Close...But No Cigar!

by Jay Cruz
"Close, but no cigar." I often wondered why exactly that became such a common saying for “not winning” or “not getting the job." The Cigar is actually in some circles considered a large reward for a job well done and is a tremendous commitment to celebrating.

Each week in the NFL some Kicker misses a kick that eventually costs the team a win or loss. Sometimes the kicks are easier that others, but one thing that seems to be universal is the expectations of success. One team , the New Orleans Saints , is coming off of their Super Bowl season and is shooting for the top again, while another team , the Oakland Raiders are trying to get back to a level of respectability and return to glory. The Saints are holding try outs this week for the Kicker position while the Raiders are going to stick with their guy. Both teams lost last week due to the kicking game.

Where are you closed in your life right now? What is the key to get to the next step, or close that gap from unease to ease. Do you focus on the small but important things or have you put too much focus elsewhere? The radio hosts on HealthyLife.net radio network can help you stay open and positive and may be able to help you determine your next step and how to get there.

I heard a few mentions of Vitamin D last week and found it ironic to be reminded to get some more Sunshine as Summer was coming to a close. Cloudy Summer in the Beach Cities too. Then we get a heat wave and endured the “Hottest Day Ever”? The Heatmeister is playing with our weather. Regardless I think moderate sun and stimulation is a good thing, but I’ll wait to get my fix until the temperature is back down.

As the season changed from Summer to Fall, I realized that I hadn’t enjoyed the Summer as I normally do. A lesson to take a moment and enjoy the moment. There is a time and place for everything.

Speaking of a time and place, how about family mealtime? An overlooked traditional value that brings families closer together. In most cases we’ve let this one go with our hectic lifestyles and take out habits. Many thanks to those who have reminded us about this. I have great memories of the family meal time and have a good feeling that your children will as well. As long as you make it an important habit in your family.

If mealtime is not a reality for your family try an alternative activity. Family game night. Talent Night. Spending time together and being active. Besides if you start or reintroduce this good family habit now, it won’t seem so unusual during the holidays!

Wireless Future of Web Radio

by James Bean
This quote is courtesy of CNET.com, excerpted from, "Tech Companies Poised for White-pace Spectrum": "The 300MHz to 400MHz of unused "white space" spectrum is considered prime spectrum for offering wireless broadband services because it can travel long distances and penetrate through walls.....Next week, the FCC is expected to vote on new rules that will pave the way for companies to begin development of new products that can use this unlicensed spectrum.....Signals that use the white-space spectrum travel at least three times farther than signals transmitted over other unlicensed spectrum, such as Wi-Fi. This means it can cover an area that is almost nine times as large as one that uses Wi-Fi and because it operates at a much lower frequency than Wi-Fi, it can penetrate buildings much more easily....Microsoft showed off its network to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in April. Genachowski has been bullish on the use of white-space spectrum to spur innovation in the mobile broadband market."

Move over satellite and traditional terrestrial radio! What will become of those older technologies in an age of the unlimited, ever-evolving, infinite listening possibilities of the worldwide web? Will those frequencies also end up being rededicated someday to transmitting a wireless web on an even rander geosynchronous global scale perhaps?

This trend toward a wireless experience is so positively liberating, especially for web radio channels such as HealthyLife.net. With more and more people able to listen, not only at home or in the office, but on the go: in cars or using portable devices supplying headphones with audio -- this new ubiquitous untethered reality may represent the dawn of a new golden age of radio.

The AM "transistor radio" was invented in the early 1950's, and first hit store shelves in 1954. Traditionally, radio listening has been a wireless experience for many. Nice to be getting that back again, only this time taking it to a new level with web radio!

I have so many fond memories listening to radio in various contexts over the years,including using portable radios. Once upon a time, people would listen to "AM radio" at night. Some still do. During the day AM broadcast signals travel mostly by "groundwave". One is fairly limited to local stations in one's area, but after sunset is when the magic happens. The ionosphere of the earth changes, and acts as a kind of "mirror" or "parabolic dish" reflecting "skywave" radio signals from much, much further distances. Even a portable radio tuned to the AM broadcast band, powered only by a humble nine-volt battery, and with no external antenna, at night has the potential of hearing stations a thousand miles away.

International shortwave radio, using a somewhat higher part of the radio spectrum, is blessed with the reflective properties of the earth's ionosphere, even during the day, and allows listeners to directly tune in stations as far away as India, China, and Australia. Shortwave clearly was the world's first attempt at global mass- communications, and is still alive and well, used for broadcasting, also for transmitting data. The only difference is, now many of those same broadcasters have also added streaming audio over the web.

As a result of being exposed to shortwave radio from a young age, I thankfully, got my world expanded greatly, and was introduced to news from diverse points of view, culture and information that flowed from various parts of the globe. Some examples: the BBC World Service; jazz coming from Radio Prague; countless unfiltered news broadcasts from the Voice of Germany and Radio Netherlands; some rather pleasant Greek music from Radio Athena; the classical instrument known as the sitar being played over All India Radio; Islamic Call to Prayer via many stations emanating from the Middle East; religious broadcasts on "The Voice of the Andes", HCJB in Quito, Ecuador; Tuvan Throat Singing being featured on an ethnic world music show at The Voice of Russia (Radio Moscow); being surprised by hearing a station in the Persian Gulf play The Who, or Radio Tehran playing "Breathe" by Pink Floyd; 'subversive' peace-oriented political discussions clandestinely shared by pirate radio broadcasters at secret locations somewhere in the north eastern US for a few hours at a time, then shutting down before their signals could be triangulated, disappearing into the night; hearing "numbers stations", mysterious voices chanting numbers in Spanish or other languages and wondering what purpose they might serve Note: Wikipedia: "Numbers stations are shortwave radio stations of uncertain origin. They generally broadcast artificially generated voices reading streams of numbers, words, letters, sometimes using a spelling alphabet, tunes or Morse code. They are in a wide variety of languages and the voices are usually female, though sometimes male or children's voices are used.); discovering the first new age music and spirituality program in North America broadcast by Radio Canada when that was a virtually unknown genre; or tuning into a most unusual religious broadcast with someone discussing near-death experiences, and wondering to myself, 'who IS this guy?' 'What group does he represent?'

Radio can be a fun hobby as well as source of vital information. It's rather mind- boggling and exciting to now be witnessing the evolution of a truly wireless worldwide web, especially web radio with unlimited potential. "You choose. Programs you want, never anything you don't. The way radio should be: HealthyLife.net."

10 Tips on Discouraging Home Break-ins

by Faith Ranoli

In the United States each year over 6 million homes are robbed while residents are on vacation. The majority of those breaking into homes are opportunists, they see something and they take it. Usually working on impulse and taking low risk items.

According to the Burglary prevention council, 28% of summer break ins are performed by someone who watches the home for daily routines and wait for the occupant to leave on vacation before breaking into the home.

The home items most often taken are, tools, cameras, credit cards, sports equipment, jewelry, TVs, computers and laptops, DVD players and stereo equipment.Here are a few simple things you can do to reduce your risk of break ins:

1. Create a neighborhood watch, your neighbors are your extra set of eyes when you are away from home, know your neighbors and know each other's schedules. Let a neighbor know when you are leaving and when you will return, alert the police too, they will do additional drive bys at different times of day.
2. Lock your doors, especially the door from the house to the garage and the side yard to the garage. Lock fence gates. Lock all your windows too.
3. While away disable your overhead garage door opener and lock the overhead door to the track.
4. Use timers to turn on lights and TVs throughout your home, set them for the times you would normally be using the lights or TVs.
5. Use outside lights, a well lit home will discourage would be robbers, they will go to a dark home first.
6. Stop the mail, milk delivery and newspaper.
7. Close shades, what a thief can't see they can't take.
8. Install an alarm system or at least put an alarm company's sign in your yard.
9. Monitor your answering machine message and your trash. Don't indicate you are away from home and don't put out the trash with the box from the new flat screen TV.
10. Have a home safe and lock up important papers with your account numbers, social security numbers, check books and extra checks, any jewelry or other small valuables.


Tune in to listen to Faith Ranoli on the Heart And Home Show, Thursday 1p.m. PT on www.healthylife.net

Increase Your Football Passion (even if you don't have one)

by Jay Cruz

With September and Fall comes the back to school shuffle and one more very important thing. Football. A few weeks back Dr. Sheila Foreman shared some tips and insights for listeners of the Healthylife.net News@7 who may not have a passion for the game, yet may have passion for someone who does enjoy football. Here are some handy hints for you to try this season to make Sundays more fun for all.

-- Follow a team. If you don't already have a favorite team or have become a fan by default because of your friends or family, adopt a team. Why pick a team you may ask? Just try it and see how soon you become more interested in the developments and events during the year. Many fans started to show some love to the New Orleans Saints a few years ago after Hurrican Katrina, last year's Super Bowl win was shared by many casual fans who liked the underdog Saints and the rebuilding of New Orleans. This year a few popular teams up for adoption could be the Washington Redskins with new coach Mike Shanahan and new Quarterback Donovan McNabb. Coach Shanahan comes in with a resume that includes 2 Super Bowls while McNabb was traded after a number of quality years for the Eagles. In Los Angeles where we don't have a team, many local fans are following former USC Coach Pete Carroll and his new situation with the Seattle Seahawks. By following a team or watching only their games or only watch the Sunday Night National broadcast you can also keep a limit for how much is watched by yourself and others.

-- Menu planning. If the game of the week involves a team with a regional culinary dish there you go. Use teams colors or mascots for inspiration too. Playing the Eagles, try a green chicken salad, or just do something with Philly cream cheese or a cheesesteak. Southwestern dishes if you're game is being played in Texas, Arizona, or California. Chili anyone? Clam Chowder in Sourdough Bread for a 49'er game or for the Patriots, Citrus if Miami is playing and if Tennessee plays just select your favorite Elvis Presley snack.

I think you'll be good at this one...

-- Socialize. Football is more fun to watch with a group of friends. It can also be a good way to meet new people. It can also be a way for you to get yourself more involved with your buisness or by considering some of the many ways to actually earn extra money around the games. Many restraunts will offer deals or specials during games or a special rebate if you show a ticket stub to a local game. There was a recent news story about a need to find more qualified nutrition experts in the football industry to help better feed and train players. Innovative trainers are always needed too. Just because all players run with parachute drag in practice and not just the cutting edge doesn't mean there isn't something still to find.

-- Side Hobby. I often play guitar during games because I find it to be a good use of time, especially with all of the commercials. Sometimes I will do a little work out during the games or call, text or email friends and family who live in other areas to say hello or tell them how bad their team is. Plus if you miss some action there are a number of websites and highlight shows besides our mobile phones to stay in the loop and catch up.

Don't forget that the Major League Baseball is closing in on the play-offs. For tips and ways to enjoy the season don't forget to listen to our Sports Segment near the end of the Healthylife.net News@7 Monday through Friday 7am, 7pm PT and on-demand all day.

Staying Focused in an Internet Age of Distractions

By James Bean

The folk musician Pete Seeger once said: "Technology will save us if it doesn't wipe us out first." The same Internet that creates an avenue for cyber-attacks is also providing the opportunity for people from all nations (imaginary lines drawn on maps but not visible from space) to be able to communicate with one another, hopefully affirming their desire for life, love, prosperity, and working out their differences.

The Internet could save the world by empowering its people to collectively save themselves. Seeger often made coments about radio and "democratizing technology", expressing the hope that: "Maybe the 21st Century will be the Century of the Democratization of Technology. This is Pete Seeger signing off and saying don't forget to make music yourselves." Actually his famous song "Little Boxes" reminds me of the world of radio as it once was just a few short years ago, in what now can be described as the pre Internet age: "Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky tacky, little boxes, little boxes, little boxes, all the same. There's a green one, and a pink one, and a blue one, and a yellow one, and they're all made out of ticky tacky, and they all look just the same." The full song at Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywgJLw21UqU

The mediocrity (media-ocrity) of the "vast wasteland" of channels and frequencies, with all it's conformity, is finally being transcended in this Internet Age. Rather than being limited to a handful of local media outlets zealously preaching a gospel of rock, country, or right-wing political talk radio, the global "Democratization of Technology" is just a mouse-click away.

Now everyone potentially has a microphone, a blog, an ability to access information, to network, to share ideas and organize new communities as never before in all of human history. Now many with an urge to broadcast, can do so. One might say the creative human spirit is finally free, and: "This time it was right, it would work, and no one would have to get nailed to anything." (Douglas Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy") Yet, there is always the danger that the same dullness-of-spirit that reflected and echoed back to us a vast media wasteland of "five hundred channels and still nothing on", could end up dumbing down, slowing down, over-regulating, or filtering this great Type One Civilization means of global communication known as the Internet.

There are growing signs of this already, both near and far. Still, I think at present, the greatest danger for now is people failing to prioritize, failing to pay enough close attention to, and support, the causes that are most important to them. In the pre Internet Age the problem was denial or slowness of information - lack of access, only a limited number of speakers, microphones, and channels. These days however, the main concern is our attention being scattered. We are drowning in a sea of information ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime, and hopefully not multitasking ourselves into a new vast cyber wasteland. Facebook for example. My opinion is that, for some, the Facebook experience is getting to be a bit scattered, out-of-focus. As people not only join a few groups and pages that reflect the causes they really care about, but also join ("Like") hundreds or perhaps even thousands! of additional pages, how can one pay attention to much of anything anymore?

It is the same for Internet radio. May the creative voices stand out, be heard, not submerged below the noise level, not lost in the static, not starving and dehydrating. May the creative people, the webcasters with a vision for a positive future for humanity and the planet we call home, the innovative, truly receive the support they need, so that these torchbearers may thrive, teach, transform -- being many stars collectively forming one light. HealthyLife.Net radio network holds a torch and has lighted the way in internet radio since 2002.

The metaphor of the musician: If a street musician is a masterful player, throw some "coins" into his hat or guitar case, and you may get to enjoy hearing him again and again. Without the musician there is no music. "A human being's attention is the most precious treasure he possesses." (Edward Salim Michael, "The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance") "All peoples of this earth weigh equal. Heading as they are toward one goal, common to all....Let all come forth and march in loving union; The greater the trials, the more united we shall be. Together we shall overpower the onslaught of time, and learn to light the torch of love in one and all......Let us find the remedy which raises us from the wheel of life, Fills our whole being with love, and alchemizes us into the divine."(Darshan Singh, from, "The Cry of the Soul")

Listen to James Bean on Spiritual Awakenings Tuesdays, 12 pm PT at www.healthylife.net

Labor of Love: HealthyLife.net News@7

As another summer comes to a close many wonder where did the time go? Time and how we spend it is becoming just as important as how we use our financial resources, or make other healthy decisions on a daily basis. Children are going back to school a little sooner, and weather patterns have been changing recently too. Now it can be a challenge to find our rhythms that we are used to that can get us back on track.

The HealthyLife.net News@7 has been a "Labor of Love" for all involved since its launch in January 2010. Information is important and these days it takes a little more time to find the better news that is usually overlooked or goes unreported.

Every day of the week on HealthyLife.net News@7 there is a new and different feature with Heroes and Happy Living, Health news, Science and Technology, Environmental news, as well as, Arts and Entertainment. Guest opinions and daily updates are provided on World news, National topics plus Business and Sports News. If you’ve listened to HealthyLife.Net News@7 broadcast, I'm sure you know most of the information for potential news content that is considered by mainstream news media are topics that we feel are too saturated and therefore we are a bit more selective with our listener in mind.

Besides the information and content out there, we seem to be using technology at an ever increasing pace. We are all working with the choices of how we like to communicate and receive our basic and sometimes recreational news. It's really at a point where if you haven't done so recently, you have to do a tech inventory just to keep up with the basics today. I personally like being in a world where I can use the "older", if you will, medium of radio with a new twist of being online. Online radio can not only be listened to on your PC from any where in the world, but on your mobile phones and devices, as well as being accessed in many of the new cars - sitting in the background for your multi-tasking life style or in the foreground to soak it all in.

With the Fall season on our doorsteps it can be another chance to make some positive shifts in your life if you feel the need. I'm working on some steps behind the scenes here at the Network to make the HealthyLife.net News@7 even better for loyal listeners like you. Keep an eye on this Blog for more info and updates specifically relating to the Healthylife.net News@7 and its featured stories and topics. Your feedback here or on any of our social media sites is always encouraged as well.

Happy Labor Day (Don't work too hard).

Jay Cruz
Anchor HealthyLife.net News@7
Monday - Friday 7am and 7pm Pacific Time
and archived all day for 24 hours

In the Crystal Ball: More Regulation for Psychics

Radio Host Linda Mackenzie referenced in Time magazine article. Check it out!
In the Crystal Ball: More Regulation for Psychics