Shut Up And Sing
July 29, 2006
What is it with these performers and their politics? Do they really think that people who pay $100 or more to hear them sing want to hear them utter political opinions? The audience pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to see and hear a performer PERFORM. You want to spout politics, run for freakin office, you moron! When performers use a paid venue to play politics they are abusing the paying audience, the venue, the sponsors and everyone connected to their artistic performance. It’s an inappropriate venue and inapproprite behavior to voice your political viewpoint, you jerk! And they wonder why people boo.
Somebody pays a small fortune for their ticket to see them perform and ends up being subjected to a political opinion from someone who makes millions of dollars a year but doesn’t have a real job, doesn’t have to live in reality and doesn’t have a clue about the real world! Yeah, right, tell me about your political views while I’m sitting here waiting to be entertained by you. That’s why I came here and that’s what I paid for isn’t it, you ungrateful clueless idiot. You want to spout off, do it for free. Yes, free. Why don’t you perform for free then you can say anything you want to your audience. Then it’s fair and balanced. Then the audience gets what it pays for.
Viburnum
July 29, 2006
Viburnums are related to the honeysuckles, so it should come as no surprise that many of them have fragrant flowers. But that’s not all they have in their favour. No, this genus includes plants for all seasons and all reasons; foliage, flower, autumn colour, scent, groundcover, shrub or small tree, evergreen or deciduous, it’s all there among the 120-odd species and the many hybrids and cultivars. Indeed, they’re so variable that it would be quite possible to have an interesting garden of viburnums alone.
Although viburnums can be found over much of the temperate northern hemisphere and even South America, most of the common plants in our gardens, with the exceptions of the Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) and the Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus), occur naturally in temperate Asia or are derived from the species of that area.
About the only drawback with viburnums is that because they are so adaptable and easy to grow, they seem to have suffered from the ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ syndrome that sees common plants, however attractive and useful, relegated to the lower divisions of the garden league in favour of something more ‘exciting’. Well, don’t fall into that trap - every garden needs at least one viburnum.
Canine Diabetes - Does Your Dog Have it?
July 28, 2006
Canine Diabetes: A Serious Dog Disease That is Completely Manageable
Canine diabetes is a serious disease that causes there to be too much glucose in the blood. If your pet has any of the signs, a dog health exam will help you find out with certainty. Canine diabetes symptoms usually include the following:
- drinking excessive amounts of water
- frequent urination
- weight gain (or weight loss in some cases)
- increased lethargy during the day
A simple blood test can tell the vet if the glucose counts look suspicious. You should have a full physical exam done on your dog annually, even if he seems perfectly healthy. Be sure to ask your vet to include a full blood work-up, to rule out diabetes (as well as many other diseases). It’s well worth the added cost!
If your pet has been diagnosed with canine diabetes, don’t panic. While it is a ’special needs’ issue that will influence many daily decisions, it is a manageable disease in dogs. You just have to learn some simple steps and stick to a schedule.
Celebrating Writing and Life
July 28, 2006
Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a few minutes of goals and visions for the day swirl in my head. No lingering for me, no alarm, no wishful notes too. Just me in my night gown with no hat.
I sit down to enter my dreams and what can notes. In my journal entries that began long ago with a tiny book and its lock and key. I used to dwell on all the icky things back then but now I write God with my cheers and glees instead.
I remember the days I knew not whether I was going to live or die. I also never thought I’d see why cancer came by. I’m glad I had cancer because today I like the who I’ve become. Which would have never occurred had it not appeared.
If I dwell, I can remember the day of an accident that left me in a wheel chair for years. Because I know if I do, today there will be a lot of have nots and heart of tears too.
Relaxation Magic - Hypnosis, Meditation, Visualization
July 28, 2006
Hypnosis, meditation and visualization are three similar processes for accessing a creative area of the sub-conscious mind. Relaxation Magic lessons use a combination of all three therapies for maximum results. With the exception of people who have mental disabilities such as schizophrenia and severe retardation, everyone can achieve the relaxed focus of hypnosis, meditation and visualization by themselves.
Within themselves everyone has their own unique solutions for solving a situation they want to work on
The way I work is to help a person first reach a relaxed state and then through visualizations find personal imagery to explore their situation. One reason I feel hypnosis, meditation and visualization are so potent for problem solving is that areas of stress can be reached indirectly through analogies and a situation can be discussed without causing more discomfort
Recent research is confirming how connected the mind is in creating and eliminating physical problems. Physicians can fix the body but the mind can create the situation again. This is why adding the mind to a health program is the optimum method for total healing.
The first step to being in control of your life is being in control of your mind. If you’re not controlling your thoughts, who is?
The Power Of Scrapbook Journaling
July 28, 2006
By journaling your pages you will transform an ordinary collection of photographs into a vibrant and visual storyboard - telling the stories behind the pictures, revealing hidden memories and emotions.
It will give your scrapbooks a unique and intimate feel, it is this personal touch that turns your albums into something very special.
That is the power of scrapbooking journaling and why it is one of the most important elements of your scrapbooks.
What to write?
When you are doing your scrapbook journaling think about the people who will read it in the future. Try and remember that they weren’t there, give them as many details as you can so that they can relive your memories and stories for themselves.
One favorite scrapbook journaling technique is to write using the 5 W’s method.
- Who :: who’s in the photo, who took it and who else was present. It is important to name the people in the pictures you use. People change throughout their lives, especially children, so it is vital to tell readers who they are looking at.
- What :: what is the photo about? Describe what is happening.
- Where :: where is the event in your photo taking place? Give some background information.
- When :: when was the photograph taken? Give a specific date and include the year if possible.
- Why :: why did you use this photo? Does it show a special event like a wedding or a milestone birthday? Explain why it is so memorable.
Tell the story?
Growing
July 27, 2006
Growing hurts sometimes;
saying goodbye to friends,
to things you’ve known and done
to things you wanted to do.
Growing heals sometimes
the shattered dreams and hopes
of a life you once knew
leading you to a new knowledge of yourself.
Growing is fun sometimes
meeting new friends
learning new things
making changes that feel good and moving on.
Growing is necessary always.
Without change there is stagnation
death instead of life.
To choose to live is to choose to grow.
Copyright 2002
Fran is a Career Counsellor, Workshop Developer and Facilitator and e-zine Editor. You can sign up for her ezine at get_free_info_here_@getresponse.com or check out her website for more information www.franwatson.ca
Things You Should Never Feed Your Dog
July 27, 2006
Sadly, there are several household items which we tend to take for granted that are potentially very hazardous to your dog’s health. It is especially important to be aware of this because as you know, dogs are very much scavengers and will often eat whatever they can sink their fangs into. I would say that may own dog is more like a mobile garbage disposal. It is also very important to be aware of these items since their sense of smell is so well developed that your pooch will be able to find what you may think is well hidden.
One of these dangerous household items, it turns out, is simple chocolate. While chocolate has been reported recently to be high in human-friendly antioxidants, it appears to be potentially lethal for our pets, and particularly for our dogs. Cats are mostly unaffected since they do not care for the taste of chocolate, but dogs tend to be crazy about it. Certain breeds of dogs react indifferently to chocolate. The root of the problem is that chocolate contains various chemicals which are called methylxanthine alkaloids(sometypes have more of these chemicals than others)
Three Tips to Improve Your Writing Rhythm
July 27, 2006
As a professional copywriter, not only do I do a lot of writing but I also look at a lot of writing. One of the things I’ve noticed that set the good/great writers from the so-so is rhythm.
What I mean by rhythm is how the writing sounds. The rhythm of the words and sentences. It’s a subtle aspect of writing, one not normally talked about, but that doesn’t lessen its importance.
Unfortunately, rhythm is also tough to teach (which is probably why it isn’t talked about very much). It’s something felt deep inside, like it is with music. It isn’t as straight forward as pointing out a grammar error. What makes it tougher is that everyone has his/her own style and own unique rhythm. However, these three tips should get you started thinking about your own writing rhythm and how to improve it.
1. Watch out for long sentences. In fact, you might want to consider avoiding them altogether.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with long sentences. And there are times where longer sentences are necessary (see next tip — but note I said longer and not long). The problem is that long sentences have a tendency to turn into flabby sentences.
A Cookie Assembly Line: Efficient Cookie Baking for Busy Cooks
July 27, 2006
As a busy working mother, I’m short on time, especially during the holidays, but baking Christmas cookies is a family tradition I’m unwilling to give up. Over the years, I’ve come up with many ways to make the process of baking a large variety of cookies go much smoother and take less time out of my busy life. You may want to start by checking out my 6-day program for hassle-free Christmas cookie baking ( http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/hassle-free.php ). In addition to the 6-step method, I’ve found an efficient way to prepare a large variety of cookie dough with minimum fuss by setting up a cookie assembly line. The best part about this process is that you can make 12 different batches of cookies and only have to wash the dishes once!
This process assumes that you have already chosen your recipes and gone grocery shopping. You will want to use your longest available expanse of countertop for this. My assembly line turns two corners as it winds around my small kitchen, but that is fine.
You may need to make some adjustments depending on your individual recipes, but for most recipes, you can set up your assembly line like so:
