Power: Its Cause Its Effect

Introduction
Between the thousands of pages of history, one will see the rise to power of kings and their eventually toppling, either by a social insurrection or an opposing political party, or perhaps the one enemy they never outrun: death. The Russian culture had decided to call their monarchs Czars, the Europeans called theirs Kings, the Egyptians used the term Pharoah. So it is that every culture has a long line of leaders and rulers who have given birth to laws and shaped society and government. So it is also often true that these political figures would have a religious connection as well. It seemed that every culture has its war between the state and the church. In some cases, one would gain control over the other, and sometimes the opposite would occur. Monarchs, by whatever title, were dictators, despots, or unelected leaders. Some may have had representative bodies aid in creating and enforcing legislation, and some leaders were elected themselves, as presidents and chancellors are. Whatever the case, whatever the restrictions or the means of their coming to leadership, every leader has power. By this, they have the ability to enforce restrictions or requirements upon those who they control over. However, as many are already aware of, the idea of power (or government) in this regard is something I consider to be unjust, both on its principle and its practice. The following essay will outline my reasons for this belief, this belief of Anarchism.

The Cause of Power

I imagine that there is little doubt as to the cause of power. By the word power, I mean the ability to influence people through force, essentially, physical force and coercion. Power is the result of people supporting one person as a leader. This support can come in various forms. Either through taxes, military duty, moral support (defending/praising them publicly), or any other method, power comes to a leader by the support of others. In the cases of dictators and despots, they remain in power by both popular and military rule, in most cases. A king whose rule is harsh, brutal, and undesirable by a people will have to have a strong military rule. But even with that, there is the possibility of an insurrection, overthrowing the old leader and replacing him with a new one, or possibly without any. The family of Nicholas II, the Russian Czar, was executed by his own military, because of the incredibly negative effect his rule has had on the land. On the other hand, a king whose rule is neither negative nor positive to the general population, will require only some military support and some popular support. I imagine that a ruler who gains enough popular support will only need military support to defend himself against other political opponents.

The understanding our the mechanics of government in our schools and universities seems to be that a person is elected, impeached, repramanded, or otherwise ousted, through a due process. No decision, either judicial or legislative, can be enforced without several parties examining it, and the interested parties having their opinion put in. The American idea of power, it seems, is believed to be the ability to convince judges, legislators, voters, and others that your idea is the right idea. The president, who has (some of) the American people at his feet, has the media outlets directly towards what he will say next, probably commands the most power in this nation under this definition.

However, despite whatever one may believe about the American political infrastructure, all arguments, all debates, the ability to convince, means nothing, without force to back it up. There may be the process of the president vetoing a bill and the congress trying to get 2/3rds vote to override the veto. One may say that the congress cannot enforce the bill until they can override the veto with a 2/3rds vote. There are other similar barriers in different fields, the so-called checks and balances of the judicial, legislative, and executive power. The only purpose that it serves is to convince people that the will of the government is the voice of the people. In many cases, officials outrightly violate the government's structure. So it was when the Supreme Court ruled that the United States had to respect the Cherokee Nation. The president's response was rather expressive of what I have said, The Supreme Court has made their decision. Now let them uphold it. Power means the ability to coerce, to physical force, and in the most brutal form, the ability to murder and kill.

The cause of power, as I have stated, is rather simple. Power is caused by the support of a figure by one mass or group of people, thus making him a political figure. As to why these groups of people defend and promote this one person, this person they desire to be a leader of all, it is based on their thoughts and ideas, essentially their justification. They believe, inherently, that their leader must be the one with the most military power. The reasons why make up their justification.

The greatest argument in defense of government, which has also been used in the defense of increased restrictions, is that of protection. It is believed that without a government, there will be chaos and vice. Order, it is believed, will be completely ameliorated, as nobody will exist to defend the weak and innocent from the cruelty of the powerful and vicious. So it happens that protection becomes the sole goal of government, though other parties and interests would come to be considered. The often quoted Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote, Government is an evil; it is only the thoughtlessness and vices of men that make it a necessary evil. When all men are good and wise, government will of itself decay. Expressing a similar idea, Thomas Paine wrote...

For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform, and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him out of two evils to choose the least. [Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, section Some writers have so confounded society with government.

It seems to be uniformly believed among thinkers that though government (or power) ought to be supported, it is a necessary evil. The primary, and sole, goal of government should be protection. What we then find in various political activism and campaigning is a desire to alter this protection in government, whether it is to boost it, decrease it, or (more often than not) aim it at a new sector or remove aim from another sector. For instance, we have the conservatives who typically are opposed to welfare and social programs, believing that protection should be withdrawn from the poor, while the liberals typically believe in sustaining such protection or increasing it. Some believe that military spending of the United States needs to be decreased while others desire to maintain it and may even want to increase it. All of these activists understand the principle role of government as a protector.

With only a little study on the subject, it is not hard to come to the conclusion that it is an evil, however necessary. The most obvious harm it causes is property appropriation, or taxes. Government needing a means to support itself often goes through this rather simple, typical method of taxation. The evil inherent in this is productivity lost. If man were not eeding a lawgiver, then government would be unnecessary, and so, too, would be taxes. This is only money, though. One of the greater evils of government, sometimes recognized as much as taxation, is that of control. In short, this means the government interfering with the day-to-day life of its citizens. This could mean search and seizures, court trials, tolls, and control in general which interferes with a citizen's activity. But there is another form of control by the government which is much more detrimental to personal liberty. It is when political campaigners manage to outlaw an activity which is neither harmful to the individual or the society, or legalizing an activity which is. In some cases, this meant outlawing a particular religion, and in other cases, it meant legalizing slavery of a race or class. Since many of these issues are up to debate (whether Capitalism, or class slavery, is just, for example). So it would seem that as the morals of society evolve, so do the laws on its legislation, but this is another question up to debate. The last final evil of government is corruption. Since power exists in the hands of one person, their rule of the people can be bribed or persuaded with the influence of one wealthy person. This could include businessmen who want laxer restrictions on their products or how much they pay workers or it could include powerful lobbying groups which want their ideals to become laws.

Taxation, control, and corruption are the primary evils of an existing government. Though government is an evil, it is recognized as a necessary evil, in that without it, there would be no protector of the innocent.

The Result of Power

The result of power is with its inability to properly communicate the will of the people. There is a very old political idea, that the people of a land ought to be the ones who control that land. What is meant by this, is that they must be in control of the legislation to pass laws. Their interests must be the ones considered in the passing of any and all legislation. As to the method, the best method, of accurately and properly carrying out the interests of the people and the betterment of the collective, there have been various theories. Granted that today, as our history books have reflected and our governments have formed, the idea of a Republic, or representative government (with elected officials) is most preferred among current thinkers. Obviously, this has not always been so. Some argued that the idea of a dictator (whether called a monarch or king respectively) with absolute power was the best method of safeguarding the interests of the people. Monarchists believed that people were inherently evil, brutal, and cruel, and that only an absolute authority was capable of bringing order -- such ideas can be found in Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan. However, as it can be seen today, such ideas are remarkably antiquated. In some cases, the power is vested in a king, whose absolute authority guarantees order, with a council, whose interests represent those of the people -- in theory, anyway. It is popularly believed today, by all nations of the western world, that a representative government (or republic) is the most effective method of preserving the will of the people.

The idea that the people of a region ought to be the ones with control over their lives, a rather old idea, has been one cherished and defended by philosophers and native peoples. It seems that, though they are at no loss for words in exchanging arguments on how a native people control the law, this one idea that they are the ones to control it (or it is their interests to be considered when laws are made) is fairly accepted. Of course there are instances of philosophers or political figures, defending that idea when it came only to their own nation, but abandoning it when it came to the exploitation of a colony. (So it happens, that a man seemingly consistent in ideology, will abandon his morality to exploit the riches of another -- though this is not always the case.)

This idea of people in a particular region controlling their lives I shall call autonomy for brevity, though autonomy truly implies a strong Democracy. Though there is a variety of methods that philosophers and political theorists have tried to apply this idea to a system, the justification for it seems to be difficult to find. For some philosophers, they have asserted that the idea of autonomy is the equivalent of justice; a violation of justice, then, would be people not allowed to be controlling their own lives. What can someone offer in defense of this idea of autonomy -- what evidence is their to support it? Well, we must understand the various responses that may come from interested parties when it comes to power and autonomy. When a man is not in control of this own life, be it economically or politically or socially or culturally, then he will lose happiness. The primary being who has the ability to control another's life is the one with power, be it government or military or dictator. When the control over a man's life is harsh and unjust (that is, without his interests considered), then happiness is at risk, meaning some unfair regulation is put on his liberty, life, or property.

In those instances where a man's happiness is diminished because of the rule of power, the justification of the ruler's demands and rules varies. Sometimes it is for his own personal interest. Or it may be that he desires for the people he rules to be something that they are not. He may want this because he feels that he should live among a certain type of people (efined people) or that he feels a person is inherently bad (though law-abiding) if they are not of a particular culture. An example of this would be laws requiring that clothing is worn in public at all times -- in this case, the laws (whether just or unjust) would be an attack on the liberty of the people. If it so happened that the people desired to be nude at all times, then they would suffer. In some cases, the ruler imposes restrictions upon public liberty because they believe they are protecting the public, or at least assert they are protecting the public. They are either protecting the citizen from himself (such as making it illegal to commit suicide) or they are protecting the citizen from each other (such as making it illegal to possess weapons of mass destruction). As to the justice of the first type of protection, there is little doubt that it is in violation of the principle of autonomy: people making decisions for themselves. A person who desires to live without deep concern for their life at one time, and the opposite another time, should have that right, as it is their own life -- and their own liberty, which would be respected in any true autonomist society. As to the second time of restriction, of preventing citizens from harming each other by restricting behavior, the issue itself is deserving of its own paper. I will only say that there have been, in many instances, individuals with power who have used that power to oppress others, either by the folly of their intellect (such as the current drug laws which disallow individuals from happiness) or by their desire to oppress an enemy (such as the censorship laws which prevent Anarchist literature, like the one you're reading).

When a leader is in power, his unjust rule (to one extent or another) will cause unhappiness and misery to those who are being ruled. Since happiness is a value and by itself, a desirable, one could rather simply conclude that whatever causes happiness is just and whatever prevents happiness is unjust. I'll accept this statement as true, for the sake of the brevity of this paper, even though I have debated and argued in other papers that there are levels of depth beyond this statement that make it inaccurate (or misleading) in its present form. Since autonomy brings happiness to the people, (that is, people in a particular region governing their own lives) autonomy must then be considered a just and fair idea.

Before going on, one may ask, Why the disclaimer of 'in a particular region'? On our current planet, and our present dispositions, people are united and divided by geological and geographical differences. A mountain range or a several mile wide river may very well be enough to divide two people, while a grassland or forest may be enough to unite the present populations. Only those people who are living together in the same conditions will know what it is like to live in those circumstances. If a people accustomed to living in urban areas were to make laws that governed the behavior of those living in the rural parts, rules and legislation would be passed that would be oppressive to the rural populations and supportive of the people in urban parts. This could be seen in the colonies of the British Empire -- India, America, Africa, Asia, etc.. The British passed laws that were oppressive and exploitive of the colonies. I think it is quite reasonable to say that individuals in a particular setting, under the same conditions, must have rules that are made for them. Imagine then, that individuals in one setting have rules made for them by one who has no understanding of their setting or conditions? I think that the attitude of the people would be resentful. A small piece of wisdom from the 1800's, At that time the lower classes of Scotland, like those of other countries, had strong prejudices against strangers having any authority over them... (A New View of Society, by Robert Owen, 1816, second essay.) Hence, the part of in a particular region is added.

An explanation and justification for autonomy has been established: the people of a particular region must have laws and regulations that are made in their own interest, because it is this political ideal which will maximize their happiness.

Now that there is a sight for the organization of a region, a desired result by organizing, the method of accurately observing and expressing the interests of the people is up to question. Shall we invite in the commonly accepted idea of representative government, officials who are elected to serve the interests of the people? Or should we promote a more classical idea, that of Monarchy and Despots, arguing that only an absolute ruler could objectively understand the interests of the people? Perhaps such theories are too mainstream. Maybe it is Totalitarianism and the Police State that will defend the citizen against himself and the coercive desires of other citizens. A thousand political theorists manage to put their opinions on paper on the subject every year, and the stream of thoughts does not show any sign that it will cease. It seems, though, that there is a general consensus that monarchs and dictators are without a system of being checked by the public, and that representative government is just, because the rulers must act in a manner that the people desire, otherwise lose that oh-so savored power.

As an individual thinker and one to question sacred and old truths, I offer this one statement: that power is destructive towards autonomy, that it has the tendency to ignore the interests of the people, as it grows the people die, as it recedes the flower of freedom blooms. As the powers of government gain in strength, so the people become weakened. As to the origin of their power, whether through campaigning and election, or through a military coup and dictatorship, I believe that the origin of power in every situation lies in physical coercion. Though it is true that one system of power can be a lesser evil than another, I admit, every system of power (i.e. government) is destructive towards autonomy, that is, the will and desire of the people, a living expression of the interest of the citizens.

When a person has power, either through election or military coup, their power exists in the ability to physically coerce people into doing what they do not want to do. The essential idea of a leader or ruler, with power, does not change from government type to government type. In same cases, several rulers share power. Yet a ruler exists nonetheless. This concept of power, the ability to physically coerce, does not change. One must thus ask this question concerning justice: if power exists, does autonomy suffer because of it? I think only a little bit of research and thoughtfulness is necessary to answer this question with a yes.

When a leader, a ruler, a person with power, exists in a society, all the interests of the people of that region are channelled through that one person, or that council or congress, that collection of rulers. The idea of representation is born. Instead of the people directly legislating and enforcing their own rules and laws (however that may be done), someone first gains power (through election or coup) and enforces a rule, often times claiming that they are expressing the wishes and interests of the collective population. This transaction of power, from people to ruler, opens itself up to the possibility of corruption. The will of the people, now emboddied in the strength of one political figure, becomes suspectible to outside attacks, which cripple and maim the strength of the will of the people. This can be seen in several obvious examples...

Partisan Politics... In the most pure, obvious cases, we see fights among political figures where they use the public as cannon fodder. The evils that come from this alone are various. First, we see that political parties will establish laws, not for the common good or expressing and enforcing the wishes of the public, but rather, for the sake of aiding their own political party. Shortly after the United States formed, he free nation, John Adams become president, as a member of the Federalist Party, and he would come to compete against Thomas Jefferson (a Democratic-Republican) in the presidential election. The Democratic-Republican Party was largely poor farmers, immigrants, and others who were without economic justice but labored in harsh conditions. Adams, once in office, passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, in which he attacked the rights of immigrants to engage in politics, making it difficult for them to vote. The claims he made, though, that these immigrants posed a threat to American justice were outrageous -- so it happened, that the first laws of the free nation were reflective of the oppression that comes with power. (For more information: http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/) It can be seen quite clearly today. Anarchists, anti-Authoritarians, among others, are arrested when protesting, because they pose the greatest threat to the rule of any political party. Brett Bursey, for example, was holding up an anti-war poster, among a neutral crowd. He was arrested for Criminal Trespassing (on public property) while the thousand others were left there. The same happened decades earlier when he protested the Vietnam War. (http://www.photodude.com/weblog/2003/june/22ashcroftsforkedtongue.shtml) He was denied the right to a trial by jury. These can hardly be considered isolated incidents, as anyone familiar with the police and state terrorists will know quite well that their tactics are used primarily in persecuting people, whether dissidents of politics and religion or simply different racial background. Also, the political parties voted on legislative that would give only their parties (Republican and Democrat parties) government funds for campaigning, whereas third parties were left without anything.

A second evil can be seen in Partisan Politics. Not only does it give power to those whose interests lay in sustaining their power and not the common good, but it destroys any ability for the people of a particular region to control their lives. Currently, in all branches of the American government, all legislative and executive members are either of the Republican or Democrat Party. What has been seen since the 80's onward was a shift in both parties towards moderate policy. Traditionally, the Democrats represented liberal ideas and the Republicans represented conservative ideas. However, the primary interest of both groups lies in obtaining the support of the public so that their power expands. As both parties shift towards moderate policy (in particular, we see this with the Democrat party), they gain more support from the moderate policy citizens. What, though, is lost in this process? The decision-making ability of the public. Since both political parties are, essentially, the only outlets to government control, such as legislative and executive ability, a citizen is allowed two valid options in expressing their opinion about controlling their own lives. Either they can support a Republican Party, in which they are voting towards conservative/moderate policy, or they can support a Democrat Party, in which they are voting towards liberal/moderate policy. This leaves the citizen with no real opportunity to express their personal, distinct, individual opinions in the matter of political decision-making. The problem is compounded further, though, by the nature of both party's ideology. By Liberal and Conservative, a very broad amount of different ideas are expressed. Liberal ideology is typically supportive of social programs, gun control, affirmative action, peace, decreasing military expenditure, among other things, while a Conservative ideology is typically opposed to all of those. What if a citizen's own personal ideas involved the support of everything but one issue of a party? There is no alternative. They must either support that part or the other party. They have the chance to start their own political party, but the laws strongly disable and cripple any attempts at politics that is neither Democrat or Republican. Either way, the very nature of government is to disable and euthanize the willpower of citizens, defeating their ambition to become autonomous, independent, thoughtful, individual, and in control of their own lives.

Special Interests and Bribery... Since there is a single person representing the interests of an entire collective of people in one region, the ability to enforce a rule and cource others (power) can be manipulated at one point. An individual may represent a private interest and use all their moral strength to convince a power figure to enforce their private interest. By a special interest, it could be a business interest, such as having the government purchasing from one supplier or by making regulation that supports that one particular business, or it could be a moral or political interest, such as legislating against a sexuality preference or against genetic engineering. In either case, we find that there are special interest groups which represent some of the support of a society, just with a higher vigor in the interest of maintaining and supporting their ideals through legislation. In some cases, the bribes are open and obvious, such as providing cash for a senator or official siding with one side over the other. Sometimes this is expressed in a contribution of wealth through a campaign contribution, or even more subtle, it can be expressed in promising special, low-workload, high-income business positions to government officials after their term in office. Even when a special interest group is not offering a bribe, their influence over the affairs of legislation show a distinctively destructive quality when it comes to autonomy. A special interest group may represent the opinion that only 20% of the population agree with, but their efforts, in the form of letters, petitions, fundraising, and lobbying may be able to convince elected officials of supporting that one opinion, even though the greater part of the nation is opposed to it (in a more politically apathetic attitude). In which case, autonomy suffers.

War... Along with the other things mentioned, there is war. Much like those discussed above, it is a result of power, of government power. Given the opportunity, few people would volunteer themselves for military service, given the following facts: (1) they knew that government propaganda only managed in equating the murder of third world nations with patriotism and duty to one's country, (2) if people knew that it involved risking their life and the life of their friends in an insanely horrific setting, (3) if people knew that it involved the systematic murder of individuals suspected of anti-government acts, even when such individuals were of a completely peaceful and passive manner, very much like the soldier's own people. It is a well known fact that even ancient civilizations are known to have used propaganda in convincing an unwilling public to partake in the battles that were for the glory and wealth of the state, at the cost of the lives of thousands of people. Since power exists, it has always desired to expand its power, even if it is at the cost of the lives of people, both friendly and foreign. Propaganda was born. It become power's intent to use its current power in establishing more strength. Wars were fought. In an effort to gain more territory, more support, more strength, established powers and governments have managed to leave countrysides scorched and leave hundreds of bodies in the wake of their earthly chaos. Few informed individuals, if any, would be able to deny the fact that it takes power and government to manage and launch such massive, bloody, destructive wars.

These three outlets of the government, Partisan Politics, Special Interests and Bribes, and War are all just current forms that the government and power make themselves present. The original root that these all spring from is the one that grants an individual power, oftentimes for the sake of establishing an autonomy, as I described in the section on the cause of power. With the existence of power, one will find that the voice of the people, their wills and desires, become corrupted when a power agent is selected to represent them. Corruption comes in various forms, but ultimately, the end result is the people of a particular region not in control of their lives, only oppressed and brutalized by the law.

An Alternative to Power

Fight War, Not Wars!

Destroy Power, Not People!

Crass

As the cause of power can be clearly seen, it happens to be that an alternative to power is rarely thought of. Mostly, because the way things have been done over the past have typically been in favor of power and governments. Even many reformers and revolutionaries, whose intent it was to change the way things are, failed in changing the juggernaught that was responsible for the euthanizing the spirit of the people. What is the alternative to power? To government? It is Democratic Anarchism. Democracy and Anarchism are two sidse to the same coin. Democracy implies that each person is equally responsible for making the laws of the land. Some political theorists may have found that, with the greater distribution of power, even in government, there is a decreased amount of corruption. And when I speak of corruption here, I mean the will of the people deteriorating to special interests, bribes, partisan politics, war, and all those things which are detrimental to the political health of a nation. Since spreading out the power to a council instead of a king, a congress instead of a dictator, seems to decrease corruption, would it not follow logical sense that equal power for each person would result in the complete amelioration of corruption? I think it would. It is impossible to bribe a population of voters. Some voters may be bribed, granted, but those interested in bribing would find it unfortunate that they would have to bribe several hundred million people in the United States to get their bills into law. Furthermore, the apathy and nihilism that generally surrounds the political atmosphere would dissolve to some extent, since political parties would lose all effectiveness, and the citizen would no longer be alienated by laws and regulations that threaten independent thought. What has power given to the spirit of Americans? Less than half of them vote. In some areas, it is less than a quarter. Anarchism means the absence of leaders. This is not necessarily speaking out against those who may lead the Democratic process, so long as they follow objective and fair standards, but it is speaking out against rulers, whose power lies in the fact that they can physically coerce and force others to do what they themselves desire to do.

Power. Its cause is a collective of people supporting one person, the political figure, in hopes that the political figure will make judgments biased to his supporters. The result is the corruption of the will of the people, as the citizen becomes alienated by a system that does it all can to crush and destroy those who speak their mind.

Not one more secret police. Not one more gestapo jail. Not one more piece of government propaganda. Not one more president or congress. This is our battle. The battle of the people.

www.punkerslut.com

For Life,

Punkerslut

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been writing essays and poetry on social issues which have caught his attention for several years. His website www.punkerslut.com provides a complete list of all of these writings. His life experience includes homelessness, squating in New Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, getting expelled from college for subversive activities, and a myriad of other revolutionary actions.

Baby Boomer's on Health Issues During Retirement: It Won't

(ARA) - Baby boomers are growing older, and by 2010, 76 million will begin reaching retirement age. As boomers age, it is expected that 42 percent who reach age 70 will need some form of long term care, such as an in-home caregiver or a nursing home, which is expensive. The average annual cost of a nursing home today is $57,000 (1).

Growing older is inevitable, but many Americans are not planning for their long term care needs. According to a survey commissioned by the GE Center for Financial Learning and conducted by Goodmind, LLC, almost half (46 percent) admit they have done nothing to develop a plan for themselves, yet almost the same number (45 percent) of those surveyed have had a personal experience caring for an aging or ill relative.

Dr. Kathleen Gurney, advisor to the GE Center for Financial Learning and chief executive officer of Financial Psychology Corporation, believes one reason people do not adequately plan is because long term care is something that is likely years or decades away and feels more abstract than issues they face today.

Even when we know something is important, we have difficulty translating it into actions we should and can take today, says Dr. Gurney.

To make the task of preparing for your long term care less daunting, Dr. Gurney recommends taking gradual steps towards planning, which will reduce stress and make the process empowering. Examples include:

* Visualization -- Spend time visualizing the quality of life you'd like to have during retirement. Drawing pictures or writing down descriptions makes planning less abstract and more concrete.

* Develop a Quality of Life Game Plan -- Determine all the elements needed to cultivate and maintain the quality of life you want during retirement, including everything from retirement income planning to care giving. Dividing these chores into weekly or monthly actions makes it more manageable.

* Develop Good Money Habits -- Schedule time on a regular basis (at least monthly, but preferably weekly) to discuss the status of your game plan and make adjustments. Those who take consistent and consecutive steps, no matter how small, are better off than those who do nothing at all.

Taking the fear out of such topics as aging, nursing homes, long term health and retirement planning will help Americans take the necessary steps towards protecting their assets in retirement.

For additional information, tips, and discussion visit the GE Center for Financial Learning at www.financiallearning.com and achieve your personal finance goals.

Courtesy of ARA Content





About the author:



Courtesy of ARA Content

D

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

GoldWashed Etched Glass Votive Candle Holders

Gold-Washed Etched Glass Votive Candle Holders
By: Eileen Bergen
The Artful Crafter
http://www.theartfulcrafter.com

Supplies

Clear Glass Container(s) (I used votive candle holders, but
any size or type of clear glass container can be used in this
project.)
Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel Surface Conditioner
Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel White Frost Glass Etching Paint
Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel Clear Gloss Glaze
Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel Diluent
Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel Satin Finish 14K Gold Paint for Tile,
Glass & Ceramic
Newspaper
Paint brush
Small make-up type sponge
Cup or film canister for paint mixing
Bottom half of empty egg carton.

I decided to finish off my project by heat embossing some stars
around the rim of the candle holders. This step and the following
supplies are optional.

Detail Gold Embossing Powder
InkADinkADo Celestial Rubber Stamp Collection

Embossing Heat Tool
Clean sheet of paper to retrieve unused embossing powder.

Directions

1.Wash candle holder(s) in hot soapy water. Drip dry.

2.Place candle holder(s) upside down on newspaper. Brush
exterior with surface conditioner and let air dry. Once
conditioned, do not touch the surface to be etched.
The oils from your fingers will prevent the etching cream from
working.


3.Using a clean (make-up type) sponge, wipe etching cream
over the surface of the glass. Smooth carefully to be sure there
are no bumps. Let dry. I used three coats to get the level of etched
look I wanted.

4.In a small paper or plastic cup or film canister, mix equal
parts of 14K Gold Paint with Clear Gloss Glaze. Dilute this mix with
diluent (1 part paint to 3 parts diluent) to obtain a free-flowing
paint for the wash.

5.Turn the candle holder(s) upright. Pour the wash in and
carefully rotate the container to cover the interior with the gold
paint. When you are satisfied with the depth and evenness of coverage,
pour any excess paint into the next glass container to be painted or
into the film canister if there is enough to save. Invert the glass
candle holder(s) and gently set on the inverted egg carton bottom.
After a few minutes, tilt to a different angle so that the paint drains
without leaving drip marks.

If you decide to add embossing, proceed with the following steps.

1.Choose your stamp and press firmly into the clear ink pad
included in the Celestial stamp kit.

2.Carefully position the stamp above the glass. Since I embossed
the upper rim. I used my little finger to help position the stampings
equidistant from the top edge. Because you're stamping on a curved
surface, you need to stamp with a slight rolling movement, taking care
not to smudge the design. If you make a mistake, simply wipe the area
with surface conditioner. Move to another area to work while the
boo-boo dries.

3.With the clean paper underneath, tap a small amount of embossing
powder onto the stamped area. Tap off excess powder. If the design is
satisfactory, move the glass away from the paper so you don't blow powder
you are trying to save all over the place. I used detail powder because my
stamp has very small details which wouldn't be clear with regular embossing
powder.

4.Hold the embossing heat gun about 3 inches above the glass, turn it
on and move it over the embossed area until the embossing beads gleam. This
means they have melted and fused together and onto your glass. If you are
doing multiple stampings, the glass will build up significant heat. If it
gets oo hot to handle, set it down for a few minutes.

Whether you are making these gold-washed etched votive candle holders
for gifts or to sell, include a candle with each one. It doesn't cost you
much, but nicely completes your work.

To see a picture of the completed project, please visit
http://www.theartfulcrafter.com/candleholders.html.

By: Eileen Bergen
The Artful Crafter
http://www.theartfulcrafter.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


MS Bergen has had a varied career, first as a special education teacher and the, after getting an MBA degree, as a vice president for a major insurance company. For the past eight years, she has been making and selling her crafts.

To Find Balance Retreat!

When our lives get out of balance we experience stress. The stress may come from work, relationships, health challenges, legal challenges, the environment or any combination of factors. Stress in of itself is not so bad but when experienced regularly over time disease states arise: irritability, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, feelings of helplessness, and indigestion. Left unchecked chronic stress leads to depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, chronic anxiety, a compromised immunes system, etc.

A time honored way of bringing balance into your life is with a retreat. A retreat can help you regain balance and live healthier in a number of important ways. First, when you participate in a retreat you remove yourself from the regular of stressors of daily life and by doing so create an opportunity for your system to naturally come back into balance. Sometimes we have lived so long with stress that we have forgotten what it feels like to feel really good!

A retreat offers the possibility to feel good again. And having this time away you can gain a fresh perspective of what is causing the stress and consider what you might do to bring about a healthier lifestyle.

When you combine retreat time with a natural healing modality such as yoga you create an opportunity to renew and revitalize your entire system - body, mind and spirit, at very deep levels. You also have the opportunity to learn something new or deepen into the practice of yoga. And through this experience you may become inspired to practice regularly at home which will further bring balance and health into your life.

Of course the ideal retreat includes delicious and nurturing meals of whole foods, like minded people, time to play, and a sacred environment where the healing power of nature can support you: magnificent views, beautiful weather, the energy of the land etc. It is for this reason that retreats are often taken in the mountains, forests, by the ocean, or on tropical islands.

Being in a beautiful natural environment also has another powerful effect

About The Author

Howard VanEs, M.A. has been studying and practicing yoga for over thirteen years and is a certified yoga teacher teaching in the East Bay area of San Francisco. He is author of Beginning Yoga: A Practice Manual, co-creator of the audio CD Shavasana / Deep Relaxation. http://www.letsdoyoga.com info@letsdoyoga.com 510-587-3399

tokreate@cs.com

Are You Trying To Lose Weight? Don't!

Are you trying to lose weight?

If you are, STOP!

Funny thing to say coming from someone that wants to help you lose all the weight you want, right?

Actually, there's a good reason.

You see, you can't try to lose weight. Don't believe me?

OK, let's use an example. Look around where you are sitting right now and find a small object. Perhaps a pen, envelope or book. Got it?

Now, try to pick it up. Go ahead.

Is it in your hand? If it is, well, then you didn't try, you actually picked it up. If it's not in your hand, you didn't.

Simple, right?

There's no middle ground in doing. You can't ry to do anything, it's a fallacy. You either do it, or don't do it.

The same applies to losing weight (or anything else for that matter). Saying that you'll try gives your mind fuzzy instructions, and it will return fuzzy results, results that aren't what you really want. It also gives you a way out if you don't achieve the goals you set out to reach.

You see, your subconscious mind doesn't interpret your directions, it just goes to work following them as complete truth. When you say you'll ry to lose weight, it will ry to follow your instructions, which we now know is impossible.

What in fact you want, (if you really do) is to lose weight. To feel better. To have more energy. To overcome health challenges. To look great.

Now, if you say you want to lose weight and are not successful, or continue to use language that includes words like ry or we'll see or maybe, perhaps you're wired backwards.

What does that mean? Well, maybe you say that you want to lose weight, but your mind says it doesn't. Somewhere along the way you gave your mind instructions that it's too hard, or impossible, to lose the weight you want. Perhaps you're more comfortable where you are now, but know that it's the right thing to say that you want to lose weight.

If this is the case, ask yourself what beliefs you hold that are at odds with what you want. For example, it's too hard to lose weight, it's impossible to lose weight, I can't lose weight because I'd have to exercise all the time, I'll lose my friends if I lose weight, I can't lose weight because I've always failed.

Ask yourself if in fact they are true. Are they making your life easier, or more difficult? Do these beliefs serve you or harm you?

Then, replace the old beliefs with new ones. Positive, confident statements about how you want to look and feel.

The best way to lose weight is to avoid saying you'll ry to lose weight, and say you will lose weight. See yourself at your ideal weight. Imagine how great you look and feel. Use positive language and give your mind specific instructions like I'm now happily at my ideal weight of (number of pounds) weight or I now happily choose to wear a size (your ideal size).

Watch your language and self talk closely and avoid using ry. It may take constant attention at the beginning, but after a short time, you'll get used to keeping your language positive, upbeat and confident.

Your weight loss results will follow immediately, depending on how confident, committed and persistent you are in applying these exercises. The more confident, committed and persistent, the faster your results will appear.

You CAN do it!

About the Author

Mark Idzik reports on natural and alternative health and is an author and health coach helping his clients lose weight and make better health choices. Receive 37 free weight loss tips by visiting his site: http://www.Everyday-Weight-Loss.com

Battle of the BulgeHow to Win it Forever

Almost two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. That's a pretty scary statistic.
We, as a nation, are fat and getting Fatter!!!
But the truth isthis doesn't have to be true and it doesn't have to be true for YOU.
Even if you have always battled extra poundsthere is hope.

Losing weight and keeping it off CAN be doneI've seen it done. The main ingredient in success is knowing what you really want to accomplish. Determining your ultimate goal and deciding that you WILL achieve it is the first step.

Here are some tips to lasting weight loss:

Calories DO countIt's a fact.
Our bodies use the calories we consume as the fuel for our daily activities, so we need to eat. But, eating more calories per day than we burn leads to stored fat. The key is to burn more calories than we eat. Losing weight slowly is important for maintaining weight lossto lose about a pound per week means consuming 250 calories less per day and increasing physical activity enough to burn an extra 250 calories per day. This is a simple and workable formula.

ExerciseIt's a must.
(Before beginning an exercise routine, please visit your physician to insure that you are healthy enough to exert yourself). 30 to 45 minutes 3-5 times per week of physical activity is all required to help us lose weight. An exciting side effect of exercise is a sense of well-being and a feeling of overall health. Walking is the perfect exerciseour bodies were created to walkno special equipment or technique to learn. Just get out and walka 30 minute walk (not stroll) burns about 250 calories!

Know what you are eatingIt's a necessity.
The labels on containers and packages might be peasky, but they are a good way to begin to take control of your eating habits. Begin to notice serving size, calories per serving, and fat content. If, for example, consuming an entire bag of chips is a habit for which you are notorious, you may, once you have considered the actual serving size, want to use individual sandwich bags and place an exact serving in each bag.

Monitor behaviorIt's control.
It is an interesting phenomenonwe eat based on behavior at times, not hunger. We need to begin to think why we are eating. Some people eat when they are nervous, others at certain times of the day, or when under stress. It is good to know what riggers are working on us when we reach for that extra portion or snack. Stop and think why am I eating now? Being in control of emotional eating and habitual eating gives us the advantage over those extra calories which come along with not knowing the why behind the eating.

Simple and small changes make all the difference in the world with regard to losing weight. There is no magic formula or keyjust increased activity and awareness.
I believe in the concept of gradual improvement.
Decide your goal.
Detemine your level of dedication to your goal.
Move forward daily.

The only one who can stop you is you!!!

About the Author

Lynda's interest in fitness, nutrition, and weight control involves a long-term commitment to health. She is the wemaster of
www.healthgoldmine.com

Aromatherapy & You

Aromas are inescapable! Think about how you encounter them on a daily basis from roses in the garden, a cup of steaming mochacchino or soothing jasmine tea, basil that permeates spaghetti sauce, and fresh citrus juices. Noses detect hundreds of scents a day, and of those, the aromas of plants, fruits, barks and roots are able to do more than just feed us. Leaves from the tea tree plant not only heal cuts and burns, but the essential oil is strong enough to use as an all-purpose cleaner. The lavender flower yields an oil that can ward off insects, reduce stress, scent linens and get rid of bruises. Peppermint oil is a natural way to bid farewell to unwanted houseguests like bugs and mice.

Did you know that the sodas and flavored bottled waters you drink contain essential oils? That the common vanilla flavor you find in ice cream is made from dark brown vanilla pods? Perfumes and colognes contain numerous blends of essential oils. High quality soaps, shampoos, bath oils, body powders and lotions all include varied essences of flowers, plants and fruits.

I had many successful experiences using pure essential oils, and I have read and heard of so many others enjoying relief from pain, healing of skin problems, awakening of positive spirits, etc. For example, a few years ago, before I had my own bath & body products business, I had to find a full time job. That prospect didn't make me enthusiastic, yet after applying a small dab of lemon essential oil, diluted in a jojoba oil carrier base, I was feeling cheerful and positive. This in turn came through in the interview and I was hired that afternoon.

What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is a therapeutic natural practice that can be used to advance health, beauty and a sense of ease. It involves using pure essential oils with various methods, including bathing, inhalation and massage. Aromatherapy is derived from two words: Aroma means scent and Therapy means treatment. This scent/treatment has evolved over the centuries and across continents.

In his book The Art of Aromatherapy Robert B. Tisserand examines what happened to mankind during the twentieth century: Our minds have run away with us, and as we have become more obsessive, so we have become steadily more neurotic. As doctors increase their knowledge of disease so disease becomes more tenacious and widespread. As new drugs are formulated and marketed, the harm done by those drugs increases proportionally.

Aromatherapy works in harmony with your body. Side effects from properly administered dosages are absent. Your body becomes stronger as it's fed the complex nutrients of purity from essential oils, not something synthesized in a lab and deprived of all its components. There are no new essential oilsonly the same, reliable plant life that has been used successfully for thousands of years. Combining the rich and fragrant oils of rose, jasmine and neroli, for example, may appear to be a new twist to you, but guaranteed this expensive blend of floral oils have been utilized for an individual with an overactive mind [stress! some other time and place.

A Brief History Of Aromatherapy

Before 1993 you wouldn't have been able to find the word 'aromatherapy' listed in a dictionary even though this art/science has been effectively used for thousands of years. In fact, the word was invented in the 1920's by a French chemist by the name of Ren-Maurice Gattefoss who studied the cosmetic properties of plants. He soon learned that plants contained organic antiseptic elements that worked better than inorganic antiseptics. His interest was further ignited when he there was an explosion in his laboratory; badly burning has hands. Immediately he poured lavender essential oil [one of the few essential oils that can be applied directly on the skin on them and made the not so astonishing discovery that his hands healed quickly and with no scarring.

However, the usage of aromatic plants has been going on for thousands of years. From the civilizations of ancient Egypt, India, China, Greece, and Rome, floral and herbal oils have been used in all manner of ways from flavoring food and beverages to being poured into baths and massaged into the body.

The Romans weren't shy about employing scents. They inundated their baths and banquets with floral concoctions from scattering rose petals on floors to anointing their bodies with floral perfumes. After bathing their bodies were massaged with aromatic oils. Their beds and clothing, bodies and hair were scented with perfumes. Even men scented themselves with balsam and cinnamon oils.

The natural healing system of ayurveda, meaning science of life was established approximately 4000 years ago in the Himalayan region. Plants and all their properties are a relevant part of ayurvedic medicine that continues to be practiced where it started and has now spread around the world.

Hippocrates is known as the father of medicine, and this Greek doctor was a noted advocate for the usage of essential oils, especially in the form of daily baths and massages. Resins of myrrh and oils of cinnamon were often applied to a patient to soothe inner and outer complaints.

Essential Oils vs. Fragrance Oils:

Pure, unadulterated essential oils derived from the leaves, roots, seeds, flowers or bark of a plant or tree are the source extracted directly from nature via a form of steam distillation. When you first begin working with essential oils, take care in handling them. Lavender essential oil is quite safe for the skin, as is tea tree, but some people can have allergic reactions to them. When handling essential oils, it's wise to do a skin test. Simply apply a tiny amount on your wrist, and if there's no reaction within 24 hours you are safe. As these oils can be costly, you must take care that they're always kept in a cobalt or amber colored glass bottle and stored in a cupboard [out of direct sunlight and kept in a cool, dry place. When you buy an oil, write the date on the vial. Most essential oils can last from one to three years. Citrus oils have a shelf life ranging from six months to less than two years. Essential oils can last for several years, but the freshness disappears. There are some exceptions with the darker colored, heavier oils or resins. Patchouli is known to improve with age.

It's important to know about fragrance oils and what they really are. I visited an e-group for soapmakers and when someone asked for a company where they could purchase essential oils, a person gave the name of a company that sold only fragrance oils! Obviously, to this uninformed person, the terms are interchangeable. They're not. Fragrance oils are synthesized in a laboratory. They are sometimes referred to as ature identical. If you're looking for an inexpensive scent, then fragrance oils fit the bill. But fragrance oils are not therapeutic grade essential oils and never will be.

From personal experience, I've learned that sniffing an essential oil right from the bottle and diluting it with a carrier oil such as sweet almond or jojoba, makes a huge difference. I smelled my favorite, vanilla absolute, a thick balsamic oil derived from the pod of the vanilla plant. I determined that the first whiff brought out the usual vanilla scent I was accustomed to, but a millisecond later there was a stronger, harsher scent. I then added a few drops to a bottle of sesame oil and the change was magnificent! I had the aroma I equated with the spicy-sweet scent of a dried vanilla bean pod. The carrier oil had combined perfectly with the essential oil!

You should always dilute essential oils in carrier oils when applying directly to the skin, or even in the bathtub. This is a necessary safety precaution. Essential oils are very strong and need to be diluted. Also, some essential oils may smell good enough to drink, but are for EXTERNAL USE ONLY!

AROMATHERAPY IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT

The methods described here are for those of you who wish to be able to change the fragrance environment of a room, car, office, closet, drawer, etc. There are psychological benefits to entering a room that has the crisp aroma of citrus, or a subtle scent of fresh blooming flowers.

Aroma Lamps - Aroma lamps are either electric or operated by a tea light or votive candle. There is a small cup shaped portion that is usually made of glazed ceramic and holds a few ounces of water. However, other materials may include glass and stone. Warm or even hot water should be used; as that is less work the candle has to do. Only a few drops of essential oil are added to the water, thus making it ideal for costlier essential oils. Care should be taken to see that the water doesn't boil away.

Atomizers - Requiring no heat, atomizers, sometimes referred to as nebulizers or nebulizing diffusers, disperse the essential oils on a revitalizing current of air as it passes through an intricately engineered blown glass chamber. This course naturally suspends and ionizes the oil into extremely fine molecules, causing them to remain suspended in the air for longer periods.

Many aromatherapist practitioners and others who utilize the finest essential oils choose atomizers. It's important to be careful with the atomizers. Since there is a continuous mist emitted it should not be used for more than a few minutes at a time. Many of the models do have built-in timers to avoid any problems like overuse. Also, make sure that this is done in a clear area, away from furniture, [varnish can be worn off wall hangings and other objects.

Candles - Candles create a more romantic ambiance and do double duty in helping disperse your preferred aroma[s throughout a room. In the spirit of true aromatherapy, it's advised to use beeswax, palm wax or soy wax candles as paraffin contains carcinogenic chemicals. Wicks should be trimmed, and the essential oils need to be added at the top of the candle, but never on the wick itself. You can add the essential oils after the candle has been lit and there's a small pool of wax at the top of the candle. Don't add the oils to the flame itself as oils can catch fire.

Diffusers - You can buy diffusers to plug into your car's cigarette lighter, as you can also find those that plug into any wall socket. The atomizers suspend a fine mist of essential oils into the air for aromatherapy is the best method of using essential oils for therapeutic treatments. Many aromatherapists believe that this is the most effective method of enjoying the aromas.

Sachets - If you want your linens to smell clean and fresh, the addition of a smell sachet filled with your favorite aroma will create a pleasant smell whenever you open the drawer or closet. You can buy them already made, or make them yourself. Highly recommended would be a small muslin or organza bag filled with dried lavender buds and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Not only is lavender a universally pleasing aroma, it also serves as an all-natural way to keep moths away.

Carrier Oils:
The most common way to dilute a pure essential oil is with a cold-pressed carrier oil. Carrier oils allow the essential oil to slowly permeate the skin, protecting it from irritation. Jojoba, sesame, sweet almond, rose hip, refined rice bran, wheatgerm, evening of primrose, grapeseed, kukui nut, sunflower, hazelnut, safflower, avocado or apricot kernel oils are commonly used. Several of the carrier oils can be combined and when essential oils are added, this makes for a very nutrient-rich bath oil.

Determining Quality of Essential Oils:

Read the label. If purchasing rosemary oil, for example, you would expect to see that name on the label. However, here are the four facts that you will find on any bottle of essential oil from a reputable supplier/company:

1.Botanical/Latin name. In this case it would be Rosemarinus officinalis.
2.Part. What part of the plant has the essential oil been extracted from? For rosemary, that is the leaf.
3.Method of extraction. Is it an absolute, enfleurage, carbon dioxide [CO2, or has it been steam distilled? In this case it has been steam distilled.
4.Country of Origin. Rosemary comes from many different countries, and in this case Morocco is the origin. Location can make a sizeable difference for many reasons such as climate, type of soil, high/low altitude, etc.

Aromatherapy isn't government regulated. Products can claim to be atural when in fact distilled water is the only untainted ingredient. Any reputable retailer of essential oils will be very knowledgeable about their product and capable of proving its purity. They will and should be happy to answer your questions.

To learn more about aromatherapy, please get a copy of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless, as the book features photographs of the essential oils themselves, botanical origins, along with several ways to safely use essential oils.

About the Author

Visit Lisa's Library of Writing, home of writer http://www.lisamaliga.com and receive tips on free web promotion, read articles on web-related topics and get library news on a variety of subjects. Lisa Maliga is the bath & body products designer for Everything Shea Aromatic Creations http://www.everythingshea.com

How to Get the Relationship You Want

We tend to think of finding the right relationship as being a hunt for another person, and it is. But it depends first of all on being ready yourself. The best way to do this is to develop your emotional intelligence skills. It's all about relationships and emotions, after all.

You could meet the most ight person in the world, and still not be able to make it work. In fact in some cases, if you're dragging around the past, you wouldn't know a good partner for you if they appeared in shining light.

So what can you do?

1.Know yourself completely and what you want.

2.Increase your emotional intelligence competencies.

3.Be sure the past is past.

4.Use your emotional intelligence in the early stages of the relationship (and of course thereafter!)

KNOWING YOURSELF

Clients ask me this, and I hear people asking other people when they are about to meet a new man of woman, But I don't know how to act.

When you're meeting someone new, the answer is to just be yourself, but of course this is easier than it sounds! We're nervous and want to make a good impression, so two parts of emotional intelligence are important: self-awareness, and being able to manage our emotions.

When you have developed your emotional intelligence skills, you know who you are, and what you want in all areas of your life, and you know what you are looking for in a partner. You also are better able to manage your emotions (and those of others).

In fact one of the competencies is called Intentionality. This means saying what you mean, and meaning what you say, and then doing all you can to make it happen.

USING YOUR EQ

Getting to know someone else is always full of surprises, and the older you get, the more history you will have to relate to each other. Bear in mind that it is always easiest for us to handle our own problems emotionally, than those of others.

You may have endured a bankruptcy or the death of a spouse as part of your life, and to someone else this might sound insurmountable. They may wonder what shape you're in, emotionally, and what this has done to you. For instance, they may know someone who hasn't coped well with one of these situations, and may be thinking this would apply to you as well.
My mother used to say, If all our problems were hung on a line (clothes line), you would take yours, and I would take mine.

So the emotionally intelligent thing is to introduce what we'll call ew material slowly.

Of course everyone puts their best foot forward in the early stages of a relationship, and that's appropriate. But as you increase the intimacy and start getting to know one another more deeply, you will be talking about the battle scars, the things that make you who you are. We all have them!

Remember that yours may sound much igger to the other person than they actually are.

Don't rush into this part of the relationship, telling of all those times you missed the mark, or had things happen to you that altered the course of your life. Begin by showing your wonderful, positive strengths and the qualities that have allowed you to be resilient through the rough seas of life.

Think about someone showing you a house for sale. They wouldn't start with the repaired foundation and the 15 year old HVAC system. They would begin with the spectacular view, the stunning master suite with the oversized Jacuzzi, the top-of-the-line appliances in the kitchen, and the exceptional landscaping on the acre lot.

There will be plenty of time to get to the foundation (along with the warranty papers) and the HVAC system's age (which can easily be replaced, and you've reduced the price of the house to accommodate). But why start with those things? It just isn't emotionally intelligent.

If you'd like to get to know yourself better, and increase your EQ skills, the first thing to do is take an EQ assessment, which you can do here: http:/ inyurl.com/z94t . Then work with an emotional intelligence coach.
To find potentially compatible partners, try here: http:/ inyurl.com/2lyea .

EQ is all about identifying your emotions, understanding them, managing them, and regulating them, and what greater gift could you give this potential life partner you are looking for?

And in the meantime, improving your EQ will benefit you in all areas of your life, and clear the air for new experiences in your life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . I offer coaching, distance learning, and ebooks ( http://www.webstrategies.cc ) around emotional intelligence for your continued personal and professional development. EQ matters more to your relationships, health, happiness and success than IQ, and it can be learned. Looking for a compatible new partner? Try here: http://tinyurl.com/2lyea . Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for free ezine.

Are You Losing Your Hair

While you may think baldness to be a problem associated with men, it is not so altogether. It is surprising to note that half of the women folk above 40 years old undergo excessive hair loss. Women over 65 years are at an even greater risk of losing their hair at an alarming rate. To find the strands of hair in the sink just after combing is a quite natural. Hair loss is not a gender specific problem. However, its cause may differ in males and females.

Even though hair loss is a common problem, its underlying reason may vary. Androgenetic alopecia has been diagnosed as the most common type of hair loss. This is also called pattern-baldness. A hereditary problem, which is also influenced by factors like the age at which hair loss takes place, its extent and its speed. It can affect both men and women.

Washing your hair regularly does not aggravate the problem. Thus, to think so is a common myth associated with alopecia. If you tease or brush your hair, you are running the risk of losing it at a faster pace. For fuller look, a layered styling of hair is the apt choice. You should avoid weaving but can very well go for perm or color.

Apart from androgenetic alopecia, you may even experience temporary hair loss out of some other reasons. Pregnancy is one such cause. The hormonal imbalance during pregnancy may adversely affect your hair. Another factor that also worsens the problem of hair loss among women is the use of birth control pills. Thus, for the sake of healthy, lustrous hair, you have to be a little cautious and you should opt for a proper remedy, the first time it comes under your notice.

About the Author

My name is Marquetta Breslin and I'm a professional hair braider with over 12 years of experiance. I own http://www.braidsbybreslin.com where I sell intructional hair braiding and weave DVDs teaching the world how to braid and weave.

Automated Defibrillator and CostEffectiveness

There had been several studies relating to the automated defibrillator and cost-effectiveness of it. The Multi-center Automated Defibrillator Implantation Trial (MADIT) took up a study to decide the same. The study showed improved survival in selected asymptomatic patients with coronary disease and un-sustained ventricular tachycardia.

To decide the cost-effectiveness of the automated defibrillator the patients were regularly followed up and their use of healthcare services was taken in to account. These included visits to hospitals or physicians, laboratory tests procedures, medications etc. To decide the cost-effectiveness the study was randomized against the use of defibrillators and other conventional medical treatments.

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated by relating these costs to the increased survival associated with the use of the defibrillator. The average survival for the defibrillator group over a 4-year period was 3.66 years compared with 2.80 years for conventionally treated patients.

Sensitivity analyses showed that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio would be reduced to equivalent to twenty three thousand dollars per life-year saved if transvenous defibrillators were used instead of the older devices, which required thoracic surgery for implantation. The study came to the conclusion that an implanted cardiac defibrillator is cost-effective in selected individuals at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias.

These implantable cardioverter defibrillators also demonstrated improvement in survival of post-myocardial-infractions patients with low ejection fractions. Known variation in effectiveness and cost-effectiveness among different populations raises the question of how to identify patients for whom ICD therapy is appropriate.

Investigators have evaluated the usefulness of a variety of diagnostic tests or clinical markers to identify patients at high risk of sudden cardiac death, but to date none has proven highly predictive. These indicators include ejection fraction, signal-averaged electrocardiography, T-wave alternans, heart rate variability, baroreceptor responsiveness, un-sustained ventricular tachycardia, and electrophysiologic testing.

Although the ICD should be more effective for patients at a higher risk of sudden cardiac death; if patients at high risk of sudden cardiac death are also at high risk of non-sudden cardiac death, the benefit of an ICD may be attenuated.

About The Author

Jacqueline S. Darby is the lead researcher for http://www.Defibrillators.com where they are dedicated to saving lives through spreading the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED's). The American Heart Association estimates that nearly 40% of all death due to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) are preventable by early defibrillation.

Asbestos The silent killer

Site: www.Youclaim.co.uk
Article
Release details: Immediate
Date: 6-Jun-05

Asbestos - The silent killer

Asbestos is the single biggest work place killer today. People who have worked with the material are at serious risk from developing lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, fatal respiratory illnesses that debilitate their victims. Evidence of asbestos' deadly effect on those who breathe its fibres is likely to multiply in the decades to come.

Asbestos was once heralded as the greatest building material available to those in the construction industries. Its high tensile strength, durability and flexibility, as well as heat insulation and fire retardant properties meant that it could save lives, make buildings strong and make industries rich. It was first used by the Greeks some 2000 years ago. They were aware of the health hazards it posed but believed that its magical ability to withstand fire far outweighed this danger.

The dangers to health were all but 'forgotten' until at the turn of the twentieth century when medical researchers noticed a large number of deaths and lung problems occurring in asbestos mining towns. In 1917 and 1918, several United States studies discovered that asbestos workers were dying unnaturally young.

Asbestosis was first diagnosed in a 33 year old woman in 1924, this lead to studies being carried out on asbestos workers in the UK. Examinations on the workers showed that thirty percent had asbestos-related lung disease. UK laws were introduced in 1931 to increase ventilation and to make asbestosis an identifiable work related illness.

Despite the established link between asbestos and lung diseases the industry continued to grow well into the last century. At the peak of its usage asbestos was produced in 24 countries worldwide; it was also manufactured in over 100. World production climaxed at over 5 million tonnes. The building, shipping, insulation and demolition companies whose workers came into contact with asbestos were often aware that their staff were at risk. They did not take sufficient steps to protect their workforce from personal injury.

Sadly the effects of asbestos take many years to manifest themselves. People who worked in the construction industries some 20 to 40 years ago may still be awaiting their fate. Asbestos causes several diseases, two of which occur only in those who have had contact with asbestos, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Lung cancer and emphysema are more commonly associated with smoking but frequently occur in non smokers with a history of asbestos contact.

It is thought that the worst is yet to come. The peak of asbestos usage was in the 60's and 70's so many people may develop lung diseases in the near future.

Due to the latency of asbestos diseases it is thought that we will be seeing many more incidences of mesothelioma in the next 25 years. Hugh Robertson, head of health and safety at the British TUC says: A realistic estimate is that within the EU alone 500,000 will die in the next 35 years, half from mesothelioma and half from lung cancer. In Japan, an estimated 100,000 will die. If you add the Australian, Canadian and US figures then even a million is an under estimation - and that is only for the developed countries.

People affected by asbestos are entitled to compensation from the companies who knowingly exposed them many years ago.

People affected by asbestos related illness should speak to a personal injury solicitor who has experience in asbestos cases.

For free legal advice visit www.youclaim.co.uk to learn more about asbestos and to make a claim, or alternatively you can call us on 0800 10 757 95.

YouClaims' solicitors have many years experience of handling asbestos related claims. They help people rebuild their future following exposure to the deadly effects of asbestos.

-END-

Editorial notes: YouClaim provides full accident litigation compensation services. Helps people to claim compensation for all types of injury from whiplash to head injuries.

By Sophie Evans - www.youclaim.co.uk
Compensation following a non fault accident.

About the Author

By Sophie Evans - www.youclaim.co.uk
Compensation following a non fault accident.

Are You a Dirty Old Man Looking For Dream Girls Galore?

How would you like to have 1000 girlfriends?

Common problems for older men who love young girls:

Where to find them? How to pick them up? How to seduce them?

Are you a distinguished older gentleman who finds it difficult to pick up sexy young girls? Have you always loved sexy young, beautiful girls, but never got your fair share!!

My name is Elvis Preston King. I am an expert at picking up and seducing young girls. I seduce one to three new girls practically everyday of the year and I love it. I have over 1000 sexy young girlfriends (no Pros) 18 to 22 years old. I love my top 100 girls! They are so exotic and beautiful! I am a 55 year old, average looking white man. I am also known as the Senior Playboy!

The Senior Playboy has more young beautiful girlfriends than any man on the Planet! Totally verifiable!!! The average man would have to see it to believe it.

The Solution!!!

I am looking for a permanent buddy who also loves lots of sexy, young, delicious dream girls. I lost my money in some bad investments and I simply don't want to go back in business. I love my life and my early retirement and all of my dream girls. I am willing to share all my girlfriends sisters, cousins and their girlfriends, as well as pick up new girls everyday. If I can find another gentleman like me who also loves lots of girls. Which means you too will end up with over 1000 girlfriends! THE DEAL IS SIMPLE: I PICK UP THE GIRLS YOU PICK UP THE TAB. Elvis Preston King

I developed a secret system through a lifetime of study and hard work to learn how to be the top guy in the world at picking up girls. I read every book on the subject. I practiced my art. I studied and I worked. Through trial and error I developed the best system in the world for picking up and seducing girls. God didn't just hand me this talent or drop beautiful girls in my lap. I worked very hard for this accomplishment. Now I am the best in the world, literally. No man on earth over 50 years old has as many young sexy, beautiful girlfriends as I have. Alexander the Great never had it so good. My system will work anywhere in the world. So if you get bored with my favorite island. We can check out other exotic and interesting locations. Elvis~!

I have a separate new bachelor pad just for entertaining our girls. I also have a secluded home where I rest when I want to take a break from my girls.

Elvis has such a wonderful fantasy life that he does not want to go back in business. He is on a global search to find ONE senior bachelor sidekick who also would like to have 1000 young girlfriends. Or if you insist on the slightly older woman Elvis can certainly arrange that also. He has even hired a chauffeur who speaks seven languages. The chauffeur assists by answering phone calls from all the girls and arranges Elvis's dates but Elvis selects and picks up all of his own girls!

The Guinness Book of World Records has been on Elvis's trail but so far he has declined entry into the famous book. Elvis already has many fans as well as many envious people who can't stand to see Elvis happy with all of his girls. All Western women, both young and old hate Elvis out of fear that their boyfriends and husbands might become acquainted with Elvis.

My girls all have Hawaiian tans and big brown eyes with the exception of a few blonde girls that I have. The girls in my favorite exotic locations adore the older man. In fact, if your old, fat, and bald that helps! They prefer the older man that Western Girls wouldn't give the time of day no matter how fat your wallet is. Unlike the culture of Western women who see youth as everything. Our maturity gives the girls a sense of security. On the other hand there are many Western men who come to my favorite island and don't get laid unless they pay a prostitute!

You simply have to know where to find the girls, how to pick them up and how to seduce them. Lucky for you, you have Elvis. That is if you don't let another senior bachelor grab him off the market. Elvis's services will not be available long. You are not the only man in the world who loves lots of young beautiful girls! Call Elvis now and discuss the details or you can buy yourself a copy of Are You Lonesome to Night by Elvis Presley and a bottle of President beer and keep living the way you are living now. Or get up out of that chair and call Elvis now. There is only one Elvis in the world now and if you want a chance to hang out with Elvis pick up the phone now and call him or email him. Just do it. Go ahead enjoy your life. Life isn't forever and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to live the fantasy life most men in the world will only dream about.

This offer is limited to only ONE GENTLEMAN. Will it be bachelor number 1? bachelor number 2? Or lucky bachelor number 3YOU!

If you are The Man who truly loves lots of young, sexy women, you owe it to yourself to see if Elvis means every word that he is saying. See for yourself if he can back up every word! Your buddies back home will never believe your story once you decide to become the sidekick of the senior playboy, Elvis P. King.

PS If by chance you're happy with your life or you have convinced yourself that you are happy with your life and if you're not interested in hanging out with Elvis please pass this letter on to one of your friends who would enjoy the bachelor dream life. Good luck either way Buddy!

Sincerely,
Elvis Preston King
Email: loverboybachelor@yahoo.com
http://bachelortours.blogspot.com/

About the Author

Elvis Preston King is the world's most renowned and respected playboy. His job is picking up and seducing classy young women globally for the gentleman conoseiur who realizes that there is more to life than just accumulating money and the same old same old boring wife. You can email him at dateplaymate@yahoo.com.au or visit bachelortours.blogspot.com/ and http:www.msnusers.com/BachelorDreamTours

Are you slowly losing blood?

If you take medication long term, chances are that you

might take several different drugs for major illness of

one kind or another.



Treating anxiety and panic attacks may involve either

counselling or drug therapy or both together.YOu might

take a drug such as prozac, paxil or Seroxat.

Some of these drugs are referred to as SSRI drugs

which is a short hand version of a fancy description

of how the drug works.



What you might not be aware of is that you need to be

careful with other medications of the aspirin variety.

Aspirin is known as a non steroidal anti-inflammatory

drug. It is abrreviated to NSAID.



There are other drugs known as NSAID drugs such as

Ibuprofen. You might even buy it with the name

ADVIL or NUROFEN for example. You have maybe even have

heard of, or take Naprosyn (naproxen).



When you take these anti headache anti arthritis

drugs long term with anxiety/depression medications

you have a higher risk of bleeding as a side effect.

This can occur over time and you might not notice at

first.



Eventually you may consult your doctor for other reasons

such as feeling run down and tired.It might be due in

part to the slow loss of blood from your system!

You might be lacking iron and becoming anaemic.



Its a risk factor.Some are more at risk than others and

its something that needs discussion if these drugs

are taken long term together.



Every time you swallow an aspirin tablet, it causes

irritation to the lining of the stomach if no food is

present.If you had a tv screen inside you, a small

amount of blood might be seen.



This in itself is not a problem for the sake of one

or two tablets but when you take medication for chronic

illness its something you can't ignore.



Anti anxiety and anti-depressant drugs are widely

prescribed in the Western world.Typically these drugs are

taken for several months and many patients will need

them throughout their adult lives.



However as we all live longer lives it also means more

complex treatment regimens and the likelihood of side

effects that can impair quality of life for us.For an

anti-depressant drug to be of clinical value in

anxiety, panic attacks or depressive illness you must

take it for several weeks before it exerts its

maximum therapeutic effect.



Once that time period has passed you need to

continue for a few months or a relapse in your condition

could occur.This is when other medication taken at the

same time as a drug for escalating symptoms of panic

attacks or social anxiety disorders takes on a great deal

of significance.



Anti-depressant drugs that have the classification of SSRI

(serotonin re-uptake Inhibitor drugs) increase the risk of

internal bleeding when you regularly take a drug to

reduce inflammation in arthritis.



There are difficult choices to be made at times and your

doctor may advise that both are necessary at the same time

for some months, and even prescribe another medication to

lower the chances of ulceration...



Of course if you are regularly smoking in addition to

taking a drug combination illustrated above, are you

aware that this also causes irritation to the lining of

the stomach..even if you don't swallow pills!



Suffering from long term anxiety or panic attacks has a

range of issues to consider in your quest for a healthy life.

If you take a little time to find out whether any over the

counter medication could be inappropriate, you will avoid

potential side effects.




For more related information visit
http:// www.AnxietyAttacksCure.com - a site that offers
advice for avoiding, coping with anxiety and panic attacks.
Get professional knowledge on dealing with symptoms,
drug side effects and improving your life!

Arizona Assisted Living HomesThe Alternative to High Price

The cost of skilled nursing care is slowly rising. Currently, the average cost of care in Arizona ranges from $3,500 to $4,500 per month. Skilled nursing facilities are great for seniors who require skilled nursing care by medical professionals such as registered nurses or physicians. However, is skilled nursing care appropriate for those who only require assistance with their activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing and going to the bathroom? Is it realistic for someone to pay $3,000 to $6,000 a month for skilled nursing care when their only requirement is assistance with their ADLs? Believe it or not, there are many seniors who do not require skilled nursing care and remain in nursing homes due to their lack of knowledge of the options available to them. There are affordable alternatives to nursing home care. When a senior requires long term care without 24 hour medical supervision, the preferred alternative is Assisted Living Homes.



You may ask, What is an Assisted Living Home? In Arizona, an Assisted Living Home is a regular home located within a residential neighborhood and licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services to provide assistance 24 hours a day to those who need care outside of their own home. Assisted Living Homes are licensed for up to 10 residents. There are three levels of care an Assisted Living Home can be licensed for: Supervisory, Personal and Directed. Every Assisted Living Home is licensed for one or more of these levels of care. In sum, Assisted Living Homes are homes licensed to provide care for seniors who are no longer able to live alone, and do not require skilled nursing care.



What are the benefits of an Assisted Living Home? An Assisted Living Home gives residents a feeling of being at home instead of an institutionalized setting. Each caregiver and manager is required to become certified, and often times the caregiver or manager lives in the home full time. Each home provides 24 hours of care, 7 days a week. Many homes offer hospice care, respite care, Alzheimer's/Memory Care, incontinence care, and therapeutic services under the direction of a physician. In addition, three nutritious meals are prepared for the residents along with snacks throughout the day, as well as daily activities as required by law. Both private and semi-private rooms are available for residents to choose from. As a result, there are many benefits available when residing in an Assisted Living Home.



Why is an Assisted Living Home unique? An Assisted Living Home provides care in a home setting, and because there is a limit of up to 10 residents in each home, the ratio of caregiver to residents is such that the care provided is very individualized as opposed to larger facilities. Monthly costs for Assisted Living Homes range from $1,500 to $3,000, allowing for an affordable option compared to the cost of nursing home care. Private pay may be the only option currently offered by the majority of Assisted Living Homes. However, the facilities that do accept different payment sources such as ALTCS (Arizona's Medicaid Program referred to as Arizona Long Term Care System), usually require a resident to private pay for a certain period of time before they allow government benefits to begin. Bottom line: Assisted Living Homes are less expensive and provide more individualized care in a home-like setting.



Finally, when living at home is not an option and skilled nursing care is either out of one's budget or not the right option based upon one's level of care, Assisted Living Homes are the affordable alternative senior housing choice.





About the author:



Torey L. Farnsworth, CSA has over 12 years of experience working with seniors. Ms. Farnsworth's vast expertise encompasses a wide variety of senior issues ranging from adult care to elder law. Most recently, Torey served as Elder Law Director and Paralegal for a Phoenix based law firm where she provided assistance in a variety of areas including long term care planning, estate planning, ALTCS eligibility and Medicaid planning. Ms. Farnsworth is also a certified caregiver with the State of Arizona as well as a Certified Senior Advisor. Ms. Farnsworth has spent her career in senior care as her family owns and operates assisted living homes.

Ms. Farnsworth currently owns her own senior care placement business called Horizon Senior Care Referral. Her placement services are free to seniors and their families. For more information visit www.adultcarecentral.com

The Wet Fly Swing

The wet fly swing sounds like something one does at the square dance hall. Instead the wet fly swing is one of the oldest fly fishing techniques. It is used for all types of fish, where ever there is a current. Winter steelhead, salmon, big trout in big rivers, and even striped bass, are all prey that often require the use of the' wet-fly swing'.

When to use it

The wet fly swing is designed to get the fly down deep quickly and swing it in front of the desired fish. Trout anglers use it when fish are holding deep, and not rising for any particular hatch. Winter steelheaders use it when steelhead loathe to move in the cold water and sit in between the feeding lanes or lie in the pocket water. Striped bass anglers find the wet fly swing works the baitfish imitations in the current, to give them a lifelike presentation, that fools fish again and again.
The wet fly swing is most often used with streamers, like the Woolly Bugger or Muddler Minnow and sometimes wet flies, like soft hackles or nymphs. It is used whenever the fly fisher wants his presentation to appear to be swimming freely in the current. Preferably broadside to the current, while the fish will be waiting either in pocket water behind big rocks, or in a seam where the current changes speed. It can also be used in tailouts below pools.

Rigging

Most fly fishing anglers will use the wet fly swing with a sinking tip line. The weight will depend on the species of fish and the size of the water. Steelheaders and salmon anglers will be using 8 or above, and it goes on down for the other game fish. The point is you will want to rig fairly big, as you will not only be fighting the fish, but the current as well, and often times current that is deep. The leaders tend to be shorter than average, as you want the fly to follow sinking tip line, and not rise up in the current. As the take will be deep, you don't want to have to set the hook with a lot of slack leader.
Depth is of importance, as generally this technique is used for fish lying deep. If you aren't getting the depth you want, than try adding more weight, a larger fly, or switching lines. I try to avoid a sinking line, as I like the line to lie on the water, for ease of control, casting, and of course, setting that hook.

The Technique

The wet fly swing at its simplest is this. Find the water you want, and cast across stream, to slightly downstream. Mend your line immediately, usually upstream. This allows the fly to sink. Then follow your line with your rod tip downstream. Lowering your rod tip as the fly swings across the current, so the fly will not have any drag. Some anglers like to impart action on their presentation with their rod tip, but if fishing in current the action is often done all by itself.
When the fly has reached the end of its swing. Lift the line up, by doing a small roll cast, and then cast it out again. For deeper presentation, cast further upstream,. for shallower presentation cast more downstream. If floating lines are what you are used to, casting the sinking tip line or even a shooting head line can take a little practice. Slowing down the entire casting stroke will be required, and allow the back cast to fully extend. But with a little practice, distance can be greatly improved allowing the fly fisher to reach water, unreachable by using other fly fishing techniques.

The wet fly swing is great for extending the season of fly fishing. When most other techniques prove to be ineffective, due to high or cold water. One can still entice those hesitant fish using this time tested technique.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishing guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company. Http://www.bigyflyco.com. He can be reached at info@bigyflyco.com. The above article will appear in the Big Y Fly Fishing E-Zine at Http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html.