I'll admit that I found Dr. D's February 26 blog shocking. In my circles, postmodernism is a negative. Creeping postmodernism in our culture is something to be on guard against. I had never seen someone I respected brag about being postmodern. Yet Dr. D, who I have great respect for, proudly admits to being a postmodern thinker.

He makes this statement, which I find to be insightful, "The folks who get all bent out of shape about ‘the GTD versus the BTD' are probably modernists and think that there is only one path to the truth."

I have received a huge volume of mail since the GenoType Diet book was released. It can easily be divided into two categories. One group says, "Dr. D said it and I believe it. The conflicts don't matter. If he says both are true, then both are true. I'll just work out the little details according to how I feel." The other group screams, "What is Dr. D doing? Doesn't he see that the two diets contradict each other? How do I choose? How do I know what to eat?

I've spent some time this morning looking at characteristics of postmodernism. I'm not going to bother to cite my sources - after all this is a blog about post modernism, so the fact that somebody said it somewhere makes it just as true as something that somebody else said somewhere else. If you get lost in the verbiage, skip to the bottom for a delicious recipe.

Postmodernism is one of several worldviews. An individual's worldview is his "big picture," a medley of all his beliefs about the world. It is his way of understanding reality. A worldview is the basis for daily decisions and is therefore extremely important.

One sociologist lists 4 worldviews

Postmodern-ironist, which sees truth as socially constructed

Neo-romantic in which truth is found either through attaining harmony with nature.

Scientific-rational in which truth is found through methodical, disciplined inquiry

Social-traditional in which truth is found in heritage.

Another group divides worldviews along spiritual lines

Biblical

Eastern Pantheism

Existentialism

Marxism

Naturalistic Atheism

New Age

Nihilism

Postmodernism.

Here are a few characteristics of postmodernism, some pro and some con.

Postmodernism is largely a reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to explain reality. It relies on experience over abstract principles, knowing that the outcome of one's own experience will necessarily be fallible and relative, rather than certain and universal.

Postmodernism denies the existence of any ultimate principles, and it lacks the optimism of there being a scientific, philosophical, or religious truth, which will explain everything for everybody

Nothing has any meaning, words have no meaning,

Largely influenced by the disillusionment induced by World War II, postmodernism tends to refer to a cultural, intellectual, or artistic state lacking a clear central hierarchy or organizing principle and embodying extreme complexity, contradiction, ambiguity, diversity, and interconnectedness.

Our postmodern world is pulling each individual into a vacuum of self-centeredness, whispering, "It's all about you. It's all about your own pleasure, peace, prosperity, and comfort. It's all about what you think."

Because postmodernism says that values do not matter and that truth is relative, it's no surprise that many children are growing up in a world increasingly saturated with crime, divorce, sexual immorality, abortion, drug abuse and a general sense of ambivalence about the difference between right and wrong.

With this in mind, I present to you my Darling Daughter's Postmodern Spinach & Artichoke Dip. She started with an artichoke dip from the BTD site and another artichoke dip from the GTD site. She deleted ingredients that weren't good for both Os and As (mayonnaise, ricotta cheese, peppers, etc). She substituted ingredients that were good for both types on one diet or the other.

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup grated romano cheese

¼ tsp garlic powder.

1 cup frozen artichoke hearts, cooked

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

2 Tbsp lemon juice.

3 Tbst olive oil

Blend together in a food processor.

She ended with a dip that we ate with sushi nori wraps. Hers was made with tuna, mine was made with roast beef. My Honorable Husband does not eat seaweed. He loved the dip with corn chips. I think this is probably the best vegetable dip I've ever eaten. If you don't "feel" good about it, you can make your own substitutions.