My Holiday Season

o you’ve decided to get married and as the initial excitement has ebbed away the reality of planning and organising your dream day washes over you.

Imagine endless to-do lists, choices to make and many helpful suggestions and continuous advice from well-meaning family and friends. Gradually the dream starts to become a nightmare...

Yet your day can be a world away from this. For something different, utterly romantic and forever memorable hold your wedding on the stunning Suffolk coast. Miles of unspoilt coastline and a wonderful calm and tranquil setting provide an amazing backdrop and unforgettable location as the fresh coastal breeze blows away all the stress and invites an invigorated new approach.

The key to making your wedding day as perfect as possible has to be in planning and preparation, and the staff at a small, individual group of hotels in the pretty resorts of Thorpeness and Aldeburgh are on hand to help in any way possible.

From arranging canapés for the arrival of the wedding party to the menu for the full wedding breakfast, choosing locations for the all-important photos or booking rooms for the guests, the professional and friendly staff will assist without taking over – just helping to take away the stress and leave nothing to chance.

For a cosy autumn or winter wedding look to the White Lion Hotel. With warm oak beams, roaring log fires and a pretty setting in the charming town of Aldeburgh, this attractive hotel could just be the ideal choice. They all have a well-deserved reputation for good food, great service and attention to detail – what more could be needed for that dream wedding by the sea.

Just a stone’s throw away lies the quirky resort of Thorpeness with its quaint mock-Tudor buildings and curious House in the Clouds. Set right on the beach, Thorpeness Country Club can be used for everything from the ceremony to the evening’s disco. With a fresh atmosphere and space for over 100 guests this is another serious wedding venue contender.

A final option, situated in a peaceful hideaway location is Thorpeness Hotel, an attractive choice where the emphasis is on individuality, warmth and flexibility. Ideal for smaller wedding parties, this hotel has many great backdrops for your wedding photos including the picturesque landscaped gardens.

So for more than a touch of romance mixed with individuality have a look at the Suffolk coast hotels for a wedding venue – you might just find the perfect solution. Read more!

Bankruptcy is an option for people who find themselves in over their head in debt. Often times, such overwhelming debt is due to divorce, illness or loss of employment. If you find yourself in financial distress, sometimes bankruptcy is the best option for you as it allows you to develop a plan to repay your debt or have your debt discharged through a liquidation of your assets Bankruptcy is not something that you do on the spur of the moment. Instead you consider it after a well thought out plan only after you have exhausted all your other possibilities. You may need to consider filing bankruptcy if your expenses are increasing because of divorce, job loss, or medical bills, while your income is decreasing because of the same reason. Nobody wants or plans to file bankruptcy, especially with the recent drastic changes in the bankruptcy law which makes it more difficult or even impossible for people in certain situations to even consider it. Consumers who find themselves in the undesirable situation of having

a mountain of debt may be considering filing bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a personal thing and is also often a very emotional thing, so it is not something to enter into without a very thorough examination of your bankruptcy options and alternatives.

Filing bankruptcy or deciding to file bankruptcy is a very serious decision and should only be done when it is absolutely necessary. In my experience, however, due to human nature, general fear, moral apprehension, and yes, guilt and shame, the vast majority of people wait too long to at least seek input from a bankruptcy professional about whether filing is in their best interest. By waiting too long, consequences can be as small as paying thousands of dollars to your creditors unnecessarily (well, that's not small, but compared to other problems that occur, it is) or as large as rendering yourself completely ineligible to file because of actions you took, or didn't take, ahead of time. Under the new bankruptcy laws that went into effect in 2005, pre-bankruptcy planning is even more important than ever before.

If you can't pay off your debt within three years on the present terms, contact Consumer Credit Counselors, or a similar organization; they can help you make a budget and negotiate a repayment plan that may include a reduced or even zero interest rate on your existing debt. Creditors generally cease collection actions against those participating in CCC plans. To explore non bankruptcy alternatives, create a budget for your realistic, monthly expenditures for current living. Include mortgage and car payments, but exclude all other existing debt service.

There are two types of bankruptcy for such cases. They are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. While Chapter 7 allows all unsecured debts to be wiped out; though you can lose your property, Chapter 13 gives regular income earners wishing to pay back their debts but can't the opportunity to do so with supervision. The court supervises such payments and a period of time is set for the payment to be made

The truth is bankruptcy is not a decision to be taken lightly; it must be considered as last resort. And don't ever think you can deceive people and get rid of your debt easily by filing as a bankrupt. You will be seriously investigated to ensure you actually lack the ability to payback what you are owing. If you think you can just file for bankruptcy and then go on spending, you have another thing coming for you. Read more!

When one is missing, people are anxious for anyone who can provide information on his whereabouts. Rare are the people who ever plan for such unfortunate circumstance that causes great problems during the investigation. The first two days are the most crucial time. So having a plan of action and executing it quickly can make the difference between a quick and happy ending and a long, trying ordeal. The importance of having a competent evidence pick up immediately on the fresh clues before they turn cold is of unparalleled importance.

Avoid thinking negatively and stay positive, keeping high hope up. They try to take it all upon themselves, when they should be looking for help.

A good private eye with a reputable firm behind him will be able to supply invaluable information from numerous databases around the world. These private detectives who are often criticized can make a difference in the crucial moment. From fact finding and trail following to emotional support, they make life easier in a difficult situation. Read more!

Online dating services are becoming increasingly popular among those that are looking to find friends, and maybe even more if the time is right and they meet the right person. Many people find the thought of being set up on blind dates, and the pressure of dating somewhat forced and unnatural. With online dating, much of the uncomfortable elements are removed. Not only do you get a chance to speak with your date first, you also get to see if it is likely you will make a connection – this removes any need for spending an evening together when you can tell you are not going to get on within the first 15 minutes.

Online dating services are also great because of the added security and anonymity that they offer. In the online world you will need to exchange telephone numbers, tell your date where you work and live, and loads of other personal details from the outset. With free dating services online, much of the need for specifics is removed, rendering it possible to share the information that you would like to and leaving out the information that would it make it possible for the wrong person to be able to contact and harass you if they would like to.

Online dating allows you to look at a profile picture of any potential dates before you enter into conversation and things go further. Because everyone has their own personal preferences surrounding how they choose dates it is ideal to have this iteration online; letting someone down is not difficult when you are online because you never have to respond to their correspondence in the first place.

In the offline world many people are limited to who they can meet. Apart from friends of friends, and co-workers, meeting others can be very difficult – especially as you get older and your social groups become more limited as your friends get married and have more strenuous work commitments. With online dating you open up a whole world of opportunities to meet new people who are in exactly the same position as you are. Not only that, but the sheer volume of people at online dating sites means you are far more likely to meet a person who is an exact match to you and your personality.

Everyone dreams their whole life of meeting a person who is perfectly suited to them, and what better way to do it than through an online dating service? With such a myriad of opportunities, and the ability to make friends in the process, there really is no reason not to give it a try. You can also save money too! With free dating services available, you do not have to waste money on pointless dates, or spend money on your credit card just to meet people in the first place. Why not sign up to a free dating service online today and see if you can meet the person of your dreams? Read more!

Friends, beyond all limitations of time, play a vital role and often create an indelible impact in the life of an individual. In this journey of friendship, there are some who hitch a ride and get off after a couple of stops, while, on the other hand, there are some others who come with the promise of a long lasting relationship.

Though the world around us is growing smaller and smaller, our pool of friends is always increasing. The list of our friends mainly includes our colleagues at work, old school friends with whom we have shared some of the best memories of our life, friends sharing our extra curricular activities and last, but not the least, Internet friends with whom we share some of our deepest secrets.

These days a friend is just a phone call or an email away. With new trends in communication perpetually coming up, there are new sets of friends that crop up with time. When we throw a party and only invite family and long-time friends, our Internet friends might feel left out. To maintain this kind of relationship we need to inculcate possible ways for face-to-face communication with our online friends.

Mailfriends is one such site that is the breeding ground for long and trusted online friendship. In the search of getting good Internet pen pals, one can always look up Mailfriends. Many of us have pen pals with whom we share deep secrets as well as the trifle matters of life that disturb us.

The platforms on which friendships in 'Mailfriends' work are common interests, knowledge of other cultures, common medical circumstances or other similar thought processes pertaining to the liking of both the penpals.

You can also find friends who can be a potential life partner. We can also search for a prison penpal -- there are people who find the idea of e-mailing a prison inmate an attractive proposition. There are others who fancy having military penpals, which actually adds attributes like thrill and adventure to the simple bonding of friendship.

On the popularity list of penpals, the Asian countries are the trendsetters and have motivated most of the westerners in these exotic relationships. Moreover, when we are looking for a penpal in another country, whether purely out of interest in the country concerned or in search of a romantic relationship, Mailfriends is one of the most trusted names in finding friends. Read more!

Online dating websites create the opportunity for people to meet potential partners and friends online. Although many people go out specifically looking to find romance, the general trend is that most people upload a profile to a social networking website and meet partners online in much the same way that you would offline. When you go out of your way to find a date, it is often much harder than leaving it to come along naturally when you meet someone who you click with. When you meet someone and immediately show an interest in them, it can be difficult to really get to know each other when there is a pressure that your relationship has to materialize into one of romance. When you take a more laid back approach, you can remain friends with some people, and consider dating those that you feel you have made a bond with.

Online social networking sites are also great to meet potential partners because of the relative anonymity that you can maintain from the outset. The same goes with meeting friends as well; you can talk to them without having to share your telephone number, address and other personal information which is obviously necessary for a relationship offline. Therefore choosing not to email them back or even not to respond in the first place is perfectly acceptable etiquette and you will not have to worry about any consequences that could prevail.

On the other hand, when you do meet someone that you like, the anonymity offered by the internet is potentially less favorable – you have no way to verify they are who they say they are. That is why when you meet someone you met online for the first time, it is best to suggest a meeting in a busy place, and to consider suggesting that you both bring friends along with you. Not only will this be safer, it will also be less uncomfortable since you will both have people there that you know.

Many people who are nervous offline find meeting people online much easier, and that can be true of meeting friends as well. Despite that, you should keep in mind that should you wish for your online relationship to flourish offline you need to remain true to who you are, and the way that you are comfortable of acting and conducting yourself. Although you may be tempted to tell white lies in order to entice the person to like you more, it is very important that you stay true to yourself.

When you go on a dating site at first, you may have problems trying to find people to talk with at first since you have just started out. One great way to do this is to search the site to find people that you think you have the potential to bond with. If your offline friends participate as well, you could start talking with their friends, and friends of their friends, and so on. Over time you can be sure to meet great new people from all around the world. Read more!

By Gary Geyer
Don Johnson was born December 15, 1949 on a farm in Flat Creek Missouri. He grew up pretty fast.

Women

Rumor has it that Don, at the age 12 seduced his babysitter, at 16 moved in with a woman who was 25 years old and that during his college days seduced his female drama teacher.

Clearly, Don has lived his life in the fast lane. He has been called the Warren Beatty of the '90s.

His name has been linked with many famous women -- Barbara Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, and Cindy Crawford, to name but a few.

His lips are sealed

Don said, “In all of the years in my relationships with a number of women, I have never spoken an ill word about any woman or any person, and I'm not starting now.”

He met Melanie Griffith when she was 14 and he was 22, and they later married for six months, got divorced, then remarried years later, and stayed together about six years.

“Monstering”

[Don and his buddy Glenn would refer to “gettin’ down and partyin’ real good,” as "monstering.” He said, "Your face changes after you’ve been up for two or three days and it gets all contorted and stuff when you’re trying to speak”]

Don tells of a profound thing that happened to him when he returned home after a weekend of some serious “monstering.” His son (who was 10 months at the time) was sitting at the breakfast table and his mother was feeding him. Don described what happened: “I walked in—and of course, he looked up and saw Daddy’s face all monstered out. And I recognized the look in his eye and I said, "Okay, that’s it. Boom. Done. Next!”

Not long after, a Hollywood magazine ran Don’s picture on the cover and it read, ”Don Johnson: Making Sobriety Sexy".

Don’s body

Some years ago, when asked about some nude scenes he had done, Don said, “I'm an exhibitionist on some levels. I'm very proud of my body. I'm pleased with the way I carry myself. I feel that it's all there to be used—the looks and everything. Some people have great minds, and they were given them for a reason. I've never been accused of having that great a mind, but I do have my looks, and I think that they should be used—see what I mean?”

Tabloid talk

“I believe that everyone is entitled to privacy on some level, even a public person. And I think that we have overstepped our boundaries into their bedrooms, into their living rooms, into their bathrooms, into places that we do not belong.”

“I made up my mind a long time ago to live by a really simple code: What other people think of me is none of my business -- only what I think of myself, and only how I feel about what I'm doing. I don't usually read any of the things that are written or said about me.”

A little philosophy

“I think that if you don't have a sense of humor in life, you've pretty much lost about half of the experience, if not more than that. I'm certainly not trivializing anybody's pain, and certainly not my own, but I don't necessarily think that you need to dwell on it.”

Don has said that he does just about everything he wants to do, but does it in moderation. He believes that anything you do in excess is bad for you. “Anything!,” he emphasized.

He admits to having a very, blessed life. “The Chinese have a saying: ‘May you live in interesting times.’ That’s one of the greatest betrothals of good fortune that the Chinese would give you. And if that's the case, then I have had an abundance of interesting times (laughs).”

A belief system

Don thinks that if you believe in what you're doing, and if you totally commit to it, there isn’t anybody that can put you down.

“I can more or less accept everybody's trip,” he has said, “the lowest junkie—I can understand his trip, not because I'm a junkie, which I'm not, but because I can relate it to other things that I am a junkie for. I can understand that need—that desire for something.

I feel that I'm a super-complicated being. I mean, I live a very simple life, but complicated in that I feel a lot of different things all the time. I just accept the fact that I have certain emotions that even I don't understand. But they're mine. I was endowed with them.

If he wasn’t an actor…

Don has said that if he didn’t make it as an actor, he’d probably be in jail by now. He claims that he is not qualified for anything else. “i would imagine that I’d either be doing something larcenous or I would have already been caught. (Laughs again)”

“I'm not really an actor’s actor. I do it because it's the only thing where I really do Grade-A, thoroughbred stuff without really feeling like I'm working at it, and I hate to work.”

“Maybe tomorrow,” he says, “I'll find out that this isn't really what I want after all, and I'll just split into the mountains somewhere and spend the rest of my life playing my guitar. I'll just go away and get into a whole different lifestyle.”

“You know, I've always thought that I'd like to go back and live on a farm, and raise my own food, and just shut out everything else in the world.” Read more!

What can a simple question reveal about you?

A lot, depending on the question.

One such question can easily pass as a fun party discussion. Here's the question:

“If you could choose between the super powers of flight or invisibility which would you pick and why?”

On the surface this is a seemingly innocuous question but the answer reveals whether one aspires for no-holds-barred freedom of expression (flight) or security of cunning and power (invisibility).

By asking “flight or invisibility?” it reveals our dreams and but also our fears, hopes and insecurities.

The web site is called FlightInvisibility.com

While this is not a scientific survey it is an enlightening one.

Go ahead ask it of someone. There is often a pattern to in their decision-making that follows five stages:

* Gut Reaction - Everyone instantly chose a power of the top of their head without much thought. In most cases, the super-power chosen was invisibility

* Practical Consideration - They would then try to justify the choice that they made, talking about the things they would do - Free movies, watching women taking showers, getting on planes without paying ...

* Philosophical Reconsideration - They would then start having doubts about their choice and start thinking about the bad things associated with their choice

* Self Recrimination - They would express concern that invisibility would lead them down a dark path of perversion

* Acceptance - "I would definitely have to choose flight !"

Various interpretations ....

* Flight is the hero, invisibility is the villain
* People who choose flight have nothing to hide, others want to hide themselves
* People with guile choose invisibility, those without choose flight - And the reason for our internal conflict is that people do have guile, but want to appear guileless Read more!

Many farmers who traditionally grew pulses and millets and paddy have been lured by seed companies to buy hybrid cotton seeds and other GM crops, which were supposed to make their lives easier and wealthier. Instead they faced bankruptcy and ruin.

Their native seeds have been displaced with new hybrids which cannot be saved and need to be purchased every year at a high cost. Hybrids are also very vulnerable to pest attacks. All pesticides have to be bought from the company that sold them the seeds; there have been reports of blatant profiteering from these companies.

It is experiences such as these which tell me that we are so wrong to be smug about the new global economy. It is time to stop and think about the impact of globalization on the lives of ordinary people. This is vital if we want to achieve sustainability.

We are repeatedly told that without genetic engineering and globalization of agriculture the world will starve, it is constantly promoted as the only alternative available for feeding the hungry.

Everywhere, food production is becoming a negative economy, with farmers spending more buying costly inputs for industrial production than the price they receive for their produce. The consequence is rising debts and epidemics of suicides in both rich and poor countries. Cows in the European Union receive on average $2 per day in subsidies. Over 1 billion people live in the world on less than $1 dollar a day.

Farmers in the Third World are encouraged by the IMF and the World Bank to produce cash crops for export. There are usually commodities that can be easily bought and sold on the World Markets. With fluctuating world prices, Fair trade is what can drag farmers and communities out of poverty. In some African countries it is cheaper to buy American sugar and coffee than it is to buy locally produced goods. This is because of over production and subsidies in the West which means that they then dump these goods on Africa destroying local markets.

When patents are granted to companies for seeds and plants, as in the case of basmati, saving and sharing seed is defined as theft of intellectual property. Corporations which have broad patents on crops such as cotton, soya bean and mustard are suing farmers for seed-saving and hiring detective agencies to find out if farmers have saved seed or shared it with neighbours.

As Gandhi reminded us, "The Earth has enough for everyone's needs, but not for some people's greed."

This article has been adapted with the kind permission from Food Patents-Stealing Indigenous Knowledge,Anup Shah,2006 Read more!

The year was 1926. The big news of the day was that a gold rush had broken out in the relatively remote Red Lake area of Northern Ontario. A great number of newspapers and reporters from all over the world traveled to Ontario to cover the great gold rush of 1926. Adventurers, explorers, and gold diggers from all over the world traveled to this remote location to grab their share of fortune, and perhaps fame, at this great gold strike. Soon, professional mining companies set their focus to this literal pot of gold that had seemingly popped out of nowhere with the vague promise of untold riches. Airplanes roared overhead and the barking of dogs could be heard and seen hot on the trail over the frozen lake.

The Ontario Gold Rush was the first commercial gold strike where modern transportation like airplanes were used, giving those who could afford it an obvious edge over those who had to plod along through thick snow and harsh conditions to reach their destination. Unlike the previous gold raids in the world, the adventurers and explorers returned this time with advanced geological mining equipment as opposed to using rudimentary crude tools.

As romantic as it does seem, since that time the gold rush in Ontario has seen a dramatic transformation. Today, taking part in the gold rush has become a great big commercial activity. Instead of braving snow storms and staking claims on their death beds, mining companies now send their representatives, who manage to film their stakes and claims as proof, even though the rule still involves staking claims on the mineral rights of the property. The gold rush is still continuing in Northern Ontario, but the environment has to bear a very heavy price for these encroachments.

In a modern day rush, in September 1996 in the Temagami region of northern Ontario, from staking claims to communicating with headquarters, everything was done smoothly and officially. With growing interest in the gold rush in the Ontario region of Canada, more and more people, teams of geologists and miners are flooding to these locations and as a result, huge areas of pine forests (Ontario's natural resources) are being wiped out gradually. Those days of the gold rush are gone when the stakes were small and the number of claimers was a handful. Today, staking claims is as much of an organized and commercial event as the eventual ownership of the gold filled property. Read more!