A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:
'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.' He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.
'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago.
She has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it.
He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.
He turned to me and said: 'Never save something for a special occasion.
Every day in your life is a special occasion'..
I still think those words changed my life.
Now I read more and clean less.
I sit on the porch without worrying about anything. I spend more time with my family, and less at work.
I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything.
I use crystal glasses every day... I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.
I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.
The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.. ; If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now..... I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.
I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends. She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food.
It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.. Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.
Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.... If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.
If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself that you will send it
'One of these days' , remember that 'One day' is far away... or might never come......
No matter if you're superstitious or not, spend some time reading it. It holds useful messages for the soul.
Sugarbabe - favors negotiated infidelity
New York (CNN) -- Could letting your man sleep with another woman help your relationship?
Author and former mistress Holly Hill thinks so.
"One of the main things that I have learned is that a woman that negotiates infidelity with her partner is far more powerful than a woman who is sitting home wondering why he's late from the office Christmas party," she says.
"It's better to walk the dog on a leash than let it escape through an unseen hole in the back fence."
Hill's memoir, "Sugarbabe" details her yearlong adventure with a series of so-called "sugar daddies." The book sold 24,000 copies in her native Australia, according to her publisher, and has just been released in the United States. Holly Hill is a pen name.
"I thought it was men that would like the book," she says, "But in fact it's women, because what it says to women is that if your man cheats on you, he still loves you, and he's probably running about average."
Allowing their men to stray is a concept that's difficult for most women to contemplate.
But Hill says that if a woman takes the time to truly examine her relationship and considers Mother Nature's unerring spell on men's libidos, she might realize that letting her boyfriend or spouse know she's OK with him having sex elsewhere is a logical way to prevent him from doing it in secret.
"I think that cheating men are normal," says Hill. "Monogamous men are heroes. Monogamy does have a place in relationships, but not on the long-term. Men are hard-wired to betray women on the long-term."
But psychology professor Lawrence Josephs believes it is more personality type than gender that indicates whether a person might cheat.
"People who are higher in narcissim -- whether they are male or female -- are more likely to cheat. People who feel entitled to it, people who have what's called avoidant attachment style where they tend to have more impersonal sex," are more prone to straying, he said.
The professor also said people who experience lower levels of empathy or guilt tend to engage in more infidelity.
Hill says, that of course it's every woman's right to refuse to have sex when she's not in the mood or has a headache. However, expecting men to cope on their own with no outlet whatsoever is shortsighted and cruel, says Hill.
The author, who holds a psychology degree from the University of Southern Queensland, says her experience as a "sugarbabe" taught her some valuable lessons about what drives men to seek sex outside marriage.
Finding herself in financial dire straits after her married boyfriend unexpectedly dumped her four years ago (he had persuaded her to quit her job and enjoy his financial support as part of "the mistress plan"), she decided to get creative about her employment options.
Hill, who was 39 at the time, posted an ad online announcing her search for a sugar daddy, someone who would pay her $1,000 a week in exchange for her company, cooking, conversation, massages and, when they desired it, sex. She says the ad attracted 11,000 responses.
At the time, Hill says she saw a distinct difference between what she was doing and prostitution.
"I thought that because I was a 24/7 exclusive mistress that I wasn't part of the world's oldest profession, but with hindsight I was, because what I was doing ... I was charging men for services, part of which included sex," says Hill.
However, she adds, any married woman who no longer loves her husband but continues to have sex with him to retain the comforts of being married could also be considered part of that oldest profession.
Most of Hill's "daddies" were wealthy married men who surprisingly often opted for conversation, she says. While entertaining with red wine and exotic food platters she'd prepare in her Sydney apartment, Hill learned that most of these men sought her attention because they simply weren't getting enough sex from their wives.
"Men need to get their rocks off," says Hill. "If a woman crosses her legs for any length of time and doesn't arrange some sort of alternative for her man, he is going to cheat on her."
By alternatives, Hill is referring to her idea of "negotiated infidelity." That shouldn't be confused with an open relationship, which to Hill "has no rules." Nor does it imply that it's necessary that a wife allow her husband to hop into bed with whomever he chooses -- unless of course she's OK with that. Hill says negotiated infidelity could mean hubby makes a trip to the local strip club for the occasional lap dance or updates his porn collection.
And in no way does it have to be a one-way street.
"Ideally the woman will want to stray as well," says Hill. "Some won't want to because they're at home taking care of toddlers. But the woman definitely needs to negotiate infidelity as well, especially because that will generate her man's competitive nature. The more lovers the woman has, the more attraction the man will have for his partner."
But how do women -- and men for that matter -- get past those ingrained feelings of possessiveness and jealousy?
"Women need to remember the difference between why women and men have sex," she says. "Women tend to value intimacy. For men it's often the thrill of the chase, or the quick sex with a stranger. Men don't even have to know their lovers' names! It's often just a cheap thrill and has nothing to do with us as a loving girlfriend or wife. Once we understand that, it's much easier to let him go off."
But Josephs doesn't think understanding will overcome jealousy.
"I think what's universal is that no one likes sharing partners -- whether you're male or female. I think jealousy is a kind of universal emotion," the professor said.
Holly Hill says her boyfriend, Phil Dean, can have sex with other women but he cannot spend the night with them.
Holly Hill says her boyfriend, Phil Dean, can have sex with other women but he cannot spend the night with them.
Her sugarbabe days now over, Hill lets her boyfriend of two years, Phil Dean "go off" on occasion. Hill says she believes negotiating their infidelity has been instrumental in keeping their relationship strong and committed, not to mention electric.
"[Dean] can have sex with the Australian women's basketball team for all I care, but he can't spoon any of them," says Hill. "For me, spooning is cheating."
Dean, 45, who works for an insurance company in Sydney, jokes that he hasn't slept with any members of the Australian basketball team. But he is a big supporter of negotiated infidelity.
"I was actually very relieved when Holly and I started to speak about it [at the beginning of the relationship]," he says. "She asked me if I'd be happy in a monogamous long-term relationship and I had to say 'no'."
And while Dean says he doesn't get jealous when Holly spends time with another lover, some of his male friends are certainly jealous of his relationship's flexibility.
"Some think it couldn't get any better than what I have," says Dean. "Some, however, don't want to embrace the concept. They feel protective of their partner and don't want to share."
Central to the idea of negotiated infidelity, Hill says, is each couple figuring out what their boundaries are. While she admits she shed a few tears at the start of her relationship as she and Dean tested their comfort levels with different arrangements (Dean also says it has definitely been a learning process), they're now very clear about what they will and won't allow.
While Dean has the green light to have sex with other women, he's not permitted to stay overnight. He also can't take his lovers away for romantic weekends. And Hill says she'll have an all-out hissy fit if he spoons another woman.
Hill, on the other hand, is allowed to spoon her lovers because Dean has no problem with that and recognizes that intimacy is an important part of sex for women. Hill isn't, however, allowed to wear any of the outfits Dean has bought for her when she meets up with a lover.
But how can Hill be sure Dean isn't spooning if she isn't there?
"If you're talking about sexual needs honestly with your partner, you get better at communicating with each other, you get better with honesty," says Hill. "Everything is out in the open and you have an honest relationship according to your man's biology, not according to some outdated social norms." (Hill is working on another book that will address why women also like to venture outside their marriages for sex.)
Those rules sound artificial to Marcella Weiner, adjunct professor of Marymount Manhattan College and author of "Repairing Your Marriage After His Affair: A Woman's Guide to Hope and Healing."
"Unless you're totally dead inside of you and have no heart or no brains or no anything -- when you're with another person, you're with another person," said Weiner. "It's not just here's my penis, here's your vagina that's it. It is for some people -- but that's a mechanical kind of thing."
While it may not be for everyone, Hill is optimistic that if more people embraced the idea of negotiated infidelity, cheating could become a thing of the past, leading to fewer divorces and truly happy lifelong relationships.
"We just have to be honest about the way nature created us, and we have to work with nature instead of working against her. This isn't rocket science. This is what every man already knows and I think what every woman deep down already knows."
Author and former mistress Holly Hill thinks so.
"One of the main things that I have learned is that a woman that negotiates infidelity with her partner is far more powerful than a woman who is sitting home wondering why he's late from the office Christmas party," she says.
"It's better to walk the dog on a leash than let it escape through an unseen hole in the back fence."
Hill's memoir, "Sugarbabe" details her yearlong adventure with a series of so-called "sugar daddies." The book sold 24,000 copies in her native Australia, according to her publisher, and has just been released in the United States. Holly Hill is a pen name.
"I thought it was men that would like the book," she says, "But in fact it's women, because what it says to women is that if your man cheats on you, he still loves you, and he's probably running about average."
Allowing their men to stray is a concept that's difficult for most women to contemplate.
But Hill says that if a woman takes the time to truly examine her relationship and considers Mother Nature's unerring spell on men's libidos, she might realize that letting her boyfriend or spouse know she's OK with him having sex elsewhere is a logical way to prevent him from doing it in secret.
"I think that cheating men are normal," says Hill. "Monogamous men are heroes. Monogamy does have a place in relationships, but not on the long-term. Men are hard-wired to betray women on the long-term."
But psychology professor Lawrence Josephs believes it is more personality type than gender that indicates whether a person might cheat.
"People who are higher in narcissim -- whether they are male or female -- are more likely to cheat. People who feel entitled to it, people who have what's called avoidant attachment style where they tend to have more impersonal sex," are more prone to straying, he said.
The professor also said people who experience lower levels of empathy or guilt tend to engage in more infidelity.
Hill says, that of course it's every woman's right to refuse to have sex when she's not in the mood or has a headache. However, expecting men to cope on their own with no outlet whatsoever is shortsighted and cruel, says Hill.
The author, who holds a psychology degree from the University of Southern Queensland, says her experience as a "sugarbabe" taught her some valuable lessons about what drives men to seek sex outside marriage.
Finding herself in financial dire straits after her married boyfriend unexpectedly dumped her four years ago (he had persuaded her to quit her job and enjoy his financial support as part of "the mistress plan"), she decided to get creative about her employment options.
Hill, who was 39 at the time, posted an ad online announcing her search for a sugar daddy, someone who would pay her $1,000 a week in exchange for her company, cooking, conversation, massages and, when they desired it, sex. She says the ad attracted 11,000 responses.
At the time, Hill says she saw a distinct difference between what she was doing and prostitution.
"I thought that because I was a 24/7 exclusive mistress that I wasn't part of the world's oldest profession, but with hindsight I was, because what I was doing ... I was charging men for services, part of which included sex," says Hill.
However, she adds, any married woman who no longer loves her husband but continues to have sex with him to retain the comforts of being married could also be considered part of that oldest profession.
Most of Hill's "daddies" were wealthy married men who surprisingly often opted for conversation, she says. While entertaining with red wine and exotic food platters she'd prepare in her Sydney apartment, Hill learned that most of these men sought her attention because they simply weren't getting enough sex from their wives.
"Men need to get their rocks off," says Hill. "If a woman crosses her legs for any length of time and doesn't arrange some sort of alternative for her man, he is going to cheat on her."
By alternatives, Hill is referring to her idea of "negotiated infidelity." That shouldn't be confused with an open relationship, which to Hill "has no rules." Nor does it imply that it's necessary that a wife allow her husband to hop into bed with whomever he chooses -- unless of course she's OK with that. Hill says negotiated infidelity could mean hubby makes a trip to the local strip club for the occasional lap dance or updates his porn collection.
And in no way does it have to be a one-way street.
"Ideally the woman will want to stray as well," says Hill. "Some won't want to because they're at home taking care of toddlers. But the woman definitely needs to negotiate infidelity as well, especially because that will generate her man's competitive nature. The more lovers the woman has, the more attraction the man will have for his partner."
But how do women -- and men for that matter -- get past those ingrained feelings of possessiveness and jealousy?
"Women need to remember the difference between why women and men have sex," she says. "Women tend to value intimacy. For men it's often the thrill of the chase, or the quick sex with a stranger. Men don't even have to know their lovers' names! It's often just a cheap thrill and has nothing to do with us as a loving girlfriend or wife. Once we understand that, it's much easier to let him go off."
But Josephs doesn't think understanding will overcome jealousy.
"I think what's universal is that no one likes sharing partners -- whether you're male or female. I think jealousy is a kind of universal emotion," the professor said.
Holly Hill says her boyfriend, Phil Dean, can have sex with other women but he cannot spend the night with them.
Holly Hill says her boyfriend, Phil Dean, can have sex with other women but he cannot spend the night with them.
Her sugarbabe days now over, Hill lets her boyfriend of two years, Phil Dean "go off" on occasion. Hill says she believes negotiating their infidelity has been instrumental in keeping their relationship strong and committed, not to mention electric.
"[Dean] can have sex with the Australian women's basketball team for all I care, but he can't spoon any of them," says Hill. "For me, spooning is cheating."
Dean, 45, who works for an insurance company in Sydney, jokes that he hasn't slept with any members of the Australian basketball team. But he is a big supporter of negotiated infidelity.
"I was actually very relieved when Holly and I started to speak about it [at the beginning of the relationship]," he says. "She asked me if I'd be happy in a monogamous long-term relationship and I had to say 'no'."
And while Dean says he doesn't get jealous when Holly spends time with another lover, some of his male friends are certainly jealous of his relationship's flexibility.
"Some think it couldn't get any better than what I have," says Dean. "Some, however, don't want to embrace the concept. They feel protective of their partner and don't want to share."
Central to the idea of negotiated infidelity, Hill says, is each couple figuring out what their boundaries are. While she admits she shed a few tears at the start of her relationship as she and Dean tested their comfort levels with different arrangements (Dean also says it has definitely been a learning process), they're now very clear about what they will and won't allow.
While Dean has the green light to have sex with other women, he's not permitted to stay overnight. He also can't take his lovers away for romantic weekends. And Hill says she'll have an all-out hissy fit if he spoons another woman.
Hill, on the other hand, is allowed to spoon her lovers because Dean has no problem with that and recognizes that intimacy is an important part of sex for women. Hill isn't, however, allowed to wear any of the outfits Dean has bought for her when she meets up with a lover.
But how can Hill be sure Dean isn't spooning if she isn't there?
"If you're talking about sexual needs honestly with your partner, you get better at communicating with each other, you get better with honesty," says Hill. "Everything is out in the open and you have an honest relationship according to your man's biology, not according to some outdated social norms." (Hill is working on another book that will address why women also like to venture outside their marriages for sex.)
Those rules sound artificial to Marcella Weiner, adjunct professor of Marymount Manhattan College and author of "Repairing Your Marriage After His Affair: A Woman's Guide to Hope and Healing."
"Unless you're totally dead inside of you and have no heart or no brains or no anything -- when you're with another person, you're with another person," said Weiner. "It's not just here's my penis, here's your vagina that's it. It is for some people -- but that's a mechanical kind of thing."
While it may not be for everyone, Hill is optimistic that if more people embraced the idea of negotiated infidelity, cheating could become a thing of the past, leading to fewer divorces and truly happy lifelong relationships.
"We just have to be honest about the way nature created us, and we have to work with nature instead of working against her. This isn't rocket science. This is what every man already knows and I think what every woman deep down already knows."
99 Weeks Later, Jobless Have Only Desperation
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Facing eviction from her Tennessee apartment after several months of unpaid rent, Alexandra Jarrin packed up whatever she could fit into her two-door coupe recently and drove out of town.
Ms. Jarrin, 49, wound up at a motel here, putting down $260 she had managed to scrape together from friends and from selling her living room set, enough for a weeklong stay. It was essentially all the money she had left after her unemployment benefits expired in March. Now she is facing a previously unimaginable situation for a woman who, not that long ago, had a corporate job near New York City and was enrolled in a graduate business school, whose sticker is still emblazoned on her back windshield.
“Barring a miracle, I’m going to be in my car,” she said.
Ms. Jarrin is part of a hard-luck group of jobless Americans whose members have taken to calling themselves “99ers,” because they have exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits that they can claim.
For them, the resolution recently of the lengthy Senate impasse over extending jobless benefits was no balm. The measure renewed two federal programs that extended jobless benefits in this recession beyond the traditional 26 weeks to anywhere from 60 to 99 weeks, depending on the state’s unemployment rate. But many jobless have now exceeded those limits. They are adjusting to a new, harsh reality with no income.
In June, with long-term unemployment at record levels, about 1.4 million people were out of work for 99 weeks or more, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not all of them received unemployment benefits, but for many of those who did, the modest payments were a lifeline that enabled them to maintain at least a veneer of normalcy, keeping a roof over their heads, putting gas in their cars, paying electric and phone bills.
Without the checks, many like Ms. Jarrin, who lost her job as director of client services at a small technology company in March 2008, are beginning to tumble over the economic cliff. The last vestiges of their former working-class or middle-class lives are gone; it is inescapable now that they are indigent.
Ms. Jarrin said she wept as she drove away from her old life last month, wondering if she would ever be able to reclaim it.
“At one point, I thought, you know, what if I turned the wheel in my car and wrecked my car?” she said.
Nevertheless, the political appetite to help people like Ms. Jarrin appears limited. Over the last few months, 99ers have tried to organize to press Congress to provide an additional tier of unemployment insurance. But the political potency of fears about the skyrocketing deficit has drowned them out. The notion that unemployment benefits discourage recipients from finding work has also crept into Republican arguments against extensions. As a result, the plight of 99ers was notably absent from the recent debate in the Senate.
Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan, is now working on a bill to help those in the group, a spokesman, Miguel Ayala, said, but the chances of providing them with additional weeks of benefits seem dim.
“It’s going to be extremely hard to pass,” said Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the National Employment Law Project. “We barely got 60 votes to keep 99 weeks, so it’s even harder to get more.”
Other ways of helping the long-term jobless might have a better shot of succeeding, Mr. Stettner said, like a temporary jobs program or assistance for emergency needs.
Ms. Jarrin ping-pongs between resolve and despair. She received her last unemployment check in the third week of March, putting her among the first wave of 99ers. Her two checking accounts now show negative balances (she has overdrafts on both). Her cellphone has been ringing incessantly with calls from the financing company for her car loan. Her vehicle is on the verge of being repossessed.
It is a sickening plummet, considering that she was earning $56,000 a year in her old job, enjoyed vacationing in places like Mexico and the Caribbean, and had started business school in 2008 at Iona College.
Ms. Jarrin had scrabbled for her foothold in the middle class. She graduated from college late in life, in 2003, attending classes while working full time. She used to believe that education would be her ticket to prosperity, but is now bitter about what it has gotten her.
“I owe $92,000 for an education which is basically worthless,” she said.
Last year she moved to Brentwood, Tenn., south of Nashville, in search of work. After initially trying to finish her M.B.A. program remotely, she dropped out because of the stress from her sinking finances. She has applied for everything from minimum-wage jobs to director positions.
She should have been evicted from her two-bedroom apartment several months ago, but the process was delayed when flooding gripped middle Tennessee in May. In mid-July, a judge finally gave her 10 days to vacate.
Helped by some gas cards donated by a church, she decided to return to this quiet New England town, where she had spent most of her adult life. She figured the health care safety net was better, as well as the job market.
She contacted a local shelter but learned there was a waiting list. Welfare is not an option, because she does not have young children. She says none of her three adult sons are in a position to help her.
A friend wired her $200 while she was driving from Tennessee, enabling her to check into a motel along the way and helping to pay for her stay here. But Ms. Jarrin doubts that much more charity is coming.
“The only help I’m going to get is from myself,” she said. “I’m going to have to take care of me. That has to be through a job.”
So, in her drab motel room, Ms. Jarrin has been spending her days surfing the Internet, applying for jobs.
Lining the shelves underneath the television are her food supplies: rice and noodles that Ms. Jarrin mixes with water in the motel’s ice bucket and heats up in a microwave; peanut butter and jelly; a loaf of white bread.
Ms. Jarrin still has food stamps, which she qualified for in Tennessee. But she is required to report her move, which will cut them off, so she will have to reapply in Vermont.
She has been struggling with new obstacles, like what to do when an address is required in online applications. She is worried about what will happen when her cellphone is finally cut off, because then any calls to the number she sent out with her résumés will disappear into a netherworld.
The news, however, has not been all bad. She had her first face-to-face interview in more than a year, for a coordinator position at a nonprofit drop-in center, on Monday.
And last Thursday, she got her first miracle, when an old friend from New York sent by overnight mail $300 in cash, enough for another week in purgatory.
Ms. Jarrin, 49, wound up at a motel here, putting down $260 she had managed to scrape together from friends and from selling her living room set, enough for a weeklong stay. It was essentially all the money she had left after her unemployment benefits expired in March. Now she is facing a previously unimaginable situation for a woman who, not that long ago, had a corporate job near New York City and was enrolled in a graduate business school, whose sticker is still emblazoned on her back windshield.
“Barring a miracle, I’m going to be in my car,” she said.
Ms. Jarrin is part of a hard-luck group of jobless Americans whose members have taken to calling themselves “99ers,” because they have exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits that they can claim.
For them, the resolution recently of the lengthy Senate impasse over extending jobless benefits was no balm. The measure renewed two federal programs that extended jobless benefits in this recession beyond the traditional 26 weeks to anywhere from 60 to 99 weeks, depending on the state’s unemployment rate. But many jobless have now exceeded those limits. They are adjusting to a new, harsh reality with no income.
In June, with long-term unemployment at record levels, about 1.4 million people were out of work for 99 weeks or more, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not all of them received unemployment benefits, but for many of those who did, the modest payments were a lifeline that enabled them to maintain at least a veneer of normalcy, keeping a roof over their heads, putting gas in their cars, paying electric and phone bills.
Without the checks, many like Ms. Jarrin, who lost her job as director of client services at a small technology company in March 2008, are beginning to tumble over the economic cliff. The last vestiges of their former working-class or middle-class lives are gone; it is inescapable now that they are indigent.
Ms. Jarrin said she wept as she drove away from her old life last month, wondering if she would ever be able to reclaim it.
“At one point, I thought, you know, what if I turned the wheel in my car and wrecked my car?” she said.
Nevertheless, the political appetite to help people like Ms. Jarrin appears limited. Over the last few months, 99ers have tried to organize to press Congress to provide an additional tier of unemployment insurance. But the political potency of fears about the skyrocketing deficit has drowned them out. The notion that unemployment benefits discourage recipients from finding work has also crept into Republican arguments against extensions. As a result, the plight of 99ers was notably absent from the recent debate in the Senate.
Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan, is now working on a bill to help those in the group, a spokesman, Miguel Ayala, said, but the chances of providing them with additional weeks of benefits seem dim.
“It’s going to be extremely hard to pass,” said Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the National Employment Law Project. “We barely got 60 votes to keep 99 weeks, so it’s even harder to get more.”
Other ways of helping the long-term jobless might have a better shot of succeeding, Mr. Stettner said, like a temporary jobs program or assistance for emergency needs.
Ms. Jarrin ping-pongs between resolve and despair. She received her last unemployment check in the third week of March, putting her among the first wave of 99ers. Her two checking accounts now show negative balances (she has overdrafts on both). Her cellphone has been ringing incessantly with calls from the financing company for her car loan. Her vehicle is on the verge of being repossessed.
It is a sickening plummet, considering that she was earning $56,000 a year in her old job, enjoyed vacationing in places like Mexico and the Caribbean, and had started business school in 2008 at Iona College.
Ms. Jarrin had scrabbled for her foothold in the middle class. She graduated from college late in life, in 2003, attending classes while working full time. She used to believe that education would be her ticket to prosperity, but is now bitter about what it has gotten her.
“I owe $92,000 for an education which is basically worthless,” she said.
Last year she moved to Brentwood, Tenn., south of Nashville, in search of work. After initially trying to finish her M.B.A. program remotely, she dropped out because of the stress from her sinking finances. She has applied for everything from minimum-wage jobs to director positions.
She should have been evicted from her two-bedroom apartment several months ago, but the process was delayed when flooding gripped middle Tennessee in May. In mid-July, a judge finally gave her 10 days to vacate.
Helped by some gas cards donated by a church, she decided to return to this quiet New England town, where she had spent most of her adult life. She figured the health care safety net was better, as well as the job market.
She contacted a local shelter but learned there was a waiting list. Welfare is not an option, because she does not have young children. She says none of her three adult sons are in a position to help her.
A friend wired her $200 while she was driving from Tennessee, enabling her to check into a motel along the way and helping to pay for her stay here. But Ms. Jarrin doubts that much more charity is coming.
“The only help I’m going to get is from myself,” she said. “I’m going to have to take care of me. That has to be through a job.”
So, in her drab motel room, Ms. Jarrin has been spending her days surfing the Internet, applying for jobs.
Lining the shelves underneath the television are her food supplies: rice and noodles that Ms. Jarrin mixes with water in the motel’s ice bucket and heats up in a microwave; peanut butter and jelly; a loaf of white bread.
Ms. Jarrin still has food stamps, which she qualified for in Tennessee. But she is required to report her move, which will cut them off, so she will have to reapply in Vermont.
She has been struggling with new obstacles, like what to do when an address is required in online applications. She is worried about what will happen when her cellphone is finally cut off, because then any calls to the number she sent out with her résumés will disappear into a netherworld.
The news, however, has not been all bad. She had her first face-to-face interview in more than a year, for a coordinator position at a nonprofit drop-in center, on Monday.
And last Thursday, she got her first miracle, when an old friend from New York sent by overnight mail $300 in cash, enough for another week in purgatory.
Diet Results
For those of you who watch what you eat...Here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting medical studies.
1.. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
3. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
4. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
1.. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
3. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
4. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
Cranky Old Man
When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in country NSW, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meagre possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.
Cranky Old Man
What do you see nurses? . . . . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . . . . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . .. . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . . with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . .. . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . .. 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . . . . . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not .. . . . .. . . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . . you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . .. . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters ... . . . . . . . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . . . with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . . .. my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. . . . . . that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . ... . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . . . . .. My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . . . With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. . . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . . . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, . . . . . . ..Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . . . . .. . . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . .. . . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . . . . and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. . . . ... . . . . . grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone .. . . . . .. . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . . . .. A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . .. . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . .. . . . . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years . all too few . . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . . . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man . Look closer . . . . see . . . . . . . ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within . . . . . we will all, one day, be there, too!
Later, when the nurses were going through his meagre possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.
Cranky Old Man
What do you see nurses? . . . . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . . . . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . .. . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . . with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . .. . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . .. 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . . . . . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not .. . . . .. . . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . . you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . .. . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters ... . . . . . . . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . . . with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . . .. my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. . . . . . that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . ... . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . . . . .. My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . . . With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. . . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . . . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, . . . . . . ..Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . . . . .. . . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . .. . . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . . . . and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. . . . ... . . . . . grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone .. . . . . .. . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . . . .. A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . .. . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . .. . . . . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years . all too few . . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . . . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man . Look closer . . . . see . . . . . . . ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within . . . . . we will all, one day, be there, too!
Do Not Turn On Car Air Con Immediately
Especially when your car is parked under the scorching sun for hours midday ........
Please note and circulate...
Do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you enter the car!
Please open the windows after you enter your car and do not turn ON the air-conditioning immediately. According to a research done, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen- take note of the heated plastic smell in your car). In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer may also cause miscarriage.
Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... & the people inside the car will
inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxins.
It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.
"When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others"
Please note and circulate...
Do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you enter the car!
Please open the windows after you enter your car and do not turn ON the air-conditioning immediately. According to a research done, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen- take note of the heated plastic smell in your car). In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer may also cause miscarriage.
Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... & the people inside the car will
inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxins.
It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.
"When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others"
Entrepreneurship may be in the genes
Born entrepreneur? Studies suggest strong likelihood
By Amy Reinink
Sara Blersch got her hazel eyes from her mom and her sense of humor from her dad. Research suggests she may also have inherited their entrepreneurial tendencies — her parents founded Chainsaws Unlimited, a power-tool retail store, in 1978, and Blersch followed in their footsteps by founding her own floral design and greenhouse retail business, Daffodil Hill Growers, six years ago.
It's no secret that children of entrepreneurs are especially likely to go into business for themselves. But Scott Shane, a professor of entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University and author of the new book "Born Entrepreneurs, Born Leaders: How Your Genes Affect Your Work Life," says entrepreneurial prowess may have as much to do with nature as nurture.
"If you ask people whether they think there's such a thing as a 'born entrepreneur,' most people say yes," Shane says. "There's a widespread belief that there is some underlying, innate component to entrepreneurship, and we wanted to see if there was some literal truth to it."
Shane and other researchers studied rates of entrepreneurship in hundreds of pairs of identical twins, who share 100 percent of their genes, and fraternal twins, who share 50 percent of their genes. They discovered higher rates of shared entrepreneurial tendencies among the identical twins and determined that roughly 30 to 40 percent of the tendency to be an entrepreneur is innate, not taught.
"We expected there would be a genetic component to entrepreneurship," Shane says. "We were surprised to find that the magnitude of that genetic component was pretty sizable."
Nature vs. nurture
That came as no surprise to Dave Brautigan, chief operations officer of Atlanta Refrigeration Service, who describes himself as a "serial entrepreneur." Brautigan remembers helping his grandmother bind books for the small publishing company she owned with his grandfather, and spent weekends and summer vacations making service calls with his dad, who co-founded Atlanta Refrigeration Service in 1969.
So it was no surprise that when he got to college, Brautigan launched a business of his own, Crescent Marketing Service, a marketing company that netted exclusive rights to distribute door-hanger bags to dorm rooms on 13 college campuses. He sold the company after graduation and shifted his focus to his dad's company, expanding it to the U.S. Virgin Islands and taking it from eight employees in 2002 to 109 today.
Brautigan says it's easy to identify the shared traits that make him and his dad successful in business — both are determined, independent extroverts who relish hard work. What's tough is pinpointing whether those characteristics are inherited or learned.
"I want to say it's genetic, because I can remember sitting at a barstool when I was really little and just chatting with whoever was there while my dad made a repair at a restaurant," Brautigan says. "I've never had a problem with public speaking or engaging people in conversation. But I wonder if I was left alone, playing video games, if I would have developed the same trait."
If it's clear that there's some genetic component to the tendency to be an entrepreneur, what's less clear, Shane says, is the exact mix of factors that lead to that tendency. "We're saying that there's a genetic component here, but there are many paths to get the same genetic effect," Shane says.
Inherited genes may lead to certain physiological effects, which could account for personality traits common among entrepreneurs, such as extroversion and openness to new experiences, Shane says. For example, people with low levels of the "feel good" chemical dopamine in their brains are more likely to seek new or novel activities, such as starting a business.
But genetic tendencies are influenced by a variety of environmental factors, and Shane says it's nearly impossible to completely separate nature from nurture.
For example, it's not clear whether a child born with perfect pitch ends up being a professional singer because of his innate musical talent, or because that talent led to voice lessons, artistic scholarships and other opportunities that made the career more likely.
"Even if a person has this innate makeup that makes him or her more likely to be an entrepreneur, genes interact with environmental stimuli," Shane says.
‘A people person’
Blersch says this is where it gets tricky for her family, too. She knows she shares her dad's willingness to take calculated risks and his gift of gab, both of which have served them well in business. But she doesn't know whether she was born with these traits or if she learned by watching him.
"My dad is such a people person, and I think that's really important when you're in business for yourself," Blersch says. "We can both see someone's face once and remember their name, and we can talk to them about what they bought last week and how they liked it. But I don't know whether that's a nature thing, a nurture thing or a little bit of both."
Shane says molecular testing is underway to identify genes that may contribute to entrepreneurial prowess. But in the meantime, he says budding entrepreneurs born to a long line of librarians can still find business success. "Environment matters in this equation," Shane says. "Odds are higher that you'll be an entrepreneur if you are genetically predisposed, but that’s just odds."
Plus, Brautigan and Blersch both say the lessons they learned from their entrepreneur parents, like work ethic and the ability to think independently, are more important than any innate personality trait.
Still, Brautigan says, his two sons' distinct personalities suggest that there's something to the idea that someone can be a "born entrepreneur." His 2-year-old son is a thinker who's into sports. His 5-year-old son is a natural chatterbox comfortable striking up conversations with anyone who will listen, just like his dad, and a "master negotiator."
"He's the one who will say, 'Hey, the dog got into the garbage. If you give me $3, I'll take it out,'" Brautigan says. "We're like, 'Where did he learn that?'"
By Amy Reinink
Sara Blersch got her hazel eyes from her mom and her sense of humor from her dad. Research suggests she may also have inherited their entrepreneurial tendencies — her parents founded Chainsaws Unlimited, a power-tool retail store, in 1978, and Blersch followed in their footsteps by founding her own floral design and greenhouse retail business, Daffodil Hill Growers, six years ago.
It's no secret that children of entrepreneurs are especially likely to go into business for themselves. But Scott Shane, a professor of entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University and author of the new book "Born Entrepreneurs, Born Leaders: How Your Genes Affect Your Work Life," says entrepreneurial prowess may have as much to do with nature as nurture.
"If you ask people whether they think there's such a thing as a 'born entrepreneur,' most people say yes," Shane says. "There's a widespread belief that there is some underlying, innate component to entrepreneurship, and we wanted to see if there was some literal truth to it."
Shane and other researchers studied rates of entrepreneurship in hundreds of pairs of identical twins, who share 100 percent of their genes, and fraternal twins, who share 50 percent of their genes. They discovered higher rates of shared entrepreneurial tendencies among the identical twins and determined that roughly 30 to 40 percent of the tendency to be an entrepreneur is innate, not taught.
"We expected there would be a genetic component to entrepreneurship," Shane says. "We were surprised to find that the magnitude of that genetic component was pretty sizable."
Nature vs. nurture
That came as no surprise to Dave Brautigan, chief operations officer of Atlanta Refrigeration Service, who describes himself as a "serial entrepreneur." Brautigan remembers helping his grandmother bind books for the small publishing company she owned with his grandfather, and spent weekends and summer vacations making service calls with his dad, who co-founded Atlanta Refrigeration Service in 1969.
So it was no surprise that when he got to college, Brautigan launched a business of his own, Crescent Marketing Service, a marketing company that netted exclusive rights to distribute door-hanger bags to dorm rooms on 13 college campuses. He sold the company after graduation and shifted his focus to his dad's company, expanding it to the U.S. Virgin Islands and taking it from eight employees in 2002 to 109 today.
Brautigan says it's easy to identify the shared traits that make him and his dad successful in business — both are determined, independent extroverts who relish hard work. What's tough is pinpointing whether those characteristics are inherited or learned.
"I want to say it's genetic, because I can remember sitting at a barstool when I was really little and just chatting with whoever was there while my dad made a repair at a restaurant," Brautigan says. "I've never had a problem with public speaking or engaging people in conversation. But I wonder if I was left alone, playing video games, if I would have developed the same trait."
If it's clear that there's some genetic component to the tendency to be an entrepreneur, what's less clear, Shane says, is the exact mix of factors that lead to that tendency. "We're saying that there's a genetic component here, but there are many paths to get the same genetic effect," Shane says.
Inherited genes may lead to certain physiological effects, which could account for personality traits common among entrepreneurs, such as extroversion and openness to new experiences, Shane says. For example, people with low levels of the "feel good" chemical dopamine in their brains are more likely to seek new or novel activities, such as starting a business.
But genetic tendencies are influenced by a variety of environmental factors, and Shane says it's nearly impossible to completely separate nature from nurture.
For example, it's not clear whether a child born with perfect pitch ends up being a professional singer because of his innate musical talent, or because that talent led to voice lessons, artistic scholarships and other opportunities that made the career more likely.
"Even if a person has this innate makeup that makes him or her more likely to be an entrepreneur, genes interact with environmental stimuli," Shane says.
‘A people person’
Blersch says this is where it gets tricky for her family, too. She knows she shares her dad's willingness to take calculated risks and his gift of gab, both of which have served them well in business. But she doesn't know whether she was born with these traits or if she learned by watching him.
"My dad is such a people person, and I think that's really important when you're in business for yourself," Blersch says. "We can both see someone's face once and remember their name, and we can talk to them about what they bought last week and how they liked it. But I don't know whether that's a nature thing, a nurture thing or a little bit of both."
Shane says molecular testing is underway to identify genes that may contribute to entrepreneurial prowess. But in the meantime, he says budding entrepreneurs born to a long line of librarians can still find business success. "Environment matters in this equation," Shane says. "Odds are higher that you'll be an entrepreneur if you are genetically predisposed, but that’s just odds."
Plus, Brautigan and Blersch both say the lessons they learned from their entrepreneur parents, like work ethic and the ability to think independently, are more important than any innate personality trait.
Still, Brautigan says, his two sons' distinct personalities suggest that there's something to the idea that someone can be a "born entrepreneur." His 2-year-old son is a thinker who's into sports. His 5-year-old son is a natural chatterbox comfortable striking up conversations with anyone who will listen, just like his dad, and a "master negotiator."
"He's the one who will say, 'Hey, the dog got into the garbage. If you give me $3, I'll take it out,'" Brautigan says. "We're like, 'Where did he learn that?'"
To Get Rich is Glorious
The Daily Reckoning Presents : To Get Rich is Glorious
by Bill Bonner
Bill Bonner: Imagine the looks on their faces, when Deng Xiaoping sold them out.
The old commies in China had tried to make steel in backyard barbecues. They'd carried the fat Mao on a litter, on a long march to nowhere. They'd pretended his Little Red Book was more than drivel. They'd endured one absurdity after another...purges, starvation, and misery...all for the cause.
And now this... "To get rich is glorious..." Xiaoping is alleged to have said.
Whether he said it or not, millions of Chinese took it to heart. They got richer, faster than any people ever had. The economy is now 10 times larger than it was then; it grew 300% just in the last 10 years. Incomes rose every year. There are now more millionaires in China than in France. Three times as many as in Britain. And more people are becoming millionaires there than anywhere else on earth.
Three decades ago, the world's hinge creaked. Deng Xioaping opened a door in 1979. He announced a new oddity, a "socialist market economy."
We can imagine the looks on faces in Washington and London too. And why shouldn't they gloat? They had won the Cold War; they had no idea that their victory would be fatal.
China took the capitalist road in 1979. Russia was not far behind. By the mid-'80s, it was already spending half its entire output on its military. And then the Americans started talking about neutron bombs and a "star wars" program. Leonid Brezhnev had a stroke. His successors faced the challenge, first with perestroika and finally with capitulation.
Meanwhile doors opened and shut in England, France and America, too. Maggie Thatcher moved into #10 Downing St. in 1979. Ronald Reagan brought 'Morning in America' to the White House in 1980. Like Thatcher and Xioaping, Reagan was determined to reduce the government's role in the economy. And in 1981, Francois Mitterand entered the Elysee Palace in France. His stated goal was the opposite - to increase state involvement in the economy.
No matter what direction they claimed to be going, all the western economies ended up in more or less the same place - on the road to debt serfdom. While China got rich by encouraging (or perhaps merely allowing) capital formation, western nations got poorer, relatively, by consuming capital.
In France, and much of the rest of Europe, government led the consumption boom. While households continued saving at relatively high levels, Mitterand raised the cost of the welfare state. Minimum wages went up 10% immediately. Then, he cut the workweek and added so many benefits for the workingman that the system barely worked at all. French government debt rose from 20% of GDP in 1980 to 80% now; in a couple more years, the government will have spent an entire year's output that France had not yet put out.
In Britain and America, government spending rose too. But household spending went up even faster. The resulting boom was almost magical; the effects were diabolical. Britain went from a debt/GP ratio of 43% in 1980, to over 65% today. Its deficits rose up too and now are projected to be the highest in the European Union - as much as 13% of GDP. But the big expansion in both Britain and America was in private household debt. Combined with government borrowing, it pushed total debt from about 150% of GDP in the mid-'80s to as high as 400% today.
Japan - the other major 'western' economy - has total government debt of nearly 200% of GDP. Its deficit is now so large that it must borrow an amount equal to the total it collects in income taxes. It is said, of course, that Japan has much debt but also much savings. The trouble is, the savings and the debt are largely the same money. Households saved. Government borrowed the money. The savings that are supposed to offset the debt have already been spent.
All together, Europe, America and Japan have total government debt of about $32 trillion, compared to total output of $34 trillion. Add $50 trillion or so of private debt, and you begin to see the bottom of the hole. In other words, the developed economies have borrowed nearly 3 years' worth of future output. At 5% interest, (investors recently wanted Greece to pay 16%!) this means the western world must give up all the output from January 1st to the end of February just to stay in the same place.
Meanwhile, back in China, last week's visit to Beijing revealed a glorious transformation. In the early '80s, a visit to China was a hardship. The streets were drab. The people were drabber, in their grey clothes and grey towns. They stared at tourists as they had never before seen a capitalist. Minders still accompanied tourists. Most of the country was off-limits. There were few private automobiles and few roads deserving of them.
In just 3 decades Beijing has become one of the world's most dynamic, forward-leaning cities, with new Audis and Mercedes bumper to bumper...as far as the eye can see. There are sparkling office towers with millions of earnest workers...and gleaming hotels with sleek prostitutes in the lobbies. Chinese entrepreneurs hustle deals at every table.
China is still an emerging economy. Europe, Japan and the USA, on the other hand, are submerging - sinking in a sea of debt. Getting rich is glorious. Getting poor is a damned shame.
by Bill Bonner
Bill Bonner: Imagine the looks on their faces, when Deng Xiaoping sold them out.
The old commies in China had tried to make steel in backyard barbecues. They'd carried the fat Mao on a litter, on a long march to nowhere. They'd pretended his Little Red Book was more than drivel. They'd endured one absurdity after another...purges, starvation, and misery...all for the cause.
And now this... "To get rich is glorious..." Xiaoping is alleged to have said.
Whether he said it or not, millions of Chinese took it to heart. They got richer, faster than any people ever had. The economy is now 10 times larger than it was then; it grew 300% just in the last 10 years. Incomes rose every year. There are now more millionaires in China than in France. Three times as many as in Britain. And more people are becoming millionaires there than anywhere else on earth.
Three decades ago, the world's hinge creaked. Deng Xioaping opened a door in 1979. He announced a new oddity, a "socialist market economy."
We can imagine the looks on faces in Washington and London too. And why shouldn't they gloat? They had won the Cold War; they had no idea that their victory would be fatal.
China took the capitalist road in 1979. Russia was not far behind. By the mid-'80s, it was already spending half its entire output on its military. And then the Americans started talking about neutron bombs and a "star wars" program. Leonid Brezhnev had a stroke. His successors faced the challenge, first with perestroika and finally with capitulation.
Meanwhile doors opened and shut in England, France and America, too. Maggie Thatcher moved into #10 Downing St. in 1979. Ronald Reagan brought 'Morning in America' to the White House in 1980. Like Thatcher and Xioaping, Reagan was determined to reduce the government's role in the economy. And in 1981, Francois Mitterand entered the Elysee Palace in France. His stated goal was the opposite - to increase state involvement in the economy.
No matter what direction they claimed to be going, all the western economies ended up in more or less the same place - on the road to debt serfdom. While China got rich by encouraging (or perhaps merely allowing) capital formation, western nations got poorer, relatively, by consuming capital.
In France, and much of the rest of Europe, government led the consumption boom. While households continued saving at relatively high levels, Mitterand raised the cost of the welfare state. Minimum wages went up 10% immediately. Then, he cut the workweek and added so many benefits for the workingman that the system barely worked at all. French government debt rose from 20% of GDP in 1980 to 80% now; in a couple more years, the government will have spent an entire year's output that France had not yet put out.
In Britain and America, government spending rose too. But household spending went up even faster. The resulting boom was almost magical; the effects were diabolical. Britain went from a debt/GP ratio of 43% in 1980, to over 65% today. Its deficits rose up too and now are projected to be the highest in the European Union - as much as 13% of GDP. But the big expansion in both Britain and America was in private household debt. Combined with government borrowing, it pushed total debt from about 150% of GDP in the mid-'80s to as high as 400% today.
Japan - the other major 'western' economy - has total government debt of nearly 200% of GDP. Its deficit is now so large that it must borrow an amount equal to the total it collects in income taxes. It is said, of course, that Japan has much debt but also much savings. The trouble is, the savings and the debt are largely the same money. Households saved. Government borrowed the money. The savings that are supposed to offset the debt have already been spent.
All together, Europe, America and Japan have total government debt of about $32 trillion, compared to total output of $34 trillion. Add $50 trillion or so of private debt, and you begin to see the bottom of the hole. In other words, the developed economies have borrowed nearly 3 years' worth of future output. At 5% interest, (investors recently wanted Greece to pay 16%!) this means the western world must give up all the output from January 1st to the end of February just to stay in the same place.
Meanwhile, back in China, last week's visit to Beijing revealed a glorious transformation. In the early '80s, a visit to China was a hardship. The streets were drab. The people were drabber, in their grey clothes and grey towns. They stared at tourists as they had never before seen a capitalist. Minders still accompanied tourists. Most of the country was off-limits. There were few private automobiles and few roads deserving of them.
In just 3 decades Beijing has become one of the world's most dynamic, forward-leaning cities, with new Audis and Mercedes bumper to bumper...as far as the eye can see. There are sparkling office towers with millions of earnest workers...and gleaming hotels with sleek prostitutes in the lobbies. Chinese entrepreneurs hustle deals at every table.
China is still an emerging economy. Europe, Japan and the USA, on the other hand, are submerging - sinking in a sea of debt. Getting rich is glorious. Getting poor is a damned shame.
Barrack Obama's Family (Meet the soetoros)
Lolo Soetoro, Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro,baby Maya Soetoro, and 9 year old Barry Soetoro?
This registration document, made available on Jan. 24, 2007, by the Fransiskus Assisi school in Jakarta , Indonesia ,
shows the registration of Barack Obama under the name Barry Soetoro made by his step-father, Lolo Soetoro..
Name: Barry Soetoro
Religion: Islam
Nationality: Indonesian
How did this little INDONESIAN Muslim child - Barry Soetoro, (A.K.A. Barack Obama) get around the issue of nationality to become President of the United States of America ?
PART 2:
In a move certain to fuel the debate over Obama's qualifications for the presidency, the group
"Americans for Freedom of Information" has released copies of President Obama's college transcripts
from Occidental College .
The transcript indicates that Obama, under the name Barry Soetoro,
received financial aid as a foreign student from Indonesia while an undergraduate at the school.
The transcript was released by Occidental College in compliance with a court order in a suit brought
by the group in the Superior Court of California.
The transcript shows that Obama (Soetoro) applied for financial aid and was awarded a
fellowship for foreign students from the Fulbright Foundation Scholarship program.
To qualify for this scholarship, a student must claim foreign citizenship.
This document provides the smoking gun that many of Obama's detractors have been seeking - that he is NOT a natural-born citizen of the United States - necessary to be President of these United States .
Along with the evidence that he was first born in Kenya , here we see that there is no record of him ever applying for US citizenship.
Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation has released the results of their investigation of Obama's campaign spending.
This study estimates that Obama has spent upwards of $950,000 in campaign funds in the past year with eleven law firms in 12 states for legal resources to block disclosure of any of his personal records.
Mr. Kreep indicated that the investigation is still on-going but that the final report will be provided to the
U.S. attorney general, Eric Holder.
Mr. Holder has refused comment on this matter.
8 reasons you spend too much
Paying with plastic, buying in bulk can wreck your budget
By Jodi Helmer
It happens all the time: You go to the supermarket for a gallon of milk and come home with four bags of groceries, or you plan to order a single book from Amazon.com and end up with a $78 bill at checkout. You're not alone.
Read on to discover the top eight reasons you overspend.
1. Paying with plastic
Takeout or dine in? Paper or plastic? Cash or credit? Of all the choices you make at the checkout counter, the decision to pay with a credit card has the biggest impact on your bottom line.
Multiple studies, including this 2008 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, have found consumers are willing to spend more when they pay with a credit card instead of cash.
"Credit cards allow consumers to focus more on what they're getting, or buying, than what they're losing, or spending," explains Kit Yarrow, a professor of psychology and marketing at Golden Gate University. Credit cards "buffer the reality of spending because they leave more cash in our pockets and purses and provide a delay before payment is required."
2. Listening to music
Listening to music is perfect for increasing motivation during a workout. It also increases the motivation to spend. You're more apt to give in to impulse purchases in shops where instrumental or classical music is playing, according to one study.
Experts believe that loud music also impacts spending.
"Louder music in restaurants pushes people to eat faster, order more and consume more food because they can't talk to each other over the noise," explains Paula C. Peter, assistant professor of marketing and consumer behavior at San Diego State University. "Being overwhelmed by music also interferes with our ability to think clearly, which can lead to spending more money."
3. Buying in bulk
Before you stock up on a 280-ounce bag of chocolate chips, consider this: You're more likely to overspend when you buy in bulk.
A case of paper towels might cost less per unit than a single roll, but it'll add a bigger lump sum to the total bill, which could lead to blowing the weekly grocery budget. There is another reason that buying in bulk adds up at the checkout counter.
"Having large quantities on hand actually increases consumption," Yarrow says.
The more you consume, the more you'll spend.
4. Dieting
If you're watching your weight, you should be watching your wallet, too.
Dieting depletes what Kathleen Vohs, associate professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota, refers to as regulatory resources, which are a more sophisticated form of willpower.
"When regulatory resources are low, people feel stronger urges to buy impulsively, are willing to spend more money for a product, buy more items and spend more total money," notes Vohs. "Being on a diet is a big depletion endeavor." When those urges are present, "people are less able to restrain their impulses, so whatever they are tempted to do — like spend on needless trinkets — will emerge."
5. Tracking exact costs
Keeping track of purchases right down to the last dollar will keep spending in check, right? Wrong. New research found that consumers who try the hardest to budget are the ones who end up overspending. In fact, shoppers who attempt to calculate the exact total price of their purchases spend an average of 19 percent more than consumers who estimate an approximate total price. According to the study, "shoppers consistently underestimate the total price of shopping baskets, which puts them at risk for spending more than they budgeted."
If calculating the exact total is important, consider shopping with a calculator.
6. Buying clearance merchandise
There is nothing wrong with getting an item on sale. The problem with the clearance rack is the items are limited.
"It leads to the idea that if I don't get it now, it won't be there later," says Yarrow. "The fear of missing out tends to make us much less rational about evaluating our purchases, so we end up spending money on things we didn't want or need."
To avoid overspending on unnecessary sale items, Yarrow suggests applying the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
"Tell yourself that you're going in to buy a specific item and you won't get caught up in the frenzy of the crowd," she says.
7. Shopping without a list
It's one of the most oft-repeated mantras of maintaining a budget: Make a list and stick to it. You're more likely to buy only the things you need if they're written down in black and white.
"If you struggle with self-control, bring cash instead of a credit card," Peter advises.
You can't overspend if you're limited to the cash in your pocket.
8. Falling for clever pricing tactics
In his book, "Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value and How to Take Advantage of It," author William Poundstone points out that marketers have a clever approach to making shoppers think they're getting a good deal.
"There are places where there's a $150 hamburger," he writes. "The first thing everyone does is shake their head. But then you go down the menu, suddenly the $50 steak doesn't seem so outrageous."
You've overspent while thinking you're getting a bargain.
By Jodi Helmer
It happens all the time: You go to the supermarket for a gallon of milk and come home with four bags of groceries, or you plan to order a single book from Amazon.com and end up with a $78 bill at checkout. You're not alone.
Read on to discover the top eight reasons you overspend.
1. Paying with plastic
Takeout or dine in? Paper or plastic? Cash or credit? Of all the choices you make at the checkout counter, the decision to pay with a credit card has the biggest impact on your bottom line.
Multiple studies, including this 2008 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, have found consumers are willing to spend more when they pay with a credit card instead of cash.
"Credit cards allow consumers to focus more on what they're getting, or buying, than what they're losing, or spending," explains Kit Yarrow, a professor of psychology and marketing at Golden Gate University. Credit cards "buffer the reality of spending because they leave more cash in our pockets and purses and provide a delay before payment is required."
2. Listening to music
Listening to music is perfect for increasing motivation during a workout. It also increases the motivation to spend. You're more apt to give in to impulse purchases in shops where instrumental or classical music is playing, according to one study.
Experts believe that loud music also impacts spending.
"Louder music in restaurants pushes people to eat faster, order more and consume more food because they can't talk to each other over the noise," explains Paula C. Peter, assistant professor of marketing and consumer behavior at San Diego State University. "Being overwhelmed by music also interferes with our ability to think clearly, which can lead to spending more money."
3. Buying in bulk
Before you stock up on a 280-ounce bag of chocolate chips, consider this: You're more likely to overspend when you buy in bulk.
A case of paper towels might cost less per unit than a single roll, but it'll add a bigger lump sum to the total bill, which could lead to blowing the weekly grocery budget. There is another reason that buying in bulk adds up at the checkout counter.
"Having large quantities on hand actually increases consumption," Yarrow says.
The more you consume, the more you'll spend.
4. Dieting
If you're watching your weight, you should be watching your wallet, too.
Dieting depletes what Kathleen Vohs, associate professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota, refers to as regulatory resources, which are a more sophisticated form of willpower.
"When regulatory resources are low, people feel stronger urges to buy impulsively, are willing to spend more money for a product, buy more items and spend more total money," notes Vohs. "Being on a diet is a big depletion endeavor." When those urges are present, "people are less able to restrain their impulses, so whatever they are tempted to do — like spend on needless trinkets — will emerge."
5. Tracking exact costs
Keeping track of purchases right down to the last dollar will keep spending in check, right? Wrong. New research found that consumers who try the hardest to budget are the ones who end up overspending. In fact, shoppers who attempt to calculate the exact total price of their purchases spend an average of 19 percent more than consumers who estimate an approximate total price. According to the study, "shoppers consistently underestimate the total price of shopping baskets, which puts them at risk for spending more than they budgeted."
If calculating the exact total is important, consider shopping with a calculator.
6. Buying clearance merchandise
There is nothing wrong with getting an item on sale. The problem with the clearance rack is the items are limited.
"It leads to the idea that if I don't get it now, it won't be there later," says Yarrow. "The fear of missing out tends to make us much less rational about evaluating our purchases, so we end up spending money on things we didn't want or need."
To avoid overspending on unnecessary sale items, Yarrow suggests applying the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
"Tell yourself that you're going in to buy a specific item and you won't get caught up in the frenzy of the crowd," she says.
7. Shopping without a list
It's one of the most oft-repeated mantras of maintaining a budget: Make a list and stick to it. You're more likely to buy only the things you need if they're written down in black and white.
"If you struggle with self-control, bring cash instead of a credit card," Peter advises.
You can't overspend if you're limited to the cash in your pocket.
8. Falling for clever pricing tactics
In his book, "Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value and How to Take Advantage of It," author William Poundstone points out that marketers have a clever approach to making shoppers think they're getting a good deal.
"There are places where there's a $150 hamburger," he writes. "The first thing everyone does is shake their head. But then you go down the menu, suddenly the $50 steak doesn't seem so outrageous."
You've overspent while thinking you're getting a bargain.
Do You Eat Petai?
Little did you know ...... after reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!
Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute wor kout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS(premenstrual syndrome):
Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anaemia:
High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.
Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power :
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Understand that bananas contain lot of potassium too so eat more banana. Just look at those monkeys, they are really active, alert, smart and cunny too!!
Constipation
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness : Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites : Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report
concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control : Many other cultures see petai as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affecti ve Disorder (SAD) : Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.
Smoking: Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.
Strokes: According to research in 'The New Engla nd Journal of Medicine, ' eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%'.
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A Petai a day keeps the doctor away'.
Aphorism
Aphorism: A short, pointed sentence expressing a wise or clever observation or a general truth
The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.
Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense.
Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. It could be a right number.
No one ever says 'It's only a game" when their team is winning.
I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos. (OMG)
Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than in a Smart Car.
After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!!
Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter.
"Occasionally let your mind wander; it knows how to get home."
The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.
Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense.
Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. It could be a right number.
No one ever says 'It's only a game" when their team is winning.
I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos. (OMG)
Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than in a Smart Car.
After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!!
Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter.
"Occasionally let your mind wander; it knows how to get home."
Activated charcoal lowers cholesterol
Charcoal lowers the concentration of total lipids, cholesterol, and triglycerides in the blood serum, liver, heart and brain. In one study on patients with high cholesterol, reported in August, 1986 in the British journal, The Lancet, two tablespoons (8 gms) of activated charcoal taken three times a day for four weeks, lowered total cholesterol 25%, lowered LDL cholesterol 41%, and doubled their HDL/LDL (high-density lipoprotein/ low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol ratio. Kidney International Supplement (June 1978) demonstrated that activated charcoal is able to significantly reduce serum triglycerides (up to 76%) in severely hyperlipidemic patients, and suggested that "charcoal may find applicability in the management of azotemic diabetic and nephrotic hyperlipidemia."
These findings were again confirmed in a Finnish study reported in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 1989. Seven patients were fed 4,8,16, or 32g of activated charcoal per day. "Serum total and LDL-cholesterol were decreased (maximum 29% and 41%, respectively) and the ratio of HDL/LDL- cholesterol was increased (maximum 121%) by charcoal in a dose dependent manner." In another study of ten patients with severe hypercholesterolaem ia the effectiveness of activated charcoal was compared to cholestyramine (Questran®). Activated charcoal was found to lower total serum cholesterol, and raise the HDL/LDL ratio on a par with cholestyramine and also reduced serum triglycerides, whereas cholestyramine raised serum triglycerides!
These findings were again confirmed in a Finnish study reported in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 1989. Seven patients were fed 4,8,16, or 32g of activated charcoal per day. "Serum total and LDL-cholesterol were decreased (maximum 29% and 41%, respectively) and the ratio of HDL/LDL- cholesterol was increased (maximum 121%) by charcoal in a dose dependent manner." In another study of ten patients with severe hypercholesterolaem ia the effectiveness of activated charcoal was compared to cholestyramine (Questran®). Activated charcoal was found to lower total serum cholesterol, and raise the HDL/LDL ratio on a par with cholestyramine and also reduced serum triglycerides, whereas cholestyramine raised serum triglycerides!
Activated Charcoal
What is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal is type of carbon made from wood, vegetables and other materials. It looks like a fine black powder. Activated charcoal is believed to have a large adsorptive capacity, making it able to bind with unwanted substances and toxins in the gut.
Activated charcoal may help to lower cholesterol by interfering with enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. It has been found to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Why Do People Use Activated Charcoal?
Detoxification
Bloating and gas
Malodorous gas
High cholesterol
Poisoning / overdose – under medical supervision. If poisoning or overdose is suspected, go immediately to the emergency department of a hospital.
Activated charcoal is also used in air and water filters.
Dosage Information
Activated charcoal is available in liquid or powder form. It is a popular ingredient in colon cleanse products.
Activated charcoal should be taken with plenty of water to avoid intestinal obstruction or constipation.
Side Effects and Safety
Pregnant or nursing women and the elderly should avoid activated charcoal.
Activated charcoal should not used concomitantly with medication or nutritional supplements.
Activated charcoal can cause stools to appear black. Other side effects of activated charcoal include nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, or constipation.
Although there haven't been adverse effects in amounts used in nutritional supplements, there are no studies on the long-term safety of activated charcoal in humans.
Activated charcoal is type of carbon made from wood, vegetables and other materials. It looks like a fine black powder. Activated charcoal is believed to have a large adsorptive capacity, making it able to bind with unwanted substances and toxins in the gut.
Activated charcoal may help to lower cholesterol by interfering with enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. It has been found to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Why Do People Use Activated Charcoal?
Detoxification
Bloating and gas
Malodorous gas
High cholesterol
Poisoning / overdose – under medical supervision. If poisoning or overdose is suspected, go immediately to the emergency department of a hospital.
Activated charcoal is also used in air and water filters.
Dosage Information
Activated charcoal is available in liquid or powder form. It is a popular ingredient in colon cleanse products.
Activated charcoal should be taken with plenty of water to avoid intestinal obstruction or constipation.
Side Effects and Safety
Pregnant or nursing women and the elderly should avoid activated charcoal.
Activated charcoal should not used concomitantly with medication or nutritional supplements.
Activated charcoal can cause stools to appear black. Other side effects of activated charcoal include nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, or constipation.
Although there haven't been adverse effects in amounts used in nutritional supplements, there are no studies on the long-term safety of activated charcoal in humans.
Australian Prime Minister does it again!!
This man should be appointed King of the World. Truer words have never been spoken.
It took a lot of courage for this man to speak what he had to say for the world to hear. The retribution could be phenomenal, but at least he was willing to take a stand on his and Austrilia's beliefs.
Whole world Needs A Leader Like This!
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..
Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
It took a lot of courage for this man to speak what he had to say for the world to hear. The retribution could be phenomenal, but at least he was willing to take a stand on his and Austrilia's beliefs.
Whole world Needs A Leader Like This!
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..
Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
20 of the Prettiest Women in Porn Today
There was a time when you could count the really pretty girls in hardcore porn on one hand. Now there are just too many to keep track of. I’m not sure if the 20 gorgeous women featured on this list are among the highly paid pornstars these days, but they should be, if only for their undeniable beauty which could have been their ticket to other careers in another time and in another planet.
Now let me remind you of the cliché that goes, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. This is a highly subjective list, so if you wanna complain about my choices, or feel that your favorites were unfairly left out, feel free to hit the comments. And the list is completely random, so no complaints about ranking because the numbers aren’t exactly indicative of rank.
1. Georgia Jones
2. Ashlyn Rae
3. Ellie Idol
4. Faye Reagan
5. Lacie Heart
6. Lexi Belle
7. Mindy Vega
8. Sarah Blake
9. Sunny Leone
10. Tori Black
11. Danielle of FTV
12. Jayme Langford
13. Brooke Lee Adams
14. Raven Alexis
15. Ashlynn Brooke
16. Bree Olson
17. Sasha Grey
18. Stoya
19. Candace Cage
20. Jenni Lee
Now let me remind you of the cliché that goes, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. This is a highly subjective list, so if you wanna complain about my choices, or feel that your favorites were unfairly left out, feel free to hit the comments. And the list is completely random, so no complaints about ranking because the numbers aren’t exactly indicative of rank.
1. Georgia Jones
2. Ashlyn Rae
3. Ellie Idol
4. Faye Reagan
5. Lacie Heart
6. Lexi Belle
7. Mindy Vega
8. Sarah Blake
9. Sunny Leone
10. Tori Black
11. Danielle of FTV
12. Jayme Langford
13. Brooke Lee Adams
14. Raven Alexis
15. Ashlynn Brooke
16. Bree Olson
17. Sasha Grey
18. Stoya
19. Candace Cage
20. Jenni Lee
5 Japanese AV Idols Who Could Have Had Other Careers
One thing about Japanese porn, more popularly known as AV, is that it never seems to run out of pretty young things willing to do hardcore on camera. Some of these recruits are even so unbelievably gorgeous you would think they’re commercial models or mainstream actresses or J-pop singers, not porn stars.
The five AV idols listed below, IMHO, have the requisite looks to make it in other fields of the entertainment industry had they not been raging nymphomaniacs. That’s a bit harsh I know, but that’s pretty much the only explanation I could come up with for their willingness to get tag-teamed on video by a bunch of, for the most part, really ugly men for certainly less than what the highest-paid porn stars in the world are getting.
1. Maria Ozawa
Proof that the end product of interracial sex rocks. Born to a Japanese mother and a Canadian father, she wasn’t scouted, like most AV idols were, by the countless AV agents scouring Japan for new “talent”. She actually APPLIED for the job. She has since progressed to kinkier fare, like anal and DP and bondage scenes.
2. Mihiro
Not a few people consider Mihiro as the cutest AV idol to ever come along. And I agree. She could have been a model. Or a pop singer. Wait, she’s actually been both. I guess she just figured having sex on camera was her real calling.
3. Tina Yuzuki
Tina Yuzuki is half-Japanese and half-Portuguese. The result is one of the most beautiful women to ever enter the JAV scene. She now goes by the name “Rio”, by the way. She may have changed her name, but her onscreen exploits remain as hardcore as ever.
4. Sora Aoi
She is often referred to as Japan’s Jenna Jameson, mainly because she’s considered the biggest porn star there these days. But the comparison ends there. Sora Aoi is drop-dead gorgeous, and looks nothing like the mummified alien that Jameson is.
5. Nana
Another one of those half-breeds, Nana is reportedly from a well-to-do family. Not that it matters. She performs like she was raised in a brothel, and is even more daring than most AV idols, for she takes on big black men in one of her videos.
The five AV idols listed below, IMHO, have the requisite looks to make it in other fields of the entertainment industry had they not been raging nymphomaniacs. That’s a bit harsh I know, but that’s pretty much the only explanation I could come up with for their willingness to get tag-teamed on video by a bunch of, for the most part, really ugly men for certainly less than what the highest-paid porn stars in the world are getting.
1. Maria Ozawa
Proof that the end product of interracial sex rocks. Born to a Japanese mother and a Canadian father, she wasn’t scouted, like most AV idols were, by the countless AV agents scouring Japan for new “talent”. She actually APPLIED for the job. She has since progressed to kinkier fare, like anal and DP and bondage scenes.
2. Mihiro
Not a few people consider Mihiro as the cutest AV idol to ever come along. And I agree. She could have been a model. Or a pop singer. Wait, she’s actually been both. I guess she just figured having sex on camera was her real calling.
3. Tina Yuzuki
Tina Yuzuki is half-Japanese and half-Portuguese. The result is one of the most beautiful women to ever enter the JAV scene. She now goes by the name “Rio”, by the way. She may have changed her name, but her onscreen exploits remain as hardcore as ever.
4. Sora Aoi
She is often referred to as Japan’s Jenna Jameson, mainly because she’s considered the biggest porn star there these days. But the comparison ends there. Sora Aoi is drop-dead gorgeous, and looks nothing like the mummified alien that Jameson is.
5. Nana
Another one of those half-breeds, Nana is reportedly from a well-to-do family. Not that it matters. She performs like she was raised in a brothel, and is even more daring than most AV idols, for she takes on big black men in one of her videos.
The Story of Bibi Aisha
'Shaming' her in-laws costs 19 year old her nose, ears
"When they cut off my nose and ears, I passed out," 19-year-old Bibi Aisha of Afghanistan says with chilling candor.
Her beauty is still stunning and her confidence inspiring. It takes a moment for the barbaric act committed against her to register in your mind and sight.
Wearing her patterned scarf and with roughly painted nails she shares her story.
"It felt like there was cold water in my nose, I opened my eyes and I couldn't even see because of all the blood," she remembers.
It was an act of Taliban justice for the crime of shaming her husband's family.
This story began when Aisha was just 8 years old.
Her father had promised her hand in marriage, along with that of her baby sister's, to another family in a practice called "baad."
"Baad" in Pashtunwali, the law of the Pashtuns, is a way to settle a dispute between rival families.
At 16, she was handed over to her husband's father and 10 brothers, who she claims were all members of the Taliban in Oruzgan province. Aisha didn't even meet her husband because he was off fighting in Pakistan.
"I spent two years with them and became a prisoner," she says. ( Watch more of the interview with Aisha)
Tortured and abused, she couldn't take it any longer and decided to run away. Two female neighbors promising to help took her to Kandahar province.
But this was just another act of deception.
When they arrived to Kandahar her female companions tried to sell Aisha to another man.
All three women were stopped by the police and imprisoned. Aisha was locked up because she was a runaway. And although running away is not a crime, in places throughout Afghanistan it is treated as one if you are a woman.
A three-year sentence was reduced to five months when President Hamid Karzai pardoned Aisha. But eventually her father-in-law found her and took her back home.
That was the first time she met her husband. He came home from Pakistan to take her to Taliban court for dishonoring his family and bringing them shame.
The court ruled that her nose and ears must be cut off. An act carried out by her husband in the mountains of Oruzgan where they left her to die.
But she survived.
And with the help of an American Provincial Reconstruction Team in Oruzgan and the organization Women for Afghan Women (WAW), she is finally getting the help and protection she needs.
Offers have been pouring in to help Aisha, but there are many more women suffering in silence.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 90 percent of Afghanistan' s women suffer from some sort of domestic abuse. This in a country where there are only about eight women's shelters to provide sanctuary from the cruelty they face. And all of the eight are privately run.
"Bibi Aisha is only one example of thousands of girls and women in Afghanistan and throughout the world who are treated this way - who suffer abuses like this, like this and worse," says board member for WAW, Esther Hyneman.
In 2001, the situation of Afghan women and Taliban brutality received plenty of attention. Now organizations like WAW say the international community is strangely silent on the issue.
Hyneman says not enough is being done to help the women in Afghanistan and that feeds into the hands of the insurgency.
"When you have ... 50 percent of a population on their knees, it's very easy for extremists, tyrants to take over a country," she adds. "They have a ready-made enslaved population."
Aisha is reminded of that enslavement every time she looks in the mirror.
But there still times she can laugh. And at that moment you see her teenage spirit escaping a body that has seen a lifetime of injustice.
"When they cut off my nose and ears, I passed out," 19-year-old Bibi Aisha of Afghanistan says with chilling candor.
Her beauty is still stunning and her confidence inspiring. It takes a moment for the barbaric act committed against her to register in your mind and sight.
Wearing her patterned scarf and with roughly painted nails she shares her story.
"It felt like there was cold water in my nose, I opened my eyes and I couldn't even see because of all the blood," she remembers.
It was an act of Taliban justice for the crime of shaming her husband's family.
This story began when Aisha was just 8 years old.
Her father had promised her hand in marriage, along with that of her baby sister's, to another family in a practice called "baad."
"Baad" in Pashtunwali, the law of the Pashtuns, is a way to settle a dispute between rival families.
At 16, she was handed over to her husband's father and 10 brothers, who she claims were all members of the Taliban in Oruzgan province. Aisha didn't even meet her husband because he was off fighting in Pakistan.
"I spent two years with them and became a prisoner," she says. ( Watch more of the interview with Aisha)
Tortured and abused, she couldn't take it any longer and decided to run away. Two female neighbors promising to help took her to Kandahar province.
But this was just another act of deception.
When they arrived to Kandahar her female companions tried to sell Aisha to another man.
All three women were stopped by the police and imprisoned. Aisha was locked up because she was a runaway. And although running away is not a crime, in places throughout Afghanistan it is treated as one if you are a woman.
A three-year sentence was reduced to five months when President Hamid Karzai pardoned Aisha. But eventually her father-in-law found her and took her back home.
That was the first time she met her husband. He came home from Pakistan to take her to Taliban court for dishonoring his family and bringing them shame.
The court ruled that her nose and ears must be cut off. An act carried out by her husband in the mountains of Oruzgan where they left her to die.
But she survived.
And with the help of an American Provincial Reconstruction Team in Oruzgan and the organization Women for Afghan Women (WAW), she is finally getting the help and protection she needs.
Offers have been pouring in to help Aisha, but there are many more women suffering in silence.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 90 percent of Afghanistan' s women suffer from some sort of domestic abuse. This in a country where there are only about eight women's shelters to provide sanctuary from the cruelty they face. And all of the eight are privately run.
"Bibi Aisha is only one example of thousands of girls and women in Afghanistan and throughout the world who are treated this way - who suffer abuses like this, like this and worse," says board member for WAW, Esther Hyneman.
In 2001, the situation of Afghan women and Taliban brutality received plenty of attention. Now organizations like WAW say the international community is strangely silent on the issue.
Hyneman says not enough is being done to help the women in Afghanistan and that feeds into the hands of the insurgency.
"When you have ... 50 percent of a population on their knees, it's very easy for extremists, tyrants to take over a country," she adds. "They have a ready-made enslaved population."
Aisha is reminded of that enslavement every time she looks in the mirror.
But there still times she can laugh. And at that moment you see her teenage spirit escaping a body that has seen a lifetime of injustice.
Gift from China
US President Obama visited China last week, primarily to find out what exactly & how exactly China is doing things that make it such a success story, surpassing all the so-called "expert economic planners" of the US &
Europe. His team found these 5 basic lessons behind China 's success - it applies equally to our country :
LESSON No 1 - BE AMBITIOUS
The Chinese believe in Setting Goals, Making Plans, Focusing on Moving Ahead.
Moving Ahead - there is always the sense of foward motion.
As an example, a huge 6-lane highway in Shanghai took only 2 years from planning to being ready for traffic.
In the US, 2 years will only get you the environment and local authority permit if you are lucky. In Malaysia in 2 years, they will still be calculating how to inflate the costs, and to whose abang-adik company to award the project.
LESSON No 2 - EDUCATION MATTERS
The Chinese are obsessed with ensuring kids get the right education - English, Maths & Science.
They made sure that their education system reached even the most remote rural areas. Today the literacy rate in China is over 90%, surpassing even the USA's 86%. According to American educationists, the Chinese kids are way ahead of the kids in the USA .
Meanwhile in Malaysia, our politicians are determined to regress our education system into the stone age.
LESSON No 3 - LOOK AFTER THE ELDERLY
The Chinese do not send their elderly to nursing care centres but personally look after & care for their parents.
In the US, nursing care of the elderly is now costing each resident USD 85,000 annually, & this is rising.
The Chinese also believe that the grandparents at home make the best tutors for their children. It also provides a sense of cultural continuity - this helps bind society.
Here it's a growing trend to have children brought up by maids, of the lowest educational & moral quality so our children (the future leaders) grow up with a similar language capability & outlook.
LESSON No 4 - SAVE MORE
In the USA, savings dropped to zero in 2005, and is only now slowly rising to 4%. In China, the savings rate for every household has exceeded 20%. The Chinese
believe that frugality & a healthy savings rate are a sure indicator of a country's financial health. High savings lead to increased investments that result in increased productivity, innovation & job growth.
In the West, & aped by our Malaysians, the status symbol is to spend more than you earn, with as many credit cards as possible. In the end, the whole country gets into debt.
LESSON No 5 - LOOK OVER THE HORIZON
In China, everyone is forward looking - never backwards. New graduates make a vow - never will their children & grandchildren ever work in the fields again. With this kind of forward
mentality, people are always thinking & planning how, not just to succeed, but how to be the best in the world in everything they do.
In Malaysia, we are still, after 24 years, trying to get the window switches of the Proton to work properly, and our Muslim Fundamentalists want us to adopt medieval syariah laws.
Europe. His team found these 5 basic lessons behind China 's success - it applies equally to our country :
LESSON No 1 - BE AMBITIOUS
The Chinese believe in Setting Goals, Making Plans, Focusing on Moving Ahead.
Moving Ahead - there is always the sense of foward motion.
As an example, a huge 6-lane highway in Shanghai took only 2 years from planning to being ready for traffic.
In the US, 2 years will only get you the environment and local authority permit if you are lucky. In Malaysia in 2 years, they will still be calculating how to inflate the costs, and to whose abang-adik company to award the project.
LESSON No 2 - EDUCATION MATTERS
The Chinese are obsessed with ensuring kids get the right education - English, Maths & Science.
They made sure that their education system reached even the most remote rural areas. Today the literacy rate in China is over 90%, surpassing even the USA's 86%. According to American educationists, the Chinese kids are way ahead of the kids in the USA .
Meanwhile in Malaysia, our politicians are determined to regress our education system into the stone age.
LESSON No 3 - LOOK AFTER THE ELDERLY
The Chinese do not send their elderly to nursing care centres but personally look after & care for their parents.
In the US, nursing care of the elderly is now costing each resident USD 85,000 annually, & this is rising.
The Chinese also believe that the grandparents at home make the best tutors for their children. It also provides a sense of cultural continuity - this helps bind society.
Here it's a growing trend to have children brought up by maids, of the lowest educational & moral quality so our children (the future leaders) grow up with a similar language capability & outlook.
LESSON No 4 - SAVE MORE
In the USA, savings dropped to zero in 2005, and is only now slowly rising to 4%. In China, the savings rate for every household has exceeded 20%. The Chinese
believe that frugality & a healthy savings rate are a sure indicator of a country's financial health. High savings lead to increased investments that result in increased productivity, innovation & job growth.
In the West, & aped by our Malaysians, the status symbol is to spend more than you earn, with as many credit cards as possible. In the end, the whole country gets into debt.
LESSON No 5 - LOOK OVER THE HORIZON
In China, everyone is forward looking - never backwards. New graduates make a vow - never will their children & grandchildren ever work in the fields again. With this kind of forward
mentality, people are always thinking & planning how, not just to succeed, but how to be the best in the world in everything they do.
In Malaysia, we are still, after 24 years, trying to get the window switches of the Proton to work properly, and our Muslim Fundamentalists want us to adopt medieval syariah laws.
Some interesting fact about US brand name & product
American brand names that are not produced by American manufacturings anymore
Chuck Taylors (Sport Shoes)
The granddaddy of all sneakers, the All-Star entered production in 1917 and took on basketball player and salesman Chuck Taylor’s name in 1923. Countless Americans used the high-top, rubber-soled kicks to establish their cred—from NBA star Julius Erving to the Ramones, Dr. House to Kurt Cobain. But when Nike bought Converse for $305 million in 2003, it moved production of all the company’s shoe lines abroad—even the cherished Chucks.
Fender Stratocaster (Electric Guitar)
Since Buddy Holly started slinging the Strat in 1957, it’s been the most recognizable electric guitar on the market and the ax of choice for guitar heroes like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and John Mayer. If you want the classic Stratocaster, made in California, you’ll have to ante up as much as $600 more than you would for the standard model—now made in Ensenada, Mexico.
Etch A Sketch (Children's Toy)
It still says “Ohio Art” on the frame, but the magnetic drawing toy isn’t made in the Buckeye State—or any other state, for that matter. After 40 years, Ohio Art Co. shut down domestic production in 2000, seeking labor cheaper than the unionized, $9-per-hour workers who had been making the toys. The Chinese factories that now make Etch A Sketches have been the subject of unflattering allegations about work conditions.
Radio Flyer wagons (Children's Toys)
The makers of the classic red wagon tout the toys as true “icons of Americana,” but today they’re only consumed in the U.S., not made here. In 2004 Radio Flyer decided its Chicago plant was too expensive, so it slashed about 45 jobs and began making its wagons, scooters, and tricycles in China. It’s only one of the many iconic American toy brands that are now made overseas—including Barbie and the Fisher-Price line. Radio Flyer displayed this gigantic vehicle at the American International Toy Fair in New York in February 2004, just one month before announcing the switch.
Levi jeans (Garments)
Since Levi Strauss, a German immigrant, began manufacturing denim pants in San Francisco in 1853, bluejeans have become as potent a symbol of America as McDonald’s, popping up on Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. record cover and lending their name to an Eastern European revolution. But if you want jeans that are born in the U.S.A., you’ll have to go elsewhere: the last American-made pairs of Levi’s were sewn and riveted in 2003. Production now takes place in Latin America (including this factory in Haiti) and Asia.
Craftsman and Stanley tools (Handtools and DIY Tools)
These two leading tool brands have been challenged by consumers and the government, which question whether some products deserve the “Made in the U.S.A.” label. The Federal Trade Commission mandates that goods can be called American-made only if they’re entirely or mostly made in the U.S. The FTC fined Stanley $205,000 in 2006 for mislabeling some tools that didn’t meet that standard. Craftsman, owned by Sears, has also been caught and fined by the feds. In 2006 consumers filed a class-action suit against the company, but lost because the court ruled that the plaintiffs had failed to prove any injury from the mislabeling.
American flags (Flags)
Next time you wave your Stars and Stripes, check the label. Foreign-made flags aren't all that common, but they exist. They represent only about 1.5 percent of the market, thanks in part to America’s protectionist policies on flag production. Several states have laws that ban sales of American flags not made in the United States, and Oklahoma Democrat Dan Boren has introduced a similar bill in the House, which, if passed, would prevent importation of American flags made overseas.
Rawlings baseballs (Sport Goods)
They’re the official game balls of America’s pastime and used to be made here at home, but these days, Rawlings stitches them together in Costa Rica. The company’s factory moved there in 1990, after stints in Haiti and Puerto Rico. However, the parts that make up the balls—yarn, cores, and cowhide—are all imported to Costa Rica from the U.S.
Cannondale bicycles (Bicycles - Sport)
The high-end bike maker used to construct its frames by hand in the U.S., but since Montreal-based Dorel bought Cannondale in 2008, it has shifted gears, moving production from a plant in Bedford, Pa., to China, where Dorel makes parts for a variety of other venerable American bike brands, including Schwinn and Roadmaster. At left, Lance Trappe of the Volvo Cannondale Mountain Bike Racing Team leaps over a man at the 2001 New York City Bicycle Show.
NBA uniforms (Sport Uniforms - Garments)
After German sports-apparel maker Adidas became the NBA’s official uniform supplier in 2006, the company contracted out the actual production of jerseys, shorts, and the like to American garment manufacturers. But in late 2009 Adidas announced it would cut short a contract that had been set to expire in 2014 and use factories in Thailand instead. The plan elicited boos from fans and politicians alike. One upset employee of American Classic Outfitters in Perry, N.Y.,told Fox News, “I think it’s horrible. They’re American teams, they should all be wearing American garments.”
Brach’s confections (Candy Makers)
Caramel and candy-pumpkin powerhouse Brach’s was once a cornerstone of Chicago’s sweet-making industry, back when the Windy City owned the market. In 2001, Brach’s announced that it would close its Chicago plant and move production to Mexico. Executives said U.S. sugar regulations make the cost of U.S. manufacturing artificially and impracticably high. At left, then-CEO Kevin Kotecki in Brach’s Chicago office in 2001.
IBM personal computers (Computer - High Tech products)
Once the dominant name in personal computers, IBM doesn’t even make them anymore. Opting to leave a market it took by storm in the 1980s, the blue-chip company sold its PC business to the Chinese manufacturer Lenovo for $1.75 billion in 2004. The sale allowed IBM to focus more directly on high-end computers, consulting, and software, while Lenovo now makes and markets best-selling brands like the ThinkPad laptop. At left, a model poses with new Lenovo models in New Delhi in 2009.
The above are not including any of the softwares jobs that are outsourced to India and other places.
Chuck Taylors (Sport Shoes)
The granddaddy of all sneakers, the All-Star entered production in 1917 and took on basketball player and salesman Chuck Taylor’s name in 1923. Countless Americans used the high-top, rubber-soled kicks to establish their cred—from NBA star Julius Erving to the Ramones, Dr. House to Kurt Cobain. But when Nike bought Converse for $305 million in 2003, it moved production of all the company’s shoe lines abroad—even the cherished Chucks.
Fender Stratocaster (Electric Guitar)
Since Buddy Holly started slinging the Strat in 1957, it’s been the most recognizable electric guitar on the market and the ax of choice for guitar heroes like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and John Mayer. If you want the classic Stratocaster, made in California, you’ll have to ante up as much as $600 more than you would for the standard model—now made in Ensenada, Mexico.
Etch A Sketch (Children's Toy)
It still says “Ohio Art” on the frame, but the magnetic drawing toy isn’t made in the Buckeye State—or any other state, for that matter. After 40 years, Ohio Art Co. shut down domestic production in 2000, seeking labor cheaper than the unionized, $9-per-hour workers who had been making the toys. The Chinese factories that now make Etch A Sketches have been the subject of unflattering allegations about work conditions.
Radio Flyer wagons (Children's Toys)
The makers of the classic red wagon tout the toys as true “icons of Americana,” but today they’re only consumed in the U.S., not made here. In 2004 Radio Flyer decided its Chicago plant was too expensive, so it slashed about 45 jobs and began making its wagons, scooters, and tricycles in China. It’s only one of the many iconic American toy brands that are now made overseas—including Barbie and the Fisher-Price line. Radio Flyer displayed this gigantic vehicle at the American International Toy Fair in New York in February 2004, just one month before announcing the switch.
Levi jeans (Garments)
Since Levi Strauss, a German immigrant, began manufacturing denim pants in San Francisco in 1853, bluejeans have become as potent a symbol of America as McDonald’s, popping up on Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. record cover and lending their name to an Eastern European revolution. But if you want jeans that are born in the U.S.A., you’ll have to go elsewhere: the last American-made pairs of Levi’s were sewn and riveted in 2003. Production now takes place in Latin America (including this factory in Haiti) and Asia.
Craftsman and Stanley tools (Handtools and DIY Tools)
These two leading tool brands have been challenged by consumers and the government, which question whether some products deserve the “Made in the U.S.A.” label. The Federal Trade Commission mandates that goods can be called American-made only if they’re entirely or mostly made in the U.S. The FTC fined Stanley $205,000 in 2006 for mislabeling some tools that didn’t meet that standard. Craftsman, owned by Sears, has also been caught and fined by the feds. In 2006 consumers filed a class-action suit against the company, but lost because the court ruled that the plaintiffs had failed to prove any injury from the mislabeling.
American flags (Flags)
Next time you wave your Stars and Stripes, check the label. Foreign-made flags aren't all that common, but they exist. They represent only about 1.5 percent of the market, thanks in part to America’s protectionist policies on flag production. Several states have laws that ban sales of American flags not made in the United States, and Oklahoma Democrat Dan Boren has introduced a similar bill in the House, which, if passed, would prevent importation of American flags made overseas.
Rawlings baseballs (Sport Goods)
They’re the official game balls of America’s pastime and used to be made here at home, but these days, Rawlings stitches them together in Costa Rica. The company’s factory moved there in 1990, after stints in Haiti and Puerto Rico. However, the parts that make up the balls—yarn, cores, and cowhide—are all imported to Costa Rica from the U.S.
Cannondale bicycles (Bicycles - Sport)
The high-end bike maker used to construct its frames by hand in the U.S., but since Montreal-based Dorel bought Cannondale in 2008, it has shifted gears, moving production from a plant in Bedford, Pa., to China, where Dorel makes parts for a variety of other venerable American bike brands, including Schwinn and Roadmaster. At left, Lance Trappe of the Volvo Cannondale Mountain Bike Racing Team leaps over a man at the 2001 New York City Bicycle Show.
NBA uniforms (Sport Uniforms - Garments)
After German sports-apparel maker Adidas became the NBA’s official uniform supplier in 2006, the company contracted out the actual production of jerseys, shorts, and the like to American garment manufacturers. But in late 2009 Adidas announced it would cut short a contract that had been set to expire in 2014 and use factories in Thailand instead. The plan elicited boos from fans and politicians alike. One upset employee of American Classic Outfitters in Perry, N.Y.,told Fox News, “I think it’s horrible. They’re American teams, they should all be wearing American garments.”
Brach’s confections (Candy Makers)
Caramel and candy-pumpkin powerhouse Brach’s was once a cornerstone of Chicago’s sweet-making industry, back when the Windy City owned the market. In 2001, Brach’s announced that it would close its Chicago plant and move production to Mexico. Executives said U.S. sugar regulations make the cost of U.S. manufacturing artificially and impracticably high. At left, then-CEO Kevin Kotecki in Brach’s Chicago office in 2001.
IBM personal computers (Computer - High Tech products)
Once the dominant name in personal computers, IBM doesn’t even make them anymore. Opting to leave a market it took by storm in the 1980s, the blue-chip company sold its PC business to the Chinese manufacturer Lenovo for $1.75 billion in 2004. The sale allowed IBM to focus more directly on high-end computers, consulting, and software, while Lenovo now makes and markets best-selling brands like the ThinkPad laptop. At left, a model poses with new Lenovo models in New Delhi in 2009.
The above are not including any of the softwares jobs that are outsourced to India and other places.