Make Life Funny Again

Does anyone remember laughter?

It hasn't been funny out there for years, and 2023 was no different.

It was plain tragic. Not even tragic funny, just tragic.

Living in such a humourless world has repercussions on human health. Deaths of despair are increasing, each one of them decidedly unfunny. 

Wouldn't you rather die laughing? I would.

We need our laughter like we need love, or food.

It is a scientifically proven method to improve health. 

Here is what the science says laughter does for us:

* relaxes the whole body. 

* boosts the immune system. 

* triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.

 

* protects the heart. 

* burns calories. 

* promotes mental health. 

The world needs more funny. Way more funny. 

We are desperate for something to laugh at, like we used to before the Behemoths of Bummer took over.

We need a constant drip of hilarity. No amount is too much. 

However, when your face starts hurting it's probably time for a break.

 

A day without a good belly laugh is a day wasted.

Make life funny again.

Here's to a more humorous year in 2024.

April Fools Day Cancelled

Things you do want to hear, "April fools!" after:

- "Because of the way you think, we froze your bank account until further notice without evidence or trial."

- "There's a ______ (food, energy, truck driver, everything)  shortage."

- "All our leaders have failed us."

- "We're out of coffee."

Things you do not want to hear, "April fools" after:

- "War is over, and peace has broken out everywhere."

- "The effects of global supply chain breakdown have been mitigated by import replacement and bolstering community resilience."

- "Our lame leaders and corrupted systems have been replaced with more effective alternatives."

- "Shortages are temporary, and we will be back to normal shortly."

- "I love you."

A Different (More Compassionate) Space

I made the mistake today, after a several day break, of going to our national broadcaster's web site. 

It made me sad.

I should know better. The reason I quit visiting there is because the news is never good, and the comments on the bad news are even worse.

I needed an antidote, and fast. 

Suburbs of Goa is an internet radio station I listen to when I need a calming influence.

Once there, I listened to "A Different Space" by Bob Holroyd. 

I invite you to take a listen above, and enjoy a space which is very different from anything any mainstream news has to offer.

"A Different Space" by Bob Holroyd

 

Buddha of compassion All Buddhas of the past, present and future Bodhisattvas, an ocean of measureless qualities Please hear my anguished words of truth Karma, in an ocean of joy Let the might of your compassion arise to bring a quick end, to the flowing stream of the blood and tears. They are drunk with demonic delusions What is right and what is wrong Our most cherished and long felt desire.

This beautiful song made me feel better about everything.

Rather than denounce worldly things entirely, or try to bang my head against the wall and think that I can change them, I will sit back, view the world dispassionately, and laugh joyfully along with it all.

We hope you are well.

Please know that we love you, regardless of who you are, how you think, or what your status is.

May we laugh and enjoy life together.

Me Simplified

Birthplace: Earth

   

Religion: Love

Family: Humanity

Politics: Freedom

Passion: Nature

Goal: Self-Realization

Medicine: Laughter

Lifestyle: Simple

En-laughter-ment

Warning: consumerism will not lead to enlightenment.

I am having a bit of a Zen moment lately here on NBA. My last post on Zen Kitties elicited this response from Sophie:

"I wish I had read this wonderful post BEFORE I cleaned the cats' litter box! This gave me a much-needed laugh today."

Reading Sophie's comment led me to think more about Zen and laughter.

Often Linda gives me cause to spontaneously erupt in a belly laugh. She is a very witty person with a wicked sense of humour, one reason I love her so. She is my laughter guru.

In these moments it feels like a window on the Infinite has been thrown open. A brief moment of enlightenment, ala Sosan, the third Chinese patriarch of Zen. He would "awaken" his students with unexpected loud noises, but it seems to me that anything jarring that surprises you could put one in a receptive state.

For me, that is stealth humour where I am caught unaware, and am laughing joyously before I even know I am laughing. In that space I am grounded, centred and present.

In that moment I am one with Linda, with humour, with my environment, and with a very delightful (and often funny) Universe. Even if only for a brief moment, it feels wonderful with all barriers and separations dissolved.

I hope this blog can keep Sophie, and all NBA readers, laughing from time to time with zingers that come out of nowhere.

Clang! There it is - en-laughter-ment.

Other things that I have found that lead me to moments of clarity include the practices of: love, compassion, humility, forgiveness, making music, helping others, and living simply. I wish to share those here as well.

And all the while laughter, as we progress together. Ha, ha, ha. Ho, ho, ho. Hee, hee, hee. You can not possibly have too much laughter.

10 Best Medicines

Healing sunshine is returning to my kitchen - Spring is coming.

1. Sunshine

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.”

- Luther Burbank

2. Air


"For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth."

- Sanskrit Proverb

3. Exercise 


"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it."

- Plato

4. Water 

“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”


- Margaret Atwood

5. Food 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”


- Hippocrates


6. Sleep 

“Sleep is the best meditation.” 

- Dalai Lama


7. Laughter  

“Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.”


- George Gordon Byron


8. Nature

“The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”

- Voltaire


9. Meditation

“The more one meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be their world and the world at large.”

- Confucius


10. Love

"Love is a medicine for the sickness of the world; a prescription often given, too rarely taken."


 - Karl Menninger



Bonus Medicine - Music

"Philosophers of all ages have dwelt upon the importance of music as both an outlet for the spirit and emotions and as discipline for the mind. It is generally recognized that music gives access to regions in the subconscious that can be reached in no other way."

 ~Sophie Lewis Hutchinson Drinker (1888–1967), Music and Women, 1948



"Let a person be stimulated by poetry, established in character by the rules of propriety, and perfected by music."

- Confucius

Ha, Ha, Ha Your Way To Health

Ha, ha, ha, happy.

Ha, ha, ha. Laughter and an active sense of humour can help maintain good health and could even prevent a heart attack. I figure that laughing shouldn't be too hard - the world has become so silly that most of the time it is hard NOT to laugh.

There is no reason not to laugh considering how good it feels. The funny bone is definitely connected to well being. Laughter is free health care.

Does that mean that clowns are doctors?

A University of Maryland study showed that healthy men and women who were shown a humorous movie experienced a 22% increase in blood flow, and overall improved vascular and endothelial health. The endothelium is the protective barrier lining our blood vessels, and when it is damaged it can lead to heart problems.

Proving that a heart condition is nothing to laugh at, the researchers found that people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh than healthy people. But if you have heart disease laughing can make all the difference.

The study found laughter has immediate effects on heart health, and that the effects lasted for 45 minutes after the movie had finished.

Laughaholics have hangovers that feel good and that foster good health. Ha.


Other Benefits of Humour and Laughter

• Natural pain killer
• Improves breathing
• Helps with weight loss
• Gives a better sleep
• Decreases stress
• Makes you look and feel younger
• Boosts relationships
• Connects you to the here and now

Taking things seriously all the time and dwelling on the negative that abounds in the world today does not produce solutions, and it destroys peace of mind. The resulting stress is a silent killer.

The Maryland study concludes that everyone should strive to laugh several times every day. 

"For a healthy heart," they recommend, "exercise, eat right, and laugh heartily a few times a day. Read funny books or watch a funny show. Try to take things less seriously."

Want free health care? Relax. Smile. See the humour that abounds in the universe and laugh along with it. It is so much better than the alternative.

Ha, ha, ha. 

Ho, ho, ho.

Hee, hee, hee. 

I can feel it working already.

"I am thankful for laughter, 

except when milk comes out of my nose."

- Woody Allen 

What Will They Do When We Realize We Are All One?

Bill Hicks: "I want you - to think and laugh"

My favourite comics are the ones that make their audiences think, and challenge their habitual ways. George Carlin is one that comes to mind. Another, and one I am not as familiar with until recently, is Bill Hicks (1961-1994).

Hicks was an American stand up comedian, political philosopher, social critic, and all around anti-authoritarian. He died at age 32 of pancreatic cancer, but took full advantage of his brief life by challenging accepted ways of thinking and living, and asking his audiences to do the same.

When an audience member approached Hicks after a show and complained, "We don't come here to think," Hicks responded by saying, "Gee, where do you go to think? I'll meet you there".

Hicks thought his routine was like "bullets in the heart of consumerism, capitalism, and the American Dream". He was deeply disturbed by the dystopian reality foisted upon the public by big business and governments, and took refuge in "love, laughter, and truth".

A few Bill Hicks quotes highlight why he was a frequent victim of censorship, and was considered a dangerous subversive.

"I do not believe making money in order to consume goods is humankind's sole purpose on this planet. If you're wondering what I believe our purpose on this planet is, I'll give you a hint... it has to do with creating and sharing."

"It's all about money, not freedom. It has nothing to do with freedom. If you think you're free, try going somewhere without money."

"I'm glad mushrooms are against the law, because I took them one time, and you know what happened to me? I laid in a field of green grass for four hours going, "My God! I love everything." Yeah. Now, if that isn't a hazard to our country … how are we gonna keep building nuclear weapons, you know what I mean? What's gonna happen to the arms industry when we realize that we're all one?!"

"I need my sleep. I need about eight hours a day, and about ten at night."

"The less critical one is about various issues concerning the status quo, the more apt you are to become prey to advertising. The more substance and talking points you have in a show, the less attention you'll pay to the commercial break. Your mind would be too busy digesting and pondering the new information that was just received. U.S. media just can't have that."

Had Hicks lived longer he would have been at the forefront of the revolution, although he was also a big proponent of a more natural and peaceful process of voluntary evolution. He knew that if we could turn away from all the distractions and get together in a massive cooperative effort, we would be taking a great leap forward.

May love, laughter, and the truth reign in our lives.

Simple Pleasures: Laughter

I enjoy laughing a lot, and I think most people do. Laughing, giggling, guffawing, and letting go is good for you. Usually.

In my high school days I was driving my family's car with a friend riding shotgun. My friend told me a joke that made me laugh so hard I sailed through a yield sign with my head thrown back.

In my state of hilarity I did not notice the truck bearing down on us from the left. It hit us in the rear of the car. After spinning completely around we landed in a shroud of dust on the manicured front lawn of a tidy house.

At the time that incident was not very funny. Especially when the family ride was written off and sent to the auto wreckers. But it makes me laugh now, especially to consider how my laughter ended up in us getting a new car.

Laughter is an expression of joy experienced in the moment. It is as essential an ingredient in life as food, but is not fattening in the least. Quite the opposite - humour and laughter are good for us.

"Your sense of humor provides a powerful antidote to immuno-suppressive effects of stress in two ways, through:

1. Direct effects of humor and laughter upon the immune system,
2. Indirect effects resulting from humor’s ability to help you cope on the tough days.

The simple truth is that happy people generally don’t get sick."

- Bernie Siegel

Indulge yourself, and have a good, hard laugh. Repeat. But please, only when it is safe to do so. 

Warning: Do not convulse with hilarity, have a fit of laughter, or ROFL while operating machinery.

Mr. MacLean's Prescription For Life

Another favourite bench

I don't know who R.B. MacLean was, but he was my kind of guy. Here, on another of my favourite benches, is a plaque with his prescription for life.

This bench brought to you by Love and Humour.

When we laugh we let our defenses down. We are who we really are, experiencing joy and the moment. I read an excellent article on idleness recently. It said, "Idleness is what happens when we allow our pace to slacken, and merge with the rhythms of the natural day.

Humour is much the same - when we laugh we take a step out of normal life and merge with the moment and natural rhythms. Being in nature provides similar results. As does sitting on benches with no agenda or deadline.

The best is having a good, long, sit down on a bench - in nature, with a friend, laughing together.

View from Mr. MacLean's beautiful bench

This post brought to you courtesy of Mr. R. MacLean, Darlene, and friends.