Video Pandora

Are you looking for great Aries tattoo designs?

This astrological sign lends itself beautifully to being used as a tattoo design.

Aries is the sign of the Ram, a western astrological sign for people born between 21st March & 20th April. These dates coincide with the Spring Equinox which some cultures believe is the true beginning of the year.

Interesting then that Aries is also the first sign of the zodiac.

As an Arian, you’ll want to stand out from the crowd, so it’s not surprising that you’ll be after a tattoo.

You also have a bit of a dare-devil streak in you too.

Taking these traits in to consideration, I shouldn’t think that you’ll be after a run of the mill tattoo design.

If you go on any online tattoo galleries that offer flashes for free, then you’re obviously not going to get anything special.

The ram head design for Aries can be adapted to encompass so many different styles, colours and elements. So take your time before you decide on a design.

The Aries symbol easily lends itself to styles such as tribal, Goth, or Celtic. You could include Arian elements in with the design too, like fire, skulls,thistles,honeysuckle or even symbols of war. Thorns are often associated with Aries too, so something like barbed wire would also be in keeping as an Aries tattoo design.

Aries is a fire sign, so flames featured in the tattoo would also look good.

Of course, the color associated with the first fire sign of the zodiac is red, so that would also be good to incorporate.

With so much to consider with Aries tattoo designs, I think your best bet is to go to a reputable tattoo gallery online, where you can browse & choose at your leisure. The best ones have a constantly updated database with literally thousands of designs to choose from. All you have to do is choose the design that’s right for you, click on it, it’ll then enlarge & you can print it out and take it to your tattoo artist.

In fact, if you don’t know where to get your tattoo done, the best online sites also provide tattoo parlor locators, they’re just that helpful!

After you’ve done all that it’s just a case of where on your body to put your Aries tattoo designs.

To save you searching the web I’ve found the best award winning online tattoo galleries for you.
Check out this website at http://www.paulturnermarketing.com/reviews to discover more.

Using quotes in your speaking and writing is a great way to express yourself in an interesting and clever manner, as long as it’s not overdone. Sometimes you can find a quote that says exactly what you want it to express better than you could have said it yourself. Sometimes a quote is just a way of providing a bit of contrast to an otherwise dry presentation. When you have a great source of quotations such as that offered on the internet, you can expand your horizons far more than you would be able to find in just a printed document.

There are a number of reasons why the internet is a better source of quotations than what you would be able to obtain in a book or compilation. First, you have the timeliness of the material. You can look on the internet and find words on almost any subject in the current events field. If it’s in the national or world news, somebody has said something about it that is worthy of note, usually. Sometimes these short quotes are used in news stories whether published or on television. They may even become a catch phrase for a campaign or subject.

Another reason for using the internet as the source of your quotations is that you have so many more to choose from. These sayings are available from people in all different historical and cultural eras so you have a rich source of viewpoints much beyond a local or even national source. Using a textbooks means you only see the sources that are selected by the editors as being worthy of attention. While they may be a good cross section of viewpoints, invariably there will be some bias that enters into the picture.

When you use the internet for your quotes, you will find it easier to locate the exact sentiment that you want to express, thanks to the ability to zero in on a word or a phrase. Search engines allow you to find links to many different subjects and by working with the site search capabilities, you may even be able to refine your word search even further. Using keyword searches may help to better define what you are trying to say. Sometimes we remember a famous or common saying slightly different than they original was presented. This can be a good thing in some instances, but can also be a disaster if it skews the meaning of what you were trying to present.

Quotations used for the purpose of talks and presentations are more often than not humorous. It’s important to make sure that the humor fits the occasion and that it is not offensive to anyone in the group that may be listening. These sayings or one liners will often be popular with comedy routines for amateurs and professionals alike. When appropriately used, the humorous sayings can enliven a sermon, brighten up a sales talk or hype a sales campaign. So, next time you are looking for a great way to wind up a speech, check the internet for just the right touch.

Quotesdaddy is the best place where you can download and get Philosophy Quotes and all type of quotes. So enjoy Humorous Quotes at Qotesdaddy.

The quadrennial Olympics are a snapshot of the world at its best, a portrait of a future in which nations compete as equals in the global arena and individuals metaphorically medal in any number of events. And while the realm of governance is vastly more complex than that of a sports stadium, a number of observations about the global community as seen at the Olympics may be of relevance to Americans preparing to chart the course of their country for the next four years by electing a new president.

*First, the Olympics show that youth is good and that elders have nothing to fear about youthful preeminence. The energetic endurance of youth creates the opportunities for elders to be of relevance. There is no Olympic medalist without a coach and there are few without supportive parents.

*The Olympics also show the world as a delightful mix of racially, ethnically, nationally and regionally interconnected people. Value judgments are overruled by a visceral reaction to the exquisite capabilities of the human mind and body.

*Experience is not necessarily an indicator of fitness for performance in Olympic competition. The most seasoned athletes make decisive mistakes. Novices benefit from those errors. Graciousness in accepting and admitting the result is the measure of the respect to be accorded for performance. Pre-competitive gloating or mudslinging brings the greatest disgrace, especially to a loser.

*The Olympics are globally important enough that the near-200 country members of the United Nations overwhelmingly adopted an Olympic Truce in 2007. That agreement to stop hostilities for the two-week period of the Olympic Games did not deter the Georgians and the Russians from armed engagement. Suicide bombers in Pakistan were also not bound by the globally accepted compact. The world needs organizations with the teeth to nonviolently sanction those who don’t abide by its standards.

*The Olympics are a showcase for the prowess of attractive, healthy and fit humans of every shape, size, color and gender. Performance is a prerequisite for Olympic competition, which proves that attractiveness need not be a sign of vanity, vapidity or shallowness. The attractiveness of a top performer in any arena is a by-product of the mental, emotional and physical integrity that top-level performance requires.

*The American image that comes across in the Olympic global mix is one of exuberance, health, vitality, competence and good will. It is an image that any nation would be privileged to nurture and foster with the confidence of being assured its grounds for excellence were founded in its appreciation and good use of blessed resources toward good ends.

*The Olympics are a presentation of the world in all its vastness, diversity and glory. Viewership of the events shows Americans are interested in that world beyond their own borders. The NBC network covering the Games reports a 16.3 rating and an average audience of 26.6 million during primetime on a typical weekday night, which is up from a 15.7 rating with 25 million viewers four years ago in Athens.

*NBC’s television coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games has also revealed that America itself has numerous cities and small towns where Olympic-level athletes are trained. In Des Moines, Iowa, for example, American immigrant and Beijing-born Liang Chow coached gymnast Shawn Johnson to a 2008 Olympic gold for nearly ten years. Media anticipation of forthcoming national honors on the global stage can be a tool for America to know itself better.

*Finally, the Olympics show that nationalism is a universal trait, just as is family loyalty, favoritism and support. But the Games also demonstrate that the huge asset of lending power to the individual through the team effort of kinship shines only in the global forum. They prove that cooperative competition stirs the blood from individual events to the outcome of the Games overall.

Helen Fogarassy is the author of a suspense novel, The Midas Maze, about murderous hijinks in UN/US relations. She is also the author of The Light of a Destiny Dark, a novel about the Euro-American cultural gap through Hungarian eyes, and a nonfiction tribute to the UN’s work, Mission Improbable: The World Community on a UN Compound in Somalia.

In a departure from what you might expect from an article forum, we would like to offer the opportunity for you to take a more interactive approach to learning the basics of The Skills. Anyone can try these exercises either in their personal or professional encounters, or both, and better yet, no one need know that they are participants in your learning!

Rather than simply tell you what you should be looking for in these exercises, we think it would be more fun for all involved if we held back a little and let you experience for yourself the most important building block of The Skills.

Modern presentation theory espouses a conversational approach to presenting, because that’s the way to maximize both comfort and trust between you and the audience. The conversational approach, a modern refinement of the humanist style first made popular in western cultures by president John F. Kennedy, is quite a bit different from the oratory style that most people associate with earlier great speakers such as Winston Churchill.

The foundation of the conversational approach is proper eye-contact, and the nature of that eye-contact is quite unlike the way 99% of presenters practice. In fact, once you know what to look for, you will discover that what first differentiates those who have The Skills from those who don’t is the way they engage their audiences with their eyes. Make no mistake, proper eye-contact is only one component of The Skills, but when you understand exactly how you must look at your audience to be a great speaker, the other components tend to fall into place.

When you nail down these (surprisingly straightforward) eye contact techniques, you can deliver to a group of 500 without ever feeling more anxiety than you would when discussing your job to friends around a lunch table. Most people find that hard to believe until they’ve actually received training in The Skills, but when you get it, it’s rather powerful stuff!

These exercises sound simple enough, but they do require a bit of vigilance on your part to have the desired effect. You must practice them at every opportunity for a week or so. At the end of that time you will know what you need to know to move on to the next level of acquiring The Skills, but only if you make a conscious effort to do what the exercises ask you to do every day.

Exercises:

1. Observe others’ eye contact. In every situation in which you interact with others, watch their eyes. Observe how long they maintain eye contact while they are speaking to you. Watch how they maintain eye contact while speaking to others. As often as you can, count the number of seconds they maintain continuous eye contact before switching to a new target and note this, preferably in a log of some sort.

2. In situations where someone is speaking to a group, again count the number of seconds the speaker maintains eye contact with each individual. Determine what the average amount of time is.

3. Be conscious of your own eye contact. When speaking with someone, do you stay focused on them? Do you look up, away, or down while speaking? Or do you maintain eye contact the entire time you are speaking with someone? How often do you move away from eye contact and then return? Do you look at other people for the same amount of time when talking to one as when you are talking to many?

If you’ve vigilant in your observations, you’ll probably be very surprised at the amount of time people hold continuous eye-contact when speaking. And yet it is this amount of time that sets the tone for what makes average speakers average and great ones great.

J. Douglas Jefferys brings twenty-five years of corporate training experience to his role as a principal of PublicSpeakingSkills.com [http://www.publicspeakingskills.com]. His firm changes presenters lives forever with their unique apporach to training presentation design and delivery skills. Discover how to design and deliver presentations that audiences actually listen to by visiting their website now. For a quick and entertaining video of Mr. Jefferys’ unique style and approach, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whTwjG4ZIJg

Here’s a science activity that finds the kids’ entrance to analytic thinking. Classifying and interpreting data go hand in hand with scientific procedure. This activity generates discussion, bolsters confidence, and rings with laughter in the process of analyzing household items.

Here’s what you do:

The activity begins with a data collection adventure. Search around the house with your child for ten things that start with the letter b. After that, search for ten things that start with the letter c. Make a list of the items as you’re going around the house (make sure the lists are labeled).

To make the data hunt more interesting, turn it into a challenge by using a timer. An oven timer will work just fine. Compare the times to determine which set of data was more difficult to collect.

Limitation: items must have weight. Things like blue, bouncy and beautiful are out. Things like boot, ball and bell are in.

Now take your lists to the kitchen table and begin the process of classifying and interpreting the data. Many of the classifications are zany, to say the least. The intention is to bring fun and laughter to the process.

1. Start by asking which item on each list is the smallest. For example, bean might be the smallest item on your first list, and clock might be the smallest item on your second list. Put a check mark next to those items.

2. Ask which of the items are the biggest. Bed might be the biggest item on the first list, and coat might be the biggest item on the second list. Put a square around those items.

3. Can you make a soup out of it? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:

-corn

-cards

-chair

-celery

Can you make a soup out of corn? How about cards? Record your answers.

4. If it were twice as big, could you still use it? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following items, for example:

-ball

-boot

-bowl

-brush

Could you still use a ball if it were twice as big? How about a boot? Record your answers.

5. Does Grandma have one in her house? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:

-computer

-cat

-couch

-crown

Does grandma have a computer in her house? How about a cat? Record your answers.

6. If it were green, would you still want it? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:

-banana

-bed

-book

-blouse

Would you want a green banana? How about a green bed? Record your answers.

7. If an elephant sat on it, would it still be any good? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:

-couch

-crayon

-clock

-costume

Would an elephant break your couch? How about a crayon? Record your answers.

8. Is it easy to rhyme? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:

-bell

-button

-broom

-butter

Is bell easy to rhyme? How about button? Record your answers.

9. Would you want ten more? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:

-cat

-clock

-cup

-curtain

Would you want ten more cats? How about ten more clocks? Record your answers.

10. Is it something you might take with you to the zoo? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:

-boots

-brownies

-bottle

-books

Would you consider taking boots to the zoo? How about brownies? Record your answers.

At this point each of your lists should look like a chart. If you used symbols, then make a symbol guide on the bottom corner or back of the paper—the kind you see in the lower corner of a map. For example, if you used G for grandma and 2x for twice as big, then write:

G = grandma

2x = twice as big, etc

This way you can refer to the charts later without struggling to interpret the symbols.

Keep your charts in a folder so that as they accumulate (as you make lists of items that start with different letters) you can compare the data–for example, how long it took to gather each set of items. Or–which list has more of something. For example, 7/10 of the items in list b would break if an elephant sat on them, but only 5/10 items in list c would break. Lastly, don’t overlook the opportunity to compare your answers with what mom, dad or a neighbor thinks. After all, it’s not everybody who’s willing to part with a green boot.

Anthony Vecchioni runs http://spaghettiboxkids.com –a parenting site that offers specific strategies, tips and activities to enhance child learning. Read more About Anthony Vecchioni.

Your wedding invitations are the first glimpse your guests will have of your wedding, but if you’re not careful, they can they can quickly cut into your budget. Luckily there are many options available that convey your sense of style and set the tone for your wedding - and are also very affordable.

INVITATIONS

Your invitations reflect the tone of your wedding, whether it’s black tie or casual chic. More formal weddings may require more formal invitations, which are traditionally white or ecru and engraved with black or charcoal ink. A square of tissue paper is also inserted to protect the type. While classic and understated, the cost of these invitations can quickly add up to the purchase price of a small car, but with slightly better gas mileage. What’s a budget-minded bride to do?

More and more couples are veering from standard invitations and choosing papers in unusual sizes and colors, incorporating interesting textures and using graphics, motifs and monograms. Many couples are also doing away with the traditional unsealed inner envelope, which not only reduces costs, but also reduces waste. And besides, how many of your guests are going to remember how many components were included in their invitation? (Hint: if you DO have guests who will notice, seat them all together so they can drive each other crazy)

Another option is to purchase materials to create your own invitations. Thanks to the popularity of scrapbooking and paper stores, it’s never been easier to create unique and memorable wedding invitations. Do you and your guy have a favorite color, song, vacation destination or hobby? Don’t be afraid to incorporate it into your invitations. Your guests would rather see a heartfelt invitation than have to discard the tissue paper that protects a random printer’s work. (Not that there’s anything wrong with using a printer. But hey…the cost of those little sheets really adds up!)

At this point, you might be saying, “But traditional IS my style! How can I afford it?” Put those fears to rest, girl! Make some “test” invitations on plain paper, playing with font size and type, then purchase blank cards and matching envelopes (which are available at scrapbooking and hobby stores and mass retailers nationwide) to print the real deal.

No matter what kind of invitation you choose, be sure to mail them 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding so your guests have time to plan…and to shop for a really awesome gift!

WAIT…THERE’S MORE

Remember when you were a little girl and you dreamed about your perfect wedding, right down to the invitations? Why didn’t anyone tell us about the reply cards? Or the reception cards? Why are there so many cards?

Response Cards Response cards are usually sent with your invitations and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. These are used to help determine how many people will be attending and usually include menu options for your guests to choose from. But I’m going to tell you a secret: you can create your own reply cards. Just purchase small cards with matching envelopes, print them yourself and then insert them into the invitations when you are addressing them. Best of all, you can do this whether you’re making your own invitations or having them professionally printed.

Reception Cards Reception cards are included inside wedding invitations to let guests know when and where the post-wedding festivities will begin. Traditionally, this is a small card that asks guests to join the newlyweds and their families for a celebratory reception, and gives the date, place, and time. But remember the “Response Cards” secret I revealed above? It works here, too! Print them yourself or even (gasp) print the reception information inside the invitation itself. It will give your guests one less thing to keep track of and save you lots of money.

AND EVEN MORE…

Believe it or not, there are still other paper-related items to think about.

Wedding Programs Sure, wedding programs provide useful information and make charming mementos, but there’s no need to break the bank. While some couples choose to do a booklet type program, budget-minded couples are using simple card stock with a vellum overlay, tied together with a ribbon that matches your color scheme. Others are simply printing them at home (or a friend’s home) on unique paper that plays up the wedding colors or motif. After all, how many people (besides your closest friends and family) are going to keep it as a memento? They’d rather you use the money you saved on programs to help with your honeymoon expenses, make a car payment or buy a lottery ticket.

Menu Cards The idea behind menu cards is that no one likes to sit down to a meal when they have no idea what they’re about to be served (think school cafeterias). However, this can easily be combined with the Reply Card (see above). And of course if the meal is buffet-style, menu cards are not really necessary, since there is usually something to please everyone.

If you do feel that menu cards are necessary, it’s simple to print them yourself…just pick up some good old card stock. If there’s a good story behind why you chose a certain dish (you’re serving New York Style cheesecake because you met in New York or hot dogs because you met at a ball game), including this story adds a unique element to your menu cards.

One thing that may be very helpful to all involved (you, the caterer, the bartender and your guests) is to create a drink card or two. If you’re limiting the open bar to a certain amount or type of drink, a drink card is the perfect place to spell that out. Just get an easel or frame so the card can be posted at the bar.

Place Cards Are you having a buffet-type meal at your reception? If so, skip this section, since place cards are not necessary. For the rest of you, place cards are tent-shaped cards that are placed at each place setting to show people where they should sit. You can easily print them from your home computer, but why not make the place cards for your reception a little unique? Make your wedding favors do double-duty by attaching a name tag to each one and using them as place cards. If you’re making your own favors, it only adds one simple step, but saves you money in the long run. You can also use stones with hand-painted names or tie name tags around wrapped silverware. Use your imagination! Place cards don’t necessarily have to be one more job for the printer.

Thank You Cards Ok, brides. You all know what these are, and there’s really no need to have them printed. Simple thank you cards are readily available almost anywhere, and as a bonus, most of them even say “thank you.” Your handwritten message inside is what’s important, so invest most of your time there. As a reminder, these should be sent out no later than one month after your honeymoon. If you receive gifts prior to the wedding, those thank you cards should be sent out immediately.

Save the Date Cards What? No really…I didn’t know what these were. Here’s the scoop: save the date cards are sent to guests pretty much the second after the groom pops the question, so that guests can plan ahead. If you send out your announcements 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding, there is probably no need for save the date cards. However, if you have friends or relatives who will be traveling great distances (especially from other countries), a little heads-up would be nice. However, this can be done by greeting card, letter or phone call. That should be sufficient to “save the date.” If you do feel that you need to send save the date cards, you can easily make them yourself.

IN A NUTSHELL

Creating your own invitations and other stationery items can save you lots of money, freeing up your wedding budget for other things. Just keep a couple of things in mind:

• If you are printing pieces yourself, try to use a consistent or complementary font on all of the pieces you create.
• Before addressing invitations, be sure to have complete addresses available. This will help reduce the number of mistakes made during the addressing process. (The less mistakes you make, the fewer invitations you have to use. This saves money!)
• You don’t have to do it all yourself. Your family and friends will be more than willing to help create, print and assemble your invitations and other items. After all, isn’t that what you keep them around for?

With a little imagination and a lot of determination, your budget-friendly wedding invitations will be just as beautiful as big-budget invitations, but at a fraction of the cost.

Heather L. Clark is a Web researcher and writer. In her spare time, she enjoys pilates, music and Seinfeld reruns. Check out her favorite resources for planning a fairy tale wedding, free wedding planning tools and wedding planning checklists.

THE RAVEN PARADOX - THE FLAWS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

HEMPEL’S LOGIC All scientists use reasoning and logic at some stage, to create hypotheses and design robust experiments. In a beautiful and elegant treatise, the German philosopher Carl G Hempel, in 1965, showed that there were flaws in these long-established processes. His Raven Paradox called into question the established processes of inductive reasoning, generalization and falsifiability

THE INDUCTIVE HYPOTHESIS Imagine that a scientist, after years of going for long walks in the countryside, observes that every single raven he has ever seen is black. As a dutiful researcher, he uses inductive reasoning to postulate the hypothesis:

“All ravens are black.”

This is a perfectly acceptable conditional hypothesis. Firstly, it is testable, because you could sample raven populations and verify that they are all black. The statement is also falsifiable because even one non-black raven amongst the sampled population would disprove the hypothesis.

This is all great science, so far, following the established methods of inductive reasoning. The researcher could even design an experiment to sample raven populations, with thousands of ravens observed. If they are all black, the hypothesis is supported and plausible. Over time, repeated experiments and observations further confirm this and the hypothesis becomes accepted as a law.

THE PROBLEM OF GENERALIZATION AND FALSIFIABILITY The first part of the Raven Paradox proposal questions the process of generalization. It is practically impossible to sample every single raven in the world and there may a few non-black individuals. Hempel was not trying to comment upon the exact science, but as an interesting aside, about 1 in 10 000 raven eggs contain partially or fully albino birds.

Most albino birds are more visible to predators, suffer from health problems and may be a localized phenomenon. The odds of seeing an albino raven are very small and sightings are extremely rare. A researcher could sample many thousands of Ravens and not see one white bird, even though they do exist.

Thus, the notion of falsifiability is questioned and undermined by the Raven Paradox. Although the original hypothesis is technically falsifiable, in practical terms it is very difficult to disprove, because the chances of observing a white Raven are very slim. Even if you sampled the entire known population of ravens, there may be an undiscovered group containing a non-black individual.

FLAWS IN THE INDUCTIVE REASONING PROCESS The next part of the Raven Paradox questions the processes of reasoning and deduction that are an integral part of the scientific process. When a researcher states that all ravens are black, the laws of logic demand that this conditional statement has a contrapositive, statement.

Therefore, according to inductive reasoning, “Everything that is not black is not a raven.” This means that every non-black object observed, that is not a raven, equally strengthens the hypothesis. There are a countless number of non-black objects in the universe and we should pity the poor statistician who has to analyze this!

To take the analogy further, another researcher in another part of world, through fluke, may have only seen one raven in their life, which happened to be white. Their deduced hypothesis may be that “All ravens are white.” Every non-white object, which is not a raven, strengthens this opposing hypothesis too. This is the Raven Paradox.

THE END OF THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS? What does this paradox mean? Has the world of science come crashing down around our ears?

The answer is a resounding NO!

The Raven Paradox is a useful philosophical observation and helps to ensure that we constantly probe and test the steps of the established scientific processes. The examples given in the paradox are simplistic and unlikely, merely serving as an exercise to test the boundaries of the philosophy of science.

In reality, for the vast majority of cases, Hempel’s treatise makes no difference and the normal reasoning and experimental design processes work perfectly well. The paradox does not detract from science, but actually enhances it, by preventing scientists from believing that they have proved something beyond doubt.

The Raven Paradox should remind every scientist of the dangers of generalization and that they must ensure that all hypotheses are realistically falsifiable. If the researcher has said, “All ravens in Norway are black”, this is more realistic as ornithologists could feasibly observe every raven in Norway.

PARADIGM SHIFTS Even long-standing theories, which became established as laws and immovable paradigms, can be proved incorrect over time. Science is really all about testing probabilities and assumption. If something has a 99% chance of being correct then it should be accepted as the likely explanation.

The chances of someone seeing only one raven in their life, which happens to be white, are tiny. However, this is not the same as impossible and that possibility must never be ignored. This is why all experiments are rigorously validated and reviewed before gaining widespread acceptance, to minimize the effects of the Raven Paradox.

For example, Newton’s laws were accepted as truth until Einstein’s theories blew them out of the water. In turn, General Relativity is not the answer to fundamental physics and has been superseded by other theories.

This is how science evolves, by challenging and adapting established paradigms and laws. The creation of Chaos Theory was a perfect example of ‘maverick’ scientists chipping away at the established laws until the theory could no longer be ignored. It eventually burst into the public consciousness and fractal models appeared as prints on T-Shirts.

Hempel’s Raven Paradox stands to remind us all that no theory, however established, should be immune to challenge or debate. As new evidence is uncovered, science must adapt and change to assimilate the new data.

Martyn lives in the beautiful Peloponnese area of Greece and is absorbing the philosophy buried deep within the bones of the land.

He specializes in science and philosophy articles.

Please find the original article at http://www.experiment-resources.com

Martyn’s website is at http://www.amethyst-web.net

A recent article spurred my reoccurring thoughts about the growth of what I think of as environmental diseases. As a Green Consultant trainer, I have often spoken of the rise of immune related illnesses that parallel our country’s increased use and fondness for chemical laced and petroleum derivative products. This report only added to my belief that we are cleaner and more sanitized, but we are also weakened by the products we use in our homes and offices. An AP medical report says,

“In 2007, approximately 3 million children under the age of 18 were reported to have had a food or digestive allergy in the previous 12 months, compared to slightly more than 2.3 million children (3.3 percent) in 1997, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

This same report says food allergies are up by 18%, but similar trends are being seen in asthma. Asthma cases have more than doubled since 1980, and that is more than a population issue. Some report that we are “too clean” and “too sanitized” to allow fetal and early childhood immunities to develop. Realize that the non-affected people are eating the same food, breathing the same air, and living in similar situations. So, why them and not me? Most of us are IMMUNE to these irritants and can tolerate repeated exposure without much more than minor discomfort. Others are not, and it seems that this is not just a sanitation or medical issue. I feel that we are continually wearing away our immune system, and it is not merely a dietary replacement or vitamin issue.

Every American, and even third-world citizens, live in a ” Toxic Soup ” when it comes down to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). This invisible contamination may be like a fish tank that has gone too long between changes. The water is still wet, but it is filled with build ups of toxic substances that will eventually sicken and kill the fish. Every person knows that a healthy aquarium is a careful balance of ingredients and removal of toxins. Our atmosphere is air, and it too can be filled with some pretty incredible stuff. Did you know that formaldehyde is common in many construction material and furniture, and that it outgasses for months into the air we breath? The smell of bleach, fresh paint, new carpet, and new furniture are nasty fumes called volatile organic compounds (VOC) that have proven acute and chronic health affects?

Into this same Toxic Soup, you must add the air fresheners, cleaning products, window cleaners, toilet sprays, detergents, sanitizers, and polishes that are frankly filled with multi-syllabic named chemicals that are potential health hazards. You will also find cigarette ash, arsenic, lead, dust mite feces and scales, pollen, pet dander, and dust particles of all types. We also anoint ourselves with cologne, perfumes, deodorant, cosmetics, hair spray, and body lotions that leave a trail of pleasant scents. We use bleach and ammonia products that are frankly dangerous products, and we sprinkle carpet deodorizer throughout house.

Bioaccumlation refers to the compounding affect of all these ingredients that are like layers of paint on an old house. It doesn’t make the house better, it just covers up the obvious flaws. Biomagnification means that some ingredients actually heighten the impact of other ingredients already floating around. In the end, we are like the fish trapped in a toxic tank of bad water. Breathing is one of the first indicators that something is wrong, headaches will follow, and then comes a failing of health with illness and lethargy. These are symptoms that there is something wrong. Years ago when bowling alleys allowed smoking, I would get a splitting headache after thirty minutes in these places. After I left, so did the headache. Could it have been the air? Have you ever driven behind a diesel bus blowing black smoke at you as your travel behind it? Many people get that same kind of acute headache that passes when they get back into fresh air.

Therefore, I have a theory that is supported by a good body of science which I cannot quote but clearly says that food allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivity, ADD, ADHD, and other diseases like cancer and auto immune disease are hitting us more often because we have weakened immune systems. Our immune system is not weak from fighting the normal stuff out there, but the artificial stuff that hits it 24/7 and all year long. Though a theory, I feel strongly convinced that we are using chemical and petroleum-based products to such an extreme that it is killing us … or at least setting us up for the kill.

This may sound very “retro,” but there is a need to return to our grandmother’s way of cleaning. It may not have been as sanitary or beautifully-scented as your store-bought products, but it produced a healthier and more robust generation than now. Don’t be enticed by the commercial that brag about being “New and Improved.” These products have been improved by adding yet another chemical that will likely further harm your family. Take some lesson from Naturally Green Clean author, and discover that anyone can clean their home using just a few commonly available ingredients. Better yet, you will save a ton of money while your family enjoys a respite from the toxic soup for a while.

Giving your family the gift of health is not a call to a higher level of cleaning, but a lower level of toxins that we all purchase at exorbitant prices. Does it amaze you that people pay huge prices to buy cigarettes that are sure to kill them? In yet another fool’s errand, isn’t it strange that we that we are such addicts to cleaning products that smell pleasant but are poisoning us too. If what you are using promises to blind, scar, sicken, or kill you if your ingest it; why on earth are you bringing it home to be spread throughout your home? Cleaning is not a technically difficult task. It does not require scrubbing bubbles, foaming action, or a 99.9% germ killing action. Natural and organic products are just as effective at cleaning, killing germs, and dissolving grease. Pick up a books and learn how to give your family the fundamental gift of life by making the air they breathe safe. Your reward will be in the hardship and suffer that you will never see in life of the people you love.

Michael Richmond is the director of the Green Clean Institute, and highly recommends the book Naturally Green Clean that explains how to clean your home naturally.

What is Love, actually?

Is it the slight pain in the chest when you see someone you love after a long separation? Is it the feeling of a sudden weakness in the knee when you see your sister’s best friend? Or is it the feeling in your toes when you had that first Kiss?

Whatever it is, it is a very good feeling. When you are in love, everything around you looks good. Every passerby looks beautiful, and the neighbor’s dog doesn’t irritate you anymore. And everyone seem to be smiling at you, but that one is simple. You are already smiling like an idiot, they are only smiling back at you. But then, love can make you act like a fool, and the good thing is it feels good too.

When you are in love you go all the way out to help a stranger and feel even better. Have you never paid the toll fee for the car behind you? I often do, and more so when I am in love. Love can also make you do a lot of good things and you thank God for giving all the happiness. Perhaps that is why they say that Love is God.

I have often been in love and each time was a great feeling. Oh I do get on with my life, and carry sweet memories, but I have learned to move on. You always find love again, and I found it the easy and sweet way. After my first break off, I learned that her sexy friend had a crush on me and I fell out of love into love and we had a great time together.

Love is a very sweet thing and we must never do anything to make it sour. It is the best thing that could ever happen to us and we must always cherish if even if a relationship didn’t work out. Always have an amicable break up so that when you look back remember the first time you walked hand in hand in the rains, you should smile, and it won’t be nice if that memory is interrupted by a nasty break-up fight. You must remember love for all the good things.

One thing that comes in the way of love is also taking one for granted, and when you start encroaching onto the space of your lover. Love doesn’t mean you own him or her in the literal sense, even though in love you two are one. True love can be spoiled by over possessiveness and because true love is when you trust your lover to not have to feel over possessive.

Bob loves to write and talk about love, being an incurable romantic himself. Bob also maintains a website on love quotes and an interesting collection of Cute Love Quotes.

When you read a quotation from some enlightened author, you’re getting right down into their best material. There’s no need to sift through hours of pages in order to find the best stuff; the best stuff is in the quote!

This is why I’ve spent years reading books of quotations. Can you imagine the wisdom buzz a person can get from that? Sure, you often have to read boring quotes, but every little while you’ll run into a real good one! And when this happens, your mind is stretched, your eyes are opened, and it can become an amazing intellectual or spiritual experience. And then you start over, because it becomes addictive.

Here are ten motivational quotes based on the topics of aspiration and life that I have always loved. Take the time to dig through them and glean the great lessons that they hold.

1. When a young man sets out to learn something of his own free will, he marks himself out as an exceptional man. And he begins to rise in the world. -Herbert N. Casson

2. Life is a petty thing unless it is moved by the indomitable urge to extend its boundaries. Only in proportion as we are desirous of living do we really live. - Jose Ortega y Gasset

3. It is asked, how can the laboring man find time for self-culture? I answer that an earnest purpose finds time or makes it. It seizes on spare moments and turns fragments to golden account. A man who follows his calling with industry and spirit, and uses his earnings economically, will always have some portion of the day at command. And it is astonishing how fruitful of improvement a short season becomes when eagerly seized and faithfully used. It has often been observed, that those who have the most time at their disposal profit by it the least. A single hour a day, steadily given to the study of some interesting subject, brings unexpected accumulations of knowledge. -Channing

4. Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure. -Thomas Edison

5. I am suffocated and lost when I have not the bright feeling of progression. -Margaret Fuller

6. I know of no more encouraging fact than the ability of a man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. It is something to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so make a few objects beautiful. It is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look. This morally we can do. -Thoreau

7. What would be the use of immortality to a person who cannot use well a half hour? -Emerson

8. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain

9. If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. -Thoreau

10. 1) Sit quietly for a moment, and you realize how you have been foolishly running about.
2) Learn to keep your mouth shut, and you realize you have been talking too much.
3) Avoid getting involved in too many things, and you realize that you have been wasting your time in unnecessary things.
4) Close the door, and you realize that you have been mixed up with too many kinds of people.
5) Have few desires, and you realize why you have had so many ills.
6) Be human, and you realize that you have been too critical of others. -Chen Chiju (1588-1639)

If you liked these motivational quotes, make sure to sign up for the thought for the day at HappyPublishing.com. There’s a great new quotes page there on hardship quotes.