Keep on Rockin' . . .

Neil Young .  .  .

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Things that amazed me in 2010 . . .

Every year is full of surprises .  .  .  My list of amazing things, Snake-style .  .  .

1.  The stock market rally . . .  Who would have thought?

2.  How effective workout supplements can be .  .  .  Last December, I felt like I'd hit a wall in working out . . .  Couldn't get through it, over it, around it, under it .  .  .  So, Superpump 250 to the rescue .  .  .  and Cell Mass, and NO-XPLODE, and Pre-Surge Unleashed, and Plasma Jet .  .  .  Of course, not all at the same time!  But yes, they DO work, and they're all perfectly legal .  .  .  Nothing in that list is injectable .  .  .

3.  The exhorbitant price of supplements in Canada .  .  .  So, I buy everything online from an American outfit .  .  .  Ridiculously low cost compared to Canada .  .  . 

4.  How cold is can be in Fla in February .  .  .  I nearly froze at times .  .  .  The natives were driven to the edge of despair by the "Canadian" air .  .  .  Honestly, during the Olympics in Vancouver, it was warmer there than in St. Petersburg on occasion .  .  .  That isn't supposed to happen!  It can't have been that bad though, because I'm going back soon .  .  . 

5.  How much I've grown to love Southern Butternut Pecan coffee creme .  .  .  Hazelnut is a close second .  .  .   

6.  How addicting blogging can be at times .  .  .

7.  How unbelievably powerful the Spirits are at Bannock Point Petroforms .  .  .

8.  Did the Montreal Canadiens REALLY knock off the Caps and Penguins back to back in the spring?  Was I dreaming that?  Yes they did, and no I wasn't .  .  .  Les Canadiens sont la!!

9.  The Canada-USA final in Vancouver .  .  .  I watched the OT surrounded by Yanks chanting U-S-A who were really into it .  .  . So, I kept it a bit subdued when the good guys scored .  .  .  What a game it was!  The perfect way to cap off two great weeks in Vancouver .  .  .

10.  How incredibly frustrating it was to watch Olympic coverage only on NBC .  .  .  There's no TSN in Fla .  .  .  At one point, I threw a shoe at the television .  .  .  Quite unlike me for the most part .  .  .

11.  The power of the Tibetan singing bowl .  .  .

12.  How old-school I can be .  .  .  Don't have a cell phone .  .  .  Not on Facebook .  .  .  However, I might need to get a cell phone in '11, and all my friends who are on FB are constantly at me to take the plunge .  .  .  My reply?  Too many people from my past are trying to track me down .  .  .  I can't chance it!  Hah!! 

13.  That I've come to enjoy reading other peoples' blogs religiously .  .  .  There is some incredibly good stuff in Blogland, and I'm always on the prowl for new blogs that will entertain, enlighten, inspire .  .  .  My favorite blog may be the one I haven't yet found .  .  .         

I'm going to stop there, because for me, thirteen is a lucky number .  .  .

Life is beautiful (and amazing) baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

NOTHING like a good party!!

New Years Eve coming, and it's party time .  .  .  I've been at and hosted some great NYE parties, but .  .  .  The most memorable (not necessarily the best) was a Lonesome George party .  .  .  As in, "Lonesome" George Thorogood .  .  .  To get in, a person had to imbibe bourbon, Scotch and beer .  .  .  Only then could a person enter the inner sanctum of debauchery .  .  .  


OK, well .  .  .  My dominant thought about that party?  Thank God there were no cell phone cameras at that time in the evolution of technology .  .  .  It was wild .  .  .  Too many dark corners .  .  .  


So, in honor of that great occasion, here's a video that brings it all back (well, SOME of it) .  .  .





Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!!

The Story of Matt

New Year's Eve is only a few days away .  .  .  What are you planning out there in Blogland?

I mentioned Matt my masseur in my previous blog .  .  .  The story of how Matt and I were brought together is a good one .  .  .  One of those where it's clear to me that the Universe set in motion a series of synchronistic events to get us together, so he could fix my shoulder and then various other body parts that will kick up occasionally (I go the the gym regularly, and work hard, so you gotta know stuff is going to happen every so often) .  .  .  And at the same time, I could help him in a completely different way .  .  .

This goes back to April '07 .  .  .  During a workout, I felt a slight twinge in my right shoulder .  .  .  Nothing big, just a small something .  .  .  During the next couple of weeks, it was still there and getting slighty worse .  .  .  Still, no big thing .  .  .  YET!!  I kept on with my workouts, but was beginning to notice that I was having to work around it more and more .  .  .  By August, it was so bad I knew I had to shut it down for a while .  .  .  It was August 10th, a Friday, and I was standing looking at the pull up machine and thinking, This is completely insane!  Snake had better take a little time off .  .  .  I was leaving for Los Angeles the next day anyway for ten days, so by the time I return, it'll be better, right?  Wrong .  .  .  It actually got worse .  .  .  I was in more pain when I returned than when I left .  .  .

What to do?  I called a physio establishment nearby and set up an appointment .  .  .  Multiple appointments later, many dollars spent, and absolutely NO progress .  .  .  My range of motion is still restricted, the pain level hasn't decreased, and my frustration level is going through the roof .  .  .  Not only that, I didn't like the physio at all .  .  .  She was cold, and I felt, more than a little uncaring about my anatomical dilemma .  .  .  I bailed out of that, and was left wondering, What now??

One day not long after that, I'm sitting in my office at the end of the day .  .  .  Time to go home .  .  .  I picked up my briefcase to leave, and then a thought came literally out of nowhere .  .  .  Why not call my good friend Steve in Oakville?  So, that's what happened .  .  .  Steve answered and we were chatting, and the conversation eventually got around to my shoulder, and my frustration and not really knowing what route to go with it .  .  .  Just at that moment, a colleague named Kristin walked into my office to use a computer, as her's was doing some funky things and was unusable .  .  .  Kristin is a dancer, and is always getting therapy for her back .  .  .  After Steve and I said goodbye, she said, I know a great therapist who does wonders for my back, and I'm sure he can help you .  .  .  I called right then and was able to get in to see Matt two days hence .  .  . 

Sitting in the waiting room, Matt walked out to greet me and take me into the room .  .  .  We've all experienced what happened right then .  .  .  As soon as I set eyes on Matt, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this person will be able to help me .  .  .  You know when the vibe is just that strong?  We've all been in situations like that .  .  .  Matt did his diagnostic thing for about ten minutes, and then said, I know what's wrong with your shoulder?  I asked, What?  His response .  .  .  Everything!  Then he laughed and said, this thing is really f'ed up .  .  .  And then he listed five things that needed fixing in descending order of significance .  .  .  And he started to work right then on making things right .  .  .  Matt promised me three things .  .  .  One, he can fix me .  .  .  Two, it will take at least three weeks with three appointments per week .  .  .  And three, it's really going to hurt!  My God, did it hurt!  He got into places in my shoulder and armpit that had me tearing up occasionally from the pain, but it had to be done .  .  .  This was as deep as deep tissue massage gets .  .  .  The good thing was that as soon as he stopped, the pain stopped .  .  .  Not only did he fix me, but we had some terrific conversations about life and relationships and reality and so on .  .  .  I was able to give him some insight into things going on in his life while he was fixing me .  .  .  So, it was win-win .  .  .

Once that issue was dealt with, I continued to see Matt for this and that, and he always made it better .  .  .  So what is the point of all this?  As I said earlier, the Universe conspired to get Matt and I together .  .  .  Why?  I needed something from him, and he needed something from me, and neither of us knew it .  .  .  That's how synchronicity works .  .  .  I don't believe in "coincidences" .  .  .  I do however believe in synchronistic events .  .  .   And this a perfect example of that .  .  .  What if the thought to call Steve in Oakville hadn't come out of nowhere?  What if he hadn't answered and we didn't have the conversation?  What if Kristin's computer hadn't been misbehaving, and she hadn't come into my office to use mine?  What if she hadn't come in at exactly the moment she did, while I was telling Steve about my shoulder issue?  What if, what if, what if .  .  .  That's synchronicty (not coincidence!) at work .  .  .  And then, after all those "what ifs", Matt gave me what I needed and I gave him what he needed .  .  .  Sometimes, people parachute into our lives out of nowhere in a sense, and they end up having a profound effect on us .  .  .  Blindsided by synchronistic events .  .  .  When I meet someone, I always assume that this person could end up being crucial to some aspect of my life, and of course, vice versa .  .  .

So that is the story of how Matt and I came to be .  .  .  And, since the fall of  '07, I've told several people about Matt, and those who took me up on it sing his praises .  .  .  Don't you love how life works at times?

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

Here we are . . .

Another Boxing Day, the stores are packed with bargain hunters, and I can't imagine anywhere I'd less enjoy being .  .  .  Best Buy will just have to get through another BD without this Snake . . .  So, I'm right here listening to an internet bluegrass station as I write this post .  .  .  I'll get the urge to listen to some bluegrass maybe twice a year, and today is one of those .  .  . 


I always tend to become somewhat reflective as we move into the last week of the year .  .  .  No doubt that's very common for people to do .  .  .  The one thing that I feel is a deep sense of gratitude to have the life I have .  .  .  Not that 2010 has been without challenges, but everything has played out as it should, and life is beautiful baby!  It's a mindset that we can all develop, but sadly, many don't .  .  .




Gratitude is the mother of all emotions .  .  .  When we're sincerely, consciously grateful, everything else is enriched and things just flow a lot more easily .  .  .  There is so much to be grateful for .  .  .  Unfortunately, so many people simply take those things for granted and tend to fixate on what isn't working out in their lives .  .  .  It all comes down to perspective .  .  .  What is our world view?  What is our personal reality?


One of the things I'm grateful for is having the opportunity to maintain this blog .  .  .  In many countries, I couldn't do this .  .  .  Our freedom should never be taken for granted, because it can slip away right under our noses, something like the death of the thousand cuts .  .  .  It amazes me sometimes that this technology exists, which allows me and others to speak literally to the world .  .  .  And I'm so grateful to be able to read the blogs created by some very talented people .  .  . 


When I started this thing in April '09, I had no idea how it would unfold or how many hits it would get .  .  .  All I knew was that it would have a focus on a particular, crucial aspect of my life and being .  .  .  I wouldn't talk about politics, I'd leave out the X-rated parts of my life, and so on .  .  .  I put that stuff in my other blogs .  .  .  I know, you think I'm kidding .  .  .  Or do you?   


It's been a terrific year, and I wouldn't change a thing .  .  .  I'm looking forward to a great 2011 and traveling further down this path .  .  .  Yes, there will be some ups and downs here and there, but I'll embrace it all and try to learn more lessons from whatever the Universe throws in my path .  .  .  Everything and everyone is a teacher .  .  .  The Universe speaks to us all in a myriad of ways, but not everyone is listening .  .  .


Oh, and by the way, I REALLY need a massage!  Time to call Matt and set that up .  .  .  If anyone wants the name of a terrific masseur, I have one for you!! 


Life is beautiful baby!!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!




   

Couldn't resist . . .

Perhaps I should apologize for posting this pic of Naked Santa .  .  .  But, I'm not going to!  Hah!


I saw this yesterday, and really, how could I not use it?  I know, some of you are probably thinking this just might be a shot of ol' Snake .  .  .  Nah, it isn't .  .  .  That's me on the left, looking slightly reptilian .  .  .  Much better looking, don't you think?  Come to think of it though, Santa does bear a slight facial resemblance to one of my older Gold's Gym buds in Fla .  .  .  Hey Scottie, I'll see you soon! 


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

L'air III

Well then, this entry was not in the cards earlier today .  .  .  As a matter of fact, I had no intention of writing anything until next week .  .  . 

For those keeping track, I've dedicated two entries to my great friend L'air, who was given as little as two days to live in early November .  .  .  I go to see L'air regularly, and he's making great progress .  .  .  He isn't ready to go home anytime soon, and there are still some serious issues, but .  .  .  He's alive to see another Christmas, which was the longest of long shots seven weeks ago .  .  .

This is real life .  .  .  Real life and death .  .  . 

I saw L'air this morning, and was blown away by the progress he's made since Sunday .  .  .  Definitely a terrific Christmas present for friends and family .  .  .  Christmas, to me, is as much about rebirth as anything else .  .  .  Rebirth can have many connotations .  .  .  In this case, it's a rebirth for L'air, even if he passes next week .  .  .  I'm not a Buddhist per se, but I do wholeheartedly subscribe to this .  .  .  We die daily, and are reborn daily .  .  .  L'air has been reborn, and so have others who are close to him and have witnessed what might, in all honesty, be described as a miracle .  .  .

Fast forward to a couple of hours ago .  .  .  I was at the gym (a cardio day), and I couldn't stop thinking about L'air .  .  .  When I think of him and what he's overcome, I can't help but feel a sense of awe, and people need to hear the story .  .  .

I'm going to throw this out there as well .  .  .  I believe in distance healing, and so does L'air .  .  .  And, I have some friends who are pretty well connected to the Universe, and we've been doing our best to help things along .  .  .  If someone thinks that's crap, well, I'll just say, your view of the true reality doesn't mesh with mine .  .  .  And that's OK, because there are levels of reality and consciousness, and we all understand them differently .  .  .

So my friends, L'air has survived, and based upon that, we should all understand that there is always hope!!

Life is beautiful baby!!



Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!   

Merry Christmas!!

Time for Snake to take his Christmas break .  .  .  Things are getting very busy!

To all those who take time to stop by this blog, I wish you the best of the Season!  Thanks for reading what I have to say .  .  .   And, thank you to all the people whose blogs I enjoy reading!  There are some very talented writers out there .  .  .

If you're like me, you get a little tired of all the traditional Christmas music we hear endlessly .  .  .  So, here's one to make you laugh a little .  .  .

Life is beautiful baby!!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Can we wrap up empathy and put it under the tree?

There are plenty of attributes we'd hope to find in an emotionally healthy human being .  .  .  Gratitude, ability to love, work ethic, balance, communication skills, and on and on .  .  .   But, high up on this list should be empathy, the ability to walk a mile in anothers shoes .  .  .   This seems to be second nature to many, but completely anathema to more than a few .  .  .


I've always been fascinated by human nature .  .  .  


Empathy .  .  .  To take the time to listen, feel, and understand another person's view and emotional state .  .  .


It all goes back to a very basic psychological precept .  .  .  Thoughts drive emotions, which in turn drive behaviors .  .  .  What is the other person thinking?  What are they feeling?  And, why do they do what they do? 


My opinion?  There's a profound lack of empathy in society .  .  .  


Let's face it .  .  .  Life can be very hard for many, and if that's us, we become so wrapped up in our own survival (and our family's), and we have very little time and energy to feel what others are feeling .  .  .


But, if we simply stop and listen to what others are saying, and imagine what they might be feeling, and why they behave the way they do, we are doing our little bit in our tiny corner of the Universe to make this a better place, a better life, a better existence for all .  .  .




Tis the season!!


Never doubt the power of ONE .  .  .  Which is you and me .  .  .


And now, I'm off to a surprise birthday party where I'm the official photographer and videographer .  .  .  Baby, THAT'S pressure .  .  .

Life is beautiful .  .  .

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

White Christmas . . . Jim Carrey

What Christmas is complete without a rendition of White Christmas?  And by a fellow Canadian, no less!  But really, Bing doesn't have much to worry about .  .  .  It's hilarious though, so have a good time!

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Does Rudolph get too much pub?

Obviously, Vixen thinks so!

Life is beautiful .  .  .

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Christmas All Over Again!!!

My favorite rock Christmas song .  .  .  Tom Petty .  .  .


Life is beautiful baby!





Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

L'air II

Websters definitions of "miracle" .  .  .

"An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs"



"An extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment"

I'm still not sure what a miracle would be .  .  .  DNA apparently regulates all of our life functions, but we don't know how .  .  .  Is that a miracle?   Light is a constant in our lives, but the more we study it with the newest and best technology, the more mysterious it becomes .  .  .  Is that a miracle?  When I plug in a lamp, and then turn the switch, the light illuminates .  .  .  Is THAT a miracle?

When I first saw L'air in the hospital on Sunday, November 7th, it was with the knowledge that he had days, if not hours .  .  .  L'air was semi-coherent, and drifting from lucidity to out there and back to lucidity .  .  . 

L'air was lying on his right side .  .  .  I pulled up a chair and sat nose to nose, probably 18 inches away .  .  .  I was conscious of three things .  .  .  One, this could be the last time .  .  .  Two, this interaction is going to be directed from a higher source .  .  .  Three, we kept eye contact throughout our entire conversation .  .  .

When I walked out of that rooom an hour later, I knew beyond a doubt, THERE IS HOPE .  .  .  It was a message from the Universe .  .  .  So, I and the inner circle have done all we can to make it happen .  .  .  And it IS happening .  .  .

L'air is surviving and more! 

OK then, is this a miracle unfolding?  Do I have a front row seat?  Just yesterday, one of the doctors told L'air that he and the medical people have no idea how he's survived .  .  .  It's beyond anything they could have imagined .  .  .

Miracle?

Life is beautiful baby!

L'air would love this video .  .  .



Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

Let's reinforce a stereotype . . .

Within every stereotype is a layer of truth .  .  . 

This video is hilarious .  .  .

I'm going to send this to every woman I know!  They'll nod and laugh .  .  . 

And in case you're wondering, YES, I do know my way around a Dirt Devil .  .  .  And an iron, and washing machine and dryer and dishwasher and dust cloth and anything else that a domicile requires .  .  .

But, I DO prefer a chainsaw .  .  .  Hah!

Life is beautiful!



Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Breathing for Life II

How we breathe can and does have a significant effect on every aspect of our lives .  .  .  If we are inefficient, shallow breathers, we pay a price physically and psychologically .  .  .  If we are diaphragmatic breathers, we reap the benefits .  .  .

A more specialized breathing technique is called Alternate Nostril Breathing .  .  .  ANB can be practiced for three to five minutes at a time, as often as one likes .  .  .  I've taught this to many people, and it is quite simply one of the best ways to calm and energize at once .  .  .

Some simple anatomy and physiology .  .  .  Our brains have a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere .  .  .  Generally, the left is considered the "male" or "sympathetic" side .  .  .  The right is the "female", or "parasympathetic" side .  .  .  The hemispheres function with a certain amount of coordination, but at any one time, one hemisphere or the other is more active or dominant .  .  .  This dominance moves back and forth between left and right every half-hour to two hours .  .  .

How do we know which half is dominating at any one time?  If we inhale through one nostril at a time, we will find that one is more open than the other .  .  .  If the left nostril is more open, then the right hemisphere is more active at that time .  .  .  If we check back in an hour or two, it quite likely will have reversed .  .  .   This goes on constantly, and we don't even know it .  .  . 

Here's the point .  .  .  ANB is a simple technique which brings the two hemispheres into greater harmony, allowing them to communicate with each other more efficiently .  .  .  This results in clearer thinking, calmness, reduced anxiety, a feeling of energization, more complete removal of waste from the lungs, and so on .  .  .  Speaking personally, this is something I've been using for years, and can vouch for its effectiveness .  .  .

This video very clearly explains the mechanics of ANB .  .  .  Take a look and give it a try .  .  .  It works!!

Life is beautiful baby!



Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!