Love = Building on Fire
Love = Building on Fire follows the relationship between a man who hires a call girl to share christmas dinner with him.
Directors Bri Proke & Alec T. Hanham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBKl9M-GefE
a Positivity Blog...
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Romantic Dramedy Short Film 2011
Love = Building on Fire
Love = Building on Fire follows the relationship between a man who hires a call girl to share christmas dinner with him.
Directors Bri Proke & Alec T. Hanham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBKl9M-GefE
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
TEDxSF - Louie Schwartzberg - Gratitude
This 10 minute video will stop you dead in your tracks.
Sense of wonder and beauty...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gXDMoiEkyuQ#!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Tom Cochrane and Red Rider
Whistler, BC
The Band knocked it out of the Park that night.
Tom engaged with the Audience, describing the roots of each song played.
...Charity...
Cochrane has been a longtime supporter of World Vision and has traveled to Africa many times. He has also served as the Honorary Chairman of the SuperWalk for Parkinsons and has been a proud supporter of WSPA, War Child, Amnesty International, and the Make Poverty History campaign.
Canada For Asia: On January 13, 2005, Cochrane, his wife Kathleene and Alex Lifeson spearheaded a benefit concert in support of tsunami relief in Asia. 150 Canadian stars appeared including Anne Murray, Bryan Adams, Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, Oscar Peterson, Celine Dion, Rush and Barenaked Ladies. The concert, which was produced and televised by CBC TV, raised over $4 million in pledges.
Live 8 Concert: On July 2, 2005, Cochrane kicked off the Canadian edition of the Live 8 benefit concerts in Barrie, Ontario performing his hits "Life Is A Highway" and "No Regrets". The Live 8 concerts took place in the G8 states and in South Africa to pressure world leaders to drop the debt of the world's poorest nations, increase and improve aid, and negotiate fair trade rules in the interest of the poorest countries.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Dance star Shiamak Davar attends London ceremony to collect Honorary Doctorate
 | |
| Dance star Shiamak Davar attends London ceremony to collect honorary doctorate Shiamak Davar has been presented with an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University London, in recognition of his contribution to entertainment in India and throughout the world. The influential choreographer, famous for pioneering contemporary dance which brings together Indian and Western styles, collected his award at a ceremony in London on Friday 22 July. At the ceremony, Shiamak spoke to an audience of hundreds of Middlesex University dance, drama and music students as they graduated from their degree courses. Before the ceremony, Shiamak Davar said: “I am truly honoured to receive the award of Doctor of the University from Middlesex University. My parents, both pioneers in the field of education, imbibed the importance of education in me. I am blessed to be able to continue their legacy as a dance educationist. I started my journey in the field of performing arts in the UK and receiving this honour completes this circle. With my mission to educate, entertain and empower people, this acknowledgement reinforces my belief…..Have feet, will dance. Have spirit, will triumph.” Middlesex University Vice-Chancellor Michael Driscoll said: “It’s so inspiring for our students to meet and graduate alongside Shiamak as his work has become a truly international success. His story is an example of what can be achieved with talent and determination.” Shiamak’s award was made as part of the University’s annual graduation celebrations, with honorary degrees presented to people who have made an outstanding contribution to their profession or the community. Other well known figures receiving Middlesex honorary doctorates this year include former international cricketer Phil Tufnell and human rights advocate Shami Chakrabarti. Middlesex University has a long standing commitment to providing higher education in India and celebrating Indian talent. Current projects include a new Middlesex University centre opening in Noida this year, a partnership with A. R. Rahman's KM Music Conservatory in Chennai and a specialist creative arts centre in southern Delhi. |
2/
Acceptance Speech at Middlesex University...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwu58TRW8j4
3/
I Believe concert....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X60DhQfAFoE
July 9th 2011, CBC National Radio Interview..
Shiamak talks about his Life, Career and his Victory Arts Foundation....
http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/podcasts/bcnxnw_20110709_46170.mp3
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
C O E X I S T
By now, even those of you living under a rock should have heard of the Coexist campaign. If you haven’t, you may have seen their logo as a bumper sticker or a button or something. Usually, it looks something like this:
I’ve been seeing a lot of these stickers around, and I decided to check it out today. It’s a pretty noble concept. This, the most simplified version of the logo, only shows the symbols of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (in that order). There are a lot of different versions that people have made themselves.
I rather like this one. I’m not sure why. It’s just…different. Islam, Hindu, Judaism, peace, Taoism/Confucianism, Christianity.
This one is also very common for bumper stickers. Islam, peace, male/female, Judaism, Wicca/Pagan/Bah’ai (my apologies if I spelled that wrong), Taoism/Confucianism.
This one has the explanations underneath, but they might be a little hard to read. Islam, Buddhism, Science, Judaism, Paganism, Wiccan, Christian. I like how this one shows how science and religion can coexist as well as regular religions. They don’t have to be two completely separate entities in our lives. I’ll get more into that later.
Very similar to the previous one, but it switches Pagan and Buddhism.
As you can see, they’re all a little different, but they all carry the same message. Religious (and scientific) peace and tolerance. But what if we took it into more than just religion? What if we could have every part of our lives in coexistance?
Science and religion.
Mathematics and art.
Nature and technology.
The past and the future.
Hell, maybe even Microsoft and Apple.
…No, not Microsoft and Apple. Some healthy competition is good. Even if it results in gladiatorial fights to the death.
But, really. Why shouldn’t we? Peace and balance are good. Equilibrium. Homeostasis. It’s all good stuff. And now I sound like a hippie naming off drugs. Damn.
Posted on May 27, 2008 by Jen
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
What Tao Sounds Like
Play this musical video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3174T-3-59Q&feature=player_embedded
-------------------------
Tao or Dao (道, Pinyin: 
Dào (help·info) ) is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'. Within the context of traditional Chinese philosophy and religion, Tao is a metaphysical concept originating with Laozi that gave rise to a religion (Wade-Giles, Tao Chiao; Pinyin, Daojiao) and philosophy (Wade-Giles, Tao chia; Pinyin, Daojia) referred to in English with the single term Taoism. The concept of Tao was later adopted in Confucianism, Chán and Zen Buddhism and more broadly throughout East Asian philosophy and religion in general. Within these contexts Tao signifies the primordial essence or fundamental nature of the universe. In the foundational text of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, Laozi explains that Tao is not a 'name' for a 'thing' but the underlying natural order of the universe whose ultimate essence is difficult to circumscribe. Tao is thus "eternally nameless” (Dao De Jing-32. Laozi) and to be distinguished from the countless 'named' things which are considered to be its manifestations. There is a close analogue in the Western tradition, with the German philosophical term "Sein", generally translated as Being, but it would be more accurate to understand that Tao also would include Nothingness as well.
In Taoism, Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism, the object of spiritual practice is to 'become one with the tao' (Tao Te Ching) or to harmonise one's will with Nature (cf. Stoicism). This involves meditative and moral practices. Important in this respect is the Taoist concept of De (virtue).
In all its uses, Dao is considered to have ineffable qualities that prevent it from being defined or expressed in words. It can, however, be known or experienced, and its principles (which can be discerned by observing Nature) can be followed or practiced. Much of East Asian philosophical writing focuses on the value of adhering to the principles of Tao and the various consequences of failing to do so. In Confucianism and religious forms of Daoism these are often explicitly moral/ethical arguments about proper behavior, while Buddhism and more philosophical forms of Daoism usually refer to the natural and mercurial outcomes of action (comparable to karma). Dao is intrinsically related to the concepts yin and yang (Pinyin: yīnyáng), where every action creates counter-actions as unavoidable movements within manifestations of the Dao, and proper practice variously involves accepting, conforming to, or working with these natural developments.
The concept of Tao differs from conventional (western) ontology, however; it is an active and holistic conception of Nature, rather than a static, atomistic one.
Description and uses of the concept
Dao can be roughly thought of as the flow of the universe, or as some essence or pattern behind the natural world that keeps the universe balanced and ordered.[7] It is related to the idea of qi, the essential energy of action and existence. Dao is a non-dual concept - it is the greater whole from which all the individual elements of the universe derive. Keller considers it similar to the negative theology of Western scholars,[8] but Dao is rarely an object of direct worship, being treated more like the Hindu concepts of karma or dharma than as a divine object.[9] Dao is more commonly expressed in the relationship between wu (void or emptiness, in the sense of wuji) and yinyang (the natural dynamic balance between opposites), leading to its central principle of wu wei (non-action, or action without force).
Dao is usually described in terms of elements of nature, and in particular as similar to water. Like water it is undifferentiated, endlessly self-replenishing, soft and quiet but immensely powerful, and impassively generous.[10] Much of Daoist philosophy centers on the cyclical continuity of the natural world, and its contrast to the linear, goal-oriented actions of human beings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3174T-3-59Q&feature=player_embedded
-------------------------
Tao
| Taoism | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fundamentals | |
| Dao (Tao) ·De (Te) ·Wuji ·Taiji ·Yin-Yang ·Wu Xing ·Qi ·Neidan ·Wu wei | |
| Texts | |
| Laozi (Tao Te Ching) ·Zhuangzi ·Liezi ·Daozang | |
| Deities | |
| Three Pure Ones ·Yu Huang ·Guan Shengdi ·Eight Immortals ·Yellow Emperor ·Xiwangmu ·Jade Emperor ·Chang'e ·Other deities | |
| People | |
| Laozi ·Zhuangzi ·Zhang Daoling ·Zhang Jue ·Ge Hong ·Chen Tuan | |
| Schools | |
| Tianshi Dao ·Shangqing ·Lingbao ·Quanzhen Dao ·Zhengyi Dao ·Wuliupai | |
| Sacred sites | |
| Grotto-heavens ·Mount Penglai | |
Dào (help·info) ) is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'. Within the context of traditional Chinese philosophy and religion, Tao is a metaphysical concept originating with Laozi that gave rise to a religion (Wade-Giles, Tao Chiao; Pinyin, Daojiao) and philosophy (Wade-Giles, Tao chia; Pinyin, Daojia) referred to in English with the single term Taoism. The concept of Tao was later adopted in Confucianism, Chán and Zen Buddhism and more broadly throughout East Asian philosophy and religion in general. Within these contexts Tao signifies the primordial essence or fundamental nature of the universe. In the foundational text of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, Laozi explains that Tao is not a 'name' for a 'thing' but the underlying natural order of the universe whose ultimate essence is difficult to circumscribe. Tao is thus "eternally nameless” (Dao De Jing-32. Laozi) and to be distinguished from the countless 'named' things which are considered to be its manifestations. There is a close analogue in the Western tradition, with the German philosophical term "Sein", generally translated as Being, but it would be more accurate to understand that Tao also would include Nothingness as well.In Taoism, Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism, the object of spiritual practice is to 'become one with the tao' (Tao Te Ching) or to harmonise one's will with Nature (cf. Stoicism). This involves meditative and moral practices. Important in this respect is the Taoist concept of De (virtue).
In all its uses, Dao is considered to have ineffable qualities that prevent it from being defined or expressed in words. It can, however, be known or experienced, and its principles (which can be discerned by observing Nature) can be followed or practiced. Much of East Asian philosophical writing focuses on the value of adhering to the principles of Tao and the various consequences of failing to do so. In Confucianism and religious forms of Daoism these are often explicitly moral/ethical arguments about proper behavior, while Buddhism and more philosophical forms of Daoism usually refer to the natural and mercurial outcomes of action (comparable to karma). Dao is intrinsically related to the concepts yin and yang (Pinyin: yīnyáng), where every action creates counter-actions as unavoidable movements within manifestations of the Dao, and proper practice variously involves accepting, conforming to, or working with these natural developments.
The concept of Tao differs from conventional (western) ontology, however; it is an active and holistic conception of Nature, rather than a static, atomistic one.
Description and uses of the concept
The word "Dao" (道) has a variety of meanings in both ancient and modern Chinese language. Aside from its purely prosaic use to mean road, channel, path, doctrine, or similar,[1] the word has acquired a variety of differing and often confusing metaphorical, philosophical and religious uses. In most belief systems, Dao is used symbolically in its sense of 'way' as the 'right' or 'proper' way of existence, or in the context of ongoing practices of attainment or of the full coming into being, or the state of enlightenment or spiritual perfection that is the outcome of such practices.[2] Some scholars make sharp distinctions between moral or ethical usage of the word Dao that is prominent in Confucianism and religious Daoism and the more metaphysical usage of the term used in philosophical Daoism and most forms of Mahayana Buddhism;[3] others maintain that these are not separate usages or meanings, seeing them as mutually inclusive and compatible approaches to defining the concept.[4] The original use of the term was as a form of praxis rather than theory - a term used as a convention to refer to something that otherwise cannot be discussed in words - and early writings such as the Dao De Jing and the I Ching make pains to distinguish between conceptions of Dao (sometimes referred to as "named Dao") and the Dao itself (the "unnamed Dao"), which cannot be expressed or understood in language.[notes 1][notes 2][5] Liu Da asserts that Dao is properly understood as an experiential and evolving concept, and that there are not only cultural and religious differences in the interpretation of Dao, but personal differences that reflect the character of individual practitioners.[6]
Dao can be roughly thought of as the flow of the universe, or as some essence or pattern behind the natural world that keeps the universe balanced and ordered.[7] It is related to the idea of qi, the essential energy of action and existence. Dao is a non-dual concept - it is the greater whole from which all the individual elements of the universe derive. Keller considers it similar to the negative theology of Western scholars,[8] but Dao is rarely an object of direct worship, being treated more like the Hindu concepts of karma or dharma than as a divine object.[9] Dao is more commonly expressed in the relationship between wu (void or emptiness, in the sense of wuji) and yinyang (the natural dynamic balance between opposites), leading to its central principle of wu wei (non-action, or action without force).
Dao is usually described in terms of elements of nature, and in particular as similar to water. Like water it is undifferentiated, endlessly self-replenishing, soft and quiet but immensely powerful, and impassively generous.[10] Much of Daoist philosophy centers on the cyclical continuity of the natural world, and its contrast to the linear, goal-oriented actions of human beings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Great Speech.....Charlie Chaplin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Eg8F3rap4
I don't want to be an Emperor - that's not my business - I don't want to rule or conquer anyone.
I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.
We all want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone.
The way of life can be free and beautiful.
But we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men's souls - has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.
We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little: More than machinery we need humanity; More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say "Do not despair".
The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish...
Soldiers - don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you - who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel, who drill you, diet you, treat you as cattle, as cannon fodder.
Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men. You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don't hate - only the unloved hate. Only the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers - don't fight for slavery, fight for liberty.
In the seventeenth chapter of Saint Luke it is written " the kingdom of God is within man " - not one man, nor a group of men - but in all men - in you, the people.
You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy let's use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give you the future and old age and security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie. They do not fulfil their promise, they never will. Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfil that promise. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness.
Soldiers - in the name of democracy, let us all unite!
Look up! Look up! The clouds are lifting - the sun is breaking through. We are coming out of the darkness into the light. We are coming into a new world. A kind new world where men will rise above their hate and brutality.
The soul of man has been given wings - and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow - into the light of hope - into the future, that glorious future that belongs to you, to me and to all of us.
Look up! Look up! The clouds are lifting - the sun is breaking through. We are coming out of the darkness into the light. We are coming into a new world. A kind new world where men will rise above their hate and brutality.
The soul of man has been given wings - and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow - into the light of hope - into the future, that glorious future that belongs to you, to me and to all of us. Look up. Look up."
Read more: http://www.clown-ministry.com/index_1.php/articles/text_of_charlie_chaplins_speech_from_the_great_dictator_aka_look_up_hannah/#ixzz1QRMdLZpM
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Delhi 2 Dublin Fusion Band
Celtic, Bhangra w/ Reggae Fusion
Apples....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFuVXzg_gkg&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=AV4oVf-d_DwKBYoEiXu55wxL4_FKmiO6_I
Laughing Buddha...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWwRGOHJ-2A&feature=related
S O S......(Reggae Fusion)....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iclr5Xdkx2M&feature=related
Friday, June 17, 2011
Kissing Couple at Vancouver Riots
Kissing Couple At Vancouver Riot Identified...
CBC -- Scott Jones, an aspiring standup comedian from Australia, and his Canadian girlfriend Alex Thomas have been revealed as the mystery couple kissing on a Vancouver street as riot police battled crowds following the Canucks' Stanley Cup loss.
The mystery identity of the couple kissing while lying on a Vancouver street as riot police battled crowds following the Canucks' Stanley Cup loss has been revealed as Australian Scott Jones and his Canadian girlfriend Alex Thomas.
Jones's family in the Land Down Under said he has been in Canada for six months, working as a bartender and trying to break into acting and standup comedy.
Following the Canucks' Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night, images of the kissing couple were splashed around the world - notably in Australia after the family came forward as knowing the man caught in a passionate embrace with a woman on the street of the B.C. city.
Hannah Jones, Scott's sister from Perth, told CBC News in an email that the man in the pictures is her 29-year-old brother, and he recently started dating Thomas, who attends the University of Guelph in Ontario.
And via Skype from Perth, their father, Brett, also confirmed that the pair are his son and his new girlfriend.
'It's just completely gone viral'
Brett Jones said the couple had been at the NHL final game, and after the frenzy following the loss spilled into the street, the two were caught in the violence.
Story continues below
Brett Jones said Scott is fine, and Alex suffered a bruised leg from falling to the ground.
The two are overwhelmed by all the coverage the picture has gotten, he said, noting that he has been fielding calls from media around the world.
"They are both just totally stunned by it, actually."
The dad of the now-famous bartender-standup comedian said Scott was in Vancouver on a work visa, and is leaving in a few days for the U.S., and then heading back to Australia.
But the image of Scott Jones and his girlfriend will likely forever be considered the one bright light in the Vancouver post-Stanley Cup frenzy.
"It's just completely gone viral around the world," his dad noted.
Click over to our slideshow for more photos of the riots and take a peek at the kissing couple below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/06/17/scott-jones-and-alex-thom_n_878910.html
Monday, June 13, 2011
Peter Tosh...
Pick Myself Up...
(Peter Tosh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_hZyzst6i0&feature=related
"Sittin' in the morning sun
And watching all the birds passing by
Oh how sweet they sing
And oh how much I wish that I could fly
And I try
I said I try
I try
I really try try try
But I got to
Pick myself up
Dust myself off
Start all over, again (CHORUS 2x)
Sittin' in the midday sun
And wondering where my meal's coming from
After working so hard
Not even piece of bread at the yard
And I said I try
Oh Lord I try
I try
I really try try try
Sittin' in the evening sun
And watching the same birds passing by
Sittin' and wondering
And waiting for the time for me to fly
And I try
I said I try
Good Lord I try
I really try try try
So long and I just find
It was just a waste of time
So long and I just find
I been been wasting all my time
I've got to pick myself up...""
Before Becoming This Good Looking...
Old Man Toy Maker
June/11
Seven Days The First Freshman PT /3
@ 1.40 minute mark...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uopnWafQJnc
@ 4.00 minute mark...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy6dswg6NWU
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Professor Kugelmann
 |
| Professor Kugelmann aka Max Teichman |
In Jewish/Yiddish accent...
Prezident Obama...Ze No bell Peece Pryze vinner who started
three vars in ze nayme of Peece.
"" Zis wundrus sing vee Kall lyfe.
...But so many peeple living unkonshis.
Zey see only simbals.
Unavayre of how fantastical lyfe reely iz.
...So...yoo kan stay in ze dark,
or you kan look to see ze sunshyne outsyde ze cayve.
Iz up to yoo.""
(david beleznay)
---------------------
A person's graytest akkomplishmunt deevelops at za poynt
where zey overkum zeyre graytest weekness.
----------------------
Tyme flyze ven yoo are in a Koma.
---------------------
Vee shall not ceese frum explorashin,
and ze end of all our exploring,
vill be to arryve vere vee started
and to know zat place for ze very first time.
--------------------
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Ruth Andermatt....Postivity....Life Coach
 |
| Loosey and Ruth |
Ruth is also Burstin with Broadway's Positivity, Team Leader
Check out her blog...
http://lifecoachingwithruth.blogspot.com/p/andermatt-consulting-personal.html
...A perceptive and insightful person is our Ruth, she listens to the energy behind the words...
Monday, May 9, 2011
Top 10 Ways To Make A Good Impression
Impressions are important; they leave an initial taste in people’s mouths that can remain prevalent for the entire relationship. It is often said that “the first impression is the last impression” and it rightly holds. If you want to impress someone you get only few minutes to do so. The first meeting and the first few minutes of that meeting does it all. A person can well judge you with your very first appearance or talk with him or her. Building an impression that last long, you have to be really careful. Its based on the impression you create in your bosses minds that many a times you reach heights of success in your organization even when you practically never thought you will. So, how to make a good impression? Here are 10 rules we listed out for you which will help you to create the best impression possible.
1. Don’t try to impress:This is certainly the first rule to impress a person. Don’t ever try to impress anyone. It reflects in your behaviour. The best way to impress someone is not trying to impress them. People who try too hard to impress will only end up giving an impression that they are showing off. So the main mantra here is, be subtle. Do not over do any act to create an impression. You may soon be a matter of boredom.
1. Don’t try to impress:This is certainly the first rule to impress a person. Don’t ever try to impress anyone. It reflects in your behaviour. The best way to impress someone is not trying to impress them. People who try too hard to impress will only end up giving an impression that they are showing off. So the main mantra here is, be subtle. Do not over do any act to create an impression. You may soon be a matter of boredom.
2. Be on Time, Be Punctual:Punctuality is one of the most important elements that contribute towards the building up of a good impression. Being on time is absolutely essential each time every time. Being on time or at least two minute before time for any event or meeting just shows your seriousness. This will help you to impress others big time.
3. Speak less, Speak Sensible:This is another important aspect which everyone should keep in mind. Speaking sensible and speaking less always helps to build a good impression. If you keep on blabbering and basically half of what you say doesn’t make any sense will not be entertained by people much. It will just fetch you a negative impression and people will least bother to hear you. So be precise on what you say and be sensible.
4. Be Humble:Humility is the quality of being modest, even politely submissive, and never being arrogant, contemptuous, rude or even self-abasing. This is the best quality any human being can have. Always be humble towards others. Whatever the situation is however big you are or great things you did never be arrogant and never be boastful of your talent. I humble person can win hearts of people at any given situation. When people praise you for a something good you did, be humble and acknowledge the gesture with humility. This will keep you down to earth and you can do even greater things in life as success comes to those who respect success.
5. Keep Smiling:A smile can win a heart, and it’s absolutely true in impressing people as well. Smile when they say something funny, and speak with a half smile. Smiling is actually very powerful. You can change someone’s whole behaviour towards you simply by flashing a quick innocent smile. What is also important with regards to smile is, don’t over do it. It can have a reverse effect if you continuously keep a grinning face. But then again, a sweet smile can win hearts for you.
6. Pay attention:Almost everybody, irrespective to their status or position seeks attention, if not always, at least while they talk. So, it is absolutely important for you to pay complete attention to the person who is in conversation. Paying attention will draw the person towards you and as a result you impress him with you sincere effort of paying attention. One of the best silent compliments you can ever make to someone is to pay attention to what they are saying. People want to know you care. Show them that you do, and you have won major points.
7. Eye contact:Eye contact is another important aspect which can generate a good impression for you. Eye contact basically means keeping your eyes fixed at the person whom you are in conversation with. This is just an act to show that you are concentrating on his or her words. Eye contact also reflects your confidence and gives you an edge over others. On the other hand you must be careful that your eye contact is not disturbing someone’s comfort level. There are many people who don’t feel comfortable of the fact that someone looks at their eyes constantly. Adjust accordingly and you shall succeed in building a great impression.
8. Talk Slowly:Another important quality you must possess in order to impress someone is talking slow. It is a very important factor because most of the times it is found that we tend to loose our concentration easily from a person who speaks really fast. A speedy talk can most of the time distort the communication and make the entire communication boring. Speaking at an accelerated rate is not only confusing to whomever is listening, but it is a sign of being nervous and/or a sign that you want to get something past them. Master the art of talking in proper speed and you can impress everyone.
9. Be a Good Listener:Talking is an easier task but listening is difficult. If you can be a good listener you can certainly impress people in your first meeting. Listening skills are highly important in impressing a person. A good listener can also understand better the assignments and what is expected from them and as a result they perform well. Good listening skills will certainly help you to build rapport with co-workers, bosses, and clients.
10. Be Polite:Politeness is what you expect from others and definitely what others expect from you. Being polite can fetch you recognition and good name. This is a tremendous impression builder as people will be impressed with you if you respond to whatever comes to you, politely. Along with the above mentioned points practice politeness and you can be the most impressive person among all.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Mr. E's....Collectables Kitchen Drawer
The Man Draw
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A curved piece of flex steel from an underwire bra recently came into my
possession after having been found in the dryer. I was not sure what it was
but Looking surprisingly like some lock picking tool one sees in movies,
it¹s obviously too potentially useful in some unforeseen emergency to simply
be discarded. So it goes into the Man Draw.
The man draw is not an assigned kitchen draw, it is any draw that is left
over after all other draws have been assigned. And, a man will enquire
tentatively if this draw is being used. Once confirmed that it is not part
of the overall kitchen plan, a man will then claim it and pronounce it his
³Man Draw² In this draw man will keep all the items that he will potential
need to protect his family and cope with any unforeseen emergency in which
his masculine survival skills will be put to the test.
In the man draw there are light bulbs, (not confirmed to be working,) of
indeterminate type for indeterminate fixtures, a flashlight which gives off
a dim glow if hit and shaken. The draw also contains a variety of pencils
all of which are worn to a nub together with several ball point pens, not
working, and a dried up felt pen. String, elastic bands and the top off
some jar
Man will keep any and all keys for unknown doors and locks, and also a
padlock that ironically is missing it¹s keyS Somehow in mans mind keys can
not be thrown away so they are kept with the unusable padlock in some kind
of male logic.
Men generally know that batteries never die. ³I am certain that battery is
not totally dead, I¹ll change it now but later I will put it on a tester².
The fact that there is no battery tester in the house doesn¹t deter the
keeping of the ³yet to be confirmed² dead batteries .
There are instructions for appliances that have long ago been discarded and
an old cell phone with no charger cord.
There are several short connector leads with red, yellow and white plugs
that were left over after some unit was installed and working. The unit in
question is now probably gone but the connectors look too good not to retain
a place in the man draw. There are various denominations of currencies.
I have, Cypriot shillings , piastres or grosia coins amounting to almost a
Cypriot Pound (The pound is no longer legal in Cyprus having been replaced
by the Euro about 5 years ago but that is a minor detail for the man draw
where no money can ever be thrown away. I have Allen wrenches from Ikia
that were unique to the Blomgrut Bookcase but look far too useful to be
discarded. There is a section for coupons, $2.00 of a giant box of Tide if
purchased before November 1st 1998. $1.00 of a Turkey dated Christmas 2005.
But the man draw is more than a simple draw, this is a place where man will
turn in any emergency. Men will go to their draw on occasions just to check
the inventory.
³Yes we have birthday candles for the cake. I think these last three left in
the package will be enough don¹t you.²
³Yes, we have clue of every type and can effectively stick everything to
everything when needed²
³Yes we have a screwdriver, it¹s a tiny one from a cracker, for fixing
glasses, but I think it will work ²
³Yes we have scotch tape. The old shiny kind, everyone hates²
³I¹m OK for sticky back felt to go under stone pots, if any one needs any²
But the need for access to the supplies in the man draw run much deeper than
women imagine. This need goes back through millennia. After the men went
off killing the dinosaur, then we were expected to drag the bloody thing
home too.
³OK boys, a good job on the hunting and killing, There is an extra prime
rib for anyone who has got some rope²
³Yes. me got ropeS me got rope back in man draw²
It¹s fascinating how the evolution of the species would favour those with
the right stuff in their man draw at the right time.
But as much as this is ingrained in men, there is more going on with the man
draw in today¹s world.
You may ask.........Why do men like to watch Bond or Bourne MoviesS. The
answer is that they are practice for all the emergencies and challenges that
could possibly befall us and be sent to test our urban masculine survival
skills. To say nothing of the potential for impromptu romance.
Here for you. is a deep dark secret from the Male Gender that gets to the
root of the need for a man drawS
All men live with the fantasy that one day the phone will ring and there, on
the line, will be the sexy, husky voice of a young woman.
In her exotic accent, She will breathlessly tell us that she is being held
captive and that only we can secure her release. As she begs us to help,
her voice tells us of the gratitude and rewards that await.
She than gives the instructions we must followS
³You must go to the house where you lived in 1992 and enter by the side
door²
³Yes, Yes, I can do that²
Take a dim flashlight with you that only works intermittently²
³OK, Got it²
³ There you will meet a man, He must be paid in Drachmas, preferably in
small denomination coins but he will take turkey Vouchers too²
³Yes, check²
³He will be carrying a circa 1998 Sunbeam ToasterS you must give him
instructions on it¹s use and warrantee²
³Done, done, Is that it²
³One more thing, he will want 4 run-down, not quite dead, AAA batteries²
³4, yes. Ok²
³I know these are impossible demands, but you must hurry, my life depends on
it²
And we fade to black when, after a quick rummage in the man draw, our hero
heads off into the nightSSS.. muttering ³Better take some one sided sticky
felt and a bra underwire/ lock picking tool, just in caseS.²
So the lesson is to remember to never call that draw in the kitchen The
³Junk² draw. Preserve the sanctity of the Man Draw.
...Who knows when someone may need to be rescued...
Monday, April 25, 2011
One Unique Way to Sing Nursery Rhymes...
Edward Reid brought down the house on "Britain's Got Talent" over the weekend, wowing the judges of the reality singing competition and scoring a standing ovation from the audience with his dramatic medley of nursery rhymes.
The crowd laughed and jeered when Reid opened with "Old MacDonald." But his undulating voice won them over as he moved into "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." By the time he concluded with "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands," every pair of hands in the room was, indeed, applauding wildly.
Reid set his medley to the tune of Snow Patrol's hit rock ballad "Run." The judges relished his take on the age-old songs.
"Wow, really creative and very funny, thank God for you," David Hasselhoff crowed. "'Jack and Jill' will never be the same."
"I can definitely see you getting booked for Elton John's child's first birthday party," Michael McIntyre said.
The show's three judges voted "yes" to Reid, ensuring he'd soon croon for the cameras again.
Reid, a 35-year-old drama teacher from Glasgow, Scotland, follows on the heels of Boyle, the never-been-kissed 48-year-old church-goer who turned into an international sensation after singing "I Dreamed a Dream" during her "Britain's Got Talent" audition in 2009.
A YouTube video of Boyle's audition has been viewed more than 64 million times. Her 2009 debut album, also called "I Dreamed a Dream," hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 701,000 copies in its first week.
A YouTube video of Reid's audition has been viewed more than 370,000 times since it was uploaded Saturday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLy36DaBFNQ
Friday, April 22, 2011
Happy Earth Day 2011 American Experience Documentary "Earth Days"
Earth Day Greetings,
60's and 70's
...Back to Nature Movement without Technology as Technology was considered controlled/developed by Government and Big Business.
60's Generation was controlled by the Draft.
Outdoor Life Magazine
Conservation Pledge
"I give my pledge as an American
to save and faithfully to defend
the waste from Natural Resources
of my country - its soil and minerals,
its forests, waters and wildlife."
Whole Earth Catalouge ...Creator/Futurist
American Experience..."Earth Days" Documentary....
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
How blueberries can slash body's fat cells by up to three-quarters
The slimming super-fruit:
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:09 AM on 11th April 2011
Slimmers should start snacking on blueberries, as they slash the number of fat cells in the body by up to three-quarters, say scientists.
Researchers found the fruit can break down existing fat cells and prevent new ones from forming, making them a potentially powerful weapon in the fight against rising obesity.
Blueberries, which have already been lauded as a superfood for their ability to help prevent heart disease and Type-2 diabetes, contain high levels of polyphenols – groups of chemicals with potential health benefits.
Tests revealed polyphenols can cut the number of fat cells in the body by 73 per cent with a large dose and 27 per cent with the smallest dose, the American Society for Nutrition’s Experimental Biology 2011 meeting heard.
Using tissue taken from mice, scientists looked at what effect the polyphenols in blueberries might have in fighting the development of fat cellsand inducing lipolysis, the break down fats within the body.
Results, presented at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting for the American Society for Nutrition, showed that the highest dose of blueberry polyphenols caused the lipids in the mouse tissue to decrease by almost three quarters at 73 per cent, with even the lowest dose cutting the amount of lipids in the tissue by over a quarter at 27 per cent.
Study author Shiwani Moghe, a graduate student from Texas Woman’s University, claimed the findings showed ‘promise’.
She said: ‘We still need to test this dose in humans, to make sure there are no adverse effects and to see if the doses are effective.
‘The promise is there for blueberries to help reduce fat tissue from forming in the body.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1375565/Blueberries-slash-bodys-fat-cells-quarters.html#ixzz1JJjJUpXF
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:09 AM on 11th April 2011
Fruit: Blueberries cut fat cells by up to three-quarters, researchers found
Slimmers should start snacking on blueberries, as they slash the number of fat cells in the body by up to three-quarters, say scientists.
Researchers found the fruit can break down existing fat cells and prevent new ones from forming, making them a potentially powerful weapon in the fight against rising obesity.
Blueberries, which have already been lauded as a superfood for their ability to help prevent heart disease and Type-2 diabetes, contain high levels of polyphenols – groups of chemicals with potential health benefits.
Tests revealed polyphenols can cut the number of fat cells in the body by 73 per cent with a large dose and 27 per cent with the smallest dose, the American Society for Nutrition’s Experimental Biology 2011 meeting heard.
Using tissue taken from mice, scientists looked at what effect the polyphenols in blueberries might have in fighting the development of fat cellsand inducing lipolysis, the break down fats within the body.
Results, presented at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting for the American Society for Nutrition, showed that the highest dose of blueberry polyphenols caused the lipids in the mouse tissue to decrease by almost three quarters at 73 per cent, with even the lowest dose cutting the amount of lipids in the tissue by over a quarter at 27 per cent.
Study author Shiwani Moghe, a graduate student from Texas Woman’s University, claimed the findings showed ‘promise’.
She said: ‘We still need to test this dose in humans, to make sure there are no adverse effects and to see if the doses are effective.
‘The promise is there for blueberries to help reduce fat tissue from forming in the body.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1375565/Blueberries-slash-bodys-fat-cells-quarters.html#ixzz1JJjJUpXF
Monday, April 11, 2011
10 Hindu Environmental Teachings
...Hinduism contains numerous references to the worship of the divine in nature in its Vedas,
Upanishads, Puranas, Sutras and its other sacred texts. Millions of Hindus recite Sanskrit mantras daily to revere their rivers, mountains, trees, animals and the earth. Although the Chipko (tree-hugging) Movement is the most widely known example of Hindu environmental leadership, there are examples of Hindu action for the environment that are centuries old.
Hinduism is a remarkably diverse religious and cultural phenomenon, with many local and
regional manifestations. Within this universe of beliefs, several important themes emerge. The diverse theologies of Hinduism suggest that:
• The earth can be seen as a manifestation of the goddess, and must be treated with respect.
• The five elements -- space, air, fire, water and earth -- are the foundation of an interconnected web of life.
• Dharma -- often translated as "duty" -- can be reinterpreted to include our responsibility to care for the earth.
• Simple living is a model for the development of sustainable economies.
• Our treatment of nature directly affects our karma.
Gandhi exemplified many of these teachings, and his example continues to inspire contemporary social, religious and environmental leaders in their efforts to protect the planet.
The following are 10 important Hindu teachings on the environment:
1. Pancha Mahabhutas (The five great elements) create a web of life that is shown forth in the structure and interconnectedness of the cosmos and the human body. Hinduism teaches that the five great elements (space, air, fire, water and earth) that constitute the environment are all derived from prakriti, the primal energy. Each of these elements has its own life and form; together the elements are interconnected and interdependent. The Upanishads explains the interdependence of these elements in relation to Brahman, the supreme reality, from which they arise: "From Brahman arises space, from space arises air, from air arises fire, from fire arises water, and from water arises earth."
Hinduism recognizes that the human body is composed of and related to these five elements,
and connects each of the elements to one of the five senses. The human nose is related to earth, tongue to water, eyes to fire, skin to air and ears to space. This bond between our senses and the elements is the foundation of our human relationship with the natural world. For Hinduism, nature and the environment are not outside us, not alien or hostile to us. They are an inseparable part of our existence, and they constitute our very bodies.
2. Ishavasyam -- Divinity is omnipresent and takes infinite forms. Hindu texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita (7.19, 13.13) and the Bhagavad Purana (2.2.41, 2.2.45), contain many references to the omnipresence of the Supreme divinity, including its presence throughout and within nature. Hindus worship and accept the presence of God in nature. For example, many Hindus think of India's mighty rivers -- such as the Ganges -- as goddesses. In the Mahabharata, it is noted that the universe and every object in it has been created as an abode of the Supreme God meant for the benefit of all, implying that individual species should enjoy their role within a larger system, in relationship with other species.
3. Protecting the environment is part of Dharma. Dharma, one of the most important Hindu concepts, has been translated into English as duty, virtue, cosmic order and religion. In Hinduism, protecting the environment is an important expression of dharma.
In past centuries, Indian communities -- like other traditional communities -- did not have an
understanding of "the environment" as separate from the other spheres of activity in their lives.
A number of rural Hindu communities such as the Bishnois, Bhils and Swadhyaya have
maintained strong communal practices to protect local ecosystems such as forests and water
sources. These communities carry out these conservation-oriented practices not as "environmental" acts but rather as expressions of dharma. When Bishnois are protecting animals and trees, when Swadhyayis are building Vrikshamandiras (tree temples) and Nirmal Nirs (water harvesting sites) and when Bhils are practicing their rituals in sacred groves, they are simply expressing their reverence for creation according to Hindu teachings, not "restoring the environment." These traditional Indian groups do not see religion, ecology and ethics as separate arenas of life. Instead, they understand it to be part of their dharma to treat creation with respect.
4. Our environmental actions affect our karma. Karma, a central Hindu teaching, holds that each of our actions creates consequences -- good and bad -- which constitute our karma and determine our future fate, including the place we will assume when we are reincarnated in our next life. Moral behavior creates good karma, and our behavior toward the environment has karmic consequences. Because we have free choice, even though we may have harmed the environment in the past, we can choose to protect the environment in the future, replacing environmentally destructive karmic patterns with good ones.
5. The earth -- Devi -- is a goddess and our mother and deserves our devotion and protection. Many Hindu rituals recognize that human beings benefit from the earth, and offer gratitude and protection in response. Many Hindus touch the floor before getting out of bed every morning and ask Devi to forgive them for trampling on her body. Millions of Hindus create kolams daily -- artwork consisting of bits of rice or other food placed at their doorways in the morning. These kolams express Hindu's desire to offer sustenance to the earth, just as the earth sustains themselves. The Chipko movement -- made famous by Chipko women's commitment to "hugging" trees in their community to protect them from clear-cutting by outside interests -- represents a similar devotion to the earth.
6. Hinduism's tantric and yogic traditions affirm the sacredness of material reality and contain teachings and practices to unite people with divine energy. Hinduism's Tantric tradition teaches that the entire universe is the manifestation of divine energy. Yoga, derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "to yoke" or "to unite," refers to a series of mental and physical practices designed to connect the individual with this divine energy. Both these traditions affirm that all phenomena, objects and individuals are expressions of the divine. And because these traditions both envision the earth as a goddess, contemporary Hindu teachers have used these teachings to demonstrate the wrongness of the exploitation of the environment, women and indigenous peoples.
7. Belief in reincarnation supports a sense of interconnectedness of all creation. Hindus believe in the cycle of rebirth, wherein every being travels through millions of cycles of birth and rebirth in different forms, depending on their karma from previous lives. So a person may be reincarnated as a person, animal, bird or another part of the wider community of life. Because of this, and because all people are understood to pass through many lives on their pathway to ultimate liberation, reincarnation creates a sense of solidarity between people and all living things.
Through belief in reincarnation, Hinduism teaches that all species and all parts of the earth are part of an extended network of relationships connected over the millennia, with each part of this network deserving respect and reverence.
8. Non-violence -- ahimsa -- is the greatest dharma. Ahimsa to the earth improves one's karma. For observant Hindus, hurting or harming another being damages one's karma and obstructs advancement toward moksha -- liberation. To prevent the further accrual of bad karma, Hindus are instructed to avoid activities associated with violence and to follow a vegetarian diet.
Based on this doctrine of ahimsa, many observant Hindus oppose the institutionalized breeding and killing of animals, birds and fish for human consumption.
9. Sanyasa (asceticism) represents a path to liberation and is good for the earth. Hinduism teaches that asceticism -- restraint in consumption and simplicity in living -- represents a pathway
toward moksha (liberation), which treats the earth with respect. A well-known Hindu teaching -- Tain tyakten bhunjitha -- has been translated, "Take what you need for your sustenance without a sense of entitlement or ownership."
One of the most prominent Hindu environmental leaders, Sunderlal Bahuguna, inspired
many Hindus by his ascetic lifestyle. His repeated fasts and strenuous foot marches, undertaken to support and spread the message of the Chipko, distinguished him as a notable ascetic in our own time. In his capacity for suffering and his spirit of self-sacrifice, Hindus saw a living example of the renunciation of worldly ambition exhorted by Hindu scriptures.
10. Gandhi is a role model for simple living. Gandhi's entire life can be seen as an ecological treatise. This is one life in which every minute act, emotion or thought functioned much like an ecosystem: his small meals of nuts and fruits, his morning ablutions and everyday bodily practices, his periodic observances of silence, his morning walks, his cultivation of the small as much as of the big, his spinning wheel, his abhorrence of waste, his resorting to basic Hindu and Jain values of truth, nonviolence, celibacy and fasting. The moralists, nonviolent activists, feminists, journalists, social reformers, trade union leaders, peasants, prohibitionists, nature-cure lovers, renouncers and environmentalists all take their inspirations from Gandhi's life and writings.
(Acknowledgement: Adapted from the essays by Christopher K. Chapple, O. P. Dwivedi, K. L. Seshagiri Rao, Vinay Lal, and George A. James in Hinduism and Ecology: The Intersection of Earth, Sky, and Water and Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life, both published by Harvard University Press. Thanks also to the essays by Harold Coward and Rita DasGupta Sherma in Purifying the Earthly Body of God: Religion and Ecology in Hindu India, published by SUNY Press. I am also indebted to
kind comments by Reverend Fletcher Harper and for his invitation to write this article.)
regional manifestations. Within this universe of beliefs, several important themes emerge. The diverse theologies of Hinduism suggest that:
• The earth can be seen as a manifestation of the goddess, and must be treated with respect.
• The five elements -- space, air, fire, water and earth -- are the foundation of an interconnected web of life.
• Dharma -- often translated as "duty" -- can be reinterpreted to include our responsibility to care for the earth.
• Simple living is a model for the development of sustainable economies.
• Our treatment of nature directly affects our karma.
Gandhi exemplified many of these teachings, and his example continues to inspire contemporary social, religious and environmental leaders in their efforts to protect the planet.
The following are 10 important Hindu teachings on the environment:
1. Pancha Mahabhutas (The five great elements) create a web of life that is shown forth in the structure and interconnectedness of the cosmos and the human body. Hinduism teaches that the five great elements (space, air, fire, water and earth) that constitute the environment are all derived from prakriti, the primal energy. Each of these elements has its own life and form; together the elements are interconnected and interdependent. The Upanishads explains the interdependence of these elements in relation to Brahman, the supreme reality, from which they arise: "From Brahman arises space, from space arises air, from air arises fire, from fire arises water, and from water arises earth."
Hinduism recognizes that the human body is composed of and related to these five elements,
and connects each of the elements to one of the five senses. The human nose is related to earth, tongue to water, eyes to fire, skin to air and ears to space. This bond between our senses and the elements is the foundation of our human relationship with the natural world. For Hinduism, nature and the environment are not outside us, not alien or hostile to us. They are an inseparable part of our existence, and they constitute our very bodies.
2. Ishavasyam -- Divinity is omnipresent and takes infinite forms. Hindu texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita (7.19, 13.13) and the Bhagavad Purana (2.2.41, 2.2.45), contain many references to the omnipresence of the Supreme divinity, including its presence throughout and within nature. Hindus worship and accept the presence of God in nature. For example, many Hindus think of India's mighty rivers -- such as the Ganges -- as goddesses. In the Mahabharata, it is noted that the universe and every object in it has been created as an abode of the Supreme God meant for the benefit of all, implying that individual species should enjoy their role within a larger system, in relationship with other species.
3. Protecting the environment is part of Dharma. Dharma, one of the most important Hindu concepts, has been translated into English as duty, virtue, cosmic order and religion. In Hinduism, protecting the environment is an important expression of dharma.
In past centuries, Indian communities -- like other traditional communities -- did not have an
understanding of "the environment" as separate from the other spheres of activity in their lives.
A number of rural Hindu communities such as the Bishnois, Bhils and Swadhyaya have
maintained strong communal practices to protect local ecosystems such as forests and water
sources. These communities carry out these conservation-oriented practices not as "environmental" acts but rather as expressions of dharma. When Bishnois are protecting animals and trees, when Swadhyayis are building Vrikshamandiras (tree temples) and Nirmal Nirs (water harvesting sites) and when Bhils are practicing their rituals in sacred groves, they are simply expressing their reverence for creation according to Hindu teachings, not "restoring the environment." These traditional Indian groups do not see religion, ecology and ethics as separate arenas of life. Instead, they understand it to be part of their dharma to treat creation with respect.
4. Our environmental actions affect our karma. Karma, a central Hindu teaching, holds that each of our actions creates consequences -- good and bad -- which constitute our karma and determine our future fate, including the place we will assume when we are reincarnated in our next life. Moral behavior creates good karma, and our behavior toward the environment has karmic consequences. Because we have free choice, even though we may have harmed the environment in the past, we can choose to protect the environment in the future, replacing environmentally destructive karmic patterns with good ones.
5. The earth -- Devi -- is a goddess and our mother and deserves our devotion and protection. Many Hindu rituals recognize that human beings benefit from the earth, and offer gratitude and protection in response. Many Hindus touch the floor before getting out of bed every morning and ask Devi to forgive them for trampling on her body. Millions of Hindus create kolams daily -- artwork consisting of bits of rice or other food placed at their doorways in the morning. These kolams express Hindu's desire to offer sustenance to the earth, just as the earth sustains themselves. The Chipko movement -- made famous by Chipko women's commitment to "hugging" trees in their community to protect them from clear-cutting by outside interests -- represents a similar devotion to the earth.
6. Hinduism's tantric and yogic traditions affirm the sacredness of material reality and contain teachings and practices to unite people with divine energy. Hinduism's Tantric tradition teaches that the entire universe is the manifestation of divine energy. Yoga, derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "to yoke" or "to unite," refers to a series of mental and physical practices designed to connect the individual with this divine energy. Both these traditions affirm that all phenomena, objects and individuals are expressions of the divine. And because these traditions both envision the earth as a goddess, contemporary Hindu teachers have used these teachings to demonstrate the wrongness of the exploitation of the environment, women and indigenous peoples.
7. Belief in reincarnation supports a sense of interconnectedness of all creation. Hindus believe in the cycle of rebirth, wherein every being travels through millions of cycles of birth and rebirth in different forms, depending on their karma from previous lives. So a person may be reincarnated as a person, animal, bird or another part of the wider community of life. Because of this, and because all people are understood to pass through many lives on their pathway to ultimate liberation, reincarnation creates a sense of solidarity between people and all living things.
Through belief in reincarnation, Hinduism teaches that all species and all parts of the earth are part of an extended network of relationships connected over the millennia, with each part of this network deserving respect and reverence.
8. Non-violence -- ahimsa -- is the greatest dharma. Ahimsa to the earth improves one's karma. For observant Hindus, hurting or harming another being damages one's karma and obstructs advancement toward moksha -- liberation. To prevent the further accrual of bad karma, Hindus are instructed to avoid activities associated with violence and to follow a vegetarian diet.
Based on this doctrine of ahimsa, many observant Hindus oppose the institutionalized breeding and killing of animals, birds and fish for human consumption.
9. Sanyasa (asceticism) represents a path to liberation and is good for the earth. Hinduism teaches that asceticism -- restraint in consumption and simplicity in living -- represents a pathway
toward moksha (liberation), which treats the earth with respect. A well-known Hindu teaching -- Tain tyakten bhunjitha -- has been translated, "Take what you need for your sustenance without a sense of entitlement or ownership."
One of the most prominent Hindu environmental leaders, Sunderlal Bahuguna, inspired
many Hindus by his ascetic lifestyle. His repeated fasts and strenuous foot marches, undertaken to support and spread the message of the Chipko, distinguished him as a notable ascetic in our own time. In his capacity for suffering and his spirit of self-sacrifice, Hindus saw a living example of the renunciation of worldly ambition exhorted by Hindu scriptures.
10. Gandhi is a role model for simple living. Gandhi's entire life can be seen as an ecological treatise. This is one life in which every minute act, emotion or thought functioned much like an ecosystem: his small meals of nuts and fruits, his morning ablutions and everyday bodily practices, his periodic observances of silence, his morning walks, his cultivation of the small as much as of the big, his spinning wheel, his abhorrence of waste, his resorting to basic Hindu and Jain values of truth, nonviolence, celibacy and fasting. The moralists, nonviolent activists, feminists, journalists, social reformers, trade union leaders, peasants, prohibitionists, nature-cure lovers, renouncers and environmentalists all take their inspirations from Gandhi's life and writings.
(Acknowledgement: Adapted from the essays by Christopher K. Chapple, O. P. Dwivedi, K. L. Seshagiri Rao, Vinay Lal, and George A. James in Hinduism and Ecology: The Intersection of Earth, Sky, and Water and Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life, both published by Harvard University Press. Thanks also to the essays by Harold Coward and Rita DasGupta Sherma in Purifying the Earthly Body of God: Religion and Ecology in Hindu India, published by SUNY Press. I am also indebted to
kind comments by Reverend Fletcher Harper and for his invitation to write this article.)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Maple syrup joins the ranks of broccoli and blueberries as new 'one-stop shop' superfood
Blueberries, broccoli and fish rich in Omega 3 are among the best known superfoods.
But now something rather sweeter can be added to the list of healthy foods containing high levels of antioxidants that boost the immune system.
Maple syrup is even being described by scientists in America as a ‘one-stop shop’ for beneficial compounds.
Tests on the syrup, which is made by boiling sap from the maple tree, found that it contains compounds which could help manage Type 2 diabetes, as well as acting as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents.
Researchers identified 54 compounds, twice as many as the syrup was previously thought to have. Five were found to be unique to maple syrup.
Several of the syrup’s polyphenol, or water-soluble, compounds inhibited the enzymes that convert carbohydrates to sugars, raising the prospect of a new way of managing Type 2 Diabetes.
They also found that many of the antioxidant compounds, which prevent the oxidation and ageing of the body’s cells, aren’t found in other natural sweeteners.
‘But we do know that the sheer quantity and variety of identified compounds with documented health benefits qualifies maple syrup as a champion food.
‘It is a one-stop shop for these beneficial compounds, several of which are also found in berries, tea, red wine and flaxseed, just to name a few.’
Explaining the science behind the findings, he said: ‘We found a wide variety of polyphenols in maple syrup. We discovered that the polyphenols in maple syrup inhibit enzymes that are involved in the conversion of carbohydrate to sugar.
‘In fact, in preliminary studies, maple syrup had a greater enzyme-inhibiting effect compared to several other healthy plant foods such as berries.’
‘By 2050, one in three people will be afflicted with Type 2 diabetes, so finding a potential anti-diabetic compound in maple syrup is interesting for the scientific community and the consumer.’
The findings of Dr Seeram’s team were presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in California.
Genevihve Biland, marketing director for the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, one of the sponsors of the research, said: ‘Given its amazing potential for human health and great nutritional value, maple syrup is a natural choice for a healthy lifestyle.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1372549/Maple-syrup-joins-ranks-broccoli-blueberries-new-stop-shop-superfood.html#ixzz1J2JWfhGS
But now something rather sweeter can be added to the list of healthy foods containing high levels of antioxidants that boost the immune system.
Maple syrup is even being described by scientists in America as a ‘one-stop shop’ for beneficial compounds.
Tests on the syrup, which is made by boiling sap from the maple tree, found that it contains compounds which could help manage Type 2 diabetes, as well as acting as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents.
'Superfood': Maple syrup is packed with compounds that could help fight Type 2 diabetes
Several of the syrup’s polyphenol, or water-soluble, compounds inhibited the enzymes that convert carbohydrates to sugars, raising the prospect of a new way of managing Type 2 Diabetes.
They also found that many of the antioxidant compounds, which prevent the oxidation and ageing of the body’s cells, aren’t found in other natural sweeteners.
‘But we do know that the sheer quantity and variety of identified compounds with documented health benefits qualifies maple syrup as a champion food.
‘It is a one-stop shop for these beneficial compounds, several of which are also found in berries, tea, red wine and flaxseed, just to name a few.’
‘In fact, in preliminary studies, maple syrup had a greater enzyme-inhibiting effect compared to several other healthy plant foods such as berries.’
‘By 2050, one in three people will be afflicted with Type 2 diabetes, so finding a potential anti-diabetic compound in maple syrup is interesting for the scientific community and the consumer.’
The findings of Dr Seeram’s team were presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in California.
Genevihve Biland, marketing director for the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, one of the sponsors of the research, said: ‘Given its amazing potential for human health and great nutritional value, maple syrup is a natural choice for a healthy lifestyle.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1372549/Maple-syrup-joins-ranks-broccoli-blueberries-new-stop-shop-superfood.html#ixzz1J2JWfhGS
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Hommage to Groucho
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| 1993 Dr. Hugo C. Quackenbush (Nose and cigar chewed by one of my dogs.) |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT8dMU5vyTE&feature=related
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Professor Kugelmann
"Everyone takes the limits of their own vision for the limits of the world."
...You know who said that?
Nurse #1
Freud?
Nurse #2
Schopenhauer?
Professor Kugelmann
Who? No....my cousin Mendel.
To be perfectly honest I'm not sure how he came up with it...He's a Kosher butcher.
...Has some interesting ideas about Veal though.
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| old aquaintance |
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