tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38377649870902714992024-02-08T12:01:23.436-06:00Clowns on Left, Jokers on Rightsonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-45149361436948058202009-08-22T18:41:00.000-05:002009-08-22T18:42:42.296-05:00Dirty Little SecretsFunny I would come across this article today. It so happens my sister and me were discussing old times about how snack foods like Twinkles, Dolly Madison and other goodies over the years have gotten smaller size wise, but fairly expensive. Is the smaller size, bigger price phenomenon a recent scheme? Not hardly. And it’s no different then the potato chips trick where there’s more air then food in the bag. The latter by the way is one of the eleven devious secrets mentioned in an article by Tina McCarthy; of EcoSalon called '11 dirty little secrets your grocery store is hiding. ' Interested in some of the others? Well there’s the baked foods scam where so-called freshly baked foods turn out to be actually frozen products. Another older but goodie has to do with strategically placing more expensive items at eye level where they’re easier for you to see, and more likely to be chosen. Then there’s a ploy geared toward the younger fair. This is a gimmick used by stores where they strategically place items appealing to children on lower shelves where the kiddies can snap them up. The author writes about other scandalous examples of grocery store manipulation each utilized to take advantage of an uninformed, gullible shopper. Personally, I don’t think us shoppers are completely stupid. Well most of us anyway. To me just as fraudulent are the scanners at the checkout used to ring up your purchases at a higher price then what’s actually marked. Now that’s really being ripped off.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-69364991546841863882009-08-22T18:38:00.002-05:002009-08-22T18:41:15.656-05:00Bank are Walking away from foreclosuresAre banks walking away on foreclosures? Seems like they are. A while back The New York Times did a story about several homeowners who thought their bankers had foreclosed on their homes. Image their surprise when they discovered the banks canceled the sale of their houses at the last minute, left the homes titled in the homeowners’ name, and then demanded the owners resume maintenance on the property. Apparently one of the causes for this unsettling trend has to do with; you guessed it, the almighty dollar. There’s not much incentive doing a foreclosure these days when the legal and maintenance fees involved exceed the value of the real estate. But hey, that didn’t seem to be a problem when banks were handing out all sorts of inflated and exotic mortgage loans back in the day. <br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/us/30walkaway.html<br /><br />http://yourvideoforum.comsonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-14524661261594879072009-08-22T18:35:00.001-05:002009-08-22T18:37:36.418-05:00More About Health CoverageIt’s time for the United States to vote in a 3rd party, or deport the people who are supporting the two we’ve got. I’m serious. Just look at the insanity going on in the healthcare debate. <br /><br />The reality the GOP is a bunch of losers has yet to sink in. Instead Republicans seem to hold steadfast to this outrageous ideology that to conquer the American electorate means to divide Americans. With a platform singling out the perceived evils of minorities, immigrants, gays, environmentalists, anti-war supporters, anti-NRA, or anyone else who dare point out their hypocrisy, the GOP continue to wage their campaign of sheer rhetoric against healthcare reform. One conservative leader, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint predicted back in July that if Republicans were able to block any votes on healthcare reform until after Congress’ month long break in August, “Senators and Congressmen will come back in September afraid to vote against the American people.” He further added “If we’re able to stop Obama on this it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.”<br />http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith<br /><br />The rabid sickness of the Republican strategy has mutilated into an uncontrollable beast with senators, congressmen and congresswomen fulfilling Manchurian Candidate roles, willing to forsake any new ideas, innovations, or policies that would offer some improvement in the quality of people’s lives. Keep in mind it was a Republican who recently said the party would never support a bill that cost $1 trillion dollars. But a tax giveaway to the rich with a price tag of $1.7 trillion? Or a war in Iraq costing us billions so we’d get to see Saddam hang? Well those are bargains. Given the increasingly polarized landscape Democrats now are all over Obama, and members of Congress have indicated they could potentially split the healthcare bill into two parts in order to get the legislation passed without Republican support. One part of the bill would include insurance reform, while part two would include the controversial “public option” allowing the government to compete with private insurers. Think Obama is finally starting to feel some of the intense progressive heat? In his radio address today he decried some of the healthcare ‘Myths” Republicans are using to preserve the status quo. Like this oldie but goody abortions would be mandated under reform, which really coils the panties of the Christian right in a knot. Or the really obnoxious Sarah Palin’s ‘death panel’ statement that is being crafted suggesting a panel of bureaucrats will decide who gets medical treatment and who doesn’t. Some questions these panels (probably Democrats by the way) will need to answer?<br />1. Should old people who are a burden to their families be allowed to die so young children can afford their IPhones?<br />2. With life expectancy increasing how much money should be set aside to socialize McDonalds, making a daily Big Mac mandatory by the time you reach forty?<br />Predictably ‘tea parties’ are joining the act planning for hundreds of protests in congressional districts in one big collaborative effort to bring Americans together. It’s only through resistance fellow citizens can continue to make informed decisions about what type of insurance they can’t afford it, and keep big government out of their lives and big pharmaceutical companies, hospital groups, health insurers, and others in with their enormous money grabbing pipelines. <br /><br />And then least we not forget there are the Democrats. The party that never demonstrates, disrupts, or participates in shout downs like those crazy right-wing mobs are doing at town hall meetings. From commentators, activists, to the progressive bloggers, they are completely innocent of propagating smears, and are currently in a collective chorus of criticism over Obama’s annoying deals with drug companies and other health-industry conspirators. You would swear their man never did an about face on any other important issue during his presidential campaign. The audacity that he has the audacity to do the exact opposite of what he said he would do. The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll showed the president’s approval rating has dropped among the liberals from 94 percent in April to 83 percent today. I guess they’ve lost their faith in the agent of change. But hey, I suppose it could be worse. His supporters could have gotten their fingers cut off like two Afghan voters did last week. <br /><br />http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/AleqM5hvWEq…<br /><br />Unfortunately like I’ve said before healthcare reform isn’t about achieving a political advantage. It’s about Congress doing their jobs and representing the best interest of Americans. The media needs to expose the people who have a vested interest in seeing healthcare exactly the way it is, and we need to put them out of business. That being said, I don’t see that happening anytime soon. The healthcare industry is stretched to wide, and its pockets are way too deep. But like Obama’s supporters, it’s the thought of change that counts.<br /><br />http://yourvideoforum.comsonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-70819634759937722122009-08-15T18:08:00.004-05:002009-08-22T18:17:11.344-05:00Heathcare ReformThe critics and supporters of health care reform are really starting to go over the top, and to me both sides seem more interested in fulfilling the fantasies of their political parties rather then supporting what’s in the best interest of Americans. The right is crying out ‘socialized medicine’, literally making death threats, and as usual wants things to remain the same. Problem is millions continue to suffer from a health care system that’s become so bloated with companies each wanting their piece of the pie that cost have soared completely out of control. The left wants a single payer system, or nothing at all. They’re just as guilty for throwing out all sorts of diversions while Obama quietly strikes a deal with big drug companies reportedly to save Americans a whooping 2% on their drug costs. The people in the center, I believe just want an affordable system with at least some form of public option. The current system isn’t exactly killing people it’s the fact so many with diseases have no access to affordable health care that could help them to manage and survive their diseases. It really shouldn’t be about the left or the right, but there seems to be people misled by the propaganda on both sides. How insane is it to hear that if you can’t afford health care you shouldn’t get it? And what makes others think our government, which has never run anything efficiently will be able to put all the overwhelming bureaucracy of the current health care system under its wing, and magically reduce all its costs? To think everyone will have unlimited access to drugs and treatments just because it would be a mandatory government run program is delusional. Yup, divide and conquer while Big Pharma promotes Obama’s watered-down reform package that probably won’t offer any real relief, while keeping all the fat cat players happy.<br /><br />Read more here - http://robertreich.blogspot.com/<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />http://yourvideoforum.comsonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-68119314706268997292009-08-10T19:43:00.002-05:002009-08-22T18:20:18.501-05:00Is the Economic Downturn Finally Over?The employment report for July came out this past Friday and showed 247K jobs were loss. That’s considerably better then economists forecasted, which I believe was predicted to be somewhere around 350k plus. The New York Times columnist Paul Krugman believes the economy has finally stabilized, but thinks a second stimulus package is needed for state and local governments. “It’s quite possible, though not certain, that retrospectively, we’ll say that the recession ended in July or August, maybe September,” the Nobel Prize economist said. “My guess is that we’ve bottomed out now, that August was probably the trough month.”<br /><br />Let’s hope so although there are possibly a couple of things weighting in on what might be fueling the current recovery. China’s economy has picked up again, perhaps re-igniting investments worldwide, and some of the economic droughts in various parts of the country has abated, especially in housing. Will this continue? Another question will be how long can the economy continue its recovery with a prolonged and sluggish period of GDP growth of say 2% or less. Economists have offered this very low level of growth as one mathematical possibility. It seems to me the economic foundation of the United States is so fundamentally bad 2% or less GDP is not just a possibility, but also a certainty for the next couple of years. IMO this will be a jobless recovery that will strain the Treasury and taxpayers, and will be too dependent on increased government spending, and other financial engineering like maintaining lower interest rates. Like I’ve said plenty of times many of the measures addressed in the stimulus packet were needed, so I’m not complaining. It just seems to me somehow pieces of the puzzle are missing. The focus will have to be moved from the current trends of excess supply and cheap credit to strike a balance with actual consumer consumption. Going forward the problem for the economy will be how to tackle consumers who are saving more, and spending less. That’s why when the government decides to create new economic programs these have to be managed carefully otherwise we become what Japan has been for the last 15 plus years. A country with zero interest rates and zero GDP. Then there will be the challenge of a mounting budget deficit not only in the United States, but worldwide. The Telegraph.co.uk reports the IMF (International Monetary Fund) puts the total cost of the financial stimulus at 7.1 trillion pounds with the countries making up the G20 group facing a combined deficit of 10.2% of GDP in 2009. It’s possible if the economy starts to nosedive again our government won’t have the creditworthiness to do anything to stop the implosion.<br /><br />Read more on the Krugman here<br />http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aMZ5qIkGppqA<br /><br />http://yourvideoforum.comsonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-48503802934475225502009-08-08T17:01:00.004-05:002009-08-09T12:09:11.669-05:00Surprise! Revelations LA Fitness Shooter believed in Anti-woman DoctrineWho is George Sodini? He’s the man who opened fire last week on a dance class in Pittsburgh killing three women, and injuring nine others. He apparently held a murderous grudge against women, and kept an online diary making his mother the heavy for his feeling of inadequacy. He accused her of being domineering and documented his animosities, because he hadn’t been able to get a piece of ass in the last 19 years. I couldn’t help but read some of his weblog entries at georgesodiniblog where he wrote a lot about his mistreatment as a child, the feelings he was unloved, and why he isolated himself from society. Sodini also placed considerable blame for his psychological problems against a local church in Pittsburgh called Tetelestai that had a sexist evangelist for its minister, and where he attended for 13 years. Apparently it was there he learned a woman was the property of her husband, and other unrealistic male-centric nonsense. Like “Bitchniness in a woman is an indication of the wrong woman.” No bitchniness in a woman probably means she wants to be left the hell alone. For all of you men out there here’s just a few words of wisdom. Mentioning you’re a male chauvinist pig probably is not the best dimension to highlight on your Match.com personality profile. Two weeks before the final shootings Sodini wrote, “I guess some of us were simply meant to walk a lonely path. I have slept alone for over 20 years. Last time I slept all night with a girlfriend it was 1982. Proof I am a total malfunction.” You think? The left will throw out accusations Sodini is yet another religious wacko packing firepower, and spewing out hatred predicated on a religious doctrine that emphasizes male dominance over women. Like the church forced him to live and breathe this drivel. The right will predictably see a man with an inherent sickness who took to the extreme an illusion taught by a pastor in military garb that ‘for every right man there is only one right woman.’ All the poor guy wanted was a soul mate to love even if it meant stockpiling semi automatic weapons, and ultimately becoming a terrorist to find her. Hate to say it, but no one owns you love, and it’s not Mama’s fault because she ‘didn’t cuddle and nurture’ you like you thought she should. As usual my opinion of Sodini lies somewhere in the middle. Seems there should have been plenty of incredibly self-loathing women ripe for the taking in the church he’d attended for 13 years. He also appears to me to be a classic picture of a disturbed man really to use religion, his abhorrence of women and his mother, Groundhog Day, or whatever else to kill and then cowardly commit suicide. All his manufactured excuses help feed his reason to load his guns and open fire on innocent victims. No wonder women stayed away. He seemed like the kind of guy who’d marry and kill his wife when she realized what a lunatic he was. If you really want to experience his creepiness watch his home video #1.<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-7f3a16512fc8de5a height=266 width=320 contentId="7f3a16512fc8de5a"></OBJECT>sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-86056969870700094242009-08-07T19:05:00.000-05:002009-08-07T19:07:15.253-05:00A Healthcare Debate of a Different KindDoing a little browsing on the internet, and came across an article about how we’re slowly being killed by corporate junk foods, namely from McDonald’s, Burger King, and the other usual suspects. I hate to admit it, but love McDonald’s, especially the French fries. However, I don’t exactly remember them inducing an addiction where I have to eat them on a daily basis. The argument we’ve been manipulated into becoming gluttons has gotten extremely stale over the years. It’s a safe bet there was diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and obesity long before junk food hit the scenes. And you know what? Despite the belly aching about how unhealthy Americans are we are living a lot longer today then our forefathers ever did. You know what else is annoying? Why is it always “we” have become gluttonous junk food addicts? I couldn’t eat at a fast food joint everyday even if they paid me. Come to think of it supermarket food isn’t much better since there’s enough salt and addictives in canned, and other processed foods to keep King Tut preserved for another thousand years. Its true health issues are a worldwide problem, not necessarily confined to the United States. Lots of terrible ailments are trending upward at an alarming rate, but is it a symptom of each how society lives? It just so happens for some Americans it easier and more convenient to go through the fast food drive thru as opposed to cooking a homemade dinner that takes an hour or more. Color me lazy. I eat fast foods because I can’t cook, don’t want to take the time to learn, and have no patience with following a recipe. Then there are these little things called ‘genes’ that predispose you to a host of nasty things. Contrary to popular opinion health nuts can and do die from heart attacks and cancer just like anybody else. Do I dare say, because these diseases might run in their families? Getting older doesn’t help you much either. Your body is not as efficient, and you probably don’t exercise as much as you used to. I know I don’t, but then again I don’t sat on my ass all day doing nothing. I’m not overweight, but I’ve had past weight problems that have made me conscious of staying slim. I’ll admit I do eat organic, vegetables, Lean Cruise, and hardly any processed foods. But I’m human, and greedy, so it gets hard to turn away from my favorites like pizza, Chinese food, and fried goodies. I guess the bottom line is you can’t regulate what people eat, regardless of how overwhelmingly unhealthy they are. And we all know people who have maintained their health poorly during the course of their entire lives. Ultimately the blame is with the overweight person, and not the popular restaurants. I’m not trying to defend the fast food giants, nor the food manufacturers that throw all sorts of crap like high fructose corn syrup, salt, MSG into our foods, but education about healthy eating starts at home. You’re just as likely to meet your maker from an addiction to alcohol, or nicotine, and the diseases caused by these products are self-inflicted as well.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-91707488165503833342009-07-31T19:40:00.000-05:002009-07-31T19:42:26.310-05:00Cash for ClunkersThe ‘Cash for Clunkers’ deal has really taken off. So much so The House approved an additional $2 billion in hopes there will be enough money to keep the program alive for another month. The program pays consumers’ cash vouchers if they trade in their gas-guzzling cars for a new car that’s environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient.<br /><br />I’ve read the typical over reaction from all the perfect souls out there who argue the government is enticing the same people who couldn’t afford to buy houses to now purchase cars they can’t afford. Who cares? It’s better then not doing a damn thing! The whole idea is to get a vital component of our economy going, the car manufacturers. In doing so maybe their workers stay employed, maybe the industry gets healthier financially, and just maybe the economy moves away from the abyss its been tittering on. And yeah I know GM and Chrysler already got bailout money at taxpayers’ expense, and all the stimulus package is doing is hiking the money supply so inflation and the devaluation of the dollar are inevitable. But what I get so tried of hearing are the people with no new ideas offering the same diatribe the government is rewarding people for doing the wrong thing. You want to know what’s more important? That our country survives. If you want to keep your 10-year-old piece of crap do it. The government is not putting a gun to anybody’s head, and just because another person decides to take advantage of a good deal, doesn’t necessarily mean she or he can’t afford to. Last time I checked car dealers are still running credit checks. They haven’t gotten that damn desperate. I don’t get where this correlation between people who couldn’t afford their houses are now buying cars they can’t afford. I can afford my house just fine, thank you as well a new car. Good grief my head is hurting.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-1833380743264176582009-07-26T16:23:00.000-05:002009-07-26T16:25:13.972-05:00The Afghan Marriage LawBack in March a law was signed by U.S. puppet Hamid Karzai, the Afghanistan president that called on women to have sex with their husbands at least every four days. If she refused her spouse could withhold his financial, shelter, food, and even medical support as punishment. As expected considerable flack erupted from governments around the world to what critics viewed as legalizing marital rape. You think? Activists both inside the country and out called for this barbarian treatment to end, including the widespread violence against Afghan women and girls, which is condoned by law, and deeply imbedded in Afghan culture and customs. <br /><br />The health and safety of Afghan women will be critical to the United States military operations, and key in stabilizing the country both politically and economically. Navy Times has an article ‘Women’s issues key to Afghanistan success,’ which talks about the work of Rep. Susan Davis, a California democratic, and member of the Congressional Women’s Caucus who has discussed protection of women with military commanders, and believes the health of women in Afghanistan is poor. She says “During a recent trip to Afghanistan, I learned that women in Afghanistan have the same aspirations of women everywhere – a focus on family, community and children.” <br /><br />I believe Davis’ comments to be dead on. Theses are the aspirations of so many women worldwide. I also strongly believe one of the best things we can do to help Women in Afghanistan is to end the war, and get out of the country. We cannot approve the lives of anyone if that country has a corrupt government, and has a history of arming extremely violent and misogynistic fanatics. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be concerned with human rights, or the rights of women in other countries, only that “Westerners” must understand that much of Afghanistan’s criminality against women is probably due to decades of armed conflicts and a long history of rampant human-rights violations. What can be said of men that dispense brutality, and follow traditions that force women to such a subservient status? In addition cruelty against women whether its in Afghanistan or American, must be challenged, and there’s plenty of work in our country to be done. No, I’m not comparing the United States with Afghanistan, just that we often suffer form a superiority complex when it comes to analyzing another country’s problems, and it’s quite possible the war over the last eight years has caused more harm to women rights then good. Independent candidate for Afghan president Ramazan Bashardost puts it even more bluntly. He says “This is not a war for women’s rights in Afghanistan. It is not a war for human rights in Afghanistan. The problem is that the analysis of the Afghan situation by the US is wrong.” <br /><br />Read more about the oppressive Afghan marriage law here – <br /><br />http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31832571sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-67154694889942996482009-07-25T17:16:00.001-05:002009-07-25T17:17:51.945-05:00Rape chargesI’m a little late on this one, but being a huge fan of the NFL this really stings. I hate reading stuff like this, and it seems to happen all to often. Allegations of rape were filed against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last week by a 31-year old Nevada woman who claims the star quarterback sexually assaulted her in a hotel penthouse back in July of 2008. According to the Associated Press the woman didn’t file a criminal complaint after the assault, but now is going after some big bucks. <br />Let me start off by saying I don’t know if Roethlisberger is guilt or innocence. If he goes to trial it’s for a jury or judge to decide. But he’s one of my favorites players so when he says “Her false and vicious allegations are an attack on my family and on me. I would never ever force myself on a woman,” I really want to believe him. All to often the pattern of these kinds of accusations are the same. The victim somehow finds herself alone with a person with lots of money, gets assaulted, doesn’t report it in a timely manner, or eventually moves the complaint from a criminal complaint directly to a lawsuit. In this case the woman reports hotel officials were told of the incident, but went to great lengths to cover it up. Her lawsuits seeks a minimum of $440,000 from Roethlisberger, a minimum of $50,000 from Harrah’s officials, and punitive damages. Come on people! If you’re raped, report it right away no matter who, or what gets in your way. Rape is extremely serious, and you don’t sit back and let others dictate the process, especially if the accused is high profile.<br />Some will instantly pass judgement and believe the woman is not telling the truth and that Roethlisberger is being steamrolled. So if the woman recants her story, or works out an out of court settlement, which allows the lawsuit to be dismissed, Roethisberger will wear this badge of shame forever. Just look at Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant. On the other hand there will be those that will insist that Roethlisberger is a rapist. They will continue to believe that even if a court says otherwise. It’s a no win situation for both parties.<br />That’s what makes this news so troubling. If Roethlisberger is guilty, but cuts a deal he will be getting a slap on the wrist even if he has to pay millions of dollars. Everybody knows that guy is not going to jail. If he’s innocent, but still has to pay then his reputation is still severly damaged, and he forget about endorsements.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-35270148259173399952009-07-20T20:38:00.000-05:002009-07-20T20:40:45.108-05:00Financial Problems May Be Successfully OvercomeSurely there has been some extremely embarrassing episodes associated with one's financial situation in everyone's life when an atm machine has refused to give out cash because of your overdue indebtedness to a bank you keep your money in, or the shame you have experienced when you have got your debit card turned down in a shopping centre before of other customers. Often you find yourself pressed for cash at the end of the month merely since you have been billed for repairs that came out very unexpectedly or you have got too many bills to be paid all at once. When facing these financial difficulties, very many people at present pull payday advance. They are designated to help you survive the period which starts when you find yourself pressed for cash and ends when you are given a paycheck. A lender - typically it is your bank or a company - lend you a small sum of money, which is usually due in 7 - 10 days. No highly complicated procedures or credit checks are necessary, and the money you have applied for will be deposited into your checking account in TWENTY FOUR hours or faster. For many people it is a way out from a temporary financial emergency. Still one should be very cautious when taking a payroll advance. First, direct payday loans are quite expensive. More than that, they are ranked among the most expensive types of legal lending. So, if you get a hundred-dollar payday advance, on the due date you are to pay off this sum plus an interest rate, which will be about Twenty dollars. A 20% interest rate may sound quite reasonable to you, since it does not differ greatly from that on a credit card. Still with a payroll advance you have to pay this interest for a very short term, for instance for a week, whereas with a payroll advance borrowed on a credit card the interest will amount to around 2 % per month. So, annual percentage rates on direct payday loans will be at the least in four figures. Nevertheless, if a financial situation is really critical, an interest rate arising out of a loan is insignificant. Another important thing to be kept in mind is that as soon as you have paid back your payroll advance and charges on it, you run out of money again. And to make it through you have to unpack another payday loan together with a charge on it. It is a kind of a vicious circle. You get into a trap of never-ending loans and repayments which may impact on your financial dubiousness even more unfavourably than a simple shortage of money for current expenditure. That is way, it is strongly recommended to use the payday loan option in cases that are really acute and admit of no delay. Do not apply for a payday advance anytime you haven't got adequate cash to buy a trifle.<br />About the Author<br />Someday in the future you may run out of money due to some expenses. Find valuable info on financial lending options available here, in case you & your friends find yourselves in an acute financial situation. Choose <a href="http://www.yoursloan.biz/">Payroll advance</a> or <a href="http://www.yoursloan.biz/FL.html">instant loan</a> to survive a temporary crisis.<br /><a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">Article Source</a>: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-12303843754803466732009-07-20T20:37:00.000-05:002009-07-20T20:38:01.063-05:00Bank FailuresSo far the FDIC has closed 57 banks this year, including four just this past Friday. At this pace there will close to 100 bank failures this year. If compared to the S&P crisis back in the 1980’s where there were 28 weeks when regulators closed ten or more banks, 100 banks failing this year is almost a non-event. First, because these are relatively small banks, and the proportion of their deposits compared to the bigger banks have less impact. Secondly because of the FDIC guarantees. We don’t see runs on banks anymore. During the 1920s 500 banks failed per year with depositors losing 30% to 40% of their bank deposits. If all depositors went to large failing banks today and removed their deposits the FDIC’s reserve amount would plummet, and I’d be singing a different tone.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-91272238659382317472009-07-16T19:38:00.001-05:002009-07-16T19:38:18.858-05:00Health Care ReformThere’s a plan unveiled by House Democrats, which imposes 5.4 percent surtax on Americans with $1 million in annual income. In addition new taxes would be levied on households earning over $335,000 a year. All toll the new taxes would raise about $544 billion over the next 10 years, and would be used to fund the largest overhaul of the health care system in the last 40 years. Obama promised he’d make national health care a priority during his campaign last year, and now as president it’s become a goal of his administration. Small businesses will feel some pain as well. Read the Wall Street Journal’s take here.<br /><br />http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124759535535340189.htmlsonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-27057972643749490032009-07-14T20:23:00.001-05:002009-07-14T20:23:48.861-05:00The Bush FactorPolitico did a story about how Bush-bashing was still politically potent <a href="http://www.politico.com/">http://www.politico.com/</a>, and how some Democrats could potentially use the former president as the centerpiece during their upcoming races. I find it interesting how after nearly seven months removed from office, Bush remains an enticing target.<br /><br />In all fairness this wouldn’t be the first time a former president has served as the villain, becoming a lightening rod for the opposition. Jimmy Carter comes to mind as well as Richard Nixon. In any case, I started to think a lot about how history will judge Bush, and his ideology on both the domestic and international fronts, and if it is still viable to blame him for so many of our current woes.<br /><br />There are people on the left who hate Bush with such a passion it seems to consume every fiber in their body. Personally I don’t hate anybody. True, I never voted for Bush, but I never wanted his administration to fail. His failure meant American’s failure. <br /><br />The outrage of so many Democrats can be directly connected to 2000. They believe the Supreme Court, which suddenly shifted from a revered, fairly nonpartisan body to nine political hacks, stole the election from them in Florida. Even still it can be argued the Bush v. Gore decision was based on reality, and it can be further suggested if the decision had gone the other way Gore probably would have lost the election anyway. He didn’t exactly set the halls of justice on fire by protesting. The perception of a rigged 2004 election, especially the outcome in Ohio adds even more fuel to the fury, along with the view that Bush used the 911 tragedies for his own political gain.<br /><br />Then there are those on the right who strongly support Bush, and are just as equally blind. They still proudly sport his 2004 reelection bumper sticker on their cars, while completely ignoring his long list of malfeasances. The effects of his policies are monumental. His mismanagement of taxes, the giveaway of the surplus left by Clinton, the start of the Iraq war, and his handling of the Katrina disaster are appalling. The mess caused by Katrina was a massive environmental catastrophe. Not only that, but his administration’s failure to protect the people of New Orleans told you all you needed to know about his compassionate conservative side. The expansion of the government from 2001 to 2008 was unbelievable. You can’t give away tax cuts like the Republicans, but spend money like the Democrats. The economic crisis being felt worldwide can’t be ignored, and is part of his legacy whether his supporters think there wasn’t much he could have done about it, or not.<br /><br />Although Bush keeps himself busy these days writing his new book the media still occasionally keeps us informed of his whereabouts. Again, if you’re on the right you’ll vilify the reporting for the past eight years as completely bias. Lies from a liberal media with an agenda to show Bush in the worst possible light, and part of the Democratic propaganda machine spewing out disingenuous information, which made him out to be arrogant, callous, and incompetent. If you’re on the left Bush typifies his conservative base, and their reporting. FOX news bears some serious responsibility for constantly marginalizing his illegal wiretapping, his distain for the constitution, and his torture camps, following behind the GOP like mindless sheep, uttering the same old Republican talking points that to criticize the United States is to hate the United States, to criticize the war is to hate the soldiers, and President Bush kept us safe. In any event, you be the judge.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-3959251478675244672009-07-11T19:07:00.000-05:002009-07-11T19:12:22.790-05:00Ain’t No SunshineWill the economy have a V shaped or U shaped recovery? That is the question. Vice President Biden came out last week, and basically said the state of the economy was under estimated, and a strong economic upturn, or the V, U shaped recovery will be harder to come by then originally anticipated. Republicans who back in January had no solution of their own were quick to use the opportunity to criticize the Obama administration for spending $787 billion on a stimulus plan they label as a failure. They may have a point.<br /><br />I advocated way back at the start of the year if the government truly wanted to shake up the economy, they had better stimulant the American taxpayers in the form of cash payments, which would help cover the basics while providing disposable income. Reeks of socialism? I called it using logic.<br /><br />Consumers are the engines behind the American economic machine. The health of the economy is always reflected by our unemployment rate. We haven’t been spending, and most of us probably won’t start until we’re comfortable with our jobs and financial situations. True, despite all the anguish about the declines in the stock market, and significant losses in home prices there are positive signs out there. Ford Corporation announced they’re beginning to see stabilization in their car sales, while this past Thursday’s job numbers showed the number of people getting unemployment benefits finally trended below 600,000. Both Ford’s car sells and unemployment benefits had been at unprecedented lows and highs respectively. However, even in this backdrop people are getting nervous the ailing economy hasn’t gotten on the fast track, and a second jolt of stimulus might be needed. If that happens will the administration again ignore ordinary Americans?<br /><br />The problem I see with Obama, Geithner and congress is they pretend like the economic meltdown resulted from a bunch of unforeseeable mistakes, and have basically aided and abetted the very pirates who were the cataclysm behind this mess, average Americans be damned. In addition when crafting his stimulus plan the president ignored the sound advice of every major economist, instead opting for the political correctness of bipartisanship, while the burdens of struggling people increased exponentially. <br /><br />There is a long held belief the economy is a self-stabilizing system that always returns to a normal balance. It’s disheartening to see such a fundamental naiveté still prevails given the mounting foreclosures and widespread permanent unemployment. Right now a checkbook couldn’t be balanced in this economy. The government is broke printing a trail of money that’s got inflation written all over it, the value of the dollar is literally down the tubes, and China has already suggested a new world currency is needed to replace it. To me the stimulus is quickly turning into a flop. The number of jobs projected to be created for our crumbling infrastructure, sustainable energy, and green projects seems more of Washington’s fake statistical rhetoric. Obama has asked Americans to be as patient as possible and now says “We must let it work the way it’s supposed to, with the understanding that in any recession, unemployment tends to recover more slowly than other measures of economic activity,” I think Obama clearly has become out of touch with one of the biggest economic crisis facing main street.<br /><br />http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090711/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_stimulussonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-30315461726501395982009-07-11T19:00:00.001-05:002009-07-11T19:07:32.472-05:00California Dreaming?Ever had a good dream that did a number on you, and turned into a nightmare? That’s what Arnold Schwarzenegger must be feeling right about now. Surely he must have dreamed he was taking the Ronald Reagan career path from bad actor, to governor of California, and then president. Imagine what could have been. The law is changed, a foreign born U.S citizen runs for president, and wins. Oh, Obama although a senator has already done that you say? Well that’s another story.<br /><br />I’ve been reading a lot about California lately. The state, once a high technology juggernaut has been reduced to the proverbial redheaded stepchild. The Wall Street Journal did an article about the state issuing $53 million registered warrants (IOUs) last week, because it has a budget shortfall of about $24 billion dollars. When the state’s pain and suffering will finally end is a big unknown, and I’m not very good with predictions. However, I do have a suggestion to Californians. Wake up! Don’t you realize you are in a failed place where the good times are long gone? Your situation will only get worse until you get out of your stupor, and stop allowing politicians to write the rules benefiting whose who have the most. And what is it with the banks? These geniuses after pledging to accept the IOUs have reneged, and now say they won’t. Is it because they’ve grown disappointed with California, or they’re panicked by the prospect of not earning the normal usury fee they charge their customers? The IOUs will only give them about 3.75% rate of return. So after what California officials vowed to be a rock solid plan now has cracks in the dike the size of Sacramento. The torpedo is aimed directly at the poor and middle class Americans who again will be systematically given the shaft.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-41656372420862635522009-07-06T20:00:00.000-05:002009-07-06T20:01:37.062-05:00Going Green and Branding Your Business OnlineOne of the best ways to be found as a voice actor for freelance opportunities in this day and age is through search on the Internet. The ways of the past are no barrier to success for savvy voice over entrepreneurs of the new Google Era. Google has brought more to our fingertips than any other web portal on the Internet, corralling relevant websites and taming the Wild West of the World Wide Web. The voice over market was worth over $8.8 billion worldwide in 2005! That's right, a substantial amount of money was spent on language services and voice recording with $12.3 billion spent on language services and voice recording projected for 2010. It's no secret that there are many people who are online for this type of work, however, there are tips and strategies that are not quite as evident when it comes to differentiating yourself from the other people who do voice overs online. Here's an avenue that you may not have thought of when it comes to branding your voice and voice over services, but it's quite opportune and timely considering the current state of environmental affairs in the world due to Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming. It's amazing how the increasing awareness of these issues has and continues to impact businesses directly. Let's visit this back story to get an idea of what is going on and how people are being affected. Up here in Canada, there is a company I heard about on the radio that is actually citing "Global Warming" as their reason for shutting down one of their factories, a factory that happens to employ hundreds of people and is laying off veterans in the workforce who have served them for decades. This company produces snow blowers and the like. With a very mild winter and relatively no snow this past year, the company couldn't justify producing additional stock for this year when there was still inventory that hadn't sold from the previous season. Because of climate change, this company will need to look into manufacturing other seasonal products, perhaps golf carts or similar items as was suggested on the CBC Radio One Sunday morning program. It is through these realizations and corporate decisions that new, enviro-conscious business deals and procedures will emerge. By virtue of an ever-growing demand for environmentally friendly products and practices, the adapting global marketplace will propel this diamond in the rough niche for green branding opportunities worldwide for so-called green initiatives. You may be wondering what this has to do with branding for voice overs... I'm getting to that, not to worry. Essentially, as business changes for many corporations in the manufacturing industry, they will need to change their messaging or product offerings to accommodate Green Initiatives such as the Kyoto Accord or Kyoto Protocol. While going green may pose certain financial commitments for companies and branding strategies, it does present new opportunities to market to their customers and prospective customers. After making agreements and going green, these companies will want to flaunt their new status as an environmentally friendly company and will need to market that message through commercials, printed materials, updated phone system recordings, website voice overs, podcasts, public speaking engagements and more. This desire to promote support for the environment will ultimately benefit you as the content producers, in this case, of voice over services. New opportunities will arise for work as well as new opportunities for you to brand your image as an environmentally conscious voice over professional and businessperson. That could mean updating your company colors, logo or even your entire brand itself to position yourself as an ideal choice for a company re-branding their images as environmentally sensitive. Have you checked out the templates online that you can use for your website to brand your web presence? There are a wide array of nature-inspired themed templates available to you through royalty-free image providers that you can use to make your website more appealing and branded to attract clients who are embracing the new way of going green in their business. Some of these themes may focus on water, greenery, solar energy, floral patterns, and oxygen. There's no shortage of images out there that you can acquire to brand your website for visitors who espouse saving the environment. Branding your website with graphical themes opens the door to text branding as well. Consider the following brands if you'd like: - Green Voice - Fresh Voice - Pure Voice - Solar Voice - Aqua Voice - Enviro Voice - Organic Voice - Clean Voice - Pristine Voice - Clear Voice With those suggestions, you will be able to brand your own voice over business and be a trail blazer in the field of eco-friendly audio production services.<br />About the Author<br />Stephanie Ciccarelli is the VP of Marketing with Voices.com the leading website to connect with <a class="mainlink" href="http://www.voices.com/">voice actors</a> hosting more than 10,000 professional voice acting professionals. Stephanie is also the author of The Definitive Guide To Voice-Over Success.<br /><a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">Article Source</a>: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-36856519814583981852009-07-04T16:32:00.000-05:002009-07-04T16:33:45.798-05:00Sarah Palin Resigns as Alaska GovernorThis is a stunning development that’s raising more questions than it answers. The first thing that comes to my mind is there must be some kind of nefarious scandal waiting to go public? Why else would a woman on the GOP’s shortlist for the 2012 presidential candidate suddenly bow out of the public limelight after only two-and half years in office? Politicians are like bad headaches. They generally hang around forever, especially if they intend to run for higher office. But if you listened to Palin’s rambling, metaphorical speech yesterday where she compared herself to a point guard ready to pass the basketball so her team can win you wouldn’t think this is part of a grander plan. Seemingly nervous and shaken, she was hardly able to take a breath as she relinquishes her highest platform, and prepares to ride off into the sunset leaving behind the Republican Party with a laundry list of copious scandals in the last several weeks.<br /><br />There’s no question the beginning of 2009 has been as difficult for Palin as was the end of 2008. She’s been hounded by a number of unsavory headlines, including the recent scrimmage with David Letterman, which was fueled by his over the top comments about her teenage daughter’s sex life. Even still she’s been a scrappy brawler, fighting back in support of her daughter’s pregnancy during her campaign for Vice President, issues with the State of Alaska paying for her children’s travel costs, against the Republican Power brokers, and stories about her clothes and hair dresser. Perhaps the toll these battles have inflicted has caused more damage then believed. Still, many who strongly support Palin suggest this move is strategic allowing her to position herself to run in 2012. John Weaver, a former adviser to John McCain disagrees. “This makes no sense. The way for her to increase her changes in 2012 is to be reelected in 2010.” I second this emotion. How can you be the leader of America, if you can’t even be governor of a state that has more Caribou than people? So, is there something far more dubious then what the media spin is leading us to believe, or is this just the most awful political suicide imaginable? Funnier still, why the Friday announcement when news is typically buried, and on a holiday weekend no less? I actually voted for McCain and Palin, but now I believe she’s probably not cut out for public office, and she realizes she has a lot to learn about politics behind the scenes.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-25960730783058122692009-07-03T15:40:00.001-05:002009-07-03T15:40:39.295-05:00Business as UsualBanks are at it again. You probably already know there’s a new law that takes effect next year preventing credit card companies from raising interest rates and fees among other nasty things. But it’s never a good idea to delay legislation. It’s like leaving the keys in the front door of your house. You’re simply inviting very thief in your city to come in and steal everything you’ve got. And that’s exactly what the banks are doing. Chase bank is increasing the minimum payment requirement on outstanding balances from 2 to 5 percent. Bank of American already raised their transaction fees for transfers and cash advances from 3 to 4 percent. Not to be outdone Discover increased their maximum fee for transfers to 5 percent, which is up from 3 and 4 percent. The bankers argue these changes are needed to help them properly manage their risks. It seems these financial institutions just can’t stem the bleeding as their losses in revenue mount due to charge-offs for borrowers who have no way of paying back their credit card charges. Fitch Ratings reported last month credit card losses hit a record 10.44 percent.<br /><br />Bankers would have us believe the history of the industry has been relatively stable until this recent financial meltdown. That’s just the case. Ever read about what caused the Great Depression? I have, and it’s eerily similar to day. Remember the early eighties? I do. Back in eighties some of the biggest players all faced financial ruin after making billions of loans to developing nations in Latin American, who as it turned out couldn’t afford to repay them. Like now regulators back then also failed to do their jobs, and banks found themselves on the brink of financial collapse until the Treasury and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) orchestrated a bailout. I remember the IMF bailout, the restrictions it placed on debtor nations, and how they broke many of the banks in Latin American countries, not to mention the backs of the lower classes in these countries. Did the banks learn their lesson? Fast forward to today. Where as recent as a couple of years ago countless people were given home loans at variable rates while only having a small amount of equity to back the loan, or no equity at all. The banks are in trouble again, and like before someone will pay. In this case you and me, while they continue to rob us blind.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-67318150222659031472009-07-02T20:23:00.000-05:002009-07-02T20:24:05.618-05:00When the Moon is in the Seventh HouseHow bizarre has 2009 been? Mega stars dying way too young. Another Airbus passenger plane crashes into the ocean, this time carrying 153 people aboard, while attempting to land in severe weather at the Island nation of Comoros. I know when it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go. But what are the odds two planes within the scan of one month both crashing into the ocean? Is something terribly out of balance with the cosmos? I’m really starting to take seriously some of the dire warnings out there about the year 2012. No joke. Apparently the earth is out of synch due to our nation’s moral decline, and we’re in for some big time payback. Man will have never seen these upcoming tragedies, and the planets are apparently starting to align. Skeptical? Remember every one of us is derived from nature. So when we’re out of balance with nature negative energy occurs, and things happen like illness, death and natural disasters happen, or that’s the theory.<br /><br />A while back I was reading an online article about astronomy. I’m not an expert on this subject by a long shot, but it’s fun, and it gave me some insight about a new Moon alignment that occurred on February 1, 2003 involving the Earth, Moon, Sun, Neptune, and Jupiter approximately three hours before the scheduled landing of the space shuttle Columbia. Now the article didn’t suggest this event caused the Columbia disaster, only that the occurrence itself is fairly rare, and could have some relevance. Similar dynamics were present back in 1989 when the Berlin Wall was dismantled. Is there a correlation between astronomical events and the circumstances we experience on earth? And could the planetary alignment on tap for 2012, the mother of all alignments called the “Grand Conjunction” in which all nine planets align on the same side of the Sun literally throw the earth completely out of balance causing massive earthquakes and death? Will the earth be destroyed after a shift in the Earth’s poles, and will this mark the end of McDonald’s dollar menu? Well, in case you missed it there was a Grand Alignment May 5, 2000 at 8:08 Greenwich Mean Time. Remember what you were doing when all that doom was going on? I didn’t think so. If you’re like me and think this year is strange, hang on to your hats for 2012.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-75568673611961699882009-06-30T19:58:00.001-05:002009-06-30T19:58:34.725-05:00Preventing Identity FraudAbout a year ago, a seventy six year old woman was admitted to a convalescent facility for a few weeks to receive physical therapy after a fall. She was there one week when she noticed her credit cards were not in her purse. Her daughter immediately contacted the credit card company. The card had been stolen for two days. In that time the thief charged approximately $3000 of food, merchandise and services. The thief also applied for another credit card in her name. What is scarey is that the credit card had the woman's picture on it. So, clearly no one took the time to even look at the card. We live in a time when identity fraud is ramped. Within hours of your identity being stolen, the offender can charge thousands of dollars in merchandise, apply for credit, and even change pin numbers on your bank and other accounts. The damage can be devastating. Following these simple steps can help avoid identity theft: 1. The next time you order checks, have only your initials (instead of you first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your check book, they will not know if you sign your name with initials or your whole name, but the bank will know how you sign your checks. 2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED." 3. When writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on your check. Just put the last four digits. The credit card company knows the rest of the number and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through the check processing channels won't have access to it. 4. Put your work phone number on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you don't have a PO Box, use your work address. 5. Never have your Social Security number or drivers license number printed on your checks. 6. Copy the front and back of everything in your wallet, license, credit cards, etc. If your wallet is stolen, you will know what you had in it as well as the phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. 7. Be very careful when opening emails. If you do not know who the email is from, don't open it. If you open it be cautious about clicking on links and definitely do not enter in any personal information such as social security number, or bank account numbers. 8. The IRS has warned that there are fraudulent emails that appear to come from the IRS that suggest that there is a tax problem. They have you click on a link for more information and in that simple click, they obtain access to your computer. The IRS does not send unsolicited email. If they want to contact you, they will do it through the US Postal service by way of a letter. So, if you get an e-mail from the IRS report it immediately to the IRS or the local authorities. Even taking precautions, it is possible to be a victim of identity theft. If your identity is stolen here is some critical information to help minimize the damage. 1. Cancel your credit cards immediately. This is where having copies of them will really help. 2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is the first step toward an investigation if there ever is one. 3. Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. If credit is applied for they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. Here are the fraud alert numbers to call: Experian 1-888-397-3742 Transunion 1-200-680-7289 Equifax 1-888-766-0008 The fast pace of our lives, has created new problems that our parents and grandparents never imagined. The internet has given us ways to save time and money. We rarely use real money - instead we use checks and credit and debit cards. It all makes for a new kind of problem. This doesn't mean we should live in fear. We should simply be aware of the potential problem, and be prepared by following simple safety precautions. Knowledge gives us the power to stay in our fast paced world safely.<br /><a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/" mce_href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">Article Source</a>: <a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/" mce_href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">http://www.ArticleStreet.com/</a><br />About the Author<br />Christopher Anderson is part owner of <a href="http://www.lonepeakbusiness.com/" mce_href="http://www.lonepeakbusiness.com/">Lone Peak Business Solutions, Inc.</a> He wants to share his success as a business owner with others who desire to own their own business. He also believes that the economy is stronger with more business owners, and as a result, he is focused on helping business owners succeed.sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-26426891016910155682009-06-30T19:54:00.000-05:002009-06-30T19:56:52.574-05:00Meditation Exercise - Full Body AwarenessDeveloping full body awareness is very simple and easy to learn. In addition to feeling your breath flow and your stomach and ribs expand, I want you to feel the energy that flows into your body with each breath. For me it feels like a lightness, or a very light feeling. It may feel different for you so take some time here and just open up and feel the energy. Now when you draw the energy in can you feel it pooling at your center of gravity just below your belly button? Now as you breathe just let that pool of energy expand throughout your body. Can you feel it flowing down through your legs and up your back and down your arms? Take some time here and practice this feeling that energy pool expand through your whole body. Later we'll expand it out even further, but for now just let it flow. This exercise should help you to feel rejuvenated and refreshed as you're drawing energy from an infinite pool. Do this exercise whenever you're depressed or down, and eventually as you progress you'll learn to do it all the time. It's a habit that you have to grow into. Awareness and Intention EVERYTHING is about 'Awareness' and 'Intention'. Now that you've begun to build an awareness of the energy, called Chi, Ki or Prana in some circles, you'll be able to do things with it and move it around in your (and other peoples) body. We move energy with 'Intention', and this is a very important fact. EVERYTHING is energy! Our thoughts, our actions, our beliefs, everything around us and everything we see, feel, hear, think and do is energy. Intention is what we do with that energy. We are all connected in a vast energy pool that encompasses everything that is, was and will be. It doesn't matter whether a person believes in it or can feel it; they still have the ability to affect it. How many times have you seen a person with a negative attitude who continually draws more negative reactions to himself? He's broadcasting his intentions through his attitudes with the result that he becomes a human 'crap magnet', drawing in all the negative feelings and emotions and experiences. The other side of this is the continually positive person who always approaches everything from a positive attitude. This doesn't mean that everything always goes the way she wants it, but if you'll watch you'll see that even the bad times provide fuel for her growth and she tries to take every 'bad experience' as a lesson to help improve herself. Just as our thoughts can influence Chi subconsciously, so can they move it around in our body. Energy follows thought, so when you think about moving energy then it will actually go where you send it. The important thing here is to stay out of its way. Energy moves in a spiral and at its own speed, so don't try to micro-manage it, just let it flow. Now take some time and do the Full Body Awareness exercise again, and this time feel the energy go where you send it. You can also play with this a bit. Send it down to your feet, now bring it back to your center and this time just send it down to your left foot, now your right. Now send it up to your head, and down to your left elbow. Now, the next time you're stuck in traffic, or impatiently waiting in line at the Motor Vehicles Office, just relax and start to play with this. Isn't this a neat toy?<br />About the Author<br />"Full Body Awareness" is an excerpt from Robert Morgen's book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kundalini-Awakening-Personal-Mastery-Robert/dp/0977380106">Kundalini Awakening for Personal Mastery</a>" (ISBN: 0-9773801-0-6) His new book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Martial-Artists-Robert-Morgen/dp/0977380130">Easy Meditation for Martial Artists</a>" (ISBN: 978-0-9773801-3-8 ) is also now available.<br /><a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">Article Source</a>: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-39439034101180409552009-06-29T19:42:00.000-05:002009-06-29T19:43:17.357-05:00Considering Divorce? You Need an Exit Plan!If you're considering leaving your spouse, you need a solid exit plan. More than fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. And if that isn't bad enough, women are the hardest hit as a result. In fact, most women are in a worse place financially after it's all said and done. With this said, you don't have to become a statistic. You have the power to come out ahead if you have a good plan of action. Pre-divorce planning is not about taking your spouse for all you can. It's about making smart choices with a clear mind. It involves carefully planning out all aspects of your life from where you are now to where you would like to be. It requires methodical preparation in the months leading up to informing your spouse you want a divorce. The more you plan, the better your position will be in your post-divorce life. Below are a few areas to start thinking about.Finances: If you're expecting alimony and child support to take care of your finances after a divorce, you might be in for a big surprise. Most men will fight to keep as much money as they can. This battle can result in you having a shortage of money to make ends meet after your divorce. Career: The best way to avoid financial ruin is to make your career plans a top priority. If you're already working but your income won't be enough when you're single, start re-planning your career. If that involves career counseling, re-training or going back to school, do it now while you can. Any money spent in this area will be considered joint money and not deducted from your settlement. The key, however, is doing it before you ask for a divorce.Children: If you're a parent, you need to be prepared for how to tell your kids about the divorce. In doing so, you also need to learn ways to help them cope and to understand how their lives will be impacted. Support System: News of a divorce can create different reactions in your friends and family. Some people will feel threatened and fear their marriages will be at risk if they interact with you. Others, the unconditional friends, will be there no matter what. Knowing who belongs in this category is important. Those will be the people to turn to when you need a shoulder to cry on. Future Goals: Divorce can be devastating. It's the end of once-held goals that are now gone. Because of this, it's very easy to get sucked into an emotional black hole of depression. The best remedy is to create new goals for your future. Take the time to consider your interests, desires and what you'd like to do with the rest of your life. Having something positive and productive to work toward will make a big difference in your emotional life. There are many aspects to consider when planning for a life without your spouse. Instead of hoping the best will happen, take control and make sure you're protected. If you need help making sense of it all, the Divorce Help Clinic is here for your.<br /><br />Nancy Fagan-Murphy, M.S. is the founder of www.TheDivorceHelpClinic and specializes in divorce mediator and divorce planning. She is the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Romance" (Macmillan Publishing) and "Desirable Men: How to Find Them (Crown Books).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/" mce_href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">Article Source</a>: <a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/" mce_href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">http://www.ArticleStreet.com/</a>sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-14688327935020701762009-06-29T19:39:00.000-05:002009-06-29T19:40:38.733-05:00Ways To Know When A New Career Change Is Good For YouHave you been feeling frustrated at work lately and think that a new career change is just what you need? Or is it that boredom has crept into your daily routine? Well if you are thinking of getting yourself not just a new job, but also an entirely new career, then you need to think about these questions very seriously. You don't need to bounce out of bed everyday with this feeling of excitement and eagerness to get to work. All jobs like all marriages are exhilarating in the beginning and then slowly become mundane. If this is what's bothering you then you can rectify the situation through innovation and restructuring. However, if you feel that your present career is not intellectually stimulating enough, and you have interests and talent in other areas, then a job change is really what you need. But before you take the leap, here are four questions you need to ask yourself. Do I Have The New Skill Sets? In order to make an easy transition, you need to consider whether you have the qualifications or at least the skills required in the new vocation. Considering that there are many who have joined in much before you, where do you stand among them? If you find something lacking in your abilities, go and seek training to compensate for it. You could do this while you are still at your old job via evening classes or online courses. Do I Have Adequate Financial Resources? By making a new career change you will be taking a risk that may or may not give you the expected returns. In the likelihood of a setback in your trajectory, you need to ensure that you have adequate financial support. In light of the recent recession you need to be guaranteed that your family and your debts are covered while you take your leap of faith. But this is not to say that you should not seek change if you don't have the money. In such a case however you do need to be prepared for all eventualities and the fact that you might suffer from the stress of strained finances. What Kind Of Routine Am I Comfortable With? Before making a career change you need to assess the alterations to your routine that your new career will entail. If you are a parent with a family to look after, or someone who enjoys a busy social life, then taking this into consideration will hold you in good stead. Not being able to have time for friends and family is one of the leading causes of dissatisfaction at work. And since you are already seeking some change in your life, you definitely need to take this into account. Working from home, or on weekends, flexi-time, leave entitlement should also be carefully thought of. Do I Want To Be The Employer Or Employee? Some people are built to work for others while some prefer to run their own enterprise - which is not to say that one is inferior to the other. Both are different types of people and you may also oscillate between the two throughout your career. For a number of reasons you might also prefer to freelance and work from the comfort of your home. This gives you your independence while allowing you to work on projects that stimulate you. But each of these have their pros and cons which you need to consider carefully while toying with the idea of a career change. Once you have answered these questions satisfactorily, you will have developed at least some amount of clarity as to what you are willing to compromise on. Since considering the economy and the market at the moment won't be an adequate yardstick, it would probably be beneficial to also speak to the professionals in the field. By interacting with both the currently employed and the unemployed ones, you will be able to set up for yourself the worst-case scenarios. In the end it is only adequate ground work and introspection that will help you determine whether the new career change will be beneficial to you financially and professionally.<br />About the Author<br />James Copper is a writer for <a href="http://www.careerdriven.co.uk/">http://www.careerdriven.co.uk</a> where you can find information on how to achieve a <a href="http://www.careerdriven.co.uk/">career change</a><br /><a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">Article Source</a>: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837764987090271499.post-38553612406748394292009-06-28T18:21:00.001-05:002009-06-28T18:23:43.971-05:00Could You Survive in a Hostile Environment?To see the spires and opulent palaces of the ruling families of Saudi Arabia, you’d conjure fantastic images of the idyllic, privileged life led by those of the upper class. And no matter how extravagant your fantasies would be, chances are the reality would surpass it. If you are a man, that is. The fact is, females of all classes in Saudi Arabia are subject to discrimination and violence simply because they are female. Citizens, natives and visitors are all subject to Saudi law, which is harsh and unyielding and favors men in horrific and barbaric ways not even remotely consistent with modern times. The truth is that the daily life for thousands of Western Women who work in Saudi Arabia is a nightmare, too far-fetched to comprehend without having been there. But registered nurse and author Mary Kavanwal has been there, and she wants the world to read her story. Kavanwal spent more than twenty years working as a registered nurse in both the USA and Canada, to include contract work in India, Tahiti and the Middle East. She weaves her real-life experiences into her new book, “Surreal in Saudi” (www.tatepublishing.com), a harrowing tale of a Canadian nurse who finds herself thrust into the barbaric Saudi justice system and the shocking, secret world of palace life. “As Westerners, it’s easy to take our freedoms for granted,” says Kavanwal. “While our culture is not immune to prejudice or discrimination, the systematic hostility women in Saudi must endure is horrifying. Not only are they treated as complete inferiors to men, when women are beaten or raped, it’s not a crime.” According to Human Rights Watch, even though some human rights laws have been introduced in Saudi they’re rarely implemented or enforced. Women still suffer severe discrimination related to issues ranging from marriage rights, education and employment to appropriate clothing. Male dominance, abuse, and oppression challenge the book’s main character, Emma, throughout the story. Emma is a nurse who leaves the picturesque beauty of Victoria, British Columbia to work for a hospital in Saudi. When her roommate of just a few days is arrested, Emma witnesses the horrifying conditions of a Saudi prison and the brutality of the judicial system’s punishment. Sickened after seeing her roommate flogged in a public square to the cheers of a jeering crowd, Emma believes she’ll be insulated from danger when the hospital assigns her to a royal family. But behind the palace walls, she discovers a whole new level of depravity and human indifference. “Human trafficking, sex slavery and indentured servitude are modern problems in Saudi,” says Kavanwal. “Women and children are the invisible victims. Whether they’re living in squalid conditions, raped and beaten, or held against their will, the inhumane treatment is difficult to fathom unless you’ve actually seen it yourself. “ Emma finds herself fighting enemies on many fronts- the powerful men who employ her, the devious servants who view her as a threatening outsider, and the colleague whose weaknesses could cost them their lives- and knowing whom to trust becomes a life or death challenge. Emma’s Christian faith, values and determination may be her only weapons to help survive the danger she faces at every turn. “Surreal in Saudi” grabs the reader’s attention from the very first page. Descriptive writing captures the raw emotion and intensity of Emma’s predicament. The story is a real eye-opener to the struggles and abuses women in other countries suffer every day, and it gives readers a renewed sense of appreciation for the freedom and opportunities we have as Americans.<br /><br />About the Author<br />Mary Kavanwal’s first professional writing projects include writing for newspapers. As a registered nurse, she found a niche as a technical writer for the medical community. Her faith in God and philanthropic attitude prompted her to travel to exotic lands such as India, Tahiti, and the Middle East to practice medicine. Immersing herself in these societies, she discovered the diverse and complex facets of other cultures. “Surreal in Saudi” is a fictionalized account of Kavanwal’s own experience in the Middle East. <a href="http://www.tatepublishing.com/">www.tatepublishing.com</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.articlestreet.com/">Article Source</a>: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/sonic926http://www.blogger.com/profile/09004965212182269465noreply@blogger.com0