November 20th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Empedocles, a Greek philosopher,scientist and healer who lived in Sicily in the fifth century B.C.,believed that all matter is comprised of the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. Fire and air are outwardly reaching elements, reaching up and out, whereas earth and water turn inward and downward.
In her book, Four Elements in Ancient Greek Philosophy,Tracy Marks describes wide-ranging look at earth, fire, water, and air, and the dynamic twin forces
of Love and Strife. Her book takes one to a journey from ancient Greece to alchemy to Carl Jung’s association of sense, feeling, thoughts and intuition .
The Four Elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth describe the four unique personality types associated with the zodiac signs.The elements exhibit profound influence on basic character traits, behaviour, emotions ,
thinking and intuition. Detractors consider these traits too general, but these are reflected in our relationships, and ambitions or lack thereof, and the unexpected
turns and twists that add spice to our lives.
Astrology aims to help us focus these energies to the positive aspects, gain a better understanding of our positive traits and deal with the negative ones; thus realize our full potential and give our best to this life.
To deny these is to deny life and destiny. We all need air to breathe, water to sustain our growth and to cleanse us, fire to shelter us from the cold and nourish us, earth to live on together with all the living things on it and to grow our food.
Earth
Astrology: Taurus, Capricorn, Virgo
Jung: sensation
Feel the Earth under our feet, the soil that sustains all forms of life. Look at the power and beauty of the mountains, a symbol of stability and solidity of the earth. Everyday we experience the physical world, we walk on this earth, enjoy
the beauty and bounty of Mother Earth and feel the comfort of being on solid ground.
Associated with the signs Taurus, Capricorn and Virgo, Earth represents the practical, realistic material side of our nature, it seeks to assert a stable, secure and structured environment into which we can function. Feel the earth under your feet, solid and steady as you walk slowly. Earth is patient and reliable. It is solid and strong. To be on solid ground encourages one to seek the practical and most logical answer to a problem.
Earth can be a stabilizing force in a relationship contributing structure and organization to achieve balance and harmony. Earth sustains growth- watch
plant life grow, from an acorn does an oak tree grow; so does man grow from youth to maturity, and realize the immense growth in every facet of life.
The over expression of this element can be seen in a stubborn and rigid personality, one that strives to remain in the comfort zone in life, afraid to take
risks. It can also be seen by a love of the material side of life, the comforts of material well- being, material worth can be over emphasized and this can
lead to a stressful worrisome situation.
Weakness: attachment, stinginess, materialism, resists change, too much attention to detail and miss the big picture.
Air
Astrology: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Jung: Thinking
The element Air is associated with the signs Gemini, Libra. and Aquarius. It seeks to establish itself in the realm of the intellect. It is through the process of
thinking that we develop ideas. It is through the influence of this element that we learn to communicate. Through air we gain and share knowledge.
Air contributes inventiveness, originality and versatility to the personality. It gives that feeling of freedom, unattachment, it reaches out to the mental self. Enjoy that refreshing gentle breeze, allow thoughts to flow freely and nourish the creative moment. Air expresses love of people, the ability to intellectualize, to appreciate the differences in people, accept different perspectives without which, there would be a lack of vision and human interaction.
Thoughts are a continual force in our lives. It is associated with meditation where deep breathing is essential to reach that level of stillness, energy, and relaxation. Air is used for transport, flying and sailing. Let your thoughts soar to
reach your intellectual pursuits.
An over expression of air’s influence can be seen as living in a dream world with unrealistic goals and flights of fancy. Air should seek to maintain practicality and develop consistency in dealing with the real world.
Weakness of this element: lack of emotion, depression, lack of connection with the higher self, overactive mind that blocks inner peace and harmony.
Fire
Astrology: Leo, Sagittarius, Aries
Jung: Intuition
The signs Leo,Sagittarius and Aries are associated with the element Fire. It represents the life force glowing within us. This element projects self-expression,
creativity, courage and enthusiasm. Feel the comforting warmth of a fire, or heat when you come in from the cold.
We need fire to meet the basic need of cooking our food. Fire provides a sense of security, warmth and t inspiration that is shared with those around. Fire strengthens self-confidence to tackle problems without hesitation. Without fire, there is no radiance, no conviction, no expression.
A spark can light up new ideas, serve as a beacon to light the way to achieve goals with conviction and enthusiasm.
An over expression of fire can turn assertiveness into aggression, daring into reckless behavior and so forth. When fire’s influence is out of control ,it
seeks to consume all in it’s path.
Weakness: lack of interest, egotistic, excessive self-centeredness, self- importance.
Water
Astrology: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Jung: Feelings/Emotion
The element Water associated with the signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces influences the conscience and the subconscious forces that act on our lives,
The element water pours forth to others. It allows one to feel their pain and suffering and offer sincere compassion.
Psychic awareness is also present in the water signs and shows itself from time to time with uncanny accuracy. Water seeks to heal and nurture those around it.
Uncontrolled, this element can send emotions on a turbulent path resulting in moodiness and unpredictable highs and lows, like the crest and trough of the waves.
Water signs need serenity and calmness, like a gentle flowing river nurturing all in its wake and at the same time leading to the discovery of new paths.
When over expressed, one may tend to be overly emotional, deeply sensitive and subjective. With too much emotion, depression may result.
Weakness can result from being too protective and possessive of their loved ones; and cold attitude and lack of drive may arise.
A Balance of the Elements
The best combination of each element type of personality strives to create a balance of these elemental aspects of each, thereby resulting in relationship that thrives on mutual growth and harmony.
Air-fire
Earth-Water
The element air in a relationship provides ideas and dreams that Fire can act on and forge into reality. The element water provides sensitivity and nurturing to the sometimes cold reserved earthly approach to matters, thereby laying the
groundwork for future growth in the relationship
At the same time remember in a fire/ water relationship balance can be achieved by realizing that water can inject needed sensitivity and patience into the fire sign. and at the same time Fire can add drive and the courage to act that
can be sometimes lacking in the water signs.
When two elements of the same type combine, harmony can be achieved when the needs and traits are the same for both However, it hinders growth when both individuals may become too comfortable to a point that the needed spark
for growth may be lacking.
In a Fire/Earth combination we find that fire’s initiative and drive can stimulate the sometimes laid back and reserved nature of Earth. At the same time, Earth’s practicality and discipline can be balancing to fire’s sometimes quick to,act ways.
Ideally we should strive for a balance of the elements Earth/Water and Air /fire.
The other combinations can also work as long as both partners respect the others needs and unique traits that both bring into the relationship and they utilize each others strengths to balance.
Reference: Tracy Marks book
The Elements in Ancient Greek Philosophy
Stress and the immune system play a vital role in your life and overall health. Day-to-day stressful events affect how your body responds to fighting illnesses. Stressful events that occur on a short-term basis can change the way your immune systems responds temporarily. Responses from the immune system to short-term stresses can actually be helpful in some cases, redistributing cells in a positive manner to help your body adapt as a quick-fix. Moderately stressful events, however, can have a damaging impact on your body’s immune system, while traumatic and chronic stress can compromise your immune system’s ability to perform.
Individuals react differently to stressful situations: some experience more physiological changes when under pressure than others. Stress and the immune system can bring about conditions in which your body’s cells can actually be suppressed and rendered unable to engage in their useful functions of protecting your body against infections.
From one stressful presentation you have to make at work, to the everyday traffic congestion that can turn into road rage, stress and the immune system play a significant role in your overall health. If your body’s immune system isn’t functioning properly, all sorts of germs, bacteria, viruses, and diseases have the opportunity to pass into your system to cause you more grief.
Diabetes, ulcers, heart attacks, and asthma are just a few conditions made worse by the effects of stress and the immune system. Increases in chemicals produced by your body that help with nerve conduction cause changes in your heart rate and blood vessels, compromising the immune system’s response when you enter situations that cause you stress.
To help lower the chances that stress and the immune system will negatively affect your daily life, you can take steps such as eating right, getting regular exercise and getting plenty of rest. Your body needs you to take care of it so that it can help take care of you. Eating healthy and nutritious foods is a good place to start. Consumption of foods such as orange vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, squash, and sweet potatoes) help with the Vitamin A your skin needs to help prevent bacteria from getting into your body. Lean, low-fat beef and certain types of mushrooms containing zinc promote the building of white blood cells to help fight infection. Tea, fortified cereals and yogurt also aid in keeping your immune system functioning well.
You can also try to keep your stress levels at a minimum — easier said than done for a lot of people. Practice deep-breathing exercises and other anxiety-calming techniques to try to reduce your stress levels. Stress and the immune system can negatively impact your body’s health and well being when stress gets out of hand and your immune system isn’t up to its job. Stress is a physiological process, but you can take psychological steps to rein it in and get control over the situation before it gets out of control and causes an illness to befall you.
There is a lot of discussion in the news and especially in school districts across the nation about per student spending rates. As noted in the Business Journal of Phoenix, these rates have doubled over the past 30 years, yet test scores and graduation rates have remained the same.
The Phoenix schools would not know what doubling the per student spending rate might do for the achievement of their students. They, along with the rest of the state’s schools, rank 49th in per student spending &ndash next to the bottom! This is according to the Quality Counts 2004 study by Education Week.
Currently, the Arizona legislators have the opportunity to correct this grossly unjust oversight but are still in debate. The state has a $1.2 billion budget surplus to spend. The Phoenix schools and the other schools in Arizona are in dire need of this money, which is a nationally known fact. The state is becoming a laughing stock over its neglected educational system. Yet, those in the State Capitol are debating between using the surplus for education funding, in support of biosciences, or property tax cuts. All areas are important to the state and in need of funding relief; however, as in the Phoenix schools, if you do not graduate students prepared for college and the workplace, the state’s economy will suffer in the future.
Business groups see education in the Phoenix schools as top priority. They know that to survive in business today, and especially tomorrow, it takes qualified job candidates with college degrees and the skills to succeed. Otherwise, the businesses will not succeed. Historically in such situations, businesses eventually relocate to areas that graduate higher-skilled high school graduates, knowing that many will return to the area after college. Currently, Phoenix schools, along with the remainder of the state, are consistently ranked at the bottom nationally for the number of students who graduate from high school. Is it any wonder that businesses are concerned.
Many parents seek alternatives to the Phoenix schools, unhappy with the school system. Many home school their children. Some move to specific areas in order to enroll their children into better schools. For those parents who can afford it, their children attend private schools. The majority, however, are stuck in the Phoenix schools, because they cannot afford to do otherwise.
The legislature will definitely increase spending for education this year for K-12, of which the Phoenix schools will receive their portion. With all the attention on per student spending, how can they do otherwise? Yet, will the allocated increase be enough? Without quality education in the Phoenix schools, many of the youth of Phoenix will be destined to low-wage, dead-end jobs with little opportunity to succeed. Very few will even consider college, let alone fulfilling such a dream.
The big news about Hoodia supplements is that almost all Hoodia Gordonii products available today are ineffective &ndash using fake hoodia. A well respected health author claims over 90% of the hoodia gordonii are known to be fake. This data seems to be backed up my major testing facilities who are claiming similar numbers.
So we did some research of our own and there’s buzz on a newer Hoodia Gordonii product called Hoodia Prime. We used it on our test subject to see what she would say.
The results aren’t what you might think they would be. But more on that in a minute.
When was the last time you stopped and thought about the companies that create the natural health supplements you take? Often times, it is easy to assume that the regulatory forces that ensure our food is safe, our water is clean, and our medications are effective will ensure that everything we put in our bodies is safe and sound. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Industries such as the natural health industry can be harder to regulate and with products like Hoodia Gordonii, which is supposed to be produced almost entirely in South Africa, and the shortcuts and scams that exist are more widely spread than many purchasers realize.
So we tried Hoodia Prime. Our test subject took the suggested dosage. Nothing happened. We continued trying it, still nothing. It sure did seem like this was another hoodia Gordonii product that fell into the scam category.
But then by the end of day two, something happened. Our test subject said she was not hungry for dinner. A fluke? Perhaps. Read on.
The very next day she awoke and again was not at all hungry. This was definitely not the norm for this person, who typically ate a hearty dinner and would almost always eat a breakfast. She took her recommended dosage of two Hoodia Prime capsules in the morning with a glass of orange juice.
Again, throughout the day, no hunger whatsoever. She said she had to literally remind herself to eat, and when she did eat, it was a forced action, only because she knew she had to eat.
This Natures Biology Hoodia Prime was definitely working. But was it real Hoodia or some other ingredient that was causing the appetite suppression? Companies have been known to put other things in their capsules, and we were going to find out if this was the case here.
The lot # on our bottle had been part of a large lot that was independently tested at Alkemists Pharmaceuticals. This company tests the majority of the Hoodia on the market and has found more fakes than you’ll find at a plastic surgeons office.
Theses were the three tests performed:
Analysis of Identity and Purity
Analysis of Chromatagraphy
Analysis of Macroscopy and Microscopy
Using these three tests, a company isn’t going to fool anybody with any fake Hoodia. There are things they can do to get around each test, but you can’t fool all three tests at once.
What we found by reviewing the tests conducted on Hoodia Prime is that it’s the real deal. It passed all three rigorous tests without a hiccup, and was proved to be pure South African Hoodia Gordonii. In a world where 9 out of 10 Hoodia Gordonii products are scames, Hoodia Prime stood out and shined.
Not only did it pass the lab tests, but it passed our own test where our very own test subject used the product and verified its effectiveness. Natures Biology, the company that makes Hoodia Prime, also says it conducts its own lab tests at yet an additional lab facility.
So, our hats come off to the folks at Natures Biology for bringing a quality product like Hoodia Prime to the market. Bravo.
Having said that, if you are contemplating any other product other than Hoodia Prime, keep in mind that your Hoodia Gordonii supplement may be packed with things you don’t know about. Since Hoodia took off as a weight loss option in recent years, manufacturer have been using it as a front to sell essentially useless products to buyers who don’t know any better.
The main concern for many people, especially those who regularly take health supplements, is that they are getting what they paid for. The product needs to be the exact ingredients that are listed on the bottle &ndash this is the very reason that there are laws in place requiring such labeling, to ensure those with allergies and special needs are able to accurately measure what they intake.
Yet, these safety protocols are worthless when manufacturers like those that make counterfeit Hoodia Gordonii lie on their labels and produce products that are full of fillers such as sawdust, random plants from other countries, and cheap ingredients that can by highly allergenic. Not only that, but often times these cheap ingredients will interact with existing medications that a consumer may be taking, causing an increased risk of liver, heart, or brain damage.
So tread carefully before you buy something. Pure Hoodia is certainly effective at appetite control, as proven via our test. But just remember, 9 out of 10 Hoodia Gordonii products are believed to be fake.
We are looking for an across-the-board solution for our present exorbitant consumption of gasoline and it seems as though there is none, at least for the present. We are looking at Ethanol additive to our present gasoline formulas, but this will only give us better miles per gallon and of course, much cleaner bi-products with its use. Ethanol becomes a temporary
fix…at best. The reason, of course is the need for the corn base sugars(and other similar sugar and starch crops) to produce it. It is a simple deduction that it will eventually begin to deplete the food stock of our nation and also hurt our exports of these grains. We could, with the anticipated increase in need of our corn crop, grow the extra acreage that
would be needed to meet any anticipated needs. We must keep in mind the amount of labor that would be required to accomplish this task. The question remains…Will the Ethanol approach keep the price below our present gasoline prices ?
All in all, we must accept the fact that we will not be able to have our gas and eat our corn muffins too. There are also other crops which can be used to derive the Ethanol fuel, such as soybeans, sugar beet, raw sugarcane, etc.. The fact still remains…the choice will be gas for our automobiles and along with this will eventually come a vast depletion of one or more of our key domestic and export crops. It does not mean that this scenario will eventually come to be, but without other renewable energy fuels developed in tandem, such as the Hydrogen based fuel cell to assist the Ethanol fuel approach, this could lend itself to some key food staple shortages. The final question may be…”Do we prefer wheels beneath
our feet, or food in our stomachs.” Common sense tells us that at this point in time, we must proceed with great caution. Granted, the very large south American country of Brazil has embarked on their Ethanol program for approximately a decade now, with fairly good results and have enjoyed the weaning from foreign oil. Will it ever be 100% remains to be seen.
Solar energy is one possible approach being tinkered with to produce Hydrogen in order to power our future power plants and it is hoped that electricity, which now helps to deplete our fossil fuels will help us to deliver the fuel needed to produce power for advanced “Fuel Cells” being developed to power the automobiles and trucks, etc. of the future.
Unfortunately, producing Hydrogen by using solar energy electricity is very inefficient. This being said, solar energy is fully renewable and therefore must be considered. Along with the Hydrogen fuel from Solar approach comes recent announcements of some breakthroughs holding great promise using Solar to economically produce the hydrogen needed for fuel cells for both the automobile and our industrial needs and not using up all of our food resources in the process.
I KNOW I CAN Program Overview
Established in 1998, the I KNOW I CAN organizations seeks to ensure that every qualified Columbus Public School student who wants to go to college has the opportunity to do so. Part of the mission is to encourage children to find out what resources are available to them in order to overcome student and parent fears about financial and informational decisions relating to a college education.
The I KNOW I CAN plan has four missions. The first is to motivate students to stay in school and pursue college. The second is to advise students and parents how to apply for college and access financial aid. The third mission is to fund students with the Last Dollar Grant and find additional sources of financial aid for needy students. Finally, the organization promises ongoing support for students in college to help ensure that they complete their degrees.
Early Awareness Programs
The Columbus Schools offers children a long term program for attending college. Beginning in second grade, all Columbus Public School children receive a free I KNOW I CAN motivational children’s book in order to show children that college is possible and affordable for people from all walks of life.
At the middle and high school level, the Summer Scholars Program helps academically talented students attend summer enrichment programs at college campuses across the nation. Columbus Public School students receive financial and application help to attend these programs and gain the necessary exposure to what life is like on a college campus.
High School Workshops
Academic and financial advising for all high school students, with a particular focus on high school seniors, is another way in which the I KNOW I CAN organization helps Columbus Public School students prepare for college. Volunteer advisors help Columbus Public School students by arranging college awareness fairs and a variety of activities that bring students to college campuses and help them understand the various strategies that they can use to gain admission, including exam preparation as well as enrolling in college preparation courses while still in high school.
Every February, the I KNOW I CAN hosts Financial Aid workshops in conjunction with the Columbus Public Schools. These workshops help parents and students complete all the necessary forms for applying for federal and state financial aid. These workshops pair volunteers with parents and students to ensure the one &ndash on &ndash one attention for each Columbus Public School student interested in applying for college financial aid.
Last Dollar Grants
After ensuring that every Columbus Public School student has received all the financial help possible from federal and state sources, the I KNOW I CAN organization helps to arrange additional funding, up to $1,200 per academic year for those students who need extra money to fill the gaps in their financial aid package. The organization guarantees financial aid assistance to every qualified graduate in the Columbus City School District. The grants are available for up to five years and must be re &ndash applied for every year that the student attends university.
Learning to build leg muscle can be more difficult than learning about biceps, which the beginner seems obsessed with. If you have the desire to build a balanced healthy and strong body, then leg work will form a crucial part of that. Here we show you how to build leg muscle.
Tip 1
There is really no secret to knowing how to build leg muscle &ndash it is the same theory that applies to any other muscle. The only problem most bodybuilders have is not taking enough notice of their legs during workouts. It goes without saying that if you put all of your attention on your arms, and ignore your legs, you are never going to have the ideal physique which bodybuilding can create.
Tip 2
Another important step in learning how to build leg muscle is learning to vary your training program. Thigh muscles and calf muscles can display a lot of strength very quickly, so there is no need for them to grow as much to give you that strength when you are training. To really work such large and strong muscles, you will need to keep your workouts very intense, and it will also benefit you to change your exercise program from time to time, working different parts of the muscle.
Tip 3
Don’t worry about those exceptional individuals who get easy gains. There seems to be somebody in every gym who will gain results much easier than everyone else, mainly because of genetics. As these genetics cannot be replicated, there is no point in worrying about it, and it will certainly be self defeating to try to compare yourself with these people. If you want to build leg muscle, you will need to work within your own genetics!
Tip 4
Develop your blood supply channels. In learning how to build leg muscle, don’t overlook the importance of getting an adequate blood supply to the area you are working. This is something which long standing bodybuilders know well. They will have spent many hours building large veins through which blood will flow to the muscles as they are being worked. Aspiring bodybuilders will have to be diligent in developing to this degree. It will not be easy, but if you resist the temptation to go easy and keep working, you will find that it becomes progressively easier to work your muscle groups. This means that the channels are being developed.
These are the basics you need to know in order to build leg muscles.
Well educated, intellectual people, especially scientists at all times demonstrate considerably smaller adherence to religiosity than others. However, there are still believers of the idea of the God in science. If we exclude from their number those who feel a painful requirement for external protection and support by virtue of their poor living circumstances, there are those who come to idea of the God as a result of amazement at a world that has many unsolved problems. The surprising diversification of subjects and entities can be scientifically formulated in principle as it can sustain the quasi-stable condition and demonstrates development.
Common sense suggests, that for an explanation of the observable diversification in life, it is necessary to admit that each separate subject, each organism, each social unit, and even each computer program should contain a special internal causative engine, a local determinism, which maintains an autonomous internal life in it.
The conventional concept of determinism does not suppose the existence of such sources. This represents a scandalous weakness in the concept. Not finding the required causative source within the framework of philosophy, people are compelled to address the always-available, exotic, exciting fantasies of the irrational sources that are available in religion and mysticism.
Today the situation can be considerably rectified. The recently published concept of Ring Determinism identifies the required internal causative source by way of a closed plot of the customary causal chain. This is a self-contained circuit which, it turns out, is contained in the entrails of each separate natural formation. This circuit is just that ontological base in which each separate natural formation finds and displays its exclusive individuality and asserts itself in the capacity of “causa sui ” &ndash the cause of itself.
Internal local causative action, continuously circulating inside a separate body, is transmitted from element to element. It ensures its systemic, synergetic wholeness in the operation of its elements and subsystems in the phenomena of “emergence”, special internal policy, resistance to external actions, aggression directed externally, egotism, egocentricity, self-preservation, self-organization and finally, self-development.
One of the conclusions of ring determinism is, that under the supervisory control of the internal cause continuously circulating in a body, and under the continuous effects of external factors, there is the miracle of self-development. This results in an observable diversification of surprising properties of subjects, organisms, social units, human products and other things.
The local causative circuit can randomly or by design, become closed. Then finding an ability towards long-lived quasi-stable self-maintenance, self-resumption, or, in the case of dynamically developing systems, the determining vortex, it becomes the high-power engine which creates, saves and induces a flock of living and nonliving natural formations in development.
Educated people can now sigh with relief since a rather weighty rational argument against the idea of creationism has appeared and the necessity to appeal to irrational theories has vanished.
Have you ever wondered if soul has a sound? We may experience the sound of soul more than we know. Any time you move your attention to the inner dynamics of what lies behind your body and your mind, your soul will reveal itself to you.
Soul can be experienced outside your body and your mind as well. Just the other day, I was riding in my car with my friend Suzanne. We drove by an old barn that was caving in upon itself.
At some point, this barn stood upright. It was strong and enclosed many vehicles and animals for years. As with people, this barn aged over time. What once was a structure capable of containing many experiences of life, now, became a broken reflection of moments filled with life suspended in time.
You and I are a structural mind/body system that holds experiences within us just like this barn. As we recall these memories, these past experiences move our awareness toward an expression of experience where stillness allows us to re-live soulful memories filled with life and vitality. These inner visions, feelings, and experiences are our soul’s way of speaking to us.
In silent reflection, our attention moves into expressions of living that are eternal. It is the part of us that is aware of our awareness. The part of us aware of our awareness and not identifying with the need to compete, become successful, or any other manifestations of the material world.
Our soul is the identification with what lies behind all appearances of separateness. This part of us needs no eyes to see, no ears to hear, no hands to touch, no tounge to taste, and no nose to smell. Our soul is completely free of any expression of our world. Our soul is the part of us that infuses all these qualities of attention.
Our soul is the silent spaces between every thought, word, and deed. It is a pregnant silence, all pervading, all knowing, and filled with eternity. Our soul is a connecting point from the world of flesh and the world of Spirit. The sacred human relationship between the form and formless states of our being create a spacial quality of existence within and beyond us whereby infinite possible correlations become the path of our soul.
* Try this exercise:
The next time you wake up in the morning, listen to your surroundings, just listen and do not analyze any sound. Let your attention be drawn into the sounds around you. Notice how far they are from you or how close. Do not try to define anything - just notice. You may hear birds, cars on the street, or the sounds of your home. Now, notice the part of you noticing all these sounds. What does this part of you sound like?
There is another sound within you. It is the part of you constantly speaking, analyzing, and judging. This part of you begins to plan your day, organize, and worry. It is the part of you that drives you out of silent witnessing all the events taking place around you. This part of you will get you out of bed in the morning.
At this point, learn to integrate the two consciously. They are going on anyway. This way ordinary events in your life will become sacred human awareness and a life filled with gratitude for every moment. Did you notice the difference between these two sounds? One moves your attention into the material world. The other moves you deeper into silence - the part of you aware of life’s inner qualities the Sound of Soul.
Sam Oliver, author of, “A Fish Named Ed”
One of the biggest problems across our nation is large classrooms and too many students falling behind in their education. There are too few teachers for individualized instruction, and generally those parents of children who fall behind cannot afford private tutoring. They personally cannot tutor their own children, in most cases, because they either lack sufficient education themselves or are too busy &ndash sometimes working two and three jobs to support their family.
In the fall of 2005, the Chicago schools got the help they needed in this area from the United Stated Department of Education that now underwrites the new Chicago schools A.I.M. High! program. (A.I.M. means Advancing Individual Mastery.) The program gives supplemental tutoring services after-school to low-performing students, who attend Chicago schools that have not met adequate yearly progress for three consecutive years under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
The tutoring is held in the child’s school at no cost, covering Chicago schools students in grades one through twelve. There are a maximum of 15 students for each tutoring class, and a maximum of 20 weeks of instruction per student, including 60 to 80 hours in reading and math. Tutoring teachers receive professional development and are both highly qualified and certified. Tutors are familiar with each student’s particular needs, using an individualized tutoring plan that specifies achievement objectives for each student with timetables. Nationally recognized instructional tutoring materials are used by these Chicago schools tutors. Children with special needs receive special accommodations.
According to Chicago schools Superintendent Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings cut through the red tape and bureaucracy to make the tutoring program happen. Duncan expressed his appreciation to Spellings at a special ceremony in 2005, which was attended by the Secretary, Mayor Richard Daley, Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Mike Enzi, Congressman Danny David, Congressman Bobby Rush, and other city and Chicago schools officials.
Though such assistance was promised by NCLB, this extra assistance from Spellings for the Chicago schools means a win-win situation for the schools, the educators, the community, the parents, and especially for the Chicago schools students. Spellings noted that A.I.M. High! will make a huge difference for Chicago schools students in their futures &ndash meaning there may be an opportunity to continue on to college and knowing that they will be prepared to enter the workforce with sufficient skills to be successful.
Both the Chicago schools and Spellings see this as a new opportunity for the U.S. Department of Education and school districts across the nation to work together to help students succeed in life. It is definitely a win-win situation for all concerned.