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A child's feeling of self-esteem is centered on the experience for which he/she is noticed most intently.
~ Howard Glasser
Stumbling On Happiness - Flaws of the Human Mind
In Stumbling On Happiness, Daniel Gilbert exposes the flaws of the human mind.
Quite disillusioning, this expose of the human mind. His thesis is simple. Humans cannot reliably predict what will make us happy, nor can we accurately recall what made us happy in the past. That leaves us with the present.
The reasons for our failure to find happiness are many, and revolve around the idiocyncracies of the human mind.
One cannot divine nor forecast the conditions that will make happiness; one only stumbles upon them by chance, in a lucky hour, at the world's end somewhere, and holds fast to the days, as to fortune or fame.
How to Give a Pill to a Cat
- Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right and. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
- Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in right arm (To avoid wound on left arm) and repeat process.
- Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
Pastor Jeremiah Wright - In Context
Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright
Pastor Jeremiah Wright - In Context - With all the controversy about Pastor Jeremiah Wright's words, I wanted to get a bit closer to the context. I concluded that the news hysteria is misguided. In context, the sound-bites make perfect sense and don't justify the inflammatory response generated by the out-of-context sound-bites repeated ad-nauseum by our shameful media.
When we adopt the opinions of the media, accepting as proof a sound-bite, we risk being mislead. We risk public opinion being corralled by a minority with an agenda. Again, we've been fooled.
Cactus Pacifier
I call this a Cactus Pacifier. God help the sick S.O.B. who came up with this idea...
Cactus Pacifier
Buying the War - by Bill Moyers
Bill MoyersHow did the mainstream press get it so wrong? How did the evidence disputing the existence of weapons of mass destruction and the link between Saddam Hussein to 9-11 continue to go largely unreported?
~Bill Moyers
Buying the War by Bill Moyers is a fascinating report of how mass media was co-oped by the Bush administration to hammer home Bush's talking points: Iraq has WMDs, and Hussein was involved with 911. It's a devastating account of the media betraying their responsibility.
2007 Screenwriters Strike - Explained!
- TV Land strike - Matt Davies Blog
- Perfect illustration of the Hollywood Exec's position in the screenwriters' strike.
Ocarina: Sweet Potato Hand Flute to Legend of Zelda
Anyone interested in the ocarina must visit the Songbird Ocarina website. The fellow that put the website together sells his handmade ocarinas (and other hand flutes), but he also provides history, videos and audio files on him playing, tips, sheet music, etc. I quickly got the sense that this guy loves what he does, which made paying the price for one of his ocarinas much easier to accept.
Ancient Folk Remedy May Help Control Cholesterol
Guggulsterone from Guggul Tree Sap - This is an older (2002) article on the medicinal and chemical properties of a substance found in the sap or resin of the Asian Indian Guggul tree. The compound, called guggulsterone, blocks the FXR receptor (where?). The FXR receptor controls bile levels (and production) in the liver. By blocking the FXR receptor, the guggulsterone compound prevents the uptake/recycling of cholestrol laiden bile from the small intestine, thus breaking the metabolic cycle for bile. That's my best understanding from the article. May need more research. Sounds like the guggul sap is available in health food stores, particularly in India, where it's been used for the last 40 years to treat heart disease. Another "natural" remedy.
8 Bad Words
8 Bad Words - Found this video by Trevor Crook kinda informative and funny--not George Carlin funny by any means, however...
(:youtube I-09D7Vi4XA:)
Marc LeRoy Roach - Obituary
My cousin Marc Roach was a kind, gentle, and adventurous man--the kind of person who, after you met him, you'd say, "Damn, I want to get to know that guy better!" Sadly, none of us will have that opportunity. Below is the obituary written by his father LeRoy--with kibitzing/editing from his brother Mike.
Pride and Prejudice - 2005 Version Review
I'm an unusual man, at least in one sense: I love movies adapted from Jane Austen novels.
Note, I've never actually read a Jane Austen novel.
I just like the movies...Well, most of them.
Ben Franklin - Advice on the Choice of a Mistress
Benjamin Franklin's very funny...and sensible...advice to a young man seeking a mistress over marriage. Franklin's argument speaks to the value of experience over youth. Is the argument as compelling today as it might have been in 1745? And who was the young man Franklin addresses?
25 Worst High School Essay Analogies
Rec'd via email...a couple times. Popular and funny list of analogies used in high school essays. I think some of them are pretty inventive.
- The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
- She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
- His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
- He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.
- Her hair glistened in the rain, like a nose hair after a sneeze.
Trekking / Hiking Poles - Pros and Cons
Pros - Advantages of Trekking Poles
- Reduce impact on knee joints and leg muscles - Arm and shoulder muscles take some of the load off the leg muscles and joints. 1
- Increase hill climbing power - Legs and arms can contribute to the climb.
- Reduced swelling in hands - Hands-above-heart position and arm motion used with poles prevents blood from pooling in the hands.
- Aid balance - When balance is thrown off due to terrain or middle ear problems.
- Regular breathing and increased stamina - Because using poles creates a consistent, steady walking rhythm.
- Useful for testing areas for snakes, stability, etc.
4-Hour Workweek - Quotes
My favorite quotes from 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. Unless otherwise attributed, all quotes direct from the author.
Identify the few critical tasks that contribute most to income and schedule them with very short and clear deadlines.
Most inputs are useless and time is wasted in proportion to the amount of time that is available.
A task will swell in (perceived) importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion. ~ Parkinson's Law
Perfection is not when there is no more to add, but no more to take away ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Being overwhelmed is often as unproductive as doing nothing...
Lack of time is actually lack of priorities.
Credit Card Scam Targets Men
Serious warning from post off CraigsList.org. Is there more truth to this than we care to admit?
WARNING - This post contains some mild sexual content.
Mediterranean Diet NOT Best for Blood Sugar Control
A new study found that a diet of "low-glycemic foods" -- such as beans, nuts, peas, lentils and pasta -- was superior to a high-cereal-fiber diet -- think pumpernickel, rye pita, quinoa, large flake oatmeal and oat bran -- when it comes to lowering blood sugar and other risk factors for heart disease in people with diabetes.
~ 'Mediterranean'-Style Diet Best for Blood Sugar Control - washingtonpost.com
It's a step in the right direction, but overlooks the obvious: people with diabetes 2 are producing insulin but many of their cells have reduced sensitivity to insulin. Without insulin sensitivity, blood glucose levels (from sugar and carbs) remain high causing all kinds of problems.
So why not simply focus on reducing carbs in diabetic 2 people? That way blood sugar doesn't elevate and their body doesn't pump out insulin, which isn't working anyway. Seems so obvious.
End of Faith - by Sam Harris
Mysticism is a rational enterprise, religion is not...The only angels we need invoke are those of our better nature: reason, honesty, and love. The only demons we must fear are those that lurk inside every human mind: ignorance, hatred, greed, and faith, which is surely the devil.
~ Sam Harris
End of Faith by Sam Harris ignites a firestorm of debate. Here are some choice reviews and comments:
Earth Conservation Corps - Making a Difference in DC
Earth Conservation Corp - Watched an inspiring story on Bill Moyer's NOW program about the Earth Conservation Corps in Washington D.C. The story has been covered by a lot of news outlets, including 60-Minutes' Bill Bradley. The Earth Conservation Corps is a non-profit on a mission to save both a polluted D.C. river and the disadvantaged teens that live in a violent D.C. neighborhood.
I was weeping by the end. Diamond Teague's death. The fate of others, especially Darius and Jerome, just hit me at my core. Some of the lives of these teens were cut short, which is especially tragic and unfair given the changes their participation in the Earth Conservation Corps started. But those that survive often change the direction of their lives in huge ways. And, perhaps even more important, their success inspires others to do the same.
World Wildlife Foundation Video Ad
This video from World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) looks so real...and the Mister Roger's Neighborhood music playing in the background is a great touch.
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