Macon

The United Auto Workers (UAW) members faulted union leaders for being too eager to agree to concessions. Automakers, on the other hand, said that they need to restore profits.

Angelo Bruno, 39, a painter at Ford Motor Co.'s Michigan Truck Plant, said they will try to swallow their ire and accept a deal that likely will bring more cuts. "It was a great ride," Bruno said. "But now globalization is killing us. We've got no choice."

Many automotive workers are striving to work balance despite the growing mistrust building inside. They have to work hard to rival more efficient foreign rivals. They have to consider the quality of their auto parts like EBC pads as well as the quality of their work despite their depressing working conditions.

Bruno believed that the vote held by his local UAW authorizing Ford to enforce major work rule changes at the plant was rigged. Changes include shifting to a 10-hour-a-day, four-day work week. Workers said turnout was deliberately kept low because they had to scramble through a snowstorm to vote at the local union hall. Traditionally, votes have been held inside the plant, Bruno said.

In spite of the gloomy plight, Bruno said he is willing to approve a national contract this fall that analysts predict could cut his pay, make him dig deeper to pay for his health care, and possibly thin his pension. "It's a betrayal," Bruno said. "I don't think anyone's being honest with us. I just hope I can stomach it." But he admits times have changed for him and even a lower-paying Ford job is probably better than anything else he could get. "I'm 55 years old," he said. "The economy would eat me up."

Top UAW officials declined to give further details on the upcoming contract talks however automakers have signaled their goal to pursue terms that are aimed at decreasing their labor and legacy costs that include pension, health care and retiree benefits.

Al Benchich, the president of UAW Local 909, said that many local union officials are trying to "balance on a tight rope." Benchich represents workers at General Motors Corp.'s powertrain plant in Warren. Everyone knows the situation the auto industry finds itself in," he said. "We are trying to determine a strategy based in reality."

Disillusionment among the rank-and-file runs deep partly because the union has been so effective at protecting its workers, said Harley Shaiken, a labor professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Shaiken has close ties to the UAW and automakers.

"They've dodged a lot of bullets, but the bullets are whizzing by a lot closer now," Shaiken said. "Despite the decades-long retrenching of the Big Three, there has never been this scale of layoffs. The UAW has always achieved some hard-fought gains."

The UAW has agreed to close some facilities and introduce more money-saving measures into factories. However, the union also won pay gains and has preserved medical benefits as well as job protections like the continuance of compensation to laid off workers.

Shaiken abhorred the idea that UAW leaders have sold out the rank-and-file. "They are not going to sacrifice the gains it took 60 years for them to build," he said. "They are very realistic about how tough times are right now. You've got constructive discussions between both sides. Both sides want to see healthier companies."

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive.buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop. You can visit EBC pads for more information.

For many, many centuries the Eastern Mystics (and others) have identified four of seven levels of human reality as:

THE PHYSICAL LEVEL OF REALITY - "might makes right" - whose essence is STRENGTH;

THE EMOTIONAL LEVEL OF REALITY - emotional attachment and relationships with other humans - whose essence is BEAUTY;

THE MENTAL LEVEL OF REALITY - the persistent search for TRUTH - whose essence is TRUTH;

and

THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL OF REALITY - the search for justice and the essence of which is JUSTiCE.

THERE are said to be three more - even higher levels - that most of us humans can not yet at this time in our evolution understand.

After many years of closely studying bisexuals on many, many levels -- bisexuals seem to me to have a better ability to bridge HUMAN INTIMACY on one or more such levels with both sexes.

AS - physical intimacy - easy to do with another MAN - as Jay Leno jokes: "SEX: women need a REASON to have sex; men just need a place!"

Bisexual men can easily get an erection and bond with another man - with or without a place. MOST women need a reason (emotional or mental or even spiritual to couple with another man or with a woman).

Ask yourself - have you had the ability to relate - to be intimate - with both men and women - and on how many of these four levels of human reality?

Myself - I tend to bond with women on the "higher" levels of human reality -- and easily bond with men on the base PHYSICAL LEVEL. How about you?

If you have read the science fiction classic "Stranger in a Strange Land" bisexuality is very likely the wave of that future. In that future reality - people are "nesting" in group households of say two men and one woman or five men and three gals or five gals and four men. They couple with one or more on and as need and as feels good basis. ONE on ONE monogomous couples are accepted but are not the "norm".

I have observed in the last two decades that BISEXUALITY seems to be on the rise. As taboos are lifted humans seem to accept that relating PHYSICALLY (on that level of reality) with the same sex is DO-able and even being intimate on other levels of reality is possible.

MANY of us have had the SOUL MATE (or intense best friend) experience with a same sex pal - and perhaps it was consummated with sex and maybe not. In MY OWN EXPERIENCE - those often HIGH spritual and mental relationships were NOT always helped or preserved by trying to add sex to the mix.

This is often the situation when straight or bi MEN encounter a very SPIRITUAL female as a Nun or the like. They are highly drawn to her (the spiritual LIGHT there) but it is likely not best to try to consumate the matter in a purely physical fashion. Also why many women become GROUPIES to spiritual male leaders (ie Elmer Gantry stereo types).

TO wrap it up - it is very important as human beings and/or bisexuals that we DO NOT think that we are special or unique. That can become a spiritual handicap to your own personal growth (ie a sense of being "special" can be that of so very deadly sin of pride.

Bisexuals may or may not be the cutting edge - and we may or may not be the advance movement of all HUMAN BEINGS - but do not please think of it in terms of being "special" or "unique".

So what do you think? Have you bonded with both sexes and on what levels of reality? Do you think this is the wave of the future? Do you think as I do that this is in fact a GREAT GIFT - that you can explore both sexes on many, many levels of reality?

As Woody Allen has so often joked: "Being bisexual has the unique quality of doubling the chances that you will have a HOT DATE every Saturday Night for the rest of your entire life!"

So just hoow are you doing in life relating to friends and lovers on the four levels of reality?

Best Wishes & Big Hugs,

Stewart (Mac) McCloud
Founder-Moderator
Bi-MEN NETWORK www.bimen.org
NOW over 250,000 men with us today!

Stewart (Mac) McCloud is the President and Founder of the Bi MEN NETWORK - http://www.bimen.org - the world's largest social and support organization for bisexual men, bi-curious males, gay guys, and bi couples - now with over 1/4 million adult members worldwide on all six continents. The Bi MEN advocate safe-sex and seek to keep marriages and families together. The Bi MEN believe that ultimately one day all human beings will be considered and understood to be bisexual in nature. The Bi MEN NETWORK seeks better public education, understanding and acceptance of bisexuals as a sexual minority by the larger heterosexual ("Straight") world as well as by our gay, Lesbian and transgendered fellow sexual minorities. Our motto: "You are NOT alone!" has been met by bringing together our adult members from all major nations from all six continents worldwide and FREE. The Bi MEN NETWORK is now the world's largest association of bisexuals and one of the 10 largest groupings of bi and gay men on earth today as well. Annual Bi Men Weekend Getway and Bi Men Conference in Las Vegas each Spring.

In the Internet age it first of all needs a catchy name to become popular. Well it has. "Sadorexia" is the latest trend in alternative sexuality and it may be a very dangerous one.

The name comes from a combination of the words "sadomaschism" and "anorexia nervosa" (the eating disorder) and was first coined recently in Spanish Internet discussion groups. What is means is requiring your partner to either loose or gain weight excessively.

While physical fitness programmes, body alteration or modification and out of the ordinary requirements are nothing new to the kinky world, "sadorexia" may become a very dangerous trend. Possibly just as dangerous as erotic strangulation and (auto)asphynxiation. These latter two have already taken their toll over the last ten tot fifteen years.

Popularity

Excess-oriented kinky trends - especially as a result of the Internet - spread like wildfire and this one doesn't even spread within the kinky community only. Would you believe there even are pro-anorexia Internet sites and weblogs, promoting excessive loss of bodyweight.

And no, such trends are anything but new. Only a few years ago the gay-world especially was shocked by a thing called "barebacking": deliberately taking the risk of getting infected with a sexually transmitted disease, including HIV.

With bodyweight being a trend in mainstream media in general, experts already feared it would be only an matter of time before "weight games" would make it to the bedroom. And guess what, they did. General attention usually makes the subject popular for use in other areas.

What is it?

In simple terms: sadorexia is deliberately slimming or fattening your partner - either as a form of erotic punishment or simply to suit personal preferences. And not just a few pounds, but fifty, sixty, seventy pounds or more, thus creating serious overweight or underweight.

Such schemes may very well involve things like forced feeding or deliberate starvation and excessive use of drugs, such as fat burners or steroids.

And there are numerous risks - the most obvious ones being the actual creation of a disorder or serious bodily harm. While there are currently no known reports the arrival of the first dead body is probably only a matter of time.

As with all forms of what is called "edge play" (risk aware extreme sexual behavoir, much like extreme sports) the risk of course is in those, entering into it without risk-awareness and sufficient knowledge and understanding. And while the BDSM-community - in the best of its educational traditions - is already starting to set up information programmes they cannot compete or keep up with Internet trends.

Hans Meijer, a Dutch former journalist and government spokesmen, is the chairman for the Powerotics Foundation. This organisation is dedicated to provide quality information about alternative lifestyles.

Ruidoso, New Mexico is a wonderful Southwest vacation destination offering Skiing, Horse Racing, Theater, Fishing, Shopping, Hiking, Biking and so much more.

Quaint shops in Ruidoso's midtown offer some of the most unique gifts you can find. Resembling a scene out of a Norman Rockwell painting this part of the Village retains is rustic charm and offers some great dining, a saloon or two and lots of people watching opportuntities. You never know who you might see in Ruidoso, whether on the street on on the slopes.

The skiing at Ski Apache in Ruidoso is the best in New Mexico and rivals Colorado for quality of snow and choices of runs. The only gondola in New Mexico is at Ski Apache. A new snow park was recently added to give those daring riders a chance to catch some air and show off to the folks swinging by on the lifts.

World class horse racing fills the summers as does many events large and small. A bluesfest, 2 motorcycle rallys, a nationally recognized cowboy symposium, rodeos, and so many art shows, art tours and craft shows that they can't even be listed here. Then there are the casinos. Recently opened Inn of the Mountain Gods is a Vegas style state of the art casino with breathtaking views from the rooms and first class dining.

For reservations at one of Ruidoso's charming cabins go to www.wpcr.com or call 1-866-766-3445. For more info on Ruidoso and the travel opportuntities available go to www.GoRuidoso.com where you can also sign up for the free Ruidoso travel newsletter.

Chuck Duncan

Chuck Duncan is a local resident who serves on several commities as well as the Chamber of Commerce executive, the Lincoln County Lodgers Association executive and is a member of the Arts council. Chuck ownes and operates Whispering pIne Cabins in Ruidoso's prefered area of Lodging, the Beautiful Upper Canyon.