It’s Photographical

The Night of the Hunter-One of the Scariest Movies Ever Made

Posted by admin on December 31st, 2009 — Posted in Uncategorized

As a kid I spent nearly every Saturday afternoon at the movies. You got to see a newsreel, cartoon, serial and a western for a quarter. Occasionally they would play a Lon Chaney werewolf movie, or a vampire film. They were all right, but I can’t say that they really frightened me very much. I didn’t get a real scare out of a movie until I was well into my teens. The movie was 1957 classic, The Night of the Hunter.

(Please be advised that the following contains spoilers and anyone intending to watch the film for the first time should be so warned.)

A young Peter Graves robs a bank. Before he is captured he gives the money to his children to hide. In prison, he tells Robert Mitchum about the money, and Mitchum, of course, is determined to get the money. He thanks god for the opportunity that has come his way. Several times in the movie he prays, with his knife between his hands. The villain quickly locates the town where Graves’ family is living and summarily seduces the mother. He also makes several attempts to find out where the children have hid the money. His sweet tone barely hides the malice underneath. The noir photography does a marvelous job of intensifying the terror, and James Gleason adds a much needed comic relief to the story.

Mitchum quickly murders the mother and disposes of the body by placing it into her car and runs it off of a dock. One of the film’s most haunting scenes is Shelley Winters long hair flowing under water. Afraid for their lives, the children take off in a boat. Again, the night scene on the river with the stars and the creatures along the bank are almost surreally beautiful. As they are on the river they see Mithum ride by against the moon singing Leaning on the Everlasting Lord.

Fortunately the children find a kindly heart, Lilian Gish, to take care of them. How the seemingly harmless Gish foils the villain is a masterpiece in telling. A scene where she is sitting on her porch with shotgun in hand and singing Bringing in the Sheathes with Mitchum is one of the great moments in film-making.

Besides a heart-thumping story, the cast is perfect. The children maintain their innocence, but have the necessary toughness to survive. Shelley Winters portrays the hapless mother to perfection. An interesting sidelight, Charles Laughton dislked children and so despised directing them that Robert Mitchum wound up directing them himself in several of the scenes.

This was the only film Charles Laughton ever directed. He had planned to direct The Naked and the Dead, but was so disappointed with the response to Night that he never directed again. I personally have never been able to understand why this isn’t considered one of the great film classics of all time. Blood and entrails make for nifty movies, but the cool and quiet menace of a honest-to-goodness makes for a much scarier film. I recommend this gem to everyone who likes movies.

John Anderson, AKA Raymond John, is a film-lover who has seen many thousands of films in his lifetime. His novel, The Cellini Masterpiece, written under the pen-name of Raymond John, is a movie in print. If you have a question, or would like to read the first chapter, please log-on to http://www.cmasterpiece.com.

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The Speedy Expansion of Digital Magazine Publishing

Posted by admin on December 26th, 2009 — Posted in Miscellany

Electronic publishing has become as an influential element inside the publishing world. Abundant print magazines now offer computerised versions, such as eBooks, digital mags and also newspapers. For readers that might like to find out more regarding digital publishing this site is definitely a excellent place to start.

Electronic publishing has resulted in the steady growth of computerised libraries, consisting of research materials, online text articles and literary material.

The fantastic growth of electronic publishing has introduced readers to fresh methods of getting reading material. Formerly with the only real option of reading with a personal computer CRT screen there now is an fast emerging market looking at tech linked with electronic magazine publishing. For example, within its August 30th 2009 edition, Publisher’s Weekly conducted a review of a few devices purposely crafted for reading electronic content and images. Although comparatively new, this particular fusion of tech as well as the written word has only just started.

Digitised publishers offer a wide variety of magazines to an even wider spread of frequent readers. With an untold selection of digital titles the impact of this area can be strong. Many epublishers, online shops as well as individual writers have captured audiences in niche areas who would be difficult to attain with standard the methods of publishing, as well as providing established readers with the additional convenience of purchasing digitised titles online for immediate access.

Many individuals have aired their concerns that digital publishing takes value from both hard copy books as well as reading itself. These people state that reading digitized words with a CRT screen cannot compare with the shear pleasure which comes from pouring over words and additionally anticipating each turn of the book’s page. Other individuals are typically significantly less concerned about the tactile act of reading, finding themselves more troubled by the challenges of hardware.

With less costs necessary fewer wasted resources and no concerns about providing storage for excess editions, digital publishing has proven to be an affordable different option to publishing traditionally printed material. People gain from less expensive reading material which can with ease be read at their individual convenience. In all likeliness online publishing might not supplant printed works, but its persistent development is clearly an ongoing balancing act. Digitised publishing may continue to establish itself as a association between the influence of tech and the power of the written word.

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Your Dog is Worth Pet Insurance

Posted by admin on December 19th, 2009 — Posted in World Of Finance

English Army mascot Sandbag was a short time ago despatched to the country to withdraw from his central functions within Iraq. After growing to be a source of sustenance for the troops the little guy is nowdays appreciating a well worked for respite - so what is life about for a productive pup, and what awaits them within retirement?

It can by and large be particularly thorny to pick up pet insurance for a canine who remains typed as “active” whether it’s a sheep dog, a racing dog or perhaps a dog employed exclusively for procreating intentions. So people might well imagine when it comes an army a military or law enforcement canine that it can often be even more knotty to find pet health cover. Also it’s outstanding comfort to know that numerous trained canines are very much nurtured when their season of invaluable employment are completed.

When he was born on the grounds of the forward operating base at North Point within Umm Qasr, Iraq, Sandbag a sandy-coloured mutt, quickly held his place as a much beloved and talisman of the Brit military there. The soldiers ensured he was appropriately inoculated, awarded him with a dog collar, let him access the base whenever he bayed outside and fuelled him within the morning, a short time before he would go & stood vigilant guard together with the sentry guard force. Bringing affection, much needed friendship, loyalty & even some enjoyment while the occasional patrol, Sandbag was a very precious asset whenever it came to keeping spirits high.

In spite of this, whenever the armed forces went out of the southern port earlier this year, the guys had to ditch Sandbag within Iraq, & there were huge concerns among the the members who had taken the hungry guy into their hearts. They were worried that if he was left to save himself their four-legged friend would be slaughtered by the locals, who hold little consideration for vagrant dogs. But thanks to fund-raising activity, on Facebook amongst other places, the Blue Cross raised more than £13,500 in just two months, empowering them to import Sandbag to the UK.

Deputy dog Sandbag is not the only mutt to be supplied the gratitude he rightly gained for his highly inspiring work. Dogs should furthermore prove of vast value within law enforcement processes. They save valuable time hunting for missing individuals, drugs and contraband. Precise training means that police pups could never encounter any possibly loaded material but rather point out where it is to his human companion.

As compensation for all their hard work constabulary mutts in Cambridgeshire a short time ago were the first in Great britain to get the correct pension they earned after their time off. Before mutts in active duty for the Cambridgeshire armed forces retired as they got older, at which point the dog’s handler would sign a form meaning they would have to infer obligation for the doggy for the remnant of it’s life. This new programme means that retired mutts will now have their food, vets charges & housing paid for by the police force. You can find a wealth of information of health insurance for your pets here.

So there we have it, the highly comforting work these energetic doggies do brings a whole new level of meaning to the phrase ‘man’s best friend’. So thank goodness that there are understanding people out there with the readiness to provide hard-earned relief and affection for our best friends when they are put out to pasture.

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Will the Capital’s Theatres Beat Off The Downturn

Posted by admin on December 7th, 2009 — Posted in Internet Recreation Resources

With the British economic downturn really upon the businesses of London, might the city’s beloved plays keep the show revenue coming in? Over in Broadway, New York, the musicals and plays are being hit with lower ticket sales as further people are picking to stay in instead of go out. More people, usually couples and families are staying at home watching the very latest DVDs than heading out to watch a theatre production. The New York theatre productions have responded swiftly by decreasing show prices to increase theatre show lovers back, so far with amazing results. Infact, Shrek the Musical is marketing a family ticket bundle of 2 parents paying complete price with up to two kids under 16 attending for free. With the status of the Shrek movies, the status has of course transferred to the Broadway adaptation.

Over in London’s West End, the show revenue have additionally found a downturn. This has caused various plays to watch their bottom line even more. And with various theatre shows starring pricey stars, like Nicole Kidman and Rob Lowe, the theatre production firms require to recoup this outgoing. Thankfully for the capital city and of course the musicals there are half price ticket booths that allow theatre goers to acquire tickets for top shows at a fraction of the show face value. These well known ticket retailers have observed a boom in sales since the economic crisis and this allows the folk of London and its brilliant visitors to be able to actually afford to witness their favourite theatre productions without spending too much money. Find cheap theatre tickets for top London West End theatre shows, musicals and plays.

As the downturn continues, we may find that a variety of theatre productions might begin to offer similar show special offers to that of New York with family show ticket bundles. Then again, there are certain plays that will stand the test of time - plays like Woman in Black and Les Miserables have been around for tons of years and show no signs of lower tickets sales.

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A Vital Guide To Purchasing The Right Pushchairs And Prams

Posted by admin on December 2nd, 2009 — Posted in Home Improvement

When you are acquiring pushchairs and prams, it’s particularly important to think about both your kid’s needs as well as your lifestyle. Pushchairs are for sale in numerous different patterns & price costs, and without examining the various choices before you go shopping; the selections can easily become out of control.

First, you should understand your kid’s individual needs. For a newborn kid, you possibly will want a pushchair with a lie back facility or a pushchair/carrycot combination. If you like you may opt for a pram that contains a reversible seat, which lets your baby to look at you whilst you’re pushing them. You are also suggested to think about where your child will sleep: a crib, carrycot, or Moses basket. If you plan to obtain a carrycot, then you might have to purchase a pushchair/carrycot combination so that you can decrease the entire amount of additional gear you have to procure.

Next, you are recommended to look at your current lifestyle. If you plan putting the pushchair in your car, asses your boot to ensure that the collapsed pushchair/pram will fit without problems. If you procure one that is far too big, you will be spending numerous annoying moments each & every time fighting to get it in the vehicle. Otherwise, you may well think about a multi function pushchair, which merges an infant car seat & pushchair. This multi function ability will certainly make it extremely easier for you to transport your baby in the car, then you can use the pushchair when you have parked, therefore reducing the overall number of accessory products you have to tow around with your kid.

For people who walk considerably, it is critical that you opt for a well-built model that has lockable wheels. Also think about the type of land you will be pushing over. For instance, if you pick swivel wheels, the pushchair will be drastically easier to control in tight corners, while fixed wheels will travel much easier over potholed environments. You can even buy a pushchair that offers both fixed wheel & swivel wheel options, letting you adjust the wheels as necessary throughout your journeys. Regardless of what option you choose make certain that the handle is at the suitable height. If you and your partner have fairly different heights, then try to obtain a pushchair with an adjustable handle height. Find a range of baby and child products including; puschairs, maxi cosi car seats and double pushchairs from leading brands online.

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Good Spam or Bad Spam - What’s the Difference?

Posted by admin on November 29th, 2009 — Posted in Net Tips + More

“Are you good spam or bad spam?” This is the question I find echoing in my head sometimes when I am going through my email, as if it is part of some electronic Wizard of Oz. Have you ever given any thought to the fact that there really is a difference in spam? Not that I am defending anyone, but let me make my point and then you can decide for yourself.

Spam is such a hot issue and no one knows the “right” view of spam that fits everyone. You either: - will take all measures to prevent people from sending it to you - don’t mind it at all and happily delete, delete, delete every day - OR hate it sometimes and ignore it other times.

I think I fall in the last category, which is what started me thinking about good and bad spam. My point of view has now developed into this:

BAD Spam- -It is bad spam when you reply to it to be removed and it is returned to you because the address is made up. -It is bad spam when the removal link does not open a real url. -It is bad spam when you paste the message source into Spam Cop and the info you get back before clicking the “Send spam report” shows tons of dead ends and made up domains, etc.

This means that this “Cowardly Lion” harvested your address, and went to great lengths to cover their tracks in order not to get caught sending spam.

GOOD Spam- -It is good spam when there is an actual person on the other end, apologizing for inconveniencing you.

What made it good spam? Because here is spam that you most likely will not get again, because it is more legit then the bad spam. These people are not out to break any rules, upset anyone, or ruin your day. 9 times out of 10 they really don’t know any better and will learn, very quickly I might add.

Also, keep in mind that the Scarecrow in us does not ALWAYS remember every email we sign up for. It is possible to have signed up for something and a week later be flipping out because you are getting email from some unknown. If we only had a brain sometimes (Speaking for myself, of course).

It is also highly possible that someone is having fun subscribing you to things. Never count that one out, it happens all of the time.

GOOD vs BAD Personally, I would much rather get NO spam, however if I had to choose, I would have to go with good spam. Bad spam demonstrates that the sender KNOWS what is NOT acceptable and went to all of this trouble and expense to hide behind this long trail of fake addresses. These are malicious acts, and down right dirty. Do they really think that what they are trying to sell in this manner is actually worth it? These are the people we should be upset with. These are the people that we need to be telling, “I’ll get you my pretty, and your little server too!”

So, whether you agree or disagree, just try to keep in mind that -1. The whole world is not out to get you. -2. Not every piece of spam is sent with the same intent. And… -3. As the world around us continues to change, we will be seeing more and more companies resorting to sending their junk mail through email rather then the post office. (I think this is becoming a more desirable thing to us all, as it would be much safer, take less effort to get rid of, & is better for the environment.)

Now is the time to try to adjust our view and approach the issue with a level head. If we don’t we will drive ourselves mad, and for what purpose? The changes in our world cause the internet to change. Soon you probably will find yourself saying, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore”.

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Optimize your Search Engine Placement Five Easy Ways

Posted by admin on November 29th, 2009 — Posted in Web Of Search Engine Optimization

If you are like me, you created web site metatags with the help of your Web master. Maybe like me, you didn’t spend time or money submitting to search engines because you weren’t techie enough.

Now you can optimize your search engine placement these five easy, non-techie ways. My Web site is now # 1 in Google.com and others. If you are in the top ten listings in your category (mine was book coaching) you are in good shape. This placement has put my web site URL on 4700 other sites with a link back to mine. With targeted viral marketing my sales are 30 times what I started with each month–now over $4500.

Here’s Five Ways to Get Search Engines to Boost your Ratings:

1. Makeover your signature file that goes out with every email you send. Include your fre.e report or ezine offer, your email, URL, and phone numbers plus a line with your product or service name on it. See more on this in my fre.e article “Top Ten Things to Do to Make your Signature File Sell” at www.bookcoaching.com/freearticles/article124.shtml.

2. Submit short articles to dozens of opt-in ezines who need content daily. Make a special offer in each signature file that relates to your article. Through a hyperlink, offer a free ezine with a free report by autoresponder. To get started, go to www.yahoogroups.com and subscribe to one of the opt-in ezines (no spam).

3. Rewrite your best list of key words and phrases you used for your Web site. Incorporate them into your excellent, well-edited short articles or tips. For more information go to www.goodkeywords.com or see my special fre.e report “Know Which Key Words Will Bring Targeted Visitors to your Web Site” at www.bookcoaching.com/freearticles/article-47.shtml

4. Submit to top Web sites looking for new content.. They want and need your information, because that is why people visit any site–for free information. Follow directions for each site. Many want a list of key words and a description. Others require your article by autoresponder. Four years ago, my URL was on 987 other Web sites. Today it’s on 4700. Amazing viral marketing!

5. Makeover your Web home page. Place those top key words and phrases in the top half of this page and in the links you list along the bottom or side of your page. Search engines pick up these and you receive a higher placement. For instance, my top key words include: book coaching, eBook, ePublishing, self-publishing, Online promotion, Web copywriting, Free Publicity.

Yes, you can buy key words and put paid ads in Google and Overture, but when I tried that I got almost 0 results and spent a lot of money. The above ways to boost your search engine placement are totally free. It’s a building process this viral marketing, but if you are willing to stay a while, you’ll get money results as well as becoming well known and trusted for your product or service.

Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” and “Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, “The Book Coach Says…” and “Business Tip of the Month” at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 155 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.

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Current Exchange Rates Market News

Posted by admin on November 25th, 2009 — Posted in Your Business

Decidedly careful annotations made known by the Bank of England yesterday led straight to the surprising latest UK Sterling revival individuals have beheld being stifled. The surprising assessment by the UK Central Bank was undivided for interest rates to remain on hold and to keep up the current degree of quantitative easing. Even so, the members of the Monetary Policy Committee also known as the MPC, nodded in the direction that British Stirling’s contemporary improvement was probably not positively the ‘green shoot of recovery’ legions of people are also anticipating and additionally could possibly in reality damage trade and thus, hamper the UK economic mending.

The above unexpected comments saw the pound drop down one US cent against both the American Dollar and Euro and over one sent and a 1/2 against the Swiss Franc. Stop and look at the current market conditions before youexchange foreign currency .

On this day British high street retail figures and additionally public financial facts will present more indications as to the wellbeing of the United Kingdom economy and additionally could possibly cause continued precariousness in the money markets. Therefore, make absolutely sure you are in close contact with your account handler so that they could keep you knowledgeable regarding market changes.

Intelligence publicized yesterday from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) verified that unemployment in the UK has increased to over 2.2 million the peak intensity since November 2006 Despite the escalation the figure was certainly not as bad as assumed still, with the national unemployment rate remaining more that 0.07 it was seen as unconstructive for the sterling. This news, on top of the wary explanations from the Monetary Policy Committee merely served to raise UK Stirling’s woes. David Kern, the chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, commented: “These jobless figures are slightly better than feared, but the overall situation remains grim… It is much too early to talk about the end of recession”

The fear at present is that the above figures can worsen as school as well as uni alumni go into the job market at the most horrible potential occasion which is possibly going to lay lots of weight on Sterling. For that reason, if you have an upcoming foreign currency exchange speak to a dedicated foreign money broker who can often be able to clarify all the possible options open to you including fixing your currency exchange rate for a pre-determined period of time in the future for simply a small deposit on a forward contract just right to assist you budget.

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Five Tips to Launching a Successful Message Forum

Posted by admin on November 10th, 2009 — Posted in Social Parlor

Forums a.k.a. “message boards” can be great marketing tools for your website. They attract repeat visitors and provide a meeting place for them to share their thoughts, ideas, questions and concerns.

Unfortunately many webmasters that attempt to launch a board on their site, end up closing it down due to lack of activity and popularity.

So what’s the key to success, you ask?

Below you will find 5 quick tips on creating and promoting a message board for your website.

1. You Need Plenty of Traffic

If your site is receiving small amounts of traffic per day, then it will be very hard to get the conversations going on your board.

Keep in mind not everyone that comes to your site will even notice or visit your board, and those that do stop by may just browse without posting. In fact, the majority of the visitors to your board will only look around.

Your site should be getting at least 1,000 unique visitors per day before you even launch. Don’t open it up prematurely because it can make your site look uninhabited if no one posts.

2. Create Some Starter Conversations

Once you’ve created your board, post a few questions to get the ball rolling. This may coax people to jump in and post some comments.

And if you are using a free board like http://www.phpbb.com, you can create polls to spark participation. People like interactivity and to give their opinion. Post a few polls and allow your visitors to vote on topic.

Also, don’t be ashamed to talk to yourself. What I mean by that is you may want to create a few usernames on your own and have them post questions and answers. It may sound silly but if you’re lacking activity, this may help get some conversations going. No one will know they aren’t real people, except you!

3. Promote! Promote! Promote!

Don’t just provide one or two links to your message board. Link to it from every page on your website. Include it in the signature of your emails, and if you have a newsletter, devote a special edition to the launch of your board.

On your “Contact” page, suggest that your visitors post a question on the message board as an alternative to emailing you. This will force some people to browse the board and possibly find the answer they need. If your visitors begin finding the board useful, they’ll return often and hopefully will start posting.

4. Keep The Categories to a Minimum In The Beginning

A big mistake that people make with new message boards is that they create too many categories. Remember that for most new forums, the number of posts are going to be small at first. So if you have 10 categories and only 1 or 2 are being used, it makes your board look scarce.

Try creating just one or two in the beginning and then once the traffic starts coming in you can add new ones.

5. Make The Board Easy to Use

Don’t force your visitors to search for instructions on how to use your forums. If they have to figure things out, they will be discouraged and leave. Be sure to use a script that is neat and intuitive.

I recommend http://www.phpbb.com. Not only are they free, but the setup is easy and the layout is nice and clean.

Hopefully these quick tips will help you as you launch your new messaeg board. Again, don’t forget to promote it like crazy. If you can build an active community, it can be quite the marketing tool for your website.

About The Author

Lisa Irby is the author of 2 Create a Web Site — a site that encourages you to plan accordingly before diving into the web site creation process.

http://www.2CreateAWebSite.com

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Ian Fleming - James Bond’s Creator

Posted by admin on November 2nd, 2009 — Posted in Education Special

Ian Lancaster Fleming (1908-1964), the author of the James Bond 007 novels, was the grandson of a Scottish banker and the son of a Conservative MP (Member of Parliament). His father died in the first world war. In his will, he bequeathed his property to his widow on condition she never remarries.

Ian’s youth was inauspicious. He was expelled from Eton following a sexual liaison with a girl. He left Sandhurst without obtaining an officer’s rank, having been caught violating the curfew. He continued his education in Kitzbuhel, Austria, in Munich and in Geneva where he studied languages. But the chain of disappointments continued apace. He failed in a Foreign Service exam and had to join Reuters as a journalist. There he successfully covered a spy trial in Russia (1929-32).

He then joined a British investment bank as a stockbroker and moved to live in a converted temple in Belgravia, a fashionable district of London, where he entertained the members of the Le Cercle Gastronomique et des Jeux de Hasard.

In 1939, Fleming took on an assignment for The Times in Moscow - in effect a cover. He was spying for the Foreign Office and later for Naval Intelligence where he attained the rank of Commander.

During the second world war, he worked from room number 39 in the Admiralty building in Whitehall as assistant to Admiral John Godfrey. He was involved in the evacuation of Dieppe in 1940, in the smuggling of King Zog out of Albania and in setting up the Office for Special Services, the precursor of the CIA.

As commander of the 30th Assault Unit, he sometimes operated behind the German lines, trying to secure important documents and files from destruction. But, mostly, he directed the Unit’s operations from London.

When the war was over, he built a house - Goldeneye - in Jamaica. He worked for the Kemsley group of papers and vacationed every winter in the island.

While awaiting the divorce of one of his numerous paramours - the pregnant Lady Anne Rothermere - the 44 years old Fleming wrote “Casino Royale” published in 1953. It was the first of 12 James Bond thrillers, translated to 11 languages and with total sales of 18 million copies. James Bond novels are now being authored by a new generation of writers.

In 1961, John F, Kennedy, the newly elected president, listed a James Bond title as one of his favorite books. Many movie plots were loosely based on Fleming’s novels and have grossed, in total, more than $1 billion. The 007 trademark was merchandised and attached to everything, from toys and games to clothes and toiletries.

But Fleming was also renowned for his non-fiction: tomes like “The Diamond Smugglers” and his “Atticus” column in The Sunday Times where he served as foreign manager (1945-9). He successfully branched into children’s literature with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1964), also made into a movie.

Ironically, his mother died and left him a fortune in 1964 - when Fleming was already wealthy and dying. The trip to her service may have done him in. His son committed suicide in 1975 and his wife died in 1981. He left behind one heir: James Bond.

Sam Vaknin ( samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.

Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.

Visit Sam’s Web site at samvak.tripod.com

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