Selleck Waterfall Sandwich
Just what it says. Visit the Selleck Waterfall Sandwich website for more, including animated sandwiches and a random high-speed car. Be sure you scroll down far enough to hear the theme song…and be warned, it will stick in your head.
(Thanks to Nick for the submission!)
What are you so afraid of?
For me, it was drowning. Well, swimming, actually. Despite growing up in Florida, I’ve never been a strong swimmer. And it’s a fear that’s kept me from participating in so many fun times with friends and family–they go swim in waterfall pools, I stay on the rocks. Need a day-improver? Need to conquer that fear.
For me, it took the idea of a friend and the final nudge of my wonderful husband to give me wings (or, in this case, fins). So I signed up for a triathlon. No Ironman, just super-sprint distances (still pretty challenging if you’ve never done it before)…but obviously it starts with a swim. Yes, over the past six weeks, as part of my triathlon training, I’ve relearned to swim–actually, we figured that I’ve probably swam more in the past six weeks than I have in my entire life. And not only have I not drowned, I’m kinda loving it!
Which is a really long way to say that a great day-improver comes from doing something you never in a million years thought you would or could do. In mid-October I’ll hopefully post that I’ve just finished my first triathlon. In the meantime, however, I’m celebrating all firsts–like swimming in a waterfall pool with my husband and our two great friends, Eric and Chrissy, up in the North Carolina mountains. That first picture up above is the actual waterfall…here’s the proof that I actually plunged myself into the freezing depths and SWAM in it with people I love:
So what are YOU so afraid of, and what’s it holding you back from? Time to take a little step out of your comfort zone and experience something new. It’s the ultimate day-improver, not just for the day you do it, but for all the days after!
(Thanks to Eric for finding the path down to the pool, to Chrissy for braving the cold with me, and as always to Paul for knowing I could do it…next step, triathlon!)
Paced breathing
Stressed? Recent studies have shown that you can calm yourself down (and quickly lower your blood pressure) using special breathing techniques. “Paced breathing” basically guides you into a regular, slower-than-normal rhythym using audio tones, visual cues, and/or biofeedback devices. The technique is being used successfully with diabetes patients; however, everyone can benefit from it.
Ready to try? Watch the videos below, breathing in on the high tones and out on the low tones. The basic blue circle is a little more hypnotic, the other one features lots of pretty pictures. You can experiment to see which you prefer…
Kurushio Sea aquarium in HD
Remember those VHS videos of fish you’d pop into your VCR when you wanted to relax? Here’s the 2009 version, with a beautiful soundtrack–”Please Don’t Go” by Barcelona. Filmed in HD at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, world’s second largest aquarium and site of the first successful manta ray birth in captivity (they call them “cubs”). Sooooo relaxing…
Loving kindness…pass it on
You may be familiar with the Loving Kindness meditation, developed from the Buddhist concept of Metta:
May you be filled with loving kindness
May you be well
May you be peaceful and at ease
May you be happy
Stated simply, Metta is the wish that all beings (regardless of social, religious, racial, political, and economic status) have welfare and happiness. Developing Metta through loving-kindness meditation can make it easier to replace feelings of bitterness, resentment, and animosity with more positive feelings of benevolence, sympathy, and love. Sounds good, right? And it is.
Basically, here’s how it works: You start out by saying the meditation a few times to yourself, “May I be filled with loving kindness…”. After that, visualize your loved ones and say it to them. After that, visualize a mentor or someone who has influenced you in a positive way and say it to him/her. Then visualize someone who is challenging to you and say it to them (tough, I know, but bear with me here). Finally, branch out to saying the meditation to your community, country, and the world. Wish happiness for all beings.
Try it a few times, you’ll see that it really can make a bad day better! And if a visual way of thinking helps–or you just want to relax for a few minutes–check out this video (bonus: in addition the trippy music, there’s some really beautiful photography):
(Thanks to Betty for the submission!)
A Place Called Earth (great photos)
Scroll through, or let it play on its own:
(Thanks to Tina for the submission!)
Best of National Geographic photos
A selection of the best National Geographic photographs of 2008. For more amazing images (and photography tips), visit the National Geographic Photography page.
Here are some other favorite galleries–almost all photos are downloadable for free:
- Baby Animals (c’mon, you know by now to expect it from me)
- Climbing Mount Everest
- Underwater Creatures
- Best Wallpapers of 2008
- Photo of the Day
Gregory Colbert’s “Ashes and Snow”
Gregory Colbert’s Ashes and Snow is an ongoing project that weaves together photographic works, 35mm films, art installations and a novel in letters. With profound patience and an unswerving commitment to the expressive and artistic nature of animals, he has captured extraordinary interactions between humans and animals.
None of the images have been collaged…the interactions they show are real. And truly amazing.
(Thanks to Tina for the submission!)
Lake Pontchartrain sunset
Sunset over Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, LA
Click on the image for the full version. This photo is royalty-free for personal use and may be saved to your computer as a desktop background, wallpaper, etc.
Moon over Banff National Park
Moon over Banff National Park, Canada
Click on the image for the full version. This photo is royalty-free for personal use and may be saved to your computer as a desktop background, wallpaper, etc.
