by wildcherry on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 | Health, Life | 2 Comments

November 19 is the American Cancer Society’s 34th Great American Smokeout. Smokers are encouraged to use this day to quit smoking altogether, or to finally put that action plan into place.

Smokers who quit at age 35 gain an average of eight years of of life expectancy; those who quit at age 55 gain approximately five years, and even quitting at 65 will add about three years.

In the long-term, within five to 15 years after quitting, the risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker; after 10 years, the death rate from lung cancer is cut to about half that of the person who continues to smoke; and after 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker’s.

Short term effects are immediate. Heart rate and blood pressure drop within 20 minutes after the last cigarette. Between two weeks to three months later, circulation improves and lung function increases. Between one to nine months after quitting, things really begin to change for the better. Coughing and shortness of breath decrease and you begin to feel the benefits of normal lung function — increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. If you’re a long-term smoker, you probably can’t even imagine how good that would feel.

The American Cancer Society wants to help you quit and is offering online resources (Great American Smokeout website) as well as personalized telephone coaching (American Cancer Society Quit for Life ® 1-800-227-2345) by trained specialists.

One very important component to real health care reform rests with individuals and our responsibility for our own health and well-being. Use of tobacco is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States, responsible for 30 percent of cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths.

The financial consequences of tobacco use are staggering — $193 billion in health care expenditures and loss of productivity. That’s a lot of expense for something completely preventable.

If you smoke around others, it should come as no surprise that secondhand smoke is a huge problem, causing between 35,000 and 40,000 deaths from heart disease every year.

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by wildcherry on Sunday, September 20th, 2009 | Inspiration, Life | No Comments

What most don’t know is that peace begins with us! Peace isn’t about what is going on in the Middle East, peace is how we relate to every individual we meet on a daily basis.

Beginning with our self, every relationship we have is a stepping stone to World Peace. We move outward from our center to our spouses, children, parents, siblings, family members, co-workers, supervisors, church, school, and community.

As we become more at peace within our personal worlds, we will extend that peace outward like ripples on a lake. This spiritual unity will be achieved one person at a time and permeate our world. A great new world order is unfolding and this is a good time to reflect on the past as it relates to our future. Evolve to a place where we set a tone for peaceful relations with everyone we meet? How can we evolve to these great heights, you ask? Does that sound like a fantasy? Well it isn’t, just imagine, and peace will grow.

The first part of this process is to let go. Let go of that which does not serve us or our future. Give the benefit of doubt to that which you do not understand. Love deeply and unconditionally. Love is the answer to every question. Begin with love every day and know that most people want the best out of living. Helping each other get the best out of life ensures success for all of humanity. This is a win-win scenario at its best, and a simple reframe in our thinking will help us to get there. Remember, what we send out, we get back. This is the law of quantum physics and the law of attraction.

So what happens when we are zipping along, loving everyone and along comes someone that disrupts the flow? We are only human. We don’t always see eye to eye with everyone, because we are different people even though we are connected at our roots to One Source. That said, there might be folks in our lives that we love more when we don’t get to see them very often.

Ultimately, we need a plan to help us manage our “love machine” to keep moving with the flow. Briefly stated, we need to live spontaneously, but take charge. When we get information we do not ask for, it helps to have a plan. When someone says something that triggers a move down the path of negativity, stop for a moment and regroup.

This is World Peace, one step at a time and one person at a time. Join the UN International Peace day Sept 20th!

Technorati Tags: world+peace

Tags: Bill Of Rights, Civilized Society, Democracy, End War, freedom, Inner Peace, International Bill Of Human Rights, International Bill Of Rights, international Peace day, international peace day sept 20th, Law And Order, Love, Peace, relationships, Self Improvement, war, world peace

by nothingness on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 | Entertainment, Travel | 3 Comments

The Reasons:

1) The thrill of having an intimate driving experience with the road just inches from your feet while the wind blowing past your face.

2) The speed and power that only cars with the highest $ could match. It is common for modern motorcycles to go 0-60mph in high 2 or low 3 secs while passing 1/4 miles under 11, even 10, secs.

3) The fuel efficiency of at getting 45 mpg and up.

4) The ability to ride between lane (legal in California) and in car pool lanes, making one able to defeat the hopeless traffic.

The Types (on-road only, click for video clip):

• Choppers
  Epitomized by the Harley-Davidson Panhead in the film Captain America, choppers tend to have extremely raked forks, reclined seats, and lots of showy chrome.
• Cruisers
  Cruisers are like sedate choppers; their fork rake is less extreme, and they’re designed for laid-back riding.
• Dual Sports
  A dual-sport, colloquially known as “dualie” or an “on-off road bike” is a type of street-legal motorcycle that is designed for both on and off-road use. They are the offspring of rugged dirtbikes and long-distance tourers, these bikes boast lots of suspension travel and upright postures.
• Naked
  Naked bikes recall British motorcycles of the sixties, and lack bodywork or a fairing that would normally hide their engines and inner-workings.
• Scooters
  Typified by Italian-made Vespas, scooters are like small motorcycles with bodywork that allows the rider to “step through” and sit without getting his or her clothes stained by oil. Scooter engine sizes can be as little as 50cc.
• Sport
  Designed purely for performance, sport bikes tend to require arms-forward posture, powerful engines, and tight handling.
• Supermoto
  Based on race machines that compete on a combination of road and dirt surfaces, Supermoto bikes combine offroad characteristics such as deep suspension travel with road tires and bodywork reminiscent of so-called “street fighter” bikes.
• Touring
  Created solely for long-distance comfort, touring bikes often feature backrests, large windscreens, and creature comforts such as radios and navigation systems.

Tags: Entertainment, freedom, gas, motorcycle, transportation