Juggling Tips

David Lynes asked:


Having credit card debt can be very costly and stressful, and when you are juggling a range of credit card debts – as many people are – you could find yourself facing high interest charges as well as the inconvenience and hassle of having to make a range of payments every month. In addition to this a missed or late repayment on your credit cards means that you could be hit with a number of additional charges, which at up to £12 a charge can quickly add up.

At this time of year, with Christmas, New Year, and the January sales approaching, people tend to clock up credit card debt faster than ever. If you intend to repay your credit card balances within the interest free period then you don’t have to worry about interest charges. However, you will still have the hassle of having to keep track of a range of debts if you have several credit cards that you spend on. If you intend to spread your credit card balances, then you also have the additional issue of having to pay high levels of interest on your spending, which can really bump up the cost of any purchases you have made on the card.

One way of getting rid of credit card debt altogether is to consolidate your credit card debts with one convenience, low interest homeowner loan. If you are a homeowner with some level of equity in your property you can enjoy getting a good deal on a homeowner loan, and by using this loan to pay off your credit cards you could save yourself a lot of time, hassle, and money. Instead of juggling several credit card balances, having most of your monthly repayment swallowed up in interest, and risking additional charges through late payments, you can simply enjoy the benefits of making on repayment for the same amount each month.

Credit cards are one of the major sources of consumer debt according to reports, and if you do not have much willpower it is all too easy to let your spending get out of control. If this sounds like you then you could really benefit from getting rid of your cards and taking on a convenient homeowner loan instead. Also, if you tend to make only the minimum repayment on your cards each month it could take you decades to pay off a relatively modest balance, with most of your monthly repayment being swallowed up by interest charges. Again, consolidating these debts with a homeowner loan could really help.

If you have bad credit then you may be using credit cards that cater for those with poor credit, and these typically charge an extremely high rate of interest. Homeowner loans are usually available to those with bad credit, and although the interest rates are higher than those on standard loans for those with good credit you can still get some very competitive deals that will enable you to repay your higher interest bad credit credit cards.



CLAUDE

Cathy Pareto asked:


Life is a constant juggling act. Every day we juggle tasks, time, people and goals. This is especially true when it comes to balancing financial goals, whereby time is not the scarce resource, but money is. The future can seem especially daunting for young families balancing retirement funding goals and college planning for their children. When a dollar can only stretch so far, how can you effectively plan for both?

Advanced education is vital, but it comes at a cost. Short of saving for retirement or buying your dream home, no other expense has that great an impact on the family finances. College costs increase at about twice the inflation rate. Current increases have averaged 5% to 8%. In fact, it is estimated that by 2020, a four year college education could be as much as $287,000 at a private institution and $133,000 at a public one, based on College Board estimates. Ouch. But, are you really prepared to sacrifice your own financial security during retirement for your child’s education?

As expensive as it is to send junior to college, retirement is even costlier. Sadly, nearly half of American households are not saving at all; and two thirds are not saving enough to retire adequately. Couple that challenge with a desire to fund your child’s education and you may have a serious economic dilemma on your hands.

Paying for School

College expenses are traditionally paid from one of several sources: parent’s current income, financial aid/scholarships/grants, and parent’s personal savings. Over the past several years, however, a proliferation of college

savings programs have been introduced including prepaid tuition programs, including:

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts. Formerly called Education IRAs, a Coverdell ESA allows you to put $2,000 away each year per child (if eligible), and you can usually invest the money however you like. Distributions

are tax-free when used for qualified elementary and secondary education, as well as qualified college education

expenses.

Prepaid Tuition Programs. Prepaid tuition plans are college savings plans that are guaranteed to increase in value at the same rate as college tuition. The main benefit of these plans is that they allow a student’s parents to

lock in tuition at current rates. While the state plans vary, if the student attends an in-state public college, the plan

pays the tuition and required fees. If the student decides to attend a private or out-of-state college, the plans

typically pay the average of in-state public college tuition.

529 college savings plans. These plans are a popular choice because they offer the account owner control and flexibility, combined with special income tax and estate benefits. Section 529 college savings plans are tax-

exempt college savings vehicles with a low impact on need-based financial aid eligibility. Unlike prepaid tuition plans, there is no lock on tuition rates and no guarantee. Investments are subject to market conditions, and the

savings may not be sufficient to cover all college costs. However, with this added risk comes to opportunity for potentially earning greater returns.

Today, there are many choices available for parents, but the most important consideration in planning for college or retirement is to start saving as early as possible. The earlier you start to save, the lower the regular contributions will have to be. It’s never too late, or too early to start.

Set Priorities

It’s not easy to be a disciplined saver, but there is no way to survive this funding conundrum without it. In an age where instant gratification is a way of life, it’s tempting to spend today and worry tomorrow. Spend less and save more, while unpopular advice, is necessary advice. The alternative will get you nowhere. So, setting and maintaining a budget will

be critical to your success. It’s nice to spoil our children, but do they really need fifty-seven Xbox games in their collection? Is that trip to Disney really necessary every year? Sacrifice today will help assure a better future tomorrow.

Get the Kids Involved

Parents should be straightforward with their children about how much they will be able to afford. If the child wants to go to a “name-brand” school that costs $35,000 a year, but the parents can only afford $15,000 a year, the student can take part in the choice to find alternative financing or go to the more cost effective school. Remind them that if mommy and

daddy don’t have enough money in retirement, because they spent all their money on college funding, they should get used to the idea of having them as roommates to support when they’re all grown up. So, run the numbers together to see which universities your family can afford. Compare the costs of attending public vs. private institutions and consider the possibilities for financial aid.

The federal government has made it possible for virtually anyone to attend college, despite cost and despite parent’s income. Student loans and parent loans are readily available at low interest rates and payments are often deferred until the student graduates (for most full time students). Too many families incorrectly assume that they won’t qualify because they feel they are too wealthy, but this is not the case. The application process may be somewhat cumbersome, but the benefits far outweigh the (time) costs.

The best financial aid, of course, is free money. Much of the student financial aid comes in the form of loans, but there are grants and scholarships readily available for that patient enough to search for them, and qualify for them.Check out The College Board for more information about college costs, scholarship search strategies and financial aid.

Working While Studying

Parents who wish to only partially subsidize education for their kids (or not fund it at all) have a number of alternatives.Students can apply for loans, work-study or (gasp) get a job. Asking a college student to work and/or take out loans may not seem attractive now (especially for the student). But, there is something to be said about a child that works his way through school. They’re often hungrier, eager and motivated to succeed. Those traits can take you far in life. In fact, some of the best and brightest professionals have managed to do well in school while also managing a job, present

company included. After all, the kids can get student loans to fund education, but when is the last time you heard of retirees taking loans to fund their retirement?

Consider a Whole-Portfolio Approach to Investing

Don’t want to bother compartmentalizing your “pots of money”? No problem. Many of my clients have opted for a more holistic planning approach. A whole-portfolio approach takes into account all of your taxable and tax favored investment accounts. With this approach, you can always earmark certain buckets of your portfolio for certain things. But putting it all

together in one portfolio provides a big-picture view of your overall asset allocation. That way you can manage your total portfolio risk at any given time.

This approach allows you to incorporate your various goals, including college and retirement, into the big picture as you plan for future spending needs. You may find that the financial pie is actually big enough for both, or you may need to adjust one goal or another.

Closing

So, which one is it—college or retirement? Ideally, you don’t want to sacrifice one goal for the other. Try to balance the two so you don’t shortchange your future or your children’s in the process. The decision to put your child’s education before your own retirement is not only an economic decision, but also, an emotional one. Parents feel a sense of obligation to provide a better way of life for their kids, but if they plan carefully, they won’t have to risk their own well being in order to accomplish this.

The consequences of funding education before funding retirement may lead to inadequate retirement funds or prolonging your work years. The choice is yours, so choose wisely.



JARVIS

ShowTimeTickets.com asked:


To mark her 27th birthday, Britney Spears announced her 2009 tour, set to be her return to music. The 35-date North American & United Kingdom tour, aptly entitled, “The Circus Starring Britney Spears” will be the first tour for Spears in over four years.

With the exception of a few random performances and a short-lived attempt at a “comeback” in 2007, the singer has been relatively quiet when it comes to her career. But over the past few years, Spears’ personal life has been the focus of the media and public’s attention. With a marriage, divorce, birth of two children, rehab, custody battles and countless breakdowns and bizarre moments, people had nearly given up on the pop icon and continually referred to her story as a tragedy. Thankfully, with the help of her father, she got her feet back on the ground and headed back to the studio to write and record her latest album.

“Circus” is Spears’ sixth studio album, but certainly the most highly-anticipated of her career to date. Her kick off single “Womanizer” quickly became her first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 since her debut “…Baby One More Time” in 1998, and gained the status of largest opening-week downloads, with 286,000, according to Neilsen SoundScan.



With the whole world rooting for her, Spears will kick-off her “circus” with opening act The Pussycat Dolls in her home-state of Louisiana on March 3, 2009. With a string of Canadian dates intertwined and a 7-date stretch at the O2 Dome in London, UK, The Circus Starring Britney Spears is set to be a record-breaking revival tour!



The Circus Starring Britney Spears 2009 North American tour dates

:


March 3 - New Orleans Arena - New Orleans, LA


March 5 - Philips Arena - Atlanta, GA


March 7 - American Airlines Arena - Miami, FL


March 8 - St Pete Times Forum - Tampa, FL


March 11 - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY


March 13 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ


March 16 - TD Banknorth Garden - Boston, MA


March 18 - Air Canada Centre - Toronto, ON


March 20 - Bell Centre - Montreal, QC


March 24 - Verizon Center Washington - Washington, DC


March 26 - Mohegan Sun Arena - Uncasville, CT


March 27 - Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh, PA


March 28 - Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI


March 29 - Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, NJ


March 30 - Toyota Center - Houston, TX


March 31 - American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX


April 2 - Sprint Center - Kansas City, MO


April 3 - Target Center - Minneapolis, MN


April 6 - Rexall Place - Edmonton, AB


April 8 - General Motors Place - Vancouver, BC


April 9 - Tacoma Dome - Tacoma, WA


April 11 - ARCO Arena - Sacramento, CA


April 12 - HP Pavilion At San Jose - San Jose, CA


April 14 - Energy Solutions Arena - Salt Lake City, UT


April 16 - Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA


April 19 - Honda Center - Anaheim, CA


April 24 - Jobing.com Arena - Glendale, AZ


April 25 - MGM Grand Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV


April 28 - Allstate Arena - Rosemont, IL

The Circus Starring Britney Spears 2009 UK tour dates

:


June 3 - O2 Dome - London, UK


June 4 - O2 Dome - London, UK


June 6 - O2 Dome - London, UK


June 7 - O2 Dome - London, UK


June 10 - O2 Dome - London, UK


June 11 - O2 Dome - London, UK


June 14 - O2 Dome - London, UK

Tickets for Britney Spears “Circus” tour are available at:


ShowTimeTickets.com


604-688-5000


1-800-480-SHOW(7469)


www.showtimetickets.com

NORBERT

Gerald Mason asked:


Everything helping the development of good control must be encouraged, everything hindering it avoided. Their building up is largely unconscious and unnoticed, in-deed even a successful pupil will often feel that little progress is being made-until perhaps quite suddenly he will be surprised to find himself playing effective, confident golf.

I remember with special pleasure how that happened to a young pupil of mine.

She had been in my hands since her childhood and her first experience of a major tournament was when she went over to England for the Ladies’ Open. She actually led the field in the qualifying rounds and was only put out on the last green in the semi-final..

On her return she said to me, “I did not know I could play like that! No one was more surprised than I was. I just played-and everything went right.”

I was delighted, but not so surprised. I knew she had the golf in her and that sooner or later the controls we were building would enable her to play it. But I was delighted, because you would not normally expect a young pupil to play a bit above her best on such a nerve-testing occasion.

So when a golfer says to me, “I must learn to concentrate-concentrate-concentrate!”

I counter with: “No, you must build controls-controls-controls!”

Now I claim that the right way of learning golf has almost nothing in common with the “learning” we did at school; it is an entirely different process. Memorizing the capitals of Europe or a Latin declension, or ‘learning” chemistry or mathematics, are purely mental feats and depend exclusively upon mental memory, whereas I contend that to learn to play good and consistent golf you need muscular memory.

What you need to learn (or memorize) are not the technical or mathematical details of a good shot but the feel of it. If you and every component muscle in you can remember the feel of a good shot, you can make it-and you have become what I term a reflex golfer. That is to say, the good shot has become your “reflex,” or automatic response to the sight of the ball. But please remember that this golf memory is a memory of a cycle of sensations which follow and blend into one another quite smoothly.

Each sensation must be connected up with those which precede and follow it; it cannot be considered independently. The truth is that it cannot even be felt independently. You cannot, to take a crude example, feel the top of your swing as such; you can only feel a sensation between the sensations of the back swing and those of the down swing.

For that reason you must never in golf say, “I’ve got it!” when you think you have found the secret of some shot that has been evading you-unless what you have “got” fits into your cycle of sensations or, as we shall now call them, controls. Because, unless it does so fit in, it cannot become a reliable part of your game. And why do I call sensations controls? Simply because I want you to control your golf by these sensations instead of by thought.

There is another reason why your memory of a golf shot must be a memory of a cycle of sensations, not of a number of separate sensations. It takes an exceedingly skilful juggler to juggle with six glass balls at once, but if the six balls were threaded onto a string most of us could manage them-and the memorizing of sensations as a cycle (instead of as independent items) does thread them up for us very much in this way.

To turn for a moment from learning to teaching. Most of the teaching of golf is completely negative- and a purely negative thing can have no positive value. Why do I say that golf teaching is negative? Well we can all find faults in each other’s game, millions of them, and we all start off to teach golf by pointing out these faults and “curing” them.

I did this for twenty-five years, but I have now discovered that the right way to get a pupil to hit the ball satisfactorily is to watch for any good natural qualities that may be there and to build up the swing around them.

We all hit a good ball sometimes. Maybe with the beginner this is an accident, but the good teacher will use such an accidental shot, photographing it in his mind and starting away to build up controls around the qualities which made it possible.

In this way the beginner can retain his natural capacity to hit the ball and will gain confidence in his ability to do it-and so go on enjoying his game and improving it. But if the teacher merely points out to him a dozen or more faults in his swing he will become perplexed, confused, and fed up. For that reason I never tell a pupil his faults (which is negative teaching).

I notice the faults, of course, and suggest the necessary corrections (which is positive). So I never tell a pupil that he over swings and breaks his left arm, I explain width to him. That is to say I give him a positive conception and by working on it he actually cures his faults without even being aware that he had them.

Now there is another point about teaching which I would like to emphasize. You will find that in this work I have not tried to set down a set of controls in one way and leave it at that. I have tried to set the same things down and explain them in many different ways. So when you find me repeating myself do not think it is carelessness!

All good teachers must repeat, but never in exactly the same words or with just the same connections. I want to give you a clear idea of the controls which will enable you to produce an effective swing, and I do not mind if I have to say the same thing in a dozen different ways so long as one of the twelve gets home with you. I hope you will not mind either, because you should be able to pick something new out of the other eleven also.

I learned golf by the long way-trial and error-and I want to lead you away from that to a method which is methodical and is effective whatever your age or your handicap may be.

If you accept my method of learning you do not need a lot of practice on the course to improve; you can assimilate the principles in your armchair and put in useful practice on the hearth rug-where you need no club because ye»u can feel your muscular movements without it. You must learn to feel the sensations through your intellect and then forget them intellectually and leave them to your muscular memory or control system.

How long does it take to “learn golf”? Well I am still learning after forty-five years of it!

I have known pupils who hit the ball very well after only four lessons and others who have taken a year or more to do even moderately well, but time is apt to level things out a lot. Golf is a curious game in being easy of comprehension but (sometimes) very long in realization. There is much darkness in the early stages, and it is only after a few years at the game that we really come out into full daylight and can assess our own possibilities.

Early difficulties are often emphasized by age or physical make-up. While I was writing this I had just started two young ladies-one of sixteen who is still at college but weighs about one hundred and seventy pounds and another in the early twenties who weighs less than half that.

Apart from the weight of their clubs the conditions will be the same for both, yet obviously their problems will work out very differently. And we have all got our physical individuality and peculiarities in the layout of bones and development of muscles.

But I have found by long experience that these things usually level themselves out in the end-I have seen many gifted and precocious beginners fail simply because they would not put in the hard work which is essential before the elementary stage is passed, and only when the elementary stage is passed can golf genius come to the surface.

On the other hand I remember one pupil of mine who started very young and at times could hardly get the ball off the ground; yet at eighteen she was scratch and Champion of France. And as I have already told, I started another lady at forty and though she was not gifted she was a worker and ten years later she eliminated Mme Lacoste from the French Open!

If you work in this way your golf will be progressive. You will still (being human) get bad patches, but each bad patch will tend to be less bad and each good patch will tend to be better, because you are building up your game.

So do not despair if you are trying to learn golf, or better golf, and getting no results. It may be that you have been trying to learn too many things (like juggling with too many balls) and when you have tried to add just one more, your whole game has broken down on you. We will simplify the things you have to learn by stringing them together into cycles of sensation because they are then easier to remember and easier to add to.



DAN

William Tucker asked:


Hanging of the Elephant in Erwin, Tennessee

Circus animal abuse is something that has always occurred. Not only does it happen to this day among circuses, but it also happened during the 1900’s. Here, we will take a closer look at one of the most well known cases of animal abuse, in which an animal was put to death for a human’s mistake.

During the year of 1916, the Sparks Brothers Circus came to the town of Saint Paul, which is located in Virginia. With them came Mary the elephant, who was thirty years old and weighed five tons. The circus owner, Charlie Sparks, needed a full-time caretaker for Mary. Of course, during this point in time, it was not necessary to have any type of training or experience with animals in order to become an animal trainer for the circus. The inexperienced Red Eldridge was given the job.

The circus traveled to Kingsport, Tennessee. September 12th was Red Eldridge’s first day working as an elephant caretaker. Although it is not completely known what has happened that day, one story tends to hold true. This is that Eldridge used a prodding stick in order to “control” Mary. Unfortunately, by trying to “control” the animal through this torturous technique, he instead enraged her. Mary grabbed Eldridge with her trunk, swung him through the air, and threw him- causing him to hit a drink stand. Once Red Eldridge hit the ground, Mary trampled on him, killing him instantly.

From this moment on, the poor creature was known and recognized as “Murderous Mary”, and was put in chains due to her behavior. Although it has been determined that after she killed Eldridge, Mary was a calm animal and did not attack anyone else, people still believed that she needed to be put to rest for her actions. In fact, there were a number of different towns who claimed that they would not allow the circus to come until Mary was killed.

Charlie Sparks decided, against his dismay, that the only way to keep his circus in business was to kill Mary in public. On September 13th, 1916, Mary was hung from an industrial crane that was mounted by a railcar. The first time that they tried to hang her, a chain snapped which caused Mary to fall from the crane and break her hip. The second time that they tried to hang her, they were successful. Mary was then buried beside the railroad tracks near the spot where she was hung.

Charlie Sparks was inducted into the circus hall of fame in 1961, irregardless of the decision that he made to put this poor animal to death. The legend of this brutal elephant hanging that happened in Erwin, Tennessee still lives on till this day.

This article is provided freely by: www.tuckerestate.com any reproduction requires credit to our website.



VANCE

Michael Breck asked:


Here is more Magic from Scotland to add to your growing collection!

Finding the four aces from in a deck of cards is one of the great classic tricks of Magic. Here is an easy version which will enhance your reputation as a Magician.

How The Trick Appears To The Audience

The Magician hands a pack of cards to a member of the audience and asks them to shuffle the deck thoroughly.

He then asks them to cut the deck several times.

The magician takes the pack and puts it in his pocket.

He says he is going to try to find four special cards.

He reaches into his pocket, and after a bit of searching, removes one card and places it face-down on the table or someone’s hand.

He does not allow anyone to see the card.

The Magician keeps on doing this until he has removed four cards.

He asks the audience if they believe in Magic.

Regardless of the their answer, he turns the four cards face up, one by one.

Each card is an ace!

How The Trick Is Done

Like all good tricks, the secret is simple. However, it is also very bold, so you must carry it off with confidence.

Before you do the trick, you remove the four aces and place them in your pocket with the faces towards your body. This is important because you will want to bring them out face down when you are performing the trick.

When you are ready to do the trick, hand someone the pack of cards and ask them to shuffle and cut the deck as much as they want to.

Do not mention anything about the aces.

Then take the pack and place it in your pocket in front of the four aces. The pack is next to your body and the four aces are on top of the pack.

Say you are going to perform a very difficult trick and your are going to try and find some special cards in the deck.

The audience will be left wondering what you intend to do and it all adds to the suspense.

Reach into your pocket and after a bit of pretend searching, remove the top card of the pack and place it face down on the table.

Repeat the same procedure with the other three aces.

You are now ready for the big finale.

Tell the audience that one of the most difficult tricks in the world is finding the four aces in a pack of cards.

Turn the cards over one by one and watch the expressions on all their faces!

They will be absolutely amazed and shocked.

If you perform this trick well, you will get the reputation of being a great Magician.



BUDDY

Carl Pantejo asked:


By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo, Copyright August 2008

 

“Prosperity: The eternal flow of all that’s good in life…”

 

(*This article is based on the ideas presented in the book “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor,” Copyright August 2007 and further expanded upon in “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor, Book II,” Release Date: 2008. Pantejo - Y.N. Vurce Publishing.)

 

Even though all personal situations of break-up are different, and recovery from heartbreak can take months (if not years), I’ve found that there really is a simple way to begin healing.

 

I call it the “Thank You Trick.” But it’s not really a trick. It’s not a temporary illusion that loses its luster after all the mechanics are revealed. It works like pure magic.

 

And it becomes more real when you understand why it works.

 

It moves you away from the victim mentality and puts you back in the driver’s seat of your mind (and your life). It replaces resentment with gratitude.

 

And it lays down a solid foundation for hope.

 

The following article briefly explains what it is, how to do it, and a few reasons why it works so effectively.

 

But first, the most common way of coping…

 

- Denial and Suppression -

 

The most common, but ultimately useless, method of coping with negative emotions associated with a break-up is Denial or Suppression.

 

Denial or Suppression of those bad feelings (i.e., confusion, sadness, anger, etc.) will only plant them deeper into your soul where they grow and eventually overtake all the good in your life.

 

Over the years, I’ve experienced and observed this first-hand many times.

 

Initially, many people enjoy temporary relief by burying their emotions from plain sight. Like the proverbial ostrich, they think the feelings will automatically go away if they just ignore them long enough.

 

You know what I mean?

 

You feel like you’ve finally gotten over it. The heartache monster has jumped off your chest, allowing you to breathe a little easier. In fact, you can actually take a few deep, long breaths again. You’re not “a stutter of a breath away” from sadness and tears anymore.

 

Then something triggers the flood gates to open - again.

 

It could be an old song, a familiar place, a food, a fragrance, or even one of the hundreds of “ex look-alikes” that seem to come out of the woodwork after your lover leaves your life. Then the growing, pent up emotions emerge, breaking down all your carefully built barriers like a raging tsunami.

 

It’s painful and torturous to live on the edge of such an emotional abyss. You need to find some way to gain control of these situations. Failure to do so leaves you at the mercy of everything and anyone that could trigger another session of sadness.

 

- Don’t try to Erase. Change or Replace -

 

In the case of your emotions and thoughts, if they don’t serve you in any positive way, they need to be modified or replaced.

 

Emotions, like thoughts, can’t be erased. They can only be changed (or replaced). Think of it this way: Your mind is similar to digital media. Nothing is ever erased, just edited or overwritten.

 

The “Thank You Trick” can do this.

 

But before I explain how to do it, we must discuss the nature of things…

 

- All Things Must “Be” -

 

To understand why the “Thank You Trick” works, you need to grasp the importance of “being” and why it’s absolutely vital for healing.

 

Your feelings, like everything else in life, need to “be,” before they can change and move on. Recognition, Acceptance, and Love are the only ways to let them “have their time” and flow back into the current of life to teach the next person.

 

You are blocking your own growth by clinging to the past.

 

The past is past.

 

Now is your only time.

 

Your present moment is where your power resides; the power to heal past hurts, and the power to lay the groundwork for a better tomorrow for you and your loved ones.

 

All living things must change (meaning: grow/evolve) or die.

 

That’s why it’s called Life.

 

You need to get to the point where the thoughts of your “ex” have changed/evolved so much that they can pass through your mind without stirring up negative emotions.

 

- Pain Redux -

 

There was a reason you attracted him or her; hence, he/she entered your life. Your “ex” manifested in your life to let you experience something and to teach you something important about yourself.

 

Without learning from this experience, your individual lesson of life, you are doomed to painfully repeat it over and over again.

 

Ultimately, you must find that lesson, embrace it, and learn from it. Then, and only then can you truly be free.

 

- The Light Switch Syndrome –

 

Too many things in life are erroneously categorized into separate, discreet entities; when in fact, they are just gradations of the same thing. Like a light switch, it seems easier to view the world as either on or off, this or that, black or white, etc.

 

But think of it. All dichotomies in Life are mere misinterpretations of reality.

 

For the Intrepid Life Traveler, isn’t “success” and “failure” just two points on the achievement continuum?

 

Isn’t “hot” and “cold” just two ways to describe temperature? Aren’t the colors of the rainbow all part of the perceived spectrum of light? Aren’t “misery” and “joy” just two residents on the same plane called happiness?

 

Indeed, like Paolo Cuello wrote in his book “The Alchemist,”

 

*EVERYTHING IS ONE*

 

In fact, the only time anything appears to be completely separate from the whole, not just a plain individuation, is when someone tries vainly to stunt its growth (i.e., keep it from changing/evolving by stubbornly trying to hold it in place).

 

And trying to hold a moving, growing object in place takes enormous amounts of energy.

 

It (stasis) goes against the prime directive of Life: to change, grow, and evolve, etc., and severely taxes the body and soul in the process.

 

So, why waste your precious Life Energy on a futile activity?

 

Why stunt your personal growth trying to prevent the inevitable; especially when the only person you’re hurting is yourself?

 

- The “Thank You Trick” -

 

Okay, let’s finally discuss the “Thank You Trick.”

 

The following exercise may sound silly; but believe me, for many simple and complex reasons, it works. Try it for at least one week; concentrating on one day, one thought at a time.

 

Just one week and I bet you’ll feel better.

 

Here’s what to do the next time you begin feeling bad about your “ex”:

 

Instead of feeling bad or confused when you think of your “ex,” say this to yourself (preferably aloud),

 

“Thank You _______ (name of your “ex”). We had some good times and some bad times. I really learned a lot about myself from you. And it’s made me a better person. I completely forgive you and myself. And I sincerely hope you find your way.”

 

Just simply say Thank You.

 

That’s it, but I know it won’t be easy. Naturally, it will be hard at first and you’ll feel weird doing it. Don’t be surprised if a part of you actually resists the first few attempts. Don’t worry. It gets much easier with practice.

 

Think to yourself, “Just one instance at a time. Whenever I get those old bad feelings again, I will use my secret weapon: the Thank You Trick.”

 

Daily, at an accelerated rate, you will notice many things. The intensity of your hurt begins to diminish and you’ll find yourself employing the Thank You Trick less and less.

 

Before you know it, you’ll realize that you can think about your “ex” more as an observer and not be thrown immediately into a past, hurtful experience.

 

Remember, you can never really leave a situation unless you leave it through recognition, acceptance, and love.

 

And without going into deep spirituality, the bottom line is this: Saying thank You injects gratitude into the mix.

 

Gratitude keeps you connected to everything and is purely positive; hence, being more grateful will attract more positive things, events, and people into your life.

 

Gratitude is much more powerful than you think. It opens the door, letting love and forgiveness to rush in.

 

And it will heal you.

 

- Short list of Benefits -

 

The “Thank You Trick” does the following:

 

1. Puts you back in control; moving you away from the victim mentality.

2. Replaces (not suppresses) negative emotions.

3. Instills gratitude and attracts more positive things into your life.

4. Promotes forgiveness and love.

 

In short, the Thank-You Trick allows you to recognize, accept, and love all situations in your life - no matter how painful they may seem.

 

And having “run its due course” your pain and suffering will naturally move on.

 

Try the Thank-You Trick.

 

What have you got to lose?

 

I bet you’ll be delightfully surprised how much better you will feel.

 

Good life to you and yours…



“Until next time, be brave enough to take a Different Path.”

 

Your Friend in this Intrepid Journey called Life,

 

Carl “J.C.” Pantejo

 

Heartache, heartbreak, break up, Thank You Trick, Gratitude, control, victim mentality.

 

Note: If you want to read more about Universal Laws, success, unconditional love, exorcizing past personal demons, and the Illusive Secret of Happiness, please read the following articles:

 

“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path: Guardian Angels and Universal Laws.”

 

“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (2): Trying too hard?”

 

“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (3): First, Be Effective.”

 

“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (4): Intend. Be Certain.”

 

“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (5): Why me or why not me? Your choice.”

 

“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (6): Gratitude – What’s Your Perspective?”

 

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ series, articles (1) – (24).” (This is a series of articles about love, romance, Asian/Western relationships, relationship analysis, and more.)

 

“How Dare She! Out of Desperation I Learned How to Forgive”

 

“Remember Who You Are!”

 

“Need to Heal Your Broken Heart? Read on. Overcome Heartbreak and Learn the Illusive Secret of Happiness.”

And much more!

 

(By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo and published internet-wide, keyword: [title of article] or “Carl Pantejo”)

 

 

Pantejo@ynvurcepublishing.com

 

 



CHAD

Gregg Hall asked:


Skateboarding is one of those sports where you need to learn and be able to do a lot of tricks or you just are not going to make it very far in the skateboarding industry. You need to be able to land all the tricks that you can do as well as execute them.

Aerials are the types of tricks you do on a half pip or a quarter pipe or maybe even a little kicker ramp so get high up in the air. You will want to get a lot of speed so you can hit a good transition and get off the wood and into the air. You will want to learn how to do these tricks on a half pipe or quarter pipe before you start trying to be a pro.

The Ollie is the first trick that anyone should learn when they are trying to learn to skateboard. You are going to have both of your feet not to far apart when you are setting up for this trick. You will have your back foot on the tail and your front foot slightly in the middle of the board or 4 inches before the screws in front of your front foot. This way you will have enough time to pop the deck and slide your front foot up to get the ollie down.

Flips tricks come as you get better you will want to try to flip the board after you have learned the Ollie. After you can Ollie about a foot or two you will want to try to start kicking your foot out when you slide your front foot forward. This way when you are doing your Ollie, you just slide your foot up and out to start learning flip tricks. After you have learned some of these you are probably getting pretty good.

You will do grabs whenever you do a big air on a half pipe or quarter pipe. All you do is get your air off the transition and then grab your board when you get air. It is the easiest trick to do because you are just in the air holding the board. There are grabs called indys, roastbeefs, stalefish, Japan air, there are all kinds of names for grab tricks when you are in the air. You just need to learn how to get air before you can even start learning these tricks. You can also do these tricks on a kicker or launch ramp.

The grind is another basic trick I think you just start on a mini half pipe and use the coping at the top which is the metal and you just try to grind and grind the metal with the trucks of your skateboard.

Slides are tricks which you use a metal rail to slide your skateboard across while still being on the skateboard and sliding on the rail. These tricks are going to be harder then you think and you might hurt yourself or at least fall several times before you try sliding wood on metal.



IRVING

DiscoveredArtists.com Media Relations asked:


CHICAGO, IL  A growing trend among independent artists is evident in the number of artists who are selling paintings, sculpture and fine art photos on the internet.

Chicago based DiscoveredArtists.com, an internet marketplace for buying and selling art, reports that more than four-hundred artists have joined their online art gallery in the past sixty days.

These international, independent artists are following a growing trend among artists who are searching for a better way to sell their art.  They’re looking for an alternative to selling at art shows and to relying on art galleries to represent them.

The cost to exhibit work at art shows, according to many artists has skyrocketed over the recent summer season.  And, traditionally, artists have relied on art galleries to represent them.  But, few artists are able to get galleries to sell their work and, even those who can, are often frustrated by the high commissions that galleries attach to each sale where an artist receives only half of the selling price.

So, many artists are looking for a better way to show and to sell their art, and they’re looking to the internet as the next, big thing. 

Established artists as well as emerging artists are flocking to the internet to promote their work and sell their artwork online to the general public more efficiently.

One of them is veteran artist, Richard Black, creator of Smokey the Bear and illustrator of the legendary advertising icon, Mr. Clean. The internet-savvy artist started his career long before plastic keyboards were invented, but was quick to embrace the world wide web as a place to show and sell his art.

Black, who is an eighty-something, teaches at a local university, paints every day and regularly uploads finished paintings to his online art gallery. Like most artists he has had to acquire the technical skill to photograph and create high resolution images that are so important for successful e-commerce art sales.

Of course, internet generation artists like fine art photographer Crina Prida are a natural for showing and selling their work online. Prida who is a medical student, lives and works in Cluj, Romania and has only been a serious photographer for two years.

The artist has already won a number of local competitions, but more important, she is gaining internationl exposure by showing and selling her work online.

Starting artists like Prida who promote themselves on the internet are positioned to create a much larger following for their work than previous generations of artists ever could hope to cultivate.

And this is why artists are flocking to show and sell their work online. Self-representation in what is now a world-wide art gallery is a trend that is quickly changing the art world, and how artists go to market.

And, it’s a positive change for art buyers, too.  Real art is now more accessible and more affordable to the general public than ever before.  For the first time in history artists have a practical way to show and sell their work, and buyers have a practical way to find and buy real art.  The internet is a worldwide art gallery a thousand times larger than the Louvre and much easier to browse.



Veteran artist, Richard Black, creator of Smokey the Bear and illustrator of the legendary advertising icon, Mr. Clean uploads his fine art oil paintings to his virtual art gallery at DiscoveredArtists.com.  Black, who is an eighty-something, teaches at a local university, paints every day and sells his work online.  He ships paintings directly from his studio in Ohio, USA.  His online art gallery has more than two dozen original paintings available for sale.  This painting, titled Africa is an 18″ x 24″ original oil on stretched canvas.  VIEW LARGER



Crina Prida lives and works in Cluj, Romania and has been a serious photographer for only two years.  Starting artists like Prida who promote themselves on the internet are positioned to create a much larger following for their work than previous generations of artists ever could hope to cultivate.  This fine art photograph is one in a series of photos titled Circus Set available in Prida’s online art gallery at DiscoveredArtists.com.  The artwork is approximately 16″ x 16″ and is priced at $150.  The artist ships directly from her studio in Romania. VIEW LARGER

About DiscoveredArtists.com

DiscoveredArtists.com literally searches the world for talented artists who produce collector-quality, decorative art.  The artists range in experience from starting artists to established artists.  But, it’s not about the artist … it’s about the artwork and the value to the buyer.

DiscoveredArtists.com’s marketing team advises artists on how to display and describe their work, but artists independently set their own prices. Paintings are shipped directly to buyers from the artist’s studio, so there is no middle man, gallery markups or handling fees which helps keep prices reasonable.



EARL

dusty road asked:


Have you ever trained your dogs to do some tricks? Would it be nice to have a pet that knows tricks? I know the feeling of those dog owners who can ask their pet dogs to follow their commands. You will be a proud owner when you know that your dog could do some tricks, you will love to show and brag your dog to your friends and neighbors.

Here are some basic and simple steps to teach your dogs different tricks

. Let’s start with the common trick for dogs which is the “handshake”. It’s pretty simple just start by having the dog sit and say “shake hands” and take his paw with your hand. Hold them and say “good dog” then let go of the paw. Do this few times everyday and after sometime say “shake hands” and see if he raises his paw if not then keep showing him what to do when you say “shake hands” until he will learn the command and the trick.

Next common trick is fetching. You can start the dog by cutting a slit in a tennis ball and placing some treats in it. Show your dog that there are treats inside the ball and give him one. Then throw the ball and run with him when he gets the ball and then give him treat. Do this few times until your dog will get the ball every time you throw it because he wants the treat. Your dog would soon figure that in order to have a treat he has to take the ball and give it to you. When this happens start throwing the ball two times in a row without giving him treats so that he will learn to get the ball without rewarding him.

Another easy trick to teach your dog is the “kiss”. Whenever a dog licks your face say to him “give me a kiss, good boy”. If he is not a licker then place peanut butter on your cheek and say to him “give me a kiss” when he licks it off say to him “give me a kiss” again. That command will be remembered by your dog because you put words with something he does. Be sure that after he follows the kiss command be sure to praise him and give him a hug. Rub his ears and say “good boy”. Dogs love that.

It’s easy to teach dogs how to do tricks but there are some dog owners that are having a hard time training their dogs to do tricks. Teaching tricks to our dogs need a big amount of patience. There are times that you have to do the steps a few times and your dog quickly learns and there are also times when it gets frustrating that the dog would learn to do the trick for months or years. Here are other easy tricks that you can teach your dogs.



WADE