January 17th, 2008 cate
From Opednews:
Well, now we know. Scientists have documented that the Bush/Cheney administration has been a greater threat to Americans’ health and safety than Osama Bin Laden and his terror band.
Specifically, The New York Times, in its science section today, reports that a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry has found that while the risk to Americans of dying at the hands of a terrorist was roughly equal to the chance of “drowning in a toilet,” the risk of cardiovascular disease among people who are frightened about the threat of terrorism is 300-500% higher than for people who are not worried.
What this means is that the Bush/Cheney administration, by constantly hyping the nation’s fears of terror through the use of everything from daily color-coded terror alerts, to absurd inspection procedures at airline terminals and parcel post restrictions, is actually scaring some of us to death.
And for what?
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January 15th, 2008 cate
I know. That rhymes.
Many of you live in climates where you’ll have a long spurt of very grey, cold, rainy or snowy weather during the winter time, and it leaves much to be desired in terms of staying active and keeping fit and happy. Unless you like using the weather as an excuse to not be in shape, here are some suggestions where you can get some great exercise and keep you from not being bored or depressed:
1. Indoor Rock Climbing – There’s nothing better than rock climbing to tone up your muscles while at the same time, giving you a pretty good workout. Go with some friends and make it a fun, group activity.
2. Bowling – This activity would be relatively low on the physical workout barometer but it will get you out of the house, get you moving, get your hand-eye coordination working (or not), and can be really fun with a group of friends.
3. Ice Skating – You can be the next Michelle Kwan or Todd Eldridge if you can handle the cold. Skate outdoors if any places are available near your home or go to an indoor place. Remember to wear appropriate clothing and earmuffs to keep warm. Not into Ice Skating, try in-line skating/rollerblading (or roller skating if you can find them), and you won’t have to deal with getting cold.
4. Dance Classes – You can spice up and heat up your life with salsa dance classes or any other kind of dance (jazz, hiphop, ballroom, line, etc) that grabs your interest. Work up a sweat, burn off those cookies AND ice cream you polished off the other day and look great all year long.
5. Yoga / Tai Chi / Pilates / Spin Classes or the Gym – These are more obvious activities I thought I’d list just in case they haven’t occurred to you. I particularly love Tai Chi but if it’s not for you, try Yoga or another kind of martial art. Maybe even give a go at the martial arts dance hybrid from Brazil, Capoeira.
6. Wii Night (or Day) – Yup! I’m gonna suggest video games to get into shape. Yay and vive les video games! Don’t argue with me; the Wii Sports games like the boxing game or tennis game – will get your heartrate up and even get you sweaty. It’s a mega fun thing to do especially with friends and family, and it’ll give you a pretty good workout, too.
7. Indoor Swimming – What?! You don’t have your own indoor swimming pool? Oh well – Sometimes the local public pools are open. If they are open during these winter months, forget about goosebumps and try to muster up all the strength you need to go for a swim. It’s one of the best ways to exercise because it’s easy on all the joints, but you’ll feel like a million bucks afterward.
8. Rajio Taiso – Wha??! No, I didn’t sneeze just now. Rajio Taiso (radio calisthenics) is a funny and relatively short calisthenics workout developed in Japan a long time ago to get students and workers moving before they started their day. It’s short (about 6 minutes) and effective, if not a bit dorky and quirky. Here’s a vid.
10. Have Sex – Duh. The obvious one right?? It’s so obvious that I almost forgot it.
UPDATE: I forgot #9! (Thanks, Ronald!)
9. Indoor Racquetball / Indoor Tennis – These activities will get your heart pumping in no time at all. They’re probably some of the best cardio-vascular workouts you can get, you’ll be happily sweating up a storm, burning off those mashed potatoes and will perk you up for the rest of the day.
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January 14th, 2008 cate
The mind’s capacity is limitless, and its manifestations are inexhaustible. Seeing forms with your eyes, hearing sounds with your ears, smelling odors with your nose, tasting flavors with your tongue, every movement or state is all your mind. At every moment, where language can’t go, that’s your mind.
All know the Way, but few actually walk it.
If you don’t find a teacher soon, you’ll live this life in vain. It’s true, you have the buddha-nature. But without the help of a teacher you’ll never know it. Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher’s help.
If, though, by the conjunction of conditions, someone understands what the Buddha meant, that person doesn’t need a teacher. Such a person has a natural awareness superior to anything taught. But unless you’re so blessed, study hard, and by means of instruction you’ll understand.
About Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma
was born in Kanchi in the Southern Indian kingdom of Pallava around year 440. At the instruction of Prajnatara he travelled to China by ship and arrived around 475. He is associated with the Shaolin temple, and is honored as the founder of kung fu. He is also credited with bringing tea to China. He is said to have cut off his eyelids to stay awake in meditiation, and so is usually depicted with bulging eyes. He is also credited with bringing Zen to China, even though he had few disciples in his lifetime.
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January 13th, 2008 cate
From NewScientistTech:
“Edible antifreeze developed by a US researcher could keep ice cream tasty and smooth, and prevent other frozen foods from being ruined. The antifreeze contains proteins similar to those that help “snow flea” insects survive winter without freezing solid.
The taste of good ice cream depends on a blend of flavour, temperature, and texture – what food scientists call “mouth feel”.
The formation of tiny ice crystals, each around 15 to 20 microns wide, is crucial to making smooth ice cream. But if ice cream is subjected to sudden temperature fluctuation – when transported home from the store, for example – these crystals can grow to 40 microns or larger, as water melts and refreezes.
This can ruin the texture of good ice cream, making it gritty to eat. It can also damage frozen soft fruits.
Gum-like carbohydrates are used by manufacturers to restrict the movement of water molecules and prevent big ice crystals from forming in ice cream. However, as anyone who has tasted crunchy ice cream will know, these carbohydrates do not work perfectly….”
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January 12th, 2008 cate
People seeking to improve themselves tend to be voracious book readers so from time to time, I will have some relevant book recommendations. I hope you will be happy to include it in your library. Here’s today’s:
Mind Training, The Great Collection (Library of Tibetan Classics) is an English adaptation of the first anthology of techniques for cultivating altruistic thoughts and coping with the inevitable challenges of everyday life. Presenting 44 of the original texts — including seminal works such as “Leveling out All Preconceptions” and “Eight Verses on Training the Mind” — Mind Training combines eloquent translations and historical commentaries to demonstrate how anyone can learn to exude love, compassion, and perseverance.
Click here for more information
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