The Robo Pope

When we’re in the creative flow, we can sometimes forget we even have a body, because our minds are exploding with color, sounds, words and images. But when unhealthy habits sap your body of its vitality and strength, your creativity and productivity will be sapped as well.

What could be more frustrating than the interruption of your creative flow by an uninvited headache, back spasm, dullness of mind or the “shakes”?

I once heard the expression that as a guitar player, I’m a “small muscle athlete” - meaning I need to warm up those muscles and treat them well. Perhaps as artists we’re ALL small muscle athletes. After all, we do need a good measure of physical endurance to get through our creative tasks.

Whether it’s sitting hunched over an easel, the repetitive movements of playing a musical instrument, the stamina to stand and walk on stage throughout an entire show or sitting at a computer keyboard for most of the day, our creative tools all require the use of the body.

To keep that body strong and resilient takes daily attention.

Day-to-day self-care practices such as getting enough sleep, eating three healthy and balanced meals that are evenly timed throughout the day (plus healthy snacks if you need them), moving your body actively and drinking enough water are all essential for taking care of your body.

Taking care of the body also affects the mind. Fatigue, malnutrition, inactivity and dehydration will all have adverse effects on the mind and the ability to problem solve, concentrate and connect ideas.

The Creative Cycle and Self-Care

Touring with a band, rehearsing for a show or burning the midnight oil to finish a painting before a gallery opening, are all examples of extraordinary circumstances where we might relax our self-care discipline and adopt a whole new set of rules.

Then, when the show or tour is over or the piece is finished, we sometimes sink into an anti-climactic “low” or a period of transition before we get back into the creative flow again.

The daily practices you keep when things are “normal” will build resilience for the times when these extraordinary circumstances come up. They also build habits and healthy living skills that you can draw on when life gets more challenging.

Put it into play

One of the best practices for a healthy body, mind and spirit is to get enough sleep and rest. Tonight, end your evening activities a half hour early and spend that time winding down. Release the worries of the day by writing or speaking about them. Calm yourself with a bath, tea, massage, music or a good read that doesn’t remind you of your work.

We can all come up with reasons why we can’t exercise, we can’t make different food choices and we can’t focus more on our health.

You have a unique creative gift to share with the world, but your creativity relies on a sound mind and body.

So which of your reasons for not taking care of yourself are more important than that?

(c) Linda Dessau, 2005.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Sign-up for the free e-course, “Roadblocks to Creativity” by visiting www.genuinecoaching.com

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A website is lifeline of internet home business. In order to succeed you must have a website that that meets the general criteria of accepted standards. Flavor of each site varies according to the intended business and choice of the owner. But there are guidelines which should be kept in mind while you work to develop your own e-shop.

First of all is the domain name. It is the address to your website. So it should be kept simple and easy to remember. Try as for as possible to include letters only in your website name. Numbers are most easily forgotten. So are the hyphens and underscores. They take time to get registered and fade quickly. Domain names should be themed around your business. Try to keep it short and sweet.

Focus on your customer. Always keep your customers first. Remember! Everybody is busy and so are your customers. Nobody will have the time to search for your products if you do not guide them well. With this in mind a website should be developed for maximum benefit. There are other things which appear small and obvious but together they add up to quite a difference to your home business.

To name a few —

# Orientation - What is your website? What can a visitor get from your site?

# Fast loading - Very essential. If it takes a long time the person will definitely get annoyed and close the page. There goes your potential sale.

# Easy Navigation - Can the customer move through your site effortlessly back and forth from each page? Are the hyperlinks working well? Make sure they do.

# Professional Look- Though you are not suppose to display best of the web designs but your site should look professional enough and appealing to the eye. Your site should be smart and crisp. Choose your theme well and go for it.

# Content rich site - Try and give all the relevant information that your potential customer might need. Again the information should be well displayed and easy to understand.

# Contact us - It is almost mandatory. Where should a person leave his query in case the need arise. You might debate and decide on your physical address yourself but an email contact is must.

# Coordinated color pattern - Make sure that foreground background are well matching. Your font and text should be pleasing and not difficult to read.

# Careful use of graphics - graphics are pleasing to the eye but take a lot of time to load. So you should strike a balance. People have a temptation to use a lot of graphics but do keep in mind that all the best business sites are mostly text based. Take for example Google or Yahoo. No truck loads of graphics. Only well used text with spares use of graphics.

If you make your website keeping your customers’ needs in view then automatically you would like to consider the above listed points. As I said many of them look too obvious but often we overlook the things because they are obvious.

Make sure you do not. Try them and see the difference.

Wish you success.

Copyright 2005 Arun Pal Singh

Arun Pal Singh, a successful marketer and writer offers a unique and duplicable business opportunity at http://www.homeforprofits.com. To avail his free Income Course, send an e-mail to subscribe@homeforprofits.com with subject ’subscribe’.

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Great inspiring people have influenced people in every area of life throughout centuries. Henry David Thoreau, the great 19th century transcendentalist writer, was influenced by the great Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thoreau was the impetus for Ghandi’s and Martin Luther King Jr’s civil disobedience, which ultimately changed the shape of the world for a better humanity. Socrates taught Plato who taught Aristotle, who collectively remain the greatest philosophical trio in history. We often stand on the shoulders of giants. And we can notice connections such as these throughout history–a lineage–a passing down of wisdom. Such is the case in the drumming world as well. It only takes a spark. And that spark can potentially inspire many to enter a new encouraging world, accompanied by enthusiasm, new hope, and excitement.

This lineage is evident in the drumming world. I know, because I’ve been experiencing it. On a fall night last year, my drumming friend and I went out to see a Rush tribute band. I looked forward to a night of great drumming, but did not expect that I would afterward decide to pursue drumming to a higher level. As the drum solo began, the audience began to walk toward the stage, similar to a magnetic effect. I soon realized why, as drummer, Joe Bergamini, displayed a dynamic, inspiring solo, marked by incredible technique and musicality. From experiencing the solo, one can understand how drumming can entertain, excite, and elicit the need for total expression. At that point, I had realized the power of drumming, and the reason to elevate my drumming to the next plane.

I went to the website of Joe Bergamini, and found that he studied with legendary Dom Famularo for several years. That knowledge brought me to the website of Dom Famularo. I then discovered that Dom studied with Joe Morello and Jim Chapin, among other drumming greats. Moreover, I read that Joe Morello studied with George Lawrence Stone, author of Stick Control, which many consider the bible of drumming! He also studied with Billy Gladstone. As if that wasn’t enough, I realized that Jim Chapin studied from Sanford Moeller, the man who directly observed the great civil war drummers, and teacher of Gene Krupa. Everything began to make sense: This was the true essence of drumming … And it was all passed down collectively … I knew I was following the right path.

I began to study with Drumming’s Global Ambassador, Dom Famularo. Besides learning from one of drumming’s greatest educators, I realized that the visit to Dom’s woodshed and his influence was one similar to the inspiring experience of the students in the movie Dead Poet’s Society. Based on a global humanistic approach, I found that everything I’ve learned there I never even considered in 16 years of drumming. Not only has it been inspiring, but some of the guidance was geared toward my health that affected every aspect and quality of my playing; some based on the laws of physics; other things were based on techniques I had no idea even existed. This was more than I ever expected. I also had a few lessons with Jim Chapin and Joe Bergamini.

As if that was not enough, I learned of Dom’s Cycle of Self-Empowerment book and began to discover concepts such as Choice Power, the Flame, and the Tombstone Test. As a co-author of a psychology research project, I was intrigued and amazed by the power of his words, and how they moved me to pursue drumming to such a high level. I now had a heightened awareness of how drumming was a part of me–and I had an obligation to pursue it and share it–that if I did not pursue it, it can eat at me. Dom refers to this inner identity as “The Flame”. And no matter how much you ignore it, it will not go away! You cannot remove it! It just the way us drummers are internally wired!

I cannot overestimate the power of finding something and someone that can influence you, and “spark” this “flame”. Since my own rekindling, I have pursued drumming to a higher level, and many great things have happened. Some of the same knowledge and enthusiam that came from Gladstone, Stone, Morello, Chapin, and Famularo, have been passed down to me and then to my students. This energy has also spread to my own band, friends, and anyone who I encounter in conversations about drumming. Most recently, I had the opportunity to perform with the legendary guitarist Stanley Jordan. To put it mildly, things have certainly begun to happen since my night out last fall–the night I was inspired.

As Dom says, “The cycle of self empowerment begins with respecting that flame and feeding that flame until if glows from you, turning you into a beacon that not only has the power to show you the way, but can be a source of guidance and inspiration for others. Do it before it’s too late. Find that flame. It’s where a happier life begins.”

Finally, to revisit the title, “It only takes a spark … Pass it on”, I have to admit that a song I used to play drums for in a church years ago, has more meaning and validity than ever, and sums up this whole experience: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing . . . Once you’ve experienced it . . . You want to pass it on.”

About The Author

Dan Britt is a NJ Drummer/Instructor who conducts clinics in public schools. With a background in psychological research, his inspirational writings have appeared in international magazines. He can be contacted at danbsticks@aol.com or via www.dannybritt.com

danbsticks@aol.com

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When I was twenty-two, I was befriended by a woman named Doris who was thirty years older than I was. Although Doris was then a fifty-two year old woman, she did not feel it was inappropriate to befriend me. She did not operate with the social belief that she should choose her friends only from people her own age. We became very close friends and remained so until her death at the age of eight-two.

When Doris turned seventy-five, she was already widowed. The week she turned seventy-five, Doris threw two birthday parties for herself, one on a Wednesday night, and one on Saturday. Over thirty different people attended each party. I was the only person invited to both. In all, about seventy of Doris’ friends came that week to celebrate her birthday. On both nights many people stayed until past one in the morning.

As I looked around the room at both parties that week in amazement, I noticed that the people attending her birthday parties were of all ages. They included toddlers, teens, middle-aged people, and the elderly. Doris had never restricted herself to making friends only within her own age group. She had always made it a point to befriend people of all ages. Consequently, she did not suffer the same social fate so many elderly people face when their circle of same-age friends starts to dwindle from sickness and death. I hoped that when I was the same age as Doris that I would be able to have as many friends and acquaintances gathered to help celebrate my birthday.

I didn’t know any other people her age who could throw two birthday parties in one week, and have seventy people show up. I wondered how Doris had made so many friends. She had never been wealthy, but over the years Doris and her husband had made a practice of opening their hearts and their home to many people. They not only befriended a lot of people and maintained those friendships over the years, but they also befriended the children of their friends, and stayed friends with the younger generation.

I noticed that whenever I brought some of my own friends with me to visit Doris, she never treated my friends as expendable people that she would never see again. She was gracious and kind and interested in all of them. Her caring about each human being was always apparent. When we finished our visit, Doris would often extend an invitation to the friends I had brought to come and visit her again, and many of them did so.

When she issued invitations Doris never seemed as if she were inviting people because she was lonely or desperate for company. Her invitations were always genuinely joyful. She loved meeting people and wanted to see them again.

As Doris neared the end of her life, she became very ill. Yet, she never lacked for love and support from the many friends she had kept making throughout her whole life.

I learned something important that week at Doris’ two birthday parties. I realized that we make a big mistake if we tell young and middle-aged people to invest their money for their old age, but neglect to tell them that it is at least as important to invest in relationships with other people.

We make a mistake if we don’t tell people that it is just as important to invest kindness in the people we meet, and invest our interest in them. There are other kinds of investment accounts besides those that are held by banks. A big bank account won’t make up for loneliness in your old age.

I decided that if I wanted to have as many friends as Doris did, I would have to keep making friends and keep maintaining friendships my whole life. I would have to make friends with people of all ages, including those much younger and much older than me.

Older people confront unique challenges in trying to maintain a satisfying social life. Many people find it difficult to make new friends as they get older.

As people age they often face social, health and monetary challenges. Older people may become less physically mobile. They often have less money to spend on recreation and entertainment. Older people are also more likely to suffer from depression. They may be physically frail and afraid to go out at night. Even if they remain healthy themselves, aging people experience the deaths of long time friends and spouses, resulting in a shrinking circle of social and emotional support.

In the modern western world, older people are often treated as if their usefulness is finished, and as if what they have to say is not really relevant to the young. A lot of older people are shocked to discover when they retire at the age of sixty or sixty-five, that the friendships they thought had developed at work do not survive the retirement party.

In many modern societies, older people are socially marginalized, and left to socialize solely with each other. People in North America are much more segregated along age lines than people in some other parts of the world. In North America, teenagers tend to socialize with other teenagers, and older people are expected to make friends with other older people.

No matter where you live, or what your age, you do not need to follow your local society’s dictates about what age your friends should be. You do not need to restrict yourself to making friends only with your own age group.

If you are concerned that you may be lonely in your later years, the time to start doing something about it is now, no matter what your current age might be. As you grow older, make sure you stay living in the present, not in the past. In your conversations with others, don’t be fixated on who you used to be, or on your current ailments. Be willing to make many social approaches to others, no matter what the outcome. Stay interested in the current world, stay optimistic, and keep a youthful, open mind.

Royane Real is the author of several self help books available at her website. This article is taken from her new downloadable book titled “Your Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends, and Keeping Friends”. Check it out at http://www.royanereal.com

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When your Astrological Chart is drawn up by the astrologer according to the information you have given of your birth date, time of birth and also the place of birth, it appears as a large circular disc with a smaller one in the centre in which the individual is symbolically placed. The larger circle of 360 is usually equally divided into 12 segments of 30 like equal slices of a cake. Each of the 12 segments is known as a ‘house’ with the first one being that on the left and just below the horizon or horizontal in the chart. Numbering anticlockwise, the twelve houses are represented in sequence and named according to their numerical place - First House, Second House and so on. Sometimes the Rising Sign may appear as only a few degrees above the horizon and at other times 28 or more. When it is sharing the influence of the next sign rising as in these latter degrees to the 30 it is called “on the cusp” and the characteristics of that Rising Sign are modified by those of the one following. The Rising sign is strongest in its essential characteristics the closer it is to the 15 or midway point.

The zodiacal sign in which the Sun is placed at your birth is what is commonly called your Sun Sign, Birth Sign or astrological sign. The symbol for the Sun is immediately placed appropriately in the sign and the degree that it occupied at the moment of your birth .All the other planets will also be placed according to their actual astronomical position.

At the beginning of each house is one of the zodiacal signs which dominates that particular house. The ruling or dominant sign governing the first house, once it has been established by astronomical calculation, is placed on the Chart on the left hand horizontal and this is called your ‘Rising Sign’. Only an astrological chart drawn with scientific accuracy can determine the exact degree of the Rising Sign.

For example, let us call that zodiacal Rising Sign, Aries. The rest of the zodiacal signs are then placed in their natural order and in anticlockwise fashion around the circle of the Chart, to finish with the sign Pisces shown as ruling the 12th House, situated above the horizon, just as Aries is below.

Basically this means when you begin to consider your personal make-up there are two main factors to consider, not just the one. Even though your Sun sign (your known Birth Sign) may be Cancer, you must take into account that Aries will also play a dominant role in your nature, particularly regarding your physical appearance, your outer personality and many of your instinctive reactions to life events. In this case although you may be highly emotional, as indicated by Cancer, you will have very strong outgoing energies and attitudes which are positive and very different from the more sensitive person you are inside. You will have an outer appearance of forceful, direct and more adventurous personality than the quieter soul you know as your true nature.

Most of us start life with these two different and often opposing influences inherent in our personality and in our potential psychological equipment. Our Rising sign is different from our Sun sign. We have to come to understand this mix of influences and absorb the best of the energies of each into our own intelligent blend of characteristics. We must make a study of both these signs in our first attempt to understand how astrology reveals our main character traits, as they represent the constituents in our unique and complex recipe of human nature.

But of course there are also many cases where both the Sun sign and the Rising sign, because of astronomical configurations, will be the same. In which case, there is an intensification of all the traits and no moderating influences and a Taurean person with Taurus also as the Rising sign will show classical virtues and faults of a Taurean - a double Taurean so to say! It is certain that such an individual will know that the clues to his nature and his life will be found through study of the Taurean energies and principles.

It is the degree of the Rising Sign which accents or moderates the characteristics association with that sign, according to the distance between its neighbouring signs. So with 1 degree Aries rising there would be still the strong influence of Pisces. As the qualities of Pisces are very different from Aries, in character analysis this factor would have to be taken into consideration. With 28-30 Aries rising, one would have to add the strong up and coming influence of Taurus which, in this case would add some caution to the rashness of the Aries nature.

The factor of the Sun Sign and the Rising Sign and their proper interpretation is very interesting subject which has been the focus of a great deal of research over the last century or so. There is ample evidence to show that certain definite features and circumstances will be common to those persons having similar factors in their birth charts. This helps you to feel confident when seeking to clarify particular details.

Many come to know that the Sun sign is what you come into the world with regarding your talents, soul purposes and spiritual attitudes and the Rising Sign is the indicator of our physical appearance and outer personality - the tool through which our soul expresses itself.

The Rising sign strongly influences some aspects of our appearance (as to whether we are fair, dark and some influence over proportion and facial features). It affects our health, giving us clearly defined physical strengths and weaknesses. It accents all personality likes, dislikes, attitudes and attributes to frequently describe how different a personality you are compared with your siblings - who were born at different times and sometimes different places.

So it is wise to study the energies and influences of both the Rising Sign and the Sun Sign in combination, in order to see which factors you feel accurately describe your personal make up. It is good to know at the outset what the opposing or conflicting elements in your character are likely to be. It is also helpful to know the positive, complementary qualities which you can use in a resourceful and positive manner.

Analysing another person’s horoscope is very much like trying to distinguish the flavourings in a complex recipe of a cake - some of the separate ingredients may in time be identified but the ultimate flavour and taste are beyond any analysis, just as the work of coordinating and utilizing the various astrological energies is entirely a matter for the individual himself.

Analysing your own Chart is very different from reading the report of a professional. It requires you to be without bias which is almost impossible except regarding events and circumstances. However such an exercise has many rewards. It can make you aware of your qualities, both good and bad and encourage self improvement.

Interpreting astrological energies is a difficult task which is why many astrologers remain somewhat aloof from personal contact with the subject, preferring to use computer aids for the scientific preparation and to rely upon only one personal consultation for a reading.

Others liken it to psychology and their work of interpretation to the analogy of creating order out of pieces of a jigsaw - with each factor being just another piece to find a place for in the complex pattern of the personality. It cannot be emphasised enough, that Astrology is both a science and an art.

If you sincerely wish to understand the subject, there are many books covering various aspects and some courses which take you from a study of the zodiacal Signs and their associated qualities , to the placement of the other planets, the importance of the Moon upon your emotional nature, the relationship between the planets in the birth chart, the common link with parents and loved ones, health matters, good and bad fortune, relationships, interests and events and of course that which fascinates many people, their future. One must be cautious of taking notice of the general and often superficial comments in astrological newspaper columns. These often serve to denigrate the science.

Every professional astrologer should be well versed in setting up your personal chart providing you have a record of the exact time and the place of birth. Each individual astrologer has his own methods and system of interpreting your Chart. Many specialise in particular aspects such as health, relationships, character, future events and even weather prediction. It is important to find a good professional with considerable experience in the field of your own interest. In the meantime, be aware when reading of matters related to your Birth Sign or Sun Sign that you must also take into consideration the qualities of your Rising Sign.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Astrology

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“He, who knows, does not speak. He, who speaks, does not know.”
-Lao Tzu

Fundamentally, communication is expressed in verbal form. The conveyor, or he or she that is expressing, talks or writes while the recipient listens to or reads the transfer. However, there is another form of communication based on gestures or body movements. This art of non-verbal communication is better known as body language.

Although spoken communication is the more direct way to convey a message or point of view, it can be masked. In body language, the message can be conveyed in a truer sense or form. However, this depends on the interpretation of the recipient of the message. How we interpret as individuals is based specifically on our experiences.

Anthony Robbins once said, and I quote… “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

With that said, it is imperative to disseminate and bring into light this art of non-verbal communication. How a message is interpreted, correctly or wrongly, may have drastic, dramatic and perhaps even life altering implications.

It is far easier to see what one is saying, than it is to just hear what they are saying.

For funs sake, let’s pick a simple scenario to illustrate non-verbal communication. Let us say a former colleague of yours calls you to propose a business partnership. This colleague is just a casual acquaintance. He’s not exactly a confidant whom you would refer to as a close buddy. He has asked that the two of you meet somewhere and you politely oblige. So you wind up meeting him in a coffee shop. After the usual handshake (this is one type of body language), both of you take a seat and order a cup of green tea. After a few exchanges of pleasantries and engaging in a little small-talk, you touch on the subject of the business proposal. While in the process of presenting the proposed business, you occasionally interrupt him with questions that he readily answers. Subconsciously, while you continue to listen to his proposal, you keep touching your nose with your index finger, rubbing it once in a while as if covering the nose with your hand.

After the proposal has been made, he asks for any questions or comments, if his proposal merits your acceptance. He’s not asking for an immediate answer or decision, regarding your interest, giving you enough time to study it. However, your first impression of the proposal is somewhat of an inclination to reject it. Your core reason is that you are not familiar with the line of business he’s proposing, and to swim in unfamiliar water simply does not interest you.

But in spite of your negative perception of the proposal, you don’t want to disappoint your former colleague, at least not yet. Before you give the final word that you will seriously study the proposal, you make some initial comments about it to the tune that it may seem to merit your approval although it really does not. While you are making your comment, again subconsciously, you touch your nose with one hand while talking.

It’s observed that during the entirety of your discussion, you frequently made one move, touching your nose. Are you aware that touching your nose is a gesture that means you’re not saying what you really felt or meant? Studies suggest that saying something while touching the nose is not reflective of what’s being said. In this case, rubbing the nose is tantamount to disapproval of the proposal presented to you.

This is just on scenario, because we all see things from our own unique perspective, each of us all respond to stimuli differently.

Okay so… Here’s something that I have seen time and time again.

Literally, every time I see both Kevin Costner and Mel Gibson being interviewed, they are hysterically picking their ears and frantically rubbing their noses, now tell me I’m reading to much into it, but it seems to me that they are either bored to tears, completely uninterested in the interview or they are absolutely oblivious to this fact. It is hard for me to believe that after all these years and countless interviews that they are oblivious to anything, so…you be the judge.

Although there is no definite basis that these specific gestures of these two mega-successful stars are a sign of anything other than random physical movements, the art of body language does exist and for the most part is quite easy to identify.

But, In reality anything could be going on, only the one expressing such gestures knows for sure…or do they?

Kurt’s website http://www.kreatefitness.com, as well as his Provo Utah Private Fitness Facility Synergy Fitness Systems, specializes in in providing leading edge exercise and nutrition programs and a super premium supplement line. All of these superior products offer superior results.

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I found myself waking up to a cold home one heated summer moning. My body was frozen and my blankets were made from ice. The whole day I was bundled in black clothing with no heat escaping. No matter how much I wore, I got colder as the day wore on. Suddenly I began to sweat and the heat was unbearable. My clothes began to ware away I didn’t know why. Then I saw the sun slowly walking toward me. I was almost naked when I realized that the blinding light was an Angel. The wings started to unfold and it was a man. He held out his hand to me with a broad, trusting smile on his face. ”There’s still a little more that must be shed away. Let me help you. I will warm you from the inside out or outside in whichever you preffer. I will love you til love can hold us together no more.” At that I was scared that he would turn to such a demon. I thought that he would take me down to Hell for such lustful feeling. I didn’t want to know. I took me hand back and ran from him. He called to me again and again, but I refused him. Later in life still I am frozen to the mid bone. He came up to me with three little ones of his own. He, His wife, his children all look happy. It was when he seen me that his smile was uncertain. ”I still love you. Please, remember me.” He whispered into my ears as he walked on by. That’s when I knew I screwed up. My pounding heart was love not lust. Dave, you still have My Heart’s Beat.

www.originalpoetry.com

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Debt is a crisis. It disturbs normal life and people suffer from all the possible
intricacies in life because of debt. Debt usually happens because of inaccurate
planning, over expenditure and currently, the over use of credit cards which create
an unbelievable amount as balance. Many banks have come up with innumerable credit
cards options which worsen the situation.

Credit card debt has become an important element in most Americans life. According
to the recent statistics, they owe more than half a million dollars in credit
card debt. Public Interest Research Group and Consumer Federation of America
analysis of Federal Reserve data shows that the average household with debt
has approximately $10,000 to $12,000 in total debt and has nine credit cards.

Once you have fallen prey to the attraction of credit cards, you will then
find it very difficult to come out of its dark hands. It is also very tempting
to ignore your balance thinking that you can pay it later. But this is not as
easy as you think it is. Keeping the debt apart will increase problems and you
will suffer later on with it.

There are so many ways you can work on without making for credit card debt.
They can be:

• Stop spending above your means.

This is the first and easy way in avoiding credit card debt. There is always
a limit in what one can afford. Credit cards are also a way to attract people
in spending more than what they have. This tactic becomes a success when people
fall prey on it and procrastinating things. It is only when one stops spending
beyond their means they can avoid debt in the future and become stress free.

• Plan budget

It is very necessary you plan budget well and keep track of its ups and downs.

Budget should be well within your means and you need to make sure things are

going in the right path and the right way. If it diverts a bit, you need to

analyze where the calculation went wrong and what are the ways to avoid it happening

again. If you find you have spent too much on a thing using your credit card

make sure to pay off the balance the respective month itself and get rid of

debt.

• Be strong

Be strong yourself. There should not be any tempting situations were you are

forced to do something which later on puts you in debt. Even if something happens

so, you should be capable enough to pay back the balance in the very same month

itself. You need to be very strong in your approach.

• Plan prior

Festive seasons often make people in debt. Festivals like Christmas make people

fall in to debt with over-spending on different articles which are necessary

and not necessary. Prior planning will make you set your expenses and go with

it. This will also make it easy and comfortable to adjust with the expenses

which may strike you later.

• Always keep track of your charges

Do not ever set your expenses loose and wait for problems to happen to you.

Keeping track of your charges will make you manage things properly and adjust

with expenses that strike the balance of your life later.

• Do not keep piling on debt

If you are already in debt, then the right step is to stop piling on it, rather

move to paying cash. This is the right step to take in such a situation. Keep

on charging to your already piled up debt is counterproductive in a way, as

it is like digging yourself deeper.

Keeping yourself planned and prepared to face any circumstances is the best
way to support you in debt problems. It is wise you do not make any balances
on your card which makes you in stress later on in life. Therefore, it is better
you lead a controlled life not tempted by outer fantasies.

Devi sri is a seo copywriter for debt settlement company as well. She has involved herself in
this field for more than 3 years. For further details related to the article
you can visit the site http://www.debt-settlement-company.com.
You can contact her through mail at devisrimari@gmail.com.

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1. A Star Is Born
When Norma Jeane Baker was a little girl her guardian Grace was obsessed with Hollywood and starlets. She repeatedly told Norma that one day she would grow up to be a movie star just like Jean Harlow. Tony Robbins was right, positive reinforcement can move mountains.

2. A Brief History Of Time
She was born in 1926 to Gladys Baker, an unmarried movie technician. Due to her mother’s mental instability she was raised in foster homes amongst neglect and abuse. At 16, she married a defense worker named James E. Dougherty. During World War II she became a pin-up model and was eventually signed to a modeling agency. In 1946 she divorced Dougherty, bleached her hair, signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox and became Marilyn Monroe. Her first starring role was in “Don’t Bother to Knock” in 1952. A year later in 1953 Marilyn received her star along Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and was immortalized by her handprints in the famous forecourt of Grumman’s Chinese Theatre. A year later she married Joe DiMaggio. Two years later she legally changed her name to Marilyn Monroe and then married Arthur Miller. Their marriage soon ended but he wrote her last film, “The Misfits” in 1960. On the night of August 4th, 1962 she died of what is still considered mysterious causes.

3. Her Very Own Cheshire Cat
Like Alice in Wonderland, Marilyn made her way through the maze of Hollywood, but instead of relying upon the replies of a Cheshire Cat in the forest, Marilyn decided to find the answers to whys and ways all on her own. Spurned by her feeling of lack of education as a child, she made it a personal goal to learn as much about everyone and everything she came in contact with, seeking out the advice of experts in all fields she had questions about. She was also a passionate reader, collecting more than 200 great books ranging from Tolstoy, Whitman, Steinbeck, and Milton to Flaubert.

4. The M&M Files
The FBI had more than 100 pages of files on Marilyn and her activities. Many incidents were documented on her connection with the Communist movement, no matter how slight it might have been. One full page is dedicated to her being seen poolside with certain members of the American Communist Group in Mexico, while she was on vacation. Geez, what’s a girl to do? Because of her marriage to Arthur Miller and his leftist’s views, she was further investigated. Considerable concern was expressed when she later met with Robert Kennedy and expressed her views and questions about Mr. Miller’s ideas. Yeesh, politics were heavy handed back in those days. Now we have sitcoms ridiculing our president and current leaders. Perhaps those shows keep the FBI just as busy these days.

5. Unsolved Mysteries
Further files followed her mysterious death, one document contains a letter written on January 20th, 1965 from the Mothers of World War II, Inc. expressing concern about a document they had received with questions about the late superstar’s murder or suicide, detailing information about her link with the Communist group and a certain Attorney General named Robert F. Kennedy, which the FBI has recorded she met alone on many occasions. The list goes on and on, rumors circulate to this day about her death, unfortunately it most likely will never be revealed one way or another.

6. Pigs Fly
One thing is certain; Marilyn did have an affair with President John F. Kennedy. Well at least there are witnesses to the fact they shared a hotel room in Tahoe. Further rumors suggested the Robert Kennedy was also having an affair with her. Many suggest the “right wing” FBI and CIA agents were motivated to murder Marilyn in order to embarrass and undermine the Kennedy family. Apparently, President Kennedy was taking actions to limit the power of these two agencies after the Bay of Pigs incident.

7. Enquiring Minds
In order to bring some of these rumors to light, Norman Mailer wrote a book about Marilyn’s death. One of his allegations was that Marilyn had made repeated calls to the White House on the evening of her death. He goes further to say that the LAPD and the FBI removed, a “paper tape”, of Marilyn’s telephone calls from the phone company in Santa Monica. He then states he had no proof of any of this other than, “writer’s instinct”. Because of his book he coined the phrase, “factoid” which means an event, which has no existence other than it, has appeared in print.

8. A Legend
Marilyn Monroe was the quintessential Hollywood superstar, a sex goddess who yearned to be more. Whatever her criticisms as an actress, in most of her films she exuded a bold yet attractive sexuality that set her apart from her peers of the time. Although intelligent, hardworking, and determined, she could not escape her own self-made image. She was, as her friend and director Lee Strasberg noted in his eulogy, “a legend in her own lifetime.”

To read more articles by Chad, visit the American Pop Culture Encyclopedia at: American Pop Culture Encyclopedia.

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