For those of us who spent years living a lie during our active addiction, and even into our early recovery, learning to be rigorously honest is downright scary. Dishonesty became woven into the fabric of our lives. We went to great lengths to avoid the truth. That way we could avoid the pain that comes with telling the truth. It takes great courage to finally open up and be willing to be honest. And while it may be painful at first, it gets easier with practice.

The fact is we can’t obtain meaningful emotional recovery if we are still living a lie. The first person we have to start being truthful with is ourselves. We know deep inside when we are not telling the truth. The more we lie, the less we like ourselves. Lying takes us back to that secretive, shameful place we knew in our active addiction. Lying takes enormous energy and when we do so, our sense of self-worth plummets and we feel the urge to escape from ourselves… and so we are tempted use again. In fact, dishonesty is a sign of pending relapse. It is often quoted in recovery circles “behind every relapse there is a lie or a secret.”

Three primary lessons we learn growing up in a family with addiction are: don’t tell the truth, don’t rock the boat or keep the peace at all costs, and don’t talk about feelings. No wonder telling lies and living a lie became second nature to so many of us. These messages get locked into the mainframe and the processes run automatically – our behavioral radar is established: we need to be liked and want to please others and so we never really get to know who we are… all this and many of us weren’t even 10 years of age!

Hopefully life will take us to that place of surrender where we begin to realize the full freedom of the words, “and the truth will set you free.” When we are rigorously honest we don’t give our addiction room to hide. Hard honesty not only means telling the truth, it requires consistency in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Truth has an amazing quality of lightness, while lies and secrets feel heavy. If you shine the light of truth on any difficult situation, the feelings of anxiety fade away. Darkness cannot prevail when you shine a light on it. Intentional deception or dishonesty about ourselves and our world is not an option when we work at being rigorously honest.

As addicts, we not only tell lies, we often live a lie – we present ourselves to others, especially those we love and care deeply about, as though we are living one way when we are not. Telling a lie can be harmful to everyone; however, living a lie eats you up and eventually destroys our spirit.

Father Martin, a recovered alcoholic and a Catholic Priest, said “telling a lie won’t kill you, although it might get you into trouble. However, living a lie will kill you spiritually, emotionally, and possibly physically.” Living a lie happens when we consistently present ourselves to those who love and care about to be living a certain way, when in fact we are not.

The first step to living honestly is to accept where we have been hiding out, not telling the truth, and living a lie. When doing this, keep in mind there is no blame and there is no shame. It takes courage to be honest in every aspect of our life. This does not mean saying things to people that may be honest, but not helpful. Honesty also means no cheating or stealing. If you cheat on your partner, fudge your income taxes, or steal office supplies from your employer you are being dishonest. We may think we are being honest when it comes to our addiction, but if we start telling ‘white’ lies in other areas of our life, our recovery foundation will start to crack… and over time cracks grow in size, weaken the structure, and eventually cause it to collapse.

To learn how to become honest in recovery, we can begin by doing the work of a 12-step program. Working on steps four and five (Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves and admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.) really address the issue of honesty. Following through on these steps is what the work of recovery is all about. Of course people have a choice to do this work or not do it. If you don’t, you don’t get the payoff – the opportunity to become happy, joyous, and free.

Being rigorously honest isn’t something that happens overnight. Learning to be more honest is an incremental process – you can only be as honest as you believe yourself capable of being. As you work with it and become more truthful with others, you become more honest with yourself and realize there is more you can do to really be rigorously honest ‘all the time, about everything, to everyone’.

Recently I read Susan Orlean’s interesting biography of Rin Tin Tin (Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend). After finishing the book I had a clear understanding of why German shepherds serve well as guide dogs. They were originally bred, in Germany (of course) in 1899, to reflect those qualities that breed founder Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz valued. Orlean quoted from von Stephanitz’s book The German Shepherd Dog that he liked dogs who demonstrated “attentiveness, unshockability, tractability, watchfulness, reliability, and incorruptibility.” The final trait they displayed that assured the shepherd’s suitability as a guide dog was their “unique capacity for bonding with human beings,” in particular with their individual masters. That clincher gave me a clear understanding too of why French bulldogs, including my Phil, would never serve well as guide dogs. At least not the traditional kind, and herein lies the lesson.

My dog fact book accurately describes Frenchies as “brave, active, and alert.” So far so good as guide-dog potential, right? But then it goes on to observe, in fabulous understatement, that a French bulldog “doesn’t care much for submission.” HA! When I adopted Phil as a two-and-a-half-year-old, he was a housebroken, beautifully trained show dog, owned and handled by an experienced breeder, Pat Pearce, who said she was placing him as a pet because in the performance ring he “lacked focus.” I now beg to differ. He has focus, so long as it’s on what he wants. I joke frequently that I take Phil for skids, not walks, because he plants his four meaty bulldog paws, plainly just on non-submission principle, and I end up having to drag him to get him anywhere. Once when my husband was doing the same thing, a woman walked up and threatened to report him for abusing a dog by pulling him. (She did not notice that we use a chest harness on him, not a neck collar, to accommodate his hard-wired stubbornness humanely.) My husband asked her, “Lady, have you ever owned a bulldog?”

I’ve learned to work a little better with him by now, but nonetheless I finally get what the vet exclaimed on Phil’s initial visit to the clinic: “You picked a bulldog as your first dog ever?” Yes, and I am heartsmitten.

The fact book also says that a Frenchy “needs plenty of love.” That’s because a Frenchy gives plenty. When I was getting information about the breed from Pat, she asked if I was looking for a watchdog. “No,” I answered, and she said, “Good, because Phil might try to lick someone to death, but that’s the most he’d do to an intruder!”

Phil loves everyone, not just his master a là the German shepherd. Well, almost everyone. There has been the occasional snub, usually just after I’ve gushed, “Sure, you can pet him! Phil adores people.” Embarrassing. But in the entire four years+ I’ve had him, that’s happened perhaps a half-dozen times. Because he’s generally such a people person, he especially likes to take walks (and the random skid) downtown. We live in a small New Mexico city that attracts many tourists and the town’s central plaza is the locus for sightseeing activities. As many times as Phil has had his photo taken by visitors from all over, I believe he himself is one of those activities. I’m no longer surprised when I hear Phil called by name during an outing. A real dog-about-town, he has made many friends. He is adorable, he is loving, he is kind.

Our city attracts another type of traveler too, by whom Phil has always been intrigued also. Seasonal homeless visitors begin to arrive in springtime for the warm months. I believe they gravitate here because our town is politically liberal, tolerant and generous (not to mention lightly policed), and the word has spread among the transient community in the region. They come, they panhandle at traffic intersections, I agonize over whether or not to hand them money out my car window. Would I be aiding an addiction or providing a hot meal? I don’t know. Sometimes I give, sometimes I don’t. But my husband and I contribute consistently to a local organization for the homeless and their pets–a nice distant sanitized way of assuaging my guilt. I suppose that marks me as charitably ambivalent. Which my dog definitely isn’t.

Phil knows that there’s another way to give. From the beginning of our life together, when we walk during “homeless season” he has approached groups of itinerants (who always seem to hang out in packs) to say hello, to satisfy his curiosity about them, to inhale their often edgy scents, to simply connect. Uncomfortable though I was at the likelihood of having to interact with these people, I didn’t want to be observed forcing him away from them–I’ll always be the product of my Southern upbringing, whereby I must convince the folks I dislike the most that I really don’t dislike them (don’t ask what that’s all about, because I don’t rightly know). So I began to anticipate his veerings toward such a crowd well in advance, steering him discreetly in another direction. His love of homeless people accounts for my learning to handle better his intractability. And my own.

This past summer on a Sunday morning when I wasn’t paying attention on a walk with Phil, he sidled over to two transient youths sitting in a pocket park near downtown. Too late for a tactful change of course. “Can I pet your dog?” one of the boys called to me. “Sure,” I said as he was coming toward me. He was skinny, not too dirty, dark-haired, jittery, hyperalert. We began to talk as Phil stood still and received his attentions. The boy asked me, “Do you live in town?” I answered yes and then asked if he did too. “Naw, I’m just a street kid. My mom died and I’ve been living on my own.”

I told him how sorry I was for his loss and asked how long ago she’d died. “About two weeks ago,” he said. “But she wasn’t a very good mother anyway. She was an addict and finally o.d.’d so no one could save her.” We talked on, about his stepfather (he didn’t know where his birth father was) and about the boy’s having gone to the funeral. I finally asked if he had someone professional to talk to about all this, that I knew of places in town where he could get counseling at no cost. He knew about the center for homeless youth, he said, and the people there had been very helpful.

The next morning I phoned the youth center to volunteer. Something about that kid’s saying he was just a street kid I found devastating. That one little word revealed his opinion of himself, as though he didn’t count for anything, as though “a street kid” is hardly human. Surely people simply showing up would help to convince him–and more like him–otherwise. However, the center was currently without a coordinator to train volunteer prospects, I was told. I left my name and number for when the situation changes. But it hasn’t yet, evidently.

In the meantime I follow Phil’s lead. During our most recent visit with a homeless group, my husband was with us. He stood quietly to the side while Phil and I approached the four people. I talked to them, waiting for breakfast provided at a nearby church, and Phil got an eye-level head rubbing from one of the two teens sitting below on some steps. “He likes to give love,” I told the boy. “Well, I sure need it” he replied. We chatted some more, all four interested in knowing more about Phil. And they told me about the places in town that served them the tastiest meals, confirming that food is more than just nutrition; it’s one of life’s pleasures and should be to them too. At the end, the boy kissed Phil on top of his head and then let him go. As we walked away, I heard him say to the others, “What a cool dog.”

Phil bulldozes his way fearlessly into a community that I’d be too timid (or anxious) to enter on my own. He provides me with an opportunity to be with these people simply as fellow human beings, in a more equal way than a volunteer relates necessarily to a recipient or a benefactor to a panhandler. In his way he’s loyal to the bone to them. His very acceptance is his charity.

He’s my guide dog.

When you are on holiday, the best way to explore the city or countryside is by car. This allows you the freedom to visit places that you want at your own convenience and time. But to make this experience pleasant, it is important that you get a car hire from the best rental company. You must focus on getting the best bargain and also the right vehicle for your travel.

Here are some tips that will steer you in making the right car rental selection:

Getting the best bargain for your money applies to a car hire too. Go through advertisements or online websites and pick out three to five car rental firms. Make a comparison between the costs and the services offered by these companies before making your final selection. Remember to read the fine print; most often, companies will quote a figure with hidden charges. So make sure that the amount quoted is inclusive of all charges to avoid nasty surprises later on.

Instead of just relying on the information available on a company’s website, make sure that you give a call to the customer service executive before finalizing the deal. This way, you will be able to gather more details regarding the cost, services offered, model and make of vehicle and also availability of special offers and discounts. A phone call will be able to clarify all your doubts and queries; the customer service provided will also give you a clue regarding the car hire company.

It is also important to clarify before-hand the charges that will be incurred for extra services. Some car rental companies can charge through the roof for drop-off services if the destination differs from your pick up point. Make sure that you discuss these before the contract is signed. Other services that will usually be charged extra include roadside assistance. This is an important service especially if you have elderly people travelling with you. So find out about the costs before-hand and sign the deal accordingly.

Enquire about the insurance policy offered by the car hire company. Usually, your personal insurance is more than enough to cover the rental car too. But it is important that you talk with your insurance agent regarding this before paying the heavy insurance fees levied by the rental firm. Keeping these tips in mind will help you book the right vehicle for your trip which fits exactly within your budget.

Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, “A Strong Body Makes A Strong Mind”.

But does it really? We know how to exercise our physical muscles to keep them strong. But how do we exercise our mind to keep it strong? I am going to introduce you to your six intellectual faculties which are your mental muscles. Successful people and those that live above the ordinary tap into them all the time. Why do you think 5% of the population own 95% of the wealth? The more you exercise these six intellectual faculties the more freedom and power you will have to achieve any goal you desire.

Most of us live through our five sensory faculties: see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. Why? Because we have been conditioned to do so. We have been programmed to allow outside influences to dictate how we think, behave, feel, and the results that we experience in our lives.

Here’s an example: Marcie has a dream. She wants to quit her job and start her own business. She has been thinking about this goal for a very long time. Finally, she shares her goal with family and friends. What does she hear? Nothing but disparaging, discouraging, disheartening comments surround her.

Here are some examples: “Are you serious? You have an amazing job with great benefits. Have you thought about what that would do to your family? Don’t you listen to the news and read the paper? Haven’t you read about the success rate and statistics regarding anyone starting a new business in this economy? They are pretty low don’t you know.”

And on and on it goes. Sound familiar? If Marcie listens to those comments and allows outside influences to dictate whether or not she goes for her goal, she may very well put her dream out along with the trash. BUT if she taps into her six intellectual faculties, her mental muscles, no outside influences, obstacles, or objections can stand in her way.

The six intellectual faculties lay beyond the physical senses. They are in the conscious mind which is the thinking mind. These mental muscles when exercised will help us to achieve any goal we desire. Let’s zero in on them. They are Imagination, Will, Reason, Perception, Memory, and Intuition.

Use your Imagination. It is the image maker. It is the beginning of all creation. It is the workshop of the mind. When was the last time you sat down, closed your eyes, and used your Imagination to take you on a trip? Close your eyes right now and imagine you have achieved your greatest goal. Imagine what it looks like. Feel in possession of it for a few moments…

Exercising our Imagination allows us to see our goal on the screen of our mind with clarity and in vivid detail. When we picture our goal in our imagination the next mental muscle helps to hold it there.

Use your Will. Exercising the Will means having the power to push out all distractions and outside influences. It gives you the ability to focus, concentrate, and hone in on one goal or objective. Exercising the Will keeps your mental eye on the prize.

Use your Reason. Exercising the Reason allows us to take harmonious thoughts and weave them into wondrous ideas. Our reasoning is our thinking. We have the freedom to think whatever we want to think. No one can tell us what to think. Unfortunately, most people don’t think. They think they are thinking when the voice in the head is talking all day long. That is mental chatter and not thinking. Henry Ford said, “Thinking is hard work and probably why so few people engage in it”.

Exercising Reason will point us to the right action steps to achieve our goal.

Use your Perception. This is our point of view. Expanding our Perception allows us to look from others’ points of view and opens our visual prism to see with an open mind. Exercising our Perception helps us access more insight and awareness to see opportunities for achieving a goal that we might otherwise miss.

Use your Memory. We have a great Memory. It is just that we don’t exercise it very much and it’s weak from lack of use. There is a great book written by Harry Laraine and Jerry Lucas called The Memory Book. There is a chapter on remembering names. Completing the exercises on recalling names will blow your mind on just how perfect your Memory is. You may never forget another name again. Exercising the Memory means pushing aside the negative associations that the Memory reminds us from the past, and helps us forge forward toward our objective. As a result, we will create new, positive memories as we move onward to achieve our goal.

Use your Intuition. Most people don’t listen to their inner voice–that knowing that comes from within. Exercising the Intuition means tapping into and trusting the inner wisdom that points it finger to the right course of action. Be Still and Listen. It is the hunches, flashes and inspiration that don’t come in from the senses. Learning to trust and exercise our Intuition will help us to make right decisions with confidence in helping to achieve our goal.

If we exercise our mental muscles, our six intellectual faculties, the Imagination, Will, Reason, Perception, Memory, and Intuition, we can achieve any goal that we desire. Successful people and people who live above the ordinary tap into these gifts every time they want to achieve a lifechanging goal.

It is where our power and freedom live.

Recently a top sportswoman was quoted as saying that she felt the same in her fifties as she did in her thirties; I’m guessing many people would echo her sentiments. And as the baby boomer generation hit their fifties, and 34% of the population are now aged fifty or more, we’re all anticipating living longer, fitter, fulfilling lives. For many of us the way we experience ageing and middle age has become a more fluid and relaxed affair. Getting older appears to have fewer defined parameters and stereotypes associated with ageing.

How many of us now look in the mirror and see an elderly person looking back at us? With the ready availability of hair colouring, access to improved diet and health care, and the choice of many non-invasive surgical treatments we’re able to chase the years away with relative ease. Remaining interested and keeping in touch with what’s happening in the world keeps us young in outlook, connected and it’s never been easier.

Fashion, too, is more inclusive as fashion houses appreciate that older people are a lucrative market to target. Leisure activities and sportswear geared to people with a surfeit of leisure time and disposable income is a valuable source of custom. Many older people are inclined to take up sport, golf, are keen to travel more and enjoy a full social life. There’s demand for an attractive wardrobe to support that lifestyle.

An increasingly large percentage of the population are self-employed, which allows for greater freedom in planning their diaries, with the option to adapt and change how they apply their commitment to work. It means that retirement does not have to occur at a pre-determined age or time in life; winding down can be incorporated as and when required.

Then, there are those people who have perhaps waited until their fifties for their children to leave home or to start the process of ending an unhappy relationship. This decision will prompt significant financial and domestic upheaval, but often provides an eagerly anticipated new start to life.

For some, financial pressure may have eased as they’ve become older, with the mortgage paid off, the children’s education finished and perhaps a pension starting to pay out. Others may still need or want to work; earning money might be an important consideration, plus the routine and social side of work brings structure and social interaction into their life.

Feeling younger than our years is about both mental and physical activity and stimulus. The University of the Third Age is one organisation that provides interesting courses and events for older people, but many training courses which support hobbies, arts and crafts as well as retraining for professional qualifications are all available to people of a certain age. They provide routine, purpose, challenge, as well as opportunities for social interaction and friendship. Mental and physical exercise, from walking, yoga, sport to quizzes and stimulating conversation are all crucial in helping to keep us young.

As we get older some people may have started to experience physical or health-related limitations, but this does not need to necessitate closing the door on a satisfying and fulfilling life. Different levels of support in the home can be tailored to suit each individual’s needs, from meal delivery, cleaning services, through to companionship and overnight care. Access to online can bring so much, including family, friendship, shopping, work, training courses and entertainment readily into the home, as and when required.

Down-sizing is an attractive option for many once their children have left home and are committed to living their lives independently. Doing this may well release some capital and bring less responsibility in terms of maintenance and overheads. Reducing financial stress is an important way to keep us young, healthy and engaged in living an active life.

Some people may use later life to revisit an interest from their earlier years that they chose to abandon or were unable to follow through. Or later in life may be a good time to set up a new business interest, a consultancy maybe where there’s the freedom to pursue a new, satisfying route to success.

For others, they’ve drawn up a bucket list of things they want to do, places they want to visit whilst they’re still fit and able to enjoy them. Many tour operators have adventure trips or long-stay options for those who have the time, money and inclination to take up these opportunities and it’s a lovely way to fill the colder months with activity, warmth and a comfortable lifestyle.

The saying ‘health is wealth’ is especially true as we get older, with many people being fitter, having more disposable income, ready and able to enjoy the freedom that comes with less responsibility. Caring for grandchildren may be one way to enjoy some days, but many in their later years also have busy diaries, filled with plans, clubs and social events. Keeping active and interested, being open and receptive to new opportunities in life is a major antidote to ageing.

Whenever a company intends buy items in bulk from the market, a price quotation is usually requested from different sellers. This enables the buyer to compare prices, technical specifications, if need be, and product quality from different sources. This helps the buyer make the best choice from the pack. Also, this request makes it easier for the seller to understand the buyer’s requirement and intent on the subject matter. It is actually the first step in purchase/supply of any commodity or service in the world of business.

There are numerous benefits attached to using price quotations as a starting point in business transactions. Most importantly, it gives the buyer the opportunity to compare quality and prices of goods and services before making a decision, unlike a monopolized market where there is only one seller available.

Another key benefit here is that such requests help to build relationship between business owners leading to increased opportunities for Business to Business (B2B) transactions. How? You might ask. In most cases, the buyer will write a letter or send an e-mail to the seller showing his interest in a particular item or service. Information like quantity of an item, its intended use, payment procedures and methods will be supplied in addition to the buyer’s contact details. The seller will also respond in same fashion. These interactions usually lead to mutually rewarding relationships in the long run.

Requests for price quotations are avenues for sellers to market other products and services incidental to that requested by the buyer. Company profiles are usually included in these quotations and the spell out all goods and services offered by the company. Also, company brochures can be included in the quotation pack, further exposing the seller to more business opportunities.

Finally, the use of price quotation for choosing sellers breeds competitiveness between sellers. Since price quotations are not only judged based on amount, but other factors which include technical specifications, delivery time, job quality, and previous job experience etc., they strive to ensure that all details are included and properly outlined.

Overall, a very good price quotation acts as your voice in the presence of a buyer, and can be a convincing factor to be the chosen seller.

The going worth of individual comic books can range all over the board. Some issues

have been know to bring in monetary value of six figures, while other issues aren’t even

worth the price you paid for them. Action Comics #1 (the introduction of Superman) in

mint condition has been quoted at being worth $650,000. A pretty tidy piece of change.

Then Weird Science, issue #13, in near mint condition can command a respectable price

tag of $5,750. There are also multitudes of back issues purchased at a newsstand price of

around 5 bucks, that are now worth even less than that.

So how does one go about determining the actual value of their individual collections?

This is not an easy task or one to be taken lightly. Comic book worth is a highly

perceived value and will vary quite greatly, depending on which opinion you choose to

follow. By all means, if there is a reputable comic book dealer in your local area that you

are comfortable dealing with, get his or her opinion. But in all my research so far, it

seems that “The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide” is the bible of most active comic

book collectors.

I have my copy in electronic format, reachable from my desktop. It is very handy. If you

truly want to understand what your magazines are worth, the first thing you need to do is

to determine the physical condition of each comic book. Is it raggady ass poor with pages

missing and in need of a paper clip to hold it together or has it never been opened since

purchased and appears to be in mint condition? Even brand new comic books may not

make the grade of mint or perfect condition.

Overstreet gives a very detailed description of all the grades and sub-grades used in the

0.5 to 10.0 scale, generally acceptable by all comic book aficionados. If you follow his

physical condition explanations and grading scale, you will get a pretty good feel for the

conditions of your own collection.

The next step in your pricing exercise is to then go through the myriad of pages to find

your particular issues. Along with your now determined physical and grade conditions,

you can find your issue’s current assumed value.

This guide also has tips on collecting, preserving and storing your comic books. And it

defines the various ages (Golden Age, Silver Age, etc.) that comic book history has

moved through.

I guess if I had to mention a drawback to this guide, it would be the fact that there is soo

much information to go through, it could take you quit a while to devour the whole book.

Once you get well acquainted and comfortable with the guide though, you could consider

yourself an expert in your own right and help your friends out with their collecting and

pricing questions.

I do believe this guide to be an invaluable and inexpensive resource to have and I don’t

think you will be disappointed with it. You can visit Heritage Comics at

http://www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/CBPG to learn more about the guide.

While you are there, you may want to surf around Heritage’s site. There are some very

interesting subjects there. If you have never seen Heritage Comics’ site before and you

really enjoy it, just remember where you heard about it at (ha, ha). Of course if you

would rather have a hard copy of the Overstreet Guide, I an sure your local comic book

store would have a copy and I hope this little review has helped you with your pricing questions.

Can you believe a medical doctor made this statement? This statement by Dr. Joseph Mercola, a well-known “health expert and nutritionist,” can be found on the internet on the first page of search results Googling Distilled Water.

Jim Jones advocated an early death from drinking Kool-Aid; and his flock of 900 forfeited their lives as a consequence of following his teachings and proclamations. You may consider that shocking or hard to believe, but there are millions of people who will vote for a smooth-talking presidential candidate with a charming, addictive, trusting smile and a basket full of “false promises,” yet never bother to invest the time or energy to investigate his beliefs, goals, or background. They would rather accept whatever propaganda the media feeds them.

After publishing his statement on the internet that drinking distilled water will kill you, Dr. Mercola also dropped the names of two other “doctors,” Zoltan Rona, MD, and Pavlo Ariola, ND, who just happened to have quoted him, including many amateur “experts” in their articles, blogs and websites. None of these researchers or writers bothered doing their own research, such as:

• Checking out Mercola’s motives behind making such a ridiculous statement about pure water;
• Researching Mercola’s premise for stating, “Early death comes from drinking distilled water”;
• Seeking the opinions of renowned, respected experts from the science and the medical fields.

1. First Come the Motives

In my own personal research I quickly discovered that Dr. Mercola markets dozens of health products on his website and has been cited several times by the FDA for making health claims about certain products that cure diseases. He also sells a carbon water filter for a multi-level marketing company, Aquasana. What’s more, these carbon filters do not remove the total quantities of over 250 known toxic chemicals found in various municipal water supplies across the US. Now you can understand why Dr. Mercola would make a provocative claim about water that is pure and free of any type of contaminant, since he promotes a water purifier that does not remove everything from the water, in particular, inorganic minerals.

2. Second is the Premise

There have been scores of people quoting Dr. Mercola in articles, blogs, periodicals and websites.

Dr. Mercola claims that since distilled water is pure water, “Distilled water will leach minerals from the body and since it is ‘hungry water,’ it will absorb carbon dioxide out of the air and turn it acidic. And as an acidic water, it will dissolve even more minerals from the body.” This is not true! This ridiculous statement flies in the face of simple elementary science, chemistry and biology 101. First of all, a glass of distilled water definitely does not become acidic while simply sitting on the counter. As a matter of fact, after one day or one year, it is still pure distilled water with a pH of 7 (neutral). Furthermore, it is impossible for pure distilled water (H2O) to leach minerals from your body! Why? Because the water is quickly transformed into blood, lymph, digestive juices, lubricants, bile and other bodily fluids, and is no longer two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. The major advantage of distilled water over any other water is that the body is not required to clean it up first, removing all its toxins, carcinogens, and inorganic (non-chelated) minerals that contribute to kidney stones, gall stones, plaque, and many other ailments. Incidentally, these are the same minerals that the Aquasana filters do not remove!

3. Third is the Other Expert Opinion

Dr. Andrew Weil, founder and director of The College of Medicine, University of Arizona, graduated with a medical degree, plus an undergraduate degree in biology from Harvard. He has been a frequent guest for many years on Oprah, Larry King, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, USA Today and the New York Times. He was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine; was on the front cover of Time Magazine three times, as well as Discover and Natural Health magazines. Dr. Weil says, “Distilled water is free from all contaminants, carcinogens, toxins, bacteria, viruses and all other organic and inorganic substances. Once water is distilled it is literally pure H2O. Even though all the organic and inorganic minerals are removed through distillation, I don’t see this as an issue since we don’t get our required minerals from water, we get them from food. As for acidity, distilled water is seven on the pH scale, which is neutral, and has absolutely no effect whatsoever on the acid-to-base balance of our bodies. Distilled water is safe and healthy to drink and it is what I use myself.”

As for Dr. Mercola’s statement, “Early death comes from drinking distilled water,” Dr Charles Bragg wrote, “The Shocking Truth About Water” and “The Miracle of Fasting,” both of which books I read in 1972 at age 25. As a result, I have been fasting every year since and drinking at least a gallon of distilled water daily for over 40 years, and I haven’t died an early death. In fact, I have never been sick or ingested one single medicine, not even an aspirin.

I guess that “A man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man [or a doctor] with an argument.”

With all the changes in search algorithms, many web content writers seem to get confused about writing quality and unique content. You can certainly write a quality blog post and still have it rank poorly in the search. The reason could be that the post, even though unique in nature, didn’t actually provide any unique value to the user.

When people search the web, they are looking for specific information. They may want an answer to a question or advice on which to make an important buying decision. Let’s look at some characteristics that indicate blog and web content isn’t unique unless it delivers unique value to the reader.

The First Key To Successful Blog and Web Content Is Quality

Google’s quality guidelines indicates quality content must be unique, valuable, and engaging. These guidelines also ask the question – “Would I do this if search engines didn’t exist?” Quality content provides real answers to people’s questions. It’s content that people can easily digest and appreciate because it entertains them or tells them how to do something. Quality content is content that gets quoted, linked to, and shared.

Quality Content Must Be Unique

It’s certainly not easy to come up with a totally original blog post idea. Chances are that if you Google the topic, someone has already written about it. The simple solution to this dilemma is to approach the subject from a different angle. Instead of writing “How To Write A Successful Blog”, write about “5 Ways Your Blog Can Fail”. If you make every word count in short sentences, using simple precise words, you are on the right track to being unique.

Unique Content Must Provide Unique Value

In order to deliver quality content with a unique value you must understand your audience. What questions are they asking in social media networks? What are their worries or goals? You can also share solutions to problems you’ve personally experienced.

People are defining the quality of web content in social media. It’s very important that all content writers listen to what they are saying to their friends and co-workers.

We must give definite answers and not just direct them to another place where they can find the answers.

Your blog and web content must not appear to only be a sales brochure. Instead, focus on delivering quality content that helps build relationships. You must first build trust and credibility with your target audience. Once that is accomplished, the sales will come.

Actor Humphrey Bogart did not say, “Play it again, Sam,” in the 1942 film “Casablanca.” His co-star, Ingrid Bergman, said to the piano player at “Rick’s Cafe Americain Nightclub,” “Play it once, Sam, for old time’s sake. Play ‘As Time Goes By.'” The misquote is memorable. But, how did folks believe that Bogart said it?

“Me Tarzan, you Jane.” This quotation is explained by an interview in which actor Johnny Weissmuller said that his role in “Tarzan the Ape man” did not require his skill as an actor. Explainable, yes, but he did not provide the quote in the film.

William Shatner, playing Captain Kirk in the TV series and films titled, “Star Trek,” did not say, “Beam me up Scotty,” in any of them.

What did Tom Hanks’ character, “Forrest Gump” say about a box of chocolate? Web Search to see if what Gump said in the film is what you heard. These are harmless mis-quotations, but sometimes a misquotation of a real person might change a human outcome.

Web Search, Matthew 28: 16-20. Jesus, three days after his crucifixion and death, defeated death. He appeared to his surviving eleven disciples, as he foretold. Disciple Matthew quoted the resurrected Jesus. You will not find, “Now go forth and grow the Christian Church,” among Jesus’ words. Yet, many Christians believe that Jesus commanded his disciples to do that. Rather, he told his disciples to go out and make more disciples of (I think the meaning is “in”) all of the nations. This command opened up the path to salvation for everyone, not just the Hebrew People to whom Jesus was sent. These verses are known as “The Great Commission.”

Matthew wrote what he heard (the way he remembered it). Matthew also wrote Matthew 18: 20, which (I believe) describes the Christian Church as at least two people who cooperate to worship God (in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Jesus said in these verses that he would be there with them. That fits with verse 20 of Matthew 28: 16-20. To me, the emphasis appears to be on a disciple who knows and can teach the commands of Jesus to another person who is willing to learn, to accept, and obey the teaching, which enables that second person to become a disciple and teach someone else.