SHOPPING TROLLEY

THE VERDE WORD

Hunting and Gathering in the 21st Century

Life is like a supermarket, it is a constant state of change.  Like life, many new and different things are happening all the time.  There are new events, products and displays that are very tempting.  This is like life.  As constant change continues, we must adapt for survival.

The tools of hunter-gathers centuries ago were spears and, bows and arrows.  The hunter had to act fast or the game would bound away over the countryside never to be seen again.

In today's civilised world, the hunting and gathering tools are the shopping trolley and the flat piece of plastic in our wallets.

So, with the change and adaptation to our civilised modern world of hunter-gathering, lets take the challenge and view the opportunities for 'game' in the local supermarket.

Let's see what's on special, grab our trolley and tackle the shopping!

                                                       

Ok, as is customary, we start at the fruit and veggies...mmm..look at that delicious celery! and it is on special at 75cents a bunch!  Mmmmm..mmmmmmmmm.  Think I'll come back later.

Down past the smallgoods, the glorious smokey smell of the ham, continental sausages, cheese, olives and salami, love this great aroma!

Oh look, the fresh Atlantic salmon is on special..50% off...gosh, now that is a good buy, I'll come back to that as well the celery after I have all my other stuff.  Through the tinned goods, around to packaged cereals, no...too much sugar and salt,  I'd rather yoghurt and fruit for breakfast.

Down the next aisle full of personal items, soap, toothpaste, vitamins, deodorant yes, I need deodorant, into the trolley it goes.  Down to toilet paper wow, four dollars off, that will make some bum happy, I'll come back to that as well.

The freezer section, ice-cream, I have to avoid that, far, far too addictive for me.  Mind you, some French vanilla would be lovely.  Be strong, be strong, save my money for the specials, what were they?

Oh yes, Celery is on special, 50% off fresh Atlantic salmon and toilet paper only $3.50.  It is a rule of thumb with toilet paper isn't it?  No matter how much you have at home, if it is on special, buy it!

Bit like a tourist bus really.  If you see a toilet, you go regardless because you never know when the next opportunity will come.

Time passes and your trolley has most of the things you normally buy at normal prices.  The time has come to retrace your steps and pick up the 'on-special' toilet paper, Atlantic salmon and the luscious celery.  The hunter gatherer of the 21st century is on a roll with her tools of a trolley and a piece of plastic whilst taking advantage of opportunities of price drops and modern products.

However, while gathering we return to the toilet paper.  All that is left are the rolls at normal price, then to the fresh Atlantic salmon, all that that is left of that are the small and left-over pieces.  What of the celery?  It still looks fresh but there are now only smaller bunches that look a bit battered as they were squished under weight of the really good bunches.

  

So, in a manner of speaking, the hunter and gather's game or quarry had bounded away never to be seen again.

So the question is do you want:

• Celery at 75 cents or $1.25 a bunch
• Atlantic salmon at $6.00 or $12.00 a pound
• Toilet paper at $3.50 or $5.00

THE KEY

• Recognise opportunities when they arise
• Accept opportunities when they arise
• Allow for an opt-out option just in case

It is important to be able to recognise and act on opportunities when they arise.  If things you use are on special, put them in your trolley because as you come closer to the check-out if you decide you don't want them, you can always put them back.  However, without putting them in your trolley in the first place, there is no choice of keeping or disposing of the products.  The decision to not make a selection when the opportunity arises will prohibit your options.

THE PHILOSOPHY

Standing by the ocean, the cool icy water brushes against, over and under your feet. The water continually washes the sand away from under you.  Whilst standing still, it is not long before you are calve deep in the water.  Without moving your feet, you sink deeper and deeper.  Constant change to which we must adapt, this is life.  We must move our feet to the sands of time.

As humanity is undergoing continual and constant change, the best chance for survival is to recognise, accept, adapt, grow and move forward. Those who recognise, accept, adapt, grow and move forward are those who recognise opportunities and act upon them.  Those who act upon opportunities are those who hold the best chance for survival, positive progress and success.

Verde

I DON'T GET ANY

THE VERDE WORD

The article was driven by a piece of my sister's wisdom.

BACKGROUND

My sister lives in another state which is two flights of approx 3 hours away.  We, my son, his girlfriend and my sister and I met for lunch recently.  We had not seen my sister for approx five or six years.  So naturally, it was an absolute pleasure to see her again. 

With very warm feelings, I will forever remember the lunch and the love I felt between all four of us. Later on when my sister and I sat together on a seat outside the bookshop in the mall and talked, it may seem a simple thing, but it was painful as she spoke of her ill health but beautiful as she spoke of her music.

The memories of that and the lunch will stay with me forever.  And yes Ru, I have remembered the Bach concerto No. 5 in F minor - BWV 1056 for harpsichord, but does it really take eighteen months to get it up to professional standard?

My sister is a brilliant and well known musician.  She is an exponent of Baroque music and plays a number of instruments. However, I will also always remember the practical wisdom she passed to me.

I now share this wisdom with you.

MY SISTERS WISDOM 

During lunch my sister turned to me and whispered to me that I had put on weight.  I agreed 100%.

I replied "Yes I know, I don't get any exercise".  It was not an excuse, just a statement of fact.

And then she said valuable words I will forever remember.

She said "Oh look...you don't 'get' things by expecting them to come to you.  You have to go out and 'get' them yourself.  It is the same for everything, 'Get' does not bring it to you. If you want to 'get' something you have to go and 'get' it yourself."

I am very familiar with this concept and have achieved much by going out and getting things myself.   However, I did not realise that there are some things that we do not go out and 'get'.

We go to the shops and 'get' things, we think about ideas and concepts and we 'get' them but besides these, there are other things that we wait to come to us when in fact, we do indeed have to go out and take deliberate action to 'get' them.

So, what are some of these things I wonder.

MY IDEA

Looking at it from the concept of not getting any exercise I see that some others could be:

• Money - financial  rewards
• Sex - sexual health
• Recognition - artistic or other achievements
• Love - friends, partners, colleagues
• Satisfaction - personal recognition, self reward for a job well done
• Happiness - personal good feelings
• Peace - quietude

Now, here's the thing.

All of these things; money, sex, recognition, love, satisfaction, happiness and peace are things that we as individuals can not possibly expect to naturally come to us.  At the most, as my sister says, we have to go out and 'get' them.  At the very least, we have to make ourselves open to receiving and accepting them as gifts from the universe.

How do we make ourselves open to receiving them as wonderful gifts?

Firstly, we have to open our minds and heart in readiness and secondly, we have to encourage these gifts.

• Money - find a new job, ask for a raise, investigate new opportunities or, spend less
• Sex - take the initiative, find a partner
• Recognition - allow others to know of your work and achievements
• Love - we are all loved but sometimes need to show encouragement
• Satisfaction - this begins with enjoying what you do
• Happiness - mentally be grateful for your 'lot' and happiness will follow
• Inner peace - find a place of quietude and find time to walk and meditate

All of these things are up to you.  Think about it, If you feel you don't receive or 'get' things, it could be because you are consciously not encouraging, welcoming and accepting whatever you want into your life.  It is all in your own mind.  You can 'get' it all as long as you are open to receiving.

My sister is right, instead of waiting for things to 'get' or come to you, go out and 'get' them yourself.

Thanks Ru.

Verde

ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE

THE VERDE WORD

One of my passions is observation.  I love nothing better that sitting watching the ocean, rolling hills or the depth of the sky at night.  It is of constant fascination to me.  I am continually fascinated at the myriad of living things there are on our planet and beyond.  

Long gone are the days when we thought animals were dumb creatures totally devoid of all intelligent thought and feelings.  Thank heavens that science has proved this otherwise.

All animals are extremely intelligent however this intelligence can't be measured the same way as human intelligence is measured.  This is because all animals have different brains.

I contend that many animals are as intelligent as the human animal and it is human ego that may fail to see this.  Do animals have egos?  Sure they do, but it would be interesting to know if they thought they were more intelligent than humans.

What is animal intelligence.  Are animals actually intelligent at all or do they simply react according to a response driven by the need for food, shelter and reproduction?

THE OCTOPUS


Scientific research has revealed that the brain of an octopus has similarities with intelligent mammals.  An octopus brain is in the head, split into two halves and divided into lobes for various specialisations.  The distance between neurons is short and enables information to be processed faster. In comparison, a mollusk only have chains of nerve knots called ganglia.  Following, this means that information process is slower in a mollusk than an octopus.

Interestingly, there is evidence that octopus are able to recognise the difference between themselves and others.  Current and recent research is trying to establish if one octopus can identify emotions in another octopus.  On a final note on the octopus, their eyes are large like humans and they have the most advanced brain of any invertebrate.  

Dr David Suzuki and his television program The Nature of Things and other film documented evidence based research has revealed that octopus are intelligent.

A very young octopus was placed in a glass tank next to another glass tank holding an adult octopus.  The baby octopus was watching the adult octopus.  A glass jar with a crab inside was placed in the adult tank.  The adult moved to the crab jar and using his tentacles unscrewed the jar and ate the crab.

The glass jar with another crab was placed in the baby octopus's tank.  The baby octopus copied the adult octopus and opened the jar in the same way.

Note:  The baby octopus was new from the ocean and had never been in a tank nor ever seen a glass jar opened.




THE POLAR BEAR

The British naturalist David Attenbrough made a documentary on the polar bear.  

The documentary was filmed over a year following the physical and maternalistic journey of a polar bear and her cubs.  The film recorded the most astonishing and highly intelligent thing I have ever seen.  

The bear, whilst hunting for food was on an ice floe.  A seal was on another piece of ice.  The bear knew she has to be very quiet leaving her ice otherwise the seal would hear her.  

Then, we observed the most incredible behaviour!


To avoid making any splashing noise while sneaking up on the seal she turned her body around and backwards, very slowly, rear feet first, gently easing her belly,slid off the ice floe into the water. Pure intelligence.  Would you think of doing that?

THE SNAKE - PYTHON



There is an island in a natural waterway in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, Australia.  The waterway is called Pittwater.  Most of this area is national park and there is much flora and fauna, including a type of snake called a python. They are not poisonous.  They eat small animals such as marsupials.  

One day a woman ran out of her house because a well known python (named Syphon) who had been living next to the house and the bbq for many years had a small dog in his mouth.  The woman grabbed a stick, hit, kicked and stamped on the snake until Syphon released the dog.  The next day as the woman was walking past the snake, he lunged at her and bit her on the ankle.

So, I have three questions:

Was Syphon afraid he was going to be attacked by her again?

Was Syphon gaining retribution and getting back at her for not letting him have the dog?

Are snakes and other animals able to distinguish one human from another?

Yes, this indicates intelligence in snakes.

DOLPHINS AND WHALES

During winter, along the Eastern coast of Australia, it is normal to see a large number whales migrating from the Antarctic during winter. Then and at all other times there are many dolphins as well.

As you know they have a playful spirit but they also have a range of emotions as well.

Dolphins and whales, like many other mammals also have a strong sense of family and relationships.

If a fellow pod member is in distressed, other pod members appear stressed and swim erratically.
They have a hard time accepting death and will often stay with a deceased infant or pod member for days if not a week.  They can visually be seen mourning.  They stay with the deceased whilst nudging and caressing them and appear very reluctant to 'let them go'.  The body behaviour is  similar to humans.




BIRDS - MAGPIE


What about the Magpie and other similiar birds?  Besides other things, magpies enjoy eating nuts.  Whilst eating lunch on a pation at university, I saw a magpie with a nut in it's beak trying to break the shell by continually hitting it on the ground.  When that did not work the magpie went to a large rock and used the seemingly harder rock to break the nut shell.
That takes intelligence.





COWS



I saw a television news story about an English cow.  The farmer was mystified how every afternoon he would bolt all his cattle in the barn for the evening and yet, in the morning, all the cattle were in the farm yard.  He investigated  everything.  Other people not closing the barn properly, leaving it open, letting the cattle out early, or even a faulty bolt.  In the end, the farmer mounted CCTV cameras both inside and outside the barn.  What revealed itself was wonderful!


There was one cow who was the culprit. She had taught herself how to put her tongue through the gap in the bars, loop her tongue around the bolt, pull it back and push the door open!  Now, you try and tell me animals are not intelligent!




DOGS




Yes, we all know that our cats and dogs are smart.  But even better, Gregory Berns at Emory University in the USA conducted  research to determine how dogs' brains work.  Using MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), he proved that dogs experiecne emotions in a way that is comparable with humans. 






 Berns  concluded that 'Dogs are people too' but also have: 'The ability to experience positive emotions, like love and attchment, would meand that dogs have a level of sentience comparable to that of a human child...'  'And this ability suggests a rethinking of how we treat dogs.'  


The related news article is available from the New York Times http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/dogs-have-capacity-for-emotion-study-finds
Copywrite Emory University

I think this pretty much proves that animals are much smarter than many folks think.


VERDE

ALL THAT YOU WANT

THE VERDE WORD

The end of the year and the holiday season has passed and with new year and the change of weather this is the time we have leaned back in our chairs, glass of brandy in hand and considered the past year's events and achievements.  Following, our planning is in hand for this year as well.

FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY

During this first week of January, our planning is in hand.  We have thought about giving up smoking or imbibing other toxins.  We have thought how we should be eating more healthy foods, getting more exercise, spending more time with those we love, not being late for appointments, enjoying nature more and mine is, eating less ice-cream.

We may have expressed our resolutions or ideas by using wording such as: 'I want to...', 'I'll try to...', 'I'll just...', 'I'd love to...' or 'I want ...'etc.  However, using these expressions are not resolutions as such, they are either a 'want' or 'wish' list.  These words are not even a 'do' list and more importantly, they do not particularly lead us on the path of achievement or self improvement and, they do not speak of belief of committment.

The things we want for ourselves during 2014 have more chance of happening if we couch our wants and needs in a more positive framework.  For example, there is a greater chance of success if our wants and needs are phrased: 'I am', 'I am going to...', 'I will...', 'I know...', 'I am going to love doing...' or, 'I am going to get...' etc.  This type of language is much more positive and heralds a greater chance of success.

If we couch the words with the mindset of commitment and see them as already happening, there is far more likelihood of not only maintaining what we want, but can result in some wonderful achievements.

'WHEN WE CHANGE THE WAY WE LOOK AT THINGS, THE THINGS WE LOOK AT CHANGE'  (Dr Wayne Dyer).

NEW YEARS SPECIAL - EVERYTHING FREE!

Everything you want for yourself for 2014 is totally free.  Everything is Yours, Everything has always been Yours.  All that is needed is to look inward and accept that everything you want and need to succeed is inside yourself.  It is in your head, heart and imagination.  All you have to do is open all three, head, heart and imagination and with focus, it will miraculously occur.

The path to success is driven by by your own unique inner self.  You can have it all!

You may feel that an opportunity is too good to refuse but if not accepted, the chance will pass.  But tell you what friends, no matter what opportunities are missed or delays made, everything needed for success will always be waiting for you.

I have found that if opportunities are not accepted when they appear, those same opportunities happen again but in a different guise.  Once you take up an offer or opportunity you will be surprised at the degree of positivity of the outcome.  Then, as more opportunities are accepted, the more will be offered.

The thing is, you have to be able to picture what you want and live with it in your life now.
By continually living now with what you want, you have the strongest power and you will be living your life accordingly.  Your world will totally change for the best!

I'll tell you what folks, I achieve some miraculous things in my life.  How?  Simply by tackling what I want from the end.  I drive to the shops or anywhere and I picture a car parking space and it happens.  I have been doing this for years.

I create positive things in my mind and they happen.

I see what I want and design a plan from the end result.  Going backwards from my goal, I work out what I have to do to reach that goal and mentally walk the path from the beginning towards that wonderful end and achievement.

THE KEY

Every day, hour, minute and second, I mentally and physically see and place myself at my destination. Without that, I would not have come nearly half as far as I have.

In effect, I changed the way I looked at things and I continually saw and acted as the outcome had already happened.  I can have all I want and need and you can as well.

To obtain all that you want or ever dreamed of, is very very real and very easy if you see yourself now at your end goal. 

You can achieve anything you want it is all yours for the taking regardless of who you are or what you do, but it is a good thing to give back and help people and the universe as a way of saying thanks.

Verde.