Zombies have long been a fascination for Americans. From Night of the Living Dead to the Walking Dead to Dawn of the Dead, to Jane Austen and Zombies to Zombie Apocalypse, the zombie subculture is “alive” and kicking it in the millennium. Zombies have infiltrated everything from films to books to video games, cocktails, cartoons, and bands. Every October, Zombie Crawls are celebrated as people dress up as zombies in order to shuffle and stagger their way from bar to bar to drink zombies. This zombie phenomenon is not limited to Halloween. This spring, a 5K charity run is scheduled in which the runners have the added incentive to cross the finish line quickly as they will be chased by-you guessed it-zombies.

Zombies are believed to have originated in the Haitian African-American culture. Fueled by macabre voodoo rituals, dark magic revived the dead to do the bidding of those who summoned them. These walking corpses shambled forward with a stilted gait. Flesh rotted away from their bodies, and their minds could no longer formulate rational thought.

What does any of this have to do with sexually transmitted diseases? Good question. The answer may surprise you.

In 1492, Europeans brought small pox, bubonic plague, venereal disease, and religion to the New World. The New World returned the favor with syphilis.

Late stage, tertiary syphilis is syphilis that has not been treated. Spirochetes are wormlike microscopic organisms. Over the course of the disease, they multiply to the millions and lodge in most of the major organs including the brain. The human body becomes stooped and rapidly ages. Symptoms of late-stage syphilis include a jerky, stumbling step, large oozing sores, loss of tissue such as the end of the nose, and moments of euphoria followed by rage. In other words, late-stage syphilitics and zombies share many of the same traits.

Zombies originated in the New World as did syphilis. Myths develop in order to explain the otherwise unexplainable. In this instance, the zombie myth developed in order to explain syphilis, an incurable and deadly disease in pre-penicillin days. While syphilis is now treatable, it took more than 450 years to find a cure.

While the zombie myth may have arose as a way to explain a sickness, modern culture has embraced zombies. Michael Jackson’s,Thriller video of dancing zombies, remains the number one best-selling album of all time in the United States. In 2010, Asbury Park, New Jersey set the Guinness’ World Record Zombie Walk with an official 4,093 participants.

In 1350 AD we were still quite a few centuries from settling at Plymouth. I have been luckily in that I have found adequate records back to 1200s in my family tree. But this is the time of the end of the inhabitants and Civilization of the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellers. Some stayed back we suppose, they are the Anastasi Indians. What else was going on in the world during this time? Well as the Indians were leaving there was another civilization flourishing in Thailand and the Thais people had built many city-states.

[http://galileo.gits.net.th/www.thaimain.org/en/intro/history.html] .

Of course in Italy and Europe they were dealing with the Bubonic Plague. Droughts can cause plagues;

[http://www.huttoncommentaries.com/ECNews/SolarHeats/Pisces-AquarianHeatsDroughtsPlagues.htm]

and so did the Indians fight over resources and simultaneously had to deal with plagues of the day. We know from El Nino that insects can catch a ride across the Pacific on the jet stream. Did issues such as this add to the problems along with fires, which forced hot air into the air above, ten thousand feet send it into the jet stream and across the ocean? With increased solar activity this is relatively possible and we already know that fires in Russia and China and a Volcano in the Pacific Rim could force debris and insects that would travel with the smoke across the globe. Also dust storms have recently had clouds, which have traveled, twice around the world. As well as the Gulf War sending smoke around the world and changing the atmospheric weather patterns. We know increased electromagnetic energy from solar activity could also cause changes in the ionosphere that changes weather for as many as five or more years. We have recently experienced all of this in the past tow decades.

Now we may not have realized it before, but now with GeoSats I through VII, we have learned more about he weather and its over all effect on our planet and the species and eco-systems in the land, air and sea. Now we know from fallen trees, which have fossilized an estimation of the weather back then. It appears that perhaps we may have accomplished a complete defense system to prevent a repeat of the former issues that mankind had to deal with. For instance air-conditioning, de-salting and the CDC. As far as fighting over resources and killing our fellow species members, apparently genetics has not moved as fast or advanced as much as the innovations which have propelled us to fight these issues. Now we seed the clouds, build barriers, sewer treatment plants, modify foods, use pesticides and fight pathogens, viruses and carefully discharge waste to prevent diseases. I must say if you stand back and look at how far we have come. It is quite impressive.

Now then we see the same signs of the past civilizations, their longevity and their goals. In modern time we saw Hitler proclaim the Third Reich to last some 1000 years. It is possible to create a culture that could accomplish this. It had been done before with the Chinese Dynasties, Egyptians, etc. If you look at England they are well on their way. We are young in the US, but we have really come a along way fast. Are we paying attention to the past and the cycles and flows? Are we kidding ourselves as to resources? Is the rest of the world kidding them selves? Places like Africa where a woman is not considered worthy in her culture unless she has no less than five children living. This is tough since the mortality rate is five to one living, therefore they need to have twenty kids to get five and yet there are not the natural resources or basic infrastructure to support all those children.

When I talk about Basic infrastructure, I mean such things as in sewer treatment plants, water supplies and food shelter and clothing, which are very inefficient in Africa. I suggest “Virus Hunters of The CDC” a great book to explain my point here. Are not paying attention to the most obvious challenges on living on the surface of a planet which is not only quite hostile, but also goes through cycles which make it difficult to habitat. In the US we have evolved our lifestyles and infrastructures to over come these cycles and trends. We are still caught off guard from linear decision making from time to time from politicians and short term thinking special interest groups pulling their strings using such form as a unit of trade or networked group of voters. However usually decisions, which are the worst for our future come from linear decisions which do not take into account the future or known cycles so that our most important projects take into account those issues we must face in future periods, some beyond our own naturals lives. Luckily our innovations have out paced our stupidity. And since free flow thought is still allowed for the most part and only stifled occasionally we all able to use the known cliché; Necessity is the mother of all inventions, to bail us out. This maybe true yet it makes no sense to drive towards a hypothetical point C, when the direct route to B from A is direct (this may not be a straight line).

I submit to you that the issues which have caused Indian Civilizations to fall are the same issues we see today as we attempt to feed more people, who use more resources and often waste that which they use. Growing populations are good for those cultures immersed in trade and using a common currency or unit of trade. We know that declining populations such as the mass exodus in the California bay area, due to miss management by Gray Davis will lead to an accelerated decay as maintenance of infrastructure will not be meeting the lessened flow of dollars in income from taxes. When we look at the zero growth rate of Japan we see a fate, which will befall many European Nations and eventually our population in the United States. The only way out of this is in the next 75 years we will need to change the currency to include payments or vouchers for helping the common good, since we will be over producing with less due to technology, robots and decreased consumption as populations get older.

If we look at Germany with 19% unemployment and taxes of over 70% you can see that free health care is not free at all, as a matter of fact it is nearly 5-6 times the cost as a free market provides such as in the US. With trade down in ancient civilization times as growers could only grow enough to eat and water resources ran out, starving armies grew like starving domestic dogs travel in packs where there is no animal control and they are hungry. Armies can rape and pillage and thus the spoils of war are a way to survive. When Anarchy exists due to a breaking down of civilization, you have turmoil. Which seems to be exactly what happened to the Indians, as we also saw in other times, when people signed up for armies because it meant they could eat if they fought.

When you compound droughts, fires which torch the fields of corn and wheat, which is used to feed your people and animals which bring you everything else with the destruction of wars from your own species. Then you either fight to live, or you die, or you give up and move away. This appears to be either all or part of the factors which led the Indians to leave such places as Mesa Verde:

http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.mesa-verde.2.html

or Canyon de Chelly;

http://www.desertusa.com/ind1/du_cdc_main.html

Why would you leave if you had adequate defense and plentiful water? You would not, and I believe in the end they had neither. Why would you leave paradise unless you had too? The Incas were obviously not stupid people.

I hope this helps you think about our direction as a nation and how we go about our business throughout the world. Civilization includes so many more things than just a nice grouping of buildings and a base of population.

Game Overview

World Without End is a traditional Euro-style strategy board game, thematically built around events taking place in the fictional village of Kingsbridge, from 1337 to 1361, nearly 200 years after building of the imposing cathedral known as The Pillars of the Earth. Players take the roles of merchants, farmers and builders striving for wealth and prestige while living a pious and loyal life. The object of the game is to gain the most victory points. These are gained mainly by taking part in various building projects and by taking care of the inhabitants of Kingsbridge that are strikken by the plague, known as Black Death. However, life in Kingsbridge is not an easy one. Players have to continuously struggle to gain enough food, show loyalty to the church and the crown, pay taxes and deal with sudden misadventures that occur randomly during the cource of the game.

The most important component of this game is a huge, four-panel gameboard of superb quality, depicting Kingsbridge and its surrounding lands. On the game board there are several locations such as:

• production spaces: the Quarry (producing stone), the forest (producing wood) and the fields (producing grain)
• various building sites in which players can contribute with stone or wood and gain victory points
• the village of Kingsbridge with its houses and market. Some of the families fall ill during the plague and can be healed, granting VPs and various bonuses. In the market, players can trade wool and cloth for money.

The game takes place in 4 chapters (time periods) each consisting of 6 rounds.Each chapter represents a time span of a few years, during which players take part in various building projects, thus gaining precious victory points while also having to deal with several unexpected events. At the end of each chapter, all players have certain obligations. Failing to meet them, costs victory points and additional penalties occurring at the beginning of the next chapter. In each round the same sequence of actions occurs:

1. The active player (the one who has the active player token) reveals an Event card. Events can be immediate or have a lasting effect till the end of the chapter.
2. After resolving an immediate event, the event card is oriented on a special city council space on the top edge of the game board. The active player chooses an orientation that fits his current goals, as it affects two elements in the game: each player’s personal income as well as a special bonus for the active player only.
3. Players receive their personal income according to the card’s orientation.
4. The active player receives his special bonus as he has the favour of either the Prior / Prioress, the King / Queen, the Guild Master, the Merchnats, the Earl of Shiring, the Bishop or the Outlaws
5. Beginning with the active player, each player plays an action card. All players have the same set of 12 action cards. These actions include: selling wool or cloth at the market, exchanging wool for cloth (which is more valuable), building a house that provides a bonus when rented, rent up to 2 houses, getting a grain, getting a resource (wood or stone), getting piety from the cathedral, taking care of ill people, taking part in a building project contributing wood or stone, or repeating the action chosen in the previous round. In this phase, players choose a card to play and they discard another one. This way, during the whole chapter, they will play 6 actions and discard the rest.

At the end of the chapter, players have the following mandatory obligations: Show that they live a virtuous and pious life by paying 2 piety, show that they have enough food to sustain themselves by paying 2 grain, and pay a tax. In order to determine the amount of tax, the active player throws a dice. Upon failing to fulfil one or more of the above duties, players lose victory points and suffer additional penalties which occur at the beginning of the following chapter such as losing their income in the first round of the next chapter or playing one less action card. It is possible to avoid the additional penalty by paying 1 Loyalty.

At the beginning of the third chapter, the plague hits the village and certain plague counters are placed, face down, on each house of Kingsbridge, Each round, a family in one of the houses may fall ill and can be cured, using the appropriate action card to give victory points plus other bonuses to the players who choose this action. In order to take care of the ill, players must have enough medical knowledge.

Now let’s go through our usual scoring categories:

Components

All components of the game are very beautiful and of high quality. The game board is visually stunning, with the village of Kingsbridge and its surrounding lands beautiful drawn, making the players get the feel of England in the 14th century.

Resources (wood, stone, grain, wool, cloth) are made of wood, appropriately coloured. They also have shapes that resemble their real form, especially grain and cloth. That is somewhat rare in a standard edition of a game. Houses are also made of wood and have the shape of houses, in each player’s colour. All other components: piety and loyalty markers, cover markers, money and medical knowledge are made of thick cardboard with attention to detail and with appropriate shapes as well. Action and event cards are made of thick paper and they deserve a special mention. Their are elaborately designed and their background has the visual feel of paper used in the Middle Ages That apllies to the players’ screens as well. All in all, components will satisfy even the most demanding gamer. Thumbs up to Michael Menzel, responsible for the game’s artwork and graphics. 9/10

Gameplay

World Without End has rich gameplay and depth that will challenge strategy game lovers. Luck plays a role in the game but not in a way that can spoil a player’s strategy (at least not entirely). After all, life is full of surprises and things cannot always go as planned. I think this is the concept the designers had in mind when they decided to incorporate the Event cards in the game. Some of them are really frustrating and can mess up your plans but think of it as a challenge to your mental skills. Plus they enhance the replayability factor. The are eleven event cards for each chapter and in each game you choose randomly which six of them will be included. This way, each game is different from every other. The game is all about maintaining an, often fragile, balance between catering for food supplies, money and piety, which are the duties all players have at the end of the chapter. And between all these, struggling for resource gathering and gaining victory points by taking part in building projects. A design element that some people may object to, is the way personal income is determined: by our opponents. It could be regarded as another element of luck but I think it makes the game more interesting and unpredictable. Never during any of my games, have I felt that my fate was in the hands of random events or luck. Each player takes their turn in orienting an Event card which is a good opportunity to get what he needs plus the additional bonus of the favour. Moreover by manipulating action cards as well as houses, it seems that you can be in control of your strategy. That is easier in 2-player games than in 4-player because in 2-player games you will be controlling your income 50% of the time, whereas in 4-player, only 25% of the time. As for player interaction, there is not much of it in this game. Opponents’ resources are hidden behind special screens so you must pay attention to what other players get and need. The only way you can interfere with their plans is by orienting an event card in a way that they don’t get something they need. However in most occasions you will be consumed in your own problems and orient the card so that you get what you want. In fact you don’t reallly have the time or the urge to bother with what other players do, you have enough troubles of your own There are so many things to do in this game, that you can’t easily get bored of it. I am always willing to play a game of World Without End at any given board gaming night. 8/10

Learning Curve

Though the game is not very complex and there is really not much to do in every round, it takes a little time to get accustomed with all game components and with the game’s strategic elements. World Without End is rather easy to learn but difficult to master. What will especially puzzle you at first is what your priorities must be. There is so much to do that decisions about orientating the event cards and playing your actions will be hard. After playing your first game, you will probably get the whole picture and you will start doing much better and appreciate its depth. 7/10

Theme

World Without End is a thematic game. This element is strongly supported by the text printed in italics on event cards, that descibes a particular event from the book and by the formidable gameboard that brings the book’s world to life. All the mechanics are also tied to the theme, from selling wool in the market, to healing ill people and the sudden occurrence of events that influence life in the village. If you have read the book, you will appreciate the game more but even if you haven’t and you are looking for a Eurogame game with a strong theme, this game is definitely for you 9/10

Replayability

The game’s depth and versatility guarantees that you will not easily lose interest in it. The random event cards as well the way personal income is determined ensure that no two games will be the same. Ι am, personally, more than willing to play World Without End at any given time. 7/10

Fun:

It’s not fun, in a way that you will laugh while playing it, nor will it trigger humorous comments between players. But I consider it being fun by challenging one’s mind to overcome obstacles and manipulate the mechanics of the game in the most resourceful way in order to win. However, whining about misfortunes due to event cards can be kind of fun, don’t you think?. 7/10

Pros:

• Beautiful components
• Challenging gameplay
• Nice theme
• Equally good with any number of players

Cons:

• Some may be annoyed by the luck factor or the way income is determined

According to our new scoring system, scoring categories have different weights. Components have 15% weight, Gameplay 40%, Learning curve 5%, Theme 5%, Replayability 25%, Fun 10%. According to this system and the above scoring in each category, overall weighted scoring of the game is:

Overall: 7.8

In the career space it is becoming increasingly certain that the future of careers is increasingly uncertain. The headwinds of change are strengthening and what in traditional employment has looked stable is now looking unstable. There are a variety of economic and social shifts ushering in this climate of modification and adjustment, influenced largely by globalization, technology, and changing demographics with the trends looking irreversible. Given that significant change has a way of making people nervous and anxious it could seem that the future may be something to fear. But what if we were to reframe this phenomenon as an opportunity? It can be done.

Viewing undetermined career variations favorably begins with asking the question, “What valuable career(s) has/have yet to be established?” To begin answering the question let’s pass through the portal allowing us to view the world’s many challenges. There is certainly no shortage of problems in need of resolutions. The demands are countless and the need for bold, positive, and progressive actions, leading to widespread beneficial advances is urgent. So where do we begin? Following are my picks for top categories where future talent can best direct their energies-in ways about which we can only today dream.

Poverty: The most egregious plight continuing to poison humankind is the plague of poverty. It burdens us all economically, in terms of security, and of course morally. Must we continue to accept that so many of the planet’s people struggle to live healthy lives of happiness and fulfillment?

Economics: If there is one thing we learned from the recent recession it is that our economic health is far from secure. Expertise in the financial industry and among the monetary decision makers is required to maintain a fiscal model free of the wild and dangerous speculative swings that can so devastate Main Street.

Healthcare: Preventing and treating disease, promoting wellness, and leveraging recent breakthroughs in science and medicine contribute immeasurably to the number of career opportunities. Projections are that Healthcare will see very strong growth. Many lives are just waiting to be enhanced and heightened.

Environment: Managing a growing global population that demands more use of finite resources and higher living standards is our collective reality for the foreseeable future. There will be no shortage of creative solutions to be discovered assisting the planet in supporting the burgeoning masses.

Business Services: Aiding business to provide the necessary and desired goods and services, which will elevate and sustain enjoyable and productive lives remains important. Profitable and rewarding models and techniques are still in need of detection and development.

Lifestyle: Crafting the zeitgeist of new eras will be in the hands and minds of those involved in the arts, fashion, music, literature, and culture as they seek novel ways of expressing the times. Creative facility is waiting to be unleashed to communicate the spirit and meaning of ages yet to come.

I could go on. Energy, International Relations, Social Work, and many other fields hold promise as areas for future career development. Societies yearn for original and fresh approaches to improve and better the world. All of us, young and old, have the capacity to meet this demand.

We owe it to ourselves to nurture and expand an entrepreneurial mindset, leading to innovative problem solving and wealth creation. Let’s train and orient our youth in particular to be entrepreneurial success stories and not merely laborers practicing routine procedures. Discovering concepts new, untried, and effective should be encouraged as much if not more than reproducing commodities. Permit and reassure our students and children to take reasonable risk, collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs, and apply intelligence in peculiar and offbeat ways.

It can be exciting and energizing to think that original and valuable careers are waiting to be spawned. It gives us hope.

I was reading a very interesting article entitled “The Five Deadliest Diseases in History” where the author looked at the deadliest diseases in history in terms of number of deaths over time.

I wanted to do something similar but from a different angle. My list includes 5 diseases that are always or nearly always fatal.

Some of these diseases are quite rare, some are well known. Some have no treatment options available and some have antibiotic, vaccination or other treatment, however death is a sure thing without appropriate and timely treatment.

The dictionary definition of case-fatality rate is the proportion of individuals contracting a disease who die of that disease. The following communicable diseases have a case-fatality rate of one hundred or nearly 100 percent.

Prion Disease

The prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) are characterized by progressive, deterioration of the brain. The human prion diseases are always fatal.

The TSE’s include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and all its variants, kuru and Gerstmann-Staussler-Scheinker syndrome.

Though not fully characterized, a prion is an abnormally folded protein which can have long incubation times of many years.

Human prion disease can be acquired through diet, medical treatment, surgery or blood transfusion and some are considered genetic. There is no treatment for human prion disease.

Naegleria fowleri

Infection with this free-living amoeba known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is nearly 100 percent fatal even with treatment.

The amoeba invades the brain through the nose while people partake in recreational water activities in warm, fresh water. The amoeba finds its way to the brain when water rushes up the nose and destroys the tissue of the brain.

Symptoms of this very rare disease include severe frontal headache, hallucinations, fever and death occurs within 10 days.

Untreated Rabies

This viral disease that people get through the bite of an infected animal is nearly 100% fatal in the absence of timely vaccination and rabies immunoglobulin.

Headache, fever, hydrophobia, delirium and occasionally convulsions are the symptoms seen before coma and death occurs.

Rabies is not a rare disease and 55,000 people die this horrible death worldwide mostly in developing countries because of inadequate or no post-exposure treatment.

Untreated Septicemic and Pneumonic Plague

While untreated bubonic plague has a case fatality rate of up to 60%, untreated septicemic and pneumonic plague are invariably fatal.

Plague is caused by infection with the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. People typically get this disease from the bite of a plague-infected flea. With timely and appropriate antibiotic treatment, all forms of plague can be countered.

Untreated African Sleeping Sickness

This disease which is restricted to certain areas of Africa is fatal without appropriate treatment. This parasitic disease from the Trypanosoma species is transmitted to people through the bite of the tse tse fly.

This disease starts out with fever, headache and joint pain later to invade the central nervous system.

At this point confusion and a disturbed sleep cycle kicks in and without treatment, coma and death will ensue.

The following communicable diseases get honorable mention as being close to having a 100 percent case-fatality rate:

Up to 90% case-fatality: Ebola virus

Up to 85% case-fatality: untreated inhalation anthrax

Up to 80% case-fatality: Marburg virus

Over 70% case fatality: Herpes B virus

The maddening tempo of modern life, with its suicidal flight from nature, has produced a 21st century plague. One ailment, known only to few members of past civilizations, has become a common and constant disorder in the 21st century. Even today, among less complex civilizations, Eskimoes, Africans, Pacific Islanders, insomnia is almost unknown. But in Great Britain and other apparently civilized countries many thousands of prescriptions for sleeping-pills are written out annually by doctors. Many other types of pills, too, are swallowed by the patients who consult them privately or under the National Health Service. The result is that the manufacture of such drugs has become a major industry catering for the public’s need of “something to take” to relieve its distress. Unfortunately in some cases this quick relief is abused and in an overdose of pills some patients find a quick way of escape from the miseries of their existence.

No pill has ever cured insomnia. No powder, capsule or tonic has ever brought permanent relief. Yes, sleep can be induced through drugs. Have you ever slept the sleep of the drugged? It is like having bought a small share of death. To awaken from it once is frequently a ghastly enough experience to turn you against the use of such drugs for ever. The dizzy, choking, numbing sensation that occurs to the awakening drugged sleeper is undoubtedly among the most horrifying of all human experiences. I cannot warn too severely against such devices.

The fact remains that only a natural existence can bring permanent relief from this modern plague. Insomnia is one of the many payments that modern man makes daily for his rejection of an existence in harmony with the laws of nature. A return to that existence is the only completely successful means of eliminating insomnia I have ever seen practiced.

Insomnia is not a disease. It is either a reaction or accompanying symptom of disease, or it is the culmination of repeated shocks and mistreatment of the nervous system. Sleep requires relaxation. Drugs are used to induce relaxation where the nervous system will not respond to the effects of even prolonged fatigue. This unnatural means of instituting relaxation is a crutch and nothing more. Even were it not for the harmful effect of drugs, the fact of their worthlessness in producing permanent relief would be reason enough to reject their use. Only relaxation in response to fatigue can produce natural slumber.

The importance of wholesome sleep is known to all. Notice the use of the term “wholesome”. There are many kinds of sleep and the value derived from them is in direct relation to the quality of the sleep, not the quantity. I have myself slept four hours of good and completely relaxing sleep and felt more refreshed upon rising than on other mornings after eight hours of restless slumber. I am certain that you have had similar experiences.

Insomnia can be divided into two categories, temporary and prolonged. Prolonged insomnia is almost always the result of unhappiness, restlessness, a feeling of being out of step or out of place in the world. In prolonged insomnia, this restless and unhappy state can be called the disease and sleeplessness only a symptom of that condition.

The return of mind and body to a state of oneness with the world, recognizing the pattern of the world and understanding your place within that pattern, this is the road to defeating the cause of prolonged insomnia. The chronic insomniac generally recognizes his or her restlessness through signs other than prolonged lack of sleep. But recognizing this condition will not defeat it. Knowledge itself changes nothing. Only the application of knowledge can bring change. If you are a chronic insomniac, stop saying “That’s the way I am and that’s all there is to it.”

Temporary insomnia is a common and dangerous condition. The causes of a night or two of restlessness are many and the degree of each cause necessary to produce a sleepless night varies with the individual. Night noises, the screech and howl of a cat, traffic sounds, the wind, or even the dripping of a tap may produce insomnia in some, while others are able to sleep through constant din and tumult. This is largely a matter of early conditioning. Children are natural sleepers and can condition themselves to sleep under any conditions. If as a child you learned to sleep through noisy night atmospheres, you will not be bothered by common sounds. Those who have not been so conditioned can overcome a single night of disturbing sounds through the use of ear plugs, made of a waxy substance that will not harm the ears, which can be purchased at most chemists. Night masks, shields of black cloth, can also be purchased and will prove useful in avoiding annoying rays of light.

If your sleeplessness arises from a change in environment, a new and temporary atmosphere such as a holiday hotel, a railway train, etc., then mechanical devices for sleep such as the mask and ear plugs are perfectly valid. But I strongly warn against the use of such devices night after might in your home. These, like the sleeping-pills, become crutches without which sleep is impossible. What must be realized is that if you are unable to withstand the background noises and light of your natural sleeping environment, your home, then it is neither the noise nor the light which actually is the source of your insomnia. Rather, a condition of tension producing over-sensitivity to such ordinarily unnoticed things is the true cause. Again the answer to such insomnia is not sleeping devices, but what might be called a pact of friendship with the world.

Insomnia cannot be treated apart from other conditions of body and mind. Total health rules out insomnia. Therefore, strive for natural health and you will be on the road to relaxation and restful sleep. Begin now by prescribing the Fountain of Youth Cocktail for yourself daily.

Temporary insomnia, arising from momentary disturbances, is best treated in advance of bedtime. When you are aware that some disturbing happening, sight or news has unnerved you to the point where it may cost you a night’s sleep, that is the time to begin combating insomnia. Once you have gone to bed, it is difficult to stop the wheels of thought from turning; they must be slowed down before bedtime. This is best done with a programme of relaxation.

Your programme of relaxation should begin at least two hours before you retire for the night. In that period of two hours, it is important to avoid over-stimulation. Exactly how you do this depends upon your individual personality. If you find reading, games such as cards, draughts or chess, or listening to good music relax you, then you will have no difficulty filling most of your two-hour programme for relaxation. But if you tend towards stimulating reading, or if games and music excite you even moderately, then avoid them prior to bedtime. Most of all, avoid contact with work that fills your day. Don’t take your business to bed with you.

Half an hour before retiring, take a final walk in the open air. This is not meant to be the kind of brisk tour that best begins your day. Walk slowly, feel the cool kiss of wind upon your cheek, do a little star-counting. In other words, end your day by once more realizing your part in the great universe. Modest people seem to suffer less from sleeplessness.

When you return, prepare a warm drink for yourself. Hot milk used to be the insomniac’s favourite, but this was an error in judgement. The milk did not induce sleep, the warmth did. Hot lemonade or vegetable broth will have the same effect, and may be pleasanter for many. As important as the drink is the way you drink it. Sit down in a dimly lit corner of the house and relax over your nightcap. Gradually accustom yourself to the wonderful rest that lies before you that evening. Feel yourself relaxing as you sit there. This is a moment for recalling the pleasant experiences of your life. It is a moment for warm smiles.

If you have spent your pre-bedtime hours in relaxation the rest is quite simple. Just before retiring, prepare a warm stomach compress. A heating pad, with the control turned to its lowest point, will do as well. Place the pad or compress upon the centre of your body, from the lower half of the chest down to the hip bones. Since it is the gentle warmth that you want here and not necessarily the healing action of water, the heating pad will do this job conveniently.

Now it is time to put your body to sleep. Starting with the toes and working your way up through the body, concentrate on each segment of your physique. Feel them deaden into total relaxation one by one, toes, heels, ankles, calves, knees and so on along the length of your frame. Do not move from one area to another until you are certain that you have felt the total relaxation of the preceding area. The first time you attempt this it may take ten or fifteen minutes. The second or third time you will find your entire body quickly falling into a state, of restful repose. With this your programme of relaxation is complete. Sleep is yours.

Is it possible to stop a locust plague through use of sound waves, harmonics and acoustic directional sound technologies? First we know that Locust Swarms are intense with as many as 20 million insects ripping through the countryside eating everything in sight. Indeed these swaths of devastation can be five to twenty square miles wide.

How could we build a directional sound machine capable of stopping locust plagues on our neighbors? Or even within the United States? Perhaps we could use one of these ideas to solve this very urgent problem that we face? Perhaps use a convoy of semi trucks, drive along side of them open up one sides of all of them and blast them with sound waves from huge array panels?

Like the non-lethal crowd control units they have now, but on a massive scale? Or put the think in a blimp and fly over them and send the sound waves down to the ground? Or put reflective coating like the strawberry field sheets of plastic down in front of the locust plagues path and then when the locusts fly over use the blimp to send the sound waves down which would also reflect back to give them a double dose of Dolby surround-a-sound?

Make sure the resonance used will not interfere with the Blimp in any way, we do not need a repeat of the old Comet Airliner breaking apart in the air or the gas inside the blimp hyper-excited and expanding too fast? Unless you have pressure escape; the blimp might shoot up very rapidly and explode? What type of delivery system could we possibly build? Consider all this in 2006.

Salsa is all about your connection with the partner you are dancing with. Unfortunately, sometimes you do stumble upon people who are all to ready to establish that connection, in fact, a very tangible one.

Truth be told, the lovely world of salsa is not spared from the occasional plague of opportunistic men, who dance for the thrill of getting a chance to deliberately misplacing their hands.

Opps, a brush across the chest ‘cos she did not turn fast enough.

Or a convenient brush on the behind while trying to lead by the hips.

The fact is: 100% of men are hot-blooded males. 99.9% of men who dance salsa are decent, polite gentlemen. But it’s that 0.01% that women have to be wary of, especially the newbies.

Most of the seasoned dancers avoid them like a plague, however, it is always the innocent and unsuspecting beginner ladies who are the unfortunate victims.

Here is some advice for the newbies out there:

1) Be a little more streetwise. If you would not let a suspicious, sleazy-looking man into your home, then do not let such men near your bosom. Trust your gut instincts (all women have it! just search deeper) Avoid men who give you the bad vibes, if you are unsure of his intentions, then turn him down politely first. If later on you realise that you have misjudged his character, then you can always ask him for a dance.

2) Do not feel obligued to continue a dance which makes you feel uncomfortable. If you find yourself wondering whether salsa is about allowing men to touch you in all the places your common sense tells you he should not, then stop. Because salsa is not a ‘touchy feely’ dance and the genuine dancers would never touch you in places other than your shoulder blades, hips and hands.

3) Be alert. If you have accepted a dance against your better judgement, then be vigilant at all times. Do not get to caught up with trying to following his crazy turn patterns, just keep your cool and keep your distance. If he tries to lead you into a compromising position, then don’t do it. Just let go of his hand, go “oops” and pretend you did not get that lead.

Remember, men may initiate the lead but it is up to the ladies to accept it and choose to follow. Even though it may be a male-dominated dance, in a sense, there is always room for women’s rights.

In the unfortunate event that an incident occurs, do not be afriad to speak up. ‘Cos if you do not, nobody will be able to help you!

I hope this has not scared any of you beginners who are eager to start dancing. It really is not that bad, a few bad eggs does not spoil the whole basket. It is just a matter of raising awareness so women do not let their guard down just because they are learning a new dance.

Try going with your instructor to the salsa club for the first time, he/she will probably point out who to be wary off.

German beer steins are decorative and memorable souvenirs from a trip to Deutschland. The pewter lids originated in the 14th century to separate drinking beer from a painful death. Traditional German steins are designed to keep the bugs out.

Having worked in Germany for so many years, our shelves are decorated with a half of a dozen beautiful beer steins. Stein comes from Steinzeugkrug, or stoneware jug. In the late part of the 14th century the Bubonic Plague or Black Death killed millions. With all of that death, swarms of black flies buzzed across Germany, sustaining death and disease. Germans implemented many health rules to protect the survivors of the plagues. One was that beer steins required lids to keep the flies out of the brew.

Rich Germans used silver or gold for their steins. The common drinking population used stoneware. One benefit of being a plague survivor was the few remaining laborers received high pay. They invested some of their salary into decorative stoneware with shields, knights, and other images.

At the 1892 Oktoberfest glass beer mugs were introduced. With fewer flies and better hygiene, the German beer stein benefits diminished. They became decorative art and standard tourist souvenirs.

When traveling in Germany, look for taverns where customers bring in their own beer steins. It is fun to look at the different designs and colors. The sounds are marvelous with the snapping pewter lids among the laughter. Going back over six centuries with a crowd, like this, and their German beer steins, no bug had a chance.

According to the latest news, California’s water supply problems are only increasing in severity and leading some news organizations to suggest the drought has reached “biblical-plague” proportions. The worst part of this dilemma might not be Mother Nature, however. New reports state that water thieves are adding insult to injury and complicating an already difficult situation.

The California Drought

Back in January, California’s governor announced a drought-related state of emergency based on dire predictions for the coming year regarding weather. The drought has lived up to those predictions and is making life hard for many Californians. The state has spent much of the year preparing for the drought by instating various conservation programs. Even so, while some conservation programs appear to be working, some news reports say that water usage in the state is actually up. The unprecedented drought has garnered national attention and many other drought-plagued states are watching to see if and how California solves this situation. According to a PBS report, about 60% of the state is experiencing severe drought conditions.

Stealing Water

Adding to the drought problem are water thieves that have begun making headlines of late. In some of California’s worst hit areas, water has become a black market commodity, with some people turning to illegal means as a way of acquiring it. Thieves are actually stealing billions of gallons of water from both local and public water sources like hydrants. In some instances, even fire departments have been left with reduced water supplies, even during wildfire season. In the end, the state loses money from the theft, but Californians are losing the water they need to drink, to bathe, and to irrigate crops.

Who Is Stealing Water?

Reports have suggested that some of the water thieves may be illegal marijuana farm operators. In North San Juan, for instance, authorities suspect that area marijuana growers are responsible for a recent water theft. Some of the water rustlers are actually filling up trucks illegally at hydrants. Reports also suggest that residents may be diverting water illegally to empty wells. Even water theft in urban areas seems to be increasing. Some of the thieves are even siphoning water right from the rivers.

Dealing with the Problem

The state has been looking for ways to deter thieves from stealing water while it continues to promote extreme conservation efforts. Many communities have resorted to setting up special water patrols to ensure that water supplies remain safe. There are also hotlines in place for people to call to report water theft in their area. While state officials have been proposing a crackdown on these illegal practices, it has been difficult to apprehend the water thieves while in the act of stealing the water. Without an increase in rain, many people expect these instances of theft to continue, which could exacerbate the water supply problem in many areas of the state.

The drought in California is certainly serious enough; yet, water thieves have made this natural disaster even more complex. For now, the state is encouraging added vigilance to help protect its valuable water supplies.

Sources

1. The Week, “California’s drought has reached Biblical-plague proportions. It’s time for a drastic measure,” http://theweek.com/article/index/271693/californias-drought-has-reached-biblical-plague-proportions-its-time-for-a-drastic-measure

2. Fast Haul, “Water Thieves Adding to CA’s Drought Woes,” http://www.fasthaul.com/ecoblog/2014/11/15/water-thieves-adding-to-cas-drought-woes/