"As a parent, if you aren't the boss in your family, the lines of authority can become blurred very quickly. When your children are unsure about who's really in charge, they often act out, engage in risky behavior, or become extremely bossy and patronizing as a result. And eventually you start to resent them because you don't have a way to tell them what to do. You've effectively lost control.

Many parents also want to be their child's friend-they don't like the idea of being the boss at all. The major problem with this approach is that a friend is non-judgmental, and friendships are egalitarian. In my opinion, your child's role simply isn't equal to yours-as a parent, you have to make judgments and be in charge because otherwise, no one will be.

By the way, I want to be clear about what I mean by the ""boss."" I often define this as the ""Limit Setter"" role when I'm talking to parents. I firmly believe parents need to set limits on their kids and maintain the rules of their household using consequences and accountability. While the Limit Setter role is extremely important, keep in mind that it should not be the only one you use. The other critical roles I've identified are those of the ""Teacher"", where you help your child learn how to behave more appropriately, and the ""Coach"", where you challenge your child to behave better-much like the coach of a sports team would do. While being in charge and setting limits is vital, all three roles need to be utilized if you want to be at your most effective as a parent.

You Were in Charge When Your Child Was Young-So What Happened?

I think when children are very young, it's easy to see that the parents are in charge. In other words, they make the decisions, direct their children in their day-to-day activities, and organize things for their household. They also supervise their children's behavior and decide what's appropriate and what's not. And you'll often see children from the age of about six to ten being fairly compliant. During those years, parents tend to develop a friendly relationship with their kids. This is a time in life when many children, unless they have behavioral problems, will listen to you, do what you ask, and spend as much time with you as you'll let them.

When adolescence hits, the whole game changes. What emerges is not only a lack of respect for parental authority, but also a situation where your child wants to be the boss. Many parents have a hard time reasserting their role as the person in charge when this happens. And if you've never established yourself clearly as being in control, it may seem as though it's almost impossible for you to do it after your child becomes a teen-or even a pre-teen.

Why is that? One reason is because the developmental stage we call adolescence is really a time for your child to individuate, and the way children do this is by pushing adults away. They lean more toward their peers, and they think their friends are the only ones who understand them. In fact, they don't like being around adults much-and they certainly don't like being around the adults who are telling them what to do!



Healthier kids will tell you they resent your authority in various appropriate and semi-appropriate ways. This might range from saying ""Stop telling me what to do all the time!"" to eye rolling and loud sighs each time you make a request. But there are other children who will tell you they're upset in inappropriate ways: by acting out, being verbally abusive, destructive, or aggressive.

Soft Choices and Hard Choices: 4 Areas Where Parents Need to Have the Ultimate Decision

Many parents encourage their kids to participate in family decisions, and I personally think that's a good thing to do. Don't forget, when you're raising your child, one of the things you want them to learn is how to be independent. In fact, studies have shown that the more independent kids are, the better chances they'll have of making choices in their lives in ways that increase the likelihood of success in life.

So the way you develop independence in your children is by letting them make choices and encouraging their participation. It's natural for kids to start thinking they have a say in everything when you parent this way, unless you are clear about the choices you're giving them.

I think knowing which issues to assert your authority over-or in which to let your child have a vote-is a very tricky line for parents to walk.Just remember,there are things kids can have a voice in, but not the final choice of.

In my opinion, parents have the ultimate say-so on these 4 things:

Safety
Health Issues
Performance
Preparation for Adulthood


You can say to your child, ""Listen, these are the areas where I'm in charge-it's not a subject of debate. We can talk about things, but I have the final say-so and that's the way it has to be. That's my role; I'm the parent.""

So you make the decision on whether or not your daughter can go out until midnight. You make the decision whether or not your son is doing enough homework and chores, and if his grades are acceptable. You make the decisions about what's healthy and not healthy for all your kids. You make these decisions because you're in charge taking care of your family to the best of your ability.

By the way, I thinkit's perfectly okay for kids to have a vote on things that aren't going to affect their safety, health, performance, or preparation for adulthood. You can conceptualize these issues as ""soft choices"" and ""hard choices."" Soft choices might include what clothes they'll wear, which video you'll rent for family movie night, how long their hair is, or what color nail polish your teen daughter chooses. Encourage your child to make those soft decisions-and then honor them. So let your child wear what he picked out, as long as it's not inappropriate.

It's very hard when your child is an adolescent for parents to dance between giving your child enough independence and being the boss. It's difficult for almost everyone, and that's why so much fighting goes on during this time. There are a lot of traps you can fall into, but you've got that line you're trying to walk: knowing when to let your child be independent and when you have to be the boss. I think if you ask yourself, ""Is this a soft choice or is it a hard one?"" you'll have a clearer understanding of how to navigate those decisions.

When Kids Think Their ""Vote"" is Equal to Yours

Why do many kids think their vote in the family is equal to their parents' vote? I think part of the reason, besides what we've already mentioned, is that children, especially teens, want control. I'm not saying you should give it to them, but make no mistake, they want it. That's a legitimate interest of their developmental stage. Kids also think they should have a vote in everything because they want to be equal to their parents-and they'll try to argue with you until they're blue in the face to convince you of that fact.

Again, ask yourself if the question you're discussing is soft or hard: It's good for your child to have a say-so in the debate about which restaurant you'll go to tonight; it's not good for him to have the ultimate say-so about what his curfew will be.

""You Do It. Why Can't I?""

When your child says, ""You do it. Why can't I?"" The best answer is, ""We're not talking about me. We're talking about you."" Keep the focus on your child. That way you won't get distracted and defensive. Make your statements black and white: ""Don't turn this around on me. I don't think you're ready to go to the late movie yet."" And then back it up. Tell your child why you don't you think he's ready. Your reasons should have to do with decision-making, choices and responsibility.

A Word about Negotiating...

In my opinion, kids can have a voice as long as they speak appropriately, but parents need to make the ultimate decision. Don't negotiate with your child right after a decision is made. I think it's often effective for parents to say, ""If you want to talk about this decision more, you have to wait 24 hours."" That way, everybody is calmed down once you do talk.

I used to tell the kids I worked with, ""You have the right to make a statement to your parents as long as you express what you want appropriately. Your parents have the right and a responsibility to challenge the points of your statement if it doesn't sit right with them. But ultimately, they make the choice."" I think there's room to discuss choices as kids get older, so I would tell them, ""If you don't like the choice your parents made, your job is to say, for example, 'What do I have to do in order to get a later curfew?'"" Let's say the teen's parents gave him a curfew of nine o'clock, but he wanted a ten o'clock curfew. I think it's all right for him to say, ""What do I have to do in order for you to trust me to stay out until ten o'clock?"" His parents would have to consider his request. Their answer might be, ""Well, we'd like you to keep a nine o'clock curfew for one month, and see how that works out. We want to see you meet this responsibility first. If you come home late on curfew consistently or you have a hard time with it, you're showing us that you're not responsible. If we let you stay out later, that's because we think you're responsible enough to make good choices and manage your time.""



Try to keep communication open. If your child gets heated or shuts down, always keep your hand out at the end of the conversation. You can say something like, ""If you want to talk more about this later when you've calmed down, let me know."" Or ""If you want to discuss this when you can talk to me more appropriately, I'll be here."" Always leave your hand out there.

Why You Should Never Fight on Your Child's Level

When you get resentful and fight on your child's level, I think your position can actually become weaker than your child's. He will start to perceive you as not being in control. Soon, you won't have any way to really guide him or enforce household rules. If there's no structure there-no parental authority-then the only ""tools"" you're left with are yelling, complaining, badgering, whining, bickering, arguing and nagging-all the things you don't want to do. Besides, think of it this way: you don't want to live with somebody like that and neither does your child.

It's important not to fight with your child on that level, because then there's no parent-it's just two individuals bickering. One of the ways you can lose your status as a parent very quickly is to act like a child. Parents have a hard time establishing and maintaining status in our society anyway-the role of parenting is completely undervalued today. So you don't want to give away what you've got -you really want to try to maintain your parental authority.

While I don't think you should fight with your child, there's nothing wrong with getting angry at your kids from time to time. That's human and it happens to every parent. But it's important to have an outlet for that anger other than arguing and screaming. Remember, the question is not, ""Do we get angry at our kids,"" it's ""How do we handle the situation when we're angry?"" So when your child pushes your limits, make sure you have a plan to deal with that ahead of time: try to have other outlets where you can share your thoughts and feelings, like with your spouse, friends, relatives or a support group.

If you realize you haven't been acting like the boss, but you want to begin to assert your authority now, be prepared for some extreme pushback from your children at first. Any change like this in family dynamics is not going to be dealt with coolly by your kids. Expect them to fight because they're going to feel like they're losing something they want to hold onto-power and control. But hold firm, and know that you're doing the best thing for your family. Remember, the more tools you have as a parent, the better equipped you'll be to raise your child-and to be the boss in a positive, effective way."

"Improvisation - How to deal with Chaos

It is not enough to be determined. Equipment is the key to success. The right lever will move the world but the clever bit is to think of it first or quickly which is really what improvisation is all about. No matter what the task, it will be better tackled with the correct hardware. The right equipment helps you achieve more with less, and more productively. The same art of survival works brilliantly well when applied to operational managers who know what they need, where to get it and who they can depend upon. The age of random, cheap purchases is over - if it ever really got going. This article is for the serious, operational managers who are looking for ideas and the equipment which will really produce results in operations by improved handling, denser storage, faster retrieval and all with a place to go to get the critical support they need to avoid frustrating progress and getting bogged down with failure.

The earliest recollection I have of improvisation was being sent out to the sandwich van, except he never had any sandwiches in those days, to buy a packet of 10 cigarettes for the shop steward. He had said if they didn't have his brand anything would do. When I returned with 2 pasties I was in a lot of trouble!

Improvisation is what you do every day of the week. Here are a few ideas that will help you face the work with the right support and equipment to put the odds back in your favour.

Chumbawamba management. We frequently think we don't have choice when it comes to a whole range of business situations; who we work with, what we can afford or justify, wants over needs, improvised situations etc. I would go further than this and say life in general, and business in particular is not a spectator activity. Improvisation is exactly what good managers are about, once you know the rules of the game everything else is improvisation.

The law of improvisation states: 'Be prepared to expect the unexpected and deal with it by immersion ' which is a statement of unimaginable oxymoron proportions and it would be funny if it wasn't always so damn tragic. It is acceptable to have a laugh at tragedy providing it is happening to someone else! When you are watching your job, life or your career disappear before your eyes remind yourself that Sir Winston Churchill improvised an entire nation through an impossible and unwinnable situation. Improvisation is not an act, it is a condition and mindset. Some would say it is the art of not knowing when to quit - I call it 'Chumbawamba management', very aptly once you realise that 'Chumbawamba' means nothing. The definition for improvisation is the art of managing with nothing. Mother Teresa summed it up with ""we the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful, we have been doing so much for so long with so little we are now qualified to do anything with nothing..."" in other words Chumbawamba Management.. For those who don't know the song it has a chorus of ""I get knocked down but I get get up again, you ain't ever going to keep me down"" (or very similar, if I have misquoted, sorry guys - great song though)

Awareness of the unexpected. When writing the article I was looking for words to express the feeling of improvisation. I came across an article which has over 126 references to illustrate improvisation theory. I don't think they get it! Can you really prepare for that second when the emergency chute doesn't deploy. If the authors really knew anything first hand about improvising they wouldn't need or even have the luxury of taking references. We don't have hundreds of hours, we have seconds and spend the first few of those trying to buy time and head off the inevitable. It is the art of a combination of limiting damage, salvaging or turning the situation round that improvising is all about, ""cometh the hour, cometh the man""., not cometh the hour cometh the PHD in hindsight, it doesn't work like that.



The first rule of crisis is you usually have more time than you think if you are paying attention. The realisation or warning you will get emotionally is the same feeling you would get when you are being rude about someone, totally unaware that he is standing right behind you, not that any of us would ever do such a thing. What follows this event is improvisation and it had better be good!!

Test your Chumbawamba management skills: See how you would get on with these real life situations. There are no right answers but there are some interesting outcomes at the end of this article which you simply could not script. There is no time to think in these first examples...

1. You need a bit of luck and cool head: You are on the surface, you are a novice diver in 40m of water, you remove the snorkel from your mouth on a signal to dive. Your mates are 20m below you. Your demand valve is on the end of a single pipe, you should have tucked it under your cylinder straps, you didn't. You can't reach it, it is floating behind you, you have 10 seconds of air left in your lungs, you go to jettison your gear but your weight belt buckle wasn't working so you tied a knot in it which you now don't have time to undo and your gear is pulling you down. You wave at your wife of 3 days who is sitting in the boat to try to attract her attention, she waves back, great! You are under the water now drowning with your gear in perfect working order, you just can't get at it, what do you do?

2. Have the courage of your convictions even when the odds are against you: You attend a party with an improvised access through a very large sash window. Your mates decide to throw one of the girls into the pool, she comes back into the party through the window wringing wet. You follow on after you think the incident has blown over, you leap the step and realise the plate glass window has been shut by an irritated hostess. Do you continue through the window to the amazement of the stunned guests or abort?

3. Rely on good procedures at all times: You are travelling on a straight country road, you see a 20 tonne aggregate lorry pull out quarter of a mile in front of you. You see a turning on your right ahead of the lorry which is not indicating right, you can't see anything at the junction, you decide to overtake rather than reduce speed, you then see the front wheel of the lorry steer out to turn right as you draw level - what do you do next?

4. Stay within your abilities: You are a novice skier on your 6th day out on the mountain, you still snow plough, it is the only way you know how to stop, but you would like to parallel ski. Your mates, who are good skiers, are all waiting for you so you decide to show off, you set off in parallel and soon reach more than 30 miles an hour before realising you are going to overshoot your pals and worse still there is a big drop and a lot of rocks where you are going which is why they have stopped....what do you do to stop yourself?

Well, these are a bit extreme but they all happened to me. Thank goodness I never took up sky diving. Here are some business situations which you do have time to think about:

1. Research and negotiation is vital: You are forced into relocating your business. You have 3 months to do this as negotiation to keep your current lease has failed and the site has been sold to a supermarket. How do you see the situation and what are you going to do to maintain productivity and cash flow whilst financing the move? For what are you going to make provision, how and why?

2. Time is always of the essence: You need a new forklift truck. There are at least 12 types of forklift truck and a whole range of accessories and weight ranges, plus various power pack options and certainly more than 400 specialist choices and then all the different manufacturers. One of the trucks and one of the hybrid specifications can not only slash your operating costs it will reduce your fixed overheads and make you a lot of money. What are the most reliable ways to be sure you make the best choice?

3. Cost is an issue: With new build work there are three principal management options, one of them can save you 30% or more. Do you know which one and how?

4. Resources are key: There are three principal reasons for outsourcing project work and definite financial milestones. Do you know what these are?

5. Play right up to the final whistle: Everyone has heard of Sod's Law, but few people have heard of 'Sod's Law of improvisation'. Can you guess what it might be?

So exactly what is my business point? Well, around your work place there are a lot of aspects which are in your control if only you reach out for them as you would a life line.

Materials handling and good storage and retrieval systems are one of those life lines where improvisation and opportunity may combine on a number of different levels, in other words tip top gear. This is not about cost, cost control comes from perfecting technique, never buying on price. You need to find specialists with the right equipment that you trust. Here is a quick list and it is by no means exhaustive. However they all have one thing in common, they all get subjected to extremes from time to time and it is how you deal with what is in your face at that moment where you gain your Chumbawamba qualifications:

Safety
Productivity
Health
Welfare
Accountability
Quality
Value
Consolidation
Down sizing
Up sizing
Replacement tactics
Feeding systems
Emptying and clearing space
Holding
Lifting
Loading
Temperature control
Space management
Time
Multi-Tasking
Storing


....And so on. But there is no need to get knocked about and have a hard time with it. These are all operational words which one would wish to either improve or to add value. If improvisation is a form of creativity then materials handling equipment is definitely a means to this end. Once equipment is selected a period of improvised integration will always occur until procedures can be acquired, learned and written to perfect performance. For every action there is usually more than one way of achieving it, the skill is knowing the best way. This is where improvisation stops and procedure takes control again and we all like to be in control, don't we?

Mount Chumbawamba. One thing for sure is that procedures are only the mantle of gearing up. To date nearly 3,000 people have climbed Mount Chumbawamba - sorry Chomolungna since it was first successfully conquered nearly 60 years ago. In management terms it must be getting easier to climb so they will probably increase the altitude next year, which in fact is happening. Over 200 people are still up there for good. Around £20,000 will get you up the mountain as a fit novice and you can expect some very tough, extreme conditions. You will call upon your own god given resources to improvise to keep you alive. Easy or not? Without the correct gear and procedures it is a suicide mission. A few have summited on more than one occasion since it has been climbed over 4000 times. I suppose the lesson here is if you like it up there so much making a living by being paid or sponsored to go up or taking others up is humbling. I draw this comparison between an impossible mountain and a word that means nothing because all great improvisation starts with nothing but a few facts, a need or intention, shortages, failures, raw determination not to be beaten or a strong desire, which is often all that is left when things don't go to plan. Mountaineers of all people demonstrate the importance of combining skills and equipment with knowledge or a pioneering spirit to achieve goals.

Taking Risks. You have to take risks, they are unavoidable - insure for them, self immunise and gear up. Someone once said that if you are not living life on the edge you are taking up too much space! Your insurance is your research, your immunisation is surrounding yourself with strong, flexible procedures based on the implementation of quality knowledge and when you go up Mount Chumbawamba I doubt you will buy only what you can afford or the cheapest. Although I have to say, it is often how you use what you have that sets you apart. This is the real Law of Chumbawamba management. I remember an admiralty Q.A engineer I worked with years ago was doing sea trials on a submarine. He dispatched his assistant to check all the air valves. 20 minutes later the lad returned, ""they are all OK boss"" he announces. ""Really"" says Tom - ""You are going on sea trials aren't you?"" Yes, he replies, a silence then follows and the lad goes away and returns a few minutes later "". ""I think I will just go and take another look at those valves boss if that is OK"" he says- he was away for 6 hours!. If they don't work the submarine stays down! If you are in it, it focuses the mind!



Never be afraid to ask for help or to pay for expert support and equipment, you will never regret it.

Novice diver: Do nothing, your gear will pull you back in the water because you didn't have a buoyancy vest on either! Your demand valve has positive buoyancy and floats up as you float down - relax - you lived. Note to self: Don't dive with rubbish gear that doesn't work. That is naive stupidity not improvisation, pay for the good equipment, but well done for not panicking!

Sash window: Keep going, the forward motion pushes the glass away. If you pull back it is more likely to dig in, a few stitches beats emergency surgery. Tourniquets don't work well round your neck!

20 tonne truck: Nothing you hit it, but you had your seat belt on tight and got away with it this time - you need a new car though! Well done that procedure saved your life, but you need to read the Highway Code again (I did)

Novice skier: Don't ever snow plough at 30+mph you will always wipe out, unless you would rather drop 1800ft instead - learn to ski first. Note to self: stay within your abilities at all times.

You are forced into relocating your business: It is going to be very tough, stock up, don't miss the opportunities to introduce improvements. Don't accept deadlines without cash incentives, you need a chartered surveyor and solicitor and a materials handling engineer on your team. Everything is negotiable.

You need a new forklift truck: You have 3 aisle choices: 4m, 3m, 2m. 1.8m or 1.2m, in order, are crudely yard work, internal reach work, low volume low pressure on space, high fast turn round to 7m and high bay high pick - for more details you need to talk to a trusted warehousing specialist.

New build work, three principal management options: Appoint a project manager. This makes the biggest savings. Skill sets should include industrial engineering or mechanical/materials handling, finance, grants, planning and building control, health and safely, and contract law. Over £5m you need more support, you need specialists as opposed to just one with good core skills. If you know what you want and are the specialist, it can be architect lead. If it is a bigger project it needs to have specific design, tender and principal contract appointment phases. Frequently specialist industrial works are better left to engineers. Combinations work well for high profile projects where looks are as important or more important than function. There are three principal reasons for outsourcing project work: Time, Resource, Expertise

'Sod's Law of improvisation': Emergency landing procedures have a poor track record in extreme conditions but at least you have something to take your mind off it."

"The novels of Dostoyevsky are seething whirlpools,
gyrating sandstorms, waterspouts which hiss and boil
and suck us in. They are composed purely and wholly
of the stuff of the human soul.

- Virginia Woolf

Introduction

Virginia Woolf aptly says it directly and without pretentions that Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote from his soul and his soul is full of passion and is restless. What Woolf has failed to mention is what Mikhail Bakhtin has really coined out more appropriately - the term ""polyphonic."" According Welleck (1980), ""Bakhtin asserts that Dostoyevsky created a totally new kind of novel he calls ""polyphonic"" i. e., it consists of independent voices which are fully equal, become subjects of their own right and do not serve the ideological position of the author. He is undoubtedly right in emphasizing the dramatic nature of Dostoevsky's novels, the sense of conflict Dostoevsky created, the power of empathy he shows with the most diverse ideological points of view and attitudes to life."" In this case, ""The Brothers Karamazov"" is just one proof of Dostoyevsky's superb mind as a writer.

Truly, it is one of the best indeed. The novel is composed of 105 chapters divided into 13 books which ate up a total of 1,192 pages. However, the length is immaterial if one considers the richness of Dostoyevsky's imagination, the sharpness of his ideas and the vividness of his rhetoric which had constituted the polyphonic nature of his novel.

The Karamazovs as a Family

According to Peschke (2001), the family is the primordial community. As the font of new human life, it is the normal, if not the only center in which the human person can develop bodily and spiritually is a healthy fashion. The moral and religious life of man his capability to love are first awakened by parental love. The three basic functions of the family are:

1. The family as an economic unit - The family provides for man's everyday wants in food, shelter, and clothing. (Peschke 2001)

2. The family as the primary educational unit - The intellectual and moral development of the human person depends decisively on the education within the family. In its circle, the young persons receive their first knowledge and understanding of the world around them. It is in the family that they are first taught the unselfishness of mutual love. (Peschke 2001)

3. The family as the primary spiritual community of man - The family finally provides the most important spiritual home for its members. In daily living based on love, trust, esteem and respect, there is also an exchange of ideas, values, and attitudes, a sharing of the experience of joys and sorrows, successes and trials, such as we find in no other group. (Peschke 2001)

Basically, the Karamazov family does not fit to those provisions because, in the first place, the bond that ties the parents is deficient in its context. Love was not present in any of Fyodor's two marriages and more so in his two carnal interludes. Fyodor is a ""parvenu"" or a social climber. Thus, his first marriage - with Adelaida - has been looked upon with scorn considering that Fyodor just married her because of her family's wealth. When Adelaida left Fyodor (in which she died in the later part), the family also fell apart. Fyodor's marriage with Sophia was also a failure. Though death was the principal reason, the failure of the marriage could mainly be attributed to Fyodor's irresponsibility as a husband and as a father. The novel mentions of Sophia becoming a ""shrieker"" which is just a euphemism for her insanity. This insanity could be inferred as being caused by Fyodor himself due to his debauchery. But what else can be expected? He is only quenching his thirst for the flesh and after he got quenched through that 16-year-old adopted orphan, he resumes his caprices and extramarital affairs. Thus the narrator says: ""However, in such a lecherous man that, too, might have been only a sensual attraction. Having taken her without any money, he did not stand on ceremony with her... he did not hesitate to trample on the ordinary decencies of married life. Women of the streets used to come to his house while his wife was there, and they would have wild parties."" (TBK P. 11)



Not being able to bear that, Sophia succumbs to insanity which leads to her death. As a result, the Karamazov family becomes dysfunctional as Fyodor abandons his children leaving them under the care of the servant Grigory and the brothers carry the stigma as they grow.

On Parental Rights and Duties

Peschke (2001) mentions that the responsibility of the parents arises from the fact that they, the parents, are the ones who gave life to their children. These young human beings come helpless into the world entirely dependent on their parents' loving care.

The primary duty of parents, which precedes all the others, is responsible assumption of parenthood. Parents may only bring a child into the world if they have reasonable hopes that they will be able to rear and educate the child in a way worthy of human being. If ever an illegitimate child is born, the father is duty bound to aid the unmarried mother with material means in the upbringing of his child, in accordance with his own financial condition and the need of the mother and child. (Peschke 2001)

1. Well-ordered love - Love is the fundamental obligation of parents. As a natural feeling, it almost always motivates the hearts of the parents in a stronger and more forceful way than the hearts of the children. Inner alienation and hatred on the part of the parents are rarely to be found. But parental love can prove deficient in different degrees and ways, be it by defect or by excess.

2. Provision for life, health and material well-being - Parents have the serious duty to look after their children in a manner worthy of human beings. They have to provide for food, clothing, health, lodging and home. Furthermore, they must also procure some degree of material security for their children's future and help them to found their own homes when the time comes.

3. Education - Parents are absolutely bound to educate their children to the best of their abilities and top look after their spiritual welfare. The development of the children's personality is the most excellent task of the parents.

What happens in the novel is just the opposite of what has been stipulated. The brothers did not experience love and care from their parents. The death of the two mothers has deprived them of maternal care and affection. On the other hand, the father, who is supposed to provide the care, is not even doing his role as a father. Fyodor ignores his children and entrusts them to the servant. The only saving grace on the part of the children is that they all have caring relatives in the maternal side.

Furthermore, Fyodor has not been a good role model to the brothers. His immorality only causes resentment from them and this was aggravated when Fyodor had taken advantage of the lunatic Lizaveta with whom he had a child - Smedyakov. Fyodor does not acknowledge him as his son yet he admits him in his household to act as a cook - a treatment which Smedyakov resents.

When the brothers grew, instead of developing filial love, they had rather developed the feeling of indifference, aloofness and hatred towards their father. Fyodor, at his point, insists his authority as a father. His pride being the ""father"" has made him insensitive to the brothers. Instead of showing them affection, love and care, he only evokes anxiety, anger, and hatred in them. He deprives them of their inheritance and uses the money for his vices; he becomes a rival to their love and happiness - when he wants Alyosha to leave the monastery and when he becomes a rival of Dmity for the love of Gushenka.

Duties of Children towards Parents

Peschke (2001) writes that the children owe their parents many benefits. Consequently, the child has the obligation of love, reverence, and gratitude.

1. Reverence and honor - the inner spirit of reverence must manifest in external signs of honor. Children sin against the honor due to parents if they are ashamed of them, and disown them because of their humble state or poverty; or if they use offensive speech, treat them contemptuously, or raise their hands against them. However, it is deemed natural that if parents are found to be irresponsible, they will greatly hinder the development of true reverence in the children's heart.

2. Obedience - Children sin if they disobey the parents ""just"" commands. The provisions in the Vatican II enumerates two types of obedience:

a. Educational obedience - the entire development of children requires the help and guidance of parents and educators and therefore enjoins obedience upon them.

b. Functional obedience - The domestic order claims submission to the authority of parents, and this is also from adult children as long as they stay at home.

3. Love and gratitude - Filial love must above all be a grateful love since children owe to their parents their life, livelihood, education and many other benefits. In a normal family, children are indebted to their parents more than to anybody else. Children sin against the love due to their parents if they foster sentiments of hatred; refuse to speak, to write or to see them, curse or speak ill of them; refuse to support them when they are old and indigent. However, egoistic interests and aims of parents can also be sources of harm to the child. (Peschke 2001)

Love towards the parents is inherent. It dwells in everyone but what keeps it from being manifested is subjected to rationalization. The brothers do feel the kind of longing for their father. Alyosha, for his part, decides to leave the monastery after the death of Father Zossima. Dmitry, though resentful, abandons Gushenka when he learned that Fyodor desires her and Dmitry, then, turns his attention to Katerina. Ivan strives to be civil with his father even if he abhors his father's whims and vices. Yet, all throughout, they had developed the feeling of dislike and indifference to Fyodor because of his selfishness. Even Alyosha, who is suppose to be the most pious of the three brothers suffers from dilemma. Dmitry, for his part, his conflict with Fyodor has become physical. There comes a point when Dmitry hits Fyodor twice: the first was during an altercation about the inheritance and second was the controversial blow which implicated Dmitry to his father's death. In Ivan's case, he treats his father shabbily and avoids any conversation with him. But should the brothers be condemned because of those reasons? Why do the brothers have developed such attitude towards their father? Peschke (2001) explains that ""the child's love will, to a certain extent, be relative to the parents' love."" Then, that answers the question.



And so Fyodor Karamozov dies. Smedyakov has inflicted the fatal blow. The brothers are haunted with guilt - that each of them has contributed to the father's death. For Smedyakov, death begets death and so he commits suicide taking with him in his grave the truth. For Alyosha, he thinks that he did little in mending the discord between his father and his brothers. He could have been instrumental in fostering love in the family taking into consideration his spirituality being a disciple of Father Zossima who was venerated in the community.

Ivan, for his case, could have prevented the death had he not left his father and had he not also desired Katerina which contributed greatly to the anxiety and agitation of Dmitry. Ivan contends that his preoccupations to his own thoughts and philosophies had caused to be unmindful of his surroundings. And so his guilt gives him his schizophrenia.

Dmitry, the most tormented of all, bears the impact of the circumstances which he is bound to suffer in prison. This could be his reason for refusing to accept the plans to save him from prison which Dmity and Katerina have arranged.

Why should the brothers be haunted with guilt? Isn't it that Fyodor was not a good father to them?

Peschke (2001) expounds that the children's obligation of love and reverence is based on the fact that are, after God, the second source of life, growth and education. Peschke based these words on the pronouncements of St. Thomas and he simply means that in spite of what kind of father Fyodor had been, the brothers should have accorded him reverence, respect and love. This feeling is, again, part of the natural law of man. Then, if the father has not been a good father, he is then accountable for his action when the final reckoning comes. That would then be his accountability in the same manner as each of the brothers has to be accountable for his own soul.

Moreover, the brothers do carry in them the blood and genes of a Fyodorovich. And if the novel would be viewed through the Freudian point-of-view, Dmitry will then be Fyodor's ""Id"" because of his unbridled passion and violent tendencies, Ivan as Fyodor's ""Ego"" because of his nature as the thinker that results to his great concern for his ""self"" for which he becomes too self-centered. Lastly, Alyosha is Fyodor's ""Superego"" because his refined character which is the offshoot of his spirituality. Had all these three been fused into one in the person of Fyodor, he would have become the ideal father that the three may have wished for.

It has always been said that a strong family shapes the strength of the society because the members of the society are, themselves, molded first inside the family structure. The family, when magnified, becomes the society as a whole. For sure, Dostoyevsky did not just write the novel in order to entertain the Russians. Dostoyevsky, himself, bore the stigma of the regime in him and being the writer that he was, he needed an outlet and the result of which is ""The Brothers Karamazov.""

References:"

"Come with me as I take a look at the Wonderful World of Poodles.

History
Although the national breed of France, the Poodle actually originated in Germany where it was used as a water retriever. Many believe the name ""Pudel"" comes from the German word ""pudel"" which means ""one who plays in water.""

In fact, the famous ""Poodle Clip"" was created by hunters to help the breed swim faster and more efficiently. The clip was not created as a decorative element. It was created to protect certain vital organs and joints of the breed in cold water.

The term ""French Poodle"" comes from France's capitalization of the breed's intelligence, trainability and eagerness to perform. The French turned poodles into popular circus performers where they gained notoriety and became Louis XVI and Queen Anne's court favorites. They have long since been associated with royalty. Even America's President, Grover Cleveland, owned a poodle.

The Standard Poodle, the largest of the three recognized varieties, is the oldest of the breed. All of the poodle's ancestors were water dogs known for their swimming abilities.

Characteristics
The poodle is the only breed that comes in three AKC registered varieties. The three recognized types are the Standard Poodle, the Miniature Poodle and the Toy Poodle. The Standard is the tallest, measuring over 15 inches. The Miniature is 15 inches or under, but a minimum of 10 inches. The Toy is under 10 inches.

The breed comes in a variety of solid colors, including white, black, apricot and gray.

The Poodle is an exceptionally intelligent dog that excels in obedience training. Its intelligence and ability to learn makes it one of the most popular breeds in the world. It is considered one of the easiest breeds to train. Also, its hypoallergenic coat makes it a favorite amongst owners. It does not shed, but does require grooming on a regular basis. The breed adapts well to any living conditions, making it an ideal pet for apartments. However, it is an active dog and does require daily exercise.

The Poodle carries itself proudly and has a very distinct air of dignity. The word ""elegant"" is most often used to describe the breed. The Poodle is known to be shy, but sharp at the same time. Poodles are reserved with strangers and unless trained at an early age, can bark excessively.

The Standard Poodle (Caniche, Barbone, Chien Canne)
The Standard Poodle is considered to be a large dog of high intelligence and trainability. Elegant, strong and good natured, it makes an excellent family dog. It has a thick, soft, curly coat that does not shed but requires daily grooming. The ears are wide and hang close to the head. The eyes are very dark and alert. The feet are compact and the breed has an effortless and delightful gait (like walking on air.)

The Standard Poodle is pleasant, happy and generally easy to maintain. It is a loyal companion but unlike the Miniature and Toy varieties of the breed, can be less sensitive to its surroundings and does not bond to one owner or one household as much. It is considered the calmer of the Poodle varieties. Standard Poodles are friendly and excellent with children and other dogs.

Height: 15 inches
Weight: 45-70 pounds
Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

The Standard Poodle is inactive indoors and even a small yard is acceptable. However they do require daily walks. They are not overly demanding but their temperament is based on their living conditions.

This is a long lived breed but it is subject to certain genetic diseases like most dogs. Cataracts, skin conditions (from allergies to certain shampoos,) hip dysplasia, runny nose and ear infections are common. Also, the breed is subject to bloating, so only feed it two to three small meals a day instead of one or two large meals.



The Miniature Poodle (Caniche)
The Miniature Poodle is considered to be a medium dog of high intelligence and trainability. More cheerful and playful than the Standard variety of poodle, it has a thick, soft, curly coat that does not shed but requires daily grooming. The ears are wide and hang close to the head. The eyes are very dark and alert. The feet are compact and the breed has a spunky gait.

The Miniature Poodle is an amusing, often curious dog. It is a loyal companion that insists on being included in all of its owner's activities. It can learn tricks effortlessly. It is considered less calm than the Standard Poodle, but not as feisty as the Toy Poodle. Most Miniature Poodles love children and other dogs but they will exhibit jealous tendencies and can display sharp reactions. They can be over playful and must be trained early on that there is a limit to play time. Overall, they are friendly and make excellent pets.

Height: 11-15 inches
Weight: 15-17 pounds
Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

The Miniature Poodle is a good dog for apartment life. They are active indoors but do fine without a yard. However they do require daily walks. They are not overly demanding but their temperament is based on their living conditions.

This is a long lived breed but it is subject to certain genetic diseases like most dogs. Cataracts, skin conditions (from allergies to certain shampoos,) hip dysplasia, runny nose and ear infections are common. Also, the breed is subject to bloating, so only feed it two to three small meals a day instead of one or two large meals.

The Toy Poodle (Caniche, Chien Canne, Tea Cup)
The Toy Poodle is considered to be a small dog of high intelligence and trainability. More sensitive than the Standard and Toy varieties, it is also considered the smartest of the three. It has a thick, soft, curly coat that does not shed but requires daily grooming. The ears are small and long and hang close to the head. The eyes are very dark and alert. The feet are compact and the breed has a perfect gait.

The Toy Poodle is sensitive but extremely intelligent. They are very responsive and alert. They can be a delight, but also demanding. They do not like strangers and are reserved around children and other dogs. They are known to snap if they are teased, surprised or mishandled.

They generally bond with one owner for life and they are extremely loyal to that individual and will defend them at all cost, despite their size. However, a true ""lap dog,"" the Toy Poodle expects an equal amount of loyalty and love in return. They adapt better to one dog households and do not do well with small children. The Toy Poodle is considered the least calm of the three poodle varieties.

Height: up to 10 inches
Weight: 3-8 pounds
Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

The Toy Poodle is a good dog for apartment life. They adapt very well to ""city life."" They require little indoor or outdoor activities but nonetheless, should be socialized with a daily walk. They are demanding dogs and can bark excessively if left alone for long periods of time.

This is a long lived breed but it is subject to certain genetic diseases like most dogs. Cataracts, skin conditions (from allergies to certain shampoos,) hip dysplasia, runny nose and ear infections are common. Also, the breed is subject to bloating, so only feed it two to three small meals a day instead of one or two large meals.

Choosing Your Poodle
Never is it more essential to choose a responsible and well-respected breeder than when choosing a Poodle Puppy.

As you've already learned from reading this article, dogs come in many different colors, sizes and TEMPERAMENTS!

Poodles especially fall into this category. You can end up with a great pet or a nightmare. Fortunately, with a little bit of research and homework ahead of time, you'll minimize the risk of a difficult pet and maximize your chances of a truly wonderful new companion.

I recommend everyone get the definitive guide to choosing a dog breed. This book will help you make the right choice. It was written by Marcel Cobs, very well respected in the industry. A dog is a companion for life. Making sure you choose the right breed should be step one. When you buy a car, you do not buy the very first car, on the very first lot, on the nearest street, do you? You do a little research. Choosing a dog is no different and this is the ONLY guide I have ever recommended.

How to Choose the Right Dog for You! By Marcel Cobs
A practical guide to guarantee you and your new best friend enjoy a great life together. If you have any interest at all in getting a dog... if you want to find out what type of dog you should get to fit you and your family... or you just want to figure out whether you should get a dog or not... then this book was written just for you. Comes with eBook and professional mp3 audio recordings included!

You can email me and I'll provide you the link to get the book.

Once you've decided on the type of dog you are getting, I suggest you check your local shelter. There are thousands and thousands of dogs in need of good homes and yes, some are pure breed dogs. It's a misconception that only ""mutts"" can be found in shelters (by the way....some of the best dogs I've owned or simply known, were mutts!)

The name of your local shelter can always be found in your Yellow Pages or online. Or you can simply go to The Humane Society of the United States website. Call your local shelter and ask them to notify you if a specific type or breed of dog comes in. Many are more than happy to keep you on a notify list, but some are not.

Second, I recommend you contact breed rescue organizations. You can Google breed rescue organizations by simply typing in the name of the breed and then the words ""rescue organizations."" These organizations have dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to find homes for purebred dogs and yes, many times THEY DO have puppies.

Finally, if you have not found what you are looking for at a shelter or through a rescue organization, I recommend you find a reputable breeder in your area. How will you know if they are reputable? Do some research and do a little homework. Also, try to visit more than one. Don't just buy the first puppy you see. Here are some helpful hints:

General
Check the Better Business Bureau. It's amazing to me how many people forget to do this! It's free and it takes about two seconds. Do it!

Health
1. Do the puppies look clean and do they appear healthy? - Puppies should be bright eyed, active, playful and have an outward appearance of good health (good skin and coat, no unusual odor, clean ears, etc.)

2. Have the puppies been checked for worms? - The puppy should have been examined for worms and the breeder should present you with proof that it has received at least one vaccination before it goes home with you.

3. Have the parents been x-rayed for hip dysplasia? - This is a genetic disorder that many dogs are prone to. The breeder should know all about hereditary diseases and should breed healthy dogs with good temperaments.



Early Socialization
1. Are the puppies friendly? Do they seem happy to be around you? - Puppies should be outgoing, begging to be picked up, competing for attention, and love being held and played with. A very timid puppy might tug at your heartstrings but chances are it's not in good health.

2. Insist on seeing the mother. Is she friendly and attractive? - At 6 weeks old, the mother should no longer be overprotective of her puppies. Insist on seeing the father. How is he with visitors? DO NOT buy puppies whose parents do not have good temperaments.

3. How old are the puppies? - Puppies should not be removed from their litters before 6 weeks. They need to be around their littermates for at least 6 weeks. Seven or eight weeks are even better. However, there is a limit. A puppy that is kept with its littermates past the age of 10 weeks may have become too dependent on its mother.

4. Has the breeder begun to socialize the puppies? - You can tell if a breeder has given each puppy some individual attention, care, and training. Don't be shy. Ask the breeder about this! Ask him, ""what have you done to begin socializing this puppy?""

The Breeder
1. Is the breeder experienced with the breed? - The breeder should be able to answer any questions about the breed and agree to help you with any problems. After all, this is why you are buying from a breeder and not a pet shop.

2. Has the breeder gone over both the good and bad characteristics of the breed? - Every breed has good points and bad. No breed can be considered ""perfect."" The breeder should be honest with you. Some of the best breeders I know refuse to sell certain breeds to families with small children or owners who live in apartments, etc. It seems harsh and unfair, but actually they are doing you and their puppies a favor. Don't fall for the hard sell. There is no reason you should be pressured in any way. If you feel like you are going through a hard sell, walk away.

3. Has the breeder suggested further obedience training? - Many responsible breeders make this a requirement for the sale. All dogs need training. Don't be put off by this. This means they have the best interest of the dog in mind.

4. Does the breeder offer any kind of ""starter kit""? - The breeder should give you some materials to take home. The ""kit"" will probably include some dog food, instructions on the care and feeding of your pup, a list of necessary supplies to have at home, dog care books, and some information on Veterinarians and dog training schools.

5. How about the paperwork? Is it all in order? - You should receive a contract (signed by both you and the seller), and a pedigree. You should not have to pay extra for the pedigree.

Your Part In All This
1. Are you willing to make a long term commitment to this puppy? - When you purchase a puppy, you are making a very serious, long term commitment to the care, training and love of this dog. This animal will live for a dozen years or more and it is your responsibility to do everything possible to keep it well and happy for its entire life.

Hope you've enjoyed ""Poodles: A Look At The World's Smartest Dog Breed.""

Ellen Weber"

"Why do we have tonsils? Is there a particular function they serve?

Despite high tech medicine, there are still some basic questions about how the human body works that stump the medical profession. And the function of the tonsils is one of them.

When I was in medical school, almost nothing was mentioned about the tonsils. Textbooks devote only a paragraph or two to these organs. So doctors know more about how to remove them than what they do in your body.

Despite not knowing what they do or why our bodies have them, US doctors perform about 650,000 tonsillectomies each year. At around $10,000 per surgery, this means that removing tonsils generates close to $6.5 billion annually. And that's for only one surgical procedure.

Removing the tonsils was at one time the fashion, and was supposed to relieve throat infections, although evidence suggests that there is not a significant enough decrease in throat infections following tonsillectomy to justify widespread use of this procedure. Now, the primary reason for tonsillectomies in children is for sleep apnea and other sleep disorders thought to be caused by enlarged tonsils obstructing the throat and airway.

What do doctors know about the function of the tonsils?

Medicine contends that the tonsils are part of the lymphatic system which helps to fight infections, since the tonsils contain lymphoid tissue that produced white blood cells and antibodies. However, tonsils are not lymph nodes. Lymph nodes have sinuses through which lymph fluid filters. Nothing like that happens with tonsils.

The tonsils are walnut sized glands composed of lymphoid tissue that surrounds several deep crypts, or folds. Lymph does not filter through the tonsils, but saliva filled with bacteria and food does contact the tonsil crypts. Bacteria are known to reside within these folds. As we swallow, food and saliva wash past these folds sending samples of the bacteria in them down our throats.

Medicine claims it has no idea what tonsils are really supposed to be doing in the body, apart from some vague immunity function. Textbooks say the tonsils are the first line of defense against infection, although any pathogen in the tonsils is already in your intestines and/or lungs, so it is hard to understand how this is a first line of defense. The tonsils are also said to trap pathogens in the mouth, although there is no mechanism to describe how tonsils can do this since they are not a filter, as are lymph nodes. In fact, tonsils are accused of spreading bacteria, not trapping it. Research also shows that removal of the tonsils does not seem to increase susceptibility to infection. So the role of tonsils in immunity is unclear.

Strange, isn't it, that medicine can map the human genome, but they can't tell you what the tonsils are for.

Tonsils and Bacteria

I would like to propose a new theory on the function of the tonsils and why we have them. But to understand their purpose in the body, you need to understand bacteria.

Most people realize that we live in a bacterial world. Our skin and mucous membranes are covered with colonies of bacteria. Our intestines are filled with bacteria. Each of us may have over 500 species of bacteria living on and in us.

Some of these bacteria can cause disease when the body is weakened. Other bacteria are helpful, aiding in digestion and fighting off bad bacteria. The emerging field of probiotics recognizes the importance of bacteria to health, and tries to supply needed bacteria to the human body. Lactobacillus acidophilus in yogurt is one example of a beneficial bacteria used to aid digestion.

The study of the interaction between bacteria and their human hosts is a relatively new field, so many links are just being discovered. Studies have already shown that intestinal bacteria can cause weight gain, or weight loss. Bacteria are needed for the production of certain B-vitamins and Vitamin K.

The discovery of the role of the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori in the formation of stomach ulcers and cancer led to antibiotic therapy for these conditions. Now, however, scientists are warning that this bacterium is also beneficial. Maladies such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett's esophagus (an ulcerlike disease in the esophagus), and cancers of the lower esophagus and gastric cardia (upper stomach) have been dramatically and progressively increasing since doctors have been eradicating this bacterium with antibiotics.



H. pylori has also been shown to control the levels of the human hunger-causing hormone ghrelin, produced by the stomach lining. Ghrelin increases appetite for high calorie foods. As a result of antibiotic therapy to kill H. pylori, levels of ghrelin become elevated, increasing hunger and food intake, and resulting in obesity.

It's clear that some bacteria are an important part of our bodies and physiology. We have lived with them since the first humans. And we rely on them for health.

Bacteria and Digestion

One important benefit of bacteria to our health is the service they provide for digestion. Bacteria help us digest things we could not easily digest by ourselves.

Take the case of cows, goats, horses, and other grazing animals. These vegetarians cannot digest the cellulose in the grasses they eat without the help of bacteria. The bacteria breakdown the cellulose into sugar, which the animal can absorb. Without these bacteria, these animals would starve on their vegetarian diets.

So important are these digestive bacteria that these animals have special organs for incubating their bacteria and fermenting their food. Cows, goats, and sheep have a rumen, essentially a large fermentation sac that holds the eaten greens and bacteria. Horses ferment their grass diet in a sac called the ceacum, which is located between the small and large intestine.

Essentially, bacteria are part of these animals. They have special digestive organs that specifically rely on bacteria for digestion. You cannot understand the function of the rumen or ceacum of these animals without understanding the role of bacteria in their process of digestion.

In humans, bacteria also help the digestion of our food. While we make our own digestive enzymes for breaking down starch, proteins, and fats, bacteria in our intestines do their own digestion of our food, adding their digestive products to what we produce. We end up absorbing the products of bacterial digestion as well as the products of our own.

Given the high population of bacteria in our intestines, our bodies have lined the intestines with lymphoid tissue that is part of the immune system. This tissue produces white blood cells which in turn produce various substances, such as antibodies, that control and cultivate our bacteria to keep them from getting out of control.

Essentially, our bodies are part bacteria. We have organs that rely on bacteria, and an immune system with the ability to use and manage bacterial populations.

How do bacteria get into the human digestive system?

One way bacteria get into the human digestive system is with the food itself. Fermented foods, such as yogurt or sauerkraut, have their own bacterial ingredients, and these help in the digestion of these foods. Raw foods in general have more bacterial content, and the enzymes provided by these bacteria aid digestion, which is a main reason why some people are raw foodists. Most people, however, cook their food, killing potentially bad bacteria but also killing beneficial bacteria and their helpful enzymes.

The greatest source of bacteria for our intestines is the mouth. Our mouths are filled with bacteria. Each time we swallow or eat food, oral bacteria are washed down into the stomach. While the stomach has an acidic environment that kills some bacteria, many get through the stomach and into the intestines.

Mouth bacteria are everywhere - around the gums, on the tongue, and in the tonsils.

""Stones"" or ""kernels""?

Many people have ""stones"" in their tonsil crypts, also called tonsilloliths. These whitish plugs are sometimes a cause of annoyance and they can be expressed from the tonsils by gently pressing. The ""stone"" is composed of bacteria, calcium, and cell debris, and is reminiscent of kefir kernels which are used to develop bacterial cultures. Perhaps these tonsil stones are also for developing bacterial cultures.

Of course, the tonsils are exposed to food as well as bacteria. These get caught up in the tonsil crypts. The crypts would allow certain bacteria to flourish in response to this food. Each time we swallow, the bacteria in these crypts essentially seeds the digestive tract.

It seems, then, that the function of the tonsils is as incubators for intestinal bacteria. The crypts are there to create an environment where our food meets our bacteria. Lymphoid tissue surrounding the crypts help cultivate the correct bacterial balance for our diet.

The tonsils, then, seem to be digestive organs. Their function is to manage the microflora of our digestive system.

If you eat lots of dairy products, for example, the milk in your throat coats the tonsils and lets milk-eating bacteria flourish there. These bacteria can then inoculate your intestines to aid in digestion.

Of course, this may be only one of several other functions of the tonsils in the control of bacteria. But the fact that there are crypts or pockets in this organ which hold food and bacteria suggests that this organ is involved in bacterial homeostasis. Its location at the back of the throat and in close contact with food suggests its digestive function.

If true, then this means any change to our oral environment may impact on our tonsil bacteria. Alcohol, sugar, smoking, dehydration, and taking drugs may alter the bacterial community in the tonsils and impact on digestion. It could lead to derangement of the bacterial microecosystem within the tonsils. This may cause digestive problems such as bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, food sensitivities, and more.

If the bacteria within the tonsils gets out of hand, the tonsils swell as white blood cells are activated to manage the bacterial community. We have all experienced swollen tonsils. It is usually caused by bad bacteria taking over the tonsil crypts.

This is when medicine comes into the picture. Doctors recognize that tonsils get infected and can spread infection as you swallow, continually seeding your intestines with these bad bacteria. This can cause trouble swallowing and breathing, so the doctors often suggest tonsillectomy, about 650,000 times each year.

What happens if you remove the tonsils?

One disturbing outcome of tonsillectomy is excessive weight gain. Childhood obesity is a real problem and could be related to tonsillectomies. However, the medical community does not want to acknowledge the link, since they see no mechanism for the connection.

How would removal of the tonsils cause obesity? If you think of the tonsils as only lymphoid organs with no known function apart from some uncertain immune function, as medicine currently does, then this question is a mystery. However, when you think of the tonsils as digestive organs, it makes sense.

If the purpose of the tonsils is to help seed the digestive system with helpful bacteria that aid digestion, then loss of these bacterial enzymes means less efficient digestion. Certain deficiencies may result from the lack of bacterial enzymes, causing the tonsillectomized person to eat more to get needed nutrition. Eating a 'normal' quantity may not be enough to provide all the needed nutrition, although it still may provide lots of available calories. To get the nutrition needed, excess food is consumed producing excess glucose absorption and resulting fat deposits.

On the other hand, lack of certain bacteria may make calories less available, leading to weight loss.

We rely on bacteria for digestion, and on the tonsils to cultivate the right bacteria. Without tonsils the bacterial flora of the gut will be less controlled, and you might not have the correct bacteria for your digestive needs, leading to all sorts of problems.

This may also explain some food allergies. Food allergies usually result when foreign proteins are not completely digested into their component amino acids. Amino acids do not typically cause allergies, but proteins and protein fragments can be powerful antigens leading to allergies. Without the aid of bacterial digestive enzymes, there is a greater chance that these proteins will not be fully digested, increasing the chances of allergic reactions.

If removing the tonsils can lead to excessive weight gain, then what happens when you give people antibiotics? Shouldn't antibiotics kill at least some of the bacteria within the tonsils? Shouldn't this have a similar outcome as tonsil removal?

Actually, antibiotics also cause weight gain.

Why has the field of medicine failed to recognize this function of the tonsils?

Modern medicine has gained its power with the development of antibiotics. Bacterial diseases can kill, and antibiotics have saved lives. The prejudice against bacteria has permeated the medical and popular culture, resulting in antiseptic hand washes, mouthwashes, and an over sanitized world. You can't expect an industry that discovered antibiotics to easily embrace bacteria as important to health. As a result, the tonsils are seen as a ""first line of defense"" against invading germs and nothing more. Once these bad germs get hold of the tonsils, they should be removed, they assert. It never occurred to them that the tonsils also hold good germs. To the antibiotic addicted medical model, there are no good germs.



There is a basic flaw in modern medical reasoning. Modern medicine considers some parts of the human body as unnecessary. Doctors are not trained to think that there is a reason for everything in our bodies. However, our bodies were designed by nature (or God) to work a certain way, even if we cannot currently understand that design. Crypts in tonsils collect bacteria for a purpose, even if our current science cannot fathom that purpose. Any doctor that removes the tonsils or the appendix or any other part of the body because, they assert, it has no purpose is only slightly less a fool than the person faithfully following their prescription.

This does not mean that tonsils should never be removed. There may be cases when this is necessary. But the cause of the tonsil problem needs to be addressed. Why would these bacteria-managing organs lose control over their bacteria?

The Causes of Tonsil Problems

Perhaps the greatest cause of tonsil problems is the overuse of antibiotics. We know that antibiotics can cause diarrhea as it disturbs our intestinal bacterial community. Antibiotics will also disturb our tonsil bacterial community. Eating foods with beneficial bacteria, such as yogurt, is often recommended after antibiotic use to reseed the intestines with these beneficial species. People who still have their tonsils may recolonize their tonsils with these good bacteria. Those without tonsils may need to continually reintroduce good bacteria with their food.

Another problem may be the use of alcohol, both as a beverage and as a mouthwash. Alcohol will disturb our tonsils, irritating the mucous membrane and altering the microfloral composition. Smoking may also be a problem. Nicotine has been shown to affect a broad spectrum of bacteria in the mouth, suppressing some bacterial species and stimulating others.

Realizing that the tonsils are digestive organs may open up a new field of medicine where we can clean and reseed tonsils with the proper bacterial community for our dietary and health needs.

What About the Appendix?

Of course, this raises a question about another organ that medicine says we don't need - the appendix. This organ, like the tonsils, holds bacteria. It is at the mouth of the large intestines, or colon. Could the appendix be seeding the colon with beneficial bacteria for colonic digestion? After all, the colon is where vitamin B-12 is activated by bacteria. Could the appendix be the tonsils of the colon?

Don't expect an answer from the medical community. There are nearly 300,000 appendectomies performed in the US each year.

Could a tonsillectomy lead to obesity?

By the time a surgeon sees an appendix or tonsil, it is usually when the organ is inflamed with disease. Perhaps in some situations the removal of these organs is appropriate and necessary.

However, before you can make that decision, you need to know what the tonsils and appendix normally do and what you might be missing without them.

Our culture is facing an epidemic of obesity. If tonsils are indeed important managers of the body's intestinal bacterial communities, then loss of tonsils may be an important factor for creating obesity and other intestinal and colonic diseases.

Gas, indigestion, irritable bowels, food cravings, diarrhea, food allergies. The list of possible negative impacts of tonsillectomy will likely grow as knowledge of the role of bacteria in maintaining health grows.

In the meantime, if your doctor tells you to remove part of your body because he doesn't know what it's for, then find another doctor."

Virus-free. www.avast.com

 

Strawberry spinach salad with almonds and chevre

Women are suckers for salads. They’re healthy and colorful -- two things that chicks love. And even better, salad can work as an appetizer or an entrée; just add some grilled chicken to make it a meal.

Ingredients

• 3 hefty handfuls of fresh, baby spinach, washed and dried
• 8-12 strawberries, washed and sliced
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• 4 oz package fresh chevre (goat cheese)
• ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing (Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing is a good choice here)

Directions: Put the spinach in a large bowl and top with the strawberries, almonds and crumbled chevre. Add the dressing and toss before serving. That's all!

Bonus tip: To make it seem like you made the dressing from scratch (major bonus points), dump a quarter cup of the dressing into a small dish (hide the bottle in the fridge) and toss the dressing into the salad in front of her. That way she also gets to see the cook in action.

Wine pairing: Chardonnay, Zinfandel

Chocolate fondue

Fondue is one of the few desserts that won’t make women feel guilty. All that fruit seems to cancel out the chocolate. Plus feeding each other can lead to other things.

Ingredients

• 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¼  cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp Amaretto liqueur (optional)
• Recommended fruits for dipping: strawberries, melon, grapes, bananas, kiwis, pears
  

Directions: Heat two to four cups of water over medium heat in a large pot. Set the fondue pot inside the larger pot of hot water. Then, add the chocolate chips to the fondue pot and stir until the chocolate is melted. Be very careful though, chocolate burns very easily so you'll need to keep a close eye on the pot. Next, stir in the cream and the liqueur until the chocolate is smooth. Reduce the heat until the mixture simmers, and leave until you are ready to serve.

Arrange the dipping items on a plate or platter -- you can even include pound cake chunks, brownie squares and marshmallows to the fruit mixture.

Bonus tip: To prevent apple wedges and banana chunks from turning brown, pre-mix the wedges with a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Wine pairing: Merlot, Port, Champagne

woo her with food

To truly woo a woman with food, you just have to make it. Yes, presentation is also very important -- make sure your cutlery is clean, your plates aren’t chipped and the food isn’t burnt. But it doesn’t have to be perfect. She’ll give you an "A" just for making the effort. << Previous Page

 

to really impress your date, don’t make a reservation, make a meal. Women melt when men cook for them. They think it’s sweet and sensitive… and sexy. But what if you don’t fancy yourself a chef? No sweat. Even if you don’t know the difference between basting and blanching, there are plenty of no-sweat dishes that will fool her into thinking you know your way around the kitchen. And a man who knows his way around the kitchen obviously knows his way around the bedroom.

Try any of these four seduction meals and watch her swoon over the meal, and you.

Baked brie drizzled with honey and topped with
candied pecans

There is nothing complicated about this three-ingredient recipe, but what it lacks in difficulty, it more than makes up for in taste. It’s ooey, gooey good and impressive to look at. And best of all, you can cook it in your microwave.

Ingredients

• 1 small wedge of brie (approximately 4 oz)
• A drizzle of honey
• A handful of candied pecans
  

Directions: Remove cheese rind with either a knife or a piece of dental floss -- just hold the floss between your fingers the same way you would if you were flossing your teeth and slowly work your way around the cheese. Place the cheese in a medium-sized, microwave-safe dish. Cook the cheese on high for one to two minutes, until the brie is melted, but not bubbling -- so keep an eye on it. Remove the brie from the microwave and drizzle with honey, then sprinkle with candied pecans.

Serve warm with sliced baguette, apple wedges and seedless grapes.

Bonus tip: Rather than smashing your bread into the brie, swipe it on with a cheese knife. Don’t have a proper cheese knife? A small spoon will do.

Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel

Chicken parmesan

This Italian favorite may require a bit more prep time, but the finished product is well worth it. And best of all, it’s practically fool-proof.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 container Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce
• 4 slices mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese to taste
  

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350F. After cutting off any excess fat, cut the chicken in half, horizontally. Place the meat between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound with a flat mallet until it is a quarter to half an inch thick. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Spread the bread crumbs on a large flat plate. First, dip the chicken into the egg mixture until it is completely coated (let the excess drip off), then coat the cutlets in bread crumbs -- push one side down firmly, flip over and do the same thing on the other side.

Once all four chicken breasts are coated, heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and brown the chicken on both sides (about two minutes per side). Next, place the chicken in a medium-sized baking dish and top with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish with a lid or tin foil. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the cover, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Finally, bake the chicken, uncovered, for and additional three to five minutes, or until the cheese bubbles. Serve with garlic bread and Caesar salad.

Bonus Tip: If you don’t have a mallet, the flat bottom of an empty wine bottle works just as well to flatten chicken.

Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel

These four seduction meals are sure to make her melt... Next Page >>