April 21, 2003

From the Inside Out
BREAKING OUT OF YOUR COCOON

Winter is ending. We've been wrapped in a cocoon of a warm house and/or warm clothes to stay comfortable and protected from the elements.

Now spring is arriving. The weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming and the clear skies and sun are pulling us out into the beautiful world. We no longer need our protective cocoon.

This changing of the seasons draws us out of our cocoon of warmth to the warming rays of the sun. As the butterfly spreads its wings as it emerges from it's cocoon, it's life is transformed.

The caterpillar was limited to crawling slowing from leaf to leaf. The world has opened up to the butterfly; it is no longer bound to the area it could crawl to.

Your life can be transformed like the butterfly's. Most of us live in a cocoon of safety, called our comfort zone, to protect ourselves from the elements. We are accustomed to the routine of our lives. We know what to expect each day as we crawl out from under our warm covers.

Our comfort zone keeps us safe. But our comfort zone limits us, just as the caterpillar is limited when compared to the butterfly. To the caterpillar, life is fine. There are branches to climb. There are leaves to eat. It can even use the leaves to hide from the birds of prey.

But to the observer who can see the whole picture, the reality of the caterpillar's life is very limited. That observer can see the possibilities of transformation that lie ahead for the caterpillar. That observer can also see the possibilities of transformation that can lie ahead for you.

Our comfort zone limits us in the same way the caterpillar is limited. The vision of the caterpillar is limited to a few feet around it. It cannot even imagine a life beyond it's vision. But the caterpillar is lucky. Nature has provided a path that will transform it into a butterfly with a hugely expanded vision. It doesn't have a choice.

We also have a path of possibilities. But instead of nature making the transformation for us, we have to do it ourselves. We do have a choice.

We do have a vision beyond our comfort zone. But our comfort zone wraps us tightly to keep us safe. We may not be able to even imagine the possibilities in store for us that the observer can see, but we do have a vision beyond our life today.

Break out of your limiting comfort zone, just like the butterfly emerges from it's cocoon. Do what is uncomfortable. Do what scares you. Do what stretches your limits. The more you do, the more your vision expands and the more you can see is possible for you.

Breaking out of your comfort zone does amazing things for you. It transforms your life, just like the butterfly's life is transformed. Today, just like the caterpillar, you cannot even imagine what your life can be like. But you too can emerge from your comfort zone into a life of limitless possibilities and beauty.

~ Russ Stiffler, I Desire Success.com
Break Out of Your Comfort Zone and
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Yes You Can!
AVOID WASTING $ WITH CARS

Walking the line between automobile obsession and neglect means you never spend a nickel without a good reason — and good reasons can include spending money on something that’s not broken. Here, then, are some ways you could be wasting money on your car.

Premium gas instead of regular. Buy the cheapest gasoline that doesn’t make your car engine knock. All octane does is prevent knock; a grade higher than the maker of your car recommends is not a “treat.”

3,000-mile oil changes. Manufacturers typically suggest 5,000 miles, 7,500 miles or even longer intervals between oil changes. Twice a year changes are the minimum.

Using the dealer’s maintenance schedule instead of the factory’s. If your engine doesn't "miss" — skip a beat or make other odd noises — don’t change the spark plugs or wires until the manufacturer says so.

Using a dealer for major services. Independent shops almost always will do the same work much cheaper. Some dealers may tell you using outside garages violates the car’s warranty. This is a lie.

Using a dealer for oil changes. Dealers sometimes run dirt-cheap specials, but otherwise you’ll usually find oil changes cheaper elsewhere.

Not replacing your air filter and wiper blades yourself. Buy them on sale at a discount auto parts store rather than having a garage or dealer replace them. A good schedule for new air filters is every other oil change in a dusty climate; elsewhere at least once every 20,000 miles. Treat yourself to new wipers (whole blade, not the refill) once a year.

Changing your antifreeze every winter. Change only when a hydro- meter suggests it will no longer withstand temperatures 30 degrees below the coldest your area sees in winter. Your dealer or oil-change shop should be happy to check it for free. Every two years is about right. Also keep your cooling system happy by running the air conditioner every few weeks in winter to keep it lubricated, checking for puddles under the car and replacing belts and hoses before they dry and crack.

Replacing tires when you should be replacing shocks. If your tires are wearing unevenly or peculiarly, your car may be out of alignment or your shocks or struts worn out.

Letting a brake squeal turn into a brake job. Your first check — you can probably see your front brakes through the wheels on your car — is to look at the thickness of the pads. Pads thicker than a quarter-inch are probably fine. If your brakes emit a constant, high-pitched whine and the pads are thinner than a quarter-inch, replace them. If your car shimmies or you feel grinding through the pedal, then your brake rotors need to be turned or replaced.

Not complaining when your warranty claim is rejected. Check Alldata and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to see if a technical service bulletin (TSB) has been issued about the component in question. Manufacturers often will repair known defects outside the warranty period (sometimes called a secret warranty).

Buying an extended warranty. Most manufacturers allow you to wait until just before the regular warranty expires to decide. By then you should know whether your car is troublesome enough to require the extended warranty. Most of them aren’t worth the price.

Not changing the fuel filter. Have it replaced as a part of your maintenance — every two years or according to the manufacturer’s schedule — rather than when it becomes clogged with grit.

Not keeping your tires properly inflated. Check them once a month; otherwise, you’re wasting gasoline, risking a blowout and wearing them out more quickly.

~ MSN MoneyCentral.com

Photo: Webshots

Begun in 1248, construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and the Cologne Cathedral was not fully completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Cologne, which means "colony", has been an important city since its founding in about 50 AD. In 1904 Christian Huelsmeyer successfully set up his anti-collision invention the Telemobilskop (a precursor of modern radar) on the arched Hohenzollern Bridge, spanning the historic Rhine River.

"Herbalchemy.com"

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Fascinating Facts
FROM WOLF TO DOG

Few relationships are so laden with mutual benefit as that between man and dog. Much of the credit for this unusual state of affairs, it now turns out, may lie on the canine side of the equation. Three studies in November's issue of Science shed light on the questions of when, where and how dogs were first domesticated from wolves.

One suggests that a few wolves, perhaps from the same population somewhere in east Asia, are the mothers of almost all dogs alive today. A second study, based on DNA retrieved from ancient dog bones from Mexico, Bolivia and Peru, found that all the pre-Columbian dogs belonged to Eurasian dog lineages. A third study probes the psychology of dogs, showing that although chimpanzees may have brain power of far greater wattage, there is one task at which dogs excel, that of picking up cues from human behavior. Chimpanzees will notice where a person is looking but do not take the hint that the box being looked at is the one holding the hidden food. Dogs get the picture immediately. This interpretive skill was perhaps the ability for which they were selected.

Wolves, though very smart, are much less adept than dogs at following human cues, suggesting that dogs may have been chosen for this ability. So were dogs' ancestors selected for tameability or trainability? Dr. Ray Coppinger, a dog behavior expert at Hampshire College, believes that neither is the case. Wolves domesticated themselves, Dr. Coppinger argues in a recent book, "Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution," written with his wife, Lorna Coppinger. Wolves, which are scavengers as well as hunters, would have hung around the campsite for scraps, and those that learned to be less afraid of people survived and flourished, in his view.

"It was natural selection — the dogs did it, not people," Dr. Coppinger said. From the half-tamed, camp-following wolves, he believes, people may then have adopted some cubs into the household and found that they could be trained. Once dogs had been domesticated, they would have been of great value to hunter-gatherer societies, though it is hard to know what specific quality the domesticators sought.

When two species live together for a long time, each usually influences the genetically conferred qualities of the other. People may have selected preferred abilities in the dog, but dogs too may have fostered their favorite qualities in people — not of course deliberately but simply by giving people who used dogs a better chance of surviving than people who did not. "This is a symbiotic relationship with substantial time depth," said Dr. Richard Klein, a Stanford University archaeologist. "You could imagine dogs would be useful for giving warning signals, or tracking other animals, so you can see how both sides would benefit."

Dogs were probably the first animal to be domesticated and seem to have assumed considerable importance in early human societies. Dr. Darcy Morey, a University of Kansas archaeologist who has studied dog burials all over the world, speaks of the "incredible compatibility of wolves and men." The finding that pre-Columbian settlers brought their dogs with them from the Old World is an indication of the animals' value to them.

~Nicholas Wade, NY Times.com
Contributed by Jim Webster
Click link below for reviews and details on:
Dr. Coppinger's "Dogs: A Startling New Understanding..."

What is the origin of the Easter Egg?

Click for Answer

Laughing It Off
KITCHEN SIGN LANGUAGE

Martha Stewart
DOESN'T live here!!

Ring bell for maid service.
If no answer, do it yourself!

I clean house every other day.
Today is the other day.

If you write in the dust,
please don't date it!

If you don't like my standards of cooking ...
lower your standards.

My house was clean last week,
too bad you missed it!

I came, I saw,
I decided to order take out.

A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen,
and this kitchen is DELIRIOUS.

This is NOT Burger King ...
you get it MY way or you don't get anything.

Countless numbers of people have eaten in this kitchen
and gone on to lead normal lives.

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

I'm creative; you can't expect me to be tidy too!

Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves,
for they shall never cease to be amused.

~Contributed by Kathy Benoy

Untangling the Web

WHAT A SITE!

If you love gardening...
there's a website that's just for you. Here you'll
find information about plants, regional gardening,
and even information about kitchen gardening.
There are also forums available for
exchanging information.
www.GardenWeb.com

COMPUTER-EASE

Two-Pane View...
Should you prefer the two-pane view in Outlook Express, just choose View|Layout. Select the check boxes that represent the objects you want to see and then click OK to close the dialog box.

Look at THAT!
"MONARCHY"

 
Photo: Andrew Winning /Reuters


Hundreds of Monarch butterflies...
line a tree trunk on the Cerro del Campanario, in
the El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary on a 9,000 foot mountain in the Mexican state of Michoacan, where they may number 4 million per acre. These are the only migratory insects in their species and make the 2,500 mile journey between their summer home
in Canada and their winter home in Mexico twice a year. The flashy Monarch, nominated as the U.S. national insect, has been called the Elvis of the insect world.. ~Reuters

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"The intent of Inspiration Line is to show What Is Possible … By choosing new perspectives,
we can change ourselves from the inside out and improve our relationships, our community and our planet."
Editor . Chelle Thompson ~~~ Associate Editor . Geri Merrill
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