Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “Full Catastrophe Living”: thoughts during meditation

“During meditation, we intentionally treat all our thoughts as if they are of equal value. As best we can, and with the lightest touches, we bring awareness to them when they arise, and then intentionally return our attention to the breath as the primary focus of our attention, regardless of the thought and the emotional charge. In other words, we intentionally practice letting go of each thought that attracts our attention, whether it seems important and insightful or unimportant and trivial, We just observe them as thoughts, as discrete and exceedingly transient events that appear in our field of awareness. We are aware of them because they are here, but intentionally decline to get caught up in the content of the thoughts during meditation, no matter how meaningful or enticing the content may be for us in any given moment. Instead we remind ourselves to see them as simply thoughts, as seemingly independent occurring events in the field of our awareness,”

Susan Cain’s “Quiet”: Time for a “Free Trait Agreement?: A deal between introverts and extroverts?

A Free Trait Agreement acknowledges that we’ll each act of character some of the time-in exchange for being ourselves the rest of the time. It’s a Free Trait Agreement when a wife wants to go out every Saturday night and a husband who wants to relax work out a schedule: half the time we’ll go out, and half the time we’ll stay home. It’s a Free Trait Agreement when you attend your extroverted best friend’s wedding shower, engagement party and bachelorette party, but she understands when you skip out on the three day’s worth of group activities leading up to the wedding itself.”

Passage of The Day: Marguerite de Navarre “The Heptameron”: More on Love

“ ‘ I believe” said Nomerfide, ‘ that if one loves perfectly. With a love rooted in God’s commandments, then one will not experience humiliation or dishonour, provided one does not go astray and fall from the perfection of one’s love. For the glory of loving truly knows no shame. And although her body was imprisoned, her heart was free and united with God and her husband, so that I believe she did not experience her solitude as imprisonment but regarded it rather as the highest liberty. For when one can longer think of the person one loves, one’s greatest pleasure is to think about that person incessantly. Prison walls are never confining when the mind is allowed to wander as it will’.”

Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549)

A Couple from Côtes-Du-Rhone

The first one is a Plan de Dieu From Rémy Ferbras. It is a classic GSM blend, namely Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Its nose is full of raspberry, blackberry and that Grenache telltale very ripe local strawberries not the wooden kind we receive here in Canada from California. On the palate broad based by mild tannins and the wine has a little bite to it. Some blackberry, licorice and a bit of white pepper. Mid length finish. Neither rustic or elegant and I’d say better with food than as a sipper. The Liquor Control Board says pair with a pork and mushroom fricassee? Never had that dish before but it sounds like it might work or if you are adventuresome a Mushroom Wellington. It will smooth out a bit with decanting. It might improve somewhat with bottle ageing for the next couple of years. It is not really a case worthy wine for someone with a wine cellar though.

(Rémy Ferbras Terre de Mistral Plan de Dieu Côtes-Du-Rhône Villages 2017, Rémy Ferbras, Châteauneuf-du Pape, France, $ 16.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 538009, 750 mL, 14.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

As summer creeps up on us in Canada we all wonder if summer will be salvageable given we are riding a nasty third wave with a hint of a total lockdown, Heat up the grill and enjoy yet another lonely meal without family and friends.

This rosé is from the most southern part of the Rhône, Costières de Nîmes. It is a perennial Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) favourite label Mas des Bressades. In colour in the middle of dark and light pink. On the nose mostly cherry with some strawberry and a hint of raspberry. As for the palate it has some weight to it. The LCBO categorizes this wine as extra-dry. But it is more on the simply dry side. It has some cherrry, raspberry with a slight pepper finish. I think it would suit a mushroom, asparagus and tomatoes pasta from Taste of Home you’ll see below. I would suggest 250 grams of pasta.

(Mas des Bressades Cuvée Tradition, 2020, AOP Costières de Nîmes (organic), Cyril Marés, Manduel, France, $17.95, LCBO # 950576, 13,5%, 750 mL, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

Ingredients

3 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1/2 pound uncooked shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped seeded tomato, peeled
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chopped green onion
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Lemon wedges

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper flakes. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; stir-fry until pink, 2-3 minutes. Remove; keep warm.
In same skillet, stir-fry the next 5 ingredients in remaining oil until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and seasonings. Return shrimp to pan.
Drain pasta; add to shrimp mixture and toss gently. Cook and stir until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with lemon wedges.

Test Kitchen Tips To keep pasta from sticking together when cooking, use a large pot with plenty of water. Add a little cooking oil if desired (this also prevents boiling over). There’s nothing like fresh pasta. The process may seem intimidating, but it’s actually very easy to do! All you need is a little time. To get a jump on it, make dough 2 to 3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to roll it out.

“Mutantism on the March” :Chapter 40 “The Greek Gods Descend into Irrelevance”

The jolt of landing in the Zortixian spacecraft woke the napping of Montenez. Back home to the island of Samos in Greece. Back home to humanity as squalid as it may be. The month of May saw a light crowd of tourists but Montenez knew that would change as the Northern “Palefaces” as his North American aboriginals referred to them as would soon be flooding the island and tranquility would be replaced by mayhem as the cheap Greek wine and beer would fuel latent hostilities of the members of highly technology-based countries and the baseness of legless lager louts where drunkenness, Irish pubs and public urination was a way of life.

Montenez walked back into his bar and warmly embraced his manager Kosta. After their chat on the state of the union Montenez crashed for 27 hours of sleep. He was delighted to see his friend Dr. Zodiac waiting for him with an ice-cold Fix beer and Montenez recounted to him his adventures on Zortixia.

Dr, Zodiac, physician of the Greek Gods, explained matters could have been better on Zlano the dimension the Greek Gods were residing. Dr. Zodiac said, “There is growing discontent on Zlano. A child named Bertie Foonbean was born to Aphrodite and Zeus and he is deformed lacking one leg and his face is that of a wrinkled old man. The Gods have refused to entertain visitors no matter how distinguished they are. They are ashamed of Bertie but I sense many of them are ashamed of themselves being Gods as it isn’t easy to deal with imperfection. They try to conceal him. It is rather disgusting for me to watch their lack of compassion and obsession with imperfection that mutant Foonbean has saturated them with. I just had to leave and come here for a break. As Squid himself is a mutant as he has the ability to transform himself into a giant squid the Gods thought he may be the best to deal with the situation so their messengers are looking for him.

Montenez responded, “You are telling me Doctor that the Greek Gods wish to have nothing to do with Bertie. It is heartless but understandable. I never wanted to tell you this Zodiac but I always thought the Greek Gods were annoyed with human imperfections so why not with their own? Confidentially they are a superficial lot more concerned with their pleasure than dealing with the pressing problems facing humanity. And they were blind how much harm their intervention has hurt humanity. Humanity was simple and primitive and Greek God rule was simple and all they had to do was shake a stick or send a bolt of lightning down and the humans were like dough and easily manipulated. Pan soon found out the more “advanced“ humans became it was more difficult to soften them with jugs of wine and a few soothing tunes. It was after the French Revolution the Greek Gods had great difficulty in being witnesses to human history rather than shaping it. They were in fact losing control of humanity. The Greek Gods in a sense were defeated by industrialization and the growth of liberal democracy. In a sense they were like the British aristocracy finding the authoritarianism of Fascism attractive as a measure of controlling the masses. You know if Hitler had refrained from implementing the Final Solution the Gods just might have taken his side along that of Mussolini but instead they remained neutral. Remember how Zeus had almost developed ulcers over the uprising of 1848. Why were those humans acting so irresponsible over ideologies that threatened the collective good?

Toronto Hot Docs Festival Adds three New Musical Documentaries to its Line Up

HOT DOCS ADDS THREE NEW MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES TO FESTIVAL LINEUP

Toronto, April 13, 2021— Hot Docs is pleased to announce that it has added three additional titles to its 2021 Festival lineup. Making its Canadian premiere in the Special Presentations program will be the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning film Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), directed by popular musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that celebrated African American music. A special screening of the episodic documentary series from Apple TV+ Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson, about the evolution of music and audio production with revolutionary music producer Mark Ronson, will be included in the Deep Dive program; and The Sparks Brothers, directed by Edgar Wright, about the members of American cult pop rock band Sparks and their musical legacy, will make its international premiere in the Special Presentations program.

THE SPARKS BROTHERS (picture shown)

Acclaimed filmmaker Edgar Wright’s charming love letter to innovation, music and two rebel artists takes us on a mood-elevating musical odyssey guaranteed to delight the faithful and create a whole new fanbase for this uniquely talented duo.

SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record—created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion.

WATCH THE SOUND WITH MARK RONSON

GRAMMY®-winning producer and artist Mark Ronson explores music’s intersection with artistry and technology. This docuseries dives deep into the tools and techniques that revolutionized music, like Auto-Tune, sampling, and reverb. Mark and a who’s who of hitmakers—including Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Questlove, King Princess, Adrock and Mike D from the Beastie Boys, and Charli XCX—revisit the moments of genius and happy accidents that shaped modern music as we know it. Watch all episodes exclusively on Apple TV+, premiering July 30.

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Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and to creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. Hot Docs will present its 28th annual edition online from April 29-May 9, 2021, during which a full roster of industry conference sessions, market programs and networking events will be held for Canadian and international delegates, including the renowned Hot Docs Forum, Hot Docs Deal Maker, Distribution Rendezvous and The Doc Shop. Year-round, Hot Docs supports the Canadian and international industry with professional development programs and a multi-million-dollar production fund portfolio, and fosters education through documentaries with its popular free program Docs For Schools. Hot Docs owns and programs the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, a century-old landmark located in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood and the world’s first and largest documentary cinema, and operates Hot Docs at Home streaming platform.

Alice Cooper’s “Schools Out For Summer” May be a Reality in Ontario as Schools Shut Down and Parents Struggle with Remote Learning Until When?

NEWS RELEASE

Ontario Moves Schools to Remote Learning Following Spring Break

Continued Rise in COVID-19 Cases Demands Shift to Protect Students and Staff and Slow Community Spread

April 12, 2021

Office of the Premier

TORONTO — The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has made the difficult decision to move elementary and secondary schools to remote learning following the April break. This move has been made in response to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, the increasing risks posed to the public by COVID-19 variants, and the massive spike in hospital admissions.

Details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“We are seeing a rapidly deteriorating situation with a record number of COVID cases and hospital admissions threatening to overwhelm our health care system,” said Premier Ford. “As I have always said we will do whatever it takes to ensure everyone stays safe. By keeping kids home longer after spring break we will limit community transmission, take pressure off our hospitals and allow more time to rollout our COVID-19 vaccine plan.”

With appropriate measures in place, schools have been safe places for learning throughout the pandemic, as confirmed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health and local medical officers of health and have demonstrated low rates of in-school transmission. However, increasing rates of community spread pose a threat to the health and safety of school communities. As a result, all publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools in the province are to move to teacher-led remote learning when students return from the April break on April 19, 2021. Private schools operating in-person this week are to transition to remote learning by April 15, 2021. This action is being taken in support of the Government’s broader efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Data will be assessed on an ongoing basis and health officials will be consulted to determine when it will be safe to resume in-person learning.

Child care for non-school aged children will remain open, before and after school programs will be closed and free emergency child care for the school-aged children of eligible health care and frontline workers will be provided. To protect the most vulnerable, boards will make provisions for continued in-person support for students with special education needs who require additional support that cannot be accommodated through remote learning.

“This was not a decision we made lightly, as we know how critical schools are to Ontario students. Our priority has always been to keep schools open, however sharply rising community transmission can put our schools and Ontario families at risk,” said Minister Lecce. “While Ontario’s plan has kept schools safe, as confirmed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, we are taking decisive and preventative action today to ensure students can safely return to learning in our schools.”

Case rates, hospitalizations, and ICU occupancy are increasing rapidly, threatening to overwhelm the health care system. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the province have increased by 22.1 per cent between the period of April 4 and 10, 2021. In addition, during this same period of time, Ontario has seen the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care increase from 494 to 605.

Since April 8, the province has been under a provincewide Stay-at-Home order, requiring everyone to remain at home except for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services (including getting vaccinated), for outdoor exercisewith your household in your home community, or for work that cannot be done remotely. As Ontario’s health care capacity is threatened, the Stay-at-Home order, and other new and existing public health and workplace safety measures, will work to preserve public health system capacity, safeguard vulnerable populations, allow for progress to be made with vaccinations and save lives.

With students moving to remote learning, vaccine prioritization of education workers who provide direct support to students with special education needs across the province, and all education workers in select hot spot areas, starting with Peel and Toronto, will continue. Starting today, special education workers across the province and education workers in Peel and Toronto hot spots will be eligible to register for vaccination by calling the provincial vaccine booking line at 1‑833‑943‑3900. More information is available at Ontario.ca/covidvaccine.

It is critically important that as Ontarians receive the vaccine, everyone continues to wear a mask, maintain physical distancing when outside of their immediate household and frequently wash their hands. As well, continue to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if symptoms are present.

“As we continue to see rapid growth in community transmission across the province, it is necessary to take extra precautions and measures to ensure the continued health and safety of students, teachers and their families,” said Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “As the fight against this third wave of the pandemic continues, everyone must continue following all public health and workplace safety measures and stay at home to prevent further transmission of the virus, so we can once again resume in person learning in our schools.”

Quick Facts

As of April 10, 2021, Ontario currently has 1,646 COVID-19 patients requiring acute care, which includes 605 patients in ICU, with 382 on a ventilator.
Based on the latest modelling data, cases across the province are continuing to grow and the number of people requiring an intensive care bed is projected to rise to approximately 800 people within the next 10 days.
Some jurisdictions around the world, including those in Canada have implemented similar time-limited measures to respond to a dramatic resurgence in cases. Based on their experiences, measures of four to six weeks are expected to interrupt transmission of COVID-19 in Ontario.
Municipalities and local medical officers of health may have additional restrictions or targeted requirements in their region.
Get tested if you have symptoms compatible with COVID-19, or if you have been advised of exposure by your local public health unit or through the COVID Alert App. Visit Ontario.ca/covidtest to find the nearest testing location.
Prior to April break, more than 99 per cent of students and staff did not have a current case of COVID-19. Since September, 99.2 per cent of students and 98.6 per cent of staff never reported a COVID-19 case.

St. Vincent and Grenadines Need Your Help

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Issues Urgent Appealfor Relief Supplies in Wake of La Soufrière Eruption Toronto, ON (April 12th, 2021) – Following the April 9^th eruption of the La Soufrière volcano, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has issued an urgent appeal to the public for relief for those directly impacted. The volcano continues to erupt explosively and has now begun to generate pyroclastic density currents. Explosions and accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger magnitude, are likely to continue to occur over the next few days at least.
Over 16,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes in the Red Zone to the safer Green Zone to shelters, personal homes and hotels. The need for assistance is tremendous as the country battles with excessive amounts of ashfall, water shortages, and electricity outages.
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) has released a list of the following items and KLC Shippers in Toronto has agreed to offer free storage and shipment of these relief supplies from Canada to St. Vincent:

Folding cots
Blankets
Tents (10x10ft or 20x20ft)
Sleeping mats
Respirator mask with filters
Goggles
Reflective vests
Caution tape
Hygiene kits
Non-perishable food items
Clothing (NEW)
5-gallon buckets

The items can be sent to/dropped off at:
KLC Shippers50 Tiffield Road, Unit 15Scarborough, ON M1V 5B7416-291-6733
People can also purchase items on Amazon.ca and send orders directly to the address above to the attention of NEMO SVG. Additionally, financial contributions can be made via a GoFundMe campaign that has been started by CARI-ON SVG Disaster Preparedness, a non-profit organization based in Toronto.
GlobalMedic, a Canadian charity and disaster response agency, has also organized a local relief effort, sending food and family emergency kits with water purification units and hygiene items to help displaced families in St. Vincent. Click to donate – from the dropdown ‘Fund’ menu, you can select ‘4 – Saint Vincent – Volcanic Eruption.’
Currently, residents in the immediate area of the volcano have been evacuated to government shelters, as well as off the island on cruise ships in the region that rushed to assist in the effort.
For the most up-to-date information from NEMO, including government bulletins and status updates, please visit https://www.facebook.com/nemosvg ### About St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG):A collection of 32 islands and cays in the Caribbean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines boasts the best of what the authentic Caribbean is renowned for. The Grenadines which stretch 45 miles south from the main island of St. Vincent, include eight inhabited islands: Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent (PSV). The Tobago Cays (home of SVG’s national marine park) is a horseshoe shaped reef that shields five deserted islets and is known to have some of the best sailing waters in the world. For more information on the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, please visit www.discoversvg.com

Tourism Niagara Falls Invites You to Experience Niagara Falls Virtually

EXPLORE NIAGARA FALLS VIRTUALLY

While we all do our part in staying safe at home to stop the spread of COVID-19, Niagara Falls is bringing its iconic experiences to life in your living room. Whether you’ve visited the Falls before, are planning to visit in the future, or you call Niagara Falls home, the World Wonder will be ready to welcome you again when travel resumes.

Explore Niagara Falls VR

Get cozy and enjoy our collection of family-friendly videos, stories and activities to entertain and educate – from virtual tours to magic shows. Plus, view the majestic wonder from home 24/7 with the Niagara Falls Live Web Cam, including the nightly Falls Illumination. Learn more about how to experience the wonder of Niagara Falls from home here.

Bird Kingdom (Virtual)

Bird Kingdom is bringing the wonder of birds to you! Their Virtual Field Trip is a mix of live animal interaction and prerecorded footage of the animals at Bird Kingdom, showing the most amazing and educational experiences you can see at the world’s largest indoor free-flying aviary. Each class runs 35 minutes and costs $95 for up to 50 participants. Their presentation involves audience interaction, so be ready to type your answers and ask questions during the live presentation. Learn something new about birds and why we should care about protecting the natural environment. It may be hard or impossible for groups to travel, but Bird Kingdom is bringing education and inspiration direct to your screen. During lockdown classes can be booked 7 days a week from 9am to 4pm. Bird Kingdom is offering FREE Virtual Field Trips to seniors’ residences in Niagara Falls, Ontario and also offering FREE Virtual Field Trips to schools helping indigenous students in northern Canada.

Bird Kingdom | Niagara Falls Canada (niagarafallstourism.com)

Niagara’s Indigenous Legacy (Virtual)

The Niagara Region was a place of awe and wonder for the Indigenous peoples who first walked this land. Their ancestors’ footsteps arrived approximately 13,000 years ago as the melting glaciers retreated northward, revealing the Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario and the mighty Niagara River. Explore the collection featuring objects that reveal the presence of Indigenous peoples, their art and history in the Niagara region, extending back hundreds of generations up to the present day. Explore videos created by curators Rob MacDonald, Rick Hill and Dave Labbe as they explain the source materials, uses and beauty of the Indigenous artifacts in the collections. Solve the mystery of the bannerstones!

https://empathictraditions.ca/

Adventure Rooms Canada (Virtual)

Adventure Rooms Canada takes its thrilling experiences online including two popular games with Hosted Remote Play. Your group has 60 minutes to find its way out of a mysterious room using logic, searching for clues to get through obstacles. Make it through the puzzles to find the key and unlock yourself to freedom. Family friendly games are appropriate for ages 8 years and up.

Adventure Rooms Canada | Niagara Falls Canada (niagarafallstourism.com)

Safari Niagara (Virtual)

Safari Niagara is showcasing programming on the Safari Niagara YouTube channel that can be viewed at leisure including: Keeper Cams/Keeper Talks, Get Closer Series, Animal Enrichment footage and Zooniversity videos.

Safari Niagara | Niagara Falls Canada (niagarafallstourism.com)

Passage of the Day: Marguerite de Navarre “The Heptameron”: More on love

“I would argue that a man who is deeply in love does not commit a sin, or only commits a venial sin, whatever he does. Because I’m certain that if he is in the grip of perfect love, he will not hear the voice of reason, either in his heart or his understanding. And, if we are truthful about it, there’s not one among us who’s not experienced this wild passion, which, I believe, is readily pardonable. What is more, I believe that God is not even angered by the sin of this kind, since it is one step in the ascent to perfect love of Him to which one cannot ascend without passing the ladder of worldly love. For St. John says: ‘ How shall you love God, whom you see not, unless you love him whom you see?” ‘

Ontario Moves Schools to Remote Learning Following Spring Break

Table of Contents

Quick Facts