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Governments and school boards have lots of time and expertise to sort out what to do with the education of gifted children. Once decisions are made, however, parents are often in a take-it or leave-it situation. There are at least three Ontario organizations that all parents of gifted students should become familiar with. They offer information, support, guidance and resources of value to all. They also provide rallying points for meaningful action to ensure the integrity of gifted programming is maintained.

It has been brought to light that the Ontario Ministry of Education is in the final stages of releasing a "Scope and Sequence" document supposedly outlining the educational parameters of gifted education and the order in which to deal with each of the sectors. Be aware that when this document comes out, it will appear to be an original 2003 document from the author(s). In reality, it appears to be a rehash and copy of an old document from the Toronto Catholic District School Board Special Education Department entitled "Guidebook for the Development of Scope and Sequence of Skills - 1982." This document was reviewed and rejected by the gifted program facilitators of the TCDSB in 1982 and mothballed. There are still a few of the 1982 TCDSB documents in circulation so the two can be compared. Let’s encourage originality in gifted programming!

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War is a deadly destructive thing!! How deadly and destructive is rarely shown to the general public of the western world. Since World War 2, great efforts have been made by governments to "sanitize" it for people. How else to keep public support for the cause? If you think about it, we are set up so that we don’t experience or even think about the true consequences and hurts that war causes. Perhaps that should end. If we saw the true agony of war, perhaps we would be more hesitant in going into them so readily and with such bravado.

Here are some ways that are used to prevent the public from getting the full picture:

-the movement of "embedded" reporters and journalists is highly controlled in war zones. They register and are not permitted to go anywhere else but where they are allowed to by the military – usually staying well behind the front lines. Some do try to "do their own thing" but if caught, they suffer the consequences. They see what the military wants them to see.

-media people are usually allowed to photograph and report on that which has been completed in the "theatre" of war-a battle, search, etc.. They are not usually allowed to go along with forces into actual combat, like in past wars.

-after an event, reporters are usually briefed by trained, highly cautious military personnel who provide sanitized information. The media is taken to selected locations that are suitable and told those things that show one side in as favourable light as possible. The news we get is often guesswork or the "facts" from controlled military briefings as to what and how it happened. Propaganda of the highest order.

-North American news media has pressure on it to avoid truly graphic war pictures and video that might "offend" people. We see only pictures in the news that are allowed and if somewhat overly graphic, for only a few seconds on TV.

-we get the news about wars on our TVs in brief moments or minutes in the security and comfort of our homes. A war is an ongoing 24 hours a day hell for those involved. In the safety of our countries, we don’t see most of the environmental destruction and suffering that goes on for months or years, disrupting all aspects of normal life and leaving scars, mental anguish, hatred and pain that lasts a lifetime.

-when officials talk about war in the news, they usually talk about it in very general and positive terms or even sports terms – it is made out to be a "game" that somebody is trying to win. It may even be likened to a movie. The "Attack on Iraq" has such a nice catchy movie-title ring to it, doesn’t it? There is no mention of citizens’ names or names of buildings, etc. As a result, the viewing public attaches little emotion or feelings to the events of such a human-less war.

-in order to keep people from feeling stronger emotions and taking their minds off civilians, the focus is kept on a marked leader. This takes the emphasis off the devastation that inevitably results once war starts. The leader may be a tyrant who needs to be dethroned through a "just" war. The war is trivialized by suggesting it is necessary to get rid of only one person. Nobody mentions the other countless casualties that are part of the removal. A leader is vilified by constantly showing the person through the worst possible images – e.g. Osama bin Laden is usually seen on TV while holding and firing a rifle. This negative image is burned into peoples’ minds to reinforce the negative attitude that is required to maintain the anger and hatred toward the person and continue a battle against him.

-accidental killing –"collateral damage" - of civilians is often glossed over in the news as "Oops! Sorry. They got in the way. Too bad." There is no heart-felt apology, compensation, remorse or consolation offered for the loss of the people. Perhaps a tribunal or committee investigates but usually finds that there was nothing wrong being done. We too should not worry or feel too strongly about them. The mourning families of the "enemy" are rarely shown or if so, quickly, and usually not interviewed for any length of time. When it is our own people, there is a great emotional nationwide difference in how their deaths are grieved.

-casualties on only "our" side are usually presented in the news so as to maintain sympathy and support for "our" cause and troops. There are great efforts made to prevent sympathy and other emotions from being felt for the other side.

-there is a saying: "If you tell somebody the same thing long enough, they eventually believe it is true." Remember, we usually only get one side of the full story and only what those in charge want us to see and hear. Notice how often we hear the same words (weapons of mass destruction, war on terrorism, etc.) and the same "logical’ reasoning (we are disarming the "enemy" - not the reality of overthrowing their government) by North American officials and leaders.

-the language of war is specifically designed to keep people from getting emotional. "Collateral damage" refers to dead people in the "theatre" of war. "Sortie" is a bombing mission by planes. "Human remains containers" are body bags for dead people. "Friendly fire" refers to being accidentally shot by soldiers on your own side. A grieving mother should feel comforted knowing that a son or daughter was killed by "friendly fire" as opposed to "unfriendly fire"? The words are soothing, nice and unemotional, aren’t they? Almost makes you feel good about all the destruction, death, and trauma, doesn’t it?

There are other costs as well:
(as reported in Maclean’s Magazine, March 17, 2002, pg. 11)

"Western nations will spend a total of US$550 billion in 2003 on domestic security, a consulting firm reported." It is estimated that the US will spend $75 Billion each month on the war on Iraq.

In today’s world, war has been turned into an exciting spectacle we watch on TV. It is something that happens as entertainment and always "over there." War is a new thrill in peoples’ dull lives. Others "deserve" war for what they did to somebody. We, of course, don’t deserve it.

Let’s dream and change the rules to see if people are still as eager to have a war.

Instructions: All soldiers and civilians are given sheets of paper on which are listed those who they have to kill and those who are trying to kill them. There will be the name, age, location, occupation, number of children and relatives that would be left behind. Before the fighting starts, everybody involved must meet the enemy and spend at least one day together – eating, talking, etc. so that they would know who the enemy is and why that person deserves death. The next day, the war would begin.

Yes this is a flight of fantasy or outrageous dream but the truth is, we can ALL think and feel and live out the scenario in our imaginations. Would we engage in war given that information? The often forgotten words "Treat others the way you want to be treated" should be brought into TV news a little more often in our crazy, war-obsessed world. Unfortunately, we are losing our ability to truly feel the hatred we should have toward war.

Perhaps if we were presented the truth, felt more strongly and cared more for others, we wouldn’t allow leaders of countries to start wars so nonchalantly.

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This Month’s Activities and Events

Abelard Centre for Education (you may want to switch schools next year?

Aberfoyle Antique/Flea Market (opens end of the month)

Adventure Mountain Bike School (offer courses)

Auction Sales (go see some. They are great!!)

Archaeological Field School (summer credit course)

Astronomy Day Celebrations (get involved)

Bancroft Mineral Collecting (find some from over 400 minerals in the area)

Check into Biking Clubs and Bike Tours now starting up

Visit the Bloor Cinema (cheap and see good old movies)

Bonnechere Caves (open this month. Visit)

Branksome Hall Tennis Camp (summer training)

Canadian Camping Association (get ready for summer camping)

Canadian Football Hall of Fame (sports enthusiasts shrine)

Canadian Garden & Flower show (some of you are avid gardeners)

Carpenter’s Square (woodworking courses)

CBC Museum (broadcasting icon)

Chess Federation of Canada (its your move)

Computing Insights (summer camp)

Earth Day Celebrations (get involved)

Environmental Science Credit at Lake St. George Conservation Centre (get a high school credit)

Free the Children Summer Leadership Camp (this is Craig Kielberger’s camp)

George Brown Summer Studio (arts & crafts for the summer)

International Academy of Design (summer courses in fashion, interior design, computers, more)

Introductory Marine Science (summer credit course)

Knights of Columbus Catholic Youth Leadership Training Camp (Amen)

National Home Show (everything to do with your home)

Old Clothing Show and Sale (antique clothing from different times)

ROM Summer Club (work with ROM exhibits)

SciTech (summer camp at the Ont. Science Centre)

Toronto Aviation and Aircraft Show (high flyers like this)

Toronto Brigantine Tall ship Adventure (learn to sail a sailing ship at Toronto Harbour)

Toronto Cycling Committee Bike Week (pedal your way into good times)

Toronto International Film Festival for Children (Sprockets) (for your viewing pleasure, films from around the world)

Toronto Jewish Film Festival (oy vey! They can be fun. Try it)

Toronto Star Photo Contest (All it takes is a snap of your finger)

Travel and Leisure Show (move and rest at the same time?)

Vintage Film Festival (oldies but goodies)

Wilderness Games (paintball warfare)

Young Canada Works in Heritage Institutions (summer jobs)

Young Peoples Theatre (summer drama school)

Good Food Festival & Market (smell it?)

Camp Enterprise (leadership)

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Loretto Abbey Improv Team, Toronto, Canada, placed third in Ontario Regional Competitions and has an excellent chance of making it to the Toronto Semi-Finals during the week of March 17-22. Honourable mention for Amelia Miao and first place for Emma White, Senior level - Katherine Laidlaw, got an honourable mention and Sarah Leonard tied for first place with another team member.

Sandra Tipei and Kaley Kennedy, Gr. 10, attended the "Voices that Challenge" conference (see article below) and are also involved in the Chaminade C.S.S., Toronto, ON Model United Nations

Congratulations. Let us know about successes and activities at your school!

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News, Views and Muse-ings

April 22 – Earth Day
April 25 – Orthodox Christian Holy Friday
April 27 – Othodox Christian Easter Sunday
April 29 – Jewish Yom Hashoah
This is also Cancer Awareness Month, National Dental Health Month and Parkinson’s Awareness Month

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"Voices that Challenge" Conference
(by Sandra Tipei, student, Loretto Abbey C.S.S., Toronto, ON)

Are you interested in meeting young leaders just like yourself? Have you ever wanted to attend a conference run by young people for young people?

Then you just found the perfect leadership conference, too bad it’s over!

On March 21,2003, I attended the annual "Voices that Challenge" conference. There were many schools present and the atmosphere was one that was very inviting and friendly. We were encouraged to network and become better acquainted with the many people in attendance.

One of the biggest reasons this conference was so successful is that it was fun! The whole day was set around learning and interacting in entertaining ways. Although we did learn a lot, it didn’t feel like it was a nuisance. All of the participants were able to take part in well thought out presentations about various subjects that showcased leaders from many schools.

This whole day was about young leaders; it showed what teens are capable of. Even the keynote speakers were students! Although the entire conference was great, the best part had to be the group discussions. After lunch we were separated into smaller groups and were given a topic to discuss. For over an hour were we able to share our feelings and opinions with each other. The students in the room I was in discussed safe schools and what we see as unsafe and how to improve on it.

All in all, I think this was one of the best conferences I have ever attended and I can't wait to go back next year! Hope to see you all there!

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On the DT homepage can be found much useful information for young people. The "Feature Topics" section has been especially designed with young people in mind. "Jobs/Careers" is one of those topics that you might want to have a closer look at. Emphasis is on the needs of Canadian students.

There is ample information on many aspects of finding a job/career. Changing from one to another job, top career sites, Canadian students guide to education and careers, job/career searches, exchanges, job searching resources such as job seekers sites and classified ads in newspapers.

There is also helpful information on how to prepare oneself to enter the workforce after school, cover letters and resume help.

Another valuable area to investigate is salary scales, compensation and benefits for various positions.

If you are unsure of what you want to become, do a test at the self-assessment center where you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and a career to which you are suited will be suggested.

For those who have an entrepreneurial spirit, there is a section on how to start your own business.

Many students look for summer work and the "Summer Jobs in Canada & Abroad" and "Working Outside of Canada" sections have it all for you.

From a student point of view, the "Jobs/Careers" feature topic on the DT homepage should be a great resource to use in high school.

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(from an article by Joan Declaire in Readers’ Digest)

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(by Catherine Rondina in CITY Parent magazine)

1. Listen to the sounds of spring while on a walk.
2. Have a spring party with appropriate food and clothing.
3. Visit a flower nursery or greenhouse to see spring blooms.
4. Visit a farm and watch the planting or newborn animals.
5. Go on a nature hike to look for signs of spring.
6. Set up your yard to welcome birds with feeders and baths.
7. Record signs of spring on your calendar each day.
8. Start an indoor garden and have it ready for planting in warmer weather.
9. Find spring related books, photos, stories, poems, etc.
10. Plant a new seedling tree and photograph it each year as it grows.

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(from an article by Chris Kaltenbach in the Toronto Star)

Here are some seemingly small movies that made the BIG time:

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was made for very little money and has grossed over $350 million into 2003 and is up for all kinds of movie awards. A successful spinoff TV show is now airing as well.

"The Great Train Robbery" was a 1903 movie and only 10 minutes long. But, it was the first movie to tell a story rather than record something moving – the first American narrative film! It had a $150 budget. A multi-billion-dollar industry grew from it.

"It Happened One Night" was a movie given to Clark Gable in 1934, to put him and his uppity ways in place. As part of the joke, Gable was loaned to Columbia pictures to make a silly romantic movie. Come Oscar night, the little film swept up all the major awards. A whole new genre – screwball romantic comedy – was created.

"Casablanca" was regarded as a B-movie in 1942. It is now a classic and has made Humphrey Bogart an immortal icon in movie history.

"Star Wars" was seen as a really stupid concept in 1977. People were embarrassed to release it. Surprise!

"Life is Beautiful" propelled Roberto Benigni into the spotlight in 1997. This touching tribute to a man who clowns his way through a war to prevent his son from even knowing that it was going on became the highest-grossing international film ever released in the USA. It won several Oscars and netted many millions of box office dollars.

"The Blair Witch Project" was one of the biggest sleepers. This very creepy film came out in 1999. The concept was film students using a video camera search for witches and find them. It brought in over $140 million for the first-time filmmakers. Their original costs were about $35,000 to make the film.

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(monthly article by Sandra Tipei, student, Toronto, ON)

With all the troubles about oil reserves in the world, isn't it about time we began to think of newer more efficient ways to power our vehicles?

In a society dependent on transportation to keep life going, it is about time to introduce alternative fuel sources before we deplete all of our world's oil resources.

Imagine of all the vast resources available to us and how many of them are already being made useful to us, there is the possibility of also adding hydrogen, electricity or even corn oil to power our vehicles.

Many countries have begun to offer incentives that encourage people to buy alternatively fueled vehicles. For example, in the United States, President Bush has begun the "Clear Act" which allows people who buy hybrid vehicles to have a tax incentive. This encourages consumers to purchase alternative-fuel vehicles and helps make these vehicles become more price competitive with conventional vehicles.

Although this technology may seem far from reach and expensive, hybrid vehicles have been popping up here and there already. Leading car manufacturers have begun to develop cars that use a combination of gas and electricity or completely new substances such as corn oil. You may have even seen these cars on the road already!

Reputable car manufacturers have been selling hybrid vehicles for a while now. A couple are the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. These vehicles offer a combination of gasoline-powered engine combined with an electric motor. This offers higher fuel efficiency and less harmful exhausts.

With the starting prices not much higher than an average vehicle, one of the above is the perfect first car for any young person! They're still fun and cute and have great fuel economy. This can be good news for teens on budgets.

All in all, this is a good deal for everyone! Car owners save money on gas and the world gets a little less polluted!

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The Toronto Humane Society wants to hear from you. For the annual Be Kind to Animals Week, they are assembling stories submitted by the general public. If you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the well-being of animals or if you know of an animal that has made a difference in somebody’s life, write your story and submit it. Mail to: Animal Story, Toronto Humane Society, 11 River Street, Toronto, ON M5A 4C2.

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• the World Health Organization list of safest places in the world includes the following Canadian cities: Sault Ste. Marie, Brockville, Rainy River, Ontario and Calgary, Fort McMurray, Alberta.
• UN environmental agency reports that Canada has the second-best water quality in the world, after Finland.
• a woman in Hamilton, Ontario has had a top of the line Westinghouse refrigerator running in her family’s home and her own home since 1937 without any major problems! When they originally bought it, they were told that the refrigerator would bring them life-long satisfaction. Boy, did the company keep its promise.
• the world’s tallest buildings, in 2003, are the Petronas Towers in Malaysia. They were built from the money made in an oil and manufacturing boom and are 1483 feet high.
• Henry Ford was a technician in Thomas Edison’s lab at one time.
• the oil industry was developed in the 1800’s mainly to provide kerosene fuel for oil lamps. The invention of the light bulb almost wiped it out. The invention of the automobile and mass production, by Henry Ford, saved it from extinction.
• The Eiffel Tower, built between 1887-1889 had the highest viewing platform on a man-made structure for 42 years. The Empire State Building in New York City opened in 1939 and then became the tallest.
• Barbie, the doll, has a new companion, well not really new, just a little different. The Midge doll is pregnant! Due to complaints in the USA, the doll was pulled from shelves there but it seems to sell really well in Canada.
• NewScientist.com reported that it has been discovered that male king penguins can store undigested food in their stomachs for up to 3 weeks. This is to allow a constant supply of food for chicks. It is done with acrylic acid that kills bacteria in their stomachs.
• the University of Guelph, Ontario, celebrated their 100,000^th graduate this year. It took 137 years to meet this milestone.
• two guard dogs at a Serbian prison were executed because they didn’t bark when five inmates escaped.
• straw-bale homes have proven to be the safest and most highly resilient and can withstand the shock of pretty severe earthquakes.
• chewing a few cardamom seeds can do a great job of sweetening your breath. Naturally! (comment: avoid Aspertame and artificial sugars – considered health risks.)
• about 365,000 babies are born each day around the world.

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This kind of job is not for everybody. It requires someone who is knowledgeable in many areas and on the cutting edge all the time. An Automation Specialist goes into companies and factories looking for ways to improve the efficiency of production, incorporate new technology and basically streamline the whole operation, develop and adjust automated guidance systems in factories, and design supervisory systems.

Important skills to have would be: computer programming (reconfigure and reprogram the existing computers on machinery), an avid curiosity (to search out and find the details that need updating, reducing, eliminating, modifying or replacement), the ability to adapt quickly and learn how to use new technology in the best ways. A great desire to make things work more efficiently is also important.

With an interest in animals and the environment, you might choose this as a career. The job entails a variety of specialized work involving the behaviour of animals in the wild and the application of concepts to human endeavours.

One of the things a Behavioural Ecologist might study is the role of genetics in the decisions by animals to stay or flee when approached by other animals. Another study might be about the length of time a marine worm stays concealed after a disturbance. The more abundant the food, the sooner the worm emerges.

In general, Behavioural Ecologists study specific details about animal behaviour, set up controlled experiments to provide data and then interpret the data. A good scientific background, attention to detail, good interpretive skills and keen observation skills are required.

For further information:

Read Cooper & Vitt, "Escaping predators on vertical surfaces: Lacerta perspicillata in limestone quarries of Lithaca," which is in the Oct. 2002, issue.

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(from an article by Sandro Contenta in the Toronto Star)

How would you react to a Chinese performance artist seemingly eating a stillborn baby? Would that shock you? Some artists try to get out feelings and emotions in their works in highly experimental ways. They also attempt to upset social orders and push the concept of "art" to some pretty unusual limits and beyond.

There are quite a few shock artists in the world. Here are some very controversial ones that have made it into the news:

Vanitas: Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorexic by Jana Sterbak: a sleeveless dress made of raw beef.

Body Worlds: The anatomical exhibition of real human bodies by Gunther Von Hagens: real corpses have flesh replaced with plastic and are displayed.

The Holy Virgin Mary by Chris Olfili: painting of a black madonna smeared with elephant dung and covered with tiny photos of women’s buttocks.

Cat video at Art System by Jesse Power and Anthony Ryan Wennekers: 17-minute videotape that showed a cat tortured to death.

Up Chuck against the art world by Jubal Brown: he vomited primary colours on classic paintings.

Cloaca by Wim Delvoye: in a room, six glass containers are connected by wires, tubes and pumps. Food is inserted and it is processed the way it would be in the human stomach. After two days, the food comes out resembling human feces.

Each of the above has been on display in a public forum. They are not just something somebody put together for the artist’s own interest.

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(notes from an interview on CBC Radio)

There is a growing interest in an unusual, world-wide, fun pastime to do with books. It’s called "Book Crossing." In the jargon, people "release books into the wild."

Why not put accumulated books in peoples’ homes to good use? Ron Hornbaker came up with the bright idea that those books should be in the hands of other readers and circulating around the world. Voila! – book crossing.

Here is how it works. Select books that you would be willing to give away. Go to the bookcrossing website and register them. Full instructions are on the site. Write on the inside cover to identify the book as free to take and the location where you released it. Place the book in a public place where you think somebody will find it, e.g. shelf in a grocery store, park bench, etc. Be careful where you put it!! Don’t put it on a shelf in a retail bookstore or in a mysterious bag at the airport.

Be on the lookout for these books in every city. If you find one, go to the website and register your find. Visiting the site, you will be able to see where your book and many others have been. Unfortunately, only about 25% of found books get registered but it can be exciting when it does. One book started in Calgary and went as far as Hong Kong. It is still on the move.

Book Crossing meetings are held on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month at 7pm in every country where there are participants. Find meeting locations on the website.

At the time of the writing of this article, the city of Washington was considered to be the No. 1 location for book crossings, and Toronto was No. 9.

Make a wonderful contribution to peace and sharing in the world. Become a book crosser!

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(from an article by Michael J. Berens, Chicago Tribune)

There is a growing fear of SARS (severe respiratory ailment) around the world. Great efforts are being made to isolate and fight the infection that has begun killing people. How it got into hospitals, we will never really know but here are some ways that are the most common causes of unnecessary deaths in hospitals:

1. Infections
   (kill more people than accidents, fires and drownings combined)

-surgical doctors not following proper hand-washing techniques.

-germ-laden medical instruments

-doctors with unwashed hands between patients

-stethescopes not cleaned between patients

-catheters and dressings not being changed or cleaned and dried regularly

-patients not informing staff of medical conditions that weaken the immunity system e.g. diabetes

-visiting well-wishers with illnesses infect the weakest patients in the hospital

-smokers are more susceptible to infection

-constant warm temperature and moist air in hospitals incubate germs

-overuse of antibiotics has caused drug-resistant bacteria and germs which forces medical staff to use stronger infection-fighting drugs

-contamination of gloves while they are being put on

-contaminated air circulation/filtration systems and water pipes full of germs and bacteria may not be cleaned regularly

-drain pipes full of germs caused by flushed body fluids and body parts

-toys can be covered in infections while used by infected child patients

-failure to tell patients of the kinds and specific infection rates related to the kind of surgery they are having so people would be more careful

-hand lotions, perfumes, other applications on the hands of hospital staff can react with latex gloves and cause small holes to form in the rubber

2. Unsanitary Conditions in Hospitals

-untrained cleaning staff not sanitizing facilities properly

-unsanitary poorly designed facilities that cannot be cleaned properly

-cleaning staff not cleaning themselves properly

-uncleaned rooms left for long periods of time or even days

-colds, coughing or sneezing by many people in an enclosed space where there are newborns and elderly with weak immune systems

-pet owners who have touched pet fur can bring fungus and germs into hospitals

-pet owners who have touched their infected pets can bring the infection into hospitals

(comment: The above article is not to suggest that hospital people are incompetent or lazy. The many great people that work in our hospitals deserve praise and applause for all their efforts at helping our society stay alive and well. They work under extremely difficult conditions and because of the very nature of the jobs, there are bound to be more problems than in many other job environments. We the public also cause the problems and must take responsibility for maintaining a better and safer environment in hospitals. Think about the above next time you are admitted to a hospital or visit somebody in one.)

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(from an article by Angela Pacienza, Canadian Press)

You work on your computer and to save space you delete files and get rid of directories. People who are going to dispose of a computer usually carefully delete all their sensitive files. Everybody thinks that the data is gone forever when the trash bin is emptied. Wrong!

Clearing computer data is a really tough thing to do. Deleting and trashing only eliminate a file’s name from the main directory. The operating system stops looking for it. All the information is, nevertheless, still there on the hard-drive. That is why criminal investigators who confiscate computers are able to find so much. It has never been fully destroyed! Out of sight does not mean gone!

Because of this common misunderstanding, many government departments, corporations, small businesses and private citizens are at high risk of theft of information. Reselling, giving away or trashing old computers and hard-drives full of hidden confidential information can be potentially embarrassing, invasive and also dangerous.

What needs to be done to truly destroy or protect information in your home computer and/or laptop? Here are some options:

• before trashing a computer, remove useful files and take the hard-drive and smash it into tiny un-recognizable pieces, especially the hard-drive disk
• keep hard-drives rather than throwing them out. Perhaps put it into your new computer as a spare or for extra storage, or just put it in a safe place
• use a utilities disk that comes with computers and do a low-level format which overwrites every single physical address you choose with a zero. Information is then totally gone to everybody. The process can take several hours.

Computers are wonderful tools but without knowing how they operate, many people are vulnerable to countless headaches and problems. Now you know a little more about them than the average person. Pass it on.

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The Soul lies buried in the ink that writes.

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The following are the commandments of Saddam Hussein (some of 57 of his quotes that have been published in free pamphlets given to the Iraqi people):

- Keep your eyes on your enemy and be faster than him.

- Don’t provoke a snake unless you have the intention and power to cut off its head.

- Don’t let he who thinks you despise him get close to you.

- Don’t treat your friend and your enemy equally even if you reconcile with the second. That way your enemy doesn’t scorn you and your friend doesn’t look down on the meaning of friendship and its rights.

- Keep people’s secrets and don’t tell them to others or use them against them.

-When you make a decision, don’t regret it and when you discover a mistake, don’t hesitate to fix it.

- Don’t be attracted to easy paths because the paths that make your feet bleed are the only way to get ahead in life.

-Don’t do all that you are able to, but only what is considered right, legitimate and based on the principles you hold.

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Values involve not only how you behave, but the behaviour you accept in others.

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Sometimes we are afraid to learn what we already know.

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"Man has a natural light, but also a light outside the light of nature by which he can seek out supernatural things... And it should be known that when a man prophesies, he does not speak from the Devil and not from the Holy Spirit, but from the innate spirit of the invisible body in which man has his origin." -Paracelsus

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(thanks for the following funny story from Mary & son, Daniel McCooey, Orillia, ON)

A language instructor was explaining to her class that in French, nouns, unlike their English counterparts, are grammatically designated as masculine or feminine. "House," in French, is feminine-"la maison". "Pencil," in French, is masculine-"le crayon".

One puzzled student asked, "What gender is computer?" The teacher did not know, and the word wasn't in her French dictionary. So for fun, she split the class into two groups, appropriately enough by gender, and asked them to decide whether "computer" should be a masculine or feminine noun. Both groups were required to give four reasons for their recommendation.

The men's group decided that computers should definitely be of the feminine gender ("la computer"), because: 1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic. 2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else. 3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for possible later retrieval. 4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine ("le computer"), because: 1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on. 2. They have a lot of data, but they are still clueless. 3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem. 4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you'd waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The Women Won

Did you hear about the South Carolina redneck who passed away and left his entire estate in trust for his beloved widow? She can’t touch it until she’s 14.

Did you hear that they have raised the minimum drinking age in Tennessee to 32? It seems they want to keep alcohol out of the high schools.

How many rednecks does it take to eat a ‘possum? Two. One to eat and one to watch for traffic.

Arkansas State Trooper pulls over a pickup truck on the highway. He says to the driver, "Got any ID?" The driver says, "’Bout what?"

Did you hear about the $3 million Tennessee State Lottery? The winner gets $3 a year for a million years.

Did you hear that the governor’s mansion in Little Rock, Arkansas, burned down? Yep. Pert’ near took out the whole trailer park.

A new law recently passed in North Carolina: When a couple gets divorced, they’re still brother and sister.

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Joe: Did you take a bath today?

Slow Moe: Why? Is one missing?

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There was a student who could always get perfect marks in geometry without studying because he knew all the angles.

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