Edward Kiledjian

"Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts." - Soren Kierkegaard

"Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity."
Thich Nhat Hanh

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." - Buddha

I hear horror stories everyday about people getting scammed and swindled online by professional thieves. Sometimes you lose a couple of bucks while others lose thousands. Regardless of the amount, it feels bad. 

Here is an example of an online scam I stumbled on the other day perpetrated on Twitter. 

First you get a tweet that looks "normal". They use various subjects that they know people will be interested in. In the above case, both tweets actually take you to the same place.

Then they send you to a page that looks like a reputable site (Woman's health in this case). They write the copy like it is a real article or news clip. The goal here is to get you excited about their snake oil and to move you to the next step in their scam process.

Notice in this case the actual domain name which is com-april21.us

Interesting that they are now using date based domain names. Just goes to show how many they cycle through to keep tricking people. 

I did a quick WHOIS lookup to see who owns the domain and this is what came up

Notice the ZIP code is 12345. The 768 area code is for Florida not NY. 

The location of the office is in the middle of nowhere. 

Once you fall for their product pitch, they send you here.

Garcinia Cambogia is an ingredient in many fat loss supplements but the claim that it will "make you lose weight without diet or exercise" is a little overblown and should be another warning signal.

Animal and human studies are split but overall it does look like it is beneficial but only as part of a healthy diet and exercise program. 

Warning signals:

1. URL looks reputable but is actually highly dubious
2. Site looks like a news report
3. Throwing names like Dr Oz to gain credibility
4. Links to a site selling a "miracle" product (aka losing weight without making any lifestyle changes)

be the reason the world is a better place today - Edward Kiledjian

Travel a couple of times a year (or more) and you start finding some of our new security rules stupid. One of the most stupid rules is the fact that I can't bring a water bottle with me through security but I can buy a $5 bottle from the convenience store. 

Eventually you get tired of having to pay $5 and you start testing the various types of reusable water bottles you can bring empty and fill after the security checkpoint. This led me to test about 18 different name brand water bottles (specifically for travel).

My requirements were:

1. Sturdy and resistant to drops
2. Watertight seal
3. Reusable
4. Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning
5. Wide mouth for each use (filling and drinking)
6. Must fit in the seat-back pocket of most airlines

With my list ready, I started my quest and after much testing, I selected the Vapur Element 1L (link) bottle as the clear winner. It meets all of my requirements and then some. As an example that goes over and above,  it can be filled and frozen for wilderness trekking or as an ice pack.

Many of the other bottles I tried took up too much room. They didn't fit in a seat-back pocket. They cracked when dropped or leaked.

We live in a world obsessed with instant. We want instant food, instant gratification and instant information. The media is happy to support the last point but you have to stop and ask yourself the question : 

Aren't there two sides to every story?

The majority of the population accepts everything we see on TV as absolute truth and our perception of other countries is often defined by these externally generated sources. One such perception is about Africa. Over my career, I have had the pleasure of working in Africa and quickly learned that my North American view may not jives with the reality on the ground. 

When I saw the above video, I was excited. It tackles some of the most common myths (misconceptions) head on.  So go on... watch that video and watch your mind open up.

The above is a short summary of the full 20 minute TEDxWarwick talk.

Simple solution that went "viral" and is helping thousands survive severe drought conditions. Sometimes simple is better. 

Ina  world where anything is possible and the affluent are looking for better ways to spend their money, Theodent has a solution: Chocolate flavoured toothpaste. Now you too can live your childhood dreams of brushing your teeth with chocolate flavoured toothpaste for the measly sum of $100 a tube. 

The magic is possible because of a patented cacao extract called Rennou which is non-toxic, safe for children and tastes like everyones favourite guilty pleasure. Organic shoppers will love the fact the toothpaste contains no fluoride (uses theobromine, calcium and phosphate) and  helps strengthen tooth enamel, whiten and strengthen your teeth. 

The basic (classic) toothpaste costs $9.99 a tube but is conveniently out of stock. The next version is $99.99 (extra strength).

Time to upgrade your brushing to the next level.

Where possible, I try to buy clocks that automatically correct their time using the signal from the Atomic Clock in Boulder CO. The atomic clock loses 1 second every 300 million years... The magic of this always correct timepiece is the Cesium 133 core. It is the natural decaying of this isotope that allows the atomic clock to sat on track. 

Casio has a line of wristwatches called the Waveceptor series which can also automatically correct its time based on the Atomic clock signal. Now a Kickstarter project (link) wants to take things up a notch by giving you your very own (wristwatch) mini atomic clock. It's slightly less accurate than its older brother but losing 1 second every 1000 years isn't anything to be ashamed about. 

10 watches will be produced at a cost of $6,000 each. This is the ultimate timepiece for the watch freak in your life.

A renown artisan ice-cream "designer" has concocted a once in a lifetime special request from an "A-list" customer. What is the wonderfully rare flavour? It is flavoured with Champagne and each scoop contains 1 dose of Viagra (25mgs). He nicknamed his mad creation The Arousal (link).

Try as you may, don't look for this on store shelves. Viagra is still a prescription only medication in most locales. The ice-cream mad scientist also create a glow in the dark ice cream using jellyfish proteins.

We all know that texting while driving can be very dangerous, this is a well designed video that shows just how dangerous it can be. 

This is a great video worth watching and sharing.

Don't text and drive

A beautifully choreographed poem untangling the stereotypes of a "Muslim girl" and a "Jewish girl". Explaining how their differences aren't that big and how we are all connected to one another (if only we take the time to look and respect each other).

If you like this article, please share.

We are surrounded by such negativity that we often forget the things that make life really worthwhile. This is an incredibly well make Thai video (with English subtitles) that will warm heart and start the week off on the right foot.

If you like the video, please share this article.