radiant.matrix

Grant over at 43 Folders tells an interesting story about sui ren zhi shi, jie ren zhi li (roughly “borrowing strength”), a Tai Chi Chuan principle that’s based in redirecting the energy of your opponent to your advantage.

My wife, she was just being hounded constantly by our very helpful little bundles of interruptions (ages 5 and 2.5) when it came time to cook a meal. “I wanna help, I wanna help, I wanna help!” they’d say, while grabbing for the good crystal and the razor-keen pizza slicer. I could only keep one of them occupied at a time, before the other would creep into the kitchen and strike up the chorus. “I wanna help!” And it was just as bad when I was doing the food prep and she was running interference. We’re on a bit of a tight schedule (I work some nights), and we all have things we’d rather be doing – like diddling around with Photoshop and blogging software. Nothing was getting done. So, at the end of our collective tether, my wife, who is a genius, decided to let the kids help. — It’s not a bug, it’s kung fu

Grant makes a brief connection between that principle of “borrowing strength” and productivity. And I agree, it is a powerful idea. There’s another, from Taoism (in which Tai Chi Chuan is deeply rooted), known as wu-wei (”non-action”) that I find even more valuable.

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Some people say you can use a few items a few days after expiry – but I personally value my health more than money and would rather avoid buying such items in the first place. — 30 Easy Ways to Save Money (and No, you are not doing them all!) – Dumb Little Man

I certainly agree that health is more valuable than money, but there’s a common belief that the date printed on packages is an “expiration date”. In fact, it could be several things:

1. sell-by dates indicate the last date on which a retailer is allowed to sell a particular product. It’s still safe for consumption (as long as it’s stored in a working fridge [40°F or colder]) for some time after. Eggs, for example, are safe for 3-5 weeks after the sell-by date.

2. use-by dates indicate when the product should be used for peak quality. It’s determined by the manufacturer. It’s a good idea to use food before this date, but most foods aren’t going to be “at peak” one day and “spoiled” the next. For maximum safety, toss food that passes a use-by date.

3. best if used by dates are guidance as to when the product has the best flavor/potency. It’s not a food-safety guideline at all. If you eat food after this date passes, it might taste nasty, but it’s unlikely to be unsafe.

4. coded dates tell you when a product was produced. In the absence of any other date mark, this is usually used only on non-perishable items.

5. Expires on dates tell you the last date a food item is considered safe. When this date passes, throw it out.

Of course, as soon as you open a container, the dates become just estimates — an open gallon of milk can go bad well before it’s sell-by date. Be sure to properly store everything as well, and learn how to determine if your food is spoiled without needing to rely on the date.

See the USDA’s Food Product Dating guide and their Food Safety Education site for reliable food-safety information.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. — Herm Albright

I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land. — Jon Stewart