Fifteen to eighteen million people play fantasy football every year and the number is growing rapidly.
In fantasy football, you "draft" or auction an imaginary team composed of real players (this can include NFL professionals or college players). Then score points based on their actual performance in real games.
Your imagination tournament progresses in much the same way as the real football. You go head-to-head, competing against a different opponent each week.
If your team scores the most points at the end of the season, and has the best win-loss record, you win.
Fantasy football was invented by Danny Dulac, one of the organizers of the Raiders. He thought about it during a trip to the east coast, and when he returned, he had fleshed out many rules and was "ready to kick off". Today there are thousands of websites, magazines and software that is dedicated to fantasy sports.
This is how it works. You have a fantasy league with 8 to 12 teams, with players drafted at the start of the season. Depending on the league you join, you start with a clean slate each season or have a permanent partial rosters (such players are not included in the annual draft). Some leagues will get you to keep the whole team and just draft rookies. At any time during the season, owners can change their team by firing some players (such is life) and hiring free agents who were not prepared. You can also trade with other teams.
The assessment is based on how players do in their weekly NFL game. For example, get a 1 point play to make 25 yards passing, 10 rushing yards or 10 yards receiving. He gets a whopping 6 points for a touchdown (unless it is a passing touchdown, which he only gets 4). Errors can also affect your score. For example, subtracts any interception thrown two points. This also applies to fiddles.
Defensive score is a little harder to calculate, so some leagues opt to calculate the score mainly yards. (They say it is more realistic and mimics the way an actual game works.) Defensive statistics such as sacks and fumble recovery, is then subtracted. To get the number of touchdowns, the total points divided by a number (sometimes 80 or 100). So any field goal from Placekicker added to score.
It is a very exciting game and adds a new dimension to the already popular game of football.
With the headlights of military trucks illuminating the area and President Pratibha Patil looking on solemnly, six tricolour-draped coffins carrying the bodies of the Indians killed in the Kabul blasts were offloaded from a special air force aircraft that flew them in New Delhi on Saturday. The president had just landed at the air force station here from Pune when she was informed of the bodies being brought from Kabul and decided to stay on to pay her tributes. The aircraft carrying the coffins and the survivors of Friday's attacks in Kabul landed at the air force station here at about 5.45 p.m. Immediately, ambulances with their red beacons flashing, drove up to the aircraft and whisked away the injured to the Army Research and Referral Hospital. Pall-bearers then brought the coffins out one-by-one and placed them on six tables, covered with white cloth, that were placed on the tarmac. A row of defence officers and government officials stood in line by the tables.
for further: ibnlive.in.com/news/president-attends-tribute-for-indians-killed-in-kabul/110823-3.html?from=tn
Two of India's most controversial moves to combat HIV/AIDS -- legalizing homosexuality and the plan to introduce sex education in schools -- has found some fresh support from Dr Helene Gayle, US president Barack Obama's chief adviser on HIV/AIDS. Dr Gayle, who is in India, told TOI in an exclusive interview that both these strategies will help reduce the stigma against marginalized communities and also help demystify sex, thereby helping young Indians grow up to "become healthy sexual individuals". She said that HIV numbers are constantly dipping in India -- both decrease in cases due to better interventions and better tools to reach realistic estimates. "But India's decision to decriminalize homosexuality will greatly help reduce stigma and societal exclusion of populations like the gay community. This will lead to more people of marginalized communities coming out in the open allowing HIV interventions to reach them. Recognizing sexual diversity is vital for any country's fight against HIV." Dr Gayle, who spent over 20 years as director of the AIDS programme at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also advised India to have an "age appropriate sex education module".
for further: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Obama-aide-backs-Indias-moves-on-homosexuality/articleshow/5625166.cms
The health sector has given a mixed response to the relevant measures announced in the Union Budget. The government announced a slew of measures concerning the health sector. The steps include: increasing allocation by Rs 2,770 crore; announcing annual surveys to prepare the health profile of all districts and to assess spending under National Rural Health Mission; uniform, concessional basic duty of five per cent for all medical appliances; convergence of NREGA with wider health insurance coverage through Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana; countervailing duty of four per cent with full exemption from special additional duty on all medical equipment. However, no announcement that promotes setting up of new hospitals has disappointed the health sector. “It is ironical that the budget provides for investment-linked deductions to the tourism sector but does not provide for any impetus for investments made in setting up new hospitals,” said Dr Vishal Bali, CEO, Fortis Hospital. Rajen Padukone, CEO, Manipal Hospital, said: “Relaxation of FDI norms may see more international players coming in to India in the healthcare sector. Added to it, rationalisation of duties on medical equipment can make imports cheaper and can significantly lower healthcare costs in the country.” Satish Reddy, Managing Director and COO, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, said considering that India figured low on various health care indices, the budget allocation was “a positive and encouraging move.”
There were injection marks on his leg. Forensic tests proved that the compound was used to tranquillise him because he was a big man, who would have been difficult to overpower and subdue. The results of the tests were available after a month," Major-General Al Mazeina said. Dubai: The assassins of senior Hamas commander Mahmoud Al Mabhouh used a drug called succinylcholine to sedate him before suffocating him with a pillow. Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Deputy Commandant of Dubai Police, told a press conference on Sunday that succinylcholine, also known as suxamethoniumchloride, was injected, traces of which were found on his leg. "There were injection marks on his leg. Forensic tests proved that the compound was used to tranquillise him because he was a big man, who would have been difficult to overpower and subdue. The results of the tests were available after a month," Major-General Al Mazeina said. The drug was used to give the impression that Al Mabhouh had died a natural death and had not be en assassinated. There were no signs of resistance by Al Mabhouh — something that proved that he was not electrocuted. Al Mazeina denied a media report that there had been a previous assassination attempt on Al Mabhouh in Dubai.
For further: gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/crime/al-mabhouh-had-injection-marks-on-his-leg-dubai-police-say-1.590133
The UPA government will hold talks with Naga separatist leaders here on Tuesday in an effort to work out a peace deal, amid indications that neither side is willing to give up entirely on its stated position. While the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) says it would not compromise on the demand for an independent state in northeastern India, the home ministry sources said demands for sovereignty or integration of Naga rebel groups were not feasible. However, NSCN-IM leaders Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, who arrived in the Capital on Saturday from a self-imposed exile in the Netherlands, appeared hopeful that some headway will be made at the talks, but said the group will not give up on its “right to freedom. Sorry, we cannot withdraw that.” The group’s demand for a “Greater Nagaland” would unite 1.2 million Nagas. “We are hopeful, very optimistic...but no compromise on our right to sovereignty. We have not given up and will never give up the demand for our independence,” V S Atem, convener of the steering committee of the NSCN-IM told a news agency. The Naga leaders are expected to talk with the government’s new pointsman R S Pandey ahead of a likely meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram.
For further: economictimes.indiatimes.com/Politics/Nation/UPA-Naga-leaders-to-hold-parleys-tomorrow/articleshow/5629618.cms
It's probably not a club you ever dreamt of joining, but you're in it anyway. The good news is that chances are, your membership will be short-term. Most kids start staying dry before starting school. Each year after that, the percentage of bedwetter decreases even more. There are not very many kids who go off to college needing diapers - it does happen, but it's really pretty nice.
So what's up with bedwetting?
What's the cause? In other words, why you? Why Your Child? First of all, there are two types of bedwetting. The first is Primary Nocturnal Enuresis (PNE). This describes children who have never stayed dry at night, or the least, never on a regular basis. The second type is Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis. This describes kids who used to stay dry, but who have recently started wetting the bed. The causes of each type are different, and so are the remedies and treatments.
Primary Nocturnal Enuresis
Generally, primary enuresis is a problem passed down from one generation to the next. It's more common in boys, but happens two girls, too. Even if your whole family is mum on the subject, you can bet some of the nests in the family tree throughout the year were floating! You might not have a line of relatives clamoring to share their experiences, but you can know they're out there. If the forms bedwetter in your family are willing to Fess up, it could go a long way toward helping your child's optimism. After all, if Uncle Joe used two wet the bed, and is now married, employed, and dry, there's hope!
Theories abound about the causes of primary nocturnal enuresis. Narrow leaves. Immature bladder. Deep sleep. Brief REM cycle. Too many fluids before bedtime. Too little fluids during the day. Too much caffeine. The list is endless.
The list of what does not cause bedwetting is just as long. Enuresis is not caused by emotional problems, how you potty trained your child, a serious medical disorder, or your child's laziness or Apathy.
Enuresis of either type merits a visit to your pediatrician. But chances are you'll hear that it's a problem, your child will outgrow, that it's a hereditary problem and that you should try different remedies to see if any are helpful.
Some families find bedwetting alarms helpful. For others, it's just a really loud interruption of a good night's sleep. There are medications, including pills and nasal sprays that can help in some cases. Again, they work for some kids, sometimes. Same thing with Bedwetting Homeopathic or herbal remedies, hypnosis, and biofeedback. They're all worth a try. Just do your research first, and follow the directions exactly.
Secondary Enuresis
This is the type of bedwetting that catches you by surprise. Your child's been dry for years, when all of a sudden, you're getting that midnight knock on the door. "Mommy, I wet the bed." What the heck is going on?
Good question - and it's one your pediatrician May be Able To help you with. It's important two rule out bladder and urinary tract infections. If something simple like this is causing your child two wet the bed, you're really in luck! A few days on an antibiotic, and you're out of the bedwetting club!
If there's no evidence of infection, take a look at your family's recent circumstances. Have you moved, had a new baby, lost a relative, changed schools, or had something else stressful happen? Some children have trouble processing these events, and their worries intruder on their sleep enough to bring on a cycle of bedwetting. Provide the support your child needs to get through the stressful hours, and the bedwetting will than sooner than later.
Employers increasingly are realizing the value that worksite wellness programs deliver as an effective tool to improve employee health, increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and lower health care costs.
A 2003 report published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted how important it is for employers to incorporate health promotion as part of their business strategy. The report asserts that preventable diseases place a heavy price for the business, including lower productivity and higher medical costs.
The HHS estimates that $ 1.66 trillion spent on health in 2003. and it attributes a majority of these costs for chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Unfortunately, the money allocated for preventing or controlling these conditions is negligible.
In a recent article, reported the American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin twothirds all cancer deaths in the United States could be avoided through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, cancer screening and "especially" smoking. A well-designed worksite wellness program provided by your health benefits company, serves the best interests of both employer and employee.
Bottom Line ROI
Ron Goetzel, an internationally recognized expert in health management, data analysis and applied research, said in a recent interview that with an investment of $ 100 to $ 150 per employee per year in health promotion, an employer can expect an average return on investment of about $ 3 for every $ 1 invested ($ 300 to $ 450 savings per employee per year). Goetzel says, however, that these returns are not typically realized until two to three years for the wellness program.
Legislative incentives
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has been a pronounced supporter of the efforts of legislative solutions for a strained health system. "As a nation, we have a" sick care "system that is focused on helping people when they get sick, rather than a" health care "system that focuses on keeping healthy people healthy," he says. Harkin introduced healthy lifestyles and prevention (HELP) America Act of 2004. One of the initiatives under Title II - Healthier Communities and Workplaces, provides tax breaks to companies that offer comprehensive programs to promote employee health and grants for small businesses.
Worksite wellness, getting started
Implementation of a workspace, a wellness program with your health insurance carrier can be accomplished with simple, lowcost strategies.
Incentives for participation.
Create a wellness campaign.
Schedule seminars on nutrition, diabetes and cholesterol.
Establish programs such as fitness, sleep diary, smoking cessation and prevention.
Offer chair massages or simple stretching exercises to do at your desk.
Change vending machine options to offer healthier, low fat snacks and drinks.
Working with an insurance carrier that can implement, manage and maintain your program. Actively promote participation.
A successful worksite wellness program can increase company morale, increase productivity, reduce organizational conflict, attract superior workers and lower staff turnover rate.
Arguments for creating a workspace, a wellness program is well worth the effort.
Now that you've already downloaded one of our free Christian templates, the one you loved most, you want to customize it to your church. You want to replace the logo, to change the text and to replace the images with real.
If the logo is something that you already have, the text will also be something that you will be able to produce all of yourself, one question remains: where to take pictures from, to replace those already brought into our Christian template.
Well, there would be many answers because there are too many possible situations. For example, pictures with your church. These images can be taken by you or by a professional photographer hired by you for this purpose.
Although the quality of the pictures the professional photographer would produce would be higher in most of the times, the price may be a problem for some low-budget small churches. Maybe you can take these pictures. Just find a digital camera and a sunny day and take pictures of your church. However, you should remember some things: do not take pictures of your church at. Better to use light in the morning, around 9 or afternoon light, around the 5th Also remember to get your church since the pictures are better this way. Actually, what you can do is to spend a short time at a photograph instead of learning a few basic rules of photography. So armed with courage and patience, go and take pictures of your church, we bet the results will be great!
Ok, now that we have pictures with your church, would you like to have some major professional religious pictures that you just can not take. You are aware it is too complicated for the moment your skills! Do not worry! There are plenty of image collections, where you can buy low cost, high quality religious graphics.
Try, for example, places such www.crossdaily.com, www.christart.com, or general-purpose sites like www.fotolia.com and www.gettyimages.com where you can find great religious content also for a good price.
Also consider taking pictures of church members and pictures of your pastor to give a bit o realism to your website for all the people who know your church! It will be great when they want to see people they know! These are some basic ideas which we are sure you can expand. Search a little on the Internet for Christian graphics, Christian resources, Christian or design and you will find lots of resources, some of them even free!
As a business owner, you have come to expect large increases in your employee health insurance premiums of late. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums rose an average of 11.2 percent in 2004, and it was the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth, according to the latest Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
It is about five times the national inflation, and probably considerably higher than the price increases, your company has instructed its products and services within the same timeframe.
The reasons for these increases is not mysterious. The largest share of the running track rises to the increased use of advanced medical technology - new diagnostic and preventive screenings, and other high-tech treatments and medical devices - most delivered to the hospital on a stationary or mobile base.
Prescription drugs, also continue to play a major role in rising healthcare costs as a result of higher prices on new formulations, wider use of combination therapies and greater consumer demand for and use of medicines in all areas of prevention and treatment. About the only area that has experienced relative stability is medical costs.
These increases, when they are part of the costs of running your business, is obviously of concern. It only makes sense that employers who wish to continue to offer their employees access to quality health care becomes more knowledgeable about how well their money is being spent by the health carrier they choose.
For example did you know that virtually all carriers in Florida are using virtually the same percentage of your premium dollars on medical claims - which works out to a medical loss ratio of 76 percent to 80 percent? They also spend about the same percentage, 10 percent to 12 percent on administration of your plan (treatment of claims, customer service functions to cover fixed costs).
And most of the airlines factor in a 2 percent margin. The remainder of your premium U.S. dollars go to the commissions paid by airlines to the independent insurance brokers who act as consultants. Mediators are obviously a critical element in matching clients with carriers. Most small business employers do not have the time or staff to determine the best package of benefits to their group, shop the market for the supply and compare product offerings carefully.
They rely on their broker to explore different options, giving them objective recommendations on the best choice and complete their applications. Brokers and services can often continue after enrollment. It is extremely valuable for employers to better understand how their premium U.S. dollars go. Do not hesitate to ask questions to fully recognize why a health plan may be preferred over another.
Employers can exercise some control over their costs by finding a health benefits company that delivers the best value for their company's premium dollars. The way you buy a health plan can affect the price.
It is the same as if your travel agent had a great deal for you - flights, car, hotel and meals included. You tell your agent to book it. Randomly, your neighbors just booked the same trip for $ 1000 less through their travel agent.
An agent acting for the best price, the second agent arranged tour through his or her vendor of choice. Whether it's a family vacation, buying a car or choosing a health benefits plan for how you shop can affect your spending.
So why are health care premiums different? Take a closer look.
Traditionally the bride's family paid for the cost of a wedding while the groom would incur the expense of the honeymoon. These days it is not uncommon to find many couples paying for their own wedding from their own resources. You do not need to spend a fortune or go into debt to have a beautiful wedding. Determine the size of your budget and stick to it. Keep track of all your expenses and receipts in a folder or binder so you can keep track of and accurately keep track of where your money is going. Here are some useful tips to help you in your wedding budget.
Wedding Dress
• Avoid excessive dresses because they will be more expensive.
• Choose a floor sample dress and just let it dry cleaned if necessary.
• Look for your dress in ballet and return, or consider wearing a bridesmaid dress. You can find a beautiful white or cream-colored dress in that would be perfect for a wedding at a fraction of the price of a traditional wedding dress.
• Look at consignment shops and classified ads. Bridal Dresses are generally only worn once, so you can get a gently used dress at a huge savings.
Reception
• Keep the number of guests down. You and the groom should look at the first draft guest list and carefully consider who can be removed from the list.
• Have a cash bar instead of an open bar. Or you can simply give the wine and beer to keep costs down.
• Hold the ceremony and reception in the same place. You will be able to reduce costs instead of the ceremony, decorations and transportation to the reception site.
Flowers
• Purchase your flowers wholesale and equal pay for work of a professional florist to arrange them.
• Arrange the flowers themselves. A bouquet made of all roses with a little eucalyptus filler and tied with ribbon makes a stunning bouquet, and you do not need to be a professional to put this together.
Photography
• Find a photographer with a reasonable hourly rate and pay only for the time to do your formal form. You can then nominate friends or relatives to take the candid shots throughout the rest of the day.
• Put disposable cameras at each table with a note asking guests to take pictures to help you capture memories.
Invitations
• Print your own invitations using your home computer. Visit your local arts and crafts store or search online and buy a do-it-yourself invitation kits.
Miscellaneous
• Make your own wedding favors. Wrap up Jordan almonds or other candies in lace and tie with ribbon printed with your names and wedding date.
• Keep the number of chosen bridesmaids and groomsmen to a minimum or choose not to have them at all. This will keep the dress rehearsal dinner cost down and eliminate the need to buy groomsmen and bridesmaid gifts.
Buttons for hospitals can be a good way to spread the motivation, identify people, and helps the healing process. There are so many uses and fun projects that hospitals can make use of buttons. From Public Relations to patient care, buttons can serve you well in a hospital environment.
Any hospital with a pediatric department should have a button maker machine. Children in hospital are often frightened, disoriented and obviously ill. For patients who are unable to sit up and pull, can button to help fill those hours between visits, fill their minds and make them feel useful. A positive outlook plays a crucial role in a patient's recovery and for children, it is important to inspire creativity to take their minds from their environment. Button to make the children can be both beneficial to their mental health and fun.
Provide a template for a child and some pencils or markers. Family members may bring photos or other flat items to add to the button. Children can be left to their own creativity or a daily or weekly theme may be applied. For children who are long-term patients, giving them a button to make everyday life can make it easier to anticipate and give them something positive to look forward to the next day. This will also help to create some kind of routine, in which small children will help them to feel secure in their surroundings. Completed buttons may be worn by children, their families, employees, or displayed on notice boards outside the door of their room. Viewing the buttons will go in the halls interesting and fun for both children and families.
Buttons can be another great gift item at the hospital gift shop. These are a cheap and easy post to do for sale in the shop. "Congratulations!" in pink or blue on a button births would be a good idea for the new older brother or sister to buy for Mom. The same button can be added to a stuffed bear or bunny. "It's a Girl!", "It's a Boy!" And "Get Well", everyone would be big word for buttons to be added to stuffed animals or cards sold in gift shop. For example, you can send a sign that reads "Buy a stuffed animal and get a button for just one U.S. dollar more." Buttons make great Keepsakes and is so cheap to produce, even at the price of one dollar you can make a tidy profit for the gift shop.
Buttons for patients and staff is a second button makes use of machinery. One interesting for the new parents are having a "second father" and "New Mom" button made up for them with the name, birth date, weight and length of their new baby. They are good Keepsakes for parents to put in baby albums. Proud parents can wear these buttons in the hospital, and you can sell the extra buttons for their family members such as grandparents aunts and uncles. Imagine the pride of a new big brother's face as he wears a button labeled "Ask me about my new baby sister." These buttons indicate that you go the extra mil for your patients and their families.
If your family has to do with a bed wetter than 3 or 4 years, then you know how frustrating, intrusive and embarrassing this problem can be. At our house we have lost many hours of sleep nightly dealing with incidents.
Cover all your bases
My first bit of wisdom is to be prepared. Use a rubber sheet on a bed that your child can sleep in. There is also both girl and boy pull ups push-ups in larger sizes can get all through the night with a minimal loss of sleep. Of course you should take your child's feelings into consideration. If your 8-year-old feels that a pull-up diaper is just for babies, you really need to get on.
Make sure he or she understands that bedwetting is usually hereditary, and the result of sleeping very sensible. Your child should not think that is something he or she did wrong. Actually pull up diapers can sometimes cause a great solution to the whole issue of bedwetting. My son is sleeping like a stone to this day. So he packs a subtle pull-up diaper when he goes on nights with friends, or my father's house. No one else is aware of it, but if he did not have this insurance, we doubt he would have confidence or desire to ever spend the night outside the home.
There are brands pull up diapers to let the child feel a bit wet to help them get used to the sensation, and possibly to wake up. So you can even use this as a training tool. My favorite thing about topics such as pull-up diapers and waterproof mattresses is that we do not become an angry and sleep deprived monster.
Plan for Success
We know we never meant that our children feel bad for having accidents, but when we are woken up four times in a week, our patience is stretched to the limit. For us, we know that if we plan for accidents to happen, we will have less grief and anger. But we also know that we must keep our eye on the long-range solutions, and just remember that he will eventually grow out of this.
Because we continue to deal with the incontinence problem, we have been very proactive in finding answers and products to help me handle it. The answer will be different with each child. While my son seems to do all right with just Goodnites at this point, we know that if he starts to rebel against wearing it looks like products, we will probably try a wet bed alarm or sleep dry alarm. My ultimate wisdom to you is to take advantage of the tools, resources and products that are available to help you and your child with bedwetting situation. Under preparation will help you keep a cool head and have the right tools at hand, will help minimize your child's reaction to bedwetting incidents.
In the Catholic and Protestant faith, newborns are anointed with holy water and blessed by the church clergy. In the Catholic religion, the Baptism serves two wash away original sin. In some Protestant faith, the baby is dedicated to the church. Sometimes, a baby is baptized in the name of a patron saint. Since Baptism almost always involved large family Gathering, it's important two commemorate the occasion by planning a baby Baptism party that will be a joyous and memorable event.
Before beginning your Baptism party planning, it's important two keep in mind that Baptism is a formal religious ceremony. With this knowledge, you should attempt to Achieve a balance between solemnity and happiness. You may wish two include suggestions on attire in the Baptism invitation.
When sending out Baptism Invitations, remember that if the party is scheduled two take place following the Baptism, proximity to the church is key. You can hold the gathering in your home, a neighborhood park, the church hall, a restaurant or an event hall. The number of guests will affect preparations, arrangements and Baptism Party Planning. In addition, other children may also be involved, so be Sure to consider entertainment options for them. You can set up a television to play a children's video, craft table or plan some games two teams their attention - at least for a while!
Now. . . what about food? Depending on the hours of the Baptism and the weather, you can arrange a buffet lunch, afternoon tea, low-maintenance spread or backyard barbecue. Consider having two drinks on hand toast the baby's health and a white cake with white frosting that includes the baby's initials, name and christening date.
You should also consider having Party Favor for the guests as part of your Baptism party planning. Among the appropriate themes you could choose from include crosses, the color white, doves, angels, candles and Bible. A Baptism is a significant day in a family's life, signifying the introduction of the baby into the church and community.
One of the most profound enigmas of the existence of secret societies is and has always been why people with? Why is it that people think that these groups so interesting? What is it that we're looking for?
There are the usual and obvious answers to these questions. We are all searching for enlightenment in our own way and each person who finds it in different ways - hence the need for so many kinds of secret organizations. This has been called a void that we have to fill out one way or another, an emptiness within each of us who call on a higher being or state of consciousness. Some psychologists believe that this is an evolutionary aspect of our lives, that within us there is a constant urge to improve and a deep hope. This hope makes us strive for more, and thus we become the biggest and strongest of the species - and hence development.
But there is one truth in this, who has missed many. There is a void in us, quite literally. This gap is the lack of true awareness experience. There actually is a higher state of consciousness. If it was not the case, then the feeling and emotions, forcing people to rediscover it would not be so strong and so universal. It is not - and we have to specify this every time - the Kundalini, which in itself is a troubled and yet beautiful human electro-bio-chemical reaction. To follow this ancient Hindu concept to the letter, is initially almost impossible because texts do not exist, and secondly it is extremely dangerous and can easily lead to the psychoses and other mental problems. It is an aspect of the true inner wisdom, but not the only aspect.
The secret society, and indeed, some religions in the world tried over the millennia to bring us back to that state of consciousness, but they have usually not used it for their own gain - power. How can we know? A quick study of the secret societies in the world will show that the information experience has been used in every single opportunity to draw people in and keep them.
From at least the 11th century an enigmatic group known erroneously as the Assassins emerged in Persia. They take their name from the hash (hashish-im, hashish takers), a trance inducing drug thought by many to help the leaders control the minds undermines. The name was originally actually an insult.
In a famous statement, "said Hasan, son of Sabah, Sheikh of the Mountains and leader of the Assassins for an official of the Emperors court," You see that devotee standing guard on yonder turret-top? Watch! "
Sheikh made a signal and immediately devotee threw himself off the mountain precipice to his death. "I have seventy thousand men and women throughout Asia, each of them ready to make my bid."
Initially, it is amazing control over the heads of another person. Secondly, it means that the Assassins were much older than this early appearance, with seventy thousand supporters cast throughout Asia. No society can create seventy thousand supporters during the night, it will take many years to cultivate this kind of following, and it would also take a lot of convincing - unless there was an easier way of checking!
As if to imitate or even follow an older institution the Assassins went through a cycle of initiation based upon seven levels. This relates only to the seven chakra points of initiation near the Hindu tradition. A tradition based on the energy of the worm. It was on the seventh level, the Assassins reached the great secret that all people and all creation were one and that everything was part of the whole. This great secret included being part of the whole and understanding of his creative and destructive elements. The Ismaili (Assassin initiate) could therefore make use of this great power held within him. They firmly believed, and in our view rightly, that the rest of mankind knew nothing of this power, with the exception of the other companies. The power came through the use of the drug hashish and clever ritualistic engagement - making the Ismaili feel part of a greater good which has chosen one - something Adolf Hitler would later use to gain control over the German people. However, there was an eighth level, which was slightly different and it taught that all religions and philosophies were false and that the only thing that mattered was the fulfillment of this greater power that lay within. Contrary to popular belief the Assassins were not just Muslims, they were not under any category, currently known other than secret societies. It was only later in their existence that they should turn to Islam as a means of survival, and even when they had special privileges that allowed them to change religion will.
Assassins are always linked, and rightly, that the Knights Templar. Both groups had contact and a mutual respect. There are even monetary dealings between the two groups. Could it be that the Templars understood this greater secrecy, and brought this "Holy Grail" of information back to Europe with them?
The whole process certainly relates to the serpent energy or fire of the old ones around the world which we already knew was related to serpent cults, we revealed in The Serpent Grail. But there is other evidence concerning this. During the time the second great master Buzurg-UMID (Great Promise), was located at Alamut, otherwise known as the Viper's Nest. And there are additional links to the Templars in that Buzurg-UMID actually made a deal with King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, a man closely linked to the Templars. Indeed, in 1129 Templars and crusaders actually allied with the Assassins to take Damascus. This is an indication that the Assassins were not in fact anyway Muslim and in fact were even said to be ready to take on the mantle of Christianity, if not bring them further power.
The secret rituals of the Templars and the accusations against them would relate entirely to the cult of the Assassins. The question is being asked were Templars use the same mind-controlling techniques as the Assassins? There is indeed evidence that Templars, in connection with Assassins actually understood the use of drugs, especially for relief of pain. Robert Anton Wilson in his book "Sex and Drugs, stated his conviction that the Templars actually used marijuana, and learned to use from the Assassins. This is not an unreasonable assumption, since the links. There are links to be found in the Templar rituals and beliefs with many of the Middle Eastern religions. There is Sufi influence with the golden head of the Sufi is implicated as Baphomet of the Templars. This Golden Head, as Idries Shah points out in The Sufis, was implicated as the "worship of a mysterious head [which] could well be a reference to the hard work transhumanisation taking place in the aspirant's own head. "That was the idea that one's own humanity was turned into gold by means of information and experience so secret alchemy is revealed.
Also, opening ritual of the Sufi involved passing through a doorway of two pillars. This symbolized the entrance portal into a world of light, knowledge and information. If it is true that the Freemasons emerged from a font of Templar knowledge, then it could actually be one of the causes of the two pillars of the Mason guilds. It is also similar to the two pillars that pilgrims to Mecca must pass through (Safa and Marwa).
Parsi (Persian Zoroastrianism) influence is also seen in Kosti ritual where each day they would tie a sacred cord around the waist. The fact that the Templars were accused of possession of a ritual with a sacred cord similar to the practice, Zoroastrian Kosti, shows a tradition of knowledge that goes back thousands of years.
These traditions can also be seen in the great Roman religion Mithraism which was marked with open sign of the cross on the head. This was to mean the sun and place of illumination, the same as the Hindu's, ancient Egyptians and tribal American's to name a few.
Much of this ancient and supposedly secret teaching was adopted finally in what is called Gnosticism. All Gnostics can not be drawn into a bag, but there is a recurring theme - that of illumination and enlightenment. The methods are familiar to us. Many believed that through an insane they can achieve the ultimate state and others that by fasting and mediation would be drawn closer to God. The results were the same, a deeper understanding of themselves and believe that they were in contact with God. This ecstasy would invigorate, and like a Nexus, would initiate constantly want to re-achieve this state, thus keeping him in the fold. The experience being so very real to the religious mind that they really thought they were in communion with God. And that is why we always draw a line at the kundalini, because it has dangers that its proponents not only refuse to see, but can not see because of its nature!
The various methods used to gain access to this meditative state is very old. The ritual abstinence from food were as old as mankind. Practiced in the rituals of Eleusis the initiate would undergo a long period of fixed and then followed by a period of waiting. This increased sense of anticipation and increased mind, which would create the event in their minds before it actually happened. No leader could ask for more. Eventually, the initiate was lead into the temple where they had a ritual meal, and thus large effects were produced in the body with increased content of sugar in the blood, the mind almost in a trance state. There were swirling like Dervish, sleep-inducing drink and play by the great and seemingly powerful priests. Sacred objects and sacred words were then, would at this time of heightened state, would be revealed. Age and breadth of this system of indoctrination can be seen in the concluding words, "Cansha on pacsha", a sanskrit term. Yes, it is accepted by scientists that these rituals originated in India from the old Brahmin. Strangely, these rituals also involved the seventh line, which marked the adoption of the insiders.
As Aristotle himself wrote: "It's like being initiated not so much to learn from experiencing certain emotions, and being thrown into a particular state of mind."
This "special state of mind" was a plasticity of the opening that the priests could bend and manipulate for their own purposes, like the Old Man of the Mountain manipulated the Assassins. The initiate truly believed he or she had visited other worlds.
All these methods and means of manipulation was transferred over time in all forms of modern secret societies. In the high priesthood of Thebes, a society first discovered in Germany in the 18th century, it was written by the opening: "He was led to two high pillars between which stood a griffin ride a wheel in front of him. The columns symbolized the east and west on Griffin sun wheel and the four spokes of the four seasons. He was taught using the level and instructed in geometry and architecture. He had a rod, entwined by snakes and password Heve (snake), and was told the story of the Fall. "The symbols in this introduction is now obvious and ancient.
In initiations and rituals of witches similar themes are found. Whirling, dancing and a general build up to frenzy, would bring the participant into a general state of trance - now known as catharsis. This was helped by medicines, such as "ointment" used by witches to help them fly and which contained hyoscine. The leader would then guide them through a set piece ritual of words and incantations leading to complete mind control. Such control in fact, that like many religions, the participant would often give up their own family and friends. This is the origin of what we call in modern times, a cult, and it can now be realized how difficult it is to break the cult.
This awakening of the mind through ecstasy is on the one hand, a transition from the norm and a breakthrough for the mind in a free state, but on the other hand, it is a dangerous tool used by many cults, secret societies, and in fact mainstream religion to control and manipulate the masses for their own purposes. It may be that some have nothing but good intentions at heart, but history has shown repeatedly that greed is omnipotent and can take the soul of many well-intentioned groups.
The lesson is, be careful with what and whom you believe.
So how can anyone be certain about anything? The answer is simple. You can not be certain. When you encounter someone that tells you they know the answer to life's questions, absolutely, for certain - RUN! They're taking the lazy path. They're not certain - they have just stopped asking questions and are now expecting you to do likewise.
Look at these responses, quoted from some of the world's Great Thinkers Regarding the issue of certainty:
"Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin
"The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. Uncertainty is the very condition two impel, two unfold his powers." - Erich Fromm
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd." - Voltaire
"What but really want is not knowledge but certainty." - Bertrand Russell
"Fear comes from uncertainty. When we are absolutely certain, Whether of our worth or worthlessness, we are almost impervious two fear." - William Congreve
One of the most unfortunate consequences of certainty is that it leads to the soft insulation of belief. Yes, for a spiritual person there are things in life Which should not simply be taken by Faith and be believed without question. God made us with inquisitive minds and intended for us to use them. When we do not question and we become certain about everything, we believe we in fact disappoint God. We Believe Faith and belief are the Trusting in God, not for being lazy with our minds.
If we allow our minds two soften into pudding By allowing belief and faith two intruder into areas never intended to be handled by Faith and belief, we become certain something is true and must therefore protect that conclusion from Falsification. For example, articles of faith such as the exact method used by God two perform the Creation are viewed by us as something we must protect from Falsification, and we therefore attempt two disprove well-grounded scientific theories such as Evolution. Starting with the conclusion, then proclaiming to be false anything that calls into question our conclusion is NOT how scientific discoveries are made.
We Believe that Faith and reason are not in conflict, and where the question of Creation and Evolution are involved, we believe God respects those who can say that we believe God created the earth, and that science proved life Evolves over hours. We believe in our heart both things can be true and there is no conflict. We do not need to see proof of the Creation to know it is true. For us, proof is on science, not in the realm of the divine. Our proof of God is in our heart. We need no further proof of God.
We believe God wants us to Explore, two study, two question the things we see around us. God is strong and powerful and he can take a few 'Why' questions from his questions just like we can trade them from our 3-year-old grandchildren. Do not be Afraid To Ask question. Questions are the beginning of understanding. Certainty is the end of it.
Stigma is the use of stereotypes and labels when describing someone, and it is often attached to people suffering from mental problems. We do not fully understand how the brain works yet, but one thing we know is that it is a body. But our society does not readily accept brain the way we accept other organ disorders. Why is it so?
Stigma is a harsh reality for people who have psychological problems because it prevents them from enjoying a normal and productive lives. So many people today feel uncomfortable about mental health issues, despite the fact that there are growing signs that more and more people are developing these problems. Actually many people so uncomfortable with the stigma that they would rather suffer in silence than get help they need.
Here are a few of the most common misconceptions about mental health problems:
Mentally ill people have a weak character
Mentally ill people are potentially dangerous.
People with mental illness should just "snap out of it"
Mentally ill people are violent
The media has only further strengthened our distorted notions about mental health issues. Frequently, characters on television and in films having a mental illness are depicted as dangerous, unpredictable and violent.
What are the effects of stigma?
If you were sick you would go to a doctor. When you are feeling better, you'd expect to get on with life as usual.
But it is not so easy for people suffering from mental illness. Often, they suffer from persistent rejections and exclusions by ill-informed members of the community. Some people have been denied loans, health insurance and jobs because of their history of mental problems. That is why these people lose their confidence and may develop further anxiety or depression, on top of the issues they already face.
What can we do?
We all have times when we feel depressed, anxious or angry. We could even have some bad days where we think that nothing will ever go right for us and the world is against us. For a mentally ill person, these feelings do not disappear.
So the answer is education and understanding. If you know someone who seems very emotional, or overturning, as an example, show compassion and understanding, and encourage them to seek help. And if you have to ask yourself, find solace in the fact that you are not alone and that there is hope.
The title piece in this anthology is a parable about the nature of religious belief. When first published in 1932 received much attention, and we wondered whether the intervening 75 years might have made it somewhat less of a shock. We found that apart from a violation of the current political correctness and a few inevitable stylistic issues, the message was not lost its poignancy and perhaps little of its ability to shock.
The Black Girl "in the search for God is not a novel or a novella. It is not really a story either. We choose to describe it as a parable because others have, but it could be classified together with Plato's Symposium, as a tool for examining a philosophical idea. It is not a discourse, but it could be a meditation, albeit a rather energetic one. The idea in question, of course, is the nature of religious belief.
Black Girl of the title is only cast as such, we believe that giving Shaw with a literary vehicle to convey his otherwise naïve questions about Christianity. To this end, The Black Girl is presented as a "noble savage", and thus a tabula rasa. It is here - and only here - that Shaw violates applicable correctness. Character could have been subjected as a child, but she could not have threatened to swing her knobkerrie, her arms, and even she could have been portrayed as bringing no tradition of her own. We must accept therefore that there remains a functionality on the role of this nature. She does not represent anything other than her ability to ask the questions she is obliged to ask.
Black Girl has been converted to Christianity from a young British woman who took pleasure in amorously jilting a series of Vicars. She is as a missionary, despite her clearly thin grasp of the subject. She is perhaps an allegory of colonial expansion. She goes abroad to teach others, even though they have not achieved compliance or knowledge of his own life. It may be important for the teacher and the taught are both women.
When her convert starts asking questions, fundamental questions that the missionary himself has never heard asked, never mind answered that she returns to the invention, not scholarship. Shaw's intention is clear. She invents myth to mystify myth. And this jacket satisfy the curiosity of the average Christian, but not The Black Girl, so go out and seek God.
And, guided by snakes, she finds him. And not just once, because there is more than one God in the Bible she carries. There is God Wrath requiring sacrifice for her child. When she can not comply, He demands she find her father so he can sacrifice her. A good part of the Bible thus disappears from her newfound faith.
She meets a seemingly God of love, but he laughs at the job for being so naive and blind believers. Several of her book blows away.
She meets prophets who one by one, deliver their individual messages, most of which conflict and communicate individual political positions or bigotry rather than personal revelation.
On the way she belittles Imperial power and male dominance. She learns that most "civilized" countries have given up on God and hear a prayer that people like her should not be taught things that our country no longer believe.
Scientists offer her equally conflicting opinions. They are careful only to describe, never to conclude or interpret. In a sense, they are just modern prophets, each with their own interested positions.
There is an astonishing incident in which a mathematician implore her to consider complex numbers, square root of minus x, as The Black Girl falls as myna sex or maybe its Homophone less sex, and is clearly a reference to feminism. Along with economic power and male dominance, The Black Girl sees guns as the highest achievement of the white community. This anticipates the description of colonialism's trinity in Ngugi's Petals of Blood.
So, in a foreign branch, an Arabic discussing religion with a sorcerer. These seem to be a couple of great prophets in thin disguise. But their discussions only confuse the girl and their words skirt her questions.
And then she meets an Irishman, marries and settles down. She deal with him, their coffee-colored children, and the fruits of their garden. Note that she did not devote himself. She projects out, does not analyze the field. And in this utterly humanist universe she finds not only personal happiness, but also satisfied with the answers to her own metaphysical questions that religion itself can not even address.
And so, as the parable closes, we ponder whether the Irishman she marries is Shaw, and whether The Black Girl is the questioning, non-racist, non-sexist, socialist and humanist vision of the future, he has personally gone into.
And as for Lesser Tales, they are generally smaller. Don Giovanni explains itself was funny and a dead old Revolutionary Hero was prescient of the role of the Socialist Workers Party adopted in maintaining Margaret Thatcher in power in the 1980s. A large, historical and fundamentally contemporary read.
ootball was invented by Danny Dulac, one of the organizers of the Raiders. He thought about it during a trip to the east coast, and when he returned, he had fleshed out many rules and was "ready to kick off". Today there are thousands of websites, magazines and software that is dedicated to fantasy sports. 
