What the heck?

Recently I saw this headline, “Chemical in many antibacterial soaps linked with impaired muscle function.”  Seriously?  Good grief, what the heck are we doing to our doggone selves?  We can’t even get soap right anymore!  What a mess, and how scary to think that the soap you may be using could actually be causing you harm in other areas of your body. 

Introduced in the 1970s, the compound triclosan has become an increasingly popular ingredient in many antibacterial soaps and other personal-care items, such as deodorants and mouthwashes.  However, as the chemical’s popularity continues to grow, a recent report has raised concerns about some frightening risks that triclosan could pose to public health.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed that exposure to triclosan is linked with muscle function impairments in humans and mice, as well as slowing the swimming of fish.  By reducing contractions in both cardiac and skeletal muscles, the chemical has the potential to contribute to heart disease and heart failure.

Click here to read the whole thing: Chemical in many antibacterial soaps linked with impaired muscle function

Heart failure?  From soap?!  Wow.  Just wow.  Well, I swore off anti-bacterial soaps a long time ago when I found out they didn’t reduce germs any better than regular soap.  But apparently this chemical is in other things too, so it pays to read labels. 

As for soap, I’m all aboard the homemade soap express now.  I think I have been for a bit, but reading this article just confirms that I’ve made a good decision.  My friend Sherri makes a great soap that’s fragrance free and she’s going to be selling it, so check out her link if you’re interested.  I can personally vouch for it because I’ve actually used it.  I have a local friend who makes a soap designed for skin conditions, specifically my skin condition, and she’s going to be teaching me how to make it myself in the next few months since I go through her stock so fast.  I love the homemade soaps – it’s like skin candy.  But it really is so much healthier too, and you have control over what the ingredients are so you know what’s in it.  No fears of heart failure from my soap, that’s for sure! 

I’ll probably do a post on my first efforts, and I’m kind of looking forward to it.  The thought of making my own soap feels so … pioneer-ish, heh, but it’s something I want to get into.  I think it’ll be fun. 

 

Chemical in many antibacterial soaps linked with impaired muscle function | Fox News

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Thoughts

Home remedies doctors swear by

1. Honey
2. Salt
3. Peppermint tea
4. Meat tenderizer
5. Oatmeal

via Home remedies doctors swear by | Fox News.

I like the homeopathic thing.  I’m much more prone to try a home remedy thing before I’ll go to the doctor.  Heh, even childbirth!   

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9 Furniture Staples Going Extinct

via 9 Furniture Staples Going Extinct | Photo Gallery – Yahoo! Shine.

Well, it looks like not only are furniture staples going extinct, but apparently, I’m a dinosaur.  All the things going away are the things I’ve always wanted!  Who decided fashion could change before I was able to get it?  I cry foul!  Harumph.  I’m getting a rolltop desk and a fancy wall clock one day anyway.  Neener on “style.” 

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What they’ve found is that when all outside noise is removed from an enclosure, human hearing will do its best to find something to listen to. In a room where almost 100% of sound is muted, people begin to hear things like their own heartbeat at a greatly amplified volume. As the minutes tick by in absolute quiet, the human mind begins to lose its grip, causing test subjects to hallucinate

via Quietest place on Earth mutes all sounds, messes with your head | Unplugged – Yahoo! Games.

This sounds like a challenge.  I dare you, Quietest Room!  I double dog dare you to drive me insane in under an hour!  I’ll be sleeping like a baby long before that hour is up, and enjoying every blessed second of silence.   

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What’s are you thinking about this week?

Thoughts

86 year-old gymnast

via iOwnTheWorld.com » Blog Archive » I Give This a 10.0.

This lady was really amazing to see. I should look and move so well at her age! She’s an inspiration.

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J&D’s Foods has created the Bacon Coffin, what they call the world’s first bacon-wrapped casket.

via iOwnTheWorld.com » Blog Archive » The Bacon Coffin.

What got me was the line about the adjustable bed and mattress. That stopped me cold! Adjustable bed? In a coffin? What the heck do they expect the corpse to do? Sit up and read?!

I’m pretty sure my husband, and WIGSF will love this one though. I mean, bacon! Seriously, what’s not to love? Aside from the adjustable bed.

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I was watching this video the other day – thanks to Moonbattery for the link! – and it got me to thinking.  Dennis Prager talks about gratitude, and you’ll have to watch the whole video to see what he means.  (It’s not even 5 min.)  I was reminded how important thankfulness is, and specifically for me.  I’m going to try to go back to doing the thankfulness posts, at least once a month, if not once a week. 

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What’s on your mind this week?

Track you!

You’re familiar with that saying, right, the one attributed to Kissinger?  “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean no one’s following you.”

How true!

Well here’s something that might help with that, at least in the cyber world.  DoNotTrackPlus  This little add-on will track the trackers and knock them out.  How awesome is that? 

*****

Other good news – check this out: 5 Most Surprising Reasons to Drink Coffee  Coffee is good for you now!  Yay!  Well, not like it would have made a difference if it wasn’t, but still, it’s nice to know that it’s a good-for-you kind of drink.  We coffee lovers knew that all along though. 

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Just call me Chief!  I took this quiz thing, Lord have mercy how I love the quiz things!  It was a personality quiz to see how you’re wired in terms of motivation.  My results are: “Vanessa’s Motivational DNA Type is: PSE (Production-Stability-External) The Chief”  It’s called the Get Motivated Quiz  I might get the book, it looks pretty interesting, and I have to say, it pretty much nailed me to a Tee. 

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So, how’s by you? 

Wisdom

 

In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it – thou art a fool.
~Lord Chesterfield

 

 

Well, we all like to think we’re smarter than the average bear, don’t we?  Me probably more so than most.  However, can a person be wise but not smart?  I think so.  For instance, there are people who might not rate super high on the IQ scale, but would nonetheless be very wise in how they understand things.

But wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with smarts and I’m sure we can all think of one or two people we know who are pretty smart, but also pretty foolish.  I tend to feel that pretty much proves them not so smart, but that’s for another day. 

I do think though that smart comes with wisdom.  Meaning, I think a person can be wise and that wisdom makes them smart. 

I guess it’s better to shoot for wisdom and hope the smart comes with it, rather than trying to be smart and hoping that wisdom tags along.  I believe that seldom happens.  I think people who believe themselves smart often tend to also think of themselves as wise, which is utter foolishness.

And around it goes!

I aim tall – I want to be both wise and smart!   Perhaps the trick is to believe I’m neither.

Wisdom

 

Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Skill is knowing how to do it, and Virtue is doing it. – David Starr Jordan

 

This quote struck a chord with me!  I believe I could solve the world’s problems if only someone would put me in charge, heh.    But then, would I have the skill to get it done?  Would I have the ability to do it? 

We can all talk a good game, can’t we?  But, as they say, the proof is in the pudding, and in the follow-through. 

Something for me to think about.    How about you?  Are you as good with the doing as you are with the planning?

 

Bonehead

Ah, the first day after the end of vacation – always a bit traumatic, isn’t it?  I know my beloved is doing his best to get back in the groove, as we are here at home.  We had a whole week off!  No school, no work, nothing but kicking back and playing.    It was awesome!

Our Thanksgiving was good – we went with an “Americana” theme this year, and that was fun.  Easy too! 

The only downer was that the kids got sick right on Thanksgiving!  Thankfully, not bad sick, just a slight cold kind of thing.  They were tired and a little stuffy but nothing major.  They slept more and that was about it. 

How was your holiday?  Did you travel?  Have people travel to you? 

I did something crazy.  Well, kind of bonehead crazy.  Remember the neighbor with the howling dog?  The loud neighbor with the howling dog?  I did something ….  See, every once in a while I get a big ham for dinner when it’s on sale and it lasts a while, but when I have just the big bone left, I always feel so guilty just throwing it away.  We don’t have a dog anymore to give such treats to, and I haven’t been able to toss a leftover bone in the garbage in almost 6 years now without having that sad little twist in my heart.  And as I was cleaning off the bone from the last ham I had, it went through my head that there was a dog upstairs who would love a juicy ham bone like that.  Oh, you should have heard the argument that went on in my head!  But I hate that dog!  But the dog isn’t annoying on purpose.  I should poison the bone and leave it out.  C’mon now, you know you couldn’t do that to an animal, no matter how annoying they might be.  I wish Michael Vick would come take that dog for a walk!  You’re so mean to think that way!  You know you don’t mean that.  Well, I might not mean it but it feels good to say it!  If you don’t mean it you shouldn’t be thinking it either. 

And on it went. 

Yeah, it’s pretty ugly in there. 

In the end, I decided to try to do the nice thing.  My prayer is that I can fake it ‘til I make it, and that my insides catch up quick to my outside.  *sigh*  Change my heart, Lord, because I really don’t like that dog! 

I wrapped up the bone and left it by their door as a gift to their dog.  I could hear the neighbor exclaim when she saw it when she took him out for his morning constitutional.  At 5:30.  (I did say loud, remember!)  “Oh look, puppeh!  A treat for you!”  I did not say in the note that it was from me.  Let them wonder.  Maybe they’ll think it was the magic bone fairy.