LOVELIGHT

magazine

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June 2009***Vol. 3, no. 6

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Managing Editors: Adamaria Francis and a franciscan Taoist

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Special thanks to, and public acknowledgment of, the following contributors to this issue: Barbara Baty, Jim Dwyer, Maureen Dwyer, Albert Einstein, Christine Finer, The Funny Times, Sandra Grubb, Barbara Siler, and Alma Turner

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LOVELIGHT MAGAZINE: WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT

Lovelight magazine is free, coming to your inboxscreen monthly, to announce the beauty of Love! And we love to laugh!:) So, if you discover any good chuckles, please send them along!:) But no bigoted, prejudiced, scatological, geruntological, low-quality, or poor-taste humor, please.

Still, life is not all laughs. So, we hope also to share happy thoughts. Lovelight wants to promote harmony among all people, all over the world, and to aid you to feel good!:) If you are working on any religious, psychological, or spiritual issues, we encourage you to read the ezine, and to write to us at rmfrancis@juno.com

Also, if you come across any wise or touching pieces, not copyrighted, fairly short, please share them with us! Also welcome are good jokes, practical tips, short pieces on personal philosophies, interesting facts, wordplays, and general spirituality (but no "preachy" dogma, please.:). We reserve the right to make whatever changes we deem necessary or desirable before inclusion in Lovelight.

A subscription is free. As a subscriber, your email name/address will not be shared. Please share, send, or copy, this magazine, or any parts of it. Share it as widely as possible, with all your friends, and all others. Please use it on your websites and bulletinboards. Please photocopy, email, or snailmail any parts of it to others. Also, please have friends send us their emailaddress and subscribe. Subscriptions are free.

This is "light" reading. And it is also great, fun reading. A collection of magazines is produced once a year. We have published four volumes (2004-2007), and this would make a sweet gift for a loved one. Happy reading!:)

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SNICKERS, GIGGLES, AND SNORTS: HUMORTHERAPY

FUNPUNS, sent in by Sandra Grubb

Pun Intended
 1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was
 Sir Cumference.  He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but
 it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class
 because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a
 little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll
 still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited
 for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result
 in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race.  They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow.  Fruit flies like a banana.

11 A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall.  The
 police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. 
One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go
 on a-head.'

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger.  Then
 it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said:
 'Keep off the Grass.'

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a
 hospital.  When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he
 was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. It's not that the man did not know how to juggle,
 he just didn't have the balls to do it.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a
 small medium, at large. 

20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is
 now a seasoned veteran.

21. A backward poet writes in-verse.

22. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In
 feudalism it's your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of
 religion.

24. Don't join dangerous cults, practice safe sects!

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THOSE DAM BUILDERS, sent in by Barbara Baty

This is an actual letter regarding a pond on some country-property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of  Pennsylvania: .

Dear Mr. DeVries: 

It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property.  You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:    
Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.    
A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department's files show that no permits have been issued.  Therefore, you are in violation of the Inland  Lakes and Streams Act… The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.  We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel.  All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2007. Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff.  Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action….

Sincerely, 

District Representative and Water Management Division.

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Here is the response sent back by Mr. DeVries:

Dear Mr. Price, 

I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at  2088 Dagget Lane…. .  
A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood 'debris' dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond.  While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials "debris."  
I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic. 

These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking.   As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity. 

 My first dam question to you is: 
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or 
(2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?... 

 I have several concerns.  My first concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation?  The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.  The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect.   In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.   

If you want the stream 'restored' to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, being unable to read English.  

So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2007? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then, and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them…. 

 Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office. 

THANK YOU,  
RYAN   DEVRIES 
AND THE DAM BEAVERS

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BEAUTY IN THE MIND OF THE BEHOLDER: A MINIPARABLE, sent in by Barbara Baty 

A stranger offered to buy an old barn. I said that he was crazy. He was  a city-slicker. He saw the filthy, rundown thing as beautiful. Sure, it was handsome in its day. But then, there's been a lot of winters pass since then. And the  summer sun's beat down till all the paint's gone, and the wood is silvergray. Now it leans, looking tired. I stood there, gazing at it.

The stranger said that he planned to use the lumber in a home he's building, for you couldn't get paint that  beautiful. Only  years of bearing  the storms and
scorching sun can produce beautiful barnwood. We're like that. Only it's on the inside that the beauty grows with us.

Sure, we turn silvergray too. But the good Lord, and nature, know what they're doing. And as the years pass, they're busy using the "hard weather" of our lives, to do a magnificent job of beautifying our Souls. This is that "miracle" nothing else can  produce. And to think how often people scream and shout because they want life easy!

They took the old barn down and hauled it  away to  beautify a rich man's house. And someday you and I'll be hauled off too. We will fly into Heaven, into the Milky Way, to take on whatever chores the good Lord has for us. And we'll be more beautiful!

May there be peace within you today. May you trust God (Love) that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

And we do sincerely Thank God (Love) for our wonderful friends and
families who care about us even though we show signs of weathering.

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A SPIRITUAL CONSPIRACY, sent in by Barbara Siler; the author is unknown

On the surface, there are war and violence; and things seem dark. But, quietly, at the same time, something else is happening out of sight, "underground." An interior revolution is taking place, and we are all being called to a higher Light. It is a silent revolution, from the inside out. It is happening from the ground up. This is a Global operation, a Spiritual Conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation. You won't see us on tv. You won't read about us in the newspaper. You won't hear about us on the radio. We refuse to give in to organizations, repeating the same mistake that gave rise to orthodoxy.
We don't seek any personal attention; we are not in it for the ego. We don't wear any uniform. We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles. Most of us work anonymously. We are quietly working behind the scenes. We are working out Love—the very highest that we can know—as individuals, not orgs.

We live in every country and culture. We are working in cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes, and remote islands
You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice. We go undercover. We remain behind the scenes. It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit, but simply that the work gets done.
Occasionally we spot each other in the street. We give a quiet nod and continue on our way. During the day, many of us have "normal" jobs. But behind the "false storefront," at night, is where much of the real work takes place.

We are slowly creating a "new world" with our minds and hearts. We live with passion and joy. Our "orders" come from within, from the Center, from spiritual intelligence. We are dropping soft, secret "Lovebombs" when no one is looking.

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents. Be the change you want to see in the world. We know that this is the only Way that real transformation takes place! We know that, quietly and humbly, we have the Power of all the oceans combined. Our work is slow and meticulous like the formation of mountains. It is not even visible at first glance.

Love is the new religion of the 21st century. You don't have to be a highly educated person, or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it. It comes from the intelligence of the heart, embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings. Nobody else can do it for you! We are now recruiting!
Perhaps you will join us! Or already have. All are welcome. The door is open.

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NEWS OF THE WEIRD, from the Funny Times:

Questionable Judgment:

A high school student in Oakton, VA, was suspended for two weeks when she inadvertently brought birthcontrol pills to school (her prescription which was approved by her mother). It was only then (with two weeks off to research it) that she discovered that, in comparison, county rules required only one week’s suspension for bringing heroin to school. Officials told the Washington Post that birthcontrol pills are particularly objectionable because they countermand the school system’s “abstinence-only” sexeducation classes.

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QUOTATIONS FROM AL

"We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality."– Albert Einstein

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"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice."– Albert Einstein

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GREED: A HIDEOUS FEARDISEASE

Whenever there is an interaction that involves more than a few cents, chances are good that greed will show its ugly face. One of the greatest examples of how greed leads to fraud is the modern housing crisis. During this nightmare, greedy lenders lent to greedy borrowers. The result was a hideous national and international economic disaster never before seen inn this world. It ruined the country, and the entire planet.

For greed is a nightmare plague. It always ruins all those who practice and embrace it. Inevitably, it destroys them. For greed dissolves everything good, within the individual and the society. For greed is the feeble service of fear. It is an illness related to phobias or terrors. It makes one hypervigilant, so that she can never fully relax, and leads to other serious psychological disorders. For, in terms of spiritual psychology, it is the service of the "devil."

Whenever big bucks are involved, behind the scenes you will almost always discover greed and its "family"-- dishonesty, corruption, sexual games, lying, theft, gossip, persecution, and even murder.

During this time, for example, commercial groups promised almost everything—from dreamvacations to dreamhomes—but delivered almost nothing. They offered "consumer paradise" while, at the very same time, making sure that people would end up in "hell." The only reason that these appeals ever worked at all is that some were poor, desperate, and irresponsible—which made them greedy; the greedy fed on the greedy, like sharks smelling blood.

Greed is a disease whose major symptom is exclusive concern for yourself; for the greedy cares nothing about other people, forgetting the community, and the planet. For the price of greed is Love: You must throw Love from your heart to "make room" for greed. The two cannot, and will not, coexist. Paying Love to cultivate selfish greed is analogous to trading pure gold for clumps of mud. So, in thee end, the "successful" greedy person is left with a Loveless life. No worse condition is imaginable!

Especially in real estate, greed has proliferated wildly. But now, even the greedleaders, commercial enterprises, are junking and abandoning the old argument, "Get everything, and get it yesterday, for you deserve it." Far from leading to increased selfesteem, this argument has led to the slippery slopes of "hell." Now, these same companies and commercial institutions are pretending to "rescue" you from "your own ignorance"—the pretty greedy "yellow brick road" down which they led everyone. Now, they are discussing "debtconsolidation," "free creditreports," and "cash for gold"—much too little, much too late.

Consumer dollars are no longer being widely spent on gourmet coffee and designerjeans. Instead, Americans are more wisely looking towards savings, "bargain" prices," ebay, and yardsales. This is good, because it supports a desperately-needed recyclingeffort.

Although things might be improving, there is still fraud everywhere, from real estate to commercials about diet-products or diets that are worthless. And when a fraud is finally caught, and sent to prison, she is immediately replaced by another. So, "the beat goes on."

What is needed are not more prisons, but more people who truly love themselves, opening the gates to love, and care for, others. We need to work to transform ourselves.
We need to take away all our "faith" from the false god of greed, and place all our faith in Love. Love seems dreamy and ephemeral, and gold seems real and solidly reliable. But millions of jobs and retirement plans have evaporated almost instantly, and all those whose faith was in gold have been terrified and confused by fear. But those who love, and have faith in, Love still stand strong, surrounded by family and friends, and secure about the future.

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SO MUCH MORE THAN SLICK: BENEFITS OF WD40, sent in by Jim Dwyer

…Someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck. He [the owner]… was trying to figure out what to do…. Another neighbor told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job…. I'm impressed! WD-40! Who knew?

[WD40 stands for] "Water Displacement #40." [It] began from a search for a rust preventive solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953... They were successful with the fortieth formulation….

There is nothing in WD-40 that [can] hurt you.

When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as [on] glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop…. It's now shinier than… ever. You'll be amazed!

Here are some other uses: Protects silver from tarnishing***Removes road tar and grime from cars***Cleans and lubricates guitar strings***Gives floor's that "just-waxed" sheen without making it slippery***Keeps flies off cows***Restores and cleans chalkboards***Removes lipstick stains***Loosens stubborn zippers***Untangles jewelry chains***Removes stains from stainless steel sinks***Removes dirt and grime from barbecue grill***Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing***Removes tomato stains from clothing***Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors***Keeps scissors working smoothly***Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and homes***Removes black scuff marks and tar from kitchen floor. Remember to open windows if you have a lot.***Removes Bug guts from car***Gives a child's slide a shine***Lubricates gearshift and mower deck lever***Rids rocking chairs, swings of squeaks***Lubricates tracks in sticking windows***Makes it easier to open and close umbrellas***Restores and cleans vinyl bumpers***Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles***Stops squeaks in electric fans***Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles***Lubricates fanbelts on washers/dryers***Keeps rust from saws***Removes grease on stoves***Keeps mirrors from fogging***Lubricates prosthetic limbs***Keeps pigeons away***Removes all traces of ductape***Relieves arthritis pain***Removes "lovebugs"***Protects Statue of Liberty***Attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on lures***Use it for fire ant bites***Removes crayon***Displaces moisture on distributor cap and allows car to start.

NOTE: Its major ingredient is fishoil.

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BEESTINGS, sent in by Barbara Baty

This might be something to remember, as the summer season will soon be here again.  It might be wise to carry a penny in your pocket while working in the yard.

I was stung by both a bee and a hornet. My arm swelled up, so I went to the doctor. He gave me cream and an antihistamine. The next day, the swelling got worse, so I went to my regular doctor.

The arm was infected and needed an antibiotic. The doctor said, "The next time you get stung, put a penny on the bite for fifteen minutes."

That night, my niece was stung by two bees. The bite had started to swell. So, we taped a penny to her arm. [We left it there] for fifteen minutes. The next morning, there was no sign of a bite.

Soon, I got stung, twice by a hornet. I promptly taped two pennies to the bites. It took the sting out immediately.

The hornets attacked again, and my friend was stung. Again the penny. The next morning I could see only the spot; No redness, no swelling. Couldn't even tell where she had been stung.

She got stung again, a few days later. And the penny worked again.

The doctor said that the copper in the penny counteracts the bite.
It definitely works!

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I'VE LEARNED by Andy Rooney, sent in by Jim Dwyer

That the best classroom is being with an elderly person.***That when you're in love, it shows.***That just one person saying, "You've made my day," makes my day.***That being kind is more important than being right.***That Everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.***That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.***That simple walks with my father when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.***That the closer life gets to the end, the faster it goes.***That we should be glad life doesn't give us everything we ask for.***That money doesn't buy class.***That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.***That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.***That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.***That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting her continue to hurt you.***That Love, not time, heals all wounds.***That the easiest way for me to grow is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.***That everyone deserves a smile.***That no one is perfect until you fall in love with her.***That life is tough, but I'm tougher.***That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.***That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.***That I wish I could have told my Dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.***That one should keep his words sweet, soft, and tender, because tomorrow he might have to eat them.***That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.***That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occur while you're in the valley, or climbing the mountain.***That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

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HOW MANY GALAXIES?, sent in by Barbara Baty

How many galaxies are there?  The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) site estimates that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. A recent German supercomputer simulation estimates that the number might be as high as 500 thousand million!  Several hundred new ones have only recently been photographed.  Wow, I wonder how many more are out there in the Great Beyond!

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BUZZARD, BATS, AND BUMBLEBEES, sent in by Jim Dwyer

THE BUZZARD: If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and
 is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its
 ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is
 that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a
 run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit,
 it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner
 for life in a small jail with no top.

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THE BAT: The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable
 nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level
 place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it
 can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully,
 until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can
 throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like
 a flash.

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THE BUMBLEBEE: A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the
 means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find
 some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will
 seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys
 itself.

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PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and  frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That's the answer, the escape route and the solution
 to any problem!   Just look up. Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith
Looks up!

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BEWARE SOME CARROTS, sent in by Chris Finer

http://www.snopescom/food/tainted/carrots.asp

The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc.

The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or  deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots. Most people probably know this already.

But what you might not know and should know is the following: Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots, they are dipped in a solution of water and  chlorine in order to preserve them. (This is the same chlorine
used in your pool.). 
    Since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, the [preparers] give them a higher dose of chlorine. You will notice  that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will  form on the carrots. This is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables? [Chlorine is a very well-known carcinogen (causes Cancer).]

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EXTRAORDINARY FOODS, sent in by Alma Turner

[NOTE: This is adapted from a New York Times Article, "The 11 Best Foods You Are Not Eating", on June 30, 2008 by
Tara Parker-Pope.]

There are no "special" or "magical" foods. However, the best way to ingest supplements, vitamins, and minerals is in and through nutritious foods.

Please enjoy at least some of the following foods on occasion, or regularly: 

Beets for folate and natural red pigments that might be cancer fighters. Raw or steamed.***Frozen blueberries can be found year-round. Might help memory according to some animal studies. Great with yogurt and crushed almonds as a dessert, or on waffles, etc.***cabbage contains health-supporting enzymes. As slaw or topping.***Swiss chard, a leafy green that helps protect aging eyes. Chop and sauté in (olive) oil.***Cinnamon might help control blood sugar and cholesterol. On oatmeal and with hot beverages.**Pomegranate juice might lower blood pressure and is loaded with antioxidants. Mix with other juices.***Dried plums (yes, prunes) are packed with antioxidants. Good stewed, on cereal or salad.***Canned pumpkin is a low-calorie, high-fiber immune-booster with vitamin A. Great with butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg.***Pumpkin seeds provide magnesium, and zinc (helpful to males). Roast and sprinkle on salad.***Sardines are especially high in omega-3’s, are mercury-free, high in calcium, iron & other minerals, and boast a full complement of B vitamins. Best packed in olive or sardine oil.***Tumericc is one of the most nutritious spices, with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer properties. Mix with scrambled eggs or veggie dishes.

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MONKEYMIND VS. STILLMIND

It is, and is meant to be, very funny.:) It is a term used by some Eastern teachers of meditation. It is a description of the mind in its usual undisciplined, chaotic state.

It is "monkeymind." It calls to mind images of monkeys swinging, running, and darting around. They can be very playful, and there is a place for them. But one can never get much done, in the pursuit of meditation, when her "monkeymind" is activated. Just imagine trying to teach a hyperkinetic chimp, who wants only to play, the subtle art of quiet meditation.:) For monkeymind is also very frenetic, unfocused, and bouncing quickly from one topic to another.

This is your, and my, mind in the disordered, disorganized state in which it is being relentlessly bombarded by a hundred thousand competing messages. Some of them are important, but most are just "noisy or fuzzy static." The brain must continuously sort through these, deleting some and preserving others.

Focus, attention, and concentration fly right out the window, and we can be swamped with "overload." So, for the serious student of the Way, monkeymind is no small challenge!:)

It is continuously reinforced by commercial messages, on radio, tv, utube, and other sources. Thus, the bombardment. Yet, we all long for periods of silence; despite the very best and fastest comtech,[1] moments of stillness are still very welcome. For it is possible to lose all that is "human" in the infotech explosion; and we might also lose that which is superhuman.

At a recent time, we were not so "techobsessive." We enjoyed many quiet moments, "unplugged" from society. We had time to "stop and smell the roses." But now, we must "schedule in" these beautiful moments of nondistraction.

Here is a great idea: If your life seems so kinetic and frenetic that your deeper stillness is threatened, and your spirituality (Love) is being challenged, why not "schedule" into your day about fifteen minutes for nothing but the practice of stillness? A mind without too much content is a peaceful mind. And only a peaceful mind can receive or give Love.

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MENTAL FENG SHUI, sent in by Maureen Dwyer

This is one of the nicest "good luck" forwards I have received. Hope it works for you -- and me!

There's some fine advice in these words, even if you're not superstitious. This Lotus Touts has been sent to you for good luck It has been sent around the world ten times so far. Do not keep this message.

1. Give people more than they expect; and do it cheerfully.***2. Marry a man/woman to whom you love to talk. As you get older, her conversational skills will be increasingly important.***3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.***4. When you say, "I love you," mean it.***5. When you say, "I'm sorry," be sincere and honest.***6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.***7. Believe in love at first sight.***8. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.***9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.***10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.***11. Don't judge people by their relatives.***12. Talk slowly but think quickly.***13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"***14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.***15. Say "Bless you," when you hear someone sneeze, and at other times.***16. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.***17. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.***18. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.***19. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.***20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.***21. Spend some time alone, once in a while.

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WHAT IS LOVE?, based upon an article sent in by Barbara Baty

"Love" is abused more than any other word. We say, for example, "My dog loves his new dogfood.". It is the least understood of any concept in the totality of philosophy. Yet newborns or "neonates" need It, and thrive actively on It. For, when It is withdrawn, they die from a condition known as "inability to thrive." If they do live, this early absence can haunt them for the rest of their lives. The absence of love creates problems that last a lifetime. These include insecurity and loneliness. The early withdrawal of Love feels like a very deep, unsatiated hunger or thirst.

But Love is far from delicate or fragile. It can last through many of the most complex and harrowing, terrifying of "exams" and "lessons." It can survive for many thousands or even millions of years. In fact, It can grow much stronger by being challenged; each "test" makes It stronger, more durable. It is made more powerful each and every time that we give it to others, or to another.

Love arrives in many kinds or types, and in many powerlevels. The "real thing" is unconditional, and is not weakened a nanopsychon by imperfections in the beloved. It never looks for, or demands, "perfection."

All the joy is in the freely giving; so, it does not demand that the lover be loved, and never "keep score." In fact, It is much more than an emotion. It is an entire Way of life, and thus, changes everything in the lover. It is so much more than words or ideas. If It does not produce activities of kindness, goodness, compassion, generosity, and related qualities, It is not Love at all.

Love means putting the feelings/responses of others before your own. Love includes thoughtfulness, gentleness, forgiveness, and tenderness. One act of Love is worth ten million words.

"Making Love" might or might not be true Love. If it is simply "biosex," the response to hormones, it is not Love. For Love must be expressed as "psychosex" (involving the whole mind and Soul) or "pneumosex," involving, and arising from, the timeless Spirit of Love that is God/Goddess. Love is, ironically, not created by sexual gymnastics, by being a "great lover" in the technical sense. For this is just another way of gratifying the ego, and "making Love" might have nothing to do with the other. In the best sex, each tries honestly to please the other—not out of concern for reputation, but out of the overflowing of Love from the heart. Sex can be the zenith of Love, but if it is reduced to biosex, it leads to only frustration and dissatisfaction.

In fact, in relatively rare instances, the refusal to engage in careless, impulsive, or impetuous sex can express Love. Love is most often expressed in "small" acts that benefit others.

For there is no such thing as an "insignificant Love." Every act of Love is significant.

As noted, there are many kinds of Love; you do not love your neighbors in precisely the same way as you love your best and closest friends. And you do not love them in exactly the same way that you love your special and chosen Love-partner or Love-companion. And you love your grandmother in yet another way.

But cannot "Love" also hurt you? Yes, It can; and taking a "gamble" or "risk" is an indispensable aspect of true Love. For Love heals us; but It cannot do so if we refuse to allow It into our hearts.

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AQUARIUSCIIENCE: THE FUTURE IS NOW! Discoveries and Breakthroughs:

Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno Revolutions to be Explored at Convergence08

KurzweilAI.net Sep. 18, 2008

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Nano Carrier Targets Cell Sites

Technology Review Sep. 18, 2008

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A new targeted nano carrier that selectively brings a cancer-killing

drug to the mitochondria of cells has been developed by Midwestern

University College of Pharmacy and Northeastern University researchers.

They enclosed the drug ceramide in a sphere of lipids that were decorated

with a molecule known to accumulate in the...

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=9414&m=40083

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White roofs, streets could curb global warming

PhysOrg.com Sep. 17, 2008

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If the 100 largest cities in the world replaced their dark roofs with white shingles and their asphalt-based roads with concrete or other light-colored material, it could offset 44 metric gigatons (billion tons) of greenhouse gases, a study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley shows. White surfaces would also lower the cost...

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=9413&m=40083

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Microbes for Off-the-Grid Electricity

Technology Review Sep. 4, 2008

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Lebone Solutions aims to use microbial fuel cells to provide power to Africans who are off the grid. In some parts of Africa, only a small amount of energy is enough for a few hours of lamp light in the evening, or for powering the ubiquitous cell phones—something that some residents will walk five hours to a generator to do....

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=9340&m=40083

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Zen training speeds the mind's return after distraction, brain

scans reveal

PhysOrg.com Sep. 3, 2008

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Experienced Zen meditators can clear their minds of distractions (being interrupted by a word-recognition task) more quickly than novices, according to a new brain imaging study by Emory University School of Medicine researchers. "This suggests that the regular practice of meditation might enhance the capacity to limit the influence of...

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=9339&m=40083

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Fatal protein interactions may explain neurological diseases

PhysOrg.com Sep. 4, 2008

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University of California, San Diego, and San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) researchers have investigated how proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease interact to form unique complexes. Their findings explain why Alzheimer's patients might develop Parkinson's, and vice versa. The new and...

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=9336&m=40083

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Massive $208 million petascale computer gets green light

Network World Sep. 2, 2008

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"Knockout" Rats Could Aid Study of Psychiatric illness

New Scientist news service Sep. 3, 2008

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Techniques pioneered 20 years ago to make "knockout" mice – animals genetically engineered so that they lack a specific gene -- can at last be applied to rats, which are more socially sophisticated than mice, and so could provide better models for psychiatric disorders, researchers at Stem Cell Sciences say....

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=9332&m=40083

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Nanotube 'longboats' slaughter cancer cells

New Scientist news service Sep. 6, 2008

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MIT researchers have attached a modified version of potent cancer

drug cisplatin and folic acid to carbon nanotubes, killing cells with

folic acid receptors more effectively than cells without them.

These receptors are most numerous on cancer cells, so the hope is that

the drug may target tumors in the body and spare healthy cells....

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=9351&m=40083

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[1] Technology of communication