Archive for December, 2007

Jesuit Colleges and Universities - Rich in History, High in Human Excellence

Monday, December 31st, 2007

By Afa Ismayilova For over 200 years, Jesuit colleges and universities around the United States have been teaching their students the Jesuit Vision of Education- an extraordinary call to human excellence- implementing a rigorous academic structure to challenge and develop every human quality. Each individual trait and talent is taught to be the absolute best it can be. Jesuit philosophy also implies that students learn how to be critical, examine attitudes, challenge assumptions and analyze motives, for this is the key to be able to make heart-felt, faith-filled decisions throughout all aspects of a student’s life. The abundant history of the Jesuits dates back to 1540, when Saint Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, referring to its members as “Jesuits”. With the highest level of excellence in morals as their primary focus, the Jesuits believed the best possible method of achieving this was through excellence in education. Therefore, the fundamentals of a Jesuit education are: “To produce students who can contribute intelligently and effectively to the welfare of society because they are competent and virtuous.” Jesuits were among the first explorers and settlers of Louisiana at the very beginning of the eighteenth century, establishing their headquarters in New Orleans. In fact, the location of their headquarters for the mission was a plantation which is now the central business district of New Orleans, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the U.S. This area of the country is filled to the brim with Jesuit history, as well as one of the cultural and social centers in the south. The Jesuits have managed to keep the two traits of excellence in morals and in education together with the founding of 28 colleges and universities which are currently teaching over 200,000 students in the United States alone. In fact, over 100 Jesuit universities worldwide have graduated over 1,000,000 students. Choosing to attend a Jesuit college is not a decision that should be made in haste. One must be prepared to carry the four basic principles of a Jesuit education with you throughout your college career: Caring for the individual; giving one’s best in each and every effort; finding the role of faith in the world; fostering service to others. Knowledge should not be viewed as an end point, but rather valued as a gateway to wisdom. A Jesuit college or university will help to instill these positive values throughout one’s entire life. To learn more about the principles of a Jesuit education, as well as the characteristics of a quality Jesuit college or university, Afa Ismayilova recommends the information available at http://www.loyolaneworleansonline.com/loyola_jesuit_university.asp. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Afa_Ismayilova http://EzineArticles.com/?Jesuit-Colleges-and-Universities—Rich-in-History,-High-in-Human-Excellence&id=245923 cheap phentermine online online pharmacy and phentermine buy phentermine online how to buy phentermine without a prescription

Why Being Different Helps You Attract Women

Saturday, December 29th, 2007

By Scott Patterson As we all know, a larger then life personality can help you succeed with women. That’s one of the major reasons why rock stars seem to easily attract women. But before you run out and start dressing in an all black leather outfit, you should understand the reasoning behind this attitude. The reason why a ‘rock star persona’ works on many women is it helps you stand out from other average guys. In essence by displaying positive, ‘Alpha Male’ characteristics which are different from other men, women will find you more attractive. Here’s why If you understand psychology, you’ll know deep down women want passion and excitement in their lives. (That’s probably why romance novels are so successful). So when you act with an attitude which makes you stand out, you’ll represent the excitement she’s probably missing in her life. In essence you’ll become the embodiment of all the things that are exciting and new to her. Basically you’re the provider of fun. Now in order to become an exciting guy, you have to do things which are both original and interesting. This means observing how other guys act and doing the EXACT opposite. The more you can do to stand out, the more women will notice you. All you have to do is take a look at the standard ways guys try to attract women (pick-up lines, what they wear, etc). Then take some time to think of how you can stand out from the crowd. I promise if you take the time to be different, your success with women will skyrocket! Want to learn 50 different ways to meet, approach and attract women? If so, take a look at Scott Patterson’s Free eBook which provides 50 tips for approaching, attracting, and dating ANY woman. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Patterson http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Being-Different-Helps-You-Attract-Women&id=505297 order phentermine no prescription phentermine waterview pharmacy discount phentermine no prescription phentermine diet pills no rx

California Lemon Law FAQs

Saturday, December 29th, 2007

By Richard Romando The most important question in relation to the California Lemon Law is whether the vehicle or the product in question is qualified as a “lemon.” The details to be considered when judging whether a vehicle or commodity is a lemon are the warranty period, the type of defects and the number of repair attempts. Another important query is on the number of attempts the manufacturer requires to make before the vehicle can be called a “lemon.” Myths regarding the warranty period are very common and dealers and manufacturers have made it more confusing by spreading wrong information on the Internet. The new amended law regarding the time and mileage of the vehicle states 18000 miles or eighteen months. Another important question is whether all consumer goods qualify under this law. It can be sometimes very confusing as to what qualifies as a consumer commodity. The other query is whether the arbitration program will completely satisfy the owner and the reimbursement will be equal to the amount that the court decides. The definition of the term “attempt” is also important and taking the vehicle to the dealer or manufacturer for repairs is termed as an attempt, even if the dealer does not perform any changes or repairs on the vehicle or the product. Another regular query is about vehicles or products bought “as-is.” This indicates that the buyer knew the inherent defects in the product and still invested in the vehicle or product. This law is known as the “caveat emptor” law, literally meaning “buyer beware.” It states that any product that has a defect about which the buyer is warned before the purchase, cannot qualify for the lemon law. Questions regarding the reimbursement of expenses are necessary because the cost of repairing a vehicle is in no way negligible. California Lemon Law provides detailed information on California Lemon Law, California Computer Lemon Law, California Boat Lemon Law, California Lemon Law Attorneys and more. California Lemon Law is affiliated with Boat Lemon Laws. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Romando http://EzineArticles.com/?California-Lemon-Law-FAQs&id=410254 phentermine on line pharmacy generic phentermine without prescription purchase phentermine without prescription websites to buy phentermine

What Exactly Are Scoobies

Friday, December 28th, 2007

By Niall Mehaffey Scoobies are things that children enjoy all over the world, they are a recently new development but have become very popular with young children, especially during school time breaks. Scoobies are great for children to play with and also great “family projects”. Scoobies are basically just pieces of hardened string that have been formed to make fun shapes such as farm yard animals, hearts, people and other shapes that children may wish to create. The yare very simple to use and the materials needed can be found in most shops, they come in packs of “scoubidou” and are very cheap to buy. Why Are Scoobies Good For Children Scoobies are good for children because they offer a chance for young people to use their own creativity and mind to create things they like, for example, a child can create an animal they like and they do it by thinking about the shape and forming the shape using simple materials, in other words, they have to use their brain to do it, this can be great for educating and building a childs mind power, simple little things like this are very powerful. Children can even enter “Scoobies competitions” in which they get the chance to not only challenge other people but also challenge themselves, they can train themselves to focus and concentrate more doing this and also have great fun at the same time. Are Scoobies Hard To Make No, scoobies are actually very easy to make, when you do it once, you can nearly do it with your eyes closed, it’s a very simple concept of forming shapes using string. There is loads of information all over the internet that will show you how to create scoobies and you can even come up with your very own shapes and forms to do, it’s all about creativity. To get started, all you need to do is buy some scoubidou, think of a shape, think of how to form that shape and do it, that’s all it takes. You can make scoobies in less than five minutes or you can spend hours really perfecting your scoobies, it doesn’t really matter, as long as you have fun doing it is all that’s important. Where Do I Learn How To Do It Search the internet for the info you need, the net provides tons of free resources that you can use to learn things and follow instructions, I know for a fact that there are websites that will show you how to make scoobies because I have one. Niall Mehaffey runs a website that gives you tips and info on how to make scoobies check it out at make scoobies Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Niall_Mehaffey http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Exactly-Are-Scoobies&id=329811 phentermine online no doctor phentermine money order order phentermine with mastercard buy phentermine overnight

Eating History - The Way to a Viking’s Heart is Through His Stomach

Thursday, December 27th, 2007

By Paul Rinehart Food history has always interested me. We can learn a lot about our present eating habits from what our ancestors ate. I’ve read up on the subject and I’ve even hosted a few parties serving period foods. Today we’ll talk about the Vikings. With the help of our friends the archaeologists, food finds have been made. The Scandinavian people of the 8th through 11th centuries were not as limited in terms of their diet as some might think. They were masters of the sea and ate everything from oysters to whales. They were much more than just avid anglers feasting on a variety of fresh and saltwater fish. They were farmers as well. In the Danish settlement of Jorvik, now called York in Great Britain, finds of both wild and domestic meats were found. Among those were venison, beef, mutton/lamb, goat, pork, chicken, goose, duck, grouse, and wood pigeon. The Vikings cultivated grains such as barley, wheat, rye, and barley. They grew vegetables and fruit like carrots, parsnips, turnips, celery, plums, apples, raspberries, elderberries, and much much more. To top that off, they were not opposed to using spices and herbs other than salt for a little extra flavor. Honey was the big sweetener in the Middle Ages. The Vikings used a lot of it to make mead. You can read my article The Stuff of Poetry Mead (http://onlinecooking.net/output_story.php?ID=1038) for more information. The Vikings drank more than just mead. They had access to ale and even wines brought back from Italy and France. Bread would have been a staple, since it is filling (it also keeps you pretty regular). I recall a class assignment back in elementary school where we had to prepare a food from our respective cultures. Being proud of my Scandinavian ancestors, I picked something Viking related. I found a recipe in an old issue of Skalk, (http://www.skalk.dk/) an archaeological periodical published in Denmark. It had a lot of different grains in it, and unlike some of the breads we are use to today, this stuff hit your stomach with a “thud”. (One of the things I enjoy doing is making improvised dishes based on ingredients found in the Viking and Medieval ages.) Here is a recipe that translates pretty well even to modern times. It will keep you going on the coldest of winter nights. Drink a couple horns of mead and you’ll be really happy. Paul’s Viking Stew A large piece of meat cut into cubes One large onion (chopped) One carrot (chopped) A few stalks of celery (chopped) One Parsnip (chopped) Some cabbage (chopped) Pearled barley Beef broth or stock, you can use chicken stock as well Oil for cooking Salt and Pepper Put your vegetables into a big pot and cook on low heat in a little oil. If you want to stay authentic, do not use corn oil. Corn as we know it in the Americas was not used until much later. Olive oil might have been used if some Norwegian traveled to Italy and picked up some. When the onions and cabbage look translucent, then add the meat and barley. Cover everything with your stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and stir it occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Cook until the barley is cooked and the meat is done all the way through. You can also thicken this with a little flour in water. So there you have it, an interpretation that would probably be a little better than what the standard Viking would have. The point is that this is a dish that would have been made with ingredients that were available at the time. Stay tuned for more medieval recipes. Paul Rinehart is classically trained and is the founder of Online Cooking. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Rinehart http://EzineArticles.com/?Eating-History—The-Way-to-a-Vikings-Heart-is-Through-His-Stomach&id=72685 phentermine diet pills no rx phentermine online with no prescription phentermine online consult phentermine on line without a prescription

Hot Dating Tips For Men #3/28

Tuesday, December 25th, 2007

By Scott Holland Hot Dating Tip #3: Be interesting. So you’re an accountant. That doesn’t mean you have to be dull. Get some hobbies. Take up paragliding. Join the rowing club. Study paganism. Widen your interests so you can talk intelligently about a range of subjects. Women love to talk and they love to be talked to - as long as you don’t send them to sleep. You don’t need to be a world class expert on a subject in order to talk about it intelligently - in fact, it’s better if you’re not - you’re less likely to be boring. Don’t lecture: talk in a way that suggests you have thought about a subject and still have unanswered questions. Ask her opinion at every opportunity - she will feel valued and respected. Ask about her interests, too. Go to places where there are women who share your interests. Evening classes, weekend events, adult education courses are all popular places for women who want to better themselves. No reason why you shouldn’t help them with their homework. If you want to have the self-confidence to approach any woman you choose and the self-esteem to brush off the occasional rejection without a second thought. Scott Holland is the author of “How to Overcome Shyness and Find the Woman of Your Dreams”. See http://www.dreamwoman.co.uk for details and free article: Six Myths About Women and Sex - and why they are all wrong! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Holland http://EzineArticles.com/?Hot-Dating-Tips-For-Men-3/28&id=139702 buy cheap tramadol online buy tramadol 180 tabs order clickdrugstore vip customs meds orawan tramadol tramadol pharmacy

Is Your Partner a Chat Cheat? Users of MSN & Yahoo Can Have An ‘Online’ Affair! 7 Tips For You

Monday, December 24th, 2007

By Gary Stapleton Why do they behave like this? It is almost like a hunt for them,the prize being submission and a goal being met. For many this goal is the sharing of a sexual experience possibly involving web cams. Whilst this is fine for single adults to engage in, its not for those that are not. The innocent party is performing or engaging in actions that are normally reserved for an intimate relationship. Oh theres a word.. relationship. That is something else our ‘player’ is not interested in, a relationship. Well, not a genuine real live one anyway.So how can you tell something like this is happening? check the following 1/ Message history in MSN or Yahoo is turned off. 2/ The existence of a secret email account ( hotmail etc ). 3/ MSN or Yahoo requires a password and/or username for you to access it. 4/ Pictures of women or men you don’t know on the computer. 5/ Long periods of time spent online (usually through the night) 6/ Explorer history is empty (unable to check what sites they have visited) 7/ Sudden purchase of a web camera. So what can you do? The main thing is not to believe or accept that this is harmless fun. It is not. Not only are you being deceived, so is the innocent party that your partner has ‘played’ Various companies offer ‘Honey Trap’ services online. These are relatively inexpensive ( www.chat-detective.co.uk is under 50)The will make an approach pretending to be a man or a woman and see what your partner does. Logs can then be provided to you with all conversations. Article written by operators at http://www.chat-detective.co.uk Not letting people get away with online cheating & infidelity.Together we can get that evidence you need. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Stapleton http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Your-Partner-a-Chat-Cheat?-Users-of-MSN-and-Yahoo-Can-Have-An-Online-Affair!-7-Tips-For-You&id=391585 cheap tramadol without prescription tramadol no prescription required 200 tablets buy ultram 50mg buy soma order tramadol order soma ultram

How to Grow Garlic

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

By Terry Blackburn Growing Garlic Garlic (Allium Sativum) is a perennial herb of the Liliaceae (Lilly) family, which has now become one of the essential ingredients in many main course dishes. Not only does it have culinary uses but also many believe in its medical properties. It has proven its usefulness in the garden, giving protection to other plants from marauding insects. This plant with its strong, pungent smell is rich in amino acids, volatile oil, and sulphur compounds; it also contains enzymes and allicin and has anti septic properties. It contains vitamins, A, B1, B2 and C so clearly is a plant well worth growing. Garlic is fairly easy to grow but the really good garlic is more difficult. If you just want to grow some form of garlic just separate the cloves from a bulb of garlic from the supermarket and plant them into the ground between September and March, it will more than likely grow, but what it wont be is good garlic. If you want to grow healthy, large bulbs and why grow them unless you do, then there is much more to growing garlic than that. Planting There are many other varieties than the one we can buy from the supermarkets, others with better flavour and bigger bulbs but they do require different growing conditions so its important to grow the verities that are suitable for your conditions. Size in garlic is determined first by the variety and then by growing conditions; soil conditions and watering are of the utmost importance when growing, excellent, large, healthy garlic. Soil Preparation Garlic requires a well-balanced soil that is loose enough for the bulb to grow and expend. What it doesn’t like is dry, hard packed clay or thin rocky soils that may restrict its expansion.Prepare the soil a few months before you intend to plant. Plant the cloves during autumn- late September because garlic likes to come up and put a little growth on before the winter sets in. This ensures that it establishes its root system so that it can survive the winter ready to explode with growth in the spring. As the weather warms up in summer the temperatures causes the garlic to bolt, this means that the plant is going to seed. Since garlic does not produce seed, it reproduces by forming as many cloves as its genetics will allow. The bulb gets bigger until the heat of the summer kills off the leaves. Growing position Garlic likes to be planted in fertile, well-drained raised beds so that the bulb itself is in the drier part of the soil with its roots down where there is more moisture. If your area gets plenty of rain and snow and very cold winters, then grow your garlic in higher beds. Plant the cloves 4 in. (101mm) deep 6 in. (15cm) apart making sure that the root end is sitting on the bottom, mulch heavily to protect from sub-zero temperatures. Garlic will of course grow in flat ground but raised beds help the plant to fend off disease, which can attach when the bulb sits in water for too long. General Care Garlic likes a slightly moist but not wet soil, wet soil encourages disease such as fungus and blight but too little moisture will cause the bulb to dry out and it will not expand. One way of determining the moisture content of the soil is to push your hand down into the root zone and feel the soil at that depth. If your hand comes out dry, it’s time to water; if it is muddy and the soil sticks to your hand, it’s too wet. In that situation, remove some of the mulch from around the plant, this will allow the soil dry out a little. Do not water during the week before you intend to harvest the crop, as it is easier to pull or dig out garlic from fairly dry soil than it is from wet soil, plus garlic will store better if it is not too wet. There are few things in nature that give garlic problems because this plant kills or repels most insects, fungi, and many other predators that attack other plants. Therefore it isn’t necessary to give protection to the garlic like you would give to other more venerable crops. Harvesting The time to harvest will depend on which part of the country you live and the variety of garlic you are growing. Since spring warms up from the south to the north, southern growers will harvest earlier than northern growers. You should remember that it is heat and sun, which causes garlic to mature. A long cool spring will delay growth. Generally speaking, if you planted your cloves in September and you have one of the earlier maturing varieties and the weather has been warm, then by mid-May they should be ready to lift. Northern growers may find that they have to wait a few more weeks. Hardneck garlic’s will send up a stalk or scape as it is correctly called a month or two before harvest time. Softneck garlic’s do not unless they are stressed by adverse growing conditions. Garlic leaves signal by turning brown and dying that they have matured. The outermost leaves die first and then the rest die from the ground up. In Softneck varieties the time to harvest is when the outer leaves have all died down and only the top six leaves are still green. It isn’t necessary to wait until all the leaves die and fall over like onions do or you will encounter problems to arise when later storing the bulbs. The spores of fungus disease can enter bulbs when they are left in the ground and are over ripe. It also allows the bulb wrappers (thin skin tissue) to rot away leaving the bulbs exposed with nothing left to give protection to the cloves. The Asiatic group of Artichokes garlic need to be harvested as soon as the lower leaves start to die down, otherwise they will be over-ripe. To make sure that you time the harvest correctly, you can dig down around a few plants to inspect the bulbs but this exercise must be done with a great deal of care not to damage the roots. When they are ready make sure that they are removed from the ground without injuring the bulbs. If your soil is loose, you can gently pull them up by their necks, otherwise use a fork to gently loosen the surrounding soil by pushing it deeper than the bulbs and lifting with care. Once lifted, handle them carefully, never bang the bulbs together to shake off the soil. Take them out of the sun, as this will dry them out too quickly. Curing Garlic Garlic likes to dry gradually to allow excess moisture in the roots and leaves to evaporate or withdraw into the bulb. Wait until the roots and necks are completely dried and it does not emit a typical garlic odour when cut, then that is the time to trim it. It often takes three or four weeks to get to that stage, longer for large bulbs. Storing Garlic Store the garlic in a dry place out of the sun but never put them into plastic bags or sealed containers. Some varieties store better and longer than others, Silverskins can be stored longest, with Artichokes second longest but Rocamboles are the shortest storing varieties. There are four factors that affect the storage; how well it was grown and cured, its variety type, temperature and humidity. You must have noticed that the garlic you buy at the supermarket doesn’t keep very long after you take it home. The reason is that they usually store it at 32F. It then stays in limbo and can do so for a few months. Once they put it on their shelves for sale, time like the rest of us catches up with it and it either deteriorates rapidly or starts to sprout. Garlic stores best at 55 - 65 F. and between 40 - 60 % humidity and it is important that there is airflow around the bulbs. Basically, any dark, cool place is fine. Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Producer of blog www.lawnsurgeon.blogspot.com. Author of “Your Perfect Lawn,” a 90 Page eBook devoted to Lawn Preparation, Lawn Care and Maintenance. Find it at www.lawnsurgeon.com I would be very interested to have your comments on this Article. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Blackburn http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Grow-Garlic&id=365129 buy link onlinejixxde tramadol buy link pharmacynet top ultram tramadol online no prescription order ultram without a prescription

Kid Stuff - Comments on the History of Children’s Literature

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

By Lindsey Williams It appears that the “Tom Swift” and “Wizard of Oz” books - popular with kids for most of the last century - are finally to be replaced by “Harry Potter.” The fourth volume of the Harry Potter series went on sale at bookstores throughout the country during midnight parties — excitement not seen since the Pet Rock craze a decade ago. Titled “The Goblet of Fire,” the latest book by British author J.K. (Joanne Kathleen) Rowling promises - or threatens — to prolong indefinitely the Potter series for the generation coming on line. Some parents are uneasy about the new sub-literary fad. It features a supernatural kid who hobnobs with sorcerers and witches. Hey, they’re reading instead of watching the same stuff on teevee. All kids go through the make-believe stage, and some of us never outgrow it. Ms. Rowling insists she makes up her stories simply to entertain children and make a living for herself and daughter. However, deep thinkers profess to see hidden allegories in her works that criticize the political and social life of our times. Her emphasis on wishful events seems to bear out contemporary yearning for magic solutions conjured by 12-year-old Harry Potter to deal with his travails. Whatever. The technique is rooted in ancient literature such as “Aesop’s Fables” and “Mother Goose Rhymes.” More than 600 fables related by a Greek slave in 550 B.C. was intended to impress social verities on children through talking animals. As an 11-year-old, I discovered Aesop’s wisdom in a library book. I have never forgotten his account of the hunt by a lion, fox, jackal and wolf. The four hunters brought down a stag and then discussed how to divide it. “Quarter this stag,” roared the lion. Accordingly, the other hunters skinned it and cut the meat into four equal parts. With this, the lion pronounced judgment: “The first quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts. The second is mine as arbiter, and another share comes to me for my part in the chase. As for the fourth quarter, I should like to see which of you will dare to try and take it from me,” growled the Lion. “Humph,” grumbled the Fox as walked away with his tail between his legs, “You may share labors of the great, but you will not share the rewards.” Still, today, I shake my head a little when someone ascribes the largest share of anything as that due the lion. The lion’s portion, stated ironically by Aesop, is not a share at all, but everything. This fable is a realistic lesson to be learned at an early age. It describes both social and political greed to guard against throughout life. * * * The same dual purpose inspired the hundreds of Mother Goose rhymes. In medieval England, criticism of kings, nobles and other authorities could cost your life. Consequently, jibes at government were couched as ditties for children. Consider this rhyme: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses, And all the king’s men, Couldn’t put Humpty together again. The term humpty-dumpty was commonly used in England to describe someone stupid or muddle-headed. In the rhyme it refers to King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Richard was resisting a rebellion by Henry Tudor. In the battle, King Richard fell from his war-horse named Wall. He was surrounded by enemy soldiers and hacked to pieces. He was the last of the York kings and the last king to die on a battlefield. Books For Kids After the American Civil War, the invention of cheap “sulfited” paper pulp sparked a revolution in publishing. Newspapers expanded. “Dime novels” became popular. Public schools were extended to the high-school level. Children had knowledge and desire to read for pleasure. The old custom of veiling politics with kid-appeal was an easy approach for publishers and writers. Regular patrons of this column may remember the recent account of Joel Chandler’s “Uncle Remus” series. Those charming tales of talking animals by an editorial writer for the Atlanta Constitution were aimed at “children of all ages.” The objective was to entertain - while portraying former slaves as wise and dutiful citizens. An outstanding example of hiding a social message within a fairy tale is the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” published in 1900. The author was Lyman Frank Baum, editor of the weekly newspaper at Aberdeen, South Dakota. When it failed in 1891 during the prolonged collapse of crop prices he moved his family to Chicago. There he wrote for various newspapers. He also participated actively in the Populist (Silver Coinage) Movement and the presidential campaigns of Sen. William Jennings Bryan. He also wrote his first book “Mother Goose In Prose” in 1897. Interestingly he employed the fantasy/reality techniques of Aesop Fables, Mother Goose, and Lewis Carroll’s “Alice In Wonderland” which preceded him. Baum’s first venture into fantasy was not widely circulated but reviewed favorably enough to encourage him to write his first Oz book. It was an instant bestseller, which he turned into a theatrical play the following year. His ambition was to act and write for the theater. Nevertheless, the response to “Wonderful Wizard” was so great he consented to write a sequel titled “The Marvelous Land of Oz.” Before he died in 1919, Baum wrote 14 Oz books. Thereafter, Ruth Plumly Thompson and other ghostwriters authored 26 additional volumes until the series was concluded in 1963. Baum stoutly maintained that the original Oz had no sociopolitical inferences. Yet, the story and its characters so ably reflected the turbulent times that the comparison is compelling. Oz is the abbreviation for ounce, the standard measure for gold. The yellow brick road is composed of gold ingots that lead only to a field of opium poppies and drugged sleep. The Emerald City is the store of “green-back” paper money backed by silver as well as gold. The Tin Woodman, represents the industrial worker made heartless by factory owners and left to rust when his labor was no longer needed. The Scarecrow is the farmer with not enough brains to support Sen. Bryan’s reforms. The Cowardly Lion is Sen. Bryan who roars a lot but is afraid to bite. The Wicked Witch of the East represents New York City financiers and bankers who enslave little people called Munchkins. The Good Witch of the West portrays people in the heartland of America. The Wizard is supposed to be President William McKinley who conceals his deceptions with smoke, mirrors and phony proclamations. Dorothy’s magical silver shoes (changed to red in the ever-popular color movie) had the power to grant her wish to go home once she acknowledged the value of family and farm. If Baum did not intentionally weave these symbols into his first Oz book, he subconsciously reflected his time and place - after all, the genius of good writing. * * * My favorite books as a youngster were those in the “Tom Swift” series which began in 1910 and continue popular today. There was not a speck of politics in them, but they were progenitor of science fiction. Tom, “the boy inventor,” built contraptions that were just in the discovery stage at the turn of the century. In several instances, the authors of Tom Swift books anticipated science. Such subject matter reflected the fascination of kids - particularly boys - with the gee-whiz technology of that time. Then it was such things as motorcycles, speedboats, automobiles, planes, submarines, radios, and super cannons. These things are ordinary today. Kids now are titillated by witches, giants, monsters, demons, magicians, terminating-killers, space ships and assorted planetary aliens. All are served up by computer games, videos, television and special effect movies. The genre of series books for children — with the same, central character — was the brainchild of a publisher named Edward Stratemeyer. He started the Stratemeyer Syndicate of ghostwriters to churn out endless books about characters and situations he dreamed up. Among his creations was the Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew. The big money maker, though, was Tom Swift. Most of the first 38 volumes were written by Howard Garis, Stratemeyer’s best friend, under the pseudonym Victor Appleton. The books have come to be known as the Tom Swift Senior series. Since then, other publishers bought the name rights. They continued to produce Swift Junior books with ghost writers and adventure topics until “Death Quake,” the last one, in 1993. The 99 Tom Swift series is the largest total, and longest running, of all time simply because it tapped the interest of kids in exciting things which might be. Ms. Rowling is simply following a well-tested format. I wish I had thought of it. July 16, 2000 Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at: LinWms@earthlink.net LinWms@lindseywilliams.org Website: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with several hundred of Lin’s Editorial & At Large articles written over 40 years. Also featured in its entirety is Lin’s groundbreaking book “Boldly Onward,” that critically analyzes and develops theories about the original Spanish explorers of America. (fully indexed/searchable) Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsey_Williams http://EzineArticles.com/?Kid-Stuff—Comments-on-the-History-of-Childrens-Literature&id=288240 prescription drug ultram effects of tramadol cheap fast no prescription ultram online no prescription ultram without prescription

Top 6 Tips For A Healthy Weight Loss Diet

Friday, December 21st, 2007

By Tim Lee Modifying the diet can definitely contribute to a healthy weight loss. Here are the tips for a healthy weight loss diet: 1. Reduce the Calorie Intake Calories are needed by the body. However, too much of this contributes to the excess storage in the body. Reducing the calorie amount of the diet will definitely help in shedding some pounds. This means getting rid of a high carbohydrate, high fat diet, especially for people who do not have active lifestyles. Doing so can definitely result in weight loss. 2. Consider a High Protein Diet With the onset of the South Beach Diet, many people have become acquainted to the high protein diet. It did work for them as this diet not only helps in losing weight. It can also contribute to losing excess fats in the body. 3. Eat Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and veggies are still on top of the list for the best foods for dieting. Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients and fibers that help in the body system. The fibers help in the proper digestion of the food. Thus it contributes to a healthier state of the body. 4. Get Rid of Sodium and Sugar Sodium and other preservatives found in most commercial foods today are not the best options for a healthy lifestyle. They tend to dehydrate the body and do not contribute any good to the system. Too much sugar on the other hand is not good. Most cases of diabetes today is caused by too much sugar intake. So avoid sweets as much as possible. 5. Go Organic Stay away from sodium and go organic. Pick out the freshest foods for your meal, from breakfast, lunch to dinner. It will help you lose weight. It will also provide a better disposition to the body. Good organic foods are vegetables, rye bread, fruit juices and many more. 6. Lots of Water and Fluids Drinking lots of water is still a must to achieve a healthy being. It still has to be at least eight glasses of water a day. Losing weight requires dedication. It is not as easy as it sounds but it is feasible. Just make the right decision. Make the first step to eat only the best foods for a wholesome diet. The reward you will get is a healthier you. For advanced dieting methods for healthy weight loss, please visit http://www.lose-weight-naturally.info/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Lee http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-6-Tips-For-A-Healthy-Weight-Loss-Diet&id=219628 tramadol purchase buy tramadol now drug prescription tramadol ultram buy