Always Keep Your Tanks Full

July 4th, 2009

I used to stretch the gas by adding 50% kerosene to help fill my gas tank.It is the Law of Reciprocity in action. That car used to smoke like crazy, but it ran.God’s law, set in motion from the very beginning.

Later as a cash-poor, but optimistic salesman on the road, I’d start the day with one dollar’s worth of gas - until I made my first cash sale for the day, then I’d go to the nearest gas station and say to the attendant there: “”Fill ‘er up!”"

When I got my Datsun 240-Z sports car, there were times when I was forced to leave the Z parked in the driveway simply because I was short of cash and couldn’t fill the tank.Look at where it got Adam and Eve– booted out of paradise.

Then, a few years later, when Mom and Pop were both getting older and so very sick and an emergency could occur in the middle of any night - I discovered the wisdom of operating my car on the “”full”" side of the gas gauge, to be prepared for any unexpected trips to the hospital’s emergency room in the middle of the night.Bad choices have consequences to go along with them.

At the same time that I was learning to keep my car’s gas tank full, I was also learning to keep my spiritual tank full by getting the Word of the Bible into the reservoir (the tank) of my heart.And the sooner we realize that and start making good choices, the better off we will be.

I am reminded of this law of reaping and sowing every time I go out and have to pull weeds out of my flower beds. There were other emergencies over the years when I was forced to take great gulps from that reservoir of spiritual fuel.I really hate weeding.

I remember the time when I was in the Navy and guardian angels watched over me when a drunk shipmate almost drowned me as I help him get out of the wintry cold water of Boston harbor after he’d fallen off the pier.I don’t like having to get down on my hands and knees and pluck, pull and sometimes wrestle with those little aggravating, persistent things that grow where everything else won’t. Or, the time down in Pensacola Bay, in Florida, during a Navy Air/Sea Rescue Operation, when the rough seas knocked me overboard.But it has to be done. I remember how I struggled to get back up to the surface and away from the spinning, killer propellers of both my boat and the nearby tugboat.In order to enjoy the beauty of my flowers, I have to take the time and tend my garden.

So, while I am out there doing the dreaded chore, I think and pray. I cried out: “”Oh Lord, help me!”" He did.I think of all the weeds I have sown in my own life and in the lives of those I love. Then there was another time when both my wife, Bette, and I drew on our reservoirs of spiritual fuel - the Word of God - that we’d stored in our hearts - when the doctors told us Bette had a brain tumor that could be (and was) fatal.I think about all the times I said something I shouldn’t have said. The list could go on and on.I think about all the things I did that I shouldn’t have done.

So, when you and I go to the gas station, or to our Bibles,we can say to the Attendant there (the Holy Spirit): “”Fill ‘er up!”"

In this way we’ll know for sure that we will be ready at all times for whatever happens because we have learned the wisdom, as explained to us in the Bible, of using what we are told there to always be prepared by keeping our spiritual “”tanks”" full.I think about the ugly weeds that have poked their unsightly heads up in my life, or in my loved one’s lives, that I had a hand in planting.

As you can see, weeding is an especially daunting task for me.

.But it is also a necessary one. It makes me realize how foolish and how serious our actions can be. One little negative, harsh, condemning, or condescending word we say can cause major problems later on. With that unique little gardening tool called the tongue, we can plant so very many seeds, many of which can be devastating to the garden that they are sown in.

With just our words we are able to sow discouragement, doubt, insecurity, fear, hate, jealousy, anger, distrust, lies…and the list goes on. And all of those seeds grow in the garden in which they are planted, sometimes being very destructive and at times even devastating.

I recently read about an 11 year boy who killed himself because of the teasing and cruel words of some of his peers. He simply couldn’t take the pain, the hurt, the discouragement, and the insecurity that had sprung up inside of him due to what was carelessly sown by others. Seeds sown. Weeds grown. Life gone.

Tips For Early Morning Motivation

July 3rd, 2009

Off course, sometimes everybody has a hang through phase, be it after a lot of work, long time school or study, boring work or what ever.Some of them meditated long before they ever met me - but most of them admit that, whilst they felt good whilst meditating, it didn’t make a massive difference to the cut and thrust of their everyday lives.

I have thought a bit about how to improve the small things of life to the positive and how to get up with a great smile every morning.So - two questions: What’s the point of meditating if it makes no difference to your everyday life. Actually I just reflected what I am doing for years and which helped me through many difficult situations. And, if it makes no difference, why do my clients meditate. Funny enough, to get up positively in the morning has its roots in the evening before and how you go to bed.

Answering the first question’s easy. That’s what I do:

After our work day, Eliane and I sit down for a short while just talking to each other about the nice and frustrating things we encountered over the working day.There’s little point in meditating if it makes no difference to your everyday life. Then, while she prepares a small meal, I help her with some jobs to be done in the household, going to the cellar for milk or what else is needed.Now, I’m sure that it does make some difference for even those who thought it made none - so there’s always a benefit in doing anything that’s better than living an automatic mindless life like so many people do (that’s not me being judgemental - that’s scientific fact - read the psychological proof!). After the meal, often together with our adult children, we do no more speak about business but about our dreams, holidays, the book we a re reading, etc.But meditation, if properly applied, should make an astounding difference to every aspect of your life - every day, if not every moment of every day.

Meditation is the most effective way to achieve everyday effortless happiness and success. Now it comes: we go to bed with an absolutely positive feeling and mind.Meditation provides you with a means of taking control of your own mental capacity, of your own ability to give your undivided attention to the task in hand, whatever the task in hand might be.

The alarm clock rings! There it is very important to get up slowly and with a first and positive thought.Meditation provides you with the means of channelling your energy - physical, mental, spiritual, it’s all just energy - into the present moment where, quantum physics proves, the energy of the universe will respond to that input.

Over the next few paragraphs, I describe how meditation helps you achieve all this.

Meditation is a mirror image of the normal routine of the average everyday. This is easy since I already slept with a positive mind, so I just restart where I left.The meditator is plagued by distraction, frustration and useless thought. Be not hectic, enjoy the shower, look out of the window, see the birds, the sunshine, and enjoy your life.The body tries to trip you up - whether it’s an itchy nose, back pain, one of your legs going to sleep. Go on to have joy the whole day!

My conclusion and recommendation:

- Chose to be happy, be grateful
- Avoid bad news and stress
- Manage your time well, do not waste it, it’s just too precious
- Laugh heartily, this is medicine
- Express your feelings and passions
- Work hard but not to exhaustion
- Enjoy your achievements and accomplishments
- Learn something new everyday, broaden your horizon
- Exercise your mind, soul and body, feel alive, eliminate depression
- Find Inspiration and success, be enthusiastic
- Take some minutes for meditation and religion


.These “”obstacles”" mirror the frustration we all feel when success appears to be elusive, the annoyance of negative people who are itching to get you embroiled in their dramas, the distractions of useless “”what-if”" worries and the debilitation of self-doubt.

When you meditate, you learn not to let the thoughts distract you, you learn how not to react to your leg going to sleep, you learn how to not scratch that itchy nose. In other words, you learn how to simply let such distractions, frustrations and annoyances pass - as such frustrations, distractions and annoyances pass in our ordinary everyday life. If you learn how to stay focused whilst meditating so that you don’t scratch that itch, you will become untroubled by distractions, annoyances and frustrations that can otherwise plague us during our ordinary everyday life.

World of Warcraft Gold Arena Tournament

June 23rd, 2009

World of Warcraft Valentine’s Day Commercial
What do you get the blood elf who has everything.If your friends decide to convert their trials to full accounts and then pay for a month of game time, you will receive extra game time free – 30 days for each friend that converts!

So, I get game time if my friends convert their accounts. This Valentine’s Day, make it an epic jewel! Yes, the industrial empires of Azeroth aren’t about to let anyone escape the relentless marketing campai– er, bloom of true love associated with this time of year! Take a look at this new commercial, but be warned that you may be struck by a sudden impulse to spend all the gold you’ve saved for your epic mount.

Yes, if your friends decide that they wish to continue playing beyond their initial trial period, they can convert their trial accounts into full accounts online.

WoW Comic Contest: Honorable Mentions
Here is the next honorable mention from this month’s comic contest submissions.After they have finished the process, your friends receive their first 30 days of game time and their account is unlocked, allowing them to enjoy everything that World of Warcraft has to offer. Remember, the contest will go on all year long, so don’t miss your chance to win a Blizzard Edition iPod Nano.Once your friend enters his or her first billing period, you will be credited 30 days of free World of Warcraft game time. Keep those comics coming! Check out today’s honorable mention from Kaye.

Do my friends have to pay for these trial accounts.

WoW Stratics has started up their “”Ask the WoW Developers!”" Q&A sessions again, and you can submit your own questions to be answered directly by the developers.
No, the trial accounts are free of charge. The top ten will be posted with the answers on their website later this month.However, the standard trial restrictions will apply to your friends’ accounts. They are hoping to continue this as a monthly event and ask for your support, and if you want to participate that you please limit yourself to one question.Please note that your friends will have to enter their credit card information during the trial account creation process.


.This information is used for verification purposes only; your friend’s credit card will not be billed for creating a trial account.

Do my friends need the client to actually play the game.

Yes, but the invitation email will provide download links for the client, which your friends can use to download the client installation software. If the email is intercepted by a spam filter or gets kidnapped by ninjas, your friends can also use the following link: www.worldofwarcraft.com/downloads/wowclient-download.html. Before your friends download the game client, please have them verify they meet the minimum system requirements.

Is there a limit to how many people I can invite.

You have five “invitation slots,” meaning that you can have a maximum of five open invitations at any given time. If one of the friends you invited decides to convert his or her trial account, one invitation slot will be freed up so you can invite another player.

Do the invitations expire at any point.

Yes, after you’ve invited a friend, that friend will have 30 days to accept your invitation before it expires.

Is there some way I can check the status of my invitations.

Yes, you can check the status of your invitations on your Account Management page accessible through the World of Warcraft community website.

How do I start inviting people.

Log on to the Account Management section and click the Recruit-A-Friend button. This will take you to the actual friend referral page, where you can enter a friend’s email address and name one at a time.

Are we the bad guys of Azeroth

June 22nd, 2009

The answer to the second one–and this may surprise you–is not “”an AFK Warlock.”" Of course, I’ve never found an AFK Warlock to test that out on, even though I pray every single night that I will.

But that just made me think about legitimate ways that people defend world PvP occurring under fairer circumstances.Every…single…night.

In days of yore, before the Burning Crusade brought us Arenas and Blood Elves and approximately 974 new factions to grind reputation with, 1-on-1 match-ups (besides the occasional random ganking over a mining node) tended to only happen in meaningless duels outside Orgrimmar or in Goldshire. According to existing lore, the Horde and the Alliance more or less operate under the terms of an informal and at times uncomfortable truce.Back in those wild, crazy times, before diminishing returns and 41 point talents, most of the meaningful PvP took place in the Battlegrounds, and for Mages, it usually involved hiding behind a tree casting Blizzards down at the bridge in Alterac Valley. The lore justifies battlegrounds in the sense that the Silverwing Sentinels versus the Warsong Outriders (for example) aren’t operating under the official auspices of their respective factions; the clashes are understood to be quarrels between sub-groups.When a Rogue unstealthed behind us and planted a dagger in our backs, we died quietly, with a spell on our lips, and revenge in our hearts. But you can make a pretty strong case that as long as these quarrels are being actively fought, no true peace between the Horde and the Alliance is possible.Then we rezzed, ran back to our tree, and started the cycle over again.

When the expansion dropped Arena combat into our lives, everything changed. Any negotiation or discussion is bound to deteriorate into a never-ending litany of “”But (your sub-group) is still attacking (my sub-group)!”" Clashes between individual players are likely to be considered the same way (”"I know what you did in Nagrand last summer!”").Suddenly, some of us found ourselves in a 2-man team with a Druid or a Shaman, facing off across Blade’s Edge Arena against a Warrior and a Paladin. You can’t swing a dead cat in the world today without hitting a long-running intranational, international, or interstate feud being continued by people who absolutely will not back off an old grudge, and that’s the lens through which I tend to view most world PvP and battlegrounds.Dying in a blaze of flaming glory after three seconds of combat was no longer going to cut it. All very well and good, but in the end both factions face significantly more danger from the Burning Legion and the Scourge than they do from each other.Mages adapted.

Assuming we’re all still in it for the fun of PvP (and, well, the gear), this is pretty much just a mental exercise, but it’s interesting to consider that player-characters are, lore-wise, among the primary contributors (rather than the primary responders) to the friction between the Horde and the Alliance.We stacked on the new PvP gear, jacking up our stamina and resilience in the process. ”
.We fell in love with Blink, Ice Block, and Frost Nova. We respecced Frost. We learned how to survive, and soon found that we were living six, seven, and sometimes even eight seconds before dying quietly with a spell on our lips.

We also quickly learned that there were some classes we could consistently defeat, as well as several that made us curl up into the fetal position and rock back and forth, weeping softly. Several patches and multiple class-balancing tweaks later, some things have changed, but one thing still holds true: In Arena combat, it’s all about the match-ups.

Join me after the break to find out who we can kill, and who we can’t.

This week, we’ll cover Warriors, Hunters, Druids, and Warlocks. Keep in mind that this isn’t a hardcore strategy column, though I may tackle that in the future. What you have here is a look at which match-ups you should be hoping for when you step out onto the Arena floor, and which opponents might make you wish you’d never come out of the starting chamber.

Warriors

What we like:

What’s not to like about Warriors.

Respect – why is it important for social work

June 20th, 2009

Secondly, most of my working life has been spent working as a social worker or training social workers and this is a profession that deserves respect.Respect offers eye to eye contact. Finally an important philosophical issue in social justice is one of voice and respect - social justice is not just about a fair distribution of resources and opportunities but about having your voice listened to, understood and respected.Maybe a smile.

Recipients of services wanted their views understood and listened to but they also wanted action - respect for many is also about doing something practical to help them - whether that’s organising a Home from Hospital scheme or providing a halfway house for disabled children that were previously institutionalised.Respecting someone is a way to show that you acknowledge them as a real person- Discuss a problem- don’t yell at each other about it.

Social workers also need respect not just from recipients of services but from the general public and policy makers.Acknowledge their presence- don’t walk by and ignore them. These are ‘the good guys’.Respond kindly if they talk to you- don’t blow them off with a flip answer.

Why is Respect Important. They believe in social justice and supporting and protecting those in need. Teens…

They respect their teachers- mostly because they fear getting in trouble and they want to get a good grade.

Why don’t they respect their parents. This theme is especially current following ongoing and extensive media coverage focusing on the social work industry. Why don’t parents demand respect.

To provide a first-hand demonstration of the issues facing social workers in child there’s a clip from the BBC documentary, Someone to Watch Over Me, which is used as course material for the OU’s social work degree on the Critical Practice in Social Work module (K315) which captures the moment a social worker is faced with the task of informing her team that a baby on the child protection register has died.

Parents want to love their kids and often when their kids reach teenhood- they have given up on parenting and just want to be a friend to their teen- this is not how it works. It is an emotional clip to watch, but it presents the audience with the reality faced by today’s social workers.Parents need to demand respect from their kids at all ages- even in adulthood.

You might well ask who would want to do this job.A parent that has lost the respect of their teen has no authority over the teen and can expect that the teen will not obey house rules.

The parent/teen relationship requires mutual respect to work. It can be very rewarding and fulfilling but without the motivation that you are doing a worthwhile job and it is appreciated; it will be difficult to recruit.If the parent doesn’t offer the teen respect- by listening, not yelling, and not interrupting, then how can the parent expect the teen to listen to or respect the parent. One in nine social work posts across the country are currently unfilled, particularly in the area of child protection. Listening, however, doesn’t mean that there has to be agreement- Most often a parent and teen will not agree- however the respectful relationship allows both sides to state their opinion and come to a solution that works.


.

An excerpt from ‘A letter to ……our social workers’ published in TheGuardian on Saturday 23 May is one I would have loved to have read out at my inaugural lecture on 18 May: ‘…I recently read an article that asked the question: what happens to the Baby P’s who survive. The answer is that in the main they are looked after and often loved. They get adopted, they get fostered and they get help. This is coordinated, organised managed and policed by you (social workers)……It is you, the social workers, who work the chalk face of home visits, form filling and court hearings, who ensure that children at risk – including mine – don’t fall through the cracks in the floor of our state.

Helping Your Kids Through Divorce

June 16th, 2009

Divorce is hard on everyone, especially the kids involved.”Today’s New York Daily News has a headline that screams Madge’s Lourdes Works a Miracle. Here are some tips on helping your kids recover from their parent’s divorce.No, Madonna’s teenage daughter isn’t healing the sick or parting the seas.

Is it really over.According to the paper, what Lourdes has done is even more miraculous — she’s managed to make peace between divorcing duo Madonna and Guy Ritchie.

A source tells the paper that 14-year-old Lourdes came the couple begging, “”Please don’t be mean to each other.”" The teen told her mom and Guy that she wanted everything to be as friendly as possible.
Make sure the marriage is really over.According to the source, Guy and Madonna have buried the hatchet and are making every effort to make things as civil as possible for the sake of the kids.

The fact that teenage Lourdes is managing to do what even divorce lawyers can’t is a definite sign of the times, according to psychologist Cooper Lawrence. If there is any chance to save the marriage- see a marriage counselor, and figure out how to keep the marriage alive.Cooper, author of “”The Cult of Celebrity”" tells momlogic, “”It’s different now than when we were kids. The kids don’t need to be a part of these conversations.The way they parented us is different from the way parents raise kids today. If the marriage is really over, then it’s time to make some visible changes.Today, kids are involved in every family decision from what car are we going to buy to what kind of dog are we going to get.

Kids are confused when separated parents are still eating together, keeping family photos (including wedding photos) on the wall, and Dad is still coming over to mow the lawn.You can’t have it both ways — you can’t expect the child to be involved in family decisions and then all of a sudden make a life changing decision and expect the child to have no say.”"

Cooper also adds that watching Lourdes take an active role in her parents’ divorce sends a powerful message to other children of divorce. Make sure there is a clear separation of Mom and Dad.”"Lourdes is a little girl who grew up with the paparazzi as part of her public life. Move out all of the non-custodial parent’s stuff into their new residence.She has a public image and it matters what she says and does. Take down family photos with both parents pictured.When she says be nice to one another it sends a different message, it’s influential to other kids.”"

But even so, Cooper cautions about having children act as peace keepers in their parents divorce. (You can store these photos, but keeping them on the wall is very confusing for kids.She asks parents to be careful about their behavior and warns that children should never be put in a situation where they feel they need to step in to keep the peace. )

Communicate clearly to your kids
Explain that Mom and Dad are getting separated and will no longer be married, or living together.”"The children have nothing to do with the divorce. More details about the reasons for the divorce are not necessary.When you put the kid in the middle you’re screwing up your kid. (Again- these are adult conversations and the kids don’t need to be a part of the discussions on why the marriage didn’t work.It’s cruel. )

Talk about your relationship with your children
Discuss with your kids that you love them, and this will never change.Children learn from your behavior and how you treat people.”"

As a rule, Cooper tells momlogic that parents need to keep the arguments to themselves; no child should have to hear you badmouth, fight or yell at each other. Tell them that they had no part in the divorce, and nothing they can do caused the divorce, or can change the divorce.”"Some kids take this stuff personally.

College Life: Defining Your Life Purpose

June 15th, 2009

For years, I lived on autopilot.”For most of us, summer has already arrived. I ate, breathed, shopped, studied–and generally went through life–without knowing why.Even though I’m still in school, I’m pretty excited for summer break myself. I made decisions based on how I felt at the time.I’m going to have so much fun it’s not even funny (I’ll finally be able to get my driver’s license!).

This is seriously my most favorite part of the year, not just because of nice weather and no school, but because of the sheer amount of opportunity that rests in the palm of our hands.

You have three full months of freedom to explore your horizons.
Still, the deeper questions of life haunted me.Just what are you going to do with all that time. “”Why am I here. It’s okay if you’re not totally sure. “” I wondered.Here are some ideas I’ve thought up on how to use your summer:

1. “”Who am I.Relax at home

Nothing beats going back home and relaxing with your old friends, good food, and awesome video games. Where do I want to go.They don’t call it summer break for nothing. And how can I get there.So if you like, take this summer off to relax. “”

I sat in coffee shops, perused bookstores, read widely, and even attended university, but the answers continued to elude me.Spend some quality time with your family.

Yet, inside, was the hope that one day I would know.Get reacquainted with the stuff in your room.

A Statement for Purpose

In pursuit of meaning, I found myself in good company.Take a nap. “”The search for the purpose of life is one of the deepest of our experiences as human beings,”" says Os Guinness in The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life.Go for a long walk around your neighborhood.

For thousands of years, the most brilliant minds–and also the simplest–have stumbled over this question.Read a book that you haven’t read in a while.

“”Deep in our hearts, we all want to find and fulfill a purpose bigger than ourselves,”" Guinness adds.See. “”For each of us the real purpose is personal and passionate: to know what we are to do and why. It’s that simple.

2. “”

A turning point came in my search when I realized that at the end of my life, I would not be asked, “”Why were you not Margaret Thatcher, Nelson Mandela or Princess Diana.Get a job and/or volunteer

If you’re the type who can’t possibly see yourself resting or taking it easy during the summer, your next best bet is to get a job. “” But instead, “”Why were you not Idelette.Fast food joints and restaurants are a given in terms of availability of jobs for college students. “”

What Is It, This Life Purpose.If you live near the beach in your town and you’re a great swimmer, try becoming a life guard.

Since each person is unique, from DNA to fingerprints, it’s reasonable to believe that each of us also has a purpose, a reason for being, that is uniquely personal.You can earn some cash while enjoying the summer weather.

Danish thinker Søren Kierkegaard wrote in his Journal: “”The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wants me to do; the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live or die.Or if you’d rather make an significant impact on other people’s lives instead of just your own wallet, find volunteer work that you find enjoyable. “”

Purpose doesn’t necessarily involve grand ideas or revolutionary inventions.Search online to find volunteer organizations that operate close to where you live.

Here are some summer job suggestions including the ones I’ve noted above:

sell a product or service (get a license first)
get a job as a store clerk
become a lifeguard
become a fast food employee
become a waiter/waitress
volunteer at homeless shelters
apply for a summer position at your college
become a tutor
babysit
3. Instead, it often springs from a commitment to be faithful in even the most undervalued tasks.Go on a road trip

You’ve seen the movies and have probably thought, “Why can’t that be me on a road trip with my friends.

“”Leaders who met at the recent State of the World Forum determined that the most important jobs in the world are parenting, teaching and healing,”" writes Laurie Beth Jones in The Path.” Well here’s your chance to live the dream. “”If you are parenting, teaching or healing others, consider your mission among the most important in the world.Gather up your friends in a car or two for an interstate road trip. “”

Knowing and fulfilling your life purpose brings you to a place of enthusiasm and excitement.Just imagine: riding with your friends with a little disposable income and having the time of your life! However, road trips shouldn’t be all about fun. It is the best place for you to be.It should also be about finding your way around places that you’ve never been before will people you trust.

You’re Not Alone - Here’s How To Stop It

June 12th, 2009

Many people get really stressed out at work, it’s probably the most common source of stress.”Are you always irritable, tensed, impatient and do you experience different physical reactions such as increased heart rate and headaches when facing situations which you have difficulty in coping with. I’ll tell you how to avoid it in this article. If so, you are stressed.

However, you need not worry because it is normal to face stress at some point in time as it is one of the inevitable parts of modern life.

It’s strange, we are told that we are now healthier, richer and more better off than ever.It is normal to be stressed during of celebration, sadness, responsibilities, illness, work or school life, environmental adjustments and changes in personal relations. But yet life seems much tougher.What is not normal though is when you have difficulty in coping with stress because it may take a toll on your health and wellbeing.

One of the natural and alternative ways of relieving stress is through a 6,000-year old form of therapy called aromatherapy.

At work, your boss wants everything yesterday.Aromatherapy uses essential oils from flowers, herbs, trees and other plants to affect your mood. They even ring you at home to ask about your work.The most popular are jasmine, eucalyptus, rose, tea tree oil, lavender oil and lemon. They set you impossible deadlines.There are many ways of using it to relieve stress.

It may be diffused in air through candles and burners and it may be topically applied on the body through baths and like body oils.

But you may ask: how does aromatherapy relieve stress. Everybody wants the best service and will complain if they don’t get it. What is the relation between activation of the sense of smell and relieving stress. Was life always like this.

When you use essential oils on your body, they work in two ways to relieve your stress.

You know, you hear about coal miners doing back breaking work but I tell you something - doesn’t it sound like a better job than yours.First, these essential oils have pharmacological effects on the body. After all, they do something meaningful (most service jobs these days are not meaningful) and they keep in good shape in the process.When applied to the skin, aromatherapy oils kill fungi and microbes. And did you ever hear about an unhappy labourer back in those days.It also seeps in through the layers of your skin and penetrates the blood stream. I sure didn’t.Second, the aroma of the essential oils used in aromatherapy has beneficial effect on the brain through the sense of smelling.

The olfactory system is a powerful part of the human body as the nose can distinguish 10,000 different smells.

No, the reason that life is so stressful today is because of capitalism.Through the sense of smell, these essential oils activate your limbic system and improve that part of the brain which controls the emotions, that is why, if you inhale such sweet scents, you will feels relaxed and relieved.

You can perform aromatherapy to relieve stress either through aromatherapy kits or you may seek professional service. Companies and their consumers demand the whole enchilada and for the cheapest price possible.However, you should be careful because some people have allergic reactions to essential oils. It’s ridiculous how our modern life has evolved to become like this.In case of doubt, always seek professional advice.

Aromatherapy can energize you, activate your senses, make your mood better and in the process help relieve your stress and promote a healthier body. But there is some light around the corner.What makes it as a good remedy to help relieve your stress is that it is all-natural, safe, not costly and has no side effects.

It’s Time To Use Our Brains

June 11th, 2009

This article is in response to the one written by Aidoo Prince Junior and what I call his misinformed attempts to tarnish the image of a well performing government based on nothing else but inapplicable biblical quotations and unfounded accusations.”I’ve heard that people only use ten percent of their brains. Many more writers should base their articles on facts and not gut reactions especially in a democracy as young as Ghana’s.Is this true. It is even more disheartening to hear such vile accusations come out of the mouth of a so-called Christian.

Some of our strongest emotions happen in the most ancient regions of our brain. First, I think its time that Ghanaians stood up for themselves rather than wait for God to do everything.Other parts of the brain are used for vision and problem solving. That attitude of “”complete dependence”" on God is definitely backward and no different to colonialism.But is there a part of our brain that’s not used at all. Don’t get me wrong, we have the right to be religious but in situations where we are blinded by religion to extent that we judge ministers as satanic and sit down waiting for miracles to be performed is definitely detrimental to the development of the country.

Well, who knows where that myth got started, but it is just a myth. I would like to see people criticize the government based on statistical evidence rather than on religious biases.The human brain is made up of about a hundred million nerve cells. Young people like Aidoo should rely on their intellect and be real Christians i.Each of these nerve cells is a like a tiny battery. e.Charging and recharging these batteries uses up a lot of energy. strive to maintain peace rather than instigate pandemonium.As a result, the brain is an expensive organ – it consumes far more energy than you might expect based on its modest three pound weight. His article says nothing but that it is one of a cynical and ignorant person.If all those nerve cells weren’t put to some use, they wouldn’t be kept over the long haul – say a few million years. All the arguments are based on quotations that are not even applicable.From this evolutionary perspective there is probably not much waste – it’s safe to say that most of the brain is used.

But that doesn’t mean that we are using all of our brain all of the time. We are so reliant on God that we cannot even judge the performance of a government without asserting to God.Studies that map brain activity show very precise localization of brain functions – that is, what parts of the brain are active when you sleep, when you listen to music, or when you’re doing a difficult math problem. And that, not “”evil-minded”" ministers is a pity.It does seem that at any one time only a portion of the brain is in active use.


. What good is a God fearing minister to the country as a whole if his policies do not improve the welfare of the people. His religious disposition should be utterly up to him and should be by no means a factor in assessing his performance. Making such claims I believe is a means to make up for his simplistic assessment of an important issue. How could anyone describe the minister of finance as being dishonest based on the failure of the IFC loan. Things go wrong and the fact that someone does not succeed in achieving an end doesn’t make him evil or dishonest. What I find fundamentally wrong with his article is his imposition of Christianity on everyone. We are democratic and therefore have the right to our own religious preferences therefore it is wrong to imply however subtly that Christianity is the right religion as the author clearly implies when he says “”I hope you are said to be a Christian”". We should be more sensitive and consider other religious affiliations when we make such sweeping and potentially precarious statements like the one above keeping in mind the numerous religious conflicts around. Such people are hypocrites to their religion and have no clue what it is to be Christian. How could anyone accuse the whole government of being “”evil”", “”ignorant”" and “”dumb dogs”" and still claim to be a Christian or educated. Such comments only serve to heighten political tensions and even worse cause conflicts. With things not going too well, a well-meaning Ghanaian should give useful advise and not attempt to break the peace that we have all struggled to achieve. If one has no ideas then they should keep their mouths shut. Yes the IFC loan was a failure but nevertheless a good idea. Shouldn’t we be grateful that our politicians had the courage to openly stop pursuing the loan rather than resort to obscure means to please the people. One should also realize that the president is virtually nothing without his ministers and advisers and any insult to these people is indirectly directed at him. Such uninformed utterances can be considered as treason to the state and could be punished. And for such a person to call himself a social democrat is pathetic and insulting to other socialists. Lets begin to use our brains and make positive contributions.

As Income Gap Widens, Uncertainty Spreads

June 10th, 2009

Scott Clark knows how to plate a circuit board for a submarine.”Big financial institutions pay David Smick a lot of money to find out what issues are on the minds of Washington’s policymakers.

So what is he telling them now as the Democrats take over both houses of Congress. He knows which chemicals, when mixed, will keep a cell phone ringing and which will explode. “”Globalization is the sleeper issue for 2008,”" is the answer given by Smick, a onetime aide to Republican Congressman Jack Kemp.

Indeed, “”globalization pushback”" is the new talking point on Capitol Hill, among K Street lobbyists, and on newspaper op-ed pages. He knows how to make his little piece of a factory churn hour after hour, day after day.Democrats have seized on the issues of rising inequality of incomes and jobs lost to overseas outsourcing, targeting globalization as the culprit.

But right now, as his van hurtles toward the misty silhouette of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the woods rising darkly on either side and Richmond receding behind him, all he needs to know is how to stay awake and avoid the deer.James Webb, the newly elected U.S.

So he guides his van along the center of the highway, one set of wheels in the right lane and the other in the left.senator from Virginia, summed up his party’s attitude in a November Wall Street Journal piece. “”Gives me a chance if a deer runs in from either direction,”" he explains.”"In the age of globalization and outsourcing,”" Webb wrote, “”… “”And at night, this is my road.the average American worker is seeing a different life and a troubling future.”" Fellow Senate Democratic newbie Sherrod Brown of Ohio, along with Sen. “”

It’s his road because, at 3:43 a.Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, declared in the Washington Post that globalization has caused “”downward pressure on income and benefits for American workers.”"

Smick’s “”sleeper issue”" may have already awakened. m.When Congress passed the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993, Senate Democrats were split 28 to 27 against, while House Democrats voted 156 to 102 against. on a Wednesday, no one else wants it.But when the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement came up in 2005, Senate Democrats-including potential 2008 hopefuls Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama-voted against the bill 33 to 10, while their House counterparts were a lopsided 187 to 15 opposed. Clark is nearly two hours into a workday that won’t end for another 13, delivering interoffice mail around the state for four companies — none of which offers him health care, vacation, a pension or even a promise that today’s job will be there tomorrow.And that was before the 2006 midterm election ushered in a legion of new Democrats, including Webb and Brown, noted for their hostility to free trade. His meticulously laid plans to retire by his mid-fifties are dead.

Since the election, House Democrats have voted against normalizing trade relations with Vietnam. At 51, he’s left with only a vague hope of getting off the road sometime in the next 20 years.And the odds of Congress voting to renew presidential fast-track trade authority look long.

Until three years ago, Clark lived a fairly typical American life — high school, marriage, house in the suburbs, three kids and steady work at the local circuit-board factory for a quarter-century.No wonder Morgan Stanley economist Stephen Roach-who blames the $800 billion U.S. Then in 2001 the plant closed, taking his $17-an-hour job with it, and Clark found himself among a segment of workers who have learned the middle of the road is more dangerous than it used to be.trade deficit more on Americans’ failure to save than China’s trading practices-warned his clients last week that “”an intensification of protectionist pressures [in Congress] is a distinct possibility … If they want to keep their piece of the American dream, they’re going to have to improvise.a lose-lose response to …

Figuring out what the future holds for workers in his predicament — and those who are about to be — is key to understanding a historic shift in the U.growing frustrations with the win-win rubric of the globalization debate.”"

The Democrats’ turn is a rejection of the position the party held the last time it occupied the White House. S.”"Clearly, Democrats have moved away from the Bill Clinton position on trade toward the Dick Gephardt position,”" says political analyst Stuart Rothenberg, referring to the former Missouri congressman and would-be president known for favoring trade unions more than trade agreements.