Posted by admin on May 31st, 2008 — Posted in Flics
The whole country is talking about the film Brokeback Mountain and it has created no small stir. On a Sunday morning TV editorial Charles Osgood pointed out that Hollywood is not tying to put forth a gay liberal agenda but rather are interested only in the bottom line - money. Although not inferred, it sounded like capturing the minds of adults or poisoning the minds of our youth was merely an incidental that happened on the way to the bank.
For over thirty years I have warned that it is not just what we see on films that can influence us. Each film has a philosophy attached to it whether it was intended or not. Sex, violence and profanity are blaringly obvious but subtle philosophies are not. Today the philosophies are becoming more blatant and are far less subtle. The race for box office cash is not all that fuels this raw open ended kind of expression in the film industry.
The mention of any kind of control (even self control) is met with cries of violated first amendment rights and the old freedom of expression hype. It may seem a bit over used but remains true nevertheless that Hollywood has never bothered to discern the difference between freedom and license.
A recent poll discovered that only one out of a thousand Americans knows all of the rights our constitution provides for them. On average the poll said that most people can name only one of our constitutional rights. Contrasted with that fact, it was discovered that the same people could name three or more of the characters in the TV animated sitcom, “The Simpsons.” The bottom line says that movie makers know what their rights are but the movie viewing public either doesn’t have a clue or they just don’t care.
Anyone who thinks TV and Movies don’t influence our society has to be living in another country. Yet even that is not true. Another poll recently discovered that one of the reasons that almost every major country in the world hates Americans is because of the film industry. All they know about America is what they see in the movies. Immorality, frivolous romance, rebellion, crime, gay cowboys and general mayhem is all they see. Any country trying to keep order and develop would naturally reject this kind of example and that is exactly what they do.
Could we get Hollywood’s attention on this, not so far but maybe we could catch them on the way to the bank and let them know. It is estimated that Americans will spend fifteen years on average of their entire lives watching TV and Movies. Perhaps it is not reasonable to think John Q television watching public is going to take any time out of their fifteen years to grab a few Hollywood producers on their way to the bank. Maybe they could protest a bit during the commercials which comprise about five of the fifteen years of their TV and movie watching lives.
Actors and others in the film industry are paid huge sums of money to do and say things most Americans don’t believe should ever be seen or uttered. Are they showing us our mind, or is art coaxing life rather than imitating it. I suppose when actors or thespians are offered small fortunes to behave and talk badly they must think they are living right. They too probably laugh all the way to the bank. Most Americans don’t act like actors but Hollywood can afford to make them act anyway they choose.
It all seems Ok if the end (the trip to the bank) seems to justify the means. Some Americans are a bit sick of Hollywood suggesting how to live instead of depicting how they actually live. The Bible isn’t sick of anything but has a lot to say about how sick human behavior can become. Perhaps it is best said by the bible regardless of whether Hollywood is listening or not. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14:12
Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote “Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You,” publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled “An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ.” His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey’s “Late Great Planet Earth” Rev Bresciani’s website is,
http://americanprophet.org
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Posted by admin on May 31st, 2008 — Posted in Politics
There are many issues on the minds of US voters these days, but according to national polls, the environment ranks …um… somewhere above hemp policy and just below humane treatment for Teletubbies.
People are, of course, justly concerned about top issues such as health care, terrorism, and jobs. But the environment actually has a role to play in all of those areas. Below are some examples of how this is so.
ENVIRONMENTAL VOTING CAN MEAN BETTER HEALTH
“If you have your health, you have everything”–so goes the old cliche. We usually don’t think too much about our health until we have a problem. Diseases usually creep in on us slowly. They’re very patient, waiting until our defenses are down far enough for us to be susceptible.
The health of the environment–the quality of the air we breathe, the purity of the water we drink, the condition of the land we grow our food on–are prime factors in the health of our bodies. We protect the health of our families by reducing pollution, by encouraging better farming practices that result in more nutritious agricultural products, and by getting the toxic chemicals out of the products we use every day.
Politicians are busy jousting about who has the better plan for improving health care, but they’re mostly silent on the most basic health issue–keeping disease-causing pollutants out of the environment and out of us.
ENVIRONMENTAL VOTING CAN MEAN BETTER SAFETY
What are the terrorist targets that have the most potential for causing problems? Here are three.
- Ports — We’re still inspecting only a fraction of the more 6 million containers arriving in US coastal cities each year. Many security experts think it’s just a matter of time before terrorists sneak a nuclear, chemical or biological device into one of them. By supporting the concept of “buying local,” our leaders could begin reducing the traffic in our ports and thus make the problem more manageable. This would also reduce the huge level of pollution associated with product transport. Instead, our leaders pursue ever-grander “free trade” schemes that will INCREASE port security problems.
- Chemical Plants and Other Facilities That Use Chemicals — A terrorist strike at a facility that manufactures or uses toxic substances could release clouds of poisonous chemicals. And we’re not only talking about heavy-duty chemical and industrial plants; many water-treatment facilities, for instance, still use toxic forms of chlorine for disinfection, even though safer alternatives are available. Those who currently control our federal government have been far too passive in addressing problems with high-chemical-use industries.
- Nuclear Power Plants — Although most nuclear facilities are hardened against airplane strikes, many are vulnerable to direct terrorist takeover. Because there are only 103 nuclear power plants in the US and because they do get a fair degree of attention when it comes to security, this is probably the least likely of the three disaster scenarios presented here. But it’s still a possibility, and instead of trying to reduce the level of the vulnerability by diverting investment resources to development of wind, solar, wave, and other clean, safe forms of electricity generation, some politicians are pushing plans to build MORE nuclear power plants. Egad.
ENVIRONMENTAL VOTING CAN MEAN MORE JOBS
Mature industries do not typically create large numbers of new jobs. Industries based on oil, gas, and coal–the “business-as-usual industries” in the energy sector–are certainly not going to bolster our sagging job numbers, given that they’re caught between the twin hammers of dwindling fossil-fuel supplies and anti-pollution pressures.
But there is a good solution. According to analyses by The Apollo Alliance, embarking on an ambitious program to develop renewable energy will allow us to create three million new, high quality jobs, free ourselves from imported oil, and clean up the environment. That certainly sounds a lot better than no new jobs and lots more black smoke in the sky.
TOOLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VOTING
So, are you convinced that voting green also supports many of our other primary goals at the ballot box? If so, the best way to decide which candidate is the most supportive of our environment is NOT to listen to what they say, but instead to look at their voting records. A good way to do that for national candidates is to review the information at Project Vote Smart (http://www.vote-smart.org/), which is an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing facts on the voting records of candidates for the US congress and other federal offices. They cover all issues, not just the environment.
While Project Vote Smart is an incredible resource, if your main goal is to zero in on candidates’ environmental records, you can do this more easily by letting the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) be your guide. LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard (http://www.lcv.org/scorecard/scorecardmain.cfm) analyzes and rates candidates’ environmental voting records. If you want to keep it reeeaaaally simple, the Scorecard has a single percentage number for each candidate to summarize how often the candidate supported the “environmental position.” The higher the number, the greener the candidate. And by the way, LCV is a non-partisan organization–they endorse donkeys, elephants, and political animals of other stripes too.
Even though the environment may not come up much in debates and TV ads, it is our air, our water, and our land. Keeping it clean is an important issue in its own right, but it plays a part in almost all other issues too. Vote green!
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. Must be published complete with no changes. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
About The Author
© 2003 by http://www.GrinningPlanet.com
Mark is a writer, financial analyst, web developer, environmentalist, and, as necessary, chef and janitor. Grinning Planet is an expression of Mark’s enthusiasm for all things humorous and green, as well as a psychotic desire to work himself half-to-death. Hobbies include health foods, music, getting frustrated over politics, and occasionally lecturing the TV set on how uncreative it is.
bluebuck@grinningplanet.com
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Posted by admin on May 30th, 2008 — Posted in Relationships Hall
Nothing more that makes your special day more official than the
exchange offering of wedding bands. These are the rings that the
bride and groom will be wearing forever, ’til death do us part!
So it is important for the bride and groom to purchase a wedding
band that they both like and feel good about.
One thing that you should consider when buying a wedding band,
is both the personal style of the future husband and wife. This
is a joint effort, so both parties should agree. It is essential
that both are comfortable with the rings that they choose,
because they’d be wearing these rings for a lifetime.
There are a variety of wedding band to choose from, made from
different materials. 14 karat white and yellow gold being still
two of the most popular choices. A 14 karat gold wedding band is
not entirely made of gold. It is mixed with an alloy of gold and
other metals such as copper and silver.
Wedding bands also come in silver and platinum. Platinum is
heavier than gold. It is considered to be the most precious of
all metals. It makes for a beautiful wedding ring because of its
stunning white metal that shines after it has been polished.
Silver is not considered superior in quality. Silver metal tend
to be very soft. Wedding bands made of silver are prone to
discoloration. But they are very inexpensive. So those who are
shopping on a budget might want to consider this as an option.
In choosing a wedding band, the thickness of the band must be
considered, and whether the bride and groom would want a wedding
band with a design, or just a plain set of wedding bands.
Now, it is common for couples to choose the same wedding band.
Except, that the woman’s wedding band is slightly smaller. It is
advisable for couples who are shopping for rings to visit a
number of jewelry stores. This way, they’d have a wide selection
to choose from. They could also compare prices. If you have any
questions regarding the rings, you can always ask a professional
jeweler to assist you. He or she can also offer you an expert
opinion when it comes to your selection.
If couples chose to have an engraving in their rings, they
should already have a dedication in mind. Also, they should be
careful in choosing the type of engraving they will put in their
wedding bands, because these engravings are lasting.
Most couples chose to have their initials brandished inside
their wedding rings. While others chose symbols, or dedications
as a gesture, or profession of their love and devotion to each
other. Engravings are a wonderful thing, because they make the
rings more meaningful and special.
Ask your friends and family who are blissfully married to
recommend some names of places where you can acquire the wedding
bands of your dream.
If you cannot find a ready made ring that suits your style, you
can always have them custom made. A lot of jeweler specialize in
making wedding bands. Having your wedding bands made, actually
is less expensive than purchasing in store wedding bands. The
great thing about this is it also adds a personal touch to the
ring selection process.
But in the end, it’s not really just about the rings, so couples
should not stress over the whole ring selection process. Rather
they should enjoy and relish this special time, when they are
about to be made future husband and wife, and bonded for all
eternity.
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Posted by admin on May 29th, 2008 — Posted in Hall Of Websters
Any website comprises the following - Domain name, Webspace, Webpages.
Lets say, You have got your Domain Name (www.yourdomain.com). Its time to check for a good hosting service provider to have your files uploaded in the domain. If you are opting for Linux Based Hosting Plan, make sure you have the following included in your plans :
1. Control Panel - This is the nucleus of your website. In a Control Panel, popularly known as CP, you can literally do anything. The moment you signup for a Hosting Pack, you must be provided with a CP to manage your webspace.
2. POP3 email Ids & Aliases - yourname@yourdomain.com is an example POP3 ID. You must be provided with ample of POP3 email ids and it depends on the Package size.
3. FTP Accounts & Virtual FTP - This is where you upload your files, delete them, update them. This again comes along with the CP. Make sure you have handful of FTP sub-accounts also to provide your clients/users password protected directories. This is very much useful wherein your clients / users can use the FTP to upload /download files from particular password protected folder of your website.
4. Backup - Most of the Hosts take Automated Backups. But users do not take much care on this while choosing the Hosting Pack. This feature is as essential as anyother in this list.
5. Web Statistics - Analysis of your website visitors plays a key role in the success of your website. Say, your website has been launched and you get NIL Visits or More than 100 Visits per day. Whatever the case may be, you can view the Report using Statistics Application that run in the server backend.
6. Bandwidth - Choose the Hosting Plan that gives enough Bandwidth for your website. Even though you cannot judge at the beginning, as time progresses, you can easily deduct the Bandwidth required.
7. PHP & Mysql Support - All the Linux Plans support PHP & Mysql. Make sure you get this free of charge when you buy the hosting plan. Few Hosting Providers may charge extra for MYSQL Database Support & PhpMyAdmin.
8. Webmail & SMTP - Email becomes key part in your life once you launch the website. Check if the Hosts provide with WEBMAIL (mail.yourdomain.com) to check your mails thru a web based interface using Squirrelmail or Horde. Corporate Users prefer downloading mails thru Email Clients such as Eudora or Outlook Express. Only if SMTP or IMAP support is enabled you can use this option. Hence check if SMTP support is provided.
9. SPAM ASSASIN - No email user is free from a spam attack. Hence you need to have Spam Filters installed on the server where your website resides.
10. IP - If your website prefers SSL Support (https://) as time grows, makes ure you get a DEDICATED IP. Most of the websites are hosted on shared IPs. Ask your Hosting Provider about the extra charges involved in getting a dedicated IP and SSL Support. Note : For SSL (https://), you need to buy a Digital Certificate.
You can call the above List anything you like. Essentials
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Posted by admin on May 28th, 2008 — Posted in Streets + Wheels
With increased competition between supermarkets to gain market share and improve profitability, the range of products on offer is getting ever diverse. Now, the big three chains, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda have caught on to the fact that their brand name can sell just about anything, including of all things, car insurance.
Car insurance is one of those very boring expensive products that you loathe having to pay for but have no choice if you want to drive a car on Britain’s roads. Why therefore would supermarkets want to be associated with such a seemingly expensive pain in the pocket? Well it seems that the public think it’s a great idea and are buying it from these stores in their thousands with the belief that it must cheap if the supermarkets are selling it. The strange thing is that the companies behind these deals, who are actually underwriting the risk, are the same companies who have been selling you car insurance for years.
Tesco for example seem to be incredibly successful in selling motor insurance to their customers with statements proclaiming that you could save up to £150 compared to some leading insurers. Tesco of course is not an insurer. If you look closely at the bottom of the Tesco car insurance webpage, you will notice it says that the policy is provided and underwritten by a company called UK Insurance Limited. Who on earth is this company you may ask. UK Insurance Limited is part of Royal Bank of Scotland who also own Direct Line along with Churchill and Privilege.
Sainsbury’s state that you could save up to £165 on your car insurance compared to other leading insurers - £15 better than Tesco. Of course, like Tesco, Sainsbury’s is not an insurer either. A quick look at their webpage shows that policies are arranged and administered by Esure, who are part of the Halifax Bank of Scotland group. Maybe Sainsbury’s are about to swap Jamie Oliver for Michael Winner - maybe not.
Asda state that they give you the “very best possible insurance protection” and offer a 10% discount if you buy online. Of course, just like Tesco and Sainsbury’s, Asda is not an insurer. Asda have opted to team up with Norwich Union to provide their policies.
The insurers are desperate to get into bed with the Supermarkets. It enables them to dress up their car insurance product with an already well known and trusted brand name. This is good business and a smart way to gain lots of new customers very quickly. Ironically though, some of those ‘new’ customers may already be with that insurer. Without knowing it, they may end up cancelling or not renewing their existing policy but staying with the same insurance company via the cheaper supermarket option.
From a customer perspective, the upshot of all this will hopefully be to get cheaper car insurance, which at the end of the day is what everybody wants. Who the insurer is behind the deal is probably not of great concern to people. In the long term, whether the actual underwriting results of these deals are profitable enough for the insurers to continue to offer the supermarkets good rates for their customers, will be interesting. One thing is for sure, I don’t see Direct Line advertising bananas six for a pound anytime soon.
Copyright (c) 2004 AcceptDirect.co.uk http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk
Andrew Bowen is the CEO of Accept Direct Limited. Accept Direct offer car insurance to UK customers through their website http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk
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Posted by admin on May 28th, 2008 — Posted in Plugs
There are many online advertising websites that will let you advertise anything from cars, boats, houses, and even that timeshare you keep paying maintenance on year after year. Craigslist, for example, offers a completely free service and allows its users to submit ads with any contact information they choose. But how much should the casual user submit?
Other advertising websites specialize in more specific areas, such as the timeshare I mentioned above. There are literally hundreds of timeshare sites on the Internet today, some charge outrageous fees for their services, others are free, and a lot find a happy medium somewhere in between. This brings rise to the very competitive nature of the timeshare advertising industry. Many of these sites have not taken the necessary steps to secure your personal contact information or to inform you about the risks associated with revealing this information to the general public. In fact, many publish such details as your complete name, address, and phone number. There is so much at risk here and little effort made to advise the casual user. After all, the peronalized ad makes you feel good about an ad because it is “personalized” with all that contact information. However, do you really need everyone to know this and still achieve your objective?
Every website should have a clear and readily accessible privacy statement. More so, when you place an ad or enter personal information on a website, give careful consideration as to how much information you make available to the casual viewer. It is adviseable not to reveal any personal contact information until you know the intentions of the other party. Look for websites that have taken your privacy into consideration when asking you to complete forms online and to present contact information to its viewers. See if they deploy any kind of data encryption, also known as SSL or Secure Sockets Layer. This is a technology widely used to secure data as it passes from one computer to another. Many browsers will display a yellow lock or other indicator on the screen when this feature is active on a website. By all means don’t ever enter your credit card information into a form that does not explain how they secure this information.
When you set up your account on a classifieds website, you should have the option to conceal all of your personal contact information and rely on a private messaging system to receive messages from interested parties. Offering a private messaging system should be paramount for any Internet website to adequately secure your personal information, or at least offer you that choice. If all that you offer is a username, there is no way the casual eye can pick up your email address, your phone number, or, worse, your home address.
Interested parties should be required to register with the website; this is one additional step to ward off potential risks. It acts as a deterent to those looking for easily accessible information, and keeps “data mining” programs from easily accessing your personal information. Parties interested enough to contact you will register and oblige your wishes to be contacted via the private messaging system.
“Data mining” programs are readily accessible and can be used to skim web sites for email addresses, phone numbers, and even credit card information (on sites that have done nothing to secure this data). If you place an ad on a website that requires you to enter any personal information, consider using an email address only, and also consider using one that is set up only for Internet forms. This way if the email address is compromised you don’t risk having your primary personal email address being bombarded with SPAM. Imagine the ramifications if your phone number or home address ended up in the wrong hands? It is just too risky to have this information accessible to the casual viewer of a website, regardless of how eager you are to get your ad online.
Take care of your personal information and happy selling!
Sam White has been involved in the Travel industry for over 4 years. He has specialized in vacation rental and timeshare resales advertising and is committed to re-shaping the perception of the secondary timeshare market. Sam is the owner and developer of two websites which have more helpful information to both timehare owners and vacationers alike. You can visit them at http://www.timesharegateway.com and http://www.timeshare-gateway.com. Timeshare Gateway is a vacation rental and timeshare resale classified advertising website designed to be “owner friendly” by not taking a fee to advertise up-front. It is also a discussion forum and user group, and hosts discussions, resort reviews and other helpful information.
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Posted by admin on May 28th, 2008 — Posted in Medicine
How do you know when you are suffering from background anxiety? It’s important to be aware of the warning signs, because excessive levels of anxiety can disrupt your performance, stifle joy and lead to depression and illness.
A good test of a person’s physical fitness lies in their ability to do the things our ancestors did, routinely. So you’re physically fit if you can run slowly for several miles without getting out of breath, climb, hunt wild animals . . . you get the picture.
Perhaps you’ve stopped reading already, daunted by this test of physical fitness, but we know, deep down, that we’re built for that kind of activity. It’s what your human frame was designed for.
So what about anxiety? What is the equivalent test of ‘normality’ which we should apply when deciding whether we are over-stressed? I would propose the following list. I don’t claim that it’s scientific, but I would defend it as a pragmatic and practical list of qualities. These are the conditions which each one of us can aspire to.
A reasonably relaxed person :
Doesn’t procrastinate
Is open to spontaneous suggestions
Looks forward to the weekend . . . and looks forward to the working week
Feels that they have plenty of time
Moves gracefully
Enjoys their food
Sleeps well
Good balance of time between family, personal and working lives
Fit
Efficient
Looks forward to challenges
Not readily affected by criticism
Not particularly susceptible to vices such as overeating, smoking, heavy drinking
Open and courteous
How did you do? Don’t worry too much if you struggled. It isn’t unusual for people to struggle with half of the items on this list. Turn this around for a moment and think about the gains to be achieved when you do learn to relax. Think how pleasant it would be to feel more optimism. To take greater pleasure in your animal nature (eg exercise, sex, food, sleep). To enjoy greater control over your own destiny. And, of course, the career benefits to be enjoyed from greater efficiency and effectiveness.
We can all benefit from increased relaxation. Perhaps surprisingly, this isn’t hard to come by. As a hypnotherapist I treat people for a range of conditions, and the consistent response from my clients is “yes, you helped me with my condition, and I’ve also discovered again how much fun life can be”. Stress reduction is a side effect, a by-product, for many hypnotherapy clients. If you wish, it could also be the main event.
Look after yourself. It’s a short life and it’s here to be enjoyed. Consider hypnotherapy. Consider meditation. Above all, look honestly within yourself to identify sources of anxiety. Don’t be embarrassed, or feel guilty, simply because you feel anxious. It’s normal. Doing something positive about our background anxiety is possibly the most positive step any of us can make towards enjoying life more.
Jim Sullivan is a hypnotherapist specialising in confidence, self esteem and stress management. He may be contacted via Confidence Club http://www.confidenceclub.net
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Posted by admin on May 28th, 2008 — Posted in Baker's Dozen
Work, meetings, deadlines, appointments, telephone calls,
shopping, taking the dogs out etc. - all these are things most
people have to accomplish daily. Most of the times, on the
waiting list there are other things like: family, friends and
even ourselves. Sometimes we discover too late that the points
mentioned on the waiting lists are, in fact, the most important
and, unfortunately, sometimes, we don’t realize this at all, so
find ourselves wondering for what reason we are so unhappy.
There are different books and seminars that help us find out
what the best option for managing our time is. All these sources
are against enemies and they intend to offer you the best
solutions to eliminate it for good, or at least to reduce it
drastically. All this people know that time is more than money -
time means, first of all, life and, more than that, it means our
lives. That is way we have the obligation not to surrender in
stressful situations and to go fighting for the joy of living.
Let’s not forget also that deficient management of time can
produce tremendous health problems, both at the physical and
mental level. But there is good news! Time can be domesticated -
we can make it, in certain manner, obey us. First step in
implementing this process is to identify the elements that robe
your time. Normally, they are divided into two groups: •The
external factors (unexpected phone calls, very long phone
conversations, unplanned visits, the policy of open doors, not
sufficiently trained personnel, frequent meetings, interruptions
caused by colleagues, friends and family etc.) •The internal
factors - related strictly to our own persons (priorities and
objectives that change, the lack of a daily working plan, lack
of self imposed deadlines, the tendency to take care of too many
things at the same time, disorder, lateness in resolving the
conflicts, incapacity of saying no, lack of decision,
tiredness). By reading the above enumeration, you probably
pictured recalled all the similar situations that you went
through. Now, all you have to do is to find a way to defeat and
eliminate them, so that you can be the mater of your own time
again. Here are three possible ways in which you can do that:
•Get used to write everything down. It is useful, especially if
you have a bad memory. Otherwise you might fail to remember to
go to important meetings, to make important phone calls, to
answer messages you promised you would answer. You can also
write down great ideas and inspirations that occur to you in the
most unexpected moments. •Make a list of priorities. It takes
you very little time to draw it and you can even do it while
you’re having your morning coffee. Write down, the things you
need to do that day, in the order of their importance and
urgency. •Learn to say no. One big mistake that a lot of us make
is that we put other people’s problems in front of ours.
Nevertheless, by helping them in a bad moment for us, we give
rise to frustration, stress and we find ourselves unable to
respect previous engagements. To learn more how to improve
yourself visit the http://www.welc
ome-to-self-improvement.com site. Help Yourself While
Helping Others In Need. 10% Of All Proceeds Are Donated To Help
Support The National Children’s Cancer Society.
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Posted by admin on May 27th, 2008 — Posted in Medicine
Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss Lesson #18
I listened to a spiritual program today that had a very powerful
message. In fact, my exhusband knew I liked these programs,
which had gone off the air last year, and he taped them and gave
them to me as a Christmas present. It was the best gift!
When we’re living from our ego (edging God out), we know we’re
not enough and everything keeps showing up for us to support
this statement. When we’re connected to God, we know we are
enough and everything shows up for us to support this statement.
Pretty awesome message, isn’t it? Which one do you choose?
You are already whole and complete just as God created you.
However, we give energy to believing quite the opposite and we
wonder why we keep creating struggle….not enough love, not
enough health, not enough money.
The perception of “lack” of money is a very strong energy and I
hear it from most of my clients. God is always your supply and
He intends that you have abundance. It is your ego that says
something different. Think about this next statement. Pay every
bill as if God wrote it. When you pay your bills, think about it
from this standpoint and pay them lovingly. Give positive energy
to them and see what happens as a result.
You’re fueling your weight with less than thoughts and it’s time
to change it. Money is energy and if you’re always thinking “I
don’t have enough” then that’s what the Universe is giving you.
Do you want to keep living in this way of thinking or are you
tried of this struggle?
Focus on “I am a money magnet” and say it over and over again.
Put it on a sticky note or 3 x 5 card and place it everywhere so
you can see it and keep affirming this message.
God smiles when His child lives a life in expansiveness and
possibility. Please Him and watch the miracles unfold. Give Him
your burdens underneath your weight. Remember you are already
whole and complete. Believe it, see it, know it.
You are a sparkly child of God….and you sizzle too! Sparkly
and Sizzling–what a powerful combination that only leads to
expansiveness and possibility.
Love and hugs,
Tami http://www.tamiclose.com http://www.closekeptsecrets.com
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Posted by admin on May 27th, 2008 — Posted in Kids + Parenting
According to researchers, most children enter school with a good sense of self-esteem (at least as defined by psychologists) and yet leave high school with a poor sense of self-esteem. What happens in those years between starting school and finishing school?
If we are to define self-esteem as “having feelings of worth or value,” then people with adequate levels of self-esteem should display a sense of realistic confidence in their abilities and performance. People with low levels of self-esteem would be expected to display feelings of inadequacy, a fear of failure, a sense of being unworthy, and perhaps depression.
It is estimated that 25-35% of children have Learning Disabilities. At least 5% have Attention Disorders. All too many times during the course of their academic careers these children are labeled by teachers (or parents) as being “lazy,” or “stupid.” Remarks of this type are typically interpreted by the child as, “You’re no good,” and the self-esteem levels drop.
At least 50% of children will experience the divorce of their parents prior to turning 18 years old. Most children, for whatever reasons too complicated to go into here, will tend to place at least a portion of the blame for the parent’s divorce on themselves. Since the parents are typically placed on a pedestal in the eyes of the child, the blame for the divorce cannot be placed on the parents and must be placed elsewhere, most commonly on themselves. This also significantly impacts children’s self-esteem levels.
There are other important challenges to maintaining reasonable self-esteem, such as merely being “average” in a world that worships only the good looking, the good athletes, and the well-to-do.
Can too much Self-Esteem be bad for you?
Let me say here and now that inappropriately high levels of self-esteem may be worse that low levels. Levels of self-esteem that are too high lead kids to believe that they are more important than anyone else, and that they should never be frustrated by work or challenges in life. It leads young people to believe that they should always have their way. Inflated levels of self-esteem ultimately discourages children and teens from learning how to work hard, and sometimesl leads into criminal behavior. Anti-social and criminal behavior is fueled by the criminal believing that his wants and needs are more important than the needs, wants, or rights of others.
Inflated levels of self-esteem also are directly at odds with the development of one’s spirituality and relationship with God. After all, who needs to develop a relationship with God when he believes that he is more important, or intelligent, or more powerful than God? People are cheated in every important aspect of their lives, emotionally, socially, and spiritually, when their sense of self-esteem is inflated.
So how can we instill appropriate levels of self-esteem in our children? Briefly, here are five key thoughts . . .
First, change the way that you look at this area of life from “self-esteem” to “self-confidence.” There is a difference as wide as the sea. To “esteem” someone, including one’s self, involves feelings of “reverence” or “awe” or “honor” or “glory.” Words have meaning. Let’s not get carried away with trying to make our kids feel good about themselves by starting to ascribe to them positions of honor normally reserved for Presidents and Kings, and perhaps for God. The majority of our society’s problems are caused by people thinking that they are more important than anyone else in the world. This is not something that we really want to encourage in our children, or in ourselves.
Instead we do want to encourage self-confidence. This attribute becomes especially powerful and beautiful when paired with the virtue of self-control. Raise your children to have these two character traits, and you will have wonderful and successful children.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library’s family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.
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