Lions and tigers and bears oh my

Don't be afraid. Not even a little. Not ever. If you saw the Wizard of Oz, there is one part where the adventurers are entering into a dark forest, they get scared when they start hearing noises coming from the foliage around them. The Scarecrow wonders if there are any animals out there who might be interested in eating things like, um, straw, and the Tin Man's like, Yeah, there are probably lions and tigers and bears out there. Whatever.

Being afraid, the Scarecrow begins to repeat, "Lions and tigers and bears," so Dorothy throws in "oh my" for climactic effect. Soon, all three are bounding through the forest chanting, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! They are trying to overcome their fear of the unknown. What we know is that the lions and tigers and bears we cannot see, can't really hurt us. We live in a world of smoke and mirrors where there's only the illusion that we could somehow become less than the greatest we've ever imagined ourselves to be.

And it's this very image, the highest from within us, that’s summoned our boldest dreams, daring us into the light with the promised rewards and drawing us through the very fears that have kept us from it.

Slayer of dragons. Matador of all time and space. Rightful heir to heaven on earth. Don't be afraid. Not even a little.

Thinking about giving up golf?

The following joke was sent to me by a friend, but it was originally taken from the book "Ammunition 357: Jokes for Your Internet Ammo" by Brian King. it is also in a number of other books on the net.

 A man was walking down the street when he was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless man who asked him for a couple of dollars for dinner. 

The man took out his wallet, extracted ten dollars and asked, "If I give you this money, will you buy some beer with it instead of dinner?" 
"No, I had to stop drinking years ago," the homeless man replied. 
  
"Will you spend this on green fees at a golf course instead of food?" the man asked. 
  
"Are you NUTS!" replied the homeless man. "I haven't played golf in 20 years!" 
  
"Well," said the man, "I'm not going to give you money. Instead, I'm going to take you home for a hot shower and a terrific dinner cooked by my wife." 
  
The homeless man was astounded. "Won't your wife be furious with you for doing that?   
  
The man replied, "That's okay. It's important for her to see what a man looks like after he has given up drinking and golf."

Dog Training basic commands

One of my closest friends just got himself a new dog, and he is in the process of training the dog. I always wondered if the dog is being trained or the owner is being trained. However, there are of course many reasons for owners to want a calm, obedient and faithful dog. For one thing, obedient and trained dogs are happier dogs, less likely to get into tussles with people or with other dogs. 

Many people are afraid of dogs and want to make sure that when dogs are out and about, that they do not cause a danger to others. As a result, numerous cities require that dogs being in their communities should be well trained. This is true for many kinds of dogs thought to have aggression and behaviour problems.

If you have young children training your dog is very important so that the dog makes a better family companion. If you train your dog properly, there may be fewer dog bites and other problems.

Training starts with some basic commands which include:

Heel – it is important that any dog learn to walk beside its owner on a loose lead, neither pulling ahead nor lagging behind

Respond to the word No – the word no is one word that all dogs must learn. Training your dog to respond to this important word can save you a ton of trouble.

Sit – Training your dog to sit on command is an important starting point for your training.

Stay – This command is very important when training your dog.

Down – Lying down on command is a key element of any strong dog training program.

Dog training does much more than just create an obedient, willing companion. Training actually strengthens the relationship between you and your dog. Dogs need structure because they are pack animals, and they want their pack leader lead them. You will be successful in your training once your dog sees you as the pack leader.

There is only one leader in every pack of dogs, and you as the owner must establish yourself as the most powerful animal. If you don't do this, then the dog will try to become the leader and this failure on your part will lead to all manner of behavior problems.

A well-trained dog will respond to all of your commands, and should not display fear, anger or excitement. Your training program should concentrate on providing your dog with the chance to understand what is expected of it. One of the best ways to do this is with positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.

Obedience training is a great way to fulfill some of the dog’s own needs, including the need for exercise. Remember your dog, is a pack animal and only feels secure if it knows its place and role in the pack. Training allows your dog to know how you expect it to behave, which leads to a good working relationship with you as its handler. Dog training gives your dog an essential role to do.

Giving the dog a job is more important than you may think. Dogs were first kept by humans to do important work, such as herding sheep, guarding property and protecting people. Many dogs today do not know that they have an important job to do, which can lead to boredom and neurotic behavior.

High energy breeds like German shepherds and border collies need to be trained to help them. In the training sessions, these dogs can use up any extra energy while simply having fun.

Playing is an important relationship builder between you and your dog as it strengthens your bond.

Green Tea Health Benefits

Green tea is one of the most popular drinks in China and is growing in popularity around the world. "According to legends, tea was discovered by a Chinese emperor about 5,000 years ago. This Chinese emperor was boiling water to the belief that it can become more portable and safer to drink. When suddenly a large gust of wind took over and blew the leaves into the water that’s boiling. By the combination of water and leaves, a brown mixture was fashioned. Reluctantly, the emperor discovered the mixture making a very fragrant aroma. The moment he tasted it, he described it to be agreeable. From that moment on, green tea was born."

Green tea is an antioxidant, which is good, but some of the claims for green tea should be considered hyperbolic. Green tea advocates claim that it can help with cancer prevention, heart protection, arthritis prevention and liver protection. Like all claims on the Internet, I urge you to do your research

Cancer prevention

Cancer is one of the most feared diseases man has ever known. It has killed many people and it takes many forms. With the claim that green tea drinkers are able to fight off cancer along with the claim green tea can aid in the treatment of cancer, a lot of studies are trying to support these claim. 

It is claimed by some that drinking green tea, has shown significant evidence of diminishing cancer cell in those that consume the tea. Preliminary investigations have proven that green tea can prevent the growth of cancer cells in organs like the digestive system, urinary bladder, and the pancreas.

Heart Protection

Antioxidants in green tea are one of the main reasons why people are being attracted to the drink. If you drink green tea you may reduce incidences of increased cholesterol level in your body. A reduction of cholesterol reduces the body chance of experiencing hypertension and cardiac diseases. 

Studies also show that green tea can help minimize thrombosis formation which is also an associated factor for heart disease. When thrombosis goes into blood circulation, there will come a time when the thrombus will block the way of the blood that is supposed to go to the heart and this will compromise the heart with blood supply. Preventing thrombus formation is one very important effect of green tea.

Arthritis Prevention

Some claim it’s impossible for green tea to affect bone diseases but the tea has proved them wrong because reports have it that green tea can prevent arthritis. Not only can green tea prevent arthritis from occurring but also eliminate the painful symptoms. According to research, green tea has a component that has the ability to reduce inflammation. Research also suggests that antioxidants have the capacity to delay any arthritic process that might occur and minimize irritable symptoms as well.

Liver Protection

Because the liver is another agent responsible for metabolism, it is greatly affected by green tea. There is a strong correlation of bonds between liver function and antioxidants. When the liver does it job, it filters the body from toxins and washes it away through excretion.

Toxins are referred to harmful substances that we gather through daily living like digested food, breathed air, consumed water, alcohol intake and even remnants of cigarette smoking. What green tea provides the body is stimulating and strengthening the immune system making the liver more capable of filtering every single substance that can be dangerous to the body.