Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The origin of the Christmas Tree


Christmas tree is that which is very important in Christmas celebrations and all over world it is been followed.

Once upon a time, in a country far away to the north, there lived two little children who wear good, obedient and kind.

On cold winter night they were sitting close by the fire in their cozy house when they heard a timid knock. The little boy ran to open the door , and his little sister followed. There upon the steps , in the snow and the wind and the darkness, they saw a child, no older then themselves. He had no shoes on his feet , and his garments was thin and ragged.

‘Please, may I come in to your house and sit a while by your fire?’ He asked.

‘Yes, Yes’ exclaimed both children, ‘Come into our cozy house , and sit beside the fire?’

The children took the hands of the little stranger, and led him in their own seat by the fire place. They heaped more wood on the fire, and bought a warm blanket to put about his thin, shivering body. They gave him their supper of bread and milk, and he ate it all; for he was very hungry. Then the little boy bought his own new pair of shoes, and gave them to the stranger , saying:

‘My old shoes are strong and comfortable. They are quite good enough for me. You must journey in the snow and ice. Take my shoes and welcome.’

The little girl looked at the stranger’s thin ragged garments. Then she took her own new red coat from the peg where it hunt, and gave it to the visitor saying:

‘Take my warm coat. I have a cozy home, and a warm fire to sit beside, while you must wander in the snow and ice with only thin ragged garments.’


Soon the stranger grew drowsy. His eyes closed and his head nodded. Then the children said:


‘Here is our nice, soft, warm bed. Sleep here and may God give you sweet dreams.’

That night the boy and the girl slept on the hard floor of the house. They were cold, but their hearts were warm, for they could hear the little stranger berating evenly, and they knew he was sleeping in warmth and comfort.

Early the next morning, before it was light, the little boy and the girl heard the sweet music. They looked about to see from whence it came and saw to their surprise that the little stranger’s bed was empty.

The sweet music grew louder and nearer, and they ran to the door to see what they could see. There in the darkness they saw a group of little children, dressed in glimmering garments of light, approaching dressed in glimmering garments of light, approaching the house. The little ones were dancing and singing and playing on golden harps; and their leader was the strange child, but now different! He was no longer barefoot and clad in a thin, ragged garments. Nor was he wearing the little girls red coat and the little boy’s new shoes. He was dressed in shining garments, and about his head glowed a heavenly light.

He advanced to the door, and with a sweet, soft voice said to the astonished children:

‘I was cold and you gave me shelter, and your own place by the warm fire. I was hungry and you gave all your own supper; I was almost naked, and you gave me your best garments, I was weary, and you gave me your own soft bed, while you slept on the hard floor.’

‘I am the Christ- child. I wander about the world, testing children to see who are worthy. To those who are kind and good and unselfish, I bring peace and happiness.’

The children could not take their eyes off the shining Christ-child. While they stared, the child broke a branch from a fir-tree and planted it in the snow, saying:

‘You have shared with me all that you have. So this tree, each year will bear precious fruit for you.’

Thus the Christ-child spoke and vanished with the group of children who were singing heavenly music. The boy and the girl looked and listened until they had disappeared, and when they turned again to look at the fir-tree, behold! It has borne fruit: sparking candles, bright garlands and beautiful gifts.

And so from that day to this, the Christmas tree has blossomed and borne rich fruit at Christmas time for all children who are good, kind and unselfish.

By
Santhosh P kumar.

A Carol story


O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM


Scenes from the warring countries, and acts terrorism, appearing on our television screens are repeatedly horrific and sickening. Soldiers firing on one another, and at civilians, Children with hate-filled faces hurling rocks and shouting defiance. Men and women weeping over the slain. Destruction, blood, and death. It is appalling, Because of that, the Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem during some years were subdued, and attendance restricted. The site of a famous birth became a scene of danger and of carnage.

It has not always been that way as, years by years; tourists have flocked to the town to commemorate Christ’s birth. In 1865, a pastor named Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
Spent the seasons in the Holy Land. While there, he attended the Christmas Eve service in the church of the nativity, believed to be built over the site of Jesus’ birth. The quite reverence of that sacred time made a deep impression on Brooks. And that striking difference between a peaceful Bethlehem and today’s bloody battleground, might well cause us to ponder the broader contrast between life and death.

It is contrast that is central to the Christian gospel. Why does the cross, an instrument of cruelty and death, decorate our churches, and often find use as a personal ornament? For many it is because their God reached down to save lot of fallen mankind. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us ….God sent His only begotten son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1Jn -3:16; 4:9). Calvary, “the place of a skull” (Jn 19:17) because the arena where eternal life was purchased by the blood of Christ. There is life out of death.

Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) believed that, and taught it in his Church. He was known in his day as the “Prince of the Pulpit.” One of America’s greatest preachers, his sermons are still read and studies today. At six foot six, his presence in the pulpit was impressive-as was his machine-gun delivery, at a rate of 250 words per minute! But Pastor Brooks was a man of deep devotion as well. He served his congregation for twenty- two years, and thought a life-long bachelor; he had a great affection for the children.


When his church planned a Christmas program, in 1868, he thought back to the blessing he had received in that memorable service in Bethlehem. With that in mind, Brooks wrote a song for the children to sing. His Sunday school superintendent (and church Organist) Lewis Render, provided the music. The resulting creation is the now familiar carol, “O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.”



It Begins, “O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, how still we see thee lie! / Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.” In contrast to the violence of the ongoing conflict, the songs picture a scene of tranquility and peace. Even so, in the calm of that first Christmas night, something awesome and life transforming occurred. The saviour was born; the “everlasting Light” was given.

Our attitude towards Christmas is colored by our response to the one whose name it bears. Consider the closing verse of the carol:

“O Holy child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.”

That is a prayer, and a poetic description of God’s plan of salvation.

It is by trusting in Christ’s Calvary work, we can be saved. Through personal faith in Him, we are born again, born into the family of God. The Bible says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: Who wear born ….of God” (Jn 1:12-13). And the offer still stands. In the words of Phillips Brooks, “Where meek souls will receive Him still, / the dear Christ enter in.”


By
S. John Barathi.


Source : CSI Life
December 2008 Edition.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas Celebration around the world







Kolar Gold Fields (K.G.F) . INDIA "christmas Celebration"

All over the World the Christmas is celebrated on 25th of December this is Beautiful day all over the Earth , every were the lights and decorate lights , crib , stars, cakes and gifts will be the Christmas. Christmas is celebrated by all the Christians and other religions too. In India too Christmas is celebrate very grand and at KGF ( Kolar Gold Field ) too in the beginning of December the Christmas flag is hoisted all over KGF and the Christmas carol is been started from 2nd of December and all over KGF will be in Christmas dream and the markets will be full in this month and the cloths shops will jam packed, Tailors will work in night shifts to stitch the new cloths and the sweets like Galagala, Adarsam, Ravaladu, Sweet puffs, Rose Cookeis and Muruku are very famous in Christmas celebration.

On the Christmas Eve every were people will be in the forest to bring manjupill (forest grass) to build a crib and to bring a Christmas tree and Dances, party, Church mid- night services will be a part of celebration. And on Christmas day flowers and Morning Church Services, Christmas plum cakes, Beef and chicken plays a vital role in K.G.F and chicken Briyani , Mutton Briyani, and Beef Briyani will be prepared in each and every House and friends and family member will be presented in the celebration. In K.G.F. all the religion will celebrate the Birth of Christ.

Merry Christmas.

Belgium

On the 6th of December sinterklaas or Saint-Nicholas is celebrated, which is an entirely different holiday for Christmas. Santa Claus in Belgium is called de Kerstman or le Pere Noel and he do come around on Christmas day to bring children presents. Small family presents are given at Christmas too, under the tree, or in stockings near the fire-place, to be found in the morning. Christmas breakfast is a special sweet bread called ‘cougnou’ or ‘cougnolle’ the shape is supposed to be like baby Jesus. Some families will have another big meal on Christmas day.

Portugal

People adhere to the tradition that Father Christmas brings presents to children on Christmas Eve. The presents are left under the Christmas tree or in shoes by the fireplace. A special Christmas meal of salted dry cod-fish with boiled potatoes is eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Russia

In the days of Soviet Union, Christmas was not celebrated very much. New Year was the important time –when ‘Father Frost’ brought presents to children. With the fall of Communism, Christmas can be openly celebrated – either on December 25th ; or more often on January 7th . This unusual date is because the Russian Orthodox Church uses the old ‘Julian’ calendar for religious celebration days. Special Christmas food includes cakes, pies and ‘meat dumplings’.

Sweden

The most important day is Christmas Eve. A special Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve – ham (Pork), Herring fish and Brown Beans. This is the time when families give presents to each other . Many people attend a church meeting early on Christmas Day.



By
santhosh P kumar

CHRISTMAS









C is the Christ child and the child in all of us.
H is for Heart of God, in whom we place our trust.
R is our Redeemer, who is finished with His chore.
I is for Isaiah, Who had told it all before.
S is for shepherd lowly shepherds came to see.
T is for three wise men, who were wise beyond degree.
M is for a Manger, where He lay.
A is for bright Angels who were standing by that day.
S is for the Star that shone and still shines out today.

by



John Clifton Costner.












Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Who invented the fountain pen?




The earliest surviving fountain pens date to the early 18th
(Or possibly later 17th) century; they are made of metal, and most
Used cut quills as nibs, although gold-nibbed examples are also known.
These are often called "Bion" pens, after the French royal instrument
Maker Nicolas Bion (1652-1733) who described them in a
Treatise first published in 1709. Bion made no claim to be their inventor,
Nor is there any evidence that he ever made such pens himself -- let alone, held a patent on them.

Notable players of the era included Mabie Todd, John Holland, Wirt, and
Waterman; New York City was the main center of activity, having long
Been the center of the gold nib trade.

Lewis Edson Waterman's first pens were conventional in design,
And while his original patented feed was undoubtedly effective,
It was by no means the first designed to harness the principle of capillary attraction.
To the extent it represented an advance, it was incremental – not a true breakthrough
Of the sort that turns an unworkable idea into a useful application.
The popularity of the instruments produced by Waterman's precursors is
Evidence enough that they were eminently practical, even if they weren't the
Equal of instruments to come, and it is surely no accident that the Waterman
Company’s claim of having made the first practical fountain pen was not
Trumpeted until well after its founder's death -- indeed, after virtually all the
Pioneers of the 1870s and 1880s were safely off the scene.

INFO COLLECTOR
INNOVATOR: K.BALAKRISHNA. (Kolar gold fields)
MEMBER: NIF & CIIE

Photo by santhosh P kumar

THE HISTORY OF GAS MASK







Lewis Haslett's "Inhaler or Lung Protector," 1847
Among the early forerunners of the gas mask was a device invented in 1847 by
Lewis P. Haslett of Louisville, KY. It allowed breathing through a nose or mouth piece fitted with two one-way clapper

valves: one to permit the inhalation of air through a bulb-shaped filter, and the other to vent exhaled air directly into the atmosphere.
Similar use of valves became common in later masks. The filter material — wool or other porous substance moistened with water —
was suited to keeping out dust or other solid particulates, but would not have been effective against poison gas.

In 1849, Haslett's Lung Protector was granted the first US patent for an air-purifying respirator.

John Tyndall - Fireman's Respirator, 1871

In 1871, the prominent British physicist John Tyndall wrote about his new invention: a "fireman's respirator"
that combined the protective features of the Stenhouse mask and other breathing devices. After continued development,
he exhibited this early form of gas mask at a meeting of the Royal Society in London in 1874. The July 1875 issue
of Manufacturer and Builder described it as follows:

Prof. Tyndall's fireman's hood ... is supplied with a respirator, consisting of a valve chamber and filter-tube
about four inches long, screwed on outside, with access to it from the inside by a wooden mouthpiece.
The respiratory agency consists of cotton wool saturated with glycerin, lime, and charcoal; the lime absorbs
the carbonic acid, (one of the products of combustion,) the glycerin acts on the smoke particles, and the charcoal
on the hydro-carbon developed in vapors, and Prof. Tyndall declared that after protecting himself with a hood thus
prepared he could go into an atmosphere of the most atrocious character and live for a half an hour where he could not,
unprotected, have existed for a single minute.

Info collector
Author : Innovator K.BALAKRISHNA. (Kolar gold field)
MEMBER : CIIE & NIF

Friday, November 7, 2008

Happy Birthday to Padmasree Kamal Hassan























Wishing A Very Happy Birthday to Kamal Hassan.
But wat kamal says about his Birthday.
Die hard fans of kamal Hassan like me What to da ?


Click the Image to view Large.
Check Dasaavatharam 100 days poster


By
santhosh

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Indian mission to Moon.








The 1st Photo is The image of Earth as viewed by Chandrayaan, Chandrayaan is a satelite.


Indian mission to Moon called Chandrayaan which was Launched from Sri harikota ,Andra Pradesh State India.


By
Santhosh

Saturday, September 27, 2008

First Indian to Compose a Symphony


Illayaraja is the first Indian to compose a symphony. Illayaraja composed a full-length western classical symphony in July 1993. The hour long symphony was composed by him in one month. Illayaraja is the first Asian whose symphony was performed by John Scott of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which is patronized by Queen Elizabeth and whose president is Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Illayaraja is also a famous film composer, singer, and lyricist. He has composed over 4,000 songs and provided background music for more than 800 Indian films in various languages. He has thrice won the National Film Award for Best Music Director.

by

santhosh

Illayaraja about A R Rahman





Dr Illayaraja is Guru to A R Rahman, Ilaiyaraaja says he always knew Rahman was a bright spark. “That's why I took him into my troupe! My keyboard player was drunk so I told my team to get me a player from somewhere. They came back saying a little boy was there - I was okay with the 11-year-old!” he smiles. From placing his fingers on the keyboard to helping him play, he's proud of his ‘little spark' who has sure has gone places.

The 1st photo is Dr Illayaraja
The 2nd photo is A.R.Rahaman

by
santhosh

Robot




The most expensive in India are Robot ( Eantheram) star by super star Rajanikanth and Aishwarya Rai Directed by Shankar and Music by A. R. Rahman.


Catch the still of Robot. Machu Pachhu, Peru.


I will be back soon with Marmayogi star by Kamal Hassan, Trisha and Shriya Music by A.R. Rahman. the another expensive movie of india.




Both the Movie are budget of more then 150 cr INR




By


santhoah

Friday, September 26, 2008

“Thiruvasagam” “Medical Miracle”


It is surprising to hear the word “Medical Miracle” with Maestro Music Director “Illayaraja” Confusing!!! It was a Tamil couple who lives in Germany came and thanked Maestro Illayaraj which makes him stunned for this great miracle incident. A few months ago a young couple was informed by the doctors in Germany that the baby in the mother’s womb showing no movements which is critical in situation this makes the couples worried and went back to their home and turns Legend Maestro’s music “Thiruvasagam”after this the lady experience the baby kicking surprisingly and then they repeated the same music continuously and they got the same results. The Doctors were stunned and surprised when the lady delivered a baby child some months ago through normal delivery.
by
santhosh

875 Films for maestro Illayaraja




Illayaraja is one music wizard who has had a mighty eventful career that has spanned decades. His is now getting ready to compose music for his 875th film 'Vilayadu Raja Vilayadu'. The film is to be directed by Illayaraja's elder brother Pavalar Varadharajan's son Jo Varadharajan.
Zakir of Friends Future Films is producing the venture. Prabha of 'Pirappu' fame acts as the hero and the heroine would be a debutante from Kerala. Manorama, Nalini and a prominent hero from Malayalam films are also part of the cast.
Natianjali is a dance festival that takes place regularly in Chidambaram and the filmmakers would be shooting the event for showcasing it in the film. This is expected to be a major highlight of 'Vilayadu Raja Vilayadu'.
Illayaraja has millions of fans and most definitely they would want to see the maestro compose music for his 1000th film. Now, wouldn't that be a great achievement
?




by


santhosh

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Illayaraja brings out "Manikantan Geet Mala"



Illayaraja brings out "Manikantan Geet Mala"
IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, September 24, 2008]


Innumerable music albums praising the lord Ayyappa who resides in Sabarimala in Kerala has been made over the years.


But when the living legend of music Illayaraja makes a devotional album, just like his heart touching film music it will be indeed a work which will set a new benchmark of standard for others to follow.


For the first time themusic maestro has brought out a devotional album dedicated to Swami Ayyappa also known as Manikantan.
The album has eight songs created with great care and devotion.
The album will be available in all the four South Indian languages.
For the Tamil version Illayaraja has given his voice for six songs.
For Telugu and Kannada, S.P.Balasubramanyam has given life to 6 songs.
In Malayalam, Vijay Yesudas and Madhu Balakrishnan has sung 6 songs
In all the four languages, Shankaran Namoodiri has sung one song while a male group has given voice for a chorus song.


Leading lyric writers of all the four states have associated with the music director for bringing out this music album.
For Tamil, Vaali did the duties. K.Kalyan wrote the words for Kannada. Vennela Kanti wrote the Telugu lyrics while Anil Kumar created the Malayalam lyrics.
"Manikantan Geet Mala' is the debut project of IndiaTales Media Private Limited which is a new entertainment company started with a mission to take the culture and folklore of India to a global audience.


IndiaTales comprises of a dedicated team of experienced Indian executives and global directors fully devoted to get the Indian culture its deserved and rightful place in the world using mediums like animation, theatre, music, books and visual art.


A full length animated feature film titled as 'Manikantan' will be brought out soon by the company to be released allover India in Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.
The music album "Manikantan Geet Mala" was launched as an exclusive online pre-order on August 22, 2008 and the website has already generated over 75,000 hits since its online release.
The Album will remain on Online Pre-Order till October 12, 2008 and the album will be simultaneously be shipped to customers Worldwide in the 2nd week of October in an effort to eliminate Piracy.


Manikantan Geet Mala is currently available in 2 versions – Gold and Platinum.
The Gold Version is available in each of the 4 recorded languages while the Limited Platinum Edition has all 4 Versions in One Special Package which includes a Bonus CD as well as a Free Copy of the Coffee Table Book entitled Manikantan: A Mural Journey.


Only 999 Copies of the Platinum Edition are available for sale and customers purchasing the Box Set will enter into a draw to spend an hour with the Legendary Ilaiyaraaja in person.


by
santhosh

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Drop and crystals that split rock.




Some of the most dramatic changes effected by water are accomplished by processes too minute to be seen with the unaided eye. A drop of rain may pound the soil with a force of 2.3 pounds per square inch or 16 kpa (in a average downpour, some five million drops fall on every acer [0.4ha] every second). A crystal of ice lodged in a rock pore, formed as moisture is frozen, expands with a pressure of 400 pounds per square inch (2,76- kpa );
Multiplied by many crystals, this is enough to split the rock.




A crystal of salt left behind by evaporating water grows in crevices of rock, expanding unit the rock is fractured. Water also exerts a profound chemical force on the earth. Certain elements abundant in groundwater, rain and dew on minerals in rock, dissolving it into the soil, and in some cases creating plant foods.




If water can destroy rock in many ways, it can also rebuild it. Three fourths of the surface of the earth is now covered with layer of sedimentary rock, which are built out of compressed material washed away from one place and re-deposited in another.





This details was collected from the Book WATER.
Published by life science library.

By
Santhosh.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008







Disco Bus






Chck out this Bus which has great look and Disco Lighting.


By
santhosh



Tuesday, August 12, 2008

WORLD CLASS PEN


BRAUSE CALLIGRAPHY GIFT SET This Brause Calligraphy Gift Set is presented in an attractive gift box. CONTAINS: 6 nibs for script and calligraphy 1 natural wood nib holder 1 bottle of Black . . .

Monday, August 11, 2008

Roads

While looking up stuff on banglore’s history, I bumped into a nice tidbit on Mr. Lavelle who got the rights to mine gold in Kolar. This link is a book written in 1898 by ROBERT H. ELLIOT. Makes for an amazing reading. This is a blog from the past !


1. Lavelle Road was named after Michael Lavelle, an Irish soldier who made his money in the Kolar Gold Fields.

2. Langford Town/Road was named after Col.Pierce Leslie Langford whose residence was located on that road once.

3. Mayo Hall is supposed to remind you of Richard South Bourke, the then Viceroy, who was the Earl of Mayo.

4. Meanee avenue road gets its name after the battle of Meeanee (Miani) where Charles Napier defeated a Baluchi army (1843)

5. The house of the British resident of Mysore was located on Residency Road - it is currently the residence of the Chief General manager of The S.B.I.

6. The names given to the roads in the Cantonment were according to the military arrangement and campus. Thus, there was Artillery Rd., Brigade Rd., Infantry Rd., Cavalry Rd., etc. The South Parade (presently Mahatma Gandhi Road) was to the south of the Parade Ground. St.Mark’s Road gets its name from the St.Mark’s Cathedral.

7. Kumara Park takes its name after the residence of Dewan Seshadri Iyer which he called Kumara Krupa after his family deity.

8. Austin Town is now Kittel nagar after Ferdinand Kittel who compiled the first Kannada dictionary and Thomas Town is B.I.Rice nagar after the archaeologist.

9. Ali Asker was the grand father of Dewan Mirza Ismail who imported horses from iran - remember Ali Asker Road?

10.Jayanagar came into existence in 1948 and has been named after Maharajah Jayachamrajendra Wodeyar.

11.Tata Silk farm gets its name from the silk business that flourished in that area from once called Blackpally 1896.

12.Did you know that the shopping area around South Parade ground (Now M.G.Road) was? (after the Black death in 1898-99)

Thursday, August 7, 2008

It’s always clever

Hello many of you have heard about the story of a clever Crow which puts some small pieces of stone in a pot to drink water. But this is Crow with a stick.


On August 6th of 2008 around 04:00 PM. I was waiting for Kochivali Express in Bangalore City Railway station a Crow which was in Platform with a 2 feet long stick in his mouth, more then 3 minutes passed suddenly it begins to fly with that stick , while it was flying it started to balance with that stick to fly perfect , it was using many techniques with that small and thin stick like a circus person on a rope it was amazing to see that crow and it went to the roof of the railway platform and started to built his nest .


This shows the confident of that crow while flying, when ever we start something to do we should not drop it unless until we reach the goal, this was a lesson from crow .


Watch the activities of the crow if you get a chance. It will be really interesting.


Crow is always Clever.

By
santhosh

Sunday, August 3, 2008

How To Be A Newsletter Writer For Hire?

Some weeks back, a business owner approached me to ask if I'd consider writing for his newsletter. I'm an infopreneur, and turning words into wealth in any form sounds attractive to me. I decided to try it out and found it interesting enough to keep doing it.


How can you be a newsletter writer for hire too? It's easy if you consider two things.


First, business owners are too busy doing things and often don't have the time or energy to manage their newsletter. Second, if you have knowledge or expertise in an area, and are familiar with newsletter writing, it becomes more attractive for business owners to outsource the work to you than trying to do it on their own.


So the best way to become a newsletter writer for hire is to develop expertise in an area and find business owners in the niche to write for.


Become Expert in a Niche


If you are already an expert or specialist in a popular niche, good for you. If you are not already a specialist, you can become one by studying the available resources - websites, forums, newsletters, books and courses - until you are reasonably familiar with the niche.


Wait until you can confidently present yourself as a newsletter writer with some competence and knowledge.


Develop Expertise as a Newsletter Writer


The best way to learn the intricacies of publishing a newsletter is to do it yourself. Pick a subject you have skills, knowledge or experience with. Then start becoming a newsletter writer for real.


Create complete issues. Publish them electronically, or even in print. Offer them to your own audience. Gain experience in the various steps of the process. Figure out how to overcome hurdles and solve problems.


Find Business Owners To Contact


Search for relevant businesses that may be able to use your newsletter writing skills to add value to their customers and prospects. If you have gained expert status in dog training, look for businesses that sell things to dog owners like dog food, dog collars, dog kennels and more.


Once you have a list of potential businesses that may find your skills as a newsletter writer of value, approach them to discuss a proposal where you manage their newsletter for them in return for a payment.


Make an Irresistible Offer


When you contact the business owner, remember to focus on the right 'angle' - what's in it fo them. Don't harp about your knowledge, expertise and skills at writing. Instead, sell them on the value of having a newsletter.


Teach them how it opens up a line of communication with their prospects and customers. Show them how they can run product endorsements and special offers within the content of their newsletter and generate more sales. Explain how their newsletter will brand their business and attract buyers more frequently to their store.


Once they are convinced that publishing a newsletter is in the best intersts of their business, you can start positioning yourself as the best person to be their newsletter writer and create a newsletter for their business.


Run projections about how much extra profit you will help generate for their business, and then show how the rates you charge will come out of added profits, making it a zero cost venture for their business, one with infinite upside potential to grow their business massively.


By becoming expert at a niche topic, learning the intricacies of being a newsletter writer, and identifying a target market of related businesses to write for, and then convincing them to let you write for their newsletter, you can take advantage of this overlooked infopreneur opportunity and profit in a big way - easily.



by: Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian

Improve The Quality Of Your Writing In Less Than 60 Seconds

Writing is not really an art. It is a craft – and you can learn a craft. Follow these four techniques to improve the quality of your writing, no matter what type of writing you do.

Writing Tip #1: After you run your spell checking software, go back and re-read your writing. Few people are good spellers, which is why so many of us rely on spell checking software. Unfortunately, spell checkers have their own flaws and sometimes flag silly errors. For example, the words "form" and "from" are both good, legitimate words. But if you wrote a business letter that said, "We took $200 form your checking account to cover the payment," most spell checkers won't catch that oversight. Yet this simple typo changed the meaning of the sentence. Spell checkers are a convenience; they are neither authoritative nor foolproof, so don’t rely on them. Always read through your writing at least once after you spell check -- and keep a dictionary handy.


Writing Tip #2: Use that famous "KISS" principle for your punctuation. You know the rule, don't you? "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Apply this rule to punctuation. If you don't know how or when to use a semicolon, then avoid semicolons; you'll only display ignorance if you get it wrong. In keeping with that KISS principle, limit your use of commas. Far too many people use far too many commas. Just because a sentence is long does not mean it needs a comma. Well-placed commas make reading easier. Commas thrown in simply to break up words are incorrect and distracting. Another important rule of punctuation is to avoid using exclamation marks, almost always. If your choice of words, sentence structure, and overall prose don't convey the sense of excitement you are seeking, then using an exclamation mark won't do it. If your writing conveys your sense of excitement, an exclamation point is, well, pointless.


Writing Tip #3: Make sure your writing is grammatically correct. You don't need the skills of an English teacher to use correct grammar. You simply need to learn the basics -- verbs and subjects agree in number, for example. That is, "he was" is correct; "they were" is correct. To say "they was" is incorrect. If you are not sure about using grammar, especially if English isn't your "first" language, go to some good reference sites for fundamental English grammar and usage. (If you are writing in another language, the same advice holds true for that language.) Invest in a good, basic grammar book or style manual. Check with any bookstore, online or offline, and you can find one.


4. When you finish some writing, put it aside for a couple of hours or days (if possible), then re-read it before you let go of it. Of course, if you're writing or dictating a business letter or other "time-sensitive" document, this may not be possible. If you set your article or story aside for a day, then re-read it, you may notice glaring errors or want to make significant changes. And you thought before you had finished. Many writers and teachers have commented that all true writing is done in the rewriting. Take that advice to heart and you will significantly improve your writing.


These four steps, rechecking your spelling, taking care with punctuation, watching for fundamental grammar errors, and rewriting, will improve your writing. They are proven tools used by every wordsmith.



by: Jesse Dawson

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Rock Pop Music

Rock pop music is a style of popular music with an outstanding vocal melody accompanied by guitar, drums, and bass. Many forms of rock music also use keyboard instruments such as organ, piano, mellotron, and synthesizers. Other instruments sometimes employed in rock include harmonica, violin, flute, banjo, melodica, and timpani. Besides, rare stringed instruments such as mandolin and sitar are used. Rock pop music normally has a strong back beat, and often revolves around the guitar, either solid electric, hollow electric, or acoustic.


Rock pop music has its origin in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, which developed from blues, country music and other influences. The All Music Guide opines that rock and roll in its purest form has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat, and a catchy melody. Initially,rock & roll took from a variety of sources, mainly blues, R&B, and country, but also gospel, traditional pop, jazz, and folk. All of these impact combined in a simple, blues-based song structure that was not only fast and catchy but also foot tapping.


In the late 1960s, rock pop music was combined with folk music ,blues and jazz to create folk rock, blues-rock and jazz-rock fusion respectively.It created psychedelic rock music irrespective of the time. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. During the 1970s, a number of subgenres of rock, such as soft rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock was created. Synth-rock, hardcore punk and alternative rock were the sub genres of rock pop music that was developed in the 1980s whereas, rock subgenres in the 1990s included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.


A rock band or rock group is a group of musicians specializing in rock pop music . Most of the rock groups consist of a guitarist, lead singer, bass guitarist, and drummer, forming a quartet. Few groups may skip one or more of these roles and make use of a lead singer who can play an instrument while singing, forming a trio or duo; others include additional musicians such as one or two rhythm guitarists and/or a keyboardist. Seldom, groups also employ stringed instruments such as violins or cellos, or horns like trumpets or trombones.




by: Mary Rose

Musical Entertainment With Out The Stress

If you are looking for an easier and less confusing or time consuming way of providing the entertainment for your church, business, or friends these are some ways to find some of the best performers, musicians, or actors. Why spend your valuable time searching for something that a few people are able to give you lists at a moments notice. These are trained individuals that specialize in these particular departments to better assist you and people from both ends of the music industry spectrum. Whether you are searching for the talent to hire, or buy or whether you are the talent looking for a job, these are the people to see:


A music industry consultant can be found in most cities listed under music or business music in the yellow pages. These companies specialize in providing services to you as either a performer or someone searching for a performer. If you are trying to find the next best number one singer, consulting them can get you some of the best musicians or performers either local or long distance. They are able to give you the latest information about the industry and what is new, old, hot, or not worth your time. Saving you time is their main purpose and doing it professionally is their main asset.


Hiring a music business consultant to give you a fresh perspective on your business end of the music industry can end up saving you money in the long run. By making yourself and your company or office aware of the competition, the requirements, and the over all normal procedures of your business, you are preparing for your future success. Hiring a professional to help you achieve order and success is a good idea to implement in your company as well as keeping you updated on what to expect business wise in the future.


A music consultant is the person to see for information on the latest and greatest music, performers, etc. If you are searching for a specific type of music or certain performer, they will assist you in locating what it is you are searching for, and teaching you how to navigate in the music industry without causing yourself a big headache. By hiring a professional to handle your business portions of the music side to your business, you will see excellent results as well as lessen your stress and work load.


Keeping in the loop on the music industry can be difficult and nearly impossible depending on the number of musicians or performers you are attempting to handle. Seeking the aid of these professional individuals can be the determining factor in whether or not you fail or succeed.



by

Ty Cohen

Rock Pop Music

Rock pop music is a style of popular music with an outstanding vocal melody accompanied by guitar, drums, and bass. Many forms of rock music also use keyboard instruments such as organ, piano, mellotron, and synthesizers. Other instruments sometimes employed in rock include harmonica, violin, flute, banjo, melodica, and timpani. Besides, rare stringed instruments such as mandolin and sitar are used. Rock pop music normally has a strong back beat, and often revolves around the guitar, either solid electric, hollow electric, or acoustic.





Rock pop music has its origin in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, which developed from blues, country music and other influences. The All Music Guide opines that rock and roll in its purest form has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat, and a catchy melody. Initially,rock & roll took from a variety of sources, mainly blues, R&B, and country, but also gospel, traditional pop, jazz, and folk. All of these impact combined in a simple, blues-based song structure that was not only fast and catchy but also foot tapping.





In the late 1960s, rock pop music was combined with folk music ,blues and jazz to create folk rock, blues-rock and jazz-rock fusion respectively.It created psychedelic rock music irrespective of the time. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. During the 1970s, a number of subgenres of rock, such as soft rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock was created. Synth-rock, hardcore punk and alternative rock were the sub genres of rock pop music that was developed in the 1980s whereas, rock subgenres in the 1990s included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.





In the late 1960s, rock pop music was combined with folk music ,blues and jazz to create folk rock, blues-rock and jazz-rock fusion respectively.It created psychedelic rock music irrespective of the time. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. During the 1970s, a number of subgenres of rock, such as soft rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock was created. Synth-rock, hardcore punk and alternative rock were the sub genres of rock pop music that was developed in the 1980s whereas, rock subgenres in the 1990s included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.



A rock band or rock group is a group of musicians specializing in rock pop music . Most of the rock groups consist of a guitarist, lead singer, bass guitarist, and drummer, forming a quartet. Few groups may skip one or more of these roles and make use of a lead singer who can play an instrument while singing, forming a trio or duo; others include additional musicians such as one or two rhythm guitarists and/or a keyboardist. Seldom, groups also employ stringed instruments such as violins or cellos, or horns like trumpets or trombones.









by: Mary Rose

Pop Music

Pop music is a liberal and vague category of modern music not marked by artistic considerations but by its promising audience or future market. Pop is music composed with calculated objective to influence the majority of its contemporaries.


In contrast to music that calls for education or arrangement to appreciate, a significant characteristic of pop music is that anyone is able to enjoy it. Artistic concepts such as complex musical form and aesthetics are not a matter in the writing of pop songs, the key aim being audience satisfaction and commercial triumph. Although the aim of pop music is to sell records and do really well in the charts, it does not require wide acclaim or commercial success. There are bad or unsuccessful pop songs.


Originally the term was an abbreviation of, and synonymous to, popular music, but developed around 1954 to express a particular musical category. The stylistic origins of pop music is folk,jazz,R&B,rock and roll,traditional pop music.The typical instruments are electric guitar,bass guitar,drum kit and keyboard.The cultural origins date back to 1950's in the United States.It is popular worldwide since 1960s.


The standard format of pop music is the song, usually less than five minutes in length. The instrumentation can range from an orchestra to a lone singer. In spite of this wide choice, a standard lineup in a pop band includes a lead guitarist, a bassist, a drummer (or an electronic drum machine), a keyboardist and one or more singers, generally not themselves instumentalists.


Pop songs are generally conspicuous by a heavy rhythmic element, a mainstream style and traditional structure. The most common modification is strophic in form and focuses on memorable melodies, catchy hooks and the appeal of the verse-chorus-verse arrangement, with the chorus sharply contrasting the verse melodically, rhythmically and harmonically.


Lyrics in pop compositions are usually simple and speak of universal experiences and feelings, moving away from incomprehensible or debatable issues.The international appeal of pop was evident in the new millennium, with artists from around the world influencing the genre and local variants merging with the mainstream. As of 2008, pop music is now currently the most popular style of music of youth culture, making competition with hip hop, dance and country.



About The Author
Mary Rose has authored several books including books related to music and harmony

Shopping for a Piano: Acoustic vs. Digital

The most serious piano teachers will adamantly point their students in the direction of an acoustic piano. For serious piano studying, I agree with this completely for reasons I will discuss shortly. But for many reasons, a genuine handcrafted instrument may not be the best choice for you. With the affordability, portability, and the many features that come with digital pianos, you may wish to head the other way. Summarily, the question of acoustic versus digital boils down to a matter of authenticity versus everything else.


Mostly, the drawbacks of an acoustic piano are matters of practicality, such as price. For what you could get a new, decent quality digital piano with, you’ll be dealing with a rather meager acoustic. This can encompass a number of problems. For instance, aside from any tuning it might need, the overall sound quality of a cheap acoustic piano can be quite poor. This may not just be an issue of old strings, but can result from an infinite number of possible factors arising from any of the complex mechanics of the piano being in disrepair. Other common problems of old pianos are broken keys and sticky keys, which is when the keys fail to spring up the way they should. There may also be faults with the framework that can range from nuisances to impending hazards. The trouble of a bad acoustic continues indefinitely, and the piano may need a decent amount of initial maintenance, in addition to periodic maintenance, which is likely to pull a few additional large bills out of your wallet right way.


Also, because of its bulk and weight, an acoustic may be a very difficult accommodation for people living in tight or elevated spaces, such as dorm rooms and certain city apartments. Some buildings may even prohibit pianos, particularly on floors above the ground level because the weight and bulk of pianos make them quite cumbersome and possibly hazardous to either the tenants or the buildings themselves. This raises the issue of portability as well. Do you gig? Do you relocate frequently? Toting a 500 pound upright piano isn’t possible for most people; moving one across the room is a challenge for most people. If your music needs to be ready to go, your hulking wooden companion is not going to be sympathetic.


Acoustic pianos also lack the many features present in digital pianos nowadays that may be valuable tools to you. For example, volume control may be necessary in dormitory, or close living, situations. Newer digitals also come with a suite of onboard functions, including on-the-fly recording, voice customization, electronic metronome, and even music mixing features, which you won’t have. You will also lack the benefit of porting your music to your PC; a simple MIDI connector would feed your performance directly into your computer’s audio card without any ambient noise or loss of sound quality, which will probably beat any recording made with an acoustic piano and consumer grade recording hardware available at a neighborhood electronics store.


With an acoustic, you will surely be at, at least, some degree of inconvenience. Still, despite the great deal of effort digital piano makers have put into their product, none have been able to truly reproduce the sound and feel of a good acoustic piano. First, lets talk about the piano sound. To most people, casual or occasional listeners of piano music, the resulting sounds between an acoustic piano and a digital piano are quite identical and equally satisfactory musically. But listen closely, because there is an important difference.


A digital piano outputs high quality recordings of the sounds that were made by a real piano at one time. During the process of making a digital piano, each key of a real concert grand piano is struck a number of times at varying velocities and recorded with sophisticated equipment to be used as the digital voice. This will give the digital piano a sufficient range of tonality and an overall likeness to the sound of an acoustic piano in varying music dynamics. But once the notes have been recorded and finally integrated with the digital piano’s voicing mechanism, they are never going to be changed. Even though the aesthetic quality of the sound is state of the art, it is the way the sounds should behave but cannot because they are fixed recordings that is the fundamental problem of digital pianos.

An acoustic piano uses a complex array of hammers, strings, a soundboard, and other moving parts that function in collaboration. This means that when any note is played, it is not played with entire independence, but is highly affected by the current state of the surrounding components of the piano. For example, playing a chord on a digital piano will simply result in three notes being played, as they were recorded individually, at the same time, whereas with an acoustic piano, the three notes will interact with each other through the soundboard and become a stew of vibrations, producing a different, more complex, and ultimately richer sound. Lacking this quality, what comes out of digital speakers will typically be quite boring and unsatisfactory to aficionados of the true piano tone.


An acoustic piano is also an analog instrument, which means is has virtually infinite range. For example, there is no limit to the loudness or softness a note may be played on an acoustic piano. With digital pianos, there is a point at which a minimum or maximum will be achieved. This means there will be occasions when you will not be able to play a note as softly or as loudly as you wish. In order words, true pppp or ffff are probably beyond the reach of digital pianos without you resorting to adjusting the volume dial while you’re performing. Even if you were to do that, the tonal quality of the notes would remain static from that point on, when it would further continue to dull or brighten on an acoustic piano.


Another problem of digital devices is the matter of intervals. In photography, for example, pixels are the intervals. With a traditional film camera, the amount of detail you are able to capture is theoretically unlimited because film is a single and continuous malleable body. The “film” of a digital camera is not single or continuous but is a multitude of pixels, each of which is only able to record a solid block of color. The amount of detail a digital camera is able to capture will depend on the how small the pixels are and how tightly they’re packed together. If the pixels, or intervals, are small enough and packed tight enough, the amalgam of the blocks of color they record will appear to be smooth curves and gradients to the human eye.


There is a similar issue of intervals with digital pianos, which is mainly the issue of touch sensitivity. Digital pianos have a finite number of intervals when it comes to key pressure. The more intervals there are and the closer they are to each other, the more realistically the piano will respond to your dynamics. High end digital pianos will have quite a lot of them. But digital pianos within the means of average shoppers may not have sufficient sensitivity. This means that while the vast difference between piano and forte may be noticeable, the most intricate variances of touch pressure may be disregarded. This will be quite a nuisance to pianists seeking a highly responsive instrument, particularly when it comes to meticulous classical music.


It also manifests in pedaling. Piano pedals are ranged. Between simple on and off, or up and down, there are degrees. Half-pedaling and quarter-pedaling are crude terms describing the manner of pedaling in which the pedal is only pressed partially down in order to create an intermediate effect. For instance, rather than completely depressing the pedal so that the full brilliance of a note is sustained, you may wish to depress it only half way to dampen about half of the note and let only the remainder of it sustain for a subtler, suppressed quality. Certainly a scrupulous pianist will wish to employ the complete range of pedaling available to him, which may not be represented entirely accurately in a digital piano.


Aside from sound, as mentioned previously, key touch is also an important issue. Digital piano makers these days have gone to great lengths to reproduce the feel of acoustic pianos. For the most part, they’ve done a good job. They’ve even gone as far as implementing graded hammer action, which is in line with the hammers of acoustic pianos gradually becoming lighter from left to right. As a matter of fact, if you could take a look at the inner workings of a digital piano, you would be quite surprised and impressed with the complexity of the hammer mechanics. However, as long as digital pianos look the way they do, being the shape and size they are, there is going to be a limit as to how authentically the key feel can be made.


The hammers on a digital piano are simply extensions of the pianist’s fingers. When the pianist presses a key down, it will raise the opposing lever, which touches the electronic pad inside the piano that serves as the string. The hammers on an acoustic piano do not behave this way. Instead of being extensions of the pianist’s fingers, they are rather like projectiles that are sprung toward the strings high above them. Imagine the carnival game where you must hit a pad on the ground with a mallet, which flings a projectile up the meter towards the bell at the very top. The finger is the mallet, the visible piano key is the pad, the hammer inside the piano is the projectile, and the string is the bell. First of all, this means if you press a key all the way down but not with the minimum amount of force needed, the projectile hammer will never leave its seating and the string will actually never be struck. Secondly, this launch-pad-like action feels quite different than the seesaw-like action of digital piano hammers.


The only way this can truly be reproduced in a digital piano is by the use of bona-fide acoustic hammers. And there’s nothing wrong with doing that. But the problem is there isn’t enough room for them inside the compact size of most of the digital pianos today. That’s why as long as they look the way they do, the action of digital pianos will not feel completely akin to that of acoustic pianos. Larger, higher end models do integrate the acoustic hammer action simply to recreate the key feel. Even higher end models, which are called “silent pianos,” integrate strings as well and are bona-fide acoustic pianos with the added ability to remove the strings from the action and toggle on digital mode in order to provide volume control! But these tend to be even more expensive than acoustic pianos.


These are the basic points to think about when shopping for your piano. To restate what I said at the beginning of the article, it really boils down to the authenticity versus everything else. And the authenticity is usually going to cost you more to get. What you should think about is how important it is to you that the piano truly resembles an acoustic. Are you a classical piano student looking at a long road of perfection and possibly a career as a concert performer? Then a digital piano is probably not what you want to be practicing on, even as a temporary substitution. I would suggest taking financing an acoustic and using your relatively small budget of cash as the down payment. If this is not necessarily what you’re going for, then perhaps a digital reduction is all you really need. For most people, it is.




About The Author
Eugene Chung is a student of classical piano and webmaster of Piano Lessons with Master Teachers

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

For Romance Without Any Stress, "Sleepless in Seattle" Is the Cure

If you were celebrating Valentines Day with a candlelight dinner for two at home and settled in to watch a movie, "Sleepless in Seattle" would be a great choice because it provides a pleasant experience and is already becoming a romantic comedy classic.

Your parents or grandparents experienced a similar story line in the now classic "An Affair to Remember" that was released in 1957 and paired Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Their characters fall in love and agree to meet in 6 months at the Empire State Building in New York.

Sleepless in Seattle, released 36 years later in 1993, pairs Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin and Meg Ryan as Annie Reed. Sam is the recently-widowed father of 8-year-old Jonah Baldwin (Ross Malinger), who calls a nationally-broadcast radio talk show in an attempt to find his lonely father a partner.

A somewhat reluctant Sam talks to host Marcia Fieldstone and thousands of single women across America are suddenly drawn in to Sam's sense of love for his former wife, each wishing she could be as cherished as Sam's next special person. To wit:

Doctor Marcia Fieldstone: Tell me what was so special about your wife?

Sam Baldwin: Well, how long is your program? Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together . . .and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home . . . only to no home I'd ever known . . .I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like . . . magic.

If that dialog does not melt every woman's heart she would need to go straight to "The Wizard of Oz" and receive a new transplant. Soon Sam is getting thousands of letters from wannabe partners, all of which are read by his son Jonah, who decides that "Annie" is the best choice.

Annie is engaged to marry Walter (Bill Pullman). Should she do so she would be making the first great mistake of her life. Walter is a decent enough chap, but Annie is missing any sparks in their relationship because Walter has the personality of an ashtray

Annie goes to great lengths to meet Sam, flying from New York to Seattle only to discover Sam with another woman, whom she mistakes for a love interest. She never mails a letter she has written to Sam, but her friend does. In it she proposes to meet Sam on top of the Empire State Building.

Sam is not interested in going, but his son Jonah is, so, with the help of his new friend whose parents own a travel agency, he is able to book a flight to the Big Apple and ends up on the observation deck of the Empire State Building looking for Annie. Sam, in a panic, to find his son, follows him to New York. The rest you will have to see.

Hanks is very convincing as a forlorn widower and Ryan was at her peak of being cute and innocent. The chemistry between the two, who only share approximately 2 minutes of screen time together, is great.

The role of Annie was originally offered to Julia Roberts but she turned it town. Kim Basinger, who was also offered the part, turned it down because she thought the premise was ridiculous. Just recently in the news, a youngster in Jonah's peer group did exactly what Jonah did, managed to book flight on a major airline and fly undetected. Life is indeed stranger than fiction.

The screenplay for Sleepless in Seattle was written in part by Nora Ephron, who also wrote "When Harry Met Sally" (another great romantic comedy with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal). Ephron directed the film.

Ephron, David S. Ward and Jeff Arch (who did write the story) were nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay, and the film received another nomination for Best Original Song ("A Wink and a Smile"). Sleepless in Seattle also got Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Tom Hanks) and Best Actress (Meg Ryan).


Sleepless in Seattle cost $21 million to film and grossed $227 million worldwide at the box office, adding another $65+ million in rentals.

Tom Hanks is the gold standard in acting. He has been nominated for 5 Best Actor Oscars (Big, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away) and won twice for "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump". Hanks also has won 4 Best Actor Golden Globes for Big, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump and Cast Away.

His films have grossed more than $3.3 billion. He remains only 1 of 3 actors to have 7 consecutive $100 million domestic blockbusters; the other two are Tom Cruise and Will Smith.

Sleepless in Seattle is viewed by many guys as a "chick flick" but not by me. I consider it an outstanding relationship film with a great story line that proves to be a pleasant viewing experience every time I see it again. If a guy has ever been in love and felt the magic, he will appreciate this film a lot more.



About The Author
Ed Bagley Read my articles on "Want a Six-Figure Income Without Getting a College Degree of Any Kind? Here Is How", "The Biggest Mistake Potential Hires Make While Interviewing for a Job" and "Before You Interview, Learn and Practice Ed's "Zip a Lip" Theory".

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Kids and Money - Why Is It So Hard?


We learn so many things as we grow up. We learn how to walk, talk, and get away with not doing our homework. We learn how to play complicated games, many of them involving pretend money.

So, why is it so hard for us to learn how to manage money?

Why do so many people struggle to make ends meet, even on reasonably high incomes?

Why do so few people manage to provide sufficiently for themselves in retirement?

It’s not rocket science. We know what it takes. And there are some people doing it. So why isn’t basic money management as widely understood as basic geometry?

Imagine what life would be like if making money came as easily and naturally as riding a bike or tying your shoelaces. Imagine graduating high school with a permanent, secure, passive income already in place. You wake each the morning to find more money has appeared in your account overnight! If you want to travel, you do. If you want to paint, write, or do any other creative activity, you do. You choose your occupation based on what you love to do, not the burden of having to pay the bills. You have all the time you need to socialise with your family and friends, to stay in shape, and to practice your spirituality.

This world is not a pipe-dream. It’s not unrealistic. The world is alive with opportunity, more so now than ever before, and the opportunity is expanding exponentially.

With the right knowledge and attitudes, today’s kids can capture their share of that opportunity, and set themselves up for life.

So, why isn’t everyone doing it?

Because not everyone’s parents have the right knowledge and attitudes to pass along to their kids. Some of those who have the knowledge and attitudes are still setting themselves up in life, working long hours, and find it difficult to break the knowledge down into terms their kids can understand.

What can we do about it?

As parents, we need to be conscious that financial education ranks up there with education about nutrition, health, and communication. We must educate ourselves, so that we can educate our children.

There are many places to go on the web to get that vital financial education.

The Cash Smart Kids program (http://www.cash-smart-kids.com) provides lessons for the kids, plus additional reference material for their parents.

The Rich Dad website (http://www.richdad.com) is rich in content, and contains information about the Cashflow series of educational board games

There are numerous e-Books, ezine articles, and offline financial publications with an online presence

And, of course, there are dozens of relevant books in your local book store





About The Author
Jenny Ford is an expert in educating children about business and wealth creation. She is one of the founders of
http://www.Cash-Smart-Kids.com, and her blog can be seen at www.RaisingEntrepreneurs.org. She holds an Honours degree in Psychology, a Diploma in Training and Assessment Systems, and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management. She is the mother of three young entrepreneurs, all of whom started successful businesses when they were nine to twelve years old.