How TV Isolates Us from Each Other - Breathing Space Blog

Robert Putnam, Ph.D. Harvard professor of public policy and author of Bowling Alone, says, "For most of the 20th century, Americans were becoming more connected with family and friends, and there was more giving of blood and money, and all of those trend lines turn sharply in the middle '60s and have gone in the other direction ever since,"

Quoted years back in the Washington Post, he says, "Americans go on 60 percent fewer picnics today and families eat dinner together 40 percent less often compared with 1965, he said. They are less likely to meet at clubs or go bowling in groups. Putnam has estimated that every 10-minute increase in commutes makes it 10 percent less likely that people will establish and maintain close social ties."

"Television is a big part of the problem, he contends. Whereas 5 percent of U.S. households in 1950 owned television sets, 95 percent did a decade later."

Some Breathing Space for Kids - Breathing Space Blog

Something we all should know from Fight for Kids:


“More than 17 million children worldwide have been prescribed psychiatric drugs so dangerous that medicine regulatory agencies in Europe, Australia and the United States have issued warnings that antidepressants, for example, can cause suicide and hostility in children and adolescents. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also issued a warning that stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin and Concerta can cause suicidal as well as violent, aggressive and psychotic behavior, and that these same drugs can cause heart attacks, stroke and sudden death.”

* Of these 17 million, more than 10 million children are in the United States, being prescribed addictive stimulants, antidepressants and other psychotropic (mind-altering) drugs for educational and behavioral problems.

* Children 5 years old and younger are the fastest-growing segment of the non-adult population prescribed antidepressants in the U.S. Children as young as 4 have attempted suicide while influenced by such drugs and 5 year-olds have committed suicide. Between 1995 and 1999, antidepressant use increased 580% in the under 6 population and 151% in the 7-12 age group. In 2004, the FDA ordered that a “black box” label be placed on antidepressants warning that they can cause suicide in children and adolescents.

* Stimulants are mostly prescribed for “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD) and other childhood “disorders” and are “Schedule II” drugs, meaning they have the same potential for abuse as morphine, opium and cocaine. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that studies show that Ritalin is more potent than cocaine and effects the brain in the same way as cocaine does.

* A recent U.S. report found that 10% of teens abuse Ritalin and another stimulant drug, Adderall. Eight out of 13 school shooters in the U.S. were taking antidepressants or stimulants at the time of the crime. Often children, affected by these drugs, have been institutionalized where they have been forcefully restrained -- tragically, dozens have died during this violent procedure.

“Parents are not informed about all the potential risks to their child when they agree to a psychiatric drug prescription. They are not informed that the diagnoses for which they are prescribed are unlike medical diseases. There is no physical test -- blood or urine test, “chemical imbalance” test or x-ray or brain scan -- that can determine the physical existence or cause of the "mental disorder."

 Millions of children are prescribed these drugs when they have simply never been taught to read or may be suffering from allergies, lead poisoning or other environmental toxic effects.”

Exhibitionism as a Daily Event - Breathing Space Blog

“Exhibitionism in America has always existed, "says writer Katharine Herrup, "but it has been particularly evident in the newer media." 

"The degradations of reality TV were pretty bad -- before then, no one could imagine so many minutes of tears on television. But newer media are allowing people to further degrade themselves. When 13- year-old girls promote their body measurements, as they do on such websites, something is wrong….”

Coping with Gridlock - Breathing Space Blog

Does it seem as if it's taking you longer merely to drive a few blocks? It's not your imagination -- and it's not going to subside soon. More densely packed urban areas have resulted in gridlock. And our population and road use grow faster than our ability to repair our highways and bridges. Three quarters of the nation's 575,000 bridges were built before 1938, and nearly half are structurally deficient.

Meanwhile, city planners report that there will be no clear solution to gridlock for decades.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to take personal control. Beat the traffic by getting up earlier, or later. Ask your boss if you can work flextime or at home a couple days a week. If you drive to work,  listen  to audios. Commute with people you enjoy talking to, not merely those who live nearby or work close to where you do.

Of course, you can move closer to your job, telecommute, change your job, or self-employ. Otherwise, recognize that gridlock will always be a part of your life.

Rolling Wellness - Breathing Space Blog

No time to make it to the gym? Check out Wellness On Wheels. From their site: “provides the most innovative approach to getting fit! We eliminate all the reasons most people don’t go to a health club: We come to you!

No travel time, dealing with the weather, or getting yourself psyched up to work out - we bring the health club to your door! And when we show up at the appointed time, we also provide focus and motivation, ensuring that the time spent exercising is safe and effective!”

Action Steps for a Virus Attack - Breathing Space Blog

Call a PC guru and don't shut off your PC which could trigger the infection.

Disconnect your online connection.

Back up any new data; it might be your only chance. Try to clean it later.

Use another PC to learn about the virus.

Use anti-virus software to scan and clean. If not treatable, delete the file.

Brief your anti-virus software vendor in case it's a new virus.

Indoor Prisoners - Breathing Space Blog

Noted Feng Shui author Nancy Wydra, writes: “For most of human history we lived not just in close association with nature but outdoors, in direct contact with it. Survival required full use of all of the senses. Early humans were able to identify poisonous plants by smell, discern by the sound of movement which animals lurked amid foliage, and use their vocal cords to identify themselves to others and to send signals of distress. Human beings evolved in direct response to their environment. Scientists theorize, for example, that standing upright was a response to the need to see faster predators from a safe distance."

"Premodern human beings not only responded to the natural environment but also thrived in it. The sounds of birds, wind, and scurrying animals; the fragrance of grasses and flowers and the scents of animals were woven into the fabric of each day while humans performed life-sustaining tasks. The warming sunlight encouraged the production of serotonin (a neurochemical that encourages feelings of optimism and happiness) and injected vitamin D into a recipient's life force. Nature provided a multi-tiered sensorial infusion that is obliterated indoors.

In sharp contrast, life today in spent mostly indoors. Statistics reveal that the majority of Americans spend less than one hour outside every day. Even if we do nothing else to help our lives, spending more time outside will contribute to our physical and emotional well-being. The National Institutes of Health report that if each of us would walk twenty minutes to work and then home again at day's end, the general population's health would improve significantly.