Ken Hoyt

I personally think that John Lennon’s Imagine is one of the most beautiful, hope inspiring songs ever written. It has the quiet directness of a fervent prayer.

I also think it’s one difficult song to sing. Such is the pitfall of simple elegance; it must be simple and elegant to be effective.

Young David Archuleta is the early favorite of American Idol this season. At seventeen he doesn’t have the experience of some of the older contestants, at the same time he is neither mannered nor artificial. Does that remind you of a certain presidential race?

Hopeful and humble, Mr. Archuleta is a breath of fresh air to me and other folks my age who take comfort in seeing such virtues in the youth of our country. I imagine, too, that girls around his age would find his wholesome good looks appealing.

Follow this link to hear him sing Imagine with a rare combination of maturity and purity.

The upside to kissing frogs has been apparent to prince stalkers for eons. Now there is further reason to make nice with my favorite amphibians.

A recent study reports that a peptide found in the skin of Bullfrogs may hold the key to staving off the effects of aging.

You’ll find the story here…

This beautiful illustration is from Ernst Haeckel’s 1904 Kunstformen der Natur.

Nathan Lane=One of the Funniest People on Earth. Spare a few minutes to laugh at his recent appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show.

The Dove Bar originally referred to soap, not delicious calorie-laden ice cream. The Dove soap of my childhood is now but a part of a vast line of skin and hair care products. It’s a classic story of a well-respected brand leveraging their image.

Today Dove has become a go to brand for sane people that wish for good skin care but would just as soon skip crazy department store prices (which, in my experience are all hat, no cattle).

Corporations, especially those who depend on retail sales, are often sensitive about their public identity. It’s crucial to the bottom line to be perceived as caring and humane. Some image campaigns have resulted in actual good, yet many seem to be cobbled together fever dreams.

Dove is one of the good guys. Their Campaign for Real Beauty offers positive self images for women of every shape and size. I encourage you to watch the video from which these before-after photos were taken which deftly exposes the dark side of beauty marketing. Check out the three other videos- all short and thought provoking.

Many of us suffer when our internal critic entertains poisonous thoughts about our personal worth. Advertising promotes the anxiety of measuring up to unrealistic standards. Please share these videos with anyone that you think might benefit from a gentle reality check.

Smoking is bad… but quitting is hard (I know from personal experience). There are products out there to make the transition to smoke free easier, but the cure can feel costly when you’re facing other expenses. A roadblock.

Logic tells us that once we’re through purchasing the nicotine delivery system of choice (read cigarettes, etc.) we’ll save money we’ll save money. But paying for the services and goods that will get us there adds to the bottom line. A little help over the hump would be nice.

North American Quitline Consortium provides a variety of services and access to free or discounted medication. Follow the link to find the organization in your state.

They also have materials for folks who’d like to help out a friend who’s trying to quit. Here’s the deal: nobody likes to be nagged about quitting, and few people enjoy nagging. It’s nice to know someone cares, though. This information gives you the chance to say, “I found a free resource for quitting smoking.” That might be just what your friend needs to hear.