Of life and death

It happens to us all, the cycle of life catches us up, and we move on. I have been away for the past couple of weeks as a member of my family passed on.
My life has been turned upside down, given a little shake, and the ripples are still being felt.

I've had people around me die before, yet until now; I've never seen death.

It's a strange thing watching as someones body gives out, it changes you. Watching as they take their last breath. Feeling the energy dissipate from the body, leaving a shell. It's unlike anything I imagined. The realisation of how fragile life is, of how important it is to enjoy every moment, hits like a massive wave.

I feel the need to examine what is important, and to clear out the clutter. To have have fun, laugh, dance and sing, after all what else is there?.
I want to get to the end of my life saying "Wooohooo I made it!", not "Oh shit..."

Leave with no regrets...

A Quart, a Pinch, a Cup? Huh... WTF!

I find it confusing looking at different recipes online, depending on which region of the world they are from; different weights and measurements are used.
Today I found a number of helpful links, which have conversions for these measurements:

Cooking Weights and Measurements.

• Cooking weights and measures - Wikipedia
• Measurements and Conversion Table - Food Network
• Weights and measures conversion - Energy Australia
• Cooking Measurement Equivalents - Info Please
• Cooking Weights and Measures - The Cooking Index
• American Cooking: Weights and Measures, Including Oven Temperatures - Outside and Inside America

Temperature conversion

• Temperature conversion - Wikipedia
• Temperature Conversion - OnlineConversion.com
• Oven Temperatures - Hints and Things
• Oven Temperature · Cooking Conversion Chart - What's Cooking?

What Can Baking Soda do?

My massive collection of Bi-carb Soda (Baking Soda) Tips:

Cleaning

• Deodorise the whole house! Sprinkle carpets with Bi-carb Soda, leave a few minutes and then vacuum.
• For everyday freshness, fill a small container and leave in the fridge to absorb food odours. Replace every three months or so.
• Clean chopping boards, stainless steel sinks, ovens and rangehoods with food safe Bi-carb Soda sprinkled on a damp cloth. Rinse well and your whole kitchen will sparkle.
• In the bathroom: Bi-carb Soda will work a treat on bathroom surfaces too - bathtubs, tiles, floors, mirrors, screens and sinks.
• Keep your rubbish bin smelling fresh - periodically sprinkle Bi-carb Soda on the waste. On rubbish collection day, wash and deodorise the bin in a solution of Bi-carb Soda.
• Restore life to stained tea/coffee cups - apply to a damp cloth and rub away.
• Throw a handful of Bi-carb Soda into the bottom of the dishwasher mid-way between loads - this will eliminate odors and work double-duty as a gentle cleanser in the next wash cycle.
• Freshen sinks by slowly pouring half a cup down the drain together with warm tap water.
• Cleaning brass door knobs, window handles and ornaments.
• For a sparkling microwave, wipe over (inside and out) with a damp sponge sprinkled with Bi-carb Soda. Rinse well with water.
• Polish up the family silverware with a paste made from Bi-carb Soda and water. Rinse and dry well
• For stubborn oven grime, apply a paste of Bi-carb Soda and water to a warm oven, leave overnight and wipe off. For regular cleaning, apply paste to a cold oven, warm for 30 minutes and then rinse off.
• For dirty saucepans that don't respond to steel scourers, add cold water and one to two tablespoons of Bi-carb Soda and bring to the boil. When cool, finish off with steel wool.
• In a Stainless Steel sink add 1/2 cup Bi-carb to 1 gal of water and dip silver in water and wipe with sponge to remove tarnish. Works great! No more cleaning with silver polish.
• Remove corrosion from automobile battery cables. Paint it on and leave a thick layer. wait 5-10 minutes and flush with water.
• To clean oily stains from concrete and driveways, sprinkle over and scrub with a wet brush.
• Add half a cup to the laundry rinse cycle to give towels and linens a breezy freshness.
• Clean kids' toys by soaking or wiping down with a solution of Bi-Carb Soda and water. Rinse, dry and play.
• Freshen stuffed toys with a sprinkling of Bi-carb Soda. Wait 15 minutes, brush off and cuddle away.
• After the family BBQ, Bi-carb Soda will make light work of cleaning the grill. Just sprinkle on, scrub with a damp brush and rinse clean.
• Use Bi-carb Soda as a pre-soaker for soiled nappies, removing mold or stubborn stains. Dissolve 45 grams in a bucket of warm water, let soak, wash in hot soapy water and dry in the sun.
• As a whitener, add 2 teaspoons of Bi-carb Soda to half a bucket of cold water. Soak 30 minutes then wash as normal.
• Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak and rise the produce.
• Oil and grease - stained clothing washes out better with soda added to the washing water.
• Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.
• To remove stubborn stains from marble, Formica or plastic surfaces, scour with a paste of soda and water.
• Run you coffee maker through its cycle with a soda solution. Rinse.
• Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water. Also Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smoldering and reduce odor. (Or give up smoking)
• Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.
• Use to sweeten sour dishcloths.

Deodorizing

• Sprinkle Bi-carbon your carpet before vacuuming to eliminate food and pet odors
• After emptying the garbage, sprinkle some Bi-carbon the bottom of the garbage can; this will neutralize the food odors.
• Keep an open box of Bi-carb in the back of your refrigerator and in your pantry; replace every 2-3 months.
• Pour Bi-carb down your garbage disposal while running warm water.
• Smelly shoes? Pour in a little and leave 2-3 days to absorb.
• Safely deodorise your pet's bedding by sprinkling with Bi-carb Soda. Wait 15 minutes then vacuum.
• Between your dog's baths, try a dry freshen-up - Sprinkle Bi-carb Soda into their fur, rub and then comb or brush out.
• Deodorise your car - sprinkle Bi-carb Soda over upholstery and carpets, leave for 15 minutes and then vacuum.
• Sprinkle Bi-carb Soda into smelly gym bags or golf bags to deodorise and freshen.
• To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda, then rinse.
• If your baby spits up on his shirt after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip it in Bi-carb and dab at the dribbled shirt. The odor will go away.

Health and Beauty

• Wash your face in Bi-carb soda to take off dead skin and old make-up. Add to your shampoo once in a while to really remove old hair spray and setting gels.
• Mix 2 tbl spoons Bi-carb in 8 oz glass of water, and drink. Helps with stomach aches and gas.
• For fresh, silky-smooth skin, dissolve half a cup in your bathwater to soften your skin.. Relax and soak it up !
• For a sparkling smile, brush teeth with a paste of Bi-carb Soda and water.
• Bi-carb is a great teeth whitener. Sprinkle a little on your toothbrush before the paste goes on.
• Mix three parts to one part water for a gentle facial scrub that won't strip oils from the skin.
• Putting 2 tbsp. of Bi-carb in your baby's bath water will help relieve diaper rash irritations.
• Apply soda directly to insect bites, rashes and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a paste with water.
• Take a soda bath to relieve general skin irritations such as measles and chicken pox.
• Take 1/2 teaspoon of Bi-carb in 1/2 glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.
• Gargle with 1/2 tsp. Bi-carb in 1/2 glass of water. Freshens and cleans your mouth.
• Used as a mouthwash, Bi-carb will also relieve canker sore pain.
• To relieve sunburn: use a paste of Bi-carb and water.
• Bug bites: use a poultice of Bi-carb and vinegar. It neutralizes the "sting" and provides relief instantly.
• Bee sting: use a poultice of Bi-carb and water. It neutralizes the "sting" and provides relief instantly.
• Windburns: moisten some Bi-carb and apply directly.

Cooking

• To make your own baking powder combine 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. This is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of commercial baking powder. If you are not using immediately, add 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch to absorb any moisture in the air and to prevent a premature chemical reaction between the acid and alkali.
• When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp. of soda to the boiling water. The feathers will come off easier and flesh will be clean and white.
• Add to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.
• Add to water to remove the "gamey" taste from wild game.

Other

• Bi-carb Soda will put out fires in clothing, fuel, wood, upholstery and rugs. It will also work for car, grease or electrical fires.
• Repel rain from windshield. Put gobs of Bi-carb on a dampened cloth and wipe windows inside and out.

Chasing Silence

My little brother sent me an email a few days ago, he asked a number of interesting questions, which I thought I would share with you all.

What Is Meditation?
Meditation is the art of silencing the mind. The art of living in the here and now.

Can I Benefit From Learning Meditation?
I think everyone can benefit from learning to meditate. It can enhance your life by;

• improving your concentration,
• reducing stress,
• alleviating anxiety,
• and helping you to gain a deeper understanding of your inner self.

Personally I love meditating, my inner turmoil floats away. The troubles of the world don't seem to drag me down as much.

Where do I start?
Learning to mediate takes practice, yet benefits can be seen early in the process.
I don't think learning to meditate has an ending, it's a journey, not a destination. Like most things in life you get out what your willing to put in. With meditation I find this to be doubly so.

Before you can mediate you first must learn to concentrate. Our minds are busy places, you need to learn to quiet the chatter. The first step is learning to focus on one thing.

Learning to Concentrate
Concentration Tip 1: Try placing a small dot on the wall, sit comfortably and focus on the dot. Don't get annoyed with yourself if you get distracted. Notice what distracted you, then place your focus back on the dot.

The same thing can be achieved with the flame of a candle or any other object. Practice this until you can easily concentrate on one thing.

Concentration Tip 2: Another method is repeating a word or phrase to yourself. Traditionally these words or phrases are known as mantras. Use of a mantra encourages the mind to focus on just one thought.
When you find your mind wandering, gently try to refocus your attention back to your mantra.
Practice this until you can easily concentrate on just your word or phrase.

Note: I know people who try to focus on their breathing. Personally I don't like this method, because I can control my breathing. Therefore instead of learning to concentrate, I learn to change my breathing patterns.

Conclusion
It may take a couple of weeks to be able to consistently think about one thing, but when you do you'll be amazed with the results.

Once you have learned to concentrate on one thing, you will find a natural progression into silencing your mind. This will take time, so first concentrate on learning concentration!

The following YouTube video has a good explanation on how to meditate.

I hope this helps you begin your journey into meditation. Have fun...

Thank You for the Song of the Day

My song of the day's words really make me think, I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do:

Thank You
By: Alanis Morissette

How bout getting off of these antibiotics
How bout stopping eating when I'm full up
How bout them transparent dangling carrots
How bout that ever elusive kudo

Thank you India
Thank you terror
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you frailty
Thank you consequence
Thank you thank you silence

How bout me not blaming you for everything
How bout me enjoying the moment for once
How bout how good it feels to finally forgive you
How bout grieving it all one at a time

Thank you India
Thank you terror
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you frailty
Thank you consequence
Thank you thank you silence

The moment I let go of it was
The moment I got more than I could handle
The moment I jumped off of it was
The moment I touched down

How bout no longer being masochistic
How bout remembering your divinity
How bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out
How bout not equating death with stopping

Thank you India
Thank you providence
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you nothingness
Thank you clarity
Thank you thank you silence

yeah yeah
ahh ohhh
ahhh ho oh
ahhh ho ohhhhhh
yeaahhhh yeahh

Changing The Song Of The Day

Google has announced that it's preparing fingerprinting on Youtube videos in September. Therefore I'm no longer going to represent my "Song of the Day" with a youtube video.
If I don't stop embedding them now I will have broken links everywhere by September.

It's ridiculous, when I think about it. The music publisher's and other company's are getting free advertising...

From now on the "Song of the Day" will just contain the lyrics, and perhaps a link.
I really apologise for not being able to represent the artists music the way it's meant to be heard.

Don't Forget The Sunscreen

Today's song of the day is one of my all time favourite pieces of music: Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen).

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
By: Baz Luhrmann

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

Dance and Sing

In our home the phrase "Dance and Sing" gets used on a regular basis. Without delving into a deep philosophical discussion, it can be hard to explain exactly what this means.

Today however, I stumbled across a short animation called "Music & Life". Animated by the people who bring you 'South Park'.
It highlights some of the philosophical thinking of a man named Alan Watts.

This animation brings home to me some of the meaning captured by the phrase "Dance and Sing". I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Watching Dragonball Online

Daz just found me the coolest link. I had to share it with any other Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, fans out there:
DragonBall Stream

All of the Dragonball television series are awesome. I love animé in general. Yet there is something particularly special about Dragonball. It really draws me into the story, the characters are so real, and alive.

I don't ever have to suspend belief that Goku is really Goku the Super Saiyan. These characters are real. They are not actors that will go and play another role. I am never going to see Goku acting in another television show. He doesn't exist outside of the Dragonball shows. He IS Goku.

In animé this is the case with all of the characters. They only exist in the world of animation. I like real characters I find acting very hard to watch. I can read what the actors are really saying, it's just not real. Yet animé is real, and it always be.

Something A little bit Different

When I was a child my favourite show was HR Pufnstuf. I also really enjoy listening to Mama Cass Elliot. Therefore the song of the day is sung by: Cass Elliot - Different

Different
By Cass Elliot

(Spoken)
Boss Witch: Just don't stand there you dum dums, let's get this show on the road, C'mon!
Heimrich: Ja wohl, I vill start de music!
Boss Witch: Play Heimrich!
Heimrich: Ja, groovy!

(Sung by Witch Hazel)
When I was smaller, and people were taller,
I realized that I was different,
I had a power that set me apart.

I learned to take it, to use it, to make it,
it's not so bad to be different -
to do your own thing
and do it with heart.

Different is hard,
different is lonely,
different is trouble, for you only.
Different is heartache,
different is pain,
but I'd rather be different than be the same!

At first I'd wonder, what hex I was under.
What did I do to be so different?
Then I discovered some others like me.

Wonder no longer, together we're stronger.
It's not so bad to be different,
be true to yourself -
that's what you must be!

Different is hard,
different is lonely,
different is trouble, for you only.
Different is heartache,
different is pain,
but I'd rather be different than be the same!