Towards Sustainable Gardening

People are talking about sustainability all the time and it seems to be a catchword for a lot of things. Like all similar concepts sustainability only means something to people if you can actually do something. It is time we started to describe some techniques and actions people can take to move our gardens towards a sustainable garden.In the last article we looked at planting types of plants that will grow in dryer areas. Taking that a step further we can choose a variety of plants for ordinary gardens that do not need as much water as some of our traditional plants. Choosing plants that like dryer conditions means less water usage therefore saving a little freshwater for other purposes. If everyone did this we could save an awful lot of fresh water.Choosing New Zealand native plants for your garden is often expressed as sustainable. There is no doubt that choosing the right NZ native plants for your particular garden situation is the right thing to do and they will grow exceedingly well. However in NZ we have access to many other plants that will grow well and achieve similar goals. In choosing native plants or exotic plants always ask yourself “… is this the right plant for this place?”Lawns. Again a water saving tip is to cut the lawns a little longer than we traditionally have done in NZ. We followed the English tradition of short fine lawns that need plenty of water. Cutting them longer, up to 5cm, will mean the lawn will stay greener longer without any watering. In California it is an offence to cut your lawns really short in order to save water. The benefit of a greener lawn for less work (and less money if you have to pay for water) is matched by a less weedy lawn as the grass will choke out lawns weeds.Mulching provides many benefits to a garden. Firstly it will add nutrients to the soil, secondly it will help retain soil moisture by covering up the soil, Thirdly mulch is usually organic matter that has been processed rather than taken to a landfill. Mulch provides multiple sustainability benefits in gardening.Composting at home also helps achieve sustainability. Preparing a compost heap is not at all hard. By composting our garden rubbish, weeds and prunings, we have no need to take them to a landfill, and when composted make a great mulch or additive to the vegetable garden which will promote further healthy plant growth.Growing your own vegetables also helps our environment. With fresh home grown vegetables you will eat better. Not only that there are overall savings in transport costs, fertiliser, fuel, and insecticides. Probably one of the most talked about subjects is the use of insecticides and fungicides. Both types of chemicals are indiscriminate and kill both the good and bad insects and fungi. This debate resulted in the organic growing movement becoming well respected. Today organic foods command a price premium over non organic foods. Reducing or eliminating these chemicals in the home garden is easy. One of the keys to reducing these chemicals is healthy plant growth stimulated by healthy soil. Healthy soils are created by adding good compost to the soil. Sustainability does not occur in isolation. Various elements are interrelated to others. For gardening there are three key areas to concentrate on, the soil, plant choice and reduction in the use of chemicals. Spending some time adjusting these and working out the interrelationships in your own garden will help move towards a sustainable garden.

Basketball Defense – Three Tips For Beginners

It should be obvious how important defense in basketball is. Like offense, it is one word associated with the game that is a topic all its own. It is so crucial that fans scream it all the time when their team doesn’t have ball possession. Despite the enduring presence of this word, not all novice players and coaches focus on it.One possible reason why the concept is being downplayed is the overwhelming obsession over scoring more points. Fame and maybe fortune await the player who can shoot the most. Shallow play analysis further stress who has made the most points. This is when people forget that in most cases, guarding the team with the ball is just as important.It is through defensive basketball strategies that a team gets to limit the points of an opposing team. This means, a team doesn’t need to score more than a hundred points to win, they just need to make sure the other team doesn’t score at all. Here are three tips that can help put teams on top of the game.#1- Stance and balance are everything.You need to adopt the right form and position to prevent an opponent from scoring and to maintain balance. Moreover, the right stance also puts you in the best position to steal the ball when you can. The basic stance in proper basketball defense is to bend the knees in such a way as to put the player’s head level to the offensive player’s chest. Feet should be planted shoulder’s width apart. By choosing this position, a player is least likely to lose balance even when pushed. Feet and hand facing the dominant hand of the other player should be placed a little forward to prepare for action when there is an opportunity to steal.#2- Guard the ones without the ball.When nearly everyone’s eyes are on the ball handler, it’s easy to forget all other players on the court. This can be one of the worst mistakes any team can make. Defensive basketball goes beyond focusing on the person who has it. The responsibility stretches over every other player. Once the ball gets passed around, less guarded teammates can take a good shot.#3- Put pressure on the opponent.As a game stretches, it gets tempting to grow lax. This may reflect on player facial expression and loosened stance. A defending team shouldn’t make the mistake of appearing tired of lazy in front of an offensive team. From start to finish, the focus should be on putting pressure on the opponents. Pressure can be exhibited in a variety of ways ranging from adopting intimidating facial expressions to adopting a strong forward hand and foot position to limit an opponent’s ability to move, pass the ball or shoot.These are only some of the basic tips for great defense in basketball. These however should be more than enough to stress the importance of this one element. Just as beginners need to hone their shooting skills, they should also be pushed to defend better.

Infant Mind Development Phases.

A baby in the womb gets started developing its mind from the development of stem cells. All encompassing stem cells are unique, because they provide the functionality to develop into any cell that we have use for in the body, like blood cells, heart cells or brain cells. The majority of mind cells or neurons that are developing in pregnancy stage will keep with us throughout our life, as opposed to any different cell in the body.Brain Training GamesA baby in the womb of a month is developing 500,000 mind cells or neurons each 60 seconds! These developing mind cells or neurons are given their rightful spot in the mind by connecting with of supplementary cells called glia cells. From 16 weeks and forward the cells or neurons will begin establishing bonds to other cells or neurons. They work on this at a speed of two million bonds per second. This linking of the cells or neurons goes according to a genetic plan, passed down from mother and father, and their parents. At roughly the third trimester of fetal development the cleaning up starts. In this phase the mind will begin trimming away certain bonds, while enhancing different ones. This function appears to be to ensure that only the strongest continue to function, since the cells or neurons that make up the very first connection will remain while the different ones that were assigned to establish the same connection, but made an error, will cease to exist. As with genetic evolution, survival of the fittest. Brain DevelopmentAt the end of pregnancy a kid’s mind is smaller than 1 lb, roughly a third of the weight of the fully developed mind. Imagining a component of the mind no more significant than a thumb tack, it holds approximately 10,000 cells or neurons. As the kid is born the senses will begin developing, of which vision will be the last. Of the entire development of the mind, four fifths will take place since the end of pregnancy. Additionally, the pruning of bonds, will now work with signals from the environment instead of solely genetics. Scientific research projects have shown that when a kid receives immediate feedback connected to a movement to perform something new, like producing a sound, it will learn faster than when no feedback is taken in. Healthy BrainFollowing when the kid is out of the womb it will make use of roughly seventy percent 70% of the nutrients it ingests for the development of the mind. This makes sense of why newborns are usually asleep in these first periods, due to all of the energy they take in is used for the development of the mind and entire body.

Integrating Hypnosis, NLP & Mindfulness

There has been increasing publicity and acceptance of Mindfulness meditation in the public and medical domains. This to me is a great step forward. As I shall further explain in this article I see the combination of hypnotic processing with NLP skills and Mindfulness as a further evolution of self empowerment that will take us past many of the limitations in conventional medical treatments of drugs and historically oriented psychotherapy.

Firstly Mindfulness meditation is not dependent on a particular theology or philosophy. Although it draws upon Buddhist meditation, it is very much a practical way to quieten the mind  that helps us become more aware of the “now”. The practice itself is very simple, focused on the breath leading to body and thought awareness. Detached acceptance is encouraged without judgments but including kindness and a general rising of personal awareness. This works beautifully when we are relatively stable and receptive but sometimes people’s psychological challenges are so pressing or pervasive that the professional use of hypnotherapy and NLP provides a way to clear the ground so to speak.

In hypnotherapy and NLP we are very goal centred which is something we need at times. Mindfulness is not at all goal centred which again is something we need at times.

As an example, a person may have a very negative overview, or, in the terminology of NLP, a meta-programme of life. They may be overly pessimistic which holds them back and prevents them believing they could change and enjoy life more. With the help of quality NLP and the receptive state hypnosis can create, they can begin to develop a more optimistic meta-programme. Having begun to turn the corner over an appropriate time they could be introduced to mindfulness meditation so they can watch and become more aware of their thought patterns. With the use of NLP stategies and hypnosis they can begin to change them to more beneficial patterns. Beliefs are generated by the accumulation of thoughts that knit together to form a belief. They can begin to knit together more useful and productive thoughts that create better belief structures. As is often said “neurons that fire together stay together”.

It is possible to create a protocol of treatment with a structure that uses the skills of hypnosis, NLP, Mindfulness and other modern techniques, which I teach.  Additionally, mindfulness helps quieten the busy mind and make us more aware of how our thoughts and minds actually work. By harnessing the above skills we raise awareness, the ability to make the changes we desire and thus raising the happiness quotient, which I believe benefits everyone.

Hockey Rules in Real Life

By David Leonhardt “I went to the fights the other night…and a hockey game broke out.” Rodney Dangerfield.

Every hockey fan has heard of Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi plays for the Vancouver Canucks. Make that “fights” for the Vancouver Canucks. Make that “fought” for the Vancouver Canucks — he “might” not play again, after breaking fellow player Steve Moore’s neck in a brutal attack from behind. Imagine that happening in your workplace. You rush a fellow call center associate in the next cubicle and beat her senseless. And you “might” get fired. Or you leap over the counter at the nurses station and tackle another nurse. You “might” get fired. Or you pick up a fellow hot dog vendor and throw him into his cart, then stuff his mouth full of wieners. You could get fired. Possibly. Would George Bush let Saddam Hussein rule Iraq again? No. Would the courts release the Unabomber to experiment with explosives? No. Would they fill all the vacant kindergarten teacher positions with surplus pedophiles? No? Would they let hockey goons keep beating up fellow hockey players? Of course. Although necks don’t break every day, thank goodness, fighting, slashing, and other brutalities occur several times in every single NHL game. “It’s part of the game,” say many fans. Even those who genuinely feel sorry for Steve Moore. Hmm, last I looked, it was not “part of the game”. In fact, there are rules against fighting, high-sticking, slashing and other attacks. In the call center, this would be called “attempted murder”. In the nurses station, this would be called “assault”. In the hot dog vendor business, it’s called “mergers and acquisitions.” These assaults broadcast live on national television before an audience that includes several thousand police officers. But nobody gets charged. Unless somebody is sent to hospital with a life threatening injury, nobody even pays notices. Much like in the hot dog vendor business. In fact, it’s just like walking down the street in New York City. Oops, they cleaned up New York City. People now turn their heads to look when somebody screams “Help!” Hockey offers valuable lessons for players in other sports. For instance, if you are a baseball pitcher, aim for the batter’s knees. Just don’t hit any vital organs that might force the police to ask you embarrassing questions. Basketball players also need a new strategy. Tripping. Tripping really is a very innocent thing. Just pretend it’s not happening by looking in the other direction. It might not even be illegal. Don’t get me wrong, I know the police keep our streets safe, especially from the hot dog vendors. They keep the nurses stations safe. They keep the call centers safe. Should an assault be immune from prosecution just because there are cheering fans? If a nurse rounded up, say, a few thousand patients to cheer, could she legally deck another nurse? What about the fans who egg on the players? Accomplices! There is a place to legally encourage gouging, maiming, bone snapping, impromptu facial makeovers, pain and dismemberment. It’s called the WWF. And there is a place for fighting. It’s called “politics”. It’s OK to fight in a boxing ring, too, I suppose. Is there a place for violence in hockey? Yes. There is a place for legal checking (body slams) as defined in the rules. A good hard hitting hockey game can be as exciting as, as, well, as exciting as two hostile nurses wielding razor sharp hot dog vendors in an all-out amphibious assault on a subversive call center in Iowa. No, wait – that was last night’s movie. But when the show gets stopped over and over to watch instant replays of live assaults in mockery of the justice system, one wonders if a hockey game will ever break out. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Leonhardt writes about humor, personal growth and happiness (and anything else anybody will pay him to write). He publishes the Happy Guy humor column, with archives at the Humor article collection. He also wrote Inspiration & Motivation To Go and Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness .

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Christian Book Reviews

The following is some of the better selling Christian books and my reviews of them. “Your Best Life Now” by Joel Osteen

This particular book has easily become a national bestseller and has effortlessly stirred the interest of bookworms all over the world. Joel Osteen has earned an impeccable reputation of being one of the most highly regarded writers of his generation and an authority on biblical teachings. He has shown exceptional proficiency in his knowledge, and is leading on of the biggest churches in the United States today.. While there are a number of personalities out there that has openly criticized his writing, branding him as overly seeker-sensitive in most of his sermons, his book clearly conveys deep understanding and wisdom about God and our personal callings -delivered in the most practical and down-to-earth way.”God’s Generals: Why They Succeeded” by Roberts LiardonFor people who are seeking to learn about the most celebrated saints in the past and have walked what is regarded as the higher level such as the likes of Kathryn Kuhlmann, AimeeSemple Mcpherson and Marie Woodworth-Etter, this book provides readers basic information about their ministries. It recounts how these saints have started with their callings and the incredible occurrences that have occurred during their services with the Lord.This book contains stories about how they journeyed with God and how they learned how to walk with some of the highest levels of the anointing. Aside from their successes in their respective ministries, their failures are also sources of lessons to learn from. This is the only book I know that goes into very good basic detail into all of these people’s lives. “The Holy Spirit” by Billy GrahamThis is yet another good and solid book that primarily centers on the Holy Spirit, written from one of the greatest evangelist of all time, Billy Graham. In this book, he discusses about the nine gifts and the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit and also shows how the Holy Spirit convicts and leads sinners back to the Lord to achieve eternal salvation. This book becomes one of the most influential books that will help ordinary people in the journey in this thing we all call life.”Maximizing the Moment: God’s Action Plan for Your Life” by T. D. JakesT.D. Jakes is without contest known and hailed as one of the greatest teachers and pastors we have today. For those people who have personally seen him preach and teach through his popular TV program, will openly concede that he is no doubt one of the most anointed speakers, effortlessly giving motivation to ordinary people to listen to God’s calling for each and everyone. He is said to be an intense and on-fire teachers ever to preach today. The readers are taught how to do their best in whatever field God is calling them to do in their life. He covers how to get released from your hurtful past and how to face and overcome obstacles. He talks about overcoming roadblocks that you could face when you submits your life to God and walk in the path He has set for you.You can get TD Jakes Books at their online Christian book store

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Hybrid Electric Car Hot Tips

A hybrid-electric vehicle, or HEV, combines an electrical energy storage system with an occupied means of generating voltage, usually through the consumption of some kind of fuel. Each type of HEV has its own operating quality and picked out design practices, in addition to disadvantages and benefits.The growth of interior ignition engine vehicles, specifically in autos, is probably one of the supreme achievements of modern technological science as a new rising energy saving and environment -friendly vehicle, that’s why the hybrid-electric vehicles were created to give convenience to every human. In the operation of creating the hybrid electric car, the most important is the energy saving and the environmental protective cover. Wherein currently this are the frequent problems faced by the society. Having the hybrid-electric car evolved from the electric car. All the same, the principle disadvantage of the electric car is that it is mainly subject to the batteries. Therefore, has limited range.First off, the hybrid electric car was going to be an electric vehicle with batteries for power storage and is also equipped with an on-board heat engine-powered generator. This signifies that this type of hybrid has an extended range.The heat engine power and the battery power are specifically intended as an important scheme that constantly modulates the excess between the heat engine and the battery power systems. This will also depend on the driving schedule.Since the beginning of the application of cars, electric cars have been already recognized and conceptualized. Although the electric power train is better in various aspects, as an energy source, the battery was unequal to the superior-energy content, easiness relating to the handling, and inexpensive and profuse supplies of motor fuel.Now, it has almost been a century as the electric car has been popularly talked about, but recent developments in the HEV technology and the rising concerns for the environment has revived the drive for an HEV and this has become a realization today.We can consider the personal means of transportation as an essential bond in the economical chain of today’s modern societies and that a private vehicle appears to be the popular choice. Electric vehicles are more energy efficient than the contemporary vehicles wherein the electric vehicles operates at approximately 46 percent of effectiveness, while a up-to-date vehicle operates at about 18 percent only.There are studies that normally concludes that electric cars with batteries are approximately 10 to 30 percent more streamlined with vitality than the typical gasoline cars, dependent on the exact assumptions of the vehicles energy usage and energy chain efficiency.Certainly, the comparisons of the electric vehicles and the conventional vehicles are comparisons between an incredibly developed power system that is nearly ultimately of its research and development, and the innovative power system in the beginning stages of the development wherein important development may be expected as the new engineering evolves.Furthermore, the advantages of electric powered modes of transportation extends beyond the true outlook of economizing energy. Electric generation plants can use replace fuels that are not adaptable to portable power systems.Electric vehicles are the definitive alternative fuel vehicles because their power is removed from the origin fuels utilized to produce electricity. Apart from that, the flexibility of the fuel alone can offer important useful and economic advantages especially in relation to a mixture of energy resources.The electric car is truly a promising technology that may transform one’s means of transportation into a much more environmentally sort of commodity. Through this innovation emission determines become more significant, effective and economically beneficial.