The Market Coalition

This week I came face-to-face with a genuine dilemma. I had several meetings across town and for some reason I miscalculated and ended up with a 2-1/2 hour gap between meetings. I hate to waste time, but if I drove back to my office, I would simply have to return to my meeting later and with the cost of gas these days, one cannot be too cautious.

You know gas is getting high when it costs more to fill up the car than the car is actually worth. The most valuable thing in my car is in my gas tank.

I remedied the situation by stopping in a small coffee shop for cup of Joe. As far as I’m concerned, there is no bad time to have a cup of coffee, in spite of the price. I ordered my coffee and when the waitress brought it to me, I began to think about coffee. Why did God give us coffee?

Then my mind went back to my grandfather, whose great gift to me was a love of coffee. Nobody loved coffee more. I remember one of his favorite quotes, “You can always tell a man by the coffee drinks.”

Anathema to my grandfather was the idea of instant coffee. No man, in his opinion, would ever drink anything of the kind. “If a man would drink instant coffee,” my grandfather perked, “there’s no telling what else he would do. Never trust a man who drinks instant coffee.”

Making coffee was an art form to my grandfather. There was a right way and a wrong way to make coffee, and he always insisted on the right way. Of course, the right way was the way he made coffee.

In grandfather’s kitchen was an old wood-burning cook stove. My grandmother cooked meals on this ancient apparatus for more than 50 years. Sure, she eventually got an electric stove but it was more for show than anything else.

On this old-fashioned stove, my grandfather brewed his famous mud broth. He never allowed my grandmother to make the brew; it was his job, which he took seriously.

Once for his birthday we all chipped in and bought him an electric coffee pot. I had never seen my grandfather so mad. When he saw what it was he would not even take it out of the box.

He had strong ideas about coffee and how it should be brewed and woe be to the person who contradicted his ideas.

Grandfather always kept a fire in the old wood cook stove and on the back of the stove he kept his coffee pot, a large 2-gallon pot one of those old-fashioned percolators long since gone out of style. The coffee was always on, and no matter when you stopped in to see him, he always had “fresh” coffee brewing.

When I say “fresh” I need to explain. Actually, the coffee was only fresh on Sunday. On Saturday night, he routinely emptied the coffee pot and prepared fresh coffee for Sunday morning.

He had an old coffee grinder and ground the coffee beans on Saturday night. He put some other things in the coffee, I have never figured out what. One thing I know he put in was a crushed eggshell. What it did to his coffee I have no idea, but grandfather was sure it was an important ingredient.

The freshly-ground coffee beans were put in, the pot filled with fresh water and set on the back of the stove to slowly perk. This coffee would last the entire week. The coffee was so strong on Sunday that if it didn’t wake you in the morning, you were dead.

In fact, cousin Ernie died on a Sunday afternoon, so my grandfather tells the story, and one sip of his black coffee roused him and he lived seven more years, which was unfortunate for grandfather, as he had to support him.

Before retiring each evening my grandfather took care of his coffee. He would freshly grind a few coffee beans, sprinkle it on top of the old coffee grounds, and then add a newly crushed eggshell. Then he would refill the coffee pot with water.

His coffee percolated 24/7 and by Saturday it was so strong you needed a half-cup of sugar just to drink one cup. It was thick enough to use as syrup on your pancakes, but so strong, it dissolved your pancakes before you could eat them.

My grandmother once tried washing the coffee pot. When my grandfather saw her, he became furious, “Never wash that coffee pot,” he spouted, “you’ll ruin its character and a coffee pot needs a lot of character to make good coffee.”

When my grandfather died, I looked at his old black coffee pot and discovered two things. One, the original color was blue. And two, although it was originally a 2-gallon pot, it only could take three quarts of water. The “character,” so important to my grandfather, had built up so much over the years its capacity was diminished.

In pondering my grandfather, I thought about my Heavenly Father and His gifts. The Bible puts it this way; “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 KJV.)

I really don’t know why God gave us coffee but I do know God’s character is of such a nature that it never diminishes His ability to bless me each day.

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Contact him by calling 687-4240. His e-mail address is jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is http://www.whatafellowship.com

It seems so simple: write down your previous jobs and give some educational history, maybe offer a few details about what you want out of life. Easy stuff, right?

Maybe not.

A poorly written resume is worse than not having one at all. It can easily undo everything that is presented at an interview. No matter how perfectly you word your phrases, they will all be forgotten the minute an employer scans over a shoddy resume.

So, what do you do? One way is to, of course, write it yourself, using templates and other sources, and hope your skills with words match your experiences. But, for those not so confident in their writing abilities, the smartest option is to have a professional resume prepared.

There are multiple sites and organizations dedicated to helping you craft the perfect professional resume. You provide the information and they turn it into something you can be proud of. Having a professional resume created offers you the best chance of impressing employers.

Of course, it must be noted that there is a disadvantage to this process: cost. Professional resume companies charge–sometimes heavily–for their services. Some may not want to pay for what they consider just “a couple pieces of paper”. This may be your mindset. Perhaps you think you could write a solid resume on your own and, perhaps, you can. All should take notice, however, of what they think their skills are, compared to what they really are.

You might be able to create a good resume; if so, create one. But, you should never rely just on your perceptions. You must be sure to let others read it, giving their opinions on what you can improve. If, after different suggestions, you don’t feel the resume is what it should be, consider a professional resume service.

Yes, they do charge and, yes, sometimes it can be much. The key is to research. You might find better deals online than through a standard service, or you could, at least, use the Internet to discover how many options you have available to you. Never go with the first company you stumble across; this is not a wise decision. Compare prices and rates until you find one that can offer quality and affordability. Often, these businesses will offer samples of their work. Decide if their style will suit
what you need.

If you seem to have trouble correctly wording your professional resume, or don’t get the responses you desire, it would be wise to look into these services. A professional resume is written by individuals who know what future employers look for; they are well-schooled in catching, and keeping, the attention. So, for the sake of your future, don’t sneer at the idea of receiving help. A resume–for all the talk of it being just a piece of paper–is important.

You don not want to ruin your chances of success with a poor one. Consider a professional resume service; they can help you create a resume tailored for your abilities.

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The studies are overwhelming - if you are physically able and willing to breastfeed your baby, it’s the best food for baby’s early days of life. That doesn’t that your baby won’t thrive perfectly well on formula if that’s what you need use, but simply that breast milk is preferable if at all possible. Although this article is written specifically about breastfeeding, many of the suggestions made here will also apply to bottle-feeding, so read on!

For the first few days of baby’s life, mum produces a substance much thicker and creamier than milk, which is called colostrum. Even if you don’t nurse your baby, see if you can collect some of this colostrum through expressing, as it’s wonderful food, full of nutrients and other good stuff for baby. If you’re nursing, it will most likely be that you need to feed your baby frequently, and on demand, for these early days.

When babies are born their digestive system is very underdeveloped, and it takes a little while for baby to get used to having food pass through his system. Many babies seem to automatically regular their intake of food, almost as if they know their stomachs need time to get then hang of food. Small, frequent feeds helps get the digestive system up and running without overwhelming it.

After about 1-2 weeks, the baby’s digestive system should have settled down, and you can start to work on creating a feeding routine. Most new babies work well on a schedule of feeds every 3-4 hours. Now, this doesn’t mean that you start a stopwatch at the end of one feed, and refuse to feed baby again until the correct amount of time has passed! It does mean, though, that you can try and plan your day with a view to needing to feed your baby at about those intervals. Also, if baby grumbles in between feeds, it’s worth trying to find other ways through it, stretching the gap between feeds, until you reach somewhere around 3-4 hours. Apart from anything else, this means that you’re not tied down to always feeding baby. It also means that your body gets to rest and make more milk, and baby’s stomach is given time to digest each feed before having another one.

If you find that baby just can’t seem to go 3-4 hours between feeds by the time he’s a month old, it may be worth checking this with your health professional. Not all breast milk is the same, and it may be that either you’re not producing enough to keep baby satisfied, or perhaps that the milk’s quality isn’t quite sufficient for baby’s needs. Sometimes in this type of situation a little supplementation may be required. Only do this with guidance, however.

From this point on almost every baby comes up with its own schedule for feeding, but the first big advance is to go without a night feed. You can progressively work on moving the last feed at night to around 10.00 or 11.00pm. Initially that means you’ll get woken for a feed around 2.00 or 3.00am, and again for an early feed around 6.00 or 7.00am. The good thing, though, is that at some point the 3.00am feed will stop, and you’ll be able to get a stretch of unbroken sleep for 7-8 hours. Bliss! Of course, the first time it happens, you’ll probably wake up at 4.00am anyway, and race into baby’s room in a panic because you’re sure something’s happened to him!

You can start to think about introducing solid foods somewhere around 6 months of age. Sometimes you can start a little earlier, and sometimes you need to wait another month or two. But that’s a topic for a whole new article!

One of the most important things to remember in breastfeeding is YOU. If you’re tired, or unwell, or stressed, your body will struggle to produce enough high quality milk to feed your baby. It’s vital that you eat well, rest whenever you can and just generally look after yourself. Both you and your baby will be much happier that way.

For more useful breastfeeding hints, visit Info About Baby You can sign up for a FREE Baby Tips newsletter at Baby Tips Newsletter. The author’s book about babies is available at Baby’s First Year

Nowadays, the expansion rate of satellite TV had beaten cable
TV greatly. Recent polls show some common reasons being superior
picture quality, larger selection of channels and programs,
increased availability, good customer service and the continuing
drop in price.

From the popularity angle, we can see that cable TV is having a
bigger market segments as they are the pioneer in the paid TV
business. However, satellite TV services are less expensive,
provide better picture quality (digital signal) and give more
programming choices to their users. Perhaps this is the reason
why satellite TV had been listed as one of the fastest growing
products in United States. We predict that this rapid growing
trend will remain the same pace for the next 5 years. As for
consumer’s view of angle, satellite TV deals seems to be the
better deal to go for.

However, with any hot product come the scammers. Hundreds or
even thousands of "free satellite TV" websites had
popped up; claming to offer the best satellite TV deals and
promotions. Most of these scams offer a fake promise on their
deals. Extremely low monthly subscription rates, next-day
installation, and unlimited number of free satellite systems are
some of the common promotion terms. However, once a customer
signs up they find hidden activation fees, high delivery costs
for free extras, installation dates continuously missed or
pushed back, as well as shocking cancellation fees.

Satellite TV buyers should always beware of all these scammers
and do not fall into their traps. Satellite TV deals can be a
huge bargains or a scary nightmare and it all depends on the
satellite TV retailers that you pick. To avoid these troubles,
you must be prepared to do some study before getting into the
deal. Understand clearly all the buying terms, avoid confusion
by the promotion wordings, and select only dependable satellite
TV providers (retailers).

What happen when someone place his/her order on satellite TV
services via online retailers?

You place an order with an online satellite TV system retailer.
You will then choose the number of satellite system you wished
to receive. Standard online satellite TV deals will offer you up
to 4 free satellite systems along with certain incentive gifts
like DVD player or home theater systems.

At the time of ordering you will schedule a time that a local
professional installer can come to your home and install the
system. You do not need to choose your programming packages at
the time of order. For example when you are ordering the Dish
Network deals, you can always order your Dish Network systems
first and decide your programming package later. Instructions
for ordering your Dish Network programming will be sent with
your systems.

You will need to call Dish Network’s toll-free number (24/7 all
year long) after your installation is completed. A customer
service representative will help you activate all the
programming you would like. The satellite system will either be
shipped to your home before the installation date or the
installer will bring it with them. In normal case, shipping cost
and standard installation fees are free of charge.

How should I know the satellite TV retailer is dependable?

Both Dish Network and DirecTV had several authorized online
retailers assigned and you are always recommended to order your
satellite systems from them. Remember! Only order your satellite
TV from authorized dealers.

Further more, to get a dependable online dealer, we suggest
checklist below as the minimum requirements.

This page: http://www.satellitetvissue.com/freesatellites/dealers.html
would be a good place to start on with a filtered list of satellite TV providers.

Requirements on good online satellite TV retailers:

• In satellite TV business for more than 1 year.
• Websites must provide secure order page and certified
  website.
• Must be authorized by Dish Network or DirecTV
  officials.
• No "hidden" fees- cost charged on
  credit card is shown clearly.
• Customer service
  available via phone, live chats or email.
• 100%
  guaranteed. (Full refund if installation fails).
• Testimonial, users review, as well as other authority sites
  recommendation would be a plus point.

You may have heard of a server system called LAMP, and wondered
what it is. Well, the answer is that LAMP isn’t any one thing on
its own - it’s actually a combination of four technologies.
Together, the LAMP technologies form the most popular overall
server system on the web today.

Which technologies are they? The answer lies in the name. LAMP
stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and Perl/PHP. The term
originated as a marketing word to help point out that open
source (free) software, when combined, could be just as
effective as expensive ‘enterprise solutions’ like J2EE (Java)
or Microsoft’s .NET. To understand the system, let’s take a look
at the components individually.

Linux

Linux is widely considered to be the open source operating
system of choice, and the main alternative to Microsoft Windows.
Thousands of volunteers from all over the world work on Linux
and create programs for it. At its heart, the system is
more-or-less a Unix derivative, which means that it’s very
stable and fast. While widespread adoption of Linux for the
desktop seems far off, mainly because of the difficulty of
getting people to switch, it isn’t stopping Linux from doing
very well on web servers.

There are many different varieties of Linux, known as
‘distributions’, with each one focusing on different features.
Some popular distributions include Debian (www.debian.org), SuSE
(owned by Novell, www.novell.com/linux/suse) and Red Hat (free
version at fedora.redhat.com). If you’re thinking of trying out
Linux on your own computer, you might like to look at Ubuntu
(www.ubuntulinux.org), which is a less technical and relatively
easy to use distribution.

Apache

Apache is the world’s most popular web server bar none. It was
based on the second-ever web server, which was developed at the
NCSA, and its history goes back as far as 1995.

For all intents and purposes, Apache has become the industry
standard server: it would be silly to say that Apache isn’t
suitable for business use, considering that it is included in
enterprise packages like Oracle and IBM’s WebSphere. Apache is
developed by the non-profit Apache Foundation (www.apache.org).

MySQL

MySQL is a relational database, popular because of its relative
simplicity and the fact that it’s free. It is considered to be
much easier to set up and use than more ‘traditional’ database
software, and MySQL databases can be managed using a range of
graphical software. MySQL is controversial among database
professionals, however, as its developers haven’t included many
complicated advanced features, feeling that they would make the
software too difficult to use without making it any more useful.
MySQL is developed by a Swedish company, MySQL AB, and its
website is www.mysql.com.

Perl and PHP

Perl and PHP are both scripting languages, and they are both
often used as the ‘glue’ that makes a database-driven website do
what it should. However, the two languages, are very different:
Perl is powerful but hard to read, while PHP is simpler but more
limited. Choosing between them is largely a matter of
preference, which is why they’re both included in the system -
some people also include a third P, Python, as an alternative
language.

If you’re starting out, it’s probably best to use PHP - the
official site at php.net has good tutorials and references on
the language. Perl’s site is at perl.org, but you should only
really start with Perl if you’ve got some previous programming
experie Getting LAMP.

If you want to get the whole LAMP system together instead of
downloading the components separately, a good place to go is
www.apachefriends.org/en. They offer it for download - don’t
worry, all the software is free. You don’t get Linux, but you
get everything else, and it will install easily on most
operating systems, including Linux and Windows.

LAMP Variants

There are a number of LAMP variants that replace parts of the
system. While these systems aren’t as popular, they’re still
worth knowing about and considering.

WAMP: Windows replaces Linux. MAMP: Mac OS replaces Linux. AMP:
Apache, MySQL and Perl/PHP running on any operating system.
LAPP: PostgreSQL replaces MySQL. LAMJ: JSP replaces Perl/PHP.

There is also the insulting-sounding term WIMP, which means that
Windows replaces Linux and IIS replaces Apache - this is
considered to result in a much worse system than LAMP.

A friend of mine is an avid photographer. He has a DSLR with a load of accessories and a series of nice lenses. He recently bought one that cost an arm and a leg and he was pretty proud of it.

On the other side of the coin, my father has a lens for his film SLR that he bought over 30 years ago. It is ragged, chipped and squeaks a bit. But he won’t part with it. It was cheap(ish) but it lacks some of the functionality of my friend’s DSLR lens.

My friend’s lens is huge. I can see him coming in the distance simply because he had a large photo-rucksack on his back to hold all his equipment. It is a splendid piece of glass but requires a tripod or monopod for all but the brightest of conditions.

The lens is also white. It stands out and says to everyone “I am a lens to look at”. My friend loves it and gives him added impetus to get out there and take pictures.

My father, however, gets the same results - and has been doing for 30 years - with his rag-bag of assorted accessories, some of which are nearing the end of their useful life. His lens, although tatty, produces excellent results and gets HIM out in the field taking shots, just like my friend’s does for him.

My father’s lens doesn’t choose the subject for him, compose the scene and tells him at which point to release the shutter…

…. nor does my friends.

And therein lies the reason why my father is a successful champion of many camera club competitions where my friend has yet to win one

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com.

Some of the top of the capital’s restaurants are stated to be some of the very best on the planet. Connoisseurs may go a long way to dine in these locations and oftentimes one may be compelled to book a place ahead to get your place, or maybe to be willing to perch in the venue’s drinks area for a small number of glasses of wine until a table is free. A principal spot to feast at is the Ping Pong restaurant; this is a celebrated, contemporary spot to feast in. This exquisite & ritzy spot serves up a few of the leading Dim Sum dishes that you will ever come across, a remarkable collection of delicious tea and first class cocktails. Should you delight in Dim Sum meals, this spot has got to be up there with the top notch places to feed at.

Likewise, Nobu is a fresh & new Japanese venue. This is Nobu’s first English project & it has done excellently. Their menu is excellent & acceding that their portions are, from time to time, on the small side, this spot should not be any trouble, seen as you’ll almost certainly buy a few dishes - revel in the professionalism over only the the sizes. Principally, this restaurant delivers cracking food, has nice attendants and a stunning delivery.

Electric Birdcage spot based in St James St. is a venue where folk’s creativity may run all over the place! In this new hang out their cuisine is based upon innovative Asian meals & it has been declared as being a must try - their cocktails are tremendous and it’s top drinks must be experienced by all of us. Our capital benefits from scores of pricey, ritzy places to eat, but don’t forget it furthermore is able to provide a myriad of cheap restaurants, many of these are similarly our city’s humble and concealed jewels. Find out about all of London restaurants with Time Out.

This metropolis, as is well appreciated, is one of the most impressive places on earth - nonetheless don’t forget it is sometimes a bit costly. If you are seeking super, low cost dining then you’re in the perfect setting to get it, providing one is looking in the correct spot. The capital contains stacks of fabulous choices - pizza houses, low priced Italian cafes and zillions of vegan establishments. The Gourmet Burger Kitchen’s a wonderful burger joint that is inspired by countless marvellous burger houses situated around the U.K. There exists each and every combination of burger one can conceive of, and that means it’s got burgers to cater for every person. GBK is really competitive, and their portions are massive, there is definitely no compulsion for getting any more in this joint. Masala Zone’s a pioneering bunch of modern Indian restaurants. These places are all fairly priced and have classic Indian Street goodies, awesome for when one needs to dine, nevertheless your dinner plans mustn’t be for overly long, or may be pleasing for those times when one is going out with a party of mates & you are searching for a place with super nosh and also a vibes to match.

You had mortgaged your home and now you need money. What will you do now? Take another loan or borrow some money from your friend and increase your credit burden. I have a better option for you, you can go for “Remortgaging”.

Remortgaging means replacing your existing mortgage for a new mortgage with a different lender. You switch on from one lender to another just because the new lender offers you a better deal to raise some money or to pay a lower interest rate.

Remortgaging can be used for following purpose -

Debt Consolidation - Remortgage offers you with an opportunity to consolidate your existing debts into one thus you will be accountable to only one creditor who will be the new lender.

Home Improvement - You can release your home’s equity by remortgaging. It makes sense to remortgage because the interest rates offered by the new lender are very low compared with many unsecured personal loans and credit card rates.

Save Money - Remortgaging can help you save that extra money you were paying to the previous lender in terms of higher rate of interest.

By remortgaging you can borrow from £25,000 up to £500,000, depending on the value of your property.
Remortgaging helps you to get a bigger loan at lower interest rates that will help you clear up debts and save up on interests. Remortgaging provides an opportunity to shift from the current rigid mortgage plan to a flexible and better plan.
If you plan to Remortgage, the first step is to know what is your existing mortgage repayment terms. Any early repayment charges that you may face might make it not worth remortgaging right now. So, you need to know what kind of mortgage you already have. You must be able to answer these questions:
o Are you in a special rate deal - if so for how long?
o If you are no longer paying a special rate, are you in an overhang period?
o What penalty payment, if any, will be required to move your mortgage?
After analyzing you current mortgage status, you can proceed forward with your decision to remortgage or not. If you wish to remortgage then you may be interested in a Straight Remortgage for better rate or remortgage to raise capital.
The next step is to search for remortgage offers available in the market. To get the best deal you need to make some efforts. Shop around; approach the banks you have been dealing at present or in the past and collect the quotes offered by them. You can also look for online lenders; sometime they provide you with better deals. So take your time and shop around, these efforts will definitely pay you in future saving your hard earned money.
Last step involves applying for the loan, compare the various quotes and look for the one that suits your pocket and meet your expectations in the best possible manner.
A remortgage for a better rate can be an easy decision, but, as in any mortgage, you should make sure that you are aware of ALL the costs involved such as Set-up costs, Ongoing interest charges and any changes and redemption charges on your old mortgage and your new one.
Many lenders provide Bad Credit Remortgage loan for people who have bad debt history, arrears or CCJs.
Remortgaging is switching over from an existing lender to a new lender who offers better deal at lower interest. Remortgage becomes a viable option when the market situation is favorable and the interest rates start to decrease. You need to shop around to find the best deal that suits your pocket.

Loan borrowing is a highly voluntary act. It is such a significant decision that without proper knowledge and understanding it would not be of much help. Sandra smith is making an honest effort in such a direction so that loan borrowing is comprehensible to lay man and thereby he can make a favourable decision that substantiates his financial status.To find Mortgage,first time buyer mortgage,buy to let mortgage that best suits your needs visit www.easymortgageuk.co.uk“> www.easymortgageuk.co.uk

Some drinks look and taste better in special glasses although you could serve almost any drink in a Highball, white wine or Martini glass. However, since Champagne is a distinguished celebratory drink, it should always be served in its unique and extremely elegant glasses: flutes. Champaigne is a copyrighted trademark of those who make sparkline wine in Champaigne, France. All other drinks of this type are called sparkling wine.

A Champagne flute is a tulip-shaped glass designed to show off the “bead” (bubbles) of the fine wine as they brush against the sides of the glass and delicately fan out into a “mousse”. The flute has a long stem with a tall, narrow bowl on top, which is better than the traditional saucer-shaped glass at trapping and preserving the bead. After all, the fizzy bubbles are central to the pleasure of drinking a glass of Champagne, as compared to other wines. What’s more, they help to explode the bouquet just beneath your nose as you’re sipping the bubbly.

The tulip-shaped form enhances the Champagne’s robe, favors the ascension of the bead and prevents the wine’s bouquet from disappearing too quickly. Wine connoisseurs, of course, are acquainted with the fact that a particular flute might allow older Champagne to open more, while another will keep the Champagne chilled longer.

It should be noted that Champagne flutes need special care. Overcooling, soap residue or strong odors agitate the beads. To make sure your Champagne bubbles cheerfully, ascertain that your flutes are washed in clear water and dried with a lint-free dishcloth.

If a child’s fun comes naturally why do they quickly learn to be afraid as they grow older? We adults are responsible. We, of course, are merely teaching our children the “rules” as we were taught; passing along our fears to our children comes as naturally for us as being too serious (and being too serious, in turn, comes from our fear).

Watch children. Left to their own devices a child’s fun comes naturally, they are not inclined to be afraid. We instill it in them. I’m not referring to being afraid to cross a street, touch a hot iron, or play with matches. Those are good, healthy fears that our children need. The fear I refer to is the illusionary variety; fears like scarcity, failure, and unworthiness only exist in our mind and, therefore, are only real if we decide they are.

Seriousness Holds Us All Back…and Eventually Kills Us

Fear is the root cause of the single greatest debilitating force in our society - seriousness. Seriousness is all about taking yourself too seriously and it is a deadly habit deeply ingrained, unfortunately, in a majority of our society. The major symptom of seriousness is stress and, to be convinced, one only need see that over 80% of all doctor’s appointments are now stress related. In fact every major disease plaguing western civilization (depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic pain, obesity, arthritis, cancer, etc.) is directly related to stress.

Fortunately, my decades of research and medical practice have identified the single most effect treatment for seriousness - The Fun Factor. My own experience with The Fun Factor has revealed the deceivingly simple but powerful nature of this lifesaving tool. I have helped patients use The Fun Factor for decades, with results people rave about. I now share The Fun Factor with people all over the world. Its rapid success formula is just what the doctor ordered.

My son, Greg, has become an expert with my unique prescription, The Fun Factor, using it to banish the killer seriousness that fear produces. Free from seriousness, he is employing fun to escape the illusionary fears that have haunted him since young adulthood. Just as it did for me, The Fun Factor has opened doors of opportunity that he never dreamed possible. Primarily the opportunity to live a life of love, hope, and abundance instead of a life of fear and seriousness.

Greg, in turn, wants to pass the gift of The Fun Factor to his three children - my grandchildren. Recently, my grandchildren’s love of the Harry Potter book series gave Greg a great idea that his sons have embraced. I hope this report will help you introduce this concept from Harry Potter just as Greg has done. Imagine the successful life that awaits a child who has grown up with the keys to escape having seriousness and fear instilled in them!

How Can Harry Potter Teach Us About The Fun Factor?

In the third Harry Potter book we are introduced to scary creatures called Dementors. Dementors are as frightening as their name implies. Invisible apparitions capable of more than merely haunting you; Dementors will suck out your soul, leaving you worse than dead. Don’t Harry Potter’s Dementors sound just like our illusionary fears? Our fears haunt us just like Dementors, appearing without invitation and leaving us despondent and immobilized.

Also in the third Potter book, Harry Potter learns a powerful spell called the Patronus, which is capable of chasing away Dementors. When Harry chants the incantation and thinks a positive, happy thought, a beautiful, helpful spirit appears from his magic wand to banish whatever Dementors are bothering him. Harry’s ability to conjure powerful Patronus’ increases the more he practices this spell.

Doesn’t Harry Potter’s spell remind you of how I teach you to use the powerful natural medicine of humor? In The Fun Factor, I reveal not only your power and ability to think positive thoughts, but also your responsibility to do so. As you learn to use your humor nature to develop positive attitudes, you are, literally, conjuring a Patronus to dispel your seriousness and fear. Harry Potter’s Patronus is a real thing!

It’s Easy to Use Harry Potter’s Magic

As adults we can revel in two pieces of great news:

• We cannot hold two conflicting thoughts simultaneously.
• Since our fears and seriousness are illusions, we can easily replace those thoughts if we choose to.

As a child’s fun exemplifies, wouldn’t you love to live a life where fear and seriousness didn’t dictate your choices and decisions? Learning to use more productive and effective attributes like your sense of humor, self-awareness, and imagination is as simple as using The Fun Factor. As simple as deciding to change what you’re thinking about on a moment-to-moment basis. Are you willing to conjure Harry Potter’s Patronus today rather than suffer from a haunting, immobilizing, and imaginary fear?

You know from past experience that a Patronus is a real thing, in the sense that a positive attitude dispels a negative outlook. What a gift you can give to supercharge your child’s fun by teaching him/her this skill at an early age! And Harry Potter is a great, and easy, way to do it.

The Introduction of the Harry Potter Lesson

According to Greg, his introduction of the Harry Potter concept to my grandsons went like this:

Greg: Hey guys, do you remember the Patronus spell from Harry Potter?

Jordan and William: Yes.

Greg: What does it do?

J & W: The Patronus comes out and chases away the Dementors.

Greg: What is Harry’s Patronus?

J & W: The spirit of Harry’s dad.

Greg: That’s right. Harry’s Patronus is a beautiful memory he has of something very important to him.

Greg: Did you know that the Patronus spell is real?

J & W: What?!

Greg: Yes. When you are being bothered by fears or worries of any kind, if you think about something you love, or are excited about, or that makes you happy, your worries or fears will disappear.

Greg: What are some things that you love or that make you happy to think about?

J & W: You and Mommy…Christmas…Halloween…Nanny and Pop Pop, Grandgapop and Baba (Grandparents)…our kitties…Ms. Hardin and Ms. Miller (teachers)…our cousins…our friends…our toys…going to the movies…going on vacation…etc.

Greg: Those are all wonderful thoughts. Anytime you are scared or worried, if you think about things like that - you are actually performing a magic spell! You are conjuring a Patronus! Because your worries and fears are just like Dementors and thinking about Mommy and Daddy will make the Dementors go away.

J & W: You mean, like if we have to go to the bathroom at night and we think there is a monster in the hallway? All we have to do is think about something we really love and we won’t be scared anymore?

Greg: Exactly! Or if you’re worried about what someone thinks about you or if you’re scared that something bad is going to happen to you. Almost all of your worries and fears are of imaginary things. And if you think about something you love, that imaginary thing scaring you will go away.

Greg: And remember how Harry’s Patronus got more powerful each time he cast the spell?

J & W: Yes.

Greg: Your Patronus will get more powerful too, each time you do it!

I have had numerous follow-up conversations with my grandsons about this topic and they have really taken the lessons of Harry Potter’s Patronus to heart. I hope you can use this powerful lesson with your children and start them on the road to fun, success, health, and vitality.

Not all of us were lucky enough to encounter The Fun Factor at an early age; our fun was, to our detriment, quickly replaced by the seriousness of adulthood! Give the gift of The Fun Factor to your young family members and help them hold onto their sense of fun, avoiding the missteps that spring from our adult fear and seriouness.

Discover the secrets of a (formerly) stressed-out physician. A psychiatrist, and a stand-up comedian, Cliff Kuhn, M.D., dispenses his unique prescription for using humor to turbo-charge your health, success, and vitality via his website, http://www.natural-humor-medicine.com. Here you will find tons of fun, free ways for you to maximize your sense of humor and enjoy a life others will admire.