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Health And Safety For Our Children

The health and safety experts have been at it again. The age old tradition of children participating in sack races at schools sports day, all in the name of that horrendous past time called fun, have been ruled out on the grounds that it is dangerous.

I suppose it’s because of that awful chaffing of the sack cloth against the children’s knees. Sack cloth injuries may not be life threatening but they are detrimental to the children’s quality of life. After all, we all know what it’s like to try and sit cross legged in a packed assembly hall with a scab on the knee. The first few times, the scab will crack and hurt like hell and that pain is the only thing you can concentrate on.

After a few days of this, it will start to heal in the bent position and then you will be compelled to pick it. Next thing you know, you are so engrossed in this activity that everyone else has stood up for singing except you and you are the only child stood at the front of the hall and made a spectacle of for not listening. Still, all you can hear is the call of the scab.

For the scabbed knee reason alone, it is easy to see why health and safety chiefs want the activity banned. Add to that the danger of the new type of hard grass we now have and there is no telling where it will all end. Special grass is bred for schools and high traffic areas that may resemble normal grass but is pointy, and slicey and downright dangerous. For anyone who has ever fallen on grass and experienced a grass blade up the nostril, they will appreciate the need to ban sack races.

Another of those really dicey school events is biology lessons. For those who just don’t give a fig for health and safety rules, any manner of messy events could occur in a biology room. There is nothing to be gained from learning from mistakes anymore. Any mistake that occurs will see health and safety officials clamping down and stopping the activity before someone gets seriously hurt. Yay, the health and safety officials!

One primary school intended to show their children the miracle of life by hatching out chicks from eggs and watching their development. However, those brilliant people that decide on health and safety issues could spot the potential danger a mile away and are insisting that biological, electrical, child and teacher risk assessments should be carried out before the lessons went ahead. They also could see the possible risk of infection should the children be touching the eggs.

Aren’t we lucky we have these people to watch out for our welfare? Where would we be without them? Where would our children end up? Would we really want well-adjusted children that understand painful things hurt, dirty things need cleaning and that life, in general, is messy and risky and fun? Heaven forbid!

What we really need to do is bring our offspring into line with the healthy and safety rulings that will see them have a long, dull, risk free life by wrapping them in cotton wool, exposing them to nothing more than soft food taken from rounded spoons that have had the edges smoothed off and play them sweet, delicate music to protect their ear drums. Do not allow them to see anything slightly antagonistic for fear they will grow up as criminals - and yes, that means no Tom and Jerry cartoons. We have a duty to protect the next generation!

Parenting expert Catherine Harvey looks at the new health and safety rules to protect our children while at school.

T. Boone Pickens Speaks Out On America’s Energy Crisis

T. Boone Pickens is a legendary Oil man and investor who reached the billionaire stage long ago. Pickens knows a thing or two about oil drilling and America’s dependence upon foreign oil.

In a recent interview with CNN’s Lou Dobbs, Pickens had this to say about the sad state of America’s current energy position.

“The problem is unbelievable for this country. We are in a crisis mode and let me give it to you right quick. We’re spending $700 billion a year on foreign oil, $700 billion. We’re going to break the country in less than 10 years and we’re now importing almost 70 percent of all the oil we use.

1991 it was 42 percent. And I said then, we’re going to be 60 percent at the end of the century. We were at 60 percent — I was told I was a fool. I didn’t know what I was talking about. I can tell you now, you’re almost 70 and you’re going to be importing in 10 years from now. So we’ve got to do something about it and we can, Lou. The solution for it is natural gas. Natural gas can replace foreign oil.

There are 8 million vehicles around the world on natural gas and only 142,000 of them are in the United States. Can you believe, I mean, with our leadership, did not take us in the right direction. But not trying to place blame, it’s really our problem. Yours, mine, and the rest of the people in America.”

T. Boone Picken’s reference to poor leadership in the US is critical to understanding how the US has and still is falling behind the rest of the developed and developing world in energy management, infrastructure, technology, health care, and other issues that are vital to the progress of a nation.

It seems like our leaders have spent most of their time developing a military machine rather than attending to the needs of American citizens at home. American military adventurism is not the way to build a strong economy as resources are misallocated to the military sector. For example, the US Department of Defense is by far the largest consumer of gasoline and diesel fuel of any single sector in the US economy.

T. Boone Pickens is one of a very few American business leaders who are speaking out on the energy issue. And as for American politicians they are still in the self congratulatory mode of telling everyone how America leads the world in every category of technology and innovation. That may have been true ten years ago but no longer. When you are sending 700 billion Dollars a year overseas each year bad things are sure to happen to you. As T. Boone Pickens knows living in the past is not going to solve America’s energy problems.

America desperately needs leadership who will first of all admit that a serious problem exists and who will take massive steps to mobilize and organize the resources needed to reduce if not eliminate the dependency of America upon foreign oil.

Learn more about the coming energy crisis and its consequences for the way we will live and work at Crude Oil Crisis

History Of Lingerie

Up until about the ’60s and ’70s, women’s undergarments were made to serve a few different functions or purposes, none of them being sensuality or femininity. Learning the history of lingerie should make any woman thankful to have been born during this particular time. A time when ideas regarding the female form and women in general have morphed so drastically from just a century ago, and the changes in lingerie have certainly reflected this.

Women’s underwear, long before lingerie was even a possibility, has, at one time, been not only unsightly and boring, but sometimes, downright painful! Corsets and girdles have been causing discomfort in women for several centuries now. Early corsets made of bone were designed to tighten the waist and enhance the bust by pushing it up and forward.

From the 16th to the 19th centuries, corsets were worn to give women waists as tiny as 16 or 17 inches (40-43 cm). This was so tight that some ladies even passed out from the severe constriction! Thankfully, the girdle became popular in the 1920s, which also helped to shape the body, but into a more natural form and with elastic-type material rather than the painful bindings of the corset.

When more and more women found themselves entering the workplace during World War I and the years to follow, they realized a more practical form of undergarments were needed. Soon fabric became breathable and considerably lighter, and style was focused on functionality. Then, in the 30’s and 40’s, women’s lingerie began to truly enhance the female form with the advent of the bra.

Bras can now be designed for support or for appearance and enhancement. Those that are made for support maximize comfort and minimize movement, such as a sports bra. Bras that enhance figures can lift the bust line, give you cleavage that you’ve never had before and some also feature extra padding to add to your overall bust size. Alternately, there are even minimizing bras designed to make the breasts appear smaller.

Women’s panties have undergone many changes in the design process and can be found in different styles and cuts with something for any preference. Briefs are designed for comfort but can still be found in colorful patterns or designs. Boy-shorts are a fan of many women since they help minimize panty lines but are fun and comfy at the same time.

Also, in the “everyday” category of lingerie along with bras and panties, are slips and pantyhose. Pantyhose were a miracle in themselves in that they combined stockings and a panty into one garment. Garter belts were no longer needed to hold up stockings, which added to the overall comfort of women’s lingerie.

Now lingerie can be delicate, sensual and help spice up your life, giving you a number of styles and types to choose from. Now corsets and girdles can be made for appeal rather than binding and tightening and can also come in all colors and designs. A bustier is a strapless bra that has garter straps attached at the waist and can be made of fabrics such as silk or satin.

The teddy, one of the most popular types of women’s lingerie, is a short nightgown that falls just above the upper thigh and can be made of a variety of sheer or silky materials. Teddy’s also usually come with a matching pair of panties to complete the look.

A chemise is another common piece of lingerie and features a straight-cut with the gown falling just above the knee. A chemise is usually made of a very light material and has spaghetti straps. A longer gown, the peignoir, reaches to the ankle and often comes with a robe of a similar design.

Women’s lingerie and undergarments have evolved into a huge industry that’s ever-changing and always offering something new and exciting. There are so many options for women to discover, and with everything from sexy to seasonal or comfy to cutesy, there’s a type of lingerie for any woman.

The Adult Fun Centre specialize in providing sexy lingerie, pvc, rubber, leather and nightwear.

Homosexuality: Cured or Understood?

Stories in the news–such as Ted Haggart’s, his fall from grace and subsequent redemption through Christian therapy that made him “100% heterosexual,” make us ask, “What causes homosexuality anyway, and can it be changed?” For helpful insight into this question, I thank Carol Lynn Pearson, author of the new book, “No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons Around Our Gay Loved Ones.”

There are still mysteries in how our sexual orientation is formed, but today some significant facts are in. In 2006, 60 Minutes aired a fine segment called “The Science of Sexual Orientation.” Lesley Stahl reported that, while the final answer of what makes a person gay or straight may be a long way off, “scientists…are already yielding tantalizing clues.”

Michael Bailey, a psychology professor at Northwestern University and a leading researcher in the field of sexual orientation said, responding to the extremely different gender behaviors of a set of boy twins, “To me, cases like that really scream out, ‘Hey it’s not out there, it’s in here.’” He said he doesn’t think nurture is a plausible explanation, as in the disproved theory that homosexuality is caused by overbearing mothers and distant fathers.

“Today,” reported Ms. Stahl, “scientists are looking at genes, environment, brain structure and hormones.” The report went on to demonstrate that gay and straight people move differently and talk differently, suggesting characteristics of the opposite sex are embedded in the brain structure.

Further, it has been demonstrated that homosexuality runs in families. In studying identical twins, one gay and one straight, Dr. Bailey suggested that the environment he’s most interested in is “the environment that happens to us while we’re in the womb,” which is an environment that is “much more important than we ever thought it was.”

Adding to the mystery is that “the more older brothers a man has, the greater that man’s chance of being gay,” a finding that has been “demonstrated in study after study.” 60 Minutes concluded that the scientists they spoke to are “increasingly convinced that genes, hormones, or both…determine sexual orientation before birth.”

Similar evidence was presented in a talk in 2004 by Dr. William Bradshaw of Brigham Young University’s biology department. He discussed scientific data that he claimed “proved homosexuality is a result of biological orientation.” In addition to some of the findings also cited by 60 Minutes, Dr. Bradshaw presented the results of studies that show homosexuals have a 39 percent greater probability of being left-handed than right-handed, and that homosexual men go through puberty significantly earlier than heterosexual men.

Another BYU professor, Dr. Duane E. Jeffery of the Zoology department, observes:
“The best synthesis of available data suggests that specific combinations of genes….make the fetus susceptible to influence by the interacting fetal/maternal hormones….Homosexuality is far more profitably understood as a phenomenon of biology than of the schoolyard…. ‘hard-wired,’ i.e., inherent and ‘natural’; it is not the result of learning or training.”

Dr. R. Jan Stout, a psychiatrist who began his study of homosexuality with the firm conviction that it was “a learned behavior, an illness to be treated and corrected,” learned over the years that his earlier position had been “wrong and simplistic.” He came to believe that “the crucial factor is the timing and amount of testosterone released in utero by the developing embryo,” that apparently “environment fine tunes the instrument of sexuality but neither creates nor organizes its direction.”

Each of us discovers, rather than decides our sexual orientation. Within that reality, various choices are made. But that fact should help us all to treat each other with more understanding and compassion.

Don L. Wright is publisher of No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons around Our Gay Loved Ones, available at http://www.nomoregoodbyes.com and http://www.clpearson.com.

The Impact of a Water Supply Disruption in a Small Community

Small water supply systems in the United States typically do not have the resources or expertise to deal with or counter the impact of a contamination event or major water supply disruption. This is especially true of the media storm that could occur if such an event was associated with terrorism. The magnitude of this possibility is much larger than many
citizens and government officials will acknowledge.

There are about 170,000 public water systems in the United States according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They are classified as follows:

Very small water systems - 25 to 500 people served

Small water systems - 501 to 3,300 people served

Medium water systems - 3,301 to 10,000 people served

Large water systems - 10,001 to 100,000 people served

Very large water systems 100,001 + people served

Approximately 45,000 of these water systems are classified as small or very small. These small water suppliers include towns, small cities, water districts and municipalities.

Typically, they are headed by a mayor, director, general manager, city manager or executive manager. They may be managed by a board of directors or city council. Security is often provided by the local police department or state patrol. In many cases there are fewer than 10 people involved in supplying water to the consumer. Often, these people do not have any formal security or media relations training.

One of these small water supply systems, Walkerton, Ontario, Canada faced a crisis in May 2000. This system, supplying 5,000 people, was contaminated by an E. Coli:O157 and a Campylobacter jejuni epidemic. In less than a month, 2,300 people were sick and 7 people
were dead.

The economic impact on this small community was staggering. The total cost of this tragedy was estimated to be at least $64.5 million and if the cost of human suffering is factored in an estimated $155 million. Each household in the town spent about $4,000 on average for system repairs, replacement, cleanup, decontamination and medical bills as a direct result of the contamination. The entire water system was replaced or rebuilt. It cost the town of Walkerton more than $9 million to repair the water supply infrastructure.

Additional economic costs included the following items. Real estate values dropped a total of $1.1 million. Business costs for bottled water and disinfecting or replacing contaminated equipment was estimated at $70,000. Lost business revenues from May 1, 2000 to April 30, 2001 were estimated at $2.7 million. The Government of Ontario spent more than $3.5 million in legal fees and another $1.5 million to supply clean water to state institutions.

But the worst impact may well have been the psychological effect on the public. One of the long term impacts can be seen in the following comment by a Walkerton resident.

“It could be years before anyone here turns on a tap without wondering if the water is safe.”

Walkerton was a small town where everyone knew everyone else. Many knew those who died or became seriously ill. Friendships were severely tested and some were destroyed. Lifelong friendships were torn apart by the legal battles that followed when blame was debated in both the media and the courthouse.

For example, parents of soccer players from the neighboring towns were afraid the Walkerton players were infected and could infect their kids with the deadly bacteria just by talking, playing or interacting. Even some adults were afraid of getting too close to coworkers. They did not want to take the chance.

The Walkerton tragedy continued to impact the area almost four years after the event. This incident was the result of operator error and not premeditated in any way. It was also not associated with terrorism and happened a year before the September 11, 2001 attack on America.

Because the United States has the safest water supply system in the world, we tend to take it for granted. We have very little understanding or even awareness of the infrastructure and operating procedures it takes to make this vital liquid available to us. In our country, terrorism would be one of the first things suspected in any water disruption or contamination incident. This makes most customers of these small water systems very susceptible to any rumor, media misquotation or disinformation. As in Walkerton, local officials would be hard pressed to counter the impact of such a disruption due to the lack of public awareness.

H. Court Young is a writer, author, publisher and a geologist interested in water and terrorism issues. His books about water and terrorism can be found at Understanding Water and Terrorism
& Waterconflicts

Hurricane John Becomes Category 3 Major Hurricane Threatens Mexico

While everyone has been watching tropical storm Ernesto, a new and very powerful storm formed in the pacific ocean off the coast of Mexico. This powerful storm has been given the infamous name Hurricane John. This name is infamous as it has been used already to name a previous major hurricane in 1994. In 1994, Hurricane John formed over the eastern Pacific and grew into a hurricane on Aug. 11, with winds reaching 170 mph making it a devastating hurricane. This new hurricane John also has a lot of power with sustained winds of over 115 mph.

Hurricane John shares a lot with the old 1994 hurricane John. They are both major hurricanes of category 3 or higher. The current Hurricane John has the strength to become a category 4 or even 5 like its predecessor. And they both had potential to cause awesome damage. If the current hurricane John tracks to the right as predicted, the coastal areas of Mexico like Acapulco could be devastated by mudslides, flooding and powerful and deadly flash floods. It is important to note that the high winds and rain are not the worst part of the storm. Resultant flooding, mud slides and flash floods have caused some of the worst tragedies on record.

Hurricane John is right now situated off the cost of Mexico and is taking a north western track parallel to the coastline. Tracking indicates the potential to strengthen in the next 24 hours to a category 4 or even 5 storm with sustained winds of 130-150+. Remember that even though Hurricane Katrina was a category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico at one time, it was only a category 3 when it made landfall and devastated New Orleans and Biloxi. Just think of what a category 4 or even 5 hurricane could do to a more indigenous population in Mexico. In the rural areas they have less transportation and means of evacuation available to them. To see what could happen, one just needs to look at the impoverished nation of Haiti near Cuba. They have experienced many powerful tropical storms and hurricanes over recent years and have tragically lost many lives.

Hurricane John could also create storm surges like we saw in Katrina. Storm surges of 10 feet or more in rural and indigenous areas can produce enormously tragic results like the Tsunami in Malaysia. Many a typhoon (a hurricane to the west of Hawaii) has caused huge death tolls and massive destruction larger than most of their Atlantic Ocean cousins. Due to the size and geography of the Pacific Ocean, hurricanes and typhoons grow stronger much faster and have fewer conditions that destabilize their growth like shearing winds in the east. China was recently hit by typhoon Samoi which had sustained winds of 170+ mph when it hit China. This was the worst storm to hit China in over 50 years.

Even though the Chinese evacuated over 1 million people beforehand there was still tragic loss of life and massive destruction. Hopefully for the people of Mexico the current hurricane John will track left and away from land and die out at sea

For more great eye opening information please visit Bestbraindrain.com You will be glad you did. Again, it’s Bestbraindrain.com Go there now and become enlightened. You will love this website - I guarantee it.

Will Hurricane Ernesto Hit New Orleans Similar To Katrina?

It appears that as of right now Hurricane Ernesto is going to become a hurricane on Sunday. Right now, according to the National Hurricane Center and NOAA, Ernesto is a tropical storm with sustained winds of over 60 mph. Tracking shows it will go through Cuba and head into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Hurricane Center can only predict possible paths with any accuracy at 5 days out. 3 days out will show better accuracy, but one should also keep in mind that hurricanes can be very unpredictable as recent ones that have struck Florida have actually reversed direction headed back out to sea, reorganized and strengthened, then come back again. So, there are no guarantees, but it sure does look like hurricane Ernesto could take a path that would endanger New Orleans and Biloxi all over again.

Both Biloxi and New Orleans have a long and hard road ahead for rebuilding after the devastating landfall of Katrina last year which went on record as the most expensive national disaster ever for the U.S. When hurricane Katrina made landfall it had weakened from a category 5 hurricane to a category 3 with sustained winds of 111-130 mph. Even though it was only a category 3 it did more damage than any category 4 or 5 storm (sustained winds of greater than 131 mph). Katrina had more to do with the topography and economics of the affected areas.

New Orleans actually lies bordered by 3 bodies of water and is mostly below sea level. It is maintained by a series of levees that keep the water out. These levees or dams were not made for a high level hurricane storm surge. Storm surges that usually accompany hurricanes can easily range from 15 to 40 feet. New Orleans did amount a mass evacuation from New Orleans when it was determined that Katrina, then a category 5, was headed right for them. The problem was that many of the inhabitants were poor, sick, handicapped, and otherwise unable to leave the city and surrounding areas. So, when the levees did break and the city flooded there were thousands that became stranded, drowned, etc. According to recent reports on CNN by the Army corps of engineers the levees have been rebuilt but are not capable of withstanding another major hurricane.

Ernesto could become that major hurricane. Right now Ernesto is feeling the effects of sheering winds which usually take the force and can even dissipate a storm altogether. Through these sheering winds Ernesto has not lost strength or weakened in the slightest. That shows it has strength and endurance. According to the National Hurricane Center Ernesto should emerge from the shearing winds tomorrow and then quickly build into a hurricane with sustained winds greater than 74 mph. The track then takes it through warm and optimal conditions in the Gulf of Mexico similar to when Katrina went through last year. Current weather predictions also show that the weather patterns will most likely encourage the hurricane to take a northern track to the area of Louisiana and Mississippi. These same current and near future weather predictions also suggest that it is highly likely that Ernesto will become at least a category 3 or 4 hurricane before landfall in America.

Yes, it looks like Ernesto may well be the next major storm headed to New Orleans. I do not wish this on anyone and actually hope it fizzes out or goes back out to sea as any loss of life or severe hardship caused by a storm like Katrina is terrible. I have one question, though, if we spent over $70 billion on repairing that area why could not we have either built stronger levees when we just went through a terrible tragedy for the same reason that they were too weak.

For more great eye opening information please visit Bestbraindrain.com. You will be glad you did. Again, its Bestbraindrain.com. Go there now and become enlightened. You will love this website.

Politics: Creating An Unsafe World

President Wilson entered World War I to make the world “Safe for democracy.” The rise of the Fascists and World War II shattered his dream and the hopes of civilization that cataclysmic upheavals could be forever avoided. The long Cold War created a perilous world where major powers jockeyed for control with the threat of weapons that could destroy every living thing on earth. The fear of communism exerting a domino effect on small poverty-stricken countries led to the quagmire of Vietnam and the embarrassment of the Contra affair.

With the demise of the Soviet Union, the world breathed easier, believing that, at last, human efforts could concentrate on growth, space exploration, and scientific advance, rather than pressuring its greatest minds into developing new means of destruction.

Throughout history, there have always been regional conflicts, ethnic discord, and religious clashes. The super powers of each era have eventually stepped in and calmed the storms through diplomacy, cultural pressure, or an armed presence.

Iraq was undoubtedly a crude, cruel, despotic regime under Saddam, killing its own citizens, brutalizing and maltreating its minorities, and rattling defiant sabers at a world that failed to grant it the dignity and respect it felt it deserved. Its value to the world defined primarily by the black gold pooled beneath its deserts, it was one more unsettled region like Rwanda, Liberia, or Somalia. It demanded the same kind of response: unwavering political efforts to assert human rights, economic pressure from the world community and condemnation from its neighbors.

Instead, the greatest superpower in the world shunned continued diplomacy and invaded. The same dream of creating peace and democracy was verbalized at every opportunity. The lessons of unrestrained aggression and ignoring ethnic/religious diversity, first learned centuries ago in ill-fated crusades, were ignored. When you know you’re right, it’s hard to concede that everyone else isn’t wrong.

What have we created — a more unstable, troubled, and violence-prone world; an earth that shudders at the armed convulsions racing across its brittle, fragile surface. As new fires flare across the entire Middle East, we hear rumors that an attack on Iran is in the planning stages. From the world’s model of a democracy forged out of the wilderness and renowned for its desire for peace, prosperity, and humanity, we have become the hated face of the enemy, an imperialistic throwback to the 19th Century. We have become the all-powerful but hated Rome of the ancient world.

Despite its grandeur, Rome fell. Not to another superpower, but to the ceaseless raids of uncivilized savages who used their own brand of violence to defeat a culture that knew only violence to maintain itself and made no effort towards exploring peaceful options.

Are we doomed to repeat the past?

Dr. Bola is a clinical psychologist specializing in the effects of social issues on the individual. Visit her at: http://drvirginiabola.blogspot.com

Hurricane Lane Hits Mexico As Dangerous Category 3 Hurricane

Hurricane Lane and its eye have just come ashore in rural Mexico. According to NOAH and the National Weather Service, it is still a destructive category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of over 125 mph. Warnings of 6 to 12 foot storm surges and possible flash floods and mudslides have been made as this could be a very devastating hurricane.
Hurricane Lane has already become deadly as it caused its first death with a child crushed by a mudslide and the resulting collapse of the house they were in.

On Saturday morning Hurricane Lane changed course and headed directly inland on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Earlier trajectories and storm tracking plotted the area of Acupulco and the tip of the Baja peninsula similar to Hurricane John from just 2 weeks ago. Regardless, Hurricane Lane is just as strong if not stronger and is a very sizeable hurricane with damaging winds of 125 or more mph.

The most damage may not come from the actual hurricane itself, but the storm surge, flooding, and resultant mudslides as the hurricane goes inland and over hilly and mountainous terrain. The biggest and most devastating hurricane of all time in the east pacific was the Mexico Hurricane of 1959. It came ashore as a category 5 hurricane with over 160 mph sustained winds. Over 1000 people died due to the flash floods and mud and land slides. Many more died from the thousands of venomous scorpions and snakes that were unearthed and misplaced by these mud and land slides. This could very likely happen here with Hurricane Lane as it is powerful enough to unleash similar mud and land slides and flooding.

This could also be greatly impacted, just like New Orleans, in that being rural many people are trapped and cannot get out in time. Emergency workers and help may not be adequate enough and will have a hard time reaching hurricane victims. Also the threat of deadly poisonous scorpions and snakes aggressive from displacement will conjure much fear in the minds of emergency personnel from the memories of thousands of lives lost to these venomous reptiles during the great hurricane of Mexico in 1959.

In preparation many people have been evacuated, but many are left stranded and unable to leave. As the eye of Hurricane Lane moves farther inward we will get more of an idea of the damage and destruction. The hurricane prediction center and the National Weather Service can only predict 3 to 5 days ahead of a storm, but all indications show the hurricane moving inward into more hilly and mountainous regions. This could be a repeat of the great hurricane of 1959 and a terrible disaster for the people on the pacific coast of Mexico and our hearts go out to them.

For more great and free information on everything from George Bush and politics to weather and hurricanes please visit: Hurricane Lane at Bestbraindrain.com

Free In America: Fact or Fiction?

The recent debate over illegal immigration in America has generated a lot of talk about freedom. Political pundits have taken center stage on nightly news programs to champion reasons for and against why illegal immigrants should enjoy the same freedoms generations of Americans have fought to ensure. But all this talk about freedom has failed to raise one crucial question: are we, citizens of what many consider the freest nation on earth, really as free as we think we are? The short answer, of course, is yes. The Constitution guarantees certain freedoms, such as those of assembly and speech. The long answer, however, is more complicated.

Like most things worthwhile, real, authentic freedom requires work. At its most basic level, freedom requires us to make choices. But it also endows us with a civic duty, the duty to learn and examine as much as we can about issues which affect us so that we make the best choices possible. In order to make sound choices, however, we must have information, factual, uncensored information that examines and exposes all sides of an issue. Simply put, freedom of the mind promotes creativity in thinking. Citizens who do not access or do not have access to all aspects of a given issue or situation do not have full choice about what they come to understand about the issue or situation. So while they may be free in theory, in reality, they are not unlike slaves, forfeiting their right to ask questions and receive truthful answers about current issues and ideas, opting, instead, to view issues and ideas through the lens of the nation’s power and information brokers.

Consider the issue of Iraq. The now four-year old occupation of the tiny Middle Eastern country is fodder for nightly newscasts, but if one were to ask most Americans the reason for this occupation, their answers would, at the very least, be full of factual inaccuracies (wrong names and dates, for example). Very likely, their answers would reveal an undercurrent of suspicion linking all Iraqis and other Middle Easterners to terrorists. But is this any surprise, considering the words and pictures, the textual imagery, through which Iraq and the War on Terror are covered in the news media?

From the very beginning of the conflict, the media have portrayed Iraq and its people as barbarians and terrorists, perpetrators of 9-11 who harbored weapons of mass destruction; as rogues desperately in need of liberation and democratization. Even after United Nations inspectors failed to find any evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the media and current American administration continued to present that country in such negative, uni-dimensional light. The Administration even went so far as to frequently issue color-coded terrorist alerts to warn Americans of impending danger; these warnings were often issued without any discussion about the reasons for the alert. The only thing the warnings did was to strike fear in American citizens, perpetuating the negative textual imagery of Iraq and its people.

What was missing from this onslaught of media images were the voices of innocent Iraqis, pictures of the suffering, video montages of lives blown apart at the seams by a war many now believe was senseless. As an Iraqi who visited my country after the war’s outbreak, and as one who witnessed firsthand the needless suffering and loss of so many, including my own family, I can’t help but wonder if Americans would ever have supported the invasion had they been given a chance to hear the voices at the center of the conflict? Would they have challenged some of the legislation spawned by the War, such as passage of the Patriot Act and subsequent intrusions into telephone and library records it allows? Would they have demanded that the nation’s power brokers be accountable for upholding the freedoms that more than two-thousand United States G.I.’s have so far shed their blood to protect?

I think so. After all, it is the license to question and debate, to expect truthful answers from those in authority, and to choose those paths one feels would be most beneficial, that prompted America’s forebears to call this the “land of the free.” As citizens of this land, we wouldn’t be earning our keep, or performing our civic duty, if we exercised anything less than this basic freedom.

Iraqi-American Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars holds a Phd. in education and is the author of the upcoming book, America & Iraq: Seduced By Fear. Dr. Tokars has committed much time and research to topics related to leadership and policy. Learn more of Dr. Tokars at http://www.seducedbyfear.com

Iraqi-Americans: Not In My Neighborhood!

Today’s global culture expresses its broad identity with the inexhaustible use of images, print media and a virtual connection to its citizens, spun country by country. Un-spinning spin is a citizen’s route to truth. But it takes uncommon energy and the will to know. The spinmeisters depend on that very human tendency, effectively demonstrating that the spin on the printed word can and does form cultural definition, opinions and boundaries. Textual Imagery at its most powerful.

We form personal opinions and prejudices based on what we hear, see and read. It affects us consciously and unconsciously, and has the capacity to last forever. This Textual Imagery, information and communication filtered to us second by second, has a major influence on the American public. Millions have grown up believing that they know different cultures based entirely on what they have read, heard or seen.

As the world prepares to possibly enter one of its most serious wars in history, the media is crucial to obtaining information and understanding issues. But, what should have been the age of information has, instead, morphed into a golden season of propaganda, enhanced truths and hyped realities, as mainstream news is manipulated by the masters of the political spin.

In the past, the information we received was typically above-board. It was generally clear where the news stopped and sensationalism began. But today’s political spinmeisters seem to prefer to work unseen by the public, while a few of them arrogantly flaunt their influence (if not outright power) over select, well-placed journalists. As their insidious influence on newsrooms grows, so does the amount of disinformation given out to a largely unsuspecting public. It is hard to measure how much of the information supplied to us is being spun, when journalists themselves sometimes don’t even realize it.

The cultural interpretation of these images plays a vital role in the formation of stereotypes, thus inciting deep-rooted, unfounded prejudice among entire cultures. We fail to acknowledge a heartbeat within different races and cultures identifying them as human beings. Let’s face it, different really is not good. But who is at the top determining “different”? Who is leading us? Where can we find the true solidarity of mankind?

CBS evening anchorman Dan Rather demonstrated a glaring example of Textual Imagery on his September 19, 2005 news segment. He stated, “Ordinary Iraqis are faced with an extraordinary surge of crime, banditry and thuggery from carjacking and robbery to kidnapping and murder.” Then as an aside he concluded, “A reminder that television sometimes has trouble with perspective. So you may want to note that in some areas of Iraq things are peaceful.” Textual Imagery gone awry.

Hussein Ibish, a spokesman for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee says: “These negative stereotypes are rooted in the very aggressive role that the US plays in the Middle East. The stereotypes emerge from the popular culture then inform government policy, and that reinforces the willingness…to promote the stereotypes, and so on. It’s a spiral.”

September 11, 2001 set the final stage for the entire Middle Eastern culture to be viewed as terrorists who harbor weapons of mass destruction, and as rogues desperately in need of liberation and democratization. The Textual Imagery we witnessed spawned an even deeper fear and prejudice against a nation that we really don’t know, and who doesn’t really know us.

September 11, 2001 will endure, established in the hearts of most as the darkest day in history–personally life–changing, and globally world-changing. As a New Yorker, I still struggle with the memory of what was done to my beloved city. To our beloved country. But there inevitably comes a time for healing on some level, a time for the truth and for reasoning. A civilized human society can not afford to think in tribal terms.

In the Spring of 2005, I was approached by Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars to design and work with her on her book, Textual Imagery: Beaconing Organic Citizenry.

I remembered initially asking Dr. Tokars what her book was about, as the title spoke nothing to me. She began by explaining her concept of Textual Imagery to me (a combination of words and pictures intended to convey information). Later I agreed to review her manuscript before I committed to work on it. I recall picking up one of her chapters and pondering why I was hesitant to delve into her writing. I instantly realized that my personal ‘inner demons’ were intervening. Without consciously knowing it, I had stereotyped Dr. Tokars as ‘the enemy’ and although I wanted to approach her as a professional, I could not. Why? I had always considered myself open-minded, fair and non-judgmental. While soul searching, I discovered that I did not trust her or her people, and I was certainly not interested in pursuing anything about this topic. Reflexively I felt that SHE, too, was to blame for the horrendous attack of September 11, 2001, along with all her people regardless if they were American Iraqis or not. Trust played no part in my relationship with Dr. Tokars at that time.

I began reading Dr. Tokars’ book, (title now changed to: America & Iraq: Seduced by Fear). I groaned inwardly as I thought, “Here I am, as woefully misinformed about the true heart of the Middle Eastern people as most Americans, and vise versa.” Soon her work absorbed me and I could clearly understand that Dr. Tokars’ mission was not to divide and conquer but, rather, to inform, educate and promote peace and true freedom within different cultures. Because of her heritage, obviously America and Iraq are the central protagonists in her work, but it applies to any culture: White, Black, Jewish, Hispanic, Oriental, etc.

Throughout the last year, Dr. Tokars and I have had many conversations and we have bonded as two women who think similarly with regard to family, life and society as a whole. Through our connection, I have discovered that the average Iraqi DOES NOT have “links” to Osama bin Laden, IS NOT a prospective suicide bomber, nor would they defend such indefensible actions. Through her work she and I have connected and mutually agree that both Americans and the Iraqi people should strive to refute the myth that “we” are somehow essentially different from “them.”

A native New Yorker, Judi Lynn Lake resides in South Carolina, with her husband and 7 year old daughter. She successfully runs her own Advertising/PR Firm. Contact Judi at http://www.judilake.com
Learn more about Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars’ mission at http://www.seducedbyfear.com

Who Do You Trust For The Truth?: An American-Iraqi Seduction Review

In a recent article by Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars, she writes: “You keep up with the news. Poof! You are the “knowledgeable American” who can amaze and entertain friends by giving savvy, sage comments about world events. Right? Could an Iraqi citizen say the same? No, no, you say while sadly shaking your head, they are so backward and don’t have the advantages we Americans have… those poor people.

Ever wonder what the conversation would have sounded like from the Brits along about 1776 when we Yanks were trying to establish an independent government after a war for freedom? Maybe something like this: We (Brits) know what is right, best. Those poor colonials, they are so backward and don’t have the advantages we have…

What your mind takes in daily forms “textual imagery,” i.e., the way you see things, the way your mind creates the truth of who you are in relation to current events. Who do you trust to mold and shape your mind? A study recently conducted in Berkeley, California found that Americans who scored poorly on the accuracy of current event facts also had opinions that varied widely from those who scored better. As reported by Dr. Marc Sapir, Executive Director of Retro Poll: In an October survey, 53% of Americans polled knew that there were no Iraqi’s among those implicated in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centers. A resulting correlation between knowledge of current events and opinions held:
- 86% Think Saddam Hussein was linked to Al Qaeda
o agree prisoners at Guantanamo must be guilty
- 75% Think Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden linked
o oppose military withdrawal from Iraq
- 56% Know Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden not linked
o stand in favor of military withdrawal
- 76% Know Iraqi not linked to the Al Qaeda 9/11 attacks
o agree that the handling of the Katrina disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana was negligent
- 58% Think Iraqi is linked to the Al Qaeda 9/11 attacks
o agree the handling of the Katrina disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana was reasonable

The issue is what you allow to enter your mind to create your opinion! At some level we think that if we take in enough images and sensationalism (textual imagery) from the daily news sources we “rightly” know the truth! That means we can vote intelligently, pass on the “right opinion” to our children, “rightly inform” our neighbors, co-workers, customers, community….

Whoa, stop the horses and circle the wagons! What you hear, read, and see is not necessarily what to accept then pass on. In fact, if that is your information base, you are the one screaming the loudest when world events don’t fit the paradigm of what you have come to “believe.” The beginning of fear, of being seduced by fear occurs because you have been seduced by superficial and manipulated “prime time” media, mostly in search of ratings before facts.

Who, what, where do you trust to continue to form your perspective? Remember, someone is rearing a family or influencing a friend based on how you influenced them to understand current events, that is, by osmosis and repeated textual imagery or by the truth based on known facts without “spin.” An old adage goes something like this: Believe 50% of what you see (less now since image altering software), 25% of what you read (images created by text), and nothing you hear.

(Remember the disastrous miscommunication in the game of “gossip”?)
How do you find truth? Pay attention to more than one source; use today’s technology to get the facts from the original event or source. Critical to understanding your place in history requires learning about other cultures face to face; when that is impossible, read non-news sources like biographical accounts.
Be aware of the manipulation of text and images:
- Along with directly linking Iraq to the Al Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Centers, Iraq was indirectly linked to Al Qaeda through text that presented separate articles of each on the same page or repeatedly mentioned both in the same article.
- Simultaneous texts for and against war:
o Text extolling the virtues of nation building were common prior to the invasion of Iraq.
o Text discredited opposition to war as unpatriotic/unsympathetic to families who lost so much in the 9/11 attacks or to families with loved ones in the military.
- The “cure” as bad as the “ailment.”
o Weapons of mass destruction — clear and present danger.
o Images of the glory of Iraqi liberation — an effective smoke screen for the oppressive misery delivered to them under that same banner.

Too many of us lack accurate knowledge of world events, that is, until it is our son or daughter in the face of a terrorist assault or our country with exploding buildings. Without that kind of motivation, we listen to the news, shake our heads, and turn to another episode of our favorite show.

How goes the USA, so goes the world may be true for now, but what about tomorrow? If we Americans are not willing to take the effort to find the truth and use it to vote, talk to our children, and offer a helping hand to our global neighbors, it is not a stretch to say that freedom’s bell may ring no more; 200+ years is a far cry from forever!

Opinions based on inaccurate information will inevitably perpetuate worldviews that leave us seduced by fear. It is up to you and me to keep the facts in the forefront and fear in the background. Trusting anything other than the whole truth and nothing but the truth may set up an untenable instability that could leave us “the poor little things” for the next global leader to mutter over.

A native New Yorker, Judi Lynn Lake resides in South Carolina, with her husband and 7 year old daughter. She successfully runs her own Advertising/PR Firm. Contact Judi at http://www.judilake.com
To learn more about Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars’ mission at http://www.seducedbyfear.com

How Politics Can Teach the Sandwich Generation a Lesson in Communication

By Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. and Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D.

Senator John Kerry said his remark, “If you don’t study hard you get stuck in Iraq,” was a joke gone awry. President George W. Bush was critical, commenting to the Associated Press that “it didn’t sound like a joke to me. More important, it didn’t sound like a joke to the troops.” What did you think?

With the election right around the corner, the political stakes are high. Some bloggers and journalists in the Conservative camp are focused on Senator John Kerry’s “campaign gaffe.” Others on the Democratic team view this fixation as a GOP talking point - a smoke screen for President Bush’s “inappropriately conducted war.”

Our concern is more personal - what lessons can you, the Sandwich Generation, learn about your own communication with your emerging adult children and aging parents?

We all know that words can hurt. An offhand remark or slip of the tongue can be emotionally damaging. If the World War II motto, “loose lips sink ships,” is leaving you with what has been termed the “foot-in-mouth syndrome,” add the following tips to your communication toolbox.

1. When addressing a sensitive issue, state a specific goal you want to accomplish. Be direct and clear in what you say. Don’t accuse or blame your listener’s character or ideas.

2. As body language and tone of voice count, assume a non-threatening stance and monitor your negative emotions. Be slow to complain or criticize. Take some responsibility by using “I-focused” statements to clarify that this is your personal opinion.

3. Listen closely without planning your response. Be empathic to the speaker’s position and ask questions for clearer understanding. Try to put yourself in the other’s shoes and look at the issue from that vantage point.

4. In a conflict, count to 10 before responding. Or, instead of escalating, walk away. Take time to calm down and agree to return to the discussion later and work out a solution.

5. Sometimes you do know what is best. Take a stand and hold your ground when the safety or well being of your children or parents is at stake. Be patient as they grow to appreciate your position, even if it’s unpopular at the time.

If political history is prologue, it seems like it is human nature to defend yourself initially. Instead of fighting back, take some time to reflect. Discuss your feelings with your family in flux about an issue that requires an apology. Use this as an opportunity - turn negative feelings into more positive ones, teach a life lesson, form a deeper connection.

Heightened Awareness, Elections and Leadership in America

Our water supply and the availability of clean water as well as the potential terrorist threat to our water supply and water infrastructure are issues that are central to our survival as a nation. These issues have very little to do with politics and, yet, both are very much political footballs. Neither issue is discussed or even understood by the general public or elected leaders.

The other night I watched Glenn Beck’s program on CNN. He noted that terrorism is truly a survival issue in America today, with which I definitely agree. He commented about the political rhetoric that is so prevalent. His solution was that we, Americans, need to get past the rhetoric and vote for the best candidate for the job.

But how do we do this? The 60 second sound bite is king. Can we learn all we need to know about a candidate’s position in that 60 second period of time? According to the media, we can.

Worse yet, we do not seem to be able to discern between social issues and true survival issues. Many issues on the news today may be important social issues but are not issues that affect our ability to survive as a country. Abortion is an important social and moral issue, having clean water to drink is a survival issue. True survival issues include water, food, energy and public safety.

For example, in my books and articles, I explore issues involving water quality, quantity and availability in the western United States and globally. Having or not having clean, safe water is a survival issue. Without sufficient clean water, we can not live more than a few days, nor can we have food to eat.

As a board member of a small water district located west of Denver Colorado, I am familiar with the challenges of supplying safe water to our consumers every month. We openly invite our customers to attend board meetings and give us their input. Very few ever do. They only respond if there is a problem. A rate increase or no water coming out of the faucet elicits a response. They know next to nothing about the water system that serves this life giving fluid to their homes. They depend upon us, the five elected members of the water board to uphold their best interests. As an elected board member, I am flattered by their confidence. However, I do think they would be better served knowing more about their water supply and water supply system.

It is the same with terrorism. There is definitely a serious potential threat to our water infrastructure by terrorists. However, terrorism is another topic not widely read or understood by the general public and the media. It has become the subject of the 60 second sound bite as well as a volatile political issue. Our water supply is a very real and plausible target of terrorism.

As far back as 1941, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director J. Edgar Hoover wrote;

“Among public utilities, water supply facilities offer a particularly vulnerable point of attack …”

For our safety, public education about our water system and supply is almost a requirement for water suppliers in the United States. As noted in an American Water Works Association report,

“In many cities and small towns, the public is the first line of defense, serving as an extra set of eyes watching over key utility assets such as tanks, reservoirs and even fire hydrants.”

First responders and security experts agree the higher the level of awareness of the general public about the issue of terrorism, the better our chances of preventing or at least mitigating the next attack. As public awareness increases, disinformation, rumor, paralysis and “knee-jerk” reaction decreases in a crisis.

Only heightened public awareness of issues like energy, water and terrorism will really make a difference to the survival of this country. While very few of us need to be experts, a good working knowledge about these extremely important topics allows us to exchange meaningful ideas and question the experts and leadership. For some reason our politicians are unwilling to lead us. So the general public needs to take the lead. Need we continue to be puerile about these issues?

Sadly, it seems to me that our country’s leadership actually reflects us very well. We all seem to want instant answers and quick fixes. It seems that both major political parties, Republicans and Democrats, are more motivated by self interest than whether America survives as a country. The latest public outcry is often designed to deflect our attention away from key survival issues. The economic bottom line seems to be the most important issue in our lives and our society.

Worse, we do not seem to realize the need to know more about these critical survival issues. We seem to be satisfied with the information contained in 60 second sound bites, unwilling to make an effort to become informed to have meaningful discussions, find viable solutions and insure that we can maintain our way of life.

Further, our elected leaders apparently want to keep the public unaware and uneducated about these survival issues. They run campaign advertisements and sound bites in order to get re-elected. When they are interviewed on radio and television, there is no discussion about educating the public or trying to raise the awareness of their constituents. Many of our elected leaders seem to know as little as we do about these vital survival issues and can parrot back only the “party line” as meaningful discussion.

An aware public with a good working knowledge about energy, water and terrorism would not tolerate candidates and elected leadership in this country who refuse to deal with these survival issues. They would know that if these critical issues are not addressed and effective long term solutions implemented by both an educated leadership and an aware public, there will be no economic bottom line to sustain.

H Court Young is a writer, author, publisher and a geologist interested in water and terrorism issues.
Understanding Water and Terrorism

The Beginning of Civil War or The End of Civil Society?

In a recent article by Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars, she writes: “There has been much talk recently over whether or not Iraq has fallen into a state of civil war. If this talk is true, then the question of who is to blame for the violence has a simple answer, and a rather convenient one for the US administration.

If we buy into this notion of civil war being the result of sectarian unrest, then the cause of the violence falls on the Iraqi peoples rather than on the US administration that declared war on Iraq in the first place.

In the recent violence in Amarah, it was reported that 25 people died in a showdown between the sectarian forces of Cleric Muqtada al-Sadre and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim’s Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution of Iraq. The showdown involved one established militia fighting with another. Both militias are Shiite, that is, they are both of the same religious sects.

Prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, U.S. citizens were painted a chaotic picture of unrest between the Iraqi and the Kurd, where a U.S. intervention was needed in part to relieve this friction. After the invasion, U.S. citizens were told a similar story about unrest between the Sunnite Sect and the Shiite Sect, and warned that a U.S. withdrawal could lead to all-out civil war. A closer look at the present violence in Iraq, however, raises an eyebrow about placing the blame on civil dichotomy alone.

Recently, Bush met with General John Abizaid who is now the top U.S. commander in the Middle East–part of the U.S. administration’s public relations push for Iraq to take responsibility for themselves. It seems that this P.R. campaign is catching on, as congress is now beginning to call for the same.

One thing being ignored amid all this political hand-shaking is that the deep violence done to Iraq’s civil society has been a result of a collapse of infrastructure, which occurred over the last 15 years of U.S. embargo and U.S. war. Civil society, by definition, should permit and perpetuate all the essentials needed for the fabric of society to flourish. It should be a haven for the arts of antiquity, equitable education, daily electricity, drinkable water, meaningful work.

These are just a few things that the flourishing existence of Iraq experienced prior to U.S. intervention. Now, the fabric has been frayed, and these precious things lay in ruin. Without that prolonged harmony of infrastructural and societal systems that is essential to civil society, it is certainly not possible for Iraq to readily raise itself from its ruin now.

Recently, the U.S. military announced the deaths of a Marine and four U.S. soldiers, raising the number of American service members killed in October to 83, the highest monthly toll this year. The U.S. military generally avoids reporting the Iraqi death toll of the like, which is usually much higher.

Story after story of young men and even boys being killed after being sent to Iraq come home to us. In the intervention that began as Operation Iraq Freedom, we have to wonder: what are we teaching our youth about civil society?”

Judi Lynn Lake resides in South Carolina, with her husband and 7 year old daughter. She successfully runs her own Advertising/PR Firm. Contact Judi at http://www.judilake.com. To learn more about Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars’ mission at http://www.seducedbyfear.com

Drug Dealer Sentences Lawyer

Ron was a public defender for the state of Alabama. His job was to provide legal counsel for people who could not afford a lawyer. Some of the people he defended were truly innocent and worthy of defending. Others were petty thieves and robbers who were guilty and he knew it. But it was his job to give them the best defense possible. He was not always proud of what he did, because he felt something for the victims.

One day he received a case of a young guy accused dealing drugs. He reviewed the case and in his mind he felt this guy was guilty, but no matter he still had to do the best defense job that he could. After talking to the guy all doubt was erased and he was positive this guy was guilty. Nevertheless; Ron prepared the case for the defense. The dealer was sure they were going to win the case and he would be set free.

He pressured Ron not to let him down. Trial day rolled around. The judge was chosen, it was one of the toughest judges against drugs cases, in the state. Ron knew in his mind that they were not coming out of this unpunished. The judge had a favorite nephew whose life was ruined by drug dealers. He had a history of imposing the maximum sentence in drug cases.

He knew the jury would probably find the convict guilty, but he could usually get them probation. This was different here was a drug dealer and a judge who hated drug dealers. The trial proceeded. All through it, the dealer made threats against Ron. He said he would get even if Ron did not get him off. Ron had heard this kind of thing before and did not think much of it. The jury found the guy guilty as anticipated. He was released on bond pending sentencing.

One day Ron was at the office reviewing cases. The drug dealer he had defended walked in. He pulled out a long blade knife and said I told you I would get you. Ron jumped up from the desk and tried to maneuver away from the knife. The guy sliced at Ron hitting him on his left arm.

Blood started to run from the arm, but Ron was still moving away. He hit one of the panic buttons, which are situated throughout the office. An alarm went off to signify a lockdown situation. The signal pinpointed Rons office as the source. Security arrived and had to shoot the guy in the leg to end the attack.

The very nature of your job could place you in jeopardy for a criminal attack. Robberies, Rapes, assaults and kidnappings have been committed by disgruntled associates. If you believe your job exposes you to criminal attack, take precautions. Above all else know the people you are dealing with. Take threats seriously and report them to the proper authorities. Protect yourself at home and in the office to the furthest extent possible.

The most vulnerable times are when you are going to and from the office. It may become necessary to vary your routine in order to avoid criminal surveillance. Always be aware of your surroundings at all times. Always have a plan in mind in case you are attacked. Your goal is not to defeat the attacker but to allow yourself time to escape danger.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of href="http://www.repellertechnology.com"> Repeller Technology,
provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most
situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: Repeller
Technology.

Politics and the 80/20 Principle

We all know by now that the 80/20 principle states that 80% of our business comes from 20% of our customers and 80% of our complaints come from 20% of them as well.

So what do I mean when I refer to an 80/20 principle in politics? If seems to me, and this is just my opinion based on decades of observation - that maybe 10% of the people are on the far left. And 10% are on the far right. That leaves the vast majority - 80% in between.

The 20% get the majority of the media attention, their respective political parties act as if everyone agrees with “their” 10% and hated the other party’s 10% passionately.

The founding fathers, recognizing that our country was too big - even then, for everybody to sit around a big table in Philadelphia, established a representative democracy. We, the people, elect folks to represent us.

These representatives go to our state houses and to Washington as our representatives. They are there to do our bidding. They work for us. They represent us.

Well that was the theory anyway. It turns out that they have a different agenda. It looks like this to me. First they want to get re-elected, forever. Second, they want their party to control things so they (whoever ‘they’) are can do what their party wants and not what we, the people, want. And finally, they want to make sure that whatever the other party does, tries to do, or proposes - fails.

When the opposing party fails, they win. If things are going well they can say it is in spite of their opponents programs, if things are going badly - no matter what the real reason, they can tell their constituents that they would do it better.

The promise to do it better than their opponents gets them re-elected and the cycle begins again.

What I propose is a three party system to replace the current one. It will be a revolution of massive proportions. It will sweep the crooks, beltway insiders, and incompetent hacks out of office across the country in a very few years.

Here is how it will work. It is a simple three pronged process. No bureaucracy, not PAC money, and no cost to you as a concerned citizen - except a tiny bit of your time. Hey, if people in Afghanistan and Iraq can face death threats and suicide bombers, you can at least get off the couch for a few minutes, can’t you?

#1) You contact you representatives in Washington. You tell them what you like about what they are doing and what you do not like. You tell them that if they aren’t going to represent you the way you expected them to represent you - that’s OK. You will just do everything in your power to get someone else elected in their place next time.

#2) You get three people you know and respect to commit #1 above. Each of us gets three, who get three, who get three, and so on and so on. It won’t take long for that to become a groundswell of input. The politicians will know we’re paying attention to them and what they’re doing and/or not doing.

#3) There are about 8,000 trade associations in the US, plus labor unions, social organizations, religious groups, and professional societies. You belong to more than one of them - maybe several. If you’re serious about representative government, you will contact the powers that be in the groups you belong to and ask them to tell all the members to do #1 above.

The beauty of this process is that it doesn’t matter where you (or anybody) falls in the political spectrum. The law of large numbers will rule. If 25,000,000 people contact their elected representatives things will happen. Changes will take place.

Politicians will respond by doing what the majority of their constituents elected them to do. What a novel concept. Why, because they want to get re-elected. They will actually be able to run on their record of actual accomplishments.

Once the “80% Party” is fully mobilized the media will be able to report what the people actually say, not what some political hack or talking head said the people said. Once the “80% Party” reaches critical mass we’ll all know it.

That day will come when the letters (D) and (R) are removed from the names of the politicians appearing in the newspaper or on TV. Those labels are there now, in my opinion, to remind us which party’s message is being delivered and so we’ll know who to vote for.

When the “80% Party” takes over the people, speaking directly to and through tier elected representatives will bring accountability and action instead of finger pointing and road blocking to our government - bottom to government.

I may be wrong but I think if 25,000,000 of us contacted our elected representatives every time they did what we elected them to do and every time they didn’t - we’d end up with more of the former and less of the latter.

We get the representative government we deserve.

Wayne Messick’s company www.iBizresources.com - part of a global consortium of business strategists is providing you a way to
contact your elected represenataives in your home district and in Washington.

Delivery Driver Mugged By Mutt

David was a low ranking military man. He was married with 3 small children. His wife did not work outside of the home. David was the sole provider for his household. They were having a tough time making ends meet. David decided to take an extra job as a pizza deliveryman. He knew the area well and figured it would be a way to help take care of his familys needs. He did not want to do it forever, just long enough to get through the rough times.

He knew he could make a few hundred dollars extra a month doing that. One hot summer night, David got a call to deliver 10 pizzas to a party about 15 miles away. He figured parties are always big tippers and he could sure use the money. The order was finally finished and David loaded his vehicle to make the delivery.

He drove to the house and parked in the driveway. He thought it was pretty strange because it was very quiet. He thought, what kind of party is this. He unloaded the pizza and started to approach the house. At that moment he heard the words get him boy. A huge dog attacked and knocked him down. The pizzas went everywhere.

The dog chewed at David for a few minutes. He did everything he could do to fight the dog. Then he heard someone say come here, and the dog released him and ran off into the darkness. David got up, and drove himself to the hospital. He told the police what happened. They went out to the address to investigate.

They found that the couple who lived in the house had been out of town for the past two weeks. The neighbors said that to their knowledge no one in that area owned a viscous dog. The case is still under investigation. David kept delivering pizzas, but always remembered that night. He approaches each delivery with a newfound sense of caution.

Delivery drivers face the unknown every time they make a delivery. They face robbery, assault and other violence. Many delivery divers have been seriously injured or killed while making deliveries. Delivery drivers should always be aware of their surroundings and make a hasty retreat when things do not seem right.

The country depends on delivery drivers for everything. They should always have a Self Defense strategy in mind. The many hazards, make it among the most dangerous professions. Aside from the perils of traffic, delivery drivers face animal attacks, assaults, robberies, road rage and possible kidnapping. Although short range delivery drivers, have limited exposure to the hazards of their profession they should still consider that they could be a victim.

Every address they visit can be a potentially life altering event. Most deliveries are made with no problems, but there are times when situations occur. Delivery drivers are called to all different types of neighborhoods to make deliveries. They should know the areas in which they deliver, but becoming complacent leads to trouble. Delivery drivers should always be prepared to defend themselves if necessary.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of href="http://www.repellertechnology.com"> Repeller Technology,
provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most
situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: Repeller
Technology.

How To Decide If You Should Own A Gun

Gun ownership is a full time responsibility. Every situation is unique. Deciding if you will own a firearm is ultimately up to you. The following information will give you some facts that may help you decide.

There is a lot of gray area in the land of gun ownership. There is also clearly times when gun ownership should not be considered. If you are a convicted felon owning a firearm is not an option for you. There are many other times when gun ownership should not be an option.

If you have mentally unstable people in your home, gun ownership is a high risk proposition and should be avoided. If you have small children, the risks of having a gun for protection should be weighed against the possibility of your children gaining access and causing an accident.

If there are extreme difficulties in your marriage, a gun will probably not be your best form of self defense. Research has shown that a gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household, or friend, than an intruder.If you are afraid to fire a gun, it may not be in your best interest to purchase one. If you do not intend to take full responsibility for the safe guard of a gun then you should not own one.

If you suffer from anger issues or depression a gun may not be a good idea. Taking any mind altering drugs prescription or otherwise, is not a good situation for a gun owner. Residents of homes where a gun is present are 5 times more likely to experience a suicide than residents of homes without guns.

If you are overconfident in your gun handling skills, you may not be as cautious and take more risks. Horseplaying with weapons, can and does lead to trouble. You must treat your gun as if it were loaded at all times. If you do not intend to treat it as such, you should not own a gun.

Your gun should be kept secure and out of sight at all times. Those who do not intend to secure a gun should not own one.Gun maintenance is an area where owners make mistakes. Clean and inspect the gun regularly and carefully. A common safety practice is to check your gun twice before you clean it to be sure it is unloaded.

If your are going to own a gun, keep it in sight while you are cleaning it. If your gun breaks, do not try to fix it yourself. If you do not intend to take the necessary precautions do not own a gun.

Owning a gun requires that you observe all the applicable laws. These laws vary from state to state. Variations require that the gun owner be knowlegeable of current laws of all fifty states. Check with your local police department to learn the laws about carrying or transporting guns outside of your home.

Many guns bought legally are sold or stolen, and then used for crime. If you do not intend to become knowledgeable of gun laws do not own a gun.There are as many as 340,00 guns sold every year. Most are lost or stolen from citizens by criminals.

If 340,000 guns were never sold or owned in the first place, that would be 340,000 less guns in the hands of criminals every year. The consequences for mistakes with a gun are dire. But no matter why you own a gun, gun ownership is a serious and full-time responsibility. Fortunately owning a gun is not the only effective means of self defense.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of href="http://www.repellertechnology.com"> Repeller Technology,
provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most
situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: Repeller
Technology.

Man Charged With Murder For Self Defense

Sam was 45 year old deacon for a local church. His wife divorced him 2 years earlier and he was getting on with his life. He enjoyed his activities in the church very much.

He was an active member in the community and a key figure in advising young teens on the correct path to take. Most of the kids took his advice seriously. There were a few who resented him trying to tell them how to run their own life and let him know it.

There was one kid named Lonny, who even threatened Sam when he tried to give him advice. He told Sam he had better watch his back. He said one day you will get yours. Sam jokingly said not if you get yours first. Everyone heard the arguing between the two. They knew of the feud and figured it was just more talk by the youngster.

One evening Sam was relaxing at home after a long day at the church. He heard his back door slam. Although he was a churchman, he kept a gun in the nightstand for self defense. He never intended on using it. He figured if anything happened, he could scare the criminals away just by having it. He grabbed the gun and went into the other room.

He saw Lonny standing there. He said, what are you doing here Lonny? At that moment Lonny lunged toward the deacon. They both fell to the floor. The Deacon stuck his hand in his pocket to pull out the gun to scare Lonny. Lonny saw the gun and grabbed his hand. They struggled and the gun went off and shot Lonny once in the chest.

He fell over. Sam rushed to call to report the emergency. Lonny was pronounced dead at the scene. Sam was taken in for questioning. The police discovered the long running feud between Sam and Lonny. They also learned about Sams joking comments to get Lonny first. Sam was charged with premeditated murder.

Sam was held for several weeks in the city jail. After many consultations with his attorney and a new investigation, new evidence was presented that cleared Sam of murder charges.

Sam is still recovering from the traumatic experience, but is more committed than ever to teaching youngsters that they do have a choice. In fact he doesnot own a firearm any more. He has decided that risk of having a gun in the house far outweighs the benefits.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of href="http://www.repellertechnology.com"> Repeller Technology,
provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most
situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: Repeller
Technology.

Drinking and Driving a Deadly Holiday Mix

51 Billion Dollars and rising! Sounds like a company a wise investor should invest in. After all, having a piece of a 51 billion dollar industry is an exciting prospect, filled with anticipation for the future right? Not this time. This industry takes away any hope for the future. Any promise of potential greatness is dashed to the ground, becoming ashes and dust when people continue to invest in this business.

Warnings have been issued over the years advising people to avoid investing in this global industry. Still people chose to purchase the stock - some one share at a time, others in large quantities. Each time they invest even one dollar into this corporation, they participate in destroying their own lives as well as the dreams and aspirations of others. Family and friends are even forced into the role of unwitting participants.

The government has taken a stand, as well as various groups around the globe, making it harder for people to invest in this corporation. Still people choose to disregard the signs that will eventually lead to their own demise. They continue their dangerous path of destruction. Why? Why do well educated human beings choose a pathway that is known to cause heartache and utter despair in order to be part of 51 billion dollar industry?

Doesn’t this elusive business have enough of our hard earned money? As well as our personal blood, sweat and tears? I’m sure you’re probably wondering to yourselves, ‘What industry can she possibly be writing about?’ Perhaps you would like to know if you have somehow missed the hundreds of warnings that are issued each year about this industry. Well here is the answer: Have you ever gotten behind the wheel of a vehicle with any alcohol, even one drink in your system? If you have, then you have invested in the 51 billion dollar club.

It is estimated that each year 51 billion dollars is spent on alcohol related crashes. During 2003 (According to NHTSA 2004), 17,013 deaths occurred in the U.S. alone because of alcohol-impaired drivers; 2,136 of those deaths were children under the age of 14. These investors have killed the future. This represents nearly 1/2 of all traffic related deaths in the U.S.

Most of those murdered were unsuspecting bystanders, not the impaired driver. And that is, after all, what this is…murder. Vehicular manslaughter. Vehicular homicide. You can put whatever name you want on this criminal action to help lesson the burden of the offenders, but the fact is they knowingly got behind the wheel of what turned out to be a killing machine and killed.

Although the court system doesn’t define it as such, actions of this sort can even be likened to first-degree murder. Just look at the definitions for a moment. Taken directly from the site law for kids dot org, first degree murder is defined as: “causing the death of another person with either the intent or knowledge that the conduct will cause death and with premeditation. Premeditation is often described as ‘malice aforethought,’ which basically means that you probably considered the consequence of your conduct for at least a second before you committed the act.”

With all the education available, those who drink and drive know the possible consequences of their actions before they get into their vehicle to drive. Yet, still they turn on the ignition, shift into first gear and off they go.

Why do we allow the death toll from this activity to continue? Several years ago people used the excuse ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ to turn a blind eye to the problem. That’s about the time I discovered that the second member of my family, my sister, had been killed in an alcohol-related crash. (Jurors were sympathetic to the driver of the vehicle, thinking back to times they had gotten behind the wheel of their car after having a ‘drink or two.’) The drivers in all these cases got off with a warning or a light sentence.

I have since lost another 5 members of my family and friends to these murderers. Lest you think these are mere statistics I am citing for you, let me put names to my data: Rosie (my cousin, 28, and a mother of a newborn in the car at that time), Janet (my sister, “twin” and best friend, 22), Marsha (my cousin, 25, and the mother of a five-year-old in the car at the time), and Lisa (my counselee, 12, as well as her mother, 36, and her brother Jonathan, 8). As if that wasn’t enough, a few weekends ago the tally in my family went up again.

Natasha, 16 years old, was on the way to her winter ball. A drunk driver crashed into the side of her vehicle, killing her instantly and turning her boyfriend into a quadriplegic. Thanks to yet another driver who chose to be part of the 51 billion dollar club. This driver hasn’t had his sentencing hearing yet.

How can we stop the carnage? Law enforcement has doubled efforts to curtail DWI’s, setting up sobriety checks and adding stiffer penalties on both the drivers and the establishments they had been drinking in. Criminal and civil lawsuits have inundated the courts. Education has been tripled and pamphlets are even sent out with our yearly car registration.

There are agencies that offer free rides to any driver who calls them in need of transportation after drinking. There is also the option of sleeping in your car, spending 55 cents on a phone call if you don’t have a cell phone handy, or paying $69.00 at a local motel if all else fails. Yet all of this is obviously still not enough to deter some people from getting behind their wheel and taking the life of another innocent victim.

So what is the answer? To tell you the truth, I don’t know. But I do know what will help. From one heartbroken member of these senseless tragedies, I am going to do what I can to get laws imposed that require every vehicle have Ignition Interlock systems installed on them.

Interlock systems are currently used for repeat offenders in many states around the U.S., but we need a shift from light punishments and warnings into prevention. I believe that installing these units on every new vehicle sold and requiring them to be installed on every used vehicle in U.S. (a check could be made during smog inspections to see that the law was obeyed) would save taxpayers court costs and insurance companies billions of dollars every year. More importantly, it would save family and friends the devastating loss of yet another innocent victim and another trip to the morgue to identify their loved one.

For those of us who don’t drink and drive, it will be a minor nuisance. For those who do drink and drive, they will fight any steps that inconvenience their irresponsible and potentially deadly lifestyle. Think back a little to the seat belt issue. Many opposed the seat belt law when it went into affect.

But why were we forced to wear our seat belts? Because most people didn’t do so voluntarily, and the number of accidental deaths and near fatal injuries that could have been prevented was so staggering that government decided to step in and intervene on our behalf. The deaths and injuries were senseless. The same holds true here. Drinking and driving is a senseless and oftentimes unjustly punished crime.

Won’t you join me in this fight? Don’t let the next phone call you get late at night be from the hospital telling you a loved one was injured in a drunk driving accident. Don’t let the knock at the door at 3 AM be from a policeman telling you someone you loved has just been killed in an alcohol-related death.

What price would you be willing to pay for your son or daughter, sister or brother, mother or father? Forever is a long time. Are you willing to pay the price for the 51 billion dollar club? Think about Ignition Interlock systems and contact your state officials - put the pressure on them. Let them know we won’t stand for the rules of the 51 billion dollar club anymore.

Jaci Rae is a #1 Best Selling author of Winning Points with the Woman in Your Life One Touchdown at a Time. Book Jaci for your next show: and hit contact button for her publicist.

The Next Heartbeat for America and Iraq

Each of us lives from heartbeat to heartbeat; no less so, each nation. The world watches the heart-stopper struggles against terrorists; to name a few: Mafia - Sicilian, American, Jewish, or Russian gangs; Hezbollah - Lebanese umbrella organization of radical Islamic Shiite; and al-Qaeda - international terrorist network seeking to replace free governments with fundamentalist Islamic regimes.

When terrorists unite to occupy a nation and thwart its right to freedom, free nations are to stand with the invaded nation; the rhythmic heartbeat for freedom demands it and pounds continually amidst *Textual Imagery- information and communication filtered through all kinds of global media, and *Organic citizenry - access to all the facts to responsibly analyze to act on the truth. In the American/Iraqi stand for freedom, Americans as citizens of a free nation, have two choices - one responsible and one not: 1. believe mainstream media or 2. move to Organic Citizenry, that is, analyze the Textual Imagery to find the truth.

Unfortunately, human beings often shape beliefs and opinions superficially rather than analytically; it is easy to take action (vote, take up arms) related to Textual Imagery alone and call it responsible. We U.S. citizens are no exception though we have access to widely distributed, real-time information: never before has all the information been so available or has a war been fought for which Textual Imagery displays daily each battle, skirmish, or bit of gossip.

So much is given that we have become mired in the muck of complacency assuming we are not responsible to be more than casual, superficial observers of what we once could only imagine. The rationalization prevails that we do not have the time or the expertise to sort through all the information.

Instead, we elect officials and support those whose job it is to disseminate “accurate” information. It is too easy to trust the media so that we can continue enjoying the fruits of freedom born of our forefather’s sacrifice whether any other country has freedom or not.

A trust is misplaced that abdicates responsibility to Organic Citizenry, to willingly putting aside emotion to listen, to hear, to analyze before coming to actionable truth. That we all become news analysts in the sense of broadcasters and journalists is not required. Organic Citizenry requires that each citizen pay attention to what is being filtered, that is, being spun for reasons other than assessing the next actionable truth to promote freedom. Organic Citizenry requires that we desire no longer to be stuck in the veiled truth of complacency or the shadow of false security perpetuated by Textual Imagery of the moment.

Look back to our own history and our own freedom fight. Suppose you were a citizen of England who received the Textual Imagery of happenings in The Colonies and their fight for independence and freedom. Do you suppose that Textual Imagery would have been filtered in favor of the King’s view or the view of the Colonists?

Unless you were privy to a personal visit by Benjamin Franklin or a quick chat with Lafayette or George Washington you would say your information was filtered to you as King George III wanted you to know it. Right? Textual Imagery then was primarily limited to word of mouth and limited text exchanged hands from the King to the uneducated masses. What we are now calling Textual Imagery - information and communication filtered to citizens second by second, heartbeat by heartbeat - did not exist.

In 2007, we can be Organic Citizens, thinking citizens not necessarily engaged in professional journalism. We can search Textual Imagery, line up elements from ALL perspectives, and find the truth. No longer are we in a daily conscious struggle to determine whether going down the block to the grocery and back might result in being shot or maimed.

Did Maslow’s Hierarchy teach us nothing? Freedom only flourishes with Organic Citizenry, when a citizenry is able to move about its nation freely in the pursuit of happiness according to each one’s uniqueness. Are we willing to leave behind a legacy of Organic Citizenry to our young? Or, are we so foolish as to think that Iraq’s struggle is just about Iraq.

It is about belief in freedom based on truth and the willingness to know enough to vote for the people most close to our beliefs regardless of labels and misdirected Textual Imagery; i.e., fear mongering, inaccuracies, or spin for “political correctness”. (A term directly from the Communist Manifesto of 1848, by the way.).

Freedom fighters are U.S. soldiers in Iraqi. They are from your state, city, or block; you can reach many! Have you talked to a U.S. soldier? To more than one soldier’s family members? Looked for facts from someone living or fighting terrorists in Iraqi? From an Iraqi policeperson? From an Iraqi woman? From an Iraqi parent?

Understand, you are going absorb Textual Imagery in every heartbeat regardless of your answers to the above. Be selective and add to what you absorb, what you know to be fact. Choose from all perspectives instead of that randomly fed to you in sensational headlines and bloody pictures as you walk through the airport, channel surf, for browse the internet.

If you were an Iraqi citizen, what might you be thinking about living in America from the headlines or the nightly news? Pause. Think. Consider that same Iraqi citizen and think about what that same citizen now thinks of American based on the soldiers we have sent to help the Iraqi fight to occupy and govern their own land.

Have you seen those pictures of Iraqi gratitude? They are available. Have you seen the physical presence of our soldiers turning Iraqi hearts to hope? Ask the Iraqi citizens; the information is available — Google it! Look, see, listen, and hear the current Iraqi heartbeat, not the current terrorist du jour’s spin on the it.

See the hand, hear the voice, feel the touch of freedom, of heads lifted up to hope. Pass it on with each heartbeat allowed you for a legacy that will live in the heartbeats of future Americans and Iraqi citizens. The legacy you perpetuate in tomorrow’s leaders leaves America and Iraq 1. free and governed democratically offering free choices of worship, work, and play or 2. incarcerated and governed from the dark halls of totalitarianism, by dictators fueled with arrogant lust for power and self-worship.

Organic Citizenry beacons to us for the higher purpose of continued liberty and relationship to hope. We have a chance to pass it on to Iraq. With your help, Iraq can carry the hope baton to another now-suffering land of oppression that they, too, might be free. Your Organic Citizenry as exercised by your vote, your communication to elected officials, and training up youth to the rites of freedom will prove freedom’s ring is everlasting. Without you, we lose the heartbeat of freedom and face the despair of a future in oppression — not a good gift to leave behind!

*From America & Iraq: Seduced by Fear by Amaal Tokars

A native New Yorker, Judi Lynn Lake resides in South Carolina, with her husband and 7 year old daughter. She successfully runs her own Advertising/PR Firm. Contact Judi at http://www.judilake.com
To learn more about Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars’ mission at http://www.seducedbyfear.com

Small Business Petty Problem

Melvin owns a small business. He has 65 employees. He manages all their activities from a central site. They perform various services for different companies on a contractual basis. Most of his crews are pretty loyal and want to see the company succeed. In every company there are disgruntled employees who will do just about anything to make it tougher for a legitimate organization to profit.

Melvin was super nice to all his employees and they respected him very much. He knew them all by first name and was always concerned about their families. He even knew most of their family members. He also knew that some of them were struggling financially and assisted whenever he could.

They did not expect him to earn a living for them, but they appreciated anything he offered. They were all hard workers and when the company succeeded they always got extra. Melvin always kept about $3000.00 petty cash in his office safe. It was used to purchase things they needed at the different sites. He also used it to help some of the employees.

If one of them needed a little extra cash to makes ends meet he would take it out of petty cash. It was on the honor system and most of the employees used it sparingly. He mostly used it for the people with families. He knew that the single guys had an easier time financially. He did not worry as much about them. Most of the employees understood how it worked and did not mind.

Melvin had just hired a new guy named Robert about a month ago. He was not sure if the new employee would fit in with the rest of the crew but he was skilled. Melvin gave him a chance. When he explained how the petty cash fund worked, Robert had immediate objections. He did not think it was right to treat the employees with families better than the rest.

He said he had difficult times too. Melvin explained that Robert doesnot have the responsibilities of a family. He told him that his actions would only affect himself. He explained that a guy with a familys actions, affects everyone in the family. Robert pretended to understand but the look on his face said different. Robert began to do things that were adverse to the company.

Melvin let it go for a while, hoping things would turn around, but they never did. Finally one day he called Robert into his office and terminated his employment. Robert was furious and vowed that he would get what he deserves. Melvin did not think much of it. He had heard this kind of talk from others whom he had fired. A few weeks later Melvin received an earnings report for his company.

They were doing great. He was able to double the petty cash fund and help even more employees. One afternoon Melvin was leaving his office for the night. He got in his car and drove about 5 miles, when he remembered he did not set the alarm. He knew he had to go back and set the alarm.

He drove back to the office. As he drove up, he noticed the lights were on. He knew there was someone inside. He called the police. The police arrived, approached the office and trapped the suspect inside. They ordered the person inside to come out. As the person came out, Melvin looked at the guy.

It was Robert. He had heard about the doubled petty cash fund and had come back to take it all. He was arrested and charged with burglary. Melvin no longer keeps petty cash in the office. He deposits in the local bank. He uses a company debit card for withdrawals.

Not all employees are trustworthy. Business owners sometimes have a need to know whats going on at the business after they have left. Businesses handle all kinds of sensitive information. In the best interest of business, you should develop a means to keep your business secure when you are not there.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of href="http://www.cameraindisguise.com"> Repeller Technology,
has a huge selection of hidden surveillance equipment, tips and advice to fit most situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: Repeller
Technology.

Trapped In A Sale

Harry was an insurance salesman for a large firm in the northeast. His company prided itself on personal contact with customers. He was a top salesman and well deserving of the honor. His job called for him to extensively travel in order to get new customers. He was away from home many weeks out of the year. In many ways the people he met were a part of his family.

He enjoys interaction with the customers. He had never really experienced any serious problems during his career. He met the occasional belligerent prospect but that was expected. He was very determined and usually able to convince his prospects to let him at least show them his products. Many of his prospects became customers after a meeting with him.

One day he received a call from a guy who said he was thinking about buying more insurance. He asked Harry if he could meet with him and show his products. Harry agreed. He traveled to the prospects home. He setup his products and began to explain them to the potential customer.

He thought he had persuaded the man and was sure he was about to close a sale. All of a sudden the man jumped up from his chair and started swearing. He said you insurance salesmen are all alike. You try to take advantage of people like me.

He said, I do not need any insurance and I am going to make sure you do not try and sell anything again. Harry did not know what the man meant, but he felt it was time to leave. He said Sir, its obvious that you do not want to take advantage of our insurance products at this time, so I will be going.

The guy said you are not going anywhere. He said, I am going to teach you a lesson. He started walking toward Harry. Harry knew there was going to be trouble. He forgot about packing his materials and started maneuvering too get away from the guy. The guy kept coming and Harry kept moving.

Just as the guy was about to charge at Harry, there was a frail female voice. It said, stop that nonsense right now. Harry looked up a flight of stairs and there was an older lady. The prospect stopped his attack immediately. The lady seemed to have mesmerized the guy with her voice. He immediately stopped all his actions. He became as docile as a lamb.

She said a few more choice things to him. He dropped his head and went to another room in the house. She approached Harry. He said thank you; I do not know what I would have done if you had not shown up. The lady introduced herself as the mans mother. She said he had a mental disorder and really meant no harm. She asked Harry what he was doing in the house.

Harry said he was selling insurance. She said she needed some extra insurance. Right away, Harry recognized opportunity. He talked with the lady about his products. He also kept a watchful eye out for her son. He was able to start the woman in one of his best insurance plans. Traveling salesmen never know whom they are going to encounter on the road.

They meet all types of people with different motives. Most of them are sincerely interested in the products and services. There is also a small percentage that want to make trouble. The traveling salesman must be prepared to defend themselves if the situation becomes dangerous. With a little planning the traveling salesman can successfully defend himself if the situation arises.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of href="http://www.repellertechnology.com"> Repeller Technology,
provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most
situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: Repeller
Technology.

Supporting our Troops: We’re Behind Them No Matter What

The United States military is the strongest and most disciplined military in the world. The troops in the U.S. military have fought and died for many of the freedoms that we enjoy today. Without our troops we would not have independence at all, because they rose up against the tyrannical reign of the British government to fight for our freedom.

As the United States became a super power the U.S. military has also waged many wars in defense of our nation as well as other nations that could not defend themselves. I do not believe that war should be glorified, but I do believe that sometimes war is necessary. Also since our country is the most powerful country in the world, I believe that we should look out for the little guy, and defend smaller nations that can not adequately defend themselves. No matter if you believe in a war or not you should always support the troops that are fighting in the war for us.

Some wars that America has fought in have not been very popular wars, but we should never lose sight of our troops that are fighting in that war. Vietnam was one of the bloodiest wars that we have ever been apart of. Also it was a very unpopular war in the U.S., with millions of people protesting daily. The wonderful thing about America is that we have the freedom to protest a war. However we must not forget the troops that are fighting in that war.

One thing in our history that I am very asha