Jim's Heaven On The Hudson

Wilson Staff Kirk Currie KC4 Adjustable Weight Putter

2009-02-22T19:20:00.001-08:00

Wilson Staff Kirk Currie KC4 Adjustable Weight Putter

* Ideal addition to any golf club set
* Putter features BalanceFit adjustable weight system for customized performance
* Weight system on putter head allows you to transfer three weight ranges (light, medium, heavy) to the head
* Optimal weight, loft, hosel offset, and shaft length and lie angle
* KC Series putter deliver smooth, controlled stroke
* Milled body for optimum weight distribution
* Milled face for smoother ball roll
* Available in left- or right-handed options with lengths from 33 to 25 inches

Shipping: Leaves our warehouse in 1-3 business days. *

Materials: Aluminum, rubber, steel
Model No: KC4
You can buy this club in my store.

We Can Make A contribution...

2009-01-10T14:40:00.001-08:00

Loving Thoughts On A Good Cause

2009-01-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Caribbean Vacation for the Summer Vacation
By: Lena Hilltorp

For Americans summer has always been the time to go out on holidays and enjoy the beach and the Sun. what could be a better place for that than the Caribbean Islands with their lovely beaches, blue waters and the most pleasant sun. In fact the Caribbean has been such a huge hit with American tourists that today the tourism industry is one of the biggest industries of the place.

There are numerous islands in the Caribbean, but some have been all-time favorites with the tourists. The biggest destinations are the islands of Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Curacao and the British Virgin Islands. A visit to any of these islands will leave you with happy memories, you can hardly ever forget.

Bahamas
Bahamas has always been a very popular destination for the American tourists because of its proximity to the country. Still having a feel of the British colonial days in its buildings and architecture, the Bahamas is also very tropical in spirit. Known for its beautiful beaches pine forests, Bahamas is the perfect place to sit back and relax.

If you are in the Bahamas you should never miss the Rand Nature Center where you get to see the exact recreation of a Lucayan Village, which has everything, from the chieftain's house to the dwelling huts. And if you are a food freak you got to taste the local snacks from a Bahamian straw market.

The Atlantis Resort is located on Paradise Island, near Nassau in the formerly-British Bahamas just a hop from Florida.

The guidebook "Caribbean With Kids" calls the Atlantis on Bahamas "one of the most lavish properties in the entire Caribbean": which is saying something, considering what the region offers.

The Atlantis Bahamas grounds have waterfalls, streams, lagoons filled with sea creatures, underwater viewing areas: with 11 exhibit lagoons and 11 million gallons of water, the resort claims it has the "largest marine habitat in the world".

The world's largest marine habitat, the largest casion in the Bahamas (and the Caribbean), a 15 million dollar marina, lagoons, waterfalls and the underwater ruins of Atlantis itself....Atlantis Bahamas Resort has achieved a distinctive combination of comfort and adventure unlike any other vacation destination.

Atlantis on Bahamas is a deluxe high rise with 2300 rooms and casino situated on the beach. Three towers make up the complex, the Beach, Coral and the newest is Royal Towers.

Anguilla
One of the best family destinations in the Caribbean, Anguilla is famous for its neat beaches many of which are non-commercial. And of course you have the rare opportunity to share the waters with dolphins in Dolphin Fantaseas - one of the biggest attractions of Anguilla. Another place to b e in is Scilly Cay - which provides the perfect setting for barbecue and snorkeling. But the most special thing about Anguilla is her people. They are among the warmest in Caribbean and they go all the way to make you feel comfortable and at home

Aruba
"One Cool Family" is the program organized by the Aruba government to pull in new tourists as well as bring back those who have already been to this lovely island. Such schemes emphasize how important tourism has become in these places and when the government is coming up with such ideas you can rest assure there would be enough effort to provide you with the finest holiday ever.

Apart from the exotic beaches and the clear blue seas other attractions of Aruba include Boca Prins, the perfect destination for dune sailing and land sailing. Of course there are arrangements for the regular activities like snorkeling and scuba diving.

Curacao

Just two and half hour from Miami, Curacao is unlike any other Caribbean island. Of course it has got the beaches and the lovely seas, but this dominion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is also special because of its diverse mix of history and culture. The experience you have at Curacao is, in that sense unique among the Caribbean islands. If yours is a family which is into adventure this can be the perfect destination as you can head for the Hato Caves to witness the amazing dry land sea caves complete with underground pools, cave drawings and fossils which date back to millions of years. But if you are more interested in just lying back and enjoying your vacation you can do that too while enjoying the best of Curacao culture that has a strong influence of the Dutch.

British Virgin Islands
Once a haven for the pirates, the British Virgin Islands is today the perfect place for diving and snorkeling. It also provides you with the very best opportunities to sail. And if you have been a fan of Stevenson's Treasure Island, you can actually see for yourself from where it was inspired - the Norman Island. With calm waters, swimming is also one of the favorite activities among tourists.

Author Bio
Lena Hilltorp is a freelance publisher based in Sweden. She publishes articles and reports and provides Antlantis Bahamas resources on www.bahamasonline.org

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

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American Morality - A Glimmer of Hope on the Horizon

2009-01-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

American Morality - A Glimmer of Hope on the Horizon

By: Thomas Sullivan

Has the United States lost it's basic principle of morality? Has the United States moved away from the guiding principles that this country was founded on? A single paragraph describes these basic principles and it is the meaning of this paragraph which provided the foundation for the formation of the United States:

"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - Thomas Jefferson

All Americans are created equal and that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is a right granted to every citizen of the United States. Our founding fathers acquired these principles from their religious beliefs, and regardless of what people may think, the United States was founded on Biblical principles. Our founding fathers did not use certain aspects of the Bible just to satisfy what they wanted in a country. They used the Bible as a whole in order to create an understanding of what the basic rights are for an individual. They concluded that these rights are from God and are given to all individuals.

One of the unalienable rights given by our creator is the right to live our lives. Our creator placed each individual on this earth for a reason. Is it not true that other people in the world have that same unalienable right to live and fullfill God's purpose? So, if this is a founding principle for our country, does it not follow that we as a country should help others less fortunate then us? Should not others, who were born in underdeveloped countries, have the same right to life? In this article, I will address some of these questions, with the hope that by examining these issues, we can as a society, move in a direction our founding fathers had envisioned. Americans have lost site of the fact that excess without giving is not really what our founding fathers had in mind. Lets examine some examples which are symbolic of this immorality that currently exists within the American society.

Before presenting this first example, we need to have a clear definition of what morality is. From WordNet, a lexical database for the English language, developed at the Cognitive Science Library at Princeton University, morality is concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong. This first example of immorality may be considered by many as one that does not have anything to do with morality, but if you give it more then cursory thought, you would most likely consider it a morality issue.

This first example has to do with Americans and their relationship with their automobiles. Yes, immorality can be seen at such a insignificant level. More importantly, this example shows the pervasiveness of immorality within the American society. Most Americans, if typical, need an automobile for basic functioning within most areas of the United States. The automobile has become a perfunctory status symbol. Many people within the United States can barely pay their rent, but they will shovel out money per month on an automobile they really can not afford. They spend money per month in the form of a car payment or lease, just to have a "nice" car.

The American obsession with the sport utility vehicle is one I still do not understand. One basic argument of the SUV owner is that by driving a SUV, they feel safer. If your driving skill is so poor that you can not avoid poor drivers, try working on your driving skill. This to me makes more sense then driving a tank (SUV) which consumes large quantities of fuel and concomitantly contributes to an increase in fuel demand. This increase in fuel demand drives fuel prices upward. With Americans so reliant upon their automobiles, higher fuel prices mean less extra money in their pocket. Money that could be used to help feed those dying from starvation throughout the world.

The American car companies for many years pushed the SUV on the American public, and now these car companies are suffering the consequences. The thinking as to why these companies offered these vehicles to the American public was that they thought Americans would continue in their mind set that excess is better. The American car companies today are doing poorly as a business. They have continually laid off workers in order to maintain a level of viability. They have been very slow to innovate, and they are now and will continue to suffer the consequences.

On the other hand, Toyota and Honda, companies which have put hybrids out into the market place, are now doing very well. These companies have always placed fuel efficiency as a higher priority. A glimmer of hope lies in the fact that Americans are starting to create the mind set that excess is not good, and frugality is the way of the future. Simply put, driving SUVs is not intelligent.

Driving an SUV when it really is not necessary is an example of overindulgence in the United States. Granted, there are situations where an individual needs a SUV such as Alaska or any area of the country where road conditions are poor or winters are severe. Or, there is the occasion where materials need to be transported which normally would not fit in a normal size car. In these cases, there is a legitimate reason to own a SUV because of it's utilitarian value. But the majority of SUV owners are not in these situations or extreme conditions frequently enough to warrant owning such a fuel wasting vehicle. Driving a hybrid is an example of intelligent frugality. Hopefully, Americans are starting to develop the mind set that having less is better and frugality is the way of the future.

Our society has been through a period of excess and over indulgence but changes, hopefully, are on the horizon. Morality in the form of giving needs to be reincorporated back into our society. It makes more sense to drive a more fuel efficient vehicle, and use some of the saved money to contribute to the world hunger problem. For most morally conscious individuals, this type of sustained and continual activity leads to greater long term happiness.

Giving does not have to be monetary, it can be in other forms, such as giving time or knowledge. This bring us to our next example of morality reduction that has been in existence in the United States. Many parents today are not giving enough time to their children. Children need to be nurtured. A parents wisdom, gained through a life time of experiences, needs to be imparted to their children. Parents need to impart to their children the value of giving and a feeling of concern for others. When I was a child growing up, school shootings where kids are killing teachers and fellow students, was virtually unheard of. Today, school shootings are occurring at an alarming frequency. To me, part of the problem is due to parents not spending enough time with their children. Again it comes down to giving. In this case, it comes down to giving time and knowledge. Parents not giving enough time to their children is another example of morality reduction within our society.

Another example of the immorality prevalent within our society is displayed by the films which come out of Hollywood today. I am sorry to say that most of these films really are to put it bluntly, garbage. Most of these films lack the cerebral quality of the earlier films. From a technical perspective i.e. special effects, they are excellent, but from a cerebral perspective, they are lacking. They are only produced in order to make money for those who are producing them, without any understanding to the implications they may have on society, especially younger people.

Creativity is basically gone from Hollywood and many of the movies coming out today are remakes of successful earlier films. Once and a while a good film will be presented to the American public, but generally speaking most are junk. Most of today's actors are not really household names. They come and go fairly quickly and lack the staying power of a John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, or Humphrey Bogart. These actors displayed a level of integrity and they new about the personification they were displaying to the American public. They were not perfect, but they did display a higher level of morality.

Is our society spiraling downward into the oblivion of lost hope? I believe not. More and more we are seeing examples which display the positive value of giving. A case in point. Time Magazine finally got it right when they named rock star Bono, and Bill and Melinda Gates as the Persons of the Year for 2005. They were named persons of the year not because of anything that happened at Microsoft and not because Bono is a rock star, they were named persons of the year for their charitable work and activism aimed at reducing global poverty and improving world health. Finally a media organization is recognizing the value of giving.

Another sign of hope that Americans may be moving away from the mind set of excess and non-giving, can be seen in the enormous outpouring of giving monetarily in the wake of the worst hurricane season the United States has had on record. Americans have also given monetarily to the tsunami relief effort. Americans have not been giving readily to the current starving in Africa. In December 2005, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization issued a warning that nearly 12 million Africans face the immediate threat of famine. Americans have not been giving to the Pakistani earthquake relief efforts.

This lack of giving is not really due to Americans not willing to give, but rather due to the lack of media exposure. CNN would rather spend hours talking about whether President Bush broke the law by wire tapping potential terrorists in the United States, then talk about the important world issues such as the thousands that are dying in the wake of the Pakistan earthquake or the starving in Africa. It is very important that the media expose these type of stories. You can not give if you do not know about the need.

The point is this. Giving on a continuous basis, produces feelings of long term happiness. For this country to get back to it's moral principles, giving to others in need is one way to move in that direction. Which brings me back to my original point. Americans need to fully get back to the mind set that giving and having less is of greater value then having more. We must move away from trying to produce short term happiness via artificial means.

Artificial symbols such as what type of car you drive, how fancy your clothing is, or how many vacation homes you can acquire should be of less importance to any one who has some substance to them. The next time you find yourself propagating one of these excesses, think of the 24,000 people per day that are dying of hunger. Think about the six million children under the age of five which will die of hunger each year. Think about the downtrodden, the abused, and the tortured. When you think about these things, giving makes more sense. Give what you can and when you can.

Albert Einstein once said " the value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving." What many people do not realize is that Albert Einstein was a deeply religious man. He knew that only a God could produce such a complex universe, and that such complexity could not have been produced by random chaotic events. He saw the order in the universe and the relation of the universe with God. He simply did not wear his religion on his sleeve. He also had insights beyond physics in that he realized what truly gives a man a sense of happiness and inner peace.

Einstein had it right in that happiness does not come from what you hold, but really from what you give. No matter what your religious belief, a life time of giving to those less fortunate then yourself, will result in long term happiness. Give it a try. You might be surprised at the feeling it produces. A glimmer of hope is on the horizon. The United States can move back to it's Biblical principles. But we must all do our part.

Author Bio
Thomas Sullivan, the author of this article, is a Search Engine Optimizer, Webmaster, Pilot, and activist for world hunger elimination. A relevant website he currently manages is Hunger Relief Organizations - World Hunger Statistics. For comments or questions, he can be reached via his email on his website.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

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You Will Enjoy Reading Ernest Holmes

2008-12-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

I believe you will find refuge in the pages of this book. I do. Ernest Holmes has insight that I aspire to.

Growing Old Gracefully

2008-12-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is an article I've printed before, but I figure it is a good starting off point for my new dedication.

GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY

Today the average duration of human life in the United States is just about 70 years for women and a little less for men. Conservative experts believe that man is really build to last about 100 years; and that medial advances and more healthful living habits could bring this about within a generation or two.
What good is it to add years to life if we do not also add life to years? In fact, unless people learn to enjoy life and to grow old gracefully, the extra years may be an additional burden.
From 18 to 30 years is roughly the period of highest physical and mental vigor. The experiences we accumulate from the day we are born help us to conserve and to use our physical and mental abilities more wisely, so that for some time after 30 years we are able to perform increasingly well in spite of slowly slipping vigor. After age 50 the increasing accumulation of experience is no longer able to offset the now more rapidly energy and therefore aging begins to assert itself noticeably and in many ways.
A number of things may come about gradually such as people who have not used eyeglasses before may at some time in their forties need them for reading, and in the fifties they usually need bifocals.
Also in the forties, people are likely to put on weight because there is a general slowdown in the oxidation rate of the aging body tissue. Also we tend to do less strenuous work with no reduction in the amount of food consumed.
And in the fifties there is likely to be some loss of hearing. Usually the high-pitched tomes go first, so words with the sounds of F, S, and TH are confused. A hearing aid may be needed in some cases.
Aging is generally accompanied by a loss in physical and mental flexibility. This is noticed in a tendency to become stiff in the joints; in slower comeback after a strenuous trip, excessive "night life," or hard work; in slower healing of wounds, sore muscles, and sprains; in slower recovery of pep after an illness; and in greater difficulty to adjust to new people, new places, and new ideas.
Men, especially, will notice loss of muscular strength. There will be increased unsteadiness and delicate muscle movements will be more clumsy and the stride in waking will become shorter. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability of the elderly has long been underestimated and can be greatly improved by a proper diet, sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation.
Many elderly people tend to lose their joy and will to live and chronic worriers may mope around and withdraw. Medical authorities now say that laughter is one of the best medicines for the elderly. You can always keep your sense of humor tuned up by surrounding yourself with pleasant and interesting people. Just act your age and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself even when no else is around.
Now that we all know the role that physical activity plays in our lives, remember to do something physical every day. The joints must be used or quite simply they will tighten with age creating that stooped worn out appearance we so often associate with getting old. Keep yourself flexible and fit on an exercise program consistent with your ability.ration or two.
Come and visit my storemy store.

Safeguarding Your Food

2008-11-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

Safeguarding Your Food

Every year, an estimated 7 million Americans suffer from cases of foodborne illness. Some cases are violent and even result in death. Of course this is commonly known as "food poisoning." The culprit is food that has dangerously high levels of bacteria due to improper cooking or handling.

Food safety is usually taken for granted by the buying public but everyone's attention was recently directed to food poisoning involving some meat that was undercooked. It was determined that the problem never would have happened if the meat had been cooked properly. E.Coli 0157.H7 is a potent virus, but it can be completely destroyed when the meat is fully cooked.

It is important for consumers to take an all-around safety approach to purchasing, storing and preparing both traditional and new meat and poultry products. Ultimately, consumers and food handlers bear the responsibility for keeping food safe once it leaves the store.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 85 percent of foodborne illness cases could be avoided each year if consumers would handle food properly. The most common foodborne illnesses are caused by a combination of bacteria, naturally present in the environment, and food handling mistakes. Ironically, these are also the easiest types of foodborne illnesses to prevent. Proper cooking or processing of raw meat and poultry kills bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.

When you're out, grocery shop last, take food straight home to the refrigerator. And never leave food in a hot car! Don't buy anything you won't use before the use-by date. Don't buy food in poor condition. Make sure refrigerated food is cold to the touch. Frozen food should be rock-solid. Canned goods should be free of dents, cracks or bulging lids which can indicate a serious food poisoning threat.

The performance and maintenance of your refrigerator is of the utmost importance. Check the temperature of your refrigerator with an appliance thermometer. To keep bacteria in check, the refrigerator should run at 40 degrees F; the freezer unit at 0 degrees F. Generally, keep your refrigerator as cold as possible without freezing your milk or lettuce.

When you prepare food, keep everything clean and thaw out any frozen food you plan to prepare in your refrigerator. Take it out of the freezer in advance and place it in the refrigerated section of your refrigerator. Always wash your hands in hot soapy water before preparing and handling any food as well as after you use the bathroom, change diapers, handle pets, etc. Remember, too, that bacteria can live in your kitchen towels, sponges and dish cloths. Wash them often and replace the dish cloths and sponges you use regularly every few weeks.

Be absolutely sure that you keep all raw meats, poultry and fish and their juices away from other food. For instance, wash your hands, your cutting board and knife in hot soapy water after cutting up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients. It is best to use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones where bacteria can hide in grooves. Don't take your food out of the freezer and leave it on the kitchen counter to thaw. This is extremely dangerous since the bacteria can grow in the outer layers of the food before the inside thaws. It is wise to do your marinating in the refrigerator too.

I, personally, love appetizers. I don't even have room for the meal at times.

Let's Not Forget Our Loved Ones

2008-11-29T10:44:00.000-08:00

Let's not forget our loved ones this time of year.

Growing Old Gracefully

2008-11-23T10:04:00.001-08:00

GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY

Today the average duration of human life in the United States is just about 70 years for women and a little less for men. Conservative experts believe that man is really build to last about 100 years; and that medial advances and more healthful living habits could bring this about within a generation or two.

What good is it to add years to life if we do not also add life to years? In fact, unless people learn to enjoy life and to grow old gracefully, the extra years may be an additional burden.

From 18 to 30 years is roughly the period of highest physical and mental vigor. The experiences we accumulate from the day we are born help us to conserve and to use our physical and mental abilities more wisely, so that for some time after 30 years we are able to perform increasingly well in spite of slowly slipping vigor. After age 50 the increasing accumulation of experience is no longer able to offset the now more rapidly energy and therefore aging begins to assert itself noticeably and in many ways.

A number of things may come about gradually such as people who have not used eyeglasses before may at some time in their forties need them for reading, and in the fifties they usually need bifocals.

Also in the forties, people are likely to put on weight because there is a general slowdown in the oxidation rate of the aging body tissue. Also we tend to do less strenuous work with no reduction in the amount of food consumed.

And in the fifties there is likely to be some loss of hearing. Usually the high-pitched tomes go first, so words with the sounds of F, S, and TH are confused. A hearing aid may be needed in some cases.

Aging is generally accompanied by a loss in physical and mental flexibility. This is noticed in a tendency to become stiff in the joints; in slower comeback after a strenuous trip, excessive "night life," or hard work; in slower healing of wounds, sore muscles, and sprains; in slower recovery of pep after an illness; and in greater difficulty to adjust to new people, new places, and new ideas.

Men, especially, will notice loss of muscular strength. There will be increased unsteadiness and delicate muscle movements will be more clumsy and the stride in waking will become shorter. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability of the elderly has long been underestimated and can be greatly improved by a proper diet, sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation.

Many elderly people tend to lose their joy and will to live and chronic worriers may mope around and withdraw. Medical authorities now say that laughter is one of the best medicines for the elderly. You can always keep your sense of humor tuned up by surrounding yourself with pleasant and interesting people. Just act your age and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself even when no else is around.

Now that we all know the role that physical activity plays in our lives, remember to do something physical every day. The joints must be used or quite simply they will tighten with age creating that stooped worn out appearance we so often associate with getting old. Keep yourself flexible and fit on an exercise program consistent with your ability.ration or two.

Being Rich Doesn't Always mean You Are Wealthy

2008-11-20T08:45:00.001-08:00

Being Rich Does Not Always Mean You Are Wealthy
By: Eugene Chan

To be truly wealthy is to have money that lasts forever. This may be a blunt statement, but suddenly coming across a large sum of money does not necessarily mean you have become a wealthy person.To be wealthy is a state of mind. A person with a wealthy mindset may not necessarily be financially rich just yet but will be soon enough. On the other hand, a rich person without a wealthy mindset will squander the money very quickly.This could not be more true than those who win the lottery. After a few years, these lottery winners no longer possess the millions they came across so suddenly. An amount of money that should have lasted for at least a generation has been fleeted away.Case in point is UK lottery winner Michael Carroll who won £10 million in 2002 at the age of 19. It is reported that he had lost all his winnings 18 months later on things such as holiday homes, luxury cars, drugs, parties, jewellery and famously, a rural mansion used none other than as a dodgem car racetrack for his new friends.What is even sadder are cases of other lottery winners that end up with greater financial debt after their windfalls dry up than they had to begin. Some have even declared bankruptcy to be back where they had started - with nothing.From this, it is fair to say that being rich does not necessarily mean you are wealthy. A truly wealthy person would still possess the majority of the millions of dollars (if not more) because a wealthy person understands the fundamentals of how to manage their money.It can even be said that a wealthy person has a good relationship with money. Money sticks with them rather than repel away from them. It is through this understanding of how to manage money that dictates how long you will remain rich, or how soon you will become rich.A wealthy person knows to save their money. With the money that is saved, they firstly spend on things that earn them an income such as quality businesses, real estate and shares. In other words, the money a wealthy person retains is used to further create more money. The money they earn from their investments is then used to fund a rich lifestyle.On the contrary, for a (temporarily) rich person that does not have a wealthy mindset, they would have chosen to firstly spend on material things and eventually have no money left.However, nobody is born with a wealthy mindset and it certainly cannot be won. Importantly, a wealthy mindset is learnt. If Michael Carroll had a wealthy mindset when he won the lottery, he would likely still be living very nicely with most of his winnings intact.If a wealthy individual were to lose all their money today, it is likely that within a number of years, they would be back to a relatively comfortable financial position. Individuals such as Donald Trump, Martha Stewart and Sir Richard Branson have faced financial setbacks in their lives but were able to rebuild their financial positions because each has a wealthy mindset. These individuals firstly focussed on redeveloping their businesses rather than wasting their remaining fortunes on frivolous items and lifestyle decisions. Today, they enjoy life's luxuries because of their wealthy mindset.Michael Carroll clearly demonstrates that being rich does not always mean you are wealthy. On the other hand, having a wealthy mindset certainly gives you a greater chance at being rich because you understand how to manage and appreciate money. Each of us can learn to be wealthy. By developing this wealthy mindset, you will ultimately attract more money to you than repel it. Only then can you be rich and truly wealthy.
Author BioEugene Chan is the founder of http://save-money-make-money.blogspot.com which provides practical ideas to save money everyday.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Vedic Medical Astrology

2008-11-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

Vedic Medical Astrology
By: G. Kumar

Medical Astrology is that branch of Astrology dealing with Health. The 12 Signs of the Zodiac are linked to the Twelve Limbs of the body. The Ascendant rules the Head and the 12th House, the Feet. The Law of Correspondences of Classical Philosophy has another term "The Doctrine of Signatures". This doctrine states that objects - animate and inanimate - are governed by planets and Classical Astrology has taken this concept beyond "The Law of Cause and Effect" and has defined it as Archetypal or Psychological.
Reflections of the intrinsic qualities of the planets can be seen in people, plants, animals & minerals. All that we see, touch, consume & harvest has a correspondence. By knowing our own planetary signature, we can consume those materials which correspond to our planetary signature and thus a healthy balance can be maintained. (In my horoscope, Jupiter is posited in Cancer and hence powerful in positional as well as directional strength. If I am afflicted by any sort of disease, the escape route is the Jupiterian Way - viz consuming more vegetables and fruits, as he rules fruits and vegetables. If I do that, I will be implementing what the Great Seers said long ago "Naturopathic food is medicine and medicine is food" )!
Since the Zodiacal Signs represent the Five Elements (Ether, Fire, Air, Earth & Water), the ancient astrological savants assigned everything in the Universe to a planetary ruler, and considered all as the manifestation of the Elemental Five and their respective qualities - hot and dry, cold and dry, hot and humid, cold and humid. Jupiter rules "Kapha" and the Sun "Pitta" (the three humors of Ayurveda). These elements were understood in a physical & metaphysical sense, as per the principle "As Above, So Below". Many body constitutions are defined in Ayurveda. The Phlegmatic (predominance of Kapha), the Bilious ( preponderance of Pitta) & the Windy (predominance of Vata). There are 4 types of Body Constitution in Western Holistic Medicine - Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric and Melancholic.
Ayurvedic Therapy The Seven Planets correspond to the Three humours (Doshas) in Ayurveda
In the Ayurvedic Model, the Seven Revolving Heavens are classified thus (Vatam Pittayutha Karothi Dinakrith)
Jupiter KaphaSun PittaMoon Vata & KaphaMars PittaMercury Pitta, Vata & Kapha Venus Vata & KaphaSaturn Vata
The seven planets correspond to the Seven Gross Tissue - elements (dhatus) thus
Jupiter FatSaturn Veins &Mars Bone MarrowSun BonesMoon BloodMercury SkinVenus Seminal Energy
By analysing the horoscope, the astrologer can discern the badly placed planet and the corresponding Dhatu which has caused the problem and can prescribe Ayurvedic remedial measures ("Dushthithasyadi Dhatustho Rogeenam Roga Eeryatham")
Medical Astrology's perspective about the 12 Houses of the Zodiac
House OrganFirst House HeadSecond House FaceThird House ThroatFourth House HeartFifth House Place beneath the heartSixth House StomachSeventh House Generative OrganEighth House Upper ThighNinth House ThighTenth House KneeEleventh House CalfTwelfth House Feet
If the 6 H is afflicted, there can be digestive tract disorders. Natural malefics in the 6 H may create hyperacidity and gas trouble. Affliction either to the 7th house means disorders of the digestive tract, hyperacidity and gas trouble (Papa Saptamagah Tadodara Ruja). The same holds good for the 6 H (Papa Shashtagatha Tadodararuja). If the 6 H or the 7 H is afflicted, one should be very careful about the body's acidity level. The body's PH value should be kept at 7. Anything less than 7 is dangerous. The 80% alkaline nature of the body should be kept up & acidity should not be above 20%. The best foods to be taken are Vedic Foods, which are low acidity, low cholesterol diet.The Acidity - Alkalinity ratio should be kept at 80% -20%. That ratio can be maintained if you consume 100 grams fruits and 300 grams vegetables daily and avoid non-natural food. Natural foods are alkaline and non-veg basically acidic. From experience, it can be discerned that not only malefic planets bring in problems from enemies, but also problems to the stomach (Pape Shashtopagathe Vrina Bhayaschora Satru Peeda Cha).
If the 12 H is afflicted by malefic planets, there can be affliction to the feet. We have seen many a patient suffering from 12 H affliction and which manifests as problems on the feet.
Similarly, 4 H affliction means trouble to the Heart. I knew one patient with heart problem who had the North Node in the Fourth. He had a heart surgery. The North Node in the Heart region in the horoscope had effectuated this problem.
There are some astrologers who take this from the Horoscope of the Cosmic Man, that is from His Ascendant Aries. This method also yields results but from our experience, we follow the dictum of Natal Astrology that it is the Ascendant of the native which is the head and the Descendant the stomach region. I know many an astrologer who follow this from Aries Asc & if a malefic is posited in Virgo, in the 6 H of the Kalapurusha (Cosmic Man), he predicts stomach problems for the native. (Kalanarasya Avayavath Purushanam Kalpayeth). Or if a malefic is posited in Taurus, he predicts wounds on the face for the native.
Affliction to any house indicates affliction to the corresponding part of the body. North Node - or any other malefic - in the Sixth is indicative of stomach trouble & ulceration. Fourth house affliction means that the heart is afflicted and first house affliction means that the head is afflicted. (Pape Lagnagathe Parajaya Bhaya Siroruja)
The planets correspond to the different systems of Man thus
Sun The Bone SystemMoon The Circulatory SystemMars The Muscular SystemMercury The VeinsVenus The Reproductive SystemJupiter The Digestive System Saturn The Excretory System
From experience, Vedic Medical Astrology is found to be very accurate. In my father's horoscope, he had a specific yoga for Arthritis with Jupiter in Libra Asc and Saturn in Aries. My mother has Saturn in the 12 H; she has a problem in the leg. My co-brother has Mars in the 12 H; he is suffering from some nerve problem on the feet. I personally have the North Node in the 6 H and I have hyperacidity and gas trouble (Papa Shashtagatha Tadodararuja)!
Ayurvedic Gem Therapy
The following stones are prescribed in Ayurveda for specific disorders
Cancer EmeraldAllergy HessoniteSkin Diseases Cat's Eye, Lapis LazuliInsomnia PearlParalysis AmethystNervous Blue SapphireRheumatism Blue Sapphire, RubyArthritis Blue SapphireImpotence Topaz CoralDiabetes White Coral, Diamond, Emerald, TopazLiver problems CoralJaundice Coral, Emerald, TopazHyperacidity HessoniteGastric Ulcer Blue SapphireFlatulence Jade, Lapis LazuliDyspepsia JadeDysentry EmeraldColic Cat's EyeCholera Cat's Eye, TopazAbdominal Complaints EmeraldHeart Troubles Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Lapis LazuliPenumonia DiamondPalpitation TopazTuberculosis Blue SapphireChest Pain Emerald, Ruby
Author BioG Kumar, Vedic Astrologer & Epistemologist of www.astrologiavedica.com & www.astrognosis.com. Recently he was awarded a Certificate by the Planetary Gemologists Association (www.p-g-a.org) as a Planetary Gem Advisor. He has 25 years psychic research experience in the esoteric arts. To subscribe to his Free ezine, the Z Files, click here SUBSCRIBE. He is contactable at info@eastrovedica.com. Address of his physical shop is Zodiac Computers, 3/528 Tkss Bldgs, East Nada, Guruvayur Kerala, India 680101. Office Phone +91 0487-552851. Home Phone +91 0487-422060. He has compiled Free Ebooks on AstroNumerology, Vedic Astrology & Pranic Therapy.
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Give The Perfect Gift

2008-11-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Good Movies, Easy Access...

2008-11-13T09:08:00.001-08:00

Basics of Western Astrology Explained

2008-11-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Basics of Western Astrology Explained
By: Paul Curran

IntroductionThis article covers the basics of Astrology and how they are inter-related. Astrology is defined as 'the art or practice of determining the supposed influences of the planets and their motions on human affairs and human disposition'. From this practice a horoscope can be produced - a diagram (or chart) of the relative positions of planets and signs of the Zodiac at a specific time, usually the time of birth. A forecast can then be produced.
The ZodiacWestern Astrology originated way back, around 500 BC, with a concept called the Zodiac being developed. This comprised of an imaginary sphere surrounding the earth, which followed the path of the Sun through the constellations during the year. The Zodiac was split into twelve sections, each named after the specific constellation noted in that area.
ElementsMany ancient philosophies used a set of classical elements to explain the way nature behaved. Each sign was connected to one of the classical elements (fire, earth, air, or water) and was also related to a region of focus; social, personal or universal.
* Water signs are related to growth processes, identification and emotion. In tandem with the other elements, water feels that fire will make it boil, air will evaporate it, but earth will shape and channel it.
* Fire signs are related to action, passion, and energy. In tandem with the other elements, fire feels that earth will smother it, water will drown it, but air will fan and enliven it.
* Air signs are related to thought, perspective and communication. In tandem with the other elements, air feels that water will obscure it, earth will suffocate it, but fire will inspire and uplift it.
* Earth signs are related to sensation, stability, and practicality. In tandem with the other elements, earth feels that air will dry it, fire will dry it, but water will refresh and nourish it.
ModalitiesEach sign is connected to one of three modalities; cardinal (sometimes referred to as movable), fixed, and mutable.
There are four quadrants following the order of the zodiacal signs, with three signs in each. Each quadrant describes a season, beginning with a cardinal sign, continuing to a fixed sign, and ending with a mutable sign.
Modalities and Related Zodiac Signs
Mutable signs are related to adaptability, resourcefulness and holism. They are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.
Fixed signs are related to determination, focus and individuality. They are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.
Cardinal signs are related to creativity and initiation. They are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Summary of Zodiac Sign Characteristics
Aries (cardinal, fire, personal): defensive, energetic, head down, assertive, impulsive.
Taurus (fixed, earth, personal): patient, indulgent, resourceful, thorough, devoted.
Gemini (mutable, air, personal): quick, logical, inquisitive.
Cancer (cardinal, water, personal): clinging, protective, sensitive.
Leo (fixed, fire, social): theatrical, generous, proud.
Virgo (mutable, earth, social): critically, practical, efficient.
Libra (cardinal, air, social): lazy, co-operative, fair.
Scorpio (fixed, water, social): anxious, passionate, sensitive.
Sagittarius (mutable, fire, universal): careless, free, straightforward.
Capricorn (cardinal, earth, universal): suspicious, prudent, cautious.
Aquarius (fixed, air, universal): detached, democratic, unconventional.
Pisces (mutable, water, universal): distracted, imaginative, sensitive.
Author BioPaul Curran is webmaster of Love Horoscope World covering Links2Love, resources about astrology online, chinese astrology and free love horoscopes.
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How Tarot Cards Can Help You... Really!

2008-11-10T14:41:00.001-08:00

How Tarot Cards Can Help You... Really!
By: Glen Wearden

What Are Tarot Cards?Made up of no less than seventy-eight cards, each deck of Tarot cards are all the same. Tarot cards come in all sizes with all types of artwork on both the front and back - some even make their own Tarot cards. The meaning and the message of each one of those seventy-eight cards, however, always remains the same.Tarot cards were first used by the Celtic people more than two thousand years ago. Many believe that Tarot cards serve only to tell the future, but this is not true. When used traditionally, Tarot cards speak of the past and present, and are supposed to give clues and ideas about the future that you are potentially heading into.What's In the Cards?Tarot cards are made up of four suits - much like any regular deck of cards. In fact, Tarot cards have all the same values as traditional playing cards: ace through king for each suit. Only one extra card is added to the royal family in Tarot cards - the squire, his position is just under that of the knave (also known as the jack). The suits are as follows: wands, which in general speak of esoteric issues such as spirituality or creativity; swords, which speak of conflicts and tensions; cups (or pentacles), which are always about money; and cups, which deal in relationship matters and love. The other twenty-two cards of the standard Tarot deck are called the Major Arcana cards, and are all very specific. Cards such as the Devil, the Tower, and Death are in the Major Arcana. How Could a Tarot Card Reading Actually Help Me?When done traditionally, a Tarot card reading can put everything into perspective in a clear and understandable way. Every Tarot card reading is prefaced by a question, one that you do not have to reveal to your Tarot card reader but that you keep to yourself. Each card will come up in the past, present, or future position and will shed some light on the topic of your question. Whether or not you believe in spiritual or esoteric things, or even in the art of telling the future, a Tarot card reading can help you better understand your own thoughts. You'll realize potentially dangerous patterns in your life, and get a better understanding of self. Even the question that you ask in your mind can help you understand something about yourself, and in this way a Tarot card reading can truly help you.Can Anyone Read Tarot Cards, Or Do I Have To Call Someone or Go Online?Anyone can learn how to read Tarot cards. There are many books available, both in online and physical bookstores that will tell you the meaning and message of each and every card. Every card in Tarot has a card-specific meaning, and a message or warning. The good news is, there's no secret about what these cards mean to convey - so you, too, can learn how to read the Tarot. Once you know the meaning of the cards (and it's not something you have to memorize; it's perfectly okay to keep notes by you when you try to give yourself a Tarot card reading), you can read the Tarot for yourself or for others. Any book you read about the Tarot will explain the spreads to use - the way to lay the cards out to understand their meaning and placement in the scheme of your question. An Ancient MysteryTarot cards are more ancient than religion. Tarot cards are older than most languages and most writing, and yet they are still around and are still being used today the exact same way they were used thousands of years ago. If Tarot cards didn't help people, why would they still be used and still be so popular?
Author BioI have been studying Tarot for seven years and have incorporated it in my dailly meditation routine. My purpose for this article is to give others a free resource which can hopefully change their lives for the better.
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Sometimes A Cell Phone Is Necessary...

2008-11-06T06:41:00.001-08:00

Imagine What you Can Do With This Camera!

2008-11-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Casio EX-Z1080BE 10.1 MP Blue Digital Camera

10.1 Megapixel digital camera with high quality movie capabilities, and YouTube Capture Mode for easy upload to YouTube. The fashionable Exilim Z1080 offers a host of high performance features in a compact body. It will enable you to capture high-resolution images that reproduce crystal-clear even when printing very large sizes including 8x10. Equipped with a newly developed 2.6-inch wide and bright LCD that is nearly three times brighter than previous models and a Super Life Battery, this camera will allow you to enjoy a wide viewing angle for extended periods of time on a single battery charge. And, with the new combination of face detection technology and an auto-tracking AF system using motion analysis technology, this digital camera can detect human faces in an image while maintaining sharp focus and correct exposure for the human face.

Manufacturer: Casio Computer Co., Ltd
Manufacturer Part Number: EX-Z1080BE
Manufacturer Website Address: www.casio.com
Product Name: Exilim EX-Z1080 Digital Camera
Product Type: Digital Camera
Screen Size: 2.6"
Display Screen Type: Active Matrix TFT Color LCD
Display Resolution: 115000Pixel
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Camera Resolution: 10.1Megapixel Effective - 10.3Megapixel Total
Image Formats: JPEG
Video Formats: MPEG-4
Audio Formats: WAV
Image Formats: JPEG
Maximum Image Resolution: 3648 x 2736
Video Formats: MPEG-4
Maximum Video Resolution: 848 x 480
Audio Formats: WAV
Focal Length: 7.9mm to 23.7mm
Lens Construction: 7 Elements in 5 Groups
Optical Zoom: 3x
Digital Zoom: 4x
Image Stabilization: Electronic
Focus Modes: Auto Focus
Flash Modes: Auto Flash
Flash Memory Capacity: 11.4MB
Memory Card Support: Secure Digital (SD) Card
Interfaces/Ports: 1 x USB
Battery Include: Yes
Color: Blue
Dimensions: 2.25" Height x 3.59" Width x 0.95" Depth
Weight: 4.41oz

Shipping: Leaves our warehouse in 1-3 business days.*

Warranty: 1 Year - Manufacturer
Materials: Metal, plastic
Model No: EX-Z1080BE
Dimensions: 2.5 in. H x 1 in. L x 3.5 in. W

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Give Me Libert Or Give Me Death

2008-10-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite speeches to read.

Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death

Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775.

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities,
of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different
men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it
will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do
opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my
sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony.
The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country.
For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of
freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject
ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that
we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility
which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions
at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself
as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty
toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope.
We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the
song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part
of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty?
Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not,
and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their
temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost,
I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of
experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past.
And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct
of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with
which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House.
Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?
Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves
to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our
petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and
darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and
reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that
force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves,
sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to
which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if
its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other
possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of
the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir,
she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other.
They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British
ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them?
Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years.
Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the
subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain.
Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we
find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir,
deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert
the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated;
we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have
implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and
Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced
additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded;
and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!
In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and
reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free--
if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which
we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble
struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged
ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest
shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!
An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable
an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week,
or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British
guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but
irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance
by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until
our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make
a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power.
The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a
country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy
can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone.
There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will
raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the
strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir,
we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late
to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery!
Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston!
The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--
but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps
from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms!
Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle?
What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear,
or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take;
but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

2008-10-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Holidays Are Fast Approaching!

Sometime My Fantasies Need Some Help.

2008-10-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my fantasies need some help.

A Great Alternative for Movie Lovers

2008-10-26T12:41:00.001-07:00

For MP3 Lovers and others....

2008-10-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

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"My Escape From Slavery" - Douglass

2008-10-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

It is a good time to reflect on how things were in our country and how things have really changed. Sometimes we see a great deal has evolved and sometimes....

Douglass, Frederick. "My Escape from Slavery."
The Century Illustrated Magazine 23, n.s. 1 (Nov. 1881): 125-131.

MY ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY

In the first narrative of my experience in slavery, written nearly
forty years ago, and in various writings since, I have given
the public what I considered very good reasons for withholding
the manner of my escape. In substance these reasons were, first,
that such publication at any time during the existence of slavery
might be used by the master against the slave, and prevent
the future escape of any who might adopt the same means that I did.

The second reason was, if possible, still more binding to silence:
the publication of details would certainly have put in peril
the persons and property of those who assisted. Murder itself was
not more sternly and certainly punished in the State of Maryland
than that of aiding and abetting the escape of a slave.

Many colored men, for no other crime than that of giving aid to
a fugitive slave, have, like Charles T. Torrey, perished in prison.
The abolition of slavery in my native State and throughout the country,
and the lapse of time, render the caution hitherto observed
no longer necessary. But even since the abolition of slavery,
I have sometimes thought it well enough to baffle curiosity
by saying that while slavery existed there were good reasons
for not telling the manner of my escape, and since slavery
had ceased to exist, there was no reason for telling it.

I shall now, however, cease to avail myself of this formula, and,
as far as I can, endeavor to satisfy this very natural curiosity.
I should, perhaps, have yielded to that feeling sooner, had there been
anything very heroic or thrilling in the incidents connected with
my escape, for I am sorry to say I have nothing of that sort to
tell; and yet the courage that could risk betrayal and the bravery
which was ready to encounter death, if need be, in pursuit of
freedom, were essential features in the undertaking.

My success was due to address rather than courage, to good luck rather than
bravery. My means of escape were provided for me by the very men
who were making laws to hold and bind me more securely in slavery.

It was the custom in the State of Maryland to require the free
colored people to have what were called free papers.
These instruments they were required to renew very often,
and by charging a fee for this writing, considerable sums from
time to time were collected by the State.

In these papers the name, age, color, height, and form of the freeman were described, together with any scars or other marks upon his person which
could assist in his identification. This device in some measure
defeated itself--since more than one man could be found to answer
the same general description.

Hence many slaves could escape by personating the owner of one set of papers; and this was often done as follows:

A slave, nearly or sufficiently answering the description set forth in the papers, would borrow or hire them till by means of them
he could escape to a free State, and then, by mail or otherwise,
would return them to the owner.

The operation was a hazardous one for the lender as well as for the borrower. A failure on the part of the fugitive to send back the papers would imperil his benefactor, and the discovery of the papers in possession of the wrong man
would imperil both the fugitive and his friend.

It was, therefore, an act of supreme trust on the part of a freeman of color thus to put in jeopardy his own liberty that another might be free. It was,
however, not unfrequently bravely done, and was seldom discovered.

I was not so fortunate as to resemble any of my free acquaintances
sufficiently to answer the description of their papers.
But I had a friend--a sailor--who owned a sailor's protection,
which answered somewhat the purpose of free papers--describing his person,
and certifying to the fact that he was a free American sailor.

The instrument had at its head the American eagle, which gave
it the appearance at once of an authorized document.
This protection, when in my hands, did not describe
its bearer very accurately. Indeed, it called for a man
much darker than myself, and close examination of it would
have caused my arrest at the start.

In order to avoid this fatal scrutiny on the part of railroad
officials, I arranged with Isaac Rolls, a Baltimore hackman,
to bring my baggage to the Philadelphia train just on the moment
of starting, and jumped upon the car myself when the train was in motion.
Had I gone into the station and offered to purchase a ticket,
I should have been instantly and carefully examined, and undoubtedly arrested.

In choosing this plan I considered the jostle of the train, and the natural
haste of the conductor, in a train crowded with passengers, and relied upon
my skill and address in playing the sailor, as described in my protection,
to do the rest.

One element in my favor was the kind feeling which prevailed
in Baltimore and other sea-ports at the time, toward "those who go down
to the sea in ships." "Free trade and sailors' rights" just then expressed
the sentiment of the country. In my clothing I was rigged out in sailor style.

I had on a red shirt and a tarpaulin hat, and a black cravat tied
in sailor fashion carelessly and loosely about my neck. My knowledge
of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship
from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor
like an "old salt."

I was well on the way to Havre de Grace before
the conductor came into the negro car to collect tickets and examine
the papers of his black passengers. This was a critical moment in the drama.
My whole future depended upon the decision of this conductor.

Agitated though I was while this ceremony was proceeding, still,
externally, at least, I was apparently calm and self-possessed.

He went on with his duty--examining several colored passengers
before reaching me. He was somewhat harsh in tome and peremptory
in manner until he reached me, when, strange enough, and to my surprise
and relief, his whole manner changed. Seeing that I did not readily
produce my free papers, as the other colored persons in the car had done,
he said to me, in friendly contrast with his bearing toward the others:

"I suppose you have your free papers?"

To which I answered:

"No sir; I never carry my free papers to sea with me."

"But you have something to show that you are a freeman, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir," I answered; "I have a paper with the American Eagle on it,
and that will carry me around the world."

With this I drew from my deep sailor's pocket my seaman's protection,
as before described. The merest glance at the paper satisfied him,
and he took my fare and went on about his business. This moment
of time was one of the most anxious I ever experienced.

Had the conductor looked closely at the paper, he could not
have failed to discover that it called for a very different-looking
person from myself, and in that case it would have been his duty
to arrest me on the instant, and send me back to Baltimore
from the first station.

When he left me with the assurance that I was all right, though much relieved, I realized that I was still in great danger: I was still in Maryland,
and subject to arrest at any moment. I saw on the train
several persons who would have known me in any other clothes,
and I feared they might recognize me, even in my sailor "rig,"
and report me to the conductor, who would then subject me
to a closer examination, which I knew well would be fatal to me.

Though I was not a murderer fleeing from justice, I felt perhaps
quite as miserable as such a criminal. The train was moving
at a very high rate of speed for that epoch of railroad travel,
but to my anxious mind it was moving far too slowly. Minutes were hours,
and hours were days during this part of my flight.

After Maryland, I was to pass through Delaware--another slave State, where slave-catchers generally awaited their prey, for it was not in the interior of the State, but on its borders, that these human hounds were most vigilant and active.

The border lines between slavery and freedom were the dangerous ones
for the fugitives. The heart of no fox or deer, with hungry hounds
on his trail in full chase, could have beaten more anxiously or noisily
than did mine from the time I left Baltimore till I reached Philadelphia.

The passage of the Susquehanna River at Havre de Grace was at that time
made by ferry-boat, on board of which I met a young colored man by the name of Nichols, who came very near betraying me. He was a "hand" on the boat, but, instead of minding his business, he insisted upon knowing me,
and asking me dangerous questions as to where I was going, when I was coming back, etc.

I got away from my old and inconvenient acquaintance as soon as I could decently do so, and went to another part of the boat. Once across the river, I encountered a new danger.

Only a few days before, I had been at work on a revenue cutter,
in Mr. Price's ship-yard in Baltimore, under the care of Captain McGowan.
On the meeting at this point of the two trains, the one going
south stopped on the track just opposite to the one going north,
and it so happened that this Captain McGowan sat at a window where
he could see me very distinctly, and would certainly have recognized
me had he looked at me but for a second.

Fortunately, in the hurry of the moment, he did not see me; and the trains soon passed each other on their respective ways. But this was not my only hair-breadth escape. A German blacksmith whom I knew well was on the
train with me, and looked at me very intently, as if he thought
he had seen me somewhere before in his travels. I really
believe he knew me, but had no heart to betray me. At any rate,
he saw me escaping and held his peace.

The last point of imminent danger, and the one I dreaded most,
was Wilmington. Here we left the train and took the steam-boat
for Philadelphia. In making the change here I again apprehended arrest,
but no one disturbed me, and I was soon on the broad and beautiful Delaware, speeding away to the Quaker City.

On reaching Philadelphia in the afternoon, I inquired of a colored man how I could get on to New York. He directed me to the William-street depot, and thither I went, taking the train that night.

I reached New York Tuesday morning, having completed the journey in less
than twenty-four hours.

My free life began on the third of September, 1838. On the morning
of the fourth of that month, after an anxious and most perilous but safe
journey, I found myself in the big city of New York, a FREE MAN--
one more added to the mighty throng which, like the confused waves
of the troubled sea, surged to and fro between the lofty walls of Broadway.

Though dazzled with the wonders which met me on every hand, my thoughts
could not be much withdrawn from my strange situation. For the moment,
the dreams of my youth and the hopes of my manhood were completely fulfilled.

The bonds that had held me to "old master" were broken. No man now
had a right to call me his slave or assert mastery over me. I was
in the rough and tumble of an outdoor world, to take my chance with
the rest of its busy number.

I have often been asked how I felt when first I found myself on free soil.

There is scarcely anything in my experience about which I could not give a more satisfactory answer. A new world had opened upon me. If life is more than breath and the "quick round of blood," I lived more in that one day than in a year of my slave life.

It was a time of joyous excitement which words can but tamely describe. In a letter written to a friend soon after reaching New York, I said: "I felt as one might feel upon escape from a den of hungry lions." Anguish and grief, like darkness and rain, may be depicted; but gladness and joy, like the rainbow, defy the skill of pen or pencil.

During ten or fifteen years I had been, as it were, dragging a heavy chain which no strength of mine could break; I was not only a slave, but a slave for life. I might become a husband, a father, an aged man, but through all, from birth to death, from the cradle to the grave, I had felt myself doomed.

All efforts I had previously made to secure my freedom had not only failed, but had seemed only to rivet my fetters the more firmly, and to render my escape more difficult.

Baffled, entangled, and discouraged, I had at times asked myself
the question, May not my condition after all be God's work,
and ordered for a wise purpose, and if so, Is not submission my duty?

A contest had in fact been going on in my mind for a long time,
between the clear consciousness of right and the plausible make-
shifts of theology and superstition. The one held me an abject
slave--a prisoner for life, punished for some transgression in
which I had no lot nor part; and the other counseled me to manly
endeavor to secure my freedom. This contest was now ended; my
chains were broken, and the victory brought me unspeakable joy.

But my gladness was short-lived, for I was not yet out of the reach
and power of the slave-holders. I soon found that New York was not quite
so free or so safe a refuge as I had supposed, and a sense of loneliness
and insecurity again oppressed me most sadly.

I chanced to meet on the street, a few hours after my landing, a fugitive slave whom I had once known well in slavery. The information received from him alarmed me.

The fugitive in question was known in Baltimore as "Allender's Jake," but in New York he wore the more respectable name of "William Dixon." Jake, in law, was the property of Doctor Allender, and Tolly Allender, the son
of the doctor, had once made an effort to recapture MR. DIXON,
but had failed for want of evidence to support his claim.

Jake told me the circumstances of this attempt, and how narrowly
he escaped being sent back to slavery and torture. He told me that New York
was then full of Southerners returning from the Northern watering-places;
that the colored people of New York were not to be trusted; that there were
hired men of my own color who would betray me for a few dollars;
that there were hired men ever on the lookout for fugitives;
that I must trust no man with my secret; that I must not think
of going either upon the wharves or into any colored boarding-house,
for all such places were closely watched; that he was himself unable
to help me; and, in fact, he seemed while speaking to me to fear lest
I myself might be a spy and a betrayer. Under this apprehension,
as I suppose, he showed signs of wishing to be rid of me,
and with whitewash brush in hand, in search of work, he soon disappeared.

This picture, given by poor "Jake," of New York, was a damper
to my enthusiasm. My little store of money would soon be exhausted,
and since it would be unsafe for me to go on the wharves for work,
and I had no introductions elsewhere, the prospect for me was far from
cheerful. I saw the wisdom of keeping away from the ship-yards,
for, if pursued, as I felt certain I should be, Mr. Auld, my "master,"
would naturally seek me there among the calkers.

Every door seemed closed against me. I was in the midst of an ocean of my fellow-men, and yet a perfect stranger to every one. I was without home,
without acquaintance, without money, without credit, without work,
and without any definite knowledge as to what course to take,
or where to look for succor.

In such an extremity, a man had something besides his new-born freedom to think of. While wandering about the streets of New York, and lodging at least one night among the barrels on one of the wharves, I was indeed free--from slavery, but free from food and shelter as well.

I kept my secret to myself as long as I could, but I was compelled at last to seek some one who would befriend me without taking advantage of my destitution to betray me.

Such a person I found in a sailor named Stuart, a warm-hearted and generous fellow, who, from his humble home on Centre street, saw me standing on the opposite sidewalk, near the Tombs prison. As he approached me, I ventured a remark to him which at once enlisted his interest in me. He took me to his home to spend the night, and in the morning went with me to Mr. David Ruggles, the secretary of the New York Vigilance Committee, a co-worker with Isaac T. Hopper, Lewis and Arthur Tappan, Theodore S. Wright, Samuel Cornish, Thomas Downing, Philip A. Bell, and other true men of their time.

All these (save Mr. Bell, who still lives, and is editor and publisher of a paper
called the "Elevator," in San Francisco) have finished their work on earth.
Once in the hands of these brave and wise men, I felt comparatively safe.
With Mr. Ruggles, on the corner of Lispenard and Church streets,
I was hidden several days, during which time my intended wife came on
from Baltimore at my call, to share the burdens of life with me.

She was a free woman, and came at once on getting the good news of my safety. We were married by Rev. J. W. C. Pennington, then a well-known and respected Presbyterian minister. I had no money with which to pay the marriage fee, but he seemed well pleased with our thanks.

Mr. Ruggles was the first officer on the "Underground Railroad"
whom I met after coming North, and was, indeed, the only one with whom
I had anything to do till I became such an officer myself.

Learning that my trade was that of a calker, he promptly decided
that the best place for me was in New Bedford, Mass.
He told me that many ships for whaling voyages were fitted out there,
and that I might there find work at my trade and make a good living.
So, on the day of the marriage ceremony, we took our little luggage
to the steamer John W. Richmond, which, at that time, was one of the line
running between New York and Newport, R. I. Forty-three years ago
colored travelers were not permitted in the cabin, nor allowed abaft
the paddle-wheels of a steam vessel.

They were compelled, whatever the weather might be,--whether cold or hot, wet or dry,-- to spend the night on deck. Unjust as this regulation was,
it did not trouble us much; we had fared much harder before.
We arrived at Newport the next morning, and soon after an
old fashioned stage-coach, with "New Bedford" in large yellow letters
on its sides, came down to the wharf.

I had not money enough to pay our fare, and stood hesitating what to do. Fortunately for us, there were two Quaker gentlemen who were about to take passage on the stage,-- Friends William C. Taber and Joseph Ricketson,--who at once discerned our true situation, and, in a peculiarly quiet way, addressing me, Mr. Taber said: "Thee get in." I never obeyed an order with more alacrity, and we were soon on our way to our new home.

When we reached "Stone Bridge" the passengers alighted for breakfast, and paid their fares to the driver. We took no breakfast, and, when asked for our fares, I told the driver I would make it right with him when we reached New Bedford.

I expected some objection to this on his part, but he made none.
When, however, we reached New Bedford, he took our baggage,
including three music-books,--two of them collections by Dyer,
and one by Shaw,--and held them until I was able to redeem them
by paying to him the amount due for our rides. This was soon done,
for Mr. Nathan Johnson not only received me kindly and hospitably,
but, on being informed about our baggage, at once loaned me the two
dollars with which to square accounts with the stage-driver.

Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Johnson reached a good old age, and now rest
from their labors. I am under many grateful obligations to them.
They not only "took me in when a stranger" and "fed me when hungry,"
but taught me how to make an honest living. Thus, in a fortnight
after my flight from Maryland, I was safe in New Bedford, a citizen of
the grand old commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Once initiated into my new life of freedom and assured by Mr. Johnson
that I need not fear recapture in that city, a comparatively unimportant
question arose as to the name by which I should be known thereafter
in my new relation as a free man. The name given me by my dear mother
was no less pretentious and long than Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey.
I had, however, while living in Maryland, dispensed with the
Augustus Washington, and retained only Frederick Bailey.

Between Baltimore and New Bedford, the better to conceal myself
from the slave-hunters, I had parted with Bailey and called myself Johnson;
but in New Bedford I found that the Johnson family was already so numerous
as to cause some confusion in distinguishing them, hence a change in this name seemed desirable.

Nathan Johnson, mine host, placed great emphasis upon
this necessity, and wished me to allow him to select a name for me.
I consented, and he called me by my present name--the one by which
I have been known for three and forty years--Frederick Douglass.
Mr. Johnson had just been reading the "Lady of the Lake,"
and so pleased was he with its great character that he wished me
to bear his name.

Since reading that charming poem myself, I have often thought that, considering the noble hospitality and manly character of Nathan Johnson--black man though he was--he, far more than I, illustrated the virtues of the Douglas of Scotland.

Sure am I that, if any slave-catcher had entered his domicile
with a view to my recapture, Johnson would have shown himself like him
of the "stalwart hand."

The reader may be surprised at the impressions I had in some way conceived
of the social and material condition of the people at the North.
I had no proper idea of the wealth, refinement, enterprise,
and high civilization of this section of the country.

My "Columbian Orator," almost my only book, had done nothing
to enlighten me concerning Northern society. I had been taught
that slavery was the bottom fact of all wealth. With this foundation idea,
I came naturally to the conclusion that poverty must be the general
condition of the people of the free States.

In the country from which I came, a white man holding no slaves was usually an ignorant and poverty-stricken man, and men of this class were contemptuously called "poor white trash."

Hence I supposed that, since the non-slave-holders at the South were ignorant, poor, and degraded as a class, the non-slave-holders at the North must be in a similar condition.

I could have landed in no part of the United States where I should have found a more striking and gratifying contrast, not only to life generally in the South, but in the condition of the colored people there, than in New Bedford.

I was amazed when Mr. Johnson told me that there was nothing in the laws or constitution of Massachusetts that would prevent a colored man from being governor of the State, if the people should see fit to elect him. There, too, the black man's children attended the public schools with the white man's children, and apparently without objection from any quarter.

To impress me with my security from recapture and return to slavery, Mr. Johnson assured me that no slave-holder could take a slave out of New Bedford; that there were men there who would lay down their lives to save me from such a fate.

The fifth day after my arrival, I put on the clothes of a common laborer,
and went upon the wharves in search of work. On my way down Union street I saw a large pile of coal in front of the house of Rev. Ephraim Peabody, the Unitarian minister. I went to the kitchen door and asked the privilege of bringing in and putting away this coal. "What will you charge?"
said the lady. "I will leave that to you, madam." "You may put it away,"
she said.

I was not long in accomplishing the job, when the dear lady
put into my hand TWO SILVER HALF-DOLLARS. To understand the emotion which swelled my heart as I clasped this money, realizing that I had no master who could take it from me,--THAT IT WAS MINE--THAT MY HANDS WERE MY OWN, and could earn more of the precious coin,--one must have been in some sense himself a slave.

My next job was stowing a sloop at Uncle Gid. Howland's wharf with a cargo of oil for New York. I was not only a freeman, but a free working-man, and no "master" stood ready at the end of the week to seize my hard earnings.

The season was growing late and work was plenty. Ships were being
fitted out for whaling, and much wood was used in storing them.
The sawing this wood was considered a good job. With the help
of old Friend Johnson (blessings on his memory) I got a saw and "buck,"
and went at it.

When I went into a store to buy a cord with which
to brace up my saw in the frame, I asked for a "fip's" worth of cord.
The man behind the counter looked rather sharply at me, and said with
equal sharpness, "You don't belong about here." I was alarmed,
and thought I had betrayed myself. A fip in Maryland was
six and a quarter cents, called fourpence in Massachusetts.

But no harm came from the "fi'penny-bit" blunder, and I confidently
and cheerfully went to work with my saw and buck. It was new business to me, but I never did better work, or more of it, in the same space of time
on the plantation for Covey, the negro-breaker, than I did for myself
in these earliest years of my freedom.

Notwithstanding the just and humane sentiment of New Bedford
three and forty years ago, the place was not entirely free from
race and color prejudice. The good influence of the Roaches,
Rodmans, Arnolds, Grinnells, and Robesons did not pervade all
classes of its people. The test of the real civilization of the
community came when I applied for work at my trade, and then my
repulse was emphatic and decisive.

It so happened that Mr. Rodney French, a wealthy and enterprising citizen, distinguished as an anti-slavery man, was fitting out a vessel for a whaling voyage, upon which there was a heavy job of calking and coppering to be
done. I had some skill in both branches, and applied to Mr. French
for work. He, generous man that he was, told me he would employ
me, and I might go at once to the vessel.

I obeyed him, but upon reaching the float-stage, where others [sic] calkers were at work, I was told that every white man would leave the ship, in her
unfinished condition, if I struck a blow at my trade upon her.

This uncivil, inhuman, and selfish treatment was not so shocking
and scandalous in my eyes at the time as it now appears to me.
Slavery had inured me to hardships that made ordinary trouble sit
lightly upon me. Could I have worked at my trade I could have
earned two dollars a day, but as a common laborer I received but
one dollar.

The difference was of great importance to me, but if
I could not get two dollars, I was glad to get one; and so I went
to work for Mr. French as a common laborer. The consciousness
that I was free--no longer a slave--kept me cheerful under this,
and many similar proscriptions, which I was destined to meet in
New Bedford and elsewhere on the free soil of Massachusetts.

For instance, though colored children attended the schools,
and were treated kindly by their teachers, the New Bedford Lyceum
refused, till several years after my residence in that city,
to allow any colored person to attend the lectures delivered in its
hall. Not until such men as Charles Sumner, Theodore Parker,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Horace Mann refused to lecture in their
course while there was such a restriction, was it abandoned.

Becoming satisfied that I could not rely on my trade in New
Bedford to give me a living, I prepared myself to do any kind of
work that came to hand. I sawed wood, shoveled coal, dug cellars,
moved rubbish from back yards, worked on the wharves, loaded and
unloaded vessels, and scoured their cabins.

I afterward got steady work at the brass-foundry owned by Mr. Richmond.
My duty here was to blow the bellows, swing the crane, and empty the flasks
in which castings were made; and at times this was hot and heavy work.
The articles produced here were mostly for ship work, and in the busy season
the foundry was in operation night and day. I have often worked two nights
and every working day of the week.

My foreman, Mr. Cobb, was a good man, and more than once protected me from abuse that one or more of the hands was disposed to throw upon me. While in this situation I had little time for mental improvement. Hard work, night and day, over a furnace hot enough to keep the metal running like water, was more favorable to action than thought; yet here I often nailed a newspaper to the post near my bellows, and read while I was performing the up and down motion of the heavy beam by which the bellows was inflated and discharged.

It was the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties, and I look back to it now,
after so many years, with some complacency and a little wonder that I could
have been so earnest and persevering in any pursuit other than for my
daily bread. I certainly saw nothing in the conduct of those around
to inspire me with such interest: they were all devoted exclusively
to what their hands found to do. I am glad to be able to say that,
during my engagement in this foundry, no complaint was ever made against
me that I did not do my work, and do it well. The bellows which I worked
by main strength was, after I left, moved by a steam-engine.

Douglass, Frederick. "Reconstruction."
Atlantic Monthly 18 (1866): 761-765.

RECONSTRUCTION

The assembling of the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Congress
may very properly be made the occasion of a few earnest words
on the already much-worn topic of reconstruction.

Seldom has any legislative body been the subject of a solicitude
more intense, or of aspirations more sincere and ardent.
There are the best of reasons for this profound interest.
Questions of vast moment, left undecided by the last session of Congress,
must be manfully grappled with by this. No political skirmishing will avail.
The occasion demands statesmanship.

Whether the tremendous war so heroically fought and so victoriously ended
shall pass into history a miserable failure, barren of permanent results,--
a scandalous and shocking waste of blood and treasure,--a strife for empire,
as Earl Russell characterized it, of no value to liberty or civilization,
--an attempt to re-establish a Union by force, which must be the
merest mockery of a Union,--an effort to bring under Federal authority
States into which no loyal man from the North may safely enter,
and to bring men into the national councils who deliberate with daggers
and vote with revolvers, and who do not even conceal their deadly hate
of the country that conquered them; or whether, on the other hand,
we shall, as the rightful reward of victory over treason, have a solid nation,
entirely delivered from all contradictions and social antagonisms,
based upon loyalty, liberty, and equality, must be determined one way
or the other by the present session of Congress.

The last session really did nothing which can be considered final as to these questions. The Civil Rights Bill and the Freedmen's Bureau Bill and the proposed constitutional amendments, with the amendment already adopted and recognized as the law of the land, do not reach the difficulty, and cannot,
unless the whole structure of the government is changed from a
government by States to something like a despotic central government,
with power to control even the municipal regulations of States,
and to make them conform to its own despotic will.

While there remains such an idea as the right of each State to control its own local affairs,-- an idea, by the way, more deeply rooted in the minds of men of all sections of the country than perhaps any one other political idea,--no general assertion of human rights can be of any practical value.

To change the character of the government at this point is neither possible nor desirable. All that is necessary to be done is to make the government consistent with itself, and render the rights of the States compatible with the sacred rights of human nature.

The arm of the Federal government is long, but it is far too short
to protect the rights of individuals in the interior of distant States.
They must have the power to protect themselves, or they will go unprotected,
spite of all the laws the Federal government can put upon the national
statute-book.

Slavery, like all other great systems of wrong, founded in the depths
of human selfishness, and existing for ages, has not neglected its own
conservation. It has steadily exerted an influence upon all around
it favorable to its own continuance. And to-day it is so strong that it could exist, not only without law, but even against law.

Custom, manners, morals, religion, are all on its side everywhere
in the South; and when you add the ignorance and servility
of the ex-slave to the intelligence and accustomed authority
of the master, you have the conditions, not out of which slavery
will again grow, but under which it is impossible for the Federal
government to wholly destroy it, unless the Federal government
be armed with despotic power, to blot out State authority,
and to station a Federal officer at every cross-road.

This, of course, cannot be done, and ought not even if it could.
The true way and the easiest way is to make our government entirely
consistent with itself, and give to every loyal citizen the elective franchise,
--a right and power which will be ever present, and will form a wall
of fire for his protection.

One of the invaluable compensations of the late Rebellion
is the highly instructive disclosure it made of the true source
of danger to republican government. Whatever may be tolerated
in monarchical and despotic governments, no republic is safe
that tolerates a privileged class, or denies to any of its citizens
equal rights and equal means to maintain them. What was theory
before the war has been made fact by the war.

There is cause to be thankful even for rebellion. It is an impressive teacher,
though a stern and terrible one. In both characters it has come to us,
and it was perhaps needed in both. It is an instructor never
a day before its time, for it comes only when all other means
of progress and enlightenment have failed.

Whether the oppressed and despairing bondman, no longer able to repress his deep yearnings for manhood, or the tyrant, in his pride and impatience, takes the initiative, and strikes the blow for a firmer hold and a longer lease of oppression, the result is the same,--society is instructed, or may be.

Such are the limitations of the common mind, and so thoroughly
engrossing are the cares of common life, that only the few among
men can discern through the glitter and dazzle of present prosperity
the dark outlines of approaching disasters, even though they may have
come up to our very gates, and are already within striking distance.

The yawning seam and corroded bolt conceal their defects from the mariner
until the storm calls all hands to the pumps. Prophets, indeed,
were abundant before the war; but who cares for prophets while
their predictions remain unfulfilled, and the calamities of which
they tell are masked behind a blinding blaze of national prosperity?

It is asked, said Henry Clay, on a memorable occasion,
Will slavery never come to an end? That question, said he,
was asked fifty years ago, and it has been answered by fifty years
of unprecedented prosperity. Spite of the eloquence of the earnest
Abolitionists,--poured out against slavery during thirty years,--
even they must confess, that, in all the probabilities of the case,
that system of barbarism would have continued its horrors far beyond
the limits of the nineteenth century but for the Rebellion,
and perhaps only have disappeared at last in a fiery conflict,
even more fierce and bloody than that which has now been suppressed.

It is no disparagement to truth, that it can only prevail
where reason prevails. War begins where reason ends.
The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion.
What that thing is, we have been taught to our cost. It remains now
to be seen whether we have the needed courage to have that cause
entirely removed from the Republic.

At any rate, to this grand work of national regeneration and entire purification Congress must now address Itself, with full purpose that the work shall this time be thoroughly done.

The deadly upas, root and branch, leaf and fibre, body and sap, must be utterly destroyed. The country is evidently not in a condition to listen patiently to pleas for postponement, however plausible, nor will it permit the responsibility to be shifted to other shoulders. Authority and power are here commensurate with the duty imposed. There are no cloud-flung shadows to obscure the way.

Truth shines with brighter light and intenser heat at every moment,
and a country torn and rent and bleeding implores relief
from its distress and agony.

If time was at first needed, Congress has now had time.
All the requisite materials from which to form an intelligent
judgment are now before it. Whether its members look at the origin,
the progress, the termination of the war, or at the mockery of
a peace now existing, they will find only one unbroken chain of argument
in favor of a radical policy of reconstruction.

For the omissions of the last session, some excuses may be allowed. A treacherous President stood in the way; and it can be easily seen how reluctant good men might be to admit an apostasy which involved so much
of baseness and ingratitude.

It was natural that they should seek to save him by bending to him even when he leaned to the side of error. But all is changed now.

Congress knows now that it must go on without his aid, and even against his machinations.

The advantage of the present session over the last is immense.
Where that investigated, this has the facts. Where that walked by faith,
this may walk by sight. Where that halted, this must go forward,
and where that failed, this must succeed, giving the country whole
measures where that gave us half-measures, merely as a means of
saving the elections in a few doubtful districts.

That Congress saw what was right, but distrusted the enlightenment of the loyal masses; but what was forborne in distrust of the people must now be done with a full knowledge that the people expect and require it.

The members go to Washington fresh from the inspiring presence of the people. In every considerable public meeting, and in almost every conceivable way, whether at court-house, school-house, or cross-roads, in doors and out, the subject has been discussed, and the people have emphatically pronounced in favor of a radical policy.

Listening to the doctrines of expediency and compromise with pity, impatience, and disgust, they have everywhere
broken into demonstrations of the wildest enthusiasm when a brave word
has been spoken in favor of equal rights and impartial suffrage.
Radicalism, so far from being odious, is not the popular passport to power.

The men most bitterly charged with it go to Congress with the
largest majorities, while the timid and doubtful are sent by lean majorities,
or else left at home. The strange controversy between the President
and the Congress, at one time so threatening, is disposed of by the people.

The high reconstructive powers which he so confidently, ostentatiously,
and haughtily claimed, have been disallowed, denounced, and utterly repudiated; while those claimed by Congress have been confirmed.

Of the spirit and magnitude of the canvass nothing need be said.
The appeal was to the people, and the verdict was worthy of the tribunal.
Upon an occasion of his own selection, with the advice and approval
of his astute Secretary, soon after the members of the Congress had returned
to their constituents, the President quitted the executive mansion,
sandwiched himself between two recognized heroes,--men whom the whole country delighted to honor,--and, with all the advantage which such company
could give him, stumped the country from the Atlantic to the Mississippi,
advocating everywhere his policy as against that of Congress.

It was a strange sight, and perhaps the most disgraceful exhibition
ever made by any President; but, as no evil is entirely unmixed,
good has come of this, as from many others. Ambitious, unscrupulous,
energetic, indefatigable, voluble, and plausible,--a political gladiator,
ready for a "set-to" in any crowd,--he is beaten in his own chosen field,
and stands to-day before the country as a convicted usurper,
a political criminal, guilty of a bold and persistent attempt
to possess himself of the legislative powers solemnly secured to Congress
by the Constitution.

No vindication could be more complete,
no condemnation could be more absolute and humiliating.
Unless reopened by the sword, as recklessly threatened in some circles,
this question is now closed for all time.

Without attempting to settle here the metaphysical and somewhat
theological question (about which so much has already been said and written), whether once in the Union means always in the Union,--agreeably to the formula.

Once in grace always in grace,-- it is obvious to common sense that the
rebellious States stand to- day, in point of law, precisely where
they stood when, exhausted, beaten, conquered, they fell powerless
at the feet of Federal authority. Their State governments were overthrown,
and the lives and property of the leaders of the Rebellion were forfeited.
In reconstructing the institutions of these shattered and overthrown States,
Congress should begin with a clean slate, and make clean work of it.

Let there be no hesitation. It would be a cowardly deference
to a defeated and treacherous President, if any account were made of
the illegitimate, one-sided, sham governments hurried into existence
for a malign purpose in the absence of Congress. These pretended governments, which were never submitted to the people, and from participation in which four millions of the loyal people were excluded by Presidential order, should now be treated according to their true character, as shams and impositions, and supplanted by true and legitimate governments,
in the formation of which loyal men, black and white, shall participate.

It is not, however, within the scope of this paper to point out
the precise steps to be taken, and the means to be employed.
The people are less concerned about these than the grand end to be attained.

They demand such a reconstruction as shall put an end to the present anarchical state of things in the late rebellious States,--where frightful murders and wholesale massacres are perpetrated in the very presence of Federal soldiers.

This horrible business they require shall cease. They want a reconstruction
such as will protect loyal men, black and white, in their persons and property;
such a one as will cause Northern industry, Northern capital, and Northern
civilization to flow into the South, and make a man from New England
as much at home in Carolina as elsewhere in the Republic.
No Chinese wall can now be tolerated. The South must be opened
to the light of law and liberty, and this session of Congress
is relied upon to accomplish this important work.

The plain, common-sense way of doing this work, as intimated
at the beginning, is simply to establish in the South one law,
one government, one administration of justice, one condition
to the exercise of the elective franchise, for men of all races
and colors alike. This great measure is sought as earnestly
by loyal white men as by loyal blacks, and is needed alike by both.
Let sound political prescience but take the place of an
unreasoning prejudice, and this will be done.

Men denounce the negro for his prominence in this discussion;
but it is no fault of his that in peace as in war, that in
conquering Rebel armies as in reconstructing the rebellious States,
the right of the negro is the true solution of our national
troubles. The stern logic of events, which goes directly to the
point, disdaining all concern for the color or features of men,
has determined the interests of the country as identical with
and inseparable from those of the negro.

The policy that emancipated and armed the negro--now seen to
have been wise and proper by the dullest--was not certainly more
sternly demanded than is now the policy of enfranchisement.
If with the negro was success in war, and without him failure,
so in peace it will be found that the nation must fall or flourish
with the negro.

Fortunately, the Constitution of the United States knows no distinction
between citizens on account of color. Neither does it know any difference
between a citizen of a State and a citizen of the United States.
Citizenship evidently includes all the rights of citizens,
whether State or national. If the Constitution knows none,
it is clearly no part of the duty of a Republican Congress
now to institute one.

The mistake of the last session was the attempt to do this very thing, by a renunciation of its power to secure political rights to any class of citizens,
with the obvious purpose to allow the rebellious States to disfranchise,
if they should see fit, their colored citizens. This unfortunate blunder
must now be retrieved, and the emasculated citizenship given to the negro
supplanted by that contemplated in the Constitution of the United States,
which declares that the citizens of each State shall enjoy all the rights
and immunities of citizens of the several States,--so that a legal voter
in any State shall be a legal voter in all the States.

Growing Old Gracefully

2008-10-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we have to consider some changes to our life-styles. I knw I do.

GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY

Today the average duration of human life in the United States is just about 70 years for women and a little less for men. Conservative experts believe that man is really build to last about 100 years; and that medial advances and more healthful living habits could bring this about within a generation or two.

What good is it to add years to life if we do not also add life to years? In fact, unless people learn to enjoy life and to grow old gracefully, the extra years may be an additional burden.

From 18 to 30 years is roughly the period of highest physical and mental vigor. The experiences we accumulate from the day we are born help us to conserve and to use our physical and mental abilities more wisely, so that for some time after 30 years we are able to perform increasingly well in spite of slowly slipping vigor. After age 50 the increasing accumulation of experience is no longer able to offset the now more rapidly energy and therefore aging begins to assert itself noticeably and in many ways.

A number of things may come about gradually such as people who have not used eyeglasses before may at some time in their forties need them for reading, and in the fifties they usually need bifocals.

Also in the forties, people are likely to put on weight because there is a general slowdown in the oxidation rate of the aging body tissue. Also we tend to do less strenuous work with no reduction in the amount of food consumed.

And in the fifties there is likely to be some loss of hearing. Usually the high-pitched tomes go first, so words with the sounds of F, S, and TH are confused. A hearing aid may be needed in some cases.

Aging is generally accompanied by a loss in physical and mental flexibility. This is noticed in a tendency to become stiff in the joints; in slower comeback after a strenuous trip, excessive "night life," or hard work; in slower healing of wounds, sore muscles, and sprains; in slower recovery of pep after an illness; and in greater difficulty to adjust to new people, new places, and new ideas.

Men, especially, will notice loss of muscular strength. There will be increased unsteadiness and delicate muscle movements will be more clumsy and the stride in waking will become shorter. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability of the elderly has long been underestimated and can be greatly improved by a proper diet, sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation.

Many elderly people tend to lose their joy and will to live and chronic worriers may mope around and withdraw. Medical authorities now say that laughter is one of the best medicines for the elderly. You can always keep your sense of humor tuned up by surrounding yourself with pleasant and interesting people. Just act your age and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself even when no else is around.

Now that we all know the role that physical activity plays in our lives, remember to do something physical every day. The joints must be used or quite simply they will tighten with age creating that stooped worn out appearance we so often associate with getting old. Keep yourself flexible and fit on an exercise program consistent with your ability.ration or two.

Oercome the Fear of Public Speaking

2008-10-13T10:26:00.001-07:00

Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
By: Roger Bourne

Hear you are, perfectly relaxed as you attend the farewell party of Joe.Your boss comes up and asks," Would you give the farewell speech to Joe in 10 minutes time?""I can't'" you splutter, "my vocal chords are paralyzed."And the fear kicks in."I can't do this!" I must be crazy!"That doesn't work so now you wait for the floor to open up and swallow you.That doesn't happen either.Public Speaking creates a great deal of anxiety in most people and arises when they face the prospect of giving a speech, particularly for the first time.The truth is that public speaking is always a mixture of terror and exhilaration.For everyone.It's just like snow skiing.When you start, all you can think about is how awkward you are, how dangerous it is and how you'll never be able to do this.You get one turn right, get up a little bit of speed, the snow starts to fly in the sunshine and a tiny bit of excitement pops up.Later, as you become a more accomplished skier, the balance between terror and exhilaration changes.Now you are zipping down the slopes, carving those turns and feeling like an Olympic Champion!But there is always that little bit of anxiety lurking, as you speed across the snow.Typically for beginners in public speaking, all we experience is the terror.Waiting for our turn to come, starting our speech, the terror remains.This seems to consume us, makes us irrational and we often feel paralysed.Then somehow we get through the presentation, come from the stage and as the numbness wears off, the next feeling we have is relief that the ordeal is over.However, we still retain a sneaking regard for our courage in making that speech and a small glow of exhilaration starts to burn within.Particularly if we can stop saying to ourselves, "how bad we were."In fact, as you walk from the spotlight, say, "Well done indeed," to yourself.Why?Because it's true.With more practice, the amount of terror reduces and the amount of excitement increases.Now you do another speech, another presentation and pretty soon you actually realise that you are enjoying this and you become amazed.And slowly you become hooked on the excitement of giving a speech.So much so that when you go to fridge in the night for a drink, the fridge light comes on, and you give a 5-minute presentation!And then the fun starts to creep in.And by the way.If you do not have any nervousness or excitement just before you speak, you will come across to your audience as flat.Did you know that some of the greatest orators in the world have been known to be physically sick, before giving a stirring speech.So, always be kind to yourself.You will get better, with every presentation that you make.But you have to make the presentations.So learn the information and then simply "do it!"
Author BioRoger Bourne has been involved in Public Speaking, Personal Development and Coaching for more than 25 years. As published author of "From Fear to Fame in Public Speaking," he knows how to makes it clear and simple for people getting started in Public Speaking. Visit: www.feartofame.com
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