Remembering Poppa

Last Thursday we lost one of the kindest men I have ever met. He was famous and yet never showed it. He was brilliant and always down to earth.

Ben Viccari was Tracey's grandfather and my kids' great-grandfather. I only met him twice -- once in 1998 and once when we visited him two years ago to celebrate his 90th birthday. Poppa had a warm, friendly smile that set you at ease, and a sparkle in his eye that told you he was full of life. He was kind to the kids and made everyone around him feel important. We will miss Poppa.

Here is a link to his obituary.

Here is a link to his Wikipedia page.

Brilliant!

Asereje - opera singers version :) - watch in high quality

From the Heart

My friend and Yoga teacher Juliet wrote this great insight for our internal newsletter:

Happy 2010 everyone!  As we move through the early part of the year, passing Valentine’s Day and the SCANA promoted events for the Heart Association, I have been contemplating the symbolism of the heart and the unlimited nature of love.  Although Valentine’s Day typically is associated with “romantic love”, this is only one of the many types of love that we experience.  Other types of love are:

·         Loving Kindness – sending out love and happiness to all beings.  Including loving ourselves.

·         Compassion – wishing love and happiness to others through the end of all suffering.

·         Sympathetic Joy – feeling love and happiness for the good luck and success of others.

·         Equanimity – Loving others because you see their qualities in yourself and your qualities in them.

The beauty of love is that the more generous we are in giving it, the more we are able to receive it.  Perhaps the most important type of love we must cultivate is self love.  It is difficult to give and receive love if we don’t feel worthy of it.

Most dogs have the concept of love down pat.  They approach their owners expecting affection, and in receiving it, give it back unconditionally.  They don’t question if they are lovable or not.  They know that they are, just as we should know that each of us is lovable and worthy of love.

This year, let’s exercise our heart by building loving relationships with ourselves and others.  It is through relationships that we experience the greatest joy.

Movement Against Unsolicited Phone Book Delivery

The EPA estimates that 650,000 tons of phonebooks are delivered annually to 100 million households in the United States. Producing those 650,000 tons of phone books uses 11.6 billion gallons of water and sends 1,650,880 tons of Carbon Dioxide into the air (CO2 is a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming). The EPA estimates that only 18% of the phone books that are discarded in the United States each year are recycled. That leaves 533,000 tons to take up 1,758,900 cubic yards of landfill space.

Opt Out
If you are among the 54% of Americans that use the internet or a cell phone to search for phone numbers, you can opt out of receiving your annual phone book (or books).

I think this is the only responsible thing to do — if you do not want a phone book next time around, then please opt out at this web page:

YellowPageGoesGreen.org

There is no need to be a PC victim!

The Thin Line Between "Victim" and "Idiot"

From outer space and from beautiful Earth

It's amazing what we learn about cosmical bodies: APOD: 2010 January 4 - Comet Halleys Nucleus: An Orbiting Iceberg

And yet there is so much wonder right here in our own planet: APOD: 2010 January 5 - A Roll Cloud Over Uruguay

The future of computers?

Here is a neat look at what is coming:

I cannot wait for these to come out (at a reasonable price, of course!).

Think, Focus, Feel, Attract

Andy Dooley not only creates amazing artwork, he is a great teacher and a fantastic speaker. I think you will definitely enjoy and benefit from this very short but very powerful lesson:

Andy Dooley ART - Think, Focus, Feel, Attract

Interestingly, something similar happened to me last night. I could not find the dog's leash anywhere. I stopped and focused, felt as I had found it, and within seconds knew where to look for it. My intention was clear (to have the leash in my hand). And it happened. The leash was outside on our BBQ cart -- a place I would have never thought of looking. But the location came to me easily as soon as I allowed the feeling of finding to happen.

Enjoy!

We should never allow this to happen again!

Warning: very graphical images at this page:

Shame to Humanity....!!!!

Why Aren't My Abs Toned?

Excellent, short article on how to have more toned abs: Why Aren't My Abs Toned? - Specialist Q&A - Fitness Team - Fitness Basics

Speed Reading Techniques

I have been, lately, very interested in improving my reading efficiency (not just speed, but also comprehension). Here is a nice clip that summarizes many accepted speed-reading techniques:

Enjoy!

Clear Out the Clutter

The following is from Denise Austin's newsletter:

Keeping your home clean and free of clutter is a key component to healthy living. Clutter builds up quickly; most people don't even realize that they're pack rats until they start going through closets and realize they have shoes they haven't worn in a decade or piles of newspapers dating back to 2000!

If this is you, it's time to declutter your home. Remember the old adage "Cluttered home, cluttered mind"? Rejuvenate your peace and well-being by vowing to clear up the clutter. To decide whether something is worth keeping or not:

• Go room by room, tidying each room completely before moving on.
• Establish zones or boxes for trash, recycling, charity, sentimental or monetary value, and undecided items.
• If an item is going into the sentimental box, ask yourself what you plan to do with it. Will you give it to your children or a friend? Is it really worth keeping? For example, do you think your child will want your fifth-grade report card?
• If you think an item has monetary value, consider having it appraised. You may learn it has none, or you might decide to sell it for some extra green!
• For items in the undecided box, give yourself a deadline. If you do nothing with the items by your next decluttering session (say, in three to six months), consider tossing or donating them to charity.

Remember, coming home to a clean and clutter-free space will leave you feeling calm and relaxed. Embrace the concept — you'll be glad you did.

This will be our project for this weekend: clear lots of clutter from our house!

World Record Worth Striving For

One of the nicest, craziest persons I have met online is Andy Dooley. Actually, he is quite an inspirational person. He recently went after the world record for giving hugs. Watch his video:

Free hugs -- what an awesome idea!

Solid suggestions to help kids stay healthy

Here is a great, short, article on what we all can do to help prevent childhood obesity:

The Growing Problem of Childhood Obesity - Weight Center - Everyday Health

I know it is a difficult thing to do. Society bombards us (especially kids) with all types of junk-food temptation. I battle this with my kids and, most of the time, I steer them in the direction of healthier choices.

But diet is not the only problem -- lack of exercise is a huge factor in childhood obesity.

Enjoy the article!

Interesting video on aging

Reverse Aging Explained… Fact or Fiction?

Going Green

We have all heard the "going green" campaigns to save our planet. Here is a "going green" idea to save your body:

I have used "green smoothies" on and off for the last several months. Unfortunately, it has been more off than on. I will start a daily routine of them. They are so yummy that even the kids love them!

Natural Awakenings - Worth Reading

For some time now I have been hooked on reading the "Natural Awakenings" magazines. I began by picking up the issues at my chiropractor and other places around town, but then I have been getting the electronic version and I want to share the latest issue with you:

Natural Awakenings: Columbia Edition Cola1209

It has some excellent articles that are not specific to Columbia. Actually, most of them are very global in nature and are as applicable in South Carolina as they are in any other part of the world.

Their main website (which includes many previous issues) is at http://www.healthylivingcolumbia.com/.

Enjoy!

A great guide to Ubuntu 9.10

As some of you may have read, I have finally moved all of our home computers to Linux. I chose Ubuntu 9.10 as the distro for our home.

Here is an excellent guide to Ubuntu 9.10:

Eva's Useful Guide to Ubuntu 9.10

Enjoy!

The many benefits of Yoga

Relax Your Mind and Body with Yoga

Yoga is a great addition to a well-rounded fitness program. Yoga can help increase flexibility, reduce stress, and build endurance.

Let's Say Thanks -- Thanks to Xerox

Let's Say Thanks

If you go to http://www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.

You cannot pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one! It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.

This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.

Thanks for taking to time to support our military!

Let's Say Thanks