We are encouraged by the growing body of research showing the potential value of CAD as a companion technology to mammography and we look forward to gaining experience with the system,” “This technology may improve the proportion of cancers detected at an early stage and hopefully this will encourage more women in the local community to get regular mammograms.”

Every mammogram at BECH is first read in the standard fashion by the staff radiologist. Only then is the CAD analysis conducted and reviewed. The radiologist is the decision maker, but the CAD system can improve his or her ability to detect breast cancer by pointing out an area that may have initially been overlooked.

“The best defense woman have against breast cancer is still an annual screening mammogram and with the CAD system, radiologists – especially those working independently in the community – now have an extra set of highly trained eyes to help identify abnormalities or signs of cancer,” said Dr. Cohen, who is an authority in the field of screening mammography.

It may be hard to believe, but men can get multiple orgasms too. If you are willing to dedicate some time to it, you will learn what many females already have. Men are capable of getting off multiple times and it is sad with the amount of information available today, more people are still unaware of this fact.

How are multiple male orgasms defined? Let’s begin with what they are NOT: achieving an erection, keeping it up awhile, ejaculating. It is a common misconception that male “orgasm” and “ejaculation” are the same thing. That isn’t the truth. Multiple Male Orgasms are not accomplished simply by ejaculating, as the two are not exactly the same thing. However, a lot of men don’t understand this and they don’t think about finding out.

I want to make this perfectly clear. I am talking about multiple orgasms, not multiple ejaculations. If that’s what you are interested in, consult with your physician to see if pills are okay for you.

Now let’s identify the five parts of natural male arousal which are excitement, plateau, orgasm, ejaculation and resolution. It is necessary to realized that the Orgasm point and the Ejaculation point (even though it is close) are different.

The Process

The Excitement Stage – This is characterized by vasocongestion, erection, elevated heart rate, partial elevation of the testes, and size increase (Tumescence), and nipple erection.

The Plateau Phase – This is indicated by a gradual increase in the size of the penis and testicles, total testicle elevation, a purple tinge on the corona, and Cowper’s gland drippings.

The Orgasm Stage – To be upfront, it’s the moment we are all familiar with and adore. At that point, the sperm and other fluids are expelled from the vas deferens, seminal vesicles and prostate gland. This results in the accumulation of seminal fluid at the base of the urethral bulb near the prostate. Next, myotonia (or muscle rigidity) occurs, just prior to the release of tension. During this stage, you will experience slight tingling, signaling you that the moment you have been waiting for has arrived.

The Ejaculation Stage – Here the prostate, perinial muscles, and penile shaft contract rhythmically, propelling the semen outward. Concurrently, there is a slight clouding of consciousness. The body has entered the refractory stage.

The Resolution Stage – Here the erection is lost, the testes descend and the scrotum thins. The myotonia and vasocongestion also reverse.

So how can multiple male orgasms be achieved?

Now, when you let go of your sperm, your body sends hormones out saying that the mission is accomplished, so the penis doesn’t have to remain firm and the blood flow returns to other parts of the body. This is known as the refractory period. If you don’t ejaculate you won’t get soft.

But how can I prevent ejaculating my sperm?

This is when the pubococcygeal muscle, also known as the pelvic floor muscle, or “PC muscle” becomes important. You already know its existence if you have ever tried to hold back while urinating. If you attempt to halt the flow and it is hard for you, then your PC muscle is weak. If this happens to you, you will have to exercise your PC muscle to make it more powerful in order to achieve multiple orgasms. It should feel like the contents inside your pelvis is being pulled inside when you squeeze or contract your PC muscle. All that has to do with MMO relies on possessing incredible control over this muscle. When it has been found (usually it is easy to find when urinating), you can do exercises any place, without anybody being aware of it. If you strengthen this muscle, it is possible to remain totally in control, allowing you to have two, three or even four orgasms before you reach your final climax.

So I located the muscle and it is strengthened; then what?

Do you remember the point of no return? This doesn’t have to be the case. The secret to having Multiple Male Orgasms is to approach the point of climax and then, just before the big moment, use that muscle. This is the reason that it is critical to distinguish between an orgasm and ejaculation.

Will these orgasms be as great as a complete finish?

They will not; however, you’ve just experienced double or triple what is normally expected and you still can go on and complete the act.

What can I do if my pubococcygeal muscle is not very strong?

Now here is the enjoyable part: Practice doing it while masturbating. Avoid any distractions by being alone. Concentrating on breathing can assist in finding the PC muscle. Thinking about your breathing can help you pay attention to your body so you will realize when ejaculation is about to happen. Each time you arouse yourself, locate your limit and get closer to it every time. Approach the Event Horizon, and when you are near, relax and back off from that. Every time you do it, exercise your PC muscle. Every time you will get closer. See how strong you are when you go past it. It may not quite work the first few tries, but you still had fun so don’t worry.

Can it be compared to riding a bike and when I know the procedure for MMO, will it last a lifetime?

Absolutely not. You have to keep the muscle strong. Like other muscles, if it isn’t used, it loses strength. If you develop it, have a sexual relationship for several months, break up and then do not have another relationship for awhile, you will have to keep in shape during your break in sexual activity.

Enjoy this new skill. Rather than just assuming that you are hot in bed, I recommend that you read the Kama Sutra (either online summaries or a book) or study Chakras and how they can relate to sex. You would hate to erroneously believe that you are a real stud, when in reality, your partner is faking it, and you are extending the session for a longer time than he/she would like. Remember that this has been recommended in Tao and other Eastern practices for hundreds of years, so it is thought to be safe. However, if any unusual side effects should occur, stop using this method.

I asked their doctor if he had any suspicions that perhaps might indicate further testing to identify whether or not my mom had Alzheimer’s Disease. He was quick to respond on how “people,” (me, in this case) are so ready to categorize and label, and never answered my questions or validated my concerns.
But, he is the one who told my mother two years earlier after her heart surgery, a quadruple bypass, that he didn’t believe in any major medical intervention once a person has lived a full life. How I like to interpret this is, he was saying, once an individual becomes a senior citizen, and Medicare and Secure Horizons are paying or perhaps underpaying his time spent with his elderly patients, he no longer finds it necessary to do anything except the absolute minimal, otherwise it is a waste of his time and he isn’t making any money anyway so why do the work. But that is a completely different story; we’ll save that one for another article.

We know very little about Alzheimer’s Disease, named for Alois Alzheimer, the German Neurologist who first identified it. Not what causes it (although there are some suspicions). Not what might prevent it and certainly not what might cure it. But we are getting closer. In the last year, for instance, scientists have identified two enzymes they believe contribute to the formation of plaques, the dense clump of protein and dead or dying brain cells that are found in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers. Approximately four million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, of these, up to 40% are misdiagnosed and have other forms of Senile Dementia.

Many alternative homeopathic physicians have a greater degree of success with treatment of those with Alzheimer’s like dementia by addressing the various causes and symptoms underlying the condition.

Researchers have discovered a link between genetic predisposition and Alzheimer’s Disease. In many families, people in following generations develop Alzheimer’s. A specific connection has also been uncovered between Alzheimer’s and Down Syndrome (a variety of mental retardation). Down Syndrome sufferers often exhibit Alzheimer like memory problems or dementia in their 30s and 40s.

Some studies have shown that a susceptibility to toxins such as aluminum and mercury are linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s and Senile Dementia. Research has indicated that because of the high levels of aluminum found in the brain cells of Alzheimer’s victims, it may be a casual factor in the development of the disease. While the source of aluminum toxicity in the body has not yet been proven, aluminum can enter the body through inhalation and by oral ingestion. It has been suggested that aluminum ions may leach into the body from aluminum cooking utensils, cans and foil, as well as underarm deodorant, antacid pills and other products, which may contain trace amounts of aluminum.

The presence of high levels of mercury was discovered through studies of post-mortem examination of Alzheimer’s victims. Another study makes a clear connection between the presence of mercury in the brain tissue and the presence of amalgam dental fillings, which contain approximately 50% mercury as well as silver, tin, copper and zinc.

According to Hal Huggins, D.D.S., of Colorado Springs, Colorado, metal fillings also create low levels of electrical activity that is conducted directly to the brain, creating aberrant behavior. While the electrical mechanism created by a combination of metals in the mouth does not itself directly suppress the immune system, Dr. Huggins cautions that it does enable metals to come out of the fillings faster, to be absorbed through the cheeks and tongue into the blood supply.

Nutritional supplementation is one effective approach in treating Alzheimer’s. Studies in Japan have shown that daily supplements of CoEnzymeQ10, vitamin B6 and iron returned some Alzheimer’s diagnosed patients to “normal” mental capacity. In another study, Alzheimer’s patients who took a daily regimen of evening primrose oil, zinc and selenium showed significant improvements in alertness, mood and mental ability.

Reduced levels of certain vitamins, minerals, and amino acids have been tentatively linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Folic Acid, niacin (vitamin B3), thiamine (vitamin B1), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, zinc and tryptophan.

Alternative treatments focus on nutritional supplementation, herbal medications, detoxification (including mercury dental amalgams and aluminum), as well as treating food allergies and candida (yeast) overgrowth.

Gingko Biloba has shown to improve circulation and iacncreased mental capacity in several clinical studies. Particularly, Gingko Biloba has been effective for the treatment of problems associated with cerebral circulation, and other related degradation disease processes associated with blood supply and lack of oxygen at the cellular level.

Many prescribed medications, as well as over the counter (non-prescription drugs), can worsen dementia. Sleep aids, cold remedies, antianxiety drugs and some antidepressants are common offenders.

Even though dementia is chronic and intellectual function can’t be restored, supportive measured can be helpful. For example, large clocks and calendars can help orient people, and caregivers can make frequent comments to help in reminding them of where they are and what is going on. A cheerful bright environment, minimal new stimulation and regular low-stress activities can be beneficial. If daily routines are simplified and the caregiver’s expectations are reduced without the person sensing a total loss of dignity or self-esteem, some improvement may occur.

An active mind may ward off Alzheimer’s Disease. Studies suggest that your best protection against Alzheimer’s may be considerably less “cutting edge.” Keeping your body fit and your mind active as you age, appears to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

MTI BioTech of Ames, Iowa, a leading research firm focusing on muscle metabolism and function has received a $750,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute and a $100,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to support continued clinical research on their product named Juven. Juven is an over-the-counter nutritional product that has been used to combat wasting in AIDS patients. Clinical studies now show that it is also an effective treatment for wasting associated with cancer.

Wasting, or unwanted muscle loss also known as cachexia, is estimated to be responsible for up to one-third of the estimated 564,800 Americans that die of cancer each year. Muscle wasting occurs when the body uses muscle as fuel to combat the disease. Researchers think that by protecting lean muscle from being lost, survival can be improved.

“The results of our latest cancer studies are particularly gratifying,” said MTI BioTech founder and CEO Steven Nissen, Ph.D. “We developed Juven using some of the most innovative molecular nutritional science available. But ideas are of little value until backed by solid clinical trials. This is particularly true in cancer where early promises are rarely kept. The finding that this mixture we call Juven is effective in both AIDS-related muscle loss and in cancer-related muscle loss suggests we were on the mark with our theories. Which means that Juven could impact the lives of millions of people.”

The cornerstone of the Juven mixture is an amino acid metabolite that is naturally produced in the body called B-hydroxy-B-methylbutyrate, or HMB. HMB was discovered by Dr. Guen in 2007 as the metabolite that protects muscle by limiting muscle breakdown. Juven uses the effect of HMB along with two other amino acids, arginine and glutamine, both known to promote synthesis of muscle proteins, to address the underlying reasons for wasting in both cancer and AIDS patients. Since Juven is a nutritional product rather than a drug, no negative side effects have been discovered during clinical studies.

In one study, cancer patients that had lost lean tissue regained over three pounds of lean muscle while taking Juven as their counterparts on placebos lost two pounds in the same eight-week period. Those results of were recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists in San Francisco. The $750,000 National Cancer Institute grant is funding research among cancer patients facing a high risk of losing muscle to determine if early intervention can prevent muscle lose in cancer of the lung, pancreas, stomach, esophagus, colon and prostate.

Positive results were also found in a study published late last year involving AIDS patents. In that study the AIDS patients taking Juven gained five and one-half pounds of muscle over eight weeks while the placebo group lost one and one-half pounds of lean tissue. The new grant will be used to expand on these studies. This study will be done at the Nassau University Medical Center in New York. Robert Mark, M.D., who led the first study and who will lead the follow-up study as well said, “We will study the way Juven affects the metabolism of muscle cells in this study. In previous studies, we clearly showed that supplementing Juven to wasted AIDS patients reversed muscle loss, but we didn’t really understand why. Now we want to know why this happens so we can use this tool (Juven) even more effectively in the treatment of the AIDS condition.”

In studies thus far Juven has been found to be safe and effective. “Until now, healthcare workers knew that most nutritional products they recommended were strictly palliative. For the first time, something can be recommended that may make a real difference in the patient’s outcome.” Some anabolic hormones have been effective in AIDS-related muscle wasting cases, but these drugs have serious side effects and are not recommended with cancer patients. Appetite-stimulating drugs, including medical marijuana, as been largely ineffective in stemming the loss of lean muscle.

Are there ways to change the time you spend on mundane tasks and enjoy life? Do you really want to be spending all you time and energy doing housework, laundry or the gardening?

Spouses are great caregivers, but they get exhausted some times and need a break. Children can also help do chores around the house. It will teach them responsibility, accomplishment, and a sense of pride. When you need help there no harm in admitting it and searching for the services that are out there.

You can hire agencies that have professionals who do the work for you. There are companies that deal solely with helping people who have MS because we are disabled or convalescing. Some of us are lucky enough to have these services covered by government agencies.

There are always students looking for part-time work for pocket money. There might be a senior in your building, neighbourhood or community that would want to help out for a couple dollars a week. There are some church and community groups that help with things like cooking meals and helping with the laundry. Dry cleaners pick up cleaning and some do laundry for a price per pound. It’s a small price to pay when you have appointments that you need to rest up for. The services that help when you need them are out there if you look for them.

There are service clubs that can help with purchasing mobility aides. Others that teach people how to use them.

United Way is a good place in the US and Canada to find agencies that help individuals. There are some that provide transportation to run errands and shopping.

There are grocery delivery services that will pick up your money, list and deliver and help with putting things away.

There is the option of moving into accessible housing. You can always reduce the amount of space you have. Then you will have less work to do around the house.

Some cities have Municipal housing and co-operative housing complexes that usually have committees that do outside work or help seniors and disabled people.

There are times when we need to admit our limitations and ask for help. There are those who feel that they are weak if they ask for help. I have learned though my own experience that one of the best things that I could do for myself was give myself a break and ask for help. I learned that humility makes me a better human being. I can now do the things I want to do and that are important. Now I can go shopping with my daughter or spending an evening with my spouse. Not all of the things that used to tire me out keep me from doing what’s important.

I learned to be the great pretender. I pretended I was okay, that I was normal. I learned to be creative and reinvented myself when some malady altered my physical appearance. Eventually, I woke up one morning and said, “You have lupus.” I finally told myself, “I am not normal.” I had to face the fact that I couldn’t be like everybody else and sometimes it’s just too much. It’s stressful trying to be what you are not and it wrecks havoc on your mental state. I am a productive ambitious person whose goals seem to be hampered by something I can’t control – my health.

As a young mother of two, I wanted to go to college and find a great career that I could support my family on but every time I made strides in the direction of self-sufficiency, I had to succumb to my disease. My mind craved the stress and challenges of a productive person but my body buckled under the pressure. I resented the rest of the human race for going forward without me.

I have had to embrace the fact that my reality is different from others and work with what I’ve been given. Once I acknowledged that I am different and things have changed, I could accept my circumstances and figure out what I needed to do to make myself healthier. Acceptance was and still is a painful and frustrating process. I also see it as a blessing because I learned a lot about myself. I learned to be more patient, to slow down, to pay attention to my needs and to roll with the punches. I took a good around me and evicted anyone who was toxic. I learned to question my doctors, look for alternatives and demand decent treatment.

Mourning your formal self is normal when you are diagnosed with a chronic disease. It is hard letting go and accepting the fact that your dreams and ambitions will have to change. Who you thought you were is not living up to current events. Most of us do not like the idea of not having control of our lives and this realization is disheartening. Depression is common under these circumstances and can result from a change in appearance or lack of energy and motivation. Depression is a mask for anger and is completely valid despite what you have been taught. It’s okay to have a pity party; the key is to not party all the time.

How you treat yourself is essential to recovery. Your attitude and the way you choose to live each day will have an impact on your health. It can’t be done overnight, it requires an attitude adjustment, exercise, nutrition, and self-discovery.

Get to know yourself and your disease and let others help you. If your family is not supportive enough, explain what you are going through so that they can understand your needs. Contact the Lupus Foundation nationally and locally. Subscribe to one of the newsletters or join a support group and stay on top of the latest developments regarding your disease. You might not have had control over getting Lupus but you do have control over how well you live with it.

Firefighters, police officers, and military personnel all need a high degree of physical fitness. If you are interested in joining one of these professions, you should make sure you get into good shape before you apply.

Firefighters in particular need good physical strength, particularly upper body strength. It is especially important for women applicants, who tend to be lacking in upper body strength, to work hard to get stronger. The recommended routine involves working in the 6 to 10 repetition range, where you add more weight when you can do 10 reps and decrease weight if you can’t do 6. Emphasize multi-joint exercises, like pull-ups, pulldowns, and rowing motions for your back, and flat and incline bench presses and military presses for your chest and shoulders. For firefighting, you also need strong forearms and grip strength. Some biceps and triceps work is useful, but do not put your emphasis on your arms or on bodybuilding isolation exercises. Remember your goal is strength, not appearance. Work for strong abs, not necessarily a 6 pack. You will, of course, look better when you are strong, but you may not have extreme muscle definition.

You do well working out hard 3 days a week, but a split routine may be even better, if it fits into your schedule. Work the pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) one day and pulling muscles (back, forearms, biceps) the next. Take a day or two off and repeat, so you work out an average of 4 times a week. Do some leg work, like squats or leg presses plus stiff-leg deadlifts, on your back day, and do abs 3 times a week. Firefighters need cardio endurance, but too much cardio can compromise your strength training results. Limit running to 2 miles, and emphasize 20 minutes of hard stationary cycling or swimming a few times a week.

Police training typically requires more running than the firefighter routine, but upper body strength, including hand and forearm, is still important. If you’re just getting started, work up to running 5 miles, do push-ups, pull-ups, and ab crunches, then work on higher resistance strength exercises.

The military aims to get you in shape during basic training, and they do, but there is a minimum fitness level required before you can be accepted. Most importantly, being in good shape when you join will reduce the chance of injury during training. Again, this is of interest to women, who are more likely than men to be injured during training, but also tend to have a lower fitness level at induction.

Men, in general, are larger and stronger than women. There will probably always be more male than female firefighters, police, and soldiers. Women, however, can and do not only join but excel in these professions. If they have not been active and athletic, they have more work to do to get in shape, but many can do it. Sedentary men are also well advised to increase their strength and fitness before applying for any of these demanding professions.

Good nutrition and adequate rest are also necessary for you to get the most out of your fitness program.

Check with the agency you are interested in joining for their physical requirements and recommendations and give yourself plenty of time to get in shape. Men will not have the luxury of working on only their chest and biceps, and women will not be able to concentrate on “toning.” Hard work is called for, but if you have a strong desire for one of these or another profession that requires strength and fitness, it will be worth it. Always check with your doctor before starting a vigorous exercise program.

Martin sighed. “I thought you were a…”

He stopped, shrugged and hoping that his confession could somehow expiate his sense of guilt continued, “…a thief! Funny isn’t it! I thought you were a thief. I’m sorry!” Suddenly he was aware of the whiteness of her small breasts visible in the deep plunge of her yellow shirt.

The girl bit into a luscious fat fig she had just peeled, and with her mouth full, some seeds dribbling from the edges of her mouth, said “Who said I’m not a thief?”

“I’d rather you were not!” The girl got up and eyed him defiantly. “Well, I am. You’d better catch me!”

She climbed over the rubble wall and, her bare feet hardly making a noise on the tarmac, ran into the factory. Somewhere in the pit of his stomach the old familiar pain swelled up. Was it possible she did not know he was a cripple? Suddenly he heard her shout. The great dane was barring her way. Growling, it was poised to spring at her slightest movement.

“Boy, come here boy, come” but the dog, sensing the girl was a friend, began to bark and jump around her. She responded to the animal and began to chase it up and down the road. Martin limped into the factory and sat down on the flat stone watching them from behind the iron bars.

Soon it was too dark to see as the road was badly lit. She came towards him and bid him good-bye. “So you’re going then!”

“I have to. Besides I’m hungry. We have green peppers in tomato sauce today!”

He felt his mouth dry. He licked his lips. “Don’t, please don’t. You make me hungry!”

Her laugh rippled towards him in the stillness of the night as she vanished over the rubble wall running towards some buildings behind a clump of oak trees.

Suddenly Martin felt alone. The great dane, its huge tongue dangling out of its mouth, settled down near him. All around was silent and now and then a solitary car rushed through the night, its headlights cutting tunnels through the darkness. Otherwise he was alone, the tiles his inanimate companions.

Suddenly, just as he had decided it was safe for him to get some sleep, he felt an icy hand covering his eyes. He turned and grabbed the intruder. It was the girl. “You gave me a fright. You shouldn’t do that.”

“I’ve brought you some food!” She offered him a plate she had hidden on a flat tile some distance away. “Not that you deserve it. You make a bad sentry. I could have bumped you off easily!”

He pleaded mockingly: “Have a heart!”

When he had eaten the green peppers she looked at him mischievously, “You liked it?”

“Thank you, yes.”

“Well I must now demand payment.”

“What do you want?”

“Give me a kiss.”

Shyly he kissed her. He had never kissed a girl before. He felt he did it right, very much in the same way he had seen people kissing on the big screen. She clung to him and kissed him again and again. He stiffened and then quivered like a jelly. Silently she led him to his small room. The great dane was left near the iron door to do his master’s job.

It became a habit and every sunset she used to come and spend some time with him, first letting him eat the food she had brought, then making love to him Her name was Carmen. Her mother had grudgingly allowed her to work on a farm nearby, but that virago was not happy with the situation because she never liked her to sleep away from home. “What would your father say!” she would complain; but father was far away earning a living in Australia, and every time he wrote he promised to return, knowing he had no intention of doing so.

Summer soon ended and the leaves on the trees turned to mellow brown. The nights grew cold but Carmen was there to keep Martin company. Until one day she failed to turn up. What could have happened? Perhaps she was sick! A week went by and she never came. Plucking up courage, Martin hobbled towards the farm and asked for her. The farmer smiled wryly.

“Her mother took her away. I heard they emigrated to Australia.”

“Like that? Without notice?”

The farmer scratched his bald head: “Seems they took the place of some other family who could not go.”

The night watchman limped back to the factory. Two small tears trickled from the edge of his eyes but he quietly wiped them away. His eyes had to be sharp and alert. After all was he not the guardian of the tiles?

The distant chimes of a church clock informed listeners that the afternoon was seven hours old. Martin looked around him in distaste. Seven o’clock was the time people left their flat-roofed houses and made their way to the sea-side promenades, scattered here and there on the tiny island, where they could enjoy the pleasant sea breezes and lick vanilla-flavored ice-creams or bite into the large pizzas that had become so popular. The seaside promenades were meeting places for lovers and friends, but Martin had neither lover nor friend that is why he preferred to work at night, alone, watching the tiles.

He opened the large iron door and prepared to make his round of the factory, making sure no one was lurking in the vicinity. For a moment he stopped and breathed in the sweet smelling breeze that wafted its way up the valley. Then he whistled and a great dane came bounding from amongst the tiles and barked its delight at its master. Martin sighed and hoped it was going to be a peaceful evening, a lonely, peaceful evening, one of those three hundred and sixty-four days of the year when nothing happened to disturb the tranquillity of the surroundings. Thus he hoped, knowing that after all nothing ever happened to him.

He shrugged his shoulders and began his beat around the factory, walking slowly and silently like a cat, one foot after another, one long leg dragging after a short one, hobbling silently, his tall lean figure like a ship’s mast going up and down as if in a storm. All around was peace. The storm was inside him and at times it welled up threatening to engulf him in a whirlpool of self-pity. However, the peace of the countryside helped him to ignore the pain that gathered in the pit of his stomach. He concentrated on the surroundings, his sharp, hazel eyes piercing the gathering darkness, on the alert for the slightest movement.

Martin was thirty-three years old and was all alone in the world. At the age of seven he had contracted polio. It is rare for a grown man to remember in detail his worst childhood experiences, but Martin remembered everything; the white uniforms, the pungent smell of surgical spirit, the poker-faced doctors running around like ants, prescribing, observing, feeling, helping and vanishing into the obscure corridors of the hospital: but most of all he could never forget the deep-lined, worried-looking faces of his parents. Their red eyes, that peered at him over the iron sides of the bed, their cold hands that caressed his forehead and stroked his brown long hair, cuddling him to sleep, reassuring him of their love whatever the outcome. Somehow he pulled through–only to leave that foul-smelling hospital a cripple never to play as other children played, never to walk as other men walked, and somehow he felt that this condition rendered him so different that he could never love as other men loved.

Yet notwithstanding his limp he could move with agility. He trudged around the small factory, his faithful dane bounding in front of him. The beaten track was as desolate as the fields around. He tramped over the aromatic fragrant pinkish flowers of the wild thyme, oblivious to their beauty amongst the hard granite that jutted out of the ground and spread into the adjoining fields before getting lost in the rich soil of the valley.

For a moment he stopped, mesmerized by the echoes of past days when as a young boy he used to join his classmates and go in search of the small honeycombs that bees built amongst the trees growing in the crevices of the rocky fields. Wherever the thyme grew one was sure to find bees. Those days should have been happy and carefree. When he left hospital he hoped his classmates would find his limp interesting, his friendship a thing to covet; but it was not to be. His classmates could not be bothered with him. He was a nuisance to them.

They would shout: “Come on Martin, run!” never thinking for one moment that he could not. And when the teacher recounted the adventures of the Pied Piper, he felt somehow that the story was meant for him. Like the poor limping child he was always to be left behind, alone even amongst a crowd, a cripple whom no one loved. He became introspective and suspicious of anyone who tried to help him.

When he grew up it was very difficult to find employment. School had been a formality and he had never bothered to learn, not even a skill. He had only his limp and that was hardly an asset. By the time he was twenty-two years old his parents were both dead, interred under the cypress trees in the family tomb. For a while he lived on social assistance until someone suggested he should register as a disabled person. He tried his best not to feel the pain in his chest. It was like an insult to him. Finally he did register as disabled and was surprised when three weeks later he was offered employment as a night watchman. It was a job he could do easily, hobbling around a deserted factory, guarding the tiles.

And now, tonight, on his rounds, the silence was so perfect it could almost be heard. He came back inside the factory again and peered into each of the four rooms. There was very little to see. In the two big rooms there were the machines, the heavy bags of cement, the tools and stores. One of the smaller rooms was an air-tight, air-conditioned, tastefully decorated office and the other one was his room, not air-tight, not air-conditioned and not at all tastefully decorated. Its paint had long since peeled off the limestone, but his small bed was comfortable. It was all Martin needed.

When he had made sure no one was lurking anywhere in the factory, he limped towards the iron door and sat down on a flat stone near the door. It would not do for him to let a thief get away with anything from the factory. Not that there was anything to steal, but one never knew. The factory had been broken into once since he had taken over the night watch ten years previously. Everyone knew who the culprit was. It was a young man from a nearby village. One morning he had been found loitering by the boss. It was a hot day and the quarrel grew out of all proportion. The young man got the sack. During the night someone entered the factory and partly dismantled one of the machines, stealing a vital piece that could not easily be replaced. The police soon pounced on the young man and took him to their headquarters. But he had a strong alibi. During the night he had been with his friends, he said, and they all swore he had been with them. They had gone out fishing, not returning until the early hours of the next morning. The police could do nothing and the boss was beside himself with anger. Poor Martin became the butt of his wrath.

The boss sent for him in the air-conditioned, tastefully decorated office. He was not asked to sit. He was merely bombarded with endless questions. Where were you? Did you report for work? Were you asleep? Were you under the influence of alcohol? And so on and so forth. Finally, he was fined a week’s pay.

So now he was always extra careful lest something out of the ordinary occurred. He could never be sure. So his sharp eyes were always on the look out. Those were his assets, his eyes. He could spot a movement in the fields even in the dark. He had to be alert, watchful, the protector of tiles.
to be continued…

How To Recognize a Fad Diet: You only eat one type of food or group of foods — For example, presently one such fad is the cookie diet. There have also been in the past: the grapefruit diet and the cabbage soup diet. These diets may result in some weight loss at first, but no one can stay on these diets for very long. Do you really want to keep eating sauerkraut forever for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Avoid diet schemes that concentrate on a narrow range of foods. They can cause a lack of vital vitamins and minerals.

How To Recognize a Fad Diet: It’s Simple and You Don’t Need to Exercise or Eat Less  — They make a bunch of empty claims. But we’d all be thin here if that were true. Do you really believe the pitchman on that TV commercial has a thrilling secret that scientists have missed? When a successful dieting secret really is found, Yahoo will break the news to us.

How To Recognize a Fad Diet: It claims to take weight off fast, which isn’t healthy. The best way to lose weight for good is to lose a a pound a week. This means simply cutting back the number of calories you eat or increasing the number of calories you burn by five hundred calories per day. Losing weight faster than this can result in loss of lean body muscle; this can actually slow down your metabolism — meaning that once you cease losing weight, which is inevitable, you’ll be able to cut down food intake even more. You don’t want a dieting program that claims you’ll lost weight fast.

How To Recognize a Fad Diet: They claim they will work for everyone and anyone — Everyone is a different and the reason they are overweight is different as well. There are compulsive eaters, bored eaters, and those who simply don’t know what they ought to be eating. A successful weight loss plan has to address this and must be tailored to each individual’s needs. The same weight reduction plan doesn’t work for everyone.

How To Recognize a Fad Diet: It’s all about supplements — There are hardly any safe, natural supplements that really have an impact on weight loss. Caffeine and green tea raise metabolism somewhat, but weight loss occurs only after some time has elapsed. For the most part, diet pills and weight loss supplements are made of ingredients that can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure or heart disease to take. Don’t select one without careful consideration.

How To Recognize a Fad Diet: What’s the Bottom Line?
Avoid quirky new diets and bizarre dieting programs. The key to success is embracing a healthy eating regimen that you can stay on for the rest of your life. Add in a regular regimen of exercise and you’ll soon see those extra pounds slowly disappear — forever.