Sometimes it takes someone giving me something in order for me to see the different ways it can be used. Have you ever seen those pillows or sacks full of herbs and/or grains and/or seeds? They are often advertised as a way to ease aches and pains? Well, I received one for Christmas. I have been a catalog shopper for as long as I can remember so I have always seen these types of things in the catalogs. Pictured here is one from Solutions Catalog. I have always wondered about them, but never really thought I could benefit from one because I don’t usually have aches and pains. If I do, you know I like to use my Zheng Gu Shui or Trauma, I don’t think of heat. If I need to ice something I think of ice. Well, anyway, I received a rice filled slip of material for Christmas. It was kind of chaotic at the time the gifts were being passed out so I am not sure the giver (my brilliant cousin) even notice I opened it. It had no instructions or anything. I figured it was to be used as a heating “pad” or an ice “pack”. So I looked up what to do with one filled with rice. I saw a couple of different instructions ranging from heating it for one minute to two. And why, yes, I did go for the racy title to get you to read this post. You see, for a few weeks over the Holidays it was really cold in my area so this turned out to be a fought over gift in our house.
While I know that “cold” is relative, it was cold for us, in our area. My side of the electric blanket stopped working after I washed it. They always seem to do that. With the cold temps we had for a few weeks I was unable to get my feet warm . . . in come the rice “bag”. It was perfect. I would take it to bed with me and it would last all night long. Ok, first of all two minutes makes it unbearable to hold, so I can’t actually have it on my feet. It also heats up the sheets REALLY hot so, I kind of just had it down at the bottom. Sometimes I would drag it up to my shoulders to warm that spot. Then I would push it back down to my feet. In the morning it would not be HOT, but it would still have some residual heat . . . a very small bit. It is a great substitute — to me — for an electric blanket.
Also, it was something that my husband and I fought over a couple of times. As I said there was a couple of weeks where I could not get my feet warm, so I would pop the rice in the microwave then put it on top of the blanket on my feet. So nice. He would be jealous and pout about it. When my feet are warm the rest of me does not seem as cold. Sometimes I just rest it on my lap. That helps warm me up too.
Our weather has warmed up a bit so it is getting less use, but I still use it. I have not used it as a cold pack. My mother who received a couple told me that the giver/maker said that you have to keep them separate. You shouldn’t heat it then use the same one as an ice “pack”. Do any of you know if that is the case? Do you know why?
Anyway . . . yup, I will be making these to give as Christmas gifts this year. I am putting straps on them though because I really can’t handle it after it has been in the microwave. I love that I received a gift I love to use, but didn’t even think I would have ever used one! Now that is a great gift!
So what about you? Any experience with a herbs/grains/seeds pad/pack? Do you know if you shouldn’t use the same one as a heating pad and ice pack? Do you know why? Have you ever made one yourself?
Have you seen the meme that says “Don’t get confused between my personality and my attitude. My personality is who I am, my attitude depends on who you are.”? I see it on Facebook a lot. When I first saw it I agreed with it. I laughed and thought, “Oh yeah. I can see that.” I am going through my day and encounter someone who is being an ass and I give some grump right back at them. But I saw it again yesterday and I realized I don’t agree with it. While there might be confusion between personality and attitude, I still am in control of both of mine. I realized that my attitude is a reflection of my personality and I don’t want to be an ass. I especially don’t want to be grumpy just because the person I am dealing with is grumpy. I don’t know their story. I have no idea what is going on in their life. I am not saying that it is right for them to treat me poorly because they have “stuff” going on, but it does happen. People get distracted and caught up, but that does not mean I have to get caught up in that. I am in control of both my personality AND my attitude.
I am still the one that has a say. My attitude is still in my control. I don’t have to react to the other person’s bad/rude attitude. THEIR attitude is a reflection of themselves and what is going on in THEIR life . . . my attitude does not have to reflect their attitude. My attitude reflects myself, my personality. I don’t have to be involved in their attitude. Oh, it is not always easy. I am not saying it is. Especially when I have my own “stuff” going on. I can be thinking about what is happening in my life and the suffering of those I love and not be prepared for someone’s guff. At those time it is easy to have my guard down and just let myself get swooped up in that “chicken-head-attitude”, but that is not my personality. Not getting caught up and not letting someone “get the best of me” is a practice. I believe it is part of not taking things personally and listening with love. Not taking things personally is one of the Energy Allies we have in Nia, you might know it as one of the Four Agreements. Listening with love is something one of my students reminded me of.
Sometimes the attitude encountered could just be of indifference, not even necessarily rude or grumpy, but just the “I don’t care” and when that is coming from someone in customer service it is annoying, but no matter what their attitude is, I am the one that has control over me. My personality dictates MY attitude. So I can choose to NOT be a reflection of their poor attitude (and customer service).
So here is my meme. A reminder to myself that I am in control of me. I am in control of my personality. I am in control of my attitude. I am in control of the energy I put out into the world.
What about you? Are you in control of your attitude or are you going to let someone else dictate that for you?
Nia is a body/mind type of practice. Or mind/body . . . however you want to say it. I tend to say body/mind because the first step is to get into the body. But it is different from a lot of other exercises. It is much more like yoga and Pilates then say . . . weight lifting or running. I recently taught a class where a woman told me afterwards that she really loves it because she is very athletic, she runs, she plays other sports, but she wanted something that was more freeing and more connected so she decided try Nia and now she is hooked. She still does all of the other stuff and continues to love it, she is just rounding out her workouts and exercise with Nia as a body/mind addition. Nia is really great to add to any type of workout regime you have.
Since Nia focuses on allowing the participant to participate at their own level it can easily fit into your workout schedule. I have had many people who love more traditional sports tell me that Nia is a great addition for them. They all love that body/mind connection and the way it allows them to feel like a kid. They love the play of it.
I have had people come up to me before class and say, “I can’t dance are you sure I can do this?” The answer in The Nia Technique is “if you can walk you can do Nia.” And that is true. In a Nia class you might even fine tune your walking a bit. We might train you to do that Heel Lead that often gets lost in a high heeled or runner’s gait. Get that flex and extend back in the ankle. But really anyone can do Nia.
I would bet that you have noticed the increase in the popularity of yoga . . . well, it is that mind/body connection that draws people to it. Many people are understanding that even a regularly scheduled exerciser benefits from having that mind/body connection. With Nia there is also the Emotions and Spirit. The whole enchilada. BMES. Body, Mind, Emotions, and Spirit.
I’ve posted about Spirit before. It is one of the things that many people really enjoy about Nia. It can be compared to the “feeling like a kid” again. The play in the exercise or workout. The “Wooohooo!”
So the intention of this post is just to remind people – because I am sure I have said it before – that Nia is for everyBODY. To remind you that people who like the more traditional exercise and workouts, the more athletic type of stuff, as in running and weight lifting, find they really like to add in Nia to the mix. It actually helps them in their other type of workouts. They claim — the ones that talk to me — they are more focused when they do run and/or lift weights. So if you are one of those people who prefer the more traditional exercise, maybe break out of that for a Nia class and see how it works for you.
Check out my schedule on my website Nia Class Schedule or if San Jose is too far for you look at the Nia Classes on the main website.
Do you ever find yourself wanting to try something different for a workout? Do you want to add something new to your exercise regime?
In Nia we have this exercise or practice that is really easy yet packs a huge wallop! If you have The Nia Technique it starts on page 11 and is called the Thirteen Joints Exercise. In the back of the book, on pages 252 through 253, it is called the Thirteen Joints Renewal because they are doing it from a squatting position. But basically you move through the same major thirteen joints. This is one of those exercises that can be done fairly quickly, but can really help with the way you move through life. It is basic and easy to do Thirteen Joints Exercise.
This exercise focuses on the 13 MAJOR joints in the body. Starting with the left side you simple move your left ankle. I instruct my Nia students to move it in all directions. Think of how this joint is intended to move and move it that way. There is the front back motion and the circling motion. Circle it both ways. I also include in my instructions the encouragement for the person to be comfortable, so if it is comfortable for them to lift their foot off the earth and do the movements then that is the way to move the ankle. Some people are not comfortable balancing on one foot and it is perfectly fine to do the movement with the foot on the ground. The toe can be on the ground to stabilize and then the heel. The ankle can get the same type of circular motion with the foot on the ground. However it is comfortable is how you should move it. The left ankle is joint one.
Then traveling up the left side we come to joint two, the left knee. Again, thinking about how this joint is intended to move allows us to move it in a way that is comfortable and beneficial. Allowing the calf to swing forward and back. Or if you want to keep your foot on the ground then you can lower yourself down on the left side as low as is comfortable and come up again. This gets that joint moving.
Next is the left hip. For this hip joint we move the left thigh. For the person that is balancing on the right leg the left thigh can come up and be pressed back. The thigh can circle. If your foot is on the earth you can bend forward. This affects the hip joint. You can also “knock” your left knee, allowing it to go in and out. Bumping the left hip gets some joint action going, too. This joint is three.
Then we go to the left wrist. Move that hand all over. Flex it, extend it, wave it, circle it, just move, move, move it! Use your fingers to get more wrist action! This is our fourth joint.
Move up to the elbow. Your left elbow is the fifth joint in our Thirteen Joints Exercise. Swing that forearm around and move it all over.
We are still going up, so the next joint, the sixth joint, is the left shoulder. Here you can shrug, you can circle, you can push it back and forth and to ensure joint action you want to use the arm. Move the arm. Circle the arm, move it forward and back, lift it the arm, lower the arm, swing the arm back. Really get that arm moving to experience the action that was intended for that joint.
Now our seventh joint is really a group, it is not just one spot. The seventh “joint” is our spine. There are a lot of ways to move the spine. As with ALL the movement we do in Nia, it is important that you keep in mind your own body’s way and move your body as it is comfortable. The spine is put together so it can move in many ways, but there are many things that keep people from moving the way it was designed, so keep your own body’s way in mind as you move your spine. My instructions include looking left and right, up and down, rolling the head, bending forward and back, bending to the sides, circling around, rolling up, and rolling down . . . again, any way the body can comfortably move.
Now we are on the right side. We go down the right side of the body moving each joint as we did the left side. Now, of course, it might not be exactly the same, but I imagine you know what I mean. The right shoulder is joint eight. The right elbow is joint nine. The right wrist is joint ten. The right hip is joint eleven. The right knee is joint twelve. The right ankle is joint thirteen.
Moving the joints helps keep them flexible and mobile. This exercise can also help with drawing attention to areas that might be tight or stiff. This practice can be done in as little as one minute. As I just mentioned it could help make you realize there are areas that might need or want more attention so how long you spend on this is up to you.
Nia is a cardio dance exercise . . . . yes, it is much more than that, but that is sometimes where we start. The Nia Technique produces DVDs that teachers use to learn the Nia routines that have been choreographed by the Nia Trainers. The teacher-learning-routines process is similar to many exercise formats that are taught in group exercises classes across the board. Most often the music is adored by my students. They don’t like every song, but I would begin to wonder if they did. Nia uses a large variety and I would think it odd if EVERY SINGLE SONG was liked by every student. Every so often though there is a song that someone asks about. They want to know who sings it. They want to know the words. All of Nia routines are available for purchase as an album*, but sometimes it is just a song. Currently I am teaching a Nia routine with one of those songs.
The song is Shine by Joshua. The lyrics are as follows:
People want freedom in life
People want freedom in life
come seek a, come seek a
People want freedom in life
Verse I
(Shine within)
My sun is blossoming my dreams
aloft amidst the winds and the promises they sing
walking in the stream
lovin’ runs often in my veins
become light
so I breathe softly when it rains
crossing over phases of the moon seas change in a whisper
risen from the chambers inner wisdom
painted with the pigments of a vision(ary)
dancing in the plumage of illuminary
I ruminate the way that newness carries me towards my selfness fragrances in praises form a shelter
waves of vibrations pour over relics saturated in wellness precious moments envelope me so my language is angelic
tell it – like a picture spoken in scripture
listen – to the morning born from hope in the mists of enigmas ocean of rhythms sweet ambrosia of beginnings openness is living
Chorus
People want freedom in life
come seek a
way of living, breathing the light
it’s gonna be the
eve before the dawn song before the rhyme
open up and let your love shine
(love shine)
(repeat)
Verse II
Rays of sun trickle down my throat coated with sounds of growing abound
and hope flutters on a melody telling me to develop these heavenly grounds of mine
*Shine* *Shine*
Soul surfing the divine
nurturing intuitions relearning to visualize the moment’s gift it’s open like an infant’s mind
an intimate design a wish up in the sky wisps by “Spread your wings! Come let your spirit fly!” (fly fly)
Ascending inside levity mending the mind states to befriend a sublime face of a love you always knew and present beside waves of benevolence, rise, bathe and through cleansing your eyes you’ll see:
that love was always you!
flow through the mirror to embrace your destiny it’s beckoning so hold it dearly to your breast and feel the blessings the fibers of your being vibrant reasons to let me be me – free
a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love me to . . .
Chorus
Let your light shine, let your light shine Let your dreams shine, let your light shine Let your heart shine Let it all shine, shine, shine Shine now, shine now
(repeat)
Chorus
Heart shine, dreams shine, mind shine
I shine, you shine, we shine… we shine… we shine…
Composed, written, arranged, performed,
produced, and engineered by Joshua Seaman.
I first looked up the words when I heard the part I have in bold. I love that. I hope you enjoy this song. It is a look into some of the music that we dance to in Nia.
What type of music do you like to workout to? Do you have a favorite song that really helps you get your “exercise on”?
I know – well, I am pretty confident that I have mentioned before in a blog post that I don’t think of myself as teaching people Nia. Even though I say I teach Nia, I usually prefer to say I lead Nia. I wish I could find that post because I would like to check what I said exactly because I am feeling a bit different these days. Or maybe I have it clarified in my mind better. I believe I said that I don’t like to say I teach Nia because I feel that a dance teacher is one that demonstrates the steps and then has the student try to do them while the teacher watches. Then maybe the teacher demonstrates again and the student does it again and then maybe there is some adjusting done by the teacher. Or even in a group dance class setting the move is done over and over until it is somewhat learned and then the next move is added on. Sometimes there is a sequence of moves that is demonstrated then practiced over a few times and then a new sequence added on. That is what I think of as teaching dance. So in THAT way I don’t teach Nia, but I DO teach Nia.
I do not show the move then have the students practice it over and over before we dance it, but sometimes when the song allows we do a preview and practice. It could be that the song has a long introduction in which there is no specific choreography and in that time we demo a move. While I might not tell a participant in particular a way to tweak the move I will look out into my class and see something that could use tweaking so I might say or even do something that I hope will lead to a change. Say, we are doing a move using our toe and I look out and see someone using their heel, I might suggest using the toe like squashing a bug or testing the water (depends on what we are doing). So in essence I hope to teach the students that we are using our toe. I teach the move as we are doing it as opposed to the aforementioned way.
IN addition, I like to share things about Nia while we are dancing. Sometimes I talk about how Nia incorporates the BMES (Body, Mind, Emotion, and Spirit) I might explain Nia’s Five Sensations while we are moving on the floor. Allowing the Nia students to be reminded of them and possibly use them in the floorplay. I often remind the Nia class about Natural Time letting them know they are free to move through the movement/choreography in their body’s own natural way and timing. Sometimes this is actually part of the song and if not people are always encouraged to move in this way.
So, I take it back if I said — as I believe I did — I don’t like to say I teach Nia, because I do teach Nia. But I don’t teach it as if it were a dance, because it is not just a dance. While we do dance, Nia is so much more. Maybe I should say I lead people through Nia Routines and I teach Nia?
Have you ever taken a dance class like I describe – the demo-do-type? Do you see the difference between two?
Whoa. I have a Twitter account and I follow a lot of Nia people, of course. The other day one of them, Jennifer Hicks post a link to a fact sheet about skin. Many of the things I knew such as skin is the largest organ of the human body, the three layers of skin, feet have the thickest layer, over 50% of the dust in homes is dead skin (ewwww!) and some others. But I don’t think I knew about each hair having a muscle. It makes sense because how else could it “stand on its end” if it didn’t have a muscle to help it stand? And ear wax is actually produced by a type of sweat gland . . . did you know that? Everyone has the same number of melanocytes. Melanocytes are the cells that produce melanin and melanin is the protein that gives skin its color. Wow! So since everyone has the same number it is the activity of the melanocytes not the quantity that determines skin color. You can see the information for yourself on the Elephant Journal’s website, click here. What REALLY fascinated me was the “skin replacement”.
When I read that I thought, “What? Replace your skin?” So, of course I had to look it up. Then I thought, “Ohhhhhhh! I get it.” It is amazing. Sometimes I don’t think about some of the stuff that needs to be done. And let me tell you, I am grateful for not having to know. But if you have a need for skin it makes sense and this sounds really cool. Well, cool once you get over the “gross factor” and the “sad factor”. But this “replacement skin” is actually considered a “wound care device”. So this company called INTEGRA makes the INTEGRA™ Bilayer Matrix Wound Dressing which can help with severe wounds.
The product acts like skin so the wound has a better chance of healing without infection by blocking bacteria and helping control ” water vapor loss”. Wounds including: abrasions, lacerations, second-degree burns, and skin tears. It allows the skin to breath and move, as your real actual skin does. It is made up of two layers, one is silicon and the other is collagen and glycosaminoglycan. The silicon layer is removed after about 21 days of healing. Then the other layer is expected to help provide a structure for the body to build onto, so that layer gets absorbed into the body. Which for me – at this point, having no wounds needing something like this – is a bit icky as it is bovine collagen and sugars. But I am certain if I needed something to help a serious wound heal, I probably would tell myself it was like eating a steak.
But anyway . . . this interested me and intrigued me. It also helps remind me of how incredible our skin is. I mean there are 50 facts that Catherine Beekmans shared with us/reminded us of, but then also that it can heal from such deep and/or severe wounds such as those that would require something like the product mentioned here. I am sure many of you know of this product or others like it, but sometimes I am happy I don’t know these things. I am happy I have never had an occasion to be introduced to this type of thing. But then again when I do learn about it, I am just amazed.
What about you? How many of the 50 Skin Facts did you know? What about this “replacement skin”, do you think it is amazing?
You might have read my post about Sounding in Nia. That is what we call it when we make noise in a Nia class — sounding. You might have read my post about Reasons for Sounding in a Nia Class. Even if you did not read that post, I bet you are aware of some of the reasons to make noise in an exercise class. One of the biggest ones is to ensure breathing. If you are making noise you are breathing. Knowing the students are breathing is a HUGE relief to an instructor. Some of the other reasons sounding is good are it can help stabilize your core, it can act as an emotional, spiritual, or physical release, and it can be really fun. Sounding can be noises/words such as HA, HI, HEE, HOO, WAH, WAHOO, etc. Sounding can also be singing. With “Nia Music” sometimes singing is just sounds.
I always invite the Nia participants to sing. Often times I tell them it is really easy because there are no words. I have often wondered how the singer sings. I have often pondered how it is done. Then Nia put out this video*. It is an interview with Carl Tietze whose song Am I The One, is on the Sanjana Album. Sanjana is the first Nia routine I learned. In the interview Carl talks about how he invited a vocalist, Jen Folkner, to listen to the song. He said he put the headphones on her and most of what we hear on the song is from her first time hearing the music.
She is sounding. Granted, she is doing is beautifully. I don’t want to put the pressure on and say this is what we do or need to do in a Nia class. No, not at all. I am just saying that it is fine to MAKE NOISE. I did laugh when I heard this interview because I kind of imagined that songs that have no real words but are just a singer making noise was done like this. I imagined the musicians just saying, “Go!” and the singer just letting her/his voice come out.
I was recently very amazed and in awe of a woman who had never been to a Nia class before – in fact, before class she asked me what it was. So she didn’t even know what type of exercise/workout it was. And yet, while she was moving to moves she had never done, she was singing. The song was one of those songs without words, but she was just making noise in a “singing voice”. It was great! I was very impressed.
Making sounds or singing in a group workout class is not something that comes easy to everyone. Sounding while learning moves doesn’t come easy to people who normally make noise, so it was especially fun to have her in class. Plus she had that much more fun and received the benefits of sounding.
I hope this interview helps give you a glimpse into making sounds. I hope you are able to experience the benefits of making noise while do your cardio dance. You know it is fun.
Do you sing while you dance in your fitness dance class? Don’t you love the way singing and dancing makes you feel?
*Click here to go to Nia’s website to sign up for the monthly newsletter!
This is not a post about the pros and/or cons of vaccinations. I know that vaccines are hot topic. I am mentioning vaccines in this post because the news stories I have watched all say “get your vaccination”. You do what you want in regards to the flu vaccine. Just keep the McDonald’s Hot Coffee lawsuit in mind when you hear reports about the “DEADLY FLU EPIDEMIC”. That is the one where the news media blasted all over that a woman was awarded $2.9 million for spilling hot coffee on herself while driving with the cup between her legs. Stories made it sound like she sued because the coffee was hot. At the time I never heard any details, did you? My last post Details Lost – It Happens, Be Aware has information on that. These posts were spawned because I have been out and about and I hear people talking about the flu “killing” people. I hear fear. To me, it SEEMS as if the media is based on fear. To me it seems as if they want the public to live in fear. It also seems, TO ME, as if there is an agenda out there to get the public to do certain things. So I am just asking for people to think a little. To remember that we are not presented with all of the facts. And to note that even though all the information you might see is the same, that does not mean it is true. So try not to panic. Keep in mind that there are steps you can take to help keep you and your family healthy. Don’t assume that getting the flu means death. My feelings are …. although I do not know . . . .but I have a feeling that the people they are claiming “died of the flu” died of complications from the flu. Which could be argued that they would not have died if they didn’t get the flu in the first place. But they could have had compromised immune systems making any illness a danger to them. I have not seen enough details in the news stories to know.
So . . . whether you get the shot or not it is smart to still do all the things you need to do to stay healthy and give your body a fighting chance. I know that a lot of the things a body needs a person to do to keep it healthy might not be easy — as in, many may claim they don’t have time . . . . but being sick takes a lot of time. Being sick also exposes loved ones to the illness and they could have compromised immune systems and get more sick than you. ALWAYS remember that taking time to take care of yourself is a great way to show others that you love them! It is not a selfish act, it is good for EVERYONE when you are healthy.
Again . . . . take all the information the media is putting out there with a grain of salt. And do what you need to do to stay healthy. I recommend:
–Sleep. Rest. One of the biggest and best ways to assist your immune system. Your body needs sleep.
–Exercise. Exercise is another great way to boost that immune system. Some believe you sweat toxins out, so you could be ridding yourself of the stuff that weighs down your immune system. There are definitely immune boosting chemicals that get released when you exercise. Plus . . . if you are getting a good workout in, it will help you sleep!**
–Healthy diet. Eat fruits and vegetables. Avoid overly processed foods. Drink water. Drink herbal teas. Lemon water is good to help flush and refresh your system. Avoid soda and excess of juices.
–Wash your hands. All the time.
–Sneeze cough in the crook of your elbow, a tissue, or your hands (see the above) not into the air.
–Try to avoid sick people. I know this is not always possible, but when it is, do it. I find that now-a-days people are more understanding when you don’t want to hug them or shake their hand when they are sick. In fact some will insist you don’t because they are sick.
What other ways can you avoid getting sick? What do YOU do to keep yourself healthy?
**Nia is a GREAT way to exercise. Check my website to learn more. 🙂
Do you remember the lawsuit in which McDonald’s was sued over hot coffee? The news media blasted all over that a woman driving with hot coffee in her lap was awarded $2.9 million for spilling the coffee on herself. It was portrayed as a (stupid) woman, sued because the coffee was hot. But the details were never given media time or airplay. Almost 20 years later, a video was done giving more details about the case. Years ago I heard about McDonald’s having been notified that they served their coffee too hot prior to that lawsuit, but I didn’t know that the woman was not driving. You might have seen the video as it is making the rounds and has been out a for months. But, I imagine a lot of you don’t know (unless you’ve already seen the video) the details. I also imagine that, like me, you thought it was ridiculous that someone got millions of dollars for having a cup of coffee between her legs while driving and then spilling it on herself. In this post I am going to state some of the information in the video, in case you don’t want to take the time to watch the video or you just don’t want to watch it. If you DO watch it, BE WARNED: At 5:12-5:17 there are GRAPHIC pictures of the burns. (Made me nauseated and brought tears to my eyes. Please view with caution!) I have written this post to share some of the facts, plus to point out how the news media does not always disclose all the details. I feel it is important to take news with a grain of salt.
You might remember the basics: Stella Liebeck, a 79 year old woman burned herself when she accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in her lap. Headlines proclaimed she won $2.9 million in a lawsuit against McDonald’s. The video states:
-16% of her body was burned
-6% of the burns were 3rd degree burns
-The woman was in the passenger seat of a parked car
-The woman went into shock
-She had to be in the hospital for a week
-She wrote to McDonald’s asking for money to pay the medical bills which totaled in the thousands
McDonald’s offered $800.00. Then she contacted an attorney
-Her attorney tried to settle out of court, twice
-The temperature policy of McDonald’s at that time was 180° to 190°
-Experts testified that liquid at 180° to 190° could produce 3rd degree burns in 15 seconds
-Over 700 hundred people had complained to McDonald’s about the temperature of the coffee
-The jury awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages, however, because SHE spilled it on herself, they reduced it to $160,000
-The jury awarded her $2.9 million in punitive damages to send a message to McDonald’s to turn down the temperature of the coffee
-The $2.9 millions is based on of TWO DAYS of coffee sales
-The judge REDUCED the award to $600,000
-“Sources” say it ended up being around $500,000
-McDonald’s handbooks now show that coffee is to be served between 170°-180°, 10° lower
I’m just wanting to point out that the media does not always disclose ALL the facts and so things are not always as they may seem. They disclose enough for us to form opinions. But we are not accurately informed. It is truly a challenge to know the truth. Sometimes, I believe, we never will know the truth on a great many subjects/stories. But sometimes we will get more details even if it takes 20 years. In many cases it is left to us to find out the information and/or use our common sense in order to take action not based on the fear and/or anger generated by the media.
Do you remember this story? Do you remember how you felt when you heard a woman driving with hot coffee between her legs got $2.9 million for spilling it?
Sometimes it takes someone giving me something in order for me to see the different ways it can be used. Have you ever seen those pillows or sacks full of herbs and/or grains and/or seeds? They are often advertised as a way to ease aches and pains? Well, I received one for Christmas. I have been a catalog shopper for as long as I can remember so I have always seen these types of things in the catalogs. Pictured here is one from Solutions Catalog. I have always wondered about them, but never really thought I could benefit from one because I don’t usually have aches and pains. If I do, you know I like to use my Zheng Gu Shui or Trauma, I don’t think of heat. If I need to ice something I think of ice. Well, anyway, I received a rice filled slip of material for Christmas. It was kind of chaotic at the time the gifts were being passed out so I am not sure the giver (my brilliant cousin) even notice I opened it. It had no instructions or anything. I figured it was to be used as a heating “pad” or an ice “pack”. So I looked up what to do with one filled with rice. I saw a couple of different instructions ranging from heating it for one minute to two. And why, yes, I did go for the racy title to get you to read this post. You see, for a few weeks over the Holidays it was really cold in my area so this turned out to be a fought over gift in our house.
Also, it was something that my husband and I fought over a couple of times. As I said there was a couple of weeks where I could not get my feet warm, so I would pop the rice in the microwave then put it on top of the blanket on my feet. So nice. He would be jealous and pout about it. When my feet are warm the rest of me does not seem as cold. Sometimes I just rest it on my lap. That helps warm me up too.
Terre Pruitt's Blog 