shobha’s Neighborhood

WEDNESDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Italian researchers have some advice for those with high blood pressure: Breathe slowly. Turn on some quiet, rhythmic music. And watch your high blood pressure take a little tumble.

The researchers base their conclusions on a small new study. But they aren't suggesting anyone turn to breathing exercises and music instead of medicine.

Still, "easy and enjoyable daily music listening combined with slow abdominal breathing may help people naturally lower their blood pressure," said Dr. Pietro A. Modesti, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Florence.

In what's touted as the first study of its kind, Modesti and his colleagues recruited 48 patients to study the effect of listening to music on blood pressure. The patients, who ranged in age from 60 to 76, all suffered from mild high blood pressure and took medication for it.

Of the patients, 28 listened to 30 minutes of classical, Celtic or raga music a day while conducting slow, controlled deep-breathing exercises. (Raga, an ancient kind of music, was developed in India.)

All the music was slow and rhythmic.

Gerado Boscarino's South American Progressive 004 is streaming at danceradio right now and I am biased here because the progressive house style is something I have been into for many years but as a note, the transitions are smooth, the styles deep and the track list is full of recordings that are rarely played, many I have never heard before. If you have nothing better to listen to right now then this stream is worth a listen.

lots of fun to be had at www.Zwinky.com - no idea if this is new or old but it looks like lots of fun - go try it and have a few laughs whilst you play

Life - Since signing up at Vox my pages have gradually amassed content. None of it really planned in any manner and most of it just reflects what comes into my world. My world is no different to any other vox member. The media that I encounter is though. To some degree that is personal. We do not all have the same tastes and interests. It is often those that dictate what I load. I am subjected to media from many sources and some of those sources are choice. I choose to view news media because I need to know what's going on around the world. I am not one of those people that would rather turn a blind eye and live a life of relative luxury wrapped in cotton wool thinking I am fine so why disturb my life with serious issues that do not effect me. That's too easy to do, I just can't do the.... I'm alright Jack... thing. Just because I choose to deal with serious issues does not mean I am strictly serious about everything. Some have deemed me to be angry and feel that some of my posts are obtuse. That's fine but accept this. I can not make war, famine, starvation, environmental decline, suppression, militias, death and destruction taste sweet and read like a majestic poem. Please accept that I can not react to such things in a 'this is great way' - that would be absurd.

I can assure though that I never post in anger. I learned many years ago that Anger does not serve any purpose at all. Anger is an enraged volatile state of emotion that results in stress and nothing is gained by it. I do not do Anger but at the same time I do not do Ignorance and I refuse to wear blindfolds. I refuse to remain silent and I refuse to stand aside and make no comment about all the evils that plague our planet. I sincerely believe that our planet is a beautiful place and it is filled with beautiful things and beautiful people. The world is full of delight, it's incredible and damn right amazing, it's that which turns me on. The Universe we live in is astonishing and wonderful, so stunning that it manages to make smile as I cry because at times I am simply overwhelmed by it's power. So please consider that regardless of the serious issues that I sometimes deal with at vox in posts, I remain far from from anger and though the subject is serious, it does not mean I am always serious. I am actually a very calm natured and well grounded individual. I do discussion rather than argue. I talk and do not shout. I avoid confrontation but refuse to let anyone even think about walking all other me. I am not anti-establishment but I am opposed to many of their actions. I am not anti-america but I do detest the Bush Administration and I am anti-war - that includes Iraq, war is pure evil and I am anti-evil. I am not full of hate and venim. I am full of soul and good intent. Enough. Time for some Janet as I am still in that mood.

Uploaded on March 23, 2008
by judy stalus

I wanted to be sure to reach you;
though my ship was on the way it got caught
in some moorings. I am always tying up
and then deciding to depart. In storms and
at sunset, with the metallic coils of the tide
around my fathomless arms, I am unable
to understand the forms of my vanity
or I am hard alee with my Polish rudder
in my hand and the sun sinking. To
you I offer my hull and the tattered cordage
of my will. The terrible channels where
the wind drives me against the brown lips
of the reeds are not all behind me. Yet
I trust the sanity of my vessel; and
if it sinks it may well be in answer
to the reasoning of the eternal voices,
the waves which have kept me from reaching you.

-Frank O'Hara, "To the Harbormaster"