Hole In The Donut

In the face of all the strife and hatred around the world, perhaps we should look to the animals for answers about how we should live. Debbie Canton, who lives near Seattle, Washington, has often been called upon by friends to rescue animals. Her latest efforts involve a baby squirrel that neighbors found at the base of a tree. Nearby, the mother squirrel lay dead from presumed poisoning. Knowing of Canton’s kindness toward animals, the neighbors brought the infant to her.

Although the squirrel was so young that it had not yet opened its eyes, Cantlon put it in a cage and began to care for it. She hand-fed the baby, who she named Finnegan, from a tiny bottle. It was then that the family’s pet dog, a Papillon that was about to give birth to her first litter of puppies, got involved. Twice she dragged the squirrel’s cage over to her bed. Although she was concerned, Cantlon eventually allowed the squirrel out of the cage and into the dog’s bed. Two days after giving birth to her litter, the mother dog encouraged Finnegan to nurse with the rest of the brood. The following photos

• Read More »

My friend, Monika, sent me this fascinating video of a conductor attempting to mentally communicate to his orchestra which piece of music he wants them to play. Without having any foreknowledge of the selected piece, with no sheet music, and with the conductor’s hands tied behind his back, the orchestra ostensibly “picks up” the mental intention of the conductor and slowly begin to tune up, eventually collectively morphing into Beethoven”s Ode To Joy. Take a look:

Amazing psychic powers or trick? The facilitator of the stunt is Derren Brown, a present day master of mentalism, magic, psychology, suggestion and misdirection. The video below reveals the secrets

• Read More »

I love waking up in North Carolina. My Outer Banks house sits on 12+ private acres surrounded by Nature Conservancy land, thus I have no need for curtains in my bedroom. I usually wake the moment the sun streams through the picture window and spend a few moments enjoying the view of the Maritime forest and sparkling blue water of the Albemarle Sound just beyond my back door. As usual, this morning, I sensed the sunshine, yawned and stretched in my luxuriant king size bed, and sat up.

But something was wrong. There was no view. Nothing but blackness. It took a second or two for the distress signal from my eyes to reach my brain, but I eventually realized my eyes were still shut. Try as I might, I couldn’t open them. My eyes were stuck shut, as if Superglued. I reached up and felt my eyelids. Ick! They were covered in

• Read More »

I drove up to the Outer Banks on Monday in record time - just under 14 hours, including four stops for gas. As I neared my destination, the landscape changed to the swampy coastal plain that constitutes much of Tyrell and Dare Counties. I’d forgotten how pretty the Outer Banks is in the spring. My route led through a landscape of roadside canals where turtles line up on bleached logs, soaking up the sun’s rays. As the sun set, the water reflected liquid gold and the marsh grasses turned a dazzlingly rich hue of green. As I came around one bend, I gasped at the spectacle before me. A row of low-hanging clouds, pink and bronze in the setting sun, looked like a procession of angels with their wings spread wide, as if blessing the landscape through which I traveled.

Unfortunately, I also forgot how cold it can be on the Outer Banks in spring. I had checked with my friends prior to leaving, asking what the weather was like, and was assured that short sleeve tops and Capri pants would be just fine. No, I wouldn’t need a jacket. But by the time I hit North Carolina, the temps had dropped to the point where I was mighty chilly pumping gas. And by the time I rolled onto the Outer Banks proper,

• Read More »

Occasionally I shop at the Publix Supermarket just around the corner. During my last trip I noticed a sign on the front of my shopping cart:

“This shopping cart will automatically stop if taken beyond the yellow line at the end of the parking lot”

I thought it was a joke - or at the very least, an idle threat designed to make people think twice about taking carts out of the lot. Now I find out this a new technology that actually works. It is estimated that up to $800 million worth of shopping carts go missing each year in the U.S. alone. Often, they are used by homeless people to carry their belongings, and the carts are eventually abandoned alongside

• Read More »

A live webcast of the dissection of the largest colossal squid ever caught is scheduled for April 30th at the Te Papa Museum of New Zealand. Weighing nearly 1000 pounds and measuring the length of a school bus, the behemoth was caught in Antarctic waters in February of 2007 by a fishing vessel trolling for toothfish with long lines - single lines with many baited hooks. When the crew raised the lines they discovered the colossal squid, which was hooked when it tried to eat a toothfish caught on the line. Because

• Read More »

You know how so many people have trouble sleeping? Well, that’s not my problem. For me, the problem is GETTING to sleep. I can be sitting in the recliner, watching TV, my eyes so heavy I can barely keep them open, but the moment my head its the pillow - Boinggg! - my eyes are wide open. Some nights, I lie there just looking up a the gray ceiling, endless thoughts swirling around in my head. I’ve tried playing calm music, taking a shower, reading a book, turning over on my belly and sticking my head under the pillow, doing yoga in bed, drinking Chamomile tea, and meditating (sometimes the meditating helps).

Strangely, once I fall asleep, I sleep soundly. Even if I have to get up three times during the night to go to the bathroom, I fall asleep the moment I lie back down. This difficulty falling asleep doesn’t happen all the time, perhaps two or three times a month. I’ve been looking for the common denominator. Does it happen

• Read More »

My sister, Linda, sent me a link to the video “Mom’s William Tell Overture” today. Since Linda and I are separated by only two and a half years, we have many of the same memories of growing up, so I’m sure she related to the video as strongly as I did. But I’m willing to bet it is ageless. Mom’s are still saying the same things they did when I was a kid, ‘lo so many years ago. Just goes to show you that he more things change, the more things stay the same. Take a look - it’s a quick video (about three minutes long) and it’s good for a chuckle:

Love ya’ Lin!

• Read More »

Three weeks ago, the East African country of Zimbabwe held a Presidential election. By all accounts, incumbent President Robert Mugabe was soundly defeated, however his administration has so far refused to release the official results of the election. Instead, Mugabe’s corrupt government has unleashed a brutal campaign to retain power. The opposition says that ten have died, and hundreds have been injured; now, a “human wave” of refugees is fleeing to South Africa and other neighboring countries and Zimbabwe’s crisis is getting worse.

I traveled to Zimbabwe last year and it is one of my all-time favorite destinations. Everyone I met was quick to smile and thrilled that I was visiting their country. By the end of my stay, I felt I had made wonderful, lifetime friends. In view of the current situation, I have been especially concerned for their safety and have tried to stay in touch. The following is an excerpt from an email I recently received from one of my Zimbabwean friends, who shall remain nameless, for obvious reasons:

“Our President has been compared to the likes of Saddam, which is scary to think we had such a man rule us for 28 years. Everyone in the country wants peace and a normal economy once again, regardless of race or social circles. At this point people are getting frustrated and

• Read More »

When I moved to Florida a number of people warned me against drinking the tap water. Their mantra was, “Drink only bottled water!” One friend pointed out that because Florida is one of the country’s largest agricultural states, the aquifer was almost certainly contaminated with runoff pesticides.

I have mixed feelings about bottled water. First, I recoil at the idea of buying water that is bottled by Coca-Cola (Dasani) and Pepsi (Aquafina). I have a hard time believing the two companies that manufacture the majority of the world’s unhealthy, carbonated, sugar-and-sweetener laden soft drinks are providing bottled water because they are concerned about the quality of our tap water (or our health). An examination of Dasani’s label will reveal that Coke adds trace amounts of minerals, including magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt), potassium chloride, and common salt to their bottled water. Pepsi’s brand contains no additives, but the water used to produce Aquafina is drawn from municipal sources, despite the fact that the label on the bottle features a series of high mountain peaks that suggest crystal clear mountain streams as the source.

Indeed, 40 percent of bottled water begins life as regular tap water. Aquafina is produced from municipal water in Wichita, Kansas. Coke’s Dasani is taken from the taps of Queens, New York; Jacksonville, Florida; and elsewhere. Everest bottled water originates from

• Read More »

If you’re like me (read “computer attached at the hip”) you not only use the computer for work and research, you also use it for entertainment. One of my favorite pastimes is reading other people’s blogs. Several are written by friends; I love being able to check in at any time and see what is going on in their lives. Others are blogs written by people I’ve never met, but whose lives I find interesting, or whose writing styles amuse and entertain me.

Occasionally I search for new bloggers and this is usually a difficult task. For instance, recently I was searching for good travel blogs. I tried Google’s regular search and their blog search, but it just referred to large commercial sites like Travelocity, Lonely Planet, and Boots ‘n All, rather than individual bloggers writing good posts about travel. Fortunately, when I found Alltop.com , my problem was solved.

Alltop is what is known as an aggregator - a web site that pulls in information from many other sites and puts it all in one place. In this case,

• Read More »

As I walked through the front courtyard of the complex where I live today, I was acutely aware of a delicious fragrance wafting through the air. I followed my nose to the Confederate Jasmine creeping over the wrought iron fence that surrounds the site. The sweet, fruity scent of the Jasmine immediately brought back memories of living in Puerto Rico, where the air was always infused with the scent of the luscious tropical flowers that bloomed year-round.

Smells are powerful stimuli. The odor of freshly baked cookies lingering in a house that is for sale can often be the deciding factor for buyers deciding between properties. The scent of fresh mowed grass reminds me of summer nights on the south side of Chicago, when as a child, I ran around at dusk, catching fireflies

• Read More »

I’ve previously talked about the dangers of crossing a street in various parts of the world, but this video of people in Japan boarding the train is jaw dropping:

• Read More »

My most excellent Yoga teacher, Michelle Roy, dedicated my practice this week to tenacity. She read a passage from the book “Blessings, Prayers and Dedications for a Heartful Life” by Julia Cameron, that was so inspiring I just had to share it:

MY TENACITY IS A POWERFUL ENGINE FOR GOOD
I am blessed by my own tenacity. I contain an inner reservoir of gritty strength, which serves me and others well. My capacity to stick to a commitment is a safe and trustworthy component of my character. My tenacity is the building block block for my successful career, relationship, family life, and friendships.

Obstacles test me but they do not deter me. I am able, always, to tap an inner resilient strength which serves me. Even when life is a desert, I find my careful way. Like a camel,

• Read More »

A sixty-two year old woman who earns half her income from the sale of sprouts and microgreens at the downtown Sarasota Farmer’s Market was shut down today by the Florida Department of Agriculture. The greens she sells are grown in sprouting trays on shelves on her screened porch. Each week she cuts the shoots that are ready for sale, fills plastic baggies with her nutritious, organic greens, and carries them to the Saturday Farmer’s Market for sale to the public. Today she learned that she cannot continue to do so because the greens are not packaged in a commercial kitchen.

My brief investigation of the incident elicited some interesting comments from vendors at the Farmer’s Market. One of them told me that the issue is the packaging of the microgreens, which the Department of Agriculture considers “processing.” If the greens had been laid out in bulk for customers to fill their own bags, there would have been no problem. Even more bizarre,

• Read More »

Thirty years ago, Muhammad Yunus, a Banglaseshi economics professor, took thirty dollars out of his own pocket and loaned it to a group of women looking to start a business in a small Bangladesh village. Although critics said he would never be repaid, in fact he was repaid in full for this loan and 99% of the subsequent loans he made through Grameen Bank, an entity he created to provide capital to tens of millions of people living beneath the poverty level who wish to start small businesses. He was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, the first ever Bangladeshi to be so honored.

Watch the video:

• Read More »

Dust mites. They’re the creepy, spider-like micro organisms that live off the dead skin that sloughs off our bodies as we go about our daily lives. Most of the time, they are benign and co-exist with humans without causing the slightest problem. Unfortunately, as dust mites devour our dead skin cells, they excrete a protein that can cause an allergic reaction in some people.

Retailers, smelling green, have jumped on this issue of dust mites with a vengeance. I recently read an article that strongly suggested bed pillows be replaced every year, citing the fact that 10% of the weight of two-year-old bed pillow can be made up of the excrement left behind by dust mites. Videos are all over the internet; check out this one by Bissell that very effectively uses fear as a selling tool:

All this got me thinking:

• Read More »

I love rice. I could eat it every day and be perfectly happy. In fact, when I travel to Asian countries, I live on a diet of rice and vegetables, sometimes for months at a time. When my diet is full of rice, I feel GOOD. I have tons of energy and I lose weight whenever I stick to a diet where the carb content consists solely of rice.

Unfortunately, I love bread, too, and it has quite the opposite effect on me. Whenever I eat lots of bread I feel terrible - sluggish and out of sorts - and my digestive system shuts down, not to mention that I GAIN weight when I eat too much bread. It seems to be less of a problem when I eat whole grain or sprouted breads but they are difficult to find so I usually end up buying delicious but deadly gourmet varieties of fresh baked bread, like the new Asiago cheese loaf availale at Whole Foods Market.

The facts seem fairly clear to me:

• Read More »

Albert Schweitzer said, “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

Last week I almost gave up writing my book. I sent it out to a couple of my literary-type friends for an honest review and was elated yesterday when one of them (Jean) said she received the half-completed manuscript by email, opened the Word attachment late that evening, and got so absorbed that she read until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. I had stopped working on the book until I received some feedback, but based on Jean’s review I have hope that this whole book thing is not just a folly and have resumed writing. Thank heavens for the people in my life who help me rekindle my light when it goes out.

• Read More »

I’ve been semi-studying Buddhism for many years, so when I discovered the Kadampa Buddhist Meditation Center here in Sarasota, I was eager to check it out. A week ago I went to their “Stop the Week” meditation on Friday evening and the middle of last week I participated in a Puja - a ceremony like the ones I have attended in Thailand where the monks chant and pray in the Wats, except that this was done entirely in English. It felt like home.

Very little in this world resonates more strongly with me than Buddhism and I want to know more, so I joined their Foundation Program, a course of study with meetings every Thursday night. My first lesson was this past Thursday. Among other things, we discussed the concept titled “Always Rely On A Happy Mind Alone.” The idea is that our present mind is like a wild elephant that is out of control and difficult to tame. Governed by this unruly mind, we face

• Read More »

“I’m an American. That comes with an obligation. People are fighting to become citizens of the United States of America, willing to do whatever it takes, but we’re taking for granted what that legacy means.”

So says Cory A. Booker, the 38-year old Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. The city is perhaps most famous for the 1967 race riots, when Life Magazine featured a dead child on its cover under the headline: ‘Shooting War in the Streets: Newark, The Predictable Insurrection‘ and many believe Newark has never recovered from this image. Today the murder rate in Newark is twice that of the Bronx, almost a third of its residents live below the poverty line, and only 40% of the city’s youth graduate from high school. But Cory Booker is not deterred by the dismal statistics, despite being repeatedly told by the most sincere, well-intentioned people that the problems are unsolvable. Instead of joining the chorus of doubters, he is seeking out ways to end the madness.

Booker, who is convinced we are suffering “a spiritual crisis of people not believing in the greatness of who we are,” has made changes in every department of city government since taking office. A year later,

• Read More »

A couple of weeks ago I had lunch with my friend, Rose. She invited a friend of hers to join us, as she thought we might share some common interests. Our lunch partner was a semi-retired doctor who practices part time in Texas, lives part of the year in Sarasota, and spends about three months each year in Paris. Although he immigrated from what was previously Yugoslavia, he has lived in the U.S.for many years. Our conversation led to a discussion about the differences between Europeans and Americans. His view was that Americans operate mostly from intellect, while Europeans tend to operate on the basis of feelings. I found this to be an intriguing observation and have been mulling it over ever since, wondering if it is true.

My first thought was that, until recently, American men were considered to be weak if they cried or appeared to be overly emotional. Conversely, it seemed to be acceptable to be angry. This is, of course changing. It is becoming somewhat common to see men cry - I think I’ve watched men cry on the last three episodes of Big Brother.

Then I thought about the current dialog swirling around the Presidential election with respect to race. The talking heads and pundits have begun openly discussing the unresolved anger

• Read More »

When I was 27, I purchased my very first home. It was an old house that needed a lot of work and my Mom was the first one to pitch in. She arrived with toolbox in hand and started helping me tear out an old plaster and lathe wall. Later that day she began to feel sick. She broke out in a cold sweat and said she just needed to take a cool bath. I was worried, but I ran the bath and helped her get in the tub. The bath didn’t help much but Mom insisted she just needed to lie down, so I helped her get to the bedroom and put her to bed. By this time she was so weak she could barely walk. I suggested we call the doctor but she refused, again insisting that she would be OK if she could just rest.

Thankfully, my friend Mary just happened to be visiting that particular weekend and she convinced me to call an ambulance, despite my mother’s objections. Mom was having a heart attack. I missed all the signs, and if it weren’t for Mary,

• Read More »

Yesterday I drove 15 miles north to the Bishop Planetarium in Bradenton, which is open late the first Saturday of every month. My plan was to attend the various shows that run throughout the afternoon and maybe grab a bite to eat before heading home. I got WAY more than I bargained for. Upon arriving, I found the town’s annual Seafood Festival in full swing. Since I arrived at 11 a.m. and the first show at the Planetarium was not scheduled until 2:15 p.m., I strolled along the river and wandered around the town’s quaint little downtown, listening to live music at several stages set up around town and checking out the food booths. Mmmmmmm! Rarely have I seen such a display of

• Read More »

If you have been reading my blog lately, you know that I have just emerged from a bout of depression, the likes of which I haven’t experienced for many years. My life has changed so much in the past two years and I sometimes question whether I have made the right decisions. I walked away from the world of real estate, where the money was enormous and the egos gargantuan. I left a beautiful home on 12+ secluded waterfront acres on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and moved into a small two bedroom, one bath apartment in Sarasota, Florida that my dear friend, Joan, offered to share with me.

I am pursuing, with some success, a career as a freelance writer, but I am learning that even though writing is my passion, there are elements of this business that I don’t much like. Between freelance assignments I have continued researching and writing my book, but by the time I spiraled down into the depths of my depression earlier this week, I seriously questioned whether my book was a ridiculous folly.

I did a lot of things to get out of that depression. Yoga. Meditation. Energetic rebalancing. Acupuncture. Walking miles. Talking to friends. Praying. Aromatherapy. Letting myself sit with the pain. Too much sleep. Too little sleep. Believe it or not, I even took two

• Read More »

If you wish to accomplish something, focus on the WHAT, rather than the why and how. Focus on the WHAT and visualize the outcome, using the five senses through which we connect with the world.

What does it sound like?
What does it feel like?
What does it smell like?
What does it look like?
What does it taste like?

Focus on the WHAT and visualize.
The Why and the How will take care of themselves.

• Read More »

Yesterday:
Two double shots of espresso
One iced coffee Chillate with whipped cream topping
One Cafe mocha

Oh yes, I am feeling better!

• Read More »

I am WAS depressed. For the last few days I have felt myself spiraling down into the depths of depression. I have no idea what sets it off. It doesn’t seem to happen for any particular reason or occur at regular intervals. I begin to question the endlessness of it all. I ask myself what I have really contributed. And through it all I wrestle with the idea that my life has had little value. I have left a successful career to write a book but sometimes when I read what I have written it seems like so much drivel and I wonder if I am kidding myself; who on earth will care what I have to say?

Fortunately, I have learned that I have tools to combat this depression and I never hesitate to employ them. AA taught me that when we share what is going on, we take away its power, so today I called two good friends and “told on myself.” I one case my friend, Patti, talked

• Read More »

I am sitting here in the wee hours of Saturday morning, March 29th, pecking away at the keyboard in hopes that everyone who reads my blog will tune in sometime during the next 17 hours. I am hoping for this because between 8 and 9 p.m. this evening, the entire world is being asked to “dim down” by turning off lights for one hour. The event, dubbed Earth Hour, is an international environmental awareness campaign that started last year in Sydney, Australia and that the World Wildlife Fund is taking global this year.

In Sydney last year, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney business establishments turned off their lights for an hour. The carbon emissions saved owing to the brief shut down amounted to the same as taking 48,000 cars off the road for an entire year. So far this year, 35 nations, 370 cities, towns and councils worldwide have pledged to turn out their lights for one hour. This includes

• Read More »

Over the years, my Yoga and meditation practice has resulted in some pretty wild experiences, not the least of which was one instance when I felt the physical boundaries of my body dissolve and every molecule expand into space until I was one with all that is. For years I have also believed that humans will eventually evolve to a point where we vibrate at a higher frequency, allowing us to connect on an energetic level, and that by the sheer force of our collective consciousness, we will be able to ‘think’ peace into being. I have long been reticent to share these views because

• Read More »

I had my next trip all planned. Until last week I was quite sure that my next long-term travel route would be Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China, Nepal, Tibel, Malaysia, Borneo, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines. But when the Chinese again began killing Buddhist Monks and ethnic Tibetans, I started rethinking my visit to China. I was undecided, until the Chinese government accused the Dalai Lama of being responsible for the violence in Tibet.

China has crossed the line with this accusation. The Dalai Lama is a beloved figure across the world. No human being exudes more love and warmth than this man. No one individual could be more

• Read More »