So, because the post can’t be perfect, they haven’t been getting done at all (the perfect post being the enemy of a good (enough) post).  With that end in mind, I’ve given myself a new guideline.  With rare exception, I’m going to aim to write my blog posts in 30 minutes with a maximum of 1 hour.  If the quality of the posts suffers at all, I hope those reading will understand.

Have you ever let perfect get in the way of getting something done?  If so, share your thoughts in the comments below.

We’d love to have you join us.

A neat presentation for adults and kids that only takes a moment but can fascinate for quite some time.  Do you know how big a virus is compared to a coffee bean or a grain of salt?  Any idea how many H1N1 virii (viruses) could fit on a coffee bean? Go look and get an idea.

Check it out here.

Have any thoughts you’d like to share?  Any interesting links you’ve found?  Feel welcome to post them in the comments.

Watch the video here.

What are your thoughts?  We’d love to hear them.  Share them with us below.

In case you can’t view the video, or would like the words they are:

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

What are your thoughts?  Have you extended compassion lately and what have the results been?  Please share with us below.

1. I recently posted about a report from the Food Standards Agency of England which reported that there were no differences in nutritional content between conventionally grown and organic food. This article from the Life Extension Foundation argues that that claim is wrong and that: ‘”The science has consistently shown that organic food provides higher levels of Vitamin C and total antioxidants, two nutrients that the American public needs more of,” said Richard Wiles, Senior Vice President for Policy and Communications with the Environmental Working Group. “The London study is not supported by the majority of the science. We should not attach too much significance to its findings until it can be replicated,” Wiles added.’

2. Are proponents of organic food naïve? I found the following article by a conventional farmer fascinating and thought-provoking. While I believe that a number of his logical arguments are flawed, he raises some points I think we need to consider.  As a fan of organic food, this article made me wonder, are all the chemicals a “necessary evil”?  Would the “best” farming system include the many insights of organic and permaculture farming and combine it with the targeted and minimal use of chemicals (herbicides, insecticides, etc.)?

3. In another post I spoke about some of the less-than-ethical tactics that the pharmaceutical companies use to increase their sales and bottom line. Ghost writing, where a scientific article is written by a media agency and signed off by a prominent doctor that had little or nothing to do with it, is one of those things. The following article talks about some examples of this practice.

4. This three part blog post (Part 1. Part 2. Part 3) is one woman’s birth story. Originally a die-hard fan of medicalized childbirth, to her own surprise she finds herself deciding to opt for a natural birth. Compelling, raw, and very, very honest.  WARNING: Not kid friendly. These posts contain quite a bit of profanity.

What are your thoughts?  We’d love to hear them, please share them in the comments below.