tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66025473564888641232024-03-05T19:34:17.846-08:00Coffee With Bob...conversation about this, that and the otherBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.comBlogger1306125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-56158287412611906102016-01-22T05:16:00.001-08:002016-01-22T05:16:54.931-08:007-Year-Old ‘Bionic’ Girl Is Immune to Pain, Hunger and Fatigue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">He..llo! Cracker of a day, isn't it? It's back to Jolly Old England again today to meet a rather special girl. As soon as you fill that mug you're holding with some black nectar and slide a virtual muffin onto your plate, I'll introduce you...</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVY7N-q2Db020ch-Y0XK_OeAD_xlbS3pue0WHybqRl_QJPw2_3DUS_-OKKcdMlphsKqLIhFunSfW0rRSYprRCA6BLSbwaDDTdOxh8MFIwlahYTjThlbDp3rS4ECcOZbPRT2gezIn2rZY/s1600/Olivia-Farnsworth2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVY7N-q2Db020ch-Y0XK_OeAD_xlbS3pue0WHybqRl_QJPw2_3DUS_-OKKcdMlphsKqLIhFunSfW0rRSYprRCA6BLSbwaDDTdOxh8MFIwlahYTjThlbDp3rS4ECcOZbPRT2gezIn2rZY/s400/Olivia-Farnsworth2.jpg" width="298" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meet Olivia Farnsworth, a British girl who doesn’t feel any pain and never feels the need to eat or sleep. At age seven, she’s able to go for days without sleeping and eating, and comes away from terrible injuries with nonchalance. In fact, she was recently run over and dragged down the street by a car, but she casually walked away from the accident without shedding a tear! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Olivia has doctors baffled. They know she suffers from a condition caused by something called chromosome 6 deletion, but this is the first time they’ve witnessed anyone displaying </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">three</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> rare symptoms at once. According to her mother Niki Trepak, the little girl has no sense of danger because she literally cannot feel pain, and neither does she feel the need to sleep or eat. Her doctors have nicknamed her ‘bionic girl’, while her mother says she’s “made of steel.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She got run over and dragged down the street by a car and she didn’t complain,” Niki said, shortly after the accident. “It was horrendous, I don’t think it’s something I will ever get over. I was screaming and all my other children were screaming as she ran out. But Olivia was just like, ‘What’s going on?’ She just got up and started walking back to me.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacb9l3ohU25EREUGJs2esShCK6Ii8DBoY7I7mNP7ng6jyoFkNO7-O6fiTNKzr8DAw-BX-EYpUT75GgLbcGw8pBo7vdKlVZ9OMt4wCo4Um5rbtB4iBOAIu6VUx7hOBuPFsWK1X3OfWVq8/s1600/Olivia-Farnsworth3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacb9l3ohU25EREUGJs2esShCK6Ii8DBoY7I7mNP7ng6jyoFkNO7-O6fiTNKzr8DAw-BX-EYpUT75GgLbcGw8pBo7vdKlVZ9OMt4wCo4Um5rbtB4iBOAIu6VUx7hOBuPFsWK1X3OfWVq8/s320/Olivia-Farnsworth3.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although she’s a happy child most of the time, Niki says that Olivia can suffer from violent outbursts from time to time. “She’s head-butted me, punched and kicked me and can have outbursts of swearing which can be embarrassing if we’re out in public,” the mother-of-five said. “It happened in a park the other week and people were wondering what’s going on. They don’t know what’s wrong. Everybody laughs because she’s so wild and extreme. She says let’s jump off here and all the other children are like, ‘That’s way too high!’” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is why I want to raise awareness on chromosome 6 problems. To look at Olivia you don’t know anything’s wrong with her.” There are apparently 15,000 registered cases of chromosome disorder worldwide, but only 100 of them have the ‘6p’ deletion that Olivia has. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There may not be anybody out there the same as Olivia,” said Dr. Beverly Searle, former research biologist and chief executive of chromosome disorder support group Unique. “You can’t treat chromosome disorders but what we can do is alleviate the symptoms. We try to find matches and provide information for families, which can be great for friendship and local support.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Niki also added that Olivia should
have been severely injured by the impact as she had a tire mark over her
chest, but she got away with only losing skin on her toe and hip. Her
doctors think that she was able to escape injury because she didn’t
tense up like other people normally would under such circumstances. And
this</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> isn’t the first time Olivia
has acted strangely calm after getting hurt. “She also once fell badly
and ripped her lip off and didn’t say anything,” Niki recalled. “She had
to have major plastic surgery to correct it.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Getting Olivia to eat right is also a
challenge, because she doesn’t get hungry. “She became a really fussy
eater and would have nothing but milk shakes,” Niki said. “At the
moment, it’s chicken noodles. She lived on butter sandwiches for about a
year. She doesn’t feel hunger so I can’t threaten her like other
children by saying if you don’t eat that you’ll not get this as she
isn’t bothered.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Her third ‘superpower’ is that she doesn’t feel tired. “She once went
three consecutive days and nights with no sleep,” said Niki. “As a
single mum of five it’s really hard. She’s never tired. We have to give
her medication to get her to sleep.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Niki insists that her daughter isn’t a
freak – she says that despite her superhuman toughness, Olivia is the
most loving among her five children. “She’ll be the first to share
sweets with you. She’s got the best personality. She’s just crazy, but
in a good way.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As far as I know, she hasn't yet sighed with Disney or Marvel Comics as a new super hero but I expect that will come. All in good time, what?</span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">See ya, eh!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sources: <a href="http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/bravery-huddersfield-girl-7-who-10735352" target="_blank">Huddersfield Examiner</a>, <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/635009/Mystery-of-BIONIC-GIRL-who-doesn-t-eat-sleep-or-feel-pain-even-when-hit-by-a-CAR" target="_blank">Daily Express</a> </span></span><br />
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-6947901251671282732016-01-21T04:26:00.002-08:002016-01-21T04:32:42.717-08:00Man v Fat – A Football League For Overweight Men Looking to Shed Some Pounds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IXb6FfXBMLLdKn40oGwgwqFBWJ9IK8FQCodalXcurNqppss1kqHnvg8dhXBVUpY3s_Qp-62VqiAepe3cFVv3pqnckMpG0gjkeTAm88MaVwxXMVJpTYyKXr5h-MZid_6QaTvvda79aoQ/s1600/manfat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IXb6FfXBMLLdKn40oGwgwqFBWJ9IK8FQCodalXcurNqppss1kqHnvg8dhXBVUpY3s_Qp-62VqiAepe3cFVv3pqnckMpG0gjkeTAm88MaVwxXMVJpTYyKXr5h-MZid_6QaTvvda79aoQ/s400/manfat1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Allo! Allo! How are you then? I am tickled pink that you could take time from your busy schedule to drop in...from cyberspace. Pour yourself a nice beaker of coffee, have a cream slice or an English muffin and bring them over to the VIP table. We're going to watch a football match together...sort of.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There’s a special football league in
England dedicated to helping men keep up their weight-loss resolutions
each year. Aptly named ‘Man v Fat’, the league caters exclusively
to overweight men with a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. Teams win
points for matches won, as well as pounds lost during the 14-week
competition.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Based in Solihull, in the West
Midlands, the league was started two years ago by 37-year-old Andrew
Shanahan. Andrew said he came up with the idea because he was sick of
traditional weight-loss classes filled with women. “There was no help
for me, and all the classes seemed tailored to women’s needs. I remember
going to a Weight Watchers meeting and I was the only guy there. It was
embarrassing and I was so out of my depth. The leader was talking about
when you’re on your period you can go up or down in weight and I just
thought, that’s not my issue. That’s really not what’s affecting me.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I started Man v Fat because I was
morbidly obese and experienced first-hand the difficulties men face
during weight loss,” he said. “I was 17 stone in 2013 and now I’m just
over 12 stone, but I was shocked at how little support blokes get for
weight loss.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ngXPJc5bvX6o4-g_pZTjXQDHmjC9Ia2NZPyrbe6wVwbNHiX27qTxSxyox2WMaO1ri-yGl4gLGI5qKk_UbLEBjrZyY7O5MvjLef9UMMw964nIS_4K5NC1dRw0hl8TuTyLGOp72Ler49M/s1600/manfat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ngXPJc5bvX6o4-g_pZTjXQDHmjC9Ia2NZPyrbe6wVwbNHiX27qTxSxyox2WMaO1ri-yGl4gLGI5qKk_UbLEBjrZyY7O5MvjLef9UMMw964nIS_4K5NC1dRw0hl8TuTyLGOp72Ler49M/s320/manfat2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">So Man v Fat, a free program, was
started with funds collected through a crowdfunding campaign in January
2014, supported by the local council, major weight loss organizations,
and celebrities like Jamie Oliver. The league now has 40,000 members,
with teams like XL Legends, Beer Bellies United, Phoenix XXXL, and Inter
Pies. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’re working with ordinary guys who
are BMI 30 plus, and we’re helping them to lose weight in sensible,
normal ways through supporting them with what they’re eating and
organising activities that they’re interested in doing,” Andrew said.
“67 percent of men are overweight and they’re ashamed they’ve let
themselves go, so give up football,” he said. “A lot of men want to get
back into sport but it’s intimidating because clubs only tend to have
one fat bloke on their team.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seats filled up rather quickly on Monday night for the first matches
of Man v Fat Leisure League, which saw around 90 overweight men take to
the field to score some goals and lose some pounds for their teams. It
was a promising start to a very interesting weight-losing program.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Stephen Munday, head of
Public Health at Solihull Council, the Man v Fat is a great initiative
because it’s hard for men to find weight-loss support groups that
actually interest them. “There is a national concern for obesity but it
mostly centers around women and children,” he said. “This initiative is
really exciting and something the council are fully behind.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> During the halftime break do the players have Gatorade or pork pie, chips and a pint?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bob</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thestar.ie/new-football-league-for-overweight-men-only/" target="_blank">Source: The Star</a></span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-16415946194415915862016-01-20T04:05:00.002-08:002016-01-20T04:06:57.416-08:00What? Cooking in my dishwasher?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7G0yQuZygPn2oaCjjwJsS8PZK6gjoVGYOOJ9xFu5w0YItBgLh6c5RGA49uPog3kelKiu3bX4SofCAyXEz71koMGBV3BIr8V0xNANxEZVxaQwh6B1TSrOPgGVX7iTLdPbCzPOnSz-mB0/s1600/dishwasher1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7G0yQuZygPn2oaCjjwJsS8PZK6gjoVGYOOJ9xFu5w0YItBgLh6c5RGA49uPog3kelKiu3bX4SofCAyXEz71koMGBV3BIr8V0xNANxEZVxaQwh6B1TSrOPgGVX7iTLdPbCzPOnSz-mB0/s400/dishwasher1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Well now I've heard everything! Hey there...great to see you. Help yourself to a mug of coffee, nudge a virtual doughnut or muffin onto your plate and bring them over here to the VIP table while I enlighten you <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">on a</span> style of cooking that has actually been around for about 50 years...in your dishwasher! Say what?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Believe it or not, you can actually cook meals in a
dishwasher. It sounds kinda gross, but it’s a surprisingly popular
cooking technique and actually produces decent results!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXWmK4Pa4SApaCdP89JESJq6xLdK2AQESXXUpNth3na5bUCs6wy7kK6vEFoVSfr2v2s-X6gvP1nC_uFMlUDcUdNjZjPSoMae6ZZ-7JrrM049IJwQHTL7QQw3cISxqT_kIyjU10HLF52E/s1600/dishwasher2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXWmK4Pa4SApaCdP89JESJq6xLdK2AQESXXUpNth3na5bUCs6wy7kK6vEFoVSfr2v2s-X6gvP1nC_uFMlUDcUdNjZjPSoMae6ZZ-7JrrM049IJwQHTL7QQw3cISxqT_kIyjU10HLF52E/s400/dishwasher2.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dishwasher cooking has apparently been around since the
1970s, but the trend ‘caught steam’ in 2013, after Italian food writer
Lisa Casali, a self-proclaimed dishwasher-cooking expert published a
book on the subject. <i>Cucinare in lavastoviglie </i>(Cooking in the
Dishwasher) was a big hit, and Casali also posted a series of videos
online demonstrating how the technique works. “It’s an easy technique
within everyone’s reach and you can gain great advantages from it,” she
says in one of her instructional videos. “All you need is a dishwasher
and the will to experiment.”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Other food experts, like <i>The Telegraph’s </i>Xanthe
Clay, are vouching for the bizarre technique as well. She says the best
food to cook in the dishwasher is fish, because it steams rather well in
the heat of the water. Salmon, for instance, requires a relatively low
temperature to cook when compared to raw meat like beef or lamb. So it
might be difficult to get lasagna right in a dishwasher, but steamed
veggies and fish will turn out great.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As more and more people turn to cooking their meals in the dishwasher, an increasing number of recipes are being posted online. Oprah.com
recently offered recipes for an entire lunch menu of noodles,
asparagus, and salmon, while some of Casali’s recipes include couscous,
roast veal in a mackerel sauce, sea bass fillet, and apple pie.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you’re thinking of giving Casali’s dishwasher cooking a
go, you should know that her book is only available in Italian, but
you’re still bound to find plenty of info and instructional videos and
even a Wikihow tutorial online. As the Italian cook says, all you need
is the will to experiment.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When you think about it, why not take advantage of the heat generated by your dishwasher. Make it do double duty. What's next, I wonder? Tossing salads in the dryer? Fried eggs on the top of the furnace? Some folks already do it on their car during summer. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bob</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Sources: <a href="http://www.dailyedge.ie/dishwasher-cooking-is-a-horrible-reality-2553956-Jan2016/" target="_blank">Daily Edge</a>, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/10269205/Why-using-the-dishwasher-is-the-latest-cooking-phenomenon.html" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-31800953996176218552016-01-19T04:07:00.002-08:002016-01-19T04:09:15.301-08:00The Five Minute Fix for a Bad Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzxL2DQGdg1HkU9Y6J6mW0-fMa_qQMSJ0rI3oyZntKXIKjojqIQtEb3g1ksFg1ISFxTa38d7Hvo7f0nm5_1ewgTXhjvo227htUtC7hIkuhyphenhyphen2CEkSWGpbXk65L36E3F9HmIR1Qyipzyo8/s1600/badday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzxL2DQGdg1HkU9Y6J6mW0-fMa_qQMSJ0rI3oyZntKXIKjojqIQtEb3g1ksFg1ISFxTa38d7Hvo7f0nm5_1ewgTXhjvo227htUtC7hIkuhyphenhyphen2CEkSWGpbXk65L36E3F9HmIR1Qyipzyo8/s400/badday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hi there! How's your day going so far? Now that you're here it's going to get better. A nice mug of arabica coffee; a virtual treat to munch on and some talk about bad days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">We all have bad days. Your alarm doesn’t go off.
Your breakfast bar becomes smooshed after you sit on it in the car. You
get stuck in deadlock traffic. And, to top it all off, you are callously
berated for being late to work. Things happen—sometimes we have little control
over our circumstances. But what do you do in these tough times? Do you just
grumble and lean into the negativity that your life is pushing? Or do you
launch a positivity counterattack?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Don’t just settle into a bad day. You attract
whatever mood you are putting out. If you’re angry and negative, only more
negativity will find you, while if you smile in spite of the difficulties,
positive things will begin to take shape. The truth is, you can turn any bad
mood around in relatively little time if you set your mind to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">What is the secret, you ask? The secret is <a href="http://greatist.com/grow/happiness-tune-up-just-savor-it"><span style="color: blue;">immersing yourself in something you love</span></a>. That’s
right. All it takes is 5 minutes—5 minutes of complete and utter love. Find
something that always make you smile, whether it’s your favorite song, a
steaming cup of hot cocoa, a brisk jog or your favorite poem. Whatever it is,
completely immerse yourself in that for 5 minutes. Do not wallow over your bad
day—sink yourself into this positive activity. Blast your favorite song on your
headphones or in your car and sing along and dance. Allow happiness to flood
you and keep worries at bay for 5 minutes. Most of the time, this small break
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Can’t access your go-to favorite things? There is
another simple action that can turn a bad mood swiftly around. It lies in the
magic of your smile. By forcing yourself to smirk or smile for a few minutes,
your emotions will start to follow suit.</span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i><span style="color: #323333; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Charles Darwin first posed the idea
that emotional responses influence our feelings in 1872. ‘The free expression
by outward signs of an emotion intensifies it,’ he wrote.” </span></i><span style="color: #323333; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/smile-it-could-make-you-happier/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Scientific American</span></a>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #323333; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">By exhibiting happiness on the
outside, it can cause you to feel the actual emotion within. Studies have shown
that those who have had botox injections, which make frowning difficult,
experience more happiness than those studies who did not receive injections and
could frown freely. So, if you’re having a rough time, keep a grin on your face
and everything will feel a heck of a lot more manageable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Fitting something you absolutely love into your
schedule is a quick remedy to invigorate any bad day. It’s very similar to
meditation, in fact. Try to make it a regular practice—much like (and perhaps
in replacement of) your 3 o’clock caffeine or sugar fix. Whether you’re
smiling, dancing, sketching or indulging in a small mocha, you will be amazed
at how powerful 5 minutes of pure positivity and love can be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Besides, getting yourself stressed out over things
is not good for your heart. The first step in my mind is to recognize what is
happening. Once you do that, you can take the corrective happy measures
mentioned above.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Yeah! Happy! Happy! Happy!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">See ya, eh!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Bob</span><br />
<br />
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-71071206760732312552016-01-18T05:07:00.003-08:002016-01-18T05:07:37.512-08:00Meet Hyperion, the World’s Tallest Tree<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvmO8XDVRIXGKNKaGA4DCSi9x92uKAVKZiWUWG_6Jrxt2uzIzSJxncI38RZVscEXT50aeGXIuEJscOaTKJimRLvGDYAVbe8Ho6BC-AJgO0kYEYdxfwGtiafvkkgdcCcF1X_JpKDAGv4E/s1600/Hyperion-tallest-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvmO8XDVRIXGKNKaGA4DCSi9x92uKAVKZiWUWG_6Jrxt2uzIzSJxncI38RZVscEXT50aeGXIuEJscOaTKJimRLvGDYAVbe8Ho6BC-AJgO0kYEYdxfwGtiafvkkgdcCcF1X_JpKDAGv4E/s320/Hyperion-tallest-tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hi ya! How's it going? Got a few minutes for a mug of coffee, a virtual treat or two and some palaver? Of course you do. Well get ready to climb to new heights...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Up until August 2006, the tallest
known tree in the world was a 369-foot California redwood (Sequoia
sempervirens) nicknamed ‘Stratosphere Giant’, located somewhere in the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Humboldt Redwoods State Park in California. To give you some idea about its massive size, that’s </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">twice</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the height of the Statue of Liberty, minus the foundation.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">But the Giant lost its status when
two naturalists, Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor, stumbled upon group of
trees in California’s Redwood National Park that were taller than any
they’d ever seen before. They made preliminary measurements using
professional laser equipment based on goniometry, and found not one, not
two, but <em>three</em> trees that were taller than the Stratosphere Giant.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tallest of the lot, named
Hyperion, was found to be a good 10ft taller than the Giant, standing at
a whopping a 379 ft. When Atkins and Taylor announced their discovery, a
team of scientists led by Humboldt State University ecologist Steve
Sillett arrived at the park to measure it again in September 2006. They
were aiming for more accuracy, so they actually used a tape this time.
They actually climbed to its very top and dropped the tape to the
ground. The epic stunt was filmed for National Geographic. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRYvTU9bW3e9xO_F4aayINXea7ppU5ERNqTaFrx6d47DxYxo6bqjJkUb40YDJNnQAlDvSqDxZjzsSUlr6cMbm0Yx-MMdRGpiqiivwXnlN3UbAm_BtUWA45-U1knpkbPEonGV6igeRg9U/s1600/Hyperion-tallest-tree2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRYvTU9bW3e9xO_F4aayINXea7ppU5ERNqTaFrx6d47DxYxo6bqjJkUb40YDJNnQAlDvSqDxZjzsSUlr6cMbm0Yx-MMdRGpiqiivwXnlN3UbAm_BtUWA45-U1knpkbPEonGV6igeRg9U/s320/Hyperion-tallest-tree2.jpg" width="272" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Up until August 2006, the tallest
known tree in the world was a 369-foot California redwood (Sequoia
sempervirens) nicknamed ‘Stratosphere Giant’, located somewhere in the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Humboldt Redwoods State Park in California. To give you some idea about its massive size, that’s </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">twice</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the height of the Statue of Liberty, minus the foundation.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">But the Giant lost its status when
two naturalists, Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor, stumbled upon group of
trees in California’s Redwood National Park that were taller than any
they’d ever seen before. They made preliminary measurements using
professional laser equipment based on goniometry, and found not one, not
two, but <em>three</em> trees that were taller than the Stratosphere Giant.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The tallest of the lot, named
Hyperion, was found to be a good 10ft taller than the Giant, standing at
a whopping a 379 ft. When Atkins and Taylor announced their discovery, a
team of scientists led by Humboldt State University ecologist Steve
Sillett arrived at the park to measure it again in September 2006. They
were aiming for more accuracy, so they actually used a tape this time.
They actually climbed to its very top and dropped the tape to the
ground. The epic stunt was filmed for National Geographic. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Scared of heights? I'm not but I don't think I'll attempt this one. In fact, It has probably been at least 50 + years since I have done any tree climbing and I plan to keep it that way...though I don't mind turning over a new leaf every once in a while.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-54078626053402742332016-01-17T04:32:00.002-08:002016-01-17T04:38:03.943-08:00Easy Change to Tableware Can Help You Eat 30% Less<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDuNHUM7rMQ-Qq26dptIoxDbnQ3TrwiKURheMGOhEZAQm6l2heD_1Ytu4KlRZFTXSdYm4uNePUuU9aLeAf8o_7Bohsq7GeTbo3GgM1uAy9u28LmdSjNqVha2T5w008hWWYhYvRqJKg7g/s1600/dinner-plates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDuNHUM7rMQ-Qq26dptIoxDbnQ3TrwiKURheMGOhEZAQm6l2heD_1Ytu4KlRZFTXSdYm4uNePUuU9aLeAf8o_7Bohsq7GeTbo3GgM1uAy9u28LmdSjNqVha2T5w008hWWYhYvRqJKg7g/s320/dinner-plates.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Well hi there! Great to see you as always. WASSUP? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Y’know…one good thing about dropping in to my
virtual café is that there are no calories. Help yourself to a steaming mug of
coffee and load as many virtual muffins and doughnuts as you want onto your plate.
Not a calorie in a carload…unlike real life, eh! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">If you are watching your weight then here is a
trick that helps. Using a plate that’s 30% smaller really does reduce food
consumption by 30%, new research finds.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">It’s been a controversial topic for psychologists,
with over fifty different studies published on the topic over the years. Some studies have found smaller plates help people
eat less, others not.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Now, though, a new survey of all the
research finds that the trick works, as long as people:</span></span></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">serve themselves,</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">and are unaware they are being monitored.</span></span></span></li>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Over the years scientists have tested all kinds of
foods, including snack foods, rice, fruit, cereals and popcorn.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The effect of using smaller plates — as long as
people serve themselves and aren’t aware they are being monitored — is usually
the same.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">They eat less.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Reducing the diameter of a plate by 30% is enough
to reduce consumption by 30%.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Dr Natalina Zlatevska, one of the study’s authors,
said:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">“Just changing to smaller plates at home can help
reduce how much you serve yourself and how much you eat.”</span></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">If you’re watching your weight, then, it could be
time to get some new, smaller, plates.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Hmmm…definitely something to think about. Me? I’ve
started my slimdown process by giving up wheat…i.e., bread mostly. It does make
a difference. I’m down 4-5 pounds already.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">See ya, eh!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Bob</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Source: </span><a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2016/01/this-very-easy-change-to-tableware-can-help-you-eat-30-less.php?utm_source=PsyBlog&utm_campaign=49095a0672-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_MAILCHIMP&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10ef814328-49095a0672-213840445"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">http://www.spring.org.uk/2016/01/this-very-easy-change-to-tableware-can-help-you-eat-30-less.php?utm_source=PsyBlog&utm_campaign=49095a0672-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_MAILCHIMP&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10ef814328-49095a0672-213840445</span></a></span></span></div>
</div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-80940509029276470102016-01-16T07:12:00.000-08:002016-01-16T07:12:00.749-08:00Have a Souper Day!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_9qB_xg8XQu_qfXuSEbH_ERizf-oRsrU5pqtnj5fm70i8nyqG9bK1GmmOie6hMiQoCQAshKMCVHXXGqsFRCO6SUI9YmINLIY-xj5eu3GFBRXLN4JW1XTt04aTocotwGq9s28LSQDJb0/s1600/veggie-soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_9qB_xg8XQu_qfXuSEbH_ERizf-oRsrU5pqtnj5fm70i8nyqG9bK1GmmOie6hMiQoCQAshKMCVHXXGqsFRCO6SUI9YmINLIY-xj5eu3GFBRXLN4JW1XTt04aTocotwGq9s28LSQDJb0/s400/veggie-soup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hi there! I hope the weather is not too bad where you are. Freezing rain in the forecast here. Never mind, only about eight or nine weeks till spring. Coffee's hot and there's a tray loaded with all sorts of delectable virtual treats with absolutely no calories in any of them so help yourself. While we're on the subject of food...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Nong reminded me that we had a bunch of vegetables we needed to use up... some tomatoes going a bit soft, potatoes sprouting long tendrils, et al. What do you do with all these? Easy...make soup! That's exactly what I did... a big pot of vegetable soup and that is a picture of it above. I have to say it is delicious and though Nong is not always keen on my soups, she really likes this one. I though I would share the recipe with you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Uncle Bob's Hearty Veggie Soup</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You can adjust this based on whatever veggies you have available.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I started with a big pot and about 1 litre of water (9 cups or so) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Add 3 cloves of garlic, one diced onion and 2 mushroom-flavoured soup cubes. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, while you wash or peel your veggies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Add 12 cup of lentils</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 cup of barley </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4 or so carrots chopped into chunks, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/4 of a small cabbage, sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3 medium potatoes (less the tendrils, of course)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3 tomatoes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dash each of fennel seed, salt, pepper and mushroom soy </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Let it all start bubbling then cover it and simmer until a fork slides easily into the carrots and potatoes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I then added in about 1/2 cup of apple juice (I would usually put in a chopped apple)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 tbs honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 cup chopped coriander (this is a Thai flavour and probably why Nong likes the soup)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Remove from heat and let it cool somewhat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Then, I slowly blended the soup until it was almost smooth. You will of course need another large pot next to the blender.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Adjust to taste and Voila!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Enjoy it and let me know how you like it or what changes you make.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See ya, eh! Make today a souper one!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob</span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-79093884874081796462016-01-15T04:04:00.002-08:002016-01-15T04:04:35.037-08:00 122-Foot Titanosaur Barely Fits into Museum
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUTQblZ-TTR-E3z7JL1Q51xrnTZA2pXFzdfC1Z43FiLugOtyOz-pM4lsh935d6D03lC1QYzWHxAiXMajrLCgp906IyUNBYPo2u78Dk8nQHIs0dTgT5kKBC_rBokLPUsoF252PeXOa1b4/s1600/titanosaur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUTQblZ-TTR-E3z7JL1Q51xrnTZA2pXFzdfC1Z43FiLugOtyOz-pM4lsh935d6D03lC1QYzWHxAiXMajrLCgp906IyUNBYPo2u78Dk8nQHIs0dTgT5kKBC_rBokLPUsoF252PeXOa1b4/s400/titanosaur.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">G'Day to you. How the heck are you? Hungry? Thirsty? You've dropped into the right place. Pour yourself a big mug of coffee; nudge a virtual megamuffin onto your place and bring them over here to the VIP table. I saved you a seat! While we are talking mega...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">An incredibly long-necked dinosaur, with leg bones the size of couches,
is so massive that is has invaded not one, but two rooms at the
American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
The enormous titanosaur — an herbivorous beast that weighed 70 tons (64
metric tons) when alive some 100 million years ago — is the newest
permanent exhibit to join the museum. It measures 122 feet (37 meters)
long, almost the length of three school buses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
The behemoth is so large it dwarfs the museum's famous model of the
blue whale by nearly 30 feet (9 m). But the whale wins in heft; in real
life, blue whales (<em>Balaenoptera musculus</em>) weigh up to 200 tons (180 metric tons), almost three times as much as the titanosaur, museum researchers said. [<a href="http://www.livescience.com/53382-titanosaur-invades-new-york-museum-photos.html">See Photos of the Titanosaur Reconstruction</a>] </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now that is one big dino... Did I mention ugly?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Source: <a href="http://www.livescience.com/53383-titanosaur-may-be-largest-dinosaur-amnh.html">http://www.livescience.com/53383-titanosaur-may-be-largest-dinosaur-amnh.html</a></span>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-26731757531721477672016-01-14T04:03:00.001-08:002016-01-14T04:03:29.636-08:00This High-Tech Travel Suitcase Follows You Around Like a Puppy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZ8mEEoEpQoSRWJUz6y2PmkocSfosFIEGzVMZhhIkEGiWH67PVbgGNtE2H6oTnf_ZZNajejqsiH2IcgATJjVJTJkiWQIxOm30kBbbA5o9LNO_mSKrQOwjDR3HpK8QWMdUQWf7CiCbIDo/s1600/smartsuitcase1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZ8mEEoEpQoSRWJUz6y2PmkocSfosFIEGzVMZhhIkEGiWH67PVbgGNtE2H6oTnf_ZZNajejqsiH2IcgATJjVJTJkiWQIxOm30kBbbA5o9LNO_mSKrQOwjDR3HpK8QWMdUQWf7CiCbIDo/s400/smartsuitcase1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hiya! How's tricks? Glad you could fight your way through cyberspace. Help yourself to a mugful of coffee and a virtual treat. Then bring them over here to the VIP table so I can bend your ear and tell you about a new technological invention.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks to this new hands free
suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage may soon become a thing of the
past. Designed by Israeli company NUA Robotics, this ‘smart’ suitcase is
the technological equivalent of Mary’s little lamb – it’ll follow you
everywhere you go. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The carry-on suitcase, currently a
prototype, connects to a smartphone app via bluetooth. It has a built-in
camera sensor that can ‘see’ you and follow you around on flat surfaces
like airport floors. It comes with an anti-theft alarm to prevent
someone snatching it away when you’re not looking, and, for the icing on
the cake, it has a backup battery that you can use to charge all your
devices.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDbMHSyiRHkPWuutbsxoGrS5tnWJreehxZQfSVLJzQrAX-LDdxK8vHNow2SZvPovn5NbR0pK6vnYDLq4mKBv_Zy847HQvpC3Xndvzv1vF4nIr5rSPPQakX4tUsWoxUR3oG5slhfzTgDM/s1600/smartsuitcase2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDbMHSyiRHkPWuutbsxoGrS5tnWJreehxZQfSVLJzQrAX-LDdxK8vHNow2SZvPovn5NbR0pK6vnYDLq4mKBv_Zy847HQvpC3Xndvzv1vF4nIr5rSPPQakX4tUsWoxUR3oG5slhfzTgDM/s400/smartsuitcase2.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It can follow and carry things for
people around while communicating with their smartphone, and avoiding
obstacles,” explained Alex Libman, founder of NUA Robotics. “We’re
combining sensor network, computer vision, and robotics. So if you
download our app, press the ‘follow me’ button, the luggage recognizes
the specific user and knows to follow and communicate.”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NUA is still testing the device and
trying improve features like speed and customization, but they hope to
make the suitcase available to customers in a year’s time. If it proves
successful, they want to use the Bluetooth pairing technology to
automate lots of other devices, like shopping carts at the supermarket.
These devices are especially meant to be useful to the physically
disabled and elderly. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Any object can be smart and robotic,” Libman told
</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://mashable.com/2016/01/07/robot-suitcase/#K0x7N4wEkqqS" target="_blank">Mashable</a></span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “We want to bring robots into everyday life.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Israeli tech company made it clear that the smart suitcase they
recently unveiled is just a prototype, and that the finished product
will look just like a regular suitcase. They’re planning to partner with
a carry-on luggage maker, since the device that makes it ‘smart’ weighs
just 2.5 pounds and can be fitted on old-fashion luggage.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having to carry around heavy luggage is literally a burden, so NUA could
be on to something with their smart suitcase, but it will be
interesting how their invention will handle tough obstacles like stairs.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course my questioning mind and Devil's Advocate nature has to ask...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wonder how it would handle an escalator?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What if you are running to catch your plane? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Would it get lonely when placed on a conveyor belt? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Could a terrorist use it to replace the suicide vest?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Could it be programmed to go somewhere else rather than just follow it's owner...in which case it would become like a brown paper bag left on a subway...potentially dangerous.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">But in all seriousness, a simple Canadian question also comes to mind...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Does it come with snow tires?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">See ya, eh!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob </span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span> </span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-81622472745564939462016-01-13T04:22:00.001-08:002016-01-13T04:26:51.110-08:00Bob's Icy Misadventure!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Yo! How's it going? Glad you could click by today. Coffee's hot and the virtual muffins and doughnuts are fresh out of the virtual oven. Treat yourself...you deserve it. Now for the topic of the day...my winter misadventure!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You remember I posted our rainy trip to the Thai temple in Ottawa the other day, right? Just before the morning ceremony ended, the head monk gave out 'sai sen'...a special string dipped in holy water that you tie around your wrist and it is intended to bring you good luck. I must have tied mine backwards and on the wrong wrist.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Prologue... My main computer has been giving me trouble. I tried to get rid of Windows 10 (again) and return to Win 7. The first time it worked fine. This time, Windows 7 would not open. I tried many things..hopeless...it wouldn't open..period. So after conferring with computer buddy Geoff I took his suggestion that it needed to go to the shop. So yesterday, I put the computer in the car and off we went.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In this case the shop is Ace Computers on 6th Street, conveniently located close to Giant Tiger with their huge parking lot ...a great place to park while I dashed across the street to Ace...or so I thought.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Did I mention it had started snowing this morning? Well, it had. By the time I parked in the GT parking lot, there was (were?) two inches of light powdery snow on the ground. Just before my planned climb over the snowbank at the edge of the lot, I failed to noticed (because it was covered with snow) the ice between me and the snowbank. Does the expression 'ass over teakettle' come to mind? It should!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I was carrying my laptop in its case and walking slowly but we went our separate ways and I ended up on my back after a number of mid-air contortions. Luckily I was wearing a thick woolen toque so it cushioned my head as it met the snow and ice. My left wrist did not fair so well...nothing broken but it was sore as all get out and slightly swollen.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After dusting the snow off, I crossed the snowbank and narrow road rather gingerly and then almost went down again as I approached Ace's front door. Again, it was unseen ice.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Yup...I did mention the problem to the lady who served me at Ace. Afterwards, I thought I would walk around Giant Tiger since they were unknowingly kind enough to allow me to park there. I mentioned my totally uncoordinated arabesque to a supervisor and he promised to do something about it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wait...it's not over yet. As I was walking very slowly back to my car, I reached for my car key and it wasn't in my pocket. I looked over to the spot where I took the fall and though I couldn't be sure, I thought I might still have had the key and key fob in my hand as I walked towards Ace. I peered over at the area and thought I could see something dark where I had fallen. Sure enough, there was my key in the snow where I had gotten up close and personal with the ice-covered pavement.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This morning my wrist feels a lot better and the swelling has gone down. It will be a few more days though. Meanwhile, when we went to bed last night and I tried to raise my head to check the time, my neck complained strenuously. Guess knocking my head back had pulled a muscle there, too. Dang!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Nah...I don't blame the sai sen on my wrist (the other one...not the one
that met the ice). Just a winter mishap, eh! Good thing I wasn't
carrying a mug of coffee is all I can say! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">PS: I shall have to go back to Ace in a day or so to pick up my computer, I expect. Think I shall park elsewhere. </span></span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-35270042557705786292016-01-12T04:43:00.003-08:002016-01-12T04:43:59.223-08:00Hard Times for Science<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Howdy y'all! Still hangin' on to your New Year's resolutions, are ya? Wonderful! Pour yourself a mug of java juice and load a calorie-free virtual treat or two onto your plate, why don't'cha? Yee haw! I've got some news here that ought to set science education back a number of years and prompts a question as to who bears the responsibility... Listen up y'all!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEferaaYtnBEAPLFJRix7zF0PgRbJZpbwh2LuHP39B0pfju4-67yXIJDAwsX3rpFzvuGZ3_MR8Yn1eN44DQXU-o935C5QR43NSpctXsZZ5229j6OMYkbNNFX-WjpVVKuN_oIuSkWYrmHQ/s1600/paoli1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEferaaYtnBEAPLFJRix7zF0PgRbJZpbwh2LuHP39B0pfju4-67yXIJDAwsX3rpFzvuGZ3_MR8Yn1eN44DQXU-o935C5QR43NSpctXsZZ5229j6OMYkbNNFX-WjpVVKuN_oIuSkWYrmHQ/s400/paoli1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
(1) A <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">35 ton </span>tractor-trailer driver with a load of bottled water tried to make
it over a historic bridge in Paoli, Indiana, on Christmas Day, with the
obvious outcome when it started across a limit-6-tons
span. The driver told police she saw the 6-ton sign but did not know how
that "translated" to pounds. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(2) Among the activists denouncing a
proposed solar-panel farm at a December Woodland (North Carolina) Town
Council meeting were a husband and wife certain that vegetation near the
panels would die because the panels would (the husband said) "suck up
all the energy from the sun."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbKdCdpIsAKQQz54aeq7GGhas0iXdNS0yb5OadWVrBtuy1P49HDmP1PYrHi_VISQQ60nEHNdhYsh7U5JFQpPL9k33b-7wkfxqJZGT3almAbt-jLPC8_KEQZ_yK2k35wrv_Mt_DQKnVvU/s1600/solar1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbKdCdpIsAKQQz54aeq7GGhas0iXdNS0yb5OadWVrBtuy1P49HDmP1PYrHi_VISQQ60nEHNdhYsh7U5JFQpPL9k33b-7wkfxqJZGT3almAbt-jLPC8_KEQZ_yK2k35wrv_Mt_DQKnVvU/s400/solar1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">His wife (described as a "retired science
teacher") explained that the solar panels prevent "photosynthesis" (and
also, of course, cause cancer). The council voted a moratorium on the
panels. [WDRB-TV (Louisville, Ky.), 12-25-2015] [Roanoke-Chowan
News-Herald, 12-8-2015] </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thank goodness for education, huh? Now where'd I put my grade 5 science reader?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See y'all, eh!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob </span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-51853203242466494462016-01-10T14:28:00.004-08:002016-01-10T15:22:01.117-08:00A Day at the Thai Temple<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sawatdee, krup! Glad you could click by today. As soon as you fill your coffee mug and snag a virtual treat or two, I shall tell you about our trip to the Thai temple in Kanata today and a couple food items we took with us. The drive was mostly in pouring rain both ways and we were hoping the temperature would not drop and turn in into freezing rain...which it did not do. Not a large crowd at the temple today which was okay. It is a converted house so 40-50 people was a good size. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Time to socialize before the prayers then a </span>New Years prayer followed by the morning prayer chant. A special birthday wish for an abbot in Thailand who turned 96 today. Water blessing, gift-giving to the monks, food offered to the monks, a quick thank you chant, time for lunch, giving of robes, food and household goods and money tree. Final thanks to everyone for their generosity and a chance to talk with friends. Everyone kept going to the windows to see what was happening outside. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Nong made Moo Pad Pik King (Pork stirfry with ginger). and Nong suggested I make a dessert she saw in Woman's World. It is called Chocolate Thumbprints and is a little bit of delicious decadence. No baking is required and it is quite easy to make. Thought you might like the recipes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here is Nong's Moo Pad Pik King: This recipe makes a lot so invite some friends over!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgVD7hDux6seH4bOXmKTgSAb-DZoSozgslMYH5cFfPC7bmboYXwN4ZAI_r-8h2owiuQhFHWLpUygUTgXGSK_njiAzuiWMmXzasQSEtyVHX5hQqik2ygoeTcuAcVg9fqz6r0jmqIpC5mM/s1600/moopadpikking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgVD7hDux6seH4bOXmKTgSAb-DZoSozgslMYH5cFfPC7bmboYXwN4ZAI_r-8h2owiuQhFHWLpUygUTgXGSK_njiAzuiWMmXzasQSEtyVHX5hQqik2ygoeTcuAcVg9fqz6r0jmqIpC5mM/s400/moopadpikking.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 kilo of pork, cut int thin slices </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">2</span> cloves of garlic <b><span style="color: red;">(correction!)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 medium onion, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 cup ginger, julienned </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 <span style="color: red;">cup of</span> red pepper, diced </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">(correction!)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">6-8 mushrooms, sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 tbs vegetable oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Seasoning:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">light soy, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 tsp of sugar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Black pepper to taste </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Heat oil in wok or large skillet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Add pork (or chicken) and stirfry until almost cooked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Add vegetables and seasoning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stirfry and adjust to taste.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Serve with steamed rice...preferably Thai Jasmine Rice. Yummy in the tummy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Chocolate Thumbprints </b>(Nope, these are not a Thai dessert but they were so delicious that nobody noticed)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">16 oz. of dark chocolate frosting/icing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4tbs butter (room temp)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 tsp almond extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 cup very finely ground almonds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">48 unwrapped Hershey's Kisses (2 large packages will give you some left over...which is not a bad thing!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. In large bowl, beat chocolate frosting and butter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Slowly mix in graham cracker crumbs and almond extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Place almonds in pie place or shallow bowl</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Shape chocolate mixture into 1 inch balls and roll in almonds to coat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">5. Place balls on baking sheet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">6. Use your thumb to make a deep impression in the middle of each ball.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">7. Place a Hershey's Kiss in the middle of t=each ball.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">8. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until cold</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Recipe is supposed to make 48 balls but I found it made 64. Got raves from the folks at the temple!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob</span><br />
<br /></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-85580735286902672512016-01-08T04:37:00.002-08:002016-01-08T04:37:40.683-08:00Kamikatsu – Japan’s Aspiring Zero-Waste Town<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Konichi wa! I was watching you spiralling down out of cyberspace. You have pretty well got that mastered. Landing next to the coffeepot without knocking the dang thing over is the tricky part. Pour yourself a delightfully perky mugful, nudge a virtual treat onto your plate and bring them over here to the VIP table so I can tell you what they are up to in Kamikatsu, Japan...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’ve heard many stories of </span><a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/news/man-generates-almost-no-garbage-in-two-and-a-half-year-trash-free-experiment.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">individuals</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> across the world who’ve adopted a </span><a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/news/this-woman-has-produced-only-a-jar-full-of-trash-in-the-last-two-years.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">zero-waste</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> lifestyle, but it’s not often that we come across </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">an entire community</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that
is trying to become waste-free. The residents of Kamikatsu, Japan, take
recycling so seriously that they actually hope to become the nation’s
first zero-waste community by 2020. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kamikatsu has no garbage trucks – so
residents need to compost their kitchen scraps at home. They also have
to wash and sort the rest of their trash into 34 different categories,
and bring it to the recycling center themselves where workers make sure
that the waste goes into the correct bins. It apparently took some time
for the residents to get used to this rule, but they eventually managed
to adapt to the drastic changes and are now seeing them as normal. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Za9Je8_rz9xlS-S6Ly4IjQrQcR44oKKgBWnvwIkPejX4ODj8wYy36kVlMWTYU93JAkO_Z6HPp2VX29MYrjMzBlNI6wLpvcaWw12na_XSs7ZyWM_GYMAks4VeK3vumghWEsWOq2Nj7ws/s1600/zero2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Za9Je8_rz9xlS-S6Ly4IjQrQcR44oKKgBWnvwIkPejX4ODj8wYy36kVlMWTYU93JAkO_Z6HPp2VX29MYrjMzBlNI6wLpvcaWw12na_XSs7ZyWM_GYMAks4VeK3vumghWEsWOq2Nj7ws/s320/zero2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Japanese town has turned
recycling into a streamlined process – there are separate bins for
different types of paper products – newspapers, magazines, cartons, and
flyers. Even plastic bottles and their caps go into different bins as do
aluminum, spray, and steel cans are collected separately too. Many of
these items are resold or repurposed into usable clothing, toys, and
accessories. The labels on each bin show the recycling process for that
specific item, so the residents know exactly what happens to their
trash. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reuse is highly encouraged in Kamikatsu – they have a local </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">kuru-kuru</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> shop where residents can exchange used items with new things at no extra cost. And the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">kuru-kuru</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">
factory employs women to make bags, clothes, and stuffed dolls out of
discarded items. Businesses are also encouraged to participate in
responsible waste management – the town has a zero-waste brewery, housed
in a building constructed of reused materials.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With a population of just over 1,700,
Kamikatsu recycles about 80 percent of its trash and only 20 percent
goes to landfills, so you could say that the town is very close to
achieving its goal. They’ve been practicing prudent waste management for
the past 13 years after declaring their zero-waste ambition in 2003 and
giving up their old practice of dumping trash into open fires.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you get used to it, it becomes normal,” a Kamikatsu resident said in a video made by YouTube channel </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seeker Stories</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.
“It can be a pain, and at first we were opposed to the idea. Now I
don’t think about it. It’s become natural to separate the trash
correctly.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We are all creatures of habit and good habits are as easy as bad habits to get used to. I want to start a composter this year. Every time I toss out food peelings, end bits, etc, I am conscious of the fact that it could all be going to help us grow more, healthy food. This year, I am going to do it!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">See ya, eh!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bob</span></span><br />
</div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-34245580904866724292016-01-07T05:16:00.001-08:002016-01-07T05:20:23.190-08:00Chinese Companies Are Asking Female Employees to Get Pregnant on Schedule<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxGzMEGAGtJXWIBUMNL1gdAtrY1x8xSgq9vORZrapZslqvih9rDaEOs-EQJCQeQVEaK0kAOyv9QgcaWmMg2avGmzN8sLKj5XFvzrS2sG2onj0iK1sUwAKhFjXa2nlOww4KvCc8pGANAw/s1600/pregnancy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxGzMEGAGtJXWIBUMNL1gdAtrY1x8xSgq9vORZrapZslqvih9rDaEOs-EQJCQeQVEaK0kAOyv9QgcaWmMg2avGmzN8sLKj5XFvzrS2sG2onj0iK1sUwAKhFjXa2nlOww4KvCc8pGANAw/s320/pregnancy1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ni Hao! As always, it is great to see you. Thanks for clicking by today. Coffee is fresh as are the delectable virtual doughnut, muffins and Chinese pastries. Speaking of China...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While couples in China are welcoming
the end of the nation’s decades-long one-child policy, private companies
seem to be reacting to the news with ludicrous new policies regarding maternity leave. They’re actually asking female employees to
submit an application of pregnancy, seeking the company’s approval to
become a parent up to a year in advance. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It seems that these companies are
introducing ‘reproductive schedules’ to avoid too many maternity leaves
arising from ‘simultaneous pregnancies’. A woman who recently applied
for a job in northeast China’s Jilin Province was told that if
recruited, she’d have to apply for pregnancy approval at least </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">a year </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">in advance, and wait for her turn to become a mother. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s out of helplessness that we
regulate this,” she quoted the company’s HR department as having
told her. “After the easing of the one-child policy, many of our working
staff say that they want a second child. But from the management side,
we need to take the interest of the company into consideration.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another company in China’s Henan
province issued its employees a rather controversial notice that stated:
“An employee birth plan has been established and will be strictly
enforced. Employees who do not give birth according to the plan and
whose work is impacted will face a one-time fine of 1,000 yuan and will
not be considered for promotion.” The notice added that women who gave
birth outside the schedule may also have to forego their year-end
bonuses. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8XO1VBtqZHycJB52iGRoJi7y5-d8MWRIDYnt7HyNYpqza5gne3Ad5dWA_JdlY4uSxWXRHbEh_l2ok6W08lQkQQv0h93D9eI3zcMTWFTz3u10sx-ih_re_ug0cu_4c88f6voz7-r5RNA/s1600/pregnancy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8XO1VBtqZHycJB52iGRoJi7y5-d8MWRIDYnt7HyNYpqza5gne3Ad5dWA_JdlY4uSxWXRHbEh_l2ok6W08lQkQQv0h93D9eI3zcMTWFTz3u10sx-ih_re_ug0cu_4c88f6voz7-r5RNA/s320/pregnancy2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr. Zhang, a manager at a private
company in China, explained to the media how overlapping maternity
leaves could affect his organization. “There are six women at my
department in total, and three of them are now pregnant,” he said.
“Because of limited budget, it’s almost impossible to recruit new
people; thus some other colleagues may need to take extra work during
the leave of pregnant workers.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to some news reports, the
policy to fine women who don’t get pregnant on schedule isn’t legal yet.
But in a country where 64 percent of the workforce is made up of women,
experts say that laws protecting pregnant workers aren’t always
enforced. In the meantime, citizens who are aware of the nation’s labour
laws are taking to social media to express their outrage.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In the past, women at marriageable
age faced discrimination in finding jobs,” a Weibo user wrote. “Now
there are further discriminations on whether they will have a second
baby.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“How idiotic are these leaders to come up with such a policy?” questioned another. “Where is our right to give birth?”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Well, I think this is still better
than companies that directly reject single ladies at marriageable age,”
another wrote, taking a positive view of the situation. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I suggest men should also have
maternity leave after wives give birth,” a user suggested. “This will
help reduce discrimination.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yeah, right...good luck with that one!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">See ya, eh!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob</span> </span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-59419695526279385972016-01-06T04:20:00.000-08:002016-01-06T04:20:06.622-08:0010 Yoga Poses for People Who Sit All Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iVBxpcvemUI-1OqIejn7saMckhHb8-jkjxConf2CLcXSThAgVCRFc4S-DGXjv3j9L1ORnT2bcgzh1gs-BiYzZ7cQA9jQ9PQv9AqhWYKRDmh10pwaUhveiUEKVvlf_HvSHU_51S9Ps_U/s1600/yogaposes1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iVBxpcvemUI-1OqIejn7saMckhHb8-jkjxConf2CLcXSThAgVCRFc4S-DGXjv3j9L1ORnT2bcgzh1gs-BiYzZ7cQA9jQ9PQv9AqhWYKRDmh10pwaUhveiUEKVvlf_HvSHU_51S9Ps_U/s320/yogaposes1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Namaste! Good to see you! Glad you could spiral down out of cyberspace for a mug of coffee and a virtual treat. Help yourself. </span>Say...do you work a desk job or sit in front of a TV all day and worry that
sitting all day may be harming your health? Unfortunately, I tend to fall into that category...starting with my early morning activities...at least a couple hours getting my blog ready to go...even longer Mondays when I get the new ESL jobs list and I put out my teach overseas blog...then again Fridays when my TGIF blog gets done. Yikes! Well self help is on the way...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">These yoga poses can help undo some
of the damage that all of that sitting has done to your body.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Millions
of us spend our days sitting at a desk, then head home to sit some more in
front of the TV. <a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/is-sitting-hazardous-to-your-health.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">All of that sitting is harming our
health</span></a>. We can control some of that by making an effort to get up
and move, but if your nine to five has you seated at a desk, your options are
limited.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you do
have a desk job, you can see if your company offers a standing desk. You can
also try replacing your desk chair with a yoga ball. Those are some great ways
to improve your working situation, but what about the damage that years at a
desk have done to your back, neck, and legs? These yoga poses can help you
bounce back!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><b>1. Cat and Cow Pose</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This is
actually a pair of poses that you flow between. They help warm up the muscles
in your back and help counteract some of the stiffness that comes with sitting
at a desk. Check out the video above showing you how to flow between cat and
cow pose.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><b>2. Spinal Twist</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There are
many spinal twist variations in yoga. This is a modified twist designed just
for folks sitting at a desk. You can undo some of sitting’s damage while you’re
sitting at work! It only takes a few minutes to sneak in a quick twist during
your work day.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><b>3. Sun Salutation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sun
salutation is a staple in yoga practice. This is a series of poses that’s great
for waking up that spine and countering those hours hunched over the keyboard.
Sun salutation has tons of variations. The video above is a very bare bones
version aimed at beginners.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><b>4. Locust Pose</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sitting
all day teaches the muscles in our back to hunch forward. Postures like locust
counter that action by engaging the back muscles in a different way. Backward
bending like this is perfect for countering sitting’s effects on your neck and
back.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><b>5. Upward Bow</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Not only
does backward bending in upward bow strengthen your back and stretch those
tight chest muscles, it can help relieve some of the pain associated with
carpal tunnel. If you have moderate to severe carpal tunnel, definitely check
with your doctor before incorporating upward bow into your routine.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><b>6. Side Angle Pose</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Side
angle helps stretch the muscles along the sides of your trunk that become
shortened when you’re sitting all day. You stretch to either side,
strengthening your back and improving your balance.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><strong>7. Wide Legged Forward Bend</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A forward bend might seem counter-intuitive when you’re trying to undo the
effects of sitting all day. Your legs also tend to get tight from sitting
though, and this posture helps give those tight leg muscles some relief.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><strong>8. Downward Dog</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This may be my favorite yoga pose ever. It stretches the legs and feet,
strengthens the back, and just plain feels great. Downward dog looks simple,
but getting the proper alignment can be a little bit tricky. The video above
goes into detail about how to properly practice downward dog.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><strong>9. Tree Stand</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tree pose helps improve balance and strengthen the legs and spine. Balance
poses like this can be tricky at first, but don’t let that get you down! If you
fall out of tree pose, just ease back in. That’s why they call it practicing
yoga!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><strong>10. Warrior I</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There are three warrior poses, and they’re all great for countering the
effects of sitting. I like Warrior I because it combines balance work with a
twist and a back bend. It’s really the whole package! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Go here for a series of videos on how to do each of these poses:</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-yoga-poses-to-undo-all-of-that-sitting.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-yoga-poses-to-undo-all-of-that-sitting.html</span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am getting tired just thinking about it!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob </span><br />
</div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-4689323532386517682016-01-04T03:59:00.000-08:002016-01-04T03:59:02.701-08:00Abandoned Greyhound Acts as Guide and Protector for His Blind Sister<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FxcXXe4ZGnfflGCXNpSnyvbCWZTSkbezhj5q47rYx9PCRN5yK_HWMMGcXwPPpyWdxiOYDFS4hhGW3G34G2lHtJdqQp6nAXaGNJa01XX6wFM50kbsL76nposxaauQx3DLR6d9ZOLYSYU/s1600/greyhound1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FxcXXe4ZGnfflGCXNpSnyvbCWZTSkbezhj5q47rYx9PCRN5yK_HWMMGcXwPPpyWdxiOYDFS4hhGW3G34G2lHtJdqQp6nAXaGNJa01XX6wFM50kbsL76nposxaauQx3DLR6d9ZOLYSYU/s320/greyhound1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hi ya. Doggone good to see you! Take a break and sidle up to the coffeepot. Pour yourself a refreshing mugful of coffee, snag a virtual treat or two then let me tell you about a brother-sister relationship in the doggie world...</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A couple of animal shelter workers in the municipality of
Navalcamero, near Madrid, Spain, recently came across the most
heartwarming sight – a five-month old greyhound helping his blind
sister cross the road. The two dogs were apparently moving very slowly
through traffic, with the female resting her head on the male’s back.
When the two women approached the dogs to help them out, they were
visibly nervous, but the male greyhound stuck with his sister instead of
running away to safety.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The women quickly realized that the female greyhound was
visually impaired because she had thin white films over both eyes. They
eventually took the canine pair to the shelter where they work and ran a
few health tests, confirming that she was indeed blind. Further tests
revealed that the female became blind as a result of a virus, and that
her condition might be treatable. It seems that the two pups have been
abandoned and have stuck with each other since then, with the male
acting as his sister’s guide, never leaving her side and protecting her
from danger. Caregivers at the ‘El Refugio’ dog shelter have named the
female ‘Blinder’, and her brother ‘Pisper’.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> “It is so touching that such a small dog like Pisper has been able to
comprehend that they have been abandoned, that his sister can’t see and
that he should stay at her side all the time to be her permanent guide
and protection,” said Nacho Paunero, the shelter’s president. “Deeds
like this remind us once more that we humans have a lot to learn from
the animals who we share this planet with and that they deserve all our
respect and affection, as well as our help whenever they might need it.”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Soon after Blinder and Pisper were found wondering on the streets, El
Refugio started looking for a family willing to adopt them as a couple,
because they spend all their time together and appeared inseparable. At
the same time, they started treating Blinder’s condition, and within a
month she had made a full recovery, regaining her vision completely.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa_HcOrcEoaNnotZPQR-YWttQ4RXE-tvlY2tHnVyYabNf_iEAXppLOfi4_nRQ9aKhaam0xUUnY9Ygh4AYYfksf0olOctGAga_JaHUBSpNq19F8gY_kKQjqEaOtrOjxNu_57ZAw2MhltM/s1600/greyhound2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa_HcOrcEoaNnotZPQR-YWttQ4RXE-tvlY2tHnVyYabNf_iEAXppLOfi4_nRQ9aKhaam0xUUnY9Ygh4AYYfksf0olOctGAga_JaHUBSpNq19F8gY_kKQjqEaOtrOjxNu_57ZAw2MhltM/s320/greyhound2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Finding an adoptive family willing to take in not one, but two dogs, was
a very difficult task, but miracles do happen, and on Christmas Eve, El
Refugio posted a YouTube video of Blinder and Pisper being introduced
to their new family. Cristina and Sergio, a young couple living in
Madrid with their three children had learned of the two abandoned
greyhounds via a Twitter message, and they immediately knew they wanted
them to be a part of their family. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The family already owned a ten-year-old Labrador Retriever who they knew
would love some company, so they contacted El Refugio. The video also
includes some snapshots of Blinder and Pisper in their new home, and
they seem genuinely happy.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Go here to watch the video:</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/animals/abandoned-greyhound-acts-as-guide-and-protector-for-his-blind-sister.html#more-49782"><b>http://www.odditycentral.com/animals/abandoned-greyhound-acts-as-guide-and-protector-for-his-blind-sister.html#more-49782</b></a> </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Good on you, folks. The world can use all the compassion it can get!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob</span></div>
</div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-58456309674678823402016-01-03T04:26:00.003-08:002016-01-03T04:26:46.536-08:00Meet the ‘Detanglers’ – A Community of People Who Love Untangling Yarn Disasters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8T6eV7PZj0YCB7fM1i-A5JsNq0nZG4fK-VccrePDGzKh3WAOe8H9syVVAcvEw7PjEW1f4xgM6rN5LtJzmw05tbDoNUrCYArXfEZ6kQxHYJ8gORk0fTCskqqjeuI03m1XWXbNDqplCeg/s1600/knot1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8T6eV7PZj0YCB7fM1i-A5JsNq0nZG4fK-VccrePDGzKh3WAOe8H9syVVAcvEw7PjEW1f4xgM6rN5LtJzmw05tbDoNUrCYArXfEZ6kQxHYJ8gORk0fTCskqqjeuI03m1XWXbNDqplCeg/s320/knot1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hey there! Thanks for clicking by. Coffee is hot and the tray of virtual treats is teeming with delectable goodies so dig in. Boy, have I got a yarn for you today... </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If tangled headphone and charger
cords irritate you, you’re never going to understand this group’s
passion for knotted yarn. These devoted ‘detanglers’ are part of an
online community called ‘Knot a Problem’, dedicated to untangling the
most complicated yarn disasters. They love untangling so much that some
are actually willing to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">pay money </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">in exchange for your knottiest balls of yarn. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daphne Basnet, from Melbourne, once
spent $50 on eBay for a 25-pound box of hopelessly twisted string, just
for something fun to do. That was before she even knew of the existence
of the Knot a Problem. It took her five long weeks to ‘detangle’ the 120
balls of yarn-worth of knotted mess, a time that she looks back on
fondly. “I was so happy, I can’t tell you,” she recalled. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BKNoD7w-8lppGc4kRCSp7K2VBBvR7f0TewCsKE-hd1ALqfpZLk78cCq_TEMxQR1Sa5SvysHT6g-MbCU5YJuVZ98r3OQ85MW5k41lqrV8gLrV1ypFq3zVu8fp0ZLloP-7x1wO3OXOgxU/s1600/knot2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BKNoD7w-8lppGc4kRCSp7K2VBBvR7f0TewCsKE-hd1ALqfpZLk78cCq_TEMxQR1Sa5SvysHT6g-MbCU5YJuVZ98r3OQ85MW5k41lqrV8gLrV1ypFq3zVu8fp0ZLloP-7x1wO3OXOgxU/s320/knot2.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Later, Basnet found out about a whole
community of knot-lovers like herself formed within an online group of
knitters and crocheters called Ravelry. Frustrated knitters post
messages calling for help with their messed up and often expensive yarn,
and <i>Knot a Problem</i> always comes to the rescue. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">They willingly
offer to untangle the mess for free, just so long as shipping costs are
covered. Sometimes the competition for tangled yarn projects gets so
crazy that detanglers check for posts multiple times a day. “</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">People will jump in and say, ‘Send it to me!’” said Mary Enright, a 56-year-old detangler and Knot a Problem member.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Founded in 2008 by California
resident Stephanie Rothschild, Knot a Problem now has over 2,000 members
worldwide. When they got their 2000th member earlier this year, some of
the oldest members celebrated by deliberately messing up yarn and
sending it to each other to untangle. Members also regularly post before
and after photos of their detangling projects, calling it ‘tangle
porn’. “I think it’s fulfilling for people when they see what it was,
sort of like house remodeling,” Stephanie said. “You see how crappy it
was and how beautiful it turned out to be.”</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1qVcWm3Sz1pfsX1m9D8SUWkbMzCGK2HJ78KhmZjy26r87ut1fmi1qQeR-HfQaWfeRIUl62BJS0wa3fyj2DiJRXBPBdWFPwjNKZ1RXDo02l0RFEEMaqEHPvJFw7IwIMAsb7StEkrSyBI/s1600/knot3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1qVcWm3Sz1pfsX1m9D8SUWkbMzCGK2HJ78KhmZjy26r87ut1fmi1qQeR-HfQaWfeRIUl62BJS0wa3fyj2DiJRXBPBdWFPwjNKZ1RXDo02l0RFEEMaqEHPvJFw7IwIMAsb7StEkrSyBI/s320/knot3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stephanie, 44, discovered her love of
untangling during her time working in a yarn store – she would
routinely stop her owner from throwing away tangled yarn, and smooth it
all out herself. After a few years of doing that, she started to wonder
about the frustrated knitters out there who might need her assistance. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So
she set up the group, and to her surprise, found many other like-minded
detangling enthusiasts. As the membership grew, she recalls thinking to
herself, “I’m not the only one? Look at all these freaks together!”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Enright, one of the first people to
sign up, has a similar story to tell – she’s always been on the lookout
for opportunities to detangle. When she came across a display of matted
yarn at a discount store, she actually organized it for them along with a
friend. “It was kind of a pile,” she said. “We sorted it out and got it
going again, made their display look nice.” Another time, she took on a
messed up bunch of delicate wool yarn from a 12-year-old knitter and 10
hours later, it was good as new.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Detanglers collectively agree that
the act of untangling yarn (or string, or cords, or Christmas lights) is
strangely relaxing, a metaphorical means of creating order out of
chaos. They have specific techniques, some of them spread the yarn out
on a table, some try to find the ends first, and others use tools like a
pin or a crochet hook to tease knots apart. But they all have a golden
rule: Never use scissors.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I have been known to do my share or unravelling...mostly extensions, Christmas lights and computer cables but I think I shall leave wool to the </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">detangling enthusiasts. I am having enough problems right now trying to get my two computers working!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Read the full story of these dedicated detanglers here:</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/news/meet-the-detanglers-a-community-of-people-who-love-untangling-yarn-disasters.html#more-49798" target="_blank">http://www.odditycentral.com/news/meet-the-detanglers-a-community-of-people-who-love-untangling-yarn-disasters.html#more-49798 </a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">See ya, eh!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bob </span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-7493581304435914282016-01-01T05:11:00.000-08:002016-01-01T05:11:06.784-08:00Top 10 Healthiest New Year's Resolutions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipu5_CTCdGTDQ1PId1fQElIeBluGns5uGQ3jHh3dp80CgS52vnv0UI2vbLHwJx0zrk_N3pkaicnqSkyvapMEFKPcleWyvv1Muu42xa8yOkcuqmStXkBuxc1L0iVIxoYLvcLJvESviSj9U/s1600/in-one-year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipu5_CTCdGTDQ1PId1fQElIeBluGns5uGQ3jHh3dp80CgS52vnv0UI2vbLHwJx0zrk_N3pkaicnqSkyvapMEFKPcleWyvv1Muu42xa8yOkcuqmStXkBuxc1L0iVIxoYLvcLJvESviSj9U/s320/in-one-year.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Happy New
Year. Oops...was I a bit too loud? Nursing a 'headache', are we? Out carousing
last night were we? Well, stagger over to the coffeepot and pour yourself a
nice mug of coffee. Add a virtual treat. No... don't add it to the coffee! Put it on a plate. The sugar will help your body
recover. Though if you were like us (abed by 9:00), you're fit as a fiddle this
morning... well, perhaps a bit out of tune, but as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Anyway, I hope you had a good one
and are looking forward to an excellent year. Here are ten of the most popular
resolutions people make...</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Each January, roughly one in three peoples
resolve to better themselves in some way...although a poll this week here in
Canada showed that fewer people are bothering. Only about 15-20% plan to make resolutions and of those, 75% stick
to their goals for at least a week. Less than half (46%) are still on
target six months later, an earlier study found.</span><br />
<br />
</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">(New Year’s resolutions are a bit like babies: They’re fun to make but extremely difficult to maintain.)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">It's hard to keep up the enthusiasm months after
you've swept up the confetti, but it's not impossible. This year, pick one of
the following worthy resolutions, and stick with it. Here’s to your health!</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRDqC28akGyGDD59XTnoLeEjhLUIma2-eG-oLrtO_PVxwZURWDnp4vA1Ha1bQ6xCRwUZMd9kgIRkVkSus5Wpai9IRuqxSe27XH6D0UGYvDTheSL5Dn8dXiNRyv3-rxb4h5O8HfV3NjIU/s1600/10-weight-loss-new-years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRDqC28akGyGDD59XTnoLeEjhLUIma2-eG-oLrtO_PVxwZURWDnp4vA1Ha1bQ6xCRwUZMd9kgIRkVkSus5Wpai9IRuqxSe27XH6D0UGYvDTheSL5Dn8dXiNRyv3-rxb4h5O8HfV3NjIU/s200/10-weight-loss-new-years.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Lose weight<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">The fact that this is
perennially among the most popular resolutions suggests just how difficult it
is to commit to. But <span style="text-decoration: none;">you can succeed</span> if
you don’t expect overnight success. "You want results yesterday, and
desperation mode kicks in," says Pam Peeke, MD, author of <i>Body for
Life for Women.</i> "Beware of the valley of quickie cures."<br />
<br />
Also, plan for bumps in the road. Use a food journal to keep track of what you
eat and have a support system in place. "Around week four to six...people
become excuse mills," Dr. Peeke says. "That’s why it’s important to
have someone there on a regular basis to get you through those rough times."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Stay in touch<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">Feel like old friends (or family) have fallen by the wayside? It’s good for your health to reconnect with them. Research suggests people with strong social ties live longer than those who don’t.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> </span><br style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">In fact, a lack of social bonds can damage your health as much as alcohol abuse and smoking, and even more than obesity and lack of exercise, a 2010 study in the journal</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">PLoS Medicine</i><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">suggests.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> </span><br style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">In a technology-fixated era, it’s never been easier to stay in touch—or rejuvenate your relationship—with friends and family, so fire up Facebook</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">and follow up with in-person visits.</span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Quit smoking</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">Fear that you’ve failed too many times to try again? Talk to any ex-smoker, and you’ll see that multiple attempts are often the path to success.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">Try</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">different methods</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">to find out what works. And think of the cash you’ll save! (We know you know the ginormous health benefit.)</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 11.25pt; margin-right: 3.0pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">"It’s one of the harder habits to quit," says Merle Myerson, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals, in New York City. "But I always tell people to think of how much</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">money </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">they will save."</span></i></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Save money<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">Save money by making healthy lifestyle changes. Walk or ride your
bike to work, or explore carpooling. (That means more money in your pocket<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>and</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>less air pollution.)<br />
<br />
Cut back on gym membership costs by exercising at home. Many fitness programs
on videogame systems like Nintendo’s Wii<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Wii Fit
Plus</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and
Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Your
Shape Fitness Evolved</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>can
get you sweating.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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Take stock of what you have in the fridge and make a grocery list. Aimless
supermarket shopping can lead to poor choices for your diet and wallet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Cut your stress<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">A little pressure now and again won’t kill us; in fact, short
bouts of stress give us an energy boost. But if stress is chronic, it can
increase your risk of—or worsen—<span style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">insomnia</span>,<span style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">depression</span><span style="cursor: pointer;">,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">obesity</span><span style="cursor: pointer;">,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">heart disease</span>,
and more.<br />
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Long work hours, little sleep, no exercise, poor diet, and not spending time
with family and friends can contribute to stress, says Roberta Lee, MD, an
integrative medicine specialist at Beth Israel Medical Center, in New York
City, and the author of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The
Super Stress Solution.</i><br />
<br />
"Stress is an inevitable part of life," she says. "Relaxation,
sleep, socializing, and taking vacations are all things we tell ourselves we
deserve but don’t allow ourselves to have."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Volunteer<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">We tend to think our own bliss relies on bettering ourselves, but our happiness also increases when we help others, says Peter Kanaris, PhD, coordinator of public education for the New York State Psychological Association.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">And guess what? Happiness is good for your health. A 2010</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">study</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">found that people with positive emotions were about 20% less likely than their gloomier peers to have a heart attack or develop heart disease. Other research suggests that positive emotions can make people more resilient and resourceful.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 11.25pt; margin-right: 3.0pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"><i>"Someone who makes this sort of resolution is likely to obtain a tremendous personal benefit in the happiness department," Kanaris says.</i></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Go back to school<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">No matter how old you are, heading back to the classroom can help revamp your career, introduce you to new friends, and even boost your brainpower.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">A recent study found that middle-age adults who had gone back to school (including night school) sometime in the previous quarter century had stronger memories and verbal skills than those who did not. What’s more, several studies have linked higher educational attainment to a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;" /><h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 11.25pt; margin-right: 3.0pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">"You are gaining a sense of accomplishment by gaining new knowledge, and you are out there meeting people and creating possibilities t</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;">hat were never there before," Kanaris says.</span></i></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Cut back on alcohol</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 18pt;">Drinking alcohol</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 18pt;">in excess affects the brain’s neurotransmitters and can increase the risk of depression, memory loss, or even seizures.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">Chronic heavy drinking boosts your risk of liver and heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and mental deterioration, and even cancers of the mouth, throat, liver, and breast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">While much has been written about the health benefits of a small amount of alcohol, too much tippling is still the bigger problem. (In fact,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">binge drinking seems to be on the rise.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">Drinking alcohol<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in excess affects the brain’s neurotransmitters and can increase the risk of depression, memory loss, or even seizures.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Get more sleep</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;"> </span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">You probably already know that a good night’s rest can do wonders for your mood—and</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">appearance. But sleep is more beneficial to your health than you might realize.</span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">A lack of sleep has been linked to a greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. And sleep is crucial for strengthening memories</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">(a process called consolidation).</span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;"><br />So take a nap—and don’t feel guilty about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Travel </span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">The joys and</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">rewards of vacations<span style="color: #0076a3;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;">can last long after the suitcase is put away. "We can often get stuck in a rut, and we can’t get out of our own way," Kanaris says. "Everything becomes familiar and too routine."</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;"> </span></h1>
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<span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 18pt;">But travelling allows us to tap into life as an adventure, and we can make changes in our lives without having to do anything too bold or dramatic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div>
"It makes you feel rejuvenated and replenished," he adds. </div>
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"It gets you out of your typical scenery, and the effects </div>
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are revitalizing. It’s another form of new discovery and </div>
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learning, and great for the body and the soul."</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20452233,00.html">http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20452233,00.html</a></div>
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(with a few additions and adjustments, eh)</div>
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Sure, New Year`s resolutions may be like babies but remember...</div>
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a baby is a loud noise at one end and a complete lack of responsibility <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">at the other. So if you are going to make resolutions, just make one or </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">two and tell everyone you know about them so they can encourage you to </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">stick to it. Sticktoitiveness is the key to success in any venture.</span></div>
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Good luck with your resolutions. </div>
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See ya, eh!</div>
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Bob</div>
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-18149376448982090962015-12-31T04:20:00.003-08:002015-12-31T04:20:31.341-08:00Different Ways People Around the World Celebrate New Year's Eve<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy New Year's Eve! Thanks for taking time to click by on this busy day. Coffee's hot and...the virtual treats are waiting for you...last chance to get one this year! A brief survey...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are you:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a) Going out partying tonight? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">b) Staying home and partying? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">c) Like Nong and I, will you be in bed long before the midnight hour?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many of you will celebrate with champagne, dancing, and kissing your loved ones when the clock strikes midnight. But what about the rest of the world?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">January 1st may be the de facto beginning of the New Year in the Western hemisphere thanks to the Gregorian calendar, but some cultures believe the New Year takes place at a different time altogether.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Chinese New Year is in late January or early February. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Thai New Year, Sonkran, is in mid-April.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rosh Hashanah <span class="st">—</span> the Jewish New Year<span class="st">—</span> is in autumn, and some cultures follow the Julian lunar calendar and celebrate in mid-January.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How people start off a brand new year varies regionally from country to country — though most do tend to have the standard fireworks display.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Spain, they eat 12 grapes for luck.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Spain, they eat 12 grapes for luck." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4dfa3422ccd1d5bf6e150000-1200/in-spain-they-eat-12-grapes-for-luck.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brostad/45327509/sizes/m/in/photostream/" style="color: #eeeeee; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bernt rostad via flickr</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spaniards eat a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the midnight countdown while making a wish. The tradition dates back to 1895 when some savvy vine farmers realized they had a surplus of grapes and started the tradition to get more customers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many then celebrate with a late-night family dinner before heading out to Spanish nightclubs after midnight until 6 AM.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Belgium, children write New Year's letters to their parents.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Belgium, children write New Year's letters to their parents." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4c6970d77f8b9a9965560000-1200/in-belgium-children-write-new-years-letters-to-their-parents.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/westauction/249144521/" style="color: #eeeeee; position: relative; text-decoration: none;">CuriousDaniel</a> via Flickr</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Belgium, New Year's Eve is called Sint Sylvester Vooranvond.<strong> </strong>Besides toasting with the customary champagne, Belgian children write New Year's letters to their parents or godparents on New Year's day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They decorate the cards with fancy paper complete with cherubs, angels, and coloured roses and then read them aloud.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Greece, people hang an onion on their doors.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Greece, people hang an onion on their doors." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52c2def7eab8ea1b0503685e-1200/in-greece-people-hang-an-onion-on-their-doors.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><a href="http://statigr.am/viewer.php#/detail/319797751347897758_26010984" style="color: #eeeeee; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instagram/stbach</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's believed that hanging an onion, or "kremmida" on your door on New Year's eve as a symbol of rebirth in the coming year. The following morning, parents traditionally tap their children on the head with the kremmida to wake them up before church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greeks also commonly break a pomegranate on their doorstep before entering their houses on New Year's Day, another symbol of prosperity and good luck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Denmark, people eat a really huge cake...and throw dishes.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Denmark, people eat a really huge cake...and throw dishes." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4e971e6f6bb3f7a16d000026-1200/in-denmark-people-eat-a-really-huge-cakeand-throw-dishes.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kransekake_rings.JPG" style="color: #eeeeee; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wikimedia Commons</span></a></span></span><div class="caption" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kransekage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People in Denmark prepare an evening meal that ends with a special dessert known as Kransekage, a steep-sloped cone-shaped cake decorated with fire crackers and flags.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, it is thought that throwing dishes on someone's doorstep on January 1st assures they will have many friends in the year ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Japan, it is believed the God of the New Year comes down to Earth.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Japan, it is believed the God of the New Year comes down to Earth." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4de7b2bd4bd7c88c2a000000-1200/in-japan-it-is-believed-the-god-of-the-new-year-comes-down-to-earth.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/troshy/3083387964/sizes/z/in/photostream/" style="color: #eeeeee; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James Trosh via Flickr</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On New Year's Eve in Japan, Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times to welcome Toshigami, the New Year's God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Japanese also clean their homes and send thank-you cards called nengajo that wish a Happy New Year and give thanks to friends and relatives.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Note that the image shown with this article depicts Thai buddha statues in front of a Thai mural...not Japanese).</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Estonia, they eat up to 12 meals that night.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Estonia, they eat up to 12 meals that night." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/50acf0ddecad04917e00001a-1200/in-estonia-they-eat-up-to-12-meals-that-night.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonlightbulb/6425796905/sizes/l/in/photostream/" style="color: #eeeeee; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">moonlightbulb via flickr Creative Commons</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some people in Estonia believe that they should eat seven, nine, or twelve meals on New Year's Eve. With each meal consumed, it is believed that the person gains the strength of that many men the following year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You don't eat the entire meal, however — part of the meal is left unfinished for the spirits or ancestors who visit the house on New Year's Eve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Finland, people tell one another's fortunes with melted "tin."</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Finland, people tell one another's fortunes with melted "tin."" border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4e7cc44c69bedd880d000008-1200/in-finland-people-tell-one-anothers-fortunes-with-melted-tin.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">YouTube</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Finnish new year tradition is called molybdomancy, which is the act of telling New Year's fortunes by melting "tin" (actually lead) in a tiny pan on the stove and then quickly throwing it into a bucket of cold water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The blob of metal is then analyzed in the candlelight to see what fate will befall the person in the New Year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Ireland, women put mistletoe leaves under their pillows to find husbands.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Ireland, women put mistletoe leaves under their pillows to find husbands." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52c2dcfb6da81121159e16e5-1200/in-ireland-women-put-mistletoe-leaves-under-their-pillows-to-find-husbands.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shutterstock</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Single women of Ireland place sprigs of mistletoe under their pillows on New Year's night in the hope that it will bring them better luck and a future husband.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also according to Irish superstition, be wary of who enters your home after the 31st — if the visitor is a tall, dark handsome man, your year will bring good fortune. If it's a red-headed woman, she will bring a lot of trouble.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Germany, they eat pigs made of marzipan and watch TV.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Germany, they eat pigs made of marzipan and watch TV." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52c2dfbe6da811721e9e16e6-1200/in-germany-they-eat-pigs-made-of-marzipan-and-watch-tv.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wikipedia</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The German people eat jam-filled doughnuts made with or without liquor fillings on New Year's Eve, as well as a tiny marzipan pig as a token of good luck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The entire country also loves to watch the 1920s British Cabaret play Dinner For One that is broadcast on German television stations in black and white each year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Macedonia, people celebrate New Year's Eve twice.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Macedonia, people celebrate New Year's Eve twice." border="0" class="slide-image" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/50dc732369beddc60700000f-1200/in-macedonia-people-celebrate-new-years-eve-twice.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="color: #999999; display: block; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; line-height: 12px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barkbud/4646879642/" style="color: #00709a; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Flickr</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Macedonia, New Year's Eve is celebrated both on December 31st as well as on January 14 according to the Macedonian Orthodox (also known as the Julian or Lunar) Calendar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fireworks happen throughout the day on the 31st, and Macedonian children receive gifts from relatives on the 14th.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Argentina, people eat beans on New Year's Eve for good luck in the year ahead.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In Argentina, people eat beans on New Year's Eve for good luck in the year ahead." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52c2dde16da811b5189e16ef-1200/in-argentina-people-eat-beans-on-new-years-eve-for-good-luck-in-the-year-ahead.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58545726@N02/5684475596/in/photolist-9EjqxW-9EgvEt-a6vqf7-a6vpL3-cpkvJq-e1X6X4-9NoDvZ-cYAios-f6Gue8-8mrLZU-8moFQx-cFPKKo-f3yyGA-8vHu2t-9kZuw2-9m3yzb-cq3Fwj-9QSdAY-9XD791-9XJXrA-bAhcPQ-cF42tN-8moBdT-7Ctux3-cAfCth-8nsTbb-dQzwM1-8dT4Lg-91uT8G-9dU7Xx-cxKVQd" style="color: #eeeeee; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">cookbookman17/Flickr</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Argentina, people believe that eating beans before the clock strikes midnight means they will have good luck in their careers in the year ahead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some also believe that if they carry a suitcase around their house, they will travel more in the year to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the Czech Republic, fireworks displays light up the sky.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="In the Czech Republic, fireworks displays light up the sky." border="0" class="slide-image on-image" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/52c2dcd2ecad042945613ad1-1200/in-the-czech-republic-fireworks-displays-light-up-the-sky.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
<span class="source" style="background: url("/assets/images/back_gradient_20x40.png?1450451539") 15px 50% repeat-x; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eeeeee; display: table; float: right; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; height: 40px; line-height: 20px; margin: -45px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px 0px 2px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 2px; z-index: 2;"><span style="display: table-cell; height: 40px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: bottom;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/340447906098723/" style="color: #eeeeee; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Explore Europe Travel/Fireworks</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Prague, visitors can watch an incredible fireworks display on the world famous Charles Bridge after the clock strikes midnight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Much like in the U.S., Canada and other countries, people congregate to celebrate the New Year in parties, pubs, clubs, and city squares to drink and celebrate across the country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Different strokes for different folks, eh! As mentioned in an earlier post, Thais celebrate three New Years... the western one, Chinese New Year usually in February and the Thai one...Sonkran around April 13-15.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However you plan to celebrate (or snooze), enjoy it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See ya next year, eh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bob</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Source: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-rituals-around-the-world-2013-12?op=1">http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-rituals-around-the-world-2013-12?op=1</a> (with a few adjustments made)</span></div>
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-68545754637475260972015-12-30T03:54:00.000-08:002015-12-30T03:54:00.294-08:00One-man Arsenal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8zY7nR4vlbKWQcn7vyhu9Dw8RcsJ8dhg8plkjRroxJSVZan6X6AK9_XQts53XXmE1FQEMon7ziaRWv3EUn3Wt18W2b4XGJRTq08PAMX9ZUIne-dVCEiKwhyphenhyphenpcahJTn5ZE4dYONZU14o/s1600/brentnicholson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8zY7nR4vlbKWQcn7vyhu9Dw8RcsJ8dhg8plkjRroxJSVZan6X6AK9_XQts53XXmE1FQEMon7ziaRWv3EUn3Wt18W2b4XGJRTq08PAMX9ZUIne-dVCEiKwhyphenhyphenpcahJTn5ZE4dYONZU14o/s1600/brentnicholson.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;">Hey y'all! How y'all doin'? Get yerself a mug of Joe, a virtual muffin or doughnut and set yerself down at this here VIP table. Yeehaw! Have I got a doosie for y'all today...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;">According to the flabbergasted sheriff of rural Chesterfield County, South Carolina, "This has completely changed our definition of (what constitutes) an 'ass-load' of guns." Brent Nicholson, 51, had been storing more than 7,000 firearms (most of them likely stolen) in his home and a storage building on his property. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgPGiK6B4cpyR25Tyhmcelt_2KGkuIYuU0cacZZuYSkwfolK-HjMpwDGNYbFOtLFXIDQQec3iXNR2RMWNLeIwghG_DfjJ3Oga1nqmH_9QDPj-d55tsIuqC6dUsqnIdAqAIoh1UTDhr_U/s1600/brent1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgPGiK6B4cpyR25Tyhmcelt_2KGkuIYuU0cacZZuYSkwfolK-HjMpwDGNYbFOtLFXIDQQec3iXNR2RMWNLeIwghG_DfjJ3Oga1nqmH_9QDPj-d55tsIuqC6dUsqnIdAqAIoh1UTDhr_U/s1600/brent1.jpg" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;">Every room of the house was stacked with weapons, and it took four tractor-trailer trips to haul everything away, with help of 100 law-enforcement officers. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWb8fkPXXSPhnv57mnhBa_0quBTpW1lBm67GbJ3An6ExG5dDUgTyjrw_MUVAmyKOMFsdgCBHAmLwOnLUWFE1Omu3IKuI8g_HBGUKvzu6bokmr2Cx71W6DAZ00UEC5zTh6txOm5z3esiU/s1600/brent2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWb8fkPXXSPhnv57mnhBa_0quBTpW1lBm67GbJ3An6ExG5dDUgTyjrw_MUVAmyKOMFsdgCBHAmLwOnLUWFE1Omu3IKuI8g_HBGUKvzu6bokmr2Cx71W6DAZ00UEC5zTh6txOm5z3esiU/s1600/brent2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;">Nicholson also had 500 chainsaws, at least 250 taxidermied deer, elk, and alligator heads, and more. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;">No motive was obvious to deputies. (Nicholson would still be living in the shadows today if he hadn't run that stop sign on Oct. 21 with bogus license plates on his truck.) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-ylCJhH16H_8ay1uzzzJUVqDzlviBuwiyVW4Rj7G3l4xLBHTcggJru0PfXzSMUxc12mpy32XPhAE99hCDMwuiyKp9lBu7_vUask0BU-gTZK_fxzEV2wJNcsxD4c-xjEW5Q-oFf2T17E/s1600/brent3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-ylCJhH16H_8ay1uzzzJUVqDzlviBuwiyVW4Rj7G3l4xLBHTcggJru0PfXzSMUxc12mpy32XPhAE99hCDMwuiyKp9lBu7_vUask0BU-gTZK_fxzEV2wJNcsxD4c-xjEW5Q-oFf2T17E/s320/brent3.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;">Source: [WSOC-TV (Charlotte, N.C.), 11-11-2015] [Headlines & Global News (New York), 12-5-2015]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sounds as though ol' Brent had enough firepower to equip a small army. I wonder whose it might have been?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;"><span style="background-color: white;">See y'all, eh!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: VERDANA, HELVETICA;"><span style="background-color: white;">Bob</span></span><br />
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-67314169302752908942015-12-29T04:53:00.000-08:002015-12-29T04:53:14.232-08:00Who is that masked man?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWL9bXzarQYyIBsunm8kdQuFcmYDIqnad4ufYkJ11HV7p7hAY9gauqoWdI5LMWa4Q6xei1MlRkVUU_tk6Q2To39lTBDB2rKb4vHBersLLEmh3CtJyoee_Utl1ZaI_hVKBget6LjXtvvk/s1600/snow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWL9bXzarQYyIBsunm8kdQuFcmYDIqnad4ufYkJ11HV7p7hAY9gauqoWdI5LMWa4Q6xei1MlRkVUU_tk6Q2To39lTBDB2rKb4vHBersLLEmh3CtJyoee_Utl1ZaI_hVKBget6LjXtvvk/s320/snow1.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi ya! How're life treating you so far today? Here it is brutal! We got a major dump of snow and it is likely to continue through the day. Welcome to winter, eh. Pour a mugful of coffee and massage a virtual doughnut or muffin onto your plate, why don't'cha?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So who is that masked man? Not to worry. It is neither a terrorist nor a bank robber...no, it is just me getting ready to go out and face the weather this morning. The 'mask' is actually a fleece hood with a piece that you can pull over your nose and mouth and keep the cold away. Nong and I were at a Women's Day event last summer and a vendor was selling the hoods. When I saw them, I immediately recognized the possible benefit for me. I tend to get neuralgia in my teeth and gums if I have my mouth open when it is very cold. Well, I bought it and have been waiting to use it since. Got my chance today, I'll tell you... I got to test it out and it performed very well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nong has a scheduled start of 6:00 AM which meant that we are up at 4:45 except that today we were greeted by -11C with a -21C wind chill and blowing, drifting snow. It had obviously been snowing all night; was still snowing and blowing and showing no signs of letting up. The garage door wouldn't open because of snow piled against the bottom. There was a 12" drift a few feet from the garage door and the driveway from the front of the house to the road...maybe 20 feet... had about 8-10 inches of snow on it. I'll get the snowblower out later (don't like to wake up the neighbours at 5:00 in the morning!) so Nong and I just pushed enough of the white stuff aside so I could get the car out onto the unplowed road. Putting winter tires on was another good idea we had in late fall.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Tg0Kgha8yjJDm4hGGdxzTCwZOGyOaCius_YiRuBW-p1VuMHS6WsMMVxSy54B9UvjBmKx6a7GAL6lqXoExsfoopNCNMkBrA7jngu5vNrSCp7BEmtPBN0qIQN8j68pitwPjW0gRcFce9I/s1600/snow3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Tg0Kgha8yjJDm4hGGdxzTCwZOGyOaCius_YiRuBW-p1VuMHS6WsMMVxSy54B9UvjBmKx6a7GAL6lqXoExsfoopNCNMkBrA7jngu5vNrSCp7BEmtPBN0qIQN8j68pitwPjW0gRcFce9I/s200/snow3.jpg" width="151" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By 5:35, the main roads were ploughed so we made it to Tim's and I made it back safely. I am not supposed to do any heavy lifting, which is why we got the snowblower. Fortunately, it was fairly light snow...but it felt as though it was turning to freezing rain...a wonderful natural phenomenon that encourages you to fall on your butt in creative ways, slipping and sliding along. Not a good day to be a mail carrier, eh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah well, we don't have to go out of the city until Friday when sunshine and a slightly warmer temperature is forecast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take your time getting wherever you are going today!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bob</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PS: Here's what it looked like out our front window a few minutes ago...</span><br />
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-39675652913011742252015-12-28T04:01:00.001-08:002015-12-28T04:01:17.484-08:00This Japanese Bookstore Only Stocks One Book at a Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwI3bnFETHXK3ysFzNyWqbSGi9cAqhR_e98GWV_5m9GIqSco1XrI6IY-2YoH1sFxpBYpt0wHjR9Kwj0_fwzqJhivpnQbsjFaLcHUdZMJhUgRmB2J41RtxTXnYXTP1raB2nbpWFki0fNk/s1600/onebook1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwI3bnFETHXK3ysFzNyWqbSGi9cAqhR_e98GWV_5m9GIqSco1XrI6IY-2YoH1sFxpBYpt0wHjR9Kwj0_fwzqJhivpnQbsjFaLcHUdZMJhUgRmB2J41RtxTXnYXTP1raB2nbpWFki0fNk/s320/onebook1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Konichi wa! Great to see you! Coffee is ready and there is a tray of virtual treats next to the coffeepot (though you may be treated out by now, huh). Help yourself. We are off back home this morning after a super Christmas and Boxing Day/weekend in which we bought out the stores. We have to leave much of the loot at here for spring pick-up because we cannot take it all on the train. We have to be minimalist in our thinking. Speaking of minimalism...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Japanese bookseller Yoshiyuki Morioka
has come up with a highly unusual concept for a bookstore – he sells
one book at a time in a tiny shop located in Ginza, Tokyo’s luxury
shopping district. Ever since he launched the store in May, he has
stocked multiple copies of only one title per week. </span></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhujfK57UomrMy_TknHtX46VVO2SkJQFMpJYcNvy0-dBqx7p7uJyNdWLQvb5OhuaZfCXS8fKZiePh2xjBrLUQDttQMGOvO12zKHvsz-HQW3_97-UGmlFyRpE6HmPQl47wqLZBjJKcrfs/s1600/onebook2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhujfK57UomrMy_TknHtX46VVO2SkJQFMpJYcNvy0-dBqx7p7uJyNdWLQvb5OhuaZfCXS8fKZiePh2xjBrLUQDttQMGOvO12zKHvsz-HQW3_97-UGmlFyRpE6HmPQl47wqLZBjJKcrfs/s320/onebook2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You might argue that it’s hardly a
bookstore if you can’t go in and spend at least a few hours browsing
through hundreds of volumes, but Morioka never intended to create a
classic bookstore. It’s like a weekly ‘suggested reading’ service – you
just go in and pick up the book chosen for the week, relieving yourself
of the burden of choice. Morioka said he came up with the idea a store
that solely focused on one book at a time after organising several
book-launch events at his old bookstore.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Before opening this bookstore in Ginza, I had been running another one in Kayabacho for 10 years,” Morioka told </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Guardian</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.
“There, I had around 200 books as stock, and used to organise several
book launches per year. During such events, a lot of people visited the
store for the sake of a single book. As I experienced this for some
time, I started to believe that perhaps with only one book, a bookstore
could be managed.” </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">To finance the store, Morioka sold his huge collection of Japanese wartime propaganda, famous for the quirky, strong graphics.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh023ibVr1fqlQOVywHro6xOUR-7CLWSOW_SA1gy3M8xxb0_RHQyDUq0iExY6OAKU1GTYs_5BV-xIT__xy4XdMDXzxcJAK1z5ugslvCFLJcHZo8n-Kw3WMWjhzsjvhpxoKLHyeZ7bvKw68/s1600/onebook3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh023ibVr1fqlQOVywHro6xOUR-7CLWSOW_SA1gy3M8xxb0_RHQyDUq0iExY6OAKU1GTYs_5BV-xIT__xy4XdMDXzxcJAK1z5ugslvCFLJcHZo8n-Kw3WMWjhzsjvhpxoKLHyeZ7bvKw68/s320/onebook3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The store itself is minimal, with
concrete walls and ceiling barely covered in a thin coat of white paint,
and the raw concrete floor left as is. A vintage chest of drawers
doubles as a counter, while a flimsy table in the center displays the
title of the week. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Morioka, his concept has
a distinct advantage – the bookstore can serve as an exhibition for the
book and its world, making the story come alive for customers. “For
instance, when selling a book on flowers, in the store could be
exhibited a flower that actually appears in the book,” he said. “Also, I
ask the authors and editors to be at the bookstore for as much time as
possible. This is an attempt to make the two-dimensional book into
three-dimensional ambience and experience. </span>I believe that the customers, or readers, should feel as though they are entering ‘inside a book.’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of the books that have been featured in the store include </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The True Deceiver</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by Finnish author Tove Jansson, and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fairy Tales</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by Hans Christian Andersen. A few Japanese titles have made the list as well, like </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tsukiyo To </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Moon Night and Glasses) by Mimei Ogawa, and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Karachi No Moto </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Source of Form) by Akito Akagi. The first title on next year’s list is </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fish-Man</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a photo anthology by Maseru Tatsuki. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It isn’t clear how Morioka goes about
choosing which books to display and sell, but his concept has been
quite well received – he claims to have sold over 2,000 books since May.
“The concept of this bookstore seems to have gained the sympathy of a
lot of people, and I receive a number of guests from all over the
globe,” he said.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morioka is one of the old-school folks
who strongly believe that books will never go out of style, despite the
infiltration of ebooks in the market. “A book is a physical object with
special attraction that has been, is, and will always be the same,” he
insists. “Many will continue to utilise physical books, especially as a
communication tool.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">An interesting concept that may work in Japan though in the Western world, I am not so sure it would fly.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">See ya, eh!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bob </span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Source: <a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/art/this-japanese-bookstore-only-stocks-one-book-at-a-time.html#more-49722">http://www.odditycentral.com/art/this-japanese-bookstore-only-stocks-one-book-at-a-time.html#more-49722</a></span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-57881453374981731612015-12-25T02:44:00.003-08:002015-12-25T02:44:53.641-08:00Merry Christmas!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJbujFodFDUNesEVfkO3eEurhXdoHBMOYD-giNe2B72Db7Vj1a8DMTmeTujh1nTJGMVie0SddI0Z7MR5oyyjuLTNrwXRG-h5HnTIVzS5CYqIcoItS8F_OTKdP4_2YTyOERg6RpyW6euU/s1600/butt-asleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJbujFodFDUNesEVfkO3eEurhXdoHBMOYD-giNe2B72Db7Vj1a8DMTmeTujh1nTJGMVie0SddI0Z7MR5oyyjuLTNrwXRG-h5HnTIVzS5CYqIcoItS8F_OTKdP4_2YTyOERg6RpyW6euU/s320/butt-asleep.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Merry Christmas to you and your family! Have an extra virtual treat with your coffee today, okay. There are no calories allowed on Christmas... in fact right through until January 6th...not only the 12th day of Christmas and the Epiphany but yours truly will turn 39 again (plus tax, shipping and handling of course).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So you're good to go crazy until then... and that's when the four letter word that begins with 'd' and ends with 't' with a couple vowels in between will kick in. In that spirit, I made some maple butter tarts yesterday morning so now I have shortbreads, mince tarts and butter tarts to add to our Christmas dins celebration. Can I upload a couple for you?</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Check out this video from the Bangkok Post daily English newspaper of some great Christmas lighting at Central World in the centre of Bangkok:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/thailand/805480/bangkok-christmas-lighting"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/thailand/805480/bangkok-christmas-lighting</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTshkJgRUi9tG9usJuRn9oEHmpRVspVLazhqJ8wMPNTmVU2GS9K7pGL0yTzZjUidqZeVzQvwaidSBMGB5OyOsEpNRNXtubmAyg6368G58rsCGUmN27pN9BJXp1ggvSvx_FQ3MlQTNStA/s1600/bangkokchristmas-central.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTshkJgRUi9tG9usJuRn9oEHmpRVspVLazhqJ8wMPNTmVU2GS9K7pGL0yTzZjUidqZeVzQvwaidSBMGB5OyOsEpNRNXtubmAyg6368G58rsCGUmN27pN9BJXp1ggvSvx_FQ3MlQTNStA/s320/bangkokchristmas-central.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nong and I wish you the best Christmas ever...and if you don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Festivus!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See ya, eh! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bob</span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-19232201720695962202015-12-24T03:52:00.001-08:002015-12-24T03:54:56.416-08:00Elephants Bring Christmas Cheer in Thailand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_Q_-xYu2uBBzA2w8-zgiVUwAJ_SM2yS6HBlaRaHmP6cHgIUd26N7IV-eU9ad6Ll4pvZgFbKr8XtN118pGzd9pgSC2d531p3KFxulob2JQDm8Iz5Gqw_-sk0EnDEFTqElU9hBQYjGw44/s1600/xmas-elephant1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_Q_-xYu2uBBzA2w8-zgiVUwAJ_SM2yS6HBlaRaHmP6cHgIUd26N7IV-eU9ad6Ll4pvZgFbKr8XtN118pGzd9pgSC2d531p3KFxulob2JQDm8Iz5Gqw_-sk0EnDEFTqElU9hBQYjGw44/s1600/xmas-elephant1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sawatdee! Good to see you. I hope by now all your shopping is done. If anything, perhaps a little baking still to be done but it's time you took a break. Grab your mug. Wander over to the coffeepot. Pour yourself a mugful. Grab a muffin, doughnut or Christmas pastry then bring them over to the VIP table. I want to tell you how Thailand celebrates Christmas in a BIG BIG way...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBenjZqD6RgcRpQpywEX6SuraPtG4DStC-H_afeCev9_a9GsaNzSKJn3JIlAqJKMWHdBIm9QSSsOrWwUaYYORCZeUlqpL5LkepWgXtFUgJbpJA_8H69ILG8PgXMVmJEbl42FNqJkIjKzo/s1600/xmas-elephants2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBenjZqD6RgcRpQpywEX6SuraPtG4DStC-H_afeCev9_a9GsaNzSKJn3JIlAqJKMWHdBIm9QSSsOrWwUaYYORCZeUlqpL5LkepWgXtFUgJbpJA_8H69ILG8PgXMVmJEbl42FNqJkIjKzo/s1600/xmas-elephants2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christmas holiday cheers have taken a creative form in Thailand. Elephants dressed in Santa costumes hand out Christmas treats to children.<br /><br />Santa Claus has come to town, but this time as a gentle giant.<br /><br />Elephants in a resort province in Bangkok were dressed up in Santa costumes as they joined a Christmas parade that made its way to a school.<br /><br />Six elephants with red covers danced and performed acrobatic stunts in front of 3,000 elementary school students.<br /><br />Children screamed in delight and scrambled as the elephant Santas threw snacks, balloons, dolls, and pencil boxes.<br /><br />Some tourists who joined the event also handed out gifts to the children.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBgfqux-A06iwCAD3r8Pcs0wgbvTn44120FGmgj1HJP25lfW6w0ZpQoMHkDh11eL0fTEP996slkUKXUZIjnjWzVty4lPMu0GuNx7Ce4FdY87qnNDc3i_jmwEHe0D2na1Ezz9Ivf1quMg/s1600/xmaselephants3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBgfqux-A06iwCAD3r8Pcs0wgbvTn44120FGmgj1HJP25lfW6w0ZpQoMHkDh11eL0fTEP996slkUKXUZIjnjWzVty4lPMu0GuNx7Ce4FdY87qnNDc3i_jmwEHe0D2na1Ezz9Ivf1quMg/s1600/xmaselephants3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Click here to watch the YouTube video:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_953666758"><br /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0espSVfY-9w">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0espSVfY-9w</a></b></span><br /><br />Julia Lamont from the Australian Tourist office in Thailand said: <i style="font-weight: normal;">"I think people are very busy at home, you know, rushing around at the last minute. But this is nice to see children at school, enjoying themselves at this time. So It's lovely."</i><br /><br />In return for the treats, the children and teachers handed out bananas to these friendly elephants.<br /><br />Suphanon Pornsri, Elementary School Teacher, said: <i style="font-weight: normal;">"Elephants and children are two things that really go together. So, the children really like this treat."</i><br /><br />Thai elephants are an endangered species, and a national symbol in Thailand.<br /><br />Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, with Christians making up only about 0.7% of the population. However, you will see Christmas decorations throughout the country - especially in the major cities. Gift-giving happens in Thailand to celebrate the New Year but stores love to get into the spirit of Christmas. Apart from the obvious appeal to buyers, Thais generally love any excuse to party. That is why, for one thing, they celebrate New Years three times during the year ...the Western one on January 1st; Chinese New Year in late January or early February and then the Thai New Year (Sonkran) in mid-April. Party! Party! Party!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Get to bed early tonight. Santa's coming... but I don't think he's coming by elephant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See ya, eh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bob</span></div>
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602547356488864123.post-90469445518803915842015-12-23T03:56:00.002-08:002015-12-23T03:57:46.891-08:00Fruit-Scented Plastic Cup Makes Drinking Water More Enjoyable<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSywxVcZ3W5QltvJ2_JSJVp9T46kIk0jHUV6Lo1i3FldQKL2lI1SF3fJSgKvD4ZvV7_cRGsVzxIlt_TC5sGPB4My0f2EiuUjbHyVeq2j-PUJyy3JpMbtZNODkHZ-t6aBsiR59hS1PJaoo/s1600/fruitywater.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSywxVcZ3W5QltvJ2_JSJVp9T46kIk0jHUV6Lo1i3FldQKL2lI1SF3fJSgKvD4ZvV7_cRGsVzxIlt_TC5sGPB4My0f2EiuUjbHyVeq2j-PUJyy3JpMbtZNODkHZ-t6aBsiR59hS1PJaoo/s320/fruitywater.webp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hey! Hey! Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your Christmas shopping is done. If not, get out there and 'Get 'er done!' Today is expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year with an anticipated $1 billion to be spent in Canada alone. Can you believe it? But before you do that, pour some java juice into your mug and munch your way through a virtual treat or two, why don't'cha as I tell you about the latest diet innovation...flavoured cups. Huh? </div>
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The ‘Right Cup’ is a new weight loss device designed to trick dieters into enjoying a drink of plain water. The cup has a scented inner lining that emanates the aroma of sugary fruit, satiating cravings for flavoured drinks like juice or soda without having to consume the calories.</div>
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The cup works on the basic premise that 80 percent of the flavor and experience of food comes from its smell. The material of the cup is BPA-free and has a proprietary Encapsulated Aroma Release technology on the inside, so when users tilt the cup towards their face to take a sip, the aroma floods the senses, making them forget that they’re actually drinking bland water.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJEJddHClbvE_8QXgjxbMKgPc-aMYwM5T30WpOcHwE7L8vI4hwv71CxRi357QWQ_OsEgky2DaJNxcUB2c8-M_yGRS730ZnUqE10mnsyxuH-zgCTJW_-MGXwUHe_O46Rj4AiMKixCU1YY/s1600/fruitywater2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJEJddHClbvE_8QXgjxbMKgPc-aMYwM5T30WpOcHwE7L8vI4hwv71CxRi357QWQ_OsEgky2DaJNxcUB2c8-M_yGRS730ZnUqE10mnsyxuH-zgCTJW_-MGXwUHe_O46Rj4AiMKixCU1YY/s320/fruitywater2.webp" width="320" /></a>The makers of The Right Cup insist that the more the cup is used, the more pronounced its flavors will be, because the brain builds up on the experience. Each cup maintains its full aroma for about six months before the flavors start to fade. Storing the cup upside down can help lock in the aroma and extend its life for a while longer.</div>
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Isaac Lavi, the brains behind the cup, suffers from diabetes himself. “My doctors advised me to stay away from sugary beverages and to drink only plain water,” he told <i><a href="http://mashable.com/2015/11/21/scented-cup-drinking-water/#pTOdzZ52wSqK" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mashable</a></i>. “This was very hard because I hated the taste, or actually the lack of taste.” So he decided to use his own knowledge as an expert in the field of scent marketing, and came up with the special cup after six years of research and development. He now hopes it will help people avoid excess sugar and preservatives generally found in store-bought drinks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUCfUOEA0WcuDfdkr83r7J1u2eHJCXJx3qj3m28OKvrN8MhKYibgSocOtNw6ixFtYTJLChbe4-oIfuPDROdWKV9PfFA8UT2hxlkGZsQ5lWN3efMslu3Qxs7zD7Fp54PQHGZcTCR2swMo/s1600/fruitywater3.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUCfUOEA0WcuDfdkr83r7J1u2eHJCXJx3qj3m28OKvrN8MhKYibgSocOtNw6ixFtYTJLChbe4-oIfuPDROdWKV9PfFA8UT2hxlkGZsQ5lWN3efMslu3Qxs7zD7Fp54PQHGZcTCR2swMo/s320/fruitywater3.webp" width="320" /></a></div>
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“Personally speaking, I grew up as a chubby boy, and unfortunately these days I see more and more chubby kids, and I know exactly how they feel and what they go through,” Lavi said. “The Right Cup offers a great way to reduce consumption of sugary beverages which are known to play a key role in obesity and diabetes among children. This is my way to help their daily struggle.”</div>
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Drinking flavoured water may work for some people but for most of us the real problem (especially at this time of the year) is overeating. We eat far more than our body needs to survive so the food we don't need is partly excreted and partly turned into fat. Tell me about it!</div>
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Got to go. I made some shortbread cookies yesterday...still have mince tarts and,,,??? to go by tomorrow.</div>
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See ya, eh...the diet starts January 1... oops, my birthday is January 6 so maybe I'll start on the 7th.</div>
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Bob</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/news/fruit-scented-plastic-cup-makes-drinking-water-more-enjoyable-helps-you-lose-weight.html#more-49655">http://www.odditycentral.com/news/fruit-scented-plastic-cup-makes-drinking-water-more-enjoyable-helps-you-lose-weight.html#more-49655</a></div>
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Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00064109960270362654noreply@blogger.com0