Maria Duval - World War II Foo Fighters

World War II Foo Fighters
In the 1938 comic strip Smokey Stover, a firefighter was known for his line, “Where there’s foo, there’s fire.” From Smokey, aircraft pilots borrowed the term “foo fire” to describe the various unexplainable phenomenon seen in the skies over Europe and the Pacific theatre during World War II. While Allied pilots initially thought the flying objects were German secret or psychological weapons, after the war it was discovered that sightings were also reported by the enemy, who had assumed the crafts were US-made. To this day, the sightings remain a mystery.

Over the course of the war, fireballs, estimated to be as big as 300 feet and as small as 1 foot in diameter, were reported and thoroughly documented. These apparitions left witnesses awe-inspired, wary, and frightened�"although the foo fighters never harmed or attempted to harm anyone. The CIA was commissioned in 1952 to study the reports and concluded that while mysterious, foo fighters were not a considered a threat to national security.

A Foo fighter is an umbrella term that includes flying objects of various shapes and sizes. Wobbling, or vibrating flares were described as glowing globes of intense green, yellow, red, orange, or white lights. One crew even reported observing the phosphorescent spheres going through a sequence of color changes at regular intervals. Other reports describe them as silver or gold metallic, and disk-shaped. They frequently appeared at the wing tips of planes in pairs or alone, although sometimes they were found in larger clusters of fifteen or more. In one report 150 objects were estimated to be arranged in 10-12 lines. Picking up an aircraft, these blobs of fire could reportedly pace a plane at very high speeds through extensive evasive maneuvers for several minutes. One British officer and his crew of sailors tracked an object from the deck of their vessel for over an hour. Although a few baffled pilots attempted to intercept, and even fire upon the globes, their efforts were unsuccessful, and the objects usually zoomed away of their own accord.

Foo fighters were mentioned in the American mass media. Ponderous articles appeared in Time and Newsweek in 1945, contributing to the wave of UFO consciousness building in the US. By 1952 so many civilians were contacting government agencies regarding UFO reports that regular intelligence work was being affected.

While scientists have never been able to explain the phenomenon, many speculations have been advanced as possibilities. Five of the most plausible theories are:

1. The fireballs may be nothing more than St. Elmo’s Fire, a reddish brush-like discharge of atmospheric electricity which has often been seen near the tips of church steeples, ships’ masts and yardarms. It also appears at a plane’s wing tips.

2. They may have been optical illusions, mere after-images of light remaining in pilots’ eyes after being dazzled by flak bursts.

3. Occurrences may have been the rare effect of “ball lightning,” a glowing, drifting bubble of light typically eight inches in diameter. These generally, though not always, follow regular lightning strikes.

4. Bright ground objects reflected from the curved plastic canopy of an aircraft can be perceived as images above the horizon.

5. Proponents of the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) have suggested that foo fighters are hard evidence of ETs visiting earth.

Foo fighters are certainly some of the best documented reports of UFOs, and photographs and respected testimony abound. Hopefully in time the mystery will be solved, and this comic book name will be replaced by its true name.

About the Author: Francesca Black a long time science fiction buff, manages content for UFO Gifts http://www.ufo-gifts.com and Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com

Meditation: Meditating for Instant Calming
Stress can strike you at any time. It can hit you hard and the way you deal with a situation can be made a million times worse simply because of the stress build up. One of the cool aspects of meditation is your ability to use meditation to gain an instant calming affect even when you are not in the traditional meditation posture. The first step in the meditation for Instant Calming is to practice your breathing. When you feel that stress is creeping up on you simply practice breathing lightly like a mouse in and out. Focus on the quality of your breathing; ensure that it is light and even. Then slowly make the breathing deeper. Next in this process is to ensure that your posture is balanced and even. Keep your back straight and your head up. Many people who become stressed will slouch their back and have a hunched look. Clear your mind. Imagine in you mind that you are bathing in a wave of relaxing waves. Consciously feel the waves flowing past taking away the anxiety and stress. Ensure that the waves constantly flow through your body. The next important step is to acknowledge the stress and look at the root cause of the stress. The worst thing you can do with meditation is to deny the stress. In your mind during the meditation speak the words clearly in your mind, "This stress is real but I have the ability to hand it. Let me think straight and find a way to deal with this stress and to cope immediately with the challenges in front of me." Continue repeating this statement in your meditations for a period not less than ten minutes. It is now time in this meditation to take control of this stress. Focus on the person who has caused this stress and robbed you of the control you have the right too. Take control of your mind and rid your mind of the stress. Finally as you come out of this meditation focus on these words, "I have a right to a free and peaceful mind. Nothing anyone can do or say to me will rob me of this right." Speak these words each time you need this meditation.

We have Meditation Music available to help you with your meditation. If you are suffering Asthma then check out our Buteyko Breathing Method training program. If you would like to read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to learn how you can achieve greater success then you can get access to this book by visiting our website.

Ten Reasons to Meditate
Meditation is the practice of lowering one’s brain frequency from a waking Beta state to a slower Alpha state. Just as a heart beats a certain number of beats per minute, the brain pulses a certain amount of brainwaves per second. In the Beta waking state, brainwaves vary from 15 to 40 cycles per second. In the Alpha state, brainwaves vary from 9 to 14 cycles per second.

Beta is the normal state for waking thoughts and daily activities including talking, working, and shopping. Beta is the state most people are in when in a working mode. Alpha is the slower state where an individual can reflect, meditate or ponder thoughts.

The following are 10 key benefits to daily meditation:

• Oneness with God and creation

• Stress reduction and decreased anxiety

• Reduces the noise and chatter of our waking minds

• Pain reduction and management

• Supports the immune system

• Reduces blood pressure

• Improved memory and ability to learn

• Feelings of peace, calmness and an awareness of self

• Improves moodiness and irritability

• Feelings of rejuvenation

In his book Getting in the Gap, Dr Wayne Dyer discusses how daily meditation brings us into a closer, more personal relationship with God. By knowing God, our source of being, we can find true meaning for our lives. Dr. Dyer writes, “The paramount reason for making meditation a part of our daily life is to join forces with our sacred energy and regain the power of our Source (God). Through meditation, we can tap in to an abundance of creative energy that resides within us, and a more meaningful experience of life, which enriches us permanently. By meditating, we come to know God rather than knowing about God”.

This deeper, richer, calming experience has a profound effect on body, mind and spirit. Our minds become clearer; the noise and chatter in our minds fades away. In its place come feelings of peace, calmness and a sense of awareness. We feel lighter, younger and rejuvenated. Moods brighten and irritability is eliminated paving the way for clearer thoughts, improved memory, insightfulness and creativity.

The ability to relax and calm our minds has its physical benefits as well.

As our minds our soothed, physical pain and tension are reduced or eliminated. Chronic pain including severe headaches can be completely negated. Our circulatory, cardiovascular and immune systems operate more efficiently.

The benefits of meditation are vast. In a world of daily stress and anxiety, meditation paves the way for a healthy mind, body and spirit. For healthy living, practice meditation daily.

Sharon B. Gilbert, Ph.D. is an avid researcher and writer particularly interested in the areas of women’s health, meditation, metaphysics, organic foods and cooking, and natural health remedies. She is the author of a free weekly ezine on healthy living tips. For further information or to contact the author, please visit www.Healthylifestylesfortoday.com. Copyright 2006.

Introduction and Overview of Zodiac!
The zodiac is recognized as the first known celestial coordinate system. Before looking at what the zodiac is, it is important first to understand what the ecliptic is. the apparent path of the sun across the heavens through the constellation that divide the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude If you were to imagine what you see when you look up into the sky, and if you tracked the apparent movement of the Sun through it, this is what is meant when the word ecliptic is used. Put simply it means the apparent pathway of the Sun through the sky as viewed from earth. The zodiac is actually a group of constellations that form the backdrop to the Sun's apparent pathway through the sky that extends 9 degrees on either side of the ecliptic. The zodiac is recognized as the first known celestial coordinate system. The orbits of the planets (and our Moon) also fall within this zodiac belt. The etymology of the term zodiac is that it comes from the Latin zōdiacus, from the ancient Greeks - zodiakos kyklos, "circle of animals", because most of the constellations through which the ecliptic passes represent animals (e.g., Aquarius, Virgo, Gemini and for some Libra). Although the constellations are irregular in size and shape the 12 astrological signs are generally allocated 30 degrees each. The ecliptic was clearly identified and divided into 12 equal signs of the zodiac around 450 BC in Mesopotamia. Most reference sources indicate that the zodiac is a Babylonian invention - the oldest record of the zodiacal signs is a cuneiform horoscope from 419 BC. At the same time, Greek sources claim the discovery of the ecliptic during the second half of the 5th century BC. Like many historical developments it is quite possible that both the Greek and Babylonian cultures developed these systems at about the same time. The zodiac remains in use in modern astrology, though the issue of tropical astrology and sidereal astrology is central. Because the Sun's pathway through the heavens is basically constant and can be found at roughly the same spot for the same date in each year, this is how we came to use Sun Signs: the position of the Sun in relation to the backdrop of the zodiac constellations. This system is convenient because the average person doesn't have to have complicated planetary positions worked out to know which constellation affects them personally, the date of birth is all that is needed in most cases. Symbolically, each of the zodiac signs (Aries - Ram(0°); Taurus - Bull(30°); Gemini - Twins(60°); Cancer - Crab(90°); Leo - Lion(120°); Virgo - Virgin(150°); Libra - Scales(180°); Scorpio - Scorpion(210°); Sagittarius - Archer(240°); Capricorn - Goat(270°); Aquarius - Water Bearer(300°); and Pisces - Fish(330°) represent various qualities or whether the signs should be defined in terms of signs roughly aligned with the constellations of the same name.

The Writer Rose used to write for Universal Psychic Guild the online psychics and astrology sites which offer private psychic reading, phone psychic reading, psychicsadvice and a lot more.

A Back Glimpse at the Chinese Zodiac
Nothing in specific could the answer be when asked why they get hooked with horoscope reading and the like. Walking along downtown China, one could sense the spirit of a well retained cultural heritage attached way back centuries ago. Along the streets are sumptuous food, china wares, dry goods and even shops like psychic reading. As the year unfolds, each coming year would always be associated with Chinese characters that stand to represent the year. These characters determine and are interpreted to gage how the year would be.... struggling or on its top. A Look at History The long and winding Chinese Zodiac fad can be traced dating from 2637 B.C. When it's first cycle was introduced. It takes 60 years to complete the cycle, and each is made up of five cycles of twelve years each. The 78th will end on February 2044, it started on February 1984. For each of the twelve years, a specific animal is assigned to it. Legend says that, Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from earth. Only the twelve, came to bid him goodbye. To reward the animals, he named a year after each one in the order that it arrived. The order is as follows; Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. According to ancient beliefs, the animal that rules in the year to which they are born has a profound influence on their life. Looking Deeper Five main elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water is combined with each of the animal signs during the complete 60-year cycle. What exercises influence on once life is the element of the lunar sign. A primal part of Oriental philosophy is the relationships among the five elements. These are divided into Conducive and Controlling interrelationships, and are as follows: Conducive and contributing factor We get water from metal. This implies that metal could be a container or any vessel for holding water. Corollarily, we can say that metal catches water. One idea to be deducted, is the feature of metal as the only element changeable into liquid when heated. Woods existence can be attributed from water. The water in this sense is the dew or rain that enables plants to grow into life, thus it produce wood.In order to produce fire, wood is necessary. Fire cannot independently exist and necessitates the existence of burning wood. Ashes comes from the remnants of fire which becomes part of the earth again. It can be gainsaid that from fire we get earth. For metal to exist, it must be extracted from the earth, thus from earth we get metal. Controlling The existence of the five elements are interdependent of each other and each is controlled by another. It is thus presumed that; Since metal can be forged or melted with heat. Metal is controlled by Fire. Water is the only means to put out fire easily, thus it can be concluded that fire is controlled by water. Water is controlled by Earth. Canals are dug in the earth to irrigate fields or construct dikes to keep out or absorb water. Earth is dominated by Wood. Trees and their roots hold the soil together and get their food from the earth. Wood is controlled by Metal. Even the largest tree can be felled by the metal blade of an Axe. In a nut shell Anchored form the interpretations, Luna or the moon being the closest heavenly body on earth has shown visible power to man since the dawn of man's existence. The interrelation of these elements and beliefs as apart of human existence drives mankind to continuously attached to this belief. Reliance to its implication to ones living has been looked after since time immemorial. Man's innate character to be connected with natural phenomena explains the continuous patronage and belief with signs. As far as Chinese Zodiac crazes is concern, there is nothing wrong with believing. Time tested passed from generation s to generations made it more intriguing and interesting. The interest to divulge what concerns the forthcoming year with elements and Chinese Zodiacs is just a natural and spontaneous reaction of humans. As long as we are living, we get crazy over anything. Crazy but sane.

The Writer johnlloyd used to write for Universal Psychic Guild the online psychics and astrology sites which offer live tarot reading, free daily horoscope, numerology and more.

A General Introduction To Meditation
Meditation is the primary means of cultivating the inner peace and happiness that we all long for. Inner peace and happiness are found to be resident parts of our inner nature when we are able to take away the barriers in our nervous system from the purifying influences of yoga practices. Inner stillness is the essence of enlightenment, and how do we nurture this in ourselves? - Through deep meditation. Scientific studied even found explanations to confirm some benefits of meditation. These studies point out that meditation shift the brains activity from the stress-prone part to the calmer part of the brain. This mind exercise lessens the effects of stress, anxiety, and depression. They further found out that the brain processes lesser fear due to the changes in the brains activities. Meditation is merely conscious relaxation. It is a process which involves the mind to achieve a state of serenity or bliss. This may sound like someone being sedated. Actually it does. Meditation is a deeper form of concentration. If we are to give a concrete way to illustrate it, lets use water as the example. If you start pouring water from the pitcher to a glass, the first few drops would be considered concentration, however a steady flow is obtained after that which is likened to meditation. The unsteady first drops and the small splash they make are considered the distractions in concentration. A deeper state, which is the steady flow in the example, characterizes meditation. Thus, it clearly frees the mind from any clutter and distractions. Stress has always been one of the reasons that people are resorting to meditation. A lot of unpleasant consequences have resulted in ones inability to cope up with stress. Some have found solace in taking calming medications or pills to temporarily get rid of these thought s and feelings. But unfortunately, these only provide fleeting relief. After the medicines wear off, it is back to the pit again. Unless you try to overcome these negative thoughts and feelings with your mind, it will always succeed in getting the better of you. So how do you go about meditation? It is simpler than people thought it to be. You only find a quiet spot, sit comfortably, relax your emotions and concentrate on an object to meditate on. It is important to just think of a single object and concentrate on it. Some distractions like other objects will come into focus. Drive your mind away from those. They will only break your concentration. You can still hear the sound around you, but when youre deep in thought about your object of meditation, even those will not disturb you. It is always important to prepare yourself before doing meditation. Getting yourself in the right mind set and setting a spiritual atmosphere will help a lot in the practice of meditation. To do this sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine. Hands are in the lap, palms up, right hand resting on top of left and the thumbs touch and face forward. Overall meditation is often cheaper than a other forms of relaxation. If you use tools like CDs or cassettes or if you ask the help of a friend to guide you, it wouldnt cost you as much as a private session would. Though, these private sessions are considered as meditations as well. Meditation can make you understand the basics of meditation more clearly. It can help you get rid of all distractions and meditate more effectively. Most of the meditation has particular goals, from physical healing to spiritual-related goals. While meditation may be used to achieve healing, the guides are not the healers though. Your naturally healthy state is just being restored through the flow of energy freed by your meditation.

Jason Story found his lifestyle change when he found Pilates & meditation and uses a mari winsor pilates techniques as much as possible. You can visit his sites at: Pregnancy Winsor Pilates.

The Roswell UFO Crash: A New Lead and a New Direction
It’s been nearly sixty years since the crash of an alleged Alien Spacecraft near Roswell, NM. Despite a multitude of credible civilian and military witnesses who claim the object and its occupants were from another world, we still lack absolute proof. As a result, researchers trying to solve this puzzle constantly hope for two things: Actual physical evidence and reliable witnesses.

Because the Roswell Crash took place in 1947, the likelihood of turning up any new first hand witnesses to the crash, military investigation or cover-up fades with each year that passes. The same may be said of physical evidence. Even if somebody found a shoe box full of metal or other strange material from the crash stashed in their attic, they might not even know what it was. That leaves the possibility of second or third hand witnesses.

While it’s easy to dismiss witnesses who didn’t actually experience the crash or aftermath, they can often provide serious researchers with some tidbit of information that can lead to more later. Recently, I was contacted by a man living in California who I’ll call Al. After listening to the late Colonel Philip Corso (author of ‘The Day after Roswell’) speak about events surrounding the Roswell UFO Crash on a late night radio show, Al began to give some thought to something that had occurred earlier in his life.

Al moved to San Francisco, California, in 1964. Sometime in the winter of 1964-65, he was set up on a blind date with ‘a good-looking young blond woman.’ While he could not recall her name or where they went on the date, he did remember an unusual conversation they had at the end of the evening.

Although the two didn’t hit it off romantically, they did seem to enjoy talking with one another. The topics included philosophy, astronomy and science fiction. All very popular themes of the day. At some point the young woman asked Al if he believed in the existence of other life forms or Alien life in the Universe. Al said he did and gave a few reasons why, which included the size of the Universe and the common scientific probabilities of the day. The young woman almost immediately gave affirmation to Al by saying something like, “Yea, you’re right,” and followed up with a most amazing story.

Al’s date began her narrative by explaining that she was the daughter of an Air Force Chaplain. The family lived in Roswell and her father was serving on the Base known as Roswell Army Air Field in 1947 (later named Walker Air Force Base in 1949). Although he cannot recall the actual calendar date or day of the week, the young woman told him that sometime during dinner two men came to the door to get her dad. She recalled hearing them tell him that his services were needed. The incident caused such a stir in the household that everyone stayed up late until he returned.

Seeing that everyone was still awake, the Chaplain told his family that he was called to give religious comfort to some sort of Alien Life Forms near what seemed to be an Alien Spacecraft. At least two of four creatures were still alive when he got there. He described them as looking a bit like adolescent boys, but obviously not human. No one knew what the creatures were or precisely how to care for them. As a result, all of the beings eventually perished. That was the crux of the story.

Al would have been seven and the young woman would have been around five years of age at the time of the Roswell UFO Crash. Despite her young age, one can assume that this event left a huge impression on her and was probably discussed a number of times over the years by one or more family members. Either way, she seemed to recall enough of the story to share it with her date.

As an experienced paranormal investigator, I know that you can second guess almost any story into oblivion. This is the way of most skeptics. They merely tinker with stories, evidence or witnesses until the believable becomes unbelievable. That is not what I will do here. Instead, I will consider the possibilities.

Although there are many missing pieces from this story, it has one shining asset. Al provides a fascinating new direction for Roswell UFO Crash researchers. I never thought to include a Chaplain in the mix of characters who were a part of the military response to the Roswell Crash. It’s easy to forget that people tended to be much more religious in those days. It’s also worthwhile to remember that no one expected an alien spacecraft to fall out of the sky and into a world that wasn’t ready for such an event.

While it might seem hard to imagine that a Chaplain would be considered important enough to be summoned in the manner he was for such an event, it gets easier if you consider the military mindset. When it comes to any branch of the armed services, it was and still is all about preparedness. We have to assume that some sort of short list of first responders for emergencies was always available to Officers on duty.

Despite the unusual nature of the vehicle and occupants which crashed near Roswell, the initial reaction of the military reveals an almost textbook response to what might otherwise have been considered to be something like a plane crash. The local funeral home was contacted for coffins and/or services, a military investigator and recovery crew was sent out to do their job and the press was duly notified. Given the religious beliefs and values of that time, it would not be unexpected to find a Military Chaplain being made available to those on the scene of a disaster.

Under normal circumstances, it probably wouldn’t be that difficult to track down the names of Military Chaplains serving at the Roswell Army Air Field in 1947. However, the task becomes very complicated because the base was home to military aircraft given the mission of carrying Atomic Bombs and personnel were involved in the retrieval and cover-up of a crashed Alien Spacecraft. Anyone who has ever visited Roswell or tried to follow the paper trail back to 1947 knows that peripheral information is everywhere, but tracing down specific information is difficult and the results are not always reliable.

Despite the hardships of verifying a story like this one, the new direction provided opens up a whole new world of possibilities. After all, Chaplains are not just military personnel, but have ties to mainline faiths. It’s possible that the Chaplain involved shared some information with other Chaplains or religious leaders, in addition to his immediate family, before the lid was clamped down or he was ordered to keep quiet. Al’s blind date of forty years ago may prove to be another important piece in the Roswell puzzle.

More articles about UFOs and the Paranormal are available at http://www.ufoguy.com

Author: Bill Knell Word Count: 1180 Author's Email: billknell@cox.net Author's Website: http://www.billknell.com Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address: http://www.billknell.com A native New Yorker now living in Arizona, Bill Knell is a forty-something guy with a wealth of knowledge and experience. A popular Speaker, Bill Knell presents seminars on a number of topics that entertain, train and teach.

Yoga and the Age of Magic and Information
The Age of Magic and Information We live in a magical universe. Every facet and function and nuance of life is miraculous, mysterious and, to use a very overused adjective these days: Awesome. We associate the term magic with sleight of hand showmen, who create entertaining illusions, clever deceptions. But real magic is the magic of reality, the magic of nature and the universe. For instance the magic of a flower, the magical transformation of a seed into a plant, then into a flowerChildren see the world as magical, and they are right, it is. Adults stop noticing the everyday miracle of life as our accumulation of facts about the world replaces the awe that once filled our hearts and minds. The child may ask, “How does a plant grow from a seed?” And we would tell the child of water and soil and sunlight, careful not to confuse him with big words like “photosynthesis” and other advanced concepts that we adults understand. We equate the viewpoint of children with the viewpoint of the uninformed and uneducated. But I wish to start off this book with a question. Do we really understand what we think we know? For instance, if I was a child and asked the question, “How does blood circulate throughout the body? You would probably answer patiently, “The heart pumps the blood throughout the body, ” charmed and seduced by my natural curiosity. However, being an inquisitive sort, I would not be satisfied by that answer, “HOW does the heart pump the blood throughout the body,” I would insist. “The heart is controlled by a part of the brain that automatically sends an electrical impulse to it,’” you would say. “How does the brain do THAT” I would ask, “and how does the brain know HOW MANY times the heart should beat” At this point you would probably be looking for a piece of candy to give me or trying to find some other way to distract me or divert my attention. Any 5 year old child can bring the curtain down quickly on our mental arrogance, on our thinking we really understand how things work. The truth is no one understands HOW these things happen. Just because we have been able to isolate and observe the areas of the brain that control autonomic functions, for instance, does not mean we understand HOW they happen. What is the origin of the electrical impulse that is sent forth from the R-Complex of the brain? From where does the spark of life originate? How does an entire plant grow from a small seed? HOW or WHY does photosynthesis work? Just because we know how to grow the plant does not mean we understand how it happens. We have observed cells and how they function, we have split atoms and recently even finished the human genome project which maps the entire human DNA sequence. Yet we have no idea why or how it happens. Life is just as great a mystery now as it has always been, in fact more so now, as we have the technology to see and comprehend how incredibly complex life is. Sub atomic particles appear, disappear then reappear and behave in ways we do not begin to understand. The ever expanding universe reveals deeper and deeper mysteries all the time. And yet even the simple miracle of a flower opening at sunrise, or fish who return to the same river to spawn or crustaceans that mate only at certain full moons every year, how do they know? How does it all work, and WHY any of it? We are more impressed by magicians, the showmen type, who seduce us with their trickery than we are in awe of the majestic natural universe. In simpler times, there was more reverence for the magic of nature. There was not as much intellectual stimulation as today. What was learned and observed was done so with great depth. There was time to ponder and encounter the truth directly, through the heart. To understand a flower, one would sit with the flower and observe it, feel it. Just like with a person, we must get to know a person through the heart and experience them in order to have a chance at understanding them. To understand the flower one must share its being with the flower and allow the flower to share its being too. Flowers are people too! If tomorrow you were to sit with a plant or a flower for a couple of hours, I bet your ideas about plants and flowers will be different than what they were beforehand. Yoga and The Vedic Sciences show the simple yet profound connection to an ancient heart centered wisdom based on direct experience of and reverence for the cycles and magic of nature. They exists beyond surface explanations and dry intellectual data that dominate our thinking and ultimately leave us feeling empty and disconnected. The type of thinking that explains a flower as the natural product of soil, water, sunlight and photosynthesis. The truth is, a flower is a mystery and a miracle to be experienced. That is only possible when our being is merged with it’s being, through communion. Wisdom is a by product of experience not of information.

Sadasiva (Sam Geppi) is a Vedic astrologer, writer and Yoga Instructor in San Francisco. He has over 20 years of Vedic Study and experience. He is a certified Vedic Astrologer and Teacher through the American College of Vedic Astrology (level 2) as well as author of "The Ascendant-108 Planets of Vedic Astrology."

A Source of Inspiration
A light was on in one office, even though most of the other offices had been dark for hours. The manager continued to work in the silence of the empty building, reviewing reports, studying numbers, responding to messages and emails that others would not read until the next morning. There was so much to do, so many responsibilities and so many decisions that would wait for the manager's guiding hand. The silence was broken as the manager was startled to see one of the employees standing at the door. The employee knocked hesitantly, one foot in the office and the other still in the hallway. "May I come in for a moment?" asked the employee. "Of course," smiled the manager, leaning back in the chair. "What are you doing here so late?" "I had a lot of work to do and I wanted to catch-up," said the employee. "If I get behind then it could impact our customers, and I don't want that to happen. It's my responsibility, and I want to take care of it. I know that's what you would do." "You're probably right," the manager said with a laugh. "So what made you stop in here?" The employee approached the desk, sat down in one of the chairs beside it and said, "I wanted to ask you a question." "Go ahead." The employee began, "You always work so hard, and you always take care of us. You come in early. You stay late. No matter how much you have to do, you always take time to talk to any one of us when we need you. You are so busy taking time for us during the day that you have to stay late at night to catch up on your own work. Yet, you never complain. You make us want to work harder and do better, and you give us every opportunity to be successful. You are an inspiration to the rest of us, so what inspires you?" The manager's eyes widened, "Wow, well that was quite a surprise. I appreciate the kind words and admit that you completely caught me off guard." "Well?" persisted the employee, "What is your source of inspiration?" The manager was silent for a moment, carefully contemplating the response. Then the manager stood up and said, "follow me." As the manager and the employee walked down a row of cubicles, the manager started to point into them one by one. The cubicles belonged to the colleagues of the employee. "This person is a single parent and comes to work each day to support two children. Those children need someone to look up to, someone to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. This person doesn't work for me, this person works for them." The manager paused at the next cubicle and said, "This person is a grandmother who is working days so she can pay for her college education at night. She doesn't need a degree and it won't make any difference for her career. She is already past retirement age and she could quit at any time. She wants that degree to make her children proud and to give her grandchildren someone to look up to. She doesn't work for me, she works for them." The manager moved to the next cubicle and said, "This person is overqualified for the job. It would be easy to leave for another company, probably get a promotion out of it and earn better pay. Why doesn't this person leave? After eleven years working with the same group of people, it is like a family. This person doesn't work for me, this person works here for all of you." The manager paused at the next cubicle and said, "This person has a family to support. Two kids in school, a mortgage, two car payments, and a whole host of obligations that comes with taking care of a family. Needless to say, you know that this person doesn't work for me." The manager pointed down the line of cubicles, "That young man is engaged to be married, and he is saving up to buy their first home. That next person has a daughter in college. The next one wants to build a career out of this experience. The one after that wants to be a musician and only does this job to earn enough money to pay the bills." Walking into the corridor, the manager paused and smiled as the custodian came around the corner. "This person barely speaks our language, but comes to work every day when everyone else has gone home. More than half of the money earned will go to family members who do not even live in our country, while this person keeps only enough to pay for food, shelter and transportation here every day. This person comes into my office and takes away my trash, not for me, but because it is what needs to be done to earn the money that goes to a family that lives hundreds of miles away." "And then there is you," said the manager with a big smile. "You have your own reasons for coming in here every day. When I need a source of inspiration, all I have to do is look around me. I am surrounded by it. Inspiration comes from recognizing what is important to the people around you and making it your own. If I can feel the dedication that these people feel for their children, for their families, for their hopes and dreams, then I have all the inspiration that I need. They are inspired by their own sense of purpose, and I am inspired by them. Just as you believe that you are inspired by me, I am inspired by you." ______________________________________________________ Words of Wisdom "Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness - I wouldn't know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self- consciousness." - Aaron Copland "Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation." - William Arthur Wood "Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others." - Robert Louis Stevenson ______________________________________________________ About the Author: John Mehrmann is a freelance writer and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital. www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com provides resource materials for trainers, sample Case Studies, educational articles and references to local affiliates for consulting and executive coaching. http://www.InstituteforAdvancedLeadership.com provides self-paced tutorials for personal development and tools for trainers. Presentation materials, reference guides and exercises are available for continuous development.

John Mehrmann is a freelance author, industry expert and President of Executive Blueprints Inc, an organization dedicated to developing human capital and personal growth.

Natural Ways To Keep Food Fresh Longer
If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips

1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs

1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products

1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.


Dairy Products and Cheese

1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous

1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags.