The first review for our sequel just came in, and it’s sensational!
As an author, I never know how readers are going to receive my work. I write just to get the stories out of my head, so they stop bothering me. So, I don’t really craft them to please anyone in particular. Thus, it’s incredibly gratifying when a book hits the sweet spot, as The Wedding Routine 2: Destination Lyonapparently has.
Here’s the text of the 5-Star review that reader Jim Adams gave us on Amazon:
“A Delightful Read”
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2025 Verified Purchase
“I really enjoyed The Wedding Routine by author Kevin Rush and was looking forward to the second installment in this his series. I was really hoping that The Wedding Routine2: Destination Lyon would measure up to the original and I am more than happy to report that it far exceeded that expectation.
“I was already familiar with some of the characters based on my previous experience with the first volume and it was fun to get to reacquainted with these old friends once more and then meet more of Celia’s family in this next adventure. The story opens in the familiar East Coast city where Celia and Emile live and move forward to getting engaged. After some interesting and usually hilarious side stories as additional family members are introduced more in depth, including a glimpse into a dilemma being faced by Celia’s priest uncle that puts his vocation into question, the decision is made, not without some misgivings, to head to Lyon France where the wedding takes place.
“Once in Lyon Celia and her family have one week to prepare for the wedding. During this time we not only see Celia and Emile negotiate a number of difficult adjustments, including missing bride’s maids, Emile’s family resistance to the marriage and trying to figure out the various roles of those who will be in the wedding. Celia has to navigate these issues as well as make a personal career choice. All of this happens while immersing the reader in the incredible beauty and rich environment of Lyon. Readers are blessed to be introduced to the history and geography of Lyon as well art, architecture, museums and theater of this ancient city.
“This was one of those enchanting stories that I hated to have it end and made me look forward to a volume three!”
Thanks, Jim! So, what about the rest of our readers? Independent authors rely on your reviews. We’d love to hear from you. And if you haven’t started this series, what are you waiting for?
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Author Kevin Rush answers the question, “If I Saw the Movie, Should I Read the Book?”
Among film noirafficionados, of whom I can’t claim to be one, Ride the Pink Horse has gained near mythic status. That high regard might be due as much to its limited availability for viewing as for its quality. If you want “in” among the “in-the-know” noir buffs, you have to have ridden this particular carousel. (Y’know, kind of the way you can’t talk seriously about Big Foot unless you’ve seen him in the wild.) Yet, beyond being a necessary box to check, Pink Horse is undoubtedly a quality film.
Released in 1947, it’s an exemplar of what the Golden Age studios could do with a tight script and fine actors on a low budget. Pink Horse hooks the viewer and keeps up the tension for its 101 minute run-time, then delivers a satisfying, bittersweet conclusion reminiscent of Casablanca. But if you’re among the lucky few who’ve been able to see Ride the Pink Horse (more on that later), is it worth your time to read the book?
Readers of this column know I’ve asked that question a few times before, including with another Dorothy Hughes project, and the answer is always subject to personal taste. As goes my taste, I’d highly recommend Hughes’ noir novel, which is even more gritty, suspenseful, and noir-ish than the film adaptation.
Classic Actor/Director proves his mettle
Ride the Pink Horse stars Robert Montgomery, best known these days as the father of America’s favorite TV witch. He’s also remembered for being a stalwart Hollywood Republican, back when such out-of-the-closet actors could still have a career. But, back in the day, Bob Montgomery was a prolific B-plus movie actor, whose best films include the original Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941, directed by Alfred Hitchcock) and Here Comes Mr. Jordan(1941, remade as Heaven Can Wait, starring Warren Beatty in 1978).
Montgomery also directed six films, five of which he starred in. These include the World War II classic, They Were Expendable (1945, starring John Wayne) and Lady in the Lake (1946). In Lady, Montgomery plays Raymond Chandler’s private eye, Philip Marlowe, and employs an odd technique that shows everything from Marlowe’s POV. That choice, IMHO, makes for very uncomfortable viewing.
In directing Pink Horse, Montgomery abandons the costly experiment that undermined Lady. And he shows that he was paying attention when Hitchcock directed him. Shot selection, framing, and pacing all contribute to the tension of the story, which builds to a gripping climax. The unfolding drama is so enticing, one hardly notices the cheap set, which at times looks like a community theater production.
A familiar post-World War II suspense thriller
The plot of Ride the Pink Horse is fairly simple. Lucky Gagin (Montgomery), a WWII combat veteran and fringe mob guy, has a score to settle with Mr. Hugo (Fred Clark), a corrupt businessman who got rich during the war while better men gave their lives. To cover up his corruption, Hugo did a bad thing, which Gagin is determined to set straight.
The confrontation takes place in a mostly Mexican town within the American southwest during a fiesta which has filled the small town beyond its capacity. While Hugo enjoys a suite at a luxury hotel, Gagin must seek shelter among the poor of the street. Most notably, Gagin falls in with Sancho, an affable carnie, who owns the carousel called Tio Vivo that entertains the children. He also meets Pila, a beautiful young girl from a nearby town, whom he treats to a carousel ride, lunch, and a makeover.
Without spilling the tea, the climax of Pink Horse, like Notorious, is haunting, subdued, and personal. It comes down to a contest of wills, not brute strength or explosive weaponry, which is refreshing in this age of bombastic pyrotechnics. Unfortunately, the resolution intrudes upon, rather than resolves, that conflict, and this is the greatest weakness in the film.
The cast—also featuring Wanda Hendrix, Thomas Gomez, and Andrea King—is uniformly excellent. Hendrix is stunningly beautiful in many closeups, and absolutely convincing as a waif. I particularly liked Clark as Hugo, the tough talking, but ultimately fragile, mob boss.
Hard-boiled noir with a glimmer of hope
At its core, Pink Horse is a familiar story of a not-so-bright, average guy, who’s not as tough as he thinks, going up against a powerful scoundrel who pulls the strings of an invisible, malevolent machine. It’s a standard plot in the noir canon, but is delivered in a fresh setting, far from the mean streets of America’s “great wrong places.” Usually, we wouldn’t expect our sullied hero to get out alive. In the noirest of noirs, our hero has made a fatal error, usually a false moral choice, which he cannot shake and which dooms him in the end. The corrupt machine is just too powerful and the system is too well rigged.
But this script, written by Ben Hetch (Notorious, 1946, and the original Scarface, 1932) and Charles Lederer (His Girl Friday, 1940, and Kiss of Death, 1947) gives Gagin an ally from elsewhere in the system. Naturally, our hero would rather go it alone. But his unwelcome ally is determined to make the system work as designed, in support of the little guy. The result is noir with less cynicism and more than a glimmer of hope.
I recommend that anyone with an interest in 1940s film noir see Ride the Pink Horse. As I noted earlier, it’s a tough horse to corral. But, if all else fails, our comrades in Russia have pirated it for your viewing pleasure. Use that link at your discretion and may the web surfer beware.
A solid thriller from a prolific author
Now, what about the novel on which this film is based? I came across the book on a recent trip to Barnes & Noble. Since I had so thoroughly enjoyed In a Lonely Place, I simply had to buy. I was not disappointed. As with Lonely Place, Dorothy B. Hughes puts us inside the mind of a desperate individual and makes us privy to his desires, urges, resentments, and sudden bursts of sentimentality. Hughes’ protagonist is simply called Sailor. His opponent is Senator Douglass, whom he calls “the Sen,” and his unwanted ally is called McIntyre.
The basics of the plot remain the same. Sailor comes to a remote southwestern town in search of the Sen. Because of fiesta, Sailor can’t find a hotel room, and must spend most of his time on the street and in the plaza. There he meets Sancho, who becomes his friend and resource in a time of crisis. Sailor’s relationship to Pila is more pronounced in its love-hate dichotomy than in the film, and the reader would not expect Wanda Hendrix to play her.
Another point at which the film and book diverge is the presence/absence of the ever-popular femme fatale. In the movie, Hugo’s female companion is a scheming, grasping beauty playing both sides of the showdown. But in Hughes’ novel, the Sen’s object of affection, strikes Sailor, who views her only from a distance, as a figure of purity, and decency. She breathes rarified air, at heights unattainable for a street thug like Sailor or a chiseler like the Sen.
Overall, the book is a much grittier affair. Hughes chronicles Sailor’s discomfiture in agonizing detail, as he deals with the indignities of being without a room. Hughes also pulls no punches about Sailor’s racist attitudes towards Mexicans and Indians.
Plus, the book gives a detailed backstory for Sailor, the Sen, and McIntyre. In the film, Gagin meets Hugo and the McIntyre figure for the first time. Their encounters are immediate and potent, but there’s no history between them. The book draws on decades of interactions to build Sailor’s tension to a breaking point. Hughes artfully raises the stakes of Sailor’s predicament to an explosive climax, which in the truest noir fashion, was darkly inevitable.
Sailor’s story is a tragedy of a lug who had a way out, but refused to take it, because taking it would have betrayed the stubborn choice he’d embraced. Readers who enjoy unvarnished realism, taut suspense, and heartbreaking tragedy will find every reason to Ride the Pink Horse, even after giving the film a whirl.
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A Catholic novelist presents some ideas of the top of his head
Hollywood has always had a fascination with the Catholic Church. But that’s not to be confused with admiration. In the early days of Tinsel Town, there were many pro-Catholic films, as the studio moguls pandered to the Catholic masses (no pun intended) and attempted to keep the Legion of Decency at bay. In recent years, most depictions of Catholicism have been negative, with any favorable, or at least even handed, release being few and far between.
As I write, the 2024 film Conclave, a scurrilous, defamatory, and heretical depiction of the inner workings of the Catholic Church, has earned $53,723,745 at the worldwide box office. It was been widely nominated on the award circuit, (but for a single Golden Globe for Best Screenplay, it’s been shut out), and we can expect it to be among the Oscar contenders, if the Academy is so bold as to hold that tedious, self-congratulatory exercise so soon after the Palisades conflagration.
Conclave shows that hating on the Church pays. But even more profitable is honoring the faith, as Mel Gibson so brilliantly demonstrated in 2004 with The Passion of the Christ. In that vein, earnest creators within Hollywood have in recent years tried to promote the faith with movies like Fatima, Nefarious, Cabrini, and Wildcat. Nevertheless, there’s always room for more.
Catholicism is a religion etched in history. It exists because God chose to enter human history—physically, as our incarnate Redeemer. Plus, there’s nothing Hollywood loves more than a true story (which they can tell falsely). Thus, I thought it would be fun to list a few persons and/or events from history that would make great Catholic films. So, without further ado, let’s look at these five subjects.
Four Nuns on a Submarine
Think Operation Petticoat meets The Lilies of the Field with a little Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison and Destination: Tokyo thrown in.
On New Year’s Day, 1943, the submarine USS Nautilus rescued 29 persons trapped behind Japanese lines in the Solomon Islands. The rescuees included four Carmelite nuns in white habits, two of whom were nurses, while the other two were teachers. As told by the website theleansubmariner.com:
[The Sisters] had arrived in the Solomon Islands in December 1940. These young women were new to missionary life, confronting an unknown culture for the first time, and did not speak the languages spoken on the various islands. Also, they had to learn how to get around the jungle. One year after they arrived, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
The Japanese quickly occupied many of the islands in the South Pacific. The nuns had been deeply involved in a village on the island of Buka. They had no idea that the Japanese wanted Buka for an airfield.
Sister Hedda Jager was the nun in charge of journaling their experiences. No matter what kind of day she was having, she always managed to record the day’s happenings.
As the Japanese get closer and closer, Sister Hedda records how their lives morphed from working as missionaries to being filled with sheer terror. They made it to Bougainville where they learned how other missionaries in the Solomons had been tortured and executed.
There were Marist missionary priests on the island and, knowing what the fate of the nuns would be if captured, they managed to hide the Sisters for months in the jungle. On New Year’s Eve 1942, the priests managed to get the Sisters and 25 others to the beach in Teop Harbor. It was then they all learned that a submarine would be their means of rescue.
The following video is from The Silent Service, a dramatic anthology TV series that ran from 1957 to 1958. The brainchild of Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers, who retired from the Navy in 1949 after 22 years service, this series mainly focused on the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet in the South Pacific during World War II and the Korean War.
But, the story deserves more than a 25 minute summary. It has all the elements of a thrilling wartime adventure. Some savvy producer should grab up Sr. Hedda’s notebook and hand it to a brilliant Catholic screenwriter. You can contact me through this website.
And while we’re in the South Pacific….
Jesuit Internment in the Philippines
Just a couple of years ago, I learned that one of the most mild-mannered, gentle priests I had ever known had been a Japanese prisoner of war in the Philippines during World War II. Rev. John Ruane, SJ, was a philosophy professor at St. Peter’s College (now University) during my father’s tenure there. At some point, the University decided to videotape him telling about his experiences.
The website NJ.com summarized Fr. Ruane’s story as follows:
Ruane, from St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greenville, entered the Society of Jesus, known simply as Jesuits, after his St. Peter’s Prep graduation in 1937. After his novitiate years and some studies, Ruane volunteered and was accepted to study philosophy, the standard course of study for Jesuit seminarians, in the Philippines.
The New York province of Jesuits sent many missionaries there to recruit members for their order and Ruane said, “Going to the missions appealed to me.”
He arrived at the Ateneo de Manila, the most famous Jesuit college in the Philippines, in July 1941. By Jan. 1, 1942, all the priests and seminarians were placed under house arrest by the Japanese military. He had to complete a form and wear an armband whenever he left the college grounds. The Japanese soldiers patrolled the area and he tried to avoid them on the street.
As the war intensified, the Jesuits were moved in July 1945 to the Los Banos camp. They could take few belongings and the 80 Jesuits were assigned to live in Quonset huts with 16 internees in each.
They would be given “lugao,” a mixture of rice and very little meat twice a day with water. “One pig would last for 1,000 servings,” he said. “We were weak.” He said that they did not move around too much to preserve their strength and people would blackout often.
The priests would take turns saying Mass with the wine they had smuggled into the camp. There were books that they would share reading. Some of the Jesuits were professors who would lecture the internees. Jesuit Father James Reuter, now 95 and the only other Jesuit survivor, would write songs mimicking the Japanese, said Ruane. … What was most difficult for Ruane was the separation from his large Jersey City family since he could not send or receive mail. His father, Thomas, died during his internment.
The internees believed that the Japanese were getting ready to kill them. But Ruane said they never gave up on the Americans and knew they were close since their airplane engines were stronger than the Japanese, which he called “tinny.”
One internee, Peter Myles, escaped and met up with the U.S. troops to give them the details of the Japanese soldiers, who would put down their weapons and exercise every morning at seven o’clock. That’s the time the U.S. parachuted from nine C-47 airplanes, killed all the Japanese and loaded the internees on 59 amphibious tractors manned by the 672nd battalion.
Ruane eventually returned to the States to be ordained in 1949.
Given the horrid state of the Jesuits today, it would be great to produce a film that recalls the past heroism of the much better men who used to make up the Society.
Now, switching to the European theater….
A Catholic Cardinal Opposes the Nazis
Dietrich Bonhoffer and Maximillian Kolbe were not alone in their struggles against The Third Reich. Among the stalwarts of the Church who opposed Fascism was Cardinal Clemens August von Galen, the bishop of the diocese of Münster in Germany from 1933 to 1946. During his tenure, von Galen waged a bold, relentless campaign against Nazi policies. Known as The Lion of Munster, von Galen was especially vociferous against their euthanasia program that sought to purge society of individuals they regarded as defective. In our age of disposability, with abortion and assisted suicide at alarming rates, it’s important to recall the Cardinal’s struggle to uphold the dignity of human life.
The Winged Hussars Save Christendom
Well, they didn’t actually fly, but c’mon! They saved Christian Europe from the Muslim horde.
I love a good western, and I’ve always gotten an thrill when the bugle sounds and the cavalry comes charging over the hill to rescue the beleaguered settlers and put the savages to flight. The Winged Hussars represent the greatest cavalry charge in world history.
Perhaps best told in Andrew Wheatcroft’s history, The Enemy at the Gate, the story begins in July 1683. The City of Vienna is under siege by the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans, led by Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha, had an army estimated at 120,000 men, supported by artillery. Vienna was the capital of the Habsburg Empire. Its fall would allow the Ottomans to push deeper into Central Europe, potentially threatening the rest of Christendom. The siege began in July 1683 and quickly placed the city in a desperate situation.
The defenders, a mixed force of Austrian, German, and Hungarian troops, were grossly outnumbered. Ottoman artillery severely damaged the city’s fortifications. The prolonged bombardment, hunger, and disease eroded morale, and a sense of despair settled over the city. By early September, Vienna’s position was untenable.
The city had sent urgent calls for help to European allies, particularly to King John III Sobieski of Poland, a renowned military leader and a hero of the ongoing struggle against the Ottomans. Sobieski had already participated in several campaigns against the enemy and recognized the importance of preserving Vienna.
Despite being engaged in his own local conflicts, King Sobieski responded swiftly. He gathered a large coalition force, including Polish, Austrian, German, and Hungarian troops to meet the existential threat of Kara Mustafa’s army. The Polish contingent consisted primarily of the Winged Hussars, an elite cavalry known for their heavy armor, lances, and distinctive feathered wings that gave them a fearsome and almost mythical reputation on the battlefield. Their renown as shock cavalry was well earned: they were trained to charge with overwhelming force to break enemy lines. Their wings, attached to their backs, were not just ceremonial; they were designed to make a loud noise as they charged, striking fear into the enemy and intimidating enemy horses.
On September 12, 1683, Sobieski and his allies, numbering around 70,000, launched a counteroffensive from the north, while the defenders inside Vienna launched their own sortie. The decisive moment came when the Winged Hussars descended upon the Ottomans. With lances lowered and wings fluttering, they crashed the lines, causing panic among the enemy. The Ottoman troops fled in disarray, and Kara Mustafa’s carefully constructed siege lines collapsed. The defeat was complete, and the Ottomans were forced to retreat.
Such a film has zero chance of being made today. Potential producers would be too afraid to offend the descendants of those Ottomans, who now live comfortably at taxpayer expense in Munich, Paris, and London, and are striving to complete the work of the Grand Vizier. Certainly, the political hacks of the EU believe it is better to let the churches of France burn than to remind the descendants of Christendom that their ancestors once fought so valiantly to preserve their culture.
A Samurai of Christ
Lastly, think The Mission meets The Last Samurai or maybe, Seven Samurai. Anyway, it’s a story of heartfelt conversion with big, long swords.
Ukon Takayama, also known as Justo Takayama, was born in 1552 into a samurai clan with a long history of service to powerful warlords. Raised in the ways of the samurai, including the strict code of bushido, Takayama converted to Christianity after encountering Jesuit missionaries.
As a Christian samurai, blending his warrior ethos with his newfound Christian spirituality, Ukon became a protector and patron of Christians in Japan. He shielded them from persecution, which was steadily intensifying. This brought Ukon into direct conflict with Japan’s ruling warlords. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who ruled Japan, banned missionary activity in 1587 and pressured Ukon to renounce his faith. When Ukon refused, Hideyoshi stripped him of his position, lands, and status.
With the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, Christianity fell under even greater persecution. Though elderly by now, Ukon remained unshaken in his belief. In 1614, Ukon and his family were forced into exile in the Philippines. He died in Manila on February 3, 1615, just a few months later. Ukon Takayama was beatified by the Vatican n 2017.
Of course, there are innumerable stories like these that filmmakers could develop. When I think of a few more, I’ll write another post. (Filmmakers who are interested in fiction might consider The Lance and the Veil and The Wedding Routine.) Now, here a question for the readers. What are some moments of Catholic history you’d like to see memorialized on film?
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Author Kevin Rush wishes you Merry Christmas with 25% off his latest books
We’re coming up on Thanksgiving, and in no time we’ll be preparing for Christmas. There is much to be thankful for this year (including, perhaps, the preservation of our beloved Republic), but even so, our posture should be prayerful anticipation rather than premature jubilation. As we do every year in Advent, we must reflect on our shortcomings, our flaw and failures, and marvel that in spite of it all, God our Father wishes to shower us with mercy. May His mercy draw us closer to Him and farther from the abyss of “fundamental transformation” we’ve been toeing of late.
On the point of gratitude, I am very thankful for the loyal readers who’ve supported my modest efforts to tilt the cultural axis back to quality entertainment that uplifts and edifies. Your willingness to purchase, read, and post reviews of my books has kept me going, despite the Sisyphean existence of the independent author. In the spirit of gratitude, I want to offer you these links for Christmas discounts of my most recent books, Harvesting Eden and The Wedding Routine 2: Destination Lyon.
Hardly a warm-and-fuzzy Christmas story, Harvesting Edenis a rough-edged fable that employs fantasy and sci-fi motifs to illustrate the dangers of contemporary, secular society, where today’s fleeting feelings are weighed more heavily in the balance than 5,000 years of hard-won wisdom.
As 16-year-old Tara Hartzwell mourns the loss of her twin sister, she’s ready to throw her own life away, until the appearance of a mystery girl plunges Tara into an intragalactic struggle, that teaches her there is no peace for a creature at war with its Creator. But now that I think of it, Harvesting Eden might be a classic Yuletide tale, in the tradition of A Christmas Carol. “God bless us, everyone!”
Readers of The Wedding Routine, which I released three years ago, will recall that Christmas played a prominent role in the climax of that story. I won’t give anything away for those of you who haven’t started the series, but Celia and Emile are back in The Wedding Routine 2: Destination Lyon. Yes, it’s a destination wedding for our two lovebirds, but not without the screwball complications that make for an entertaining RomCom.
Destination Lyon is also my personal love letter to the city I visited in fall of 2019. It’s filled with cultural and historical references woven into the narrative, as the reader encounters this beautiful city through the eyes of its natives and Celia’s crazy New Jersey relatives.
Again, not to give too much away, but as Celia finds her dancer’s feet getting a bit cold, she’s pretty much on her own. She has no luck seeking advice from her uncles or even her mother, who seem to be going through simultaneous midlife crises, which their experience in Lyon helps them happily resolve. Destination Lyon neatly sets up The Wedding Routine 3, which I hope to compete in a timely manner.
Order your books today and save $3.50 off the cover price
To get your discounted copy of either book, just click on the link in the second paragraph above. They take you directly to IngramSparks, the printer. Once again, thank you for your support, and I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas.
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NAD+ overcomes insulin resistance without disastrous side effects
Social media is burning up with images of celebrities who’ve dropped significant tonnage, but are mute about their methods. This is an odd phenomenon, given the characteristic eagerness of this class to publicly pledge their allegiance to the newest fad, no matter how bizarre that craze might seem to the average person on the street. Yet, at each exhibition of luminary lipid loss, the same word is uttered in hushed whispers: Ozempic.
And we have to wonder, why the muted tones? If Ozempic is a miracle weight-loss drug, shouldn’t we be shouting about it from the rooftops? Turns out there are ample reasons to be wary, and even more reasons to choose a particular safe and effective alternative: the natural coenzyme NAD.
Step 1: Design a catchy ad campaign
Want to charge $1,200 a month for an injection whose benefits are decidedly short-term, and which puts patients at risk for numerous painful, debilitating side-effects, as well as a dispiriting rebound of the conditions they sought to alleviate in the first place? Then you must, must, must pick a catchy, long-forgotten pop song from the 1970s, whose original lyrics were all about the wondrous state of being in love.
Now you’ve got “Oh-oh-oh-Ozempic!” subliminally telling viewers of ubiquitous pharma commercials that “It’s magic.” Fossils of my era will remember the Scottish band Pilot cautioning listeners, “Never believe it’s not so!” But should we believe the advertising hype around Ozempic? Many sources, including those in the health and fitness sphere outside of Big Pharma, are telling us “No.”
What is Ozempic and why should I be skeptical?
According to the website Health.com, Ozempic a semaglutide, a “synthetic version of a human hormone called glucagon-like peptide one, or GLP-1.” Humans secrete GLP-1 when food reaches our gut. It tells our brain that we’re full and tells our pancreas to get off the schneid and produce some insulin, the hormone that signals our cells to open wide and receive blood glucose. When all works well, GLP-1 ensures that we don’t gorge ourselves and that the vacuoles of our cells widen, taking in glucose to convert to energy. This latter process also lowers our blood glucose levels, sparing us the consequences of diabetically high blood sugar.
People with type II diabetes either don’t produce enough insulin or suffer from extreme insulin resistance, so that while their insulin’s a knockin’, their vacuoles are sayin’ “Don’t come in.” (This is a problem with cell-signaling, one of the many cellular functions that depend heavily on the co-enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD.)
Ozempic is designed to increase insulin production for type II diabetics who have had trouble getting their blood sugar under control with other methods. Ozempic is delivered via twice-monthly injections, at a cost of about $1,200 per month. Health.com tells us, “After injection, semaglutide increases insulin production and lowers blood sugar. This causes the stomach to empty more slowly, reduces appetite, and makes people feel full.” So, it should come as no surprise that Ozempic has delivered another sought-after benefit: weight loss.
Is the bonus benefit just a dangerous illusion?
The Ozempic bonus has led overweight people, especially celebrities who can afford the high price tag, to request the drug for weight loss, a use for which the FDA has not approved it. Yet, doctors seem willing to prescribe Ozempic for off-label use, a practice that is often controversial if not illegal. In fairness to these doctors, we should note that another semaglutide prescription, Wegovy, has FDA approval as a weight-loss drug. But should either of these synthetic hormone drugs be used for this purpose?
This lady in a lab coat says no. And we must listen, because she is appropriately dressed. (Also note that she’s an MD, not an actress.)
Thank you, Dr. Annette Bosworth.
A litany of side-effects, some of which are deadly
If you’ve seen an O-O-O-Ozempic commercial, you’ve heard the recitation of side effects, which range from unpleasant to deadly. The mild variety includes:
Fatigue
Dizziness or vertigo
Discomfort and/or skin discoloration around the injection site
Increased heart rate
Changes in perception of taste
Digestive problems, such as belly pain, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, burping, nausea, and vomiting
Ozempic patients have also started reporting hair loss.
The more serious side effects include:
Kidney problems, such as kidney failure
Low blood sugar
Pancreatitis
Gallbladder disease, such as cholecystitis or gallstones
Thyroid cancer
Allergic reactions
All of these are potentially fatal.
After reading these lists, the reasonable reader might wonder, “At what point do the risks outweigh the possible benefits?” For people who cannot control their diabetes, the disease is eventually fatal. Other messy consequences include blindness and amputation of extremities. So, a roll of the dice with Ozempic might be in order.
Alternatives to a potentially deadly roll of the dice?
However, most people with type II diabetes can control their sugar through dietary and lifestyle modification. These changes are generally not easy, which is why many so people are open to taking a magic shot, courtesy of our consistently trustworthy friends at Big Pharma. This mindset, which seems to be the basis for Ozempic’s marketing strategy, has really rankled celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels, who has voiced her concerns about Ozempic to Megyn Kelly (video below) and Bill Maher.
As Ms. Michaels explain, Ozempic treatment is necessarily short. And for many patients, the benefits sunset early, as their weight loss plateaus and the pounds rebound. Unfortunately, the side-effects seem to linger well beyond patients’ use of the drug. Another reason for concern is the psychological effect Ozempic seems to have on type II diabetics, who should maintain a strict exercise regimen. According to a report from MSN, Ozempic seems to discourage overweight people from working out.
Is NAD+ optimization a better way to manage insulin resistance?
Dr. Jin-Xiong She is a prominent microbiologist who has spent a significant portion of his career studying the relationship between cellular functions and age-related/metabolic diseases, including type II diabetes. The precursor to type II diabetes is the condition we call insulin resistance, where the cells do not respond to the insulin’s signal. This forces the pancreas to produce more insulin, eventually exhausting itself. When the body no longer produces its own insulin, a patient must take insulin orally or via injection. For people in a prediabetic state, insulin resistance causes stubborn weight gain, along with ancillary health problems.
Dr. She has studied the role of NAD in cellular functions, and in this short video, he explains four key benefits of NAD as they pertain to normal insulin sensitivity.
Unfortunately, people lose NAD due to age, stress, and lifestyle choices, such as a poor diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle. This can turn insulin sensitivity into insulin resistance. The good news is that replenishing lost NAD can return the system to healthy homeostasis. Replacing lost NAD is tricky, but Dr. She has developed a highly effective supplement he calls Vitality Boost.
NAD optimization: a safe, natural path to better health
One of the great benefits of Vitality Boost is the increased energy one feels after just a few days of using the product. This can empower an overweight person with insulin resistance or type II diabetes to hit the gym and get the natural health benefits of exercise. Many people have been able to reverse type II diabetes and return to good health through dietary and lifestyle modifications. Supplementing to achieve NAD optimization makes the process easier, so more patients should be able to improve their health for the long term.
Importantly, NAD is a natural compound, not a synthetic, so there’s no list of horrendous side effects. I’ve written in this column about the numerous health benefits I’ve experienced with Vitality Boost. It’s precisely because of those health benefits that I asked Dr. She to make me an affiliate marketer for his company Jinfiniti Precision Medicine.
If you are struggling with insulin resistance or type II diabetes, I urge you to try this amazing product. Ask your doctor which is more likely to help you: the all-natural compound that’s an essential cofactor for virtually every cellular function, or the synthetic hormone with the catchy jingle, a monthly cost equal to your mortgage, and a list of side effects the length of the King James Bible.
O-O-O-I think I know what they’ll say.
Great news: Get started with NAD for 15 percent off!
Vitality Boost from Jinfiniti Precision Medicine
You can get started with Vitality Boost for 15 percent off the standard price by using my offer code KevinRush15 at checkout. Just follow this link: Jinfiniti!
Disclaimer: The column may contain affiliate links, which help support the website. When you clink on an affiliate link and make a purchase, the website receives a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you for your support.
Essential molecule rebuilds your sleep mechanism on the cellular level
For as long as I can remember, I have struggled to get a good night’s sleep. The problem started after a childhood accident left me with a nasty case of whiplash and misalignment of my spine. I suffered from stiff necks, and it became exceedingly difficult to get comfortable. I often woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. As the years progressed, my sleep got progressively worse, because now I had daily concerns that I took to bed each night. I turned them over in my mind, as I tossed and turned in my bed.
So, naturally, I was tired all the time, which too often seemed to be the defining characteristic of my life. I got through high school on sheer adrenaline and caught a break at college where free time between classes allow me to sneak an occasional nap. Studying didn’t come easy; reading was so relaxing, I’d often fall asleep at the beginning of an assignment. There wasn’t enough coffee or speed, (readily available at the campus infirmary), to enable me to pull an all-nighter. As a result, my grades were far from stellar, and I graduated thoroughly unready for the working world.
Working 9 to 5, as I often did between acting gigs, was torturous. When three o’clock rolled around, I could barely keep my eyes open. I had to fight to stay awake until I got my second wind. I often waited tables, beginning an evening shift around 4 o’clock, which meant leaving home around 3 pm, which was the height (or depths) of my afternoon slump. Eventually, I went into teaching, where the workday mercifully ended with a 3 pm dismissal. I could leave school by 3:30 and either get my much-needed nap or fight the slump and go running…slowly…after a long, slow warmup. Many an afternoon, I felt like a vampire crawling back to his coffin at dawn.
There were years when I commuted by motorcycle or car, and my heavy lids put me in mortal danger. You might recall the old Bill Cosby routine about negotiating with himself over how long he could “rest his eyes” while driving. I mentioned this to a colleague who said he actually did fall asleep driving home one afternoon and awakened just in time to brake, to avoid crashing into a car stopped in front of him.
There were times when lack of sleep had me so stressed out, I’d have horrible nightmares. This pattern made me apprehensive at bedtime, making it even harder to relax and fall asleep. Of course, the nightmare would come, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, guaranteeing a couple of insomniac hours before I could fall asleep again…often 10 minutes before the alarm went off.
My futile search for a good night’s sleep
I was not cavalier about my sleeping problem. I knew that poor sleep was ruining my health, and I did everything I could to overcome it:
Acupuncture
Aspirin
Tylenol PM
Benadryl
Chamomile tea
Dragon bone
Dolomite powder
Tryptophan
Melatonin
Rosebud tea
Hot baths
Massage
Therapy
Meditation
Calcium, magnesium, and zinc
SAMe
St. John’s Wort
None of this really worked. Oh, perhaps for a time I might sleep better, then the insomnia would creep back in. Or I’d go out like a light and not be able to wake up in the morning. Or the remedy would work, but a side-effect would force me to give it up.
I even went to a sleep clinic, and they gave me a machine to monitor my sleep. They said to put a clip on my finger and sleep as usual, and the machine would record my oxygen level to determine whether I had apnea. I put the clip on my finger, and the annoying thing kept me awake all night. No sense getting a C-PAP machine. If I couldn’t sleep with a clothespin on my finger, I wasn’t going to sleep in scuba gear.
At one point, I wondered if I was clinically depressed, so a doctor prescribed some antidepressants. I took them for a couple of nights, but they left me feeling utterly desolate. It’s hard to explain the sensation, but it felt like a knife was scraping the flesh from the bones of my soul. I tossed the rest of the pills in the trash.
Ultimately, my strategy for decent sleep became a low-stress schedule, a panoply of supplements, occasional acupuncture and massage, regular but not too strenuous exercise, rosebud tea, afternoon nap, and a near-total ban on red meat. (And, of course, no sugar, but that was for other reasons.) Over the last several years, since I’ve been working freelance and making my own hours, I could catch some Zs on the back end of a rough night. If I was wide awake from 3 to 5 am, I could sleep until 9 am. If it took me 10 hours to get seven hours of sleep, so be it. It was high-maintenance sleep hygiene, but at least I could function.
Sleep restored through NAD+
What a difference three months make! That’s how long I’ve been taking Dr. She’s NAD+ optimization formula, Vitality Boost. In that time, my sleep has become deeper and more restorative. I still wake up once or twice during the night, but I quickly fall back to sleep. Sometimes, I’ve been out so deep, that it takes me a while to come around, but once I do, I have a great deal more energy. In short, Vitality Boost is the most effective sleep remedy I’ve ever encountered. I’ve had such great results from Vitality Boost that I asked Dr. She to make me an affiliate marketer for his company, Jinfiniti Precision Medicine. So, here’s my pitch for your best night sleep.
NAD restores essential molecules for cell functions
NAD+ is an essential, natural compound for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. When you have sufficient levels of NAD+, your body understands that it’s time to sleep. NAD+ also reduces inflammation, so aches and pains melt away. You’re more comfortable, relaxed, and ready to sleep. Plus, NAD+ improves cell signaling, thus correcting problems like insulin resistance that can cause blood sugar spikes that disrupt sleep in the middle of the night.
People lose NAD+ with age, stress, exposure to toxins, and poor lifestyle choices. Once your levels fall off, NAD+ is very hard to replenish with just diet and exercise. Fortunately, when the importance of intracellular NAD+ became apparent, scientists like Dr. Jin-Xiong She set out to discover effective ways to optimize for it.
More than an effective insomnia remedy!
As I alluded to above, NAD+ is an essential cofactor in a wide array of cellular functions, such as energy production, respiration, and cell division. Without NAD+, our cells struggle to function, which means our tissues, organs, and systems struggle, opening the door to various metabolic and age-related illnesses. I’ve written in this blog about how NAD+ helped me overcome a panoply of symptoms, including:
My experience is not unique. I’ve spoken to numerous people, including Dr. She himself, who have overcome age-related aches, pains, and decline. They report greater energy and mental clarity, as well as higher libido and improved sexual performance. But research has also shown that optimizing NAD+ levels can alleviate the symptoms and/or deter the onset of:
PTSD
Insulin resistance
Type II diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Cancer
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s
Based on what I’ve experienced and read over the last several months, I firmly believe that anyone over 35 should be supplementing to optimize their NAD+ levels.
All NAD+ supplements are not created equal
Vitality Boost from Jinfiniti Precision Medicine
Unfortunately, NAD+ is hard to supplement, and not all products or methods are equal. Many are, frankly, a waste of time and money. Dr. She has tested his supplement, Vitality Boost, against other products on the market, and has documented that it is far more effective. It’s also super convenient to take, and is reasonably priced for all the benefits it bestows.
Great news: Get started with NAD for 15 percent off!
You can get started with Vitality Boost for 15 percent off the standard price by using my offer code KevinRush15 at checkout. Just follow this link: Jinfiniti!
If you routinely struggle to get a good night’s sleep, you know how insomnia is undermining your health. Do yourself a tremendous favor and order Vitality Boost today. You’ll be very happy you did.
Disclaimer: The column may contain affiliate links, which help support the website. When you clink on an affiliate link and make a purchase, the website receives a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you for your support.
At this time last year, I was taking two, sometimes three, all-day Loratadine pills a day, but still sneezing my head off, scratching my itchy eyes out, and gargling warm tea in a futile attempt to clear my throat of phlegm. It’s now been eight days since my last pill, and I am virtually symptom free. The only difference I can point to is … three plus months ago, I began supplementing NAD+.
(For the uninitiated, NAD+ is a naturally occurring compound our cells need to perform virtually every task of being a cell, including energy production, respiration, and reproduction. When NAD+ is depleted, as happens when we age, experience trauma or persistent stress, or make unhealthy lifestyle choices, our cells cannot perform properly, and we suffer the consequences, including premature aging and metabolic illnesses. Restoring NAD+ to optimum levels can arrest this decline and restore our vitality. I’ve written about my NAD+ experience previously on this blog, but the disappearance of my allergic symptoms is a new milestone.)
“Oh,” but you’ll say, “isn’t this the holy season of Lent? And haven’t you taken the pledge for the duration? So, maybe it’s the fact that you’ve eliminated alcohol for more than a week?” Perhaps, O Prophet of Prohibition, but I’ve gone dry for extended periods in the past, (voluntarily, not court-ordered) and I’ve never observed any change in the horrendous allergies that oppress me 12 months out of the year. This is clearly different.
Where did these allergies come from anyway?
I was not born with allergies. And as a precocious (also obnoxious) youngster, I neither understood them nor had sympathy for children who suffered from them. Allergies struck me as a sign of weakness, and don’t even get me started on asthma, which I totally regarded as a ‘sissy’ illness. So, it was either poetic justice or divine retribution that in my early teens I developed hay fever. With a vengeance each spring came the hell of itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, congestion, headache, and scratchy throat.
Back in the Jurassic period of my youth, there were no effective OTC allergy treatments, and even the prescription meds were of doubtful efficacy. I was put on Actifed, which might as well have been a sleeping pill. It wasn’t quite the hammer to the head that Benadryl is today, but it was very nap inducing. And the more I took, so it seemed, the more I needed to have any effect on my symptoms.
Actifed made me feel like I was carrying a piano everywhere I went. During high school, I tried to get off it, especially during the allergy off-season (if such a time exists). But invariably I’d wind up at a house party with a feline in residence, and to avoid anaphylaxis, I’d have to beg tabs of Chlor-Trimeton from similarly afflicted friends.
I started acupuncture when I was about 26, which boosted my overall energy and gave me relief from a range of symptoms, including my nasal allergies. For a brief time, I was able to keep the demons at bay with just homeopathic remedies. But the acupuncture was too expensive to keep up, and the symptoms came clawing back, and I went crawling back to my old friend, Actifed.
In the early 1990s, they came out with Seldane, the first of the ‘non-drowsy’ allergy treatments. I was pretty desperate at that point, so I asked a doctor to prescribe it. He refused, because he’d heard of cardiac complications, such as ventricular arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and cardiac death. He recommended continue on Actifed. I went to find a doctor who would prescribe Seldane.
I didn’t have to take Seldane long, before Claritin became an option, and I got clear. Then the generics were released, and the price plummeted. Still, the ‘non-drowsy’ meds were really only ‘less drowsy.’ I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, since the allergies, left untreated, also knocked me out. Remember the Cowardly Lion in the field of poppies? “Come to think of it, 20 winks doesn’t sound so bad…. Zzzzzzzzzz.” The spring pollen dumps, those days when I’d come out to find my white Civic under a yellow crust of plant poison, turned me into an itchy-sneezy zombie.
Only within the last couple of years have I realized that, whereas one pill would relieve the nasal symptoms, but leave me wiped out, a second pill would relieve the allergy induced drowsiness enough that I became functional. After I moved to South Carolina, a new environment notorious for allergens everywhere all the time, I reached the point where I was taking as many as three all-day pills a day!
A couple of weeks ago, as I ingested the last Loratadine pill in my cabinet, I figured I’d better get to the pharmacy quickly. I picked up a two-month supply, but when I got home, I didn’t feel the need to open the package. No sneezing. No itching. I felt better than I had the previous year at the same time, after taking a double dose. So, I put the Loratadine tabs in the cabinet, and I haven’t touched them.
Eight days later, I’m wondering, am I finally clean? I can’t remember the last time I went this long without a torturous flareup. I don’t know if it will last. I remind myself that this is only February. It’s not even vaguely pollen season, and when that hits at the end of March, beginning of April, I may go running to my medicine cabinet, deliriously happy to find the pills I’m ignoring now. But, in this moment, it’s quite a relief to be able to abstain.
Apparently, I’m not alone: NAD+ cured Jimmy’s allergies, too!
After hearing my story, my friend Greta put me in touch with her pal, Jimmy, who’s had a similar experience. At 65 years old, Jimmy was running the customer-facing operations at a high-end steakhouse. Not the kind of position where you’d want sinusitis headaches, watery eyes, and a drippy nose. But Jimmy had severe allergies, which caused such inflammation and nasal congestion that, even on prescription allergy meds, he was going through a box of tissues a day. Because Jimmy has atrial fibrillation and high blood pressure, he can’t OTC decongestants, so he was paying a heavy price for drugs of doubtful efficacy. Like me, Jimmy’s allergies had developed over time, getting progressively worse with age, and haunting him year ‘round.
Then, he found NAD+. After about eight months of NAD+ optimization with Vitality Boost from Jinfiniti Precision Medicine, Jimmy reports that his symptoms have eased up considerably. But not just the allergies. His blood pressure has improved as well, and he has more stamina on the job. That last part is key, since he spends long hours on his feet at the restaurant and claims to cover about six-to-eight walking miles a day.
How does NAD+ treat allergies?
Perhaps the reason science has not developed a cure for allergies is that we still don’t know exactly what causes them. The puzzle seems to involve genetics, environmental triggers, and even human psychology. What we do know is that allergies are an overreactive response to perceived threats to our health. It’s possible that environmental toxins and/or emotional stress put the immune system under the type of strain that flips the switch on allergy genes, and voila !, we become sniffling, sneezing messes.
The problem sort of boils down to a defect in cell-signaling, a function in which NAD+ plays a vital role. It’s possible that the stressers that trigger allergies also deplete NAD+, or perhaps they deplete NAD+ first, which interferes with immune cell signaling, thereby causing the overreaction we call allergy. If so, it makes sense that replenishing intracellular NAD+ would enable healthy signaling and stifle any tendency for our immune system to overreact.
Scientists are exploring the efficacy of NAD+ supplementation in treating allergies and asthma. While it’s too early to declare victory, the early results are promising.
Get started on NAD+ today and recover your vitality!
My vanishing allergies is yet another reason I am sold on Vitality Boost. I’m now an affiliate marketer, and I invite you, dear reader, to recover your youthful vigor with NAD+ supplementation from Jinfiniti Precision Medicine.
Vitality Boost from Jinfiniti Precision Medicine
Enter the offer code kevinrush15 for a 15 percent discount off your first purchase, and 10 percent off every subsequent purchase.
I’ll continue to keep you updated on this blog about my progress and any new NAD+ discoveries. Until then, good luck and good health!
Disclaimer: This column may contain affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, this website receives a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links help support my writing, so your participation is greatly appreciated.
Breakthrough formula restores health and vitality on the cellular level
You may not be aware of this, but a revolution in health sciences is happening, because of discoveries surrounding a compound called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, abbreviated as NAD+. This molecule, as it turns out, is essential for virtually every function of human cells, and not only do we not get enough of it, but aging, stress, and poor lifestyle choices cause a depletion of NAD+ at the cellular level. NAD+ depletion leads to a wide range of metabolic and age-related disorders, including chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue, cancer, and on and on, seemingly ad infinitum.
The good news is that scientists, most notably Dr. Jin-Xiong She in Augusta, Georgia, have developed effective ways to boost intracellular levels of NAD+, thereby restoring youthful vigor and deterring a slew of adult-onset illnesses. Now, if you’re thinking this pitch sounds too good to be true, I can hardly blame you. As a fourth grader reading about Ponce de Leon, I had to laugh at the gullible rube who was searching Florida for the Fountain of Youth. And, as you might have read, I’m appalled by corrupt practices in modern medicine. But when it comes to all-natural methods of improving my health, I’ll try just about anything once. So, three plus months ago, I started taking Dr. She’s NAD+ supplement, Vitality Boost, and am I ever happy I did!
Where did I go wrong?
A little personal background. When I was six, I suffered a nasty whiplash accident that left me with a misaligned spine and a sacrum that was ever-so-slightly out of the socket. My family’s quack doctor said to rest, and I’d been fine. But I wasn’t fine, and he did nothing to help. As a result, I grew up with atrocious posture and sleeping problems that hampered my growth and left me chronically exhausted. I was in fairly constant pain, which fluctuated between dull and excruciating, and I had to deal with ever-increasing metabolic health problems, which included a panoply of allergies, tinnitus, “sinus headaches,” a “nervous stomach,” hypoglycemia, and low-level asthma. I was rarely my best self, underperformed at school, lived under constant stress, and simply didn’t have the energy to pursue my life’s goals.
Now, I don’t want to paint a picture of abject misery. I’ve done a lot in my life and have known a great deal of joy and contentment. And I feel like I’ve earned those moments. I fought for them, exploring every potential avenue to restore my health: chiropractic, Atkins’ diet, cytotoxic four-day rotation diet, nutrient supplementation, meditation, crystals, acupuncture, traditional Chinese herbs, complete abstention from sugar and alcohol, massage therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, and regular exercise. I poured my meager earnings into expensive treatments that for a time allowed me to feel better, before the exhaustion and the pain crept back in. For the amount of exercise I put in, I should have had a chiseled physique, but I never made the progress others made, and pushing my boundaries resulted in exhaustion, inflammation, and more pain.
Chronic pain/fatigue has been my cross to bear. It’s a lighter cross than many others have endured, and for that I’m grateful. But it nevertheless has limited my success personally and professionally. I could recite a litany of times I ended a relationship or made a career change, because I was just too tired to move forward. When I was trying to break in as an actor, a common observation from the agents who interviewed me was, “You need to have more energy.” As a singer, I never fully developed my voice, because the energy I lacked stunted the development of my vocal instrument. As a writer, I’ve had a million stories bouncing around in my head that I just haven’t had the time—make that energy—to put down on paper. So, at age 63, I perceive a huge chasm between my potential, based on an honest assessment of my talent and intelligence, and my accomplishments. Augh, so much spilt milk.
Saved from managed decline by NAD+!
The good news came about four or five months ago, when my friend Greta asked if I wanted to do a little marketing writing for a product she was involved with. At that time, I was feeling every bit of my age. I’d wake up every morning with a song in my heart, but it went something like this:
“Why does everything hurt, hurt, hurt?
Why does everything hurt, hurt, hurt?
Why does every little thing crackle and ping
When I take off my shirt?
It’s a day above dirt,
But why does everything hurt?
Here’s a brief list of the symptoms I was struggling with:
Asthma
Allergies
Brain fog
Lethargy
Insomnia
Peripheral neuropathy
Swollen feet
Inflammation everywhere
Sciatica and piriformis syndrome
Shoulder impingement syndrome
Tinnitus
Neck pain
Restless leg syndrome and night cramps
Afternoon slump a la Rip Van Winkle
I dutifully exercised for an hour each day to keep these symptoms from worsening, but I was clearly managing my decline, not recovering.
So, then Greta introduced me to Dr. Jin-Xiong She, a molecular biologist who had founded Jinfiniti Precision Medicine. Dr. She has been studying cellular functions relative to age-related diseases for decades. His studies confirm that there is one essential nutrient that operates as a cofactor in virtually every cellular function, including the production of energy, a compound called NAD+. People lose NAD+ with age, leading to a decline in our cells’ ability to perform, which opens the door to various maladies. Supplementing NAD+ can restore cellular performance to peak levels, so we build healthier tissues, bones, and organs.
Dr. She also confirmed through his studies that NAD+ is a difficult nutrient to supplement. Because it’s such a large molecule, it does not penetrate the gut barrier, and even if given intravenously, NAD+ is too large to pass through the vacuoles in the cell membranes. Thus, the way to boost NAD+ levels is to supplement the precursor molecules, the building blocks of NAD+, and let them enter the cells where the organelles in the cell will use them to create NAD+. Dr. She claims to have developed the most efficacious NAD+ supplement on the market, and after three months of taking it, I have no reason to doubt him.
Dr. She is a very data driven scientist, so the first thing he wanted to do with me was draw some blood and measure my levels of essential biomarkers. Not surprisingly, my NAD+ level was that of a mid-70s man. The way I figure it, constant stress depleted my levels, and even the strict diet and exercise regimen I’ve been on for decades was not enough to replenish this vital nutrient. I was also deficient in creatine, which could explain the muscle soreness I experienced after exercising, and I had poor biomarkers for inflammation and antioxidant levels. Armed with this information, I started taking Dr. She’s NAD+ supplement, Vitality Boost, along with creatine, anti-inflammatory supplements, and antioxidants.
What three months on Vitality Boost has done
I’m now on my third jar of Vitality Boost, and as I wrote at the beginning, I feel like I’m back in my mid-30s. Now, my mid-30s might translate to a fit individual’s early 50s, but I’ll take it, because here’s what I’m experiencing:
Vastly improved overall energy
Deeper sleep
Allergies are milder
Mental fog gone
Better mood
Tightness in my trapezius and neck during computer work/piano playing greatly diminished
Tenderness in the shoulder greatly diminished
Pain/swelling in my feet and lower legs greatly diminished
Sciatica and piriformis pain barely noticeable
Greater flexibility, greater ability to stretch muscles and hold deep stretches longer
Hardly any muscle soreness after exercise
Easier, quicker workouts
Singing is easier with better airflow, greater range, and more power
This is after only three months. Dr. She says he’s been taking Vitality Boost for two years and is still discovering new benefits.
Is NAD+ real hope for humanity?
In my research, I’ve found that NAD+ optimization is proven or suspected to be beneficial for an incredible number of conditions related to faulty metabolism, genetic mutations, poor neural signaling, and aging, such as:
Addiction
Age-related macular degeneration
Allergies and asthma
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
Autism
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Depression
Female infertility
Insomnia
Low libido
Obesity
PTSD
Type II diabetes and insulin resistance
Now here’s where I offer my disclaimer. Because of my own experience, the mounting hard scientific evidence, and enthusiastic anecdotal testimony, I am sold on Vitality Boost and am excited to share what I know with anyone who could benefit. So, I asked Dr. She to make me an affiliate marketer for Jinfiniti Precision Medicine. I think what Dr. She has accomplished is amazing, and the word has to get out to the public. Just thinking about all the unhealthy, suffering people in this country who could benefit and turn their lives around…it makes my head spin.
Get started on NAD+ today and start feeling younger!
So, I invite you, dear reader, to explore Jinfiniti Precision Medicineand make it your source for NAD+ supplementation. If you decide to make a purchase, enter the offer code kevinrush15 for a 15 percent discount off your first purchase, and 10 percent off every subsequent purchase.
If you are suffering from any sort of systemic illness, you need to give your system the fuel it needs to fight back. And if you’re feeling the decline that comes with age, NAD+ can help you turn back the clock and get a youthful spring back in your step.
I’ll continue to keep you updated on this blog about my progress and any new NAD+ discoveries. Until then, good luck and good health!
Disclaimer: This column may contain affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, this website receives a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links help support my writing, so your participation is greatly appreciated.
As Catholics remember Our Lord’s Passion, we must deeply consider the significance of His Five Wounds
Tomorrow, the Christian world will mourn humanity’s violent abuse of its Savior, the Son of the Living God. Catholics are instructed not to shy away from the gore of history’s most nefarious homicide. Contemplating Christ’s suffering in minute detail is intended to strike our hearts with the contrition necessary to amend our lives to save our souls.
In my adult life, I have embraced the opportunities that Good Friday presents for reflection on this historic event. Christ’s goodness, humankind’s depravity, and my culpability come into sharp focus. The rituals, including meditations on the Seven Last Words, Stations of the Cross, and Veneration of the Cross, are important exercises for making this distant event immediate in our spiritual lives.
But, not everyone can spend three plus hours in Church on a Friday. If you are looking for a novel approach to memorializing Christ’s Passion that will fit into a busy schedule, I offer this Rosary meditation I wrote a few years back. It’s written to be said in a group or family setting, but anyone can do it individually. Knowledge of How to Say the Rosary is a prerequisite.
Good luck and God bless.
Opening prayer
Hold the crucifix:
Leader: Lord, gazing at Your image on the crucifix, I prepare to contemplate Your sacred wounds.
All: Open my heart to a deeper understanding of Your corporal and spiritual suffering freely undertaken for the salvation of my soul.
All: I believe…
On the first large bead:
Leader: “Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” (Matthew 26:48)
All: Lord, grant that my lips shall never betray You.
All: Our Father…
One the first small bead:
Leader: “Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’” (Matthew 26: 69-70)
All: Lord, grant that my lips shall never deny You.
All: Hail Mary…
One the second small bead:
Leader: “When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ And again, he denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.’” (Matthew 26: 71-2)
All: Lord, grant that my lips shall never deny You.
All: Hail Mary…
One the third small bead:
Leader: “A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.’ Then he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know the man!’ And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26: 73-5)
All: Lord, grant that my lips shall never deny You.
All: Hail Mary…Glory Be… Fatima ejaculation (O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls unto heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.)
The First Decade: The Wounds on Jesus’ Back as He Is Scourged at the Pillar
Leader: “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.” (Mark 15: 15)
All: Lord, open my heart, as I contemplate the wounds to Your shoulders and back, willingly suffered at the pillar for my salvation.
Leader: Jesus, You called Your disciples by saying, “Follow me.” Did they study Your back as You walked throughout Galilee? As You climbed to Jerusalem? Did they measure Your shoulders, comparing Your width to their own? You warned, they too would have to “pick up” a cross. Did they picture a cross on Your shoulders and imagine themselves doing the same?
Your suffering at the pillar is prefigured in Your words and deeds. When You said, “Get thee behind me, Satan,” to chastise Peter, You placed the Evil One figuratively at Your back. But it wasn’t until You were securely bound to the pillar that his claws could strike.
When You cleared the Temple of the merchants profaning Your Father’s house, You quickly fashioned a whip out of cords. As our sins are a profanation of our inner temples, scourging is a punishment we have earned. But You have willingly taken that punishment upon Yourself for our sake. And even after the scourging has torn Your shoulders to shreds, You are still determined to bear the cross of our salvation.
The Second Decade: Jesus Receives the Crown of Thorns
Leader: “The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. They began to salute him with, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.” (Mark 15: 16- 20 )
All: Lord, open my heart, as I contemplate the wounds made on Your holy brow.
Leader: Lord, when You were born, wise men gave You a gift of gold, fit for a king. But You set riches aside, choosing to serve rather than be served. As You told a young, would-be disciple, “The Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” That was the burden on Your kingship, as You traveled the countryside in search of the lost sheep of Israel. Then, as Your hour drew close, as You prayed for the strength to do Your Father’s will, You sweat forth drops of blood. That would have been a sufficient crown for a Suffering Servant King. But so that the scriptures might be fulfilled, You submitted to mockery and abuse, even to letting them place a crown of thorns on Your head. Lord, open our hearts to understand how our sins mock Your kingship, wounding Your dignity and ours.
The Third Decade: The Nails Are Driven Through Jesus’ Hands
Leader: “So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.” (John 19: 16 – 18)
All: Lord, open my heart, as I contemplate the wounds made by piercing Your sacred hands.
Leader: Jesus, we imagine the first time You used Your hands, tightly gripping Your mother’s finger as You lay in the manger at Bethlehem. We picture Your hands growing strong under St. Joseph’s tutelage, as You learned to use his carpentry tools. You used Your hands to bless and to heal. Your hands blessed and broke the bread with which You fed the multitudes. Your hands broke the bread and lifted the cup when You instituted the Eucharist. Your hands, kind, strong and open, are now pierced with iron spikes, fixing Your arms to the cross. Lord, help me to understand how my sins frustrate the work of Your hands, and how I might better imitate Your generous actions.
The Fourth Decade: The Nails Are Driven Through Jesus’ Feet
Leader: “When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.” (Luke 23: 33)
All: Lord, open my heart, as I contemplate the wounds of Your pierced feet.
Leader: Lord Jesus, like us, You kicked inside Your mother’s womb. Like us, You had to learn to walk. You took Your first steps in Egypt, and later walked to the Promised Land. During Your three-year ministry, You walked all over Galilee, into Samaria, and down to Judea. You walked on the Sea of Galilee and You climbed the mountain to Jerusalem. You sent Your disciples out on foot, and later humbled Yourself to wash their feet. What was the meaning of that gesture? Of course, You were teaching them to serve, but You were also cleaning the soil of Judea off their feet, signaling that they would walk to the ends of the Earth in answer to Your Great Commission.
Then, on the day of Your Passion, You walked the Via Dolorosa, and climbed uphill to Calvary. By right, we should throw ourselves at your feet, wash them with our tears. But too often, by our words and our deeds, we act as the pagans who nailed your feet to the cross.
Lord, on Calvary, Your feet were pierced and fixed to the wood of the cross. There Your travels ended, or so it seemed. But even crucifixion could not stop You from going where You would, and we know You are with us today.
Leader: “Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken, and they be taken down. So, the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may believe. (John 19: 31 – 35)
All: Lord Jesus, open my heart as I contemplate the wound created when the lance pierced Your side.
Leader: Lord, as we picture the abhorrent violence done to Your sacred heart, within the breast where Saint John just hours before had laid his head, we contemplate the temporal and mystical meaning of this wound. The soldier’s lance pierced Your side, perhaps puncturing the pericardial sac, where fluid had accumulated, and Your heart. Thus was released the clear liquid John describes as water, as well as Your precious blood. In this moment, the prophesy of Zechariah was fulfilled: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born.” (Zechariah 12:10) And again, “there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanliness.” (Zech. 13:1). Lord, help this image of Your final wound elicit our compassion and our heartfelt appreciation for Your saving gifts: the waters of Baptism and the precious blood of Holy Communion flowing for our salvation.
Leader: “The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.’
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, ‘Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’
Let us pray.
All: Lord, grant that by meditating on Your sacred wounds we may come to appreciate the suffering You endured for our salvation, as well as the truth of Your Resurrection. Confirm us in our resolve to repent of our sins and strengthen our faith so that we may ever be steadfast witnesses to Your divine love. Amen.
Leader: O Holy Mother Mary, no witness to Our Lord’s Passion suffered so intimately with Him as did you. Please add your prayers to ours.
Do human flaws make corrupt finance and its fallout inevitable?
This being the holy season of Lent, I’m doing some Catholic reading. But since I’m lazy, I’m avoiding heavy thinkers like Aquinas and Augustine, and focusing on Catholic novelists. (Maybe someday, I can claim to be one.) Of course, there are still some heavy thoughts to be found in fiction, especially in the case of A Canticle for Leibowitz, a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel that suggests mankind may be irredeemable, despite Christ’s best efforts at Calvary. Mankind’s redeemability is a question worth pondering, given the trajectory of society today. And as I watch my 401(k) dissolve by a few more percentage points each day, while reports of bank failures suggest worse times to come, I wonder if we couldn’t ask that question about the custodians of our financial system. Are our banks run by irredeemable scoundrels, so addicted to risk-taking and loose stewardship that neither regulations, nor market forces, nor memories of catastrophes past, nor simple human decency can persuade them to operate on a sound basis? First, the book.
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel, 1961
A Canticle for Leibowitz is what’s known as a “fix-up” novel, meaning that portions had been published as short works of fiction and the author later fit them into a larger, cohesive story. Leibowitz was published in October 1959 by J. B. Lippincott & Co. and won author Walter M. Miller Jr. the Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 1961. Though it got mixed reviews at the time of its release, Leibowitz has come to be regarded as one of the great science fiction novels of the 20th century.
Leibowitz tells the story of Earth, starting six hundred years after a devastating nuclear war reduced the landscape to radioactive rubble. Part One, entitled Fiat Homo, meaning “let there be man,” introduces us to this world through the eyes of a community of Catholic monks whose monastery survived the war. Suggesting a parallel to monastic life just after the Fall of Rome, the monks are trying to preserve scraps of writings, which they call Memorabilia, for posterity. Much of what they hold sacred, such as engineering schematics, they do not understand. But the monks hope that when mankind recovers its learning, scholars will be able to unlock the knowledge of the past. The world of Fiat Homo is primitive, savage and tribal.
Part two, Fiat Lux (meaning “let there be light”) jumps 500 years or so into the future to show us a world entering its renaissance, with rudimentary technology, such as electric arc lamps, being developed. Warlords have formed nation-states, and the church serves as a moral authority, though enlightened minds and ambitious monarchs are chomping at the bit, agitating to be free from the old superstitions.
Part three, Fiat Voluntas Tua (meaning “Thy will be done”) shows us the monastery 600 years hence, during the new nuclear age. In fact, the world is on the brink of nuclear war. “How can this be?” the sane mind demands. Didn’t mankind learn anything from bombing itself back to the Stone Age once already? Hasn’t the miserable 18-century climb out of the muck impressed upon world leaders the need to preserve peace? Must we repeat the cycle, dooming our posterity to needless centuries of misery, if some shred of humanity is even able to survive this time? Are pride, vanity, greed, cowardice, and ambition so ingrained in the human psyche that we are incapable of prudently managing the power of the atom so we don’t destroy ourselves? I won’t give the ending away, but…y’know.
A run on the 19th Ward Bank at 242 East 86th Street, New York City, 1911.
Which brings me to the current state of our financial sector. Wasn’t the housing crisis enough? Wasn’t the needless destruction of trillions of dollars of accumulated wealth enough? Wasn’t giving Obama the excuse to raid the national treasury on the false promise of “shovel ready jobs” enough? Wasn’t the imposition of more onerous regulations enough? Wasn’t the needless suffering of hundreds of millions of Americans enough to convince these cretins to adopt prudent fiscal policies? I won’t give the ending away, but…y’know.
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