Life Lessons

The Mayonnaise Jar And 2 Cups of Coffee

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes".

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golfballs. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Make time to hang out with your friends. Take your loved one out to dinner. Take time to take care of yourself. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Pac Man

People around the world are celebrating the 25th birthday of the popular arcade game, Pac Man. Here is an excerpt from an article on CNN Money about Pac Man:

"Pac Man is arguably the most influential game in the industry's history (with Pong the only other real contender), Pac Man has made more than $100 million dollars one quarter at a time. He's spawned his own line of trading cards, lunch boxes, board games, breakfast cereals and been the inspiration for a Top 40 hit (Buckner & Garcia's "Pac Man Fever" hit number 9 on Billboard's charts in 1982).

This year, Pac Man turns 25 -- but age isn't slowing the little guy down. 1999's "Pac Man World" and 2002's "Pac Man World 2" both sold over a million copies. And Namco has already announced four Pac Man themed games this year - and versions for Sony's PSP will be announced in the near future. TV Plug & Play game collections featuring Pac Man remain hot sellers. And the rise in cell phone gaming has opened up another opportunity for the original arcade game.

Toru Iwatani, who came up with the idea of Pac Man at dinner, was trying to come up with a game that looked like a cartoon. At a pizza parlor, he paused after taking his first slice and thought the remainder of the pie looked like a head with its mouth open. He imagined it racing through a maze, eating things -- and the phenomenon was born. In fact, legend has it Iwatani actually wanted Pac Man to be a pizza, but technological limitations at the time made it impossible.

While we take knowing the name of today's heroes and villains for granted, Pac Man was the first video game to name its characters (the ghosts, to jog your memory, were Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde) and the first game to offer interludes as rewards for advancing.

So go ahead and be impressed as you hear about sales numbers for the next "Grand Theft Auto" or see anxious gamers camping overnight to be the first to get their hands on next generation consoles. But weigh that frenzy to the one Pac Man sparked when it was originally released in Japan. The game proved so popular that it incited a shortage of yen coins in the country.

Let's see today's titles manage something like that."

I would just like to add that I love Pac Man. It is the most exciting, yet frustrating, game that I have ever played.

Play Pac Man Now.

The Act of Giving

I was completely amazed about this story that I read on the ABC news website yesterday.

“When her husband died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, relatives, friends and strangers opened their hearts and their wallets to Kathy Trant, donating millions of dollars to Trant and her three children. The money was meant to compensate for the income Dan Trant would have used to support his family for years to come...Fewer than four years after the attacks, she has blown through most of the money, and is coming out with her story now to warn others against the trappings of chronic spending, a major problem among Americans...At the time of his death, Dan Trant, 40, was quickly moving up the ladder as a bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, making $130,000 in addition to tens of thousands in bonuses in his final year. Based on his estimated future earnings, the Federal Victim Compensation Fund awarded Kathy Trant $4.2 million, of which she received half. She got another $3 million from friends and family."

So here is a partial list of some of her spendings since her husband's death:

-Trant gave her former housekeeper $15,000 to buy a home in El Salvador.

-Trant spent $70,000 to take six friends to the Super Bowl.

-She spent $30,000 for a trip for 20 to the Bahamas.
-Trant spent $1.5 million to nearly triple the size of her suburban New York home.

-$350,000 on the back yard, installing a full basketball court also equipped for volleyball, tennis and Rollerblading, a heated pool and a hot tub.

-Trant designed a shrine of her husband's mementos, and put it on display in her new red-white-and-blue den. She added sports memorabilia to her walls, including a Boston Celtics ball autographed by players.

-Trant's walk-in closet houses a $500,000 shoe collection, gowns by Versace and Capelli that go for $5,000 each and Fendi and Judith Leiber handbags, also $5,000 per bag.

Now experts say that over-spending is not uncommon among families who have lost loved ones and are compensated for their death with money. A Stanford University study estimates that 8 percent of Americans, or 23.6 million people, suffer from compulsive shopping disorder. The money is seen as blood money and people feel the need to spend the money to compensate for the lose of their family member.

Currently, Trant is down to her last $500,000. A stay-at-home mom for the last 20 years, she and a friend are opening a hair-removal and cosmetic tattoo shop in East Norwich, Conn.

I read this article and found it absolutely ludicrous that this could happen. I know that, in theory, there are explanations for why this happens and I am not judging Kathy Trant on how she coped with the death of her husband (because I have no reason to place judgement). But it just makes me angry to know that monetary donations used to help alleviate the burdens of a family during a sudden lose of the main breadwinner in the family, were used unwisely and frivolously.

Now if I donated money to this family and then found out that the money may have been used to buy a home for Trant's housekeeper, let's just say that I would not be very happy. But that's just me.

Tsunami Survivor

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP. "After it was swept and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added. "The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it follows its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added. "The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

The New Ronald McDonald

Starting tomorrow, Ronald McDonald, leader and icon of McDonalds, is changing his lifestyle.

According to the marketing department of McDonalds, starting on Friday, Ronald McDonald will be snowboarding, skateboarding and bike riding with kids in television commercials. This new marketing commercial is aimed at inspiring others to eat healthier and exercise more often. The ad campaign comes at a time when fast food chains are coming under increasing scrutiny as the nation's obesity problems increase.

I find this to be absolutely ridiculous. The obesity problems are increasing because of choices in life, not because of the food choices that they are provided. Parents need to teach their children about the importance of a balanced diet and also demonstrate a healthy example of how they should live their lives.

I occassionally eat at McDonalds and I want to be provided with the variety of choices that they provide now (Big Mac, McChicken, Crispy Chicken, Quarter Pounder, etc.). I don't want them to replace their Big Mac with the new fruit and walnut salad. No one who knows anything would go to McDonalds for a healthy meal. Sure, their new additions to the menu are healthier than they used to be, but for those who are delusional in believing that the new additions are healthy, are crazy.

Just admit it, if you want to be healthy, don't eat at McDonalds. But if you are going to eat at McDonalds, then don't complain about how many calories and fat you just inhaled in one meal. We live in a land where we pride ourselves on the choices that we have the freedom to make. So don't blame the industry for their good food and marketing strategy, but blame yourself for the bad choices that you are making.

As for me, I know McDonalds is not healthy for me. I don't eat at McDonalds because it is healthy for me nor do I eat at McDonalds all the time. With all that said, when I chose to eat at McDonalds, I will enjoy it.

Exercises at Work

Stress is a fact of life for most working people today. It is estimated that job stress costs employers about $2 billion annually in absenteeism, sub-par performance, tardiness and worker's compensation claims.

So here are some relaxation exercises that can be performed at any time during the work day when you need to release tension and stiffness and to focus your mind. These exercises work well in an office setting, as all you need do is sit forward on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. You may increase the number of repetitions as your body grows stronger and more flexible.

Feet and Legs

With legs outstretched:
-Alternate curling and stretching the toes (repeat three times [3X] and relax).
-Alternate flexing (bending) and extending (stretching) the whole foot at the ankle (3X).
-Rotate the ankles to the right as if drawing circles with your toes (3X). Then rotate the ankles to the left (3X).

Arms and Hands

With arms extended out in front of you:
-Move your hands up and down, bending from the wrist (3X).
-Alternate stretching your fingers, then making a fist (3X).
-Rotate your wrists first to the right (3X), then to the left (3X), and relax.

Shoulders
-Raise your right shoulder up toward your ear. On the exhale, release your shoulder down (3X).
-Move your right shoulder forward. On the exhale, return it to the starting position (3X).
-Move your right shoulder back. On the exhale, return it to the starting position (3X). Repeat the sequence on the left side.
-Bring both shoulders up toward your ears, tense, and then drop your shoulders down as you exhale (3X).

Head and Neck

Hold each of these positions, taking three easy breaths and relaxing tension with each exhalation; then return your head to upright center before doing the next movement.
-Drop your chin to your chest. Feel the weight of your head stretch out the back of your neck (hold).
-Look as far as you can over your right shoulder (hold).
-Look as far as you can over your left shoulder (hold).
-Drop your right ear to your right shoulder (hold).
-Drop your left ear to your left shoulder (hold).

Release Body Tension

The body scan and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) are gentle ways to nurture the beleaguered body/mind when the burdens of work take their toll. All you need is 10-15 minutes during your day when you can close the door to your office or take an outdoor break.
Sit quietly and scan the body from head to toe, focusing on areas of tension during the in-breath, releasing tension on the out-breath. The "scan" procedure grounds you back into the body, alerting you to areas of contraction that you can relax with a sweeping, gentle awareness.
PMR adds a concrete element to the body scan that is quite helpful in releasing deep muscular tensions. During PMR, tighten each area of the body; when you purposely release tension from those areas, the feeling of relief is often more noticeable - and striking. After a full body PMR, you may experience fewer, less intense headaches, backaches, and shoulder aches.

Exercise tips courtesy of The Mind/Body Medical Institute.

Recipe of the Day

Korean Barbecued Flank Steak on Hot and Sour Slaw Salad

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend (recommended brand McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning)

1/4 cup Tamari dark soy

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, divided

4 large cloves garlic, chopped, divided

2 teaspoons toasted (dark) sesame oil, eyeball it

2 scallions, finely chopped Vegetable oil, for drizzling plus,

2 tablespoons, twice around the pan

2 pounds flank steak

1 pound bok choy or Napa cabbage, trimmed and shredded with a knife

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup sauerkraut (it will taste like kim chee when combined with hot pepper flakes)

Directions:

In a shallow dish, combine grill seasoning, dark soy, a tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon of the hot pepper flakes, half of the chopped garlic, sesame oil, scallions and a drizzle of vegetable oil. Coat the flank steak in the mixture and let it stand 10 minutes.
Preheat indoor electric grill, stove top grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high. When the grill pan or grill is screaming hot, add meat and cook 5 minutes on each side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes on each side for medium well doneness.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, cabbage and peppers. Season with salt and stir fry 2 or 3 minutes. Add a drizzle of honey, about 1 tablespoon, hot pepper flakes and garlic and toss to combine with cabbage. Add sauerkraut and mix in, heating it through 1 minute. Turn off heat.
To serve, let meat rest 5 minutes for juices to redistribute. Thinly slice the meat on a heavy angle against the grain (the lines in the meat). Pile the slaw up and top with sliced Korean steak and serve.

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray of the Food Network.

Blog

Today was one of the busiest, but most enjoyable days, that I have had at work in a long time. Now I know that today is a Saturday, but for those of you who have work schedules that don't stop for the weekend, understand the long endless hours.

But today, I actually appreciated all the prep work and effort that it takes to put together an event. There were two big events today and I couldn't have asked them to go any better. Everything just seemed to run very smoothly and people were genuinely happy.

Who could ask for more?

Sleep Facts

Since I am tired this morning, I decided to learn about the importance of a well-rested night courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation.

Approximately 70 million people in the United States are affected by a sleep problem. About 40 million Americans suffer from a chronic sleep disorders, and an additional 20-30 million are affected by intermittent sleep-related problems. However, an overwhelming majority of sleep disorders remain undiagnosed and untreated (National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 1992)..

Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are estimated to cost Americans over $100 billion annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, and property and environmental damage (National Sleep Foundation).

A majority of American adults (63%) do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep needed for good health, safety, and optimum performance. In fact, nearly one-third (31%) report sleeping less than seven hours each week night, though many adults say they try to sleep more on weekends. (2001 Sleep in America poll).

More than half of adults surveyed in the 2002 Sleep in America poll said they experienced one or more symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights a week. Insomnia is characterized by difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, or waking too early.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are caused by drowsy drivers each year. (That is about 1.5% of all crashes.) These crashes result in more than 1,500 fatalities and 71,000 injuries and result in an estimated $12.5 billion in diminished productivity and property loss (Knipling and Wang, 1996).
According to NSF's 2002 Sleep in America poll, 51% of Americans said they drove while feeling drowsy in the past year; 17% said they actually dozed off behind the wheel.

San Francisco 49ers

As a San Francisco native and a long time 49er fan, I was appalled to read about the training vidoe that was leaked to the media yesterday. According to yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle article, "It was meant to be funny — but no one is laughing now in the San Francisco 49ers' front office over an in-house training film that featured off- color racial jokes, lesbian porn, a spoof of gay marriage and a trio of buxom, topless blondes frolicking with team public relations director Kirk Reynolds."

Now I am not saying that I am surprised that there is this type of material in the City or that some people find this to be extremely funny, I just believe that there should be a time and place for everything. And in a training video, which was intended as a primer on how players should handle the media in diverse San Francisco, is not the time nor the place for this type of humor.

Today in the San Francisco Chronicle as the 49ers' owners, John York and Denise DeBartolo York, apologized for the players' orientation video, players defended it. Players appeared more upset that the tape on how to deal with the media, which was shown to the team during training camp in August, reached the public. According to the article, "Reynolds started supplementing the NFL message a few years ago by addressing the team in person, but started augmenting that with a video. Players had told him that his presentation was too dry and that he needed to spice it up." Big surprise, huh?

Now everyone of us has sat through one of those "diversity" courses for work and school, but should the makers of a video be rewarded for making fun of the diversity that we are all suppose to be learning to embrace? I mean, shouldn't we (as a society and especially in training videos such as this one) be working at dispelling stereotypes instead of fueling them?

Love Study

I was going to write today's blog on the new revelations of the identity of "Deep Throat." I was planning on writing about the legendary source in the Watergate scandal, known only as "Deep Throat," who brought down President Nixon. This source has now been identified as the #2 official with the FBI in the early 1970s as W. Mark Felt. But I figured that I have plenty of time to write about this some other time. I am pretty sure that the story is on every news station and in every newspaper around the country.

So I have chosen to write my blog about the recent love study released by The Journal of Neurophysiology. The study released today reports that the feeling of love towards another person is closer in its neural profile to drives like hunger, thirst or drug craving, the researchers assert, than to emotional states like excitement or affection. As a relationship deepens, the brain scans suggest, the neural activity associated with romantic love alters slightly, and in some cases primes areas deep in the primitive brain that are involved in long-term attachment.

I have taken excerpts from an article that appears in The New York Times today about the love study, "In this study, Dr. Fisher, Dr. Lucy Brown of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx and Dr. Arthur Aron, a psychologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, led a team that analyzed about 2,500 brain images from 17 college students who were in the first weeks or months of new love. The students looked at a picture of their beloved while an M.R.I. machine scanned their brains. The researchers then compared the images with others taken while the students looked at picture of an acquaintance.

Functional M.R.I. technology detects increases or decreases of blood flow in the brain, which reflect changes in neural activity.

In the study, a computer-generated map of particularly active areas showed hot spots deep in the brain, below conscious awareness, in areas called the caudate nucleus and the ventral tegmental area, which communicate with each other as part of a circuit.
These areas are dense with cells that produce or receive a brain chemical called dopamine, which circulates actively when people desire or anticipate a reward.

Yet falling in love is among the most irrational of human behaviors, not merely a matter of satisfying a simple pleasure, or winning a reward. And the researchers found that one particular spot in the M.R.I. images, in the caudate nucleus, was especially active in people who scored highly on a questionnaire measuring passionate love. This passion-related region was on the opposite side of the brain from another area that registers physical attractiveness, the researchers found, and appeared to be involved in longing, desire and the unexplainable tug that people feel toward one person, among many attractive alternative partners.

This distinction, between finding someone attractive and desiring him or her, between liking and wanting, "is all happening in an area of the mammalian brain that takes care of most basic functions, like eating, drinking, eye movements, all at an unconscious level, and I don't think anyone expected this part of the brain to be so specialized," Dr. Brown said."

Interesting...