Daily Thoughts & Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

NOVEMBER 24

Days left until the next millennium 01.01.3001

Photo of the Week
David Madison/Tony Stone Images
Achieve Your Dreams

November 24 - Thanksgiving Day (US) - Day to give thanks for the beauty and abundance of our land, for our food, clothes, shelter and health, and for the people who grow and brings us this abundance. * Happy Holidaze - what to prepare for.* Independence Day in Zaire. * Lee Harvey Oswald is shot and killed by Jack Ruby while in police custody (1963). * St. Colman of Cloyne's Day. This sixth-century poet laureate of Ireland pioneered the fusion of traditional Celtic verse with Latin form and meter. The scalds were the poets and the musicians of the ancient northern nations. They resembled the bards of the Britons, and were held in equal veneration by their countrymen. The scalds were considered as necessary appendages to royalty, and even inferior chieftains had their poets to record their actions and indulge their vanity. Forgotten English * Battle of Chattanooga (1863) After reinforcing the besieged army, Grant launched this battle against General Braxton Bragg on Lookout Mountain, who thought his troops were in an impregnable position. His army was overrun by the Union forces. The battle is famous for the Union Army's spectacular advance up a heavily fortified slope with the teeth of the enemy guns. * D.B. Cooper Hijacking (1971) A middle-aged man whose plan ticket was made out to D B Cooper parachuted from a Northwest Airlines 727 airliner carrying $200,000 which he had collected from the airline as ransom for the plane and passengers as a result of threats made during a flight from Portland to Seattle. He jumped from the plane over an area of wilderness south of Seattle and was never apprehended. Several thousand dollars of the marked ransom money turned up in 1980 along the Columbia River near Vancouver, WA. * US Military Leaves Philippines (1992). They had become a US colony at the turn of the century when it was taken over from Spain. * What do you love about America Day. A day to talk about what's great about our country and its people. In the midst of cynicism, let's talk to each other about what we love. * Sinkie Day - people who occasionally dine over the kitchen sink, are encouraged to celebrate this time-honored, casual-yet-tasteful cuisine culture. This is a particularly appropriate day to become acquainted with the Sinkie style of dining. Christmas shopping and Thanksgiving leftovers provide the perfect reasons to enjoy a quick meal. * Birthdays: Dale Carnegie, Erich Manstein, Baruch Spinoza, Laurence Sterne, Zachary Taylor, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, William Frank Buckley, Stanley Livingston, Oscar Palmer Robertson, Dwight Schultz, Rudolph (Rudy) Tomjanovich, Oscar Robertson.

Praise your children for showing good character!

DAILY THOUGHTS

Orchestra conductors, who are compelled to do vigorous aerobic exercise, are notable for their longevity. People in the performing arts in general, where intense mental and physical discipline is demanded, offer some of the most remarkable examples of old age. New Passages

One of my favorite times was when we did it on the slide of our kids' swing set. Best of 1001 Sex Secrets Every Man & Woman Should Know

Morals are on acquirement - like music, like a foreign language, like poetry. No man is born with them. - Mark Twain. Dr. Buff's 365 Day Parenting Calendar

Say little, do much. - Franklin Achieve Your Dreams

Things to Be Happy About: Shoes with spring in them. Not having any cavities. The leaf-bagging finale. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About

Practice until you can whistle. Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me

Flexibility is defined as being adaptable to change. In the course of your lifetime, you will be tempted to try to hold on to what is, when in fact, what is is only a temporary phase that evolves almost immediately into what was. It is essential that you learn to bend and flex around every new circumstance, as rigidity robs you of the opportunity to see the freedom of new possibilities.  If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

British composer Benjamin Britten, born on this day in 1913, and Sir Peter Pears were lovers for almost forty years. Their relationship was given royal recognition when, upon Britten's death, Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, sent her condolences to Pears. Gay & Lesbian Calendar

The law of the harvest teaches us that we must regularly take time to rest, to renew, and to reflect upon the harvest. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

This holiday season, if you're tired of the heavy traffic on the roads and the long lines in the stores, decline to join the crowd. Instead, enjoy the simple pleasures of staying home an appreciating the abundance of life in your own backyard.  Simplify Your Life

Safe Cycling. Each year 400,000 kids are injured in bike accidents. Make sure your child isn't one of them. Confine your young cyclist to the sidewalk, and always make them wear a helmet, starting with their first tricycle. Parents Tips & Tricks (Editor:  We say, be an example, yourself. You wear a helmet also. It's not about the law. It's about the thinness of the skull that can be easily damaged.)

Don't try to stick to a rigid diet during the holidays. You'll just drive yourself and everyone around you crazy. You can still eat sensibly without depriving yourself of the joy and pleasure of holiday foods. Stress Busters

For the Kids: Frost edible place cards for the Thanksgiving table. Use tube frosting to write each family member's name on a cookie. Then put the cookie by his or her plate. I used a turkey cookie cutter to make mine. The table looked neat! To Do Today

In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists. - Eric Hoffer. Win the Day!

El topacio (tohPAHSyoh) Topaz. El topacio es la piedra de este mes. Topaz is the stone for this month. Living Language

 

TODAY'S ISSUE: HAPPY HOLIDAZE?

Whether you celebrate Id-al-Fitr (10/23), Bodhi Day 12/7), Hanukkah (12/5), Las Posadas (12/15), Winter Solstice (12/22), Christmas (12/25), Kwanzaa (12/26), the New Year (1/1)

What comes up for you around the holidays: Shopping, crowds, financial outlet, forthcoming bills, being single, parents/kids/loved ones not around, loneliness, no one to love, or concerned with hurt & tension at family reunions

What makes you mad: lack of others concern for others, traffic and crowds? Point your finger. How do you judge others? What gets to you, not necessarily about them but about those around you?

Now, turn that finger on yourself - what's at the end of it?) It's not what others are doing - it's how you process it. You get treated the way you teach people to treat you - victim-I'm going to do it all instead of let it pass, others expectations of you........The little kid inside of you is counting down the days with excitement, what did you do to change your attitude? The following is a list of holiday tips:

  • Awareness - keep in mind that the holiday season may cause you to feel symptoms of stress (highways/lines/rush) - having some awareness will help reduce it.
  • Remember that the holiday season will soon be over and the passage of time itself will help you get back to your usual self.
  • Do not overlook your own needs during the holiday season even though you are sensitive to the needs of others. Take care of yourself!
  • Consider the types of gifts you purchase and remember the old adage, it is the thought that counts, not only the gift. Maybe make something by hand.
  • Look at the holidays in a new light. Spend less time on preparation and more on love and unity with friends and family. Create new traditions.
  • Avoid the lines at stores by shopping now.
  • Do not put expectations on those around you to please you as you want to be pleased. Peace of mind will come when you enjoy others as they are and do not place your expectations on them.
  • Observe your own thoughts and feelings and remember that any shift from your normal self may be caused by the holiday season.
  • Manage your time by making lists with priorities.
  • Exercise at least three times a week. Keep physically active.
  • Maintain a healthy diet. Cut back on other meals when you are going to a big holiday dinner.
  • Alcohol is a depressant and contributes to stress. It is also part of our societal conditioning. Use it in moderation, if at all. Do not drive if you drink. Plan ahead for a ride home or take a cab.
  • Contact family and friends and include them in your plans, if you can. Use the phone to contact far away people. Check on the best times to call for the lowest rates and not get them out of bed, either.
  • To avoid loneliness, plan to be with friends or other people that may become friends.
  • Volunteer in your community to help those less fortunate than you during the holiday season. Get a group together to sing at a local children's hospital or some other group activity. This will allow you to be involved with people and avoid feeling lonely.
  • Use your usual stress management techniques. Deep relaxation exercises several times during the day.
  • Expose yourself to humor and laugh.

Do all this and you can remove the question mark from the headline and replace it with an explanation mark.

See also Holiday Survival Guide, Holiday Meal Full Of Cancer Agents, Stress and Suicide.

Hey Man: Did you make a difference yesterday? Let us know at Contact Us. It's time to make a real difference. Control your spending. Want to make a difference but you don't know where to start?

 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

11/22-28: (47) Why Men Die First: How to lengthen your lifespan,, Marianne Legato. It is a universal fact that men die before women, and until recently we have accepted this trend as normal. In this book the author examines the reasons that men are more susceptible to illness and explains what they need to do to live longer. She tackles the everyday health problems that assail men. Marshaling the latest research, and wisdom gleaned from thirty years of treating patients, she delves into problems that both men and women care about, including: How men's reluctance to speak frankly to their physicians can kill them. The hormonal shift called "andropause" the male menopause, and therapies that alleviate its painful symptoms. Men's biological predisposition to infection and how best to protect against it. The real causes of male depression and how to treat it. The risks inherent to the male heart, and ways to correct coronary disease - even late in life. Warm, groundbreaking, and informative, this book will irrevocably change the way we think of men's lives, health and happiness. Palgrave Macmillan, www.palgrave.com, 2008, ISBN 0-230-60517-6

SPECIAL URLs

 

MENSTUFF COLUMNS BY AUTHOR

  • The Advice Diva - The Advice Diva - relationship and sexuality issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/advicediva/archive.html
  • Peter Alsop - Song of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/alsop/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - A Man Overboard - Interview of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/overboard/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - Poetry - poetry read on YouTube - www.menstuff.org/columns/baer/archive.html
  • Molly Barrow - Shrink About This - www.menstuff.org/columns/barrow/archive.html
  • Peter Baylies - At Home Dads - on at-home-dad issues that impact fathers who stay at home to raise their kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/baylies/archive.html
  • Tom Blake - Middle-Age Relationships - from an expert on dating after 50. www.menstuff.org/columns/blake/archive.html
  • Mark Brandenburg - Great Fathers - on fathering issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/greatfathers/archive.html
  • Ted Braude - BoysWork - a columnist in the The Detroit Free Press "Body and Mind" section www.menstuff.org/columns/braude/archive.html
  • Armin Brott - A Father's Guide - hosts "Positive Parenting" on radio www.menstuff.org/columns/brott/archive.html
  • Dan Bulf - Get Real - weekly pod cast on men's issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/bulf/archive.html
  • Ken Byers - Transition - on men's life transitions - www.menstuff.org/columns/byers/archive.html
  • Sandra L. Caron - Sex Talk - college students get answers to their questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/sextalk/archive.html
  • Neil Chethik - Relationships - www.menstuff.org/columns/chethik/archive.html
  • Otto & Susie Collins - Susie and Otto - relationship issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/susie&otto/archive.html
  • David Copeland - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Forrest Craver - Spirituality & Social Change - www.menstuff.org/columns/craver/archive.html
  • Layne & Paul Cutright - Powerful Partnerships - relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/cutright/archive.html
  • Ron DesMarais - Cavemen in the Kitchen - great recipes for men - www.menstuff.org/columns/desmarais/archive.html
  • Jed Diamond - Irritable Male Syndrome - www.menstuff.org/columns/diamond/archive.html
  • Doc Love - Women Don't Lie, Man Don't Listen - answers to relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/doclov/archive.html
  • Barry Durdant-Hollamby - Creating Change - creating change in your life - www.menstuff.org/columns/durdant/archive.html
  • Irv Engel - The Real Deal - www.menstuff.org/columns/engel/archive.html
  • Nancy Fagan - Expert Dating Advice - with Nancy Fagan - www.menstuf.org/columns/fagan/archive.html
  • Warren Farrell - Men's Issues: Facts and Perspectives www.menstuff.org/columns/farrell/archive.html
  • Leonard Felder - Wake Up or Break Up - www.menstuff.org/columns/felder/archive.html
  • Marty Friedman - Strong Men, Strong Marriage - www.menstuff.org/columns/friedman/archive.html
  • Kim Garretson - Mansgland - using humor to encourage prostate exams - www.menstuff.org/columns/mansgland/archive.html
  • Lion Goodman - How to get Women to Love You - www.menstuff.org/columns/goodman/archive.html
  • Liz Halliday - In a Man's World - www.menstuff.org/columns/halliday/archive.html
  • Rick Hanson - Your Wise Brain - www.menstuff.org/columns/hanson/archive.html
  • Tim Hartnett - Daddyman Speaks - being a father www.menstuff.org/columns/daddyman/archive.html
  • John Hershey - Blood, Phlegm & Bile: Parenting with Humor - He writes a syndicated biweekly humor column about parenting and family life. www.menstuff.org/columns/hershey/archive.html
  • Gary Hoeber - Psychotherapy as Soul Work, www.menstuff.org/columns/hoeber/archive.html
  • Patrick Houser - Fathers Make a World of Difference, www.menstuff.org/columns/houser/archive.html
  • Paul Joannides - The Guide to Getting It On - on sex - www.menstuff.org/columns/getiton/archive.html
  • Jack Kahn - NOMAS Boston - www.menstuff.org/columns/kahn/archive.html
  • Patrick Kennedy - Seniors - www.menstuff.org/columns/kennedy/archive.html
  • Joe Kort - Gaydar - to increase understanding between gay and het men - www.menstuff.org/columns/kort/archive.html
  • David Kundtz - David Kundtz - presents seminars, workshops, retreats, and conference presentations in the areas of men's emotional health, stress management, and spirituality. www.menstuff.org/columns/kundtz/archive.html
  • Bruce Linton - Dr. Dad - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/drdad/archive.html
  • Ron Louis - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Tom Matlack - Tom Matlack - Good Men Project - www.menstuff.org/columns/matlack/archive.html
  • Wendy McElroy - Wendy McElroy on Feminism, www.menstuff.org/columns/mcelroy/archive.html
  • Robert N. Minor - Minor Details - on GBT sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/minordetails/archive.html
  • Robert L. Moore - Man & Mythology - www.menstuff.org/columns/moore/archive.html
  • Dennis W. Neder - Being a Man - general questions about men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/neder/archive.html
  • Marty Nemko - Worklife - general questions about men and work - www.menstuff.org/columns/nemko/archive.html
  • Eli Newberger - Eli Newberger - general information on men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/newberger/archive.html
  • Linda Nielsen - Embracing the Father - working with the father/daughter relationship. www.menstuff.org/columns/nielsen/archive.html
  • Kathy Noll - Bullies and Youth Violence - working with schools, teachers and parents to end school violence - www.menstuff.org/columns/noll/archive.html
  • Mark Phillips - Stay-at-Home-Dads - helping men maintain that which makes us men, instead of becoming hairy Mom-substitutes - www.menstuff.org/columns/phillips/archive.html
  • Carey Roberts - Socialism & Feminism - is a social commentator on political correctness. www.menstuff.org/columns/roberts/archive.html
  • Perry Rose - Dating, Relationship, Sex
  • Glenn Sacks - His Side - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/sacks/archive.html
  • Trudy Schuett - Domestic Violence - serving the under-represented www.menstuff.org/columns/schuett/archive.html
  • Carl J. Schutt - Circumcision - social commentator on circumcision - www.menstuff.org/columns/schutt/archive.html
  • Hugo Schwyzer - A Pro-feminist's Response - www.menstuff.org/columns/schwyzer/archive.html
  • Michael Shaffran - Men's Issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/shaffran/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • George Simons - Bellicose Veins - is a US specialist in intercultural and gender communication who hangs out in Mandelieu - la Napoule, France, as well as in Santa Cruz, CA. www.menstuff.org/columns/simons/archive.html
  • Andy Smith - Hard Hat Brotherhood - www.menstuff.org/columns/hardhat/archive.html
  • David B. Smith - Fighting Father Dave - www.menstuff.org/columns/smith/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • Reena Sommer - Custody - is an internationally recognized relationship and divorce consultant. www.menstuff.org/columns/sommer/archive.html
  • R. Don Steele - Don Steele - relationship questions answered -
    www.menstuff.org/columns/steele/archive.html
  • David Steinberg - Comes Naturally - on sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/steinberg/archive.html
  • Mary Lou St Lucas - A Mother's Love - www.menstuf.org/columns/stlucas/archive.html
  • Surprise - Surprise Author - From a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Steven Svoboda - Fatherhood, Activism and the Law www.menstuff.org/columns/svoboda/archive.html
  • Michael Taylor - A New Conversation with Men - www.menstuff.org/columns/taylor/archive.html
  • Bruce Van Horn - Yoga for Men - issues around the health benefits of yoga for men - www.menstuff.org/yoga/archive.html
  • Michael Webb - Secrets of Blissful Relationships - on relationship - www.menstuff.org/columns/bliss/archive.html
  • Stuart Wilde - Spirituality - www.menstuff.org/columns/wilde/archive.html
  • Dr.Williams - Sex Health - on sexual health - Dr. Williams, www.menstuff.org/columns/sexhealth/archive.html
  • KC Wilson - On Gender Politics is a social commentator and author. www.menstuff.org/columns/wilson/archive.html

Plus

  • Health Tips - on general health - www.menstuff.org/columns/healthtips/archive.html
  • Independent Means - resources for raising financially fit kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/independentmeans/archive.html
  • Numbers - www.menstuff.org/columns/numbers/archive.html
  • Questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/q&a/archive.html
  • Surprise - from a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Words Can Heal - helping children grow up healthy - www.menstuff.org/columns/wordscanheal/archive.html
  • Wuzup?! - National or international events happening this month - www.menstuff.org/columns/whassup/archive.html

AWARENESS EVENTS THIS MONTH

November is International Impotency Awareness Month. We provide background information on this new drug and alternatives to Viagra. Impotency, Viagra and other solutions as well as Books on the subject. National Diabetes Awareness, Lung Cancer Awareness, Native American Heritage, Aviation History, Diabetic Eye Disease, Dummies for Tummies, Epilepsy Awareness, International Drum, *National Adoption, National Alzheimer's Disease, National American Indian Heritage, National Family Caregivers, National Child Safety and Protection, National Life Writing; National Marrow Awareness; National Sleep Comfort; Orphan Disease; Peanut Butter Lovers; Vegan Awareness Month

11/1-12/13:  Merlin's Snug Hugs for Kids, 11/27-12/26: Ramadan. 11/1/00-01/01/01: Tie One on the Safety; 11/4-12/4: Jewish Book Month. 11/26-12/25: Operation Blessing International's 30 Days of Holiday Hope. 11/27-12/26: Ramadan. 11/1-7: Vegan Awareness; World Communication. 11/5-11: Pursuit of Happiness, National Chemistry Week. 11/6-10: Kids' Goals Education Week 11/6-12: Random Acts of Kindness; Shallow Persons Awareness Week 11/8-14: Pursuit of Happiness Week. 11/9-13: Goodwill Annual Used Book Sale. 11/12-18: *American Education; National Geography Awareness, Operating Room Nurse Week. 11/13-19: National Children's Book Week. 11/17-19: National Donor Sabbath. 11/17-23: *National Farm-City Week. 18 -25 November 2000: International Herpes Awareness Week. 11/18 -25 International Herpes Awareness Week 11/19-25:  *National Family; National Family Caregivers; National Game and Puzzle Week. 11/19-26: Bible Week. 11/1-2: Day of the Dead. 11/1 is All Saints Day, National Authors; National Family Literacy. 11/2: US Elecetion Day - Vote Absentee Ballot. All Soul's Day; National Men Make Dinner; 11/3: Culture Day. 11/3-5: Great American Warm-Up; 11/4: Sadie Hawkins; Sweden All Saints. 11/5: Guy Fawkes Day. 11/6: Halfway Point of Autumn. 11/8: Punsters; Abet and Aid Punsters; Cook Something Bold and Pungent; National Young Reader's Day. 11/10: USMC Birthday, Veterans Day (Observed); Lung Cancer Awareness; 11/11: Veterans Day; Remembrance Day; Vox Populi Day. Cook Something Bold Day. 11/12: America Recycles Day. 11/13: World Kindness Day. 11/14: Children's Day (India); National American Teddy Bear; National Community Education Day. 11/15: Gypsy Condemnation Order Anniversary, Shichi-Go-San (Japan); National Educational Support Personnel Day. 11/16: *Great American Smokeout; World Harvest, International Day for Tolerance; 11/17: World Peace Day. 11/19: World's Men's, Have a Bad Day; 11/20: Universal Children's; UN African Industrialization Day. 11/21: UN World Television; World Hello Day. 11/22: National Stop the Violence Day. 11/23: *Thanksgiving Day (US) 11/24: Sinkie Day; Buy Nothing; "What Do You Love about America Day; 11/25: You're Welcomgiving Day. 11/29: UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. 11/30: Computer Security; Stay Home Because You're Well Day.

* Means a Presidential Proclamation has been made.

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Men are so competitive that we even "out-die" women in all 15 of the major causes of death in the U.S. Most of these deaths are preventable with a positive change in life-style, eating habits, and/or general health care. Let's not strive so hard to hold on to this record. See what you can change now to live a healthier life.
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