I'll admit, I do stay somewhat out of the loop when it comes to politics and news. I just can't stand to hear any more. But how could I possibly have missed that Somalia was a target of the Bush gang?

Somalis protest against US strike

We BOMBED yet another country? Is there anything our government won't do in the name of "fighting terrorists"? How is this not an act of aggression? How is this not an act of war? Why has our Congress stopped representing the will of the people and instead given over all of it's power - namely, the power to declare war - to our psychopathic executive branch?

And why isn't this story on the front page of CNN? It's disheartening that I have to go to BBC News to find out what my own government is up to.  [Full article]

This Tutsi man was nearly burned to death along with 100 of his friends and neighbors by rival Hutus. He narrowly escaped through a window but suffered severe burns that reached all the way to the bone of his right shin. He is now set to run in the London Marathon and hopes to make it to the Olympics.

In 1996, he came face-to-face with the man in charge of killing him and those many others who were not so lucky. As this mass murderer begged forgiveness at Tuhabonye's feet, he let him go free.

"If I can let someone who tried to kill me go free, I can do anything - it inspired me."

What are you still holding on to?  [Full article]

It's been almost 3 months since I covered up my new garden area with black plastic in order to kill the weeds and lawn underneath. Amazingly, some of the plants are still alive under there, so I've decided to move the process along by breaking up the dirt with a pickax and pulling out the weeds. In retrospect, maybe I should have hacked up the yard first to cut the plants from their roots.

Pickaxing the ground is a lot of hard work, so I will be doing a small area at a time over the next couple of weeks. Once an area of dirt is broken up, it's very easy to pull the weeds out from the roots. You can also run your hands or a rake through the dirt and find a lot of stray roots that way. When I'm done for the day, I am going to cover the dirt back up to keep killing off any plants that may still have roots down there.

I want to reiterate that I am not an experienced gardener. I am figuring things out as I go based on what I remember from years ago, what I learn from friends, and what I find on the internet. Any advice is welcomed.  [Full article]

The first time I ever tried on a mood ring in junior high school, I was sure that it was broken. It stayed black - didn't change color at all. But when my friend tried on the same ring, it immediately turned blue. I touched it again and it turned right back to black. My whole life I have had freezing hands and feet. I have always had to wear socks to bed so I don't accidentally shock my partner with my ice cold feet at night. I knew it was a sign of poor circulation but I never knew what to do about it.  [Full article]

Think what you want about Obama or his policies (I'm not a fan of his expensive, big government policies), this man is going to be the next President of the United States. If you're a Republican and you want to effect the direction of this country, I'd suggest you start focusing on Congress because you've got no chance against a man who can give a speech like this. Watch this video and then compare Obama's presence to John McCain (who isn't even supported by his own party) singing "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran."

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I often hear people say that food cravings are an indication that your body needs nutrients that are in the food you are craving. For the vast majority of people, this is a complete fallacy. Through years of junk food abuse, our bodies have become addicted to foods that make us feel terrible. This is no different from cravings for cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. We can become addicted to meat, sugar, wheat, dairy, salt, etc.

I'm a "food-motivated" individual, so I sympathize with people suffering from uncontrollable food cravings. I haven't completely eliminated mine, but I'm getting pretty close, so I thought I'd share a few strategies that I have used to combat them. I'll admit up front that I have no way of knowing whether these strategies were actually effective or if it was just a coincidence.  [Full article]

There is a horrifying trend in the U.S. to put everyone on pharmaceuticals for mood disorders, rather than trying to find and correct the underlying cause. The medical industry wants us to buy into this idea that we are helpless victims of circumstance, rather than in control of our physical and mental health. They dismiss diet, exercise, and environmental factors as possible minor contributors, but even that seems to be too "inconclusive" for them.

As far as I can tell, they will slap a "disorder" label on perfectly normal people, just so they can cure them with pills. I remember a commercial from a few years ago for an anti-depressant that directed people to ask their doctor about some pill if they have felt depressed for longer than 2 weeks. Anyone who has ever been dumped, worked at a job they hated, or suffered a loss in the family has surely felt depressed for at least that long. I have, and I didn't take any pills, but somehow I turned out just fine.  [Full article]

I watched this video today and realized almost immediately the cause of at least half of the anxiety and unhappiness that permeates my life. Generally speaking, I am a fairly happy and care-free person. I don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. Well, not too much at least. But even so, I realize now that there is a constant undercurrent of anxiety as a result of the multitude of choices I am faced on a daily basis.

Just watching this video, and being made aware of the phenomenon, lifts a lot of the weight off my shoulders. This seems like an important component of simplifying your life, which I think is essential for happiness.

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I love a good massage. Ever since I got into the high tech industry, I've had a couple of knots in my back that ache and throb after working all day. For a while I had health insurance that covered weekly massages and my company had an amazing massage therapist who visited the office regularly. She was so good that I would be dizzy after every session. My back wouldn't ache at all for days.

The MIGUN massage bed is not as good as that massage therapist. But it is better than every other massage therapist I have ever gone to. And I've been to some good ones.  [Full article]

If you've spent any time reading my blog, you probably noticed that I'm a bit of a health fanatic. I love learning about new ways of healthy living and healthy eating. It's been something of a hobby for me for the past few years.

About a year ago, I was reading a health food book and started feeling overwhelmed by all the information I was taking in. It was all fascinating. I was learning so much that I wanted to apply to my diet. But how would I possibly remember it all for long enough to benefit from it?

And so, foodscout.org was born.  [Full article]