Author: Cigarster

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Robert Frank’s book titled Richistan is about the lives of the new rich and those who make up the wealth boom occurring in the United States. The book is 250 pages long and is fun to read. While we know there are millions of millionaires in the world, Frank exposes them in completely new ways, from how they hire butlers to the silly ways in which they make their fortunes. Frank gives us perspectives that we never think about when it comes to the self-made, rich population.

To start the book, the author gives the reader an idea of just how many millionaires there are in the United States; about eight million as of 2003. This number has risen drastically between 2003 and 2009. He also goes on to define the term “Richistan,” and divides his new country into three different categories based on household net worth. Lower Richistan consists of households worth $1 million to $10 million dollars. Middle Richistan consists of households worth $10 million to $100 million dollars. The elite Upper Richistanis consist of households worth $100 million to $1 billion dollars. There are only several thousand households in the Upper Richistani category.

Chapter one is titled, “Butler Boot Camp: Housetraining the New Rich.” This chapter serves as a great introduction to the secret world of the new rich households. Frank talks of butler boot camps, especially the boot camp held at the prestigious Starkey International Institute for Household Management. Here, men and women train to simply run the households of millionaires and billionaires and get paid a ridiculous amount of money to answer to the wishes and needs of the super rich. These butlers get paid anywhere from $75,000 dollars to well into six-figure territory. They must know how to please the super rich, and tasks include washing high-end cars, rolling cigars, setting up home entertainment systems, and the usual services such as cooking and babysitting.

Chapter two is titled, “The Third Wave: The Era of the Instapreneur.” There are thousands of people who are becoming instant millionaires every year. In fact, in 2005 there were about 227,000 new financial millionaires in the United States alone. Robert Frank describes in this chapter the six ways that most people acquire their wealth and points out several individuals who have instantly made millions of dollars through development and sales of several large companies. Jared Polis, for example, has developed more than a dozen companies and sold them all for more than a total of $600 million dollars.

Chapter three is titled, “Making It: Ed Bazinet, King of the Ceramic Village.” This chapter is devoted to those who have made fortunes in an unlikely manner. One person mentioned in this chapter is Sydell Miller. Ms. Miller operated a hair salon and developed a shampoo line called Matrix Essentials, which she was fortunate enough to sell to Bristol-Myers Squibb for a mere $1 billion dollars. Then there is the chapter’s title man, Ed Bazinet, who created miniature ceramic houses and ended up mass producing them for department stores. By taking a chance and producing his line of mini houses, he is worth over $100 million dollars. This chapter gives you the feeling that anyone can be rich if you have the will and a good idea.

Chapter four is titled, “Living It: Tim Blixseth.” This chapter talks about those who love their work and make their work their life. Men and women like Tim Blixseth do not seem to have the capability to relax; they are always thinking about business. Tim may be on vacation or relaxing on his yacht, but he never stops working on his business. Blixseth started in business at a young age by buying and selling timber to various other companies, and eventually started the Yellowstone Club, which charges $250,000 dollars to join and millions of dollars for the right to build a house on his land. This ultra-exclusive club has members such as Bill Gates and Dan Quayle who want their own retreat where privacy is at a maximum.

Chapter six is titled, “Barbarians in the Ballroom: New Money vs. Old.” Formal celebrations and balls are popular in the world of the ultra-rich. People are invited and expected to attend, knowing that a large monetary donation to the charity of choice is mandatory. The rich must donate large amounts of money and when they fail to donate, controversy arises. Not only are people expected to donate up to millions of dollars at a time, but there is also controversy about who is allowed or nominated to be chairperson of these formal events. The chapter goes on to discuss homes owned by Donald Trump and Sean Combs and how much property in various parts of the country can sell for. This chapter is the least interesting of the book, but still gives good information on the world of the ultra-rich.

Chapter seven is titled, “Size Really Does Matter: My Boat is Bigger than Your Boat.” The seventh chapter is all about comparing the property and expenses of the rich versus the ultra-rich. Mega yachts seem like standard property for a rich person these days, and boats are coming in huge sizes with all kinds of crazy options. Some foreign leaders are having boats made that are about 500 feet long, costing over $200 million dollars to build. The boats come with smaller boats, helicopter pads, dozens of hot tubs, swimming pools, theaters, gold-plated bathrooms, etc. The author goes on to mention how millionaires compare cars, watches, and homes, and spend vast amounts of money just so they can have the biggest and the best.

Chapter eight is called, “Performance Philanthropy: Giving for Results.” This chapter is intriguing, and it discusses entrepreneurial charity. People like Philip Berber who made a vast amount of money with an online stock trading company which he sold for nearly a half billion dollars, are finding new ways to spend their money. Berber started Glimmer of Hope, a company which uses large amounts of money to help make the world a better place. Other millionaires and billionaires like Michael Dell have donated millions of dollars to help Berber build schools, health clinics, waters wells, and vet clinics in countries where poverty is a severe issue. Men and women like Berber and Dell have high hopes to heal the world and have taken the initiative to help fight poverty with the fortunes they have accumulated.

Chapter nine is titled, “Move Over, Christian Coalition: The New Political Kingmakers.” The ninth chapter deals with the money that drives politics and campaigns. This chapter presents how policymakers ask for money to fuel their campaigns and the differences between the techniques Republicans and Democrats use to find their much-needed money. Four Democratic supporters in Colorado helped to elect their candidate to the House of Representatives. Not only did this happen in Colorado and the House of Representatives, but it happens all the time in the race for President of the United States. The Republican Party often gains large sums of money in a public manner while the Democratic Party often collects money from the ultra-rich in a more private manner. This chapter shows that people will stop at nothing to have their candidate nominated into office, even if it means donating millions of dollars every year.

Chapters ten and eleven are titled, “Worried Wealth: The Trouble With Money,” and, “Aristokids: We’ll Always Have Paris.” These two chapters talk about the troubles that come with large amounts of money. For example, more than half of America’s super-rich agree that money does not buy happiness. Money can dominate their lives and leave little time for personal time with kids and spouses. Money can cause such concern that millionaires have started meeting groups to discuss financial matters and meet with similar people in similar situations to get concerns out in the open. Who better to talk about your millions of dollars with than other millionaires? The final chapter of the book talks about the super rich children, or those who are in prime position to inherit fortunes. Kids today are attending classes to learn about manners and living the high-life. They also are being forced to learn about finances and what to do with millions of dollars so when they do inherit the money one day, they will not make unwise decisions and blow the money away like many of today’s celebrities and heirs/heiresses are doing.

Overall, Richistan is an engaging and enlightening book about today’s new rich. This book will keep you reading as you learn facts about the rich that you probably never knew. The chapters about prestigious butlers and how “bigger is better” are especially interesting and will give you a great idea how millionaires and billionaires really live and spend their fortunes. This book is rated 4.5 out of 5.

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Source by Daniel Breedlove

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Millions of would-be entrepreneurs want to sell things on ebay. eBay is the #1 home-business opportunity in the world right now, so it’s natural that many are eager to find highly profitable items for re-sale on eBay. However, it’s important to know that there are certain items that can’t be sold. Here are a dozen of them …

Some items are copyright infringement and can actually land a seller in federal prison:

1. Knock offs of music, TV shows or movies. The “bootleg” movies, for example, are often made by guys who sneak a movie camera into a newly-released movie where presumably, they crouch behind a seat and make a crummy copy. There is a large production of these counterfeit items in Asia where US laws have no power.

2. Software and computer games can likewise be copied and their sale is illegal by all US laws.

Naturally, the items above may be sold if you have a copy that you purchased legitimately and no longer want.

3. The so-called “replica” market for handbags, designer sunglasses and clothing is definitely forbidden although these items are often sold in physical stores around the US. Ironically, when attending eBay Live In New Orleans in 2004, we found a store in one of their famous markets selling replica purses that were not allowed on eBay.

4. Lazy and less-than-honest sellers often steal copyrighted material from other sellers. This has happened to me many times and eBay has a program called VERO (Verified Rights Owner) that will remove offending auctions, although there seems to be no penalty attached to the seller, which is unfortunate.

5. Alcoholic beverage sales are not allowed although a beverage “container’, especially those of wine, may be sold for its value.

6. Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco or coupons for such items are not permitted on eBay.com.

The eBay rules for collectible tobacco and alcohol containers are the same:

* The value of the item is in the collectible packaging, not in the wine/tobacco itself.

* The listing description should state that the package has not been opened, but that the twine/tobacco within is not for consumption.

* The collectible tobacco packaging must not be available at any retail outlet, and packaging must have a value that substantially exceeds the current retail price of that wine/tobacco product in the package.

* Sellers must take steps to ensure that the buyer of these collectibles is at least 18 years of age

7. Firearms are strictly regulated by US law and may not be sold on eBay.

8. Satellite and cable TV descramblers are forbidden by the Federal Trade Commission.

9. Animals and wildlife products may not be sold, which includes stuffed birds and pelts from endangered species. There are limited sales of ivory, tortoise shell, marine products and other items relating to animals. This area is quite complex and any would-be seller needs to thoroughly understand the various laws before getting involved in these sales.

10. Event tickets have state-by-state laws that make their sale complex. Some states, for instance, forbid anyone to make more than a few dollars in profit (or no profit at all) on the resale of tickets. For instance, Florida law states that tickets can be resold at no more than face value plus $1. In such states, these regulations apply only to buyers and sellers located in the same state as the actual event, meaning if a seller lives in Florida, he can’t profit from ticket sales to Florida events. However, if he lives in any of the other 39 states, this restriction doesn’t apply.

11. Listing a catalog of items that a seller offers for sale is forbidden. The only catalogs legally sold on eBay are collectible kinds, such as an old Sears Roebuck or Montgomery Wards catalog that is memorabilia and doesn’t offer current merchandise for sale.

12. Raffles and prizes are 100% prohibited. According to eBay, such promotions are highly regulated and may be unlawful in many states.

There are other kinds of merchandise that a seller may not sell on eBay, so carefully check eBay rules before listing anything. It’s much better to know the rules in advance of spending money that can’t be recouped.

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Source by Sydney Johnston

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Having built 12 different types of go kart over the past 25 years, the question has been asked of me many times: “How Do You Build A Go Kart?”

I’ll be honest, my first go karts weren’t pretty, but once I got the knack of it, it wasn’t so bad.

Basically what you do is follow a series of steps:

– Design it in your head

– Put it on Paper

– Analyze it

– Procure Materials

– Fabricate

– Test

– Tweak

– Paint

– Start over….

Sounds easy enough…

1. Design It In Your Head

The first step of “design it in your head” really means you are wrestling with all the variables:

– Number of Persons

– Engine Size

– Clutch Type

– Drive System

– Suspension Type

– Component Sizes

– Material Type

– Expected Terrain

2. Put It On Paper

The second step is to put all those variables on paper. You want to layout the go kart preferably in a scale drawing format. If you can use a computer that is fine, otherwise, I used to use a piece of paper and scale the go kart at 1 inch = 1 foot. The easiest is to lay it out in real life on the floor in the garage or shop.

What I mean by that is to take the tubes lay them out on the floor, put the engine in the spot you want, and the seat where you want it. This will give you a very rough idea of the size of the gokart.

3. Analyzing The Go Kart

Analyzing it is probably the step most skip, because they think they know better, and can design a go kart any old way they please.

Not analyzing the go-kart design is okay to a certain extent, until you discover that when you step on the gas the clutch smokes and the go kart doesn’t really move. Also the go kart is so heavy that it takes three people to get it back in the garage. And it that wasn’t bad enough now the go kart doesn’t corner very well (it just goes straight), it is tipsy (likes to ride on two wheels) and the frame keeps bending and sagging. Things start breaking off, and you just throw your hands up and say enough! All these things could be prevented by analyzing the go kart.

Analyzing the go-cart involves the following areas:

– Center Of Gravity (Over All Weight and Weight Centers)

– Engine to Drive-Line Ratios

– Strength Of Frame

– Component Sizes

4. Center of Gravity Calculation

The center of gravity calculation sounds complex, but it really isn’t. The poor mans way to get the center of gravity is to take two scales (or if you are poor yet one scale) and place it where the wheels would be located. (Thing to keep in mind is that an equivalent weight of a person(s) needs to be included and distributed properly.) When the scale reads one half the total weight, you have a 50/50 weight distribution.

“Fifty-Fifty” (50/50) weight distribution is vital for good driving and handling. When you start stepping out of that ratio, you will have handling problems. Again, this weight distribution can be performed on the floor with scales, or it can be calculated. I prefer calculating it because the placement of things can be changed easily without having to do mega-redoes, and rethinks about the go kart layout.

The downside about laying the materials out on the floor and weighing them is that you need to have general idea about the frames layout, and you may have to tack weld pieces together to get an approximation of where things should be. This may involve breaking welds to place components in new places to optimize the frame. (Again a good layout on paper helps here.)

5. Engine Drive Line Calculations

The engine drive line calculation is pretty important if you want a go kart that is actually going to move. The size of the drive components are taken into account and then calculated to see how well the go kart will actually perform with the engine size, weight and ratios.

When I was designing go-karts I grew tired of having to calculate the drive line systems, so I put together a computer program and had it calculate for me. I made it pretty fancy at one point where you could insert horsepower and get out how insanely fast the go kart would go. Or I could do time trials with my go kart and calculate how much power my go kart actually had. So bottom line is do some sort of drive train analysis, or calculation.

6. Strength of Frame Calculations

The strength of the frame can be an illusive thing unless you know a bit about strength of materials and actually how to calculate the cracking stress and bending deflections. Usually what we do is: “If in doubt make it stout.” That is a nice adage but it can be detrimental to a go kart design. You can end up throwing a lot of steel at a section of the go kart and actually not get any headway. So analyzing the frame prior to actually putting it together is a good idea. The last thing you want is a frame that snaps in half, or cracks in the middle.

7. Component Selection

Component sizes are pretty important if you want the go kart to last. For example, the chain size you selected may be 3/8ths pitch and be inadequate for your go kart. You may only get 10 hours out of the go kart before you have to replace the chain. Also you may have bearings that are too small or not the right size for your axels and end up having wheels fall off, or nearly fall off! You can also have a clutch just go up in smoke because it was not set up properly for your go kart layout.

Analysis is the longest most trying part of the process because nothing appears to be happening. All this thought is going into the go kart, but no go kart exists! This is similar to painting a car.

What?!

Yeah, painting a car. When you paint a car you don’t take out can of spray paint and just start painting. In fact most of the time painting a car involves NOT painting the car! First you have to prep the surface. Then you tape it off. Taping and papering is probably the most time consuming process. You can spend hours taping off the spot and end up painting in 10 minutes.

The same goes for making a go kart. Unless you have a game plan put together, it will NOT just flop together in a weekend. You need to analyze the systems first then carve it out in stone (ie weld it together!).

8. Procuring Materials

Procuring (getting materials together) can be treasure hunt of sorts. Buying all the components can be quite expensive, so a good use of components from old lawn equipment is quite useful. You can get engines, and other great components off of a riding lawnmower. Some of the things that might need to be bought are clutches, chains, sprockets etc… Getting together at least 90% of the components is advised unless you want to be running back to the store and back and waste your time.

There are quite a few reputable on-line go kart stores that ship you your parts relatively cheap. Try to buy as many as you can, typically you will get a good shipping rate. You also can get some good deals.

9. Go Kart Fabrication

Once you have analyzed your go kart, you may begin with the fabrication process.

Welding a frame together is not that bad. It first involves, obviously, getting all the pieces to the right length and shape. Then hold them all together, and tack-weld the frame together. The biggest trick is getting everything to stay straight and flat. I typically use a homemade jig and clamp the pieces together. Then I weld the frame up solid after I have tacked it together.

Because you know where are the pieces go, it pretty much falls together as planned.

What I typically do is

– Weld the main frame

– Tack on the rear axel

– Weld/place in the engine and drive train and braking systems

– Place the steering system in place

– Mount the seat

– The bottom skin

– Fit the throttle and brake pedal systems

10. Test Drive It!

The test drive usually involves one or two things that aren’t right. So expect something to fail. Obviously, do good pre-checks of all vital components prior to setting off, but expect failures in the following areas:

– Loose Chain

– Brakes Not Adjusted Properly

– Throttle Not Adjusted Properly

– Foot Pedal Positioning Not Adjusted Fully

These areas will probably require minute adjustments before the go kart is fully ready.

A word about being anxious:

It is not uncommon to just jump on a go kart and go for a joy ride. I was just reading this week about a sad incident where a high school boy jumped on the go kart and went for a joy ride. Unfortunately the go kart was not yet complete and the brakes were not working. He slammed into a chain link fence and twisted his leg 90 degrees in the fencing. It took them a couple of hours to extract him from the fencing. Not to mention being rushed to the hospital and having to undergo surgery.

Bottom line is that being in a hurry is never an option. Always think safety, drive smart and never be in a hurry. If you are in a hurry, slow yourself down, take a break. Never rush something, that could really end up being tragic.

The boy I am sure will never just jump on a go kart again…

11. Seating and Steering

Notice I haven’t mentioned anything about seating and steering, because that is part of the analysis portion of the go kart. Getting the seat the correct size and location is just as critical as mounting the engine in the correct spot.

There are also several different styles steering systems, (above and below systems for example) that need to be clarified. Also for good cornering the layout how the steering is set up is pretty important.

12. Painting The Go Kart

I usually leave the go kart unpainted until I have worked all the bugs out of it. This is handy not having the go kart painted because then I can weld to the frame different modifications if needed.

I found this to be especially helpful when I was setting up my supercharger system. The engine mounted supercharger required an elevated gas tank initially, then I changed the system to not need an elevated tank, but one like a Briggs where the tank is part of the engine. As a result I cut the tank bracketry off of the go kart. Once the testing was complete, I painted the go kart.

As far as painting the go kart is concerned there are a wide variety of options to choose from. The down and dirty method though is to paint the go kart with a primer, preferably a rust resistant primer. A spray can is doable, but you will end up running through cans and cans of paint. The better option is to use a power sprayer, whether it is air powered or mechanical, makes no difference. The purpose of the primer is to get a good binder to the metal. (Oh and obviously, clean the metal first!) If you can get your hands on a sand blaster, that would be ideal, because then the primer will really stick to the metal.

The final paint job would be to use an enamel style paint and again cover it (not with a paint brush!) but with a sprayer.

The best finish comes when you use a two part mix paint. This is more automotive style paint. You will get an amazing finish. (I am not going to go into all the nuances about painting: i.e. wet sanding and so forth!) If you want more info on painting talk to your local car paint shop and they can help you get the mix you want. In fact they might even paint it for you for 50 bucks!

13. Starting Over

You will find that once you have gone through the process of making a gokart, that it will be hard to not make another. As you probably gathered, analysis is big on the list and when done right will make this whole project worth while.

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Source by Robert Gamble

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In this essay, I will identify the hardships placed upon Algonquian women by the English settler’s concepts of gender roles. I will also describe the women’s responses to the English settlers, and internal divisions between the Indian women and men.

Pre-contact Algonquian peoples “invoked a divine division of labor to explain and justify differences between men’s and women’s roles on earth” (Shoemaker 29). Thus, women were in charge of domestic duties, which included the cultivation of maize and other plant foods. Men’s duties included hunting, warfare, and the clearing of land for cultivation. English settlers were shocked by this division of labor; they regarded the male Indians as lazy for shunning farming and engaging in activities the English associated with the landed aristocracy’s favorite pastimes.

The response to the English settlers by Algonquian men and women reveal internal divisions between the two. Powhatan, chief of the Algonquian confederacy, tried to make the English his allies by supplying them with corn and women, and, at one point, trying to adopt John Smith. On the other hand, the Algonquian women were suspicious of the English. Many of the women refused to have contact with them, and “fled their homes in fear” (Shoemaker 39).

Another response to the Englishmen’s presence was to turn “a female tradition of sexual hospitality into a weapon of war” (Shoemaker 39). The women would lure Englishman to their villages, leaving their weapons behind, where they could be easily captured or killed.

Bibliography

Shoemaker, Nancy. Negotiators of Change: Historical Perspectives on Native American Women. Taylor & Francis, Inc., 1994.

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Source by Mary Arnold

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As of August 4, 2007 common lighters are a permitted in carry-on baggage and on your person when walking through security checkpoint. You are only allowed to carry four books of safety matches in your carry-on or on your person through security checkpoint per person. Matches and lighters are prohibited in checked baggage with one exemption for lighters. Those lighters without fuel are permitted in checked baggage. Lighters with fuel are prohibited in checked baggage, unless they adhere to the Department of Transportation (DOT) exemption, which allows up to two fueled lighters if properly enclosed in a DOT approved case. If you are uncertain as to whether your lighter is prohibited in checked baggage, then pack your lighters in your carry-on baggage or on your person.

Torch Lighters are still prohibited in carry-on and checked baggage. Torch lighters create a thin, needle-like flame that is hotter (reaching 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit) and more intense than those from common lighters. Torch lighters are often used for pipes and cigars, and maintain a consistent stream of air-propelled fire regardless of the angle at which it is held. Torch lighters continue to be banned.

When I worked in checked baggage, back when lighters were banned, I had to concentrate on searching for lighters and matches as well as IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices) and other prohibited items. I am positive all screeners and passengers are relieved that the lighter ban has been lifted. HURRAY! No more focusing on lighters, unless they are in checked baggage. It was a very tedious job and now that it is over, the screeners can concentrate on more threatening items such as IED’s and their components.

The ban on lighters when into effect April 15, 2005 and TSA was confiscating 22,000 lighters a day across the nation. My question is why were there a total of 11,616,217 lighters confiscated in the year 2006? Do we think the rules don’t apply to us? I would here passengers in line say, “I’ll just sneak my lighters through and they will never see it.” Well, that passenger was wrong. Don’t think you can sneak prohibited items through security checkpoint. Arm yourself with my information and be prepared for security. You will reduce your stress levels and make your trip a happy one. Go to my website for your MUST HAVE travel reference manual.

TIPS

1. Carry lighters and only four books of safety matches in your carry-on or on your person.

2. Don’t pack your matches or any lighters in checked baggage. They will be removed.

3. Don’t use a Marlboro bag for checked luggage. This is a big tip there may be lighters or matches in your bag.

4. Don’t buy lighters while traveling and expect to return home with them, unless they are packed in your carry-on or on your person.

5. Torch lighters are still prohibited in checked and carry-on baggage.

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Source by Natalia Ippolito

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Thomas Stearns Eliot, born to a successful entrepreneur Henry Ware Eliot in the year 1888, was a remarkable poet, literary critic and dramatist. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, United States on September 26. Eliot came as an immigrant to the United Kingdom at the age of 25 (in the year 1914) and acquired British citizenship in the year 1927. However, he never favored one nation of the two and had equal liking to New England and the Southwest. For his outstanding contributions to the world of poetry, Eliot was awarded Nobel Prize in 1948.The Waste Land, The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Hollow Men, etc. are the most prolific amongst his poems. There is a lot to know about T.S. Eliot and here are the 5 interesting facts people should know about him.

1) Friendship with Ezra Pound – The meeting of Pound and Eliot took place in Europe during 1914 and immediate friendship grew between them as both were exiles with great interest in arts.Before that, Eliot wandered many places to get his “Prufrock” published, but was rejected. In the year 1915, Ezra Pound suggested Harriet Monroe the founder of Poetry Magazine to publish the poem. The conversations, letters, poems and essays that have flown between them are considered as the driving force for Modernism.

2) First marriage & The Waste Land – On June 26, 1915 T.S. Eliot married Vivienne Haigh-Wood; unfortunately, the marriage didn’t turn out to be a happy union as she suffered from frequent migraines, insomnia, colitis, fatigue, high temperature along with mental instability. Eliot had to suffer mentally by looking at her wife constantly visiting doctors and he stated that the torment he felt during those has encouraged him to write “The Waste Land”.

3) Captain – Lyndall Gordon, the biographer of Eliot in the book “T.S. Eliot: A Modern Life”, writes about a fascinating behavior of Eliot.During the early parts of the 1920s, there were two hideaways for Eliot one at Charing Cross Road and the other at St. Martin’s Lane. When he was in the former, he only responded when people called him “The Captain” and when he was in the latter, he only responded when people called him “Captain Eliot”.

4) Faber & Faber – Eliot was considered a practical joker while working at Faber & Faber. This was due to his behavior during a board meeting where he placed firecrackers between the legs of the chairman and set them off. Furthermore, he greeted the authors with whoopee cushions on the chairs and offering explosive cigars.

5) Anti-Semitism – Is T.S. Eliot a hater of Jews? There are many literary critics like Harold Bloom, George Steiner, James Fenton, Christopher Ricks, and James Fenton, who criticized Eliot of adopting anti-Semitic elements in his works. Anthony Julius in his work “T.S. Eliot, Anti-Semitism, and Literary Form revealed the comparison of Jews with rats in the poem “Burbank with a Baedeker: Bleistein with a Cigar”.

T.S. Eliot, considered as the most enigmatic figure of his age, died on January 4, 1965, in his Kensington home, London. The man who effectively delivered a lecture to 13,523 people at the University of Minnesota became silent forever because of emphysema, but his works will forever remain inspirational and influential.

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Source by Teja Basireddy

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Gift giving is something we look forward to especially during the Yuletide Season. It feels great to be remembered by the people close to our heart. It doesn’t matter how simple or extravagant the gift may appear, what is important is the thought of the person to give you the gift. To understand the true essence of gift giving, you should first ask yourself what to do if you want to give gifts to the important people in your life.

The best gift you can probably give is to show the person that you know them very well and they appreciate the give you are giving. It is a good thing that there are several inexpensive ways to give gifts to the people dear to us. You have to remember that it is not every day that you give presents, so make sure to take time and effort to look for the best gifts for the people close to your heart.

Your parents as well as your grandparents will absolutely appreciate to receive personalized gifts from you. Adding a personal touch with the gifts you give is always good so that they will always remember you. Here are some of the do-it-yourself gift ideas to try to truly feel the essence of gift giving.

• Decorate a photo frame and put a special photo in it. You can also include in a frame some tickets from special occasion you both attended.

• Learn a new craft like cross stitching or knitting. Do something simple because your time maybe limited. Add a personal touch to your gifts by showing off your talent.

• You can also try making special cookies or other holiday treats and wrap them in attractive holiday boxes and baskets.

• Make a poem, personalized letter, or dedicate a song that you surely know they would love. You should make them feel that they are special to you. You can even try painting or drawing a nice picture if you like it better. You can add a personal touch by framing your works.

• Start to grow flowers that you think will start to bloom during the holiday season. Put some decorations in the pot for a finishing touch.

• It is also good to give tropical gift for the holiday season for it can brighten up one’s day. Tropical gift ideas are good enough to add vibrancy in one’s home.

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Source by Lea Lebrilla

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For anybody who is living with progressive loss of focal vision, there are macular degeneration products which can improve your daily life.

Roughly two million people in America are afflicted by advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a vision disease characterized by impairment of the macula that results in central vision reduction. Men and women who have AMD sustain their outer eye-sight, but experience difficulty concentrating on objects right in front of them.

Studies have not yet shown for sure what causes AMD. Nonetheless, there are many risk factors. The risk factors entail smoking cigarettes or cigars, aging, male or female (women have a slightly higher risk), family history, high cholesterol levels, and possibly absorption of visible and ultraviolet light. Early detection and medical care will possibly decelerate and halt the wet form of the disease. Yet, there is no treatment at the moment for dry form of the disease.

Loss of focused central eye-sight will make it hard to read or accomplish daily routines. There are many high-tech macular degeneration vision aids intended to help people with eye-sight reduction preserve their self-sufficiency and greatly enhance their standard of living. Macular degeneration vision aids that magnify text and make reading and seeing objects more comfortable include eye-glasses, telescopes, and both handheld and desktop electronic magnifiers.

Electronic magnifiers have a closed circuit television (CCTV) and show the magnified images or written text on various screens. Desktop magnifiers are offered either with ordinary LCD or high-definition (HD) screens. The benefit from an HD screen is that the clear crisp image will make it possible to read on a lower magnification level, correspondingly viewing a wider field of view and requiring less left/right movement. Desktop CCTV magnifiers may assist those experiencing poor vision to see correspondence, read the paper, write checks, examine prescription bottles, view photographs, and perform projects.

Several options for handheld video magnifiers exist. You can conveniently carry them along in your purse or pocket. Display possibilities include conventional LCD screens or even an innovative type of display named Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED), which provides a higher brightness and more vivid image. Handheld CCTV magnifiers feature many color options, to make written text easier to see. A few magnifiers also possess a still shot option, which can be beneficial if something is too high to view or you desire to save something like a cell phone number, for future reference. You can even find handheld video magnifiers designed to magnify things which are either in close proximity or remote, which can include receipts or street symbols. With all the available choices, there is something that can help you at home, school, work, or while running errands all over town.

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Source by Sally Appleton

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Joseph Pilates met his future wife Clara, a kindergarten teacher, on the boat to Ellis Island. The story goes that Clara suffered from arthritis and Joe worked with her to increase her mobility and relieve her pain. Once in New York they opened their gym at 939 Eighth Avenue, in the same building that housed rehearsal studios for George Ballanchine’s New York City Ballet.

Joseph Pilates never received the level of recognition that his brilliant work clearly deserved, and even today it is difficult to wade through the myth and find the true story. This is partially true because most of what we know about his life has come from students of students of his students.

While many facts about Joe’s life are verifiable, sources still disagree on the basics. In fact, I have reviewed several websites and each gives a different year of death (1966, 1967, 1968) as well as a different cause of death (he died in a fire, as a result of a fire, as a result of smoke inhalation from a fire etc.). According to his New York Times obituary Joseph Pilates died in 1967 at Lenox Hill Hospital, but the Times never mentions cause of death. And there was indeed a fire on the same floor as his studio in 1965 where Joe suffered a bad leg scrape while inspecting the studio.

According to Pilates Elder Mary Bowen, “To set the record straight – no, Joe did not die in a fire. He died two years later…of advanced emphysema from smoking cigars for too many years…” Apparently all the good breathing in the world could not keep his scarred lungs (recall that he was rheumatic and asthmatic as a child) from feeling the effects of smoking. As Joe left no will, Clara took over and ran the studio until she retired in the mid-70s. This is where the story gets a bit more interesting, as this when the different schools of Pilates were formed.

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Source by Lynda Lippin

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Various forms of pepper have long been used to satisfy our culinary experience but as it turns out, there is a lot more to pepper than meets the eye.

Let’s have a look at some of the things pepper can be used for other than to spice foods:

1. If your old clunker is starting to get a slow leak in the radiator, pour some black pepper into it plug up small holes. This will buy you time to get it fixed properly.

2. Are you having trouble with biting ants in your yard? You don’t need to use harsh chemicals for this. All you need is about a half cup of black or cayenne pepper poured down the hole and voila, no more ant problem.

3. This also holds true for hungry ants looking for something sweet in your kitchen. You can put white pepper in their path and they will disappear thinking there are no meals here.

4. No sooner have you planted your vegetable garden than those pesky hungry bugs arrive ready to undermine all your hard work. Here is a recipe that not only keeps insects away but also animals.

– 2 tbsp cayenne pepper

– 2 large cloves of garlic

– 4 medium sized onions

– 4 cups water

– In a blender or food processor, blend until completely smooth. Then add about a gallon of water and you are ready to spray your plants.

5. Want to keep your colors bright when you do laundry? A tsp of pepper in your wash will keep your colors bright a lot longer. It can also keep your colors from bleeding. There are not many products that can do that.

6. Do you have problems with your sinuses? Do you have a cold? Cayenne pepper in your favorite food can unclog you and get you cleared up in no time. Or, mix liquid pepper with eucalyptus and put it in your steamer to sooth and unclog your sinuses . (Your health food store should carry these drops. If they don’t, ask them to.)

7. Help your liver detoxify with this early morning drink;

– 1 lemon squeezed,

– ¼ tsp cayenne pepper,

– 1 cup filtered water,

– 1 tsp maple syrup

When you drink this every morning you begin to look forward to it.

8. For arthritis pain you can make your own homemade warming massage to sooth where it hurts.

Recipe: Mix together

1 dropper of almond oil (Always use a carrier oil such as almond, jojoba or olive oil)

2 drops of pepper

1 drop ginger

2 drops lavender

Massage on the affected area and feel the warmth working.

9. If you feel the beginning of a migraine headache coming on then immediately put about 4 to 5 droppers full of pepper in water and drink. If you don’t have the pepper tincture then you can use about a ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a half glass of water. Repeat after a half hour if you have any remaining pain.

10. According to Dr. Richard Schulze, M.H., N.D., if someone is having a heart attack, you can revive them by putting 4 to 5 droppers full of cayenne pepper tincture directly to the mouth. If you don’t have the tincture, use a tsp. of cayenne pepper and some water and continue to give it every five minutes until the person has recovered. They may sputter and choke a bit but according to Dr. Schulze, he has seen many miracles of people recovering completely.

11. Do you have a problem with squirrels eating the feed in your bird feeder? Cayenne pepper yet saves the day again. Sprinkling it in the feed does not affect the birds. They apparently have a high tolerance for the pepper and the vitamin A in it improves their plumage.

12. If you have problems with rodent chewing on cables then you can rub pepper tincture on them and they won’t go anywhere near it.

So there you have it. I’m sure we will discover more wonderful uses for this versatile spice.

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Source by Willie Jones