Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Aspartame Kills

OK…I am an Insulin Dependent Diabetic and have been for the last 20-years. Recently I have had several major eye surgeries in both eyes due to what the doctors said was Diabetic Retinopathy. I was nearly blind 4-years ago, now I can at least see out of one eye and the other eye is blurry and distorted but better than it was. I have lost my peripheral vision in both eyes forever. I have artificial lenses implanted in both eyes; there is nothing else the doctors can do for my eyes! I accepted this as complications from Diabetes.

Recently; however, I have found out that there is an ingredient in Diet Coke called Aspartame. After doing research on this ingredient I have discovered that many of my problems relate to this. I am beginning to wonder if it was the Aspartame that caused my eye problems and not the Diabetes. Why are the doctors not aware of Aspartame poisoning? Why do the doctors recommend drinking Diet Coke when it is hazardous to your health?

Since weaning myself off Diet Coke over the last few months, I feel much better. I now sleep through the night instead of having insomnia. I do not have muscle cramps in my legs and feet anymore. The ache I constantly had in my shoulder area has gone away. I have much more energy now.

I switched to Diet Coke 20-years ago because I found out I had Diabetes and the sugar in regular Coke was bad for me. Surprise, surprise, Diet Coke turned out to be much worse! By the way, Aspartame is also an ingredient in Sugar-Free Certs. Over the last two decades, I have consumed countless gallons of Diet Coke and mountains of Sugar-Free Certs both recommended to me by doctors and dieticians! I have been poisoning myself all of this time. Unfortunately, it is too late for my eyesight; I only hope that by giving up Aspartame I can still save the rest of my body.

Do yourself a favor, read the labels and stay away from Aspartame! Here is a support group where you can find more information on Aspartame. Aspartame Group at Yahoo.

North Carolina Gets Lottery

Finally...North Carolina is going to get a lottery! We have been the only state on the East Coast to not have a lottery. Therefore, our fine citizens of North Carolina have been crossing state lines for years and spending their money in our neighboring states for lottery tickets.

This will keep our hard earned dollars here in our own state and hopefully the money will go to Education like it is supposed to. This is the "Bible Belt" and that has been the reason for opposing the lottery for so many years.

OK, I read The Bible and I agree that excessive gambling is a sin. But I don't think buying an occasional lottery ticket is a sin. I would like to hear your comments on this issue. Maybe, if someone is spending their food and rent money on lottery tickets that's a different story. What do you think?

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Do you believe in Angels?

Do You Believe in Angels? I certainly do. Following is a true story, this happened to me many years ago when I was around 8-years old. An edited version of this story was published in the Jan./Feb 2004 issue of "Angels on Earth Magazine".

Please respond to this post.

Skating on Thin Ice By: Mike Marinaro

The Oil Mill Pond was a large pond not far from our house. On one end was a dam, which was a truly beautiful site in the winter as the waterfall glistened in the sunlight and the rocks far below were covered in a sheet of ice. It wasn’t safe to skate too close to the dam because the water was constantly running there and the ice was very thin. I was about to discover just how thin the ice was and how very deep and cold the water was at this end of the pond!


I loved to look down at the ice as I glided across the smooth and glassy surface. In some spots I could see how thick the ice actually was. There were cracks and bubbles that formed interesting patterns underneath. It seemed as if everyone was crowded in the center of the pond where a hockey game was being played so I headed off towards the dam. I enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing in my face as I picked up speed and raced across the ice.

Before too long it started to snow, just light flurries, but enough to lay a beautiful coat of white over the ice. I could skate around in circles and see the tracks in the snow from my skates. It was fun to make figure eights and other intricate patterns. The sounds of the crowd soon faded away, and the only thing I could hear was the scraping noise my skates made cutting into the ice.

Suddenly, there was another noise that sent shivers down my spine, a loud cracking sound! I looked up and realized that I had not been paying attention and had ventured too close to the dam. The ice was cracking beneath me; I could feel it giving way right under my feet! I turned and tried to skate towards shore but it was too late! My world exploded violently as the ice opened and swallowed me! It was a real shock as my body hit the freezing cold water and I sank like a rock to the bottom of the pond! That was over forty-five years ago but I can still remember it vividly like it was only yesterday! I will never forget that feeling of helplessness as I looked up towards the surface and could not see the hole I had fallen through!

Time seemed to slow down and run in slow motion as I sank to the bottom of the pond. I looked up and at first I could see the circle of broken ice with the sun shining through. But as I went down deeper the circle became smaller and smaller and the sunlight faded into a tiny beam of light. Then there was only darkness! Everything was pitch-black! I felt my feet hit the muddy bottom and I prayed for help. My instinct was to start swimming and hope that I could find the opening again. I could feel my body getting numb from the cold, my ears felt like they were made of ice and would shatter if I touched them! I was wearing a pair of gloves but they were soaked through and I could hardly move my fingers at all! I held my breath as long as I could but my lungs felt like they were about to burst!

Just then when I thought I wouldn’t last another second, I felt someone tapping me on the shoulder and heard a soft voice saying, “Don’t panic Mike, everything is going to be alright.” I spun around to see who was there but could see nobody at all. “Don’t try to swim, or you will lose your way. Just push your feet into the bottom and you will shoot straight up to the surface”, said the mysterious voice.

I pushed myself upward with all of my might and hoped that I would indeed find the hole, which seemed miles above me. “Trust me, I am here to help you”, I heard as I shot up from the bottom. Then a flash of bright light blinded me and I broke through to the surface gasping for air! I splashed around and tried to yell out for help but nothing would come out. I couldn’t believe that no one had seen me fall through the ice. What was I going to do now; every time I tried to pull myself up onto the ice another piece would break away. I thrashed around in the bone-chilling water for what seemed like an eternity.

My situation was getting worse as I neared exhaustion. Then for the second time that day a miracle happened. I was being lifted out of the icy cold water and helped onto the ice by someone I could not see! I can only assume that this was an angel sent to watch over me in my time of need. I tried to talk but still could not get any words to come out. I crawled to the shore and just laid there for awhile shivering and trying to recuperate. Again I heard a voice softly whispering in my ear, “I will go and find someone to help you”. The next thing I know, there was a crowd of people standing around me covering me with coats and asking me what had happened. Everything started to spin around and get blurry, and then I must have passed out.

I am absolutely positively sure about what happened that day and I believe without a doubt that it was an angel who pulled me from the icy water and saved my life!

Looking back on that near-death experience I noticed that I became more self-confident and less shy after that day. Up until then I had always been an introvert and did not make friends very easily. However, I now had a new found sense of well being and felt like I could handle any situation! After all, I had my very own angel to watch over me!

I was only eight years old when this happened but it is still fresh in my mind. Many times since then I have thought about that day and wondered if it was only another person who pulled me out of the water, or if it was really an angel. After decades of pondering this question I am convinced that it was indeed an angel who rescued me. There is no way that someone could have crawled out on that thin ice without also falling through!

The amazing thing about that fateful day that still sends shivers up and down my spine every time I recall it is that there were no other footprints in the freshly fallen snow. Just one set of skate tracks leading to the hole in the ice! Do I believe in angels – you bet I do!

Crazy North Carolina Drivers

OK...here's something that drives me crazy about North Carolina drivers! They do not seem to know what an on-ramp is for on the highway.

The object of the on-ramp is to allow you to merge into the traffic flow on the highway. This means that you should look over your shoulder and adjust your speed accordingly as you merge on to the highway. It DOES NOT mean that you should stop at the end of the on-ramp and wait for an opening! What part of merge do we not understand?

Monday, August 29, 2005

Cell Phones

What did we ever do before the invention of cell phones? I never thought I needed a cell phone but since I finally have one of my own I must admit I am lost without it! If I leave home and forget my cell phone, I will have to turn around and go back to get it!
I do have a few pet peeves about cell phones though so here are the Top Ten:


  • People talking on cell phones in a restaurant.

  • Hearing someone’s cell phone ring in the movie theater, or worse yet someone answering their cell phone during a movie!

  • Talking on the cell phone while driving and not paying attention to the road.

  • Cell phones ringing during meetings.

  • Cell phones ringing at church.

  • Talking on a regular phone and a cell phone at the same time.

  • Stupid rings that people download for their cell phones.

  • Why do I need a phone at home if my wife and I both have cell phones?

  • Where do all my unused minutes go to?

  • How the heck do I get my messages off of my cell phone anyway?

  • However, after all is said and done, cell phones are a great invention, especially for traveling and for emergencies. I never leave home without my cell phone.

    Welcome to the Marinaro Family Blog


    Here's a great place to keep in touch or just rant and rave if you like. You can visit our family website at: mmarinaro.com . I hope to see lots of posts here from our family, friends and even strangers. Talk to you soon.

    Mike Marinaro