When you think about losing weight, you probably think: I have to go on a diet and deprive myself of the foods that I like to eat. I have to work out, and working out is no fun. I should stop drinking, but I really don’t want to.
These negative thoughts are understandable, but they are not conducive to motivating you to lose weight. They are sabotaging traps that keep you from action and perpetuate the problem. Its your body’s fear response kicking into overdrive because it thinks it is going to be deprived of something whether food, the level of relaxation its used to or the amount of alcohol its accustomed to.
When you think like that, you are attempting to storm the gates of a heavily defended castle. Your odds of succeeding are stacked against you. Instead of trying the direct approach, why not decide on coming in from a different angle?
Steve Pavlina, in his article, Do It Now, suggests grabbing a dumbbell equivalent to the excess weight that you want to get rid of and picking it up. Feel how heavy it is? Walk around with it a little while. Just carry it for a few minutes. It’s a pain isn’t it? Now consider that you are lugging this excess weight around with you every single day. Isn’t that awful? Can you imagine how much easier everything in your life might be if you didn’t have to carry that excess weight around?
Crickie points out that she thinks about the weight in terms of sacks of flour. This is a powerful visual. Think about the number of sacks of flour it would take to make up the excess weight that you want to lose, and then visualize strapping them to your back and carrying them around with you on a day to day basis. Not only will you start feeling like you’re the new Hunchback of Notre Dame, you’ll probably also have some idea of the wasted energy that you are throwing away every day carrying around all that unwanted and unneeded weight.
So when you start thinking about eating less, working out more, or drinking less, don’t focus on what you are doing, but focus on all that extra weight you are hauling around with you. That should make it easier to storm that castle, from the less defended side entrance.
Q. What’s the worst thing about being a cripple with no arms and having diarrhea?
A. You can run but you can’t wipe.
Ask an Aussie if he is English, and you’ll have on your hands, an Aussie that’s not a happy chap.
Tell an Aussie that an Englishman is actually an Aussie, and you’ll have a seriously stroppy Aussie on your hands, mate!
My boss and a co-worker are late for the meeting. I go wandering around looking for them and find them in accounting coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress, working on her computer. I don’t know why I didn’t just look here in the first place, seriously.
I walk up and immediately sense some posturing brewing like the winds before a storm.
“Have you ever considered memorizing the Geico ads?”
My eyebrows climbed up my forehead, “What?”
“You know the Geico lizard, you should memorize his commercials”.
At this point I was expecting the Twilight Zone theme to start, and I got ready to click my heels together, “What on earth are you talking about?”
“He’s one of your countrymen”.
“He’s WHAT?”
“Australian.”
“You’re out of your mind!”
“He is!”
“He most certainly is NOT. He’s English!”
“No, he’s got an Australian accent”
“Like hell he does!”
I’m flabbergasted. Even after being bombarded for years by Crocodile Dundee, Fosters commercials, Outback Steakhouse ads, Steve Irwin being an embarrassment hunting crocodiles, and those damn Brawny ads. It would seem that Americans still couldn’t tell the difference between an Aussie accent, and those uniquely English characters such as Jamie Oliver or … or…or, that damn Geico Gecko.
Even if he is pretty damn cute.
Ever since I was a young boy I’ve always liked, and had a way with animals. This stayed with me all my life as I matured. When I got married I was introduced to a household of six cats and it was at that time that I became a true cat lover. A cathead. In the eight years since I have transitioned from liking my cats to treating them as another part of my family. Some people don’t understand that. Some people get offended by it. I see it as an act of responsibility and caring.
Of course, being a “cathead”, it should come of no suprise that I have had plenty of opportunity to take pictures of cats. Lots of pictures. Some of them are things only a loving parent could admire. Some are just downright silly. But some… some of them are worth sharing with likeminded individuals. Which is why I have created a new, ongoing, Pictures of Cats section on my website. This is a place where I will be posting pictures of my furry feline friends being… well.. themselves, in all their cute and funny furry glory.
But Pictures of Cats is not just some selfish foistering of my cats upon you all. No! I hearby extend the invitation to all cat lovers, cat people, catheads and the like to submit your own pictures of cats, your furry friends that make your life a little bit brighter, more amusing, and sometimes a little more stressful.
So, here’s the deal. If you have pictures of cats that you would like to submit and share with the world, email them to me at catpics@thescottenglishshow.com and don’t forget to include your name, your cat’s name, and a brief description of what is going on in the pictures that you send. Oh and don’t forget to attach the pictures. If they’re cute, funny or otherwise worthwhile, I’ll post them in my Pictures of Cats section for everyone to see.
And that reminds me, you can find the new Pictures of Cats section on the left hand side under the Pages heading. Go and have a look at some of my cats doing oddball things!
Updates:
8/14/06: Added some more of my cats. Also added some kittens submitted by my best friend, Kelly. These kittens are an amazing story actually. Her mother discovered them IN the wall of her house! Apparently they had fallen down there after their mother gave birth to them in the ceiling. Luckily, Kelly’s mom was able to rescue them and now we have pictures of all their cuteness. Thanks Kelly!
Religious Uses For Burning Incense
Egyptians worshipped Ra at sunrise, midday and sunset with differing types of incense. Plutarch, the Greek philosopher, said that not only did the incense have mystical properties, but that those that made the offering received a mild physiological effect of some sort. One of the most common subjects carved or painted inside the temples of Egypt is that of a Pharaoh whom is typically performing the worship of some deity and offering a censer in one hand and incense in the other. One of the best-known examples of such artwork can be found on the Sphinx at Gizeh, which shows Tethmosis IV making an offering of incense and wine to the sun god Ra. The tablet to the left shows the Pharaoh Akhenaten making an offering to the sun god Aten. (Image by ting0308. Used under Creative Commons license).
It is interesting to note that the Egyptians also used charcoal filled braziers on which they burnt incense to warm their homes during cold winter months, and would occasionally swing an incense burning censer around their heads, via a chain, in order to refresh themselves during the heat of summer.
Monuments found in the ancient Persian city of Persepolis indicate that the Persian priests burnt incense on their altars several times daily.
Hindus employ the use of incense in the worship of gods and the burning of incense is a common practice in the Buddhist temples in Tibet, China, Japan and India.
Incense was used in the Turkish rituals of circumcision, virginity, and bismillah (the teaching of the Name of God). During marriage ceremonies incense was burned to ward off evil spirits. During funeral ceremonies it was used as a guide for the fleeing spirit of the dead person.
The Romans were known to use incense frequently, both as a part of religious ceremony and at state functions such as victory celebrations. It was also an important part of daily private lives and public sacrifices.
It has often been argued whether or not early Christians employed incense in their religious rites. It was sometimes either associated with non-Christian practices or seen as an unnecessary addition to existing rituals. However, the more utilitarian use of removing unwanted smells appears to have been recognized early on in non-religious settings.
As man became more discerning about their spirituality, incense became more of a symbolic part of prayer and ritual, and less of a mystical component. It did become a part, at least to a degree, in Christian practices. The earliest mention of its incorporation appears to have been with its involvement in Communion, and then later in censers swung through the church prior to the arrival of a Bishop or Cardinal.
The Roman Church uses incense regularly during high mass, consecrations of churches, in processions, and at exhibitions of relics. The Church of England, on several occasions, attempted to make it illegal to use incense for religious purposes.
Incense is waved over the casket of Pope John
Paul II during funeral services in the Vatican’s
St. Peter’s Basilica April 8, 2005.
Pagans and wiccans often use incense as a representation of the element of air in their rituals.
Modern Day Usage of Incense
The belief that incense possesses mystical properties has greatly faded, especially in the West, although not until relatively recently. In 1968, the Bell-Book & Candle Incense Company was taken to court over their incense and other products marketed under the name of Success Formula No. 7. Apparently, according to their advertising, the products possessed the supernatural or mystic power to assure the purchaser of the achievement of success. The court ultimately determined that these marketing claims were fraudulent.
More commonly incense is now used for its ability to mask smells in the home. For example, incense can be used to cover up the smell of pets that live within a household, as well as cooking smells, tobacco smoke, and other unpleasant odors.
Incense is also often used as an atmosphere enhancer and to create relaxing and soothing environments. It is said that Napoleon Bonaparte was a big user for this purpose. The ability for incense to create a sense of relaxation is most likely attributable to the presence of a pleasant scent, instead of any specific properties contained within the smoke. Users are likely to gravitate toward scents that they find agreeable and enjoyable, hence enhancing the effect. In this manner, incense can be seen as an accessory to life, just as perfume can be seen as an accessory to attire.
During the celebrations of the Day of the Dead, incense is burned throughout cemeteries and towns in Mexico.
Strangely, the US Department of Energy suggests that incense sticks can be used to help locate air leaks or drafts in a house. When using the incense sticks, the wavering of the smoke caused by moving air can help determine where air may be coming into or out of a house.
Health Risks related to burning incense
Studies that examined the emissions of specific contaminants from incense smoke indicated that benzene and carbon monoxide might be emitted at concentrations that could pose health risks. Several studies indicated links between exposure to incense smoke and health effects, such as cancer, asthma, and contact dermatitis. Some studies indicated possible mutagenic and genotoxic effects.
And if you are now too scared to burn your incense for fear of getting cancer, and you have some music talent, here’s an alternative use for your excess sticks.
Do you get something different out of burning incense? If so, what does burning incense do for you?
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Nag Champa is a fragrance originating from India and has a scent reminiscent of sandalwood. Nag Champa is made with a combination of Champa Flower (the blossom of a large tree found in India, which has fragrant notes of orange-flower, ylang-ylang, and tea rose – truly an exotic combination), and, unsurprisingly, Sandalwood.
Sandalwood is derived from trees found in India, Sri Lanka and Hawaii. It is generally harvested from trees at least 40 years old, though 80 years or older is preferred. In India, the Sandalwood is considered endangered.
Nag Champa is most commonly used in incense; both incense cones and incense sticks, although it is also used in soaps, candles, perfumes and oils.
Since I was a young boy in Malaysia where I had the opportunity to experience the amazing smell of huge clusters of incense burning in many of the temples, I have always been enamored with sandalwood incense. It comes as no surprise then that I was immediately drawn to Nag Champa incense when my wife and I discovered it in a small trinket store in the artsy town of Bandon on the Oregon coast.
Since relocating to a larger city such as Dallas, we have been able to locate ample supply of this wonderfully smelling incense in the various Indian and Asian stores that cater to the city. Despite the various different scents and blends of incense that we have tried throughout the years, Nag Champa remains one of our favorites over half a decade since we discovered it. We seem to be in good company as it is said that Bob Dylan and Tommy Lee are also fans of Nag Champa.
The thing that I especially enjoy about Nag Champa, beside its exotic smell that brings back warm memories from my childhood, is the calming and relaxing effect it has. Burning the incense in our house, it helps nurture a safe, relaxing and stress free environment that we can come home to after a hectic and busy day at work.
But, say that you were to go into a store looking for this incense and wanted to ask for it… how do you pronounce Nag Champa?
Honestly? I’m not exactly sure. We have always pronounced it phonetically, and we’ve never really run into much trouble getting our meaning across.
As a guide I would recommend that you say these three words to pronounce Nag Champa:
Nag Champ Ah
Nag, as in an annoying person.
Champ, as in a winner.
Ah, as in an exclamation of understanding.
How do you pronounce Nag Champa? I’d be interested in reading about any variations my readers may have.
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