Donnette

Despite the good that the people behind the charity Locks of Love intend there have been controversial accusations about the selling of donated human hair. The most unfortunate thing is that when people donate their hair for charity they want to feel assured that his or her donation is going directly to benefit the cause. It has been confirmed, however, according to the Better Business Bureaus Wise Giving Alliance Report that the Locks of Love organization has committed no crimes. All that Locks of Love does seems to be completely charitable, and any selling of hair wigs well within their rights.

The standards of a non-profit organization have been met by Locks of Love therefore, there should be no sour impressions of the charity. Locks of Love does a lot of good for a lot of children in need. Sometimes, depending on a familys income, the wigs that are sold by the Locks of Love organization are sold on a sliding scale. This assures that the child will be able to purchase a wig at a much less expensive cost.

Here are a few of the requirements that Locks of Love maintains for both human hair donors and hair piece recipients:

The following are the requirements for eligible recipients of hair wigs:

Because Locks of Love caters especially to children in need: the recipient must be eighteen years of age or younger. Wigs are made for burn victims or victims with similar medical conditions especially because in these circumstances the hair will not grow.

Surprisingly enough, some chemotherapy patients are excluded from the top priority considerations of the Locks of Love organization. This is only because a chemotherapy patients hair loss is not considered a permanent condition. The donor, (or rather, his or her parent or guardian) must provide proof that he or she has financial needs. Two letters of recommendation are required, as well as a photo and an essay.

Then there are specific guidelines for donors, of course, as well:

Locks of Love accepts hair donations from virtually anyone of any race the length and condition of the hair that is donated is the more important consideration. Firstly, the hair donated must be a minimum of ten inches long. It is advised that a person donate more inches than that, if possible. Longer wigs bring bright smiles to the young girls out there who do not have the option of growing it out.

Any hair donated to Locks of Love can not be bleached, colored or otherwise chemically damaged. It can not be over processed hair: meaning that the hair is damaged or weakened because of poor care. People who use a lot of hairspray, and other products, hot blow dryers, curling irons etc. can develop so much damage that their hair will be unusable for donation.

Some people are not born with hair that is strong enough, usually because it is too thin, to be used as human hair wigs.

Donated hair can not be gray or otherwise unsuitable for children in accordance with the standards of the Locks of Love organization.

Having been cleared of the accusations that the Locks of Love organizations faced, the Locks of Love remains a very popular charity. It has been determined that the organization has met all of the twenty Better Business Bureaus Standards for Charity Accountability. Nonetheless, there is no way for someone to know if his or her hair will be sold or donated and that is bothersome to many people who would otherwise donate without hesitation. Looking further into the details of the Locks of Love organization may help to persuade people to continue to contribute to the cause.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her articles on wigs, please visit africanamericanwigs.net, supplier of high quality African American Front Lace Wigs and Human Hair Wigs

What types of modern health supplements, or foods, are currently being used for brain and memory support? I was asked this question recently, and it was not the first time either. Ill tell you about the best online sources for brain supplements at the end of this article, but first lets look at the issue of looking after your brain.

Eventually, everyone stops worrying about their body mass index, their wrinkles and their cholesterol, and starts thinking about how to improve or supplement their diet to support their most important organ of all, their brain. Intelligence, intellect and a good memory are the foundations of a successful and happy life, and attention to the needs of your brain will pay you back handsomely.

For just this reason, in recent years there has been a huge rush of new products which focus on nutritional support for the brain. Currently, over the counter or non-prescription supplements for the brain are designed to help in the following areas.

Improving memory and restoring neuronal function
Supplements here would include things like blueberry extract and pomegranate extract.

Support and protection for neuronal cell membranes and neurotransmitters
Dietary supplements here would probably include blueberry, ginger, rosemary and grapeseed extract.

Support for the regeneration of brain axons and dendrites
Many new supplements supposed to help here contain the Indian herb Ashwagandha.

Antioxidant effects
Again, any thing with blueberry extract will be effective.

Neurite growth stimulation
Acetyl Carnitine - many human and animal studies demonstrate the many beneficial mechanisms that this exerts in the brain.

Brain cell membrane integrity, lessening of dementia risks
Phosphatidylserine (PS) has been claimed to preserve synaptic plasticity.

Brain cell membrane support
Walnuts contain omega-3 fats, which are an essential component of cell membranes. Another good source is flax seeds. The brain also need omega-6 fatty acids, which are obtained from evening primrose, blackcurrant seed oil and borage (as well as eggs and dairy products).

Brain metabolism support
CDP-choline activates the synthesis of critical components in cell membranes .

Brain cell membrane support and repair
DMAE Bitartrate is supposed to help in this area.

Brain tissue development
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid critical to brain development in the fetus and in newborn babies, but is now available as a supplement for adults. Breast milk contains DHA, and it is thought to be the main factor in the higher IQs of breast-fed children. Low levels of DHA in adults have been associated with dementia.

So, where are such products available online, and are there any supplements which combine them for convenience? Also, how much do they cost, and are there any natural alternatives?

Look for the answers at the special brain and memory support page at eastcairn.com.

Barbara Eastcairn writes about all the most important health and nutrition issues.

Human minds are complex existence of us. One part of your mind judges each and everything, from the weather to your neighbour, basically everything. This Inner Judge uses the contents of your own Book of Law to judge everything you do or do not do, everything you think or do not think, everything you feel or do not feel.

Basically, everything is subject to the tyranny of this Judge. Every time you do something that goes against your Book of Law, your inner Judge finds you guilty, which means you must be punished and feel ashamed. This happens several times a day, day after day, year after year.

But parallel to this, another part of yourself, which we could call the Victim is at the receiving end of these punishments. This is the part that suffers the rebuke, the guilt and the shame. This is part of you that says: "Poor me, I am not good enough, not intelligent enough, not talented enough, I do not deserve to be loved, I am not good enough to deserved this, etc...."

And all these come from a system of beliefs which you have never chosen in the first place!

These beliefs are passed down from one generation to next generation whatever your background or culture. It's the same everywhere. The beliefs are so strong that even years later, when we discover new ideas and try to make our own decisions, we realise just how they influence our life. Everything that goes against these beliefs makes us feel fear and questioning them or contravening them acts as "emotional poison", generating more feelings of insecurity.

Even if your personal Book of Law is wrong, it does not give you a feeling of security. Our belief system, even if not of our own choice, is nevertheless something to which we have given our agreement. It's influence is so strong that even when we understand, in principle, that these beliefs are not true, we still feel guilt and shame and criticism every time we break a rule.

In the same way, the government has its laws that control the "dream" of its society, your belief system is the law book that guides your reality and your personal "dream". All these laws exist in your head, your believe them, and your inner Judge bases everything it says on them. The Judge hands down a ruling and the Victim suffers the guilt and the punishment.

But true justice plays not part in this. This inner Judge present in every individual is wrong because this Book of Law is false. 95% of the time the beliefs are etched in our mind are nothing but lies, and we suffer from our beliefs in these lies.

Face it, life is governed by fear and there is not a corner of our world that is free from human suffering, anger, feelings of revenge, violence, war of different scales, all of which is just a reflection of a "dream" injustice. It's the same state of fear one thousand years ago, now, and it will be the same one thousand years from now. It's inescapable.

Mere T is a spiritual researcher, blogger, and conservationist. She has benefited a lot from the guidance of psychic Maria Duval in the topic of spirituality. She lives in New Zealand with her family and she enjoys the serenity of her country as it helps her to build up on her spiritual bonding with the environment. Her Maria Duval blog is Maria Duval - Psychic - Clairvoyant

For those of you who are like me and fish with live worms and like to move from spot to spot while fishing, such as along a river or stream, then this article should interest you. More than 20 years ago my fishing mentor came up with the most ingenious solutions for carrying live worms while fishing, that I've ever seen. He didn't have a name for it at the time, but that of course didn't make it any less effective. Carrying live worms while fishing, if you move from spot to spot, can be quite a dilemma. You always have to try to remember exactly where you left them and then open the container, remove a worm, and bait your hooks. This can become a real time waster and just all around pain in the butt.

So JRW, my fishing mentor and the best trout angler that I've ever seen, came up with the idea of having a little sack that would hang off of your fishing vest and carry the live worms for you. In other words, worms would be purchased as normal, then simply taken from the container they were purchased in and placed into the sack for the duration of a fishing trip. This seemed strange at first, but I tried it and fell in love with the concept. It was the most ingenious apparatus that I'd ever seen. The live worms that were being used as bait were always hanging right on my fishing vest, literally "at my fingertips". It was great.

From this original concept, The Bait Bag was born. The bait bag has become much better to look at and much more functional than it was in the beginning, but the point is that it's still the best way that I've ever encountered for carrying live worms while fishing. As a matter of fact I've been using some manifestation of a bait bag for at least 20 years and I wouldn't even consider fishing without it. My bait bag has become as much a part of my fishing repertoire as any single piece of fishing gear is.

A bait bag will make any angler so much more efficient that it's difficult to put into words. Just think about it. All that time that used to be wasted with you fumbling around with your live worms can now be used with your line in the water, where the fish are. If a fish steals your worm, you simply use your fingers to grab another worm from your bait bag, re-bait, and you're good to go. How much quicker is this than looking for your worm container, opening it, grabbing a worm, baiting up, closing the worm container, and putting the worm container back where you got it? The two options don't even compare!

The reality is that I personally haven't carried a worm container fishing with me for 20 years! I leave the containers in my vehicle. When I get to my fishing spot, I open the container that I purchased the worms in, transfer the worms to my bait bag (just the worms, not the dirt) and leave the container in my vehicle. Then I'm on my way to fish. I dont even have the option of forgetting my worm container and thus creating another piece of litter along my favorite river. If you fish with live worms, and are mobile while fishing like I am, check out the convenience of a bait bag. You'll be glad you did, and wonder how you ever fished with live worms without one.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country..Montana!

The Original Bait Bag: http://www.jrwfishing.com/bait_pouch.asp

Get Fishing Tips & Techniques Twice A Month For FREE- http://www.jrwfishing.com/signup.html

Jaques Tissot was born in 1836, at Nantes a French Seaport. He was always interested in things nautical and this can be seen in the accuracy of the rigging and ship scenes that he later painted. His father was a successful shopkeeper and a devout Roman Catholic and Jaques was sent to a Jesuit school. His father was not at all happy with Jacques choice of career, but he did eventually relent.

He was able to enter the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1856, where he met and became friends with James McNeill Whistler. He changed is name to James in order to draw interest to himself. He had learned the business of trading from his father and used this experience to sell his works. He traveled extensively plying his craft and surviving well, especially among the wealthy English patrons, and even exhibited at the Royal Academy. He returned to Paris and with the outbreak of war (Franco-Prussian War) fled to England in 1871 where he had many friends. James was hard working and shrewd and quickly became a success in London. His paintings were of excellent quality, but sometimes controversial this probably assisted in sales rather than the reverse. Many paintings were of women in unbelievably beautiful costumes. The famous art critic John Ruskin was particularly indifferent and called his paintings mere photographs of vulgar society. His French friends were envious of his success in England. He lived life to the fullest.

In 1874 Edmond de Goncourt wrote sarcastically that James Tissot had a studio with a waiting room where, at all times, there is iced champagne at the disposal of visitors, and around the studio, a garden where, all day long, one can see a footman in silk stockings brushing and shining the shrubbery leaves.

He met Kathleen Newton and Irish divorcee with two children and a colorful past. She was his model and mistress, and together they inspired each other. James and Kathleen lived as man and wife but within a few years her health started to decline and in 1882, she cheated consumption by committing suicide. Throughout this time James remained totally committed to her.

James was heartbroken and within a week left the house and never returned. He did not marry or have any more long term relationships. He dabbled in Spiritualism and tried to contact Kathleen. He moved to Paris and continued the style that had been so successful for him in London but it was not so successful in Paris. He had a religious experience and became extremely devout and began painting religious scenes.

He died in 1902 in Bullion.

The possibility of obtaining any of the great artworks by this artist is quite small, although from time to time they become available, but usually one needs to bid against international galleries for the artwork. Prints and cards have been produced by many suppliers of these works and other masters. For more information on the old masters and painters of the 18th century, go to http://uniquevintageprints.googlepages.com

Mortgage insurance is a term that you will surely come across if you are going for a mortgage loan. Lets get straight into finding out what this term (Mortgage insurance) means.

Mortgage insurance is a great tool for both the borrower and the mortgage lender. By definition, mortgage insurance provides protection to the mortgage lender in case the borrower defaults on the mortgage. Mortgage insurance covers the loss that a mortgage lender can incur in such a circumstance. So besides taking title to property, the mortgage lender is also protected against loss by mortgage insurance. The premium of this mortgage insurance is obviously paid by the borrower and there are different ways in which the borrower can pay this mortgage insurance premium e.g. one way is to include it as part of the monthly mortgage payments that are made to the mortgage lender (who in turn passes on the amount to the mortgage insurer).

However, how does mortgage insurance provide benefit to the borrower?

Since mortgage is a big financial transaction, the mortgage lenders need to safeguard their interests in all possible way. So, mortgage lenders require the borrower to demonstrate their commitment to the investment. One way of showing this commitment (and the ability to pay monthly mortgage payments) is to make a down payment. The mortgage lenders generally ask for a down payment of around 20%. However, if the borrower goes for mortgage insurance, the down payment amount may be significantly reduced by the mortgage lender. So, a borrower might be required to pay only 5% or 10% as mortgage down payment instead of the mandated 20% or whatever. This means that mortgage insurance is especially good for people who dont have enough cash to make large down payments (as such 20% is quite a big amount in itself). Such people can save on cash by going for mortgage insurance. Moreover, since mortgage insurance provides a lot of confidence to the mortgage lenders (in terms of their investment being safe), the processing of your mortgage application could be faster and smoother than what it would have been without mortgage insurance commitment. So not only does mortgage insurance increase the buying power of a borrower it also provides him/her with benefits in terms of getting a good mortgage deal and getting it faster.

So, mortgage insurance is really advantageous both for the borrower and mortgage lender and the onus lies on the borrower to hunt for a good deal on mortgage insurance and also on the mortgage itself.

What was started as an online store, has turned into a growing collection of internet resources on subjects ranging from Network Marketing, Investing, Health, Travel and Credit Cards. Visit http://www.mjesales.com for our store or http://www.articlesnatch.com for more articles. For instant access to over 20 free ebooks, visit our free ebook page now! This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Running a business can be far from a nine-to-five venture. Business owners are consistently occupied with the duties and responsibilities that enable the business to keep moving forward. These duties can be wide-ranging and require significant amounts of time. Managing phone calls is a high priority in order to maintain and generate new business, and now there are answering services that can help businesses handle their call volume.

Answering services can be highly advantageous for small businesses that need added assistance with the time consuming task of managing calls. There are several factors that business owners should consider when deciding which answering service their companies should utilize. Some of these factors include level of experience that the answering service has, the extensiveness of the network that the answering service has, reputation of the service, and the different answering service features available. Because the primary focus for any answering service is to efficiently deliver messages, response time is also a major factor.

Any professional business needs to maintain thorough correspondence with current and potential clients. Quick response to questions, concerns, orders, etc. is good practice for any business. Answering services enable busy employers or business owners to rely on professional and efficient management of all correspondences.

Correspondences generally provide the main source for business. This is why it is essential for small businesses who need the extra help with managing their correspondence to acquire the first-rate answering service of respected companies such as ReceptionHQ. Visit http://www.receptionHQ.com to learn more about the leaders in the industry and the exceptional features and services they offer to customers.

Offering the largest network of answering and messaging services in the US ReceptionHQ allows its customers to have local or toll-free access in 24 cities. To learn more about answering service features, visit http://www.receptionhq.com or 1-866-883-3499.

To succeed at an Adwords campaign, you must know how to write effective Google Adwords advertising. Anyone who is about to write ads should already have read and fully understand the lengthy terms and conditions policy presented by Google. This policy is strictly adhered to and failing to abide by the terms and conditions can be you banned from one of the most effective tools at your disposal.

Google Adwords also limits what can be advertised through Adwords. Thinks like gambling, violence, drugs, fraudulent activities such as defeating cable boxes and the like, are barred from ever being advertised through Google's Adwords or Adsense tools. Be sure that the item or service you are advertising is within the boundaries of things that Adwords is willing to accept for advertisement.

Most advertisers use text ads for their Adwords campaign. The key to writing effective Google ads is to remember that you have to grab the interest of the reader in very few characters. In a regular text Adwords ad, you have 25 characters to create a title, 70 characters are the maximum for the advertisement itself and 35 characters, including spaces, are permitted for the display of the URL. The ad will be displayed on four lines. The title will take up one line and the URL another, so your 70 characters of text will fit in the other two lines. Because some characters are wider than others, in some situations, less than 70 characters may be all that will fit on the two lines.

As you can see, your goal has to be to create a title and text that is so captivating that the reader must, in such a short period, feel they HAVE to know more about this subject or service. Because your ad will be shown to people who already have expressed an interest in knowing about the subject of your website, you want to convince them that your website is the only place to learn or buy what they want.

Google Adwords advertisements that contain words like "best", "only", "cost-effective", "free", "lowest-priced" and other attributes the reader is seeking can be really important, but only if they are true. You want the visitor to find what they expect and not something that isn't what the ad stated.

A good way to learn to write Google Adwords is to view some Adwords ads and see what words make you feel compelled to learn more. Those same words will work for you in your own ads. Just adapt them to your own product or services and include your own facts.

For more information about Adsense and Adwords Tracking visit: Adsense and Adwords Marketing and Testing - Complete Marketing Toolbox

(Special from The Dallas Examiner; Member NNPA) Man on a mission: Side-stepping the legislature, Governor Rick Perry recently mandated that all Texas schoolgirls entering the sixth grade receive vaccination for the Human Papillomavirus. That mandate is causing quite a stir, but Perry asserts that the mandate is necessary. Requiring young girls to get vaccinated before they come in contact with HPV is responsible health and fiscal policy that has the potential to significantly reduce the cases of cervical cancer and mitigate future medical costs, said Governor Perry.

Governor Perry also directed state health authorities to make the vaccine available free to girls 9 to 18 who are uninsured, enrolled in Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program or whose insurance does not cover vaccines. In addition, he ordered that Medicaid offer Gardasil to women ages 19 to 21 and Dallas County Health and Human Services has been prompt to respond to the Governors orders. DCJJS currently offers the Human Papillomavirus vaccine through its adult immunization clinic.

DCHHS wants to provide the vaccine as a weapon against the deadly form of cancer, said Zachary Thompson, DCHHS Director. According to the Texas Cancer Registry, there were approximately 1,169 new cases and 391 deaths from cervical cancer in Texas in 2006. DCHHS is awaiting shipment of the HPV vaccine for children through the Texas Vaccine for Children program and will make a formal announcement when it becomes available.

HPV is harmless in most cases: Many know that the vaccine has been tested for safeness and effectiveness against HPV. But what many do not know is that, according to the Center for Disease Control, HPV infection, in most cases, is harmless. In fact, 90 percent of infections are fought off by the bodies own immune system, rendering the infection inactive or causing it to dissolve on its own. But, there are other strains of HPV that are deemed as high-risk because the virus may, in rare cases, develop into persistent infecti9on that can progress to cervical cancer if left untreated (There are more than 100 known strains of HPV, 30 of these are sexually transmitted and are defined as genital HPV). It is estimated that fewer than 4000 Americans die from HPV related cervical cancer yearly. So why the need for an executive order which is used in times of crisis and emergency?

Justification: According to the Supreme Court: It is basic that no showing merely of a rational relationship to some colorable state interest would suffice (in reference to use of executive powers); in this highly sensitive constitutional area, only the gravest abuses, endangering paramount interests, give occasion for permissible limitation, Thomas v. Collins, 323 U.S. 516,530. Furthermore, Sherbert v. Verner (1963) posits that before executive powers can be used it must meet a three question litmus test which looks at the following questions: 1. government infringement with respect to its proposed action, 2. if the government has a compelling state interest which justifies government intervention and finally, 3. if compelling interests do not exist are there alternative means by which the government can achieve its goal and thus not burden the citizenry. The question is has the government determined this infection cannot be avoided by behavioral change and has chosen to shift the focus toward vaccination? And, if so, is mandatory vaccination against a disease that is largely sexually transmissible really the answer or is there a larger problem?

Clinical Trials: In initial clinical trials, Merk tested over 20,000 females, giving half of them placeboes and the other half Gardasil. The subjects were followed for approximately four years. More noteworthy, a little more than 1000 subjects, ages ranging from 9 to 16 years of age were a part of the trials and they were followed for only 18 months. Both in the placebo and in the vaccine groups, there are reports of adverse reactions. Gardasils own package insert sites as some of the adverse reactions reports of arthritis, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and pain at the injection site. Page 12 of the Merck package insert also cites 102 incidents of serious, adverse reactions such as headaches, dizziness, juvenile arthritis, gastroenteritis, appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease and includes 17 deaths out of 21,464 subjects. Merck concluded these deaths have nothing to do with their product. The test group was followed for a period of four years, raising doubts that as to whether Gardasil prevents anything, especially since the incubation period for the infection is about 20 years and usually presents in women in their late 30s and 40s. The only thing known with certainty is the short-term effects of this vaccine. Additionally, the study did not address carcinogens (any potentially cancer causing agent) or genotoxicity (a chemical or agent that causes damage to cellular DNA which can result in mutations or cancer).

Merck's troubled past: Gardasil is made by Merk, a giant pharmaceutical manufacturer. Merck received licensing for Gardasil from the Food and Drug Administration in June of 2006, while the vaccine was still in clinical trials. In Gardasils own packing insert, it asserts that HPV types 16 and 18 are the cause for 70 percent of cervical cancer and Gardasil is reported to be affective against these implications for types 11 and 6. Mercks package insert goes on to explain that women will continue to need regular cervical cancer screenings and that the vaccine may not protect everyone, raising questions as to whether this vaccine really is 100 percent effective. Merck is the same manufacturer of the drugs Fosomax and Vioxx, pharmaceutical nightmares for Merck and company that have left the company reeling from lawsuit settlements. It is estimated between 88,000 to 139,000 have suffered heart-attacks or strokes as a result of taking the drug Vioxx and more than 55,000 have died. Merck continued to defend Vioxx even after it had been pulled from shelves, better than four years from when they knew there were problems.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Dr. David Graham, the scientist and 20 year FDA veteran, that blew the whistle on Merck & Co., said at a Senate hearing in 2004 that policies by the FDA had left the American public virtually defenseless against the kind of safety problems that led to Vioxx abrupt withdrawal in September 2004. Fox News.com reported that in his testimony, Graham said, the FDAs Office of New Drugs unrealistically maintains a drug is safe unless reviewers establish with 95 percent certainty that it is not. That rule does not protect consumers, Graham told the Senate committee. What it does is it protects the drug, he said. Additionally Graham told the Senate Finance Committee, I would argue the FDA, as currently configured, is incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx. According to Reuters, in the same hearing, Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican also raised concerns regarding the reliability of the FDA, saying he feared the FDA had become too intimately involved with drug companies and thought an independent office of drug safety might be need.

In an interview with CBS News Correspondent, Sharyl Attkinson, Dr. Graham characterized the FDA fostering as a work environment where supervisors intimidate employees when they bring attention to products that have questions with regard to safety. In the interview, he discussed problems not only with Vioxx and Fosomax, but also Bextra, Meridia, Crestor, Accutane, and Serevent. Were Gardasil to prove to be another Merck disaster, Governor Perrys mandate requiring Gardasil to be offered under the vaccine for childrens law which will create total immunity from lawsuits from lawsuits from those who take Gardasil and experience adverse or even life threatening reactions. This is because the Federal Vaccine Liability program shields pharmaceuticals that develop vaccines.

We were first introduced to the Gardasil vaccine through what is commonly known as direct-to-consumer marketing. says a mother with her young child in the background, in a Merck commercial. O-N-E-L-E-S-S! I want to be one less, one lessis chanted by children while skipping rope and playing. Who wouldnt want to vaccinate their children against cervical cancer? It is a manufacturers way of first, raising awareness about its newest product and secondly, encouraging consumers, when visiting the doctors office, to ask for their product and to ask for it by name. If this were a game of poker, one might say it was the only hand that Merck had left to play if it were going to stay afloat financially. In a 2005 interview with Jim Lehrer of NPR, a representative from Merck Pharmaceuticals reported that because of financial hardships (largely attributed to trade mark expiration of Zocor, a cholesterol medication, and lawsuits from Fosomax and Vioxx), Merck, by 2008, would be closing seven manufacturing sites and laying off approximately 11 percent of its workforce. Ironically, 2008 is when the Governors mandate is to take affect. There is no word yet on whether sell of the Gardasil vaccine will off-set the financial disparities experienced by Merck & Co.

A costly venture: Gardasil is given in a series of three shots at $140.00 per shot ($420 in total). Some private doctors are already offering the vaccine, others are not stocking for reasons such as: too expensive to store and refrigerate or they have to charge a surcharge in case the insurance company does not pay. Gardasil is currently covered by some insurance companies, but others are waiting until there is more information about the drug (USA Today). But if the vaccine is indeed mandated under the Childhood Vaccination Program, this will guarantee profits for Merck both immediately and in the future as there is sure to be a need for a booster. After all it is a vaccine, said Dr. Edwards of the Texas Association of Ob-Gyns. This is a fact that has had little to no discussion in the public arena. Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Perry, Krista Moody, declined to respond to questions about the vaccine mandated by the Governor, stating, I believe your attached questions should be directed to the CDC, FDA or Merck, as they relate to specifics for drug research and testing. Both Christopher Loder, Media Relations Officer for Merck & Co. and Heidi Robello, FDR Media Relations agreed to answer questions presented to them in writing, but to date neither has responded.

In summary: The public is being told that the Gardasil vaccine should be hailed as a cure for cervical cancer, but this vaccination is not a cure for cancer. It is a vaccination purported to protect against two of over 100 different strains of HPV, with implications for two more. Furthermore, sexually active men and women, boys and girls can still continue to transmit.

Marian Hubbard Jefferson is the Chair of Lift Every Voice Family and Community Development Project, a nonprofit charity formed to empower, equip and encourage adult survivors of child sexual assault. Marian holds a Masters Degree in Counseling from Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

To learn more about Lift, its passion, mission and purpose; please log onto http://www.marianjefferson.org

The most common reaction to any problem is to say, Why me? This is a normal response to the many problems, which overwhelm us. If you could handle every problem calmly, without anxiety, and make the best decisions under fire, all the time, you would either be very lucky or an enlightened soul.

So, what is the answer to solving lifes many problems? Firstly, people who consistently solve difficult problems remain calm, even when everyone around them is in panic mode. A person, who can react calmly in the face of danger, while everyone else is filled with panic, has a trained mind.

Such a person may never have practiced Yoga at all, but a self-disciplined mind is not a coincidence. A self-disciplined mind develops from training - whether it is martial arts, military training, Zen, Yoga, a school of meditation, or something similar. The results are a trained mind that can perform under pressure.

In Yoga, many Yogic techniques are, in fact, tools to train the mind. Most people think of meditation for training the mind, but Pranayama, Japa, and Asana, train the mind, as well. Yet, why should you go through the trouble of disciplining your mind?

Each problem contains hidden opportunities for those who do not panic. The trouble is reacting, and thinking rationally, within a limited amount of time. Many people are consumed with competitive drive and getting to the next level.

Problems are your best opportunity to rise to the next level. If you make the correct move, due to rational thinking, you are on the right path, but sometimes failures reveal lifes more important lessons. Setbacks can be some of our best teachers. Yoga teaches us to accept what we cannot change, but we can definitely change ourselves from within.

We can change, adapt, and learn new life skills. We can survive challenging situations and create from what we learn along the way. We can redefine and empower ourselves.

When you go about your life, every intersection you see was designed and improved by a previous traveler. Mistakes, problems, and failures, have built the world we know today, because our species learned, and documented past its mistakes.

When you practice Pranayama, do you realize how many mistakes must have occurred over 5,000 years of research? If you push your body beyond the natural limits, something has to give.

So, if you take the time to study a problem, look for a documented solution, first. Why should you reinvent the wheel? Always learn from someone elses mistakes, when possible. Life is much less painful, when you listen to advice and choose your path wisely.

Copyright 2007 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html