Now here's something odd - a US president pardoned somebody the other day. Oooops sorry - he didn't, he just commuted a sentence. I'll pull my tongue out of my cheek now.

Let me check my Constitution here. The legal system is set up to provide a fair trial ... to examine the evidence ... and to provide a verdict which is then upheld by the system itself. Beautiful. Elegant. Fair (more often than not). Good stuff. The Constitution of the United States of America - a work of art.

Dateline 2007 ... Scooter Libby's going to jail. Or is he? He was convicted ... and thus, if he's in the same category as any other convicted criminal, he's headed to jail.

But wait! President Bush flies in with his Superman cape on and says "no worries mate, it doesn't matter what the legal system says because what *I* say matters most - and I say you're not going to jail".

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A "mentor" is defined as "a wise and trusted guide and advisor". Perhaps this sounds like a crazy idea - but if we have sports coaches and life coaches, what about health coaches? Or better yet, let's put the right slant on it - because, as they say, perception is everything - and call them health mentors. Is this not what we need in the world of health to foster competent self care?

Yes, there is a need for health "care" - and health care providers. That will always be the case. But examine the medical problems faced by our society today. Obesity. Heart disease. Diabetes. All are issues that would benefit significantly from a different approach to health. These are conditions that either have a significant "preventative" aspect or that benefit tremendously from straightforward education and lifestyle changes. They are also conditions that are putting a tremendous strain on the health care system - and that strain doesn't look to be getting better any time soon, especially with an aging populace.

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Sunshine. It never ceases to amaze me.

There is an inherent beauty and power to the sun and it's shining prominence in our galaxy. Sure, there is the perspective of the awesome energy produced by the center of our universe. Yes, it fuels the growth of the flora and fauna of the earth. But there is something so much more elemental about it.

Sunshine. A glimmer of it in the wintertime - and we smile with it's radiant warmth upon us. Having spent many years living in Canada before moving to Texas, I truly understand why "Seasonal Affective Disorder" exists. A long hard winter without the sun can leave you without energy and depressed. It takes but a moment in the sun, a brief fleeting moment of sunshine, to get us to relax, to let the stresses of our days ease away ... to smile. A hard day will always be better with the sun shining down upon us. The world suddenly becomes a better place ...

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I was originally exposed to the concept of the SAID Principle, or "Specific Adaptations To Imposed Demands", via exercise physiology. From a cellular perspective, this simply means that the tissues of the body, be they muscle, bone, tendon, cartilage, or ligament - adapt to the demands imposed upon them. For example, weight bearing activities foster an in crease in bone density, and strength training fosters muscular strength and power development. Both are examples of very specific adaptations that the human body makes in order to adapt to the demands placed on the system.

But all cells respond to stimuli.

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