Fireworks, 2nd try...

In 2012, I had my first effort at fireworks photography.  I was pleased but the photo's were average, not great. 

In 2013, I think I improved.  There is still improvement needed to do to get those perfect shots, but for 2013 I spent the week before thinking about where to shoot, and what background and foreground would be best.  I made a decision and waited for good weather.  I think it was a good location, although the lake was so filled with scum that the reflection was not as good as I desired. 

Below are some examples of my effort.

The entire spectrum of shots are on the flickr page.  I am really starting to enjoy the photo experience.  I am starting to look at things a little differently and seeing some things I did not see before as I look globally at things.  Not world like globally, but at the details in the subject, the foreground and background.   Visualize how the contrast, composition and relationship between the three make the ideal photo.  Lets hope I can improve for 2014.  That is always the best goal we can have in life.  Improve and be happy with progress.

So I am looking forward to spending a great deal of the Friday of the Superior Trail 100 mile using the new found visualization skill to see what improvements I can make in using the subject, foreground and background to tell the story in a snapshot in time.  I hope that I find success, but if not, the journey is wonderful!

Carry on my friends...

Exercise emotions...

Do you know that sting of guilt when you have scheduled a workout (riding bike to work) but then do not follow through because your mind said “YOU ARE TIRED”? A temporary feeling of guilt is a common sentiment that we all have when we plan to exercise but then lose our motivation or something gets in the way of our training schedule. However, for some people it is not as easy to move on from this guilty conscience or to altogether skip exercising for a day or two. You might have heard a friend referring to someone who is “addicted” to exercising or is completely “dependent” on working out for several hours every day. 

Parents, peers, the media and the scientific literature preach us relentlessly that exercising is good for us, both for our body and our mind. However, it is rarely mentioned that exercise behavior can be unhealthy when it becomes a compulsive habit.  I know people who would belief life is over if they did not start the day with a 10K or some other form of exercise, then walk another form at lunch followed by and evening effort.  I have been there and my mind tells me I am still there, but my body being close to 51 says something entirely different.

Things are not the same.  Like my right knee and the past pain.  I was sure after my 29^th consecutive grandma’s marathon, it would flair up and be very painful.  I was wrong.  In fact after a few days, the entire body felt great.  However, I continued to let the body heal.  Now after three weeks of rest, I go on three 50 mile bike rides in 8 days and throw in a few 36 mile rides in there and the right knee pain is at a high level.  Makes no sense to me.  Is it a delayed reaction from the marathon?  It is too much bike miles to soon.  Either way, it is frustrating while the mind says “you are doing great” the body says get some crutches and stay in bed.

Could be that I need the exercise to keep the body functioning?  Could be I am pushing to hard and then crash, a binge and purge exercise approach?  Could be this more than an off-beat exercise addition.  I am not sure but I have had to long without the positive energy from a regular workout, but the body is just being a pain, literally!  So could be I need to regroup and stop having that “I need to get that done or else” attitude.  That will be hard!

Don’t get me wrong, there surely is a “positive addiction” to exercising, meaning that the exercise routine can easily be included into the daily life and leaves space for commitments to family, friends, work and personal time. But one has to be aware that there is a fine line between a healthy commitment to exercising and a perceived obligation and compulsion to fulfill a certain training regimen.

So what I learn from this blog entry is a paradox: exercise, something that has the reputation of being exclusively beneficial for our mental and physical health can have the opposite effect if it is done in excess, and this holds true both for the recreational and the top athlete. To conclude, we should learn from Hippocrates who acknowledged “if we could give every individual the right amount of exercise, not too little and not too much; we would have found the safest way to health.”

Carry On…

G.M.O.

GMO…

Government Planning Office? No, it has something to do with government, but not that agency. General Molly, INC (Stock selling for about $1.70 a share)?  They are in the business of exploring, developing and mining molybdenum properties.

No, most foods we eat may contain ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  So I ask, Genetically Modified (GM) foods - are they safe or harmful? While regulatory authorities have approved GM food that is on the market, some people are concerned that there is risk of harm. If you live in Europe, avoiding GM foods is easier since laws require labeling. In the US and Canada, however, food manufacturers are not required to label if their food is genetically modified or not.   Is it coincidence that outside US and Canada obesity is lees of an issue?

I am not one who has a scientific background.  Most of my knowledge is based on real life experience.  The more I think about GMO’s I think about my grandfather.  He was healthy and live to be just short of being a 100-year-old man.  He never ate much processed food.  Raised his food.  Had chicken, cows and pork he raised on grass, not chemicals.  He had a 1 acre garden and grandma canned extensively.  Very little GMO’s or processed foods for them. 

Then I think of my mom’s side of the family.  Generally ate out or ate processed food extensively.  Neither made it past 70 years old and had many health problems. 

I have spent a great deal of time since April 13, 2013, monitoring what food goes into my body.  Reading labels and actually taking time to Google some of the complex words on some labels.  Here are some examples and the information I found:

We have Coloring agents (blue 1, blue 2, yellow 5, and yellow 6).  In most 
cake, candy, macaroni and cheese, medicines, sport drinks, soda, pet food, and cheese.  
The US allows this as we eat with our eyes. Recent studies have shown that when food manufacturers left foods in their natural, often beige-like color instead of coloring them with these chemical agents, individuals thought they tasted bland and ate less, even when the recipe wasn't altered.

Health Hazards of coloring agents, which are made from coal tar, which is also used to seal-coat products to preserve and protect the shine of industrial floors and in head lice shampoos to kill off the small bugs.  Yes we eat it!

We also have Olestra (aka Olean).  Never knew this nut then realized it is most common 
Fat-free potato chips
.  The US allows this as Procter & Gamble Co. took a quarter century and spent a half a billion dollars to create “light” chips that are supposedly better for you.  Lobbyist work? They may need another half a billion bucks to figure out how to deal with the embarrassing bathroom side effects (including oily anal leakage) that comes with consuming these products.
  The known health hazard  is fat substitute appears to cause a dramatic depletion of fat-soluble vitamins and arytenoids, robbing us of the vital micro-nutrients.  " The U.K. and Canada, have banned it..

I was surprised to learn what Brominated vegetable oil (aka BVO) was and it is found 
in Sports drinks and citrus-flavored sodas.  The US allows this as it 
acts as an emulsifier, preventing the flavoring from separating and floating to the surface of beverages.  It is a health hazard as it competes with iodine for receptor sites in the body, elevated levels of the stuff may lead to thyroid issues, such as hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, and cancer.  That's not all. BVO's main ingredient, bromine, is a poisonous chemical that is considered both corrosive and toxic. It's been linked to major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems, schizophrenia, and hearing loss, which explains why it's been nixed in more than 100 countries.

Then I once thought potassium was always good on a label,  Then I read about Potassium bromated (aka brominated flour)
.  This is common in rolls, wraps, flatbread, bread crumbs, and bagel chips
.  The US allows this flour-bulking agent helps strengthen dough, reducing the amount of time needed for baking, which results in lower costs.  What health hazard does it have?   It is made with the same toxic chemical found in BVO (bromine), this additive has been associated with kidney and nervous system disorders as well as gastrointestinal discomfort.

I had to check Azodicarbonamide
 twice…  This is in breads, frozen dinners, boxed pasta mixes, and packaged baked goods.  While most countries wait a week for flour to naturally whiten, the American food processors prefer to use this chemical to bleach the flour ASAP.
  I read this item was so bad, it's not enough to just ban this product in Singapore. You can get up to 15 years in prison and be penalized nearly half a million dollars in fines for using this chemical that's been linked to asthma and is primarily used in foamed plastics, like yoga mats and sneaker soles.

There are so many more.  Makes me think twice, well five or more times about the food I purchase and stuff into this overweight and unhealthy person years of preservatives created.  Do you read the labels?

Carry on my friends.