Takin it back.

The Right MasterCard Commercial

Amount spent each year in Europe and the United States on pet food: $17 billion

Cost per year to achieve basic health and nutrition for the entire world: $13 billion

Amount spent on perfumes each year: $12 billion

Clean water for all the world: $9 billion

Amount spent on cosmetics in the US: $8 billion

Basic education for the world’s children: $6 billion

Total amount the US spends on Christmas each year: $450 billion (or 16 years worth of food, water, and education for the world)

Initial cost of the US Government bailout of failing financial institutions: $700 billion (or 25 years worth of food, water, and education for the world)

Coming to grips with the alarming disconnects of our consumerist society: Priceless

Using regular playing cards

HEARTS Ace: Has to do with one's home or environment. Could represent a visit or a change of address King: Represents an influencial man, someone who has the power or ability to do something good for the querent. Queen: A trusted woman. Someone knowledgeable and faithful. One who always plays fair. Jack:A good friend to the querent, someone close, a cousin or confidant, someone they have known since childhood or for a long time. 10:A good card: means good luck, can counteract bad cards around it. 9:Harmony. Often called the Wish Card. If surrounded by bad cards, these can represent obstacles that need to be dealt with in order to get the fulfillment of the wish. 8:An event, a celebration, a party/bash..etc. Somesort of ceremony that is already in the works..or is being planned. 7:A card of disappointent. Usually indicates a partner or other person failing to keep their promises. If this card comes up when dealing with some sort of plan, expect that the other person will back out. 6:Warning card. Someone may try to take advantage of the querent. Also..the querent is being too generous to somebody and not getting anything in return. They are being used. 5:Indecisiveness: The querent's inability to make up his/her mind on a subject. A tendency to make and break plans with others. 4:The bachelor or old maid card. This card represent someone who is too fussy in their selection of a partner. Someone who, by their picky nature, is destined to remain alone. 3:An unwise decision, made in haste and without proper background information. 2:Success, often beyond the querent's expectations. If bad cards surround..there may be delays in reaching the goal. CLUBS Ace:Indicates wealth, fame...having many friends or acquaintances. Feeling well known and being able to receive certain perks due to good looks or social status. King:Represents a very good friend. A lifelong companion, someone who can be trusted and counted on during times of need and sorrow. Queen:Represents a wife or girlfriend in long term relationship for a man. For a woman, represents a sister or good friend, someone who shares a lot of knowledge about the querent. Jack:Represents a good friend, one who uses a lot of flattery, but only to make the other person feel better. Someone who is good at cheering the querent up. 10:A card of happiness and good fortune. Can also represent a long and fun-filled journey. 9:Trouble: Represents arguments with good friends. A loss of a relationship, a dispute that will remain unresolved. 8:A sense of desperation. An urgent need for money. 7:A card of good luck, if other favorable cards are around. Success if there is not interference from the opposite sex. 6:A partnership card. Success based on mutual goals and friendship. 5:A marriage card, or the beginning of a long standing alliance. 4:A danger card, showing misfortune or failure. Supposed friends getting in the way, or turning against the querent. 3:A sign of a second marriage or even a third. Or an engagement with someone, then a marriage with another, after a friendly separation. 2:Bad luck. Being let down by those around. Opposition from friends and family. Do not count on others. DIAMONDS Ace:an important message. A letter or package/gift arriving, the contents of which are very important. King:A bitter rival, a dangerous competitor, for women it can mean an abusive man or a deceitful lover. Queen:A flirtatious woman, one who will interfere in plans. Gossipy, very attractive to males..able to get away with things and interfere in situations. Jack:A bringer of bad news. A selfish person. Not dangerous to male querents, but problems for a female one. 10:Money. Money being the driving force of a journey or partnership. Greed. 9:Adventure: A move in the hopes of advancement. 8:Country life, travel and marriage late in life. The querent's life is too hectic at the moment..a need to settle down and get away..but being unable to do so at the present time. 7:Bad luck on an enterprise or idea. A man who is unreliable, a gambler or drinker. 6:An early marriage, but an unhappy one..and one not destined to last. A second marriage would also be unhappy. 5:Prosperity, long enduring friendship. Pride in family. Success with children. 4:Quarrels: Forgotten or neglected friends and family. Situations that have been brewing and now come to a head. 3:A card of disputes and quarrels. Lawsuits, legal actions. A sign of separation or divorce. 2:A serious love affair, resulting in a marriage or interfering with one depending on surrounding cards. SPADES Ace: Bad news, loss of someone close, possible death to someone near, or an illness, miscarriage, etc. King:A man who will cause problems in marriage or relationships. One who will get in the middle, divide and conquer..and then destroy. Queen:A cruel woman, one who interferes. For women, a betrayal by a good friend. For men, a woman who will use them for their own gain. Jack:A person who hangs around and gets in the way. Not a bad person, but a lazy person. One who will get in the way of progress. Takes and takes, but does not give back anything. 10:A very unlucky card. If near a good card, it can cancel it out. If found with bad cards, makes them twice as bad. 9:The worst card of all: Illness, loss of money, or misery. Even among the best of cards. Defeat, lack of success: 8:False friends, traitors, someone who will betray. Most of the trouble can be avoided if caught early on. Examine all relationships closely. 7:Sorrow and quarrels. Avoid arguments with friends. Let them "win" for now. 6:Much planning but little result. Hard work, without much profit. Discouragements. 5:Success in business or love, after much time and hard work. 4:Minor misfortune: A short illness, a temporary setback. 3:Unhappiness: Misfortune in love or marriage. A loss of pride and hope. Do not dwell, move on in life. 2:A complete and forced change. Sudden change of location, relationship or a death. Bound to make a big difference in the coming months. GENERALLY:
HEARTS: Emotional, symbols of pain and suffering. CLUBS: Friends, relationships. DIAMONDS: Difficulties, money problems. SPADES: Warnings.

Cosmic Voyage

Deep Breathing

Deep Breathing Exercise 2-3 times per day. Here’s how:

• Empty your lungs completely by pulling in your stomach while you exhale.
• Take a deep breath in.
• Hold for twice as long as it took to breathe it in.
• Exhale for 4 times as long as it took to breath it in.
• Do this 10 times.
• Enjoy the rejuvenation!

Weekly Exercise Regimen

Monday

• Deep Breathing Exercise (Morning, Afternoon, Evening).
• 30 minutes Walking at brisk pace.
• 5-10 minutes stretching.
• One balance pose.

Tuesday

• Deep Breathing Exercise (M,A,E).
• 45-60 minutes Yoga.

Wednesday

• Deep Breathing Exercise (M,A,E).
• 30 minutes walking with alternating 3 minute power bursts/3 minute moderate pace.
• 5-10 minutes stretching.
• One balance pose.

Thursday

• Deep Breathing Exercise (M,A,E).
• 30-60 minutes Pilates.

Friday

• Deep Breathing Exercise (M,A,E).
• 30 minutes walking.
• 5-10 minutes stretching.
• One balance pose.

Saturday

• Deep Breathing Exercise (M,A,E).
• 30 minutes walking.
• 20 minutes strength training.
• 5-10 minutes stretching.
• One balance pose.

Sunday

• Deep Breathing Exercise (M,A,E).
• 45-60 minutes Yoga

5 easy pieces

5 easy pieces to piecing together your purpose in life

In the film Five Easy Pieces starring Jack Nicholson, the main character played by him, works in an oil field for many years after failing to achieve the dream of being a pianist; a dream which his parents created for him. Throughout the film, Jack’s character Robert Dupea doesn’t really know what he’s supposed to do with his life. He keeps running from his fears, his family, and from his past.

Figuring out what you were put on this Earth to do can sometimes be like putting together a jigsaw puzzle when the pieces are spread around the world. Some people don’t complete their puzzle because they often don’t have the patience, desire, or they’re just fearful. However, the five pieces needed to complete the puzzle of your life’s purpose are actually quite easy to find.

Here are the five easy pieces to piecing together your purpose in life.

1. Recognizing your talents and passions

This is probably the easiest and most common way for people to discover their purpose in life. So we’ll start off with it.

Following you talents and passions will lead to fulfillment, happiness, and even money to pay the bills (or even a lot more). Natural born or acquired talents, it doesn’t matter; you were given them by someone or something for a reason.

To discover more about your passions and talents, think of:

- What makes you cry with joy.

- What makes you and others smile.

- What people sincerely say you’re good at.

- What makes you and others laugh.

- What keeps you up all night because you’re so fired up about it.

2. Look to your past

It’s difficult sometimes to reflect on our pasts. There are plenty of events I would like to erase from my memory, but I think it’s foolish to do so. Instead, we should use it to move us forward and to make sense of where we are now.

Looking to our pasts to get a sense of our purpose has its own puzzle pieces:

- What circumstances were born into?

Perhaps you were born into poverty. Then your purpose may be to rise above impoverished surroundings and to lead others by example.

- What major mistakes and vices did you parents battle?

Were they abusive, addicted to drugs/alcohol, or did they engage is something else destructive? Well your purpose is not to continue the cycle. You have to break free and again, lead by example.

- What have you failed at?

Failure should never be permanent. It’s only there to separate those who want something more than those who don’t. If a failure of something affected you so much that you couldn’t stop thinking about it, then your purpose is to get back in the game, approach it differently and succeed.

- Who affected you the most in a positive way?

Was it a teacher, author, actor, director, a president, or a local hero? If they changed your life, then perhaps you should carry on their mission as well.

3. There are 4 purposes that unite us all:

1. Be as happy as possible.

2. Live life the way you desire.

3. Change the lives of others. (It often doesn’t take as much as you think)

4. Leave the world a little better than when we were born into it.

And yes to all the negative Nancys and Neds: not everyone will fulfill these purposes, but everyone can.

4. Be open to multiple purposes

Many of us have multiple purposes, but often we have one main mission in life, and then other smaller reasons for existing. Perhaps someone is supposed to be a great parent, but also change the world in another way.

Other times, two different purposes can form into a larger one. I’ve been told that I was pretty good at writing and I should think about turning it into a career, but I always brushed it off. One thing I always wanted to do was change the world. So I decided one day to just combine the two and change the world through my talent of writing.

Our purposes can also vary depending on our age. Commonly it’s materialistic in nature when we’re younger, but not so much when we get older.

This leads me to the fifth piece of the puzzle…

5. Find out what your purpose in the now is

What you’re on this Earth to do today is more important than what your purpose later in life is. Today is guaranteed, tomorrow isn’t.

If you think your purpose it to share your art with the world, then start today! If you feel you’re supposed to be a social entrepreneur, then get going now! You may find something that’ll give your life meaning until the end.

We wait for the perfect moment, but it doesn’t exist. Concentrate on your purpose for today, tomorrow, next month, and for the next few years at the most. Life is now, not tomorrow.

Thar She Blows

A 56-foot, 60-ton sperm whale died on a beach in Taiwan in January, 2004. Researchers wanted the carcass to perform an autopsy and for research, so they loaded the whale onto a tractor-trailer and set out through the city of Tainan, heading for the Shi-Tsau Natural Preserve. It took 13 hours, three cranes and 50 workers to get the whale loaded on the truck. Unfortunately, on the way through the city, gasses built up to a critical level in the whale and it exploded, spewing whale guts in the street, on the cars and over pedestrians. According to witnesses, the smell was pretty bad. Residents and shop owners put on masks and tried to clean up the mess. Eventually the whale continued it's journey to the research center.









When I sent this picture to my friend, Richard, he said "...I initially thought a motorcyclist had exploded. But then I noticed the subtle background-whale"