Like numerous other people, I was present at the UK launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans at the Methodist Central Hall, London. These are my personal reflections. First, what was bad about the day? For a start, there was far too much packed into the programme. I lost count of the number of contributors and contributions, but it must have run into dozens. Inevitably, therefore, the programme slipped behind time, and I must confess to leaving halfway through the concluding communion service. But by this stage it was 5.50pm and I had an evening meeting at 8.30. By the look of it, a considerable number of people had made the same decision, and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali was left facing a rather emptier auditorium than had been the case first thing in the morning.
Undoubtedly the biggest problem, however, was the domination of the Conservative Evangelical culture over the others FCA is intended to include, in particular the Anglo-Catholics. Most of the presentations (including my own on video) were from this wing, as were most of the platform speakers, and this despite substantial Anglo-Catholic involvement in the events organization and presence on the day.
Indeed, one could go further and say it was the Conservative sub-culture which was on display. The one truly working class voice from this group stood out like a sore thumb in the videoed interviews. The rest were nice, middle-class, and a hundred percent white.
The other big problem was the lack of time to mix and mingle. During the very brief breaks (made even more brief by attempts to catch up on the timing), I saw many faces of people I would have liked to greet and talk with, but it simply wasnt possible. I also felt very sorry for those who had set up stalls which people did not have enough time to visit.
Above all, this meant there wasnt the opportunity to reflect on what was happening. Instead, there was a whirlwind of input covering everything from the situation in North America, via the problems for Christians in the Sudan to the inter-denominational Passion for Life mission next year.
So what was good about it? At one level, I am tempted to say, All of the above. There was much about the presentations that was thought provoking and excellent. There was just far too much of it for one day. The attendance should also have come as an encouragement (and indeed a relief) to the organizers. Also, despite my criticisms, there was a genuine attempt at a breadth of churchmanship. And (despite both the expectations of some and the reporting of others) this was not or at least not just an exercise in knocking the Church of England.
Of course, quotable quotes were offered from the platform, on which the ladies and gentlemen of the press have duly seized. In each case, however, these were personal views. There is no line, as yet. But at the same time, there were disturbing accounts of interference, opposition and manipulation from Anglican officialdom of the kind with which, sadly, most of us are familiar. If peace is to break out within the denomination, it will involve honesty on both sides about past and present wrongs which have created what Richard Coekin called churches on the edge congregations which have arisen within Anglicanism, whose members would happily be Church of England, but which have been marginalised by officialdom.
One of the real problems in the Church of England at the moment is the difference in perception between those who say there is nothing essentially wrong and those who feel we are in deep crisis, between those who feel the institution is basically getting it right and those who feel the institution is in its own Babylonian Captivity. It is, by definition, impossible for these two sides to agree, but it is surely not too much to ask that they each recognize the existence of the others point of view.
The big question after the event, however, is where we go from here.
First, it seems to me we must acknowledge that the situation in England is entirely different from that prevailing in North America, and somewhat different from that in the rest of the United Kingdom. To begin with, England is the home of Anglicanism. But more importantly, things are done differently here than elsewhere, both for better and for worse. In particular, the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-nine Articles, which, thanks to the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration are central to the FCA , are legally binding on our branch of Anglicanism in a way that (as I understand it) they are not elsewhere. This gives the whole institution an a resistance to movement which does not exist elsewhere and which protects it from the worst excesses of ecclesiastical mavericks.
The Church of England is thus unlikely to slide into the theological off with the fairies land that seems to afflict sections of TEC. Our inner tensions are undoubtedly real, but the frustration with the way things are is mutual to both Traditionalists and Revisionists.
One might be tempted to think that this is a good thing and likely to remain so. This, I believe, is the attitude of many who trust the institution and enjoy the status quo. However, we face problems which are not faced in North America (or at least, not in the USA) and which will, I believe, force the issues for us, whatever part of the Church we belong to. These are: the cultural acceptance of homosexuality, a totalitarian and coercive understanding of government, and the growth of Islam.
Let us take these in reverse order. The future of Islam in the UK is, I believe, likely to be parallel to that of Judaism in the Roman Empire. Then, the Romans discovered that is was not worth trying to coerce the Jews into behaving like everyone else. So, like any sensible authoritarian government, they passed a law to make it legal for Jews to be different. They made Judaism a religio licita, thus keeping control of the situation whilst avoiding the need for constant conflict. This is clearly what is happening with Islam in Britain.
Why, though, should that be a threat to the Church? The answer is because the Church of England, by comparison, has been a pushover. Instead of resisting cultural trends where they conflicted with its faith, the Church of England has sought ways to conform to them. The character of Anglicanism is legendary. By contrast, Islam, in the face it presents towards the surrounding culture, is firm and unmoveable. Thus the culture will make constant concessions to Muslims, whilst knowing that it can make constant demands of Anglicans.
This is particularly important in the light of my second point, that the prevailing philosophy of government is now, thanks to New Labour, totalitarian and coercive. The view of the governing classes is no longer that they should preserve the privileges and security of the citizenry, but that they may decide to the detail how people should live and legislate to ensure that they do. That they would dearly love to apply this to Muslims is clear from various to the quality of Muslim clergy. That this will fail, however, follows from the nature of Islam. Christians, however, are another matter entirely.
That brings us to my first point, which is the broad acceptance of homosexuality. This would not be such a problem were it not for the fact that the government is determined to legislate that homosexuality should be accepted and, like the playground bully, will zero in on anyone who does not stand up to it. Thus Roman Catholic adoption agencies must be forced (force is the right word) to comply, despite the fact that this is totally unnecessary. And comply they have. Yet could one imagine a Muslim adoption agency doing the same? Perhaps they have, but I am unaware of it, nor do I think it is likely.
The crunch will come in this country, therefore indeed it has already come at the point of social opprobrium and legal penalties on the practical issue of same-sex relationships. It will be as Christians are confronted at this point that the Church, collectively, will have to decide whether to stand up and be counted. Jesus words, I was in prison and you visited me, will be the test of true faithfulness. It is here, also that we face some of the intellectual challenges of which Archbishop Jensen spoke, both with respect to society and to ourselves.
It is over against this situation and these pressures that faithful Anglicans have to decide what they stand for and how they will organize themselves. The question, then, is not how one understands the crisis in the Church but how one sees the Church in relation to the crisis overwhelming our society.
A friend of mine has in his possession a book of the minutes of a local Parish Council (a branch of local government, not to be confused with the Parochial Church Council), kept during the Second World War. What he says is remarkable about them is the sheer energy and attention given to utter trivia, when all the time the great issue was whether German paratroops might be dropping on the village green any day now.
This is somewhat how I think we might imagine the Church of England. There are those who really cannot cope with copes. (Trust me, they are very heavy but they dont turn you into a Catholic.) There are those who believe that society is just waiting to hear about Jesus it isnt, or rather it is, provided you dont mean the man God has appointed to judge the world in righteousness. There are others who believe the collective body doesnt matter, provided their own bit is working (what might be called, in the light of the above, the s Army approach provided we can defend Walmington-on-Sea, thats what matters.)
The trouble is, all of these approaches are understandable and none is adequate. What is really needed is to equip the Church as a Church to address the real problems. We need a Churchill. Sadly, what we have more resembles the 1939 government of France, weak and demoralized in the face of an obvious threat, but simultaneously convinced of their ultimate security.
Will the FCA fill the gap? Frankly, at present, I doubt it. But to complete my analogy, it perhaps represents the current General de Gaulle aware of the problem, yet powerless truly to address it. Still, I would rather go down fighting than be overwhelmed whilst insisting Peace, peace, where there really is no peace.
Revd John Richardson
7 July 2009
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We're also very excited to welcome Les Brown, a phenomenal speaker who definitely knows how to motivate. In fact, I just got a copy of the August 2009 Success magazine in which Les Brown is featured as part of the publication's "Legend Series."

Here's a link to the main article titled "Shoot for the Moon Because Even if You Miss, You'll Land Among the Stars."

But you'll want to pick up a copy of the magazine to read Les' 10 steps to "Survive and Keep Your Dream Alive." He offers some great tips, and I'm sure it's just a taste of what he'll talk to us about at convention.

It's remarkable what Les has accomplished and how you can't help but get excited after hearing him speak (listen to the clip below). Here's a man who was born in an abandoned building in one of the poorest sections of Miami. Fortunately, he and his twin brother were adopted by Mamie Brown a wonderful woman whom Les admires greatly. In his life he's been a community activist, a talk show host, an Ohio legislator, and now a renowned professional speaker.

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What would our lives be without stress? We wouldnt recognize them. And with stress comes being anxious and churned up inside, and then the inevitable for a lot of us; anxiety sweating. What a pain. Your life in general suffers, your clothes suffer, your relationships suffer all because you are one of the unfortunate ones who remain in silence and embarrassment with your sweating problem hoping against hope that some day you will find a way to stop all of this. Just remember this, that you are not alone in your misery; not by a long shot. Anxiety can be traced all the way back to the days of the cavemen when they were prominent on the earth and were out hunting for food. Dont you think they experienced anxiety sweating when they were trying to just drag home a few square meals in the form of a wooly mammoth and suddenly found that their little pointed sticks were no match for the beast and all at once they were running for their lives. Sure they were anxious and believe me, they were sweating. Well, we go through the same thing in our lives: road rage, depressing jobs, dysfunctional families; maybe not as dramatic, but stressful enough to cause anxiety and as a result, profuse sweating.
So now the question arises, what can you do about these stresses in your life and get this sweating problem under control. One of the first methods that comes to mind is biofeedback. You can control your breathing and your heart rate after you learn the ways to do so, and as a result you can calm yourself when stress begins to overtake you and stop the sweating before it gets out of hand. And then there are ways to get a handle on your everyday life; such as following a schedule that can be broken down into daily happenings and can be used to keep your comings and goings in order. Nothing causes stress more quickly than to have your life spinning out of control and you are watching it happen without being able to do anything about it. But dont forget, also, that routine exercise can play a big part in reducing your stress and consequently your anxiety sweating, because when you feel good physically, and you are fit; then your mental outlook is much more positive also.
The next step in trying to control anxiety sweating is to get your life in general under control. Dont let your finances get out of whack to the point that you cant bear to look at the desk with its mound of bills and dun letters and as a result your heart pounds and you chew your fingernails and you sweat. And your work schedule. Balance the hours needed to be spent at work with the hours needed to be spent at home. Life keeps on trucking and you will miss out on a lot as well as ruin a lot of clothes with unnecessary bouts of sweating because you let work control your total life and not just be a part of it. And have a schedule of what needs to be done when you are home. Dont keep putting off jobs around the house; work at them on a regular basis and you will see how less stressed your life will be in a very short time.
One big factor that can cause unbelievable stress in many peoples lives is their relationships with other people and how they handle them. Your marriage may leave a lot to be desired, or maybe you have been recently widowed, or your co-workers on the job are not the type of people you want to deal with on a daily basis. Any of these scenarios can cause stress in your life and you are then at the mercy of your emotions which in turn will lead to an active bout of anxiety sweating. Just step back and take a good look at how your interpersonal relationships fit into your life, and for anything that causes a negative reaction, get to work on it. Take some decisive action and make sure you evaluate just what part of your life your relationships with people plays, and work on that angle so that you can change whatever factors need to be modified and made positive so they no longer pose a threat as a stress producer.
So what actually happens when the sweating bouts start. Why does stress trigger something like that and is there anything we can do to stop it. Well, think about it this way. Back to our little discussion about the cavemen; when humans were first developing and trying to find their way through history, they were equipped with only two ways to react to a stressful situation. They could either stand up and fight and their bodies chemically revved up for that; or they could run like hell for the nearest spot of safety, and likewise their bodies revved up for that too. So, since genetically we are not much farther along the scale than the cavemen, we suffer the same reactions when we are stressed. Our adrenal glands pump out adrenaline to rev us up whether we want to fight or run, and when we overload our bodies with all those chemicals, we sweat. So when stress comes along and we react like the cavemen did because we dont have control of the situation, then anxiety sweating is the end result.
So what to do about all this. One of the best ways for relieving stress and gaining control over our daily lives is to slow down and start to interact with the natural world around you. Take a walk and really take a walk, dont just amble along. Look and listen and smell, and you will be amazed at how much your system will calm down just by enjoying the pleasures that are all around us in nature. We are inherently connected to nature in everything we do, and when we let it flow into our senses, we revitalize that natural connection and it gives us the stamina to take on the stressors of the day. Our lives are filled with all kinds of techno gadgets and we need sometimes to just remove ourselves from that frenzied beeping world and slow down. Stop and smell the roses says a lot.
The answer to all of this lies in the fact that if you want to have a more positive life in general, and enjoy the life you have, then you must have control of what it is that is going on for you on an every day basis. Examine what it is that is stressing you out, and with having a workable schedule, planned downtimes for battery recharging and regular physical exercise, you can face those stressors head on and reduce them markedly. The more you are in control of your mental and physical status, and the more stable your life at work and also at home is; the more you will find that your stress is diminishing and your anxiety level is dropping. There is no magic bullet here, just good planning and a desire to stay on the straight and narrow that will produce the stamina you need to face down the negativities in everyday life that trigger stress, and as a result, when you eliminate them you are also taking away from your life those embarrassing bouts of anxiety sweating that have plagued you for as long as you can remember.

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www.thsh.co.uk/175th
* TICKETS ON SALE FROM 10AM ON THURSDAY 18 JUNE



1 OCTOBER - 9 DECEMBER 2009TOWN HALL, BIRMINGHAM



Town Hall Birmingham is one of the oldest concert halls in the world. At the centre of British musical life since the day it opened in October 1834, the much-loved venue marks its milestone 175TH anniversary with a special series of events including concerts, talks, dances, films and more.

Tickets go on sale on Thursday 18 June for the series, which runs from October to December.

The 175TH anniversary celebrates Town Hall's unique and continuing heritage with seventeen events from traditional to contemporary, reflecting the wide range of performance the hall has always presented. From Tea Dances to talks, Salsa to Silent Movie, A Christmas Carol to a Carnival Open Day, there's sure to be something for everyone.

The official Birthday Concert on Saturday 3 October is a performance of Handel's Messiah, a cornerstone of Town Hall's programming since the hall opened in 1834. Harry Christophers conducts The Sixteen with a classic line-up of British soloists.

Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius - premiered in Town Hall in 1900 - receives two performances by Ex Cathedra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and acclaimed baritone Willard White is joined by the Town Hall Gospel Choir to mark Paul Robeson's four appearances at Town Hall. 175 Today!

A Carnival Open Day marks the birthday itself (4 October), with a free, fun packed day of music and dance for all the family and a truly carnival atmosphere.

One of many famous names to have spoken on Town Hall's stage was the author and social commentator Charles Dickens who visited Birmingham many times. Clive Francis recreates the occasion in December 1853 when Dickens gave his reading of A Christmas Carol at Town Hall, Birmingham.

Three of Birmingham's best-loved bands, The Old Dance School, The Toy Hearts and The Destroyers join together for a night of eclectic and pan-global musical bohemia as part of the 175TH series.

Award winning experimental music and art promoters Capsule celebrate their own 10th anniversary with a December concert. Another group marking an enduring relationship is the folk group Steeleye Span who visit Town Hall on their 40th anniversary tour.

Dance has always been part of the Town Hall picture and the anniversary events include the ever-popular Tea Dances, with the Garry Allcock All-Stars Band. There's a Birthday Bhangra Bash with Alaap, Heera and Mona, pioneers of British bhangra, and a 175TH Birthday Salsa Ball with the legendary Grupo X All-Stars in a tribute to Tito Puente.

The Town Hall organ is as old as the hall, a magnificent instrument built by William Hill and still one of England's finest. The 175TH Birthday Organ Concert by City Organist Thomas Trotter will include works particularly associated with the building, including music by his predecessor as City Organist, Sir George Thalben-Ball, and Felix Mendelssohn who played the organ on his visits to Town Hall.

For Halloween, cinema organist Nigel Ogden improvises an accompaniment to the 1925 film classic Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney.Four talks complete the 175TH anniversary series. In A Hall for All Seasons, Lyndon Jenkins and Beresford King-Smith explore Town Hall's rich classical music legacy, illustrated with historical recordings and rare film footage.

The building's architectural history and recent renaissance is the subject of a talk by Project Architect Barry Adams and Project Historian Anthony Peers. Professor Carl Chinn considers Birmingham's, and Town Hall's, role in World War II history with live music provided by Garry Allcock and his All-Stars Band. And eminent biologist Professor Steve Jones celebrates Charles Darwin's bicentenary asking Is Human Evolution Over.

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Next Thursday, June 18th, we are going to start back up with Thrifty Thursday. This time it will be a little different as it will be an official Blog Carnival with links posted to the thrifty tips on YOUR blogs. Thrifty Thursday is about anything having to do with saving money, smart shopping, being frugal, etc. These are tips to save money on household expenses, shopping, driving, work expenses, and whatever else you can come up with. These don't have to be brand new posts, they can be any good posts that you have published in the past.

To participate in the carnival, head over to Blog Carnival.com and fill out the submission form. I will get back to you to let you know once your submission has been approved. Once the carnival goes live, please leave a link back to the carnival post for that week so everyone can move through all the posts and visit everyone.

I look forward to seeing all your great posts.

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On Memorial Day I sat out in my just mowed lawn looking at the natural beauty that surrounds my home thinking I am a very happy person and the feeling of happiness was wonderful; it was a sacred moment. Later that evening my husband and I sat on the deck looking at the mountains and we agreed we are very, very lucky people. I was so content.
I was at a point where I felt secure. I had just acheived a major goal at work that I felt would insure my job and proved my value as an employee. We were going to ride out this recession OK;  in the 80s my husband was out of work for 18 months.
On Tuesday, I was laid off from my job. A job I had spent over 20 years working toward; a job I enjoyed working with people I really liked.
Boom.
Just before this happened I was watching a show about people who dive (with parachutes) into deep, deep dark caves. I thought to myself I could never, never do that. How frightening! Yet on the day I lost my job I felt exactly as if that was what I had done. I was plummeting through the darkness being drawn downward by anger, fear and uncertainty. My emotions were so intense.
I recalled something I read once about happiness in relationship to impermanence. The essence of it was to beware of feeling happiness was any more permanent than pain; it is like holding the snake by the tail and it can come around and bite you in the heart. I went from so high to so low so fast I couldnt think.
Now I am like a wanderer. No idea where to go from here. I saw a t-shirt recently that said all who wander are not lost. Through the love and support of family and friends and an honest examination of who I am and what I have to offer the world I am beginning to feel a path beneath my feet. The need for money is a looming storm and it gives me feelings of the free fall again but it has also forced me to re-evaluate a lot of things. Not from some philosophical, do I really need all this stuff place but the real day to day how will we pay the bills place. Big difference there. We were in the midst of a financial plan that would resolve some serious issues and only two things would mess it up other than the obvious like a serious illness, etc.: one of our cars would die or one of us would lose our job. Both happened within a week of each other.
Boom.
The parachute is starting to open and the falling is turning to floating.
There is a meditation I have always loved where you envision a mountain; you embody the mountain. The mountain is grounded and stands firm. Weather comes and goes; people come and see it as beautiful or not; the seasons bring changes all the time. The mountain stands rooted in the earth. Strong. When I sit down to meditate in hard times I bring this image into my mind.
I am overwhelmed by the lessons here to be learned. Yesterday I went a whole day without anger for the first time since this happened. (I am talking gut wrenching, cant see straight anger.) I felt a little peace seeping in.
Taking a deep breath has taken on new meaning.

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UK-based mobile communications provider O2 is demonstrating an NFC application that can be used by patients and home health care workers. The system is on display at the INSITE09 conference. Developed in partnership with technology provider Reslink, O2 Homecare helps home health care workers and patients access and share information using contactless technology on a mobile phone. O2 and Reslink are working with ecoTECH, providers of Sustainable Homes, to incorporate NFC tags into their energy efficient housing.The system enables home health care workers to download patient records and care requirements by swiping an NFC-enabled handset over NFC tags installed in the patients home. The solution also captures real-time information on care provided to the patient and logs the care workers whereabouts when making house calls for enhanced security. Data is relayed to central host systems and logged for electronic time and attendance records. This eliminates the need for verbal or paper documentation and will help save care organisations time and operational expensePatients can also use the system. O2 home health care patients can touch the mobile phone to a pre-installed NFC tag in the home to bring up details of their care workers next visit or their next medical appointment. Call backs and appointments can also be requested quickly and easily by touching the patients phone to an NFC tag. The patient can then select their preferred options from a drop down menu which will automatically appear on the handset.Alert tags can be strategically placed within easy access to the patient in case of emergency. When the patient touches their mobile phone to this tag the handset will automatically send an alert transaction and dial a predetermined number.NFC tags can also be placed on medicine bottles allowing patients to identify prescription details by touching their phone to the bottle. The tag may be linked to a special medication dispenser with a pre-set release capability and authorisation procedures based on the patients prescription.In addition, NFC tags may be placed on equipment in the home, for example, the boiler, heating system, thermostat, oven and chairlift. The patient would simply need to touch their phone to the tag to bring up details such as the model type, when the product was last serviced, and by whom. The patient can also report a fault with the equipment or request a service appointment using their handset.

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Have a New Knee Get on with the Game !
By Dennis Shaw

At the time, I was stretched out on the sofa, with a pair of crutches nearby, contemplating a kilo packet of Tescos frozen peas perched perilously on a seriously swollen left knee. As you do.

Weeks, maybe months, of inactivity lay ahead. No car driving for a considerable time. No golf driving until spring turns into summer, and who knows how long after that. And yetdo you know how I felt?

Lucky, thats how. .

Lucky that, at the age of 76 I could have undergone what is known as a TKR (Total Knee Replacement) and, thanks to the miracles of modern surgery, can look forward to being back to normal, including playing golf, in the foreseeable future, 12 weeks maybe.

Just imagine that: a clapped out knee joint, with cartilages missing and arthritis setting in, has been surgically removed. In its place has been fixed a metal surface to the head of the femur, a polyethylene cushion has been cemented into the head of the fibula and, after some weeks of recovery, away you go.

New knee joint for old, sir? Certainly!. How about that? Quite commonplace now, actually. And hip replacements, Im assured, are even easier.

There were two reasons that, with time on my hands and not much to do, I was indulging in a spot of homespun philosophy to pass away a few moments.

Its not all that long ago that I attended the annual general meeting of a group of care homes for old folk. One of the speakers told us that when the group was founded in the aftermath of World War 2 the average age of their inmates was in the fifties.

Back then, sixty-plus was regarded as very elderly, comparatively few reached their 70s and many who did, unless in rare good health, were pretty much regarded as living on borrowed time. Many did live on into their nineties and even a hundred then, of course, but only a fraction of those who do now.

Fact is that that the has shifted. A smaller number go into those homes before theyre in their 80s and some of those fortunate enough to remain in good health are active members of golf clubs rather than taking up beds in care homes for the elderly.

There is nothing unusual nowadays in seeing a group of four guys, or gals, having a thoroughly competitive and enjoyable 18 hole match, all on foot, and each of them is 80 or thereabouts. And younger bloods might consider that the fairways are being cluttered up by the grey brigade.

The other thought that crossed my mind was of playing with a teenage junior member in a competition some months ago now. He was one of the admirable, well-coached modern breed of long-hitting young bucks with Tiger-like swings and aspirations to follow in the great mans footsteps. Good for him.

If I recall correctly he was off a handicap of five but was desperate to get down to four and could have done so had he scored a shot or two below par in this Wednesday medal. (I suspect he wasnt too happy at finding himself playing with this high handicap septuagenarian and another guy of much the same age and ability so that may not have helped his mood)

The whole affair seemed three and a half hours of unmitigated torture for our Young Buck. Dropping a shot to par, even on the longest of holes, and in difficult playing conditions, reduced him to the depths of despair. When he missed a six-foot putt for one of the several birdies he felt were his god-given right, he appealed to the heavens as though unjustified and unbearable penance was raining down on him.

To be fair, at that age, when you have some ability, have been taught by a PGA pro, have watched the elite of the world game perform their wondrous deeds in the major championships, it is not easy to accept that you may just be like the rest of usdestined to play the game for fun and frustration.

Its a hard lesson, and part of growing up. No-one should criticises a young person for wanting to be the best, but patience, perspective and humility are three more of lifes lessons that also have to be learned, especially if youre to survive the indignities that golf can heap upon us.

As we played the final hole I said to him: Today, playing with us, youve seen the most encouraging thing youll ever see on a golf course and if I were you I would never forget it.

He looked at my mate and I and, with a withering, disbelieving expression, asked: How do you mean?

It shows that you if you stay healthy you can carry on playing this game for another sixty years or more, I explained, getting all grandfatherly. He obviously didnt understand. And why should he when his priorities are NOW, not in his dotage.

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Rodale Inc., publisher of Bicycling, has launched Rodale.com, a source for daily news, information, and advice on personal and environmental health. Through news stories, videos, recipe and home remedy finders, a newsletter, and s Farm Country Kitchen, a blog from Editor-in-Chief Maria Rodale, the site provides users with tools to help them improve their health and their environment, the publisher claims.
Our tagline, Where health meets green, captures the philosophy of Rodale.com, said Rodale, who is also the Chairman of Rodale Inc. From the food you eat to the medicines you take to the products you purchase to clean your home, theres a direct connection between your personal health and the health of the environment.

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03: FLOW MAKES HISTORY

Renowned and respected names are going with the FLOW. Top lifestyle and design gurus Ricky Toledo and Chito Vijandre, the proprietors behind the home and design concept stores Firma, Felicity, and AC+632, hold the reigns for FLOW 03.

In FLOW magazines third issue, Ricky and Chito take the readers on a journey to the past. This issue brings to life the vanishing art of paper cutwork, showcases paintings and puppets which are inspired from local folklore, and makes available to the reading public some antique pieces that have never been shown before. In his quest to promote literacy and education, another collector shares with us his love for his prized possessions. This issue also tells us the story of how a Filipino scenographer made it big in New York, and treats our eyes to items that are updated by visionaries to fit todays times. Of course, an issue of FLOW would not be complete without its array of arresting images, insightful articles, and inspired layouts.

Certainly, one cannot fully understand the future without realizing the importance of the past. FLOW 03 promotes and preserves these traditions, believing that it is our heritage that makes us what we are now, and what we will be.

To formally launch the third issue, FLOW held a special exhibition and sale of works by the contributors and artists featured in the magazine on March 17, 2009 at the Silverlens Gallery. The exhibit will run from March 17 to 28, 2009, and is composed of elegant pieces by Bea Valdes, Wynn Wynn Ong, George Sy Gobio and Robert Langenegger; lush artworks from Allan Balisi, Bruihn, Patricia Eustaquio, Nikki Luna, Troy Ignacio, Jun-Jun Sta. Ana, Randy Solon, Alex Tee, and Tatong Torres; outstanding photographs by Mannix Santos and Kadin Tiu; and a magnificent collaboration between Juan Caguicla and Ronald Ventura.

FLOW 03: The Launch would not have been possible without the support of Absolut Vodka, Restaurante Pia Y Damaso, BB Italia, Hotel Celeste, Jewelmer, Vagary, Alternatives Food Corporation, and Silverlens Gallery.

*FLOW magazine is published by October Eighty Publications, Inc., and is available at all major bookstores and newsstands.

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Bodybuilding can be defined as the pursuit of lean muscle mass. The importance of a proper diet to accomplish this goal cannot be understated. In fact, many experts argue that diet can account for up to 90% of a persons success at building their body. Fortunately, there is an easy-to-follow meal plan that works like magic to burn fat and gain muscle.
In this day and age of fad diets and trendy diets and so on, it is important to note that bodybuilding involves a lifestyle. Regular, intense and goal-oriented training sessions combined with an intelligent approach to eating will promote the development of a muscular physique that most trainees desire. Discipline, patience, persistence and consistency are required. All of these attributes are favorable and can lead one to success in not only physique goals, but also in personal and professional pursuits.
When an individual adopts bodybuilding as a lifestyle, the physique improvements can be maintained over the long term. A steady, consistent and daily approach will prevent the agony of short-term weight loss followed by a quick regain of weight and the accompanying depression and feeling of hopelessness. Training and eating like a bodybuilder works, becomes habit-forming and eventually gives one a real sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
We like to adhere to the KISS (keep it simple, smart guy) principle when it comes to meal plans. So lets not going to get too technical. Were just going to lay it out for you. First of all, you should eat smaller meals, 5-6 times per day, 2 ½ -3 hours apart. This will keep your metabolism going and provide your muscles (stimulated by short, intense workouts) fed with nutrients required for growth. These meals will consist of protein, carbohydrates and fats.
Proper protein intake will vary according to age, gender, goals and so on. Generally speaking, each meal should contain between 25-50 grams of protein. A rule of thumb is that a healthy male trying to promote lean muscle mass should ingest 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Therefore, if your body weight is 200 pounds, a daily intake of 300 grams of protein (6 meals with 50 grams of protein each) would be required. The key is that if you are training hard, you need protein.
Sources for protein include lean meats, fish, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese and whey protein. Avoid fatty meats and try to grill your meats and do not fry them in fat. Remember to include a protein selection at each meal.
When discussing carbohydrates, it is vital to distinguish between the different types of carbs. For this discussion we will identify 3 different types of carbs: complex carbs include potatoes, yams, bread, cereals, grains, pasta and rice; simple carbs include most fruit and veggie carbs which include most vegetables and leafy greens.
Fats are also a necessity but should come from the following sources: extra virgin olive oil, flax seed oil, nuts (almonds are best) and fish oil. The diet is very simple. For every meal, choose a portion from the protein group, the complex carb group and the veggie carb group. A good rule of thumb is that a serving size for your protein and carbs should be about the size of your fist. Have a serving of fats at 2-3 meals per day and only have simple carbs first thing in the morning at breakfast and immediately following your workout. Actually, its critical to have a post workout shake with whey protein and a simple carb like a banana. Bring it to the gym with you and have it while the sweat is still on your body.
Now to fine tune this diet you can do this: if you are trying to increase muscle mass and not worried too much about losing fat, eat as above. However, if you wish to accelerate fat burning, do not eat complex carbs at your last 2-3 meals of the day. Lean protein (chicken breast or fish) and salads or chunky veggies (broccoli and asparagus are excellent choices) will do the trick.
Lets take this one step further. Here is a magic formula for extreme lean muscle mass and fat burning. For three days in a row, come hell or high water, only eat complex carbs first thing in the morning (a serving of oatmeal will do it) and immediately after your workout. On the fourth day, eat a ton of carbs. Actually cheat on this day. Eat whatever you want, but ensure that you eat sufficient protein and lots of complex carbs. This is the time to eat pizza, pasta, cake and so on.
This three day off, one day on carbs has produced fantastic results in many bodybuilders. We like it because any cravings we can put off until our day (which isnt really that far off in the future) and then indulge at that time. The secret is to remain strict on the low carb days. This takes planning, preparation and discipline. You can do it. Once you start to see the results you get from this carbohydrate manipulation, you will find it much easier to stick to it.
This meal plan should produce such dramatic results so quickly that your friends will be asking you what you are . The real secret is daily discipline. Take it one day at a time. Eat right according to the principles outlined above, manipulate your cab intake and train with intensity focusing on basic, heavy movements. This is the bodybuilding lifestyle. Engage in it and change your life, long-term and for the better.
Mike Selcsum
http://www.articlesbase.com/muscle-building-articles/the-kiss-diet-for-effective-muscle-gain-61998.

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Magazines publishing in Ontario will, as expected, have to charge a 13% harmonized tax on top of subscriptions starting in just over a year. It was confirmed in yesterday's Ontario budget that the 8% provincial sales tax will be merged with the 5% GST starting July 1, 2010.

It is, in effect, an 8% increase in taxation, since the 50% of magazines in Ontario have not charged provincial sales tax on subscriptions (although it has been charged on single copies sold at retail). It is a tax that magazines are expected to ultimately pass along to their subscribers (though that will be difficult to do quickly). It is not possible to predict at the moment what the impact will be on subscription sales when subscribers see their out-of-pocket cost.

The harmonized sales tax will also have to be applied, tracked and input tax credits applied for on a host of other magazine input costs, such as printing and postage, which had previously been PST-exempt.

There are some bland assurances that the greater efficiency of the HST and publishers' ability to claim back input credits even on things where they previously couldn't, will neutralize the impact. But the one area where this won't have any effect is on subscriptions.

There is also the suggestion that this levels the playing field with magazines published elsewhere in the country which have paid HST for some time. But it can't be forgotten that half of all Canadian magazines circulate in and are published in Ontario.

Some goods are exempt, including books. But magazines and newspapers are taking the hit.

It will be interesting to hear from individual publishers as they do their back of the envelope calculations. What will be the likely effect this new tax measure will have on their businesses and their readership base which is, after all, the foundation of those businesses.

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Unless you are a small insect, we have good news: the majority of spiders in North America do not have lethal bites. Spider bites in humans fall into two categories: serious bites from two particular dangerous species, and annoying bites that can be handled effectively using home remedies for spider bites. What's more, these home remedies for spider bites are things you probably already have on hand in your kitchen and home first aid kit.
Let's take a look at the two spider species that have dangerous bites. The first is the brown recluse spider. First the good news: this spider has a limited range and is only found in the Southern United States down to the Gulf coast. Now the better news: the bite of this spider is almost always painless and almost never fatal. The bite of this spider seems to cause the death of cells and tissue surrounding the bite area. There is some argument that this cell death may be from a bacterial infection transmitted by the spider, and not from the spider's venom. The thing to watch for with this kind of bite is a rapid change in the way the bite area looks. If you have a bite that is changing rapidly, seek medical attention immediately, especially if you live in this spider's natural habitat.
The other "big bad" of the spider world is the black widow spider. If you are bitten by a black widow, you may recognize the spider by its distinctive black body and red hourglass marking. Even if you don't recognize the spider, you will recognize the bite. The bite is immediately painful, and severe body cramps, headaches, and tearing follow soon after. Seek medical attention immediately, as your symptoms will rapidly get worse. The good news here is that death is rare, and with proper medical treatment, you will likely have a very good outcome.
Just as people can be allergic to insect bites and stings, people can be allergic to spider bites. Most people who have these allergies know and carry appropriate medication with them at all times. But anyone who is bitten is susceptible to an anaphylactic reaction. So if there are any signs of swelling, rapid heart rate, and shortness of breath, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately.
Fortunately, despite their severity, allergic reactions and bites from brown recluse and black widow spiders are rare. Most of the time all you will need is a home remedy for spider bites. The main issue with a spider bite, as with an insect bite, is irritation and itching. To soothe the area of the bite, try using a preparation with a waxy emollient base like beeswax. If it has other nutrient ingredients, like bee pollen or propolis, so much the better.
An over the counter antihistamine, either oral or topical, will relieve swelling and make you more comfortable. Other things you can place on the bite site to help include a slice of raw onion, or a paste of baking soda and water.
Home remedies for spider bites are another essential tool for the home first aid kit. Use common sense, however, and know when a bite is an annoyance, and when you should be seen by a physician.

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Norman Cousins, the storied journalist, author and editor, found no pain reliever better than clips of the Marx Brothers. For years, Cousins suffered from inflammatory arthritis, and he swore that 10 minutes of uproarious laughing at the hilarious team bought him two hours of pain-free sleep.
In his book Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient (W. W. Norton, 1979), Cousins described his self-prescribed laughing cure, which seemed to ameliorate his inflammation as well as his pain. He eventually was able to return to work, landing a job as an adjunct professor at the School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he investigated the effects of emotions on biological states and health.
The community of patients inspired by such miracle treatments believes not only that humor is psychologically beneficial but that it actually cures disease. In reality, only a smattering of scientific evidence exists to support the latter idea—but laughter and humor do seem to have significant effects on the psyche, even influencing our perception of pain. What is more, psychological well-being has an impact on overall wellness, including our risk of disease.
Laughter relaxes us and improves our mood, and hearing jokes may ease anxiety. Amusement’s ability to counteract physical agony is well documented, and as Cousins’s experience suggests, humor’s analgesic effect lasts after the smile has faded.
Cheerfulness, a trait that makes people respond more readily to laugh lines, is linked to emotional resilience—the ability to keep a level head in difficult circumstances—and to close relationships, studies show. Science also indicates that a sense of humor is sexy; women are attracted to men who have one. Thus, in various ways, life satisfaction may increase with the ability to laugh.
Amusing Exercise

Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle viewed laughter as “a bodily exercise precious to health.” But despite some claims to the contrary, chuckling probably has little influence on physical fitness. Laughter does produce short-term changes in cardiovascular function and respiration, boosting heart rate, respiratory rate and depth, as well as oxygen consumption. But because hard laughter is difficult to sustain, a good guffaw is unlikely to have measurable cardiovascular benefits the way, say, walking or ­jogging does.
In fact, instead of straining muscles to build them, as exercise does, laughter apparently accomplishes the opposite. Studies dating back to the 1930s indicate that laughter relaxes muscles, decreasing muscle tone for up to 45 minutes after the guffaw subsides.
Such physical relaxation might conceivably help moderate the effects of psychological stress. After all, the act of laughing probably does produce other types of physical feedback that improve an individual’s emotional state. According to one classical theory of emotion, our feelings are partially rooted in physical reactions. American psychologist William James and Danish physiologist Carl Lange argued at the end of the 19th century that humans do not cry because they are sad but that they become sad when the tears begin to flow.
Although sadness also precedes tears, evidence suggests that emotions can flow from muscular responses. In an experiment published in 1988, social psychologist Fritz Strack of the University of Würzburg in Germany and his colleagues asked volunteers to hold a pen either with their teeth—thereby creating an artificial smile—or with their lips, which would produce a disappointed expression. Those forced to exercise their smiling muscles reacted more exuberantly to funny cartoons than did those whose mouths were contracted in a frown, suggesting that expressions may influence emotions rather than just the other way around. Similarly, the physical act of laughter could improve mood.
Additional studies have shown that laughing at a funny film can cause a drop in the blood’s concentration of the stress hormone cortisol (although other stress hormones appear to be unaffected). Because chronically elevated cortisol levels have been shown to weaken the immune system, this mechanism could conceivably help ward off disease. Indeed, experiments have indicated that laughter increases the activity of immune cells called natural killer cells in saliva in healthy subjects.
In some cases, though, laughter may dampen inappropriate immune responses. In a 2007 study allergy researcher Hajime Kimata of Moriguchi-Keijinkai Hospital in Japan measured levels of the hormone melatonin in the breast milk of nursing mothers before and after the subjects watched either a comic Charlie Chaplin video or an ordinary weather report. Melatonin regulates the sleep-wake cycle and is often disturbed in the allergic skin condition atopic eczema, which all of the 48 babies in the study had. Kimata found that laughing at the funny film, but not hearing the weather report, increased the amount of melatonin in the mothers’ milk. In addition, the laughter-fortified breast milk reduced the allergic responses to latex and house dust mites in the infants. Thus, making a nursing mom laugh might sometimes serve as an allergy remedy for her baby.
The idea that laughter itself, independent of humor, provides physiological and psychological benefits motivates proponents of “laughter yoga,” a group exercise in simulated laughter, which (like yawning) quickly becomes contagious. Many participants in such programs, which are growing in popularity, report feeling looser and happier after them. Some researchers are skeptical that feigned laughter has direct health benefits, however. Psychiatrist Barbara Wild of the University of Tübing­en in Germany, for example, believes that the sense of well-being that people report after such sessions results from the social experience of giggling and interacting as a group and not from a direct physiological effect of laughter itself.
Shifting Perspective

Of course, humor elicits various thoughts and emotions in addition to a social response such as laughing, smiling, groaning or verbal banter. Indeed, most humor researchers believe that the psychology of humor, rather than laughter per se, is what most benefits mental and physical health.
Humor is an intellectual skill that requires an ability to view situations in a particular light. Humor and comedy are often based on a logical twist, paradox or displacement. In Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter announces to Alice: “If you knew Time as well as I do, you wouldn’t talk about wasting it.” And after Alice says she has to “beat time” when she learns music, the Hatter replies: “Ah! That accounts for it. He won’t stand beating.”
Understanding a reference to “time” as if it were a living thing with feelings requires the ability to shift perspective away from the conventional view of the concept. Clinical psychologist Michael Titze, founder of HumorCare, an association that promotes humor as therapy, believes the humorous perspective creates cognitive distance between yourself and the circumstances in a way that can be psychologically protective. As Sigmund Freud wrote in 1928, “No doubt, the essence of humor is that one spares oneself the affects to which the situation would naturally give rise and overrides with a jest the possibility of such an emotional display.”
Such cognitive and emotional distancing may help keep anxiety at bay. In a 1990 study Nancy A. Yovetich, now a pharmaceutical researcher at Rho, Inc., along with psychologists J. Alexander Dale and Mary A. Hudak of Allegheny College, told 53 college students they would receive an electric shock in 12 minutes (although no shock was forthcoming). During the wait, some students listened to a funny tape, whereas others heard a humorless speech or nothing at all. Those exposed to the humor rated themselves as less anxious as the fictitious shock approached than did those in the other two groups. In addition, participants who in a prior personality test had scored higher on “sense of humor” showed the least tension of all, suggesting that humor is indeed calming.
For similar reasons, humor can take the sting out of defeat and disappointment, helping people weather difficulty. In the mid-1990s psychologist Willibald Ruch, now at the University of Zurich, and his co-workers at the University of Düsseldorf in Germany created a measure of cheerfulness and sense of humor called the State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory (STCI). Its questions distinguish between a person’s momentary mood (state)—triggered, say, by a joke—and a general disposition for enjoyment (trait). A high cheerfulness score means a person gets in a cheerful mood easily and laughs readily.
One benefit of a cheerful character is resilience, a psychic robustness that emotionally buffers people against crises and enables them to see silver linings in major disappointments such as the dissolution of a marriage or the loss of a job. “Humor strengthens the psyche,” Ruch says. In a study published in 1999, he and his colleagues assigned 72 students, all of whom took the STCI, to one of three rooms: a “cheerful” room with large windows, yellow walls, funny posters and colored drapes; a “depressing” room painted black and lit only by a small frosted bulb; and a small “serious” room filled with scientific equipment, books, manuals and presentation posters. The participants performed tasks such as drawing and filling out questionnaires in each of the rooms, as an excuse for spending time in the separate environments. As expected, the ambience of the rooms had a much larger effect on the less cheerful individuals: the depressing and serious rooms put the more humorless students in a worse mood but did not alter the mind-set of the sunnier participants, as measured by a mood test.
In another test of the buffering power of cheerfulness published in 1996, Ruch, physician Claus-Udo Wancke and their colleagues in Düsseldorf measured this trait in 68 adults and then asked them to discuss emotionally laden proverbs. The researchers found that talking about the negative proverbs put people with more sober personalities into a bad mood, whereas the more upbeat folks stayed as jovial as before, again indicating that being a cheerful person with a sense of humor may help you endure negative events and situations.
Easing Agony

In addition to being less affected by negative events, individuals with a sense of humor may also be able to distance themselves from the threat of pain. As early as 1928, New York physician James J. Walsh noticed that laughter seemed to dampen pain after surgery. Since then, research has indicated that humor can have painkilling properties. One 1996 study demonstrated that patients who watched funny movies needed less of their mild painkillers after orthopedic surgery than did patients who viewed serious flicks or nothing at all.
Humor’s analgesic effect requires enjoyment but not necessarily laughter, according to a 2004 study by Ruch, along with his then graduate students Karen Zweyer and Barbara Velker. The researchers asked 56 women to submerge a hand in ice-cold water before, immediately after and 20 minutes after a funny seven-minute film. In response to the film, some of the women were instructed to get into a cheerful mood without smiling or laughing; others were asked to smile and laugh a lot; the rest were told to create humorous verbal commentaries on the film while watching it.
As expected, seeing the funny film did boost pain tolerance in all the women: after exposure to the comedy, all the participants required a longer exposure to the water to feel pain and could tolerate longer submersions before pulling their hand out. These changes in pain perception were lasting, persisting for 20 minutes after the film ended. Smiling, but not necessarily laughter, seemed to be most important for the pain-suppressing effect. The women who were asked to refrain from smiling in response to the film generally felt the most pain, and the members of that group who failed to suppress a grin showed more pain tolerance than the others did.
A lack of seriousness (the counterpart to cheerfulness, though not its opposite) also seemed to help, the researchers found. The individuals who ranked low in seriousness, as measured by the STCI, showed the most genuine smiling and laughter, which lessened their pain. The authors speculate that people who are less sober in general may also take pain less seriously. They propose that seriousness or its opposite, playfulness, might be a good indicator of whether an intervention involving humor would alleviate pain in an individual.
In addition to suppressing pain, being funny and cheerful can cultivate friendships. Cheerful people have a lighthearted interaction style that facilitates bonding closely with others and builds social support. They also may get more dates. In 2006 psychologists Eric R. Bressler of Westfield State College and Sigal Balshine of McMaster University in Ontario reported that women are more likely to consider a man in a photograph a desirable relationship partner if the picture is accompanied by a funny quote attributed to the man. In fact, the women preferred the funny men despite rating them, on average, less intelligent and less trustworthy.
Although the men in Bressler and Balshine’s study did not prefer witty women as partners, other research indicates that both men and women value a “sense of humor” when choosing a partner. Either way, males do seem to like ladies who laugh at their jokes. A 1990 study suggests that when women and men chat, the amount of laughing by the woman indicates both her interest in dating the man and her sexual appeal to the man. (The man’s laughter did not relate to attraction in either direction.)
Healing with Humor

Because of humor’s many psychological benefits, some psychologists and mental health experts are testing comedy as a remedy for stress, mild depression or just feeling down. Psychologist Paul McGhee, a former humor researcher who is now president of the Laughter Remedy in Wilmington, Del., has developed a widely used humor training program to help people manage stress. In an unpublished study, Ruch, along with graduate students Heidi Stolz and Sandra Rusch, found that the McGhee program helped 96 mentally healthy individuals become more natrally cheerful and content with their lives, an improvement that lasted for at least two months.
In 2008 psychologists Ilona Papousek and Günter Schulter, both at the University of Graz in Austria, described a novel method of teaching people to make themselves cheerful that left participants in a better mood for at least two days after their three-week course ended. The subjects also felt calmer and showed reductions in blood pressure.
Wild and psychiatrist Irina Falkenberg, now at the University of Marburg in Germany, have adapted the McGhee program for patients with mild depression. Until recently, humor was taboo in psychotherapy. “Naturally, you can’t just laugh away a serious mental illness,” Wild says. And nobody is suggesting humor as a treatment for severe depression. But being funny could ease moderate distress. In psychotherapy, patients often learn how to reinterpret or distance themselves from negative emotions such as stress and fear. Humor can help with these goals. “Having a sense for the comedic can be an important coping strategy,” Wild suggests.
Wild and Falkenberg coach patients to weave comedy into their daily lives. The researchers first determine what individuals find funny by asking each of them to recall a humorous experience and to provide pictures or cartoons that make him or her laugh. Later, the patients are encouraged to see the amusing side of situations—in some cases, brainstorming as a group—or to collect or create punch lines. No one is supposed to laugh at anyone else or turn a patient’s illness into an object of fun. Also against the rules are potentially mean-spirited forms of humor such as sarcasm or schadenfreude (delighting in others’ misfortune or misery).
So far Wild and Falkenberg have discovered that the humor therapy can temporarily improve patients’ mood; they are now probing its long-term effects. Meanwhile another study hints that humor might be able to lift the veil of depression. In 2007 psychiatrist Marc Walter of the University of Basel in Switzerland and his colleagues reported that 10 elderly depressed patients who received humor training in addition to medication were more satisfied with their lives than were patients in a group that received only medication. “The patients open up more easily and are more lively in their interactions” after the therapy, Walter says.
One obstacle to such efforts is that some psychiatric patients have problems recognizing wit because social or memory impairments prevent them from understanding the intentions of the joke teller or from holding a joke in mind from start to punch line. Because of a failure to empathize, autistic persons also fail to see the humor in many jokes.
But for most of us, humor may be the balm we need to more calmly overcome the obstacles of everyday existence, to make friends and even to stave off physical pain. According to 18th-century philosopher Immanuel Kant, laughter is one of a trio of tactics humans may use to counterbalance life’s troubles. The others are hope and sleep.

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Extreme Makeover Home Edition Marathon?! NOOOOOOO!!

1. Yoga
You may feel as if you're trapped in an endless self-empowerment workshop. But you'll also probably be the only man in a hot, enclosed space full of beautiful women in clingy clothing.

2. Having Her Drive
It establishes your commitment to a relationship based on gender equality. Plus, you pick the music.

3. Black-and-White Movies
Dropping an All About Eve reference may elicit blank stares, but knowledge of this genre makes you a person of intrigue. Besides, you'll learn a lot more about moving through the world from Cary Grant than from Spike TV.

4. Superhero Cartoons
A solid relationship with nerd culture enables you to connect with nephews and sons. The sad truth is, Pokémon isn't going away.

5. Small Dogs
Okay, they're neurotic face lickers with breathing problems. They're also the next-cutest thing to human babies, and merely having one in your proximity makes you look like a caring person. If you can take care of a pug, you can take care of anything.

6. Snuggling
If done properly and consistently, it leads to the Promised Land. Or possibly to more snuggling, but this is a calculated risk.

7. French Cheese
Though most of the good stuff smells like Nicolas Sarkozy's private apartment, cheese really is the most incredible food in the world. Start with a ripe Epoisses, and then let your cheesemonger take you deep.

8. Makeover Shows
There's nothing like watching perky strangers barge into someone's life, only to find it empty. The shows are formulaic and fake, yes, but you're getting free tips from professionals who would otherwise charge thousands.

9. Tea
We're not talking crappy dorm-room stashes of Lemon Lift and Constant Comment, but the real stuff: first-flush Darjeeling and South African rooibos. Men have been drinking it for thousands of years, it tastes great, and it doesn't crack you out like coffee.

10. Video Games
"I play a buttload of Grand Theft Auto" isn't exactly a calling card, but there's something to be said about keeping certain childhood enthusiasms alive. It's still socially acceptable to play Monopoly or Scrabble, so why not Centipede or Mario Kart? Stay in touch with your younger self without the trauma of having to go through puberty again.

11. Country Music
Your snobbery betrays ignorance. Some of the greatest songs in the North American canon have come out of this genre. Also, if you think you have problems, just listen to some Merle Haggard. You'll feel a lot better.

12. Street-Cart Food
Your odds of a little gastrointestinal distress may increase slightly, but it's immensely satisfying to eat out at a most basic level. You could discover a brand-new taste that will change the way you think about, say, Sri Lanka. At the very least, you'll have a cheap lunch.

13. Staying Home Alone on a Saturday Night
This could mean a beer at the kitchen table, a long, mopey bath, and an early bedtime. Or you could revel in the solitude and freedom. On weekends, everything is more crowded and expensive. Go out on a Tuesday, when the crowds are scarce and the beer is heavily discounted.

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Like any learned skill, there are certain basics that must be mastered first. The very bedrock upon which all health and fitness achievement rests are thoughts. Everything man-made in the world or any action you've taken in the past all started with a thought. There is not one man-made object or goal that didn't start as a thought in someone's head that was then made into reality. Your toaster, your TV, your automobile, your desire for better health.

A single thought ultimately transformed into physical reality.

In order to achieve any health or fitness goal you must start with this basic concept; thoughts are things. Thoughts are the foundation upon which you build the framework for attainment of your goal. Every thought has a physical manifestation in our bodies; every thought produces physical substances called neuro-transmitting enzymes that have instant effects on how we feel and who we are at the cellular level.

Don't believe me? Think of biting into a big, juicy lemon or think about fingernails slowly running down a chalk board and tell me you didn't have an immediate, physical response.

Or how about a thought that changed the world?

Every day, thousands of times a day, all over the world people fly from destination to destination. It's amazing that a person can step into a device that lifts them off the ground and flies through the air at great speed sometimes over great distances safely carrying them to their destination in a matter of minutes or hours! Only a bit over a hundred years ago that would have been considered impossible or a miracle. Yet it happens every day today and it started with a thought in someone's head that man could fly. On December 17th, 1903 the thought that man had had for generations to fly, became reality.

That is the power of thoughts!

If you can have that kind of immediate response from such a simple thought, just imagine what you can accomplish with a focused, burning desire backed by faith and persistence!

Life isn't fair or normal, there's just life. But that should be a comforting thought. If life were fair all things would be equal and all people would be equal. The logical conclusion is that there could be no social movement up or down, no bettering of yourself nor worsening, no getting healthier, just stagnation. Because life isn't fair it means you have the ability to control whether you improve your life or make it worse but at least you have the ability to make change.

What about external influences which you have no control over? Say your significant other is killed in a car accident or you become paraplegic in a skiing accident. The list could go on and on. But there is one thing you have total control over.

Viktor E. Frankl, a concentration camp survivor, put it best in his book "Man's Search for Meaning,"

"The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose ones attitudes in any given circumstance."

The only absolute freedom you have is choosing how you react to life. And how you choose starts with a thought.

Who you are right now is the sum total of what you've thought about up to this moment. If you're not satisfied with who you are right now, the good news is who you will be from now on is entirely up to you. Change your thoughts and you can start changing yourself. If you want to lose weight or be more fit, it all starts with a thought.

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I first heard about Sheikha Lubna during the Dubai Ports Crisis in February of 2006. The issue was over the sale of port management businesses in six major U.S. seaports to a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There was concern of whether this sale would compromise port security. I remember how American citizens became very vocal raising serious concerns about how and why the United States would do such a thing since Americans were still suffering from the sting and psychological impact of 9/11 and were also very confused and frankly racist about Arab people. While then President George W. Bush fought hard to keep the sale alive, he did not have the political capital to stop Congress from ultimately delaying the sale.

During the crisis in came IT specialist Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, then Minister of Economy. One of Forbes' 100 most powerful women, she was the first woman to be appointed cabinet Minister for the UAE in 2004, this petite woman with expressive eyes and proudly wearing her signature designer silk scarves, intimidated CNN's Wolf Blitzer during his visit to Dubai to see what he could sniff out about this controversy. Blitzer under estimated her, and he immediately discovered that the Sheikha was nothing to shake -- with quick responses, wit and perfect elocution she was a force to be reckoned with.

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Are you fed up with being called Are you tired of getting blank stares when you tell someone that you work out with weights? Are you frustrated that the scale has not budged upwards since you first started lifting?
I know from first hand experience what it feels like to train for hours in the gym, slug back protein shake after protein shake, spend your hard earned money on over-priced and over-hyped supplements, with little or nothing to show for it! If this is you than youre not alone and are probably missing a few key ingredients that youre executing effectively.
If youre a naturally skinny person than you must play by a different set of rules. If you were not gifted with muscle friendly genes than does it make sense to follow a program by someone who builds muscle even when they sneeze? If youre training drug free than does it make sense to take advice from a guy whos spending a few thousand dollars a month on steroids?
Or maybe youre taking advice from someone with great genetics? Thats like taking money advice from someone who inherited a fortune! You must accept the fact if you have muscle genes you must be prepared to play by a different set of rules if you want to build muscle and turn heads!
Here are a few simple tips to show you - the skinny guy - how to build muscle and gain weight quickly:
Train like a barbarian!
Do people stop and watch you work out? Do you reach the point in a workout where you question your ability to finish? If you treat working out more like a hobby than a job than its no surprise that you do not stand out in a crowd and are still spinning your wheels.
The majority of people that work out in a gym barely sweat and spend more time starring in the mirror and trying to impress the new front desk girl than getting into the and crashing through previous training limits.
Here are some tips on how to train like a barbarian:
1. Treat every single set like it is your last set.
2. Treat every single rep like your life depends on it.
3. Wear a stop watch and ensure that you keep the rest period honest.
4. Wear a sweater so you cant stare at yourself in the mirror.
5. Wear a head set on that tells others do not disturb.
6. No girl friends allowed or wimpy guy friends who are going to compromise the intensity of your workout.
7. Train with an intensity that scares the gym shorts off of every person in your path.
Are you starting to get the picture? There is a philosophy that simply states, You get what you focus on. Focus on training like a barbarian and you will soon start looking like a barbarian!
Give your muscles a reason to grow!
Guess what happens when you train at the same intensity as you did in a previous workout? Your muscles laugh back at you and say, Nice try, we did this workout before and can handle this stress! Is that your attempt on getting us to grow?t get caught up in the latest hype of bodybuilding and fitness magazines. Most of it is rehashed and just packaged sleeker to sell magazines. There are two forms of training that must be cycled in a successful weight training program:
1. HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY! Put everything into lifting heavier weights and getting as strong as possible. Use only one compound exercise per major muscle group and focus on a 5% increase in strength from week to week. This will ensure neuromuscular development and targeting the fast twitch muscle fibers which have the greatest opportunity for growth.
2. VOLUME VOLUME VOLUME! Expose your body to as much work possible in the shortest period of time. Placing your muscles under more tension will result in more tapped and untrained muscle fiber being recruited therefore more muscle growth! The key here is to find the correct balance in time and work. Volume training does not mean 2 hour gym workouts lifting light weights. Instead lift heavy weights close to your max threshold but with shorter rest periods, slower tempos and more exercise selection per muscle group.
No more program hopping!
Sure, its easier to test drive a program for a few weeks and than say it does not work and move on to the next latest program. This is called the blame game and neglecting responsibility! Do you think you will become rich if you test out a new job for a few weeks and than call it quits when your first paycheck does not meet your expectations? No way! But if you stay with the company and exploit the companies benefits and opportunities to the fullest than you will succeed.
The reality is that virtually every program will work for a certain period of time if it is done at the right intensity and as the author has written.
Find a program and study the details of its full entirety. Ensure that the program goals of the author are in alignment with yours and study all the fine details. Do not ask a million questions and try and find holes or flaws or attempt to make it The perfect program does not exist. Trust the program, follow it honestly and monitor the progress. The experience and results you gain from following one program for a consistent period of time will be priceless.
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com/
He specializes in teaching skinny guys
how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.

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In law school, I finally realized that the determination of truth is often more subjective than objective. In the law, each side in a case presents their version or spin on the facts, with supporting documents in the form of cases and precedents, all trying to sway the Court and jury. The jury or Judge then must try to decide how to mete out justice, weighing all of the information, and trying to arrive at some melded version of the truth.
Similarly, as a parent, I regularly hear both sides of the case of What Happened? when theres some incident involving my kids. For better or worse, I really do sit down with the kids, hear each childs version of what happened, and try to help them realize that the as it were, stands somewhere between their two polar positions.
We see things differently based on a huge number of factors, mostly due to the filters we gradually install to help us interpret the world. These filters can range from religion, politics, morals and ethics, how we were raised, how much we disagree with our parents point of view, our friends, our families, our communities, our social and economic status, and finally from our own experiences over time. (And lets not forget the tricky emotional overlays, just to make it even less clean.)
Realizing that all of this frames our point of view, it can often be difficult to understand the point of view of others. It becomes very easy to judge and to render an opinion based on your own internal POV, but it becomes more difficult to see someone elses, especially if you might have to change your mind and admit you might be wrong.
In the law, mediators and judges are in a position of trying to merge differing points of view into a workable solution. Sometimes, the case is clear cut, and there is a clear point of view, other times, no one may clearly win or lose. In fact, judicial decisions are called Opinions for this very reason, and you can get a second opinion by appealing your case to a higher Court, to see if they agree. (Kind of like not getting the answer you want from your mom, so you go ask your Dad to make the final ruling on the matter.)
If i get into an argument or disagreement with someone, or I need to give someone less than great news, its normal for me to seek a second opinion from friends, just to make sure my point of view is not unduly skewed by my internal frames of reference. And while taking a poll is not any way to make a decision about anything, it does provide you with feedback and more objective points of view and help you figure out where you might be over-reacting, and may suggest other ways to view the situation that change your viewpoint completely.
For example, yesterday I was having a discussion with another mom about the use of meds for ADHD in kids. They come from a meds are bad perspective, and I have found personally that meds have helped my kids tremendously- a classic example of what seems like a polarizing debate. Yet after talking for a while, the other mom saw my perspective- the meds are a pill, not a skill, and they just help a child focus and control their attention, rather than let their attention wander about like a bored husband flipping through TV channels on a Sunday Afternoon. I also understand her perspective, but with supporting information from experts, she can begin to see mine as well. We may never agree totally on this issue, but we now understand each others position and are open to discussing it further.
At Podcamp Toronto this past weekend, there was a debate about whether ghost blogging was an acceptable practice. For anyone who might not understand that phrase, it means having someone write posts for you, but taking credit as if they were your own. Some people see this as nothing more than having a speech writer or having someone in the office draft a letter that you sign. Other people feel that ghosting can very easily lead to fraud and misrepresentation, and is dishonest, feeling that theres nothing wrong with having guest posts on a blog- just attribute them to the real author.
Personally, I blog to give voice to my thoughts and opinions. No one else can do that for me. My blog also serves as a representation of my writing skills, and therefore it is part of my digital footprint and interactive resume on the web.
Since I ascribe to the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) principal anyway, its probably no surprise that I think ghost blogging is counter-productive for the blogger. You might be able to pay for killer blog posts from someone who may be a better writer than you are. But in the end, you are missing out on developing your skills as a writer, as well as misleading potential clients and business partners about your actual skill set. Its a short cut that leaves you poorer in the end, rather like deciding not to take the time to change the oil in your car, and then finding out that the engine has frozen up and cracked as a result.
Im not trying to assert that every CEO should blog personally on the company website- of course you should hire someone to do that, but let them have the voice and the credit for the work. The CEO doesnt have to be the only one making a contribution, and by empowering other voices, you lend even more of that human relationship to the otherwise faceless monolith. And of course if the CEO leaves the company, you would then have the problem of having to deal with all of that stuff on the blog as well- better for it to be a distributed task for the company, and the company takes ownership of the content, apart from any one person writing the stuff.
Being honest works 99.9% of the time. Honesty itself comes with spin, of course- if your friend asks you how she looks in something, if its dreadful, you need to say something but spare feelings as well. I often approach this as m not sure thats as flattering as it could be, how about trying something else? and then offer an alternative suggestion. You can be honest and not be cruel, and the tricky part is knowing when you need to be blunt and when you need to be gentle, whether its social or business.
You cant avoid the truth, even if its often hard to pin down, and looks radically different depending on your own frames of reference. And for those who are willing to do things that hide and mascarade the truth, they often find the consequences of the cover up or avoidance have a much higher price tag attached than expected.
What do you think? How do we decide right and wrong? What do we do with the spectrum of gray?
We cant all do everything- we all need to outsource parts of our lives- I dont have chickens in my backyard, for example- I buy chicken parts at the grocery, significantly processed from chicken on the hoof, but I dont find that short cut inauthentic. Yet when it comes to the subject of ghost blogging, I find the short cut to be more like a lie, more inauthentic, and thus repugnant.
When are short cuts okay? When are they simply wrong or lazy? An dhow do we figure out which is which in a world where the boundaries seem fuzzier than ever before.

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You probably know that you should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day. As well, the water should be free of unhealthy contaminants. You probably dont worry about the quality of the water you drink at home or at work. At work, you might have a water cooler that contains filtered water. At home, many people remove impurities from their tap water using residential water filters.
But when youre constantly on the go, it can be difficult to find clean, pure water. Thats why you need a portable water bottle with a filter. You simply fill the bottle with tap water, and the filter removes the lead, chlorine and bacteria to produce healthy water in seconds.
You can find water bottles with filters in various locations such as sporting goods and outdoor stores. They look just like a regular plastic water bottle, but they contain a small water filtration unit inside. You can refill these durable bottles many times before they wear out. A filtered water bottle will last for many years with a periodic filter change being the only ongoing cost.
There are several advantages to using a bottle with a portable water filter. They can filter out chemicals, impurities and numerous kinds of bacteria. They are lightweight and can be easily carried along with you. The average price is $15, plus the cost of replacement cartridges. That makes them a less expensive choice than bottles of water from the supermarket.
Still, you might think that you cant beat the convenience of bottled water. In reality, bottled water is no more convenient that using a reusable filter water bottle. In reality, its just more easily available. You can find it in every vending machine, convenience store and fast food restaurant you enter.
However, this convenience doesnt come cheap. Generally, its about two times the amount it costs at the grocery store.
As well, bottled water might not be as healthy as believe. Its been documented that some bottled water companies dont comply with standardized contaminant levels. One study revealed that many brands of bottled water had much higher bacteria counts than allowed under legislative guidelines. And approximately 20 percent of the brands tested positive for the presence of synthetic chemicals.
When you examine the facts, a well made portable water bottle filter is most likely your best choice for pure water on the go. You can take it with you wherever you go and refill it when necessary. You can be more confident of its ability to filter out the impurities in your water. Plus, youll spend less money. What more could you ask.

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