AdamHansen.net

Where does he get those wonderful toys?

Adam Hansen — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:42:16 +0000

Ever wonder who is behind all of these gadgets and technology toys so many of us enjoy? Not the engineers, designers or marketers, but rather how do these sleek, amazing objects come together?

Right. I never really gave much thought about that either. Well, until last night...

Last night I listened to a podcast from This American Life, entitled Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory. I had heard about it from Leo on Mac Break Weekly. (...or was it This Week In Tech.)

It isn't about Apple. It is about people.

This is a must listen to story. The meat of it is about 40 minutes long. It conveyed concepts about my technology goodies in which I had never given much consideration.

Take the time. Listen to this story.

3 terrorists stopped each day in Buffalo!

Adam Hansen — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:54:50 +0000

According to this US border patrol guard, three terrorists a day are stopped at the Canadian border crossings at the Port of Buffalo. That will make me think twice about visiting Niagara Falls any time soon.

You can listen here to an exchange between US Border guards and a Canadian couple trying to go to the mall where this information is revealed.

It’s time to wake up and start living

Adam Hansen — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:37:09 +0000

Stop Asking for Permission is a great guest post from Harley Roxanne of HarleyRoxanne.com on Illuminated Mind worth checking out.

The Real Batman (video)

Adam Hansen — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:27:22 +0000

Now THIS looks like some fun!!

via John Haydon

Awakening

Adam Hansen — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:10:42 +0000

A friend shared this with me. I liked it... a lot. So I thought I would share it with you too.

The Awakening

(Author unknown)

A time comes in your life when you finally get It…when, in the midst of all your fears and Insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out…ENOUGH!!! Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your AWAKENING.

You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety, and security to magically appear over the next horizon.

You realize that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you…and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate, or approve of who or what you are…and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself…and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self approval.

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn't do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say, and that not everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn't always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself…and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties…and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for you next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs are burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO!

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it, and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it's okay to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it, and to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve, and that sometimes bad things happened to unsuspecting good people…and you learn not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, and a long hot shower.

Then you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself, and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window, so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

City living increases mental illness risk?

Adam Hansen — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:22:43 +0000

from NaturalNews.com:

"City living intensifies brain stress response and increases mental illness risk"

Thinking about Chantix? Think again.

Adam Hansen — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 13:08:44 +0000

Chantix a.k.a. Champix a.k.a. Varenicline

This post is a bit atypical for me. It has quite a few links to several articles. I am not a doctor. I am not a medical professional or scientist. I just notice the news with a discerning eye, thanks in part to the No Agenda show.

In 2006 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Chantix in the United States. Chantix is a prescription medicine to help adults 18 and over stop smoking. I have been noticing stories ever since then about potential severe side effects of this drug.

Let's start with the most recent...

June 1, 2011

Chantix Approval Revoked in France

"The study revealed that Chantix is a whopping 18 times likelier to be associated with “violence and aggression” versus other drugs."

"...Chantix has so much potential danger it should contain restrictions including exclusions for police, military, and others who must carry weapons."

May 28, 2011 in the Daily Mail

High suicide rates related to anti-smoking drug Chantix were 'left out of crucial safety review'

"Hundreds of reports of suicides and violent reactions tied to the stop-smoking drug Chantix were left out of a crucial government safety review."

May 27, 2011 from MSNBC

Smoking-pill suicides overlooked in missing reports: Drugmaker sent data to FDA through 'improper channels'

"Before last July, the FDA had logged 122 reports of suicides linked to Chantix, including 37 reported by Pfizer and 85 reported by health professionals or consumers, Moore reported. After the 150 new Pfizer reports were added, the total jumped to 272."

And don't think this is all new news...

February 10, 2008 in a feature in New York Magazine

This Is My Brain on Chantix

"I’d heard it was the most effective stop-smoking drug yet. So I took it. Then those reports of suicidal ideation began washing in."

September 19, 2007 from ABC's Good Morning America

Girlfriend Believes Chantix Contributed to Texas Musician's Death

"Months earlier people had started posting concerns about Chantix online. There were reports of suicide. "I thought I was losing my mind," wrote one poster. Another described a "super depressed meltdown.""

PubMed Health is a consumer health Web site produced by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The article from PubMed about Varenicline was last revised on October 1, 2009.

Varenicline (var en' i kleen)

"Some people have had changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts (thinking about harming or killing oneself or planning or trying to do so) while taking varenicline."

When I read articles like these it makes me wonder about the motivations for pharmaceutical companies and the FDA. At some level aren't they supposed to be trying to help people? It could seem that the love of power and money may have overtaken the number one priority. I remember once hearing about this thing called the Hippocratic Oath.

Primum non nocere

The Power of Words

Adam Hansen — Thu, 26 May 2011 00:39:00 +0000

My friends at Purplefeather and RedSnappa made this video and I wanted to share it here. If you follow me on twitter or facebook, I am sure you have seen the posts about it there. I just love it and felt compelled to spread the message. Enjoy!

Hack Yourself

Adam Hansen — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:47:07 +0000

I came across this piece a few years ago. It was written by Michael Montoure on bloodletters.com but seems to no longer be around. I just re-read it the other day and thought it should be shared since it isn't available on the original site any longer.

+ + +

Stop assigning blame. This is the first step. Stop assigning blame and leave the past behind you.

You know whose fault it is that your life isn't perfect. Your boss. Your teachers. Your ex-lovers. The ones who hurt you, the ones who abused you, the ones who left you bleeding. Or even yourself. You know whose fault it is — you've been telling yourself your whole life. Knowing whose fault it is that your life sucks is an excellent way to absolve yourself of any reponsibility for taking your life into your own hands.

Forget about it. Let it go. The past isn't real. “That was in another country, and besides, the wench is dead.” If we're not talking about something that is real and present and in your life right now, then it doesn't matter. Nothing can be done about it. If nothing can be done about it, then don't spend your energy dwelling on it — you have other things to do.

I may sound cruel, I may sound simplistic, I may sound like I'm saying you should just “get over it,” by suggesting that you should let go of your past. I'm sorry for that. But life won't hold still and wait for you to lick your wounds. The race is still being run. Get up and keep moving. You can't do anything about yesterday.

You can do something about tomorrow. And about the next day. Focus your energies there.

+ + +

“I don't have time to write.” “I can't dance.” “I can't talk to new people.” “I'm not attractive.”

I hear this all the time. I always hear the people around me sabotaging themselves, drawing lines and borders and boxes around themselves.

To which I say, make the time; dance; just talk to people; be attractive!

Yes, again, it's simplistic of me to say that. But it's simplistic of you to so easily say what you cannot do!

We're excellent pattern-matchers. That's what the human mind does — it's a pattern-matching engine. So we look at ourselves, at our history, at our behaviors, and we draw straight lines between the points — we assume that just because we've done things a certain way in the past, we'll always do them that way in the future. If we've failed before, we'll always fail.

Screw that.

Surprise yourself. No — amaze yourself.

You don't have to keep doing the things you hate. Why go home and beat yourself up for, say, not going over and saying a few words to someone you find really attractive? Can any damage they could do to you by rejecting you possibly be any worse than the damage you're going to do to yourself for missing the chance?

+ + +

Find the demon.

Do you know what I'm talking about? It's the little voice in the back of your head that's always whispering, “You can't.” You know the demon. You may think you hate the demon, but you don't. You love it. You let it own you. You do everything it says. Everytime there's something you want, you consult the demon first, to see if it will say, “You can't have that.”

What you don't realize is that your demon doesn't know anything. It's an idiot. It's nothing but a parrot, repeating back to you anything negative that it's ever heard, anything that makes you hurt, makes you squirm. If a teacher once told you “You'll never accomplish anything,” it was listening; it hoards words like that and repeats them back to you to watch you jump. It doesn't know what it's saying. It doesn't care.

Exorcise yourself.

You can take me literally or not, as suits you. But do, please, the next time you hear that voice in your head, imagine it, visualize it, as something physical that you can get hold of; tear it out of you, feel its fingers weaken and lose their grip on your spine, and grind it to dust, to nothing, under your boot heel on your way out to dance in the streets.

You can. You think you can't; but it's telling you that. You can.

+ + +

You don't exist.

You just think you do.

We're nothing but the stories we tell ourselves. We know in our hearts what kind of people we are, what we're capable of, because we've told ourselves what kind of people we are. You're a carefully-rehearsed list of weaknesses and strengths you've told yourself you have.

(Self-confidence, for example, is a particularly nebulous quality you can easily talk yourself out of having.)

You owe no allegiance to that self-image if it harms you. If you don't like the story your life has become — tell yourself a better one.

Think about the person you want to be and do what that person would do. Act the way that person would act.

Amazingly enough, once you start acting like that person, people will start treating you like that person.

And you'll start to believe it. And then it will be true.

Welcome to your new self.

+ + +

You are a product of your environnent.

Most people realize this — usually, in the form of having something else to blame — but they tend to forget one important fact:

Humans are the masters of changing their environment.

What this means is that if your environment effects you, and you can effect your environment, then obviously, you can effect yourself.

• Your environment includes people. Figure out who in your life isn't good for you, whose presence tears you down more than it builds you up, whose nearness is poison to you — and get rid of them. Get them out of your life. I don't care if it's your best friend, your boss, your mother, your lover — if they are harming you, if they are doing nothing but reinforce everything bad you tell yourself about yourself, then your relationship with them needs to radically alter or it needs to end.

• Your environment includes goals. Don't set yourself pie-in-the-sky impossible goals and then beat yourself up over not achieving them — set yourself goals that will be good for you, not a source of pain. Attainable goals. Set them and meet them. Don't tell yourself you can't — that's the old story, that story you used to tell yourself about what a poor sad victim you were and how you could never change anything about your life. You can meet your goals. This is the new story.

Trying to clean your house? Good for you — a clean house can really effect your state of mind for the better. But don't say “Today I'm going to clean the entire house from top to bottom,” when you don't have the time and energy to — don't set yourself up for failure; don't feed the demon. Just say, “Today I'm going to wash all the dishes and clean off the kitchen counter.” And do it.

Don't tell yourself, “This month I'm going to write that novel.” Tell yourself, “Today I'm going to write five pages.” And do it. Take your dreams and break them down into small pieces and you'll have them in your hands before you know it.

And you'll find, as you start meeting your goals, that you like it. That it feels good, makes you feel confident and capable. You'll develop a hunger for it.

• Your environment includes yourself — your physical presence. Do what you know you need to do — treat yourself better. Sleep, eat right, exercise. This doesn't mean you have to stop staying out late at night now and then, it doesn't mean you can't have a candy bar, it doesn't mean you have to stop sitting around watching television — it just means start doing the things that are good for you as well as the things that are bad for you, every so often. It's not an all-or-nothing proposition; you don't have to devote your life to being a health nut. Just try eating more fruits and vegetables, the occasional vegetarian meal; go for walks in the park on the weekends. You'll feel better and be more alert if you're a little healthier, and once you start feeling a little better, you'll start wanting the things that make you feel better. You'll see.

• Your environment includes your appearance. If you're not happy with yourself, if you're angry with the person in the mirror, it can honestly help to literally change who you see when you look in the mirror. Try a different hairstyle, new glasses, new jewelry, new clothes. It doesn't have to be expensive — there's a whole universe full of possible You's waiting to be found in thrift stores, if need be. If you're deciding to become the person you want to be, then decide what that person is going to look like. Dress the part. It's not shallow, it's not about vanity, it's about self-transformation — even the most primitive tribes understand the value of costumes and masks for ritual, for change, for becoming someone else.

You are not an object. You are a system. Like with any system, if you change the inputs — change what goes into it — you'll change what comes out.

+ + +

Despite everything I've just said:

Self-examination can be paralysis.

Don't “remember to breathe” — just breathe. It's a Tao thing.

It's the paradox at the center of all this — remember that, “Am I living up to being the person I want to be?”, is not a question the person you want to be would ask.

If I can leave you with just one thought, it's this:

Stop wasting your time fretting over not being happy.

Just be happy.

brought to you by The Art of Bloodletters

Enough Is Enough!

Adam Hansen — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:50:28 +0000

Congressman Paul makes some very good points. "The pilot has a gun in the cockpit. And he's managing this aircraft, which is a missile, and we make him go this groping x-ray exercise having people feeling their underwear. It's absurd! And it's time we wake up." Definitely worth the watch.