Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Music, Music, Music

"Guitar strings are the toner cartridges of the guitar industry"

explained James Winningham, guitar play extraordinaire, as he was relating the guitar playing business to a full time office employee person.

"Guitar players hate to change strings, so there are new tech strings coated or wrapped in something, called Elixir Strings, that are twice the price of regular strings."

Listen to the clip of James' music in the sidebar of this blog. He is currently finalizing 7 original tunes for an upcoming CD.
I found some info on the Elixir Strings on Guitar Talk:

"If you like the smoothness of the Elixir strings, I highly recommend the D'Addario Flat Tops and D'Addario Chromes. I exclusively use Flat Tops and Chromes, and have never experienced breakage or defects with any of them. Two of my instruments actually had the same set of Flat Tops on them for nearly three years, and they never broke or sounded "old." I finally changed the string sets on both instruments, out of sheer embarrassment that I left the same strings on my instruments for such an insane amount of time. D'Addario Flat Tops were the obvious choice for the new sets!"

At Key Note Music:

"Strings are not just strings. They are the connection between you and your music. When strings go dead, so goes the inspiration to play. After all, who wants to play when strings feel crusty and their sound is dull and muddy? It's a curse we lived with for years.
With a vision to change the world one set of strings at a time, Elixir set out to develop the cure for the common string. Strings that deliver great tone for a really long time. Strings that stay feeling clean and smooth."

Living with a guitar player has its rewards: He plays for ME!! He sings to ME! He is marrying ME! And I am learning more every day from a wonderfully talented musician/composer.

Beautiful Women

Put your sound on, relax, enjoy the many faces through the
progression of earth time.

Good Neighbor Policy?

Found
the
graphic
at
rottenneighbor.com.

Cute idea, huh.

Also found some good words about neighboring at can you hear me now:

"All of us have a neighbor or two that is less than desirable.
They say that one out of three homes are owned by rotten type neighbors.
Look around you. If the neighbors on either side of you are OK;
GUESS WHAT?

If you find out that such a site exists for your area, would you be afraid to go there and check it out?

If you answered YES! to that question perhaps some radical changes are needed on your part.

Have you noticed this awful odor and it's pretty strong where you are sitting? That's another clue that there's something wrong and it's closer in the mirror of life than you suspect."

Taking A Personal Inventory

It is taking a long time for me to take a personal inventory. This is something I want to do and that I think I will benefit immensely when it is completed. I am writing down a few significant people in my life during different age groups up to and including the age I am now. And then I am building upon that by writing about an event that I remember that was significant to me at that time. And then I am writing what was my part in it and how did it impact my life; what behaviors did I begin or what reactions did I reinforce.

This didn't sound like a difficult task. Until I started doing it.

There were so many different people who have been significant in my life, so picking the top three or four for each age group was the first challenge. Then for me to really be honest and to see my part in each incident requires some soul searching.

I know that many other people have done this same type of personal work and have lived through it and gained insight into their past. I know that many people have done soul searching work and benefited from the honesty and self evaluation. To do this kind of work on myself and fly through it and not do a rigorous personal inventory would be like calling myself an honest thief or an anorexic chef or a blind bird watcher. I have to give it my all. I want to. This is taking more time than I thought it would. But I have lots of time. I have the rest of my life. And the rest of my life is looking healthier and happier and serene.

Memories

I found a wonderful post on The Art Of Intimacy:

"A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen."by Edward de Bono.

Our memories are what keeps us connected to reality. Read this post and the rest of her blog. Very encouraging and enlightening.

Kids Will Eat Anything If It Is In McDonald's Wrapper

According to this story in the New York Daily News, young children think

"anything in a McDonald's wrapper - even a vegetable - tastes better than the same food in a plain wrapper."

...and...

"It's not just burgers and fries. Carrots, milk and apple juice tasted better to the kids when they were wrapped in the the Golden Arches.

The study had youngsters sample identical McDonald's foods in name-brand and unmarked wrappers. The unmarked foods always lost the taste test. Robinson said it was remarkable how children so young were already so influenced by advertising.

The study involved 63 low-income children ages 3 to 5 from Head Start centers in San Mateo County, California."

I raised my kids on McDonald's. Yikes!!!

TechnoBabe Needs More Technical Expertise

Wow! For the past two weeks TechnoBabe has had to watch helplessly while James struggled with the physical demands of the move to the new domicile. The dog has not stopped barking for longer than 10 minutes in the two and a half weeks we have been in the new place. The computers were down for two weeks due to problems in the phone line so there was no DSL and when we switched to cable company for digital service they were unable to provide the service as well. So my persistent fiance worked for two days to learn the ins and outs of wireless service and set us up on our own wireless network. What a guy!!! And to make it even better, the cell phone service was not available at the new place either. The cell phone was with a different carrier than the DSL so that meant two companies to be contacted every day, and the only way he could contact anyone was to drive a few blocks away to the parking lot of the grocery store and make calls. I was at work during the day so I was not able to help and even if I had been here I could not have helped as I am a dope about hooking up the internet and not the technobabe as advertised. The truth is out. The techno behind the babe is James.
And I am so very grateful to him for hanging in there and completing the move and the trials and tribulations that went with it.

So we are getting settled in the new place, a few boxes left to unpack. The pictures are on the walls and we have cooked on the new stove.

This is a tribute to an amazing man who has endured and won. And won my heart again and again and again.

How Long Does It Take To Get Rid Of The Ex

We all have at least one ex. An ex-spouse, an ex-lover, an ex-friend. The key being EX. The longer we were in the relationship with the ex, it stands to reason the longer it takes to get over the ex. Even if it was an abusive relationship, we seem to want to carry around the memories and bring them out once in awhile like a photo album.

The question is: How long should it take to phase out the ex? I know the memories cannot and should not be eradicated. The experiences with the ex were a stepping stone to the present.

If we are harboring feelings of shame or remorse for any behavior toward the ex or any unkindness to the ex, even more difficult to clean out the closet completely.

I could shell out the $14.95 here for a book to help get over the ex, or I could just get over it. I choose the latter.

Monday Monday

I look forward to Wednesdays.

Sunday mornings too.

But Mondays still suck.

Ah well.

I've Been Tagged

What were you doing 10 years ago?

In 1997 I was I working as a mortgage processor and I was 3 years away from ending a long term marriage.


What were you doing 1 year ago?

I was with living with James and our dog and was self employed.

Five snacks you enjoy:

1. Raisins
2. Dried apricots
3. James' homemade carob candy
4. apples
5. cheese and crackers

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:


1. The Reason
2. The Star Spangled Banner
3. Peaceful Easy Feeling
4. Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
5. American Pie

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:

1. Buy acreage to build a simple home and have plenty of land
2. Put a Geodesic Dome on the land
3. Provide anonymous scholarships
4. Not have any debts
5. Quit my job

Five bad habits:

1.) Scratching my ear
2.) Interrupting
3.) Procrastinating when it is something I do not want to do
4.) Shutting down
5.) Avoidance


Five things you like doing:

1. Reading
2. Walking
3. Listening to music
4. Writing in my journal
5. Being with James


Five things you would never wear again:

1. A bathing suit
2. Large jewelry
3. Flannel nightgown
4. Blue nail polish
5. Formal clothes



Five favorite toys:

1. Bubbles
2. Darts
3. Squirt gun
4. Swing
5. Paints

TAG, YOU'RE IT:

Lorna
Fancy

Giving Up Daydreaming and Living For Real

I spent most of my life daydreaming. Not in a soft romantic way. Not in a planning the next day way. My daydreaming was a way to hide away from the cold cruel world and not be myself. I didn't have to feel real feelings or deal with real issues and I chose not to participate in my own life.

Too many things happened to me as a child and as a young adult that prompted my "absentmindedness" so to speak. To cover up the pain and to help me survive, I chose to close down and hide myself away and not get close to anyone and not let anyone see me and know the real me. That was hard work!!

Today I am getting to know myself. Today I am awake. Today I am feeling. Today I am getting healthy.

Independence VS Codependence

Independence. Autonomy. Liberty. Freedom.

Codependence. Powerlessness. Loneliness. Isolation.

I am learning to take responsibility for myself. Answers come from within.

As I learn how to care about myself and take care of myself, I find a new freedom.

I am finding my independence. And happiness.

Happy Independence Day to all who are healthy and all who want to be healthy and all who will one day want to be healthy. Health within self is true independence.

Alcohol in Powdered Form

Found at cnn.com:

"AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) -- Dutch students have invented powdered alcohol which they say can be sold legally to minors.

The latest innovation in inebriation, called Booz2Go, is available in 20-gram packets that cost €1-1.5 ($1.35-$2).

Top it up with water and you have a bubbly, lime-colored and -flavored drink with just 3 percent alcohol content.

"We are aiming for the youth market. They are really more into it because you can compare it with Bacardi-mixed drinks," 20-year-old Harm van Elderen told Reuters.

Van Elderen and four classmates at Helicon Vocational Institute, about an hour's drive from Amsterdam, came up with the idea as part of their final-year project.

"Because the alcohol is not in liquid form, we can sell it to people below 16," said project member Martyn van Nierop.

The legal age for drinking alcohol and smoking is 16 in the Netherlands.

The students said companies interested in making the product commercially could avoid taxes because the alcohol was in powder form. A number of companies are interested, they said."

I am sure there will plenty of companies interested in promoting one more thing that will add to the destruction of future generations. The young people of today are the adults of the future. I feel sorry for them. They are bombarded on all sides by so many things that keep them from being focused, healthy, productive, and happy.

A Power Greater Than...

Meet 3C438, a galactic cluster a few bleems away, which features a titanic energy burst radiating from the center. The Chandra Telescope shot this picture, but the words used to describe the energy burst blew me away.

"Equivalent to one billion exploding Suns."

Kinda puts things in Perspective, don't it?

In Recovery, we come to believe in a Power Greater Than Ourselves.

For me, 3C438 is an example of this power. Since I don't do Religion, my Higher Power is a benevolent, interactive Universe, with the local Natural World as a guide.

Thanks for letting me share.

Found this on Matt's blog called Empathy. Great blog.

"I Can't"

I happened upon a great post over at Dixie's Heart And Soul. Here are some of the highlights. Go over there and read the post, it is good reading.

"All the students were working on a task, filling a sheet of notebook paper with thoughts and ideas. The ten-year-old student closest to me was filling her page with "I Can'ts."

"I can't kick the soccer ball pass second base."
"I can't do long division with more than three numbers."
"I can't get Debbie to like me."
By this time, the activity engaged my curiosity, so I decided to check with the teacher to see what was going on. As I approached her, I noticed that she too was busy writing. I felt it best not to interrupt.

"I can't get John's mother to come in for a teacher conference."
"I can't get my daughter to put gas in the car."
"I can't get Alan to use words instead of fists."

"Friends, we gather today to honor the memory of "I Can't." While he was with us on earth, he touched the lives of everyone, some more than others. His names, unfortunately, has been spoken in every public building - schools, city halls, and state capitols and yes, even The White House.

We have provided "I Can't" with a final resting place and headstone that contains his epitaph. He is survived by his brothers and sisters, "I can, 'I will' and "I'm going to Right Away.' They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong and powerful yet.

My Life Is Similar To The Sign

I had been concentrating on not getting hurt by the sharp edges
in so many ways in my life and totally neglecting to notice that
the frickin bridge was out ahead.

Not just once. Over and over.

So now I am working on seeing the whole picture and living in reality and truth.

Danger Danger Danger

Children's Meth


Checked this
on Snopes
and it is true
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/candymeth.asp

There is a very scary thing going on in the schools right now that all need to be aware of. There is a type of crystal meth going around that looks like strawberry pop rocks. It smells like strawberry also and it is being handed out to kids in school yards. I'm sure it will make its way around the country if it hasn't already. Kids are ingesting this thinking that it is candy and being rushed off to the E.R. in dire condition.

It also comes in chocolate, peanut butter, cola, cherry, grape and orange ~` it looks just like pop rocks.

Please instruct your children to not accept candy that looks like this even from a friend and to take any that they may have to a teacher, principal, etc.

Please pass this around it could save some family a lot of heartache!

That is what they are calling strawberry meth or strawberry quick.

This was in an email sent to me.

Whatcha' Consuming?

This research report (.pdf) and the graphic above goes a long way to help us understand how we're viewed by the people who compete for our ears and eyeballs. Well, and wallets, too, huh?

We're consumers. Spenders. Shoppers. Buyers. And we're not behaving like we're told.

The report and this article tell us that we've stopped buying CDs not because of piracy, but because so many ways to consume, spend, shop, and buy media entertainment are competing for our time, we're moving away from the old model, to the horrified gnashing of capped CEO teeth and rending of corporate garments.

TechnoBabe and I haven't bought a physical CD since we've been together. Lots of iTunage, but no crippled disks with a fixed playlist thereon. We spend the most on Amazon for books. We spend nothing on television, since we don't have one, and we spend $20/month on broadband, $10/month on Netflix, $8/month on Live 365 web radio.

What do you do with your entertainment time/budget?

Installing The Love Software

I found this on a blog called gurushabad:

"A customer called up the service section of a computer company. . .

"Customer: I heard you provide Love software. Customer Service Representative (CSR): Would you like to install Love software? Customer: Yes. But I'm not very technically skilled. Give me the instructions and I will try to install. What do I do first ? CSR: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart, sir?
Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running ?
CSR: What programs are running sir?
Customer: Let me see ... I have Past hurt.exe, low-esteem.exe, grudge.exe, and resentment.com running right now.

CSR: No problem. Love will automatically erase past-hurt.exe from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually overwrite low-esteem.exe with a module of its own called high-self-esteem.exe. However, you have to completely turn off grudge.exe and resentment.com. Those programs prevent love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off, sir?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how ?
CSR: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke forgiveness.exe. Do this as many times as necessary until grudge.exe and resentment.com have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, I'm done. Love has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal ?
CSR: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your heart. Do you see that message?
Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed ?
CSR: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops ... I have an error message already. What should I do ?
CSR: What does the message say?
Customer: It says 'error--program not run on internal components.' What does that mean ?
CSR: Don't worry sir, that's a common problem. It means that the love program is set up to run on external hearts but has not yet been run on your heart. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in nontechnical terms it means you have to have love in your own machine before you can find it in others.
Customer: So what should I do ?
CSR: Can you find the directory called self-acceptance?
Customer: Yes, I have it.
CSR: Excellent, you are getting good at this.
Customer: Thank you.
CSR: You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the my-heart directory: forgive-self.doc, self-esteem.txt, realize-worth.txt, and goodness.doc. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete nagging-doubt.exe from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with really neat smiles. Smile.mpg is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that warmth.com, peace.exe, and contentment.com are copying themselves all over my heart !
CSR: Then love is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go...
Customer: Yes ?
CSR: Love is a freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.
Customer: I will. Thank you for your help. Love is running well. But what if I run into problems, by the way?
CSR: Please repeat the whole process. You can always call us. We are open 24 hours a day. "
This is parallel to what I am working on right now. It was a pleasure to find this as I was surfing around the blogosphere.

Killing Us Softly

I saw this BlogAd, and immediately clicked it because I'm interested in the connection between food, mood, marketing, and (gasp!) politics. TechnoBabe and I have been losing weight steadily since the first of the year, and being physically closer - as in less of us between us - has been a delicious surprise, besides the personal validation of permanently changing our beliefs about food. I've also eliminated the high blood pressure, high cholesterol/triglycerides, and pre-diabetic conditions for which my exasperated doctor was prepared to medicate me. Nyah nyah... Obesity caused all of that, and when I dropped 30 lbs since November, all of that stopped happening. Who knew?

Anyway, I clicked on the ad and went here, where I was encouraged to support healthy, fresh. local food.

Cool.

But, cynic that I am, I decided to keep clicking. At the bottom of the site I found "Farm and Food Policy Project."

Okay, but tell me more.

I clicked that and noticed "Food And Society Home" in the sidebar.

So then I clicked "Who We Are", and was not surprised to find out who wanted us to demand more healthy fresh local food.

Kellogg.

You know, the people who bring us...Apple Jacks®, Cocoa Krispies™, Eggo®, Froot Loops®, Frosted Flakes®, Pop-Tarts®, Rice Krispies®, Special K®?




















So, if I understand this process correctly, the people who make the food that creates obesity which causes the 100 billion dollar tab every year... are exhorting us to write letters to Congress to make them support fresh local food.

Killing us softly, indeed. Like cigarette manufacturers creating dummy foundations telling us to plant trees. Domination through diversion.

During our journey out of food addiction, we killed all the myths we carried about food. You know, what a "meal" is, what a "diet" is, what "full" is, what "exercise" is, etc. The surprise was learning that our bodies slyly anticipate a rapid, but predictable, drop in calories, and by adopting a random pattern of eating, with random selections, but ever-smaller portions, the body's starvation-response mechanism can be fooled. We do not count calories or fat grams or carbs. We eat no refined sweeteners or refined grains. We cook together, and I'm talkin' in and out of the kitchen ;-)

Oh, and the television? We don't have one. We have no idea what the next swell new processed food product is, or the next cereal to be made from some candy bar.

We're off that teat.

Thanks for letting me share...

On Acceptance

"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.

Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my (insert life challenge), I could not stay (insert spiritual result); unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes."

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening.

JamesEagle here, joining the Technobabe's blogging adventure, with some thoughts about Acceptance. The opening words are part of every Recovery program. Not a bad concept to consider regardless of how your spiritual journey's going.

For instance, I wanted to change the order of profiles in the sidebar, because this is TechnoBabe's place, and when I joined the blogging team, Blogger put my name first. When I worked the HTML to generate our pictures as links to our profiles,

all the
type
on the blog
crashed over
to
the left side
like this.

So I accepted, for the moment, that this is the way it is, and will get back to it later. (Now updated :-)

I've been thinking lately about the convergence of depression and acceptance, or any other major emotional condition and acceptance. We will posit as a general stipulation that biochemistry plays a part in emotional balance, and nobody knows that more than I, a professional M.D. (Manic Depressive)

Furthermore, which comes first, the biochemistry or the attitude of grateful acceptance? We know that the physical act of smiling generates the endorphins of positive feeling no matter what condition our condition's in, even profound depression. So can acceptance play a part in regulating our emotional balance?

Is happiness a cause or a result? Dependent on external validation or generated within and expressed externally? Can happy be a verb, instead of an adjective?

Is acceptance snarling, resentful rejecting of (insert whatever) but outwardly acknowledging we cannot control it?

Or is acceptance simply letting something be as it is, without a single feeling about it beyond detached observation?

Thanks for letting me share...

Working On My Rough Spots

Medium grade sandpaper following the contours and removing some of the rough spots.

Sometimes there is so much that needs to be removed that it takes longer to do the job.

Sometimes it takes so much energy and focus that the job has to be put aside until there is energy and enthusiasm to begin again using different tools.

After much time and diligent labor, it is finally at the point that a fine sandpaper can be used, and it takes less effort to remove the unwanted component. There is definition as well as signs of accomplishment. But this is not complete. Much work still to be done. Much has been achieved.

I have been working on things within myself and for myself, clearing away the things that are not healthy and learning to stay in the moment. I have been attending meetings and listening and absorbing and reading and in my own way praying and learning to believe. I have come to believe that I am worth it.

Is Life Like A Box Of Chocolates?

Life isn't like a box of chocolates .

It's more like a jar of jalapenos.

What you do today,
might burn your ass tomorrow.

Office Etiquette Part I

Now that I work in an office with about fifty other people, I am reminded occasionally of some of the reasons I wanted to work from my home. I was self employed for a few years and returned to the open workplace about seven months ago.

The atmosphere at my new place of employment is fairly casual and for the most part is accommodating to each one of us employed there.

One of the things I like about the place is that there are all ages and all nationalities. There are about six men at the office, so they are doted upon by all the women and we all get along very well.

I am allergic to a few things and I don't use any cosmetics that have a fragrance.I keep a box of tissues close by wherever I am; office, home, car.

There is a woman who was hired about three months ago. I don't interact with her at the job except passing in the halls. This woman wears a very strong perfume. Two times when she stood in a close proximity to where I was working I started sneezing, and itchy watery eyes were the next symptom. Since that day, I have heard a few people say something about the strong perfume smell throughout the office but I haven't heard of anyone else who may have the same allergy problem.

This young woman is in the process of getting a divorce, losing weight, and is now a single working mom. She is very attractive and is aware she is good looking but she gets along with everyone and is good at her job. I have to give her kudos for starting over and for her positive attitude.

I don't know if I should be the one to talk to her about my problem with her perfume.
This is apparently my problem and no one else's that I know of, and I really don't want to start a war or endure ongoing antagonism. But clearly I will be doing something soon.

Found at Environmental Health Perspectives: "While many people enjoy wearing perfumes and using scented products, there is a growing outcry from some people who claim that exposure to certain fragrances, including perfumes and scented products, adversely impacts their health. They report symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty with concentration, and allergy-like symptoms. It has been shown that many asthmatic patients have adverse reactions to perfumes and other fragrances, and some researchers hypothesize that exposure to fragrance may actually cause asthma."
...and...
"As information continues to surface on the issue of indoor air pollution, it appears that fragrances may represent part of the problem. Some researchers believe that exposure to the types of chemicals found in many scented products may contribute to the development and exacerbation of sick building syndrome, a health condition allegedly caused by indoor air pollution. The chemicals in perfumes, colognes, and deodorants worn by employees add to the chemical mixtures in indoor air, as do fragrances in cleaning products."
...and...
"Unfortunately, a lot of people don't realize that this is a serious issue, because it sounds so trivial. There's a huge population who do get sick from these products. In order to help solve the problem, people should use less-toxic, unscented products and be considerate of those who are affected by fragrance sensitivity."

My thoughts exactly. People who have been working in an office environment for many years are aware of things like this and are aware of their part in good office etiquette.

Efficient, Energy Saving Technology

This is a great post on The Alternative Consumer:

"History Channel and Invent Now have announced the winner of their 2007 Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge: Michael Sykes and his Enertia Building System.

The Enertia Building System technology turns a piece of wood into a thermal battery. Wood is no longer just a structural component, or just a decorative trim or paneling- it becomes a solar energy storing device, and when the house is properly configured and sited it can heat and cool itself. With this technology the more wood the better, so the invention is especially applicable to solid wood homes. Enertia Building Systems has developed a line of solid Gluelam wall homes to maximize the energy-storing potential of the wood, and to offer the mainstream appearance necessary to attract traditional housing buyers. Because Enertia® homes ‘sequester carbon’ in their massive wood walls, as well reduce carbon pollution from the burning of fossil fuels, they caught the attention of the Modern Marvels’ judges - who were looking for breakthrough inventions with global potential.

In the Enertia Building System, solid Energy-Engineered wood walls replace siding, framing, insulation, and paneling. An air flow and access channel, or Envelope, runs around the building, just inside the walls - creating a miniature biosphere. Here solar heated air circulates, pumping and boosting geothermal energy from beneath the house, storing it in the massive wood walls. Thermal inertia causes the house to “float” between the cycles of night and day, and even between the seasons. "

KEY COMPONENTS:

* solid wood walls - store energy during the day and release energy at night
* thermal inertia - geo-thermal principles create heat/or cooling from the earth and employs lag-in time principles to heat and cool the home
* heat pump house - solar energy gathered during the day is used for night-time heat making the house itself a “heat pump”
* envelope - a heat path just beneath the structure’s wood skin channels heat in winter and also creates a cooling system in the summer. It can also create oxygenated air via plants and give access for upgrading systems, wiring etc.
* floating - energy stored from sunny days can be stored in the structure’s mass for long periods of time to either heat or cool the home.
* radiant heating and cooling - radiant walls and floors hold heat or cool
This sort of energy saving house is the kind of thing I am so interested in. Why aren's houses being built like this throughout the world now? Maybe it is already too late to start saving the planet???

Cheers to Dr Seuss

Click to enlarge.

The Ripple Effect

Darling Tisha! over at Serenity Quest featured a great blogger today; in fact, she asked him to be a guest blogger. Tisha! finds such interesting people out there in the blogosphere. She has a big heart and is witty and generous and well spoken. Her blog is one I want to read every day for the variety and humor and sometimes she poses poignant questions for the rest of us. Hmmmm. Sometimes even heart wrenching.

Her guest blogger is Steve who writes his own blog called Ripple Central. Great name for a really cool blog. Can you guess what the ripple refers to? Yep, one little kindness can cause another and another and on and on. A good deed can start a warming trend!!!

The description on the Ripple Central blog says:

"The Ripple Effect is a shift in perspective that leads to greater connections, better business and stronger community.

Just like stones thrown into a pond, simple actions create ripples in the lives of all the people you touch and sometimes people you have never even met.

Now is the time to make a real difference in your life, workplace or world. Begin to maximize the power of your connections and relationships today, and start to Ripple!"

Start with Tisha!'s blog at Serenity Quest and read the great post by Steve and then visit his blog too!

Let's start a great ripple!

Anticipation Without Expectation

Looking forward to something is a good thing; however, living in the present moment is the best place to be.

Energy is powerful. Not just physical energy. The energy we put out to the universe when we send good wishes to someone. There are probably numerous names for the type of force I describe as energy. I believe that when I am in synch the energy flows and thus I am right where I need to be doing the right things with the right people.

Having expectations sets me up for disappointment. Usually in myself. Being in acceptance and enjoying the moment keeps me in reality.

I am learning some really great things at this time of my life. And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks! I say HAH!!!

Hello

Feeling loved and encouraged. How about you?

Shades Of Gray Successes

"Think in shades of gray; act in black and white; dream in color

Don't take your successes too seriously; every achievement owes something to luck.

Work quietly and alone to improve yourself. No one ever confessed a shortcoming to another without lying at least a little.

Every one has complaints, but the world is still full of large wonders and small pleasures.

Encourage other people's dreams.

Don't talk to children in a way intended to amuse the adults nearby; you will be communicating with neither.

Remember that any pleasure can be ruined by overindulgence, including hearing the sound of your own voice.

Your success is not dependent on someone else's failure; share what you've learned.

Learn to listen. It will gain you a reputation as a brilliant conversationalist.

Good manners are like good grooming: once you've formed the habit, you won't notice - but everyone else will.

The faults we resent most are the faults we recognize most readily. Think how much there is to be learned from someone you can't stand.

Don't ask what name a man gives to his god; ask what tolerance he offers his fellow men.

Make your own rules, but live by your heart."

Someone sent this to me in in an email, which I whittled down to this list of encouraging words.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I am. We had a wonderful family day today. I am blessed.

Belief In A Higher Power

"Worry looks around, Sorry looks back, Powerless looks up."

Anger

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

– Buddha

Experts Open Dolphin 'Chat Line' in Fla.

Found at SF Gate.com:
"A marine mammal rehabilitation facility opened a dolphin "chat line" of sorts Saturday, hoping to teach a deaf dolphin's unborn calf to communicate.

Castaway, as the stranded Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is named, has been recovering at the Marine Mammal Conservancy since Jan. 30. A battery of tests has confirmed she is deaf.

Dolphins need to hear echoes of sounds they produce to find food, socialize and defend themselves against predators.

"We asked ourselves `How do we get the calf to speak when we have a deaf mother?'" said Robert Lingenfelser, the conservancy's president.

They decided to electronically connect Castaway's habitat with a lagoon at Dolphins Plus, a research and interactive educational facility a few miles down the Keys Overseas Highway. Underwater speakers and microphones were installed at both locations and connected via phone lines.

Castaway should deliver her calf in about a month.

"Even before it is born, we want the calf to have an idea of what normal dolphin vocalization is," Lingenfelser said."

Very Sad Loss

Shelly at Abstract Thoughts had a post on Easter, please go visit her blog. This is the post on Easter:

"My Easter did not turn out as planned. In fact today will be a day my family will never forget. At about four in the afternoon, my mom called my house wanting my sister to return home asap. My mom just lives down the road from me and that is where my sister and her daughter have been staying while her husband has been in Iraq. My husband went with her because my mom sounded very upset and I stayed home with her daughter and my kids. Two men were waiting in their military vehicle and I am sure you know where I am going with this. Her husband had been killed in Iraq today. It still feels so unreal to even write about this. I just don't know what else to do. I had my neighbor come over and sit will all the kids so I could be there. It felt like a movie. The two men in uniform, the paper work. My husband said my sister just lost it and he just held her tight. I feel so bad for her. He was due to come home for a two week visit at the end of this month. He was looking so forward to coming home to see his 6 month old daughter. She was just 2 weeks old when he had to return to Iraq for the second time. What sticks in my mind the most was that he was so scared to go back for a second time. My sister said he had nightmares about it and was afraid he was going to die. I can't stop thinking about it. They have not released any of the details yet. I just pray he died quickly and he was in no pain. The thought of him dying alone or wounded just does not settle with me. What a tragedy he would have been 25 in June. He will never know his daughter and his daughter will never know him. I think of how this will affect her life. My sister is in shock. She was surrounded by friends and family all night. We all cried, my heart just aches for her. I feel sad, mad and most of all I just don't know what to do. I can't believe he is really gone. My kids don't really understand. He loved my kids he always played with them, teased them. When my oldest daughter was born he was one of the first people up at the hospital to hold her. He got to spend more time with my kids than he got with his own daughter. My niece looks just like him. I kept starring at her all night. Smiling and happy to young to understand that she will never know her father. What a terrible day. I have to be strong for my sister, which I did, I made calls for her which was so difficult for me. But when I got back home to my house I just lost it. It feels like a bad dream. I don't know how any of us are going to sleep. One of the hardest things is that we have to wait 7 to 10 days before his body can return home. I can't believe he is really gone. Every day families are going through this. Every day those men in informs are telling families that there loved one was killed at war. We hear about it every day but until it happens to your family you can never understand."

Our deepest sympathy to your sister and to your family, Shelly.

Appearances

First impressions.
Concern with what others think.
How do I look.
Ruled by opinions of others.
That which seems to be real.
Image rules.
Facade; illusion.
Appear publicly.
Engage attention.

From About Entrepreneurs:

"Within the first three seconds of a new encounter, you are evaluated… even if it is just a glance.

People appraise your visual and behavioral appearance from head to toe. They observe your demeanor, mannerisms, and body language and even assess your grooming and accessories – watch, handbag, briefcase. Within only three seconds, you make an indelible impression. You may intrigue some and disenchant others.

This first impression process occurs in every new situation. Within the first few seconds, people pass judgment on you – looking for common surface clues. Once the first impression is made, it is virtually irreversible."

How important IS it? IS IT?

Poetry From Guantanamo

"Just as the heart beats
in the darkness of the body,
so I, despite this cage,
continue to beat with life.
Those who have no courage or
honor consider themselves free,
but they are slaves.
I am flying on the wings of thought,
and so,
even in this cage,
I know a greater freedom."

This was scratched onto a styrofoam cup using his fingernails, by Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost. Mr. Dost is an Afghani national who was released from Guantánamo in April 2006, after three years of illegal imprisonment.

"Poems from Guantánamo: The Detainees Speak" will be published this fall by the University of Iowa Press.

This was found at Never in Our Names.

Beauty In White

Holding Hands In The Pool

What A Life!!!

Personal Trainer/Strainer

This was an email being passed around today:

For my fiftieth birthday this year, my husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since playing on my high school softball team, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a
personal trainer I'll call Bruce, who identified himself as a 31 year old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started. The club encouraged me to keep a diary of my progress.

Monday:
Started my day at 6:00 am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Bruce waiting for me. He is something of a Greek God - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Bruce gave me a tour and showed me the machines. He took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. He was alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I attribute it to standing next to him in his Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring. Bruce was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!

Tuesday:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Was little late from having to stop twice to pee. Bruce made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Bruce's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.

Wednesday:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying on the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both
pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Bruce was impatient with me, insisting that my
screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Bruce put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Bruce told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other shit too.

Thursday:
Bruce was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes. Bruce took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the ladies' room. He sent Gretchen to find me, then, as punishment, put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.

Friday:
I hate that bastard Bruce. Skinny, anemic little cheerleader wannabe. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Bruce wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

Saturday:
Bruce left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made me want to smash the
machine with my heating pad. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up watching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

Sunday:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband (the CREEP) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy.

Beautiful, Frisky, And A Great Dancer

Watch the entire video, it is well worth it. Have the volume on while you watch.

Real Life

I have been surfing blogs for a year and a half now and have enjoyed writing and playing with this blog for six months.

The real pleasure derived from this blog is in the playfulness and creative outlet this blog provides.

There have been several bloggers who have decided to take a hiatus, some for a few days and many for a few months. It is good to hear them write about the need to achieve more balance between their real life and the blogosphere.

The reason I think this is significant is that I too have a real life. I am blessed to be in a solid, stable relationship. I choose to participate in this relationship while I continue to work on my defects.

I am so grateful to read special blogs regularly and be enlightened and entertained and stimulated by their contents. I choose not to blog every day or on a regular basis. Part of the pleasure for me is the spontaneity when I get the creative juices flowing, which happens occasionally but not often.

When I visit the poetry blogs, I wish I could write poetry from the heart, and I love reading the poetry. When I visit the photography blogs, I wish I could use a camera as well as those bloggers do. When I visit the informative blogs, I wish I were a more dedicated writer.

It is enough that I enjoy finding those special blogs and that I receive something from visiting them. It is enough that I am blogging and finding time to write what I am feeling and searching for a graphic or a quote to include in a post. This is a good experience to be enjoyed without pressure or expectations.

It is certainly enough.

Cherish Each Moment; Know What is Important To You

One day someone special will be gone.

And on that clear, cold morning,
in the warmth of your bedroom,
you might be struck with
the pain of learning
that sometimes
there isn't any more.

No more hugs,
no more lucky moments to celebrate together,
no more phone calls just to chat,
No more 'just one minute.'


Sometimes, what we care about the most goes away.
never to return before we can say good-bye,
Say 'I Love You.'
¸...¸ __/ /\____
,·´º o`·,/__/ _/\_ //____/\
```)¨(´´´ | | [] | | []| | |[] || |
¸,.-·°´ ¸,.-·~·~·-.,¸ `°·-. :º°
So while we have it . it's best we love it . .
And care for it and fix it when it's broken .
and take good care of it when it's sick.

This is true for marriage .. and friendships .

And children with bad report cards;
And dogs with bad hips;
And aging parents and grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it,
Because we cherish them!
¸....¸ __/ /\____
,·´º o`· ,/__/ _/\_ //____/\
```)¨(´´´ | | [] | | []| | |[] || |
¸,-·°´ ¸,.-·~· ~·-.,¸ `°·-. :º°

Some things we keep --
like a best friend who moved away
or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that
make us happy, No matter what.

¸..¸ __/ /\____
,·´º o`·,/__/ _/\_ //____/\
```)¨(´´´ | | [] | | []| | |[] || |
¸,.-·°´ ¸,.-·~·~·-.,¸ `°·-. :º°

Life is important,
and so are the people we know .

This is an email that I received on the day we attended a memorial for my dear friend's father.

Recovery

Today is the first day
of one day at a time.




There are new things to learn now.
New words, new vocabulary, new methods.
New lessons to be learned.
Healing to be initiated and received.
Every day is important.
Every day is valuable.
The universe is smiling.


The plan is to fill the joy box.
And deal with the sorrows.

Lists

I use lists for groceries,
chores I need to do,
things I want to remember.


While sitting around one evening,
I started this list,
and it turned out to be fun.





Checking out
Fading out
Wigging out
Asking out
Barfing out
Chewing out
Drowning out
Freaking out
Passing out
Wiping out
Calling out
Pigging out
Dining out
Going out
Pulling out
Coming out
Tripping out
Breaking out
Grossing out
Walking out
Running out
Stalling out
Chickening out
Balancing out
Ordering out
Eating out
Rounding out
Bumming out
Throwing out
Bellowing out
Dumping out
Squeezing out
Farming out
Phasing out
Reaching out
Spreading out
Cashing out
Doling out
Maxing out
Timing out
Weaseling out
Bowing out
Panning out
Bottoming out
Bailing out
Crying out

These words don't have the same meaning when the words stand alone.
But add the word "out" and the phrase is different from the word.
Just thought it was interesting.

Can Opener

We have a new toaster. Now we are looking for a new can opener.

The Most Worthless Emotion

Someone said the worst emotion is self pity.

I think the worst emotion is fear. When I allow fear to dominate my emotions, I am frozen, cannot move. Operating from fear is worse than not moving forward, it is stepping backward. And guess what I am stepping in when I step backward?

Fear is "real" whether it is fact or imagined. Either way, it is very unpleasant, time consuming, and the things I need working for me have been shut down.

I used to accept the general consensus that there is such a thing as healthy fear. Fear of fire so don't put your hand in the fire. Caution is good; fear is debilitating. If I am not moving forward in harmony with the universe, then I am on auto-pilot to self destruct.

I am a fan of Louisa May Alcott:

"I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship."

It is time for me to learn to sail.

Remember When You Were A Kid..........

Life is an adventure. We have to take chances to find out how it feels.

Protein May Stop Asthma Attacks

An interesting article in BBC News caught my eye regarding asthma. Someone very close to me has asthma and I confess to minimal knowledge of asthma except to see that it causes distress and discomfort and anxiety. I cannot imagine personally dealing with difficulty to get the air we need; for people like me, simply breathing in and out is taken for granted. For someone with asthma, their sleep is interrupted and they carry inhalers and hope they don't catch a cold.

Some of the article in BBC News:

UK researchers found there were low levels of proteins which should act as lung cells' first line of defense.

Writing in Nature Medicine, they say boosting levels of these proteins could protect people with asthma from having an attack because of a cold.

The researchers, from Imperial College and the Medical Research Council Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, tested lung cells from people with and without asthma.

It was found that when the people with asthma were infected with a common cold virus, a rhinovirus, their lung cells produced half the usual levels of a type of interferon - a protein with antiviral properties generated by the immune system. The lower the level of the antiviral protein, the more severe the asthma attack.

Uncovering this mechanism could lead to a new way of treating or preventing asthma attacks.

Inhalers could be used to get extra interferon directly to the lungs to help the immune system fight viral infection. It could be given either when the first symptoms of a cold appear, or even throughout winter as a preventative treatment.

Also in BBC News:

Researchers say they have found a way to predict asthma attacks using a mathematic model.

The findings may help asthmatics control their symptoms more effectively and improve the testing of new drugs.

The Nature paper authors were able to predict the likelihood of an asthma attack occurring over the next month by looking at peak flow readings.

These readings give doctors an idea of how well a person's lungs are working - low readings mean poorer function.

The model the international team used is based on processes known as "chaos" which are applied to complex systems, such as the weather, that despite appearing random, actually are not and are dependent on the interaction of many individual components.
It may be possible to determine the risk of a severe attack of asthma in individual subjects, and to use the information to modify their treatment.

The airways become hypersensitive to even apparently minor environmental factors such as small amounts of pollutants or allergens.

An inhaler which is commonly used by asthmatics for relief can increase the instability of lung function, and increase the likelihood of an acute attack if it is used regularly. Regular use of short-acting bronchodilators, or beta agonists, (four times daily with a long night time drug-free interval) increases the risk of asthma episodes.

According to Dr. Paul Enright at Web MD:

"About half of adults with asthma have allergic triggers, but the vast majority have exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) when they exercise vigorously in cold or dry air."

I'm sure I Have Talked To This Tech

For People Who Still Write With A Pencil

Designers Daniil Rassadin and Alexander Malinovsky have created a palm size eraser, which is fashioned like the well-known Delete Key on a computer keyboard.

Tersumus will be available for sale on July 10. Before June 10 price will be 8.8 US$, after June 10—10.5 US$. The designers claim the eraser will last for years. Maybe if it doesn't get much use it will last a long time.

Personally, I seldom have a need for an eraser, but why not use one that is fun as well as serviceable.

Bloggers Of Distinction