Thursday, December 31, 2009

By Adam Cox

Myths have always chased hypnosis and its therapeutic offshoot, hypnotherapy. Some believe them to be some type of spell while others refuse to even recognize their existence. Following are some of the popular myths about hypnosis and the truth behind them.

Hypnosis has nothing to do with magic spells of any kind. It hinges more on the science of the human mind and is very simple to practice for anyone who is willing to learn it. The genuineness of hypnosis is suspected even by people who have seen it casting its spell on subjects. They hold that the subjects who have been under hypnosis are mentally not powerful enough to withstand the impact of the practitioner. But this again is a complete fallacy. Hypnosis can be done on anyone regardless of his or her mental strength.

Another belief is that hypnosis is an alternate state of consciousness, which again is a big misconception. A hypnotized person is completely conscious of his environment. That individual is just in a relaxed state where the concentration levels are very high and the person can accept new inputs easily.

Some researchers have found that hypnosis works on just 5% of the human population, and this is another common myth. Although, the research has some element of truth to it, what makes it hollow is the fact that the researchers made use of the same hypnosis technique for everyone. One hypnosis technique for all is not a viable solution as different individuals come under different character types, and hence respond to different methods.

Many people take hypnosis to be a variant of meditation. But while hypnosis is an interaction technique, meditation is all about a mental state and usually has nothing to do with communication. Trance too is not related to hypnosis at all. The person doesn't communicate to achieve a state of trance, whereas hypnosis is not possible without communication.

A sizeable number of people believe that it is impossible to bring about changes in one's appearance and conduct through hypnosis training or hypnotherapy. Hypnosis obviously cannot attain something that is abnormal to the body. But by mentally conditioning a person to abandon addictive habits like eating too much and constant smoking, and by raising one's motivation levels, hypnosis can bring about significant physical alterations in a person and ensure a healthier body.

Undergoing hypnotherapy is a fine way to lead a happy and fulfilling life, and hence one should not pay heed to the misconceptions, and go for hypnotic sessions with an open mind.

About the Author:

By David Anttony

History of Tithing

The origins of tithing can be traced to the Bible, still it is customary among many non-Christians as well as Christians to do some kind of tithing today.

The word tithe has Christian connotations, referring to the contribution of a tenth of one's income for charitable purposes to Church as a kind of Church giving. Anyway, the idea is a part of most world religions. In Islam the word used for this is 'Zakat.' In the Indian religion of Sikhism, there is a rule of keeping apart one-tenth of one's income for spiritual purposes and it is called 'Dasvandh.' The practice has been initiated by the tenth religious head Guru Gobind Singh. According to the Indian scriptures of the Upanisads and the Bhagavadgita, the 'perfect alms' are that which is offered with a sense of obligation in a correct place and at a correct time to a deserving person from whom the giver does not expect anything in return.

The word tithe is derived from the Hebrew word 'asair', which means to give the tenth part of something, often of a person's income. Today, tithes (or tithing) are normally voluntary and paid in cash. However, there are still European countries that allow the church to mandate tithing and enforce it by law.

Denmark is a case in point where a church tax is mandatory for members of the Church of Denmark. The tax varies in different municipalities. It is mostly about 1% of the taxable income. And in Finland members of state churches have to pay a church tax ranging between 1% and 2.25% of their earnings and the Church taxes are included into the general national taxation process.

Anyway the custom of regular tithes was not instituted until after Exodus. Tithes were popular all across the Near East in olden days, as well as in later Lydia, Carthage and Arabia.

The Hebrew custom of giving tithes finds mention in the Bible, starting with the gift from Abraham to Melchizedek, the Canaanite king and priest (Genesis--:20). Tithing was also common in former Lydia, Carthage and Arabia. The practice of tithing was espoused by the early Christian church, and was discussed in councils at Tours in 567 and at Macon in 585. Formal recognition to these was given under Pope Adrian I in 787.

Tithing in certain Christian churches is a disputed issue as it deals with an Old Testament process to a New Testament institution (the Church). There is no proof in the New Testament that tithing can be applied to Christians. In fact, it was obligatory only on those Jews who were living in the Promised Land to pay the tithe according to the Old Testament, as it was in reality a form of income tax required to support not just the government of the Israel of the Old Testament, but also its religious institutions and priests.

Present day Tithing

In spite of its origins in the Bible and olden day Christianity, nowadays it is a perfect way to give every time you get something. Giving EVERY time you get things is such a perfectly beautiful form of giving as it allows the giver to feel in fullness something indescribably powerful - more on that afterwards.

Let us have a little more of history. Malachi 3:10 is the section of the Bible that Christians hold in importance when they deliberate on tithing. Many Christians do tithe to their church as they feel that they are duty bound to do as per the rules of the Bible. Many Churches have all throughout maintained that their members should tithe to the church to help it conduct its activities. The core of giving is its voluntary nature and its delightful experience, without which it does not get its ideal effect - if in fact you are hoping to create an ideal effect by giving.

Disagreements about Tithing

Tithing has often been a contentious topic. The issue whether a Christian should pay tithe is often argued in many Christian congregations.

An article has been published in Wall Street Journal about tithing under the title 'The Backlash Against Tithing', in which the writer Suzanne Sataline says, 'As Churches push donations, congregants balk; 'that's not the way God works'.'

Regrettably, the different ideological perspectives, desire to dominate, and a narrow outlook, can lead to a Jekyll and Hyde scenario - the pure goodness of giving being lost in the fog and misinterpretation of religion. In spite of the disputes, tithing is still a fully and marvellously powerful act that any person can do to turn around their lives to face a fuller pathway.

For those who are interested in finding out more about a Christian perspective in tithing there are plenty of materials to go through. For those who are keen on knowing the reason WHY tithing is so compelling, what follows will be useful.

Why is Tithing so powerful?

This is indeed a powerful question because if you just mindlessly follow something without knowing some key background pointers you may be heading in the wrong direction.

If more people who regularly tithed knew exactly why tithing works when it is done in the spirit of pure giving, then it would probably unleash a greater desire to give even more. And for those that give irregularly, it could inspire them to give first every time they received.

To look at the real 'why' of how regular giving creates more we have to move into the world of Quantum Physics and Quantum Mechanics. The laws in this world are not the same as in our physical or Newtonian world.

The picture 'What the Bleep' paints the quantum world through easily graspable examples. The link to the movie here gives some details about how matter gets converted into waves and behaves like liquids when seen from a quantum physics angle: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1349535/4653525.

The film portrays a wonderful world seen from a quantum space. When a beam of electrons is shot through an opening in a plate onto a wall - as is expected, it would hit in a straight line on the flat surface just opposite the opening.

If you repeat the experiment but this time using an energy wave that behaves very much like a water wave would do you get a predictable result. As the wave hits the plate it bounces off the place but where the slit exists some of the wave goes through the slit. On the other side of the slit the wave opens out in an arc fashion forming a new wave just like the old experiments you would have done at science school with waves patterns. As the wave hits the wall it hits with the most intensity in the middle right opposite the slit then hits with less intensity all along the wall. This is similar to the line the electrons make.

If we added a second slit in the plate, again we would get a predictable result with the wave experiment - two small waves would appear through the slits and when those new waves touch each other they would cancel each other out creating an interference pattern. Several waves would now hit the wall making a stripped affect on the wall. All this is as expected for wave energy behavior, so nothing new here.

Here is where the whole experiment takes on an entirely different direction. When electrons are sent through the two cuts in the plate, what should ordinarily result are two lines in the wall opposite. On the contrary what one sees is a stripped appearance with an intersecting pattern. This is unbelievable. The matter seems to have been turned into a wave. We can perhaps imagine that electrons were hitting against each other and ricocheting and causing a wave pattern; so if electrons are sent across separately the result should be different. But it is not, it is the same. The explanation has to be that the electron leaves as a single particle, and splits into a wave on collision with the plate, then goes across through the cuts and intervenes with itself after that on the other side. This idea of solid having fluid properties -or mattering acting like a wave - is totally surprising. The world is much more than we understand it to be.

Despite the apparent 'solidness' of this world that we live in, it would appear that actually we live in a world that is more like a liquid - liquid energy or flux, which behaves like liquids in our physical world. And as we know from simple physics that fluids of a similar nature always come together and those of a dissimilar nature move apart and separate into clear areas of distinction. Oil and water is a simple example of this. Chromatography also shows the effect very graphically when a single substance can separate into its individual substances in clear bands much like how large groups of people split off into smaller groups of similar interest, energy or intention.

The essence of it is that we feel total fulfilment when we give a thing to another. The act of giving, the sense of bliss of it, is the greatest of all gifts. It is wrongly understood that he who is in receipt of the object is the only receiver and people fail to notice that it is the one who gives who is the real recipient. If you're not still convinced, then look at yourself among children and see how fulfilled you become when you give to them whatever their reaction be.

When we understand that we are first giving to ourselves when we give and that we do this because we want to feel joy then we have a key. This key unlocks the door of understanding to giving. And when we give repeatedly the momentum builds up just like a wave getting bigger and bigger the more we add to it with our giving.

The truth that we feel happy when we gift things alters our power equation fully - we feel good and in that moment we are lovelier to others. Have you ever known a vendor on the street peddling things that we do not want like tissues, which you usually do not buy, but one day you buy and the motive for doing it is just to see that vendor happy and relieved? A similar situation could be seen in relations to buskers playing music at a street corner.

A happy person exudes a natural warmth that attracts others to him and in doing so he becomes rich in life's lessons. It is so easy. They draw to them those who have never known that sensation and so want to feel it, or even those who have fully known the pleasures of that feeling.

Exactly like water and oil, those who give and those who do not give are compartmentalised in different groups. And the ideal place where one can receive something is there where givers congregate! But you can remain in that group only as long as you gift things! Givers enjoy giving to others who give.

So even if we may turn to quantum physics for our solutions, they are very much there right in front of us. Similar attracts similar - simple. Wherever you look you see this going on. Lions group together with lions, students interact with students, women form groups with women, men makes friends with men, 'poor' likes to be with 'poor' people and 'rich' with 'rich' people. And in the same way - givers prefer the company of givers.

So if you give from a sense of self-reproach then it will only boomerang on you - you will just attract to you like-minded others who have a guilt complex and cannot be contented and delighted. The borderline between remorse and anger is narrow; so people gifting things out of a sense of guilt tend to turn in that direction. Joy is one of the highest of human emotions - and from there one can only turn to love - and that is what all of us are forever searching for.

So when you start giving you are two steps away from love - pretty amazing to think that isn't it. Especially seeing most people are desperately seeking love. Now we know the answer is simple - go get giving! And of course giving money is just a small part of giving - giving in general will create a space of joy for us, no matter how 'small'.

There is also a mental aspect to giving steadily. Even though at first this facet of it may not seem related to the feeling of happiness - in the end it right away brings us into contact with the supreme experience of joy.

When we give something - especially something we don't feel we have much of - then we send a powerful signal to our brain that life can be trusted. When we give something and later on we look back and we observe that all worked out well we connect with trust. The opposite of trust is fear. So again, a party of fearful people would not be a happy and joyful one so their attraction point would be pretty darn low. However, a party of trusting people would be a joyful experience and would attract others seeking that experience. So in the end when we trust it converts to joy and again we are only one step away from the number one thing that most of us are seeking - love.

The sum and substance of what has been ignored for years is fully in front of us for anyone to bond with in finely. For Christmas my son got a good amount of money. I queried him as to what he planned to do with all that money. He replied that he wanted to set aside almost whole of it. Then I enquired how much of it he would like to give to someone. It was something that he had not even taken into account until I introduced the idea. What would be the result if upon receiving anything our first consideration was to give away part of it - do you think we would know delight in abundance?

Transaction based donating - or transaction based benevolence

This shows us the way to the potency of transactional giving. Many organisations give when they have plenty of money. When they do not have extra they choose not to give. Due to this their level of happiness rise and fall on the basis of market fluctuations - they have no regulation over it. But those who share EVERY time they get are in command and bond with their feeling of joy consistently.

Transactional giving rather than lump sum giving is tied into the business profit cycle so it is a 'no-brainer' way of giving. Now every time you receive something you give something - simple. If you have a slow month you still give, but less based on sales. And as your business booms you can give more.

One of the key powers of transaction based giving is that you can share the joy of giving so easily with all stakeholders - customers/community - staff - and business. Because a customer knows that when they buy from you they get to give without it costing them anything except the energy to choose and shop with you they feel ownership of the giving - hence traditional CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility, coverts readily to Customer Social Responsibility, with your customer being able to powerfully respond to the giving by talking about you and have an additional emotional albeit intangible reason, for choosing to continue shopping with you.

Members of the staff also get a chance to participate in the pleasure because every time they are part of making a sale, they know full well that they had their role in giving something to someone who needed that help. The event generates a strong sense of camaraderie within the team that promotes team spirit and motivates the team members.

Any venture, even a completely new one with no profit margin, can manage Buy1GIVE1 transaction-based giving - there are no problems in every sense to be part of it and everything is controlled by the business. The payment amount per deal begins from as low as one cent and rises to any large amount the person can decide with every business left to choose their own type of gifting and providing to sustain on the basis of their business type and success. There is simply no justification not to give in this manner when the advantages that ensue from giving are so many. Enterprises that are presently giving to a cause can easily change over very promptly and effortlessly to Buy1GIVE1 transaction-based giving while still helping the same cause giving additional substantial benefits to the venture.

When the game is over business -based giving is a present day form of tithing that is practical and possible for anyone, at any place. Now that we realise that it is not about the actual money that we give such as a tenth of the income, but only the fact that we are gifting it that makes the change. When we enter the fraternity of donors we move into a special and fortunate world that only those who give to others are allowed to enter. And unless you start giving today itself, you just may not start doing it and might never will till you start. So begin today.

'We're not here to donate to 'get back.'. We're here to give more and more.

About the Author:

By David Anttony

Buy One Give One (B1G1) is the home of transaction-based giving.

STOP. Take a breath. And imagine you were part of a world where every single transaction made a key difference.

Imagine, for a moment, you purchased a television, and automatically a cataract-blind person got the gift of sight. Automatically. Or imagine if today you bought a cup of coffee and someone in Africa got access to clean, pure water as a direct result. Automatically again.

It's all happening right now. Already Buy1GIVE1 (BOGO/B1G1) has become a true global giving 'village', bringing together businesses, their customers and worthy causes in a way that's never been done before.

It's happening globally, every second, every day and in every way with a staggering 556 projects already underway and making a difference.

That's because in the Buy1GIVE1 world, every single sales transaction, be it buying a cup of coffee in Cape Town or renting a car in Reno (and everything in between) gives back in a well-defined, resonant and measurable way.

In this present economy, when both corporations and charities have seen a decline in profits and donations, cause-related marketing appears to really be catching on. Cause-related marketing is a business scheme involving a partnership between a company with a product to trade and a charity with a cause to advance. As opposed to "corporate philanthropy," which simply includes a company making a tax-deductible charitable contribution, cause-related marketing benefits both the company (by helping to increase sales, and thus, profits), and the charity (by bringing in donations and calling attention to the cause.)

You buy a book, a tree gets planted. You dine out, a child gets fed. Buy One Give One - simple. The list goes on forever and the giving simply happens automatically, every second, every day and in every way.

And it is beautifully simple. Buy1GIVE1 is now becoming a global movement as more and more businesses jump on board and enjoy the incredible benefits of transaction-based giving.

In Buy1GIVE1, they make the stronger point that in all cases, the consumer is simply not engaged in CSR initiatives on a daily basis. Buy1-Give1 gives answers to that and it does it every second, every day and in every way.

About the Author:

By David Anttony

Definitions of words often change quite quickly these days. In the distant past the meaning of words was often set in stone. Today the meaning can change in a blink. With new faster ways to communicate with wider and more culturally, socially and education

There is a growing global movement where consumers are asking businesses to take care of the things that they care about. The request is mainly tacit and despite it being an ironic request it non-the-less signals that we are in a time of change. Consumers these days want their 'goodies' but they don't want the environment to be destroyed in the creation of their 'goodies'. They want cheap products but they do not want workers to suffer to create those cheap products.

There may not seem an answer to this complex puzzle and yet one actually exists. It exists in the reforging of a simple single word - GET. Today there is a new movement of people wanting to get but give at the same time and they are reforging its meaning into the word GIVE.

Every day automated email notices arrive in my inbox from Google Alerts for two keywords - BOGO and B1G1. I see all the new places these words are turning up on the Internet. Little by little these two words are gaining a their new meaning as more and more people take up the Buy One Give One cause.

B1G1 and BOGO, despite sounding like characters from a Marvel comic are acronyms for Buy One GET One free. You buy one and they give you an extra one for the same price.

If you look on Wikipedia you will find these definitions for BOGO (there isn't a definition yet for B1G1) -

* An acronym in the retail industry that stands for Buy One Get One. For example, you could say "Buy 1 DVD, Get 1 FREE!

* An acronym in slang British that stands for Britons Of Greek Origin or Greek Britons.

* Bogo, Cebu, a city in central Philippines.

* Norway, a village in Norway.

* Norway, a village in Norway.

* The mascot of the ITESM CEM.

* Bogosort, an ineffective sorting algorithm

* BogoMips, an unscientific measurement of CPU speed

BOGO lights

There is an organisation in the USA called SunLight Solar founded by a gentleman called Mark Bent. He has created a special torch that not only is an amazing and robust solar-powered light; his company also gives a free torch to a family in need in developing nations for each one purchased. If you look on their website you will learn about their "BOGOlight".

"The BoGo - our Buy one/Give one - program has successfully provided lights to many, many thousands of people in the developing world, changing lives because of your purchase and participation." - BOGOlight.com

Mark Bent has flipped the BOGO acronym upside down when he started to use the word as part of his product name. For him now and the thousands who buy his lights, BOGO today means Buy One GIVE One. Each person gets to give a light every time they buy one for themselves. So now with each sale people who do not have the benefit of electricity can tap the power of the sun to support them in their lives.

There are many other well known and many less well know businesses doing Buy One Give One giving, or transaction-based giving as its becoming known. Some of the famous companies are OLPC - One-Laptop-Per-Child and TOM'S Shoes. Some of the less well-known ones (in the US at least) are based in Oceania and the UK - Earthstar Publishing, Maple Muesli, Blinds Couture, Figure 8 Body Chains, Sunsplash Homes, Honestly Women magazine and Thavibu Gallery based in Thailand are just a small handful of these special businesses that are leading the Buy One Give One movement.

There are many Buy One Give One businesses now uniting under the common brand banner of Buy1GIVE1 managed by a Singapore based social enterprise which is becoming the home of transaction-based giving. Any business in the world can now integrate Buy One Give One giving with ease. It's like a 'CSR plug-in' allowing a business to instantaneously start giving from each and every sale, starting from just 1 cent. It's also no longer about giving an equivalent product to someone else. Instead it is about contributing to a project that resonates with a company's activity. For example a restaurant can feed a child, a television retailer can give a cataract blind person the gift of sight (Get Vision-Give Vision), a magazine publisher can plant a tree every time they sell a subscription and a property developer can build a low-cost family home for those in need (Buy1BUILD1) - the list is simply endless.

There is something very special happening these days as more and more people are switching to giving and what are known as 'citizen brands' as a part of their everyday experience. In the 2008 Goodpurpose study of global consumer attitudes it reveals that almost 68% of consumers would choose to remain loyal to a brand during an economic downturn if it supports a good cause. And 71% say that when they think about the economic downturn, they have either given the same or more time and money to good causes. This study also highlighted some other key points as well such as:

* 54% would promote a brand and its products if there was a good cause behind it.

* 54% would sing the praises of a brand to promote their products if there was a good cause behind it.

* Globally consumers are voicing a distinct desire for marketers to associate their brands to social causes. Forty-two percent say that if two products or services are of a similar quality and price, commitment to a cause trumps factors like innovation, design and brand loyalty when selecting one brand over another.

Turning Getting into Giving

In the minds of consumers, Buy One GIVE One is sure to replace Buy One GET One as the global giving movement led by Buy1GIVE1 ripples out. Certainly with the large consumer demand shown for products from companies like BOGOlights, TOMS Shoes and One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), this tide will continue to spread.

I did a recent Google search to find the top 25 keywords associated with the keywords BOGO and B1G1. The results were interesting indeed seeing none of them contained the word Give. You can see the results below. It will be interested to repeat this experiment in 12 months time to see what changes. Consumers are now starting to drive significant change and despite them wanting to receive free gifts (as in traditional BOGO/B1G1), they equally want to help others and the environment. This feeling is validated by 2008's Goodpurpose global study.

Here are the results:

Free, shopping, pics, join, prose, photography, blogging, discount, boots, groups, music, dallas, togo themes, wallpapers, buy, applications, skins, values, coupon, gift, sharing, networking, African.

Transaction-based or transactional giving

Unlike normal charitable giving Buy One Give One giving is transactional. What is meant by that is: every time you buy something you give something. In the case of SunNight Solar they give a physical light for every light sold. In most cases, businesses that become part of this special form of transaction-based giving, give in a different way. At Buy1GIVE1, giving can start from just USD 1c contribution per sale. At this amount no business in the world can say they cannot give and 100% contributed goes to the cause.

The amount of money that is contributed isn't the focus with Buy1GIVE1 transaction based giving. The focus instead is on the story and sharing the simple joy of giving. After all, if you think that 1c isn't a lot to give and would not make much of a difference think again.

From its origins in Ethiopia, where the main coffee production is still from wild coffee tree forests, coffee consumption has spread globally. Brazil is still by far the largest coffee producer in the world producing on average 28% of the world's total coffee. In 2006 Brazil produced enough coffee to make 216,400,000,000 (216 billion four hundred million) espresso coffees. If we were to calculate across global production then we get a daily global consumption of around 2,117,416,830 cups of coffee - wow. The figures are somewhat hard to track down but let's guess that 40% of the world's coffee is sold and consumed in coffee shops then we would get that 846,966,732 cups are sold commercially each day globally - nearly 900 million. This would equate to about'5,485,714 cups in the US on its own seeing they purchase around 21% of the world's coffee.

If we considered the impact of the coffee industry alone taking up Buy1-Give1, imagine now that for every cup of coffee sold a child in a developing region like Sub-Sahara Africa received clean drinking water from a well and it only costing 1cent to do this. Surely any coffee shop could afford to contribute this amount from the sale of a single cup of coffee. Imagine the different that this one action alone would make in the world.

Transaction based giving is the story of a thousand mile journey starting with the first step. To dig a well costs a few thousand dollars hence many communities in developing nations cannot afford to dig wells. But when you see that it only takes the sale of a single cup of coffee to give clean well water to a single person for a day1, then you can see the magic of transactional based giving. Buy1GIVE1 giving is like the compound interest of giving - a little turns into a lot very quickly.

So many companies are used to doing things on their own. Doing transactional giving is no different. A company can go out find a cause and start doing Buy One Give One giving. And yet they are missing the point when they do this. Buy1GIVE1 giving is about sharing the joy of giving and not trying to change the world. As soon as you step up and say you are going to change the world then the world will step up and challenge you. Within a heartbeat a company would experience the sharp scrutiny of the media inspecting their every move. And yet when a company steps up and says it is supporting what its customer want and joins with others in its industry to do that in a win-win way, the story is different. When companies choose to join together under a commonly recognised banner/brand they can have a powerful joint effect. The ripple that a single company creates is added to that of another and the ripple grows into a tidal wave that benefits so many. This is the power of giving and doing things together.

The final power of Buy One Give One transaction based giving is that everyone wins - the consumer wins - at no extra cost to themselves they have made a difference through their purchasing choices - the business wins in so many ways - and the worthy cause or charity wins because they can now receive small amounts from many sources all aggregated and paid as a lump sum from a single source if done through the Buy1GIVE1 service.

A new start

If you go and check Wikipedia.com today for the word BOGO you should find that a new definition has been added. It's time for a tide-change - a change from focusing on GETTING to working with GIVING. I added this small addition to Wikipedia's BOGO definition: "... an acronym in the marketing industry that stands for Buy One GIVE One."

Simply imagine our world where every time you go and buy something you give something automatically and seamlessly - giving a gift forward to someone in greater need than you. This is the simple joyful magic of transactional giving.

This is the world I choose to be a part of.

Just remember - you don't 'get' giving till you get giving.

References:

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee

http://www.buy1-give1free.com/index.php/Partnering/Worthy-cause-charity-projects.html

http://www.scfnw.org.uk/site/article183.html

http://www.coffeepoet.com/2007/09/

http://www.buy1-give1free.com/index.php/Partnering/Worthy-cause-charity-projects.html

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee

http://www.tesco.com/greenerliving/what_we_are_doing/ethical_clothing.page

Footnotes: 1 Calculated by taking the average cost to dig a well, dividing it by its average expected life without major maintenance divided by the number of people in the community benefiting from the well on a daily basis.

About the Author:

By Masami Sato

As the proverb goes, health is wealth. And in this instance we are talking about the wealth of the human spirit. Good food is necessary for our health because our body is able to absorb its full nutrients - it is exactly so with our life. When we accept life in its sum total, relishing all its phenomena and sensations, our soul will be able to imbibe its entire range of 'nutrients', comprehending the full meaning of our existence, and letting us live our life to the utmost. Masami Sato shares the secret of living a full life in this excerpt from her latest book, ONE.

Why is it many of us (in fact, most of us) occasionally experience some kind of empty feeling in our life? It is like being hungry. When we eat, we feel satisfied and become less interested in food. But as some time passes, we get hungry again. Then all of a sudden we feel so attracted to the smell and thought of food. We can also feel some kind of hunger when we are not even physically hungry-just after eating something. Some of us stay being hungry all the time.

Persistent emotional thirst is not the happiest feeling to have. Then how can we live our lives to the brim? How can we be more contented enduringly?

Maybe the answer is straightforward: just live our lives fully. The word 'full' holds the meaning of entirety. Then the secret to live a life in entirety is only to live it fully.

Let us commence by looking at a sample of this 'fullness' with something very close to our heart - our stomach.

Whole Food VS Semi Food

We are used to the usage 'whole food.' People say that taking whole food is the secret to the vigour and wellbeing that we require. How is whole food better than 'semi food?'

A complete grain pulsates with a life of its own. If one keeps the complete grain in water, drains it off and keeps it for a few days, it germinates. It has got a full life. When we consume such an item, our body absorbs the full spectrum nourishment. It has the ability to clean, cure and nourish various body cells.

As in the example of a grain, most conventional dining includes having whole creatures as well. Having entire fresh fish used to be more popular than taking a portion of fish and throwing the balance away. It was ditto for poultry and also for vegetables.

'Half food' sometimes has more sweetness and flavour but not much other nutrition. We like its taste, but we could develop a long-term illness if we only ate 'half food' every day of our life.

So, to make up for the missing half, we began to take nutritional supplements. We have been trying and researching for pretty long to find the perfect equilibrium. It gets more and more difficult as we slice the food up, add preservatives and transport, and even try to supplement with other parts coming from various sources, places and seasons. Some of the nutrients are not even from natural resources. They are synthetically generated. After it is tested and analysed, it is approved for man's consumption. But however hard we try, we cannot merge the 'bits' from different sources to make it alive.

Semi Life-'Sweetness' of Life

So, if we view our life now, a lot of what we are doing is akin to eating 'semi food.' Just relishing the sweet taste of life but discarding the actual nourishing part. And if we immerse this 'semi life' in water with other bits and kept it under the sun, could it sprout and develop into a lovely full life?

Whole food is not (as some people seem to believe) of a bland taste. In fact it tastes better if cooked properly. But as requirement is low, it is more costly. It is in reality more cost-effective in the long term though, as we will have to pay less as medical costs later on. When more people will start having it, it would automatically become less expensive as it is a simple food with less processing cost and waste.

Our life is very similar. When we only value the 'sugariness', and cast out the rest as litter because we don't perceive its value, we may be throwing out the most important portion. And what we jettison could have the biggest power for the endorsement of our life and our financial health. It also takes more strength and resources to cast it out. Better still, that which is thrown away comes free.

So, what is it we are not seeing?

Picture a life where we didn't in fact believe that we were lacking anything there.

The secret is right there. The secret of a whole life.

Whole Life-The Complete Life

When it is 'full', it does not matter how big the full is. It can spread out all at once. It can still have within it all the components to uphold itself as a complete living thing. Once it develops to a given size, it can continue to live without some portions of it. Like plants can remain alive after birds feed on a little of it or trees survive even after losing their leaves. But if we ignore the equilibrium for a pretty long time, finally it can lead to a deadly disproportion. Then it might become too difficult to revert to normalcy.

We don't have to go back to the Stone Age to find the wholeness. Wholeness exists right now. All we need do is look closely; look closely enough to really see.

When we begin seeing our life in its fullness and stop casting out what nurtures our life the most, we start experiencing more and more satisfaction without looking for 'things' to fill the gaps and hollows of our life. Things finally fit into place. We now grasp the intricacies of our world in a completely different manner.

Yes, it is now time to find out how we can create (and see) this balance, continuously and sustainably.

The actual enriching part of our life is what makes us feel fine deep inside. It is like that portion of food that makes us hale and hearty in the final tally. Sensations we experience in our daily life are the real answer to our lasting joy. And there are sensations that make us feel more full.

The smiles we see when we give acknowledgements to others. The joy we feel when we give gifts to others. The love we feel when we see our children being happy. The inspirations we receive when we feel our life is full of meaning

Let us internalize these moments of our life totally and relish the flavour of our entire life. Then we will perceive how it is not so imperative to constantly fill our heart (and tummy!) with physical indulgences - those types of things that only increase our cravings afterwards.

We can actually feel this joy, gratitude and love in order to experience the life as a whole at any moment regardless of the situations. It is not about what we see, what we hear or what we do that complete our life as a whole. It is about what we 'choose to' feel about our life.

Yes, our life in fact is already whole.

When we initiate taking actions based on this knowledge, we can have real control over the balance creation - enduring health, prosperity, enriching connection and delight.

About the Author:

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

By Robert Hall

Do you sometimes feel like it's next to impossible to get rich with all the gloom and doom the current events seem to predict? It's like you earn money just to spend it immediately for the basic necessities in life. Anything more than that is a random stroke of good fortune.

Friend, know this for sure-that is false thinking, and believing so is destructive to you and your quality of life. We have so much information on just about anything under the sun yet for some reason schools and other important institutions fall short in correctly teaching people the principles on how to make money effectively.

Money is not reserved for people who come from good families, have the right connections and possess extra ordinary talents. Granted, you can be born into wealth but anybody can get rich- that includes you.

Think with me for a while-how many people have become rich in spite of unfortunate situations that have beset them all their lives? Look at Oprah Winfrey. She might have experienced a lot of tragedy, but she came out of it triumphant. Her personality and strength of will empowered her to build wealth and be part of history as we know it.

It is important that you realize for yourself that it is easy to earn money and become rich. You ask, how is that so when there are many poor and needy people in the world? These economic problems stem from the fact that we still need to learn how to make money the correct way.

You don't get wealth by belonging in the right gender, age or even nationality. It starts from the inside and manifests into your reality. Wealth begins in your mind. Develop your prosperity consciousness and riches will start to make its presence felt in your current reality.

Have this prosperity consciousness ingrained firmly in you. It will cause you to think and act in support of this belief. Because money is recompensed by the value of the service you have provided; purpose to become excellent and above average in all that you do. Aim to provide quality of life to the people you serve; and that is what you will have in return.

Harness your inner power and begin to build wealth like you never thought possible. Protect the thoughts that you think and the attitude that you put on every day. The happy results in your life will confirm the truth of the statement we discussed-- it really is easy to earn money.

About the Author:

By Ray Bonanza

Hypnotism is recognized as a heightened period of suggestibility which enables the subject to interact positively to the suggestions of the hypnotiser. This mental state is normally evoked with the cooperation of the subject by another individual - the hypnotist. Induction commands or suggestions plays a respectable role in causing hypnosis and can be administered by the subject or the hypnotist.

The induction performed by the subject is referred to as self hypnosis. And when used for curative purposes, it is ordinarily called hypno-therapy. These are popular facts about hypnotism that is agreeable among most hypnotists and psychologists. One of the most familiar misconception is that a hypnotic state is equivalent to unconsciousness or sleep. However, this is far from true and in fact, the subject is conscious and in a state of very concentrated attention even though peripheral cognizance is importantly decreased.

In the beginning, hypnosis was linked to animal magnetism and mesmerism and after many decades saw it being realigned away from them. In 1843 a Scottish doctor and surgeon called James Braid, was the first to bring attention to the hypnotic state. In his book Neurypnology, Braid described hypnotism as a state of pure physical relaxation accompanied and induced by mental concentration though he later tossed this description as misleading.

Hypnotic induction is usually used by hypnotists as an opening to produce a state of hypnosis. This technique is applied to the subject in order to cause a complete state of relaxation in the subject. While it is not always essential, yet it is well admired as one of the most effective and popular tools in a hypnotist's tool kit. There are umpteen types of hypnotic induction techniques used by hypnotists to enhance client expectation, re-define their roles and make focused attention, to name a few. One of the most favorite technique is the eye fixation technique originally used by Braid and it is still widely used today. You also have the reclining posture, relaxation of muscles and also optical fixation followed by eye closure.

Hypnosis is extremely regarded in producing several medical and therapeutic benefits. It is widely practised as hypno-therapy for that reason and assists in relief of pain, managing skin diseases, weight control, reducing anxiety, psychological therapy, habit control and can also enhance performance in sports. Hypnosis can provide some needed benefits to all human psychological, emotional problems and sicknesses.

It is a disgrace that a great majority only knows hypnosis as stage entertainment or entertainment through TV and films. Several of the bad reputation attached to hypnosis can be attributed to this mis-use. The most general misconception is that hypnosis is mind control, which is a far cry from the truth. Fortunately, the credibleness of hypnosis and its applications has improved vastly in the last decade. This betterment will continue to increase as research is also confirming its usefulness in the treatment of several ailments and diseases.

About the Author:

By Veronica Carrillo

Two thousand years ago Pontius Pilate asked a deep and profound question that has rung down through the ages. During his questioning of Jesus when the Lord said that He came into the world to bear witness to the truth, Pilate responded saying, "What is truth?" In this modern age of mass media with spin doctors and the use of "weasel words" it is probably harder to find the truth than ever before. Add to this those who hide behind political correctness and it is increasingly difficult to arrive at the truth in anything. But we are fortunate that the Lord also gave us a test to separate truth from error.

Now I am concerned primarily with truth in a Christian sense, but the test will also hold true for non-Christian matters too. After all, in any matter there may be many perceptions, but there is only ever one truth. The test that the Lord gave us was in John 8:32-33 where it was written, "Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Those last five words are the key to understanding truth, especially the truth of Christianity but also of truth in general.

Where there is truth you will find freedom for the truth is liberating. Conversely, where there is bondage, slavery and people lording over others there is no truth but only lies. Truth stands like a beacon on a hill requiring little or no explanation. Even the American founding fathers said in the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Until the preaching of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the human mind is blinded by the Ten Commandments, on account of the condemnation of sin. Blindness, in those ordained to life, is removed by the miracle of the preaching of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. As the soul turns to Jesus, the veil over the mind is taken away. Jesus is Spirit; and where Jesus is, there is deliverance from condemnation, sin, death, hell, judgment, and the vengeance of eternal fire.

In the Christian sense if you are being caught in bondage of any kind, or if you are being asked to do something that is in conflict with the words of the Bible, then you can be sure it is not of the truth. If someone is seeking to take advantage of you or flatters you or makes a big deal of you for no just reason, then beware for they are not doing this from a position of truth.

Truth does not flatter and does not seek advantage. It doesn't need to. Only lies and liars need to be bolstered in such a way, as the purpose of a lie is to gain an unfair advantage. So when you find yourself in a situation and are unsure whether what is being presented is truth or lies, ask yourself, "Will this liberate or bind me?" If the answer is bondage then it is not the truth for as Jesus said, "The truth will make you free.

About the Author:

By Dr Jay Polmar

BE DYNAMIC THROUGH SPEED READING is an amazing course that you teach to yourself. It comes with audios, software, and course manuals to teach you to build reading speed, comprehension, concentration and focus. And also stimulate long-term memory.

The other factor is eidetic or auditory memories. You can remember everything you have ever seen or heard, even if you weren't paying attention to what was said. Your brain/mind, like a computer, stores all memories.

As you start to learn the various methods used in the BE DYNAMIC THROUGH SPEED READING, you'll notice some intentional redundancy, repetition! It is techniques repeated over and over, with visualization and various other added methods that will help you achieve the results you desire and be the best you can possibly be.

All of this will make you a better student, employee, communicator, and decision maker in your life. And only one of your benefits will be that you will cut reading time on reports, memos, correspondence, newspapers, novels, non-fiction, magazine, etc. You will save time, and the saying goes ..."time is money".

If you didn't know this, let me clue you in to the reality that writers get paid by the word in articles and by % of gross sales (royalties) in book publishing; usually the thicker the book the higher the price and the higher the royalty. Writers are unnecessary verbose. What this means is there are many words within sentences that are just there as fillers; what you have to learn to do, through the Be Dynamic Through Speed Reading program, is only read the words that are essential.

Dr. Jay Polmar and his team wrote the "Be Dynamic Through Speed Reading" program to share these valuable tools with students to help them get the most out of their reading experience. In the past two years he has worked with other educators to bring students the Perfect Learning System (www.perfectlearningsystems.com) which includes Be Dynamic, mind mapping comprehension and memory supports, plus special speed reading software developed to match the Perfect Learning System.

About the Author:

By Kenneth Taylor

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is among the most popular ministries actively spreading the gospel to as many Christians from different parts of the globe. More and more people, Christians in particular and getting to love the way it spreads God's words in its interesting and enticing manners using the powers of tri-media. Having the reputation for real ministries, it gained more popularity despite all the stories geared to harm its credibility.

This ministry has successfully spread the word of God by employing the powers of tri-media. Other than its popular website being patronized by Christians all over the world, it tirelessly spread the gospel with both radio and television broadcasts, heard and viewed in many parts of the globe. Their magazine is also a powerful arena in its quest of having God's words reached and touched as many people from all walks of life regardless of its race, color, age and gender.

The ministries of Kenneth Copeland go beyond spreading the gospel. It has successfully explored all the available manners and resources to reach out to as many Christians in many places around the globe that truly hunger for God's words. It reaches out to Christians to impart the real values of love, faith and hope as it spreads God's words.

Kenneth Copeland ministries goes beyond spreading the gospel as it also tackles life's values using all interesting and exciting mediums of communication. Those who are hounded with life's different problems on finances, relationships and sickness get a helping hand with Kenneth Copeland. It employs its own way of helping others in need.

Regardless of its degree and the people being hounded by such problems, Kenneth Copeland tries to address these kinds of problems using biblical teachings. These are among the positive attributes that made it known to many Christians from around the world. This is why many people will definitely find solace with this kind of ministry that Kenneth Copeland tries to share the whole world with.

you can always count on Kenneth Copeland Ministries. Among the many problems that this ministry can surely address with all ease are troubles hounding relationship or finances. It seems to have all the ways to address those things appropriately and accordingly. The ministries of Kenneth Copeland can also enlighten your blurring perception on spiritual things

If you are among those who are still having some problems trying to figure out anything pertinent to your faith and beliefs, the ministries of Kenneth Copeland will truly enlighten you on these things. It can even provide you professional spiritual guidance pertinent to your blurring perception on spiritual things. You can definitely find answers to questions lurking in your mind pertinent to your beliefs and faith.

It also teaches everyone the right way to pray. And if you are indeed a Christian who is not actually living the way you should, the ministries of Kenneth Copeland will also teach you to the right and successful Christian living. These are only a few of the many things you shall learn and get from Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

How To Get A Stimulus Job

By John Smith

According to President Obama the massive stimulus package he signed into law will generate or save 3.5 million American jobs, although the Republicans say the number will be lower - but they all agree that it create new jobs at the manager and executive levels. So many of you who are not working or think that you may be in line in receiving the pink slip may be wondering if there is a stimulus job for you? The answer lies in that fact how well the stimulus plan works. Most of the job offering will initially go to blue-collar workers (such as construction workers), public-sector employees (such as teachers), and those experienced in working with government entities

It's a belief that the economic activity generated by the stimulus will lead to new jobs in retail, leisure and hospitality, and other sectors as companies and individuals who directly benefit from the plan begin to spend their windfall. The stimulus plan backers however predict that 90 percent of the jobs created will be in the private sector. The point is no matter how well the plan succeeds, however, it's safe to say that the following six white-collar occupations should see an upsurge in demand over the next two years: For more industry trends check out the JobConcierge Top 100 Jobs in 2010.

1. Although more than 60 percent of planners currently work for government entities, an increasing number are employed at architectural, engineering and management consulting firms. As state and local governments quickly determine how best to use the billions of dollars flowing in from the federal government, they will rely on urban planners to guide them on everything from the best location for new school construction to the environmental impact of infrastructure projects.

The stimulus package will bring in happy news for Civil engineers. Thousands of civil engineers will be needed to design and supervise the construction of roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings, wind turbines and other projects that get a green light as a result of the stimulus package. . The government employs about 12 percent of the nation's engineers; the rest work in private industry.

The next set of professionals who will directly benefit will be Computer systems analysts. Improving the technology infrastructure of schools, hospitals and medical offices is an important objective of the stimulus. IT pros will be needed at all levels, for jobs ranging from wiring buildings for Internet access to transitioning the healthcare system to electronic medical records and e-prescriptions.

With President Obama prioritizing a "cure for cancer in our time," the stimulus represents a boon for medical researchers. With billions of dollars being funneled to the National Institutes of Health about a third of medical researchers work for colleges and universities; most of the rest work at private research firms, pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals.

Management Consultants are the right candidates to make complex decisions with big money. , corporate and government leaders tend to get sweaty palms - and that's where management consultants come in. Consultants can bring the expertise to analyze vexing problems and develop sweeping, ambitious proposals to solve them.

At the federal, state and local levels, accountants and auditors will be required to make sure the numbers add up. Some experts predict that the government may need to hire auditors for its auditors. Auditors definitely have a reason to smile about this.

About the Author:

By Joe M Burns

Everyone has had those dreams where they are flying; you've certainly had them yourself- remember how this feels? This is very much like astral travel. When it is traveling, your astral body moves in much the same way, except for at the speed of thought! When you're astral traveling, you need only to turn your thoughts towards where you'd like to be and you are there. Your astral body can leave your physical body and mind while they are in a state of deep relaxation, although it is through sleep that we first experience astral travel.

Although it can happen while you are asleep, astral travel and dreaming are two distinct things. Dreaming is something which plays out entirely in our brain; it is one of the ways that your mind replays the day's events and works thorough things. You may or may not remember your dreams, which is one marked difference between dreaming and astral travel.

When you remember your dreams in every vivid detail, these are most likely not dreams at all but were experiences with astral travel. It's a good idea to get into the habit of keeping a journal of these experiences. The things you write down may not make much sense at first, but over time will form a contextual background which makes their meaning clear.

Dreams are beneficial for the mind, since they allow it to make sense of your daily life. Astral travel fulfills a similar function for your spiritual being. No two individuals have the same astral travel experiences and the benefits of the practice also differ between people. This is why keeping an astral travel journal is helpful; comparing your experiences to those of others is meaningless and it is only through your own experiences that you can make sense of things.

One benefit which everyone can experience through astral travel is an increased awareness of themselves and their place in the universe. This in turn leads to a sense of well being and inner peace. Astral projection also helps to improve your memory and alertness since it exercises parts of our physical minds which most people never take the time to develop.

After learning to astral travel, other latent psychic abilities will begin to awaken and be strengthened. Most people report having an increased awareness of others thoughts and an easier time sensing spiritual presences.

Astral travel can not only take you to places you'd never otherwise see, but also takes you into yourself and can cause a blooming of your intellect as well as your psychic talents.

People who start off as skeptics about astral travel are often convinced of its merits once they begin to gain experience with astral projection and start enjoying its beneficial effects.

Other than these benefits, it should be remembered that there is also fun to be had! Astral travel allows you to do things and go places which are outside of your ordinary life; it's something like a vacation for your astral body.

The most surprising thing about astral travel is that it isn't done by everybody. The reason that it isn't more widely practiced is that there is a widely held misconception that only a select few are able to astral project. This however is not the case as anyone can learn to astral travel if they want to.

We have all experienced astral travel before, whether or not we are aware of having done so.

You should begin by simply allowing yourself to naturally have astral travel and writing down your experiences. After doing this for a while, you'll be able to begin trying to make astral travel happen consciously. It takes practice, but the benefits of learning to do so, as well as the experience itself are a great reward for your efforts.

We can all learn to astral travel; it's simply a matter of practice and training yourself for the experiences. You can find a wealth of good resources which can help you to prepare yourself for astral travel. Keep at your practice and you can achieve the inner peace which comes from being able to travel outside of; and within yourself.

About the Author:

By Jay Polmar

People sometimes get frustrated because they fall behind when reading and learning due to the huge amounts of reading material they must absorb for school or work. So many books are being written worldwide, that readers sometimes have difficulty keeping up with the production of fiction and non-fiction works. It can be really amazing trying to keep up with it all " dont you think.

In the rapidly changing and highly competitive business world, with new products and services, and new upgrades introduced every week, speed reading really comes in handy. Most corporate millionaires now read two or three business related books every week. Thats a lot of work for those unfortunates who dont have speed reading abilities.

SPEED READING enables people to learn up to twice or three times what they normally read in the same time.

Reading researchers in the past determined that the brain is competent of comprehending and cataloging from 10,000 to 50,000 units of information every minute. The length of a unit is about one word. The body's five senses are receptors for data, which it transfers to the subconscious mind to be recorded for posterity. When the conscious mind needs information, it is recalled from the subconscious. Then it surfaces the necessary data for processing and use, much like a computer.

An interactivity exists between the brain, which well just imagine is the computer CPU, and the mind which consists of thoughts and memories. All data gets processed in such a way that we can learn it.

The information that we receive, process and evaluate comes from our five physical senses. With that data, our mind makes decisions, choices and judgments. We learn through our five senses (i.e. sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste), which are already pre-programmed to respond automatically.

A good example of pre-programmed action: Consider the example of the teen boy who smells pizza and what his reaction is. It is similar to Pavlov's dog, because his senses send a message to the brain in the form of a thought.

The perception of sensing our favorite food is a mental exercise, compared to the reaction of swallowing which is physical. Hence, brain and mind is where the action is and the body is where the reaction is.

Learning this system of speed reading will encourage the use of three of the five senses. That is a method that will strongly influence your mind to remember, recall and understand; beyond that, well teach you techniques for becoming a better and more efficient reader.

Follow the instructions and you will turn into a speed reader who loves to read and improve the quality of his or her own life. We expect great, positive successes from you with great improvements in many areas of your life.

Statistics: The average American high school graduate (I know this sounds strange, but many are graduating without the ability to read at an eighth grade level), reads at about 200 words per minute. A college student reads 20% faster at 300 words per minute. It does not matter what your baseline or beginning reading speed is, your potential reading speed after using these techniques will be faster and your potential is truly unlimited. This is because scientists who have researched the human brain/mind agree that our potential is unlimited. Double-triple-quadruple your reading speed, theres no limit.

You can expect to learn how to achieve your greatest potentials as a reader, business person, student, etc. This is because you're becoming an avid speed reader and a complete success in life.

Be Dynamic Through Speed Reading will help you become totally unlimited in your power and ability to do, be, and have all that you desire in life, whether its great grades or financial success. Dr. Jay Polmar is the Master of the art of speed learning, accelerated learning and speed reading and has helped over 100,000 students worldwide become perfect learning machines.

About the Author:

By L.J. James

A few weeks back I received an email from a girl Kim about a Charity Motorcycle event she was working on for Bide A Wee an Animal shelter I worked at when I was younger. As I read the info I was looking forward to attending the event only to find it was being held at Jugs and Strokers the only "Biker Bar" on Long Island that does not allow Motorcycle Club Colors. I was pissed to find out I would not be welcome at this event. I then saw the email had been sent out to many other Motorcycle Clubs on Long Island. Pissed Off, I started writing a reply to the email and sent it out to the MC's here on Long Island. Here is what I wrote.

Hey everyone this is LJ James.

You may not know this but I worked at Bide A Wee in Wantagh for many years. I have some great memories of my time working there. As much as I love the place and think Bide A Wee to be a truly great organization, I will not take off my Colors to go inside Jugs & Strokers to attend this event.

I see this email is addressed to many different Clubs. Some of your beliefs may be different then mine and you may take your Colors off to attend this event. I would hope all of you have more respect for your Club then to do that, but these are my beliefs and may not be yours.

I think it is only fair to Kim who is working very hard for this very worthy cause that she know what your feelings are about the Jugs and Strokers policy in regards to Colors. Kim has spent a lot of time working on this event and I would hate to see her event fail because she is unaware of the Revulsion Jugs and Strokers has towards Motorcycle Clubs!!!

Not only is it an old out dated Policy that promotes the Division of Motorcycle Riders, it is also illegal according to NY State Law! I have been working hard to protect and promote Motorcycle Rights and Unity here in NY and world wide. I think it is time We started working hard to change what is wrong here on Long Island! There is an old saying, "if you want to fix the world start in your own back yard".

This is an event that, when I heard about it I wanted to attend. Then I hear it is being held at Jugs and now I am "not allowed to attend".

I am not a bad guy! You all out there know me. How many of your events have I covered in Magazines? How many of you have I DJed for? Not only your Club events but many of your personal family events! I've even preformed wedding ceremonies for a few of you and after I married you I Djed your wedding!!!

You too are also all good people. Your MCs have done many things to make Long Island a better place. You have fed the Hungry, Clothed the poor, and made sure every Child on Long Island had a Toy for the Holidays. Our patches stand for what is great about America! Why should we be made to feel that wearing our Colors is even the slightest bit wrong?

If you ask Jugs and Strokers, they might try to use the excuse "well its not your group its other groups who are the bad guys". That is a cop out, a lie, and an attempt to divide the Long Island Motorcycle Club world!!!

Over the past few years here on Long Island we have seen a Unity in the Motorcycle Club World that many still can not believe. Sport Bike Clubs and Cruiser Clubs riding and hanging together. AMA Clubs and 1% Clubs attend each others events. Law Enforcement Clubs and Outlaw Clubs Breaking Bread and Drinking together at events. I have seen every type of rider hanging out together. This is the Biker dream people!!!

There was a time when we were all told that you could not have a bar on Long Island where all MCs where aloud to mingle together. That there would be nothing but fights and problems. Then JDs Place opened and shortly after that, the Myth was put to rest.

The Motorcycle World here on Long Island has become something We are all very proud of. I call out to all of you MCs, independents, and MROs like ABATE, it is time to end the humiliating practice that Jugs and Strokers has been aloud to inflict upon the Long Island Motorcycle World for far too long!!!

I am tired of this bar being allowed to claim it is a biker bar for bikers, but if your a member of a Motorcycle Club and wear your Colors, you are some how an undesirable, and unwelcome. I say time is up, Jugs and Stokers! You have made enough money off the Long Island Motorcycle world! You need to stop being part of the Problem and become part of the Solution!!!

I'm interested to know what the feelings are of the rest of you!!!

(Because of this reply, Shortly after I wrote this the event was switched to another Long Island Biker Bar "Sick Moon Saloon" That welcomes all who Ride)

LJ James Proud Member Mortal Skulls MC AmericanBikerX.com

Discrimination On The Basis Of Clothing Or Club Membership Is ILLEGAL Article I, Section 11 of the New York State Constitution states "that no person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state or any subdivision thereof." Article 4, Section 40 of the Civil Rights Law provides that "all persons within the jurisdiction of this state shall be entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of any places of public accommodations, resort or amusement subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons." The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that individuals have the constitutional right under the First Amendment to wear clothing which displays writing or designs. Cohen v. California, 403 US 15 (1971). In addition, the right of an individual to freedom of association has long been recognized and protected by the United States Supreme Court. Thus, a person's right to wear the clothing of his choice, as well as his right to belong to any club or organization his choice is constitutionally protected, and persons or establishments who discriminate on the basis of clothing or club membership are subject to a lawsuit.

About the Author:

By L.J. James

There is a new law in Virginia that will ban Motorcycle Club Colors in Bars. The law, originally aimed at Street Gangs, is causing quite a stir with Virginia Bikers. The law states that Bar & Restaurant owners will lose their liquor license if they allow patrons who wear "gang" related attire such as Club Logo's or Colored Bandannas.

These sort of "grey area" laws are extremely dangerous and a threat to everyone's freedom. Who decides what constitutes "Gang Apparel"? I'm wondering if Boy Scouts are going to be able to eat together at Applebees if they are in their uniforms.

According to news reports, many Bikers and Motorcycle Club Members in Virginia have already begun fighting this law. If a law like this is allowed to stand in Virginia, it won't be long until it is passed in other states across America!

We as Motorcyclists and Bikers (It does not matter what you call yourself) have to realize fast that we are all connected. It doesn't matter what you ride, what State you live in or who you Support, we're all in this together. What effects Me effects you and it doesn't matter what you happen to think of me.

When the local Bar you and your Brothers love hanging out at is told that you and all other members of Motorcycle Clubs can no longer go there or they will revoke the Bars liquor license, What then?

This is no Joke my Biker Brothers, every month there is another new law that is aimed not only Motorcycle Club Members, but all Americans. It seems that every time the Government wants to take away a freedom, they find a way to craft a new law for our "safety". What kind of Country is this turning into when you can't wear what you want and suddenly, your constitutional right to assemble is taken away from you?

Although there are many ignorant people out there that believe Motorcycle Clubs are Gangs, that's simply not the case. Most Motorcycle Clubs are made up of hard working, honest, law abiding, patriotic, American Citizens who enjoy a common bond, Motorcycles. It's what is in a persons heart that determines who they are, not the clothes they wear.

In the past year the government has taken away the Colors of one Motorcycle Club. A law enforcement officer can demand anyone sporting the Clubs logo to forfeit it. The theory is that the loss of the logo strips the club of its "gang identity."

Grant it, it appears that some of the Clubs members may have been involved in illegal activities, but that doesn't mean that everyone who rides a Motorcycle should be punished for it. In fact, less than 10% of this 600 Member Club was even accused of wrong doing.

In addition, the Government and law enforcement agencies have been spending millions of our dollars to influence friends and ex-members of Motorcycle Clubs in an effort to infiltrate these clubs in hopes of catching members doing something illegal. Often, when they find that the Club they've infiltrated is nothing more than a group of Patriotic, Law Abiding Men & Women, they'll fabric wrong doing so that they can justify the enormous amount of resources spent on these Fishing Expeditions.

Just imagine how much better off we'd all be if they used those resources to investigate the Corrupt Politicians, the Corporations that control our Country, Wall Street, and the other issues that are quickly sinking this great Nation.

What I want to know is, what will be the last straw? What's it going to take for us to say enough is enough? We can not fight these Laws and Fight each other at the same time! We need to work together to save what we are, who we are.

The Government has taken away our rights to ride the Motorcycle we want, to wear what we want and now to go where we want! Why are we still fighting each other? When are we going to wake up??

For more on this story check out the story on WTVR.com

I am your Bro, LJ James AmericanBikerX.com Saying Time is Running out!!!


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Monday, December 28, 2009

By Jamie Barry

Essentially, lucid dreaming is a skill which some people have developed which allows them to actually be aware of the fact that they're dreaming, and that things which appeared to be happening, are not. Furthermore, people who experience lucid dreams tend to have the ability to exercise a certain amount of control over a lucid dream.

The undeniable fact is; that feeling of power which one experiences when one can control the direction of a dream, is something directly out of metaphysical existence. To a great extent, many of the limitations with which you've learned to live, simply vanish.

But, is it really easy as it looks? Can everyone experience lucid dreaming and bring to life that which would otherwise seems difficult or impossible in reality?

Contrary to what you may believe, lucid dreaming is nowhere near as difficult as you may think. In fact, if you're really serious about it, there are various steps which one can try in order to achieve results as soon as possible.

The first thing you need to do is to become absolutely certain as to why you want to master the art of lucid dreaming. Do you imagine yourself having your own personal playground built from lucid dreams, or do you have another reason for wanting to learn and develop this skill? Your reason is not of particular importance, providing it is clear in your mind.

Once you're satisfied as to why you want to learn this skill, then it's time to start the actual learning process. The first process, largely referred to as "dream recall", requires you to remember your last dream. Essentially, if you cannot remember your dreams, it will be virtually impossible to reach the stage of lucid dreaming.

Admittedly, this process can be incredibly slow although it should be noted that you can achieve this goal by means of a "dream recall register", which in essence will allow you to write down and many details as you can remember regarding each dream you have. While progress may be slow in the beginning, with time you'll soon come to discover that you are now able to remember even the finest details of a dream.

Hypnosis is also something which many people have found to have the ability of reducing the amount of time it takes to prepare ones subconscious in preparedness for lucid dreaming. In fact, in many instances, one or two sessions of hypnosis will be adequate for allowing you to remember your dreams consistently. When you reach that point, you know your mind has been suitably conditioned.

While in a lucid dream, it may happen that suddenly you are wide-awake. However, because of all the effort you've already put into conditioning your mind, if this happens to you, you'll have no problem reconnecting all the important details and once you're done so, you simply need to relax in order to go to sleep again. When you do, you'll be able to once again continue with your dream and upon waking up, you'll realize fully, the power of conscious dreaming.

Another proven way to have a lucid dream, is to go back to sleep for a short while immediately after waking up in the mornings. In fact, these dreams are so close to lucid dreams, that in many cases they will leave you wondering whether or not you were even dreaming at all. If you would like to try this method, simply set your alarm to go off an hour or two before you would usually wakeup. When the alarm goes off, wake up and switch it off and then go to sleep again in order to enjoy a lucid dream.

As far as this is concerned, you may find it extremely beneficial to keep track of your sleeping patterns in order to determine the best time for you to have a lucid dream.

Interestingly enough, lucid dreaming is also known for its ability to help people cope with various sleeping disorders such as insomnia. If you have difficulty in falling asleep you simply need to persuade your mind that going to sleep and lucid dreaming go hand in hand. It will only be a matter of time before your mind takes charge and takes care of any thoughts which may be preventing you from sleeping.

Thanks to recent advances in sound technologies, it no longer requires an excessive amount of time in order to master the art of lucid dreaming. In fact, these breakthroughs have made it considerably easier for people to learn the skill.

Many people who are just starting out find that the quickest way for them to have a lucid dream, is by taking advantage of binaural beats.

Essentially, these work due to the fact that there's a slight difference in frequency between the sounds played in each year. This results in a noticeable amount of relaxation and it also helps to bring the brain waves to the correct frequency.

Unfortunately, before this technology recently became available, the only sure way to enable you to experience a lucid dream, was by means of meditation techniques. Of course, because such techniques can often take years to master, many people were put off from learning this skill.

The bottom line is; that by making use of by binaural beats, you should be able to experience lucid dreaming relatively soon after your first attempt, particularly if you combine this sound technology with hypnosis.

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By Gabriel Golez

When you are preparing you're wedding you are going to want to find an event photographer. They should be motivated, have good experience and communication and most likely they will have their own style. A skilled event photographer will only posses these qualities through experience, so making sure that they are well trained and can focus on what you want is important.

Every event photographer will have their own style. The photographer's style should coincide with your idea of the type of wedding pictures you want. Otherwise you might end up having a awful experience. Depending on the style that your event photographer will use will vary. Traditional and wild are two extreme styles of photographers. Photos of the bride and groom, and the wedding party are examples of a traditional style. Wild styles can be anywhere from being completely serious in all of the photographs to making funny faces.

When choosing an event photographer you will need one who is highly motivated. You do not want to have someone who is inactive and sitting around missing all the good shots they could be capturing. Motivation isn't just about wanting to do the job, but finding a way to enjoy it and bring trust as well as good verbal communication to everyone as well.

Experience can only come to an event photographer through time. Make sure you ask your photographer how long they have been in the business, where they attended school and for how long, and who they were employed with before they went into business for themselves (if that is the case). This should help you when making a clear decision on an event photographer. If they are now employed by themselves you can find out what kind of quality they produced when they were employed by asking their previous employer. It may be a sneaky way of getting information but it is better to find out then to have horrible pictures created.

It's a good idea to choose en event photographer who you comfortable around. When you are around them they should make you feel comfortable as well. Later on at the wedding, this will help them to capture the precious photos. If you are nervous around your event photographer you will see that feeling in your wedding photos.

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By Alec Pittman

Let's face it; the concept of reincarnation is by no means a new idea. In fact, the possibility of having had a past life is something which many people have believed in for thousands of years. The Japanese, the Chinese, the aborigines and many Africans all believe they have had past lives and that those lives can influence the life they're living now.

Because it is widely believed that past lives can have an impact on your health and mental wellbeing during this life, it only stands to reason that one should make a point of learning about who you were in a past life. Furthermore, when one considers just how much knowledge you would have gained during past lives, it only makes sense that you be willing to integrate that knowledge into this life.

So, is it possible to tell whether or not you've had past lives? While you may have some rather disturbing dreams, or you may have some strange memories which you feel don't really belong to you, it may not always been possible to know for sure if you've had a past life. Of course while the vast majority of people who believe in reincarnation tend to believe that everybody has had a past life, a bit of simple mathematics would suggest otherwise. Other indications you may wish to look out for:

* An intense attraction towards a specific culture with which you've had no exposure in this life, and for the most part one which makes little sense to you. If for example you feel deeply attracted to the art or history of a certain era, then you may have had a past life experience regarding that particular era. Quite often if you do a little research and it so happens that the art you're attracted to stems from a relatively short time period, then there's a strong possibility that there's something there.

* Have you ever felt yourself becoming unusually emotional with regards to an event which took place at some point in history? If for example you become very emotional when you read about a certain event, then there is of course a possibility that you were involved in some way or another.

* Phobias and allergies which to the best of your knowledge do not originate from your childhood years, could also be linked to a previous life.

While the above list is far from being a complete list of indicators, it does however point out a few of the common ones. However, even if you have experienced one or more of the above, that does not necessarily mean you are remembering a past life. Instead, you should focus on looking for some type of pattern with regards to the things which tend to attract you for no obvious reasons. Once you do start to notice a pattern forming, putting the puzzle together will become increasingly easy.

Hypnosis and self hypnosis are both means through which people can access their past life or lives. In fact there are people who specialize in helping others to gain access to memories locked in their subconscious minds. These past life regression therapists make use of what is known as "deep hypnotic remembering" in order to make it possible to remember past life experiences.

If on the other hand you prefer the idea of self hypnosis, then you should find a technique which also helps you to achieve deep relaxation in addition to hypnosis. Also, it is advisable that you spend some time working with the chosen technique before actually using it for regression.

From a safety point of view, there is essentially nothing you need to worry about because you'll simply be experiencing a vivid recollection of a past life experience or experiences. In fact, rather than experiencing an intense recollection, you may experience nothing more than a few feelings.

Furthermore, while good memories will result in good feelings, bad memories will result in bad feelings, much the same as you experience after a bad dream. Just as with a bad dream, you'll tend to wake up feeling uneasy but at the same time you need to bear in mind that any unpleasant memories are also an important part of regression.

Furthermore, you need to bear in mind that it's the 'remembering' which is the all important factor here. Once you start remembering, you'll be able to move on in this life and it is only when one suppresses ones subconscious with regards to these memories, that problems start to arise. Acceptance and understanding with regards to things which happened in a previous life can go a long way in helping you in this life

The theory of karma states that if one is good and performs acts of kindness, then you will have good karma. On the other hand, if you are a bad person or you change to become bad then you will simply have bad karma, in which case your life will be plagued by negative events and this will continue until such time that there's a balance between your good and bad karma.

Unfortunately many people tend to get confused with regards to this interpretation. Contrary to what some believe, we don't have to be bad or suffer simply because of a past life. Instead, each time you are born you are presented with a new opportunity to do things the right way. As a result, once you accept the fact that a certain memory may indeed be from a past life, and that you're not necessarily a bad person in this life, then you can move on and have as good a life has anyone else.

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