that score.

Have I made the point? 

Just how do you make an informed choice anyway?

The Internet is full of advice, and differing points of view. Check around. Don't just always go with what Oprah recommends. Or, Martha Stewart. Amazon sells most everything. We check the reviews; pretty good take on what's what, and what's not what. 

And, here's a big tip. Envision your use down the road. Just think about how you're gonna use whatsit. And, what is the incremental value in relation to cost. In a separate writing I spoke on Coffee paraphernalia. We discussed Coffee grinders. As like with just about anything now with worldwide access to everything, with grinders for Coffee the world is your Oyster. My own take, I'll stick with my $20 blade electric grinder, thank you. I just don't get that "entry level" starting at $200 USD is gonna get me that much better a cuppa.

That's about it, folks. Now, go in peace. The world is indeed as you see it. Be sure your seeing in 20/20. With the eyes in your head, and the inner eye too.  

Then there's "Made In China". Some may recall when "Made in Japan" was synonymous with "junk". Now we all know that Nippon has an age-old tradition of high craftsmanship. After the WWII what was exported from Japan was mostly flimsy stuff. Tin toy, cheap bric a brac . "Made in China" can be a crap shoot. Not that the Chinese can't make first rate stuff; they can, and do. But, since a lot of manufacturing has been outsourced to China, said marketers sometimes either don't spec the quality, or don't care. Case in point: A well known "Made In the USA" can opener is now manufactured in China. Not quite the same level of quality. On the strength of the brand name and, having had a bulletproof one in the past, we purchased one of their vegetable peelers. Broke right away, first time peeling Potatoes. Got a replacement. Same result. The customer service at the seller company seems to care less on the issue. Just sent the replacements. Looking at the metal parts of the lousy unit compared to the original USA-made item, the failing was in the tinny metal construction. Someone along the way failed to specify the proper spec. And/or, neglected to inspect the Chinese made batch. Be forewarned. Interesting, now "Made in Japan" is the mark of excellence. China is catching up.