Always keep SUCCESS in front of your thoughts.

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Many gifted and talented students come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and experience varying degrees and forms of educational disadvantage.

Early identification may be difficult but is necessary to prevent escalating educational disadvantage. In identifying these students, mainstream checklist items often become irrelevant because students display some of the following characteristics, which are typical for their other age mates:

• Learning performance shows weakness in school knowledge and vocabulary
• Interest in, and enjoyment of, a range of reading material may not be evident
• Problem-solving activities may indicate a preference for a different learning style
• Students often prefer visual to auditory learning strategies
• Self-motivation for task completion is less evident

Provision of exciting, challenging situations in a student's area of interest will assist him or her to display talent.

Provision should also consider:

• encouraging students to value individual differences and accepting unique ability
• enrichment from as early age as possible
• encouraging student's strengths
• developing creativity and leadership
• relating to real needs
• use of group work
• use of role models, mentoring
• emphasis on steps in problem-solving
• provisional participation in a formal gifted program without formal identification

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Something else to worry about. Computer hackers have set their sights on home computers for a variety of reasons:

• home computers are more powerful and full of better information.
• they are easy staging areas for internet attacks
• many people leave them on longer and sometimes all day
• most home users are slow to get proper anti-virus and firewall software
• many people aren’t aware of threats and are only too willing to click on unsolicited email
• people have a false sense of security because they are at home

Hackers can easily enter, steal your identity, destroy data and launch attacks on your friends. Machines are filled with worms and viruses that propagate themselves without human intervention. In a study, an anti-virus firm Message Labs, detected 1 virus per 370 emails in 2001, double the year before.

If you think it wouldn’t happen to you, think again. The most sophisticated companies (e.g. FBI) have been hacked into. Regular maintenance must become a routine with users. Just because you don’t have any secrets doesn’t mean you can’t be a target.

• Use strong passwords that mix numbers, letters, dashes, and underscores if allowed. Change passwords regularly.
• Make regular backups of important files once a day or at least once a month.
• Buy or get free (on the Internet) virus protection software and update it regularly. Set it up to automatically scan all files regularly. (personal comment: a few months ago, my computer was having problems. Downloaded anti-virus software – AVG, free on the Internet - destroyed 32 viruses and repaired the system. I had no clue!)
• Get firewall or gatekeeper software which is between your computer and the Internet.
• Do not open emails from strangers. Do not open unexpected attachments from friends. They might not have sent the message. (comment: friends of ours paid about $400 to have their whole system re-established when their daughter’s friend sent a virus that totally froze their computer)
• Regularly download security patches from your operating system vendor.

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416 Graffiti Expo (best graffiti artists in Toronto put on a show)

Advanced Placement (university credits while in high school. Start now)

Arts Week (book fairs, arts, festivals, tours, more)

Avenue Road Arts School (time to apply)

Cabbagetown Festival

Co-op Education (check in your school)

CLEWS (Community Leadership Workshops)

Debating – Ontario Student Debating Union (time to join)

Destination Imagination (start a project now)

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (apply now)

Eden Mills Writers Festival

Encounters with Canada (1 week in Ottawa. Great courses. Sign up early.)

International Festival of Authors (famous writers meet at Harbourfront)

International Kite Festival (kiters from all over the world gather)

National Bridal Show

Ontario Universities Fair

Royal Canadian Institute Lectures (Free. Contact them for schedule)

Toronto Cricket Festival (world class cricket competition)

Toronto Star Investment Challenge (competing teams "buy/sell" stocks)

Word on the Street (annual literary extravaganza, writers, publishers, etc.)

University of Toronto Mentorship Program (apply as soon as possible)

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This section will resume next month.

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(variety of sources – O.S.)

-the debris that has been cleared is approx. 20 million tons of rubble.

-11 subway stations were closed or greatly affected by the attacks.

-re-establishing service on underground commuter trains to New Jersey may take years.

-dust and fumes causing contaminated air still pose health risks to workers.

-ruptured gas lines and buried chemical storage containers pose problems.

-workers exposed to infected blood and other body fluids can become infected. Special precautions were taken but a lengthy time after they started rescue operations.

-mental health and stress from the events are straining existing support systems. 43% of Greater New Yorkers express feelings of hopelessness or fear about the future.

-one in three (33.3%) adults across New York is at increased risk for post-traumatic stress as a result of exposure to the losses, disruptions, economic and social changes. The national average is 6%.

-there are many meetings and discussions about how to cope with future disasters which are imminent.

-the falling buildings went down five basement levels into the ground destroying water, gas, electrical, subway lines.

-fires reached temperatures of up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.

-countless police, guards, firefighters, cleanup workers, etc. were and are still being used around the site at an ever increasing monetary cost.

-the energy of each tower collapsing was equal to approximately 270,000 pounds of TNT.

-over $2 billion has been raised in relief money.

-as many as 500 firefighters will be forced to retire early because of breathing problems. When they first went to rescue people they did not wear respirators. There will be many other debilitating illnesses in people who lived, worked and went to school nearby.

-180,000 gallons of fuel burned or spilled as the towers collapsed, including 30,000 gallons of electrical-transformer fluids that contain PCB’s.

-hundreds of thousands of fluorescent bulbs each containing a few dozen milligrams of mercury were shattered. There were noticeably higher levels of heavy metals in the air for several months.

-there is no estimate of the environmental damage done to the whole area.

-there is an ongoing fear that there has been a cover-up of the true extent of possible environmental and health damage. Many reporters face difficulty in getting their stories into their papers.

-the total cost of the tragic event, so far, is approximately $25 billion.

-many Manhattan insurers are not writing new insurance policies and raising premiums as much as 300%.

-all across the USA, properties such as Jewish charity buildings and bridges are more costly to insure because they are potential targets for terrorists.

-many businesses around ground zero lost untold amounts of money due to closures, lack of hydro or telephone service for several weeks after Sept. 11.

-commercial vacancy rates in lower Manhattan are about 15%, twice the rate of the year before.

-companies in the area lost an estimated $50 billion.

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(regular article by Sandra Tipei, Gr. 10, LAT Gifted Program)

Though many people understand why keeping their cars in good condition is very important but not many people actually keep their car in the safest condition. While vacationing in California I got the inspiration for this article.

There were many cars there being driven around with parts hanging off them, and in a couple cases, the front or rear end hanging off or already fallen off. But even more dangerous was the damage that was not visible.

Most car problems are easily preventable by routine maintenance. Just as you go to the doctor for check-ups, cars need check-ups too! Especially with Fall right around the corner, back-to-school time is perfect to get your car inspected for those little problems that could become big problems if left unattended.

Some very important areas to have checked out routinely are:

- tires. Don't wait until the first snowfall to change to winter tires

-brakes.

-headlights. As the days get shorter you'll be using your lights more so its important to have them working properly.

-car fluids. It’s always good to check that all the fluids that keep your car running are topped up and check to see that nothing's leaking.

Happy and safe motoring.

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(article by Pat Young in Vitality Magazine)

Poison Ivy: use jewelweed or gumweed liquid extract or cosmetic clay poultice.

Bothersome flies: use eucalyptus, lavender or cedar that have a scent flies don’t like.

Nausea: a cup of ginger tea, a glass of ginger ale, or a gingersnap may quiet an upset stomach or carsickness.

Diarrhea: rice or potato porridge, chamomile tea followed by coconut milk work.

Allergy Quick Fix: lubricate nasal passages with one or two drops of sesame oil daily. Your sinuses will thank you.

Heartburn: 100 mg of ginger spice taken 20 minutes before meals will neutralize stomach acid. Don’t lie down after eating. Avoid coffee, alcohol and chocolate. Eat more high-fibre foods, try sleeping on your left side, licorice-root extract at the start of each meal also may help.

___________

(muse-ings - O.S.)

There seems to be a growing conspiracy to make guys look dorky and stupid on TV. Maybe it’s a backlash from the feminist movement but the trend seems to be there. Watch the commercials and shows for examples.

In commercials, you are welcomed to the swamp by a lowlife half-wit male. Do you see any similar females around? No. It is also a dumb male who puts his head through the hole in the coke commercial. A woman would never do that. A goofy guy needs Sensodyne. Smirnoff Ice is the drink of dweeby guys.

Beer commercials are best at negative stereotyping and degrading men. Ever notice that rich, middle-class, intelligent, "average" people don’t drink beer? What "average" woman or man have you ever seen drink beer on a commercial? It is the not-so-cool, worst of the college crowd, dirty, or weird who drink it and they are all men! What has been mentioned is just a sample of the disrespectful way men are portrayed on TV.

Let’s move on to TV shows. Guys are always the ones who: say the dumbest things, can’t solve the problem, just don’t get it or are the causes of the problems. The women are there to always help them, keep them in line and show them how to do things the right way. The really macho women save the day, beat up the bad guys for the weak men around them and generally let everybody know that they are smarter and stronger than men are. Check out Xena, Nikita, Simpsons, Radioactive, Friends and countless other shows. Even new ones are like this. Watch for the Grubb Family and Still Standing in the fall.

It used to be that women were made out to be the clowns and dim-wits. Now it seems to have turned around completely and men are made to look the fools.

How about evening out the playing field a little bit. It’s a self-esteem thing. How about showing the natural comedy of daily life instead of the concocted stuff that gets cheap laughs by having somebody (males) embarrassed or made to look stupid?

Perhaps portraying men and women more sensitively and positively could set a better example to young people, many of whom think the stupidity is "cool" and emulate negative behaviours when they are with friends and family. Anyway, just a thought.

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(from an episode of "Engineering the Impossible" on the Discovery Channel)

Creativity flourishes best when people "think outside the box." Norman Nixon who is a shipbuilding engineer thinks WAY OUTSIDE THE BOX. Nixon has conceived a ship so large that a small city of people can live together on it permanently. They can carry on their work or career, live in their own homes, and do most things people can do on land but with the added luxury of sailing around the world and visiting other lands and cities.

The ship called the "Freedom Ship" is a truly remarkable concept. The idea comes from other large floating objects, of which the largest in the world, presently, is a floating airport in Tokyo Bay, Japan.

Freedom Ship would be built of a base of pressurized boxes (as is the airport mentioned) and made into a huge platform that would be 3 city blocks wide and almost 2 km long! Using prefabricated parts as much as possible could bring the cost down from about $1200/sq.ft to about $400/sq.ft - which would be a feasible cost. The enormous ship would have to be built in the water instead of a dry dock in an already selected location – Honduras, the Bay of Trujillo. Because of the great quantities of steel, drywall, carpeting, etc. that would be needed, the consortium building it would build their own factories to supply the ship over a period of` 3 years to build. The cost would be about $10 Billion. The final weight would be about 3 million tons.

Motors to steer and turn would be state of the art and very different too. There would be about 100 electric motors and each would be directed separately to swivel 360 degrees. The ship could move in all directions even sideways. Each motor would put out 30,000 hp and cost $5 million. The ship would travel slowly and take about 2 years to go around the world.

On board, there would be a lot happening. It is expected that about 25,000 paying visitors would be allowed to tour the ship each day. There would be homes, offices, boat docks, an airport on top. The numerous levels would also hold shops, a golf course, entertainment, etc. It is estimated that about 30,000 people could live and work on it permanently. Residents and/or guests would come and go to ports by ferry.

One of the biggest problems right now is that there is no facility big enough to test the necessarily huge replica model in different wave and weather conditions. Would the ship be able to withstand the worst the sea has to offer? Don’t know. Hope so.

The group trying to build it is actively seeking investors and residents. Want to buy in? Your dreams of living, working and travelling in one package can come true. See the website below.

* EXTRAORDINARY* Don’t miss this!

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A Florence, Italy, baby weighing (10 oz) less than a can of pop, is now 4.5 pounds and is considered to be the world’s tiniest newborn.

Commuting by bike can save a driver up to $8,700 a year.

Cost of air pollution in Ontario is about $1 billion per year.

Instead of shearing Australian sheep the hard, long way, something new has been invented. A protein injection causes wool to fall off the bodies of sheep within 4 weeks. The cost is about $3.25Cdn for each injection.

Australia produces about 520 million kg of wool each year as the world’s top wool producer.

A 66 year-old Italian, Mario Curnis, scaled Mount Everest and he is the oldest man to ever do so. The oldest woman is Tamae Watanabe of Japan, at age 63.

When giant stars explode, they don’t blow up in perfect spheres. A supernova, which is an exploding old star, can unleash energy that can briefly outshine a galaxy of 100 billion stars.

The city is really Mumbai, but westerners know it as Bombay, India, and it is called Bollywood because it is the Indian film capital. It is also the world’s biggest film production centre pumping out more than 800 titles a year. So much for Hollywood being number one.

Air pollution causes about 1,000 premature deaths in Toronto each year.

Astronauts in the space shuttle see a sunrise or sunset about every 90 minutes as they orbit the earth.

About 4 of 5 cars on the road in Toronto hold 1 person.

Paper recyclers estimate that about half of the paper submitted has been used on only one side! (comment: please use both sides from now on!)

Eating sugar regularly stresses out the pancreas and can lead to adult-onset diabetes. Eat healthy and avoid a lot of sugars.

A sociological-cybernetic-engineer is an engineer that produces futuristic engineering solutions to social and technical difficulties of living together on the face of the earth. Jacque Fresco is one of these truly unique people. Part of what he has designed is for the future when there are too many people and we can no longer all live on the available land. This man is a pure genius.

As the resources of the world become more and more scarce and garbage threatens to bury us, these professionals are getting a whole new respect and are making tons of money at their work. Here is an example. A demolitionist visited a site where they were tearing down an old hotel. Old smoked mirrors with intricate designs were being torn from the walls and just chucked. He asked to be allowed to salvage them at his own cost. They were later sold at a new construction site where they were just the right touch in a new foyer. Reward? A profit of about $8000 for the day.

What is worth salvaging that can bring in a lot of money? Old doors, windows, solid wood floors and furniture for renovators and antique lovers, barn boards, old stained glass, 1950’s or older sinks and toilets and tubs, old staircases and their spindles, marble floors, decorative scrollwork, old chandeliers and lamps, glass and brass doorknobs, and more.

If you want to work toward this type of job, start small. Here are some suggested things that are FREE to pick up when you see them on the curb or very cheap at garage sales:

• humidifiers and dehumidifiers (most have a seized fan motor. Just add oil and spin. Elastics work just as well as missing belts. Save parts of ones you can’t get going to repair others you find.),
• bicycles (learn to tune, repair them and rebuild them. Make a fortune. A three-wheel bike for the elderly sells for up to $1200 used!),
• old furniture (sell to used furniture or antique dealers),
• newer sports equipment (take to resell shops),
• newer portable TV’s (contact repair shops that will buy them from you)
• books and specialized magazines (many are easy to sell to used book stores)
• kids toys (best to sell at your own garage sale)
• old records and record players (record players can sell for up to $100)

Another option is once you have enough good functioning items saved up, have a garage sale or put ads on store bulletin boards or in certain newspapers that offer you free ad space. Put your leftovers on the curb and watch others take it away to be recycled again.

Our society is very wasteful. Extractive demolitionists add a very positive dimension to recycling and that’s good. They can also make a lot of money.

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Empire Falls by Richard Russo. This is the 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. The book is about residents of a small Maine town who survive on feuds, dirty deals and lots of comic relief.

In His Image by James BeauSeigneur (Book One of the Christ Clone Trilogy)

The Sleuth’s Progress by M. Shaw Pyle. Series of detective novels.

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(excerpts and summary of article in Eye Magazine)

In surveys, it has been found that about 8 of 10 older women have used the pill and 4 of 10 aged 18 to 24 were currently using oral contraceptives. It is important to know what the pill is all about.

The Pill as a contraceptive has been around since 1960 and has caused a sexual revolution and freedom like no other. Because it has been around so long, concern for risk and safety have all but disappeared.

One in four women today suffer from depression at some point in their lives. 1.5 million Canadian women are on the pill and now taking a second look at the tiny pill that is supposed to set them free. Is there a link?

Women can expect any of the following when taking the pill:

• mood swings and disturbances
• mental depression
• increased PMS symptoms
• nervousness
• depletion of vitamin B6, the so-called stress vitamin. (Vitamin supplements are recommended when on the pill)

Dr. Ellen Grant is a medical researcher in England who has spent most of the last 40 years studying the side effects of oral contraceptives. She is perhaps the only one today studying and speaking out against the pill. She noted that scientists who were against the pill when it first came out were all sacked. The ones in favour received tons of money from pharmaceutical companies.

• almost 9 of 10 doctor decisions are influenced by pharmaceutical companies
• of 100 medical guideline authors in Canada, Europe and the US, 87% had some kind of connection to a pharmaceutical company
• 58% had received direct financial support to perform research
• 38% had worked for a pharmaceutical company
• 59% had relationships with companies whose drugs were considered in the guidelines they wrote
• only 7% believed their relationship affected their recommendations

(comment: The chemicals in the countless number of pills go into our water system and provide birth control to the living things in lakes and streams. The body is fooled into thinking it is pregnant when a woman is on the pill. Since the invention of the pill, the number of venereal diseases, caused by the increase in casual sex, has skyrocketed. There used to be only three or so diseases but now there are about nineteen! There are many alternatives to the pill that are safe and effective. The most effective shield against unwanted pregnancy is abstinence!)

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Deadline: Sept. 30, 2002

For youth volunteers, age 18-25, active in parish or school in activities that involve a faith dimension. A 200 word essay: Why would I be a suitable candidate for YSN?

Youth Speak News is part of The Catholic Register newspaper and is contributed to by Catholic youth volunteers who want to learn and hone their journalistic skills. Educate peers about the Catholic Church and their role within it.

Selected applicants are trained to write, be journalists, take photos for publication, learn about the inner workings of a newspaper, publish online and meet new friends. There are also outings, social events, movie nights and other activities that foster a strong spiritual and friendly environment for all.

For details: Paula Antonello Moore,

Register Youth Editor,

1155 Yonge St., Suite 401,

Toronto, ON M4T 1W2

Fax: 416-934-3409

Email: ysn@catholicregister.org

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(article in a TSU newsletter (teacher newsletter), April, 2002)

Besides being dangerous to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you risk much more than your life or that of others.

• in Ontario, drinking drivers are taken off the road immediately.
• the driver’s licence is suspended for 90 days if the driver refuses a breath-test or is blowing over the legal limit.
• anyone convicted of impaired driving is liable for serious penalties including possible imprisonment. A driver’s licence is suspended: 1 year for a first conviction, 3 years for the second conviction which happens within 10 years of the first conviction, possibly for life on a third conviction.
• It may be possible to get the licence back after 10 years if an approved rehabilitation program is completed and an ignition interlock is installed in the vehicle.
• a fourth conviction in a 10-year period will result in a lifetime suspension.
• drinking and driving convictions stay on a driver’s record for a minimum of 10 years.
• If the impaired driver is involved in an accident and is found at fault, the Insurer will not pay for loss or damage to the car and its equipment. (This also applies if you let another impaired person drive your vehicle).
• If the impaired driver suffers injuries, the insurer is obligated to pay for SOME medical expenses. The insurer will not provide weekly income replacement or pay for housekeeping expenses.
• If the impaired driver is found responsible for the accident and there are serious injuries in either car, the Insurance Company will respond to any legal action taken by the injured persons.
• Once a driver’s licence is reinstated, the driver will be considered a high risk and will not be eligible for insurance coverage in the regular market for at least 3 years. The Facility Association will insure the driver but coverage will cost thousands of extra dollars a year.

________________

(from an Ann Landers column)

Parents and teenagers should have an understanding about responsibility and expectations when driving. Here is a contract that you might want to copy and have everybody involved sign. It points out the rules all parents want followed to protect the life of a son or daughter. Show you care by discussing this contract and then actually signing it. It is from a parent point of view.

________________________________

It is understood and agreed that having a driver’s licence and driving a car are privileges. Any privilege has to be earned and it must be earned on a continuing basis. This means that driving privileges may be revoked due to an infraction of the following rules:

• breaking the driving laws or abusing a motor vehicle can result in the loss of driving privileges, even if we learn about it from a source other than the police. You never know who may be observing you.
• You will strive to maintain your grades, conduct and attitude at the same high level as when we first granted your driving privileges.
• No one else should be allowed to drive a vehicle entrusted to you. This means you may not lend your vehicle to friends.
• If you are ever in a condition that might render you less than 100 per cent competent behind the wheel of a car, phone us. We will come get you. This will not result in the loss of your driving privileges.
• You are never to be a passenger in a car in which the driver should not be driving. A call to come get you will not result in the loss of driving privileges. If you cannot reach us, call a taxi. We will pay for it and there will be no punishment.

Signed: Parent(s)/Guardian_________________________

Teen Driver:_______________________________

Young inexperienced drivers are responsible for many accidents. This contract can guide all concerned and make everybody feel much more comfortable and safe when you as a young driver are out on the road. Happy driving!

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(The following address was given by Guy Kawasaki, cofounder, CEO, and Chairman of Garage.com, at the commencement exercises at Babson College on Saturday, May 20, 2000. --Ed.)

Before I begin, let me document the kind of pressure a commencement speaker is under. Before I gave a commencement address a few years ago, I got this email. I've kept it all these years.

Let me read it to you:

"Hi. I play on the wind ensemble, which will be playing at the commencement exercises this month. Our conductor told us that you would be the commencement speaker this year.

This greatly excites me, for as a member of the wind ensemble I have to sit through all of the speakers and try to stay awake, so that I play well afterwards. In past years I read books to stay awake during commencement. I promise not to read a book during your speech."

I will use a top ten format just in case you find me a boring, old geezer. I hope you don't. At least you'll know how much longer my speech will go and when you can start partying.

It is customary to do a speech about lofty things like human rights, society, and empowerment. I'm not a customary guy. The title of my address is, "So You Want to be an Entrepreneur."

10. Embrace the unknown.
In the late 1800s there was a thriving ice industry in this area. Bubba and Junior would cut blocks of ice from frozen lakes and ponds and sell them around the world. These ice harvesters were put out of business by companies that invented ice factories. It was no longer necessary to cut and ship ice because companies could make it in any city during any season. These icemakers were put out of business by refrigerator companies. If it was convenient to make ice at a manufacturing plant, imagine how much better it was to make ice and create cold storage in everyone's home. Interestingly, none of the companies made the transition from ice harvester to ice factory to refrigerator company because they resisted the unknown and accepted the known. If you want to be an entrepreneur, do the opposite: Love, embrace, embody, and create the unknown.

9. Don't ask people to do something that you wouldn't do.
Suppose you made the world's greatest mousetrap--based on a miniature nuclear bomb. You murder mice better than anyone in the history of mankind. However, there are some issues:

• You need a Ph.D. in physics to set it
• You have to drop off the radioactive dead mice 100 miles away
• It costs $50,000

You wouldn't buy a product like this. Why do you think anyone else would?

Imagine if airline execs flew in coach and ate the food? The world would be a different place. Don't ask people to do something you wouldn't do.

8. Focus on implementation.
During the first 15 years of my career, I thought that the key to entrepreneurship was the quality of the idea. I was wrong. Good ideas are easy. Even great ideas are easy. Ideas are the not the key to entrepreneurship. Implementation is the key, and furthermore, the key to implementation is building a great team. Anyone can come up with good ideas all day long. I'll give you a multiple-billion dollar idea right now: create a fast, small, easy to use, bug-free operating system. There you go. Have at it. And come see me if you can do it and need funding.

7. Don't be paranoid.
If you have an idea, share it, talk about it, solicit feedback about it. Don't hold it close to your chest. Build partnerships and alliances. License it. This is because, as I said, it's not the uniqueness of the idea that's the key. It's the uniqueness of your ability to implement it. If you have a good idea, assume that five other people are working on the same thing. If you have a great idea, assume that ten other people are working on it. I've never met a paranoid entrepreneur who was successful. The successful ones share their ideas, share their equity, share their dreams, and bare their souls.

6. Pursue entrepreneurship for the right reasons.
This is the hardest lesson of all to learn. It may seem to you that the goal of entrepreneurship is a liquidity event as a means to be "happy" and that happiness is predictable:

• IPO
• Big house
• Fast car
• Private plane

Happiness is temporary and fleeting. It should not be the goal of entrepreneurship. Joy is the right goal. Joy, by contrast, is unpredictable. It comes from pursuing interests and passions that do not "obviously" result in happiness. It comes from building a great team, from family, from friends and inexpensive if not free things. It comes from making the world a better place.

So create products or services that you love. That makes the world a better place. At the end of your life, God's not going to ask about your market cap. She's going to ask how you made the world a better place.

5. Continue to learn.
Learning is a process, not an event. I thought learning would be over when I got my degree. It's not true. Entrepreneurs never stop learning. Indeed, it gets easier to learn once you're out of school because it's easier to see the relevance of why you need to learn. Don't confuse school and learning. You can go to school and not learn a thing. You can also learn a tremendous amount without school.

If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to continue to learn.

3. Obey the absolutes.
Things change from absolute to relative. When you were very young, it was absolutely wrong to lie, cheat, or steal. As you got older, and particularly when you rise in corporate hierarchies, you will be tempted by the "system" to think in relative terms. "I didn't cheat as much on my taxes as my partner." "I don't pad my expense reports as much as others." "I didn't cook my books as much as other companies." This is wrong. There absolutely are absolute rights and wrongs. An entrepreneur is an admired position in society. Therefore, you have the moral obligation to set a high standard. Think of your graduation as your IPO. All the world is watching so set a good example.

2. Play to win.
Play to win and don't let the bozos convince you to do anything less. Indeed, the more bozos tell you that you can't succeed, the more you may be on to something. Playing to win is one of the finest things you can do. It enables you to fulfill your potential. It enables you to improve the world and, conveniently, develop high expectations for everyone else too. And what if you lose? Just make sure you lose while trying something grand. The unexamined life may not be worth living, but the unlived life is not worth examining. Make sure your life is worth examining.

1. Enjoy your family, friends, and colleagues before they are gone.
This isn't directly related to entrepreneurship. It's the even bigger picture.

This is the most important lesson of all. Nothing - not money, power, or fame - can replace your family and friends or bring them back once they are gone.

I predict that children ("spin-offs" as we call them in Silicon Valley) will bring you the greatest joy in your lives - especially once, like you, they graduate and pay their own bills. So…is anyone in the Babson ensemble asleep? And the question now becomes: Will I fall asleep when they are playing?

Guy Kawasaki, CEO and Chairman of Garage.com, is the former chief evangelist of Apple Computer. He is a columnist for Forbes magazine and author of seven books including Rules for Revolutionaries and How to Drive Your Competition Crazy. He has started two software companies and been an angel for three others. Garage.com is an incubator business, helping entrepreneurs and investors build successful businesses. For entrepreneurs, Garage.com's primary objective is to assist in obtaining seed-level financing. Garage.com's two-day Bootcamp for Startups teaches entrepreneurs the fundamentals of taking a company from startup to IPO.

___________

May 1997

Memory metal alloys developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., for the international Space Station are finding a host of applications down on earth - from golf courses to bathrooms to factories.

The alloys – which, with applied heat, return to their original shape if deformed - are being commercialized by Memry Corp., of Brookfield, Conn. The firm's investigation of shape memory effect (SME) stems from work done under contract for the Marshall Center for the international Space Station. SME is a property of certain metal alloys that can change from shape to shape depending on temperature fluctuations. Starting in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Memry has applied its NASA-spurred expertise to create a line of home and industrial safety products.

Using proprietary shape memory alloys, a new line of golf wedges and putters has been developed. Shape memory alloys were exclusively supplied by Memry Corp. to Nicklaus Golf Equipment of West Palm Beach, Fla. Sports Futures, Inc. The sports industry technology and product development firm, granted Nicklaus Gold Equipment exclusive license to use Memry's patented technology for the IQ Insert in the new line of Jack Nicklaus golf clubs.

There is a two-fold value in applying shape memory metal into golf club inserts. The inserts are super elastic and have high dampening attributes. For the golfer, that translates to more spin on the ball, greater control and a more solid feel.

Upon impact with the golf ball, the club insert undergoes a split-second change in its metallurgical structure. This elastic property keeps the ball on the clubface longer, supplying more spin to the ball but not at the sacrifice of distance. This spin gives the ball a more desirable "bite" when it hits the green. The science of shape memory has permitted Memry Corp., to generate an assortment of commercial sales.

McDonnell Douglas of St. Louis, Mo., and Memry signed a contract in February 1996 to develop a unique control surface for helicopter blades. Memry is designing small microprocessor-controlled tabs for the trailing edges of the helicopter blades. By controlling the tabs, a pilot can fine tune each blade for improved performance and reduced vibration. The actuation that provides the tab motion is a shape memory alloy torsion device.

Memry's MemryTec Super-Elastic Materialsª have applications within the medical industry. As a binary nickel-titanium alloy, MemryTec can accommodate large strain deformations, then spring back into its original shape when the stress is removed. This is desirable for catheter guide wires, suture anchors and dental arch wires.

Other Memry products available to the consumer include MemrySafe, an anti-scald product; UltraValve, a temperature selection and control system for baths and showers; and FireChek, a reusable fire safety valve for industrial applications. MemrySafe is built around the ability to instantly restrict water flow in showers or sinks if the water temperature exceeds a safe limit. Comprised of a memory metal alloy, the patented valve reacts to temperature, and restricts flow to a trickle if a scald hazard occurs. When the water temperature returns to a safe level, the unit permits resumption of normal flow. UltraValve is a touch-of-a-button bathing feature. By pressing a single button, water can be turned on or off with water temperature selected according to personal preference. Exact water temperature is displayed at every moment on a user-friendly control panel. This "smart bathing" system also protects the user from water at scalding temperatures. FireChek provides for emergency shut down of process control lines that handle flammable and toxic fluids and gases. This product can be applied to any pneumatically operated process valve. If excessive heat is sensed by the shape memory element, the system immediately vents the pneumatic actuator pressure, closing the supply line. FireCheckª is suitable for process industries such as petrochemicals, chemicals, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and large oil- and gas-fired boilers.

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(by O.S.)

On a recent family trip to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia there were a number of things that we saw and heard about that were very interesting.

Traffic is almost non-existent compared to Ontario. It was a pleasure to drive often hundreds of kilometers with only a minimum of traffic around. Secondly, the people are very laid back and very helpful. Everybody talks to you and they love to help out. Prices were very reasonable. There were family rates at most attractions that saved us a lot of money and it was appreciated. Why don’t Ontario attractions have that?

-Hanes, near Truro, Nova Scotia, had the highest tide ever recorded.

-New Glasgow, New Brunswick, had the first rail line in Canada.

The Maritime Provinces are a great place for a holiday. Go and enjoy it.

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(from Healthwise magazine, July-Sept., 2002)

• 100,000 is the typical number of hairs on a healthy scalp
• 50-100 is the number of hairs lost from a healthy scalp each day
• 10.5 mm(1/2 inch) /month is the average growth rate of a strand of scalp hair
• 2-6 years is the growth cycle of the average strand of hair
• hair loss can be caused by: medications, diet, physical damage, pregnancy, chemotherapy, radiation treatments, steroids, blood thinners, excessive dose of vitamin A, birth control pills.
• ways to treat or slow hair loss: there is no known cure, medications, herbal treatments, transplants, and wigs.

• the human eyeball weighs about 28 g (1 oz)
• a blink lasts about .3 seconds
• the outermost layers of skin regenerate every 27 days
• an eyelash lives for about 150 days
• electrical impulses from the sense of touch travel at 130 m / second
• during a typical life span, the heart beats about 2.5 billion times
• the strongest bone in the body is the thighbone which is as strong as an equivalent length and weight bar of steel
• the human eye can distinguish about 500 shades of gray
• the average adult has about 40-50 billion fat cells
• there are 22 bones in a person’s skull
• babies are born with 300 bones but some fuse together and as an adult will have 206

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(excerpts from an article by David Suzuki in the North York Post)

When the World Trade Organization holds meetings there are massive protests. World leaders get together at G8 Summits to discuss reduced trade barriers and the world sees violence and protest. What is it exactly that these protesters want?

Protesters are concerned about the creep of corporate influence on national and international public policies. Regulations that protect the environment and the public are being brought down to the lowest level so that corporate interests are protected.

These concerns are well justified. Editors of newspapers are being told what to write by their corporate bosses. Top grossing movies become headlines because the movie company owns the newspaper. Governments partner with corporations and who promotes what becomes blurry.

Unlike governments, corporations are not democratic and are not elected to protect the common good of the nation. They exist to generate profit sometimes at the cost of honesty e.g. Enron, Adelphia Corp., Worldcom.

One of the biggest problems is the influence corporations have once they start funding various endeavours. In science, "their" researchers are pressured to come up with results favourable to the company. Medical doctors are actively pursued and treated extravagantly by pharmaceutical companies to provide their medicines to patients.

Some people think that the government has regulations, inspectors and safeguards in place to protect against dishonesty and abuse. The trend has been to have industry become self-regulating and police themselves. Such faith that the public and the media has sometimes, misses the fact that the common good and the corporate good are often very dissimilar.

The kinds and size of scandals is increasing. Ethics, principles and morality seem to mean less and less to the corporate world. The general public is less and less protected from exploitation and governments are losing the power to control what is happening in their countries.

Remember, those who own the public systems dictate what we read, watch, buy, eat, learn, and own. Do you want that to be your government of elected officials or a multinational corporation out for the biggest profits possible?

How to Protest (see "Youth Activism" on the home page of DT)

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CHINESE NEW YEAR. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS - DO NOT CHEAT OR

IT WON'T WORK AND YOU WILL WISH YOU HADN'T.

TAKE 3 MINUTES AND TRY THIS. IT WILL FREAK YOU. THIS GAME HAS A FUNNY / CREEPY OUTCOME.

DON'T READ AHEAD JUST DO IT.

IT TAKES ABOUT 3 MINUTES - WORTH A TRY

FIRST GET PEN AND PAPER

WHEN YOU FINALLY CHOOSE NAMES, MAKE SURE IT'S PEOPLE YOU ACTUALLY KNOW, AND GO WITH YOUR FIRST INSTINCTS.

SCROLL DOWN ONE LINE AT THE TIME - DON'T READ AHEAD OR YOU'LL RUIN THE FUN.

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1. FIRST, WRITE NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 11 IN A COLUMN

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2. THEN, BESIDE NUMBERS 1 AND 2, WRITE DOWN ANY 2 NUMBERS YOU WANT.

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3. BESIDE THE 3 AND 7, WRITE DOWN THE NAMES OF MEMBERS OF THE

OPPOSITE SEX.

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DON'T LOOK AHEAD OR IT WON'T TURN OUT RIGHT

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4. WRITE ANYONE'S NAME (LIKE FRIEND OR FAMILY) IN THE 4TH, 5TH, AND 6TH SPOT.

DON'T CHEAT OR YOU'LL BE UPSET THAT YOU DID.

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5. WRITE DOWN FOUR SONG TITLES IN 8, 9, 10, AND 11.

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NOW FOR THE SOLUTIONS AND THE FREAKY PART. READ ON.

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1. THE PERSON IN SPACE 3 IS THE ONE YOU LOVE

2. THE PERSON IN 7 IS ONE YOU LIKE BUT CAN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND OR WORK OUT.

3. YOU CARE MOST ABOUT THE PERSON YOU PUT IN 4.

4. THE PERSON YOU NAME IN NUMBER 5 IS THE ONE WHO KNOWS YOU VERY WELL.

THE PERSON YOU NAMED IN 6 IS YOUR LUCKY STAR

5. THE SONG IN 8 IS THE SONG THAT MATCHES WITH THE PERSON IN NUMBER 3

6. THE TITLE IN 9 IS THE SONG FOR THE PERSON IN 7.

7. THE 10TH SPACE IS THE SONG THAT TELLS YOU MOST ABOUT YOUR MIND.

8. AND 11 IS THE SONG TELLING HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT LIFE.

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The fifth grader came home from school bubbling with excitement after having been voted "Prettiest Girl in the Class." She was even more excited when she came home the next day after the class had voted her "Most Popular." But several days later when she announced she had won a third contest, she was somewhat subdued.
"What were you voted this time?" her mother asked.
"Most Stuck-Up,'" the girl replied.

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Why were you late?
Sorry, teacher, I overslept.
You mean you need to sleep at home too!

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Teacher: Class, we will have only half a day of school this morning.
Class: Hooray
Teacher: We will have the other half this afternoon!

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Father: I hear you skipped school to play football.
Son: No I didn't, and I have the fish to prove it!

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Father: How do you like going to school?
Son: The going bit is fine, the coming home bit is too, but I'm not too keen on the time in-between!

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Teacher: I hope I didn't see you looking at Fred's test paper.
Pupil: I hope you didn't see me either!

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Teacher: You copied from Fred's exam paper didn't you?
Pupil: How did you know?
Teacher: Fred's paper says "I don't know" and you put "Me, neither"!

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