Sunday 28 October 2012

Health Benefits of Oregano

Oregano is one of the healthiest herbs around - probably owing to its volatile oils which are highly regarded as healing agents.  This and much more about Oregano.


In oregano you'll find thymol and carvacrol, two oils which have remarkable bacteria-fighting power. 

These oils also contain tremendous antioxidant activity that help keep the body healthy into our golden years and beyond. 

In fact, it's been found that on a per gram fresh-weight basis, oregano has demonstrated 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples! 

From vitamins & minerals to fiber and omega 3s, oregano need not be relegated to a sprinkle over the top of your pizza.

Will Smith speaks on the Law of Attraction

The Universal Law of Attraction practically means that your words, thoughts and feelings create your own physical reality! (whether you realize it or not). Will Smith gives his personal understanding in the video below.



The Fundamentals of the Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction is the most fundamental of all universal laws. Out-pacing the laws of gravity and velocity, well-beyond the measurements of science, The Law of Attraction is the basis for who YOU are.



For those who are new to conscious thinking, this idea that your thoughts create your reality might be as whimsical as a spotted leopard running free through the city streets. As a crazy notion, a "New Age" scam, even an "airy-fairy" mind twister, the Law of Attraction is not a new idea. This rather fundamental concept has been around for ages, often hidden from the masses by those who wish to keep people "unconscious". For those who have had some experience with this concept, they might find these words refreshing and fulfilling. This idea is not new to them but is a reminder of what they already know.

Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?" This is his answer:



Who are you really? An amazing lecture given by Alan Watts a British philosopher, writer, and speaker. He wrote more than 25 books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, higher consciousness, meaning of life.



THINK for yourself. Question Everything. Anonymous raising awareness.THINK for yourself. Question Everything. Anonymous raising awareness.




Not because you think you know everything without questioning, but rather because you question everything you think you know.

The time has come to awaken humanity, together we can do it. We have the best tool- the internet. Everyone of you can and should take part in it.

One of the things you can do (and it doesn't require any effort and time) is to press the share button on every video you agree with. We need to act together, and sharing the information is the first step towards awakening!

Please guys and girls, from now on, if you think that the information we post is worth sharing press the share button. It is that simple!

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Perfection!

As a warning, the following post was written in complete desperation. 

I have recently learned some very sobering truths from people that I love dearly. These truths have set in motion a quest within me to do whatever I can to make a change. Today is not geared at funny. Today is geared at something greater. Read it to the very end. I promise you will be affected in a way you have always needed to be. I spent more than twelve hours writing this post because its message is that important to me.

I wonder. Am I the only one aware that there is an infectious mental disease laying siege on us right now? There is a serious pandemic of “Perfection” spreading, and it needs to stop. Hear me out because this is something for which I am passionately and constantly hurting. It’s a sickness that I’ve been trying to put into words for years without much success. It’s a sickness that I have personally struggled with. It’s a sickness that at times has left me hiding in dark corners and hating myself.

And chances are it’s hit you too.

What is the disease called ”Perfection”? Perhaps a list of its real-life symptoms will help you better understand it. We live in communities where people feel unconquerable amounts of pressure to always appear perfectly happy, perfectly functional, and perfectly figured. “Perfection” is much different than perfectionism. The following examples of “Perfection” are all real examples that I have collected from experiences in my own life, from confidential sources, or from my circle of loved ones and friends. If you actually stop to think about some of these, you will cry as I did while writing it. If you don’t, maybe you’re infected with way too much of this ”Perfection” infection.

“Perfection” is a wife who feels trapped in a marriage to a lazy, angry, small man, but at soccer practice tells the other wives how wonderful her husband always is. “Perfection” keeps people from telling the truth, even to themselves. My husband is adorable. He called me a whore this week because I smiled at a stranger. When I started crying, he said he had a game to go watch. I love him so much.

“Perfection” is a husband who is belittled, unappreciated, and abused by his wife, yet works endlessly to make his marriage appear incredible to those around him. ”Perfection” really does keep people from being real about the truth. You would have laughed, guys. She said that I suck at my job and will never go anywhere in life. Then she insinuated that I was a fat, rotting pile of crap. Isn’t she the best?

“Perfection” is a daughter with an eating disorder that keeps it hidden for years because she doesn’t want to be the first among her family and friends to be imperfect. She would give anything to confront it, but she can’t because then the “Perfect” people would hate her as much as she hates herself for it.

“Perfection” is when a son has a forbidden addiction, and despises himself for it. “Perfection” makes us believe that nobody else could understand what it is like to be weak and fall prey to the pressures of the world.

“Perfection” is a man who loathes himself for feeling unwanted attraction toward other men.

“Perfection” is a couple drowning in debt, but who still agree to that cruise with their friends because the words “we don’t have the money” are impossible ones to push across their lips.

“Perfection” is a mom hating herself because she only sees that every other mom around her is the perfect mother, the perfect wife, and the perfect neighbor. I’d give anything to be Mrs. Jones. Today she ran 34 miles, cooked six complete meals, participated in a two-hour activity with each of her seven children, hosted a marriage class with her husband, and still had time to show up for Bunco. What this mom doesn’t know is that Mrs. Jones is also at home crying right now because the pressure to be “Perfect” never lets up.

“Perfection” is a dad hating himself because he can’t give the same thing to his kids that other dads do, and then hates himself further because he takes his self-loathing out on his kids behind closed doors. You know what would have been nice? If you were never born. Do you realize how much money I’d have right now? Now come give Daddy a hug because I can force you to give me validation.

“Perfection” is a child hating herself because the boys at school call her fat, and when she goes home she tells her mom that school was fine. Her mom never stops to question why her daughter doesn’t have any friends, because her mom doesn’t want to think that anything might be less than “Perfect”.

“Perfection” is a man feeling like a smaller man because his neighbor just pulled in with a new boat.

“Perfection” is a woman who is so overwhelmed that she thinks about killing herself daily. “Perfection” makes it so that she never will because of the things people will think if she does. How could I make my suicide look like an accident? If I kill myself, I don’t want anybody knowing that I ever had any problems. She never stops to look at why she wants to do it, because healing means admitting imperfection.

“Perfection” is a man who everybody heralds as perfect, and inside he is screaming to be seen as the faulty human being that he always has been. Because to no longer be “the perfect one”, that would be freeing.

“Perfection” is a woman having an affair because she’s too afraid to confront the imperfection in her marriage.

“Perfection” is a twelve-year-old boy killing himself because he is ashamed that he can’t stop masturbating.

Stop, and read that one again.

There is a twelve-year-old boy buried 20 miles from where I sit because the “Perfection” that has infected the people around him infected him to the point that he deemed his own life worthless. “Perfection” pushed him to take his own life over something most of us would consider negligible in the life of any teenage boy.

“Perfection” is my friend’s cousin swallowing hundreds of pills because she just got the news that she was pregnant, out of wedlock, and the shame was too much to bear. She was only attempting to cause a miscarriage. 24 hours later, she closed her eyes and never opened them again. She is dead because of the “Perfection” infecting those around her. We’d rather you die than shame this family. Thanks for taking care of that, honey. By the way, we’ll do the right thing and make ourselves out to be the victims now. We have to. We’re infected with “Perfection”.

I could go on. This is all a small sampling of the disease called “Perfection”. You have brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, extended family members, neighbors, friends, and children who are ALL these things, yet none of us will ever know. “Perfection” is a hideous monster with a really beautiful face. And chances are you’re infected. The good news is, there is a cure.

Be real.

Embrace that you have weakness. Because everybody does. Embrace that your body is not perfect. Because nobody’s is. Embrace that you have things you can’t control. We all have a list of them.

Here’s your wake-up call:

You aren’t the only one who feels worthless sometimes.

You aren’t the only one who took your frustrations out on your children today.

You aren’t the only one who isn’t making enough money to support your lifestyle.

You aren’t the only one who has questions and doubts about your religion.

You aren’t the only one who sometimes says things that really hurt other people.

You aren’t the only one who feels trapped in your marriage.

You aren’t the only one who gets down and hates yourself and you can’t figure out why.

You aren’t the only one that questions your sexual orientation.

You aren’t the only one who hates your body.

You aren’t the only one that can’t control yourself around food.

Your husband is not the only husband who’s addiction sends him online for his sexual fulfillment instead of to you.

Your wife is not the only wife that is mean and vindictive and makes you hate yourself.

Why didn’t somebody, anybody, put their arm around that 12-year old boy and let him know that they loved him and would always love him? What was he being told and taught that he would end his own life over something that almost no teenager can control? Maybe that beautiful and wonderful boy would still be alive if even one person had broken down the “Perfection” that completely controlled all those in his life from whom he desperately craved validation.

Why didn’t somebody, anybody, tell a beautiful pregnant girl that there was nothing so big in life that it couldn’t be made right. Maybe that incredible young woman would still be alive. Maybe her now one-year-old child would be learning to walk or say “Mommy” right now. Maybe.

Maybe.

The cure is so simple.

Be real.

Be bold about your weaknesses and you will change people’s lives. Be honest about who you actually are, and others will begin to be their actual selves around you. Once you cure yourself of the disease, others will come to you, asking if they can just “talk”. People are desperate to talk. Some of the most “perfect” people around you will tell you of some of the greatest struggles going on. Some of the most “perfect” people around you will break down in tears as they tell you how difficult life is for them. Turns out some of the most “perfect” people around us are human beings after all, and are dying to talk to another human being about it.

You’ll love them for it. And you’ll love yourself even more.

Let’s not forget this quote: “I went out to find a friend and could not find one there. I went out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere.” Somebody who is being a friend doesn’t spread “Perfection”. Somebody who is being a friend spreads “Real”. Then, and only then, can we all grow together.

I am not perfect, nor do I want anybody to think of me as such. Here’s my dose of real:

I once stole a box of money that was meant for a child with cancer. There was more than $150 inside. That was 12 years ago, and I still hate the person in me that did that.

I believe in God, but not religion. It took me 30 years to find the courage to say that. It took me 30 years to believe that I could be a good man and still believe that.

I once got so angry at my wife that I hit the wall. The dent is still there, haunting me every time I see it because I never thought that was something I would do.

I once sat in my bedroom crying uncontrollably because I felt like everybody thought I was fat and ugly. I was a full grown man.

There are some people I avoid bumping into in public because I feel like I’m not as good as them.

I judge people harshly who share the same features that I hate about myself.

Sometimes I’m sad. Sometimes I’m not funny. Sometimes I just want to be alone. Sometimes I stay at home on a weekend because I just don’t want to see the “Perfection” going on around me. Sometimes I want to drop-kick a perfect person’s head across the room.

“Perfection” infects every corner of society. It infects our schools. It infects neighborhoods. It infects our workplaces. This is not to say that there aren’t a lot of genuinely, happy people. I am one of those people. Most of the time. There is nothing more beautiful than a person finding true happiness in who they are and what they believe. No, this is not me trying to diminish the happiness in others. This is merely me pathetically attempting to put a face on a problem that I see everywhere but few people ever notice.

This is me, weeping as I write, asking the good people of the world to find somebody to put their arm around and be “real”. This is me, wishing that people would realize how beautiful they are, even with all of their imperfections. This is me, sad and desperate for the girls in this world to love themselves. This is me, a very imperfect man, trying to help others feel a little more perfect by asking you to act a little less perfect.

Will you help me spread “Real”? Tell us below just how perfect you aren’t. You never know who might be alive tomorrow because you were real today. You never know who needs to feel like they aren’t alone in their inability to be perfect. Even if you comment as an anonymous guest, please comment. Tell us what you struggle with. Tell a sad or dark secret. Get vulnerable. Get real. Let’s see if we can get 1,000 people showing the world that we’re not defined by perfection.- Dan Pearce

How to make a clementine candle


Turns out that clementines are also a hugely popular fruit in Japan and are given as meaningful gifts during the winter season. 


When a local Japanese production company saw this post last year, they asked me to show it to their viewers on television. So, Sara and I posed for the cameras last December, and then they went in for their closeup on the clementine. 

I made nearly half a dozen for their cameras before we were done.

We realize that many people still may not have heard about the beautiful Clementine Candle and that others may wonder how it's done. Since making one is easier shown than written, we went home last night and photographed the process.

Try it yourself with this easy step by step slide show!


The Natural Homes Cob House Collection.

Cob Homes

This is one of the cob homes build by architect and natural builder Ileana Mavrodin of Casa Verde in Banat, Romania. She, with a few others, are using natural materials in Romania to help people rediscover their local skills and community spirit.



Holy Basil An Alternative to Medical Marijuana

id You Know...that there's an aromatic plant which offers an alternative that rival those of medical marijuana treatment—without the side effects or the necessity for a prescription? 


This same medicinal plant also protects against inflammation, stress, and even radiation poisoning. In Asia, holy basil(Ocimum sanctum, O. tenuiflorum) has been cultivated for medicinal use for over 5,000 years.

Today, Western scientists have caught on to the herb's natural anti-inflammatory properties. Chemically speaking, basil (in numerous tested varieties) contains compounds similar to those found in cannabis (also known as marijuana) and oregano. 

This has led some doctors to suggest basil as an alternative to medical marijuana, since it offers the same pain relief without the addictive "high". 

Currently, tens of thousands of seriously ill Americans (especially those with cancer and AIDS) are now physician-certified users of medical marijuana because it provides effective pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation ... as well as an amazing number of other medicinal uses.

However, the use of medical marijuana does come with potentially permanent mental or neurological side effects, such as ... • Impaired attention • Difficulty learning • Decreased computing speed • Changes to brain structure • Decreased motor skills 

Holy basil carries none of those risks as an alternative to medical marijuana. That's because basil's anti-inflammatory action comes from a compound called BCP, or (E)-beta-caryophyllene. BCP combats inflammation in a manner similar to cannabis, but without the side effects.

Basil's aromatic extracts have also proven to eliminate swelling and pain from arthritis. In fact, research has demonstrated that basil works just as well as anti-inflammatory drugs. The study—presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester—showed that concentrated extracts of two types of basil taken orally reduced joint swelling by up to 73% in just 24 hours. 


Friday 12 October 2012

IFAW 'Say NO to ivory trade' TV spot


Low-effort Community Bonding: The Big Lunch

Small and simple projects requiring little organisation can sometimes make a big difference in enhancing communities. 


One such project is The Big Lunch from the people behind the Eden project. The event brings neighbours together one day each year for a joyful street lunch party to embrace the potential of strengthening relations, community bonding and further community initiatives. 

Perhaps more importantly, it facilitates discussions and understanding of each other’s issues and the opportunity for first steps to help each other find solutions.

Thursday 4 October 2012

Free Range - Shop Local

This is where I get my free range chicken and eggs from.   Paul Keating of Wimborne.


One of their sources is here.

Merrifield farm Home of Creedy Carver




Specialists in the production of barn reared and free range chickens and ducks whilst maintaining a sympathetic approach to additive free poultry production.

Merrifield farm is situated in the beautiful Devonshire countryside just outside of Crediton and about seven miles from Exeter.

Peter and Sue have worked the 82 acre farm for over twenty years and have achieved an excellent reputation for producing high quality chickens. They have now been joined by James, their younger son, who has quickly developed a reputation for producing ducks to a very high standard.

The family pride themselves on producing top quality chickens and ducks that give the true flavour of the product whilst maintaining a very sympathetic approach to bird welfare.

 Here they are fed a diet containing no genetically modified ingredients and no growth promoters or antibiotics to speed growth i.e. COMPLETELY ADDITIVE FREE FOOD.


Wednesday 3 October 2012

Eat Seasonably

Eat Seasonably, download the calender, use the interactive tools to see what's in season and healthy for you.


Appreciation Thread

Take the time to consider what you can appreciate in this moment. 


It might be something that fills up your life with joy, or it might be as simple as the breath going in and out of your body.  

Feel the balance that comes from seeking out the light in life, even in dark moments.