March 8 - Sometimes dumb sounds cute: Sixty percent of Americans can't name five of the Ten Commandments, and 50% of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

Stephen Prothero, chairman of the religion department at Boston University, isn't laughing. Americans' deep ignorance of world religions - their own, their neighbors' or the combatants in Iraq, Darfur or Kashmir - is dangerous, he says.

His new book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - and Doesn't, argues that everyone needs to grasp Bible basics, as well as the core beliefs, stories, symbols and heroes of other faiths.

Belief is not his business, says Prothero, who grew up Episcopalian and now says he's a spiritually "confused Christian." He says his argument is for empowered citizenship.

"More and more of our national and international questions are religiously inflected," he says, citing President Bush's speeches laden with biblical references and the furor when the first Muslim member of Congress chose to be sworn in with his right hand on Thomas Jefferson's Quran.

"If you think Sunni and Shia are the same because they're both Muslim, and you've been told Islam is about peace, you won't understand what's happening in Iraq. If you get into an argument about gay rights or capital punishment and someone claims to quote the Bible or the Quran, do you know it's so?

"If you want to be involved, you need to know what they're saying. We're doomed if we don't understand what motivates the beliefs and behaviors of the rest of the world. We can't outsource this to demagogues, pundits and preachers with a political agenda."

Scholars and theologians who agree with him say Americans' woeful level of religious illiteracy damages more than democracy.

See the complete article here. --

America's Generations Gap

June 4 - In an article appearing in the Orlando Sentinel, Harry Wessel reports that there's a generation gap in America's workplace that's serious enough to cause a big brain drain in coming years. According to Randstad USA, an Atlanta-based employment-services company;

"U.S. businesses risk a shortage of skilled labor -- not because of the lack of manpower in the wake of retiring baby boomers, but because of the limited transfer of knowledge.

According to a Harris Interactive survey, there is little interaction among the four generations of U.S. employees.

It defined the four generations as Matures* (those born before 1946), Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1979) and Generation Y (born 1980-1988).

The different generations rarely interact with one another and often do not recognize each other's skills or work ethic.

Employers should help close the knowledge gap by instituting ways for each generation to recognize the strengths and value of all colleagues."

See the Opticians' Generations Gap.

Some Possible Cancer Answers

By Hari Singh Bird
Excerpts From 'Cancer Answers' Link Below*

"Low oxygen levels in cells may be a fundamental cause of cancer."

"There are several reasons cells become poorly oxygenated. An overload of toxins clogging up the cells, poor quality cell walls that don't allow nutrients into the cells, the lack of nutrients needed for respiration, poor circulation and perhaps even low levels of oxygen in the air we breathe.

Cancer cells produce excess lactic acid as they ferment energy. Lactic acid is toxic, and tends to prevent the transport of oxygen into neighboring normal cells. Over time as these cells replicate, the cancer may spread if not destroyed by the immune system.

Chemotherapy and radiation are used because cancer cells are weaker than normal cells and therefore may die first.

However, chemo and radiation damage respiratory enzymes in healthy cells, and overload them with toxins, so they become more likely to develop into cancer. The underlying cancer causing conditions are worsened, not improved. And the cancer usually returns quickly a second time unless you make changes to support the health of your body." --

Some Observations

a) In my experience as a teacher of Kundalini Yoga, I have observed many people, young and old, with poor breathing habits. The practice of Kundalini Yoga** (inclusive of the Breath of Fire, Deep Breathing, Stretching, Internal Massage, etc.), and other aerobic exercising, can provide additional and much needed oxygen to oxygen starved cells, especially the brain.

Notes from a Kundalini Yoga class: "No matter how good the diet is, we tend to exceed the self cleaning capacity of our bodies. Uric acid (a byproduct of meat consumption), calcium crystals, and many other wastes and poisons get stored in tissues and joints. They make us stiff and may cause many diseases. In Kundalini Yoga, muscle stretching and internal massage bring waste back into circulation so that the lungs, intestines, kidneys, and skin are able to remove it."

b) Cow's milk contains lots of lactic acid.***

For some interesting and thought provoking words about Kundalini Yoga and our consumption of milk, water, and flesh food, see these links.

**http://www.haribird.com/newsKundalini.htm

***http://www.milksucks.com/index2.asp

http://www.watercure.com

http://www.haribird.com/newsNews.htm#meat

*http://cance-prevention.net/?engine=
overture!801&keyword=sign+of+lung+cancer  --

Whatever Happened To
Old Fashioned Optical Dispensing?

By Hari Singh Bird, LDO
Dispensing Optician since 1958

The Generation Gap

Hands-on dispensing, a thing of the past?

It is apparent to many Patients and other industry observers that there's little connection between the applied dispensing and delivery skills of 'Mature Generation,' i.e., experienced, senior, 'hands-on' Opticians and the skills of today's Optical Dispensers and store Managers. Through no fault of their own, due to there being little connection to the dispensing practices of the past, today's Dispensers and Managers are seen to provide and-or oversee only the most casual delivery of eyewear as if it were ready-to-wear merchandise, with little or no attention being given to the all-important Patient interview with full discovery, or the more subtle frame-fitting details as practiced by their predecessors. Their attention is directed almost entirely to sales goals and marketing efforts to the detriment of Patient satisfaction, which of course, adversely impacts sales and future referrals.

"Too much attention is given to sales goals and test scores,
and too little is given to the practical needs of Patients."

And if any hands-on skills are applied, it may amount to no more than a slight adjustment of the nosepiece or a sharp and short 90 degree bend of the temples at the junction of the ear with no thought of reshaping them to follow the lines of the skull. In fact, many of today's Dispensers only require the delivered eyewear to 'look' symmetrical or 'pretty', never mind that it does not fit any of the asymmetric facial or cranial contours of the Patient. They may even go so far as to 'fix', i.e., remove, any previously applied skull-conforming configuration, albeit more comfortable for the Patient.

Through no fault of there own, today's Dispensers are unaware of the decades-old decline of applied hands-on fitting skills, which has produced at least two generations, 'Generation X' and 'Generation Y' Opticians, including many latter day Board Certified Opticians, who have never witnessed any demonstrations of these hands-on skills. And as a result, these Dispensers have come to believe, after a couple of years of their way of 'delivering' eyewear, that they are sufficiently skilled and need no additional training in the 'dispensing' of eyewear, and worse, that they have nothing to learn from their more experienced and senior 'Mature Generation' colleagues.

"Placing the frame directly on the Patient will give the
Dispenser a better sense of what adjustments are needed."

This disconnection is understandable due to today's focus on training Dispensers mostly via on-the-job apprenticeship programs, most of which are devoid of adequate Patient interview with full discovery, and absent any direct hands-on training in eyewear assessment and delivery, which stands in contrast with the skills practiced by preceding generations of Opticians.

This training deficiency is now even more acute due to the latter day emphasis on online instruction, which of course affords no opportunity for aspiring Dispensers to develop their Patient interviewing experience, or hands-on assessment and frame-fitting skills. As a result today's aspiring Opticians become skilled mostly in how to give correct answers to academic and company policy questions but they end up with no experience in conducting an effective Patient interview or assessing and fitting eyewear directly on the Patient. They become merchandising clerks, not real Dispensing Opticians.

"It is how well the eyewear makes contact with the Patient that ultimately defines Ophthalmic Dispensing." --

See complete article here.

A Call To The Faithful

By Lou Dobbs
CNN Commentator

"This week the head of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Cardinal Roger
Mahony, basically threatened his faithful with denial of heaven if
they don't support amnesty for illegal aliens."

NEW YORK (CNN) May 9 - The separation of church and state in this country is narrowing. And it is the church, not the state that is encroaching. Our Constitution protects religion from the intrusion or coercion of the state. But we have precious little protection against the political adventurism of all manner of churches and religious organizations.

The leadership of the Catholic Church and many Protestant churches, as well as Jewish and even Muslim religious organizations, are driving that political adventurism as those leaders conflate religion and politics. And while there is a narrowing of the separation between church and state, there is a widening schism between the leadership of churches and religious organizations and their followers and members.

Conservative evangelical leader James Dobson recently said actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson wasn't Christian enough to be president. He instead chose to commend Newt Gingrich, who has been married three times and recently admitted to an extramarital affair. Five evangelical Christian leaders signed the "Land Letter" to President Bush in 2002 affirming a Christian theological basis to invade Iraq.

This week the head of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, basically threatened his faithful with denial of heaven if they don't support amnesty for illegal aliens. The good Cardinal said: "Anything that tears down one group of people or one person, anything that is a negative in our community, disqualifies us from being part of the eternal city."

The nation's religious leaders seem hell-bent on ignoring the separation of church and state when it comes to the politically charged issue of illegal immigration. A new coalition called Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Wednesday will begin lobbying lawmakers with a new advertising and direct mail campaign on behalf of amnesty for illegal aliens.

The Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners Magazine put it this way: "If given the choice on this issue between Jesus and Lou Dobbs, I choose my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ."

But before the faithful acquiesce in the false choice offered by the good Reverend, perhaps he and his followers should consult Romans 13, where it is written: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

There is a more obvious and immediate judgment offered by the followers and members of both the Protestant and Catholic Churches. A Zogby poll last year asked churchgoers if they supported the House bill that would make illegal aliens return home and reduce future illegal immigration by securing the border and performing checks on illegal employers. Seventy-five percent of Protestants responded that was a good or very good idea, 77 percent of born-again Christians also agreed, and 66 percent of Catholics also backed tougher enforcement measures.

This schism between our church leaders and church members is just as broad and deep as that between our elected officials and their constituents across the country. Neither the state nor the church is exhibiting wisdom or fidelity to our national values in permitting the widening of that divide.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. --

An invisibility cloak and other Harry Potteresque types of magic are likely doable, researchers say. "What's standing in the way is our engineering capabilities," said John Pendry, a physicist at the Imperial College London.

Researchers in England and the United States think they know how to do that. They are laying out the blueprint and calling for help in developing the exotic materials needed to build a cloak.

The keys are special manmade materials, unlike any in nature or the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These materials are intended to steer light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation around an object, rendering it as invisible as something tucked into a hole in space.

"Is it science fiction? Well, it's theory and that already is not science fiction. It's theoretically possible to do all these Harry Potter things, but what's standing in the way is our engineering capabilities," said John Pendry, a physicist at the Imperial College London.

Details of the study, which Pendry co-wrote, appear in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science.

Scientists not involved in the work said it presents a solid case for making invisibility an attainable goal.

"This is very interesting science and a very interesting idea and it is supported on a great mathematical and physical basis," said Nader Engheta, a professor of electrical and systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Engheta has done his own work on invisibility using novel materials called metamaterials.

Pendry and his co-authors also propose using metamaterials because they can be tuned to bend electromagnetic radiation - radio waves and visible light, for example - in any direction.

A cloak made of those materials, with a structure designed down to the submicroscopic scale, would neither reflect light nor cast a shadow.

Instead, like a river streaming around a smooth boulder, light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation would strike the cloak and simply flow around it, continuing on as if it never bumped up against an obstacle. That would give an onlooker the apparent ability to peer right through the cloak, with everything tucked inside concealed from view.

"Yes, you could actually make someone invisible as long as someone wears a cloak made of this material," said Patanjali Parimi, a Northeastern University physicist and design engineer at Chelton Microwave Corp. in Bolton, Mass. Parimi was not involved in the research.

Such a cloak does not exist, but early versions that could mask microwaves and other forms of electromagnetic radiation could be as close as 18 months away, Pendry said. He said the study was "an invitation to come and play with these new ideas."
"We will have a cloak after not too long," he said.

The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency supported the research, given the obvious military applications of such stealthy technology.

While Harry Potter could wear his cloak to skulk around Hogwarts, a real-world version probably would not be something just to be thrown on, Pendry said.

"To be realistic, it's going to be fairly thick. Cloak is a misnomer. 'Shield' might be more appropriate," he said. --

THE CRUCIFIXION

by An Eyewitness

This extraordinary account claims Jesus was crucified, removed from the cross ... alive, and then fully recovered with the help of the Essenes.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered in 1947. What do the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal about Jesus and why haven't these works been published, in full, after 60 years of 'research'? Is it possible that they reveal data that corroborates Jesus' survival, as claimed in 'The Crucifixion,' by An Eyewitness? Is this the non-fiction sequel to 'The DaVinci Code'? Is this The Greatest Story Never Told? Click here, now!

Birth Date Numerology

Your Birth Number can indicate who you are, what you are good at, and what your inborn abilities are. It can also point to what you have to learn, and the challenges that you face. A Birth Number does not present you with any obstacles to being anything you want to be, but it may just color your choices differently and give you better insight as to choices that you make.

To figure out your Birth Number, add all the numbers in your Birth Date together, as in the example, until there is only one digit.

Example: March 20, 1950
3 + 20 + 1950 = 1973
Continue until you end up with a single digit number.
1 + 9 + 7 + 3 = 20
2 + 0 = 2
2 is the Birth Number to read for the Birth Date in this example.

1 = THE ORIGINATOR

2 = THE PEACEMAKER

3 = THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

4 = THE CONSERVATIVE

5 = THE NONCONFORMIST

6 = THE ROMANTIC

7 = THE INTELLECTUAL

8 = THE BIG SHOT

9 = THE PERFORMER

THE ORIGINATOR

1's are originals. Coming up with new ideas and executing them is natural. Having things their own way is another trait that gets them as being stubborn and arrogant. 1's are extremely honest and do well to learn some diplomacy skills. They like to take the initiative and are often leaders or bosses, as they like to be the best. Being self-employed is definitely helpful for them.

Lesson to learn: Others' ideas might be just as good or better and to stay open minded.

Famous 1's: Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Hulk Hogan, Carol Burnett, Wynona Judd, Nancy Reagan, Raquel Welch.

THE PEACEMAKER

2's are the born diplomats. They are aware of others' needs and moods and often think of others before themselves. Naturally analytical and very intuitive they don't like to be alone. Friendship and companionship is very important and can lead them to be successful in life, but on the other hand they'd rather be alone than in an uncomfortable relationship.

Lesson to learn: Being naturally shy, 2's should learn to boost their self-esteem and express themselves freely and seize the moment and not put things off.

Famous 2's: President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Whoopee Goldberg, Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

3's are idealists. They are very creative, social, charming, romantic and easygoing. They start many things, but don't always see them through. They like others to be happy and go to great lengths to achieve it. They are very popular and idealistic.

Lesson to learn: 3's should learn to see the world from a more realistic point of view.

Famous 3's: Alan Alder, Ann Landers, Bill Cosby, Melanie Griffith, Karen Roundbutt, Salvador Dali, Jodi Foster.

THE CONSERVATIVE

4's are sensible and traditional. They like order and routine. They only act when they fully understand what they are expected to do. They like getting their hands dirty and working hard. They are attracted to the outdoors and feel an affinity with nature. They are prepared to wait and can be stubborn and persistent.

Lesson to learn: 4's should learn to be more flexible and to be nice to themselves.

Famous 4's: Neil Diamond, Margaret Thatcher, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tina Turner, Paul Hogan, Oprah Winfrey.

THE NONCONFORMIST

5's are the explorers. Their natural curiosity, risk taking and enthusiasm often land them in hot water. They need diversity, and don't like to be stuck in a rut. The whole world is their school and they see a learning possibility in every situation. The questions never stop.

Lesson to learn: 5's are well advised to look before they take action and make sure they have all the facts before jumping to conclusions.

Famous 5's: Abraham Lincoln, Charlotte Bronte, Jessica Walter, Vincent Van Gogh, Bette Midler, Helen Keller and Mark Hail.

THE ROMANTIC

6's are idealistic and need to feel useful to be happy. A strong family connection is important to them. Their actions influence their decisions. They have a strong urge to take care of others and to help. They are very loyal and make great teachers. They like art or music. They make loyal friends who take the friendship seriously.

Lesson to learn: 6's should learn to differentiate between what they can change and what they cannot.

Famous 6's: Albert Einstein, Jane Seymour, John Denver, Meryl Streep, Christopher Columbus, Goldie Hawn.

THE INTELLECTUAL

7 's are the searchers. Always probing for hidden information, they find it difficult to accept things at face value. Emotions don't sway their decisions. Questioning everything in life, they don't like to be questioned themselves. They're never off to a fast start, and their motto is slow and steady wins the race. They come across as philosophers and being very knowledgeable, and sometimes as loners. They are technically inclined and make great researchers uncovering information. They like secrets.

Lesson to learn: 7's live in their own world and should learn what is acceptable and what is not in the world at large.

Famous 7's: William Shakespeare, Lucille Ball, Michael Jackson, Joan Baez, Princess Diana.

THE BIG SHOT

8's are the problem solvers. They are professional, blunt and to the point, have good judgment and are decisive. They have grand plans and like to live the good life. They take charge of people. They view people objectively. They let you know in no uncertain terms that they are the boss.

Lesson to learn: 8's should learn to exude their decisions on their own needs rather than on what others want.

Famous 8's: Edgar Cayce, Barbara Streisand, George Harrison, Jane Fonda, Pablo Picasso, Aretha Franklin, Nostrodamus.

THE PERFORMER

9's are natural entertainers. They are very caring and generous, giving away their last dollar to help. With their charm, they have no problem making friends and nobody is a stranger to them. They have so many different personalities that people around them have a hard time understanding them. They are like chameleons, ever changing and blending in. They have tremendous luck, but also can suffer from extremes in fortune and mood.

Lesson to learn: To be successful, 9's need to build a loving foundation.

Famous 9's: Albert Schweitzer, Shirley MacLaine, Harrison Ford, Jimmy Carter, Elvis Presley. --

Astrology For You

SCHOLARS RATE
WORST PRESIDENTIAL BLUNDERS
By Elizabeth Dunbar

From engaging in sexual relations with an intern to letting the Vietnam War escalate, U.S. presidents have been blamed for some egregious errors.

So who had the worst blunder? President James Buchanan, for failing to avert the Civil War, according to a survey of presidential historians organized by the University of Louisville's McConnell Center.

The survey's top 10 presidential blunders were announced Saturday during a President's Day weekend conference called "Presidential Moments."

"We can probably learn just as much - or maybe even more - by looking at the mistakes rather than looking at why they were great," said political scientist and McConnell Center Director Gary Gregg.

Scholars who participated said Buchanan didn't do enough to oppose efforts by Southern states to secede from the Union before the Civil War.

The second worst mistake, the survey found, was Andrew Johnson's decision just after the Civil War to side with Southern whites and oppose improvements in justice for Southern blacks beyond abolishing slavery.

"We continue to pay" for Johnson's errors, wrote Michael Les Benedict, an Ohio State University history professor emeritus.

Lyndon Johnson earned the No. 3 spot by allowing the Vietnam War to intensify, Gregg said.

Where does Bill Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal rank? Many scholars said it belonged at No. 10, saying that it probably affected Clinton's presidency more than it did American history and the public.

The rest of the top 10 blunders:

4. Woodrow Wilson's refusal to compromise on the Treaty of Versailles after World War I.

5. Richard Nixon's involvement in the Watergate cover-up.

6. James Madison's failure to keep the United States out of the War of 1812 with Britain.

7. Thomas Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807, a self-imposed prohibition on trade with Europe during the Napoleonic Wars.

8. John F. Kennedy allowing the Bay of Pigs Invasion that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

9. Ronald Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair, the effort to sell arms to Iran and use the money to finance an armed anti-communist group in Nicaragua.

See the latest scam against women.

  

The New York Times About Sikhs

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Sikhs and The Beard

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