Roughly the TRUTH

After getting my pants scared off by this article, a search for a Survival Guide yields some great returns…

New Yorkers need to be ready to evacuate: experts | Reuters.com

“You don’t want people in an emergency situation, a life or death situation, to do something for the first time — that’s a recipe for disaster,” said Galea, who is heading a study of the World Trade Center evacuation after the September 11 attacks.

This unsettling reminder of our vulnerabilities has motivated me to try and do a little good. With the fifth aniversary of 9/11 right around the corner, aggregating the best safety preparedness resources from around the web seems like a good idea. Five resources stand out, but many more are out there. So, without further adieu, here they are:

1) Scout’s Honor…A Guide To Safe Scouting
(Sections V.Emergency Preparedness & VI.First Aid are the most helpful)

2) In case King Kong ever shows up again in midtown…Safety Tips from NY State

3) The RAND Corporation researched and compiled this report on Preparing For Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Terrorist Attacks - They’ve also provided a nifty little PDF pocket survival guide…Saying that this would suck does it little justice

4) Kind of random, but some guy who writes the Urbach Newsletter asks, “Are You Ready for the Big One?” - There are some useful checklists and some bothersome product pitches, but all-in-all it’s a nice peice he’s written.

My Favorite:
5) Wikipedia NEEDS us to survive or it would be so lonely and empty - Here are the entries for “Survival Kit” & “Survival Skills”…buyer beware though, you never know who’s putting this stuff out there; could be the bad guys.
(The external links found at the bottoms of these two entries are required reading too; it might just mean the difference between life and death!)

That about wraps it up. Stay safe and if you know of other great resources out there, please share!

After a brief absence on the old blog, I’ve been inspired to comment on this article published today by the BBC: Anger syndrome ‘under-diagnosed’

WARNING: The first signs of this truly serious disorder appear in adolescence. The study claims that it’s not just “bad behavior,” but actually a serious biomedical problem. I agree - at least partially.

Here are some of the tell-tale signs:

To be diagnosed with IED, an individual must have had three episodes of impulsive aggressiveness which are grossly out of proportion to the situation, such as that seen in cases of road rage or domestic violence.

This not-so-unique disorder is also commonly known as: “Immaturity & Lack of Self-Control.” I’m curious to find out who actually funded this study - no doubt we will see numerous high priced prescription remedies.

But please, give me a break. When people lash out, as the study describes, there is obviously some sort of chemical imbalance occuring internally. If these people possessed some level of internal balance, they wouldn’t engage in such activities.

As a youth, I too had of bouts of ‘aggressive’ behavior - albeit there was no road rage or domestic violence involved; but I certainly had my fair share childish sparring matches. Although, by blaming this on a “disorder,” it seems to me that we are relieving individuals of any responsibility for their actions…and this is where I firmly disagree. Bad behavior is, in fact, a condition which is the result of a lack of internal discipline. Everyone goes through periods of imbalance in life; although not everyone lashes out in such ways. The difference is in how we react, and luckily we have been endowded with an ability to choose our reaction to any given set of circumstances.

Oops, I think I just lashed out

Get fit fast with the Bowflex Conquest - This thing is no joke…

I had been planning on writing this for a while now, but felt compelled to after I saw the price come all the way down to $500 with free shipping (less than half what I paid).

Have you ever seen that cheesy late night infomercial for the Bowflex? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. For the past 20 years Nautilus has led the home gym market with their ground-breaking Bowflex machine. I too was a bit skeptical, but curiosity got the better of me after figuring out how much cheaper it would be than a gym membership - even at over $1,000.

Having played football into college, being pushed in the gym is nothing new. A home gym capable of replicating an experience at one of these decked out health clubs always seemed like a dream. Fortunately, the Bowflex has permanently altered this perception. When a number of friends and family tried it out, they had to get one too. It’s sort of a strange little cult thing we have going now.

Here’s a funny video illustrating just how challenging the Bowflex can be. I can vouch; reminiscent of a Shakira performance (although evoking laughter rather than falling in love), a visiting friend who is also a former college football player once attempted this same bench press movement with identical results. Check it out:

This machine is full of great benefits; see more Bowflex user reviews on Amazon (a different model, but with identical features & functionality).

[Note: The Bowflex Conquest model on Amazon looks like it sold out already - hopefully it’ll be back soon; but in the meantime, the Bowflex Motivator 2 is on sale as well and is still a really great deal.]

UPDATE [03.23.08]
Sears has the Bowflex Xtreme Home Gym on sale for $500 (original price is $1,199) through 03/29/08. Store pickup is limited and shipping begins at $65.

Here’s a little follow up to that prior post dealing with health…looks like this could serve as a nice kickstart:

Register + Print = Free 8 Week Membership to Bally’s…enjoy!

Discovery Health Channel :: National Body Challenge 2006 :: Sign-In

How easily we forget these simple lessons from childhood. As one of my favorite authors (Stephen Covey) says, “Common sense is not common practice.” Below are three of the most fundamental rules I was just reminded of. They consistently hold true; the impact they have on your brain & body will make you think it’s magic. The guidelines are:

1) Eat well The FDA has updated their food pyramid and they now provide a custom analysis that will show you what your diet should consist of. It’s really easy and actually worth checking out…

2) Get sleep Here are some very valid reasons to catch your z’s. Remember, there’s no such thing as a good zombie…

3) Get exercise A plethora o’ fitness goodies…personally, this guy is a little more my speed.

It’s certainly not rocket science, but these three simple actions will lead to better overall performance and as they say; a sound body = a sound mind. I need to thank my old friend Schmidty for reminding of this (I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I actually forgot). Now it’s just a matter of translating this knowledge into action. Good luck and stay healthy.

Through meditation we have the ability to transcend our current state of being; going beyond what is. Through this practice we are able to experience what could be.

Essentially, if we focus our meditation on something that we’d like to achieve, we can imagine this as already existing. We can then experience the positive feelings that are associated with this state of being. Subsequently, we can work backwards from this place in our minds; imagining each step that we must take in order to achieve the desired end. This is a proactive way to cultivate the motivation needed to achieve any goal.

Note: This is only one form of meditation. Others do exist. For instance, I believe that one would use a different meditation technique in order to relax themselves. Any feedback, comments or suggestions would greatly appreciated. I am only a novice at this concept of meditation and I hope that I have not mischaracterized here. Thank you!