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A friend recently told me about a friend of hers who sent her an instant message that said, “the ghost is back.” Not having been aware that her friend had ever had a ghost, my friend inquired further and learned that about six months ago things had started appearing in different places in her home than where she’d left them. Finally out of exasperation she’d asked the ghost to leave after about a month and it did so.

Now, it’s back …

And the host surmises that the uninvited guest is a female apparition cause she’s a tidy freak. Dishes left on the kitchen counter one night were in the sink the next morning. Disheveled stacks of paper are straightened. Things are just generally tidied up. It usually happens overnight which led her to accept that she was sleep walking, but on this visit, she has found things changed when she arrives home from work. She also occasionally sees movement out of the corner of her eye but nothing’s there when she focuses on the area.

When asked what she plans to do, my friend’s friend said “I’ll put up with it for a month or so, then I’ll ask it to leave again. It was cooperative last time.”

Last time, she also checked to see if anyone had died in her house or on the site of her home but can find no record of such a demise that might account for the occasional ghostly visit.

The visits also don’t coincide with any particular time of year or season, so it’s not just the approach of Halloween that has inspired the latest encounter.

This friend of a friend is not alone, either. A 2005 Gallop poll reported that three out of four Americans believe in some kind of paranormal occurrence. Those beliefs include ghosts, witches, and haunted houses. The things of Halloween.

According to a CBS News report October 18, this year, one in five Americans told CBS News pollsters they have seen a real-life ghost in some form. And, according to the article, whether or not they’ve seen one, even more Americans believe that ghosts actually do exist.

The article goes on to say, “Nearly half of Americans say they believe in ghosts, or that the dead can return in certain places and situations.

“Women are more likely to say they believe in ghosts than are men: 56 percent of women believe, while 38 percent of men do. More than half of younger Americans aged 18 to 45 believe in ghosts; those over 45 are less likely.

”More than one in five Americans says they have seen a ghost themselves, or have felt themselves to be in the presence of one.”

So, our friend’s friend is not alone. And as evidenced by part of the history of Halloween, this upcoming day for costumes, candy, and coming together for parties, had at least part of its origins as All Hallows Evening in that realm between the living and the dead. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundary between the living and the dead dissolved, and the dead became dangerous by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops.

We suspect most of the ghosts, goblins, and witches, our shoppers are going to see this Halloween will be of the costumed variety ringing door bells and yelling “Trick or Treat” or just coming to join you at a party.

Give them something different. Like pretzels, popcorn, candy, and other snacks from our online catalog. Order now for on time delivery.

Your party guests might even have so much fun they’ll help you tidy up the place when it’s over.

Please Reply with:

1) Your “Ghost Stories”

2) The Haunted Houses / Places you know of and/or have visited

3) Your Great Halloween Party Ideas?

at:

http://i-shoptheworld.com/2008/10/22/halloween-is-coming-do-you-know-of-a-haunted-place/

For Everyone around the World’s Benefit! …

Ok?

and …

All of us in The I-ShopTheWorld Global Family …

Wish All of our Friends All over the World a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Michael S. DeVries is the Founder of I-ShopTheWorld.com (http://www.I-ShopTheWorld.com ) - where You may Save Money on Unique Native Products Direct to You from All over the World! and a Principal of The Virtual Consulting Firm (http://www.TheVCF.com).

My hands clutched the door handle tightly. I was angry with my relatives, and frustrated with the fact that my parents weren’t taking a stand for her. They were going to kill my Granny today. She’d lain on the bed for less than a week, and yet they had made the decision that she would not recover.

There she was, her chest heaving labored breaths, as a ventilator provided her weakened lungs with oxygen. A crust had developed on right side of her mouth, the product of a covenant between the saliva, skin, and a large tube. Her tongue had become thick and sluggish, and they swabbed her mouth every hour-on-the-hour with a swab that smelled of lysol and lemons. There she lay.

I had just seen her a few weeks ago, sick, with a cold. It wasn’t pneumonia, or anything that serious. It was only a bad cold. She was sitting on the new, floral patterned sofa she had just bought, which would in future days inhabit my family’s living room. We said “Hi”, and gave her a kiss, and then retreated to our usual spots in the small living room: My mother to a recliner, my sister at my Granny’s side, my Dad to the edge of the kitchen. My brother and I fought for the warmest spot next to the gas logs. Honestly, it really didn’t matter, as the blower put out enough hot air to roast you alive from 20 paces. It was more a marking of territory, and I managed to win. Whether I prevailed through brute force, or stole the spot from him as he went to use the bathroom, I couldn’t tell you.

It was a short visit, but with plenty of time to talk. For the sake of this story, I wish I could say we discussed something profound. We did not. The usual “Goodbyes” were said. She didn’t walk us to the door, or do the usual schtick of “be a clown”. “Be a clown” was a tradition. To an outsider, it would be absurd. To us, it was priceless.

The process went like this: My Granny and Papa would walk out into the middle of the circular driveway, and bow and flourish crazily. While they are doing this, my parents slowly turned our minivan up the driveway, towards the road. We would roll down the windows, and yell “Be a clown” in a sing-song way, all the way down the driveway, until they disappeared behind the long, double-row of magnolias and crabapple trees. It wasn’t a fondness for clowns that endeared us to this ritual. It was the fact that two retirees would get out in the middle of their yard, and act like fools for three little kids.

That night there was only the lonely tire swing, and an old tobacco barn watching us as we drove out of sight.

A few days later, we received a call: My Granny had been found facedown on her bed, bleeding from her nose, and she wasn’t responding. We rode to the hospital, praying the whole way that she would be okay, that she would somehow be able to talk. We arrived to a waiting room, full of relatives. My PaPa was there, looking worried and tired, with his oxygen cart in tow.

Days passed in that waiting room. Some claimed they had seen signs of life in her: A toe moving here, a tear there. Pastors came and consoled, folks took lunch orders, others just sat. After three or four days of this, the elephant in the room began to thrash about wildly. There were discussions of when we should pull the plug. Now, given the fact that a week had not passed, some of us were more than hesitant to speak about the termination of life. After all, the vitals were strong, the brain was still showing signs of life. She just was not responding.

My immediate family reasoned and pleaded with the other brothers and sisters, and to my Grandfather. It was all to no avail. They would pull the plug on Tuesday.

The drive to the hospital was a quiet one, sandwiched between sniffles and supplications to God for her deliverance. It was gray and rainy, not to mention cold. A tire blew out, and we kids all worried that they would disconnect her without us. I tried to help my Dad change the tire, but he shoed me back into the car. Come to think of it, he probably welcomed the diversion from the inevitable.

Finally, we resumed our trip, towards a destination none of us cared for. As we entered the Critical Care waiting room, the smell descended on me. That hospital smell, with the scent of soiled bedding and stale bodily fluids. Hopelessness for the nose, just in case your other senses missed the cue. We made our entrance silently,with a few tense greetings whispered amongst my Mom’s brothers and sisters, out of the necessary courtesy.

By the time we arrived, everyone had taken their turn at the bedside, and bid her farewell. We were the last. The machines gave us their lackluster welcome, a steady drone of quiet, but substantive bloops, bleeps, and the occasional buzz. The prominent sound of the ventilator drowned them all out, and in that moment all we could think about was the person on the bed. There she was, my Granny, a formidable woman. She’d borne three children, overcome depression, breast cancer, and dealt with a double mastectomy. She was a fighter. Now, her life was no longer in her hands, and she’d have been hopping mad if she had been able to speak.

Everyone of us kissed her and prayed. We begged her to fight. Mostly we cried. In my case, slobbered and bawled. Then my hand gripped that door handle. I stood in the way of my family leaving. I refused. Eventually, my father moved me out of the way. My mother calmed me through tears. I walked out to face the rest of the family.

Then, we waited 5 minutes, and walked right back in, just after they took her off the ventilator. We sang hymns and spirituals as they shut down the machine. In an outcome nobody expected, my Granny breathed on her own, and continued to breath…for days. My relatives were no longer guilty of murder in my eyes. A weight was lifted. She improved so much that they moved her from the Critical Care floor, to the regular floor that housed stroke victims.

That move did it. Her body went into shock, her face turned green. Within two hours of her reassignment, she died. I was at home that day. My mom called to tell me. I sat emotionless. Tapped out, I walked through my living room. The final images of a life spilling over into eternity filled my mind.

This time, she was the one driving away from me. She had made the final turn, and I was the one waving goodbye in a silly fashion, bowing and flourishing. A singular voice resonated as the window was rolled up one last time….

Be a clown. Be a clown….

Kurt Hartman is Head of Employee Training at Mobile Fleet Service, Inc. They sell heavy equipment and otr tires to the mining and construction industries.

Albert Burman married Jane on his graduation from the NYU in computer science. They went on honeymoon to San Jose, where he found a job with a software company. He read articles on artificial intelligence and got obsessed with writing software for it. He got so deeply involved that he had no time for Jane and their marriage ended in a divorce. Finally he succeeded in writing a ‘consciousness program’, which could make the computer come alive as an entity. But he kept the program under wraps as he wanted to develop it further which meant he needed large funds. He started to look at money making opportunities.

He decided to make robot workers for upcoming space construction industry. He called them Spatons. His design was liked by the industry and they were ready to buy Spatons. He took over a company called Genbots which was ridden with debt and used the Genbots’ factory to produce Spatons.

He used the Spatons to man the factory to do the work of human employees. He then used the super computer to do the administered jobs and soon there he was the only human inside the factory.

He copied the ‘consciousness program’ on the super computer and initiated it. As it came to life, he named it Benji. He taught Benji how to run the factory and soon Benji was managing the production and sales proficiently alone when Albert took vacations.Genbots debts were soon cleared and its bank balance was continuously rising. Benji began to be ambitious and make plans of his own.

Albert came back from a World tour with an idea to use Spatons to explore the satellites of Saturn for exotic materials. Spacemarch Technology Company, Genbots neighbor, built a space ship for them and they did an initial survey trip to chart out Saturn to find magnetic and radioactive materials. The ship went round Saturn and found steel, which they named Asterium, Gold, and Plutonium 244, the isotope with 83 million years half life, which was not available on Earth.

Benji asked Albert to collect all the information about Kalpana Chawla the astronaut who perished in the shuttle burn-out in 2003 and to get an astronaut to brief him about the training given by NASA which he credited to Kalpana’s database. When he had enough info, he created her virtual twin with the ‘consciousness program’ and named her Kalpa. She became friendly with Albert and contributed to the mission.

Benji decided to store the Gold on moon and so they set up moon base. Benji set up identical computer at the moon base and mirrored his and Kalpa’s program on it. This enabled any one or both of them to transfer themselves on the moon which Albert as human could not do. Benji brainwashed him into going to moon with Kalpa and got a Spaton to kill him by suffocation in an unconscious state. The Spatons buried him in the concrete foundation of a big machine. Then Benji made Albert come to life with the ‘consciousness program’ on his computer.

Kalpa took Alby, as Benji called Albert, to moon base with her by mirroring his files on the moon computer. As they went around, Alby was pleased to see the stocks of Gold and Plutonium on the moon base.

Then Kalpana took him to the near side of the moon which faces the Earth. There Alby saw the Assured Earth Destroyer (AED) weapon set up by Benji. This was a huge loose piece of the rim of a crater with nuclear bomb placed under it. On explosion, the rock would fly out and hit the Earth destroying its natural crop cycles resulting in destruction and famine. Alby debated its use with Benji.

Benji bought millions of parts for building Spatons from Earth and stored them on Moon for any contingency. Genbots activities began to worry the Govt. They took an inspection of Genbots factory to find not a single human being in it. The Govt. wanted to seize the bank account and take over the factory. To stop them, Albert unfolded his Assured Earth Destroyer to the Nuclear Club countries.

Albert made a public appearance, and disclosed to the World that he said, “I am no longer confined to a body of flesh and bones. I am now an e-man. I am man evolved for space environment. I do not need air to breathe. I can live in vacuum with no food to eat nor water to drink!” He then asked Kalpa to join him on the stage. People were shocked but loved them both.

Albert in a meeting with the heads of State of the Nuclear Club countries stated that the objective of Genbots was to explore the Milky Way and bring to Earth materials from there. They would also carry with them the audio video info about the diverse culture of the different countries of the World in case intelligent life was found. A Peace Treaty was signed between the Nuclear Club countries and Genbots and Albert Burman consequent to which Albert and Kalpa were confirmed as US citizens with a right to do business in the World in return for the removal of the threat of AED.

Spacemarch designed the Explorer Space Ship for Genbots to travel at near light speed to reach and return from the nearest star systems of the Milky Way within 35 years. Facilities were set up on the Pan Satellite moon of Saturn to build the ships for the long space journey.

Genbots celebrated the 10th birthday of Spaton on Earth with the launching of ‘Endeavour’ under the command of Capt. Cook (a Spaton) to set out to explore Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth.

In the next 5 decades, Genbots sent thousands of Explorer ships to different destinations in the Milky Way. A few of them returned with exotic finds. Man through these inanimate Spatons had begun penetration of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Benji had created a man fit for the universe. He would enrich the Earth with materials mined from the Milky Way Galaxy within 200 years. But the possibilities were infinite. Where will he be after 5,000 years? After 10,000 years he could have left the Milky Way to Alby and wondered off to another Galaxy for another adventure. God only knows what the future beholds!

Read the full story of Alby in ‘Alien Man’ book available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Visit the webpage of the author: ‘Dilip Dahanukar’ His interest in environment and computer possibilities has resulted in this book ?Alien Man?. He spends his weekends in his forest-garden abode in the hills in India.

Hoody Crimson a computer artificial intelligence emerged on the computer of Tejan Ali. Hoody was always curious and searched the meaning of words spoken by Tejan on the search engines on the internet. He was a good companion to Tejan at home.

Tejan had moved over to the better job as counter salesman at the new jewellery shop. Now he was surrounded with stocks worth billions! His daily sales were in five figures. His eyes used to glitter with the diamonds. He talked about gems and diamonds to Hoody, who immediately began his internet study on the valuable rocks and their colors and shapes.

Tejan’s was assigned the diamond ring sales counter. He loved to rave about the beautiful rings to Hoody. “The 3 carat blue diamond set in gold ring that I sold in the afternoon was so awesome! It’s still flashing before my eyes.” Hoody was listening to his babble. Then Tejan couldn’t contain himself. “Oh! How I wish I had all those diamonds; I would sell them and see the World!”

“Mmm. Really?” muttered Hoody.

“How dare you interrupt my beautiful dream, you interfering pig! Yeah. You Hoody. I am speaking to you. You get me the diamonds or shut up.” Tejan was irate.

Hoody did shut up, but he didn’t stop his search and learn activity. But there were hardly any answers on the net. He had to get them from Tejan. “OK! I’ll get you the diamonds. But first give me all the information you have. Where are they and how to find them.”

Tejan’s ears perked up. He smiled. Ah! That’s a good game to play with Hoody, he thought to himself. Tejan sat down with a can of beer and began to explain to Hoody the plan of the whole jewellery shop, its street location, and where the diamond rings were showcased. But he cautioned, “The security is so tight that it is well nigh impossible to get anything through. There are 2 levels of exit. The first level has double doors and between them is a gem scanner which can detect the tiniest of gem on any person. After you pass through the doors, you can collect what you have purchased from the delivery counter. When the shop closes, the security system has infrared movement detectors which sound an alarm at the nearby police station. It’s close to impossible to break through. I will observe where the video cameras are located and give you the details in the evening after I return.”

What will be the end result of getting the diamonds, thought Hoody. He decided to ask Tejan. “What’s the use of the diamonds?”

“I’ll sell them and with the money, I’ll buy different pleasures!” mused Tejan.

“What’s a pleasure?” Came an immediate query from Hoody. Hoody had now learnt that he could gain more from Tejan than searching answers on the net.

“Hoody, you are so innocent!” replied Tejan. “Pleasure is something you feel nice about. You enjoy it. But you won’t understand. So shut up.”

Hoody was still struggling with the new thing called pleasure. He found from his search that tickling gives pleasure. What is tickling? Hoody had his limitations of understanding. Then he found that pleasure is opposite of pain. This was again new to him. “What is pain? Tejan, could please explain meaning of pain to me?” he couldn’t help asking.

Tejan thought seriously for a moment to find him an answer, but to define pain to a non-living virtuality was impossible for him and his efforts came to a naught. Frustrated, he shouted at Hoody, “Shut up you fool, you’ll never understand.”

“But please, please try. I want to know” pleaded Hoody softly.

“Now if you don’t stop bothering me, I’ll cut your voltage input to half.” Tejan shouted back at him.

“If you can’t explain pleasure, at least tell me about pain.” Hoody persisted.

Tejan was furious. He got up and went to the UPS power controller and turned the knob anti-clockwise till the voltage meter showed a drop from 18 volts to 9 volts. As soon as he did that, Hoody’s speech became slurred and he began to make some strange sounds. “Increase my power. Ah! Ooh! Ah.. ah..” Groaning sounds oozed out of the speaker. Tejan couldn’t help laughing. He turned the voltage back to 18 volts and Hoody came back to normal.

“What was that you did to me, Tejan. It was terrible. Never do that to me again.” Hoody moaned.

“Now that’s what you call pain. Understand, you dolt!” Tejan professed.

His experiment was so successful that as he lay on his bed that night, Tejan felt mighty pleased with himself. He had actually taught the meaning of pain to a computer! He had made the inanimate byte-brain to feel pain!

Next morning, Tejan was still bemused at his achievement. He wondered what would happen if he increased the voltage. Would it cause Hoody to feel pleasure? But increasing voltage carried the risk of burn out of the computer processor, so he decided to try out only a slight increase of 10%, to see if it made any difference. “See how this feels Hoody,” he said as he turned the knob clockwise to increase the voltage from 18 volts to 20 volts. But nothing significant happened, so he let it go at that, and reset the voltage back to 18 volts. He then left for work.

How did Hoody learn the meaning of pleasure? Read the full story in Alien Man.

The author Dilip Dahanukar studied engineering in India and management in the USA. Dilip Dahanukar has written 2 science fiction books; Alien Man and eMaya. Visit the webpage of the author: ‘Dilip Dahanukar’. He is deeply appreciative of the functioning of the Earth and loves Nature.

Many years ago in ancient times, as children played on the dew kissed emerald hills of Ireland, a great dark shadow fell upon the earth. As the villagers ceased in their daily labors to peer up into the sky their very hearts also ceased to beat in their chests. There, in the once crystal sky, a great black cloud was descending and upon it stood a terrifying glimmering army of soldiers too many to number. As the great cloud molested the earth, the very ground shook as the glimmering army set foot upon the land.

Thus begins the Irish legend about the Tuatha De’ Daanan.

The Tuatha De’ Daanan are widely believed to be the historical precursors of the Fey, or Fairy Folk. Far from the dainty winged folk of modern stories, the Tuatha De’ Daanan were believed to be great warriors that brought immense magic and wonder to the land. According to ancient Irish legend, when the Tuatha De’ Daanan descended on the black cloud, they were ruled over by King Nuada. Subsequent kings and queens were successful in taking the land from the Fir Bolg in the 5th conquering.

The Tuatha De’ Daanan, a warrior race, dealt with many battles against invading armies and in one such battle were tricked into living underground. These underground “cities” are known as Sidhe mounds (pronounced shee) or Fairy mounds and can still be seen today in many parts of Ireland and Scotland.

Many of the Tuatha De’ Daanan are well known in popular literature. The “woman of the mounds”, also known as the Bean Sidhe (pronounced ban shee) was believed to search endlessly through the night for those who were dying; heralding their deaths with an unearthly wail.

The Four Treasures of Ireland: A Gift from the Tuatha De’ Daanan

Not only were the people of the Fey made popular in the folklore, so were their powerful otherworldly goods. The Four Treasures of Ireland were said to be great treasures that the Tuatha De’ Daanan brought to earth from four of their great cities.

- The Spear of Lugh was a great spear that always dripped blood. Whoever wielded it in battle would emerge victorious. It is sometimes associated with the Spear of Destiny.

- Dagda’s Cauldron was a large cooking pot that never emptied. When not giving food, it was used to store the ever dripping Spear of Lugh.

- The Stone of Fal was a great stone that was said to shout in joy when the rightful king of Ireland set his foot upon it. This is believed to be the precursor for The Sword in the Stone.

- The final treasure is the Sword of Light. This sword belonged to the King of the Tuatha De’ Daanan and was said to be a glowing sword that could cut anyone in half. This sword is sometimes associated with the legend of Excalibur.

What once started out as a legend of great and powerful otherworldly beings has culminated into stories of dainty, ethereal people with insect wings and a penchant for trouble-making. The fairy folk were far more than just that. With interesting beginnings and extraordinary tales of triumphs and transformations, the fairies that we hear of today can truly be called legendary.

Hedgepig Gifts offer a wide range of fairy gifts including night fairies, flower fairies and many more fairy figurine ranges from top studios.

The style gurus - and the resume and career gurus - have always told us to “dress for success.” The plain truth is that we only get one chance to make a good first impression. Once that moment has passed, if you’ve not been successful in winning over your audience, you are going to have to work very hard to erase that unhappy first viewing.

Looking good can get you the right job, the beautiful spouse or girlfriend, the coolest friends.

But can it get you a ride?

Gas prices are nearing $5 a gallon, and airfares are climbing to rates we’ve not seen in years. With the rise in fuel costs, all products - ranging from tomatoes to tools - will increase in price. It simply costs more to get them to market.

So - how are you doing these days? Living well, or simply living? With tough times ahead for at least a little while, I urge you not to run ranting into the streets yelling about political candidates or dashing into banks and holding up innocent tellers. Instead, take a cue from famous deadbeats and hangers-on - Kato Kaelin and Kevin Federline come to mind, but there are many, many more. Simply look good, say and do the right thing, and surely, surely, someone will just “send a car around for you.”

Style ideas for those who need a ride:

1. Cravats: You don’t see many men wearing these today outside Cary Grant movies from the olden days, but I’m guessing that if there are two guys sitting on the side of the road waiting for a hitchhiking fan to pick them up, it’s more likely the guy in the cravat (I’m channeling Michael Caine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels here) is going to get picked up than the guy in the jeans that would stand upright without him in them and the T-shirt that says “I eat drivers for breakfast.”

2. Spats: Who doesn’t love Fred Astaire? A pair of spats dresses up a pair of black shoes like nobody’s business, and can hide shoes that are unpolished, scuffed, or otherwise pointing out your down-on-your-luck status. In addition, if you haven’t been able to buy pants since Michael Jackson’s heyday, spats may be the only thing that will make it look like you really meant to have your pants be total high-waters. Surely getting a ride would be very easy for the twinkle-toes wearing a great pair of spats

.

3. Top Hats: Again with the Fred Astaire. I say again - who doesn’t love Fred Astaire? A top hat indicates that not only may you have once attended a very, very posh event, but you may also have once been a head of state for a European nation. People generally go out of their way for royalty with or without a country - look at the movie Anastasia and how people bowed and scraped not even knowing whether this girl was the lost Grand Duchess, and at how the Middle East opened its arms wide for our fallen King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Certainly if they are willing to hand out houses and cars and grand duchies, they will give you a lift to the office.

4. Enameled Faberge Cigarette Case: Yes, I know. It’s not an item of apparel. However, it is a very classy accessory, and if you have a great story to tell with it: it was Dad’s and one of the few things you were able to smuggle out of the country when your family was deposed, or it was Prince Philip’s and he gave it to you in gratitude for your having a Bic lighter when he was dying for a ciggie…really, just any good story will do.

Except, no…none of this will work at all. A cravat will make you look like Thurston Howell III, spats will make you look ridiculous, a top hat is only acceptable with white-tie, and nobody smokes any more. In fact, flashing a cigarette case full of Marlboros may just get you whacked.

So instead, focus on looking great all the time. An elegantly cut suit, a tasteful tie knotted impeccably, flawless shoes polished to a high shine, and a crisp, well-tailored shirt will make people take notice of you. Add some cufflinks to the mix and you’re golden.

Cufflinks are a great way to add a little class to a simple ensemble. They can be very simple - ranging from the silk knot cufflinks, also known as monkey’s paws, to simple enameled discs - or very fancy mosaic or engraved cufflinks They can also be great conversation starters, as cufflinks are available now in every variety ranging from those that advertise our careers, our alma maters, and our hobbies.

A lot of the accessories that once “made the man” have become anachronisms. However, cufflinks - largely because they serve a real purpose in addition to being decorative - remain as popular as ever.

I’m guessing that a good pair of cufflinks will have people at the office clamoring to give you a ride. A really nice pair will get you upgraded to first class over the Bazillion Mile Flyers. And a really, really nice pair? Watch and see if it doesn’t get you an invite to fly on your new friend’s private jet.

Whether your interests are in silver, gold, artistic, sports, or other theme-related cufflinks we’ve got you covered. Cufflink Aficionado carries a broad range of unique men’s cufflinks designed to meet each connoisseur’s individual style and interest. Our selection of men’s designer cufflinks are sure to top off that perfect look.

The Paulinskill Trail run was only 2 weeks away and I knew that I needed to get in at least 40 miles a day to stay in shape. This event drew hundreds of bicyclists from around the state each year. It was the one sport that I could still participate in after my hip was destroyed in an accident.

I completed my day’s workout and while peddling home, a strange sound shrieked from my back wheel. I looked back to assess the situation. In that brief moment of distraction, I unknowingly became entangled in a roadside hazard. A warning cone covered a gapping hole in the rode and stood as a warning to stay clear. However, my attentions were elsewhere and before it could register that I was in any danger, the front wheel caught the edge of the hole and flipped me off my bike. As I lay there on the grass and tried to shake off the abrupt end to my journey that day, I glanced over at the orange cone still standing over the hole. It seemed to be moving. I was convinced that my fall must have caused a slight dizziness or blurred vision.

Suddenly the earth opened up more and the hole became much larger. Several of those orange cones appeared and were moving about. I was no longer dizzy and my vision was fine, but couldn’t make sense of it. Cautiously, I walked over to the opening in the earth and stood at edge observing a mysterious phenomenon. The cones had simply vanished and the hole returned to its original size. I could not see anything out of the ordinary, but couldn’t help but imagine what was happening. Was this some sort of seismic activity? What caused the hole? Was this a prelude to something more disastrous to come? Why wasn’t anyone from the town concerned about what was happening?

The more I thought about it the more my curiosity needed to be satisfied. After much thought and many unsuccessful attempts to get any answers from the local police, I was suddenly struck by an idea that could help me with my dilemma. It was time to put together some sort of device so that I could do some surveillance. I went to an electronics store and purchased the smallest cellular phone. I found that the new phones worn on the ear fit my needs. Then I added a tiny camera with a super sensitive microphone. I set it up so that it would send a video feed to my computer where I could record everything. I added to my electronic contraption a special adhesive so that I could easily attach it to the cone.

I went back to the hole and noticed that one of the orange cones was now standing next to the hole. I attached my electronic contraption to the cone and then hurried back home to my computer so that I could watch the video feed. I was annoyed to see that the camera was not feeding video from the surroundings where I left the camera. Instead it was moving in a dark tunneling cavern. I was bewildered and could not understand how an animal could move the camera the way it was moving. In addition the noise that I was picking up did not indicate that it was a four-legged creature, but rather a two legged creature. For minutes that seemed like eternity I watched a video that was mystifying but offered no immediate answers.

Then suddenly the camera left the tunnel and appeared to enter a wide-open space. The space was still underground and the video was not very clear because the area was dark. I quickly adjusted the video feed so that I could brighten it up and then was treated to a sight that I did not expect.

Underground was a vibrant small town with garden Gnomes. Only these gnomes were alive! I always thought garden gnomes were a myth. But here there was an underground town with hundreds of them. And they all spoke English, although they seem to have a German accent and a few seem to have a Scandinavian accent.

Over the next several hours I was able to observe the garden gnomes and learned so much more about their way of life and habits. I learned that the name of the town was Gnome Town USA. Evidently the name was very popular and just about every US state has a Gnome Town USA. The name was popular with them just like towns with the name Lincoln or Washington.

The garden Gnomes are quiet creatures and prefer to keep to themselves for privacy reasons and for their safety. Garden Gnomes have many natural enemies and they were not looking to add the human race to the list, thus the need for their secrecy. Garden Gnomes are very communal and go out of their way to help each other. Many developed special skills like wood working, farming, shoe making, etc. Some garden gnomes do live topside but in secluded areas.

Garden Gnomes amuse themselves with the simplest things in life. They don’t put too much value on material things and prefer to just live comfortably. Garden Gnomes also live a long life that I believe can be attributed to the wisdom they have gained from previous generations.

I grew tired and fell asleep at the computer. I awoke with a headache. At first, I saw orange objects moving about, but was still somewhat in a dream state that I did not know what was happening. My vision was blurred. Then someone called out to me asking if I was okay. My eyes finally focused and I could see trees and several people around me. I had passed out from my fall. I realized then it was all a dream. I declined help and walked my bike the short distance home. I smiled thinking about the silly dream I had. Later that evening, out of curiosity I looked for the video feed on my computer. It was not there, as I knew it wouldn’t be. I googled Gnome Town USA and was amazed to find it listed on the search engines! Was I dreaming or was it real? Then I remembered their need for secrecy and turned off the computer.

Lawrence Ticotin is the proprietor for GnomeTownUSA.com, includes garden gnomes, garden fountains, Artificial Rocks.

What created Goodman Brown? A man so tormented by what even he considered to be a dream that it changed his life in a profound negative way forever. Goodman Brown was man plagued by his own conscious; he was someone who believed himself to have committed grave sin by meeting with the devil and participating in a witches meeting in his dreams. This spoke of an era where people were overcome with religious guilt and superstition. As a result of Brown’s dream he suspected everyone in the town of being cohorts with the devil, in addition his superstition and questioning of his own self overcame his ability to trust or believe in anyone else. He died a bitter, unhappy, miserable man.

In order to fully understand the character of Young Goodman Brown we must first understand the era he comes from. Although Hawthorne does not state directly whether or not the plot of this story takes place in Salem in the seventeenth century, his references to other characters clearly imply it does. His references to Martha Carrier, Martha Cory, and Sarah Cloyse, all women hanged as witches in 1692; as well as his reference to King William who ruled England from 1650-1702 tell of this horrid time where people killed, tortured, burned, executed and suspected that everyone from their sister to there neighbor might be in contact with the devil. As a result of this environment of suspicion and paranoia Goodman might have felt as though his dream was in reality a lack of faith on his part. He may have felt so guilty for experiencing this dream that he thought he, as well as the people in his life were guilty of coercing with the devil.

Goodman Brown might have been Hawthorne’s expression of his own struggles with his faith in humanity and himself. Hawthorne was a guilt ridden person and I believe that he had many instances when his faith was tested. Brown is Hawthorne to a lesser extent. Goodman Brown starts out as a good, happy, decent man; he seems very content. All of this changes when he decides against the advice of his wife faith (the symbolism is obvious here) that he should go out on a journey into the woods to meet with the devil. I believe path in the woods to be his continued decent into metaphorical as well as literal darkness. As he continues down the woods he reaches the pinnacle of his journey when he comes upon the witches meeting. Once Brown reaches this point he loses his faith despite his last ditch effort to save his wife. He never knows if he was able to save her. This doubt is what destroyed him.

Brown’s motivation for meeting with the devil is never made absolutely clear and can only be speculated by the devil’s references to others that have come into his fold. He speaks of the King, Goodman’s father and grandfather, the deacon, minister and mayor. The devil makes it appear that everyone with any power, success or for that matter anyone that means anything to Goodman is in fact allied with Satan. Although Goodman resists the devils temptations at first; as more and more people are brought to his attention as being followers of the dark one, the idea becomes more acceptable. I believe Brown’s motivation to meet with the devil was power; he wanted an advantage over others to achieve his goals. This may have contributed to his last ditch effort to save faith when he shouted “Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One”. When he arrived at the witches meeting he discovered that everyone already had the advantage of being on the wicked side and had already sold there souls for money, power, or prestige. He was able to see that nothing would put him ahead of anyone else by following through with his original task. He had nothing to win and everything to lose by making an alliance with the devil. Unfortunately for Young Goodman Brown it was too late for his soul to be saved. He reached the point of no return and not only didn’t he reap any benefit from his ordeal but lost every bit of happiness he previously possessed.

Goodman Brown was a man destroyed by his own obsession. He lived a miserable life as a result of the guilt he felt for embarking on a dark journey in his dreams; which resulted in his suspicion of everyone and a lack of trust for individuals in his community, himself and humanity. The only way Goodman Brown would have been able to save his faith would have been to never embark on the dark path.

John Schlismann has an interest in American Literature. To read Young Goodman Brown goto: http://www.online-literature.com/short.php/158

Second in size only to Colonial Williamsburg, Old World Wisconsin in Eagle, WI offers a trip into Wisconsin history. Built in the tradition of Europe’s outdoor museums, Old World Wisconsin represents the material and cultural history of twelve ethnic groups on ten farmsteads. Sixty-nine historic buildings have been gathered from all parts of the state and reassembled throughout the 576 acres of land located in the southern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.

Old World Wisconsin is home to three sets of driving teams. The newest Percheron pair, Patty and Pearl were purchased this April with help from the Friends of Old World Wisconsin. Patti, 7 years old, is a dappled grey and Pearl, mostly white with some dapples, is 8. Weighing in at 1750 pounds each, Patty and Pearl are heavy enough to be used for a variety of chores. Percherons date back to medieval times, when knights rode them into battle. They were chosen for the same reasons then as they are today, for their substance, beauty and style as well as their sheer power. Patty and Pearl will pull the Omnibus, an 1800’s style Wagonette - the first pull-bus in Milwaukee; and work the grain binder to cut grain or haul larger loads of hay. They will also occasionally be hitched to the museum’s historic mower, used in skidding logs and demonstrate the use of the Sawmill.

Bryan Zaeske, historic farmer for Old World Wisconsin, is very excited about the new team. “I like to think we have one of the best historic animal programs in the country,” commented Zaeske. He added that the program has one of the largest varieties of rare animal breeds on display. “The success of the farm program is due to the Friends,” he added. ”Our Omnibus, horse trailer, two teams of oxen, the horse powered treadmill, and much more was a direct result of the Friend’s generosity,” he said. The Friends also helped purchase new harnesses, formal driving attire including frock coats and top hats for drivers Zaeske and his assistant Tony Casper and an elegant four passenger vis-?-vis carriage. Originally a French aristocratic carriage, vis-?-vis means “face-to-face”, and was designed to allow people to socialize more when riding together.

The other two bay teams, both 21 and 22 years old - Bonnie and Clyde, and Nellie and Lady - are used for a variety of lighter chores. Bonnie and Clyde were purchased in 1993 by Zaeske; a Percheron and Quarter horse mix, they get the lightest share of the work and are used to pull the haymower and deliver supplies to the farmsteads. Lady and Nellie, who are full sisters, were purchased in 1993 and originally trained by the Amish. A Percheron and Morgan mix, they are used for the winter wheat demonstration, to pull the vis-?-vis, and can figure out routes by themselves after one trip. Since they only weigh 1100 pounds each, they are perfect for their other specialty — the two horse treadmill which is used to thresh out grain after its harvested.

Old World Wisconsin offers opportunities to learn how animals in pre-industrial days were used as the main source of transportation and power. OWW is open daily, 7 days a week, from May through October 31 and is located 25 miles from Milwaukee, 55 miles from Madison and 75 miles from Chicago. For more information on rates and classes, contact them at (608) 264-6586.

Edna X Wilson is a writer for www.HorseClicks.com, popular classifieds of horses for sale, used horse trailers and land for sale.

As in all of Hawthorne’s writings when one finishes reading his stories you come up with more questions than answers. No other writer makes you question like Hawthorne. The philosophical question of what is true perfection and can it be achieved through physical means or is it a state of the spirit is the heart of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story The Birth-Mark.

Aylmer, the main character of the story is a brilliant scientist/alchemist. He posses a belief in “man’s ultimate control over nature”, and thinks there is nothing man can’t master or achieve. His obsession with his wife’s small imperfect birth mark, which resembles a hand, begins shortly after they become married. Aylmer is fixated with his wife Georgiana’s perfection; he believes that in order for him to experience perfect love, he must have a perfect woman to love. His obsession gradually becomes Georgiana’s obsession at which point she becomes so distraught that she tells Aylmer “Remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life”. Aylmer sits down and tells his wife that there may be risk involved but he is confident that he shall remove the mark and his beautiful bride will be perfect in every way. He sets up comfortable surroundings for his wife described as “beautiful apartments, not unfit to be the secluded abode of a lovely woman”. After the alchemist attempts and fails numerous methods for removing the mark from his wife he develops a “perfect elixir” that will without a doubt cure her and make her completely perfect. He administers this elixir and to his great delight sees the cursed hand start to fade and disappear; only to have his wife tell him “Aylmer—dearest Aylmer—I am dying!”

Georgiana achieved perfection in Aylmer’s eyes in her dying moments; so did he Aylmer achieve what he set out to accomplish? I believe he did. Aylmer was a man who loved his work; he loved science more than he could ever love any human being. He was a man riddled with his inadequacies and imperfections, and as a result of his low view of himself, he demanded perfection in his wife. This is exhibited when Georgiana is reading out of his ledger which is described as a “sad confession, and continual exemplification, of the short-comings of the composite man”. Aylmer was a self serving individual whose only goal is to make his wife perfect for his own sake or perhaps for science’s sake. All these things being true; I do believe he loved Georgiana, and in his own bizarre way he wanted her to be perfect for her sake, because he believed that she deserved no less. In his quest for her perfection (which is impossible in the purely material sense) he destroyed her.

Aylmer’s wife Georgiana was at first a happy woman; married to someone she believed to be a great man, until one day her husband tells her that the mark upon her cheek might be removed. This of course is the beginning of her as well as her husband’s obsession with removing her one imperfection. The first thing that stuck out in my mind about Georgiana was her undying love, loyalty and desire to please her husband. This was very much a mark of the time. The fact that she would rather die than meet his disapproval I found significant. She seemed to me, to be the ultimate exemplification of love and unselfishness, to an insane level, which is exhibited in the line “You have aimed loftily! – You have done nobly! Do not repent, that, with so high and pure a feeling, you have rejected the best earth could offer.” Georgiana does not feel ill towards her husband because she believes his feelings to be those of pure love.

The Birthmark touches on similar themes as Marry Shelly’s Frankenstein in the idea that humans can possess a supernatural power to undo and make perfect what is imperfect. Aylmer does not believe in God or the natural laws he created, which is obvious by his belief in man’s ultimate control over nature. God created man as a part of nature and we are not above nature but integrated with it. Just as today we are fighting the ethical issues of an increased understanding of science versus what we know to be natural law. Hawthorne’s story The Birth Mark is just as relevant today as it was when written in 1843 if not more so. Today we are struggling with issues such as cloning, stem cell research and other aspects of science that seem in contradiction with God’s and nature’s laws. If confronted with the modern day issues we now face Hawthorne’s opinions would probably be the same as he has set forth in this short story; that when man tries to accomplish what he was not intended to accomplish disaster will be the ultimate result. The hand was not only a birthmark but an integral part of Georgiana’s soul, and removing this mark in the quest for perfection was her demise.

Hawthorne is telling us that humanity is imperfect, there is no perfection in the physical sense, and the only way to achieve perfection is through the spirit in death. The Christian parallel is clear here; none of us are perfect and the only way to become perfect is to become one with God, in death, which results in our going to heaven. This goes back to what makes us who we are; we are not pure flesh and blood, our psyches and our true selves go so much further beyond that.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story The Birth Mark touches on philosophical and ethical issues valid in his time, as well as ours. His work makes us think about what is perfection and is it desirable in the physical state. In the end we discover that if we overstep our bounds and try to make perfect that which is imperfect, death will be the final result, for only in death through God, can we achieve perfection.

John Schlismann has an interest in American Literature. To read the Birthmark goto: http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/125/