Appearing Youthful and Acting Youthful As You Age and Retire

Appearing Youthful and Acting Youthful As You Age and Retire Baby boomers may not have a corner on the marketplace for an urgent wish to remain youthful, however they without doubt have set a high standard for creating a virtual avalanche of product and services to satisfy that desire. The search to look young for baby boomers has resulted in an increase of profits within the cosmetic and plastic surgery markets. It's easy to disapprove of the desire of baby boomers to want to see themselves as youthful as simple vanity. However it goes a lot deeper than that.

It does not take a lot of investigation or analysis to determine that baby boomers build their identities within the youth movement of the Nineteen Sixties and 1970s. Before the boomer generation erupted like a generational volcano, there really was no youth movement. But in the Sixties, when youth culture just about took over America and indeed world culture, everything modified for baby boomers and that changed was never really reversed. The culture of that point that now seems a long time ago, was one of the worship of youth. That need to put age on a pedestal and worship everything regarding being young has permeated the culture even as the boomer generation moved into middle age and currently is on the verge of creating the largest retirement generation ever. Not all of the youth worship that's straightforward to document in baby boomers is simply concerning trying sexy and dreading the physical changes of growing older. Some of what boomer's love concerning the concept of youth has to do with the idealism and therefore the commitment to causes that's common for young people. The desire to alter the world and to be a force to create mankind better was part of what made the new youth culture within the Sixties so unique. And as a result of those values are laudable, we really can't completely condemn the will by baby boomers to stay youthful. So the desire to remain young typically manifests itself in cosmetic attempts to appear young. You can almost appreciate the appeal. We tend to all like to look young. But the important source of youth is not a tight butt and abs and smooth, wrinkle free skin. The phrase "you're as young as you feel" is often scoffed at by baby boomers as a cheap cop out. And it will be used to have an excuse to behave younger than you're and perhaps want to socialize with younger people in an inappropriate way. But it will also reflect that an inner youthfulness that is fueled by a youthful outlook on life and a basic policy of fine health and exercise will keep anyone spry and vital well into their senior years. It's when baby boomers mix those elements of "inner youthfulness' with their cosmetic efforts to stay young that they really do retain a lot of their youth beyond what their years would report. We all have met an older man or woman who is so full of life and fun that they leave you feeling older than they are. The spark in the eye, the curiosity regarding everything life has to supply and that optimism and idealism that you ordinarily associate with teenagers is actually inspiring when it is being expressed by a senior citizen. This is the 000 youth movement that the baby boomer generation is pioneering. It is more than dying the hair or using Botox and wrinkle creams. It is about being strong role models to the youth coming up that they don't have to give up on their dreams and that their idealism and excitement in living will thrive irrespective of what age they are. And if that is the legacy of the baby boomer generation, it's a fine epic for them to leave behind for future generations to enjoy. Appearing Youthful and Acting Youthful As You Age and Retire

Fitness Equipment: The 21 Epic EL 2980 Elliptical Trainer Review

Fitness Equipment: The 21 Epic EL 2980 Elliptical Trainer Review Total body fitness has never been as important as in today's self-conscious society. Looking your very best not only has an effect on the way other people see you, but also helps to enhance your self-image. What better way to get yourself in shape than with a superior quality piece of fitness equipment? Elliptical trainers are a popular choice for those just starting on their fitness journey or for those well into their journey. If health and fitness is a preferred factor in your life, then we would like to introduce you to an excellent, effective exercise machine that can sculpt your physique into what you want it to be-The 21 Epic EL 2980 Elliptical Trainer.

Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5.0 Key Features: Offers 20 Personal Trainer Workout Programs including aerobic, performance, and weight loss and 4 additional heart rate programs for a wide range of exercises from which to choose. Has a BodyPulse Heart Rate Monitor to achieve ultimate cardiovascular benefits Comes with iFit Fitness Journal Has inbuilt Sound System for your listening enjoyment with Compatible Music Port for iPod Is equipped with ClearView™ Backlit Display with a wide angle for easy reading. It displays time, speed, resistance, distance, RPM, pulse, calories burned and carbs burned Comes with a CoolAire™ Workout Fan for a pleasant, cool breeze so you won't get overheated as you work out Price: About ,999 (web price) Product Description: Smooth styling, refined technology, effective workout programs-- the Epic EL 2980 has everything. This elliptical is designed with an extra-long 20 stride-length that gives the user a longer stride; yet, it is still space-saving.It also is equipped with an aluminiumglide track which eases the friction level hence providing an amazingly smooth performance. The 21 Epic EL 2980 is an incredibly durable elliptical which has the ability to accommodate a 350 lb user capacity. A CoolAire Workout fan incorporated in the console enables a more extensive and more comfortable workout. This machine has oversized, self-levelling articulating pedals to assure that your feet remain level. This diminishes ankle rotation. Generally, this level of technology is found solely on more expensive commercial merchandise. Product Specifications: Model: Epic EL 2980 Elliptical (EPEL69908) Maximum User Capacity: 350 lbs Warranty: 1 year parts and labour Product Features: This is Epic's highest range elliptical, offering more features that any other elliptical with its maximum 350 lb user capacity as well as guiding rails much like the high-end ellipticals you would expect to see in gyms or fitness centres. In addition, this elliptical is hardwearing and constructed from steel. The resistance is magnetically distributed to the flywheel providing you with a frictionless, smooth ride. The low levels are ideal for beginners or long duration rides while the high levels provide a tough challenge for short, quick muscle strengthening workout routines. The workout programs include 20 various Personal Trainer workout programs plus 4 heart rate programs designed to maintain a perfectly paced heart rate as you gradually advance through your work out session. About the Workout Programs The Epic EL 2980 comes with a fantastic range of workout programs for specific fitness goals. They're divided into aerobic, weight loss and performance each individualized toward the specific program you choose. This provides a fantastic workout variety. The 4 heart rate programs are used with the built in heart rate sensors in each handlebar. The resistance level adapts to optimize your heart rate and keeps you in your target zone. It also increases when you need to raise your heart level and decreases when you need to lower it. Previously only athletes used this method; but it's becoming popular in gyms and home fitness too. It is a very highly-developed technique. Warranty Information: 1 year parts and labour warranty Conclusion: In our opinion, the 21 Epic EL 2890 Elliptical Trainer is a great investment for both trained professionals and beginners. The wide range of fitness programs and resistance levels can ultimately provide either a mild workout for those on a beginner's level or a more strenuous workout for those looking to train for a particular fitness event or achieve a more advanced level of fitness. The extra features such as the built in sound system, the oversized foot pedals, and the CoolAire Workout Fan, just add an extra bit of incentive to choose this particular piece of fitness equipment. By and large, this elliptical trainer outshines many of the leading competitors and can be purchased at a sensible price. Fitness Equipment: The 21 Epic EL 2980 Elliptical Trainer Review

WoW WotLK Guide - Changes to Blacksmithing

WoW WotLK Guide - Changes to Blacksmithing Wrath of the Lich King, World of Warcraft's latest expansion pack, has brought with it many new additions and alterations, most of which would be classed as upgrades (and improvements, in my opinion). Changes to Blacksmithing is one such 'upgrade'.

Blacksmithing is one of the professions that has seen significant changes (read "improvements"), having always been a somewhat pricy profession, never quite living up to its potential (again, my opinion). One of the most effective money-making schemes has been to make chains for holding your weapon on through a Disarm; however, you are unable to exercise this option prior to Level 70 which, without a decent WoW WotLK Guide, could take some considerable time. With the release of Blizzard's latest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, changes to Blacksmithing are afoot, including the targeting of the concept of adding craftable epics and PvP gear that people will actually want to buy. This will make it possible for Blacksmiths to earn gold with their improved craft in new ways, and also take up all new paths with their profession masteries. Blacksmithing as a profession will now benefit from the new socketing of items, including craftable items, that Blacksmiths will now be able to perform. Blacksmiths will only be able to sell belts that they have socketed, and may only do sockets on weapons and gear through trade windows. This, effectively, will be adding a trade and service aspect to the profession; something that has been conspicuous in its absence up until now. In addition to the above changes to Blacksmithing, Blacksmiths will also be able to socket their own gloves and bracers with bonuses that are better than most enchants out there. Blacksmiths will also now be able to craft epic BoE items and sell them at auction and, while they may not be quite on par with raid quality items, they will be the easiest epic items to achieve in the game, and will still reward decent profits for most blacksmiths, because the majority of players still don't go on raids to get those high end items. In a nutshell, Blacksmithing can only benefit from the numerous changes and, while they may not be enough to significantly boost the Blacksmith's gold making potential, they certainly add new levels and depth (and interest) to the profession, that were not there previously. If you are already a Blacksmith (or are thinking about being one), it may be well worth your time to continue leveling towards 450 for the benefits of these new options that were not previously available. WoW WotLK Guide - Changes to Blacksmithing

What If There Really Was Equal Justice For All - A Book Review

What If There Really Was Equal Justice For All - A Book Review The civil rights movement in the United States was nothing short of epic. And it really was befitting of the United States considering what we claim to stand for. Some say that we went too far, and actually in many cases promoted those who had been pushed down before above those races and nationalities who once controlled everything. They call it reverse discrimination.

Nevertheless, perhaps you'd like to discuss this topic in depth, but you don't have the knowledge base necessary to do so. If this is the case there is an excellent book that I have on my bookshelf at home in my law library (one medium sized book case) that I could very much recommend to you. The name of the book is; "Equal Justice under the Law; the Supreme Court in American Life" by the Federal Bar Association, 1965. This book discusses civil rights in a way that no other book has. Many of the top legal thinkers of the day contributed to this work and it you will give you a broader understanding as to how the legal framework assisted in providing a fair platform for all. Many of the ideals that are wrapped up in this book, are more of the way we wish it was than it actually is, and I guess everything looks better on paper than works in real life. The reality is the United States of America is work in progress, and it always has been. Our laws aren't perfect and although we'd like to think there is equal justice for all, it doesn't always work out that way, but for the most part it leans towards fair justice for all, and indeed that's about all we can hope to expect. We must remember that our judges, our lawyers, and our citizens, along with all the politicians we vote into office are after all humans and they are fallible. This is a great book to read if you'd like to discuss the philosophical points of interest and contention having to do with civil rights and equal justice under the law. Please consider all this. What If There Really Was Equal Justice For All - A Book Review

World of Warcraft Gold Farming Tips - Making More Gold Per Hour

World of Warcraft Gold Farming Tips - Making More Gold Per Hour When you are playing World of Warcraft, you are going to need to make gold in order to buy items and armor that you will use in the game. At some point in the game you will have to go out and farm gold. This is where you purposely go out just to earn gold. This takes time. If investing considerable time to save up, you want to make more gold per hour to have more faster.

Empty your bags out before going out to farm gold. You should get as much as you possibly can when you are trying to earn money in the game. Empty bags help you hold more. You want to loot everything so you need plenty of empty bag space. Spec your talents and gear for maximum damage. This helps you kill things faster so that you can be looting faster. Use area of effect skills if your class has these to take on more than one mob at a time. If you are at a spot full of others, you need to find a new place. You should be alone enough that you can constantly be targeting a new mob and be looting as fast as you possibly can. Enchantment is a great profession for your farming character. You will pick up quite a bit of armor along the way. Disenchanting and selling the dust at the auction house helps you make more money than selling the items to the vendors. Find items that are in high demand on your server. You should then look up which mobs have the highest drop rate of this item. This helps you make more money. There isn't one spot at any time that will always be the best. This varies on the market of your server. Check all the dropped items in your bag at the auction house before selling them off to a vendor. Sometimes you will find things that have value that you didn't think were worth anything. You might as well get the most gold for your efforts than settling for the petty amount a vendor gives you. World of Warcraft Gold Farming Tips - Making More Gold Per Hour

Hollywood, Aliens, And A Christmas Story - Modern Pop Culture Images Of Hungarians in the US

Hollywood, Aliens, And A Christmas Story - Modern Pop Culture Images Of Hungarians in the US “They’re heeeeerrrrreeeeee…”: Alien-(n)ation.

One of the most enduring and entertaining images of Hungarians during the second half of the 20th century is the idea of Hungarians as aliens or Martians. Much of this is tongue-in-cheek, is not intended to be pejorative, and has been exploited to good effect and with great enjoyment by Hungarians themselves - to the point of their likely having been behind its origination. There are multiple overlapping/competing descriptions of how all this started. Consensus suggests that it came out of the circles of émigré nuclear scientists, physicists, and mathematicians who came to the US during 1930s and 1940s, many of whom were collocated at Los Alamos, New Mexico for the Manhattan Project. As George Marx, a Hungarian professor of atomic physics in Budapest, asks in his extremely engaging chapter entitled “The Martians’ Vision of the Future,” how is it that there were groups of Austrians, Germans, and Italians involved in these scientific breakthroughs and yet it was Hungarians alone who seemed to gain the moniker and association of “alien?” Marx appears to prefer the account according to which one day the Italian Enrico Fermi was speculating about the universe and the possibility of life on other planets, and Leo Szilard, a Hungarian, ventured an answer to Fermi’s question: “And so,” Fermi came to his overwhelming question, “if all this has been happening, they should have arrived here by now, so where are they?” It was Leo Szilard, a man with an impish sense of humor, who supplied the perfect reply to Fermi's rhetoric: “They are among us,” he said, “but they call themselves Hungarians.” (according to Marx, this is Francis Crick’s version of the myth) Marx elaborates on the “birth to a legend”: The myth of the Martian origin of the Hungarian scientists who entered world history on American soil during World War II probably originated in Los Alamos. Leon Lederman, director of the Fermilab, reported possible hidden intentions. The production of scientists and mathematicians in the early 20th century was so prolific that many otherwise calm observers believe Budapest was settled by Martians in a plan to infiltrate and take over the planet Earth…According to myth, at a top secret meeting of the Manhattan Project, General Groves left for the gents' room. Szilard then said: “Perhaps we may now continue in Hungarian!” Hungarian émigrés enjoyed speaking their mother tongue whenever a chance offered itself. This has made them look suspicious. Los Alamos was a place of top security. General Groves was annoyed that Neumann and Wigner had frequent telephone conversations in Hungarian. [Teller, talk in Budapest 1991.] The “thick Hungarian accent” was often heard even in the corridors of the Pentagon. (The Lugosi accent made the alien power of Dracula, the count from the faraway Transylvania even more realistic.) Marx recounts the details of the arrival of the Martians-cum-Hungarians on planet Earth: --Gabor, von Kármán, Kemeny, von Neumann, Szilard, Teller, and Wigner were born in the same quarter of Budapest [author’s note—most were Jewish…it is interesting to note that some anti-Semitic Hungarian nationalists at the same time assiduously include these names in lists of famous Hungarians]. No wonder the scientists in Los Alamos accepted the idea that well over one thousand years ago a Martian spaceship crashlanded somewhere in the center of Europe. There are three firm proofs of the extraterrestrial origins of the Hungarians: they like to wander about (like gypsies radiating out from the same region). They speak an exceptionally simple and logical language which has not the slightest connection with the language of their neighbors. And they are so much smarter than the terrestrials. (In a slight Martian accent John G. Kemeny added an explanation, namely, that it is so much easier to learn reading and writing in Hungarian than in English or French, that Hungarian kids have much more time left to study mathematics.) [quoted by Marx from “Yankee” Magazine (?) 1980] ([http://www.mek.iif.hu/kiallit/tudtor/tudos1/martians.html]) Finally, in a somewhat more serious vein, the alien connotation has been explained in analytical terms as follows: If we understand SteeDee's theory correctly, the first Hungarians- are-aliens story arose from some minor human incident. The Hungarians may have stood out from the rest of the staff at Los Alamos, perhaps by maintaining their own cliques and speaking their own indecipherable tongue, and this made the English speakers uncomfortable. The Hungarians were like aliens to the rest, and since there were many reports of "flying saucers" in the popular press in the 50s and late 40s, the "Martian" label was a convenient way to sublimate the social tensions. To be called extraterrestrials, in a jocular, rib-poking way, might have helped reduce this social friction both inside and outside the Hungarian group. If there was a problem with communication, the recurring alien joke would provide a means to make light of it, thereby expressing frustrations that could not otherwise be spoken. (http://www.ufomind.com/area51/desertrat/1995/dr29/ ) According to Marx, “as a matter of fact, these suspicious Hungarians—Theodore von Kármán, John von Neumann, Leo Szilard—enjoyed the myth. Edward Teller became especially happy of his E.T. initials, but he complained about indiscretion, ‘Von Kármán must have been talking’.” From Teller to Talleah…Zsa Zsa and Her Sisters This brings us from Teller to Talleah, the difference being that Teller was a real Hungarian scientist who pretended to play the part of an alien…whereas Talleah is the name of an alien from the 1958 King of the B Sci-fi Movies, “Queen of Outer Space”…starring none other than perhaps the most well-known Hungarian among Americans, Zsa Zsa Gabor, who plays the role of an alien scientist! [More about this hysterical film and its hysterical reviews below.] Of course, June 1989 put Hungarians on the map for many Americans. The reburial of Imre Nagy, the huge crowds, the solemn ceremony before hundreds of thousands and a live television audience, a landmark event in the history of Hungary…No, that was 16 June 1989…I am referring here to 14 June 1989, the day Zsa Zsa slapped a Beverly Hills police officer, an incident that immediately became fodder for every late night comedian and even two years later was the subject of a spoof starring the actress in the satirical film series, the Naked Gun. Such is the fate of Hungary and Hungarians in the United States. There were actually three Gabor sisters: Zsa Zsa, Eva, and Magda. I am not sure whether to say marriage or divorce ran in the family. The three sisters had more marriages than they did important movie roles. To borrow a page from Dave Barry in another context (Dave Barry Slept Here, Random House 1989, p. 101), here are the final tallies of the three sisters in Marriages: Final (?) Gabor Sister Marriage Standings Zsa Zsa 9* *** **** Magda 6** Eva 5 *It is difficult to know how exactly to calculate Zsa Zsa’s total number of husbands…since as she once responded: “How many husbands have I had? You mean apart from my own?” **These numbers may be affected by the fact that both Zsa Zsa and Magda were married to the English actor George Sanders, if sixteen years apart. Not to make too much light of things, but Sanders eventually committed suicide. He played the part of Mr. Freeze in the Batman television series, that Zsa Zsa made guest appearances on (see below). ***It seemed only fitting in early 2007 surrounding the macabre and absurd Anna Nicole Smith custody fight that Zsa Zsa’s most recent husband—Prinz von Anhalt—claimed that he had a ten year affair with Anna Nicole and was the father of her orphaned child. (Supposedly, Zsa Zsa was angered and hurt by this admission, but can one completely discount the possibility that it was yet another attempt for Zsa Zsa to get back in the limelight, and after all, hadn’t Anna Nicole Smith been famous for being famous.) ****It may surprise almost no one in a certain sense, but Zsa Zsa’s daughter by Conrad Hilton (the only child of all three Gabor sisters) is grand-aunt to Paris and Nicole Hilton. Zsa Zsa claims that she won the 1936 Hungarian beauty pageant (according to one Hungarian source, Sandor Incze who discovered Zsa Zsa, invented the idea of the beauty pageant…don’t think so), although her mother Jolie (“pretty” in French), married only twice, and fond of “new math” long before we knew it was new—like her daughters she seemed genetically incapable of telling her true age; if she was telling the truth her first daughter, Magda, would have been born when Jolie was thirteen!—claimed it was she (the mother) and not Zsa Zsa who had won the beauty pageant. (To use the famous Casey Stengel line “You can look it up!”…these things should be verifiable, although I will leave that to others to investigate since it is beyond the intended scope of this paper.) The “Queen of Outer Space” or “Damn it, Jim, I’m a Former Hungarian Beauty Queen, Not a(n Alien) Scientist” Zsa Zsa’s film career is summarized by the online film critic “Jabootu” as follows: Unfortunately, Ms. Gabor’s Hollywood career proved much less epic [than her married life or run-ins with the law]. In John Huston’s 1952 Moulin Rouge, Zsa Zsa played, in a bold move, a Euro-sexpot opposite Jose Ferrer’s Toulouse-Lautrec. The following year she appeared in a supporting role in the musical Lili, which co-starred the unrelated but similarly monikered Mel Ferrer. From there, though, it was all downhill. Her few starring roles included playing twins (!!) in the hilarious-sounding espionage meller Girl in the Kremlin. In case you’re wondering, one of the twins [is] Stalin’s mistress (!!), the other a spy working against the Soviets. Zsa Zsa also had a bit part in Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil. (http://www.jabootu.com/queen.htm) But perhaps “Jabootu” is being too hasty and superficial in judging Ms. Gabor’s career. Maybe we have underestimated Zsa Zsa’s roles in movie and television. For example, Zsa Zsa has recounted how she liked playing the role of “spy” when she guest-starred on the Batman serial as Minerva, a beauty parlor owner, whose hairdryers could read the minds of (male) clients. Was the episode perhaps a skillful allegory about how the totalitarian state uses the most banal and subversive means to pry into the lives of its citizens? (Was the “mullet” a communist plot to make Americans look stupid? Tune in next time, same Battime, same Batchannel…) Evidence for such a, more enlightened, revisionist view comes from the 1958 movie “Queen of Outer Space,” in which Zsa Zsa plays Talleah, an alien scientist, who leads the women of Venus against the sadistic, disfigured Queen Yllana, thereby saving a flight crew of men from Earth whom Yllana has cruelly imprisoned. I argue here that this film only appears to be a sexist, cheesy, and moronic vehicle for profit, when in fact that is part of its subterfuge and inner-brilliance. The movie is, in fact, a subtle and sophisticated allegory of communist Hungary and the outbreak and crushing of the 1956 Hungarian uprising. Let us take another look at this film—although, unfortunately, we are forced to rely on the flippant and sometimes juvenile comments of “Jabootu” for a discussion of the plot. In this first extended excerpt, we find Zsa Zsa’s Talleah (symbolizing the Hungarian resistance) being informed that recently arrived Earthmen (“bourgeois” intellectuals, “men” had been banished from the planet, although “scientists and mathematicians” were retained because they were needed) have been imprisoned by the evil Yllana (the communists/Soviets). Talleah recounts for the men, the sad history of the planet, the destructive war, how Yllana went from well-meaning rebel to tyrant, etc. The astute reader will notice here that Zsa Zsa is in fact recounting the destruction of World War II in Hungary—she says “Ten Earth years ago”!—the coming to power of the communists, the initial “popular” image of the Soviets as liberators, and their construction of a people’s dictatorship…. “To Be Hungarian Is Not Enough…”: Hollywood and Hungarians As is to be expected of space travelers, Hungarians claim to have founded certain places…one of them being Hollywood. Adolph Zukor of Paramount Pictures, one of the early Hungarians in Hollywood is said to have had on the wall of his office an inscription: “TO BE A HUNGARIAN IS NOT ENOUGH.” To this George Marx adds, “in a low voice Adolph would add, ‘but it may help’.” He continues, “Non-Hungarians in Hollywood used to say, “If you have a Hungarian friend, you don't need an enemy.” The MGM commissary was said to have a sign which read, “Just because you’re Hungarian, doesn’t mean you’re a genius!” The influence of Hungarians on Hollywood is astounding. In 1996, the Associated Press reported that of the 136 Oscar nominations since 1929, Hungarians had won 30 of them. Some of the names are more familiar than others. George Cukor—not to be confused with the aforementioned Adolph Zukor, “Mr. Motion Pictures,” founder of Paramount Pictures, and producer of perhaps the first film “Prisoner of Zenda”—captured five best director nominations, including for My Fair Lady (’Enry ’Iggins says of Zoltan Karpathy: “Every time we looked around there he was that hairy hound from Budapest. Never leaving us alone, never have I ever known a ruder pest.”). William Fox of “20th Century Fox” was born near Tokaj, Hungary, famous for its sweet wines. Among the better-known actors other than Bela Lugosi (born Bela Blasko) and the Gabor clan, we can name Leslie Howard, born Laszlo Steiner, and Tony Curtis, born Bernard Schwartz (born in Budapest, fluent in Hungarian), and Peter Lorre. Speaking of Bela Lugosi…there is the following unforgettable exchange between Johnny Depp playing legendary B-moviemaker Ed Wood and Martin Landau (himself of interplanetary space travel frequently) in his Oscar-winning portrayal of aging, foul-mouthed, bitter, and morphine-addicted Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood” (1994): [Ed and Bela are watching Vampira's TV show.] Ed Wood: Oh, I hate it when she interrupts the picture. She doesn't show 'em the proper respect. Bela Lugosi: I think she's a honey. Look at those jugs! [Bela Lugosi casts a love spell on Vampira who is on TV while moving his fingers like Dracula] Edward D. Wood, Jr.: My Gosh, Bela, how do you do that? Bela Lugosi: You must be double-jointed. And you must be Hungarian. [!] Some “Hungarians” famous in film and television will come as a surprise. Drew Barrymore’s mother was Ildiko Jaid Mako. Jerry Seinfeld might talk about Ceausescu above, but his father was named Kalman Seinfeld. Paul Newman’s mother was Hungarian. And half of the famed animator set behind “The Simpsons” and a series of other cartoons, Klasky Csupo—Gabor Csupo—is a Hungarian (he fled Hungary in 1975 hiking through a 2 ½ hours through a darkened railway tunnel to Austria). The trivia of all these cases is to say the least entertaining. Other great finds on the webenetics site are the following. Ilona Staller, aka Ciccolina, of blue movies and green politics, had a red father—a member of the early communist Interior Ministry. And Juan Epstein’s mother—whose signature concluded every excuse note Juan Epstein brought to class in the 1970s ABC sitcom “Welcome back, Kotter!”—is in fact Hungarian, Juan Epstein having been played by Robert Hegyes. “What’s that? Hungarian roots?”: Budapest and Wanting the Other MTV Then there are the Hungarian roots of rock and pop stars. Appropriately enough, while Art Garfunkel is of Romanian Jewish ancestry, Paul Simon is of Hungarian Jewish ancestry. Tommy Ramone, drummer for “The Ramones,” was born with the more sedate name of Thomas Erdelyi. We can salute Gene Simmons of KISS (or should it have been KISz?) as half-Hungarian, and you might find it ironic, but you ought to know that Alanis Morissette is supposedly half Hungarian. It also turns out that the father of the Knopfler brothers of the “Dire Straits” band was a Hungarian Jew who fled the Nazis to Glasgow in 1939. The Hungarian tie of “Dire Straits” is interesting—even if probably entirely incidental—in light of the “video within a video” of the band’s most famous commercial/video success, “Money for Nothing (1985).” “Money for Nothing” is better known for its line “I want my MTV”—brilliant and somewhat satirical marketing, mention the video channel coming of age in an iconic way in your song/video and you will guarantee play there. (It was also the first video played when MTV Europe debuted on 1 August 1987—for those too young to remember, MTV, no not Magyar Televizio, was a brief experiment in playing something called “music videos” until reality shows killed the music video star). The premise, the inspiration of “Money for Nothing,” was a bunch of workers moving appliances and commenting while, as it turns outs, watching Sting’s “The Russians” video on a wall of TV screens. (Ooohhhh, Sting mentioned the Russians, do they really love their children too? Ooooohhhhh, how daring…because I’m sure the Russians do love their children too…1985, the eighties, ugh). I had always wondered about “the video within the video” since the bikini-clad “mama she got it stickin’ in the camera lens” model appears to be posing in the Halaszbastya (Fisherman’s Bastion on the Buda side of Budapest) which I had then just recently visited (May 1985, the video came out in September 1985). Turns out I wasn’t hallucinating for as Dennis O’Connell writes: The video was produced by Steve Barron, who envisioned that the entire video be computer animated. The band wanted a live video. The final product was a mix: footage from Budapest enhanced by computers along with a computer generated character, Sal, which was inspired by Joe Pesci's character in Raging Bull. Sting, the object of the workers’ derision that gave rise to the song, performs back up vocals on “Money for Nothing.” Bringing everything full circle, my Russian History professor in college decided to open his semester with “Money for Nothing” blaring as students entered the classroom. Camp. La(s)zlo In keeping with the alien riff, Hungarians love their inside jokes. The crowd-favorite, sentimentalist Hollywood film, “Casablanca,” with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman (nope, neither of them Hungarian), was directed by Michael Curtiz (Kertesz). S. Z. “Cuddles” Sakall, a Hungarian stage actor, played the role of Karl, the kindly Austrian waiter in Rick’s Café. The famous historian John Lukacs (author of Budapest 1900) among others has argued that there is a typical Hungarian inside joke in this film—or at least the film bears the marks of its Hungarian director. Ingrid Bergman’s underground, Czech resistance leader husband in the film is named Victor Laszlo. Now, of course, as Lukacs notes—personally, he describes the movie as “imbecile”—“Laszlo” is neither a first nor last name in Czech. It is, however a sometimes last name, but frequent first-name in Hungarian—and Curtiz was surrounded “by a slew of Hungarian scriptwriters in Hollywood, many of whose first names were Laszlo” (Lukacs, 1989, pp. 178-179). Hence, the name in the film. (There is also a popular contemporary cartoon named “Camp Lazlo,” but Lazlo is a Brazilian spider monkey, and as far as I can tell there is in no conscious Hungarian connection behind the name choice.) But I would argue there are even better inside Hungarian jokes than that of “Victor Laszlo” woven into movies, as I will now demonstrate. The Boy Named Wolf in Hungarian Who Made Ralphie Cry… It took over 30,000 feet, several time zone changes, and countless years to figure it out. A few years ago (2001) I was flying out west and scanning the music channels for the headphones. On the classical music channel I suddenly came upon a familiar tune. Yes, there it was: the tune that would repeat everytime the school bully would appear in the lovable, sentimental, nostalgia-fest for a life that few of us ever lived, that is “A Christmas Story (1983).” I thought I recognized the music: it was Sergei Prokofiev’s famous “Peter and the Wolf,” and the theme—that which Prokofiev used for the wolf—became the school bully’s signature in the film. Upon the first hearing of this tune, when the school bully makes his first frightening appearance, the reminiscing “Ralphie,” the little boy who is the main protagonist of the movie, exclaims, “it was Farkas, Scott Farkas, the school bully…he had yellow eyes, yellow eyes I tell you.” (Ralphie’s younger brother, Randy “lay there like a slug…it was his only defense”!) (Spoiler Warning!: When I came to this personal epiphany in 2001, and even while I was writing this article in 2005, there was no indication on the Internet that anybody else had recorded this observation, which led me to question whether an overactive imagination had gotten the best of me yet again. What a great difference two years can be in the Internet age: now a google search for “farkas wolf ‘christmas story’ prokofiev” yields 123 hits, beginning with the wikipedia entry for the film!) Why is this important you ask? Well, if you know Hungarian, you will know that “farkas” is the Hungarian word for “wolf.” Therefore, to play the theme of the “wolf” from Prokofiev’s work—a piece drafted, it would appear, for children to learn the various instruments of an orchestra—is to play an obscure “inside joke” on the viewers of the film. (Making it even better is the fact that the actor who plays the part of Ralphie is Peter! Billingsley.) Jean Shepherd, upon whose book the movie is based—and who also narrates the film from the perspective of an adult Ralphie looking back on his childhood—appears to have chosen the name of the bully, “Scott (Scut) Farkas,” himself. The story is set in 1940s northwestern Indiana—significantly, Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” debuted in 1936 and became the subject of a Disney cartoon—so the presence of people of Hungarian ancestry and last names is plausible. It is always possible that the Prokofiev-wolf-farkas nexus is just an unintentional, if very witty happenstance. But the idea of it having been one of the ultimate Hungarian “inside jokes”—although Jean Shepherd does not appear to have been Hungarian himself—is enhanced by the comparatively unknown and definitely less memorable sequel to “A Christmas Story,” “It Runs in the Family (1994),” in which Ralphie’s father recounts the story of “the Hungarian barber’s cross-eyed daughter.” Shepherd died in 1999, but as with many common last names from other cultures—and farkas can perhaps be deemed one of those—growing up with Hungarian acquaintances it is conceivable that Shepherd would have known the meaning of the name in Hungarian. “Honky”: The Hungarian Roots of a Racial Epithet Speaking of the Hungarian(-American) “working class” in the Chicago environs. According to the entry on the wikipedia: Honky, Honkey or Honkie is an American racial slur for a Caucasian, usually applied to males. The word “honky” as a pejorative for Caucasians comes from "bohunk" and "hunky". In the early 1900’s, these were derogatory terms for Bohemian, Hungarian, and Polish immigrants. According to Robert Hendrickson, author of the Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Black workers in Chicago meat-packing plants picked up the term from white workers and began applying it indiscriminately to all Caucasians. Honky, was later adopted as a pejorative meaning white, in 1967 by black militants within SNCC seeking a rebuttal for the term nigger. They settled on a familiar word they felt was disparaging to certain Americans of European descent; hunkie meaning an American of Slavic or Hungarian descent. In the Simpsons cartoon series, Homer Simpson is fond of saying when something goes wrong, particularly at the nuclear power plant where he works, “blame it on Tibor, the guy who doesn’t speak English.” One can imagine that this is something of an inside joke among the creators of the Simpsons, since the chief cartoonist Gabor Csupo is Hungarian (supposedly Hank Azaria’s character Dr. Nick Riviera, a quack physician, is supposed to be a parody of Ricky Ricardo on “I Love Lucy”—“Hi e-ver-y-bo-dy!”—but coworkers just assumed he was making fun of Gabor. Personally, I have always thought he sounds oddly like Andrei Codrescu on NPR…) According to the online urban dictionary of slang, “blame it on…Tibor” has entered at least some marginal popular discourse as shorthand for blaming the foreigner—thus in keeping perhaps, unintentionally, with the roots of “Honky”: A tibor is someone in your office whom you blame when you have done something stupid, illegal, or immoral. Typically the person is someone who cannot defend themself. Especially effective when the Tibor cannot speak English. “You'll have to jiggle the handle. That idiot, Tibor, lost the key.” Hollywood, Aliens, And A Christmas Story - Modern Pop Culture Images Of Hungarians in the US

Key Questions to Ask When Looking For a Best Career Fit

Key Questions to Ask When Looking For a Best Career Fit What Line of Work Would You Really Like to Be In?

This is an important question. You need to be honest with yourself. Life is too short to be wasting time doing something you hate, are indifferent about, and are just in for the money. Your goal needs to be: To find something you love to do, that you can feel passionate about. With that in mind. Decide now what you'd really like to do. What Are Your Transferable Skills? Maybe your current skills and experience can be transferred into an area you'd really like to work in. These are called "Transferable Skills", and you may not be aware that you have them. They are skills you've been using all along in your personal life, but didn't realize that they could be applied in the work world, or skills that you've developed in one type of work, that can be used in other types of work. Once you decide on your direction, you can design your resume with the new focus in mind. What If You Really Don't Know What You'd Like to Do? Finding a career or "Field of Work" that you know you'd enjoy and feel passionate about, creates a sense of security, of being at home in your "Field". Even if a particular job disappears, the work you love is still there. You can always find another job doing something you love, in your field. The poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann puts it like this: "Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time." How Do You Find Your Best Career Match? Decide what kind of "Work Style" you have. There are 6 Work Style preferences. One of these will be dominant in the way you live your life and function in the workplace. Determine what your "Work Values" are. Work Values are what you value most about work in terms of: your preferred work environments, as well as, the kinds of interactions you like to have with people on the job. There are 25 common work values. Knowing yours gives you a yardstick for measuring each job you are looking at, so you can avoid getting into work that doesn't suit you. Do you know what your "Personality Type" is? This is one of the best indicators of which kind of work or job a person is suited to. According to Myers-Briggs, there are 16 Personality Types that you can look at. When you pinpoint exactly the type of personality you have, you get the blueprint for the type of work you need to target for your personality type. Decide what "Motivates" you. Which of 22 natural motivators light your fire and make you passionate about what you do? It's easier to work at something that you have some real interest in, than something that you are indifferent about. Make it easier on yourself by finding out what your unique motivators are. Determine the kinds of "Intelligences" you prefer to use in your everyday life. Research has come up with ten kinds of intelligences that are being used in the workplace today. Working in a job which uses your preferred intelligences will make work seem like play, because you are using the intelligences that come easy to you. Getting Clear on the Direction You Need to Take Once you have this kind of information about yourself, a clear direction will unfold, and you'll be able to move forward with an assurance that you are on the right track. You will know the job that is right for you - your Best Career Match. Key Questions to Ask When Looking For a Best Career Fit

Flying to Canada? Here 5 Tips of What to Expect When You Get Here

Flying to Canada? Here 5 Tips of What to Expect When You Get Here Are you planning on traveling to Canada anytime soon? Many people come to Canada without any knowledge of what they should be expecting. In fact, some get so confused that they're aren't able to truly appreciate what Canada has to offer. Today I'm going to give you guys a few tips on how you can make your trip to Canada much more enjoyable.

Expect to be spoken to in multiple languages - If you don't know already, Canada has two official languages; French and English. Because of this, law states that virtually everything must be in both official languages. This includes Canadian airlines, airport signs, and the customer service agents. So if you do speak to an airport agent, expect to be greeted in both English and French. This will be especially evident if you travel to eastern parts of Canada. Don't be afraid to ask the locals for help - Canadians are famously known for their manners, so don't be alarmed if they ask you if you need help. Almost any Canadian would be happy to assist you with directions or recommendations as to what attractions you should visit. With that said, it's still a good idea to make sure you have some sort of idea of where you're going before you arrive. Security isn't as thorough as in the United States - Although security measures have greatly increased in Canadian airports since 9/11, it's not even close to what travelers go through in the United States. Canadian security is much more forgiving and less detailed than in the US. On the other hand, however, if you do something that makes you look suspicious, you'll be treated no differently than a traveler in the United States would be. Canadian security is equipped with the same equipment as the US, including the full body scanners. Don't use currency exchanges in Canadian airports - If you're planning to exchange your currency in Canada it's best to do it at a bank. This is because the currency exchange booths at the airport charge significant fees. Banks are frequent in areas with international airports, such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary. Even better, it would probably be to your benefit to get your currency exchanged before entering Canada, and then you don't have to worry about navigating the city for a bank. Customs is a breeze if you're prepared - One major difference between Canada and the United States is that customs isn't as complicated when entering Canada. As long as you have the appropriate documentation you should be fine. When you're heading back to the US, however, you must have a valid passport. If you don't, you'll not be permitted entry. I recommend that anyone traveling to Canada to have a passport, as it will make travel much easier and there will be less hassle when going through the border. Canada is very similar to the United States when it comes to travel. In fact, it's been proven to be one of the safest countries in the world to travel in. Just remember to be prepared before you arrive so you're ready for anything that may come your way during the trip. I hope that these flight travel tips helped, and that you're trip to Canada will be rewarding. Flying to Canada? Here 5 Tips of What to Expect When You Get Here

The End of Pompeii and Herculaneum (August 24-25, A.D. 79) Part 1 of 3

The End of Pompeii and Herculaneum (August 24-25, A.D. 79) Part 1 of 3 It was approximately 1 PM and lunchtime in Pompeii and Herculaneum when Mt. Vesuvius’ 19 hours of sustained eruptions began that left both towns buried in volcanic ash and rock, and frozen in time. By the end of Vesuvius’ massive eruption, more than 2,000 people had perished even though there had been sufficient time for everyone to flee. Although the actual death toll is not known since some victims perished in flight and others were swept into the Bay during the tsunami, the remains of 1,150 persons have been recovered in and around Pompeii, 350 victims in Herculaneum[1] and two on a road north of Pompeii.[2]

When Vesuvius rumbled to life sending a series of tremors days in advance, the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum, located at the mountain’s foot, were not concerned. Many were used to earthquakes, they “were lulled into a false sense of security because of the volcano’s long dormancy”[3] and/or did not realize that Vesuvius was a volcano because it had been dormant for many generations; “its slopes were covered with orchards, vineyards, and olive groves.”[4] Furthermore since the Campania region had experienced a strong earthquake in A.D. 62 that caused significant damage to both sister towns and minor quakes in A.D. 64 and A.D. 70 with no volcanic eruptions, the residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum believed they could ride out the current series of weak tremors in the safety of their homes. They did not realize that the A.D. 62 quake had possibly been caused by “a fracturing of Vesuvius’ edifice by flowing magma” and the A.D. 64 quake and [A.D. 70 ‘seismic swarm’ (series of tremors)][5] by the continued “shifting of magma” some 3 miles below the surface.[6] In addition, many did not view Vesuvius as a threat – “In the House of the Centenary (IX-8-5), a lararium (“in an ancient Roman home, a shrine for the Lares, the spirits who, if appeased, watched over the house or community to which they belonged”[7]) fresco found in the servant’s quarters [portrayed] Bacchus, represented with a bunch of grapes, a thyrsus (“a staff surmounted by a pinecone or by a bunch of vine or ivy leaves with grapes or berries”[8]) and a panther, in front of [Vesuvius] entirely covered with vineyards. The mountain was viewed as the home of this god of festivity and prosperity, and… Pompeiians never considered it to be dangerous.”[9] Accordingly they went on with their daily routines without giving the mountain much thought, even though previous writings indicated that it was a volcano. Roman architect Vitruvius (c. 70 B.C.-c. 25 B.C.) wrote in Book II of De Architectura “…that the fires [of Vesuvius] were stronger in the past and that the plentiful flames within the mountain had emerged and burned fields thereabouts. It is for this reason that the rock called ‘sponge’ or ‘Pompeiian pumice’ seems to have been formed from some other sort of rock by the heat,”[10] while Greek writer Diodorus Siculus (c. 90 B.C.-c. 30 B.C.) wrote in Book IV of Bibliotheca Historica that “the Campanian plain was called ‘Phlegrean’ (fiery) because of… Vesuvius which had spouted flame like Etna and showed signs of the fire that had burnt in ancient history,” and Greek historian and geographer, Strabo (4 B.C.-A.D. 24) wrote of Vesuvius and its surroundings in Book V, Chapter IV of Geographica – “Mt. Vesuvius dominates this region [Campania]. All but its summit is clad in exceptionally fine fields. The summit itself is mostly flat, and entirely barren. The soil looks like ash, and there are cave-like pits of blackened rock, looking gnawed by fire. This area appears to have been on fire in the past and to have had craters of flame… No doubt this is the reason for the fertility of the surrounding area, as at Catana, where they say that soil filled with the ash thrown up by Etna’s flames makes the land particularly good for vines.”[11] Even the fact that the “Phlegrean (Fiery) Fields” located some 20 miles away consisted of “smoke-filled caverns and volcanic geysers,”[12] Roman poet Publius Papinius Statius’ (A.D. 45-A.D. 96) wrote, “I am eager to move you… [even though] Vesuvius and that baleful mountain’s storm of fire have not completely drained the frightened cities of their folk…”[13] in a letter to his wife in Book III, Chapter V of Silvae and Silius Italicus (c. A.D. 25-A.D. 101) wrote "Vesuvius… thundered, hurling flames worthy of Etna from her cliffs; and the fiery crest, throwing rocks up to the clouds, reached the trembling stars"[14] in his epic poem, “Punica” about the volcano’s last known eruption in 217 B.C. eruption, people were not convinced. On the eve of the eruption, Campania was an idyllic region, “…plainly the handiwork of Nature in her favorite spot!”[15] in the words of Roman admiral, historian, philosopher, and naturalist Gaius Plinius Secundas known as Pliny The Elder (A.D. 23-A.D. 79) who perished during Vesuvius’ eruption. “Campania [is] a region blessed by fortune. From this bay (Bay of Naples) onwards you find vine-growing hills and a noble tipple of wine famed throughout the world. Over this area the gods of wine and grain fought their hardest, or so tradition tells us. The territories for Setine wine and Caecuban begin here; beyond these lie Falernum and Calenum. Then come the Massic Mountains, and those of Gauranum and Surrentum. There lie spread the fields of Lebroinum with their fine harvest of grain. These shores are watered by warm springs; they are famed beyond any other for their shellfish and their fine fish. Nowhere do olives produce more oil – the production strives to match the demands of human pleasure.”[16] At this time, Pompeii with a population of about 20,000 was a “commercial and agricultural center” and an upper class neighborhood in the midst of an election campaign while Herculaneum, with a population of about 5,000 was a resort favored by wealthy Romans that consisted of an amphitheatre that could seat 16,000 people, “dozens of taverns, magnificent brothels and lavishly appointed baths.”[17] Both, though mostly rebuilt, were still undergoing construction to repair the affects of the devastating A.D. 62 quake which in the words of Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c. 4 B.C.-A.D. 65), emperor Nero’s administrator, “laid down Pompeii, made great ruins in Herculaneum and caused minor damage in Nuceria and Naples, where the emperor Nero was performing in the theatre. …the earthquakes lasted for several days until they became milder ‘but still caused great damage.’”[18] Evidence of ongoing repairs consisted of a “plastered” cracked oven, the mending of previously damaged buildings, digging of three cesspits linking latrines to houses, an open trench for a water tower and “heaps of plaster.”[19] Seneca also wrote in a letter: “Pompeii, so they tell me, has collapsed in an earthquake. It is a well-known city in Campania, with Surrentum and Stabiae on one side and Herculaneum on the other. The coastline here pulls back from the open sea and shelters Pompeii in a pleasant bay. Some areas near Pompeii were shaken as well. The earthquake occurred during the winter, though it had always been said that the winter was not the dangerous time of year. But it was on the fifth of February in 62 that this earthquake devastated Campania. The area never safe from this sort of danger, but it had escaped damage and outlived the scare many times before. Parts of Herculaneum collapsed, and those that remain standing are insecure, while the colony at Nuceria, though not devastated, has plenty to lament. In Naples the disaster struck pretty lightly. Many private buildings were lost, but no public ones. Some villas fell down. Everything shook, but for the most part it did no damage. Other effects: a flock of 600 sheep perished, statues shattered, and some people went mad and wandered about out of control”[20] while Publius Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman Historian (A.D. 56-A.D. 117) made mention of the earthquake in The Annals, Book XV stating, “An earthquake… demolished a large part of Pompeii, a populous town in Campania.”[21] The first indications of an impending eruption began on August 20, A.D. 79 when the Campania region was rattled by a series of mild earthquakes that were recounted by Roman historian Dio Cassius (A.D. 155-A.D. 235) in A.D. 203 Roman History, Epitome of Book LXVI – “The Eruption of Vesuvius that buried Pompeii” and Pliny the Younger (A.D. 62-A.D. 111), a 17-year-old witness to the catastrophic events who watched from Misenum, a town located about 13 miles northwest of Vesuvius on the other side of the Bay of Naples. Dio Cassius wrote: “…violent earthquakes occurred, so that the whole plain round about seethed and the summits leaped into the air. There were frequent rumblings, some of them subterranean, that resembled thunder, and some on the surface, that sounded like bellowings; the sea also joined in the roar and the sky re-echoed it”[22] while Pliny the Younger wrote: “There had been tremors for many days previously, a common occurrence in Campania and no cause for panic.”[23] At this time no one was aware that a huge “magma layer” that resided below Vesuvius, stretching all the way to the Phlegrean Fields[24] “was forcing its way upwards into the feeder pipe of the volcano [as nearby] springs [suddenly] dried up…”[25] Intense pressure had been building up over the last 2000 years since the volcano’s last major eruption, the “Avellino” eruption in c. 1800 B.C. that “blanketed thousands of square miles northeast of [it, including the area comprising Naples], creating a bleak landscape of uninhabitable desert that lasted for more than 200 years.”[26] Accordingly there was little concern as the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum were pursuing their usual daily activities when Mt. Vesuvius suddenly erupted. People sat down to eat, a family was baking bread, another was preparing to eat a snack of “nutmeats,” a baby took a nap in crib, gladiators were at the amphitheatre to train, residents attended a theater performance, a high-class prostitute decked in jewels solicited clients, people strolled the streets, some patronizing shops and outdoor food bars, workers used their tools to patch up damage from the reoccurring tremors, a homeowner cut the grass and a family dog was tied to a post in a courtyard. Continued in Part 2 of 3 _________________________________________________________________ [1]Mount Vesuvius. 2006. 30 April, 2006. Wikipedia.com. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._Vesuvius [2]Jason Urbanus. More Vesuvius Victims. Newsbriefs March/April 2003. 5 May, 2006. http://www.archaeology.org/0303/newsbriefs/pompeii.html [3]Andrew Wallace-Hadrill. Pompeii: Portents of Disaster. BBC.com. 30 April, 2006. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/pompeii_portents_print.html [4]Nigel Cawthorne. 100 Catastrophic Disasters. (New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc., 2003) 150. [5]Salvatore Nappo. Pompeii: A Guide to the Ancient City. (New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc., 1998), p. 13. [6]AD 79 – Vesuvius explodes. 5 of May, 2006. http://www.archaeology.co.uk/cwa/issues/cwa4/pompeii/eruption.htm [7]infoplease® Dictionary. Random House, Inc. 1997. 8 May, 2006. http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/lararium [8]Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2006. 8 May, 2006. http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/thyrsus [9]Salvatore Nappo. Pompeii: A Guide to the Ancient City. (New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc., 1998), p. 11. [10]Vitruvius. De Architectura, Book II. 1 May, 2006. http://www.amherst.edu/~classics/DamonFiles/classics36/ancsrc/08.html [11]Strabo. Geographica, Book V, Chapter IV. 1 May, 2006. http://www.amherst.edu/~classics/DamonFiles/classics36/ancsrc/07.html [12]Nigel Cawthorne. 100 Catastrophic Disasters. (New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc., 2003) 150. [13]Publius Papinius Statius. Silvae, Book III Chapter V “Ad Uxorem.” 1 May 2006. http://www.amherst.edu/~classics/DamonFiles/classics36/ancsrc/10.html [14]Vesuvius A.D. 79. 1 May, 2006. http://www.phenomena.org.uk/vesuvius.htm [15]Pliny. Natural History 3.40 and 3.60. 1 May, 2006. http://www.amherst.edu/~classics/DamonFiles/classics36/ancsrc/09.html [16]Pliny. Natural History 3.40 and 3.60. 1 May, 2006. http://www.amherst.edu/~classics/DamonFiles/classics36/ancsrc/09.html [17]Nigel Cawthorne. 100 Catastrophic Disasters. (New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc., 2003) 150. [18]Larry Park and Marshall Masters. It is Time To Cast A Worried Eye Towards Yellowstone. 2006. 1 May, 2006. http://www.yowusa.com/earth/2003/earth-2003-08a/1.shtml [19]Andrew Wallace-Hadrill. Pompeii: Portents of Disaster. BBC.com. 30 April, 2006. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/pompeii_portents_print.html [20]Seneca Topics in Natural History 6.1. 1 May, 2006. http://www.amherst.edu/~classics/DamonFiles/classics36/ancsrc/07.html [21]P. Cornelius Tacitus, The Annals, Book XV AD 62-65. 2 May, 2006. [http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/t/tacitus/t1a/annals12.html] [22]Dio Cassius. The Eruption of Vesuvius that buried Pompei, “Roman History Epitome of Book LXVI” (A.D. 203) 2 May, 2006. [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/66]*.html [23]Pliny Letter 6.20. 30 April 2006. http://www.amherst.edu/~classics/DamonFiles/classics36/ancsrc/02.html [24]Ivan Noble. Massive magma layer feeds Vesuvius. BBC.com. November 15, 2001. 3 May, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1656722.stm [25]AD 79 – Vesuvius explodes. 5 of May, 2006. http://www.archaeology.co.uk/cwa/issues/cwa4/pompeii/eruption.htm [26]Ker Than. Vesuvius Could Destroy Naples, History Suggests. Live Science.com. March 6, 2006. 2 May, 2006. http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/060306_ancient_vesuvius.html The End of Pompeii and Herculaneum (August 24-25, A.D. 79) Part 1 of 3

Aging Parents Caring For Their Adult Children With Special Needs

Aging Parents Caring For Their Adult Children With Special Needs The scene is becoming more familiar in communities across the country. An aging parent, usually the mother, weeps bitterly as she is forced to surrender custodial care of an adult child with special needs. After caring for a loved one for fifty years or more, separation can be excruciating. However, the mother is now in her late eighties and experiencing health problems which preclude her from continuing as the primary care giver. Parents of special needs children realize this day is inevitable. Early on in the process a decision was made to keep the child in the home, no matter what the costs. Those costs involve the aggregate total of emotional, financial, and time investments required to provide a loving and stable home environment. Life for the children in these situations is no cakewalk either. Their lives are often characterized by isolation and uncertainty, not to mention being misunderstood at every turn. The "child" in this situation is now approaching sixty and also realizes, on some level, change was bound to happen. Two lives intertwined by an unbreakable cord, must now part according to life's epic design.

With the proliferation of Autism Spectrum Disorders rampant in society, millions of parents will face this scenario in the not so distant future. Although there are differences from past generations, the family dynamic hasn't changed. The fundamental question for parents of special needs children is, "Who will care for my special needs child when I'm unable to or when I die?" In response to that question, the obvious answer would be siblings or some other family member. But upon closer examination, the obvious choice may not be in the best interest of the person with special needs. In an age of blended families and non-traditional marriages, families can be the least desirable place for a person with special needs. Moreover, stability should be the number one priority when making an important decision such as determining place of residence. Family members are not always in a financial position to assume the role of a surrogate parent. Depending on the medical needs of the special needs individual, relocating may not be a viable option for many families in this situation. There are high functioning people with autism or asperger's syndrome capable of living independently with a solid support system. Some parents are purchasing a condo or apartment with the intent of making it the child's primary residence at some point in the future. The greatest advantage in utilizing this strategy is the security of knowing your child will have a place to live when you're no longer around. The fact that you can also leverage your tax position doesn't hurt at all either. The vast majority of people with autism, however, will require some assistance from family or a facility designed to provide direct care. Finances are a major consideration when discussing nursing home or assisted living arrangements. This option usually means qualifying for medicaid since medicare does not cover long term care expenses. Last, but certainly not least, there is the sticky age 65 requirement involved with medicare. That having been said, we come full circle with the issue of growing older and caring for special needs adult children. After all is said and done, we love our children unconditionally and acknowledge the day of separation that is sure to come. Aging Parents Caring For Their Adult Children With Special Needs

Hawaii - How to Get To, And Get Around On, The Big Island

Hawaii - How to Get To, And Get Around On, The Big Island The Big Island of Hawaii's beauty is legendary and it has the most diverse landscape on earth-but it can be as challenging to explore as it is charming. From the icy heights of snow-covered volcanoes, to steamy jungles and tropical beaches, to flowing fields of lava, flower choked canyons and wide-open tropical grassland, its scenery is unsurpassed. By and large the quality of your trip to the Big Island will depend on how much of it you choose to see and how you set about discovering your own Big Island adventures. Below are some ideas on the options for getting to Hawaii and for getting around Hawaii, once you are here.

Another key to the quality of your time on the Big Island has to do with the spirit of aloha. The people you meet in Hawaii, by and large, tend to be more open and friendly-quick to help or befriend-than elsewhere. This is the tradition of "Aloha". When you meet local residents, whether to ask for directions and advice or to hire services or just in casual conversation, treat them with respect, humor and openness-return their spirit of aloha and you will find your journey, and yourself, deeply enriched for it. In Hawaii, your smile is your passport. Getting To Hawaii The standing joke among residents of Hawaii when dealing with the time, inconvenience and hassle of traveling to the mainland is: "This used to be so much easier before the bridge blew down"! Of course, there never was a bridge spanning the roughly 2500 miles between the Big Island and mainland USA, but the humor tends to underline the commitment, planning and time it takes to travel to and from Hawaii. Flying to Hawaii: Certainly the most common, quickest and least expensive (note I didn't say "inexpensive") way to get to Hawaii is to fly. Many major US and international carriers fly to Honolulu on Oahu and and a host of local and international carriers offer flights from there to all the other Hawaiian Islands, including the Big Island. Kona's airport is the only one on the Big Island that has direct flight connections to the US Mainland, Canada, Japan and Australia. Despite styling itself as "Hilo International Airport", flights to and from Hilo ONLY connect to other Hawaiian islands. Although both airports have similar facilities and services, including onsite rental car agencies and access to public transportation, shuttles and taxis, it makes a big difference to the traveller where they land. By far the vast majority of visitors to the Big Island stay in either Kona or the Kohala Resorts which are all on the west side of the island and are between 20 to 45 minutes from the Kona airport. If you are staying in Hilo, it's fine to fly in there; however, Hilo doesn't have the resort facilities, fine beaches and great weather of the Kona side and few tourists opt to stay there anymore. Many people booked into resorts on the west side mistakenly take flights into Hilo, due to the misleading airport name, unaware (or even misinformed by ignorant but well-meaning travel agents) that they now, at the end of an exhausting day of travel and in the fading twilight of the early tropical sunset, face a drive of almost 3 hours, across high mountains and on narrow, winding, unfamiliar roads to get to their resort. They just better hope it doesn't start raining, too. So-know where you are staying, fly into the appropriate airport. Whether you are flying directly into Kona or flying to Honolulu and getting a connecting flight into Kona or Hilo, you want to be sure to reserve a seat so that you see as much of the incredible scenery as you can. Since 90% of the flight is over open ocean (which just isn't as riveting as one might expect) you want to wring the most enjoyment out of those portions of your flight which do feature scenery. If you are first stopping in Honolulu, sitting on the port (left) side of the aircraft for this leg of your trip affords the best views as the plane screams in past Koko Head and over the top of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach, turns around directly over Pearl Harbor and settles in to land at Honolulu International Airport. Sitting on the starboard side is not as spectacular, however, it offers views of Moloka'i and Maui islands, as well as views of Pearl Harbor, the Wai'anae and Ko'olau Mountains of O'ahu and downtown Honolulu just before landing. Flying into Hilo from O'ahu, one also wants to sit on the port side of the aircraft. The flight path crosses over the islands of Moloka'i and Maui, skims along the eastern margin of Hawaii Island presenting a rich, fascinating panoply of soaring sea cliffs, jungle canyons and volcanic mountains, jaw-dropping waterfalls and crashing surf along the coast. Flying into Kona either directly or from Honolulu is no less wonderfully scenic than flying into Hilo, but one wants to be on the starboard side. This offers the traveller great views of the islands of Maui, Molokini, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe, as well as incredible views of the Big Island, Kohala Mountain, Mauna Kea, Hualalai and, on clear days, Mauna Loa as the jet cruises in over the Kohala Coast, making land right over Makalwena Beach and on to Kona International Airport at Keahole. Cruise Ships and Cargo Ships: There are several cruise ship lines which ply the waters of the Hawaiian Archipelago, however of the ones that service the Big Island, most require passengers to book for an entire cruise, meaning that although you may make one or two stops on Hawaii, you will only remain in port for a day, overnight at most, before sailing on. Generally, you cannot arrive on one ship, disembark for a stay, and catch another ship out. Of increasing popularity, however, is cruising to Hawaii on cargo ships-cheaper than a cruise line and with a completely open and adjustable itinerary, this is a great alternative to flying. It is both more expensive and more time consuming (average sailing is 3 days from Los Angeles to Honolulu, and times are variable for getting from there to the Big Island) than flying, but it is restful, peaceful and unique. Cargo ships offer spacious passenger cabins and, while not the floating feed-lots that cruise ships tend to resemble, the food on cargo ships is wonderful and plentiful. Perhaps the biggest drawback of riding cargo ships to the Big Island is that on the east side they dock in, let us say, the less desirable part of Hilo; on the west they dock at Kawaihae, halfway between Kailua Kona and the resorts of the Kohala coast-in other words, out in the middle of nowhere. Both land many miles from resorts and car rental agencies. However, both docking facilities are serviced by taxis and public transportation; if you plan ahead, it should present no problem. Getting Around Hawaii Shuttles/Taxis/Limos/Tours: Taxis, of course, service both Big Island airports, the metropolitan regions and all the resorts. The taxis, while not cheap, are not as usurious as one might fear and the drivers generally are knowledgeable, friendly, HONEST and genuinely nice-it's that whole aloha thing. Taxi drivers are happy to answer your questions, even the silly ones you are kind of shy to ask; they will freely give advice about what to do and see and where to eat and generally try to be as helpful as possible. However, many speak in pidgin English that can be nearly impenetrable to the newcomers' ear. Don't be shy about respectfully asking him to repeat himself, and again if necessary-he hears that on nearly every fare he carries. Ask him to write down place names, restaurant names and such-many Hawaiian words do not look at all like they way he's saying them and you'll want to be able to read the words on maps and signs, or be able to ask another person, later. Both Kona and Hilo airports are serviced by point-to-point shuttles and limos, whose prices are actually quite reasonable and certainly less expensive than the taxis. The drawback here is that there will be many people aboard going to many diverse destinations-so it takes a bit longer than a taxi. Many of the larger resorts offer a free limo service to and from the airport and some will even arrange to have your rental car waiting for you on-property when you arrive from the airport...check when you make reservations. If available, this is the least personable, but quickest, easiest and least expensive way to get to your lodgings. Some boutique tours offered by Hostels and the smaller tour companies will also pick you up at the airport at the beginning of their tours, if your arrival time is convenient to the tour schedule; thus, the cost of getting to your resort is absorbed into the cost of the tour. This option is worth looking into if you are not planning to rent a car during your stay. Tipping tour, taxi, limo and shuttle drivers is not only encouraged, it's their main source of revenue. Remember to return the aloha they showed you. Rental Cars and Driving Tips: Although some people opt to not rent cars during their stay, relying on tours and public transportation to get around, you should bear in mind that there is a reason they call it "The Big Island". Distances between attractions can be long, public transportation schedules are not always convenient and, face it, it's just a lot freer, easier and more independent to have your own wheels. Be sure to thoroughly research the online booking agencies before you arrive-ofttimes great deals bundling airfare, room and car rental can be found, especially in the slack seasons. There are two types of car rental agencies on the Big Island. The major, international car rental agencies are available on property at both airports, giving the visitor a wide selection of corporate deals and specials-particularly flight-room-car combo deals--as well as a diverse palate of available cars. The other option, frequently much less expensive particularly for long term rentals, are the off-property rental agencies. These folks won't generally pick you up at the airport so you must make your way to their in-town offices, but the selection of vehicles, and rates, are generally wider ranged. If you are under 21, the rental companies won't rent to you. If you are between 21 and 24, they may add a surcharge to the rental that can be as much as twenty-five dollars a day on top of the regular daily fee. The first question the traveller must answer for themselves is what kind of vehicle they will want while on the Big Island. Some rental agencies specialize in luxury and exotic cars--Mercedes, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce and such. Others offer Volkswagen Campers and RVs. Many people arrive and decide they want to flash around the island in a Mustang or Camaro convertible-which are great and fun, but they offer no security for your personal items and they severely limit the kinds of roads you can drive on, in addition to almost guaranteeing sun and wind burn. If you are coming to explore the island, you should consider going to the extra expense of renting a four-wheel drive vehicle-either a jeep or an enclosed SUV. Much of the mountain country and many of the more interesting beaches and canyons require four wheel drive. I suggest an enclosed SUV so you do not have to shout to be heard, as you do in a jeep, and have some more protection from the elements and from thieves. Briefly mentioned above, RVs and Volkswagen Campers are excellent ways to see the island and obviate the need for an expensive hotel. However, RVs are not common on Hawaii and there are no RV parks as such; outside of the towns of Hilo and Kona there is nowhere to drain the waste tanks, so you have to be sure to use public facilities as much as possible. But you can park and camp free virtually anywhere, although most campgrounds will charge a camping fee for an RV, even if you are camping in the parking lot. Motorcycles and scooters can be rented in both Kona and Hilo and are a fun way to see the island, until it rains. Which happens. It is also difficult to travel with any amount of luggage on a motorcycle. You will notice a burgeoning fraction of the local population zipping about town on scooters (locally, and incorrectly, referred to as "mopeds"). For bikes with engine sizes smaller than 50cc, no motorcycle license and no insurance are necessary. The "moped" class vehicle has the same license and road regulations as a bicycle, so it is not surprising to see them zip along the the roadside, passing cars stuck in traffic, or pop up and run down the sidewalk. If you rent a moped in Hawaii, please don't drive them the way the locals do; it just isn't safe. I use a moped almost exclusively to get around Kailua Town where I live-do not ride your scooter the way you see me ride mine. The cost of gas in Hawaii is even worse than you've been led to believe, so when selecting a rental car, bear this in mind. Costco in Kona has the absolute cheapest gas on the island (and it's handy, near the airport); the gas station off the Akoni Pule Highway in Kohala near mile marker 76 has the cheapest gas in Kohala and the Chevron Station at the Airport turn-off in Hilo has the cheapest gas in East Hawaii. Remember that the Big Island is largely rural-gas stations, particularly in the far north and on the south side of the Island, may not keep regular hours or even stick with their posted schedule-especially if the surf is up or the fishing is good. In general, outside of the urban areas of Kona and Hilo, gas is hard to find after about 6 in the evening. I personally don't ever let my gas tank get more than half empty, ever, just for this very reason. Certainly, you should never let it get more than half empty when on the south side of the Island; you should make a point to fill up before late afternoon when you have the chance, definitely before you go into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (you'll stay longer and use more gas than you planned because, trust me, it's the coolest place, ever) and before crossing the Saddle Road. Driving times between attractions on the Big Island are longer than you might expect, given the actual mileage between points of interest. This is in part because much of the "highway" system is composed of winding, narrow, two-lane blacktop with a speed limit of 35 miles an hour. Another reason drives take longer than expected is because you are going to want to pull over and look, stop and explore, take your time and enjoy. As the bumper sticker says: "Slow down, Brah-dis ain't da mainland!" On this note, many local residents will pass on hills and blind corners, even into oncoming traffic; they know the road, you don't-don't follow their lead. Trying to drive like the locals drive is like jumping into the ocean and trying to surf like they surf-it just isn't a really bright idea. Local custom is to eschew use of turn signals and horn; this is another custom you shouldn't emulate. The police on the Big Island are well-trained, serious professionals. However, most cruise around in their personal cars (with a blue light on top) and can be very hard to spot (a Ford Mustang or Toyota Rav4 with a light bar? It happens...). They are particularly serious about drunk drivers, speed limits and child restraints/seal belts. Aloha, respect and honesty go a long way toward making any interactions with the Hawaii County Police more pleasant. This isn't Louisiana or some Third World banana republic-do not even think of offering a bribe if you are stopped by a Hawaii County Police Officer. On the topic of police, it is local custom to flash your brights at on-coming traffic if there is a cop behind you. Participate in this at your own discretion, but this is the reason all those people are flashing at you. There are feral goats and sheep (feral donkeys along the highway in Kohala!), wild pigs, feral cats and dogs that present driving hazards, especially at night. Fruit such as mango, avocado and guava frequently fall, en masse, into the road and produce a slimy hazard, particularly to motorcycles. In town, watch for cyclists, pedestrians and skateboarders (check out those guys skateboarding to the beach with their surfboards under their arms!). Kailua Kona is the proud home to the Iron Man World Championship Triathlon and many runners and cyclists fully utilize, and rigorously defend, their rights of way; smile, wave and yield, OK? You came to have fun: relax. The Big Island is also Big Sky country...driving east into the sunrise or west into the sunset is painful and hazardous; try to plan your day to avoid this. Do not leave valuables in your car, not even the trunk. Ever. The locals are friendly, but but some are frisky and high value items will evaporate from your car with alarming alacrity. Consider any spot frequented by visitors to be at risk for theft, even if you only are going a hundred feet from your car. Many roads, intersections and attractions are poorly marked and what signs exist are in Hawaiian, which is hard to read, harder to remember exactly the name of the place you are searching for. When you ask directions, have the person write down the name of the place. Many residents are in the habit of giving directions in terms of landmarks that mean nothing to you ("Remember where Uncle Kealea had the fruit stand 20 years ago? You want to go just across Aunty Tutu's pig farm from there to where the coconut grove used to be...") so have them show you on a map. Be sure they start by pointing out where you are, right now. Respect, humor and aloha will help get you where you are going. Along these lines, many tourists bring their GPS from home to help navigate-be sure to download the maps for Hawaii before you come; some brands of GPS do not offer Hawaii coverage. A few of the rental car agencies have GPS units for rent at reasonable prices. The best solution, however, are the folks at Tour Guide Hawaii (808.557.0051; http://www.tourguidehawaii.com) who offer a hand-held computer with an onboard GPS at very reasonable rental rates. They have stuffed into this device over six hundred points of interest (did you hear that? 600!) of recreational, cultural and historical importance. They have produced a short audio/video presentation for each site, telling you all about it, the history and culture, what to bring, what to do while there; they even have the public restrooms listed! These presentations play as you approach the points of interest, or can be searched for at any time or location. Thus, the device can be used to preview all the sites around the island in the comfort of your hotel room, pre-plan trips or to get information and turn by turn navigation on the road. Combining cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned story-telling, the unbelievably easy to use, fabulously informative and terrifically fun Tour Guide Self-Guided GPS Tours are an amazing bargain and a great way to see Hawaii. They are now offering a pared-down version (45 of the top sites-iAND the restrooms!) that is downloadable to iPhone and iPod. Commercial Tours: Whether or not you rent a car, commercial tours offer a great way to get oriented to the island and hear a bit about the history and about the culture of our home. Tours come in all sizes and description, from the taxi driver who makes it up on the fly as he takes you to dinner, to personalized taxi tours lasting a half to a full day, to specialized van tours and large, full day, round the island tours in full-size motor coaches. There are bus tours to the summit of Mauna Kea, tours through the coffee country of Kona, tours to see the volcano, historical tours-tours of all lengths and covering just about anything and everything you want to see. Some tours include meals-one even takes you to a real, working ranch for a barbecue! Then there are the highly specialized tours: fixed wing and helicopter tours of the island, whale and dolphin watching tours, snorkel tours, sunset cruise tours, organized bicycle tours, powered hang-glider tours, tours of Kailua Bay in a submarine and even boat tours to see the lava flowing into the ocean. Although they can be fairly spendy, most are fully worth the price. Be sure to shop around for the right tour at the right price to suit your interests. Bicycle Rental: There are several places where you can rent bikes on the Big Island-and it's very pleasant to spend the day pedaling through Hilo and Kailua Kona. However, problems of weather (hot sun, torrential downpour!), the long distances between points of interest and the ever-present, enormous volcanoes (think: "HILLS!") preclude this as a major method of exploration, except for the most avid bike tourer. Public Transportation: The Hawaii County-run Hele-on Bus travels most of the Island, and makes pretty good time-the good news here is that riding the bus is free...the bad news is that it is scheduled to get workers between the large resorts in Kona and Kohala and the small towns all across the island where they live. As such, the bus schedule may not be convenient for the visitor nor conducive to exploration. However, it's very handy if you just want to go somewhere and spend the day there. Be sure you understand the bus schedule, however, as many places only are serviced twice a day by bus (one in-bound and one out-bound trip per day) and if you miss your return ride and have to find an alternate way back to your hotel, you will quickly learn why they call this "The Big Island"! Walking and Hitch-hiking: Two words here: BIG ISLAND. It is possible to hike across the Big Island (I've done it both west-to-east and south-to-north; heck, in 2008 a wheel chair athlete rolled his wheel chair from sea-level in Hilo 37 miles and 13,800 feet in elevation up to the summit of Mauna Kea-did you catch the part about "wheel chair athlete"?), but the long distances, rural nature (it's an impracticably long way between places to get food, water and to camp) and intense sun make this an epic adventure, not a restful sight-seeing vacation. Both Hilo and Kailua Town are comfortable and safe to walk around, but getting to beaches, waterfalls and other points of interest is difficult on foot. Until very recently hitch-hiking was a common and respectable way to get around the island-if you were a local, everybody either knew you, or your aunty; if you were a visitor, your uniqueness made you interesting and so it was very safe, as well. Although probably just as safe today, with the explosion of mainlanders moving to our island (who may be reluctant to offer rides), I notice a sharp decline in the number of hitch-hikers on the roads now. Hitch-hiking is legal from the roadside, as long as you are not in the road, presenting a hazard to yourself or an impediment to traffic. If you hitch-hike use your judgement, be home before sundown and refuse to ride with drunks or folks of questionable character or cleanliness. Do not ride in the backs of pick-up trucks. So-armed with this information, you are now better prepared to evaluate your options for exploring the unique and varied landscapes, experiences and delights of Hawaii-your adventures are limited only by your imagination. Remember that attitude in Hawaii is important to the quality of your vacation-the spirit of Aloha is pervasive. When angry, lonely, confused, frustrated, tired or bored, recall what I said: "In Hawaii, your smile is your passport" Hawaii - How to Get To, And Get Around On, The Big Island

Epic Failures in Small Business

Epic Failures in Small Business In the grand scheme of life, there are bound to be mistakes, failures to be exact and in business, that is magnified ten times. If you are a first-time entrepreneur, these failures are to be expected. The important thing you need to do is to arm yourself with the knowledge of how a business may fail so that it wouldn't happen to you.

You did not do your homework. There's no research done or if there was, it was pretty much generic. Do not underestimate the importance of studying your target market and how your product will fare once you launch it. Your idea might be brilliant but you have to make sure that there's a need for it or that you have made it a need. You are either under or over-staffed. Let me give you an example. In recent news, AOL-owned social news website Propeller, will be shutting down soon. What captured my attention was that Wikipedia claims it is just being run by two people. Come on! If you're planning to start a business (or if you're already running one) that you hope would be big enough to conquer the business world but small enough to be run at home or at the very least, in your locality, hire more people who are good at what they do. I'm not saying you should be hiring more, just enough for your business to grow and thrive. Because isn't growth part of your agenda? You have too many debts and too little cash flow. The lesson? Do not overspend. Don't give indecently big bonuses to your employees that you know you wouldn't be able to recover financially. What other epic failures do you know? Epic Failures in Small Business

The Oprah Paradox - Why is Losing Weight So Hard, Even For Oprah?

The Oprah Paradox - Why is Losing Weight So Hard, Even For Oprah? You're More Like Oprah than You Think

Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire. She runs many businesses. She manages hundreds of people. She has hosted a daily talk show since 1986. And she is a well respected role model and inspiration to millions. Over the years we've all witnessed Oprah's painfully public weight battles. Yet by almost every measure she is more disciplined and more accomplished than most of us even dream of becoming. If, as many people think, being overweight is simply a lack of discipline, then how can Oprah be overweight? It's not possible. Reaching Oprah's level of success requires almost unimaginable levels of discipline and dedication, yet even she finds it hard to maintain her weight. This is the Oprah Paradox. I have to think Oprah has thoughts like this in her own mind. She has to wonder with all that she has accomplished, why can't she keep the weight off. Perhaps you have the same thoughts about yourself too. But please consider this... People who run billion dollar corporations are overweight. People who run countries are overweight. People who make revolutionary scientific discoveries are overweight. People who create and carry out the most intricate plans are overweight. Are all these people suddenly weak when it comes to food? Let's take a look at your life. Do you get up and go to work? Are you competent at your job? Did you make it through school? Have you experienced and overcome tragedy in your life? Do you manage a mortgage or rent? Are you raising a family? Are your kids clothed, fed and going to school? Are you saving a little for retirement? Have you maintained a long term relationship? Did you stop yourself from hitting that jerk who cut in front of you in the grocery line the other day? You probably answered "yes" to at least a few of these questions. So, if you look at your life you will find overwhelming evidence that you are a capable and competent person. Although you may not be perfect, all the stuff you do in your life is actually quite remarkable. Think about this a bit. Don't take it for granted. Think about all your amazing abilities and accomplishments. You don't sound like a weak person to me. Just the opposite. Yet we are supposed to accept that in the area of food, people suddenly break down and turn into incompetent weak-willed wretches who couldn't put a fork down to save their lives. I don't think so. There must be more to overeating than weakness. Think how amazingly disciplined, strong, and capable you are in most every other aspect of your life. The fact that you have problems with food means that deeper issues must hide under the surface. The fact that the majority of people in the world will have weight problems points to a deeper problem than mere human weakness. Being overweight is not easily explained as simply a breakdown in willpower or discipline. So please keep the following ideas in the back of your mind as you read on: maybe, just maybe, discipline and willpower aren't the real issues behind being overweight; maybe, just maybe, something deeper and more profound is going on and once you understand what that is you can start controlling your weight. Just Eat Less and Exercise More-Gee, Thanks Thin people often used to tell me, in that tone thin people have when they are about to reveal the secret of losing weight, "Hey, just eat less and exercise more. It's that simple." Gee, how helpful. I've never thought of that. Thanks for sharing. Losing weight has never been just that simple for me! Has it ever been that simple for you? I didn't think so. On the surface, that old favorite recipe of "eat less and exercise more" can't be argued against. If you can "eat less and exercise more" you will lose weight. But there's more to the story. A thin person telling you to "eat less and exercise more" is a lot like world class sprinters telling you to just "run faster" if you want to be like them. You see, Olympic sprinters have more fast-twitch muscle fibers than your average person. These just happen to be the type of muscle fibers you need to run faster. If you want to be a sprinter having more fast-twitch fibers is a good plan. But you can't plan it-your muscle fiber allowance is part of your genetic gift. It's something you are born with. Olympic sprinters work amazingly hard, but they couldn't be world class if they didn't have the right genes. The same can be said for world class swimmers, weight lifters, and marathon runners. Almost every sport has an optimal body type. You and I can become faster, but it's not likely we could we ever be world class. But each of us could become as fast as it is possible for us to become by working hard, by working smart, and by creating an encouraging environment. Now ask yourself this: what if being thin is like being a world class sprinter? What if people who are naturally thin are that way because their genes make it easier for them to eat less and exercise more? If that were true, then we could figure out what caused the genetically less gifted to have such a hard time eating less and exercising more. And once we understood the causes of the problems we could then figure out how to fix them. That's exactly what this book does. It explores the causes of why losing weight is so hard and then uses that information to figure out how you can control your weight. You may not be able to become a world class sprinter, but you can learn how to be as lean and strong as possible, given who you are and where you are in your life. Society is Wrong About You My repeated weight loss failures made me doubt myself. I've had a few accomplishments in my life. Nothing major, certainly not like Oprah, but I am no slacker either. That probably describes most of us. In our search for someone to blame for our weight problems, many of us have at one time or another fallen into the popular, yet wrong answer of telling ourselves: I am weak. I am a bad person. If I was only stronger and better and had more willpower, then I'd be thin. This is what society thinks about us overweight people. This is what we overweight people are told over and over again. We are bad. We are weak. We are unworthy. Hogwash! There's more to being overweight than personal weakness. After reading this book, you too will understand: Society is wrong about you. You are not weak. You are not bad. You are not unworthy. You can lose weight once you really understand why Mother Nature has purposefully made losing weight so hard for you. With this knowledge, you can then create your personal plan for losing weight and staying on your diet for the rest of your life. Being Overweight is Not All Your Fault Here is a secret you probably already suspect and intuitively know down deep in your heart: your hunger is real. Your hunger is not a figment of your imagination and this means being overweight isn't entirely your fault. Recent research has shown obesity is not a failure of character or willpower. Obesity grows from your biological drive to eat. It's part of your nature as an individual, as a human being, and it's also part of the nature of our modern world. Hunger is a drive, like breathing and other processes your body automatically performs for you. It turns out you have less direct control over your own weight than you think, because weight is controlled subconsciously through multiple body, mind and environmental systems. Later in the book, we'll learn more about all these possible dangers and how you can protect yourself from them. Yet even given your powerful biological derive to eat, your willpower is much stronger than you think. And in fact, only a few slip-ups a day may be the cause of most of your weight problems. Your Willpower is Better Than You Think People just assume that because they are overweight their willpower must be horrible. You might be surprised to learn your willpower is actually pretty good. Consider this: 200 extra calories a day, one lousy extra soda or candy bar a day, can make you gain 20 pounds a year. Now imagine what happens when slip-ups add up over the years. Obesity is what happens. That's all it takes to edge into obesity: just one slip-up a day. Why do you slip up? The threats. Threats are what I call the forces that cause you to slip-up and sabotage your diet. Over sixty different threats are covered in this book. With all the threats working against you, one slip-up a day is very, very easy. Some Common Threats to Your Diet Here are just a few of the more interesting threats: Obesity is about as genetically determined as your height. Most genetic contributions to obesity make you hungrier. Weight loss triggers your body to gain all your weight back with a vengeance. That's why 95% of people gain back all the weight they lose. Junk food acts like a potent drug in your body. You may be wired to feel more pleasure from food and become more easily addicted to food Some people have more taste buds than average and these people are thinner than people with fewer taste buds! You unconsciously eat a lot more when food is closer to you or when it's served from big containers. You'll eat more even if the food tastes horrible! You eat more from a bigger plate. Standard plates are now 50% larger than they were in the past. Simply choose a smaller plate and you'll eat less. Sleeping too little doubles your obesity risk. Exercise isn't a drive. You naturally want to rest. Yet some people are naturally more active and these people are thinner. A highly contagious virus may cause some obesity. It was discovered at about the time obesity started rising. Bacteria in your stomach may cause weight gain by more efficiently extracting calories from food. Air conditioning may cause you to burn fewer calories because you don't need to maintain your own body temperature. Air conditioning became widespread about the time obesity started rising. Threats like these constantly threaten to sabotage your diet, making you fall off your diet time and time again. You are not consciously aware of most of the threats, which makes them doubly dangerous. Understanding the threats will help you overcome common misconceptions about controlling your weight that may be holding you back. We've always been told, for example, a calorie is a calorie, so it doesn't matter what you eat. Not true. A calorie from trans fats will turn to fat quicker than from other sources. A calorie from fructose keeps you hungry so you eat more. Another misconception is all you need to.do is eat less. Not true. You can actually eat more food with fewer calories and lose weight, if you know the secret behind volumetric eating. The equally common saying: all you need to do is exercise more, isn't right either. Food has more calories than exercise burns. Some well meaning people will tell you to just listen to your body, it knows how much to eat.This may be true for some people, but for people prone to obesity their body tells them to eat, eat, and eat some more. Your body wants you to eat so you can reproduce and survive. It's not at all concerned about health consequences or how you look. Neither do you eat to make up for calories you've burned. You eat because food is available and it tastes good. Your body isn't doing calculations like "you just burned 100 calories walking up five flights of stairs so let's eat an apple now to get those calories back." And you don't select foods based on the nutrients you need either. Your body tries to make you eat a variety of foods so you'll get all the nutrients you need. Many people have a hard time understanding that it's hard for you to lose weight because they think everyone is the same. Not so. Your genetics, environment, and strengths and weaknesses are different than anyone else. We may all look similar on the outside, but everyone is different in so many ways. All these differences impact how easy or hard it is for you to control your weight. When I think of all the threats and misconceptions, I am left with the feeling of amazement. Who would have dreamed the world of weight loss was so bizarre? We humans are more complicated than I ever imagined. This means you can't explain someone's obesity by saying they are lazy and have no willpower. After reading about the threats, you'll probably think to yourself, "Ah, that's why losing weight and staying on a diet are so hard!" How Do You Defeat the Threats? You defeat the threats using the strategies presented in this book and by applying the Designer Way principles. Strategies are how you overcome the threats. If you can find ways of preventing slip-ups then you can control your weight. That's what the strategies help you do, prevent the slip-ups caused by the threats. The principles are powerful ideas for helping you make the best use of the strategies. We'll talk a lot more about threats, strategies, and principles in later chapters. Considering all the forces trying to spin your diet out of control, you do a pretty job good of controlling your weight. You really do. Don't be so surprised! But to do even better, you can't depend on motivation. Motivation is Not Enough Some say you'll lose weight if you are really motivated, no matter what. People do lose weight, so motivation can work in the short run, but most people gain the weight right back. Think about how many people, through motivation alone, will never slip-up once in their entire life, once in a year, once in a week, or even once a day? Answer honestly now. Very few people can sustain enough motivation to stay on a diet every waking moment of their lives. That's not a knock on people. Very few people have the motivation and discipline to become world class athletes either. That's why the strategies in this book do not assume constant motivation and total control for success. You must learn how to control your weight without depending on motivation. Motivation is not enough because of the immense power food has over you. Food is Different from Everything Else-Food Has Power We've talked about how people who show incredible discipline in every other area of their life somehow fail when it comes to food. What makes food so different? Food is different for a reason that should be obvious, but was still surprising to me: food is the most important thing in your life, because food is essential to survival. Get lost in the woods for a few weeks and you won't worry about sex, your stock portfolio, or how you look. You'll worry about food and how to get more of it. Food is almost all you'll think about. Tasty food reaches deep into your brain and makes you want to eat with a real and true hunger. Food has power. The unlimited quantities of fatty high-calorie and sugary foods available in our modern world are a constant threat to make us slip up and gain weight. If you are prone to obesity, you will often find yourself eating more than you want and exercising less than you think you should. Eating isn't something you decide to do. Eating is a powerful drive. Eating is raw survival and your brain wants you to survive above all else. The Problem: You May be Playing the Wrong Diet Game For a moment, let's think of your diet as a kind of game. What I have found in my research is that you are probably playing the wrong diet game. It's likely you are playing the lose weight game instead of the stay on a diet game, while your body plays a completely different game called the survival game. Most People Won't Win the Lose Weight Game Most of us have been playing the lose weight game without much success. I know that every time I lost weight it always found me again! This is why the lose weight game isn't the one you need to play. Up to 95% of all dieters gain back every pound they lose. And 65% of all Americans are overweight and the trend is up, especially for children. You Need to Play the Stay on a Diet Game A recent study showed most diets are about equally effective at losing weight. The problem is most people can't stay on their diet. Dieting is not enough as Dr. James O. Hill, director for the Center for Human Nutrition said, "The popular plans only help you with weight loss. They don't help you with keeping it off, and that's where the real issue is." Not playing the stay on a diet game prevents you from maintaining your weight loss goals. It is so hard because your body is playing the toughest game of all: the survival game. Your Body is Playing the Survival Game Everything difficult about controlling your weight makes complete sense once you understand the life humans lived 25,000 years ago. In our prosperous modern world, survival is not the game most of us are playing, but your body doesn't know that. Your body still drives you to eat like a famine might lurk right around the corner-though it's far more likely there's a fast food joint. I had always thought of my drive to eat as something unreal. I had always thought wanting to eat was just a figment of my imagination, something I made up, like a bad dream. I had always thought my drive to eat was a weakness of my own character, something I should be able to overcome. But what I learned in my research is that eating has a real purpose other than making me fat. There's a bigger picture I wasn't seeing. I had never truly understood the deeper purpose of eating before. Finding Food is Job #1 for Your Brain We humans are excellent at gaining weight. It takes a lot of training to become a world class sprinter, yet most people can become overweight with absolutely no training at all! It's a natural skill we have. The problem is, your rational mind isn't totally in charge of natural skills. No one has a calorie calculator constantly running in their head. After eating a handful of berries, you don't say, "I just consumed 100 calories, I need 1,900 more calories today or I'll starve." That's not how it works. Your brain tells you you're hungry and then you eat. You don't have "drink water" or "go to the bathroom" calculators either. These too are basic and ancient survival drives. So, the drive to eat isn't under your direct control. Can you imagine if it was? Think about all the tasks you are supposed to remember to do. How many times have you forgotten to take out the garbage, pay the bills, or pick up a gallon of milk on the way home from work? Nothing really bad happens if you forget any of these. Forgetting to eat means death. That's why eating has to be a drive. Your brain cleverly anticipates what you need to do now, so you won't have problems in the future. And your feelings of hunger are how you know what you're supposed to do: eat. The number one job of your brain is to find food and eat, so you can survive. Mother Nature made us into highly skilled weight gaining machines so we could survive a hostile world. She developed dozens of ways to get you hungry enough that you'll get off your butt and risk death to get enough food to eat. It's only after you have enough food that you will survive long enough to make babies and ensure your genes survive into another generation. Wise old Mother Nature wants her children to reproduce and survive. Scientific research has found that we modern humans are in an epic struggle with our ancient hunter-gatherer selves. We are losing an unconscious and hidden war with our bodies. We are ancient, highly tuned survival machines thrust into a modern world of plenty where every instinct drives us to obesity. We simply don't fit the modern world. This mismatch happens because nowadays very little exercise is needed to earn a living, and tasty, high-calorie food is available anywhere, anytime, in unlimited quantities. Yet we are built to survive a world of scarcity and high activity. How could the result be anything other than a stunning rise of obesity throughout the world? The ease with which we currently survive in our modern Land of Plenty has had an interesting effect: we no longer value our bodies' survival skills. We now hate our survival super powers. When food is always available, it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking of food as optional and our urges to eat a nuisance. But your brain doesn't listen. It keeps paying attention to food, like it always has. A short story might help understand the situation a little better... The Land of Plenty-A Surprisingly True Tale Once upon a time, Hero was told by a playful Genie that he would be stranded on a desert island. The Genie would grant Hero one wish. Hero's first wish was not to be stranded at all but the Genie said that was against the rules, so try again, smarty pants. Then Hero boldly wished to be genetically engineered to have the best chance of surviving on the desert island. What genetic changes did the Genie give Hero? First, Hero was given the ability to efficiently store fat. Your standard desert island doesn't have a lot of food available so making the best use of limited food supplies is top priority. No calorie can go to waste. Second, Hero was given the ability to eat as much food as became available for the rare times when generous food supplies could be found. No food can go to waste. Third, Hero was given the ability to just rest and relax until work became necessary. There's no reason to burn precious calories for nothing. The Genie was very generous. There's no limit to the weight Hero can gain. Hero's fat cells can bank as many calories as are available for later withdrawal when food becomes scarce. Does this sound like a useful set of genetic mutations? It should. Hero has an excellent chance of surviving under very difficult conditions. What more could you want? How about rescue... After many successful years of survival a miracle happened-Hero was rescued and taken to the legendary Land of Plenty. There, delicious foods are free for the taking and are available everywhere you look. What happened to Hero in the Land of Plenty? Hero gained more and more weight. All the genetic changes that helped Hero survive on the desert island now worked against Hero in the Land of Plenty. Sadly, the people of the Land of Plenty looked down on Hero because they thought Hero was lazy. Hero couldn't find a mate. And Hero's once excellent health began to fail. Hero tried telling people about the Genie and how beautifully he'd survived on the desert island, but the people in the Land of Plenty just laughed and turned away. Hero tried everything to lose weight but he was created for a different environment and nothing worked for long. Then one fine day, he stumbled across a book called Your Designer Diet. This book helped Hero so much! It understood the problems he faced in the Land of Plenty. Using Your Designer Diet, he was able to create an environment that helped him lose weight and keep it off. Finally, Hero found a way of living in a world he was never meant to live in. As our tale draws to an end, please consider this: until modern times, nearly everyone lived on a desert island, now most of us live in the Land of Plenty. What is really amazing is that even more people aren't overweight given our modern toxic weight environment. Earning a living now requires almost no exercise. Cheap, tasty, high-caloric food is available everywhere in near unlimited quantities. These forces taken together are why we are seeing an epidemic of obesity and are exactly why Oprah can be one of the most successful people on earth and still have problems controlling her weight. And if Oprah can have problems controlling her weight, it's not surprising that we can too. The Oprah Paradox - Why is Losing Weight So Hard, Even For Oprah?