Linda Durnell: Under the Influence of Joy: 8 Ways to Create More Joy

We are acutely aware of being under the influence of many things: drugs, alcohol, jealousy, manipulative media, and racism. We fight to create awareness so we can move beyond the influences of these negative emotions and situations. Just as important as letting some things go, there is the importance of bringing new things toward us. One of the influences that we can and should embrace is joy. Being under the influence of joy has the ability to shift your focus and change the trajectory of your life.

How Can I Create Joy?

• Have A Magnificent Vision Of Who You Want To Be

  And move toward it every day! Redefine who you are. Do not allow others' opinions and attitudes define you. You know who you are, and even if others up until now have not seen the real you or supported you, it does not change who you are. If you wish to change, create a new vision and move steadily toward it through incorporating new thoughts, actions and beliefs.

• Say Yes To New Things

  Allow newness to be part of every day. Start with small things, such as a new routine or having fresh flowers or herbs by your bedside to see when you wake up every morning. Move on to embrace new beliefs and ways of thinking that are not limiting. Newness keeps you flexible, open, fresh and happy.

• Be Willing To Let Joy "In"

  When we rush through events and moments by being results driven, we do not see the joy that is available. When we think back to the precious moments with our children, if we let our fatigue or worries take precedence over the moment, that moment is lost forever. Be conscious of those times when joy is present and acknowledge it, enjoy it and be grateful for it. Promise to allow joy to stay once it arrives.

• Create The Right Conditions For Growth And Love

  This will lead to joy. We all want love and joy and we wonder why it is so elusive. Look at the environment you have created and see if it is conducive to happiness. When we have a home or workplace filled with drama, hatred, jealousy and fear you will find it hard to see and feel joy. Strive to create a loving home -- laugh often. And, if for whatever reason, your environment cannot be changed, then create within yourself a place of peace and acceptance and watch the joy appear.

• Be Around People Who Respect And Love You

  The joy this creates is something you can then share with others. We can't always create the perfect environment, but when we have the opportunity, let us choose to be with the people who like us! Not everyone will see who we really are, but when you find those individuals who make you feel good, be around them as much as possible.

• Create A Huge Vision Of What You Want To Do

  Think bigger and then bigger again. You are powerful beyond your knowing, and when you dream, do not be surprised when it becomes a reality. Pay attention to how you feel when you think of your dreams coming true. Stay with that feeling -- it is joy.

• Emerge Through Crisis

  With love and respect for yourself and others intact. When we carry the burdens of every crisis (lesson) on our backs, we become hunched over. It is not necessary to carry the weight of rejections, fear, loss and disappointment with us throughout our lives. Life is hard, and if we can learn our lessons and not be diminished by them, we create the conditions to experience joy.

• When In Doubt, Stay Silent Until Love Can Emerge

  One of life's greatest gifts is the ability to pause. We can choose to stay silent while the anger is active within us. We can choose to pause before we commit to an action. We do not have to know the answers to everything or the correct response in times of turmoil and the words to comfort and heal. We can, however, be silent, breathe, wait and expect love to emerge. When love emerges, then and only then will we see the best options available for us.

When you are in the midst of turmoil, uncertainty, pain or sadness, remember to be love in action -- and this includes forgiveness. In every dark moment there exists its opposite. Continue to hang on and know you have the strength within you to find joy. It is there -- I promise.

For more by Linda Durnell, click here.

For more on happiness, click here.

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Follow Linda Durnell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LindaDurnell

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Suspended Politico reporter says he?s ?done?

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Ex-British PM denies Murdoch claim to inquiry

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday contradicted testimony by Rupert Murdoch to an inquiry into press ethics in which the media tycoon said Brown had threatened war against his company.

Murdoch had told the government-sponsored inquiry that Brown phoned him in September 2009 after the Sun newspaper switched its allegiance to the Conservative Party. Brown responded by vowing to wage war on Murdoch's company in revenge, Murdoch said.

"This conversation never took place. I am shocked and surprised that it should be suggested," Brown, who served as prime minister from 2007 to 2010, told the Leveson inquiry. "This call did not happen. The threat was not made."

"I find it shocking," Brown said, adding that Murdoch's claim was damaging the tycoon's company. "This did not happen. There is no evidence that it happened other than Mr Murdoch's, but it didn't happen."

A former British leader accusing Murdoch of misleading the inquiry under oath could further tarnish the reputation of the world's most powerful media tycoon in a country which is home to some of his biggest newspaper and broadcasting interests.

When pressed on how a serving prime minister could make such a threat, Murdoch had told the inquiry: "I don't think he was in a very balanced state of mind."

"We were talking more quietly than you or I are now - he said, 'Well, your company has declared war on my government and we have no alternative but to make war on your company,'" Murdoch told the inquiry in April.

Following Brown's evidence, a News Corp spokeswoman said: "Rupert Murdoch stands behind his testimony."

Brown said that Murdoch was wrong about both the date and the contents of the phone call. Statements submitted to a media watchdog by five of Brown's advisers, and seen by Reuters, show none of the five heard Brown threaten Murdoch on the call.

Aides to Brown, including his special adviser, director of strategy and deputy chief of staff, said in statements submitted to the Press Complaints Commission last year that Brown made no such threat on the call, which took place in November, not September as Murdoch had said.

"I listened to the phone call between Mr Brown and Mr. Murdoch in November 2009," Stewart Wood, special adviser to the Prime Minister's office, said in a statement dated October 2011 that Reuters has seen.

"At no point in the conversation was threatening language of any sort used by either Mr Brown or Mr Murdoch," Wood said.

A British parliamentary committee which investigated allegations of illegal phone-hacking by Murdoch publications has already deemed the Australian-born tycoon unfit to manage a major global company.

BROWN'S SON

During his testimony, Brown also challenged a version of events given by Murdoch's lieutenant, Rebekah Brooks, about a Sun report that Brown's four-month-old son Fraser had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Brooks, who was charged last month with interfering with a police investigation into the phone hacking scandal, told the inquiry the Browns had given their backing to the story.

"I have never sought to bring my children into the public domain," Brown said. He denied his consent had been given to publish the story. "I find it sad that even now in 2012 members of the News International staff are coming to this inquiry and maintaining this fiction."

Analysts said the Sun's treatment of Brown's son would likely garner sympathy for the former prime minister but they said the issue of who was telling the truth between Murdoch and Brown was still unclear. "I think there is also a question about Brown's credibility on this," media consultant Steve Hewlett, who has covered the inquiry closely, told Reuters.

The former prime minister had questioned whether the paper hacked into his son's medical records to get the story. Brooks has denied this and Murdoch has said the story was broken when a father of another child tipped off the newspaper.

Brown said a local National Health Service branch in Fife had apologized to his family because information about his son came from NHS staff. "There were only a few medical people who knew that our son had this condition," Brown said.

He said the NHS in Fife "now believe it highly likely that there was unauthorized information given by a medical or working member of the NHS staff that allowed the Sun through this middle man to publish this story," Brown said.

Murdoch described a relationship with Brown - whose political career effectively ended when he lost an election to incumbent Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010 - that included meals which their wives attended and conversations on topics ranging from charity to the war in Afghanistan.

Brooks told the Leveson inquiry she formed a friendship with Sarah Brown and that they had had a "pyjama party" at the prime minister's official country residence, Chequers, with Murdoch's daughter, Elisabeth, and his wife, Wendi.

But Murdoch said their relationship worsened after his media companies opposed Brown ahead of the 2010 election.

(Additional reporting by Philip Baillie, Maria Golovnina, Tim Castle and Michael Holden; Editing by Michael Stott, Janet McBride and Giles Elgood)

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How a Single Company Gained a Stranglehold over Online ...

Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.

NoKidding Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:12 pm

I see no reason to stop using Amazon in that graphic. In fact I find it encouraging. Like Wakmart, it is defeating counter parties on my behalf. And like Walmart it will only get my money when it provides a superior economic result.

mitchw Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:20 pm

Security. I feel confident giving Amazon my numbers, and can restrict the vendors that have my numbers.
Customer Service. They respond to my problems quickly and fairly. They even surprised me once by just forgiving the price of an item when it was defective. No sending it back.
Used Items. I am happy to buy used books and CDs. Their affiliates have been great.

Yes, long time customer and Kindly Fire user. Come on Jeff, bring out a clamshell netbook before Redmond!

end game Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:27 pm

I didn?t know that employees were captive. And what business doesn?t threaten its suppliers with loss of their business if they don?t lower their prices? The Institute for Self Reliance doesn?t mention that Amazon offers instant comparisons of features and prices, complete with product reviews and user ratings with commentary, lightning-quick purchasing, and nearly flawless delivery. The sales tax advantage is a legitimate point, but otherwise seems to miss the obvious point that Amazon is winning by giving customers exactly what they want. I thought that was the point of free enterprise and competitive advantage.

chartist Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:48 pm

it?s absolutely ridiculous that Amazon still gets away with not collecting sales tax?..They should not enjoy such a competitive advantage at this stage.

ashpelham2 Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:57 pm

If you read this information and digest it for what it is, and know anything about business, you now see that they clearly enjoy some unfair advantages over everyone else. It?s not enough for them that don?t have brick and mortar stores, and all the expense that goes with that. They extend a few steps farther by employing extreme, unfair labor practices, and bypassing collecting sales taxes. These are advantages that should ring alarm bells. And if the DOL was doing it?s job and not being accused of operating a gestapo, these advantages would be wiped out.

These are some of the same advantages that have put China into the competitive place they are today, and created Wal Mart?s all-encompassing, blood-sucking empire.

It seems we are more determined to see all competition be destroyed than we are determined to get the ?lowest price. Everyday.?

whskyjack Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:05 pm

I buy used books on amazon but not much else. I looked at products but they weren?t that competitive after you pay shipping. I like walmart online order and pick up at the store no shipping.

Neildsmith Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:15 pm

All those strip malls are gonna be looking pretty desolate before too much longer. Is that really a good thing? Huge losses for real estate (again) and lots of wasted space growing weeds.

It is, as stated by chartist, ridiculous that we are passing on sales tax revenue. Something?s got to change there. That?s just not fair competition.

Jojo Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:32 pm

Amazon is cutting deals with individual states to collect sales taxes. They made a deal with TX. They are slated to start collecting sales tax in CA this coming fall in CA. And they made a deal with NJ to start collecting there in 2013.

See:
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_20758596/we-see-it-amazons-tax-bonanza

abravo Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:39 pm

Thank you for the article.

I really need to stop buying from amazon and support my local the brick and mortars (even if they are large brick and mortars like Bestbuy and Barnes & Noble). After all, on Sundays I like to go to my local bookstore and sit and read and have a cup of coffee. And if I don?t buy my books from there, soon there will no longer be a bookstore there. Same for everything else.

Bob A Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:44 pm

I like shopping on ebay a lot better. Shopping pages on amazon are a mess? full if irrelevant distractions. It?s really difficult to wade through. I go there for reviews and to check prices but 90% of my online purchases i end up making on ebay.

rtalcott Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:58 pm

for used books I always check abebooks.com which is a network of used bookstores?it?s global and most times I find better prices there.
rt

RC Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 6:04 pm

it?s absolutely ridiculous that Amazon still gets away with not collecting sales tax?

I wonder about that too. Why are the local politicians where Amazon has distribution centers letting so much potential revenue go? Does this require some sort of a federal law amendment?

I am not complaining when I get to pay less for merchandise but after all this is a question of general fairness.

scottinnj Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 6:14 pm

I?m amazed that anyone buys music on iTunes. I check Amazon and iTunes before buying an album and 95% of the time Amazon is cheaper. For example the Alabama Shakes Album is $7.99 on Amazon and $9.99 on iTunes and the Amazon MP3 downloader works seamlessly with iTunes. so cheaper even if/when sales tax comes in.

Lyle Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 6:18 pm

State by state Amazon is starting to collect sales taxes, in Texas it is July 1. So that issue is slowly state by state being solved. Note that in states that do have distribution centers Amazon does already collect sales taxes. Currently these states are Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota, or Washington. Amazon may well be killing off the small town stores more in fact than Wal-Mart. With Amazon you don?t have to go to the big city to find things.

Fredex Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 6:30 pm

The Amazon sales tax advantage could be eliminated by relieving brick and mortar stores of the unfair burden of sales taxes.

Nala Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 7:39 pm

And don?t forget the tax deals that Amazon squeezes out of states, counties and towns in order to locate its warehouses there ? states that are desperate to replace the jobs those states used to have in brick & mortar retail locations, pre-Amazon.

Not that a warehouse does much good for the look and feel of those towns post-Amazon: sad semi-abandoned strip malls and dying, neglected shopping malls.

fp Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 7:54 pm

Amazon is definitely not the only online retailer that doesn?t pay sales tax, so that?s irrelevant.

?Bully Your Suppliers?.. Good thing other retailers like Wal-Mart don?t do that.

Don?t forget convenience; I prefer using Amazon because I don?t want to enter my address and credit card info again, or give it to a retailer I don?t trust. Also there have been many times I wanted something but didn?t want to wait for it to be shipped; I wanted it locally, but I don?t know what store had it, or if it was in stock, where in the store it was located, etc. Few brick-and-mortar stores have that info online, and I didn?t want to call a bunch of stores on the phone. (Google Shopping has that for some items but not all.) So I ended up getting it from Amazon.

I do mostly buy music on iTunes instead of Amazon, because it?s more convenient, and the minor price difference isn?t worth the trouble. Especially since I don?t buy entire albums.

whatever Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 8:05 pm

I buy from amazon and I pay use tax. Amazon is very convenient, but once in a while I will walk across the street to the CVS/Walgreens for cough medicine.

Iamthe50percent Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 8:26 pm

I used to buy on line from Barnes & Noble and from Amazon. Border?s webpage wasn?t up to snuff. I quit B&N when I ordered a book and two weeks later they e-mailed me and said it wasn?t available. By then Amazon didn?t have it either. Scratch B&N. I still go to the brick and mortar B&N to check the discount shelves.

Amazon did the same thing to me with a VCR (long time ago!) that I could have bought locally for $40 more. I don?t buy hard goods from Amazon anymore.

Amazon?s used book descriptions are often wrong but you can send them back. I dumped Alibris because there was no way to complain about a shipment. I have Alibris marked as ?Spam? in Thunderbird. For used books I prefer to go to Half Price Books where I can see what I?m buying.

Someday, maybe soon, Amazon will kill physical books. I?ll stop reading then. I want a BOOK not a tiny TV screen to read on. I might eschew the internet too, I?m getting too many loud video?s starting when I just want to read an article. A few days ago I started getting loud obnoxious pop-up video ads. Bye-bye to those sites.

dsucher Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 8:47 pm

Nothing is forever.
Extremes tend to a mean.

Consider ebooks, as one example. The ebook market is now 24 months old. Yes, Amazon is far ahead.
Bur do you really think that there no oner smart merchants. That eventually M?sft, or Google or Apple (etc etc) can team up with distributors? publishers? (Whatever a ? publisher? will become soon) and sell ebooks cheaper an better than Amazon.
(In fact that?s a bad example ? what is holding up ebook prices is the publishing industry , not Amazon.)

I?m not saying I may not indeed steer some of my online business to others ? but it will happen because Amazon has no inherent, structural monopoly power. Others will take business away from Amazon. Just give it time.

dsucher Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 8:47 pm

Nothing is forever.
Extremes tend to a mean.

Consider ebooks, as one example. The ebook market is now 24 months old. Yes, Amazon is far ahead.
Bur do you really think that there no oner smart merchants. That eventually M?sft, or Google or Apple (etc etc) can team up with distributors? publishers? (Whatever a ? publisher? will become soon) and sell ebooks cheaper an better than Amazon.
(In fact that?s a bad example ? what is holding up ebook prices is the publishing industry , not Amazon.)

I?m not saying I may not indeed steer some of my online business to others ? but it will happen because Amazon has no inherent, structural monopoly power. Others will take business away from Amazon. Just give it time.

boveri Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 9:02 pm

After reading most of these truly interesting, valuable and entertaining BP entries this evening, I voting this edition of the BP as the best of all.

deanscamaro Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 9:21 pm

As they build up, it is apparent they are opening up a total new way of doing business. Nothing new!
Big box sales have been displacing mom & pop businesses for years and Amazon is no different. They will go through the need to manage the cry?s of slave labor and will adjust to solutions to those problems. Since the Industrial Revolution, business operations have been evolving and Amazon is the new evolution.

bonzo Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 9:45 pm

Amazon?s website works and has worked since the beginning. Walmart.com is inferior as I recall (I don?t use it much). Sears was so awful back when I tried it several years ago that I haven?t been back since. I?m reluctant to try anything besides Amazon.com at this point because I?ve been disappointed so many times. People this is not rocket science. What?s more, there is a huge opportunity to beat amazon.com, because even amazon.com seems unaware than many people either: (a) are still using dial-up; (b) are still using DSL; (c) are using mobile phones with limited data plans. There is no need for a website to require MB per page when a few KB would suffice. Then back that decent website up with a good distribution system, which all the big-box stores have in place already. Just like with Microsoft versus its competition, it isn?t so much that amazon is run by geniuses as that amazon?s competitors keep making big mistakes.

econimonium Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 9:53 pm

Wow, I thought I was reading a graphic about Walmart there for a second ;) But here?s where the comparison ends: I get the same high-quality merchandise at Amazon for a better price (even if I were to pay sales tax) than at any local store. Walmart?s merchandise is cheaper because it isn?t the same. The clothes made even by brands are made with cheaper grades of fabric and less stitching, and many of the products come in different sizes than other stores to make them ?appear? cheaper. I also have a Fire with a Prime membership so get free 2 day shipping. What?s not to like?

This is a clear example of giving people what they want. And you know the sales tax wouldn?t change a thing and I think Amazon knows it and will adjust prices a bit accordingly anyhow. The only way I go to a big box store (because, after all, it?s all that?s left anymore) is if I need something NOW or something BIG like a fridge or washing machine. Everyone I know does it. Saves on gas, time, and traffic aggravation. Why should I drive 10 miles to sit in traffic going to the mall on a Sunday? I do that every day. Why should I have to drive around and have my selection limited to brands the store deigns to carry? On Amazon I can get whatever I want when it doesn?t involve something that needs to be touched. The is the free market you?re all asking for in operation. So there goes your inefficient local and expensive local stores, and now even your big box ones are in danger. So don?t scream ?free market? on one hand and then bemoan its effects with a graphic like this on the other.

ps62 Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 10:46 pm

I believe Amazon enjoys another unfair advantage and the fault lies with us, bloggers. Whenever we refer to a book in our posts we give an Amazon link. It is as if we are all working for Amazon and virtually for free.

Can we all stop this practice ?

streeteye Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 12:01 am

A lot of these are wrong or misleading? Amazon has been losing the sales tax war, we now pay sales tax in NY and they agreed to collect in California starting Sep 15; the publishers fought Amazon to be able to set prices and prevent Amazon from discounting and potentially gaining an e-book monopoly, found an ally in Apple, and the DoJ is investigating anticompetitive behavior by the publishers and Apple to keep prices up; ?Backed by Wall Street?s deep pockets,? oh geez?Bezos took huge risks to scale up his business faster than anyone else; no one is ?compelling? anyone to use their platform.

The stock is priced as if they might gain a valuable franchise in ebooks, Amazon Web Services? but they haven?t shown the ability to actually generate big profits and margins from a platform with market power. Quite the opposite, so far it seems like they are playing in ultracompetitive sectors with tough adversaries like Apple, Google, executing extremely well and making customers happy, but generating slim profits and margins.

kaleberg Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 12:17 am

I buy a lot from Amazon. I live in a small town in Washington State (and pay sales tax). The local selection of goods is limited, so if I want a book, an oddball tool or a lawnmower for that matter, it makes sense to go to Amazon. Two days later, it?s at my door and at a very competitive price. I order from lots of other online suppliers who offer better selection and finer control of ordering, particularly for clothing, hobby gear, food items, furniture, linens, office supplies, computer stuff, and so on.

Sure, Amazon has been at odds with the publishers. The publishers have been trying to strangle e-books in their crib, just as the music companies tried to strangle online music and the movie and television people are still trying to strangle online video. Profitable companies hate change. I remember IBM single handedly holding back computer technology for over 20 years even after the antitrust settlements. In fact, Amazon backed down on the biggest pricing struggle, and e-books are still relatively expensive which has slowed their adoption. (Half the time, the paper book is cheaper than the digital version.)

Every generation seems to get a new retail model. In the 19th century there were the emporium bazaars which were roughly like modern shopping malls, and much denounced as a threat to business and morals. Sears took advantage of the railroads, telegraph and stagecoach delivery service (e.g. Wells Fargo in the west) and became a major threat to main street stores everywhere. Then came the department stores which were considered to be the end of carbon based life on earth. The interstate highways and suburban development enabled the big box stores which were called category killers for a reason. Computerization and mortgage securitization enabled massive, rapidly expanding chain stores. Now we have the online giants, with Amazon being the largest, and the world is ending yet again.

kek Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 12:31 am

Disruptive innovation + scale = Amazon the business. They sure gave it a name that fit.

jonas Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 1:28 am

You know something right with a business when you can apply a Genghis Kahn quote to them:

?What is business success? To crush your competition, to see their stock prices fall before you, and to hear the lamentations of their lobbyists?

doug86 Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 7:07 am

I?m an avid Amazon shopper. Lately, I find that I am willing to pay a small price premium to buy from Amazon instead of going to a brick/mortar or another website. The total ease of buying, tracking, and if needed, returning any purchase (without burning a single gallon of gas) is worth it. Amazon completely understands that shopping is not just about price; it?s a relationship with your customer.

normal1 Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 8:19 am

A lot of commenters are pointing out the ease of use of this online ?mega-store? vs the old brick and mortars. This is the way of the future, and if the olds can?t adapt, then let them perish. Or something along those lines. Makes me start to ponder the true meanings of price and cost.

What?s interesting to me is how adaptive these new players in the marketplace are in the old ways of implementing tax deals, bullying suppliers, and generally mimicing the financial behavior established by the olds. What?s the line again? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. I find this very disheartening and disappointing.

And, I?ve used amazon, until recently when I was informed that my credit card was used to make purchases at a pharmacy in Argentina. I realize this could have happened anywhere I?ve used that card, so I?m not holding a grudge. But, I am genuinely concerned about the thinking of the so-called new breed of business. What relationship, if any, do they think a business should have with its country? You know, the one that provides them with the security to operate day-to day, generally without fear.

number2son Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 8:27 am

Hey, I?ve just ordered that great Clint Eastwood collection at Amazon. Thanks BR! I mean ? damn you! ;)

whskyjack Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 8:49 am

Somewhere, i forgot to check a box and Amazon is sending me spam(email offers), Today they are offering discount acupuncture, what?s next discount heart surgery?

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PSA prostate cancer test should be abandoned, warns government ...

(NaturalNews) The verdict is in -- PSA tests for prostate cancer are unreliable, and do not offer men any tangible benefit in lifespan or quality of life. These are the conclusions of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (PSTF), which found that many more men are injured by PSA tests than are helped by it.

PSA, also known as prostate specific antigen, is a biological marker that doctors and healthcare practitioners often use to detect the presence of a potential prostate tumor. Since PSA levels in the blood are known to climb in response to prostate tumors, it is commonly thought that early detection can help in mitigating the cancer.

But there are numerous reasons why PSA blood levels can increase, including prostatitis (inflammation or infection in the prostate gland), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and even rigorous physical activity. Many prostate tumors that produce elevated PSA levels in the blood are also benign, and would never even cause any serious health problems.

According to ten years' worth of comprehensive data on the subject, PSTF determined that only one in 1,000 men screened with a PSA test will derive any potential benefit, while at least 100 will receive false positives. Many of those with false positives will end up receiving unnecessary biopsies, which can lead to further complications and needless bodily damage.

The same data found that a shocking 90 percent of men will be treated with surgery or radiation for cancers that are not even life-threatening. But five out of every 1,000 who undergo these treatments will die within a month of initiating them. In other words, more than ten percent of all men screened for prostate cancer will generate false positives that could result in death from treatment, while a mere .001 percent or less will derive any sort of benefit.

"There is a small potential benefit and a significant known harm," said Dr. Virginia A. Moyer, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and chair of the task force. She and her team are recommending that the PSA test for prostate cancer be abandoned altogether, and that patients avoid the test as part of their normal checkups.

Preventing prostate cancer is a whole lot better than just occasionally screening for it or treating it conventionally after it has developed. Eating foods rich in natural zinc and selenium, or supplementing with whole food-based zinc and selenium supplements like those made by MegaFood, are two great ways to avoid developing prostate problems down the road.

Walnuts, tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, garlic, turmeric, pumpkin seeds, green tea, and pomegranate are just a few examples of some highly-beneficial, prostate health-promoting foods that can help ease inflammation and prevent the formation of tumors. The natural herbs astragalus, bloodroot, burdock root, chaparral, devil's claw, hydrangea root, isatis, licorice root, Pau d' Arco, pygeum, red clover, saw palmetto, and suma can also help promote prostate health and prevent prostate cancer.

Regularly engaging in rigorous exercise routines, sports, or other athletic activities has been shown to go a long way in preventing prostate cancer, as have kegel exercises, which specifically exercises the muscles around the prostate and improves blood flow to that area (http://urology.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=524).

If you or someone you know already has prostate cancer, you may also wish to check out the book How to Prevent and Reverse Prostate Cancer by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger: http://www.truthpublishing.com/prostatecancer_p/yprint-cat21245.htm

Sources for this article include:

http://www.latimes.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/031950_prostate_cancer_screening.html

Have comments on this article? Post them here:

?people have commented on this article.

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Wyoming Marriage Laws | Becoming A Wedding Officiant

Marriage Application Definition
Definition: A marriage application or application for marriage license is a document issued by a governmental authority. People & Relationships; Marriage; Marriage License & Laws; Marriage Application Definition ? Read Article

Tags: breach of promise, delaware voters, john wahl, massachusetts constitution, sex offender notification, town of byron, vatic, yellowstone national park
Categories: Wedding Invitations

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Michael Jackson Death House -- Someone FINALLY Made an Offer ...

Michael Jackson Death House
Someone FINALLY
Made an Offer!

Exclusive

The house where Michael Jackson died -- a house that the owner has been trying to sell for 3 years -- finally has attracted a buyer, but it's not a done deal ... yet.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... an L.A. businessman has written an offer for around $17 million for the Holmby Hills estate. ? Here's the problem -- it's listed for $23.9 million, so the buyer and seller are in the process of negotiating to see if they can find a middle ground.

Our sources say the businessman who made the offer "couldn't care less" that Michael Jackson lived and died there.? He just likes the house.

The owner has had problems selling the house in the past, partly because it has been overrun by tourists eager to sneak a peek.

Mauricio Umansky has the listing on the house.? He's married to "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Kyle Richards.? Mauricio is having a good week. One of his listings just closed today and it broke a record for prices on Sunset Blvd. -- $35 million.?

That oughta keep Kyle happy.

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Real Estate Investing with financial resources from a Structured ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]There is no doubt that in this period of time, real estate investing is an excellent idea, and can vastly improve one's life. The most experienced financial.

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XanGo Review And Warning To Individuals Building Online | Free ...

This is an addition to my first XanGo review. I am somebody who is serious about network marketing, and home based business. This industry has truly been remarkable for me over the last 9 years.

As I said in my initial XanGo review, I think the company and product are both terrific, and I still do. However, a recent personal encounter has brought me to post this addition.

Back in 2004 to 2006 I was an active XanGo distributor, and I built a team well over 1200 active distributors there. Not a ton compared to what I?ve done since, but still a respectable network that paid me a decent passive income for several years after.

I?m sure many other companies have done this also, but this is my first experience and truly feel anybody considering joining and building a XanGo business needs to know this up front prior to putting in their time and energy.

It seems XanGo is starting to actually ?restrain? their distributors to the point they cannot do much of anything outside of XanGo without getting into trouble with the company.

I?m not sure about yourself, but I personally got into this specific industry for freedom, and I believe that most other networkers would probably agree, we HATE being controlled. If that wasn?t the case we?d simply just stay at our jobs and do everything our supervisor tells us, right?

Well, over the past year or so I?ve really begun to build out the following blog to help other folks make much more money and make better decisions on joining certain companies they are considering.

At first XanGo informed me that my review was making medical claims which were against their policies. Even though I have not been actively building for over 5 years, I was still an active rep earning a check every month from what I built in the past.

I was happy to remove the few lines that were making claims, and I responded to their request so maybe they?d unsespend my distributorship. Nope?

They responded that in order for me to comply with their policies I could not have ANY other company reviews or mentions on my blog. In other words I could NOT tell people anything about any other company if I wanted to be a XanGo distributor. I also could not be a part of any other program that offers an affiliate program, even if it was a program like My Lead System Pro that actually helps individuals build their network marketing business, no matter which one it is.

Here is an exact copy of those policies:

=============================

Section 2 Obligations of a Distributor and Managing a Distributorship

D. Offerings. A Distributor may not offer or promote any non-Company plans, incentives, opportunities, or non-approved Sales Tools in conjunction with the promotion of Products.

=============================

In other words, if you want to be a XanGo distributor, you cannot market anything else, while or even after you stop actively building. I know and understand many companies have these policies, but it appears that XanGo is enforcing them very heavily.

Even though NONE of my company reviews are actually ?promoting? those companies as a distributor, they don?t care. For example, I wrote reviews on ACN, MonaVie, and other companies which I?m not, and never have been a rep for. But that doesn?t matter, in order for me to remain a XanGo rep and keep earning the residual revenue I worked hard to build, they require me to eliminate EVERYTHING that mentions other companies.

Overall I still believe that XanGo is a sound company and a great business for those looking for a nutritional business to build locally doing home meetings or face to face meetings. But for those who want to build online, utilizing the power of the internet, and using third party training platforms like My Lead System Pro, be extremely careful what you do and say online, XanGo is watching and policing you.

Visit XanGo Review if you?re ready to see how the top leaders build their network marketing business. Our goal with this XanGo Review is to help you succeed.

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Video: Fiorina on Facebook and RIMM Stumble

"Right now we are seeing a market responding emotionally, both on the upside and the downside," says Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO, discussing the implications of Facebook shares falling below $30 and Research in Motion's first quarter warn...

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