Poet Rising!

A new book of my poems are available now: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070PI2KI#_ I'm excited to say!

December 21, 2012

With all the buzz about the coming "end of the world" prophesies, I thought I would invite Oaklight Publishing author and self professed Magi, Alexander King, to post an essay for us on the December 21, 2012 date in history.

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Guest Blogger: Magi, Alexander King, on the New Age Dawning (Dec. 21, 2012)

What is the meaning of this fated date? I’ll attempt to answer that astrologically and astronomically. I’ve studied the chart for this date and time for a while now. These are my interpretations.

Lore has it that humankind is in our 5th age. According to several ancient traditions, the farther away from the galactic core (center of our galaxy) our planet gets, the more disconnected we become from each other and our Earth. The good news is that at December 21, 2012, the position of Earth in our galaxy begins to once again move closer to the galactic center. Dec. 21, 2012 is the point where we are the furthest from the core; the super sun of the galaxy so to speak.

Most of the prophecies of the ancients were letting us know that it is up to us as to the manner of the transition into a new age that begins at this time. That is why they were warning us about it with the monuments and other structures. I am of the opinion that each of us, everyone, has a part to play in how well the transition goes into the new age. That even our individual choices in our day to day lives can make a big difference.

But even if there comes much calamity, the over-arching idea is that when the transition is over, we will have a better, more peaceful world to live in. Edgar Cayce, known as “the sleeping prophet,” had two separate visions of this time in his readings, the first vision was of much turmoil for the transition, but the second one that came later in his life was of a more gradual and gentle one.

Here is my astrological interpretation of this fated date and time in history.

Looking at the chart for Dec. 21, 2012, I must say it doesn’t look like any ordinary day at all! There is a pattern in the chart that is know as the Yod, or fated day, involving two of the malefics, Pluto and Saturn, with the object planet being Jupiter. The other Malefic, Mars is found in the house of endings. The Sun is square Uranus, the Sun being the most important point in a chart and it is in a hard aspect to Uranus the planet of sudden and drastic change. The moon is in Aries that day, a moon of war or at least lots of energy and impatience.

Back to the Yod pattern in the chart. The slow moving planets involved in the Yod are in almost exact aspect, just a few minutes off among the three. That is highly unusual, and the object (the problem to be solved) is Jupiter and it’s found in the fourth house of the home. If home here is the world and the tools to solve the problem involve, power, death, time, and limitations, we have a recipe for a very important day indeed….

On the other hand, an individual’s personal natal chart can indicate how they will fare during this period in our history. I don’t think it’s the end of the world on a global scale (like a meteor snuffing out all life) but something will likely happen to make people question everything!

Here’s an interesting point. Humanity will have to own up to being too selfish and hypocritical. At the risk of being too preachy, I will say that those of us who have examined and accepted our dark side will fare better as a whole. There will be the beginning of a shift in philosophy, a new religion or spirituality will begin to supplant the old, more rigid religions. There will be an unraveling from a kind of strait jacket. Pluto and its placement here will actually be one of the better tools for humanity at this time. It will be in a place to usher in the death (transformation – end of old beginning of new) in a more orderly way.

Also in the chart there is a square between expansive Jupiter (involved in that Yod) in the house of the home and watery Neptune . This is an aspect for flooding. Venus being in the center of the Yod, between Pluto and Saturn, and opposite Jupiter, means, among other things, that humanity has overindulged or that over indulging is part of the problem with the shake up that is going on. Jupiter’s involvement, the Sagittarius MC and Venus in Sagittarius all indicate that the problems and solutions are connected with religion and philosophy.

Finally, the north node found in Scorpio in the 9th house, adds more weight to the notion of this chart being one whereby the native, in this case, humanity, now needs to let go of the fear of loosing everything. We will have to learn to trust in things other than the material and wealth. We are going to be moving (transforming) into a people who put more of our eggs in the basket of the spiritual. It is the true end of the age of Pisces and the beginning of the age of Aquarius.

Perhaps those who get what is going on at this time and are in tune with it at the highest level, will be in a position to become immortal or have an absolute knowledge of the continuity of life – that the physical death is just a doorway to a different and better existence. People of this mind will usher in the new age with a new thinking that relies on things other than getting rich, grabbing power over others, and the fears of living and dying.

A phrase comes to my mind; “immortality consciousness.” I see Immortality Consciousness as one major theme of the new, 6th age of humankind.

–AK

Alexander King's website can be found at: http://planetarymagic.net

Hilarious Children's Song by Stan Munslow

Young MacDonald Has a Farm!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stanmunslow1

Hilarious Children's Song by Stan Munslow

Young MacDonald Has a Farm, by Stan Munslow!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stanmunslow1

Dream Crossing to become a major motion picture!

My novel, Dream Crossing, has been adapted to screenplay by Mark Roemmich and will be coming to the screen in the future.

A Video Review of Astrology in Depth by a Customer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxLJtHH744Y&feature=uploademail

Jedi Book becomes a textbook at the University of Alabama!

Cool news! My first Jedi book, Jedi Manual Basic, Introduction to Jedi Knighthood, is now a textbook for an alternative religion class at the University of Alabama!

Here is the link to the paperback version to our newest, Jedi Intermediate book from Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Jedi-Manual-Intermediate-The-Path-of-Truth/Matthew-Vossler/e/9780982653395/?itm=1&USRI=jedi+manual+intermediate

Oaklight Publishing Offers Advances

Notice: Oaklight Publishing will consider paying advances to authors who have an established fan base. Contact Matt at matt@oaklightpublishing.com  

Jedi Manual Intermediate, The Path of Truth

Now at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble

The first book of this series, Jedi Manual Basic, Introduction to Jedi Knighthood, introduces to the reader the requirements for becoming a Jedi Knight. There are examples of how others have accomplished this and what it means to be a Knight.

Jedi Manual Basic covers some Jedi philosophy, religious aspects, and hands-on techniques that Jedi Knights can use. An important element of the first book is the identification of the twelve paths of the Jedi Knight.

Jedi Manual Intermediate, The Path of Truth, focuses the study. If "Basic," is a summary of the many aspects, "Intermediate," is a focus on the essential. It provides you with many more tools for your path of evolution and helps you find the right questions to ask yourself; questions designed to help you delve deep within to find your own answers. It is your answers that ultimately are the truth; your truth. And it is with truth that Jedi are armed for making the world a better place for themselves and others.

Jedi Manual Intermediate, The Path of Truth

Jedi Manual Intermediate, The Path of Truth: I just sent it off to the editor, stay tuned!

The New Religion

Check out, The New Religion, by Alan Lucia: http://dreamz-work.com/products/The-New-Religion.html

Available in Paperback!

Are you Buddhist or Jewish or Shinto? Have you lived within the social dictates of Islam or Christianity? Do you still hold strongly to one of these well established social structures?

The similarities between these groups are interesting to consider, bringing them close together as they seek to better the human condition. But at the same time, their differences can be all but impossible to reconcile.

Enter the ‘new kid on the block:’ without concern for the struggles existing between our world’s competing schools of religious thought. Yes, this new perspective has been heralded by many to be a new religion in-the-making, while others have turned a deaf ear to its proclamations. This new view, to many an attentive seeker, is the collective application of droves of recorded and published recollections regarding today’s world-wide UFO phenomenon.

UFOLOGY: The new religion? Much like the ancient legends that lend credence to our world’s traditional religions, evidence of unexplained ufological phenomena can be traced back many thousands of years!

Alan Lucia’s breakaway book compels us to deeply consider newly introduced alien teachings; laying the foundation for a world-wide philosophy that could potentially unite humanity in ways older teachings have never managed.

One thing is certain in all of this. . . We are not alone!


Find out more! Go to: The New Religion

The Reaper

Tobias Peters was human until the day he died, trying to save his best friend. Upon the moment of his death, an angel appeared and asked him a favor from God.

“Become the Angel of Death.”

So begins Tobias's long journey through time until the day he falls in love with a mortal. They have a son together, but Tobias's wife is burnt at the stake for the crime of witchcraft and his son goes missing, lost in Time itself.

Tobias is drawn to a young man named Harvey White. Together, they quickly discover that all is not well with the world. The Demons are trying to free Evuhl from its Seal, to bring chaos and destruction to the world. It is up to the Angel of Death to make sure that doesn't happen.

Can Tobias really prevent innocent people from dying, all the while trying to work out just who Harvey really is? One thing is for certain—the world needs the Angel of Death now more than ever.


The Reaper: http://dreamz-work.com/products/The-Reaper.html

Also for the Kindle 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Reaper-ebook/dp/B004QGYKNW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1299800931&sr=1-1 

My Latest Book is Available!

My latest book, The Complete and Concise Money Astrology Book, is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940012641373/?itm=1&USRI=the+complete+and+concise+money+astrology+book

Now Avaliable from Oaklight Publishing! (Formerly Dreamz-Work Productions)

The Philosopher's Stone for the Transformation of Jupiter: Project Lucifer
By J. Edward Carper

Available for the Kindle (click here) and for the Nook (click here)

Strange things have been happening on Jupiter recently. “Multiple impacts…” we are told, “Jupiter gets hit all of the time…”, they are lately saying, but only a few years ago astronomers promised us that planetary impacts, larger ones that could be seen from Earth, were very rare, “one in a thousand years” on Jupiter. We have now been told we have witnessed four separate viewable “Jupiter hits” in only 17 years.

Suddenly, we have to wonder, “Is Jupiter really getting smacked this much, or is something else extraordinary going on, especially in light of the fact that each said ‘impact’ is suspicious in nature?”

J. Edward Carper poses this question and more, and provides an alternative theory that is scientifically plausible to what may actually be happening on Jupiter.

“The Philosopher’s Stone for the Transformation of Jupiter – Project Lucifer” is not a book to miss or take lightly, and may very well hold some of the most important information for the coming years regarding a complete solar-system-changing event.

Awen's Path pod cast, featuring...

Awen's Path is a pod cast developed and run by David Duir. It is about finding inspiration and features artists, writers and musicians from all walks of life and spirituality.

In this weeks' episode, the pod cast features Yours Truly and we talk about my writing and publishing business. If interested, go to: http://www.davidduir.com/Podcast/Entrie ... ode_7.html

It's a lot of fun being interviewed for a pod cast; this was my first time in this format. If you want to be considered for being on it, contact David at david@dreamz-work.com and he'd be happy to schedule an interview with you. It's a great way to get your name, personality, and your work out for other's to hear about. The pod cast also goes onto iTunes so there is the potential for a pretty wide audience for you.

Review of Mark Knight's new book, Trinity of Wisdom

http://www.atlanteanconspiracy.com/2010/11/mark-knights-trinity-of-wisdom.html

Mark Knight's Trinity of Wisdom in now up at Barnes & Noble in paperback!

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Trinity-of-Wisdom-Truth-Philosophy-Hermetic-Alchemical-Qabalah/Mark-Knight/e/9780982653326/?itm=2&USRI=trinity+of+wisdom

DWP VIP Sale!

DWP VIP Discount - 10% off all store items until Nov. 29th. Use this code when checking out: WQ6454ZPVF5DD http://dreamz-work.com/ 

The Next Big Thing!!

ueBook has arrived!

From the website:

Legacy of the Cross, A Paranormal Mystery - ueBook

This is a Musical eBook, or ueBook (pronounced "Mew-E-Book;" an eBook that comes with new technology that allows readers to hear the story's "soundtrack" while reading. Whether you read this eBook on your computer laptop or other device incorporating Adobe Reader, get lost in your reading while the haunting melodies and cryptic sounds make a sonic backdrop. The music changes seamlessly from chapter to chapter. (FAQs and user license at the bottom of this page).


The music was especially composed for "Legacy of the Cross," by Adina Robins, and comes with the download of this ueBook in one convenient file.

Try a free sample, go to: http://dreamz-work.com/products/Legacy-of-the-Cross-%252d-ueBook-.html

The Path of Truth

I’ve begun the sequel to Jedi Manual Basic. Coming this winter, ”Jedi Manual Intermediate – The Path of Truth.”

The working table of contents is as follows:

Contents

1. Why be a Jedi? What stops me?

2. The Struggle with Dark Forces

3. Honesty – The Spark of Light

4. Finding Your Path

5. Living Your Path

6. The Struggle – Part Two

7. The Power of Yielding

8. Winning in Truth

Stay tuned!


Dreamz-Work Productions now has over 120 books at the Kindle store! To see them all, just type “dreamz” into the search fieild at Amazon.

Coming Friday the 13th

"Taking 1960," by Rosa Sophia

An envelope addressed to Katherine Maslin stood out amongst the pile of bills. It is a notice from an attorney… the rights to her grandparents’ farmhouse and adjacent property.

She believes that a change will rid her of the strange dreams she’s been having, wherein an oddly familiar woman visits her, begging for her help. But when Kat realizes that the woman in her dream is her dead grandmother, she begins to have doubts about moving to the farm.

Rumors and nightmarish tales fill her mind, stories of the five men who lost their lives in the late 1950s to a heartless murderer. A man had been convicted, but was he the one the police had been looking for, or had he been framed?

Kat is thrown backwards through time on a journey to discover a terrible truth. The ghost of her grandmother is always one step ahead of her, leading the way. But will she find the real killer before he finds her?

Astrology Product

A new and exciting product is available! Astrology in Depth Video Lessons with Maya Petersen. See the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkDEPiaB5-M

Independence Day Sale!

Dreamz-Work Productions, LLC Independence Day Sale! From now until the end of July 4th, we're offering 40% off the price of all DWP products! http://www.dreamz-work.com/ Just make your purchases, go through check out and copy this code into the promotion field: IV539FU96A. Hurry and get the books you've always wanted from DWP, and Happy Independence Day!

Legacy of the Cross is now available for sale

Legacy of the Cross - The new religious fiction from DWP

By Debi Chestnut and Alice Bliss

http://dreamz-work.com/products/Legacy-of-the-Cross-%28Now-Available-for-Sale%29.html

Jordan Montgomery and Kelly Richmond work for The Institute, a mysterious privately held corporation that studies scientific anomalies. The murder of Jordan Montgomery’s sister Hannah sends Jordan and Kelly on a dangerous journey filled with discovery, heart break, and wonder.

The girls discover that a group of rogue Priests have formed a new branch of the Illuminati called the New Dawn, with ambitions to find the original Goetia Seal of Solomon, a talisman with the power to summon demons and the potential to bend humanity to the will of its keeper.

When Jordan and Kelly learn what the groups’ plans are and why Hannah was killed, they must choose to run from their destiny or make a stand that could cost them their lives, and the lives of those they care about.

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Accompanying the eBook version (soon to be out), comes a new technology that allows readers to hear the story's "soundtrack" while reading. Whether you read e-Books on your laptop, Kindle, iPhone, or iTouch, get lost in your reading while the haunting melodies and cryptic sounds make a sonic backdrop while you read the book. The music for Legacy of the Cross was composed by Adina Robins, and comes with the download of the eBook in one convenient file.

New Trailer for Dream Crossing

DREAM CROSSING TRAILER

Legacy of the Cross

Legacy of the Cross, the new religious fiction by Debi Chestnut and Alice Bliss to be released worldwide on March 26, 2010.

Jordan Montgomery and Kelly Richmond work for The Institute, a mysterious privately held corporation that studies scientific anomalies. The murder of Jordan Montgomery’s sister Hannah sends Jordan and Kelly on a dangerous journey filled with discovery, heart break, and wonder.

The girls discover that a group of rogue Priests have formed a new branch of the Illuminati called the New Dawn, with ambitions to find the original Goetia Seal of Solomon, a talisman with the power to summon demons and the potential to bend humanity to the will of its keeper.

When Jordan and Kelly learn what the groups’ plans are and why Hannah was killed, they must choose to run from their destiny or make a stand that could cost them their lives, and the lives of those they care about. 

SEE THE TRAILER

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Accompanying the eBook version, comes a new technology that allows readers to hear the story's "soundtrack" while reading. Whether you read e-Books on your laptop, Kindle, iPhone, or iTouch, get lost in your reading while the beautiful and haunting music sets the backdrop for the story.

The music for Legacy of the Cross was composed by Adina Robins, and comes free with the download of the eBook.

New Books of Interest

Ellen Evert Hopman's "Making Kitchen Medicines," is due for release in March, 2010 by Dreamz-Work Productions. Ellen is the renowned author of many books on herblism. Her works in this field are widely respected. For more on this and other titles we are soon to release, visit: http://dreamz-work.com/pages/Coming-Soon.html

My answer to Pastor Jeffress

Feel free to send the link to Pastor Jeffress' article out to everyone. The exposure, me thinks, will work against him!

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/02/air_force_academys_pagan_mistake.html

My short letter to Pastor Jeffress (to see his article, click on the link above)

"Air Force's pagan mistake"

Response:

Endless Love = gods wraith??? Living MY dreams??? Or maybe you meant YOUR dreams??? Did Jesus ignore the woman at the well??? Do I, like you, get to pick and choose my bible passages, or are you just special that way??? Does being a Pastor = You are right and I'm wrong (if I don't bow to your god-like wisdom)??? Does Osama Bin Laden think in similar ways??? Did Adolf Hitler think in similar ways??? Should I tolerate you??? Should I accept you??? Should I treat you as an outcast??? Does god love you??? How would I know??? Do I know the mind of god??? Did Jesus teach tolerance??? Or better yet, did Jesus teach favoritism??? Is that illness you have the result of god's wraith??? Does denouncing Pat Robertson = free pass to advance my own agenda over the "flocks", if so, then I wouldn't denounce Pat Robertson. Does that make me not in YOUR camp??? Is it us vs. them??? I vs. you??? Are we developing a plan of attack??? Are we going to extinguish free thought??? Shall women not have rights??? Air Force??? Who would Jesus bomb anyway??? Would Jesus, a radical and free thinker, fit in with today's churches in his name???

Pastor, these are only questions, but I imagine you know where I stand in some limited way.

Dream Crossing 2

My Novel "Dream Crossing," is out in paperback, both at the DWP website and at Amazon.com .

Here is an except from the first chapter of the second in the series, Dream Crossing 2 (working title), still in draft form:

This one is different. Duncan knew it the minute he set eyes on the lady who walked through the front door with his father. She was a looker. Duncan couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He was too caught up in the moment to think of how weird it might be to be attracted to his own father’s date.

“Trudy, this is my son, Duncan,” George was saying as he took her coat and hung it in the adjacent closet.

The sound of her voice broke the spell. “Hello Duncan. Your father was telling me that you are to be a senior in high school in the fall.” Her voice sounded as angelic as her sweet smile. Her wavy auburn hair cascaded upon her shoulders and actually shimmered under the florescent light of their foyer.

“Nice to meet you,” Duncan heard himself saying, stretching out his hand. “Yes, I’ll be a senior at Silver Spring High.”

“Summer time goes so fast,” Trudy replied taking Duncan’s hand and studied his face. “Oh, your hands are cold, and on such a warm summer evening.”

Duncan shrugged. He wanted to open up to this woman, to tell her of his frustrations. He didn’t know why, but he felt she would understand him.

“Shall we move downstairs and have drinks before dinner,” George finally said. He glanced at Duncan with the asking expression.

Duncan nodded, assuring George that all was presentable and on schedule for dinner.

Over dinner and drinks, strictly non-alcoholic, because of George’s condition, talk moved from George’s career as a manager, to Duncan’s triumphs in academics and sports.

Trudy listened with real interest and patience. She belied no flaw of personality that Duncan could detect, and this added to his keen interest in having this relationship work out for his dad.

“Duncan here, was so bright in middle school, that they recommended he skip a grade,” George explained.

“Now that’s something, isn’t it?” Trudy asked rhetorically.

“What do you like to do, Ms. Frank?” Duncan asked in return, eager to learn more about this woman.

Trudy looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, I love to take walks in nature and I love animals.”

“What kinds of animals do you like?”

“All kinds,” she seemed to enjoy his curiosity. “But I especially love exotic animals like the big cats and rare animals. One’s you don’t see everyday. Let me guess, you’re a nature lover too?”

“How did you know?” Duncan asked looking over at this dad.

“Oh, that’s easy,” Trudy replied, “You brightened at the mention.” She put her fork down.

George cut into the conversation, “We have some cake and coffee, if you’d like.”

“I’d like that George.” Trudy smiled. “Can we go for a walk afterwards?”

George looked flustered for half a moment. He hadn’t planned the evening for anything past dinner. “Well, we can go down to the lake. It’s a nice night and our neighborhood is safe.”

“You mean Lake Everwood? That’s perfect.”

Duncan had most of the dinner dishes in the sink by now. He said, “I’ve got a summer school project to deal with. I was planning to get started tonight.”

Over desert the conversation turned back to George’s work issues. Trudy was a consultant. That’s how she and George met. Sears’ management was re-engineering the floor space layouts for all of their department stores and had sent Trudy to the Eastern region. This brought her to the Silver Spring store that George had managed for the last 10 years.

Duncan politely asked to be excused to go start on his project. Trudy thanked him for making dinner and George chimed in as well.

Duncan left the two of them in the dinning room to go upstairs, wondering if he would see Trudy again.

In his modest sized bedroom, Duncan’s sat at the chair in front of his desk. He had his floor lamp dimmed low as he did when he was brooding. He pondered the night’s events, but his thoughts soon turned back to the frustrations of the last month. He’d been trying to travel again in the astral realm, to no success; not even as much as an especially vivid dream. He wanted some news of Lastra, the world he had been thrust into just before the summer break, when he tried to get revenge against Craig Smethhurst, the boy who endlessly tormented him for two years prior.

Duncan was so glad to be home, but he wanted desperately to know what became of the friends he had made.

There was a sound outside his window. The shadow of something zipped by outside. A bat, he thought, as he gazed out at the darkened trees in his back yard. Under the light of the moon, he could make out in the distance, the dark line that was the shore of Lake Everwood, where his father and Trudy must still be walking.

Something suddenly came over him. For reasons he didn’t know, Duncan furiously unlocked and opened his window. Again, without knowing why, he shoved the screen aside exposing the room to the open night. Something was fast approaching.

Startled, Duncan stepped back just in time. A winged creature swooped down from the trees and with a rush of wind, flew through his window, knocking him backwards into a pile of laundry. The winged creature, about the size of a cocker spaniel, spun around 180, mid-air, and landed on top of the headboard at the side of his bed facing Duncan.

In panic, Duncan fought madly against the shirt that was stuck over his head. At the same time he fumbled for anything to protect him from the intruder. He grabbed the oak staff his friend Jerry Black had given him for his birthday, tore the shirt off, and confronted the creature as menacingly as he could muster.

He shouted, “OUT, OUT! YOU CAN’T COME INTO MY BEDROOM!”

Without waiting, Duncan brought his staff down upon the creature, but he stopped mid-swing. His initial shock and confusion turned to amazement. Duncan squinted in the low light, slowly recognizing the creature. He put his staff aside.

“Sidwar? Is that you?

For more on Dream Crossing and Dream Crossing 2, click here

For a copy of the original Dream Crossing, click here

To purchase from Amazon.com, click here

Dream Crossing's, "THE SWEETNESS," is for sale now at eBay

New book coming from DWP

Watch the video about Rev. David P. Smith's new book, Honoring the Sacred Earth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMwLaAyRZOs

New novel out in paperback!

Dream Crossing, A Novel by Matthew Vossler

Duncan Wright, a bright and promising eleventh grader, has a compelling reason to learn the craft of magic. He reads all the books in the local library on the subject, but when he begins practicing astral travel at night, he discovers this kind of magic is no parlor game.

One evening, in an attempt to exact revenge on Craig the school bully, Duncan puts his magic to work. Duncan crosses into the other boy’s dream to confront him in the astral plane. Before he finishes his plan to exact revenge, he becomes caught in Lastra, a land on the brink of war.

In this strange new land, Duncan is a foundling who strives to learn the secret to returning home. But, the ancient legend reveals only the possibility of a return and the path home remains a mystery. Immersed in magic, intrigue, war, and love, Duncan has to live up to a prophecy, or forever be imprisoned in a land quickly descending into darkness . . .

For a copy of the original Dream Crossing, click here

To purchase from Amazon.com, click here

The Judgment of Paris – Aphrodite and the Trojan War

What happens when spitefulness, vanity, greed, lust, and anger all join forces? We can learn a lot about ourselves today by studying myth and history.

In Greek mythology, a hero is a Demigod, the child of a God or Goddess and a human; a half-blood. Some famous heroes are Achilles, Helen of Troy (the daughter of Zeus and Leda), and Heracles. (1) All of them get caught up in the Trojan War.

The story of the Trojan War and how it began is one of the most famous stories of Greek mythology. It begins when the Gods are gathered for a wedding. When Eris, the Goddess of discord is banned at the door from entering the wedding festivities, she tosses her wedding gift through the door. It is an apple inscribed with the words, “to the fairest.”

This action sets off a dispute among Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. They each believe the apple was meant for them. (2) When the three goddesses finally go to Zeus to make a judgment, Zeus, not wanting to incur the wrath of the two who aren’t judged as the fairest, sends Hermes to find Paris and requests that Paris make the Judgment.

The three goddesses each offer Paris bribes to sway his judgment, but it is Aphrodite’s promise of the love of Helen of Sparta that wins Paris over. Helen was considered the most beautiful women in the world. Paris judges Aphrodite as the fairest.

Subsequently, Helen falls in love with Paris, a Trojan, and the two elope to Troy. When Menelaus, Helen’s husband and king of Sparta finds out, the war between Sparta and Troy is inevitable.

The Trojan War not only pits humans and heroes fighting each other, but the Gods and Goddesses are also involved, picking sides, assisting the humans and heroes, and fighting each other as well.

Troy eventually loses the war, Paris is killed, and according to the story, some of the Trojans who survive after the burning of their city, wander until they come to “Alba Longa, which was where the Roman civilization began 300 years later.” (2)


Sources

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_demigods
2. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/story-of-the-trojan-war.html

DWP now "live" to take pre-orders

Dreamz-Work Producitons, LLC is now offering several books with discounted e-Book versions as well as a music soundtract that goes with the e-Book version of my Dream Crossing fantasy novel for an added musical experience while reading on a laptop, Kindle, or your iPhone/iTouch.

Go to: http://www.dreamz-work.com/

Exploring the Casimir Effect

Introducing the Age of Flying Carpets, Time Machines, and Interstellar Travel

The title sounds very exciting doesn`t it? Well don`t start saving your pennies to buy one of the first lines of flying carpets on the shelves of your favorite gizmo store. Don`t be fooled by science hype; it will be a long time before any of these promises truly come to pass.

On the other hand, I do believe that they all will be a reality sooner or later. These things and many more will become practical because of a scientific theory that is fast proving out in lesser applications and grand experiments. This theory is known as the Casimir effect, and it is part of the whole quantum mechanics/nanotechnology revolution.

The science is named after Hendrik Casimir, a Dutch scientist who predicted a phenomenon in 1948, that, an attractive force exists between two conducting metal plates. (1) The implications went a little farther when it was proven that indeed there is a force detected when two metallic plates are placed facing each other, and even so inside a an absolute vacuum chamber.

This new discovery was followed by experiments that showed that an absolute vacuum isn`t really empty, but is actually bristling with energy. It was dubbed zero-point energy, " and accounts for all sorts of speculation about the possibility of interstellar space travel. Since apparently there is virtually no shortage of this energy available, the idea is to find a way to covert zero-point energy into a system that will propel a space vehicle. Space ships designed with such propulsion, could conceivably travel through space indefinitely.

It was also discovered that Casimir forces can be manipulated to both attract and repel depending on the configuration of materials used. An obvious implication here is that if you can make a field of repulsion strong enough, you could make levitating devices, ala the flying carpet. Some scientists theorize that such repulsion can be had even at great distances.

Another extrapolation of these discoveries is that the Casimir effect can be used to produce a locally mass-negative region of space-time, and suggested that negative effect could be used to stabilize a wormhole to allow faster than light travel. " (2) Some, including myself speculate that wormholes can be converted into time machines by taking advantage of the natural time warping properties that come with the speeds and distances involving faster than light travel.

Now if you think that this is all just science fiction, take note that the 1960`s television series, Star Trek, " inspired a whole generation of technology buffs to go to school, major in electrical engineering and computer science and go on to make many of the fictional gizmos a reality.

As for the Casimir effect, well, the U.S. Department of Defense is now funding research in this area. This fact alone might speed up the time tables for the day when you will go out with your family or friends to the park while riding upon a levitating carpet.

Sources and Resources

1.Berger, M., September 19, 2008, Nanowerk, Nanotechnology, the mysterious Casimir Force, and interstellar spaceships, " retrieved on 11/21/08 from http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=7337.php

2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect

3.Highfield, R., August 2007l, Physicists have `solved` mystery of levitation, " Telegraph.Co.uk

So You Want to Be a Ghost Hunter?

This is just one of the many new titles that DWP will have coming out this Fall. Maybe you’d like to be a Jedi Knight, or perhaps tap into the mysterious knowledge of the planets like Nostradamus did a thousand years ago. So you’re an aspiring actor of the stage or for the movies – We have a title coming out that gives new meaning to the idea of acting on your dreams!

New information for a new age! That’s what DWP is about. Timeless wisdom that was forgotten or discarded, now updated and validated. Seeing the old through the lens of the new and the new through the lens of the old…

Stay tuned for these and more to come! DWP is catching on!

Order of the Jedi

Jedi is recognized as an official religion in Canada

Starting a religion and being recognized as such in Canada is not the same as what we are used to in the United States. There are more barriers to entry to get this done. In the United States, pretty much, if you say you are a religion, you are, and it’s not too difficult to go through the process of getting 501c3 status as a non-profit religious organization.

The leaders of what is now “Order of the Jedi, Inc.,” were extremely happy to announce in February, that on January 12th 2009, they became officially recognized by the Canadian government as a religious body.

According to their website, “in Canada the government must give approval before the Provinces will even consider recognizing you. We now Move forward in our goals to complete our recognition within each province.” (1)

Although fractious among many groups, the Jedi movement is world wide and has been growing steadily since George Lucas made the fictional Wizards famous in his Star Wars movies saga that began in the 1970’s. The groups differ in their approach, some emphasizing the religious aspects of Jedi philosophy, while other’s take a more hands-on approach, teaching and training in energy work and mysticism.

The order of the Jedi Canada takes the former approach, and while they do not rule out the abilities of some to manipulate mystical forces, they focus on ethical and moral teachings. They are currently working steadily on a body of Jedi scripture based on the writings of George Lucas and the Star Wars franchise.

Most of those who call themselves Jedi or associate with it, are quick to point out that all religions are at the core, based on literature, and Jedi is no different in this respect. I’ve said it myself, that Lucas put a fictional framework around universal truths and good moral philosophies that have been around since the beginning of time. He gave them a name; Jedi and “The Force.”

Citations:

1. http://www.orderofthejedi.ca/118612/html/page.html

Obama Open to Different Religions and Spiritual Views

U.S. President Obama meets regularly with leading figures of all religious traditions as he fulfills the promise of creating more tolerance and healing among feuding factions throughout the USA and world.

Obama consults with the likes of Deepak Chopra, Jean Houston, Marianne Williamson, and many other New Age gurus, as well as leaders of traditional religions such as the Greek spiritual leader, Varfolomei and Imam Hassan Qazwini, who has close ties with the spiritual leader of Hezbollah. Obama is drawing fire from China for his plan to meet with the Dalai Lama in October.

A firm believer in the importance of science and separation of church and state, Obama has at once become the object of speculation as to the authenticity of his own religious beliefs while giving hope to those who are members of minority religions that their government is not becoming something of a puppet of the dominate religions of the land, namely, right wing Christian sects.

Today, President Obama has just given a speech in Cairo, Egypt where he was warmly received by a crowd as he talked of Middle East peace and the great contributions of the Islamic religion. He even received a standing ovation as he drew a stark line between the peaceful religion of Islam and the extremist factions such as “al Qaeda as a common enemy to both the U.S. and Muslim nations.” (1) Reaction from Israel has been mixed; some taking the speech as a good step towards peace, and other’s, like those who are settled on the west bank, saying that Obama wants to throw them out of their homes.

In response to President Obama’s request to learn what is happening to our earth and its inhabitants, many New Age spiritual leaders are creating a petition to send to the U.S. President. The group identified eight “opportunities for action,” including restoring ecological balance, encouraging conscious media, building global community, and working for integrity in commerce. (2).

Combined, these acts, attitudes, and policies by the new U.S. President are rare, hopeful signs of good things happening and better things to come.

Sources:

http://www.topix.com/world/turkey/2009/04/u-s-president-meets-with-spiritual-leader-of-greek-community-in-turkey

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/05/barack-obama-meets-secretly-with.html

http://blog.taragana.com/n/china-says-obama-should-not-meet-with-the-dalai-lama-in-octoberl-34994/

WTOP News Radio Washington, DC

Citations:

(1) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124409999530984503.html
(2) http://loveasalifesyle.ning.com/forum/topics/obama-open-to-spiritual

THE COFFEE OR THE CUP

I feel 'stressed' . . .


A group of alumni, highly established in

Their careers, got together to visit their

Old university professor. Conversation

Soon turned into complaints about stress

In work and life.


Offering his guests coffee, the professor

Went to the kitchen and returned with a

Large pot of coffee and an assortment of

Cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal,

Some plain looking, some expensive,

Some exquisite - telling them to help

Themselves to the coffee.


When all the students had a cup of

Coffee in hand, the professor said:

'If you noticed, all the nice looking

Expensive cups were taken up, leaving

Behind the plain and cheap ones. While

It is normal for you to want only the

Best for yourselves, that is the source of

Your problems and stress. Be assured

That the cup itself adds no quality to the

Coffee. In most cases it is just more

Expensive and in some cases even hides

What we drink. What all of you really

Wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you

Consciously went for the best cups...

And then you began eyeing each

other's cups.


Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the

Jobs, money and position in society are

The cups. They are just tools to hold and

Contain Life, and the type of cup we

Have does not define, nor change the

Quality of life we live. Sometimes, by

Concentrating only on the cup, we fail

To enjoy the coffee provided us.'

Brew the coffee, not the cups .. Enjoy

Your coffee!


'The happiest people don't have the best

Of everything. They just make the best

Of everything.

A related Link: http://storyofstuff.com

Ghost Stories

I live just outside of our nation's capitol, and haunted buildings are a part of the rich history of Washington DC. One such is the Octagon House, "built between 1798 and 1800, by Dr. William Thornton, the architect of the U.S. Capitol...for John Tayloe...at the prompting of George Washington."

In grade school, after a field trip to the place, my friends came back with some stories. One told me that he felt a chill breeze and odd smell where they should not have been. But the weirdest, was story of the door to a library, which was always kept locked. When the tour passed by, the door opened on its own. The guide quietly stopped, walked over, and closed the door, relocking it. When asked, she just said, "That happens sometimes."

Most haunted places have some history of tragedy, and the Octagon House is no exception. "Tragedy struck the Tayloe family before the War of 1812. One of the colonel's daughters had fallen in love with a British officer, but Tayloe had denied permission for a marriage. After an argument, the daughter stormed up the spiral staircase. She never reached her room. Whether she threw herself down or slipped is not known, but the family heard her scream. She fell through the stairwell to the floor below, where she died."

"A second Tayloe daughter died in the same place, in similar circumstances, after the war. She also clashed with her father over marriage, but this sibling ignored her father and eloped. According to legend, she was pleading with him for forgiveness and slipped on the infamous stairs, fell and broke her neck."

Another ghost story came to me from a friend who had a not so pleasant encounter with a spirit, while parked with a girlfriend at one of the Manassas, VA (Civil War) battlefields. He told me they both felt a strong presence and added with conviction, "that thing wasn't human!" Feeling like he was having a heart attack, he drove away as fast as he could. Afterwards, for several days, he felt an energy surrounding him that others could feel too. He said, "I have a new found respect for battlefields." After informing police, they replied, "It has been a while since that thing had caused problems." I personally believe that it is the "Spirit of the Battlefield."

Sources:

Washington DC, Octagon House, Retrieved on July 17, 2007 from:
http://www.nps.gov/history/Nr/travel/wash/dc22.htm

Time Travel Channel, Spooky Cities, Retrieved on July 17, 2007 from:
http://travel.discovery.com/convergence/hauntedtravels/interactives/washingtondc/octagon.html

Parenting, Part II

By Matt Vossler

Life in this Century just seems to get more and more and more complicated. The Internet has made so much available to so many people including our kids. When there once were only a few drugs that could mess up our children's lives, now there are dozens. And every time you blink, it seems a new kind of disease is being declared, along with a host of drugs and other treatments for it.

This brings me to my subject. My son really likes his Nintendo, I mean he really, really likes it. He is only six years old; could he be addicted to video games? I heard on the news a few weeks ago, that video games addiction is a new problem for kids.

Then I wonder if this is so different from the old days, when as a kid, I didn't want to come inside for dinner because I was having so much fun playing with the neighborhood kids. I guess that video games are the new "kick the can." We got exercise playing outside for hours, so what do these new kinds of games give to our children? A quick Google asking this question, got the following, from http://dede.essortment.com/kidsvideogames_rayj.htm:

"Video games have many benefits to children which most of us never even think of. Video games promote good eye-hand coordination, problem solving skills, critical thinking and competition. There is always competition in a video game, whether it be against the computer, another player or your own self. Competition is healthy in urging us to do our best and succeed. Critical thinking skills are important in school as are problem solving skills. Video games are also beneficial in introducing children to computers and while not the most popular games among children, there are many educational games."

The advice given at that web-site is quite predictable. To limit the amount of time your child has for playing video games and watching T.V., and that if you child shows irritation at being told to stop playing, then they are probably spending too much time with them.

Every parent has to work out limits for their kids, and this is not a new challenge. The new challenge I think we have today is that so much is available to kids now, including information, cheep toys, sexual enticements, drugs, guns, gangs, we end up playing a new game of our own, called wack-a-mole.

I remember my parents having to tell us not to play ball in the house over and over again, and yes, there were a lot of ways we could get ourselves into trouble, but I don't think they had to worry about online predators, huffing and dozens of other drugs, teens talking on cell phones while driving, making sure your child is not text messaging their friends all night, and I know I've just mentioned the tip of the ice-burg.

Long story short, the new Century is fraught with many new challenges for parents, and I believe that any and all ideas that can give us an advantage as parents, should be considered, including the stay-at-home mom or even dad model or any other. I encourage you to do a Google on parenting resources and see what you come up with. It's easy, and you just might find something pertinent to your own situation.

Parenting I

Parenting, without a doubt, is the single most important task given to us on this planet, and one of the most difficult. Forget the "Mommy Wars," that's just unproductive bickery born of guilt and blame. Two things we don't want to perpetuate and sets a poor example for the kids.

The SAHD (stay-at-home dad) model is one way to bring up kids well, and I think it is a good way, personally. Here I am in the roll of a SAHD, and I am realizing that this is really what it all about...for me. To be a dad, to be the best dad I can possibly be!

Someone wrote, "It takes a Village." I can't argue with that, but I would add that a loving home with caring parent(s) can make all the difference in the world, in a world that really needs a difference to be made in.

Back to School

Back to School

The summer was good for the kids and I. We went to the beach, went sailing, took a nature cruise, held a regular playgroup, did horseback riding, martial arts and even enjoyed the Renaissance Festival. So I was surprised, albeit pleasantly, that both of my children were excited about going back to school. Needless to say, I too was greatly looking forward to having time to get a lot of things done that were backing up, or at least having been put on the back burner.

Getting ready, of course is hectic to say the least, but I am moving into the new school year with renewed hope. Martin's teacher has many years of experience and Victoria is getting the extra help she needs. I will be coaching Victoria's soccer team and will be keeping up with the martial arts that Martin and I have been involved in.

I hope all of you readers who are parents are having similarly good experiences with your children, whether it's back to school, taking care of a new baby, or sending a young one off to college.

If you are having any trouble, talk about it with other parents, don't sweep it under the rug.
Denial is only a way to delay getting help and can make matters far worse in the long run. There now, I've gotten preachy. Sorry! Have a great school year!

Be Scared!

Separation of Church and State in 2007

I do not have a JD, nor am I thoroughly versed in the all of the arguments for or against issues involving the separation of church and state. I do have some observations in regards to our first amendment provision that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or the free exercise thereof.” It seems to me that for a people to be free, this is an essential ingredient to have built into the Government. Much of the U.S. Constitution deals with preventing abuses of power, and nothing scares me more that the thought of a Government that can wield the power of a religion over its people. The Taliban comes to mind.

So where do we draw the line when it comes to how far our Government can go in promoting, or even allowing religious expression in the public arena? I believe it is important to keep in check, those whose agenda may go far beyond allowing prayer in public school, or holding official, high-level meetings in Government buildings where discussions of a religious nature are the focus (this is happening under the current executive administration). It may be a cliché, but it really is a slippery slope. What does it say about our democracy, if we put children in our public schools in a position of being with a group of peers who are praying to a certain God, and in a certain way, that goes against the child’s home religious life or personal beliefs?

It is immaterial that I believe that prayer is a positive thing for individuals and society. To me, the idea of respecting each person’s freedom to express or not to express a faith or believe or not to believe in a Deity, trumps my any of my own subjective framing. More troubling, is that introducing such a precedent in our society gives fuel to those who would, given enough power, eventually change the U.S. from a democracy to a theocracy. And, believe it, there are those who would! This would mean the death of what the Founding Fathers had in mind for the United States. So the next time you see atheists on T.V. defending their rights to not believe in God, you might be wise to consider, that in a round about way, they are also defending your right to believe in your God.

On Werewolves

Being a full moon tonight, I thought a little about werewolves to be apropos.

In the Middle Ages some accounts held that "in Prussia, Livonia, and Lithuania, although the inhabitants suffer from (common) wolves...this is not regarded by them as much as what they endure from men turned into wolves." The men turned into wolves, would inflict terrible atrocities upon both citizens and their ungulates. They were differentiated from natural wolves partially by the drinking of beer from the cellars and their piling "up the empty casks one above another in the middle of the cellar"

Here is another account of the were: "The wife of a nobleman in Livonia expressed her doubts to one of her slaves whether it were possible for man or woman thus to change shape. The servant at once volunteered to give her evidence of the possibility. He left the room, and in another moment a wolf was observed running over the country. The dogs followed him, and notwithstanding his resistance, tore out one of his eyes. Next day the slave appeared before his mistress blind of an eye."

Legends, yes, but it does make one wonder. I for one am glad I where a silver ring.

Sources:

Gould, Sabine B. The book of were-wolves, 1865. Retrieved on 7/30/07, from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/goth/bow/bow06.htm

Recalling Summer

Recalling Summer
A poem by Matt Vossler

Summer Nights and starry lights,
Full Moon rising sweet smells of flora,
Aquarius this one, its lightning strikes,
Fanciful dreams bring magical flights.

Rich living and love abounds,
Lovely feelings and summer sounds,
Be still and know,
God makes her rounds.

Life makes her stand,
Summer's recall,
Rich is the fare,
Until the fall.

No, I won't dwell,
Drink deep from the well,
Forget the big change
Live summer's life's swell.

Yes, rich be the fare,
Fauna will thrive
Love's in the air,
Passion's alive.

Fall comes and no doubt,
With its own unique joys,
Winter be next,
Spring then makes her rout.

Forget all of this,
Summer lives thrive,
No matter what's next,
Glad I'm alive!

A Quick Reference to Increase Life Force

I have been learning Kung Fu, a Chinese martial arts system, and have put together a short list of practices to aid me in my efforts. These are good practices for anyone who wants to improve their quality of life.

To Increase Qi (pronounced "chee"), the Chinese word for life force or vital force, practice the following:

• Breath from the belly
• Good diet, high in bio-photon levels (fresh fruits and vegetables, apples are good!)
• Exercise and/or work out each day
• Good regular sleep
• Meditate and practice moving meditation such as Tai Chi
• Master your movements so that every act is conscious
• Master your mind - Think Positive

Blunders of History

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a history teacher, and learned some facets of history that I had not known. I believe that knowing more about history, gives a better understanding of current events by putting them in context. Knowing how history builds upon itself and often repeats itself, can give insight into why things are the way they are today, and possibly how to avoid major mistakes by those in power.

The following is a short lesson of History that I put together after my discussion. It is fascinating to me, and reminds me of how economic tensions can lead to war, kind of like what is happening today with terrorists vs. the developed world.

The way the end of WWI was handled, was perhaps one of the biggest blunders of geo-political foreign policy in history. As you will see, it set the stage for some of the saddest and most tragic events the world has seen.

Hyper Inflation in Germany right after WWI was largely the result of printing too much money in an attempt to pay reparations to England and France. US production was ramped up in anticipation of England and France's purchasing of US goods with these reparation funds, which never came. This led to surplus production in the U.S. and largely brought about the Great Depression. The great depression was essentially, a matter of too many goods being chased by too few customers or dollars. FDR's new deal made sense in that spending state monies helped sop up excess production.

The seeds of WWII were planted by how things were handled at the end of WWI.

England and France's insistence that Germany pay reparations for WWI, kept Germany's economy in a devastated state and general morale among its people low. This allowed a strong man, namely Hitler, to come to power with his message of Germany being worthy and destined to for greatness. He argued to the German people that they were not deserving of being treated so poorly by the rest of the world. And the rest, as they say, is History.

My Five Minutes of Fame!

My home was recently the host of an at-home fathers play group. It also happened to be the Tuesday before Father's Day. This is traditionally the time of year that myself and my Stay-at-Home Dads group, http://www.dcmetrodads.com/ get a lot of attention from the media, whether we like it or not.

So when The Washington Post learned that we had a regular Tuesday playgroup for stay-at-home dads, they just had to send a reporter over to cover the anomaly. It happened to be such a big story, that it ended up on the front page of the nationally renowned newspaper that Sunday, and featured a picture of my son.

To view the article go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601289.html

You might have to register with the site, but there is no cost.

"Lucky" - A Poem

"Lucky"

By Matt Vossler

At the end of an age
Is it lucky to be here?
We on razor's edge
Must admit I have fear

The bees, they are leaving
The signs are not good
They say keep believing
I know that I should

Can we keep taking rope?
Ignore every sign?
Where there's life there is hope
But I've lost some of mine.

A verse repeated in times
Have we been here before?
I think yes, but who knows?
And who's keeping the score?

At the end of an age
Is it lucky to be here?
We on razor's edge
Must admit I have fear.

Earth Day!

I wanted to share what I did for Earth Day, 2007. Along with wishing everyone I talked to, a happy Earth Day, in order to remind them, and explaining to my children that it was Earth Day and what that meant, I did some planting around my house.

First, coincidentally, our tree doctor who comes and treats our two Cheery trees to prevent tent caterpillars, each year, arrived today. He treated the trees while I traditionally picked his brain on some of the plant mysteries, specific to my yard, I have been mulling over for the past year. He advised me that the two "trees" I planted earlier in the fall, were really shrubs, and that they would do better in a different part of the yard. So after he left, I transplanted them.

Also, I happened to get an offer for some free ornamental grass plants from my parents today, and I found a place to plant them in the front, where I have also been planting and tending a new flower garden. This is a first for me, as I have planted vegetables before, but not a flower garden.

Happy Earth Day All!

Is Universal Health Care is Coming?

Why the Debate about Socialized Health Care may Take Care of Itself

With the coming availability of genetic information on patients, our government will likely be faced with a no-win situation. They can either facilitate the destruction of the insurance industry by banning the use of genetic information, thereby forcing them into adverse selection of patients, or they can allow the use of this information, and create a sub-class of citizens who cannot get insurance and cannot afford the healthcare themselves.

Not a good choice in my book! From a recent article in The Economist: "Indeed, genetic testing may become the most potent argument for state-financed universal health care." Like many other issues that are at first, hotly debated, state subsidized, universal health care may quite possibly become such a no-brainer that it naturally materializes, as surely as the debate evaporates.

Economic Case for Paternal Involvement

From "Naked Economics," by Charles Wheelan

"The best long-term solution (to discrimination against women in the workforce) is to change behavior at the household level. If and when men assume a larger share of child-care responsibilities, it will change the "profile" of job applicants. An interviewer will no longer be able to rationally infer that female applicants are more likely to leave the firm than male applicants. Thus, the incentive for firms to discriminate against young women (based on the assumption that they are more likely to leave the firm to care for her children) in the hiring process will go away completely. At the same time, firms with a higher fraction of men leaving early for soccer practice and doctor's appointments will be more sympathetic to the challenges of balancing work and family, making the workplace more hospitable for all workers with children, male or female."

My Theory on Conspiracists

Think about this. I believe that those who subscribe to theories of government conspiracies make two critical errors in their judgment about our government: 1) that the government is competent, and 2) that they can keep a secret!

........It's a joke :-)

Put this One in the Success Column!

The pop star Sting may have sung about losing his faith in politicians, but here is a government bill that managed to improve things.

From Greg Mankiw's blog, I confirmed what I sort of knew already about the 1996 Welfare Reform Bill. Robert Samuuelson writes, "Welfare caseloads have plunged. From August 1996 to June 2005, the number of people on welfare dropped from 12.2 million to 4.5 million. About 60 percent of mothers who left welfare got work. Their incomes generally rose. Many qualified for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which subsidizes low-income workers. Finally, there were intangible benefits: work connections, self-respect.

One lesson is that what people do for themselves often overshadows what government does for them. Since 1991, for example, the teen birthrate has dropped by a third. The mothers least capable of supporting children have had fewer of them. Welfare reform didn't single handedly cause this. But it reinforced a broader shift in the social climate—one emphasizing personal responsibility over victimhood....

So we've made a stubborn problem a bit more manageable. It's pragmatic progress, not a panacea. Why can't we do the same for other pressing problems—energy, immigration, retirement spending (Social Security, Medicare)? Here, welfare reform's political lessons apply.

One is the need to overcome a bias against change. We underestimate people's ability to adapt. In 1995, one think tank forecast that the bill would throw 1 million more children into poverty. If Congress had listened, little would have happened. Today we could gradually raise Social Security and Medicare eligibility ages without causing a social catastrophe.

The 1996 bill was one of President Clinton's most significant accomplishments."

The High Cost of Obesity???

Carol Graham of the Wallstreet Journal recently wrote: There is no doubt that cheap food and sedentary lifestyles play a major role in the increase of obesity. But an unanswered puzzle is the concentration of incidence in lower income groups. Obesity is largely a problem of the poor. If it's merely a story of cheap and readily available food, why then aren't the rich the fattest?

My answer is that, although there are other factors, such as greater acceptability among the poor and some minorities for being heavier, the fact that healthier food costs more, cannot be ignored. For example, you've got five dollars for dinner, are you going to buy fresh apples or frozen pizza? Junk food just packs more calories per dollar than healthy food.

The Real Reason for Soaring Healthcare?

Greg Mankiw writes, "But if health insurance, rather than exogenous technological advance, is the explanation for higher health spending, the policy implications could be profound. Better designed health insurance could, perhaps, save us a bundle of money."

See Businessweek for more on the topic.

Is Biotech becoming a victim of its own success?

How Start-ups in New Industries Struggle to Keep their Cutting Edge, Small Company Culture

As biotech becomes "big biotech," its companies, namely, Amgen and Genentech "grapple with a raft of new dilemmas: how to remain nimble and entrepreneurial despite a burgeoning bureaucracy and how to preserve their reputation for cutting-edge science, resisting pressure to join mainstream companies in the race to develop blockbuster drugs that could prove vulnerable to generic substitutes" (EIU, 2006).

The CEOs of these two companies are faced with what might be called a "higher level" problem; how to take advantage of their stellar growth, rather than becoming overwhelmed by it. In short form, the answer to this problem, according to these two, after commissioning an analysis of fast growing companies, is not to get complacent or arrogant. I know from experience and observation that success naturally leads to complacency and often arrogance. Leaders like Jack Welch know this and do not allow it to fester in their organizations.

The CEOs studied what differentiated themselves from big pharma, and learned that in order to stay on the cutting edge, they had to, not only attract top-notch scientists, but had to keep a creative environment in which they could flourish. This meant placing "a premium on internal communication that is stripped of ceremony and euphemism. Mr. Perimutter, who was one of Merck's top scientists before leaving for Amgen, says: "I like to joke that I get e-mail everyday that would be grounds for dismissal at Merck. We know how to spell insubordination around here" (EIU, 2006).

Genentech even goes so far as to allow its scientists to work part-time on their own scientific endeavors with the stipulation that it is pure science and not connected with the business of Genentech. Levinson, Genentech's CEO, sees little logic to the big pharma model that allows major scientific decisions to be made by the sales and marketing departments. It detracts from doing great science, says Levinson, "I'd rather drive a truck than run that kind of company" (EIU, 2006).

The EIU article points out, that "if, as some have argued, the last century was dominated by physics, the fate of 'big biotech" could yet provide conclusive evidence that the current one will be defined by biology."

References:

• Staff (2006). World healthcare: Big biotech fears becoming a victim of its own success

Turning the Tide

Energy from the Restless Sea

The New York Times, Business Section, August 4, 2006:

"A group of entrepreneurs is harnessing the perpetual motion of the ocean and turning it into a commodity in high demand: energy. Right now, machines of various shapes and sizes are being tested off shores from the North Sea to the Pacific — one may even be coming to the East River in New York State this fall — to see how they capture waves and tides and create marine energy."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the price of oil goes up, so goes the attractiveness of even the most fanciful of alternative energy ideas...this one is fast becoming a viable new source to help usher in US energy independence and renewed economic security, not to mention a way to leave the Middle East alone. Am I wrong here?

Big Oil Ripping us Off?

A common view these days is that big oil is ripping us off through price fixing.

I think of the story of the person who went to New Orleans after Katrina to sell generators. He hiked up the price for his troubles and found many who were only too happy to pay the premium. This guy, who was providing a invaluable service, was repaid by being arrested by the local law enforcers for "price gouging." I feel sorry for those who dearly needed the generators and missed out on getting them.

Of course most of the reason for the high price of oil is merely a matter of basic supply and demand, and not price fixing. Does one think that countries like Saudi Arabia really want to loose all of their customers in the long run, by forcing conservation and switching to new energy alternatives because the price of oil becomes just too high?

Why Blog?

From the article, "The invisible hand on the keyboard"

Why do economists spend valuable time blogging?

Aug 3rd 2006
From The Economist print edition

Like millions of others, economists from circles of academia and public policy spend hours each day writing for nothing. The concept seems at odds with the notion of economists as intellectual instruments trained in the maximisation of utility or profit. Yet the demand is there: some of their blogs get thousands of visitors daily, often from people at influential institutions like the IMF and the Federal Reserve.

A new study* by E. Han Kim and Adair Morse, of the University of Michigan, and Luigi Zingales, of the University of Chicago, shows that the internet's ability to spread knowledge beyond university classrooms has diminished the competitive edge that elite schools once held.

Top universities once benefited from having clusters of star professors. The study showed that during the 1970s, an economics professor from a random university, outside the top 25 programmes, would double his research productivity by moving to Harvard. The strong relationship between individual output and that of one's colleagues weakened in the 1980s, and vanished by the end of the 1990s.

The faster flow of information and the waning importance of location—which blogs exemplify—have made it easier for economists from any university to have access to the best brains in their field. That anyone with an internet connection can sit in on a virtual lecture from Mr DeLong (a prominent econoblogger and professor at the University of California, Berkeley) means that his ideas move freely beyond the boundaries of Berkeley, creating a welfare gain for professors and the public.

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Of all the new technologies out there, after the microwave and air conditioning of course, I put the greatest value on Cell phones and the Internet...Cell Phones, because of the security they provide (think of a roadside breakdown hundreds of miles from the nearest town with a baby on board) and the Internet, because I can now look up the meaning of such things as "back dating options" and why it is getting some people in trouble...I can sound intelligent at parties, that is, if I ever went to parties where that subject would come up! Could you imagine? ;-)

-- Matt

A New Dollar Mantra

I thought this was hysterical! (Maybe I am a nerd)

By Greg Mankiw

"Today's Wall Street Journal reports on "dollar policy:"

Mr. Paulson offered this statement on the U.S. dollar: "A strong dollar is in our nation's interest and that currency values should be determined in open and competitive markets in response to underlying economic fundamentals." It is a phrase he is sure to repeat over the next two and a half years, a tactic that another former Goldman Sachs chief executive, Robert Rubin, used to avoid inadvertently moving financial markets with offhand comments on the currency.

He didn't say what is widely understood inside the Bush administration and among economists: Some weakening of the U.S. dollar is likely in response to U.S. trade deficit that has grown very large and to flows of foreign savings to the U.S. that are unlikely to keep growing.

One of the more bizarre rituals in Washington is the press corp trying to get a Treasury Secretary to say something newsworthy about the exchange value of the dollar. The Treasury Secretary's goal is to say something that makes him look smart and authoritative without actually saying anything substantive which might cause market volatility.

The old Rubin mantra fits the bill, but it is getting a bit stale by now. I have a suggestion for a new dollar mantra that is just as good and a bit shorter. It's...

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! "

(OK, I'm a Nerd --Matt)

The Future of Healthcare

Experiences in Asia and Australasia suggest that the future for healthcare is not necessarily private-sector provision.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the "world market for healthcare products and services will continue to grow rapidly over the forecast period (2006 - 10). Struggles among big pharmaceutical companies and governments about intellectual property rights along with downward pressure on prices due to the rise of generic drugs mask the bigger problems of inadequate basic care and skills shortages that will plague poorer countries. Furthermore, "healthcare insurance, and how best to provide it, will become an...important subject" (EIU, 2006).

Although the trend is for drugs to come under price pressures, healthcare spending will continue to rise dramatically, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP for most of the world's countries. Although the US and Europe are respectively the number one and two leading markets for healthcare, companies who want to expand into foreign markets will find good opportunities in Asia. "Major Asian markets will grow particularly rapidly, and be of particular interest to pharmaceutical manufacturers, suppliers of medical devices and healthcare service providers" (EIU, 2006).

But perhaps the most important issue of all in the first half of the new century will be how to best adapt, coordinate and restructure international efforts to deal with public health emergencies that are beyond the scope of the private sector, in any country. The World Health Organization (WHO) has come under some criticism and may have to be revamped and then might lead the debate as how to best address growing healthcare issues and problems among the countries of the world.

Private vs. public funding for healthcare is a debate that raged in the US during the first term of the Clinton administration and will probably come up again sooner rather than later. The world's countries range on this issue from totally private healthcare to totally public healthcare and many points in between. The Economist Intelligence Unit has taken a side; at least it seems so from this statement: "Asia and Australasia also suggests that the future for healthcare is not necessarily private-sector provision. Many of the wealthier Asian countries already operate high-quality public systems, often at relatively low cost" (EIU, 2006). I find this short statement, hidden in the middle of the forecast text to be a powerful prescription for a multitude of problems, and one that should get more attention and consideration.

As a side note, according to Bill Clinton's, "My Life," when the public was polled about a health care proposal, the overwhelming majority approved of it...unbeknownst to them, the proposal was the very one that the Clinton Administration was putting forward. The one that the Republicans scared everyone about and denounced as socialized medicine.

References:

Staff (2006). World healthcare outlook: A healthy sector. Economist Economic Unit

Energy, India, and National Security

Energy Continues to shape Geo-Political and National Security Concerns - An alliance with India will build a more secure future for the United States

General Background

Energy is one of the compelling economic and political issues of our time. There are currently dozens of alternative energy solutions being pursued by corporations and small business inventors, each with dreams of hitting upon the next big energy alternative and making more money than can be imagined. Energy issues are tied to big business, politics, national security, geo-political alliances/positioning, environmental concerns, personal concerns and globalization. It is and has been the cause of a war or two (my opinion).

Oil and gas prices are poised to continue to elevate for the foreseeable future, due largely to a continued increases in demand, as emerging economies like China's and India's expand along with their production of goods and services that require more and more energy. Already, U.S. oil companies have reported record profits for the first part of 2006, spawning a debate among US citizens and congress about the merits of a "windfall tax" on these profits. This debate seems to have settled down for now in favor of letting the "invisible hand of the market" (see "The Wealth of Nations," by Adam Smith) rule the day.

India's Deal with the US

Let me illustrate with a current topic that touches upon several of the issues I listed in paragraph one. Congress has passed a bill solidifying a deal with India that would allow "the US to supply India with civilian nuclear fuel and technology, in exchange for India allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its non-military nuclear facilities" (EIU, 2006). This deal has drawn criticism from those who have concerns with upsetting Pakistan (a major ally in the war on terrorism), who might look upon the deal as a threat to their security as well as a signal of US loyalty in South Asia and a snub to them. Others fear that this will embolden countries like Iran and North Korea, so that they will ignore the IAEA and step up their nuclear weapons development and testing. Some point out that China has "expressed concern of the message the deal sends about the validity of international non-proliferation efforts" (EIU, 2006). Finally, there are those within India itself who see the deal as restrictive and makes India too dependent on the US.

A subsequent, non-coincidental "sale of F-16s to Pakistan...will not disguise the fact that the US now deems its alliance with India its highest strategic priority in South Asia" (EIU, 2006). As you can see from this example, energy (in this case as a bargaining chip) continues to shape geo-political strategy and national security decisions.

References:

Staff (2006) Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Energy Industry Briefing. India energy: Nuclear deal moves closer