PCADSL BLOG

While the game or sport of paintball is familiar to most people, many have never played the game and don’t know what it really is, other than people running around shooting each other with globs of paint. But paintball is so much more than that, and is great fun as well.

The object of playing a game of paintball is to eliminate your opponents in a ‘field of battle’ by hitting them with a paintball. A paintball is made of a round capsule that’s filled with non-toxic and wash-out substances, more scientifically known as polyethylene glycol, or what is officially described in the American Heritage dictionary as, ‘any of a family of colorless liquids with high molecular weight that are soluble in water and in many organic solvents and are used in detergents and as emulsifiers and plasticizers.’ Let’s just call it paint for simplicity’s sake, shall we?

A game of paintball is played in a special location with plenty of landscape to provide a pretend battlefield for participants that includes trees, obstacles, bunkers and trenches, among many other landscape features. A game of paintball is generally played between teams, though participants can play individually if they want, and if the paintball facility allows for that. Paintball facilities are scattered throughout the United States and around the world, providing hours of fun for those wanting a little more excitement than other more traditional sports. Over ten million people play paintball in the United States alone, and proponents claim that it’s safe, fun and a great way for kids and adults to gain the benefits of exercise while enjoying the action and strategy of the sport. Believe it or not, there are rules to playing a game of paintball and breaking them is frowned upon. Sportsmanship is valued in this game, and sore losers generally don’t fare well.

The object of a game of paintball is to ’shoot’ all the members of the opposing team. Paintball fields are available with both indoor and outdoor settings and cost only about $10-$80 a day if equipment is rented. For those who choose to purchase their own paintball gear, including paintball ‘gun’, tanks, and protective headgear and clothing, prices range from about $100-$1,000 depending on what you want. However, depending on your skill level, a game of paintball can last minutes or hours, so you may opt for renting the equipment until you get better at the game. Paintball equipment can be purchased at most sporting goods stores, or online through a paintball supply outfit.

The game of paintball was first introduced to the American market in the mid 1970’s. The game was first called ‘Survival’ and the first article about the game appeared in a 1980 issue of Sports Illustrated. Since then, the popularity of the game has steadily increased until it’s reached the worldwide popularity it enjoys today. Whether you participate in the game or sport of paintball as a player or as an observer, one thing is certain. Paintball is a blast, and is here to stay!

Each of us has a life theme, according to Daphne Rose Kingma, psychotherapist and author of Loving Yourself: Four Steps to a Happier You. A life theme is a single psychological issue that is the lesson plan for our lives.

For some, life themes dictate personal mission or lifes purpose. And no other factor is as important as our life theme in coloring our self-esteem and helping or hindering our ability to accept and love ourselves.

Life themes reflect our deepest wound, and many, including me, find their life purpose through their life theme.

All her life, my mother wanted a daughter. Pregnant at thirty-nine, she knew I was her last chance. You can imagine her disappointment when the doctor announced I was a boy.

From birth, I felt I was not okay as I was. To earn my parents love, I strived to be someone else. Now at fifty-one, I know my life purpose is to help others stand in their power by becoming the full expression of all they are. Inherent in my mission is the belief that we are perfect just as we are.

Life themes feed inner critics. My life theme of rejection eggs on my inner critic, who taunts:

If people knew who you really were, they would not love you.

You do not deserve to be included.

If only you were (smarter, more in shape, or accepting) people would like you.

And this negative self-talk shapes my concept of self.

According to Kingma, life themes fall into six broad catagories:

1. Neglect

2. Abandonment

3. Abuse

4. Rejection

5. Emotional Suffocation

6. Deprivation

Let us look at each. See if you can identify yours.

Neglect

Was television your babysitter?

Was your home always dirty and messy?

Was your idea of a hone-cooked meal a TV dinner that you had to microwave yourself?

Were you closer to your best friends parents than your own?

If you were neglected, you may:

Feel unworthy of the good things that life has to offer.

Feel guilty every time you buy new clothes, have a manicure, or take a vacation.

Beat yourself up for not giving yourself more care and attention.

Abandonment

Did one of your parents die?

Were one or both parents workaholics and never at home?

Did your dad or mother disappear after a divorce?

Were you emotionally abandoned?

If abandonment is your issue, then you may:

Not stick up for yourself.

Find yourself in situations where you feel abandoned.

Tend to be in relationships where others are not particularly loyal.

Abuse

Were you sexually, physically, emotionally, or verbally abused?

Were you called too sensitive?

Was one or both of your parents narcissistic? Were they too self-absorbed to give you the attention you needed?

If abuse is a life theme, then you may:

Be super critical of yourself.

Feel you do not deserve love.

Allow others to treat you poorly.

Be unkind to your body by overeating, forming addictions, or staying in abusive relationships.

Rejection

Did your parents wish you were never born? Did they wish you had been a boy instead of a girl, or vice versa?

Did you feel secondary to another sibling in your family?

Were you ignored? Treated as if you did not exist?

If you were rejected, you may:

Be self-rejecting.

Unconsciously seek out experiences where you are not chosen or valued.

Blame yourself for not being included.

Emotional Suffocation

Did you have an overprotective or overly involved parent?

Did one of your parents treat you like a spouse?

Were your parents emotionally invasive?

If you suffered from emotional suffocation, then you may:

Feel overwhelmed by a persons simple desire for contact or intimacy.

Be commitment phobic.

Blame yourself when love eludes you.

Deprivation

Did you grow up in poverty? Did everyone around you seem to have more than you?

Were you deprived of physical and emotional contact with your parents or siblings?

Was your mother too busy, drunk, or exhausted to give you attention?

Was your father too absorbed in his work or the evening paper to talk to you?

If your life theme is deprivation, you may:

Tend to do without.

Have a hard time receiving because you believe you do not deserve it.

Feel you should treat yourself better while blaming yourself for doing just that.

If you are like me you identify with several of these themes. My dad was a workaholic (abandonment) and my mother treated me as a spouse (emotional suffocation). While these two themes play out in my life, rejection takes the lead role. In my experience working with clients, one central theme is almost always more prevalent.

Looking over your history, can you determine what caused your life theme to become your central issue? Many clients feel disloyal when they blame their parents. They did the best they could, many say. While your parents most likely did their best, it was still not enough. None of us has ever been loved perfectly. It is a fact of life.

Loving yourself is the greatest work you will do in this life. In a sense it is your only work, Kingma wisely writes. Life themes negatively impact our image of ourselves when we are not conscious of them. Learning to work with our life themes builds self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-love.

I found these four questions particularly helpful in exploring my life theme. I hope you will find them useful, too.

One: How has my life theme defined me? Put another way, what roles am I playing because of my life theme?

I have taken on the roles of rebel, outsider, and artist because of my life theme of rejection.

Two: How does my life theme negatively impact my life?

I wrote:

I feel superior to others (often masking my low self-esteem).

I become judgmental.

I look for what separates me from others instead of what we share in common.

Three: What benefit(s) do I derive by holding on to this central theme?

This question delivered a big aha to me. I realized that if I do not belong, then I am special.

Four: What are two ways that I could benefit by letting go of my central theme?

1. I could build a stronger, closer network of friends.

2. I could go to a party, enjoy myself, and not be exhausted at the end of the evening.

Five: How could my life theme point me to my purpose or mission?

For me, it was easy. For others, it is much harder. Still, all of us can find clues by examining our life theme. One friend, a South Carolina couples therapist, discovered that her theme of abandonment lead her to adopt the mission of helping couples build safe, secure, stable, and sane relationships.

Life themes become limiting beliefs when not examined, and limiting beliefs are the glass ceilings that prevent us from reaching for the stars. When we identify our life themes we come closer to finding our mission or purpose in life. By working with our life themes, we become more self-accepting and self-affirming. We lead happier and more meaningful lives.

Bass fishing has a fascinating history. It started in the late 18th century and continues to progress until today.

It probably was originally practiced in search for food among the people in the south of the United States. Since then, it has started gaining numerous audiences of all ages and nations. Today, countries such as Australia, Cuba, South Africa, United States and most of Europe participate in this kind of event.

Timelines

- The year 1768 or 1770 represents the birth of bass fishing sports. Onesimus Ustonson introduced his first multiplying reels to the fishing gurus and lovers. It was later developed into bait caster.

- William Shakespeare Jr. materializes the production of a level wind device and secured its patent on 1897.

- The William J. Jamison Co introduced the overly ornamented Shannon Twin Spinner in 1915 and was improved to create today’s spinner baits.

- In 1932, President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted the creation of Tennessee Valley Authority and encouraged the creation and building of numerous dams. These dams were later used for culturing different varieties of bass fishes.

- Five years later, DuPont Company filed patent for nylon fishing net, this was later developed into nylon monofilament fishing line.

- The year 1992 is one of the most glorious events in the history of bass fishing. Larry Nixon, the famous fisherman in the history of bass fishing won $1 M total earnings for this sport on this year.

Bass Fish

Several fish species that are being caught in the bass fishing events are the following:

- Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede) – Largemouth Bass

- Micropterus dolomieui – Smallmouth bass

- Micropterus punctatus – Kentucky Bass

Other species of Micropterus are also caught but one that remains popular is the Largemouth bass. However, it should be emphasized that Australian Bass are different from the above North American Bass variants although most share similar features.

Perhaps, the most robust success of Bass Fishing was in the 1950s. The popularity of the game during this period is the springboard to the development of modern fishing equipments from bass boats, rods, lines, lures and various fishing gears.

Electronic gears were also incorporated among the host of equipments bass fishers used at that time. Reels of different types, which function in hauling and hoisting, were also created.

The contribution of bass fishing industry to the US economy records $50 to $70 Billion and the number continues to grow. Statistics show that the audience base of this sport is increasing and that more and more people are getting interested in it compared to tennis and golf.

For busy working adults who want to get a university or college degree, perhaps the best way to do so is to study online.There are many long distance accredited and good online colleges and universities to choose from.

Just do a search for online university degrees and you will see many institutions offering online degree courses for basic degrees to MBAs and even Doctorate PhDs in business, wealth management, technology management, information systems, education and even in nursing.

Why study for an online degree? This is because for most working adults, taking time off to go to classrooms or campuses for lessons regularly is almost an impossible task and this is a very important reason why so many working adults are deprived of good university degrees. By giving lessons online, these long distance colleges and universities are able to reach out to these potential adult students who otherwise may never have any opportunities to get a university or college degree.

Since these degrees are long distance online courses, you can simply log on to your computer and start the lessons immediately. The convenience of the Internet makes earning your degree not only possible but much more affordable as well because these universities and colleges do not need to count the costs and overheads they need to incur should you attend classroom on campus lessons.

Many of these universities, for example, The University of Phoenix Online also offer financial assistance and flexible fee payment plans. You may wish to check with the university of your choice on the various types of financial aids available.

Perhaps the most attractive thing about studying for a degree online is that you can study anytime you want to, study where you are without wasting commuting time and for some, there are no timelines for lessons, tutorials, projects and even examinations.

Most online universities and colleges give their long distance learning students the same exacting standard of quality education, curriculum, faculty and resources, the same as those offered at their brick and mortar campuses. You can then have the luxury to complete your education at the time and place most convenient to you. All you need is a computer, a phone connection, and an internet service provider. Most people in developed countries will have no problem setting this up or already have internet connection set up.

With easy to use Internet access software, you have access to lectures, questions and assignments from your professors and then you can print them out and review them off-line. You will also have access to a full range of online research libraries and services.

At the same time, you can also interact with other successful professionals, sharing ideas, debating issues, and learning from their experience.Throughout whatever degree courses you are studying, your instructors will provide guidance and feedback on your progress.

All interaction is conducted online, so you can participate at your own time and convenience. You never have to rush from the office or your home to a night-class or miss a lecture because of some time scheduling conflict.

Want to get an online university degree? Your opportunity may now be here.

Men and women spend millions each year to turn back the clock and fight the effects of aging on the skin. Using anti aging creams is a great way to help minimize wrinkles. However for some people, this isn’t enough of a change. These people are turning to dermatologists for professional skin resurfacing procedures. There are a few treatments available to help reduce wrinkles. Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of each procedure before making a decision.

Chemical peels are done by a dermatologist. Peels strip off the top layers of skin. This procedure is available in different strengths from light to deeper peels. This regenerates the skin and reduces the effects of aging on the skin. The procedure is very effective on the upper lip and forehead areas of the face. It can’t be done on the skin around the eyes, as this skin is very thin and permanent damage could result.

A variety of acids are used in chemical peels to get rid of wrinkles, including trichloroacetic acids, alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxyl acids. The chemical used will depend on the depth of the peel that is desired. The skin will begin to scab and crust over about twenty four hours after the procedure. It will take about two weeks for the redness to heal after the crusting stage. There are some potential side effects from this procedure, such as infection, numbness and scarring.

Dermabrasion has a similar effect as chemical peels, but chemicals are not used. This procedure involves deep exfoliation of the surface of the skin. As in chemical peels, there are different strengths. Microdermabrasion is a gentler method that produces results similar to chemical peels. This is best for removing lighter wrinkles and lines. To remove deep wrinkles, a stronger dermabrasion procedure is needed.

This procedure is done with a rotating brush that removes the top layers of the surface of the skin. It is very effective for removing wrinkles. The lower skin layers are exposed and will crust over and heal as in a chemical peel. The skin will need to heal for a few weeks after the procedure. After healing you should use a good anti aging cream to prevent new wrinkles from forming.

Laser resurfacing is a relatively new procedure for removing wrinkles. The procedure involves using a laser pulse which penetrates the skin. This vaporizes the water and removes the upper layer of skin cells. New skin is able to grow and is healthy and younger looking. Another benefit of this procedure is its effect on the collagen fibers of the skin. It shortens the fibers and restores elasticity to the skin.

The type of laser used will depend on your skin type, color and condition of the skin. Lasers range from gentle to more powerful. In some cases, more than one laser is used on the same patient, depending on the anti aging needs. The recovery is generally less painful than chemical peels, but you will have redness and some irritation. The amount of irritation will depend on the laser used in the procedure. Continue to use a moisturizer during healing and use anti aging cream after the skin is healed to prevent new wrinkles.

Whatever procedure you choose, be sure to continue with good skin care to prevent your wrinkles from returning and new ones forming. Invest in a good anti aging cream to help keep your skin looking young and healthy. Choose a cream that is good for your skin type and the areas that need attention. Reading reviews of anti aging creams can help you select the right product.

Do you feel like you don’t have much use for cell phones, but would still like to be able to have one on hand for emergencies? Are you worried about your loved ones’ long commutes?

Do you want to give your college student a phone without footing outrageous cell phone bills?

You don’t have to worry anymore. A cellular prepaid phone or “pay as you go” phone might be the right solution for your problems.

Parents can save money while kids talk. If you’re on a strict budget and can’t afford to go over your minutes or a parent who wants to limit the time Johnny or Suzie can talk on their cell phones, a prepaid phone may be the perfect plan for you.

Prepaid cell phones can be a great way to closely monitor your phone minute usage every month. But be careful, it can also become an expensive way to avoid having to sign a lengthy contract with a cell phone service provider. You have to watch for hidden fees.

In addition, with a prepaid phone, you can talk even while you travel. Convenient and often offering a lower rate for long distance calling than traditional phone companies, these prepaid phone services are especially popular with students, travelers and immigrants with family back home in another country.

Whether calling friends and relatives overseas or planning for a trip abroad, an international prepaid phone card can be extremely useful to have on hand. An investment of just a few dollars can save you many times that much on calls, while bringing you peace of mind.

Over half the households in the U.S. have at least one cell phone. Perhaps you are one of those that does not. If you are, is it because you feel that your credit will prevent you from getting a cell phone? A prepaid cell will solve that problem, if that is the only thing holding you back. Now everyone can have the freedom of a cellular phone.

With the process being so pain free, it is no wonder more and more people are turning to prepaid phone services to meet all of their wireless communication needs. By knowing the features that are important to you, you’ll be able to make sure you are spending your money wisely. Comparing and contrasting phone features is the best way to determine which one will suit your needs.

All that is left for you to do is choose the prepaid cell phone that is best for you.

A bodyguard is a person who professionally protects someone (known as their principal) from personal assault, kidnapping, assassination, loss of confidential information, or other threats. Alternative term for bodyguard that is gaining popularity (particularly with the bodyguards themselves) is close-protection officer. Many professional training courses identify themselves close-protection training instead of body guarding training, for example.

In multi-agent units (like those protecting a celebrity or a head of state) one or more bodyguards may specialize in specific tasks, such as:

communications/communications protection

operation of physical security measures (regarding premises, transport vehicles and personal armor)

intelligence, threat/vulnerability/risk assessment and analysis

explosives and chemical detection

sniper warfare and special weapons

crowd screening and control

This job is unlike other security watchman’s jobs. The important person, whose life you are guarding, totally trusts you because the question of his or her life depends entirely on you. Your alertness and integrity and the sense of dedication must be of highest degree. Still, there are more traits of equal importance, this job calls for.

1. high degree of duty consciousness

2. fearlessness and courage to fight back

3. expertise in hand to hand combat technique and firearms usage

4. strong eye for suspicious people and movements

5. unmindful of 9-5 type work hours

Most Bodyguard Training courses are designed to provide you with basic first aid training, self-defense techniques and sometimes weapons training. Although not all Bodyguard jobs require that you carry a weapon, there are some Bodyguard jobs that do. A person with Military training, or Martial arts training, is usually highly regarded in the Bodyguard industry, as their skills are often needed in certain Bodyguard positions. Although you are not likely to ever have to physically grapple with a person, there is the possibility that it can occur, so knowledge of self-defense techniques are important.

There are many situations in everyday society that require a Bodyguard. For example, many film and music stars often hire Bodyguards to protect them from the possibility of kidnapping, or from the possibility of being attacked by a crazy fan. There are also less glamorous Bodyguard positions, such as protecting a bank, shopping mall, or private properties at night. Often these Bodyguard positions require you to be on your own, hence the need for self-defense skills.

What are the necessary requirements to work as a bodyguard?

Be in good Physical Condition; in that persons who are excessively overweight, or who have respiratory or heart problems or who have high blood pressure or other physical problems which would keep them from engaging in strenuous or physically challenging activities are not normally capable of performing the job of an Protection Specialist. Vision should be easily correctable to 20/20. Although age requirements are not specifically set the average is from 21 to 55. More important than the age of the bodyguard is their physical condition, their training and experience.

The psychological makeup of the Protection Specialist is also of prime importance. The candidate must be mature and precise in his ability to quickly and correctly assess a situation and respond in the proper manner as dictated by the situation at hand. He should not be overly aggressive, hostile or moody, nor should he be slow to respond or correctly adapt to quick changes in any given situation or emergency. A high degree of dedication to duty and cause is a must for the successful executive protection specialist. The ability to perform under adverse and dangerous situations is mandatory.

The Protection Specialist must have the training and aptitude in which he can defend himself and his client and have knowledge of disarming and defensive techniques which would enable him to defend himself and his client in both armed and unarmed situations and at the same time be able to maintain control of a perpetrator until the proper authorities are notified and arrive.

As a Protection Specialist you will be required to complete many tasks and have many responsibilities. The following list is a summation of some of the responsibilities you will have in the protection of your client.

1. Stay awake and aware or the changing circumstances and plan ahead so you may avoid problem areas.

2. Pre-plan a course of action as you continually re-assess the situation.

3. The hands of the persons near your client are always the greatest threat and as such you should always watch their hands and plan defensive countermeasures. “If you can’t see their hands expect trouble”.

4. If a close-in attack occurs then attack the weapon of the perpetrator and in doing so you may defeat the purpose of the attack.

5. Do not look directly at a suspicious person as this may result in the person attacking outside your zone of control and enable the perpetrator to successfully carry out the attack. Use your peripheral vision to keep the suspect in sight and you will not signal your scrutiny to the suspect.

6. When a potentially hazardous situation arises you should immediately escort your client from the scene to a predetermined location of safety and stay in concealment until such danger has passed.

7. Don’t engage in any Confrontation. If you do, how can you know what is happening to your client during this time. The Protection Specialist should quickly escort the client from the danger while another confronts the attacker.

8.Be alert for covert diversions which may be a ploy to attack your client. (For instance: a loud commotion nearby.)

9. When people want to see your client, double-check to ensure they are among those who have the right to access of the client.

10. Protection Specialists should develop both a verbal and non-verbal method with which to maintain communications with themselves and their client to relay information on the changing circumstances.

11. A plan of the scenario at hand should include multiple escape routes and options and should be changed as necessary to stop potential perpetrators from seeing a pattern of protection develop and locations that are repeated.

12. Use of alternate routes to enter and leave a location should be random and change frequently. Alternate routes should be known to all members of the Protection Specialist team and should provide for non-emergency situations such as traffic problems as well as emergency situations.

13. The Protection Specialist should train the Client in basic survival techniques in a manner which shows the necessity of such training and actions for the survival of the client.

If you do possess the vital skills and psychological requirements for this dangerous profession, an elite career position may be available to you as a Protection Specialist with all the benefits, glamour and challenges that this unique position entails.

People have dreamed of flying since ancient times. About six thousand years ago drawings on tombs in Egypt showed gods that could fly. Leonardo da Vinci, who lived five hundred years ago, was very interested in flight and believed the way to do it was to flap wings as birds do. He drew numerous pictures of flying machines, but never tried to build any.

The invention of the steam engine changed everything and contributed to the development of flight. Machines could make products such as new kinds of steel, cloth and metal wire. Inventors used these materials to try and build flying machines. Between 1891 and 1896, Otto Lilienthal of Germany, made over two thousand flights in gliders constructed of wood, cloth, and wire and proved that flight was possible.

Then the Wright brothers came along. Though they repaired bicycles for a living, they were very interested in flight, and after studying the work of Lilienthal, they decided to design a flying machine with strong but lightweight materials. The Wright brothers used metal tubes from bicycle frames, the wires from the wheel spokes and the bicycle chain to drive the propeller. After thousands of test flights and a long search for a light engine they came up with the first biplane. Their first historic flight on December 17, 1903, took place near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and they traveled at 36.5 meters, the length of a modern Boeing 747. By 1905, they could fly for thirty minutes and do circles and figure eights.

By the time the first World War broke out, airplanes, though unreliable were used in combat. As the war progressed, airplane design improved. Better engines resulted in bigger planes, higher speeds and longer flights. By this time people thought of airplanes as military machines, so once the war ended, production of new airplanes stopped for awhile. By the mid-l920’s, other uses evolved for the airplane, which changed the perception of it being only a military tool. Pilots flew to remote areas, bringing supplies and opening up the lines of communication. Surplus bi-planes from the war were being used for stunt flying, airplane races and short rides for ordinary citizens.

All this changed in 1927, when Charles Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris in thirty three hours. This stirred people’s imagination and eventually led to flights into unheard of territory. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly a plane. In the l930’s planes became people movers, and as they say, the rest is history. Things will only get better with development of new technologies and materials. The next great frontier to be explored will probably be space.

Despite the fact that Easter and Passover are celebrated within days or weeks of each other, most Jews and Christians don’t realize the link between their respective spring holiday observances. The reason for this lies simply in the fact that many Jews and Christians alike know little of the origins of the other faith’s holidays, rituals or beliefs.

Although Christianity arose our of Judaism, many Christians do not recognize this. Christians do not talk about Jesus as a Jew, and, for the most part, Jews don’t acknowledge Jesus at all, even though he was a great rebbe, or Jewish teacher. The celebration of Easter and Passover, however, provide a wonderful opportunity each year to acknowledge the connection between these two religions and these two holidays.

In fact, Easter and Passover share at least three common elements. First, many religious scholars have said that Jesus’ Last Supper was a Passover seder. A seder is a service or ritual meal that commemorates the Biblical accounting of the Jews escape from Egyptian slavery. As a Jew, Jesus was obligated to participate in a seder, and during Biblical times many Jews traveled to Jerusalem to do so.

Many Christian churches have instituted a seder before Easter Sunday as part of their Easter celebrations. This observance is called Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday or Great Thursday. Those Christians who believe Passover was the last supper site Luke 22:15, in which Jesus says, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Mark 14:12 echoes this with the comment, “And on the first day of the Unleavened Bread, when the Passover [lamb] was being sacrificed, his disciples said to him [Jesus], ?Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?’”

Second, just as Jesus crucifixion and resurrection led to the start of Christianity, the Israelite’s liberation from Egypt led to the beginning of Judaism. It wasn’t until the Jews had crossed the Red Sea that they became a nation unto themselves. This freedom and nationhood led them to enter into the covenant with God at Mt. Sinai, which marked the beginning of Judaism. Prior to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, he was a Jew and his followers were Jews. Upon his death, his teachings became the basis for Christianity. His resurrection and ascension, as well as the miracles he performed during his lifetime, caused him to be named posthumously as the ?Christ.’ Thus, Christianity was born.

Third, both Easter and Passover revolve around the idea of rebirth. Jesus is resurrected, or born again, and the slaves are reborn into freedom. Both holidays draw in the idea of birth or rebirth with Easter eggs and the hard-boiled eggs served on Passover.

With Judaism as the foundation for Christianity, it behooves both Jews and Christians to study each other’s religious beliefs and to become familiar with their historical foundations. In this way, we can better understand each other, our selves and our different religious observances and rituals. If more people would do this ? not just Jews and Christians but people of all religions ? we might not only appreciate each other more but we might create more peace and love in the world.

The major obstacle to nuclear terrorism is not obtaining the weapon. It is obtaining the terrorist group. A single terrorist fired the weapon that ignited World War 1. When the Archduke Ferdinand died, Europe erupted into a war, which resulted in the deaths of millions. Not since then has a single individual or small group been able to commit an act that has caused such devastation. Until a few years ago, the repeat of such an act would seem unlikely.

Today, a terrorist act resulting in millions of deaths is increasingly likely. A single nuclear weapon in the hands of a well-funded, technically able, and properly motivated individual could result in upwards of millions of deaths. The act that started World War I, the assassination of the Archduke was committed by the Black Hand, which was sponsored by Serbia. The gunman, Gavrilo Princip, was captured. Serbia was destroyed in retribution. While the assassination was successful, the consequences greatly outweighed the benefits. Traditional terrorist organizations have had one or more limitations, which prevented them from committing acts or large-scale terror: retribution or loss of support. Retribution is the limiting factor for state-sponsored and economic-based terrorist groups. State sponsored terrorist groups have to temper their attacks, unless their parent-state faces the retribution as in the example of the Black Hand and Serbia. Irani-sponsored Hezbollah appears to be in an all out war with Israel. However, they are conducting a series of attacks designed to turn opinion in the Arab-Persian world against the Israeli?s while limiting the outrage in the Western media. By firing rockets at Israel inside Lebanon, the Israeli?s are unable to defend against the missiles. They are forced to invade Lebanon and destroy the missiles or create a buffer zone in Lebanon that exceeds the range of the missiles. If Iran were unafraid of Western retribution, Hezbollah would take a more direct approach when attacking Israel. However, right now they are more interested in the pictures of Lebanese civilian casualties killed by invading Israeli?s for public opinion purposes, than they are doing real damage to Israel.

Economic-based terrorist groups such as the narco-terrorists of Columbia only want to commit enough violence to ensure their business. They want to avoid incurring the wrath of a state. The best example of this was the eradication of the Medellin Drug Cartel by the combined forces of the United States and Columbia. It must be noted that since the Medellin Drug Cartel was destroyed dozens of more subtle organizations have risen to take its place. Ethnic or religious organizations such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA), Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), or the Basque Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) tempered their attacks after September 11 so as to not lose the support of their backers. Any of these groups had the expertise to perform a large-scale attack such as the September 11th attacks. However, an attack of that size would have resulted in severe retributions against their affiliated ethnic or religious groups. The resulting hardships – would turn these groups against the terrorists. An example is current battle between Palestine and Israel. During the Infatada, Palestinian nationalism soared. Israel was with suicide bombers and popular opposition rallies. Israel counter-attacked effectively by building a protective wall which forced Palestinians to pass through security checkpoints. While this was intended to prevent bombers from sneaking through, it was most effective as an economic threat against the Palestinians who rely on Israel for work.