From the Inside Out

Wow, Halloween is only two weeks away! I’m not throwing a party this year, but our church is hosting a “trunk or treat” party so I could still dress for the occasion. According to the articles I’ve read recently, reality tv stars and dead celebrities (like MJ and Farrah Fawcett) are going to be all the rage this year. Palin and Madoff costumes are also surprisingly popular. And don’t forget the crazy musicians, Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse.

If those ideas don’t suit you, check out my “top 5″ funny options this year:

• Illegal Alien. This costume is being blasted by activists, but they need to lighten up. It’s hilarious.
• Kanye and Taylor Swift (couples idea). Anyone who saw (or read about) the events that occurred during the MTV Music Awards will understand why this is so funny.
• Octomom. Eight babies and lots of plastic surgery equates to a very interesting costume.
• Swine Flu. Since this illness seems to be infecting everyone lately, it’s pretty timely.

  Kate Gosselin. I’m not a fan of the “Kate and John Plus 8″ tv show, but you have to admit that this one would be lots of fun. You can carry around a bunch of baby dolls, scream, yell, and act like a control freak all night. Besides, who doesn’t want to wear the worst haircut in the world for a day?

The grand opening celebration for the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas’ Arts District has been in full swing all week and will culminate with an “open house” festival on Sunday, Oct. 18 from 11 am - 8 pm.

Free and open to the public, the day will include family-friendly activities, venue tours, and indoor and outdoor “spotlight” performances by the Center’s resident companies and national, regional and local talent spanning dance, music and theatre. It will also feature free admission to exhibitions at Arts District museums and other venues, giving access to special programming they created just for this occasion. The grand finale will be a fireworks show at 7:45 pm.

If you are in the area and have an interest in the arts, it’s a great opportunity to get a sampling of what’s to come at the new PAC…best of all, it’s entirely free. So join in the excitement and check it out on Sunday. For more info, visit: attpac.org/grandopening.

Imagine being so rich that you could buy your own country. Many American billionaires (members of The Forbes 400) have amassed enough money to buy some of the world’s economies. It’s hard to imagine that one individual’s wealth could be that large, but it’s true. For example, Bill Gates has a net worth of $50 billion. That’s larger than the GDP of 140 countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Impressive, huh?

How about Warren Buffett? His $40 billion fortune is equal to North Korea’s economy. NYC Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has a balance sheet that is equal to the value of all the goods and services produced in Zambia.

Haiti and the Bahamas could be bought by land developer Donald Bren or Sheldon Adelson, a casino mogul. And don’t forget one of the most famous Hollywood billionaires, George Lucas. Worth $3 billion, his fortune is equal to the GDP of Guyana.

According to Forbes, even the poorer members of the club — those with less than one billion — still have enough money to operate economies of significant countries across the globe.

Even though my goal is to secretly amass a small fortune by the time I retire, I doubt I’ll ever reach the billionaire’s club…unless someone I know wins the lottery and has pity on me, which is doubtful. Still, if I had enough to buy a country, I’d pick a little island country like the Bahamas or Vanuatu where the scenery is beautiful and you can enjoy the ocean every single day. Too bad Italy is so expensive, or I’d go for it too!

How about you? If you could buy a country, what would it be?

Music has an uncanny way of lifting my mood. When I’m stressed, I can escape into another world filled with melodic sounds. It doesn’t matter whether it’s gospel, jazz, rock, or soulful tunes, the music creates a feeling of well being and calms my stressed mind.

I’ve always thought this effect was simply because I love music. There’s something about it that soothes my soul and makes me happy. I love to sing, and I love to play the piano. And, most of all, I love to praise God with my music and songs. From my earliest days, I remember singing with my family, singing in church, and later singing competitively in school. I have always felt a connection to music.

It turns out that this connection may not be limited to my mind. According to Mike Miller from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, playing or listening to music actually affects the cardiovascular system. When people listen to music, the inner lining of their blood vessels relaxes, allows blood to circulate more freely, and produces chemicals that protect the heart. Miller goes on to say that “music may be one of the best de-stressors — either by playing or even listening” to it.

In fact, during a recent Stanford University study, elderly patients battling depression improved their mood and self-esteem after visits with a music therapist. The Mayo Clinic also uses music as part of its cardiovascular surgery healing program to “promote relaxation and reduce tension, stress and anxiety.” The music helps patients relax which can help decrease pain, lift moods, and improve sleep, especially during recovery.

There is a catch, however. It must be music that you like. When Miller’s study participants listened to music they didn’t particularly enjoy, the vessels began to close. That’s the same thing that tension — or stress — does to your cardiovascular system.

Apparently, our systems also like variety. Listening repeatedly to the same tune diminishes the positive effects. Miller recommends varying songs so “when you hear the song fresh, it brings back the sense of joy and opens up the system.”

So, the next time you’re feeling stressed, just grab that iPod and put it on shuffle. Your heart will thank you.

If you are a Lethal Weapon fan, you probably remember the drive thru scene with Leo Getz. He uses some colorful language to describe why you always get the wrong order at the drive thru. If you can overlook the language, it’s a hilarious scene that also holds some truth. By the time you figure out they gave you the wrong order, you’re too far away to go back and get it fixed — you’re just screwed.

If you want to reduce your odds of having a bad experience, you might want to frequent the best drive thru’s in America as determined by Insula Research’s annual Drive-Thru Performance Study. This ranking of the top 20 fast food drive thru’s in America measures their performance in four categories: order accuracy, speaker clarity, speed, and best menu board.

And the results are:

1. Chick-fil-A
2. Taco Bell
3. Del Taco
4. Krystal
5. Wendy’s

Chick-fil-A earned the highest composite score in the survey, topping the competition in two of the four categories: order accuracy and speaker clarity. Chick-fil-A also had the friendliest service measured by demeanor, politeness, and eye contact. Wendy’s ranked number one in the “Speed” category, and Whataburger won top honors for the best menu board.

To read the full results, check out the article in this month’s QSR Magazine .