Tachycardia

“When I was nine,
I was diagnosed with
an irregular heartbeat.
I was prescribed beta blockers,
which had the side effect of
turning my skin green.
Looking like Shrek’s little sister
at school wasn’t the easiest thing.”
Jessie J

Tachycardia

I cannot have coffee
I cannot have tea
I cannot have soda
Not even sweet chocolate
These treats are deadly to me

I cannot have Rockstar
I cannot have Red Bull
I cannot have Bomba
Not Blast or Full Throtle
Not even an ounce

Why do you ask
Not an ounce of these drinks
Why not even a drop
Because I’d get dizzy and nausea’s
Then would most likely pass out

Oh how awful you say
To be me
And not be allowed to drink
Even green tea
Oh how awful how awful it must be
To be me

It’s not really as bad as you think
I don’t miss the coffee, tea and soda
Or all the power energy drinks
But chocolate I do miss the most
Because chocolate is pure ecstasy

You see, all these drinks and these treats
Were removed from my diet
Not because of taste or bad habits
But because my heart just can’t take it
You see I have a case of tachycardia

Tachycardia is caused
When something disrupts
Normal electrical impulses
Impulses that control the rate
of your heart’s pumping action

So I live without some of
Life’s little pleasures
Many things that can cause
My heart rate to sky-rocket
My heart rate to pitter and patter

By:  J R

Shine On

Meeting of Minds

“Only great minds can afford a simple style.”
Stendhal

Meeting of the Minds

All of us enjoy communicating with one another, or blogging would not exist along with all other forms of communication.

What exactly does it take for clear communication? To me it’s the process through which the mental state of one individual affects the mental state of another. When two individuals find themselves in compatible states of mind and no further processing is required.

Communication can be achieved verbally and nonverbally. For example, bargainers shake hands after reaching agreement on the terms of a contract. Speakers reach a point at which both believe they have understood what they are talking about. Art such as paintings, antique vases and sculptures all can communicate a story. All of these verbal and nonverbal ways of communicating can be interpreted differently.

If communication is done well there is no discrepancy in the meaning one is communicating. The relation between the mind, the words and the world, become one. It’s a great feeling when you have that clear connection.  A pure ‘meeting of minds’.

Shine On

A Day With Sea Lions

People protect what they love.”
Jacques Yves Cousteau

Happy Pups

What a spectacular day! Lots of fun activity for young and old.

They had music, an assortment of food trucks and demonstrations on what the Marine Mammal Care Center is all about.

The volunteers were helpful and knowledgeable. It was cool to watch the sea lion pups play with one another. There was also a live sea creature exhibit on wheels by Aquarium of the Pacific from Long Beach.

My son and I were both glad we attended the event. Here’s a few images of a day with sea lions:

triplets starfish

single pup buds

Shine On

Yellow Submarine

“The sea, the great unifier, is man’s only hope.
Now, as never before, the old phrase
has a literal meaning:
We are all in the same boat.”
Jacques Cousteau

Jacques Cousteau on-board the Calypso.

One of my passions that began as a child is my love for the sea and all its forms of life. Growing up in the midwestern United States, the largest area of water I knew were the great lakes.

Having never seen an ocean in person, I was first introduced to the sea by watching the 1950s TV show, Sea Hunt starring Lloyd Bridges.

When my family relocated to California in the mid 1960s, I remember the first day we drove to Zuma Beach. I couldn’t wait to jump into the water. Unfortunately, it was during a riptide and I nearly drown.

My respect for the sea and it’s power grew more towards what was in the ocean and not actually being in the water. So, during the late 1960s to the 1980s I whet my appetite for the sea by watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. I was hooked on this exciting new documentary style show. I fell in love with the interesting Frenchman in the red bonnet with his charming personality and beautiful ship the Calypso.

Yellow Submarine

Jacques Cousteau with his Yellow Submarine.

Every week Jacques Cousteau this french ex-naval officer, explorer, conservationist, scientist and researcher with his mesmerizing voice would take me on an incredible journey exploring the depths of oceans around the world.

Jacques Cousteau died 25 June 1997, but he left us with a plethora of films, books and research that paved the way for current oceanographers and scientist.

I miss you Jacques Cousteau and all that you gave us, including that wonderful yellow submarine.

Shine On