The "Supermoon" Returns

In case you missed it earlier this summer as I did, you are in for good news: the Supermoon is back again tonight. The supermoon is called that because it is as close as the moon gets to the earth in its full phase. As a result of its proximity to the earth, it appears larger and brighter than usual. The moon will reach its peak for viewing purposes between 9 and 10 o'clock on the East Coast.

So, step outside and see a very rare sight in the sky. The next one will not be until  September 28, 2015.

The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique is probably one of  the least understood but most helpful technques to gain control over your mind and body. The technique was developed by F.M. Alexander, an Australian actor at the early part of the 20th Century, as a means of improving the control of his own voice as a performer.  Many prominent performers up to the present are followers of the technique, including, e.g., Hugh Jackson, the Broadway and movie actor

The cornerstone of the technique is a simple exercise that isn't really an exercise at all but rather a means of slowing down your mind and at the same time, relaxing your body, removing tension and improving your posture and breathing. It is really a form of mindfulness designed to makeourselves aware of how we move and use our body.

The essential exercise is to lay on the floor with a book or several books under your head and not under your neck.  Your head should be tilted upward somewhat and your knees should be bent with your feet on the floor about six inches from your buttocks.  You should try to keep your mind free of any thoughts and I recommend just concentrating on your breathing.  No need for any particular breathing pattern, just concentrate on the movement of air in and out of your lungs through your diaphragm.

It is recommended that you do this exercise, called the semi-supine, for approximately 6 to 10 minutes at least 6 times a day.

Once you complete your semi-supine exercises, you should feel your neck and head to be more upright and your thinking a lot more clear.

I am not a teacher of the Alexander Technique,  but I do try to practice it as often as I can. If you do decide to do it yourself. let me know how it goes.

If you would like to learn more about the Alexander Technique, please go to the following website for many good resources:www.alexandertechnique.com. https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9013743511055028233#editor/target=post;postID=917151010961604367;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=2;src=link

Hidden Gems: Wolfgang Steakhouse

If you are looking for the best steak in New York City, look no farther than the Wolfgang Steakhouse on Park Avenue in the Flatiron  District. Located in what was once the Vanderbilt Hotel, the restaurant was established by the former head waiter at the famous Peter Luger steakhouse in Brooklyn. It offers the true steakhouse experience and traditional steakhouse menu
We dined there on a recent Saturday night. The atmosphere is unbelievable. The architecture is superb, with blue and white curved arches on the ceiling. The waiters are extremely knowledgeable and do not hesitate to make recommendations. The steaks are huge and may be shared. Two of us had the strip steak and filet combo. It was more than enough for two and came sliced for easy eating. It is expensive, but well worth the cost.http://www.wolfgangssteakhouse.net/parkave/

Hidden Gems: Hotel Chandler, NYC

We were recently in New York City for a long weekend visit. I was looking for a reasonably-priced hotel on the Lower East Side. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a wonderful boutique hotel, the Hotel Chandler.
Located at 12 East 31st street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues, at the intersection of the Flatiron District and Murray Hill, it offers a quiet haven from Manhattan's hustle and bustle. Yet, despite that it is close by a number of major attractions, including the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden any Herald Square, where Macy's is located.
Our room, a deluxe queen, with a recently renovated shower averaged around $230.00 per night for a 3 night stay, including Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The hotel boasts a fine restaurant, Juni, whose chef has been awarded two Michelin stars, and offers complimentary coffee and tea in the lobby.
I highly recommend this gem of a place.www.hotelchandler.com

Hidden Gems: Wilkinson Razors

Beginning with this post and for the next several posts, I will be commenting on and giving my opinions on various consumer products that I think you might be interested in and which I like to refer to as "Hidden Gems".  Now what do I mean by that?  Primarily, these will be products that are probably less well-known and generally less expensive than perhaps the better known products of the same type.I will have personally tested all of the products. I will also certainly focus on those products that are "Made in America." So, let's begin and let me know what you think about this new approach and about the products I will be writing about.

The first product I would like to discuss with you is the Wilkinson Sword razor, specifically, the Triple Blade, Speed3 pivoting disposable razor.  They proudly proclaim on the package that Wilkinson has been making razors since 1875.  Before that they made swords beginning in 1772 in County Durham, England.  While those were made in England, the product package says that the current blades were made in the USA. I first came upon these razors in North Carolina almost three years ago and have been using them ever since.  I can honestly say that I have never had a better shave than with these blades.  Like most men (and women too), I have tried just about every razor imaginable: Gillette, Schick, Bic,etc.None of them give the shave that these blades do consistently and economically.  They seem to last forever even with daily use if they are properly dried after each use. (This is easy to do: just shake the excess water after rinsing the blades and either blow on the blades or use a hair dryer to dry).

The other good thing about them is that they are fairly reasonable priced in Wal-Mart at $5.98 for a pack of 8 razors. Compare this to $13.99  for 6 Gillette Mach3 disposable razors on Amazon. Although I am not a particular fan of Wal-Mart, I would definitely go out of my way to buy these razors, which are not generally  available at the large chain drugstores such as CVS or Walgreen's.

So give them a try.  I definitely think you will switch if you are using any other razors.

Dead in the Water

It has been a while since I published a new post.  Part of the reason for the gap is due to the fact that I have been working on my new mystery novel,  Dead in the Water. It is the first in a series of novels featuring Lieutenant Mario Morales, a retired LAPD homicide detective who is now the head of security aboard a Caribbean cruise ship. Lieutenant Morales is sort of an Hispanic version of Columbo. If you enjoyed watching Lieutenant Columbo  at work solving crimes in his own inimitable way, you will love Lieutenant Morales in this exciting new book, Dead in the Water.

I will keep you posted when it is available, so please check back here every once in a while. And let me know if you would like a copy once it is published.

By the way, if you are already a Columbo fan or would like to become one, the entire collection of Columbo DVDs is available on Amazon at the following link. I recently bought the set for my wife and myself and it is extraordinary to see Peter Falk in his most famous role.

The Blood Moon

I don' t know about you, but early this morning, I was up and out of bed to try and see the "blood moon" that astronomers and newscasters had promised would be visible overnight. So, a little after two a.m., I opened the front door and went outside.  I scanned the sky for the moon and finally found it between my house and the next door neighbor's house. The moon was full, but partially covered on one side by a crescent-shaped shadow that looked like a chunk of the moon had been eaten by a hungry mouse, thinking the moon was a wheel of cheddar cheese.

What I was seeing was the beginning of a total lunar eclipse. That type of eclipse only occurs when the sun, the moon and the Earth line up just so.  The eclipse is caused by the shadow from the Earth. Apparently, it is called a "blood moon" because as the eclipse progresses, the moon takes on a bloody reddish brown color caused by the refraction of sunlight in the Earth's atmosphere.

Fascinating stuff and beautiful to see.  If you missed this one, rhe next one w on't occur until October 8, 2014. So, Mark your calendars!

The Prairie Home Companion

I have been a fan of Garrison Keillor  and his public radio show, The Prairie Home Companion, for as long as I can remember. Set in the fictional Minnesota town of Lake Wobegone, it is probably the last true variety show in America. And undoubtedly the best.
The show features Keillor, who writes the scripts for the show, in just about every role. Backed by an extremely talented supporting cast, a supurb orchestra and crew, the show (which airs from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Eastern time zone on Saturdays, but not every week, so check the schedule) just flies by. It is filled with equal doses of humor, pathos and beautiful music, all orchestrated by the multi talented Keillor. Keillor sings, does a little dance shuffle, and tells a number of jokes, mostly good-natured ones about the quirks of Minnesota residents.
One recent Saturday night, my wife and I had the good fortune to have tickets to the show at the Fitzgerald Theatre in downtown St. Paul. The theatre is named after the author of The Great Gatsby,F Scott Fitzgerald, who was born in St. Paul. Our seats were on the very edge of the first balcony, where we had a birds-eye view of the show as it was broadcast live across America and the world via Armed Forces Radio. The show began with Keillor walking down the center aisle singing a welcoming song. And the show ended with Keillor  and the other performances singing This Little Light of Mine. In between were comedy skits,  including Guy Noir and Keillor's famous Lake Woebegone monologue as well as performances by the Steele sisters and Willie Watson on the banjo. All the performers received a standing ovation at the end of the show and deservedly so.
If you get the chance, but all means take in a performance.

Saving Your Money at the Grocery Store

http://www.today.com/money/consumer-reports-rates-55-supermarket-chains-2D79445826 

The link above is to a segment on the Today Show that includes an interview with a representative of Consumer Reports rating the best and worst supermarkets.  Number 5 on the list is Costco. For a discussion of how you can save money on groceries and other products at Costco and other stores, please see my new EBook, Getting the Lowest Price on Practically Everything.

Fast Exercise: The Very Latest on High Intensity Interval Training

Dr. Michael Mosley appeared today on ABC's Good Morning America to discuss his book, "Fast Exercise." He discussed and demonstrated his high intensity interval training (HIIT)program that I have written about on numerous occasions in this blog. Weight Watchers Endorses High Intensity Training for Weight Loss, October 6, 2013.
The program involves just one minute of high intensity exercise three times a week. The exercise program is said to result in weight loss as well as better overall health. Specifically, Dr. Mosley says that it can reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes.
I have followed this program on several occasions and I believe in it. If your doctor permits you, give it a try and let me know your results.

Second Generic Lipitor Recall

In case you missed it, Ranbaxy Laboratories has recalled its generic version of the Pfizer drug Lipitor.
The generic name is Atorvastatin. So please discard or return the drug to where you purchased it.
The recall was prompted by a mislabeling of the sizes of the pills. Certain bottles labeled 10 milligrams actually contained 20 milligram tablets.

New EBook on Saving Your Money

I just published my second eBook in a series designed to help you, the consumer, to get your best deal and best service wherever you shop.  My first eBook, "The Best Habits of Highly Skilled Negotiators:How to Get the Best Deal Every Time," provided both general and specific advice on negotiating the best deal. It is available on Amazon Kindle for just $.99. It is a general help book that will undoubtedly save you money whenever you shop. My latest book (entitled "Getting the Best Price on Practically Everything") in the series entitled "Saving Your Money"," while intended primarily for men, gives specific information on how you can get the lowest price on groceries, items in department stores and just about anything else. It is subtitled "The Only Buying Guide You Will Ever Need"because it so comprehensive that you will save money from just one quick read. It is a light-hearted, but very informative book that I know you will enjoy reading and profiting from.  It is available at Amazon for the Kindle for $2.99.
Www.amazon.com

If you decide to purchase either book, please let me know what you think. Thanks.

Concept 10 10: The Latest High Intensity Interval Training for Strengh

Do you want to develop your strength in your body but just don't have the time to work out at the gym on the Nautilus for 1 or 2 hours a day?  I know I don't.  And I'm supposed to be retired and have all the time in the world.  Well, I have the answer:  Concept 10 10.

I have written quite a bit about the benefits of high intensity interval training or HIIT. See e.g.,http://notjustforboomers.blogspot.com/2013/10/weight-watchers-endorses-high-intensity. Most of those involve aerobic activity which is done at a very high level of exertion, followed by an even longer period at a much lower level of exertion. The entire session generally lasts only between 3 and 6 minutes.  It can involve cycling, running, walking on a treadmill or just plain old walking.

If you haven't heard of Concept 10 10, you are not alone.  I hadn't heard of it either until I read about it in the local newspaper down here in Southwest Florida.It sounded fascinating so I thought I would share it with you with a slight variation of my own that I am working on.

Basically, the concept is that you work out on the Nautilus or other strength building machines for about 20 minutes just once a week.  During that twenty minutes, you perform various of the standard strength exercises.  The difference is that you only do a limited number of those exercises at a very slow pace until muscle failure. The slower, the better. By doing the exercises slowly, you actually use more effort and therefore the muscle failure comes faster. Usually, the exercises are observed by a Concept 10 10 trainer, but once you learn the routine, I would think you should be able to perform the exercises on your own.  But I would strongly recommend consulting with a trainer and your physician before undertaking these or any other form of exercise.

Earlier, I mentioned that I developed a variation of this training method. Very simply, it involves doing the same exercises with a resistance band. I have tried it and it does seem to work. A good source of information on resistance band exercises that can be done in twenty minutes can be found at www.sparkpeople.com/.../fitness_articles.asp?id..

As I said before, please consult with your physician before any exercise program. If he or she approves, give this approach a try and let me know what you think.

Mindfulness Goes Mainstream

Since I began writing this blog two years ago, I have advocated the philosophy of mindfulness as an antidote for a variety of physical, mental and spiritual ills. Now, mindfulness has gone mainstream. It was the cover story for Time Magazine. Nothing is more mainstream than Time.

The February 3 2014 Time issue contains an article explaining some of those benefits as well some of the mindfulness techniques that work. The key to mindfulness is focusing on the moment, whether that is eating a raisin (the example cited in the Time article) or simply sitting and watching your breath.

What is a little disappointing about the article is the author's admission that he has not continued with the mindfulness program he studied for the purposes of the article. Anyone serious about the idea of mindfulness should consider continuing the program  to make sure they maximize its benefits.

What the Super Bowl Taught Me

Like practically everyone else in America, last night, I watched the Super Bowl. We had some friends over for the game and munched happily on Buffalo chicken drummies. No, not chicken wings, but drumsticks prepared like wings, but better using a Sandra Lee recipe I saw on the Today Show and perfectly executed by my wife.

The game itself seemed to be almost anti-climactic after all the all day pregame hype. This morning I woke up with a start and realized that there was a valuable lesson I had learned watching the game last night. I just had to share it with you and I hope you will find it useful also.

Near the end of the game last night, they showed one of the NFL officials carrying the Vince Lombardi trophy, that Tiffany silver football on a stand that is emblematic of excellence in the game of football. I've seen the six that my favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have won and they are awesome.

But, I digress. After they showed the man carrying the trophy with white gloves, they then flashed a picture of the steely-eyed man after whom the trophy is named.,Vince Lombardi, the legendary football coach who won the first two Super Bowls.  Of course, what immediately came to mind was his famous declaration that "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."  Quite frankly, I used to think that his statement was an arrogant manifestation of someone with a huge ego. Today, we are prone to tell our kids and ourselves that it is okay if you lose: "It's not important if you win or lose, it's how you play the game" is the mantra we repeat often to those children and ourselves.

After the game was over, during one of the interviews with one of the Seattle players, he said something that particularly resonated with me.  When asked how he felt about winning the Super Bowl, he said  that he had watched many Super Bowls on television over the years and now thought about himself and his teammates, "Why not us?"

"Why not us."  What could he possibly mean by that.? This morning it struck me like a lightning bolt. Earlier yesterday before the game, I was doing some research for a new book on negotiations that I am in the process of writing. One of the sources I was consulting was a book by the famed trial attorney, Gerry Spence.  In his book, "How to Argue and Win Every Time", he puts forth the following thesis:  In order to win an argument, whether a court case or a negotiation over a contract, you must give yourself permission to win. And the most important corollary to that is that you must never give yourself permission to lose.

Last night, that was what drove the Seattle Seahawks, the underdogs going  into the game. They not only gave themselves permission to win, they never gave themselves permission to lose. That's what that Seattle player meant when he said, "Why not us?"

And I now understand that was also what Vince Lombardi meant all those years ago, when he made that famous statement: "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."  He means never give yourself permission to lose.  Oh, believe me, sometimes you will lose, whether it is a court case or some kids' soccer game. But if you have the mindset that you will not give yourself permission to lose,who knows, some day you or your kid may end up holding that Vince Lombardi trophy also.

Think about it.

How to Get the Best Deal Every Time: A Free ebook

I am pleased to inform you that my Ebook , "How to Get the Best Deal Every Time" is now available for FREE on Amazon until February 5, 2014.  http://www.Amazon.com/dp/B00BRPVH4U. I think you will find it to be an extremely useful guide if you are making a large purchase such as a house or automobile. It will also guide you through other negotiations such as getting a pay raise from your boss.

I hope you will enjoy it.  If you like it, please feel free to offer a review on Amazon.

Thanks.

P.S. The book i s now ranked #1 on the Amazon Kindle list of  consumerism ebooks. Thanks!