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MEDICATIONS FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA): CORTICOSTEROIDSCorticosteroid medications, better known as cortisone or steroids, are useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a variety of other conditions such as asthma and allergies. There are several types of corticosteroids in current use. The steroids used illegally by athletes to gain extra strength differ vastly from the cortisone injected into a joint to provide relief from inflammation.What steroids and cortisone do have in common is chemical makeup. In fact, corticosteroid medications, which are artificially manufactured, also resemble the body's own natural hormones in chemical makeup. Cortisone and hydrocortisone are two such hormones that are produced naturally by the adrenal gland. These hormones have a protective function: when a person suffers any kind of stress, the levels of these hormones increase to help the person cope physically with the particular situation.When medications resembling the body's natural cortisone are taken in larger amounts than the body normally produces, inflammation is markedly decreased. For this reason, corticosteroid medications can be an important part of the treatment of RA.*103/209/5* tl-pharmacy.com
Posted on March 19, 2011, under Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO BDD TREATMENT: OVERCOMING RELUCTANCE TO TRY PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT Some people are reluctant to try psychiatric treatment. The reasons vary. Sometimes, it's a concern about stigma. For others, it's fear of the treatments themselves, which is often based on a misunderstanding of them and possible side effects. Others insist that surgery is the solution. Sometimes this reluctance stems from a desire to "do it on my own," and the person feels like a failure if they accept psychiatric care. While reluctance may be understandable, it shouldn't keep you from getting treatment and getting better. Although SRIs can have side effects and CBT can be challenging, most people fare well with these treatments and easily tolerate them. You shouldn't feel or look "drugged" while taking an SRI, and these medications aren't addictive. If medication sjde effects occur, or CBT is too difficult, a good doctor or therapist will work with you and probably succeed in making them tolerable. I'll say more about surgery in chapter 15, but as best we know it usually doesn't work for BDD and may even make you worse. It isn't a good substitute for psychiatric treatment. And trying to get better on your own is unlikely to work. Perhaps, if your BDD is mild, you may benefit from trying accepted CBT techniques on your own. But most people—and certainly those with moderate or severe BDD—will need professional help. As best we know, herbs, diet, "natural" remedies, and other strategies (other than SRIs or CBT) are unlikely to work.When you overcome these barriers, the stage is set for a successful—in some cases a lifesaving—outcome. Anne, who had an excellent response to Celexa (citalopram) told me, "I'm feeling terrific, for the first time in 30 years." Like some people I've treated who responded to medication, Ann "tested" the medication by trying to bring her obsession back. But she couldn't. Sandy told me something similar: "The medication definitely curbs the obsession. It released a logjam. My life felt like a stream that had thousands of huge boulders and logs in it—the water couldn't flow through smoothly. Now it flows with ease. I feel full of energy and creativity." And after CBT, Jason felt that he—not the BDD— was in change of his life.*239\204\8*
FATIGUE AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA): SETTING PRIORITIES Your energy is most limited when your RA is flaring, and at these times it may not be possible for you to do everything you would like to do or feel that you should do. At these times you need to be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do. Start by setting priorities. Make lists of things to do, and then prioritize those things. Decide to do first what absolutely must be done, and cross out everything that has the word should connected to it: "I should iron my dress." Instead, select a dress to wear that doesn't need ironing, even if you just wore it last week. Being fashion conscious at the expense of energy is a low priority. "I should do some dusting tonight." The dust isn't going anywhere! Put that task aside until you have more energy, or consider assigning that task to someone else.After you have thrown out the shoulds, divide the remaining tasks into steps. Discard the all-or-nothing philosophy. (Cleaning day -"I must do all my cleaning in one day so my whole house is clean at one time"-is an example of an all-or-nothing item you may find on your list.) Do a little each day, and eventually it will all get done.*49/209/5*
DRUGS FOR ABSENCE AND OTHER GENERALIZED SEIZURES: WHAT MAY VALPROIC ACID CAUSE?In some children, valproic acid may cause an increase in the blood level of ammonia, leading to sleepiness, headache, nausea, or vomiting. Children with these symptoms should have a blood ammonia level test, and if the ammonia level is found to be elevated, the valproic acid dose should be decreased or the medication stopped.Valproic acid itself rarely affects learning or behavior negatively. It seldom causes sleepiness. If these symptoms occur when the drug is started, they usually are a consequence of an increase in the level of some other drug the child is taking, particularly phenobarbital. Valproic acid increases the blood level of phenobarbital by 30 percent; thus, the dose of phenobarbital must be decreased by one-third when valproate is begun.Valproic acid (Depakene) may be irritating to the stomach and cause nausea, vomiting, and a decrease in appetite. These symptoms decrease if the drug is taken along with meals. Depakote, a slightly different form of the drug, is said to have fewer effects on the stomach.Weight gain, loss of appetite, and temporary loss of hair also occur in some individuals who are taking valproic acid.Although the list of side effects of valproate seems long, we repeat that it is an excellent anticonvulsant drug, and, if used properly, it is also very safe.*126\208\8*
Posted on February 15, 2011, under Weight Loss.
THE SELF-POISONER: PATTERNS OF SELF-INDUCED TOXICITY – HOLDING ON TO THE PAST & THE GOOD OLD DAYSHOLDING ON TO THE PASTAnother group of self-induced toxic behavior patterns is characterized by a person's refusal to let go of obsolete attitudes, relationships, and experiences that were part of the reality of his past, but are inappropriate in the here and now. He poisons himself with outmoded attitudes and responses which complicate his life, distracting himself from focusing on his most important needs. In the end, he loses touch with the central aspects of his self and the ongoing process of discovering his evolving identity.THE GOOD OLD DAYSHolding on to the past is a way of cutting oneself off from nourishment in the present. Some people constantly complain about their present problems, and about social conditions, world affairs, etc., as if everything were bleak and nothing good ever happened. They contrast this with the "good old days" when people were more friendly and cared about one another. While there may be some minimal gratification in reminiscing about what living was like many years ago, the toxic effect can be quite devastating.Memory is notoriously inaccurate; the past is a collection of fantasies. When a person clings to these fantasies and insists that his past really was as glorious as he remembers, he convinces himself that the present is dull, drab, and depressing. This kind of self-poisoning attitude destroys the nourishment (excitement, joy, and pleasure) in what is.Mr. Brown to his family on the Fourth of July: "Those fireworks weren't bad, but they just don't make 'em like they used to. When I was a kid, firecrackers had a much bigger bang and there were lots more of them. We really had fun in those days!"*72\350\8*
Posted on February 9, 2011, under Women's Health.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES FOR PMS: MEDITATIONMeditation is not really so much a therapy as a way of life. Once you have learnt how to meditate you will want to practise the technique every day – whether you're in good health or bad.Meditation is not a 'religious' exercise, though many religions around the world use meditation to induce a feeling of peace and inner calm. Nor is it simply a case of sitting still for ten minutes. You need to learn to blot out the world so that you have a chance to listen to your 'inner self'.If you haven't tried meditation before you may need a little practice before you get the hang of it, but you will. You can learn meditation by yourself at home but the best way is to join a class and get taught property.One of the simplest techniques involves the following steps:• Sit with a straight back, either in a chair or cross-legged on the floor, with your hands resting in your tap and your feet firmly on the ground, feet slightly apart.• Close your eyes and take several slow breaths – make sure your abdomen swells out when you breathe in and sinks back when you breathe out (it is hard to relax if you are breathing with your upper chest).• Repeat a neutral word over and over again in your mind slowly – this word will be your 'mantra' (it can be any word but many people choose evocative ones such as 'one', 'peace' or 'flower').• If you feel your mind wandering, and it is natural for it to do so, turn your mind back to your counting or your mantra.• Do this for 15 minutes.• At the end of that time stop and sit quietly for a minute or so before opening your eyes and getting up slowly.Clinical research has shown that regular meditation can reduce stress levels and is of use in treating stress-related conditions. Patients treated for high blood pressure have even been able to reduce their medication after taking up meditation.*58\120\4*
Posted on January 31, 2011, under Cardio & Blood-Сholesterol.
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND HIGH-FAT DIETVolumes of scientific literature support the negative impact of a high-fat diet on the cardiovascular system. A high-fat diet contributes to obesity, which increases peripheral resistance in the arterioles and can drive blood pressure up. It is a proven factor in atherosclerosis, which narrows the "pipes." Fat also interferes with insulin utilization and contributes to insulin resistance, which is a significant factor in many cases of hypertension.Dr. Salah Kassab, of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, suggests that a high-fat diet also results in sodium retention, which increases blood volume and drives up blood pressure. This was demonstrated in an experiment in which dogs were fed a high-fat diet for a period of five weeks. Not only did the dogs gain an average of 8 pounds, but their blood pressure and heart rate also rose considerably. By the end of the study, their diastolic blood pressure soared from 87 to 91 mm Hg, and the resting heart rate increased a whopping 20 beats per minute (from 83 to 113).The kind of fat you eat makes a difference, too. Fats that contribute to heart disease include cholesterol-laden saturated fats from meat, eggs and high-fat dairy products, and overly processed vegetable oils. When polyunsaturated vegetable oils are processed under high temperatures, they may transmute into unnatural breakdown products that are harmful to the arteries. Margarine and solid vegetable shortening are particularly dangerous as their processing results in the formation of toxic trans fatty acids. These altered fats – which are like nothing Mother Nature ever intended – interfere with some of your body's important functions. In Part II you'll learn about beneficial fats that actually help reverse hypertension.*28/313/5*
GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER: COMMON REACTIONSWe typically have a dominant reaction in one of four dimensions: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional or Spiritual. Most of the time these aspects of ourselves are in balance for the life we want to live. During cancer treatment, all of these factors will be changed depending on the particular aspect of the treatment, and over which we sometimes have little or no control. No one knows how they will react when the diagnosis is made; regrettably there is no magic formula we can share with you. We can, however, give you some insights that may lessen the impact of the more 'overwhelming' reactions.I ended up having counseling to help deal with a lot of personality problems that were really detrimental to my health. I used to suffer from depression and felt unworthy. Counseling helped me deal with that. Seline
I was in a state of denial about my psychological reactions to the cancer for a long time, although at the time I did not realize it. On discharge from hospital I embarked on a major community project. This urge 'to save the world' was a stupid thing to do at that time, as it depleted my emotional and physical resources and slowed my return to sound health. I now realize it was an abnormal need to have others see me as fit, well and professionally capable – as if nothing had ever happened! Had I put myself first, and restored ME, I am sure my recovery would have been a lot quicker. My advice to others is 'self first' and only when fully recovered THEN go and save the world! Clara
It is a time when it is necessary for you or your carer to have acute awareness of any changes from your (or your carer/partner's) 'usual' way of thinking and reacting, and acceptance of these as 'normal'. And to also have the courage to suggest counseling if your reactions persist or plunge you into depression or extreme anxiety. If you are a naturally anxious personality type, any life change event can cause psychological turmoil. In this case it just happens to be cancer which triggers it.*50/144/5*
Posted on January 13, 2011, under Women's Health.
THE CANDIDA-ASTHMA CONNECTION: ALLERGIC AND PATHOGENIC POTENTIAL OF CANDIDAAlthough clinical descriptions of chronic fungal infections go back to the beginning of history, when Hippocrates first described the signs and manifestations of oral thrush, it has only been since original work by Dr Orian Truss, first published in 1978, that research in to the link between this organism and allergies really began. We have known for many years, however, that Candida albicans has the potential to invade many types of human tissue and to cause a multiplicity of health disorders. On the other hand, many (if not most) general practitioners considered the Candida organism to be responsible for only a limited number of conditions, notably vaginal, oral or nail thrush. They seem to have ignored the possibility that Candida albicans may sensitise a patient, quite separately from its ability to invade the body and cause localised infections.There are over eighty species of Candida and at least six of these are known pathogens. The majority of Candida infections, however, are caused by Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. The rates of Candida invasion are greater for hospitalised patients than for the population at large, making hospital a health hazard, at least as far as Candida is concerned.The organism usually provokes an antibody's response because of its adherence to mucosal epithelial surfaces in the respiratory, digestive and genital tracts. Candida glycoproteins have been shown to stimulate histamine release from mast cells and thus have a strong allergenic potential. Candida albicans has been found to be a factor in cases of urticaria (hives), irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis and asthma.Candida albicans is a potent bronchial antigen. In 1978 Dr Orian Truss proposed that the organism can cause sensitisation of other, distant organ systems and tissues. His work was later confirmed by other physicians and eventually expanded to show the existence of a 'chronic candidiasis sensitivity syndrome'. That was the subject of one of my books by the same title, published in 1991, and of several papers I have given at Australian and international medical conferences.This immune dysregulation can cause an increase in colonisation and eventually yeast by-products are released into the circulation.SummaryCandida albicans can irritate, cause inflammation and disrupt intestinal mucosal surfaces (lumen) by adherence and thus cause indigestion and increase gut permeability (leaky gut).Candida albicans can cause Type 1 hypersensitivities, such as urticaria and asthma; Type III sensitivity reactions, such as bronchopulmonary candidiasis; or Type IV reactions, altered cellular immune responses to Candida antigens.The way in which an organism can be responsible for an allergy is known as its 'sensitisation potential or capacity'.*56\145\2*
Posted on December 31, 2010, under Anti-Infectives.
SUPERFICIAL FUNGAL INFECTIONS: TINEA, TINEA PEDIS, ETCTineaTinea infections are caused by dermatophytes from three genera, Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. The lifetime risk of dermatophyte infection is between 10% and 20%. These infections are typically named for the site that is infected.Because other skin diseases mimic fungal infections, it is best to confirm the presence of fungus. Culture can be reserved for complicated cases, but it is very simple to perform a potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation for microscopy. Scales should be scraped from the leading edge of lesions and placed on a microscope slide. One or two drops of KOH (10-20%) are added and a cover slip placed on top. The slide is then either heated or allowed to sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. A microscope is then used to search for the branching hyphae characteristic of dermatophyte infections. A drop of ink or fungal stain can make the hyphae easier to find.
Tinea PedisTinea pedis, or athlete's foot, is the most common dermatophytic infection. Tinea pedis typically occurs in hot and humid weather when the patient is wearing occlusive footwear. It can present in three patterns (sometimes all in the same patient):- Interdigital (especially third and fourth spaces) maceration and cracking- Scaling, hyperkeratotic lesions in a ballet shoe or moccasin distribution- Scattered, very pruritic, vesiculobullous lesions
Tinea cruris Tinea cruris, or jock itch, is a caused by Epidermophyton floccosum or Trichophyton rubrum infection of the intertriginous areas in male patients.
Tinea CorporisTinea corporis, or ringworm, is caused by T. rubrum or by Trichophyton verrucosum or Microsporum canis (from animal contact). Tinea corporis can refer to tinea anywhere except the scalp, beard, hands, or groin. The classic ringworm appearance demonstrates annular plaques with erythema and scaling. The center clears to a dusky or brown color as the lesion extends radially. Unlike other tinea infections, tinea corporis occurs in exposed areas.
TreatmentFirst-line treatment for tinea is topical, with allylamines (naftifine, butenafine, terbinafine) being slightly more effective. Treatment should be continued for 1 week after cure. This will typically take 2 weeks for tinea corporis and tinea cruris. Tinea pedis may require 4 weeks of treatment. Chronic or resistant cases may require the use of oral agents such as itraconazole, terbinafine, griseofulvin, or once-weekly fluconazole. Environmental factors are also important in treatment and prevention. Keeping clothing, shoes, and skin dry can be very helpful. Treating shoes with antifungal powder may also be helpful. When tinea is especially inflamed and pruritic, some clinicians will use a topical steroid in conjunction with antifungal therapy, at least early in therapy. This approach helps to alleviate symptoms quickly and may even hasten resolution of the infection.*114/348/5*


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Indian Parliament Rushes through Repressive "Anti-Terror" Laws
- Details
- Published on 24 January 2010
- Written by www.icawpi.org
Barely three weeks after the Mumbai terrorist attack, India's Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government pushed draconian new "anti-terror" laws through parliament. Amidst an unrelenting din of hysteria over reputed "Pakistani-sourced terrorism," all sections of India's political establishment—including the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front—unanimously joined with the Congress and its UPA allies on Dec. 17 to adopt the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendments Act 2008 and the National Investigating Agency Act.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendments Act 2008 introduces harsh amendments to the already draconian provisions of a similarly titled 1967 act, including doubling the time "terror" suspects can be held without charge and forcing accused in certain cases to "prove" their innocence. The second bill authorizes the creation of a National Investigating Agency (NIA) akin to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to the Indian constitution "law and order" comes under the purview of the state governments. However the new agency will have the authority to probe "terrorist acts" directly without the authorization of local state governments. The National Investigating Agency Act also establishes special courts to try terrorism cases.
Pressing for unanimous passage of the two bills in the Lok-Sabha (the lower house of India's parliament), Home Minister P. Chidambaram claimed the legislators had "captured the mood of the nation" by agreeing to set aside normal parliamentary procedures to rush through emergency, "consensus" legislation. Chidambaram claimed that the bills were needed to confront the threat of "Jihadi-terrorism," yet hypocritically urged the legislators not to look at the legislation through a "communal prism."
While the UPA government and corporate media have claimed the bills are a response to the three-day commando-style attack on Mumbai in late November, the Hindu right and large sections of India's security establishment have long been pushing for new powers for the state in the name of combating terrorism. UPA Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has himself repeatedly referred to terrorism—by which he means not just the bombings and commando raids mounted by Islamacist groups, but a whole series of national-separatist and Naxhalite (Maoist) insurgencies—as the greatest threat to the Indian state.
The hypocritical and reactionary character of the ruling class debate over terrorism is underscored by the fact that entirely excluded from discussion are the atrocities that the Hindu right, with the complicity of much of state apparatus, has perpetrated over the past two decades—most infamously in the wake of the 1992 razing of the Babri Masjid mosque in Ayodhya and the 2002 Gujarat pogrom. In so far as there has been a rise of Islamicist terrorism in India, it has come largely in reaction to the Indian bourgeoisie's connivance with, and sponsorship of, the Hindu right.
That the target of the legislation is far more than the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack and like atrocities is above all demonstrated by the sweeping definition of terrorism set out in the Unlawful Activities Act (2008). The multi-part definition declares guilty of a "terrorist act," "Whoever does any act with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India or with intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country" using any "hazardous substance" likely to cause injury or property damage or disrupt essential services; or by using "criminal force" or threatening criminal force to "overawe" any public official; or who seeks to compel the Indian government, any state or foreign government to do anything by detaining or kidnapping anyone.
The bill goes on to make it a crime liable to a minimum of five years and a maximum of life imprisonment to raise, collect, or provide funds, "directly or indirectly," "likely" to be used to "commit a terrorist act."
It also provides, according to an analysis carried out by Amnesty International, "no clear and strict definition of what constitutes 'membership' of a 'terrorist gang or organization.'" This opens the door to the witchhunting of large numbers of people who support the objectives of an organization deemed by the Indian state to be terrorist, but who are in no way involved in violence.
The bill's definitions of terrorism and support for terrorism provide the legal framework for the Indian state to greatly intensify its attempts to crush through state violence the ethno-separatist insurgences in Kashmir and the north-east and the insurgencies being mounted by several Naxalite groups. (According to the Indian government, Naxalite insurgents are active in about 180 administrative districts or more than one-fifth of the entire country.)
The Naxalites are a retrograde, nationalist political tendency. But they have been able to gain support in some of the poorest and most remote areas of India because of the tremendous agrarian crisis and because the mainline Stalinist parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India, have politically paralyzed the working class.
The Naxalite movement enjoys the support of a layer of students and has a network of support and cultural organizations, some of them patronized by well-known intellectuals and artists. Such activities have now been criminalized and there is every reason to expect that the ruling elite will utilize these new laws to launch a dragnet against Naxalite-aligned groups and their supporters.
The legislation could also be invoked in the future directly against the working class, as almost any form of resistance to the state could be labeled a threat to the "unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India." Sections of the corporate media have long denounced hartals (political strikes) and gheraos (in which protesters surround and detain a government official or corporate boss) as violent acts, based on "terrorizing" opponents.
Overturning of key juridical principles
Of no less importance is the fact that the legislation overturns longstanding juridical principles, laying the basis for further attacks on democratic rights.
Police are now empowered to arrest "terrorist suspects" and detain them for 180 days without filing any formal charges. Under the 1967 Act the maximum period of imprisonment without formal charges was 90 days.
Foreign "terror suspects" or indeed almost any foreign national accused of entering the country illegally will have no right to bail. Even for Indian nationals, bail will be difficult if not impossible to obtain, as it is subject to the consent of a judge of the special "terrorist" court. The state is empowered to freeze, seize or attach funds and other financial assets or economic resources reputedly held by "suspected" individuals on behalf of terrorist organizations.
If a suspect is caught with "weapons," the law will presume the accused is guilty; in other words the burden of proof will be shifted from the state to the accused, thereby violating one of the most essential principles of civil liberty—"innocent until proven guilty."
The special courts established under the National Investigating Agency Act will try terror suspects in camera, denying the public knowledge of the proceedings and thereby greatly facilitating convictions on the basis of flimsy or concocted evidence.
The UPA government's adoption of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendments Act 2008 and the National Investigating Agency Act constitutes a further major shift to the right on the part of the Congress Party, the Indian bourgeoisie's traditional party of government. In July, the Congress-led UPA broke with the Stalinist Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its Left Front (which had been providing the minority government with the parliamentary votes needed to remain in office), so as to press forward with the Indo-US civilian nuclear treaty and, more broadly, a "global, strategic" partnership with US imperialism.
In passing the twin "anti-terror" bills, the Congress is adapting and giving succor to the Hindu right. In a communally-laced propaganda offensive, the official opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long accused the Congress of being "soft on terrorism" because it wants to attract Muslim votes. This Hindu communalist party, which was swept from the power by the Congress-led UPA in 2004, has particularly lashed out against the UPA government for its repealing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), legislation the previous BJP-led government adopted in 2002 following a terrorist attack on India's parliament and in the midst of a massive military mobilization and threats of war against Pakistan.
The Congress Party made much of its repeal of POTA after it came to power in 2004, conceding that it was anti-democratic, had resulted in police dragnets in which large numbers of innocent people, especially Muslims, had been victimized, and had been used by various state governments to witchhunt political opponents.
The Congress Party has now come full-circle. The new laws adopt the key elements of POTA, including long detentions without charges, a broad definition of terrorism, placing the burden of proof on the accused, and closed trials in special courts. Only a few provisions are different. Unlike POTA, the new law does not allow prosecutors to use "confessions" made to police officers. (India's police and security forces have an appalling human rights record, including routine use of summary executions and torture.)
The Times of India in its article entitled "POTA Back as New UAPA?" concluded that the new legislation is indeed "old wine in new bottle."
The BJP welcomes the Congress' "U-Turn"
The Congress Party's lurch to the right was acknowledged by BJP leader L.K. Advani, but he made sure to once again admonish the Congress for having repealed POTA and to demand even more repressive measures, such as making police-elicited "confessions" admissible in court.
Said Advani, "I cannot express happiness but I express satisfaction today. You have today admitted that the government was wrong for 10 years and will rectify mistakes. You have woken up from Kumbhakarna's sleep. (Kumbhakarna is a character in a Hindu epic who is always in deep sleep.) I want that you admit that you were wrong. . . . You attacked us as if we had committed a crime when we ushered in the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA)."
Having lectured the Congress for having termed POTA as "anti-minority," Advani concluded by proclaiming, "Today I am happy with your U-turn."
The Congress-Party led UPA government has used last month's Mumbai attack to ratchet up tensions with Pakistan, India's historic rival, and thereby force it to cut off support for the anti-Indian insurgency in Kashmir, to divert popular attention from the fallout within India of the world economic crisis, and now to mount a sweeping attack on democratic rights.
In the process, the self-avowed "secular" Congress has joined hands with the BJP, while competing with the Hindu supremacists as to which party is the most resolute against terrorism and Pakistan.
The Congress has now leveled its own "soft on terrorism" charge against the BJP, repeatedly referring to a 1999 incident in which the BJP-led government of the time authorized the release of some Kashmiri separatists from prison in India to secure the release of hostages on a hijacked plane.
Deepal Jayasekera, World Socialist Website, 29 December 2008

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Stock: In Stock
- Model: 91051
- Weight: 113.00g
|Pure Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Ethanol, Betaine, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Algae Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Prunus Persica (Peach) Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Polyacrylate-13, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Pentylene Glycol, Dextrin, Cholesterol, Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance
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text:
A fully stocked bar
Relax and unwind at our bar! We offer you a full range of wine, liquors, and a great selection of import, craft and domestic beers and select beers on tap. Drop by to check out our daily drink specials, or to have our bartenders mix up the perfect martini!
Budweiser, Bud Light, Corona Light, Corona, Coors, Coors Light, Red Stripe, Heineken, Guinness, Dogfish.
Merlot, White Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Moscato, Pinot Grigio. Our house wine is LaTerre
Rum, whiskey, tequila, vodka, and more.
Enjoy a shot on the rocks, or perfectly blended cocktail.


text:
Michael Orthofer reports from the Complete Review that Milan Kundera refuses to sign contracts to release his titles to e-publishing:
...for several years, he's insisted on a clause in his contracts stipulating that his books only appear in 'traditional' (i.e. printed) form -- no e-book versions. And, indeed, you won't find any Kundera titles on Kindle (etc.).
Not many authors are still holding out from e-formats -- and, indeed, presumably few have enough clout to be able to do so. Kundera can afford to -- though one has to wonder: to what end ?


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Periphery: North Aegean
Agiasos, Google Earth
Agiasos (or Agiassos) is a town and municipality in Lesbos, Greece located at the slopes of mountain Olympos, at a height of 475 meters, 26km from Mytilene, with its special bright green landscape, its narrow cobbled streets lined by ranks of tiled-roof houses, the traditional architecture and its restless and religious inhabitants. Agiassos, artistic and religious centre of the island, is a preserved settlement that has many to offer to visitors. A very famous cultural institution has been established in 1854 when the village was still under Turkish domination, the reading society of Anaptixi. Today it has a great library, a theatre hall and a folklore museum.
The history of the village (pop. 2,498 in 2001 census) is identified with the history of Panayia of Ayasos (the Greek word for Virgin Mary of Agiasos).
Turning the pages of time 1,200 years back we pause in the Byzantine Era, toward the end of the 8th century – during the time of the wars on icon. In Constantinople, Aghathon the Ephesian, priest of the Chapel of the Palaces, who was an iconophile, falls into the disfavour of Emperor Leo I and is self-exiled to Jerusalem. In the early 802 b. C. Aghathon hears that Empress Irene of Athens, who is also an iconophile, lives in exile on Lesvos island. Wishing to meet her and be nearer to Constantinople, he sets off for Lesvos, taking with him an icon of "Panayia I Vrefokratousa" (Madonna and the Holy Infant), a Silver Cross with wood from the True cross, a manuscript Gospel, and other relics.
He arrives on the island. Meanwhile, Irene of Athens has died. Aghathon, follows the current of a stream and reaches a remote wooded area which is a safe environment in which to stay. This site in Carya where the chapel of Zoodochos Pigi (the life-giving source) with the Holy Water stands today, is where Aghathon hid the Holy Relics and built his hermitage.
He becomes familiar with the local inhabitants of the nearby villages of Karyni and Penthili, and gains their trust and respect. He reveals his secret and vows that the icon of Panayia (Our Lady) – measuring 0,86 X 0,62 – was painted on wax and mastic by Luke the Evangelist. The icon bore the inscription "Mitir Theou, Ayia Sion", that is, "Mother of God, Holly Sion". In those times Jerusalem was called "Ayia Sion". With the passage of time, the small, humble hermitage evolved into a monastery, where devout men from the neighboring villages came to live.
The elderly Aghathon died on February 2 in the year 830. The monks, respecting his last wish, continued to keep the icon of Our Lady and the other relics in the monastery crypt. The monks feared the iconoclasts and pirates who ravaged the islands and coastal towns of Asia Minor. In 842, Orthodoxy triumphed and holy icons were raised all over the territory of the Byzantine Empire. From then on the hermitage of Agathon became a pilgrimage. The icon of Panayia by Luke the Evangelist became renowned not merely on the island but all over facing Aeolis. Two pilgrimages to Ayia Sion were equivalent to one pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
The Church of Panayia (Our Lady)
The first church of Panayia
In 1170, Constantinos Valerios granted the monks of Karya permission to erect the Church of Panayia on the elevation where the holy relics of Aghathon lay. The church endured the tests of time, surviving 636 years. A small settlement named Ayia Sion (Ayasos) developed around the church. This settlement gradually grew, becoming an important provincial town. When the island was subjugated by the Ottoman Turks, many Christian families sought refuge inside the protective walls of the Church of Panayia.
In 1701 a Sultan's firman (decree) vested Ayasos the right not to pay taxes. The Turkish Governor of the region, whose headquarters were in Sykounta, fell seriously ill. In despair, he agreed to be incensed and aspersed with the Holy Water of Zoodhochos Pigi, and he was saved by a miracle. The Ottoman Governor was so taken by enthusiasm and gratitude that he felt the need to make a very valuable offering to the Church of Our Lady, however this was forbidden by the Koran. So, he went to Constantinople and passed a firman (decree) exempting the inhabitants of Ayasos the obligation to pay taxes to the Ottoman government or to the Dignitaries of Mytilene. This exemption was a strong incentive for inhabitants from the vicinity to move to Ayasos in order to avoid tax-paying.
Ayasos became a renowned centre of handicraft. In 1729 the number of families in the village had risen to 500.
The firman was abolished in 1783.
The second church of Panayia
However the church was now very old and derelict so it had to be torn down. In 1806 reconstruction work was initiated by the Metropolite of Mytilene Ieremios and the dignitaries of Ayasos. A new church was built in its place, only larger than the first, despite the strict Order issued by the Turkish authorities stipulating that the new church had to be built exactly where the old foundations lay. The work to decorate the exterior and interior of the church took many years to complete. The décor of the interior of this church, like the first church, was very heavy, so rich it was in offerings made by the believers. The church acquired a number of fine ecclesiastical wood carvings, such as its iconostasis, throne, pulpit and the icon-stands.
The third church of Panayia
The craftsmen were still working on the wood carving when suddenly, on the 6th night of August 1812, the church went up in flames in the great fire that destroyed a large section of the town. Fortunately, all but one icon on the iconostasis were salvaged. The only icon that was destroyed was the icon of Our Lord. Indescribable was the sorrow and anguish of the devout Christians of Ayasos and the deep mourning all over the island at the loss of such a unique monument of the Christian faith.
Nonetheless, the donations which believers of Ayasos so open-handedly offered and the fund-raisers initiated by the Metropolite of Mytilene Callinicus and his emissaries who carried his word to the rural areas and to the opposite coasts of Asia Minor, enabled a third church, which is still standing today, to be built in 1815.
Sultan Mahmud II granted permission for the church to be built as requested by the inhabitants of Ayasos, on condition that the size of the building would not exceed that of the previous one. The church was 32,20m long and 26,2 m wide. This three-aisle basilica had three apses and three Lord's Tables; the one on the right was dedicated to Saint Charalampus, the one on the left to Saint Nicholas.
Almost all of the glebes had to be sold in order to finance the reconstruction work of the Church. In 1816 a second fund-raiser was held among the Christians in the towns and villages of Aeolis, in order to finance the completion of the interior decoration work. The construction of the iconostasis, the throne and pulpit by fine craftsmen lasted twenty years.
The church of Panayia is a true palace of faith. The offerings are treasures of priceless worth. Icons from Byzantine and Post-Byzantine era adorning the church, create an impression that one is in a place of divine Byzantine beauty.
A second fire, which broke out in 1877, almost destroyed the entire village. However, the church remained intact. Up until then the upper section of the houses that projected onto the narrow roads were made of wood. After the fire these houses were rebuilt, only this time the upper section was made of stone rather than wood and the roads were widened. The village took its present form.
Ayasos has a population of 2.500 permanent residents, while it had 8.000 in the 60s.
The feast day of Panayia takes place on the 15 August. Pilgrims begin arriving weeks before the 15th not only from Lesbos but from all over Greece in order to spend the first fortnight of August ("dekapentizo") in the monk cells or camp out in the churchyard. A carnival-like atmosphere slowly builds up, peaking on the eve of the feast day.
The pilgrims arrive by all means of transportation. In fact many pilgrims walk all the way to Ayasos from Mytilene and other villages on the island, admiring the scenery along the way on the warm summer night in August. Most of the pilgrims walking to Ayasos make a stop at Karyni, in order to catch their breath and cool off under the shade of the perennial plane trees joining in the traditional festivities and merry-making. At this point of the walking trip the more daring and determined pay special tribute to the icon of Panayia Vrefokratousa by taking the old cobblestone path called "patomeni", a shortcut through the olive groves leading to Ayasos. The village comes alive with ceremony on the eve of the Feast Day of Panayia (15 August). The town of Mytilene is literally a ghost town for a couple of days, since everybody has set off for Ayasos in order to promenade and frolic through the cobbled lanes around the church, the squares and the Garden of Panayia. This large religious celebration -market fair attracts many stall-holders who display their merchandize anywhere they can and the shop-keepers advertise their local products such as halva, sour apples, pears as best they can, while the spicy fragrance of oregano and aromatic leaves of sage leave no-one unmoved.
Many people are still awake when dawn breaks and the fresh morning breeze blows from the mountain. The festive atmosphere is unique for all those who happen to experience it.
On the feast day of Panayia, after the observance, the holy icon is circulated round the church.
Monuments - Sights
* The church of Panayia, a major tourist attraction on the island, is a three-aisle basilica, surrounded by high walls since it was once a monastery. Inside, in front of the iconostasis, on an inclined support stands the miracle working icon of Our Lady dating from the 4th century a. D. It was brought to Ayasos from Jerusalem by the monk Aghathon the Ephesian. Directly above a silver gilt replica of the icon dating from the 12 c. AD. A number of old icons dating from the Byzantine era are set on the ledges of the iconostasis. For more information about the Church, see "History of the village".
* "The Garden of Our Lady" is a cool area with a lovely view of the village from below. Here stands the 600 year-old towering plane tree with its enormous branches, under which Eleftherios Venizelos is said to have danced.
* The chapel of "Holy Apostles" (Ayii Apostoli), located inside the yard walls of the Church of Panayia is of remarkable architecture and the chapel of " the Life-giving source" (Zoodhochos Piyi), where, legend says, Aghathon the Ephesian, the monk who brought the miracle-worker icon of Panayia from Ayasos, built his hermitage during the Iconoclast times.
* The church of the Holy Trinity, the second largest church in Ayasos, is located in the "Kampoudi" area in the upper entrance of the village. Built in 1870, it is a replica of the Church of Panayia and other Basilicas of the 18th century. The church has many remarkable icons, some of which date back to the 17th century. Noteworthy is the small but elegant church bell tower.
The church's fair is held on the feast day of the Holy Spirit, marking the beginning of summer for all village activities. Access to the church is easiest by taking the upper entrance to the village, is found if you turn left at the crossroad leading to Megalochori.
* The Market Square lined with neoclassical style coffee houses ("kafeneio").
* The "Kasteli" is a magnificent verdurous height covered in pine trees at an altitude of 600 m, northwest of the town. Here stands two picturesque little church among flower gardens and vegetable patches, one of which is dedicated to the Archangel. Ruins of a medieval fortification can also be seen.
* Just before we make our ascent to Ayasos, we come across the "Reservoir of Karyni" plunged in perennial planes dating from the Roman times. One of these planes is a tourist attraction because of the enormity of its hollow.
* Folk Art Museum. The museum operates from January to December and is located in the Church yard. One of the exhibits is the life-size model of a room in a traditional house of Ayasos. The museum collections include fine works of folk art (embroidery, textile works, traditional costumes, old copperware etc.), old jewelry which are pilgrims' offerings to the church (rings, bracelets, ear-rings, broaches, barrettes etc), an old coin collection etc. An "Ayasotiki ghonia" (traditional corner of Ayasos) is exhibited at the Museum.
* Ecclesiastical Museum. The museum operates in the Church yard. Its collection items include: The Holy Rood made with wood from the True Cross, the sacred relics of the Saints, holy vessels, old hanging oil-lamps (18th century), a stole embroidered with gold (ecclesiastical vestment) (16th cent.), an embroidered epitaph of Panayia (Our Lady), embroidered testers (canopy over alter or pulpit) an old icon-stand, an old piece of "Venetian " furniture etc.
The history of the art of ceramics in Agiasos is as old as the history of the town itself.
The arrival of the icon of Our Lady and the other relics to the island on the one hand, and the foundation of the monastery on the other, contributed to transforming Agiasos into a place of pilgrimage. This pilgrimage attracted thousands of believers, especially during the Turkish Rule. Thus, production of pottery such as water pitchers, plates etc in order to meet the demands of the throngs of devout Christians.
Nowadays, a new series of pottery products has been introduced; small fonts (receptacles for holy water) used by the pilgrims to transport the holy water to their homes and other clay knickknacks and souvenirs.
It is noteworthy to say that, this increased demand for production combined with the migration to Agiasos of a great number of craftsmen from Çanakkale in Asia Minor, have contributed to a greater development of the art of ceramics in Agiasos than in the eastern areas of the island.
Due to these special circumstances, potters and other craftsmen have established trade unions, known as "sinafia". A money box dating from 1864 is evidence of the existence of the "sinafia" of Agiasos.
However the flourishing art of ceramics in Agiasos, is slowly diminishing along with the old way of life, as a consequence of new needs society and introduction of new, more resistant materials in the market.
Thus, while 40 years ago there were 10 pottery workshops, only two operate today.
Still, the presence of art of ceramics in the town is apparent anyone who visits the town. The unique feature of the art of pottery in Agiasos is the multitude of small objects created to serve solely ornamental purposes. The themes portrayed on these objects are usually borrowed from the scenes of daily life in Agiasos, such as loaded donkeys, shepherds, women spinning wool, pitcher-whistles for little children – toys that whistle when water is added etc.
In the by-gone days, these potters created their clayware without the use of a potter's wheel. Today they use plaster casts (molds). Once the finishing touches are added to the product eliminate all traces left by the mold, the objects are painted with colours that are true to the prototypes that they portray.
The traditional art of woodcraft using olive and walnut tree wood is particularly developed. Their carved icons and furniture of Agiasos which are hand wrought are displays of fine artistry for which wood carvers of Agiasos are famous.
The tradition of woodcarving is said to have its origins among the craftsmen who created the wood-carved iconostasis of the Church of Panayia in 1812. Originally these craftsmen were the Greeks of Asia Minor, who had astute apprentices from Agiasos to whom they passed on their trade and who inherited their legacy. The families of the "Sentoukadhes" (chest-makers) were named after the trade of some of their members were chest-makers who made fine "sentoukia" (chests/trunks). A large number of houses in Agiasos are decorated with old furniture (mainly chests) which are decorated with carved fretwork designs.
During the postwar times, Dhimitris Kamaros, the grandson of a wood-carver, carried on this trade. His carved fretwork became famous not only on the island but all over Greece and abroad. Most of today's young carvers were his apprentices. Each of these fine carvers have evolved and developed their own personal style and personality. However, the par excellence craftsman of carved icons Prokopis Skopelitis, was not a students of Kamaros, but self-taught like certain other new carvers.
There is a particularly rich folklore tradition in Agiasos.
The cultural lighthouse is the Reading Society "I ANAPTIXI" (development) the influence of which goes far beyond the town itself. The island was still under Turkish Domination, the Reading Society expressed the need of certain restless intellectuals for cultivation and information, through books and newspapers. Then in 1894 a night school, amateur theatre company, and choir which organised music – literary nights.
It was a nucleus of national uplifting and offered significant support to the Macedonian Struggle. Its activity and presence in the cultural and artistic life of Ayasos is significant up to our days. The Reading Society which is housed in a private building complex, just outside the lower entrance to the town, includes: a Library with over 20,000 volumes of old and new books on all every fields of science, a large reading room, a theatre for theatrical performances and screening of films, a folklore museum and an exhibition room with a permanent collection of paintings.
The Arts department stages a large number of plays of both foreign and Greek playwrights (In fact many are from Ayasos). Since 1954 the Reading Society has staged more than 35 theatrical plays. Some of its performances have been staged in Mytilene and almost all other villages of Lesvos, in Athens, Piraeus and even as far away as Australia, always with tremendous success.
The Chairman, Panos Pratsos, has been the soul of the Reading Society for the past forty five years. His knowledge and love for music resulted in the establishment of a Music department and the Children's Choir, which often make appearances. Lectures and literary events are also organised by the Reading Society.
The Carnival
Agiasos is the Mecca of the Carnival of Lesvos, where thousands of people flock every year to take part in its festivities. The carnival of Agiasos differs from the carnivals of the rest of Greece because of its eccentricity, mordacity and witty satyres (iambic fifteen syllable verse) expressed by the folk poet in the vernacular of Agiasos.
The Carnival's history begins in the times of the Turkish Domination and continues to this day. In the course of its century-old history this custom went through a number of stages as it was influenced by countless events and evolved with each historical time. Today it retains the form it took during the post-war period, that is, a folklore event with distinct theatrical elements held in open air, creating a thematic unity combining satiric verses and carnival floats. Its folk muse themes cover a broad spectrum. A famous myth is usually chosen, through which the current socio-political situation is portrayed by using allegorical representation and symbolism. Public figures and current affairs issues are satirized through parallelism. The folk poet does not to go about merrymaking in disguise during the festival just to amuse his audience, but seeks to inspire, to set an example, to cauterize the decayed section of the social body with the thermocautery of his fountain pen. The folk poet is not prudish, instead, he lashes out mercilessly against all that is wrong or unjust, he speaks his mind and is honest. He is daring and prophetic. He does not fear or compromise, nor does he come out in favor of anyone. His caustic sauciness is like an injection used to treat an ailing social body.
There are close correlation between the carnival of Agiasos and the cultural creation and tradition of ancient Greece. The Carnival is a tragic figure. It tries to deal with the buffets of fate by mocking its own trials, it manages to get the society to laugh about its own farrago of sufferings, in order to be able to bear them both in body and soul and ultimately to survive. These carnivals were bacchic festivals devoted to the worship of Dionysus, where eternal recreation, fertility and regeneration of nature during spring were exalted. They were characterised by the dionysian orgy of those initiated to divine worship, by which it was believed achieved catharsis of the soul, spiritual renewal and the exaltation caused by perfection of unearthly life.
The carnival of today preserved relics of the bacchic perception of life such as the "tripsimata", songs of rhyming couplets that are a hymn to the genitals and the "im' tzouromata" of those who "archionti" (the word archiomi, is derived from the ancient Greek verb "orchoumai" which means to participate in an orcho (pool), to dance, to take part in the circle of those initiated to the Dionysian worship, whose bodies were painted with tartar, the residue of the grapes and wine, which were red).
The Carnival of Agiasos is a vivid cultural symbol. It is a unique sample of local folk cultural and artistic creation on the national scale. Despite the fact that it receives little support by the State, the carnival manages to survive, thanks to the sacrifices and will of the people of Agiasos.
The traditional costume of Agiasos
The distinctive feature of the traditional costume of Ayasos dating from the 18th century, are the pleated bloomers or breeches called a "salvari". This loose fitting garment was worn in a number villages on the island, e.g. Plomari. These bloomers are usually six-leaved, with a width of three leaves. The material covering the inner part of the legs, from the crotch to below the knee named "kalamovrakia" or "klapatses" - are longer than the middle section i.e. the seat of the (bloomers).
The length of the bloomer leg in relation to the seat of the bloomers varied according to the woman's height. The snugness of the fit depended on the how correct these measurements were. The bloomer legs, which were often made from a plain fabric for reasons of thrift, were gathered below the knee. The bloomer leg cuffs had eyelets through which crocheted cordons called "vrakothilies" were passed, thus ensuring the pleated material fit snugly around the ankles.
The features that made the bloomers of Agiasos special, particularly those worn by young women, are the textiles from which they were made, the colour of the dyes created warm colours such as red and yellow. The warmth of the tartan and striped designs that were more vivid in combinations of white and the various shades of "geranium" red, dark blue and green.
Another feature of the bloomer was the puffed effect created by the "overstuffing" by two, three or more pairs of underpants, of the same or smaller size which were worn under the outer garment. These underpants or "katovrakia" as the people of Agiasos call them and an underskirt were worn next to the skin and were indispensable especially for an appearance on a special occasion.
These clothing accessories insured there was enough volume to create a plasticity effect and thus highlight a plethoric femininity, according to aesthetic views of the time. The traditional garment was supplemented by a camisole and a brocade bolero worn over the young woman's Sunday-best shirt.
From the first decades of the 20th century, European fashion reached the villages of the island and influenced aesthetic tastes to such a degree that the local traditional garment was gradually put aside. The higher social classes were, as one would expect, the first to forsake the traditional costume, purchasing their garments from Constantinople, Smyrna and other centres of fashion abroad.
This trend was more popular in the town of Mytilene. Close-pleated skirts were now considered to be very fashionable. The beautiful, bright-coloured textile bloomers were now a thing of the past. Nevertheless, some of the elderly women of highland Ayasos can still be seen wearing their traditional "vraka" (bloomers).
Today even farmers' wives who now follow the trends of fashion, wear the special bloomer (salvari) when they work in the fields during the winter. They put on their traditional bloomer or a less intricate version which is somewhat more easily worn, and take to the slopes for the olive or chestnut harvest. Though it has now become a museum item, this well preserved traditional garmet, the "salvari" is still worn by women both young and old during the olive and walnut cultivation.
Division of the municipality, population 2587 (2001)
See also Agiassos Naxos
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org"


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Beyoncé Caught Up in Lip-synching Controversy
Was it lip-synched or live? That's the raging debate over Beyoncé's high-powered performance of the national anthem at President Barack Obama's inauguration.
The skeptics say she was definitely helped by a pre-recorded voice track during the performance seen across the nation. On the flip side, the Bey-lievers argue that she did use a music track, but the vocals were all hers.
What do you believe?
It's hard to pick a side, especially after reps for the U.S. Marine Band spent Tuesday flip-flopping on their accounts of the event.
Early in the day, a rep for the Marine band, Master Sgt. Kristin duBois, told The New York Times Knowles was definitely helped by a pre-recorded vocal track.
"We all know Beyoncé can sing.... We don't know why she chose to use the pre-recorded track."
Later on, however, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf told a different story.
"Regarding Mrs. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance," Wolf's statement said, "no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded."
Wolf would only confirm that in the minutes leading up to her performance the Marine Band was notified that the international superstar would be using a pre-recorded music track. Due to her lack of rehearsal time with the band, Bey choose the support of the track over the band that is responsible for playing all the inaugural music.
Using pre-recorded tracks at inauguration is not unusual. In 2009, cellist Yo-Yo Ma sparked a "hand-synching" controversy when he performed for Obama's first inauguration. Ma revealed that instruments weren't functioning properly in 19-degree weather.
Neither Beyoncé or anyone from the White House has addressed the topic.
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A Ted Hughes Bestiary (12 Jul 2016)
This selection of Ted Hughes's poetry is arranged chronologically and brings together poems that embody animals, rather than just describe them. Some poems are here because, although not strictly speaking animal, they become so in the process of writing; and in keeping with the bestiary tradition there are plenty of imaginary animals – all concentratedly coming about their business.
Half-Light: Collected Poems 1965-2016 by Frank Bidart (13 Jul 2016)
Gathered together, the poems of Frank Bidart perform one of the most remarkable transmutations of the body into language in contemporary literature. His pages represent the human voice in all its extreme registers, whether it's that of the child-murderer Herbert White, the obsessive anorexic Ellen West, the tormented genius Vaslav Nijinsky, or the poet's own. And in that embodiment is a transgressive empathy, one that recognises our wild appetites, the monsters, the misfits, the misunderstood among us and inside us. Few writers have so willingly ventured to the dark places of the human psyche and allowed themselves to be stripped bare on the page with such condor and vulnerability. Over the past half century, Bidart has done nothing less than invent a poetics commensurate with the chaos and appetites of our experience. Half-Light encompasses all of Bidart's previous books, and also includes a new collection, Thirst, in which the poet austerely surveys his life, laying it plain for us before venturing into something new and unknown. Here Bidart, finds himself a "Creature coterminous with thirst," still longing, still searching in himself, one of the "queers of the universe." Visionary and revelatory, intimate and unguarded, Bidart's collected works are a radical confrontation with human nature, a conflict eternally renewed and reframed, restless line by restless line.
Six by Julie Marie Wade (22 Aug 2016)
Why"SIX"?Because the collection is comprised of six poems.And because the perspective in this collection shifts like a kaleidoscope, each image viewable from six possible angles.And because these poems, like the prevalent hexagons of the natural world honeycombs, for instance derive strength from their compression and their accumulation. I call six times just to be sure you heard, this speaker announces on the first page.These poems are also the six calls calls to attention, calls to action, calls to account for something of our own.The speaker in"SIX"is insistent, scrupulous, and unflinching as she plumbs six essential aspects of human experience that have shaped us all: art, language, desire, vocation, faith, and life-changing love.
The Greatest Films by Faizal Deen (1 Sep 2016)
A gay poet deeply influenced by films, Faizal Deen attempts to retell a story of adoption and immigration through filmic language and through the violence of sharp edits and splices. He explores what it means to live in identities that are truncated and where, rather than mourn such slicings, individuals come to celebrate states of becoming something else entirely. There is, of course, a sadness to his poems, a melancholy and even states of madness, but there are acceptances of diasporic struggles, and for this poet those acceptances are the result of his sexuality, his desire to make art, and a curiosity about the ways in which the Caribbean and its signifiers might spill out into the larger world.
I Must Be Living Twice: New and Selected Poems by Eileen Myles (13 Sep 2016)
A collection of thrilling verse, including both new poems and beloved favorites, from the celebrated poet, modern cult icon, and author of Chelsea Girls.
Eileen Myles work is known for its blend of reality and fiction, the sublime and the ephemeral. Her work opens readers to astonishing new considerations of familiar places, like the East Village in her iconic Chelsea Girls, and invites them into lush and sometimes horrid dream worlds, imbuing the landscapes of her writing with the vividness and energy of fantasy.
I Must Be Living Twice brings together selections from the poet s previous work with a set of bold new poems that reflect her sardonic, unapologetic, and fiercely intellectual literary voice. Steeped in the culture of New York City, Myles milieu, I Must Be Living Twice is a prism refracting a radical world and a compelling life."


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Google Duo's audio-only calling feature now starts rolling worldwide
Months after revealing that its video calling app Duo will soon start offering audio-only calling as a feature, it was last week when Google finally announced that the functionality has started rolling out.
While only Brazil was getting it so far, that's not the case any more.
As clear from the aforementioned tweet from Amit Fulay, who is Head of Product (Allo and Duo) at Google, the feature has now started rolling out worldwide. So if you have been waiting for the feature, it shouldn't be too long before you get to use it.


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Space science pioneers and infectious disease specialists are among those recognised in the Queen's New Year Honours list.
Helen Sharman, Operations Manager for the Department of Chemistry and the first Briton in space, has been made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for her outreach work, while Professor Michele Dougherty and Professor Christl Donnelly have both been awarded CBEs. Michael Levin, of the Department of Medicine, has been awarded an MBE. Professor Derek Bell, chair in acute medicine within the Faculty of Medicine, has been given an OBE.
Chemist Sharman said: "I am thrilled to be awarded with this honour, especially so because it recognises the science and technology outreach work I have done and therefore the importance of this type of activity.
I believe public debate on scientific issues is a vital part of a good democracy.
– Helen Sharman
Operations Manager, Department of Chemistry
"I am passionate about making science relevant and available and I believe public debate on scientific issues is a vital part of a good democracy. Ensuring students from a wide range of backgrounds continue to study science enhances the cross-fertilisation of ideas, business uptake and impact on society."
She spent eight days orbiting the Earth in 1991 on a Soyuz spacecraft and speaks regularly about her space experiences. She was given an OBE in 1993. She is a Fellow of the Science Museum and a patron of Spacelink Learning Foundation, which develops science lesson plans for teachers and provides information for schools and club activities, as well as running an annual event for schools.
Professor Michele Dougherty, who takes over as head of the Department of Physics on 1 January 2018, has been given a CBE for services to UK Physical Sciences.
Professor Dougherty was the Principal Investigator for the Cassini mission's magnetometer instrument, which was built and led by a team from the Department of Physics at Imperial.
The Cassini spacecraft, which was launched in 1997, spent 13 years orbiting Saturn and its environment before turning towards the planet and burning up in the atmosphere in September this year.
Professor Michele Dougherty said: "I am extremely honoured to receive a CBE for essentially doing my job, and was enabled by all my great colleagues and collaborators over the years."
Professor Christl Donnelly, who was made a Fellow of the Royal Society last year, has been awarded her CBE for services to epidemiology and the control of infectious diseases.
The Professor of Statistical Epidemiology in the School of Public Health said: "I am thrilled to receive this honour. My research aims to make best use of data in order to improve our understanding of how infectious diseases spread in populations, and to predict how effective interventions will be.
"My collaborative work would not have been possible without my outstanding colleagues at Imperial College London and elsewhere, including within the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB.
"I'd also like to draw particular attention to fellow members of the WHO Ebola Response Team who worked so hard to inform the international emergency response during the West African Ebola epidemic."
Professor Michael Levin, who is Professor of Paediatrics and International Child Health, has been awarded an MBE for his services to infectious diseases, critical care and research in paediatrics.
He said: "I am deeply moved and honoured to have received this award. Our research, to find new ways of treating and preventing new childhood infections, has been carried out by wonderful team of scientists and clinicians in the section for paediatrics (Department of Medicine) of Imperial College. I thank all my colleagues, both in Imperial College NHS Trust and Imperial College whose work has contributed to this recognition."
Professor Derek Bell, of Imperial's School of Public Health, has been awarded an OBE in his role as President of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh for services to unscheduled care and quality improvement.
The College's first Professor of Acute Medicine said: "This reward reflects significant support from our team at Imperial working closely with the NHS. Our philosophy has been to ensure optimal use of data combined with a systematic approach to working in the challenging and complex environment of health and care."
Prof Bell has been the Director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Research and Care (CLAHRC) in North West London for the last nine years. He led the development and use of a systematic approach to evidence-based implementation which integrates quality improvement and research to deliver improved patient outcomes. He is also the Chair of the London Urgent and Emergency Care Collaborative.
Alumni achievements
Fourteen Imperial alumni were recognised in the New Year Honours list.
Professor Robert Sparks (Geology 1971, PhD 1974) was awarded a Knighthood for services to Volcanology and Geology with Professor Terence Stephenson (Electrical Engineering 1980) receiving the same honour for services to Healthcare and Children's Health Services.
Stephen Speed (MBA 1998) was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath for services to the Oil and Gas Industry and Robin Sham (PhD Civil Engineering 1989) received a CBE for services to the Civil Engineering Profession.
Five alumni received an OBE: Francesca Hegyi (MSc Humanities Programme 1997) for services to Culture in Hull, Professor Christopher Liu (MBBS Charing Cross Hospital Medical School 1985) for services to Ophthalmology, Clive Meux (Westminster Hospital Medical School 1983) for services to People with Mental Ill Health, Professor Andrew Shennan (St Mary's Hospital Medical School 1985) for services to Maternity Care and Joanne Wade (Chemistry 1987, MSc Environmental Technology 1988, PhD 1994) for services to Energy Efficiency.
Three Imperial alumni were awarded an MBE: Michael Barrett (MSc Geology 1990) for services to Transport, William Dunning (MBBS Medicine 2001, PhD National Heart and Lung Institute 2013) for services to Clinical Research, and Jacqueline Gerrard (Mathematics 1976) for services to Education.
Two Imperial alumni were awarded a BEM: Ann Browning (MBBS Charing Cross Hospital Medical School 1957) for charitable services and Michael Speight (Chemical Engineering & Chemical Technology 1981) for services to the community in Rotherham.
Article text (excluding photos or graphics) available under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons license.
Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission or © Imperial College London.
Hannah MacLachlan
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As pioneers of the most significant treatments in the beauty industry today, our company is best known in the UK for the revolutionary LVL Lash Lift treatment, innovative individual extensions, customer service and high-quality products. However, that's only part of the picture, as the demand for our products and services has led to us expanding into 52 countries around the world. Our focused approach on market-leading innovations in treatments and products has seen us consistently grow sales and expand into new markets.
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme for British businesses and other organisations who excel at international trade, innovation, sustainable development or promoting opportunities and is valid for five years. And not forgetting… the Queen's Awards are the most prestigious UK awards for British businesses. Amazing, right?
As you may already know… Nouveau Lashes was co-founded by two of the UK's leading Permanent Cosmetics Artists, Bridgette Softley and Karen Betts, who are passionate about helping people living with hair and lash loss conditions.
On receiving this esteemed accolade Bridgette Softley says:
"I am extremely proud that Nouveau Lashes has been awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade. At Nouveau Lashes, we take great pride in providing world-leading lash treatments and products. We have seen rapid expansion both internationally and in the UK as the demand for lash treatments has grown considerably in recent years, and so it is tremendously exciting that our brand and its employees have been recognised with this prestigious award."
This prestigious award will come to life when we meet the Lord-Lieutenant of the County during an award presentation ceremony to be held at Nouveau Lashes head office. Later in the year, our very own Director Bridgette Softley will attend a reception hosted by Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace for representatives of the winning companies.


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What is YouTube?
What Are the Main Functions of YouTube?
- Users can search for and watch videos
- Create a personal YouTube channel
- Upload videos to your channel
- Like/Comment/share other YouTube videos
- Users can subscribe/follow other YouTube channels and users
- Create playlists to organize videos and group videos together
Why Do Teens Like YouTube?
YouTube is a free to use service and a can be a great space for teens to discover things they like. For many young people, YouTube is used to watch music videos, comedy shows, how to guides, recipes, hacks and more. Teens also use the video-sharing service to follow their favourite vloggers (video blogger), subscribe to other YouTubers and celebrities they are interested in.
Age Restrictions
To set up a YouTube account users must be 18 years of age or 13+ with parental consent. Update: Under the new E.U General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Ireland has now set the Digital Age of Consent to 16 years old. This means young people under the age of 16 in Ireland are not allowed to access this platform.
However, users do not need to sign-in to access the website or to view videos. There is, however, a YouTube kids version now available to download for free. YouTube kids is designed for children aged 3-8 years old and make it easier for children and parents to find content they are interested in. Click here for more info the YouTube Kids app.
What Are the Risks?
YouTube is a great place to discover new things, learn and get entertainment, however, there are some things parents and teens should be aware of when using the service.
Inappropriate Content
YouTube has over a billion users and with an estimated 300 hours of footage uploaded per minute, not all of it is appropriate for children.
But you can help minimise the risk of your child encountering content that may not be appropriate for them. If you or your child sees something inappropriate, users can flag the video with YouTube. For more info on flagging inappropriate content go to: google.com/youtube/
Cyber Bullying
Unfortunately, people can experience negative comments and bullying on the service particularly through the comments function (YouTube users can comment on other users videos). If your child has a YouTube channel/profile it might be a good idea to recommend they disable comments on their own profile/channel. This can be done very easily via settings and helps minimise risk of experiencing negative comments. If your child is experiencing harassment on YouTube, you can block and report users.
Tips for Keeping your Child Safe on YouTube
1. Managing Privacy Settings
When a user uploads a video to YouTube, by default the video is set to public, which means anyone can see the video. Depending on the age of your child, you should discuss what settings are best to use if your child is uploading footage to YouTube. You can easily switch videos to private or unlisted (published on YouTube but cannot be found without a direct link to the video).
You can also invite people to view your videos using Google Circles. Please note, you need to link your channel with Google+ in order to share a private video with other users. Click here for info on how to connect a YouTube channel to a Google+ profile.
2. Set up Parental Controls
Parents should set up age restrictions and parental controls on YouTube. See how to set up parental controls.
3. Disable Comments on YouTube
YouTube allows you to disable comments entirely on videos or users have the options to approve each comment before they are published, this can help avoid risks of experiencing cyberbullying. See how to disable comments.
4. Use Safety Mode
YouTube has aSafety mode, a setting which gives users the opportunity to bar mature content. It is an "opt-in" setting, which means that it won't take effect until you switch it on. The setting filters search results to remove videos with mature content or videos that have been age-restricted, meaning that such content will not show up in video searches, related videos, playlists, shows or movie sections. While no filtering system is 100 percent accurate, we recommend that parents of young children enable this feature.


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The split squat is one of those critical exercises that help lay the foundation of any weight training program. But while this common movement looks simple, it's actually far more technical than it appears. However, learn to execute it with perfect form and you'll soon be leaving the gym with much more than just a set of burning quads.
"It is a common exercise, but also one that is commonly performed incorrectly," says New York City personal trainer Elish Le.
In fact, when done correctly, the split squat can even help you accelerate towards that six-pack. "The core is the foundation of all your movement," says Le. "If you're not paying attention to it, you're losing out."
In the video above, Le breaks down the split squat—also known as the '90/90' split squat, which refers to the 90-degree angles that your legs should be forming—into its most essential parts so you can cash in on the full range of benefits attached to this exercise.
As with any movement, it's important to master the form before adding weights, which could do more harm than good. Notice that Le does not use any weights in his tutorial. You'd be surprised by how much more challenging body-weight movements become when performed the way they were intended.
Got questions about the split squat? Want us to make sure you're doing it right? Share your photos and videos with us (@menshealthmag) and Le (@elishle) on social media, and be sure to include the hashtag #MHRecRoom.


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Option for the Poor and for the Earth
From Leo XIII to Pope Francis
496 Pages
- Paperback
- Published By: Orbis Books
- Published: June 2016
The present monograph is a revised, fourth edition of what is often held up as a classic exploration of Catholic Social Teaching [CST], Donal Dorr's Option for the Poor: A Hundred Years of Vatican Social Teaching (1983). His original volume began with a treatment of Leo XIII's papacy, which included the promulgation of the encyclical, Rerum Novarum (1891), on the proper relationship between capital and labor. That document is frequently cited as marking the beginning of contemporary CST. Dorr's 2012 edition expanded the title to include the "option for the Earth" framing, and correspondingly integrating a discussion of the anthropocentric treatment of ecology developed during the reigns of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. This fourth edition takes into account highlights from Francis' papacy up to October 2015, inclusive of the landmark encyclical, Laudato Si', on caring for our common home.
Bringing together these elements, Option for Poor & for the Earth: From Leo XIII to Pope Francis unfolds the development of the two concepts named in its main title, mostly focussing on their emergence in papal teaching. Herein, Dorr effectively links both care for creation and the empowerment of people living in poverty with a social justice tradition that first flowers during the papacies of John XXIII and Paul VI. Indeed, as Dorr presents them, the emergence of these intertwined fundamental options is inseparable from several issues and principles of social justice. Here lies the basis for his claim that this monograph can be employed "as a textbook about the main themes of social justice" (1).
Option for Poor & for the Earth is, however, no univocal textbook. Dorr frequently enters into conversation with not only CST documents but also with other commentators in order to position his analysis. In the process, he explains his hermeneutical key as an attempt to navigate papal teaching from the viewpoint of the poor. This approach allows Dorr to offer support for his analogy of papal social teaching, in the first 70 years from Leo XIII, as like a ship on as a steady course, with most of the substantive changes of trajectory and shifting of the crew's positions coming in the last half-century.
Dorr has set himself a difficult task. This monograph suffers, at times, from the accompanying breadth of its remit as it attempts to navigate an overwhelming amount of material.. This is not to say that Dorr is unfocussed in his commentary on CST. Indeed, he mostly addresses developments and regressions from the past fifty years. Nonetheless, Dorr's broad treatment of fundamental option, as including all the themes of social justice, leaves him open to being accused of neglecting some key points and sources. At the same time, there is a noticeable amount of repetition, mainly within the body text itself, but also during some of the reflection sections that close each of the twenty-one chapters. It is not the case that the earlier material is inconsequential for his arguments; there is just a danger that the monograph's discourse is so extensive that it requires a certain measure of perseverance to reach the final three chapters—where the majority of the newer analysis and most prescient material are located. Dorr recognizes this tension himself in the preface, implicitly by affirming that he edited the chapters from previous editions for length, and more concretely, by suggesting an alternative of working through the text by reading the first chapter on context and then only reviewing the summaries at the end of each chapter until reaching the final three chapters, which he recommends engaging in full. Perhaps a stand alone, more compact monograph roughly crafted along these lines, citing earlier editions of Dorr's work at key points, and focussed on the option for the Earth as an extension of the fundamental option for people living in poverty, might have been more fruitful at this juncture in his career when his standing and the reputation of this work, in particular, are quite well established.
Nonetheless, the last three chapters dually reward the persistent reader. Therein, there is an informative discussion of Francis's social teaching, and his contributions to the life of the Catholic Church. Particularly helpful here is the way, as Dorr highlights, Francis connects care for creation with an integral humanism—drawing upon, synthesizing, and shifting in important ecotheological directions some of the most cogent contributions from his predecessors. Dorr shows how Francis responds remarkably well to a fair number of concerns about the direction of CST in general—and as promulgated under Benedict XVI in particular—which come into view from the perspective of the poor, including an Earth community made poorer by human abuse. In this manner, Dorr is able to effectively locate select strengths and weaknesses of papal social teaching. Here, he praises strengths in CST such as its re-found biblical basis, reconnection of ecology and justice, and vision of solidarity. At the same time, he does not shy away from papal teaching's gender essentialism, often Western-centric view of development, and the exclusion of women from substantive decision-making positions within the Vatican.
The challenge remains, as Dorr poignantly illustrates, for the Vatican to move much more fully to address the moral inconsistencies, not only in its teaching, but also as these are manifest in the life of the Catholic Church. This transformation will allow the papacy to speak with a deeper prophetic authenticity. Thus, permitting its genuinely important contributions to social justice worldviews, such as the one represented by Francis's integral ecology, a greater foothold in a Christian community characterized not by dominance and hierarchy but, in line with the fullness of aspects of Francis's vision, by the fostering of the agency of the poor and having those with privilege, including pastors, taking on the proverbial smell of their sheep. That Dorr provides inspiration for this transformation and demonstrates its rootedness within papal teaching makes Option for Poor & for the Earth: From Leo XIII to Pope Francis a welcome addition to both academic and parish libraries.
Christopher Hrynkow is associate professor in the department of religion and culture at St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan.Christopher HrynkowDate Of Review:June 6, 2017


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Ransell learns #LifeSkills
MANILA, Philippines – Ransell Salomia is an independent and exceptionally driven 9-year-old.
According to her teachers at Mandaluyong's Nueve de Febrero Elementary School, she performs well in class and is active in school programs. She belongs to the "advanced" section, and she's the type who could sing, dance, and flawlessly recite a book in front of the class. Last year, she ranked among the top 5 in her batch.
But there's just one thing: "I don't have a lot of friends. I'm usually by myself," Ransell says in Filipino.
Ransell recently joined an after-school program called Coordinates for Life. It aims to teach young students values such as teamwork and leadership, which are important not just for the classroom, but in real life.
Did Coordinates for Life help Ransell learn new life skills – and make new friends? Watch the video to find out. – Rappler.com
For more information about Teach for the Philippines and Coordinates for Life, you may visit www.teachforthephilippines.org


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The first meditation should be for no other purpose than the realizing of the Presence. That is, you sit in the silence in the attitude of "Speak Lord, thy servant heareth." You listen. You are receptive, and then comes that assurance that "I am on the field." And you have completed your first meditation for us. Nothing more is asked of you than that.
The second one is attaining the same meditation, attaining that same realization of the Christ, and then realizing that this realized Christ is dispelling material sense—even good material sense, but material sense, dispelling material sense. Wherever it is on this Earth, it makes no difference whether it's Russia, South Africa, the southern part of the United States, England, Cyprus, who cares. We are not dealing with personalities. We are not taking sides as to right or wrong. We are not trying to be good patriots and defend our country against some other country. We are spiritual students who are trying to realize Christ in order that the world be set free from material sense, whether it's the world of Russia or the world of South Africa, whether it's the world of Cyprus, or the world of the United States. Who cares where or what? We are fellow citizens of the household of God. We have acknowledged all men to be our brothers. We have had no favorites. We have acknowledged God as the Father and all men as the brotherhood. Therefore, our second realization is that this realization of the Christ is dispelling material sense.
Now the third one is the same. It is a realization of the Christ, and then the realization that this realization of the Christ is opening human conscience to Truth. You see when material sense is destroyed consciousness is ready for the inflow of Love, of a government by Love, not only by money, not only by politics but by Love. That's the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, isn't it?
Now the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth is never going to come until Christ, the Spirit God, so fills the Earth that there is no room for material sense. And here is the lesson of The Infinite Way. It isn't God or Christ that heals. It isn't God or Christ that reforms. It isn't God or Christ that saves the world. It is God or Christ realized. This whole room can be full of God and Christ, and we can all drop dead. This whole room can be full of God and Christ, and bombs can fall and wipe us all out. But let one of us sit in this room and have a realization of Christ or God, and we set the whole room free.
There was just as much God in Russia when those people were prisoners, but the realized Christ set them free. Now remember that since this program was begun on the 12th of January, it has been announced that all concentration camps in Russia are to be closed. Don't forget that. Don't forget that other important things have been announced in the world as changes of policy. And don't you ever forget this that as the days and weeks and months go on and you individually realize Christ dispelling material sense, realize Christ opening consciousness to the inflow of Truth, you are going to witness in your bodies, in your business, in your homes, in your communities, and all the way thousand of miles away the leavening influence of Christ realized.
The one mistake that has been made in religion that has kept the world from the Kingdom of Christ on Earth has been that it has been taught that you can sit in a home, or a church, and pray up to God somewhere and to have something happen. And even for two thousand years that it didn't happen, they still kept sitting around waiting for it to happen. And they didn't know that it isn't God that can be prayed to or influenced. It is God that must be brought into experience. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Now if you haven't got the Spirit of the Lord's Presence, you just have no liberty. Now sitting praying to a God for something is going to get you nowhere but having the Presence of God is going to free not only you but your patients, your students, and ultimately your whole world. And there is the entire secret of The Infinite Way—GOD REALIZED, CHRIST REALIZED.
And that is why meditation is the foundational point of our work because only through meditation can you bring this release into you. You can't bring God on the scene with mental abracadabra. You can't bring God on the scene by praying to God to come down to Earth. You can't do it by lifting up your eyes. You can't do it by imploring. You can't do it by begging or pleading. You can do it only one way, if you can get still enough to let it escape. Browning gave us the secret. Truth is within ourselves. We must open out a way for the imprisoned splendor to escape. Not try to open out a way for it to come into us. It can't come in. It's bottled up in us now. The whole of the Christhood is bottled up in individual you and me. And that's why we have to let it escape.
And incidentally, too, that is why the world is kept in poverty. I don't know why people will not believe Scripture or accept it seriously. There is no excuse for people remaining in poverty very long, except the few who are so overcome with sickness that they have more than they can do to get out of trouble. But otherwise, there is no excuse for poverty. Why? Because every individual has all the wealth of all the Indies within his own being. Ah, why isn't he demonstrating it? Because he's sitting waiting for supply to come to him, and it won't come. He's got to open out a way and let it pour out from him, instead of to him. Supply won't come to anybody, because whatever supply is out there doesn't belong to anybody. The only supply that belongs to you and me is the supply that is in here. And it's your supply. It isn't somebody else's. It is like integrity. What do you want to borrow someone else's integrity? You can't do it. You either have your own, or you have none.
And it is so with supply. You can't borrow your neighbors. You either have your own supply, or you have none. And where do we get that from Scripture? "Cast thy bread upon the waters." Whose bread? Thy bread. Where you going to get it from? You have to ask yourself that. It's within you. How you're going to release it, how you're going to open out a way to let it flow? But you're never going to know the true sense of supply while you're waiting for it to come in, while you're praying for it to come in, while you believe you earn it, or deserve it, or are worthy of it, or have a God that ought to give it to you, because none of those things are true. God gave you the infinity of your supply on the same day He gave you your integrity.
Now, if you're not using your integrity, you have another chance to turn over a new leaf and begin. And if you're not using your supply, you have another chance to turn over a new leaf and begin, but you begin by not taking in supply but by letting it out. By casting your bread upon the waters and then watching that same bread come back to you with butter on it, or jam, or sugar, or marmalade, or whatever the things you like best. But if you don't let forth that bread from within yourself, don't expect it to come back, because it isn't coming back.