A city mayor was fighting illegal parking by running over cars using a Russian tank!

True story; it happened in 2011 when mayor Arturas Zuokas (pictured in suit) became enraged with motorists who were parking their luxury cars illegally around Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Since it had become a common occurrence with some motorists parking with impunity, perhaps there was no better way to curb the habit than to use Russian tanks to run over the cars!

 

aid the flamboyant politician:

I wanted to send a clear message that people with big and expensive cars can’t park wherever they feel like and ignore the rights of pedestrians and bike riders. It shows a lack of respect and won’t be tolerated. Of course, you have to have a sense of humor in my line of work and I thought this would be a way of drawing attention to the fact that the city intends to be proactive in its fight against illegal parking.’

Draw attention it did, but sense of humor Mr. Mayor?

Stop Waiting on Your Dream: Take Tiny Steps to Make “Someday” Now

 

“The beautiful things about setbacks is they introduce us to our strengths.” ~Robin Sharma

Now, it’s your turn to make it happen for yourself.

Instead of saying “someday, I’ll…” – change your mindset to “I’ll do that.”

Start writing about what you want—all those juicy little things you’re saving for when things are “just right.”

Learn to ask yourself: “What’s stopping me?”

Recognize negative self-talk and self-doubt for what they are: nonsense that keeps you playing small. Ignore!
Break your goals into small steps, and actively add them to your calendar. Giving yourself real deadlines will help you stay on your path of action, and see your goals through to the end.

http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Fwd2FriendEdit=850672;5902385;http://tinybuddha.com/blog/stop-waiting-on-your-dream-take-tiny-steps-make-someday-now/;Stop%20Waiting%20on%20Your%20Dream:%20Take%20Tiny%20Steps%20to%20Make%20%E2%80%9CSomeday%E2%80%9D%20Now;4741436

How to Heal a Broken Heart and Wounded Spirit

“We do not heal the past by dwelling there; we heal the past by living fully in the present.” ~Marianne Williamson

For every pain, there is a pleasure. And I suspect that we are capable of pleasures far beyond the reaches of any pain.

http://p.feedblitz.com/t3.asp?/850672/29312163/4741436/tinybuddha.com/blog/how-to-heal-a-broken-heart-and-wounded-spirit/ 

The kid from Two and a Half Men left his $350,000 per-week earnings for Jesus

For the vast majority of folks, $350,000 is an unimaginable sum of money to have in cash, let alone earn – and every week at that. Well, not so for some who even forego that kind of weekly wage just because it doesn’t fall in line with their ideals.

 

The kid from Two and a Half Men, Angus T. Jones, is the character in question, who became the highest paid child actor in 2010 raking in $300k per episode. During his last season, he was earning $350,000 per episode, and twenty-four episodes translate to a whopping $8.4 million. It’s been over a year since he left the CBS sitcom, and he opened up as to the reasons behind it.
Turns out, Christianity was behind it. He said the role he was playing didn’t go down well with his religious values, making negative remarks about the sitcom, saying:

If you watch ‘Two and a Half Men,’ please stop watching [it]…I’m ​on ‘​Two and a Half Men’; I don’t want to be on it.  Please stop watching it. Please stop filling your head with filth.’

He later added:

It was difficult for me to be on the show and be part of something that was making light of topics in our world where there are really problems for a lot of people. I was a paid hypocrite because I wasn’t OK with it and I was still doing it.’

At the moment, Angus attends the Univeristy of Colorado and has fully taken to Christianity, visiting churches across the United States spreading God’s wor

According to DNA results, Elvis was destined to die at a young age.

Elvis Presley, aka The King of Rock and Roll or simply The King, was born in January 1935 under a lucky star. He took the world by storm with his amazing musical prowess, unleashing smash single after smash single before his death in 1977 aged 42.

An overweight King
Over the decades, Elvis’ untimely demise has been blamed on things like overeating, obesity, drug overuse, his doctor even. New DNA results, however, have revealed that The King’s life was destined to come to an end at a young age. After purchasing locks of Presley’s hair for $2,000, Dr. Stephen Kingsmore spent three months carrying out DNA tests at the Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine and the results surprised him.
From the tests, it was noted that the singer’s chromosome 11 had flaws that lead to a heart muscle disease known as hypertophic cardiomyopathy that affects men aged between 20 and 40. In other words, despite the problems and controversy that surrounded his death, Elvis Presley would have died young even if he led a healthy life. Moreover, The King is said to have showed signs of that heart disease during his final years, and these included an irregular heartbeat and fainting.

Being a cat lover could cause mental illness that could lead to suicide

Female cat lovers, this one’s especially for you…A group of researchers from Denmark carried out a study involving over 45,000 women. It found women infected with a parasite called the Toxoplasma gondii are at increased risk of attempting suicide. So, how does this have any semblance to cats?
The parasite is especially found in cat feces, litter boxes, consuming undercooked meat and unwashed vegetables. The study found about a third of the global population is infected with the parasite which resides in brain and muscle cells and symptoms are hard to show.

Those infected with the parasite are at a higher risk of committing suicide as compared to those without. Not only that, it tends to contribute to suicide of a more violent nature: jumping from buildings, cutting or stabbing or shooting, as opposed to suicide of a more serene nature such as drinking oneself to death or popping pills.
It is a situation other researchers from India who concur with the theory call the Crazy Cat Lady Suicide theory. Before you go kicking about your cat tonight, know that you can curb your chances of taking yourself out by handling cat feces with gloves, and even the feline itself, keep the litter box clean and not allowing your cat to eat rodents. If they can’t do the latter then they’re of no much use and should find their way to the dinner table in China, for cat numbers have reached mammoth proportions. Sorry, but that’s the way it is.

Most of the successful CEOs are psychopaths

Psychopaths are always painted in bad light, but perhaps being one isn’t bad after all, especially if you’re in the business world. One psychopath expert from the University of British Columbia, Robert Hare, says that psychopaths can turn out to be extremely successful CEOs.
Psychopathy is said to be a blend of multiple individual characteristics such as impulsiveness, manipulation, aggression, glibness, lack of emotion, callousness and irresponsibility. Turns out, these are just the ingredients you need to be an accomplished executive.

Approximately 4 percent of people in the world of business and up to 10 percent of those in the field of financial services are deemed to be psychopathic. The features that make one a psychopath are prevalent among top executives, at least according to an article from 2009 by Pfohl and Cangemi which outlined 7 individuals with leading professions as having the traits. Among this lot were a well-known university professor, a Fortune 500 executive and a venture capitalist.
This is just one example, and numerous studies and books have been written on the subject especially during the past 5 years. The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success authored by Kevin Dutton, for instance, finds that CEOs top the list of most psychopathic persons. Lawyers are second on the list, followed by TV and media personalities, with salesman and surgeon coming in at fourth and fifth respectively

Releasing the Fear That Keeps Us Feeling Unlovable

“Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learn here.” ~Marianne Williamson

On the surface, I walked around like any normal person but actually my world was a reflection of my chronic inner desolation.

“Love heals everything,” she said smilingm as the wind chimes echoed in the breeze. The sound of the river ran endlessly beside the cottage and night-sky seemed as though it had paused time.

The Wake Up Call Grew Louder

 I discovered A Course In Miracles.

1. Love is who we are.

2. It is the ego-mind that separates us from our fundamental nature of love.

This ego-mind creates thoughts of psychological fear in our minds. These differ from thoughts of real fear, which are healthy and natural—for example, when our body senses a threat such as a hungry tiger snarling at us.

3. In our natural state of being, we already are perfect.

We can choose to recognize thoughts of psychological fear as they arise, acknowledge that they are unnatural, and instead, return to our innate being of love.

5. A miracle is a shift in perception from psychological fear to love.

4. We can all choose to see the ego-mind for what it is—a manipulative, clever smoke screen illusion that tricks us into forgetting who we truly are.

http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Fwd2FriendEdit=850672;2722512;http://tinybuddha

50 reasons to exercise

A great way to flush your body first thing in the morning...

Babies tend to cry more in yellow rooms.

The color yellow is often perceived as warm and vibrant. But did you know that it is the most fatiguing color to the eye? That’s right. This is due to the high amount of light that is reflected off it, and using it as a background on your computer, paper or other object can cause eyestrain or even loss of vision in some extreme cases.

It may be bright and warm but ironically, yellow can create feelings of anger and frustration. Tempers are more likely to flare in rooms painted yellow, and this is no different for babies who tend to cry more.
So, what should you paint for a more soothing effect? Carlton Wagner, director of Wagner Institute for Color Research, in Santa Barbara, California, advises for ‘soft, dusty peach, desert rose, greens and even some pale blues’.
Here are some other interesting color tidbits…Blue makes us time-conscious and curbs our appetite, so for those trying to watch their weight, painting the kitchen or dining room blue may be a good idea, maybe equipping your fridge with blue lights. Red, on the other hand, may stimulate more food consumption and you also tend to eat longer. Bright red, especially, makes us enjoy our food more, not to mention losing track of time.

The first man to survive going over Niagara Falls later died from slipping on an orange peel.

His name was Bobby Leach, just the second person to go over the Niagara Falls in a custom-made barrel, following in the footsteps of Annie Taylor. Bobby made headlines not just for the daredevil performance, but also his eventual rather stupid cause of death: slipping on an orange peel

The jump over the Niagara Falls in 1911 wasn’t without risk: Mr. Leach spent the next 6 months in hospital recuperating from the injuries he sustained. These included a fractured jaw and two broken knee caps. This wasn’t his first go at stunting though, and previously had been a regular performer with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, often boasting that anything Annie could do, he could do better.
After recovery, Leach would visit the world on publicity tours, and it was while in New Zealand that he met his fate. 15 years after the Niagara Falls jump, he injured his leg after slipping on an orange peel (some say it was a banana peel). The leg became infected and had to be amputated. There was no cheating death this time though, and he died two months later from complications.

Men produce fewer sperm in summer than in winter, and taxi drivers produce fewer than men who do not drive.

Men who live in temperate climates tend to produce more sperm in winter as compared to the summer months. This is what partly explains the fewer birth rates witnessed in spring time, and less during the fall.

Studies across the years have ruled out less sexual activity during the summer as the cause of the low numbers in childbirth. Rather, the hotter months lead to a lower sperm count since high temperatures are known to inhibit sperm production. This is the same concept that finds taxi drivers produce less sperm than their male counterparts who don’t drive since their private parts (read balls) are continuously under exposure to heat for prolonged durations (so do couch potatoes, according to another study).
One of the most recent studies into the subject was in 2013 by researchers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. This one established that the physical structure of sperm cells was healthiest in winter months, after testing 6,455 semen samples in a span of three years. However, despite decades of research, such inferences are not definitive and continue to remain an open topic.

After sex, some men experience sadness and regret, which is known as Post-coital tristesse.

You probably have experienced it, but didn’t know what it was. Well, it’s actually normal, and the word for it is PCT (post-coital tristesse), ‘tristesse’ being another word for sadness. Not everyone experiences it and many sufferers may suffer great feelings of anxiety for five minutes or even 2 hours after intercourse.

 

So, what leads to the depression? Post-coital tristesse is said to be as a result of the loss of semen and the exhaustion of the body following a round of sex. Rather than feel the usual relief that ensues (after dopamine is released), the body feels weak and exhausted. There’s even a Latin adage that goes, ‘omne animal post coital triste’ loosely translated to mean ‘all animals are sad after sex’.
Post-coital tristesse can be found in from the works of famous philosophers like Aristotle. After an orgasm, a hormone used in production of breast milk (prolactin – also found in men) rises high. In fact, it escalates as high as 400 percent during sex than during masturbation. The feeling can also be experienced of you have intercourse with someone you don’t care about.

Dancing..

Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music. - George Carlin

GOOD PARENTHOOD

“I don't think it matters how many parents you've got, as long as those who are around make their presence a good one.”

― Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation

Going on a Family Tour

THE SYSTEM GREETINGS

We have two evil to fight, Capitalism and Racism. We Must Destroy Both- (Huey Newton)

DIGITAL ERA

DIGITAL ERA!

Overcoming Fear and Perceived Threats to Work Toward Your Dream

“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.” ~Pema Chodron

Fear puts me in survival mode and pushes aside everything else that has a whimsical, magical, and expansive quality to it

1. Ask yourself if it’s a real or perceived threat.

2. Use fear’s energy as a lever to break through.

3. Go deep.

4. Take action.

 

What fear is holding you back? Is the danger real or perceived? Can you see a mental image of your dream coming to life? And how can you channel the energy of your fear to take action toward your dream?

 

 http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Fwd2FriendEdit=850672;2854502;http://tinybuddha.com/blog/overcoming-fear-perceived-threats-work-toward-dream/;Overcoming%20Fear%20and%20Perceived%20Threats%20to%20Work%20Toward%20Your%20Dream;4738656

 

 

How to ROCK Your Rock Bottom and Reinvent Yourself

“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.”

• Let Your Future Pain Motivate You Now

• Gravel or Boulder; The Choice is Yours

To me, the rock signifies heaviness, stillness, being centered. It is an opportunity, weighed down by this tremendous structure, to dig deep and decide in that moment what to do next, as if nothing else matters. Because in that moment, nothing else does.

You can use the rock as a stepping stone (pun intended) to reach heights of re-invention that may have otherwise felt impossible.
Remember, once you hit rock bottom, there is no place else to go but up!

You Don’t Have to Wait for Rock Bottom to Rock It!

 What challenges are you facing that need action?

 

 for more reading

http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Fwd2FriendEdit=850672;2854502;http://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-to-rock-your-rock-bottom-and-reinvent-yourself/;How%20to%20ROCK%20Your%20Rock%20Bottom%20and%20Reinvent%20Yourself;4738656

Sometimes in life, sh*t happens...

Rise and shine! Get your family in line!

The Power Of Being A 'Nobody' (very touching)...

 

The world undervalues the economic nobody, and grossly over-values the wealthy somebody. On this point the world is wrong.

You have nothing to lose when you are a nobody. And because you realize that 'you can’t fall from the floor,’ you’re not all stressed out about whether you are going to actually fail at something or not. Everyone born as a 'societal nobody’ has the exact same middle name, inserted sometime after birth, which translates roughly: DO SOMETHING.

A nobody is often under estimated, until they aren’t. Below is my update on a 20th century standard.

First they will ignore you.
Then they will criticize you.
Then they will try to copy you.
And then you will win. 

 
When a self-knowing economic nobody wins at life, they almost never forget where they came from. They are often the kindest, philanthropic, most positive, confident (yet understated) people you will ever meet.

Here are some recent examples of wealth that came from near nothing:

Jan Koum, the CEO and co-founder of WhatsApp, once lived on food stamps before Facebook made him a billionaire.

Starbucks' Howard Schultz grew up in a housing complex for the poor.

Born into poverty, Oprah Winfrey became the first African American TV correspondent in Nashville.

Luxury goods mogul Francois Pinault (think Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent) quit high school in 1974 after being bullied for being poor.

Oracle's Larry Ellison dropped out of college after his adoptive mother died and held odd jobs for eight years.

 
People tend to feel sorry for the poor, but I actually feel sorry for my rich friends' children. I wouldn’t exchange my life, growing up struggling in South Central Los Angeles and Compton, California, for the privileged lives of my wealthy friend’s kids for all the tea in China.

Young people who grew up believing that they were ‘somebody’ are suffering from at least four distinct disadvantages in life.

(1) They never learned how to ‘suffer for the good.’

(2) They were more often than not spoiled rotten, which makes it harder to value a dollar, or even hard work and sustained struggle.

(3) The ‘entitlement’ problem. This is a misguided sense that success is somehow owed to some, which in turn causes you to take your foot off the gas in life and just coast. A perfect work day is then defined as in late, long lunch, and leave early. I always wanted just the opposite of this. Still do. I love to work and to make my own way. Every single day.

(4) Too much private school-only air. Private schools have their value, but if you never went to at least a few years of public school then in my opinion you are really in trouble. Public school is where you learn how to deal with difficult people, diverse environments, and challenging situations. Just like life itself.


further reading

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140325000910-23074630-the-power-of-being-a-nobody