Entitlementalism and welfare mentality

Those who look for their own good in terms of supposedly free welfare, health care, etc. have got to realize that we all pay for it, companies pay for it, jobs suffer, we all suffer.

It is downright ignorant and stupid to think that there is an endlessly full money tree around with no affect on our general welfare and the economic welfare of the populace.

And what I've heard about the work ethic in Greece is quite interesting. No wonder that country is in the news.

Affects of C2H5OH

http://www.intox.com/images/handwriting.gif

most people begin to show the first signs of mental impairment at around 0.05% blood alcohol. 

• Mild euphoria, sociability, talkitiveness
• Increased self-confidence; decreased inhibitions
• Diminution of attention, judgment and control
• Beginning of sensory-motor impairment
• Loss of efficiency in finer performance tests

 Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant

  

http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/

   

What happens when the absorbed alcohol gets to the brain? There can be no doubt that, so far as most people are concerned, when alcohol meets the brain the event is received as good news. Something subtly pleasant begins to happen. The average drinker is not likely to sit around and attempt to put into words what he or she is beginning to experience, but after a glass or two something wanted and familiar is usually being sensed. What is experienced psychologically will be modified by personality, previous experience with alcohol, expectations of what alcohol can do for the person concerned, the company and setting, and cultural beliefs. But behind all those important influences is the core fact that when alcohol reaches the brain a mind-acting drug will begin to impact on the brain cells and brain systems in a way which can produce or facilitate pleasurable alterations in mood.

 

 Though a change of mood is the the first, obvious, wanted effect produced by alcohol, at the same time there will be produced physiological effects such as increased pulse rate, a rise in blood pressure, and an increased secretion of urine -consequences which are usually of no great immediate importance to the drinker.

  

There is a dose relationship for many of these effects, so that with more drink the pleasure is increased. Eventually, however, unpleasant effects come into play and drinking becomes aversive. The level of intake at which the response switches from pleasure to aversion varies greatly from person to person, but the wanted euphoria may be replaced by depression and maudlin misery. Nausea and vomiting may be other unwanted physical effects. In addition, there will very soon at ordinary levels of drinking be, with some variation between individuals, a dose-related impairment of reaction time, coordination and balance.

  

How alcohol acts on the brain and interacts with psychological expectations to produce its impact is a question which has during recent years attracted a great deal of research. A summary conclusion is that alcohol affects brain functioning by its capacity to interfere with the biological system of chemical messengers which is all the time regulating the balance between activity and inactivity in brain cells and brain circuitry. Alcohol does not directly key into receptor sites in the brain as do many other mind-acting drugs, but it produces its effects by cat's-pawing legitimate messengers. Through these mechanisms it will activate structures within the brain whose nerve-cell firing produces pleasure, while through other mechanisms it will dampen firing and produce sedation and impairment of coordination.

 

The molecular structure of Ethyl Alcohol is comprised of Carbon Hydrogen and Oxygen: C2H5OH

  

When any substance that contains carbon is combusted (or burned) completely,

 

the carbon forms carbon dioxide. When a substance that contains hydrogen is burned

 

completely, the hydrogen forms water. Therefore, when hydrocarbons

 

found in natural gas, gasoline, and other petroleum products burn completely, the only products are CO2 and H2O.

   

The complete combustion of a substance, such as ethanol, C2H5OH, that contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen also yields carbon dioxide and water.

  

Alcohol is a sedative hypnotic drug that depresses the central nervous system, making you feel more relaxed.

  

The short-term effects of alcohol are dependent on the amount consumed and can vary enormously from person to person and from one situation to another.

  

The main effect is on the brain, which can result in:

  

* Slurred speech

 

* Loss of coordination

 

* Unsteadiness when standing or walking

 

* Impaired attention and judgement

 

* Loss of inhibition

 

* Sleep

  

Relatively low doses of alcohol relax the user, make them more talkative and animated. Larger doses lead to uncoordinated movement, impaired decision-making and sedation.

  

The depressive effects of alcohol on normal brain function - especially those causing impaired judgement - are the main reasons it's always best to avoid alcohol when driving and never to exceed the limit.

  

Long-term effects of alcohol

  

The cumulative effects of excessive alcohol consumption, especially when associated with a poor diet, affect every part of the body. The two main sites of damage are the liver and the nervous system.

  

The liver may become progressively damaged through a condition known as cirrhosis, which may lead to liver failure, liver cancer and death.

  

The nervous system may be damaged at many levels. Damage to the brain can interfere with intellectual function, and increase the risk of anxiety and depression, confusion and dementia.

  

Damage to the peripheral nervous system can lead to loss of balance, impotence, numbness of the feet and hands, tremor and blindness.

  

Alcoholism is also implicated in diabetes, inflammation of the pancreas, internal bleeding, weakening of the heart, high blood pressure and stroke. Alcohol intake during pregnancy is harmful to an unborn baby.

  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/emotional_health/addictions/typesaddiction_alcohol.shtml

  

When someone becomes dependent or addicted to alcohol, they:

  

* Develop a strong sense of compulsion to drink

 

* May drink shortly after waking to reduce feelings of alcohol withdrawal

 

* Develop a reduced capacity to control how often and how much they use

 

* Organise their lifestyle around drinking

 

 Metabolism is the body's process of converting ingested substances to other compounds. Metabolism involves a number of processes, one of which is referred to as oxidation. Through oxidation in the liver, alcohol is detoxified and removed from the blood, preventing the alcohol from accumulating and destroying cells and organs. A minute amount of alcohol escapes metabolism and is excreted unchanged in the breath, in the sweat and in urine. Until all the alcohol consumed has been metabolized, it is distributed throughout the body, affecting the brain and other tissues.

  

The liver can metabolize only a certain amount of alcohol per hour, regardless of the amount that has been consumed. The rate of alcohol metabolism depends, in part, on the amount of metabolizing enzymes in the liver, which varies among individuals. In general, after the consumption of one standard drink, the amount of alcohol in the drinker's blood reaches maximum concentration within 30 to 90 minutes from the time that drinking stops.

 

Ethanol is volatile and as a result, an amount of alcohol, in proportion to the concentration in the blood, transfers from the blood into the alveolar air sacs in the lungs.

  

Ethanol acts as a drug affecting the central nervous system. Its behavioral effects are a result of its influence on the response in the nervous tissue. aIt suppresses certain brain functions. Alcohol is a depressant, and high concentrations of ethanol can be a mild general anesthetic. It suppresses certain brain functions. At very low doses, it can appear to be a stimulant by suppressing certain inhibitory brain functions. However, as concentration increases, further suppression of nervous tissue functions produce the classic symptoms of intoxication: slurred speech, unsteady gate, disturbed sensory perceptions, and inability to react quickly. At high concentrations, ethanolproduces general anesthesia; a highly intoxicated person will be in a coma like state and very difficult to wake. In extreme cases, if the alcohol concentration is high enough, it will inhibit basic involuntary bodily functions such as breathing and can cause death.

Stan Harrington's worthy thoughts on ... politicians

We vote on a regular basis to elect those that we feel will represent us the people. Some career elected officials seem to forget this on a regualr basis. We the taxpayer, pay them enormous salaries and benefits of the office. However, they also seem to forget that as well. History teaches us a lesson, but we also have tendency to forget that. Over a year ago, the Demorcrats staged a walk out... in Wisconsin in protest of the Govenor and his desire to cut budgets. Several of them remained in unknown secluded areas for several weeks. In time, the Governor got his bill through the state legislature. Immediatly a recall petition was started to recall the Govenor. Enough signatures were obtained to put it on the ballot. A special election was held and the Govenor Walker won the recall election by a higher margin that the original election. The states budget has now been balanced. Today, our U.S. House of Representative brought the vote to the floor to issue a Contempt of Congress against Secretary Holder of the Justice Department. Enough Democrats crossed party lines, upon seeing that the Contempt of Congress against Secretary Holder was going to pass, the remaining House Democrats staged walkout in protest. Our founders formed our government into branches to provide a check and balance system. They, those representing the Democrat Party, seem to beleive that if we do not get our way, we will just take a hike! When you are on our time clock, earn your money and represent those that elected you, you have plenty of time off to go on walks.

Building God's Love - a Love Beyond all else

We can be discouraged, frustrated, and downright down in the dumps when our relationship with someone else doesn't go well - or when there is no relationship.

God is not fickle. God does not make unreasonable demands. God does not compel. He gives us the guidelines, he tells us what will work and what won't, and he leaves our destiny to our choices; all choices have consequences.

We each have immense potential and He really wants each of us to reach that. Lastly, if we stumble for any reason at all, if we want to get back up, we can reach for His hand and it is gladly there for us.

REMEMBER: We were each created in His image. Even those of us whose knuckles are right now scraping the ground. He wants us to feel His love, to get off the ground.

That said.

There is a cycle, a cyclic thing.

1. Notice  the ways He loves us (there is a multitude of ways.
   
   
2. Acknowledge it to Him, give Him your appreciation, thanks and - yes - praise
   
   
3. Tell Him you love Him and will serve as He would that you do. (If you haven't, well today is a new day.)
   
4. Feel His love, notice it. Hear what He tells you or affirms to you
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5. Thank Him. Tell Him you love Him. Get that ever-increasing cycle going
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6. It will increase, enlarge, until you feel bursting with His love and with devotion to your eternal Father.

Go love him, kick that cycle in. Oh, and "church" isn't just an end to itself,  or a social club. It's where we can help each other reach that feeling.

Let the bird have freedom

Open the cage, let the bird have its freedom if it wants.  Do not compell, trap, intimidate, threaten. If the bird is yours, it will come back. Threats of any kind whatsoever never work and they are most uncomfortable and resented. Liberate.