Heath risks worth reading about

Read the entire article:   http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/9-health-risks-arent-worth-taking-190800070.html

Pepsi dog/cat commercial

Great fun.  Just 30 seconds!

Thanks so much, Andrea!  I ADORE this.

Plastic in the news again

You, too, may have received the following email.  I always try to steer clear of plastic.  But there is, apparently, much controversy surrounding the use/misuse of this product.  Snopes takes a stab at it.  Here's Mayo Clinic's current stand.  I'll always choose to err on the safe side and use glass when there's a choice.  

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/plasticbottles.asp

Top 50 pictures of the day for 2012

Just one of fifty incredible shots.

Enjoy the rest! http://twistedsifter.com/2012/06/top-50-pictures-of-the-day-for-2012/

Thanks, Kate!  

Mary Neal recounts her life-after-death experience

Particularly powerful after the events of this past week. 
Watch this wonderful video:  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/48229151#.UArcfrSe5CM

Helping children deal with tragedy

There is simply no way of making sense of what happened this past week in Colorado. May the following ideas help you and the children in your life deal more effectively with the details of the past few days.  

For the full story: http://healthblog.dallasnews.com/2012/07/more-local-experts-weigh-in-on-tips-on-talking-to-kids-about-the-tragic-shooting-in-colorado.html/

Save the Children recently released the following tips in relation to hurricane season, but they could be appropriate in many situations.

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=8rKLIXMGIpI4E&b=6248025&ct=11770351&notoc=1

Extraordinary sand sculpture artist

Beach bound anytime soon?  Bring your shovel. Maybe you, too, will find inspiration in the sand. Click on video for full-screen option. Wonderful!

Super Spanish flash mob

Much more touching than most.  Thank you, Spanish flashmobers!  Stunning.

Joan, thank you so much.  This made my day!

Devil dog

Apparently a dog only its mother can love.  

Cute coop!

Smart start.  Finally, a fam-friendly house for your little feathered friends.  Now those in urban settings can enjoy fresh eggs, too. 

Travel tips from the Times

Really a terrific article with lots of practical ideas to implement:  http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/travel/how-the-tough-get-going-silicon-valley-travel-tips.html

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/travel/how-the-tough-get-going-silicon-valley-travel-tips.html

Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival

If you're looking for something fun/interesting/delightful to do today (Saturday) and/or Sunday, consider the annual Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival. Not just any old summer street fair.  Much, much more art condensed into one lovely, mostly-shaded, location.

In search of food?  You'll find few vendors.  Eat before or after.  Then enjoy the winding walk through Rinconada Park in Palo Alto.

This is one of my top two Bay Area favorites.

http://www.acga.net/cgi-bin/DJcalendar.cgi?TEMPLATE=shows-detail.html&EVENTNO=00065

Amazon app that can save you big bucks

You've found a product that you'd like to purchase but you want the best possible price, right?  

With this free app, you simply scan a product’s barcode with your smart phone to see if Amazon offers the same item at a better price.

Simply select the “Search” option at the bottom of the app, then select “Scan a Barcode.” Within seconds of lining up the item’s barcode with your iPhone’s camera, the app will show you the price of the item you’ve selected at the Amazon.com website. It’s that simple!

Brilliant!  

Here's what Amazon has to say:

• Quickly search, get product details, and read reviews on millions of products available from Amazon.com and other merchants
• Take advantage of 1-Click ordering, Prime member support, Wish Lists, order tracking, and more
• Compare prices and check availability instantly by scanning a barcode, snapping a picture, or typing your search
• Get instant access to Gold Box Deals--including Deal of the Day and Lightning Deals
• Send and share links to products you find on Amazon via e-mail, SMS, Facebook, or Twitter
• Shop for the full selection of products available from Amazon.com (or any other Amazon store around the world) via our new geo-location feature
• Buy with confidence, knowing that all transactions are securely processed

For my fellow dog-loving friend, Pat.

No matter how many times I watch this, I still find it hilarious.  Poor dog.

From a friend in India

Wise words from the mind of an Indian:   

Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain. Just pray for a better umbrella. 

When flood comes, fish eat ants and when flood recedes, ants eat fish. Only time matters. Just hold on, God gives opportunity to everyone!

Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship.  It's not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care until the very end.

Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on what you make with them. A wall or a bridge. Remember, you are the architect of your life.

Search for a beautiful heart, but don't search for a beautiful face. Because beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful.

It's not important to hold all the good cards in life. But it's important how well you play the cards you hold.

Often when we lose all hope and think that this is the end, God smiles from above and says, 'Relax dear; it's just a bend, not the end.' 

One of the basic differences between God and humans is that God gives, gives, gives and forgives. But the human gets, gets, gets and forgets. Be thankful in life....

Love this, Andrea.  Thank you! 

How much fun is this?

Totally terrific!

"What a crazy, delightful, changing world! Who could have guessed that in 2012 young people in Moscow would put on a "flash mob" dancing and singing to an 83-year-old American song written by a Russian born American-Jew (Irving Berlin)."

DON'T MISS THIS WILDLY WONDERFUL VIDEO!

What fun!  Thank you, Susie!

A reminder for all of us

 So true.  Thanks, Anne!

This takes the prize.

"Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker.

The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
 
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
 
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him.

Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
 
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.  I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try to live.
 
He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life, like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The six-year-old continued,

“Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.”   

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it.
You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good.
So, love the people who treat you right.
Think good thoughts for the ones who don't.
Life is too short to be anything but happy.

Falling down is part of LIFE.
Getting back up is LIVING."

Thank you, Nicola.  Wonderful.

Why not pick prime?

I’m always surprised when I learn that someone isn’t yet an Amazon Prime Member. 

Among other things, members enjoy instant streaming of movies & TV shows, access to thousands of Kindle Books and FREE Two-Day Shipping on almost any product you can imagine purchasing.  You save the annual fee with just a few purchases. I tend to order almost everything I need on Amazon these days. 

Also investigate Amazon's Subscribe and Save.  I use this discounted, free delivery service for vitamins, tea, coffee, many organic products that are tough to find in local stores, etc.

Then check out Amazon Mom benefits:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/mom/signup/welcome

As well as advantages for Amazon Students:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=help_search_1-2?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200500380&qid=1340064504&sr=1-2

How did this guy get this gig?

Do not miss Matt's videos from an earlier post.