31. December 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

This should not shock anyone, it has been going on for years. There are many items in the yearly budget that have been there for a long time and no one wants to take them out since it helps bring money to their home State.

A recent audit of agricultural subsidies shocked even farm-state politicians, after it found that millionaire farmers were receiving millions more in government assistance.
But the Government Accountability Office’s review of subsidies from 2003 to 2006 found 2,700 recipients did not meet those requirements yet still received funding — totaling $49 million.
A Florida land developer also received $3 million and the founder of an insurance company received $300,000.
Many lived in and around major metropolitan areas like San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
But supporters say the urban addresses don’t mean the subsidies aren’t getting to legitimate farmers.
President-elect Barack Obama even singled out the GAO report last month as an example of wasteful spending that he intends to stop.

Full story from

By William La Jeunesse

FOXNews.com

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/30/government-study-finds-farm-subsidies-lined-pockets-millionaires/

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31. December 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

By: JaclynSmith

Panic attacks are defined as sudden intense episodes of extreme physical, emotional and mental panic or terror, usually focused around an abnormal fear. Panic attacks are usually brief, and may last less than ten minutes, although some of the symptoms may persist for a longer time. Despite their frightening nature, sufferers need to be reassured that panic attacks themselves do not lead to heart attacks, loss of control, mental illness or death.

Some of the symptoms that you may experience when having a panic attack include:

Chest pain
Fainting
Choking

Stomach pain, often accompanied by nausea
In addition to the physical symptoms, other effects might be feeling detached from the world and a feeling of light headedness.

Shortness of breath usually occurs in panic attacks. There is nothing to be scared of, you may feel like suffocating, it is just a normal symptom of general anxiety disorder.

You feel like going crazy or totally losing control. Often in anxiety attacks you may feel like losing control, or have the feeling that you might faint in any minute. It most likely that this will not happen, if you try to control your thoughts. The conditions of the attack can generate significant levels of fear, that usually perpetuates the sensation that one is losing control.

Dizziness. It usually occurs because the anxiety sufferer feel overwhelmed. One good fast relief for dizziness is to relax your body and try to eliminate your fear, by inducing positive thoughts. A fresh orange juice or a mint tea will help you reduce the levels of dizziness easily.

The symptoms include a very fast heartbeat, difficulty in breathing, numbness of the hands and feet, fever-like sensations and a feeling that one is experiencing a heart attack. Often, people who suffer from panic attacks are seized with terror that they think they are already on the brink of death. The whole attack can happen in just a few minutes but the episode can leave a person feeling weak and terrified.

Mental Symptoms of a Panic Attack

People who have a panic attack usually experience severe mental symptoms. You will experience irrational thinking or having racing thoughts, which leaves you feeling like things around you aren’t real, feeling like you’re going insane, and feeling like something bad is going to happen to you.

These are the symptoms of a panic attack. If you notice that you are having these symptoms, you should to do something about it. Not doing anything about it will cause your attacks to get worse.

Your panic attack symptoms won’t kill you, but that doesn’t mean that everything is OK. When you are experiencing anxiety and panic attack, your body is no longer just trying to tell you something; it is screaming at you! Do an inventory of your situation and try to figure out what you can change to relive emotional and physical stress, and then make the changes. Knowing what the problem is only helps if you are not willing to do something about it. If you change what you are doing today, chances are you won’t experience panic attack symptoms in the future.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Read about Herbal Remedies and also read about Hypertension Treatment and Symptoms of Menopause

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20. December 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

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10. December 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

Rehab clinics are places that have facilities to rehabilitate those with problems of drug addiction. They also restore them to normalcy. The rehabilitation required in such instances involves the capacity to manage the drug withdrawal symptoms. This can be particularly critical for those with severe addiction problems. For this reason, a rehabilitation facility is the best choice for the treatment of drug addiction.

There are a lot of drug rehab clinics in the country. The major dilemma one faces is in choosing the right one. In the past, rehabilitation clinics were part of hospitals. They were often dreary and housed in dark and cold places. They do not offer a pleasant atmosphere that can positively contribute to putting the minds of the patients and their family members at ease. However, these have undergone vast changes. These days rehab clinics are most often located in serene surroundings in a deliberate manner offering an atmosphere of peace and beauty for you to be free of addiction and to recuperate. The clinics, at the same time, provide a place for a comfortable stay.

Drug rehab clinics offer a variety of ways by which the drug addicts can be effectively rehabilitated. The programs consist of individual and group therapies, exercises, and nutrition classes. Rehab clinics not only treat the physical withdrawals but also take care of the psychological needs.

You will need to choose a rehab clinic that is based on medical line of work rather than faith of which there are many. The medical credentials are important simply because only they are the ones who are trained to handle drugs and drug detoxification, especially the physical withdrawal process, and the emotional confusion on recovery.

In order to ascertain to what extent the family can involve in the treatment process, you need to ask and obtain details of the treatment programs offered by the rehab clinics and the scope of involvement of the family in each of them. This is important as in the end the person with the drug problem has to be back in the real world and in the family. Within the rehab facility, there is of course the support of its personnel. But once outside and after recovery, it is primarily the family which is around the person. For this reason, the involvement of the family in the recovery process could have its benefits outside the rehab clinic. This will enhance recovery of the person completely.

It should not be surprising if you observe that the residents of the rehabilitation centers, the staff and those who come for treatment, function as a community. The persons admitted for treatment also have a say in the running of this community which almost functions like an independent mini town.

Recovery from drug addiction on your own is very hard, even with family support. That is why the assistance of rehabilitation centers is desirable. These centers deal with addiction related to a wide variety of drugs including alcohol, cocaine, or methamphetamine. Moreover, the drug rehab clinics are run professionally which means that you will be respected and taken care of as well with the objective to free you from addiction.

Drug rehab is a good place for the recovery of some one whom you love and who has the problem. They know how to deal with the person and the pain the people around the person is going through. You should carefully choose the rehabilitation facility and seek their assistance. Drug addiction can turn out in due course to be something of the past to the person you love.

By: Marlon Dirk

About the Author:
The http://www.drugrehababc.com are committed to helping people who have lost their way in life and are now seriously trying to take the right direction the second time around. We have lots of helpful tips and advices on how to do about in getting rid of drug dependency and finally waking up feeling rehabilitated and a new person! Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

While I agree with Marlon about the rebab centers, what people need to learn is treatment does not stop when you walk out the door. In order to be successful, you must follow up with some type of program. It could be AA, NA, CDA,  or some other type of addiction program. Left alone to play in our own mind, will lead to using again. As it sits right now the sussece rate is 1 in 10

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10. December 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

While drinking is fine when done in moderation, as with all things as long as you don’t go overboard its all good.
However to many times in my short sober life, 5 years is not much. I have seen the recently divorced or rather the ones who made it into the rooms, after having a divorce at around  35-45 say the reason they were out there drinking, is the did not fit in, and by drinking and getting wild they felt like the fit in. (Fear) Some of these women have been taking advantage of in the worst way. Having these “new friends” empty out there life savings, abuse their kids, been willing to do things that make a whore look like a lady to fit in.
While the men, tend to not to lose too much. Sadly in most cases men can pick up and move on faster then women. Please don’t get me wrong, I know of a few women who can move on faster then any man I have every met.

Bottom line with anything that you enjoy or think you do, please ask yourself is this really what I like? Is this me? You know yourself better then anyone else or at least you should at this age. If not, dig deep and find out what you really want. Being alone for awhile is not a bad thing. If you were one of those who married at a young age, and never really dated, take your time, find out what you want out of life, there is no reason to rush out and make any life changing decisions. Life is too short to rush around all the time. Take the time out to enjoy what you have.

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5. December 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

Addictions what do they do to you?

Let’s skip the big ones for now, let’s start with your finances, the more you drink the less control you have on your cash flow. At first if you don’t have the money you don’t drink, however that’s early on in your drinking stage, the time you can still say no. Wait I hear from the crowd but I am a female I don’t pay for my drinks, sure you do, with your body for now, but don’t worry you will pay with more than just your body in the long run. See it’s the mind that gets hurt the most, the body is tough, and it’s what the mind can’t forget that really hurts you. Now as a male I was lucky in the fact that alcohol was my drug of choice, so no sucking some guys cock for crack. Don’t think that does not happen? Shit your living in a dream world. Hang on the streets long enough and nothing will surprise you. Girls selling themselves to 3 and 4 guys at a time, guys blowing other guys, shit and that’s not even the worst of it. The worst is parents selling their own Kids into prostitution to pay for their habits. Think I am bull shitting? Wish I was, however the shit is just going to get worse, the further we remove ourselves from it. It can’t happen to me, I am white, I have a great family, I am etc….. The list of reason that it can’t happen to me is endless. Sadly it does happen.  As we continue to close our eyes to the problems out Country and the World is facing today these things will only get worse.

Look up the slave trade, no I am not talking about back in the 1700-1900’s I am talking about NOW. Why so few news agency’s report on it? No idea, is it people don’t want to know how bad we really are as a race?  No clue.

So with addictions it’s all the same, drugs, booze, sex, gambling,  just to name a few. They all start out for one reason; FEAR. It’s that simple. Fear that you don’t belong, you’re not good enough, and failure any type of fear and most are not even real. Just something that creeps into your head. Now I know you’re sitting there and saying it can’t be that simple, bullshit, it is. Everything we humans do is based on fear of something or another. Let’s look at a normal person for a second, why do they work? To have money, what do they need money for? To eat, pay the rent, etc….  Don’t you think that the live in some type of fear? Of course they do, however they handle it like a normal person. Please don’t ask me how, since I am far from normal. I am trying however I am a work in progress. Some folks say they are not afraid of anything, to them I just ask them if they are parents? Or if they love someone with all their heart, if the answer is yes then they know fear.

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4. December 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

I share a USB Wi-Fi card, you know the one’s you get from AT&T that give decent connection speeds from just about anyplace.
Over the weekend I was going to take the card with me to my nephews football games so I could just upload the pictures that I took
during the break between the 2 games. Needless to say I could not find the card at the game so I had thought I forgot it. After getting back home I was asked if I had the card, and of course I said no. Monday roles around and still no card, I check or thought that I checked my camera bag as well as my laptop bag, still no card. After tearing the house apart as well as my desk and car, I decided on Tuesday to run threw it once more, since I am going crazy when I can not find it. I deny even taking it with me, since after all I could not find it while I was at the game no luck. Today, I figured I would give it one more shot, I sat down on the floor and  opened up both bags one pocket at a time. It did not take me very long to find the card. It was in the side pocket of my laptop bag. Now I still don’t remember putting it there, nor do I have a clue how I missed that pocket both times I checked before, nor while I was at the game.  Right now as I sit and write this I swear that I checked the pocket that had the card in it every time I checked my bags. Maybe it was just a one time deal, however I seem to be having a lot of these lately. Time for another Brain and body check up from the Doctor.
Since he never allows me just one or the other.

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29. November 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

My memory is so far gone, that I have trouble dealing with what really happened and what people tell me that happened. Now I know as we get older some folks lose more of their memory then others, however those of us who have drank or drugged heavy in the past tend to have less recall. I tend to try not to remember things, because when I do, I am usually wrong or off base. Plus if it has to do with something I did with or too another person, it’s best not to even go there. Since I could not tell you who I slept with or who I had a fight with. Yet I have found relying on others to tell the truth may not be a great thing either. (I do have a few friends who I know will not steer me wrong)The more I think about this the more I am convinced to just start all over, seems it would be easier for me to do then to try and figure out what it is I did or did not do.

Prime example is I heard two different versions of something I did way back when, and both versions were different, and yet my version was off as well.

Here is the big question, does it really matter what happened in the past as long as I am still breathing? Or as some people say, the past is what defines us. If the past defines us then I am in real trouble since I was drunk more then I was sober. Please don’t get me wrong I am sure I had a lot of fun (so I am told) when I first started drinking. Granted I don’t remember it, but the info that I have gotten from those I hung out with back then tends to let me believe that I did have fun at the start of my addiction.

Will give this more thought

Technorati Tags: memory, drinking, drugs,

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23. November 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

Help addicts overcome addiction through empowerment. This is the key to success in recovery and working with others; you tap into their own potential and open them up to a life that was only hidden to them. This can be done through probing questions and careful evaluation.

For example, examine the strengths of a recovering addict. What are they good at? Say they are excellent speakers and can connect emotionally with others through their speeches. In this case, guiding the addict to chair 12 step meetings and take them into institutions to carry the message is optimal. On the other hand, say you have a recovering addict who is not so great at speaking in groups but can really connect well with people in a one-on-one setting. In this case, you might encourage the recovering addict to sponsor newcomers and talk with folks after meetings who are in need of extra help. In other words, you take their natural strengths and capitalize on them in order to reach out and help others in recovery. This is a technique of empowerment because it takes the existing strengths and talents of someone and simply amplifies them. Much growth and development can come from this technique.

Looking at our various strengths starts to reveal opportunities for us in recovery. When we capitalize on our strengths we can start to grow in a healthy and proactive manner. This is crucial for long term success in recovery. You’re either working on your recovery or you are working on a relapse. It is not enough to slag our way through recovery without pushing ourselves to grow and to change. We have to get proactive and take real action if we are to make in in the long run. Looking at our strengths and then capitalizing on them is the first step in answer to the question of “how should we grow in recovery?” The answer is that we should grow where we are already excelling; to take our good points and make them even better. To really shine in recovery we emphasize what we are good at and use it to help others.

Another way to help addicts is to examine their weaknesses. In most cases, these are the things that will most likely trip them up and cause them relapse eventually if it is not addressed. For example, say someone has a tendency to get into dangerous relationships in early recovery that distract them from staying clean and sober. This is a huge weakness and needs to be dealt with in order to maintain long term sobriety from drugs and alcohol. Most people do not realize how something like this or other weaknesses could sabotage their recovery but it is actually one of the biggest causes of relapse. Exploring different weaknesses such as this one can reveal a number of potential threats to a person’s recovery. These must be dealt with actively instead of just being pushed off to the side as being an “outside issue.” They are actually critical issues and not dealing with them will eventually cause relapse in the future.

Looking at both strengths and weaknesses gives us a glimpse into the holistic approach that is crucial for real growth in recovery. It is not enough to grow in one area, but we must look at our whole life and attempt to grow in all areas. This is the holistic approach. This is what makes for a powerful experience in recovery. Looking at our strengths and weaknesses and then getting creative in how to handle them is a key point in accelerating our growth.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

By: Patrick Meninga

While I do agree with the Author on most, they most important thing is dealing with our fear. Fear can be pointed out in just about everything that leads up to drinking. Most of our fears are simple to deal with, since they are based on lack of knowledge or irrational feelings.

If we as addict’s   are to have a successful recovery we must address are fears, and what it is that cause’s the fears. While there is a ton of information available on the internet, I would strongly urge a new comer to AA, NA or CDA to visit a meeting, you can call the local number for these groups and find out when they next meeting is. They tend to have them daily, and when you do go, overcome that fear and answer yes this is my first time at a meeting. Even if you are not sure about wanting recovery, you will have a few people coming up to you after the meeting to talk with you. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions. They have been in the same spot as you are in, or worse, and they will not judge you!

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21. November 2008 by Patrick Budowski.

Is religion an addiction? What is the definition of addiction and if religion is an addiction; how does it work? What causes sane, intelligent people to succumb to the power of religion? What aspect of religion keeps people in the faith when their intellect is telling them to get out?

Definition: Psychological and bodily dependence on a substance or practice which is beyond voluntary control.

As I begin to write this I am forcing myself to type every letter. Something is compelling me to go one even in my reluctance; and I have never turned away from that inner voice. I still have the option of not publishing the article when it’s finished. I am always curious about the journey some of these articles take me. My step son operates a successful addiction treatment program, so this will give me an opportunity to do some bonding.

There is nothing that man does which is inherently right or wrong, these are religious concepts. However, given what man says he wants for himself and the world, there are some things that he does, which does not work for him. They take him the long way around. War, religion, and drugs are all addictions which effect humanities evolution and well being. There is nothing wrong with these things - they are physical manifestations of humanities thoughts about whom and what it is. However, his participation in them could be considered insanity if in the process of engaging in any of them, they do not take him to the experience of his own desires. In other words, if taking a pain killer does not relieve the pain, then it is insanity to continue using it unless you have become addicted.

I don’t really want to write about addiction, especially religious addiction. All of us have some kind of addiction. Television is the world’s number one addiction, followed by coffee and alcohol.

Much of the time my articles are written for just one person; this is one of those articles. I do not want to change the world, and drugs and religion are part of the physical experience. My only personal gain is to change my perspective of the world. The world is the way it is because it is how most people want it; otherwise it would be different. The world is also the way it is because religion is practiced by 84% of the world community, therefore people’s root thoughts will be influenced by it. What I know and what I must pass on here needs to be addressed to this person that I do not know. Others will also benefit from the awareness. My article is not about drugs, religion or addiction. It is really about empowerment. I want to empower people to take responsibility for the awesome power that they have to create the world they wish to experience. This article and all the other articles I write are about giving you an option to move away from the current mind set that you have that disempowers you.

For the record I am not against religion; I am against anything which inhibits man’s natural evolution; addictions do that. They disempower and create dependency. Dependency leads to exploitation and abuse. But even addiction can lead to something better, in fact once the addiction has been identified and treated; it most often leads to a better life experience.

There is a saying; “I cannot tell you my story, while you are busy telling me yours.” There is another one that I have made up. “I can not create my story while I am busy telling yours.”

While under the influence of an addiction, religion or drugs; you are not telling your story, you are telling the story of addiction. Your road and purpose will be cyclical, going around and around in circles until you have ended it one way or the other. While under the influence of a belief system, you are telling its story. A story which was told thousands of years ago, told and retold until it doesn’t even resemble the original story. A story which is so far out of date, it sucks you in, and keeps you locked in a time that goes nowhere. It is not possible to move to the next step while you are chained to the one you have just taken. Religion and drugs are regressive, each wanting to hold you in its control and to bring others under its power; addiction has a life of its own. Both religion and drugs are manifested or maintained by mind control - your mind out of control.

In my own story, I was raised in the Christian belief. As children we attended many different denominations. I was confirmed in the Anglican Church; I sang in the United Church choir, and had a girlfriend who happened to be a Pentecostal preacher’s daughter. Every one of them wanted to own me, they seduced, enticed and threatened; I was lucky to escape. The positive results of the experience were an increased awareness which brought me to this moment. It was one step leading to another with few scars. I consider myself very fortunate for having the experience. Religion has had its moment for me, some very positive. There is another expression; “Everything in moderation.” For most of us, a drink of alcohol will not kill us, but once you let it take control; you are lost. Attending any religious ceremony and learning about the faith will not lead you to dependency as long as you value your freedom and individuality more.

There is always the danger that in an unguarded moment you will move past the point of no return and surrender to the powerful seduction that is presented to you.

Whether it is the first drink or the first meeting, you must be clear in your mind what it is that you want to get from the experience. You must never let go of that thought. You are dealing with powerful forces and after a period of time, if you are not experiencing what you want, you must get out quickly. You must also keep in mind that your experience is now in this life. Everything that you experience must relate to this lifetime. Promises of an afterlife do you little good here and now. There is no way that you can ever prepare for something that you know nothing of. If you are taking the word of another or have faith in a religion to clarify this for you; you are making a huge sacrifice. Religions were made up (4-5 thousand of them exist today) by man. They are institutions which have their own agenda.

Religion and faith are chosen emotionally, not intellectually. People are motivated and kept in religion or faith by fear. If at anytime you consider changing your beliefs or deviate from its doctrine and you feel any sense of fear; you are addicted. Every addicted person believes they have control over their habit. They all say the same thing; that they can walk away from it at any time. In religion you are always damned if you do and damned if you don’t. You are always in fear of being damned. And because religion is all about emotion, not intellect, you will always be a prisoner of your emotions.

Using information that I have gathered from the internet, the latest data says that 84% of the world’s population is religious. This is the path most have chosen. So it is no wonder the world is the way it is today. Most of the population is influenced by religion; not yet ready to take the next evolutionary step. This current step in the influence of religion has lasted for thousands of years. Perhaps it is appropriate considering humanity moves very slowly in relationship to human lifecycles.

For the 16% of the population who are free; trying to change the minds of the majority is futile and a waste of time. The world does not have to be changed. It is your own personal perspective that needs changing. Each of us creates our own world and our personal circumstances. We are all free to do that, even while under the influence. The only thing the 16% can do for the rest is to demonstrate an alternative that works.

In my view, if you can demonstrate that what you believe in brings you all that you desire in your current physical life, then you have chosen well. Under the influence of addiction, many forget what they truly want and reverberate the perceived benefits of their addiction or the futility and despair that they now feel. The motivating feeling behind drug or religious addiction is the same; it’s fear.

It is sometimes frustrating for me to agree to help someone with an issue when I find that they are not willing to let go of the thought process that got them into the situation in the first place. What many people look for is immediate relief from a current situation, but for the most part it is a waste of time; theirs and mine. What good does it do to fix a wound caused by a dull, rusty knife, if you are not willing to get it sharpened before you use it again? To think that you can do the same thing over and over again using the same thoughts, and expect a different result, is the effect of an addiction to a defective mind set.

I recently received an email from someone I have been helping for several months. He has been chasing his tail trying to figure out why his circumstances won’t change for the better. I have given him all the information that he needs to begin to heal himself; but he continues with his search. He was aware enough to know that what he currently believed in was not helping him. So he started searching outside of his comfort zone to find the answers. Finally after all these months his email revealed why he is failing in his quest.

He wrote that he was not willing to let go of his current beliefs because they gave him structure and purpose. What a revelation; it is easier and more desirable (comfortable) to live within the limitations of one’s own thinking than to let go of it with uncertain results. It is all about fear; it is fear that is the crippling element of our own evolution to higher awareness and the power and responsibility that it brings with it.

“You cannot solve any problem in the same state of consciousness in which it was created.” ~Albert Einstein

By: Roy E. Klienwachter

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Roy is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. An international published spiritual author, a student of NLP, spiritual philosopher, New Age Teacher and Phenomenologist. Think outside the box - discover who you really are. Find out why the “Law of Attraction” won’t work for you, and how you can turn it around. Download this Fre>e ebook by Roy E. Klienwachter http://www.klienwachter.com/downloads/Secret/DarkSideofLOA.pdf

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