Today's Page One Stories

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Today's Secret Trader:
Secret Trader Commentary
 
News & Comment:
The Last Shuttle:
Good Riddance
to Bad Rubbish
The last space shuttle mission, now planned for May 31, 2010, will bring an end to an era that never should have happened in the first place.

There are so many things wrong with the Space Shuttle program that one wonders why the seven remaining  shuttle missions haven't been scrubbed.  During 27 years of the Shuttle Era, the U.S. Space program was saddled with a world-class lemon that drove launch costs into the stratosphere, and reduced our space going abilities below the threshold needed for a real space exploration program, while taking the lives of 14 astronauts in accidents that were specifically connected to the design flaws in the shuttle vehicle.
click here to read more about it
 
Sage Merlin's Top Picks
Merlin Members
Best Picks:

Books, Music, Film, Theater, Art, Television, Games, Web Sites
Ever get the feeling that the best sellers lists are tweaked?  How can so many people read so much drivel?  What's hot and what's not is matter of opinion, but the more opinions we collect, the more accurate the results get.  We're collecting opinions about almost everything under the sun.  Nominate candidates for our best seller lists, vote for your favorites, and see your votes count.  Sage Merlin is conducting the ultimate public opinion survey to compile the ultimate Top Ten lists for fiction, non-fiction, theater, cinema, music and art.  Write your own reviews on new releases, or revisit the classics, and if we like your reviews, we'll publish them in Picks and Pans. 
click here to visit member's portal 
 
The Cassandra Chronicles
Learning to Live More Happily In a More Uncertain World
Cassandra, you might recall, was the Trojan woman who was given the gift of prophecy and cursed with the fate that no one believed her warnings.  Today, we have spawned a flock of would-be prophets, each warning us of another impending disaster.  The practice of soothsaying, far from being a relic of the past, is very much a part of our present reality.  We're collecting the croakings of the crows to keep you updated on our progress toward Armageddon, the End of Days, 2012, and other predictions...but we're not trying to scare you.  On the contrary, our purpose is to defrock, debunk, and disambiguate the phony prognostications of the fear mongers, and provide some clarity about what's really going on - by pointing you to those people who really do have a clue about what's going on and what's going to happen.
click here for the future
 
Mahjong Hands
An Ancient Chinese Game is Alive and Well in America
Mahjong is like life:  The rules keep changing (they publish new ones every year) and what you get is often something you didn't expect.

Mahjong is also like bridge: if you don't get it immediately, you're never going to understand the attraction of the game, but millions of people across the United States, and around the world, can't go a week without playing the game.

It's that addictive, but it's an innocent addiction because most players only play for nickels and dimes.  Nevertheless, one of life's great tragedies (especially for elderly Jewish ladies like my mother) is when a long-time Mahjong game ends because one of the players has passed away.  

If you play mahjong, or you know someone who does, you know how difficult it can be to find a game.  Mahjong Hands will help you, or your mother, find a game near by.  Just fill out the form and we'll let you know if someone in your area is looking for another hand, or whether there's player near you looking for a game!
Click here to get in the game
 
Universal Disclaimer
Of course, we know there's really no such thing as magic. It's impossible to read minds, communicate telepathically over long distances, or to move objects - or ourselves -with only the force of our minds alone.  Or is it?  Every modern innovation began with the power of creative imagination when someone envisioned something that didn't exist and then proceeded to create it. Modern physics is teaching us that many of the old ways were based on more than simple superstitions, and sometimes way more.   So, we've embarked on a mission to find scientific explanations for ancient spiritual  beliefs and we invite you to come along with us on the journey.
 
 
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Today's Incantation:
 Every now and then, we come across a pearl of wisdom that we want to pass on to our members.

Today's pearl comes from "How We Decide," by Jonah Lehrer, in a chapter where he explains how people in high stress situations are able to overcome the effects of emotional impulses.  Lehrer reports that, in actual cases, such as life or death situations, those who survive do so by talking to themselves (aloud, if necessary) about the choices they are about to make.  Apparently, there's something about verbalizing your thoughts that distances you from the emotions attached to the thoughts.

This, of course, begs the question of how to do such things, which is the focus of today's incantation.


Click Here For the Incantation
 
New Community Projects
Don't Complain About The  Way Things Are - Build Your Own Reality
Governments are supposed to take care of their citizens, but it's becoming increasingly clear that governments are no longer able to take care of the people.  Changing economic conditions are raising questions about the underlying safety net that is supposed to provide a basic standard of living for all. 

We need a new paradigm for an alternative community organization.  Fortunately, we have models for new community organizations.  Communes, collectives, and worker-owned collaboratives are on the rise again...and for good reason.  Changing economic realities make collectives lifestyles far more attractive than ever before. 

As we grow older as a nation, under these new economic conditions, we need to learn how to work together to support each other on the personal level. Those of us who passed through the counter-culture have a unique perspective that may offer clues for how to shape the future. We're collecting and disseminating information about this revival.
Click here to check into the future
 
The Friday Nite Fix
The Twelve Step Program For The Rest of Us
Welcome to the lonely crowd.  Each of us lives in our own little universe, struggling to find social connections that make life more enjoyable...but good friends are hard to find and, if you're among the "unchurched," it's getting harder and harder to build social connections.   

And then there's the search for insight.  We're all looking for insight, for instruction in how to balance our inner and outer lives,  but finding that insight is getting harder all the time.  The original Friday Nite Fix was a meeting place for seekers, a  place for the meeting of the ways at the changing of the tide for more than forty years. 

We think there's tremendous need for a non-sectarian, non-denominational, non-judgmental meditative  community where people can gather to help each other gain clarity in our lives...and we're promoting a revival of this concept in communities across America.   Check in here to find out how.
click here to get Fixed
 
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
The Material on this website is the sole and exclusive property of the authors or creators of the material and is protected under the implied copyright privilege as incorporated into international law.  The appearance of an item on this website shall be construed as prima fascia evidence of the author's prior ownership.  SageMerlin.Com makes no representations that it is the owner of any content not specifically created by paid staff members or purchased outright from the original owner or an authorized third party. 

For information about how to purchase reprint rights for any item appearing on this websites, please write to:
 sagemerlin@gmail.com
For all material not specifically as copyrighted by the author or artist
copyright © 2009 by
SageMerlin.Com
 
Contact Us
SageMerlin.Com
5115 Cortez Court
Delray Beach FL 33484
866-661-5379
561-952-4633 (fax)
comments@sagemerlin.com
 
to contact sagemerlin himself:
himself@sagemerlin.com
 
Sage Merlin's
Virtual Galleries
New Art From
Emerging 
Artists
Art is our way of capturing reality and sharing it with others.  The artist, therefore, is a window through which we can view the world from a different angle.  Art should be page one news...especially when the art and the artists are new on the scene.  Visit SageArts to view our latest additions, purchase prints, and bid on original art...or submit your work for consideration
Click Here To Get Artistic
 
Sage Merlin's
Magic Printing Press
Getting Published Isn't Half the Battle:
It's the Whole War
Necessity dictates that we pay attention to this maxim:  whomever controls the printing presses, controls reality.   The recent trend toward the conglomeration of the entire publishing industry has dire implications for our society...if we, as writers, allow it to happen.  If you want to be heard, and making a living doing it, submit your work to SageMerlin, hone your writing skills, get published, get read, find a publisher, and maybe even make some money in the process.
click here to get published
 
Sage Advice:
  Toxic Personalities:
The Banes of
Our Existence
Here's a piece of advice that may surprise you, because you may never have heard it before:  remove toxic personalities from your life.  A toxic personality is someone - anyone - who brings you down, who denigrates you, dismissing your aspirations on the upside and your apprehensions on the down low.  In this environmentally self-conscious society, we too often forget to protect our emotional environment the same way we're trying to protect the planet.....
click here to get Sage Advice
 
Merlin's Friends:
Become a Sorcerer's Apprentice:
Add Some Spice
To Your Life

Merlin's Friends are different.  We're ardent about ideas, information, art, music, and current affairs, but we want to be part of the action instead of watching from the sidelines...so we created a social networking site exclusively for our members where you can connect with like-minded people in your areas, and earn participation points at the same time.
click here to get hooked up
Shop at SageMerlin
Visit The Village Green Save Some Real Shekels
In ancient times, towns came to life on Fair Days, when farmers and artisans from miles around would bring their wares to the Village Green to buy, sell and trade. Sage Merlin's Village Green is much the same thing, a place where people can buy, sell or trade merchandise, a virtual swap shop.  Find - or sell - original arts and crafts, and pay only a small fee (3%) to the landlord but, since we're giving some of that money back, it's money well spent.  Get away from the mainstream, buy direct from the source, and help support Sage Merlin's experiment.
click Here to Get to the Village Mall
Sage Style:
Fashion Magic
Life is hard.  Sometimes, though, all you need is a new cape or a hot pair of shoes.  Fashion, like real magic, is something you have to learn "on the job."  Our fashion mavens will tell you how to shop cheap, and build a more interesting wardrobe.
click here to get your shopper on
 Plagiarism
It's an ugly word for an ugly reality.  Plagiarism, however, depend largely upon intent.  When Shakespeare does it, it's art.  When the kid sitting next to you in history does it, it's cheating.  If you submit something that isn't yours to submit, you will be barred from SageMerlin.  The problem with policing plagiarism is that we won't know about it, unless you tell us.  If you see something of yours on our web site that isn't properly attributed to you, let us know and we will act accordingly. To file a complaint write to:
accusation@sagemerlin.com