Welcome! This website hosts articles and discussions relating to spirituality, physical health, emotional health, social wellness, vocational wellness, environmental wellness & the occasional science and technology topics. While these articles will inform you of news and opinions, and sometimes they may challenge you, what these articles really do is offer empowering knowledge for your self-improvement.

The articles' authors understand that knowledge is power and they give their knowledge freely and with good intentions here in order to give you the power and tools to heal yourself and enjoy your journey in seeking wholeness.

Our sincere hope is for you to realize that "peace", "bliss", "knowing" and "being" are easy to attain, and that you are both "whole" and "holy", right now.

Make sure to take the guided tour here. You'll find the most recent articles below.

Enjoy!

On Ownership

August 22nd, 2010

hordingI woke up many days ago and started to wonder, what would life be like if simple concepts that we take as laws never existed. One of these concepts was “ownership”.

The current human system of living is based on the concept of “ownership”.

Let’s just take a moment to examine what ownership can lead to:

Ownership of things ->

The concept of property ->

Exchange, barter and money ->

Concentrated abundance and lack ->

Wealth & security vs. lack & insecurity, rich and poor ->

Working hard, innovation, competition to own property ->

Greed, hording, over abundance ->

Living for money, in seek for security and living for money, in seek of power ->

Security & power = “more ownership” ->

Unfairness, un-equality, abuse, war, crime, injustice, lies, greed, selfishness & the control and “ownership” of the ultimate property, “people”.

In summary, the invention of the concept of “ownership” lead to the creation of the idea of “rich” and “poor”, amongst many other generally negative ideas (war, taking over property of others, greed, control).

In order for a few to become wealthy, rich, secure, powerful and owners of the most property, the concentration of property must be with the wealthy, it follows that many others must “lack” in “monetary wealth”, security, power, and ownership.

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Many native people lived in communities that shared things. They did not understand, respect or seek “profit”.

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Jesus once said:

…I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)

The saying was a response to a young rich man who had asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to inherit eternal life.

Jesus replied that he should 1- keep the commandments, 2- sell all his possessions, 3- give the money to the poor, 4- and then follow Jesus. The young man was unwilling to do this. Jesus then spoke this response, leaving his disciples astonished.

Read more…

Ethan Z Awareness, Be Socially Responsible, New Norms, Politics, Reflections , , , , ,

Seven Deadly Sins from the History Channel, A Must-See Documentary Series

August 17th, 2010

This History Channel series premiered last December 29, 2008. Each of the documentaries discusses the history of one of the seven deadly sins starting with lust, envy, gluttony, sloth, greed, and ending with anger and pride.

The list of “Seven Deadly Sins” is important in the Christian theology, but interestingly, they are actually not found in the bible. It was first written by a monk in 375 AD with 8 dangerous thoughts (not sins). In around 590 AD, Pope Gregory the Great narrowed the list into 7 “Deadly Sins”.

I will write no comments on these videos, just do yourself a favor and watch them to learn more about these concepts and the evolution of ideas that so many accept as laws and take as norms. So, I highly suggest you watch this one.

You can purchase the series from the History Channel store. Alternatively, rent this from Netflix or any local video store, borrow it from a friend. Also, you can watch the Seven Deadly Sins online for free via veoh, youtube or google videos; click here for a pre-set Google video search.

To make things easy for you, I inserted 5-minute previews from veoh of the seven documentaries below. You can watch the full video episodes on veoh, visit veoh or download.com and install their Web Player Beta in your browser.

Just make sure you watch them. The documentary episodes are well done, and very easy to follow, I must say. If you watch all seven, one after the other, you will notice a lot of repetition, but remember this originally aired one episode a week so repetition provided a background for those who missed the previous episodes.


Seven Deadly Sins (Lust)


Watch 1-7 Seven Deadly Sins (Lust) in Educational |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Seven Deadly Sins (Envy)

Watch 2-7 Seven Deadly Sins (Envy) in Educational |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Seven Deadly Sins (Gluttony)

Watch 3-7 Seven Deadly Sins (Gluttony) in Educational |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Seven Deadly Sins (Sloth)

Watch 4-7 Seven Deadly Sins (Sloth) in Educational |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Read more…

Ethan Z Anthropology, Religion / Atheism , , , , , , , ,

Animal Emotion

August 15th, 2010

Even wild predator animals have emotions,

potw_200_rbsandor

The photo above was taken by a forum member Richard also knows as “rbsandor”.

He said:

These brothers exhibited a bit of familial love upon greeting each other. D700 and 200-400 lens.

….

it was a  treat to actually see the adult lions doing something. The vast majority of their time seems to be spent lying around. This greeting lasted only a few seconds. The male who walked up to his brother, walked away, and layed down with his back to us.

Source: http://nikongear.com/smf/index.php?topic=27520.0

Ethan Z Biology, Inspirational , ,

Be Your Own Best Friend

August 3rd, 2010

girl5-stick-figure

We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies.

~Roderick Thorp, Rainbow Drive

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Who’s Roderick Thorp? What’s Rainbow Drive? I dunno. (Maybe you do? Clue me in if you feel like doing so.) Call me ignorant. And INSPIRED! Cuz this quote is loaded- with the key to your life being much, much easier.

Be easier on yourself.

We are programmed and bombarded daily with negative images, “news”, and feedback about ourselves. So it’s no wonder we run loops of negative self-talk over and over, throughout the day, most of which, is unconscious. Until it’s not.

CATCH YOURSELF- notice when you are saying something negative about either yourSELF or about your LIFE and say “stop”. If you want to add some extra breaking-power, use an EFT/Tapping technique, where you take your index and middle finger, and tap just below your eye, on the top edge of your cheekbone, and say “I release this thought about myself. I completely accept myself, just as I am. All is well.” Then take a few deep breaths and just relax.

You are gonna have to live with yourself for the REST of your life, so you might as well become the best of friends with your own worthy self. If you think you are boring, mean, or not a good friend to others, then start by being open to feeling more excited, kind, and a good friend to yourself. Remind yourself throughout the day that YOU CAN DEPEND on you.

We are here on Earth to be in relationship to other people- to receive help, guidance, love, and companionship from others. This is a huge playing field in which we learn to expand ourselves into grander versions of ourselves. But you can also expand yourself ALL ON YOUR OWN! And you do that by FEELING GOOD.

So start feeling better- about yourself and your capacity to handle WHATEVER life brings your way. Feel better about your ability to be loving, and helpful- seek opportunities to do so, so you can be amazed by your experiences. Feel better about your life, no matter WHAT is going on (or NOT going on), but tapping that point below your eye and affirming that life can get better, and you are learning to be your “bestest” friend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD.

Then others will do the same. And you don’t even have to “try”- you don’t have to convince them of anything, or say or do anything to help them change. It will be AUTOMATIC. People may start to watch you, look at you, and wonder “what is WITH you?” and you may reply by saying “myself. I am with me. I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” And you’re here to ROCK the world! To shake it back awake- Our brothers and sisters are in need of love and this gentle reminder. Let yourself remember just how amazing you are.

I love you!

angela englund, cmt Breathing Exercises, EFT, Emotional Wellness, Quotes, Stress Reduction , , , , , , , ,

Green Routes! Local Eco-Friendly Tourism

July 31st, 2010

I found about this cool website today. It is worth sharing with you..

The Green Routes website is an easy-to-use tool to help you find one-of-a-kind places to eat, play, shop, sleep, and learn. Use the map to find a destination, or add filters by clicking the categories above. You can also search or highlight selected routes for traveling. Enjoy!

green-routes
(click to visit Green Routes)

You can explore “Journeys with first nations” and find out how you can visit a ton of “first nation” locations to learn about their food, culture, sustainable projects and history, make new friends plus much more. Here are some of the places you can tour:

Anishinaabe Culture Center and Gallery, Becker County Historical Society, Becker’s Resort, Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce and Hwy 2 Welcome Center, Cass Lake Museum and Lyle’s Logging Camp, Chippewa National Forest – Blackduck Ranger District, Dennis Banks Native Products, Eagle View Organics Farm, First Week Boutique, Forestedge Winery, Great River Pizzeria, Historic Holmes Theater, Historic Winnibigoshish General Store and Resort, Ice Cracking Lodge & Resort, Lake Country Scenic Byway, Lakes Area Farmers Market, Lakes Processing, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Fitness Center, Leech Lake Tribal College, Maplelag, Minwanjige Café, Mississippi Headwaters Hostel, Muskrat Coffee Company, Native Harvest/White Earth Land Recoverey Project, New Horizons Resort & Lodge, Northern Adventures Guide Service, Northern Lights Casino Gift Shop, Palace Casino Gift Shop, Sahkahtay Indigenous Preservation Society, Spirit of the Forest Enrichment Center, Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, White Earth Public Transit, White Earth Tribal and Community College Extension, York’s Log Cabin

Visit now: journeys.greenroutes.org

You want to explore more?   Nation-wide? .. Visit places such as:

Buffalo Lake Farm & Flea Market, Fairfax Farmers Market, Fieldstone Vineyards, Great Plains Designs, Hector Farmers’ Market, Jeffers Petroglyphs, Moonstone Farm, Morgan Creek Vineyards, Olivia Farmers Market, Putting Green, Renville County Historical Society, Renville Farmers Market, Tatanka Bluffs B&B and thousands of other eco local-tourism options!

Simple!

Find these and more here: www.greenroutes.org

Don’t buy into polluting, blind, commercialized, hyped-up, profit-centered tourism!

Find a local location worthy of your time and money, make new friends, vacation consciously, align your travel plans with your morals and values.

Read more…

Ethan Z Be Environmentally Friendly, Be Here, Be Socially Responsible, Best of, New Norms, Stress Reduction, Success, Waste Elimination , , ,

On Built-in Meanings & Change

July 30th, 2010

Hi again!

Here are a few thoughts for you to consider today:

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The more the old systems reveal their inadequacies the more people will believe change is needed. Every thing that happens is an opportunity. Everything is neural, if you define it as positive you get a positive effect.

NOTHING has a built-in meaning.

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love,
Ethan

Ethan Z Awareness, Be Socially Responsible, New Norms, Reflections , , , , ,

Success Is Not The Destination!

July 28th, 2010

Ponder on this for a few minutes,

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Success is not the destination, success is the journey.

Ethan Z Awareness, Be Happy, Inspirational, Intellectual Wellness, Quotes

Yes, ET’s are real and they are here

July 25th, 2010

European Exopolitics Summit 09 – Stephen Bassett

For the past five decades the human race has been caught between two worlds, two paradigms. While millions of people worldwide have come to understand they are not alone in the universe, that an extraterrestrial presence has become manifest about the planet, the governments of the world, frozen in place by fear and indecision, have been unable to publicly engage this new reality.

Stephen Bassett, is a lobbyist, activist, commentator and columnist. He is the founder of the Paradigm Research Group and the Executive Director of the political action committee, X-PPAC. His work has been referenced in, among others, the Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Times, Legal Times, Christian Science Monitor, National Journal and O’Dweyer’s Washington Report. He has been featured in documentaries and a guest on numerous radio programs addressing the “Politics of Disclosure.”

In this highly spirited and passionate interview, Stephen calls on every citizen to demand the proof of extra terrestrial life that we intuitively already know exists. Get ready to be inspired and motivated!

Ethan Z Best of, Inspirational, New Norms, Science / Technology

Why do People Think They and Others Were Born Evil Sinners?

July 23rd, 2010

Why do people think that they (and all other humans) are born as babies with sin, with this burden of sin, disobeying a god, with an imperfection, with evil?

This notion is accepted in mainstream culture, just examine for a second where it came from, then ask yourself if you believe it.

I got news for you, you are born pure, clean, free of sin, perfect and beautiful. Humans are intrinsically good.

Think about it.

Ethan Z Be Happy, Just Ask Yourself, Reflections , , , , ,

On Scientists and Beauty

July 23rd, 2010

Sponsored Ads:

Thanks for your patronage. Article starts below:

The scientist does not study nature because it is useful, he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful. If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living.

Jules Henri Poincare (1854 – 1912).

Ethan Z Awareness, Quotes, Science / Technology ,

Free Physics and Calculus Books

July 18th, 2010

I came across a website that offers free books online. Ben Crowell has authored several books, which he graciously makes available for free online.

1- The Light and Matter Series

This series of six books is intended for a one-year introductory course of the type typically taken by biology majors. Algebra and trig are used, and there are optional calculus-based sections.

2- Physics Books

3- Math

You can find more free learning resources at the Free Learning Resources page.

Ethan Z Best of, Electrical / Vibrational, Physics ,

Why Do People Think It Is Ok To Waste Food?

July 18th, 2010

Food for thought,

Why Do People Think It Is Ok To Waste Food?

Leave your answer in a comment

Ethan Z Awareness, Just Ask Yourself, New Norms, Reflections , , ,

The Real Jesus

July 16th, 2010

Why do people think Jesus had a European looks (long soft blond hair and green/blue eyes)?

jesus

The above photo is the face of Jim Caviezel, who plays Jesus in the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” is similar to many modern-day images of Jesus.

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Do you remember your childhood memories of Jesus?

Do you remember seeing images of him in bibles, posters, Sunday school literature or seeing conceptualization of Jesus in statues?

If you are White or Hispanic, Catholic or Protestant (even Orthodox or Evangelical,Born Again, Baptist etc) you just may remember a blond Jesus with long hair.

One famous image of Jesus was a painting by Warner Sallman, called “The Head of Christ” (1940). It showedd Jesus with flowing blond hair and blue eyes. He’s clean-looking, safe, passive, and even feminine to a degree.

This is Sallman’s Jesus:

Jesus_Sallman_sm

Let us take a look at more conceptualizations of Jesus from around the world,

real-jesus

jesus7

b-jesus-triumphal-entry1

The image above is from a popular Children’s Bible (popular in the 70′s), Jesus had blond, blue-eyed Jesus throughout

jesus_christ-766742

jesus1

faces_black_jesus3

The image above is of Jesus is from Ethiopia, from the 17th or 18th centuries.

Read more…

Ethan Z Anthropology, New Norms, Reflections, Religion / Atheism , , , ,

Which Effects The Other, Media OR Culture?

July 15th, 2010

Food for thought,

Which has more effect on the other, media outlets (movies, TV shows and ads) or real life (main stream media)?

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My view is that media has a bigger effect on culture than culture has on media. Simply put, people see it on TV, in fashion shows, in music videos, in ads, done by celebrities, owned by modern-day mystical figures, adopted by friends … and people mimic.  Media has the upper hand on culture, not vice-versa.

What do you think?

Leave your answer in a comment.

Ethan Z Anthropology, Intellectual Wellness, New Norms, Reflections ,

Why Do People Worship Idols?

July 12th, 2010

why do people worship sports figures?
why do people worship celebrity?
why do people worship leaders?
why do people worship capitalism?
why do people worship the stock market?
worship2
why do people worship money?
why do people worship rich individuals?
why do people worship material items?
why do people worship vane concepts?
why do people worship figures?

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why do people worship idols?

why do people even care

about

these

?

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leave a comment with your response

Ethan Z Awareness, Crazy World, Just Ask Yourself, New Norms , , , ,

Why Do People Think Eating Breakfast Means Eating Cereal?

July 12th, 2010

Why do people think that eating breakfast means eating cereal?

leave a comment with your answer.

Ethan Z Crazy World, Just Ask Yourself, New Norms ,

Dump Your Water If You Want To Go In & Then Buy Water From Me!

July 11th, 2010

BasilicaI went to the Basilica Block Party yesterday. If you know me then you know I am not big on parties, concerts, loud music, etc.. I was invited to go so I went. People were much better well behaved than I expected, I think Minnesotans are generally nice and polite and this contributed to the party situation. Maybe the fact this was a Basilica party also made a difference. The music was fun, especially the Barenaked Ladies band (the Chinese Chicken song).

What I did not like was how party admission volunteer staff had everyone get rid of any food or beverages (including water). I understand that they would like people to not bring food or alcohol or even soft drinks, but water is a different story.

I felt that asking people to get rid of their water was an overreaching rule (and a wasteful one). They were filling trash container after another with bottles of water and other drinks, a huge waste.

I did not have my own water bottle with me, so I did not have to get rid of anything. But, had I had water I would have felt very uncomfortable doing that and probably would have refused.

Once I was inside the fenced, barricaded “camp” you could only buy water from a few places and each bottle was sold for $4!  A $1 bottle for $4!

I call this an abuse of power, even extortion. It also felt like an infringement on my human and constitutional rights. Further, you could buy food and beer from many vendors, water was only available at a couple places, no free (fountain) water was available.

What If I said No?

The next time I go to a party I will take my water bottle with me, and I will refuse to throw out my water. If they insist I do, I will say I need it because of health reasons. If they say “no” I will ask for FREE water inside. If they say “no”, I will write about it here again and will then consult with an attorney to see if I could take legal action.

As far as I am concerned what they did was extortion in order for me to buy water from them at their inflated prices.

You may have to wait a few years before I get to try this, since I rarely go to parties like these.

To the Basilica of Saint Mary I say, “please do not extort me again”. Just, “stop it, now”.

To you, the readers, if you had similar experiences I’d like to hear from you, please leave a comment below. If you are a representative of the Basilica I’d love to hear from you, do leave a comment below.

Thanks!

Ethan Z Be Socially Responsible, Crazy World, New Norms , ,

Have Another Drink. Why?

July 11th, 2010

3d human with a red question markI constantly find myself seeing things differently than people I am with. Cultural norms that people accept as divine laws to live by amaze me every single day. I remember asking “but why” as far back as my memory goes. I probably asked “why” as a baby before I could even talk.

I’d see people do a certain thing, say certain things,  or react in certain ways, then I’d ask myself “why”? I asked why because the actions did not seem positive, or seemed lacking in judgment, logic, or respect. Asking “why” meant that something did not make sense to me.

If I verbalized my questions I usually heard unsatisfying answer, most of the time  the answers went like this: “because that is the culture”, or “because it’s in the bible”, or (this may be my favorite one) “because this is what people do”. Some may call you “weird” for questioning “what people do”. Years went by, my questions never got an answer.

Today, I have much more insight into human reasoning and behavior, coupled with love and understanding. Thanks to hypnosis, varied life experiences and guidance, I understand why people do things better.

Understanding something doesn’t mean I agree with it though. It also doesn’t mean I stopped asking “why”. I continue to ask “why” now purely from sheer amazement.

One simple, yet very common example that I came across recently was being at a party, with alcoholic beverages, and seeing a gal tell her friend “have another drink.”  When the friend indicated a “no”, the gal insisted and asked again trying to be more persuasive.

This made me shake my head in disagreement, I probably gave the persons a shocked look as well. I hide my opinions less than I used to do as a kid, some people don’t like that. I don’t care.

Replace the alcoholic beverage seen here with food, fashion, cars, work, computer games, opinions, actions, pretty much anything that a person (a groups, an institution, organization etc) may ask you to do (or think) because they think “it is cool”, or because “it is the way people do things.”

Now, if you take a moment to think about this, you may start notice how common this example is.

If your friend was a true friend, she/he would RESPECT your wishes and opinions. When you say “no” to any idea, a “real friend” would immediately respect your “no”, they will smile and move on to another issue out of sheer respect for you. It’s true that your friend my have the idea that drinking more means “you are having more fun”, she/he may want to see you have more fun based on their understanding of “having fun”, but if you said “no”, for whatever reason then a “no” is a “no”.

You do not need persuasion, you do not need someone to tell you how to have fun. YOU are the one having fun, you decide what fun is to you.

When your gut feeling, desires, or simple leanings go in one direction, if you are happy doing a certain thing, and are then faced with a friend (or anyone for that matter) telling you that this is “not how people have fun”, be bold and say “No.”,

“This is how I have fun.” “This is how I enjoy life”.

Read more…

Ethan Z Be Happy, Emotional Wellness, Experiences, Just Ask Yourself, New Norms, Reflections, Social Wellness, Success , , , ,

Give Your Dreams All You’ve Got

July 5th, 2010

running

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.

Give your dreams all you’ve got and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.

By William James

Ethan Z Inspirational, Intellectual Wellness, Occupational / Vocational Wellness, Quotes, Success , , , , ,

Multisite electromyographic analysis of therapeutic touch and qigong therapy

July 4th, 2010

Take it for its worth, not a perfect study, but good to know:

Study: Multisite electromyographic analysis of therapeutic touch and qigong therapy.

Wirth DP, Cram JR, Chang RJ.

Healing Sciences Research International, Orinda, California, USA.

The influence of complementary healing treatment on paraspinal electromagnetic activity at specific neuromuscular sites was examined in an exploratory pilot study that used a multisite surface electromyographic (sEMG) assessment procedure. The study was a replication and extension of previous research that indicated that complementary healing had a significant effect in normalizing the activity of the “end organ” for the central nervous system (CNS). Multisite sEMG electrodes were placed on the frontalis, cervical (C4), thoracic (T6), and lumbosacral (L3) paraspinals of 44 subjects who were divided into three groups: (1) students/patients of a Qigong practitioner (n = 16); (2) students/patients of a therapeutic touch (TT) practitioner (n = 14); and (3) nonbelievers in complementary healing (n = 14). A traditional ABAC experimental design was used with each subject evaluated for one 20-minute session that included four 5-minute segments. The purpose of this study was to measure the variable energizing effect of Qigong therapy along with the anecdotally and experimentally established relaxation effect of TT therapy relative to patient belief and expectancy. Treatment sessions consisted of Qigong and a modified form of TT intervention for all three groups. Due to the double-blind nature of the study, however, group 1 subjects were aware of only the Qigong intervention; group 2 subjects were aware of only the TT intervention, and group 3 subjects were informed that the study was designed to assess the neuromuscular activity of individuals in a seated position. The results indicated a statistically significant rise in electromagnetic activity for group 1 during the Qigong intervention segment (p < .024). Group 2 demonstrated a modest although overall nonsignificant decrease in multisite sEMG levels for both treatment protocols, whereas group 3 exhibited relatively consistent neuromuscular activity for both control and treatment segments. The results of this study are considered preliminary in nature, however, due to the potential influence of several confounds including psychophysiological factors, established behavior patterns, and the possibility for information transfer due to sensory cues.

PMID: 9395700

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9395700

acm.1997.3.109.fp.png_v03

To cite this article:
Daniel P. Wirth, Jeffrey R. Cram, Richard J. Chang. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Summer 1997, 3(2): 109-118. doi:10.1089/acm.1997.3.109.

Published in Volume: 3 Issue 2: September 12, 2007

Dr. Daniel P. Wirth, M.S., J.D.

Healing Sciences Research International, Orinda, California.

Read more…

Ethan Z Qigong, Research , ,

Art With Driftwood – Driftwood Horses

June 23rd, 2010

4xDriftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. It is a form of marine debris or tidewrack. Some may consider driftwood a nuisance. However, this driftwood provides shelter and food for birds, fish and other aquatic species as it floats in the ocean. To some of us, who value nature as it is and find beauty everywhere, driftwood can be pretty to look at. Some use this wood to make natural-looking furniture.

If you want to be creative, you could do as Heather Jansch did, get some driftwood and re-use it to make wooden horses!

Not  only are they beautiful, but they are made from what mother nature has put on the shores to tease our imagination and creativity. For her nature-based art and creativity, I list Jansch’s horses in the “best of” category.

Below you will see more photos. The artist is Heather Jansch. Her website is www.heatherjansch.com

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3x

5x

7x

unknown6

8x

4x

Make sure you patronize Heather Jansch’s website: www.heatherjansch.com

Ethan Z Best of, Inspirational, Waste Elimination , ,

Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday

June 21st, 2010

Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. Was is worth it?

By Mahatma Gandhi

Is it Worth it?

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Hint: the answer is “No”

Ethan Z Awareness, Be Happy, Emotional Wellness, Quotes, Success , , , ,

Your Cup

June 20th, 2010

Is your cup half full or half empty?

Ethan Z Be Happy, Emotional Wellness, Just Ask Yourself, Reflections ,

All Life Is Math – But, What Is Math?

June 16th, 2010

All life is biology. All biology is physiology. All physiology is chemistry. All chemistry is physics. All physics is math.

Dr. Stephen Marquard

I ask, then, WHAT is Math??

Ethan Z Be Here, New Norms, Quotes , ,

Hair Research Update – June 15th

June 15th, 2010

I wrote recently about my recent interest in researching hair and scalp health, how to retain hair, thicken it and even grow new hairs.

The many websites, articles, discussion forums I visited offered a lot of interesting information. I was very optimistic with my findings, based on the many testimonials I found online.

Now, only a few (busy) days since my last article, with over 20 hours of reading and typing, I have now gone through all the research material I had gathered and summarized it all.  Not only that, I now have about another 300 pages of newly-gathered information to go through.

Good news, bad news

I remain optimistic that there are many natural remedies, in conjunction with nutrition and other healthy habits I know that one can make their hair and scalp healthier, this I know for a fact.

The good news is, I believe the material I gathered offered proof and solutions that worked for women that do improve their hair, even grow more of it. For men, with the so called male pattern baldness (mpb), I can’t be that certain.

Since I have mpb and the hormone DHT (self diagnosed, given the other males that share similar genes) I am a prime candidate to try some of the remedies and good habits on myself.

To start with, I took photos of my head yesterday. I’ll be taking a few photos every month to see if I can track any progress, or lack thereof.

So where’s the bad news?

Many people take the words of Doctors to be final and correct. From personal experience I know this is not true. I am not a statistic neither are you.

A lot of the science around hair loss, male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness, hormones effects of hair, in my opinion, offers only theories (not facts). Thus, take everything you hear with a grain of salt, science as of today has theories on hair loss and hair growth, some of these theories are repeated by people as facts, these “facts” are thus not conclusive nor are they final. There is room for interpretation, and there is evidence than does contradict said facts.

Hair health can be affected by many factors. For most men (with mpb) the role of genetics is usually claimed as the culprit. Many consider genetics the ultimate factor in hair loss; others disagree.

Who controls you?

Recently I have come across more and more material that discusses how a person can change their DNA, how the DNA changes due to environmental factors and even mental influences. I have seen cases where “predetermining” factors such as a person’s genetics, upbringing or culture did not have the “expected” outcome.

I’m trying to say that you are not a 100% controlled by a predetermined set of genetic code.

Read more…

Ethan Z Hair Growth / Re-growth , , , , , ,

Hair Growth Research Full Steam Ahead

June 11th, 2010

long healthy hairThe answer to eliminating hair loss must lie within the 300+ pages of online-research information that I collected. During the coming days I will be sifting through hundreds of testimonials, research studies, scientific data and traditional wisdom. I have information on the use of Chinese, Ayuvedic, Middle Eastern and other Native remedies. I will be studying the old wisdom of natural and home made solutions along with the latest in science, drugs, and nutritional knowledge on vitamins, minerals. I will also look at the use of oils, essential oils and vibrational therapies in search for the answer to hair regrowth.

I’ve researched hair re-growth and hair health on and off (more “off” than “on”) for about a couple years. I’m a male, my body has the so called “male pattern baldness” syndrome. It started when I was in my 20’s, maybe even earlier, it was very subtle, so I didn’t care much for it. In the last 2-3 years, the thinning hair in the front and center part of my scalp started to thin more rapidly, it is very obvious now; that area is getting close to being bald, and the thinning doesn’t seem to be slowing.

My position on hair has been that I’d simply shave my head if this thinning spreads to more of my head. I accepted that I will likely end up shaving my head since this kind of hair loss is considered to be “genetic” (it “runs in the family”). Since I don’t like the idea of having a half head of hair, with a runway of baldness in between 2 clumps of hair on the sides; shaving seems more appropriate (even though it’s more work).

As a hypnotist, I’ve heard of hypnosis being used for hair health, I know a lot about the power of the mind over the physical body and about the power of positive self-talk. In fact, I believe that, if done properly, hypnosis and guided imagery could aid in hair restoration. Relaxation alone (which is easy to achieve with hypnosis) will help health in general and thus positively help the health of one’s hair. My position, however, is that doing this would require time that I rather use on other matters; it took years of thinning to be where I am now, recovery may also take years and require a lot of my time.

If you know anything about me you probably know how busy my schedule is. I volunteer, I do research on multiple issues, I’m studying multiple topics, I work, etc.. I’ve had the opinion that I don’t have the time to invest into restoring my hair (doing such things as recording my hair health hypnosis tapes, taking time out for hypnosis, relaxation, sitting down for guided imagery, or even to give myself scalp massages, making home made shampoos or even taking the time to research all my options out there for hair re-growth).

Even though I freed a lot of time by almost never watching TV programming (when I do it’s online and not often) my time remains a precious resource. I do have other things I find more important that I rather be spending my time on, such as practicing natural vision improvement, studying Chinese Medicine, vibrational healing therapies, photography, am taking college classes, practicing QiGong and meditation, volunteering my hypnosis skills to help crisis patients, managing a meetup.com group while trying to keep a social life. This is where I’m at right now, things will likely change in the future.

Appearances in our society are given more importance than they deserve. It’s one of these inconvenient [societal] “truths” that many take fore-granted. The issue of hair health is especially important when it comes to women. We all know that a man can shave his head and no one would care, but for women there is much more pressure to “look pretty”. Who decides what being “pretty” is, that’s a topic that I’m going to leave for another day.

I know of a person, who’s a female who has thinning hair and it is bothering her greatly. Like many of us, she had luscious thick hair as a kid, and as she matured, slowly but surely her hair seemed to loose its thickness, and over the last few years it started to thin in certain areas. Medical doctors so far didn’t seem to help much.

This has given me enough reason, now I was motivated to research hair health more seriously. I started a few days ago by browsing many websites and discussion forums. I use specific google search keywords to find what I’m looking for. I am finding a lot of good information and am compiling a lot of the research findings into a rapidly growing document.

Based on what I’ve found so far, I am very optimistic about being able to find things to help her have more hair than she ever wanted! I am finding a lot more useful information online than the doctor had offered her.

In a nutshell the areas I am researching include:

Read more…

Ethan Z About Me / Blog, Be Healthy, Diet / Nutrition, Hair Growth / Re-growth, Hypnosis, Physical Wellness, Research , , , , , ,

TCM TIME – Keep that Liver Happy!

June 7th, 2010

5phasesTraditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees the human body quite differently from Western Medicine. Instead of viewing ourselves as a collection of systems that work together, the Chinese view our being as a reflection of nature and it’s rhythmic cycles- each major body organ is related to one of the 5 major elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each element is also associated with a season, and can be altered and affected by a variety of other correlations, including: color, flavor (food & drink), an emotional state, and one of the five sensory organs. For example, if you have an issue going on with your eye or sight, it is usually an imbalance that has incurred in the Liver qi.

Spring corresponds to the “Wood” element, and is related to the liver and gallbladder organs. According to the philosophy of Chinese medicine, the liver is responsible for the smooth flowing of Qi (energy) throughout the body. When the liver functions smoothly, physical and emotional activity throughout the body also runs smoothly. It is also said to contribute to our body’s resistance to external pathogenic influences, and is also believed to weigh our ability to plan our lives. The gallbladder provides the Qi to the sinews, effects the quality and length of sleep, and gives us drive and the passion to excel; to take the action necessary for our intentions to come to fruition. Dealing with adversity also comes under the role of the Gallbladder.

You can do things on your own to keep that liver happy, Qi flowing smoothly, and enjoy being in balance with this time of year, by observing:

Color: Green – Wear this color, eat young plants- fresh, leafy greens, sprouts, etc. Go outside and sit in a nice patch of grass, enjoy the return of the leaves on the trees.

Flavor: Sour – Try naturally sour foods like yogurt, raw sauerkraut, or fresh lemon juice in water. Use vinegar and olive oil for your salad dressing. Garnish your sandwich with a slice of dill pickle.

Emotion: Anger – find and use healthy ways of communicating and releasing pent up emotion. give yourself permission to be angry, but do not dwell in it- learn to let things go.

Sense organ: the Eyes – Rest your eyes occasionally by covering them with the palms of your hands. Do this a few times a day, for 5 minutes if you work a lot on the computer. Also munch on some Goji berries everyday- the Wolfberry is proven to have a huge effect on the way the eye functions. (ancient Chinese secret!)

These suggestions may sound simple, but little things will go a long way in helping you feel grounded and healthy. Overall, the best thing you can do during this change of season is get outside and move- stretch the body; the sinews, muscles, tendons, the areas most effected by this time of year want some fresh air and energy to come in, rejuvenating the liver, keeping your overall energy vibrant and working for you. Tai chi, qi gong, yoga, etc. are great activities to do at least a little bit daily. Enjoy moving that body! Love your body. I know this is not always an easy thing, but the more we love and accept ourselves just the way we are, the more we automatically heal, get better, and feel in balance with all of life.

If you have further questions, would like to schedule an appointment for a Shiatsu massage or counseling session, please use the contact info for me on the right side of this page- I’d love to hear from you!

angela englund, cmt Be Healthy, Qigong, TCM Concepts, Yoga , , , , ,

I’m Going to Fast

June 3rd, 2010

This article was written on June 1st.

I am currently studying QiGong, which is the chinese are of manipulating life energy and using it for healing. Many so called miraculous stories surround the use of life force, prana, Qi, Chee from healing the body and mind to fasting for many days.

I don’t have much experience with complete fasting (i.e. not drinking or eating anything) for many hours or days. I have tried partial fasts (i.e. eating one item and drinking water only) on a few occasions but these partial fasts never lasted more than 8 hours.

Over the last couple months, on multiple occasions, I’ve come across the mention of multi-day fasting practiced by yogis, QiGong masters and Native Americans during Sun-dancing.

On my most recent QiGong class, a couple days ago, the teacher talked about fasting and how one could breath through the skin or feed on light. He did not go into details since this teaching is for a more advanced class than the one I am attending. I was quite surprised that he mentioned this, since the idea of fasting has been on my mind. I’ve had a gut feeling/urge or feeling that I should fast for quite some time now.

This was the last mention of fasting I needed to hear, I am now intrigued enough that I am planning on fasting. I will start slow and easy and see where this will take me.

A couple weeks ago I came across a few videos on Youtube of an Indian man who claimed to have not eaten or drank anything for decades. His name is Prahlad Jani Mataji.

I will gather more info on this man and write another article soon. I will also update you on my fasting experiments.

Ethan Z About Me / Blog, Diet / Nutrition, Fasting, Qigong, Yoga , , ,

Billions Of Earth-Like Planets In Our Galaxy

June 3rd, 2010

Extrasolar-PlanetsIt is worth remembering that our galaxy alone has billions of Earth-like planets, and these earths are “[not only] probably habitable but they probably are also going to be inhabited”

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Galaxy has ‘billions of Earths’

There could be one hundred billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy, a US conference has heard.

Dr Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Science said many of these worlds could be inhabited by simple lifeforms.

He was speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago.

So far, telescopes have been able to detect just over 300 planets outside our Solar System.

But, based on the limited numbers of planets found so far, Dr Boss has estimated that each Sun-like star has on average one “Earth-like” planet.

This simple calculation means there would be huge numbers capable of supporting life.

Not only are they probably habitable but they probably are also going to be inhabited,” Dr Boss told BBC News. “But I think that most likely the nearby ‘Earths’ are going to be inhabited with things which are perhaps more common to what Earth was like three or four billion years ago.” That means bacterial lifeforms.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7891132.stm

The caption below was written in November 2004.

Other Earths

So, after having compiled a bestiary of exotic planets, many the size of Jupiter and locked in a deadly embrace with their star, what are the chances of the planet-hunters identifying rather smaller, sedate rocks upon which life might actually get the chance to evolve? It’s not as if these planets are likely to exist in minute numbers: current estimates [Using the Drake Equation] border on there being 30 billion terrestrial planets in our Galaxy alone [this is an article from 2002]. The odds of finding such planets lengthen a lot when one considers that these planets would have longer years and cause much smaller wobbles in their star’s position.

The odds shorten again the longer we look for these planets. Hot Jupiters tend to get found simply because the radial velocity method is most sensitive to their kind. It’s only now that smaller planets are being found, although none of them are likely to harbour life. Adopt a different method of detection, and we might start to see terrestrial planets, instead of inferring their presence.

This is precisely what the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) telescope is designed to do. This instrument comprises four space-based telescopes flying in formation. Their light is combined in such a way as to vastly increase resolution. One of the indicators that TPF will be looking for is the presence of elemental oxygen in a planet’s atmosphere. All oxygen in our atmosphere is there because of photosynthetic organisms: plants and cyanobacteria. Oxygen is therefore a key signature of life6.

TPF is not due to fly until 2015 at the earliest. In the meantime, Earth-based telescopes will get bigger and better, and astronomers will be able to observe for longer wobbles than they currently can. Even if we can’t see the little green men yet, we’ll have a much better idea of where they might live.

Source: H2G2 extrasolar planet hunting

Read more…

Ethan Z Astronomy, Best of, New Norms, Quotes, Science / Technology , , ,

On Happiness

June 3rd, 2010

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise man grows it under his feet.

James Openheim

Ethan Z Awareness, Be Happy, Quotes , ,