Family Vacation Ideas

For those who love to travel, I found some interesting and possibly useful sites. These sites offer affordable family vacation ideas. If you start to plan now, you might be all set to go in the spring or summer.

If you would like to plan a farm stay where you will be in the action of working on a farm with animals and crops, try agrispot.com. You can milk cows, pick eggs, feed the animals, etc. Kids usually love these activities These vacations are not very expensive; an average of $600 for a 5 day stay for a family of 3.

nps.gov is the site for you, if you are planning a trip to a national park. There are over 400 in the US.

To get annual passes for adults and children over 16 (under 16 is free) where you get guided tours and more try aramarkparksanddestinations.com.

For those who want to volunteer, there are many activities and organizations which offer trips. Americanhiking.org is a nonprofit group which maintains public hiking trails. If you would like to care for orphaned animals, try greepeople.org/animalsancturay.html for a list of sanctuaries. Charityguide.org offers other volunteer vacation thoughts.

To find dates where the cheapest prices are offered by airlines, try farecast.com. Yapta.com checks airline prices and sends an email alert when prices decrease.

Breezenet.com offers rental car discounts if you need to rent one.

Consider Being a Part-Time Vegetarian?

The benefits of going meatless are numerous. The first one of course, is health. Meat is high in protein, fat, cholesterol, calories, and bacteria. Studies show that drastically cutting back on meat coupled with an exercise regimen, substantially lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, digestive ailments and auto-immune diseases such as arthritis. Meat isn't easy to digest and putrefies in the intestine while it is passing. If you are not taking in an adequate amount of fiber, the putrefying meat is creating toxins which accumulate in organs and intestines. Meat also creates toxic compounds when cooked, especially at high temperatures and for prolonged periods. Some meat proteins are similar to ours, so when present the body attempts to destroy them as foreigners increasing the chances of auto-immune diseases such as lupus. After the animal is killed, it is a carcass where bacteria multiply astronomically. Refrigeration and cooking retard this growth, but nevertheless bacteria is always present, increasing the chances of food borne illnesses.

Another factor is the environmental impact. It takes more energy and water to produce meat than to grow food. Water is needed to grow food for the animals. Land has to be cleared to keep the animals. The waste that animals produce accounts for about 20% of the gases that contribute to global warming.

The health and welfare of workers in the meat industry is hardly ever mentioned, but this is yet another consideration. Workers are exploited (it is usually immigrants that do this job); they are subject to long hours without benefits, accidents, and diseases. They are unable to file any claims for injuries or take time off from work.

Another reason for going meatless is the treatment of the animals to be consumed. Animals are cruelly dealt with. They are skinned or boiled alive in many instances, sometimes their limbs are cut off while still alive. They are supposed to be shot in the forhead with a compressed air gun but this isn't done skillfully in many occasions . Many are left in crowded, cramped quarters with no room to move, usually stepping in their own dung or on other fallen animals. Force-feeding, administering of antibiotics and hormones are already known factors.

There is also the factor of how eating less meat is more affordable than eating grains and vegetables.

Abstaining completely from meat eating is not the idea here but wouldn't being a part time vegetarian be an option?

Achieving Happiness

The results were out a few months ago regarding a survey of where the happiest people are. According to the survey, they are in Denmark. The US made 16th place (wow). Some of the things that the survey took into account were life satisfaction, unemployment rate, health care access, and basic education provision. While Denmark has a high tax rate (sometimes over 50% of income), it also has a broad range of social services. Denmark’s strength lays in its good quality public schools, low unemployment rate (about 2%), health care provision, and good retirement pensions. You might not get rich in Denmark but you can survive on a smaller salary. People seem to be more satisfied with their jobs and life overall.

While these things can contribute to life satisfaction and happiness, it is our own responsibility to actively seek to be happy. Happiness should be pursued, rather than rely on something or someone to make us happy.

Since our day to day activities puts the feeling of happiness out of minds, we need to focus on our intent to achieve it. Once we focus on it and start practicing it, it becomes a habit. Here are some ways:

 I highly believe in the saying: “Fake it until you make it”. If you tell yourself that you are happy and believe it, you will be. This goes hand in hand with smiling. If you don’t feel like smiling but make yourself smile, it will come naturally thus bringing you closer to happiness.

 Engage in activities that bring satisfaction and that are enjoyable.

 Think of how you feel when you are happy; it’s a feeling of giddiness and butterflies in your stomach. Take a moment and imagine it and try to retain the feeling.

 Concentrate on what you truly need in your life. The more we want, the more we acquire. Do material things lead to happiness, especially when you are drowning in debt and clutter?

 Seek people who are enjoyable to be around and who are optimistic. Talk happiness topics with them.

 Be aware of those negative moods and thoughts (anger, jealousy, sadness) and try to turn them around. Remember that tomorrow, whatever caused these feelings might be forgotten. Ask if it is worth to waste precious energy on these feelings?

 Maintain close friends and family relationships.

There are many ways that we can make ourselves happy and help those around us to do the same. It is our right, so let’s practice!

Preserving One of America’s Beautiful Creatures

The Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 was enacted due to the public outcry in the 1950's and 1960's because of the slaughter of wild horses. These animals were considered pests and were killed in large numbers. They were usually shot and left to die. The Act called for the protection of these animals from public agencies one of them the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Throughout the years the government has done everything but protect these majestic free-spirited creatures.

These animals are rounded-up through the chase of helicopters and four wheelers and then trapped in holding pens. They are held in facilities for the purpose of adoption (with no guarantees) and to be sold to slaughter houses. Of those that are adopted, there is no proper adoption screening. In the chase, animals fall from exhaustion only to be trampled by the running herd. Others succumb to illness because of the stress or because they are too weak or old to survive the roundup. There is also the trauma of the separation from the herd, existing bonds are broken. Some foals are often left behind to fend for themselves. Some animals are kept in holding pens for years. On the good side is the action of closing down in 2007 of the 3 slaughter houses in the US (2 in Texas and 1 in Illinois).

Herd Management Areas or HMAs are areas designated for the wild horses, but they are killed by the very BLM (who is supposed to protect them) when they step out of the HMAs. Being that they not a fenced off areas, the horses have no knowledge that they are trespassing this invisible line. The government claims that they damage the environment but in reality what they mean is that the horses eat the dirt-cheap grass that cattle feed on in public lands. The BLM obviously has favored the cattle ranchers succumbing to their pressure.

Considerable education is necessary (especially for the lawmakers) on the management of wild horses, in order to reach a co-existing plan for the horses and cattle-ranchers. We have already taken large amounts of their land in favor of livestock. Many sanctuaries use non-hormonal contraception in mares. The government can adopt this procedure also, in an effort to control their so-called overpopulation and stop the so-called destruction of habitat that they impose. I say so-called because there is scientific evidence that states otherwise.

Euthanasia should not be an option to control their numbers. At this rate, wild horses will be extinct only to be remembered by its close relative the domestic horse.

Choose the Company You Keep

'Like attracts like', is a saying that represents well how like-minded people will naturally respond to each other. It is important to scrutinize our own behavior so that we can attract those who will share our behaviors and beliefs. On the same point, it is crucial that we consider who's company we keep.

Do you want a healthy lifestyle and to attract goodness to you? Our circle of friends and family might help, improve, or hinder our efforts. Can you learn and improve your thoughts and life by the people that surround you? Do they hold you back from achieving your goals and dreams or do they color your world? Chances are that if they are the type that criticize, gossip, envy, are pessimistic, and engage in negative behaviors, they are not headed in your same direction. They will not help your soul to flourish.

This is not encouraging the behavior of superiority over others. One person is not better than the next, but some lives prosper while others' don't. Just like it is important to keep associations with those who can help us grow, it is also important that we mirror those behaviors. Are we encouraging, optimistic, loving, not faultfinding, overall helpful, and not jealous of others? We need to be conscious of our own behaviors as well. With conscious thought we can learn, guide, or keep away from people who are not good intended.

We never stop growing and learning; the idea is to continuously self-improve.

Recognize a Hero(ine)

A hero(ine) is an individual admired for their achievements and noble qualities. This sounds like not just anybody can become one; you must have risked your life in order to have saved someone else's or have gotten someone out of a terrible bind. While these actions constitute a hero(ine), heroic actions and qualities can also be subtle.

Just by being less self-centered and expecting less recognition on our accomplishments, yet recognizing others' feats lead to a heroic path. Actions such as sharing, inactively listening (keeping quiet even when we have some idea to verbally contribute), or not becoming offended (letting your ego get in the way). How about when we are of service to others, or when we are humble, or when we bequeath a certain possession (we shouldn't be attached to earthly possessions)?

Isn't it true that the more we give (without expecting returns), the more we receive? I passionately believe this. But, it is easy in our day-to-day living to forget all that we receive moment-by-moment, (even the hero(ine) in our lives).

Look around you and recognize that person, whether they are in direct contact in your life or not. Send warm, sincere, loving, benevolent thoughts their way. Let them know how much they are appreciated and how their actions enhance the lives of others.

The Legendary Micheal Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Indiana and passed away on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. He was one in a family of seven brothers and sisters. His music, lyrics, sense of fashion, and dance moves were unique and inspired many stars. He was inspired by legends such as Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis. He had followers across the globe. Micheal Jackson was a true legend but what stands out in my mind and heart, was his noble heart and the great humanitarian that he was.