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Showing posts with label seinfeld. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seinfeld. Show all posts

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Laughter every day keeps the doctor away


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Yesterday I spontaneous said, "laughter for happiness is like flour for bread."

Get it? You can't have happiness without laughter, you can't have bread without flour.

Whether it's gluten-free, spelt, whole wheat, unbleached, white or rye, you can't really make bread without flour. It's not the only ingredient, but it is the most essential.

As many of you already know, laughter and health are as intrinsically linked as laughter and happiness, but now we have medical proof.

Several studies done by The University of Maryland Medical Center found that people who'd suffered from heart attacks tended to laugh less at life than people who did not suffer from heart attacks.
The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease. University of Maryland - Laughter is "Best Medicine" for Your Heart
 Also, laughter contributes to increased blood flow and healthier blood vessels:
Laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand in order to increase blood flow. University of Maryland - Laughter helps blood vessels function better
Here's a video that sites the University of Maryland studies:



Obviously having a healthy heart, blood and blood vessels are essential for overall health, but have you ever talked to someone on heart medication or blood thinners? It does not sound like fun. So along with your healthy diet, make a point to laugh at least once per day. Laughter lowers stress. According to another study used funny movies as the trigger to see how it affected their subjects. Check it out:

Arterial compliance was improved for a full 24 hours after subjects watched a funny movie," said lead researcher Jun Sugawara. "Laughing is likely not the complete solution to a healthy heart, but it appears to contribute to positive effects. Medical News Today: Laugh A Little To Help Protect Heart, Lower Blood Pressure
So if nothing in your life is striking you as particularly funny, you can help the process along through television and movies.

My personal favorites, most of which are available on DVD, netflix or reruns if you have DVR.

Television:
  • Chappelle's Show and Dave Chappelle in general. The great thing about The Chappelle Show is that I can watch different episodes and skits over and over and still laugh even when I know most of the lines. Genius!
  • 30 Rock. I hate to overuse the word genius, but really...this show deserves it. Genius!
  • Arrested Development. If the family's dysfunction doesn't bother you too much, this show is brilliantly written, acted, directed and edited.
  • Better Off Ted. This is a relatively young show, being that it's only on the second season, but I laugh during every episode without fail. My favorite part is the "Veridian Dynamics" fake commercials. Hilarious!
  • The Simpsons. Good today, yesterday and tomorrow. Thanks, Simpsons, for being so reliably funny and smart.
  • Family Guy. Another solid animated show that always delivers. It is sometimes a little more déclassé than Simpsons, but I kinda like that.
  • South Park. This show goes where The Simpsons and Family Guy would only tread in the darkest of their dreams or deepest levels of their basements. As far as I'm concerned, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have serious cajónes.
  • My Name is Earl. I was a bit surprised that I like this show so much. But it's clever and I like the karma aspect. I just started watching it on netflix and appreciate that the episodes are commercial free (on netflix), about 21 minutes - so I can get a quick laugh fix in when I really need it.
  • I Love Lucy. Another one that's good today, yesterday and tomorrow. The on-camera chemistry between characters Lucy and Ricky is unparalleled in television. Also, Lucille Ball is one of the best physical comedians of all time. All time!
  • Seinfeld. There's a reason this show is still rerunning all over the place. "Festivus for the rest of us!"
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm. Warning! This show makes awkward and super-dry humor funny. Not for everyone, but those who it is for, love it.
  • The Office. Another awkward show. Ricky Gervais' performance is incredible. The man never breaks character. His stand-up is pretty great too.
For those of you into the old school comedies, try:
  • I Love Lucy. (see above)
  • Married With Children
  • The Golden Girls
  • Night Court
  • Taxi
  • Family Ties (How can liberal parents have a rebellious child? Easy. Give them a super-conservative son in the form of Alex P. Keaton. Nice move.)
  • The Carol Burnett Show Another brilliant cast. Love the way they interact and crack each other up. Also, Carol's Q&A with the audience is priceless!
  • The Honeymooners. While this isn't one of my absolute favorites, it is a nice, simple, classic comedy show with very cute and earnest players.
  • Cheers! From coach, to Sam, Woody and Norm. Great characters, great dialogue, great show.
That's enough for now. Write in the comments your favorite comedy-outlets, entertainment or otherwise and maybe I'll do a second Laughter blog.
    One last note. Marcus and I crack each other up at least once a day - it's my personal conviction that your significant other should be a source and sounding board for your laughter; at the very least you two should be able to laugh together at comedies or comedians - or for those rare couples who have very divergent humors, maybe you just support each other seeking comedy relief via your personal flavor of humor.


    A video for your viewing pleasure: The Landlord from Funny or Die. "I need to get my drink on."

    The Landlord from Will Ferrell



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    Monday, May 24, 2010

    Qi Pao! My hips in China.

    In 2006 I traveled to China for a documentary film I was producing. We worked the majority of the month that we were there, but we did get about 3 days off, if memory serves.

    During one of those days off, I went into the fabric district of Shanghai with my good friend and mandarin-speaker Violet. Not only do we have fun shopping together, but I needed a translator to communicate with the Chinese tailors who were going to measure me for the Qi Pao I was designing.

    There was no chance that I could buy a Qi Pao off the rack. Women in China are not built like I am. My hips are there. Really there. Chinese women, no disrespect intended, must have a hard time carrying children on their hip because the children would just slip off. Whoop! No hips! I wonder if they have to unhinge to give birth.

    Apparently the minimal hips are celebrated in China.

    The women measured me for my Qi Pao. Everywhere. When they got to my waist, they measured, then moved to my hips and measured. Then they did it again. And again. All the while they were chattering in mandarin. I didn't  know exactly what they were saying, but like Elaine in Seinfeld, I knew they were talking shit. At the time, Violet said, "they're just making sure they have the right measurements."

    Later, when I asked Violet again what they were saying, she told me the truth.

    According to Violet, they said something along the lines of, "Her waist is so small, but her hips are so big. It's really unfortunate."

    Unfortunate! These hips are not unfortunate! Just ask any of my old boyfriends or Marcus!

    But it just goes to show you, body shape, body size, body style, everything about how we look and our bodies is subjective based on culture and the time period we're in. In the past being overweight was a sign of wealth and opulence, because it meant you could afford the most and the best foods. Being tan used to be a sign of being poor and a laborer, but now it's (mostly) a sign that a person has leisure time to lounge in the sun. Supposedly, women in Bali used to be more marriage-worthy if they were zaftig (defined as: having a pleasantly plump figure; full-bodied; well-proportioned) and that has only changed since they've had access to western television and entertainment. The modeling world seems overrun with super-skinny, no-hip-having, size zero women. Have you ever hugged or had sex with women who are this little? No offense intended, but they seem a bit breakable and not very cuddle-friendlly. Though if you like that sort of thing, dive on in. And what about the trend of large, implant-breasts? In Los Angeles and Vegas alike, it seems like 8 out of 10 women have fake breasts. It makes me miss seeing real, big and small alike, breasts on women strutting their stuff and owning their natural beauty. Don't get me wrong, I love healthy, fit bodies, but it's so inspiring to see a woman owning her body's natural beauty. You know what I'm talking about, right? Those women who walk around enjoy the way it feels to be in their skin. There is no surgery, no implant, that is as beautiful, expensive, or profound as a happy, confident woman.

    But it does make me wonder, what physical feature will be the virtue-du-jour in the future? Will breast implants go the way of foot-binding? Or corsets? Time has shown that the ideal beauty changes. We might as well step into enjoying ourselves as we are. From there, from that place of self adoration, make choices and take action towards being healthier and more fit. If we come at it from a place of dislike, we are fighting against ourselves.

    That's all for today. Later I'll be sitting by a pool, giving my body the gift of sun and vitamin D (until I umbrella myself after about 30 minutes of sun-exposure) and enjoying my body. I still have to remind myself to love my body as it is, because I too can be critical sometimes. The key for me is to remember how much my body as gotten me through. How amazing and supportive it has been through all of my life's ups and downs, adventures and misadventures. Think about how well your body has recovered from injury or soreness. The human body is amazing.

    I have a freckle on the bottom of my right foot. It's super cute. The little soft spot on my lower belly works really well as a pillow for Marcus. I also sometimes rest my hands there (almost like our friend Al Bundy), when I'm watching TV just because it feels good. My hips look like curvy landscape when I'm lying on my side. My legs are strong and muscular and look good in shorts and skirts. Both my hips and legs may provide a challenge when getting slacks or jeans to fit me properly, but ultimately, they carry me well.

    Go! Enjoy your body. Appreciate your body. Adore your body. It's yours. No one else's. What better reason is there than that?

    Those Chinese seamstress women, they don't know.

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