LOVELIGHT

Magazine

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September 2007***Vol. 4, no. 9

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Managing editors: Adamaria Francis and Richard Shining Thunder Francis

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Contributors to this issue: Jim Dwyer, Maureen Dwyer, Chris Finer, Green Tips, Pat Helms, Linda Jung, Karen Klein, National Organization for Women, Geoffrey Stoermer, Frank Tyrrell, World Science.

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LOVELIGHT MAGAZINE:  WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT

 

     Lovelight magazine is free, coming directly to your inboxscreen once a month.  We love to laugh.:)  So, if you discover any jokes that make you roar, please send them along to the efamily.:)  But life is not all laughs.  So, we hope also to share with you some pleasant and happy thoughts.

     Lovelight wants to promote peace and harmony, and to aid you.  If you are working on any religious, psychological, or spiritual issues, we encourage you to write to us at rmfrancis@juno.comm 

     Also, if you come across any wise or touching pieces, not copyrighted, fairly short, please share them with the efamily.  Also welcome are practical tips, short pieces on personal philosophies, interesting facts, wordplays, and general spirituality (but no religion or "preachy" dogma, please.:).  We reserve the right to make whatever changes we deem necessary or desirable before inclusion in Lovelight.

      As a subscriber, your email name/address will not be shared.  Please share, send, or copy, this magazine, or any parts of it.  Share it as widely as possible, with all your friends, and all others.  Please use it on  your websites and bulletinboards.  Also, please have friends send us their emailaddress and subscribe.  Subscriptions are free.

     This is a "light" introduction to spirituality.  And it is also great, fun reading.  A collection of magazines is produced once a year.  We have published three volumes, and this would make a sweet gift for a loved one.  Happy reading!:)

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MERCURY IN MINIFLUORESCENTS?

 

Fox News has reported that minifluorescent bulbs pose a "danger" because they contain mercury.  Fox is an extremist rightwing enterprise, and so, does not give a truly balanced (or even scientific) reliable perspective.)

    This anti-environmental piece, so typical of extremists, seems to be threatened by the laws of Australia, the European Union, and other countries, where these compact fluorescents (cfl's) are either mandated by law, or are being considered for this status, for they are so much better for the environment.  The reporter, if he might be called that, panics in over-reaction to a single bulb-breakage, and acts as if it can turn a house into a superfund clean-up site!

    Cfl's do contain mercury, but only in tiny amounts-- not enough to evoke panic or evacuation.  If you do break one, you can clean it up yourself without a hazmat suit or space suit!

     The EPA advises:  1) Open a window and leave the room for at least 15 minutes (to let the mercury vaporize).  2) Remove all materials (i.e., the pieces of the broken bulb) without using a vacuum cleaner.  You don't want even a small amount of mercury lurking in your vacuum. To do so:  Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available. (Never touch the bulb pieces with your bare hands.)

     3) Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard (you don't want the stuff to get on your broom or dustpan either).  4) Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe.  Sticky tape, such as duct tape, can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.

     5) Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it.  If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the CFL in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash (if no other disposal or recycling options are available).  If your state doesn't allow this, consult the local hazardous-waste authority for safe-recycling information.  Some hardware stores will also accept old bulbs; to find a recycler near you, try Earth 911, or (800) CLEAN-UP, for a location near you.

     6) Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.  7)The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

     A fluorescent bulb contains about 5 mg. (five thousandths of one gram) of mercury (although some brands, such as Philips Lighting, claim their bulbs have as little as 1.23 to 3 mg).  A thermometer can contain 140 times as much.  So, concern over the mercury in thermometers is not at all unreasonable.  Concern for mercury produced by powerplants also makes good sense.  Coal-burning power plants produce (and sometimes spew forth) 50 tons every year!

     Residential lighting accounts for about 5.7 percent of our total national electricity consumption.  About half is generated by coal.  This releases about 1.4 tons of mercury yearly.  Incandescent bulbs emit about 1.2 tons of mercury yearly.

     Also, these dangerous bulbs are being recycled instead of tossed into the environment.  Already, about one-fourth of them are safely recycled!  In fact, businesses are required by the government to do so!  If consumers would pay a deposit on cfl's, they, too, would be recycled in vast numbers. 

     Using these bulbs could also help to prevent the disaster of global warming.  The shorter-lived fluorescents would eliminate around 100, 000,000 tons of carbon dioxide from coal-fired powerplants.

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LIFE IS AN "ECHO," sent in by Geoffrey Stoermer

 

A man and his son were walking in the forest.  Suddenly, the son trips.  And, feeling a sharp pain, he screams!  He is surprised to hear a voice coming back from the mountain, exactly duplicating his scream.  Filled with curiosity, he yells, "Who are you?"  But the only answer that he receives is the same, "Who are you?"

     This makes him angry.  So he yells, "You are a coward!"  

     And the voice answers, "You are a coward!" 

     He asks his dad, "What is going on?" 

     "Son," the man replies, "Pay attention!"  Then, the father yells, "I admire you!"  The voice answers, "I admire you!"  The father shouts, "You are wonderful!"  And the voice answers, "You are wonderful!" 

     The boy still cannot understand.  Then, the father explains, "This is called an 'echo.'  But truly, it is how life works!  What you say to life, life will say to you!"

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ODDITIES OF A DOLLAR, sent in by Chris Finer

 

Take a closer look at a one-dollar bill, and you will find some fascinating oddities.  In roughly its present form, it was first printed in 1957.  This so-called "paper" money is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with red and blue minute silk fibers running through it.  A special blend of ink is used, the contents of which are highly secret.  It is overprinted with symbols and then it is starched to make it water resistant and pressed to give it that nice crisp look.

     If you look on the front, you will see the United States Treasury Seal.  On the top, you will see the scales for a balanced budget.  In the center, there is a carpenter's square-- a tool used for an even cut.  Underneath is the Key to the United States' Treasury.  That's all pretty easy to figure out, but what is on the back of that dollar bill is something even more fascinating:

     You will see two circles.  Both circles, together, comprise the Great Seal of the United States.  The First Continental Congress requested that Ben Franklin and others come up with a Seal.  It took four years.  It took another two years to get it approved.

     In the left circle, there is a Pyramid.  Notice that the eastern side is lighted, and the western side dark.  This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore the West, or decided what we could do for Western Civilization.  The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished.  Inside the capstone is the "all-seeing eye"-- an ancient symbol for divinity.  It was Franklin's belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything.

     "IN GOD WE TRUST" is on the older currency.  The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS , means, "God has favored our undertaking."

     The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, "a new order has begun."  At the base of the pyramid is the Roman Numeral for 1776.

     In the right-hand circle is something that is on every National Cemetery in the United States.  It is also the centerpiece of most heroes' monuments. Slightly modified, it is the seal of the president.

     The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: First, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong, and he is smart enough to soar above it.  Secondly, he wears no material crown.  We had just broken free from the King of England, named "George."  Also, notice that the shield is unsupported.  This signified that this country could now stand on its own.  At the top of that shield, there is a white bar signifying congress, a unifying factor.  We were coming together as one nation.  In the Eagle's beak are the words, "E pluribus unum."  This means, "one nation from many [people]."

     Above the Eagle are thirteen stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away.  Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons:  He holds an olive branch and arrows.  This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace.  The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows.

     They say that the number thirteen is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide superstition.  You will usually never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a thirteenth floor.  But think about this: 13 original colonies, 13 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 stripes on our flag, 13 steps on the Pyramid, 13 letters in the Latin above, 13 letters in "E Pluribus Unum", 13 stars above the Eagle, 13 bars on that shield, 13 leaves on the olive branch, 13 fruits, and if you look closely, 13 arrows. And, especially for minorities: the 13th Amendment.

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ADDING INSULT TO INJURY, from the National Organization for Women

Successful So Far . . . Help Women Get Fair Pay and Their Fair Day In Court!

 

After the Supreme Court denied Lilly Ledbetter's claim of pay discrimination against Goodyear Tire Co., on a technicality, and took away the $300,000 a court had awarded her, now Goodyear has the audacity to ask Ms. Ledbetter to cover their court costs!

Let Goodyear know what you think of their outrageous demand!

You did it!  Your calls and emails made the difference in a VERY close vote!  Thanks to you, the House voted this week to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007.

What's astonishing about this vote is how close it was: 225-199.  Almost 200 members of the House voted to roll back our rights and deprive women of this longstanding remedy for pay discrimination!

Take a moment today to write to your representative.  Our legislative action system will provide a sample message based on how your representative voted on this important bill.

You may recall that in May the Supreme Court wrongly interpreted the rules of the Title VII law against employment discrimination, stating that an employee only has 180 days from the first discriminatory paycheck in which to file a claim of sexdiscrimination.  To correct this error, we worked with allies in Congress to pass the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; it clarifies the law's original intent of providing that 180 day window from the most recent discriminatory paycheck.

So stay tuned, as a similar bill will be heard by the Senate, likely in September.  Because bush has pledged to veto this legislation, we need to build a veto-proof majority in both houses of Congress.

Also check out the sidebar for the latest on Goodyear's reaction to the case and their treatment of Lilly Ledbetter.

Take Action: Let your representative know what you thought of her/his vote on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act!

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LOVELETTERS FROM BUDS, PALS, AND FRIENDS

 

From Pat Helms:

 

Dearest shi,

 

ÉHence,  I have still not learned how to allow my world/mind

to slow down and feel the magicÉ.

     I am aware that I am learning though, which brings me to

I had received Love Light  and  always make myself allow the time to enjoy.

 So passed it by for when I had time for "Mind".   I do so believe that

Mind" should be ever present.  Still working on that.   However,  I had to

smile today when I finally was blessed with reading it.  Again,  my soul

awakened with smiles and understanding.  Could it be that destiny does fit

into this path just a little?  "Today " I got my much needed reward for my

waiting.  You provide all of the knowledge that this neophite searches for

on her own, and tries to peace together and can't.  I thank Mind for you,É  Love and Understanding aboundÉ.

 

May Brilliant Glistening Silver Continue To Flow,

 

Always,

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A POEM OF HEAVEN, sent in by Linda Jung

 

I was shocked, confused, bewildered

as I entered Heaven's door,

Not by the beauty of it all,

nor the lights or its decor.

 

But it was the folks in Heaven

who made me sputter and gasp--

the thieves, the liars, the sinners,

the alcoholics, the trash

 

There stood the kid from seventh grade

who swiped my lunch money twice.

Next to him was my old neighbor

who never said anything nice.

 

Herb, who I always thought

was rotting away in hell,

was sitting pretty on cloud nine,

looking incredibly well.

 

 I nudged Jesus, "What's the deal?

I would love to hear Your take. 

How'd all these sinners get up here?

God must've made a mistake.

 

"And why's everyone so quiet,

so somber? Give me a clue."

"Hush, child," said He, "they're all in shock.

No one thought they'd be seeing you."

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LAUGHIN', SMILIN', AND FEELIN' GOOD: HUMORTHERAPY

 

From aha.jokes.com:

 

I was in the first submarine.  Instead of a periscope, they had a kaleidoscope.  "We're surrounded!"

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If you're in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?

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Right now, I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.  I think I've forgotten this before.
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 I put tape on the mirrors in my house so I don't accidentally walk through into another dimension.

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I planted some bird seed.  A bird came up.  Now I don't know what to feed it.
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I saw a vegetarian wearing a furry coat.  So I looked closer.  It was made of grass.
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I bought a million lottery tickets.  I won a dollar.
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I rented a lottery ticket.  I won a million dollars.  But I had to give it back.

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I come from a stupid family.  During the Civil War, my great Uncle fought for the west!

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My father was stupid.  He worked in a bank, and they caught him stealing pens.

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STUPID HEADLINES


Lansing Residents Can Drop Off Trees.

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Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over.

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Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms.  (I didn't even know that there were "women mushrooms"!)

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MORE STARTLING NEWS HEADLINES

 

Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told.

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Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half.

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DUMB STATE LAWS IN OHIO

 

It is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday.

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Women are prohibited from wearing patent leather shoes in public.

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It is illegal to get a fish drunk.

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No one may be arrested on Sunday or on the Fourth of July.

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It is illegal for more than five women to live in a house.

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It is illegal to walk a cow down Lake Road in Bay Village.

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Ordinance number 223, of 09/09/19 prohibits the installation and usage of slot machines in outhouses in Bexley.

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It's illegal to catch mice without a hunting license, in Cleveland!

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You cannot eat a doughnut and walk backwards on a city street in Marion.

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Throwing a snake at anyone is illegal in Toledo.

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LITTLE GEORGIE:  "DUH" AND DUMBER!

 

Georgie started putting on loads of weight due to his spoiled and coddled life.  So, he consulted his doctor for advice.  The doctor advised that he run ten miles a day for thirty days.  This, he promised, would help Georgie lose as many as twenty pounds.

     Georgie followed the doctor's advice, and, after thirty days, he was pleased to find that he had indeed lost the pesky twenty pounds.  He phoned the doctor and thanked him for the wonderful advice.

     At the end of the conversation, however, Georgie asked one last question: "How do I get home, since I am now 300 miles away?"

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Georgie quickly went out to his mail box, looked in it, closed the door of the box, and went back in the house.  A few minutes later, he repeated this process.

     He did this five more times, and his neighbor commented: "You must be expecting a very important letter today!"

     Georgie answered, "No, I am working on my computer, and it keeps telling me that I have mail."

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Georgie reports for his university final exam, which consists of mainly true and false questions.  He thinks about bribing the prof and just leaving.  But this guy has a rep for absolute honesty.  So, Georgie takes his seat in the examination hall, and stares at the question paper for five minutes.  And then, in a fit of inspiration, he removes a coin from his pocket.  He starts tossing the coin and marking the answer sheet: true for heads and false for tails.  Within thirty minutes, he is all done, whereas the rest of the class is still working furiously.

     During the last few minutes, he is seen desperately throwing the coin, swearing and sweating.  The moderator, alarmed, approaches him and asks what is happening.

     "I finished the exam in a half hour," he replies proudly.  "Now I'm rechecking my answers."

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Georgie had driven all the way across the country to see Disney World in Florida.  As he approached it and got onto the final stretch of highway, he saw a sign saying "Disney World Left".

     Georgie, sadly disappointed, turned around and went home.

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Georgie was quite used to getting whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it!  So, during a helicopter ride, he felt a small chill, and turned off the "fan."  The crash was immediate, but Georgie survived through dumb luck.

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Georgie and two other guys die and go to heaven.  At the Pearly Gates, St. Peter says to them "whatever you do, don't step on a pink cloud!"

     The first guy goes off wandering.  When he comes back, he's accompanied by one of the ugliest women you've ever seen.

     "What happened to you?" asked the other two.

     "I stepped on a pink cloud," he replied.

     The second guy goes off wandering and comes back with an even uglier girl.

     "what happened to you?" they asked.

     "I stepped on a pink cloud."

     Georgie goes off wandering and comes back with the most beautiful woman any of them have ever seen.

     "What happened?" they asked.

     The woman responded, "I stepped on a pink cloud!"

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     A fundy father was regaling his bored-stiff little son with tales from the Old Testament.

    He said dramatically, "And the Lord said to Lot, 'Take your wife, and flee from the city!'  And Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt!"

     "What happened to his flea?"

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"MALPRACTICE" IN MEDICAL REPORTING

 

These are actual, true selections taken from real medical reports (from thedoctorslounge.com):

 

The baby was delivered, the cord clamped and cut, and handed to the pediatrician, who breathed and cried immediately.

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COMPUTERGUY, sent in by Jim Dwyer

 

I was having trouble with my computer.  So I called Bob, the computer guy, to come over.  Bob clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.  He gave me a bill for a minimum service call.  As he was walking away,I called after him:  "So, what was wrong?"

     He replied, "It was an ID ten T error."

     I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless, I inquired, "An ID ten T Error?  What's that, in case I need to fix it again?"

     Bob grinned.  "Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error before?"

     "No," I replied.

     "Write it down," he said, "and I think you'll figure it out."

     So I wrote it down.

     I D 1 0 T

     I used to like Bob.

 

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 WISDOMTIDBITS, sent in by Jim Dwyer                 

 

I was thinking about how a status symbol of today is those cell phones that everyone has clipped onto their belt or purse. I can't afford one. So, I'm wearing my garage door opener.   

 

I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans.

 

I thought about making a fitness movie, for folks my age,  and call it "Pumping Rust." 

 

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office?  What are we supposed to do... write to these men?  Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they deliver the mail? Or better yet, arrest them while they are taking their pictures!

 

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then, it dawned on me, they were cramming for their finals.  As for me, I'm just hoping God grades on the curve.

 

OLD AGE AND TREACHERY WILL OVERCOME SKILL AND YOUTHFUL VITALITY EVERY TIME!

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NUTTY NEWSPAPER ADS, sent in by Maureen Dwyer

 

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.  Eight years old.  Hateful little dog.  Bites.***FREE PUPPIES:  1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.***FREE PUPPIES.
Mother:  AKC German Shepherd: Father, Superdog-- able to leap tall fences in a single bound.***FOUND:  Dirty white dog.  Looks like a rat.  Been out a while.
Better be a reward.***Nordic Track, $300, hardly used.  Call Chubby.***Georgia peaches;  California grown-- 89 cents/lb.***JOINING NUDIST COLONY!  Must sell washer and dryer.  $300.

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BUCKS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE! Sent in by Jim Dwyer

 

A crusty old man walked into the local Lutheran Church and said to the 
 secretary, "I would like to join this damn church."

     The astonished woman replied, "I beg your pardon, sir.  I must have 
 misunderstood you.  What did you say?"

     "Listen up, damn it!  I said I want to join this damn' church!"

     "I'm very sorry sir, but that kind of language is not tolerated in this 
 church."

     The secretary left her desk and went into the pastor's study to inform him 
 of her situation.  The pastor agrees that the secretary does not have to listen 
 to that foul language.

     They both return to her office and the pastor asks the old geezer, "Sir, 
 what seems to be the problem here?"

     "There is no damn' problem," the man said.  "I just won $200 million bucks in 
 the damn' lottery and I want to join this damn' church to get rid of some of this 
 damn money."

     "I see," said the pastor.  "And is this damn' bitch giving you a hard time?" 

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THOUGHTS ON SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION, AND CULTS,  by Frank Tyrrell

 

     It is quite easy to diagnose JWs [Jehovah's Witnesses] as a cult, having, as they do, the top 25 cult characteristics.  THEY likely won't acknowledge this fact, but that doesn't make it less a fact.

     ÉI went through a period, albeit short, of isolated feeling [after having left this cult].  In truth, I was only as isolated as I chose to be. However, I never once doubted that I was doing the right thing for the right reason.  Cultic programming can be difficult to overcome, but it's not impossible.  My life during the last 30 years has been running rings around the way it used to beÉ. I had always assumed that close friendships are based on trust, and trust can be defined as consistency over time.  So, I found interesting people of similar outlook and viewpoint, to whom I was drawn; and, over time, I proved myself "socially fragrant."  And the relationships I've developed are vastly superior to anything the JWs can possibly offer: stability based upon the expression of agape in the full meaning of that term-- unconditional.  This is, of course, diametrically opposed to the ultra-conditional nature of the "love" of a JW.  In my view, this is not worth having, due to its sheer instability and conditionality.

     And the friends I have now are nothing like how the Watchtower Society [the legal arm of Jehovah's Witnesses] characterized them: worldly, hardened sinners, godless unbelievers, selfish and dangerous adherents to false religions!  In short, they were presented as "bogeymen."  They were said to represent evil of every stripe and sort useful to the society to instill fear into the hearts of their "brothers."  (And this is one of the 25 cult characteristics disclosed by the JWs: development of an elitist "us" vs. "them" attitude-- a totally unjustifiable elitism.)  And, of course, we now know it's the JWs who have concocted a false religion of their own-- characterized by monstrous, massive, and many false prophecies, among many other things.  (Of course, they have an excuse for all this as well.)

     ÉIt sounds to me as if you're suffering from the consequences of your own choosing. IMO, this is something that you're doing to yourself.  Stop doing it.  Aren't you being your own worst enemy?

     You can choose the spiritual path instead as an individual son of God in your own right.  God loves all his children as a family, because he first loves each individual in her own right as one of his children.  And while the spiritual Way can at first seem like treading on the razor's edge, with time, it becomes like the universe itself-- vast and profound.  And the trip is both fascinating and more than worth it, in my experience.

     ÉWhen you discover God as a Reality in your own inner experience, you'll know the direction to take-- that direction so brightly lit by The Master while he was on this planet for that purpose ("I am the Way.")

     If you keep going in a direction, you will eventually arrive [at your destination].  I believe it would be helpful for you to do more seeking for that proper direction.  Examine all the religions of this world so you can know their reality as opposed to the "poison pen" biased representations of the Watchtower Society.  There are many flowers in the garden of the Father, and all are fragrant in his sight.  I suggest you read "The Religions of Man" by Houston Smith.  It's a very good, objective, and non-biased evaluation of all the major religions on this planet.  Look for your spiritual goal and then, plot a path that will take you there, take you in the right direction.

     ÉFinding such people is quite like getting pregnant:  One has to be exposed frequently enough and at the right time for the goal to be realized.  I feel that you are in some way limiting yourself.

     What are your interests?  Your likes, your dislikes?  What do you do to have fun? What new pursuit would you like to try?  There are people who are already doing these things, with whom you could meet, and pursue a common goal.
***

JWs like to claim that they are not slaves to fashion.  Actually, they are slaves to former fashion.  It's not okay to adopt current fashion, but it is okay to adopt a former fashion.  There is no difference between these two things.  Both see persons "adopting a fashion" of some sort.

     This is the reason we have the nun's habits today.  Nuns were [ordered by the Church] to dress as did the people they served, and they did.  However, when fashions changed as fashions always do, nuns were not allowed to adopt the change.  Ever.  Thus, nuns who wear habits today merely cleave to an old fashion-- a very old fashion.  This very dynamic is characteristic of what JWs do today-- cleave to an old fashion, and wind up in deep "trouble" [with the org and elders] if you dare adopt the new ones.  With beards, JWs indulge in a typical JW flip-flop.  Here, JWs are not allowed to adopt the old fashion but must yield to organizationally-enforced adoption of the new one.  [Facial hair is prohibited among males.]  Go figure.

     Just after college, I was told that I must shave off my moustache-- by an elder who was wearing a mustache. Go figure.

     And again we see this same kind of "thinking" with the Amish.  It's OK to cleave to the fashions and technology prevalent at the time of their origin.  But nothing later.  Thus, it's okay to use horse-drawn farming implements, primitive communication techniques, petroleum-based lighting, wooden pegs in construction, etc.  But it's not okay to use mechanized farming implements, telephones, electric lighting, nails, etc.

     It's a great larf.  Consider electricity.  This is a natural phenomenon, not a social one. There is no logical reason not to use it.  But of course we all are very familiar with an organization whose membership rules are based on nothing more significant than irrelevancies made relevant via fiat by a group of deluded old men.

     I have said it before:  The difference between JWs and other extreme organizations-- say, the Jim Jones Guiana Kool-Aid Suicide Cult-- is merely one of degree, not kind.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY ADVICE, sent in by Karen Klein


Because of recent abductions during daylight hours, please refresh yourself about these things to do in an emergency situation:  This is for you males, and to share with your wife, your children, and everyone else whom you know.  After reading these 9 crucial tips, please forward them to someone about whom you care.  It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world in which we live. 

 

 1) The elbow is the strongest point on your body.  If you are close enough to use it,
  do!***2) If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM .  Toss it away from you!  Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse.  Then, RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!***3) If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail light, stick your arm out the hole, and start waving like crazy.  The driver won't see you,  but everybody else will.  This has saved lives.***4) Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit, doing their
checkbook,    or making a list, etc.  DON'T DO THIS!  The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity  for him to get in on the passenger side,  put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go!  AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR , LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE!  If someone is in the car  with a gun to your head  DO NOT DRIVE OFF.  Repeat:  DO NOT DRIVE OFF!   Instead gun the engine and speed into anything,   wrecking the car.  Your Air Bag will save you.  If the person is in the back seat, he will get the worst of it !  As soon as the car crashes, bail out and run!  It is better  than having them find your body in a remote location.***5) A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:  A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat   B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door.  Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.    C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side  of your vehicle, and also, check the vehicle on your passenger side.  If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you might want to walk back into the mall, or work,   and get a guard/policeman  to walk you back out.  IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)***6) ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.  (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone, and they are the perfect crime spots.  This is especially true at NIGHT!)***7) If a predator has a gun, and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN!  A predator will hit you (by shooting, a running target) only 4 in 100 times.  And even then, he most likely WILL NOT hit a vital organ.  RUN,  Preferably!  in a zig -zag pattern!***8) As women, we are always trying   to be sympathetic:  STOP this habit when among strangers.  It might get you raped, or killed.  Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.  He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked for help into his vehicle or with his vehicle,  which is when he abducted his next victim.***9) Another Safety Point:  Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch, and she called the police because it was late.  The police told her  "Whatever you do,   DO NOT open the door."  The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window,  and she was worried that it would crawl to the street  and get run over.  The policeman said, "We already have a unit on the way,   whatever you do,  DO NOT open the door."  He told her that they thought that a serial killer had a baby's cry recorded.  And he uses it to coax women out of their homes, thinking that someone had dropped off a baby.  He said that they have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.  Please pass this on and   DO NOT open the door for a crying baby. This  email should be taken seriously.  The "crying baby" theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.  I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know.  It might save a life.  A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle.  I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys,   if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you might want to pass it on to them.  Send this to any woman you know who might need  to be reminded that the world has a lot of crazies in it.  And it's better to be safe   than sorry.

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"GREEN" DRY-CLEANERS, from Green Tips

 

Do Green Dry Cleaners Exist?

Read this issue of Greentips online

Contrary to what its name implies, dry cleaning involves washing clothes in a liquid solvent to remove stains.  In about 85% of dry cleaning shops, this solvent is perchloroethylene (or ÒpercÓ), a chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers both a health and environmental hazard.

Dry cleaning is not always necessary; clothing makers often place the Òdry clean onlyÓ label on tags because they can list no more than one cleaning method and can be held liable if an item is damaged when the owner follows the listed procedure.  Yet many of these items can be safely washed at home, either by hand or using a washing machineÕs delicate cycle.  For clothes that must be professionally cleaned due to their size, fabric, decorations, or other factors, there is no perfect solution.  But you could consider using a cleaner that offers one of the following perc-free methods.

Wet cleaning uses the universal solvent-- water-- along with computer-controlled washers and dryers, specialized detergents that are milder than home laundry products, and professional pressing and finishing equipment.  The EPA considers it one of the safest professional cleaning methods; its benefits include Òno hazardous chemical use, no hazardous waste generation, no air pollution, and reduced potential for water and soil contamination.Ó

Carbon dioxide (CO2) cleaning uses non-toxic, liquid CO2-- the same form used to carbonate soda-- as the cleaning solvent, along with detergent.  The CO2 is captured as a by-product of existing industrial processes, thereby utilizing emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere; since only about two percent of the CO2 is lost into the air with each load of clothing, its impact on global warming is minimal.  CO2 cleaning also uses less energy than traditional dry cleaning, which involves heating the solvent.

Silicone cleaning is a proprietary technology that employs a silicone-based solvent to clean clothes. The solvent itself is currently considered safe for the environment because it degrades to sand, water, and carbon dioxide, but it has caused cancer in lab animals in EPA studies. In addition, it is manufactured using chlorine, which can generate harmful dioxin emissions.

Not all cleaning methods advertised as ÒgreenÓ are as environmentally benign as they might seem.  For example, a solvent called DF-2000 being touted as an ÒorganicÓ dry cleaning fluid is actually a petroleum product manufactured by ExxonMobil.  It is indeed organic in the same way gasoline and perc are organic: it contains a chain of carbon atoms.  But the EPA lists DF-2000 as a neurotoxin and skin and eye irritant for workers, and its use can contribute to smog and global warming.

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MOTHER'S JUNKFOOD, from World Science

 

Mother's junk food could put babies at risk:
Eating junk food while pregnant and breastfeeding
could lead to overeating, obese kids, a study
suggests.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/070814_obesity.htm
***

Pollution blamed for four in 10 deaths:
Water, air and soil pollution are behind some 40
percent of deaths globally, a study claims.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/070814_disease.htm

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RED YEAST AND CHOLESTEROL, from Nutrition and Healing,, august 30, 2007

 

 In yet another display of twisted logic, the FDA sent out a press release earlier this month warning consumers against several red yeast rice products.  The release refers to the products in question as "potentially harmful."  But as it turns out, what they're really warning people against isn't the red yeast rice itself -- it's one of the active ingredients in these products: naturally occurring lovastatin.

According to the news release "These red yeast rice products are a threat to health because the possibility exists that lovastatin can cause severe muscle problems leading to kidney impairment."  If that's true, then wouldn't those warnings also apply to patentable statin drugs containing lovastatin -- you know, the ones they keep pushing on all of us by repeatedly lowering the guidelines for what's considered "healthy" cholesterol levels? Why are they concentrating all their efforts on demonizing red yeast rice supplements?

Ah, of courseÉFor the same reason they persecute every other natural remedy that can do the same job as a patent drug: There's nothing in it for them.

And, unfortunately, since the FDA approved the lovastatin-containing drug Mevacor back in 1987 it has a legal leg-up on the supplement industry in terms of regulating any and all products containing it, natural or not.

So they're wielding their power not only by attempting to force the supplement manufacturers to stop selling their red yeast rice products but also -- and even worse -- by manipulating the information to portray red yeast rice as dangerous while it does the exact same exact job as the patented version of lovastatin does (but for a whole lot less money).

It's not that the FDA doesn't want you taking lovastatin.  Quite the contrary, actually. They just don't want you taking the version that isn't helping to line their excessively deep pockets.

This particular battle is one that has been going on for nearly a decade and, unlike your ability to get red yeast rice supplements, it's probably not going to go away anytime soon. In the meantime, there are lots of other safe and effective means of lowering your cholesterol levels.  In particular is one that Dr. Wright has recommended numerous times over the years -- policosanol.  For details on this natural remedy, refer back to the January 2002 issue of Nutrition & Healing.

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The following are excerpts from Love and Cosmos: Seven Thousand Spiritual Verses (Liberty Township, Ohio; Love Ministries, Inc.,   2008)

 

 

Common Dream-symbols

 

1927]  How happy we are that you caught the "Heartmind" radio program!  Please do tell all your friends.:)