U.S.
military personnel and their immediate families can routinely receive
elective plastic surgery at government expense, including liposuction
and facelifts and even breast implants for women (if the woman supplies
the implants), according to a July report in The New Yorker. The writer
found that, though the military did not offer the benefits in writing,
word gets around, and the benefit helps in recruiting as well as in
keeping the military’s reconstructive-surgery doctors sharp. [The New
Yorker, 2004Jul26]
Surprised!
Merle Hatch, 42, was arrested shortly
after he allegedly robbed a Compass Bank in Denver, even though he was
dressed (in running shorts and shoes) entirely differently than when he
pulled off the job. Hatch’s plan was to leave the bank, then strip off
his pants and appear to be a jogger out for a morning run, carrying the
money. However, for some reason, he did the clothing change in front of
the bank building in full view of the employees, who reported his new
outfit. According to a police spokesman, Hatch expressed surprise when
he was caught so quickly. [Rocky Mountain News, 2004Jul17]
Morning Drink
Some people out for morning rush hour
on Aug. 5 in the Dorchester section of Boston were treated to a
demolition derby on New England Avenue, after Yvesnane Gethers, 27, in a
white limousine, chased her husband, Wayne Gethers, in another white
limo, at speeds up to 50 mph and rammed him at least five times, causing
extensive damage to both cars. The couple just happen to own white limos
as their vehicles of choice, and Mrs. Gethers happened to discover her
husband in his, having an early morning drink with a female friend.
[Boston Globe, 2004Aug06]
He’s a Keeper
CEO Andrew Wiederhorn began his
18-month federal prison sentence in August, but unlike other convicted
CEOs, he’ll continue to draw his $1.6 million a year salary while doing
hard time. He pleaded guilty to two felonies (including filing a false
tax return) while previously the CEO of Wilshire Financial Services
Group in Oregon, but his current company, Fog Cutter Capital Group,
apparently believes Wiederhorn is a real hot shot worth holding onto.
Fog Cutter said it might even give Wiederhorn a bonus, in order to help
him pay the restitution he is required to make under his plea agreement.
[South Florida Sun-Sentinel-AP, 2004Aug02]
Advertising
Deadline
for the
October 2004
issue is
September 20,
2004
For More
Information call
(505)
471-5177
BOOK REVIEWS
“Living From Soul”
by Alan Seale
The human story, in its outer manifestation, has as many versions as
there are people. Each story is unique, has a particular perspective,
and represents a different perception of what is going on. However, the
human story in its inner manifestation has but one fundamental theme:
the quest for Love. Each of us has our individual challenges that we
must face in order to fulfill the quest.
The communities in which we live and work are made up of human souls
– souls just like you and me who are striving to grow and evolve –
striving to know their magnificence. Sometimes their outer journeys are
in alignment with ours and other times they appear to be in direct
opposition. And therein lies the beauty, the gift and the challenge! We
can either focus on the outer differences, or we can choose to recognize
the inner oneness — the fact that we are all here on a journey that is
about our ego-soul relationship and our willingness to let our egos
surrender to Love. The soul is Love. Pure, unconditional Love. We cannot
possibly recognize this similarity in the many versions of the human
story if we are not willing to first connect with ourselves. And this
connection means risking, acknowledging, and embracing all the parts of
us that are trapped in fear as well as the parts of us that are
thriving.
Fear, anxiety, and anger are almost always rooted in a fear of loss –
loss of control, money, position, relationship, outer identity,
security, etc. But those things which we fear losing only exist on the
ego level. The soul doesn’t know anything about any of them. The soul
only knows its journey of evolution and its connection to other souls as
beings of Love.
The Buddhist tradition offers us the powerful Loving Kindness
meditation. The ultimate purpose of the exercise is to spread kindness
and compassion to all. But it begins with “I” – May I dwell in my heart;
May I be free from suffering; May I be healed; May I be at peace – and
then spirals out to ultimately include the entire global family. In the
same way, peace begins at home, and home for each of us is ultimately
our souls. Living from soul is ultimately the only way to peace. The
risks may seem daunting when you first peer inside and see all the
“stuff” that is blocking your access to soul, but the reward is beyond
measure.
As a global family we must take the risk to embrace the many
conflicts in our world, honor them for their potential gifts of
understanding, and choose a response that includes opening our hearts,
walking through our fears, hearing the many versions of the human story,
and finding the place of balance where we can live in harmony if not in
unison. We can learn to appreciate and respect new chords, expanding
beyond the harmonic structure to which we’ve become accustomed and which
do not challenge us to think or feel outside of our box. As individuals,
we must take the risk to embrace our personal shadows of fear and doubt,
honor them for the stories they need to tell, hear them, and set our
souls free to fly. If your wish is, “May peace prevail on earth,” then
bring it home to “May peace prevail in me.”
Alan Seale is an award-winning author, life coach, inspirational
speaker, and intuitive counselor. He has fine-tuned the art of living
from your soul, and has developed a series of programs to open you to
your greatest potential. For more information visit
www.alanseale.com.
Civil War in Texas and
New Mexico Territory by Steve Cottrell
There are many stories from the Civil War; some of
the ones that took place in the West have been overlooked. Texas and New
Mexico Territory (present-day New Mexico and Arizona) were the scene of
fierce fights and courageous actions on both sides. This book presents
those skirmishes, strategies, and soldiers.
For more information contact Pelican Publishing Company at (505)
368-1175, www.pelicanpub.com, ISBN: 1-56554-253-3, paperback, $9.95.
Best Engravings by Skip Whitson
Best
Engravings, Volume One, edited by Skip Whitson, contains 123 beautiful
engravings and woodcuts originally created in the 19th century. The book
is published by Sun Publishing Company, P.O. Box 5588, Santa Fe, NM
87502-5588, www.sunbooks.com;
ISBN: 0-914172-02-5 (Paper, $15), 0-914172-02-6 (Cloth, $25).
Inside This Issue
"A Small but
Unquantifiable
Risk
........................ 7
Another Biodemorcracy
Book Reviews............ 12
Book Reviews ...............15
Energy Indipendence
Begins at Home
........ 1
Ever Wonder? .............11
Film Museum
Awards...................
10
Five Weapons Sites
Unprepared for
Emergincies............... 3
Generic Drugs Under
Pressure................... 10
Have a Wild and
Woolly Weekend
in Taos!....................
1
Best
Engravings, Volume One, edited by Skip Whitson, contains 123 beautiful
engravings and woodcuts originally created in the 19th century. The book
is published by Sun Publishing Company, P.O. Box 5588, Santa Fe, NM
87502-5588, 
