Your Eco-Friendly Home is a book for use both inside and
outside of the home. Sid Davis, the author, is the owner of a real
estate firm. He has also written The First-Time Homeowner's Survival Guide and
several other books related to homes and real estate. This taken, Sid
Davis knows what makes a quality home that's also environmentally
friendly and sustainable.
The first portion of Your Eco-Friendly Home delves into the
nuts and bolts of mortgage, the credit score, and avoiding unnecessary
fees. Here the author discusses the Home Energy Ratings Systems Report.
He also recommends that you search for a real estate agent who shares
your eco-friendly philosophy. Direction is given in what to look for in
a green home--and how it's all warranteed.
If you'd rather build your own green home, specialized builders are
available. Davis breaks down the building standards and lays out the
costs. He answers questions about how much more you may need to shell
out.
The planning will need to include thoughts on direction of the house
toward the sun, energy efficiency--air, windows, heating, cooling,
insulation. Will you use solar or wind power to generate electricity?
Key Here: "Avoiding the Seven Biggest Mistakes That Many New Green
Homeowners Make." (The number one mistake is not enough research before
building.)
Later chapters focus on xeriscaping for the yard, composting,
designing the landscape, and irrigation. Especially interesting:
"Capturing Water for Garden Use" and "Recycling Water for Landscaping."
Final chapters are for those wishing to remodel the interior and exterior of their homes.
After several problems arising from unfriendly carpeting (chemicals
in the new flooring--dust in the old,) my own home has been completely
tiled throughout. I myself appreciate the section on the new
eco-friendly carpets.
From paints to roofs and decking, bathroom lighting to green
appliances--Sid Davis has covered many questions that the typical
consumer can't easily find answers to.
Your Eco-Friendly Home also includes resources for finding
new environmentally products and services; the book is an asset to
anyone ready to buy, build, or remodel.
5 Stars
Your Eco-Friendly Home: Buying, Building, or Remodeling GREEN (AMACOM/ Nov 2008) by Sid Davis
Book Review: Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less—A Handbook For
Slashing Gas Prices And Solving Our Energy Crisis (Regnery Pub., 2008)
by Newt Gingrich
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich follows up his American Solutions project, founded 2007, with a hot new book, Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less.He hopes to stem the tide of partisan politics and create a unified country stance on energy solutions.
Gingrich begins with main points:
We have more energy sources than any other country in the world.
Shale resources in the Rocky Mountains alone are three times the size
of Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves (world’s largest).
We have the largest number of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs of any country in the world.
Gingrich also supports next generation incentives for biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol,
a competition to contract out at least four experimental next
generation clean coal plants with virtually no carbon emissions,
McCain's proposal of a $300 million prize for breakthroughs in battery
technology that will make electric cars and hybrids work better.
His premise, “If we adopt the right strategies and implement sound
policies, we can ignore the dictators of the world and never again have
to beg another country to help us get energy.” Gingrich blames
left-wing politicians for their anti-coal, --oil, --nuclear policies.
Our policies and their relation to energy costs in the United States
effect all Americans. Around the globe, high energy costs raise the
price of fertilizer and food transportation, actually leaving the poor
in developing countries hungrier.
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Our national security Gingrich writes, is also affected negatively.
Back in July 2006, Hezbollah (almost certainly backed by Iran) attacked
Israel, a United States ally. On July 7th the cost of a barrel of crude oil was $74.16, by July 14th,
it had risen to $77.03. This Gingrich says was a $2.87 increase, which
amounted to almost $3 billion more a year for the Iranian dictatorship
to spend on rockets for arming Hezbollah. Oil spikes bring in more
revenue for the Iranians, allowing them to build nuclear weapons.
In the United States 249 million cars and trucks rely on gas and
diesel fuel, and our airlines require aviation fuel. Gingrich has
outlined steps to move the United States out of the energy crisis and
lead the world in new clean energy sources. First, drill for oil here,
utilizing the resources already available and enabling our country to
be economically viable. Though that oil won't be available
immediately, just the fact that we'll be drilling at home will begin to
reduce costs. Then we must develop alternative energy solutions which
will lower costs and keep the environment clean.
Interestingly, Gingrich points out that Congressman Randy Forbes already has a bill known as the “New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence” (HR
6260) in motion. It calls for energy breakthroughs, the creation of a
scientific commission, making America 50% energy independent within 10
years, and 100% independent within 20 years.
Gingrich’s Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less:
Offers rebuttals to opponents’ anti-drilling arguments
Includes an appendix showing a chart how family gasoline costs raise a family’s budget
Appeals to a grassroots movement
Is written in plain English for all to comprehend Gingrich’s viewpoint of the energy crunch
Explains how we got into this national and global predicament
States that American ingenuity is the key to solving American energy issues
Includes Newt Gingrich’s “Roadmap for Solving Our Energy Crisis”—38 points long
Highlights of the Roadmap—
Change federal low to allow offshore drilling for oil and natural gas
Change federal law to allow drilling for oil and natural gas in ANWR (Alaska)
Change federal law to allow for the development of oil shale in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado
Change federal law to incentivize those states that want to permit energy exploration to do so with appropriate safeguards
Provide a prize for safe disposal or reuse of nuclear waste products
Make the solar power and wind power tax credits permanent to create
a large-scale industry dedicated to domestically produced renewable
electricity
Develop long-distance transmission lines to move wind power from the Great Plains wind belt to Chicago and other urban centers.
Create an Open Fuel Standard for 95% of the new cars sold in the
United States (…Ensure that most new cars sold in America are flex-fuel
vehicles {FFVs} that can use a variety of fuel types.)
Dramatically increase funding to develop hydrogen fuel cells.
Should you read this book? Yes. Even if you disagree with Newt
Gingrich, he obviously has some great ideas and holds tremendous
influence in the development of the United States. It’s important to
understand and know how and why our country is changing, and how the
United States energy policies affect the world globally. 5 Stars
October 15th is a day recognized around the world as Blog Action
Day. An annual nonprofit event, this year's 2008 theme is Poverty.
The event's goal is to unite the world's bloggers, podcasters and
videocasters, by posting about the same issue on the same day.
Thousands of blogs post and millions of readers are reached. By
raising awareness a global discussion is triggered. Using the social stratosphere, bloggers in the past have covered such issues as the environment, human rights, abuse, and organ donor awareness.
Bloggers have quickly become valued in the shrinking world of media, lending strong influence to politics, advertising,
product reviews, and the news. Each person is given the ability to
voice his opinion, joining in where he likes, and then together the
bloggers create a powerful medium. Bloggers have growing audiences and
possess the power to shape opinion, influence purchases, and perhaps
sway voters.
Bloggers actively "market" their products throughout
the blogosphere to reader outlets--Digg, Technorati, Del.icio.us,
YouTube, MySpace, and FaceBook, appearing as real people they are, to
loyal followers. During the 2008 Democratic Convention, 120 bloggers were officially credentialed and allowed in to blog. In 2004, the number was only 30. In
this instance, Blog Action Day, we take up our "pens" and write for
good, to raise awareness of our fellow man--those living in poverty and its ensuing repercussions. Basil & Spice authors will proudly participate in this worldwide awareness effort.
As an online publisher, I regularly contact authors I feel the public may want to hear from. Recently, my office emailed individual invitations to Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, and Senator John McCain, inviting each Presidential candidate to blog about how he or she will change healthcare in the United States after he or she becomes President.
Though not enough time has elapsed to allow for a personal response from each Senator, my office has received a thank you email from the offices of both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. The Obama reply was personalized using my first name, whereas Clinton's said, "Dear Friend." Senator McCain's office has sent nothing.
This is the last we've heard from Clinton as well, but Obama's office has continued to generate email messages about the purpose of his campaign: the two-front challenge the Senator is facing, the big endorsement he's received from Governor Bill Richardson, and even a video message about voter registration in Pennsylvania. Most emails are signed by Senator Obama's Campaign Manager, David Plouffe, but all include viable links to the campaign's website.
Each email invites me to assist in the Obama for America campaign by pledging further donations for even as little as $25, encouraging others to register to vote, or by watching videos about what's happening in the race. The purpose is to keep potential voters aware of the surging campaign.
The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that "62% of all Americans are part of a wireless, mobile population that participates in digital activities away from home or work." This means that these people are receiving news via their cell phones, blackberrys, or laptops even while they are away from their desktop computers and television sets. Interestingly, the majority of wireless users are young adult Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans.
Approximately 80% of U.S. adults go online, and the number is growing, reaching more and more Americans. An example of how political marketing online is used can be seen at The Huffington Post, where Barack Obama recently blogged about his faith and his church. The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management released a study this month--Best Practices for Political Advertising Online. To reach voters online, they've found that online readers are seeking authenticity, spam is not acceptable, and word-of-mouth continues online with the ability to share the news. The Web is also to be considered a routine media channel for most demographic groups and its users are active and passionate about their political interests.
Senators Clinton and McCain, where are you in this online, internet, WiFi connected world? Why are you not bothering to reach out to Americans online as Obama has? Is it no wonder that Senator Obama has become a video rockstar? Dare I say, this one difference may make all the difference.
This month’s print edition of Fast Company (3/08) highlights the popular male history of Viagra (sildenafil). Patented in 1996 and FDA approved in 1998, this Pfizer developed drug began as a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension, but was found to be better suited for penile erections. During the first month available, pharmacists filled 367,857 prescriptions. Annual sales for the years 1999-2001 were more than $1 million. Prescribed in 120 countries with more than 150 million filled prescriptions for 40 million plus men, the erectile dysfunction (ED) market is worth an estimated $3 million dollars. 60% of this is the property of Viagra, and their US patent is set to expire in 2011. Other ED meds include Viagra’s competitors—Cyalis (tadalafil) and Levitra (vardenafil).
Erectile dysfunction is estimated to affect 18 million American men, ages 40 to 70, or two of every 100 men. The condition is commonly associated with stress, performance anxiety, relationship problems, depression or other mental illness, hormonal imbalance, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, prostate disease, stroke, and prescribed medications. Most recently, studies have shown that smoking causes ED. The habit sends nicotine and other vasoconstrictors into the body which shut down blood vessels, including those within the penis. A quiet personal dilemma, depression often accompanies erectile dysfunction. Medline Plus states that it is not a result of the natural aging process.
Viagra is meant to prolong and harden an erection by relaxing the blood vessels in the penis, allowing more blood to flow to the area. For men with heart problems this medication will carry the risk of cardiac arrest. Vision difficulties , stomach upset, possible priapism, and hearing loss are further potential side effects. Those who take nitrate medications must strictly avoid Viagra. Speak with a doctor about other drugs and supplements you use which could cause possible adverse interactions with Viagra:
1. Blood pressure medications
2. Pain relievers
3. Antipsychotic medications
4. Acid blockers
5. Seizure medications
6. St. John’s wort
7. Grapefruit/grapefruit juice
Dr. Suzy Cohen, R. PH. , author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist, has devoted an entire chapter on this subject, “When He Wants Viagra And You Want A Valium.” She writes, “As far as I’m concerned, a person’s low sex drive might just be a preference. Or maybe it’s a natural part of aging. It’s certainly not a disease as the drug makers imply.” Instead Suzy Cohen advocates hormone testing for those who believe their sex drive is too low. Using a lab, one can produce a sample of urine or saliva at home and send it out for testing. Another option is asking an endocrinologist to test for hormone deficiencies. Once the problem is known, the doctor can prescribe medication or over-the-counter supplements.
Prevent the risks of erectile dysfunction by not smoking or using illegal drugs, exercising daily, eating nutritiously, and getting adequate sleep. Furthermore, reduce stress, limit alcohol intake, receive regular doctor checkups, and get necessary help for depression and anxiety.
UPDATE: A recent study by Dr. David Glenn, a consultant gynecologist at Queen's University Belfast has linked Viagra use to damaged male fertility. Researchers have suggested that the drug harms sperm. Men are warned not to use the drug recreationally. Preliminary results were released in 4/'04, when Glenn found that sperm treated with Viagra seemed to speed up and release an enzyme necessary for fertility to early, nullifying the sperm.
Our omniscient government has a list of the most popular New Year's resolutions. Ironically, each one inidividually leads to a healthier happier life. A wish list? Perhaps, but if we the people fulfilled these important proposals, the government would have less to be responsible for, and therefore less money spent. Health care costs equally have become a burden outside government plans, in the corporate world. For those with coverage, it is an expensive but necessary employee perk; for those without insurance--a greater mortal risk.
It's true that healthcare spending in the corporate world is beginning to outpace inflation, and health care costs for employees is outpacing net income. Devon Herrick of the National Center for Policy Analysis notes this ominous growing trend. He writes that General Motors spends more on employee health care than on steel (1.1 million workers=$5.6 billion). That's $1,525 per car produced. Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz too, has said that his company's spending on employee health insurance (80,000 USA employees=$200 million) exceeds that of coffee bean purchases.
Mike Huckabee, candidate for President, writes, "Health care spending is now about $2 trillion a year, which is close to $7,000 for each one of us. It consumes about 17% of our gross domestic product, easily surpassing the few European nations where spending is close to 10% and far higher than any other country in the world. If we reduced our out-of-control health care costs from 17% to 11%, we'd save $700 billion a year, which is about twice our annual national deficit."
Hillary Clinton, candidate for President, gave a speech not long ago regarding the health care crisis. "We are the richest country in the world and we spend right now, more on health care than anyone else in the world. Two trillion dollars a year. But we're ranked 31st in life expectancy and 40th in child mortality. Each year, 18,000 people die in America because they don't have health care. Let me repeat that. Here in America, people are dying because they couldn't get the care they needed when they were sick. "
Mark W. Stanton, at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services writes that "National health expenditures are expected to reach $2.8 trillion in 2011, with an average annual growth rate of 7.3% from 2001 to 2011. By growing faster than the Gross Domestic Product, expenditures will consume approximately 17% of the GDP in 2011."
What's driving up the costs?
General Price Inflation
Inflation in the prices of medical services beyond general price inflation
Aging of the population
Increased use of health care, especially expensive new medical technologies, by all age groups
What will bring health care spending down?
We will. Each one of us must choose to follow a program which will get us into shape. Doctor Dean Ornish, author of the newly published The Spectrum, founder and President of The Preventive Medicine Research Institute, consults with major corporations, helping them cut their health care costs by developing incentive programs for the employees. A key example is Safeway. With their health care costs exceeding profit margins in 2005, they've seen this trend from the beginning. After instituting Ornish's program, their costs declined by 11% in 2006, and remained flat in 2007.
Dr. Ornish's self-empowering program asks followers to change what they eat and how they live to remain healthier longer. It has even been recognized by Medicare because it's been proven to reverse heart disease. Dr. Ornish believes his program will positively affect many because it reverses diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, chronic conditions, and will even stop or reverse prostate cancer.
In 2006, 1 million plus coronary angioplasties and 400,000 coronary bypass operations were performed, at a whopping total of $100 billion. Between 1984 and 1996, among Medicare beneficiaries, the number of operations increased 543%. Dr. Ornish says that this challenges the sustainability of Medicare.
Each one of us can make a difference in our bodies, our communities, and our government by altering our lifestyle, implementing better food choices, and just perhaps, thinking about our children's future. What we do today individually and as a nation will determine our future.
Oprah's Book Club has catapulted A New Earthby Eckhart Tolle into the one of the top slots of Best Sellers at Amazon,Barnes & Noble, and the USA Today Best Seller List. Advocating her audience read the new non-fiction book, Oprah and the author will together teach an online class about how to awaken yourself. You won't be setting the alarm clock a little earlier, but will need to be available on Monday evenings for the event.
Eckhart Tolle writes that the purpose of A New Earth is to "bring about a shift of consciousness." It is a book "about you." He believes that the history of humanity is a history of madness, ie. wars, slavery, conquest, destruction of the natural world, etc.. He has a point here. We must, he says "evolve or die." In doing so, we will take on a new religion, spirituality, ideology, mythology, or belief system. If the human mind remains structured as it is, unchanged, we will persist in reinventing the wheel, or repeating our human history, depleting ourselves one generation at a time.
A New Earth asks the reader to transform himself by becoming aware. Eckhart Tolle writes, "Thinking without awareness is the main dilemma of human existence." Not long ago, I was speaking with a good friend about conscious choices we make as individuals, set apart from our families or origins. If we choose to deliberately alter our lives and therefore our thoughts, we become something different. We actually choose who we want to be. Think of Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle: A Memoir, who decided not to be the free soul her mother had been.
Our minds are conditioned by our pasts--our environment, our upbringing, and our surrounding culture. Tolle's correct on this point too. He also believes that we identify ourselves with our stuff. Do you own a Rolex? Would you feel better if you did? Will you never feel good about yourself because you don't own one?
"The people in the advertising industry know very well that in order to sell things that people don't really need, they must convince them that those things will add something to how they see themselves or are seen by others; in other words, add something to their sense of self.....You are not buying a product but an identity enhancer." Your ego says, "Hey, you need this to feel better." Honor your things, Tolle writes, but don't use them for self-enhancement.
Identification with things begins an attachment to stuff, which creates an obsession for stuff. Think about Peter Walsh's mantra, "It's All Too Much." Society has become consumed with consumerism or growth. It is the hallmark of progress, and if left unchecked, Tolle says, is "a dysfunction and a disease."
How do others see you? Do you feel that you need to live up to their expectations of what they expect? Is this who you are? You are who you believe yourself to be. Be aware of your attachment to things. Be aware of your background, what you say, and what you think.
Many people carry around loads of baggage from their pasts, full of anger, resentment, and frustration, never affecting the person(s) who are the receivers of this indignation. The victim is the individual who cannot get beyond his hatred, and instead internalizes it, causing harm to himself both emotionally, and sometimes physically. Psychological stress from high levels of anger has been found to be an underlying factor in coronary heart disease and hypertension.
The answer is forgiveness. Forgiveness is the mental process of ridding yourself of the feelings of resentment, indignation, or anger against another person for a perceived offense, difference, or mistake. It may also mean the stopping of the demand of punishment or restitution. In plain English it may mean pushing that chip off your shoulder.
12 years ago my father was sitting on his motorcycle on the side of Interstate 95, under an overpass, avoiding the rain. He had his helmet on and his back to traffic. A voice in his head told him he'd better move closer to the guardrail. Too late to do so, a woman driving a car swerved to the right, removing both the left side of the bike and my father's left leg. Scared, Esther--the driver, took off and then returned before my dad asked her to call 911. The reason for the accident--Esther had dropped her cell phone, and while bending to retrieve it, turned the steering wheel slightly to the right.
My father carried extreme resentment toward Esther for the last 12 years, until he died. I've repeated Dad's story several times, and most listeners, especially the men, understand how my father felt. If we however, learn to forgive, we may be able to improve how we feel physically. My dad did indeed have hypertension, diabetes, and terminal cancer. Did the unrelenting anger play a role? Some think so.
First, walk off the grudge. Work out the potential anger and let loose some bitterness. Guys, get to the gym!
Second, visualize a good image. For example, a litter of puppies, a plate of warm cookies, or a long hug.
Third, focus where these feelings reside in your body. Do you find yourself smiling? Does your heart feel a little warmer?
Fourth, say, "I am walking to forgive, to have mercy, and to let go of my hostility. When I have forgiveness in my heart, I can move freely without negative feelings and ill will." Here you are making a conscious decision to let go of the resentment--both physically and mentally.
