What Is A Soul

Writen by Yigit Djevdet

What Exactly Is It?

In traditional or let’s say mainstream religions of the world, the soul is a non-material substance which is able to assume powers and attributes not open to it while trapped within the confines of a material cage we call the body. Based on this definition can we even try to appreciate what it actually is and how it may interact with the physical world as we would ordinarily recognise it? The answer to this question must ultimately rely on what we know of the physical world.

I think that most of us agree on the definition of the generic human body. Loosely speaking it is nothing more than a collection of bones, tissue, fluids, internal organs and flesh arranged to work in such a way as to sustain our everyday existence. As such, it is quite vulnerable to disease and will eventually stop working altogether as it heads towards the day of its demise. But what about the soul? Is there such a thing? Other than just blind faith or solemn wishful thinking, do we have anything that we could turn to or point at in order to bring even a trace of credibility to this idea?

Having listened to countless people who try to give their own personal views on the subject, many are content to approach it with a fair helping of derision and contempt and take the atheistic route of denying everything not within the grasp of mainstream science. But this should not come as a surprise to anyone. If the scientific world were to give credence to the existence of the soul they’d have to study it, dissect it, understand it, measure it, explain it and various other things that scientists do. The very fact that we can’t actually see a soul as we can a tree, the very fact that we can’t interact with it as we can with animals and humans, the very fact that it is not made of any substance with which we are familiar means we can’t apply rigour. And there are countless other human beliefs and superstitions in very much the same situation. For example science cannot apply its methods to palmistry, tea-leaf-reading, astrology, numerology, witchcraft, telepathy, telekinesis, ESP and such like because these things do not easily lend themselves to the rules of scientific scrutiny.

What we have then is a mixed bag of subjects all clumped under a single heading that is often referred to as mysticism. In this bag you will also find many ideas put forward by different faiths including the idea of a soul and life after death. But where does that leave those who wish to believe in an existence beyond physical death? I think that the sheer size of the number of people with these beliefs makes it very difficult to ignore and neither will it do to simply brush it aside as mysticism.

So we can conclude I think that it is not possible to approach these things from a scientific point of view. Is there another way?

Another Way

The only other way is to use what is loosely termed as common sense coupled with a fair dose of open-minded intuition. We can exercise this by making a series of statements that are born out of two distinct considerations.

A. Those that maintain a non spiritual existence.

1. No life after death.

2. All that we do is ultimately futile and will one day be absorbed into the eons without so much as a trace of anything that ever happened here on Earth.

3. There is no God.

4. There is no Heaven or Hell.

5. The only rules and regulations that we should obey are those created and maintained by the different cultures and societies.

6. There are no morals other than the ones engrained in human laws.

7. We are nothing more than flesh made of the same atoms and molecules as ordinary matter. We evolved out of creatures that lived millions of years ago and we shall continue to evolve for however long the planet is able to sustain life.

8. When we die, we simply stop. There is no consciousness or cognisance after death.

9. Nothing of what we do or say can alter the laws of physics. There are no miracles and nothing that cannot be explained by logical and scientific means either now or in the future.

10. Use your life to enjoy the physical aspects of existence and, as far as possible, help others to enjoy it too, before the onset of old age, disease or death.

B. Those that maintain the existence of the human spirit.

1. There is life after death through the continuation of the soul.

2. What we do here determines our fate in the next world.

3. God is the supreme Being who has no beginning and no end. He provides life after death as well as having created all life as we know it on Earth.

4. There is a Heaven and there is also Hell. Those that choose Hell are the ones who hate God and go there knowingly and willingly after physical death having absolutely no contrition or sorrow for any of their actions on Earth.

5. Many of the rules and regulations are based on the 10 commandments. However, we shall also be held accountable for sins such as those pertaining to conceit, lust and greed.

6. There are many morals outside of human laws that we must try to observe.

7. Life is a gift from God and should be preserved, nurtured and used to its full potential without the application of wanton physical, mental or immoral abuse either to upon others or oneself.

8. If there are things we do not understand or cannot explain, be contented and have faith in God’s infinite mercy to right every wrong and deal with all injustice in the fullness of time either on Earth or the place where our spirits shall live.

It is impossible to do justice to either school of thought in a short article like this but it is accurate to say that for those who have made up their minds, it is likely that they will fall into category A or B or at least some variation of either. But here’s something that you probably haven’t heard before.

In public, a person who proclaims to belong in A will not be so readily convinced in private. How do I know this? Call it intuition if you like but there is something within us that: in the absence of friends and associates around us, from whom we tend to draw strength, deliverance and of course where we also get a chance to exercise wit, sarcasm and intellectual exchange; the fa

Fashion Do’s And Dont’s on E! TV - No More Scrunchies

Writen by Francesca Goldston

Funny, I don’t usually watch E! TV, and my boyfriend watches it even less, but when I went in to the living room last night, to my astonishment he was watching the TOP 50 Fashion Do’s and Don’ts. The show was well done, with some wry humor here and there, and managed to keep my interest. But I was saddened by one of their fashion don’ts — the schrunchie.

Now how am I supposed to wear my hair when I haven’t washed it, or worse when I haven’t gotten a haircut in six or seven months or years?

As you may have guessed, I’m no fashion guru — never have been. There was a time in my life when I went barefoot and wore torn bell-bottoms, but those were the hippie days — after the first couple of years, I stopped getting looks. In fact, at that time I considered anyone who followed fashion to be some sort of brainwashed, bleating sheep — I just couldn’t understand it — the worst perpetrators of this ‘Simon says’ mentality were the quote unquote hippies themselves. They were supposedly going against the status quo, but wouldn’t be caught dead with the ‘wrong’ hairdo and they always sneered at my makeshift purses too (ahem).

That being said, in my older, now wiser years, I have come to understand the desire for fashion and I appreciate it, especially if it is packaged elegantly. But I still don’t have the time or money to dress well. I told you how I dressed in the 60’s but, I have to confess, you’d do a double-take at some of my outfits even now, in fact, especially now. Sometimes I will be in a store, and it is only after I’ve gotten a couple of odd looks that I realize I’m wearing those really comfortable ‘khakis’ that land right above my ankle, with my socks showing and my really old and very puffy sneakers that make my feet look yet another couple sizes bigger than the 9’s they are, poking out grandly.

I would have made a great guy. I really don’t care when people look at me, starting at my feet and traveling incredulously up to see whose face wears these clothes. They always avert their eyes if they notice me catch them; and it’s kind of funny watching them trying not to laugh, especially if they have a cohort nearby. I think it might have upset me when I was younger, though I’d have brushed it off by exclaiming how rude, how arrogant and how snobbish of them. Now I laugh and make a note to tell my sisters next time I wear these pants to their house that I wore them out to the store.

Francesca Goldston is a writer, living in Atlanta, happily surrounded by three cats and one sweetheart. She is currently writing a murder mystery, which she manages to avoid working on as much as possible by submitting articles and blogging at the web site noted here: http://www.writingup.com/blog/justthinking

White Doves Flying: In Memoriam to Rosa Parks

Writen by John T Jones, Ph.D.

Over 4000 people attended the public funeral of Rosa Parks, the women who single-handedly ignited the Civil Rights Movement.

Martin Luther King saw the significance of a dignified quiet forty-two-year-old woman refusing to give up her bus seat at the command of a belligerent bus driver in Montgomery, Alabama.

Putting hardship on themselves, the black community boycotted the buses and the Civil Rights Movement blossomed.

Three-dozen speakers paid her tribute at her funeral.

John Dingell said, “Somebody said to me once that she was a seamstress. She was. This country has had two great seamstresses - one was named Betsey Ross, who put together the flag which flies beautifully over parts of country and is in all our hearts. Rosa Parks lent meaning to that flag by the leadership she gave.”

Bernice King said, “And though we mourn the loss of this singular champion of racial justice, we also celebrate her home-going as a woman of unwavering faith who served God and humanity with unconditional love and devotion.”

Bill Clinton said, “Rosa parks ignited the most significant social movement in modern American history to finish the work that spawned the Civil War and redeem the promise of the 13, 14, and 15 Amendments. For 50 more years, she moved beyond the bus continuing her work on that promise. It was my honor to present her with a presidential medal of freedom and to join the leaders of congress in presenting her with a congressional gold medal.”

Finally, Al Sharpton said, “You ought to make one commitment in her name to yourself. You ought to resolve that you are going to do something that makes a difference because we’re here because she made a difference,”

I add my final tribute with the following poem:

White Doves Flying: In Memoriam to Rosa Parks by John T. Jones, Ph.D.

Flashing in the azure sky,
White wings shining in the sun,
Tears of sadness mark the cheeks
Of those who loved the Quiet One

She was a simple seamstress
Like our Betsy Ross.
Betsy made our precious flag.
Rosa made it glow.

With her inherent dignity
She gave not into sin.
With one defiant act
Our civil rights began.

Others helped to make the fight
That gave us hope to end our plight
But Rosa was the single soul
Who fueled the engine; she made it go!

Now thousands pay her due respect.
They pay her homage with one regret;
She has passed on to gain her crown.
Who will replace her? We look around.

Yes, as we leave her funeral site,
We ask, Where is her shining light?
How will we walk without her might?
Who will do what she knew was right?

The answer stares us in the face;
We must save the human race
From evil thoughts and unjust acts.
WE must do it! Let’s face the facts.

Flashing in the azure sky,
White wings shining in the sun,
Tears of sadness mark the cheeks
Of those who loved the Quiet One

Copyright©John T. Jones, Ph.D. 2005

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com)is a retired R&D engineer and VP of a Fortune 500 company. He is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering), poetry, etc. Former editor of international trade magazine. Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success.

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (IWS wealth-success materials / TopFlight flagpoles)

One Man’s Porn is Not Another Woman’s Erotica

Writen by Robert Crane

I love word derivation, especially the fabricated kind. Erotica comes from the Greek “Eros”, the God of Love. Porn comes from the Greek “Porne”, the largest chariot parts distributor in Athens. The former is about hearts and the latter about parts. This is the difference between women and men, hearts versus parts.

Think about it. What happens the first time things start to heat up between a man and a woman? All the courting stuff is completed. It worked. There is mutual interest, and there is opportunity. The woman is all about violins, candle light, romance, long soft stares, hours of caressingyou know, mushy heart stuff. Meanwhile, all the guy has on his mind is: “hope my part is big enough”, “hope my part doesn’t explode prematurely”, “hope my part works long enough”, “hope she helps me find her part”, “hope I don’t go in the wrong part”, “hope she has part protection”, “hope she gets those violinists out of here”you know, chariot parts distribution stuff.

Men like things to be simple, to the point. It is a good match for their smaller, uncluttered brains. Hell, men can’t even take the time to call it pornography. It takes too long. It’s a mouthful, so to speak. So men call it porn. It’s a nice word, four letters, fits their predisposition for single syllable words. Women, on the other hand, like things to take time. They like words that sound romantic, that sound Italian. For instance, the original word for erotica was actually “erot”. Yeah, really. A guy named Benny came up with that. But women didn’t like the short, abrupt, harsh sound. So they smoothed it out like a gentle jazz riff and called it “erotica”. It takes a lot longer to say. It sounds Italian too.

I know. It all seems so so sexist. I suppose it is, but what can I tell you.

Men like parts. Men like putting this part with that part. Who’s the one that spends most of Christmas Eve putting bicycles and wagons together. It’s the guy. Raise your hand if you are a female auto mechanic, that is, a heterosexual female auto mechanic (not that there is anything wrong with any other kind). Aha! Raise your hand if you know a female auto mechanic. As I thought, none!

Men like parts because parts don’t talk about their feelings, besides they usually come with cool diagrams and instructions! Men love instructions as long as they don’t have to hear them. When they hear instructions, they sound more like directions, which remind men of their mothers. For the most part, men don’t like to be reminded of their mothers. So men prefer to read their instructions. Men would love women a lot more if women came with diagrams and instructions that men could read and study up on. That would be very helpful.

[A question: should men come with instructions? My inclination is that it is unnecessary, but if they did, they would be short, maybe a sentence or two, similar to instructions that might come with a cereal bowl. I'd like to hear from women on this.]

Anyway, because of this difference (i.e., hearts versus parts), men and women are best served if they refrain from actually building things together. The closest my parents came to divorce was not from rearing four boys. It was from working on a stained glass, lampshade kit together. Within four hours dad was threatening to solder mom’s mouth shut while she held a piece of pink glass to his throat. It was ugly.

Once, I tried to put a grill together with a woman. She thought it would be a nice way to bond. I had my doubts. I was right. It didn’t go so well. First, she insisted on saying we were “making a grill together”. Women love to make things. They make cookies. They make beds. They make babies. They even make themselves up. Oh yeah, and they make love. Guys don’t make love, they have sex, which is a short for putting parts together as efficiently as possible. Guys put things together. Guys don’t make a grill, they put a grill together, part by part. But I didn’t have the energy to argue the point. So I let her believe we were “making a grill together”.

Next, she started in on the instructions, asking “why” to every sentence. I kept telling her, “um because it’s um an instruction?” I sensed her growing frustration with the same answer I gave to the repeated inquiries. Finally, after we completed the first pagewe had twenty-two more to goshe wanted to stop and take a moment or two for me to share my feelings with her about our first page experience. I answered, “I’m filled with guarded congeniality”. She soon left to “make” a phone callI think it was for a taxi, if I remember correctly.

When I started this little piece, I wasn’t sure where it was going to lead me. Now that I know, I think I’ll stop here before really say something I’ll regret, although I sense it may be way too late.

Yeah, I’m looking at the size of the hole I just dug and it’s pretty damn bigbig enough to fit me and that stupid grill I “put together”. Well, let me just jump in now. There are plenty of shovels to go around. Feel free to start tossing the dirt on top of me, if it will make you feel any betterand I say that with the most sincere, unguarded, congeniality.

Child Muay Thai Boxers

Writen by Aaron Christe

One Friday night in January I was in Hua Hin, Thailand with nothing to do so I decided to go and watch the “Friday Night Muay Thai contest” held at Grand Sport Hua Hin on Petchkasem Road. I had received a flyer earlier in the street promoting the event and decided that it might be worth checking out.

Apparently there are two Muay Thai venues in Hua Hin and this wasn’t the “real” one, but if I wanted to go that night I didn’t have much of a choice. It wasn’t a stadium as such, more like a gym that had a ring in the middle and some chairs set up on two sides. I believe they have Muay Thai lessons there every day. There wasn’t a live band there either so the music didn’t get faster as the matches progressed, we had to make do with a taped loop.

The admission price was 500 baht, a little expensive I was informed by a local bar owner, but I wasn’t complaining. Also any tuk tuk or taxi in Hua Hin will take you to the venue for free, just show them the flyer. That amazed me.

The first fight started at 9pm, if I remember correctly it was a couple of 12 year old or so boys. Interesting enough and I was amazed by their already ripped physiques, especially their stomach muscles. There were a number of other fights including a 16 year old girl versus a 19 year old girl that was stopped after the second round because the older girl sustained an injury. After a while a section on one side of the ring that didn’t have any seats set up by it started to fill up with Thai patrons. A number of them had brought blankets and were sitting there watching the matches. I remember wondering at the time if they too had paid 500 baht to get in. Somehow I doubted it.

Anyway, to get to the point of this story, one of the main events that was being touted all night by the announcer was a match between a nine year old boy and a nine year old girl. This long awaited match finally got underway at 11pm. As they were entering the ring it was announced that the boy was so confident that he would win that he had bet 7000 baht on himself. This was announced several times over the loudspeaker. I pondered where a nine year old boy would get 7000 baht as I sat there looking up at the “No Gambling” sign posted to the wall (in English only) above the bar. The fighters came out to much excitement by the crowd, including myself and they were gorgeous, especially the little girl.

I may be mistaken but I believe the ceremonial dance that the boxers do before the match is called the Wai Klu. In each of the matches that night one of the boxers did the dance while the other stayed in his or her corner. For this match the girl was the one to perform the dance. Only this time she did something that I had not seen any of the other boxers do during their ceremonial dances. I’ll do my best here to describe it but I doubt that I can do it justice. Starting in her corner she would face her opponent who was standing in his corner on the other side of the ring. She would take one or two steps forward while twisting her body back towards her corner, then she would stomp her foot towards her opponent at the same time as sending an imaginary punch his way, which he would deflect with his hands, much to the delight of the crowd. This continued until she reached his corner, with him knocking away her imaginary punches each time. Then she would head back towards her ring, two or three slow steps at a time, looking back over her shoulder with each step, give him an appraising look, shake her head and take some more steps. Finally she looked satisfied that he was weakened enough and she concluded her dance. I don’t think I can sufficiently explain how exciting this was.

Finally the match gets underway, and just like a mouse’s heart beats a hundred times faster than the much larger dog, their movements seemed to be a lot faster than the previous boxers’ movements. I was as excited if not more so than the rest of the crowd. Her arms were longer than his so she was getting in a few more punches than he was. Whenever she hit him I’d let out a roaring cheer, however when he kicked her I would cringe and have to stifle a cry of , “Hey she’s a girl! leave her alone!!” I think I might have been a little too into it. The rounds were only two minutes each as opposed to the 3 minute rounds of the older fighters, but by the 4th round the girl’s face was showing clear signs that she was getting tired. My heart broke. After a while though I started to have terrible misgivings about the whole adventure. Thoughts like “What are you watching?!” and “You are paying people who make two little kids fight!” ran through my mind. I was feeling very conflicted by the whole situation. I was able to put those thoughts to the back of my mind though when they announced that the winner was the girl. The whole place erupted and I am not afraid to say that I almost had a tear in my eye. I was so happy for her.

But then I started to feel a little sorry for the boy, who not only had to live with being beaten by a girl, but he had lost 7000 baht (if that story was to be believed.) After the fight both of the kids went around the audience and posed for photos and accepted money from the crowd. I gave her 100 baht and him 20. Now all he needed was another 6980 baht. When I posed for my photo with her I put my arm around her shoulder and I could feel her arm on the other side. It was rock solid. There was one more match after that, apparently a champion of the south versus a champion of the north, but I soon lost interest and went back to the hotel after the kids had gone.

In the songtaew on the way back I started to think about the whole night and had a number of questions. I wonder if they were really fighting or if they were like a brother and sister and have that same fight for the tourists every week? I wonder if they go to school like other kids. I would imagine it takes a lot of training to get to that kind of level, plus the announcer had mentioned that typical Muay Thai boxers train for 12 hours a day. I wonder if they get to keep the money that they are given by the tourists or if unscrupulous event organizers pocket it. Or do their parents collect it?

Iranian Woman Is First Female Space Tourist; Agrees To Wear Spacesuit

Writen by Tom Attea

Just when we thought all Iranian women were contentedly hiding behind their veils, what do we read but one not only made it to America but just made it into space?

The daring and successful Anousheh Ansari, who grew up in Iran dreaming, not of memorizing the Koran as a safe substitute for original thought, but of space, has become the first female space tourist.

She blasted off from Kazakhstan in a Soyuz rocket with astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria of NASA and cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin of Russia.

“Ever since I can remember,” she said, “it has been in my soul and in my heart. I’ve always been interested in and fascinated by space.”

How did she do it?

Ansari left Iran, where she was born in 1966, with her sagacious parents, shortly after the grim Islamic revolution. Once here, she studied electronics and data processing, got her American citizenship, and went on to graduate from George Mason University in Virginia and George Washington University in DC.

She learned well and filed patents in telecommunications. She convinced her husband to leave the comforts of corporate corridors and set up their own venture in 1993. The telecommunications company they started grew and had 250 employees, when the Ansaris sold it in 2000. Which helps explain how the lass could come up with the $25-million for the ticket to history.

But there’s more. Her family, apparently widely successful, has invested in technology, including space exploration, to which they gave $10 million to a foundation that encourages advances in space flight.

The venturesome Iranian woman is also studying for a diploma in astronomy.

“I hope that not only my flights, but the life I have lived so far, become an inspiration for all youth all over the world, especially women and girls around the world to pursue their dreams,” she said. “It may seem very hard… but looking at my background they can see that sometimes the impossible can be possible and dreams can come true.”

As a fillip to diplomatic amity, earlier in the year she displayed the flags of Iran and the United States on her spacesuit. “I felt that by wearing the two badges I can demonstrate that both countries had something to do with making me the person who I am today,” she said.

May she be an inspiration to many in her homeland.

She certainly qualifies as one in a world weary of hearing just how far along the radical road to earthbound conduct Iran has trod.

Playing the Hokey Pokey can get you Killed During a Fire Drill

Writen by Brandon Mendelson

It is four a.m. I have been asleep for roughly two hours. I can still smell and taste this really disgusting pizza we had a few hours earlier. Suddenly the fire alarm goes off throughout the entire building. I decided I was going to go back to sleep until a tiny voice in my head started shouting like a computer nerd during a power failure, “you’re an RA! Get the heck out there!” I kind of wish we had a costume we can wear underneath our clothing with the words RA in the middle like Superman’s. This way I can hurl myself out the window, land on my feet, and report for duty without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately I’m not that lucky. It’s four in the morning, and when it’s that early nothing wants to work, not even your brain. After tripping over my cable wire, I managed to grab whatever clothes I could find and put them on. As I went to the door I realized I live in Potsdam, and in this wonderful town of ours it is most likely freezing outside, even in the middle of April. So I stopped, took a deep breath, and grabbed my winter jacket as I went out the door. I had this feeling it would be a long one

On my way down the stairs one of my residents pointed out there was some smoke drifting in from the 5th floor. I stopped, poked my head in, and then that little voice went off again, “Hey Jerk, since you got out of bed late, it is likely most of the people are outside, you should get your ass down there.” For once that little voice had some sound advice. Usually he is telling me to pick fights with small children in front of their parents. I made my way down the stairs, checked in with my fellow RAs, and went to work making sure no one ran back into the building while the fire department did their thing. This gave me some time to reflect on common occurrences I have experienced at different colleges during a fire alarm. I would like to share some advice to those of you who find yourself outside during a fire alarm:

1) Shut up.

Seriously. Shut up. And I don’t mean shut up if you’re talking to your friends or privately bitching about being outside. That’s ok with me. It’s cold and it’s early. No one wants to be outside, not even your Resident Assistants. But every time students have to go outside, there is always someone who has to be the center of attention. And that person must think they’re hip, cool, and original for being stupid. Shouting stuff like “Whoooo” or the ever popular “let’s rush the door, they can’t catch all of us” is just stupid. Go play Frisbee or something if you have that much energy so early in the morning. Of course, the worst example of this was at Alfred State during the semester’s first fire drill. Everyone filed out, the RAs did their thing and blocked the door until it was safe, and everyone was quiet. And then suddenly out of the great void one idiot decides to shout, “let’s play the hokey pokey!” I won’t lie, I was hoping someone would kill him. No one cares or wants to hear what idiotic things you have to yell during a fire drill. You know what they do want to hear? “It’s ok to go back inside.” Anything before that is just white noise. And I don’t mean the kind where the dead people speak to you.

2) Don’t rush the door.

“Let’s rush the door. They won’t be able to catch all of us” ranks up there with such great sayings as, “Adolph Hitler had some good ideas” and “Say, we should make another ‘Scary Movie.’” For starters, the odds are people know who you are and what you look like. So even if you rushed the doors and made it inside, the RAs will find out and you will be written up. Second, what is running inside going to accomplish? We’ve already established the only cool part of a fire alarm going off is when everyone can go back inside. Do you seriously crave attention that much? I’m pretty sure they made My Space for people like you. Get a profile and plop yourself down in front of it if you really need attention. No one will visit it, but at least you’ll think they do. The odds are once you’re inside you’ll find yourself running into either the village or town police, the university police or campus security, and/or the fire department. Either encounter will result in some heavy fines, which will zap your beer money, and result in possible judicial action. So now, not only have you made an ass out of yourself, pissed off the RAs, and guaranteed a steep fine against you, but now you may find yourself standing face to face with some angry police officers. Great idea, Skippy. Great idea.

3) Don’t stay in your room.

I’ll be the first to admit that during my time as a normal resident I have slept through a fire alarm or several. I never believed that the fire department would come in with the university police or RAs and check the room. Well, the truth is that not only are the rooms checked when the fire alarm goes off, but also you can be fined a lot if they catch you in your Captain Planet pajamas. I’ll skip right over the part where you might have a picture taken of you in said jammies and later find it all over the Internet faster than you can say “Star Wars kid.” As much as it sucks, and remember, I am not writing this to say getting up early in the morning or standing outside in the freezing cold doesn’t suck, you need to get out of the building when the alarm goes off. Think of it like this: how often during your time at college have you found a way to embarrass yourself in front of a large group of people? Plenty if you’re really honest with yourself (and if you said never, you’re wasting the best time of your life.) So let’s look at a trade off, do you want to embarrass yourself by going outside wearing Captain Planet pajamas or do you want to have an officer, fire marshal, or Resident Assistant find you in your jammies and issue you a huge fine for hanging out in your room. And let’s not mention the number of very pissed off people their might be outside who may find out you were nice and warm while they froze their asses off.

Finally, when you make it back into the building, hopefully in a calm and orderly fashion that doesn’t resemble a European football riot, don’t get on the elevator. Seriously. Don’t get near the elevator. Unless you’re in one of those massive dorms with 22 floors, just suck it up and take the stairs. Elevators and the rest of the building’s electrical system likes to mess with people after the alarm goes off, and people who use the elevator after a power outage or fire alarm may get stuck there. As someone who has been trapped in an elevator before can attest to, it blows harder than a hurricane through the Gulf Coast. If you are stuck in an elevator, try to use the emergency call button if available, or your cell phone if it works. The RA staffwellthe RAs who care about their residents. will wait outside the elevator for you until help gets there. In the meantime, try not to fart or start any awkward conversations like, “I really dislike Hispanic people.” Otherwise it may be a while before you can get back to bed in one piece.

If Third World Comes Up, Will the First World Have to Come Down?

Writen by Lance Winslow

As we bring new emerging nations into the first world, we must be careful not to overwhelm the system of the first world and thus the transition must be very careful done and well planned. Now then consider this article excerpt I wrote in 1999;

“Also factor in the 3.5 billion people coming into the capitalistic World [China, India, etc.] we live and bringing with them abundant labor to make anything without the need to build on old or renew old infrastructure and all of our technology to boot. What is going to happen? People will be upset and social conflict amongst our new neighbors will erupt. If we are going to have one World then Americans are going to have to have a decrease in quality of life so that the rest of the World can catch up. Otherwise we will have to stop illegal immigration all together and slow down legal immigration. Our worst recession in California since the great depression was at 9% unemployment. Do you remember that? Every businessperson fought for each customer and back then customer service was either good and ass kissing was done or that business was gone. Today small business and even large businesses have forgotten those lessons of only a decade or two prior; Why?”

The first world and their citizens must not get complacent or expect any sort of sense of entitlement, nor should they overly work to exploit those huge populations marching forward to a better life. Things are changing and change can be good or bad depending on how you play it and all those in the first world need to consider all this now in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Top 10 Questions about Body Piercing

Writen by Lucy P. Roberts

Body piercing has grown so much in popularity in recent years that it has become almost mainstream, with more and more people sporting navel rings and multiple ear rings. Facial piercings, surface piercings and lots of others to choose from can make things confusing. If you don’t know what to expect when you decide to get a piercing, it can be even more intimidating. Here are some of the top questions people have about body piercing.

1. I want to get a body piercing. How much will it cost?

The cost of a body piercing varies depending on several factors, including where you’re located, how close to a major city you are, and what kind of piercing you’re having done. Generally the more difficult the piercing, the higher the cost. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for as well, so don’t depend entirely upon cost to choose your piercer. If a piercer is charging significantly under the market cost in your area, he may be cutting corners in areas he shouldn’t, such as sterilization and other safety procedures.

On average, the cost of piercings fall somewhere in these ranges:

• Ears (lobes, cartilage, etc.)…..anywhere from $25-$50
• Navel……………………………..$45-$55
• Tongue……………………………$45-$55
• Labret…………………………….$50-$60
• Eyebrow…………………………..$40-$50
• Nipple……………………………..$45-$55
• Nostril…………………………….$45-$55
• Genital…………………………….$75-$100

2. Does it hurt?

In simple terms, yes. Does it hurt much? Most people will tell you, “No, not really.” It’s usually more like a pinching or popping sensation than anything. The sensation of pain is relativesome people feel it more than others. The adrenalin rush of the piercing usually means the pain in minimal.

After the initial pain when the needle goes through the piercing, you may feel some dull pain or an aching sensation for a few hours, which can be relieved with an over the counter pain reliever. One piercing that does hurt a bit more than others is the tongue piercing, which will swell and be sensitive for a few days. Ice chips and popsicles will help soothe the pain of this kind of new piercing.

3. How long does it take a body piercing to heal?

The healing time for a body piercing varies depending upon what you’ve had pierced. Some parts of the body heal more quickly than others. For instance, if you pierce your earlobes, you can expect them to heal within two months and be ready for jewelry other than the original piercing jewelry.

The belly button is in an area that heals slowly, however, because it’s right where the body twists and turns, which slows the healing process. It also doesn’t get as much air circulation because it is covered much of the time. It can take up to six months or even a year for a belly button piercing to heal completely.

Some general healing times are:

• Ear lobes……….6-8 weeks
• Cartilage………..4-8 months
• Eyebrow………..6-8 weeks
• Nostril…………..3-4 months
• Septum………….6-8 months
• Labret…………..2-3 months
• Tongue………….4-6 weeks
• Nipple…………..4-6 months
• Navel……………5 months-1 year
• Genitals…………6 weeks-6 months

The better you care for a body piercing, the more quickly it will heal, so be sure to discuss the proper care of your piercing with the piercing professional who does your body piercing to ensure a quick, clean piercing and you will heal in the least amount of time possible.

4. How can I tell if a piercing is infected, or it’s just normal healing stuff?

All body piercings will have some drainage during the first several days. This is because you have basically given your body a puncture wound, and your body will bleed for a while, and then have drainage of some fluids as it heals. These fluids are actually good for you, as they keep the area moist and clean and will wash away some of the dirt and germs that might otherwise stay in the area.

Bleeding should stop within a few hours or the first day and be only small amounts. Often it will look watery. Drainage will be mostly a clear, watery discharge, although it can sometimes be somewhat white in color. The drainage will form “crusties” around the jewelry that can be washed off with warm, soapy water when you clean your piercing each day.

A piercing is infected when the discharge is either green or yellow. Also, if the area becomes swollen or inflamed again after the initial swelling has subsided. Any time you see green or yellow pus or discharge; you should see a doctor and get appropriate medical treatment. It won’t necessarily mean you have to remove your piercing; you may simply have to take a course of antibiotics. If the area becomes red and inflamed with red streaks radiating out from the area, see a doctor right away.

5. What should I look for in a good body piercing studio?

A good body piercing studio must first and foremost be clean, clean, and clean! The most common cause of infection is piercings is simple exposure to germs, so look for a piercing parlor that is very strict about its cleanliness and sterilization procedures. They should have a separate room where nothing else is done but piercings.

They should always have an operational autoclave, which is a wet steam sterilization unit that is to be used to clean and sterilize all tools and equipment used during piercing. They should also pierce only with single-use, disposable needles that are pre-wrapped. Ask them if this is what they use, and insist that the needles not be opened until they are actually ready to do your piercing so that you can confirm they are sterile-wrapped.

Look for experience and qualifications. Have all the piercers been through an apprenticeship program? If so, for how long did they train and where? Also make sure they are licensed to operate a piercing studio by their state’s department of health. In most states this is now mandatory. Also check the date to make sure it isn’t expired. Finally, look for a certificate of membership in a professional society such as the Association of Professional Piercers, an organization that supports safe and professional piercing practices and offers extensive ongoing training.

6. Why can’t I just pierce myself?

You can pierce yourself, but it’s not really a good idea. It’s simply too hard to keep the area in your own home (or wherever you happen to be) clean and sterile enough. You also may have trouble lining up and placing a piercing squarely where you want it, and if you lose your nerve half-way through the piercing, you’re stuck with it half done.

If you do it at home, you’ll probably do it on an impulse, which will mean you won’t have the right tools. Piercing needles are incredibly sharp in order to reduce the pain and make a good, clean cut. No matter how sharp that sewing needle is at home, it’s not as sharp as a piercing needle, so it will hurt more, bleed more, and may not heal as cleanly.

7. What should I clean my piercing with?

Today most professional piercers agree that the best way to clean a fresh piercing is with a mild antibacterial soap. These should not contain perfumes or dyes, which can irritate a piercing and lead to discomfort or an allergic reaction. There are a few on the market that are specifically designed for body piercings, including Provon

A Life Of Lorenzo Da Ponte:Talent Flies; Practical Reason Walks

Writen by Tom Attea

Among the world’s favorite operas, we find three of them with a libretto penned by Lorenzo Da Ponte and music by none other than the astonishingly delightful Viennese ear-confectioner Mozart. The list is a delight in itself: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovann, and Cos