Thought of the Day

Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe. -Robert Service, writer (1874-1958)

From Korea With Love

And the winner of the Syncronized Marching Contest is: NORTH KOREA!

The North Korean Marching Team scored very well in the following categories:

Cadence: Superlative
Syncronicity: Outstanding
Unit Precision: Top Notch
Focus: Striking
Style Points: Very High
Creativity: Splendid
Overall Performance: Superb

Judges comments for improvement:
Need to smile a bit more to connect with audience.
Why have all the oboe players in the front row?

Dizzy Spells

We drink coffee on a daily basis but since too much caffeine can cause dizziness and that nervous feeling our choice is the half-caff coffee because the brain is the most biochemically complex and metabolically active organ of the whole body and a large section of the brain called the cerebellum is mainly concerned with balance and coordination so it's not surprising that dizzy spells are a common symptom of too many coffee beans which leads us to what are dizzy spells and their causes?

After looking at these coffee beans, do you feel faint?
As if about to pass out? Any hint of cerebral dizziness?
This could be from low blood pressure, low blood sugar, or poor oxygen supply. Low blood pressure often causes faintness. If you suddenly stand up, expecially(*) if you have been lying down for some time, this could cause a dizzy spell. Low blood sugar could cause faintness or dizziness to occur and could be caused by missing a meal, or if you eat sweet things all the time, but now have missed a snack, or if you have exercised hard and burned up the sugar in the blood. Ear disease could cause dizziness since balance is sensed by the inner ear. Any disturbance of this may cause Vertigo: a symptom described as “the world going round”. Hyperventilation can certainly cause dizzy spells. In this case, there is often a feeling of being spaced out and “not with it”.
(*) expecially = extra especially

ABCs

We're all familiar with the official standard international phonetic alphabet, which was a very good idea to avoid confusion and mistakes. Referring to a letter by its phonetic alphabet counterpart probably should be used more when speaking over the telephone, especially when dealing with all those very similar sounding letters.

The Miles Brothers Corp decided to come up with our very own official standard international phonetic alphabet, and we encourage you to do the same.
Here it goes:
A as in Amsterdam. B as in Brenna.
C as in Cogstar. D as in Dr. Miles.
E as in Elephant. F as in Fargo.
G as in Garlic. H as in Honda.
I as in Imagination. J as in James.
K as in Kit. L as in Led Zeppelin.
M as in Mylah. N as in North Dakota.
O as in Okolemaluna. P as in Ping Pong.
Q as in Quagmire. R as in Reagan.
S as in Sam. T as in Tom.
U as in U2. V as in Vacation.
W as in Willy's Wonka. X as in X-wife.
Y as in Yes. Z as in Zen.

Do's and Don'ts

After decades of discussion groups and focus groups, the Miles Brothers Corp has come up with a dynamic list of our Top Do's and Don'ts, for the betterment of societal evolution.

Since we're in the Northern Hemisphere,
let's begin with the Don'ts:

Don't think you can change other people.
Don't leave burning candles unattended.
Don't say Yes when you should say No.
Don't say No when you should say Yes.
Don't pull the trigger until you're on it.
Don't expect the other driver to yield.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Don't stare at prisoners or ex-cons.
Don't ever try to run from a bear.
Don't take snow for an answer.
Don't assume you'll remember.
Don't leave fun to find fun.
Don't drink beer at work.
Don't lock yourself out.
Don't worry too much.
Don't go to Pakistan.

And now, on a more positive note, the Do's:

Say nice things when you think them.
Prevent accidents waiting to happen.
Give your home a two-syllable name.
Jot down your list of do's and don'ts.
Have dimmers to control your lights.
Plan your work and work your plan.
Answer a question with a question.*
Cook at home and try new recipes.
When in doubt, communicate.
Put up some twinkly lights.
Appreciate what you have.
Arrive early to the airport.
Avoid negative people.
Write add-on poems.
Send postcards.
Take vacations.
Recycle.

* ("Why do you ask?")