The Tesla and the environment, guest blogger Michael Smith

“For what must be the millionth time, I just ended a discussion with a leftist acquaintance in a frustrating and disappointing manner.

There was a particular local situation, one of which we were in violent agreement that doing something was needed. The position my acquaintance was that while we agreed something needed to be done, every workable solution proposed was rejected with the position of "Something needs to be done, just not that."

Her proposed solution was the most unrealistic, unworkable and fairy tale action imaginable - but it made her feel good, so that was on what she based her support.

We ended a similar discussion last week when she asked me when I was going to get rid of my carbon emitting pickup.

Predictably, I replied "When I want a newer one."

I then asked her if she understood the ethical and environmental damage necessary to construct her Tesla - she, like many of her camp, drive these EV's around town thinking they are the leaders in saving the environment without realizing that the cobalt used in her car battery had a real chance of coming from a mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where child labor (as young as 4 years old) is exploited or that nickel mining and refining are especially dangerous to the environment, especially when you consider that a significant amount comes from countries significantly less concerned about the environment than the US. I also noted that the rare earth metals critical to battery production likely came from a strip mine in China where environmental protection doesn't even make the list of priorities.

I asked her if she knew that it was a near certainty the electricity she used was generated by fossil fuels as over 70% of Utah's electricity is generated by coal burning power plants and that even if it was wind generated, the carbon cost to construct and then decommission a windmill (they are burying the fiberglass blades in landfills) is far more than it saves over its operational life.

I told her about a study by the US Energy Information Agency that indicates widespread adoption of electric vehicles nationwide, when compared to the current internal combustion production (which produces about 1% of the pollution of the cars of the 1960's), will likely air pollution.

Yet she still rides the moral high horse because she chooses to ignore the total cost of her decisions. Apparently saving the planet means that you do things that make you feel good and you just can't be too concerned about what damage your feel-good emotions do "over there".

Most of this crap is just to make wealthy white suburbanites (who can afford such things) feel good about themselves without actually accomplishing a damn thing.

As Reagan said, "...they just know so much that isn't so."”

https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/?

Everyone around you is grieving. Go easy.

"Unless anyone passing by looked deeply into my bloodshot eyes or noticed the occasional break in my voice and thought enough to ask, it’s not like they’d have known what’s happening inside me or around me. They wouldn’t have had any idea of the gaping sinkhole that had just opened up and swallowed the normal life of the guy next to them in the produce section."  John Pavlovitz https://johnpavlovitz.com/2019/02/21/everyone-around-you-is-grieving-go-easy/?

I thought similar thoughts this past week as we watched and waited with our son who has brain cancer.  The temporary assistant pastor at Phil’s church who has been visiting him—her husband died 8 months ago, and her tenderness and caring helps her grieve.  Our own Pastor Dave who came to the hospital through the terrible fog to pray with us the morning of surgery—both his own son and grandson, child of another son, died the summer of 2018. A friend from high school days who came to the hospital to see Phil who is going through a painful divorce—the death that never ends.  My cousin Gayle who faithfully ministers to a small group of women who are prayer warriors and whose husband died after a long illness. My neighbors who are struggling with this same disease in their 33 year old daughter-in-law, mother of 2 toddlers. Adrienne, my long time library colleague and coffee buddy who had hip surgery this week and is caring for her husband who has Parkinson’s Disease.  Sweet Annie and dear Sonja, both battling different forms of cancer in their 40s whose parents (my age) have to stand aside and let them decide. My sister-in-law at 83 driving her husband to dialysis 3 times a week and watching him change before her eyes.

Everyone is grieving.  Just be kind.

“Parents whose children are terminally ill.
Couples in the middle of divorce.
People grieving loss of loved ones and relationships.
Kids being bullied at school.
Teenagers who want to end their lives.
People marking the anniversary of a death.
Parents worried about their depressed teenager.
Spouses whose partners are deployed in combat.
Families with no idea how to keep the lights on.
Single parents with little help and little sleep.”

With a little help from friends

We'll be heading to the hospital in a few hours to visit our son  as he continues down (up?) the difficult road after brain surgery on Tuesday. We've been overwhelmed with the prayers and kindness of his friends, our friends and total strangers. A neighbor I don’t know well just dropped by with a quiche for supper.  It is a huge comfort!

So I want to tell you a story from way back--maybe 1987, don't remember for sure. As the mother of teens, so close in age and so beautiful people used to think they were twins, I was at my wit's end and couldn't pray. So in addition to feeling like a total failure as a mother, I assumed I wasn't being a very good Christian either. No prayer could slip pass my clenched teeth.

At church one Sunday I ran into Judy Gibeaut and in about 30 seconds summed up my rage and frustration. She gave me a hug, told me not to worry about praying, that she'd do it for me so I could just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. I think she did call it intercessory prayer, but whatever she said, I've never forgotten it.

I'm not doing much praying since October 1 when this hit us like a ton of bricks, so we're relying on others. After so many years of Sunday worship, baptisms, Bible school, Sunday School, funerals and weddings, I think I've got the "Lord's Prayer" [Our Father] down pat--not very good at memorizing. Tertullian, 2nd-3rd century theologian, wrote that the Our Father was a summary of the Gospel so we can cover a lot of territory with that!  https://sites.google.com/site/aquinasstudybible/home/matthew-commentary/tertullian-on-the-our-father

Guardian angels

Friday morning I was reviewing Bible and extra-biblical writing on guardian angels. We certainly are calling on them today. We know Phil has one –I  remember about 7-8 years ago his car explosion and he had jumped out of the car after someone in a white vehicle pulled up behind him and yelled, “ you're on fire,” then left. Then boom. It went up in flames.

There's a beautiful hymn/poem in the book of Daniel when the three men are being saved from the fire. Unfortunately, that lovely passage is not in the Protestant Bible, so you'll have to look on-line if you don't have a Catholic or Orthodox Bible. See Daniel 3:26-90. At verse 46, "Now the king's men who had thrown them in continued to stoke the furnace with brimstone, pitch, tow, and faggots. The flames rose 49 cubits above the furnace, and spread out, burning the Chaldeans nearby. But the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace, and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. The first in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm. Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God: [and the hymn continues]

But I also like my friend Sonja Ness' method. She has named her tumors, "Gertie and the 3 blind mice" and enjoys watching them diminish as they are attacked by chemo (and probably her guardian angel who is guiding her treatment team). So using the angel example in Exodus 23:20-23 I'll name the tentacles of Phil's tumor, "My angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites; and I will wipe them out."

Guardian angels aren't just for Hallmark cards. Nor are they cute, sweet and plump with feathery wings. They are strong and powerful like the one who came to Mary (Hail, Mary) to announce the coming of Jesus or the one who greeted the women at the Tomb. They have a long tradition in the church. Saint Basil the Great (d. 378) taught that "each and every member of the faithful has a Guardian angel to protect, guard, and guide them through life." St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) wrote, "these celestial spirits have been placed at our sides to protect us, instruct us, and to guide us." Billy Graham wrote a book about angels and called them God's secret agents. Then there was a 19th century Dutch Calvinist, Abraham Kuyper, who also was a fan of angels (also wrote about demons and miracles) and describes their powers. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/kuyper/greater.x.html

A phrase attributed to St. Augustine, "“We cannot pass our guardian angel's bounds, resigned or sullen, he will hear our sighs.”

It’s going to get even more nasty—guest blogger Michael Smith

“Mittens and Low Energy Jeb opine about what a nasty person Trump is and that he did something that they would never, never do.

Know what they also never, ever did?

Win.

Romney didn't win the presidency from Obama because he mistakenly thought niceness counted. Spoiler alert - it didn't. No style points awarded.

Lil' Jebbie couldn't even gather enough lift to get the nomination, much less win the Oval Office.

Look at how badly Romney was treated when he ran. On the floor of the Senate, Harry Reid claimed Mitt hadn't paid taxes in a decade. Romney allegedly hazed a gay kid in 1965, hair raped him with a pair of scissors and caused his suicide 40 years later. Bain Capital, Romney's old firm, caused a woman's cancer and cut her insurance two years after he left, none of which happened but the Democrats still aimed he was responsible. He drove across the country with the family dog strapped to the roof of the family station wagon. He thought women should be kept in "binders".

Low Energy Jeb's neocon bro, Dub, was called a drunkard, a dunce, a racist, a warmonger, pretty much every name in the book. Cindy Sheehan camped outside his Texas home for 6 years.

And remember the differences in what Obama, Schumer and Pelosi said at John McCain's funeral as compared to what they said during the 2008 presidential campaign. Either McCain had a twin or those three stooges are rank hypocrites.

Romney and Lil' Jebbie are idiots to think this is just political and not personal - because it is both political AND personal. To a Democrat, there is no difference between the two.

And that is why you have to fight the way they fight.

General George S. Patton said that "No dumb bastard ever won a war by going out and dying for his country. He won it by making some other dumb bastard die for his country."

I think we are about to see the nastiest election season of our lifetimes. Generally, the worst ever is thought to be the 1828 election contest between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams - but 2020 is looking back and saying "Hold muh beer..."

The Democrats have set the rules of engagement and those ROE's are "weapons free".”

National Brain Tumor Society

News, information, research, blog.

On Tuesday our son had several seizures, went to the ER, had a CT scan and MRI and by Wednesday we knew he had a brain tumor. A new chapter in our lives.  We had lunch together on Saturday in our old neighborhood and there were no signs of a problem.  Life changes quickly.  Don’t waste your opportunities.

Interesting video of a brain tumor patient with a sense of humor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG0Khy5751Y

There is no impeachment at this time

“Moreover, there are no subpoenas. As Secretary Pompeo observed in his fittingly tart response on Tuesday, what the committee chairmen issued was merely a letter. Its huffing and puffing notwithstanding, the letter is nothing more than an informal request for voluntary cooperation. Legally, it has no compulsive power. If anything, it is rife with legal deficiencies.

The Democrats, of course, hope you don’t notice that the House is not conducting a formal impeachment inquiry. They are using the guise of frenetic activity by several standing committees — Intelligence, Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, Oversight and Reform, Financial Services, and Ways and Means — whose normal oversight functions are being gussied up to look like serious impeachment business.”

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/464140-ignore-the-hype-this-is-not-an-impeachment-inquiry?

October is Domestic Violence Month

For 40 years, October has been National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so be nice--it's for men, women, same-sex couples, teens, etc. We also have VAWA, or Violence Against Women Act, drafted by handsy, hair smelling, Ukraine visiting Joe Biden in 1991 and signed in 1994 by President Clinton, who lost his license to practice law because of the law suit by Paula Jones bringing on the impeachment when he lied under oath about the assault.

Republicans have had bad press about VAWA because they've failed to renew it due to Democrats stuffing it with all sorts of things like special visas for illegals who are victims of domestic violence (wow, can you imagine how that would be incentive to file a false claim) and special prosecution for male native Americans. And LGBTQ has been added, even though by adding men some time back to the law, the funding has not followed to protect men from aggressive women.

Funding? Oh yes. Big bucks for lots of organizations. The violence will never decrease because the grants would decrease, so it will just be redefined, or more victims will be added to the list. Don't know the amount right now but it was over $1.6 billion 25 years ago. The Office of Violence Against Women has 95 positions and gets over half a million! Obama added some more groups to get points with women. Since 1994, campus violence, elder abuse and tribal violence have been added to assure a strong pipeline of funding.

Special needs adults also enjoy a good workout

I don't see many adults with Down Syndrome these days. Pre-natal testing has reduced their chances of surviving in the womb, along with the culture of death promoted by many in our culture. (Like Obama's advisor, Zeke Emanuel, a so called ethicist. He believes people my age shouldn’t be using up resources.) But there is one young woman who comes to the fitness center where I exercise in the morning, and with a trainer, has a great time. She works hard, follows his instructions, and he is rewarded with her great smile and laugh. After the workout he walks her to the door and waits there with her until her mother picks her up. It's just beautiful. Today I told him how much I appreciated seeing them together. He told me he used to coach a Special Olympics team, and loved it.

Abortions for babies with Down Syndrome are not has high as thought 20 years ago, and those statistics were based on Europe. In the U.S. we do not have a data base for this, but the latest research show it is 30%, and that varies with race and ethnicity. It is highest among Asian Americans at 61%.

https://lozierinstitute.org/new-study-abortion-after-prenatal-diagnosis-of-down-syndrome-reduces-down-syndrome-community-by-thirty-percent/

There are loving parents waiting to adopt a child with Down Syndrome, so if you know of a mom who is not prepared to parent and has received this diagnosis, put her in touch with https://www.ndsan.org/.

I noticed this comment from 2013 at that site:

My sweet angel, Colleen, was born on 7 March 1991. She was Down Syndrome, and had severe health problems since birth.

When she was born, I had no idea what the name “Down Syndrome” meant. But 22 years later, I know it means “Unconditional Love”! She taught me and my 2 older children so much about love, caring, acceptance and being grateful for the little blessings in life. Twice in her life the Lord used her to save 2 women who were ready to commit suicide! And she did not even realize what was happening. Her pure love changed their lives forever!

Colleen passed away on the 12 th July this year, in ICU, due to multiple organ failure. A huge part of my heart died with her. She was the single most precious blessing in my life

My friend Sonja and her cancer blog

She’s rounding the bend, can see the end of her chemo.  It’s been a tough battle. http://sonjaness.com/milestone-day-last-day-of-embracing-the-suck-of-ac-chemo/

Annual Fall Conestoga Bus Trip

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, traveling to Ted Lewis Museum, Green Lawn Abbey and Orange Johnson House Museum
As part of Conestoga’s focus this year on the Ohio History Fund, this bus tour will travel to three sites that have received support from the Fund. Ted Lewis drew standing-room-only houses, sold millions of records, and captured the hearts of audiences for five decades. Some of his hits included “When My Baby Smiles At Me,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” and his signature routine, “Me and My Shadow.” At our first stop, we’ll tour the museum dedicated to Lewis’ life and career in his hometown of Circleville. Green Lawn Abbey in Columbus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its fine Palladio-inspired neoclassical architecture and expert craftsmanship. Our stop will include a guided tour of the building’s interior, which has undergone significant restoration. The Orange Johnson House Museum enables visitors to step back into 19th century Worthington – into one of the oldest residences standing in its original location in central Ohio. Surrounded by period furnishings, our guides will describe the everyday pursuits of Worthington’s early 19th century settlers. At each stop we’ll learn how the Ohio History Fund made a difference in these three very different, but equally significant, historical projects. Joining us on the trip will be Andy Verhoff, Coordinator of the Fund. (Please note: The second floors of the Green Lawn Abbey and Orange Johnson House are accessible by stairs only.)

Update: We had to cancel our plans for this trip because our son's surgery was on October 8.

The cost of walking away for Linda

“Leaving the Democratic Party has not been easy. It's not been just like going to the voting booth and closing that curtain and voting privately. It has cost many people family and relationships. That's how much the liberals hate President Trump. They don't have a clue that it isn't President Trump drawing us away, but rather their disgusting behavior pushing us away. That's what it was for me.

When I saw Hilary Clinton on the platform with all those other celebrities calling themselves Nasty Women, I changed parties after being a Democrat almost 40 years. I didn't want to be identified with them . . .especially after all of the other things Hilary Clinton had done.

It's difficult at times. It has caused alienation from so many members of my family. We still talk when we see each other, but are no longer close. You wouldn't think that it was possible, but that is how deeply the hatred runs for President Trump through the liberals. My two daughters have stopped talking to me at times. And the thing is . . I don't discuss politics with them. They will hear something the President did and get angry with me because I voted for him. It's "all my fault."  . . . Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but I believe the Republican Party is on the right side. The Republican Party protects the life of unborn babies and so far, they have protected our constitutional rights to own a gun. Also, they believe in closed borders. I've never regretted that I walked away.”

Call me slow. . .

We attend a liturgical service at our Lutheran Church—and we’re in the North American Lutheran Synod, which is conservative and pulled out of the ELCA maybe nine years ago. We’ve been in the same congregation but 3 synods in 45 years.   But it’s the same wording for Confession and Forgiveness and we say it every Sunday. I don’t think the informal/contemporary service use this Confession.

“. . . We confess that without Christ (that’s just been added recently) we are in bondage to sin and we cannot free ourselves.  We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.  We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.  For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.  Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk inn Your ways, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.”

I looked through the 1930 hymnal and with the exception of the archaic thees and thous it’s similar.  However, I notice there is no contrition (repentance, turning away from sin) expected on the part of the believer, no promise or even a suggestion that she’ll change.  How could that be? I know the words of the hymn, Jesus did it all, but I have no responsibility to even try to not sin?

If I borrow your truck and it has half a tank of gasoline, and I return it to you empty, I say, “Oh I’m so sorry, couldn’t find a gas station,” or “I ran out of time” or “I didn’t have enough money”—something like that.  Then next week I borrow it again, and again return it empty, telling you, “Gosh I’m so sorry,” but make up an excuse even more lame.  Then the 3rd week I do it again, but just say, “Forgive me for the empty tank,” and leave it at that.

Even in the Lord’s Prayer, the one Jesus taught, the believer asks the Lord to forgive our trespasses, and then says “as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Ka-boom. A sign of change.  We have to forgive if we expect forgiveness.

University of Illinois record enrollment

Congratulations on the record breaking enrollment at U. of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.  https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/802663?  Enrollment was about 20,000 when I started in 1958, and I think the cost was about $1,000 year. It was about a 4 hour drive for my parents who lived in Mt. Morris, and it was up to me to get a ride home for holidays.

I lived in a private dorm owned by the Y right in the middle of the action, McKinley Hall on Wright St.   https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2003/10/54-how-to-find-roommate-who-doesnt.html   I found a website for the YWCA in C-U down the street from the old McKinley Hall, but now it's just bogged down in day to day SJW missions and intersectional causes. It's actually where I met my cousin Chuck Ballard when we got together so he could give me a ride home. I think he was a senior--and incredibly handsome.

William B. McKinley was an Illinois millionaire, business owner and politician (not the president of the U.S.) and I went to a McKinley Presbyterian church down the street (visited website of the foundation--same SJW), and was sick in the McKinley Hospital now a health center, taught Spanish at Urbana high school that had McKinley Field, and walked on McKinley Avenue. https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2003/11/67-ghost-of-william-b.html

Like the wealth of many 19th and 20th century millionaires which built so many schools, churches, colleges, orphanages, funded orchestras, etc., today the source is ignored and they don't even mention his name, or capitalism, on their websites

My Sirius 3 month freebie

My new car comes with a 3 month free subscription to Sirius.  I’d really like to try it, but all the ways they have for getting me set up involved a smart phone. I’ve got my ID number but it won’t work.  So when the chat lady signs in I pull the old, “I’m 80 years old and I don’t text” routine.  I also don’t carry my computer in the car with me to follow their over complex on-line instructions.

I need someone’s 12 year old grandchild.

This should be taken care of before you leave the lot.  That’s a tip.

I’m enjoying the keyless entry and start.  Wish I could do that for the front door when I’m carrying in groceries.

Domestic Violence

"On Friday, the president issued the proclamation of October 2019 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In the official statement, he said, “Domestic violence erodes this environment, leaving many Americans in potentially life-threatening situations. As a Nation, we must resolve to have zero tolerance for acts of domestic violence.” He added that, over the past fiscal year, the administration has made $8 billion available to provide aid and service to victims and survivors, “These services assist more than 2 million domestic violence victims annually, helping individuals and families heal from physical and psychological wounds.”

He concluded, “This month, we strengthen our resolve to ensure homes are places of refuge, comfort, and protection — and not places of fear and abuse. We renew our commitment to support and protect victims, hold perpetrators accountable, and prevent violence before it starts. We strive to eliminate domestic violence in all its horrific forms in order to sustain the hope of a better life for victims and to foster safer homes and relationships for all Americans.”" Daily Prayer Briefing.

In 1989 Congress passed Public Law 101-112, officially designating October of that year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Such legislation has been passed each year since. Although most of the violence is against women, 1/4 is against men, and somewhere I read that the rate of domestic violence is the highest in lesbian relationships (mainly psychological and verbal). Statistics on this seem quite squishy to me, with "intimate partner" or "dating" apparently folded into "domestic" (which implies sharing a residence). One site pointed out more women were victims of homicide (domestic violence) than all the lives lost by our military in the middle east wars.

Ryan, Romney, Nadler and Schiff 4 peas in a pod

The panic is building in both parties; Trump has completely upset the gentlemen's agreement that was Washington DC. Ryan and Romney are flummoxed. What will be the next impeachment staged play starring the vaudeville team of Nadler and Schiff? Where is the next woman hiding who remembers Kavanaugh from 30 years ago? What will be the next Democrat candidate carrot--free cars for everyone? Two ponies for every child? All high school students get an automatic PHD and guaranteed government think tank job? Free tummy tucks and eye-lid lifts for anyone over 45--why should only the rich benefit?

Quid pro quo or Quid pro Joe?

The “Ukraine Quid Pro Quo Impeachment” story is collapsing so fast that trying to keep up with all the developments is like trying to provide real-time play-by-play of an empty building being imploded with TNT.  Mike Huckabee

It’s fascinating to watch two or three points of view on this.  If you watch Mark Levin or listen to Rush Limbaugh, you’d think all the Democrats are total idiots, scum with nothing to do but set traps.  Then if you catch one of the alphabet broadcasts, or CNN talking heads, they have Trump all but out of office and in jail.  Yet they are all looking at the same documents, watching the same hearings.

 https://www.mikehuckabee.com/latest-news?id=AF4B0305-8E8A-4A2A-BB56-8817F425D8B2&s=TTS7

The new development in this story is that ABC actually retracted their fake news instead of doubling down on it, which puts them a rung above many other media outlets on the journalistic integrity ladder.

 https://www.westernjournal.com/abc-forced-issue-correction-big-ukraine-story-crumbles/

Why Donna left the Democrats—she didn’t—they left her

“Today I was asked why I moved politically, from center left, too hard right. My response was, I didn’t move. Nothing about my political belief system has changed. I still have a live and let live approach to life. I still believe who you sleep with or marry is your own business. I still believe in equality for all. I still believe the 2nd amendment is what levels the playing field and keeps us safe from threats both internal and external. I still have no religious beliefs but aren’t bothered by yours. I still believe social programs are vital but abused. I haven’t changed, they have.

They went from live and let live, to live the way I want you to or not at all. They decided equality isn’t really what they’re asking for now. Equality almost always equals some sort of special treatment they feel they’re owed and rarely has anything to do with equal treatment. They decided that there’s something inherently wrong with me because I was born white and I’m somehow responsible for every evil deed any white person throughout history has ever committed but will receive none of the credit for any of the accomplishments, not that I’d be any more deserving of accolades for someone else Accomplishments then I am for blame for their misdeeds. They have constantly and repeatedly over the years claim they are not trying to take away our guns while trying to take away our guns one baby step at a time. They have become the party of bullying, name-calling, harassment, and absolutely no tolerance for anything that doesn’t fit their agenda.

Nothing about me has changed.”

Cacao vs. cocoa

I ran out of Hersey’s 100% cacao yesterday and when I stopped at Marc’s where I usually shop, it didn’t have any, so I picked up Baker’s 100% cocoa.  Today I looked up the difference, and as I thought the cacao and cocoa aren’t not the same.  It’s in the processing which destroys many of the antioxidants.  Also the cocoa, even dark, has over twice the fat content of the cacao, according the the labels.

https://blog.paleohacks.com/cacao-vs-cocoa/#

So I’ll have to swing by another store and look for the cacao.  But the cocoa, the article says, is better for baking, which I rarely do anymore.

“What Are The Health Benefits Of Raw Cacao?

• Lowers insulin resistance

• Protects your nervous system: Cacao is high in resveratrol, a potent antioxidant also found in red wine, known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system

• Shields nerve cells from damage

• Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease

• Reduces your risk of stroke

• Reduces blood pressure

• Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease: The antioxidants found in cacao help to maintain healthy levels of Nitric Oxide (NO) in the body. Although NO has heart benefiting qualities, such as relaxing blood vessels and reducing blood pressure, it also produces toxins. The antioxidants in cacao neutralizes these toxins, protecting your heart and preventing against disease.

• Guards against toxins: as a potent antioxidant, cacao can repair the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. In fact cacao contains far more antioxidants per 100g than acai, goji berries and blueberries. Antioxidants are responsible for 10% of the weight of raw cacao.

• Boosts your mood: cacao can increase levels of certain neurotransmitters that promote a sense of well-being. And the same brain chemical that is released when we experience deep feelings of love – phenylethylamine – is found in chocolate.

• It is rich in minerals: magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese.
• https://www.foodmatters.com/article/raw-cacao-vs-cocoa-whats-the-difference