Monday, March 16, 2015

Miller had Bruce Grey Owen Sound at niqab!

Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound backbench Member of Parliament and Clavering native Larry Miller made it clear where he stood on the use of niqabs, by Muslim women during citizenship oath ceremonies, on the Open Line with Bill Murdoch call in show on CFOS Bayshore radio. A federal issue that really does not have much traction locally, where the population of Muslim women is pegged at 70 of 103,815 people by Statistics Canada, however a riding very supportive of the war on terrorism and its military base in Meaford. "Frankly, if you are not willing to show your face in a ceremony, that you are joining the best country in the world. Then frankly, if you do not like that, or do not want to do that, stay the hell where you came from. That is maybe saying it a little harshly, but that is the way I feel".

And with that well planned, mistakenly spoke, apologetically unapologetic statement over the airwaves, Miller had Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound at niqab, knowing with absolute certainty and complete surety that he would carry the vote in mid October.

Though a ban on both the burqa and niqab plays better politics in Québec, enter the battle over Bill 60 Charte de la Laïcité ou Charte des Valeurs Québécoises which may have singlehandedly killed separatism, in 2014, Ontario has been somewhat immune up to now where one Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership candidate and former Harper Tory Member of Parliament and fellow backbencher from Cottage Country has actually used the immigration card to gain support and make a massive surge in the leadership race through multiculturalism. Obviously both are using the political vacuum on this particular issue to each advantage being a provincial leadership race for Patrick Brown and the local nomination for Miller, but I think a greater point to be made here is with such ambiguity made to keep the opposition well on the balls of their feet, where is the end point and long game to such activity which each go in opposite directions and rightly are counterproductive. Unlike their southern Republican brethren, Conservatives in Canada have staked a grand electoral claim for the win in the Pierre Trudeau Liberal multiculturalism they used to fight hard against especially during the Brian Mulroney years, the irony of which is not lost and yet has been openly found loud and proud in the most northern riding of Cottage Country Canada here in Ontario once hidden behind a shadowy veil of micromanaged politics and policy towards victory.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Destressing the mind does matter for memory

Stress, anxiety, and depression all have a very negative role to play in how we go about our daily lives from wake to sleep, the positive upside to all of this is a continued defensive approach to critical thinking defensively can keep you humbly in check, while balanced in remaining confident throughout life, and yet maintain being intellectually disciplined enough to keep up the pace without sinking. Those who have trouble juggling responsibilities at home, work, and play may find it hard to sleep well at night, thus even harder to wake up properly in the morning. Without constant exercise of the mind, like that of the muscles, simply put we have to keep on using it positively or we shall negatively lose it and face the dire consequences that come.

Attention and memory usually become severely affected for these kinds of people by those three types of stressor responses of the body, which as the study in the title link shows, can be alleviated naturally through exercise, meditation, and prayer which should be habitually practiced at regular intervals to be wholly effective.

Destressing the mind does matter for memory and positive mental and physical health related quality of life, the daily habits we do in life are linked indelibly towards strengthening the brain and heart, which in turn change our moods from a more negative one to being more positive. Also, the old paraphrased idea of hoping for the best, planning for the worst, and preparing to be surprised in prayer has much truth within it, we must not just think in terms of mental and physical well being, or just the function of our brain and heart, but also of the spiritual aspect of the soul. Without proper exercise and constant usage in all three areas of humanity, then we risk losing our way by wandering back into the dark shadowy land where stress, anxiety, and depression lie, rather than using our time in the sun and fun of reading and meditating upon scripture, singing and glorifying within psalms, and praying to our Creator habitually on a regular basis for a better and more positive life.

Friday, March 06, 2015

March madness motivation for fitness fun with quick pick six

So, everyone up north here seems to have come down with a really bad case of cabin fever, I guess we need to give everyone a March madness motivation for fitness fun as one last blast of winter brings us ever so closer to spring. For those who feel those fatty pounds we put on during the hibernation season, I recommend a quick pick six workout for you that can be done in thirty minutes, three sets of thirty seven reps for each workout. First, get a weighted hulahoop with knobby middle ring and practice spinning it around your midsection, which can improve torso muscular endurance via isometric testing, reduce your waist and hip girth, and redistribute your body mass to proportions more proper over little time.

Other exercises after the weighted hulahooping would include weighted skipping rope jumps, high knee lifts, jack star jumps, spiderman pushups, and finally a full whole one minute superman plank to finish it off, then repeat the six over two more times.

Summer is just around the corner, oki never mind, I really meant spring. If you get tired of some of these exercises, or want to change up for more fitness spice in your life, I recommend going with safe alternates to pick in bodyweight walking lunges, swiss ball stability wall squats, or feet off the wall mountain climbers. There should be enough sweat, tears, and blood, let alone fat, lost doing this quick pick six workout to distract you from the melting snow and coming sun with its sandy beaches and hot tans which await you soon as long as patience remains your virtue!

Monday, March 02, 2015

Pumping up the vote for the Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger

With the Arnold Classic just around the corner, I thought we could use our Maxim Monday here to speak on the politics of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a man once appointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, from 1990 to 1993, to springboard well beyond for a future possible chance at the Presidency. Quite like his athletic drive in the gym, Arnold's civic fight in the political arena against all odds and resistance from partisan gridlock in the legislature started early in life, read between the lines of various quotes of his like "The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character." Schwarzenegger, as an action superstar hero from Hollywood, took all his blockbuster popularity and box office prominence towards a bigger show in Sacramento, a shot at becoming the next Governor of California, and with the 2003 California recall election against Democrat Gray Davis, the Republican Arnold would do just that with a total recall by 4,206,284 votes and by 48.6 percent of those who voted.

The Governator never intended to change his tact politically as the moderate balance, instead he campaigned from the left and governed from the right, bringing a social conscience to a time of fiscal restraint, all while refusing to accept the governor's yearly salary of $175,000, which follows the old Kennedy public service maxim of "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," as Schwarzenegger alludes to by asking those citizens to "Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the world around you. Its greatest reward is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring your own life."

For a repeat performance as the running man in 2006, Schwarzenegger took his Republican primary by 1,724,281 votes and 90 percent and then the general election by 4,850,157 votes and 55.88 percent, but after the first year in office his approval rating dropped as the state debt gained in size and scope and taxes began to increase. His constant policy tug of war between the economy and the environment kept his agenda split throughout his time in office, never solidly finding that balance and consensus he strove to make with all his might, as Arnold become the first governor to start with the highest approval rating at 89% and finish with the lowest approval rating of 23% next to that of his predecessor. But even in defeat Schwarzenegger finds his victory, helping to found and chair the Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, part of the Sol Price School of Public Policy, at the University of Southern California in 2012, which follows his belief that "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender and that is strength."