Unusual French parcel delivery vehicle

Very sensible design!
Found on http://www.roadtransport.com

The Rebel Machine is in San Diego! Ebay score out of Tennessee

The 1963 Pontiac ambulance that transported JFK's body after the assasination

This 1963 Pontiac ambulance was used to transport President John F. Kennedy's body from Air Force One following his assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

Details: This 1963 Pontiac Ambulance was made in June 1963 and is one of 15 delivered to various service branches. It's U.S. Navy data plate shows it was assigned to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Following President John F. Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963 it met Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base.

94-49196 was used to transport President Kennedy's flag draped casket as well as members of the Kennedy family from Andrews to Bethesda and later to the U.S. Capitol. Following naval service, the ambulance was moth-balled and eventually sold as surplus. It is PHS documented. It was shown at the 2010 Military Vehicle Preservation Association National Convention where it won the Gold Award

Thanks to Gary for letting me know!

images and text from http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/onlinesubmission/lotdetails.aspx?aid=403&ln=1277&pop=0&it=1

Men Laughing Alone With Fruit Salad

What Makes You Eat More When You Are Not Hungry

Now, here are the factors behind hunger - some are physiological, but others are classic psychological cases:

1. Time: A part of the reason why feel hungry at certain times of the day is that we have been training ourselves to eat around the same time for many years around the same time. Whether you have a light breakfast or a very heavy one, you are bound to feel hungry around lunch time.
2. Sight: That’s why the color and arrangement of the food matters - it directly affects the palatability. Sight of well arranged, delicious looking colorful food may not cause you to overeat in a given meal, but it can certainly trigger the feel for having a meal even when your body doesn’t need one.
3. Variety: We discussed this in the previous post about controlling your appetite. Too many flavors trigger the production of appetite hormones and makes you feel hungrier than you really are.
4. Smell: According to the article, the smell of food can trigger insulin secretion in your body which results in the feeling of hunger.
5. Alcohol: It’s the same reason why you are not allowed to drive after drinking a certain amount of alcohol - it impairs judgment. If you are drunk, you are going to eat stuff that comes in front of you - just because it’s eatable, not because you are hungry.
6. Temperature: Ever wondered why restaurants are always cold? That’s because we tend to eat more in cooler environments. Lower temperatures tricks your body into thinking it needs more calories to burn in order to keep your body warm.
7. Refined carbohydrates: These foods cause the blood sugar drop, which in turn induces hunger. According to BBC Health, this is how refined carbohydrates are defined:

The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

This health enhancing tropical food is delicious and versatile.

Coconut oil has been a widely used food staple of traditional tropical cultures including Hawaii and the South Pacific islands for centuries. These islands depend on coconut as a diet staple and make use of its milk, meat and oil. Coconuts provide a majority of these islanders' food, but they are not alone. Around one third of the world depends on coconut products to some degree for food.

The Many Benefits of a Healthy and Holistic Oil

Coconuts are a healthy natural food that produces an oil high in flavor and numerous health benefits. Many people have used coconut oil as a supplement for relief from kidney problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer.

These benefits, discovered by Dr. Jon Kabara, are attributed to lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid found in coconut oil. These naturally occurring fatty acids have health enhancing properties and act as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial agents. This means an enhanced immune system for those who consume coconut products.

Coconut oil’s diverse applications include beauty treatments including hair care and skin care. Coconut oil supports repair of damaged tissue as well as moisturizes. Consumed as a food, it is proven to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, support weight loss, increase immunity, and aid in proper digestion and metabolism.

Coconut Oil Gains Favor for Healthy Eating

Unfortunately, in the 1930s the U.S. Department of Agriculture passed a tax on imported tropical oils intended to “protect domestically produced vegetable oils in their use in the production of edible products.” This act, and a campaign by the US vegetable oil industry to cast tropical oils in a bad light in order to promote vegetable oil products, caused coconut oil to fall out of favor and into disuse in the United States.

Recently, scientific research has brought coconut oil’s health benefits to light. One study by the department of biochemistry at the University of Kerala, India, showed the beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on blood lipids (fats in the blood). Although rich in saturated fat, an incorrectly maligned form of fat found mostly in animal products, coconut oil has proven to be a health promoting food.

Saturated Fats Beneficial to Health

Saturated fats first found disfavor when a biochemist name Ancel Keyes attempted to prove they caused heart disease. This theory has since been proven wrong but remains a part of the American zeitgeist.

Saturated fats like those found in coconut oil are necessary to good health. The benefits of saturated fats in the human diet are proven in over 22 recent studies listed by the Weston A. Price Foundation including one showing saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50% of human cell membranes.

Coconut Oil is Uniquely Beneficial to Human Health

Coconut oil stands alone as a superior fat for human health. One major reason for this is coconut oil’s unique fatty acid profile that enhances the immune system. A movement of alternative health advocates, including the paleo and low carbohydrate movement, has recently worked to reestablish coconut oil as a healthy food.

Coconut oil is a healthy and versatile natural oil with many benefits. This gift from nature should be a part of everyone’s diet and beauty regimen. To support improved health and a healthy immune system add coconut oil to your diet.

5 Things You Absolutely Can Live Without

If you are striving for simplicity in life then you probably know everything there is to know about decluttering your work space, your house, your garage, your closet etc. However, one area that needs even more uncluttering efforts is your lifestyle.

All our possessions are just a reflection of our inner self. If you are simple and organized inside then you will not have any problems keeping your desk clutter-free or surviving with just half of your wardrobe. On the other hand, if your thoughts are a mess and your habits are as far from being healthy as a cow is from flying then your house will reflect the exact thing that is going on inside of you.

Cleaning up your lifestyle is an essential part of bringing your life in balance. Get rid of everything you do not need, add something that you are missing and here you go: a perfectly balanced life right in front of you!

1. Clean up your language. Every day we speak, communicate, sometimes yell, cry, whisper, joke, write, read and of course we use language for all these activities. Conversation is a huge part of our lives and while one conversation can cheer you up another one can totally bring you down.
   Our tongue has tremendous power to influence the way we feel, act and live. Pay attention to how you speak. Do you cuss often? Do you often say things you do not really mean? Do you hurt people with your words? Do you hurt yourself with your words?
   Simplify your language by saying only things that you mean and things that matter.
   It is amazing how much more balance you can bring into your life by watching your language:
   • Foul language reminds me of fast food. Almost everyone knows that it is not healthy but some people just keep doing it because they are used to it. Cussing and vulgar language can be acceptable in a variety of settings ranging from locker rooms and bedrooms to situations when you have just dropped an iron on your foot. However, making it part of your daily language simply does not make any sense to me. By learning to control your language you will also learn to control your emotions.
   • You will show respect to your loved ones and learn to handle conflicts better if you just watch what you are saying. I know that sometimes anyone can get a little hot-headed and say something like “I always knew that you are a loser!” “My mama was right; I should have never married you!” “You care only about yourself!” It hurts to hear things like that, especially to hear these things from a person you love. Many couples can enjoy a more balanced relationship simply by learning to control their tongues.
   • Stop using negative generalizations like “I always fail,” “Things never work out for me,” “I can never be a creative person,” “I am just not lucky.” Focus on things that are positive and ignore any remarks that you might hear from people around you. A lot of times you are what you say.
2. Clean up addictions. “Addiction is something bad related to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or gambling.” Is it what you are thinking? While these addictions definitely have to be cleaned up from your lifestyle there are others that seem harmless at first. It can be Internet, food, TV, video games, work, shopping, you name it! You can identify addictions in your lifestyle if you look at all activities during your day. Is there something that you just have to do and you feel a constant desire to do that? Maybe you’ve heard from your friends or relatives that you spend too much time doing … but you ignore those remarks constantly.
   Addictions tend to suck up your time and money and they leave you feeling empty, low on energy and not satisfied. Be honest with yourself and if you identify signs of addictions in your life make an effort to get rid of them.
3. Clean up priorities. Priorities are a wonderful thing to have but not when you have too many of them. I don’t think they have created a superman or superwoman serum yet, so if you want to feel balanced you need to make your choices. You can’t be a perfect parent, build an amazing career, make tons of money, spend a lot of time with your friends, work out daily at the gym and have enough time for self-growth and hobbies. Some things have to be at the top of your list while others can be left behind (at least for a while.) When you choose the right priorities everything will fall in place and you will feel satisfied with the choices that you make in life.
4. Clean up your diet. What you eat affects how you feel, how much energy you have and how healthy you are (of course!) I believe that a clean diet can benefit both body and soul and bring your mind in balance with your body. Here are a few steps to clean up your diet:
   • no fast-food
   • eliminate highly-processed foods
   • add as much fresh produce as possible
   • go organic if you can afford it
   • read labels (do not buy anything with trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils), high fructose corn syrup or long lists of chemicals that you cannot pronounce)
   • try to cook most of your meals from scratch using only healthy ingredients
   • eliminate sugary drinks and drink as much water as possible.
5. Clean up your goals. Goals are similar to priorities. When there are a couple of goals in different areas of your life you can manage them without sacrificing your sanity. When your lifestyle turns into an endless to-do list then you feel out of control and out of balance. Focus on the things that matter the most right now. Set up a goal and break it down into smaller steps and tackle it just one step at a time. Reevaluate your goals after comparing them with your life priorities.

A well-organized and clean lifestyle is like a perfectly organized house. Living like that is easy, comfortable and enjoyable. It is a huge step to your overall life balance.

Fuel up on food to fight winter sickness

If the glass is half full, it’s holiday season, and if the glass is half empty, it’s cold and flu season. Either way, be careful about what you put in that glass — and on your plate — because healthy eating can carry you through the dark, snowy months.

While Maine gardens are rock solid and dormant, people eat less fresh vegetables and fruits — but they’re the basis of a healthy diet.

“Put a rainbow on your plate,” said registered dietitian Kate Yerxa of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. “We think it’s harder to do here in Maine in the winter time, but for a variety, shop the perimeter of the grocery store — that’s where you’re going to find more of the whole foods.”

She suggests a diet of variety: fruits, vegetables, dried beans, nuts, whole grains and lean cuts of meat.

“Foods that will help you ward off an infection like the common cold or flu are foods that contain antioxidants,” said Yerxa. “Fruit and vegetables contain antioxidants, but they also come from many other types of foods such as whole grains and meats.”

Antioxidants can slow down, prevent or repair damage in your body’s cells. They lower your risk for infection, but also improve long-term health, fortifying the body against chronic diseases such as cancer.

The primary antioxidants are beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and selenium, said Yerxa.

“Just by remembering there is a variety of food, you’ll have all the bases covered,” she said.

Fermented food with live cultures such as sauerkraut and some yogurts boost the immune system by increasing antibodies that fight infectious diseases, said Joan Cookson of the Natural Living Center in Bangor.

To benefit most from vitamin-packed food, preparation is important. While you don’t have to eat everything raw, overcooking food destroys vitamins and enzymes, said Cookson.

Even if you maintain a healthy diet, sometimes it’s impossible to avoid catching a cold. But when you’re sitting on the couch with a box of tissues beside you, eating certain foods can speed up the healing process.

“I don’t think there’s a magic food that’s going to cure a cold,” Yerxa said. “It’s really how you feel about the foods that you’re eating. We do have some comfort foods, and maybe by adding some of the healthy foods into the comfort foods, you can reap the benefits there.”

Add vegetables to your average chicken noodle soup. If you want to try something new, visit your local natural food store and purchase a few slices of dried astragalus root to add to your soup. Astragalus root stimulates the immune system, according to Cookson. Research shows that it increases the number of white blood cells to fight infection.

The dark purple elderberry is said to reduce severity of flu symptoms and possesses anti-inflammatory and immune stimulating properties. Unfortunately, they taste bitter and sour. But a few dried elderberries brewed with a tea bag are an easy, healthy addition to tea, said Cookson.

Honey and lemon tea and licorice tea can help sooth the throat, while mint tea can calm an upset stomach. Green and black tea are loaded with disease-fighting polyphenols and flavonoids, antioxidants that seek out cell-damaging radicals and destroy them, said Kate Boehmer of Hampden Natural Foods.

Garlic offers several antioxidants that battle immune system invaders. Boehmer’s cooking tip: peel, chop and let the garlic sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking to activate immune-boosting enzymes.

“Dairy milk and cheeses are mucus-forming, so if you have a cough, hold off for a while,” said Elaine Feichtinger, supplement manager of the Natural Living Center in Bangor.

“When you’re sick, my biggest thing would be no processed foods,” said Destiny Winters, cook at the Natural Living Center in Bangor. “Just very clean, straight-up whole foods.”

Processed foods and fast food meals often have added salt, fat or sugar to lengthen shelf life and lack the nutrients that whole, fresh foods contain.

Regardless of whether you seep soothing teas or experiment with roots and herbs, fruits and vegetables are the top immune boosters. Eat as if your garden is still alive and well.

Foods with Antioxidants

• Vitamin C: citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, red pepper, tomatoes, strawberries and cantaloupe.

• Vitamin E: fortified cereals, broccoli, nuts and avocado.

• Beta-carotene: carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach and winter squash.

• Zinc: nuts, dried beans, eggs, whole grains, meat and dairy products.

• Selenium: Brazil nuts, shiitake mushrooms, tuna and some fortified breads and grain products.