The Benefits of Living in a Digital Society

We are fortunate to be living in a time when all people have the ability, and the capability to access any knowledge they desire. This digital society that we live in affords us opportunities that our ancestor only dreamed of having. We should not take this privilege for granted.

In the not so distant past of the 1950s, people who wanted to research an idea, a product, or anything else, had to go to a library where they could look up information in books. Not all people had the same access to the books, and the information they contained. In America if your skin was black, you could not use the same library that a person with white skin used. If a black skinned person was allowed access to a library, it more than likely was stocked with outdated books that a library that was designed to be used by white skinned people had discarded.

In the digital society we live in today, the color of your skin does not determine the access you have to information. Technology has brought to us the powerful tools like the internet where we can find information on almost every subject.

Our digital society did not just appear it evolved over time, just as the acceptance of people of different races evolved over time. The acceptance of people with different skin colors, different accents, and different points of view is not through evolving into the fair and equal status it will one day have. Just as the digital society of today is nothing compared to the one our great grandchildren will live in.

Access to the internet has allowed us to research the things we are planning to purchase, and the places we are planning to visit. With this ability we have become informed consumers, who know what they want from a product, and they are aware of what each manufacturer promises to deliver.

We are capable of comparing prices on things like insurance, appliances, entertainment, clothing, and all other things. We also now have the ability to purchase items online without ever leaving our homes. We have been freed from the restrictions of store hours, and regional sales. A person in America can purchase a product from a person in Germany, without leaving home.

Because of the digital society we live in our children can learn about anything they are interested in. When they ask you what the dinosaurs ate, you can look it up, and tell them the answer. Because of this people will be smarter in the future, and technology will only improve.

Good News for NFL Fans - Preserve Your Love and Cheer

NFL is definitely one of the most popular sports in the United States. NFL fans have settled time to preserve and cheer, that is NFL month or year. Belt buckle, golf ball cover, or maybe pullover shirt are the most beneficial ways to exhibit support to their favorite crew.

No subject who often team some people like as well as support, for your die-hard lover it's professional and happy to wear his or her wholesale NFL jerseys. Most football fans have relentless dedication on the royalty of their most preferred teams. You can see there is a big increase with the NFL activity collectables. It seems that this new merchandise receives more colors and more gadgets. All do is to satisfy their thirst inside enthusiast who are keen in collecting.

There are some methods for die-hard followers to reveal their support and plan to their beloved teams. They can decorate their own bedrooms, using reliable Denver Broncos jerseys, painting your location in his or her favorite team's shades, or sometimes by the cool deeply freeze mug. The brutal competitiveness on the football arena boils in the fans that definitely have that aspire to get everything his/her crew provides, from homemade cards, mini helmets or maybe ice coolers.

Many items could possibly be regarded when football trophies, you can certainly bet numerous football devotees are driven with the urge to exhibit all his friends in which his team is the best team. As they travels wonderful distances to think about his workforce play activities and gowns up Reebok NFL jerseys. He furthermore will oftentimes be observing his preferred team play continuously they will be on TV and you may be sure that this top sports fan is definitely the one you hear hollering along at the TV.

NFL Physical activities Collectibles will present a monetary impact which has a city by using all pieces revenue physical activities fan, lotto seat tickets, buying meals and gentle beer gross sales. For a few crazy football fans they could do everything to show their service and royalty for their favorite groups. Whether have on tennis shoes made by your workforce or driving to the park that can be played ball using your team logo for the clothes. So if you'll be a sports fan to get together football memorabilia by coronary heart and heart, you needs this NFL merchandise on the market such as cheap authentic NFL jerseys to create never know if your subsequent athletics fan will probably be looking for that one time in quite a while find.

The Health Scam Sham

Are They Healing You or Robbing You?

Months after the Administration backed Medicare Reform program was initiated the public still doesn't understand it. Seniors and the chronically ill aren't getting their medicines and are paying way too much when they finally are able to buy some. What's not talked about in the entire Media flap is an underlying problem that makes the whole idea of reform ridiculous.

At issue is the fact that the medical process is, and has been, in the pockets of the corporate handlers for years, and yes, the situation is getting constantly worse.The big drug companies in cooperation with the pharmacies are the ones who make the rules and set the fees. Since all they care about is making money all procedures are designed to up their take and to guarantee that nothing stands in the way of the profits. Consider some of the numbers detailed in a recent study by the US Department of Commerce:

Zoloft: 50 mg

Consumer price $206.87

Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75

Percentage Markeup: 11,821%

Claritin: 10 mg

User cost for 100 tablets: $215.17

Cost of general active ingredients: .71 cents

Percentage Markup: 30,306%

Prozac: These highly prescribed pills cost the buyer $247.47 for 100 tablets.

Cost of general active ingredients: .11 cents per pill

Percentage Markup: 224,973%

These three massively advertised and used medications are listed to highlight the shameful pillage of the poor sick consumer's pocket. Remember however, that there are hundreds and hundreds of other pills and potions that are handled exactly the same way. If a person takes any medication whatsoever, it can be said that it is part of the medical scam sham.

The pharmacies get into the act their own way. For example a pharmacist might tell a customer that a name brand would cost $100. for 100 pills but that the generic of the same medication would only be $20. What the druggist doesn't mention is that those 100 tablets only cost him $10.00.

It's bad enough to have the insurance companies and the HMOs stripping people of health care. It's even worse to have the corporate bullies putting people in danger because the cost of their products is so high. Privitizing the medical system was dreamed up to start the eventual death watch for the whole of the Social Services program, and so far, it seems to be working quite well.

The Awful Truth About Television: TV Corrodes Community and Democracy

Americans are watching more TV and doing less in their communities

Americans watch TV 4.5 hours per day on average. TV takes up so much time that citizens are becoming less active socially and politically. They also trust the government and each other less and less. Researcher Dr. Robert Putnam in a study found that the more TV people watched, the less they were involved in public activities.

“TV viewing is strongly and negatively related to social trust and group membership,” the study found. Newspaper reading, on the other hand, had a strong positive relationship. Newspaper readers were involved in larger numbers of political organizations. The study controlled for education, income, age, race, place of residence, work status, and gender.

The study also found that “heavy TV watching is one important reason why less educated people are less engaged in the life of their communities.”

TV: How the few can control the many

Television, because of the expense involved in production and distribution, inherently favors large corporations. Usually, the only other social entity able to afford the expense of TV is government.

It is inherently a one-to-many technology. The networks transmit one message over the airwaves or through the cable network to thousands or millions or, in the case of events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics, billions of minds. This is different from the internet where many people can interact and discuss as a group.

Furthermore, because of the tendency of the television set to shut down people’s ability to think critically, as discussed in the “TV’s hypnotic effect” article, the message that is blasted out over the airwaves enters viewers' minds unfiltered. Whether you agree with the message or not, that is simply too much power.

Five companies control the media

Looking at the amount of programming available, one might think that there is a wide variety of choice. There are literally hundreds of TV stations with options to choose from sports to news to cartoons to history to painting and more. The amount of options is staggering. However, only five major corporations control the majority of the media. Those companies get access to nearly every American for 4½ hours per day. The consequences to democracy are frightening. Millions of minds linked to five corporations for 4½ hours per day.

These five huge corporations—Disney, Time Warner, Bertelsmann of Germany, Murdoch's News Corporation, and Viacom (formerly CBS)—own not only most of the television stations, but most of the newspapers, magazines, books, and radio stations of the United States as well.

Politicians chase money for commercials

TV affects both the voters and the public servants they elect. In a recent speech, former Vice President Albert Gore noted that politicians spend so much time and money to purchase TV time for election ads that they do not have time to do the jobs voters elected them to do.

Politicians spent $515 million on television spots in the 2005 elections, the highest in a year with no Congressional or Presidential seats contested. This was up from the $300 million spent in the 2003 elections, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG. In New York alone, the mayoral candidates spent more than $44 million saturating the airwaves.

Imagine politics without TV

To understand the impact, try to imagine an election and politics without TV. Imagine no television attack ads. Imagine politicians no longer begging for money to cover the escalating costs of TV ads. Imagine reading about the debates, instead of watching the TV debate spectacle. Imagine engaged citizens, who instead of watching TV 4½ hours per day (1.33 billion hours per day for the US), spend a fraction of that time debating issues with their neighbors and participating actively in politics and the community. Nothing would be the same.

About 'The Awful Truth About Television' Series:

What happens when the average American spends 4 hours 32 minutes every day watching television? Trash Your TV's 'The Awful Truth About Television' Series explores the multifaceted problems with TV in eleven hard-hitting articles. Read the full series and you will never look at your television set the same way again.

Paddy Irish Man

What a load of Blarney. Guinness stamped with shamrocks, the Liffey flowing green and the usually elusive Leprechauns prancing down sun drenched O'Connell Street. Cities around Ireland, and indeed the developed world, come to a standstill to celebrate our Patron Saint. The sound of glass smashing, a fight spilling out of a packed bar and Gardai raising their truncheons. Echoes of "Ole, Ole, Ole" and "Danny Boy" litter the air. The green-spangled parade floats trundle past prompting happy cheers from the waiting crowd. Can you spot the odd one out? And no, it's not the fictional little person with the pot of gold.

March 17th has become inextricably entangled with visions of violence and public disorder. Last year alone on St. Patrick's' Day, 407 arrests were made on the streets of Dublin. Widespread condemnation of our actions inevitably follows the next day. Hospitals are consistently under pressure to treat alcohol poisoning and incidents related to the excessive consumption of alcohol. The streets of our capital are left littered with the debris associated with drunken behaviour. What is it about this day, about this man, about the Irish psyche that contributes to the madness?

When asked about St. Patrick, most people will offer us the clichéd information that St. Patrick was the guy who miraculously ran (or slithered) all the snakes out of Ireland. While conscious that I should refrain from deriding our Patron Saint, it has long been a mystery to me how he managed to gather up enough snakes to get rid of when considering the fact that post-glacial Ireland actually had no snakes. But apart from this well-known minor miracle or optical illusion, what is it about this man that drives us to excessive alcohol consumption and general bad behaviour on his day of celebration? Maybe a brief profile of the man himself will answer some questions.

St. Patrick, our very own Patron Saint and symbol of all that is Irish, was actually born in Britain in the fifth century. Widely believed to have been christened Maewyn Succat, he was kidnapped by pirates at the age of sixteen. After working a six-year term as a shepherd in Ireland consequent to being sold as a slave, Succat escaped to France where he became a priest. Pope Celestine entrusted St. Patrick (a name he adopted after becoming a priest), now at the tender age of sixty, to spread Christian teachings in Ireland. St Patrick's' most famous expression was his use of the Shamrock to explain the Trinity (i.e. the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost as one).

Uninspiring is the word that most readily comes to mind. Irish people, people with Irish connections, people who wish they were Irish, anybody who ever watched GAA or drank Guinness, and people who are simply looking for a party celebrate Paddy's Day on March 17th, the date widely believed to be the death of our Patron Saint. What is it that we are celebrating? The notion that we are celebrating the memory of the man is becoming tiresome.

Apart from hiding a couple of snakes up his sleeve, the profile of the man and his work offer no hint as to why he should be so well celebrated. There must be another angle. Could it be that we are celebrating being Irish? "Yeah, that's it!!!!!!" I hear the guy in the green hat and pointy boots mumble, one hand carefully propping him against the wall, the other more affectionately clutching a pint of the black stuff. Explain to me then why we consistently get drunk, break the law and generally show ourselves up as a nation of alcohol fuelled, pseudo-intellectuals, hell-bent on being outrageous and unpredictable. Would St. Patrick have approved of such anti-Christian displays on his day of celebration? Allow me to go out on a limb here and suggest that we are just looking for an excuse for a party?

Any excuse. Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Anniversaries, a new year, a sporting event, winning a sporting event, losing a sporting event, finishing a weeks work, a bank holiday, a sunny day, a promotion, a demotion, boring television, or the fact that it is just another day. But St. Patrick's' Day is the Everest. It is the day when all our previous practice comes to fruition, it is when we let it all go, it is the climax. The bottom line is that Irish people do not celebrate the memory of St. Patrick, they do not celebrate being Irish, they celebrate the fact that it is a day of celebration. Any excuse. The pub is not a destination, it is the destination. God created alcohol so that the Irish wouldn't rule the world.

Us Irish have always been a bit backwards about going forwards. Is it not time we grew up a little? This year, in the lead up to St. Patrick's' Day, there have been widespread calls for off-licences to close there doors until mid-afternoon, four o'clock has been muted, in an effort to curb the violence associated with the day. Now, after considering this for a moment, I have come to the conclusion that yes, we might be a rowdy, drunk bunch, but we can be quite cunning. Does closing the pubs and off-licences on Good Friday and Christmas Day stop us from consuming alcohol on these days? No, it does not. We Irish have come up with the devious idea of buying our alcohol the day before the off-licences and pubs close. This genius and well thought out idea, surely up there on a par with the Trojan Horse, seems to have evaded the attention of the authorities when they suggested we open the off-licences late on Paddy's Day. So what do I suggest we should do?

After much deliberation, I have decided to fall slightly short of lining O'Connell Street with sharpshooters and adopting a shoot-to-kill policy. Instead I have come up with the radical idea of throwing a few more of our brave Gardai onto the streets and calling for a demonstration of responsibility from both the public and the publicans. Extreme, you might say. Presence is a powerful tool. Pro-action rather than reaction is what is called for in this situation.

Preemptive Threat

Jesus told his disciples the world would know they were his if they loved one another. Regardless of faith or core beliefs, this is the social contract that allows us to live closely with others and provide mutual security - the reason we don't all spread out and live miles from neighbors. That is, the golden rule is the glue of societies everywhere.

In the spirit of the golden rule we make and support additional rules that help us define how we best express brotherly love or transgress it. We define the unloving behaviors that are unacceptable within the social contract.

If I deprive you of property, liberty or life, I have voided our social contract. I have created a state of war, under natural law, which is jungle law or survival of the fittest. I am not only in a state of war with you, all social laws suspended, I am at war with all those with whom you remain in social contract - typically family, friends and neighbors. All of you are fair game for my subsequent attacks, be it theft, confinement or murder.

But what if I only threaten your life, liberty or property in some clear and unmistakable way? Then I have created the same war condition and removed us both from the social contract. We are at war, hot or cold. That is, whether or not I act on my threat I have attacked you preemptively.

When I threaten you, I have declared my refusal to live by the social contract. I am not treating you as I wish to be treated because I believe I am stronger or smarter than you and your friends and can do with you whatever I am able. My threat is a warning to you and society.

Our modern law likes to put degrees of difference between the nature of attack. One for theft, one for armed theft, one for kidnapping, one for assault, one for armed assault and another for homicide or murder. Threats are generally treated as a lesser offense and not likely to be acted upon but the fact remains, an open threat is a preemptive attack on another's liberty.

When I threaten your peace and happiness, I declare I do not love or care about you or your friends and family. You must drop what you are doing and assess my threat. Based on your assessment, you might dismiss my threat, prepare some defense against it, such as warning friends and family, or counter attack at a time and place of your choosing because we are now in a state of war and jungle law, regardless of the attitudes and rules of the social community.

One might think a threat or theft cannot be considered such a serious matter as to create this state of war. One would be wrong and could end up dead wrong. When I deprive you of property or peace of mind, I neither respect your natural rights, nor the social contract under which we had both been living. At this point, you must assume that I would as readily deprive you of life or liberty whenever it is in my physical power and desire to do so. Because I have expressed my contempt for your welfare and the rules we live by, you have the moral authority to dispatch my threat by taking my life, not by a preemptive attack but by a counter attack against my preemptive attack on you. Just as in childhood, I started it. You now have every moral, if not legal right to finish it in any manner of your choosing. Of course, you also have some obligation to forgive my attack and dismiss it, which is the course most people choose, most of the time.

My point is that a threat creates a state of war the threatener or the victim seldom considers when such threats are made. Society owes no moral obligation to the threatener and the threat itself is a serious crime which is too seldom properly punished by the society at large. It is my belief that if any threatener was counseled on the seriousness of threat and the possible consequences of ostracism, fines, public service, etc., there would be much less of it in the world.

What is true of individuals is equally true of nation states. When the people of Palestine vote for the destruction of Israel and its people, they have created this state of war. Israel has a moral right to destroy all the Palestinians who represent this threat. It also now has this right with Iran. Like the playground bullies we all grew up with, we know what it is to live with this constant threat from a war declared but not fully engaged. We know it can become violent at any time because the bully has declared his intention and the one involuntarily placed in the state of war can and should choose the time, place and manner to dispense with the threat. Because threateners are only dimly aware they have created this state of war and the threatened has the moral authority to deal with it in any manner, the threatener has no idea of his own vulnerability to counter attack. Hence, threateners are generally ignorant fools who do not understand their behavior has effectively put their own existence at risk. This is obviously the state of affairs both in Palestine and Iran. Since Israel is within the social community with Europe and the United States, Palestinians and Iranians can have no illusions that should either attempt to destroy Israel, so shall they be destroyed. Their mistake is in thinking Israel or any ally does not dare to eliminate these threats at a time of their choosing. The three actors are in an ongoing state of war and now it is cold but anything can trigger a hot war.and Israel has the moral right to strike next and conclude these wars. So do the other members in Israel's social community. Social gang wars as it were.

It is no different with Sudan and many other nations who have stepped outside the social contract and created an unloving, uncaring state of war, declared or not, hot or cold, on the rest of global society. It is a matter for those who wish to end war and restore the social contract to resolve each war by any means possible or convenient, including violent conclusion. Threatening bullies cannot be tolerated by global societies and it is way past time to make that clear to those considering the creation of war and survival conditions, wherever they may be found. The loving thing is to end every state of war with the least violence to the perpetrators and their victims. Back during the 04 Presidential campaign, candidate Dennis Kucinich had introduced a bill to create a Department of Peace in the Capitol. That is the kind of thing most needed for global peace. I wonder what ever happened to the bill and the idea. This would tell us a great deal about the nature of U.S. leadership. The fact we have no such department two years later may say it all. Why would war mongers spend a dollar on peace? You can't fight or win a war you haven't created or agreed to.

Hurricane Response Concept to Shorten Response Time

As we watched Hurricane Katrina near landfall we saw what could have been even worse. The storm was a full Category V Hurricane and then went down to Category Three, unfortunately the storm surge literally wiped out much of the Gulf Coast. Then it took over 16 hours for the winds to die down under Tropical Storm levels. (75-mph on the Saffir-Simpson Scale). This meant for 16 hours FEMA and all the rescue efforts had to wait it out before coming in to render assistance.

Then when the storm cleared and the winds died down, there were no land routes accessible anymore. I-10 was out at several locations and there was more debris by tonnage than after Hiroshima in WWII. I propose a new strategy involving the United States Navy, the most capable and largest Navy in the World by a factor of 20. That's right!

I propose that the US Navy bring in helicopters on top of aircraft carriers and ships with fuel and water with them and come in behind the storm and as soon as the storm dies down we hit the beaches like Normandy and we flat take control of the situation to get the job done. We have the most powerful fighting force on the Planet and there is not greater foe than a large Category Hurricane, let me tell you. By coming in behind the storm we can save upwards of 10-25 lead-time to the rescue efforts so please consider this in 2006.

I Talk with Herman the Hermit: How to Tell if You are Atheistic?

Folks are always having their faith shaken.

They look at the typhoons, ulcers, bedbug bites, wars, pestilence, and television and say, "God would not put up with all this crap."

I decided to have a chat with Herman Volker Hilton. I heard that the famous hermit was thinking about becoming an atheist and worth looking for. I figured that I could sell any article that came from the interview to Confirmed and Nearly Confirmed Atheists Magazine.

In fact it was the editor of that magazine, Peter Moses Isaac Aaron Greenburg, who gave me Herman's whereabouts.

Before I left the editor's office he said, "Whatever you do, don't tell him I sent you and don't ask him for one of his beers either. He's on Baker Island."

I looked in the CIA's World Fact Book to see exactly where the atoll was. It's halfway between Hawaii and Australia. I thought, That should be easy to find.

Baker Island is uninhabited since they stopped mining the bat poop, or guano as they say in New Mexico. It's a wildlife refuge operated by the Department of the Interior. (It's just like the U.S. Government to have the Department of the Interior stick its nose into the Department of the Exterior's business.)

The Island gets a couple of official visits each year. The Coast Guard and the Department of Interior take turns.

When I got to Baker Island, I found Herman stark naked sitting on a log looking out over the Pacific. His fine red beard was down to his belly, so I figured he'd been there for a while.

He was smoking a corncob pipe and seven bottles of Sam Adams® were cooling in a tub of ice next to him, each bottle within easy reach.

Herman wasn't expecting Taylor Jones, the hack writer, despite the fact that I can show up anywhere that sparks my interest.

He looked up at me with those steel blue eyes and said, "Who in all of God's creations are you? Where did you come from?

Wherever that is, GO BACK!"

I apologized: "Sorry to have startled you, Herman. I hope you didn't spill too much beer."

"There are only two of us on this godforsaken atoll. Who introduced us?"

I was glad that Herman the Hermit had a sense of humor. I decided it was best to lie and said, "I decided to canoe over here from Howland Island. I'm doing a story on Amelia Gerhardt. I though I might find her aircraft here." I decided it better not to mention the editor of Confirmed and Nearly Confirmed Atheists Magazine.

He stood up and pointed back towards the abandoned airstrip. "Look in the brush back there."

I was ecstatic.

He had found her airplane!

I would be famous if I could get back to civilization with color photographs.

I snapped a couple of shots of Herman with my trusty C-3® camera and ran and ran and ran.

Then I looked and looked and looked. I heard a gasoline engine and found that it ran an electrical generator hooked to a refrigerator. I looked in and the fridge was nearly full of Sam Adams®. I didn't dare snitch a beer. I took a bottle of water.

Finally, I decided that I needed more information to find the plane. I walked back in the white-hot, blazing sun to find Herman.

When I found him, he was fishing in the surf. He said, "I figured you would be hungry when you get back. Grab a piece of fish off that hot rock. Don't mess with my beer. I see you've already stolen a bottle of my water."

I sat on my haunches. I learned to do that during the Korean War. You could tell how long a G.I. had been in Korea by how low on his haunches he could sit. The Koreans could put their butts all the way down to the ground. I make it about half way on these old knees.

I drank the water and ate the fish and said, "Couldn't find it?"

He said, "Find what?"

"Amelia's airplane. You said to look--"

"Did I tell you that I had seen the airplane?"

"No."

"Did I tell you that the airplane was in the bushes by the airstrip?"

"Well, no. But you said--"

He had a big fish on and didn't say anything until he had pulled the flipping thing up on the beach. He went crazy. He said, "That's a new personal best!"

I said, "It's what?" He hadn't been away as long as I though he had.

He ignored my comment and gutted the fish. I knew he had jived me about the personal best thing.

Herman studied the stomach contents of the fish with great detail and said, "Look! The famine is going to end."

I said, "That's good news. What famine? You learned that from looking at fish guts?"

"Our famine! We have fish to eat."

I gave him my best look of credulous despair.

He said, "You were assuming again! You'd think you would learn something after almost dieing of heat prostration tramping around on this godforsaken island in this white-hot, tropical sun."

I decided to try to at least salvage my original article idea. I said, "Looks like a storm is brewing. I've got a friend that says that God causes storms, war, and pestilence."

He said, "What storm? What has a storm to do with war and pestilence?"

He had me there.

There was no storm brewing.

Now he was suspicious. That's when he said, "You can blame God for storms and pestilence if you want to, but what good will it do you? It's better to learn what really causes storms and pestilence just like it is good to know what causes smallpox and polio. Then you can do something about it."

I had to agree so I nodded my head. He said, "As for war, like television, that can only be blamed on man."

Well, I didn't have an article. Herman had mentioned God three times. But I was determined to do something of great significance for God and mankind. Herman had inspired me.

The human gnome project is completed.

I decided to look for life on Europa. When I got home, I would call Xrytspet from Fanton in G10009845788899990766.

Pop! There was Xrytspet. She said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get off this godforsaken atoll with its white-hot, tropical sun."

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com), a retired college professor and business executive, Former editor of an international engineering magazine. To learn more about Wealthy Affiliate University go to his info site. If you desire a flagpole to Fly Old Glory, go to the business site.

What if Humans Were Ethical?

What if all people were ethical? What if all people could be trusted? What if 85% of what you heard during the day wasn't hokum? What if you could believe more than half of what you read? What you could believe everything you can see?

What if we could trust our politicians? What if we could trust foreign nations who make treaties with our country? What if everyone one you made a deal with honored their promises? What if what you learned in school was really true?

Where would all the lawyers work if we could trust business partners? Why would be need police? What would we use all those prisons for? What if no one cheated in contests or sports? What if no one ever cheated on their spouse? What if we all could trust everyone we meet?

What if someone who told you they were a Christian; you knew that it really meant something? What if you could trust your stockbroker, car salesman, or Annuity salesperson? What if we could trust the Catholic Priests with our children? What if no one ever used the Islamic Faith wrongly to recruit suicide bombers?

What if we could trust the Judicial System in our nation? What if people returned those things they borrowed from you? What if you could trust someone on the Internet during an online dating conversation? Yes, what if... What if Humans Were Ethical?

Altered States of Consciousness Are Intriguing to Drug Users

Alternative cognitive states and the drugs induced to get there seem to be an innately common theme throughout human civilization and society. Recently this topic came up in an online think tank, where a think tanker had decided to make it a point to state:

"When someone discovers something new and intriguing, and lets face it, altered states of consciousness are always intriguing?"

Always is always an absolute word and therefore problematic when dealing with abstract and/or critical thinking crossover conversations to get at the heart of issues and move towards solution enriched answers to mankind's most pressing problems. Thus this quote was immediately followed by another think tanker countering this argument of intrigue as an excuse to drug use or experimenting which often can lead to drug abuse and drug addiction. The counter argument was stated as such:

"Well, getting wasted or drunk and falling down and such is not so much intriguing to everyone. Such lack of control ought to be telling you something, about the substance."

The original think tanker who had experimented with drugs in the past and felt he was therefore better prepared to address the subject then stated on the topic of experimentation that:

"I at least think this is what happens when you produce a generation of intelligent, open minded, free thinking individuals."

Of course the anti-drug use sentiment from the other think tankers stated that; "Drugs are not okay, they are not good and they cause harm to you and your brain. Additionally they cause irrational behavior. An intelligent group thinking through the pros and cons of drug use should come to that conclusion."

Many people have comments of this type to discuss with regards to the problems in America with drugs, yet so few have any answers as to what to do about it. If we fail to act decisively the problem will only get worse. This issue must be addressed and we need a national discussion on this subject because it is just too serious to sweep under the carpet. Consider all this in 2006.

Airline Pension Reviews Are Necessary

United and USAirways, while under bankruptcy protection, managed to jettison their respective pension plans. While there is legal precedence for them to do so, these airlines have tossed their plans away on the back of their employees, many of whom have little else to draw upon in their retirement.

Now that both companies have emerged from bankruptcy protection, what we are now seeing are fully scaled down companies ready to do battle. Lest they each forget, their very livelihood was built on the back of pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, customer support personnel, and so many other unnamed and unsung employees who breathed life into their respective airlines.

UAL, in particular, is poised to let 400 executives profit from an upcoming stock IPO. Many executives will be instant millionaires once the I.P.O. is complete. On the other hand, long time employees of United are without a pension plan. There is something terribly wrong with this picture.

Fortunately, the U.S. Government Accounting Office will soon be conducting a thorough investigation of the pension plan set asides. In my opinion, the federal government owes this to airline employees who have worked their hearts out only to lose the security of retirement. The airlines, for their part, have benefitted from billions of dollars of government aid over the years, particularly copious sums gained after 9/11. Thus, there must be some accountability on the part of the airlines for the decisions they have made that are now affecting current and retired employees.

Social Unrest or Preamble to an Industrial Revolution in China

As China builds up its war machine it has forgotten one thing. Industrial Revolutions and civil unrest go with rapid growth, which is unchecked. History for tells this and of all countries China should realize this. Yet they have never had true capitalism there and indeed this will be a problematic issue, as it is hard to rule with an iron first and simultaneously enjoy the fruits of capitalism. That leads to an over throw of government.

Of course if they fail to let lose of the reigns a bit they will not be able to continue this growth rate. Indeed the Beijing Club along with their friends and partners in the international financier groups are smart fellows, they must read the writing on the wall. Additionally if they think they can dig out of this mess by having a war and use wartime propaganda and spending on war to save themselves from financial ruin, they may find themselves battling an uncooperative population base with real world, real time Internet World Wide news, along with whomever they choose to fight.

If China moves to squash free speech and freedom of the press or doesn't take a low key approach to their extended growth, then they will create enemies that abroad and there will be a changing of the guard. You see it has been reported that there is much civil and social unrest in China these days;

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Social_Unrest_In_China_On_The_Rise.html

There are some tough choices coming up for China and those who have the largest stakes and committed financial assets, as they have other critical issues now. And an 850 Billion Dollar Surplus is not squat compared to what they need to maintain this growth, while keeping up with infrastructure needs. Think on this in 2006.

Coal Miner Rescue System Using Human Hibernation Safety Box

Coal Mining below ground is a most dangerous job. All Coal Miners know this each time they enter a mine and get on the portal bus. Coal Miners know there can be explosions and or collapses of the tunnels.

The Coal Miners work in teams and they work together using techniques that they have been trained for. They carry with them some life support systems with limited ability to sustain one for a brief time, hopefully long enough to find good air or a ventilation system.

They will work together as a team and get into a safety box if one is nearby. They generally get themselves secure and in a place with "good air" and then wait for the rescue team to come and get them out or make contact with them.

Each company has certified rescue teams on-call and ready to go in the rare event of such a potential eventuality or catastrophic horrific situation.

I propose an additional coal miner rescue system in each safety box, which would be used in case the Coal Miners are completely out of oxygen and surrounded by only poisonous gases such as Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide or other gases. This additional system would have in it hydrogen sulfide gas.

The hydrogen sulfide gas would be taken as a last resort, which could be breathed in and thus set their bodies would be lowered to only 10% of their normal.

This would give them 10-times the length of time until the rescue and thus improve their chances of survival during that critical time needed to dig them out or mount a rescue from another adjacent tunnel. Think on this in 2006, as this could be a great invention.

How Our Schools Create Corporate Drones

We are all brainwashed and trained at an early age by parents, teachers, and society to believe that getting a job is what we are supposed to do. Maybe this was a good thing to do in the 50s, 60s, and even 70s. I'm not sure.

But things started changing rapidly in the 1980s with technological advances and the first big wave of corporate downsizing. Corporations no longer provide lifetime employment and technology has enabled anyone to start a business from anywhere.

What is true today is that having a job is not a good way to build wealth or achieve financial security. Unfortunately, our schools still train people to be good workers. They are not equipped to teach people to be great entrepreneurs.

Bill Gates said at the 2005 National Governors Association meeting that "High schools are obsolete...Our high schools were designed 50 years ago to meet the needs of another age. Until we design them to meet the needs of the 21st Century, we will keep limiting - even ruining - the lives of millions of Americans every year."

Schools teach children to sit still, be quiet, memorize information, and take tests. Schools teach children that they are worth more when they get an "A" versus a "C". These are not skills and beliefs that make people good entrepreneurs.

Schools give children the message that they don't know what is best for themselves. They must look to the teachers and administrators to decide how they will spend their time. It doesn't matter if they are enthralled with a book or science experiment, when that bell rings, they better stop what they are doing and hurry on their way so they are not late for the next class. It doesn't matter if they are hungry or thirsty - they must wait until lunchtime to nourish their bodies. And it doesn't matter if they are tired, they can wait until they get home to rest.

These are the lessons that I learned in my 23 years in school, college, and graduate school:

Lesson #1: My worth as a human being is determined by my performance. This has grown into an adult belief that I am not OK unless I am getting A+'s in life: important jobs, promotions, lots of money, big house, etc. (After all, our culture tells and shows us what material possessions you need to prove to the world you are getting A+'s.)

Lesson #2: I must look to outside authorities to show me how to live my life. This has grown into an adult belief that my inner intuition, feelings, and body sensations are not to be trusted. I lived my first thirty years in my head, practically cut off from my inner world.

Lesson #3: Life is NOT supposed to be fun. I have lived my life with the belief that life was full of struggle and hardship, that work is not fun, and that I have limited choices.

Schools condition us to look outside of ourselves for answers and guidance. Schools show us that we are not responsible for our own well-being. School conditions us to ignore our inner guidance systems.

Some of our most innovative contributors to society were not model students - remember Albert Einstein?

You may be thinking, "C'mon Debra, lots of kids don't like school. It's not the end of the world!" And I say, "Well, why can't we create a school system where children love to learn? Why can't we trust kids to know what is best for them?" This won't happen until adults start un-brainwashing themselves from the lessons they learned in school. Adults need to stop passing the misery onto their children.

I intuitively knew what was best for me at a young age but wasn't even permitted to express this knowing. I spent most of my 20's following society's false promise of happiness and most of my 30's trying to unlearn the destructive lessons that were force-fed to me in school.

The good news is that it is possible to seize control of your life by undoing destructive social brainwashing. But first, you must get clear on which false beliefs you still hold and replace them with positive fear-free beliefs. It is a journey worth embarking upon.

Find out how to break free from the corporate world. Debra Lea Thorsen helps individuals create real wealth and happiness without 9 to 5 jobs. Visit Fearless Guides for free tips on career change, wealth building, and living without fear.

Read This Article if You Want to Stop High Oil Prices

Do you want to stop the high oil prices, which might further damage the economy? Are you tired of paying $100 to fill up you SUV or mini-van? Have you significantly altered your driving habits to deal with the high oil prices and the gasoline prices at the pump? Are you sick and tired of excuses every time the prices spike? Hurricane Katrina, Rita or Middle Eastern Politics; has this all become immune to you and you do not care about any of it, you just want more fair prices on your gasoline? If so you are not alone in this thinking or sentiment. In fact even the commentators on TV News are starting to make waves about this. Yet, you somehow feel helpless, because you need lower prices at the pump and any rational from higher prices is not helping your family budget one bit.

One way you can help bring down oil prices is to keep the environmentalists from blocking all the new refineries, planned pipelines, power plants and natural gas distribution infrastructure. And you voice your opinion in the media and to politicians and even infiltrate the environmental groups to knock some sense into their heads from the inside of their organization. Additionally you can rally lawmakers to come down hard on lawyers who file these lawsuits and make these lawyers have full disclosures of who is paying them to file these suits. You might be surprised when you find out the truth. Then you can also write articles of this problem and also see about bringing up discussions about natural resources in your community. Most of all you can demand real data from environmentalists that meets the criteria of being legitimate. Demand proof over political correctness and the hokum of sound and fury that these groups are purporting. Think on this.

Super Hurricane Wilma Marries Tropical Storm Alpha

Hurricane Wilma has married Tropical Storm Alpha off the coast of Florida in a beautiful marriage of magical meteorology. Indeed, it was a match made in heaven and with all the celebrity marriages in 2005 it seems only fitting. As they head up the Eastern Seaboard on the honeymoon, some folks in New England are a little concerned, as they have had just about all the Super Storms they can handle this year.

The over saturated area has been flooded with new members moving into their area, cause a stress on their infrastructure, as they just cannot handle the population increases in storms and most of the Christians in the area are in fact against the Happy Horrific Hurricane marriages of this kind. They much prefer the marriages of opposite types of storms. Cold front, warm fronts or warm front to cold front, as these Hurricane Marriages are simply not holy and somewhat unnatural. They have had enough of perfect storms in their NorEaster History.

On the whirlwind fast paced Honeymoon of Hurricane Wilma, sister of Katrina and Rita and Tropical Storm Alpha, best man to Hurricane Stan will be meeting an old friend and former jealous lover born of the cold front family of storms. It proves to be quite a jealously cat fight, as the lightning between the group as been known for some time now.

What does this mean? It means that the combination of these three means more flooding and torrential rains of which the New England States could do without right about now. Think on it.

World Bank on Bird Flu

So often humans talk about how war kills so many needlessly, yet when we look at the viruses, plagues, diseases and pathogens of the World we see how few people war actually kills as a percentage of the whole. Did you know that in all the recorded written history of our nation only one-percent of the total number of our species, which have lived on the surface of this planet have actually perished in the fighting of a war? Interesting isn't it, especially considering the mass media's obsession with the war in Iraq.

It seems whenever there is not something really interesting in the news such as OJ, Scott Peterson, Hurricane Katrina or Supreme Court nominations we are fixated on the war. Yet wars are nothing compared to what the World Health Organization is warning us against now. David Nabarro spoke recently at a meeting with the World Bank and told them that it is quite possible that a global flu pandemic will kill up to 150 million people. Kind of outs our worries about wars to shame doesn't it? Do you know how many people 150 million is? That is greater than the population of Mexico, which is the fifth largest country in the World.

Currently Bird Flu is affecting ten nations, but is limited due to its inability to be passed from human to human, but this could change with a small evolving change of the bird flu virus and that is bound to happen eventually. Some scientists wonder why it hasn't yet and admit we maybe on borrowed time. If bird flu moves to pigs and infects their respiratory systems it could easily enter the human population and it would spread as fast as the fastest flu type viruses and across the planet, taking out the weakest amongst us. This is serious and the World Bank knows it.

The question is; can the impoverished nations deflect the possible eventuality of such a catastrophic virus and can they afford to vaccine their populations to prevent its spread once it starts? And if money is lent to help them, will they be able to pay it back or will we do another round of debt relief? These may not seem like big issues, but when the Bird Flu enters the human populations, which it will they say, well, it will be too late then to be discussing these things as millions die each week. Think on that.

Houston We Have A Problem, Rita

It has not been all that long since Tropical Storm Allison deluged East Houston, indeed that storm sat and spun around and around for days. East Houston is the lowest part of Houston and all the water filled it up. If you will recall the many semi-truck tractor trailers completely submerged on that freeway you will remember exactly what Rita could render.

The areas directly East of Houston are indeed at sea level give or take a few feet. It is a swamp area. Indeed the City of Beaumont TX, is often flooded from regular storms, which Hurricane Rita is not. New Orleans although it could use some additional water to help dilute all that sludge and pollution, will get much more than it needs before all this is over and the areas North will also, which are flooded already and they will all drain back into that lower area. Areas like St. Charles are barely above water levels as well and are also prone to flooding and some are predicting ten inches or more and the area just cannot handle that level of rain. If this storm peters out after landfall it will sit and spin and give all concerned a very wet time, perhaps almost a week worth of heavy rains and runoff from the higher elevations. South Texas is also very prone to flooding and the entire coastline areas from Houston to Corpus Christi could see a whole lot of muddy water and muck.

Although Hurricane Rita has dropped to a Category IV Hurricane which is still extremely intense, it will increase as it hits the water closer to shore where surface temps are pushing 87 degrees and then it may get a burst as it gets close with temps at 88-89 degrees. There is not a lot in the way of Hurricane Rita and it will also be taking out some of the 670 Production Oil rigs in the Gulf on its way to rip a righteous river where the storm surge makes landfall. This will be something we will never forget, nor should we. Think on this.

Hurricane Victims' Grief - How Can You Help?

We may never know how many people hurricane Katrina killed. But we know this: The victims are going through double grief. They grieve for the family members and friends who have died (post-death grief), for missing loved ones, and countless losses to come. This process is called anticipatory grief.

What is it? Anticipatory grief is a feeling of loss before a death or dreaded event occurs. Katrina was both, a dreaded event that killed thousands. As the victims' losses increase their anticipatory grief will also increase. If you had to summarize their lives with one word it would be uncertainty.

Everything is up for grabs.

John S. Rolland, author of "Living Beyond Loss: A Death in the Family," says the emotions associated with anticipatory grief are intense. What's more, these emotions can be total opposites, such as hope and despair. Katrina's victims are on emotional overload. No wonder they have most of the symptoms of anticipatory grief. Here are some of their symptoms.

DENIAL. You hear denial sentences on television and radio every day. "Gulf Coast residents are used to hurricanes." "We thought we could ride out the storm." "The [flood] water will go down soon." The problem with denial is that it can kill you.

EMOTIONAL NUMBNESS. Some victims are so traumatized they have a "flat affect" and display little emotion. Their faces are blank and their body language is minimal. It's as if Katrina wrung everything out of them.

NERVOUS BEHAVIOR. The hurricane victims are nervous because they've lost control of their lives. Who wouldn't be nervous? Kids are expressing their nervousness with hyper behavior, crying, or clinging.

ANXIETY AND DREAD. Katrina's victims ask themselves the same question every day: What will happen next? Kids may fear another disaster, according to The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Unfortunately, weather forecasts may reinforce this fear.

CHOKED FEELING IN THE THROAT. Some hurricane victims cry easily, others hide their feelings because they must be strong for their families. So they live with a choked feeling in their throats. Besides, if they start crying they might not be able to stop.

CONSTANT SADNESS. Robert Veniga, MD, author of "A Gift of Hope: How We Survive Our Tragedies," says the victims of tragedy often believe things are going to get worse. "Their lives are governed by fears," he writes, "perhaps a fear that they can never again find happiness."

DEPRESSION. Suriving Katrina was hard enough, but now the victims have to face their losses and build new lives. Building a new life takes courage and physical stamina, two things that may be in short supply at the moment. The result is depression.

ANGER. Kids feel insecurity, anxiety, sadness, unfairness, anger and more, according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

POOR CONCENTRATION/RETENTION. "I can't even think," one victim told a CNN journalist. If you can't think it's hard to frame sentences and communicate ideas. Background noise makes things harder. Who could concentrate in a crowd of 10,000 people?

HEALTH CHANGES. Many victims were dehydrated when the relif workers found them, according to news reports. Some victims, those who swam or waded through toxic water, have developed skin problems. Kids may have stomach aches, headaches, loss of appetite, nightmares, and sleep problems. Adults and kids are just plain exhausted.

SLEEP PROBLEMS. The victims stranded on rooftops had to be constantly alert and got no sleep. Victims housed in shelters got no sleep, little sleep, or interrupted sleep. Sleep problems alter their perception, thinking, behavior, and the ability to solve problems.

FEELING DISCONNECTED AND ALONE. Trauma has caused hurricane victims and relief workers to feel disconnected. Some think they've been forgotten. But they're not forgotten. Americans and people around the globe are coming to their aid. You can help by:

* Learning about anticipatory grief. Once you know about it you'll understand its power over the hurricane victims.

* Contributing to AmeriCares, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and religious groups that are providing relief.

Every contribution is welcome.

* Donating new clothing - not used - to relief organizations. Make sure the size is listed on all items. Tie socks and shoes together.

* Donating blankets, sheets, pillow cases and pillows to relief organizations.

* Donating personal care items - toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, combs, makeup - to relief organizations.

* Asking your kids to give some of their gently used books and games to relief organizations.

* Donating art supplies. Young children have limited vocabularies, so they communicate through art. Instead of donating coloring books, donate blank paper, crayons and/or water color markers so kids can express their experiences and feelings.

* Sharing your expertise. The American Red Cross and the National Institute of Mental Health need health experts in a variety of fields. Visit their Websites for more information on volunteer needs.

* Listening to victims' stories. If you share your home or if hurricane victims move to your community, take the time to listen to their stories. Your gift of listeing will ease their burdens and help them to see a brighter future.

Building Capacity for Psychosocial Wellbeing Service Providers

After 14 years of conflict, Liberia's day-to-day affects of war have evolved from post-war emergency needs to more challenging problems that require holistic and integrated psychosocial approaches. This has also prompted the humanitarian agencies to reflect on the need to adapt more appropriate interventions to the suffering populations. The need for relevant interventions has been a top priority of LCIP and other international NGOs funded by the USAID here in Liberia.

A five week intensive Psychosocial Training (theory & practice), took place in Monrovia and the NGOs that participated included; Save the Children UK, International Rescue Committee, World Vision Liberia, Christian Children Fund, Africare - Liberia, with other players; Christian Health Association of Liberia, and the Lutheran Church of Liberia.

The ultimate goal of the LCIP-led workshop was to enhance the understanding of the psychosocial issues, approaches and appropriate methods of interventions among all service providers covering more than nine counties, serving children, women and ex-combatants to best restore communities back to normalization. The key facilitator expounded on logical approach to psychosocial support work step by step using community participatory approaches and experiential learning for all the participants. The general consensus was that, this is very dynamic field, and service providers need to up-date their skills with time. The integration of the traditional and conventional approaches in psychosocial during the training, enabled the participants to internalize the added value of incorporating the useful community-based coping mechanisms.

In the words of trainees, Esther Musa from the Lutheran World Federation and Caroline Bryant of World Vision Liberia said, "it is their mission to develop appropriate models in line with their organizational goals integrating the new theory that impacts the larger community."

Another challenge influencing the past and present services in mental health is derived from 10 to 15 years of varying models of western diagnostic systems to individually focused services aimed at persons rather than groups or societies. Most of the participants felt that the training helped to unveil gaps in skills and provided a new understanding and realization of the need use more holistic and integrated approaches.

The field practice took the trainees to Living Water International (ELWA), Shefflin Army Barracks, Jahtondo Displaced Camp, (Brewerville), and Save the Children, (Paynesville). The practical assessments and application of role plays, skits and simulations enabled the trainees to realize that - "not every one is traumatized" - as it has been the belief. Most people could recount a terrible experience, but were managing to rebuild their lives with the reassurance of security, water, and food; basic survival elements. Using a skit on alcohol abuse at the sites, the trainees realized a new beginning for application of relevant psychosocial support models for Liberia. Combined field findings revealed to trainees the added value in applying the levels of intervention according to valid assessments. Reinforcing the "step by step" in psychosocial support, Dr. Baron's said, "A hungry stomach has no ears." They found that while 100% of the community contacted had in-fact experienced a traumatic experience, only 20-25% were affected, but going on with life, while 10% could not function without support, with 1-3% actually being mentally ill.

Speaking in the forum, LCIPs Social Reintegration Manager, Rachel Muiru summarized the importance of the integrated approach to psychosocial interventions with the story of the seven blind men who went to see the elephant. The synopsis, each "blind" man touched a different part of the animal hence their own individual understanding. The second touch provided by this training opened the participants "eyes" and can now see the whole elephant, as it stands.

At the end of the training, the participants agreed to continue with networking to ensure a complete "mind shift" and, that the newly acquired skills and knowledge reach many other stakeholders in particular, those at the grassroots levels. The training will continue for another three weeks this September.

Are Moldy Schools Destroying Our Kids?

Mold is a big issue these days. One reason is the damage it does to lungs and immune systems. And who does it damage the most? Kids and senior citizens.

Well, let's just talk about kids right now. And let's narrow our conversation to the school systems. Why? Because kids spend up to 8 hours a day there, breathing in whatever is floating around in the air.

Let's talk about schools now.

Every year, somewhere in the USA schools are being closed down

because of mold. Why are so many schools moldy?

The main cause of any mold problem is ultimately water. Something is too wet.

Now if a building floods, we just dry it out and that usually stops mold from growing, right? Well, if you get the building totally dry within 48 hours the answer is yes. That's the time it takes for most mold spores to start growing actual mold colonies. Most of the time it takes bureaucrats 48 hours to find out there has been a flood. Then there are committees to decide how to dry the building. And then there are bids

to get the lowest cost.

So drying isn't enough. Takes too long. Mold is growing and it can continue to grow after the building is dried. All it needs now is moisture in the air.

Speaking of air, we also have to consider air conditioners. Most schools use air conditioners that are bought cheap and maintained by the lowest bidder.. Air conditioners that aren't maintained properly sweat and the moisture can cause mold growth.

Also associated with maintenance is changing air filters. Many times this isn't done due to school budgets. Filters cost money. Not a lot of money, but money. Some schools don't change there A/C filters until someone from the state comes to inspect.

Then there are carpets. Carpets are moldy. Kids spill food, milk, and glue onto carpets. They throw up on carpets. These things feed mold. Teachers make kids sleep on the floor at nap time.Their faces are pressed into the moldy carpets. Results: sick kids.

But the ultimate reason for moldy schools is politics. This applies to everything mentioned above, ie carpets, filters and drying.

Schools have to report to taxpayers. That's YOU. If a school board member says to you the taxpayer, "We can spend the money on books, football uniforms or healthy air." What are you going to say? Most people want things they can see and touch and point to.

So if you want healthy kids with strong lungs and good immune systems, the responsibility is in your hands. Go to school board meetings, talk to the radio and tv stations.If you need ammunition, tell the politicians that mold free schools win more games in sports. Championship teams are something

The Challenge Of Terror And The Horror Of A Misguided Youth!

With the abortion and failed attempt to blow up London again last Thursday, by a group of misguided youths, these 'foot-soldiers of hate' have only succeeded in sowing a seed of disdain for our collective progress and therefore, they and their 'commanders' would not escape a harvest of Divine indignation.

It is popularly explained by many that the invasion of Iraq by Blair and Bush to overthrow Sadam, is at the root of the anger of the supposedly Moslem youth which spilled over into Al-Queada inspired violence. However, can such horrendous crime against innocent, hapless and ordinary citizens murdered in cold blood be justified? As genuine students of contemporary history, we cannot excuse this heinous and Hitlerite acts.

While it is correct that a predominant multitude of the present generation neither experienced, witnessed nor remembered the phenomenon of Hitler's ascension and dominion, which eventually led to the 2nd World War, true leadership would not fold its arms and permit similar evils to rear their monstrous heads again today.

We dare to stir up a controversy with our 'Islamic' youth brothers, who, in their innocence are being grossed into their untimely graves at their prime by a deranged leadership. Islam as a way of life is a world religion of PEACE! From whence cometh this horror of terror that Al-Queada seeks to engraft into it? Whose ambassador art thou? Which and whose cause doth thou fightest? Whose mandate doth thou seeketh? Shall the souls of both the dead and maimed forgive the evil actors of this bizarre drama, who prematurely terminated their destiny on the altar of a cowardly and hideous leadership? How would these misled youths win their case in the court of the bereaved or even of their hapless, agonising and equally bereaved families?

Instead of the warped goal of harassment of Bush and Blair, this sectarian army has just succeeded in embarrassing the true ambassadors of the Islamic Faith in the Arab world and unfortunately whiplashed the peace-loving moslem communities worldwide.

Is it not time to understand the perfidy and cowardice of a Sadam that led thousands of youth to their death but himself became a jellyfish in the face of death? Can Bin Laden, in a similar situation be better?

We salute the youths who have staunchly refused to be hoodwinked and corrupted by the false fantasy of self-ruinaion and self-destruction. To you belong the future of peace, progress and development which the Al-Queada wolves, posing as your militant revolutionary liberators, seek to devour. Stand up now! Disallow the thief!! Reject their grand deception!!!

Droughts, Earthquakes, Energy, Water Supplies, and Conservation

Droughts cause more than just water restriction in your town or little letters from the water district to please conserve. For instance as ground water is taken out and aquifers dry up, cavities are created and left unfilled and we know that that is a problem with earthquakes as under ground cavities collapse. Imagine a situation like that happening in Utah during the Winter Olympics causing a slide big enough to trigger the Big Fault line underneath the city? Is this a crazy notion? It happened in the Coalinga, California Earthquake in the Central Valley after all the oil was removed from the ground? How bad is the drought;

Some may deny Climate Change and Global Warming, even Solar Cycles, and say that it is not as bad as it seems, but the stats keep coming in and are indicating that there is a situation brewing. May 2001 was the hottest in 137 years in Northern Nevada. Las Vegas had 27 consecutive days in the 100s. In 2001 Phoenix also hottest Reno set a 113-year old record; 8 degrees average hotter that year in Nevada. Causing a situation for Hydro Plants due to record low level rains this year in Nevada and also elsewhere in Oregon, California, Arizona, etc. Elko Nevada set two records on one month in 2001. Another problem is that with less water it means Hydro Plants cannot produce the maximum energy necessary to counteract the maximum usage with air-conditioning units in the hottest climates causing imminent outages.

I have always pondered how everything which effect the flows of our civilization are inner related to each other. As I studied this problem of water supplies effecting hydro electricity and seeing the Arizona issues, I visited Palo Verde Nuclear Power station, which is the largest US power producer. I applauded the expansion, taking place there with another additional six reactors being built to put power into the grid. Right now today there are three full functioning reactors there.

Meanwhile during the construction of upgraded power systems, we need to find ways to conserve energy during droughts, as it is hotter as well, meaning huge usage of electric power. With these issues at hand there is also opportunity to conserve energy in HVAC air-conditioning units on top of buildings. When the flanges on the units are clean they stay cooler longer and prevent the units from running constantly and sucking up energy. A clean HVAC unit is said to be 15-20% more efficient and therefore using 15-20% less energy. This we believe is a great service business in itself helping customers save money and helping the West Coasts temporary energy issues. Perhaps many small businesses can help us by improving efficiencies and conserving energies.

If energy costs are nearly triple in some markets like San Diego, California then the 15-20% more efficient units use 45-60% less dollars to operate. So a constant cleaning the is in the ball park of 20% of the cost savings is more than viable and beneficial to the leanest and meanest corporations looking to save money and increase shareholders equity and quarterly profits. Companies like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Large Hotel Chains will have to buy these services. But small business people can make money doing this and we all save energy. Think of the savings to government, education facilities, hospitals, and large homes? Think on these factors as everything affects everything else.

Coastal Crisis, New Orleans

The Mississippi River Mouth is distributing debris into the gulf and slowing the flowing river. The build up is exacerbated by the fertilizers and run off from up river cities and rural areas; these nutrients are helping the growth, which is limiting the water flow. The water is thus rising; while the silt builds up in the river mouth. The City of New Orleans is also sinking and the cities sea wall is getting older each year. No one knows which year will be the demise of the City from a Hurricane, only that the city is doomed.

The New York Times, Scientific America, USA Today have all done stories on this problematic situation. Billions have been spent building, maintaining and upgrading the sea wall there. In most of New Orleans the water table is above ground and you cannot hardly dig a hole anywhere without ground water filling it up. Floods come often to the city, from rains and when severe storms cause breaches in the sea wall. Up until now nothing too overwhelming has occurred, but if the sea wall collapses in a major way one-third of the city will be submerged at normal sea level heights. If it happens during a major Hurricane all of FEMAs horse and all the Kings men will not be able to save that wall again.

A twelve foot increase in sea height during a long slow moving hurricane with 17-18 foot waves could put the entire city under water if a large chunk the seawall is taken out. It will at that point be the largest disaster in the history of the United States. Think about it, we need a defense plan there.

Christians Are Being attacked By Muslim Radical Head Hunters

Well we have Muslim Radicals setting off bombs in Christian areas of Indonesia last week and this week it is Beirut. They detonated a bomb in Lebanese Christian neighborhoods and killed an anti-Syrian reporter too. Mr. Samir Qaseer. Do you ever feel that it is not safe to be a Christian these days? Was it ever, I mean it seems they were using them as lion food not all that long ago too?

Will people ever get along in this world? Fighting over religion? Wasn't it just four days after the start of the country's parliamentary elections were completed? It appears that the infidels are under siege in the world, that is what the radicals call them. Interesting that you can have a religion and then modify it as a tool for hate, by simply labeling your enemy an infidel so it is okay to blow them up, cut off their heads or some other such atrocity.

I have a question for the world? Are you quite satisfied with how every thing is going? Is this the best the human race can do? You know it is quite pathetic with all the over sight, laws, rules and so-called peaceful religions of the world. You pray to your Gods for peace and then tote your Pope around in a bulletproof car? Why not just ask God to protect him too? Are we all quite sure that Allaah or God is really going to save the human race and make it all better again? If you were watching all this from up above and saw all the little humans scurrying around killing each other, strapping bombs to themselves, having wars and cutting off the heads of Christians who are their to help in re-construction efforts and such; tell me would you even bother with such a species? Would you even care what else they did, what they prayed for, cared about or such? Would you care if little Mohammed Jr, prayed so he could grow up and blow himself and as many Jews as possible at a bus stop. Would you care if Bob who is starting Christian College prayed to win the Football game Friday night and oh yah a new Hummer would be nice too and I would sure like to get in the pants of that sexy girl Denise too? Would you answer a prayer for no more Hurricanes in FL or Tsunamis or Earthquakes in the Indian Ocean or Pacific Rim? Would you? Would you even want to be associated with a creation such as the human race? I mean obviously some; God, Allaah or someone made a colossal mistake here somewhere?

The human race is not worthy; you cannot even get along. All you do is kill each other and then pray for free stuff? Every day another car bomb, another attack, another be-heading another retaliation. On and on; you know seriously folks it is time for us all to get along, before someone else gets real serious and blows down this house of cards we call the human race? It is high time we all bury the hatchet. You can all think on that, but as long as Bob is praying for a new Hummer, I want one too; In yellow of course?