Against Closed Eyes In Marketing

One day, when my son was ten years old, he asked me, “Mom, how
come you talk to just anyone so easily?” Until my son’s
question, I hadn’t thought of conversation as a topic. I wasn’t
even aware that my talking to strangers was an issue. If
anything, I surmised, others started the conversation most of
the time.

Conversations with strangers begin with a question or an
off-hand comment, usually after eyeing each other or assessing
the other person’s appearance. This happens, in general, when we
acknowledge each other as equals if we think we may be
interested in the same issue or in similar objects. Then, after
the first words are exchanged, we slow down and reflect on the
other person. If we are curious about them, more questions or
statements follow.

Sometimes ideas may clash. Yet, this is to be expected from any
human experience. As long as we feel united in some way, the
conversation will survive. We know these facts instinctively as
little children. Children will talk to anybody, until their
receptiveness is trained out of them by adults. This, however,
is understandable; children have to be safe.

So far, I addressed trivial conversations that may or may not
lead to meaningful ones. Truly meaningful conversations are not
restricted to friends and acquaintances. They may also occur
among strangers.

I found, right after 9/11 while our entire nation was wearing
flag pins, more people needed to talk to each other, strangers
though they might have been. Grief had unified us.

During chaotic times, we yearn to connect to others, because
whether we accept it or not, we are all united as human beings.
Wherever we stand on this earth, we have similar concerns, and
conversation is one way we can think together and exchange
opinions to survive.

On the political front, the stopping of negotiations between two
sides becomes the most worrisome thing for the entire world. We
must be brave enough to start and continue with conversations.
What is so strange is, we can’t accept that we don’t have to
agree on each point every time. Without doubt, that we can agree
upon will bring about an understanding if we keep talking and
finding out about the existence of issues in common, even
if–for the moment–they are unrelated to the topic at hand.

We also have to recognize that a conversation is not a debate or
an argument. Debates, altercations, and words that seek
upper-handedness divide people into rivaling sides. It is never
the differences among the nations that stop the conversation,
but their passing judgment on those differences.

Differences are stimulating. They kindle our curiosity and
propel us to gain knowledge about the world. They also lead us
to discover who we really are.

In a true conversation, all sides are equal. In a true
conversation, nobody needs to win but everybody needs to enjoy
and reflect upon the others’ words, so people can experience
each other’s reality in new or familiar ways.

For the same token, a conversation is an act of generosity among
people. It is giving a part of ourselves to others, and as human
affairs go, one act of generosity stirs another positive one.

The bottom line is: if we can think, we can talk. So, today,
tomorrow, or whenever you feel confident enough, strike up a
conversation with a stranger. The results may just make up your
day.

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WE MUST PUT A STOP TO THE EVER-INCREASING PRICE OF OIL!

In the last few months the price of many necessities has markedly increased. Sure, we can call it ‘inflation’ and say it’s just a part of life - but it’s a component which is slowly but surely strangling all of us, financially. The situation is now so bad that it is spiralling out of control, leaving most of the world’s population without money for anything other than the bare essentials. Some of us can’t even afford those!
Does it have to be this way? We say “no!”

For too long now, the corporate world stuck it to us. Their quest for ever-increasing profits, along with their crazy system, which actively encouraged speculation of all commodities, including oil and other energy sources, food and water, meant that prices were continuously going upwards. Since the price of oil is now escalating so rapidly, this will have a flow-on effect to all other aspects of our life. This can’t be allowed to continue - but where can we turn to get help?

Surely our governments will put a stop to this. They could rule that speculation is illegal and could unanimously cap the cost of a barrel of oil. But will they do this? No.

They could stop taxing the people at the pumps and in this way, bring the price down. But have they done this? No.

There may be other ways to halt this greedy manipulation of prices - but have our governments done anything to address this issue? Absolutely not! Speculation and profits for large corporations are all part of their ideology. They don’t care who it hurts. They don’t consider the average family. They’re only interested in supporting big business and large investors.

Fact: BP made Six and a Half Billion Dollars in twelve weeks in early 2005 and the other oil companies made equally as much, if not more, profit during that time.

Fuel costs are sky rocketing. We’re at the mercy of oil producing nations, the oil cartels, the oil companies, our governments (in the form of extra fuel taxes and levies) and finally the gas station. (See how far down the ‘food chain’ we regular people really are?) As the end consumers, we’re hit with the ultimate final cost. We’re the suckers who are slugged the highest price after all the governments and ‘middle men’ have stuck their snouts in the trough. The whole system is designed to make massive profits for a few while we, the majority, are given no choice but to fork over more of our hard earned cash each week, if we want this product.

The price of oil is governed by greed and speculation. If the oil nations think we’ll pay more, they reduce production and the cost goes up. If they then find that, when the price is too high we’re buying less fuel, they’ll increase oil production and reduce the cost per barrel. During the summer, the speculators think demand will go up and this pushes the price of a barrel of oil skywards. During the winter, they think we’ll need oil for heating and again they use the stock market to push shares higher. When there’s the threat of war near an oil producing country, again the price fluctuates. There doesn’t have to be an actual war - just a rumour will do it. Not long ago the weather forecast indicated that a hurricane might cross the path of an oil well. This information drove investors into a frenzy. That particular hurricane came and went, and did absolutely no damage, but the prices stayed high.

The whole system is crazy. These corporate guys are pulling the strings and we’re their puppets. Why do we put up with this? Are we such gluttons for punishment? The oil price is a world-wide problem. It affects anyone who drives a vehicle, takes a bus or travels by plane - and that’s most of us. Why do we, the majority, put up with this form of dictatorship from a minority?

There are a few reasons.

1. We were brainwashed into believing that cars could only run on gasoline.

2. Oil companies made huge profits - so they were happy to perpetuate this myth.

3. Car manufacturers also liked the status-quo. They didn’t want to put big bucks into research and development of vehicles which ran on alternate sources of energy.

Now that we have our new powers of reasoning, we can taking a step back from the problem and clearly see what issues are involved. Then we can begin to find effective, progressive resolutions.

SO, IS THERE A PLAN? ABSOLUTELY!

Now it’s time for a change. This system is hurting us - the over six billion people who also have to live on Planet Earth. Now it’s time for us to unite and say “Enough is enough.” We need to exist here too. We have rights. We demand fairness. We won’t put up with this any more.

SOLUTIONS TO THE OIL PROBLEM:

• There are millions - maybe billions - of us, the consumers, who ought to take a combined stand. We’re the ones who pay the most - therefore we’ve got the most to gain. We need to unite and make it known that we’ve had enough and we’re not going to take it any more.

• We can boycott those companies which collude and force prices to be high.

• We can threaten to vote out governments which allow speculation and put taxes on the necessities of life.

• We can demand the production of cars, or other rapid transit systems, which run on solar energy, hydrogen, water, sugar cane derivatives, electricity, oxygen or a hybrid engine which can use a combination of energy sources. The technology already exists but it’s not readily available to the mass market.

• We’ve got to find ways of heating our homes which do not rely on oil.

• Those of us who are scientifically, mechanically or engineering-minded must work together to discover new methods for clean, ‘green’ transport and heating.

We need to find renewable sources of energy which do not pollute, are freely available and do not get manipulated solely for profit. Nikola Tesla, inventor and engineer, believed that there were supplies of energy which could be tapped into and utilized by everyone but the authorities at the time suppressed his findings.

Tesla said, “Electric power is everywhere present in unlimited quantities and can drive the world’s machinery without the need of coal, oil, gas, or any other of the common fuels.”

If Mr Tesla was able to find this source, the information must still exist. Like all knowledge which has been given to humanity, one day it will be found again and used for the benefit of all. Those who seek to suppress information which is meant for our world will ultimately fail in their attempts to hide the truth.

‘The choices you make today, determine your tomorrow.’

“The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.” George Eliot

We must choose to unite and solve this problem. If our politicians can’t find answers, we must seek the solutions ourselves and here’s how:

POSITIVE PEOPLE POWER.

Positive People Power isn’t about protesting. People Power is having a say in the way things are and it’s about making positive change.
If enough of us get together, we will be able to focus on finding new concepts and better ideas to make our lives, our community, and our world a much nicer place to live.

We can no longer leave it up to governments, or others, to solve our problems. Politicians are still looking at the world from the same perspective they’ve done for centuries and it’s now obvious, that this isn’t the answer.

If we ever want to progress, we’re going to have to use new methods to find long-term answers - there isn’t any other way.

Positive People Power is being pro-active not re-active.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of waiting for someone to find the answers for life today. I want to stop living this way and start working towards a new world. I want to shape the present and the future with others who are like me, and I already know how to do this. If I wait for circumstances to change or for that ‘right moment’, it might never come. Maybe today is the day!

I’m sure I have a way - a really practical way - to change society and make life more positive. I can give hope to millions of people, if only they will listen to what I’m trying to say.

The AlterQuest Organization has been formed so that people, in communities, town and cities all over the globe, can come together and work on new ways to solve old problems. If we work on the adage that for every problem there is a solution, we should be able to make the most wonderful changes in our world - as soon as we put our minds to the task.

AlterQuest is here to co-ordinate the charge for Positive People Power. This is a power we have grossly underestimated until now.

PEOPLE WHO JOIN FORCES HAVE TREMENDOUS POWER.

• We have the ability to change things which are wrong and are not in our best interests.

• We have the power to use all manner of concepts, which lead to the establishment of a better world.

• We have the power to say “There are over 6 billion of us on this planet and only a handful of you, who are having any say.

• We don’t want your biased media with its vested interests in swaying our opinions. People have the power to make their own media - one which encourages positive ideas, progressive concepts and future growth of our civilization.

• We don’t want your radio and TV, if it’s only going to show the same old programs which inhibit our minds and stifle our creativity. We can make our own programs which will stimulate us and enthuse us to take positive action to make life better.

• We don’t want your corporations. These multi-national conglomerates have amalgamated to quash their smaller competitors, steal their ideas, stomp on any new concepts, cut costs, downsize, cause billions of us to be unemployed or under-employed, keep us poor, manipulate our governments, pay virtually no dues and taxes - and generally suppress billions of individuals - all in aid of ever greater profits for the corporation and their stockholders. THIS IS WRONG! SO VERY WRONG!

• We’ll teach those industries which try to screw us for every last cent that they can no longer do this. They may think they run the show, but they rely on our hard earned money to keep their companies afloat. Without our money, they’d soon find out who’s really got the power. In the bible it said ‘The meek shall inherit the Earth.’ Well, we’re the meek and we’re claiming our inheritance!

• Positive People Power means all of us will have a vessel for change.

• It means regular people will have a say.

• We can make our own small businesses and employ others again. We can build and run small to medium sized businesses for all our essentials such as bakeries, grocery stores, butchers’ shops, computer companies and more….

• We can even form our own power/utility companies, water management, newspapers, magazines and TV stations. We surely can’t do a worse job than those who run these things now. We won’t continuously put prices up, just to appease our stockholders. Heck, we’ll all be the stockholders - every last one of us. So we sure don’t want to hurt ourselves, do we?

• We can use our natural talents and the skills for which we studied or trained.

• We can establish good social welfare (but if I’m right, we won’t need much - because with this system everyone will have the opportunity to have a job.)

• We’ll bring the best health care to everyone and not just to those who can pay and we’ll abolish the cruel and unfair system of private health insurance which exists in so many countries today.

• We can give every single person or family on this planet a way to move forward. A way to have some hope. A way out of poverty and a way to live in dignity.

“The point in history at which we stand is full of promise and danger. The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity - or it will move apart.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

WHAT CHANGES WOULD WE HAVE TO MAKE?

• Democracy was meant to be about people having a say - but in reality, we’ve had very little influence over our world. This is about to change! Now we must learn from our mistakes.

• It’s time to stop sitting on the fence. We don’t have to take this nonsense any more. If you think something is wrong, say so. Don’t put up with it, otherwise those wielding the power will think it’s OK to continue doing the same thing to us.

• Money should not come before people. Civilization is not supposed to be about the economy - it’s meant to represent the people who live in it. While we allow ‘the economy’ to be more important than the population, there will never be real and lasting progress.

• There are many possibilities for change - all we have to do is focus on the desire for progress and tap into the universe to find the many diverse answers.

• If we want to have a better world, we must address the fundamental issues which have, for so long, blocked our advancement. We must examine these problems, utilize all the methods possible to solve them, and put the resulting knowledge into action.

• The answers AlterQuest offers your communities are the same solutions which people in other towns, cities and countries are using in order to regain their sense of dignity.

• Happy people make for a happier world.

There are many countries where the conditions of the population are intolerable. No food, no income, no schools, no hospitals.
Who can these people turn to?

Do you think this is only happening in third world countries?
It’s happening all over the planet! If you’re a low income family anywhere in the world; if you have to work long hours for little pay; if your income does not cover your expenses; if you see wealthy people who have become this way by trampling on the rights of others - then, no matter which country you live in, the system is insufferable.

We all need to be empowered.

We need to have more say.

We should be able to have some control over our lives.

We must change destiny - before it’s too late.

We have the power to alter our circumstances, if only we seize the chance.

We have the right to say “We’re not going to take it any more!”

Don’t get angry… get even.

Take affirmative action.

Mahatma Gandhi (ex Prime Minister of India) said, “I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she will make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith. What is faith worth if it is not translated into action?”

MONEY SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS.

Do you know what the majority of us are, as far as the corporate world is concerned? We’re ‘consumers’! Fancy that. They’ve given us a label. Oh how I hate that word…….. Consumers indeed!

The word ‘consumers’ is bandied about in reference to the billions of us who, in the eyes of the corporate world, have become nothing more than spending machines - Beings with available funds who are willing (and able) to purchase their products.

How often have you heard this used lately - on the news, in the financial report or used by politicians. They have made us into a sub-class of purchasers. As long as we’re there with our ‘consumer dollars’ they think we are happy and content.

To a certain extent, we’ve allowed ourselves to be manipulated by these mega corporations. We’ve bought their products, eaten their food, worn their clothing, used their fuels, driven their cars and flown on their airlines.

What have they done for us in return? They’ve manipulated the cost of all our goods and services so we’re constantly paying higher prices while they make ever-increasing profits. They’ve amalgamated until they owned practically everything. They’ve forced the closure of smaller businesses, which tried to compete. They sacked billions of us and forced billions more to work long hours for virtually no pay, until we were all in debt.

Well, money speaks louder than words so, if we all work together, these ‘consumers’ can turn around and bite these corporate types where it hurts!
If nothing else, we, the six billion people of the Earth have spending power and we have the right to withhold this, en masse, until we get our demands met.

Fact: Australians spent Eight billion dollars in the first two weeks of the Christmas period in 2004.

Wow. Eight billion dollars equates to a lot of bargaining power. We have the option to spend it where and when we choose. We also have a choice to bank anywhere we wish. So, all your corporations who think you can hog all the money you make in profit; not pay an equal share of taxes; not give back to our communities; pay the lowest wages and offer only part-time or casual positions with bad working conditions and lay off thousands of honest, loyal workers…. Think again!

Now, I’m going to reiterate my previous comments because they are so important…..

Until we make ourselves heard, we will always be relegated to the level of ‘voters’ or ‘consumers’.

The only time we’re really considered is when there’s an election and our governments want our vote or when corporations realize we’re not spending as much on their products.

We need to exploit this situation and turn it to our advantage. We are the majority. Those who wield all the power are, in actuality, the minority and it’s time we tipped the balance back in our favour.

OK. I’m done convincing you. If you’re sick of the way things are, there is NEVER going to be a better time to put Positive People Power into action.

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person,” Mother Teresa, winner of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.

The following email came into my inbox a short while ago. It points out just how effective the combined power of people could be:

THE EMAIL.

It has been calculated that if everyone in the United States did not purchase a drop of gasoline for one day, the oil companies would choke on their stockpiles. At the same time it would hit the entire industry with a net loss of over 4.6 Billion Dollars which would affect the bottom lines of the oil companies. Therefore May 19th has been formally declared “Stick It To Them” Day and the people of this Nation should not buy a single drop of gasoline on that day. The only way this can be done is if you forward this email to as many people as you can and as quickly as you can to get the word out.

Waiting on this Administration to step in and control the prices is not going to happen. What happened to the reduction and control in prices that the Arab Nations promised?

Remember one thing, not only is the price of gasoline going up but at the same time airlines are forced to raise their prices, trucking companies are forced to raise their prices, which affects prices on everything that is shipped. Things like food, clothing, building materials, medical supplies etc. Who pays in the end? WE DO! We can make a difference. If they don’t get the message after one day, we will do it again and again. So, do your part and spread the word. Forward this email to everyone you know. Mark your calendars and make May 19th a day that the Citizens of the Unites States say “Enough is Enough!”
I think that says it all……

“Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.” John F. Kennedy

If you think this is a plan - then please, join with us to make it a reality.

Take a look at the AlterQuest website: www.alterquest.org Join the Network. It’s free - and it will probably be the best money you (n)ever spent!
We guarantee that with people-power, we can turn this world around and WE CAN SHAPE THE FUTURE!

Karen Fiala N.D. Email: network@alterquest.org

KAREN FIALA N.D. & GEORGE W. FIALA have a strong passion to help people to help themselves. They think the only way for humanity to move forward, is if people take control and stop blaming everyone else. Sure the planet is in a mess and most of mankind didn’t do it, but man CAN change the way things are, and it’s our life’s work to show you how. A dream? Maybe. A passion? Definitely! A sense of purpose? Absolutely! We hope you agree. We are the founders of Alterquest.org which is developing in to a global think tank for regular people to unite and find useful ways to move forward. Please visit us at: http://www.alterquest.org

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With all due apologies to fellow citizens, but we, the body of
America, are starting to smell. By now most who are capable of
reading and/or watching television know of the burning of dead
Taliban fighter’s bodies and the accompanying taunts to other
Taliban members by what has been called an American
psychological operations or “PSYOPS” unit in Afghanistan.

Perhaps we can place this incident on the mantle next to the
Naked Human Pyramid and the Dog Attacking Naked Prisoner
trophies (to name a few).

For those unfamiliar with the story it can be found at A
BC NEWS and the story with the accompanying (edited) video
can be seen at CNN.

As usual, a more in depth analysis of the problems posed by that
act and actual references to International Law and local customs
can be found in overseas media such as The Independent, T
he Scotsman, and The Guardian.

Even if one is not outraged by these actions, a certain sense of
bewilderment must exist. After all, this is nothing more than
another “Bring ‘em On” moment. First, one needs to go back to
when pesky issues such as “torture” were attempted to be
discussed only to have those that deigned bring them up (Amnesty
International, Int’l Red Cross, ACLU, etc.) be quickly
vanquished by the forces of “good” within the Administration- an
Administration that has characterized this fight/war as an
entirely “new type of war” thereby setting the stage for these
“entirely new kinds of methods”.

The truth is that war is war, killing is killing, torture is
torture, and desecrating bodies is desecrating bodies. The only
“new” thing about any of this is that it apparently has been
given a wink and a nod by the highest levels of our Government.

Blaming these events on a “few bad apples” or on those who are
not “upholding American standards of decency” is a pig that
simply doesn’t fly anymore. The American spirit and the American
sense of decency cannot be hijacked by those who condone these
tactics while clutching the flag and the cross in their hands-
thereby desecrating both.

More importantly, what this proves is that we are now wallowing
not only in the stench of passing the bounds of an oxymoron,
namely, “acceptable warfare”, we are now trying to wash the
smell away with a stupidity shower.

Heeding the Administration’s caution against “the bigotry of
lowered expectations”, why not discuss stupidity? The fact is
that this was a “PSYOPS” operation. Presumably, these
individuals have some training in psychological warfare. This
act could not have possibly been in any valid work on the
subject. The chances of “smoking out” other Taliban fighters
with this act was close to nill and even if 1 or 2 did, then
that would just be a culling of the herd that would probably be
welcomed by other Taliban fighters as the “hotheads” would
ultimately prove a larger risk to them than our own forces.

If this had anything to do with psychology, then it must have
dealt with “projection” with a strong hint of Hollywood
influence. Too bad the Taliban don’t watch Sylvester Stallone
and Chuck Norris movies. If they did, they’d fall right into our
trap.

There was, and is, only one outcome to this “event”- many more
recruits for either suicide bombers or fighters. The sheer folly
of it is an indication of warped leadership in a warped fight
that may be the right fight, but has not been characterized and
framed properly in the interests of political expediency that is
sure to lead to an ultimate defeat.

Far from being a statement for gentility in a fight, this is a
plea for the leadership in this country to get their collective
heads out of their collective fundraisers and see that we are
doing nothing but planting seeds for a field that we will, one
day, become too weak to cut back or control from simple
exhaustion of both manpower and treasure.

The time has come for this Administration to rise above the
pride of making it to the top as “C” students with portfolios
consisting of a lack of military service and failed businesses
(but for connections). Lives are at stake.

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I just listened to the President’s latest “major” policy speech on the Iraq War. My president is completely under the ideological pull of the neo-con black hole. I have to let him go. And it is killing me.

I optimistically reasoned that maybe this speech would be different; possibly showing a slight crack in his blind obduracy. It wasn’t. It never is going to be. I’ve got to stop doing this to myself. The only thing remaining is the comic relief of Beltway Scott, as he entertains the press corps at today’s White House briefing by doing that wacky word juggling thing he does.

I mean really, what did the President say that was so new, so revealing, so insightful? What? Instead I saw another hand picked military audience listen enthusiastically to another slick emotional repackaging of the same old line: stay the course. And I heard once again a stream of the same old flawed rhetoric: people who disagree are being political and undermining troop morale; an exit strategy is artificial and equivalent to turning our backs on our allies; and cut-and-run would embolden the enemy and lead to more attacks against Americans here and abroad.

Again, he is full of crap on every empty feel-good one liner (I couldn’t come up with a softer way to put it).

If I learned one thing from the Vietnam fiasco, it was that I can be against a war and maintain an unyielding respect for the men and women soldiers who execute orders with their lives, not their politics. I did not understand that back in the late Sixties and Seventies. I was wrong, completely wrong, and finally, I have it right thankfully.

Regarding cut-and-run, who is suggesting that, certainly not congressman Murtha. He talked of a measured reduction in troops based on the real results at certain benchmarks. It’s not cut-and-run and it’s not artificial. But it is the result of his unique access to honest military feedback. It is sensible and worthy of real consideration.

As far as tainting our reputation with our allies is concerned, what reputation Mr. President? You took care of that when you paraded our most respected voice, Colin Powell, in front of the UN to proclaim one falsehood after another.

The sad fact is that the only time Mr. Powell spoke a truth, Dubya chose not to listen: “you break it, you buy it”. And boy did we break it, into at least three big pieces as far as I can tell.

Finally, anyand I mean anyfuture predictions of terror the president boldly barks out as certainties are suspect. I have no faith that the intelligence and processes Georgie uses today to reach these dark revelations are any better or any less scrubbed than the intelligence and processes that got us into this fine mess in the first place.

Here is what I think. Once the Iraqis vote their government into place in mid December, their very first piece of business should be a referendum about foreign presence in Iraq. Let them determine their needs, and let their needs determine their request for support. If they choose for us to leave, so be it. Let freedom ring. If they choose for us to stay the course, at least we will know we are wanted and why.

I could live with that.

What I can’t live with, is a bunch of hackling neo-cons knowing what is best for America and the world, arrogantly casting the lives of many into harms waynone of those lives being theirs or the lives of their loved ones.

The article above was written by humorist Robert Crane. If you like what you read, visit his popular site at:
http://www.cranelegs.com

You’ll find more of the same and a few surprises too.

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Search the Web More Efficiently: Tips, Techniques and Strategies (Part I)

By Daniel Bazac - November 6, 2003
Copyright © 2003. All Rights Reserved.

Studies show that after email, searching the Web is the most
popular activity on the Internet. Searching is easy; finding
what you’re looking for can sometimes be difficult.
Hopefully the advice below will make your next Web search a
breeze.

Do you really need the Web?

Before using the Web to search for information, you’ll have
to ask yourself if the Web is the most appropriate medium to
use to find your information. You can find a florist shop in
your neighborhood faster by using the local, printed Yellow
Pages instead of using the Web. And sometimes a library can
give you better, more comprehensive answers than the Web.

However, in most of the cases, the best and fastest way to
find information is… a Web search.

Obviously, the first thing you need to search the Web is a
computer with Internet access.

Before really starting your search, you’ll have to decide
which browser you are going to use. As a reminder, a
browser, according to WhatIs.com is a program “that
provides a way to look at and interact with all the
information on the World Wide Web.” You can select a
popular browser such as Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla or Opera
or you can use an alternative browser. My favorite: Avant
Browser. (I have NO connection with them)
Keep in mind that some browsers are faster or have
more options. You can download these browsers from their
companies’ web sites.

Tools for searching the Web

There are many search tools available: search engines,
subject directories / virtual libraries, invisible (deep)
web databases, meta search engines, etc.

A search engine is a keyword searchable database of Internet
files that uses a software program to continually scour the
Web. The resulting information is then indexed and stored in
its database.

My favorite search engines are:

* Google™ [ http://www.google.com/ ]
* AlltheWeb [ http://www.alltheweb.com/ ]
* MSN [ http://www.msn.com/ ]
* Teoma [ http://www.teoma.com/ ]
* AltaVista [ http://www.altavista.com/ ]
* WiseNut [ http://www.wisenut.com/ ]

A subject directory (web directory) is a searchable
collection of Web pages gathered, selected and organized by
human editors into hierarchically subject categories. A
virtual library is a web directory that includes highly
selective links, chosen mostly by librarians.

Web directories cover a much smaller proportion of the Web
but using them will bring you more highly relevant results.
The largest web directories index a few million pages
compared with the billions of pages indexed by some major
search engines.

Remember that the web directories - like the search engines
- do not search the Web directly. Instead, they search their
own databases of indexed Web pages. Also, be aware that
directories might not be up-to-date. Some search engines are
in fact hybrid search tools because they are both search
engines and web directories. (Google™, for example, has a
search engine and a directory, powered by Open Directory
Project)

Some widely used web directories are:

* Google™ Directory [ http://directory.google.com/ ]
* Open Directory Project (ODP) [ http://www.dmoz.org/ ]
* Yahoo! [ http://www.yahoo.com/ ]
* Zeal [ http://www.zeal.com/ ]
* JoeAnt [ http://www.joeant.com/ ]
* Gimpsy [ http://www.gimpsy.com/ ]

Popular virtual libraries include:

* Librarians’ Index to the Internet [ http://www.lii.org/ ]
* Internet Public Library [ http://www.ipl.org/ ]
* The WWW Virtual Library [ http://www.vlib.org/ ]
* Internet Scout Project [ http://www.scout.wisc.edu/Archives/ ]
* BUBL Link [ http://www.bubl.ac.uk/ ]

The so-called invisible (deep) web is a collection of online
information stored in live databases accessible on the Web
but not indexed by traditional search engines. Examples of
excellent invisible web databases are:

* ProFusion [ http://www.profusion.com/ ]
* Invisible-web.net [ http://www.invisible-web.net/ ]
* Complete Planet [ http://www.completeplanet.com/ ]
* Resource Discovery Network [ http://www.rdn.ac.uk/ ]
* direct search (Gary Price) [ http://www.freepint.com/gary/direct.htm ]

A meta search engine (also known as metacrawler or
multithreaded engine) is a search tool that sends your query
simultaneously to several search engines, web directories
and sometimes to the so-called invisible (deep) web. After
collecting the results, the meta search engine removes the
duplicate links and - according to its algorithm - will
combine and rank the results into a single merged list.

Because most of the meta search engines take only the top 10
or 20 from each search engine, you can expect excellent
results, “la crème de la crème.”

But be aware that because some search engines and web
directories do not support advanced searching techniques -
such as quotation marks to enclose phrases or Boolean
operators - no results from those search engines will appear
in the meta search engines’ results list when those
techniques are used.

Remember, meta search engines do not maintain their own
databases and therefore cannot accept web site submissions.

The best meta search engines are:

* ez2Find [ http://www.ez2find.com/ ]
* Vivisimo [ http://www.vivisimo.com/ ]
* InfoGrid [ http://www.infogrid.com/ ]
* Infonetware [ http://www.infonetware.com/ ]
* iBoogie [ http://www.iboogie.com/ ]

A special kind of meta search engine is the search utility
(also called desktop search programs or client-side search
software). Unlike the web-based meta search engines listed
above, search utilities are software programs that you
download to your computer. The most popular are:

* Copernic [ http://www.copernic.com/en/index.html ]
* Arrow Search [ http://www.rt-software.co.uk/arrow_search/ ]
* SearchRocket [ http://www.searchrocket.com/ ]
* WebFerret [ http://www.ferretsoft.com/index.html ]
* ProtoSearch [ http://www.npccenterprises.com/products.shtml ]

Meta search engines are excellent tools, but they do not
eliminate the need for search engines.

For more about meta search engines, see my article: The Meta
Search Engines: A Web Searcher’s Best Friends.

Please see Part II.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Bazac is the Search Engine Marketer for
Web Design in New York [ http://www.web-design-in-new-york.com ],
a site design, search engine optimization and promotion company.
He also maintains Bazac Weblog [ http://www.bazac.blogspot.com/ ]
a blog about the search engines and search engine marketing news and
articles. He can be reached at mailto:danielbazac@hotmail.com .

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There are several reasons to discount the logic behind this argument. First, any credibility that the United States held in this area would already be gone given that we lifted sanctions imposed on Pakistan and India for nuclear testing to gain support for our campaign in Afghanistan. Both countries openly violated international non-proliferation norms and suffered only a few years of sanctions for their actions.

Second, cooperation on the safety of nuclear weapons that have already been developed is not inconsistent with attempts to prevent states from acquiring these weapons in the first place. We have already basically resigned ourselves to the fact that Pakistan and India are nuclear states, and the additional level of cooperation on security issues wouldn’t change the international perception of this fact.

Third, most of the countries that we consider to be on the verge of proliferation are unlikely to give in to U.S. diplomatic pressure anyway. Iraq, North Korea, and other “rogue states” are likely to ignore U.S. posturing no matter what our policies are towards other countries and will continue with their efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction. Fourth, focusing on diplomatic efforts to prevent proliferation by states should not come at the expense of efforts to prevent access to nuclear weapons by terrorist groups or factions who are more likely to actually use the weapons than a state would be.

If PALS increase the difficulty of stealing and using a Pakistani nuclear device, then that concern should hold precedence over preventing other states from acquiring nuclear weapons. States can be deterred by traditional methods and tend to be more rational actors than terrorist groups, and their proliferation should be a lower concern than the risk of unauthorized use of existing weapons.

Allowing the transfer of PALS gains a tangible increase in the security of Pakistan’s arsenal, which should trump vague and un-quantifiable fears about our international diplomacy.

Teve Torbes has cool websites at:
http://www.campingiseasy.com and
http://www.snowblowersguide.com

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4/23/2005 - American aid worker Marla Ruzicka, founder of CIVIC Worldwide (Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict), and her colleague Faiz Ali Salim, CIVIC’s Iraq Country Director, were tragically killed by a suicide car bomber on Iraq’s infamous Airport Road on Saturday, April 16, 2005. After working on numerous humanitarian campaigns for Global Exchange in Afghanistan and around the world, Marla formed CIVIC to help alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of war. Marla was a ferociously kind and generous person; both she and Faiz showed unrelenting commitment to helping others even under conditions of extreme personal jeopardy. CIVIC’s mission in Iraq was the gathering of statistics on the civilian casualties of US military actions and providing the affected individuals and their families with assistance in applying to the US government for sympathy payments to help cover their medical treatment and reconstruct their lives. CIVIC’s civilian casualty surveys today remain the only reliable record of the numbers of innocent Iraqi civilians killed in the conflict so far. Marla and Faiz helped wounded and orphaned Iraqis on a case by case basis to try to rebuild their shattered bodies and lives; they gave this work the highest priority and carried it out with great love and selflessness.

War is merciless; violence once set in motion always comes full circle and claims the most innocent and defenseless of individuals in its path. Marla and Faiz literally gave everything to help others. We all owe them a debt of gratitude, for they are the living embodiment of our national conscience, and they helped show the Iraqi people that America is about much more than guns and bombs.

It is now critically important that CIVIC receive your support in order to continue its vital work in Iraq and around the globe; donations in Marla’s and Faiz’s memory may be sent to:

Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict
1605 Connecticut Ave NW 3rd Floor
Washington DC, 20009

All donations are tax exempt and a portion of the proceeds will go to Faiz’s family.

For much more information about Marla, Faiz, and CIVIC, or to donate securely online, please visit the CIVIC Worldwide website located at:

http://www.civicworldwide.org

About the author:

This article is Douglas Craig, Editor In Chief, Progressive Planet.org
http://www.progressiveplanet.org
“The web portal for people who like to make the world a better place!”

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By now anyone who watches the news on the television, listens to news on the radio, or reads a newspaper has heard of the Terri Schiavo case. Terri Schiavo, a woman, who at age 26, collapsed and suffered brain damage under ambiguous circumstances, is said to be in a constant vegetative state according to her husband, Michael Schiavo. Mr. Schiavo wants to have her feeding tube removed so that she will die and says that’s what Terri would have wanted.

The Schindlers, Terri’s parents, have been fighting a 10 year legal battle with Mr. Schiavo, their son-in-law, in regards to Terri’s condition, and maintain that she could be rehabilitated through therapy. The Schindlers argue that Terri is alert, wants to live.

Terri Schiavo did not leave any written documentation that she wanted to die if she were ever in this circumstance, all we have to go by is the word of her husband who states that Terri had told him that she would not want to be kept alive by artificial means if anything happened to her. Some questions arise here. Did Terri actually say this? If she did, was it said in passing, figuring it would never really happen to her?

Who among us has not said this to someone in passing if we saw someone in this condition. But do we really mean it? We say a lot of foolish things in life when we are young and not confronted with the actual circumstances that Terri now lives.

Other questions need to be answered. Shortly after Terri suffered brain damage, Michael Schiavo sued for medical malpractice. After telling a jury that he intended to care for Terri for the rest of his life, he was awarded a sizeable sum to do so. According to a lawsuit filed by the Schindlers, Schiavo who was already involved in other relationships, decided on another course of action, interfering with Terri’s medical and rehabilitative therapy, and later seeking to end her life by filing an for authorization to discontinue artificial life support.

What happened to Mr. Schiavo’s claim that Terri would not want to live under these circumstances when he sued for malpractice and said he would take care of Terri for the rest of his life? What happened to Mr. Schiavo’s wedding vows to Terri, “In sickness and in health”.

Furthermore, what is artificial life support? Terri breathes on her own, and maintains her own heartbeat. No machine is doing that for her. She is being fed and hydrated by a tube. It is true if you remove the tube she will starve to death in about 14 days. It is also true that if you didn’t eat or drink for 14 days the same would probably happen to you. What is artificial about that? Food and water are essential to life, so all they are doing is feeding Terri to keep her alive through a different means than you and I receive sustenance. If Terri Schiavo would have received a pace maker to keep her heart beating and did not have brain damage, would they disconnect the pace maker because it is artificial life support? I don’t think so. If we disconnect the feeding tube does Terri die ? No she lives until she starves to death, something that would happen to you or me if we were denied food and water.

There are those who are saying Govenor Bush and the Florida State Legislature are playing god here. I submit to you that I think it is Mr. Schiavo and the Florida courts who are playing god here.

I see no evidence that Terri ever stated that she would want her life ended under these circumstances. I see no evidence that Terri is in a continuing vegatative state. As a matter of fact is see evidence via video clips and pictures that contradict that theory.

In my opinion, the Schindlers are not responsible for Terri’s condition, and as caring, loving parents, their motives are clear, I am not so sure that Mr. Schiavo is not responsible for Terri’s condition or what his motives are for ending her life.

Terri Schiavo’s parents should be awarded guardianship of their own daughter, a daughter they conceived, bore, and raised. If Mr. Schiavo wants to go on with his life with his live in girlfriend, their child and the one soon to come, so be it. If it is public criticism that he fears I suggest to you that it already exists, and will be far worse if Terri’s feeding tube is diconnected and she is allowed to starve to death.

A death that we wouldn’t wish on a dog never mind another human being.

About the Author

J.R. is the host of Talk Show America, a conservative talk show that can be heard Mon-Fri 4-6 PM EST Live on the IBC Radio Network or 24/7 on The TALK SHOW AMERICA Show or go to Political News & Views.com

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In today’s world we have people who believe that everyone should live peacefully but we all know that this task is impossible because we are people. There will always be disagreements, dissappointments, unfairness and the list could go on and on. The question of the purpose of war seems to only surface when there is a war. The question we should ask is where would this country be if we had no wars. Many believe that God does not agree with war but the master teacher in the Holy scriptures said we would have rumors of wars. Where ever you go in the world you will find battles. People battle in there minds, on the job, in the family, neighbrhoods, cities and countries. Where would this world be if people did not fight for what’s right. There is an old saying that states “If you don’t fight for something;you will fall for anything”. Even though we lose loved ones in these wars, the scarfices can produce salvation to so many individuals. One problem that most people have is thatif they don’t the true purpose of a thing they will abuse it and I believe that is what is happening to our beliefs in war. At one point it was an honor to serve your country and you were respected and rewarded for doing so. My have the times changed. Many of our service men and women enlist for the wrong reasons not for the true purpose but for self purpose. The civilians at home have no idea what the purpose for war is because they can’t see beyond death. Death is something that we all must face one day and it really does not matter how we reach it because it is inevitable. The conclusion to this all is that it really does not matter what the purpose for war is because war will continue as long as we live and breath in this present world and the only peace that we will ever know is when we leave and enter the next one.

About the Author

My name is Louise Sutherland. I am a 46-year-old freelance writer who love to read children’s books. I am now working on getting my first children’s book published. My love for writing started as a young child when I would write pretend stories to read to my friends. I have been married to a wonderful man for four years and I have three beautiful daughters ages 30. 26, and 19. My goal in life is to write uplifting and postive literature for people who enjoy reading.

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The quarterback drops back to pass and he fakes handing off to
the fullback. While the onrushing tacklers go for the fullback
the quarterback sneaks to the outside and hits the left
uncovered tight end with the game winning Hail Mary pass to win
the championship football game. In a move worthy of David
Copperfield the Grand Old Party has come up with the sleight of
hand move of the century.

The Republican Party is in power because Karl Rove is calling
the plays better than any Democrat. His quarterback George Bush
was a deserter. The opposition quarterback John Kerry was a
decorated war hero. No problem. Hire a few actors to go on
television in a swift boat and say that John Kerry was actually
a Viet Cong colonel who tortured John McCain.

The Presidents’ father, the former President, told his son the
President, “Look, I lost the Presidency because I said ‘Read my
lips, no new taxes. Then I raised the taxes and I lost the
Presidency. If you want to win the Presidency and become
President, all you have to do is to cut taxes. Who cares if the
deficit goes to a trillion dollars, and the trade deficit goes
to a trillion dollars, and we bankrupt the country? You will be
President, I will sit on the board of directors of the Saudi
Royal Family, they will funnel billions of oil dollars into our
Swiss bank accounts, and let the next President worry about it
while we live on yachts in the French Riviera drinking fine
French port wine.” The President answered, “O.K. Dad.”

Here is the Port Trick, otherwise known in Karl Rove’s playbook
as 53 Red. The congressional elections are coming up in
November. Every Republican congressman and congresswoman is
doing everything possible to distance him/herself from the
President’s glaring lies, mismanagement of the war in Iraq, the
imminent bankruptcy of the country and the Superdome fiasco. The
President, the Senate and the House are all Republican and they
are all going down the drain like American jobs fleeing to
China, whose new car the Geeli is about to hit the U.S. market
for $9,000 and get 225 miles per gallon. This all makes Ross
Perot sound like the Prophet Isaiah.

So how do the Republicans stay in power in November? The Islamic
Barbarianism over a stupid cartoon has every American even more
fearful and hateful of the Muslims than after 911. So Karl Rove
decides to pretend to sell all of the American Shipping Ports,
New York, Miami, etc. to the Muslim countries responsible for
funding and planning and harboring the 911 crews. The President
says to him, “Karl, we can’t do that; they’ll lynch me on the
lawn of the White House.” Karl says to George, “Don’t worry
about it George. Have I failed you yet?” While the country now
goes wild over the prospect of Osama bin Laden and Aymen Al
Zwahiri shipping nuclear weapons to Al Qaeda cells in Manhattan,
the Republican congress is now going to come to the rescue like
John Wayne leading the cavalry and block the sale. Then, the
Republican congress people are going to say to the American
people during the upcoming political campaign, “Look, we didn’t
follow George Bush. We saved you from him. We stopped Osama Bin
Laden from owning your ports.” Initially the bogus plan called
for selling all of the American airports to Iran, but while Karl
Rove and the Bushwhackers were rolling around laughing on the
floor of the Oval Office at the thought of it, Karl said in a
drunken stupor, “The American people may be gullible, but they
aren’t that gullible.”

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