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New writers network created...check it out

I decided to close out the Yahoo Group I started because I was bored with the setup. The group has been moved and is now a social network site with alot more capabilities than Yahoo Groups offered. If any of you are interested in another group for collaborating, promoting, or sharing work for reviews/critiques, check out the link below. I am setting up groups within the site for the different genres of writers to work on honing their crafts. The site will also feature one book a month from each genre. I hope to see you all there.Gentle Stormhttp://gswritersnetwork.ning.com
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Hello Everyone,We are looking for people that need book cover designs. If you like the book cover(s) displayed on my page. Please contact graphic-artist@gentlestorms.com for a quote on your project. We are having an end of the year 2008 special on FULL book cover designs for $208. A small additional fee will apply if you need us to provide a model's image or other major photos. We do not provide you templates sold to other authors. Each cover is custom designed.Thank you,Gentle Storm
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Small Business Owner Anxiety....HELP!

I have 4 days left until my biggest event of the year, the Sheer Elegance Bridal Extravaganza. I have gone through every emotion possible and now I am going through what I like to call Small Business Owner Anxiety. What is that you say? Well it is simply this. When you know you have the skillset, the talent, and the knowhow possible to reach every goal and surpass every obstacle that is placed in your way in your quest to Small Business Ownership to Corporation Mogulship, but you tend to have that complex of.....being hard on yourself. Doubting yourself, or simple questioning your abilities.I have been planning the Sheer Elegance Bridal Extravaganza since May, practically flying solo. However, I operate my business as a corporation versus a small business. You thinketh so you are. Having to be the owner, the operations manager, the account executive, the financial officer, accountant, receptionist, and sales manager, is a daunting task....if you ask me. How do I do it? I wish I could tell you. I just have had to have a lot of faith in my business, in my final goal, and the end result. I know that putting both my best left and right foot forward will present the image of ENVI that I want to present to my clients, vendors who patronize with us, and any other community members who may wish to use our services.Now, I am at the burnout phase. The part where you wish you had a helping hand or had seriously leaned on the hands that reached out to you, but because you (meaning me) has control anxiety or perfectionist issues, you would rather get it done yourself, you have now subjected yourself to be extremely tired. What do you do? Well, you need to reevaluate your processes and find a way to stay involved but use your resources. The benefit of having technology at your fingertips, means allowing you to work smarter not harder. You have tons of people at your fingertips who are resources in whatever field you need.Just reach out to them. The digital world is your friend.....use it.Think like a mogul.....and so you are!
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Black Business Network

Advertise your business free.It's a black community.If you are a Black Business Owner an need more clients to provide them with your products and services,Go to: www.BlackBusinessNetwork.com/RahimaIf you are not a Black Business Owner but would love to support Black Businesses getting a check for doing it without you having any products on hand only at the website,Go to: www.BlackStarOpportunity.com/Rahima
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Feel Secure...

You should always feel secure shopping. It is important to Suits Abounding that you, our customer feel secure when you shop with us.To ensure your privacy and to guard against identity theft we process all orders through PayPal.com.PayPal.com is the #1 online processor of online transactions. You can trust PayPal and Suits Abounding for several reasons:* You do not need a PayPal account to process your payment.* Pay without revealing sensitive financial details to us or any online retailer.* Information is automatically sent with a high level of data encryption.* To help safeguard you against identity theft, every PayPal payment is followed by an email confirming your transaction.In addition, don't take our word for it visit our Testimonial Page to read what customers have to say about their shopping experience at Suits Abounding.com.We look forward to helping you find that perfect outfit to compliment your style and to fit your wallet.Danielle Robinson - Owner/Operatorwww.suitsabounding.cominfo@suitsabounding.com866-920-3888
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Breaking NEWS Pass IT ON!

Press ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Lutonya M. LangJCMG Marketing & Promotions, Inc430 E. 162nd St #348South Holland, IL 60473Phone: (708) 257-6378JCMG MARKETING & PROMOTIONS, INC. INTRODUCES INSPIRATIONAL SOURCE TO MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT, INDUSTRYBUZZZ.COM!South Holland, IL-In the fall of August 2008- need assistance with expanding your vision? JCMG Marketing & Promotions, Inc. launched an innovative media outlet for industry change by visionary, Lutonya M. Lang; a believer that everyone has a vision; it's up to us to decide what to do with it.Functioning in three capacities, Inspirational Social Network, EMagazine, and Media Entertainment, raised the voice of inspirational talents, Media Outlets and moguls alike to not only dare to dream, but to expand the vision. This media platform is membership driven to uplift, inspire, strengthen our communities, and bring integrity back in businesses, interactions with others and media forums.Reaching over 27,000 viewers and growing, IndustryBuzzz.com is becoming a household name for aspiring talent of diverse categories along with impeccable interviewing and media coverage. INDUSTRYBUZZZ.COM'sonline social network is always looking for ways to perfect the vision! By doing so, it motivates visionaries to connect, expand, establish productive business relationships with potential clients and media outlets, while also provoking others to take there skills and talents to another dimension.INDUSTRYBUZZZ.COM not only focuses on music, news and entertainment, but on reaching the total man. The site is filled with a variety of interest groups designed to empower and gain knowledge in many topics. Lutonya M. Lang stated," We deal with real issues, real stories while provoking productive change in the Media today."The Emagazine pulls from the heart of ordinary to mainstream talent and moguls to rally our viewers to become all that God has purposed in their hearts to be. Our Insightful, informative and open forums of wealth, entertainment, and news will provide visionaries a source of relevance and exposure.Lutonya believes it is important to be informed about world news while maximizing the positive things God is doing for His people.Director of Artist Relations in STL-Chapter, and the 411 Buzzz of Artists News and Entertainment group host and interviewer, Ms. Dadria Hester, believes that "Industry Buzzz is a faith operative platform to assure the body and it's many members into their place of purpose. That place may be in the market place, marriage, ministries, health, finances, and or relationships! No matter where you are, you have a safe haven to get chimed in to stories of real people, with relevant voices!""As a freelance writer for Industry Buzzz..., JCMG's online EMagazine, I have had the privilege to work for and with an extraordinary visionary in LuTonya M. Lang. Heady and cutting edge, she is a force to be reckoned with in and outside of the Body of CHRIST." April 19, 2008, by David Eagles"Lutonya is a Public Relations professional that is very detailed oriented, assertive and results-driven. I highly recommend her because she is creative, no-nonsense and gets it done!" April 22, 2008, by Dionne Williams, Owner , D. Williams Public Relations GroupMedia Release by: Dadria Hester c/o dahe Productionz. daheprod@yahoo.com
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Novels by Diane Martin - Fallen Angel

Fallen Angel is the story of a man. He’s someone who walks among us everyday. On the outside, he's the picture of perfection, but on the inside there's a war going on. His name is Izrael, biblically, the Angel of Death. He just wants to be left alone as he struggles to deal with the demons of his past - his fears, his guilt, and his regrets. Everyone wants him – to be a part of his world whether willingly or by force. He fights daily to destroy the frightening thoughts that wreak havoc on his ability to find balance and peace of mind. He realizes that in order to survive - a part of him must die. His survival – his redemption depends on it. Join me as we take a journey with Izrael as he delivers his message with contempt and conviction.Please visit my website to view my other novels at: http://dimartin01.books.officelive.com or email me at: dimartin01@yahoo.comWe are currently offering free shipping and free gift wrapping on the purchase of each (autographed) novel.
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Autumn Leaves by Diane Martin

Diane,I started reading Autumn Leaves yesterday around 11 am while I was out taking [care] of business. Girl, I was so into the book that I was on chapter 30 before I knew it. So, I said when I get home I have to finish up this book, because I want to know what the he** is happening to Claire. So, I began again around 9 pm and finished at 2 am in the morning. Yes, your book was a page turner. I was laughing out loud at the end when Claire told Mimi what was going on and how Mimi responded. I said that sounds just how a friend responds to a situation like that.Omgosh.....your book was EXCELLENT! After talking to you at the library and you told me how you dream of the events and the book…you are truly gifted. Autumn Leaves is another well written book. I could relate to the situations presented in the book as well. Girl, you are so talented and all I can say is that I am happy I know you. It’s truly a pleasure to read the novels you write. So, you say there is talk about making "Never what it seems," into a movie, "Autumn Leaves," should be a movie as well. I wish you tons of prosperity in all your future endeavors.Written by Michelle Moorer, Author of Shh…Don’t Tell.To get your copy, please visit my website at: http://dimartin01.books.officelive.com or email me at: dimartin01@yahoo.comWe are offering FREE SHIPPING.
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Good News! We reached our maximum capacity for almost a week, however, we were able to secure additional lines for tonight. Be sure to call in to hear Richelle’s Top 7 Tips for Recession Busters, 3 Ways to grow your business right now, 17 FREE ways to promote your business online and offline, plus the 7 Essential Lists to have in your business…. Richelle Shaw is our resident business building expert and multi-millionaire mompreneur who started with no money, no investors, no grants, no loans and no credit. She built her company after losing it all in the 9/11 Tragedies. She is accustomed to building a business in this type of economy. Her tips were fantastic yesterday in the Chat Room – click here to read the comments. http://sistapreneurs.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=932382%3ATopic%3A239311 Or click here to listen to the last call. Check out her profile and comments from the first call here! http://sistapreneurs.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=932382%3ATopic%3A237802 This is a rare opportunity to have her take time out of her busy schedule to help you build your business. What are you waiting for? Register now to receive call in numbers and times PLUS the NOTES to follow along. Register for the call right here: http://sistapreneurs.ning.com/page/page/show?id=932382%3APage%3A233218 LH p.s. did you see her profiled in Black Enterprise with Oprah? Click here to see http://sistapreneurs.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=932382%3ABlogPost%3A238236
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Tonight: Do Black People Know Our History?

My guest on tonight's show is Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, founder of the Law and Policy Group and author of Race, Law and American Society 1607-Present. She has a lot to say about Black history and how the law has affected us in Britain and the U.S.A.I had a fascinating conversaton with Gloria last night. She lectures in law in New York City and she told me that some of her students from Caribbean backgrounds were not aware that slavery had even happened there - they thought African people were indigenous to their islands. They had never been taught about slavery. (These are NOT Jamaicans, she assures me.)Similarly, I was told by a previous guest, Tony Warner, that people in African countries are not aware of their history because the education system does not tell them about it. Click here to read more about that.Tonight's show is going to be lively, informative and thought-provoking. I hope you will join us at 8:00 p.m. UK time. Click here to join us.
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LIVING WITH A SCORPIO WOMAN!

If you're a scorpio and know it clap your hands! Alright now, this blog if for those ever intuitive scorpions and the people who love us. I am a true scorpio and live by the scorpion rule :I DON'T TAKE NO SHIT! None, nada, zip, zero! LOL! Alot of people take our kindness for a weakness only to get their asses stung in the end. Our insight keeps us one step ahead of the crowd and our cutting tongue will keep many at bay. This blog is dedicated to ALL the scorpion men and woman out there and the world that loves us. If you're a scorpion woman, pleeease leave a comment on here telling EVERYONE why you are a TRUE SCORPIO! If you're fortunate enough to have a scorpion in your life, by all means tell us about it. We are some loyal mutha's and live proudly up to that title. My first question to you (scorpion) is; HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH FOREVER FAKE FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEIR CONTINUED UNWARRANTED JEALOUSY OF YOU AND YOUR LIFE? I have been going thru this situation FOREVER! I normally deal with it by wishing them well. I do. (Now 5 years ago I would have been knocking on their doors dragging them out of their apartments handing out ass whoopings).LOL! But, I quickly realized something, why should I lose sleep over someone who is resting peacefully? In my journey to become successful, I, the true scorpion that I am, will always start from the bottom up so that I can learn EVERYTHING on that ladder heading way up to the top. I cannot afford to build alliances where there are strings attached. Yall know what I'm saying? Mmm,Hmm. Sometimes when you cut corners, step over important lessons, jump the line, miss a class, diss a friend or colleague, snatch someone else's shine, cut a throat or use that casting couch, you will always see everyone you hurt when you're on your way back down that ladder. I can truly say that being a scorpion has gotten me out of some real pickled situations and has kept me on my toes. I can read a person within 5 minutes of talking to them and will SHUT THEM DOWN if they are trying some bullsh**! That's why I KNOW all my endeavors will get me where I need to be. HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND HAPPY!Basic Profile:Passionate, vibrant, magnetic, perceptive, emotional, sensual, alert, willful, determined, resourceful, purposeful, directed, dominant, ambitious, fearless, committed, intense, but can be obsessive, extreme, vengeful, jealous, spiteful, unforgiving, bully, menacing, possessive, arrogant   How to Recognize SCORPIO"The question is . . . which is to be master- that's all."An encyclopedia describes a scorpion as a nocturnal arachnid that attacks and paralyzes its prey with a poison injected by the long, curved tail, used for both defense and destruction. Its sting is sometimes fatal.People often draw back visibly when someone says he or she was born in November, murmuring, "Oh, you're a Scorpio!" either in frank fear, or in awe and respect. Some­times there's also a giggle that obviously refers to the legendary Scorpio passion. Scorpios are fed up with these reactions to their Sun sign, and who can blame them? But they are ruthless and dangerous, right?Wrong. It depends. First, you'd better learn how to recognize the sign. In self-defense perhaps-or because you seek a really superior human being.Scorpio likes to travel incognito. Thanks to his well-controlled nature, he usually succeeds, but there are a couple of short cuts which will make it easier to penetrate his disguise at midnight or at noon.Look at the eyes. They can be green, blue, brown or black, but they'll be piercing with hypnotic intensity. Most people feel nervous and ill at ease under Scorpio's steady gaze. You'll have to break the spell and look away first. He'll outstare you every time. It's a foolproof identifica­tion of the Pluto personality. Scorpio eyes bore deeply into you, mercilessly, as if they're penetrating your very souL They are.Next, listen to him speak. The tone can be velvety soft, husky or sharply cutting, the speech slow and measured or clipped and staccato, but what he says will never be self-effacing. Scorpio has total ego. He knows what he is and he knows what he is not, and nothing anyone else thinks will change this knowledge. Insults roll right off his back, and compliments don't move him a fraction of an inch. He needs bo one to tell him his vices or his virtues. At best, he'll calmly agree with your appraisal; at worst, he'll suspect your motives.The next time you're with a group of people, bring up a discussion of Sun signs. Mention that, with a little practice, it's fairly easy to recognize them. When someone fastens you with a hypnotic gaze, and states with supreme confidence, "You can't guess what I am," say firmly, "You're a Scorpio." It may be the first time he's ever blinked. But his stare will waver only for an instant, and he'll quickly regain the cool composure he exhibited before you exposed his careful disguise. If you ever come across a chattering Scorpio whose eyes wander, chalk him up as an astrological exception as rare as the dodo bird. There are some November people with heavy planetary influences of restlessness in their nativities, but you're trying to leam to recognize the typical Scorpio. You'll find very few of the nervous kind. The nature can be modified by other natal influences, but only slightly.Most Pluto people have powerful physiques. The features are noticeably heavy or sharp, and clearly drawn, and the nose is quite prominent, sometimes beak-shaped. Ordinarily, the complexion is very pale, almost translucent, and the brows are heavy and knit together over the bridge of the nose. There's a crackling, electric vitality about the very presence of a Scorpio that gives him away. As quiet as he tries to be, such a vital force can't be hidden com­pletely. The males will have a heavy growth of hair on the arms and legs, often with a reddish cast. Most Scorpios have darkish hair and eyes, but don't overlook the frosty blonde types, of which Grace Kelly and Billy Graham are excellent examples. Frosty on the outside, that is. The poised surface calm of the Pluto character is carefully de­signed to hide the boiling inner nature.Such mastery of the personality has to be envied. No matter how his emotions are stirred, youll rarely see them reflected on Scorpio's frozen, immobile face. These people proudly and consciously practice a blank expression. They command their features to remain firm, and their features obey. (They wouldn't dare disobey a Scorpio.) You'll sel­dom see Scorpio give himself away by blushing or flushing, frowning or grinning. Smiles are rare, but genuine. The body follows the same orders as the face. There will rarely be any jumping, sudden starts or nervous mannerisms.He'll never flinch with embarrassment or swell up with pride. Reaction is always kept at a bare minimum, because Scorpio's art is to probe your nature and motives relent­lessly, while remaining inscrutable himself, and he's an ex­pert at it.It's important to remember that there is a particular type of Scorpio who moves and speaks rather quickly, and appears to have an open, friendly manner. Look deeply into his eyes and really think about some of his past actions, his true behavior. He's really just playing a game with all his happy talk. Inside, he's as tough and determined as the more typical, poised Pluto people. Perhaps he's even a shade more dangerous because his disguise is better, and he fools you more easily. Start treating him as Chariie-nice-guy, who's completely harmless, and you may be courting some trouble. Be on guard with all Scorpios. I don't mean they're wicked. They're just not soft or naive. Some Scorpios, realizing that their eyes expose their inner intensity, wear sunglasses frequently, even at night.Remark to a Scorpio that he has a great talent which will someday be recognized, and he smoothly, casually re­plies, "Yes. I know." Ask him if he'll do you a favor, and (he answer will be equally simple. "Yes, of course I will," or "No, I can't do that."If you're sensitive, don't ask his opinion or advice. You'll get the naked, brutal truth. You asked him, hell tell you. Scorpio will not pay a false compliment to gain a point or win an ally. It's beneath him to flatter. When he says something nice to you, treasure it. You can be sure it's sincere and unvarnished. If he says you have a good voice, stop singing in the shower and grab a microphone. If he says you have a great voice, you can safely audition for the Met. He may even effortlessly move a few mountains out of your way to help you along. Don't believe everything you hear about Scorpio selfishness. Instead, listen to some of the grateful people who have been on the receiving end of his wise counsel and generosity. Scorpio naturally at­tracts either fiercely loyal and dedicated admirers, or en­vious and spiteful enemies. But even the latter give him grudging respect, and you'll notice they're careful not to challenge him openly. The examples of the few who did are vivid and painful reminders that caution is required in an attack against Scorpio and his planet, Pluto. Remem­ber that Pluto rules nuclear power.Yet, there's a haunting sweetness about these people, and often a gentle sympathy with the sick or despairing. Scor­pio's touch can be cool and tender, as well as hot. His Sun position gives him several paths to follow. He can imitate the nocturnal scorpion, who will sting others and even gong himself to death for the pure pleasure of stinging- or he can imitate the glorious, soaring path of his symbolic eagle, who rises above earthly limitations, and uses his strength wisely and justly. Great generals like MacArthur, presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and scientists like Madame Curie and Jonas Salk are eagles. More United I States presidents have been born under this sign than any other.As for the nocturnal scorpions, you may have been stung by a few yourself. Ancient astrology refers to them as serpents. It's not hard to guess which category the ones you meet belong to. A few Pluto people fall somewhere between the eagle and the stinging scorpion, victims of their own black magic. These are the gray lizards. With them, supreme self sacrifice becomes neurotic concern about the self, and psychic abilities become fearful appre­hensions of the lurking evils which may strike at any moment. Forceful courage twists itself around, and instead of seeking the ruthless revenge of the stinger scorpions-or rising above such bitterness like the eagles-they bitterly withdraw in tangled hatreds at each minor injury, hoping fate will punish their enemies, almost unconsciously willing destruction without direct action.The gray lizards fail to draw on the power of Pluto in their natures-power that could lift them high above all the unfortunate circumstances that surround them. In the very teeth of tragedy, this awesome inner strength could give them a new life in the sunlight. But they seek the dark shadows and lie dormant, a pathetic waste of the brilliant potential of their birthright. Still, Scorpio can never slide deep enough into the slime of bitter depression to com­pletely lose the power of Pluto. It's never too late for the gray lizard to transform himself into an eagle. That kind . of deep magic belongs exclusively to every person born I ii ^der the Sun sign of Scorpio. All they need do is to call on it. Typical eagles have no fear. In battle they'll lead their men into the very face of death without a tremor. Even the average Pluto man or woman bravely faces anything from physical pain and poverty to ridicule and failure with a proud contempt and complete confidence in an inner ability to overcome any blow.Scorpio is intensely loyal to friends. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Some of them do this literally, for friends, rela­tives or loved ones-in battle or in a civilian crisis. The Scorpio soldier leaps instantly, instinctively, to brave the bullets and drag his buddy to safety. The Scorpio fireman gives his life to rescue the child in the burning building. Sometimes it seems Pluto people unconsciously seek vio­lence deliberately, as a challenge to their strength.Scorpio never forgets a gift or a kindness, and it's richly rewarded. Conversely, he also remembers an injury or an injustice, but there are different ways of reacting. The eagle will crush the enemy so the enemy leams never to hurt him again, win the fight, and leave the defeated to go his own way. The deadly nocturnal scorpion will first sting, then plan destruction, then sting again. He's not content with merely evening the score. He must totally destroy the enemy, or at least top him. The typical scorpion stinger will lie awake nights figuring how to get even. If a neighbor deliberately scrapes his fender, he'll scrape two fenders on the neighbor's car the next day, and maybe drive over his carefully pruned hedges for good measure. These scorpions are seldom content with forcing the shoe on the other foot to teach enemies how it feels. They glue the sandal on with cement. However, with the gray lizards, Pluto revenge takes the form of bitterness held inside for years, which inevitably causes deep melancholy or actual, lingering physical illness. Seething Scorpio re­sentment, turned inward and never expressed, poisons with deadly certainty. Turned outward, it can create guilt, be­cause the stinger scorpion is ashamed to harm the defense-less, when all is said and done. Therefore, it should be turned neither way-inward nor outward. It should be conquered by looking up and forgetting, like the eagle- never by looking back in anger and retaliation.The Scorpio health picture is typical of his nature. He can destroy his body with excesses, melancholy or hard work. But he can also built it back at will from a critical illness. Pluto's power is that strong. Scorpios are seldom sick, but when they are, it's usually serious. A long rest and a change of attitude, with peaceful acceptance replacing burning resentment, are the best cures. They can't let well enough alone, and of course, they know more than the doctor and all the nurses. The chief areas of attack for germs and accidents are the reproductive organs, the nose, the throat, the heart, spine, back, circulatory system, legs and ankles. Varicose veins and accidents in sports are common. They should avoid fire, explosives, noxious fumes and radiation. Yet, you'll find lots of them seek occupa­tions that flirt with danger along these very lines. Some­times they have chronic nose bleeds, or surgery is per­formed on the nose for some reason.Scorpio is deeply interested in religion, intensely curious about all phases of life and death, passionately concerned with sex and violently drawn by a desire to reform. Yet he's also heroic, dedicated to ties of family and love, and gently protective of children and weaker souls. He can be a saint or a sinner. He can experiment with the darkest mysteries this side of Hades, or he can scathingly revile sin and decadence. Whether he emotes from a pulpit, at a business meeting, or from a stage, his hypnotic appeal pierces through his audience, literally transfixing or trans­figuring them. It's really rather frightening. Even if the Scorpio has temporarily allowed bitterness, drink or melan­choly to drag him into the Bowery, you can bet your old copy of Dante's Inferno that the other bums will clear a path when they see him coming.He's fiercely possessive of what he believes to be his, including success, but his ambition is never obvious. He quietly waits for the chance to move ahead all the while he serves, knowing he is qualified for the position above him. He takes control slowly, but very surely. Scorpio can do just about anything he wants to do. If he really wants it, it's most definitely no longer a dream. The dark, magical and mysterious power of Pluto turns desire into reality with cool, careful, fixed intent.Although a morbid desire to know the worst of sick and depraved humanity can create a gray lizard who dabbles in drugs and cruelty, he can reverse the path to a life of medicine, where drastic treatments with the same symbols have a deep fascination for him. Although many of the rumored sadistic surgeons are Scorpios, it's equally true that many of the finest medical men in the entire world are inspired by Pluto to heal both the mind and the body, diagnosing and treating with strange, inscrutable knowledge.Scorpio was born knowing the secrets of life and death, and with the ability to conquer both if he chooses. But astrology constantly advises him that "he must know that he knows." The ancient mysteries fascinate his brilliant mind. Out of his powerful empathy with human nature grows the outstanding detective, the composer of great musical works, literature of depth and permanence, or the actor who projects with unusual dramatic intensity. Some­times he lives alone, near the sea, as strong and as silent as the tides. Sometimes he faces the public, wearing a mask of calm reserve and control, to hide his intense desire to win. He can be a politician or a television star, an under­taker or a bartender, but he'll manage to top all his com­petitors. And hell do it so effortlessly it will seem like an act of fate rather than his own powerful will.One of the strangest patterns in astrology is the death of a relative in the family within either a year before or the year after the birth of a Scorpio. And when a Scorpio dies, there will be a birth in the family within the year be­fore or the year after. It happens at least ninety-five percent of the time. Pluto's symbol is the triumphant phoenix rising from its own smoldering ashes, and Scorpio per­sonifies the resurrection from the grave. Both the gray lizards and the stinging scorpions can become proud eagles without ever revealing the secret of their sorcery. No use to ask-Scorpio will never tell. But he knows the eternal truth of the circle contained in the symbolic zero.November's thistle is dangerous, yet it grows entwined with the heavy, languid beauty of the Scorpio honeysuckle. Have you ever inhaled that sweet, overwhelming fragrance on a still midsummer's night? Then you will know why there are those who brave the thistles to seek the gentle­ness of Scorpio-exquisite gentleness. The explosive pas­sion of Pluto has the rich, dark red wine color of the bloodstone. But Scorpio steel is tempered in a furnace of unbearable heat until it emerges cool, satiny smooth-and strong enough to control the nine spiritual fires of Scorpio's wisdom.Famous Scorpio PersonalitiesMarie Antoinette Jim Bishop Richard Burton Richard E. Byrd Johnny Carson Prince Charles Chiang Kai-shek Madame Curie Charles de Gaulle Marie Dressier George Eliot George Galiup Indira Gandhi Billy Graham Hetty GreenKatharine Hepbum Grace Kelly Robert Kennedy Vivien Leigh Martin Luther Douglas MacArthur Margaret Mead Marianne Moore Jawaharlal Nehru Mike Nichols Pablo Picasso Theodore Roosevelt Jonas Salk Eric Sevareid Billy SundayThe SCORPIO ManAnd her eyes immediately met thoseof a large, blue caterpillarthat was sitting on the top with its arms folded, quietlysmoking a long hookah . . .The caterpillar and Alicelooked at each other in silence,If you're in love with a Scorpio male and the word passion frightens you, put on your track shoes and run as if King Kong were pursuing you. He is.I'm not speaking of romantic passion alone, though that may be at the head of the list. I also refer to pas­sionate intensity about politics, work, friendship, religion, food, relatives, children, clothing, life, death and any other categories you can think up. A Scorpio man is not exactly what your psyche needs if you're repelled by emotional excess. Don't look back. Just run.You'll think I've taken leave of my senses if you've just met that particular Pluto person. He's so calm and steady. How could anyone with such obvious self-control be passionate, let alone dangerously so? How indeed. Be­cause he's only bluffing with the surface cool. Inside, his passions are as red hot as that stove you burned your hand on when you were three or four years old and getting into things out of your reach. This man may also be out of reach. He's sizzling underneath his deceptively controlled manner. Don't touch. You know perfectly well how long it takes for bums to heal. Remember? Your hand was stinging for weeks after that episode with the stove when you were in your Buster Browns. After this experience, your heart will burn for months, maybe years, and first aid kits will do little good. Grandma's favorite saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," applies to both stove burns and Scorpio singes, so play it safe. Make sure you know where you're going and with whom.If your Sun sign gives you an asbestos, fireproof nature, go ahead and play with explosives. You may be able to keep the flames under control and have yourself a powerful fire to warm your heart for a lifetime. Perhaps you're pas­sionate about things yourself. Fine. Then it's simply a mat­ter of degree of heat. If your passion has an automatic thermostat, so it can be turned down to cool when his reads hot, you're safe. Let's pretend you are. The girls who are in danger should be in the next state by now, if they ran fast enough. They'll thank me someday after they've married a nice, safe Libran or Cancerian.As for you women who have analyzed yourselves as safe in a Pluto relationship, let's see if we can find what's hidden behind those hypnotic, piercing Scorpio eyes. It's pretty certain he hasn't made a neutral impression on you. He's either got you thinking he's boyish and sweet, or that he's wicked and passionate. (There goes that word again.) The trouble is, he's neither. Or maybe I should say he's both. Well, this isn't getting us anywhere. Let's start all over again.In a word, this man is invincible. Just behind his frosty reserve is a huge pot of boiling steam that bubbles and seethes continually. If you're lucky, he'll keep the lid on. tight for a lifetime, but a deep injury can blow it right off with a brilliant explosion. It's kind of fascinating to watch. if you're not in its direct line of destruction. Step aside, if you feel it coming. And don't do anything to cause it yourself.Hell bewilder you with his twin Scorpio traits of passion and reason. He's master of both: intellect and emotions rule him equally. Scorpio is more than intelligent. If he's a highly evolved specimen, he's also deeply philosophical, concerned with mysteries of existence, and he'll come close to knowing the answers.There are Scorpios who can live a spartan existence in a bare room, denying themselves every comfort for some obscure, aesthetic reason, but the true nature of the sign is sensual. Normally, Scorpio will surround himself with luxury. He'll lean toward excesses in food, drugs, drink, and yes-in love. Most assuredly in love. He's geared for it, with confidence. Romance will never frighten him, puz­zle him, or catch him unaware. It's been on his mind ever since he rode his first bicycle. Maybe even his first tricycle. Of course, you could conceivably know a Scorpio who is so absolutely innocent-looking, with such disarming, youthful charm and lack of obvious seductive mannerisms, he's convinced you that passion is over-rated in Pluto males. He may even have freckles, and a whole drawer full of Boy Scout merit badges. But ask his wife. Try some­thing like, "Say, Bertha-or Rosalie-or Sheila-or what­ever-is your husband, well, is he passionate?" She might summon enough dignity to tell you it's none of your busi­ness, but your answer will most likely be hysterical laugh­ter. Between her peals of mirth, she'll be remembering many days of his intense, passionate declarations about air pollution, housebreaking the dog, narcotics, long hair, birth control, and many nights of ... well, and many nights. This will be true even if her husband looks like Huckle­berry Finn, and doesn't even remotely resemble King Kong.These men have an explosive temper that can strike a life-time wound. When the Scorpio lashes his deadly tail, the sting bites hard. He not only enjoys winning, he has to win. Something inside him dies when he loses, even in small ways; yet oddly enough, a Pluto man normally prac­tices good sportsmanship. Like all his other emotions, dis­appointment never shows on those set features, and his reactions are rigidly controlled, including his romantic in­tentions. If there's a good reason to avoid the relationship, hell bum inside while he's projecting a glacial calm out­wardly. He's also capable of torturing a girl cruelly before he finally decides to grab her by the hair and drag her off to his jungle of honeysuckle vines. Naturally, there are some November fellows who will gently propose on bended knee. They'll behave very properly, with or without a chaperone, but don't be deceived. It's merely the Scorpio desire to keep dignity at all cost. Your reputation must be spotless. He won't stand for ridicule or cheapness, for all his erotic nature.Pluto people can have either a Sunday School teacher horror of sin, an attitude which produces intensely dedi­cated evangelistic religious leaders, like Billy Graham, or they can be driven by curiosity to penetrate every dark corner of the human mystery. Sometimes, both attitudes are combined, resulting in the hypocrisy or self-delusion of an Elmer Gantry or a Reverend Davidson in Rain.Every Scorpio is a law unto himself, and completely un­concerned with what others think of him. He would like to be respected as a good, solid citizen, but if it interferes with any of his intense ideas or goals, then he couldn't care less, and those who gossip can just go to the place Pluto rules. None of his important decisions are hampered by the opinions of his friends, relatives, neighbors or enemies. I'm sorry to say, not even by you. Don't run away yet. Such beautiful self-containment and sureness of purpose can create a mighty attractive, free spirit who's not always fussing about what people think. Are honesty and courage and integrity such bad bargains? They may have lost a little of their sparkle in today's marketplace, but rub off the dust they've collected, and you can still get them appraised as genuine.It's quite an experience to see the Scorpio man operate under adversity's black clouds. While others are mumbling and crumbling and grumbling, he is at his forceful, cou­rageous best. He seldom wallows in envy or self-pity, and he doesn't happen to think that life owes him a single farthing. You can just imagine how much time that saves. Instead of pouting in hurt anger when real troubles hit, he meets them head on. Conquer them? But of course.That's what he was born to do.One thing is a little frightening, and may require courage on your part. Scorpio loves mystery and there's not a single one that crosses his path he won't solve in detail. Since the eternal feminine mystery is any girl's most potent defense and offense, being stripped naked of your mystery can leave you feeling a little exposed. You'll scarcely have a secret left when he starts probing with those burning eyes and piercing questions.He has high standards, and he won't choose his friends loosely. They'll have to measure up. This is a marvelous, rare kind of man who can share a jug of spirits and joke with rough humor among other men like a bawdy Eliza­bethan; then tap that deep, inscrutable nature and turn into as gentle and tender a lover as Robert Browning. If there's anything more to ask for in a male animal, I don't know what it might be. Submissiveness and forgiveness? Detachment and caution? That's not fair. You knew he was short on those qualities back in the beginning.He can be cruel sometimes, for his own, unfathomable reasons, and he may even exhibit a sadistic sense of wit by describing you as fat, dumpy, shrewish and square in front of friends. It's his private joke. Grin, if it kills you. You've been warned that Scorpio is compelled to conceal his motives, and this tendency isn't watered down in love. It may even be intensified. He's not about to display his true emotions in front of the world like a vulnerable, smitten schoolboy. Later, when you're alone, he'll tell you what he really thinks.Marriage gives you a certain security, but if he pulls some of his Pluto tricks before the knot is tied, it may hurt, and you'll fail to get the humor. Still, don't even think about telling him that his harsh, self-sufficient who-needs-you? game makes you feel like jumping off a bridge. The Scorpio man will just tell you to go ahead and jump. It may take a while to adjust to his personality, but it will eventually toughen you up. If you're too soft, you'll bruise easily with a Scorpio. Never ask him what he thinks of a new dress or hair-do, unless you're prepared to be stung by the brutal truth. At least you'll know his positive state­ments are honest, and not pasted together with the sticky glue of bored, insincere flattery. It's better to brave a good, healthy "You look awful," now and then, and be rewarded by an occasional "You're really beautiful, you know," than to swallow a constant diet of vague remarks like: "Yes, dear, it's lovely, sugar. Mmmmm-just fine, pigeon," from other men. Don't you think so? I do. But then, you're the one who has to live with it.When it comes to jealousy, you'd better tread very, very carefully. He could bum and erupt like Mount Vesuvius in its heyday if you should accidentally wink near a man when a cinder gets in your eye, and if you ever give him a real reason to be suspicious, you're a very brave woman. But you'd better pack away your own jealous streak in the trunk, and then lock it. It will make no impression at all to drench him in angry tears or reproachful recriminations. No matter how he behaves, just say to yourself, "He loves me, and he will never discard real love for physical promiscuity. He's loyal to his deep ties, and he's only practicing his hypnotic art with those girls." Say it once before each meal, in the morning and at bedtime. Especially at bedtime. Women will find him irresistibly attractive, but keep remembering that if anyone is strong enough to resist such continual flattery and temptation, it's a Scorpio. Doesn't that make you feel better? It should. It's true.He'll probably be a stern father. The children won't get away with an ounce of lazy or frivolous behavior. Hell teach them to respect property, but he'll also teach them to respect themselves. Youngsters will seldom get the chance to form any false values around a Scorpio papa. Although he'll love them with as much sincere passion as he puts into everything else he cares about, he won't Stand for any nonsense. He'll protect them when they need it, but they'll soon get the message that he expects them to stand alone. If they borrow money from him, he's liable to charge them interest on it, but it's for their own good. They may not realize that until he's gone some-day, but the lesson will eventually come home to them. Lots of children of Scorpio fathers resent his high-handed authority and tight discipline throughout childhood, and especially during the rebellious years, but as adults, they realize how lucky they were to have his firm guidance. From no other father can children learn so much truth about the way life really is. Often his offspring will find him gentle and funny; still there won't be any question about who is boss. He'll joke and laugh with them, and give them a sense of freedom, but the chalk line will be drawn, and they'll know not to cross it. Even as they resent his attitude of command, the children will secretly admire his strength and try to imitate it, but occasionally it works the other way. A gentle child may feel bullied and cowed by Scorpio power, and retreat into neurotic intro­version, fearing to risk his displeasure. Then you'll have to remind him that affection and tenderness sometimes get more results than his normal, unbending, autocratic manner. Just be sure you remind him tactfully and respectfully. A Scorpio man will never allow a woman to dictate to him. Never in a million years. He is the man and you are the woman, and if you have any doubts about it, you will be set straight so surely that you'll never need but one lesson. Yet, a Scorpio husband with a wife who truly understands him, will be tender, sympathetic, considerate, and repay her loyalty with the kind of love most women only read about and wish for.It won't help much to try to resist this man, once the flame has been stirred and he's decided he wants you. Hell hypnotize you right out of all your good intentions. The magnetism of Scorpio men is almost tangible. You feel you can reach out and touch it. When you do, you may get a surprise. It will bum you only if you're over-sensitive and scorchable. If you're patient and strong, it will be like touching cool marble. Girls are out of their league with him. It takes a brave woman to fly with the eagle and not crash. He can soar higher than his symbolic bright star Antares in the constellation of Scorpio, then dip down suddenly to earthy expression. Hang on tightly, but keep your eyes open wide, and you'll see horizons with him the timid will never see. Look over there, just beyond the tall fir trees-did you ever in your whole life experience such a sunrise? Sunset will be just as grand.   The SCORPIO Woman"Consider anything only don't cry . . ."The female Scorpio has a deep, mysterious beauty. She's magnetic, proud and totally confident. But she has one secret regret. She was not born a man.I can almost feel the heat from here when Pluto women hear about that revelation. There's not a Scorpio female alive who doesn't think she's all woman, and you may wonder what I'm talking about yourself, if you're in love with one. This girl certainly has enough glamour, and she's enormously seductive. But I didn't say she looked like a boy, nor did I intend to imply she doesn't do a bang-up job of being a female. It's just that, unconsciously, she would prefer to be a man. Less restriction-more oppor­tunity. It's the one secret she even hides from herself, and seeing it exposed won't sit well with her.Once the Scorpio girl has figured out the difference be­tween blue booties and pink booties, she'll resign herself to wearing the pink ones, because she's fabulous at mak­ing the best out of a situation. But pink is not her natural color. The true shade of her nature is dark maroon, or deep wine-red, not a female color at all. However, to give her proper tribute, she's able to make you think it is. I know one who's great at pretending to be a fragile, fluffy kitten. She purrs so contentedly most men guess she's an ultra-feminine Piscean. They topple into her trap and wake up later, sadder but wiser. She is no kitten.Scorpio women have a scornful contempt for members of their sex who flop in the roles of sweetheart, wife and mother, once they're stuck with the parts. A Pluto girl will control her desire to dominate, while she gives a glorious performance of womanhood, and she'll do it with more finess than the masculine Aries, Leo or Sagittarius girl. At least she'll do it during courtship. There may be a few cases when the unsuspecting male gets a rude sur­prise after he shakes the rice out of his shoes and the illusions out of his eyes. Unlike the Mars female, for example, a Scorpio will subdue her drive and magnetize a man with the heavy perfume of her exotic glance as she allows him to use his lighter to ignite her cigarette. That's far sexier than aggressively striking a match herself and blowing the smoke in his face, and she knows it. She knows lots more. Another girl might rush headlong into your arms and shout her love from the rooftops. The Scorpio girl walks toward you slowly, seductively, and silently delivers her private message. It's puzzling, but these women can look seductive in jeans, jodhpurs or basketball shoes. Maybe it's her husky voice that creates the image. I know one who wore a baseball cap (honest) the entire time her future husband was courting her, and she spent a lot of time talking about batting averages. But she was as seductive as Mata Hari just the same, and she got her man. (He was hypnotized, as usual.)You can give her a tumble, but she won't fall all over herself reacting to your overtures. Don't expect her to bat long, sweeping eyelashes at you, and adore you with blind devotion. Lots of female Scorpios are tomboys with stubby eyelashes. Besides, with those beautiful, mysterious eyes that can read your mind so clearly, she doesn't need any extra trimming. Whisper something romantic that would melt another girl out of her senses, and the Scorpio girl will simply give you an intense, penetrating look that will see right straight through to your real intentions. She's a human X-ray machine, so don't flirt. Unless you mean business, you're wasting her time and insulting her. I wouldn't advise you to insult a Scorpio. It's just not healthy. If you don't know what I mean, ask someone who has. He may have some stories to tell that will curl your hair.I'm well aware that this dangerous femme fatale can hide her power of retaliation with a tremulous smile, gentle mannerisms, and the most breathless voice this side of an angel. But astrologers are expected to be up on these things. It's more important for you to be well aware. After all, you're the one who's seeking to tame her-or protect your­self against her-whichever. Probably both.You can be sure that heaven certainly has no fury like that of a Scorpio woman who's lost her normal steady control over those inward, seething, Pluto emotions. She can be overbearing and domineering, sarcastic and frigid- then turn as hot as an oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. She can hate with bitter venom and love with fierce abandon. She can shriek like a furious banshee or whisper like an affectionate turtle dove. One thing you can be sure of- she's never wishy-washy.The Scorpio woman has a disconcerting gift that can make icy shivers run up your spine. It's a peculiar form of black magic, and she weaves it so expertly it can seem like real witchcraft. You have very little chance to escape, once her eyes meet yours. Because of her mystical sixth sense, she can often recognize a future mate at first glance, and somehow, she'll transfer this perception instantly. You'll have one of two reactions. You'll be hopelessly caught in her spell, and down you'll go, in a dizzy spin toward surrender, or you'll be scared right out of your socks, and feel like running for help. What's your rush? Stay around awhile. You might find out what life is all about. She knows. And she'll teach you. Anyway, you should be flattered that she considers you worth that strange gaze. A Scorpio woman can't excuse weakness in a man. She looks for ambition and courage. She wants a mate who can dominate her and make her proud, without disturbing her secret individuality. He's expected to be strong, masculine and better-looking than average. A high degree of intelligence is required to match her own excellent mind, plus more than a passing acquaintance with abstract, philosophical wisdom. So put your socks back on and practice a superior smirk. Everybody you know will think you're pretty super to have her staring at you. The men and women both. It could open new vistas, when you think about it. Your personal stock should zoom several points higher than it was before she noticed you.Having once achieved closeness with a female Scorpio, you can be positive you're a unique and unusual man. You can also be sure that her love for you is unmatched by any you'll ever experience-and you can take that in sev­eral ways. You'll be the most important interest in her life. If she's a typical Pluto girl, she'll boost you loyally, and try to please you with passionate intensity. If you're too hard to please, she'll show her frustration with pas­sionate attempts to conquer your disinterest.The word "passionate" probably caught your eye. Most men have heard exciting rumors about the passion of November females. It's true. She's brimming over inside with passion, though it's kept under rigid control by a poised, frosty attitude toward strangers, and a surface smoothness suggestive of black velvet. But the male sex is too inclined to relate passion strictly to romantic action; and that's selling her short, because Pluto's definition of the word is far more encompassing. It's involved with her feelings about everything she touches. She's never just slightly interested. It's impossible for her to be detached or casual. She seldom likes or dislikes a play, a book, re­ligion, furniture or people. She either bitterly resents or she intensely worships. If one of these two passions can't be aroused, then she totally ignores, with ice around the edges. Yet, through it all, she'll remain essentially un­touched by emotional storms, judging at least from her placid exterior, which always drapes itself around her after each minor or major nuclear explosion. It may be difficult to convince your mother-in-law that her daughter really broke all those dishes and tore all those draperies to shreds after the fury has subsided and her black velvet poise has returned. People may look at you as if you're a character assassinator. What do you mean? Shame on you, accusing that cool, controlled, lovely girl of such a temper. You have my sympathy, if that's any help.She has such fabulous virtues, you might know her vices wouldn't be skimpy, either. So think about her good points. All right, then, think about her good points after that lump on your head has healed.Because she's drawn to investigation of the shadows, she may at first seem to be tempting, forbidden fruit, and the deep, strange expression in her eyes intensifies the impres­sion. It's true that the Scorpio girl sometimes wanders into dangerous waters in her efforts to penetrate life, and since there's not the slightest trace of fear in her (unless she has an affliction to her Moon, and is full of nameless terrors), her search may indeed take her into some weird byways. But the typical Scorpio will emerge from any discovery still strong and pure. If she allows the journey to soil her inner spirit, Pluto will punish her with anguished remorse and guilt; yet she can still call on her great strength of character to rise again, like the phoenix, from the ashes of her experiments. In Kahlil Gibran's writings, the Prophet replies, in answer to a question about Evil, "Of the Good in you I can speak, but not of the Evil. For what is Evil but Good-tortured by its own hunger and thirst? When Good is hungry, it seeks food, even in dark caves, and when it thirsts, it drinks even of dead waters." A perfect description of Scorpio.She may have been a fascinated spectator to a million human foibles, and she may have tasted a variety of ex­periences to savor the knowledge. But she can mysteriously emerge from all her explorations above suspicion, and still superior to almost every other woman you know. She could be the keeper of quite a few secrets. It's surprising how many dark deeds are confessed to Scorpios, though their own inner lives are marked: "Private-Keep Out." She likes to hear secrets, but she'll seldom tell anything any­one has confided in her, not even to you (unless there's an afflicted Mercury in her natal chart). You can also expect her to have a stack of secrets that relate to her personally, and don't try to pry them out of her. There's a private part to this woman you'll never touch, a part of her mind and soul that belongs strictly to her, and there's absolutely no trespassing there. She's not untruthful, in fact she's more oftien too brutally honest, yet there will always be those special thoughts and feelings she won't confide to you or anyone else.A Scorpio woman will be incredibly loyal to those she finds strong and deserving, but the weak ones will never be honored by her glance. Her dignity in human relation­ships can make her seem aloof and snobbish. In a way, she definitely is, because she practices a personal caste system, and it's more clearly marked than that of her Leo and Capricorn sisters. All Scorpios are highly selective in friendships. They'll keep the worthy companions through an entire lifetime, and freeze the shallow, the common or the unworthy. There's an immense store of perseverance and determination buried in the nature of a Scorpio woman, and any time she chooses, she can call on these to help her master the excesses which may tempt her, from drink and drugs to self-destructive, ruthless revenge and dangerous depression. Sooner or later, she'll probably investigate some form of the occult, and ancient mysteries and unseen worlds will eventually have her respect, though Scorpios can range all the way from religious fervor to total atheism during a lifetime.A Scorpio woman need not be a legal wife to give wifely love and devotion. If circumstances beyond your control make marriage impossible, she'll love you from hell to breakfast, and not give a hang what the neighbors think. In most such unusual situations, the relationship is real and honest above and beyond the shallow, selfish love of many a legitimate marriage. The hypocrisies of society will never keep this courageous woman from seeking the sun. She answers to no law but her own, and in her Pluto heart, she has more total understanding of the vow "till death do us part" than half the brides who blissfully murmur the phrase..Despite her own strong individualism, the typical Scorpio girl will let her man be the boss. Instead of overshadowing him with her force and drive, she'll apply her talents to help him attain his goals. Your future will be important to her, and she's not likely to insist on retaining her own career after marriage (unless you've disappointed her deeply or a second job is needed in a temporary domestic crisis). She may fight you wildly in private, but she'll defend you fiercely in public. She won't stand for anyone maligning you or taking advantage of you. Those who try will feel the lash of her righteous anger. Your happiness will always come first. Unless there are adverse aspects to her Sun sign or ascendant in her natal chart, she'll pa­tiently help you persevere until you get what you want, and while you're getting it, she won't whine or complain or become restless, though she might turn a little bitter if you lose your courage on the way. She'll expect you to aim as high as your abilities will reach. Anything less may bring on some pretty sarcastic taunts and reproaches, especially if she has an afflicted Mercury.Scorpio women love their homes, which usually shine with cleanliness, taste and comfort. Meals are served on time, and things are generally under control. If the opposite is true, something is making her mighty unhappy, because her natural inclination is to beauty and system. To the typical Scorpio woman spring cleaning is like vacation. They love to dig into comers to see what they can find. Just be careful she doesn't find any cryptic notes that smell of perfume in your old jacket pockets when she's clearing out the closets. Scorpio is unreasonably suspicious, even when there's no basis for suspicion, so you can imagine what happens when she finds a real clue to possible in­fidelity. Picture the shape of a mushroom cloud and you'll get a general idea of what may happen, figuratively speak­ing. It's no good being suspicious of her, no matter how many opportunities arise; and there will be a goodly num­ber of them, because she never exposes her deepest feel­ings. Naturally, this can arouse a few questions on your part. Just swallow them, along with the lump in your throat. Like that locked chest or drawer she's had since childhood, certain things about her are off limits. It will get you nowhere to probe. I realize fully that it isn't fair. So does she. But that doesn't change things a bit. That's the way it is. Take her or leave her. You'll probably take her. It's almost impossible to leave her. If nothing else, she'll haunt you the rest of your life. Adjusting to the idiosyncrasies of her nature is easier than suffering the nightmares that will surely result if you walk away. No one walks away from a Scorpio. Not really. Didn't you know that? Those who have tried can educate you. Any­way, you have a very special woman.As much as she needs the security of home roots, shell move if it's necessary to your career, and without any visible flinching at the uprooting. She makes an excellent wife for an army or navy man and a real jewel for a politician. There's no one she can't see through, no de­ception that escapes her. A Scorpio woman can tell you exactly who can be trusted and which ones you have to watch. The Pisces wife has the same ability, but she may be too soft to criticize, too ready to make excuses for the failings of others. Not so the Scorpio female. In fact, she may frequently have to check her sharp tongue and tone down her brutal analysis.In the budget department, Scorpio women are complete­ly unpredictable. She can scrimp and save and pinch a penny until it bends double, then have a sudden spell of being magnificently extravagant. One thing is sure. She'll enjoy money, whether she saves it in an old shoe or spends it on luxury. But this woman always leans heavily toward prestige, and she won't let cash compromise that. She'll be satisfied if you choose a smaller income, as long as it insures that you are your own boss, with the potential to rise to become somebody of influence, Scorpio females like power, and they will sacrifice much for it. Your power will do, because Pluto allows her to be adept at living vicarious­ly through others when it suits her. Remember that al­though she'll sacrifice and put up with very little for a planned goal, she's too proud to live amid shabby sur­roundings forever, and she'll become mighty sour and dis­contented if she's forced to do so for an unreasonable length of time. She'll either try to force a change in the family fortunes after a certain period, or she'll gradually retreat into the dismal world of the gray lizard, outwardly accepting and almost seeming to enjoy poverty, but in­wardly intensely bitter.She'll be possessive but she won't want to be possessed. One of the worst traits of both male and female Scorpios is a refusal to see any viewpoint but their own when the emotions are involved. It takes weeks of introspection to bring them around to a semblance of humility. Her natural interest in the opposite sex, even if it remains platonic, may give you as much reason to be jealous of her as she is of you. She'll probably fascinate every male in sight on oc­casion, and you may have to sit by while they're mesmer­ized. It seldom leads to anything serious, but it can cause some uncomfortable moments. It can also lead to some explosive disagreements. In the heat of battle, it pays to remember that her compulsion to even the score usually makes her the winner in any kind of skirmish. She gets the last word. If you tell her a lie, she may tell two. If you stubbornly refuse to kiss her good-bye in the morning after a tiff, she may refuse to kiss you goodnight for a month. Just let your mother (or anybody's mother) criti­cize her cooking, and the Scorpio woman may forget to invite her to dinner for several Sundays in a row. An acci­dental injury, however, she'll forgive, if she knows it's unintentional. The Scorpio sense of justice is as strong as the sense of revenge. Most people forget this. She'll remember every kindness and give you back double for that, too. It works both ways.With the children, her expression of love may lack a cer­tain tenderness and open demonstration, but the youngsters will probably sense her deep devotion and feel emotionally secure anyway. A Scorpio mother won't let the talents of her children go unnoticed or gather dust. She'll spend many an hour encouraging them toward higher goals, and be willing to provide any support they need. Her offspring will find her strong and helpful when youthful problems arise, because her knowledge of human nature makes her a wise counselor. She'll teach them to meet difficulties with her own courage. But she can be bund to their faults, an attitude which can naturally cause a lot of trouble if it isn't recognized and checked in time. Anyone she imagines is a threat to the happiness of her children, in any way, however small, will be crushed, and I'm afraid that in­cludes her husband. She won't appreciate it if he's stricter with them than she thinks he ought to be.A Scorpio woman will sometimes nearly drown you in her passion for living, yet in a real storm, her cool, calm reason and steely strength will be a life raft. Though she works her magic in strange and secret ways, her haunting eyes will always gaze at you with basic honesty, even while she remains just beyond the reach of human under­standing. She's a little dangerous, perhaps, but undeniably exciting. Let other husbands cope with the flighty girls. You've known the compelling mystery of a lovely witch who brews a pretty good cup of tea and never bums your toast. (Well, almost never.) When the cup is empty, let her read the tea leaves for you. She can-if she wants to.You mean you didn't know? I told you there are things she keeps to herself....   The SCORPIO Child"What else had you to learn?" "Well, there was Mystery ... Mystery, ancient and modem,with Seaography . . . Drawling, Stretchingand Fainting in Coils."The usual reaction of proud parents at the first glimpse of their newborn Scorpio infant is pleased surprise. "He looks so much more 'finished' than the other babies in the nur­sery," they murmur. "He's calmer too-and just look at what a strong body he has." That's right, even the tiniest Scorpios normally have extraordinarily strong bodies. They were designed to match their extraordinarily strong wills.Scorpio children enjoy a good fight, and they intend to win it. Compromise is not one of their virtues. Even if they pretend to give in, they're just biding their time until the contest can be resumed on another front, where they have the advantage.As soon as you know the stork is due in November or (hereabouts, go right out and buy a large, sturdy playpen. You'll need one. After baby arrives, you can climb inside it and read a book or eat your lunch, safe and secure be­hind the bars. The saleswoman may look at you oddly when you lie down on the blue plastic bunny pad to measure its fit, but ignore her. If you can't take the stare of a stranger, how are you going to face the burning gaze of your own child without flinching? The Scorpio infant will fix you with his intense eyes as soon as he can see people without the fuzzy haze, and you'll be hypnotized into obeying his every whim. Picture him sitting cross-legged on the floor in his diaper and turban, playing his flute, while you sway back and forth helplessly, like a snake in a basket. Good grief! So better start steeling yourself against his black magic right now. Give that saleswoman a frosty stare right back. It's your money you're spending.If your actions seem a little peculiar, it's not her business to dictate to you. You are the customer. Therefore, you are the boss. With minor changes, this is the exact attitude you'll need to cope with your young Scorpio. It's your house. If your rules seem a little peculiar, it's not baby's business to dictate to you. You are the mother. Therefore, you are the boss. As you say it, stare him down.You'll have your work cut out for you, but it's an inter­esting challenge. The Scorpio child will need constant and firm discipline. You'll have to impress the qualities of con­sideration for weaker people, being a good sport when he loses, respect for authority and forgiveness when others hurt him. As you train his fine character, you'll be im­pressed yourself with his brilliant mind and magnetic personality. His rare courage and honesty are well worth nourishing and protecting from the infection of a super ego that can pervert or destroy them.There are two roads for the Scorpio to choose-the high and the low. For a while, you may be convinced that he's chosen the back alley before he's even learned to walk. Fluttery, nervous or soft mothers are beaten before they start. Your little Scorpio toddler will glare at you fiercely when you forbid him to touch something. Glare back at him, kindly but firmly. It may be difficult to accomplish a kindly glare, but keep practicing. Smile through your clenched teeth and say no loudly, with emphatic conviction. You'll only win a temporary struggle; it will be resumed again an hour later, but it's a step up that high road. Eventually, the Scorpio youngster will begin to admire you for your strength in resisting him. Hell learn only from someone he thinks is stronger than himself. Of course, he knows the victory is only due to his present size, and he'll top you someday, but meanwhile, he'll give you his grudg­ing respect, as long as you're bigger. By the time he's tall enough to wrestle his older brother to the floor or win a game of Indian deadlock with his father your job will be done. You'll be a little exhausted, but proud, and he'll be well on the way to becoming a splendid eagle, instead of a stinging, revengeful scorpion. Warning: Be sure there's a generous spreading of love and affection on top of your firm discipline, or he could become a miserable gray lizard, tortured by fears and phobias, bitter and withdrawn.Because of his blunt, often sarcastic speech and plain-spoken manner, he'll seem to be forthright and direct, but there will still be a great need for privacy. He has his little secrets and you are not to pry. Give him a large metal box with a key, where he can keep his personal possessions, or a special drawer of his own that no one else in the family can open by strict agreement. As female Scorpios grow older, they'll want a diary with a foolproof lock.These youngsters will conceal their own thoughts, but trying to hide things from them is impossible. They'll ferret out every embarrassing family secret from Aunt Bertha's false teeth and Uncle Percy's drinking sprees to Dad's "rug" that hides his bald spot. They're also whizzes at finding lost socks, keys, billfolds and lipsticks-regular miniature sleuths who use both witchcraft and cold logic to solve any mystery.There's a miraculous ability to withstand pain. Even the stitches required to sew up an accidental cut will usually be borne without either tears or anesthetic. Your Scorpio youngster is wise beyond his years. There will be times when his instinctive understanding is a blessing. Daddies who are discouraged by financial problems often feel the surprising pressure of a bear hug from a little tot far too young to understand economics. He only knows his father is unhappy, and he'll want to express his desire to destroy whatever is causing it. When she's ill or depressed, a mother may get an unexpected, silent and tender touch from a tiny Scorpio who has somehow sensed her sadness.Scorpio children are filled with boundless loyalty to friends and loved ones. They can be pretty hard on anyone else. If a bad-tempered playmate deliberately breaks his rocking horse, the Scorpio youngster may break the offend­ing child's scooter, fire truck and blackboard-and punch him in the nose besides, just to make sure he knows he's stepped on a Scorpio's tail. Naturally, this must be dis­couraged, and I wish you luck. You can tell your Novem­ber child that revengeful anger will come home to roost, that he's only hurting himself by getting even, but it won't be easy for him to see the logic. Get him one of those boomerangs they sell in toy stores, and let him throw it with all his force. When it's shocked him by magically return­ing to clip him on the ear a few times, he may get the message. It won't be as popular with him, of course, as a microscope, a book of magic games or a chemistry set These are sure-fire hits.His teachers won't know whether to send him to the head of the class or get out the old birch switch. Theyll ; probably end up doing both. Scorpio boys and girls have sharp, penetrating minds and an uncanny perception of theories. They can be steadies on the honor roll or the biggest hookey players in the neighborhood. Given the good fortune of wise instructors, they'll leam to read quickly and be leaders of school activities.The Scorpio child has a good chance of being class valedictorian if he's guided away from his fascination for the forbidden. Keep him active physically and interested mentally, and channel his passionate curiosity into science, literature, medicine or sports. Encourage his childish dreams of being a space engineer, sailor, fireman, minister, entertainer or even president. Never try to force him into your favorite idea of the proper career. That's a perfect way to send him down that low road to dangerous experi­mentation in the dark alleys of life. He knows exactly what he wants, and it's a serious mistake to impose your will. Be loyal to him, and never break your word or a promise.He needs opportunities to work off his gigantic supply of bottled-up energy because he'll seem to be more calm and relaxed than he really is inside. Displays of nerves, arguments at mealtime and family squabbles at bedtime will bring nightmares, and are extremely detrimental to both his mental and physical health. He has many intense passions and boiling emotions to manage, and subduing his volatile nature is a tough task for him, but he'll control it beautifully with careful guidance. Rough, thoughtless scoldings that lack a logical explanation, and permissive humoring are equally disastrous. Scorpios are fascinated by drugs, so keep them out of reach. Hell be drawn to fire, too, so don't leave matches around.He'll love Halloween, monster shows on TV, science-fiction and ghost stories. He'll also be fond of the opposite sex. Don't be shocked if you catch your five-year-old Scorpio son making "mysterious eyes" at the curly-headed first-grader next door. He's going to be a Lover someday. You'll never prevent that. But you can prevent some future romantic tragedies by teaching both sexes in adolescence the importance of responsibility in affairs of the heart. Scorpio deeply respects the family circle. Explain that careless romantic behavior destroys it, and he'll listen. Whatever he becomes, he'll be the best in his chosen field. The Scorpio youngster is determined enough to get what he wants, and strong enough to hang on to it. But don't let his self-sufficiency keep you from giving him your support. He needs it, even though he appears to scorn ap­proval. You'll have to help him find a worthy goal toward which he can direct the inner passions that threaten to con­sume him. This is a strange, enchanted child, with possibly an important destiny, and he has miles to go before he reaches it. Walk with him as long as he needs you, then let him walk alone. He'll return safely with whatever prize he seeks. Pluto gives him great courage, strength and in­telligence, but it's up to you to give him what he needs most: a daily example of how to love-and be loved in return.   
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excerpt of Steve Jobs' Commencement address (2005)this really inspired meThis is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.The first story is about connecting the dots.I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.My second story is about love and loss.I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.My third story is about death.When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.Thank you all very much.
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New program announcement!

I have a new program called “Be the next top success story” which includes 6 weeks of free success coaching! This Program is designed to teach you how: to tap into and capitalize on the successful person you are already; move to the next level of your success; and get out of your own way and take the necessary actions towards your success! This week (October 20th – 24th) I am looking for 20 people who are interested. Please message me or send an email to info@liveyourpotential.com to set up a 10 minute interview.To your unquestionable success,JoAnn
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Find Your Focus

Hello to all my BBWO online friends. I wanted to take the time to write this blog post today because I think it is an issue that many of us struggle with. In addition, it was something that Richelle touched on in her online chat today with LaShanda and that LaShanda has said to us over and over again.As many of you know, I create natural bath and body products with the aim of adding moisture to the skin. I use shea butter, cocoa butter, virgin coconut oil and several other oils. As black women (and men) we are fighting ashiness, especially in the winter. We are no strangers to grease. Not those of us who were brought up on Vaseline and Crisco and used A&D ointment on our babies' bottoms (I'd slather that stuff on my baby's bottom!! It' was like an inch thick.)When I first started out, I gained a lot of knowledge from boards where there weren't a great deal of Black women, or alt least they weren't many of them posting. The advice was to add cornstarch to your butter to "cut down on greasiness". So I did. And I chased after a target market that was not very interested in my products, or at least from what I could tell from click and sales.Now, a year later, with my experiences with BBWO and other sites of its kind, as well as the many Black business folks I interact with on Twitter, I've finally come to understand and embrace my target market. It's not about trying to sell to the world or to exclude certain demographics. It's about being REAL.My products are meant for people like me - black women with children who have eczema - (Eva's Shea Buttah is the mix I use on my own little one's eczema) but also want a touch of luxury for themselves. The products are affordable and handmade with love by me - Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.By the way, I took the cornstarch out of my recipe for success, both literally and figuratively (wink) - why stunt the effectiveness of the pure natural butter on your skin? (big grin)Understanding your target market is so important - it' saves you a lot of time, money and effort.Currently, I am working on a blog post about exactly how I found my target market - will post when I'm done!And of course, don't forget to visit www.neosoulessentials.com - we now have layaway and Gift Baskets for Christmas and Kwanzaa.
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Tell me Something Good

With the Holiday's coming. And we want to make sure we're spending our money for quaility,I'm reaching out to my Family here @ BBW. And asking you what would you like to see more of @ phenixxinc.com.Your thoughts and suggestions are extremely important. And I believe or know for a fact, we all are only here to help each other.
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