Thursday, December 30, 2010
Two-speed recovery extended into 2011
Two-speed recovery Extend into 2011, Says IMF
By Jeremy Clift
IMF Survey online
December 30, 2010
Two-speed recovery to dominate 2011, with growth remaining slow in advanced economies
In emerging economies, challenge for some is to manage possible overheating and capital flows
Number of countries in Europe face tough and long macroeconomic adjustment
The two-speed global economic recovery is likely to dominate 2011, with weak growth in advanced economies barely enough to bring down unemployment and emerging markets facing the challenges of success, including how to avoid overheating and handle strong capital inflows, the IMF’s Chief Economist, Olivier Blanchard, said.
In an assessment of the global economy at the end of 2010, and the prospects for 2011, Blanchard said that countries should continue to focus on rebalancing their economies in the coming year, including structural measures and exchange rate adjustments.
“Without this economic rebalancing, there will be no healthy recovery,” he told IMF Survey, the online magazine of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In an interview, Blanchard talked about the central role of the Group of Twenty (G-20) advanced and emerging market economies in helping during the global crisis and the need for continued cooperation to build on the recovery, as well as the prospects for both Europe and low-income countries. Following is the text of the interview:
IMF Survey online: What is your assessment of how the global economy turned out in 2010? What went better than you anticipated, and what does not look so good?
Blanchard: The short answer is that there were no major surprises. We had forecast positive but low growth in advanced economies, fast growth in emerging economies, and, lo and behold, this is how the year has turned out.
Indeed, I just went back and compared outcomes to our forecasts as of last January. For advanced countries, we were right on the dot for the United States; things turned out a bit better than expected for core Europe; Japan had higher growth than we had anticipated, but it looks like a one-time phenomenon. As for emerging countries, we were right on the mark for China; India did better than we had forecast.
To say that there were no major surprises, however, is not the same as saying that things are fine. They are not. The two-speed recovery, low in advanced countries, fast in emerging market countries, is striking and its features are increasingly stark. They will probably dominate 2011, and beyond.
IMF Survey online: What do you mean? Tell us more about this two-speed recovery.
Blanchard: Emerging market countries were affected by the crisis through both trade and financial channels. The turnaround in trade has been nearly as sharp as the earlier collapse. But while trade has not yet fully recovered, most emerging market countries have been able to increase domestic demand so as to return to high growth. In turn, their good performance has led capital flows to come back, in some cases, with much force. For many of these countries, the challenges are now how to avoid overheating and how to handle capital flows.
"The turnaround in trade has been nearly as sharp as the earlier collapse."
In many advanced economies, the crisis damage was much deeper. The financial system was badly broken. Securitization has to be reinvented. In many of these countries, markets are still uncertain about the true health of banks and financial intermediation is not working well. Combine this with the need to correct past excesses, from low saving to excess housing investment and the result is a slow recovery, barely strong enough to decrease unemployment. This is painful but not that surprising. The evidence, which we had documented in a chapter of the World Economic Outlook last year, is that recoveries from financial crises are long and slow.
IMF Survey online: For the past couple of years, the need for economic rebalancing has been the mantra of the IMF. As we begin 2011, where do we stand?
Blanchard: It should remain the mantra. Rebalancing, internal and external, continues to be crucial. Without this economic rebalancing, there will be no healthy recovery. The argument is very simple: Before the crisis, growth in many advanced countries came from excessive domestic demand, be it consumption, or housing investment. This could not go on. Those countries must rely on other sources of demand. Until now, they have used fiscal policy to prop up domestic demand. This was needed, but it is not sustainable. The deficit countries must rely more on external demand, on exports. And, by symmetry, surplus countries, many of them emerging markets, must do the reverse, shift from external demand to domestic demand and reduce their dependence on exports.
This is not to say that without rebalancing, the recovery cannot continue. Continued fiscal expansion, or a return by U.S. consumers to their old, low-saving ways can sustain demand and growth for some time. But they will recreate many of the problems that were at the root of the crisis. And guess what will come next …
IMF Survey online: What about exchange rate adjustments? Some argue that there is too much pressure on China to allow its currency, the yuan, to appreciate.
Blanchard: Rebalancing is a complex process. No single measure, no one country holds the solution on its own. Structural measures are required: for example, in Asia, measures to improve financial intermediation or provide more social insurance, in the United States, reforms of the financial intermediation system. But exchange rate adjustment is an integral part of the process.
IMF Survey online: Aren’t capital inflows to emerging market countries a growing worry?
Blanchard: If well used, these capital flows can help rather than hurt. By leading to an appreciation, they help shift countries away from external demand toward domestic demand. And, by making it easier and cheaper to borrow, they can boost domestic demand.
Blanchard: “Rebalancing, internal and external, continues to be crucial. Without this economic rebalancing, there will be no healthy recovery” (IMF photo)
This being said, some emerging market countries rightly worry that capital flows will come and go. They worry about their ability to intermediate the high flows and in some cases they worry about the risks of over-appreciation as well as overheating. So far, we have not seen the tsunami of flows that is sometimes described in the press. But, agreeing on broad “rules of the road” that take into account both country circumstances as well as global links will be one of the major challenges in the year to come.
IMF Survey online: What about low-income countries? What are their prospects?
Blanchard: Because of their more limited financial integration with the world economy, low-income countries were mostly affected by the crisis through the trade channel. As trade has largely recovered, and as strong growth in emerging market countries has pushed up commodity prices, many of them are doing well. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, grew at more than 5 percent in 2010, and we forecast roughly the same for next year. Their performance, however, is not only due to exports. Previous sound policies allowed many to use fiscal measures to support their economies. And private domestic demand typically has also been quite strong.
IMF Survey online: Let us turn to Europe. What’s the outlook there, particularly for some of the countries on what is termed the periphery Europe?
Blanchard: There is no question that a number of countries in Europe face a tough and long macroeconomic adjustment. In most cases, they would have had to do so whether or not the global crisis had taken place. The global crisis only makes it tougher.
"For those countries in the euro and thus operating under a fixed exchange rate, this is going to be a long and tough slog."
They had, based on what turned out to be unduly optimistic expectations, increased domestic demand excessively, and some had run very large current account deficits. Like others, but more so than others, they must shift from domestic demand to external demand. For those countries in the euro and thus operating under a fixed exchange rate, this is going to be a long and tough slog.
Stronger growth in core Europe, if it comes, will strengthen their exports and help the adjustment. But, based on past experience, a full return to health will likely take a long time. Social programs are essential, both for their own sake and to maintain broad political support.
IMF Survey online: What about fiscal and banking problems?
Blanchard: Except for Greece, the fiscal woes are the result of the macro slump, not of irresponsible fiscal behavior. Can the countries achieve fiscal sustainability? They can, but another IMF fiscal mantra should be repeated here: What is essential is not so much dramatic cuts now but medium-term anchoring, a credible path to debt stabilization, and eventually debt reduction.
Can they do it on their own? I fully understand the reluctance of countries to ask for a joint program from the European Union and the IMF. But such programs can help, in two ways: First, by putting a ceiling on the interest rate at which governments can borrow, the programs eliminate the risk of multiple equilibria—that is the risk that investors, right or wrong, ask for high interest rates, making it impossible for the countries to repay, and making the investors’ fears self fulfilling. Second, even if the programs do not ask for more than the country intended to do on its own, they reinforce the credibility of these commitments, and reassure markets about the medium run.
In addition to fiscal worries are the current fears about the banking system. I suspect these are overstated. But, the only way to decrease those fears is increased transparency, and, for this, the sooner the better. In practice, this means new, more credible stress tests, together with clearer rules about burden sharing: How much of the losses will be absorbed by creditors, by national governments, by the EU. There is a lot of loose talk about bailouts. My belief is that the bailout component, either by national governments, or the European Union, can be quite limited. But we shall only know that once the homework has been done.
IMF Survey online: You have talked about rebalancing, and what countries have to do. What can we expect from the G-20, and in particular from the G-20 mutual assessment process, the so-called MAP?
Blanchard: There is no question that the Group of Twenty has played a central role in the crisis. So long as the crisis was acute, it provided just the right forum for strong and fast action. Now that the crisis is less acute, and countries increasingly face different problems, agreement is clearly harder to achieve, and, as we saw in the buildup to Seoul, discussions can be intense.
But discussions take place as part of the G-20 process, both in public view and behind the scenes. And here, the G-20 MAP process, in which the Fund acts as an expert consultant to the G-20, can play a central role. It can give national policymakers a sense of the world economy landscape, show the implications of current policies, show the dangers of an unbalanced recovery, explore alternative policies, and make for a much more informed dialogue. This does not guarantee success. But it surely improves the odds.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2010/NEW123010A.htm
By Jeremy Clift
IMF Survey online
December 30, 2010
Two-speed recovery to dominate 2011, with growth remaining slow in advanced economies
In emerging economies, challenge for some is to manage possible overheating and capital flows
Number of countries in Europe face tough and long macroeconomic adjustment
The two-speed global economic recovery is likely to dominate 2011, with weak growth in advanced economies barely enough to bring down unemployment and emerging markets facing the challenges of success, including how to avoid overheating and handle strong capital inflows, the IMF’s Chief Economist, Olivier Blanchard, said.
In an assessment of the global economy at the end of 2010, and the prospects for 2011, Blanchard said that countries should continue to focus on rebalancing their economies in the coming year, including structural measures and exchange rate adjustments.
“Without this economic rebalancing, there will be no healthy recovery,” he told IMF Survey, the online magazine of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In an interview, Blanchard talked about the central role of the Group of Twenty (G-20) advanced and emerging market economies in helping during the global crisis and the need for continued cooperation to build on the recovery, as well as the prospects for both Europe and low-income countries. Following is the text of the interview:
IMF Survey online: What is your assessment of how the global economy turned out in 2010? What went better than you anticipated, and what does not look so good?
Blanchard: The short answer is that there were no major surprises. We had forecast positive but low growth in advanced economies, fast growth in emerging economies, and, lo and behold, this is how the year has turned out.
Indeed, I just went back and compared outcomes to our forecasts as of last January. For advanced countries, we were right on the dot for the United States; things turned out a bit better than expected for core Europe; Japan had higher growth than we had anticipated, but it looks like a one-time phenomenon. As for emerging countries, we were right on the mark for China; India did better than we had forecast.
To say that there were no major surprises, however, is not the same as saying that things are fine. They are not. The two-speed recovery, low in advanced countries, fast in emerging market countries, is striking and its features are increasingly stark. They will probably dominate 2011, and beyond.
IMF Survey online: What do you mean? Tell us more about this two-speed recovery.
Blanchard: Emerging market countries were affected by the crisis through both trade and financial channels. The turnaround in trade has been nearly as sharp as the earlier collapse. But while trade has not yet fully recovered, most emerging market countries have been able to increase domestic demand so as to return to high growth. In turn, their good performance has led capital flows to come back, in some cases, with much force. For many of these countries, the challenges are now how to avoid overheating and how to handle capital flows.
"The turnaround in trade has been nearly as sharp as the earlier collapse."
In many advanced economies, the crisis damage was much deeper. The financial system was badly broken. Securitization has to be reinvented. In many of these countries, markets are still uncertain about the true health of banks and financial intermediation is not working well. Combine this with the need to correct past excesses, from low saving to excess housing investment and the result is a slow recovery, barely strong enough to decrease unemployment. This is painful but not that surprising. The evidence, which we had documented in a chapter of the World Economic Outlook last year, is that recoveries from financial crises are long and slow.
IMF Survey online: For the past couple of years, the need for economic rebalancing has been the mantra of the IMF. As we begin 2011, where do we stand?
Blanchard: It should remain the mantra. Rebalancing, internal and external, continues to be crucial. Without this economic rebalancing, there will be no healthy recovery. The argument is very simple: Before the crisis, growth in many advanced countries came from excessive domestic demand, be it consumption, or housing investment. This could not go on. Those countries must rely on other sources of demand. Until now, they have used fiscal policy to prop up domestic demand. This was needed, but it is not sustainable. The deficit countries must rely more on external demand, on exports. And, by symmetry, surplus countries, many of them emerging markets, must do the reverse, shift from external demand to domestic demand and reduce their dependence on exports.
This is not to say that without rebalancing, the recovery cannot continue. Continued fiscal expansion, or a return by U.S. consumers to their old, low-saving ways can sustain demand and growth for some time. But they will recreate many of the problems that were at the root of the crisis. And guess what will come next …
IMF Survey online: What about exchange rate adjustments? Some argue that there is too much pressure on China to allow its currency, the yuan, to appreciate.
Blanchard: Rebalancing is a complex process. No single measure, no one country holds the solution on its own. Structural measures are required: for example, in Asia, measures to improve financial intermediation or provide more social insurance, in the United States, reforms of the financial intermediation system. But exchange rate adjustment is an integral part of the process.
IMF Survey online: Aren’t capital inflows to emerging market countries a growing worry?
Blanchard: If well used, these capital flows can help rather than hurt. By leading to an appreciation, they help shift countries away from external demand toward domestic demand. And, by making it easier and cheaper to borrow, they can boost domestic demand.
Blanchard: “Rebalancing, internal and external, continues to be crucial. Without this economic rebalancing, there will be no healthy recovery” (IMF photo)
This being said, some emerging market countries rightly worry that capital flows will come and go. They worry about their ability to intermediate the high flows and in some cases they worry about the risks of over-appreciation as well as overheating. So far, we have not seen the tsunami of flows that is sometimes described in the press. But, agreeing on broad “rules of the road” that take into account both country circumstances as well as global links will be one of the major challenges in the year to come.
IMF Survey online: What about low-income countries? What are their prospects?
Blanchard: Because of their more limited financial integration with the world economy, low-income countries were mostly affected by the crisis through the trade channel. As trade has largely recovered, and as strong growth in emerging market countries has pushed up commodity prices, many of them are doing well. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, grew at more than 5 percent in 2010, and we forecast roughly the same for next year. Their performance, however, is not only due to exports. Previous sound policies allowed many to use fiscal measures to support their economies. And private domestic demand typically has also been quite strong.
IMF Survey online: Let us turn to Europe. What’s the outlook there, particularly for some of the countries on what is termed the periphery Europe?
Blanchard: There is no question that a number of countries in Europe face a tough and long macroeconomic adjustment. In most cases, they would have had to do so whether or not the global crisis had taken place. The global crisis only makes it tougher.
"For those countries in the euro and thus operating under a fixed exchange rate, this is going to be a long and tough slog."
They had, based on what turned out to be unduly optimistic expectations, increased domestic demand excessively, and some had run very large current account deficits. Like others, but more so than others, they must shift from domestic demand to external demand. For those countries in the euro and thus operating under a fixed exchange rate, this is going to be a long and tough slog.
Stronger growth in core Europe, if it comes, will strengthen their exports and help the adjustment. But, based on past experience, a full return to health will likely take a long time. Social programs are essential, both for their own sake and to maintain broad political support.
IMF Survey online: What about fiscal and banking problems?
Blanchard: Except for Greece, the fiscal woes are the result of the macro slump, not of irresponsible fiscal behavior. Can the countries achieve fiscal sustainability? They can, but another IMF fiscal mantra should be repeated here: What is essential is not so much dramatic cuts now but medium-term anchoring, a credible path to debt stabilization, and eventually debt reduction.
Can they do it on their own? I fully understand the reluctance of countries to ask for a joint program from the European Union and the IMF. But such programs can help, in two ways: First, by putting a ceiling on the interest rate at which governments can borrow, the programs eliminate the risk of multiple equilibria—that is the risk that investors, right or wrong, ask for high interest rates, making it impossible for the countries to repay, and making the investors’ fears self fulfilling. Second, even if the programs do not ask for more than the country intended to do on its own, they reinforce the credibility of these commitments, and reassure markets about the medium run.
In addition to fiscal worries are the current fears about the banking system. I suspect these are overstated. But, the only way to decrease those fears is increased transparency, and, for this, the sooner the better. In practice, this means new, more credible stress tests, together with clearer rules about burden sharing: How much of the losses will be absorbed by creditors, by national governments, by the EU. There is a lot of loose talk about bailouts. My belief is that the bailout component, either by national governments, or the European Union, can be quite limited. But we shall only know that once the homework has been done.
IMF Survey online: You have talked about rebalancing, and what countries have to do. What can we expect from the G-20, and in particular from the G-20 mutual assessment process, the so-called MAP?
Blanchard: There is no question that the Group of Twenty has played a central role in the crisis. So long as the crisis was acute, it provided just the right forum for strong and fast action. Now that the crisis is less acute, and countries increasingly face different problems, agreement is clearly harder to achieve, and, as we saw in the buildup to Seoul, discussions can be intense.
But discussions take place as part of the G-20 process, both in public view and behind the scenes. And here, the G-20 MAP process, in which the Fund acts as an expert consultant to the G-20, can play a central role. It can give national policymakers a sense of the world economy landscape, show the implications of current policies, show the dangers of an unbalanced recovery, explore alternative policies, and make for a much more informed dialogue. This does not guarantee success. But it surely improves the odds.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2010/NEW123010A.htm
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
How to increase Your Mind Power
How to increase Your Mind Power
In this page you can find information about mind power and how to increase it. It is an introductory page to some powerful mind-expanding techniques. Although that our mind has unlimited potential, we only use the brain power we are conscious of.
As you explore new dimensions of thinking, there are many techniques that can help you improve your existing mind powers. I will try to approach some of these techniques providing you with information about them and also with instructions on how to apply them to you.
With the term mind power we usually mean the overall capacity of the mind. This capacity can be expressed in many ways, some of which are listed below:
• Cognitive Abilities
• Intelligence
• Paranormal Mind Powers
• Creativity
• Talents
• Way of Thinking
• Consciousness
• Intuition
My view is that mind power, as intelligence, is not comparable and cannot be measured. This is happening because of its infinite dimensions. Two people may have great mind power but no one can say whose is stronger.
In another case someone may have a great mental ability but lacking in other abilities. There is no absolute scale by which you can measure your mind power.
The only thing you can say for sure is that you can increase your mind capability through practice.
There are many techniques that can help you take advantage of more of your mind’s capacity. Using them may improve your everyday life while in the same time change your overall way of thinking.
For example, imagine how great it would be if you could read a whole book in just 2 hours. Imagine how much knowledge you could be able to absorb. Such a method is a life changer. The good news here is that this is possible and anyone can do it. It just needs motivation and patience.
Motivation and Patience?
Now you may wonder whether I use techniques like the above… some of them yes, others I plan to.
The major problem with all these mind power techniques is our lack of discipline. If you want to succeed, you have to stay tuned in and invest large amounts of effort and patience. This applies to everything in life. I suppose you can remember times in your life where you had to work hard in order to succeed.
You may have to study hard to get your degree or to train hard to win a tennis match. Remember, whatever you did needed commitment. So if you want to increase your mind power you also have to put effort in it. Stay focused on whatever you do and you will succeed.
Mastering some of the following techniques may increase your mind power.
• Mind Mapping
• Brain Teasers and Games
• Speed Reading
• People Observation
• Meditation
• Critical & Lateral Thinking
• Wondering and Thinking Deeply
• Writing
• Language Learning
• Realizing Brain’s Limits
• Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
• Thought Management
• Mind Control
This list can go on and on as there are a lot more mind-expanding dimensions that can be included in it. Ok, some of the above are interrelated, like Meditation and Mind Control or Language learning and Writing.
Some meanings are subsets of others. The reason that I mention them is because I want to emphasize on them as I consider them important. Also, it is a way of narrowing them down. For example Learning a new Language is a very broad meaning while Writing is a narrower one.
Your brain consists of the left and the right hemispheres. It is proven that the two hemispheres manage different mental tasks. The above list improves tasks that belong to both hemispheres.
For example some Brain teasers and games improves left hemisphere while Lateral thinking is a right hemisphere process. There are also techniques that improve both hemispheres. An example is writing which requires creativity and also linguistic skills.
Analyzing the List
Let’s discuss briefly the list of mind power techniques.
Mind Mapping
My first experience with Mind Mapping was some years ago. I remember that I had read a book written by Tony Buzan entitled “Use your Mind”. Mind Mapping is a learning technique that exploits more of your mind capabilities. Who said that learning is linear?
Using mind maps while your learn, you help your mind to store the information into the long-term memory. A mind map is not linear. This means that you cannot read it in a sequential way. It is just a scheme containing all the important information you want to memorize.
Mind mapping is not a replacement to the traditional method of learning but a supplement. You use it as you study. In order to create a mind map you have to know the important meanings, definitions and concepts of what you read. That’s why you cannot replace the traditional way of studying with mind mapping.
When I was a student, I used to create mind maps. I can say from my experience, that it was really helpful. They came in handy, especially in lessons with many definitions and formulas. The last time I used mind mapping was for a lesson for my postgraduate degree two years ago.
If you haven’t ever used mind mapping then I recommend you try it. It’s a powerful tool that can increase your mind power.
Brain Teasers and Games
Brain teasers and brain games are entertaining and you can also benefit from them. I like to play such games; some of them are tricky and challenging.
There are many types of brain teasers and games. Each type is intended to improve a specific area in your brain. Brain areas such as frontal, parietal and temporal lobes, are related to different mental tasks. So improving these areas results to better and faster thinking.
It would be very good for your brain and your mind if you could dedicate some of your daily free time, if any, to playing such games. You don’t need more than 15 minutes per day to keep your brain in shape.
It is true that the brain is like a muscle. You have to train it. It is vital for you to maintain your existing neuron networks. If you don’t, then your brain won’t use them and will shut them down. Thus, your mind power is lowering by the time.
Speed Reading
These techniques help you read faster. There are many ways to do this. I have tried some of them in the past. You just have to get used to it. This may be a little tricky because you cannot remember this every time you read something. Despite also this, it is a little tiring after a while.
There are many speed reading courses online. I would like to try the Photoreading course by Paul Scheele. I have heard good things about it but I have never tried it. I didn’t find the time to try it actually. When I do I will let you know my results. If they are positive I will also write a full review about it and recommend it.
This course is supposed to help you read a whole book in a matter of minutes. While you "photoread" you use both your conscious and subconscious mind. You actually take mental photos of the pages of the book and you can retrieve them from the memory anytime. Sounds interesting…
People Observation
Well, by using this term I mean to observe people’s reactions, behavior and body movements. A part of this is the body language. People Observation takes you a step further from the body language. You observe also their mindset.
You can find similarities in the way of thinking in completely different people. If you do this with every person you meet, after some time, you will be able to do this subconsciously. In the end you will have an intuitive feeling about the thoughts of others and their emotional states. Thus your Emotional Intelligence will have improved and so your mind power.
Observing people, even if you don’t know them, also improves your psychological skills. You will be able to detect lies, intentions and maybe some thoughts of others.
I used to do this consciously every time I met someone. If there was no one to meet, I just watched the people around me. Finally this skill became active permanently and I never think of it. This gives me an advantage into my interpersonal relationships. It’s a good way to better understand and communicate with other people.
Meditation
Meditation is a very old relaxation practice used mainly by oriental civilizations. Nowadays it is very popular and it has been proved that meditation can have positive effects on body and mind.
When you meditate you go deep into yourself and slowly you silence your thoughts. Meditation is the art of awareness. Any act which is done with awareness and doesn't involve judgment or feelings is meditation.
With meditation you can increase your brain power in various ways like altering your consciousness to a higher level. These will be discussed in detail in the Meditation page.
Meditation is also a method of mind control and thought management.
Critical & Lateral Thinking
Critical thinking, in general, is the ability to judge properly a situation and then decide if you agree or disagree with it. This situation may be an argument, a belief or an action.
Critical thinking is a left hemisphere process and involves basically logic. But it is not only logic’s product. Critical thinking involves other skills as well such as clarity, fairness and others.
It is believed that people who have critical thinking usually tend to reject. But actually, people who reject have no critical thinking. They just are suspicious and afraid of everything. If you think of yourself as a critical thinker because of rejecting everything, sorry but you aren’t.
Lateral thinking now is a completely different way of thinking. Lateral thinking is a product of creativity and it is a right hemisphere process.
When you think laterally you approach a situation in an indirect way. You create new ideas and invent new perspectives.
This type of thinking is used in problem solving. Lateral thinking helps you in solving problems in a creative way (using brainstorming and analyzing the new ideas), finding a solution that is not initially visible. Lateral thinking is also an ability that is appreciated in management and business.
It is also synonymous to the phrase “thinking out of the box”. When you reach a level where you can think in this way then you will have increased your mind power for sure.
Wondering and Thinking Deeply (or Philosophy ?)
Wondering comes before Philosophy. It is a trait that indicates the existence of Spiritual Intelligence. Wondering has to do with supreme questions like how the world was created, the existence of god etc.
When you wonder you have the tendency to search and try to find answers to such questions. Of course you can only find theories as none of these questions have been answered. You finally end up with your own theories and explanations. Then you test your theories in your everyday life.
These processes lead your mind to a never-ending analysis of the world around you, inducing you to think deeply. This is also a way of lateral thinking.
Thinking deeply is like Philosophy. But, as Philosophy, nowadays, means the homonym science school, I prefer to call this mind expanding technique just “Thinking Deeply".
More or less we all have moments of deep thinking in our everyday lives. By doing this, we may realize truths that we were unaware of, changing our understanding of the world.
You may have noticed that you are thinking completely different now than 5 years ago. This happens because every day you realize things that change your way of thinking. Thinking Deeply helps you understand better the world and the people around you.
It is also a form of lateral thinking. Asking yourself why and trying to understand how things work, induce you to think laterally. Thinking Deeply increase your consciousness level and so also your mind power.
Writing
Writing is one of the four linguistic skills. The other three are speaking, reading and listening. I chose writing because it engages your mind’s creativity and also gives you the time to organize your thoughts.
When you write an article, like me now, thousands of thoughts and ideas pass through your head. You may not know how to start writing an article (blank page syndrome) but after a while your mind is full of ideas (brainstorming) that you can write for hours.
When you write your mind is in a creative state. Doing this too often, your mind learns how to enter the creative state faster. You can reach a level at which this will be happening instantly. By becoming more creative you increase your mind power significantly.
Learning a Foreign Language
It is proven that nothing can maintain your mind’s resources better than learning a new foreign language. When you learn a new language a process called neurogenesis is engaged in your brain. Neurogenesis is a term describing the creation of new neuron networks.
Despite this fact, a different language introduces you to a new different way of thinking. Your intelligence and memory improve as you learn all the new vocabulary, syntax and grammatical rules. It engages all of your brain’s subsystems.
I once read in a magazine that learning a new language slows down the aging process. It is an all-in-one way to expand and keep your mind in shape and a very powerful technique to increase your mind power.
Knowing your Brain’s Limits
How can this knowledge contribute to your mind expansion? It keeps you motivated and healthy.
This is not actually a technique but a prerequisite. You have to know your brain’s limits in order to achieve your goals. You cannot expect that you will develop telekinesis in a matter of days or months. The possibility of ever developing such a power is nearly zero.
The above example emphasizes on the fact that you must have patience. Setting rational goals that your brain is able to achieve will have much greater results than setting goals that you don’t believe in.
The brain is not a machine, it is a biological organ. This means that it needs rest. Don’t keep your brain working without rest because you damage it. You will lose all of your gains if you don’t pay attention to your brain’s needs.
Good brain foods must be also a concern as these will boost the brain's potential limit. Feed well the grey matter and you will be rewarded.
Sleeping is a vital process for your mind. It needs it to organize the day’s new experiences, so give it its time. Try to sleep as many hours as your mind needs, not less but also not more. Oversleeping is also not good for your mind.
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
Neurolinguistic Programming is a set of psychological tools that increase your influence over other people. Mastering NLP techniques gives you a huge advantage and disposition when interacting with people.
You can actually control other people’s minds if you are an expert in NLP. Ok, it’s not easy to reach such a level but you can learn some basics that you can use in order to influence someone. We will discuss some NLP techniques in the NLP page.
Thought Management
What I refer to as thought management is the ability to organize your thoughts and set priorities effectively. This usually applies to a working environment where many jobs have to be done in a short amount of time.
People who have a good thought management own managerial positions in companies. They are able to put priorities to a job stack and finish all of the jobs in time. Doing this is very difficult because such a job position is very stressful.
You have to remain calm in order to have a good thought management. This is a result of mind power increase rather than a technique. When you control your stress levels then it is easier for you to manage your thoughts.
Mind Control
Your mind power will be increased noticeably as you start controlling your mind. There are techniques, such as the Silva Method, which help you bring your thoughts under control.
Mind control is not just a technique but a set of techniques. This is a category in itself that will bring your consciousness to an upper level. Expect the effects to be strong and to change your general world perception.
All the above are tips and techniques that will evolve your mind. You don’t have to master all these techniques in order to ascend level. Take your time and don’t get anxious. Remember patience is the key.
http://www.mind-expanding-techniques.com/MindPower.html
In this page you can find information about mind power and how to increase it. It is an introductory page to some powerful mind-expanding techniques. Although that our mind has unlimited potential, we only use the brain power we are conscious of.
As you explore new dimensions of thinking, there are many techniques that can help you improve your existing mind powers. I will try to approach some of these techniques providing you with information about them and also with instructions on how to apply them to you.
With the term mind power we usually mean the overall capacity of the mind. This capacity can be expressed in many ways, some of which are listed below:
• Cognitive Abilities
• Intelligence
• Paranormal Mind Powers
• Creativity
• Talents
• Way of Thinking
• Consciousness
• Intuition
My view is that mind power, as intelligence, is not comparable and cannot be measured. This is happening because of its infinite dimensions. Two people may have great mind power but no one can say whose is stronger.
In another case someone may have a great mental ability but lacking in other abilities. There is no absolute scale by which you can measure your mind power.
The only thing you can say for sure is that you can increase your mind capability through practice.
There are many techniques that can help you take advantage of more of your mind’s capacity. Using them may improve your everyday life while in the same time change your overall way of thinking.
For example, imagine how great it would be if you could read a whole book in just 2 hours. Imagine how much knowledge you could be able to absorb. Such a method is a life changer. The good news here is that this is possible and anyone can do it. It just needs motivation and patience.
Motivation and Patience?
Now you may wonder whether I use techniques like the above… some of them yes, others I plan to.
The major problem with all these mind power techniques is our lack of discipline. If you want to succeed, you have to stay tuned in and invest large amounts of effort and patience. This applies to everything in life. I suppose you can remember times in your life where you had to work hard in order to succeed.
You may have to study hard to get your degree or to train hard to win a tennis match. Remember, whatever you did needed commitment. So if you want to increase your mind power you also have to put effort in it. Stay focused on whatever you do and you will succeed.
Mastering some of the following techniques may increase your mind power.
• Mind Mapping
• Brain Teasers and Games
• Speed Reading
• People Observation
• Meditation
• Critical & Lateral Thinking
• Wondering and Thinking Deeply
• Writing
• Language Learning
• Realizing Brain’s Limits
• Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
• Thought Management
• Mind Control
This list can go on and on as there are a lot more mind-expanding dimensions that can be included in it. Ok, some of the above are interrelated, like Meditation and Mind Control or Language learning and Writing.
Some meanings are subsets of others. The reason that I mention them is because I want to emphasize on them as I consider them important. Also, it is a way of narrowing them down. For example Learning a new Language is a very broad meaning while Writing is a narrower one.
Your brain consists of the left and the right hemispheres. It is proven that the two hemispheres manage different mental tasks. The above list improves tasks that belong to both hemispheres.
For example some Brain teasers and games improves left hemisphere while Lateral thinking is a right hemisphere process. There are also techniques that improve both hemispheres. An example is writing which requires creativity and also linguistic skills.
Analyzing the List
Let’s discuss briefly the list of mind power techniques.
Mind Mapping
My first experience with Mind Mapping was some years ago. I remember that I had read a book written by Tony Buzan entitled “Use your Mind”. Mind Mapping is a learning technique that exploits more of your mind capabilities. Who said that learning is linear?
Using mind maps while your learn, you help your mind to store the information into the long-term memory. A mind map is not linear. This means that you cannot read it in a sequential way. It is just a scheme containing all the important information you want to memorize.
Mind mapping is not a replacement to the traditional method of learning but a supplement. You use it as you study. In order to create a mind map you have to know the important meanings, definitions and concepts of what you read. That’s why you cannot replace the traditional way of studying with mind mapping.
When I was a student, I used to create mind maps. I can say from my experience, that it was really helpful. They came in handy, especially in lessons with many definitions and formulas. The last time I used mind mapping was for a lesson for my postgraduate degree two years ago.
If you haven’t ever used mind mapping then I recommend you try it. It’s a powerful tool that can increase your mind power.
Brain Teasers and Games
Brain teasers and brain games are entertaining and you can also benefit from them. I like to play such games; some of them are tricky and challenging.
There are many types of brain teasers and games. Each type is intended to improve a specific area in your brain. Brain areas such as frontal, parietal and temporal lobes, are related to different mental tasks. So improving these areas results to better and faster thinking.
It would be very good for your brain and your mind if you could dedicate some of your daily free time, if any, to playing such games. You don’t need more than 15 minutes per day to keep your brain in shape.
It is true that the brain is like a muscle. You have to train it. It is vital for you to maintain your existing neuron networks. If you don’t, then your brain won’t use them and will shut them down. Thus, your mind power is lowering by the time.
Speed Reading
These techniques help you read faster. There are many ways to do this. I have tried some of them in the past. You just have to get used to it. This may be a little tricky because you cannot remember this every time you read something. Despite also this, it is a little tiring after a while.
There are many speed reading courses online. I would like to try the Photoreading course by Paul Scheele. I have heard good things about it but I have never tried it. I didn’t find the time to try it actually. When I do I will let you know my results. If they are positive I will also write a full review about it and recommend it.
This course is supposed to help you read a whole book in a matter of minutes. While you "photoread" you use both your conscious and subconscious mind. You actually take mental photos of the pages of the book and you can retrieve them from the memory anytime. Sounds interesting…
People Observation
Well, by using this term I mean to observe people’s reactions, behavior and body movements. A part of this is the body language. People Observation takes you a step further from the body language. You observe also their mindset.
You can find similarities in the way of thinking in completely different people. If you do this with every person you meet, after some time, you will be able to do this subconsciously. In the end you will have an intuitive feeling about the thoughts of others and their emotional states. Thus your Emotional Intelligence will have improved and so your mind power.
Observing people, even if you don’t know them, also improves your psychological skills. You will be able to detect lies, intentions and maybe some thoughts of others.
I used to do this consciously every time I met someone. If there was no one to meet, I just watched the people around me. Finally this skill became active permanently and I never think of it. This gives me an advantage into my interpersonal relationships. It’s a good way to better understand and communicate with other people.
Meditation
Meditation is a very old relaxation practice used mainly by oriental civilizations. Nowadays it is very popular and it has been proved that meditation can have positive effects on body and mind.
When you meditate you go deep into yourself and slowly you silence your thoughts. Meditation is the art of awareness. Any act which is done with awareness and doesn't involve judgment or feelings is meditation.
With meditation you can increase your brain power in various ways like altering your consciousness to a higher level. These will be discussed in detail in the Meditation page.
Meditation is also a method of mind control and thought management.
Critical & Lateral Thinking
Critical thinking, in general, is the ability to judge properly a situation and then decide if you agree or disagree with it. This situation may be an argument, a belief or an action.
Critical thinking is a left hemisphere process and involves basically logic. But it is not only logic’s product. Critical thinking involves other skills as well such as clarity, fairness and others.
It is believed that people who have critical thinking usually tend to reject. But actually, people who reject have no critical thinking. They just are suspicious and afraid of everything. If you think of yourself as a critical thinker because of rejecting everything, sorry but you aren’t.
Lateral thinking now is a completely different way of thinking. Lateral thinking is a product of creativity and it is a right hemisphere process.
When you think laterally you approach a situation in an indirect way. You create new ideas and invent new perspectives.
This type of thinking is used in problem solving. Lateral thinking helps you in solving problems in a creative way (using brainstorming and analyzing the new ideas), finding a solution that is not initially visible. Lateral thinking is also an ability that is appreciated in management and business.
It is also synonymous to the phrase “thinking out of the box”. When you reach a level where you can think in this way then you will have increased your mind power for sure.
Wondering and Thinking Deeply (or Philosophy ?)
Wondering comes before Philosophy. It is a trait that indicates the existence of Spiritual Intelligence. Wondering has to do with supreme questions like how the world was created, the existence of god etc.
When you wonder you have the tendency to search and try to find answers to such questions. Of course you can only find theories as none of these questions have been answered. You finally end up with your own theories and explanations. Then you test your theories in your everyday life.
These processes lead your mind to a never-ending analysis of the world around you, inducing you to think deeply. This is also a way of lateral thinking.
Thinking deeply is like Philosophy. But, as Philosophy, nowadays, means the homonym science school, I prefer to call this mind expanding technique just “Thinking Deeply".
More or less we all have moments of deep thinking in our everyday lives. By doing this, we may realize truths that we were unaware of, changing our understanding of the world.
You may have noticed that you are thinking completely different now than 5 years ago. This happens because every day you realize things that change your way of thinking. Thinking Deeply helps you understand better the world and the people around you.
It is also a form of lateral thinking. Asking yourself why and trying to understand how things work, induce you to think laterally. Thinking Deeply increase your consciousness level and so also your mind power.
Writing
Writing is one of the four linguistic skills. The other three are speaking, reading and listening. I chose writing because it engages your mind’s creativity and also gives you the time to organize your thoughts.
When you write an article, like me now, thousands of thoughts and ideas pass through your head. You may not know how to start writing an article (blank page syndrome) but after a while your mind is full of ideas (brainstorming) that you can write for hours.
When you write your mind is in a creative state. Doing this too often, your mind learns how to enter the creative state faster. You can reach a level at which this will be happening instantly. By becoming more creative you increase your mind power significantly.
Learning a Foreign Language
It is proven that nothing can maintain your mind’s resources better than learning a new foreign language. When you learn a new language a process called neurogenesis is engaged in your brain. Neurogenesis is a term describing the creation of new neuron networks.
Despite this fact, a different language introduces you to a new different way of thinking. Your intelligence and memory improve as you learn all the new vocabulary, syntax and grammatical rules. It engages all of your brain’s subsystems.
I once read in a magazine that learning a new language slows down the aging process. It is an all-in-one way to expand and keep your mind in shape and a very powerful technique to increase your mind power.
Knowing your Brain’s Limits
How can this knowledge contribute to your mind expansion? It keeps you motivated and healthy.
This is not actually a technique but a prerequisite. You have to know your brain’s limits in order to achieve your goals. You cannot expect that you will develop telekinesis in a matter of days or months. The possibility of ever developing such a power is nearly zero.
The above example emphasizes on the fact that you must have patience. Setting rational goals that your brain is able to achieve will have much greater results than setting goals that you don’t believe in.
The brain is not a machine, it is a biological organ. This means that it needs rest. Don’t keep your brain working without rest because you damage it. You will lose all of your gains if you don’t pay attention to your brain’s needs.
Good brain foods must be also a concern as these will boost the brain's potential limit. Feed well the grey matter and you will be rewarded.
Sleeping is a vital process for your mind. It needs it to organize the day’s new experiences, so give it its time. Try to sleep as many hours as your mind needs, not less but also not more. Oversleeping is also not good for your mind.
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
Neurolinguistic Programming is a set of psychological tools that increase your influence over other people. Mastering NLP techniques gives you a huge advantage and disposition when interacting with people.
You can actually control other people’s minds if you are an expert in NLP. Ok, it’s not easy to reach such a level but you can learn some basics that you can use in order to influence someone. We will discuss some NLP techniques in the NLP page.
Thought Management
What I refer to as thought management is the ability to organize your thoughts and set priorities effectively. This usually applies to a working environment where many jobs have to be done in a short amount of time.
People who have a good thought management own managerial positions in companies. They are able to put priorities to a job stack and finish all of the jobs in time. Doing this is very difficult because such a job position is very stressful.
You have to remain calm in order to have a good thought management. This is a result of mind power increase rather than a technique. When you control your stress levels then it is easier for you to manage your thoughts.
Mind Control
Your mind power will be increased noticeably as you start controlling your mind. There are techniques, such as the Silva Method, which help you bring your thoughts under control.
Mind control is not just a technique but a set of techniques. This is a category in itself that will bring your consciousness to an upper level. Expect the effects to be strong and to change your general world perception.
All the above are tips and techniques that will evolve your mind. You don’t have to master all these techniques in order to ascend level. Take your time and don’t get anxious. Remember patience is the key.
http://www.mind-expanding-techniques.com/MindPower.html
Achieving Your Dreams And Goals
Achieving Your Dreams And Goals
Turning dreams into reality
By Remez Sasson
Achieving your dreams and goals depends on several factors:
1. You should have a specific goal.
2. You have to be sure that you really want to achieve your goal.
3. You need to have a clear mental image of your goal.
4. You need a strong desire.
5. You need to disregard and reject doubts and thoughts about failure.
6. Show confidence and faith and persevere until you gain success
How many people fulfill all the above-mentioned requirements? Just a few! Most people do not know that there are some laws governing success, which should be followed.
It is so easy and simple to daydream and then say, "Well it is just a daydream. It will never come true". It is so easy to give up due to lack of faith.
Achieving your goals shouldn't be a tough ordeal. In fact, it can be fun and pleasure, if you go in the right way. It is not hard physical work that brings success. Great success does not require hard physical labor. In fact, you need to do mental work.
Visualization and repeating affirmations make up this mental work, and are important stepping stones to achieving success. When you visualize and affirm you focus and channel your energies toward your goal. Your mind is geared toward finding solutions to bring your goal into manifestation.
By thinking in a positive manner on your goal, and not letting any doubts enter your mind, your intuition starts working, you see opportunities, and you have energy at your disposal to follow your goals and dreams.
Some people listen to subliminal messages, for programming their minds for success. There are many CD's available today, which implant subliminal messages into the mind, so as to activate its power. Some people prefer to use them, because this does not require any effort on their part. It is said that these subliminal messages, which go straight to the subconscious mind, bring faster results. Maybe they do, but then you have no control on what goes into your mind.
When you visualize and affirm your goals, you gain much more then just programming your mind passively with subliminal messages. The attention, intention and energy you channel toward visualizing and affirming, develop in you inner strength, concentration, willpower and self-discipline. You actively develop your inner powers.
One of the advantages of visualization and affirmations is that you can use them wherever you are, at any time, without the necessity of any external instruments. All you need is your mind.
Success appears in various ways, sometimes in a miraculous way, sometimes in an ordinary way, and sometimes through an opportunity that appears. A door opens, but you have to get in and take advantage of the opportunity.
Correctly following these methods will bring you more ambition, inspiration and motivation, which would enhance your chances of success.
Remember, there are big goals and there are many small daily goals, which visualization and affirmations can make them easier and faster to achieve.
People often erroneously think that goals mean only big goals, such as:
becoming wealthy,
getting an expensive car,
possessing a big house with a swimming pool,
building a very successful business.
The truth is that the following are no less important goals:
getting to work on time,
spending more time with the family,
reading a book,
going to see a movie,
eating less.
How do you visualize and affirm?
Are there any special rules and instructions?
Yes, there are!
Like any other subject, if you want to do it right you need to study it right. It is simple and easy to learn to achieve success through visualization and affirmations. Anyone can learn to use them right. Browse the website, and you will find a lot of practical and useful information.
http://www.successconsciousness.com/achieving_your_goals.htm
Turning dreams into reality
By Remez Sasson
Achieving your dreams and goals depends on several factors:
1. You should have a specific goal.
2. You have to be sure that you really want to achieve your goal.
3. You need to have a clear mental image of your goal.
4. You need a strong desire.
5. You need to disregard and reject doubts and thoughts about failure.
6. Show confidence and faith and persevere until you gain success
How many people fulfill all the above-mentioned requirements? Just a few! Most people do not know that there are some laws governing success, which should be followed.
It is so easy and simple to daydream and then say, "Well it is just a daydream. It will never come true". It is so easy to give up due to lack of faith.
Achieving your goals shouldn't be a tough ordeal. In fact, it can be fun and pleasure, if you go in the right way. It is not hard physical work that brings success. Great success does not require hard physical labor. In fact, you need to do mental work.
Visualization and repeating affirmations make up this mental work, and are important stepping stones to achieving success. When you visualize and affirm you focus and channel your energies toward your goal. Your mind is geared toward finding solutions to bring your goal into manifestation.
By thinking in a positive manner on your goal, and not letting any doubts enter your mind, your intuition starts working, you see opportunities, and you have energy at your disposal to follow your goals and dreams.
Some people listen to subliminal messages, for programming their minds for success. There are many CD's available today, which implant subliminal messages into the mind, so as to activate its power. Some people prefer to use them, because this does not require any effort on their part. It is said that these subliminal messages, which go straight to the subconscious mind, bring faster results. Maybe they do, but then you have no control on what goes into your mind.
When you visualize and affirm your goals, you gain much more then just programming your mind passively with subliminal messages. The attention, intention and energy you channel toward visualizing and affirming, develop in you inner strength, concentration, willpower and self-discipline. You actively develop your inner powers.
One of the advantages of visualization and affirmations is that you can use them wherever you are, at any time, without the necessity of any external instruments. All you need is your mind.
Success appears in various ways, sometimes in a miraculous way, sometimes in an ordinary way, and sometimes through an opportunity that appears. A door opens, but you have to get in and take advantage of the opportunity.
Correctly following these methods will bring you more ambition, inspiration and motivation, which would enhance your chances of success.
Remember, there are big goals and there are many small daily goals, which visualization and affirmations can make them easier and faster to achieve.
People often erroneously think that goals mean only big goals, such as:
becoming wealthy,
getting an expensive car,
possessing a big house with a swimming pool,
building a very successful business.
The truth is that the following are no less important goals:
getting to work on time,
spending more time with the family,
reading a book,
going to see a movie,
eating less.
How do you visualize and affirm?
Are there any special rules and instructions?
Yes, there are!
Like any other subject, if you want to do it right you need to study it right. It is simple and easy to learn to achieve success through visualization and affirmations. Anyone can learn to use them right. Browse the website, and you will find a lot of practical and useful information.
http://www.successconsciousness.com/achieving_your_goals.htm
Saturday, December 11, 2010
How do business women dress in UAE?
As soon as UAE keep their traditions, attire of emirati business woman the same that she wears in public – veiled + abaya.
Other nationalities don't have to veil (if they are not Muslims) cos' Emirates the same time is a very liberal country most likely it may shock nonresident aliens how the locals dress. However, nobody wear the too short of skirts usually a little bit under the knee or exactly the knee length skirts. Nothing see-through or tight, No sleeveless or low cut shirts. Some women put on too much make up as it is their custom but it's not a necessity.
http://khaleejia.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-do-business-women-dress-in-uae.html
Presenter underwear..oopss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND3YGK1jQUw&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2WR7Jsf6Jk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DZ-gUfKQFA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAm7JnVtXhY&feature=fvw
Kate Garraway amazing upskirt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oeNO8nJR_w&feature=related
Kate Garraway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHhTzBsGkEk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2WR7Jsf6Jk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DZ-gUfKQFA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAm7JnVtXhY&feature=fvw
Kate Garraway amazing upskirt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oeNO8nJR_w&feature=related
Kate Garraway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHhTzBsGkEk&feature=related
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The 9 Weirdest Things About the WikiLeaks Story
The 9 Weirdest Things About the WikiLeaks Story
Here are the 9 craziest facets of the international uproar surrounding WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.
December 6, 2010 |
The release of the US embassy cables has thus far been one of the most... interesting moments in recent US (and World) history, impacting global politics in a way that is unprecedented. Nestled amid the outrage and debate are some truly weird aspects that make the brouhaha seem like a lost installment in the Jason Bourne chronicles (or Catch Me If You Can).
More important than the drama and gossip, WikiLeaks is a tentpost in the information age, a milestone potentially heralding a new era of internet transparency. As world governments balk at the exposure of their secrets -- and scramble to suppress the information -- Assange and his crew are expressing their right to free speech and facilitating the public's fundamental right to know exactly what their leaders are up to, particularly when it entails wars, torture, and secret military action. Here are the 8 craziest facets of the international uproar surrounding WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.
1. Hackers on the Offensive
A group of hackers have pledged to wage war against companies that have "censored" WikiLeaks. Yesterday morning Operation Payback targeted PayPal in a DDoS attack (the company no longer lets people donate to WikiLeaks through its service). Later in the day they launched a successful attack on PostFinance, the bank that froze the assets of the Julian Assange Defense Fund. As of last night, the PostFinance site was still down.
2. Julian Assange Has Not Broken Any Laws ... Yet Our Government and Others Treat Him Like He Has
A Canadian advisor called for Assange's assassination, Joe Lieberman pressured Amazon to hypocritically tear down the cables, and officials and media repeat accusations that he is a terrorist despite the fact that the Wikileaks' actions have resulted in no physical harm to anyone -- unlike, say, certain governments. But amid all this, it is important to note that neither Julian Assange nor WikiLeaks have broken any laws, whether American or Australian, in releasing the leaked documents. And yet some lawmakers are so hysterical, such as GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch O'Connell, they are suggesting the US invent new laws, solely for the purpose of bringing Assange to trial. Meanwhile, the government continues to intimidate companies who host the cables, with no actual legal ground whatsoever. As Glenn Greenwald points out:
People often have a hard time believing that the terms "authoritarian" and "tyranny" apply to their own government, but that's because those who meekly stay in line and remain unthreatening are never targeted by such forces. The face of authoritarianism and tyranny reveals itself with how it responds to
those who meaningfully dissent from and effectively challenge its authority: do they act within the law or solely through the use of unconstrained force?
The Swiss government has also frozen his legal defense fund, so even if someone does invent a way to nab him legally, his right to a fair trial is compromised.
3. Julian Assange Preps “Poison Pill” in Case He’s Killed or Arrested
As established, Wikileaks leader Assange is not wrong in assuming at some point he may be arrested (Interpol’s on the hunt) or killed (world leaders want his head). Or that WikiLeaks will be shut down. And so, like anyone who knows he's a walking target, he has put out a little bit of insurance on himself and WikiLeaks. Today he announced that, should anyone attempt to harm (or incarcerate) a hair on his head, he’ll pull the trigger on a “poison pill” that would allegedly expose even more explosive information, including some documents about BP, Bank of America and Guantanamo Bay. According to the Daily Mail, an encrypted file sent out to various fellow hackers contains the information, and can be disseminated all across the internet if he decides to give them the key -- an uncrackable password consisting of 256 digits. Mark Stephens, Assange’s lawyer in Britain, has said the information is tantamount to a “thermonuclear device,” consisting of “doomsday files.” Another lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, claims she’s been receiving intimidating letters from Washington.
Ms Robinson references a letter from a state department legal adviser addressed to both herself and Mr Assange - appearing to suggest that Wikileaks and its lawyers were one and the same.
She said: 'By eliding client and lawyer, that was a very inappropriate attempt to implicate me. That is really inappropriate to come from the state department of all places; they understand very well the rules on attorney-client protocol.'
Meanwhile, the lawyers have claimed they’re being watched by strange men in dark cars parked outside their homes. Reading newspapers. Probably about their client.
4. But You Can’t Really Arrest Julian Assange
A great novelist once wrote, “Sometimes a man retreats so far inward he mistakes isolation for dominion.” In this case, though, Assange’s essential MIA-ness (he’s supposedly in England) is pretty close to dominion. He is acting like a man without a country, and this is his armor against the world. As AOL notes, “The international nature of his organization makes questions of jurisdiction nearly impossible to answer.” And because he is not a US citizen, he can’t be tried for treason, a technicality apparently lost on some leaders and journalists. While the US could technically arrest him for spying, the best bet for those searching for his hide is if Sweden could extradite him for charges related to alleged rape. That is, if Sweden managed to get it together... their first attempt at extradition was foiled by bungled paperwork -- extradition papers filed with Great Britain did not state the maximum sentence for his charges, a small but important requirement for extradition. Meanwhile, Assange’s native Australia has upped the ante, promising him consular help if he’s arrested by a foreign government, even while condemning the leaks -- meaning he might be able to, simply, return home Down Under.
5. Columbia Students Warned Against Linking to Wikileaks ... then Columbia Decides Linking to Wikileaks is OK
Last week, Columbia University’s School of International and Political Affairs told its students not to link to or Tweet anything having to do with WikiLeaks, warning their curiosity could endanger their chances of ever being employed by the government. The school’s employment office sent out an email to the students, many aspiring diplomats, saying an alumni from the State Department gave them a heads up about seeking Wiki info, noting that even posting comments about the leaks "would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information." The directive scared a lot of grad students for quite a few days. That is, until yesterday, when SIPA Dean John H. Coatsworth decided to err on the side of free speech, clarifying the Columbia email that was initially seen as a scare tactic. In a subsequent email to students, Coatsworth wrote:
“Freedom of information and expression is a core value of our institution. Thus, SIPA’s position is that students have a right to discuss and debate any information in the public arena that they deem relevant to their studies or to their roles as global citizens, and to do so without fear of adverse consequences.”
Furthermore, another SIPA Professor told Wired.com that students would be remiss if they didn’t seek out the Wikileaks cables. “If anyone is a master’s student in international relations and they haven’t heard of WikiLeaks and gone looking for the documents that relate to their area of study,“ said Middle East expert Gary Sick, “then they don’t deserve to be a graduate student in international relations.” The First Amendment prevails. Also... touche.
6. “Sex by Surprise?"
The charges against Assange in Sweden have now been characterized as “sex by surprise” -- and no one seems to know exactly what that even means.
Assange's London attorney, Mark Stephens, told AOL News today that Swedish
prosecutors told him that Assange is wanted not for allegations of rape, as previously reported, but for something called "sex by surprise," which he said involves a fine of 5,000 kronor or about $715. "Whatever 'sex by surprise' is, it's only a offense in Sweden -- not in the U.K. or the U.S. or even Ibiza," Stephens said. "I feel as if I'm in a surreal Swedish movie being threatened by bizarre trolls. The prosecutor has not asked to see Julian, never asked to interview him, and he hasn't been charged with anything. He's been told he's wanted for questioning, but he doesn't know the nature of the allegations against him."
The charges have something to do with condoms, and their lack of use, or breakage, although it’s largely unclear exactly what. The women accusing Assange have stood behind their accounts, but he believes the Swedish government's seemingly wishy-washy actions are part of a larger conspiracy to nab him for WikiLeaks. The New York Times:
According to accounts the women gave to the police and friends, they each had consensual sexual encounters with Mr. Assange that became nonconsensual. One woman said that Mr. Assange had ignored her appeals to stop after a condom broke. The other woman said that she and Mr. Assange had begun a sexual encounter using a condom, but that Mr. Assange did not comply with her appeals to stop when it was no longer in use. Mr. Assange has denied any wrongdoing and has questioned the veracity of those accounts.
Yesterday, new warrants were issued for Assange and he is presently making arrangements to meet with Scotland Yard. The premise for the warrants has not been revealed.
7. Future Cables Reference UFOs!
So maybe this is more like the X-Files. In a rare interview with the Guardian last week, in which Assange answered reader-submitted questions, he confirmed that not-yet-published documents reference unidentified flying objects. And lest you think he is jumping any sort of shark, it should be known that his information was vetted with journalistic rigor, just like every other piece of info he’s published. The full question and answer:
Mr Assange,
Have there ever been documents forwarded to you which deal with the topic of UFOs or extraterrestrials?
Assange: Many weirdos email us about UFOs or how they discovered that they were the anti-christ whilst talking with their ex-wife at a garden party over a pot-plant. However, as yet they have not satisfied two of our publishing rules.
1) that the documents not be self-authored;
2) that they be original.
However, it is worth noting that in yet-to-be-published parts of the cablegate archive there are indeed references to UFOs.
Of course, it’s not exactly proof of the existence of aliens (or even alien-like bacteria here on earth), but it is a fascinating bit that not only intrigues, but illustrates the breadth of information Assange is sitting on.
8. Feds Go Nuts to Prevent Soldiers from Seeing Wikleaks
Soldiers in Iraq attempting to read the leaked cables -- or even read articles about them -- get a redirect notice on their government network saying they’re on the verge of breaking the law. The redirect has affected virtually every major news website, clearly, since not one has refrained from covering Wikileaks (despite their mass condemnation of the stuff). But as Gawker points out, “Many of those soldiers receiving the warnings have security clearances that would have granted them access to the State Department cables before they were leaked.” One presumes the same goes for some of the government employees, who were issued a similar warning about reading the documents.
9. Iran Accuses US of Leaking Wikileaks
An ironic conspiracy theory when one considers the outrage Cablegate has sparked among everyone from Hillary Clinton to Mike Huckabee, although our
Secretary of State exercised quite a bit more restraint than the gun-happy Huckabee. But considering what the leaks revealed -- that countries all across the Middle East have urged the US to strike against Iran -- it’s an understandable conclusion. The leaks prompted an Israeli paper to express triumphant joy in feeling solidarity for its extreme stance on Iran -- an op-ed was titled The World Thinks Like Us–and Ahmadinejad stated his view on the matter explicitly, asserting the American government made the cables ”organized to be released on a regular basis and they are pursuing political goals.” Meanwhile, cables that stated Iranian dissidents had some involvement with the Israeli Mossad would not only strengthen current powers but undermine the dissident movement itself -- endangering the lives of Iranians critical of Ahmadinejad’s policies. The Daily Beast:
“New and harmful” was how Freilich described the WikilLeaks revelation that Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, consulted with Washington about working with Iran's students and ethnic minorities to topple Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's regime in Iran.
Julianne Escobedo Shepherd is an associate editor at AlterNet and a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and editor. Formerly the executive editor of The FADER, her work has appeared in VIBE, SPIN, New York Times and various other magazines and websites.
http://www.alternet.org/world/149100/the_9_weirdest_things_about_the_wikileaks_story/
Here are the 9 craziest facets of the international uproar surrounding WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.
December 6, 2010 |
The release of the US embassy cables has thus far been one of the most... interesting moments in recent US (and World) history, impacting global politics in a way that is unprecedented. Nestled amid the outrage and debate are some truly weird aspects that make the brouhaha seem like a lost installment in the Jason Bourne chronicles (or Catch Me If You Can).
More important than the drama and gossip, WikiLeaks is a tentpost in the information age, a milestone potentially heralding a new era of internet transparency. As world governments balk at the exposure of their secrets -- and scramble to suppress the information -- Assange and his crew are expressing their right to free speech and facilitating the public's fundamental right to know exactly what their leaders are up to, particularly when it entails wars, torture, and secret military action. Here are the 8 craziest facets of the international uproar surrounding WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.
1. Hackers on the Offensive
A group of hackers have pledged to wage war against companies that have "censored" WikiLeaks. Yesterday morning Operation Payback targeted PayPal in a DDoS attack (the company no longer lets people donate to WikiLeaks through its service). Later in the day they launched a successful attack on PostFinance, the bank that froze the assets of the Julian Assange Defense Fund. As of last night, the PostFinance site was still down.
2. Julian Assange Has Not Broken Any Laws ... Yet Our Government and Others Treat Him Like He Has
A Canadian advisor called for Assange's assassination, Joe Lieberman pressured Amazon to hypocritically tear down the cables, and officials and media repeat accusations that he is a terrorist despite the fact that the Wikileaks' actions have resulted in no physical harm to anyone -- unlike, say, certain governments. But amid all this, it is important to note that neither Julian Assange nor WikiLeaks have broken any laws, whether American or Australian, in releasing the leaked documents. And yet some lawmakers are so hysterical, such as GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch O'Connell, they are suggesting the US invent new laws, solely for the purpose of bringing Assange to trial. Meanwhile, the government continues to intimidate companies who host the cables, with no actual legal ground whatsoever. As Glenn Greenwald points out:
People often have a hard time believing that the terms "authoritarian" and "tyranny" apply to their own government, but that's because those who meekly stay in line and remain unthreatening are never targeted by such forces. The face of authoritarianism and tyranny reveals itself with how it responds to
those who meaningfully dissent from and effectively challenge its authority: do they act within the law or solely through the use of unconstrained force?
The Swiss government has also frozen his legal defense fund, so even if someone does invent a way to nab him legally, his right to a fair trial is compromised.
3. Julian Assange Preps “Poison Pill” in Case He’s Killed or Arrested
As established, Wikileaks leader Assange is not wrong in assuming at some point he may be arrested (Interpol’s on the hunt) or killed (world leaders want his head). Or that WikiLeaks will be shut down. And so, like anyone who knows he's a walking target, he has put out a little bit of insurance on himself and WikiLeaks. Today he announced that, should anyone attempt to harm (or incarcerate) a hair on his head, he’ll pull the trigger on a “poison pill” that would allegedly expose even more explosive information, including some documents about BP, Bank of America and Guantanamo Bay. According to the Daily Mail, an encrypted file sent out to various fellow hackers contains the information, and can be disseminated all across the internet if he decides to give them the key -- an uncrackable password consisting of 256 digits. Mark Stephens, Assange’s lawyer in Britain, has said the information is tantamount to a “thermonuclear device,” consisting of “doomsday files.” Another lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, claims she’s been receiving intimidating letters from Washington.
Ms Robinson references a letter from a state department legal adviser addressed to both herself and Mr Assange - appearing to suggest that Wikileaks and its lawyers were one and the same.
She said: 'By eliding client and lawyer, that was a very inappropriate attempt to implicate me. That is really inappropriate to come from the state department of all places; they understand very well the rules on attorney-client protocol.'
Meanwhile, the lawyers have claimed they’re being watched by strange men in dark cars parked outside their homes. Reading newspapers. Probably about their client.
4. But You Can’t Really Arrest Julian Assange
A great novelist once wrote, “Sometimes a man retreats so far inward he mistakes isolation for dominion.” In this case, though, Assange’s essential MIA-ness (he’s supposedly in England) is pretty close to dominion. He is acting like a man without a country, and this is his armor against the world. As AOL notes, “The international nature of his organization makes questions of jurisdiction nearly impossible to answer.” And because he is not a US citizen, he can’t be tried for treason, a technicality apparently lost on some leaders and journalists. While the US could technically arrest him for spying, the best bet for those searching for his hide is if Sweden could extradite him for charges related to alleged rape. That is, if Sweden managed to get it together... their first attempt at extradition was foiled by bungled paperwork -- extradition papers filed with Great Britain did not state the maximum sentence for his charges, a small but important requirement for extradition. Meanwhile, Assange’s native Australia has upped the ante, promising him consular help if he’s arrested by a foreign government, even while condemning the leaks -- meaning he might be able to, simply, return home Down Under.
5. Columbia Students Warned Against Linking to Wikileaks ... then Columbia Decides Linking to Wikileaks is OK
Last week, Columbia University’s School of International and Political Affairs told its students not to link to or Tweet anything having to do with WikiLeaks, warning their curiosity could endanger their chances of ever being employed by the government. The school’s employment office sent out an email to the students, many aspiring diplomats, saying an alumni from the State Department gave them a heads up about seeking Wiki info, noting that even posting comments about the leaks "would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information." The directive scared a lot of grad students for quite a few days. That is, until yesterday, when SIPA Dean John H. Coatsworth decided to err on the side of free speech, clarifying the Columbia email that was initially seen as a scare tactic. In a subsequent email to students, Coatsworth wrote:
“Freedom of information and expression is a core value of our institution. Thus, SIPA’s position is that students have a right to discuss and debate any information in the public arena that they deem relevant to their studies or to their roles as global citizens, and to do so without fear of adverse consequences.”
Furthermore, another SIPA Professor told Wired.com that students would be remiss if they didn’t seek out the Wikileaks cables. “If anyone is a master’s student in international relations and they haven’t heard of WikiLeaks and gone looking for the documents that relate to their area of study,“ said Middle East expert Gary Sick, “then they don’t deserve to be a graduate student in international relations.” The First Amendment prevails. Also... touche.
6. “Sex by Surprise?"
The charges against Assange in Sweden have now been characterized as “sex by surprise” -- and no one seems to know exactly what that even means.
Assange's London attorney, Mark Stephens, told AOL News today that Swedish
prosecutors told him that Assange is wanted not for allegations of rape, as previously reported, but for something called "sex by surprise," which he said involves a fine of 5,000 kronor or about $715. "Whatever 'sex by surprise' is, it's only a offense in Sweden -- not in the U.K. or the U.S. or even Ibiza," Stephens said. "I feel as if I'm in a surreal Swedish movie being threatened by bizarre trolls. The prosecutor has not asked to see Julian, never asked to interview him, and he hasn't been charged with anything. He's been told he's wanted for questioning, but he doesn't know the nature of the allegations against him."
The charges have something to do with condoms, and their lack of use, or breakage, although it’s largely unclear exactly what. The women accusing Assange have stood behind their accounts, but he believes the Swedish government's seemingly wishy-washy actions are part of a larger conspiracy to nab him for WikiLeaks. The New York Times:
According to accounts the women gave to the police and friends, they each had consensual sexual encounters with Mr. Assange that became nonconsensual. One woman said that Mr. Assange had ignored her appeals to stop after a condom broke. The other woman said that she and Mr. Assange had begun a sexual encounter using a condom, but that Mr. Assange did not comply with her appeals to stop when it was no longer in use. Mr. Assange has denied any wrongdoing and has questioned the veracity of those accounts.
Yesterday, new warrants were issued for Assange and he is presently making arrangements to meet with Scotland Yard. The premise for the warrants has not been revealed.
7. Future Cables Reference UFOs!
So maybe this is more like the X-Files. In a rare interview with the Guardian last week, in which Assange answered reader-submitted questions, he confirmed that not-yet-published documents reference unidentified flying objects. And lest you think he is jumping any sort of shark, it should be known that his information was vetted with journalistic rigor, just like every other piece of info he’s published. The full question and answer:
Mr Assange,
Have there ever been documents forwarded to you which deal with the topic of UFOs or extraterrestrials?
Assange: Many weirdos email us about UFOs or how they discovered that they were the anti-christ whilst talking with their ex-wife at a garden party over a pot-plant. However, as yet they have not satisfied two of our publishing rules.
1) that the documents not be self-authored;
2) that they be original.
However, it is worth noting that in yet-to-be-published parts of the cablegate archive there are indeed references to UFOs.
Of course, it’s not exactly proof of the existence of aliens (or even alien-like bacteria here on earth), but it is a fascinating bit that not only intrigues, but illustrates the breadth of information Assange is sitting on.
8. Feds Go Nuts to Prevent Soldiers from Seeing Wikleaks
Soldiers in Iraq attempting to read the leaked cables -- or even read articles about them -- get a redirect notice on their government network saying they’re on the verge of breaking the law. The redirect has affected virtually every major news website, clearly, since not one has refrained from covering Wikileaks (despite their mass condemnation of the stuff). But as Gawker points out, “Many of those soldiers receiving the warnings have security clearances that would have granted them access to the State Department cables before they were leaked.” One presumes the same goes for some of the government employees, who were issued a similar warning about reading the documents.
9. Iran Accuses US of Leaking Wikileaks
An ironic conspiracy theory when one considers the outrage Cablegate has sparked among everyone from Hillary Clinton to Mike Huckabee, although our
Secretary of State exercised quite a bit more restraint than the gun-happy Huckabee. But considering what the leaks revealed -- that countries all across the Middle East have urged the US to strike against Iran -- it’s an understandable conclusion. The leaks prompted an Israeli paper to express triumphant joy in feeling solidarity for its extreme stance on Iran -- an op-ed was titled The World Thinks Like Us–and Ahmadinejad stated his view on the matter explicitly, asserting the American government made the cables ”organized to be released on a regular basis and they are pursuing political goals.” Meanwhile, cables that stated Iranian dissidents had some involvement with the Israeli Mossad would not only strengthen current powers but undermine the dissident movement itself -- endangering the lives of Iranians critical of Ahmadinejad’s policies. The Daily Beast:
“New and harmful” was how Freilich described the WikilLeaks revelation that Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, consulted with Washington about working with Iran's students and ethnic minorities to topple Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's regime in Iran.
Julianne Escobedo Shepherd is an associate editor at AlterNet and a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and editor. Formerly the executive editor of The FADER, her work has appeared in VIBE, SPIN, New York Times and various other magazines and websites.
http://www.alternet.org/world/149100/the_9_weirdest_things_about_the_wikileaks_story/
Saturday, December 4, 2010
6 Reasons To Put Love Before Your Career
6 Reasons To Put Love Before Your Career
One man's take on having it all: career, love, family, and success.
By Brian Fairbanks May 20, 2010
Back in February, YourTango contributor John Bowe posted a piece called "Work vs. Love: A Man's Case for Putting Work First," arguing that it's best for us all to go solo until we've made a living, regardless of how it hurts our romantic prospects in the meantime.
As a fellow (male) writer, I'd like to contend that he's dead wrong. Love doesn't have to interfere with your career; it can actually support it. YourTango reader BookMama asked Bowe, "What if you have more than one dream in life: a partner who loves you, children, and writing or whatever your career is?" My answer would be: Pursue them all, all at once. Here's why:
1. Relationships don't interfere with your career; dating does
In my experience, it's dating that gets in the way of writers and other ambitious people. Dating can become a serious time suck if you're doing it remotely right and going out at least once a week. The phone calls, the IMs, the discussions with friends—it all adds up to a good deal of work and greatly reduces the ability for career people to focus on their professional lives.
Personally, getting past the constant going-out-and-meeting-people and arriving at the one-person-only relationship phase is integral to my concentration and momentum as a writer.
The bottom line is, if someone truly cares for you, they will understand when your projects are more important than your plans to take them to tango class. (A simple "The money I'm making from this design will help pay for next semester lessons, I promise" certainly helps.) The New Way To Have It All: First Baby, Then Love
2. Living with someone and being creative is better than living alone and being creative
Picture this scenario: you're working on a long-term project that's taking up all your time and energy. You have no significant other at the time and are too busy to date. You sink into depression and become easily distracted while the deadline looms. If you had a boyfriend who came over and brought you takeout, wouldn't that help turn things around?
Your girlfriend or boyfriend can talk you through tough creative patches or keep on your case to apply for a fellowship you're being pessimistic about. Sure, building a career and a marriage ended in disastrous results for greats like Sylvia Plath and Norman Mailer, but it wasn't the writing that caused those relationships to collapse. If you are going to fall in love, why hold back in favor of your career when your Facebook page is about to have its first fan?
3. Marriage won't distract you
The main issue I have with Bowe's perspective is the idea that a dream would have to be shoved aside to let someone else join the team. If a marriage involving a creative person is going to work, both partners need to support—not hinder—each other. The couples whose dreams of glory fall by the wayside are probably made up of people who would have given up sooner or later anyway.
As for Bowe's worry that marriage equals having kids, who are obviously going to greatly diminish your "me" time, I've found that ambitious people tend to find a way to get things done between diapers or parent-teacher conferences; they're going to make it no matter what "gets in the way." Why I Chose To Be Unmarried And Childless
4. There's a reason "richer or poorer" is in those marriage vows
Considering the stiff competition and difficulty of having long-term success in artistic careers, it's good to remember that, like many of the best things in life, love isn't about money. It's about sticking with people, regardless of whether they ever make it, and being grateful that at least you're together and working through it.
5. Do we really have a choice?
Bowe says he recently fell in love for the first time in 15 years. I want to know: Would he have changed his views on love vs. career if he had met someone undeniably special along the way, or if he hadn't lucked into love now that he's decided he's ready?
To look at it another way, everyone falls into a Jennifer Aniston-sized love rut once in a while, and that is the time to focus on other things like family, the debt situation, and maybe changing jobs or cities. But to give up entirely on dating and focusing only on the career until you're 45—is that even possible? Love doesn't care if you're working on a novel or done with a screenplay and now looking for love. You can't force it, so there's no point in saying, "I'm just going to pretend not to have feelings until I'm well-established."
6. Long-term outlook
I agree with Bowe that it's extremely difficult to create a career as an artist with kids—especially without the dough to go out and schmooze while Mary Poppins does the tutoring. In fact, it's hard enough to make a living as a writer being single and not dating at all. But even if he's right, if being alone does make it easier—is that what we really want? To wake up at 45 with successful careers after ten or twenty years of being alone? I, for one, would rather strive for balance. And then if I do achieve success, there will be someone there to celebrate with.
http://www.yourtango.com/201069923/6-reasons-put-love-before-career/page/3
One man's take on having it all: career, love, family, and success.
By Brian Fairbanks May 20, 2010
Back in February, YourTango contributor John Bowe posted a piece called "Work vs. Love: A Man's Case for Putting Work First," arguing that it's best for us all to go solo until we've made a living, regardless of how it hurts our romantic prospects in the meantime.
As a fellow (male) writer, I'd like to contend that he's dead wrong. Love doesn't have to interfere with your career; it can actually support it. YourTango reader BookMama asked Bowe, "What if you have more than one dream in life: a partner who loves you, children, and writing or whatever your career is?" My answer would be: Pursue them all, all at once. Here's why:
1. Relationships don't interfere with your career; dating does
In my experience, it's dating that gets in the way of writers and other ambitious people. Dating can become a serious time suck if you're doing it remotely right and going out at least once a week. The phone calls, the IMs, the discussions with friends—it all adds up to a good deal of work and greatly reduces the ability for career people to focus on their professional lives.
Personally, getting past the constant going-out-and-meeting-people and arriving at the one-person-only relationship phase is integral to my concentration and momentum as a writer.
The bottom line is, if someone truly cares for you, they will understand when your projects are more important than your plans to take them to tango class. (A simple "The money I'm making from this design will help pay for next semester lessons, I promise" certainly helps.) The New Way To Have It All: First Baby, Then Love
2. Living with someone and being creative is better than living alone and being creative
Picture this scenario: you're working on a long-term project that's taking up all your time and energy. You have no significant other at the time and are too busy to date. You sink into depression and become easily distracted while the deadline looms. If you had a boyfriend who came over and brought you takeout, wouldn't that help turn things around?
Your girlfriend or boyfriend can talk you through tough creative patches or keep on your case to apply for a fellowship you're being pessimistic about. Sure, building a career and a marriage ended in disastrous results for greats like Sylvia Plath and Norman Mailer, but it wasn't the writing that caused those relationships to collapse. If you are going to fall in love, why hold back in favor of your career when your Facebook page is about to have its first fan?
3. Marriage won't distract you
The main issue I have with Bowe's perspective is the idea that a dream would have to be shoved aside to let someone else join the team. If a marriage involving a creative person is going to work, both partners need to support—not hinder—each other. The couples whose dreams of glory fall by the wayside are probably made up of people who would have given up sooner or later anyway.
As for Bowe's worry that marriage equals having kids, who are obviously going to greatly diminish your "me" time, I've found that ambitious people tend to find a way to get things done between diapers or parent-teacher conferences; they're going to make it no matter what "gets in the way." Why I Chose To Be Unmarried And Childless
4. There's a reason "richer or poorer" is in those marriage vows
Considering the stiff competition and difficulty of having long-term success in artistic careers, it's good to remember that, like many of the best things in life, love isn't about money. It's about sticking with people, regardless of whether they ever make it, and being grateful that at least you're together and working through it.
5. Do we really have a choice?
Bowe says he recently fell in love for the first time in 15 years. I want to know: Would he have changed his views on love vs. career if he had met someone undeniably special along the way, or if he hadn't lucked into love now that he's decided he's ready?
To look at it another way, everyone falls into a Jennifer Aniston-sized love rut once in a while, and that is the time to focus on other things like family, the debt situation, and maybe changing jobs or cities. But to give up entirely on dating and focusing only on the career until you're 45—is that even possible? Love doesn't care if you're working on a novel or done with a screenplay and now looking for love. You can't force it, so there's no point in saying, "I'm just going to pretend not to have feelings until I'm well-established."
6. Long-term outlook
I agree with Bowe that it's extremely difficult to create a career as an artist with kids—especially without the dough to go out and schmooze while Mary Poppins does the tutoring. In fact, it's hard enough to make a living as a writer being single and not dating at all. But even if he's right, if being alone does make it easier—is that what we really want? To wake up at 45 with successful careers after ten or twenty years of being alone? I, for one, would rather strive for balance. And then if I do achieve success, there will be someone there to celebrate with.
http://www.yourtango.com/201069923/6-reasons-put-love-before-career/page/3
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Know How to Get Rich - The Considerations You Have to Look Into in Order to Build Wealth
Know How to Get Rich - The Considerations You Have to Look Into in Order to Build Wealth
By Dan Cavalli
If you want to know how to build wealth, you have to understand that it is not an easy undertaking. While a lot of people are thinking that they will get rich, only a few of those who have this line of thinking are actually able to create wealth. The reason for this is simple. It is that while a lot of individuals have the traits to help them build wealth substantially, they fail to recognize several considerations that will allow them to get there.
What are the things that you have to be mindful of in order to learn how to build wealth? Here are some of the considerations that you may want to look into in order to get rich.
1. What are the things that you like doing?
If you will disregard the things that you like to do, you may be missing out on the opportunity to perform well and succeed in every aspect of the job. It will be better to look for things that you are interested in and pursue these possibilities knowing that you can do them well. You will be able to get the financial stability that you wish to have with a career that fulfills you as well as supports you.
2. What are the things you can do well?
It is also a must to look on your personal capabilities before creating a detailed plan on how to create wealth. You will be able to use your innate skills in accomplishing your objectives and will find ease in earning a living with the knowledge that you are somewhat good in whatever it is that you have to do.
3. What are the careers that pay more than the others?
As you consider the things that you are passionate and interested about, you also have to look for a relevant career that pays well. This is of utmost importance because you simply can't expect to build wealth without a steady source of income. You also have to make sure that the job you will be relying on will give you the ability to provide for your various necessities.
4. What are the requirements that will help you get there?
There will be requisites that you will need to have before you will be qualified for the career that you want to pursue. Because of this, you have to learn more about these qualifications to ensure that you will be taken in for the opportunity.
Once you have identified the things that will help you in your quest towards building wealth, you will have a clearer outlook on how to achieve your aspirations. You will also realize that creating wealth can be done without compromising your personal happiness and that you can get rich using your own talents and capabilities. This will enable you to look more positively in the things that you have to do. This will drive you to be motivated to pursue the getting rich part with the appropriate mindset and the right tools.
With a proper way of seeing the numerous considerations you have to take into account on how to build wealth, you will be able to reach your goals and get rich. By looking at the things that are your strengths in pursuing a comfortable life, you will be able to make the right decisions and follow your success in the best way that you can.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Cavalli
By Dan Cavalli
If you want to know how to build wealth, you have to understand that it is not an easy undertaking. While a lot of people are thinking that they will get rich, only a few of those who have this line of thinking are actually able to create wealth. The reason for this is simple. It is that while a lot of individuals have the traits to help them build wealth substantially, they fail to recognize several considerations that will allow them to get there.
What are the things that you have to be mindful of in order to learn how to build wealth? Here are some of the considerations that you may want to look into in order to get rich.
1. What are the things that you like doing?
If you will disregard the things that you like to do, you may be missing out on the opportunity to perform well and succeed in every aspect of the job. It will be better to look for things that you are interested in and pursue these possibilities knowing that you can do them well. You will be able to get the financial stability that you wish to have with a career that fulfills you as well as supports you.
2. What are the things you can do well?
It is also a must to look on your personal capabilities before creating a detailed plan on how to create wealth. You will be able to use your innate skills in accomplishing your objectives and will find ease in earning a living with the knowledge that you are somewhat good in whatever it is that you have to do.
3. What are the careers that pay more than the others?
As you consider the things that you are passionate and interested about, you also have to look for a relevant career that pays well. This is of utmost importance because you simply can't expect to build wealth without a steady source of income. You also have to make sure that the job you will be relying on will give you the ability to provide for your various necessities.
4. What are the requirements that will help you get there?
There will be requisites that you will need to have before you will be qualified for the career that you want to pursue. Because of this, you have to learn more about these qualifications to ensure that you will be taken in for the opportunity.
Once you have identified the things that will help you in your quest towards building wealth, you will have a clearer outlook on how to achieve your aspirations. You will also realize that creating wealth can be done without compromising your personal happiness and that you can get rich using your own talents and capabilities. This will enable you to look more positively in the things that you have to do. This will drive you to be motivated to pursue the getting rich part with the appropriate mindset and the right tools.
With a proper way of seeing the numerous considerations you have to take into account on how to build wealth, you will be able to reach your goals and get rich. By looking at the things that are your strengths in pursuing a comfortable life, you will be able to make the right decisions and follow your success in the best way that you can.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Cavalli
7 Easy Ways to Earn a Little Extra Money
7 Easy Ways to Earn a Little Extra Money
By Jamie Jefferson
In today's economy, every little bit of extra money helps. And you don't have to get a second job to add to your income. The online world makes a variety of opportunities available to you, whether you have a little bit of time to spend on a side venture - or a lot.
1. Sell your handmade goods. If you're a crafter, explore the world of Etsy to see if you can make extra money selling your handmade itemns. Spend a few hours exploring this site and see all the potential - from woodcuts to papercrafts, to knitted baby booties to ceramics to photographs. If it's handmade, chances are you can sell it here. And Etsy has great advice and ideas for helping you market your wares, as well.
2. Try your hand at direct sales. These companies have already laid the groundwork so you can work just a few hours a week. They are just for people like you who want to earn a little extra money without investing a lot of time or capital into a new business venture. And there are direct sales companies and opportunities in a huge variety of niches, from cookware to scrapbooking to lingerie to home furnishings to food.
3. Freelance. Whether your skills lie in writing or programming or graphic design, see if you can get some on-the-side freelance gigs. Check the online freelance sites, such as elance and guru, for opportunities and ideas.
4. Tutoring. Help students learn in a subject that you're passionate about.
5. Teach a class. Whether through a local community center or in a more casual setting, explore the possibilities of teaching other people more about a subject or skill that you have experience with.
6. Offer a service. What do you love to do? Teach piano lessons. Offer landscaping advice. Start a consulting service. Brainstorm ways to make your life experience work for you. It's important to not be intimidated by the process. You aren't launching a business - just trying to earn some extra money on the side.
7. Sell your old stuff online. Online auction sites (such as eBay) and online classifieds sites (such as Craiglist) offer unprecedented opportunities for you to take items you have cluttering around the house and sell them. When you're out of the items around your house, look for other items to sell: consider finding items from dropshippers, importing Asiatic items, or selling items that are unique to your local area.
If you have kids, you might want to make earning extra money a family project, with the money going toward a common goal, such as a family vacation. Everyone will enjoy the fruits of their labor, and it gives kids a great lesson in entrepreneurship and fiscal responsibility.
Take inventory of your personal skills and think outside the box to see if there's anything you can do to earn a little extra. Now is a great time to be enterprising.
You can also save money on the things you buy every day with these handpicked coupons codes and email savings alert.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Jefferson
By Jamie Jefferson
In today's economy, every little bit of extra money helps. And you don't have to get a second job to add to your income. The online world makes a variety of opportunities available to you, whether you have a little bit of time to spend on a side venture - or a lot.
1. Sell your handmade goods. If you're a crafter, explore the world of Etsy to see if you can make extra money selling your handmade itemns. Spend a few hours exploring this site and see all the potential - from woodcuts to papercrafts, to knitted baby booties to ceramics to photographs. If it's handmade, chances are you can sell it here. And Etsy has great advice and ideas for helping you market your wares, as well.
2. Try your hand at direct sales. These companies have already laid the groundwork so you can work just a few hours a week. They are just for people like you who want to earn a little extra money without investing a lot of time or capital into a new business venture. And there are direct sales companies and opportunities in a huge variety of niches, from cookware to scrapbooking to lingerie to home furnishings to food.
3. Freelance. Whether your skills lie in writing or programming or graphic design, see if you can get some on-the-side freelance gigs. Check the online freelance sites, such as elance and guru, for opportunities and ideas.
4. Tutoring. Help students learn in a subject that you're passionate about.
5. Teach a class. Whether through a local community center or in a more casual setting, explore the possibilities of teaching other people more about a subject or skill that you have experience with.
6. Offer a service. What do you love to do? Teach piano lessons. Offer landscaping advice. Start a consulting service. Brainstorm ways to make your life experience work for you. It's important to not be intimidated by the process. You aren't launching a business - just trying to earn some extra money on the side.
7. Sell your old stuff online. Online auction sites (such as eBay) and online classifieds sites (such as Craiglist) offer unprecedented opportunities for you to take items you have cluttering around the house and sell them. When you're out of the items around your house, look for other items to sell: consider finding items from dropshippers, importing Asiatic items, or selling items that are unique to your local area.
If you have kids, you might want to make earning extra money a family project, with the money going toward a common goal, such as a family vacation. Everyone will enjoy the fruits of their labor, and it gives kids a great lesson in entrepreneurship and fiscal responsibility.
Take inventory of your personal skills and think outside the box to see if there's anything you can do to earn a little extra. Now is a great time to be enterprising.
You can also save money on the things you buy every day with these handpicked coupons codes and email savings alert.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Jefferson
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
How to Tell Someone They Are Wrong
How to Tell Someone They Are Wrong
Learning how to give feedback takes a lot of discipline, control and gumption. Giving feedback is not just about going to a person and telling them what we think of them, we should go through a systematic thinking process prior to giving them feedback.
Let’s learn the 9 steps to giving feedback based on the following scenario. Joe, a new colleague of ours has just completed his first corporate sales presentation to a client. Things went smoothly in the presentation but there where a few areas that we felt Joe could improve in. So let’s apply the 9 steps of giving feedback.
1. Timing: Feedback should always be given as soon as possible after the incident has happened. A good time to give Joe feedback would be on the ride back to the office.
2. Be clear and be specific: Be clear what we want to say and be able to give specific examples to establish our point. Example: Joe mumbled 3 times during the presentation- whenever he came to slides related to the company history.
3. Purpose of giving the feedback. If the purpose for us giving the feedback is vindictive in nature and its about making us feel better then the feedback should never be given. However if the feedback is about improving Joe or enhancing the relationship between us and Joe or Joe and another party then the feedback serves a good purpose. In this scenario it is to improve Joe’s presentation skill.
4. Prepare the person for feedback: Never launch into feedback immediately. Always set an expectation that allows the listener to know what to expect. A good suggestion here would actually be asking the person whether they would like to discuss the incident:
Example: “Joe, can we discuss on how the presentation went just now”
5. Emphasize on the positive: When giving feedback if possible it should always begin by emphasizing on the positive. This will ensure that they listen carefully.
Example: “You did a good job at the presentation just now, the clients were impressed. However I felt you could have been even better.”
6. Own the feedback that you give: Notice the word “I felt” above; or other words such as “I notice” or “I saw”. Show that the feedback is coming from you and it is based on your own observation and judgment. Remember you are not to evaluate or criticize what they did rather bring it up as how you perceived the situation.
7. The Behavior not the Person: Focus on the behavior of the person rather than the attitude or personality of the person, be specific and clear when stating this.
Example: “Joe, during the presentation there were several occasions when I could not hear you clearly. All I heard were a series of mumbles, especially when you were explaining the parts related to the company history. On several occasions the clients were even looking at one another and giving each other looks. Did you know you were mumbling?”
8. Focus on things that can be controlled: Whenever we give feedback make sure that it is on things that can be controlled. Likewise whatever Joe’s reason is for mumbling, make sure it is focused on things that he can control, not things that cannot be controlled. The above feedback on the mumbling can be rectified by Joe but the constant disruption during the presentation by the client’s telephone cannot be controlled by the two of you.
9. Be solution focus: Whenever a feedback is brought up, we must make sure that we are willing to seek a solution with the person. In overcoming the problem or resolving the issue.
Example: Joe: “You know what, I have been in this organization for only 6 days and I have not had the time to go through the history of the company thoroughly. Well I suppose the mumbling was just a way of hiding my nervousness.”
You: “Its good that you brought this up, is there any way I can help you in learning the company’s history”
Feedback is a way to let people know how effective they are in what they are doing, how they affect us or others. Giving feedback to someone helps them become more effective and in turn it supports us and others to become more effective and build better relationship. So let’s start giving feedback. Help them help themselves and help us help ourselves.
Learning how to give feedback takes a lot of discipline, control and gumption. Giving feedback is not just about going to a person and telling them what we think of them, we should go through a systematic thinking process prior to giving them feedback.
Let’s learn the 9 steps to giving feedback based on the following scenario. Joe, a new colleague of ours has just completed his first corporate sales presentation to a client. Things went smoothly in the presentation but there where a few areas that we felt Joe could improve in. So let’s apply the 9 steps of giving feedback.
1. Timing: Feedback should always be given as soon as possible after the incident has happened. A good time to give Joe feedback would be on the ride back to the office.
2. Be clear and be specific: Be clear what we want to say and be able to give specific examples to establish our point. Example: Joe mumbled 3 times during the presentation- whenever he came to slides related to the company history.
3. Purpose of giving the feedback. If the purpose for us giving the feedback is vindictive in nature and its about making us feel better then the feedback should never be given. However if the feedback is about improving Joe or enhancing the relationship between us and Joe or Joe and another party then the feedback serves a good purpose. In this scenario it is to improve Joe’s presentation skill.
4. Prepare the person for feedback: Never launch into feedback immediately. Always set an expectation that allows the listener to know what to expect. A good suggestion here would actually be asking the person whether they would like to discuss the incident:
Example: “Joe, can we discuss on how the presentation went just now”
5. Emphasize on the positive: When giving feedback if possible it should always begin by emphasizing on the positive. This will ensure that they listen carefully.
Example: “You did a good job at the presentation just now, the clients were impressed. However I felt you could have been even better.”
6. Own the feedback that you give: Notice the word “I felt” above; or other words such as “I notice” or “I saw”. Show that the feedback is coming from you and it is based on your own observation and judgment. Remember you are not to evaluate or criticize what they did rather bring it up as how you perceived the situation.
7. The Behavior not the Person: Focus on the behavior of the person rather than the attitude or personality of the person, be specific and clear when stating this.
Example: “Joe, during the presentation there were several occasions when I could not hear you clearly. All I heard were a series of mumbles, especially when you were explaining the parts related to the company history. On several occasions the clients were even looking at one another and giving each other looks. Did you know you were mumbling?”
8. Focus on things that can be controlled: Whenever we give feedback make sure that it is on things that can be controlled. Likewise whatever Joe’s reason is for mumbling, make sure it is focused on things that he can control, not things that cannot be controlled. The above feedback on the mumbling can be rectified by Joe but the constant disruption during the presentation by the client’s telephone cannot be controlled by the two of you.
9. Be solution focus: Whenever a feedback is brought up, we must make sure that we are willing to seek a solution with the person. In overcoming the problem or resolving the issue.
Example: Joe: “You know what, I have been in this organization for only 6 days and I have not had the time to go through the history of the company thoroughly. Well I suppose the mumbling was just a way of hiding my nervousness.”
You: “Its good that you brought this up, is there any way I can help you in learning the company’s history”
Feedback is a way to let people know how effective they are in what they are doing, how they affect us or others. Giving feedback to someone helps them become more effective and in turn it supports us and others to become more effective and build better relationship. So let’s start giving feedback. Help them help themselves and help us help ourselves.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
10 Best Sites on the Net For Blogging
10 Best Sites on the Net For Blogging
1. Wikipedia.
ADDRESS: www.wikipedia.org
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Images, Writing, Some multimedia.
ABOUT: Wikipedia is a great resource, first and foremost for gathering information for whatever you’re writing. If you want something with considerable integrity then you’ll also want to scroll right down to the bottom and follow the outgoing links and references at the bottom of the articles.
Every image on Wikipedia can be used for some purpose – some only under fair use, but others can be chopped, changed, modded and demolished to your hearts content. Simply click the image to see what conditions apply. You can find a larger library of multimedia at the Wikimedia commons; http://commons.wikimedia.org.
2. Youtube.
ADDRESS: www.youtube.com.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Vidoes.
ABOUT: Youtube is excellent in three ways. Firstly, you can browse content, and embed it into your webpage. Secondly you can create content and upload it. Finally, similar to the second option, Youtube allows Webcam users to record directly off a webcam making Vlogs, video blogs, extremely easy.
3. Houndbite.
ADDRESS: www.houndbite.com.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Audio Clips.
ABOUT: In almost every way, the Youtube of audio. Just like Youtube you can find something interesting and embed it, or you can make your own.
4. LastFM.
ADDRESS: www.last.fm
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Music and Clips.
ABOUT: You can use Last FM for information or content. Content comes from the fact that a majority of artists have a few songs that can be embedded in another page – mostly for 30 seconds, sometimes the whole song. These can be found by going to the artist’s page and clicking on the song you want. You should then see an embed link. For information, not only do most artists have an information wiki, but various Charts tell you how many people using LastFM are listening to certain songs – you can find of the most popular artists, the most popular track, the songs most and least listened to by certain artists and users. Most of you won’t care, really but this is going to send the music nerds giddy. In a similar vein, www.songza.com offers similar embedding services, but was ironing out a few creases last I checked.
5. PDPhoto.
ADDRESS: www.pdphoto.org.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Images.
ABOUT: Basically a place to find Public Domain images to be used to your hearts content.
6. Flickr.
ADDRESS: www.flickr.com
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Images
ABOUT: Flickr is a place where users can share images. Because they’re not public domain, they’re not all up for grabs, but if you follow the arrows to where you can perform an advanced search, you can find a whole stack of Creative Commons images. (If you don’t understand Creative Commons, click here).
7. Adsense.
ADDRESS: http://www.google.com/adsense
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Advice, Money.
ABOUT: Google Adsense is basically the biggest tool you have in blogging for money. Essentially it allows you to make money of advertisements hosted on your webpage. Good eh? The process is a bit tricky at times but there’s enough advice and tech geeks on the net to help you work it out.
8. Reddit.
ADDRESS: www.reddit.com
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Promotion.
ABOUT: Reddit like digg.com is a great tool to promote your blog. Don’t submit every singe thing you do, because you’ll just give people the shits. It’s a very usefull tool to promote your work. I think you’ll find reddit better than Digg not because there’s less wankers per say, just there’s a better class of wanker.
9. iGoogle.
ADDRESS: Here.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Thee’s a lot of stuff you can do with this little page, but the best of it is you can use it to sign up to RSS on various WebPages. Meaning no matter what you want to write about – politics, art, film etc; you ill be able to find a multitude of sources that let you know what to cover. Really, any RSS gatherer will help, but this one being connected to your google account (hence, email, adsense) makes it a very convenient choice.
10: Stumble Upon
ADDRESS: http://www.stumbleupon.com/
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Promotion, Content.
ABOUT: Stumble Upon is a tool where users can stumble across interesting content by clicking the little ‘Stumble Button’. You can press the ‘I like it’ button, or the ‘I don’t like it’ button, and through this, your search results become better and better. For those who have problems with writers block (though not with procrastination) this is a gift from above. The other glorious element of stumble upon is that it can be used to promote your work, but really, only bother if it’s up to standard.
http://www.blipblog.net/10-best/
1. Wikipedia.
ADDRESS: www.wikipedia.org
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Images, Writing, Some multimedia.
ABOUT: Wikipedia is a great resource, first and foremost for gathering information for whatever you’re writing. If you want something with considerable integrity then you’ll also want to scroll right down to the bottom and follow the outgoing links and references at the bottom of the articles.
Every image on Wikipedia can be used for some purpose – some only under fair use, but others can be chopped, changed, modded and demolished to your hearts content. Simply click the image to see what conditions apply. You can find a larger library of multimedia at the Wikimedia commons; http://commons.wikimedia.org.
2. Youtube.
ADDRESS: www.youtube.com.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Vidoes.
ABOUT: Youtube is excellent in three ways. Firstly, you can browse content, and embed it into your webpage. Secondly you can create content and upload it. Finally, similar to the second option, Youtube allows Webcam users to record directly off a webcam making Vlogs, video blogs, extremely easy.
3. Houndbite.
ADDRESS: www.houndbite.com.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Audio Clips.
ABOUT: In almost every way, the Youtube of audio. Just like Youtube you can find something interesting and embed it, or you can make your own.
4. LastFM.
ADDRESS: www.last.fm
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Music and Clips.
ABOUT: You can use Last FM for information or content. Content comes from the fact that a majority of artists have a few songs that can be embedded in another page – mostly for 30 seconds, sometimes the whole song. These can be found by going to the artist’s page and clicking on the song you want. You should then see an embed link. For information, not only do most artists have an information wiki, but various Charts tell you how many people using LastFM are listening to certain songs – you can find of the most popular artists, the most popular track, the songs most and least listened to by certain artists and users. Most of you won’t care, really but this is going to send the music nerds giddy. In a similar vein, www.songza.com offers similar embedding services, but was ironing out a few creases last I checked.
5. PDPhoto.
ADDRESS: www.pdphoto.org.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Images.
ABOUT: Basically a place to find Public Domain images to be used to your hearts content.
6. Flickr.
ADDRESS: www.flickr.com
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Images
ABOUT: Flickr is a place where users can share images. Because they’re not public domain, they’re not all up for grabs, but if you follow the arrows to where you can perform an advanced search, you can find a whole stack of Creative Commons images. (If you don’t understand Creative Commons, click here).
7. Adsense.
ADDRESS: http://www.google.com/adsense
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Advice, Money.
ABOUT: Google Adsense is basically the biggest tool you have in blogging for money. Essentially it allows you to make money of advertisements hosted on your webpage. Good eh? The process is a bit tricky at times but there’s enough advice and tech geeks on the net to help you work it out.
8. Reddit.
ADDRESS: www.reddit.com
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Promotion.
ABOUT: Reddit like digg.com is a great tool to promote your blog. Don’t submit every singe thing you do, because you’ll just give people the shits. It’s a very usefull tool to promote your work. I think you’ll find reddit better than Digg not because there’s less wankers per say, just there’s a better class of wanker.
9. iGoogle.
ADDRESS: Here.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Thee’s a lot of stuff you can do with this little page, but the best of it is you can use it to sign up to RSS on various WebPages. Meaning no matter what you want to write about – politics, art, film etc; you ill be able to find a multitude of sources that let you know what to cover. Really, any RSS gatherer will help, but this one being connected to your google account (hence, email, adsense) makes it a very convenient choice.
10: Stumble Upon
ADDRESS: http://www.stumbleupon.com/
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY: Promotion, Content.
ABOUT: Stumble Upon is a tool where users can stumble across interesting content by clicking the little ‘Stumble Button’. You can press the ‘I like it’ button, or the ‘I don’t like it’ button, and through this, your search results become better and better. For those who have problems with writers block (though not with procrastination) this is a gift from above. The other glorious element of stumble upon is that it can be used to promote your work, but really, only bother if it’s up to standard.
http://www.blipblog.net/10-best/
Friday, October 22, 2010
What is Positive Affirmation?
Positive Affirmation – A Tool to Help You Wield the Power of the Law of attractions
Positive affirmations are daily statements that align energy by focusing your thought power in positive directions. Turn your self-talk into support for your beliefs. You are re-writing your internal programming to over-write the negative, harmful thoughts with life-sustaining, forward moving affirmations.
Positive affirmations may start as part of your daily to-do list only to become as vital to you as the air that you breathe. Positive thinkers are not weird Pollyanna’s who are blind to the real world and its problems.
Positive thinkers are fully aware of the good and the bad around them, yet they make a conscious choice to focus on what is good. This is more than a choice - it’s protective in mind, body and spirit.
The mind is constantly bombarded by words, images, thoughts, impressions and fearful reactions. As the supercomputer command center, the mind must deal with all of this input and make sense of it.
When the mind is overwhelmed with negative thoughts, the body and spirit are compromised. Medical science has countless studies showing that persistent negativity is harmful to the immune system, nervous system and your overall health.
Negative people are more prone to high blood pressure, heart attacks and immune system disorders. Not only is the body affected, but the spirit is also battered. When the spirit takes on this negativity, there is no comfort in connecting with religion or other sources of spiritual support.
Constant negative input over time pulls you away from your spiritual source since it feels as if even a divine power can’t (or won’t) help you. It’s a slippery slope from constant negativity to major depression, where you believe that you are helpless and hopeless.
The way to avoid that terrible image of living a compromised life is to take on the world from a positive perspective. Psychologists teach a technique called “reframing.” If you have a wonderful painting that begins to look shabby because of the old, splintered frame, then change it.
Place the painting inside a new frame and instantly the picture looks brighter and more valuable. That’s a metaphor for reframing responses to situations. You cannot control the situation, but you can control your response to it.
Let’s say a coworker makes an error on a team report that you discover and have to stay late to fix. You can replay the scene in your mind, getting madder and more frustrated each time, which raises your blood pressure and makes you prone to making a mistake.
Or - you can say, “I was angry at her - now that’s over and my attention is on the report.” You can even extend the reframing to say, “She is an unhappy person who doesn’t pay attention to her work, but that doesn’t have to change how I handle my work.”
You can focus on the negative (her attitude, her mistake, your anger) or you can let it go and reframe your focus to what you want it to be. She can only play on your negativity if you allow her to do so.
Parents and preschool teachers are advised to “catch a child doing the right thing and praise the action.” You can do the same for yourself. Catch yourself feeling negative - then turning it around.
Remember to praise yourself or give yourself a reward for making the positive choice. What you don’t see is that your mind, body and spirit are cheering you on because you have found the power of positive thinking.
Positive thinking generates power while negative thinking drains power. Which do you want in your life?
http://applying-the-law-of-attraction.com/mblog/positive-affirmation-%e2%80%93-a-tool-to-help-you-wield-the-power-of-the-loa/
Positive affirmations are daily statements that align energy by focusing your thought power in positive directions. Turn your self-talk into support for your beliefs. You are re-writing your internal programming to over-write the negative, harmful thoughts with life-sustaining, forward moving affirmations.
Positive affirmations may start as part of your daily to-do list only to become as vital to you as the air that you breathe. Positive thinkers are not weird Pollyanna’s who are blind to the real world and its problems.
Positive thinkers are fully aware of the good and the bad around them, yet they make a conscious choice to focus on what is good. This is more than a choice - it’s protective in mind, body and spirit.
The mind is constantly bombarded by words, images, thoughts, impressions and fearful reactions. As the supercomputer command center, the mind must deal with all of this input and make sense of it.
When the mind is overwhelmed with negative thoughts, the body and spirit are compromised. Medical science has countless studies showing that persistent negativity is harmful to the immune system, nervous system and your overall health.
Negative people are more prone to high blood pressure, heart attacks and immune system disorders. Not only is the body affected, but the spirit is also battered. When the spirit takes on this negativity, there is no comfort in connecting with religion or other sources of spiritual support.
Constant negative input over time pulls you away from your spiritual source since it feels as if even a divine power can’t (or won’t) help you. It’s a slippery slope from constant negativity to major depression, where you believe that you are helpless and hopeless.
The way to avoid that terrible image of living a compromised life is to take on the world from a positive perspective. Psychologists teach a technique called “reframing.” If you have a wonderful painting that begins to look shabby because of the old, splintered frame, then change it.
Place the painting inside a new frame and instantly the picture looks brighter and more valuable. That’s a metaphor for reframing responses to situations. You cannot control the situation, but you can control your response to it.
Let’s say a coworker makes an error on a team report that you discover and have to stay late to fix. You can replay the scene in your mind, getting madder and more frustrated each time, which raises your blood pressure and makes you prone to making a mistake.
Or - you can say, “I was angry at her - now that’s over and my attention is on the report.” You can even extend the reframing to say, “She is an unhappy person who doesn’t pay attention to her work, but that doesn’t have to change how I handle my work.”
You can focus on the negative (her attitude, her mistake, your anger) or you can let it go and reframe your focus to what you want it to be. She can only play on your negativity if you allow her to do so.
Parents and preschool teachers are advised to “catch a child doing the right thing and praise the action.” You can do the same for yourself. Catch yourself feeling negative - then turning it around.
Remember to praise yourself or give yourself a reward for making the positive choice. What you don’t see is that your mind, body and spirit are cheering you on because you have found the power of positive thinking.
Positive thinking generates power while negative thinking drains power. Which do you want in your life?
http://applying-the-law-of-attraction.com/mblog/positive-affirmation-%e2%80%93-a-tool-to-help-you-wield-the-power-of-the-loa/
The Science Behind the Law of Attraction
The Science Behind the Law of Attraction
Since the movie The Secret came out, people across the world have taken a fascination with the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction states that we manifest reality through our thoughts and intentions. But does this “law” have any scientific confirmation?
Currently, the most misunderstood branch of science is quantum physics. Quantum physics investigates the fabric of our reality and attempts to explain how the micro affects the macro. Quantum physics is still largely immature, as we do not have the tools yet to see deep enough (small enough) into matter to know everything. However, what has been revealed so far is more than enough from which to grasp a practical understanding of the Law of Attraction.
One of the most compelling discoveries of quantum physics is that matter can behave like a particle or a wave. Permit me to explain A particle is solid matter – it is limited to being in one place at a time, and you can always identify its location. A wave, however, is not a finite point. The definition of a wave, as it relates to physics, is as follows: a progressive disturbance propagated from point to point in a medium or space without progress or advance by the points themselves, as in the transmission of sound or light. Sound confusing? Don’t worry, you don’t have to understand that, just realize that waves are not finite. Light and sound are examples of waves.
Now what quantum physics has discovered is that when firing very small particles called electrons through two slits, if observation was made of the electrons while going through the slits, then they acted as particles. Each electron picked one slit, went through it, and hit the screen on the back. The result after firing hundreds or thousands of these was a two-slit pattern. However, if the electrons were NOT observed while going through the slits, they created a large interference pattern on the screen behind, which is the pattern caused by a wave. Additionally, the pattern displayed interference from the slits, which further proves that the electrons passed through the slits as a wave, and not as solid particles.
So what does that mean for us? When you consider the fact that electrons and other small particles are what our entire world is created from, the implications are enormous. An observer actually modifies objective events on a subatomic level. Our act of observation, thought, and emotion affect the world. When scientists made attempts to watch an electron and decide where it would go, they found that wherever the observer anticipated it would show up is where it would show up. The implications of this are equally huge – our expectations, thoughts and beliefs literally form the world around us on a subatomic scale!
Obviously, the ability of our thoughts and beliefs to alter and create reality is precisely what the Law of Attraction is teaching us. Now that you have a little scientific background, maybe you can put your current beliefs aside and try it out. If someone told you that you could have everything you wanted, would that at least be worth giving it a try? Suspend your disbelief, and be amazed!
http://applying-the-law-of-attraction.com/mblog/the-science-behind-the-law-of-attraction/
Since the movie The Secret came out, people across the world have taken a fascination with the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction states that we manifest reality through our thoughts and intentions. But does this “law” have any scientific confirmation?
Currently, the most misunderstood branch of science is quantum physics. Quantum physics investigates the fabric of our reality and attempts to explain how the micro affects the macro. Quantum physics is still largely immature, as we do not have the tools yet to see deep enough (small enough) into matter to know everything. However, what has been revealed so far is more than enough from which to grasp a practical understanding of the Law of Attraction.
One of the most compelling discoveries of quantum physics is that matter can behave like a particle or a wave. Permit me to explain A particle is solid matter – it is limited to being in one place at a time, and you can always identify its location. A wave, however, is not a finite point. The definition of a wave, as it relates to physics, is as follows: a progressive disturbance propagated from point to point in a medium or space without progress or advance by the points themselves, as in the transmission of sound or light. Sound confusing? Don’t worry, you don’t have to understand that, just realize that waves are not finite. Light and sound are examples of waves.
Now what quantum physics has discovered is that when firing very small particles called electrons through two slits, if observation was made of the electrons while going through the slits, then they acted as particles. Each electron picked one slit, went through it, and hit the screen on the back. The result after firing hundreds or thousands of these was a two-slit pattern. However, if the electrons were NOT observed while going through the slits, they created a large interference pattern on the screen behind, which is the pattern caused by a wave. Additionally, the pattern displayed interference from the slits, which further proves that the electrons passed through the slits as a wave, and not as solid particles.
So what does that mean for us? When you consider the fact that electrons and other small particles are what our entire world is created from, the implications are enormous. An observer actually modifies objective events on a subatomic level. Our act of observation, thought, and emotion affect the world. When scientists made attempts to watch an electron and decide where it would go, they found that wherever the observer anticipated it would show up is where it would show up. The implications of this are equally huge – our expectations, thoughts and beliefs literally form the world around us on a subatomic scale!
Obviously, the ability of our thoughts and beliefs to alter and create reality is precisely what the Law of Attraction is teaching us. Now that you have a little scientific background, maybe you can put your current beliefs aside and try it out. If someone told you that you could have everything you wanted, would that at least be worth giving it a try? Suspend your disbelief, and be amazed!
http://applying-the-law-of-attraction.com/mblog/the-science-behind-the-law-of-attraction/
Attitude For Greatness
Attitude For Greatness
By Piercarla Garusi
What is attitude? It is what you think, believe, feel, expect, and act, in relation to yourself, life, people, and your goals. Attitude can be positive or it can be negative; it can be limiting or it can be expanding; if you have a positive attitude, you feel alive, well, loved, happy, liked, confident,… you feel good; if you have a negative attitude, you feel angry, resentful, fearful, depressed, anxious, hopeless,… you feel bad. Your feelings are your thermometer to your attitude and, as we will see below, your life is the mirror to your attitude.
Now, how is your attitude, how is your dominant attitude? Is it positive, and expanding, or is it negative and limiting? What do you think you can achieve? Who do you think you are? What do you think about yourself? What do you think about other people? Do you think they are out there to get you or to help you? Do you expect to be liked by people or do you expect to be 'judged'? Do you expect to be lucky? Do you expect to achieve your goals? Do you expect that life is going to be difficult, that you will have to struggle to make money, or do you expect life is wonderful and enjoyable?
Your expectations determine what will happen in your life, as very simply, what you expect, you get. So, if you are not sure of what your expectations really are, take a look at your life: whatever you have in your life right now is a reflection of who you are inside and the vibrations you send out. If you are struggling with money, with your health, with a relationship, with your job, with people, it means that somewhere your attitude is not healthy. So, if you want to change your life, you need to change yourself, you need to change your attitude.
In fact, a healthy attitude is when you feel good about yourself, when you know that you will achieve your goals, when you know people will like and love you, when you know that things will work out, when you know you are precious and the Universe is conspiring to your happiness. A healthy attitude is when you love people, when you love yourself, when you thank God for who you are and for all the wonderful gifts you have, for all the people you have in your life, for all that has happened to you, because that has made you the person you are today.
So, your attitude towards yourself has a strong impact on your self-love, on the way you treat yourself, and so, on your health- mental, emotional, and physical. Your attitude towards people will have a strong impact on the response you will get from them, because if you love them, if you are grateful, if you appreciate them, if you are kind, they will love you back. So, three emotions are a key to great relationships: gratitude, kindness and love. In fact, as the most important needs of any human being are the need for connection, the need to feel appreciated and the need to feel loved, and everything that happens in your life happens through people, whether is in your personal or professional life, you need to have a very positive attitude here. And this means always, really always, look at the positive and best in people, you included. Look at the positive in people and circumstances, and they will become that, you will take out the best from them, and you will attract more of that. And look at the best in you, in how extraordinary and unique you truly are, look at your gifts, qualities and strengths, and you will develop a healthy esteem and love for yourself.
And your attitude towards life will determine your success or failure, whether you will achieve your goals and be the best you can be, or whether you are going to struggle. Now, your attitude towards your goals is also something more than that, because the expectation of achievement whether is the person you want to become or a goal you want to achieve makes you become that person and achieve what you want before you actually have done it. It is the Law of Attraction. And the more you have expectations and you take actions to achieve your goals, the faster you are going to achieve them. So, let us suppose you want to be confident or you want to be successful, if you have the attitude and the expectations of being confident and successful, you are going to feel confident and successful already now. It is simply a shift in your consciousness.
Now, let us suppose you have developed a healthy attitude towards yourself, life, people, and your goals. What do you do when you encounter negative people or negative circumstances? What do you do when somebody gets angry at you? What do you do when you are driving and someone cuts in your way? Well, we need to develop an immune attitude, learn to be immune to negativity. You need to learn not to let anything disturb your peace of mind. You can simply ignore it and smile it away. And think that things are temporary, that if you have a great attitude, you will create a life where you have all that you desire and deserve, a wonderful life, guaranteed.
So, what is the attitude you are going to choose?
© Copyright Piercarla Garusi 2007- All rights reserved.
http://applying-the-law-of-attraction.com/Positive_Mental_Attitude.html
By Piercarla Garusi
What is attitude? It is what you think, believe, feel, expect, and act, in relation to yourself, life, people, and your goals. Attitude can be positive or it can be negative; it can be limiting or it can be expanding; if you have a positive attitude, you feel alive, well, loved, happy, liked, confident,… you feel good; if you have a negative attitude, you feel angry, resentful, fearful, depressed, anxious, hopeless,… you feel bad. Your feelings are your thermometer to your attitude and, as we will see below, your life is the mirror to your attitude.
Now, how is your attitude, how is your dominant attitude? Is it positive, and expanding, or is it negative and limiting? What do you think you can achieve? Who do you think you are? What do you think about yourself? What do you think about other people? Do you think they are out there to get you or to help you? Do you expect to be liked by people or do you expect to be 'judged'? Do you expect to be lucky? Do you expect to achieve your goals? Do you expect that life is going to be difficult, that you will have to struggle to make money, or do you expect life is wonderful and enjoyable?
Your expectations determine what will happen in your life, as very simply, what you expect, you get. So, if you are not sure of what your expectations really are, take a look at your life: whatever you have in your life right now is a reflection of who you are inside and the vibrations you send out. If you are struggling with money, with your health, with a relationship, with your job, with people, it means that somewhere your attitude is not healthy. So, if you want to change your life, you need to change yourself, you need to change your attitude.
In fact, a healthy attitude is when you feel good about yourself, when you know that you will achieve your goals, when you know people will like and love you, when you know that things will work out, when you know you are precious and the Universe is conspiring to your happiness. A healthy attitude is when you love people, when you love yourself, when you thank God for who you are and for all the wonderful gifts you have, for all the people you have in your life, for all that has happened to you, because that has made you the person you are today.
So, your attitude towards yourself has a strong impact on your self-love, on the way you treat yourself, and so, on your health- mental, emotional, and physical. Your attitude towards people will have a strong impact on the response you will get from them, because if you love them, if you are grateful, if you appreciate them, if you are kind, they will love you back. So, three emotions are a key to great relationships: gratitude, kindness and love. In fact, as the most important needs of any human being are the need for connection, the need to feel appreciated and the need to feel loved, and everything that happens in your life happens through people, whether is in your personal or professional life, you need to have a very positive attitude here. And this means always, really always, look at the positive and best in people, you included. Look at the positive in people and circumstances, and they will become that, you will take out the best from them, and you will attract more of that. And look at the best in you, in how extraordinary and unique you truly are, look at your gifts, qualities and strengths, and you will develop a healthy esteem and love for yourself.
And your attitude towards life will determine your success or failure, whether you will achieve your goals and be the best you can be, or whether you are going to struggle. Now, your attitude towards your goals is also something more than that, because the expectation of achievement whether is the person you want to become or a goal you want to achieve makes you become that person and achieve what you want before you actually have done it. It is the Law of Attraction. And the more you have expectations and you take actions to achieve your goals, the faster you are going to achieve them. So, let us suppose you want to be confident or you want to be successful, if you have the attitude and the expectations of being confident and successful, you are going to feel confident and successful already now. It is simply a shift in your consciousness.
Now, let us suppose you have developed a healthy attitude towards yourself, life, people, and your goals. What do you do when you encounter negative people or negative circumstances? What do you do when somebody gets angry at you? What do you do when you are driving and someone cuts in your way? Well, we need to develop an immune attitude, learn to be immune to negativity. You need to learn not to let anything disturb your peace of mind. You can simply ignore it and smile it away. And think that things are temporary, that if you have a great attitude, you will create a life where you have all that you desire and deserve, a wonderful life, guaranteed.
So, what is the attitude you are going to choose?
© Copyright Piercarla Garusi 2007- All rights reserved.
http://applying-the-law-of-attraction.com/Positive_Mental_Attitude.html
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