The Rules For Being Human! Do You Comply?

Author Unknown

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error; experimentation. The failed experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”
4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, then you can go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.
6. There is no better place than here. Where your there has become a here, you simple will contain another there that will again look better than here.
7. Others are mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. The answers lie inside you. The answers to life’s questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10. You will forget this.

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It Doesn’t Cost Much To Consult With God

Today is Good Friday and I thought it would be appropriate to write a post on spirituality.
By birth or by choice, I assume that we all belong to some religion. Even if you are not Christian/Catholic I urge you to read on. This post is not specific to a religion. Rather, it’s about my observations, on the emphasis we place on religion.

#1. God, takes a backseat in our lives
Studies, work, additional income, technology, exercise, entertainment, family and friends.... Sometimes I feel 24 hours isn’t even sufficient to cater for all these. So is it a surprise that we have no ounce of time, for enriching our lives through religion?

At the end of any day, we are so tired and can only think of sleep. I don’t know about you, but the instant I get to bed, I fall asleep! Basically, there is no time to have a conversation with God.

#2. The more knowledgeable we get, the more we question our religion.

Where knowledge ends, religion begins.
Benjamin Disraeli

When you were in kindergarten, adults would have easily persuaded you. You would buy into almost anything that was told to you with conviction. Decades later, with several graduate degrees under your name, the harder this becomes. You begin to question religion and it’s teachings. You try to make sense of religion and science. Is this right or wrong? I observed. You decide.

#3. The percentage of elderly, in a place of worship
If you even visit a place of worship, you might have noticed this yourself. The majority of people present will be elderly people. May be now that they have retired, they have time on their hands. May be they feel nearer to their deathbed and feel it is time to be closer to God. May be they don’t have any responsibilities and they are just looking for some answers. Or just may be it’s a collection of all the above. I really don’t know. What do you think?

#4. We turn to God, only when we NEED something
We cruise through life, until we come to a roadblock that’s beyond our control. Your “human power” can’t get you through that. You look for answers. You ask, “Why me Lord?”

#5. You want to be more spiritual. But……..
If you have friends or family, who are more dedicated to religion than you, you might wish that you lived a similar lifestyle. You feel guilty that you don’t. You want to change. Sometimes, you do change…But it is short lived. After a while, your busy lifestyle sneaks up on you. Again, God takes a backseat.

I am sorry if this post is too blunt. This is something that had to be said. I have to shamefully admit that all what I have said above is true, for my life. What about you?
For a long time, I wanted to change that; to give religion the center stage it deserves. From time to time I did even though it was short lived. But I still keep trying. I suppose it’s never too late to put your life through a microscope. So partly, this post was my way of giving you (and me!) a little nudge towards spirituality. Did it work?

Whatever faith you are in, have faith. Sometimes, when nothing makes sense, God will.

I would like to know...
Are these observations true for you? Do you have any more to add?
Do you make time for God in your life?
If there is something you can say to help me, or anyone else in this predicament, please leave a comment.

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End to animal testing historic agreement

A momentous decision of great historic significance has been made by three US agencies: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

On 14th February 2008 these government agencies have signed a “Memorandum of Understanding”, i.e. a legal document about an agreement among parties, aiming to end animal testing of chemicals and drugs for human use. The implementation of this ambitious plan will take years, but it is certainly an earthshattering event.

Considering that the USA is the country where the highest number of animal experiments are performed in the West (although, as always with vivisection, the exact figures are difficult to know) and the one whose scientific community has the greatest power, and also considering that these three agencies have been among the biggest funding bodies of animal testing, the news seems almost too good to be true.

But it is true. It appears that the various scientific inadequacies, best summarized in the lack of predictive value, of the animal experimentation method have finally been acknowledged by American regulatory agencies at the federal level.

Even the head of the NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute, Francis Collins, is involved in the new plan and said in reference to animal testing: “It was expensive, time-consuming, used animals in large numbers, and it didn't always work” [notice that wonderful use of the past tense].

PETA thinks that his invovement is a good sign, and adds: “…it’s going to take an intense, focused effort on the scale of the human genome project to get the job done.”

The federal agencies' new agreement is the product of work started in cooperation in 2005 by the EPA and the NTP to speed up toxicological testing. The recent, breakthrough decision was preceded last June by a study by the US National Research Council, which shows that a clear change of direction has been taking place. The study said:

“Recent advances in systems biology, testing in cells and tissues, and related scientific fields offer the potential to fundamentally change the way chemicals are tested for risks they may pose to humans. …The new approach would generate more relevant data to evaluate risks people face, expand the number of chemicals that could be scrutinised, and reduce the time, money, and animals involved in testing.”

There is a reference here to the non-animal methods which, according to the newly-announced agreement, will replace animal testing: essentially, in vitro cultures of human cells and tissues and computer-driven testing machines.

The EPA has already started evaluating 300 chemicals with the new techniques.The first phase should be finished this year, saccording to the director of the National Center for Computational Toxicology Robert Kavlok.

Thousands of chemicals can be tested at the same time by a method that uses a glass tray with 1,536 tiny wells with the width of a fraction of a millimeter. Each well holds a few hundred human cells grown in a test tube. A testing machine, guided by a computer, drips a different chemical into each well and after some time it shines a laser through each well to count the remaining cells. A computer analyzes the toxicity of each compound depending on how the cells react. All the data discovered will be put into a public database.

The agencies will begin by testing compounds previously tested on animals to confirm that the alternative tests using cells are accurate.

The best piece of news is perhaps all in this comment by Elias Zerhouni, director of the NIH. He said that animal testing won't disappear overnight, but the agencies' work signals the beginning of the end.

Carcinogens, food poisoning and meat

Cancer-causing substances

Meat contains a number of carcinogens. These include the nitrites used in meat processing, and residues of the many antibiotics routinely used in modern factory farming. Hardly surprising, then, that vegetarians have a 30% lower cancer rate than meat eaters, although carcinogens are not the only reason of this great difference in cancer incidence between the two groups.

Plant foods contain several substances which are believed to protect against cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors and others have all been shown to be potent anti-carcinogens and may play an important role in the lower cancer incidence among vegetarians.

In contrast, cooked meat and fish contains carcinogens known as heterocyclic amines (HAs). These are present at high levels in the urine of people consuming cooked meats and have been shown to be metabolically active in humans. Evidence suggests meat-derived HAs may play a role in breast, colon and pancreatic cancer (Snyderwine 1994).

Food Poisoning

Studies have demonstrated that 53% of bovine carcasses and 83% of pig carcasses were contaminated with E coli. 18% of raw chicken from Britain and 64% of imported poultry contained salmonella. In a 1996 study, more than half of UK-bred chickens purchased from retail outlets contained campylobacter.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are more than 20,000 E. coli infections from meat every year in the United States.

Meat and milk account for most of the food poisoning in Britain, some of which lethal. Bacteria, which become resistant to the antibiotics that are continually pumped into farm animals, are passed on from livestock to human consumers, along with foecal contamination. Many cows in Britain's herds are infected with mastitis, the catarrh-like discharge which is not curbed by antibiotics. British milk is among Europe's worst: a diluted solution of hormones, antibiotics and pus.

Mesothelioma and asbestos

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of malignant cancer affecting the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most internal organs of the body. The mesothelium has different names in different parts of body.

The disease’s most common forms are peritoneal mesothelioma and pleural mesothelioma. In the former, cancer cells develop in the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity.

In the latter, which is the most widespread form of mesothelioma, the affected site is the pleura, the membrane surrounding the lungs and lining the chest cavity.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, which in humans is almost invariably caused by exposure to asbestos, a material used in various sectors, in particular in the building industry. Most people (70-80 percent) who develop malignant mesothelioma have worked in jobs where they inhaled or were exposed to asbestos particles, asbestos fibres and dust.

As in all cancers, in both peritoneal mesothelioma and pleural mesothelioma cells multiply in excess and without control.

Mesothelioma prognosis is usually not good; it is a fatal disease, and death often occurs within twelve months after diagnosis.

Mesothelioma treatment exists, in the forms of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but it has not so far been successful. Mesothelioma is generally resistant to treatment.

Malignant mesothelioma and asbestos: what delayed recognizing the link?

The link between cancer and asbestos in humans became known on the basis of clinical studies in the early 20th century, so much so that the first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929.

Following this discovery, researchers extensively tried to induce cancer in laboratory animals by exposing them to asbestos. The results of animal experiments were disappointing, because the painful lesions which were produced in animals disappeared after asbestos was withdrawn, so in them, unlike in humans, the disease was not permanent.

The current prevailing paradigm of biomedical sciences is such that only tests on animals in laboratory conditions can confirm or disproof a hypothesis. This is what scientists have been trained to believe. So if, say, a correlation between a chemical substance and the development of a disease is observed in human subjects through clinical studies of patients or epidemiological studies (surveying large numbers of people), that is not considered scientific evidence until it is “validated” on some other animal species in the controlled conditions of a lab.

This reliance on animal research has had the effect that the biomedical establishment did not believe in the link between asbestos and human cancer for several decades.

In 1965 the Annals of the New York Academy of Science “reassuringly” wrote:

“…a large literature on experimental studies has failed to furnish any definitive evidence for induction of malignant tumours in animals exposed to various varieties and preparations of asbestos by inhalation or intratracheal injection”. [my emphasis]


But the human-based evidence continued to grow. Many epidemiological studies have over the years established an association between exposure to asbestos and the development of several conditions, including diffuse pleural thickening, lung cancer, carcinoma of the larynx, asbestosis, gastrointestinal tumours, peritoneal mesothelioma and pleural mesothelioma.

The link between asbestos and mesothelioma was finally accepted and led to legislation banning asbestos in many Western countries.

But it was only in the late 1970s and 1980s that this occurred. In 1989 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new uses of asbestos.

So animal tests delayed the introduction of these safety laws by several decades. This is a recurring pattern: something similar happened when animal experiments failed to confirm a connection between smoking and lung cancer in humans, and preventative measures in that area were delayed by many years.

Mesothelioma symptoms may appear as long as 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. This explains why, despite a ban on asbestos use in the West, the incidence of malignant mesothelioma is still increasing.

How To Become A Total Failure (Book Review)

In my lifetime, I think I might have read over 100 personal development books. They all promise to lead the road to success. How To Become A Total Failure - The Ten Rules of Highly Unsuccessful People (written by Bill Guillory and Phil Davis) stood out, purely because it didn’t make such claim.

The book describes in detail the habits and attitudes of unsuccessful people. It gives appropriate examples to highlight how such habits and attitudes, negatively effect their environment.

A Deeper Look At How To Become A Total Failure

Rule #1: Resist learning anything new that could lead to more responsibility
The more you learn, the more people will expect.

This chapter states the case by providing some funny yet educational examples of day-to-day life. Amongst these, is the story of how one author made French toast for breakfast! Not all examples are family related. There are a couple of stories from the corporate world as well.

All in all, these examples highlight that

• New learning, one way or the other, is unavoidable.


• We let our fear of new learning (and possibly more responsibility), lead us down a road to failure.

Rule #2: Don’t share what you know with others
Knowledge is power; don’t give away your power.

Reading this chapter I realized, as long as I am creative, I never have to worry about running out of knowledge. It also draws attention to the importance of understanding the difference between information and knowledge.

Rule #3: Be a jerk!
Jerks get what they want because decent behaviors are not expected.

Reminds us that the advantages of being a jerk are short-lived. We should focus on quality relationships; it is the interpersonal glue that holds any human endeavor together through difficulties and trying times.

Rule #4: Always look out for Number One
It’s a zero-sum game.

Sooner or later we all realize that being self-centered and looking out for number one, doesn’t take us far. Joint effort based on honesty, integrity and trust will result in value and success for everyone involved.

Rule #5: It’s all about the money
Money equals success.

All too often people let money and other perks of their position corrupt their ethical judgment. This chapter talks of Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey and what distinguishes them from all other rich and famous people.

Rule #6: Promise things you have no intention of doing
The more you promise, the more responsible you look.

Gives several examples to highlight that if you don’t keep your promises others will perceive you as unreliable and less credible.

Rule #7: It’s always someone else’s fault
Success is dependent on your ability to CYA!

We need to be willing to own the results that occur in our life; irrespective of reasons or excuses.

Rule #8: Truth is in the mind of the beholder
The truth is what benefits you most.

Being true to yourself and others, includes both honesty and truth in not only what you say but also in what you do.

Rule #9: Do the least that’s necessary for success
Be all you can be but do as little as possible.

Go beyond what’s expected to be successful in life.

Rule #10: The customer is someone you have to put up with
Customers are never satisfied no matter what you do.

Employees exist because of customers. Keeping that in mind, they need to put needs of someone else first.

My favorite excerpt

Have you every thought of the number of promises you make on a daily or weekly basis? For example, if you meet a friend you haven’t seen in months or even years, you promise to give him or her a call to set a date for lunch or a drink, when you know you have absolutely no intention of doing so. And you don’t! Why? It takes time, energy and effort, particularly, with someone who has not recently been on your radar screen. Somehow, we feel guilty about the long absence and the best way to assuage our guilt is to promise some form of follow-up contact.
The same is true for people you go to school with, worth with or, are forced to be around (like relatives). After all, you have a busy schedule; places to go, things to do, and people to see. Just think what life would be like without your cell phone. And with text messaging it makes it easy to get out of obligations you made without any telephone or direct contact.

Overall

*I like the technique of using stories to elaborate a point. In this case, the message the authors were trying to get across came through with the example stories.
* Each chapter was headed with a bold and blunt heading. I loved it! It gave me a feeling that the book had an attitude, of its own. However, the book title doesn't entice me to gift it to someone else. What would you think if someone gave you a book titled, How To Become A Total Failure as a birthday gift!
*The simplicity of the book makes it appealing to a wider audience.

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The half vegan monks who are the world's healthiest people

In Italy we have a saying which translates into English as “discovering hot water”, i.e. discovering the obvious.

The medical world has recently found, through a series of in-depth, comprehensive studies including a 10-year study, that one of the healthiest groups of people on earth eats fresh food, mostly vegetables, fruits, pulses and grains, in moderation, in a stress-free environment, within a close supportive community.

These lucky guys are the monks of Mount Athos, in Greece.

They are vegan for more than half of the year, and predominantly vegetarian the other half.

Despite their average venerable age, the 2,000 monks living in 20 ancient monasteries have virtually no heart disease, no cardiac arrests and no strokes, a zero-incidence of Alzheimer’s disease which astonished the researchers conducting the various studies, and unusually low rates of cancer, which in the case of prostate cancer is 4 times lower than the international average. The latter finding is even more remarkable when you know that the monks in that particular investigation were aged between 50 and 104. Their rates of lung, bowel and bladder cancer are zero.

Mount Athos monasteries, called by the British Guardian newspaper “a land without butter”, follow some simple rules.

Monks never eat meat, and only very sporadically eat fish. The bulk of their diet is rice, pasta, bread, pulses, fruits, vegetables, all entirely seasonal and home-grown in the monastery’s gardens.

More than 200 days of the year, including all Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and some religious periods like Lent and Advent, are called “abstention days” and strictly vegan, with only one meal per day.

The rest are non-fast days, on which dairy products, eggs, fish and home-brewed wine can be had. In moderation.

Each meal lasts 20 minutes, after which a bell rings and the monks have to leave the table.

Some of the monks’ favourite dishes are pasta with tomato sauce (who can blame them), rice with boiled greens and leeks, beans with oil, an aubergine, tomato and potato stew called "briam toulou", and chickpea patties.

Since 1994, scientists have regularly tested the monks for cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s, some of the West’s most feared diseases, and found astounding low or even zero rates of them.

According to scientists, the single most important factor in the monks’ low cancer incidence is their high intake of plant foods.

Professor Haris Aidonopoulos, urologist at the University of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, said that the key seems to be a diet with plenty of plant proteins, free from meat. It has been proven, he continued, that a dietary intake of protein from lentils and beans prevents the absorption of toxins.

Claire Williamson, nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, concurs: “Using pulses as a source of protein is something we could all learn from. We tend to rely more on meat, fish, eggs and dairy for protein. Pulses are great for variety, and they provide lots of fibre and iron.”

Pulses, like peas, beans, lentils, soya, chickpeas, are also a low-fat source of protein.

Michalis Hourdakis, a dietician with Athens University, added: “Meat has been associated with intestinal cancer, while fruit and vegetables help ward off prostate cancer.”

“The monks have perfected the typical Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruit, vegetables, olive oil, bread, cereals and legumes and low in meat” said Maria Hassapidou, Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at Thessaloniki in Greece. “On Mount Athos, they have gone one step further by forfeiting meat and only occasionally eating fish, which means they have a very low intake of saturated fats and a high intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, both of which help further to prevent the incidence of cardiovascular disease.”

Six Sources Of Procrastination

An excerpt taken from the newsletter Leadership Wired-March 2008 By Dr. John C. Maxwell

#1. We hesitate to do chores we don't enjoy.

For me, yard work has always been draining. I don't find pleasure in it, and there's a million other things I'd rather spend my time doing. When I was first married, I would procrastinate mowing the lawn until it grew into a small jungle. I knew mowing would make my home look nice and would please my wife, but I abhorred giving it my time and attention.

#2. We hesitate to do activities we aren't good at doing.

I enjoy the arts, and I am fascinated by highly creative persons. However, I'm not particularly gifted in painting, drawing, or designing. That's why I avoid decorating. I enjoy a finely manicured Christmas tree, or an exquisitely decorated room, but I simply have no talent at making things look good. As a consequence, I will put off decorating as long as possible.

#3. We hesitate to do what isn't on our agendas.

Human nature tends to be set in its ways. When changing circumstances make our plans obsolete, we resist making adjustments. We stubbornly hold to our old course of action and avoid altering our behavior.

#4. We hesitate to solve situations that are likely to be messy

A prime example is confrontation. It's difficult to tell someone what they don't want to hear and probably won't respond well to being told. Dreading the possible outcomes, we dawdle and delay rather than initiating confrontation.

#5. We hesitate to tackle a task that is high-energy and low-return.

As leaders, we are hard wired into getting the most bang for our buck. The same holds true with our time. We want to invest it profitably. As such, I have always been hesitant to put energy into relationships with high-maintenance donors or investors who aren't substantial contributors to the organization.

#6. We hesitate to step into things we don't understand.

Hence the saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." My generation has had to come to grips with fast-moving technologies, and it hasn't been easy. I don't understand many features of GPS systems, iPods, or PDA's, and, as a result, I procrastinate adopting them into my life - even though I know they could be helpful to me.

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Not Tonight Dear, I Have A Modem!

The headline must have raised a few eyebrows for sure. It is a tagline from a famous movie! Guess!
As funny as it may be, this might be actually happening to you. It may be not the exact “situation”, but I find that we spend more time on the internet and neglect the things and people that matter the most to us.

Imagine this; you take your remaining leave to chill at home; Or may be you go on vacation to get away from it all. Yet, you still keep writing your blog, and staying up to date on what’s happening in the blogospehere. I know a blogger, who is blogging while he is on his honeymoon! (I wonder what his new wife thinks about it.) But hey, it’s a personal choice and I can’t dictate a "right" or "wrong".

Wherever we go, there is always the tendency to stay connected. You get online, check mail, chat, read news etc… Before you know it, your day is over. You think to yourself... "my.... time flies, even when I am on holiday". Has that happened to you?

Are you an internet addict?

I am not qualified to give a verdict on this. However, here are a few questions that I would like you to think about.
Do you

• find yourself unable to stop connecting to the internet even when you know there are consequences?


• Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use?


• Prefer to use online messenger, email and other forms of online communication rather than face-to-face interaction when the latter is more appropriate?
• 
  
• find it impossible to relax without constantly connecting to the internet?


• pay more attention to the latest “internet news” than what is happening in real life?


• feel the internet is a more powerful draw than spending time with your friends and family?

If those points apply to you, keep reading I have some suggestion to help you.

Reasons why internet is so attractive

I don’t think any of us intentionally neglect the “offline life”. Here are a few reasons why it might happen.

#1.Getting lost in information (You don’t feel the time pass by)
When I get caught up in a subject that interests me, I keeping digging for more information. I suppose, with the internet there is no boundary on the information I can gather. The more time spent reading and gathering, the more knowledgeable you are on a certain matter.
Even if you don’t have anything specific in mind you can start reading at one place and end up at something totally different. There are so many interesting things on the internet!

#2. Curiosity
At a recent dinner, one of my friends embarrassingly admitted that she "googled" all her friends with the hope of finding some "interesting bits".

#3. You feel you can “get things done” when you are online
For example, I sit at the computer thinking that I am going to write a blog post. Then in order to write the post, I read related articles and blog posts. After sometime, I realize that all I have been doing is reading and not written a word for the blog post.

#4. Internet is a nice place to escape from your daily miseries
When you get on the internet, you don’t have to think that much about “who you are”. You can forget about your problems and responsibilities

Finding a connect life offline

#1. Try to find offline activities that fill up your time
It may be in the form of playing tennis with a friend, watching a movie or learning a new music instrument. See whether you can cook something from scratch without burning down the kitchen! Basically, come up with things that you wanted to do all along but never had the time.
You can always, talk to your loved ones. I mean talk no chat ;-). Call them up and if they can spare the time.. meet up.

#2. Keep away from the computer
If you are at home, go to the park with your kids, go grocery shopping or eat out etc. Taking some time away, can help.

#3. Make a schedule
If you are one of those people who eternally keep checking email, write down the times, you would like to check email. Until then, don’t touch that button. Also, disable email alerts so you won’t be tempted to read it at that very moment.

#4. Have a clear goal
Before you get on the internet, give your self a deadline. “I will finish whatever, reading I have before 9 p.m”. If you are unable to meet your deadline though, it’s a totally different story.

#5. Remove the source
Now, please don’t strangle me for saying this but, if possible discontinue your home internet connect for a while and see how it goes. (Assuming you are not working from home)

#6. What are you trying to escape from
Finally, if there is a special reason why you are spending your time on the internet, you need to figure out what it is. Spending time on the internet is only going to "postpone" or aggravate your “real” problem.

Does this post apply to you? Do you have related life experiences to share?

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Junk food diet is killing UK's pets, say vets of leading charity

This problem is not strictly speaking an animal rights one, but it shows how bad eating habits are spreading from humans to their non-human companions. Some time ago I would have said that what follows confirms the unhealthy effects of a meat-and-high-fat-based diet on human subjects, but now my awareness that this type of inference does not travel across species differences is more acute and therefore I am more cautious about extrapolating this way.

Huge food portions and junk food are making our pets obese and causing serious illness: this is a warning from one of Britain's leading pet charities, The Blue Cross.

The charity revealed that at least 20% of the pets it treats at its animal hospitals across the UK are now overweight. Indeed the problem is now so great that many Blue Cross hospitals have had to set up weight clinics. The Blue Cross's hospital staff think that the number of overweight pets they see now has more than doubled in the past 10 years.

The problem is so widespread that the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelt to Animals), the British main animal welfare association, has created a special website, for it, http://www.petsgetslim.co.uk: the above picture is its introductory graphic.

Burgers, hot dogs, curries, even baked beans and pizzas are responsible for the increase in pets' weight. High fat, high sugar diets and huge portions of pet food, says the charity, are causing pets to become seriously ill. Most overweight pets will have a health problem which has been caused by or exacerbated by their weight. It's very sad because many of these pets no longer have a decent quality of life as they have great difficulty doing the simplest of things such as walking or breathing.

Vets at The Blue Cross animal hospitals connect the increase in obesity among the British public and the same phenomenon in their pets. Not just cats and dogs - they see overweight budgies and rabbits too. They even had to put a pet rat to sleep after he became so obese from being fed curries that he could barely move: this case exemplifies the extent of the problem.

In the last few years Blue Cross vets have seen a rise in the number of pets with diabetes which they believe is a direct result of diet. Diabetes, respiratory problems, arthritis, heart disease and skin complaints can all be caused by animals being overweight.

The Blue Cross believes that the problem can often derive from a lack of education about which foods are suitable and unsuitable for their pets. Recently at a Blue Cross hospital a client brought her very overweight dog in. The dog had chronic joint problems, not helped by his excess weight, and is on anti-inflammatory drugs to help keep him comfortable. The dog's human companion was adamant that she was feeding her dog a sensible diet. However she did say that she had problems giving her dog the tablets, so every day she bought a chocolate bar to hide the tablets in.

So, there is a need to educate people on what they should and shouldn't be feeding their pets; The Blue Cross's weight clinics have also that function, and the charity has produced leaflets with advice. You can see them on its website http://www.allaboutpets.org.uk where you can also vote in the survey "Is your pet overweight?" which is on its homepage at the moment.

A Day In The Life Of The Resigned

Poem by Dr. Joe Rubino

After all is said and done
And today is just a memory
We will look and laugh
And nod and sigh
And think it strange
To have tossed and worried
Hoped and prayed
For so familiar an ending.

Morning dawns
The city rises
Sweeping out the cobwebs of the mind
With well-worn brooms.
The moans of children off to school
To learn the ways to wipe the smiles off their faces.

Along the windings of the streets
The memories strive to linger
Of those who stood in fear
In stagnant and decaying lives
Not knowing of their right to choose
But opting to malinger.

The midday sun is strong and bright
For those who seek to find the light.
But for those in their hiding places
The darkness tends to conceal all faces.

The sun goes down
As dusk grows near
Turning memory into fear.
The chance to do – again gone by
We turn... and climb the stair... and sigh.

Too long day
(He'll turn and say).
She yawns
And nods her head.

Evening's come
The moon reminds
With such a grin
That wipes the laughter from your chin
The choice to act again passed by.

Bed awaits
It’s time for sleep
To gather strength
To live again
The memories that we keep.

How well does this poem describe your day?

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Big changes for free-range hens & chickens in EU law & UK consumers demand

Good news on the free range front for hens and chickens. This year has started on a positive note in Europe and the UK with a series of news that promises well and has seen the involvement of the media in a useful role.

EU confirms 2012 ban on battery cages

First, on 8th January 2008 the European Commission has upheld the decision made in 1999 by the European Union when it passed the Laying Hens Directive (1999/74/EC) to ban battery cages for hens by 2012 in all its member states. There will be no postponement, the Commission said in a published report.

There had been fears that the date of 2012 could be delayed, due to pressures from egg industry lobbies in many EU countries that continued for many years. The International Egg Commission had previously issued statements saying that the EU Laying Hens Directive sent a ripple around the world, with the global battery cage industry fearing a domino effect in other countries like the USA, Canada and Australia.

18 million is the number of hens still kept in battery cages a year in the UK, and over 200 million each year in the EU.

The European Commission’s report in January concluded that the cost of switching to cage-free eggs could be less than one cent of a euro per egg, but the higher welfare standards could give EU producers a commercial advantage over non-EU competitors.

“There is clearly a growing market for animal welfare friendly products,” states the report. “Recent Eurobarometer surveys on consumer attitudes to animal welfare revealed that the majority of respondents would be willing to pay more for eggs sourced through animal welfare friendly production systems.”

Explaining the reasons for the decision to uphold the ban, EU Commissioner for Health Mr Markos Kyprianou said: “The commission listened to the demands of EU consumers and has taken concrete action to improve the welfare of laying hens”.

And this brings us to the second good news item which highlights the power of the media when they get involved in animal issues.

UK consumers switch to free-range due to media coverage of factory farms cruelty

In the UK there has been a massive change in consumers habits following TV programs and newspaper coverage of poultry factory farming.

In January 2008 Channel 4, a major British TV network, broadcast a series of food programmes with celebrity chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver launching a high-profile campaign to show the general public what battery cages and broiler sheds mean for the animals. At the same time the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) placed advertisements in national newspapers to create what appeared a coordinated campaign. The Independent, a major UK national newspaper, published secret footage from an intensive farm exposing the cruelty inflicted on broiler chickens.

The effects of this have been huge, and perhaps unpredicted.
Sales of free-range poultry shot up by 35 per cent in January 2008 compared with January 2007, while sales of factory-farmed chickens slumped by 7 per cent, according to a survey by the market research company TNS. The trend has continued throughout February as well.

Supermarkets shelves have been emptied of free-range birds, causing complaints from frustrated shoppers eager to embrace the movement away from factory farming.

The increase in free-range chickens sales would have been even higher if producers had been able to keep up with the demand.

“But the new national sales data suggests that shoppers' priorities have shifted dramatically. If the TNS data was extrapolated to the rest of the UK, it suggests sales of factory-farmed chickens dipped by 10 million, while shoppers bought 4.4 million more free-range chickens. Overall, chicken sales were down by 4.8 per cent, perhaps because many people, when faced with an absence of free-range chicken, simply bought no chicken” writes The Independent.

Sainsbury's supermarket poultry department agreed with the picture of roaring free-range sales: "Sales are up 50 per cent year on year so it means we are selling more free-range than we have ever sold. It's also fair to say sales would have been much greater if we had stock to meet demand."

At the same time, several major British supermarket chains, Sainsbury's, Morrison, Co-op, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose, will stop selling battery eggs or have already done so. Something similar is happening with the sale of intensively-reared broiler chickens. Within just two years, UK supermarkets could be selling only eggs laid by barn, free-range and organic free-range hens. The Co-op has also set a target of 2010 for being cage-free on all egg ingredients of all its own label products.

Hellmann's UK has made a groundbreaking decision to become free-range on all its mayonnaise by June 2008. A company representative had been questioned on its use of battery eggs during one of the Channel 4 programs on factory farming.

The tidal change in consumers demand has made front page news.

Chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who hosted some of the anti-factory-farming shows, intends to make a new television programme on chickens later this year. He said: "I am delighted we have helped create this change and I am delighted that, two months after the show, there appears to be no letting up.”

Perfect Your Work Poker-Face (Looking Like It’s Under Control When It Isn’t)

You might argue that "looking like it’s under control when it isn’t", is trying to act "fake". However, there are times in life, when you need to hide what you really feel and show a poker-face. This is especially true in the workplace. We've all witnessed people who have lost control of their emotions at work, slamming doors, yelling at coworkers or customers, and saying things they'll soon regret.

Imagine this; the idea you have been working on profusely over the week-end is turned down by your superiors, your boss wears a hideous outfit to the morning meeting, you get dumped during the lunch break..... Whatever the trigger, there are some occasions when you are in hysterics (for good and bad reasons). Yet you know it is unprofessional to let out your emotions in the workplace. You are painfully aware that you are committing career suicide by losing control of your emotions at work. What can you do about it?

#1. Recognize what ticks you off
Be alert to the types of situations that knock you off-center. For example, if you get annoyed when people keep interrupting with questions during your presentation, plan before hand how you will handle any hecklers. Planning a positive way to react will help you defuse your anger before it throws you off.

#2. Give your self time
Try not to react in the heat of the moment. Yes, this is a "golden oldie" advice but it had to be said. Ensure you are not overreacting. If you feel your temper flaring on the phone or in a meeting, count to 10 to keep you from losing your cool. Analyze the facts before going on a rant or becoming defensive. Remember that the best way to stay unreadable is to look consistent, whether you are happy or sad.

#3. Don’t allow the stress of the moment affect your game plan
Consider your whole objective and what you want to achieve, rather than reacting to this particular situation. Even if you have just received some negative remarks from your boss and you want to scream, take a deep breath and visualize your long-term goal. Whether that’s a promotion or getting a good enough reference to leave!

#4. Understand your colleagues
The better you are at understanding your colleagues’ signals the better you will be at interpreting their motives. What initially seems to be a snide comment might be a feeble attempt at humor. By getting to know your coworkers' characters and personalities, you won't be blind-sided when they do or say something that irritates you.

#5. Talk to someone who can calm you down
Acknowledge and express your emotions appropriately with a close friend, and be prepared to listen whenever they are ready to explode. It really is a win-win situation.
I have always had someone to confide in, both inside and outside of the office, about my frustrations. These wonderful people keep my sanity intact, when the times are tough!

#6. Practice!
It takes time to train yourself not to allow your emotions to betray what you are thinking. If you perfect your skills to mask your emotions, you will be able to retain an air of professionalism, what ever happens at work.

Despite your best intentions, if you do end up erupting in a meeting, criticize a colleague's work or make ill-timed comments that you regret, apologize immediately to the targeted person and to everyone around who may have heard.

Do you use a "poker-face" at work? What are the steps you take, to keep your emotions intact?

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