Schuetz

I had the privilege of listening to a very interesting lecture at a holistic event about something I never really thought about, the practice of circumcision on male babies in the U.S. I learned that doctors do this on a routine basis, charging anywhere between $150 and $300 per male baby to not only remove a large part of his penis, but do it in an inhumane way. The doctors generally reassure parents that this is the way to go, for cleanliness or the prevention of disease.

Now, I dont believe a mistake was made when man was created, do you? Even if one doesn't believe in creation, nature just doesn't repeatedly make what doctors are considering to be faults in baby boys that must be fixed. I understand that those of the Jewish faith regularly circumcise the male child but according to what I have learned, they only remove a very small portion of the foreskin at the tip of the glans. Doctors in the U.S. remove the whole thing which is a lot of skin and amounts to approximately the size of a 3 x 5 inch index card in an adult male! Many times they accidentally remove even more skin than this and boys grow up with either painful erections or their erections are bent because the skin is stretched too tight. Both men and women usually believe that's just the way some penises look and never question it. There can be other complications also. Circumcised males grow up never knowing that they lost a natural function of the penis and lost a great amount of sexual pleasure.

Females are born with the same exact thing as males have, a foreskin called a prepuce and the same smega, which is just some dead skin. In the U.S., it would never cross the doctor's or parent's mind to cut off part of their baby girl's genitals for cleanliness. It just doesnt happen. Some countries today practice circumcising and castrating female babies but cleanliness is certainly not the reason. I believe this practice is abhorrent and something needs to be done now to end it. During the lecture, the speaker said Clinton made circumcising female babies illegal in the U.S.

I heard and read about how the babies are circumcised in this country. Their arms and legs are strapped down to a restraint board and during the procedure, they scream in pain and terror. This makes my heart go out to all male babies in this country and elsewhere where this is practiced. I learned that only until recently in the U.S. did doctors begin using some kind of anesthetic for the baby but this is not a common practice.

What a way to come into the world! So I wonder, what affect does this practice have on males about themselves and their self-worth? How has this traumatic experience manifested in the male's life while growing up and as a man? And why is this still being practiced in America?

Fortunately, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The lecturer gave me a book written by Thomas J. Ritter, M.D. and George C. Denniston, M.D. called, Doctors Re-examine Circumcision. It seems that many physicians around the U.S. are now speaking out against circumcision.

"The United States is the only country in the entire world that routinely circumcises most of its newborn males for other than religious reasons. [p. 16-1]

It contains pictures and diagrams of circumcision procedures, including pictures of mistakes with the procedure, resulting in a deformed penis or no penis at all. In the event of an accidental, complete amputation of the penis, which apparently happens, the doctor would just create a vagina. The book also has pictures of what a penis is really supposed to look like and all of the benefits an natural, uncircumcised penis has. It examines the many myths people have been told over the years of why circumcision is "necessary".

What moral or legal right does any parent have to remove a valuable and normal segment of another human beings body? Would it be moral or legal to remove the tip of every males left little finger, or to knock out a front tooth, because it was fashionable and everyone else was doing it? [p. 13-1]

The good news is that there is a movement of circumcised men around the country to grow their foreskins back! A man is actually able to regain a large amount of sensitivity after growing back what was taken from in the first place, without his consent. Our bodies are truly miraculous! More information is available in a book called, "The Joy of Uncircumcising: Restore Your Birthright and Maximize Sexual Pleasure" by Jim Bigelow, Ph.D. There is also a website called, Restore Yourself! A Handy Kit for Circumcised Men at:

http://www.restoreyourself.com

Here is a quote from this website:

"You should feel increased sexual sensitivity on the glans of your penis within 30 days. It may take three months to see new skin. Within nine months, you will probably find that you can use your new skin to stimulate your glans."

Since the lecture, I've shared this information with many men and women. I believe the more we examine and talk about this practice of circumcision, the more something can be done about ending it, not only in the U.S. but throughout the world.

Chyrene Pendleton, Metaphysician, Numerologist, Dowser, teaches several workshops on topics including prosperity and abundance, numerology and dowsing. Her articles have been featured in many mainstream and spiritual journals over the years and in her free, online Ezine called, The Isle of Light.

Chyrene is the owner of The Isle of Light Inc., a spiritual, metaphysical online spiritual center dedicated to assisting all to become more empowered and enlightened in a wide variety of ways. She is a certified television show producer and co-produced and hosted The Isle of Light television talk show in Denver, Colorado, which continues to air biweekly. Chyrene is also the producer and host of The Isle of Light Internet radio talk show which airs 24 hours each day at Live365.

Chyrene Pendletons websites can be found at:

The Isle Of Light
http://www.theisleoflight.com

The Isle Of Light Internet Radio Talk Show
http://www.live365.com/stations/avalon22

Prosperity is a State of Mind
http://theisleoflight.blogspot.com

The seemingly invincible Chelsea FC look set to record their second consecutive Premiership soccer title after a convincing 2-0 defeat of Liverpool FC.

Now 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, Chelsea barring catastrophe will be champions again. This is in no small way due to their enigmatic manager Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese master tactician has instilled a belief of invincibility in his team that is rarely seen.

Many fans of English football may point to the fact that Mourinho has spent vast amounts of his Chairman's money to attain this position, but that is not the reason for Chelsea's success. The credit must go to Mourinho, the man they call "The Special One". He continues to make the correct selections, and more importantly, his interventions from the sidelines are rarely innefective. He is the consummate professional.

Chelsea seem set to embark on a domination of the English game, and as long as Mourinho is in charge, they will continue to set the benchmark. Whether they can go on to dominate the European tournaments in the same way is a question soon to be answered, they certainly have the talent and the right man at the helm, but Europe is difficult to conquer.

The forthcoming Champions league games are awaited with baited breath...

Norbert Wartle writes for Football England. View more of his work here: Football England.

Learning how to stop drinking alcohol for some people is a long and difficult process. If you have become dependent on alcohol to cope; if you drink in the morning or before work; if you are unable to cope in social situations without your "friend" (the drink); if you have hurt people while you were drunk - then you have some important decisions to make.

The most important decision, of course, is to get rid of that alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, without that decision, it all too often ends up on that "slippery slope", that "downward spiral".

Another decision to make, and this is an important one, is whether to aim at becoming a teetotaler, where you never drink alcohol again, or allowing yourself the occasional drink in social situations.

This is a controversial topic. Some people and organizations claim that once you are addicted, you are addicted for life. Just as an ex-heroin addict can become instantly re-addicted after just one dose, so the ex-drinker can become instantly re-addicted with just the one drink.

Other people, such as certain NLP practitioners (but not all), say instead that it's better to aim for choice. In every situation, the ex-drinker can choose to drink or not to drink.

I believe that it's a little more complicated. Firstly, there are degrees of addiction. An alcoholic needs to aim at total abstinence in the first place. Only when he or she has become an ex-drinker, and (with the help of mind skills such as NLP, EFT or self-hypnosis) can have a good time without drinking any alcohol, can the decision be made.

The ex-drinker would do well to always err on the side of caution. If there is any doubt at all, then the safe route is to avoid all alcohol. The problem is not that the person may be irresponsible, but that the first thing to disappear with a drink is judgment (that is why drink-driving is so dangerous). So, after the first drink, the ex-drinker is no longer in a position to judge whether another drink is safe.

Here are my tips for an ex-drinker as to whether a social drink is safe. If the answer is "no" to any of them, then stay on the wagon!

1. Are you enjoying yourself?
2. Are you in a safe environment, where you will not be subjected to stress or bad feelings?
3. Have you coped well with this situation before without drink?
4. Have you learned to take control of your emotions even in stressful situations?
5. If you have drunk in this situation before, did you do so in strict moderation and in good spirits?
6. Finally, are you absolutely sure that you will cope with just one drink and know how to stop drinking alcohol before it has any effect on you?

Learn how to stop drinking alcohol Learn to take control of yourself and free yourself from the slavery of alcohol addiction