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AUGUST 2007
In the parching August wind,
Cornfields bow the head
Sheltered in round valley depth
On low hills outspread.
Christina Rossetti
Mother Theresa
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, Someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway.
Coffee! From Africa to Europe to America
Most of us take our morning coffee for granted without knowing beans about it. Check this colorful history and health benefits.
According to legend, sometime during the ninth century, an Ethiopian goat herder noticed his goats dancing from one coffee shrub to another, grazing on the cherry-red berries containing the beans. He ate a few himself and was soon frolicking with his flock. Witnessing the shepherd’s dance, a monk plucked berries for his brothers. It is said that by nightfall, his brothers were uncannily happy and alert to divine inspiration.
Coffee plants, woody perennial evergreens, were first cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula around 1100 A.D. By 1600 coffee had been introduced to Europe, and within 50 years, coffee houses began appearing in Italy.
Settlers of the New World brought coffee to Jamestown Settlement in Virginia and to the first villages of Canada. In the New World, coffee was first cultivated on the Island of Martinique. Today, the coffee bean is a major crop in South American countries, Hawaii, Indonesia, and Africa.
While medical researchers have documented that coffee can lead to the jitters, newer studies show that the brew is high in antioxidants and may limit the occurrence of certain cancers and chronic diseases. Caffeine has been proven to stimulate metabolism and break up fatty acids, aiding in maintaining proper weight.
What You Should Know About Your Back
If you have ever said, “Oh, my aching back!” you are in good company. About 90 percent of Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Knowing facts about your back could keep you from injury or help your aching back feel better.
· An inactive lifestyle is one of the main causes of back injuries. Inactivity weakens key muscles increasing your risk.
· Only about one in six back problems starts with heavy lifting. Weak muscles are more often the cause.
· Strength training and aerobic exercise are among the most effective treatments for back pain. Do exercises that don’t make the pain worse.
· Only one in 20 back problems require surgery. Always get a second opinion before opting for surgery.
· Doctors quoted in Prevention say the old advice about sleeping on a hard mattress doesn't apply. Sleep on a mattress with a little more cushioning.
· Most episodes of back pain clear up within a month. Hiding the Plasma TV:
As the prices for plasma television sets come down, having one is no longer a status symbol. When the TV is on, it looks fine. But many people think that when it's off, the black screen detracts from the appearance of the room. Vision Art has photos that can be incorporated into the TV screen. Chief Manufacturing sells a glass overlay that turns the screen into a mirror when it’s turned off. Free Genealogy Tools:
Web genealogy sites have made research easier than ever before, but with charges ranging from $30 to $10 a month, the cost of research can add up. But, if you want to get started simply writing down your family tree, you have a number of choices. Ancestry.com charges for research, but you can build a family tree for free. Another very simple, new site is called geni.com. You can use geni.com’s easy and free interface for your family tree. How A Contractor Cares for Wood Floors
Here’s how one general contractor of high-end homes cleans the wood floors in her home.
Every week, she uses a blend of warm water and a few drops of vinegar to bring out the floor’s sheen. To avoid scratches, she doesn't allow high heels in the house.
During the winter, she asks visitors to remove their shoes just in case they’re covered with salt, which can cause damage to the wood.
Every two weeks, she clips the nails of her dog so they don’t scratch the floors.
She sticks protective felt pads under her chairs and tables and uses a small mat near the kitchen sink. It prevents water from splashing onto the floor and causing stains.
The contractor prefers oak for flooring as opposed to softer woods like walnut, which can be damaged more easily.
She never waxes wood floors because that treatment can dull the wood. The contractor was quoted in the Wall Street Journal.
The Majestic Bald Eagle is Back
Its comeback from near extinction to a safe population was a 40-year flight that involved nearly all aspects of society and culture. And, today, the eagle's return is being heralded as a true American success story.
Feather hunting and habitat destruction had reduced the population of the enormous bird to just 500 pairs in the lower 48 states in 1967, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Many experts also attributed the drop to insecticides.
That was a dramatic decline, considering that experts estimate there were probably more than 100,000 bald eagles in the same area when the human population expansion began.
In 1967 the noble eagle was listed as endangered and laws were passed to protect it from hunting.
Today, biologists are recommending the eagle be taken off the endangered species list since its numbers have risen to about 6,500 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states, with another 100,000 eagles in Alaska and Canada.
Even if the eagle is no longer listed as endangered, it will still be protected. It is illegal to kill, capture, or possess eagles or to disturb their nests.
The incredible bald eagle has a wing span from six to eight feet and builds a nest that can weigh 1,000 pounds. It became the symbol of the United States in 1782. It hunts for small animals and fish. Study: Sleep Improves Memory, Learning
While your conscious mind is off duty as you sleep, your brain cells are on a path of their own.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School say that during sleep, brain activity processes information learned during the day. Brain cells replay the memory during deep sleep, and that replay makes memory stronger.
Sleep researchers say most Americans don’t get the recommended minimum of seven hours of sleep a night. They could be setting themselves up for attention lapses and poorer recall of facts from the previous day. Natural Disasters: Are You Ready?
· Non-perishable food. Canned goods and a manual can opener are basic. Dried foods like pasta will work if you have a portable cooking device such as a camp stove or outdoor grill. · A first aid kit with bandages, tape, antibiotic ointment, and aspirin or ibuprofen could prevent infection and treat headaches or pain. · A battery operated radio will keep you informed about rescue operations, and flashlights will help you find your way around. Stock extra batteries. · A battery-operated charger for your cellphone will keep it working if your landline goes out. · State Farm Insurance recommends having your homeowner’s policy numbers in your emergency kit. · Have a couple of hundred dollars in the house in case bank machines don’t work. · In the event of a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake, know how to shut off utilities. Backseat Projectiles
If you’re wearing a seat belt and driving 45 miles an hour, you’ll stay in place if you have to jam on the brakes. Whatever is in the back seat or back window of your car will continue to moving at 45 miles an hour. These flying objects cause 65,000 injuries each year. (You could be knocked unconscious at a time when you need to think fast and well.)
Mechanical engineers at Rowan University in New Jersey say that in SUVs, use the rear luggage area where the seats will keep most items in place. Use the cargo net if one is provided.
Drivers of passenger cars should keep cargo in the trunk or on the back seat floor.
Transportation injury researchers at the State University of Buffalo in New York say you should scan the vehicle for loose objects each day and get rid of them.
This Month
in History
30 Years Ago (8/16/77): Elvis Presley dies of heart ailment at Graceland at 42.
35 Years Ago (8/1/72): 1st article exposing Watergate scandal.
40 Years Ago (8/30/67): US Senate confirms Thurgood Marshall as 1st black justice.
60 Years Ago (8/14/47): Pakistan and India gain independence from Britain.
75 Years Ago (8/24/32): 1st transcontinental non-stop flight by a woman, Amelia Earhart.
95 Years Ago (8/27/1912): Edgar Rice Burroughs publishes Tarzan.
130 Years Ago (8/12/1877): Thomas Edison invents the Edisonphone, a sound recording device.
225 Years Ago (8/8/1782): George Washington creates Order of the Purple Heart.
420 Years Ago (8/18/1587): 1st English child born in the New World (Virginia Dare)
The Lighter Side of Silly Science
Actual answers given by 16-year-olds on tests: · Name the four seasons: Salt, pepper, mustard, and vinegar. · How is water made fit to drink? Flirtation makes it safe because it removes pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep, and canoeists. · How is dew formed? The sun shines down on leaves and makes them perspire. · What causes tides in the oceans? Tides are a fight between the Earth and the moon. I forget where the sun joins in this fight. · What are steroids? Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs. · What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty? He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery. · Name a disease caused by cigarettes. Premature death. · How do you delay milk from turning sour? Keep it in the cow. · What is a fibula? A small lie. · What is a seizure? A Roman Emperor. · What is a terminal illness? It’s when you get sick at the airport. · What does “varicose” mean? Nearby. · What is a Hindu? It lays eggs.
Quotes by Mark Twain…
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.
Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.
By trying we can easily endure adversity. Another man’s, I mean.
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.
I bought some batteries,
but they weren’t included.
Steven Wright
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