by Fern Shaw | Sep 8, 2014 | Water
So you know too:
The Ice Bucket Challenge, sometimes called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on someone’s head to promote awareness of the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and encourage donations to research. It went viral throughout social media during July-August 2014. In the US, people participate for the ALS Association, and in the UK, people participate for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The challenge dares nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and challenging others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated people have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation.
Goodness, has this ice bucket challenge set the cat amongst the pigeons, or rather, the catcalls and fur flying amongst the cats! Social media moaning and celebrity silly – Matt Damon used ice (natch) but took water out of his toilets to complete the challenge. Hmm. Some people are whinging because they feel that those participating in the challenge are being insensitive with all the water wastage going on – calling them attention seeking wannabe’s – some are commenting that one bucket of water is more than certain families see in 2 weeks or so.
Do I have an opinion? Of course I do! I wouldn’t be me otherwise. But here’s the thing – for once – I’m keeping my opinion to myself. Suffice to say, ALS or Motor Neurone Disease is certainly receiving a lot of attention. And in a world jam packed full of information overload – isn’t that perhaps a good thing?
by Fern Shaw | Sep 2, 2014 | Water, water cooler
Seeing as I’ve done more intensive online research for blogging this week than a mole trying to tunnel through concrete, I’m taking my foot off the proverbial accelerator pedal and doing a gentle segue into a few fun water facts:
- Human blood is 83% water. Now I better understand Dracul and his ilk – the oke’s just dehydrated, man!
- Over 90% of the world’s supply of fresh water is located in Antarctica. Ernest Shackleton and those that followed were definitely onto something.
- Since life began, we have had the same amount of water on the planet. To the best of human understanding, life can only exist with water. Now you know.
- The water from your tap could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank. Ew.
- More than half (63%) our daily water consumption at home originates from the bathroom and the toilet. Grey water rules!
- Water regulates the Earth’s temperature. Mine too! I overheat badly, so I can really relate.
- Water is the only mineral that is found naturally on Earth in three forms; liquid, gas, solid. Gas – *snigger*
- If the entire adult population of England and Wales remembered to turn off the tap when they were brushing their teeth, we could save 180 mega litres a day – enough to supply nearly 500,000 homes and fill 180 Olympic swimming pools! (One Olympic sized pool is 1 million litres / 1Ml). More brushing, less tap on and more tap off, people!
- Each Briton uses about 150 litres of tap water a day, but if you include the amount of water embedded within products, our water consumption increases to about 3400 litres a day.
At the rate this consumption is going on, I think I’m going to be bringing my blankie to work and draping myself around the water cooler for the foreseeable future.
by Fern Shaw | Sep 2, 2014 | Water
This is not, as one might deduce from the heading, a blog about an elephant and a free-standing water fountain, but rather about steps that you can take when you’re convinced that you’re about to have a meltdown rivalling that of Chernobyl.
- Close your eyes (preferably not when you’re driving your lorry). Gently let the world disappear, and go within to regain your equilibrium. This makes sense as when one thinks of how much information one is exposed to every waking minute of the day – mobiles; TV’s; iPad’s, iPhone’s, iPod’s; Kindles – it can only be a blessed relief to switch off that constant input for a little while – and not just while one is sleeping, as that’s a whole different kettle of fish. Consciously closing one’s eyes and drifting off can calm ones frayed nerves immensely.
- Go outside. This can be easier said than done, as we don’t all have the luxury of a village green, Common or park near us, but you can try to find a safe(ish) open area with a bit of grass or a bench where you’re not jammed in cheek to jowl with other people.
- Breathe deeply. Breathing is the foundation of sanity, because it is the way we provide our brain and every other vital organ in our body with the oxygen needed for us to survive. Breathing also eliminates toxins from our systems. One of the simplest ways to calm the nerves is to stay still (sitting or standing) and breath in through the nose, mouth closed, deep into the stomach, and exhale, again, through the nose, mouth closed. Repeat 3 x.
- Find some water. Whether it’s a local pond or a gentle babbling brook, being close to running water is very calming. On the rainy or snowy days that you can’t really venture outside, take a shower and imagine (albeit briefly) that you’re on some tropical island underneath a waterfall – and [insert name of favourite fantasy companion here] is preparing your meal nearby
- Drink water. When you’re overwrought, keep drinking it – a big glass of it once an hour. Walk beside some water, look at it, and listen to it. Get into some if you can, for a bath or a swim. Hot baths and hot springs are popular for good reasons.
adamlane
by Fern Shaw | Aug 19, 2014 | Health and Hydration
It’s summer. It’s holiday time. But for those of us that are left to sweat it out in the office; cramps, headaches, sore muscles and wish-I-was-on-holiday blues are at an all-time high.
Here are a few tips to keep you moving and grooving at work:
The Lumberjack: Stand and clasp the hands together, resting them on the right shoulder as if holding an axe. Gently swing the imaginary “axe” by straightening the elbows and moving the hands toward the left thigh. Next, bring the clasped hands to the left shoulder followed by a swing to right thigh. Repeat 15 times on each side, or until all office plants have been hacked down.
The Cubicle Wanderer: Take a stroll down the corridor or to the water cooler to catch up with colleagues or welcome a new employee. Or, instead of dialling extensions and sending lazy emails to the manager two doors down, put in some face time. No sneak visits to Mr. Marmaduke’s biscuit tin en route though.
The Stapler Curl: Seated or standing, take the stapler in one hand with the palm facing upwards. Starting at the thighs, bend the elbow and curl the arm up towards the chest, just like a regular dumbbell biceps curl. Pause momentarily and then lower the stapler back down. Continue for 12-15 reps, then switch. Don’t have a weighty stapler? Try using a filled water bottle or a heavy change purse (the vending machine can wait!).
The Namaste: Whether you’re praying for a project extension or for more defined arms, this move has you covered. Seated upright with feet flat on the floor, bring the palms together in front of the chest and push both hands together powerfully until you feel the arm muscles contract. Hold the prayer hands pushed together for 20 seconds. Release and repeat the sequence until you feel a little more Zen.
Righty-oh, that should be enough to get you started. More of these later.
Remember though, whether your office / workplace is icier than the Northern Sea because of the aircon. that’s on at full tilt or its au naturel baking hot, both mean you can dehydrate pretty quickly, so make sure that you increase your water intake to stave off dehydration and match the physical exercise that you’re doing.
by Fern Shaw | Aug 18, 2014 | Health and Hydration
I’m usually not one for bemoaning the passing of celebrities and the subsequent hot topic of the day to do with the manner of their passing that insidiously rages through social media thereafter.
Even though blogging is very much part of social media, I like to think that I still have the common sense I developed as a maturing adult – this being about 15 minutes ago. Mentioned common sense runs along the lines of, ‘Never met the person; their actions and behaviour have little or no bearing on my life and if they choose to sway back and forth on a wrecking ball, more power (aha aha) to them’.
On occasion though, when certain famous people die, I find that it does affect me. Case in point is the death this week of Robin Williams.
I’ve always thought that Robin Williams is funny. Not just funny, but no-holds barred, laugh-out loud, clever funny. When I looked a list of the movies that he was in, it’s actually quite daunting how prolific his career has been. Out of those numerous movies, I’ve probably seen a good 60% of them. More than that, I constantly quote his lines in my everyday life, because I think they’re that funny, that clever or that they spark something in me whether it’s to do with word association or ‘idea’ association. Add to this his physical humour and I just think he’s the bomb.
From: ‘Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary’, from Dead Poet’s Society; ‘…what’s the 0 stand for? Oh my God, it’s early!’ of Good Morning, Vietnam through to ‘… Martha Graham! Martha Graham! Martha Graham! …’ from The Birdcage to his genius ad-libbing in just about every single public performance, his effect on me has been quite something.
I also remember from many of his performances how much he used to sweat. I was going to politely say perspire, but that would just be untrue – Robin Williams sweated. I remember thinking that he reminded me of a rather cuddly bear – but not a bear that you’d pick a fight with. Ever.
I think it made me realise too why you would always see stand-up comedians chugging water on stage. Bright, hot stage lights, level of nervousness keeping you at the precipice of flight mode, throat drying out as you frenetically charge through your act – if I really think about, I’m surprised said comedians didn’t have a whole bank of water coolers behind them! Possibly because, if their gig wasn’t going well they could smash the water coolers as part of their act? Hmmm.
Anyhow, let me not get too far off the beaten path. All I really meant to say was, ’Thank you, Robin Williams, very much. For all that you gave, all that you were and your great, big, fat life’.
“If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates,” host James Lipton asks.
Robin responds, “If Heaven exists, to know that there’s laughter. That’d be a great thing.”
