An Enchanting Experience at the Gym

As Dino visits the gym and notices the members tirelessly working out on the treadmill, cross trainer, and rowing machines, he often wonders if all this energy accumulated could be recycled one way or another. It may not be to power up the building, but at least the water-fountain or the workout machine itself.

Surprisingly, Dino came across an article about the Human-Powered River Gymnasium, which takes this idea of recycling wasted energy to a whole new level.

Quoted from the website – “The River Gym concept is a human-powered floating gym that will provide the user with the one experience that no other gym can provide: floating your workout around Manhattan. Designed by architect Mitchell Joachim and personal trainer Douglas Joachim, this project could bring inspiration to both the morning commute and workout.”

“The River Gyms are, in essence, floating gyms designed to provide health amenities while floating along the Hudson and East rivers. Each gym is programmed with a specific path set on a 15 minute loop moving from one point to the next. This means that each one of these devices can function both as a gym with a view and as a transportation system.”

Check out the image below. It’s quite an interesting concept, but will it actually kick-off?

An Organic Pair of Jeans…

While Dino was searching for some stylish clothing to enhance his wardrobe, he came across a pair of jeans that is not only environmentally friendly, but even offers healing properties.

The ‘Ayurveda Herbal Organic Fabric Jeans’ designed by Make Your Own Jeans, uses an ancient technique of dyeing textiles in medicinal herbs as a means of practicing Ayurvedic medicine.

Ayurveda originated in Kerala(India) some 5000 years ago and has been used to treat various illnesses. Ayur is Sanskrit and roughly translates to “health,” while veda means “wisdom” or "knowledge" this infused into fabrics thus literally means “health fabrics.”

Ayurveda treated fabrics exposes medicinal herbs to the body through the skin, the body’s largest organ. In contact with clothing, the skin absorbs the medicinal qualities of the herbs. Depending on which herbs are used in the dyes, Ayurveda treated fabric may treat a broad range of medical conditions including skin ailments, diabetes, arthritis, and high blood pressure. Each dye may contain up to 50 different herbs.

A few of the benefits that can be noticed are treated skin infections, weight loss, improved diabetes, immune system boost, eczema, energy boost, psoriasis, mood enhancement, hypertension, overall well-being, improved blood pressure, calm feeling, asthma, blood purification and cooling, improved digestion, relief from insomnia, arthritis, rheumatism and general body aches

Dino is going to grab one for himself to complement his cooling t-shirt and blood-pressure monitoring under-pants. Get your own pair now and proudly flaunt your all-natural style!

Are You Still Searching for a Parking Spot?

Not sure about you, but Dino clearly remembers the days when he used to circle the city or large parking lots for a spot close to his destination. At every turn into a new lane, he would pray “Please God, may there be a parking spot here…” Eventually, his good karma would kick-in and he would find a spot.

Thanks to high-tech, finding a parking spot is going to get a lot easier. According to a recent article in the NYTimes, “This fall, San Francisco will test 6,000 of its 24,000 metered parking spaces in the nation’s most ambitious trial of a wireless sensor network that will announce which of the spaces are free at any moment.”

A 4x4” inch sensor, called a “Bump” is glued to the ground and senses once a car has arrived and departed. It then sends a signal to a central database that notifies drivers through the web or a smartphone about empty spots in the area. The “Bump” is battery operated and expected to last from 5 to 10 years without service – assuming that it has been run-over more than a hundred times by the cars trying to park.

The technology behind this innovation is called ‘Smart Dust’. Basically, it’s a tiny, low-powered wireless sensor that detects other sensors within its distribution network, and sends the data back to the centralized server for analysis. Smart Dust can detect motion, humidity, light, CO2 levels, or anything thing else worth sensing. Imagine the possibilities of this – detection of bio-hazards, forest fires, parking spots, or even detecting your vital signs such as your temperature, heart-beat or blood pressure.

Fascinating? Yes, and this is just the beginning!

2000 Gallons of Water to produce 1 Gallon of Milk

There has been quite a bit of talk about the environment recently and the word ‘green’ seems to be everywhere. You’ll find advertisements for an environmentally-friendly car, refrigerator, air-conditioner, computer, light bulb and anything else you can imagine. Companies are even promoting their products by claiming that recycled materials and RoHS certified components were used in the design.

In reference to saving the planet and conserving its resources, an interesting article has been published in Natural News regarding the amount of water needed to produce milk – 2000 gallons of water for 1 gallon of milk.

The cow needs water to perform basic biological functions from day to day, and only a fraction of the water the cow consumes is actually converted into milk. The fact that it takes so much water to produce cow's milk means that anytime you or any consumer chooses to drink milk, the burden you place on the natural environment is a thousand times greater than if you were to consume water itself. Drinking one gallon of milk is like pouring 1,999 gallons of fresh water down the drain.

Besides this, there are several health and ethical reasons to avoid consuming milk. Look out for a future post on this topic. Meanwhile, you may consider browsing through Dino’s previous posts about the environment.

Almost 3 months – A Reflection…

Dino’s Words of Wisdom blog has been up and running for almost 3 months now. When it was created, Dino had planned to post one entry every single day. This goal seemed a bit far fetched at the time; however, his enthusiasm overpowered his limitation.

The first entry was posted on March 16, followed by almost one post for each day. As April came along, so did laziness and procrastination, which led to one post every other day. This month couldn’t be worse – 6 posts, including this one.

Why does this matter? Why does this blog even exist? To answer the latter question first, the purpose of this blog was, and still is, to share Dino’s perspective on anything and everything that strikes his interest and triggers his curiosity. There were posts on empowerment, appreciation, health, alternative medicine, technology, environment, wisdom, or an odd story that caught his attention.

Now, to answer the former question – Why does this matter? It doesn’t.

Yeah, right. Of course it does. In order to have meaning and value in our life, we need to constantly strive for something. Dino hasn’t reached a point in his life yet where nothing matters any more. Therefore, the reason this matters is that if the number of posts decrease, so will the number of readers; but besides that, Dino will once again get lost in the illusions of the outer-world and not have a chance to internally reflect (and share) what is being portrayed. In addition, this also helps Dino become more disciplined.

The goal for the next three months is to post an entry every other day, however, quality does matter over quantity, so if you don’t see a post for a while, just keep checking, and eventually there will be one.

Thanks for reading and your comments!

Boxers or Briefs?

Have you tried out one of those automatic blood pressure monitoring machines? The ones in which you insert you entire arm and it starts squeezing until your hand goes numb. Well, it seems as though the life of those machines will soon come to an end.

Philips has just applied for a patent to develop blood-pressure sensing underpants – yes, you read that correctly, underpants!

The underpants come equipped with sensors that measure the electrical impedance of the tissue beneath it. A pair of such sensors can calculate the speed of the pulse wave by timing how long it takes to travel from one sensor to the other.

Dino wasn’t able to obtain too much information about this, but assumes that the sensors will also include a wireless feature that would allow you to transfer the readings to an online log (for monitoring and analysis) or directly to your doctor, keeping you safe at all times. It may even have an alarm that sounds if your blood pressure rises too rapidly.

It’s quite an odd invention – Dino wonders if Philips would collaborate with a garment company such as CK to distribute this, and the different colors that would be available. What about laundry, would the sensors be water resistant? Would it be safe to have a wireless transmitter so close to your…you know what.

Dino will keep you posted once more information is available. Meanwhile, you may want to check out a previous post about an ice shirt that helps you cool down in the summer.

Polly Want a Cracker?

Have you heard the story of Yosuke the parrot?

Apparently, Yosuke flew out of his cage and got lost in a city near Tokyo. He was then rescued by the cops and spent the night in the police station. The next day he was taken to the vet, while police searched for clues.

Yosuke kept quiet while he was with the cops, (guess he was taught not to say anything until his lawyer arrived) however, after a few days with the vet, he revealed his full name and address. “I’m Mr. Yosuke Nakamura and I live at #5 XYZ Street”.

The cops checked out the address and found out that indeed the Nakamura family lived there. Yosuke was returned in good health and the Nakamura family lived happily ever after.

Until Yosuke decides to fly out again…

Boost your brain power

If the procedure in the previous post freaked you out, then I’m sure you’ll be very glad to read this. As promised, Dino has decided to share a few natural techniques to boost your brain power.

Breath deep. Breath through your nose and you'll notice that you use your diaphragm more, drawing air deeper into your lungs. Several deep breaths can also help to relax you, which is conducive to clearer thinking.

Use dead time. This is time that is otherwise wasted or just under-utilized. Driving time, time spent in waiting rooms, or even time spent raking your yard can be included in this. Pick up an iPod/MP3 player and start listening to audio books.

Learn a language. Learning a new language has been shown to halt the age-related decline in brain function. It also introduces your mind to new concepts and new ways of looking at things.

Write. Writing is good for your mind in a number of ways. It is a way to tell your memory what is important, so you'll recall things more easily in the future. It is a way to clarify your thinking.

Listen to Mozart. In a study at the University of California, researchers found that children who studied piano and sang daily in chorus, were much better at solving puzzles, and when tested, scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non-musical group.

Exercise. Research shows that cognitive function is improved immediately after just ten minutes of aerobic exercise.

Consume alcohol in moderation. In a study at the University of Indiana School of Medicine, elderly light drinkers (fewer than 4 drinks per week) scored higher on tests of thinking abilities than non-drinkers. Those who drank 10 or more drinks per week scored lower. It is known that alcohol can kill brain cells, so moderation seems to be the key.

Click here for more.

Just whistle while you work...

A new study published in the journal of neurology suggests that the length of our arms and legs raise the risk of memory loss.

According to the report, the women with the shortest arm spans were 50 percent more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease than women with longer arm spans. And the longer a woman's leg from floor to knee, the lower her risk for dementia. While in men, only a shorter arm span was linked with higher dementia risk.

If your body type does fall into this category, fear not. Another experiment that implants electrodes in your brain has been proven to reverse memory loss.

The electrodes are implanted under local anaesthesia while the patient is awake. Before the operation, the neurosurgeon performs an MRI scan and establishes the target location for the electrodes. He then carries out a craniotomy – lifting a section of the skull – and inserts the electrodes and leads.

During the experiment, the patient recalled a scene from 30 years earlier. More tests showed his ability to learn was dramatically improved when the current was switched on and his brain stimulated.

Just in case this procedure sounds too invasive for you, stay tuned for Dino’s next post, as he shares a few natural techniques on boosting your brain power.

It’s gettin' Hot in here...

If the summer heat is getting to you and you can’t shed off any more clothes, then the ice shirt is perfect for you. It circulates cold water within its pipes to cool down your body. These shirts are usually worn by racers in extreme conditions so that they can maintain their body temperature.

The temperature in Singapore is getting extremely hot, so Dino has decided to pick up the ice shirt for himself. Now, he won’t just feel cool, but be cool.

Would you like one?

Would you like to have Dinner in the Sky?

If you’re afraid heights, I suggest you stop reading right here!

So, you’ve decided to continue? OK, hold on…This is right off their website

Dinner in the Sky is a unique event meant for anyone who wishes to transform an ordinary meal or meeting into a magical moment that will leave a lasting impression on their guests. Breakfast in the sky, lunch in the sky, cocktails in the sky, meeting in the sky, internet café in the sky… there is no limit to your imagination. It is hosted at a table suspended at a height of 50 metres by a team of professionals. It accommodates 22 people around the table at every session with three staff in the middle (chef, waiter, entertainer…).

This may be fun for a few minutes at the most, but why would you want to sit up there for an hour and enjoy a three course meal? It would be a little freaky to see your feet dangling about. And what if the cord snaps or you need to use the restroom? Or what if someone is choking?

Visit the website here and definitely watch a few minutes of the Dubai Video if you have a chance, the music is a bit annoying though.

Going Greener..

Now that we’re on the topic of going “Green”, why not take this a step further?

Are you ready for this? Do you know what Emerson, Thoreau, Newton, Gandhi, Van Gogh, George Bernard Shaw, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, H.G. Wells, Leonardo Da Vinci, Darwin, Edison, Einstein, Plutarch, and Pythagoras had in common?

They were all vegetarian. Dino has also been following a vegetarian diet since the past few years for ethical reasons and health benefits, and here are a few reasons for you to do so.

Vegetarians live about seven years longer than meat eaters, according to a study from Loma Linda University. Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer in the United States, and the standard American diet (SAD) that's laden with saturated fat and cholesterol from meat and dairy is largely to blame. The International Journal of Cancer concluded that red meat is strongly associated with breast cancer. Each day, 22 million animals are slaughtered to support the American appetite for meat. The average bone loss for a vegetarian woman at age 65 is 18 percent; for non-vegetarian women, it's double that. Right now, 72 percent of all grain produced in the United States is fed to animals raised for slaughter. It takes 15 pounds of feed to get one pound of meat. But if the grain were given directly to people, there'd be enough food to feed the entire planet.

Go ahead, do your own research and then make a choice to switch. Dino is sure there’s a valid reason why all these celebrities have decided to follow the veggie route. View the entire list here.

And the final word by George Bernard Shaw - "While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we ever expect ideal conditions on earth?"