Understanding Astrological Predictions

Opinions about astrological prediction are generally divided: Mysterious! Magical!, say some; Nonsense!, reply others. In fact, both views are based on a misunderstanding of the nature of how Astrology really works. In this article, I will use a story to show both the true value of astrological prediction, as well as its limits.

Let's imagine that a girl named Ellen goes to an astrologer, who, after studying Ellen's natal chart in relation to this month's planetary positions, tells her that next weekend she will meet a fine young man with whom she will begin a relationship. And that's exactly what happens. Ellen exclaims to Sue, a friend of hers: Its magic! Everything happened just like my astrologer predicted! Sue, impressed by this, makes an appointment with the same astrologer. In her session, she is told that yes, she will indeed find that job she's been looking for, and will have it by May. Sue, delighted, goes home and waits for a response from the company t o which she had applied, yet May comes and goes, and she doesnt receive a call from them. What a fool I was!, she remarks when she sees Ellen, I should have known: Astrology is nonsense!

Which one of the two girls is correct in her opinion? One might say that they both are, since after all, Astrology seems to have worked for Ellen, yet not for Sue. Yet I think it would be more correct to say, on the contrary, that neither girl was correct in her conclusion, since in each case, that conclusion was based on the acceptance of a faulty idea of Astrology, that idea being one which many people, both believers as well as sceptics share: namely, that Astrology indeed purports to be able to reliably predict what will happen in the future.

At this point, many readers, both the believers and the sceptics, will be disagreeing with me: Well, Astrology DOES INDEED claim to predict the future, doesnt it?, you may say. And you are right in a way: many astrologers do say that th ey can tell you what is awaiting you in the future. This is a claim which no true believer would ever dispute, and one that no self-respecting sceptic would fail to criticize, or even ridicule. Opinions on the subject thus would seem to be hopelessly polarized. The solution lies in distinguishing what many astrologers CLAIM from that which in fact Astrology can really DO.

More than twenty-five years of experience as an astrologer has convinced me that

• Astrology cannot make precise predictions about your future

• Astrology can indeed reveal the tendencies of your future

And what is the difference? Well, if an astrologer tells you that next Tuesday you will be walking down the street, and will accidently trip and fall, breaking your left wrist as it cracks against a fire hydrant, that would be a pretty precise prediction, wouldnt it? But no astrologer Ive ever known makes predictions of such a nature. More likely, an astrol oger would say: There is danger of an accident next Tuesday; try to be more careful than usual! This is not a precise prediction, but a statement, based on astrological techniques, about an increased probability of a certain type of event occurring. This is the real strength of Astrology: not to tell you what is going to happen (since that is beyond its capabilities), but to inform you about the probabilities of certain types of events happening.

Those of you who may be seeking to know just what's going to happen in the future might be disappointed by that last sentence, though you shouldnt be. After all, if the future were totally predetermined, and if it were possible to predict future events exactly, what would be the point? If something unpleasant were predicted for you, youd have to be living in constant dread, and if a positive event were foretold, you might just sit back smugly and wait for it to happen, and would thus be robbed of that sudden, wonderful sens e of amazement that you would have felt if you hadnt known it was going to happen!

The true value of predictive Astrology is to show you the probabilities so that you may take full advantage of the fortunate times in order to fully prosper, and take special care during the more unfortunate periods, and thus have a better chance of avoiding mishaps, overcoming negative thoughts, making the best out of unpleasant situations, etc.

Using Astrology to find out when to expect the ups and downs of life will not only give you concrete advantages in many situations, but above all, it can help you achieve a greater understanding of the intimate relationship which exists between our lives and the cosmic forces which are continually shaping them.

About The Author

Dave Bolton, astrologer, harpsichordist and language teacher, is co-creator of Omnicycles Astrology software, that creates personal graphs showing the future trends for many areas of your life. Get you r free demo at: http://www.omnicycles.com

omnicycles@omnicycles.com

Author:: Dave Bolton
Keywords:: Astrology,Zodiac,Planets,Psychic
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Leonardo Da Vinci

THE BICYCLE OF LEONARDO DA VINCI: - a man who was at once an artist, an inventor, a scientist - and who saw no contradiction between these diverse realms.

In his unceasing quest for truth, Leonardo explored every branch of the sciences known to his age and proved to be far ahead in many respects in his precise observations, his striving for sound methodology and measurement, and the value he placed on empirical proof. 'No human investigation', he wrote, 'can be called true science without going through the mathematical tests the sciences which begin and end in the mind cannot be considered to contain truth, because such discourses lack experience, without which nothing reveals itself with certainty. (57)

This quote is from a semi-whitewash of a life full of conflict, especially with the church. They should emphasize the oppressive control over thought and creativity the church of Leonardo's day had over all sciences. In fact there was only one science - philos ophy which in actual fact was just theology. So Leonardo's words take on a different meaning than they suggest. It is even more important than you might imagine because Leonardo was the head or Nautonnier of the Priory of Sion. The authors are from Catholic Universities mostly, so we must forgive them when they claim to have fostered Leonardo's genius when in fact they did the opposite and it isn't till near the end of the book they note he was charged with being homosexual by these Inquisitorial suppressors of soul and thought.

There is a whole specialty of study devoted to Da Vinci's work but little truth and a lot of propaganda. Few are they who admit both he and his mentor were alchemists and the horrors of a life hidden behind lies and half-truths that resulted from the fear of being foun d out. It is a theme of many of the great scientists and their lives, and little credit is given to the courageous men and women who toiled to understand and the truth they shared is available. Why? Do we still fear others might do what they did or think? Think for themselves and question the authority which seeks to credit their approach to knowing.

The Scientific Method of observation and conclusion is said to have been discovered by Bacon. There is some truth to that, but which Bacon? Some say Francis and there is no truth in that even though he pretended to be an alchemist in his Rosicrucian or Masonic circles including John Dee and Ashmolean types. The better scholars attribute it to Roger Bacon who actually was an alchemist and spent a great deal of his life in dungeons after having ferreted himself away in the church as a monk for a long time. Metaphysics and independent thought can be a dangerous business and there are many current authors whose work is relegat ed to obscurity unless they learn how to appease the 'normative' or oppressive mindset. The sad part is that there is no benefit to anyone by such oppression. Not only is there abundance and creativity but those who know the soul will not NEED to clothe it in grandiose raiment. They will gladly work for the joy of utilizing their potential for the benefit of mankind rather than seeking to destroy others and life in general.

It is interesting that Napoleon (a Merovingian/Mason) made sure to get all of Da Vinci's work that was around when he conquered Milan, but I there is some of it that wasn't discovered until after that and it is most interesting. Da Vinci was a Johannite like Newton (another alchemist, whose Principiae Mathematica had a brief comment at its' start - 'This is much more than I should say; and much less than there is!'). Johannites believe the true prophet in Biblical times was John the Baptist and we are continuing to seek other Benjaminite and Masonic connections with him despite a sense that both Jesus and John the Baptist were operating from the same source. Would Napoleon have destroyed any Johannite writings if the Merovingian House of David and Judah or family of Jesus were concerned about Da Vinci's fame and credibility or writings? We cannot say such a thing and we aren't sure John wasn't a favourite of theirs as well.

The troubling thing about this book is the presentation of Da Vinci as a semi-competent who needed a Franciscan monks help. We like Francis of Assisi and don't doubt the church was watching over Leonardo just as they did all artists who were producing God's work. Yes, the church claimed all creative work was their property! They also controlled education just as they have in many places until this very day. Most likely Luca Pacioli (Franciscan) was under directions to keep Da Vinci in line and to make such things as we will see, remain hidden from the public. Da Vinci was before Galileo and yo u can be sure he would have met the usual gruesome heretical stake or fire after a few parts were titillated or cut along the way.

These are the words of the Catholic University academic which give a little insight to the conflict Da Vinci faced during these oppressive times when thought was even less well managed than today. Leonardo and Luca Pacioli worked together for many years, and as we have seen, the intervention of Master Luca was decisive. Nevertheless there existed between the two categories a social and hierarchical conflict, even if no one had ever placed in doubt the supremacy of the liberal arts as the only depositories of true science. And the one who rose up resolutely against the exclusion of the mechanical arts from the sphere of science Such deceit to call what the church allowed people to think of, as science., or as it was then known, 'philosophy' was Leonardo. (58)

The best part of the whole book for me is the bicycle. It has a chain drive m echanism that looks like a 19th century model of something he would have seen in the future. His representation is not engineered so perfectly that he would have been able to inspect it however. It had no steering mechanism, for example. On top of the original drawing that was discovered long after the death of all parties is a childish drawing of a penis to look like a cat with legs. Still they don't actually use words to say he was 'gay' and we know he would say something about this if he was alive today. It is a certain thing about propaganda - great people become more manageable after they die - you can 'spin' their image to your hearts desire. In the case of Jesus they make him over every century! I guess all the priests abusing children across North America and the court awards have made them a little sensitive - can you say risk management? Can you say hypocrites? They still exclude 'gays' from all sorts of things and marriage is just one of them. Maybe this is the ar ea 'master' Luca was most instructive to Da Vinci?! It is an area of their expertise but what Da Vinci was able to produce, is not.

While they recognize the unmistakable nature of this machine, the few scholars who have examined the drawing are decidedly reluctant to admit its antiquity. Since the application of the chain-drive goes back only to the end of the 19th century, they propose a dating of the drawing within the early years of the present century. Such a hypothesis, however, collides with insurmountable difficulties: (1) The page in question remained hidden for almost four centuries, and it is unimaginable that 70 or 80 years ago a boy would have obtained from the directorship of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana the permission to view the codex, detach one or two of the pages, and then draw upon them and glue them back again. (2) Even in that case, he would have drawn a bicycle of a type then existent, not one of wood with wheelbarrow wheels, And this imaginary child the academics try to say drew the cat/penis, would have been a pretty smart kid to know the name of Leonardo's pupil/model/lover. There is a small matter of his signature. no means of steering, and the teeth of the central gear so squared off that they could not be fitted to the chain. (3) The odd toothed wheels and the chain coincide exactly with those drawn by Leonardo in Codex Madrid 1, folio 10 recto. (4) We cannot separate the bicycle from the other drawings visible in folios 132 verso and 133 verso of the Codex Atlanticus. Actually they were drawn when the pages were united at the two halves of one page. Reuniting them, we see that another hand has drawn, also in pencil and from left to right, two pornographic drawings obviously meant as a joke, over which, on the right side, is clearly written 'salaj', that is, Salai, the name of Leonardo's pupil, model and servant...To become a reality, the idea required the final solution of some challenging problems such as the ma tter of steering and the adaptation of the large squared off teeth with their jutting comers to the links of the chain Salai entered Leonardo's house in 1490, aged 10. (59)

How did Leonardo draw about half of the design of such as bike? The best answer is that he looked into the 'Philosophers Stone' of his patron/alchemist or he developed one of his own like Nostradamus. It is not an easy thing to do, but I think he could have done it. If he actually traveled through time he would have been able to draw a bike and many other things like his famous helicopter. When looking into a 'Stone' there are many confusing images of possible future and jumbled realities. We know that many within the Catholic Church have studied these things (e.g. Aquinas) and that they know about the 'Stone'. In recent times a Catholic cleric developed a Chronovisor in conjunction with top physicists including Enrico Fermi, according to one report I have seen.

We know they would have been ve ry concerned about Leonardo telling the world about many things he knew. The Gnostics were heretics because they said things like: 'The Original Sin that separates us from God is Ignorance!' Who is passing on whether or not you are a heretic because you believe in the possibility of a 'Stone' today? Yes, most of society! Few have any idea of what an alchemist is or what contributions they've made to humanity, the quantum physicists were called 'atom-mysticists' when they spoke of the things chaos science and alchemy has studied for over 13,000 years. This is why we don't need an Inquisition. Because the media and education system is more effective!

The titles and grandiloquent appointments of the egotistical chest-beating ecclesiasts who follow in the footsteps of the money- changers whose tables Jesus over-turned in the Roman-backed Temples are so fantastic that any impressionable person can easily think THEY must know! This is the technique of 'The BIG lie!' If you m ake an ass of your true self (the soul) by saying you are 'Holy' and an 'Emperor', it is no matter. Just continue to add all the nations and states you have under your control. Say you are the sole representative of God on earth, and that the universe revolves around you. It might work as well as saying disease comes from 'sins and demons' and 'women are the harbingers of THE Original Sin'. Actually any human is able to know what Jesus called 'the living father within'. Are we really out of the influence of the 'Dark Ages'? I'd like to debate that with the Pope or some other proselyte.

Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest 'expert' at World-Mysteries.com

Author:: Robert Baird
Keywords:: The Philosopher's Stone, Nautonnier
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Leonardo da Vinci A Biography of the Renaissance Man

Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy. It is uncertain that Vinci, just west of Florence, was the actual birthplace and it is often debated that perhaps he was born in a farmhouse in Anchiano. Nevertheless, Vinci claims the prestigious title of the birthplace of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Leonardo did not author an autoBiography; therefore, what little is know of his early life has been gathered from tax records and other documents of the period. What is known is that he was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci and a woman who is only known by her first name, Catrina. It is speculated that she was possible a slave from the Middle East or perhaps just a lowly servant that worked in the household.

His father, a notary of some stature, did not raise him. It is known that Leonardo (christened Lionardo) lived with his. Later on he went to live with his father or his father's younger brother, Francesco. What became of his mother is unknown.

< p>Because of the circumstances of his birth, Leonardos early training was probably conducted by his step-mother, Donna Albiera, although he was mainly self-tought. Later on in life his illegitimacy would also influence his prospects for obtaining a higher education and the means to earn a living. When his father noted his Artistic talent, he was sent to Florence as apprentice to Andrea del Verrocchio at around the age of 16 or 17.

Under Verrocchio, Leonardo studied Painting and sculpture. He probably learned geometry during his apprenticeship and worked with other students and Artists of the time such as Sandro Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselil and Lorenzo di Credi. It was during this time that he was assigned his first task of Painting the angel in Baptism of Christ (c.1472-75). After seeing Leonardo's angel it is said that Verrocchio swore never to pick up a paintbrush again.

During his first Florentine period (1478-1483) Leonardo received some of his first commissions. He became known for his Artistic talents with his work on Madonna and Child (c. 1478), Small Annunciation (1480-1481), and Adoration of the Magi (c. 1481-82).

Leonardo was revered by friends and colleagues as being handsome and charismatic. He was kind and generous and probably one of the world's first animal rights activists. He was also a practicing vegetarian (almost unknown in the fifteenth century.) However, he was not so well liked that he was immune to gossip and in 1476 he was arrested on the charge of sodomy. After about two months of incarceration he was released due to a lack of evidence. The question of his s exuality still remains a mystery.

After his release in 1478, Leonardo left Florence for the first time and traveled to Milan. There he joined a new patron, Ludovico Sforza. Initially he was to have been a military engineer, but instead became the court Artist. He designed several machines such as catapults and armored cars but none were ever built. During this time he also painted one of his most famous frescos, The Last Supper - not actually a fresco in the true sense of the word but still paramount in establishing him as a portraitist and Artist.

In 1499, Leonardo returned to Florence where he accepted a commission for an altar Painting for the friars of the Order of the Servites at Santissima Annunziata. It was for this Painting that Leonardo created one of his unfinished masterpieces, The Burlington House CArtoon (c.1499-1500). He also stArted two of his most famous works, The Battle of Anghiari, and The Mona Lisa (1503). The Battle of Anghiari was never finished and The Mona Lisa was never delivered to the client, Francesco del Giocondo.

In 1506 he headed back to Milan, remaining there for six years to continue his anatomy studies. Then in 1511, he moved to Rome where he continued his experiments with flight and optical puzzles as well as botany and the scientific mixing of oil paints and varnishes.

In 1516 Leonardo joined the King of France, Francois I, in the Loire Valley. The aging Artist was ill and suffering from a stroke. Unable to paint, he undertook several projects including a walking mechanical lion. Instead of a heArt, the lion's chest opened to reveal a fleur-d e-lis. He also designed a palace at Romorantin, reorganized his notebooks, and several other smaller projects.

On May 2, 1519, Leonardo died and was buried in Saint-Forentine in Amboise. But even in death, his travels were not over. During the Wars of Religion Leonardo's remains were moved several times. Eventually he was buried in the Chapel of St. Hubert in the castle of Amboise.

Leonardo da Vinci was an Artist, musician, philosopher, engineer, botanist, anatanomist, mathematician and a humanitarian. He did not believe in life after death and he did not agree with the teachings of the church. He was generous but suspicious. He questioned everything around him and excelled at everything he undertook. He spent 30 years keeping meticulous records and journals documenting his experiments and designs. Vassari observes with reference to Leonardo's writings, he wrote backwards in rude characters, and with the left hand, so that anyone who is not practiced in reading t hem, cannot understand them. He did not number the five thousand pages he documented but ensured that each observation or experiment documented be completed on one page. Leonardo took great pains to finish his notebooks. Yet, in contrast to his scientific studies, this Artist who epitomizes the Renaissance left much of his Artistic endeavors unfinished.

Much of Leonardo's life is a mystery in spite of his writings. Little is known of the man inside the body because he did not reveal much to the world. His accomplishments throughout his 67 years on eArth did much to revolutionize the Artistic community and, had his machines been built, would have revolutionized society centuries in advance. Leonardo was truly a man before his time.

To learn more about Leonardo da Vinci and find Bianca Tavares other biographical writing at Renaissance Art.

Author:: Bianca Tavares
Keywords:: Biography,leonardo da vinci,Renaissance man,Renaissance,Art,Painting
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Peter Agostini Artist of Exquisite Influence

The June showing of Peter Agostinis Sculpture at the Salander-OReilly Gallery on East 79th Street in Manhattan brings a true masters touch of creative genius to this Spring and Summers New York Art Gallery scene. With its vivid, image-provoking title of Mid-Life Crisis, this uniquely characteristic and diverse collection of the artists work exhibits the highest definitive qualities of major schools and styles in the rich, complex history of World Art.

Entering the gallery, the viewer is greeted by the silken surface and steely force of the Swell, made of hydrocal in 1965. One of a series of Swells, this amazing landmark in modern sculptural achievement at once defies and re-defines accepted and proven laws of physics in its seductive intrigue of tied inner tube forms contained to near bursti ng, threatening absolute explosive elegance pure, pristine dynamite grace. Within this piece, Eastern Asian full-form and fluidity meet Western power-packed compression, and align.

Nearby, another well-known smaller Sculpture entitled Squeeze (1964) is a plaster replica of the artists strong, sensitive hands kneading tight-skinned tubular forms into lifelike, billowing, breathing flesh. Its classic Italian form in American Pop Art medium give this piece unbounded limits as a powerful merging of style, form and period a Sculpture of true significance within the history of international art. The artists index finger pl ayfully arching above the work-in-process questions any challenge to Peter Agostinis valid place as a Founding Father and true genius in the history and development of Modern Art.

Another Swell in hydrocal (c. 1965) exudes an uncanny feeling of feather lightness in flight, its ballooning, bulbous dimensions defying both weight and gravity. Its rope-lined seams of stretching, barely controlled power with fabric-like pleats beneath the rope-ties lend a sheer suggestion of draping to this otherwise naked revelation of exaggerated form. The tightly encased volumetric magnitude is similar to that found in many large, heavy-based and massive Buddha figures of Indian, Ceylonese and Chinese Sculpture from the 5th and 6th Centuries A.D., as well as in stone figures and fragments from the Mayan ruins of Mexico.

The terra cotta Untitled Head (1972), a gentle-featured, expansive, cloud-boulder sits stalwart, unconcerned of its peculiar duality of full, rounded, yet fractured forms. Its fragmented skull and nose in no way detract from its large, round baby-doll eyes and full, plush lips. The overall fullness and depth of the features are classical, but the eyes are shallow almost drawn as in Abstract Expressionism. And the endearing vertical line through the eye is unmistakably theatrical French and Art Nouveau. Agostini came close to discarding this piece when it broke and fragmented during its kiln firing, but was persuaded to keep it because of the artistic strength and validity of its altered state.

Immortalized in bronze, the Old Apollo (1976) with its bony, yet muscular torso and sparse, thinning legs its powerful, yet gnarly hands and feet possesses a quiet, knowing countenance of incorrigible patience and acceptance of longevity. The elderly god s tands watchful, fearless in his linear definition of aging grace. With back of right hand resting easily on right hip, he exhibits the uncanny relaxed, open-handed, languid strength so beautifully recognized in the male figures of Michelangelo.

Butterfly in plaster (1959) has a rare quality of sophisticated buoyancy and weightlessness a new-born nymph taking flight, emerging from its satin pillow cocoon in a graceful curving twist of upward spiraling transformation. Within this piece live the exquisite convergence of classic Renaissance form, Rococo richness of style, and Pop Art conception and material. The artists characteristic signature of Agostini nonchalantly carved in subtle, low-relief in large and small capitalized print in the Sculptures soft-pillow base emphasize even further this vibrant combination of period and world style.

The amazing sculptural triptych display of bronze horses: Walking Horse (1971), Galloping Horse (1969), and Flying Horse (1939) all embody a pure, uninhibited and joyful outrageousness in their yogic postures and near-impossible dance-flight moves. The subtle nuances of their smooth classical forms combined with their dashing flare and dauntless unfurling of elegance enable them to soar above any pedestal or reproach.

With each face carefully defined by the free, casual, but exacting touch of the artist, the four plaster Figure Sculptures are definitive of feminine beauty and liquidity of form. Their flowing, graceful lines and rough-surface modeling are proudly indicative examples of the joining together of Renaissance, Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism.

The exquisite and outstanding exhibition of Agostinis Sculpture at the Salander-OReilly Gallery in Manhattan will run until the end of June, and Peter Agostinis brilliant influence and significance in the field of American and World Art will continue throughout the endurance of history.

Ellen Gilmer is a writer/composer and artist who lives in New York City. Crystal Clear Artforms, her creative arts business, is dedicated to the development and promotion of Thematic Arts (creative expression in multiple art forms). Ellen's work includes biographical sketches and article writing. She is a member of the Agora International Press Corps / AWAI Travel Writers Group. She has published two books: La Belle Famille, a novel; and Free Style Run of the Heart, a book of d ramatic monologues with songs. Both books were published by The Pentland Press Ltd. / Carnegie Publishing, England. The Website Address for Crystal Clear Artforms is: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~elgilmer

Author:: Ellen Gilmer
Keywords:: Agostini, Peter Agostini, Modern Art, American Art, Sculpture, Modern Sculpture, Pop Art
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Learn How To Draw Faces Realistically

Drawing a face isnt as hard as it looks. To draw a realistic human face, it takes mapping out the face correctly before you fill in the finer detail. If you would like to get the most out of this Article, I recommend sitting down with a pad and paper and Drawing each step as you read it.

To begin, stArt with an egg shaped oval. Draw a line down the center of this egg. This line will give you a midpoint for measuring eye separation, nose width, etc.

Next, separate the egg shape into 3 equal portions (horizontal lines) with 2 lines. The top of the egg will be be the top of the hairline and the bottom of that segment will be the eyebrows. The second segment goes from the eyebrows to the bottom of the nose. The third segment goes from the bottom of the nose to the bottom of the chin.

Two of these segments turned sideways will give you the measurement sideways from cheek to cheek.

The measurement of one eye should be equal to the distance between the two eyes. The corner of each eye should line up with the wings of the nose.

If you divide the third segment (under the nose) in half, with a horizontal line, you have the line for the bottom of the bottom lip. The corners of the mouth should line up with the middle of the pupil of the eye.

The ears should be visible from a front view as they do not sit flat on the side of your head. These points can be found by finding the middle segment from the eyebrow to the bottom of the nose. The ears should only stick out about as far as from the center line of the head to the wing of the nose.

The hair can be drawn by Drawing the hair from the edge of the ear up. The top of the hair is of one of the segment lengths up from the hair line.

This is only a basic face layout. A lot of the shapes on the human face are defined by underlying bones and musculature. In order to learn how to draw a face more accurately, it is necessary to understand some of the anatomy. The eye, the nose and mouth are the main structures that must be more closely examined in order to draw a face correctly.

Adam Reeder has been an Artist for 15 years. He has been a professional portrait Artist and sculptor for the last seven years. His work is well respected and has compiled great techniques to help Artists create lifelike work. He maintains a website, Learn To Draw Like A Pro, where a downloadable step-by-step human figure Drawing guide is available.

Author:: Adam Reeder
Keywords:: learn to draw, how to draw, Drawing faces, draw a face, Art, Drawing
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Analysis of Heloise: A Medieval Woman

Heloise was completely unlike my perceptions of what Medieval Women were like. I was under the impression that the Women of this time period were weak in spirit, obedient, and usually chaste. I did expect that some Women might have engaged in pre-marital sex, but I thought that these Women would have regarded such behavior as a disgrace. Heloise completely changed my misconceptions of Medieval Women; she seems more like a twentieth century woman in her strength and personal characteristics.

While Heloise did succumb to her husbands, Abelard, desire for her to join a convent, this action of Heloises does not exhibit weakness but rather is an indication of her innate strength. I believe a weak woman would have found another man, since Abelard was now unable to satisfy a woman physically. In joining the convent, Heloise proves that she was not a slave to human desires but was a slave, perhaps, to the man she loved unconditionally. This kind of love that Heloise had for Abelard is one that only people strong in spirit can have for another human being. Her love did not fade at all, even though they were separate for many years.

Heloise joined the convent for two reasons: Abelard wished for her to do it and she deemed it as retribution for Abelards castration. Abelard wrote in his Historia calamitatum that Heloise opposed their marriage and said the world would justly exact punishment from her if she removed such a light [meaning Abelard from its midst (Abelard 70). It is obvious that Heloise viewed the convent as her punishment for marrying Abelard and his subsequent mutilation.

Many pe ople might think that Heloises submission to Abelard is weakness but I do not. Heloise was a very intelligent and educated woman; her submission was the result of the love she had for him, not inherent weakness. It takes great strength of mind to put aside our own desires and put someone elses wishes before our own. This is what Heloise did. She wrote in her letter to Abelard, God knows I never sought anything in you except yourself; I wanted simply you, nothing of yours. I looked for no marriage-bond, no marriage portion, and it was not my own pleasures and wishes I sought to gratify, as you well know, but yours (Heloise 113). To be so enamoured of someone requires tremendous strength.

Even though Heloise was extremely successful as a nun and an abbess and was praised by many, there is no indication that Heloise was completely in the service of God in her duties as a nun. Heloise wrote this to Abelard:

It was not any sense of vocation which brought me as a young girl to accept the austerities of the cloister, but your bidding alone, and if I deserve no gratitude from you, you may judge for yourself how my labours are in vain. I can expect no reward for this from God, for it is certain that I have done nothing as yet for love of him (Heloise 116).

Heloise viewed herself as a hypocrite; she said that men who did not know her secret longings praised her for her virtue. She wrote Abelard, How can it be called repentance for sins, however great the mortification of the flesh, if the mind still retains the will to sin and is on fire with its old desires? (Heloise 132). This sentiment proves Heloise never gave herself completely to God, because she always belonged to Abelard. To shut oneself in a nunnery when ones heart is not in it requires enormous strength.

Mary Arnold holds a B.A. in literature and History. She is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.

Her portfolio can be found at http:/ /www.Writing.com/authors/ja77521

Author:: Mary Arnold
Keywords:: History, Women, Heloise, Abelard, Medieval
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Toronto and the Police

CHAPTER ONE: The Attack of the Little People:

TORONTO THE GOOD:

Toronto is one of the worlds most secure and wonderful cities and there are few social systems as good as we have in Canada. My name is Robert Bruce Baird and I live in Parkdale where my parents lived and where I spent the first two years of my life. Circumstances or co-incidences see me researching my books at the same library where my father read almost every book while his grandfather worked long and hard to create the union in an era when that was a meaningful contribution to society and the world. It is a new building and I am sure there are many more books. I can remember him saying he would get the librarian to bring in many books that he wanted in addition to the complete works of Shakespeare, Shaw and the Britannica. He imparted a true Joy of Learning in me that I have never lost. But I am fifty-five years old and I have given up on the materialistic society I once excelled at to the point that I was a self-made millionaire by the age of thirty. I am a proponent of a spiritual and ethical approach to matching assets and responsibilities to actualize plans such as full technology usage in the vein of Galbraith and Bucky Fuller or the Club of Rome. You might already have gathered that from the quotes I began this book with, if you know Buckys work. Toronto was one of the places Bucky spent a lot of time.

Friday February, 23, 2006 seemed like many other days at the start. I had finished another book called Phoenician Makers of the Bible and Much More a couple of days before. I was continuing work on two other books but taking it easy as the Winter Olympics from Torino provided me with a lot of entertainment. I was thinking about when I should re-contact best-selling author Jim Marrs about his offer to do a forward for my book titled Americas Assassination and Aspirations. Jim wrote the book that the movie JFK is based on, in part. He is a long time corresp ondent of mine and we have both given each other some helpful research since I started writing and participating in the World Wide Web. He has said he will do this in the spring so I decided to wait until the end of March; but as you will shortly see I might be in Jail at that time.

After depositing my Canada Pension Plan and Ontario Disability Support Plan (ODSP) checks in the bank I went back to the Group Home I self-admitted myself to about seven years earlier. The ODSP check is for about $33. and I could live on my own and get more money from them. They pay my landlord about $500. a month in addition to my rent of $543.30. My spendable income is less than $200. a month with a tax rebate amounting to about $550. a year which I use to get my books in the market or to do research on artifacts sent to me by fellow researchers. I went to the smoking lounge to watch the Olympic coverage and to see how many medals Canada was adding to their already historic medal count.

Minh the Mighty:

There is a long history of activism in regards to my involvement in the Group Home or Hospital and Prison Without Walls that I live in. When I came here in January 1999 the home was owned by Mrs. Carmen Carter whose husband had died a short time earlier. He was a Seventh Day Adventist minister and leader and she is from a wealthy Jamaican family. She had been a psychiatric nurse and was on Mayoral Committees and they had donated the land that Branson Hospital is located on and the city was asking for more of the land to expand that hospital upon as I remember. Mrs. Carter said I was sent by God and other such things. At first I tired to help the mentally challenged and victimized people of the larger community. I established Bridge Clubs and Euchre Tournaments with the help of a COTA (Community Occupational Therapy Associates) worker named Catriona. I organized a newsletter and paid for the printing myself. Catriona said that her bosses liked it and they would distribute it. Habitat Services checked it out in advance and also indicated they would distribute it but the self-help and groups I was promoting created a problem for one of their Directors who had pursued his adopted son into the consumer survivor community and these homes for over sixteen years.

His son was cross-dressing and was diagnosed as having Multiple Personality Disorder. In one four or five hour session with me he opened up more than he had ever done with all his social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists during that sixteen years. I discovered someone in his family had taken lit cigarettes to his penis and other such travesties of morality. His step-father was the Director of Habitat that we were dealing with and though I never met him in person he began slandering me. The newsletter was never delivered and we stopped making it after three months. This young man had a sister adopted by the same family. This family is very wealthy and I can only imagine that they would not want this can of worms opened up given the fact that the young girl had run away and she had been involved in the sex trade. These are common symptoms of the Cycle of Violence and incest and the system does not wish to address those problems directly because parents are often the victimizer and they are the voters as well as the fact that it would be hard to help all those who have been abused. C. Everett Koop as Surgeon-General of the United States said it was an epidemic. I was involved in a personal mission to help these people in the US for at least nine years including a year when I lived with a noted Doctor of Psychology who was my twin (born the same day as me).

I eventually stopped actively reaching out to help people when various other acts of psychiatrists an d hospitals made it clear I was black-flagged and they would not support my efforts. I continued to help as I could in my own home. Mrs. Carter had developed Alzheimers or something like that and she had sold the home to Peter and Kelly about a year and a half before the confrontation that is the cause of this effort or explanation.

In the week leading-up to Minh attacking me one of the people I had helped had moved out of the house. His name is Peter Lye and he would have been able to provide me with a good witness to what happened and the police constable would have been more hesitant to do what he did if Peter had been there. I am pretty sure Minh knew this and began to try to get me at this juncture partially because Peter was no longer there. Peter had held the door open over a year earlier when I threw Minh out the door from some distance. Minh is anorexic and less than half my weight. He and his crack-smoking lover who had been squatting in his room for most of that month had forced us to take action and involve the police on more than one occasion. At that juncture Philip (his lover) had bumped me with his chest and I was about to throw him out when Minh came to his lovers defence.

So when I returned from doing my banking and started to watch the Olympics Minh came into the smoking lounge and turned the station on the TV. Minh does not smoke cigarettes and I do not know if he personally does the cocaine and crack that was often done by his male lovers in his room. A year earlier had seen the end of him going into the street and bringing as many as six lovers a day into his room as well as other thieves, prostitutes and low-lifes. At this juncture I had seen the medal update and there was nothing I really needed to watch; and even though others might have liked to continue watching and Minh had not asked for a vote I went upstairs to work on my books and web communities.

Later in the day I returned to watch the hockey game between Finland and Russia. Minh came in and turned the station and was still moving it despite my asking him not to. I got up from the couch and went to the TV. I grabbed his hand and because the TV knobs are missing and we have to stick our fingers into the holes where the knobs used to be I had to move his hand backwards rather than merely slap it away. I did not look to see what happened when I threw his hand backwards as I started to return the TV station to the game we were watching.

Minh punched me in the eye from behind. I continued to get the TV onto the right station as well as continuing to smoke a cigarette in my other hand. He may have hit me more than once but am not sure when each aspect of my wounds and chucks of hair lying on the floor occurred. I do remember getting on top of him while still smoking my cigarette and him yanking a huge lock of hair from my head. I do not have a lot of hair up top but I am trying to be humorous in mentioning that. It was at this time that he stuck his fingers into my eye socket and I became concerned. I stood up and got hold of his head. I pushed his head down towards his knees and gradually got him to where I could sit on a chair even though he continued to punch at my lower extremities. I had my left hand under his chin and my right hand on the back of his head at the base of the skull or the top of his neck. He continued punching me even though he must have known I could have broken his neck easily at this juncture.

There have been other incidents where I did not call the police when Minh hit me and I think he knows that I am a person who will not hurt other people unless I have to. In this instance I called for the staff person who we call Cliff to phone the police because I thought this would rise to the level of being worthy of an assault charge what with seeing my hair on the floor and knowing I was bleeding near my eye. There are legal uncertainties about what is allowab le for tenants, owners and other rights including whether or not the law for hotels or motels, or apartments apply. This uncertainty had existed even when the house got good police service while Mrs. Carter paid the Benevolent Association and up to $500 a month to various police causes; while avoiding payment of duty on her American-registered Mercedes Benz with Texas plates that had been given to her when her son died around the same time her husband had passed on. Peter and Kelly refused to pay the Benevolent Association when asked to do so but there is no proof which clearly establishes the nature of the protection racket they run. The art of SPIN and deception is not limited to journalism or politics.

A TOUGH HOMBRE:

When the police arrived my friend Mel was at the door holding it open for them. Melvin is a black man who served two tours in Vietnam including a black ops base in Laos or Cambodia as an aircraft technician. He became a drug addict in Vietnam but he has beaten the habit in the last four years with the help of Peter and myself as well as others. I asked the policeman if I could leave Minh in his care so I could rest after a long period of adrenaline rush and energy spent restraining his. I sat down in my usual place on the corner of the couch with the table between me and the lady cop I later learned is named Caroline. She took information including my ID from my shaking hands while I explained to the constable what had occurred.

Incredibly the policeman said he would not be pressing any charges as he felt it was just a fight despite the evidence to the contrary. I explained my role in the house even though I was pretty sure he had been there before at a time when things were especially rough and a parolee who was threatening everyone had defecated on the floor in front of the kitchen door to get back at the staff. I explained that I had done everything according to what many cops and the owner thought was the proper way to handle such a confrontation but that we still needed further clarity from the courts as to the legal position we were in vis a vis the different labels that might be legally interpreted as applicable to the situation. He said I was no lawyer and that he was no Average Joe and preened his ego along with using words of a purple nature. I responded with the same words and told him I wanted a judge to decide and that I did not need his opinion or that of any other cop due to the established uncertainty. I also said that if there were no charges laid against Minh that would necessitate people using force to protect themselves. He said I was Threatening. There is a legal charge that could go along with that. He asked Cliff (Who I think had just came by and quickly left. His son had been killed in the previous two years while acting as security for a downtown bar.) for his opinion and Cliff muttered something about having nothing to say.

I pointed out that the o wners were not paying the protection and that his threats of sending me to Jail did not bother me. I like Jail or I could certainly say I have learned a lot in Jail as you can see from my appendix number one. I probably told him about that article titled The Man Who Loved Jail which has been on the web for some time. Th e situation continued with us repeating our positions until he asked me to go outside. I got up and was near the door when he first laid hands on me. I told him there was no need to get physical. He continued and I braced myself on the door jambs with my legs apart. I remember his first punch to my kidney did not hurt and I remember him saying to his partner Take him down. I let them wail on me for a minute or more and kept saying I was not resisting arrest but rather I was insisting on it.

I do not recall him asking me to go to the floor in the small room but I could see that might end the charade so I went onto the floor on my hands and knees. He pounced upon me on the left side of my body and the lady cop went to my fight and grabbed my hand which was under the table. His weight on my shoulders and neck did make it hard to breathe when I was face down on the floor and I told them I was not resisting but I would have to move so I could breath. They could not prevent me from doing any movement I wished to do. I would imagine I weigh as much as the two of them do together. I was on my back with my hands out front to the side so she could put the cuffs on and he was on top of me screaming obscenities and asking me if I could breathe better as he had both hands on my neck. I think he was trying to choke me but he was unable to do it.

Author of many books available at Lulu and World-Mysteries.com

Author:: Robert Baird
Keywords:: Group Homes, Toronto, Jail
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Soldier to Life's Battles

54th Battalion. 4th Division. Unit 984. Belgium. 1944. Crumbling buildings. Strewn bodies. A growing fear. Boiling, uneasy groans. Seeing beyond the pale light of the war to the dim glimmer of Death. Something is inside of these men, twitching, squirming. Just the pebbles of a once great civilization crunching beneath their feet. walking steady, keeping your head up, looking around cautiously, sometimes drawn into the tomb of thought and unweariness. A dead body lies against a building. Nobody notices. More marching. A soldier's head falls, himself still marching. A girl. A face. A Lover. A friend knocks him out of dreams with a gentle hit. More marching. More climbing through the traughs of earth. Conquering more territory in the nightmare of existence. Squinting. Confusion. Fog. Myst. But a clear day. Rest stop. A soldier sits on rubble and dumps the contents of his canteen on his face. Another wipes his neck with a white cloth. Lying on h is stomach, occassionally making noises, another soldier stairs into the inevitable future, undeniable fate. He turns over on his back, his weapon by his side. He gets up and leaves, his gun left. Clinking and clanking of tools and weapons, as everyone senses the move out order. Then it comes. And more marching. They're on the road that leads no where and it goes for miles and miles. They will walk until their feet had worn down, and they had nothing but nubs left, and then they would walk 10 miles more.

His rifle in his hands, moving at the same pace of the other soldiers, Che walked with about as much uncertainty as he has inexperience. He was, like many of the soldiers in his platoon, a soldier, a boy, a man, a Lover, a hater, a beast of passion, desire, Love, and lust. He was in another nation and sacrificing days of his Life that would torment him for years. The opinion of this varied from man to man in the platoon. To some, it was a patriotic call to d uty, and to others it was just a requirement, while others still were Pacifists who had been tortured and threatened with imprisonment by the US government, as was not uncommon. It didn't take long for the patriots to realize that what they were doing was hardly patriotic, that it was not helping their people, nor was it helping any people. Either way, like Che, the members of this platoon were here on foreign soil, armed, with orders to destroy, themselves unready to kill. The platoon moves, until it finds its locations: no where. The platoon leader tells his soldiers that they're sleeping here, among the rubble with rats and roaches.

Nighttime. A cloak of darkness spread over the land, as soldiers retired to the ground for sleep. As the sun sets on the horizon, so it sets on this evening of their lives, never to come again. And with their lives full of hardship and existence, today is the last day they will have this much ahead of them. Whether there is only one day before Death, or a great many decades, there is a limit on existence of all those men. Here they are, in a great World War, fighting to end the existence of other men. Their names may not be remembered, but what they do will forever change the course of the planet.

Daybreak. The soldiers struggle to consciousness as they warm breakfast over scattered campfires. The morning dusk has brought nothing but chills. The endless march began again. Every soldier has their own lucky charm, or momento, or tangible piece of sentimentality. One soldiers carries a pendant given to him by his grandmother. To him it is a Purpose, but to a scavenging German soldier, it is a small piece of profit from melted down silver. Another soldier carries around a picture of his daughter, while another carries just the memories in his head of his childhood house, secluded in a small town in the woods. But among these men, these marching soldiers battling for control over their lv es as much as the next man, there is one man -- Che -- who holds one thing prized above all: a Love letter given to him by his Lover. At least, she once was his Lover, and she once swore all of her Love just to him. Laura, a name so divine that only the angels could speak it. Her tender legs, moist inside, passionate touch, lustfully in Love and always sincere in her affection. These were the thoughts racing through the mind of Che, as he marched in the war parade across the streets which yielded no playful and careless children.

Laura, once the avowed Lover of Che, but no more. For after this Love letter he is holding in his hands, which was like fleeting touches of her body, another letter came. The first letter spoke of devotion and the second of desertion. His four months (now 6) of existence in a foreign land was too much for her. Her first Love letter was volumous, with imagery of physical affection and Love -- something any soldier would cherish from the ir Lover. Physical Love manifested within the words of our humble English language. The words of the letter were etched into his heart, the way two Lovers claim a tree by marking the bark. He memorized every sentence, every syllable. But she left him. The initial shock was almost disbelief. Then, there was a void in his purely militaristic existence. And while the real Laura was away with another, she was dead to him. A once living beauty crumbled to pieces as he read the truth on white paper. His mind churned with the ingredients of misery, preparing the concoction of fate. Marching with a heavy head. He still kept the first Love letter, to remind him of how happy he once was. And oh how he was indeed! In no other time of his Life could he sincerely attest to so much comfort and Love. Slowly through denial, anger, sympathy, he kept his Love letter, and just as surely as he read her aged words of affection, she was reading another man's poetry. Two months had passed since the breakup. He march, still in tune to Laura's Love song, not with a heavy heart, but the beautiful past lifting him in the air.

But it was this day that Che marched with the words of Laura in his hand, not looking, not thinking, but just visualizing her soft caress as her words looked at him. The debris of broken tools, destoryed buildings, or tattered clothing was subject to his worn, numb feet, his fixation not altering once. And whether it was by his own negligence or lack of concentration, he wound up where he was. He looked up, stopping in his tracks and the words of the letter, and he saw German faces, with German-military helms and wearing German-military outfits. Holding his letter in his hand, his rifle slung, he saw one of the German soldiers raise his gun to shoot. Che asked one thousand questions: Does she Love me still? Does she still think about me? Does she know that I still Love her? Does she know I kept her letters? What does s he think about me? What does she think about me? What does she think about me? And then a blast lasting no more than a microsecond, and he fell, the wind taking possession of his letter. But as the azure skies turn a darker shade, and as his body loses feeling, Che wonders if he should have lived his last few weeks of existence as he did.

Yes.

http://www.punkerslut.com

For Life,

Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been writing essays and poetry on social issues which have caught his attention for several years. His website http://www.punkerslut.com provides a complete list of all of these writings. His Life experience includes homelessness, squating in New Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, getting expelled from college for subversive activities, and a myriad of other revolutionary actions.

Author:: Andy Carloff
Keywords:: world war 2,Germany,Reich,Love,Life,Death,Meaning,Purpose,Philosophy,Psychiatry,Psychology,Emotion
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Legionnaire Success Lessons

The French Foreign Legion was founded in 1831. Their spiritual home and old training centres are in the former colonial French North Africa although they now train mainly in Southern France. What made them the legendary force they were and still are? What Success lessons can we learn from them?

Recently twelve volunteers chose to do four weeks basic training in Legion style in the Western Sahara desert. They were under the harsh but experienced and encouraging regime of three ex-legionnaires, Sergeant Chef Peter Hauser, Sergeant Glenn Ferguson and Corporal Richard Sutter

Their experiences were filmed by Channel 4 TV and can teach us much about Motivation and Success. I have also talked with Sergeant Glenn Ferguson and gained some more insights into what motivated him and the other legendary legionnaires.

He joined the Legion at the age of 19. He was motivated at first by fear of punishment and then by Pride. He hated to fail at anything and could also app reciate the Pride of an elite group. One of his favourite sayings is:

You will never be the best if you constantly have to lower the bar so the weaker elements can join

Throughout the program the three ex-legionnaires appeared keen for some of the volunteers to ring a bell as a symbol of their wish to leave the group. They wanted to weed out the weaker elements. Legionnaires with low standards can get their fellow legionnaires killed.

Elite groups do not have the time to tolerate the weak or half hearted. They only want members who are willing to give 100% Effort. They would rather that 'losers' (people who are lazy and half-hearted) did not join. Another saying of Sergeant Glenn Ferguson puts this well:

If you didn't come to be the best, then stay with the other losers

In the modern world where everyone must be encouraged to join everything, this seems to be very old-fashioned and elitist but note that this saying does in fact make sense even t oday. It is not saying that you must be the best before you join up.

You must just want to be the best. This leaves room for the less talented so long as they have the right attitude. Any weakness will soon leave them as they endure the pain of the tough training regime of the Legion.

As the Sergeant commented to his suffering protgs in the TV program:

Pain is weakness leaving your body

Several of the volunteers started the training as 'the weak' but ended up as 'the strong'. One former legionnaire commented in the program that when he entered the legion, he believed he could do nothing. When he left after five years he believed he could do anything. Such belief is a key element in any Success.

I was a teacher for over 30 years in London Comprehensive schools. Everyone is accepted into these schools whether they are 'weak' or 'strong'. They are all given the opportunity to learn. Unfortunately, a minority are not only 'weak'; they don't want to become 'strong' or are too lazy to become 'strong' and they don't want anyone else to be 'strong'.

When such lazy and disruptive pupils leave the school, the rest make much faster progress and can even enjoy their education. A touch of the French Foreign Legion attitude towards the half-hearted and disruptive might well improve our Comprehensive system.

Occasionally a 'loser' shows up in my martial arts classes; they don't want to work hard except at the bits they enjoy and they distract the others. I don't care about their ability or lack of it. The key factor is their attitude. Fortunately I am not forced by the Government to keep these students. I can either ask them to leave or give them a chance to improve.

I usually give them a chance but, if their attitude does not improve, I am pleased when they go. I do not want the majority of the class with a keen attitude to lose their opportunity to concentrate and make speedy progress. Training with like minde d people is the quickest road to Success in any venture.

The French Foreign Legion does not usually give lazy people a second chance. They are out on their ear immediately or are quickly disciplined into accepting the rules.

I was impressed by the French Foreign Legion 'aperitif.' This took the form of 10 pull ups before the evening meal. The volunteers found this tough as most of us would.

Sgt. Glenn Ferguson explained that this 'aperitif' was important in battle. It is no use being able to travel miles on foot and then not being able to pull yourself up over a wall when you reached the place of battle. Upper body strength is essential for a soldier. One of the Sergeant's favourite saying makes the point:

A man who can't pull his own body weight is a waste of oxygen

I especially liked the 'aperitif' exercise because it involves daily Effort at a precise time. Any consistent daily Effort produces impressive results. Performing the drill before a meal or reward is also a great idea. Having an immediate reward after some Action makes it easier to perform the Action. Daily Efforts are a key factor in any Success story.

Sergeant Chef Peter Hauser, who had served with the legion's elite parachute regiment all over the world, taught the volunteers about the weapons and tactics of the legion.

The volunteers were in similar territory (in the Western Saharan desert) to that in which the Legion in the sixties were the last line of defence as France 's colonial Empire crumbled.

Simon Murray was a legionnaire from 1960 to 1965. He described the huge amount of equipment a legionnaire had to carry:

It is a tough life because you're carrying six days of rations. You were probably carrying about 40 kilos and you've got 4 hand grenades; you've got 200 rounds of ammunition; you've got a sten gun; you've got a couple of water bottles; you've got a shovel, you've got your sleeping kit and half a tent. You're qu ite weighed down and very often you are going u phil l and long, long, long hard slogs and frequently men would be absolutely done and collapse; and then the sergeants would kick them and move them along and would start screaming at them. You might have a fever; you might have this that and the other. Nobody gave a damn.

The ruthless attitude of the sergeants did not allow for Excuses and Excuses are a major cause of failure in any venture. The sergeants like Sergeant Glenn Ferguson believed in pushing men beyond their limits. Most Success stories contain this element of extending your boundaries and breaking through your Limitations. One of the sergeant's favourite sayings is:

If you never are shown that your limits can be pushed, you will never know how far you can really go.

Near the end of the 4 weeks, the volunteers had to do a standard Legionnaire eight km run in 60 minutes with a bad fitting 12 kilogram pack on their backs. They had to walk two hours to get to the start of the run after a night on sentry duty. Will, one of the volunteers, had very sore ankles but with the help of Corporal Rutter, he made it.:

You can do it - little steps. One in front of the other. Come on Will - a last bit of Effort - you can do it. Come on; last little bit of Effort; you can do it; it come on. Come on! Grit your teeth! You're there!

Will just made it with ten seconds to spare. He put his Success down to Corporal Rutter's help but the Corporal put it down to him. If you delve deep in yourself you can do it - it's a mind thing - it's all in your mind.

Again this kind of attitude and the Encouragement that went with it leads to Success and achievement. I think taking little steps in anything is a big factor in achieving Success.

The main reason recruits to the Legion drop out is because of foot problems caused by the frequent long marches and runs. Why do some keep going while the others drop out?

Bobby, on e of the remaining four volunteers, gave one reason:

The positive people seem to still be here. It shows that a smile and good nature can carry you through most things.

On their final day, the four Successful volunteers faced the kepi march. The night before the march they are told the heroic story of Camerone. During the Franco Mexican war in 1863 the Legion retreated to a farm house called Camerone where they were surrounded by 2000 Mexican soldiers.

When the Legionnaires fought down to the last three men without surrendering the Mexican captain let the three surviving men go with their weapons and wounded comrades. He said:

What can we do with men such as you?. You have shown such courage. This esprit de corp is what the volunteers would need on the Kepi march.

Will likened the Kepi march to giving birth. At the time it is very painful but later you forget all the pain and think it would be a good idea to have or do another one.

An Iri sh ex-legionnaire who featured briefly in the TV program commented that the kepi march is difficult but that's just the way it is. If it wouldn't be difficult, you wouldn't be there. The blisters came forth and then the blood came forth.

Sgt Glenn Ferguson described the real march done through the Pyrenees : 180 k's in 3 and a half days; 18 hours a day of marching . You walk on these bloody stumps that used to be your feet. You know they are in a bad way because you can feel it ( the Sergeant's description was more colourful) but you just keep walking and in about ten minutes your brain just turns off and you just keep going. At the end your boots had to be cut off - lots of blood and lots of skin.

Eventually all three staff and the four remaining volunteers, Bear, Bobby, Will and Loic finished the march and reached the Atlantic sea. Loic liked the symbolism of going through the desert and then landing in the sea. Everyone rushed into the Atlantic to celebrate.

Later all four were presented with the kepi blanc as a souvenir. They would not be allowed to wear it but could keep it to remember their experience. Only real legionnaires could wear the Kepi blanc

Loic had learned that at the end of the day he could live a very simple life on a lousy bed with a cold shower and that the materialistic issues which bother us mean absolutely nothing.

Bear, the leader of the volunteers, commented:

We didn't find Beau Geste and the romantic myths of the legion. We found only pain but from that pain came Pride and honour. Whatever you say against the legion you have to realize that for the people who come through it gives a huge sense of Pride. And the strength of the legion is that it gives people family and Pride and a second chance. It builds good things through the hardship.

The following key Success lessons can be learned from this account:

Surround yourself with keen, hardworking people who want to be the best. Expel the lazy and half-hearted.

Take daily Action to make yourself stronger in every way.

Push yourself beyond your imagined Limitations

Keep smiling and stay good natured.

Accept pain and hardship as a road to strength

Remember past achievements by yourself or others

Encourage each other and if necessary take small steps to reach your goals

Don't indulge in making Excuses

About the author

John Watson is an award winning teacher and fifth degree black belt martial arts instructor. He has recently written several books about achieving your goals and dreams.

They can be found on his website http://www.Motivationtoday.com along with a Motivational message and books by other authors

Ezine editors / Site owners

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site but please include the resource box above.

Author:: John Watson
Keywords:: Success,Action,Limitations, Encouragement,small steps,Effort,Excuses,Motivation,Pride,Teamwork,
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What Are Your Rights?

The theory of human Rights is an old one. It dates from the ancient Greeks to todays civil Rights movement. The argument is that humans have certain things that they must have based solely on their status as humans. This belief is the basis of our American Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In fact this theory is so strongly held in this country that it is no longer believed to be a theory but an ironclad truth.

Serous thinking on this subject leads to the q uestion of what is a right. It seems to be that a right is something that cannot be taken away because it is inherent to a persons status as a human. It is impossible to take from a person the status of being a person; therefore it should be impossible to take away a right. If this is so, then do we as humans have Rights? The foremost right is the right to life. This right is taken from people every day. It is physically easy to take someones life. New devices to make this easier are constantly being devised. What then of the right to freedom of speech? Can someone make you unable to express your thoughts? Yes, they can simply by removing your right to life. Property Rights? Stop paying your taxes and see if you keep grandpas farm.

One of the most talked about right in todays society is the right to keep and bear arms. This right is constantly being degraded. It is beginning to be seen as antiquated, unnecessary, and dangerous. This particular right is being fazed out of existence. People everyday say that this right is inherent in the American way of life and can never be taken away. Ask the Australians, the Canadians, or the British if the right to own firearms for protection can be taken away.

Does a person have any Rights? If a right is something you cannot have stolen from you, then yes each person has spiritual Rights. No one can take from you your dignity. Truly they can make it hard for you to keep it, but it cannot be taken. You must give it up. No person can dictate to you what to believe. If you believe in God, no one can force you to stop believing in Him. They may be able to keep you from physically expressing those beliefs, but they cannot take God from you. You have the right to stand up for your Rights. If you believe you have the right to something, you can always fight for the right to use those Rights.

This might be overly simplifying the idea, ho wever it is important to know that when the founders of this country created our system, one of them was heard to remark, We have given you a Republic. Lets see if you can keep it. It is up to each person to define their own Rights and to refuse to give them up without cause. Each time someone lobbies for some group to lose some right distasteful to them, they make it easier for their own Rights to be taken away. Simply stated if they take the Second, the First will quickly follow.

David is a former U.S. Marine Corps noncommissioned officer, correctional supervisor and firearms instructor for the TN Dept. of Correction. He is presently commissioned as an operations officer for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. He is also a certified NRA instructor, and holds instructor ratings with both the TN Dept of Safety, and the TN Dept of Commerce and Insurance.

http://www.tngun.com

Author:: David Nash
Keywords:: Rights
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Chinese Folk Customs Games and Performing Arts

Chinese people love excitement, and Chinese New Year and other traditional festivals are times of special celebration and joy. Singing and dancing are everywhere. In spite of the heavy influence of Western Culture in the increasingly cosmopolitan Taiwan, the various Customs and activities accompanying traditional fests and celebrations are still observed with enthusiasm. Many of these Folk Customs and performances are incorporated into the festival celebrations and competitions held on Chinese New Year and other festivals, and have been passed down from generation to generation. The most common of these are perhaps the dragon dance and lion dance. Children growing up in Taiwan, even ones who have not yet taken their first steps, have all seen one of these performances from their fathers' shoulders or on TV at home.

There are innumerable other kinds of festive Folk performances, such as riding in a boat on land, walking on stilts, carrying a youth piggyback, the clam spirit dance, and so forth.

In carrying a youth piggyback, a young woman straps a head-to-waist wooden mannequin of an old person to the front of her body, giving the appearance that an old person is carrying her piggyback. This portrayal of two persons by one is performed as a burlesque pantomime.

In the clam spirit dance, a young woman puts on a clam shell woven out of bamboo strips. In one sketch, the clam spirit opens and closes her shell in response to fisherman casting and pulling in his net, but who each time gets nothing in return for his efforts. In another, a snipe tries to peck out the clam's tasty flesh for a meal, but instead gets his beak stuck in the clamshell. This performance inevitably draws side-splitting laughter and roaring applause from the audience.

Popular Chinese Folk Games that go back thousands of years, such as playing diabolo, kicking a Shuttlecock, jumping rope, and spinning tops, challenge and delight youngsters even today.

With encouragement and support from the government, Games, stage shows, and Customs such as these have been brought into the twentieth century in the Taiwan today. Detailed information on their history, development, materials, technique, performance, and so forth, is widely available in cultural centers, bookstores, and craft shops around the island in the form of home videos and books. Elementary school students often get to try their hand at making some of the equipment used in these various Folk arts themselves, under the guidance of an experienced teacher. in this way, these ancient cultural treasures are kept vital and new, and a part of contemporary life, so that they may continue to enrich the lives of China's people for generations to come.

Please visit www.chinatownconnection.co m to learn more about Chinese Culture.

Author:: Shaun Yeu
Keywords:: Chinese,Culture,Folk,Custom,Games,performing arts,spinning tops,Shuttlecock
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A Look at the Heart of American Beauty

Sam Mendes darkly comic portrayal of Suburbia in his first movie, American Beauty (1999) takes a hard look at what happens when youve accomplished the American Dream only to realize that it isnt enough. Lester, the films anti-hero wakes up one morning deep in a mid life crisis and decides that he wants something more then the life he has carved out for himself and proceeds to search for that something and in the process, disrupts the lives of those around him, particularly his wife Caroline. Through his use of color and surrealist elements Mendes shows how passionless and unhappy Caroline and Lester are in their seemingly perfect world and how true happiness lies not in doing whats expected or in material goods but in finding the beauty in being true to yourself.

The color red and roses are a symbol of passion and desire and Mendes uses the combination to symbolize the lack of passion and in turn the misplaced desires in the characters lives. Caroline, Lesters w ife is a woman who on the outside seems to have it all: a family, a big house, and a great career. But we soon find out that nothing in Carolines world is perfect except for the red roses she takes great pride and care in growing.

These roses can be found everywhere: lining the yard, on end tables, the center piece on the dining room table and even in the home shes trying to sell. The roses represent the passion that Caroline has lost for life but cant admit she no longer has. She is a deeply unhappy woman who tries to mask that unhappiness by projecting forth an image of perfection. She believes that if she thinks positive then everything will be okay. She listens to and recites daily affirmations to herself to keep up her positive mental state. The truth of the matter is that she is in a loveless marriage, is estranged form her child and is in a career she hates.

She envies and later desires the success (and attention) of her rival, the Real Estate King who se image is portrayed by big red signs placed in the yards of the homes he is selling. She learns form him that In order to be successful one must project the image of success at all times. Carolines roses are the embodiment of that idea since they are the only thing in her life that she is succeeding at and are as perfect as she pretends the rest of her life to be.

Lester realizes that his wifes roses are representative of the lack of desire she has for him and their life together. So, it isnt a surprise that his own misplaced desires are represented by the very flowers that he loathes because they get all the affection and attention he does not. As Lester begins to find his way first by standing up to his wife and then by quitting his job he begins an unhealthy fantasy for his daughters teenage friend, Angela.

These fantasies are very surrealist in nature and are some of the most beautiful and disturbing scenes in the movie. Each of these breaks in realit y feature Angela intimately involved with the roses: they are coming out of her blouse or she is only covered in roses or she is immersed in bath that is filled with rose petals. Lester uses this fantasy as the only hope he has in his otherwise miserable life. His desire for Angela spurs him to make life changes that he believes will allow her to desire him and ultimately make him happy. Lester eventually learns that this fantasy isnt they way to his happiness, yet using Carolines roses as a part of the lust he has for someone else turns the flower thats representative of his misery to one of power and hope for Lester.

Mendes continues to play with the theme of color in Carolines life as a means of showing her unhappiness in the way that she dresses. She is the only one of the main characters that is brightly dressed. Most everyone else in the film can be found in muted colors: earth tones, grays and blacks but Caroline can always be found in color. Under her eart h tone suit she has on a bright red slip. Her nightgown that she wears to bed is a light blue.

Later in the film in a very comic moment at a drive thru at a fast food restaurant she can be found in a red suit. Her desire to convince the world and herself that she is happy isnt just saying or telling people she is happy but dressing happy as well. This obsession for projecting perfection even through her dress makes for poignant moments in the movie as reality breaks through a happy veneer.

Caroline cries as she isnt able to sell the house though she has on her red slip and her roses on the table. She loses out on a moment of closeness with her husband because of her attachment to material goods as she looks perfect in her blue dress and high heels. Her attempt at finding happiness is abruptly lost as shes caught in a compromising situation in her sexy red suit.

Throughout the movie Caroline misses the fact that she isnt going to find happiness in all o f her stuff or on how pretty the image she projects seems to be but only taking an honest look at herself and her life will bring her the happiness she finds so elusive. Her brightly colored garb makes her stand out in the movie but also makes her unhappiness more obvious.

Lester also tries to find happiness in colorful material objects. He turns in his boring Camry for a fire red 1970 Pontiac firebird a car hes desired since he was a kid. He purchases and plays with a red remote control car, yet unlike his wife his use of material goods is a stepping-stone in trying to figure out what will make him happy, not as a way to cover up his unhappiness. As the movie progresses Lester finds searching for happiness out side of himself is pointless, that it starts from within. In the end it isnt a brightly colored car or fantasies of a young girl that make him happy but black and white memories of his childhood, of his daughter of the early years with his wife that give hi m peace and happiness.

Mendes makes us question how we define happiness and success as he explores the inner-lives of a marriage that on the outside seem like they have it all, that they are living the American Dream.

(C) T.S. Johnson 2005

T.S. Johnson is a Florida Based Freelance Writer for Hire, Providing Nation-Wide, Professional, Freelance Writing Services. Visit http://prologuezine.com Today!

Author:: T.S. Johnson
Keywords:: Kevin Spacey, Dark Comedies, Suburbia, Movies, Homosexuality, Infidelity, Oscar, American Beauty
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Purchasing Original Paintings & Art Prints

Whether you're seeking original paintings or Art prints from noted Artists or even inexpensive reproductions, the more information you have the better decisions you will make concerning selection, condition, conservation, and framing of the pieces you'll acquire.

The cardinal rule is to always buy what you love. If you have an initial positive response to the Art, then chances are you will appreciate the work more as you live with it. Fortunately, today, different venues through wh ich fine Art is presented offer many opportunities to enjoy Art in your own environment regardless of your budget.

Not everyone is able to consider the acquisition of fine Art originals. However, a number of printing techniques and reproductions make available a good deal of pieces with the aesthetic value we all enjoy along with varying collector values.

Original Paintings

An original painting, be it created with watercolor, oil, acrylic or some other substance, is gener ally considered to be one in which the paint is applied using a brush or other means of application to an appropriate surface to derive a single work of Art. Its value is based not only by its aesthetic, circumstantial, or historical attributes but also by the fact that it is one-of-a-kind.

Original Art Prints

Some Artists utilize methods of printing in which different materials such as linoleum or wood blocks, stones, copper, steel, aluminum, plexiglass plates, or silkscreens, are utilized to apply ink. While a number of prints might be generated from the same plate, each is considered to be an original print due to variations inherent in the application process by which each piece is produced.

Collagraphs are created through the construction of collage-like boards which are used like a plate to apply the ink to paper. Louis Pohl developed his own special technique of collagraphic printing utilizing mixed media to achieve the varying textures and intensities that he felt were lacking in the traditional methods being used. The short life expectancy of the boards generally limited the number of prints that could be generated in this fashion and along with the individual variations from one print to the next this provided the different attributes upon which the individual prints are valued.

Serigraphs are created by a process of silkscreening which allows for more accurate and higher-quantity printing of the master than is provided with collagraphs.

In traditional Lithography, the image is created or transferred onto a limestone or photosensitive plate, inked up with rollers and printed by hand on paper on a large flat press. Digital Art Prints are created directly on a computer with an image or drawing application, then printed on an inkjet printer on archival quality paper.

Most original Art prints are printed in editions, bearing a number and the signature of the Artist certifying the total number of print s that were made for the pArticular work. For example, a print bearing the number 3/10 would indicate that it is print number three of a total of ten prints in this edition.

Reproductions

Offset Lithographs and Giclees are both printed reproductions of Art pieces offering popular works at consumer prices. Offset lithographs are produced using commercial offset printing as for magazines and brochures, and are generally run in large quantities to allow affordability.

Giclee is the French word meaning to spray or squirt. Giclee prints are a popular form of reproduction where a digital image of an original work of Art is printed from an inkjet printer onto paper, canvas or other media. Giclees are more expensive than offset reproductions, but offer the advantage of producing one or a few prints in a cost effective way on a variety of substrates.

As stated at the outset, the cardinal rule of buying Art is to buy what you love. The business of collecting Art for investment sake is a speculative one. The learning curve is steep and its always reassuring to know that whether or not the pieces that grace your space are v aluable, they are objects that you treasure!

The author, Richard Young, is the creator of http://www.hawaiibeachcombers.com, a website about Hawaii beaches that happens to include a section on Hawaii Artists. The information contained in this Article was obtained during an interview with Sandy Pohl, owner of the Louis Pohl Gallery, of which Young was commissioned to re-do its website, http://www.louispohlgallery.com.

Author:: Richard Young
Keywords:: Fine Art prints,fine Art originals,Art giclee,limited-edition prints,Hawaii Artists,Hawaii Art
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