House fires kill 71 people in the US during the first week of February

Samuel Davidson

At least 71 people in the United States were killed in house fires during the first week of February. This comes on top of a January death toll of 298, as sub-freezing temperatures and soaring utility costs force many people turn to dangerous space heaters.

Missouri had the highest number of people killed, 11, in home fires during the week. Three people were killed in each of three fires and one person died in each of two others.

On February 1, two boys, 7 and 10, died along with their 47-year-old grandmother in Poplar Bluff, a rural community about 150 miles south of St. Louis. The small wood-frame house was already engulfed in flames when rescue workers arrived. Fire officials have not yet released a cause for the fire, but they have said that the blaze was fueled by propane bottles that were inside the house. Propane is commonly used for portable heaters.

On February 4, a 78-year-old woman and her 8-year-old great-granddaughter and 4-year-old great-grandson died in a house fire in University City, a suburb of St Louis. The fire was caused by an electric space heater. Four other people living in the home were able to escape.

On February 7, a 9-month-old baby, a 2-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl died when fire tore through the 100-year-old home in the farming community of Jameson, north of Kansas City. A 20-year-old man and two other children were able to escape although they were all hospitalized, one of the children critically.

The fire is believed to have started in the living room where the children were sleeping. The rented house had a wood-burning stove for heat and officials did not report hearing any smoke detectors when they arrived a few minutes after the fire began.

The single deadliest fire took place February 4 in the rural community of Spurger, Texas, in which four children, two boys and two girls aged 4 to 8, lost their lives when the mobile home they were living in erupted into flames at 2:30 a.m. The children’s parents along with two other children were able to escape.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire. Mobile homes, generally cheaply made, are some of the most dangerous dwellings. Often their electric wiring is faulty or overloaded, causing fires.

Their small size makes safe use of space heaters almost impossible, since the heater can’t be placed the necessary distance from flammable materials. Once a fire starts, the inferior quality of the construction means the entire home is usually consumed in flames in just a few minutes.

Of the 298 fire deaths in January, Ohio had the highest number with 25, followed by Texas with 23, Pennsylvania with 21 and Michigan with 16.

The number of house fires rises during the winter months as people are forced to use space heaters and take other risks to stay warm. In addition, millions of families are living in substandard homes and often in very overcrowded conditions as a greater number of extended families are forced to live together.

Millions of low income and poor families are struggling to pay for both heat, housing and food, as the drop in crude oil prices has not been reflected in a corresponding fall in home heating costs.

At the same time, the Obama administration has continued deep cuts to the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which has been cut by 30 percent since the official end of the great recession in 2009. LIHEAP funding stands at just $3.4 billion. Obama proposes to freeze LIHEAP funding in next year’s budget at its current level.

Benefit levels and eligibility vary by state, but are usually only about $400 per household, which is only a fraction of the cost of home heating during the winter, especially in the coldest states of the Northeast and Midwest.

Last year many states ran out of funding for heating assistance and many states are already reporting that they are running out of funds with the winter not yet half over. Last year, the state of Missouri, where 11 people died last week, didn’t pay benefits to 22,000 families that applied. Nationwide, only about one third of families eligible for the benefits actually receive them.

As the Missouri and Texas examples detailed above suggest, large numbers of fire victims are small children. More than half of US children live in poverty and few wealthy people die in house fires.

Fresh talks begin on forcing Greece to accept austerity package

Robert Stevens

Representatives of Greece’s Syriza-led government began three days of talks in Brussels on Friday with negotiators from the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—the so-called “troika.” The talks followed the failure of Syriza Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis to reach agreement with European finance ministers Wednesday on a plan for Greece to repay its foreign debt of nearly €320 billion.

The new talks will extend to the eve of the February 16 deadline set by the Eurogroup, at which time euro zone leaders are scheduled to meet once again to discuss the Greek debt crisis. Greece’s current agreement with the troika, which Syriza says it will not renew, expires on February 28. If there is no agreement with Greece’s creditors by that time, the Greek government will have no source of external funding to service its debt.

The Greek negotiating team is led by Professor Giorgos Chouliarakis, who teaches at the University of Manchester. He is working with debt restructuring advisers from Lazard, a US investment bank. Greece’s main creditors are represented by Declan Costello of the European Commission, Klaus Masuch of the ECB, and Rishi Goyal of the IMF. The troika’s team is led by Thomas Wieser of the Euroworking Group, a hard-line proponent of austerity. Times Of Change noted that the talks will cover “the poor trajectory of the 2015 budget so far (with a ‘hole’ of about 1 billion euros in January alone due to poor revenue collection), the fiscal shortfall that had been projected by the troika before the elections, and the cost of the measures announced by the government during its policy statements in parliament.”

“A key element of the three-day technical negotiations will be how the country will cover its funding needs until August,” the newspaper added. By then, the Greek state is obligated to pay back some €7 billion.

According to a source close to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the purpose of the 72-hour discussion will not be to “negotiate or engage in critiques of positions.” Instead, the talks will “register the points where there is convergence and identify divergences.”

The Greek government will outline its “red lines,” demanding an end to the current arrangement whereby the troika directly formulates and monitors the austerity program. Another demand is a reduction of Greece’s primary surplus target from 4.5 percent to 1.5 percent. Times Of Change claimed that labour deregulation and privatizations would not be discussed, but “broad agreement is expected to be found in the areas of combating corruption, tax evasion and public sector reform.”

A senior EU official close to the talks told Kathemerini, “[N]ow we need to get down to the hard facts, explaining what is in the (bailout reform) agreement and what are the quantified results of the new Greek government’s program.”Kathemerini noted, “If Greece wanted to remove a certain reform from the list agreed under the bailout, it would have to propose in its place a measure that would have a similar fiscal effect.”

Since it was elected on January 25 on an anti-austerity ticket, Syriza has made one concession after another, including ditching pre-election pledges to write off a large part of the debt, in an attempt to reach an agreement with the EU states, which hold 60 percent of the Greek foreign debt. Now it is meeting with representatives of the troika, which it had previously ruled out doing.

It is not certain that an agreement will be reached on Monday.

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem, leaving a summit of EU leaders Friday, said, “At this stage I’m very pessimistic about it. The possibilities, given the state of the Greek economy, are limited. I don’t know if we’ll get there by Monday. The Greek government has made it clear that they don’t want to carry on with the programme as it currently stands. The Eurogroup has made it clear that there are possibilities for change only as long as the programme remains on the rails.”

He warned, “We lend out money only when there’s real progress and when new reforms are being carried through. For months, this has not been the case.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, along with her finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, has insisted that the Syriza-led government adhere to austerity measures agreed by previous Greek governments. She said she hoped an agreement was reached, but added, “Compromises are agreed when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.”

German Finance Ministry spokesman Martin Jäger said sarcastically at a Berlin press conference, “Out of consideration for our Greek friends, we are not calling the troika the troika anymore, but ‘the institutions.’” He went on to say, “It doesn’t mean the assessment function of the three institutions is affected in any way whatever.”

Syriza’s newspaper Avgi (The Dawn) published a cartoon Friday portraying Schäuble as a Nazi. This is a reflection both of the tension between Germany and Greece and of Syriza’s efforts to disorient and divert internal social opposition to austerity by playing on anti-German sentiment to whip up Greek nationalism. The German Finance Ministry responded by lodging an immediate complaint.

In a reference to the Holocaust, the cartoon featured Schäuble saying, “Negotiations have begun. We insist on soap from your fat,” and “[W]e are discussing fertilizers from your ashes.” Another cartoon in Avgi portrayed Schäuble in a German military uniform.

Whatever the outcome of the talks and the euro zone finance ministers meeting Monday, nothing will be resolved regarding either Greece’s debt or the crisis in the euro zone as a whole.

On Friday, the US government again expressed disapproval of the handling of the Greek debt crisis by euro zone leaders. Caroline Atkinson, the US deputy national security adviser, said, “Greece has moved into primary surplus. How much more fiscal consolidation is necessary?”

She added, “The global economy is falling short and this is of deep concern to the US, and a key part of that weakness is tepid growth in the euro zone.”

This week’s Economist magazine wrote: “At its root, the problem is simple: Greece does not have enough income to pay its bills. Since the financial crisis began, its economy has shrunk by more than any other rich country’s.”

The magazine did not note that the savage austerity measures imposed by the European Union in behalf of the banks contributed massively to the contraction in the Greek economy.

Over this period, Greece’s foreign debt has rocketed. From a debt of €301 billion (127 percent of gross domestic product) owed largely to the private sector, the Greek state now owes some €320 billion (175 percent of GDP), with the vast majority of the debt (€195 billion) held by European states and the ECB.

The Financial Times was blunter still in summing up of the implications of the still deeper attacks on the Greek working class demanded by the European ruling elite immediately after Syriza’s election. “To service its debt burden would require Greece to operate as a quasi-slave economy, running a primary surplus of 5 percent of GDP for years, purely for the benefit of its foreign creditors,” the newspaper wrote.

Virtually all of the €226 billion loaned to Greece since 2010 as a so-called “bailout” has gone to paying off global banks. A recent study by the GreekMacropolis web site concluded: “Combined with some other government financing needs (mostly relating to repayments of arrears that accumulated in the first two years of the crisis), the combined allocation to the Greek state’s operating needs was just 11 percent of the total funding, circa 27 billion euros.”

In the euro sceptic Daily Telegraph, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard said that not only Germany, but also other European countries, have a “very strong incentive to make Greece suffer.” He went on to warn that “to act on this political impulse risks destroying the European project.”

US threatens military intervention as UN warns of “disintegration” in Yemen

Thomas Gaist

Yemen faces “civil war and disintegration” in the wake of the overthrow of the US-backed government by a Houthi insurgency, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon declared Thursday.

“Yemen is collapsing before our eyes. We cannot stand by and watch. The current instability is creating conditions which are conducive to a reemergence of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),” Moon said.

The comments from Moon come in the aftermath of moves by the Houthis to take over the presidential palace last week, formally dissolving the US-backed regime of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Houthis have simultaneously launched new invasions of provinces to the south of Sanaa, in an effort to bring larger sections of the country under the direct control of their new regime.

This has been accompanied by reports of the seizure of a major government military installation, manned by some 2,000 troops, by Sunni militants affiliated with AQAP.

Comments from US officials late this week suggested that the US ruling elite is preparing to respond to the breakup of the Yemeni state with a new military escalation, ostensibly directed at combatting AQAP, but aimed more broadly at asserting control over the geostrategically key country.

“The bottom line is increased danger to the United States homeland,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, a Republican, said in comments cited by Fox News. The Houthi takeover “makes it easier for them [AQAP] to plot and plan against us,” Thornberry said.

The rapid military successes of Houthi and AQAP militants took the US by surprise, a top counterterrorism official said Friday, comparing recent developments to the rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. “The situation deteriorated far more rapidly than we expected,” National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen said in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany have closed their embassies, joining the US, Britain and France. Houthi leaders have protested against the embassy closures, saying they are unnecessary and making clear their readiness to negotiate with the US and other foreign powers.

The central aim of the US is to ensure that its extensive military and intelligence operations in Yemen and throughout the region are maintained. US ground forces, acknowledged by the Pentagon to be operating from bases in Aden since 2012, will continue to carry out missions against AQAP and other groups, the Obama administration has confirmed.

“There continue to be Department of Defense personnel … on the ground in Yemen that are coordinating with their counterparts,” White House representative Josh Earnest said.

At the same time, the Central Intelligence Agency has been forced to withdraw dozens of agents and senior officers previously operating out of the US embassy, according to the Washington Post.

The deepening civil conflict in Yemen also threatens to draw in regional powers, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia. At least four governors in southern provinces have declared their opposition to the new Houthi government, while Saudi leaders have announced their intention to arm anti-Houthi forces in the resource-rich western province of Marib. Secessionist militants affiliated with the Southern Movement already began seizing checkpoints in southern cities last month.

Egypt has assembled a special expedition force to deploy to Yemen if there are threats to close the Bab al-Mandab straight, which controls the southern entrance to the Red Sea. “Egypt will not accept the closure of the strait in any way, and would intervene militarily if needed. … This action affects Egyptian national security, and has a direct impact on the Suez Canal,” Egyptian Suez Canal Authority official Mohab Mamish said last week.

Yemen’s fate underscores the ongoing fragmentation of the nation-state structure throughout the Middle East and large sections of Africa, with civil war conditions emerging as tribal and sectarian factions vie to fill the developing power vacuum.

The US government is responding to these conditions—a product of US machinations throughout the Middle East, including the promotion of sectarian tensions—with a massive expansion of its military operations throughout the region. This includes the escalation of its bombing campaigns in Iraq and Syria, drone war in Somalia and special forces operations in West Africa.

The pseudo-legal foundation for a large slate of new wars is to be supplied by the latest Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) sought by the Obama administration—which ostensibly targets ISIS but in reality empowers the president to wage endless war around the globe.

Ukrainian government moves to stifle dissent as military morale plunges

David Levine

The Ukrainian military is showing signs of severe decomposition and demoralization, as antiwar sentiment rises to the surface among Ukrainians in Kiev-controlled territories. In response, the government of Petro Poroshenko is cracking down on dissent.

On January 28, Ukrainian “hacktivist” group CyberBerkut published on its website documents obtained from the computer of Ukraine’s chief military prosecutor Anatolii Matios. According to the documents, during the preceding two weeks, 1100 members of Ukraine’s armed forces lost their lives, over 100 damaged tanks were left on the battlefield, and tens of Ukrainian soldiers and officers were taken prisoner.

The hacked documents indicate that, contrary to the affirmations of leading Ukrainian politicians, the military is disintegrating. New recruits are deserting and fleeing to Russia and other countries. Servicemen have been putting their weapons and ammunition up for sale. Commanders are the first to desert their units. Young and inexperienced fighters are being ordered into senseless attacks against rebel forces. Residents of areas near the battlefields are reportedly being terrorized by plundering deserters and “homicidal maniacs in uniform.”

The documents include an order that information on war losses is to be kept secret and reported to the counter-terrorism center of the Ukrainian Security Service only. This document, as well as the figure of 1,100 servicemen lost in the second half of January, lend additional credibility to the rebels’ estimates of war casualties, which thus far have exceeded those of the Ukrainian government and United Nations by approximately a factor of ten. The UN’s most recently published figure was 5,400 civilians and military personnel killed since the start of the conflict.

The higher figures received further support on February 8 from the GermanFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). Citing anonymous sources in the German intelligence establishment, the FAZ estimates 50,000 dead. It asserts that the Ukrainian government and UN figures have been greatly understated.

Matios was quoted in Ukrainskaya pravda on February 10 as saying that the prosecutor’s office is currently investigating the desertion of 10,266 servicemen. “It is particularly offensive that we have had desertions not just among the rank and file, but among generals as well. We just filed in court charges of desertion against a brigadier general of the Foreign Intelligence Service.”

Matios added that his agency does not have information on desertion and other crimes committed by members of volunteer battalions.

The Ukrainian parliament adopted a law on February 5 that creates “barrier detachments” to enforce military discipline and empowers commanders to use their weapons against deserters and other subordinates engaged in criminal activities. Another law adopted on February 3 introduces secret investigative proceedings against draft dodgers. President Petro Poroshenko has called for a law to prevent draftees from leaving the country.

Earlier, on January 29, Donetsk People’s Republic Ministry of Defense Deputy Commandant Eduard Basurin made an announcement regarding prisoners of war. “[They come to us] hungry, freezing cold, and demoralized. The only thing they ask for is not to be shown on camera and for their names not to be disclosed, so that their family members who remain at home will not come under attack.” Basurin insisted that the prisoners are safe, their lives are guaranteed, and they will be released after investigations are completed.

On February 11, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a think-tank based in London, England, published its annual “Military Balance.” The report indicates that the Ukrainian army is not prepared for the conflict with the rebels. It is using obsolete equipment and is experiencing a shortage of armored vehicles, artillery, and missiles.

The Ukrainian military mobilization, a large-scale program that includes conscription, began on January 20. With a number of exceptions, men up to age 60 are subject to the draft, which is to include up to 104,000 personnel, including women.

The mobilization thus far has been massively unpopular and has provoked extremely high rates of abstention. Recruiters have been chased away by residents from the villages of Dmytrivka and Kulevcha in Odessa Province. There have been reports of employers in Kharkiv refusing to distribute draft notices to employees. There have been demonstrations against the mobilization, particularly in Zaporizhia Province. Videos have appeared on the Internet showing women speaking before crowds of people, vehemently denouncing the Kiev regime and calling for peace (see, for example: here,here, here and here).

Ukrainian journalist Ruslan Kotsaba was arrested on February 8 for treason and espionage after publicly calling for resistance to the mobilization. Kotsaba had also asserted that the rebel fighters are not “terrorists,” that they do not consist of regular Russian forces, and that the majority of the population in the rebel territories do support them.

Subsequently, on February 11, Poroshenko announced that criticism of the mobilization “has no relation to democracy and the freedom of speech” and qualifies as “anti-state activity.” He said that the Ukrainian Security Service had already identified 19 people who had conducted a campaign to undermine the mobilization.

Draft legislation currently on review in parliament would make “public denial of or support for Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014-2015” a crime punishable by up to three years of imprisonment.

The most intense fighting in recent weeks has centered around the town of Debaltseve, where Ukrainian forces had concentrated during the “truce” that ended last month. The town is located roughly at the midpoint between the rebel centers of Donetsk and Luhansk and occupies a strategically crucial location for the warring armies. Since February 9, rebel forces have been claiming control over the village of Logvynove on the main Debaltseve-Artemivsk road.

If the rebels manage to take control over country roads and field roads as well, then the thousands of Ukrainian troops in Debaltseve will be trapped without any supply lines. As of this writing, fighting continues as the Ukrainian army attempts to reassert control over the Debaltseve-Artemivsk road.

Under the ceasefire agreement signed in Minsk on February 12, which is supposed to go into effect at midnight on February 15, Debaltseve is to remain under Kiev’s control. However, the rebel republics’ leaders insist that their forces have practically surrounded Debaltseve and are simply waiting for the Ukrainian forces that remain there to surrender.

The drive to dismantle pensions in the United States

Andre Damon

States and municipalities throughout the United States are engaged in a frontal assault on the pension benefits of current and retired public employees. These attacks are proceeding with complete disregard for the law, riding roughshod over state constitutional protections safeguarding pension benefits that employees have earned over decades of toil.

Earlier this month, Judge Christopher Klein signed a confirmation order allowing the city of Stockton, California to go ahead with its plan to slash workers’ retirement benefits as part of a deal to exit bankruptcy. The agreement will eliminate health care benefits for municipal retirees while cutting pension benefits for new-hires and increasing employee pension payments.

In ruling that bankruptcy courts have the authority to slash current retirees’ pensions, Klein could not hide his enthusiasm. He declared that CalPERS, the state’s public employee pension system, “has bullied its way about this case with an iron fist.” But, he gloated, the pension fund “turns out to have a glass jaw.”

In Illinois, where Circuit Judge John Belz last year struck down a 2013 law that cut pensions for state workers, state officials are once again on the war path. Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, is preparing to appear before the Illinois Supreme Court to argue that, even though the state constitution explicitly declares that public employee pensions “shall not be diminished or impaired,” the state’s “police powers” allow it to slash the benefits of current retirees in the name of “public safety.”

The argument is based on an authoritarian and absurd reading of the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which states “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Illinois Democrats are arguing that this amendment allows the state to gut constitutionally protected pension benefits without even going through a bankruptcy court.

If this claim is accepted by the Illinois Supreme Court, it will set a precedent for every state in the US to go after the pensions of public employees.

In Pennsylvania, the state legislature is debating a bill that would freeze pension benefits for current and future retirees and replace pensions for new-hires with 401(k)-style pension plans. In Jacksonville, Florida, the state is planning major cuts in pensions for future retirees.

These moves—and similar actions in other states and cities—have followed from the precedent set by the Detroit bankruptcy, which began in July of 2013 and was completed last November. They vindicate entirely the warnings made by the World Socialist Web Site at the time of the bankruptcy filing.

On July 20, 2013, two days after the city filed for bankruptcy, the WSWS wrote:

The bankruptcy filing has national and international implications. Detroit will serve as a precedent for other cities across the country that have been financially crippled by the economic crisis. The use of the bankruptcy court to rip up pensions and health benefits will open the floodgates for similar attacks on millions of teachers, transit workers, sanitation workers and other municipal employees.

Just as Greece became the model for attacks on workers throughout Europe and beyond, the Detroit bankruptcy—which goes beyond even the brutal measures carried out in Greece—will set the pattern for the next stage in the attack on the working class in the US and internationally. At stake is every gain won by the working class through immense and often bloody struggle and sacrifice in the course of more than a century.

The attack on public employee pensions at the state and local level has been accompanied by a drive to dismantle what remains of pensions in the private sector. In December, Congress passed a law allowing multi-employer pension funds to slash benefit payments to current retirees, reversing decades of federal precedents dictating that the pensions of current retirees could not be cut.

The assault on pensions is entirely bipartisan, with Democrats and Republicans equally ruthless in attacking the working class. It is being coordinated by the Obama administration, which played a critical role in the Detroit bankruptcy.

The drive to dismantle pensions is one component of the Obama administration’s attack on workers’ wages and benefits, which includes the dismantling of employer-provided health benefits under the auspices of the Affordable Care Act and a systematic assault on wages that was launched with the restructuring of the auto industry in 2009.

The constant refrain is the claim that there is “no money” to pay for pensions. This is a lie.

Even the Washington Post—which noted the “change in the social contract” as “employers, private employers as well as governments, increasingly view the mushrooming cost of pensions as unbearable”—felt obliged to point out that “the push to reduce retirement benefits is coming despite not just a long run of robust stock market returns, but also a real estate rebound that is projected to fuel strong city revenue growth.”

The spectacular rise in stock prices has been fueled by the handout of trillions of dollars to the banks, which have been provided with an endless stream of virtually free money. At the same time, hundreds of billions have been made available to fund military operations around the world in the American ruling class’ relentless and reckless pursuit of global hegemony. This is to be paid for through a historic reversal in the social position of the working class.

As far as the ruling class is concerned, young people should have no future, workers should live on poverty wages, the unemployed should be left to starve, and the elderly should be pushed into an early grave.

What is most extraordinary is the absence of organized resistance. Here, the trade unions, which long ago transformed themselves into business enterprises, have played a critical role. At every step, they have collaborated with the Democrats and Republicans in undermining and attacking pensions. The Teamsters, for example, gave their full support to the federal law allowing pension funds to slash benefits. A host of unions in Illinois are supporting the Democrats’ suit to slash pension benefits. The unions played the critical role in suppressing opposition to the Detroit bankruptcy.

These right-wing organizations and the corrupt executives who control them are concerned only with protecting their financial interests as pension fund administrators. They are more than willing to slash the benefits of union members to keep the funds afloat.

Social tensions are building to the breaking point. The strike by US oil workers, despite the efforts of the United Steelworkers union to isolate and betray it, points to the growing militancy and combativeness of American workers, who have had it with decades of cuts in jobs, wages and benefits. To take forward this and the many other struggles to come, workers must be armed with a new political strategy, based on their independence from the pro-corporate trade unions, a break with the Democrats and the two-party system of American capitalism, and a socialist program of reorganizing society to meet social need, not private profit.

US and Ukrainian officials seek to torpedo Minsk cease-fire agreement

Niles Williamson

American and Ukrainian officials issued provocative threats and accusations against Russia less than 48 hours after German, French, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators reached a cease-fire agreement following marathon talks in the Belorussian capital of Minsk.

The statements of Obama administration officials and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko were designed to create a pretext for scuttling the cease-fire deal and escalating the assault on pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine along with the diplomatic, economic and military campaign against Russia, while attempting to foist the blame on Moscow.

Washington and Kiev did not wait for the truce to take effect on Sunday to launch new charges of Russian military aggression, none of which were substantiated. Meanwhile, fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and government forces intensified.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki accused Russia of violating the cease-fire agreement by massing military equipment around the Ukrainian-held city of Debaltseve, which is currently under siege from pro-Russian forces. “The Russian military has deployed a large amount of artillery and multiple rocket launcher systems around Debaltseve, where it is shelling Ukrainian positions,” she told reporters, adding, “We are confident that these are Russian military, not separatist systems.”

Psaki also charged that Russia was preparing a large shipment of supplies to pro-Russian forces. She provided no evidence, however, to back up her charges.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters that even with the new agreement, there would be “a long road ahead before achieving peace and the full restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty.” He said, “We will judge the commitment of Russia and the separatists by their actions, not their words.”

In a statement Thursday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest coupled tepid praise for the cease-fire as a “potentially significant step toward a peaceful resolution” with the demand that Russia remove its soldiers and military equipment from eastern Ukraine. Moscow denies having any active troops in the separatist-controlled regions of Ukraine.

Repeated claims by European and American officials of Russian troops directly assisting the pro-Russian separatists have never been substantiated. Recent photographs presented by a delegation of Ukrainian politicians to Republican Senator James Inhofe as evidence of Russian involvement were quickly exposed as a fraud. They turned out to be photographs of Russian military equipment during the 2008 Georgian war.

Earnest concluded his remarks by insisting on the “full and unambiguous” implementation of the agreement, including the “durable” cessation of fighting and the restoration of Kiev’s control of Ukraine’s border with Russia.

The talk of stepped-up Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine suggests that the Obama administration, perhaps following a brief respite for Ukrainian forces that have been battered by rebel militias in the east, may be planning to use Russia’s supposed violation of the cease-fire to justify a decision to directly arm the Kiev regime with advanced US weapons, a step that has been described by European politicians and media outlets as tantamount to a declaration of war on Russia.

The Minsk deal was not negotiated by Washington, but under the aegis of Germany and France. Last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande launched a diplomatic effort to halt the fighting after reports emerged that Washington was considering arming the Ukrainian regime.

Other US politicians directly attacked the cease-fire. Republican Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement denouncing the agreement as a sellout to the pro-Russian separatists and Russian President Vladimir Putin and called on the Obama administration to move forward with arming Ukraine.

McCain declared: “The agreement reached in Minsk freezes the conflict at a time of separatist advantage, solidifies the gains of Russian aggression and leaves Ukraine’s borders with Russia firmly under Moscow’s control pending a comprehensive political settlement whose content is unknown and feasibility is unclear.” He added that the cease-fire should not be “an excuse to delay sending defensive lethal assistance to Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, during a visit to a military training center outside Kiev on Friday, came close to repudiating the agreement he had signed the previous day. “I want nobody to have any illusions,” he told reporters. “We are still far away from peace, and nobody is fully convinced that the conditions for peace signed in Minsk will be firmly implemented.”

Ukrainian fascist forces, which have operated as the military spearhead of the Kiev regime’s assault on the separatists in eastern Ukraine, also rejected the accord. On Friday, the head of the fascist Right Sector, Dimytro Yarosh, who is also a member of the Ukrainian parliament, denounced the cease-fire in a statement published on his personal Facebook page.

Calling the pro-Russian separatists terrorists, Yarosh insisted that any agreement with them had “no legal standing.” He declared that the Right Sector militia “reserves the right to extend the active hostilities under its own operational plans.”

The agreement, slated to take effect at 12:01 AM Sunday, calls for the pulling back of artillery and other heavy weaponry so as to create a buffer zone along the current lines of fighting. Other key points are the removal of all foreign fighters and weapons from eastern Ukraine and the release of all prisoners of war. The agreement also calls for constitutional changes to grant greater autonomy to rebel-held areas, while requiring the separatists to return control of the border between eastern Ukraine and Russia to the Kiev regime.

Thursday’s Minsk II agreement replaces the Minsk Protocol cease-fire signed last September, which was repeatedly violated by both sides and fell apart completely in January. Fighting escalated last month after the Kiev government launched an offensive against rebel-held positions in the eastern Donbass region. Kiev forces suffered sharp reversals when pro-Russian separatists launched a counteroffensive, capturing significant amounts of territory and gaining control over the Donetsk airport.

Following the announcement of the new truce, both sides stepped up the fighting in an effort to make last-minute territorial gains before the cease-fire is scheduled to take effect. Debaltseve, the site of a key rail hub between the rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, saw the most intense fighting Friday. As many as 8,000 Ukrainian troops are surrounded by pro-Russian separatist militia fighters.

Andriy Lysenko, a Ukrainian military spokesman, reported Friday that at least 11 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and a further 40 wounded in fighting since the agreement was signed.

Artillery shells struck a school in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Artemivsk, killing two civilians, including a seven-year-old child. At least five other civilians, among them three children, were injured in the shelling.

Donetsk People’s Republic Defense Ministry official Eduard Basurin told reporters Friday that shelling of the rebel-held cities of Horlivka, Donetsk and Luhansk since Thursday had killed ten civilians and wounded nineteen others, including three children.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) released a report Friday stating that illegal cluster bomb munitions had been deployed in the shelling of Luhansk on Thursday.

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The 9 Secrets of a Happy Marriage

Mark Tyrrell

He looks wearily at her, shakes his head, and asks: "Whatever happened to us? We don't laugh any more; we used to always be laughing!"

She looks at him, contempt leaking like a North Sea oil spill: "Yes, but not at the same time."

This one line of comedy within a classic moment from the British sitcom Fawlty Towers illuminated an entire relationship.

A happy long-lasting marriage: Really? Is it still possible? Well, I guess we'll have to wait fifty years to find out. Of course, no one should stay in an abusive marriage. If you're being abused and bullied then your spouse has defaulted on 'the deal' anyway (remember the 'to love and to cherish' part of the vows?). But our 'throw away society' may mean that perfectly good relationships are too quickly discarded because they don't seem ideal.

The irony is that the modern obsession with 'personal fulfilment' - the importance of the self at the expense of the other - has left more people unfulfilled, sad, and lonely. Marriages crash and burn as spouses are updated for newer, 'better' ones. Have the ideas of commitment, duty, and responsibility been ditched at the expense of happiness?

A happy marriage is healthy

Marriage may seem as old-fashioned as sepia tone, but repeated research shows that people who remain married to one partner are the happiest (1) and that married people are statistically happier and live longer (2) than their non-married counterparts. Do we even know why some marriages work and some don't? Fortunately for this article, we do. We now know what happy marriages should avoid and also what needs to be encouraged to make marriages healthier and happier.

Of course no marriage is perfect, but many are happy. Happy marriages have difficulties, but there is an abiding sense of 'us', not just 'you and me'. Follow these strategies (both of you) and who knows - maybe you'll be telling me fifty years hence of all the health, psychological benefits, and happiness you've enjoyed.

So first:

1) Be realistic with your relationship expectations

Romance is wonderful and seeing the best in your partner is a sure way to maintain love and intimacy. But you are going to have years with your spouse, so you need to be able to except some imperfections. In the first throes of passion, the object of our romantic focus may seem perfect but then we discover their 'feet of clay'. At this point, for the marriage to last we need to see beyond personal weaknesses and foibles - after all, no one is perfect. All marriages need work sometimes; expecting it all to be effortless or that it 'should' always be perfect creates disappointment (as unrealistic expectations always do).

Idealize your partner, by all means - but remember they are human.

2) Sorry should not be the hardest word

Ever noticed how some people can never apologize, never admit they were wrong, never say, "Sorry"? Yes? Well, those are the ones who are much less likely to become or stay married

A survey conducted in San Francisco (3) found that people who stay happily married are twice as likely to be able and willing to apologize to their partners as divorced or single people are. The survey found happily married people are 25% more likely to apologize first, even if they only feel partially to blame. The harder divorced and single people found it ever to apologize or make conciliatory gestures, the more likely they were to stay single.

Romance and passion may bring couples together, but compromise and respect will keep them there. Learn to say sorry.

3) Drive those relationship-ruining riders out of town

Some couples argue passionately but still have a happy marriage. Others argue less but when they do, the relationship is severely damaged. What's the difference?

It's not whether you argue but how you argue that determines the likelihood that your marriage will survive long-term. US psychologist John Gottman has spent almost two decades studying the interaction of couples. He can now reliably tell (with up to 95% accuracy!) which couples are destined for relationship breakdown and which are likely to stay together by listening to the first five minutes of a contentious discussion.

Gottman highlights four factors that rot relationships. He calls these (dramatically) the 'Four Riders of the Apocalypse'. They are:

1) Contempt: Name calling, face pulling, cursing at and insulting your partner, and basically behaving as if you are revolted is 'contempt'. Gottman and his researchers in Seattle (4) found that if this was a regular feature in the start-up phase of a disagreement, then the relationship's days were very likely to be numbered. Women who looked contemptuous whilst their husband was talking were six times more likely to be divorced two years later.

2) Defensiveness: "Why are you picking on me? Don't look at me like that! What's your problem?!"

"But I was just offering you a cup of tea!"

Another major predictor of eventual relationship breakdown is over-defensiveness. If someone begins yelling as soon as their partner broaches a subject and feels overly threatened or attacked, and this is a continuing and regular feature of the couple's interactions, then the relationship is in crisis. Being defensive blocks communication and severs intimacy.

3) Don't criticize but do compliment

Partners who criticize one another risk damaging their relationship beyond repair... This doesn't mean you should never complain if your spouse upsets you, but a criticism is much more damaging than a simple complaint.

When you criticize, you attack the whole person (even if that's not what you mean to do); a complaint is directed at one-off behaviours rather than the core identity of the person. For example: "You are such a lazy £"*tard!" implies they are always like that and that it's a fundamental part of who they are. It's not specific or time-limited as is "I thought you were being a bit lazy today! That's not like you!"

Some partners feel they are trying to 'improve' their spouse by constantly pointing out what is wrong with them. Even if the intention is good, the consequences are not. Criticizing partners publically is humiliating (for both partners), but saying nice things about them when in company is a wonderful thing to do.

People in happy marriages feel appreciated, loved, and respected. Remind your spouse of their talents, strengths, and what you love and like about them much more. No one likes to feel they are under constant attack.

4) Withdrawal or 'stonewalling'

Emotionally withdrawing or stonewalling, 'closing your ears' or 'shutting off' when a partner is complaining is another huge predictor of breakdown. Whilst criticizing was generally more of a female trait, men used stonewalling more. Men's biology is less able to cope with strong emotion than women's, so men may instinctively try to avoid entering arguments or becoming highly aroused by stonewalling.

The partner may withdraw during conversations by 'switching off' or ultimately spend more and more time away from the relationship as a way of 'escaping'. The danger is that the stonewalling pattern will become permanent and the partner using this strategy will use it to isolate themselves from potentially positive parts of the relationship.

Everyone needs space, but never responding to an emotional issue leaves the other partner out in the cold.

Rather surprisingly, if even just one of these factors or 'riders' is present regularly in disputes, the outlook for the relationship is poor. Does your marriage contain any of these 'riders'?

And how else can you make your marriage happier?

5) Know what not to talk about in your marriage

Younger couples often want to 'dig deep' to unearth all their 'issues', to be entirely open with one another, and to 'talk everything through'.

But studies of elderly couples who have been happily married for decades show that these couples often don't listen very carefully to what the other is saying when expressing negative emotion. They also tend to ignore their own feelings about the relationship unless they consider that something absolutely must be done. This threshold is set much higher than in younger couples.

So the typical advice of agony aunts to 'air issues' and get 'everything out in the open' doesn't, after all, make for healthy long-term relationships. Agreeing to disagree and knowing which subjects to steer clear of is a key relationship skill.

6) Work out problems but keep a lid on them

Another key factor in arguments within relationships that survive is the habit of changing the subject once the discussion has 'run its course'. This 'quick shift' lessens the amount of negative emotion experienced and decreases the likelihood of later rumination. It also conveys the message, "We can argue, and still get on with each other." Thus, the argument is contained and does not contaminate the whole relationship.

Disagreements need to be 'one-off specials', not long-running serials. But fun is vital, too...

7) Laugh together, stay together

Regularly revisiting romantic times from the past and alluding to them in conversation - "Wasn't it wonderful when we..." and "Do you remember..." - is a powerful way of staying bonded. But regularly laughing together may be even more powerful.

According to recent research, couples who laugh together and regularly reminisce about funny times tend to be much more satisfied with their relationships (5). Create a reservoir of funny times and re-visit them often. Lack of fun can wilt a marriage like a flower denied water.

8) Ensure 5 good times for every bad time

According to Dr Gottman, stable marriages need five good interactions for every not-so-good one. 'Good' could mean a loving hug, a fun afternoon spent together, or a nice chat about a movie, anything positive. A 'bad' interaction may be a row, disagreement, or disappointment.

So make efforts to keep to the 5/1 rule. This will work even better if you follow the next tip.

9) Can you read (love) maps?

Remember the old Mr. and Mrs. TV show? (I think it may have been updated.) Anyway, the idea was basically this: The host would ask one partner to go behind a soundproof screen whilst the remaining partner was asked questions about their partner's life and preferences. For example: "Where in the world would your wife most like to travel?" or "What drink would your husband most likely order in a restaurant?" The idea was that the more correlated the answers, the stronger the relationship. And research seems to bear this out:

The more you know your partner's tastes, aspirations, whom they like and dislike at work, and so on, the better 'love map' you have. Knowing the details of your partner's inner and outer life (whilst allowing for some privacy) makes for a stronger bond. One woman I worked with didn't know the name of her (underappreciated) husband's company and one husband couldn't tell me the name of their family dog! (Much to his wife's consternation: "He shows no interest!")

How to Improve Memory and Concentration

Mark Tyrrell

They were so bored. The sweltering Californian weather didn't help, spilling dappled sunlight directly into the classroom; the kind of day created solely for prolonged beach time.

These college students were clearly distracted and unwilling to listen. The speaker, a visiting professor and perceptive man, could see the students weren't meeting his efforts to engage them; many hadn't been prepared to concentrate from the start. Suddenly and seamlessly, he switched mid-sentence from delivering his lecture in perfect English to speaking classical Arabic. And what happened?

Now the students were galvanized, all eyes exclusively on the speaker, the sunshine and beach dreams a million light years away as the mind-focussing power of the completely unexpected worked its magic. He reverted back to English and said:

"Now if you can just do me the honour of focussing your minds on words you can understand as much as you did on words you couldn't, we can still make this a worthwhile experience." Apparently he had their rapt attention for the rest of the lecture (1).

How improving concentration and memory will improve your life

Concentration is vital if you want to achieve anything. How and on what you focus determines what kind of life you have. Any great piece of music, painting, tennis stroke, surgical procedure, book, hoop shot, building, movie, or computer programming can only come about through the transforming power of deep and prolonged concentration.

And you can only commit something to memory once you've concentrated on it properly.

When you focus on learning or performing, concentration needs to be singular. As the old saying has it: "If you chase two rabbits, you catch neither."

To learn anything you need to:                                                                  

A, Concentrate on and commit to memory what you were focussing on.
B, Use this new knowledge at the right time by recalling it from your memory.

In a world of ever increasing distractions, those who can alternate at will between 'bigger picture thinking' and laser beam 'micro-concentration' will always have the edge. Let these tips help you concentrate and remember better.

1) Clear your mind

You need to concentrate and remember. But to do this you need to ensure that your mind and body have no other pressing needs. Imagine someone who hadn't eaten for a week trying to focus on learning a new maths equation. The drive for food would wipe away concentration on anything other than...food.

Look after yourself and you'll be better able to focus on what you need to. By purposefully meeting your 'lower needs' (lower but vital), you'll free up the spare capacity in your mind to concentrate better.

If you're hungry, eat before getting down to work; if you're restless, get rid of it by exercising before concentrating; if you're tired, then rest; if you're attention-starved, chat to a friend for an hour. If what you really need is to talk to someone or have a nutritious meal or catch up on sleep, then these needs will eat into your capacity to concentrate or remember. Once these needs are met, you'll have a clean start and a clearer mind.

2) Throw out the mental trash

You only have so much concentration to give. If it's 'stolen' by pointless TV, aimless surfing, or endless gossip, then:

• Your capacity to extend concentration may become impaired (just as taste for nutritious food can be spoiled by a diet of junk).
• You'll have less time to concentrate on what you need to.

Purposely cultivate quiet, distraction-free time. It's easy to get addicted to checking Twitter feeds, email, and texts. But we used to survive without this constant communication. If concentration is a glass panel, then all these devices can splitter and scatter it to the point of uselessness if we're not careful. Get used to less of those distractions (for example, discipline yourself to check emails only at certain times) so you can get more single concentration back into your life.

3) Get into the concentration zone fast

Ever watched a cat focus intently on a mouse hole or seen a truly great athlete forget everything around them except the serve or penalty shot? The future, past, all else evaporates when you concentrate this powerfully. The word 'concentration' may sound like it needs effort, but when you focus so intently that you get into the 'zone', then time flies by and you surprise yourself by what you can learn and achieve. And it feels easy.

To max up your powers of concentration, you can purposefully get yourself in the zone with this exercise:

Close your eyes and imagine seeing someone you admire for their world-beating powers of concentration. This could be someone you know or a great artist, performer, or athlete. Really see their level of immense concentration. Now imagine being them for a few seconds, really feeling what it's like to focus so intently. Now imagine focussing that intensely on what it is you need to do or learn. Still with your eyes closed, get the feeling that even an earthquake would barely distract you. Imagine holding the entire universe in your mind and then shrinking it down very rapidly so that now the whole universe just exists at one point and that point is what you are concentrating on. All else drifts away.

Get a taste of this exercise by clicking on the free audio session below.

And to improve memory...

4) Always remember: "That girl is such a minx!"

When I was at college, there was a beautiful girl from Belarus. A friend of mine fell head-over-heels in lust with her and would repeatedly say: "That girl is such a minx!" Later I learned that the capital of Belarus is, of course, Minsk. The Belarus girl was a minx from Minsk. Now you can always know that too; but what about those ancient Greeks?

You may recall the philosophers Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates (not personally of course : ) ), but who preceded who? Okay, imagine these three ancient chaps wearing togas and chatting (philosophically) in a luxurious spa. And that's your answer:

• Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC) who taught...
• Plato (428/427 BC – 348/347 BC) who taught...
• Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC)...who, even though he came last, was great (so great he taught Alexander the Great!).

Who were the three astronauts to first fly to the moon? It's as simple as ABC (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins).

Memorizing through association supercharges how much you can recall. It's called mnemonics (and if there's a mnemonic for that word let me know). The weirder and more vividly you can visualize what it is you'll remember, the stronger the memory will be.

Sure, that's how we can commit to memory, but what about recalling it from the little old gray cells?

5) Control your state for ultimate concentration

It's much easier to recall something if you are in a similar state of mind as you were when actually learning it. This is known as state-bound recall.

If I am very relaxed when I'm learning something but very tense when trying to recall it, then there is a mismatch; different states, you see. If I learn some information about, say, a colleague during a time when I am very angry, I am more likely to remember those facts next time I'm really angry.

If I revise for tests with the TV on but sit the test in total silence, I may have to imagine the TV show that was on (in the background) before I can recall the test answers. This would act as a prompt to help my recall. The TV show has nothing to do with the content of what I'm recalling, but it creates the context.

When trying to recall information you've learned, take a few seconds to re-evoke in your mind the way you were feeling, even your physical surroundings, when you were actually learning it - this will improve your rate of recall no end.

As with the mnemonic system, once you've done this a few times the memory becomes so strong that you'll no longer need to use these strategies. I now know instantly, for example, that Minsk is the capital of Belarus without having to recall a college pal's infatuation.

True concentration can accomplish just about everything you can think or dream of. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, famously said: "Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”

5 Natural Impotence Remedies

"Impotence - that's what it must be!" He had a gentle Irish brogue and had well and truly labelled himself as "sexually dysfunctional". Philip had tried Viagra, but all it had done was produce a headache "like Nagasaki!"

"The thing is," he told me, "I need a natural remedy for impotence. Can you help me?"

What did I do to help Philip with impotence? Well, you can read about some of the approaches in my article "Male Sexual Enhancement Techniques" - such as how to maximize your psychological attitude to sex, as well as some exercises you can do to strengthen erections (here's a hint: they don't involve gym membership). But here are some other tips and techniques to help rectify the 'collapse of stout party' and get you relaxed and hard during lovemaking.

Firstly: What exactly is impotence and what causes it?

Impotence - the natural 'curse'

Failing to achieve an erection that is strong enough or sustained enough to allow for normal lovemaking is known as impotence. It can happen once or many times and the majority of men (regardless of what they may tell one another) experience it at some time. As I pointed out to Philip, actually all men are meant to be impotent for much of the time. When we are in meetings at work, doing sports, reading a weather report, or wearing Speedos on the beach, not having an erection is a good thing.

When we're under attack or feel threatened, sexual arousal is meant to switch off fast. It's a myth that men are - and always should be - capable of instant sexual arousal (regardless of, say, problems in a relationship). But repeated failure to achieve erection during foreplay can start to feel like a real problem for many men; especially if it's a problem that spans different relationships.

So what causes impotence? Well, impotence can be caused by physical or psychological factors or, of course, a combination of both. It's good to know what's been causing it.

1) Check whether there are physical causes for the impotence

Do you regularly wake up with an erection? If so, then it's unlikely the cause of impotence is physical, as all seems to be working from a 'mechanical' point of view. Illnesses such as diabetes or conditions such as high blood pressure can cause impotence, as can injury or rapidly declining hormone levels. The blood needs to circulate well in order for erections to occur, so any condition which restricts circulation, such as smoking, may prevent erections. Additionally, overindulgence in alcohol may cause 'brewers droop' by interfering with testosterone levels.

Impotence can also result as a side effect from some medications, such as antidepressants, so if you suspect there may be some medical cause for impotence, consult your doctor. Also take a look at your lifestyle. Are you drinking too much? Not exercising? Getting too little rest? Smoking like a steam train? Sexual health is a by-product of living well.

2) Don't think yourself into impotence

Robin Williams once reputedly said: "God gave men both a penis and a brain, but unfortunately not enough blood supply to run both at the same time."

After laughing at this quote, I thought about it. (Don't you just hate it when people think about something before laughing at it?) On the face of it, this remark seems disparaging toward men. And it's often said that men give pet names to their penises because they "like to know who's dictating their behaviour". But actually women are led by their sex drives just as much as men sometimes and can also make "mistakes", ending up in bed with "the wrong man". We are all, to some extent, led by our desires.

I reckon the usefulness of Williams's remark (apart from the humour : ) ) is to highlight that over-analysis of sex can spoil it completely. "Will I/won't I achieve an erection?" is just too much pressure. The fact is that when enjoying sex, we really don't need to be thinking too much. When you focus on physical closeness and the enjoyment of being together naked, an erection becomes a by-product of the experience, not the end in itself. Stop trying to get an erection and focus on physical closeness - if an erection happens, it happens. But this is easier said than done, so...

3) Use self-hypnosis to relax about your sexual performance

It's easy for me to say: "Don't worry about whether you get hard or not!" But, of course, much impotence is caused by worrying, and stress switches desire off pretty rapidly. Self-hypnosis is a wonderful way to help you change your mindset and help you experience sex beyond concern with penile mechanics. In ancient China, the eunuchs reputedly made the best lovers because (without the use of a penis) they used much more imagination during lovemaking. To get a feel for self–hypnosis, listen to this short and free hypnosis audio.

4) Remember: impotence happens in context

If you've been experiencing impotence, it may be that you are bored in your relationship or with your lover and need to spice things up a bit. As the old joke has it: "Please don't come to bed yet; I haven't had a chance to think of anyone!"

Perhaps there are resentments in your relationship or your lover pressures you. Lovemaking isn't something you do to your partner, but with them. Give yourself a break sometimes - it would be amazing if a man didn't experience impotence in some contexts. It's not a reflection on you as a man, but perhaps rather your relationship or lifestyle.

5) Improve your circulation

Smoking is a very effective way of spoiling efficient blood circulation, which is why heavy smokers experience fewer erections than non-smokers. Any way you can improve blood circulation will strengthen your erections (as well as providing you with other obvious overall health benefits). Exercise, diet, and relaxation will all improve the flow of blood around your body. As will certain foods. For example, taking Ginkgo biloba for several months seems to have a hugely beneficial effect for many men (1). Eating garlic regularly may well have a similar effect (although taking it in tablet form may enable you to actually get close enough to use your erection!).

How to Boost Self-Esteem

Mark Tyrrell

The doorbell rang. She was perfectly on time. The first word she uttered was, "Sorry!" She said the S-word three more times before we even got to my consulting room. Later, Joy told me she sometimes felt apologetic for existing.

She'd had therapy before and been diagnosed with low self-esteem, but had unhelpfully been told to "start loving yourself". She told me (apologetically), "The trouble was, he kept telling me to love myself but he didn't really tell me how to."

Joy needed practical help.

What is low self-esteem, really?

Low self-esteem is a false perception of oneself.

If you have low self-esteem then you are better than you think you are. This is the definition of low self-esteem. When your self-esteem improves, it's because your self-knowledge has improved; just as the ugly duckling in Hans Christian Anderson's famous tale had to learn its true nature before it could become fulfilled.

But how do you tell if your self-esteem is too low?

Signs and symptoms of low self-esteem

Healthy self-esteem doesn't mean loving yourself no matter what you do. Shame, guilt, and self-reproach do have a place if we behave badly. It's just that those with true low self-esteem tend to feel these things even when they don't behave badly.

It's been proved a myth that people do 'bad things' such as child abuse, bullying, or drug-taking because they have low self-esteem (they might have low self-esteem, but that doesn't cause these behaviours) (1).

People with genuine low-self-esteem tend to treat themselves badly, rather than other people. So ask yourself, do you feel:

• You are morally worse than most other people?
• That you have less appeal than most other people; that you are uglier?
• You are stupider than most other people?
• You're unlovable?

You might also feel:

• Like never spending money on yourself or your looks because you feel you 'don't deserve it'.
• Your opinions aren't as valid as other people's opinions.
• Your low self-esteem is holding you back from really doing what you want to in life.

If you feel you have low self-esteem, here are five things you can do about it. First off...

1) Don't spread bad stuff about yourself

Low self-esteem makes you generalize a specific incident, situation, or trait and spread it to everything.

So Suzy burns a meal she's prepared for her kids and from this generalizes to: "I'm such a lousy mum, I can't even cook a meal!"

Jake fails a maths test and from this he negatively generalizes to: "I'm so stupid!" - (then, even worse) – " I can't do anything right!" We've magically gone from failing a maths test (specific) to being a failure at everything (pretty general!).

And more: Samantha really likes a boy in her class but is too shy to speak to him. She is mortified when he asks her best friend out. She generalizes this specific incident to: "I'll never get a date; no one will ever like me!"

This is known as 'globalizing' and if you do this for negative things, you'll feel bad about yourself. Knowing you are doing it is the first step to challenging it. If you catch yourself doing this - for example, telling yourself you're stupid because you made a mistake - then force yourself to find examples that contradict your own negative blanket statement.

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Next: What do you really think?

2) Look to the origins - briefly

Low self-esteem usually results from how we are conditioned by other people. If you were systematically insulted, criticized, or bullied, then you are more likely to have absorbed the negative messages about yourself instigated by other people.

Think about who these other people were and when you feel bad about yourself, take a moment to ask yourself: "Hold on. Whose voice is that in my head?"

I bet it really belongs to someone else originally. Starting to override other people's conditioning of us is the first step to psychological independence; the real 'you' (that you should be listening to) can be much kinder and more reasonable about yourself.

3) Be fair to yourself and others

Low self-esteem makes us magnify failures and personal faults and minimize or completely discount successes and personal strengths. Don't do this. Be fair. If other people say you are attractive, clever, kind, fun, or whatever, respect them enough to at least consider that what they say is a probability.

Remembering and dwelling on criticisms while discounting and forgetting compliments (or any positive feedback) is a very biased, off-balance way of travelling through life.

4) Ditch the imperfect perfectionism

"If it's not perfect then it's a total failure!" The idea that something is 100% useless unless it is 100% perfect, is a trap. Low " self-esteemers" often see things in very all-or-nothing terms. "That family is just perfect!/I'm just useless!"

Of course nothing in this world is perfect and no one is entirely useless. To stop this destructive black-or-white thinking, do this: Think, " If 100% is perfect and 0% is 'total failure' or 'totally useless!', how do I rate the meal I cooked?" This forces realism.

You might only give yourself 20% for the meal or your speech or whatever, but then look at that 20% and ask yourself: "What enabled that 20%? And how can I build on that to get to maybe 25%?" This breaks down the perfect/disaster thinking which drives and maintains low self-esteem.

5) Take care of your appearance

Low self-esteem leads to a vicious cycle. We feel bad about ourselves, so we don't dress well, keep fit, or get decent haircuts; but neglecting our appearance in turn causes more low self-esteem. Take time out to look after your body. Get a massage or manicure (unless you're a macho guy, of course : ) ). Buy clothes that look good on you. Don't see this as superficial or irrelevant, because the ripple effect of changing outward aspects of yourself can lead to changes on the inside.

And you can take time to close your eyes and start to visualize yourself looking fit, healthy, and nicely dressed whilst doing something you can be proud of - whether that's talking confidently to others or just looking so calm and relaxed. Or let me do that for you by clicking on the free audio link below.

Healthy self-esteem consists of:

• Honest respect for your own abilities, potentials, and value.
• Knowing your strengths and trusting in them.
• Appreciation and open acceptance of your limitations.
• Acceptance of these limitations whilst understanding that some limitations can be overcome.
• Freedom from being overly concerned with what we imagine others think of us. Whilst accepting these perceptions do play a part in everyday life, remember they do not determine who we are.

Remember: a diamond doesn't know its own value, but it is still a diamond nonetheless.

Joy came on in leaps and bounds. I noticed she stopped saying sorry (unless it really was justified), and one day she proclaimed: "It's as if I've found the real joy in my life!"