Going to the heart of the matter

There is nothing that can replace intimacy between a couple who has been in love for years. Intimacy is not the same as sex although it is a combination of understanding and love. When you have understanding and compassion, when you love a person and feel and want the best for them, and are used to your quiet moments where it is just the two of you, there is a lot one can do if one is genuinely concerned. Sex is not only about the body; it is to a large extent, the brain, intimate conversation, a loving touch, and yes, doing what you can to bring your partner to a climax.

The brain is the real sex organ. It is where lovemaking begins, in the head. You do not suddenly stop loving someone because he or she has had an accident – unless you had no intention of having a lasting relationship. Here are some things you can do.

·                    Always smell nice. Don’t stop wearing your favorite perfume. Be fresh and squeaky clean even though you are in bed.

·                    Wear nice clothes in the house and get rid of that old cardigan that you wear when you feel sorry for yourself.

·                    If you are a kisser, this is the time to get creative. You know what your partner wants.

·                    Play your favorite music and go down memory lane.

·                    Hold hands whenever you can to let your partner know that things have not changed.

·                    Tell him you love him when he least expects it.

·                    If you are ill, but still able to walk, do as much as you can in the house.

·                    Discuss the possibility of trying new techniques you are comfortable with.

http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com

“http://expertscolumn.com“

Taj Mahal, India

Don’t get me wrong, I have no objection at all to us helping out other countries, even though we’re in pretty dire straits ourselves here in the UK.  The thing that gets my goat is the fact that India have said they don’t want the money but the UK have insisted they take it!

The good, honest people of India, instead of grasping it with both hands, actually turned down the offer that had been foisted upon them and India’s finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee even went so far as to say it was “a peanut” that wasn’t needed as India’s economy was growing with some speed and would, in all likelihood, overtake our own in the not too distant future. 

Pranab Mukherjee

There are people here desperately trying to make ends meet; homes are being repossessed, our public services and our forces are being cut back, our government benefits are being “trimmed” which means that the less well off members of our society are suffering which, in turn, affects the disabled, lesser paid adults, particularly those with families to support, and the elderly. 

It’s also been revealed that this year we’ve set aside a budget of £8.1 billion for foreign aid in general and this is due to rise to an incredible £11.5 billion in 2015.  We’ve always been inclined to help out other countries in their hour of need but, with our coffers almost down to rock bottom, it’s utterly ludicrous to give part of this budget to a country that’s already said it doesn’t need it, thanks very much.

As you can imagine, the revelation has upset numerous MPs and, of course, us hard strapped tax payers.

By all accounts, the Indian economy is growing by 10% a year and, within the next 10 years will overtake that of the UK.  In fact, India has set up its own aid budget to help out struggling countries so presumably in a couple of years time India will be helping to dig the UK out of a financial hole!

The International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, has said, in defence of the “donation” to India  “there are states the size of Britain where half the children suffer from malnutrition”.  That may well be true, but if the Indian government have stated they now have plenty of money in their bank vaults I’m assuming some of this will eventually find its way to support lesser well off people.  If that isn’t the case, then rather than pump more money into an obviously financially stable government, wouldn’t it be more sensible to filter some of the money through to charities such as the Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children, Age Concern, etc etc so that they can actually get the money direct to those people that need it most?

A seeing eye dog leading a blind man in a mall. (Wikipedia image)

Heather Maloney of Taunton, Massachusetts, is legally blind due to retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive disease of the retina. She and her guide dog were refused entry at an Eyebrow Threading & Henna Tattoo shop because the owner has harbored a fear of dogs since childhood. Maloney is a regular customer at the shop, but when she showed up there one day with her 2-year-old female German Shepherd, the shopkeeper said she would be allowed in only if she left her dog outside.

The shopkeeper says her fear of dogs stems from her having witnessed a relative in her native country undergo painful treatment for rabies after the relative was attacked by a dog.

A policeman who was called to investigate the incident informed the shop owner that she was liable for breaking the laws governing guide dogs and their masters, and that she may face civil action.

Maloney refused to leave her dog outside the shop, and to ease her frustration went to another store, a pastry shop, at Hart’s Four Corners. According to her, the store employees did not seem to mind, but when she paid for her order, the cashier told her to leave her dog outside next time.

The tattoo shop owner, as well as the Dunkin’ Donuts staff, apparently could not see the guide dog in the same light as even the legally blind Maloney could, and so the dog’s trainer, Mary Chapell, filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) in New Bedford against the tattoo shop owner.

Dunkin’ Donuts corporate officials issued a statement that customers with guide dogs are always welcome at all their branches which are independently owned and operated franchises, and that their franchisees are expected to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Chapell, a guide dog trainer for the non-profit Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, had spent two weeks in Taunton with Maloney teaching her to handle her dog. Chapell says that regardless of how businesses feel towards guide dogs, their refusal to allow them on their premises goes directly against state and federal law.

The law is on her side, so Maloney can reasonably expect to find justice in her case. If legal knowledge is lacking, business owners would benefit themselves as well as their customers by studying about the laws that pertain, to avoid similar problems in the future. It is one thing to be legally blind, and it is another to be blind to the legalities. 

Post courtesy of Atty. Monica Risam Nicklin

England was never as secular as it is now. The last Labour government undermined the old value system based on Christian Ethics and replaced it with one which tried to include all ethical systems. Now our young people growing up have no ethics at all. The push for diversity and inclusion has led to a form of idiocy. The well-meaning idiots who espouse this folly take it to mean that every religion and belief is allowed to express itself except the Christian one.

Larger organisations have Equality and Diversity departments. The people who work in them have mostly limited educational qualifications and this has led to them buying in learning material and training. Ultimately we now have a generation who only know how to deal with their fellow human beings by reading from a list of do’s and don’ts. There is no inner motivation only the motivation of external approval. If external approval or disapproval is not present the people we are left with are only shells.

You can see this in just two behaviours now sadly commonplace in English streets. Slow moving funeral cars on the way to cemetery or crematorium are abused by drivers, and even overtaken aggressively. Disabled people get verbally abused for holding others up.

To mention God in England is to be mocked if you are a Christian – any other religion can use the word God and not be mocked because people are terrified of somehow being informed upon by the self- appointed Equality and Diversity police. In America to be godless is frowned upon. In England being godless is a virtue.

In England if you comment publicly that you don’t think the word ‘marriage’ is the correct term for same sex civil partnerships you get demoted and your salary reduced. This is an actual case where a guy with a Christian faith and a manager for a Housing Association was demoted and had his salary reduced by £12000 all because he fell foul of his employers Equality and Diversity department – you know the people who read from a list. Free speech is obviously not on that list. What does it say for England where opinions about semantics and the appropriateness of a word extant for hundreds of years in a given context gets you punished – it’s rather scary! I recently wrote a piece on the effects of the last Labour Government on British Society to be found here. http://socyberty.com/history/a-social-history-of-britain-under-new-labour/

I am going to start a series of short essays on Christianity – the first on why I think there is no logical or scientific reason for not believing in God.

At first glance inside a Walmart store, one is likely to see an old, disabled person looking angry by the carts. There are two ways most people look at this phenomena. The first, and the most naive, is the theory that Walmart is just being nice in hiring such unskilled labor. The second of these, which is also wrong, is the theory that Walmart is just being cheap, as they can hire old greeters for much cheaper than the alternate variety. Both of these ideas are completely wrong.

Walmart does not hire ugly greeters just to be nice.

When Walmart hires greeters, they are not in it to give people money just because they are in need. There is always an alternate reason to what they do, and it almost always deals with money. Walmart doesn’t keep their prices insanely low by wasting money on things like employees and cleanliness. Instead, they only hire the people who are absolutely willing to be paid an incredibly low amount, and they wouldn’t hire greeters if there weren’t an alternate motive.

Image via Wikipedia

In the above image, you can see a classic example of an overcrowded cart return area probably caused by the underpaid workers being too overwhelmed by their duties, which proves that Walmart is hiring only the cheapest employees possible.

Walmart is not just being cheap in hiring old or disabled greeters.

While Walmart is a cheap company, we must realize that cheap greeters aren’t absolutely necessary. In fact, greeters at Walmart are often unfriendly and do not make people feel at home; treating them with stares instead of handshakes. For this reason, a conclusion must be met that Walmart could care less about the customers’ first impressions, as long as they make purchases. So why are they wasting money on greeters who aren’t fulfilling a positive purpose?

Walmart is only in it to protect from theivery.

This greeter title might as well not exist, because their purpose has nothing to do with greeting. These ugly, disabled greeters will not be able to stop theivery, but they will be very useful in court. If Walmart is having a lawsuit against a person for theivery, it will be a lot easier to say that they were using proper safety methods but the theif got through anyways. Otherwise, a good lawyer could insinuate that the loss of product was Walmart’s fault because they were not watching the door. Walmart simply can not risk this with the vast amount of people out their willing to steal from them.

Agree with me? Disagree? Give your opinion in the comments.

Social Security is the insurance that when you are old, and not moving like you used to, it will provide you with some form of financial assistance. Controversy continues to surround this “must have” for the elderly and disabled.  However, the US would be a sad place to live if not for this system of financial relief that accumulates while you are able to contribute to the work force.

Is it a “dead horse” idea from the past with no practical means of sustaining itself on into the future? No, Not hardly!  Are there improvements that can be made to make the system less burdensome, and more efficient? Of Course.

One of the main stumbling blocks, in the Social Security debate is that the business community finds the tax deduction and its accounting to be burdensome.  And of course, the Republican Party as always is working to appease the business community, especially BIG business. 

The fact is, if not for fiscal manipulations undertaken by the Republicans during the Reagan administration, (around 1985) in which they redeemed Social Security Trust Fund securities earlier than expected, the status of Social Security would be one of solvency.  The truth is that there is NO Social Security Trust Fund, filled with money waiting to be withdrawn.  Instead there is $2.6 Trillion in IOU’s that would have to be redeemed by the Treasury Department by issuing regular Treasury notes. 

The monthly bill for Social Security benefits is about $49.2 Billion.  Hints by politicians that the money is not there to pay the benefits due is simply not true. However, Congress’s desire to “tap into” funds that have been paid over the years by the American workforce is simply wrong.  By all estimates Social Security will remain solvent and dishing out the cash well into 2037.  That is a Trust Fund which must remain beyond the petty differences of the men and women in Washington.

It is a national embarrassment that the United States does not have a National Health service which protects every man, woman and child from ever worrying about medical care.  Add to that any elimination or tampering with the financial security of the American workforce would be a catastrophic mistake in American politics.  

The Republican Party should make themselves aware of the fact that the “Rich get Richer” and the”Poor get Poorer” and that is happening in the United States today. No one begrudges any inventive entrepreneur his new found riches when he invents the better “mousetrap”. However, history has taught us that when a very small group controls the riches of a society, while the rest of society struggles to maintain a living, something is bound to happen. 

There obviously are ways to control such a situation, but to date Congress cannot agree on the right path to take. Moving the active retirement age back a few years; increasing the percentage deducted from payroll checks; reducing the amount of the annual cost of living increase; and the inclusion of all new state and federal employees to the process will aid to SS future solvency.

The truth is, that the American voter, YOU, have to get involved in this process.  You elect a congressman from your Congressional District who is supposed to represent your interest.  They are NOT elected to secure their financial futures, and to increase their notoriety, and political potency.  They are elected to REPRESENT you and your interests, and it is way past time that YOU the voter demand the same. 

When Congress interferes with your future, the future of your children and grandchildren, it is past time for action.  Social Security is a fund, an entitlement that should. now and forever into the future be beyond the grasp or influence of Congress.  WAKE UP America and listen to the facts, and forget about political labels and conjecture.  Do what is right for you and yours, and vote for those who feel the same way!  But then, I forget “You Can’t Take the Truth!”

The hand movements seemed so strange, like a musical dance
I would get up from where I was sitting and smile
My legs would start to prance
But I did not know how upset mum and dad were all the while

Sometime later they figured out I couldn’t speak properly because I was dumb
Sometime later they figured out I couldn’t understand because I was deaf
But they couldn’t hurt me like that; my feelings were still not numb
I was still human, ready to survive in this world alone
Started to go to a special school
Tried to comprehend what everyone was trying to say
No one understood, for them I was a fool
I needed a way to convey

I was smart and I knew that, I just needed someone to encourage
All I needed was someone who’d believe I was no lesser than anyone
All everyone did was discourage
I felt like I was in prison, not allowed to have any fun

But then I met josh, who showed me light
I could speak out my feelings without using a word
I started to dream and not only in the night
I felt I could fly like a bird

He would be so nice to me and helped me to live
He was a teacher, a guide and my best friend
There was so much he would give
He made me smile so often and was there till the end

But then he left this world and I felt like I had nothing to hold
I had nothing left but hope
He left me without any light, in the cold
I thought I wouldn’t be able to cope

But I had to carry on
From where I had left
There was a reason I was born
And that was to prove myself

And so here i am today, speaking to all of you
Not with words but actions, all of them which are true
I’ve graduated with a master degree
And i’m so glad I didn’t change, I’m proud to be me”

a little poem i wrote for a childrens museum i visited recently. to see the deaf, dumb and blind kids literally brought tears to my eyes and it hurt that in the country i live, the government has no facility to cater to these special kids. n wow they are so talented!! the blind kids had the most beautiful melodious voice i’ve ever heard! the deaf and dumb had the most amazing art skills and were so creative! they need encouragement. thats all they need!! they’ve all already proven that they can do anything!! soon, i’ll be putting up a petetion and i would love it if my friends would sign it. the government has already signed a convention now they just need to ratify it and pass a law! i need ur signatures to help those kids in need! thankyou.

 No one takes your side, a boat against the tide,

When your faith is shaken, you start to break and your heart can’t find the words,

Tossed upon the sands, I give you a man against the world”

(Survivor’s Man Against the WorldL

June 16, 2011. It’s the 200th day to the minute that this teacher has been a man against the world, stripped of most things important to him because of a principal who despised him for his medical disability, his intelligence, and the love students at his urban K-9 kids had for him.

An unforeseen personal accident after classes had been released for the day, witnessed by no student, subsequently investigated and ruled to be an accident, served to unleash only more wrath in his principal, a woman whose credentials for the position she held had as much to do with education and compassion as benevolence does sloth and meanness.

But on Nov. 29, 2010, the district of Paterson, NJ, despite an investigation and its former ruling of an accident considered to be “over” in early October, decided otherwise and became the only barrier he couldn’t overcome. Thus, he has been forced to take legal action, against the principal and the very school district that stood proud when two newspapers profiled his plight and highlighted how his children, precious six, seven, eight and nine year olds protected him.

Each day they helped him get to and from his van to the classroom. They helped keep his classroom clean. They stood by and provided the spiritual shoulders God asked them to be when broken elevators required that he crawl up and down the steps to get to and from his classroom for more than six weeks last May and June. Staying home from his beloved students was not an option, despite contrary “advice” from well-meaning colleagues.

From 2007 through the first half of 2009, under a cooperative administration, he was labeled “courageous” for overcoming a physical disability to teach his children while providing love, discipline, guidance and nurturing to students he often lack these things.  Today, he is considered a contaminant by his principal.

He loves having the most important construction job in the world: creating the next skyline in the forms of beautiful, smiling, bright children whom society has labeled ghetto losers and affixed that label across their foreheads. Instead, he sees beautiful brownstones, glorious townhouses and wondrous duplexes inside these children.

 But on Nov. 29, 2010, the district of Paterson, NJ, with not a hint of stench in this man’s performance record, decided to carry humiliation to new levels, ignoring the clarion portraits of love exchanged between this 54-year-old teacher and his students, whether they were in his immediate class or not, and forcing him to take an “administrative leave” so as to allow for an   “investigation” already conducted. In educational parlance, an “administrative leave” is an abyss usually reserved for teachers who may well have been charged with wrongdoing. However, many times the person on “leave:” had done nothing wrong except being disliked by his or her principal. Yet, he’s yet to see the charges, if any, against him, despite the district apparently resorting to tactics like dragging scared children into the principal’s office to answer questions about why they help the teacher and how they help him. By the way, several parents complained that there children were interrogated without their permission, the same permission they had given their children to help him any time.

The only thing this teacher did wrong was trust in the good of his colleagues, friends and the parents of those for whom he cared. He had the arrogance and perhaps innocence to believe that they’d not allow apathy, or their fears and/or dislike of bureaucracy and politics to override their sense of justice as it came to his situation. He believed their promise that they would always have his back (whenever his principal abused him by illegally stripping him of simple helpful accommodations} and would speak out in his behalf.  Moreover, he trusted a justice system that seems less interested in providing him justice and appears to bend in the direction of the school’s lawyers, although in a pretrial motion to show cause held in February the judge said acknowledged the teacher’s devotion and service to the children and said “the only ones who lose here are the students.”

   Yet he too failed to grant the motion at that point apparently because of jurisdictional questions and the district’s pleading for more time to continue its “investigation.”  Now remember, the teacher had been exonerated of any wrongdoing and continued to teach for two months-plus after the accident, although the district’s lawyer glibly announced to the judge “there’s no proof he taught for two-and-a-half minutes.”

   Thus for reasons ranging from the absurd to downright maliciousness, November 29 turned into January 29, March 29, May 29 and soon June 29. And there is a whopper of a lie the district has hung its hat on (it has nothing to do with any illegal or immoral acts, but instead hygienic}. The claim is bogus and calls for fictional thought deep in the bowels of evil.

   Lastly, the teacher respects his lawyer, but like so many other things in this world, the quality of legal assistance one receives is tightly entwined and wrapped in green. Money rules. In trying to help provide for his 72 year old mother’s golden years, helping to carry the burden of a mortgage, medical expenses, and helping relatives who, for various reasons, contribute nothing but talk and appetites at the dinner table, his financial funds are limited.

 “All the people cheer, ‘til the end is near,

And the hero takes a fall,

They will drag you through the mud,

 You’re only flesh and blood,

Now I cross the path,  from dark to light and have yet to come to terms,

Alone I take a stand; I’m only a man against the world”

So on Day 200 of his forced exile from his classroom, this 54-year-old teacher continues to be, with the exception of his mom, brother, a couple of wonderful family friends and one hell of a great doctor, a man against the world.

His mom deals with her own health issues which add extra weight and numbers to the tears he cries every day during prayers. He’d rather disappear than put her through this. She deserves better, having battled a violently abusive husband in her personal life, as well as male chauvinist pigs who had real problems accepting a female in her position of Chief Labor Negotiator in her career. She refused to lower her standards to get ahead and in doing so, made herself a hero to her son who, as a child, quietly dealt with the home violence by rocking himself to sleep under the covers, something he sometimes does today, when stressed.  At age 54, it is still very difficult for him to handle intolerable pain. He relates to the Michael Oher character in “The Blind Side,” however, and considers that he is Ferdinand the Bull.

The teacher, whose heart is aching, is following his lawyer’s advice to ignore his kids’ telephone calls to him despite the fact that their parents want him to keep in touch with their kids. It hurts. It’s not fair. It’s confusing, particularly to the kids.

To say he’s lost is like saying skunks stink.  He will do what he’s told to do, but he doesn’t smile anymore. He rarely laughs, and frequently, tearfully rocks himself to sleep some nights. So tonight marks the 200th anniversary day of a most unjust action, and one he will never understand. He will continue to ask God to forgive him for being the bad person he must be for having this happen. In his heart he will continue to beg his kids’ forgiveness for failing them. 

I give you a man, against the world.”

God Bless the Children Who Believe in Him And the mother who protects him like a bear over her cubs;

And the special doctor who won’t let what fire is left in his flame burn out.

It’s late. Time to start rocking himself to sleep.

This article is dedicated to a close and dear friend of mine who suffers with the same pain as me.

The red LED display blinks on the bedside table and the alarm goes off its 5.45 am. My Fiancée gets dressed to go to work; her bus is due at 6.50 am I used to car share with my partner but I can no longer drive in traffic and can’t afford to put our Ford back on the road. At 6.30 am my partner kisses me goodbye and walks the mile to the bus station. My partner tells me to not get up too early as I will make a longer day for myself.

As the back door shuts I remember I hadn’t asked my partner to put on my socks. This may seem trivial to you but for me it’s a nightmare! I try to sleep again but my operation scars are still healing and won’t let me sleep on my side, I hate sleeping on my back. I get out of bed at 7.55 am as soon as I stand up a shooting pain hits my back and I cry out in pain. My pain killers are downstairs. I wash with great difficulty and return to the bedroom.

I put on my underpants then the moment I have feared arrives; I have to put on my socks. I bend down and the back pain increases and I scream! I manage to get a sock on but my new Titanium hips feel like their about to burst through my skin! I say to myself out loud.

“Why oh why did I forget to ask her to put my socks on!”

It takes me 15 attempts and my socks are now on. My back feels like its on fire. I get downstairs holding onto the banisters that the Hospital support staff installed for me whilst I was in hospital for 8 days last year. My two cats are hungry I have to bend down to feed them and open the metal cans of food. I scream out again and my left leg goes numb, I have no feeling in it at all. My spinal cord is trapped and it stops electrical impulses to my legs, it can be the right leg or left leg I’m at its mercy.

I get to the dining table and take my 8 pills in the morning and this is repeated 3 times a day. Tramadol combined with Naprosyn and Paracetomol helps with the pain and I can sit down. These drugs make me very groggy and my coordination is awful I spill some pills on the floor and I pick them up with the aid of a ‘Grab stick’ also supplied by the hospital.

I want to write for Triond I need to write for Triond it is my focus and although the rewards are pitiful I treat it the same as a real job. I try to think of an idea and then I remembered I put an idea in my mobile phone under notes. I begin to write and after 20 to 30 minutes my back pain is unbearable I have to stand up. I struggle to put on my trainers but I must go for a walk I’m under orders to walk by the Physiotherapists. My 2 cats follow me down the road. People stop and stare and ask.

“How have you trained your cats to follow you like dogs?”

I reply,

“You can’t train cats I spend so much time with them they follow me everywhere. One of the cats sits by me and watches me type for hours!”

The lady smiles and walks on this will be my only conversation until 7.00 pm. I keep tripping as I can’t feel my left leg but I carry on. I come home and begin typing again for today’s short story. Once again after 30 minutes I’m in agony with my back and I stand up and make a cup of tea. I set an alarm on my phone for 11.00 am I have to do regular stretching exercises. I complete my 40 reps of stretching and sit down.

The story is shaping up nicely and I proud of it. Its now 12.30 pm its lunchtime. I microwave a can of soup and take it to the dining table I forget the bowl is hot and I burn my fingers. After lunch I submit my story to Triond it is published in 2 minutes. I then network the story over 5 different web sites. I then go for walk No2 it’s the same route and the cats go with me. I feel like I’m in a dream or purgatory or at very best the film ‘The Truman Show’ except this is no fictional reality show its my life!

Its now 2.00 pm I take 8 more pills with a glass of water. I worry that this amount of drugs will tear out my stomach lining and destroy my liver. I look at the letter from the hospital that says my blood tests revealed a problem with my liver function great! that’s all I need. I try to put a DVD on to pass some time but I can’t bend down low enough to reach the DVD player I punch the wall in frustration and sit down defeated.

The alarm goes on my mobile phone its 4.00 pm time for my walk. I hope I bump into someone, anyone! The road is deserted everyone is at work or school. My left leg is ok now its time for my right leg to go numb which it does as regular as clock work. I go online and check the comments on my latest short story. The comments are encouraging it’s the first piece of good news all day.

Its 6.00 pm my partner has text to say she has left work and is on the bus home. I feel guilty I should be the one working not the other way round but I can’t work I’m registered disabled. I take my special chair into the kitchen and do what I can to help prepare the evening meal I can’t stand for long enough to peel the potatoes so I sit down and reach up to the work surface its difficult and painful.

Its now 7.00 pm my Fiancée comes home and finishes off the meal she asks me a normal question,

“So how was your day? Did you write?”

I want to shout out,

“My days are all the bloody same; I can’t even tell you what day of the week its is or even what bloody month!”

However I don’t its no ones fault that I’m disabled its just life, bad luck floats around and it has to land somewhere so I reply,

“It was ok Triond published my article I have 34 hits so far and some nice comments”

Now she is home she puts on the DVD I wanted to watch as she goes for her shower. When she comes down she asks.

“Have those bastards on the Triond Forum left you alone yet?”

I reply,

“No they have now taken to calling me ’Lord Wanks’ and putting words in my mouth as regards slagging off fellow writers”

 She says.

“Ignore them they are retards and cruel retards”

You may think is there a point to this article what does he want sympathy or something? The answer to that question is no definitely not! I just want you to appreciate if you’re fit and healthy to think of others who are far worse off than me. Please just speak to someone who is disabled their more than likely lonely don’t turn your head away in embarrassment. I can guarantee you their not embarrassed!

Open a door for them. Offer to pick up something from a high or low shelf in a shop? Because someone is disabled it doesn’t mean they are from Mars! They wont bite you! They are just people like you, only they are disabled its not infectious! Just treat these people with respect and don’t ignore them

Lord Banks

Mostly, I get tempted by the $2.2million prize money, but the odds of winning are 1 to 3,200,000. You probably can get struck by lighting (1 to 6250 in USA) before you win any of the top three prizes ever.  Yet, there are always winners, their stories get published in the local newspapers all the time.

Imagine the amount of passive income that can be generated with $2.2m, with careful planning you probably need not worry about financial needs anymore. You can wide off your loans, mortgage obligation in an instant. I cannot deny that such a prospect is extremely tempting, it is the unparalleled lure of both hope and greed.

The hope of getting out of the unending financial rat race and the greed of rolling around on money….naked. Yet, this is only based on the view of the lottery buyer, what about the sellers?

The biggest operator in the gambling industry in Singapore or where the lottery tickets come from, is the Singapore Pools. Most of the proceeds ends up in the Tote broad where it eventually gets distributed to various charities. Now this is what I call hope for the needy. 

You cannot expect the cynics to donate anything, I usually get some rather crude jokes, if I mention that I donate regularly. I think that Singapore Pools is a unique tool that utilises greed to transfer money/wealth that people are going to waste to the needy, thumbs up to that!!!

The story does not end here, when I going jogging around the neighbourhood, I always pass by the wheel-chair bounded seller in a bus-stop. He is always lonely, silently sitting there, most likely waiting for someone to pick him up. That is when I realise that this lottery ticket has a different meaning for everybody, it is not always about the money, to him it probably meant having a sociable life =)