Earth Hour is approaching (March 29, 8:30pm)

14.02.27: Earth Hour continues again for the fifth year with emphasis on the Great Barrier Reef.

Having visited the reef (Agincourt reef), and a few other reef areas, I have come to appreciate the uniqueness of the GBR (and I am envious of those who can descend lower than 10 feet).

This initiative continues to receive increased attention from those people around the world who understand the impact of carbon dioxide to our environment. This, of course, excludes our federal govt (especially Harper) who have their heads in the oil.

I encourage you (and your children) to participate and spread the word.

For those interested in HD views of coral reefs.


March 28th at 8:30PM.

Turn out your lights for one hour.

Why not sign up?

WWF is asking people to register your participation at EarthHourCanada.org. Even if you are already planning to turn out your lights for Earth Hour, please lend your name to the cause so WWF can track and report on participation here in Canada, and around the world, to show world leaders that Canadians want action on climate change, and are ready to be part of the solution. Make your voice heard today - sign up atEarthHourCanada.org! 

Income Tax Online

It's that time of the year again.

I use WebTax4U, as it is quite simple and groups family members ... and costs under $20 for husband and wife. They also have an easy connection to Netfile, so everything is online. 

If your income is less than $20,000, they do it for free.

FYI, Canada Revenue Agency has a handy site outlining opportunities for seniors (and other less important taxpayers) to reduce your taxes.

DDD - one of the joys of the aging process

Degenerative Disk Disease can go unnoticed ... or (in my case) can really let you know it is happening.

Back.com has a very easy to read analysis of DDD and these two images illustrates how the disk collapses.

In basic terms, DDD is the collapse of the disk between two vertebrae.

Check this site and follow the arrows to see what happens when DDD occurs. 

When this happens, it can go unnoticed or it can cause pressure on the sciatic nerve which translates into PAIN in the lower back or the neck or the right leg (which can be manageable or can be debilitating to the 

degree you cannot sit or stand for more than a few minutes). This means you spend most of the day (24 hours) flat on your back or stomach.

Causes - aging. injury. improper posture. one leg shorter. sports, etc.

In my case - all of the above caused herniation at L4-L5 and L5-S1.

Treatment - this site lists the various options of which I did not plan to follow.

The two options I looked into were Inversion Table (together with exercises) and DRX9000.

  

I believe most people (with continuous debilitating pain) succumb to the DRX9000 approach that boasts at least 86% success rate ... an offers your 

money-back, after 7 visits, if you are not satisfied with progress.

It didn't take very long to conclude a $200 

Inversion Table was a worthwhile approach before investing in a $4,600 DRX9000 therapy solution, even though the DRX9000 folks offer a convincing argument (as I would expect, after investing in a $100,000 piece of equipment). 

I will be seeing an orthopedic surgeon in early April. Hopefully, I see substantial improvement with the table before then ...

BMI and Wii

(left-click to enlarge image)

Once again, more information on the importance of maintaining a BMI between 20 and 25.

In fact, this study suggests 23 to 24 is ideal.

If you don't have one, a very good toy for ascertaining and improving your BMI (and having fun at the same time) is Wii Fit.

I recently received it for my birthday and everyone who visits has a great time with the various fitness routines (such as ski jump, ski slalom, soccer header, tightrope, etc).

Even with a bad back I am able to enjoy the relaxed competition and the re-testing of my BMI every few weeks.

Time to have a little fun, as we enter our declining years.

More Stupidity from Harper and Baird - $3B Trust Us

(left-click to enlarge image)

Have you read this in the Star today?
Harper surprised the opposition by including an additional $3 billion 'emergency fund'. Baird has refused to indicate how it will be spent right away to "jump-start" the economy. Can you imagine our government refusing to outline expenditures of this size?
Our tax dollars  being used wisely ???

The Liberals are preparing a motion requiring the government to list the departments and programs. If they don't, there may be an election.