What are you? Where are you from?

The question I get on a nearly daily basis... What are you?  Most often referring my amorphous racial appearance.  When I was little I was told to say "Indian".   Then I changed the response to "East Indian" after someone asked me "Dot or feather?"  Later I learned that since my parents were both from Guyana (South America not Africa for you geography impaired Americans) that I should answer "West Indian". 

As I grew older I began putting down "Asian" on applications as the PC term of "Multiracial" had not been coined.  Occasionally I saw "Other" on the form... What the hell is an "Other"?  But as I began learning about my family history, things got even more interesting.  Here we go...

My mother is full East Indian, but not from India.  She was born in Georgetown, Guyana from parents that were indentured laborers on sugar plantations.  There families as far as the lore goes was that they were from Calcutta and Madras, India (Now Kolcutta and Chennai as they shrug off the vestiges of Colonialism).

My father is a mix of African and Chinese, but there has always been a rumor that some Caucasian blood mixed in there, but no one seems to know from where... Two common rumors formed, one was that it was Russian blood and the other that it was something from Great Britain ie English, Irish.  There is also a third rumor that we had South American native blood as my father's family was living in Bartica, Guyana a place deep in the jungle of Guyana.

When Penelope my daughter was born she had deep blue eyes.  As the early months went by her eye color changed to three colors... blue, green, and brown.  This attracted a lot of attention from people passing by about the beauty of her eyes.  As more months passed her eyes settled into the green shade that they are now. 

My background is in molecular biology and specifically genetics... So naturally I realized that for me to have a green eyed child, I must have blue eyed genes and therefore must have Caucasian genes...

On Christmas break I sent in a DNA sample of myself to www.23andme.com for analysis and the results were very interesting...
So I am 50% South Asian (Indian) from my Mother, and the next highest category was 17.3% Caucasian!  The rest was 15.9% Sub Saharan  African, and 11.8% East Asian (Chinese).
And the kicker... The Caucasian genes match closest to Ireland and Lithuania!  Both rumors were true!  And alas, no South American Native genes...
 

So after the South Asian from my mother, the next highest category was Caucasian.  This means all those times I was called a "Coconut" (brown on the outside, white on the inside) or "Oreo" (black on the outside, white on the inside), they were right!  Stay tuned for more interesting insights...

The Presidential Debates... some things were missing.

Today was the final presidential debate where two candidates get to duke it out over two diverging views of what America is and what America could be.  Much hot air was expelled extorting differing plans on how to grow the U.S. economy.  Opposing views from other candidates are not allowed to be heard (Except on Democracy Now http://www.democracynow.org/ who allowed Third party candidates to answer the questions posed to the candidates in each of the debates).  Many talking heads are getting to exhale their well rehearsed lines that they have been awaiting all week to let loose.  Separate from all the spin, many real issues remain glanced over or completely untouched.  Let's examine some of these.

1.  Tax Code- This complicated juggernaut of esoteric rules and loopholes is unlikely to be changed with either administration.
2.  Education Crisis/Student loans-  Banks remain the winners on this one as a large segment of the American population are now indentured servants.  Neither candidate has a plan to change this debt system. 
3.  US Foreign Policy direction- Unlikely to change much in either administration.  There were some indications in the debates that an Obama administration would shrink down the size of the military.
4.  Energy policy- Mr. Romney clearly wants to drill the US.  Pres Obama would like to grow the green renewable economy.
5.  Deficit- A direct result of multiple wars with some of the lowest tax rates for the wealthy.  Romney's plan to cut entitlements will not affect the deficit much as it is not a significant part of the budget... As I understand it the military makes up half of the budget.
6.  Financial reform- Glass Stegall Act.  Was never brought up.  Clearly the banks should be regulated.  Or be allowed to fail when they screw up.  Record bonuses and bailouts under the Obama administration.
7.  Patriot Act-  Was never mentioned.  Americans can be detained without trial or charges.  In violation of the constitution (Thanks Idaho upbringing, where the constitution is pounded into us at an early age!)
8.  Citizen's United- Never mentioned.  Allows unlimited spending by corporations based on them being given personhood and therefore protection of free speech under the first amendment.  Aka the government and political process goes to the highest bidder...
9.  Iraq/Afganistan/Iran wars- much hot air about this tonight, however, not much would likely change here under either administration... The generals and main advisers on these topics do not change much with elections.  If it did we would have pulled out troops at this point per Obama's prior election promise.
10.  Poverty- Indirectly discussed via the conversation on the economy.  Neither candidate has a convincing plan to eradicate the growing poverty.  Arguably Obama may understand this topic better as he did not grow up with a silver spoon.

Ultimately, the two America's presented and represented by the two parties are at odds.  They need not be though.  I personally am tired of the partisan politics and would like to see a no party system or an every party system.  This duality serves no one but the elites at the top of each party.  A real democracy to me would have all the players at the table, including 3rd parties.  I have always voted for a third party mostly because I live in Washington state where it always goes to the Democrats.  I am a political anomaly in that I am a Liberal that is fiscally conservative. 
In the end, I do think for America to move forward and reach its full potential, be need a less divided and more unified national plan.  Given the current political climate, I do not see that happening soon.  And so the empire will continue to crumble as all divided empires do...

Lance Armstrong a fallen hero...

Yesterday, I saw the news that the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) released its 200 page report alleging that Lance Armstrong not only had doped, but had also masterminded a complex doping ring that included many of his teammates at US Postal Service and later Discovery Channel team.  You can read all 200 pages of it here... (I did last night, for hours..) http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/109619079?access_key=key-1bqo5b4zjqqjnkz4izt5  Many former teammates, friends, and trainers are now testifying against him.

This story has affected me more than I thought.  For me cycling was a respite for a rough life at home.  It was also my main transportation throughout my teens and most of the time I was in college.  I have logged thousands of miles on my Raleigh and Giant bikes.  When my Giant road bike was stolen three years ago, I felt as I lost a body part.  Cycling is a sport that I have always followed, and have always been a huge fan of Lance Armstrong.  I distinctly remember vehemently defending him in 2003 against the allegations of cheating by my then French girlfriend Karine.  I was a big stubborn asshole about it.  I wanted so badly to believe in his inspiring story of conquering testicular cancer and then making a big come back.

A year earlier in 2002 I had a testicular cancer scare (and another in 2009, 2011) from a cyst that occasionally grows.  Being the information junkie that I am, in no time, I came across Lance Armstrong's book "Its not about the bike".  I loved it.  It chronicles his illness with testicular cancer and his subsequent comeback to cycling.  I liked his hard work ethic and kick some ass mentality.  I sought to emulate that in my academic and athletic life.  Needless to say he is a big hero to me.

My first love was cycling, I wanted to be a pro mountain bike racer at one point.  At another I had a dream of being a pro bike mechanic.  In college I joined the crew team, another sport requiring inhuman endurance.  Later in medical school I learned that I had an enlarged heart (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for you medical nerds) likely as a result of my long term cycling and rowing in college.   Rowers and cyclists are known for having huge hearts and low heart rates (mine frequently sets off EKG machines as it beats below 60bpm at rest).  Lance Armstrong's heart is so efficient that he is around 34 bpm!

Since college I have always had high hematocrits, frequently over 50.  In fact if I were to compete in the Tour de France nowadays, I would be disqualified because my hematocrits are too high.  I have always ranged between 49 and 55.  I had 2 different doctors ask whether I had ever doped or taken EPO when I was in college (I have not).  Consequently, when rumors started to abound surrounding Lance Armstrong having abnormally high hematocrits, I assumed he was innocent and just had naturally high levels like me.

As it turns out, it seems that Lance Armstrong has likely been using performance enhancing drugs for a long time now.  Allegations include cortisone, testosterone, HGH, EPO, and blood doping.  His doctors have all been named and it seems that they had a carefully designed program to keep his hematocrits high while evading detection.  (I will spare everyone the technical details, but if you are interested, contact me, it is fascinating!)

It is with great sadness that I see my hero fall.  One of the greatest stories in sports seems likely a fraud.  When I look back at it, there was one thing that bothered me... In his book, he describes his tumors in detail...  A large one on his testicle, 13 in his lungs, abdomen, and 2 in his brain.  How the hell does a cyclist not notice that?  The second thing that bothered later (after Medical school) was whether he had been taking something that would have increased the growth and spread of his cancer such as testosterone or HGH.   Especially, for someone in tune with his body to have caught it at such a late stage.  Hormones and cancer go hand in hand, especially cancers of the reproductive tract. 

I feel like I knew all along that his story was improbable, yet we all wanted to believe him.  Such a great human feat!  I think it is just a matter of time now for everything to come out.  Until then, I am mourning the loss of my sports hero.

Race based admissions in higher education

The Supreme Court is getting ready to hear a case on affirmative action and in reading the story in the NY times this morning I could not help but be a little triggered.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/us/supreme-court-to-hear-case-on-affirmative-action.html?src=recg  


Maybe it is because I am black or am I.  My multiracial mix often leads to mass confusion when trying to stereotype me or fit me into a box on a racial category.  My mother is East Indian and my father is African and Chinese.  They were born in Guyana (also confusing, not Ghana in Africa, but Guyana, North of Brazil next to Venezuela and Suriname (they are in South America for those of you who really suck at geography)) http://www.lonelyplanet.com/the-guianas/guyana  I was a boon to college admissions officers looking for diversity. (Actually I wasn't and was rejected by Boston College and University of Washington, and went to my third choice Seattle University)  Interestingly my dark skin is from my mother and my father is rather fair skinned.  So despite my 25% African blood, all the schools wanted me to choose the box "African American" when applying for financial aid and any other program tracking race.  This was back in the days when multi-racial was not a choice and you had to choose one box.  I typically chose Asian or East Indian.

In the end I went to two private schools Seattle University and then Bastyr University for Medical school.  Both are private and not diverse.  Fall of 1998, my freshman year, Initiative 200 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiative_200 passed in Washington State banning race based admissions.  As this topic was in the limelight, I felt many eyes watching me in the discussions that followed in the classrooms and halls.  In the end maybe it was a good thing, I felt tremendous pressure to not "get a free ride" and was determined to get top grades so no one would doubt that I belonged there.  I felt like everyone wondered whether I got into the school based on race. 

In 1999 underrepresented minority enrollment plummeted in Washington State.  In response, Jim Senegal and Jeff Brotman (cofounders of Costco) formed the Costco Scholarship Breakfast http://www.costcoscholarshipfund.org/  Many of you know I was the first student speaker and received a full scholarship at Seattle University for my final 2 years.  (I was also a keynote speaker at the 10th annual breakfast).

In between the lines of these stories and many other cases involving affirmative action is really economics.  Many people of color (including myself) cannot afford higher education and wonder whether the loan/debt system is worth the risk.  My reaction to signing my first loan papers at Seattle University was "Oh I remember this... Indentured Servitude, I get to go to school and in repayment I get to work for the banks for 10-30 years"  This is the story of my East Indian heritage in Guyana, only in the end we did not get the land we were promised.  Higher education for many of us has not proven to be the economic boon or the escape from a life of poverty for many of us.  Arguably, I am poorer now due to the debt.  When comparing my debt to other class mates and friends, I typically have 2-3 to 10 times more school debt (and way less credit card debt, but that is another blog).

I particularly think the case Regents of the University of California v Bakke  in 1978 is an interesting one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regents_of_the_University_of_California_v._Bakke This is where a 33 yr old white male was not admitted to University of California at Davis medical school.  He sued and the case went to the Supreme Court, striking down the race quota system there in a 5-4 decision.  It is interesting to note at least with respect to Medical school, if admissions were based on merit alone (GPA and MCAT scores) then the bulk of the doctors would be Asian and East Indian with a handful of white students, as these groups traditionally have the highest GPA and MCAT scores.

I am not going to comment much on this case as I don't know what the reality of the situation is at the University of Texas.  However, I do think her contention that she has been harmed by job discrimination as a result of graduating from Louisiana State University is laughable...  She should see the kind of job discrimination I have experienced (or any other person of color).  She is working in Austin and in the field of her choice.

Clearly these cases if anything reflect the economic divide between minorities and majorities (my new word!), as well as the continued legacy of slavery, the ongoing destruction of native peoples.  I truely hope we do get to a place where race is no longer used or even thought about in admissions to anything, but until then we will all have to keep talking about these tough topics and heal.

Detoxification at Body Mind Retreats

I spent the last two weeks in my yearly sanctuary outside of Ithaca, NY at the Ithaca Zen Center.  www.bodymindretreats.com  I have gone here every September for the last five years to detox my mind and body.  This place has a prolific healing energy on multiple levels.   First of all it is in a spectacularly beautiful setting outside of Ithaca, NY.  In September there is a symphony of colors in the trees as they begin their yearly spectral display prior to shedding their foliage.  In the auditory scape, there is a cacophony of sounds from a healing bells concert, to the nearby howling of lovely coyotes.  Geese honk, crickets chirp, and if you are lucky you are serenaded by singers Travis Knapp http://travisknapp.yolasite.com/, Twilla Lannes, and Morley http://www.morleymusic.org/home/.  This place is a real treat for the sensual self.

When you arrive here you are greeted with “Welcome Home” and indeed it is for me.  It is here that I am able to shed all the labels and facades that I hide behind.  I am able to be me as I am.  The birth of solutions to problems big and small arise on this land, in the sauna, where you are stripped naked, and in the meditation hall where your mind is stripped naked.  What you are left with is your essence, and some of the finest members of humanity I have met... The staff that runs the place.

The center is run by David and Marcia Radin, two wonderfully spiritual beings.  David from a lineage of Zen Buddhism and Marcia from the Sufi Dervish tradition.  They have taught me unconditional love for others and most importantly for myself.  Together they built a wonderful retreat than helps enable one to detox the physical body and to detox the mind.

I have recovered from a separation from a great love there.  I have found great love there.  I have learned to sit in the unknowing of the outcome of love relationships there with love and grace.  I have made lifelong friends and true companions on this journey called life.  It is in this place that I am able to have my stone heart cracked open and express the emotions that are hidden from those in my everyday life.  I have healed from physical ailments there.  I have recovered from psychological problems.  I dropped my fear of water and swam freely for the first time there several years ago.  I have recovered from addiction there.  I recovered from a heartbreaking trip to Haiti there.  I have learned how to die there (thanks David) and I have learned to live there (thanks Marcia). 

I always leave there with tears and great reluctance, but am excited to return next September and find myself all over again.  For those in need of healing on multiple levels, check it out.  You may find a new outlook on life and a passion for coffee enemas!

Travels in Lakota country

First of all thank you to the creator for this divine life we all share. A big Wopila to my Lakota friends and family for their hospitality and generosity. I had the honor and pleasure of attending one of the many Sundances in the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. In respect of the culture, I will not be posting any pictures or writings of my experiences at the Sundance. The Lakota people have a deep oral tradition and I will honor that by sharing my stories with you in person.

Many of you are probably wondering why I spend my vacation time hanging out on the rez... There is no simple answer to this, but here is my attempt...

In my exploration of medicines modern and ancient, I have become convinced that many of the solutions for today's problems lay embedded in the past. These solutions exist in the cultural diversity that humans have developed over our 100,000+ years of existence. Unfortunately this vast diversity is being rapidly replaced with modern consumer driven capitalism and all the gifts and problems that come with it.

Unfortunately many of the cultures carrying this technology are dying out as their languages, medicines and belief systems are no longer being spoken, practiced, or taught. Many might say "so what, humans no longer need those out dated ways". Ah but we do, for these cultures have developed ways to live in harmony with the Earth in a manner that is sustainable. Our culture is at a cross road, no matter what belief system you participate in, it is hard to ignore that the Earth has changed rapidly in a short amount of time.

For those relying on the notion that technology and human ingenuity will save us, it likely will not. Our technology requires vast resources from all over the planet (ironically I am typing this on an iPhone while flying on an airplane), and it is a flaw in our belief system that the resources on the planet are for human use only. Developing new technologies to continue our way of life while ignoring that our fates are all interwoven: plant, animal, and human will only speed our destruction. It is no coincidence that cancer rates are increasing as our culture behaves like a cancerous cell: growing out of control and utilizing all the resources on its path. Then we treat our cancer with more things that cause cancer.

Dying cultures contain many of the solutions needed for life and humans to thrive on the planet. We must rapidly preserve and protect them. We must dialog with these people. We must right the wrongs of the past (there are many... That could take a while...) in order to secure a future. We can start by sharing music, dance, and food together to foster trust and understanding.

We cannot wait for an election, we cannot wait for leaders, we must all begin to act on the information we have been given for some time now. What changes in life has your heart been calling out to you?

Life is beautiful, let's preserve and protect it not sell it and consume it. Every action sends a ripple through existence shaping the future. Every action has a thought behind it.. What are yours? Every thought that we choose to bring into existence by action has a belief behind it. Does your belief system enhance life or destroy it?

This blog has been heavily influenced by many writers and many of my experiences traveling. For more information check out Thom Hartmann's "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight". For more information on the history of the Lakota read "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse". A good read on the end of indigenous life in North America see Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee". See also Wade Davis's TED talk on preserving the ethnosphere (what?).

Please join me in becoming part of the solutions needed for life to thrive on the planet.

The Case Against the Banks

If you have been at all awake in the last year, and have been watching the news, banks have been at the forefront of multiple scandals.  If you happen to be among the minority of people affected by the economic downturn and thus are not concerned, I would like to attempt to convince you that it does matter.  I have hoping that by the end of this blog you are convinced to drop that Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, big national naughty bank from managing your money.

I used to bank with Bank of America.  I had a Gold account and it was great.  (Long story about how I got that)  A few years into that relationship, some middle manager noticed that I did not meet the requirements for said gold account ($10,000 min balance) and canceled that account and moved me to a more plebeian account worthy of my student life savings.  A few months later, my meager account was barraged with little stupid fees here and there.  Then I was watching some debt documentary, I think it was "In Debt We Trust" http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/in-debt-we-trust/ where I learned that MBNA/Bank of America was George Bushes biggest campaign contributor at over $900,000.  (Now with Citizen's United ruling, these number is probably pocket change but who knows since donating to Super Pacs shields you from having to disclose who is donating)  I promptly left and never looked back.  This was years before all the craziness began in the economy.

As the economy continued to melt away, more and more evidence is pointing to these banks bad behavior at the source of the economic downturn.  I will spare everyone the details, if you want to know more google it.  Then the Obama administration bailed out the banks with taxpayer money and no rules on how the banks use the TARP bailout funds.  So, they paid themselves record bonuses and continued to pillage the rest of us.

The best way to fight all this is to take your money out of these institutions and put them in places that are not destroying the economy with their business practices.  In November there was a Bank Transfer Day Movement that definately affected Bank of America and Chase.  This had a direct effect on their bottom line as their stock value plummeted.

These big banks are also frequently responsible for the bankrolling of big scale projects that have a destructive effect on the planet such as drilling oil, natural gas, nuclear power, ect.  If you don't like these things, then don't give your money to those banks (and minimize electrical use)

JP Morgan executive Jamie Dimon made news with his testimony of being unaware of a blotched derivitive trade loss by his bank somewhere between 2 and 9 billion (with a b) dollars.  http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/will-the-whale-swallow-jpmorgans-2nd-quarter-earnings/
What's a derivative?  It's very confusing... So confusing it seems that most bankers and economists don't understand them, and they are very unpredictable.  Here is a simple explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH_52gFFhXM

So how do these big banks do all this?  They do it with our deposits!  Not only that but they can leverage it at a 9 to 1 ratio which means for every $100 deposit they can loan $900.  During the last depression there was legislation enacted called the Glass-Stegall Act enacted to separate banking deposits from being used by banks to speculate on the stock market with those deposits.  (Good idea right, so if stock market tanks, it doesn't take our deposits with it!)  Thus separating commercial and investment banking.  Then in 1999 the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act struck down sections in the Glass Stegall act that separated commercial from investment banking.  This was signed into law by President Clinton.  This now allowed banks to use our deposits to speculate on the stock market, yet still have the money protected by FDIC insurance, a nice deal!  With your $100 deposit they can speculate with $900 in global markets.  If they loose the money your deposit is still protected.  The problem with all this is that they are speculating with money that does not exist where the rest of us have to use money that does exist if we want to buy stocks, bonds, and other investment banking products.  As all this debt is created, then more money has to be released into the system, but more money in the system means money is worth less.  This is known as Inflation. 

The solution?  Since Congress seems unable or unwilling to properly regulate the banking and finance industry, then we will have to do it ourselves.  We can best do this by not banking with the banks that are causing all the trouble in their pursuit of profits by creating money that does not exist.  Please remove yourself from the following banks: Bank of America, Chase, Citibank/Citigroup, HBSC, Wells Fargo.  Without deposits there is no money to leverage and cause trouble with.  Please change your bank to a small local credit union.

Oh, and be forewarned; if you are out to dinner with me and you pull out a Chase card, I will comment on it and how unAmerican you are acting by giving money to economic terrorists that are causing all the economic troubles.