Stressed? Bust it!

7 Simple Stress Busters

Stress happens. No matter how organized you are, how good your systems are, or how friendly your work and living environments are, stress can find a way to poke its ugly head in from time to time. What can you do? Turn to a convenient Stress Buster – a small, simple activity that clears your head and calms you down. When you feel a stress attack coming on, it’s the perfect time to turn to one of these busters and kick that stress out the door.

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This is why I do not buy music

For the last few years I have boycotted the music industry. The following article shows one of the main reasons why I made that decision:

Who Is Ryan Sit And Why Is EMI Suing Him? — Michael Robertson.com

Here are other reasons for not endorsing the music industry:

• Over-priced: CDs should not be priced at $15 when they cost pennies to produce.
• Artists receive little of the money we pay for CDs — the label houses, managers, promoters, and other blood-suckers take most of it; sadly, the majority of these people have little to do with making the music happen.
• The music industry is controlled by a mafia-style group of monsters that are driven by nothing but greed. They care nothing about the consumer, the artists, the musicians. They chew all of them up until there is no more, and then they spit them out as waste.
• Speaking of quality, music labels have been producing garbage CDs for many years. If two out of 10 songs in a CD are passable you can count yourself as lucky. Mass production, not only of the CDs but of the music itself, has replaced quality by far.

The music industry heads caused the problem of music piracy by failing to ensure quality and fairness in the product they promote. They also ignored the huge advantages of digital distribution of individual songs and instead tried to fight such marketing model with lawsuits and harassment.

Customer loyalty? They killed it.
Artist loyalty? They killed it too.
Lawyer loyalty? Oh, they have that, no doubt about it!

The above are my opinions. Until record labels make a substantial shift in their business model, I will not from them. I used to buy an average of five CDs per month at one time. That was at least five years ago. Let's see, 5 CDs per month * 12 months * 5 years * $12 = $3,600. How many of us in the world have done the same? Millions? Is there any wonder the music industry is desperate for revenue? Would it not be easier to fix the problems (internal to their organizations and their marketing philosophy) rather than filing crap lawsuits against innocent people?

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This could save your home!

I was a volunteer firefighter for several years. One of the most common causes of house fires is one that starts in the kitchen. Watch this video and learn how to extinguish a cooking oil fire. It is so easy!

I want to thank my supervisor for sending this to my work team.

A Kitchen Oil Fire

Food for thought

Chinese Proverb:

'When someone shares something of value with you, and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.

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31 Days to a Healthier Diet

31 Days to a Healthier Diet

Here are 31 daily tips that will help you eat more nutritious, healthy foods.

Study Spills the Secret to Weight Loss

Study Spills the Secret to Weight Loss--Surprised?

As it turns out, you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. You just have to pay attention to the amount you eat. (Sound familiar?)

A major study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine reinforces the SparkPeople philosophy. For two years, 811 overweight people were placed on four diets--low carb, high carb, low protein and high protein--and all lost weight. What they ate didn't matter. Portion control and tracking calories helped them, just as that has helped millions of SparkPeople members.

This major study supports what we (and you, as SparkPeople members) already knew: "Diets" that restrict certain foods don't work! The key to losing weight and keeping it off is moderation, coupled with portion control and tracking calories.

There is a lot more! Enjoy the article!

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Highlights from President Obama's 2009 Address to a Joint Session of Congress

In case you missed it:

Highlights from President Obama's 2009 Address to a Joint Session of Congress

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/presidentaddressI liked the fact that he emphasized our responsibility as citizens to become more educated. We can no longer afford to go through life with only a high-school education. Other countries are passing us by in level of preparation and understanding. We need to be responsible for our education, not only for ourselves and our families, but also for our country.

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Finding Balance: How Do I Make Time?

Finding Balance: How Do I Make Time?

Finding time comes down to making priorities. It's easy to find time for the things that are a high priority in your life. I always shake my head at the people who say "I don't have time to exercise." Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day- it's just about how you choose to use them. Those people who have time for exercise are the ones who put it higher on their priority list. This doesn't mean that you're a failure if you can't find 60 minutes a day for physical activity. But I don't know anyone who can't find 10 minutes here and there throughout the day to get up and move.

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Finding Balance: Where Do I Begin?

Finding Balance: Where Do I Begin?

Setting my goals and developing a plan is my first step toward finding the balance. Do you struggle to find a balance in your own life? If so, what's your first step going to be?

What a difference a few weeks makes

Here is yet another clear example of what is going on with my body.

On 11/11/08, I had a health screening. My BP and pulse were:

BP: 133 / 96
Pulse: 87

The above are indicative of borderline mild hypertension -- one sign of bad news if you do not take some immediate action.

Today I walked into CVS and took my BP:

BP: 109 / 62
Pulse: 71

It makes me feel like crying with joy. These numbers do not lie -- they are the best possible witness that exercising and healthy eating makes a difference.

Is your life filled with anger?

When someone cuts you off while driving, or misses an appointment you made together, you probably get angry. Often our imaginations create internal situations and fantasies that perpetuate those feelings until you are boiling and ready to take it out on someone else. Truly though, we waste too much of our time and energy feeling negatively towards all sorts of things in our lives. When was the last time you went an entire day without feeling angry? Think about the times you most frequently feel those tense, frustrated feelings building up in you and examine the root. If the situation is unavoidable, you've got to force yourself to accept it and move past it. Maybe you need to sit down with a co-worker and talk to her about what is bothering you--instead of just letting her idiosyncrasies get under your skin each day. Perhaps you need to find an alternative route home to avoid the daily traffic jam that makes your blood boil. Your body and mind will thank you for the peace such moves provide in the end.

Source: http://www.SparkPeople.com

Is Your Diet Making You Fat?

Is Your Diet Making You Fat?

If you're still in "diet" mode, temporarily changing your habits just until you reach your goal, then one of these dieting dilemmas could be preventing your from reaching your goals - and achieving a permanent, healthy lifestyle. Your diet might be making (or keeping) you fat if…

The rest of the article is fantastic! Enjoy!

What is Spiritual Growth?

As of the beginning of this year, the kids and I have embarked in a new journey. We began attending service at the Columbia Zen Buddhist Priory. Why join a Buddhist church? First, but not foremost, was the fact that this was a decision Tracey and I had made informally before she was gravely ill. We both felt that Buddhism was the closest religion to our personal beliefs. And that second part was the predominant criteria for beginning the journey into Buddhism.

I felt it was important that both kids began learning about internal (spiritual) growth. I held back for almost two years because I thought they were too young to understand some of the concepts of religion and church. They had been exposed to Christianity through their friends and society as a whole (after all, we live in the Bible Belt). But this year I appraised their readiness and decided it was time for them to begin learning.

The following passage beautifully illustrates spiritual growth, regardless of what religion you follow:

Spiritual Growth

1. I walk down the street.
   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
   I fall in.
   I am lost. I am hopeless.
   It isn't my fault.
   It takes forever to find a way out.


2. I walk down the same street.
   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
   I pretend I don't see it.
   I fall in again.
   I can't believe I'm in the same place again.
   But it isn't my fault.
   It still takes long time to get out.


3. I walk down the same street.
   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
   I see it is there.
   I still fall in -- it's a habit.
   My eyes are open,
   I know where I am.
   It is my fault.
   I get out immediately.


4. I walk down the same street.
   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
   I walk around it.


5. I walk down another street.

Wise words

Positive Mental Attitude Sayings and Phrases

SMALL MINDS talk about people.
MEDIOCRE MINDS talk about events.
GREAT MINDS talk about ideas.

This page credits the thought to two different authors: Eleanor Roosevelt and Hyman Rickover. The thought is brilliant and goes to the mindset of the majority and why, as a global community, we are more susceptible to domination by an elite group. Our mass focus is on stupid events like the Oscars and on people's dresses and private affairs (who divorced whom, who is sleeping with whom or cheating on whom or …). What happened to people getting together to discuss important things like concepts and ideas?

Our Mantra

Ever since Tracey passed away, the kids and I adopted the following mantra. I wanted to share it with all of you:

Everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better and better.
I am safe … I am healthy … I am happy.
Everyday, in every way, I am richer and richer and richer.

I designed this mantra after serious consideration. The words better and richer are repeated three times to acknowledge body, mind and spirit. The second line was designed to give them comfort and remind them that they are safe despite Tracey's loss, that they are blessed with health, and they can be as happy as they set their mind to be. I added the richer line, similar to the better line, because richness comes in many forms, and we need to recognize that being rich is not about money or having things.

Do You Value the Small Tasks in Life?

Do you ever feel that you will never advance in your life or career and get that opportunity to do something BIG? Don't doubt the importance and impact on doing the smaller jobs in life! The key to this quote is being consistent--despite the level (or lack of) glamour or grandeur of your work. If you must scrub toilets, make them the shiniest, cleanest darn toilets on the block! In all things do the best you can, whether someone is looking or not. If you want to succeed in life, it is important that you have a strong foundation of consistent, hard work. Don't dodge the smaller tasks in an effort to hold out for the glamorous, important jobs. Put value in the small things and you'll reap a huge reward when you're put to the test!

Source: http://www.SparkPeople.com

Planning: Make a battle plan for success!

My SparkPeople friend Tim, whom I mentioned before, had a great blog yesterday, which has re-iginited my passion for daily planning, a habit I had somewhat abandoned due to cheer laziness:

Make a battle plan for success!

Whenever there is a battle, the winner is usually the one who has thought out the battle, planned for contingencies and implemented the plan.

SparkPeople has a very nice article on the subject: Think Two Steps Ahead

After a long day with the kids, doing laundry, reading books, and working on night school homework, you might have to decide between exercise and a couch that is screaming your name. Another difficult decision we face on a regular basis, and once again we often choose to think one step ahead. “I need to rest – I’m so drained!”

The difference between one step ahead and two steps ahead can mean the difference between staying on the fitness roller coaster or achieving your goals. Two steps ahead, we are still tired, stressed and cranky, BUT also determined, committed and able to see the big picture.

I think having a plan for the week and the next day is essential to minimize stress and achieve our goals. I have always liked Dr. Stephen Covey's approach to goal achievement through the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People." One of the things that Dr. Covey and Tim focus on is to determine what is important to you. The former calls it "Big Rocks." Focus on putting the big rocks in your jar (weekly/daily plan) first and then fit any smaller stuff in if possible. Prioritizing is the key to planning. And, as Dr. Covey so eloquently explains, you have to sharpen the saw first -- and that means focusing on you.

Planning for being fit and healthy is not a selfish activity -- it is the best thing you can do for others: your family, your community, society, the world.

Family Diet Danger: High Fructose Corn Syrup

Trying to save money, food companies introduced High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) into the food market in the 1970s. Sweetening manufactured foods this way is profitable, because it is less expensive and much sweeter than sugar, yet easy to transport because of its liquid state. Today HFCS is found in a variety of foods from soda pop to ketchup, fruit drinks to salad dressings, cereals, breads, flavored yogurt, and sauces.

Fructose should not be eliminated from your diet. It is primarily found in fruits, which provide a wealth of nutritional benefits for your family. Fructose found in fruits is fine! However, are we setting up our bodies for damage by constantly feeding it foods that have been filled with sucrose (fructose and glucose) and heavily loaded with HFCS, which is approximately one-half fructose?

A recent study conducted by the University of Cincinnati says yes. Mice freely consumed either water, fructose-sweetened water, or soft drinks. The researchers found increased body fat in the mice that drank the fructose-sweetened water and soft drinks--even though these animals decreased the amount of calories they ate from solid foods.

Another soda study conducted on humans suggests that HFCS does not provide the body with a sense of fullness. This may cause an increase in excess calorie intake, leading to weight gain.

Whenever possible, avoid food products that contain HFCS and refined table sugar. These foods often have little--if any--nutritional value. Start by:

• taking inventory of your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. Start reading the fool labels. If HFCS is one of the main ingredients (which are listed in descending order on the food label), scratch it off your grocery list--permanently.
• limiting foods that have "sugar" as one of the first ingredients.
• shopping around the perimeter of your grocery store; this is where you will find the foods in their natural, unprocessed state.

Source: SparkPeople

Take an ordinary life and change it into an extraordinary adventure

This is my new motto!

Take an ordinary life and change it into an extraordinary adventure.

Simple and powerful -- just like I like it!

Simplifying the English Language

Programming Humor

088 - Simplifying the English Language
Having chosen English as the preferred language in the EEC, the European Parliament has commissioned a feasability study in ways of improving efficiency in communications between Government departments.

European officials have often pointed out that English spelling is unnecessary difficult; for example: cough, plough, rough, through and thorough. What is clearly needed is a phased programme of changes to iron out these anomalies. The programme would, of course, be administered by a committee staff at top level by participating nations.

In the first year, for example, the committee would suggest using 's' instead of the soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants in all sities would resieve this news with joy. Then the hard 'c' could be replaced by 'k' sinse both letters are pronounsed alike. Not only would this klear up konfusion in the minds of klerikal workers, but typewriters kould be made with one less letter.

There would be growing enthousiasm when in the sekond year, it was anounsed that the troublesome 'ph' would henseforth be written 'f'. This would make words like 'fotograf' twenty persent shorter in print.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments would enkourage the removal of double letters which have always been a deterent to akurate speling.

We would al agre that the horible mes of silent 'e's in the languag is disgrasful. Therefor we kould drop thes and kontinu to read and writ as though nothing had hapend. By this tim it would be four years sins the skem began and peopl would be reseptive to steps sutsh as replasing 'th' by 'z'. Perhaps zen ze funktion of 'w' kould be taken on by 'v', vitsh is, after al, half a 'w'. Shortly after zis, ze unesesary 'o kould be dropd from words kontaining 'ou'. Similar arguments vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a reli sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor trubls, difikultis and evrivun vud fin it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze drems of the Guvermnt vud finali hav kum tru.