Monthly Archives: April 2013
To share or not to share – spreading positive memes via the internet
Did you receive one of those e-mails or text or Facebook posts today? The one that says “send this to 7 friends” or a picture of a sick kid with a caption like “if this picture gets 1,000 “likes” so and so will pay for their surgery”, or a photo of Bill Gates with a caption like if you “share” this picture he might give you $5,000 etc. There is a large amount of inaccurate information and viruses of the mind circling on the internet. We know that we can’t trust everything we read on Facebook or internet or receive via email. However some of these images and stories do appeal to us and touch our hearts. Should we ‘share’ them or not?
Personally I would not share any negative messages that invoke guilt or waste people’s time. However I would ‘share’ positive messages, no matter whether they are true real life stories or just a product of creative mind. After all, for centuries myths, legends, fairy tales and literary stories have been used for spreading positive memes and developing good moral values. Such literary works have always been judged by the fitness of its emotional effects rather than ‘truthfulness’. I believe that such positive stories provide direction to reader’s personality. Every emotional reaction of the reader helps to set his or her character more firmly in the mould of right or wrong attitude.
Below are a few examples of positive internet legends and tales. They are not true, but I still like them and would still share them with my friends:
- Cranky Old Man Poem
- Touching hearts: The Teacher and Little Teddy Stoddard
- The Tale of the Racist Airline Passenger
What about you? Would you share them too?
From Emotion is The Secret to Creating a Meme
THE END
I know nothing of hatred…
Happy Earth Day !
“The earth is what we all have in common.”
Wendell Berry
Today is Earth Day, a day to appreciate Earth and the environment. People celebrate Earth Day in many ways: Some clean up their local park, others work on educational efforts or even donate to their favorite environmental charity. What can you do to honor Mother Earth?
Danielle Nierenberg suggests the following 13 Things Everyone Can Do in 2013:
1. Eat more colors
The colors of fruits and vegetables are signs of nutritional content. A richly-colored red tomato has high levels of carotenoids such as lycopene, which the American Cancer Society reports can help prevent cancer, as well as heart disease.
2. Buy food with less packaging
Discarded packaging makes up around one-third of non-industrial solid waste in industrialized countries, with negative impacts on the climate, and air and water quality. Choosing foods with less packaging can also be better for our waistlines, since highly processed foods that are low in nutrients generally use more packaging than more healthful, less processed options.
3. Choose seasonal produce
Earth Day offers a great opportunity to bring more seasonal fruits and vegetables into diets. Many farmers markets sell products that are in season. Locally sourced, seasonal products can also be found at major grocery stores.
4. Get in touch with agriculture
This time of year, many people are starting to plan vacations. A great way to skip the crowds, save money, and get both children and adults in touch with agriculture is to book a farm-stay.
5. Get creative in the kitchen
Shopping at farmers markets, which often have a wide selection of less-ordinary produce such as celeriac, sunchokes, or kohlrabi, can prevent “food ruts” by helping consumers try new foods.
6. Invest in perennial crops
Perennial plants — plants that grow back every year — tend to hold water in soil more effectively than annuals and help prevent erosion. Their extensive roots also allow them to better access nutrients and water, reducing the need for artificial fertilizer.
7. Reclaim abandoned spaces
As populations continue to expand, especially in cities, reclaiming unused land and buildings for food production can help meet growing demand.
8. Build local and global food communities
A great way to get involved in food and agriculture issues is with Slow Food International, an organization with more than 1,300 groups around the world called convivia. These groups support healthy, sustainable diets and traditional food cultures.
9. DIY
Many Do-It-Yourself (DIY) food projects are easy and fun. Turning old t-shirts into produce bags to save plastic, starting seeds in eggshells, which can then be crushed for transplanting into the soil, and DIY foods such as homemade oat or almond milk can all add a creative twist to healthy eating and sustainable agriculture. Plus, they are lots of fun for families.
10. Cook in batches and freeze for later
Planning meals in advance can help reduce stress around cooking. It also helps reduce food waste, which is a big problem in industrialized countries A great way to reduce waste and make planning easy is to cook large batches of a single meal, such as soups or curries, which can be frozen and reused on short notice later in the week.
11. Brighten your outlook
At the recent Warwick Economics Summit in February, Warwick University Economics Professor Dr. Andrew Oswald presented his research on health and happiness, focusing on the link between happiness and consumption of fruits and vegetables. His team of researchers found that eating more fruits and vegetables directly improves a person’s mental well-being, separate from other variables such as income level and how much meat a person ate. This research is supported by a similar study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which found a link between patients’ blood-level of carotenoids, compounds commonly found in colorful fruits and vegetables, and their feelings of optimism.
12. Use crop rotation
Crop rotation is an important way to preserve soil nutrients, prevent erosion, and protect against crop diseases and pests.
13. Embrace conviviality around the table
Talking and laughing while sharing food is a uniquely human experience. Conviviality, joyful and friendly interaction, is found at markets and around the dinner table, and it supports healthy relationships and healthy bodies.
Let’s every day be the Earth Day 🙂
THE END
Best Moment Award
Last but not least for this month – Otrazhenie has also been nominated for the Best Moment Award. Thanks a lot, Cristi, for this nomination. Much appreciated. Your blog is full of such ‘moments’ – your inspirational quotes and beautiful images often brighten my days. I have been following Cristi’s blog for quite a few months and enjoy Cristi’s posts a lot.
Rules:
Winners re-post this completely with their acceptance speech. This could be written or video recorded. Winners have the privilege of awarding the next awardees! The re-post should include a NEW set of people/blogs worthy of the award; and winners notify them the great news.
Resources:
What makes a good acceptance speech?
-Gratitude. Thank the people who helped you along the way
-Humor. Keep us entertained and smiling
-Inspiration. Make your story touch our lives
Get an idea from the great acceptance speeches, compiled in MomentMatters.com/Speech
Display the award’s badge on your blog/website, downloadable in MomentMatters.com/Award
Acceptance speech :
Hello my dear blogo-friends and followers. Thanks for visiting my blog, providing your comments and encouraging me by ‘Liking’ my posts. I have enjoyed my 8-month-long blogo-journey full of reflective moments. Hope my posts bring some sunshine and warmth into your life.
I would like to nominate the following bloggers:
Most Influential Blogger Award
A few weeks ago Otrazhenie has been nominated for the Most Influential Blogger Award. Thanks a lot, Ajay, for that award, and sorry that it took me so long to write this award post. Ajay is an amazing member of the blogging community, who is very encouraging and supportive of other bloggers. Check out Ajay’s inspirational blog – his thoughts and images are sure to touch your heart and brighten your day.
This award has no rules. You just choose any amount of blogs to nominate as you wish. Therefore I would like to nominate all bloggers who posted comments to my posts. For me blogging is a conversation and your comments are very important for it – they influence my thoughts and they influence my blog. Thanks a lot for joining into my blogging conversation. Much appreciated. 🙂
I would also like to nominate Ronnie who is running “R” Hub – a recovery support resource centre offering support, information, and involvement for anyone in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse. Ronnie is doing an amazing job, pulling people away from drugs and alcohol by involving them into an online conversation and giving them some hope, sense of unity and belonging.
Most Influential Blogs of 2012 Award
I feel so bad that it took me so long to post my thanks for all the wonderful awards that I was given last month that I decided to devote this weekend to completing all my award posts. Almost a month ago I was nominated for the Most Influential Blogs of 2012 by Ronnie. Thanks a lot, Ronnie. Much appreciated. Your blog influenced me a lot over the last 8 months – it’s a pity that I can’t nominate you for that award too 🙂 Check out Ronnie’s inspirational blog at http://rhubblog.com/2013/03/29/most-influential-blogs-of-2012/
This nomination has no rules, so I would like to nominate all bloggers who posted comments to my posts. For me blogging is a conversation which would be incomplete without your voices. Thanks a lot for joining into my blogging conversation and encouraging me with your ‘Likes’. Much appreciated. 🙂
WordPress Family Award
Brand new award from Shaun @ http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com “I am part of the WordPress Family Award”. ANYONE CAN TAKE THIS AWARD ANY TIME AND GIVE TO TEN OTHERS!!!
Thanks, Ajay, for nominating me for that award and for sharing the family warmth via your comments and likes. Glad to be part of the WordPress family 🙂
Award Description:
“This is an award for everyone who is part of the “Word Press Family” I start this award on the basis that the WordPress family has taken me in, and showed me love and a caring side only WordPress can. The way people take a second to be nice, to answer a question and not make things a competition amazes me here. I know I have been given many awards, but I wanted to leave my own legacy on here by creating my own award, as many have done before. This represents “Family” we never meet, but are there for us as family. It is my honour to start this award.” from Shaun @ http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/
Rules:
1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your wordpress experience and family
4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them
5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people that have taken you as a friend, and spread the love.
My nominees:
3. NissA’
4. Marji
5. Alastair
6. Bastet
7. Shellakers
8. Cristi M.
The good outnumber the evil…
When evil men plot, good men must plan…
I firmly believe that good people outnumber evil people on this planet – in all cultures and in all lands. Never lose hope in humanity no matter how much evil you see in this world. Good will always win.
Otrazhenie 