The Vahoo Info Connector

Since moving to Northern New Hampshire seven years ago, I have observed an unusually large number of my friends and neighbors, many of who are of so-called Baby Boomer age, dealing with the myriad of issues associated with elderly parents. I have been struck by the great dignity and grace with which they have done this and wish I could somehow document it. Of course it is a very personal thing to discuss and each of us has our own way of dealing with it. Yet, if we can learn from each other’s experiences, perhaps in some small way it can help make this difficult phase a bit easier.

Whether it’s rural New Hampshire or urban Boston or wherever, it’s something many of us have to do when our parents reach an age where they can no longer care for themselves. Back sometime in April 1980, my dad approaching ninety, found himself in this situation so it was time for me and my siblings, only one of whom lived in Chicago at the time, to make a difficult and collective decision about locating a nursing home in the Chicago area. That particular sibling, my sister, would assume the awesome responsibility for watching over dad. We honed in on one in Rogers Park area of Chicago that seemed appropriate, but we had our own litmus test and that was that the attitude of the people in charge would need to be responsive to my father’s special needs and would endeavor to provide him with full dignity in his final days. After all, “Big John” as he was known, was our hero and we were determined to give him the very best we possibly could.

Before flying to Chicago from Boston, I arranged an appointment with Father Ballwebber, the home’s young director, to discuss these things having outlined beforehand a number of questions. I had been told that the good father was a realistic man knowledgeable about the sometimes hardscrabble life and mean streets of Chicago and would be straight with me. On the way I stopped to buy a bottle of something stronger than tea so that our mutual comfort might be a bit more positive…. if he were so inclined.

When we met, I was surprised to find we were both about the same age and that our backgrounds were not all that different. Both of us were first generation Americans and we had both grown up in the same Chicago neighborhood. We had been athletes in high school and college and were vaguely aware of each other’s reputation in that regard. So we started on solid common ground.

Well, I never got around to my specific questions, but we talked a lot about the Vietnam War, politics in general and corporate and Papal politics in particular. Wediscussed Papal Encyclicals, Jesuit Intellectualism, prejudice, love, divorce, annulment, death, and a whole lot of things in between. We used some coarse language when we hit on growing up in a tough city as we both had memories we just as soon forget. On a different level, he described how politics were not all that different from those in the business world and that sometimes people of the cloth were passed over for promotions for the same dubious reasons…and something, a nuance…..passed between us. We discussed excommunication and how unfair I thought it could be. We hit on how difficult it was for both a lay person and a priest to be a “good Catholic” and just what being a good Catholic meant.

Father Bill had placed two glasses on his desk when I first entered his office and we worked my bottle pretty good along with a pack of Salem’s. We sipped as we discussed the responsibility children must assume for their parents. I talked about how dad and I were very close despite our great age difference. I mentioned how he would always come to watch me play football and baseball and how he cheered wildly during my many amateur boxing matches and how he would jump into the ring after a fight and put ice on my face if I had lumps or bruises and towel me down. We talked about going smelt fishing in Lake Michigan, going for Sturgeon in Northern Wisconsin, and spending time at a hunting cabin in frigid Yankton, South Dakota or Lake Zurich, Il. Father Ballwebber said he had similar experiences and remarked how his father had nurtured and coached him as he became a college-bound halfback and pro prospect, but how his father was so proud when he had decided on the priesthood as his life’s work.

We went back and forth like this for a another hour or two, sometimes laughing, sometimes with moist eyes. At one point he said, “you truly love him, don’t you?” I nodded and said I want him to live out his days peacefully and without suffering.” He said he would do his very best but that was something no one could really guarantee. I knew he was right. I also knew right there and then that we had made the right choice. Finally, I said I had to return to my sister”s home and meet with the siblings, as I had a flight the next day and was starting to feel just a tiny bit lightheaded. He said he was as well and we both laughed and shook hands firmly. He didn’t say anything else but looked straight at me in a way that left no doubt he understood what I wanted for my father. Curiously, I had never asked him one single pre-outlined question.

On the way to my sister’s, I reflected on our lengthy conversation and the soulful quality of the priest. It wasn’t as much about religion as it was about two 43 year old men finding a common ground on something upon which neither of us could probably put a handle. For me, it was about finding a level of comfort and confidence that made me feel my dad would be just fine in this man’s care.

After reaching agreement with my siblings, making final arrangements and visiting with my dad, I drove to my hotel knowing that I might never see him again, for I would soon be going to Switzerland on a lengthy business trip. I had tears in my eyes and prayed mightily to my God that I had done the right thing. Well, “Big John” passed away just a few months later and he did so peacefully and with grace and dignity.

So as many of you find yourself in a similar situation, there are many different ways to make this excruciatingly difficult decision. This was simply one way of engaging it, and I thought I would share it with you. If there is anything that resonates in some useful way, then I will have achieved my purpose.

“The greatest gift I ever had came from God, and I call him Dad!” Anonymous

Ted Sares, PhD, is a private investor who lives and writes in the White Mountain area of Northern New Hampshire with his wife Holly and Min Pin Jackdog. He writes a weekly column for a local newspaper and many of his other pieces are widely published.

The first step to success, of course, is to set a goal. You can’t get anywhere if you’re not heading in that direction. Intention is essential.

The second step to achieve success is to persist. Many people do get down to setting goals, but they don’t achieve them. Achievement can only come from persistence.

A goal set in motion will be achieved…unless, you stop thinking and acting on it.

It’s that simple to be a success story.

For some reason people believe that the size of the goal is what makes it more possible. They also believe that they have to have the resources to achieve the goal.

This “realistic” thinking, however, has nothing to do with goal achievements.

The history of goal achievers shows that almost anything is possible. Wealth, health, and a wonderful relationship are possible for anyone.

People have overcome illnesses considered incurable; impoverished people, with no money, contacts, or opportunities, have become millionaires; and those with little or no observable talents have become world-famous performers.

The only thing that stops a goal from realization is you. Goal setting will lead to achievement if you stay the course.

When you understand even a little about quantum physics and how the brain works, you’ll come to understand that nothing is impossible.

Your thoughts are the most potent things on earth.

If they are positive, they flood your body with the right chemicals to produce euphoria and energy.

If they are positive, they attract the people, circumstances, ideas, and opportunity that you need.

A carpenter longed to build skyscrapers. He learned how the subconscious mind can broadcast his goal until they attracted the right opportunity. One day, he went to work for a wealthy contractor. This gentleman became his mentor. He taught him how to raise capital, generate contracts, and all the other details of setting up lucrative projects. The carpenter prospered and eventually was able to move in circles where he was able to build skyscrapers.

If you create the right mental environment, you will create the right physical environment in which you cannot fail.

Resource Box

Saleem Rana got his masters in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, Ca., 15 years ago and now resides in Denver, Colorado. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life

Copyright 2005 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass this
article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or
newsletter. It’s a shareware article.

You’ve seen the stage acts where a hypnotist selects someone out of the audience and when he claps his hands, the unwilling participant struts around the stage clucking like a chicken. You’ve also seen movies where the hypnotist waves the pocket watch in front of the subject as he utters, “you’re getting sleepy … very sleepy.” Hypnosis is a little more than what Hollywood or Vegas make it out to be. Below is a brief overview.

Hypnosis is a naturally occurring altered state of consciousness in which the critical faculty is bypassed (mind in the conscious mode) and acceptable selective thinking established. Wow! That’s a lot of technical jargon! Simply put, this means that the reasoning, evaluating, judging part of your mind (conscious) is bypassed.

Hypnosis deals with the subconscious. Have you ever driven to work or home or anywhere, arrived at your destination but then had little to no recollection of the drive? Your reasoning, evaluating and judging parts of your mind were still intact and functioning (read: you safely arrived at your location) but your cognizant mind was bypassed. Hypnosis feels very much like that. It’s the same or similar feeling as when you day dream. People under hypnosis know exactly what they are doing.

What about control? Many people fear being hypnotized because they falsely believe they will have to give up control of their mind. Not true. Think about when you are so engrossed in a movie and you find yourself in tears. If you’ve ever watched Saving Private Ryan, the Titanic or the Passion of the Christ you know this scenario all too well. During these movies you were so involved that you actually felt emotion. You were literally in a hypnotic trance. Most importantly, though, you still had the power to emerge from that state if desired.

Your mind may be guided by a movie, self-hypnosis tape, or hypnotist, but you still have the power to resist. If you fully believe and acknowledge that you have the power to resist any control of emotions, then hypnosis is nothing to fear. Unfortunately, some people seem to give up partial control of their minds because they misunderstand who has the power. Unquestionably, someone can be fooled into believing that he has given up control in some forms of stage hypnosis or other experiments. That is likely what often happens in stage shows. But just because someone was tricked doesn’t mean it is right or that it will happen to you that way.

Think about it. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. You are the one who allows your mind to be placed into deep states. You are the one who has the power to resist any unwanted suggestions. It’s really a misnomer when people say they were hypnotized. What they really mean is that they allowed their mind to be hypnotized or they allowed a hypnotist to give suggestions that they chose to follow.

Just remember that no one controls your mind unless you first grant permission!

Joseph owns and operates a Hypnosis website that helps to make life better for people thru hypnotism.

He can be found at: http://www.hypnoadvance.com, the place for Hypnosis Therapy Information Download

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1 Cor. 3: 16-17

Purpose: Our bodies will give out at some point in time and we will die. There is no reason to hasten the process by using chemicals and substances that damage our bodies. These substances not only shorten life, they can make life miserable. Too many of us suffer as the result of using tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

The Lesson

I don’t have to tell you that hundreds of thousands die every year due to the intake of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The statistics are on the Internet for anyone to view.

Hundreds of agencies monitor the health of folks like you and me for the effects of drug or tobacco abuse.

Millions are admitted into hospital emergency rooms across our globe due to substance abuse. Ten to one you know someone who has been treated for such ailments.

The Sad Thing is: ALL THE TRAUMA AND DEATH OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS PREVENTABLE!

In my younger days I was involved with organizations dealing with youth. Have you ever seen the change in a child that has been hooked on drugs? A happy, industrious student turns into a moody, slovenly, lazy individual who has lost all traces of morals and all desire to perform daily routines. They are what we call “Out of It!” Hundreds of organizations deal with such youth on a daily basis, helping them to shake off the drug demons.

One lad I worked with had gone through a terrible surge of drug addiction. I was able to work with him. He gave up drugs and helped me change the direction of other youth. He grew up to be a fine young man, giving much service to his church and friends.

When I was a teenager, I would stand on the street corner and watch for the bus to arrive a block away. When it did, I started walking up the block. I knew that my adult friend, Louis, would need help getting home because he probably was drinking that day. I didn’t want him to trip and fall and bash in his nose or gash his head. As I mentioned, alcohol was his problem. Louis overcome his alcoholism with time. I use to shovel the snow off his walks. One day I got home from school too late. Louis shoveled the walks and died of a heart attach. He was my dear friend but I was glad to see him go “dead sober.”

In Pennslyvania, I was called to the bedside of a man dying of lung failure. He had quit smoking before he died. We had become good friends and I hated to see him go. All his son and I could do was give him a blessing and say goodbye. But he knew what had to be done. He had to quit smoking. It was just that he quit too late.

Find Professional Help

I can’t help you with an addiction problem that may concern you. I can’t give counsel to you or the person that needs it. Not sitting here at my computer. But there are many sources for help probably right in your community. Give a call to the court house or to a church or to a doctor. Call the police or the hospital. And don’t forget you can find local information on the Internet. You may have to pay for private counseling, but that may me the way for you to go. But, get counseling!

Copyright©2005 John Taylor Jones, Ph.D.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com)is a retired R&D engineer and VP of a Fortune 500 company. He is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering), poetry, etc. Former editor of international trade magazine.

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (wealth-success books / flagpoles)

Buying a printer can be a complicated business, there are more shapes, sizes and types of printers available to the home and small business user than ever before. Printers have also become specialised for their intended purpose.

It is no longer a case of “a printer is a printer”. Printers are now designed to be good in a particular area rather than a “Jack-of-all trades”, which will do everything.

An often overlooked issue, is the very serious consideration of cost of ownership, which is all about of how much it will cost to keep your printer running (see below). So making that decision on which printer to go for can be a seriously arduous task, especially if you are keen to buy a printer that is not only affordable to buy but also cheap to run.

So here is the information that you need to know and consider, but no one tells you! We have not expanded on which printer is the best at any given time because models constantly change and you can find that information in any current glossy PC magazine off the shelf. Instead, here you will find the good, bad and ugly bits from the different types of printers available so you can make an informed decision yourself.
Inkjet Technology

Inkjet printers form images by spraying tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper. The size and precision of the dots of ink and the type and quality of the ink itself govern how good the print quality is. A quality inkjet printer can produce very near photo-quality images using specialist photo coated paper. In general there are two types of inkjet printers, those with the printhead built into the printer like Epson, Brother etc and those where the printhead is actually on the ink cartridge like HP and Lexmark. There are many arguments for and against both technologies, but in our experience we have found both to be very good, the major difference seems to be that the cost of running a printer using the “printhead” type ink cartridge is usually higher.
Inkjet ink is specially formulated for specific printer models and their purpose, much technology is involved in the development of these inks to improve print quality, longevity, drying speeds and printing speeds etc. Most inkjet ink is produced using dye based ink which can flow easily through the tiny nozzles of the printhead, this type of ink is good for photos and colour shades but not so good for longevity or solid vibrant colour, think of it like a water colour painting. In recent years pigment ink technology has advanced considerably to enable use in inkjet printing. Previously ink pigments were too large and would block up the nozzles. This type of ink is good for solid colours and longevity, think of it like an oil painting.

Manufacturers like Epson, HP and Jet Tec are now increasingly using a fusion of dye based and pigmented inks to create superb quality photo printing with vibrant colours and longevity too.
Inkjet printers use anything between two and eight ink cartridges to do their job. Generally speaking the entry-level machines use two cartridges, good all round machines use four and specialist photo printers use six or more. The two cartridge system works fine though can be a bit wasteful on the colour ink, so go for a four-cartridge system where possible especially if you do colour printing. The six or more cartridge systems produce outstanding photos, but can be costly and a pain to keep changing cartridges (printer does not work if any one cartridge is empty).

Inkjet printers are the best solution for most people and are usually the most cost effective way to print - unless you are printing large volumes.

Portable Inkjet Printers
These printers are small, lightweight and ideal for people on the move. Although the printing of high quality photographs is usually beyond this type of printer, basic colour printing is of good quality and the quality of text print is mostly outstanding considering the size of these tiny portable A4 printers. These printers are not suitable for high volume printing.

Inkjet Printers
The Inkjet Printer is the most commonly used type of printer among home and small business users. With excellent all round printing capabilities, from black & white text print and good colour prints through to very hi-resolution, high quality photographs using Inkjet Photo Printers. Inkjet printers are available from cheap entry level to high-end business use machines and can print from photo size prints to massive A2 and bigger sizes, there are models for occasional use and others for high volume print jobs too. One of the many great things about Inkjet printers is that you can use a wide variety of media to print on, including standard paper, photo paper, card, t-shirt transfers, canvas, projector film etc, achieving different looks and textures for your prints and print for different purposes. Most Inkjet printers are USB connections and not suitable for networks, although models are also available for networks and with parallel connections.

Multi-Function Inkjet Printers
Multi-Function Inkjet Printers have been built to meet the needs of home offices and small businesses. These excellent value machines provide multiple solutions in one compact and easy to use machine i.e. printing, scanning, copying and some also have built in fax machines too. Not only are these machines great for saving space on your desk, but they are also very good for printing too using the same technology as standard inkjet printers. The only thing you should be aware of is that you can only use one function at a time and if anything goes wrong with an “All-in-one” machine, you may lose the all the functions at once!

Laser Printers

Laser printers work in a similar way to photocopiers, except they use a laser instead of a bright light to scan with. They work by creating an electrostatic image of the page onto a charged photoreceptor, which in turn attracts toner in the shape of an electrostatic charge. Toner is the material used to make the image (as ink is in an inkjet printer) and is a very fine powder, so laser printers use toner cartridges instead of ink cartridges.
Laser Printers have traditionally been the best printing solution for heavy office users as they produce a very high quality black text finish and offer relatively low running costs. However, laser printers have advanced a great deal recently and their prices have steadily dropped, as a result there are now compact laser printers, multi-function and colour laser printers all at very affordable prices. Laser printers make sense if you need to do a lot of high quality black or colour prints, not photos. The great thing about a colour laser printer is that they can print a very good quality colour image on standard copier paper, so you do not need to use expensive photo paper for large jobs. Do check the prices of the consumables before you buy the printer as these can be very expensive for colour laser printers.

Laser printers are the best solution for people who are printing in large volumes, that is, in 100’s of pages at a time or 1000’s of pages per month. Colour lasers also take quite a while to warm up, so are not ideal for printing single pages.

Solid Ink Printers

Solid ink printers use solid wax ink sticks in a “phase-change” process, they work by liquefying wax ink sticks into reservoirs and then squirting the ink onto a transfer drum from where it is cold-fused onto the paper in a single pass. Solid ink printers are marketed almost exclusively by Tektronix / Xerox and are aimed at larger businesses and high volume colour printing.
Solid ink printers used to be cheaper to purchase than similarly specified colour lasers and fairly economical to run owing to a low component usage, today it is not necessarily any cheaper than a colour laser printer. Output quality is good but generally not as good as the best colour lasers for text and graphics or the best inkjets for photographs. Print speeds are not as fast as most colour lasers.
Dye-Sublimation Printers

Dye-Sublimation printers use heat and solid colour dyes to produce lab-quality photographic images. Dye-Sub printers contain a roll of transparent film made up of page-sized panels of colour, with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black dye embedded in the film. Print head heating elements vaporize the inks, which adhere to a specially coated paper, as the ink cools it re-solidifies on the paper. Colour intensity is controlled by precise variations in temperature.

Dye-sublimation printers lay down color in continuous tones one color at a time instead of dots of ink like an inkjet, because the colour is absorbed into the paper rather than sitting on the surface, the output is more photo-realistic, more durable and less vulnerable to fading than other ink technologies.

The downside of Dye-Sub printers is that they are generally more expensive to buy and run, usually limited to photo sized prints only and can only print onto one type of specialised paper as well as being quite slow to print.

Dye-Sublimation printers are best for those who want to link up their digital camera to a purpose built printer and print out the finest quality photos at home without fuss.

Dot Matrix Printers

Dot matrix printers are relatively old fashioned technology today with poor quality print, slow and very noisy output. This type of printer is no longer used unless you wish to create invoices using the continuous paper with holes on both sides. The good thing is that they are very cheap to run!

Cost of Ownership

Many printers today are very cheap to buy, but people are sometimes shocked to discover the cost of replacing the consumables (ink or laser cartridges, imaging drums, fuser, oils, specialist papers etc). The cost of replacing the ink can sometimes cost more than the printer itself! This is one of the most commonly overlooked factors when printers are reviewed and yet one of the most important things to consider before handing over your hard earned cash. Tests run in 2003 by Which? magazine famously compared the cost of HP’s ink with vintage 1985 Dom Perignon.

A Sheffield City Council report aimed at helping schools decide on the best-value printers to buy, calculated total cost of ownership over the lifetime of a printer (not sure how long that is!). Adding up all the running costs, ink or toner, paper, maintenance and even electricity, SCC worked out that a colour inkjet costs approx 38p per page to run compared to a colour laser which costs approx 7p per page. Sheffield City Council advised its schools that if they printed more than three colour pages a day (assuming a 40-week academic year) they should buy a laser.

These figures cannot be taken hard and fast due to the many variables involved, but it is generally accepted that the cost per print of a laser printer is cheaper than that of an inkjet, which is in turn cheaper than that of a sub-dye printer. However, you would have to do a fair amount of colour printing to take advantage of the economy offered by a laser printer.

Summary

When buying a printer, firstly carefully consider its use, is it mostly general printing or for photographs, is it for occasional use or high volumes, will it be a stand alone device or connected to a network? Then using the guideline information above you will be able to decide on which type of printer is most suitable for you at the time.

Article by Iggy Quazi director of Ecommerce business Mouse2House based in Essex, England stocking a wide range of digital imaging devices. …For more information visit www.mouse2house.co.uk for the latest digital media products. For a wide range of Canon ink cartridges see www.mouse2house.co.uk/index.php?CatURN=51

Now is the Time to Invest in something Real to Assure a Good
Life Tomorrow. Gold is golden.

Gold has now surpassed $500. an ounce and still it is one of the
worlds greatest bargains. Every day it is becoming more evident
that stocks, bonds, and property in America and most of the
Anglo-Saxon world are propped up on borrowed money and borrowed
time.

In the last half of 2005 alone, U.S. households spent well over
$500 billion more than their after-tax earnings. How is this
possible? By borrowing of course. About half of that money came
from “equity extraction.” The present home owner generation is
living off the perceived increase value of their houses. These
poor householders don’t have a clue. They think they really can
get rich by buying and selling each other’s houses at inflated
prices and then borrowing against it. Well, it was fun while it
lasted. Living the so called good life. However, if you can find
a greater fool, now is the time to sell and find a nice
inexpensive rental accommodation and invest the rest in gold.

You need to protect yourself NOW from the biggest one year loss
of wealth in the history of the world. Does this statement get
your attention? Many western economies have participated in this
gigantic fraud of escalating house evaluations as evidence of
economic growth, relying on greed and bogus money supply to
stoke the fires of the greater fool theory and thus give the
illusion of prosperity. As a result house sticker prices kept
going up and up in most cities, while in reality the true value
has actually been going down. Skeptical huh. What is true value
you say?

Remember, world economies have been off the gold standard now
for over 35 years, ever since tricky Dick Nixon unpegged the US
dollar from gold as a means of surreptitiously stimulating a
sagging economy of the time.

Money today is not based on anything tangible or of intrinsic
value. It has only a perceived fungible value at whatever level
skittish speculators say it is. Politicians and central bankers
since Nixon have been free to print fiat money (a piece of paper
with numbers on it) at their whim without control or restraint
to keep their game afoot. These currencies have since been
played off each other as in a worldly game of monopoly.

As the unmasking of the great deception accelerates, countries
with manageable debt and natural resources will see their
currencies decline slower in relation to the US dollar, but all
currencies will decline in relation to, you guessed it, Gold.

Like any expanding bubble, there comes a point where it can
expand no more, and the subsequent resizing is shockingly fast.
These is no new economic model in play that now guarantees
perpetual prosperity or even status quo, despite what vested
interests and their spin doctors would have you believe. When
push comes to shove, paper and electronic blips won’t cut it. As
the saying goes, BS walks, and the age old measure of real value
called Gold, will be what talks.

If you played this oneupmanship game with your friends and
countrymen, your house is worth far less than you know. In fact,
your house is losing value daily and you don’t even realize it.
When it becomes front page headlines, it will be too late. All
the greater fools will have already been fooled with no one left
to bail you out. Unfortunately, it will not be just the nouveau
rich who will feel the pain. Their shortsighted greed will bring
down the rest of the economy as well, precipitating bank
failures, pension fund losses and a demise of most other paper
assets.

Americans in particular now owe far more money to far more
people than can ever be paid back. They have bigger houses,
newer cars, more electronic gadgets and a smug attitude to go
with it. But they also have more bills to pay and no more money
to pay them with. Much the same scenario as their government
that purports to lead.

The U.S. government has borrowed more money from foreigners in
the last eight years than all previous administrations since the
time of George Washington. During the current US administration,
the feds have borrowed more than a trillion dollars from foreign
governments and banks. This is more than all the rest of the
nation’s administrations put together from 1776 to 2000. Oh, the
costs of empire building and the waging of patriotic wars to
free people so they can be more like us.

Consider the fact, that despite a flat or even negative earnings
picture in overall stocks in recent years, bonuses paid to
managers on Wall Street and high salaries throughout corporate
America including G.M., are obscene. This is but more evidence
that we have reached a late, degenerate stage of an imperial
economy. The sun has not set yet, but its final glow is about to
descend beyond the horizon.

The companies that make the most money these days are those that
shuffle money - not those that make things people want to buy.
And throughout the entire society, everyone participates in what
has become an orgy of swindle and delusion. The practitioners of
this prevarication call it salesmanship. At best it is
entertainment. Not value or substance, but mindless triviality,
delusion or false expectations. At worst, psychological
manipulation to create frivolous desire, leaving the weak minded
and undisciplined open to unbridled theft. Just add up how much
interest you are paying on your car, your house, your credit
cards and everything else you have been induced to believe is
necessary for a successful life. The barbarians are at your door
and benefiting mightily from your labors.

The mantra of the private sector through its advertising is ‘get
it while you can’ despite the fact that this attitude is
crushing the hopes and aspirations of the next generation.
Previous generations attempted to leave the world a better place
then they found it for their offspring. Now, the young and the
unborn are saddled with an insurmountable mountain of debt and
who cares. I’ve got mine you say…but do you really, when the
charade unravels?

It will be the minority of savvy and erudite investors who pause
to take notice that the emperor has no clothes. It will be the
astute who shed themselves of the attractive burdens they have
accumulated and put at least some of what is still marketable
into gold. It will be the shrewd and brave who have the
resources in the form of universally accepted coin, gold, to
live reasonably well during the shakeout and to pick up the
bargains for literally pennies on the dollar when the storm
finally passes.

These are among the reasons why gold is going to go up more, no
doubt, a lot more.

Since my wife and I are moving, or preparing to move, we’ve been going through our things as most people must, to prepare for the new location, and in doing so, I found two poems, ones I wrote in 1990, now 15-years old, never published, and so I’d like to publish them today. I was a heavy drinker up to 1984 (some twenty years drinking), when I quite, and so these poems must have something to do with it, a slight reflection perhaps. They were never numbered, as I have done in the past to most of my poems, but I assume they would be around #125 and #126, or so, out of #760. I did not have a name for either of them, so I shall name them accordingly…now:

1) Hell’s Taverns

Do not die
Not now, not yet
Your evil eye will not be blessed

And in hell you’ll wake

To wild beast’s; thus,
Do not die
Not yet

Only to wake to a

Icy and burning sweat;

Wait my friend

Tell me you won’t die
To Taverns of booze

Only to wake and find

You are dead, dead
Laying flat in hell’s Taverns!…

#126 1990

2) Ballade of a Recovering Drunk

Peace of mind in a world of hunter and foe
Is not possible
That rots like clay.
Wisdomis writing a book,
For Philosopher and God
And not reading it…

#125 1990

Dennis Siluk web site http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

•••Take your measurements using a soft flexible measuring
tape•••

1. Frame Size Your frame size is the diameter around your chest,
below your breasts. Measure around your ribcage directly under
your breasts.

2. Breast Size Now measure around your chest, over and including
the fullest part of your breast. For larger breast, get this
measurement while wearing a bra.

How the Measurement Works

1. Frame The diameter around your chest below your breasts.

2. Bra Size Add 5 to your Frame size. If the number you get is
odd, round up to the next even number. For example, if your
frame size is 20 inches, when you add 5 to this you get 25
inches. You should therefore round up to the even number, which
is 26 inches (bras only come in even numbers).

3. Breast Size The diameter around your chest, over and
including the fullest part of your breast.

4. Cup Size The deference between your frame size and bra size,
is used to find your cup size.

Cup Size 0 to 1/2 inch AA 1/2 to 1 inch A 1 to 2 1/2 inches B 2
1/2 to 3 1/2 inches C 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches D 4 1/2 to 6 inches
DD (E) 6 to 7 inches DDD(F) 7 to 8 inches G

To make things easier you can use our Bra Size calculator at
http://www.myfirstbra.us/bra_size.htm

When the right bra size still isn’t right ! If your bra still
doesn’t feel right, the best thing to is to try on deferent
brands, and vary the size a bit. Make sure the bra strap doesn’t
cut into your shoulders, and make sure your breasts don’t hang
out of the bottom, or sides of the bra. The best rule is, if it
just doesn’t feel right, try another bra. Bra sizes can vary a
lot depending on the type of bra, and even the brand. The best
thing to do is go into the changing room, and try on a number of
different bras. Once you find a bra you like, jump around a
little to see if the bra gives you the proper support, lean
forward in the mirror to see if the cups keep your breasts where
you want them to be. A new bra should fasten at the middle or
last hook, because the material will stretch with wear. The best
thing to remember is comfort; a bra that scratchy or tight will
drive you crazy by the end of the school day.

There seems to be fairly poor tracking by any formal standards once a product is approved as a food additive. Despite supposedly tracking adverse reactions, the reality has been different at the FDA. Aspartame is a case in point. Apparent collusion, distorted research reports, lack of funding for independent research, questionable practices in tracking adverse reactions and reporting them. It’s a pretty ugly sounding story. It’s been said that Aspartame is a contract on humanity. Here’s one source you might find puts you off Aspartame for good: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/suffer.faq - “Reported Aspartame Toxicity Effects”.

Are the estimates (in the report above) of the real number of toxic reactions accurate? I’m no epidemiologist but what struck me was the large number of serious toxic reactions reported by pilots. My conclusion — I won’t use the stuff. And there are suggestions that the offshoot - Neotame - may be even worse.

Everyone pretty much knows the kinds of problems that have been reported with cyclamates and Saccharin. Weirdly - perhaps bad tracking? - the actual dangers still seem unclear after many years of use. However, as I read it, they seem to be substantially less toxic than some more recent artificial sweeteners.

Splenda is the latest and greatest. Reportedly manufactured from sugar by substituting 3 chlorine atoms for 3 hydroxyl groups, some claim that the end product is not what it should be. Apparently if it were made from sugar then when you dissolve it in water (hydrolyze), it ought to produce chlorinated glucose which is a known toxin. Instead it produces chlorinated monosaccharides.

Splenda, or sucralose, is a chlorocarbon. Chlorocarbons have an illustrious history, being known for causing organ, reproductive and genetic damage. Whether sucralose (Splenda) is as safe as the manufacturer claims (which is pretty much what manufacturers always claim) remains to be seen. Here is another reference worth taking a look at: http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm - “Secret Dangers of Splenda”.

Andrew Weil, MD has some pertinent - and more moderate comments on Aspartame and Splenda here: http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA106654/ - “Aspartame: Can a Little Bit Hurt”. He suggests using the “precautionary” principle - which basically says if there are questions about the safety of a product, don’t use it.

At this point, I think it’s my head that’s spinning. I’m uncertain whether Splenda is safe, reasonably safe, slightly risky or seriously risky. When I looked at the manufacturer’s site and a couple other sites that were all enthused about Splenda, I didn’t see any answers to the points the critics are making. Mostly it’s all lightness, sweetness and the miracle of modern science.

Like you I’ve seen some miracles of modern science turn into nightmares when the testing wasn’t adequate, when the results were fudged, when coverups went on. So questions exist about all the artificial sweeteners. Splenda may be less dangerous than Aspartame (which I sure wouldn’t recommend to anyone). Long-term and independent studies are lacking. And here’s the real kicker:

***** From Consumers’ Research Magazine “There is no clear-cut evidence that sugar substitutes are useful in weight reduction. On the contrary, there is some evidence that these substances may stimulate appetite.”

Now that just tears it. Risk your health using one of these chemicals and then end up eating more because it stimulates your appetite. Terrific.

So what alternatives are there? Surprisingly there are quite a few. One interesting alternative is a South American plant called Stevia. Apparently once considered a potential threat to the sugar industry, it seems to have been deep-sixed early in the twentieth century. It has been used as a sweetener for centuries by South American natives. In the U.S., it seems (somehow) to have been kept from being available as an “additive” and the FDA has said not enough studies have been done. Yet it’s widely used by diabetics and in countries such as Japan and Brazil. Stevia is available at health stores as a supplement (though without any indication that it could be used as a sweetener). It’s a fascinating story which you can read here: http://www.stevia.net/ - The Stevia Story

More information on alternative sweeteners is in our article: http://www.carb.werkz.org/healthier-sweeteners.php - “Healthier Alternatives to Artificial Sweeteners.”

Our health is challenged on all sides these days. New chemicals, new additives, genetically engineered foods, highly processed foods, empty calories, stress and pollution all pose threats to our bodies. I’ve come to the conclusion that the fewer highly processed, chemically enhanced, questionably assessed, factory created products we ingest, the better off we will probably be.

Our bodies evolved as a part of the natural world and though we are changing the world radically (which is only natural, it is what people do after all), our bodies do not evolve and adapt at the rate technology changes. And for scientific, political and economic reasons, the quality and thoroughness of evaluations done on newly created products don’t match up to our industrial creativity.

Finally, balancing the need to lose weight (or maintain an optimum weight) against potential risks creates difficult choices. It’s up to you to make the best choice you can for your specific situation — just remember, that old saw still holds - Let the buyer beware.

Copyright 2005 Richard Keir

http://www.Carb.Werkz.org is an informational site providing recipes, articles, news and diet resources. Since many recipes are designed to use Splenda, please take a look at http://www.Carb.Werkz.org/healthier-sweeteners.php and http://www.Carb.Werkz.org/how-to-use-splenda.php for additional information.

A novel re-definition through experimentation of the classical format of the book is emerging.

Consider the now defunct BookTailor. It used to sell its book customization software mainly to travel agents - but this technology is likely to conquer other niches (such as the legal and medical professions). It allows users to select bits and pieces from a library of e-books, combine them into a totally new tome and print and bind the latter on demand. The client can also choose to buy the end-product as an e-book. Consider what this simple business model does to entrenched and age old notions such as “original” and “copies”, copyright, and book identifiers. What is the “original” in this case? Is it the final, user-customized book - or its sources? And if no customized book is identical to any other - what happens to the intuitive notion of “copies”? Should BookTailor-generated books considered to be unique exemplars of one-copy print runs? If so, should each one receive a unique identifier (for instance, a unique ISBN)? Does the user possess any rights in the final product, composed and selected by him? What about the copyrights of the original authors?

Or take BookCrossing.com. On the face of it, it presents no profound challenge to established publishing practices and to the modern concept of intellectual property. Members register their books, obtain a BCID (BookCrossing ID Number) and then give the book to someone, or simply leave it lying around for a total stranger to find. Henceforth, fate determines the chain of events. Eventual successive owners of the volume are supposed to report to BookCrossing (by e-mail) about the book’s and their whereabouts, thereby generating moving plots and mapping the territory of literacy and bibliomania. This innocuous model subversively undermines the concept - legal and moral - of ownership. It also expropriates the book from the realm of passive, inert objects and transforms it into a catalyst of human interactions across time and space. In other words, it returns the book to its origins: a time capsule, a time machine and the embodiment of a historical narrative.

E-books, hitherto, have largely been nothing but an ephemeral rendition of their print predecessors. But e-books are another medium altogether. They can and will provide a different reading experience. Consider “hyperlinks within the e-book and without it - to web content, reference works, etc., embedded instant shopping and ordering links, divergent, user-interactive, decision driven plotlines, interaction with other e-books (using Bluetooth or another wireless standard), collaborative authoring, gaming and community activities, automatically or periodically updated content, ,multimedia capabilities, database, Favourites and History Maintenance (records of reading habits, shopping habits, interaction with other readers, plot related decisions and much more), automatic and embedded audio conversion and translation capabilities, full wireless piconetworking and scatternetworking capabilities and more”.

About The Author

Sam Vaknin is the author of “Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited” and “After the Rain - How the West Lost the East”. He is a columnist in “Central Europe Review”, United Press International (UPI) and ebookweb.org and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.

His web site: http://samvak.tripod.com